Binder1 jan 7, 2015 by Newtelegraphonline

A media partner of Sanctity Of Truth

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

Vol. 1 No. 322

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

FG blames states for judiciary workers' strike

FG orders closure of revenue accounts with banks T

Abdulwahab Isa and Chris Ugwu

he Federal Government has directed revenue generating Ministries Department

and Agencies (MDAs) to henceforth deposit their revenue into Consolidated Revenue Fund of the

NEW TELEG

The Meg a City RAPH WEDN

ESDAY, JANUA RY

7, 2015

...EXCL USIVE LAGOS MAGA ZINE

Page 25

eight pages of mega city

Federation and Treasury Single Account and close revenue account with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

N150

University

A commu nity of lea rning of Lagos

main gate

No going back on Feb polls, says Jega LIFE IN THE

CITY

Return of impunity in Lagos

MY CITY MY

WORLD

Lagos is dynamic, says Oresanya

OLUWATOS IN OMONIYI CO-ORDINAT

tosin.omoniyi

@newtelegrap

honline.com © Daily Telegra ph Publis hing Compa ny Limited

On the cont inent of Afric number of a and even acad Yaba, a subu emic institutions beyond, there is hard across all rban Lago levels- basi ly any community s commun that com ity does. c, high scho he histo mands the MOJEED ry ol or even shrouded of the name Yaba ALABI writ higher inst is still es on the in Engl in mystery. But ish, litera the word land, especially significance itutions, as ness lly of this. taining drug” which aremeans “mad- istration. Whil for the ease of a mixture e the econ adminlitical powe tablets and

of meth omic and caffeine. rs were Today, Yaba amphetamcon- island, Thus, to not be unco ine cially the mainlandconcentrated on po- of the colon , the once resid nnected some, this migh the communiti ialists has ential area those that a psych with the iatric es, espe- into one large meta shared close location t with the seat is not confi hospital in ics of colon community morphosed rmed anyw Yaba. But of dential quar of power serveproximity with ial build However, this comm ters. d as resi- The community ings and the relbeyond ay. unity with And Yaba, a spraw name and quarters. settin now the several ling rural g; some part, wears an urba home is the location of story of the to the island becam acces another gard. The a psych e handy s routes ply features and however, mirr n which till major featu iatric colon these in ors referred That is, date has remained re of Yaba, land, dwelled in ial masters explothis re- Mako to as bligh areas are simthe ko and red its demic insti concentration unrivalled. themselves with its streets and Iwaya. Noneted areas like ing estab basic amen provided Local council of tutions nity. lishment commercia Developm theless, Yaba in a singl many acaities, inclu of The e comm l nerve centr ent Area is d- less History u- velop present Yaba schools. the of their e for all, has it that Local Coun ment Area political tion of regardations, after the Lagos prote and , Lago cil and creat De- rare colonisas Mainland more impo cultural affili ed out cosmopoli ctorate opportuni one rtantly, Local Gove of the old in 1861, into two-L tan city was broad ty of hosti has most prom the by of the 37 local agos Islan ng some the councils rnment, is in the admi ly divid inent academic of the d and Lago ed establishe nistr the coun institutio try. d s Main- nor Bola Tinu ation of form The er ns bu after was passe an enab Gover- comm list of prom d by the inent scho odated state assem ling law by Yaba bly. includes ols acbut not CONT INUED

Travel Advisory

L-R: Senate President David Mark; Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and President Goodluck Jonathan, during the inauguration of Jonathan's Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO) in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

PDP, APC campaign in opponents' stronghold

Your guide to local and international flights lPresident: We've surpassed our predecessors' achievements 4

ON PAGE 27

Quick Read

Editorial

SMEs and national }19 development

Gunmen attack Buhari’s lWe'll raise competent team to run Nigeria, says APC candidate }5 supporters }2

News

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

No going back on Feb polls, says Jega Onyekachi Eze, Anule Emmanuel and Uwakwe Abugu

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians and the international community that there is no going back on the conduct of the February elections. The commission, at a workshop yesterday for the training of security personnel to conduct the elections, denied that there were plans to postpone the polls. The assurances came against the call on Sunday by Pastor Tunde Bakare, running mate to the presidential candidate of the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 presidential election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, that the elections should be shifted given the insurgency in the North-East and for the setting up of a transitional government. INEC also said the elections would hold in the North-East if "the coast is clear." INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, represented by Dr. Ishmael Igbani, said there was no basis for concern over funding of the commission for the conduct of the general election. "Anytime there is an election in Nigeria, there is always some form of tension. I have been around for a while I don't think it is something new. I don't think people should be afraid. But it is also essential that we get ready just in case. “It is also very important that we have peaceful election; it is also important that voters come out to vote without fear. It is also important that the personnel who will work for us and the environment itself is peaceful and for it to be peaceful it is important for the security agencies to be alert and ensure that they do what they are supposed to do," Igbani said. He said a minimum of 50 security personnel was being trained at the workshop, adding, "We call this cascade training. After this training of trainers who will now go to their various security organisations to train others and so forth, which will go down the line in that way, more will be trained in a more cheaper way." The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, warned that the police will not hesitate to deal with politicians who flout the Electoral Act. Commissioner in

Charge of Election Monitoring, Mohammed Ghanzali, who represented the IG at the workshop, said the police being the leading security agency for all elections, would enforce the rule of the law. He said the number of policemen to be deployed

during the election would depend on the population and the polling units as well as the security personnel available. "The commissioner of police in the state will be the one to deploy. He knows what is on the ground. When you talk of nation-

al, it can't hold without the states. So, you have all the states and all the states have commissioners so the commissioners will deploy the members,” he explained. Also, governors of the North-East yesterday met with President Goodluck

Jonathan in Abuja, at an emergency expanded security meeting where they insisted that elections must hold in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states next month. Jonathan had on May 14, 2013 declared a sixmonth state of emergency

in the three states and renewed it twice at the peak of the sect’s activities. There have been fears that the elections may not hold in the three states considered to be major trouble spots of the Boko Haram insurgency. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the party's vice-presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, at a presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt…yesterday

Gunmen attack Buhari’s supporters lMEND rejects Jonathan, endorses APC candidate

Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

upporters of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), were yesterday shot by gunmen on their way to attend the party’s rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The supporters were travelling from Kaani Community in Ogoniland to the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, near Omagwa International Airport, when two buses conveying them to the venue were attacked around Sakpenwa in Tai Local Government Area by the gunmen. The attack came on a day the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) canvassed support for Buhari while rejecting his arch-rival in the presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Eyewitnesses said no-

body was killed during the attack, but two of the victims, Aadum M. Pya, who was allegedly shot in the leg, and Baribe Jack, were rushed to the Kelsey Harrison Specialist Hospital in Port Harcourt. There were also unconfirmed reports that members of the APC were attacked in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state. The Rivers Police Command confirmed that gunmen attacked the APC supporters. The command’s spokesman, Mr. Muhammad Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the unknown gunmen “opened fire on the APC supporters.” Ahmad said the supporters were travelling in group from Buguma in Asari-Turu Local Government Area of the state for the rally. According to him, the initial report showed that there were no casualties. Ahmad said the com-

mand had commenced investigation into the incident and would bring the suspects to justice. But despite the alleged attack, thousands of supporters trooped out to the stadium, causing gridlock along the road as hundreds of chartered buses and cars struggled for parking space amid drumming and dancing by some party faithful. Reacting to the incident, Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, who spoke at the rally held for Buhari, said he would stand by the party supporters no matter the level of violence unleashed on the party. He said: “I hear today (yesterday) that members of the APC from Asari-Toru (Kalabari) and Khana (Ogoni) LGAs of Rivers State were shot at on their way to this place (Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium). The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members believe in guns. We believe in God and man. “We shall stand and face their bullets. We shall

stand and face their guns. The fact that they shot you, brings to the fore the argument we put forward that currently, the government in power cannot protect you and I. If the government could protect you and me, why were we shot at? Who bought guns for those people? Who shot at our members? “I'm assuring you as your governor that I will continue to stand by you. They will do nothing, if we all stand together.” Amaechi urged the crowd to vote for Buhari and APC Rivers governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, promising to ensure that they win. However, giving support to the Buhari candidacy, MEND, in a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said it endorsed Buhari, after a careful consideration of the state of the nation. It added that the decision to support him was because the Jonathan administration has mismanaged the country. According to it, Jona-

than does not deserve to be re-elected because he has not justified his first term in office. “This is a president that told Nigerians to their faces that he does not ‘give a damn’ when asked to declare his assets. A requirement that is constitutional on assuming the office of the President. “President Jonathan, since assuming office, has setup countless committees but none of the reports has ever been implemented. From the Nuhu Ribadu report to the KPMG and Fuel Subsidy reports, just to mention a few. “How can Nigerians expect a highly corrupt person like Goodluck Jonathan to fight corruption when he believes that stealing is not corruption, as he shamelessly told the nation? “He has proven beyond all reasonable doubt, his inability to tackle corruption or prosecute a single government official in his six (6) years in office,” MEND stated.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Travel Advisory

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule

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

Air France

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

Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

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

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

Amsterdam-Lagos Lagos-Amsterdam

KL587 KL588

13:15hrs 23:05hrs

20:00hrs 05:50hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York

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

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

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

12:30hrs

16:00hrs

KLM

ARIK AIRLINES

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

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

BRITISH AIRWAYS

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

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

BA075 BA074 BA 082 BA 083

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

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

Lebanon-Lagos Lagos-Lebanon

MEA 571 MEA 572

3:00hrs 14:00hrs

8:00hrs 19:00hrs

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

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

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

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

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

Lagos-Doha Flight Doha-Lagos Flight

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 07:20hrs

23:45hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

QATAR AIRWAYS DELTA AIRLINES

UNITED AIRLINES

ASKY AIRLINES

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

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

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

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

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

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

ET900 ET901 ET910 ET911 ET930 ET931 ET930 ET931

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

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

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 16:00hrs

05:25+1hrs 20:20hrs

Lagos-Casablanca Casablanca-Lagos

AT738 AT 737

06:25hrs 02:15hrs

09:55hrs 6:00hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos

VS 652 VS 651

11:00hrs 22:40hrs

17:00hrs 4:40hrs

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

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

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

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

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 08:30hrs

22:20hrs 13:30hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

KQ 533 KQ 534

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

Lagos-Kigali

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

16:45hrs

332 333

06:00hrs 21:20hrs

IBERIA

air maroc

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ETIHAD AIRWAYS

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS RwandAir

Kigali-Lagos

Turkish Airlines

Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

22:35hrs 15:10hrs

17:30hrs

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

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

PDP, APC campaign in opponents' stronghold

Onyekachi Eze, Anule Emmanuel and Johnchuks Onuanyim

Abuja

resident Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his main challenger in next month's presidential election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are locked in

a test of strength as they begin their campaigns. While Buhari launched his campaign yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital and the support base of his opponent, who is from the SouthSouth geopolitical zone, Jonathan will tomorrow herald his campaign in Lagos, a bastion of the APC. The two opposition parties, New Telegraph learnt yesterday, strategically chose Rivers and La-

gos states to launch their campaigns as a way to test the acceptability of their parties and the popularity of their candidates for the February 14 presidential election. However, Director of Communication, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, said there was no particular reason why his party chose SouthSouth to launch Buhari's campaign. He said: "There is no

law guiding where you flag off your campaign. The South-South is an integral part of Nigeria and there is no political colouration. Why is President Jonathan flagging off his own in the South-West?" Asked why the party and its presidential candidate have not constituted proper campaign team to drive the campaign, he stated: "Our campaign team has been constituted. "There is no consti-

tutional provision that the members should be announced. It is the prerogative of the party to announce or not to announce. "There is no hard and fast rule about it, but people have been expressing interest and people have been really coming on board and the expression of support enjoy is so overwhelmed across Nigeria. "It is like every Nigeria is actually campaigning. I

L-R: Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Jibrin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosu and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Rear Admiral G.E. Okoi, after a security meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Investors in banks’ stocks lose N573bn to bearish grip CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

commercial banks. The directive is sequel to the new Electronic Revenue Collection Platform unveiled yesterday in Abuja by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation( AGF). The directive was announced just as it emerged that shareholders in banking stocks lost about N573 billion during the financial year ended 2014 following massive sell-off that overran the market in the last two quarters of the year. The Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, at a workshop on the take-off of the electronic collection project, directed all MDAs to comply with the new initiative by closing their revenue accounts with banks latest by February 28. The balances of the revenue account, he said, should be transferred to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation. The new Electronic Revenue Collection platform is aimed at improving internally generate revenue in view of declining oil

prices. According to him, the take-off of the e-collection platform is a product of a series of treasury reforms, which began in 2012, aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of the nation's finances. The reforms, he stated, led to the launch of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System and the Treasury Single Account. "Our efforts this morning on the e-collection of revenue is a revenue enhancing programme by freeing more funds for budget performance. "We are perfecting a system of collection; we are not perfecting a system depriving commercial banks of income. So we just want to make revenue collections a little more efficient but in the process it might influence the inflow to the commercial banks and that's why the central bank is playing a pivotal role," he added. Giving a broader perspective to the new revenue collection platform, the Director, Funds, Office

of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Dikwa, said henceforth, government revenues would now be paid into the CRF/TSA. "With the coming of e- collection, MDAs can no longer maintain Revenue Bank Account with commercial banks. You are therefore advised to transfer any outstanding balance in your RBA to the CRF and immediately commence processes for closing them. "MDAs are given up to February 28, 2015 to close RBA. Appropriate sanctions shall be applied against any MDA that fails to comply," he stated. Meanwhile, the net worth of shareholders with banking stocks fell by about N573 billion in the financial year ended 2014 following sale pressure. Investigation by New Telegraph showed that the sub-sector closed the year lower on December 31, 2014 at N2.366 trillion as against the opening figure of N2.939 trillion at the beginning of trading year on January 2, 2014, representing a loss of N573 billion or

24.2 per cent. On a year-to-date basis, the equities market lost 16.797 per cent as banking stocks were among the worst battered – the NSE Banking Index shed 21.53 per cent year-to-date basis. Similarly, consumer goods stocks as well as industrial stocks tumbled by 17.88 per cent and 15.98 per cent according to their respective gauges. Foreign investors sold Nigerian stocks as the price of crude dropped into a bear market and on concern that measures the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) put in place to stem capital outflows would hinder their ability to sell holdings in Africa’s top oil producer. The fall in the price of crude oil in the international market is sending economic and political shocks around the world. The hardest hit has been countries whose economies depend largely on oil for appreciable percentage of their foreign exchange earnings. Due to the dismal performance of the local bourse, the Nigerian Stock

Exchange was recently ranked the third worst performing stock market during the 2014 financial year. The Nigerian bourse recorded 33 per cent loss to earn third position among the 10 worst exchanges in the world. The ranking also saw Moscow stock exchange, Russian recording 54 per cent loss to top the list followed by Borsa de Valores de Colombia stock exchange with a loss of 34 per cent to emerge second among other exchanges. Market analysts believe that despite the general lull in the stock market, the run in banking sector might not be unconnected with recent reports that Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has begun to offload some of the shares it acquired from the nonperforming loans of banks and other companies due to the upsurge in prices of shares quoted on the local bourse. Some developments in the domestic and global economy are also causing bank stocks to lose their attraction.

can tell you 75 per cent of Nigerians are campaigning for the General on their own. It is as if we don't need campaign team any more. Everybody is campaigning and people are volunteering and doing all kinds of campaign on their own in their desire and yearning for change." Earlier yesterday, Buhari at the inauguration of his campaign rally in Port Harcourt, said his administration would assemble competent team to efficiently manage the country. According to him, the team will tackle the numerous problems confronting the nation. "The fundamental issue facing this country is insecurity and the problem of the economy, which was being made worse by corruption. "I assure you that we are going to finally assemble a competent team of Nigerians to efficiently manage this country. "The damage that has been done to this country is great. The level of unemployment, the level of insecurity is intolerable. The damage has been done. It will take time, it will take patience, it will take support from you to make sure that we succeed when we get there," he added. Buhari commended Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, for accepting to be the director general of the party’s presidential campaign team. Buhari urged the people to ensure that eligible voters collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to cast their ballots on election day. APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, in his speech, urged Nigerians to vote for the party to change the fortunes of the country. "If you want electricity; if you want corruption wiped out; if you want indiscipline and insecurity wiped out, then vote for Gen. Buhari and APC in the elections,’’ he said. Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, commended Amaechi for choosing two members of the House, Dakuku Peterside and Asita Okorie Asita as governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party in the state. Amaechi urged the people to collect their PVCs and vote for APC candidates. He said the time had come for the people to demonstrate their love for the party by voting for all its candidates at all levels. Also yesterday, Jonathan set the stage for the take-off of his campaign CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

News

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

No going back on Feb polls, says Jega CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The president's attempt to further renew the emergency rule in November 2014 was rejected by the National Assembly. It was gathered that at the end of yesterday’s meeting, which was also attended by security chiefs and relevant ministers, the governors were of the view that if elections could be held recently in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other wartorn places, the scenario in the North-East could not be an exception. Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, said the governors told the president to deploy more troops ahead of the general election. Gaidam stressed that the troops on ground in the affected states were not enough to handle the security situation. He said: “We have come to brief the president on the security features of our various states; we have come to greet him and we told him of the challenges we have been facing. “We are appealing to the Federal Government to deploy more troops in addition to what we have on ground to arrest the situation in our various states.

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

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“We need more troops, the troops that we have on ground in our various states are not enough to contain the situation, so we have appealed to the Federal Government to deploy additional troops with full equipment to tame the situation. “Elections will hold in the states. Election will hold, that is the position of the electoral commission and definitely in all those areas where insurgency exists, elections will hold.” On his part, the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said elections must hold in the affected states to send a strong signal to the insurgents. According to him, by not holding elections in the states, the government will be seen to have given in to the antics of the sect. The governor added that elections could be conducted in camps at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Meanwhile, the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) has warned that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs ) across the country would constitute one of the greatest threats to the general election. Chair man of PRESCOM, Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe, said at a forum for the South-East in Enugu yesterday, that the situation needed urgent and concerted efforts of all citizens to tackle.

Describing small arms and light weapons as "weapons of mass destruction" that continue to fuel conflicts and violence all over the world, Imohe said the negative impact they could make on the upcoming elections could not be overemphasised. He said that the commission decided to embark on a sensitisation programme under the theme "Ballot without bullets" across the country to enlighten the people about the menace and to get them involved in the war against electoral

violence that could be fuelled by the weapons. The PRESCOM Chairman, who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Simon Egede, said the sensitisation programme would also help the commission collate ideas and contributions from the people for the formulation of policies to tackle the influence of small arms and light weapons on elections and security in the country. In his keynote address at the forum, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu

State said the threat that the menace of SALWs posed to the elections and security in general, was underscored by the frightening fact that 70 per cent of illegal firearms in West Africa was located in Nigeria. Chime, who was represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anthony Ani (SAN), expressed concern at the ease with which illegal arms were obtained in the country. He urged the authorities to intensify efforts at track-

ing down and eliminating their sources of supply. In his address, Jega noted that the February election could only be judged to be free and fair if it was devoid of violence and electoral malpractices. The INEC boss, who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Osaze Ori, stressed that the commission was also worried about the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the negative effect it could have on the elections if not checked.

Chairman, Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Capt. Tunji Shele (left) and former Deputy National Chairman, PDP, Chief Olabode George, on arrival from a foreign trip at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos…on Monday. PHOTO: ADEYANJU OLOWOJOBA

President: We've surpassed our predecessors' achievements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

with the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO). The president, at the occasion, said his government had achieved more in the last four years than all his predecessors. According to him, his administration's stewardship will be the selling point as the party begins campaign for the February general election. Apparently referring to the statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo that Jonathan's government has squandered the foreign reserves left behind by him and the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Jonathan said: "Let them tell us what they have done if they were able to build a secondary school when they were serving this country. "Our credible performance in the last four years should be our selling point. ‎In all parts of the country, let us tell the story of all we have achieved.

Let the facts and figures be heard in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. "When the election comes, we will tell the world what we have done." He urged the campaign team to go round the country propagating the message of transformation which has manifested in various sectors of national life with boosting of the economy. Jonathan explained that for him, the 2015 elections was only another opportunity to legitimately seek the mandate of Nigerians for further service, consolidation and continuity of progress. He urged the PCO not to engage in any primitive act in the campaign as the election can be won on well-articulated issues and invited the opposition to also engage in an issuebased campaign. The president, who said his administration is not unaware of the global attention on the outcome of the election, added that the election would be free and

fair. But he warned that anybody who foments trouble will be decisively dealt with. "I have repeatedly promised Nigerians and the international community that as long as it is within our powers, the forthcoming elections will be free, fair credible and violence free. I make that pledge with all seriousness, and I fully intend to fulfil it. "Some other politicians and campaigners are threatening fire and brimstone. Do not join them. Some other parties are pulling down other people’s posters. That is primitive. Please, do not join them. Every Nigerian must be free to campaign anywhere. "Thuggery, violence and malpractice or rigging must have no place in our campaign and electoral activities. We must place our hope for victory in nothing else but the support and confidence of the great majority of our

people and the blessing of Almighty God," he added. Giving an account of his stewardship, Jonathan said: "In the last four years, despite the security challenges we have had to contend with, Nigeria, under our watch, has made significant strides in every aspect. Our economy today is the largest and the strongest in the African continent and a preferred destination for foreign direct investment. "We have focused on job creation and the expansion of opportunities for our teeming youth as well as interventions to promote Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. "Through an internationally acclaimed transformational agricultural programme, we have reestablished agriculture as a business, and a major driver of economic growth. "We have expanded access to education by providing schools and facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Today, there is a federal university in every state of the federation and every Nigerian child has been given the opportunity to go to school. "We have successfully privatised the power sector: a process that was adjudged by the international community of investors as transparent and credible. Our trains are moving again, from Lagos to Kano, from Lagos to Ibadan, from Port Harcourt to Enugu." The National Campaign Adviser, Chief Tony Anenih, expressed the belief that Nigerians will prefer "continuity of Jonathan's administration's robust national transformation agenda to the so-called change just to satisfy some personal and narrow interests." Anenih expressed the hope that the PDP's victory in the presidential election "will have a bandwagon effect on the February 28 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections."

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

News

NATIONAL

IDPs to vote in their camps, says INEC Ahmed Miringa MAIDUGURI

L-R: Secretary, Ikeja Hotels Plc, Sophia Abiri-Franklin; Divisional Head, Operations, Union Registrar Limited, Olawale Akande; shareholder, Fadeke Alamutu; Interim Chairman, Ikeja Hotels Plc, Rasheed Olaoluwa, at the Extra Ordinary General Meeting of Ikeja Hotels Plc in Lagos …yesterday

Reps to override Jonathan’s veto on bills Philip Nyam ABUJA

ndications emerged yesterday that members of the House of Representatives may veto President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent on bills awaiting presidential assent when they reconvene next week. The House recently disclosed that about 40 bills were awaiting the assent of president assent to become law, and Act of the National Assembly. A member of the

House Committee on Legislative Compliance, who gave the hint in a chat with New Telegraph in Abuja yesterday, said the House was frustrated with the action of the president in withholding assent to important bills passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to him for assent. He disclosed that the committee was working closely with the Committee on Rules and Business and would liaise with the office of the clerk to compile all bills awaiting presidential assent.

“The House may be forced to override his (president’s) assent on some of the bills before him. We have written to him to return some of these bills but there has been no response,” he stated. According to the lawmaker, the House had exercised restraint in invoking the relevant provisions of the constitution to remedy the situation because of the current political tension in the country. He, however, noted that “with the way things are

going we may have no option but to wield the big stick because at the end of the day, Nigerians would blame us and vindicate the president and his cabinet. “The elections are just six weeks away and some of the electorate are now judging us based on the number of bills we have passed. In fact, some of us are being labelled bench warmers for failing to sponsor any bill. I’m sure we will do something about these bills before the elections,” he assured. The lawmaker ex-

pressed worry that some of these bills were passed over two years ago yet they are denied assent. He listed some of the bills as the State of the Nation Address bill, the Occupational Safety and Health bill, Court of the Appeal (Amendment) bill, and the Authentication Act (Amendment) bill. Others are the Retirement age of staff of polytechnics and colleges of Education bill, 2012 and the Federal High Court Act, 2005 (Amendment) bill, 2012.

Hold your prophesy of election crisis, George tells Bakare equel to last Sunday’s call for the postponement of the 2015 election by the Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, a former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged the clergyman and others anticipating crisis over the February presidential election, to “hold their fire" over such prophesies, stating that the election will be fair

and violence free. Speaking to newsmen at his Ikoyi residence shortly after returning from the United Kingdom (UK), George noted that those anticipating and prophesying crisis over the February polls, are only crying wolf, adding that he did not foresee the eruption of any crisis before, during and after the forthcoming general election. George also maintained that there was no need for such clamour on the part of Bakare and others as the Independent National

Emmanuel Onani

DSS personnel grumble over Xmas package

FG to regulate fees in federal schools

rectors the sum of N10m each for the Yuletide. Several efforts to get the comments of the services' Deputy Director of Information, Mrs Marilyn Ogar, were not successful, as she neither picked calls, nor replied text messages. In a chat with New Telegraph, a senior personnel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:

Yekeen Nurudeen

Wale Elegbede

here are indications that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), are not happy with their Director General (DG), over alleged failure to get Christmas gifts. Their anger is said to be further worsened by the alleged discovery, that the DG allegedly made available to National Di-

Electoral Commission (INEC), had not said it was not ready to hold the elections. Bakare, a former running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 presidential election, had called for the postponement of the election and also proposed the establishment of a Transitional Government that would fix the many fundamental challenges facing the nation.

"We were surprised that our DG, who has done so much for us in time past, did not give us our Christmas expectations. "This, I must tell you, is quite unlike him, because his commitment to our welfare over the years, has been phenomenal. "We would not have raised eyebrows, if we had not (allegedly) heard,

George said, "Please, tell the prophets to hold their fire. When the law says in every four years, you must hold elections, why are they asking for postponement of elections? I beg them to hold their fire. "I don't see any trouble coming. I don't subscribe to that. The moment you start shifting the goal posts, you are looking for trouble," he said. While affirming the resolve of President Goodluck Jonathan to implement recommendations of the National Conference,

that our National Commissioners, were given N10m each as their yuletide package. "As a pressman, did you not watch the television during the period, where our oga (DG), was said to have (purportedly) put smiles on the faces of some people in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State?"

George, who was a member of the National Conference, said, "the president has told us that the recommendations, he would do. It is the National Assembly that can approve them and the members are running after winning their elections," he said. Clarifying issues on the choice of Jimi Agbaje as the candidate of the PDP in the Lagos governorship race, the PDP chieftain said his party came about the choice based on popular demand by majority of Lagosians.

he Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Tukur Saad, has said that the commission was working out modalities to distribute Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) and Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state. Saad stated that INEC has been considering a report submitted by a special task force set up by the commission to look into the plight of the IDPs in order to allow them vote in their various camps. Sa’ad disclosed yesterday in Maiduguri, while commenting on the non-distribution of PVCs and CVR exercise by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC. He said: “We have received a number of PVCs, but the balance is yet to arrive Maiduguri. Hopefully, we will receive our balance in due course, before the commission commences distributing them.” He said the delay in non distribution of PVCs was as a result of over four days restriction of movement imposed on Maiduguri by the military December last year. “The closure of entry to Borno State has affected deliveries of PVCs and CVR for internally displaced persons,” said Prof. Sa’ad. He said the distribution of cards and voters’ registers; will however be restricted to only 12 council areas, because of Boko Haram insurgency in 15 Local Government Areas of the state. The affected councils, according to him, include Bama, Askira/ Uba, Gwoza, Konduga, Chibok, Damboa, Dikwa, Ngala, Abadam, Marte, Mafa, Kukawa and Kala/ Balge.

ABUJA

orried by the discrepancies in fees and charges levied by tertiary institutions owned by the Federal Government, the government yesterday unveiled plans to regulate such fees and charges as part of effort to

reduce unrest that greets indiscriminate increase in fees paid by students. Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, who disclosed that government wanted to make sure that all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education owned by the Federal Government operate within the same guideline.

News

FG blames states for workers' strike Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Federal Government yesterday said that the state governments should be blamed for the non-implementation of the judgement of a Federal High Court which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary. The Federal Government through the Accountant-General of the Federation, Joseph Otunla, in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph in Abuja said it is ever ready to release the money but some states are against such practice. Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had on Monday commenced an indefinite strike over the failure of both federal

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

and state governments to comply with the judgement of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which in January 2014 restrained the Federal Government and the 36 states from meddling with or holding onto funds budgeted for the judiciary. The court further asked both the Federal Government and the states to comply with the provisions of the constitution as they affected the funding of the judiciary and ordered that funds meant for the judiciary should be released directly to the heads of court and not to the executive arm of government. The President of JUSUN, Mustapha Adamu had on Monday said the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation should be blamed for the failure of the Federal

Government to implement the judgement of the court. Adamu further stated that states' accountantsgeneral had also frustrated the implementation of the judgement. Reacting to the allegation, the AGF who spoke through the Chief Press Secretary, Mrs Kene Otti, said that the issue of compliance did not only lies with the Federal Government alone, rather it also lies with the states because the money goes to the state government. "It is the state that should disburse the money. Presently, some states are already in court contesting that issue. They don't want the money released directly to the judiciary. "Federal Government can't go against what the states want. Federal Gov-

ernment is willing to release the money to the judiciary directly, it is more than willing. In fact, that matter has been on for a long time. "The central government is willing to release the money, but the states said they should give them some time to tidy up their books," the AGF added. Meanwhile, the strike action today enters the third day as all courts starting from the Supreme Court to the lowest court remain under lock and key. The union blocked the entrance of courts preventing judges, lawyers, litigants and journalists from gaining entrance. The union had said it would be a total showdown as the strike would not be called off until their demands are met.

Mutiny: Army discharges Colonels Emmanuel Onani

General Court Martial (GCM) yesterday in Abuja discharged and acquitted two Lieutenant Colonels, New Telegraph has gathered. The officers, whose identities were not disclosed by a senior military source, who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph, were said to have been discharged and acquitted, on alleged failure of the prosecutor to establish offences of Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL) and failure to perform military duties. According to military source, other cases will be decided on Friday. "The Army, through the General Court Martial (GCM), has discharged and acquitted two Lieutenant Colonels,

owing to the (alleged) inability of the panel to establish a prima facie case, between the officers and the offences they were alleged to have committed." Asked why all the cases were not decided on Tuesday, the military source explained: "You know the military does not work the way you (civilians) envisage. "Our ways, like the Holy Bible will say, are not your ways; we will not act the way you want us to." So far, the Brigadier General Musa Yusuf-led GCM has sentenced over 60 soldiers to death by firing squad. The soldiers were convicted on offences bordering on mutiny, which stemmed from their refusal to take lawful directives from their Commanding Officer.

Ezekwesili donates $10, 000 award funds for Chibok girls Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

L-R: Founder, First City Monument Bank, Otunba Olasubomi Balogun; Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Olori Abimbola Balogun; Chairman, CSL Stockbrokers Limited, Mrs. Aderonke Atere and Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Rasak Adenugba, at the annual New Year thanksgiving and prayer session organised and hosted by Otunba Balogun in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State…yesterday

Oil spill: Shell agrees N13.75bn settlement with Niger Delta community Adeola Yusuf

hell will cough out N13.75 billion (£55 million) for settlement over two oil spills in Bodo community in Niger Delta, seven years ago. The company's subsidiary in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which announced this decision yesterday maintained that the £55 million was based on agreement with the Bodo community. This, the SPDC said in a statement by Precious Okolobo, Corporate Media Relations Manager, is "in respect of the two highly regrettable operational spills in the area in 2008." "The £55 million settlement provides for an individual payment to each claimant who accepts the

settlement agreement in compensation for losses arising from the spills, amounting to up to £35 million in total," the statement stated. The remaining £20 million payment, the statement added, "will be made for the benefit of the Bodo community generally." Managing Director of SPDC, Mutiu Sunmonu, said: “From the outset, we’ve accepted responsibility for the two deeply regrettable operational spills in Bodo. We’ve always wanted to compensate the community fairly and we are pleased to have reached agreement. “We are fully committed to the clean-up process being overseen by a former Netherlands’ Ambassador to Nigeria. Despite delays caused by divisions with-

in the community, we are pleased that clean-up work will soon begin now that a plan has been agreed with the community. “However, unless real action is taken to end the scourge of oil theft and illegal refining, which remains the main cause of environmental pollution and is the real tragedy of the Niger Delta, areas that are cleaned up will simply become reimpacted through these illegal activities. “SPDC has made efforts to raise awareness of the issue with the government of Nigeria, international bodies like the United Nations, the media, civil society and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and we will continue to play an active role in the search for solutions."

s part of effort towards supporting the course of the missing 219 Chibok girls and help to cushion the suffering of their families when rescued, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has donated the sum of $10, 000 to the Chibok community. Ezekwesili, who was one of the 10 persons from around the world, who was honoured by the Swedish Queen, Silvia Renate and awarded $10, 000 reward; decided to donate the said fund to the people of Chibok community following the abduction of their children and attacks by

Boko Haram within the last year to ensure that funds would be avaliable for the rehabilitation of the girls when they are rescued. Revealing this at the #BringBackOurGirls sitout yesterday, the chairman of Chibok community in Abuja, Tsambido Hosea-Abana, who called for a standing ovation in honour of the former minister of education for this kind gesture and confirmed the receipt of the fund also enjoined other Nigerians to emulate her. According to the chairman, "the funds have been paid into the account opened for the rehabilitation of the Chibok girls, as part of the community and the BBOG plan for the future of the abducted girls."

INEC picks Otti as APGA governorship candidate in Abia Igbeaku Orji UMUAHIA

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the name of Alex Otti as the All Progressives Grand Alliance governorship candidate for Abia State. In a notice pasted at the Abia State INEC headquarters Umuahia yesterday, Otti’s deputy is Uche Emuche.

The electoral commission also included Otti’s party membership number as 179955. Speaking to newsmen on the development, the deputy Director General of Alex Otti campaign organization for Abia North, Hon Nnanna Ngwu, said the national secretariat of the party took the matter up with the INEC headquarters when it was reported that APGA had no governorship candidate.

He said that supporters of Otti and Abians in general were happy for the development. Ngwu added that the development has put to rest the report that APGA does not have a governorship candidate for the 2015 elections in the state. “We have the support of the people of Abia. The principal is a law abiding citizen who has been calm in the face of provocation,” he said.

