Binder1 july 24, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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Thursday, July 24, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 156

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CBN orders banks, others to donate to terror support fund Ayodele Aminu

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks and discount houses to donate to the Victims Support Fund Committee, set up by Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan to raise funds to assist victims of Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed at least 2,053 civilians in the first half of this year in 95 attacks. The 26-member com-

mittee, chaired by former Minister of Defence, Lt.Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, was inaugurated last week by Jonathan in Abuja. The directive, which was “more or less like an appeal,” was given in

Lagos yesterday by CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a breakfast meeting with banks’ managing directors and those of other financial institutions. New Telegraph had ex-

clusively reported yesterday that the CBN governor summoned the bank chiefs to a meeting without disclosing any agenda. At the meeting, which held at the CBN new head office complex, Emefiele

was said to have told the bank chiefs that President Goodluck Jonathan had appealed to him to seek the support of the financial institutions to contribute to the terror support fund. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Buhari escapes as 82 die in Kaduna bombings

lAPC leader: How I was nearly killed lGovt imposes 24-hour curfew lJonathan orders probe lTinubu condemns attack Anule Emmanuel, Emmanuel Onani, Ibraheem Musa and Walter Uba

former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday escaped death by a whisker in a terrorist attack that ended the almost one-year-terror-free era in Kaduna. The first blast which happened around 12.30pm yesterday, occurred at the Waziri Drive/Alkali road junction, about 700 metres away from Murtala Mohammed Square, Bauchi was closing his annual preaching, but the cleric and his son, Sayyadi Ali, escaped unhurt. The second, in which Buhari, one of the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), escaped unhurt occurred about two hours later at Kawo Market. Three of Buhari’s se-

Rescue workers at the scene of the first bomb blast in Kaduna…yesterday.

Jonathan: We’ve capacity to win terror war lChibok girls will be divinely rescued, says Ezekwesili Onwuka Nzeshi, Yekeen Nurudeen and Wale Elegbede

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday reassured Nigerians and the global community that notwithstanding the

relentless terror attacks by Boko Haram, his administration has the will, the resources and the strategy to win the war against the sect and terrorism.

The president represented by Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Miss Olajumoke Akinjide, told women and youths in Abu-

ja who had staged a threeday protest against Boko Haram and terrorism, as part of activities to mark the 100 days of the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls

from Chibok, Borno State, that the Federal Government had procured new equipment and technology towards strengthening the capability of the military and security forces to deCONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Al-Makura: CJ gets order to set up probe panel

curity details were injured while scores of others were killed. Already, President Goodluck Jonathan, who condemned the attack on Buhari, has ordered security agencies to launch manhunt for sponsors of the attacks and bring them to justice. The Kaduna State Government has also imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state capital. Although the police confirmed 25 killed in the attacks, a Reuters report, citing figures from rescue workers, put the death toll at 82. The first attack of the day was carried out by a suicide bomber who had targeted Bauchi, a moderate Muslim cleric. At least 32 of members of the cleric’s congregation who had CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Oyeyemi emerges new FRSC corps marshal }4 LAGOS

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Jonathan orders probe, Tinubu condemns attacks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

gathered for a religious occasion to mark Ramadan, were killed. About two hours later, another bomber, driving in a Toyota Sienna vehicle, rammed into Buhari’s convoy and detonated the explosive-laden vehicle, killing 50 in the crowded Kawo Market. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either blast, but Boko Haram, which has been staging attacks, especially with explosives, outside its North-East enclave, is believed to be behind the attacks. Giving an account of the incident, Buhari in a statement he personally signed, said: “I was personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today along Ali Akilu Road, Kawo-Kaduna at about 2:30pm on my way to Daura. The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt, came from a fast moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car but was blocked by my escort vehicle. We reached the market area of Kawo where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram my car and instantly detonated the bomb, which destroyed

all the three cars in our convoy.” An aide of Buhari told an online newspaper, Premium Times, that Buhari’s vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, and another one behind it, were badly damaged in the attack. “The General survived and he has already been evacuated in a Golf Volkswagen vehicle,” he said. He also Buhari’s damaged vehicle was towed away by emergency workers. APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the explosion was targeted at the former head of state. An associate of Buhari, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the former head of state was on his way to his home town in Daura, Katsina State, when he was attacked by the bomber who had trailed his convoy. Another APC national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, also condemned the attack on Buhari, saying the

incident “confirms that our county is in the grip of terror. Sadly, we are in the hands of a bungling, buck passing and blackmailing presidency.” Tinubu, in a statement yesterday, said: “I thank God that Gen. Buhari’s life was spared for greater service to the fatherland. Under an increasingly incompetent and incoherent PDP- government, Nigeria slips into a low intensity war. We are all marked people under a government that prefers to label and attack opposition rather than apply itself to providing security and good governance. Today’s multiple attacks are a bad omen that signposts a future filled with danger and uncertainty. Unfortunately, Nigeria is saddled with a leadership totally intolerant of ideas, suggestions and advice that do not emanate from them. We in the APC has put forward concrete sug-

gestions which have been consistently rejected and snared at by the PDP led Jonathan government. Instead of reaching out and paying attention to our suggestions, they have turned the guns on us and are manipulating and doctoring reports and stories to label us. It is a label that is false. It is a label that will not stick. We are patriots and stand united against anyone who wants to do this great country harm.” Buhari had on Monday attacked the president for allegedly deploying state resources to fight the opposition. The APC leader, in a statement he personally signed, fingered Jonathan, whom he accused of declaring war on Nigeria, in the ongoing attempts to remove some opposition governors and warned him that his action could precipitate anarchy. In the first terrorist at-

tack in Kaduna, thousands had gathered for prayers with Bauchi in Murtala Muhammed Square, and when his convoy pulled up, the bomber lunged at him before being stopped by his private security, witnesses and police said. “The attack was targeted at the sheikh. No arrest has been made yet,” said state Police Commissioner Shehu Umar. The bomb did not injure Bauchi, several witnesses told Reuters. Mustafa Sani, a volunteer evacuating bodies, said there were 32 confirmed dead so far. “Somebody with a bomb vest ... was blocked. He detonated the bomb along with the person that tried to block him,” Umar said, adding that police had only been able to confirm 25 dead, with 14 wounded. Police often give lower casualty tolls than workers CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

L-R: New ministers, Dr. Abubakar Olarewaju Sulieman (National Planning) and Mr. Osita Chidoka (Aviation) taking their oath of office in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

CBN orders banks, others to donate to terror support fund CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

One of the participants at the meeting confided in New Telegraph that the bank chiefs told Emefiele that for such funds to be donated, they would have to seek approvals from their respective boards. The bank chiefs who were said to have been looking forward to the meeting, being Emefiele’s first breakfast forum with them, were said to be disappointed, as they had thought it was issues in the industry that would be discussed. “The meeting was a bloody waste of time. We

thought the meeting was called to discuss the issues and challenges facing the industry but to our surprise, it was basically to discuss Chibok and terrorist issues,” the source said. Emefiele’s predecessor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had also coaxed banks to donate to the Disaster Relief Fund. Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan had written a letter to the National Assembly seeking the approval to borrow $1 billion to fight Boko Haram, which has killed about 15,000 people in the

five years of its campaign of terror. At the inauguration of the Victims Support Fund Committee, which happened on the day his letter to the National Assembly seeking approval to borrow $1 billion was read to lawmakers, Jonathan had told the members to mobilise collective efforts and resources in support of terror victims. He urged Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and cooperate bodies, to give generously to the fund. Besides Danjuma and former Guaranty Trust

Bank (GTB) Plc. Managing Director, Mr. Fola Adeola, who is the deputy chairman, other members of the committee include Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Abdulsamad I. Rabiu, Alhaji Sani Dauda, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija and Mr. Cosmas Maduka. Also on the committee are former Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc., Mr. Jim Ovia, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc., Mr. Wale Tinubu and Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi.

ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10

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Al-Makura’s impeachment: CJ gets order to set up probe panel lOuster bid unconstitutional, says governor lAnxiety in Oyo over Ajimobi Cheke Emmanuel and Sola Adeyemo

he Nasarawa State House of Assembly yesterday directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Umaru Diko, to step up a seven-man panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office levelled against Governor Tanko Al-Makura. The lawmakers had last week initiated impeachment proceeding against the governor, whom they accused of committing 16 offences.

The governor has, however, described the process adopted by the lawmakers as illegal and unconstitutional. His reaction came just as there was anxiety in Oyo State yesterday over an alleged attempt by lawmakers to unseat Al-Makura’s colleague in the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Like his Nasarawa State counterpart, Ajimobi was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers, who had fled Lafia, the state capital, to Abuja in the

heat of protests against their attempts to oust the governor, returned to hold an early plenary session whereby they directed the Assembly Clerk, Mr. Ego Maikeffi, to communicate their decision to Justice Diko. The lawmakers arrived at the assembly premises accompanied by wellarmed security agents around 6.30am, and began sitting at about 10am. They left for Abuja immediately after adopting the motion. Their sitting however witnessed a mild drama when a member repre-

senting Awe North Constituency, Tanko Tunga, who attempted to seize the mace from the sergeant-atarms in order to disrupt the session, was beaten up by some of his colleagues. Yesterday’s plenary lasted about 10 minutes during which the Majority Leader, Godiya Akwashiki (Nasarawa Eggon West) moved the motion for the constitution of the investigative panel, which Mohammed Baba Ibaku (Ugede/Loko Constituency) seconded. After considering the motion, 20 lawmakers,

L-R: Lagos State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Deji Elumoye; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; his wife, Abimbola and the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, at the presentation of a book to mark Jakande’s 85th birthday in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

who are all elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) voted for the motion while one member opposed it. Adopting the motion, the Speaker, Ahmed Musa Mohammed, said: ‘’Mr. Clerk, you are by this motion directed to communicate to the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of misconduct against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. ” However, reacting to the ongoing attempts to unseat him, Al-Makura described the process as suspect, unconstitutional, premeditated and in contravention of the extant laws. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Abdulhameed Kwarra, the governor said the people would resist any attempt to forcibly remove him from office. “The resort of the House of Assembly to unconstitutionality and illegality to forcibly remove from office the amiable and developmental-oriented governor of Nasarawa State will be strongly resisted by the people of Nasarawa State,” it said. He appealed to Justice Diko to ensure that due process, as enshrined in Section 188 of the 1999

Constitution, is followed in carrying out the lawmakers’ order to constitute the investigative panel. Meanwhile, there was anxiety in the political circle in Oyo State yesterday following a report that 24 of the 32 members of the state House of Assembly had begun moves to impeach Ajimobi. But Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Dr. Festus Adedayo, told journalists that he could not confirm the news because he had not got any document to support it. “There is nothing for me to confirm regarding that information because I have not seen such notice if at all it exists. To me, it is a mere rumour,” he said. New Telegraph’s investigation showed that about 24 lawmakers had signed the impeachment notice, but they were yet to present it due to some political manoeuvrings. The lawmakers, at a news conference addressed by the Chairman of the House Parliamentary Caucus, Fatai Salam, and attended by other lawmakers, debunked the rumour, saying there was no allegation of misconduct levelled against the governor to warrant his impeachment. Salam said the House was intact and solidly behind Ajimobi.

Chibok girls will be divinely rescued, says Ezekwesili CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

feat Boko Haram. On her part, a former Minister of Education and a leader of the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, expressed confidence on the safe return of the abducted Chibok girls, saying that there is still hope that the girls can be rescued 100 days after. Explaining further on efforts by the government to fight terror, the president said a recent delivery of such military equipment include highly sophisticated fighter helicopters with in-built night vision technology. According to him, the Federal Government has a clear edge in weapons and reconnaissance capabilities and is confident that it will soon defeat the insurgents. He also listed major breakthroughs recorded by the military in the war against terrorism to include the capturing of Boko Haram command-

ers who were used as spies and treasury officials; the arrest of Sadiq Aminu Ogwuche, one of the masterminds of the April 14, 2014 bombing of Nyanya Bus Stop and the capture of Mohammed Zakari, a Boko Haram leader known as the ‘chief butcher’ who was seized during a raid on Balmo forest. Jonathan also said security agencies had improved on their intelligence gathering and that was why they uncovered a recent Boko Haram threat against the Abuja transportation system while the public was alerted and casualties were avoided. . He however added that the government recognised that military might alone would not be enough to defeat terror that was why it had evolved soft counter-terrorism strategies to complement the war against the insurgents. “As a result, the administration is implementing a comprehensive programme of assistance to support, protect and em-

power local communities with a special focus on the most vulnerable areas of the country” he said. The president listed the initiatives to include the Safe Schools Initiative developed to safeguard schoolchildren in states under emergency rule, by strengthening the security of educational facilities and working with governors, community leaders, teachers and parents to identify and remedy the vulnerabilities that put Nigerian children at terror risk. On what would happen after the 100 days, Jonathan stated that having known where the girls are, efforts would be made to ensure that they remain within the borders of Nigeria preparatory to their being eventually rescued alive. However, while featuring on a BBC current affairs programme, HARDTALK, monitored in Lagos yesterday, Ezekwesili expressed confidence on the safe return of the Chibok

girls. She told the presenter, Stephen Sackur, that she believed in miracles, adding that the emphasis that has been given to the plight of the girls suggests that there is something divine about them. “I absolutely believe in miracles and I think that there is something divine about these girls. The emphasis that has been given to their course has come as a result of something that I consider divine and I believe that it is okay to be realistic but I believe that these girls can still be rescued even after 100 days,” she stated. Describing her feelings on the search for the girls as mixed, she said the members of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign were working on three scenarios, but at no time had they considered the scenario that the abductees would not be rescued. On Tuesday’s meeting between Jonathan and schoolgirls who escaped from captivity, par-

ents of the missing girls and Chibok community leaders, Ezekwesili said: “This is an opportunity for President Jonathan to reach down into the deep recesses of the agonising pain the parents of the abducted girls and the entire community of Chibok have wallowed in in the 100 days since the abduction of their daughters.” While calling for a combination of actions for effective result, she stated that there had been a gulf between the government and the families of the abducted girls during the tragic incident. “I won’t say Nigeria is a failed state. I would say it is a state with failing institutions, and this is due to bad governance. This is why the demand of citizens for #BringBackOurGirls is a matter of demanding good governance,” she added. However, minority ethnic groups from the North-East yesterday warned Ezekwesili not to stampede the government into launching a hurried

rescue mission that would endanger the lives of the abductees. At a forum organised by the Minority Interest Rights Project (MIRP) in Abuja to review the plight of `the Chibok girls and the security situation in the North-East, they appealed to Nigerians to be cautious in their agitation for the rescue of the Chibok girls, adding that any attempt to compel the security agencies to launch a premature operation on the location where the girls were being detained could be disastrous. A former Secretary to the Old Gongola State Government, Mr Bala Takaya, said the recent agitation to stampede government into launching an attack on the insurgents in order to rescue the girls was not in the interest of anybody, including the girls and their families. According to him, it will be better to secure a safe release of the girls rather than to take actions that will endanger their lives.

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Jonathan names Chidoka aviation minister

lAppoints Oyeyemi as new FRSC corps marshal lFEC holds valedictory session for Rilwanu Lukman Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday swore-in two ministers, including the immediate past Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Osita Chidoka, as Minister of Aviation. Chidoka’s colleague, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju, a former lecturer at the University of Abuja, was also named as Minister of National Planning Commission and Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission. The duo took the oath of office shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja. The FEC also held a valedictory service in honour of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, who died on Monday in Vienna, at the age of 75. Shortly after the ministers’ inauguration, the president also announced the appointment of Deputy Corps Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, as Chidoka’s successor in the FRSC. Performing the swearing-in ceremony, Jonathan charged the ministers to work hard so as to make positive impact in their ministries. He said: “We expect that as you join the team this time, this is an injury time, and you will contribute your quota to the growth

of the nation. If it is a soccer tournament, if you are brought in at that time, they expect you to score goals or to give a very solid defence. “Nigerians are very hopeful. The issue facing us and most of the African countries are the issues of governance. So, we expect you to bring to bear your wealth of experience so that wherever you are deployed, you will make a difference. “I am very hopeful that Nigerians will notice your footprints. I believe that you will work very well with your permanent secretaries. If there are rough edges in this department, we expect you to smooth them out.” The president, while justifying the appointment of Oyeyemi as Chidoka’s successor in FRSC, said he decided to appoint him from the commission in order to ensure stability. This, he added, was a clear departure from the tradition whereby heads of FRSC were appointed from outside the commission, since its inception. Chidoka replaced Miss Stella Oduah, who was sacked in February in the wake of the controversy over the purchase of two BMW bulletproof cars at N255 million for her use. After the sack, the president deployed Dr. Samuel Ortom, the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, to supervise the ministry until the appointment of a substantive

Enugu deputy gov served impeachment notice Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

he Enugu State House of Assembly has served the Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, notice of impeachment. The lawmakers, at a sitting on Tuesday, presided over by the Speaker, Eugene Odo, had initiated impeachment proceeding against Onyebuchi and directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Christopher Chukwurah, to serve him the notice within seven days. The legislature, among others, accused Onyebuchi of running a poultry farm in his official quarters and of disobeying lawful order from the Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, in the discharge of his duties. Although attempts by the clerk and his subordinates to serve Onyebuchi

the impeachment notice were futile on Tuesday, a source told New Telegraph that the impeachment notice was served on Onyebuchi yesterday. He said: “I confirm to you that the deputy governor has been served the impeachment notice and that the clerk of the House himself served him.” The source did not explain where Onyebuchi was served and neither did he state at what time he was served. Earlier, there were speculations that the deputy governor had fled the state in order to evade service. Onyebuchi fell out with Chime over his alleged refusal to support his principal’s bid to wrest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial ticket for Enugu West from the zone’s representative, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

minister. Olanrewaju, who heads the National Planning Ministry hails from Kwara State and replaced former Minister of Sports, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi as the state representative in the cabinet. However, he is replacing Dr. Shamsudeen Usman who was removed last September, as Minister of National Planning.

At the valedictory session, Jonathan led council members to pay tributes to the former minister who also served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He described the late Lukman as a man with amiable character. He said he first met him when he was deputy governor of Bayelsa State. “I also worked with him when he was Minis-

ter of Petroleum under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. He was a father figure to most cabinet members. The country still needs his services, but we know that death must come to all of us,” he said. Ministers who spoke at the ceremony described Lukman as a nationalist and ambassador who contributed immensely to the growth of the country’s oil

and gas industry and the economy in general. Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said Lukman, who was also secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was respected globally in the oil and gas industry and was a minicompendium in the industry.

L-R: Children of the late Bamidele Aturu: Abigail; Eri; Tobi; his wife, Adebimpe and son, Lanre, during a service of songs in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Govt imposes 24-hour curfew on Kaduna CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

on the scene. Body parts scattered on the Alkali Road in the city centre while the military used pick-up trucks to cordon off the area. Sirens wailed as fire engines raced to the scene. An angry crowd started throwing stones at police, who responded by dispersing them with tear gas. Some followers had come from Senegal, Chad and Niger to see the popular sheikh. Since launching an insurgency in 2009, the militants have often attacked clerics, like Bauchi, who take issue with their Salafist ideology they preach. Yesterday’s attack was the second aimed at killing Bauchi, a known critic of the extremist Boko Haram, in Kaduna State. In June, an explosion occurred near his house, injuring one person. The Federal Government (FG) yesterday, disclosed that twenty five persons were killed, while fourteen others sustained varying degrees of injuries, from a bomb explosion that rocked Kaduna yesterday. The bomb attack was said to have occurred just two kilometres away from a prayer session conducted by a moderate Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, said the bomb , which occurred about 12:10 pm, was planted in a vehicle parked among many others, close to a mosque, where a Ramadan prayer session had held. Omeri, who doubles as the Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) in Abuja, further disclosed that shortly after the first bomb-laden car went off, another one was detonated around the Kawo area of the state. Reacting to the Kaduna bombings, spokesperson of the Department of State Service (DSS), Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, however said it would be “presumptuous” on the part of security operatives, to conclude that the Islamic cleric, who she said escaped the attack by the whisker, was the prime target. Ogar advised moderate preachers, to take extrasecurity measures, to protect themselves against possible attacks from suspected extremists. The Kaduna State Government has, however, declared a 24-hour curfew on the capital city following the twin bombings yesterday. The Governor, Alhaji Ramalan Yero, con-

demned the explosions, describing the acts as the height of ‘cowardice’ by those bent on creating tension in the state. He said the curfew, which took effect immediately, became necessary to enable security agencies to restore normalcy to the troubled city. A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Ahmed Maiyaki, quoted Yero as blaming the explosions on ‘agents of darkness’ bent on soaking the land with the blood of the innocent. He called on the people to consider such unwarranted attacks on innocent people across the state as aggression by evil against good that must be collectively condemned by all. The governor urged residents of the state to be more vigilant with happenings around them and avoid unnecessary crowded areas. Jonathan also condemned the bomb attacks in Kaduna and ordered security agencies to commence full investigation towards apprehending the perpetrators. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president directed the police and other national security agencies to take all necessary actions to apprehend

the perpetrators of the attacks. The statement added that the bombing appeared to have been targeted at Buhari and Bauchi. While thanking God or sparing the lives of Buhari and Bauchi, the president extended condolences to the families of those killed in the bomb blasts. Meanwhile, Nigeria has been identified as having the world’s highest casualty rate from ``terrorism’’ with an average of 24 deaths per attack out of 146 recorded in the year through June, according to risk consultancy, Maplecroft. The global average is two deaths per attack, the Bath, U.K.-based group said in a report released yesterday titled the Maplecroft Terrorism and Security Dashboard. A report by Bloomberg quoted the report as saying that Nigeria recorded 3,477 deaths in those attacks as violence by the Boko Haram Haram grew in scale and sophistication. “The increased capacity of Boko Haram is likely to lead to a further loss of investor confidence,” Maplecroft said in the report. The latest figures represent a doubling of the 1,735 deaths recorded in the previous year through June 2013, it said.

NANS: Jonathan not doing enough

ojeed Alabi Following the failure of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to secure the freedom of the abducted students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State after 100 days in captivity, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday carpeted the President, saying that he was not concerned about the plight of the abducted girls. In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Comrade Victor Olaogun, the students’ body lamented the

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chibok: 100 days after

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

further collapse of the education sector since the administration of President Jonathan took over. They said besides the suffering of the people on account of insecurity, Nigerian students have suffered the consequences of the President’s incompetence more than any average Nigerian. According to Olaogun, since the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, commenced their deadly action, killing people and destroying properties, not less than 800 students have been killed, especially in the murderous attacks on the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa

The life expectancy (in years) at birth of Algeria in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org

State University, School of Hygiene, Kano, College of Agriculture, Damaturu in Yobe State, among several others. “Or do we talk about the killing of innocent youth service corps members, whose blood politicians have continued to march on to power?” He said: “We cannot but imagine the harrowing experiences of these innocent girls, who may have been subjected to terrible experiences within the last 100 days. There is hardly any nation where this would happen and the President will still be engaged in political campaigns as our President did in

83%

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

Kano, few hours after the Iyanya bombing. It was a huge display of insensitivity and gross misconduct. “I am a polytechnic student, my mates in almost all the polytechnics across the federation and colleges of education were made to remain idle at home for more than 10 months; how do you convince us that there is a government in place. “We recall also that university education was put on hold for more than six months before our colleagues could return to their various campuses. These are not only unacceptable, but also condemnable.”

25.44

The average age of the Ghana team in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Source: Goal.com

Delta prays for Chibok girls State government He cautioned against Dpleelta yesterday led the peo- acts and utterances that of the state to pray were capable of plungfor the safe release of students of Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, who were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in April. Led by the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the people swung into a solemn assembly, praying passionately for the safe release of the schoolgirls. The girls, who were abducted in mysterious circumstances, are still in the custody of the insurgents while their whereabouts remained unknown. Governor Uduaghan, at whose instance the service was conducted at the Government House Annex, Warri, seized the occasion to call for fervent prayers against the drumbeats of war, especially by some opposition party fanatics.

n commemoration of Iduction the 100 days of the abof the Chibok

support

UN boss keeps vigil on efforts to rescue Chibok Girls

nited Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, yesterday repeated his call for the immediate release of the kidnapped schoolgirls, 100 days after their abduction. To support efforts being made to aid the release of the abductees, he has given his blessing to the vigils taking place tomorrow to pray for the safe release of the schoolgirls. The girls have been in captivity for more than three months, since April 15. He said: “I stand in solidarity with all those taking part in vigils today to demonstrate that the world has not forgotten the girls, who were

Ban Ki-Moon backs vigil for kidnapped girls so cruelly abducted from their school 100 days ago in Chibok, Nigeria. “I repeat my call for their immediate release and for an end to discrimination, intimidation and violence against girls, whose only wish is to gain an education. Only by shielding them from harm and enabling them to realise their full potential, can we usher in a better future for all,” he said. Around the world today, supporters and public-spirited men and women will light candles and stand in solidarity in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. The ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ group are leading

the charge with events organised in the Nigerian capital Abuja. In New York at 17:30 supporters will assemble outside the Mission of Nigeria to the UN and walk to the United Nations building. Vigils are also scheduled to take place in Lahore, Lome, Togo, Dhaka, Jaipur, Bradford, Pedroucos and Illinois. Groups, including ‘The Global March Against Child Labour in Africa,’ ‘Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi’ in Pakistan and ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ in India, are marking the 100 days by holding vigils. ‘Girls Not Brides’ are also asking their supporters to stand in solidarity and ‘A World at School’s

Global Youth Ambassadors’ are spearheading the campaign across the world. A new online petition by A World at School www.aworldatschool. org/100days will also call for the safe return of the girls and all messages of support will be passed to Chibok community leaders and families of the girls. The petition will also be sent by UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and Ban Ki-moon. The Chibok girls’ families are also expected to sign the petition and offer their full support for the Safe Schools’ Initiative.

ing the country into war, maintaining that “war in Nigeria can throw the entire West Africa region into serious humanitarian crisis.” According to him; “What we should not do is to politicise what is happening in the country today, because if there is crisis in Nigeria - a country of more than 160 million people, it will affect the whole of West Africa. We must never pray for war, we must never encourage those who are at war against us.” He decried the reactions trailing the activities of the sect, noting that; “Nigeria is a place where almost everybody is an expert in every field. Please, we should manage our expertise in the best way to check Boko Haram.”

CACOL urges FG to be accountable Temitope Ogunbanke

L-R: President, Golden Movies Ambassador, Mr. Saidi Balogun; elder stateman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite; President, Campaign for Democracy and Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Honourable Funmi Tejuosho and Chief Femi Aborishade, during a rally on Chibok: 100 Days After, organised by Women Arise, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

girls in Borno State, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has urged the Federal Government to be accountable to Nigerians in prosecuting the war against terrorism in the country. In a statement by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, CACOL said over N1trillion has been spent prosecuting the war against terror, which it said has not yielded the desired results, urging the Federal Government to be accountable to the people. “It is 100 days today that the girls were taken into captivity. It is unthinkable that for the first 19 days of the abduction, the Federal Government didn’t give the Borno

State government the benefit of the doubt that the girls might have been abducted. “It took the intervention of some well-meaning Nigerians and some countries like America, South Africa, among others, to mount pressure on the government to believe that there was abduction. Even when the government came to terms with the abduction, all they did was grandstand and engage in propaganda. “For all we know, over N1trillion has been sunk into the Boko Haram saga without any desirable result. No hostage has been truly rescued, but the military lied that they rescued those abductees that took the courageous step of escaping from the perilous den of the insurgents and several other lies to the extent that it has become difficult for us to believe what they say.

Akpabio vows to prosecute child kidnappers Tony Anichebe Uyo

Nigerians mark 100 Aof sdays of the abduction schoolgirls in Chibok by Boko Haram members, Akwa Ibom State government has vowed to clamp down on people, who kidnap school children. Governor Godswill Akpabio, who stated this yesterday, advised girls drawn from several secondary schools in the state to report incidents of kidnapping to him or his wife for necessary action. He further charged the students to listen to their parents, know their telephone numbers and to report people in the habit of child kidnapping to him,

his wife, the Commissioner for Education or Chief of Personal Staff to the Governor, saying; “Report anyone who wants to abuse you to us. Speaking against abuse, the governor said: I will punish anyone who abuses you or the principal of that school. Immediately you make the report, we will investigation it; we won’t expose your identity.” On the problem posed by teachers and lesson teachers, he directed the students to report those who abuse them to him for punishment to serve as deterrent to others, observing that; “It is the job of this administration to create a future for you.”

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‘Missing' Mi-35 NAF helicopter crew member found alive – DHQ MIRACLE W/O Austine Nwanonenyi survives air crash, treks back to base. No more missing in action Emmanuel Onani he Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has confirmed that Warrant Officer Augustine Nwanonenyi, who was

one of the crew members aboard the Nigerian Air Force Helicopter, which crashed in Bama, Borno State, on Monday, due to a "technical fault", has been found alive. The disclosure was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade. Olukolade, in an earlier statement, had declared the officer as "missing in action", when his body could

not be found within the crash site. In a statement he later sent to New Telegraph, the DDI said the officer "resurfaced at the military Headquarters in Maiduguri", the Borno State capital, having trekked from the crash site. Apart from Nwanonenyi, the statement further confirmed that Flight Lieutenant NM Halilu, who was the Copilot of the Mi-35 chopper, survived the crash.

It, however, said Flight Lieutenant Onyeka Nwakile, died in the incident. While search and rescue operations, had been concluded, Olukolade said investigation into the crash, was continuing. The survivors, the statement noted, were in stable condition, while the family of the deceased officer, has been notified of the development. The statement reads in full: "The Engineer crew member of the crashed

Nigerian Air Force Mi-35 Helicopter earlier declared missing has been found alive. "The crew member who was declared missing when his body could not be located in the vicinity of the crash resurfaced at the military Headquarters in Maiduguri today, having trekked through the bushes after the crash. "It is thus confirmed that Flight Lieutenant NM Halilu, Co-Pilot and Warrant Officer Augus-

tine Nwanonenyi, the aircraft technician survived the crash while Flight Lieutenant Onyeka Nwakile was the only one lost in the crash. "The family of the officer has been duly informed while the two survivors are in stable condition, but receiving medical attention. "Meanwhile, search and rescue operation on the incident has been concluded, while investigation into the crash continues," the statement concluded.

TOTAL promotes healthy living in Rivers Emmanuel Masha

Port Harcourt

L-R: Prof. Victor Ansa; Emeritus professor, Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe; cardiologist, University of North Carolina (UNC), Prof. Ross Simpson and Prof. Adesola Ogunniyi, at the Cardiovascular Summit Organised by Pfizer Nigeria East African Region in Lagos…yesterday

Tribunal orders substituted service on Fayose

2015: Enugu indigenes in Anambra support Chime’s ambition

Adesina Wahab

Onitsha

Ado-Ekiti

he Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday granted an order allowing the All Progressives Congress (APC) to serve the winner of the election, Mr Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) its petition through substituted means. The three-man panel, chaired by Justice Muhammad Sirajo, granted the order following an ex-parte application by APC's counsel, Kabir Akingbolu. APC, in its petition before the tribunal, is challenging the victory of Fayose in the June 21 governorship election. The electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Fayose winner of the election ahead of the incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode

Fayemi and 16 others. In the application brought pursuant to Paragraph 8(2) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2010 and under the inherent power of the court, the applicant complained that efforts to serve Fayose by the court's bailiff had been futile. The tribunal also granted an order for the INEC to allow the APC unfettered access to inspect electoral materials used in the June 21 governorship election. The ex-parte motion brought pursuant to Section 151 (1&2) and paragraph 47(1&2) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended was supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Christian Okoh, a lawyer. Ruling, Justice Sirajo said, "Leave is hereby granted the applicant to move the application outside and prior to perhearing session."

Onah .O. Onah

cream of Enugu State AAnambra indigenes resident in State yesterday

met in Onisha to brainstorm on the on-going political development in Enugu State. After the meeting, they scored Governor Sullivan Chime high, for his quality leadership and therefore warned all those jostling for the Enugu West Senatorial Ticket not to waste their time and resources, because it is not negotiable. Throwing their weight behind Chime’s ambition, the group cautioned that it will resist any attempt by any person or groups of persons, no matter how highly placed that may want to hide under any political guise to truncate the smooth democratic governance in Enugu State. Addressing over two thousand political elite drawn from Onitsha, Nnewi, Asaba, Awka and

Imo State, a legal practitioner and the leader of the group, Chief Ugo Ugwunadi, said the people of Enugu North will give Chime their hundred per cent support in all his future political endeavour. “This is not because his party, the PDP zoned to the North the position of the governor of the state come 2015, but because he has been able to transform Enugu State, provide a conducive political environment and as well empowered the youths” a feat he said, no past governors or administrators of the state was able to achieve, even when put together. Ugonnadi described Enugu State as the most peaceful and stable state in the country, where the use of money or position to intimidate or harass its citizens does not work, and called on all those seeking to be elected into leadership position in the state to play the game, according to the rule or be ready to incur the wrought of Enugu people.

o promote healthy living among the people as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Total E&P Nigeria Limited has organized a programme on how to live and avoid hypertension, diabetes and stroke in Unyeada Community in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. Total said it was concerned that most people, who suffer these illnesses lack access to the necessary information and orientation on how to live healthily, noting that it was partnering with the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board to create awareness. Dr. Chinedu Mbaka, a cardiologist, urged hundreds of people, who trooped to the venue, the NECO hall of the community’s secondary school to always go for test, do plenty exercise, avoid alcohol, and diet to live an active lifestyle. He said: “You have to exercise at least one hour a day, and eat plenty of vegetables, fish, and fruits and

reduce the intake of carbohydrate. You are fortunate to live in an environment where you have access to fresh fish. “Some of you eat plenty carbohydrate, especially fufu and garri with little soup, instead of making it rich with fish, and vegetable,” he said in a lecture. He also urged them to go always honour their appointments with doctors, and take their prescribed drugs regularly and on time. In an address, Total’s Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District, Mr. Nicholas Brunet, pledged Total's continued support of health and other related issues, especially in its host communities. Brunet, who was represented by Okechukwu Okpara, Total's Community Affairs Officer, said “Total will continue to demonstrate commitment to the comprehensive well being of our communities; the overall objective being to draw attention to very easily overlooked health conditions and lifestyles, that can confine us to hospitals, and sometimes with fatal consequences.

DSS arrests four kidnappers Emmanuel Onani he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Department of the Department o State Services (DSS) ,has arrested four suspected kidnappers, who were alleged to have kidnapped and killed one Mrs Edith Chinedu, in Gwargwalada, in the FCT. The Assistant Director in charge of Operations, Mr Ibrahim Halilu, told journalists yesterday in Abuja, that the late Chinedu, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Grants Micro Finance Bank, as well as pro-

prietor of Chelson Group of Schools, was kidnapped at her residence,on June 29. He said the suspects "murdered and buried her in a bush after Yangoji village along Kwali-Lokoja expressway, two hours later for recognising one of them." He added that: “On June 30, 2014, the kidnappers contacted her relations and demanded N5 million for her release. “On 6th July, 2014, the sum of N2 million converted to 11,500 dollars was dropped for the kidnappers around Obajana road, Lokoja, Kogi by the relations without informing the service."

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Defection looms in Abia as PDP schemes out Nwogu, Ihejirika, others MASTER stroke Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Dr. Alex Otti and Senator Nkechi Nwogo may not realise their governorship dream Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

he resolution of the caucus and the stakeholders meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State which zoned the office of the governor to the Abia South senatorial zone is seen by many

as a scheme to clip the wings of some prominent contenders to the office. Some of those affected include a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; the Senator representing Abia Central, Senator Nkechi Nwogu; president, Masters Energy, Uche Ogah and the Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti. They are by the resolution, out of the contest on the party’s platform. The resolution has left the coast clear for the likes of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senator for Abia South

senatorial zone; Friday Nwosu, a former Deputy Governor, Acho Nwakanma and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, all from Obingwa LGA. In the aftermath of its decision to zone the governorship position of the party to the South of the state, the leadership of the PDP in Abia State may be pre-empting the defection of some of the aggrieved contenders, who are affected by the zoning, even as the state Chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka has promised to personally lead the reconciliation team. Nwaka, had urged the

governorship aspirants on the party’s platform to respect the resolutions of the two key organs of the party on the matter and accept the party’s decision on zoning. He said the decision was to assuage feelings of marginalization from the zone and uphold equity, fairness and justice since Abia North and Central zones have taken their turns. Governor Theodore Orji has not minced words over where the next governor would come from. He has told several delegations from the zone that it would

be unfair on his part, a beneficiary of zoning, to discard it against the South zone. Analysts believe that the resolution was necessary to settle once and for all the contentious issue of delineating Abia South and Ukwa-Ngwa political blocs. The arrangement has tactfully weeded out aspirants outside the Abia South zone. Besides, the insistence on ‘Abia South’ is seen as a way to streamline the contest. There are local government areas in Ngwaland that are in Abia Central zone but would be in the con-

test if it is tagged ‘UkwaNgwa’ political bloc. Nwogu, who represents Abia Central at the Senate from Osisioma Local Government, is out as long as the PDP arrangement is concerned. Also, Alex Otti from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government will not find space in PDP or would Ogah and his kinsman from Isuikwuato LGA, Ihejirika have the goodwill of PDP. The local government areas left in the arrangement are Aba North and South, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and West.

Adamawa APC tells Jonathan to leave Nyako alone Ibrahim Abdul Yola

security operatives Athescontinue to hunt for impeached Governor

of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako, over allegations of corruption levelled against him, the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dared the presidency over the arrest threat. It called on President Goodluck Jonathan to avoid taking any action that could jeopardize the nation’s democracy. There have been reports that Nyako, who has gone underground, since his impeachment last Tuesday, would be arrested for treason, over the memo to the northern governors on April 4, 2014. Nyako, in the memo, accused President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of genocide against the North. He had accused the administration of orga-

nizing the killing of citizens and then quickly attributed same to the Boko Haram sect. While reacting to the arrest threat by the EFCC and other security agents, the APC in Adamawa through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Phineas Padio, alleged that the plot to arrest Nyako was hatched even before Adamawa lawmakers voted for his removal from office; a situation that he warned would not augur well to the nation polity. ‘’I can assure you there will be robust and positive response from the party,’’ he stressed. Padio further alleged that already, federal authorities were considering the option of declaring Nyako wanted as a last resort to compel him to come out and face the gamut of charges prepared against him by both the office of the Attorney General of the Federation AGF, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

...former governor's whereabouts unknown

yako’s spokesman, SaNterday joh Ahmed said yesthat his boss was

not on the run. He said, “Governor is not on the run. He left Yola on the same day of the impeachment. I don’t know where he is at the moment. I am now in my own house. It is wrong to say he is on the run,” he said. He added:“They(the then government of the day) set up General Olusegun Obasanjo, accused him of a coup, jailed him unjustifiably and he later came out of prison to become President; they orchestrated the impeachment of Ayo Fayose, today they have returned him as governor elect. “We have no fears. They harassed former Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido; today he is the Emir of Kano. So, if what they are do-

ing has Allah’s support, he would not elevate the people being humiliated. There is judgment of history, there is judgment of God. Today, they are at the helm of affairs; it does not mean they will be at the helm of affairs tomorrow. They should also await Allah’s judgment.” But when contacted on phone on Wednesday, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said that the commission took the decision to search for Nyako because he had been elusive. “Since Nyako, was removed, he has been elusive. So, the commission has devised a strategy to declare him wanted. “The commission is planning to declare him wanted if he refused to honour the invitation,” Uwujaren said.

Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam (middle), commissioning River Amile Bridge in Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State… yesterday. With him are officials of his government

Remove our monarch, community tells Obiano Tony Okafor Awka

he Umueje community in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday staged a protest to the Government House in Awka, against their Traditional Ruler, Igwe Elias Nneli. They prayed Governor, Willie Obiano, to withdraw the certificate of recognition of the monarch for abuse of office and flagrant violation of the code of conduct of the traditional institution. In a joint resolution by the Umueje Council of Elders and Youths submitted to the gover-

nor, through his Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Maters, Chief Udemgba Reuben, during their protest , they claimed to have dethroned Igwe Nneli. They, therefore, asked the governor to affirm the dethronement as a matter of urgency by suspending the traditional ruler in the overall interest of peace, order and good governance, stressing that the traditional ruler was not resident in the community for the past 10 years. The resolution entitled “demand for immediate suspension and withdrawal of recognition of Igwe Nneli”, was signed by the head of four villag-

es that make up Umueje and the deputy chairman of Umeje youths, Livinus Emengini. The resolution reads in part: “In view of the foregoing, the Council of Elders and the youths of Umueje community have dethroned him as the traditional ruler of Umueje and we, therefore, pray His Excellency, the Governor of Anambra State to as a matter of urgency suspend and withdraw his certificate of recognition”. Strengthening their argument, the protesters, said the community was tired of the misconduct” of the traditional ruler, who he said, had on sev-

eral occasions, carried himself in a manner unbecoming of his office as the traditional ruler of Umueje. They also said the Igwe had been selling their land indiscriminately to outsiders and neighbouring communities and each time they protested, he would take them to the police, where they were detained for several days. The spokesman said that peace and development had eluded the community because the actions and inactions of the Igwe, who ordinarily would have been the custodian of peace and tranquillity in the community.

Ebonyi: Security beefed up as parallel assembly sits Charles onyekwere ABAKALIKI

Embattled Speaker Tofhe of Ebonyi State House Assembly, Rt. Hon Chukwuma Nwazunku, yesterday disclosed that the House sat and recalled the three members, who were suspended before it went on recess last Thursday. The members were:

Hon Eni Uduma Chima representing Afikpo South West; Hon Frank Onwe representing Ohaukwu North and Hon. Blaise Orji. Although, the Speaker did not disclose where the members stayed and recalled the members, the State House of Assembly is still barricaded by security agencies. Briefing newsmen at

his residence in Abakaliki, Nwazunku stated that the matter had been fully resolved internally. He called on the aggrieved members to sheathe their sword for peace to reign in the state. Meanwhile, in a dramatic circumstance yesterday also, the member representing Ohaozara East Constituency, Hon. Nnenna Nwene, who

alleged that she was attacked by thugs loyal to Nwazunku reversed her earlier claim. According to her: "I was not attacked by the Speaker's men. I was rather deceived by the other group to stand against Nwazunku. I am now with Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku. He is a good man and I am with him".

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Son publishes late Okumagba’s biography chronicling the on July 27, 2000, fourteen Aof book life and times of one years ago. Nigeria’s leading Footprints of a Statespoliticians, Chief Daniel Okumagba, has been published. Titled Footprints of a Statesman: The life and times of Chief Daniel Okumagba is authored by his son, Bernard Okumagba, former Commissioner of Finance, Delta State. Chief Daniel Okumagba, who was born on January 1, 1922, died

man tells the eventful life of Chief Daniel Okumagba, who was at different times Member of the Western Region House of Assembly, founding member and gubernatorial candidate of the defunct National Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic and pioneer chairman of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.

Suswam's wife applauds NAOWA Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi L-R: Chief Executive Officer, MCS Consulting Skill Up, Mr. Afolabi Imoukhuede; Managing Direcvtor/CEO, Ruff and Tumble, Mrs. Adenike Ogunlesi, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ajoke Orelpoe-Adefulire and Marketing Director, Nigerite, Mr. Toyin Gbede, at the second Lagos Technical Enterprise in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Kayode Olanrewaju

agos State House Committee on Education Chairman, Alawiye King has advocated the introduction of Enterprise Education in school curriculum, saying the call has become necessary in order to train skilled artisans that will move the system forward. According to him, the efforts of the Lagos State Government to promote technical and vocational education through the development and upgrading of the state’s technical colleges, has gone a long way to improving the level of skills acquisition in the Centre of Excellence. He made the call yesterday in his goodwill message at the 2nd Lagos Enterprise Day, organised under the auspices of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) to promote networking of successful entrepreneurs with young aspiring entrepreneurs

Committee chair advocates enterprise education in schools from the state technical colleges. However, Governor Babatunde Fashola, who was represented at the event by his Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Adedfulire-Orelope, said the government has properly articulated the fostering of enterprise education among students of the technical colleges, as well as encouraged them to embrace entrepreneurship activities and develop the right attitude towards entrepreneurship and selfemployment. To address the rising unemployment rate and improve the quality of artisanship in the state, he explained that the government championed the development of technical and vocational education specifically to provide job-related skills for students, while also positioning them to develop new enterprises.

Through the initiative, the governor said: “Our initiative will ultimately transform young entrepreneurs ideas into profitable and thriving business entities that will create employment and contribute to local, state and national economy.” Meanwhile, the Education Commissioner, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, who restated the commitment of the government to strengthening technical and vocational education (TVE) in the state, noted that the state government placed emphasis on curriculum re-alignment in the technical colleges, by highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship, skills training, and enhancement of industry and private partnership in technical and vocational education towards meeting emerging needs of a globalised economy.

While reinforcing the activities of the state government in the technical and vocational education sub-sector, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, Mr. Anthony Olawumi Gasper, an engineer, recalled how Fashola-led administration had since 2010, mainstreamed entrepreneurship education into the state technical colleges. He said the enterprise day, a yearly event instituted last year by the state government, is specifically aimed at advocating and instilling a positive attitude in youth in the state to the worldof-work, entrepreneurship and business, as well as fostering in them creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and self-confidence towards accelerated socio-economic development of then state and the country in particular.

Niger, monarchs back Police, FRSC clash in Onitsha but were confronted by Jathropha plant cultivation Onah O. Onah a detachment of police Dan Atori MINNA

The Niger state Government and leading traditional rulers in the state have resolved to back the mass cultivation of jatropha plant as a way of improving the economic base of farmers in the state. While the Niger state government set up a five man committee of Commissioners to advise it on the role the gover nment will play in the regional workshop scheduled for Minna next month

the Emirs of Minna, Dr Umar Farouq Bahago and that of Suleja Alhaji Mohammed Awal Ibrahim directed their subjects to participate actively in the proposed forum. Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu who constituted the Committee when members of the planning committee for the Jatropha workshop called on him at the government house, directed the panel to mobilize farmers to go into mass cultivation of the plant due to its economic value.

Onitsha

Police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday clashed over the enforcement of helmet on okada operators in Onitsha. The misunderstanding, if not for the intervention of the Unit Commander, Onitsha Bridge Head, Mr. Emeka Metta, would have been out of control. "Members of the Road Safety had joined their counterpart through the country to re-enforce the wearing of helmet by operators of motorclycle as stipulated by law

officers suspected to be attached to the inland town police station, Onitsha over the arrest of one Okada operators”, the commander said. T he commander who addressed journalists in his office at the bridge head said: "My men arrested the okada operator just like others but before we know it, the police officers stormed Awka road where we are working and instructed us to release the particular boy because he is a boy of one Ommelorah".

Wife of the Governor of Benue State, Mrs. Dooshima Suswam has expressed delight at the charitable contributions of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) in

handling cases of Boko Haram and Fulani insurgents across the country. She described the activities of terrorists in the country as disturbing, but hailed the efforts of both the federal and state governments towards tackling the menace in the society.

Suswam commissions River Amile Bridge Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

In sympathy with the Nyiev-Tiev community who lost seven of their loved ones in a boat mishap while ferrying across the River Amile U-Tamen crossing point in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State last year, Governor Gabriel Suswam yester-

day commissioned the bridge built by chairman of the local government, Mr. Bem Tseen to avert a repeat of the incidence and boost commercial activities. The bridge links the local government with Kashimbilla one of the major boarder settlements with the council from neighbouring Taraba state.

GOtv positions for digital switch-over

Digital terrestrial payTV, GOtv has launched a new entrepreneurial scheme called ‘Get Up and GO’ which is kicking-off in Jos, in anticipation of the digital broadcast switch-over. The scheme will train unemployed youths in proper antenna installations, service activation

as well as attending to sundry secondary customers’ complaints. The scheme, which involves a formal training workshop, as well as hands-on practical sessions, is in collaboration with some youth development-oriented Non-Governmental Organisations, NGO.

Oreh drums support against widows' victimisation Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

Professor Catherine Oreh has called on women academics, professional women groups and all well-meaning members of the public to join in the on-going crusade against dehumanizing practices on widows in Nigeria and most third world countries. Speaking at the 80th inaugural lecture of the

University of Nigeria, Nsukka, she urged the menfolk to stop giving support to those harmful practices that dehumanize widows in the society. Oreh, a Professor of Adult Education/Community Development of the University of Nigeria spoke on “Igbo Cultural Widowhood Practices: Reflections on Inadvertent Weapons of Retrogression in Community Development”.

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security

Armed airmen take ove MMIA Wole Shadare

or hours yesterday, the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos was thrown into pandemonium as heavily armed officers and men of the Nigerian Air force attached to the airport confiscated the wares of some concessionaires and harassed travellers. Also, business activities came to a halt at the arrival and departure halls of the international wing of the airport as the men of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) led by the Airport Commandant, Group Capt Victor Ajiboye, arrested and sealed up businesses in

2.3bn

Pandemonium as military storms Lagos airport

 Passengers, airlines workers flee, FAAN shocked the terminal. Te security men, according to sources were said to be acting on a tip-off of a security breech, around the airport. The arrival and departure halls of the terminal were taken over by the operatives, practically making it impossible for people to transact their business, just as departing and arriving passengers were scared stiff, following the take-over of the place. Apart from the chief security officer of the international wing of the Lagos Airport, other senior officials in the aviation security de-

The projected increase in world’s population between 2009 and 2050. Source: Unesco.org

partment of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), as well as other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Immigration, Customs were shocked by the military operation at the airport. The action of the security operatives took other security agencies and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) by surprise. As early as 10 am, all the Bureau de Changes, shops and eateries at both the arrival and departure halls owned by the FAAN concessionaires were empty, as the concessionaires were arrested by

$US1.672bn The overall company’s profit of Raytheon in arms sales in 2008. Source: Blatantworld.com

the airport commandant, accompanied by heavily armed NAF personnel. The airlines too suffered heavily as their counters were empty, as passengers fled after sighting the heavily armed security men, who were combat ready. Also arrested were some of the persons, who had come to the terminal to see off their loved ones. Some, who had accompanied the loved ones to the airport were said to have been arrested while others were said to have taken to their heels for fear of being arrested by the airport commandant and his men.

The sex ratio of women to 100 men (international migrants) in Benin in 2010. Source: Un.org

Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Stella Ngwu from Enugu State (middle) with youths from Igbo Etiti/ Uzo Uwani Federal Constituency, Enugu State, during a courtesy visit to the National Assembly in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Face your case with EFCC, Ogun APC tells Daniel Kunle Olayeni, Abeokuta and Temitope Ogunbanke

he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State yesterday asked former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel to channel his energy towards extricating himself from the case slammed on him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The party was reacting against the backdrop of Daniel’s vow to unseat the governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2015 for allegedly rubbishing the legacies of the immediate past government. In a statement signed by the state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Sola Lawal, the party urged the ex-governor to desist from distracting the in-

cumbent administration from the task of rebuilding the state. However, a former Commissioner for Information and Orientation under Daniel, Mr. Sina Kawonise berated the Amosun-led government for allegedly accusing the former governor wrongly. He maintained that Daniel does not make frivolous statements contrary to claims by Amosun’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu. In his statement, Lawal debunked the allegation leveled against Amosun’s government by the former governor, saying “it is regrettable that pariahs, who ought to be behind bars for sundry unmitigated crimes against the people were

pontificating on the way forward for the same hapless people.” He added: “Whereas the Amosun administration has been adjudged as the best in recent time in the annals of governance in the state, forces of retrogression could still hold firmly the levers of obstinate denials. “The infrastructural, health, education, agricultural and other transformations witnessed in Ogun State since assumption of office of the Amosun government and widespread endorsement of these programmes by the people speak volume of the eagerness of Ogun people to cut a final break from a past of mesmerizing oppression by elected people.” The APC publicity secretary absolved the Amosun administration

of allegations of huge debt. Meanwhile, Kawonise has urged the state government to respond to the allegations leveled against it by Daniel. He asked the government to explain the circumstances surrounding the loss to Lagos State of the $8billion refinery project by the Dangote Group earlier slated for Ogun Waterside Local Government. He said: “How does the $200 million investment by Procter and Gamble compensate for this huge loss caused by the negative disposition of the Amosun government Or would the government claim ignorance that the land on which the factory of the Procter and Gamble is being built was allocated to it by the OGD government?

Delta: Orubebe told to drop ambition Gabriel Choba Ughelli

former Minister of AElder Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe

has been told to drop his governorship ambition in 2015. The advice came from some topmost ex-militants in the Niger Delta Region. Addressing newsmen at his Udu office yesterday, a “warlord” in Delta State, Aroni Oputu, on behalf of other aggrieved ex-militants, said that the call on him to step-down was because he lacked

the competence of governance. He said: “We are very irritated with the performance of former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe for not being able to touch lives during his reign as minister. Such man who doesn’t have the pains of Deltans and the Niger Delta People at heart, can never be voted in as governor. Elder Godsday Orubebe should step-down his ambition because we don’t think it will be possible for him to even win primaries.”

Oyedepo urges prayers for Nigeria Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

enowned preacher and RUniversity, Chancellor, Landmark Omu-Aran,

Kwara State, Bishop David Oyedepo declared yesterday that Nigeria needs prayers to navigate some of her current challenges. Oyedepo, who is founder of the popular Living Faith Church gave the admonition while briefing newsmen as part of activities to mark the maiden convocation of the university. The graduation will comprise 386 students from two colleges of the institution. Of the total number, 39 will come out with first class, 186 in second class, 152 in second lower and nine in third class degree category. He urged Nigerian leaders to redesign their various policies towards developing agriculture so as to reduce high rate of unemployment and insecurity in the country.

The Bishop said food availability, food affordability and food security are national issues. While asking questions on the current strike by medical doctors and other issues of national importance, Oyedepo said Nigerian leaders and other stakeholders must learn from other countries of the world who had experienced similar challenges on how to manage them. His words: "Industrial action is caused by economic crises or mismanagement. It is sad that medical doctors will close their eyes and walk out on dying patients, its inhuman but we don't know how far those who managing the crisis have gone. "Industrial crisis is a global issue which requires those at the helms of affairs to learn the modern approach in dealing with emerging industrial disputes without workers resorting to industrial action."

Customs impounds 2,446 bags of smuggled rice Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

heNigeria Customs TCommand, Service, Osun/Oyo has arrested

two suspected smugglers in connection with smuggling of 2,446 bags of rice in different locations of Oyo State. The Area Comptroller, Mr. Richard Oteri disclosed this yesterday while displaying about 23 vehicles and the bags of rice seized from the smugglers, saying that the cost of the bags of rice was over N29m. He said: "It is unfortunate that despite the considerable quantity of rice and vehicular seizures in this command in the past, some saboteurs have continued to engage in the unpatriotic act of smuggling. "The seizures were

made at different locations within the command. The locations are Ilero-Otu Road off SakiIseyin Road in Kajola Local Government area and Alaraba Village in Atiba Local Government". He said: "The leadership style of the Comptroller General of Customs which places emphasis on reward for hard work has continued to motivate our field operatives to do more. It is this that has resulted in the collection of over N6.675billion revenue and assorted seizures within the second quarter of this year." The vehicles recovered from the smugglers include a truck with registration number XA 997 FKY, one Volvo truck marked KSF 731 XE and 21 fairly- used vehicles loaded with 1,538 bags of imported rice.

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

POWA empowers 58 widows, orphans

THURSday, JULY 24, 2014

Barely three weeks after two sons allegedly murdered their fathers in Ogun and Enugu states, another one is now in police cell for allegedly killing his daddy Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

State chapter of Police Officers Wives Oovergun Association (POWA) yesterday handed various empowerment items to widows

and orphans of slain policemen. The state POWA chairperson, Mrs Amaka Okoye, handed over the items, including grinding machines, coolers, foodstuffs, bottled drinks, toiletries and schoolbags, among others, to the beneficiaries. The event, tagged: “Empowering the less privileged in the police circle,” was held at the association’s secretariat at Eleweran, Abeokuta. It was attended by the state Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye, and other senior police officers. About 45 widows and 13 orphans, whose husbands and fathers lost their lives during active service, benefitted from the empowerment. In her address, the POWA chairperson stated that the gesture was a follow-up on the recent 50th anniversary of the association. Mrs Okoye expressed hope that the beneficiaries could start a new life with the empowerment items in order to make ends meet. She said: “Giving is an investment to complement the effort of POWA National President, Mrs Zarah Bunu Abubakar, in replicating some aspects of the event that took place at Abuja. “I will like to say that it has been the practice of Ogun State POWA in stretching the hands of love to less privileged in the state.” Also speaking, the police commissioner noted that the empowerment was aimed at giving the beneficiaries a sense of belonging. Okoye urged the widows and orphans not to lose hope, saying the police force would not abandon them. He said: “The aim of this particular occasion is to tell our brothers, sisters, daughters, wives that we are still part of them. “Actually they have lost their loved ones, but they should not lose hope. It is just for them to understand that we feel for them, so that they can have that sense of belonging.” One of the widows, Mrs Janet Peters, in her response, commended the leadership of POWA for the humanitarian gesture.

0802 393 8212

Again, son arrested for killing 87-year-old father HOMICIDE

L-R: Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Bekky SokariPedro, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, and the chairperson, Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Mrs. Amaka Okoye. PHOTO: KUNLE OLAYENI

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

he police in Umuahia, Abia State, yesterday paraded a 27-year-old undergraduate of Madonna University, Chijioke Ezebuiro, for allegedly killing his 87-year-old father, Dr Emmanuel Ezebuiro. But Chijioke, who was among other suspects paraded, denied killing his father. However, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters, said Chijioke was the prime suspect as he was the only person in the house at the time of father’s death. He said the death occurred on June 30, at the house of the deceased at

Umuoriehi, Isingwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area. This came barely three weeks after a 21 year old boy, Tolani Ajayi, was arrested for allegedly killing his father, Charles Ajayi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), at the Redemption Camp on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. A day after that, July 6, Mr. Christopher Onu was allegedly hacked to death by his son, Ikenna Onu, at his home in Aguabosi village in Ugwuoba community, Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State. Ogbonna explained that the matter was reported to the police by one Ezebuiro Chimezie of the same address who said the deceased had been bed-ridden for some years, but on the fateful day he had left him in the house to take his children in school. When he came back he met the deceased on the ground in a pool of blood. He quickly called the man’s personal doctor who confirmed him dead. The PPRO added that the complainant told the police that when he left the house, Chijioke, his younger brother, was the only one in the

Seven policemen held for robbery at Anambra Govt House Tony Okafor Awka

house when the incident occurred, adding that the suspect had threatened his father’s life several times before the incident. Narrating his side of the story, Chijioke said the incident happened last month while he was cutting trees in his father’s compound, after which he went to the bathroom to take his bath. He said: “After taking my bath, as I was going towards my room I saw people screaming in my father’s room, so I decided to go inside to know what was hap-

Police killed my son, father petitions IG Babatope Okeowo

even policemen attached to the Anambra State Government House, Awka, have been arrested, detained and are facing administrative trial. The policemen were said to be on duty when a robbery took place at the Government House. It was learnt that a top government official, who allegedly made a suspicious call about 10 minutes to the robbery incident, around 2am the fateful is also now helping the police. Investigation shows that during the robbery, 11 brainboxes of Hilux vehicles and other parts were stolen. Following the report to the state police command, the policemen on duty that day were arrested and taken to the ‘B’ Division for interrogation. An impeccable police source told New Telegraph that the seven policemen

Police IG, Mohammed

pening there. “When I went there I saw my brother and my cousin in my father’s room and I saw my dad on top of his bed. I was shocked to see blood on his head. I was so scared I had to go down stairs to call one of my cousins. When I came back with him we were asking them what happened none of them told us anything. My cousin told us to go down stairs. The next thing was for me to see police coming to arrest me. They took me to the police station, saying I am a murderer. That is all.” Chijioke denied threatening his father’s life at any time, saying their relationship had been cordial all along. He said he did not know how his father died. The police also paraded four suspected cult members arrested by the patrol team attached to Ikwuano Division in possession of one locally-made pistol who claimed to be students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. They are Kalu Nnanna, Prince Charles, Maxwell Njoku Eme and Sabastine Frankline.

Akure

bereaved father, Raheem Ationed Badmus, yesterday petithe Inspector Gen-

Obiano, Anambra gov.

and their civilian counterparts had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Emeka Chukwuemeka, said investigations on the matter were on going. It was gathered that the conservative cost of each of such brainbox is N90,000.

eral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over the alleged killing of his son, Oluwatobi, by the police at ‘B’ Division Police Station in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Badmus, in his petition through his lawyer, B. D. Asani, said his only son died as a result of the injury he sustained when in police custody on the allegation of stealing a handset belonging to a prophet at their street. The man said his son’s death came to him as a rude shock because the boy was hale and hearty when he came to break his Ramadan fast with him on Monday. The petition stated that the deceased was before his death living with his uncle, one Sola Oke, at Okuta Elerinla Estate without the

The late Badmus

consent of the father. It added that the said Oke harboured the deceased after he absconded from his father’s house when he was disciplined. But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wole Ogodo, said the Area Commander in charge of Akure had commenced investigation into it and his findings would be made public when concluded.

METRO

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Keep cash at home, STF kills four robbery robbers write community suspects, arrests others Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

uspected robbers have written the residents of Elerinko Estate in IjokoOta in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The robbers asked the residents to keep money at home in anticipation of their coming. But the police said yesterday that they had taken steps to nip in the bud impending robbery. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, gave the assurance against the backdrop of the alleged letters that armed robbers are planning to attack the estate soon. It was learnt that palpable tension had gripped the residents of the area following the pasting of notification letters by unknown bandits on buildings, electric poles and other strategic locations in the estate last Saturday. The robbers were said to

Okoye, CP Ogun.

have advised the residents to make cash available at their homes in their own interest. A resident, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the notification letter had a logo of skull and bones inscribed on it. He said: “As we woke up on Saturday, we just saw the letters pasted all over the estate. The robbers asked us to

prepare for them that they are coming. “In the letter, the robbers said they would attack us and that we should keep cash at home or withdraw cash from banks to keep at home. They said we had enjoyed peace and no security can stop them.” The PPRO confirmed that the police command was aware of the threat by suspected robbers. Adejobi said that the Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye, had already ordered the Area Commander of Ota, Titilayo Kayode, to act on the matter. He said: “We have put in place adequate security in the area. I got the information from someone; I did not see the letter. The CP has acted on it by ordering the Area Commander and DPO Ota to do the needful. “We have put in place adequate security in the area. The residents should also make use of the distressed number of police to get across to us.”

Save us from LG officials, traders cry out

Buhari Bello Jos

t least four persons suspected to be armed Arobbers were shot death by the Special Task Force (STF) in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. Also, three herdsmen were shot dead during attack by rustlers. The STF Media/Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, disclosed this in a statement issued in Jos yesterday. Iweha said that on July 19, STF personnel at Kuba checkpoint in Bokkos local government intercepted a gang of armed robbers. He said: “In the ensuing shoot-out with personnel, four of

the robbers lost their lives, while four others, among them two women, were arrested. “Two locally-made pistols, one locallymade revolver, one AK47 rifle, six rounds of 7.62 mm special, one round of 9mm and other items, including documents, were recovered from them.” The STF spokesman added that the suspects had been handed over to the police in Barkin Ladi Division for prosecution. Iweha also said that the STF apprehended another gang of four armed robbers have on July 17 at Kwana Soja area on Zaria Road in Jos North Local Government Area. According to him,

two locally-made pistols and seven live cartridges were recovered from the suspects. It was learnt that the suspects were trailing a Jos-based business tycoon, Alhaji Shehu Ashaka, and were arrested while trying to access his house at Kwana Soja. Iweha also said that STF personnel intercepted and returned 218 rustled cattle to their respective owners at Bassa, Barkin Ladi and Kanke local government areas of the state. He said: “On July 8, armed persons suspected to be Taroh youths rustled 188 cattle belonging to some herdsmen, killing three herdsmen in the process in Kanke town.”

Ogun community gets 82 transformers

Some of the injured traders.

Taiwo Jimoh raders at the Alakija MarTmen ket in Lagos have accused of Neighbourhood

Watch attached to the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of attacking them with dangerous weapons. Last week, some traders were attacked by the Neighbourhood Watch members, who wanted to dislodge them from their trading zones. The traders alleged that the local government Chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, ordered the demolition of some shops which was supervised by Neighbourhood Watch. As the demolition was going on, some of the traders attempted to salvage what was left of their wares, leading to a free for all. The situation snowball after some street urchins, who thought Neighbourhood Watch men wanted to cart away their Lotto box, attacked the Neighbourhood Watch officials. The clash led to shooting, with four persons allegedly

shot dead and many injured. In the aftermath of the conflict, some of the wounded traders had besieged the office of the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ngozi Braide, at GRA, Ikeja, demanding justice and investigation into the attack and seizure of their wares. The traders also complained that their goods, valued at thousands of naira, were destroyed while some were carted away by the council officials. One of the traders, Ola Adebare, on Tuesday, he was in the market, attending a customer when the men of the Neighbourhood Watch arrived. He said: “They were shouting kill them and destroy their goods. When I heard this, I ran and started snatching whatever of my goods my hands could touch. When I was making efforts to escape with some of my goods, one of them pounced on me and beat me. In the process, I sustained an injury. The government of Lagos State should come to our aid in the mar-

ket.” Another trader, who identified himself as Mohammed, corroborated Adebare’s views. He said: “While I was trying to stop them from taking my goods, one of them came from behind and hit me with a baton on my left hand. “As I speak with you now, I don’t have anything that would sustain me and I cannot go into stealing. I don’t know why the council officials and the chairman who oversees the council are doing this to us.” A woman, who gave her name as Confidence Bartholomew, said the local government officials were maltreating the traders. She said: “I have a kiosk in the market where I operate betting game. When they stormed the market that day, the council officials took away my machine and about N200,000 proceeds I made from the sales for the day. Now the machine and the money had been taken away, I don’t know where to start from.”