I didn’t know I had explosives came, says Student caught with grenades Sabiu Mustapha JALINGO

lessing Elam, a 16-year-old school girl who was caught with military grenades on Monday at Federal Government Girls Collage ,FGGC, Jalingo,

yesterday denied knowledge of how the explosives came into her luggage while resuming school. The school-girl, who was paraded before journalists by the Taraba State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ademola Omole, yester-

day in Jalingo, said all she knew was that she bought some food items in Numan, Adamawa State, her home town, and boarded a car to Jalingo but on her way she reliazed that the bag was tempered with as she saw it opened while she left it closed.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

News

NATION'S CAPITAL

FCT VIO yet to commence e-vehicle inspection INSPECTION

Abuja residents berate overzealousness of VIO, saying they are out to enrich their treasury

Amadi Nnamdi ABUJA

espite the inability of the Federal Capital Territory Directorate of Road Transport Services (DRTS), popularly known as Vehicles Inspection Officers (VIO) to commence the e-vehicle inspection it announced four months ago, the agency has announced the introduction of an e-vehicle registration scheme. This recent development has sparked off reactions from many motorists in the FCT who queried the overzealousness of VIO in Abuja. Some respondents who spoke to New Telegraph

berated the FCT VIO, adding that they are only quick to announce policies they don’t have the capacity to implement. Ameh Adejo, a motorist, who regularly plies the Kubwa route, alleged that the VIO currently does not have the technical knowhow to implement the announced new scheme, adding that “they have not been able to effectively commence the evehicle inspection which would have helped to rid the FCT roads of rickety cars that most times cause accidents on our roads.” Another motorist, Francis Onu, said FCT VIO was only out to enrich its treasury. “Don’t you see how overzealous their officers act on our roads, the way they intimidate motorists. This new form of registration which they say will expedite vehicle registration will still be abused by them. “Go to their office at Mabushi, you will still see touts operating there. They create

Housing stakeholders emphasise township mapping Yusuf Shuaib ABUJA

he National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, at a just meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has concluded on the need to scale up the level of National Cadastral and township mapping in Nigeria. The meeting with the theme: “Creating Enabling Environment for Private Sector Participation in Affordable Housing Delivery in Nigeria,” had a total of twenty – three (23) Memoranda considered by the council and was presided over by the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. George A. Ossi, who represented the minister, Mrs. E Akon Eyakenyi. Issues raised at the council meeting adopted the following resolutions, Effective/ Efficient Land Administration, Housing Finance, Adequate/Affordable Housing Delivery, Urban Development respectively. The resolution on effective/efficient land administration emphasized on the need to scale up the level of National Cadastral and township Mapping in Nigeria by facilitating the provision of Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) and adopting singular mapping control network and establishing

an Enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS) for the entire country. Stakeholders deliberated on the obstructions affecting the delivery of required housing stock in Nigeria. They concluded that Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects could be better deployed to overcome impediments to affordable housing delivery. “Government should come up with deliberate policies to overcome the challenges of high cost of land, transfer fees and registration processes as well as promotes training of labour, provision of ancillary infrastructure and recapitalization of mortgage institutions”. “Government should come up with deliberate policies to overcome the challenges of high cost of land, transfer fees and registration processes as well as promotes training of labour, provision of ancillary infrastructure and recapitalization of mortgage institutions”. They, however, urged state governments and other key stakeholders to further support and collaborate with FMLHUD in its efforts to prepare and produce the first National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) as well as its efforts at eradicating slums in Nigeria, and advice the general public to desist from engaging the services of Non-town planning professionals in carrying out town planning functions.

the bottlenecks and make people spend more,” he said. These reactions are coming on the heels of the announcement of the imminent commencement of e-vehicle registration in Abuja by the Director of VIO, Danjuma Garba, who disclosed that “with the new ICT driven regis-

tration centre, it will take an average of one hour for each motorist to register and get his vehicle plate number unlike in the past.” The VIO Chief, who said government had approved the price for registration and new plate number at N27, 000, including insurance, added

that the agency has also started repositioning itself in line with international best practice, all geared towards meeting the demands of motorists in Abuja. Garba explained that the hitherto cumbersome process of vehicle registration had been streamlined into an efficient

one-stop shop registration centre with the introduction of the e-vehicle registration scheme. He said the centre also has the road safety section, police section and a bank facility to accommodate all the necessary verification and payment units within the same vicinity.

L-R: Administrative Secretary, Independent National Electoral Commission, Cross River State, Mrs. I. F. Asuquo; new Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Okey Ezeani and immediate past REC, Mr. Mike Igini, during the handing over ceremony in Calabar…yesterday

Odilim: FG must compel officials to use Nigerian-made cars Yusuf Shuaib ABUJA

financial analyst, Mr Enwegbara Basil Odilim, has advised the Federal Government to make its autopolicy viable by compelling its officials to use Nigerian-made cars. According to him, if government should compel all government officials to ride in Nigerianmade cars, it would help to encourage indigenous motor vehicle companies like Innoson Motors to

grow. “Government can support Innoson vehicle motors by imposing systematic laws that will make it mandatory that all official cars driven in the country must be Innoson vehicles. If government can enforce a law that in 2015, all the government official cars in the country must be Innoson vehicles, it will go a long way to creating job opportunities for Nigerians,” He added: “In 1983, Regan told the Japanese auto industries that for them to sell their cars in

America, they must come to set up their companies in America, and the parts must also be produced in America. That was how most auto industries like Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, relocated their factories to America, and created jobs for Americans and including competition for car producers in American”. “We can do same in Nigeria if America can do it. Innoson is producing cars. Why can’t we encourage him just as the Japanese government did for Toyota, making it the largest car producer in the world?”

“Government can support Innoson vehicle motors, by imposing a systematic law that will make it mandatory that from January 2015, all government official cars driven in the country must be Innoson vehicles. "If government can do that, it will help Innoson to make more money to invest in vehicle production plants and equipments. That will make them employ more Nigerians to produce better cars and the economy will grow to multiply and trickle down unemployment” he said.

ECOWAS urged to focus on 2015 election Harvard Shorenstein appoints Mordi to board Yusuf Shuaib ABUJA

he President, Global Association of West African Youths (gloWAYs), Baruga Abdullahi Ibrahim, has described the planned ECOWAS 40th anniversary celebration in 2015 as a deliberate attempt to shift attention away from the contentious issues of elections in five of its member states. According to a press statement made available to New Telegraph in Abuja: “We are obliged to give ECOWAS a useful reminder that, we will use 2015 election as a yard-

stick to assess their commitment to the region.” Ibrahim, however, called on the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) to take sustainable measures that will increase credibility in the electoral process in Nigeria and the other region at large. “Our meeting is to evaluate and analyze the resolve of the respective leaders of the affected states for a level playing ground and act beyond the capability of mere observers, because they will be held responsible for the outcome of 2015 elections across West Africa.”

Segun Edwards

he Harvard University’s Shorenstein Centre has appointed the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN) Chief Executive officer, Mr. Chika Mordi to the board of the research centre. The Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a highly respected Harvard University research centre dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice. The centre is at the forefront of its field. In a similar vein, the World Economic forum

appointed Mordi to its global agenda board. The developments, according to NCCN, was a proof of the continued international recognition of its commitment to improving the productivity of businesses operating in Nigeria and achieving the ultimate aim of boosting collective prosperity through free markets and inclusive growth in Nigeria. The NCCN is a private-public non-profit organisation in Nigeria. The council's mandate is to improve the attractiveness of Nigeria’s economy as a place to do business in the global marketplace.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro Fraudsters create Facebook account for Lagos CP

Juliana Francis

agos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, has warned Nigerians to be wary of some fraudsters claiming to be him on Facebook. Aderanti said he did not have a Facebook account and was shocked that some well-meaning Nigerians and friends had been reaching out to him via the social media. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, the account in question, “CP Kayode Aderanti,” was recently introduced by one shadowy character as the authentic Facebook account of the commissioner to Nigerians to give the impression that images being displayed and comments from the account were made by Aderanti. He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the commissioner of police does not in any way operate a Facebook account (either official or private). “The commissioner advises all members of the public and in particular Facebook users to ignore the said account as it does not belong to him.” The PPRO noted that any correspondence or exchange of messages on the page has nothing to do with Aderanti or any officer of the police at large. He added: “We therefore advise the general public to disregard any comments, solicitations and approaches from this account as it is certainly not operated by the commissioner or any of his officers. “While efforts are being made to apprehend the character(s) behind this fraudulent act, let me assure the general public of the resolve of the command to sustain the tempo of crime fighting to ensure that Lagosians and all others who have cause to come to Lagos enjoy a conducive environment for business and leisure.”

Muritala Ayinla

agos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) yesterday vowed to continue to remove posters illegally pasted in the metropolis regardless of party affiliation. The LASAA Managing Director, Mr George Noah, who said this, accused the police of trying to intimidate officials of the agency. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, had on Monday warned that the police would henceforth arrest officials of the agency who might attempt to remove any billboard or poster of any candidate even if it was illegally erected. Aderanti had said that his decision to arrest LASAA officials was based on the barrage of complaints and petitions he received from politicians. But Noah said LASAA would continue with its lawful business of removing illegally pasted posters within the metropolis. He said that the agency

had been non-selective in the removal of posters pasted on unauthorised places. According to him, the agency had published guidelines for deploying electoral materials in four national dailies in addition to a town hall meeting with all the political parties. Noah said that LASAA had removed posters irrespective of political and party affiliation, adding that the agency would not allow any federal agency to rubbish its achievements in sanitising the state over the years. The MD said it would be unlawful for the police to arrest LASSA officials for carrying out their lawful duty. He said: “Let me state clearly that the removal of posters that

deface our environment is a statutory obligation of LASAA. “The agency is therefore baffled that the Nigeria police responsible for enforcing the laws of this nation is by the statement encouraging and expressly supporting the flagrant disregard and contravention of environmental guidelines issued to all political parties. “The Commissioner of Police and I had a very cordial discussion and I tried to explain to him how we operate, but since their statement has been predesigned it did not matter what we discussed.” Noah, who said that over 100,000 political posters were illegally deployed in the state on a daily basis, added that removal of these materials had been fair.

Noah

Sergeant sells ammunition to robbers Juliana Francis

peratives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State, are now quizzing a police sergeant arrested for allegedly selling ammunition to armed robbers. The suspect, Sergeant Ejembi Austin, was arrested after the robbers, already in police custody, in connivance with policemen set a trap for him. He walked into the trap. He was arrested at the point when money and ammunition were exchanging hands. Austin was recruited into the police in 1999. He was trained in Kaduna and later mobilised into Mobile Police Force (Mopol) 20 Squadron, where he worked with the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS). When he left Mopol 20, he

started working at Area ‘A’ Police Command, Lion Building, Lagos Island, under Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohinmi Edgal. When some armed robbers were arrested, they confessed that they had their base in Lagos, but operated in Benin Republic. They alleged that Austin usually supplies them with ammunition for their guns. When the suspects realised that the police did not believe their allegation, they produced Austin’s phone number. A police source said: “Right there, they dialled the sergeant’s phone number. The sergeant, unaware that the police were listening, greeted them in a familiar way. They told him that they needed some ammunition. He asked them how many packets while they asked him how many he could give them right then. He replied

File picture of live ammunitions

three packets. They made appointment where to meet. “The sergeant was arrested just as he was handing over the ammunition and collecting money from the suspects.” Sensing the noose was tightening around his neck and determined to escape; Austin said

he used to get the ammunition from another policeman. He also denied knowing the robbers. According to him, he thought they were policemen calling him for ammunition. Austin, who has two wives and five children, said that his first wife was a police corporal.

Missing policemen’s whereabouts still unknown F

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

Arrest us if you can, LASAA dares police

IG, Suleiman Abba

our months after Boko Haram attacked Police Mobile Training College, Gwoza, Borno State, killing and maiming many, several policemen are still missing. The Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, visited the wives of the missing policemen and gave each N500,000. On January 5, 2015, at the Police Mobile Force 50 Base, Kubwa, Abuja, Abba again visited families of policemen

who have been declared missing following the attack. The IG, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the PMF CP Ibrahim Idris, said the force was saddened that his men are missing but assured that the police hierarchy would continue to perform its statutory duties of safeguarding lives and property despite all odds. He gave each of the six families N500,000 and food items with a promise that salaries of the missing policemen will be

paid for one year with effect from August 2014 when the sad incident occurred. The Squadron Commander of 50 PMF, Kubwa, SP Olutoyin Enisenyin, thanked Abba for the kind gesture while pledging the unflinching loyalty of his men to the force. Although money cannot replace a missing husband, father, brother or bread winner, the money and the promised payment of their husbands’ salaries to them, will help to alleviate their suffering.

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Strike: JUSUN’s demand premature –Lawyers

NSDC seizes vehicles, adulterated products

Camillus Nnaji

Biodun Oyeleye

ome Lagos-based lawyers have expressed concern over the consequences of the strike embarked upon by the judiciary workers under the aegis of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The lawyers, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, described JUSUN’s quest for judicial autonomy as premature. They added that the autonomy might benefit only the highly placed judicial workers. The lawyers also sought to know if the judiciary was prepared enough to fund itself and generate revenue to do so. One of the lawyers, Osita Egeonu, said that asking for total control of the judiciary by National Judiciary Commission (NJC) would amount to having two captains in a ship. He said: “Instead of seeking total control of the judiciary, we should ask for a control mechanism in the Ministry of Justice to check and balance the system. “Judiciary is only an arm of the Ministry of Justice. How much they generate in revenue per annum should be considered too. But I think what the NJC is doing arose from the

Ilorin

The locked gate of Ikeja High Court, yesterday.

impunity of the legislators who have financial autonomy, making their own budget and spending their own money. “Since this has been allowed, the judiciary as another arm of government has come out to ask for its own autonomy.” For Mr Hakim-One- Momoh, total autonomy of the judiciary will amount to political autonomy and financial autonomy. He said: “The strike came because the judgement of the court which approves auton-

omy of the judiciary has not been contested by the government. The judgement has not been appealed against by the Federal Government. Therefore, the only way to get them into action is by this strike.” Speaking in the same vein, Mr Jasper Omomhele said NJC was not ripe for autonomy. He said: “We all know the benefits to us. Lawyers will have their say but check and balance within the system will be a problem. I foresee a situation where the highly placed judicial workers will

structure their own salary and reward system to suit only those in that class. Those in the offices in lower courts will suffer for it. “In terms of revenue generation, apart from Lagos and Anambara states, where litigation is high considering the business nature of the states, where will other states generate their own revenue? “I also foresee a situation where payment of common litigation charges will become an uphill task to a poor man when this autonomy is granted.”

Parents protest poor state of Delta school Dominic Adewole ASABA

undreds of women yesterday besieged the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs Primary School, Asaba, protesting the insensitivity of the government to plights of pupils in the school. The protesters, among them several men, wondered why the state government denied their children the comfort of studying in a conducive environment for over six months. They demanded an imme-

diate completion of abandoned projects scattered round the school premises. The protesters also decried a situation where children from the pupils have been out of school since July 2014. One of the aggrieved parents, Apostle Israel Inana, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, bemoaned the slow pace of work on the project by the contractor and the poor attitude of the government. He said: “For over six months now, our children have suffered traumatic experiences of various degrees

following the renovation of classroom blocks and the state is not bordered that lunatics are laying siege to the school. “I feel like weeping when I saw the pupils in the severe harmattan cold a few minutes ago, while those in charge are out there, campaigning for votes. Why should we vote when our children are not being cared for. Also, the headmaster has moved his office into the Gate-House along with the teachers. “We deserve the right to know what is happening in this school because our children cannot suffer the same

way they did last year.” Since the school resumed for the second term on Monday, some of the pupils have been sitting in the classrooms without roofs and windows. According to Inana, the zinc and the planks removed from the classroom blocks had been stolen. He also claimed that the December salary of the teachers had not been paid. One of the protesters, Mrs Queen Orakeme, said the fate of the pupils was hanging in the balance as work on the classroom had not been completed.

C&S, Chapel of Divine Blessing marks fifth anniversary

ctivities marking the fifth anniversary of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Ayo Ni O), Chapel of Divine Blessing, Victory District, Lagos, began on Monday. An awareness rally by members kicked off the week-long activities at the church located at Number 2, Olabode Olubu Crescent, AIT Road, Alagbado. The anniversary celebration will end on Sunday January 11 with a thanksgiving service, according to a statement by the Leader-InCharge, Special Apostle John Adegboyega Oyeku (JP). He said: “To the glory of God Almighty, the church’s journey, which began on January 10, 2010, like a mustard seed and which has blossomed in many folds is what we are celebrating today.

“As members of the body of Christ, we have every cause to celebrate our sterling achievements and growth of the church, which was founded on a solid rock of God, and which has continued to grow in leaps and bounds in the last five years. “Although, the journey had not been smooth as expected, we are grateful to God that the mustard seed planted five years ago, despite all odds, is experiencing spiritual growth as sanctuary of mercy where the people have not only been receiving healings, but also testifying to the glory of God in their lives. “I am also happy to mention that the church which started worship under a canopy in a bush environment with a few members, presently is proud of a big auditorium with increas-

Oyeku flanked by Special Apostle Remi Awode (right) and the Church Secretary, Special Apostle Samuel Akinsanya.

ing membership; a youth chapel; a one-storey church administrative building that houses the children’s auditorium; a modern toilet facilities; as well as a newly constructed onestorey Bible College building

complex and a Mission House that will be commissioned on January 10, by Special Apostle Dickson Adekunle Awode, Chairman of Victory District, as part of activities making the anniversary.”

en of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara State said yesterday they had seized two buses carrying about 8,000 litres of suspected adulterated products. The state NSCDC Commandant, Augustine Obiekwe, who briefed journalists on the seizure, said the products were packed in 280 gallons of about 25 litres each. According to Obiekwe, the seizure was made about 11pm on January 3, by the Anti-Vandals Unit during its normal 24 hours NNPC pipeline surveillance patrol along Afon, Otte and Gambari in Asa Local Government Area. The commandant, who pledged the commitment of the corps to eradicate all forms of vandalism, said his men engaged the suspected vandals in gun duel before they ran into the bush and abandoned the products. He said: “As our men were coming out of the pipeline, they saw two vehicles approaching the pipeline. Immediately the suspects saw our men, they opened fire on our men and we retaliated. “Sensing the superiority of our arms, they abandoned their vehicles with registration number OYO AME 60 XA (blue) and LAGOS DB 732 FST (white) carrying 140 jerry cans each.” Obiekwe added that investigation was still ongoing to arrest the suspects and called on the general public to assist the command with useful information to effectively combat pipeline vandals.

Fayose’s wife clocks 51, seeks support for the needy Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

ife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose, has advised those who want to celebrate with her on her 51st birthday to donate their gifts to the less-privileged. The governor’s wife said in a statement issued by her Press Officer, Mrs Tolulope Ayo-Ajayi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that such gifts should be dropped at her office inside the Government House Complex, where they would be taken to different homes and centres across the state. Fayose also frowned at the poor quality of her photograph being used by some people because such photographs were often copied from the internet. She, however, advised that her office or the Chief Press Secretary to the governor should be contacted for request of her photograph. The governor’s wife’s birthday comes up tomorrow. Fayose, according to the statement, will spend the day visiting different homes and centres across the state as the main activity marking her birthday. The governor’s wife said people should spare a thought for the lessprivileged, adding that people were made comfortable to comfort others. She promised to always identify with the less-privileged by embarking on projects that would support her husband’s efforts at improving the welfare of the people.

News

SOUTH-WEST

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Row over alleged assassination bid on Ekiti speaker Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

here were conflicting claims yesterday over an assassination attempt on the All Progressives Congress factional Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin. This came just as the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, intervened in the crisis rocking the State House of Assembly

N27.94m

Lakanu, who met with Omirin at the police headquarters on Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti yesterday, also gave the assurance that the police would always be professional in the handling of issues concerning politicians welfare. The social media was awash earlier in the day that some people made attempts on Omirin’s life and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) issued a statement in that regard. Speaking with newsmen after emerging from Lakanu’s office, Omirin

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

dispelled the rumour on social media that he narrowly escaped assassination attack on Monday night, describing the rumour as baseless and unfounded. Omirin assured that he and other 18 lawmakers belonging to the APC would resume in the Assembly as soon as the coast was clear. He added that he had started speaking with security agencies, traditional rulers, prominent Ekiti indigenes on the need to reconcile the feuding groups in the overall de-

$24.2m

The total salary and extra winnings made by Ray Rice of Baltimore Ravens (NFL) in 2013-2014. Source: Financenews24.com

velopment of Ekiti State. “I am a man of peace. I have always been assuring Governor Ayodele Fayose of my cooperation and that there was nothing like impeachment plan against him. As far as I am concerned, we are not in Ekiti to foment trouble. “We are ready to partner Governor Fayose to move the state forward. He should not see us as enemies. We are ready to resume duty as soon as the process is complete and we feel the coast is clear,” he said. Speaking on the assas-

2.44m

The total number of active mobile (CDMA) lines of Nigeria in August 2013. Source: Ncc.gov.ng

sination attempt on him, Omirin said: “Some people said they saw some strange faces around my house on Monday and I think that accounted for the rumour. But I want to say there was nothing like that.” But late yesterday, Omirin denied ever speaking to any reporter, denying the assassination attempt on him. In a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, the Speaker said he never spoke with any reporter denying the report.

The sex ratio of women to 100 men in Bangladesh in 2012. Source: Un.org

L-R: Chairman, Oyo State Labour Party, Mr. Gbenga Olayemi; Deputy Governorship candidate, Chief Abiodun Ali and Governorship candidate, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, at the party’s rally in Ibadan …yesterday. PHOTO-NAN

Reject military involvement in politics- Aregbesola Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

sun state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola yesterday called on Nigerians to kick against military involvement in the country’s politics, particularly in the February general elections and beyond. The governor, who made the call at launched the Armed forces remembrance emblem which he launched with the sum of N2.5 million in Osogbo, the State capital, stated that the people have witnessed several occurences in recent times when the government at the centre unleashed combat-ready soldiers on the populace in a purely civil matter of vote casting by lawabiding citizens and people should, this time around, rise against it”.

“More alarming is the fact that this happened at a time when a part of the country had been taken over by a terrorist group whose dislodgement should have been a matter of high national security priority. “Such inexcusable abuse of authority and citizens’ trust ought to trigger in any right-thinking citizen a deep sense of patriotic indignation”. “All hands must be on deck to ensure that the military and other security agents are not used to intimidate civilians during and after the general elections as it was done in Osun during the last August 9 governorship election in the state”. “For a better Nigeria and change, citizens must come out in large numbers to vote out the current leadership and vote in a progressive government.”

Ogun PDP inaugurates campaign committee Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State yesterday unveiled its campaign committee for the February governorship election, dismissing the threat by some aggrieved members of the party led by the former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, to dump the party ahead of the general elections. The PDP also contended that the move by Bankole to contest the governorship election on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) will not adversely affect the chances of its flag bearer, Prince Gboyega Isiaka. Chairman of the state chapter of PDP, Chief Adebayo Dayo, said this in Abeokuta shortly after inaugurating a 44-member gubernatorial campaign committee of the party headed by a former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel, Dr Yomi Majekodunmi. Majekodunmi, who is the director-general of the committee, would be assisted by three deputy directors-general - Elder Yemi Akinwonmi (Ogun East), Dr Kunle Salako (Ogun West) and Mr. Segun Sowunmi (Ogun Central). But while fielding questions from journalists, the PDP chairman said the party was not bothered by Bankole’s speculated defection to the SDP.

Lagos Assembly passes N489.69bn budget Muritala Ayinla

he Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday passed the N489.69bn state 2015 appropriation bill presented by Governor Babatunde Fashola six weeks ago. The budget size, New Telegraph gathered, was the same as that of 2014. Explaining the delay in the passage of the budget, the Speaker of the House Adeyemi Iku-

foriji, said that the passage of the budget came late due to the failure of some ministries and government agencies to appear before the appropriation committee to defend their budgetary allocations. According to him: “We would have passed this budget before the end of December last year, but for the failure of some ministries and government agencies to appear before the appro-

priation committee to defend their budgetary allocations. “In spite of this delay, I want to commend my colleagues, particularly the chairman and members of the appropriation and other committees saddled with the consideration of the budget.” The Speaker said the budget was the 10th budget of the state that he had presided over as the Speaker, adding that it

would be the last. He urged the executive arm of the government to be judicious and implement the budget as it was passed. He said, “Nothing is as good and fair as proper and effective implementation of laws passed by the legislature. On the other hand, nothing is as criminal as being contemptuous of the provisions of laws, especially the budget passed by the assembly.

Alao-Akala promises better life for Ibadan traders Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

he governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, yesterday commenced his campaigns and familiarization tour of major markets, promising traders of better business condition

and life if voted back into office in next month’s governorship election. The tour, which brought vehicular movement in the ancient city of Ibadan to a stand still for several hours, witnessed a huge crowd of supporters and residents chanting the praise of the former Governor. Promising that his gov-

ernment would not demolish stalls, shops and other structures like the Senator Abiola Ajimobi led administration in the state, Akala, who was warmly received by the marketº leaders promised that the days of comfort were imminent for them if he is voted into the Agodi Government House. Suppoted by his running mate, Chief Sarafadeen

Alli, the party Chairman, Gbenga Olayemi, senatorial candidates for Oyo South and Oyo Central Nurudeen Akinyo and Olu Abiala, and other party stakeholders, Akala visited the Bola Ige International Market, Gbagi, Ibadan, Alesinloye Market, Dugbe and Amunigun Markets amidst heavy security provided by the Nigeria police.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

General election

Parliament

Delta

Presidency

14, 15

16, 17

PDP has infiltrated INEC – Oyegun

Intrigues, politics over ownership of oil wells

How Okowa scaled running mate hurdle

Jonathan’ll defeat his opponents, says Anenih

Politics

Furore over Buhari’s certificates

The controversy over the whereabouts of the original certificates of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has continued to be an issue of public discourse, writes ONYEKACHI EZE

his is the fourth time former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) is running for the highest office of the land. Before now, Buhari had contested the presidency on the platform of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) in 2003 and 2007; and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011. Now, he has picked the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the February 14 presidential election. Buhari is presently facing one of the greatest challenges of his political career as a result of issues arising from the affidavit he swore to at an Abuja High Court. In the said affidavit dated November 24, 2014, and which he attached to his presidential nomination form, the former Head of State noted: “I am the abovenamed person and deponent to this affidavit therein. All my academic qualifications, documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board, as of the time of presenting this affidavit. The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purpose.” The affidavit was stamped and received at the Independent National Electoral Commission

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

Buhari

(INEC) headquarters on December 18, 2014, the closing date for the submission of names of candidates for national elections by the political parties to INEC. In the same manner, Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo, the presidential running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), deposed to an affidavit in court, claiming that his certificates were burnt. However, unlike Buhari, Sambo was able to get confirmation from the authorities of the university where he did his first and second degrees. Alhassan Garba, registrar of the Ahmed Below University (ABU) Zaria, who signed the letters, admitted that Sambo studied in the university. The first letter reads: “To Whom it may Concern: Mohammed Namadi Sambo; I certify that the above-named person having completed an approved course of study and passed the prescribed examinations was awarded the Bachelor of Science (Architecture) with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) in 1976 by the

The qualification set by the constitution for contest is the level of education, not its certificate

Senate of this University. His original certificate got burnt. Please treat his case in view of this certification. Thank you.” Again in the second letter, Garba admitted that “the abovenamed person having completed an approved course of study and passed the prescribed examinations was awarded the Master of Science (Architecture) on May 25, 1978 by the Senate of this University. His original certificate got burnt. Please treat his case in view of this certification. Thank you.” In the case of Buhari, he did not state whether his original certificates are among the papers and documents with the Secretary of the Military Board, or that they got burnt/lost, neither was he able to get confirmation letter from the Board to support his claim. While the military authorities admitted that his certificates are with them, the institution however, denied that the original certificates are with them. Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye, the Director, Army Public Relations, on enquiry said the

army did not keep original copies of certificates of its officers, whether serving or retired. “Every serving and retired army officer has, at least, a copy of his certificates and credentials kept in the Nigerian Army, while that same serving and retired officer has copies of those same certificates and credentials. “The original certificate of any officer or soldier is only needed at the point of entry into the service, either as a cadet officer entering the Nigerian Defence Academy, or when being interviewed as recruits to be sent to the depot for training. “That is so because they are needed to verify what were in the photocopies supplied by them or from the necessary examining bodies,” Laleye stated. The former head of state is however, not helping matters. Instead of offering further explanations into the matter, he chose rather to be antagonistic. Buhari’s media assistant, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, accused the Army of being politicised by allowing an officer to “challenge the certificates of his superior just to cast an aspersion on him and also favour his principal who would be vying for the same election.” Fashakin said the controversy over Buhari’s certificate was a desperate attempt to stop him from contesting the presidential election. “Before now, Gen. Buhari had contested elections for three occasions. Are you going to say that he didn’t present any certificate for those three times? He also had risen to the position of a Major General in the Army and all his credentials are well documented by the Army in those days. It is not only that he rose to the position of a Major General; he also rose to the position of a military Head of State. “Now, the Army of that same country claims that he does not have a certificate. It is something that should puzzle us as a people. The Chief of Army Staff said that he does not know what people are talking about, meaning that they do not have records of his certification to have passed certain courses, including academic attainments.” The Army did not deny that Buhari’s record is with them, and they are ready to make them available, they only wanted the proper procedure to be followed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

Politics

Your party, the APC, recently held its convention without hitches? There was really no magic wand. All that transpired were with sincerity and honesty of purpose, by deploying the right personnel to do the job the way it ought to be done according to the rules and basic tenets of democracy. We appointed a team that was up to the task, very honest and transparent. They worked hard to make sure that they put on display what the APC is all about: change, something new; a team that was headed by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State. There was this noise about consensus candidate but I told them that consensus is good if it comes from those directly involved. And I made it clear to them that I was not going to be party to arm-twisting anybody out of the race. What all the aspirants wanted was a level playing field and transparency. And we gave them that, and it proved that Nigerians can be gracious losers. Nigerians can accept defeat when they see that the process was not skewed against them. That is APC, that is what we are offering the Nigerian people.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP has infiltrated INEC – Oyegun

lSays Osinbajo not Tinubu’s stooge National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, explains the choice of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as running mate to Major General Muhammadu Buhari. He also speaks on the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) towards the February elections and President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to former military President Ibrahim Babangida, among other salient issues. CAJETAN MMUTA reports transparent, hard working and dedicated. Everything we did, we want to let the people know what to expect when they give us the mandate in February. But people see Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as a stooge to Bola Tinubu? It is only the PDP that sees it that way because they don’t know what is called integrity. I don’t know if anybody can be anybody’s stooge particularly a profes-

People expected the APC to pick one of the South-South governors as running mate to Buhari, but you went for someone who is considered relatively unknown. Why? That is APC for you. Expect the unexpected. We have a plethora of qualified people. As a matter of fact, the candidate had a list of 10 people from all over the country and the attributes that we were looking at were quite clear; given the nature of our candidate who has become to the nation, a symbol of rectitude. We were also looking for somebody of equal rectitude, totally none controversial, a dyed-in-the-wool professional; a very organised person. It was a difficult choice because it took us a few days; every one of them in the field of selection was highly qualified. At the end, we thought this man best balanced the ticket and today we are presenting to the nation, the kind of persons that we think Nigerians can become; people who have succeeded through being

Unfortunately there are a lot of infiltrations into INEC at the lower level particularly the ICT department and the voter registration department; those fields have obviously become the playing field of the PDP

Oyegun

sional like that. And not just a professional, he is also high in the hierarchy of the Christian world. He may get on with Tinubu, I get on very well with Tinubu, he is also close with Tinubu because he worked with him as a commissioner years ago, but since then he has devoted his time to his professional duties. So, it does not matter if he is close to Tinubu or not. He is a highly qualified professional; he has made himself a suc-

cess in that profession, so he is not looking for sustenance, people like that can never be stooges of any body. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently expressed fears over the conduct of a rerun in case of a tie, what is your view? INEC never fails to surprise us. Four years ago, we all knew that there was going to be another election in four years

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which is this year, but you can see from everything happening that they are not ready even with four years of planning. I think unfortunately there are a lot of infiltrations into INEC at the lower level particularly the ICT department and the voter registration department; those fields have obviously become the playing field of the PDP. So, one pities prof. Attahiru Jega because he is now dealing with a machine over which he does not exercise total control, because those two departments have really become agents by and large of the PDP. So, I am not surprised that they are not ready. If they were not ready with the voters’ registration, they were not ready with the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), I am not sure they are ready with card reader. So, if there is going to be a rerun and with only seven days, at least, it is good the INEC is confessing that they are also unlikely to be ready for a rerun. What all that tells us is that we need a new look INEC. There is no question about it; that has become inevitable. But of course that cannot take place between now and the elections. It is good they raised the alarm. So, we must begin to think now of what to do should that happen. We don’t expect that to happen because from our own polls around the country, we are going to have an outright victory on February 14. Presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, likens Jonathan to Jesus Christ. Do you see the president as such? I don’t want to be involved with this Jesus Christ debate because it is one of the most blasphemous things that anybody can say. If anybody is given a responsibility, six years down the line and has not already proven herself, and he is still hoping that in future he may turn out to be a saviour, six years he has not done anything to show that he has even started on that road. I think six years is enough for anybody to prove himself. Nigerians are fed up with the level of corruption, insecurity and litany of unfulfilled promises. This is not a case now of somebody failing an exam and he is being asked to repeat. When you fail so woefully in our days you get thrown out, you will go and learn a trade, or find something else to do. We cannot continue like this, the country is in pieces, our economy is totally in shambles, people troop to Abuja, states have not paid salaries for months, there is no school open in those states due to non-payment of workers’ salaries, yet you now went there to donate N50 million which you ought to have used to pay your teacher’s salary. It was such an obscene sight that clearly indicated that the PDP no longer has any respect for the people of this country, and no longer cares for the people of this country. And I think when February 14 comes, the people will also show that they too have had enough of the PDP administration in clear terms. Jonathan is desperate, we know, but that won’t save his party, they are gone. What is your take on the N21 billion fund raising by the PDP for the election?

The N21 billion does not bother us, we are even happy they raised N21 billion because they will be so preoccupied sharing the money, and by the time they finish sharing and quarrelling over it, the elections will be over. You see, power of incumbency and the ability to rig elections goes with relative popularity of the incumbent party. You rig where support is very high and I don’t think the country is in that mood now. But of course, we are going to factor that into our campaigns and into our preparations. We are not taking that lightly, it is a fact, and it is a reality. We are also aware that our greatest defence against incumbency and against any attempt to rig will be the people of this country who want change. They will be the vigilantes that we have; because their own future is now involved, they will check any attempt to rig or use security agencies to rig. We are prepared for all those eventualities. One, we hope the PDP don’t rig. Two, I hope they realise that there is a great movement for change and we hope they are wise enough, they recognise it and allow the people’s vote to count. The international community has been sensitised, you can only rig when the people are largely on your side. I expect that they won’t be foolish enough to attempt the kind of crude and blatant rigging that can up turn the wishes of the people. I cannot predict, we are not in control of security forces, we are not in control of the police, we pray for peace, we want peace, we desire peace for the interest of the long-suffering people of this country. But they will need to do something totally crude that any blind man can see for them to succeed in February, that I think is virtually impossible. How do you see President Jonathan’s visit to former President Ibrahim Babangida I don’t think it is an advantage to Jonathan. If a visitor comes to your house you have to be nice to the person. I will leave it at that particularly when the cameras are rolling. We have confidence in the force for change in this country and we are very happy that even those in the top echelon of our society have seen the need for change. But that does not mean they won’t be good host, they will be good host. Don’t you have the fear that Buhari’s war against corruption may pitch him against the elites? The only people I can think of who will fear the Buhari Presidency are those who do not want change; those who want to continue with business as usual, those who want to continue to profit from the level of corruption in the society. We will have no apologies for people like that. But it is clear that from the Buhari perspective, the future of the people of this country is too important for us to spend valuable time trying to undo the past. The message will be clear; whatever you engaged in before that is detrimental to the people of this country, please stop it, change has come. It is time for change and anybody who decides that he does

Oyegun

I think when February 14 comes the people will also show that they too have had enough of the PDP administration in clear terms. Jonathan is desperate, we know, but that won’t save his party, they are gone

not want to be part of change and wants business as usual, that is his choice. And we are going to go into a situation post May 2015 where the law will normally take its course, but not looking back. Anybody who believes that the future of this country is greater than his personal proclivities will have nothing to fear. There will be a line drawn on the sand; one part is the past, the other side is the future. If you are part of the future, part of change, part of changing society from all these ills that have brought us to our knees, you are our friends; you have nothing to fear. We don’t have time to go digging into the past; the future of our people is the challenge that we have, not the past. Do you think APC will win South-East? We are working very hard in the South-East. Fortunately, we have a very hard working and performing governor in Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who has become the standard in that area for what good governance should be. Secondly, the South-East case is a bit peculiar; they have always been part of the federal system, that is their history whatever excuses people are giving. But we are beginning to point out to them that; look, for that kind of unending loyalty you lose respect, you are being taken for granted, you are not getting anything from the Federal Government. Maybe few of your leaders are but you the people are not. Take the Onitsha-Enugu road for example, it is a major connecting road in the whole of the SouthEast and it is almost impassable,

take the Port Harcourt axis too. The only motorable road there is from Onitsha to Owerri. So, what are you people getting? The Niger Bridge has been launched two/three times. It has been awarded many times. I don’t know if the first load of sand has gotten there yet to start building the foundation. So, what are you people getting for this loyalty? So, we are bringing this to their attention, we are beginning to get positive vibes and of course we are capitalising immensely on the crisis in the PDP in that area. We expect the results to be better than before. The South-East is not benefiting from this blind unyielding loyalty. We observed that those APC members in Edo State who defected to the PDP with Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu are beginning to come back to the party. What is your view on this development? We are glad that they are coming back. Remember the Biblical injunction that a man will abandon 99 sheep that are safe and welcome the one that is lost. And of course, the story of the prodigal son who went and blew everything he had, when he came back, he was forgiven. So, we want to also assure those who have been loyal and faithful, and have been with us that we will not forget them. Those who are coming back, they have shown regrets, we welcome them back to the fold. We hope they have learnt their lessons. And for those who are yet to come back out of shame, I think we have to tell them that they are welcome if they make up their minds.