One of the transformers

Camillus Nnaji bout 82 (50KVA) transformers are AOwode being installed at Mowe in Obafemi Local Government Area of

Ogun State. The project sponsored by the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) aims at providing power supply in the community. Conducting our correspondent round the installation points yesterday, the Installation Manager of Tony Winner Electricity Limited, sub-contractor of the project, Mr Sunday Ejedegbe, said his firm was working in partnership with another company, Income Electricity, to boost power supply in Mowe and other designated communities and cities in Ogun State. He said: “We have built an injection sub-station to control the area near the Redemption Camp on the LagosIbadan Expressway. Our aim here is to develop Mowe through power supply by boosting supply with these 50KVA transformers.” Ejedegbe said that 35 per cent of the 82 transformers had been installed, adding that the installation was scheduled to end on August 31. “Each transformer will serve about

15 houses in each street and when completed on or before August 31, we shall hand over to Ibadan Electricity Company under whose constituency the area belongs,” he said. Other towns and communities benefiting from this project include Ijoko, Sango, Ijebu-Ode, Ososa, Ota and Abeokuta all in Ogun State. NIPP was conceived in 2004 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to address epileptic power supply and excessive gas flaring from oil exploration in the Niger Delta region. Put together, NIPP projects generated contracts worth $414,000,000 for the supply of turbines and electricity generation equipment to General Electric (GE). The primary turbine is GE 9E gas turbine with a nominal ISO rating of 126MW. After adjusting for site conditions, the capacity was set to 112.5MW. The plants are low efficiency simple cycle but have provision for future extension to combined cycle. Administration changes in 2007 interrupted funding for more than two years. The NIPP project includes 11 power plants and four FGN power stations all over the country.

12 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

IPMAN threatens to shut down supply over imposition of chairman CRISIS Union politics may affect innocent Abians following threats and plots Igbeaku Orji UMUAHIA

ndications have emerged that unless the festering crisis in the Abia State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) is nipped in the bud, economic and social activities in the state would be crippled as a result of the threat by the association to go on strike. The threat by the as-

sociation over the imposition of new caretaker chairman, if carried out, would cut supply to parts of the state. IPMAN made its decision known in Umuahia yesterday, through one of its affiliates, the Ukwa-Ngwa Indigenous Petroleum Marketers Forum (UNIPMAF). The association, according to the Chairman, Chief Godspower Nwadike, dissociated itself from the imposition of the caretaker chairman. Nwadike said the recent development at the Aba Depot of IPMAN, in which Prince Bobby Ugochukwu Dick, was imposed on the association, was unacceptable, adding that the development may make their members shut

their outlets in the state. He also said that after their meeting, the forum resolved that the tenure of the present executive led by Sir Gilbert Nwoke, would expire on October 6, this year after which election would be conducted. This, he explained, was in tandem with the “IPMAN constitution as confirmed by the directive from the national executive council of IPMAN led by the National President, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, to the eastern zonal office.” The UNIPMAF chairman said the depot is controlled by three states namely Abia, Imo and Anambra States, pointing out that; “Going by the zoning agreement reached by stakeholders of IPMAN,

the position of chairman in the next election is zoned to Abia State.” “As peace loving and lawabiding citizens of this state, we wish to state categorically that we disassociate ourselves from the recent crisis going on at the Aba depot, which may force the marketers to take another step. “That the purported caretaker committee led by Prince Dick, sworn in on July 10, by the Commissioner for Petroleum, Chief Don Ubani, can only cause disaffection and chaos in IPMAN and by extension the entire depot. That the father of Prince Dick, who is the Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Eberechi Dick, had earlier

L-R: National Secretary, Edo Professionals Forum, Dan Oshodin; National Coordinator, EPF, Osamede Umweni, and Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomohle, during a solidarity visit by the group to the governor in Benin City…yesterday

boasted that he will use his office and connection in government to install his son as chairman of IPMAN Aba depot.” Nwadike then urged Governor Theodore Orji to use his good offices, wisdom and vast knowledge

in governance, to resolve this impending crisis in Aba depot, in which Eze Dick and his son, Prince Dick, want to perpetrate themselves and ensure that anyone who wants to lead us must stand for election.”

Oil well crisis: Kogi apologises to Anambra over killings Tony Okafor

AWKA

arely 24 hours after the killing of four people in the Anambra/Kogi disputed oil well areas, Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, yesterday assured the people that he was working with his Kogi State counterpart, Idris Wada, to bring lasting peace to the area. Obiano also said that the Kogi State governor has apologised over the unfortunate incident, warning their youths to desist from such unprovoked aggression. The governor directed the immediate transfer of all the victims of the attack to Saint Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, for better treatment, assuring them that the state government would foot their hospital bills. A press statement made available to newsmen in Awka yesterday by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Emeka Ozumba, said Governor Obiano disclosed the conciliatory move

when he visited the victims at the hospital at Aguleri-Otu, Anambra East Local Government Area. According to the statement, Obiano assured that; “We are working out a comprehensive strategy and modalities to entrench lasting peace and check excesses of the miscreants, the attack has nothing to do with the oil producing area as some people claimed, but an aggression by some misguided persons.” He called on Aguleri people to remain calm and not to take the law into their hands as the government is on top of the situation. The statement further said that some of the victims, who spoke with the governor during his visit, said some gunmen invaded the community from Kogi State around 1.30pm and started shooting sporadically at fishermen and farmers, who were at work. He confirmed that three persons were killed while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries from gunshots.

Maiduguri: Abattoir PDP blasts Okorocha’s aide MURIC lauds FG’s stoppage of upgrade gulps N62.5m non-indigenes, registration

Steve Uzoechi

OWERRI

under the auspicAbersgroup es of ‘Concerned Memof the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP)’ has responded to the recent tirade credited to the Commissioner for Internally Generated Revenue and Pension Matters in Imo State, Mr. Nick Oparandudu, describing such as the worst level of recklessness by a public office holder. In a statement signed by Chief John-Bright Iwueke and Dr. Joe Ikpeama, Owerri Zonal Coordinator and the Publicity Secretary of the group respectively, the group said: “The unprintable comment spearheaded by Mr. Nick Oparandudu, the Commissioner for IGR and Pension Matters, who incidentally is warming up to occupy Owerri senatorial district seat in 2015, can only be described as the highest level of political accident ever seen, witnessed or heard by an aspirant in the 21st century.”

According the group, Oparandudu, who had said that the PDP parades rogues as aspirants to the Imo governorship seat, has a major character challenge, which disqualifies him from winning any elective position in the state. “In much the same way as their political party, the APC, Oparandudu has no political pedigree in Imo State and we challenge him to contradict our claim.” The group also warns that Oparandudu’s desire to contest the Senate seat may suffer a setback even before the race commences, if such unguided comments against his possible political rivals are not curtailed. “He should desist from inciting the general public or make his brothers and sisters his political opponents when they are not. As a matter of fact, we do not know the quality Governor Rochas Okorocha, saw in him that led to his appointment as a commissioner."

Yekeen Nurudeen

Abuja

he Muslim Rights ConTcommended cern (MURIC) yesterday the Federal

Government over its directive that states should stop the registration and repatriation of non-indigenes in the country. It also commended the Lagos State government for extending maternity leave for pregnant civil servants to six months. It will be recalled that some state governments, had requested people of northern extraction to register and obtain non-indigene identity cards if they must reside in those states. However, MURIC in a statement issued yesterday by its Director, Prof. Lakin Akintola, commended the Federal Government for taking action on the issue, which it described as a very sensitive one. The body noted that the government has dem-

onstrated that it listens to complaints from the citizens, adding that the latest action would also forestall the breakdown of law and order as a result of anticipated retaliatory measures from the northern states. Akintola appealed to state governments, northerners and Muslims throughout Nigeria, who were provoked by those discriminatory actions, to forget the ugly episode and desist from carrying out retaliatory measures capable of making non-indigenes in their midst uncomfortable. MURIC lamented that before this directive by the Federal Government, Muslims who were nonindigenes of the affected states were being randomly arrested and harassed by security agents. The body particularly said several mosques in the zone had also been raided while Imams and other mosque workers were detained.

Ahmed Miringa MAIDUGURI

etermined to ensure a Dment very hygienic environand prevent dis-

eases that may spread through the consumption of badly processed meat, the Borno State government is to upgrade the 51-year-old Maiduguri Main Abattoir (MMAB). Awarding the contract for the upgrade yesterday at the Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri, Borno State Commissioner of Animal and Fisheries, Prof. Umar Kyari Sandabe, said the contract, which will gulp N162.5 million was awarded to the Al-Ansar Nigeria Limited and that when completed between 250 and 300 cattle and camels and 500 goats and sheep will be slaughtered per day. Sandabe said because of the security challenges that have affected

the demand for meat and other dairy products, the current operating capacity of the abattoir stood at 90 for cattle and 120 for goats and sheep. “This abattoir was built by the Borno Emirate during the Northern Nigeria government in 1963, it has become obsolete and lacks modern facilities and other equipment that could handle the slaughtering of tens of hundreds of cattle, camels, goats and sheep that meet clinical national standards, before distribution and consumption within and outside the state,” the commissioner stated. “After the renovation, the abattoir will have 18 sections and public conveniences, water supply and electricity.” He further disclosed that the renovation was to be completed in 12 weeks, calling on the contractor to abide with the terms and conditions of the contract.

CONFAB 5% INTERVENTION FUND PROPOSAL IS MYOPIC, SAYSAGBATA, APGA CHIEFTAIN / PAGE 17

POLITICS

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AYODELE OJO

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ILORI: PDP’S STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE TRICK WON’T FLY IN OSUN

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THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014

Chief David Edevbie, was a onetime Commissioner for Finance during the then Governor James Ibori’s Administration in 1999, he later became the Director of Finance and Strategy of Yar’Adua Campaign Team. He is presently contesting for the 2015 governorship position of Delta State under the platform of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with select journalists, he lined his plans for the state if he assumes office. GABRIEL CHOBA was also there for New Telegraph. Excerpt: What informed your decision to run for the governorship of Delta State? I believe my international private sector background combined with my public sector experience at both state and national levels have provided me with a unique blend of skills to do the job effectively. I feel I have what it takes to consolidate on the gains so far achieved by successive governments in Delta State since 1999. The crux of the matter is that I am motivated by a strong desire to serve the people of Delta State. How much of Delta State do you really know in terms of its high stake politics, diverse ethnic groups and geographical character? Well I am a keen observer of Nigerian economic history and I have over the years been involved in the state especially since 1999. I do not really think that Delta State politics is significantly different from politics elsewhere. Politics is a high stake enterprise everywhere in the world. Yes, there is ethnic diversity in Delta State but it should not be seen as a negative but rather as a source of strength and rich cultural values which we can harness for the good of our people. While it is true that some individuals are bent on using our ethnic diversity to cause disaffection, but the generality of our people see themselves as one. Our being together should not be regarded as a mistake. For example, look at the geography of the State. It is remarkable; ranging from the lush green heavily forested terrain of Delta North and its beautiful valleys, to the riverine terrain of Delta South which metamorphoses into the forest terrain of Delta Central. The core of my thoughts each time I think of the geography of the state is the rich agricultural endowments waiting to be tapped. These god-given endowments can be tamed and harnessed for the economic advancement

Even development will erase ethnicity in governance –Edevbie needs to be opened up with more roads and bridges; yes all the governments since 1999 have done much, but we still need to do more. We need to build more schools, hospitals, provide water, electricity, ensure security and create employment opportunities for our teeming population.

Edevbie

and overall good of our people. When I worked for the Commonwealth Development Corporation in the early nineties, at one stage I was responsible for our investments in the agriculture and agro-allied sectors of countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam etc; all places that have similar terrains like ours. Our investments flourished and I saw firsthand that it was not magic. All that is required is the commitment of the people and know how. I am extremely confident that I can replicate the same successes in Delta State within a very short space of time because I have the experience and know that others simply do not have. The potential multiplier effect of such intervention on the Delta State economy can only be best imagined and the thought of it alone excites me. My people just need to focus their efforts towards dominating the environment for the collective good of the people. On a general note, the differences in our ability to do so are responsible for the difference in the pace of development between countries and regions. What do you consider as the most nagging problems in each of the three Senatorial Districts? In general, the problems are essentially the same which is developmen-

tal. Nevertheless, I must commend and congratulate the previous governments since 1999. They have done so much for the state. The first of which I was an integral part of essentially concentrated on Infrastructural development. The current government has not only built on that but is also focusing on Delta without oil with great success. Since development is cumulative, I intend to build upon their works. However, the next developmental thrust should take into account the specific problems of each Senatorial District. For example, while in general there is clearly need for more infrastructure, Delta North has relatively greater erosion, water supply, and road network problems. Delta Central clearly needs more roads. While Delta South also

The truth is that demonstrable and broad based fair development will erase ethnic sentiments with regard to governance

Now, how popular is your aspiration among Deltans? The truth is I am overwhelmed by the amazing show of support I am receiving at the moment. My on-going consultations is exciting the people of Delta State and clearly my aspiration is receiving popular acclaim. Initially many Deltans thought it was just a rumor and apparently many did not believe I would venture into the perceived murky waters of Delta politics because they felt that based on my past antecedents; I was too refined and principled for Delta politics. Every minute I receive telephone calls from Deltans from all walks of life irrespective of their ethnic background urging me to pursue my aspiration. Most Deltans are fascinated by my track record of implementing purpose driven ideas and honestly, I am seen as a breath of fresh air by many, even those in the opposition parties. You see, I do not have the political baggage that most of the others have, and based on my previous track record while in government, they know me and what I stand for. They regard me as being honest and trustworthy, experienced in the art of governance, committed, consistent and loyal and respectful. I am also viewed as an intellectual with demonstrably clear vision. As a result, several political interest groups are mobilizing across the state and even beyond to actualize my aspiration. Frankly, it is becoming a mass movement. Please do not take my word for it, go out there, talk to people and see for yourself. What do you consider the crux of the problem with Nigeria? That is a loaded question and like most Nigerians, I could spend hours trying to answer it! Suffice to say many feel it is a leadership problem which I agree with. However, I also believe the leadership problem is exacerbated by the fact that those who have the requisite skills and experience to make a true positive difference for obvious reasons have abandoned governance to those who do not have the knowhow forgetting that whatever sub optimal decisions are taken in the public sector ultimately affects them. Simply put, you do not go to the world cup with your second eleven and expect to win! Leaders have always emerged from among followers. So if the followers are desirous of a great nation then they CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

14 POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW How confident is your party of winning the August 9 election? We are confident that the people of Osun are with us because that is what is important at the end of the day. We are confident that the people are ready to vote for the APC and they will stand by their votes. The key to our confidence as a party and government is the people, their readiness and our connection with them. They see us as part of them and their own people. They have also been alerted to be vigilant so that we would not permit any high-tech rigging that we witnessed in Ekiti. We had within the short time understudied the process of what happened in Ekiti and for us it was a whole lot of experience because the kind of rigging method used there has never been deployed anywhere before. It was tested first in Ekiti and we had to learn from what PDP did there. For us, the only thing we have is the people. If you look at it today, PDP has practically turned the Nigerian Army into the armed wing of their party. When you have such a situation where the president has jettisoned statesmanship for partisanship, it’s only the people that can be your hope. Our people are resolute and mobilised for the August 9 election. But the PDP said they would replicate their Ekiti template in Osun? We have studied what transpired in Ekiti; from the ballot boxes, the type of inks they used and others. We are trying to be vigilant. That is why the party has to go to Court. It’s not as if the party is asking for the upturning of Fayose but to prevent a reoccurrence in the interest of Nigeria democracy. The total sum game of Ekiti was an election dominated by technology and armed forces; I believe democracy can’t grow through that way. We know they have the intention and plans, but they will meet the people of Osun who are resolute and vigilant to look at their ballot papers carefully and handle it properly. What is your take on PDP’s allegation that the government of Aregbesola is made in Lagos? We have employed 40,000 O’YES members and I wonder which house we built for them from Lagos to stay. Those are residents of Osun people -graduates and non-graduates; we have them in all local government. PDP is the authors and finishers of lies and they do it without repentance. Anything good and beautiful will always be spoiled by the PDP. Negative things thrive with them. I don’t expect them to celebrate anything Ogbeni is doing over the last three years. What they had in Ogbeni’s administration is called culture shock because they have never seen people being employed at that level. Out of the first batch of OYES cadets, we have employed directly in the civil service over 10,000 of them as teachers; we created business lines for many of them and employed over 3,000 into the civil service aside the teachers and that is a safe zone for them. You will want to ask me what those people were doing before now; they were sleeping in their houses and their parents were feeding them. We gave them that lifeline, changing them from unemployable Nigerians to employable and teaching them the dignity of labour. These schemes were done outside party lines because the process of applying was online. We have taken 40,000 people through O’YES out of poverty, desperation and hopelessness. As of today, the Federal Bureau of Statistics said Osun state has the least rate of unemployment in Nigeria. The bureau is a federal agency and not Osun owned. It’s not about us but facts and figures. Do you suspect sabotage over the Ejigbo school incident few days before its commissioning? Like I said earlier, anything good

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Ilori: PDP’s stomach infrastructure trick won’t fly in Osun Hon Bola Ilori is the Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Environment and Sanitation. In this interview with WALE ELEGBEDE, he speaks on the efforts being made by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not repeat its Ekiti State feat ahead of the August 9 governorship election and beautiful is antithetical to PDP’s rule of engagement. Three days before the school went down, Omisore went to Ejigbo where the school was located and promised that he was going to turn the place into poultry and we shouted immediately that we suspect that sabotage was going to happen. We don’t need a soothsayer to know where that has happened from. The relevant agencies are conducting investigations into what happened in that place and we know the report will come out. But we know that sabotage is not far from them because those who will sabotage it told us before hand. Those are the type of schools that Aregbesola has been building all around Osun, they are secondary schools that compete with universities. For somebody to say that he wants to take Osun back to where they were before, I am sure no parent would want them here. Don’t you think that the repeated allegation of the Osun government against the FG for stifling the state of fund is political? Like I said before, the president that should be a father of all has left statesmanship for partisanship. For them, cutting the allocation of a state and other tricks is all politics. Unfortunately for them, they thought Ogbeni won’t be able to pay salaries but we have been paying and on time without cutting the salary of any staff and we would still employ more. Is your party frightened over recent developments of impeachments in some of your party controlled states? For me, it’s less of the problem of APC but survival of democracy. You can see the response of people in Nassarawa, that was not the response of the APC. By the time you drag the people to the extreme, I hope PDP won’t collapse Nigeria’s democracy. And the danger in what they are doing is quick deployment of the army. When you use the army to attack your opponent, you are putting ideas into their heads. You used them to get power and you use the power to loot treasure and they read all these in the newspapers daily and they know that you rely on them to survive, it’s only a matter of time.

Even the stomach infrastructure they are talking about cannot fly in Osun state because Aregbesola has been providing that long ago

Abraham Lincoln said those who ride a tiger in the pursuit of power usually end up in the belly of the tiger. People always forget history. In 1983, when NPN was using ‘kill and go’ against their opponents, the army kicked them out because those who you are relying upon to take power also know that they are the forever alternative political party in Nigeria. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo achieved one thing during his tenure, which is the professionalism and depoliticisation of the Nigerian Army. He kept the army in the barracks but that has changed. The rule of engagement now is that even over land dispute you bring army. I read it online that even the Police Affairs Minister, Jelili, went to a bank in Oshogbo and ordered everybody out of the bank because he wanted to make a transaction, it is that bad now. That impunity can’t survive with time. Forget about party affiliation, the moment you take power from the people to the army you are only telling them what

Ilori

you expect from them because they are human too. Somebody who goes to bury his elder brother with his younger brother with him is only teaching the younger brother how to bury him when he dies. By the time you are teaching the army how to deal with the other people; you are only teaching them how to deal with you. Since the army has gotten bold now, look at the burning of BRT buses in Lagos, would that have been their response under Obasanjo? It would never have happened and we only hope and pray that it won’t crystalise into something else. Is your party jittery about the presence of Obanikoro, Jelili and others during the election? We have the people behind us. Omisore has not been campaigning but they have two mantras, one; they tell people don’t worry when we get there we will allow you to chop and secondly, they tell people that either they vote or not they will win. And our people have been curious on how they want to achieve that. Even the stomach infrastructure they are talking about cannot fly in Osun state because Aregbesola has been providing that long ago. We’ve been feeding our kids every school day for the past three years. Our programmes are not new or meant for elections, we are not just importing new things; these are part and parcel of governance for us. The issue of stomach infrastructure they introduced in Ekiti is not what amuses the people of Osun because they see it and that is why they said Ogbeni should continue. So, the only thing remaining for them is high-tech rigging and deployment of security apparatus. For us, we can only appeal that in the interest of the survival of democracy the president should see himself more as a statesman rather than as a politician.

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW 15

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Alaketu: FG under developing Lagos How prepared is APC for 2015 in Lagos State? My party, APC is well prepared for 2015. What happened in Ekiti is a lesson for us and we need to learn from it. So, we are well prepared and I think the party hierarchy is working seriously to ensure that we win in 2015. Many people believe that one of the reasons Governor Kayode Fayemi lost in Ekiti governorship election was because some of his policies were not in favour of the Ekiti people and some schools of thought are of the view that some of the decisions taken by Governor Babatunde Fashola, such as banning of Okada and increase of tuition fees in Lagos State University (LASU), may affect APC performance in 2015. What is your take on this? I don’t see the decision of the government on Okada working against the party because the Okada issue is for safety reason. If you go to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) now, you will discover those Okada riders’ accidents’ victims are very few, which was not like before. The state government didn’t ban Okada in Lagos State; they only restricted them from the highways for safety reasons. The issue of Okada is not peculiar to Lagos State alone; in fact Okada has been totally banned in some states, but Lagos State government only restricted their movement in some parts of the state. On the issue of LASU, I think the state government is doing something to reduce the tuition fees. In Nigeria, there is no state now that is giving free education at higher institution level. People have to pay fees to meet up with lecturers and infrastructural demands in higher institutions. The alleged imposition of candidates in APC according to some people may affect the fortunes of the ruling party in Lagos..... To us in the party, we don’t see the process through which our candidates emerge as imposition. If you look at the state from inception; from Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the present APC, you will give kudos to the party hierarchy in the sense that there is no crisis or political killings in the party. Party primaries are the major cause of problem in political parties because going for primaries to some aspirants is more or less war. But our party thought that instead of us killing ourselves or fighting, the party leaders should brainstorm and choose the best candidate. That is why people like me can boldly come out to say that I want to contest for political office. In APC, the contest is not about being a political gladiator or a wealthy person; if you are credible enough, you can come out and people will support you. APC is not about imposition and I don’t see any form of imposition in the emergence of APC candidates. But some people believe that the imposition doesn’t usually make the people’s choice to prevail over the godfather’s. So far so good, I don’t think so. What you see as imposition is all about peace because you need to consider people’s choice and once the people throw up a candidate, the party hierarchy usually goes in that direction. That process prevents a lot of trouble because if you look at Nigeria’s political history, party primaries are usually like war and I think that is what APC is trying to avoid by making sure that they harmonise people before going into any general elections. For the past 15 years in Lagos, you hardly hear that there is war in our party as a result of primaries. The party leaders have been able to ensure that they control the situation by using consensus arrangement to select the party’s candidates. How do you see the zoning of APC governorship ticket to Lagos East Senatorial

Mr. Wale Alaketu is a stalwart of All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he speaks on his aspiration to represent Epe Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He also speaks on his party’s preparation for the 2015 general election, among other issues.

Federal Government seems not to be looking in that direction. And the refusal of the Federal Government to accept the additional 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created by former Governor Bola Tinubu to increase the number of local government in Lagos State from 20 to 57 also has effect in the state. Today, Lagos State is being paid monthly allocation based on 20 local governments and that allocation is being shared by 57 councils. So there is no magic that can be performed in the state. And that is one of the problem people at the grassroots are facing. Because after payment of salaries of workers in each local government and LCDA, what do you expect considering the fact that the council takes care of the traditional rulers and other expenses. But if they harmonise the other 37 LCDA to local government for Lagos State to have 57 local governments, there would be a great change in Lagos. Are you canvassing for additional local governments in Lagos State? Yes. There should be creation of additional local government. This is the only way people at the grassroots can be touched because local government is the closest government to the people at the grassroots. You are from Epe division of Lagos State and there is a belief that people in Epe seem to be far from development compared to other parts of the state. I don’t really understand why it is like that. I don’t know what we did wrong to the Federal Government that they have refused to give us constant electricity in the last five years. I don’t know why attention is not paid to Epe and this is one of the reasons I am contesting for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly. We want to try as much as possible to liberate our people from bondage.

Edevbie

District? It is a welcome development and that is why APC is a party to be. In the present Fourth Republic, Lagos Central and Lagos-West Senatorial districts have produced the state governor. So, we want the Lagos East Senatorial District too to have a taste of the governorship. APC is a genuine party, which gives chances to all and sundry for everybody to participate in the government. Zoning the next governorship to Lagos East is a good idea and I pray that it will work out. How true is the report that APC leaders and the people of Epe have already endorsed former Lagos State AccountantGeneral, Mr. Akin Ambode as Governor Babatuunde Fashola’s successor? Akin Ambode is a contestant; he is from Epe and there are still other aspirants from Lagos East Senatorial District. We even want more people to come out and join the governorship race. Akin Ambode as far as I am concerned is a good candidate. The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforoji is also a good candidate. Dr. Leke Pitan is another credible candidate. Obafemi Hamzat is also in the race. We even want more credible people to join the race so that at the end of the day the best among the aspirants will become the APC governorship candidate. There are three tiers of government;

But if they harmonise the other 37 LCDA to local government for Lagos State to have 57 local governments, there would be a great change in Lagos federal, state and local governments but today government seem to be far from the people at the grassroots considering the fact that people are not really enjoying dividends of democracy at the council levels.... Lagos State today is suffering because PDP is inflicting pains on the state. For example former Kano State is having 44 local governments and today Kano State has been divided into two states; Kano and Jigawa states. Kano State has 40 local governments while Jigawa has 27 local governments, which is a total of 67 councils. If you combined the population of the two states together, they are not up to the population of Lagos State in reality because the census figure is not the true picture of the real population of people in Kano State. Lagos State should have been shared into two states for a long time, but the

Why are you throwing your hat into the ring to contest for Epe Constituency II seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly? I was born and breed in Epe Constituency II and the prayer of every parent is that when your child grows up, he must prosper in future. We can no longer sit down looking at our constituency going the way it is. And more so, the Epe Constituency II House of Assembly seat is on rotation and right now it is Pobo community’s turn and I am from there. Pobo is in Ward L1 and it consists of Imokun, Poka and Noforija. Of these three communities, Poka and Noforija have produced candidates serving at the federal level and the current chairman of our council, Eredo LCDA is even from Noforija. The only political position presently occupied by Imokun is counselor. I am from Imokun community and that is why I am contesting. We, the people of Imokun feel that we should voice out and we believe that zoning the Epe Constituency II State Assembly to our ward will do a lot of good to us and that is why the youths are backing me to contest for the seat. I looked at it and saw it as a welcome idea. Though, I am not seeing the contest as a do-or-die affair, I believe strongly that based on the support from the grassroots that my people want me, and there is no doubt about that. I am putting my best and leaving the rest to God. I am contesting to bring our people closer to the state government and to bring development to our constituency; to bring health facilities and many other dividends of democracy. We want our community to benefit from every developmental project that is happening in the state. We want job creation because a lot of youths are in our community, who are just okada riders, so we want government to create more jobs so the youths could be gainfully employed.

16 POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW What’s your opinion about the much talked about zoning of the governorship seat in Abia? Well, since the current administration started winding down so to say, because we have a few months to its end, the governor has taken a position which everybody feels is fair and right. And I was at Ngwa High when the three local governments made up of Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma Ngwa Local Government gave him a reception; the governor said he was throwing the governorship position to the people of Ukwa/Ngwa zone and if you go back in history, you know that Abia State is politically divided into two blocs, the Old Bende and the Ukwa/ Ngwa group. And nobody from the Ukwa/Ngwa group, either in the military or civilian has ever been a chief executive of this state or any other state as was the practice during the military. So for this governor to say and repeat at many events that he is going to support people from Ukwa/Ngwa zone, it is something that is highly commendable, and I have every belief that Chief T.A Orji means it and it is now up to my people (Ukwa/Ngwa) to put their acts together and brace up for the challenges ahead. There appears to be a consensus already among your people on where the next governor should come from going by what one of your sons, Emmanuel Adaelu said recently, that the governorship is only for those who are from Abia South, excluding those from Abia Central. No such consensus had been reached and I must tell you that statement credited to Elder Emmanuel Adaelu was very, very unfortunate because he is one of the respected persons in Ngwa land and his opinion many a times is taken very seriously. But I think he missed the point because one would have expected Elder Adaelu to consult his people before making such statement. While not joining issues with him I think he is wrong again on the issue of governorship in Abia State as it concerns the Ngwa people. For example, in 2007, he conducted a straw poll in his house where I personally came first and the agreement was that whoever that came first out of nine of us would be forwarded to the party (PDP) as the sole candidate from the zone. I came first, rather than do that, he rushed to the then secretary of the party, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, who is still alive today and said unprintable things about my person; he said I did not have money, that I was involved in impeachment moves against former President Olusegun Obasanjo which is laughable because nobody impeached Obasanjo. But it was meant to disparage me and reduce my reputation and of course, he said I lacked the capacity to win election. He took the person who was third as the acceptable candidate and because his voice was loud and I didn’t know, Ojo Maduekwe adopted Chief Okezie Orji who came third and that is why we are where we are today; there was no reason I wouldn’t have won the election then. I said it is unfortunate again because the same thing is playing out now. Our senior brother (Elder Adaelu) should have consulted the people even if he feels otherwise and ask the opinion of the people. I am from Isiala Ngwa North, Ntigha is my village, in the history of this state, nobody from Isiala Ngwa has ever, ever achieved an executive position and of course, all these while from 1999 till date, all we (Ngwa people) have been is deputy. And in all these, they all came from the old Obioma Ngwa, nobody from Isiala Ngwa has ever been given an opportunity. I was so close to it, he truncated it on his own without considering the feelings of the people, which I think was wrong. My concern now is that he is at it again. If we don’t say anything, this stand of his has the potential to derail the good thing we as a people have laboured over the years to have.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

It’s time for Ngwa to produce Abia gov –Enwereuzor Chief Tony Enwereuzor is a former member representing Aba North and Aba South in the House of Representatives and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State in 2007. As the 2015 general election draw near, the political space in Abia State is heating up, particularly on debates concerning which area should produce the next governorship, Enwereuzor hosted some journalists on this vexed issue, and on other issues of national interests. CHINEDU EKEJA brings excerpts Isiala Ngwa. Let me tell you something, in 1979, an Isiala Ngwa person was elected the deputy governor of old Imo state and it was a son from this same zone that took him to court and removed him. It’s painful and these actions call to mind those things that happen in those days and ever since, Dr. Bernard Amalaha was removed as late Dr. Sam Mbakwe’s deputy.

Enwereuzor

Since Isiala Ngwa people are said to be the head in Ngwa land, excluding them from the governorship race, would it amount to taking that which belongs to the first born and giving it to others, shouldn’t they be considered first? In fact in natural order that is how it should have been, but we are very fair minded people. All we have been asking for is to be given a level playing ground where all Ngwa sons and daughters will be able to participate. Maybe Adaelu is afraid that whoever he has in mind may not emerge in any straw poll to streamline the Ngwa people who want to run, and therefore he forecloses as he would always do, the chances of somebody from Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala South and this is unfortunate for somebody we hold in high esteem, somebody we think is our leader, I mean it calls to question the leadership which he portends to give to my people. Going by your question, nobody would know why he has done this; actually he is the one that is in the position to know why he has done this. First of all, it is wrong for him to assume that the people of Isiala Ngwa have nothing in the political stake of this state, it is absolutely wrong. In my own situation in 2007, its clear that he got a reward, he knows, he cannot deny it. He got party patronage by the number of people he got into appointive and elective positions. Maybe, he has been offered again and it’s possible that this new package is why he believes he can railroad people of guided choice and that has the potential of exploding the political climate in this place and for a leader to have said this,

In the history of this state, nobody from Isiala Ngwa has ever achieved an executive position all these while from 1999 till date I believe that Elder Adaelu should have consulted properly before coming out with the statement. What danger does his statement portend for Ukwa/Ngwa people with regard to the 2015 Abia governorship? Well, I’m not going to take his statement seriously; I’m going ahead with my ambition. He can do what he wants to do, but the party will also have a say. What the governor is looking up to from people like him is advice. You don’t concur on wrong things even when people assume things that are wrong. An elder states person should say, hold it there, you do it that way. My worry is that for no reason in 2007, he truncated my ambition when he was the author of what happened. So I worry that he is zeroing his mind on somebody and that is not how leadership is sustained. When you become obviously partial, then you lose the moral high ground to allow people to accept you as a leader. As far as I know, Elder Adaelu is on his own in this matter because he can’t stop me, nor can he stop any of our daughters or sons from

The Ngwa people appear not united in their quest for the governorship of the state in 2015. If this continues, don’t you think it could erode the chances of Ngwa man becoming governor of Abia next year? Yes, that is why it calls to question, the leadership style of our senior brother, how he would allow himself to lose sight of history because he should have this at the back of his mind that the party cannot stop anybody from running the primaries, this is a democratic setting. But the party has a way of appealing or making this thing be a merry go round. If he knows the full implication that what happened in his house was the reason everybody else got into the field in 2007, he shouldn’t have jumped into this foray without examining its serious implications. The implications are legion, he can’t stop me if I know that the process of stopping me is flawed, I can’t be stopped by mere statement that the governorship is for the Abia South, said by whom? Is that what the PDP has said? The PDP has never said that Abia governorship is on senatorial basis. If you go to Rivers state, there is only two divides; upland, riverine and they all mix. The Ogonis are part of the senatorial zone that Chief Rotimi Amaechi comes from, but they are saying that Ogoni people deserve to be governor. The Degema, Abonima side, part of that local government is also with the Emoha people up to the Dr. Peter Odili side. You cannot say the Degema man or the Abonima man who is riverine, because Dr. Odili has gone, he cannot go. So where my senior brother got this feeling and it’s a fait accompli for him is what makes me feel sad. I’m saddened because it seems to me that he has lost sense of history of his people who have suffered tremendously. But the good thing is that he cannot stop me, there are party rules, I buy my form and he can’t stop anybody from that area who is serious to run and I know there are few who are. We expected him if he had wanted to exercise leadership to recall what he did in 2007 and say I’m going to do it right now and not to repeat it. The question I’m asking my brothers and sisters from Isiala Ngwa is that where are we in the political arrangement of Abia state? This is the first time it has been generally agreed in the state that the governorship should come to Ukwa/Ngwa and the best thing could have been for us to come together and agree and if that is done, there will be no cause to grudge, but if you tell me I will not participate without any reason, I will have to exercise my right under the constitution, both of the party and of the country. Let it be known that my people are not going to accept what Elder Adaelu said.