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Intrigues, politics over ownership of oil wells CHUKWU DAVID reports on the scramble and politics that played out recently amongst senators in the nation’s apex legislative chamber over the contentious claims of ownership of oil wells discovered around the adjoining boundaries of Anambra, Enugu and Kogi states

n December 16, 2014, the Senate at plenary rejected a Bill seeking to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act Cap 86 (2011) laws of Nigeria to give recognition to and include Anambra as an oilproducing state and by extension a member of the commission. The Bill was sponsored by Senator Andy Uba representing Anambra South on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In his attempt to persuade other senators to support the Bill while leading the debate on the proposal, he said that Anambra had joined the league of oil-producing states in Nigeria, following the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantity on the bank of Aguleri town. He also hinged his decision to introduce the law on the declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan that Anambra had joined the league of oil-producing states in the country while inaugurating the Orient Petroleum’s Anambra River Production facility in Aguleri-Olu, on August 31, 2012. The lawmaker further argued that, with Jonathan’s pronouncement, Anambra had since joined the oil-bearing states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Edo, Abia and Ondo states, as the provider of the economic lifeline for the sustenance of the Nigerian state. Andy said: “These communities account for 93 per cent of the country’s export earnings and provide the economic lifeline that sustains the Nigerian state and as a result of which this amendment is being sought for Anambra to be part and parcel of the NDDC.” Desperately pushing and canvassing support for the Bill, the legislator told his colleagues that the proposed integration of Anambra as part of the NDDC states was necessary to avoid the violent conflicts that accompanied all oil exploration activities including environmental degradation. His words: “Evidently, there is no gainsaying the fact that the amendments will assist in no small measure in creating an enabling environment for the operation of oil exploration activities in the oil bearing communities of Anambra State. The

inclusion of the state as a member state in the NDDC will douse the violent agitation that would have aroused from these communities for government neglects.” Senator Uba further noted that the objective of the bill was also to ensure the socio-economic development of the host communities where oil installations were located and the general development of the entire Anambra State. Although the lawmaker posited that the Bill was not controversial, senators who made contributions on the floor, disagreed with him as they argued that a mere pronouncement from President Goodluck Jonathan, which was not based on any empirical fact, was not enough to make Anambra, an oil producing state. From the arguments of senators who made contributions to the debate, it was obvious that there is so much struggle and desperation from other states of the federation to join the NDDC because of the additional revenue accruable to the oil producers from the 13 per cent statutory derivation fund. Lawan: Withdraw or we kill bill Ahmed Lawan represents Yobe North on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC): “The oil well is heavily contested by Kogi State and even Enugu State. The Federal Government and particularly Mr. President has all the time been trying in this case to ensure that the issue is settled once and for all amongst the three states. This bill, therefore, is hasty and hurried bill and very controversial. I will suggest here that my colleague and friend holds on a while until such a time when the issue is settled among Kogi, Enugu State and Anambra. “I believe it is going to be very easy to include Anambra State among the oil-producing states. And as it is, distinguished colleagues, this is a controversial issue, and it will rather lead to agitation in the two states of Kogi and Enugu. I believe that people could still agitate but it is our duty as leaders to tell our people the truth and continue to talk to them to be law abiding until justice takes its full place. “For this, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I want to

Mark

Uba

call on my friend and colleague to withdraw the bill until time is ripe. And if he doesn’t withdraw the bill, I want to urge my colleagues to oppose the bill because this bill is controversial and divisive.”

It was obvious that there is so much struggle and desperation from other states of the federation to join the NDDC

Bill too contentious, says Ali Senator Atai Aidoko Ali represents Kogi East: “Thank you Mr. President, my respected colleagues. Mr. President, like Senator Lawan, I like to totally oppose this Bill and align myself with all issues raised by Dr. Ahmed Lawan. I just want to add that, Mr. President, this issue has been on the floor of the Senate. We raised this issue when Mr. President went to Anambra State to erroneously say that Anambra was among the oil-producing states at the commissioning of the Orient Oil. This sparked off crisis that resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property between Kogi and Anambra states. We brought this same issue to this floor and Mr. President directed that the senators from Enugu, Kogi and Anambra should go and resolve this thing. “Before this issue was referred, President Jonathan invited us; I was in the team that went to meet Mr. President with Senator Ayogu Eze. We were with Mr. President and a delegation from Anambra on this issue. The President set up a committee headed by the Vice President, with the National Boundary Commission and the deputy governors of both

states. As we speak, delineation is still going on. As a matter of fact, Kogi has about 80 per cent of this oil. From the lead debate, the sponsor of this bill said that President Jonathan insinuated that Anambra State was an oilproducing state while inaugurating Orient Oil Petroleum Anambra River production facility in the state. “He also said that the above scenario will trigger violent agitations, and the earlier we get it right the better to avoid a repeat of what has happened in other oil-bearing states. So, if this Senate sits down here now and declares Anambra oil-producing state, Senator Lawan has predicted what will happen. In fact, the disaster that will happen in Kogi and Anambra is unimaginable. Therefore, I suggest that this bill should not be subject of any debate; he should withdraw it until the issue of ownership is clearly defined. And I believe that Kogi is going to be the beneficiary at the end of the day. “We are going to advocate that each state that falls within the ownership will now do a joint bill to include these states in the NDDC. So, Mr. President I submit that this bill is too contentious; he either withdraws it or we kill this bill. Thank you very much.” Ekweremadu’s option Senator Ike Ekweremadu is the Deputy Senate President representing Enugu West: “Thank you Mr. President, let me start by thanking Senator Ahmed La-

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sion in a haste. Why would you say the president said he made a decision in a haste? You should not put words in the president’s mouth by saying what you are saying. “Mr. President, in as much as I will withdraw the bill, why is it that every time it comes to Anambra, when Anambra has something everybody wants to share? In fact, this oil went from Anambra to part of Kogi and Anambra people that are in Kogi speak Igala. So, for them to now say that I should withdraw the bill so that they can be included is not right.”

Ekweremadu

wan for identifying with Enugu on this matter. And I don’t know where Senator Atai Aidoko is deriving his statistics from because to the best of my knowledge, and when I checked last, the bulk of the oil is in Enugu State. It is also true that Enugu is a gas bearing state; that is indisputable. Therefore, I want to make suggestion in this regard that will accommodate the bill of our friend, Senator Uba and the views of Senator Atai Aidoko. “If this Senate permits, what I will like to ask is that the three states should be endorsed as oilbearing states until such a time when the matter is resolved but I believe very strongly that Enugu will be ultimately declared the oil-producing state. So, I suggest that instead of withdrawing the bill let the three states be included as oil-producing states.” Mark’s poser Senate President David Mark asked: “Well, just out of ignorance I want to find out this fact; if you are drilling oil, is it only at the point that you are drilling or if it extends – because Kogi and Benue are adjoining states. Enugu and Benue also share boundaries. I just want to know the extent to which you can claim ownership?” We can’t decide on technicalities – Ningi Abdul Ningi is the Deputy Majority Leader representing Bauchi Central: “Mr. President, as a neutral person, even though Bauchi is already an oil-bearing state but we are yet to come up. Let me first thank Senator Uba for representing his people by bringing something like this. This is really a good representation but the fact of the matter is that it is very difficult, very complex, very controversial, and if not handled well, it can generate serious violence. “What we do as a Senate is that we don’t sit here and decide on technicalities; it is a very technical matter. Again, we have heard from our colleagues that the President and Commander-in-Chief has set up a committee that will come up with scientific analysis of the oil producing, bearing states. As a matter of fact, it is assured that a lot of the oil is in Enugu, a lot of it is in Kogi and a lot of it is also in Anambra. So, going by the scientific data that we have in the

Eze

Ningi

comity of Niger Delta, there is a possibility that Benue may also have oil well, and there is also a possibility that Niger State may also have oil well. Therefore, it is just a matter of time; so, we drop this Bill in the interest of everybody, and then as the representatives of these states in the Senate to follow up two things: one is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which is already working with it and that Presidential Committee which is still in place. “Aidoko, Ayogu Eze and Andy should be the ambassadors of the Senate on this matter. Let’s drop this bill for now. I therefore, ask these senators to liaise with the President and Commander-inChief and then ask the Committee to also work with them so that before we finally go, we can bring this matter, and Anambra, Kogi, Enugu and possibly Benue will be under oil-producing states.” Good bill at a wrong time, says Eze Senator Ayogu Eze is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works representing Enugu North: “Well, I want to thank Andy for provoking this debate and also thank my colleagues who have spoken on it. Ordinarily, the suggestion by the Deputy President of the Senate would have been what will make sense but I don’t think that it will apply in this case because when we saw the President, he admitted that the pronouncement he made was made in haste, that he didn’t have all the facts. “When we presented the facts to him, the president appreciated the enormity of the problem and he said that this committee would painstakingly ensure that everybody comes on board. Everybody wants to be a member of the NDDC, everybody wants the 13 per cent derivation but we have to earn it in a manner that will avoid acrimony and bloodletting because the little pronouncement by the president and some of the activities of the Orient Oil led to the death of one of the people from my senatorial district. “As we are talking now, even though the drilling is somewhere in Anambra, we are aware that the company is based somewhere in part of Enugu and part of Anambra but the drilling goes into Enugu and into Kogi, and that is the contention. Nobody is quarrelling with Orient Oil because their own is to get a

Oil bearing may not suffer, but oil bearing should also be made to benefit because it actually comes from their own area

mining licence to produce oil; we welcome the development because if the issue of ownership is settled we do not care. We are not in NNPC to determine who gets the oil block or who doesn’t get, our quarrel is with the claim of ownership by one state because this thing is happening in a place where the three states meet. It is even Kogi and Enugu that meet more in that section than Anambra because my constituents who live there speak Igala and speak Igbo as well. In fact, some of them speak a mixture of Idoma too. Their descendants come from both sides. For instance, the house of the father of the former governor of Kogi, Abubakar Audu is in my senatorial district. So, you can see how the people there are mixed up. “Therefore, I believe that what should happen is to allow the work that the president has started to finish, so that when we bring the law here, it will be a law that everybody will support, and we will all be part of it. We are talking about the possibility of having oil in Niger and other places and as many as can benefit. Benue will come on board, everybody will come on board. I believe that what needs to be done ought to be done well. As it is now, it is going to be very controversial and I don’t think that we will get the best out of it. “So, I will advise our brother, Andy, let him pull this law back; we will meet and then agree on how to proceed with it, and then we join hands with the Presidential Committee and also our people. Then we will agree on how to move forward. So, I thank you for bringing up this bill. It is a good bill but then it is coming at a wrong time.” You lied, Uba tells Eze Senator Andy Uba represents Anambra South: “Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues, thank you for giving me another opportunity to speak. Mr. President let me tell you something, I wouldn’t have brought this Bill if I was not sure that this oil is in Anambra State. What Ayogu Eze is saying that Mr. President said that he made mistake is a lie. There was no time the president told you that he made a deci-

Mark’s intervention “There is an issue here, there is a Committee that was set up to meet all the sides, and I think if they meet all the sides and we incorporate it in our bill it will be helpful because at the moment everybody is making claims. And we don’t have facts to back up whatever you say; so, I think if I throw the question this bill will just die now and I don’t want it to die. I want the bill to be alive; so, let it come when we have all the facts. The mere fact that there is a Presidential Committee which is headed by the vice president is enough for us to wait for the outcome of the report from that Committee.” Esuene advocates thorough examination Senator Helen Esuene represents Akwa Ibom South: “Thank you Mr. Chairman, fellow colleagues, I am Helen Esuene, I represent Akwa Ibom South. I want to join my brothers, the last but one speaker that the matter should be looked into in more detail because the two positions have merits: oil producing and oil bearing. Oil producing will suffer degradation; oil bearing may not suffer but oil bearing should also be made to benefit because it actually comes from their own area. It is very true that there is horizontal drilling, and in my opinion, the two communities should benefit – the people that bear the oil and the land where the oil is actually produced. So, I want to align myself with the fact that it should be given a more thorough examination; but all the communities involved should be properly remunerated.” Mark: So, Andy withdraw the Bill for further consideration. Uba: Mr. President, before I do that, I will like Ayogu Eze to withdraw his words which he said that the president took a decision in a haste; that means that the president doesn’t look at issues before he takes decisions. He is indicting the president by saying that. Then I will like to withdraw the Bill so that we can sit down and discuss it more in order to accommodate the various views canvased for amicable and fruitful resolution. Mark: “Okay, the bill is withdrawn until we get more facts.”

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Opinion Endemic poverty in the midst of plenty (1) Jide Ayobolu

here have been various attempts to deal with grinding poverty in Nigeria. But it seems the attempts have not in any tangible way yielded positive results, by way of bringing succour to the people, in terms to concrete economic palliatives. This horrendous trend undoubtedly is a disturbing development, bearing in mind the fact that; the fundamental reason why people are in government is to see to the welfare and security of the masses. Although, this very position is indeed a very critical one in Nigeria, where public office holders have abandoned the people and are helping themselves with public funds. And, as they are getting richer, the masses are being pauperized. In Nigeria today, the issue of poverty has unfortunately become a nagging recurring decimal.

Poverty has really become a sing-song, it writs large in our clime with its ubiquitous presence. Spiritually poverty is a curse. Socio-economically, it is a state of extreme want, need and deprivation. When the government led by President Olusegun Obasanjo came on board in 1999, one of the cardinal programmes of his administration was poverty reduction which had by then become endemic. To this end, the administration created the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) which became a lame duck, and at the end of the day N15 billion was sunk into the programme and nothing concrete came out of it. Hence, National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) was put in place; however, it did not meet the aims and objectives for which it was created, instead, it has been a drain-pipe on government’s lean purse. This led the government to set up another poverty reduction initiative called Investment led Poverty Reducing Employment which equally failed very woefully. The point here is that any government programme that does not have the people as the aim and es-

sence will be nothing, but an unmitigated disaster. Yes, poverty in Nigeria did not start with the government in 1999; it has been with us for quite a while now. For instance, in 1986, according to official figures, three million Nigerians were unemployed. Of these, those below 25 years accounted for 73.1 per cent, young school leavers accounted for the bulk of the employed with 60.3 per cent and 46.2 per cent in the urban and rural areas respectively. The Gross National Product has been declining. The decline in the housing sector averages about 10 per cent, that of manufacturing 6.4 per cent and 5 per cent for construction, wholesale and retail sectors. However, the agriculture sector has been improving by an annual average of 2.2 per cent, expressed in real terms, by an average of 36.7 per cent. It is important to note that, Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava, albeit, much of this is lost to waste because of the absence of good storage facilities. In spite of this, the country goes a begging to imperialist creditors for development purposes. It is also important to note that, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1995 estimated that at least half of Nigeria’s teeming population is regarded as undernourished, the 71 million ill-fed Nigerians constitutes 25 per cent of the 200million under-nourished Africans alone. It is equally important to note that, the Gross Domestic Product(GDP) of Nigeria in 2001 was $41billion, that of South Africa was $113billion, Malaysia $188 billion, Korea $9,460, United Kingdom $25,120 and United States of America $34,000. It is very clear therefore that, Nigeria is not only grossly underdeveloped, it is poverty ridden. Hence, it would be apropos if the government of the day could create conditions in which Nigerians could be very productive and self-employed. All the present government is talking about is foreign investment but, Nigerians should be able to invest in their own economy that is when real development can actually take place. However, this is not the case, for example, according to the UNDP report 2002, 70 per cent out of every 120 Nigerians live below the poverty line.

Also, the report emphasized that, Nigeria is one of the 20 poorest countries in the world. Nigeria also ranked 57th in terms of Gross National Product (GNP). Equally, the country is 124th in gender related development and 151st in Human Development Index. Nigeria’s contribution to global Gross Domestic Product being mere 0.22 per cent and also ranking 187th in GNP per capita income. In the Human Development Index report 2002, out of the 173 countries whose living conditions were assessed, Nigeria ranked 148th behind Madagascar and Haiti. The African country with the best condition is the Island of Seychelles which occupied the 47th position in the reports ranking, coming a distant second was Libya in the 64th position, while Cape Verde, Algeria and South Africa were ranked 100th, 106th and 107th respectively. According to official report conducted in 2002, it was reported that 91 per cent of Nigerian household are poor, in fact, 89 million Nigerians are living below the international poverty benchmark of $1 a day. The poverty level figure which translates to about 70.2 per cent of the country’s population makes Nigeria the country with the highest concentration of people living in extreme poverty in Africa. Also, the country’s health system performance was ranked 187th amongst the 191 member states by the World Health Organization (WHO), and public expenditure on health in Nigeria is less than $8 per capita, compared to the $34 recommended internationally. This is supported by the worrisome 2004 Human Development report that placed Nigeria in the 151st position out of the 177 ranked in order of poverty. Also, in the 2007 World Bank report Ghana is rated far ahead of Nigeria in such areas as dealing with corruption, rule of law, good governance, infrastructural development, democratic ideals/ethos etc. In 2009, Nigeria ranked 158th in UNDP development report out of 182 countries surveyed below Uganda 157th and Lesotho 156th. In the 2011 Human Development index, Nigeria was ranked 156th out of the 187 countries surveyed. As number 156, Nigeria is also the least among the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Applauding Jonathan’s reconstructive leadership (1) Augustine Hayes Alfred

ruth and falsehood are life’s phenomena, though in opposite directions. While truth is a virtue that dignifies its lovers, falsehood is a vice that diminishes the stature of those who are habitually inclined to it even without their knowing it! Apart from their impacts on those who adore them, truth and falsehood also play great roles on the fate of nations and their entire citizens, also in opposite perspectives. While the embrace of truth brings positive impact on nations and people, falsehood has remained the stumbling block in the way of greatness. Truth gives accurate account of events - in the right perspectives as they are - and helps to shape the present in the right direction. It as well helps people to guarantee great future for themselves and generations to come. Yes, the future of people and societies must emanate from their present time. On its part, falsehood is entirely a phenomenon of anomaly anywhere. Falsehood has the negative potential of presenting inaccurate account of events by giving wrong perspectives to them, deliberately in most cases, thereby frustrating great efforts at attaining great(er) heights. Reason: It usually aims at creating confusion and weakening the spirit of positive sacrifice in those who can be easily influenced by its negative mission. In a nutshell, falsehood is the complete opposite of truth. The future of a people emanates from their present: Simply put, the foundation laid today determines the future. Great nations of the world share one thing in common: They were built

on accurate perspective of the past through the collective efforts of their citizens with their visionary leaders piloting them. While the leaders of those nations were sweating out blood and water to bring the desired change they envisioned for their societies and people, their people on their part appreciated their leaders’ efforts and lent their support. Yes, they acknowledged the patriotic efforts of their leaders sincerely and this spurred them to greater commitment to the common good! There is everything good in appreciating the visionary deeds of leaders. Successors will be encouraged to do even more, bearing in mind that they will be so appreciated in turn for their patriotic service. On the other hand, when great leaders are (unnecessarily) disparaged even in spite of their meaningful efforts to their societies and people, and when facts are deliberately distorted for the mere purpose of making great noise, this could discourage future leaders from doing their very best when service beckons. The reason is not far-fetched: They will believe that their sacrifice will be unappreciated in the end. Situation like this can be dangerous. Good enough, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan happens to be a particular leader who cannot be deterred by the noise and negative remarks of very insignificant number of people. He understands human nature very well, that different categories of people exist. Mr. President knows that there are people who are endowed with the grace of identifying great deeds at first sight and appreciating same adequately ever; he also knows that there are those who do not immediately see great deeds but much later in the day. There are those

who naturally never see anything good in others including their good deeds. The president is also aware of this. President Jonathan shows understanding towards all manner of people, and maintains his natural disposition of magnanimity. The reality on ground is that majority of Nigerians know the extent and impact of his selfless service to Nigeria and Nigerians. These majority of Nigerians are also aware that Mr. President is determined in taking the country to a destination of honour and pride. It will be a great danger for societies to exist at the whims and caprices of a few individuals instead of in the overall interest. As far as the president is concerned, making Nigeria an egalitarian society is not negotiable. Something needs to be clearly understood about Nigeria under President Jonathan in order to appreciate the patriotic burden he is carrying on his shoulders: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is rebuilding our great country from great destruction and neglect for many years by successive leaders before his coming to office. It will take only objective and sincere minds (Nigerians and foreigners alike) to admit this fact. It is a well known fact that it is easier to destroy than to build. It is indeed much easier to build than to rebuild what had been destroyed. The good news, however, is that President Jonathan is not overwhelmed by the task service beckons him to undertake. Over the years, he has demonstrated courage in rebuilding the country even though, like anyone else, he would have wished that all were not in shambles on his arrival so that he would concentrate on making the needed incremental contributions to nation building. Yet, even as he is re-

building the failures of past rulers, he is at the same time creating additional values for the present and future generations of Nigeria. Mr. President has good intentions for the country and the Nigerian people. This should be cheering and worthy of note. Upper most on his mind is to build a country of genuine unity and genuine peace. He understands the ingredients of relationship that will make the genuine unity and genuine peace possible. To him, atmosphere of truth and equity are basic to national unity and peace. He has remained very determined, undeniably resilient in promoting fairness to citizens and all parts of the country by ensuring equitable government presence everywhere. Those who are opposing the present administration are doing so, not for the common good but for their selfish interest. Nigerians are very well aware of this. They have lived under various administrations and they obviously know the difference between the administration of their past rulers and that of the present leadership in Nigeria. Cheering news also is that Nigerians have got wiser and will no longer settle for a good ruler anytime when a better leader is available to them. In fact, for Nigeria to witness steady progress, Nigerians must insist on choosing better leaders over and above good rulers. So far in his leadership of Nigeria, President Jonathan has demonstrated adequate competence that leaves no-one in doubt that he has all it takes to transform the country. • Alfred, author, trainer and commentator on national issues wrote from Lagos through e-mail: justicealltheway@yahoo.com

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

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SMEs and national development

he Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are a sine qua non for the growth, development and progress of Nigeria’s political economy. The SMEs are the secret of the economic success of many Asian countries. But they have not been ably supported by government the way it ought to, especially by way of legislation, provision of facilities and tax holiday. In the country talents abound but the snag is that there are no sufficient avenues to access soft loans to actualize burgeoning ideas and those that have struggled hard to establish cottage industries find it extremely cumbersome to get assistance from financial institutions, as they are only willing to give out loans with highest yielding return within the shortest time possible. Today in the country, the SMEs are confronted with a myriad of problems, namely lack of capital, inadequate management arising from lack of capital to even fund training and acquisition of skills, restricted access to institutionalized credit and management skills. There are managerial deficiencies in marketing, account and finance, human resources and production. There is no gainsaying that good management strategy will have a positive

impact on the modus operandi of SMEs in Nigeria. For the SMEs to succeed in Nigeria certain things must be done. The federal government must provide adequate finance for the sector and foster understanding between fund managers and operators of the SMEs for the scheme to materialize. Similarly, research institutes like the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) must be adequately funded. It should be recalled that the Bank of Industry (BOI) was established in 2001 to cater for SMEs in Nigeria when former Nigeria Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), Nigeria Bank for Commerce and Industry limited (NBCI) and National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) coalesced to form BOI. At inception, these three financial institutions owed a total sum of N17.7 billion with NIBD accounting for N2.816 billion, NBCL N3.694 and NERFUND N11.2 billion. So right from the inset, the BOI which was expected to provide the much needed fillip for small and medium scale industries was enmeshed in debts. A study done by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that 97 per cent of all businesses in Nigeria employ less than 100 employees. It then means that 97 per cent of all businesses in

Nigeria are, to use the umbrella term, “small businesses”. The SME sector provides, on average, 50 per cent of Nigeria’s employment, and 50 per cent of its industrial output. Which government can afford to ignore such a high contributor to its economy? The proportion of Nigerian SMEs and their impact on the economy is pretty much similar to those in other countries of the world, especially in the advanced economies. There are approximately 23 million small businesses in the US. These altogether employ more than 50 per cent of the private workforce, and generate more than half of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). In the European Union, SMEs are seen as largely essential for European employment. Each year, one million new SMEs are set up in the European Union. SMEs account for 99.8 per cent of all companies and 65 per cent of business turnover in the European Union. As a matter of urgency government should prioritize the SME sector giving it devoted practical and visible attention with a view to make it virile, vibrant, focused and productive. The era of ‘lip service’ attention to the sector should be done away with. Employment creation cannot be developed without a vibrant SME subsector, and so

government should do all within its arsenal to reverse the situation. if there is adequate financial support, more unemployed Nigerians will engage in small scale enterprises thereby gain their means of living easily than looking for unavailable white collar job. In addition, it must be noted that, Nigerians are probably one of the most entrepreneurial people on earth. But this is not enough. In order to positively encourage the spirit of enterprise among our young people, universities and other institutions of higher learning must be encouragedto become more commercially focused and more entrepreneurial. They should be encouraged to develop more ties with local businesses and hold more business related activities on campus. Students should be encouraged to take business studies modules as part of their main courses. This will help develop the interest in business, and provide the basic understanding of what to expect when going into business. The knowledge gained will help provide students with a ready option when they graduate, rather than wasting their time looking for the jobs that are not available. This will ultimately help to reduce the pool of unemployed young people in the country.

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Arts

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Book Review

Worth its weight in gold

his 200-page book, The Golden Years, dedicated to the Ibikunle Amosun years as governor of Ogun State, in the words of Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, Secretary to the Ogun State government, has made “serious study into the epoch-making period of the state in terms of the impact of the Amosun years on the system, process of governance and its response to the diverse challenges of administering a state.” The Golden Years is actually a selection of published articles in leading Nigerian newspapers on the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in the last three years. The articles were written by Soyombo Opeyemi, who was a member of the Editorial Board of The Independent Newspapers, before he joined the media team of the Ogun State governor. This book is divided into 10 parts, with each focusing on different areas of public life and governance. Part 1 examines topics around education, Part 2 dwells on our Federalism and its spin-offs, Part 3 on Agriculture, while Part 4 is on strides taken in the area of infrastructure. Parts 5 to 10 focus on diverse issues like land matters, healthcare, democracy, and landmark achievements of the Amosun administration. In Part 1, which focuses largely on education, there are six chapters, dedicated to examining free education, public schools, academic excellence, mission schools, education and religion. In these chapters, the author tries to articulate the thrust of the education policy of the Amosun administration. In Part 2, there are four chapters, all looking at our federal structure, vis-a-vis the Ogun State experience. The first chapter is on Federalism and Regional Integration, where the author submits: “Indeed, I find it very odd, just like Senator Amosun, a revenue allocation formula that gives 52 per cent to the Federal Government, 26 per cent to the 36 states, and 20 per cent to the local councils. What this means is that each of the 36 states collects 0.7 per cent from the Federal Account, while one Federal Government collects a

TONY OKUYEME tony.okuyeme@ newtelegraphonline.com

Book title: Ogun State: The Golden Years Author: Soyombo Opeyemi Number of pages: 200 Reviewer: Femi Adesina

By and large, however, I’ll agree that the Amosun years so far in Ogun State can truly be declared as golden. The governor has made a difference in the physical outlook of the state, which is quite commendable

whopping 52 per cent. Haba! Is this federalism or unitarism?” This line of reasoning is further amplified in other chapters, with topics like ‘South-West Governors on Federal Constitution,’ ‘Federal Roads,’ and ‘Between Abeokuta and Abuja.’ The old Western Region made fortunes from Agriculture. And it is not surprising that Part 3 of the book is dedicated to thoughts on agricultural development. And the battle cry is: “Tebi ba kuro ninu ise, ise buse (once hunger is out of the way, poverty is drastically reduced).” Very well said, in a country that spends about N1 billion daily on the importation of rice from Asia. There are three chapters in Part 4. And they dwell on strides in infrastructure, which makes the author dub Gov Amosun ‘The Modernizer.’ Achievements in urban renewal and rural development are chronicled here. Part 5 has three chapters, while Part 6 has four. These x-ray politics and actions of the Amosun administration in the areas of land policies, and the restoration of hope to the people.

Let’s take portions of the chapter headlined ‘The Ogun Standard’ in Part 8. “If Ibara-Totoro road is the first of its kind by any state government in Ogun State, the Ibara flyover under construction is also the first by any state government in the annals of the state. What about the ongoing footbridge that sits above the Ibara-Totoro road? It is to be fitted

with an air conditioner – that is, replicating in Ogun the modern facilities we see abroad; it is the first of such in Nigeria. “All these have set benchmarks below which no future government in Ogun must fall. You can perform better but you are not permitted to fall below this standard that has been set by Amosun. That is the concept

of the Ogun Standard.” A great standard to emulate, I must say. If the Ogun Standard is about quality, about integrity, about the ideal, then it is something to recommend to the rest of the country. We must equally have the Nigerian Standard. In other chapters, the author sheds light on government policies that appear hazy, or controversial. A chapter is dedicated to Income Tax, and another to Homeowners’ Charter. Surely, a good way to promote the activities and policies of a government! And fittingly, the last chapter chronicles the landmark achievements of the Amosun administration. Is this neatly edited and well-produced book a perfect work? Not so. There are a few grammatical and spelling errors. However, they by no means detract from the overall quality, which is very high. Again, I believe that too much space has been devoted to excoriating the immediate past administration in Ogun State, and comparing it with the current one. The former administration has come and gone, and it should be left for posterity to judge. By and large, however, I’ll agree that the Amosun years so far in Ogun State can truly be declared as golden. The governor has made a difference in the physical outlook of the state, which is quite commendable. But has the same impact been made on the stomachs of the populace in these days of emphasis on stomach infrastructure? The book is a good resource material for anyone conducting a research on the Amosun administration.

ANA Lagos set to resume reading Ebere Ameh

n their continued effort to improve the writing skills of writers and help them prepare for publishing, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State Chapter is set to hold its first reading session in January 2015. With the theme “ANA’s Role in Literary and National Development”, it will take place at the Coolroom, Senior Staff Club, University of Lagos, Akoka. A panel of critics/editors from ANA Lagos will spearhead the creative session as they take a look at writings by old and new members. To be part of the creative ses-

Chairman, ANA Lagos State chapter, Femi Amos Onileagbon

sion, each participant would have only four minutes for the reading, whatever the genre. Presenters of unpublished

works are expected to present typed pieces with a minimum of twenty photocopies for the audience. The second segment of the January reading will look at the state of ANA and ANA Lagos as well as the role ANA has to play in literary and national development. In a press statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Augusta Okon, and made available to New Telegraph, the organisers said the Creative Session holds from 2.00pm to 4.30pm, the Break and Networking Session runs between 4.30pm to 4.44pm. Discussions on ANA Affairs and Business Meeting will follow, starting from 4.45pm to 6.00pm.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

FCT Watch

Evolving right mixes to close housing gap

The Investor

Maritime

2015: A mixed grill for stock market

Ship owners urge FG to change crude oil’s term of trade

Banking sector to tread with caution in 2015

Money

Business $1.7bn investments, 50,000 jobs What's news

Nigerian firm mulls 2,000 MW thermal plant in Ghana

The Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate, based primarily in Nigeria, has disclosed plans to build a 2,000 megawatt (MW) thermal plant in neighbouring Ghana, in order to improve the generation capacity of the country.

p.22

Chevron augments FG’s gas master plan Chevron Nigeria Limited, operator of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture (NNPC/CNL JV), has said that its 4,600 metric tons Sonam Project fabrication milestone is a support for the Federal Government’s Gas Master Plan.

p.22

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa

in South West under threat CONSPIRACY Fresh plots is being mounted against the Federal Government’s local content policy

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

a petition had been sent to President Goodluck Jonathan by the private stakeholders, urging him to shut all facilities in Lagos and make the eastern ports the exclusive location where all of Nigeria’s oil and gas projects would be handled. It was allegedly sent

to the Presidency through the Ministry of Transport. According to the sources, such move coming just four weeks before the country goes to the polls, seeks to pressurise the Nigerian Ports Authority CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Bayo Akomolafe

nvestments worth $1.7 billion and over 50,000 jobs in Lagos are being threatened by private stakeholders that control the Eastern Ports seeking approvals from the Federal Government to enable them control the oil and gas terminals in the country. It was learnt that over $1.7 billion has been invested in new and existing fabrication yards and logistics bases including the Nigerdock fabrication yard and dry dock facility. The investments include the Nigerdock’s over $1 billion, Kaztec Engineering’s $100 million at the same Snake Island in Lagos and Eko Support Oil and Gas Logistics base’s $124 million. Also, sources revealed that other establishment, which are allegedly being targeted for extinction in the fresh plot to perpetuate monopoly in the oil and gas sector at Onne, are Digisteel Integrated Services Limited, a wholly Nigeria company which recently commenced work on a $100 million fabrication yard at Ogogoro Island and LADOL base which is the location of Samsung Heavy Industry’s only fabrication yard in Africa. Sources revealed that the fresh pressure allegedly coming from a Rivers State-based oil and gas company was aimed at limiting the lucrative business to Onne at the

Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

detriment of its competitors in the country that have sunk over $1.7 billion in their various organisations in the South Western part of the country. They said that the plot was contrary to the Local Content Act 2010. The sources noted that

L-R: Corporate Communications Officer, P&G Nigeria, Ridwan Sorunke; Brand Manager, Pampers, Iphie Chuks-Adizue; Dakore Egbuson Akande and Associate Director R & D Baby Care, Europe, Middle East and Africa, P&G, Christofer Fuchs, at the launch of a newly-improved Pampers Baby-Dry in Agbara, Ogun State.

Dele Alao

assava farmers in Nigeria are to earn about N10.4 billion as a result of the Federal Government’s policy of 20 per cent High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) bread, a 2014 end of the year report from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has said. President Goodluck Jonathan had directed on November 30, 2011, that 20 per cent cassava flour should be includ-

Farmers to earn N10.4bn from cassava

ed in bread production. A cassava bread fund of $60 million was made available to support actors along the cassava bread value chain. According to the report, benefits from HQCF are estimated at N21.6 billion broken down into N11.2 billion foreign exchange savings from

300,000MT of wheat grain that would be replaced by HQCF and N10.4 billion of income generated by farmers, In addition to reduction in the importation of wheat and the resultant savings in NigeCONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parallel As at Dec. 28)

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

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

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Dec. 26)

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

Business | News

BOOST The company is to boost Ghana’s power generation Adeola Yusuf

he Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate, based primarily in Nigeria, has disclosed plans to build a 2,000 megawatt (MW) thermal plant in neighbouring Ghana, in order to improve the generation capacity of the country. Reuters, which reported this, quoted sources

Nigerian firm mulls 2,000 MW thermal plant in Ghana who indicated that talks had been held between the company’s Ghana office and the Volta River Authority (VRA). Since 2001 when the Nigerian company first lifted crude oil for the Tema Oil Refinery, the company had remained fully operational in Ghana. The company had also built the largest thermal plant in Nigeria. “We just completed

$1.7bn investments, 50,000 jobs in south west under threat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

(NPA) into supporting the monopoly agenda. The petition urges Mr President to, among other things, “direct all the relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ensure that only Onne Port in Rivers State is used for oil and gas fabrication and logistics.” The petition, it was learnt, further urged the president to direct the Ministry of Transport and NPA to mandate all operators in the oil and gas sector to henceforth direct their businesses to Onne Port.

This policy, as well as the passing of the Local Content Act in 2010, led to widespread investment across the country, including Lagos. According to industry sources, the plot, if allowed to succeed, will further dampen the recent worrisome ranking of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector by OPEC as the lowest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sources added that the ongoing efforts by government to rank Nigeria in the G20 World Economic Powers would be a mirage if foreign investment drive is put at jeopardy due to the closure of facilities in the South West.

Farmers to earn N10.4bn from cassava CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

ria’s foreign exchange reserves and fostering local content in the foods and agro-allied sector of the Nigerian economy, one of the immediate impacts of the cassava bread policy, the report noted, was improved livelihoods of rural communities. “The socio economic impact of the composite flour policy includes the creation of a market for nearly 1,000,000MT of fresh roots per annum, creation of 96,678 new direct farm jobs, and a net value of N7.418 billion going to rural communities annually. On the processing side, a total of 1,500 jobs will be created, and a wages worth N630 million earned. Over a period of 10 years, the value of the HQCF industry due to the composite flour policy is in excess of N808 billion to the nation’s economy,” the report said. Also, the report which stated that current production of HQCF in Ni-

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

geria stands at 60,000MT per year, noted that a twopronged approach was taken to expand production of HQCF. Using resources from the cassava bread funds, 35 of the 153 existing small HQCF mills were said to have been upgraded from 1MT/day to 3MT/ day capacity and also provided working capital. The report stated that upgrade of another set of 35 small mills would begin this month. “Similarly, six medium-sized HQCF mills are being built with support from the Federal Government, to raise the number of medium-sized mills in country to ten. The new six plants are part of a first phase of 18 plants to be built over the next 24 months. The 70 upgraded small mills and 22 medium mills will all be fully operational by 2016 and raise HQCF production to over 400,000MT/ annum, ensuring sufficient HQCF for 20 percent cassava bread production,” the report said.

the plant in Nigeria. As it has been our trademark, we want to complete all the learning process before we replicate it here in Ghana,” a source said. Indeed, the company prides itself on replicating successful Nigerian models in other countries. Through its subsidiary, it owns a 70 per cent stake in Lagos’ Egbin thermal power plant with current generating capacity of about 1,320MW and planned expansion to 2,640MW.

This is one such model the company aims to replicate in Ghana in the near future. The Egbin plant is Nigeria’s largest thermal power distributor. A force to reckon with in the Nigerian power sector, the group also holds a 60 per cent interest in the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Nigeria’s largest power distributor, which delivers power to over 600,000 homes; a 70 per cent stake in First Independent Power Ltd located

in Rivers State, Nigeria, which comprises four power plants with total capacity of 721MW. Based on these controlling interests, the Sahara Group is the single largest power producer in Africa’s largest economy and has a solid track record justifying its spread to other geographies. It is expected that the Group would aim to also become the single largest producer of power in Ghana by leveraging its expertise and successes from Ni-

geria. In Ghana, the Group has evolved from oil lifting to building retail outlets in strategic Ghanaian cities. It also runs the largest private sectorbuild storage facility at Tema. Ghana represents a number of pressing power challenges, but these may be opportunities for the Sahara Group. Generally, power generation deficits fluctuate between 150MW and 250MW, and worsens when the plants breakdown or are shut down for routine maintenance. The country’s heavy reliance on hydroelectric energy means that, just like in Nigeria, when water levels are low, power generation will be rather disappointing.

L-R: Regional Corporate Sales Manager North, Etisalat Nigeria, Victoria Ibeji; participants at the Etisalat Shopping Dash, Isaac Faroye and Safiya Runsewe, with Sector Manager, Oil and Gas, Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Olayiwola Akinwunmi, during Etisalat Shopping Dash in Abuja.

FEATS

Company celebrates 4,600 metric tons Sonam Project fabrication milestone Adeola Yusuf

hevron Nigeria Limited, operator of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture (NNPC/CNL JV), has said that its 4,600 metric tons Sonam Project fabrication milestone is a support for the Federal Government’s Gas Master Plan. The company said this in a statement by the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Deji Haastrup. Chevron, the statement said, accomplished the 2014 target, which it set on the Meren Gas Gathering Compression Platform (GGCP) and Sonam Development project objectives. “The Sonam project covers approximately 4,600 metric tons of fabrication work, including the Topsides, Jackets,

Chevron augments FG’s gas master plan Piles and Bridge - at the Nigerdock fabrication yard. “It is one of CNL’s non-associated gas projects aimed at supporting the Federal Government’s Gas Master Plan. “The project also supports the upgrade of Nigerdock’s Fabrication Yard in the country,” the statement read. Commenting at the ReadyFor-Load-Out (RTLO) Sonam NWP jacket ceremony, which held at Nigerdock, recently, Director, NNPC/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture, Mr. Supo Shadiya, hailed the project as one of the efforts Chevron had made towards Nigerian Content Development and Gas commercialisation. His words: “At CNL, we are committed to Nigerian Content Development not just because it is the law but also because it is the right thing to do and part of the way we operate.” It involves the sub-contracting of fabrication of

four vessels and numerous pipe-spools to Dormanlong, an indigenous company. Nigerdock Group Executive Director (GED), Mr. Mansour Jarmakani, said the company was proud to be associated with the Meren Gas Gathering Compression Platform (GGCP) and Sonam Development project, which is said to be one of biggest Non-Associated Gas (NAG) projects in Nigeria. “The Meren Gas Gathering Compression Platform (GGCP) and Sonam Development project created jobs, trained thousands and is being delivered safely and on time… this is a national achievement.” Jarmakani also added that through mentorship and the training of many Nigerians, the project had substantially contributed towards addressing the paucity of manpower, a key challenge in the industry.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

FCT Business Watch

Evolving right mixes to close housing gap Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

sk an average resident of Abuja city and environs, housing is the biggest of all obstacles that worries him. Most residents would forego all other needs, including school fees, upkeep allowances for family and siblings, in order to pay for accommodation. Same goes for other cities and state capitals with sizeable population of working class. Beyond 17 million housing deficit, which experts in the housing sector said filling the gap could give Nigeria some sort of mileage, records have also shown that demand for housing and housing finance in Nigeria are significant and growing steadily with huge potential to launch the nation’s economy on the stride to fortune. They argue that as a country richly endowed with huge population and broad market base, Nigeria could look inward by evolving agencies as tools to overcome housing needs. Determined to address the housing challenge, government, in recent years, not only strengthened the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to efficiently deliver on its mandate, it moved a step further by incorporating another agency - the Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company (NMRC), to bridge the cost of residential mortgages, stimulate availability of good houses to Nigerians and boosting affordability and gaps to finance. Getting it right with mortgage banking The Federal Government established the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) with the mandate to ensure the provision of housing for the teeming populace. This is by way of providing mortgage finance assistance to Nigerians desirous of such support. The bank, from inception, is expected to play a pivotal role in developing a robust mortgage finance system for the country. It is also to promote the growth of primary mortgage institutions to service the needs of those desiring such services through the mobilisation of both domestic and offshore funds into the housing sector and more importantly, linking the capital market with the housing industry and administering the National Housing Fund (NHF). Before now, these key responsibilities were handled shabbily by the FMBN. But there has been a great shift in the last three years, which witnessed a drastic improvement in housing finance in Nigeria. The sector is gradually becoming one of the

key drivers of economic development and political stability, contributing a substantial part of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), especially in the last four years. The apex mortgage bank initiated projects, which have delivered about 53,000 houses through the NHF, as well as launching of the housing scheme for the informal sector and the Estate Development Guarantee (EDG) scheme, amongst others. These initiatives, coupled with its appeal to recapitalise, are set to place the industry on a new pedestal. Overhauling National Housing Fund (NHF) The National Housing Fund (NHF) is a novel scheme initiated in early 90’s that requires an individual to contribute some percentage of his/her income over a period of time towards owing a house of his/own. But going by statistics of FMBN, of the 170 million population, less than one per cent are currently contributing to the scheme. The present management of FMBN led by its Managing Director, Kimba Ya’u Kumo, has enthroned a transparent process, both in remittances and mode of accessing the fund. Experts are of the view that the scheme remains one sure way of tackling housing needs if all eligible contributors sign up to it. Speaking recently during the unveiling of the NHF e-Card, he said that collection to the fund had improved by over 500 per cent while transparency and accountability have been brought to bear in its administration. He said the e-Card was a huge step forward in delivering the advantages of speed, accuracy, transparency, accountability and superior customer experiences to NHF contributors. He said: “Mr. President would be pleased to know that we have begun to harvest the benefits of the NHF e-Collection Platform, especially in the volume of NHF collections. For instance, the rate of NHF collections rose significantly from about N700 million to over N2.2 billion per month. We estimate a further 100 per cent increase in monthly collections to achieve about N4 billion per month before the end of year 2014. “The bank, in June 2013, launched the NHF e-Collection platform to ensure proper record-keeping, transparency and accountability for NHF collections. The platform prevents the flagrant violation of the NHF Act and unlawful practices by employers, who fail to effect statutory deductions, remit deductions to the FMBN or provide remittance schedules by which contributors’ monies are easily

bank has now done is to use cooperative societies in the informal sector to service people who can be termed disadvantaged in the society because their income is low, irregular and difficult to access under the NHF loan window. Since they do not get salaries on a monthly basis, what the bank has done is to look at ways to reach them so that they can contribute and also benefit by owning their own houses. “The loan enables a cooperative society that has acquired plots of land to develop houses for allocation to its members. The parcel of land would have title in the name of the society which would act as facilitator on behalf of its members in the loan transaction and which would facilitate construction of the housing units. The root of the title of the estate land would be subleased to the beneficiaries.” For instance, with the informal sector’s Cooperative Society Loan Scheme, Kumo explained that operators such as farmers, traders and artisans would be able to tap into the benefit from the National Housing Scheme like those in the formal sector.

Kumo

misappropriated.”

The platform prevents the flagrant violation of the NHF Act and unlawful practices by employers, who fail to effect statutory deductions

Cooperative Loan Scheme for less privileged Cooperative Loan Scheme is another way of capturing housing needs of the less privileged class in society. The need to capture the larger segment of the society with limited capacity to pay for houses due to low income has thrown up the cooperative loan scheme designed to cater for the less privileged. Commenting on the scheme, the FMBN MD said it was designed for those in lowest strata of the society that don’t benefit from loans due to their limited capacity to pay for houses as the income they generate is very small. He said: “It was brought about to extend the bank’s services to people who can be termed disadvantaged in the society because their income is low, irregular and difficult to access under the NHF loan window. What the

Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company, a new kid on the block In the wisdom of government to solve the huge deficit gap in housing, last year, it established NMRC. The new firm’s vision is to encourage and promote home ownership in Nigeria by providing financial facilities to the mortgage lenders, thereby increasing the availability and affordability of mortgage loans to Nigerians. A private sector driven company with the public purpose of developing the primary and secondary markets by raising long-term funds from the capital markets, NMRC has been fully operational since the second quarter of 2014. It is currently working on 10,000 mortgages for the first batch of over 50,000 Nigerians that registered for mortgage houses. NMRC was set up to bridge the cost of residential mortgages, stimulate availability of good houses to Nigerians and reducing affordability and gaps to finance. Conclusion It is obvious that the 17 million housing gap can’t be addressed using a single method within a short space of time. However, very visible progress has been recorded in recent times due to the overhauling of FMBN operations to be more responsive to its core objectives. Housing experts are of strong view that the establishment of NMRC and its collaboration with FMBN will stimulate affordable mortgage financing and will ultimately reduce cost of housing in Nigeria.

Business | Money

Godson Ikoro

he consensus of master strategists across the banking sector for year 2015 strongly suggests that issues revolving round the elections will dictate major events in the sector and the economy at large. Although the state of déjà vu permeates the sector, some operators advise that Nigerians should not panic despite external challenges, stressing that the sector will remain resilient during the year. While pressure continues to be on the naira, inflation climbs to two digits, more intervention funds are expected even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) moves to consolidate and ease access to existing ones, issues of lending rates, abuse of the N65 ATM charges by banks who have evidently abandoned the regulator’s rule will contend in 2015. Year of reality in banking and economy In 2015, bankers and indeed the entire financial sector will operate with every caution. The reason, according to the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Henry James Seminitari, is because “the sector depends largely on the general economy and political climate.” Many investors and big ticket projects financed by corporate organisations are likely to be delayed until after the elections. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivative Company Limited, an economists and commentator on national economic issues, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, believes, year 2015 is a year of reality politically, economically and socially. Rewane said that while there would be a lot of capital flight to safety, people should also keep their heads. He said, “There will be a lot of former rich men in Nigeria in 2015. If you had five parties in 2014, you will be lucky to have one in 2015, because of adjustments.” He said in addition to the global oil market dynamics, the prospects of the Nigerian economy in 2015 would hinge on the electoral calendar. Consequently, the outlooks of the macroeconomic indicators are likely to change significantly depending on the outcome of the general elections. Mostly, 2015 will be distinctly divided into different phases. Economic performance will impact three key races more than others, the Presidential and gubernatorial elections in Lagos and Rivers states, he said. Although Seminitari admitted that the nation’s democracy was maturing, he said the confidence would reflect on the economy generally. More intervention funds expected at optimum lending rates. Seminitari admitted that the Jonathan administration has done a lot and would continue to do more to diversify the economy. He pointed out numerous intervention funds being given to the real sector through the Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, and Bank of Industry (BoI), saying that before the discovery of

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Banking sector to tread with caution in 2015

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

oil, Nigeria was a net exporter of agric products and other non-oil products. Given that Nigeria’s dependence on oil was what brought the hardship and austerity measure, he said that government efforts at diversifying the economy would exponentially continue. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) will intensify its campaign for low interest rates. The Chamber maintained that the monetary authorities pursued a tight monetary policy over the years, resulting in interest rate going as high as 25 to 30 per cent. It has always highlighted high interest rate as having adverse implications on production, employment and growth. Part of the chambers recent review read: “Beyond high interest rates and strict credit requirements, there are issues with government administration of assisted/intervention loans. For instance, Bank of Industry (BoI) does not have facility for working capital to industries. Industrialists have identified this as a major shortcoming of the BOI intervention funds. Working capital for industries is as important as the fund for the equipment and machineries.” SME subsector to grow exponentially The SME, agric and solid minerals sub sectors will boost the real sector of the economy. Banking depends on the general economy and political climate. Apart from diversification, Seminitari said that the nation’s tax system needs to improve in 2015. Citing the example of Lagos State, he said the state had done a lot as a result of their internally generated revenue. No need to panic Mr. Yemi Adeola , Managing Director/Chief Executive of Sterling Bank Plc, corroborating

Seminitari

Adeola, said there was no need to panic over the oil price fall. For him, the lenders should restructure their exposures and make necessary adjustments to oil and gas and power sectors even as they continue their intermediating functions. Adeola sees 2015 as a year of prudence and reality where every calculation would be double checked before people part with their money.

The sector depends largely on the general economy and political climate

Policies will be dictated by politics, headwinds Year 2015 will continue from the regulatory headwinds of the outgone year. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) churned out so many rules and regulations and is likely to do more if occasions warrant in order to maintain monetary stability in line with its mandate. The sector was so heated by the recent policy actions of the CBN to devalue the naira, raise the interest rates and increase Reserve Requirements (CRR). According to Rewane, Policymaking will be overshadowed by political campaigns and the elections in this period. As a result, most macroeconomic indicators are likely to be influenced by speculative market activities to hedge any unfavorable outcome. The intensity of political activities towards the election could increase security concerns and result in the hike of consumer prices, dampen economic output as well as growth. This is likely to have negative impact on investors’ confidence and increase dollar demand pressure. Pressure will continue to be on the Naira On the eve of 2015, oil prices were still plunging even after losing over 50 per cent this year (now $56pb). The naira is on the ropes trading at N193/$ and interest rates are strangulating at 22 per cent per annum. These are some of the issues, according

to analysts at FDC, which have made the second half of 2014 a rough and tumble period as well as one of the most interesting years of this decade for Nigeria. Against this background that shows that cyclical economic downturns and recovery are inescapable, findings reveal that the Nigerian macroeconomic environment will continue to be vulnerable to exogenous shocks in 2015. This is mainly because oil prices and international capital flows will continue to be dominant features in the Nigerian macroeconomic equation. Hence, the naira may depreciate further by three per cent to 9-5 per cent due to the declining fiscal buffers. Administrative measures employed to limit the rate of capital outflows may result in an increase in money market rates by 100bps to 300bps. Nonetheless, the status quo on monetary policy is expected to be maintained at the January Monetary Policy Committee meeting despite the challenges of a falling naira, depleting reserves and contracting fiscal buffers. Inflation to be double digit The headline inflation is expected to range between 10 per cent and 12 per cent in 2015. In a highly import dependent economy, some of the price effects of the devaluation will be passed to the consumer. This is based on the persistent decline in global food, energy and other imported goods and services prices. Although the devaluation of the naira is expected to increase inflation as a result of the pass-through effects on import costs, this impact is likely to be muted due to the lower global commodity prices and anticipated increase in local production of staple food crops. However, there is a marginal probability that inflation would temporarily spike above nine per cent due to the increase in electricity tariff, speculative trading around the elections and other policy developments. By March – May 2015, the Lame Duck Period , the elections are likely to be keenly contested but the combination of a close race, allegations of rigging and the use of the military in some voting areas will call the election results into question, regardless of who wins. Fitch’s negative view of the sector reflected the challenging and volatile operating environment owing to plugging oil prices. It drew its conclusion from the combined policy actions of the lenders’ watchdog to devalue the naira, raise interest rates and increase reserve requirements (CRR) and forecast bank’s profitability, asset quality and ratios to deteriorate in 2015. Conclusion The banking sector will swing along the pendulum of political developments.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

The Mega City ...EXCLUSIVE LAGOS MAGAZINE

University of Lagos main gate

A community of learning LIFE IN THE CITY

Return of impunity in Lagos MY CITY MY WORLD Lagos is dynamic, says Oresanya

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CO-ORDINATOR

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

On the continent of Africa and even beyond, there is hardly any community that commands the number of academic institutions across all levels- basic, high school or even higher institutions, as Yaba, a suburban Lagos community does. MOJEED ALABI writes on the significance of this.

he history of the name Yaba is still shrouded in mystery. But the word in English, literally means “madness drug” which are tablets containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. Thus, to some, this might not be unconnected with the location of a psychiatric hospital in Yaba. But this is not confirmed anyway. However, beyond the story of the name and the location of a psychiatric home is another major feature of Yaba, which till date has remained unrivalled. That is, the concentration of many academic institutions in a single community. History has it that after the colonisation of Lagos protectorate in 1861, the cosmopolitan city was broadly divided into two-Lagos Island and Lagos Main-

land, especially for the ease of administration. While the economic and political powers were concentrated on the island, the mainland communities, especially those that shared close proximity with the seat of power served as residential quarters. And Yaba, a sprawling community with several access routes to the island became handy in this regard. The colonial masters explored its land, dwelled in its streets and provided themselves with basic amenities, including establishment of schools. The present Yaba Local Council Development Area, created out of the old Lagos Mainland Local Government, is one of the 37 local councils established by the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu after an enabling law was passed by the state assembly.

Today, Yaba, the once residential area of the colonialists has metamorphosed into one large community with the relics of colonial buildings and quarters. The community now wears an urban setting; some part, however, mirrors rural features and these areas are simply referred to as blighted areas like Makoko and Iwaya. Nonetheless, Yaba Local council Development Area is the commercial nerve centre for all, regardless of their political and cultural affiliations, and more importantly, has the rare opportunity of hosting some of the most prominent academic institutions in the country. The list of prominent schools accommodated by Yaba includes but not CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Life | In The City

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Return of impunity in Lagos At a particular time, it was a given that commercial motorcycling, street trading and reckless driving were serious offences in Lagos, which were stoutly dealt with by law enforcement agencies. But that appears to be giving way now as most of those have returned with full force on major streets in the state. It appears also that the once strict enforcement agencies are now relaxing and watching, making many believe that it is for political exigencies. ELIJAH SAMUEL reports

overnance, according to business dictionary, is the establishment of policies, and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation, by the members of the governing body of anorganization. It includes the mechanisms required to balance the powers of the members (with the associated accountability), and their primary duty of enhancing the prosperity and viability of the organization. Several sociocultural, economic and political activities are encompassed within the governance jurisdiction of a state; and it behoves the state to ensure that it is devoid of unhealthy acts so that the wellbeing of its inhabitants will continued to be enhanced. At a time when wide-ranging acts of indiscipline and recklessness were irritably the order of the day in a cosmopolitan Lagos, whose population swells geometrically by the passing of each day, it was inevitably exigent that redemptive policies were formulated and introduced so that the thriving lawlessness which was threatening governance in the state can be halted well in time. During that inglorious era, when much of the megacity landscape was replete with despicable acts, street trading and business activities in unapproved areas around the state were ways of life; reckless riding and driving of motor bikes (okada) and vehicles respectively in a way that did not reckon with traffic laws over time, caused enormous havoc; abandoning the safety offered through the usage of numerous pedestrian bridges across the state was and is being perpetrated to the detriment of the sanctity of lives; other environment-degrading acts were also on the increase. These were conspicuous: so, when the democratic dispensation was ushered in, the government swung into action to curb these untoward social acts in the state. Expectedly, implementing agencies like the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), State Environmental Monitoring Agency, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Nigeria Police and other relevant security outfits were all at different times inaugurated to enforce the sanity and inculcate decent ideals that are features of an organized society. Apparently, the emerging situation in the state is getting many residents disconcerted; they are querying the rationale behind the seeming compromise of the lofty policies, which had significantly helped in enthroning some air of sanity, in a state that prides itself as the centre of excellence. Having done critical analysis of the noticeable thriving of unsavoury acts which had earlier been curbed, and the curious lethargic disposition of designated agencies to these untoward social

Trading on the road

Crossing the highway

Okada riders on the highway at Oshodi

acts, it was variously posited that a strategy of compromise might have discreetly been adopted by the government for the end-result of political gain, especially as election year is around the corner. Adewale Babatunde, a worried resident asserted that the pervading distasteful social acts and the seeming indifference of relevant monitoring state apparatus “is a compromise for political gains.” Continuing, he said: “Although this development is not the best for our environment, especially when the gains of such policies are weighed, nevertheless, political survival entails such compromise in this part of the world where literacy level is at the lowest ebb.” But while pointing to the “lack of such compromise in policy formulation as the remote reason for the All Progressives Congress (APC) loss in the 2014 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State,” Babatunde believes that “such compromise is unhealthy for us as a nation.” He, however, underscores the level of literacy in determining the extent of responsiveness and responsibility of citizens to government’s benevolent policies. This, according to him, can be achieved by “educating the people on the reasons why certain policies of government must be sustained irrespective of election or not.”

Corruption is a twin vice to indiscipline when considering causes of acts of impunity in Lagos State

However, a lawyer, Wahab Dako, posited a number of factors like unwillingness, ignorance and indiscipline on the part of residents on the one hand, and corruption on the part of the relevant law enforcement agencies as being responsible for the perpetration of impunity in the state. He said: “Corruption is a twin vice to indiscipline when considering causes of acts of impunity in Lagos State. Most officers of the law enforcement agencies in Lagos State, and indeed in Nigeria, are corrupt. So, they would rather prefer that residents contravene the rules and then ‘negotiate’ with enforcement officers in order to escape sanctions. This is also the reason why street trading, particularly trading on walk-ways, has continued in Lagos State. The officers in charge of eradicating street trading and protecting the environment do compromise.” Citing the place of literacy, he advanced that lack of adequate awareness had contributed a great deal to the present situation in which “most of the offenders are so uneducated to such an extent that they do not even know the essence of the rules and regulations in place. Some of them, for example, do not understand what a walk-way is. Therefore, they see such a place as a parking space or a place designed for them to display their wares. This is an area where enlightenment campaign should be intensified by Lagos State government.” Okechukwu Ugorji, a public analyst, said that the unsatisfactory pervasion of impunity in the state is part of a necessary political game resorted to by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to retain power. He said: “By all means, APC wants to retain Lagos State. That’s why they don’t want to clamp down on commercial motorcyclists again because they know if they do, they (okada riders) will not vote for APC. It is a game: they just soft-pedalled on curtailing those excesses in the state in order to win the hearts of the people. If the government had continued

to be hard on the people the way they had been doing before, they fear the people might not vote for them.” But should the government have sacrificed its good policies on the altar of political gain? “It’s not right, but the ultimate objective of the government is to win election. The government is leveraging on the way an average man thinks: he doesn’t care about certain policies as long as his immediate needs are being met. Most people don’t look at the long term benefits of government’s policies.” But the implication of this for governance, according to Ugorji, is that “the problems the government was trying to solve are gradually returning. So, if new government comes into power, these are the problems they will devote time and resources to in the bid to find solution.” He added: “If the government has decided to ban or restrict okada from the highways and stop trading on the highway, it is only proper to make provisions for affordable alternative means of livelihood. But when the people can’t afford government’s alternatives like in the case of Tejuoso Ultra-Modern Market; it’s like water that cannot be restrained because it will always find its way out; they in like manner are bound to get back to the restricted major highways and streets because the pressure to find survival cannot be withstood by the ordinary masses. Attempt to apply force and stop the people will result in the resurgence of social vices.” In this ongoing game, some are noting that the seeming lethargic disposition of relevant government agencies that are saddled with ensuring wellness and safety of the environment vis-a-vis residents’ conduct may just be part of the winning stratagem; many are curious about the morality and potency of the stratagem being deployed by the government in the simmering political chess game even as the elections are just few weeks away. With the increasing political awareness amongst the people, the end-result will justify the means.

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Yaba: Home of education CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 25

limited to Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, which is ranked the first higher institution of learning in Nigeria; University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, Yaba; Federal College of Education (Technical), FCET, Akoka; Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR; St. Augustine Teachers Training College; Federal Science and Technical College, FSTC, Yaba; Queen’s and Igbobi colleges. Apart from these schools, Yaba also has to her credit hosting of other academic institutions such as the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, with its Nigerian head office located at Jibowu, and the National Library of Nigeria located on Herbert Macaulay Way, in Sabo area of the community. Following the development, investigation reveals that the inhabitants of the area had coined the Yoruba name, “Adugboalakada” for Yaba, which means the “community of the learned,” and this by implication has strong effects on the people’s lifestyle. Beginning with YABATECH; the institution, designed to produce the needed manpower for the driving of the nation’s budding economy, was established in 1947 as an immediate successor to Yaba Higher College. It attained autonomous status in 1969 by virtue of Decree 23, which granted it the mandate to provide full time and parttime courses of instruction and training in technology, applied science, commerce and management and in such other fields of applied learning relevant to the needs of the development of Nigeria in the areas of industrial and agricultural production and distribution; and for research in the development and adaptation of techniques. According to the incumbent Rector of the school, YABATECH is structured into eight schools and thirty-four academic departments with a total of sixty-four accredited programmes, which cut across the ND, HND and Post-HND Levels. The college also offers certificate courses. She said; “YABATECH as the college is popularly called also offers B.Sc (Ed) courses in Technical and Vocational Education and Post Graduates Diploma in Engineering. The two programmes are run in conjunction with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Federal University of Technology, Akure, respectively. The present student population is about 15,000, while the total staff strength is about 1,600.” At the university level, also located in Yaba is Nigeria’s most popular ivory tower, which its admirers are wont to call, “the nation’s most preferred campus.” In line with the similar conditions that led to the establishment of YABATECH, the Eric Ashby Commission on Post School Certificate and Higher

Queen’s College gate

Education was established by the Nigerian Government in May 1959 and after submitting its report, which was titled; Investment in Education, the establishment of a new university in Lagos, the then Federal Capital, to provide education for students in Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, and Higher Management Studies was recommended. Following the acceptance of the UNESCO Commission’s report for the establishment of a residential university, the University of Lagos was established on October 22, 1962 on the authority of the University of Lagos Act of 1962. After 52 years of its establishment, the institution is proud to have produced scholars and respected Nigerian heroes across all fields including the current Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo; former EFCC Chairman, Farida Mzamber Waziri; Chairman of UBA Board, Tony Elumelu; former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Adetokunbo Kayode, among several others. To complement YABATECH and UNILAG, the Federal College of Education, Technical, was created in 1967 as Nigeria’s first technical-based college of education and was located close to UNILAG for proper nurturing. In a similar manner of recording first, Nigeria’s first institute specifically dedicated for medical research was in 1977 established through the research institute establishment act of 1977, to promote national health and developments. It was then named Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR and has remained an institution of excellence in basic, applied and operational research for the improvement of health standard

Federal College of Education, (TECH), Yaba

The environment has produced very eminent Nigerians... there is hardly any community on the African continent that could command such respect Yaba now commands

in Nigeria. There are also the St. Augustine Teachers Training College and the St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, as two other higher institutions accommodated by the Yaba community. At the middle level are several schools including the famous Queen’s and Igbobi Colleges; the Federal Science and Technical College, FSTC, Yaba; Reagan Memorial Baptist School, among others. However, certain things are expected of a student-dominated community such as Yaba, and such include violent cultism; thuggery, brigandage, and constant violent protests, but in the case of Yaba, the inhabitants are quite at peace with each other, just as they could not also understand why the case of their community has defied normal logic. One of the community dwellers, who preferred anonymity said; “To some of us born and raised here, Yaba’s reputation as a foremost elite society is one reputation we have had to live with over the years.” The Provost of the FCET, Dr.

Sijibomi Olusanya, who has joined the college since 1982, said there could be no other better community than Yaba. He said the environment has produced very eminent Nigerians and that there is hardly any community on the African continent that could command such respect Yaba now commands. In a similar development, the immediate past Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Jide Jimoh, described the location of many academic institutions in Yaba as a sign of the foresight of the earlier government, saying the development has clearly impacted on the lives of the people in the area. Jimoh, who was speaking at an event on the campus of FSTC not long ago, said he was proud to be the chairman of the local council, saying he had met many people who have had no cause living outside the Yaba community since birth and have attained the peak of their career. He recommended that such institutions could be concentrated on one location like that for ease of relationships and business.

Life | Mega City

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Epe: Big industries on death bed Oluwatosin Omoniyi

t is goodnight for some industries in Epe, the sprawling village in the Lagos East Senatorial District. They were once the pride of the community. But a culmination of events, actions and inactions have seen them laying prostrate and are as good as dead. The Epe community looks on in both regret and bewilderment. Really, Epe is a town waiting to be explored and beautifully exposed to the world. Epe is a beautiful town likened to a beautiful virgin waiting for her man to discover her. As beautiful and quiet as the town is, it is heartrending that the economic aspect could be best described as passive. In fact, the major industries are dead and not anyway near resurrection. The plywood and Boat yard industries for instance are dead. The Boat yard, where its founders manufactured boats since the town is surrounded by water and one of the major occupations of the town is fishing, has been overtaken by grass and weeds. Half of the large industry has been turned to an Islamic school. When Daily Telegraph visited, a group of Islamic school children sat on the ground receiving and reciting Islamic lessons, while some women were spreading their wrappers on the grass. According to a passer-by, the boat yard, as it is commonly called, could have been a huge revenue avenue for the town and state government. It could have also served as employment platform for the youth of the town. The Plywood industry, which is the major industry and main pride of Epe has collapsed, for more than 20 years now. Going by what Daily Telegraph saw, the place is near to a thick forest habouring reptiles and other dangerous animals: The roofs and some of the structures have become rusty, the surrounding barbwires have also become rusty and given way to intruders. The large compound occupying a large expanse of land has close proximity to the sea shore and has many giant abandoned structures. Going by the history of the Plywood industry, it was known for producing flush doors, ceiling woods, slates, e.t.c. The industry was said to be mostly patronised by West African countries, such as Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cote D’ voire, e.t.c. Sunday Elewuwo, chief security of the company, told Daily Telegraph that he has been the company’s security for past 20 years. He explained that the company collapsed due to the common culture of lack of sustenance and maintenance culture associated with Nigerians. “The factory has been in this deplorable state for past 20 years and there is no plan in sight of resurrecting it,” he said. He explained that the Odua

Entrance to the dead plywood industry

Group of Companies, apart from paying his monthly salary and coming there once in a while, has not talked about restoring the lost glory of the company. According to Elewuwo, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, established the company 70 years ago, in partnership with some Italian men, who later handed over to Epe indigenes to manage. The main reason for establishing the company, he said, was to help provide job for the people of Epe, mostly the youth, “but too bad with the way the company turned out. It was not well managed at all”. A source, who pleaded anonymity, said corruption and lack of electricity are the main factors for the fall of the once mighty industry. He said the managers, supervisors and workers are all culpable for the death of the industry. He explained that some workers would produce and pocket the money, others too would sell below the real price. “At a point, individuals of the company turned their own bosses. They started dealing directly with customers outside the company. They would bring trucks at night, load them and discharge. But the money was never remitted to the company. Also, there was no constant power supply to aid production,” he said. The source added that the Plywood industry alone is enough to make Epe an enviable town in Lagos State, “but we have docile and corrupt leaders, who are rather selfish and greedy.”

The dead boatyard

corruption and lack of electricity are the main factors for the fall of the once mighty industry

Inside the plywood industry

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Nigerians and Lagosians in particular regularly cry over the unending extortion they have to contend with in the hands of petrol pump attendants, who prefer to make brisk business by selling the commodity to individuals with jerry cans. That is seen as a faster means of making money, EZURIKE UGOCHUKWU reports.

Fleecing fuel buyers

“I

asked you to sell N500 petrol to me and what is displayed here is N460 and you seems not to be interested in returning my balance. What does that mean?” queried the customer, who was gazing between his jerry can (beside the dispensing pump) and the petrol attendant. “Oga carry your fuel and go. That is the value of your money. If you don’t have money to buy fuel you better don’t come”, retorts the lady petrol pump attendant. Angered by this reply, the young man snatched the petrol pump nozzle from the lady. The sale of petrol was abruptly brought to a halt and a scene was created with discordant tunes from the warring parties and their unsolicited allies. However, majority of the people used that opportunity to vent their overflowing anger on the manner with which they are being extorted by the station attendants. The incident at the same time opened the eyes of some customers who were naïve of the goings on in the station. That was the predicament of Mr. David Esiemo, a resident of Igando area in Igando Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. This is the hassle he has to contend with in trying to purchase the premium motor spirit (PMS) in a jerry-can to enable him generate the elusive electricity for his family. In the days of persistent fuel scarcity in Nigeria, before you even position your jerry-can for filling, you must part with some notes, ranging from N50 or whatever the attendants resolved to collect, while motorists were either compelled to buy injector treatments or pay some money as a condition to get petrol dispensed to them. Many had thought that that has gone with the era of perennial fuel scarcity, but such exploitative dispositions hardly die out for opportunistic Nigerian business people. Today, most undiscerning Nigerians do not understand the level of extortion they pass through in the hands of petrol pump attendants. Those who know say the attendants short-change customers between N10.00 to N7.00 or more per litre of petrol. According to them, going to a petrol station with your car usually put paid to the intention to extort you, and therefore disfavours the shrewd elements. Unless, one wants to buy in a

Fuel attendant filling a car

jerry can which is a simple means of extorting the poor in the society, the attendants, some of who do this nefarious activity with the connivance of their bosses are not eager to sell. Mrs. Margret Thomson, a hairdresser at Diya Street Gbagada area of Lagos who relies heavily on her generator set to power her numerous hair driers, claimedignorance of any foul play at the petrol stations. “I don’t believe they cheat me. Even vehicle owners buy without complaining. Whenever I go to Total filling station here, I tell them the quantity I want and they give me. Since this has been mentioned to me, from today, I will start paying attention to how and what they dispense to me. Maybe, they have been cheating me without my knowing it”, she said. Another resident of Gbagada area, Mr. Ikenna Innocent screamed blue murder over the extortions. He narrated how he nearly fought at a filling station a day he went without his car to purchase petrol for his generator. “I got to the petrol station to buy in a jerry-can. I asked the pump attendant to sell N400 fuel to me. Instead, she dispensed petrol worth N370 to me. When I queried her, the lady never cared a hoot on my inquiry. “Not until I raised an alarm that she turned back to make up for the shortfall. Iwas shocked that all the days I went to the station, after parking my car by the corner and I walked down to buy with my jerry can, nobody has made such a dubious malpractice. “It baffled me also that throughout the altercation, none of the persons in the administrative office of the petrol station came out to know what was actually going on.” Mr. Ikenna said. Mrs. Hannah Muokoru, who lives at Governor’s road in Ikotun area of Alimosho, claims a petrol station in their area is notorious in the act. She said all the staff

www.brintime.com

are criminally indoctrinated into the game. “One petrol station in our area will prefer to sell in jerry can than sell to cars. At times, you will drive into the station they will tell you they don’t have fuel but if you park by the corner and watch some time, you will see that they have fuel but prefer only to sale to those with jerry cans. “Omolad filling station is seriously into this act because it seems they make so much money by selling in jerry cans. If the management is not aware, they would not regularly reject cars in preference to those with plastic cans”, she said. An information technologist in Ikotun, Mr. Mathew Orji, says they extort them glaringly. “All the filling stations around here are in the game, even the so called NNPC mega filling station here. We accede to it because we don’t have alternative. Without fuel, you can’t power your machines to work with. If youdon’t work, your family will be hungry. We don’t have a choice than to keep on buying. We, the masses lack the will to agitate for our right”, he said. Daily Telegraph visited Omolad filling Station on Governor Road Ikotun. One of the male pump attendants said their manager was away and may not come back that day. Also at the NNPC mega filling station on Idimu road, Ikotun, the story of their manager being absent was also narrated. At the Muky oil filling station in Ikotun, the supervisor, Mr. Ayodele Muky, said their station is not into the business of extorting the public; that their metre is adjudged the best around. “Any of our staff that tries it, is sacked. We have sacked some of them for that act in the past. We have no room for such manoeuvrings”, he said. At Ejigbo, a commercial motorcycle rider, Mr. Raymond Olarewaju, categorized all the filling stations in the area as the same. They are all in this extortion game. “Is it an abomination to come to a filling sta-

tion here with a jerry can? I don’t know whether it is targeted at the poor that come by foot. “If you come on your car, nobody will cheat you. When will all these fraud in this country stop? We are blaming Jonathan and Fashola for killing us, but my brother, look at what little girls manning petrol pumps are doing us. “They treat us with no respect. If you fail to pay the wayo money they asked you to pay, they wouldn’t mind turning back the petrol they have dispensed to you”, he said. The manager of Energy filling station at Ejigbo was also not in the office, but one of the supervisors that spoke anonymously said that what people see as cheating at times is caused by the people themselves. He said some people instead of telling you the money value of fuel they want to buy, they will tell you the litre. “When people tell you the number of litres of fuel they want, without saying the exact amount, there is no way you can come back to give them their balance which is more or less nothing. “This act has been there for over 20 years. It’s not a management decision, neither could the management prove unaware of it. That proprietor or manager who will want to stop it may have started as a pump attendant. Most of the stations hardly pay us. Today is January 2; we have not been paid for December 2014 till now”, he said. To Mr. Christoper Ndudi, a Lagos resident, it is only those who accede to such conditions that are encouraging it. “Had it been that these filling stations and their attendants who rationalize fraud with poor payment do all these deductions with the people’s consent, I don’t think there would have been issues. Trust Lagosians, they wouldn’t have had any qualms in allowing them take their money.”Rather than extorting us from the back door, better they tell us that they don’t want to sell in jerry cans anymore. This day light robbery without gun is unacceptable,” he stressed.