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW 17

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Confab 5% intervention fund proposal is myopic, saysAgbata, APGA chieftain Chief Victor Agbata was the governorship candidate for National Social Democratic Party (NSDP) in the 2010 governorship election in Anambra State. In this interview, Chief Agbata spoke on a number of political issues and advised those jostling for regional demands to focus on issues that will benefit the entire country. ONAH ONAH reports Sir what is your assessment of the present Anambra State government? Well, first of all I would want to thank our able governor for what he is doing in the area of security in the state. You see, Anambra State has improved tremendously because the governor has used effectively government machinery to fight crime and kidnapping. Now the state has relative peace, and it will drive policies in many sectors like agriculture, judiciary, housing, commerce and industry that will improve the economy of the state and provide empowerment for the citizens. It is a good beginning and the governor has so far performed creditably and effectively, given the fact that he was not in Anambra State before now. Added to these, he has also produced a blue print on his plan for mega markets, as well as roads to ease inter communal and inter local government transportation, and this will improve commerce and as well reduce unemployment drastically if he implements these policies, and I hope God will help him to do it. Former Governor Obi told Anambra people that he left N75billion for his successor in government coffers, but the governor is still complaining that there is no money. How do we reconcile this? If Peter Obi had left 75 billion in the state coffers and so many places are yet undeveloped in this state, it means Peter Obi was not kind to Anambra people. It is a naked lie. However if he has tried it on some developmental projects and the present governor used it purposefully, it is a good omen. But what happens with government projects sometimes is that projects are suggested and money, proposed but sometimes successive governments don’t implement it, and that has been the bane of this country’s development. Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and material resources that can take this country to any level of development but greed, selfishness and lack of patriotic leaders, who have the interest of this country at heart, is our major problem. Delegates to the national conference made a lot of proposals and recommendations, including a five per cent five per cent National Intervention Fund from the Federal Government’s budget by the Northern delegates to compensate parts of the north that were affected by the Boko Haram insurgence. How do you see this? It is biblical, for us Christians, that in every twelve there must be a Judas. There are those there who want to pay the supreme sacrifice to salvage this country from its shackles of poverty and underdevelopment, but there are some of them who are there looking for their own selfish interest. This is because it is happening in their place now, what of if it happens in another place tomorrow, would they too be given five per cent. I think what Nigeria should do is to believe in true federation where people struggle and pay their taxes to the Federal Government, but saying that five per cent derivation should go to one particular zone is myopic because by doing that we are supporting insurgency and it is a

war that all of us should fight together. The confab also proposed the creation of more states, what is your view on that? It is very important especially in the South East which has for so long had five states while others have between six and seven. The issue of one additional state in the zone has been long overdue because there is certain marginalization we all know can’t last forever; because if you fail to address such imbalance, it will continue to generate crises. There should be equal states in every region. And the local governments should be granted full autonomy and if we don’t want local government system let’s scrape it entirely. That’s my view. The APC (All Progressives Congress) has criticized the Federal Government over the impeachment of Adamawa State Governor Alhaji Murtala Nyako and the threat to remove his Nasarawa State counterpart. What’s your take on this? My understanding of the development is that if two persons are fighting, each of them makes use of what he has to defend himself, but there is a way APC oppositions are crying foul. As an opposition political party, I agree it’s quite good in any democratic government, to at least criticize the ruling party to take correction, especially when its constructive criticism, but to cook-up whatever allegation against the leadership does not epitomize the politics of dignity and integrity. Some of them always point accusing fingers at the presidency which to me is not constructive criticism from the opposition. Jonathan does not deserve the insults most of them are giving him, but they should remember the law of attribution or karma, that is: the measure you give is the measure you will receive. Insurgency is a new thing in Nigerian history and I don’t believe that Jonathan will tackle it over night. He needs to sit down and study the situation, think about it and strategise. It can also happen to any administration because insurgence is an ill wind that blows no one good. Many Nigerians are of the view that as a

Agbata

patriotic Nigeria, Jonathan should not run for presidency again in 2015. What is your opinion on this? Anybody who wants to be a patriotic Nigerian should be, but the idea that this person should run or not run is neither here nor there: since the person is qualified. It is a decision Jonathan will take himself. Nigerian can only stop him by voting him out. The only thing is that with the rotational presidency arrangement, at the end of his tenure it moves to another zone. If he says he will run

Saying that five per cent derivation should go to one particular zone is myopic because by doing that we are supporting insurgency and it is a war that all of us should fight together

Nigerians will stop him, and if not the law will. In the 2015 how do you think APGA will fare in Anambra state, concerning National Assembly election? What determines who will go or not go is what one did while in the national or state Assembly to his or her constituencies On APGA’s chances I will advise that Obiano try to reach across to old politicians in the state. In politics there is no permanent friend, but permanent interests, and a lot of meeting have been going on concerning the 2015 elections to the state House of Assembly, as well as the National Assembly. Anybody who has done well should be compensated by the people, but for those who did not do well they should forget going back because Anambra people will resist it. I know that this time the battle is between PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APGA. All we need is to give Anambra the best people to serve them better. Are you thinking of joining in the race? Well, I am watching very carefully and if my people say I should run, I will contest.

‘Even development will erase ethnicity in governance’ CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

will only actualize that dream when they have the courage to do whatever it takes to emerge as leaders. With the extent of rot in our country, quality leadership is our only way out. Can you rationalize your transformation from a technocrat to politician? Well it has become a vogue all over the world for individuals to embark on crossovers from one vocation to the other. In Nigeria, those who have successfully driven government policies were technocrats turned politicians. Seriously speaking, every technocrat is in a way a politician. Do technocrats work in abstract? No! They work in situations with people they also need to influence to get things done and that is

politics. States usually make phenomenal progress when they are governed by technocrats. For example just look at Lagos State which coincidently is currently governed by a former school mate of mine Raji Fashola. His achievements are obvious for any progressive to see. He essentially started as a technocrat. What informed your choice of the PDP as a political platform on which to contest the governorship election? I have served a governor of Delta State and a president of Nigeria on the platform the PDP, Africa’s most phenomenal political party since 1999. So it is logical that it should be the platform from which I would want to realize my gubernatorial dream.

Are you well acquainted with your base which is Urhobo and what is your response to criticisms that you do not speak the language fluently? Certainly I am very well acquainted with my Urhobo base. In fact most Urhobo people have hailed my aspiration and I continue to enjoy tremendous good will from my people. I spend a lot of time in my country home and I’m very much in touch with the people. The question of not being able to speak Urhobo fluently is a non-issue. It is the product of a few clannish and pedestrian minds. The world is now a global village and English is the predominant mode of communication as we are curCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW

Paul Torkyaa

here was disquiet in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Benue State chapter, recently. The rumpus followed a remark by no less a personality than the elder brother of the governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam. Suswam’s elder brother, Chief Terkura Suswam jarred the nerves of not a few stakeholders when he allegedly publicly threw his weight behind one of the candidates jostling for the governorship seat in the state. The lecturer turned politician publicly declared at a function that out of the motley of candidates, only John Hinga Biem, was preferred while dismissing the ambition of the Minister of Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom, to rule the state. The senior Suswam is reputed to command influence and respect within the state PDP and enjoys the confidence of his brother governor. Both of them, it is believed, are not known to have divergent views on matters like this. Such a statement, coming from a man of such lofty standing was therefore considered too weighty to be ignored, particularly by the club of aspirants, many of whom are concerned that the open support for Biem is an indication that there might be an imposition in the impending primaries. Consequently, about five of them had reportedly threatened to decamp to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) if the governor did not prevail on his brother to recant. After much dithering, however, the elder Suswam, is said to have since apologized to Chief Ortom after his younger brother had seriously reprimanded him for being so unguided. This development was recently the subject of debate by close observers of the politics of the state. Some observers believe that Suswam’s open endorsement of Biem was based on his reading of the entire governorship campaign, which according to them, falls short of expectation of the Benue electorate. At issue is the quality of the campaign, which they believe is below average and portrays the dramatis personae as lacking in the much needed sophistication, creativity and ingenuity to drive a governorship campaign. Pundits say that Terkura Suswam’s open support for Biem is because of the single minded determination he has so far demonstrated in his consultation campaign compared to others who have clearly shown by their outings that they are mere pretenders.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

2015: Vindicating Suswam

Suswam

What most of the candidates have done is to carry their money bags and storm the arena as contestants without giving a thought to the need to study the polity to have a clear view of the exact role they are expected to play in office. Most of the contestants are in the race by virtue of their having held one political office or the other and because of what they hope to benefit from them daring to contest at all. What is therefore happening currently is that anybody can become a governorship candidate once he has duly informed his party of his intention to contest, inaugurate a campaign office and paste the city walls with a few posters. The rest of the job will be done on radio and television. But personal contact with the electorate, particularly stakeholders and power blocs, as Biem is currently doing, is most rewarding. Biem’s door to door consultation strategy is reputed to have electrifying effect on delegates, particularly those from the grassroots, for whom the strategy provides firsthand knowledge about their problems.

Besides, the effective and efficient manner that Biem has packaged his campaign has not only increased his visibility within the polity, his name has become ubiquitous, increasingly inspiring confidence and exuding an aura of reliability. Most of the candidates have no established image within the state. As a result, their names sound banal, colorless and unimaginative and do not evoke anything aside their past political office. But for Biem, this is not so. The mention of Biem evokes a positive image of humility, gentility and humanity. It evokes an image of reliability, dependability and altruism, a peoples’ personality, who is deeply concerned about the plight of the ordinary man. Similarly, the question of personality is very relevant in a governorship, as indeed in any political contest. What is the character of the aspirants, both as private persons and as public office holders? Are there events and issues that are likely to make or mar the chances and credibility of the candi-

dates in a contest. Put differently, are they carrying a political baggage? Most of the contestants have one issue or the other hanging around their necks which petition writers are currently feasting on. The image of Biem, on the other hand is that of a noble character, clean, unblemished and easy going technocrat who has not been tainted by any controversy in his more than three decades of meritorious service to the state. The depth of a candidate’s political structure is also a critical factor in a political contest of this nature. There are roughly 102 wards in Benue State. How many of the governorship contenders can boast of a coordinator’s office in two-thirds of the wards which translates to only 34 wards across the state. The hype among the gladiators which they often gleefully impress upon gullible members of the public is that they have presence everywhere. For most of the aspirants, this claim is nothing but a fluke and only a few of them like Biem, Steven Lawani and Samuel Ortom can truly lay claim to it. Biem, for instance, has done well in this vital regard. His political machinery, in spite of his short political career, runs deep and far flung, spanning nearly the entire length and breadth of the state with his posters adorning virtually every ward across the local governments in the state; so much so that his name is increasingly gradually, becoming a household name in the state. These are the indices that Chief Suswam saw concerning the candidates that he was so agitated and loquacious about that drew the wrath of Biem’s fellow contestants. On face value, Chief Suswam’s pronouncement portrays him as taking sides among the aspirants but on deeper reflection, he was only calling a spade a spade and demonstrating a passion for credible leadership in the state. The older Suswam should not be condemned for expressing an opinion that is commonly shared by many members of the discerning public. Rather, he should be commended for mustering the courage to air a view that should serve as a guide, particularly, to the gullible and uninformed members of the state delegates on how to make the right choices during the forthcoming primaries. He should be vindicated, not pilloried. •Torkyaa writes from Makurdi.

‘Even development will erase ethnicity in governance’ CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

rently doing now. I am not seeking to be governor of Urhobo people but that of the multi ethnic state of Delta State. The Urhobo language will not be spoken in Government House, Asaba anyway. I once asked a group of hard core Urhobo people whether they wanted somebody who will always tell them the truth in English or the one who is inconsistent and will lie to them in Urhobo and they all said they desired the former. The choice is clear and so again I repeat, it is a non-issue being peddled by those who are intimidated by my superior experience and political marketability. What is your relationship with the different ethnic groups in the state, do you understand their sentiments and preferences? Yes I do have a robust relationship with all the ethnic groups. I understand their sentiments and preferences. But believe me I am well accepted all over the state. When I served in government

I never discriminated against anybody ecause of ethnic affiliation. I think it is for this reason that I am now generally accepted by all in the state. Again, go out there yourself and sample opinions to confirm what I am saying. How do you intend to resolve the menace of unemployment and insecurity? I am a development oriented thinker and I have already evolved a blueprint for massive job creation in Delta State. It is contained in my manifesto which will be released after I have finished my consultations. I am convinced that massive employment opportunities will reduce crime drastically. In addition I will push for community policing because my people strongly believe in self help. I will also embark on a corrective and reformative crusade which will give our youths a new orientation that is value driven. I will exploit my contacts and networks within the Federal Government and among international development partners to the advantage of the state. What is your opinion about the agita-

tion by the Aniomas that it is their turn to produce the governor in 2015? I have always maintained that the agitation is legitimate. Most of the contestants from that axis are my close friends and can confirm that as my view. The struggle for political power is always fraught with such agitation. However, I strongly believe that in a democracy nobody should be excluded based on tribe, Senatorial District or any other discriminatory guise. No matter what happens, a winner will emerge and if I emerge I shall run an all inclusive government and ensure that development is evenly spread so that everyone will forget whether he or she is Anioma, Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri or Isoko. The truth is that demonstrable and broad based fair development will erase ethnic sentiments with regard to governance. What also do you say about the same agitation by the Urhobo people? It is also natural especially as they are the majority tribe in the state. But then it is one of those things that I be-

lieve will fizzle out with the passage of time as good governance takes root. In fact, it is already being increasingly drowned out by the desire of those who want merit to be the predominant criteria for selecting a governor. What message do you have for politicians and other Deltans? I believe the time has come for Deltans to shy away from ethnicity and focus more on supporting credible persons to get into government. Merit should be the paramount deciding factor at all levels of governance. Deltans should examine the antecedents and credibility of all gubernatorial aspirants and choose someone who can be trusted because at this crucial stage of the Delta State’s development we need someone who is experienced and will hit the ground running in implementing policies. He or she as the case maybe will continue the successive work of preceding governments and should have the capacity to bring positive transformation to all communities in Delta State.

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EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

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

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

THURSday, JULY 24, 2014

Time to depoliticize religious affairs

iger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has advised Nigerians not to see the observance of pilgrimage to the holy land as a jamboree but a source of spiritual upliftment. Aliyu made the remark in Minna recently when he received the Executive Secretary of the National Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, who was in Government House to brief the governor on the preparation for the 2014 pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The governor explained that performance of pilgrimages would strengthen the faith of the pilgrims and make them better people who would contribute meaningfully to the development of society. “Pilgrimages are for moral and spiritual transformation; we must not look at pilgrimage as a jamboree,” he said. Aliyu also condemned the spate of defections by pilgrims, saying such attitude gave the country a bad name in the global community. He said as a result of previous cases of defection during pilgrimage, the Niger State Government had decided that only those resident in the state, with verifiable guarantors would be allowed to register and perform pilgrimage from the state. Over the years, successive governments and indeed all tiers of government have been involved in the sponsorship of pilgrims to holy

land, ensuring the direct involvement of government in purely religious matters. This situation conflicts with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which emphasizes the secularity of the Nigerian state, and therefore implies that the sponsorship of pilgrims by government is a violation of the laws of the land. Knowing that Nigerians have a religious tendency, the circulating elites and politicians have willingly capitalized on the situation to deliberately manipulate and politicize certain aspects of religious tenets. By so doing, they are able to hold on to power at all cost, even where they are no longer wanted, by invoking religious sentiments. Karl Marx stated unequivocally in the Communist Manifesto in 1884 that religion is the opium of the masses and it is interesting how little has changed in the manner politicians deploy religion to their advantage. Similarly, late Dr. Bala Usman also argued along the same line in his seminal book, The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria, which hit closer home with pertinent examples to illustrate the situation in our country. We must begin to see the inherent hazard in the manipulation of religion for political gains by the political class. The secularity of the Nigerian state must be preserved at all costs. It is religious organizations that should be saddled with the responsibility of sponsoring

pilgrims to the holy land, and what governments have done over the years is to use the sponsorship as a Greek gift to foes and friends in tacit exchange for votes during elections. It is not just for meretricious reasons that the 1999 constitution stated explicitly that security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, definitely, sponsorship of pilgrims is not part of this objective. The essence of pilgrimage differs for the two major faiths: For Muslims, it is a religious injunction and for Christians, it is an opportunity to see those historic sites they have read about in the scriptures and ensure they are not just mere stories but real. The fact remains that those who should ordinarily qualify for this pilgrimage lack the funds to do so, and what government does is to allot spaces to their friends, cronies and dependants. It is for this reason that some of those who go on pilgrimage defect to other countries while others engage in drug trafficking and other unholy acts such as stealing and prostitution just to mention a few. The government has greater responsibility of catering for the wellbeing and welfare of people instead of being a meddlesome interloper in purely religious matters. Politics should be separated from religion; Nigerian politicians hide under the veneer of religion to concoct all kinds of evil mechanizations.

Pilgrimage is a moral and spiritual exercise but is has been politicised for selfish and ulterior motives. We must begin to get government to take its hands off the sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca or Israel, because government has no business with such aspects of religion. Government should channel its energy to more productive ends for the generality of the people. In fact, if any government official wants to go on pilgrimage, it should be a personal affair devoid of state support, and instead of manipulating religion for political advantage, religion should be left to individuals to deal with in accordance with their faith. Without any iota of contradiction, it is imperative to state expressly that pilgrimages in the country are nothing but a jamboree and a big drain on government’s lean purse. Religion has been an instrument of divide and rule amongst successive Nigerian elites over the years; religion has been a weapon of subjugating the mass of the people to the nadir of society’s stratification. Religion has become a convenient tool for explaining away and indeed getting away with gross violations and impunities of different magnitudes. Religion has become a veritable tool of rationalising illegalities and absurdities. Hence, government should depoliticise religion and stop the manipulation of religion to its own advantage. GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board GEOFFREY EKENNA News Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

Sanctity of Truth

OPINION Sokoto and sokoto trouser Chuks Iloegbunam

n recent weeks, the major political parties have accused each other of hiring the services of foreign media advisers, to launder their images and make them eligible for election in next year’s presidential ballot. Reports claim that each of the foreign media firms in question is to receive in excess of $3 million for their troubles. That translates into about half a billion Naira for a company sitting pretty in London, New York, or Tokyo, to fix the image of a Nigerian political party and make it victorious in an election in which all voters will be Nigerians. Two things came to mind the moment the curious development began to assail my senses. The first is “Money Miss Road”, which is a phrase employed by Nigerian in dismissal of wealthy people who deploy their resources into quests that are ridiculous or downright shameful. The second is this Yoruba saying: “What you are looking for in Sokoto is right inside the pocket of your sokoto.” Sokoto in the northwestern fringes of Nigeria is nearly 1000 kilometres from Lagos. The Yoruba, and indeed every Nigerian ethnic group, cannot understand why any focused person should search for in faraway Sokoto something inside the pocket of his sokoto, the traditional trouser won under the jumper. In other words, what is obtainable through a stretch of the arm should not occasion a tortuous journey through difficult terrains and different linguistic zones. But, there is a distinction to mark in the Money Miss Road syndrome of old. That Money Miss Road was always thought to be foolishly wasting his hardearned money. The situation cannot be the same with a Nigerian political party spending N500,000 million in 2014, simply to rent the services of a foreign media expert. Such an action, described prop-

erly, can only be called a scandal. The key question is this: whose money is being so stupidly blown? Properly earned money can never be so prodigally expended. To have such a huge sum of money lavished on some absentee smartasses underscores the apparent incorrigibility of the Nigerian political class, their utter thoughtlessness and the wanton disdain in which they hold the country’s citizenry. It is left for Nigerians to decide whether what the country requires at this time is the importation of 21st Century versions of Joseph Goebbels, to come and further pollute the national political atmosphere with mordacious propaganda. That is all these dubious foreigners are capable of doing for Nigeria – to sow the seeds of discord, to distort the truth and to promote hirelings as instant and inevitable saviours of the entity. For, if truth be told, there is absolutely nothing new under the earth. Yes, Public Relations has its nuances and strategies. But it is not rocket science. Even rocket science itself is not outside the ken of the Black race. There is no innate or cognitive expertise in American or European public relations practitioners that is not currently manifest and self-evident in their Nigerian counterparts. The rush to the foreigner, therefore, is the product of a personality complex that encourages the fiction that the grass is always greener on the other side. Definitively, the PDP requires no foreign input, however tiny, to guarantee President Jonathan a second term of office. What to do is not in Sokoto; it is in the PDP’s sokoto trouser, except they are unaware of its presence in their clothing. Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not need any foreign input, however minuscular, to shirk the tag of a Boko Haram affiliate. All it requires is for the party to desist from angling to score political points through the terrorist massacres of Nigerians; to

Thursday, July 24, 2014

have its governors and Senators stand by traditional cum religious leaders, and rail in condemnation of Boko Haram, and to have such footages broadcast repeatedly in all media sequences. The central point is that the political media expert has his place, except that it is a place that stands drastically untenable if his product is middling in a highly competitive setting. Certain politicians are pig-like in both character and orientation. No detergent, however potent and expensive, can permanently rid them of filth and stench, an off-putting condition which, in electoral terms, translates into tragically serial defeats. Look at President Barack Obama. He is a Harvard-educated lawyer, a former US Senator and a man who speaks in his first and native tongue. Yet, he never makes a public speech without the use of the TelePrompTer. But, in Nigeria, politicians with a smattering of English, a foreign language, address difficult questions without preparations or rehearsals, leading to needless faux pas that they consequently try to redress by paying billions into the coffers of foreign media practitioners. That, for instance, explains why, in an interview granted Ochereome Nnanna in the Vanguard of November 10, 2013, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State tried to explain Boko Haram atrocities by likening it to pressure of the sort a woman feels, for which she goes shoplifting to feed her hungry children! Outrages such as this can only be avoided when politicians chew their words well before uttering them, and when they weigh the possible consequences of their actions before taking them. They are not avoided by misapplying funds better deployed to the benefit of the citizenry; they are not mitigated by paying through the nose for the services of foreign media practitioners of questionable distinction.

Bamanga Tukur: A Great Nigerian Patrick O. Ogar

here is no doubt that Alhaji Tafida Bamanga Tukur is one of the greatest Nigerians alive. His reputation was not built in the last few days, but in years of hard work, dedication, diligence and honesty, which can be seen from the influence he wields in the business world in Nigeria, Africa and globally. Bamanga Tukur, who serves as the Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and chairman of NEPAD Business Group was Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Ports Authority 1975–1982, Governor of Gongola State (now Taraba and Adamawa) in October-December 1983, Minister of Industries in the Gen Sani Abacha administration in the 1990s and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (March 2012 – January 15, 2014). Born in 1935, Bamanga Tukur is not one of those people who get to key position in life through sentiment and lobbying but by virtue of his capacities. He would have been successful in any part of the world. He is a member of the UNIDO International Business Advisory Council, Ghana Investors Advisory Council, African Investment Advisory Board, Chairman of NEPAD Business Group (March 2012), Chairman Advisory Board at the African Investors Limited, Chairman of the Board of African Investment Advisory. He is an Honourable Life President of the West and Central Africa Ports Management Association. The renowned businessman who holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburg, USA, has also received an honorary Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) from Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. He is a recipient of the national honour of the

Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in recognition of his contribution to business. This great Nigerian also holds the titles of Tafidan Adamawa and Wakilin Ganye from his native Adamawa State. It is these sparkling credentials that motivated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to put his name forward for its national chairmanship in 2012. His candidacy was gladly received by many, especially those who felt that the party needed a father figure to douse the flame of rebellion and factionalisation that was beginning to rear its head. There was great expectation from him. This was understandable because PDP, which claims to be the largest party in Africa, had got the reputation of changing its national chair from time to time, sometimes in a bitter manner. On this, most PDP members believe that the constant change in their party’s leadership is a testimony to its democratic credentials. They claim that PDP is not a personal estate of any single person and that every member is eligible to test his or her popularity. Tukur, obviously, entered the party’s chairmanship fray at its most difficult time. There had been a media report some months before then which was attributed to Ota Farm that Lamido– Amechi Presidential Ticket for 2015 would be sellable. Discernable people from the northern part of the country warned politicians on the pages of newspapers not to be carried away by such speculation that might have been stoked to destabilize the PDP and short change the chances of the north in the long run. The Ota prophecy which was received by some as a divination coming from Mt. Olympus soon won adherents. Prominent members of this group

included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some PDP governors. Bamanga Tukur, through the support of President Goodluck Jonathan, was elected National Chairman of the PDP in March 2012. Bamanga Tukur’s admirers were elated by his victory and concluded that a great personality, a world-class citizen and highly non-tribalized Nigerian had taken the challenge to lead the governing party. They drummed it into everybody’s ears that Tukur was not just a bridge-builder whose relationship with people from every nook and cranny of Nigeria had been cordial and recommendable, but a man whose hands had not been soiled in the greasy water of corruption. Tukur’s inaugural speech as reported widely in the media was exciting: that he would entrench internal democracy in the PDP. This was bound to provoke reaction. While his admirers felt this was necessary, considering the bitterness already generated by many who lost elections and blamed their woes on political “godfathers”. Political observers were unanimous that such a harmless statement would set the governors against him – and some governors actually concluded that he was their new-found enemy that must be dealt with if they would attain their ambitions. Tukur did not have a smooth ride in the chair of the PDP. Some claimed he was too old to lead. This was wrong because there is no democracy in history that is against experience and old age. He may be more than 70, a source of gratitude to God for such a privilege, but he’s equally energetic, cerebral, and incorruptible. The schism in the Bamanga Tukurled PDP went on unabated. His opposition came mostly from his home state

where Atiku Abubakar, former vice president of Nigeria, and Governor Murtala Nyako practically declared him a political persona non grata. Other governors who helped to constitute the famous “G-7 rebellious governor” are Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako of Sokoto State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Alhaji Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of River State. On 31 August 2013, Bamanga Tukur’s leadership was openly challenged when 22 senators and 57 members of the House of Representatives, all form the PDP, joined the governors to declare a “New PDP” with Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje as its chairman. The faction led by Abubalar Kawu Baraje had made it very clear that their members would only go back to the PDP if Bamanga Tukur stepped down. Tukur had insisted that it was only the party’s national convention that could remove him. However, in January 2014, he resigned following a reported pressure from Anwal, hid son, to do so. Shortly after this, he was quoted in the media as saying that the primary target of the opposition against him was President Jonathan. This has been acknowledged in several quarters, since in spite of his quitting the stage, five of the governors still went ahead to declare for the All Progress Congress (APC). Bamanga Tukur has since been appointed the Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), an establishment that is very dear to President Goodluck Jonathan’s heart in his desire to solve the nation’s transportation crisis.

•Patrick O. Ogar is a Public Affairs Analyst: patoogar@ yahoo.com.

LAW THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014

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FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY Editor

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'How Tunde Bakare changed my career '}p-24&25

Discordant voices over Jonathan’s $1bn loan request LAWYERS yesterday joined eminent Nigerians on President Goodluck Jonathan’s $1bn loan request to aid the war against the insurgents, Boko Haram. While some believe the president’s request before the National Assembly, asking for lawmakers’ approval was a legitimate one, others differ. FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE and TUNDE OYESINA report

Falana, SAN

“W

e have said repeatedly that the Islamic sects—Boko Haram are more equipped than our soldiers. People should not complain with the request, if that is what will equip our soldiers and provide better footage for them to confront the insurgents, one said. “Really, I don't have problem with any form and manner in which the government can fight the insurgents but however, it should not hide under the guise of fighting insurgents to siphon the treasury or put the country into perpetual debt, another said. Lawyers however disagreed on the request presented to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan for an approval of $1bn loan to aid the ongoing war against the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents. President Jonathan had last week asked the National Assembly to approve the $1 billion loan to enable government tackle the increased security challenges posed by the Boko Haram. In a letter, dated July 15 and addressed to the lawmakers, Jonathan said his government was seeking their approval to obtain an external loan to help in procuring military equipment to prosecute the war against Boko Haram. In the letter, Jonathan said: “You are no doubt cognizant of the ongoing serious security challenges, which the nation is facing as typified by the Boko Haram terrorists threat. This is an issue that we have discussed at various times. “I would like to bring to your attention the urgent need to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of our Armed Forces and security services to enable them be more forceful to confront this serious threat. “For this reason, I seek the concurrence of the National Assembly for external borrowing of not more than $1 billion, including government to government arrangements for this upgrade.”

Ahamba, SAN

Ali, SAN

Specifically, he is seeking their approval for the foreign loan to enable it tackle more decisively, the menace of the terrorist group. But his request has pitted lawyers against each other. While some are backing the president for the loan, others are indifferent. They want the National Assembly to reject such a request. To them, such request was not only dubious but outrageous. For instance, Mr. Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the President must explain what he had been doing with the budgets made for defence in the past few years. He said: “The request made by President Jonathan for approval of the Senate for a loan of $1bn to fight the menance of the Boko Haram sect should be rejected in its entirety. Between 2010 and 2013 over N3tn was budgeted for defence. “Under the Appropriation Bill signed into law on May 23 this year, 20 per cent of the entire federal budget i.e. the sum of N968.127bn out of N4.962tn was earmarked for defence. The Senate should find out what happened to the defence budget in the middle of the years to warrant a supplementary budget of N160bn”. Another lawyer, Mr. Yusuf Ali said although he was not opposed to the loan, the lawmakers must be sure that there was a need for it before approval. His words: “I am sure they should be sure that there is a need for it before they

will approve it. One does not possess all the parameters for asking for the loan, so one is a bit in a quandary. One does not have all the factors that have been considered. But one wants to believe that the National Assembly will be given all the facts to do the correct thing”. To Sir Joseph Maduabuchi, President Jonathan’s request was nothing but an executive recklessness ‘because budget was made for security at the beginning of the year’. He , however said that such request should have been made public to indicate how the initial budget was approved and spent. This, Maduabuchi said would have created a leverage for the government instead of coming out now to request for a loan. He said: "If good intention is presented in bad ways, we will be left with no option than to think negatively. "If we are thinking like this, we should not be blamed, information and detailed information is germane, tax payers should be put in the light of how their money would be spent. "After all, all of us are affected with the menace of the insurgents, and if anything will be done, we should also be carried along. "Really, I don't have problem with any form and manner in which the government can fight insurgents but however, it should not hide under the guise of fighting insurgents to siphon the treasury or put the country into perpetual debt”. But Chief Mike Ahamba differ. He said he saw nothing wrong in President Jonathan’s request as the present situation was an emergency one that needed an emergency action. However, Ahamba described his colleagues who kicked against Jonathan’s request as doing so from ‘the cash affairs perspective’. He said: "I do not see anything wrong

The money being requested for is not out of place, since the motive for it had been publicly declared and it has even followed the right channel

in it, it is for the supply of the hardware we do not have to fight Boko Haram and if we do not pay them, they will give us on loan which shall be repaid later. "After all, many people have said that Boko Haram is more equipped than our soldiers. People should not complain with the request, if that is what will equip our soldiers and provide better footage for them to confront the insurgents. "The money being requested for is not out of place, since the motive for it had been publicly declared and it has even followed the right channel. "We should know that if there is any hidden agenda there, the right channel of requesting will not be followed. "We have nothing to worry about, the money is for the supply of what we do not have to fight the Boko Haram". Mr. Kayode Ajulo believed that if indeed the money was to fight insurgents, there was no price too big to pay. He said: "It is crystal clear that the menace of Boko Haram is devastating and the fight against the monsters is far from being over. "All over the world it is also clear that prosecution of war against terrorism is capital intensive. "It is imperative therefore that money is raised to maintain the operations against the insurgents, borrowing inclusive. "The President in pursuant to the provisions of our Constitution has approached the legislature to seek approval in doing so and I am of the opinion that the President be commended for his strict adherence to the country rules and regulations. "It is also expected that the legislature urgently look into the request and do the desirable as I see the request as a matter of urgency that requires immediate interventions against the allegation that the insurgents are well equipped since they are well funded. "It should also be stressed that no price is too much to pay in returning peace to the affected northern part of Nigeria. Also reacting on behalf of himself and the Public Interest Lawyers League, PILL, its President, Abdul Mahmud frowned against the request and however called on the National Assembly to reject it outrightly. According to him, "we receive the request made by President Jonathan for $1b loan to fight insurgency with utter dismay and shock. That we are going to borrow a few years after our external national debts arising from loans and credits granted by global lending and multilateral financial institutions were paid off shows the wrong road our governing class has started our country on. "Doubtless, our country has been seized by terrorists, that efforts must be deployed to salvage what is left of our nation's territorial integrity; but, what use is borrowing to feed the utterly insatiable consumption of our thieving governing class when the growing disparity between the governing class and the governed is at record high? "What ends would borrowing of $1bn meet when they are invariably pocketed by our peace-time Generals, who have failed to push back Boko Haram, or have shown no gumption to defeat the terror group and spare the shame that is our Military Industrial Complex today, inspite of the huge annual defence budget allocations! "We say no to the President's request; and we call on National Assembly not to accede to his request".