Life | Local Government Watch

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘How a young girl’s death turned me to life guard’ Ezekiel Adesawe

ifteen years ago, Wale Popoola decided to be a volunteer life guard at the Takwa-bay beach after a young girl died because there was no one to save her as she drowned. And since then, he has been saving lives on the beach voluntarily. New Telegraph met with him at the beach recently as he was doing his volunteer job and he revealed the reason behind his choice- joy, challenges and needs as a volunteer life guard on the beach. He said, “Many people come here to Takwa-bay to swim but some of them do not know how to swim. So, voluntarily, I decided to be a life guard in order to save lives on this beach. I started this when I realized that a lot of people die on this beach just because they don’t know how to swim and there was no one to save them when they were drowning and I know how to swim very well. I called my brother Taju, to start this volunteer job on this beach.” The very day he made the decision to be life guard, a young girl died helplessly and there was no one who could save her. Since he could swim very well, having lived there for many years and to also stop the loss of precious lives on the beach, he decided to be a life guard vol-

untarily ever since. He said: “The day a young girl died on this beach, I decided to be a life guard, voluntarily.” At times, he gets handsome rewards from those he helps on the beach. On a faithful day at his duty post, he met a young captain, who gave him cash gift for saving his live many years back. He told New Telegraph that “as I was working one day, I met a man and he asked me if I can remember him. I couldn’t recall his face. So, he told me that I had saved him from drowning many years ago and he is now a captain on one of the ships around. Before he left, he asked for my account number but because I didn’t have, I gave him that of my brother and he sent me N25, 000. Ever since then, we became good friends. Anytime his family wants to come to the beach, he will call ahead to keep an eye on them.” “On Independence Day, a lot of people came to the beach to swim but I noticed four people that could not swim. So, I gave them tubes but they still struggled to swim as the wave was too much for them. I dived into the water and pushed them back to safety, for which they were full of joy.” He recalled how he tried to save the lives of two students of a private university in the country. He managed to save one of them but unfortunately, the

L-R: Taju and Wale Popoola, life guards at the Takwa Bay beach

other died. He said: “A group of student from Covenant University came here to celebrate their graduation. Two of them got into the water, but the current was too much for them that they could not swim. They began to drown. I got into the water to save them, but unfortunately one of them died.” Aside saving lives, Wale is also into the business of painting. Once in a while, he goes to the ships to do some painting job. The last one he did was in November; the money he realized he sent for his children’s school fees, al-

though he is now single again, because according to him “my wife wants to live in uptown and I am not cut out for that kind of life; she couldn’t cope. So, she left me.” Wale still wants to save as many lives as possible but he needs materials to help him continue to be a life guard. According to him: “To continue in my volunteering as a life guard on this beach, I need a lot of things like a 200 metres rope, 10 tubes, a tall chair for surveillance, whistle, white and red flags, and a boat to save those the current takes far.”

Great job, little pay for LAWMA sweepers Ezekiel Adesawe

or more than six years running, Lagos highways have remarkably improved in cleanliness owing to the effort of highway sweepers, mostly aged women who ensure cleanliness on the highways. It is however sad that their take home package is not at par with the job. They are the ones who keep the city clean, but earn as low as N12, 000 ($64.02) every month for sweeping major roads in Lagos State. This pay cannot be compared to the kind of work they do on the highways. Many of these sweepers are women, who defile their health issues to make sure they continue to contribute their quota to the idea of making Lagos clean. There are many interesting things about these highway sweepers. Before those who will use the roads wake up, Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA highway sweepers are at their various beats, sweeping dirt, junks and waste water from one road to the other, from one end to the other. Not only do they sweep, they also do hand picking of every piece of waste from the highways to ensure

that Lagos is clean. As early as 5am every day, these sweepers are at their duty posts, geared with their full safety kits on to protect them as they clean the highways they are assigned to clean. These, they do mostly under the scorching sun every day. Despite the fact that the nature of their work opens them up to danger on the highways from reckless motorists and marauders, even as some passers-by haul insults at them, yet they are not daunting in their service to nature and humanity. Recently, Daily Telegraph met with some of the highway sweepers, and discovered that many of them actually joined the programme because they either didn’t want to stay idle or had no other choice of work. While speaking to them, some of them bitterly revealed the rough nature of their work and poor state of service given to them by their employers, describing it as a very tedious and exhausting job even as they start work from the early hours of the day until 1pm every day. Daily Telegraph learnt that many of these sweepers of Lagos highways, who are mostly women are either widowed or

divorced with children to cater for. Although they are not satisfied with what they get in return for the work they do, many of them are full of praise to the state government for creating the opportunity to support them. One of the sweepers along the Governor’s road at Ikeja, who does not want her name in print, disclosed that she joined the work two months ago after she lost her customers for her washing business and was laid off by her employer as a nanny. Ever since she started the job, she has been finding it difficult and challenging to be sweeping busy and dirty highways in the Ikeja axis. She also lamented the poor state of service and low income they receive saying that “the salary we receive is too small for us to survive. We are just managing it and so that we will not stay idle at home. I can tell you that the money we collect here, most of it is used to settle debt and the little that remains we use on our children. The following month, we are into debt again” Another woman sweeper at the Ikeja axis, who is simply called “Mama” has just recently

joined the LAWMA sweepers. She revealed that the work is affecting her health and is doing very little to her survival. She disclosed that she spends N300 on transportation everyday, which leaves her with little to spend on her three children left, having suffered the death of two of her children. She lamented that her take home pay isn’t enough for her and her family as her first child had to drop out from school to learn a trade because she does not have enough money to continue her child’s education, calling on the government to increase their salary. Meanwhile, one of the employers of the highway sweeper, Mr. Yomi Adebiyi of Tolly Nigeria Enterprise explained that why the sweepers receive as low as N12, 000 per month is because the initiative of highway sanitation by the Lagos state Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, is a programme to alleviate poverty in the state by making the poor people key into the idea of keep Lagos clean and still get paid. Yomi said: “This programme was initiated by the government to alleviate poverty in the state. That is why the state is paying

them what they can afford.” He further explained that the highway sweepers who are not staff of the Lagos State government enjoy some benefits staff enjoy as against the claim by some of the sweepers that they are not properly taken care of . Yomi said: “If anyone of them falls sick or is involved in an accident, we have a clinic in the office, where doctors are waiting to attend to them and give them the required drugs for free, and if the case is more than what the clinic can handle, they will be reffered to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital or the General Hospital for further treatment which is absolutely free. All they need to do when they get there is to show their ID card.” Yomi further went on to narrate the case of a sweeper that was knocked down by a trailer last year January while doing her job, in which she suffered severe injuries on both legs. According to him, the woman is being taken care of by the government and still receives her monthly salary. Yomi noted that the government, after several consultations is about to complete plans to increase their salary.

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Fishing business thrives in mega city Fishing is an age-long occupation in Nigeria. The business is thriving any day, anytime in some communities and it is not begging for recognition. Even with the advent of technology, fishing cannot still be swept under the carpet. In fact, technology eases its activities. MOSES KADIRI captures the economic life of people in lkorodu in terms of fishing expedition

My City, My World Lagos is dynamic, says Oresanya Moses Kadiri he Managing DiTExecutive rector and Chief Officer

Elijah and his son embarking on fishing

smile of hope manifested from his face that is partly covered with tribal marks after several attempts and fruitless efforts in the depth of the sea for fishing expedition. Elijah Nelson can possibly boast of money in his pocket from his fishing business. For over 35 years, Nelson, who resides in lkorodu, has been in the fishing business, the proceeds he gets from the business he uses to feed his children and two wives. Apart from the home front, other bills and procuring of fishing equipment comes from the same source, and he is not ready to quit the lucrative business even for a white- collar job if offered one. Nelson breaths and smells fish. He knows the day and time when to go into the sea for fishing. Needless to say that he is a fisherman, simply because in and around him is fish. The petite man can identify any kind of fish, its name, and the species it belongs to. He is a master in the business with years of experience. Ironically, he is tailoring his child, a boy who is barely eight years old on the modus operandi of the business of fishing. “My father taught me this business as a young boy several years ago, and l have to teach my child how to fish too,” he said. “It is from this fish business l pay my bills. We are all into fishing in our family.” There is no time of the day that he will not fish. Whenever he did not fish on a day, it seems there is something wrong with him. Nelson, with his boy rocks the wooden canoe. Armed with net and anchor without live jacket, they devour the fishing world. Both the father

Felix (left) and his colleagues weaving fishing nets

and the son in the middle of the deep sea, struggle to spread the net to catch their supposed item. “My child and l do the fishing expedition together; he has been very helpful, he knows the job,” he declares. Every business is associated with its own ups-andowns. It is same with the business of fishing; some days are rosy, others days are not, but when that rosy day appears, fishermen smile to the bank despite the fact that they do not have a bank account. “Fishing has its own season too,” he disclosed. Nelson continued: “It is after the festive season that fishermen smile. Then, there is plenty of fish, plenty of money in our pocket. When that happens, be assured that you will have a good sleep because money has come.” He reiterated that the business is lucrative. “l like what l am doing; this is what l will do all my life; l am not ready to do any other thing.” Though, the fishermen make lots of money from the business, they do not go to the market to sell these items. Rather, market women come to buy from them and take to the market to sell to the end consumers. “These women sometimes fight over the quantity of fish to buy. This is mostly when the fish is large in size. “That woman there is waiting to buy from us,” Nelson said. “These fishes come in several sizes. That also depends on the amount we will sell to them, apart from the size of the fish, the prize of each species is different from another.” Madam Silifat Momoh has been waiting patiently at the bank of the river to buy fish. She narrated how she came to buy fish directly from the

fishermen because when it gets to the market, the prize will hit the sky. “I do not sell fish. I came here to buy the ones that we will eat in our house. I cannot go to the market to buy since my house is close by,” she said. She notes that buying directly from the fishermen is very reasonable than when she goes to the market. “The price is always on the high side; buying from them saves me the stress of going to the market.” The standard of living in the riverine area is not conducive. The fishermen sleep in huts made with wood, close to the river without amenities like light, and toilet facilities. But they use mosquito nets to guard away mosquito bite; there stay close to the sea probably to account for easy access to the sea and simplicity of the business. According to some of the fishermen, they go to the sea in the middle of the night, when others are sleeping. That is when the sea is cool for fishing expedition. Ninofu Felix is a net weaver. He sells nets to fishermen. That is his own business. Seated in a hut near the river, weaving his net, he disclosed that it takes three weeks to complete a net that is ready to be used for fishing. “Yes, that is the amount of weeks it takes to produce one net. It takes that long because weaving is not an easy task, mostly fishing net. You have to do it bit by bit to ensure that everything is right,” he emphasized. The youngster, who learnt the trade as an apprentice for three years says he buys his items on Lagos lsland. “When I come home, I will start weaving. The business is good,” he said. He, however, declined to mention how much he sells a finished net to the fishermen.

(CEO), Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ola Oresanya has praised the development in the state. He said Lagos is a city of aspiration; Oresanya a state where people find joy and fulfilment. Mr. Oresanya notes that Lagos is blessed with good people. He reiterated that the state is unique. “Lagos is place that has its own drive; its own way of life; when you get to Lagos there is this drive that is associated with the state that everyone want to be part of,” he said. Mr. Oresanya who holds a Bachelor degree in Geology from the foremost University in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, a Masters degree in Environmental Management and Ecology from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo lle-lfe, Osun State added, “This drive brings people from different ethnic group to the state. People want to be a part of the development that is going on in the state.” Mr. Oresanya, who has been a professional waste management for over 25 years reveals that Lagos is productive, and economic driven. “Lagos is a place that when you come and you are nobody, you become somebody. It is a city that has place for every body; it is a city where you find joy on the faces of people, Lagos has its own dynamic.”

‘Lagos is not bias’ Moses Kadiri anre lsmail Lawal LState has described Lagos as the centre of

opportunity; a city where people succeed in whatsoever they do. The Chief Executive Officer,CEO, of The Bail Music Company, a full-blown Lawal artiste management company, managing big names in the Nigerian mainstream music industry such as Brymo, Ben 7, and University of Lagos (UNILAG), undergraduate, King Caesar among others emphasised that living in Lagos will enable individual take advantage of the numerous opportunities that is in Lagos. “There is countless opportunities in Lagos,” he said. “If you live in Lagos, you are open to any opportunities, and they can come at any time, any day, and in any form.” Lawal who started his music business career few years ago while at Now Music, a record label owned by award-winning musician, Tuface Idibia reveals that Lagos is accommodating, stressing that there is no place like Lagos State. “Lagos is unique in that it is arguably the only city that accept people regardless of their tribe, race, religion,” he said. “Lagos is not bias, people go from place to place with no form of harassment, or any form of intimidation of any kind.” The young man whose outfit is setting new standard in artiste management; talents discovery, and promoting artistes to become superstars in the Nigerian entertainment industry said “Lagos is the centre of excellence. It is the business hub of the country.”

The Mega City

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

UPCOMING EVENTS

ESTONIA EDUCATION FAIR!!!

Organiser: DMI Consulting Date: January 10, 2015, 11:00 -18:00 Venue: XExcellence Hotel and Conference Centre, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos

Instant Employment Breakfast Meeting

Organiser: HygieneTech Services & Supplies Ltd Date: January 12, 2015, 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM Venue: 26, Adebowale Street, Off Aina Street, Adebowale Street, Ojodu Berger, Ikeja, Lagos

Customer Service Management Training

Organiser: School of Business without Boundaries Date: Weekly Event - Every Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Venue: 5 Sunday Ogunyade Street, Behind Mobil Filling Station, Phase II, Gbagada – Lagos

Embrace the Moment (Wealth Seminar)

Organiser: Master Noel Bada Date: January 14, 2015, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Venue: Lagos, Nigeria

Social Entrepreneurship Training

Organiser: School of Business without Boundaries Date: Monthly Event - Second Saturday of every month: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Venue: 5 Sunday Ogunyade Street, Phase II, Gbagada, Lagos.

Earn up to N100,000/ month for FREE Organiser: Topup Genie Date: January 9, 2015, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Venue: 294 Herbert Macaulay Rd., Lagos.

MEGA CITY EVENTS WEDDING ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY BETWEEN ODEYEMI AND OSUDE

L-R: Groom’s father, Chief John Odeyemi; Bride’s mother, Dr Olabo Osude; the couple, Akinloye Oyebanji Odeyemi; Adeola Temitope Osude; Groom’s Mother, Mrs. Kofoworola Odeyemi and Bride’s father, Adekunle Osude, during the engagement ceremony between Akinloye Oyebanji Odeyemi and Adeola Temitope Osude held at Oregun, Lagos.

L-R: Chief Olusegun Osunkeye; Mr. Titiloye Julius and former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice S.O Ilori, at the event. PHOTOS: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

SHOPPERS AT THE IKEJA CITY MALL, DURING THE YULETIDE PERIOD

Visitors at the mall

Shoppers at the mall’s escalator

PICNICKERS AT THE ALPHA BEACH, LEKKI, LAGOS

Pickinkers having fun at the beach during the New Year and Eid-el-Mubarak holidays

Business | The Investor

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

2015: A mixed grill for stock market

Trading floor

Chris Ugwu

he year 2014 was not the best of times for investors in the nation’s stock market due to dwindled fortunes and the continuous volatility being witnessed in prices of shares occasioned by the upset in the financial market arising from drop in oil price, insecurities, build up to 2015 elections, Ebola crisis and recapitalisation fever, among others. This is because transaction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange against the preview of experts for the outgone year continued to skew downward as the market, which opened the trading year high at N13.226 trillion in market capitalisation and 41,329.19 in index at the beginning of trading on January 2, 2014, closed on Wednesday December 31, at N11. 477 trillion and 34,657.15 index points, representing a year to date loss of about N1.749 trillion in market capitalisation or 19.2 per cent in ASI. Financial analysts believed that some of these factors sent a shock wave to both local and foreign investors and created uncertainty in the investment environment which led to a retreat on the part of bargain hunters. The dismal performance earned the local bourse the third worst performing stock market in the world during the 2014 financial year. According to financial analysts at Telegraph in London, the Nigerian bourse recorded 33 per cent loss to earn third position among the 10 worst exchanges in the world. Following the uncertainty in the Nigerian business environment, the year 2015 is expected to be a mixed one for the equities market as the outcome of a plethora of external and internal events unfold. Low prices of stocks With the prices of stock closing the year at the lowest ebb, market analysts believe the situation portends a positive outlook for the stock market during the period under preview. However, in as much as the present state of equities would provide foreign and local investors opportunity to take position in any sector, analysts also

assume that the equity price volatility in the nation’s capital market would persist until first quarter of 2015. The Managing Director of Crane Securities Limited, Mr. Mike Eze, while speaking to New Telegraph, said “We are very optimistic that year 2015 will be better in terms of better capital appreciation and liquidity within the system. “Prices of stock at the last quarter of 2014 ended in its lowest ebb. That’s portending a very bright future for the stock market in 2015, meaning that foreign and local investors will take advantage of the situation to take investment position.” In his preview of the market, the Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, Mr. Bismark Rewane, said: “With stocks currently trading at their multi-year lows, we expect an upward trend in the beginning of the year. The anticipated loose monetary stance will be expected to channel additional liquidity to the stock market.” 2015 elections and government policies The outcome of the 2015 elections will also determine investors’ participation and sentiments during the year. “Investors, sentiment will be weighed down by political tension leading to the 2015 general elections. The tension between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its major opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), is expected to lead to a lull in the equities market as investors, mostly foreign, evaluate the electoral process and its outcome while fearing post-election violence. FPIs are expected to remain wary of the local bourse until the elections are concluded and possible violent fall-out curbed,” Rewane said. He noted that oil prices were projected to trade between $50 and $70, adding that this would be negative for the Nigerian economy and in turn the capital market. “We expect oil stocks to bear the brunt of declining oil prices given the thinning out of the sector’s profitability. Investors are likely to favour other sectors,” he said. Rewane said that the CBN was likely

ties at the nation’s bourse to increase their stake in the market. “This is the best time to buy for people that have excess funds, but investors must not borrow to invest in the market,” he said.

We are very optimistic that year 2015 will be better in terms of better capital appreciation and liquidity within the system

to embark on a monetary policy easing in H2 2015 to stimulate the economy. A former President, Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, said there were signs of continued decline in volume and value of transactions into the first quarter of 2015 due to the general elections. Unegbu said that unfriendly government economic policies such as devaluation of the naira, brokers and Bureau De Change capitalisation affected market growth and development. He said that cash induced policies of government led to loss of jobs, stressing that the nation’s unemployment rate would increase at the completion of capital market operators, recapitalisation. “The capital market will continue to nosedive with cash dependent policies introduced by government,” Unegbu said. Unegbu added that scarcity of funds in the economy due to the 2015 general elections contributed to the development in the capital market. He also urged discerning investors to take advantage of low prices of equi-

Extension of recapitalisation The Securities and Exchange Commission, on December 29, 2014, extended the deadline for minimum requirement for all capital market operators to September 30, 2015, against the initial December 31, 2014, date. SEC had issued a new capital requirement for capital market operators on December 19, 2013, with December 31, 2014, as deadline. The apex capital market regulator increased minimum capital base for broker/dealer by 329 per cent from the existing N70 million to N300 million. President of the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Mr. Emeka Madubuike, said that extension of the recapitalisation for capital market operators would reduce uncertainties in the nation’s stock market in 2015. Madubuike said that the association would work with the SEC and the Nigerian Stock Exchange to ensure market growth and development and that the recapitalisation extension had reinvigorated the association in assisting the market regulators to position the market as the engine room for economic growth and development. He also commended SEC’s board for listening to the operators’ yearning. Speaking in the same vein, Eze noted that 2015, would witness a boom, particularly with the extension of recapitalisation deadline to September 2015, by the apex market regulator - the Securities and Exchange Commission. He noted that the extension had acted as a tonic that would reverse the downward trend in the prices of stock. Conclusion Although there are more promises for 2015 because of what happened in 2014 to reshape institution and listed companies, investors’ confidence may be further eroded if the challenges of security facing the economy are not squarely handled.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Maritime

Ship passenger drill requirements come into force p.35

Shipping line acquires 7,000 reefer containers SHIPMENT Perishable cargo to come in refrigerated containers Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

he CMA CGM Group, has acquired over 7,000 last generation high cube 40 feet reefer containers, including 6,000 low-consumption engines in order to meet the demands of the growing shipping market in Nigeria and other African countries. Also, the company plans to ship one million 20 feet reefer containers before 2015, shipping fruit, vegetables, frozen food, wine, flowers and pharmaceutical products to Nigeria, Ghana,

Benin and other West African countries. With a total reefer fleet of 185,000 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEU), the shipping company said in a statement that it had increased its reefer volume by 13 per cent per year and is ranked second, carrying 850,000 teu in the refrigerated cargo market which is growing by 6.5 per cent. The company’s Senior Vice President, Logistics And Reefer, Alexis Michel, said: “The group has three conditions for its reefer investments. This include 60 per cent lower carbon footprint than first generation reefers; precise control of the cold chain and optimise atmosphere control and a phytosanitary cold treatment needed for perishable goods to significantly lengthen their shelf life.

“These investments strengthen CMA CGM’s leader’s position in reefer transport which will become the most important vehicle of sensitive goods transport in the following years to come.” Meanwhile, Maersk Line has declared that by 2015, it would purchase 650,000 tons of fuel with 0.1 per cent sulphur content for its fleet, equal to seven per cent of all fuel purchased. It stressed that reefer containers would incur higher cost due to fuel used to generate power on board vessels; also cost will fluctuate depending on the volatility of low sulphur fuel prices. Based on the current price difference of $300 per ton, the additional cost to Maersk Line will be around $250 million per year. Also, the liner feared that it

MT Agros, discharging petroleum product at Folawiyo Jetty, Apapa, Lagos.

SHIPS AND CARGO EXPECTED AT LAGOS PORT IN JANUARY, 2015 SHIP GREEN BRASIL BREIZ KLIPPER MANDARIN RIVER GREEN NOVA HOEGH KUNSAN AMELIA PACIFIC ADOUR MANDARIN SKY OCEAN SPLENDOR OCEAN BEAUTY ELENI M HANZE MUMBAI FAIR ARTEMIS DESERT VICTORY NEW YORKER CORDELLIA EM ANDROS BARDU MSK CAMEROUN MSK CAIRO WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR MSK COTONOU HARMONY N MSK CALABAR MSK CADIZ MSK CARDIFF LORRAINE

AGENT APS APS APS APS ALRAINE BLUESEAS BLUESEAS BLUESTAR BLUESTAR BLUESTAR BLUECHE DERRON ALPHA DERRON ALPHA GOLDEN SHIPP LANSAL LANSAL LANSAL LANSAL MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG MSK NIG

PORT ENL ENL ENL ENL/SFM SFM ACJ BOP/NOJ GDNL GDNL GDNL GDNL F/W F/W ABTL APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT APMT

TONNAGE / UNIT 2900MT 3000MT 18500MT 4000MT 287UNITS 38000MT 13000MT 46405MT 43400MT 32826MT 24000MT 10300MT 8000MT 44000MT 500FCL 550FCL 510FCL 580FCL 400FCL 650FCL 450FCL 600FCL 398FCL 650FCL 600FCL 600FCL 442FCL

ARRIVAL

LENGTH

CARGO

6/01/15 7/01/15 15/01/15 6/01/15 18/01/15 1/01/15 2/01/15 7/01/15 7/01/15 10/01/15 7/01/15 6/01/15 5/01/15 8/01/15 7/01/15 12/01/15 20/01/15 23/01/15 5/01/15 5/01/15 6/01/15 11/01/15 10/01/15 6/01/15 18/01/15 12/01/15 12/01/15

132M 111M 190M 121.5M 180M 181M 176M 190M 190M 190M 190M 140M 135M 193M 207M 222M 200M 209M 249M 249M 223M 246.12M 223M 249.12M 249M 249M 222M

F/FISH F/FISH G/CARGO F/FISH VEHCLE JET A1 AGO B/COAL B/SUGAR B/WHEAT B/SALT AGO AGO B/WHEAT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT CONT

would face increased costs for buying services from third-party feeder operators, who would also have to increase fuel costs. The company stressed that it would incorporate the higher average fuel costs into the existing standard bunker surcharge. The expected additional cost to customers in affected trades will be between $50 and $150 per 40’ container to and from main

ports, depending on transit time inside ECA areas, and whether they are touching ECA areas at both origin and destination. The North American ECA requirements are strongly enforced, but the current weak enforcement of the North European ECA requirements, combined with the significant cost burden increase in 2015 might lead to increased non-compliance.

Stakeholders to discuss maritime challenges

hip owners, port operators, master mariners, harbour master and chief executives of private and public organisations in the maritime sector will convene in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this month, to examine global maritime challenges and opportunities. The summit of the maritime leaders will be held on January 21 at the Meydan Hotel, Dubai. Its agenda, which was announced recently by the Mare Forum International Committee, will include six sessions, a statement said. The summit will also discuss the African renaissance, the emerging markets situation, the Middle East tensions, the Russian-Ukrainian-West conflict and how these will impact global trade and the maritime industry. The second session, titled: ‘Global trade, energy and commodities outlook - The shipping markets outlook Supply and demand of oil and gas, iron ore, steel, coal and other commodi-

ties,’ will focus on the supply and demand for oil and gas, iron ore, steel, coal and other major commodities. It will take into account the views put forward by producers, buyers and traders from different parts of the globe, debate issues relating to the commodities markets and routing issues and the signs of improved market outlook for commodities. Also, it will consider the role of gas in an expanding energy market, the opportunities that the offshore industry can provide to the shipping industry, the challenges and upsides for oil and gas exploration and production and the basics for growth in the LNG market. The summit will feature discussions led by eminent panelists drawn from various sectors including ports, terminals, maritime lawyers, shipbuilders, ship owners and operators, insurers, marine equipment providers, bankers, capital providers, investors, charterers and traders.

Shipping lines to acquire more ships

yundai Merchant Marine, Hanjin Shipping, Cosco Container Lines and Evergreen will take new ship deliveries between 2015 and 2016. The new capacity growth in the upcoming year will be led by Evergreen, Maersk Line, China Shipping Container Lines and Hamburg Süd, which will each receive between 110,000 and 200,000 TEUs. NYK Line, “K” Line and Zim are the only major carriers not expecting new vessels in 2015. Hanjin Shipping confirmed in early December a charter for four 9,040-TEU ships from Ciner Ship Management, slated for delivery in late 2015 and early 2016, and HMM confirmed that it will charter six 10,000-TEU vessels from Zodiac Maritime, for delivery from early 2016. According to a shipping firm, Alphaliner, Cosco was also ordering five 9,400-TEU ships, in its first deal for new vessels since 2008.

It added that Evergreen had recently confirmed that it would charter seven new vessels of 14,000-TEU capacity from undisclosed owners. The seven new ships are expected to be delivered in 2015 and 2016. It said: “The anticipated record deliveries of new vessels through 2016 will continue to keep supply and demand out of sync, aggravating the container shipping industry’s overcapacity problem. The fleet of idled surplus container ships hit 718,000 TEUs in mid-December, and lay-ups are expected to persist in the next two years. “More than 1.6 million 20-foot-equivalent units of new capacity are slated for arrival in the upcoming year, including 1.28 million TEUs or 76 percent for the top 20 carriers. A further 315,700 TEUs owned by non-operating owners are currently open or without known charter assignment, most of which are expected to join the top 20 carriers.

Business | Maritime

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Ship owners urge FG to change crude oil’s term of trade TRADE Maritime trade can grow Nigerian economy Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

he Nigerian Indigenous Ship owners Association (NISA) has urged the Federal Government to change its term of trade for crude oil from Free on

Board (FOB) to Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF). Its President, Captain Niyi Labinjo, said in Lagos that the CIF mode would add more value to the crude oil business in the country. He said that Nigeria was the only country among the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), selling crude oil based on FOB. Labinjo noted that the time had come that Nigeria must change its transaction mode from Free On

Board to Cost Insurance and Freight. He said: “We need to change of term of trade. By so doing, way we would have been adding value because we will get value for the insurance; we would also get value for the freight. “Before 1976, the entire insurance companies in Nigeria had only 316 employees but because of the government of the day’s position that all insurance policies must exhaust Nigerian insurance

available locally before you will ship anything abroad, between that time and 2012, the business of insurance increased from N16 million to N16 billion and from that you can count on your finger tips a number of employees to over 3 million employees. “So we have no option; we have to encourage the growth of our own economy.” He noted that cost of doing business in Nigeria was one of the highest in West Africa.

Labinjo also urged the Federal Government to include maritime industry among those sectors that were getting tax incentives. He added: “If after 100 years of existence as a country, we are yet to get our maritime policy right, then something is wrong with us. It is not because we don’t have good laws. We have very fantastic laws. Cabotage law is one of the best. NCD law is fantastic; Nigerian Merchant Shipping Act; NIMASA Act very good. So

what is our problem?” “I called my colleagues in India, in Greece, in Turkey and I said, ‘what do you do to foreign shipping companies who flout your Cabotage law? “They said, no, that nobody can flout their Cabotage Law; that it is unthinkable that a foreign ship will come and take over their Cabotage trade. “So they don’t even have to think about it. There is no provision for such a vessel because they will not come.” He stressed the need to improve on monitoring in order to properly identify any ship coming into the country.

SOLAS: Passenger drill requirements commence

he International Maritime Organisation (IMO) amendment to the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) regulation III/19 which said that passengers must undergo safety drills before departure has come into force in all maritime countries. The aim is to reduce the fatalities, which might occur if crews enter enclosed spaces without adequate training or protection. The Code for Recognised Organisations (RO Code) became mandatory, on 1st January 2015, under Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Maritime Pollution (MARPOL) and the Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966. The convention noted that administrations (Flag States) may delegate certain responsibilities for surveying and certification of ships to “recognised organisations,” which can act on behalf of the Flag State. The RO Code provides flag States with standards mechanisms for the oversight, assessment and authorisation of Recognised Organisations (ROs) and clarifies the responsibilities of such organisations. Further, SOLAS amendments entering into force address enclosed-space entry and rescue drills and the code for recognised organisations. The amended regulation III/19 in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was adopted in 2013 in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident, to ensure that passengers undergo safety drills, including mustering at the lifeboat stations.

Business | ISSUE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Appraising Ambode’s economic blueprint The economic agenda recently unveiled by a governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, appears in sync with existing economic development programmes in the state, thus consolidating the status of the commercial nerve centre of the largest African economy, writes Kunle Azeez

agos State is, unarguably, the economic hub of not just Nigeria, but also the West African sub-region. With a population of 18 million people, Lagos State boasts of a series of islands and waterways connected by bridges and roads. While it is widely thought that Nigeria could be among the world’s 20 leading economies by 2025, economic experts have asserted that the key factor behind this accomplishment will be Lagos and its economic importance to Nigeria. It is instructive that following the rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the country’s economy, with an estimated GDP of N80.3 trillion ($510 billion), is now regarded as the largest in Africa. However, official data shows that Lagos contributes about 20 per cent to the nation’s GDP, in addition to being home to 2,000 industrial outfits, 10,000 commercial ventures and 22 industrial estates as at 2012. The state also accounts for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s industrial and commercial activities, 70 per cent of national maritime cargo freight, over 80 per cent of international air traffic, and more than 50 per cent of Nigeria’s energy consumption. According to the state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Ben Akabueze, while Lagos State consumes 45 per cent of the country’s petroleum products, 40 per cent of about over 5,624 branches of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) are located in Lagos because of the high level of business activities in the state, while over 40 per cent of the telecoms subscriber base is in Lagos. “So, if Nigeria is being rated as one of the major players in the emerging markets, Lagos holds the key,” Akabueze added. Consequently, Lagos State government has, in the last two years, been demonstrating its commitment, not only to strengthen its commercial hub status, but also to help convert the emerging economies known as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) into BRINCS – with the addition, of course, of Nigeria. It is against this backdrop

Okonjo-Iweala

that the governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Mr Akinwumi Ambode’s economic blueprint recently unveiled is diagnosed to see what Lagos residents should expect, if Ambode is elected as governor in the February 28, 2015 gubernatorial election, from economy and jobs creation, transportation, housing, agriculture and infrastructure perspectives. In his economic blueprint, Ambode gave priority to his desire to drastically reduce joblessness in the state. As such, he said that his administration would create a round-the-clock economy that is typical of a city-state like Lagos while also setting up a Lagos Employment Trust Fund (LETF) with N25 billion over four years, through an access to finance business worth a minimum of N1 billion annually across the five divisions of the state. This, he said, “will allow our youths and unemployed people have access to adequate finance for entrepreneurial ventures.” He also stated that his government “will protect the growth of small and medium scale enterprises through tax incentives while also implementing government policies that will encourage the private sector to employ more citizens and foster economic development. We will boost internally generated revenue by improving the collection mechanism through e-governance.” The former Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General in Lagos State plans to encourage the creation of a Corporate Social Responsibility Trust Fund (CSR-TF) by the private sector, to be managed by a Board of Trustees, charged with the responsibility of identifying growth op-

Ambode

Lagos contributes about 20 per cent to the nation’s GDP, in addition to being home to 2,000 industrial outfits and 10,000 commercial ventures

Fashola

portunities yearly and financing such opportunities to further boost economic development across sectors and communities in the state. On transportation, Ambode promised to pursue a fully integrated transport management system that takes into consideration roads, rail, water and walkways as means of mobility for ease of movement of residents in the city centre and the suburbs. He said: “We will introduce and establish officially designated bus stops/routes in Lagos. We will improve on traffic with construction of new roads and maintaining existing ones, as well as placing directional signs in strategic places. We will also increase the usage of our waterways through channelling and dredging.” To cater for the housing needs of the over 18 million people living in Lagos, Ambode said that his government would create communities that are self- sustainable for residents that will encourage even development across the state. This, he said, would allow for easy access and reduce congestion at the city centres as “we provide affordable housing schemes by collaborating through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to increase the available housing stock.” Also, he said: “Our government will improve on the current policy of home ownership through Lagos HOMS and provide ownership options such as Rent to Own Programme (ROP).” Already, Ambode has recognised that governance is a continuum and, as such, promised to build on the current administration’s efforts on agriculture by opening up the virtually un-

tapped aquatic and seafood resources in the state. “We will provide incentives for agricultural processing companies, thereby providing employment for our bulging youth population,” he said. Meanwhile, recognising the need for a more robust infrastructure as the cornerstone of the state economy, Ambode, in his economic blueprint, said: “We will ensure the provision of good and motorable roads across the state, excellent by-passes, pedestrian bridges, traffic intersections, public and amusement parks and ensure that all public institutions and facilities are of the highest standards and quality.” Already, experts, who have assessed the economic blueprint, say that by coming up with an economic roadmap, which is in sync with existing programmes in the state, Ambode’s economic blueprint will help in consolidating already-achieved economic development in Lagos State. According to them, proper execution of the agenda will also help in attracting more foreign investment into the country with Lagos as a focal point while helping to accelerate the country’s drive of becoming one of the leading economies in the next years. The analysts also agree that such economic agenda will provide a seamless integration into what is already on ground in the state towards providing a better economic atmosphere for the state investments in a country where about $14 billion investment is needed annually in its infrastructure facilities, according to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Photo | News

L-R: Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo, during the Inter-religious service for the New Year held in Osogbo.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Coordinator, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba (left) and former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, during the inauguration of the PDP Presidential campaign organization before the announcement of its postponement in Abuja. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), acknowledging cheers, at the 2015 Maulud Celebration in Agege Lagos State. L-R: Senator Iyabo Anisulowo; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; his running mate, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga and Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, at Ilaro, during the governor’s tour of Ogun West Senatorial District of the State.

L-R: Abia State coordinator, Move On Nigeria (Jonathan 2015), Innocent Nwankwo; Coordinator, Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A, Chinedu Mark; Coordinator, Osisioma L.G.A, Samuel Uchegbu and Coordinator, Isiala Ngwa South L.G.A, Luke Okezie, at the inauguration of the groug in the three Local Government Areas in Isiala Ngwa South, Abia State.

L-R: Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Delta State, Mr. Rindom Kumven; Commanding Officer in-Charge of Anambra, Delta and Edo States, Mr. Charles Akpabio and Corps Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, during a visit of the Corps Marshal to Officers and Men overseeing the Niger Bridge Patrol of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba-Onitsha Road.

L-R: Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Airways 1999 retirees, Comrade Sylvester Ohikhokhai Ahkigbe; Chairman, Comrade Muideen Oyewo and member, League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, (LAAC), Maryann Okwuosa, at the press briefing on the forthcoming protest of the retirees scheduled to hold today, at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

General Overseer, The Lord’s Chosen Charastimatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka (right), with the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, at the ongoing 3-days Crusade, entitled: ‘God will make you to rejoice’ at Mgbidi, Imo State.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Leisure Arcade NUTS

NTPuzzle

By Kaycee

COUNRY MUSIC STARS WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

MAMA LASISI

By Aliu Eroje

MOYIN & FRIENDS

By Ayo Oyerinde

M I R A N D A L A M B E R T X X Y U J S K 0 0 R B H T R A G H K T C X M D N Z E D I R B C M A N I T R A M C I Y W Q U S C Q Y S E S U G A R L A N D G 0 T I M M C G R A W G H R 1 K B C S E T A T K H C E H Y X R 1 B V S L S T 0 G Y T N 0 T L E H S E K A L B L F T R I L X R T D H I A U Z J W Q L I M A G B 0 K S A A T K N L G F U 0 T H B L E E R I U G C I D N T A Z B N D H R F S L S A V M Q E 0 S A B N H N A T A L T T W M V P R K A N C B L J I N I D A R T I G T W T Y R D J P R A A I A P C A I F Z 0 I M B K P K E H U C C F A S I L T 0 Y X M 0 F E W I W P H K K I A T U D p T F P T A V E V N F S T E S R M D H E U 0 Y Y B Q B P P S L S I L 0 Z I D C P U Z E R I T N E C M A B E R N R Y E N S E H C Y N N E K N B C Y K L V ALAN JACKSON

FAITH HILL

LITTLE BIG TOWN

SUGARLAND

BLAKE SHELTON

GARTH BROOKS

MARTINA MCBRIDE

TAYLOR SWIFT

BRAD PAISLEY

GEORGE STRAIT

MIRANDA LAMBERT

TIM MCGRAW

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

KEITH URBAN

RASCAL FLATTS

TOBY KEITH

CLINT BLACK

KENNY CHESNEY

REBA MCENTIRE

TRACE ADKINS

NTJokes

SUDOKU - Answer to No 28 5

6 7

SUDOKU - No 29

How to play

Sudoku

ALIU EROJE

CHIEF CARTOONIST aliu.eroje@newtelegraphonline.com

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

LOL!!! In a small southern town, Billy Joe shows up at the doctor’s office at 2:00 p.m. one Sunday afternoon with several bruises on his face. The doctor says, “Another barroom brawl, eh Billy Joe?” “No!” answers Billy Joe. “This happened in church!” “In church? What happened?” asks the doctor. Billy Joe says, “Well, I went to church and sat in the pew. Then a real big fat woman sits in the pew in front of me. We get up to sing, and I see that her dress is stuck up the crack of her butt, so I pulled it out for her. Then she whopped me with her purse.” The doctor treats his wounds and warns him not to do that again. A week later, on Sunday afternoon, Billy Joe is back at the doctor’s office, bruised worse than before. The doctor said, “Now this must have come from your friends at the bar, right Billy Joe?” Billy Joe looks sadly into the doctor’s eyes and cries, “No! No! This happened in church again!” Extremely puzzled, the doctor asks for the explanation. Billy Joe says, “I went to church and sat in the pew. My friend John Boy comes in and sits down next to me. Then comes this same big fat woman again, and she sits in the pew in front of us. We get up to sing, and her dress is stuck up the back of her butt again.” The doctor says, “Oh no, Billy. You didn’t pull it out again! Didn’t you learn your lesson last week?” “No, no, Doc, I didn’t pull it out,” replies Billy Joe. “John Bob did. And knowing how much she doesn’t like that, I tried to push it back in for her!”

40 Politics

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

2015: Defection, police invasion, legislative agenda to shape House With five months to the end of the tenure of the 7th House of Representatives, PHILIP NYAM takes a look at the likely composition of the lower chamber in the new and final moments of its tenure

s the House resumes in the New Year, there are a couple of issues that are likely to outlive the Assembly. In other words, there are some issues that may not be resolved until the last day of the 7th House. It is an indisputable fact that the House under the leadership of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has been consistent and committed to its decisions and hardly waivers even in the face of intimidation or outright confrontation. Parties’ status Hence in 2015, one issue that will attract the attention of many is the numerical strength of political parties that make up the chambers. As at December 18, 2014 when the House adjourned for Christmas and New Year break, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was still in the majority with 175 seats as against the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) 169; while Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party (AP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) shared the remaining 24 seats. However, the position of speaker will continue to be held by an APC member since the case is in court and no one can say when it will be decided. When the House was inaugurated on June 11, 2011, the PDP had an overwhelming of 208 members. Although, the party’s anointed candidate for the position of speaker, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola was roundly defeated by Tambuwal, a product of the popular revolt against the party’s decision, the PDP maintained that status until December 2013 factionalisation of the PDP that led to the defection of 37 PDP lawmakers to the APC. Since the defection of 37 PDP members, there had been series of defection and counterdefection. The gale of defection attained its zenith with the de-

Tambuwal

fection of Speaker Tambuwal on October 28, 2014. But with the primaries for the 2015 general election over, it is expected that more defections will follow. Some aggrieved lawmakers are likely to move over to other political parties and this trend may continue till the end of the tenure in June. Although, all the political parties have been embroiled in one crisis or the other as a result of the primaries, the PDP seems to have been worst hit and it is widely believed that the ruling party may lose more members than other parties. If this eventually takes place, the APC may dramatically assume majority in the chambers. This matter may not be resolved until the House winds up. Legislative agenda The current Assembly has a comprehensive legislative agenda, which serves as its working document. In the New Year, the House will be battling to implement to an appreciable level the letters of the legislative agenda. One of the challenges that the House would work assiduously to overcome is in the area of bills passed. The present House had set out to surpass the 6th Assembly and also redeem the image of the Green Chamber. As at the end of 2014, the 7th Assembly had introduced a total of 668 Bills, passed 101 Bills and 120 resolutions while 23 Bills were rejected. But when compared to

Abba

With the confusion over who actually supervised the teargassing of the Speaker and his colleagues, the House will continue to treat the police with disdain

the 6th Assembly, which introduced 481 Bills in four years but passed 187 of them, therefore, the House will be under pressure to even up, or overtake the 6th Assembly’s 187 Bills. Another item enunciated in the Legislative Agenda is the House position on corruption. The 7th House has in the document pledged to fight corruption in all its ramifications. One of the ways by which it intended to pursue the anti-corruption stance was through sustained oversight function. Although, the leadership of the House has in the past three years conducted its business devoid of any allegation of corruption, the House was caught napping in two investigative hearings that almost smeared its image. Since after that, the House has avoided such controversies. In 2015, being the last year, it is expected that the lower chamber would want to end its tenure on a clean slate by staying away from any activity that may drag its name in the mud. Legislative-Executive relationship The House and the executive have not had the best of working relationship in the last 42 months. It has been a cat and mouse relationship and there is every possibility that this may not improve until the House closes. The invasion of the National Assembly by the police and the attempt to stop Speaker Tambuwal from accessing the chambers that resulted in firing of tear gas canisters is one issue that would remain fresh in the memory of the lawmakers. The relationship between the House and the police may not

be reconciled until the House wind up. The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has refused to recognise Tambuwal as speaker, and with the confusion over who actually supervised the tear gassing of the Speaker and his colleagues, the House will continue to treat the police with disdain. Worst of all, since the speaker’s security aides are yet to be reinstated, the love lost between the two institutions cannot be amended. The investigation of the incident by the House Committee on Police Affairs was inconclusive following the refusal of the IG to recognise Tambuwal as speaker. Perhaps, the committee will table its report based on the brief interaction it had with the IG. The result is that, the IG will be indicted and the lawmakers may definitely recommend for his removal. Of course, such a recommendation cannot be taken by the Presidency considering the past experiences of Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and the director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh. SEC will sure have a zero budget allocation for 2015 due to the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to relieve her of the appointment. Above all, legislative activities will be slowed down in the House in 2015 because of political activities. The election will take most part of the remaining period and even after the elections, most lawmakers may be involved in one litigation or the other thereby leaving little room for them to have adequate time for legislative business.

Politics 41

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Delta State is one of the strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). With the governorship primaries over, attention and interests has shifted from the winner, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to his potential running mate. DONALD OJOGO chronicles the intrigues behind the issue and how Okowa eventually settled for Barrister Kingsley Otuaro

How Okowa scaled running mate hurdle

he circumstances that led to the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State are gradually waning, giving way to new windows of chances aimed at healing perceived wounds within the party rather than creating fresh issues of discord. Significantly, unlike other critical stakeholders, the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had played the lead role of brotherliness and show of leadership when he was the first to congratulate Senator Okowa on his emergence as the governorship candidate of the PDP. For one, the governor’s rare display of political sportsmanship was commendable even as it was phenomenal. He had not hidden his preference for someone other than Okowa, not only at the last minute, but from the commencement of the governorship race. At first, he had gone for his trusted ally, Chief Anthony Obuh who had served as a permanent secretary under him until October 2015. More important however, is the last minute change of mind on the part of the governor by switching to Chief David Edevbie, former principal private secretary to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Uduaghan’s sudden U-turn was understandably made on the strength of fears that the Urhobo nation was such an electorally viable senatorial district that needed to be placated with the governorship ticket of the PDP if only to get the votes from the area. Whether or not that calculation eventually came to materialise may have been answered by its own contradictions as Okowa’s victory was seen largely as a result of his wide political network across the three senatorial districts of the state. Nonetheless, Okowa’s next hurdle as it were, became the choice of a running mate. Expectedly, two (Ijaw and Isoko) out of the three ethnic nationalities in the south senatorial district to which the deputy governorship had been zoned were vehement in their efforts to clinch the slot as there was no visible move on the part of the third group, the Itsekiri to be in contention for the number two job in the state. It was therefore not unusual

Okowa

that ethnic colouration laced the contest for Okowa’s running mate, especially between the Itsekiri and Isoko. Of course, the reason for the former’s support for their Isoko neighbours was seen in the context of the age-long ethnic disharmony between them and their Ijaw neighbours, especially those of Gbaramatu Kingdom. Therefore, while Okowa was caught between the choice of an Isoko and Ijaw as running mate, his problem became more compounded even within the Ijaw ethnic nationality as to where specifically the slot should be allotted in view of the unintended stratification of the ethnic stock into two major cleavages – Mein, comprising Burutu, Bomadi and Patani local governments as well as Gbaramatu in Warri South West local government. While the Mein Ijaws see the Gbaramatu as politically upcoming, the latter had hinged their argument on the notion that the emergence of Senator James Manager from the Mein axis was enough to contend with. A source in the Okowa campaign team confided in our correspondent that from inception, an agreement had been struck between Okowa and the Gbaramatu Ijaws, led by ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo that the deputy governorship slot would come from Warri South West, specifically Gbaramatu Kingdom. “The level of support you show in politics has an advantage to breed for you; he who puts his all expects something at least. From the beginning, the Ijaws of Gbaramatu Kingdom put in more efforts in the Okowa project while their counterparts from other Ijaw local governments were mainly for Obuh.

Otuaro

The selection of Barrister Kingsley Otuaro by Okowa was as a result of the support he got from the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, especially Tompolo

“So, when it was time to decide on whom to support after Obuh’s exit from the race, the people of Patani, Bomadi and Burutu became indifferent or passive throughout, while the Ijaws of Gbaramatu Kingdom were active both financially and otherwise. “Under circumstances as such, you cannot expect same result; and same goes for the Isoko people who were not decisive enough on time. They had all along, given their support to Obuh as governor and to the governor as senator, so at the end of the day when the day of decision came, the political equation had tilted against them too because all the expectations they had that the deputy governor was to come from them were dependent on the Uduaghan/Obuh permutations. That aside, Senator Manager, who is maternally an Isoko man has the potency to protect the ethnic nationality,” he said. According to the source, the selection of Barrister Kingsley Otuaro by Okowa was as a result of the support he got from the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, especially Tompolo whose influence made a remarkable difference in the last 48 hours to the governorship primaries in the state. Meanwhile, the Delta For Equity (DFE) has called on the leadership of the PDP to put behind the circumstances of the scramble for Okowa’s running mate and work for the success of the party. In a statement issued and signed by the group’s chairman, Chief John Eseoghone, the group said: “In the face of the seemingly irreconcilable intra-party differences among leaders of these brothers whose unity is crucial to Okowa’s victory in the next election, it could only have taken a political personality with good wisdom, leadership qualities, a

unifier with an eye for fairness to take what could have been adjudged a fair decision, that is the selection of Barrister Kingsley Otuaro as deputy governorship candidate of the PDP. “There couldn’t have been a perfect decision as each of the ethnic groups insisted with vehemence that the second highest elective position in the state should go to them. Clearly, this appointment is one masterstroke in the area of integrating the various ethnic nationalities to the mainstream politics in the state. The DFE has the concurrence of the Anioma Economic Group, as its Secretary General, Mr. McAnthony Ndukaeze, said Okowa has shown character and integrity in the face of the first major challenge to his governorship aspiration. Ndukaeze said: “Those pressurising Okowa on the region that they should produce his running mate were trying to complicate the already complex situation thrown up by those who wanted to impose their anointed candidate on Deltans,” he said. All the same, Tompolo appears not ready to take chances as he has embarked on moves aimed at galvanizing support for Okowa in the 2015 election. Last week, Tompolo met with the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwase 11 alongside top members of the Itsekiri Traditional Council in the monarch’s palace even as a similar one took place in Ethiope federal constituency with top monarchs of the area. A source privy to the meetings between the leaders told New Telegraph that Tompolo initiated the meeting with the monarchs in order to ensure a hitch-free poll in the state. But he declined to give details of discussions that took place at the separate parleys. He said: “It is true that Tompolo met with some prominent traditional rulers from my federal constituency. You know that Ethiope federal constituency is the largest in the central senatorial district, and in view of the tension that the loss of Urhobo at governorship primary election had generated, I think it was good that the young man took that bold step by reaching out to other ethnic groups. Tompolo’s spokesman, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, also confirmed the parley between his boss and the monarchs in a telephone conversation. “Yes it true the High Chief met with top traditional rulers both in the central and south senatorial districts of the state. I think he first met with the Urhobo rulers before he met with His Majesty, the Olu of Warri in his palace with top members of the Itsekiri Traditional Council in attendance,” he said. With the governorship election just a few weeks away, the extent of the reconciliation as well as the personalities in the contest will play a major role in who succeeds Governor Uduaghan on May 29.

42 Politics

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jonathan’ll defeat his opponents, says Anenih Chief Tony Anenih is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Campaign Adviser of the Presidential Campaign Organisation. At the inauguration of the Council yesterday, he spoke on the determination of the PDP to win the February elections

am very delighted to address this august gathering today. The inauguration of this very important Presidential Campaign Organisation marks the commencement of our comprehensive electioneering for our candidates in the presidential and other elections scheduled for February this year by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Most significant of these elections, I must say, is the presidential election, for which we have presented the formidable ticket of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and Vice-President Namadi Mohammed Sambo. I say formidable because this winning team of President Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo is running on its verifiable records of

The presidential candidates of other parties cannot boast of any achievements in our democratic journey since they have not got the experience

Anenih

achievements in the governance of our nation. The presidential candidates of other parties cannot boast of any achievements in our democratic journey since they have not got the experience. So, I expect that Nigerians will prefer continuity of this administration’s robust National Transformation Agenda to the so-called CHANGE just to satisfy some personal and narrow interests. Now, as we all know, the presidential election is the first in the series of elections scheduled by the INEC to hold on February 14 along with the National Assembly elections.

What this means is that we must work assiduously to win the best prize, which is the presidential election. Once we do that, the victory will expectedly have a bandwagon effect on the February 28 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. Therefore, my charge to members of this all-important organisation and its various committees is to commit ourselves to the current efforts we are making to emphatically win the presidential election as well as the other elections. The president, the vice president, the leadership of our party and this Campaign Organisation are ready to draw

Furore over Buhari’s certificates C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

Laleye said the Nigerian Army does not refuse to give anybody his credentials if the due process is followed. Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution provides that a candidate must be educated up to at least secondary school level to be able to contest for the presidency of this country. Also Section 137(j) indicates that a candidate can be disqualified from seeking the election if he submits a forged certificate to INEC. In 1999, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, lost his positions both as Speaker and a member of the House when it was discovered that the certificate he presented to INEC for his election, was forged. Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, challenged General Buhari to prove his innocence in the certificate saga, by producing his original certificates, noting that his failure to produce his certificates would amount to a clear confirmation that he had something to hide. But a human rights lawyer, Tunji Abayomi has risen in defence of the former Head of State. According to Abayomi, the constitution did not prescribe the presentation or show of any certificate to qualify for election to the office of president. “While a certificate may unequivocally show that a contestant has been educated up to at least school certificate level, his education without a certificate may show, again unequivocally that he has been educated up to the equivalent of school certificate level. “The APC screening committee was made up of several eminent highly educated and enlightened men and one woman. They came to the conclusion after putting APC presidential aspirants through a most rigorous test that all the

Sambo

Jega

APC aspirants met the constitutional qualifications, including education, to contest for election to the office of president. “They confirmed this by awarding them a certificate. The qualification set by the constitution for contest is the level of education, not its certificate. “With reference to General Buhari having regard to his unimpeachable military training, an irrefutable presumption was properly made by the APC screening committee that he met the education qualification set by the constitution. “Those who contest this or who intend to contest that he met the education qualification of Section 131(d) have the burden to disprove the irrefutable presumption, not General Buhari”, Aboyemi argued. But Adeyeye warned Abayomi and his likes not to lay “a dangerous prec-

edent whereby some persons with questionable certificates would start contesting elections and claim that they don’t need to show us their certificates, adding that it is very compulsory that Buhari “presents his certificates, otherwise, how are we going to prove that he was educated to the school certificate level or its equivalent. “He is a former Head of State and I am sure that when he served as Head of State, the first thing he would ask anyone he wanted to recruit is the certificate. “Is he telling us that if he becomes president, people will not need certificates to be appointed to offices? As a leader, he must lead by example,” he added. He advised the former Head of State to obtain a Certified True Copy (CTC) of his certificates if he has any to show. Another dimension was added by the

from your wealth of experience to drive all aspects of the campaign. I expect that we should be clear-headed and sharplyfocused in our preparations. We have travelled through this familiar path before, specifically in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. In the last three elections, our candidates had defeated the leading opposition candidates. Therefore, as we do the needful, I am confident that we will defeat them again. The Federal Government, under the able leadership of our candidate, President Jonathan, will ensure that INEC conducts free, fair and credible elections as it has always done. By the grace of God and the support of well-meaning and peace-loving Nigerian people, we will win both the election and the peace. I call on all Nigerians to join hands with us to crush any planned pre-and post-election violence, bearing in mind the imperative of the unity and stability of our dear nation. Mr. President, party leaders, ladies and gentlemen, the contest to defend the leadership of our nation from falling into the wrong hands has commenced in earnest. Like Mr. President said in his acceptance speech after his nomination as our party’s candidate, I urge all of us to be steadfast in our commitment to campaign in peace, with hope in our hearts, with the facts and the truths, with issues and ideas, with our record of verifiable achievements, and, most importantly, to campaign to win the sacred mandate of the Nigerian people. May God bless our efforts. former governorship candidate of Nigeria Advance Party (NAP) in Anambra State, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo who noted that various pronouncements of the Supreme Court specified that the ability to read and write was all that should entitle a citizen to contest for election. The PDP said it is not bothered on the qualification of the candidate APC wants to field for the election. The party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, said at the appropriate time Buhari’s qualification would be called to question. “We do not require them to have a certificate. They can even field somebody who has never gone to school. It’s not our business; it’s the business of INEC. At the appropriate time, he will be questioned, but for purposes of politics, we do not want to start making comments on such,” Metuh said. PDP national secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo had earlier described Buhari as “a semi-illiterate jackboot.” On its part, INEC said it would not like to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the qualification of any of the candidates. The commission also refused to disclose the certificates Buhari presented when he contested the three previous presidential elections. Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu, said the concern of the commission at the moment is to give the country free and fair elections. “We would not want to have anything to do with the certificate issue. We view it as an issue between the political parties, which the commission would not want to be involved in. Please leave us out of that and I would not want to comment on that. Our job is to give Nigerians the best of the election and not to join politicians and political parties in their politicking,” Idowu said. INEC has, however, said only the court can disqualify any candidate from contesting next month’s polls.

Politics 43

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Rubby Obinna

s a major stakeholder, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State has continued to play a calming and soothing role to ensure the general interest of people all over the world is protected, but especially in his home state of Abia. In a forum, he said that as things stand now, it does not really matter which side of the divide one stands. What is central to him are the peace, development and growth of Abia State. Many people in history

Kalu, a great man that are regarded as great men have been fingered of causing great harm to their environment or people around them. But this is not connected with Kalu. His handling of the politics in his home state of Abia and his reputation all over the world are not failed completions. Kalu has achieved a lot in life, yet not posing as the greatest leader since Napoleon. But this is not without people from all walks of life saying that Kalu is a Great Man and one of the finest leaders

that the world has produced. This is the reason many people have stuck with him for years. One thing that has endeared Kalu to many people and vis-à-vis is his transformational features, changing the fabrics of any environment he finds himself for the better. Unlike some leaders who refuse to negotiate so that the needed result could not be achieved; this is not the lifestyle of Kalu. He loves dialogue and this is the sole reason he has been peaceful with his

environment and himself. In one of his testaments, Kalu believes that since there is a resolution to collectively throw support behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, whatever is left of other political positions will be distributed in such a way as to promote equity and fair play. He averred that the survival and sustenance of the unity and progress of Abia people should not be decided by one man, but through a collective decision. His words: “The inter-

est of our state is bigger than the interest of any one man. We must place our collective interest above our personal, parochial, and narrow interests. We cannot afford another round of lousy and clueless leadership characterised by egocentricity, arrogance and mindboggling malfeasance. “We need a clean break from our past to chart a new course for the growth and development of a new Abia State. We must have made mistakes individually and corporately; it is

now time to reconcile and move on. What is paramount is the new attitude we bring to the table. This new attitude should be built on mutual trust, respect for one another, love and reconciliation. Kalu has never refused to admit that he was wrong or right where necessary to do so. Throughout the 96 months he served as governor the only money he spent was the security vote duly appropriated by the State House of Assembly. And the vote was handled by Chief Theodore Orji who served as his Chief of Staff. Kalu did not dip his hands in any government coffers, nor did he engage in any underhand deal with anybody. Kalu is not a halfway man; he has risen above this class. He is the one who keeps everlastingly pushing. Kalu’s lifestyle epitomizes a belief in the blog – The Art of Manliness – which is: Never give up. If you have a goal or a dream, pursue it. If there’s a cause that you truly believe in, then fight for it. That’s not to say that you should doggedly chase greed or gluttony, but that you should do your best to achieve those things that are important to you. Great men struggle through daunting obstacles to reach their destinations. In everything that you do, do your best. The story goes further: Do the Right Thing, “To be truly rich, regardless of his fortune or lack of it, a man must live by his own values. If those values are not personally meaningful, then no amount of money gained can hide the emptiness of life without them.” — John Paul Getty, How to Be Rich (1961). Have a code of honour, and live by it. Your code of honour might come from your faith, or from your education, or from your family. Whatever the source, live by these values. Life is filled with temptations. The more you accomplish, the more people will tempt you with offers for quick gains or passing pleasures. Many men succumb to these, but those who do rarely achieve what they might have if they’d stuck to their principles. The legacies that Kalu bequeathed to Abia State will outlive any generation. In spite of the negative media against him and his administration by Governor Orji and his co-travellers, the truth has remained unassailable. If Governor Orji claims he has worked for Abia, let him take up the challenge Kalu made to him to bring independent assessors to assess what he has done in comparison to the huge re sources he has received. Kalu is a Great man! •Obinna writes from Ohaji, Imo State.

Business | Money Line

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Patronage of commercial paper hits N11bn INVESTIBLE INSTRUMENTS

Stakeholders’ cooperation with operators will boost sector Godson Ikoro

takeholders in the nation’s financial market increased their patronage and cooperation with operators to fast track the revival and growth of the Commercial Paper (CP) as outstanding held by banks rose by 0.9 per cent to N10.8 billion, Central Bank of Nigeria has said. According to CBN third quarter report of the outgone year, outstanding balance held by banks rose by 0.9 per cent to N10.8 billion compared with the value of N10.7 billion at the end of the preceding month (September). The apex bank said that the development was due to the increase in investment in CP by commercial banks during the month of October, noting that CP constituted 0.1 per cent of

the total value of money market assets outstanding during the review period compared with 0.2 per cent at the end of the preceding month. Similarly, investment in Bankers’ Acceptance (BA) during the review period increased by 3.9 per cent to N30.5 billion compared with N29.4 billion at the end of the preceding month of September. The development was attributed to the rise in investment in BAs by the Deposit Money Banks during the month. Consequently, BAs accounted for 0.41 per cent of the total value of money market assets at the end of October 2014 compared with 0.40 per cent at the end of the preceding month. It would be recalled that the Commercial Paper space had been relatively quiet since the guidelines took effect early 2014. Operators frantically collaborated with stakeholders to internalise the guidelines and to stimulate increased market bolster activities in the market. The CBN had intervened in the sector’s abuse of loopholes in earlier guidelines by banks to misrepresent

their true balance sheet positions, lack of standard documentation and standard accounting treatment by the banks. Also credit enhancements via bank guarantees were used to conceal non-performing assets and collusion by banks to manage financials across month/quarter/ year ends. Direct open market operation (OMO) auctions during the period were conducted using CBN bills of 97 –170 days

maturities. Total amount offered at the eleven (11) OMO auctions was N530 billion, while total subscription and allotment stood at N896.21 billion and N585.84 billion, respectively. The bid rates range from 10.50 -14.00 per cent while the stop rate range from 10.8011.00 per cent. CBN Bills valued N1.003.trillion matured and were repaid during the period, resulting in a net injection of N417.43 billion. Also in the primary

he naira weakened a second day and Nigerian stocks headed for biggest drop since 2010 as Central Bank of Nigeria’s measures to protect the currency of Africa’s largest crude producer from falling oil prices stifled trading. There were nine trades in the naira between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Lagos, compared with 122 in the same period four weeks ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from at least 39 local and international banks. The naira weakened 0.8 per cent to 185 per dollar, extending losses over the past three months to 11 per cent, the most of 24

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

Description

TTM

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

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

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

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

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

African currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The apex bank, last month, told banks to clear foreign exchange positions daily, having previously allowed them netopen positions of one per cent of shareholder funds. The move has made it difficult for non-Nigerian investors to exit their holdings, according to Samir Gadio, head of African strategy at Standard Chartered Plc. “For those who remain in Nigeria, it’s become virtually impossible to get out,” he said by phone from London. “There’s a risk that these measures last as long as the central bank feels it doesn’t have the ability to control the exchange rate.” Calls to the mobile phones of Ibrahim Mu’azu, a spokesman for the central bank, weren’t picked up and he didn’t immediately respond to e-mailed questions. The steps are short-term measures to stabilise the market, he said last month.

Nigeria, which relies on oil for 70 per cent of its budget and over 90 perccent of exports, has been battered by Brent crude prices more than halving since June to under $52 a barrel. The central bank raised interest rates to a record 13 perccent and devalued its target exchange rate for the naira to five per cent either side of 168 per dollar in November. Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, proposed cutting this year’s budget by eight per cent. The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NGSEINDX) plunged 4.2 per cent, the most on a closing basis since March 2010, to 32,533.21. Volumes amounted to 66 per cent of the threemonth daily average. Nigerian Breweries Plc fell 9.6 per cent for the biggest oneday fall since December 2004. United Bank for Africa Plc, the country’s third biggest bank by assets, slipped 7.4 per cent to the lowest level since December 22.

IFC leads $76m financing for road expansion project

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

The bid rates had ranged from 8.00-12.72 per cent while the stop rate ranged from 9.8 – 11.25 per cent. The bid-to- cover ratios for the various tenors were 1.10, 0.85 and 2.06 for the 91-, 182- and 364-day tenors, respectively. All the tenors except the 364-day, were below the threshold of 2.0 bid cover ratios, indicating weak investors’ preference for government securities during the review period.

Naira drops as CBN controls choke trading

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

market, Nigerian Treasury Bills of 91-, 182- and 364-day tenors were auctioned at the primary market in October 2014. NTBs, amounting to N228.11billion were offered, while the total public subscription stood at N286.02 billion at bid rates ranging from 8.00-12.72 per cent. The sum of N303.11 billion (including N75.00 billion for AMCON Bonds that was redeemed on October 31, 2014) was allotted at 9.80 – 11.25 per cent.

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

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

FC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Eiffage, a leading European public works and concessions firm, yesterday, announced a $76 million financing agreement for the extension of the Dakar toll road in Senegal. The road will connect central Dakar with a new international airport and the nearby rural areas, spurring economic growth, employment and new opportunities that contribute to poverty reduction by facilitating transport between key infrastructure and outlying areas with the capital city. The existing Dakar toll road was inaugurated in August 2013 by SENAC, the Senegalese concession company set up by Eiffage. As the first greenfield toll road public-private partnership in West Africa, this is widely considered a flagship project for Senegal and the region. The 25 kilometer toll road has markedly improved urban mobility by reducing

commute times between central Dakar and its outlying neighborhoods from more than two hours to less than 30 minutes. IFC acted as the lead arranger and global coordinator of a $76 million debt financing package to SENAC. IFC’s own investment in SENAC to finance both the existing Dakar toll road and its expansion will now reach $26 million, including senior and subordinated long-term debt for IFC’s own account. An additional $50 million has been mobilized from the Western African Development Bank, the African Development Bank and CBAO, one of the main Senegalese commercial banks. “IFC’s financing for the Dakar toll road significantly improves urban mobility and eases the daily commute for tens of thousands of people,” said Bertrand de la Borde, IFC Head for Infrastructure in Africa.