22 LAW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Terrorism: As Ndume raises alarm over calls from phone in court’s custody Tunde Oyesina

hocking revelations emerged at the trial of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District last week. Ndume, who is standing trial for alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram, had raised an alarm that his confiscated telephone by the court is being used to call his new cell phone numbers. The accused person’s cell phone was one of his properties seized by the court pending the outcome of the terrorism charges preferred against him. Apparently shocked, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who is hearing the matter, described it as bizarre, saying, how can a switched-off phone, kept in court’s custody be used to call another number? He said: " I don't know much about technology. How can a phone that is switched off be able to make and receive calls? I think you should go to MTN for clarification and also confer with the prosecution witness to know what to do. Really, it's strange to me that a phone line that is not active can be used to make calls. Ndume’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had disclosed the development to Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja at the last adjourned date. This, he said Ndume had complained the development to MTN that he had been receiving strange calls from his previous number 08035998045 which remains in the custody of the Federal High Court where he is standing trial. According to him, the first call he received from the ‘confiscated’ phone came at 9:56am on June 13, which disconnected after a few seconds. The second call from his former number 08035998045 was at 9:58am which also went off after a few seconds. And the third call, came shortly after which he said he was lucky to speak with the caller who identified himself as George. According to Ndume, George who called at 10:07am "asked

whether I got his text message and I said no." Ndume said the line went off after he told the caller that he did not get his text message. The letter to MTN which was dated June 13, 2014 read inter alia, "when I tried to call back, I got the voice message that, 'the number you are trying to call is not available at the moment, please, try again later.' Ndume further stated that he immediately called MTN customer care centre using 180 and was connected to one Juwaira Muktar. After lodging his complaint, the lawmaker said Muktar asked him to hold on so that she could talk to her team leader, Sybil Uwake. "She subsequently got back to me and advised that I report the case to the nearest police station. "I accordingly reported the case at Apo Police Station where I was made to write a formal complaint, Ndume added. Ndume therefore said in view of the development and the fact that he is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in connection with the use of his phone and the seriousness of the case, he requested for the following information: His call data record for June 13, 2014, identification of the caller and the direction the call originated and thirdly the IMEI number of the phone used. Ndume had earlier been arraigned on a four count charge before a Federal High Court by the State Security Service,(SSS) in December, 2011 over his alleged links with the terrorist group, Boko Haram. The charge reads in part; "That you Mohammed Ali Ndume (m) on or about the 4th day of October, 2011, somewhere between Maiduguri and Abuja being in possession of the mobile phone number of Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (alia Usma Al-Zawahiri), a terrorist spokesman of the Boko Haram sect which you know to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension of the said Ali Umar Konduga did fail to disclose same information to a law officer as soon as reasonably practicable and you thereby

Mukhtar, CJN

committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1) (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 7(1) of the same Act. "That you, Mohammed Ali Ndume (m) on or about 4th of October 2011, somewhere between Maiduguri and Abuja having received information from Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, a terrorist spokesman of the Boko Haram sect regarding planned attack on judges of the Borno State Election Tribunal and National Assembly, which you know to be of material assistance in securing the prosecution of the said Boko Haram sect, for an offence under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011, did fail to disclose same information to a law officer as soon as reasonably practicable and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1) (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and punishable under Section 7(1) of the same Act." The Prosecution lawyer, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Fatunde had told the court that, a prima facie case was established against the serving senator, which was why he was arrested, interrogated and charged before the court. The prosecutor had accused Ndume of failing to disclose the cell phone number of Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, a terrorist spokesman of the Boko Haram

Ijebu-Ode NBA’s lecture LECTURE A UNILAG law holds today professor yesterday simplified the his year’s Annual Bar Chief Adebiyi Odugbephenomenon of TOdeLecture of the Ijebu san, the Executive Govfeminism before an Branch of the Ni- ernor of Ogun State, gerian Bar Association (NBA), will hold today, Thursday July 24, at the Chris Ogunbanjo Centre, Erunwon-Ijebu, via IjebuOde, Ogun State. This year’s Bar lecture entitled: “Wig & Gown: Endangered Species and Endangered Culture,” will be delivered by Prof. Bankole Sodipo, the Dean of Private and Commercial Law, Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State According to the branch Chair man,

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, will be bestowed with the Merit Award of the association. Others to be honoured include Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu and Otunba Subomi Balogun. A statement by the association’s Publicity Secretary, Gbenga Omilola, said the lecture will be chaired by the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade.

assemply of lawyers in Lagos

professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Ayo Atsenuwa yesterday, delivered an inaugural lecture on the topic, “In search of transformative justice: The proselytism of legal feminism.” The lecture, held at the university Main Audito-

sect in his possession. This, Fatunde said was contrary to Section 7(1) (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 7 (1) of the same Act. Besides, she said that the accused on or before October 4, 2011 between Maiduguri and Abuja, received information from Konduga, regarding a planned attack on Judges of the Borno State Election Tribunal and thereby violated Section 7(1) (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act by hoarding the information from law enforcement agents. Specifically, Fatunde further accused Ndume of using his MTN GSN number 08035998045 to avail Konduga the telephone numbers of the Attorney-General of the Federation as well as certain other public officers. The prosecutor further alleged that Konduga with the aid of Ndume used those numbers to transmit terrorist text messages to the public officers, an offence, she said Ndume committed contrary to Section 3 (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act and punishable under Section 3 of the same Act. However, Fatunde said that on or about October 4, 2011, Ndume knowingly supported act of terrorism by supplying the telephone numbers of certain public officers to the terrorist group through Konduga and

said the action was a violation of Section 4(1) (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act and punishable under Section 4 of the same Act. Although Ndume had pleaded not guilty, Justice Kolawole refused to grant a leave for the hearing of his bail application, noting that a criminal case had been brought before him which he needed time to study the case file. Fatunde had earlier urged the court to discountenance the move by Ndume's counsel, Mr Rickey Tarfa, SAN to smuggle in the bail application, saying that the act was "premature." In fact, Tarfa had urged the court to expedite the process that would lead to his client's bail as he had been in detention since November 21, 2011. Subsequently, the trial judge, Justice Kolawole, in two different rulings on December 11 and 14, 2012, admitted in evidence DVDs containing the results of the forensic analysis of two mobile telephones said to be retrieved from Ndume and Konduga, including call data records as exhibits. The DVDs were tendered in court by the SSS. Following the development, Ndume, through his counsel, Rickey Tarfa approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the admission of the DVDs. To Tarfa, since the DVDs, which were computer generated did not meet the criteria required for the admission of computer generated materials as evidence under the Evidence Act, admitting it as exhibits amounted to nullity. In a judgment read by Justice Amiru Sanusi, the appellate court faulted the admission of the materials in evidence by the Abuja Federal High Court and upheld the two appeals filed by Ndume. The Court of Appeal held that the Abuja Federal High Court erred when it admitted the DVDs in evidence when the prosecution failed to comply with the condition precedent as required by Section 84(1) and (2) of the Evidence Act 2011 ( as amended) in relation to the admission of computer generated evidence.

Atsenuwa tackles legal feminism rium was chaired by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Rahmon Bello alongside scores of lawyers and a wide spectrum of scholars. An accomplished academic, Professor Atsenuwa received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, before she proceeded to the University of London where she obtained a Master of Laws degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 1987. She capped her academic quest with yet another Master of Laws degree

from the University of Warwick (Law in Development). For about 24 years now, Professor Atsenuwa has been engaged in academic research and teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels in the areas of Criminal Law, Criminal Justice, Human Rights, as well as Gender and the Law at the University of Lagos. Between April 2010 and August 2011, Professor Atsenuwa had a stint at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) where she was engaged in professional training for legal experts

as well as legal and social policy research. She has over 15 years of experience in the area of human rights advocacy and community development. She is the Executive Director of Legal Research and Resource Development Centre (LRRDC), a human rights and non-governmental organization focusing on social action and research, engaging law and policy to promote human rights and advance social development. She has authored numerous publications on gender, human rights, law and development.

LAW 23

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Lawyers set agenda for Alegeh Lawyers, last week in Abuja elected a new leadership to steer their affairs for the next two years. However, lawyers have given the new leadership, which would be led by Mr. Augustine Alegeh, a mandate to reposition their umbrella bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Nigeria Bar Association. FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE, writes that the task before the incoming Augustine Alegeh-led NBA is to return the association to its glory days.

an the Alegeh-led NBA make a difference? What then will be his focus? Yes, he is the best of all the candidates, he would definitely make a big difference. His focus must be on how to rebuild the Bar and returning it to its revered and respected status as the voice of the voiceless. These were the words of lawyers in Abuja last week shortly after Mr. Augustine Alegeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria emerged as the 27th President of the 150 year-old lawyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; umbrella body-NBA. Alegeh beat his closest rival, Deacon Dele Adesina by 691 to 370 votes while Mrs Funke Adekoya, Chief Adeniyi Akintola and Justy Osas Erhabor polled 255, 126 and 17 votes respectively. Some 100,000 lawyers from 109 branches had last week, thronged the M & M events centre, Abuja where they cast their votes for their preferred can-

didates in an election, adjudged as the freest and fairest in the history of the association's biennial elections. 13 other national officers of the association who will oversee the NBA affairs in the next two years were also elected. Also elected include, Francis Ekwere with 771 votes to defeat his opponent, Yakubu Kumar who 669. Others were Salawu Olatunji who beat Nnaemken Uzor Felix by 762 to 690 for the post of 1st Assistant Secretary, while Ugbodi Cecilia was returned unopposed as Assistant Financial Secretary. Others were Amina Ibrahim Mustapha (Treasurer), Nasud Alabelewe (Welfare), Osigwe Afam (General Secretary),Ejelonu Ezinwa Kelvin (Financial Secretary), Gbolahan Gbadamosi (Publicity Secretary), Taiwo Obayemi Taiwo (2nd Vice President) and Oluwole

NBA President-elect, Alegeh and other national officers

L-R: Adekoya, Akintola, Adesina and Alegeh at their manifestos night

CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 2 6

Court to hear rights violation suit against PENGASSAN Sept 25 alleged breach Members fight parentbody over delegate conference, alleging breach of their rights Joseph Onyekwere

he National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Lagos has fixed September 25, to hear a suit against the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over breach of rights. Two claimants, Messrs John Nwanosike and Jonathan Omare initiated the suit against the defendants through the chambers of Mr. Festus Keyamo and Company for alleged breach of their rights. PENGASSAN, its Chevron branch chairman, Mr Esanubi Frank and Mr Ayanate Kio are all joined as defendants. The claimants who are members of the Chevron branch of the association are seeking an order, restraining the defendants from holding any delegates' conference, pending the determination of the suit. When the case came up at the last sitting, the defence lawyer , Mr. Sola Iji, informed the court that he had just filed his pro-

cesses before the court, in answer to the claimant's suit. Responding, counsel to the claimant, Mr. Festus Aifeyodion told the court that he was yet to be served with the processes of the defence, but urged the court to proceed with hearing of his motion. Trial judge, Kenneth Amadi however, urged parties to return to court on a further date, adding that all pending applications would be heard on the return date. He subsequently adjourned the case to September 25 to enable parties regularise. Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court is due to commence its annual vacation from August 4. In their affidavit, the claimants averred that they were duly elected as delegates to the PENGASSAN conference, adding that their tenure was valid for a term of three years. They averred that the defendants canceled their names as delegates before the expiration of their tenure, thereby denying them the right to vote and be voted for at the conference. The claimants averred that in a bid to also prevent them from exercising their franchise, the second and third defendants set up a disciplinary committee to try them after they expressed the fear that their rights were been trampled upon.

According to them, the panel declared them guilty even when there was no evidence against them with regards to the commission of any offence. The claimants therefore, seek a declaration that the removal of their names as delegates to the Zonal conference and National Conference was unconstitutional. They also seek an order mandating the defendants to include their names as delegates and an order of perpetual injunction, restraining them from holding the conference, until the illegality occasioned by their removal was redressed. Justice Amadi had on June 23, issued an interim order, restraining PENGASSAN from holding its conference until the suit is determined. The court had then adjourned the suit for hearing of the motion. The claimants had initially commenced the suit before a Federal High Court in Lagos, but had to file a notice of discontinuance, following an objection raised by the defendants. The defendants had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the suit, which they claim was labour related. Consequently, the claimants instituted a fresh suit before the NIC, by way of ex-parte application, seeking similar reliefs.

L-R: Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN); Muhammed Adoke (AGF); and the outgoing NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN)

L-R: NBA Publicity secretary-elect, Mr. Gbolahan Gbadamosi; Chief John Ochoga; Chief J.K. Gadzama (SAN); Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) and Dr. Amaechi

NBA electoral officers collating election results.

photos: foluso ogunmodede

24 JURIST He was called to the Bar about two decades ago. Benson Enikuomehin, a former commissioner on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), speaks on his background, foray into the legal profession, lawyers, judges’ relationship, embarrassing moment at the Bar and sundry issues. BABATOPE OKEOWO met him.

Sanctity of Truth

How Tunde Bakare changed my career — Enikuomehin

Thursday, July 24, 2014

e read law by happenstance. Dr. Benson Enikuomehin, an alumnus of the famous University of Benin, was called to the Bar on the March 2, 1995. Although law was far from it following his indoctrination that lawyers are liars, Enikuomehin a staunch member of the Deeper Life Church said injustice spurred his desire to have a second though on the profession. Besides, his encounter with the fiery Lagos preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare changed the cause of his life when he was convinced that law was perhaps, the best of all professions. Enikuomehin told New Telegraph his foray into legal profession this way: “I decided to choose law for so many reasons. Firstly, I went to a secondary school which background was essentially a profession which goes in the way of Arts subjects. I went to a teacher training college where we were not taught science subjects as most of the subjects were Arts and the training was essentially how to become a teacher, the only area one was taught was in line of Arts. He went on: “By reason of the school that I attended, I had already been shaped to become a teacher. Aside from that, from my younger days I have a flare for something logical, something that would make me too inquisitive and sensitive to my environment”. However, after years of indecision, Enikuomehin made a detour and gave law a trial when a member of his church was framed up with murder. He said: “Something happened in my church, Deeper Life Bible Church in 1986, which eventually propelled me to read law. We had a young man in my church. I was the Area leader which is known today as Area Pastors. “This man knew next to nothing on the event that happened at Odogunyan. Some people had gone there to rob and were caught but the usual connivance between the police and the suspect got the actual culprits off the net. Some other persons were caught thereafter and the police came to 44 Lagos road, Ikorodu and randomly picked people and one of the persons picked was a younger brother of Livinus Igwe. When we heard that he had been moved to the police station, we went there to find out why his younger brother who just came from home was arrested alongside the others. As soon as he just arrived the station and he mentioned his name as Livinus Igwe,he was arrested as the police said they were looking for one Linus Nworu. The police insisted that ‘Nus’ was in both names. They immediately arrested the young man and put him inside along with those randomly arrested. However, the police after his arrest, called on the wife of the man whose house was robbed and eventually murdered to come and identify them as the people that came to their house to perpetrate the crime and the killing. Before we could say Jack Robinson, they were transferred to Panti in Yaba; before we could say another thing, they were taken to Adeniji Adele Central Police station. Before we knew it, the police said they had gone to Oshodi to rob with gun and

Enikuomehin

knife. It was like Africa Magic, we hired the service of a lawyer in Ikorodu who is late now but the man himself was intimidated. Going to Adeniji Adele Police station then was like going into the Lions’ den, you see ferocious looking policemen. “I was a teacher then but I was bold, I went to the Investigative Police Officer of the case, one Sergeant Akpaba, I discussed with him and on the second occasion I went with a tape and I recorded all that was said, that was when he told me that these boys knew next to nothing, and that they must wrap them in because some big wigs were involved in the crime. It was there and then I went to meet Pastor Tunde Bakare who was then practicing as a lawyer at 52 Coker road, Ilupeju. At Bakare’s Ilupeju office, Enikuomehin said his journey into the wig and gown profession began. Enikuomehin, who had lived with a belief that lawyers are liars, had a change of heart as he was tutored by Bakare. He said: “My background was that if you become a lawyer you will be lying and that was the teaching we had in the church that you must be preparing towards heaven and therefore you must be careful the kind of profession you get into. “The Pastor of our church was a lecturer in one of the universities, so everybody aspired to become one. But all this changed, when Bakare, a member of our church gave me a different orientation and hence my perception on the profession changed. I went to him and said “sir you are a lawyer, how do you cope? He said there is nothing difficult in it. He said how do medical doctors cope, especially gynecologists? A doctor performs a surgical operation while he will see the nakedness of his patient, what is the big deal? It is about you making up your mind as what it would be. If you want to be telling lies then you decide on it. From that point onward, I made up my mind to study law. Pupilage I did not spend one single day with

A beneficiary of SANship title must be an epitome of excellence any law firm. That is strange you will say. But while I was in the Law school we had this period where students will go for attachment, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, SAN was then at Onipanu. I knew he was in Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s office until he started his own. But when I went there I was looking good and neat as a Law student, I told him ‘sir, I want to have my Law office attachment with you and he agreed and I began. I was living in Ikorodu, from there to Onipanu was a distance of almost two hours, if you are unfortunate and there was hold up on the road you will end up spending six hours on the road, and the road was not dualised then. So, I went for that period and that was the period the June 12 issue was on in 1994. So it was a turbulent period. I would go from Ikorodu to Onipanu and I would not leave the office until the man was about to close around 9pm. All my colleagues would have left around 4.30pm. I was sipping in as much as I could take. In fact, in one of the occasions he asked us a question and even most lawyers in the firm could not provide an answer, and the man looked at me and asked me if I have had a training somewhere before and I said ‘no sir’. So, when we finished the Law office attachment he asked me if I wanted to stay behind so I asked one of the seniors how much was being paid, then it was N 1,700. I pondered over it considering the distance of where I stayed to the office and I decided to manage it since there was nothing else. Practice As soon as I was called to the Bar I did the ceremony to thank God and people came around, as soon as that was going on, a young man called me and asked: ‘Brother Benson, now you are a lawyer

can you draft an agreement for me I have just bought a parcel of land and I want you to draw up the agreement. I said why not? So, I went back to my boss' office to look at the format; I drew up the Agreement and he paid me N 5,000. Five thousand naira was going to be my salary for three months, so it dawned on me that so this thing could be like this, I went to one of my elder brothers who is late now, Reverend Festus Oluwagbemi and asked him to assist me. We got a room and I began but it was rough. Whenever I had issues I will go to my principal’s office and find out how it was done. Lawyers can be generous with counsel but they are not generous with money; they are generous with advising you. That was in March, as soon as I opened my office, first week in May the first matter I had was the matter that brought me to the High Court in Ikeja, I went, argued and got an injunction. Look at me coming just like before the then Chief Judge of Lagos state. The second matter I had was a murder charge in June at Sagamu, Ogun state. I went and prepared my paperincluding every necessary document. I appeared before the judge, presented my matters and he looked at me as if to say this person must have been long in the legal profession. The first time ever since I began practice and I think till the day of my death I never had a liberal term of such condition as that judge gave to me. He said surety should give N 2,000 in lieu. All the seniors that were in court that day, said what kind of luck did I carry that made a judge to grant this liberal term for murder? And that person was released and this gave me the necessary impetus to say if that be the case I can handle it then the noise went round that Enikuomehin was around and that he could do well. But there was one thing I made up my mind not to do, all these charge and bail, going to court to stand and be waiting for some clients I refused. “Another milestone was when I met the former Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Adebanjo Mafimisebi, who saw me and said we are been cheated in OMPADEC and that there was need for us to address

JURIST 25

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Only regular training and retraining of lawyers can boost the nation's justice delivery system the matter. And because of my background in Petroleum Law, I came in and prepared an eleven page document which I sent to the late A.K Osfor and the conclusion of it was if Ondo state was being cheated, the next thing to do was to demand for our own OMPADEC, pull out of the other eight states. When the man saw the write up and sent the copy of the write up to the late General Sanni Abacha, Olugbo was called and was asked to ‘let us settle’. I think one of the fees that the Olugbo paid me was grossly out of normal though, to me then , it was a whooping sum of money N 200,000. I got that in September 2005 so you could see the grace of God and the succession. With that amount of money I went and bought books, changed something in my office, changed the furniture, the old typewriter Pango Park left and I bought IBM. I began to see people bringing in briefs for me and I got briefs with National Oil, the briefs I had with Nichetem was about Seven million and they paid me about five percent of that thing. I was the first Lawyer in Ikorodu that introduced computer in 1996, All these Pentium 4 While others were still using the manual typewriters. For me it looks strange but wherever I did not get to know what I should do I would rush to my boss’s office. In fact Mr Najeeb Taiwo was always around for me, very senior one to me at the Bar I would call him to ask questions and he will put me through and I would go and study read and get it. I discovered that you have to read the Law Report it is not just pick the headline and say the case decided, I would read the entire judgment and find out that what I needed is imbedded into it so whenever I went to court and I was submitting, I was submitting with power and strength, that was why I scaled through and I met good number of seniors we had issues together and because I was sure of what I was doing, God was always giving me victory. In fact I met a SAN, the first time his back was on the ground to the third but on the fourth time. He said in Yoruba that ‘I would not allow a small boy to mess me up’ the man did not come to the court again he ran away, he said my client should go and debrief me. I asked my client how would an opponent tell you to go and debrief someone, he gave them money. We later sorted it out. My embarrassing moment Yes. There was one moment of embarrassment not because I did not know what to do. I went to court and I was before Justice Adebaju in Ikorodu. I had this matter with the late T.0.S Benson SAN of blessed memory, a life bencher, where we sat. The SAN would sit at the inner bar the first row while we would seat at the back. In fact, I sat at the back, so where I sat we had a cover on the table and because I did not have books I went to my principal’s office to make photocopies of the Law Report and the matter was against him in person. We had written to him and the man’s reply got me angry, he said some of you who do not have training, but in my letter you will see so much respect, a kind of fear and reverence, ‘I said sir we will be willing to come to your office to discuss this issue, however our client has briefed us on this matter and looking at our client’s document we feel that they have a point. Nonetheless sir we are willing to and ready to come and discuss this issue with you so that we can resolve the matter amicably without resorting

Enikuomehin

to court for adjudication.’ You see that kind of language and the man replied us that I was not well trained that how could I have heard that people were going to take action against him and I will take it. At that point I was angry. I went to court and slammed an injunction against him when he came to court. In the course of talking he then stood up and peeped through the table cover and said in Yoruba, ‘Ole ni ko mo iwe’ that is he is a lazy person he is not brilliant and does not even have books. Truly there was no way I could be quoting from photocopy so the judge then asked that, Mr Enikuomehin are you reading from photocopy I said My Lord truly I have a photocopy but I am not reading from the photocopy, I am submitting. At that point I said God when would I get money to buy books? As at that time, I think Chief Gani fawehinmi was selling the Law report for N250 or N150. He was the only one that had the law report that was readily available but when I had the opportunity to buy All Federation Law report, Laws of Lagos state etc. I did not have enough money for the Law report. That was an embarrassing moment for me and I made up my mind that if God should bless me I would invest in books and I would ensure that juniors do not suffer the kind of humiliation I suffered because if I was not sharp and I agreed I was reading from a photocopy, law report, the judge would have said what kind of nonsense is this? The man said even though I was submitting I should make the authority I was submitting available to the judge. I said My Lord, why I respected the learned senior is because he is not the judge in this matter. Myself and he are counsel in this matter to the various parties in any event he is even personally attached, so he cannot be counsel to himself. So, he cannot be counseling me on how to do the matter for my client. If he were not to be involved in the matter, if he were to holding matter for another person if he talks to me I would understand, I said how would your enemy counsel you and you will heed to it? I said my Lord therefore I have told the court I am submitting all that the court needs to know is that this Law report I would make them available to the court not to the other party that is none of his concern. And the judge said okay Mr Enikuomehin , I think you would make them available and I said my Lord I would make them available for you. And

that put me on a better scale. So when I began to have money and when I began to buy books If I have like N 120,000 I would use N110,000 to buy books and if you see my books they were bought over a period of time. I began to invest in books. I began to do matters that will fetch me one million naira or two million naira. Once that I have removed staff salary because sometimes the brief you receive you may not receive that again in the next five months. So, I would just draw out staff salary that would last for about six months and use the other ones to purchase books. Chambers The parcel of land here belongs to me so I just feel that as a lawyer you don’t need to be beside the High court before people will look for you if you have something to offer, in any event with the kind of facility we have here, I need to take a whole house to be able to locate this kind of facility and I would be paying a lot of money in that regard. Secondly, the legal profession has grown beyond putting your sign board outside for people to see you. There are counsel outside the country who will read about you on the net and they would want to locate you where you are, is it this room and parlour kind of place they would come and locate you? So, they can find you anywhere, you could be in Cross River and they will find you, so my practice is not localize to only Akure here. Most of the briefs I have now are not from Akure, by Sunday I would be in Oshogbo because I have a trial on Monday, I am handling a matter for NAFDAC. We have some in Abuja there are some we are handling for NDDC. We have handled matters for First Bank so we don’t need to be beside high court except you want to do charge and bail. In that regard I needed a place that would be accommodative enough, when people come they can park their cars, and the facilities are there. And I am not under siege. In any event in my local parlance, how would you have your

Lawyers and judges' symbiotic relationship will strengthen the scale of justice

dog and you will be using your hand to pack the excreta? The dogs eat the excreta in the villages, though a white man can sue you for that. Now I already have this parcel of land and I was developing it, wherever it was; Oba Ile and Akure are already together so anybody can drive into this place to see me if he needs the service. When people travel out of this country to different parts of the world it is expected that after they have worked over there they would bring proceeds back home. Now for me I was to set up this office in Abuja being that there is the Federal Capital but the period which I was contemplating that was the period Boko Haram began to harass everybody in Abuja. They first went to the Police Force headquarters, then to the United Nations building and riddled it down. I then said if wet trees are burning like this what would happen to the dry trees? You won’t see the ashes; I then decided that I have a parcel of land and I do not like this their hotel businesses so let me come back home. Now, I am back to my state and this place and my house are just the same. I can work here from morning till night, and that is again another advantage for me. If I were to be staying in front of High Court I cannot come here to work at 3am. There are times I will tie my towel and be here till morning and when I discover my staff are coming I pass through the back door and to the house to get dressed. So, I thought rather than investing this where I am not so sure of what may befall it let me come to my own state. Does Ondo state not deserve something good? So, I can come to my state and do my own, one also is not getting younger, at the time one gets older its either one disposes off the property or something else happens to it but here is my state. I can stay here if one grows old if any of my children wants to study law he inherits it but if not I will it to a foundation. SANship title In 1975 when the issue of the SAN first started, I think about three persons had it. The late Chief Rotimi Williams, Chief Douglas and one other person were the ones who were conferred with the title of the SAN. In 1978, the likes of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sofola and all that became SAN and that had been on over the years. Anyone who was conferred then was seen as an epitome of the best in the legal profession, these are persons both in character, learning and the organization structure that they put in place you will know these are senior members of the legal profession, like we use to have the Queens Counsel (QC) obtainable in Great Britain. They are the ones who seat at the inner bar. Now over the time people who challenge this structure may have a reason for doing so but I also believe that it is not an institution that confers it. The issue of SAN is a privilege and not a right. It should not be advocated and these are my reasons, those who have contributed their quotas one way or the other should be accorded some kind of honors. But because you are a SAN does means that the person who is not a SAN does not know what he is doing. Because it’s a privilege, a privilege is like a dice sometimes that you throw it and you have six and another person throws it and he gets four. You may throw yours again and have six, not because you have the expertise to get six but because that opportunity comes your way. I also do know that there are lawyers who have put in serious commitment into the profession and such people should be respected. There are people who will make money and use their money to buy fleets of flashy cars while they stay in one room office and that is all. You will know such people are not there for serious commitment to the profession they just do the profession to make money and they lavish it.

26 LAW | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Lawyers set agenda for Alegeh CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

Akintokunbo as 3rd Vice President. Now that the elections are over, lawyers yesterday set agenda for the new President as they believe that there are series of tasks before him. This according to them must be achieved within his tenure if the association must be returned to its glory days. For years, the NBA was the voice of the voiceless, a pin in the neck of dictators especially, in the days of the selfstyled president, Ibrahim Babangida. It was an era when the association attained ‘its revered and respected status as the voice of the voiceless Nigerian people and the defender of the interests of Nigerian legal practitioners’. This, as achieved under the vibrant and courageous Alao Aka-Bashorun, they said could also achieveable under Alegeh if he makes the rebuild of the association as his priority. But the association under the outgoing Okey Wali-led administration seemed stuck in limbo: it lost its voice. It failed to live up to expectation as lawyers were unanimous that the NBA under him literarily abdicated its revered responsibilities. What then should be Alegeh's focus? According to the Rivers state Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General, Mr. Worgu Boms, Alegeh must focus on rebuilding the Bar and returning it to its former position of pride. He specifically wants Alegeh era to restore the sanctity and supremacy of the rule of law by ensuring that court orders are obeyed and complied with. Besides, Boms tasked Alegeh on a radical change in the nation’s courts system by ensuring that ‘the shameful unending delay’ became a thing of the past. He said: “The President must ensure that there is a change in our courts system. The election went well, smooth, transparent and orderly and I would want the President to continue with that just as I am not happy with the way delegates list was shrouded in secrecy. The incoming President must engage the Bar on electoral reform that would guarantee, among others, the release of delegates list at least two months to the election. “I want the President to address the issue of delay in our courts. As a matter of fact, I want him to focus on how to repair our courts as poverty in the profession is traceable to one fact:the shameful unending delay in our courts”. Also Chief Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate said the president must focus on her to rebuild the Bar. According to him Alegeh must see his leadership as service to the association and not a vehicle to enhance self through the office as ‘his two years are not his but ours’. He said: “He must be above board. Aggrieved members must be brought back”. Ahamba was echoed by Mrs. Funke Adekoya, who in her concession speech said her goal was to restore the profes-

sion to its revered and respected status as the voice of the voiceless Nigerian people and the defender of the interests of legal practitioners. Adekoya also tasked Alegeh on probity, ethical conduct, policies that are in the best interests of lawyers, as well as holding officers accountable to highest standards. She said: “From the 15th of May, 2014 when the election period officially commenced, I campaigned long and hard, traversing the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, engaging with our esteemed colleagues across the length and breadth of the nation to buy into the vision that we passionately canvassed to raise the Bar. “I sought to restore this profession to its revered and respected status as the voice of the voiceless Nigerian people and the defender of the interests of Nigerian legal practitioners. But it was not to be. Our members have spoken and we have a new president. “To the incoming President, I offer my congratulations. May the Almighty be your guide. Our members have spoken and I bow to their will. However, we must continue to demand probity, ethical conduct, policies that are in the best interests of lawyers, and hold our officers accountable to the highest standards”. Like Adekoya, Mr. Wahab Kunle Shittu, a law teacher at the University of Lagos said he would like to see a departure from the incessant abuse of professional ethics by lawyers, insisting that corrupt lawyers and judges under Alegeh’s presidency must be severely sanctioned, with the NBA lending its voice without fear on issues affecting the ordinary man. Dr. Joseph Nwobike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was not different. He said: “The truism is that NBA is not a trade union. Its activism must be located within the context of the current and prevailing challenges and issues facing the nation. In the past when the country was under the military rule, several issues bothering on interference with the fundermental rights of the citizenry and disobedience of court orders were rampant. “These and other issues made it compelling for the NBA at that time to find itself confronting governments at all levels on a regular basis. “Now, the issues have changed making the current leadership of the NBA to dwell on the issues that are now prevalent in our society. It will therefore be unfair to accuse the NBA of today within the paradigm. It is also important to understand that the primary objective of the NBA is to tackle the challenges being faced by members. “That primary responsibility is what I consider very paramount and the appropriate parameter in evaluating their performance and not on their role in addressing public interest issues is equally important, it should not be the sole benchmark for assessing their performance and relevance”.