Business | Financial Market News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

6-Jan-15

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

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

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

4,783.63

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,404.04

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

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

0.29 1.61 2.30 2.55 2.65 3.39 4.48 4.79 7.06 9.18 13.89 14.37 14.87 15.54 19.53

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

12.17 15.08 14.99 14.99 14.99 15.01 15.04 15.05 15.08 15.01 14.30 14.22 14.14 14.60 15.02

11.63 14.97 14.91 14.91 14.91 14.89 14.94 14.94 15.01 14.95 14.25 14.17 14.07 14.54 14.96

97.65 97.15 100.15 89.39 88.00 88.81 103.05 73.16 105.55 95.95 104.14 89.48 65.33 72.00 82.00

97.80 97.30 100.30 89.54 88.15 89.11 103.35 73.46 105.85 96.25 104.44 89.78 65.63 72.30 82.30

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 2.70 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.38 1.24 1.92 2.29 2.50

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

15.23 17.75 17.06 16.00 15.99

94.51 99.48 98.37 96.48 86.48

31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 10-Oct-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.65 0.49 1.01 1.01 2.28 1.55 2.98 2.16 3.74 2.36 2.36 2.54 2.79 4.88 2.85 3.31 5.89 5.98 3.65 4.00

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

18.40 16.36 20.18 19.20 20.59 16.20 16.79 16.81 16.02 16.00 19.78 15.99 15.99 16.05 17.74 16.01 16.08 17.02 16.46 16.98

96.49 99.31 94.74 96.86 81.38 96.85 93.65 95.29 94.40 97.34 89.96 97.14 99.14 94.83 93.73 96.91 90.38 92.60 95.05 94.70

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

Issue Date

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

322.67

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

306.38

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

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

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

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

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

8.50 4.18 4.86 5.73 57.00 25.73 25.00 34.14 9.00 13.73 10.20 27.00 16.23 80.00 26.62 11.40 87.50 5.00 4.55 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

461.14 427.53

Corporate Bonds Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC *FLOURMILLS

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

A-/Agusto

FSDH

A/GCR

UBA

BBB-/GCR Nil A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.37

4.88

17.42

97.16

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.34

09-Dec-15

0.68

1.00

15.10

98.43

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

1.02

2.63

18.33

96.17

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.73

1.00

16.13

95.37

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.80

1.34

16.45

96.63

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.73

1.00

15.99

93.52

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.75

1.88

17.01

102.46

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.76

3.48

18.60

96.56

*TOWER

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.90

09-Sep-18

1.92

5.20

20.26

96.84

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.80

09-Sep-18

1.92

5.06

20.12

101.81

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.71

1.35

16.37

93.53

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

2.03

2.29

17.32

97.73

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.11

6.11

21.13

93.37

Nil

*DANA

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.98

2.16

17.16

97.50

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.85

2.76

17.83

90.77

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.73

1.00

15.91

80.55

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.73

1.00

15.91

86.98

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

#{r}

A/GCR

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

124.63

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

117.23

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.10

1.00

16.00

86.21

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.32

1.00

16.04

85.82

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

24.95 21.46 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

7.19

6.85

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

97.84

99.50

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.15

5.62

96.81

98.44

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.39

7.15

93.67

95.14

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,441.61

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

37.15

28.69

79.00

85.13

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

7.00

100.63

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

10.86

92.15

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

11.29

10.64

87.99

89.64

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.10

8.45

90.13

92.10

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

24.57

21.75

63.43

69.06

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.49

95.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

14.15

13.22

82.80

85.50

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

10.00

92.00

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

AFREN PLC III ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

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

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

6.63 9.25 8.00

360.00 400.00 450.00

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

19.68 11.47 10.65

19.68 10.97 10.65

55.50 90.13 87.00

55.50 92.25 87.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.09

9.02

92.86

97.86

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,760.00 4,098.96

**Treasury Bills DTM 9 16 23 30 37 44 51 58

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

Bid Discount (%) 13.43 11.55 11.75 11.99 12.10 13.11 12.33 12.20

Offer Discount (%) 13.18 11.30 11.50 11.74 11.85 12.86 12.08 11.95

Bid Yield (%) 13.47 11.61 11.84 12.11 12.25 13.32 12.55 12.44

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 11.1517 13.8985 14.5575 15.2965

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.33

O/N

10.75

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 10.58 14.93

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

183.48 183.74 184.02 184.70 185.94 187.19

183.58 183.84 184.16 185.15 186.92 188.65

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

306.38

KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI 2015 *NASARAWA

31-Aug-10 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 30-Sep-10 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 30-Jun-11 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 30-Jun-09 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 19-Apr-10 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 30-Jun-10 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 30-Dec-10 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 30-Sep-11 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 04-Oct-11 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 09-Dec-11 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 12-Dec-13 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 14-Feb-12 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 02-Oct-12 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 22-Nov-12 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 12-Dec-12 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 10-Oct-13 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 27-Nov-13 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 31-Dec-13 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 elections. vices sector was the31-Dec-13 most 06-Jan-14 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

Business | Financial Market News

SELL PRESSURE

Stock market down by N711bn in two days

Blue chip companies drag equities down

Stories by Chris Ugwu

general Specifically, the All- active during the day TOTALhe OUTSTANDING VALUE Share Index shed 1420.98 (measured by turnover Nigerian TOTALStock MARKET CAPITALISATION Exchange basis points or 4.3 per volume); with 235.6 milyesterday ex- cent to close at 32,522.31 lion shares worth N3.2 Corporate Bonds tended its losing asUPDC against by in17-AUG-2015billion exchanged 17-Aug-10 Bbb-/Agusto *UPDC basis points10.00 12.00 FLOURMILLS A-/Agusto 09-Dec-10 streak to the second day 33,943.29 recorded the9-DEC-2015 vestors in 1,120 deals. *FLOURMILLS 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMS previous day while the 06-JAN-2016 of BB/GCR trading in the New Volume in the sub-sec13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 29-Sep-11 NAHCO market capitalisation Year as stock market of tor was largely driven by 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agusto 25-Oct-13 FSDH continued to witness equities depreciated by activities in the shares of 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR 30-Sep-10 UBA N471 billion or 4.3 per massive sell-off. ET1 Plc and GTB Plc. 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 *C & I LEASING The consequential *DANA ef- #{r} cent as market sentiment other finanMPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 Also, 09-Apr-11 Nil # fectA-/DataPro†; was aB+/GCR loss of N711 red. TOWER 9-SEP-2018 cial services sub-sector, 09-Sep-11 *TOWER remained onMPR+7.00 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 AAA/DataPro†; *TOWER # billion or 6.6 A/GCR per cent durMeanwhile, a turnover boosted by activities in 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 A/GCR 22-Sep-11 UBA ingA/Agusto; the two trading days. of 413.7 million shares the shares of FBNH Plc LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 *LA CASERA Market analysts have worth N5.315.75 billion in followed with a turnover MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-12 BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR *CHELLARAMS# predicted low sentiments of 47.6 million shares val#{r} 3,764 deals was recorded 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 Nil *DANA in the market ued at N338.5 million in 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 A+/Agusto; A-/GCRduring the 14-Nov-13 NAHCO in the day’s trading. first quarter due to politiThe banking sub sec60IAdeals. 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 STANBIC IBTC 13.25 STANBICserIB 30-SEP-2024 STANBICtor IBTC of the financial calA/GCR tensions leading to the Further analysis30-Sep-14 of the

12.50 8.50 13.00 4.18 14.00 4.86 15.50 5.73 10.00 57.00 13.75 25.73 14.00 25.00 14.00 34.14 14.00 9.00 14.50 13.73 14.00 10.20 15.50 27.00 15.50 16.23 14.50 80.00 14.75 26.62 14.75 11.40 13.50 87.50 15.00 5.00 4.55 that day’s 14.50 trading showed 15.00 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

RT Briscoe Plc topped the 461.14 day’s gainers’ table with 427.53 9.52 per cent to close at 92 kobo while Cadbury Nigeria Plc followed with 10.00 3.61 five 12.00to close at 9.34 per cent N42.00 14.00 and PZ Cussons 0.60 per share 13.00 15.00 Plc with a gain of 4.96 per 14.25 5.53 cent to close at N25.18 per 13.00 20.00 share.18.00 0.64 On16.00 the flip side,6.30 Nigerian 18.00 Breweries Plc 2.90 led 16.00 with a drop 0.80 of the losers 14.00 cent to close 35.00 at 9.71 per 15.75 2.40 N147.17 while UBA Plc 17.00 0.41 shed 7.87 per cent to close 16.00 4.50 at N3.98 15.25 and Wapic 2.05 Nigerian Plc with 7.81 11.93 0.10 per 13.25 cent to close at 59 15.44 kobo. 124.63

Emerging market stocks trample oil prices TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

117.23

Supranational Bond

AAA/S&P

11-FEB-2018 10.20 merging marketIFCstocks two per 10.20 centIFCas worries about of Polish11-Feb-13 and other eastern AfDB 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 10-Jul-14 11.25 fell for a third straight Greece’s future in the euro European bonds. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE day on Tuesday, as the zone added to general anxiety Hungary’s forint, meanTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION long slide in oil prices contin- about Russia. while, led a weakening of ued to wallop crude producThe US dollar, rising on eastern European currencies Issue Date (%) ers andRating/Agency worries about worldIssuerthe back of the FedDescription rate hike as the decline in crudeCoupon prices growth and the future of the expectations, also squeezed fed expectations of low inflaFGN Eurobonds euro zone fuelled a global EM currencies. tion and central bank rate 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 a BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P . 07-Oct-11 6.75 flight to safety Malaysia’s ringgit hit cuts in the region. Hungary and the region’s MSCI’s benchmark EM fresh 5-1/2-year low of 3.5555 BB-/Fitch; FGN 12-Jul-13 5.13 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 BB-/S&P stock index fell one per cent per dollar. It was Asia’s worst biggest economy, Poland, 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 negative annual to aBB-/Fitch; three-week low as a 3.6 per performer in 2014 and has have seen 12-Jul-13 6.38 BB-/S&P inflation rates in the past cent drop in Saudi stocks, and been one of the most affected TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE a 4.2 per cent drop in dollar-de- in EM after the likes of the months as their economies TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION nominated Russian stocks led rouble and Nigeria’s naira slow and authorities are wary theCorporate fastest oil-related by the fierce slump in oil and about the impact of the sharp Eurobonds bleed. commodity prices. According to Reuters, oil drop in the euro will have 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I 01-Feb-11 11.50 on importers, which GTBANK should their competitiveness. Russian markets, trad7.50 MAY 19, 2016 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P PLC I 19-May-11 7.50 benefit from falling oilACCESS prices, ing thinly because of Or“Inflation is the point 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 B+/S&P BANK PLC 25-Jul-12 7.25 also suffered as a strong US thodox holidays nonetheless where the09-May-13 falling crude 6.88 price 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC dollar and fears of a renewed tumbled as Brent has the biggest 6.00oil NOVprices 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 08-Nov-13 impact in 6.00the euro zone crisis weighed onII plunged 3 per cent region, and if you think 10.25 to APRbelow 08, 2019 B/Fitch AFREN PLC 08-Apr-12 10.25 it 6.25 APR 22, 2019 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC 6.25 over, the 22-Apr-14 logical conclusion emerging market stocks. $52 a barrel. 8.75 May 21,over 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC The rouble dropped 21-May-14 8.75 Indian shares sawDIAMOND their is rate cuts (by the Polish and AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK 07-Aug-13 8.25 biggest daily fall since the PLCfive per cent, its 8.25 biggest fall Hungarian central banks),” DEC 09, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P crisis, and AFREN PLC III of the year so far, 6.63 09-Dec-13 6.63 2013 rupee Eastpushing in- one Budapest-based currency 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II 24-Jun-14 9.25 ernB-/Fitch; Europe stocks tumbled vestors to the relative safety dealer said. 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD 23-Jul-14 8.00

12.00

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

B-/S&P

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

14-Aug-14

12.95

24.95 21.46 Outstanding Value ($mm)

500.00

31-Aug-15 0.65 4.44 18.40 96.49 30-Sep-15 0.49 3.23 16.36 99.31 30-Jun-16 1.01 4.46 20.18 94.74 30-Jun-16 1.01 3.48 19.20 96.86 19-Apr-17 2.28 5.59 20.59 81.38 30-Jun-17 1.55 1.00 16.20 96.85 31-Dec-17 2.98 1.79 16.79 NEW TELEGRAPH 93.65 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 30-Sep-18 2.16 1.80 16.81 95.29 04-Oct-18 3.74 1.00 16.02 94.40 09-Dec-18 2.36 1.00 16.00 97.34 12-Dec-18 2.36 4.78 19.78 89.96 14-Feb-19 2.54 1.00 15.99 97.14 02-Oct-19 2.79 1.00 15.99 99.14 22-Nov-19 4.88 1.00 16.05 94.83 12-Dec-19 2.85 2.74 17.74 93.73 he Nigerian Stock ance Plc to approximate10-Oct-20 3.31 1.00 16.01 96.91 Exchange per cent.90.38 27-Nov-20 5.89 has an1.00 ly 91.1 16.08 31-Dec-20 1.94 17.02 Insurance 92.60 Limnounced5.98 the delist“FBN 31-Dec-20 3.65 1.44 ited elected 16.46 ing of Oasis Insurance Plc to95.05 exercise 06-Jan-21 4.00 1.95 16.98 94.70

NSE delists Oasis Insurance

following the conclusion its rights under Section of takeover bid by FBN 146(2) of the Investments Insurance Limited. and Securities Act to FBN Insurance Lim- compulsorily acquire belonging ited, a subsidiary 17-Aug-15 0.37 of FBN 4.88 shares 17.42 97.16 to the 09-Dec-15 1.00 minority 15.10 98.43 shareholders Holdings Plc,0.68has con06-Jan-16 the takeover 1.02 18.33 crossed 96.17the 90 cluded of2.63 having 29-Sep-16 1.73 1.00 16.13 95.37 per cent threshold. At Oasis Insurance Plc hav25-Oct-16 1.80 1.34 16.45 96.63 the end of the 20-day ing acquired 71.2 per cent 30-Sep-17 2.73 1.00 15.99 93.52 notice period, equity interest1.75 through 1.88 a statutory 30-Nov-17 17.01 102.46 block divestment in FebFBN Insurance Limited 09-Apr-18 1.76 3.48 18.60 96.56 ruary 2014. by 09-Sep-18 1.92 5.20 increased 20.26 its holdings 96.84 09-Sep-18 1.92 5.06 an additional 20.12 101.81 In accordance with 22,603,617 22-Sep-18of the 3.71 1.35 shares 16.37 Rules Securities bringing93.53 its hold18-Oct-18 2.29 17.32 97.73 and Exchange2.03Commisings in Oasis Insurance 17-Feb-19 2.11 6.11 21.13 93.37 sion (SEC), FBN InsurPlc to17.16 approximately 91.4 01-Apr-19 2.98 2.16 97.50 ance Limited made a per cent. 14-Nov-20 5.85 2.76 17.83 90.77 FBN Insurance mandatory takeover bid 30-Sep-24 9.73 1.00 15.91 80.55 Limit30-Sep-24 9.73 1.00 ed thereafter 15.91 86.98 for the remaining 28.8 transferred per cent equity interest the sum of N310,649,730 in Oasis Insurance Plc. to FBN Registrars (as According to a notice consideration for the pasted at the NSE web- outstanding 560,808,895 11-Feb-18 3.10 1.00 16.00 86.21 site and obtained by New shares or 8.6 per cent) to 01-Feb-21 4.32 1.00 16.04 85.82 Telegraph, at the close of keep in trust for sharethe takeover bid on July holders who are yet to 31, 2014, FBN Insurance tender their share certifiLimited received a total cates. By this action, FBN Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price of 1,289,493,953 ordinary Insurance Limited holds 100 per cent equity intershares bringing its share-Prices & Yields holding in Oasis Insur- est in Oasis Insurance Plc. 28-Jan-21

7.19

6.85

97.84

99.50

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.15

5.62

96.81

98.44

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.39

7.15

93.67

95.14

450.00

01-Feb-16

37.15

28.69

79.00

85.13

500.00

19-May-16

7.00

100.63

350.00

25-Jul-17

10.86

92.15

300.00

02-May-18

11.29

10.64

87.99

89.64

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.10

8.45

90.13

92.10

300.00

08-Apr-19

24.57

21.75

63.43

69.06

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.49

95.50

200.00

21-May-19

14.15

13.22

82.80

85.50

300.00

07-Aug-20

10.00

92.00

19.68 10.97 10.65

55.50 90.13 87.00

55.50 92.25 87.00

9.02

92.86

97.86

1,500.00 1,441.61

360.00 400.00 450.00

8.75

09-Dec-20 19.68 24-Jun-21 11.47 CEO, NSE, Oscar Onyema 23-Jul-21 10.65

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.09

4,760.00 4,098.96

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

6-Jan-15

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information **Treasury Bills FIXINGS Money Market Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) does not constitute professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) NIBOR accurate or up9to date. We do not guarantee completeness, fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action 15-Jan-15 the accuracy, timeliness, 13.43 13.18 performance or13.47 OBB 10.33 Tenor Bid ($/N) Offer ($/N) 16 11.55 11.30 11.61 Tenor Rate (%) taken on the basis of the Information.22-Jan-15 FGN

23 30 37 Bonds 44 51 58 Rating/Agency 65 72 79 86 93 100 107 114 121 NA128 170 212 240 331 345

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

11.75 11.99 12.10 13.11 12.33 12.20 Description 12.44 11.92 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.01 13.05 16-AUG-2016 12.80 15.10 27-APR-2017 11.40 9.85 27-JUL-2017 12.56 9.35 31-AUG-2017 12.70 10.70 30-MAY-2018 12.95 12.90 16.00 29-JUN-2019 13.00 7.00 23-OCT-2019 12.24 16.39 27-JAN-2022 12.80 14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.00 15.00 28-NOV-2028 14.00 12.49 22-MAY-2029 14.15

11.50 11.74 11.85 12.86 12.08 11.95 Issue Date 12.19 11.67 23-Apr-10 12.76 16-Aug-13 12.55 27-Apr-12 11.15 27-Jul-07 12.31 31-Aug-07 12.45 30-May-08 12.70 12.65 29-Jun-12 12.75 23-Oct-09 11.99 27-Jan-12 12.55 14-Mar-14 12.75 28-Nov-08 13.75 22-May-09 13.90

8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

11.84 12.11 12.25 13.32 12.55 12.44 (%) Coupon 12.72 12.21 4.00 13.39 13.05 13.20 15.10 11.74 9.85 13.01 9.35 13.19 10.70 13.50 13.48 16.00 13.62 7.00 12.98 16.39 13.83 14.20 14.22 15.00 16.04 12.49 16.33

Bonds

8.50 10.00 12.1493

O/N 1M 3M 6M

11.1517 13.8985 14.5575 15.2965

Outstanding Value (N'bn) 535.00

4,783.63

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

4,404.04

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

23-Apr-15

Rate (%) 16-Aug-16 12.7578 27-Apr-17 13.0301 27-Jul-17 13.1881 31-Aug-17 13.3007 30-May-18 14.3908 15.7980 29-Jun-19

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015

FMBN Porfolio Market Modified Duration Buckets 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 Value(Bn) ***LCRM <3

3<5 >5 CAPITALISATIONMarket

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Total Outstanding Volume(Bn)

0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 1,018.29 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

1,393.20 571.89 2,983.38

1,034.18 1,365.98 769.57 3,169.73

24-May-12

Weighting by 03-Apr-12 Outstanding Vol

09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 32.63 06-Jul-12

43.09 24.28 100.00

0.00

Weighting by Mkt 17.25 Value

0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 34.13 0.00/16.50

46.70 19.17 100.00

24.56

Bucket Weighting 2.70

112.22 116.700.33 66.49

0.43

322.67 0.24 1.00 306.38

Rate (%) 10.58 14.93 Bid Yield 15.23 15.97

(%)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M Offer 3M Yield 6M (%) 1Y

0.29 12.17 11.63 1.61 15.08 14.97 2.30 14.99 14.91 2.55 14.99 14.91 :Benchmarks 2.65Bond 14.99 14.91 * :Amortising 3.39Bond 15.01 14.89 µ :Convertible AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 4.48 Management Corporation 15.04 14.94 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 4.79 15.05 14.94 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 7.06 15.08 15.01 IFC: International Finance Corporation 9.18 15.01 14.95 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 13.89 14.30 14.25 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 14.37 14.22 14.17 O/N: Overnight 14.87 14.14 14.07 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 15.54 14.54 WAPCO:West Africa Portland14.60 Cement Company 19.53 15.02 14.96 NOTE:

Maturity Date

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

Agency Bonds

TOTAL MARKET

REPO

233.90 23-Oct-19 600.00 27-Jan-22 414.68 NIFEX 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 Current Price ($/N) 150.00 22-May-29 BID($/N) 184.6250 200.00 20-Nov-29 OFFER ($/N) 184.7250 591.57 23-Jul-30 178.00 18-Jul-34

*for the OUTSTANDING Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration TOTAL VALUE

10.75

Tenor Call 1M (Yrs) TTM 3M 6M

Maturity Date

NITTY

Tenor 581.39 1M 452.80 2M 20.00 3M 100.00 6M 300.00 9M 12M 351.30

O/N

24-May-15

% Exposure_ 03-Apr-17 Mod_Duration

09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 13.78 06-Jul-17

46.15 40.07 100.00

# Risk Premium (%)

0.38

2.63

1.92

2.29 15.03 2.50 15.05 14.71 14.91

Implied 2.27 Portfolio Price

2.00

1.00 117.2877 1.00 120.7450 87.3065 111.4986

Price

97.65 97.80 97.15 97.30 100.15 100.30 89.39 89.54 NA :Not Applicable 88.00 88.15 # :Floating Rate Bond 88.81 ***: Deferred coupon bonds89.11 103.05 103.35 ‡ : Bond rating 73.16 under review 73.46 †: Bond rating expired 105.55 105.85 N/A :Not Available 95.95 96.25 {r} :Issuer in receivership 104.14 104.44 89.48 89.78 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 65.33 65.63 UBA: United Bank for Africa 72.00 72.30 82.00 82.30

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Implied1.24 Yield

183.48 183.58 183.74 183.84 184.02 184.16 Price 184.70 185.15 185.94 186.92 187.19 Bid Price 188.65 Offer 191.45 194.35 200.55 206.00

Valuation Yield (%) 15.23

INDEX 17.75

17.06

16.00 1,113.99 15.99 1,022.42 1,020.77 1,064.71

Indicative Price 94.51

YTD Return 99.48 (%)

98.37

96.48 11.3994 86.48 2.2423 2.0767 6.4714

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR‡ A-/Agusto

KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA

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

31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10

12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75

8.50 4.18 4.86 5.73 57.00 25.73

31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17

0.65 0.49 1.01 1.01 2.28 1.55

4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00

18.40 16.36 20.18 19.20 20.59 16.20

96.49 99.31 94.74 96.86 81.38 96.85

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

News 47

SOUTH-EAST

Eze assures Jonathan of Igbo support Tony Okafor Awka

A cross-section of traditional title holders (Ndi Ichies), at the first Dunukofia Cultural Day celebration in Umunnachi, Dunukofia LGA, Anambra State …yesterday. PHOTO-NAN

$48m

The total amount of endorsements of Phil Mickelson (Golf) for 2014. Source: Forbes.com

0.07%

The percentage share of passenger air travel of Akure airport of Nigeria’s total air passengers in 2013. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

8.81m

The total population of women in Chile in 2012. Source: Un.org

Okorocha challenges Onwuliri to publish FG’s projects in Imo Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

mo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday debunked claims by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri over the visibility of Federal Government projects in the state, challenging the minister to publish the projects. Speaking through his media aide, Mr. Sam On-

wuemeodo, Okorocha said that the only achievement of Onwuliri, as a minister has been her persistent insults on her home state and governor, noting that he had on previous occasions ignored Onwuliri’s vituperation knowing that the only reason she attacks his government is to retain her job. “It is also true that in each of the cases under reference, we never joined issues with her because

we had the feeling that she has continued to do that to retain her appointment. Infact, it appears, attacking her governor is part of her job description.” Onwuliri, had expressed anger over the governor’s claim that the PDP government at all levels has not favoured the state in particular and the South-East in general. She had also challenged Okorocha, to a debate. But in his response,

through his media aide, the governor said, “The challenge for a debate was, to say the least, laughable and indeed, insulting. It is like an adviser in Imo State asking President Goodluck Jonathan to come for a debate. On what ground would the debate be anchored.” The statement challenged the minister to publish her claims of the several Federal Government projects in Imo and the Southeast.

Enugu APC unveils Ibekaku as Ezea’s deputy Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

he Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday unveiled Barrister Chikaodili Juliet Ibekaku, as the running mate to Chief Okey Ezea, in the February gubernatorial election in the state, with a vow to complete any project abandoned by the present adminis-

tration of Governor Sullivan Chime, if elected. Ezea, while explaining why he picked a female running mate said; “I have spent 20 years working on anti-corruption activities, women welfare, and I have passion for youth development”. At the event, the duo declared that if elected, they would work hard to change governance structure in Enugu State,

especially in the area of revitalization of the economy through aggressive agro-based activities that would make the state far less dependent on allocation from federation account. Ezea said, ”The problem of our economy in the state is that of corruption, incompetence. The economy of our state can be robust enough if well-managed. We will

go into agro-based enterprises that can mop up the army of unemployed youths’’. The APC candidate who also touched on other sectors of governance in the state lamented alleged abandoned projects in Enugu State, citing the uncompleted International Conference Centre located within the Independence Layout in the capital city as an example.

Ebonyi: Umahi inaugurates campaign committee Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

he Ebonyi State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has inaugurated the campaign committee for the governorship candidate, Mr. Dave Umahi.

Members of the committee include former Governor Sam Egwu, PDP Deputy National Secretary, Chief Onwe Solomon Onwe and former Ambassador to Greece, Chief Frank Ogbuewu. Other members include: the Chairman, Revenue

Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Chief Elias Mbam; former INEC official, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo; former Minister of Education, Dr. Aja Nwachuwku; former Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Chief Dennis Ekumakama; former Speaker

of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Augustine Nwankwegu; former Secretary to Ebonyi State government, Prof Ozo Nweke Ozo and former Ebonyi state Deputy Governor, Prof Chigozie Ogbu. The committee, which was divided into three main sub-committees, in-

usiness man and philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze, has urged Ndigbo at home and in the Diaspora to support the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan and his Vice Namadi Sambo, by ensuring that the duo secure the bloc votes of the entire South-East region of the country. Eze, who made the call in his country home,Ukpo, while addressing a large crowd of attendees during the first edition of Dunukofia Cultural Day held in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra, stated that he had not seen any alternative to the incumbent leadership. The business mogul, noted that no other government in the history of the country had done

so much for the entire nation’s citizens, stating that the almost forgotten people and communities of Ndigbo, has benefitted more under the Jonathan’s administration in the past four years, which he said is a good reason why all Ndigbo should support his re-election. He said, ‘’Bayelsa people and by extension the former eastern region of the country had suffered decades of neglect before God in his bountiful mercies provided President Jonathan through a divine arrangement. Jonathan within his stay in office had shown he clearly understands the myriad of challenges facing our people especially those of us that had been neglected for such a long time.And his transformation agenda to fix all these problems is being felt even by our brothers and sisters in terrains that are not even easily accessed in the country” .

APGA women task INEC on free elelction Tony Okafor Awka

female group of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Women for Good Governance, Anambra State chapter, yesterday urged Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and politicians in the country to ensure that the coming elections in the country are free, fair and transparent. Speaking on behalf of the group, the Coordinator of the chapter, Mrs. Grace Chike, said the success of the forthcoming presidential election would boost Nigeria’s global democratic image and bring honour and dignity to the nation as the giant of Africa and bastion of democracy in the continent. She therefore urged INEC to be firm and decisive in conducting the polls and give equal opportunity to all participating political parties. She said ‘The integrity of the commission’s Chair-

clude; the Directorate of the Campaign Organization, Developmental Blueprint and Elders Committees are expected to serve as tink tank for the campaign team, catalyst for the development of the state and an advisory organ for the Divine Mandate campaign organization throughout the period of the 2015 general election.

man, Professor Attahiru Jega, is at stake in this crucial election that will test the nation’s democratic process. We therefore urge politicians to play by the rules and guidelines as stipulated in the Electoral Act and the 1999 constitution as amended. ‘It is time to eschew bitterness and violence, and imbibe issue-based politics that will enhance the nation’s frail democratic encounter, ‘ she said. The group’s Coordinator noted that even when the group advocates for active participation of women in politics and elections, it cannot accommodate personalities like the former minister for Aviation Princess Stella Oduah, who it said in her desperation for political relevance launched her senatorial campaign at Central school, Omor, Ayamelu LGA, Anambra, with a rented crowd. This according to Chike, is cheap publicity by woman, who feels intimidated by the growing popularity of the ruling APGA in the State. The campaign committee, also appointed Chief Fidelis Nwankwo and former liaison officer of EBHA, Chief Clement Nweke as its Director-General and Administrative Secretary respectively, while the Chairman and Secretary of the Elders Committee are Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu and Dr. Aja Nwachukwu respectively.

News

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-SOUTH

Expect cut in costs, Oshiomhole tells Edo people Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

do State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday said his government will renew its commitment to cut costs and block leakages in the New Year, urging the people to brace up for the challenge. The measures, the governor said, are aimed at surviving the expected drop in the revenue accruing to the state from the Federal Government

1,001

as a result of the crash in the price of crude oil. The governor spoke at the first executive council meeting in the New Year. He said: “2015 will be very difficult, but government will still sustain the progress made on the development of infrastructure, adding it is how the little resources available are managed that matters and not how much a state earns.” According to him, “I know we had to go through a very difficult period last year, there is

The total area (in sq. km) of Sao Tome and Principe. Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

1.9%

no question that there is a huge gap between our revenue projections and actual receipts from the federation account, arising from alleged oil theft, but also a huge gap between our projected local revenue and what was actually realised. “With the sustained general reforms, we have decided that some of the gains of this government are consolidated. It is very clear we are going to face very serious challenges this year. As at the time we passed our budget, it

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Cot d’Ivoire in 2008. Source: Itu.int

was based on about $78 per barrel and the Federal Government, which acted later, have had to review their figure downwards twice and at the last count have chosen to adopt $65 per barrel,” he stated. The governor noted with deep concern that this year’s revenue may be far less than what the state expects, but said even in the face of contentious oil theft and such related issues, the present economic promptings are beyond all and there seems to

be no solution in sight about the ugly situation. The governor continued: “It is not clear whether this unstable market price is going to continue on a downward trend or whether we have seen the worst of it or whether we are likely to experience a marginal increase in price, but what is obvious is that this year’s revenue will be far less than expected and for me, it is not to overstress the issue whether the volume of oil theft is avoidable or unavoidable”.

354,600

The number of children receiving antiretroviral ther- The life expectancy of women at age apy in low-and middle-income countries in 2009. 60 years in Hungary in 2010-2015. Source: Who.int Source: Un.org

Secretary to the Delta State Government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay (left), being decorated by the state chairman, Nigerian Legion, Lt. Col. Daniel Amara (rtd), during the Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem Appeal Week in Asaba… yesterday.

Calabar now first digital city Clement James Calabar

alabar, the capital of Cross River State, has been described as the first digital city in the country, following the completion of the installation of its metropolitan dark fibre optic network infrastructure. This feat, which is said to be a leap in intra-city digital network connection, was accomplished following the partnership between the Cross River State government and telecommunications giant, MTN. According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information Communications and Technology Development, Mr. Odo Effiong, the infrastructure consists 120km of 96 core fibre cable and open access ducts, which spans the length and breadth of the entire city. Calabar thus becomes the first comprehensively wired city for voice, data and video telecommunications and various technology driven services in the country. Effiong said the infrastructure will not only facilitate improved telecommunication services, but will also, in due course, offer a variety of technology driven services and improvements, including access to information on tourism, innovation, security, transportation, education, health care, land title, social services, financial inclusion, entertainment, among others.

Confusion as UNIBEN ASUU, NANS protest in Benin Monarch slams Buhari, Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

t was confusion yesterday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as hundreds of key members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) took their anger to the doorsteps of Governor Adams Oshiomhole over Monday’s demolition of

properties allegedly belonging to the university. The students also kicked against the rumoured plan by the governor to relocate the much cherished Faculty of Medicine of the Ambrose Alli University to his country home, Ehamho, for a purpose that is yet to be established. Besides, the Bureau Chief of Daily Independent, Mr. Francis Onoiribholo, was beaten black and blue by suspected agents

of government, who carried out the demolition of the staff quarters. The camera, recorder and cell phone belonging to Onoiribholo were seized by the suspects. The immediate past Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Godwin Osayuki Oshodin, was speechless as he watched helplessly when bulldozers demolished his official residence in GRA, Benin City. But ASUU members and students of the in-

stitution, who were irked by the sudden action of the state government, protested the demolition, describing it as “illegal, wicked and sad.” The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Henry Idahagbon, in a reaction said: “We did not demolish UNIBEN properties; we only took possession of Edo State Government properties based on the court judgement of December 16, 2014.”

Clark tasks president’s supporters on February polls Gabriel Choba Ughelli

lder statesman and Grand Patron of the United Mandate for Jonathan (UMJ), Chief Edwin K. Clark, yesterday tasked the national executive of the group on the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Clark spoke when he endorsed the national and state executives of the group led by its National Coordinator, Chief Godwin Bogban, urging him to take the good deeds of the Jonathan administration to the grassroots. The grand patron, who expressed pleasure over the activities of the group, also congratulated the executives and

members of the group for their resolve to support Mr. President’s reelection bid, noting that the issue was not about Jonathan or where he comes from but his democratic credentials. “I wonder how a man without any democratic credentials, who overthrew the democratically elected presidency of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, and threw the in-

nocent Vice-President, Alex Ekweme, into prison without trial, can be trusted in a democratic set up.” According to him, once a dictator, always one and that all the freedom of information and others we are enjoying today will soon become a thing of the past under a dictator, because no matter the age, you can never stop a cat from moving.

Amaechi over Jonathan

Chris Ejim Yenagoa

he paramount ruler of Akipelai community in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State and a former Commissioner for Information in the state, Chief Asara A. Asara, yesterday described the All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as disgruntled people, who are bent on seeing the disintegration of the country. Asara spoke yesterday at a parley with newsmen in his country home, Amakalakala in Ogbia Local Government at the funeral of his elder sister, Madam Rhoda Asara. He described her late sister as the pillar who

stood by him at all times, saying she was not only a sister, but a mother. On the 2015 general election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said there is no opposition to the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan, describing the so-called opposition as the remnants, who he said are no longer relevant and qualified to be in the PDP. Asara said: “These are the same people that the APC will go about from state to state begging to join their party.” According to him, the antics of Buhari have come to play as he has no certificate to contest the election. “Buharigate has come to light, the matter has been exposed, there is awareness now and the country can no longer be ruled by nonentities,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

POLL BOYCOTT Compensate us, Kaduna Post-election victims appeal to the Federal Govt Ibraheem Musa KADUNA

ictims of the 2011 post-election violence in Kaduna State have threatened to boycott the February general election if the federal and state government would not address the issue of their compen-

News 49

NORTH

Post-election violence victims threaten boycott of February polls sation. The victims, who are operating under a coalition, said they should be compensated for what they suffered after the 2011 general election. Carrying placards with inscriptions like “Dear President, we are suffering,” “National Assembly help Kaduna State 2011 victims” and “Governor Yero, save our souls,” members of the coalition protested

the non-payment of their compensation even after writing several letters to the Presidency and the Kaduna State government. Addressing the media yesterday, spokesperson for the coalition, Comrade Mohammed Dan'Azumi Zonkwa, recalled that the Federal Government had constituted a presidential panel to look into the matter and make recommendations, adding that the

panel has since completed its assignment. He said the panel found out that Kaduna State recorded about 80 per cent of the post-election casualties, wondering what is delaying the implementation of the committee’s report. Zonkwa claimed that victims of the other nine states had been compensated by the Federal Government. “We are highly surprised that Kaduna of

all states is yet to be paid despite the fact that it has several men and women of high esteem representing the state at the federal level. We were made to understand that the compensation has been captured in the 2014 budget, which we are yet to receive in 2015. “Victims of the unfortunate incident reflect the diversity of Kaduna State as there are Christians, Muslims, women, men,

young and old victims. The sufferings and the sense of loss cut across the three senatorial districts of the state, which is why we closed ranks to jointly appeal to the Federal Government to compensate us. “We hope government will do something before the next election, otherwise, our people may decide not to participate in the elections,” the coalition threatened.

Jigawa PDP guber candidate promises good governance Dahiru Suleiman DUTSE

L-R: Kaduna State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Madami Garba Madami; Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Samaila Aliyu and Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ben Bako, during a press conference on the State's 2015 Budget in Kaduna …yesterday

Jang appeals to NLC not to embark on strike Musa Pam JOS

pecial Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on Special Duties, Hon. Yakubu Jang, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve their proposed industrial strike in the state, saying the Jonah Jang administration is committed to meeting the demands and aspirations

of the workers. He lamented how prompt payment of salaries by the Jang administration is currently been affected by the dwindling federal allocation and urged the NLC to be patriotic by understanding the hardship the country is facing. Jang, who was assigned to oversee the Ministry of Lands and Survey after the nomination of the former Commissioner, Yilji Gomwalk, as running mate

of the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, spoke during a press briefing at the New Government House, Rayfield, Jos. He said the workers have been paid up to October 2014 while teachers have been paid up to date, except those who have not been cleared by the biometric capture committee or those whose appointments were terminated for using fake certificates. According to the spe-

cial adviser, “In the state, salaries has been paid up to October 2014 and we are hoping to pay that of November next week. This was not done deliberately, but that it came up as a result of dwindling federal allocation, money accruing to states have been dropping consistently in the last seven months due to a fall in the price of oil price and it might likely go worse, this is the situation of the state civil servants.”

Emir seeks end to insurgency

PDP, LP, APC constitute campaign teams in Benue

Hassan Jirgi

Cephas Iorhemen

DAMATURU

fter the attack on Babangida, the headquarter of Tarmuwa Local Government area of Yobe State by suspected Boko Haram members, the Emir of Jajere, Alhaji Hamza Buba Mashion, has called on political leaders in the country, who are behind the insecurity in the north to accept peace in order to

pave way for development. The emir spoke yesterday in his palace in Babangida, headquarter of the local government. According to him, the current crisis has become a serious source of concern for the people. He said all hands must be on deck to arrest the situation, urging politicians, government officials, traditional rulers and community leaders to rise to the challenge.

MAKURDI

s the count down to the February general election continues, political parties in Benue State have commenced the constitution of their campaign teams to enable them sell their programmes to the electorate. New Telegraph gathered that the campaign

team for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been constituted with former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, leading the team. At the Labour Party (LP) secretariat, the party’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Inyaregh, said the party has also constituted its team, which he said will soon be inaugurated to pave way for aggressive campaign.

he Jigawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in this year’s elections, Alhaji Aminu Ringim, has assured the people of the state of purposeful leadership, if given the mandate. Speaking on his campaign mission in Hadejia, Ringim said the next PDP government will consolidate on the legacies of the present administration for the development of the state in a manner devoid of attention on race, emirate dichotomy or religion. “I will like to assure all PDP supporters as well Jigawa State indigines that the PDP government, if voted into power, will try to foster unity, hard work, among others, for the overall interest and de-

velopment of the people.” According to him, we pledged to uphold the good legacies of the present administration of Governor Sule Lamido, as he will remain our mentor and adviser at all times in our quest to move the state forward. Earlier in his speech, Governor Lamido called on PDP supporters in the state to guard against electoral lawlessness, stressing that he will shun politics of rancour, intimidation and rather uphold politics of tolerance for the success of the PDP at polls. Also speaking, the Director General of the PDP gubernatorial campaign organisation, Alhaji Isa Ahmad Duniya Ba Hutu, cautioned PDP supporters across the state to be wary of political violence in the caurse of campaign before the election.

‘Kogi’s moves to set up LGA caretaker, illegal’ Muhammad Bashir LOKOJA

he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State yesterday urged the state government to suspend its plan to set up local government caretaker committees in the state, saying it is illegal and against the constitution. Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, who stated this yesterday in Lokoja while addressing members of the APC on the forthcoming general election, said there is an earlier judgement on the issue of the constitution of caretaker committees by the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, where he pronounced any form of caretaker committees in

the state under any guise as illegal. The state government had last month dissolved the 21 local government chairmen, following a state high court judgement that ordered that all the council chairmen should handover to their subordinates, as the umpire, KOSIEC, that conducted their election was illegally constituted. The government, who through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, subsequently asked the council chairmen to hand over to the most senior officer in their respective local governments, pending the conduct of another local government election, is to be compiling lists of caretaker committee chairmen to man the various councils.