Attorney-General Rivers State, Mr. Worgu Boms and the immediate past chairman, Ikeja NBA, Mr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani

TRIBUTE

Reflections on Bamidele Aturu – A pure spirit

The late Aturu

Wahab Shittu

was at the Abuja Airport on my way to Gombe for a matter when a journalist from AIT called to find out whether anything was wrong with Bamidele Aturu as he needed to verify the information he had just received from Abuja that the fire brand lawyer may have passed on. I was too frightened to contemplate my next move as I preferred to see the news as a dream far from possible reality. But I also know that considering the enormous respect I have for the person of Aturu and the personal relationship we had shared, I needed to verify the information quickly especially having assured the journalist that I will get back if I found any useful information concerning this extraordinary Nigerian. I quickly put a call through to my contacts that were in a position to know and the response was not quite helpful. With trembling fingers I summoned courage to call Aturu’s private line to make enquiries about the safety of my friend. The unfamiliar voice on the other end simply informed me that Bamidele Aturu had been rushed to the hospital and that he was asked by Aturu’s wife to retain the mobile phone pending further developments. I was left with no other alternative than to wait in prayers that it should turn out that the journalist who earlier called for verification may have been misinformed afterall. My worst fears were confirmed when credible sources later confirmed to me that indeed our own Bamidele Aturu had passed on. I was devastated, shocked and traumatized by this unpleasant news the reason being that Bamidele Aturu was one of the finest spirits of my generation. The rest of my journey to Gombe was a disaster as I nursed throughout the journey a very heavy burden in my heart. Further investigations revealed his last moments. A day previously, Bamidele Aturu was said to have worked up till 7 p.m. in his chambers putting finishing touches to a Notice of Appeal which he personally drafted. Billed to travel the next day for an assignment at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State he had suddenly complained of body weakness and was promptly rushed to LASUTH for urgent attention. Our Aturu died within 20 minutes of arrival at the hospital. What a life! Very tragic! Very sad! The sadness occasioned by Aturu’s sudden passing is not however without some consolations and worthy legacies which definitely will endure forever. Aturu was a man of finest virtues, very unique, genuine and different and indeed a reference point in this clime where a life of commitment to principles, integrity, service delivery quality and professionalism is sadly in short supply. In this climate of corruption, uncer-

tainty and moral degradation, Aturu stood out from the crowd like a million stars and was uniquely different in terms of exemplary character and moral rectitude. Aturu was a visionary who had a mission to fulfill and set out to accomplish same both by a life of personal example and in the manner he organized and structured his legal practice. Bamidele Aturu & Co, the law firm he founded has as its motto: “Serving the people by promoting justice”. The vision/mission of the law firm are as follows: • To serve the Almighty God in all ways but in particular by defending the poor. • To serve the cause of social justice by effectively and competently using the law inspite of its limitations. • To defend the under privileged, the dispossessed, the oppressed and the abused against the rich and the powerful. • To be a leading voice in the struggle against all forms of discrimination and undue privileges. • To participate in all forms of actions aimed at social reform and change. Aturu said “In pursuit of this vision/ mission, we will not accept a brief simply on account that it is lucrative or reject a poor prospective client simply on account of inability to pay if we are convinced that he or she is truly unable to pay our fee”. Clearly from the foregoing, Aturu was a forthright individual who decided early in life to build his professional practice on altruistic considerations and empathy for the poor and under privileged segment of the society. Not given to materialism, he had set out to embrace pro bono services as an integral part of his practice. This is salutary and a reflection of the degree of humanity and compassion that he had for his fellow human beings and the rest of the society. Aturu also led a life of personal example worthy of emulation. He was adjudged the best corps member during his NYSC programme in Niger State. However, when it was time to honour him with accolades he bluntly refused to accept the NYSC award at a time when it was not fashionable to dare any military regime in this part of the world. In rejecting the award he wrote: “I saw the award as an attempt to coopt me into the bestial capitalist power structure…I cannot feel honoured by this award or any award for that matter due to the general and specific differences between the present government and myself”. This may have revealed Aturu as a sterling example in moral courage. Shittu teaches law at the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Lagos. TO BE CO NTINUED

HEALTH THURSday, JULy 24, 2014

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Sanitation can boost polio eradication – UNICEF Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have significant beneficial effect on health especially in disease prevention, writes APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

A LETHAL DOSE Imagine sicknesses people get by eating and drinking their own faeces

oliomyelitis (polio), a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children, have decreased by over 99 percent since 1988, from an estimated more than 350 000 cases to 406 reported cases in 2013. This reduction is the result of the global effort to eradicate the disease. Today, only three countries in the world - Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, remain polio-endemic. Although, the trio faces the huge challenge of ending the scourge which often leads to paralysis, experts say adopting sanitation measures which involves behaviour change can pave the way to eradicate polio. A specialist on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), UNICEF – Enugu, Saando Anom who made this assertion in Enugu recently, called on the three tiers of government, communities and families to use sanitation to achieve disease-free communities and environment including total eradication of polio. According to the Free Encyclopaedia, sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes as well as the treatment and proper disposal of sewage wastewater. Highlighting how sanitation can help in the fight to de-list Nigeria from polioendemic countries, Anom said a good step to ensure sanitation in the country is ending open defecation which is widely practiced in both rural and urban setting. UNICEF estimates that 113 million Nigerians representing 70.6 percent of the population lack access to improved sanitation and most of these 113 million Nigerians, according to the available statistics defecate in the open. Scientific evidence shows that open defecation is one of the means of transmitting polio virus. What this means is that whenever these Nigerians pass faeces, they simply excrete in the open. The question that should naturally occur is: “what becomes of such faeces? Apart from polluting the environment, the WASH specialist said, the faeces end up in the body of water meant for human

Community led total sanitation (CLTS) is all about causing disgust and shame where ever open defecation is practised

consumption, apart from polluting the environment. Giving detail of impact of human waste on health and the environment, he said, “just one gram of faeces can contain more than ten million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs.” So huge is the danger faeces pose to human health. “Think for a moment, sicknesses people get by eating and drinking their own shit!,” Anom lamented. For the discerning, how the body of human waste perpetuates the spread of polio is simple. Polio is spread through person-to-person contact. When a child is infected with wild poliovirus, the virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. It is then shed into the environment through faeces where it can spread rapidly through a community, especially in situations of poor hygiene and sanitation. Although, if a sufficient number of children are fully immunised against polio, the virus is unable to find susceptible children to infect, and consequently dies out, Anom recommended the promotion of proper hygiene through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. He advised Nigerians to adopt basic sanitation including the proper management of human feces at household level, adding, “this terminology is the indicator used to describe the target of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on sani-

Just one gram of this faeces can contain more than ten million viruses, one million bacteria, 1000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs. Such is the danger that this faeces pose to human health

tation. According to medical experts, young children who are not yet toilet-trained are a ready source of polio virus transmission, regardless of their environment. Polio can be spread rapidly when food or drink is contaminated by faeces. There is also evidence that flies can passively transfer poliovirus from faeces to food. According to WaterAid America, where there is nowhere safe and clean to go to toilets, people are exposed to disease, lack of privacy and dignity. When communities defecate in the open, diseases spread fast and water sources are polluted. Scientific evidence has shown that inadequate water, poor sanitation and hygiene contribute to 88 percent of the illnesses including polio, diarrhoea, among others. Alternatively, the United States Centre for Disease Control confirm that adequate sanitation and proper hygiene can reduce illness and death from diseases, leading to improved health, poverty reduction and socio-economic development. Based on the foregoing, the UNICEF WASH specialist urged Nigerians to adopt community led total sanitation (CLTS), an approach using participatory methods to bring about shame and disgusts when people realise they eat and drink their own faeces through harmful practices. Clearly, this approach will impact possitive change. Confirming the role of sanitation in curbing diseases including polio at a recent workshop in Enugu, Charles Nzuki, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF- Enugu, described sanitation as a very cost-effective and life-saving intervention which every household can put in place. On specific things that can be done to promote hygiene, Nzuki listed them as: “just ensuring that the environment is clean; that there is proper disposal of excreta (faeces); ensuring that there is no open defecation; and the washing of all the utensils used for cooking. These will result in reduction of diseases”. However, a key challenge to achieving sanitation in communities is limited access to safe water. Presently, WaterAid, a British Charity organisation estimates that 63 million Nigerians, representing

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

Nzuki

39.4 percent of the population lack access to improved water supply. According to UNICEF, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene aggravate the occurrence of diseases like pneumonia which is responsible for 15 percent of under-five (U-5) deaths and polio. Although, sanitation is wealth sensitive with the richest people having more access to sanitation than the poor, Anom said access to water and sanitation is an issue of human right and should be available to every citizen irrespective of their social status.

Other reasons cited for slow progress in increasing sanitation are: lLack of political will and institutional responsibility on the part of governments. lImproving sanitation is difficult and requires people to change their behaviour. lThe health benefits are not immediately seen or always understood. lThe poorest and marginalised people lack a voice and are often unable to invest in improving sanitation. On the way forward, UNICEF WASH specialist said Nigeria needs improved water and sanitation access to achieve the needed change that will improve health and cut diseases including polio as well as deaths.

28 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Seven ways beer improves health Oluwatosin Omoniyi eer, after all, may be the best drink in the world. A Greek philosopher, Plato said, "He was a wise man who invented beer." Perhaps Plato knew what modern science is proving: Beer, according to the latest research, contains vitamins and antioxidants that make human beings smarter and protect them from many ailments and may likely help them live longer. Osteoporosis: A study of 100 commercial beers at Tufts University found that they were high in silicon, a key mineral in keeping bones strong. "Silicon impacts bone mineral density in humans and supplementing silicon in the diets of osteoporotic women increased bone density," the authors wrote. They however advised people to stick to no more than two drinks a day (one for women) because other studies have shown an increased risk of fractures in those who have more than two drinks a day. Arthritis: Researchers at Harvard found that women who drank a couple of beers every week over a long period of time reduced their risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 31 percent, according to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism. Swedish researchers reported even more dramatic results with moderate drinking (three drinks a week) lowering risk by 52 percent when compared to study participants who did not drink. Heart attack and stroke: Studies show that beer raises HDL or good cholesterol,and many studies have shown that moderate drinkers lower their risk of heart attack by up to 40 percent. A Greek study found that beer improved the flexibility of men's arteries better than vodka or alcohol-free beer, although all three drinks provided some benefits and a study published in the journal ‘Stroke’ found beer's ability to thin blood slightly lowered the stroke risk of moderate drinkers by 20 percent. Kidney stones: A Finnish study found that drinking a single bottle of beer a day

lowered a man's risk of kidney stones by 20 percent. Researchers do not understand the exact mechanism, but they believe that beer keeps the body hydrated and the hops it contains causes calcium to be released more slowly from bones calcium that could be reabsorbed as kidney stones. Cancer – causing carcinogens: Marinating meat in beer before barbecuing thwarts the formation of potential carcinogens polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs that form when meat is cooked at high temperatures. Portuguese researchers found that black beer cut the levels of eight PAHs by more than half when compared to unmarinated meat. Previous studies have indicated a link between PAHs and colorectal cancer. Dementia: Many studies have linked dementia and Alzheimer's to aluminum, and a study published in the journal ‘Food and Chemical Toxicology’ found that the silicon in beer reduced the body's absorption of aluminum, thus decreasing the amount of memory-destroying aluminum in brain tissue. Diabetes: Two studies published in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’ found that moderate drinkers were less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. One of the studies, which involved 35,000 men, found a 65 percent decrease in those who drank moderately. The second study of more than 38,000 men found that when occasional drinkers increased their intake to one or two drinks daily, they cut their risk by 25 percent. It is also possible that beer may increase your life span. Scientists at UCLA found that giving small amounts of alcohol to worms used in anti-aging studies doubled their life spans. "It was amazing to see how the worms given a little ethanol looked significantly more robust than worms not given ethanol," said researcher Paola Castro. While not proof that beer will help improve a human's life span, it is another reason to hoist a brew.

NAFDAC alerts public over unregistered herbal products

Orhii displays the original badge with which to identify an authentic NAFDAC official on field work at the press conference on the syndicate that specialised in impersonating staff of NAFDAC, held in Lagos. He is flanked by NAFDAC Director, Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Umar Musa (L); and NAFDAC Director, Human Resources and Administration, Mrs Yetunde Oni (R)

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the public to be wary of patronising unscrupulous businessmen capitalising on old habit only to market spurious herbal products which can harm human health. The alert follows NAFDAC's arrest of one Olawale of Bye-Pass High Level, Makurdi in Benue State for the illegal advertisement and sale of unregistered herbal products, false claims and forgery. Similarly, the Agency is alerting the public about businessmen who falsely claim to use computers in di-

agnosing various illnesses while prescribing spurious herbal medications as the only therapy that can treat the health challenges. Briefing the press in Lagos on Monday, Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii said the suspect is being investigated for illegal advertisement of the following herbal products: Trinity Capsules, Logo Cleanser Bitters, Yoppy Cleanser Herbal Capsules, Supa Clinsa Capsule Herbal Remedy, and Superman Capsule. C O N T I N U E D on PA G E 2 9

with Dr. Ihuoma Uko-Ndukwe

ada.ndukwe@yahoo.com

Tackle osteoarthritis with moderate weight, exercises JOINT HEALTH Biochemical changes in the body, stresses impact bones

STEOARTHRITIS is the most common form of arthritis which affects most weight-bearing joints like the hands, hips, knee and feet. It is a progressive degenerative disease of the cartilages associated with the changes in the bone. The disease is thought to be a result not from ageing as originally thought but from a process of biochemical changes and stresses in the body. Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in your joints. Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage absorbs the shock of movement but when it is lost, bones rub together and with time, the rubbing together of bones damages the joints most time permanently. The most common factors that cause this condition are obesity (overweight, the single most important factor), getting older and injuring a joint. Other risk factors are family genetics, female gender and past trauma to a joint. A joint is where two or more bones come together. In addition, the most commonly affected joints are the hip, elbow; knee or shoulder, spine but almost any joint can be affected. It can be seen as joint space narrowing, joint destruction and small tiny growth spots on the joint called osteophytes. Joints can be damaged by many types of diseases and injuries or simply years of use and misuse, causing wear and tear. It may or may not affect both joints at the same time. One can have a severe debilitating pain on a knee and a normal well functioning, painfree on the other knee. Some other causes might be secondary to a disease process. Some health conditions like diabetes, gouts and too much calcium deposits in the body (calcium is needed for a healthy bone). The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain which worsens with activity especially after a period of rest, pain on movement that worsens with increasing joint usage, slowly progressive deformity and pain that starts in this order: initially, pain at the high use joint area that is relieved with rest. Next, is constant pain on affected joint with usage and pain that occurs at night and at rest which might lead to muscle pain, joints contracting (bending) and unequal joints. (asymetric joints) morning stiffness that lasts less than 30 minutes unlike rheumatoid arthritis. Some people may experience joint locking or joint instability, limiting activities of daily living. It is not a direct cause of fatigue or tiredness or generalised weakness, but it is very uncommon before age 40.

Prevention

Maintain ing appropriate weight, continue

A typical hand ravaged by osteoarthritis

moderate joint activity like normal use of the joint, aerobic exercise especially in weight-bearing joints like swimming, cycling upper body exercises, brisk walking and more regular use of those joints because decreased joint use can cause abnormal cartilage repair which is what we need to avoid wear and tear.

Treatment NON MEDICATIONS: IF OBESE

- aggressive weight loss can significantly decrease joint pains, especially knee arthritis. Weight loss of five percent goes a long way in decreasing pain and exercises that involve use of the joints impact positively. Other methods are using physiotherapy - heat or cold applications, joint protection with devices such as bracing and splints to help support painful or unstable joints and walking canes which might help reduce weight load in people with hip/knee arthritis.

Medication

The main stay of treatment with medications is acetaminophen(tylenol/panadol) which is safe, inexpensive and effective. Also, it is well tolerated, when acetaminophens fail to control symptoms, non steroids anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, Advil voltaren, a class superior to acetaminiophen can be used, but it has a complication of causing stomach ulcer/bleeding , kidney damage and should be used with caution. Topical agents/creams can be used but C O N T I N U E D on PA G E 2 9

Other methods are using physiotherapy - heat or cold application, joint protection with devices such as bracing and splints to help support painful or unstable joints and walking canes which might help reduce weight load in people with hip/knee arthritis

HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

‘Foot ulceration in diabetics preventable’ Dr. Anthonia Ogbera is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM). She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Structured Healthcare initiatives, a non-governmental organisation. She has been creating awareness about diabetes mellitus and its impact in the country. In this interview with YEKEEN NURUDEEN, she raises hope for people with diabetes mellitus who are suffering foot ulcers. Excerpt:

iabetes has been one of the major killer diseases globally and in Nigeria in particular. Incidents of diabetes seem to be on the increase. What is diabetes mellitus? Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its needs. With a population of over 160 million people, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa and accounts for one sixth of Africa’s population. Diabetes mellitus is on the increase in Nigeria and its current prevalence in Nigeria though not known, but it may likely be in the region of eight to 10 percent. There are two main types of this disease - Type 1 diabetes mellitus which is onset in childhood and requiring lifelong insulin injections and Type 2 diabetes which is onset in adulthood, often requiring glucose lowering drugs (in tablet form) and sometimes insulin injections.

A key factor in preventing foot ulcers is ensuring that glucose levels in persons with DM are well controlled and this can be attained by adherence to prescribed glucose lowering medications and intake of a balanced diet forms of injury may go unnoticed and an injury may wear through the skin before any pain is felt. Also diabetes can cause poor blood circulation in the feet, making ulcers more likely to form when the skin is damaged and making the ulcers slower to heal. Similarly, diabetes can affect the body's ability to fight infections. Once a foot ulcer is formed, it easily becomes infected. Also, due to neuropathy, people may not feel discomfort as a result of the infection until it becomes serious and difficult to treat, leading to gangrene. People with diabetes are more than 30 times more likely to require amputation of a foot or leg than are people without diabetes.

Among these two types which one is more life threatening? Apparently, the Type 2 DM is a global public health crisis that threatens the economies of all nations, particularly developing countries including Nigeria. The epidemic has grown in parallel with the worldwide rise in obesity and it is fuelled by rapid urbanisation, nutrition transition, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, What are the indications for this disease or at what level does it become chronic? The complications of Diabetes Mellitus may be acute or chronic with foot ulceration being one of the foremost chronic sequels of this all important chronic disease. People with DM are more prone to developing foot ulcers which may lead to amputation and death if not properly managed. In Nigeria, one to two persons out of 10 people with DM develop foot ulceration and this complication of DM is responsible for one fifth of all DM admissions. People with diabetes are more than 30 times more likely to require amputation of a foot or leg than are people without diabetes. In the early nineties, a research work published by me and some of my colleagues showed that 50 percent of all persons admitted as a result of foot ulcers had diabetes and six out of ten would require surgical intervention which may be in the form of amputation. The number of deaths from DM foot ulcers is also high and sometimes such people suffer psychological trauma from the loss of limbs, societal stigma and loss of or reduced earnings/income. Is there no remedy for the disease or the foot ulceration? Of course there is. The good news is that foot ulceration in DM is eminently preventable and to this end the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) in partnership with our organisation, the Structured Healthcare Initiatives (STRUHI) is poised at reducing the burden of DM through an ongoing project aimed at improving DM foot care in Lagos. The project is designed to ensure the reduction in the burden of complications of DM in the state. To this end,

Dr. Ogbera

there is an ongoing donation of equipment for screening for risk factors of foot ulcers and empowerment of healthcare professionals drawn from some targeted hospitals and primary healthcare centers in Lagos state. What are the risk factors for developing

foot ulcers? The answer is simple. Damage to the nerves (neuropathy) is one of the most important risk factors for developing foot ulcers. This is because it affects sensation to the feet so that pain is not felt. In this case, irritation and other

NAFDAC raises alarm over unregistered herbal products C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 2 8

The trend, according to Orhii is to deceive the public by falsely claiming to carry out diagnosis of various ailments with the aid of computers which allegedly diagnose existing ailments. Thereafter, the dubious businessmen who lack medical training prescribe their unregistered herbal products. According to Orhii, the suspect uses the above premises as clinic for diagnosis and entices unsuspecting public to patronise their products in their possession as medication for the diagnosed ailment. Similarly, "The suspect uses Abiola Nature Therapy Limited located at 7 Tafawa Balewa Street, Jos, Plateau

State both for the illegal advertisement and sale of the unregistered products. The suspect was arrested in Lagos. Both presenting a forged NAFDAC notification of product registration of Logo Cleanser Bitters purported to be manufactured by Heritage International Therapy Limited of 84 Karimu Adeyemi Street in Alagbado, Lagos which name and address was verified to be non-existent. Orhii said, "The information available to the Agency is that Mr. Olawale carries out his nefarious activities with one Alhaji Abiola of Nature Therapy of the same address. He said Abiola is now on the run, “adding that effort is being made to track down Alhaji Abiola and bring him to face the law."

Is there any way of preventing foot ulcers in persons living with diabetes mellitus? Foot care is critical and prevention of foot ulcers include protecting the feet from injury and keeping same moist with a good moisturiser. Shoes should have appropriate cushioning to spread out the pressure caused by standing. Going barefoot is to be avoided and shoes should fit properly. Regular care from healthcare professionals such as having toenails cut and calluses removed may also be helpful. Also, sensation and blood flow to the feet should be regularly evaluated by medical doctors. A key factor in preventing foot ulcers is ensuring that glucose levels in persons with DM are well controlled and this can be attained by adherence to prescribed glucose lowering medications and intake of a balanced diet.

Tackle osteoarthritis with

moderate weight C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 2 8

avoid aspirin-based medications (they are ineffective with osteoarthritis). In some severe cases, joints injection by a well trained doctor that is competent to give such injections can give a three to four month relief, but be warned that frequent use of steroid injections can cause more harm than good over time. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS can be in form of herbs and natural medicines but of all the medicines being paraded around, the only ones that have some small clinical trials although research evidence is not entirely consistent, are glucosamine and chondritin containing supplements when put together.

30 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Experts advocate specialised care for rape victims lMirabel Centre seeks funding for sustainable services Appolonia Adeyemi

ith about one year to go before the withdrawal of funding for the operation of the Mirabel Centre, the organisation is seeking financial support from public and private organisations, concerned stakeholders, philanthropists among others, to keep the centre running. This was disclosed by Itoro Eze-Anaba, managing partner, Partnership for Justice, which is an international organisation that is providing funding support for the Mirabel Centre. She spoke at the one-day partners meeting on the Mirabel Centre and Sexual Violence in Lagos State organised by Partnership for Justice with support from Justice for All (J4A). The Mirabel Centre which is

located inside the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, is a safe, friendly and conducive place, where one can get free help after going through the trauma of rape or sexual assault. According to Eze-Anaba, the call, seeking continued funding for the centre became necessary because the funding from Partnership for Justice in collaboration with Justice for All (J4A), will expire after two years. Hence, this funding of the Mirabel Centre will be withdrawn at the end of 2015. She said getting more funding that would keep the centre running when Justice for All withdraws, is a big challenge. However, Eze-Anaba said thereafter, the centre "needs high level of cash inflow for us to sustain that place." Presently, Mirabel Centre is

operating from an office space in LASUTH provided by the Lagos State Government. Although, she expressed appreciation to the government over the gesture, she noted that the given space is too small. "We are calling on the government to give us more bigger space so that we can render more effective services for people that are in need," she said. On the importance of sustaining this centre, she said the fact that there are no support services that are readily available for the rape survivors and victims of sexual violence is contributing largely to high incidence of rape, adding that this development makes affected persons to keep quiet. Consequently, by keeping quiet, she reasoned that perpetrators go on to the next person and continue to rape and assault

other women. Speaking in the same vein, Sunday Agbonika, CSP at the Family Support Unit, Central Police Station, Adeniji Adele Road, lamented that cases of defilement and rape are not reported on time. Hence, “we are not able to get enough evidence to prosecute.” However, the partnership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) with civil society organisations including the Mirabel Centre has shown that, "even if we cannot get conviction, we can get help for the victim because a five-year old child that is raped needs help”. Similarly, Agbonika noted that with proper psycho-social

‘Lagos's six-month maternity leave will reduce breast cancer' Muritala Ayinla

Mrs. Eze-Anaba (4th left), CSP Agbonika (2nd left) and some Police DPOs of the Family Support Unit at the one-day partners meeting on the Mirabel Centre and Sexual Violence in Lagos State organised by Partnership for Justice with support from Justice for All (J4A), held in Lagos

Study: Cool bedroom can help with weight loss

eeping your bedroom cool may help, according to an article published in the New York Times. A study published in the journal ‘Diabetes’ found that keeping bedrooms chilly can stimulate the body to produce more brown fat which is the good fat and burns white fat. On the other hand, warm temperatures reduce the amounts of brown fat in the body. Researchers associated with the National Institutes of Health asked healthy young male volunteers to eat calorie-controlled meals

and to sleep in climate-controlled bedrooms for four months. For one month, sleeping temperatures were kept at 75 degrees, a temperature considered neutral. The second month, temperatures were lowered to 66 depress. The third month, temperatures were reset to 75 again, and for the fourth month, temperatures were raised to 81 degrees. At the end of each month, amounts of brown fat were measured. After sleeping at 66 degrees for one month, the men's amount of brown fat had almost

doubled, they had burned more calories during the day, and their blood sugar had improved. After sleeping for a month at 81 degrees, the men had less brown fat than they had at the beginning of the study. "These were all healthy young men to start with," study author Francesco S. Celi told the New York Times, "but just by sleeping in a colder room, they gained metabolic advantages." Those advantages could include keeping weight in check which would decrease the risk for metabolic problems including diabetes.

counseling, the child might still grow up to recover and become an adjusted child. A child may develop attitudinal problems from rape. Due to the trauma, the child may become a mal-adjusted child who will become a problem later to his/her community. Based on this, he reasoned that there is need for a child that is a victim of rape or even an adult to get help. Furthermore, he said post exposure prophylaxis should be offered to whoever is raped. “We can start rape victims on that therapy so that they will not contract HIV."

he Lagos State Government has said that the newly increased maternity leave of six months would reduce breast cancer among female workers and minimise maternal mortality in the state. Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina who made the disclosure, said most nursing mothers die within the first six weeks after delivery due to various complications, adding that with the new six months leave policy, nursing mothers in the state public service would have ample time to pay attention to themselves and their new born babies. Dr Adeshina explained that in addition to reduction of avoidable maternal mortality, the leave would enhance exclusive breastfeeding and reduce breast cancer among women, adding that osteoporosis which is brittleness of bone in women would also be minimised with the new policy. She said:“The mother will have time for their body to properly heal, the uterus of the mother will have time contrast for pre-pregnancy state. It reduces the breast cancer risk for our women. It also reduces the condition called osteoporosis which is brittleness of bone

in our women. So, there are so many benefits that go with breastfeeding enabled by the six months maternity leave. That is why we in the State Ministry of Health are very excited about this. We know it will reduce our infant mortality and new born mortality and even our maternal mortality because nursing mothers tend to die more within the first six weeks." Adeshina stressed that the new leave will also increase the baby’s ability to develop their immune system before they are exposed to the crèche. "In addition to this, long diseases are reduced, allergic reactions are equally reduced. They now have the opportunity to eat what their bodies are formulated to digest, the breast milk; the woman breast milk instead of the cow milk, mother will substitute cow milk with breast milk because she has to go to work. “The other advantage is the benefit of the colostrum, the anti microbial of the breast milk in the baby’s system. The nutrition in the best milk. Apart from that breast milk develops their jaw and tongues," she added. Special adviser said adequate breastfeeding of infants enabled by the new leave policy would further strengthen the bond with the child and mother through frequent eye contact.

Astymin rewards 200 pupils for excellent performance Shola Adefuwa upils, who have distinguished themselves in their academic performance are in for a good time as the Astymin Brand has rewarded about 200 kids in Astymin Brilliant Reward (ABR). The programme is meant to appreciate and reward best kids that have performed exceptionally well. In his address at the award ceremony in Lagos at the weekend, Marketing Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Olugbenga Olayeye said the event of would spur more kids to put in extra efforts in their studies and to settle for nothing less than the best at all times. Olaleye said, “we hope that the knowledge that hard work will be rewarded will give these kids

the will power and discipline to overcome negative peer pressure and influence and above all, be a motivation to keep the flag of excellence flying in their future academic endeavors." Explaining the rationale for the event and why it is imperative for Astymin from the stable of Fidson Healthcare Plc to celebrate these young ones today, he quoted the words of that great African, Nelson Mandela, “education remains the most imperative powerful weapon with which we can change the World. “This event is intended to once again re-emphasise the value of education in building a better future for our children. It is meant to reward hard work and to let our children know that diligence will be rewarded”. Furthermore, he stated that

Astymin has various other school programs in primary schools. Every month, there is an Astymin Genius of the month. Students in primary schools in Lagos State write an essay on a topic agreed upon by their teachers and the best student is rewarded after being duly assessed by their teachers. Astymin also promotes school debates, inter-house sports, Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) meeting, Christmas Parties and more. At the secondary school level, Olayeye said Astymin is involved in debates and inter-house sports. Similarly, at the university level, Astymin is the main sponsor of the Annual PANS National Conference.The main social event, the participants, look forward to is

L-R: Finance Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Olatunde Olanipekun; Representative from Lagos State Ministry of Education/ Desk Officer, Co-curricular Activities, State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Mr. Alabi Adaramaja Kareem and Operations Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Abiola Adebayo (middle), flanked the graduating Pupils of Astymin brilliance Reward, during the presentation of certificates to the best graduating pupils in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

‘Astymin Nite’ and Miss. Astymin’ Beauty Pageant. Olayeye also commended the kid’s efforts and the extra work put into achieving the outstanding feat. Rather than trying to find ex-

cuses for not doing well, he urged the pupils to deny themselves some pleasure and comfort so as to achieve excellence. To the proud parents of the pupil who were rewarded, he said, “we extend our hearty congratulations to you all."

BUSINESS Thursday, July 24, 2014

What's news Investors arrive Nigeria for $3bn refinery A major economic analysis has been commissioned for a $3 billion refinery project in Bayelsa and Kogi states. This will lead to the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery and petrochemical plant, New Telegraph has learnt.

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FG committed to boosting domestic trade, says Aganga The Federal Government is committed to boosting domestic trade across the country, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, has re-affirmed.

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Don’t outsource jobs for cost saving only, says Airtel CEO Companies should not outsource jobs based on cost to be saved from such outsourced jobs, but instead should do so based on value to be derived from such jobs.

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Promoting local content in Nigeria’s ICT Local content is a very popular term in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. This is due to the predominance of international oil companies, foreing technical staff and other service providers in the sector, which accounts for Nigeria’s highest means of income.

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

31 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

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ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

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

Labour ministry wades into aviation unions’ crisis RIFT NUATE scribe said that the rift between NUATE and ATSSSAN stemmed from the anti-union posturing of the latter

NUATE, ATSSAN, NAAPE bicker

Wole Shadare

he Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has spelt out the functions of each of the trade unions in the aviation industry. Specifically, it said that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) is registered to organise the junior workers falling within the jurisdictional scope spelt out by item No. 6 of the Trade Union Acts, while the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) is registered to organise the senior counterparts within the same jurisdictional scope. In a statement by Mrs Chinwe Dike, Director, Department of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations for the minister, she noted that each organisation has its structures that demarcate the junior staff from the senior staff. She added that that should delineate areas of operations of NUATE and ATSSSAN respectively. Noting that these demarcations should delineate areas of operations of NUATE and ATSSSAN respectively, she said: “Therefore, in organising your trade union, you are to be mindful that the concept of voluntarism is not unfettered as has been ruled by a court of competent jurisdiction in trade dispute matters.” She stated that in that regard, workers should adhere strictly to the jurisdictional scope spelt out in the third schedule of the Trade Union Act, which was never abrogated by the trade unions (Amendment) Act 2005 but was left intact. Item 6 of the Trade Union Act states : "All workers in com-

L-R: Area Manager, CFAO Motors, Mr Kehinde Amao; Communication Consultant to CFAO Group in Nigeria, Dr. Oscar Odiboh; Managing Director, CFAO Automotive Nigeria, Mr Thomas Pelletier and Deputy Managing Director, CFAO Motors, Mr Kunle Jaiyesimi, during the unveiling of CFAO Motors' sole distributorship of MITSUBISHI FUSO in Lagos.

mercial airlines, airport authority, civil aviation authority and travel agencies except those in professional and administrative cadres.” The three major aviation

unions, NUATE, ATSSSAN and the National Association of Aircraft, Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE) have been embroiled in bitter feud on poaching of their members by the different

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

unions. On June 6, 2014, NUATE’s Secretary General, AbdulkaCONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Singapore experts eye Nigeria, Africa for urban planning BUILT-UP By 2050, 60 per cent of Africa’s population is expected to be urbanised Dayo Ayeyemi

aving successfully designed Singapore’s distinctive skyline and building more than one million homes, Surbana International Consultants are targeting Nigeria and other African cities for modern urban cities designs.