50 WORLD | News

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Boehner overcomes big opposition to remain Speaker

ohn Boehner was elected to a third term as Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday after a tense floor vote that saw a remarkably large chunk of his own party attempt to remove him. Opposition to Boehner doubled from the last election for Speaker in 2013, when a dozen Republicans voted against him. He ultimately received 216 votes, enough to fend off an embarrassing vote on a second ballot but plenty to reinforce the notion that Boehner is struggling to maintain control over restive House Republicans. The dramatic scene played out before live television cameras, as members were called upon one-by-one

to stand and name who they were backing to serve as the next Speaker. Despite the opposition facing him, Boehner was greeted by a standing ovation after he was nominated by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers on Tuesday and his wife, Debbie, watched the floor action from the Speaker’s box. Boehner begins the 114th Congress with a new Republican controlled Senate and big plans to enact a conservative agenda. President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leadership next week. But the contentious election just to secure Boehner’s job is a sign that the same dynamic he’s seen in the last four years- resis-

tance from conservatives will continue to hamper his ability to govern the House. The Speaker began reaching out to members the day after the midterm elections, and he and his allies continued to make calls and appeals for support right up until the vote on Tuesday afternoon, according to a senior House

GOP leadership aide. As the top fundraiser for his party he raised over $100 million for GOP members and candidates and traveled to more than 150 events over the 2014 midterm cycle. But Boehner’s time and effort on behalf of other Republicans didn’t automatically earn him another term

in the Speaker’s chair. Incoming freshman GOP Rep Lee Zeldin, of New York, who Boehner stumped for shortly before his election, told CNN hours before the vote he was still keeping his options open. He noted that since the roll call would be alphabetical he would be one of the last to cast his ballot.

Activists urge government to arrest fugitive DR Congo warlord

uman Rights Watch called yesterday for determined efforts to bring warlord Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka to justice for mass rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo four years after authorities ordered his detention. “An arrest warrant alone won’t stop a rebel leader like Sheka from committing atrocities,” said Ida Sawyer, a senior researcher for the New York-based watchdog. “The army and UN peacekeepers should increase their efforts to arrest him before more civilians suffer.” Since authorities issued the warrant for the leader of the Mai Mai Sheka tribal militia in 2011, his force has killed at least 70 people, many of them slaughtered with machetes, according a Human Rights Watch count. “In some cases, Sheka’s fighters mutilated the bodies of those they killed and later paraded the

body parts of their victims around town, while chanting ethnic slurs,” according to the rights group. The call for Sheka’s arrest came as UN troops from the 20,000-strong MONUSCO force in the DR Congo took up positions yesterday to support a government offensive against another rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in the country’s restive east. The international community last July gave the Rwandan rebels until January 2 to give themselves up or face military action. While hundreds have given up, most of the fighters have dug in and refused to surrender. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Sheka’s group, also active in the east, terrorised local people with systematic rape and forced conscription from communities in the unstable Walikale and Masisi territories of North Kivu province.

Tabloid, prominent Germans condemn anti-Muslim rallies

op-selling German tabloid Bild and 50 prominent Germans called yesterday for an end to what they see as rising xenophobia, a day after thousands of protesters in several German cities rallied against Muslim immigration. Monday’s rallies, organized by a new grassroots movement called PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, have become a weekly event in the eastern city of Dresden. Some 18,000 people, the biggest number so far, turned out in Dresden but similar rallies in Berlin and the western city of Cologne were heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters who accuse

PEGIDA of fanning racism and intolerance. Bild published a ‘No to PEGIDA’ appeal yesterday, covering the front page and a double page spread on page 2 and 3 with quotes from the 50 politicians and celebrities. “(They) are saying ‘no’ to xenophobia and ‘yes’ to diversity and tolerance,” Bild’s deputy editor, Bela Anda, wrote in a commentary. “We should not hand over our streets to hollow rallying cries.” In Dresden, the PEGIDA protesters waved Germany’s black, red and gold flag and brandished posters bearing slogans such as “Against religious fanaticism and every kind of radicalism”.

Boehner

Family of Al-Jazeera journalist requests his deportation

he family of a CanadianEgyptian journalist for Al-Jazeera English who is imprisoned in Egypt said yesterday they have requested his deportation and were told by a senior official the process is in its “final stages.” Three Al-Jazeera English journalists, Canadian-Egyptian Mohammed Fahmy, Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohammed have been held for more than a year on terror-related charges. Last week, an Egyptian court ordered a retrial, after a Greste and Fahmy had been sentenced to seven years in prison and Mohammed to 10 years last June. The case has sparked widespread condemnation from international rights groups and other media outlets, who

say the journalists have been unjustly jailed for doing their job. Greste’s family said they have also applied for deportation. In their initial trial, prosecutors presented no concrete evidence, only samples of the team’s news reports on protests, with no proof of falsification or of an alleged connection to the Muslim Brotherhood. The group was designated a terrorist organization following the military’s ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. In November President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi issued a new decree granting him the power to deport foreign defendants convicted or accused of crimes, a move that could allow him to free Fahmy and Greste. However, Mohammed’s case remains more uncertain as he

holds only Egyptian citizenship. In an opinion piece published yesterday in the New York Times, Fahmy said the journalists have been “pawns in a geopolitical game that had nothing to do with our work as impartial professionals.” The case is believed to stem from Egypt’s rivalry with Qatar, which funds Doha-based Al-Jazeera, and which was a close ally of Morsi. In recent weeks Egypt and Qatar have moved to thaw relations, raising hopes the three journalists could be freed. “I would like to remind Mr. Sisi that in the war he is waging against the cancer of political Islam and its violent offspring, journalists are not enemies but allies. We expose the truth about the terrorism he is striving to defeat,” Fahmy wrote.

Female suicide bomber strikes in Istanbul, injures two policemen

urkish authorities say a female suicide bomber blew herself up in Istanbul yesterday, injuring two policemen. Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said the woman entered a police station and reported a missing wallet before detonating a bomb. The attack occurred in the Sultan

Ahmet district, a popular tourist destination. It is the second attack on police in a week in Istanbul. Last Thursday, police subdued a man after he threw grenades and fired a weapon at officers near the offices of the prime minister. The leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation

Party-Front, or DHKP-C, said it carried out the Thursday attack. Sahin said that police are still trying to identify the woman who died in yesterday’s attack. “She spoke in English, entered (the police station) on the pretext that she had lost her wallet,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

International Sport

Sport News

2015 AFCON

I want to be the best –Enyeama

Madrid derby: Ancelotti vows to field strong squad against Atletico

Gyan: No Ghana bonus row

Sport Ifeanyi Ibeh

ormer European champions, AC Milan, have set their sights on securing the services of Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, as they look to make a push for a top-three finish in the Italian Serie A. Milan missed out on both the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League season after finishing eighth at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign. Now managed by former star striker, Filippo Inzaghi, the Rossoneri are in seventh place, one point away from the last available slot for the Europa League, currently occupied by Genoa, and five points adrift of Lazio, who occupy the third and final Champions League spot. A top-three finish will guarantee the seven-time winner of the UEFA Champions League a place in next season’s competition, and having recently reinforced their squad with Italian striker, Alessio Cerci, speculation in the Italian press has it that the Rossoneri are turning their attention to midfield candidates with Mikel one of the those mentioned. According to Italian newspaper, Tuttosport, the Nigerian midfielder, who has found regular first team football hard to come by this season, even though he remains in the plans of Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, has caught the attention of Inzaghi, who wants the Nigerian star on loan for the remainder of the season. Milan already have another Chelsea player, Marco Van Ginkel, on loan at the San Siro, but the midfielder has failed to

Did you know? That David Beckham scored that unreal halfway line goal against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996-97 season

Mikel on AC Milan radAr impress so far and Inzaghi is looking at the possibility of sending him back to the English Premier League club and making a bid for Mikel. Van Ginkel has had very little playing time and Inzaghi declared on Monday that he cannot guarantee a starting spot for the Dutchman, prompting speculation that the midfielder may return to Lon-

don in advance. Other midfielders mentioned in the report are Atletico Madrid’s Mario Suarez and Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Motta. Suarez however represents a difficult option as the Spanish club is unwilling to let him go on loan, while Brazilianborn Motta seems a more realistic loan target as he is in conflict with the reigning French champions.

Mikel

Ideye sets uphill target for self l I want to score in every match Adekunle Salami

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sports Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sports Correspondent

Ideye (right)

uper Eagles striker, Brown Ideye, has set a tough target for himself in the English Premier League despite having a rather slow start in the ongoing season. So far, the Africa Nations Cup gold winner has managed to score two goals in all competitions and he is hoping to get better. He has featured in 12 games this term. Ideye told newsmen on Tuesday in the UK that his target was to help his side win games, even as he admitted it would be difficult. Ideye, who moved to the EPL last summer from Dynamo Kiev with a club transfer fee of 10m pounds is not having a smooth run in his first season.

He however vowed to hit the target in every game for the club till the end of the season. Ideye said “The most important thing is to try and win each game, though I know this could be difficult. I want to be at my best and I know that will be good enough to score in every game, that’s the target of every striker. I know it is about working very hard and doing so for the team,” the 26-year old told footballlive. Ideye is linked with a move away from the Hawthorns with rumored interests coming from Sunderland in the January transfer window. West Brom Manager, Tony Pulis, is hoping to boost his team in the current transfer window but he is not ready to release Ideye, who is gradually finding his rhythm in the team.

SPORT

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Pinnick orders Eduok out of Eagles’ camp

Enyeama

I want to be the best –Enyeama Ifeanyi Ibeh

uper Eagles goalkeeper and skipper, Vincent Enyeama, has set his sights on becoming the best shotstopper in the world. The Lille of France star, who was speaking in the aftermath of his selection as Goal.com’s Nigerian Player of the Year, said: “I am really happy to have won this award. I was already hoping to win it. And I would like to thank all my teammates at Lille and the Nigerian national team. I think it’s really hard for a goal-

keeper to be recognised. “I want to win every match. Every day, I give my best to be better than yesterday. My target is to become the best goalkeeper in the world. This is my dream, and I’m working hard for it. I’m not yet at my best level, I have many things to work out,” added the former Enyimba goalkeeper, who polled 55 per cent of the votes cast by followers of the website ahead of Ahmed Musa, Obafemi Martins, Mfon Udoh and Ikechukwu Uche. Asked to recall his most memorable save, Enyeama, who led the Super Eagles to

the knockout rounds of the 2014 World Cup, said: “It’s very difficult to say because there have been so many matches, so many saves in my career so far. “Sometimes double saves, triple saves in a match... I can’t really choose one. But if I had to choose one moment, I think it was the last-minute save against Bosnia,” added Enyeama, referring to the last minute save he made in Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Bosnia which paved the way for the team’s progress to the second round at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

and administrators by the continents’ highest football authority and bankrolled by one of Africa’s biggest brands, Globacom. In a press statement in Lagos on Wednesday, Globacom said: “the Glo-CAF Awards 2014 will parade the greatest African football legends, including the new African Footballer of the Year and winners in 12 other categories.” The categories include African Player of The Year (Based in Africa), National

Team of The Year, Club of The Year, and Coach of The Year. Other categories are Women’s National Team of The Year, Women’s Footballer of The Year, Most Promising Talent, Referee of The Year, Legend of The year, Fair Play Award, Platinum Award and Africa Finest XI. CAF recently released the final list of three shortlisted players competing for the prized African Footballer of the Year awards.

Hayatou, others arrive for Glo-CAF Awards A ward recipients, sports dignitaries led by the President of CAF, Mr. Issa Hayatou and executive members of the continental body, CAF, have started arriving in Lagos for the Glo-CAF awards gala night scheduled to hold on Thursday (tomorrow) at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. The awards are the most prestigious in Africa, conferred on outstanding players, coaches, supporters

Igiebor’s miss in contention for season’s worst Olaide Olayinka

igeria international Nosa Igiebor on Sunday produced a horrific miss in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s goalless draw against Austin Ejide’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva that is now in contention for the miss of the season. With time running out in the first half, the former Lillestrom of Norway midfielder had a great chance to put his side ahead after Ejide spilled a tame shot onto his path. But Igiebor somehow

Igiebor

contrived to skew his shot wide off the post from barely four yards out, and according to givemesport. com, Igiebor’s tame effort at goal is now a contender

for miss of the season. Igiebor, who recently played for Spanish side Real Betis before moving to Israel at the start of the 2014/2015 season, has scored just one goal in the current campaign. The 24-year-old is not a reputable goal scorer as he only scored twice during the two seasons he spent at Real Betis. Igiebor, who has been capped seven times for Nigeria, has scored twice for the Super Eagles and was a member of the victorious 2013 Africa Cup of Nations side.

resident of Nigeria he/she an agent or player Football Federation, manager or an official of Mr. Amaju Melvin his club, will be duly sancPinnick has ordered Dol- tioned,” Pinnick said at the phins FC of Port Harcourt NFF Secretariat in Abuja. star Emem Eduok out The NFF President has of the camp of Super mandated the Chairman of Eagles’ B, preparing for Technical and Development two international friend- Committee, Chief Felix ly matches in the United Anyansi-Agwu to conduct Arab Emirates. “We are not happy with the cloud of controversy over his transfer issue and it is a terrible distraction to the team and Nigeria football generally. “Telling him to leave the camp does not mean we are indicting him. We will carry out an investigation and Eduok whoever is found guilty, be

an investigation into the matter and report back to the Executive Committee at its meeting in Lagos on Thursday. “We have to do this (send the boy out of camp) to serve as a deterrent to others. We are not blaming the player for anything yet; investigation will unravel who is guilty. But the distraction and controversy the matter has generated is not good for the camp.” The Super Eagles B are preparing to face 2015 Africa Cup of Nations – bound Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and will then play Sudan in Dubai on January 17.

Man City request Iheanacho’s transfer certificate

Iheanacho (right)

anchester City have moved to give Nigeria teenage star Kelechi Iheanacho a professional contract after they officially made a request for his International Transfer Certificate. The youngster joined the club after a stellar performance at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup, and im-

pressed even further during City’s pre-season tour of the United States. Although Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini is reported to be keen on keeping the youngster, he was unable to sign a professional contract until he turned 18 last October. With the opening of the transfer window, the club has immediately moved to secure his documentation, according to a source familiar with the situation “Manchester City have applied for Iheanacho’s ITC,” a source at Taye Football Academy, which owns the player, informed ColinUdoh.com, saying there should be no impediments to the document being issued. “The NFF has contacted us to confirm his status and the ITC should be issued within the next day or two.”

ITF Junior Champs: Ping pongers target dominant outing Ajibade Olusesan

igerian junior team is bidding to continue last year’s excellent run when the 2015 ITF West and Central Africa Junior Championship serves off in Lome, Togo, from January 9-14. According to the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Sani Ndanusa, the mission of the team is to consolidate on Nigeria’s outstanding

performance last year. “We are looking forward to a great tournament in Togo and by extension the whole year because we want to achieve a better result than what we had last year which no doubt ranks as one of our best in recent years. Our target is to raise the bar by posting a far more impressive result this year,” Ndanusa declared. Coach Mohammed Ubale has selected five

boys and four girls that will represent the country at the tournament, and our correspondent learnt that the team will travel to the venue of the competition on Thursday. The players are Martins Abamu, Godsgift Timibra, Michael Ayoola, Oshewa Michael Mathew Abamu (all boys) while the girls players are Angel McCleod, Adetayo Adetunji, Lolade Holmes and Oyinlola Quadri.

Pepsi 3-A-side Soccer excite families I t was a Yuletide season like no other as families thronged the just ended Lagos Countdown at the Bar Beach seeking fun. Pepsi Pavilion was a major attraction as it provided various sports entertainment such as 3-aside football, Pepsi Game Machine and Messi Ville, a kaleidoscope of Lionel Messi’s life size mannequin-like woodwork that provided a background for photos. The Pepsi 3-aside tournament saw children, youths and mothers play with one another in exciting and hilarious soccer games that drew crowds to the barbwired

astro turf. Over 120 teams participated. The youngsters who displayed skills that professional players would envy were offered the challenge of a lifetime when some of their mothers trooped to the venue demanding to play against them. The game drew a large crowd to Pepsi pavilion as passersby wanted to be part of the excitement. Winners and losers got prizes after each match in the tournament. Head of Marketing, Seven-Up Bottling Company, Norden Thurston, said: “Everybody needs their family to support them.

SPORT 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Transfer news Real linked with shock move for Yaya

eal Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti R is reportedly eyeing a move for Man City powerhouse Yaya Toure

according to Italian website, CalcioMercato. Ancelotti has a raft of central midfield options though Toure would offer Real Madrid the benefit of some added steel whilst also providing a real threat in the final third. players like of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos do not offer a great deal in terms of a goal-threat and are not known for their crunching tackles.

Madrid derby: Ancelotti vows to field strong squad against Atletico

Gerrard set for LA Galaxy move

captain Steven Gerrard is on Ldealiverpool the verge of finalising an 18-month to join Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 34-year-old will sign a contract worth about £6m across 18 months, making him one of the highest earners in Major League Soccer. An announcement is expected this week following Friday’s shock news that Gerrard will quit Liverpool at the end of the season. He will be available to join the Galaxy once his Reds contract expires in June. David Beckham famously spent five years at the LA club until 2012, while Gerrard’s ex-Liverpool team-mate Robbie Keane currently plays for the Galaxy.

‘New Higuain’ to join Arsenal

rsenal are reportedly close to wrapping up a deal to sign young Boca Juniors A hotshot Jonathan Calleri, according to

the Metro. Calleri has been labelled as the ‘new Gonzalo Higuain’ and has emerged on Arsenal’s radar recently with a number of the club’s scouts heading over to Argentina to keep an eye on his development. Capable of playing up front or on the wing, the 21-year-old only joined Boca over the summer from fellow Argentine outfit All Boys.

Aston Villa eye Sinclair move

ston Villa are preparing a bid for forgotAaccording ten Manchester City man Scott Sinclair to British newspaper, The Ex-

press. The midfielder’s promising career was stunted by a big move to the Etihad three years ago and was not helped by an unsuccessful loan spell at West Brom last season. The 25-year-old, who starred in Swansea City’s promotion play-off win over Reading in 2011, has made just 18 appearances for the Citizens since 2012 and is thought to be available for a good price given his current circumstances.

Ronaldo (left)

Szczesny faces fine for smoking

rsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could be fined by the club following reports he smoked in the showers after the 2-0 Premier League defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day. Former midfielder John Jensen, a close friend of current assistant boss Steve Bould, alleged during comments made as a media pundit for Danish TV at Sunday’s FA Cup third round win over Hull that Szczesny had been involved in a heated bust-up with manager Arsene Wenger and was subsequently dropped in favour of David Ospina - a claim which Arsenal have denied. Reports have since emerged the player had a cigarette following the match at St Mary’s Stadium, during which he was at fault for the goals, though the club refused to comment on speculation the goalkeeper could be fined when contacted by ESPN.

we know it will be a difficult game against one of the best teams in Europe. They have quality, they’re battlers and they’re well organised. “Our planning remains the same. We’ll play with our own identity, our own philosophy and our own quality. Everyone has their own ideas about football and I don’t think there’s any novelties in that regard. Atlético are going to prepare for the game with intensity and we will too. The team who does most out on the pitch, will be the winner,” he said.

Serena in shock loss in Hopman Cup

ORLD No.1 Serena Williams was left searching for answers after her unexplained tiredness continued during her shock 6-2 6-1 Hopman Cup loss to Canadian Eugenie Bouchard on Tuesday night. Williams, who needed a mid-match coffee, to get over Italian Flavia Pennetta on Monday, again looked flat in her second match of the year. The 33-year-old battled to hold serve throughout the 50-minute contest, and appeared lethargic in her attempts to chase down balls. ”I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m so tired,” Williams said after the match. “It’s weird. I can’t get my body to move.

Serena

I feel like I’ve got no energy. “It’s a little frustrating because I know I can play two thousand times better.” Williams arrived in Perth from America on Saturday, but she doesn’t think the fatigue is purely due to jetlag.

COUNTDOWN TO 2015 AFCON

Gyan: No Ghana bonus row

hana captain Asamoah Gyan has revealed there are no pending issues regarding player bonuses ahead of the 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. The country’s Ministry of Youth and Sports proposed a flat $5,000 for each of the Black Stars players for their group-stage matches, which will see them take on Senegal, Algeria and South Africa in Group C in Mongomo. The agreement was reached well before the start of AFCON 2015 in a bid to avoid the same situation which marred the Black Stars’ preparations heading into the 2014 World Cup, where the players had threatened to boycott the Brazil

Le Roy drops Maboulou laude Le Roy has decided to drop Christopher Maboulou on the eve of naming his final 23-man 2015 Africa Cup team. The 24-year-old French-born midfielder was set for his Africa Cup debut after deciding to play for Congo. Maboulou, of French Ligue 1 club Bastia, has failed to turn up for training camp reportedly after his passport expired. However, Le Roy decided not to wait any longer for Maboulou leaving the coach with 25 players left before dropping two players on Wednesday’s CAF teamlist submission deadline. Congo are currently in Senegal where the team has set-up camp in Dakar and where they

eading into the Copa del Rey derby with Atlético Madrid on Wednesday night Carlo Ancelotti highlighted what will be a tough encounter for Real Madrid, but with the assurance that his team will compete to the best of their ability. “We’re entirely focused on a game that will be difficult. We still have the same fight and desire to keep doing well, just as we have so far. To beat Atlético we’ll have to give our best. We know them very well and

will play Cape Verde in a friendly on January 10. Congo are in Group A together with 2014 runners-up Burkina Faso, Gabon and hosts Equatorial Guinea.

Gyan

showpiece following a row over unpaid bonuses. Speaking to Football411’s Ghana correspondent Russel Wiafe, Gyan said: “The ministry and the GFA met us and we have come to an agreement, so for now the players are okay and we are ready to go for the African Cup of Nations. “We had a very successful meeting with the ministry of youth and sports and the GFA to discuss this matter and at the end of the meeting everybody was happy. “The team and the playing body don’t want to repeat what happened when we went for the World Cup and so that is why it was important for us to thrash it out before going for our last training camp in Spain.

Elephants hit camp in Abu Dhabi

C Maboulou

ôte d’Ivoire have begun their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations preparation in Abu Dhabi. National coach Hervé Renard directed their first training session on Tuesday afternoon at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Sports Complex, in the absence of Wilfried

Bony and the Touré brothers who are expected to join the rest of the group shortly. However, injured SaintEtienne duo Ismaël Diomandé and Max Gradel made it to the United Arab Emirates and should be able to fully recover before the tournament kicks off. The Elephants will face

Nigeria on January 11 and Sweden on January 15 in warm-up friendlies, before heading to Malabo where they will begin their continental campaign against Guinea on January 20. Yaya Touré and his teammates will then face their two other Group D opponents, Mali and Cameroon.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

In search of the Centenary projects The

Gauntlet

LAURENCE ANI

laurence.ani@newtelegraphonline.com 0803 811 4560 (sms only)

ometime in 2012, I listened to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, give a talk about the propriety of celebrating Nigeria’s centenary. The enthusiastic pitch by the former Senate president also included an outline of activities and projects conceived to make the celebration a fittingly remarkable one. It has to be said though that not everyone in that audience comprising mostly journalists shared Anyim’s enthusiasm. But his assurance that the centenary celebration would be funded by the private sector doused cynicism to a large degree. However, more than two years after that gathering, the cynicism hasn’t merely returned with an even greater intensity, there is a sense of rage at having been taken for a ride. With barely any trace of nearly all the centenary projects Anyim had outlined, it seems he had made those promises confident that he’s unlikely to be held to account because Nigerians will, typically, be preoccupied with some other pressing issues to notice that neither have sports facilities been built in every federal university nor the pledge to build “unity squares” in every state capital been kept. Those two were listed among the projects which Anyim said his committee would launch to “complement the centenary celebrations”. The others include the following: construction of

Anyim

new Abuja City Gate; Abuja Centenary City; Medical diagnostic centres, one in each geo-political zone; ICT centres in all the universities that are yet to have one; modern libraries in six universities, one in each geo-political zone; science laboratories in six universities, one in each geo-political zone; police crime laboratories, one in each of the six geo-political zones; upgrade of the National War Museum in Umuahia, Museum of Colonial History in Lokoja and Aba, and the National Museum within the Old Residency in Calabar; and establishing a dialysis centre in each geo-political zone. Most of these may never have gone beyond the paper on which Anyim’s speech had been written, but there is one project the committee has pursued with a vigour so apparent that it raises a red flag given their rather tepid attitude to those projects with a more utilitarian value - Abuja Centenary City. It should have been obvious in hindsight, for Anyim was quite effusive whenever he spoke of the Centenary City. “One of the endearing legacies of the celebration shall be the development of a Centenary City in Abuja,” he said during the forum in Lagos with journalists. “The city is conceived to focus the attention of the investing world to Nigeria in a way that has never been done before. The successes of such cities as Dubai, Monaco, Shenzhen, Singapore and lately Songdo, have shown that development of certain class of

cities is the strongest social, political and economic tool to securing foreign investment.” The Centenary City is today developing at a frenetic pace even if no disclosure of the entities behind the investments has been made; a shortcoming that often fuels suspicions that the promoters may be profiting from a process in which they ought to be mere arbiters. It’s hard to believe that it’s a wholly private sector-driven project with the ease in securing the Federal Capital Territory’s Land Swap Agreement ordinarily dogged by red tape. Indeed, you could glimpse this “smart city” being “built from the scratch on more than 1,000 hectares of virgin land” some 10 kilometres from the Abuja airport, redolent of that snobbish wealth that drains a city’s soul and shuts its gate to the society’s less fortunate. Surely, business is booming for the promoters as evident in the series of full page colour adverts in some national dailies. One of the messages read: “Launching on December 2, The Address Residence Abuja; Located in the heart of a gated community in the Free Zone, Centenary Economic City; Three, four, five and six-bedroom luxury serviced villas; One, two and three-bedroom premium serviced apartments; Register Now - Centenary City.” The promoters might succeed in the bid to create a settlement with trappings similar to Dubai’s, but the success of cities are not determined simply by the number of high rise structures their skyline teems with, or by the quality of the aesthetics they flaunt. The way cities cater to the needs of the vulnerable is just as important as any other indices against which cutting edge real estate are benchmarked. A real estate developed as a memorial to Nigeria’s centenary anniversary would make sense if it accommodates the extremely wealthy, the middle class and people on the society’s lower rung in the same manner that Festac Town in Lagos strikes a resonant chord. Of course, Festac Town would always be a reference point because the transparency of the scheme ensured that clerical officers in the civil service could actually own homes and live few metres away from permanent secretaries in their ministry! Anyim and his committee members will no doubt consider that class-blind policy an aberration possible only in history journals. Such callous planning - no doubt shaped by greed - entirely negates the premise on which the centenary celebration is anchored. “We must use the occasion of our centenary celebration to affirm to ourselves that Nigeria is not an accident,” Anyim gushed. “We must celebrate because our unity is the common symbol of our collective existence. Our celebrations will be strong and forceful in replacing pessimism with optimism.” Today, whatever cautious optimism I had mustered after listening to Anyim’s passionate delivery has given way to cynicism - even anger. Anger, because it’s disappointing to note that we always seem to act in a predictably selfish and conceited manner, and to be less scrupulous in aborting excellent dreams.

And The Final Word ... The Pleasant Keem I hope the “Keem” here won’t be misconstrued. I’m not referring to the wayward “Kim” who tried to “break” our beloved Internet with that famous asset she has reportedly insured for $1m; I’m talking about the demure boardroom guru, Hakeem Bello-Osagie. The chairman of Etisalat Nigeria revealed in a recent interview the philosophy that shaped his decision to accept an offer to chair the board of Chocolate City, a music production start-up, despite the wife’s protest that it would undermine the image which sitting on the boards of blue chip companies for years had nurtured. He wanted to inspire young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas, he said. That’s an inclination sorely absent among mainstream business owners in Nigeria. There probably would have been no company like Apple if more established businessmen had not taken the risk to invest in a start-up floated by two youngsters who wore beards and bushy hair that made them look like hippies. Today, Apple is the world’s most valuable company.

... The Glass House Myth This is the assumption that ex-footballers make better coaches. The folly in this thought prevalent among Nigeria’s football administration is evident in the many disastrous results posted by teams coached by exfootballers supposedly more adept at the art. Such flawed thinking is the reason there is now a swarm of exinternationals lobbying to be given managerial roles at the country’s national teams, despite not having any practical coaching experience. There are many accomplished managers of A-list club sides in European leagues who were not professional footballers, confirming the old saying that you really do not need to have been a horse to be a good jockey.

... A Dog in the Manger There’s no attitude in contemporary Nigerian politics so reminiscent of that story in Aesop’s Fable about a dog that took over a manger even though it couldn’t eat the hay meant for the horses and cows, than the sanctimonious posturing of ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Like the dog in that story, he is driven by an urge that could be summarised thus: “No one should be seen as having scored a performance that eclipses mine.” Or its more malevolent variant: “If I can’t wield the influence I’m accustomed to, then no one who sits on the throne I vacated should reign in peace.” A statesman is one who understands the virtue of restraint and decorous attitude; not one who acts like an aging mafia boss, utterly peeved by his waning influence and determined to bring everyone to ruin in revenge. Follow me on Twitter @AniLaurence

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Laurence Ani

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble

In search of the Centenary projects

NIGERIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Eleanor Roosevelt

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Challenges in prosecuting terror suspects

n the 10th day of January 2014, Major General Chris Olukolade announced that President Goodluck Jonathan had ordered the release of 165 suspected terrorists. He told the nation that among the persons to be released were suspects arrested by security forces in different military operations in the North East of Nigeria. He also informed Nigerians that a 19-member team comprising the military, police, officials of the Federal and State Ministries of Justice, Immigration, Prisons and Customs was set up by the Defense Headquarters in July, 2013 and saddled with the responsibility of examining, classifying and recommending appropriate actions against detainees apprehended during operations in the North East. He stated further that on the 4th day of December 2013 the team recommended that 500 out of almost 1, 400 of the Boko Haram suspects screened, be made to face immediate trial. The team recommended the release of 167 of the detainees from detention and a review of about 614 inconclusive cases. Of the number recommended for trial by the 19-member team, not up to five have been taken to court and I am not sure that any of them has been convicted and/or discharged. In relation to the suspects recommended for release, I do not know the number that has been so far released. However, on the 6th day of November, 2014 the military authorities released 42 suspects and on the 8th day of November 2014, they released 125 suspects. It is possible that those released are part of those recommended for release in 2013 or they may be fresh ones outside the 2013 batch. The military authorities are holding those being processed under the Terrorism (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2013 which amends the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, No. 10 of 2011. Under the said amendment, the court may, pursuant to an ex-parte application, grant an order for the detention of a suspect under the Act for a period not exceeding 90 days subject to renewal for a similar period until the conclusion of the investigation and prosecution of the matter. The Terrorism (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2013 radically changed the presumption of innocence which is at the heart of the corpus of our jurisprudence and sanctions detention without trial. But we live in unusual times and the country is going through a challenging period. However, whether the Terrorism (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2013 is reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists in Nigeria at this point in time is left to the courts to decide. But the prolonged detention of suspects before being released and the non-prosecution of those ordered to be prosecuted are symptomatic of our approach to serious national challenges. It is no longer news to state that we did not prepare for large scale insurgency that swept through Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States leaving in its wake deaths, destruction and countless number of internally and externally displaced persons. We did not prepare for the suicide bombings that took place and are still taking place in different parts of the country. This explains our difficulty in fashioning modern, creative and well thought

Hard Choices FESTUS OKOYE

festokoye2003@yahoo.com 08054480565 (sms only)

Suspects

out strategies of countering insurgency. Because we did not prepare, we thought that insurgency can only be crushed with military might without the support of the communities and major stakeholders in the communities under the grip of insurgency. I presume that we now know better. My focus today is on the prosecution of those recommended to be prosecuted, a prima facie case having been made out against them. Whatever our objections are, our jurisprudence is still solidly tied to the adversarial system. No matter the level of our revulsion and no matter the gravity of the offence an accused person is suspected of, our jurisprudence still insists that those suspected of having committed a criminal offence are presumed innocent until found guilty before a properly constituted court of law. Our jurisprudence is also firmly grounded on the fact that suspicion no matter how grave cannot ground a conviction. This is based on the fact that conviction can only be secured on the basis of solid evidence and not on mere conjectures. Our Courts of law have pointed out consistently that no accused person can be convicted on mere suspicion as suspicion no matter how strong, cannot ground a conviction. Why then has it become impossible to take accused persons to court? Will suspects and those against whom a prima facie case has been established be held ad infinitum? We have to interrogate some of these things as they have serious implications on the fundamental rights of the people of Nigeria and our tolerance of certain derogations that are reasonably justifiable in a democratic society in the

interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons. These derogations are not absolute and the Terrorism (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2013 must follow the fundamental law of the law and not assume the status of the grundnorm. The first challenge to the prosecution of terror suspects relates to the quality of investigation being carried out on the arrest of terror suspects. Some of those involved in the interrogation and investigation of terror suspects lack the requisite knowledge and skill to carry out quality investigation and interrogation that can stand the test of bombardment in court. Some of them do not know that investigation does not begin and end with the arrest and extracting of confessional statement from suspects by hook or crook. Those that are trained in criminal investigation know that investigation is necessary to determine whether a crime has been committed; to prove the guilt of the suspect based on facts, to identify and locate the culprit, to provide evidence and basis for successful prosecution, to exonerate those that are innocent and to suggest possible means and ways of preventing or degrading future occurrence. The investigation in this case can be constructive or reconstructive but whichever it is, those that are trained conduct preliminary investigation , follow up and conclusion before arriving in court. There are also technical steps that must be carefully followed. These include interviews and interrogation, recording of statements, visiting the scene of crime, handling of

exhibits, report writing and prosecution. The truth of the matter is that when people rush to court without conducting thorough investigation and carrying out expert interrogation, their case will collapse like a pack of cards. These are some of the reasons why some of the terror suspects are hardly taken to court for prosecution. Moreover, insurgency and suicide bombing are relatively new in our shores. Their investigation requires technical expertise and some of our prosecutors do not have that technical expertise to investigate and prosecute insurgents and terror suspects. It is therefore honourable to recognize and acknowledge deficiencies and seek help from climes and jurisdictions with some level of knowledge and expertise in the prosecution of terror suspects. More fundamentally, Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice can only draft charges and begin the prosecution of offenders when they receive and analyze case files from the Police or the agency that carried out the investigation and interrogation. The Prosecutor can only make a determination and exercise his discretion to prosecute or not based on the quality and quantum of evidence in the case file handed over to him. The prosecutor may develop new lines of investigation based on reading of the case file and analysis of the law. The prosecutor may decide to drop the charges based on insufficient evidence. The worst thing that can happen to a prosecutor is to approach the court with the result of a worthless investigation. When this happens and accused persons are discharged, the public may turn round to blame the courts for being soft on criminals and/or aiding criminals to escape justice. The second challenge is that no concrete security arrangement has been made for Counsel in the Federal and State Ministries of Justice for the prosecution of terror offenders. It may sound pedantic or unpatriotic but the truth of the matter is that Judges and Counsel that step forward to handle cases of terror suspects deserve some form of protection. A prosecutor cannot leave his base in Abuja and drive 300 kilometers to court to prosecute a terror suspect or suspects without security cover. It is not right and should not be encouraged. The third issue is that we must use the Terrorism (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2013 humanely. We cannot just round up women and children and dump them in detention for over one year and just wake up one morning and ask them to go home. Suspects must be processed expeditiously. Those that are detained for longer periods and found to be clean must be compensated and assisted to rebuild their lives. The callous treatment of suspects that are clean can only turn them into converts for the merchants of terror. We must therefore build the capacity of our Investigators, prosecutors and judges in the investigation, prosecution and disposal of cases of terror suspects. The society will refuse to understand the challenges of prosecuting these categories of persons when they are never taken to court or when taken to court their prosecution is shoddily conducted as a consequence of shoddy investigation.

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