African cities are the second most unequal in the world, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB). Justifying the company’s intention, Chief Executive Officer of Surbana, Pang Yee Ean, said that most African cities have developed organically and haphazardly, with little attention to centralised planning, infrastructure updates or zoning. Consequently, Surbana’s managing director for city management and its Africa portfolio, Mr Louis Tay, told newsmen that the company intend to be in Nigeria to help in the planning of its cities. He added that

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

How to stop Ajaokuta from dying

African countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania are also to be explored. He said: “We are going to be in Nigeria, we should be planning two cities in Tanzania soon, we are planning the city of Bujumbura in Burundi, and in Mozambique very, very soon. And also in Angola where Surbana has created the redevelopment master plans for three zones in the capital Luanda.” Chief Executive Officer of Surbana, Pang Yee Ean, said the company has helped to shape the Singapore’s unique CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE June 2014................................8.2% May 2014....................................8% April 2014.................................7.9%

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at July 18)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N167.50 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N290 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N228 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $38.43bn as at 18/07/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at July 18)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N266.35 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N210.64 Source: CBN

BUSINESS | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Investors arrive Nigeria for $3bn refinery BOOST The 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery and petrochemical plant will be built in two years Adeola Yusuf

major economic analysis has been commissioned for a $3 billion refinery project in Bayelsa and Kogi states. This will lead to the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery and petrochemical plant, New Telegraph has learnt. The refinery, which would be built in two years, is being

sponsored by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). The association is facing factional leadership tussle at the moment. Officials of the core investor in the project, Watercarbonfield, who took active part in the commissioning, had earlier arrived Nigeria last weekend. Leader of the three-man delegation, Mr Jose Arosemena Mosi, who confirmed this, maintained that the economic analysis would be carried out within the next two to three months. Mosi said that the cost of the project was not certain at the moment until the economic analysis was concluded, but findings have shown that the project could cost about $3 billion.

A faction of IPMAN led by Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, welcomed the core investors in the project to Abuja. Okoronkwo described this feat as a major step toward fulfilling its earlier promise of building a new refinery and petrochemicals plant in Nigeria. “The 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery and petrochemical plant is expected to be built in Bayelsa and Kogi states as a sequel to a two to three months economic analysis,” Okoronkwo said. He added that “the refineries will be built in two years.” The investors will be touring the two states where the refineries would be sited as well as meeting governors and stakeholders relevant to the project. Leader of the delegation said: “We are here to look at the

L-R: Brand Manager, Startimes, Somoye Tunde Habeeb; Brand Strategist, Ayokunle Idowu; Public Relation Manager, Anetor Irete and Account Manager, Cutler Communications, Ihuoma Omenazu, at the launch of Startimes Star Sport 2 Channel in Lagos.

MASSES Government wants to bring policy formulation and execution down to the grassroots Siaka Momoh

he Federal Government is committed to boosting domestic trade across the country, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, has re-affirmed. He gave this assurance during a town hall meeting with traders in the South West geopolitical region, in Lagos, on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by traders and representatives of market associations from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration and the Police. The minister explained that the town hall meeting was necessitated by Federal Government’s recognition of the importance of domestic trade in achieving its inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development in line with President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda. The minister said: “This is

opportunities in Nigeria; we are ready to invest in refinery project in Bayelsa and Kogi states. We are ready for the challenges, we know the legislation and we know the law” On the impact of the project, the IPMAN factional president, Okoronkwo, noted that this is

a way of ending arbitrary importation of refined petroleum product. He said: “The cost of taking crude and bringing it here will be reduced. We want government to give the necessary licences and environment to operate.”

Labour ministry wades into aviation crisis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

reem Motajo, had petitioned the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), saying that "for the avoidance of doubts, NUATE is the foremost and only registered trade union in the aviation industry under the trade union act, as amended, to cover all workers in commercial airlines, airport authority, civil aviation authority and travel agencies except those in professional and administrative cadres.” He noted that having carefully perused the contraption of a letter emanating from ATSSSAN on “poaching of members of jurisdictional scope of aviation industry union,” we are at a loss as to where ATSSSAN is coming from and or its intention to whip up unwarranted sentiment and waste valuable time of the FAAN management and our union.” Motajo stated that it was on record that NUATE is a registered trade union to cover all workers, whether junior or senior, within the aviation sector, travel agencies, stressing that this is buttressed by pronouncements of several courts of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria. He reiterated that it is on record that ATSSSAN, under third schedule, Part C, is a registered member of senior staff and employers association, whose membership shall be se-

nior staff who shall give their individual consent in writing on which union they intend to belong, to the management, without any jurisdictional scope. The NUATE scribe stated that the misunderstanding between NUATE and ATSSSAN stemmed from the anti-union posturing of the latter, using its huge influence of its senior membership in strategic positions of FAAN to aid, albeit and deploy all prospective, intending and eligible junior staff of the authority into its coffers as its members without respect to its status as a senior staff association, all in a bid to gain strength. He further stated that it was discovered that using this tactics, “ATSSSAN, through its members in your accounts department, transferred over three hundred junior employees who are by law eligible members of NUATE to its fold and had continued to enjoy the financial benefits of these esteemed NUATE members at a disadvantaged to our union.” “We affirm that ATSSSAN does not have the legal instrument and jurisdiction to assume membership of junior staff to its fold, and we make bold to state that under normal circumstances, NUATE shall be demanding that all accruals from these members should be refunded to our union.

FG committed to boosting domestic trade, says Aganga Singapore experts eye Nigeria, Africa for urban planning

the first ever town hall meeting and also the first in the series that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will be organising frequently as part of our deliberate strategy to develop and grow domestic trade across the country. As part of our domestic trade strategy, the Federal Government wants to bring policy formulation and implementation down to the grassroots and ensure that traders are carried along. “Statistics have shown that domestic trade have a strategic role to play in achieving inclusive and sustainable growth and development in the country. After the re-basing of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, agriculture contributes about 22 per cent to the GDP; industrial sector contributes about 26 per cent, while services sector accounts for about 52 per cent. When you look at the services sector’s contribution, retail and wholesale trade is about one third of that 52 per cent.” The minister added that the Federal Government would partner traders and other regional organisations to provide the conducive environment for the development of

domestic trade. He said: “Nigerians are very enterprising and hardworking people. All they need is the enabling environment. Our job as a government is to provide them with the conducive environment to do their businesses so that they can create jobs and drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development. In order to achieve this, we are working both with state governments and ECOWAS to tackle the bottlenecks inhibiting free movement of goods across the country and the sub-region.” Speaking during the meeting, the National Co-ordinator, Traders’ Rights Protection Initiative, Mr Christopher Okpala, commended the Federal Government for organising the interactive town hall meeting, adding that there was an urgent need for the government to come up with legislation to protect local traders. He said: “We want to thank the Minister of Trade and Investment for organising the first ever town hall meeting with us. This meeting has given us a sense of belonging by involving us in government policies and implementation.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

approach to housing and social policy. “We have exported Singapore’s concept of integrated townships, adapting it to meet local needs to create holistic and sustainable living environments,” he explained. “Our value proposition lies in being able to help emerging economies shape their development strategy towards the path of sustainable growth, thereby facilitating growth for the region. “This proficiency has taken Surbana to more than 90 cities in 26 countries around the world. In Africa, the projects are starting to come in thick and fast.” Noting that cities are a growth industry in Africa, he said the continent has experienced some of the fastest urbanisation rates globally in the last two decades, at 3.5 per cent per year. By 2050, 60 percent of Africa’s population according to Ean, is expected to be urbanised. Yet urban transformation

has not led to greater affluence or better standards of living. Keen to play a leading role reimagining the continent’s growing urban centres is Surbana International Consultants. The company built its profile shaping Singapore’s distinctive skyline, designing and building over one million homes in 26 “integrated township” estates on the island. It has also helped to shape the country’s unique approach to housing and social policy. “We have the technical expertise in housing a nation, knowledge of good corporate governance framework, coordination skills between different levels of government and between the private and public sectors,” he explained. Surbana said that its approach is more than zoning and design. It is about engineering the socio-economic possibilities of urban spaces. For Singapore, urban planning was essential to moving the island from an impoverished former colony to a highly advanced, high tech economy in the space of half a century.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Don’t outsource jobs for cost saving only, says Airtel CEO

ompanies should not outsource jobs based on cost to be saved from such outsourced jobs, but instead should do so based on value to be derived from such jobs. CEO of Airtel Network Limited, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, who said this at the Association of Outsourcing Professionals of Nigeria (AOPN) annual event, “2014 Outsourcing Expo” in Lagos encouraged companies to embrace outsourcing as a tool that will help improve their services. Speaking at the event, AOPN president, Dr. Austin Nweze, urged government to support outsourcing in whichever way, by regulation, which will serve as a legal framework as the rules will help the association sanction erring members. Nweze declared that outsourcing is

one avenue that government can explore to create jobs they have been longing for, because if you look at the case of India, it was outsourcing that helped its transition from poverty to wealth. Participants at the 2014 expo resolved that when drawing the Service Level Agreement (SLA) the parties, the provider and the user, should be involved so that there would be a sense of belonging where no one feels cheated. They pointed out that even though the service provider owns the outsourced personnel, such personnel should not be treated as if he is not part of the organisation where he or she is posted to work. AOPN’s objective is to represent all types of organisation involved in outsourcing (users, suppliers, third-party support), lobby the Federal Government and the legislature to promote

trade in services, create awareness within the government sector and the private sector on the opportunities that abound in outsourcing; influence decisions using advocacy and lobbying. AOPN members amongst other benefits, enjoy linkages with other outsourcing practitioners and service recipients both within and outside the country. As you focus on the core activities of your growing company, you will also need to deal with your non-core functions efficiently. Outsourcing work is a tried-and-tested model and is recognized as a long term competitive strategy for success. AOPN’s mission is to promote BPO & KPO in Nigeria through capacity building, advocacy, networking and information dissemination in order to make services a major contributor to the GDP.

UNIDO country representative, Mr Patrick Kormawa

EU, UNIDO discuss role of private sector in devt It is part of an initiative to formalise by the end of the year the European Union’s position on the post-2015 development agenda, which will replace the expiring Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Stories by Siaka Momoh

M Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga; Chairman, Board of Directors, Bank of Industry, Abdusamad Rabiu; MD/CEO, Bank of Industry, Rasheed Olaoluwa, during a recent meeting of BOI Board in Abuja.

FG mandates new BoI to increase credit to MSMEs CREDIT FG wants BOI to focus more on small enterprises so that they can fly high Stories by Siaka Momoh

he newly-inaugurated board of the Bank of Industry (BOI) has been directed by the Federal Government to increase its current credit portfolio to small enterprises (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Sector –MSMEs). Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Olusegun Aganga, gave the charge during the inauguration of the Board of Directors of BoI in Abuja.

Aganga noted that the current arrangement where less than 15 per cent of the bank’s loan were being set aside for the development of MSMEs sector was no longer acceptable. The minister said that since the current 15 per cent was no long acceptable there was the need for the board to review it upward in a manner that would enable the sector create more jobs and generate wealth. He said: “The core mandate of BOI is to provide financial assistance for the establishment of large, medium and small projects as well as expansion, diversification and modernisation of existing enterprises and the rehabilitation of ailing industries. “I would like to use this occasion to remind BOI that the future of the MSMEs rests squarely on how responsive you are to the funding needs."

Aganga advised the board to adopt the practice in China and Indonesia where significant portions of loanable funds without collateral were extended to the MSMEs in those countries and about 97 per cent of the loans were repaid. The minister said that the Federal Government would continue to give policy guidance to the bank towards achieving its mandate. He also directed the board to forward quarterly progress report of the bank’s activities to the ministry. Earlier, chairman of the board, Alhaji Abdulsam Rabiu, said that BOI would continue to work with government to industrialise the country. He said the bank had identified key sectors of the economy for support in the course of providing access to finance.

inisters for development cooperation from the European Union’s (EU) 28 member states met last week with representatives from the private sector, academia, civil society, as well as the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to discuss the role of the private sector in furthering development. The event, entitled EU Development Ministerial meeting, was chaired by Italy. It is part of an initiative to formalize by the end of the year the European Union’s position on the post-2015 development agenda, which will replace the expiring Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Speaking at the event, Jeffrey Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, said that the MDGs helped many countries understand the need for joint efforts in the fight against poverty, and the Sustainable Development Goals will go even further by being universal and addressing the pressing issue of climate change. Andris Piebalgs, the EU Commissioner for Development, said that the private sector was key to leveraging official development assistance and delivering more jobs on the ground. He added that the EU remained committed to dedicating 0,7 per cent of its Gross National Income to development assistance, although the crisis has affected many European countries. Christophe Yvetot, UNIDO Representative to the EU in Brussels, emphasized the central role of industrialisation in lifting millions of people out of poverty and urged the private sector to transition to a green economy. "Resource and energy efficiency as well as cleaner production make business sense. The private sector should embark on this new industrial revolution, but governments have a key role to play in establishing supportive and stable policies," he said.

BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Enterprise with

Strokes

Siaka Momoh

siakamomoh@yahoo.com 08061396410

Dangerous commodities

O Ajaokuta steel mill

How to stop Ajaokuta from dying The strategy should be Ajaokuta playing in the primary sector, and the cold rolling mills in the secondary sector, with the primary feeding the secondary, writes SIAKA MOMOH

t will not die if a new strategy is adopted. What is this strategy? It is a hybrid of the primary and secondary steel sectors – a linkage between the primary and secondary wings of steel manufacturing – an integrated steel sector. We will come to this later. First, let us have an overview of the steel industry, which we have had all along; a steel industry that is at best, lame duck. The plan to develop the Iron and Steel Sector began with the Yakubu Gowon Regime with the formation of National Steel Development Authority (NSDA) in 1971. Basir Borodo, former president, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), who has been a player in the Nigerian industrial sector for over 40 years, attested to this in an interview with this writer. Mandate The mandate of the authority was essentially to develop the steel sector. What followed was the formation of various steel companies during the General Muritala Mohammed/Obasanjo Regime. These companies started realizing their potentials during the Shagari Regime. The companies include Ajaokuta Steel Company, Kogi State; National Iron Ore Mining Company Itakpe, Kogi State; Delta Steel Company Ovwian Aladja, Delta Steel; Jos Steel Rolling Company, Jos Plateau State; Katsina Steel Rolling Company, Katsina State; Oshogbo Steel Rolling Company, Osun State; National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Kaduna State; National Metallurgical Development Center, Jos Plateau State; and Metallurgical Train-

ing Institute Onitsha, Anambra State. A mouth-full, isn’t it? But they never realised their full potentials. Comparative advantage The Western World, through their institutions, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), amplified the story: Development of the steel industry in third world countries which include Nigeria, to them is uneconomical and so should not be touched, should not be considered. They drew on the sham David Ricardo theory of comparative cost advantage that Africa should not develop Steel Industry but should export their raw materials to the metropolitan West and buy finished steel from them. The Soviet Union agreed to develop the Iron and Steel Industry for Nigeria; the civil works given to the West grounded it. Borodo corroborated this West’s sham stand when he recalled that some of his professors in Nigerian universities (professors from the West of course) in sixties, said Nigeria should not consider having steel plants, that we were not right for it, “whereas they had steel plants in their own countries”. Ajaokuta steel plant project and the adjoining steel rolling mills are thus lame duck today. Ajaokuta has gone through many hands - The Ajaokuta plant was 90 per cent built by Russia's Tyazyproexport and designed to use local ore and imported coal. Nigeria later signed a concession agreement with Ispat unit, Global Infrastructure Holding

If Ajaokuta will not work, if the adjoining steel rolling mills will not fly, something has to work; something must take its place

Ltd. to revive the uncompleted 1.3 million tonnes-per-year mill after the collapse of an earlier $3.6 billion 10-year deal with UKregistered Solgas Energy Limited. What we witnessed thereafter was the plundering of the plant’s machinery. The new strategy If Ajaokuta will not work, if the adjoining steel rolling mills will not fly, something has to work; something must take its place. A number of steel companies sprang up to fill the gap created by sick Ajaokuta. This had to play out. To do otherwise would have meant turning Economics on its head. The likes of African Steel Mills Limited, African Foundries Limited, Verod Steel Limited and lately, WEMPCO Steel Mill Limited, and several others, came in to fill the gap created by the failure of Ajaokuta and co. PAN Steel Group Corporation’s $5bn investment And only recently, PAN Steel Group Corporation, China, decided to invest $5 billion in a new steel manufacturing plant in Nigeria. The company’s President, Mr Zhang Dade, said in Abuja, that Nigeria’s good investment environment prompted his company to decide to invest $5 billion in the new steel plant that will produce 4-5 million metric tons of steel per annum. All these are playing out in the secondary sector of the steel sector. Ajaokuta is a primary sector. The primary sector is steel manufacturing with iron ore as raw material, whereas secondary is cold rolling mill – importation of steel ingots and flat sheets which serve as raw materials; and recycling of steel scraps which African Foundries Limited specialises in. These are processed into various steel products. WEMPCO (and perhaps other cold steel rolling mills too) are set to change the story going by recent revelations at the commissioning of WEMPCO Steel Mill C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 6

f strong concern for one here is illegal retail trade in petrol, a highly volatile product, by women and a good number of our unemployed youths. It is sweet business dealing in this commodities. Such businesses include counterfeiting, smuggling, drug trafficking, prostitution, stealing, and illegal sale of commodities like highly inflammable petrol. Counterfeit product have ruined economies, causing plant shut downs and heartshaking job losses. John Engler, president, National Association of Manufacturers, United States of America, says counterfeit products account for a staggering five to seven per cent of world trade, a volume of almost $500 billion (N75.9 trillion) annually. Counterfeiting is evil. It not only violates the intellectual property rights of manufacturers, it also puts consumers in serious danger. Dangers range from ingestion of fake pharmaceuticals to accidents caused by substandard parts. China is a culprit. It engages in unfair trade practices, including wholesale counterfeiting of US products. It has huge factories dedicated to making products that look exactly like U.S. brand name goods. This Chinese criminal practice is not limited to business relations with the United States. Worldwide, China is a problem to economies. Tonnes of Chinese products, sub-standard products dominate markets. Stories are told of Nigerians who approach factories in China to manufacture fake products for them. We hear they take the originals of these products to Chinese manufacturers and instruct them to counterfeit them. When products are counterfeited, they cause job loss in countries where the counterfeited products are brought into. Counterfeited textile products imported into Nigeria caused textile plants shut downs and by extension massive job losses. We are aware of heart shaking revelations in the pharmaceutical sector made possible by late hard-

Smuggling is one crime that depletes the purse of a nation when carried out successfully

hitting lady, Dora Akunyili. Smuggling is one crime that depletes the purse of a nation when carried out successfully. When the nation’s purse is depleted, the purses of smugglers and their accomplices bulge. We are familiar with the stories of rice smugglers, fish (and even rotten fish) smugglers, etc, smuggling with the connivance of unscrupulous public officials. The case is even made of retired public officials who are strongly involved in fish smuggling! There is the very serious case of drug smuggling and the associated money laundry. This is a very serious case because those involved are highly connected. Drug smuggling is mafia business. If you are familiar with Mexico films featuring big time drug barons, you will appreciate how deadly the illegal business is. Stealing, prostitution and human trafficking are also dangerous and deadly. Of strong concern for one here is illegal retail trade in petrol by women and a good number of our unemployed youths. This highly volatile product is sold along streets and stored in residential areas where naked lights in form of lanterns, born fires, and kitchens where fire woods, stoves and cooking gas are in use. Smokers can use their matches and fire-lighters at will. Who cares? Nobody. The seller is only interested in the quick monies they make from their illicit business. Security authorities don’t care. They look the other way. Everyone think it is a normal operation. But let us imagine the damage, the calamity that will come with an accident that is waiting to happen. Houses could be burnt down; souls lost; billions of naira could go down the drain if it happens. Check out Ijegun, off Old Ojo Road, Ojo Barracks, both in Lagos, you will get the message clearer. And they sell high price. Pump price for the product is N97 per litre but they sell N125, N130! Good margin – that is the attraction. And it sells fast. Their patrons are the okada riders, Keke Napep drivers and owners of electricity generators. We must address this issue fast. Those involved need reorientation – they need education. We must provide an alternative – we must provide jobs for them because they are idle. This is important because to do otherwise is to propone the doomsday.

BUSINESS | INDUSTRY 35

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

I n d u stry C h ie f tain

Kolades world of cartridge refilling Their business, Cartridge World, refills ink and toner cartridges, for less than the price that you buy your original cartridges - all kinds of cartridges, all the major brands – Cannon, HP, Sharp, Lexmark, Dell, among others. Stories by Siaka Momoh

lamide Kolade and Damilola Kolade, brothers and Diaspora Nigerians, are home with a franchise from Cartridge World to recycle empty printer cartridges. They are home to turn waste to wealth, to make the environment friendly, to rid the environment of electronic waste. Cartridge World is the world's largest dedicated specialty retailer of ink and toner printer cartridges founded in Adelaide, Australia, in 1988. The business The business based in Bookshop House, CMS, Lagos, primarily involves refilling of cartridges. Cartridge World refills ink and toner cartridges, for less than the price of original cartridges - all kinds of cartridges, all the major brands – Cannon, HP, Sharp, Lexmark and Dell. Says Olamide: “Like you saw when we were going round our operations, the cartridges had to be taken through a stringent process. Our primary advantage is that by operating as a

ENTERPRISE Soap making is profitable business for start-ups with foresight Don Abraham

o you know that you can produce liquid detergent and lubricate your way to your banks on daily basis with other people’s money? I will show you how. Liquid detergent is an alternative for synthetic detergent. It has a wide range of uses and its demand very high and sustainable. Because the local detergent manufacturers concentrate on synthetic detergent and bar soap, the demand for liquid detergent has been rising because of the above reason and the increasing awareness of the many uses of the product. Supply has been stagnating which situation has led to massive importation and even smuggling of the product into the country in order to meet local demand. Therefore, any entrepreneur that gets into its

franchise means we are leveraging on 25 years of expertise of Cartridge World. Cartridge World is in over 50 countries, has over 2500 stores. So the expertise we gain from them in refilling cartridges is what our competitors don’t have. In all the process, we get standard update from research and development. We know the best materials to use. We know when to change the parts of a bad toner and ink cartridges. We do have a big advantage over our competitors.” The company’s business strategy is to sell refilled cartridges. It does this essentially to reduce cost and to reduce landfill in the environment. Olamide explains: “As you know, environmental waste management is a big problem in Nigeria, especially electronic environmental waste. We do not have the capacity to create special incinerators. So you find that electronic wastes constitute environmental hazards - Ink going directly into land; and the plastics which take a long time to degrade. And overtime you can imagine how much cartridges we use in Nigeria.” Cartridge retrievals The franchise goes out to retrieve cartridges and clients bring them in too. It works fine. Olamide says the cartridge business in Nigeria is quite huge. “We thought about it for a while and felt it would be a good idea to do cartridge refilling business here in Nigeria. And when you think of what business men spend on their printer consumables, it is quite a lot.” Nature of the franchise Cartridge World gave the Kolade brothers the licence

Damilola

Olamide

to operate Cartridge World in Nigeria. Apart from that, they also have the master franchise right. “What this means,” according to Olamide, “is that we are the only company licensed to run a complete Cartridge World franchise in Nigeria. “Anyone who wants to open a Cartridge World franchise in Nigeria will have to get the licence from us. They will open what we call a sub-franchise. But what we plan to do is open our own stores and sell subfranchises as well. The parent company takes three per cent of turnover.”

tion and so have got to go out there to scout for information - information on the type of printer that is available, what type of cartridges they use. “We want to cater for a wide range of printers so in doing that we need to get information on them. This is a challenge. In the industrialised world, things like these are taken for granted. There will be a bureau for printers where you can get whatever information you need on them,” Olamide said. On challenges, Damilola, who is operations director, argues: “Our business runs on empty cartridges. So without these empties our operations will be stalled. So the main challenge that we have is sourcing empties. People treat empties like trash, they throw them away. In the process, some of them get damaged; some of them get completely dried up. So we have

Challenges From our marketing stand point, market research in Nigeria is more of an individual thing because access to information in Nigeria is a difficult thing. So the Kolades do not have enough primary informa-

to use as many channels as possible to source for empties. It takes a longer time to process empties sourced from dustbins for reasons of contamination and drying up of ink and toner.” But there appears to be a reprieve since there are quite a lot of companies who do not throw away their empties. Damilola explains, “Some of them sell them to brokers. There is a whole market that is structured around that. You find them in Computer Village, Ali Street junction in Lagos and a lot of other places.” And the Kolade brothers do not have to pay if they are dealing with business customers but when dealing with brokers, they pay. “With business customers, they are providing us with empties and we give them products at a good price,” Damilola chips in. Olamide, who is the company’s Director of Business Development, studied International Business at Schiller International University, Paris. He thereafter did a bit of certification courses and went on to do a second bachelors degree in Business Information at the University of Buckingham in the UK. He also did some courses on mortgage advice because at that time he was really interested in the mortgage market so that he could try and develop it in Nigeria. Damilola, Director of Operations, studied Computer Engineering at the University of Nottingham. He did his masters in the same course. After graduating, he took some certificates in IT networking in the UK. He worked about four and a half years in the UK before returning home.

Investing in liquid soap production local production at this time will smile to his bank on daily basis. Liquid detergent market Liquid detergent finds extensive use in households, guest houses, hotels, canteens, hospitals, schools and higher institutions, offices, etc as a general cleaning agent. It is used to wash hands, dishes, cooking and other household utensils, tiles, walls, kitchens, motor vehicles, furniture, clothes etc. Industrially, liquid detergent is used in large quantities in manufacturing industries where conveyor belts are employed in their production lines in order to lubricate the rolling sections of the chains so as to allow easy and effective movement of the belts on these bearings. Such industries include but are not limited to breweries, food processing, pharmaceutical, beverage, chemical and allied industries, glass etc. Liquid detergent has a great export potential especially in

the 300-million - strong ECOWAS sub-regional market with the possibility of earning foreign exchange for the investor. It is an excellent entry product that is in daily use and which has high potential for expansion. Raw materials The raw materials for the production of liquid detergent are readily available locally and the supply can be all the year round. They include palm kernel oil (PKO), ethanol, caustic soda, soda ash, perfume, colourant, water etc. Various formulations use different chemicals. So whichever one you use, it must be ensured that good quality detergent is produced. Equipment needed Essentially, to start this project, one needs mixing and storage tanks, filling machine and some ancillary accessories. They can be sourced locally from the experienced local equipment fabricators.

spective investor is strongly Project cost This will include all the advised to employ the services costs to be incurred from the of an experienced industrial inception to commissioning of projects development consulthe project and they are esti- tant to carry out the exercise on his behalf. mated as follows: N Location Pre-investment 120,000 The liquid detergent manuEquipment 235,680 Furniture and fittings 35, 000 facturing plant can be set up Motor vehicle(s) (haulage) 375,000 anywhere in the federation Factory building rental 300,000 in so far as all the necessary Utilities 75,000 locational factors are considWorking capital 120,800 ered and are favourable. They Contingency 12,614 include availability of labour, 1, 274, 094 the raw materials, good roads, water, communications, elecThe project can be estab- tricity, market etc. lished both on small and medium scale. On the cottage Profitability level, one can produce some On a small scale it is quite few cartons of top quality liq- possible to produce 1,000 litres uid detergents starting with a of liquid detergent daily. Based capital base of N20,000. For the on 250 working days a year, technology transfer and train- one can have about 25 metric ing, contact this writer. tonnes a year. A wholesale The actual total project cost price of N200 per litre will be figures cannot safely be fixed acceptable to the distributors against the above cost heads bearing in mind that its curexcept at the time of carrying rent retail price in the market out a comprehensive feasibility study. Therefore any pro- C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 6

36 BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Bali confab and global trade issue (1) Trade matters

This story was first published on December 25, 2013. As we approach the ratification of the Bali Trade Facilitation Agreement on July 31, 2014, the piece is being republished in two parts (today and next week) for a better understanding of the issue. Siaka Momoh

ot too long ago, David Cameron, British Prime Minister, delivered a speech at the Pan African University’s Business School, Lagos, as part of his one-day visit to Nigeria. His speech focused on three areas of concern: Delivering aid rightly, growing private enterprise and trade, and long term political reform. Regarding private enterprise and trade, one thing came out clearly - UK was worried about China’s robust investment in Nigeria and Africa, and would want the worrisome situation reversed. David Cameron during his visit to Nigeria opened up on this issue to a cross section of informed Nigerians, at Pan African University. Said he: “Today, Britain accounts for less than four percent of Africa’s exports. That’s almost three times less than China – and one of the reasons I’m here is to make sure we catch up. It’s why I’ve

brought a plane full of business leaders. And it’s why we want to do more to extend loan guarantees and trade finance to British companies that are looking to do business in Africa; because we see Africa in a new way, a different way. Yes, a place to invest our aid; but above all a place to trade.” Nigeria’s strong ties with UK Nigeria has very strong ties with the UK, what with its being a major colonial out post to this country that was an empire to reckon with. Nigeria is the UK’s 32nd largest overseas market and 2nd largest African market for goods. UK exports of goods to Nigeria were worth £1,433 million in 2008 (up 42 per cent on 2007) and exports of services were worth £1,279 million in 2008 (up 46 per cent on 2007). The main export opportunities for the UK include oil and gas, agriculture, mining and mineral processing, power, and communications. In recent years, we have witnessed a robust entry of Chinese and South African businesses into Nigeria. Chinese trade relations and other business interests in Nigeria, like in some other parts of Africa, have shot up. The Chinese trade in textiles, garments and a long list of general goods. They are in oil and gas and solid mineral businesses. They are also into road and rail construction works. According to World Bank Weekly Report for July 7, 2008, Sino-African trade exploded from $2 billion in 1999 to $55.5 billion in 2006 and $73 billion in 2007, growing faster than Chinese trade with the rest of the world, and making a significant contribution to China’s success. Nigeria comes in big as that part of Africa that the Chinese are

interested in. It was therefore expected that UK, a traditional ally of Nigeria would not sit by and allow Nigeria’s new-found friends to corner the businesses it hitherto controlled. The foregoing helps to explain how countries, metropolitan countries in particular, take seriously, the issue of trade. Do developing countries do same? Do we take negotiations at World Trade Organisations seriously? We have heard of stories of delegates from our country being ill-equipped and weak at negotiations. We have heard stories of delegates signing agreements they did not take part in discussing, of delegates that were only interested in Estacode. But Bali put all that to rest. What does WTO stand for? It stands for lowering trade barriers where they can be lowered, and writing rules for maintaining trade barriers and for other trade policies. Both are the result of rounds of negotiations among governments since the 1940s. The Doha Round is a continuation of this tradition. Its aim is to achieve major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules. The work programme covers about 20 areas of trade. The Round is also known semi-officially as the Doha Development Agenda as a fundamental objective to improve the trading prospects of developing countries. The Round was officially launched at the WTO’s Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. The Doha Ministerial Declaration provided the mandate for the negotiations, including on agriculture, services and an intellectual property topic, which began earlier. In Doha,

Investing in liquid soap production C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

is N250. This will give a turnover of N5 million in a year. A conservative profit before tax of N1,860,000 will be made in a year and can’t be said to be bad at all judging from the situation in the economy now. This will give a return on sales of 37.2 per cent, on total investment of 146 per cent and a payback period of under one year.

Go for the feasibility study, register your company if you have not already done so, start producing in a cottage from your backyard or you start to look for land in a strategic place that possibly has relevant infrastructural facilities

Funding Funds needed to establish this project can come from a combination of any of the following sources--the investor’s purse, Bank of Industry, a consortium of friends, co-operative society contribution, family members etc. Action time I doubt if you didn’t read this article because you would like to find out how you could also milk the cow for its cash. Now that you have, why not actualise the dream of owning a factory in this product area?

Home made liquid laundry detergent

and start to talk to your bank. The time is now, the opportunity is here. So why not seize the moment? Shallom.

•Don Abraham: Tel: 0802-

038-4162; E-mail: wealthcreationideas@yahoo.com

ministers also approved a decision on how to address the problems developing countries face in implementing the current WTO agreements. Back to the Bali conference whose gain is good news for developing countries. We did it right in Bali. African Trade Ministers had agreed, few days before the WTO deal to ease trade was signed, to support the package on the table at the World Trade Organisation’s

Ninth Ministerial Conference (MC9), which held in Bali, Indonesia, in the interest of the developing economies and the global economy at large. The ministers agreed, during a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States and a working dinner co-organised by Nigeria, that there should be convergence in Bali after the Doha talks, which have been on for about 12 years.

How to stop Ajaokuta from dying C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 4

Limited recently by President Goodluck Jonathan at Ibafon, Ogun State. Mr President assured existing investors in the steel sector of government support “as we collectively strive for self-sufficiency in local steel production”. He said “I strongly believe that self-sufficiency will open major downstream sector activities with the attendant massive job opportunities and economic empowerment for our engineers, technicians, artisans, fabricators alike.” This is a spin-off from the Minerals and Metals Development Road Map, which was recently presented to the general public, one that stipulates timebound targets for the Minerals & Metals Sector. This document articulates the strategies to be adopted to ensure the accomplishment of the set objectives of increasing steel production in Nigeria, which is targeted at three million tonnes of liquid steel production by the end of 2013 and progressively increase to 12 million tonnes of liquid steel by the year 2020. The WEMPCO Steel Rolling Mill is worth $1.5 billion and capable of producing 700,000 metric tonnes of steel annually. According to the company’s group managing director, Lewis Tung, the production capacity of the steel mill represents 65 per cent of the 1.2 million of steel used annually in Nigeria, mostly imported. Tung said the mill, which would produce cold rolled (flat steel), would depend on imported steel billets for raw materials “until it could work out how to transport iron ore from Itakpe in Kogi State”. Thus government and private

sector players in the steel industry have agreed the private sector which now plays largely in the secondary stage of steel manufacturing – cold steel rolling milling will now show interest in backward integration. So, if Ajaokuta will not fly, the private sector steel manufacturers will fly. In fact, Yung said, “We realise that importing these products costs a lot of foreign exchange and we thought that since the raw materials are available locally, producing them locally will help conserve foreign exchange.” A challenge to Ajaokuta The challenge now is to make Ajaokuta work and let there be a linkage to the rolling mills. There are 15 in all. Basir Borodo said, “If you can get Ajaokuta right, WEMPCO and other rolling mills will benefit. The rolling mills and Ajaokuta should integrate. If Ajaokuta is left the way it is now for 5/6 years, the likes of WEMPCO will move and Ajaokuta will never be able to catch up with it.” Automotive industry If the automotive policy must work, steel manufacturing is central to it. Making the steel sector to work is therefore a task that we must religiously focus on. In summary, the strategy should be Ajaokuta playing in the primary sector, and the cold rolling mills in the secondary sector with the primary sector feeding the secondary sector. And this will translate to conservation of foreign exchange, creation of more jobs and boosting of the nation’s GDP.

BUSINESS 37

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Nigeria’s government has over the years had a policy of reducing the dominance of foreign expertise and products in several parts of the country’s economy as a means of increasing local input. JONAH IBOMA examines the efforts at improving local content in the telecoms and information technology sector

ocal content is a very popular term in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. This is due to the predominance of international oil companies, foreing technical staff and other service providers in the sector, which accounts for Nigeria’s highest means of income. In recent times, however, the increasing importance of information technology and telecommunications industry has created a need to also develop a local content policy. This is because, just like the oil and gas sector, the ICT industry is now a major economic contributor but also has a very huge foreign dominance. A lot of Nigerian ICT experts have canvassed the need for the development of local content in the sector because they believe that much of the gains made is lost to foreign countries. One of those who have been in the forefront of pursuing this is Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, the Chairman of Zinox Technologies. He successfully ensured that government passed a directive mandating its (government’s) ministries, departments and agencies to consider the purchase of made-in -Nigeria computers first before seeking to buy foreign brands. Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, a former President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria, has also been in the pursuit of the increasing call for local content in the industry and one of his arguments is that major operators such as Airtel, MTN and Etisalat should be listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. Government itself seemed to have also realized this and in 2013, the Ministry of Communication Technology under the leadership of Mrs. Omobola Johnson, through the National Information Technology Development Agency, issued guidelines for developing local content in Nigeria’s ICT sector. One of the newest moves towards ensuring success in this area came last week when NITDA said government had decided to ban the importation of SIM cards into Nigeria in order to ensure that local content is further enhanced. This decision by government is the second major move at increasing local content in the telecom sector. It will be recalled that in 2003, government had to force telecom operators to print recharge cards locally, as almost all recharge cards were imported then. The

TECHTalk

W it h

Promoting local content in Nigeria’s ICT

Jack

decision has helped to create a lot of small businesses in the country. The issue of local content was also the focal point of a recent ICT conference held for Nigerians in the diaspora. The threeday forum, held in Detroit, the United States of America with the theme: ‘Harnessing Diaspora and Local Linkages for Economic Growth,’ highlighted the need to involve Nigerians everywhere including those in the Diaspora for the actualization of the dreams of developing local content in the sector. At the forum, the Director General and the CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Peter Jack, said there was a need for proper engagement of Nigerians in the Diaspora, particularly those with high ICT skills vital to achieving some of the set targets for ICT Local Content Guidelines. Jack, while speaking of plans to implement the Nigerian ICT local content guidelines through a multistakeholder partnership that will involve the establishment of an implementation board to drive the local content process, said the agency would also involve Nigerians in Diaspora. “We are creating the enabling environment to foster multi-stakeholder partnerships in developing local content and increase ICT’s contribution to our GDP. Accordingly, Nigerians in the Diaspora should be willing and ready to participate fully in the development of the action plan for implementation of the Local Content Guidelines,” said Jack to an audience that included public and private ICT operators; regulators; members of Nigerian foreign missions in United States of America and Canada; members of Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO); Original Equipment Manufac-

turers; and ICT service providers. The NITDA boss said it was necessary to provide special incentives in terms of fiscal measures and other supports for Nigerians in the Diaspora willing to come back and develop the ICT sector in Nigeria since many have the required critical skill set to advance the ICT landscape of Nigeria. “As a whole, Diaspora groups frequently play critical roles in accelerating technology exchange and foreign direct investment in their home economies. India through its U.S.-based Diaspora has instigated significant investments back home from multinational companies in the information technology sector. This has enhanced the number of high- skilled jobs especially in India’s software industry thereby strengthening the country’s exports and helping to improve its overall economic growth”, said Jack. The NiDICT forum, which was designed as part of Nigeria’s centenary celebration to boost business relationships in the areas of ICT amongst Nigerians in Canada, USA and Nigeria, drew profound diplomatic support from Nigerian missions abroad. Commenting, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, represented by First Secretary, Mrs. Mary Ozonwanji, said the conference opened a new chapter in seeing how Nigerians of various skills within specialized ICT areas could collaborate to improve the country and further promote its image. Maduekwe was joined by the Consulate General of Nigeria, New York, Habib Baba Habu who was represented by Head of Consular and Welfare, Udo-Inyang D. Inyang. To the President, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, USA, Dr. Akin Awofolaju, Nigerians in Diaspora occupy a strategic area of importance in building the overall value of Nigeria’s economic development and not only in the ICT space. Awofolaju noted that it will be counterproductive to leave out the Diaspora in advancing Nigeria’s economy as the Diasporans represent a formidable pool of skill and experience which Nigeria can leverage on.

Nigerians of various skills within specialized ICT areas could collaborate to improve the country

08050498516

Computer Village shut down

Johnson

Jonah Iboma

omputer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, the largest technology products trade centre in West Africa, has been the focus of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in recently times. The government body in charge of overseeing quality of goods sold to Nigerians not only raided several shops, but seized large quantity of mobile phones and other poor quality gadgets allegedly worth over N200 million. The development is yet another attempt by government towards addressing the serious problem of poor quality mobile phones, accessories and other electronic products sold in the market and other places in the country. The development must be commended on many fronts especially considering that the country has more or less become a dumping ground for low-quality technology products. While some people may argue that by the raid, government had denied some Nigerians their means of income, it must be stated that if such a step is not taken now and repeated over time, Nigerians will be the losers. Sub-standard products have become too commonplace in this country such that if allowed to continue, this will only lead to people not getting their money’s worth. SON must, therefore, ensure that its raid does not stop in Computer Village. There are other places like Alaba International Market, as well as many other smaller electronics products trading outlets in several parts of the country where sub-standard products are sold. These places must also feel government’s move of ridding the country of sub-standard products. However, the focus of government’s raids must be more on the Lagos Computer Village because it is the place that supplies almost all other smaller markets in Nigeria and even some other neighboring countries. If Nigeria does not control the inflow and free sales of these poor quality products, then the impression that the country cannot do anything right will only continue to grow both locally and internationally. But an additional thing that must be done is for government to check the inflow of these bad products into the country from the countries where they are produced, which is mainly China. If Nigeria does this successfully, then part of the fight against sub-standard products would have been won. I remember that when the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control started fighting the menace of fake drugs in the country under the late amazon, Dora Akunyili, it was not an easy battle, but one that just must be done. The position and prevalence of fake electronics products in Nigeria today is probably worse than fake drugs issues in the country a few years ago, when the NAFDAC war started. There are some allegations by the those who sell these poor quality products that the raids carried out by SON was at the instance or prompting of the more established brands. This sort of argument does not hold water. The criminally poor quality products sold in Nigeria can hardly be found in other bigger economies because such products would be easily fished out and those producing them prosecuted. Why should Nigeria therefore condone the trade in such products? If any firm, local or foreign, want to compete in the technology marketplace, it must be ready to do so qualitatively.

BUSINESS | ICT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Bayelsa adopts FG’s Smart State initiative DEVELOPMENT Technology ministry set to fast ICT growth through agreements with states Stories by Jonah Iboma

ayelsa has become the latest state to join the Smart State initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology. The Plan is geared towards engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal levels to address the issue of multiple taxation and other impediments hindering acceleration of roll out of critical infrastructure

across Nigeria. To this end, Bayelsa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Communication Technology to ensure that identified barriers to technology development are addressed. Bayelsa is one of the states selected by the Broadband Council to facilitate ICT infrastructure rollout critical for development under smart state initiative. Others are Lagos, Anambra, Gombe, Katsina and Ondo. Lagos has already reduced ROW charges by 85 per cent. The MoU was signed during the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum held in the state recently. Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola

Johnson, who made a presentation at the forum titled: “Technology Infrastructure & eCommerce Growth,” highlighted the current scenario and future opportunities in the Nigerian ICT Industry. She also examined the growth prospects, primary drivers and factors influencing adoption of e-commerce in Nigeria and the role of the ministry of communication technology in facilitating ICT development and ecommerce growth in Nigeria. Johnson noted that states have an important role to play towards the actualisation of the goals of government, urging the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, to focus on ICT infrastructure development in the state by waiving Right of

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Nike Animashaun; Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs Josephine Oluseyi Williams; Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Mr Olujobi Oshosanya; Oracle trainees, Miss Abidakun Olusemola; Mr Temitayo Oyeleke; and Oracle Public Sector Manager, Ms Ihuoma Okoroafor at the graduation ceremony of oracle-trained Lagos State government staff... recently.

Africa’s start-ups urged to develop useful apps

echnology start-ups in Africa have been urged to focus on developing solutions for problems that people face every day. This submission was made by chief executive officer (CEO) of WeDo and founder of Tech4Africa, Gareth Knight, while speaking at the recently concluded Tech4Africa conference in Lagos. According to him, easy to use solutions and those that give people fun and create utility value will be a success in the marketplace. “Simplicity is your goal, overengineering is the mother of all evil. Make it easy, make it fun, make it memorable,” he said. According to him, application developers should always focus on the user and more emphasis should be placed on execution. “Focus on the user – ignore that, and your product will fail. Execution is everything; it is the difference between winning and losing, building a career and enjoying a hobby,” he said. He enjoined start-ups to use key metrics to assess return

on investment, saying that it helps in knowing how a product is successful. He also made the case for constant iteration. “Constant iteration is your weapon. Get out as quickly as possible. Test and fix bugs. Adapt to users and market intelligence. Rinse and repeat,” he said, urging tech start-ups to follow a clearly defined process and embrace open source software. “Open source software is your friend. There will always be bugs, get over it, prioritise it and deal with it. Treasure your users and think of them as part of the family,” he said. Meanwhile, IBM has announced the rollout of its BlueMix cloud-based service that allows developers to roll out their apps quickly. Software architect at IBM West Africa, Chidebele Ifediora, said at the Tech4Africa conference, that the platform takes care of the burdens of infrastructure and management for emerging developers and companies. “The burden of infrastructure is already taken care of in

addition to that of management. Apps can be rolled out in time and developers can focus on pure app functionality,” he said. He said that BlueMix is not proprietary to IBM and is available to users based on open standards. “Compared with others, BlueMix is leveraging on open standard and it offers support for third party app,” Ifediora said. For corporate organisations, he said that they can make use of the platform to remain competitive by providing their customers with additional services. “Let’s look at apps that offer SMS features, for instance. If your competitor is offering SMS and you are not, you may lose customers to them. But on BlueMix, you will only develop the non-SMS aspect and plug it in BlueMix service,” he said. He further said that the platform makes it possible to scale on demand. “Increased traffic requires increased infrastructure which could be complex and error-laden. BlueMix could help with that,” he said.

Way charges for two years. She said that this would make it easy for fibre to be built in Bayelsa State by reducing multiple taxation, enabling new roads being built or rehabilitated in the state to have fibre duct infrastructure, assign a single agency to collect levies, taxes and fees on behalf of the state and protect ICT infrastructure in the state. Dickson immediately pledged a 50 per cent reduction in ROW charges and the setting up of a single agency to administer the collection of all taxes and levies in the state. He promised that the state was proud to be selected to be part of the Smart state initiative, promising to put in place all the necessary measures needed to make Bayelsa a model ICT state in Nigeria. It will be recalled that the Ministry is working to ensure that the bottlenecks that mitigate service quality delivery are removed. To tackle quality of service issues in the industry, the ministry in partnership with the Ministry of Works developed new Right of Way (RoW) guidelines for Federal Government roads to enable operators have unencumbered means of laying fibre optics which is critical for infrastructure development and quality of service. To remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations that impede telecoms development across the nation, the ministry, for the first time in the history of Nigeria’s telecoms revolution, got state governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal levels to address the issue of multiple taxation and adopt measures that will remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations to enhance service delivery across the nation. A landmark agreement with the Lagos State government facilitated by

the ministry was brokered to address issues of RoW and base station deployment, among others. Cost of RoW was slashed from 3000 to 500 - a reduction of 85%. The Ministry is working to replicate this in other states by convincing other state governors and relevant authorities at the state level to eliminate multiple taxation and adopt measures that will remove arbitrary charges and enhance telecoms service delivery. An assessment of the deployment of ICT infrastructure revealed that almost 70 per cent of deployment cost was spent on processing RoW; taxes and levies on infrastructure, which makes the landmark agreement with the Lagos State government even more significant. The ministry strongly believes that the elimination of multiple taxes will result in cost effective, accelerated and massive deployment of ICT infrastructure across the country, which will enhance quality delivery issues currently being experienced by telecoms subscribers. The accelerated deployment of ICT infrastructure cannot be done without due consideration for the environment. The industry has been plagued with inter-agency conflicts and unduly long approval processes in ensuring that laid down standards are adhered to. The ministry further committed itself to maintaining environmental standards and fostering inter-agency cooperation when it reached an agreement with the Ministry of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on the construction of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS).

iWayAfrica banks on managed service support for growth an-African telecoms opera- regards to backup and disaster PNetworks tor, Gondwana International recovery processes. (GIN), has said that Managing Director, SevenC its iWayAfrica business will be partnering with managed services company, SevenC Computing to grow its foothold in key African territories. The move will enable GIN and iWayAfrica to continue growing the brand throughout Africa. General Manager, terrestrial for GIN and iWayAfrica, Winston Smith, says that the partnership with SevenC Computing has already proved beneficial. “We have seen great success in Namibia and anticipate excellent growth in key countries such as Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. There is great demand for level three managed services support as cloud simply cannot deliver on its own.” Across the continent, customers are at risk from having obsolete IT systems. In addition, they generally have poorly managed IT services and very little in place with

Computing, Darren Osbourn, said that customers were also overpaying for IT services and generally need better control of their IT systems and associated user activities: “The African SME market remains challenged by the same issues as always, limited budget, lack of in-house IT skills and resources as well as poor quality of service. Together with iWayAfrica, we will be providing a much needed quality of service focused on the evolution, deployment and on-going support of managed IT services.” Smith said that GIN is very excited about the potential of iWayAfrica’s partnership with SevenC Computing. “We have packaged an excellent combination of software and infrastructure as a service, giving customers the best of the cloud with essential managed services on the ground,” he said.

BUSINESS | ICT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

THEFT Technology infrastructure increasingly targeted by vandals in Africa Jonah Iboma

elecommunications networks in South Africa are now feeling the negative impact of the country’s high criminal activities as their equipment have increasingly become objects of target. Criminals in South Africa are causing millions of rands of damage to telecommunications networks through theft of copper, batteries from cellular towers and even stealing of fibre cables to make certain products. This is akin to what obtained in Nigeria a few years

Criminals wreck South Africa’s telecoms networks

back when vandals were in the habit of stealing copper cables and cutting optic fibre cables. In Nigeria, also, while the issue of theft of batteries from cell sites is not very common, criminal elements however steal diesel meant for generators and in some cases damage the entire cell sites, especially in war-torn North Eastern Nigeria. In South Africa, as in many African countries, the prevalence of load shedding and cable theft which causes regular power outages mean that mobile sites must be equipped with batteries and diesel gen-

erators. Unfortunately, the presence of diesel and batteries make these sites targets for criminals who see value in these products. Operators and consumers are hit hard by the development. The network damage results in service unavailability, an impact on emergency services and a significant impact on businesses using the affected networks. The cost of these criminal acts extends far beyond the network damage. Operators are faced with repair costs, loss of revenue, security costs,

an increase in customer complaints, and network quality concerns. The damage and theft of copper are some of the biggest problems which the country’s leading fixed network, Telkom, has to cope with. Despite attempts at addressing the matter, the problem has been gradually growing with Telkom saying that the cost of cable theft to the company surged from R164 million in 2010 to R247.6 million in 2013. General Manager, Network Operations, MTN South Africa, Sidney Arnold, said that criminals often break into

secured environments like containers and cut the huge amount of copper cables – including earth and power cables. The mobile site’s feeder cables (typically short pieces) and power cables which feed the site are also often stolen. Arnold said that fibre cables are often erroneously cut by criminals who are actually looking for copper. The damage, however, is already done. The damage of optic fibres cables has lessened in Nigeria as such equipment are not very useful to the criminals to be used for other purposes.

‘Ericsson prepared Telefonica network for World Cup' has said that it pro- in the stadiums to record the vided a major solution that matches during the World Cup. Ewasricsson used as the 2014 World And this naturally leads to an Cup in Brazil. According to the firm, its Key Event Experience was implemented for the first time in Brazil by T Telefonica | Vivo in six cities that hosted the World Cup namely, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Cuiabá, Manaus and Salvador. The solution, which was used in stadiums, press centres, airports and official spaces, is usually deployed at events that lead to a drastic increase in mobile traffic. It enhances the perceived quality of network operators by improving the user experience during the period of the great events at which it is implemented. With increased use of smart mobile devices in the marketplace, and consequent larger demand for mobile broadband, the firm stated that there is a natural increase in user expectations regarding the quality of networks. These expectations and demands, it noted, are even bigger when millions of users are concentrated in a specific area, sharing video, photos and tweets and pushing network capacity to its limit. Ericsson said it studies conducted during 2010 World Cup in South Africa showed that there was a 40per cent increase in voice services compared to the beginning of the championship and use of data services was 10 times greater than the standard at the time. This demand, which was even bigger at this year's event, required good network performance not only in stadiums, but also in strategically important locations for the organization of the Cup, such as press centres, airports and official spaces for broadcasting matches. In these areas, Ericsson's solution was also considered. Paulo Cesar Teixeira, CEO of Telefonica | Vivo, said: “Smartphones were the main tool for the people who were

increase in network capacity. Our aim in implementing Ericsson’s Key Event Experience solution was to adjust our network to provide our users with the very best in terms of experience during the event.” Head of Region Latin America, Ericsson, Sergio Quiroga da Cunha, said: "The Key Event Experience solution has enabled Telefonica | Vivo to be well perceived by users during the World Cup matches in the cities where we already provide equipment and services. All the knowledge we have from several years of experience meeting demands of this size has being used to make a thorough diagnosis of the network. This is a great partnership, involving rigorously managed services.” The preliminary study started in February with the participation of Ericsson experts from other countries and who actively participated in major events held recently such as the Super Bowl in the United States, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Two servers were installed adjacent to the service provider's network management system to extract network performance data and report every 15 minutes during the period of the World Cup, to evaluate the performance of the network and indicate preventive actions. Designed to assist operators in maintaining high levels of service and provide expertise in the areas of planning, design, implementation, optimization and failure management, Ericsson's solution is being applied in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiabá, Manaus and Salvador. Other features of Key Event Experience include performance monitoring in real time, active traffic management and proactive response in unforeseen events.

Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah; Former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Muiz Banire with Director, Legal & Company Secretary, Airtel Nigeria, Olugbenga Rotimi during the unveiling of Airtel Touching Lives CSR programme held in Lagos.

Airtel revs up CSR with Touching Lives

ouching Lives, a special Corporate Social Responsibility intervention aimed at enriching Nigerians and providing succour to the underprivileged members of the society has been launched by Airtel Nigeria. According to the telecom firm, the initiative marks a significant milestone in the company’s history of CSR interventions in the country, noting that Airtel Touching Lives is a responsive programme targeted at providing timely aid to underprivileged Nigerians irrespective of their gender, background or geographical locations. Primarily, the initiative seeks to identify underprivileged persons with specific challenges, pains and struggles with the ultimate objective of providing the needed help to empower and enrich the lives of these individuals. Speaking at the unveiling of the initiative in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, described the programme as a timely, deliberate and responsive CSR initiative aimed at empowering underprivileged

Nigerians and tackling the various challenges confronting millions of people. He underlined Airtel’s commitment to the programme, saying that the company is devoted to enriching the lives of Nigerians especially the underprivileged people. “At Airtel, we are passionate about the people we serve and the Nigerian society. Airtel Touching Lives provides a platform for the underprivileged in our society to be identified, heard and also cared for. “It is our commitment to connect with millions of Nigerians, alleviate their suffering and bring smile to their faces,” he said. The Airtel CEO also explained that the company primarily embarked on the initiative because of its genuine interest in the general wellbeing of Nigerians, especially people with special needs, adding that the project is one of the vehicles by which the company complements the developmental efforts of various governments. Director of Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Mr Emeka Oparah,

expressed the readiness of the telecommunications operator to contribute to efforts of government, non-governmental organisations and individuals who are highly-spirited like Airtel Nigeria in humanitarian courses. “Touching Lives is one of the philanthropic gestures of Airtel Nigeria, designed to connect and alleviate the suffering of helpless people across the country. This initiative underscores our determination to enrich lives and contribute to humanity.” The programme allows Nigerians to nominate disadvantaged persons who are in need of care or special interventions. Entries can be sent in via SMS, phone calls to the short code 947 or via email to: touchinglives@ng.airtel.com. Airtel Touching Lives Season one is scheduled to run on both satellite and terrestrial TV stations as a 13-week series with a weekly feature of two individual stories of beneficiaries of the project. It opens with a call for entries from the focus groups over a period of four weeks.

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

Tackling medical tourism through Lagos renal centre About $500 million could be saved with the establishment of cardiac and renal centres across the country, which the Lagos State Government is championing, writes MURITALA AYINLA

hree-year-old Sumbo Kashimawo was recently diagnosed with a hole in the heart after months of treatment for malaria. Medical experts said she would need N5 million for surgery in India to correct the defect. Her parents have been moving from one media house to the other to bring the child’s plight to public knowledge as well as places of worship to seek financial assistance to enable to them fund the corrective surgery abroad. Mr Chukwuma Ikemefuna 43, a carpenter, is suffering from renal failure. He has been to several hospitals before he was discovered to be suffering from kidney infection. He has two children in secondary school while his youngest child just sat for common entrance examination, awaiting admission into secondary school before the unfortunate suddenly crept in. Today, the most challenging task for his family is not how to pay the school fees of his children, but means of sourcing fund to settle Ikemefuna’s mounting medical bill. Ikemefuna may remain bedridden in the hospital unless he is able to garner N6.5 million needed for the kidney transplant in United Kingdom and payment of other medical bills incurred in Nigeria. Fourteen-year-old Remilekun Adekusibe is the only surviving child of Mrs Funmi Adekusibe. She was recently diagnosed with a hole in the heart after spending a lot of money on medical bill. According to medical experts, the Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) also known as a hole in the heart, which she suffers from, could only be corrected if the parents are able to raise fund for the surgery as urgent as possible. Hence, the fate of the Adekusibes still hangs in the balance until the Good Samaritans come their way in cash and kind to enable them secure the life of their child. Such were the agonising experiences of most Nigerians who suffer from terminal ailments and who, to a large extent, have become victims of Nigeria’s ineffective and obsolete medical facilities - a development that has made Nigerians regular medical pilgrims in many countries abroad. There pathetic stories are mostly read in most newspapers, magazines and the social media. The sad tales are sometimes relayed on television and radio. The wealthy ones are hurriedly flown out of the country for the needed surgery without any publicity, while the downtrodden writhe in pain for many months or years before they gathered enough money for the foreign medical bill. In the long run, the lucky ones survive after the corrective surgery abroad while the not-so-lucky ones lose the battle after spending huge sums of money they would have loved to invest in the more rewarding and lucrative ventures.

The Cardiac and Renal Centre

Many Nigerians have become victims of medical pilgrimage abroad - the old, young, rich, poor, clerics, powerful, Muslims, Christians, leaders and the led, prominent personalities, including thespians and politicians. Some have died before, during or after surgeries abroad. Former President Umaru Yar’Adua was said to have died of renal failure. It is estimated that over 5,000 Nigerians fly out on a monthly basis, seeking medical treatment in India and other countries. Consequently, Nigeria loses $500 million annually with India getting $260 million of the resultant cash flight. It is believed that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the growing cases of cardiac and renal failure owing to poor medical facilities to cope with the huge demands for the treatment and in most cases, these ailments cannot be treated in the country. Many specialists ascribed the massive loss of lives in Nigeria to cardiac and renal failure to the absence of a purposebuilt renal specialist centre to cater for the growing demands of hapless patients, saying precious time is wasted in raising the fund needed for the surgery abroad, especially for the indigent Nigerians. Aside time wasted in sourcing the fund for the cardiac and renal patients, experts also blamed lack of medical facilities and dearth of expertise for the frequent loss of lives of Nigerians. This, according to them, is responsible for the late discovery of the diseases among the patients as most of the patients are usually first misdiagnosed with other ailments. But in a bid to address issues of evitable death arising from cardiac and renal failure, the Lagos State Government has decided to build a Cardiac and Renal Centre to cater for the needs of patients. According to the state government, the construction of the Cardiac and Renal Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Annex, at Gbagada General Hospital, is to conserve the financial resources currently being expended in the management of patients with renal and cardiac diseases in foreign countries. Its establishment was considered appropriate and timely following increas-

ing number of patients presenting with end stage renal failure which had sent many Nigerians to their untimely graves. The facility, which is designed to handle heart and kidney-related diseases, also offers out-patient services, diagnostic services, ultrasound, CT scan, Echo cardiography, stress electrocardiography, laboratory services, fluoroscopy, ocular investigation for complications from hypertension as well as diabetes and renal conditions. There is haemo-dialysis for acute and chronic kidney diseases with 24 dialysis machines, admission for all cardiac conditions that requires hospital stay, critical care in intensive care unit (ICU) and high dependency wards, cardiac catherisation, non-invasive cardiology, open heart surgery, renal surgery, nursing and diabetic services, rehabilitation services and corporate wellness programme. The 67-bed centre located on 2,317 square metres of land, is designed to provide access to all floors by two bed lifts and a wide ramp which allows two trolleys to pass simultaneously. At the side of the elevator were the fire service stairways provided to forestall outbreak of fire. It was gathered that the initial cost of the edifice was N1.043 billion and was awarded to Deux Project Limited on September 22, 2008 while the construction of the project commenced in March 2009 with one-year completion duration. However, the cost of the project was later reviewed with the addition of N796.059 million in 2011 bringing the total cost of construction to N1.839 billion. Equipping the centre gulped N3.389 billion, bringing the overall total cost of the project plus equipment to N5.228 billion. Deux Project Limited also handled the equipment contract. But to effectively manage the project and ensure that facilities and the equipment are not vandalised, the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Renescor Health Limited Liability Partnership to run and manage the facility under a five-year Operation and Management (O&M) concession renewable for another five years, subject to satisfactory performance and mutual agreement of the parties.

The firm is expected to provide all of the healthcare services and total facilities management required for the valueengineering of the Renal and Cardiac Centre. Speaking shortly after signing the agreement for the take-off of the centre, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, noted that the establishment of the centre was considered appropriate and timely due to the increasing number of patients presenting with end stage renal failure, saying that cardiac and renal disease constituted a growing health burden globally. He said: “There is what is called a triple jeopardy in the health sector, especially in Lagos and Nigeria which require efforts of stakeholders in state health system to address. “We have what we call double jeopardy but now it is triple jeopardy in the sense that we do not only have problems with communicable diseases, we are now having problems with non-communicable diseases, and the third one has to do with mental health. “But this project is trying to address the major aspect of the non-communicable disease burden. “Not only that, we also do know that these two disease burdens jointly cause serious complications in people who have these problems; and once you have these problems, you have them for live if they are not properly treated.” According to the commissioner, prior to the establishment of the centre, the government has over the years been earmarking, as part of its free health policy, quite a huge chunk of its budget to sponsor people abroad on various medical problems that could not be treated in the country because the needed expertise and facilities were not available. These factors, Idris said, prompted the government to build the Cardiac and Renal Centre. He said: “These factors prompted the need for us to build facilities locally, find a way of staffing them locally to provide the needed services to treat people with these ailments, reduce the number of money we are spending to sponsor people abroad, and more importantly to build local capacity.”

business | MONEY LINE

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Staff shut Finance Ministry over poor welfare Seek Perm. Secretary’s removal

HIGH-HANDEDNESS Workers accused the Permanent Secretary of denying them benefits

chanted solidarity songs apparently calling for the removal of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Anastasia Nwoabia, who they accused of “pocketing welfare package meant for the staff.” Staff temper were however, calmed after the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (CME) returned from Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to address them. The protest, which started in the morning, lasted for several hours and visitors who

Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

fficial activities were stalled yesterday at the headquarters of Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, as staff shut the ministry complex over poor welfare. Under heavy rain, they

FG decries banks’ high lending rates to SMEs

Godson Ikoro

financing remains one of the stumbling blocks to the growth and development of Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, adding that a situation where international financial institutions channel funds through local banks for on-lending to SMEs only for the banks to turn around and charge high interest rates. He said "SMEs, thereafter end up supporting the banks by increasing their liquidity. He therefore urged the Islamic Development bank to evolve ways through which the small scale entrepreneur could have easy access to cheap funds to finance his business."

Anule Emmanuel

ice President Namadi Sambo has decried the high rate at which commercial banks in the country charge interests in loans to small and medium scale enterprises SMEs. The Vice President said such operations hamper access to financing by small entrepreneurs. Sambo stated this yesterday in Meccah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when he received a delegation from the Islamic Development Bank led by its Chairman Dr Ahmed Mohammed Ali. He said lack of access to

came to the ministry had to turn back due to the blockage. Though none of the union member was willing to speak to our correspondent, the workers accused the Permanent Secretary of denying them benefits that usually naturally accrue to them based on the civil service rules. Part of their grouses were that since the Permanent Secretary assumed office few months ago on secondment from Ministry of Solid Minerals, members of staff had been

he Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has generated N1.45 trillion revenue from tax in the second quarter of 2014. According to FIRS report on its operation during the period made available to New Telegraph, the revenue was realised from oil and non-oil taxes. Going by the report, N639.26 billion representing 43.93 per cent of the collected revenue was generated from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), while N815.9 billion or 56.07 per cent was collected from non-oil taxes. The report also showed that collection from non-oil taxes of N556.3billion was realised from company income tax, N197.25 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), while N38.06 billion was

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

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

Description

TTM

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

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

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

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

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

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

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

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Offer 163.38

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

Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

from Education Development Tax (EDT). Besides, collection from consolidated account during the period was N12.03 billion, N7.6 billion from technology development fund and N2.5 billion from gas income, while stamp duty accounted for N1.86 billion of the revenue. N290.4 million was also realised from capital

gain tax during the period. The report further stated that N312.49 billion was collected in April, N569.21 billion in May and N573.45 billion in June. The tax revenue collected by the service during the period showed an increase of 15.54 per cent from about N1.05 trillion realised in the first quarter.

Unity Bank sacks 170, recruits 300

nity Bank Plc has announced the disengagement of over 170 staff and have also recruited over 300 new staff, mostly at entry level and experienced hires. The exercise according to a statement from the bank, “is in a bid to right size its workforce and position the bank for sustainable quality banking services across its entire branch network.” Unity Bank said the development of the it’s Human Resource is one of the key areas identified as part of the objectives that the lender’s just concluded capital raising exercise will address Executive Director, Secretariat & Services, Mrs. Aisha Abraham, said: “Our people are our greatest assets; we consistently strive for training and rejuvenation of our workforce – constantly introducing a steady mix of promising young talents and experienced professionals. Our goal is to be able to offer quality services to our customers through a team of dedicated and resourceful staff at all times.” The quest for this has accord-

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX

FIRS generates N1.45trn in second quarter

ing to the bank, led it to carry out “structural and personnel realignments with decision making and service delivery processes running along Strategic Business Units, a highly effective model that is business focused, leading to specialisation, better understanding of the market and responsibility accounting.” This statement added, “is a deviation from the traditional geographic business unit structure and is one of the changes the bank has adopted to ensure that it has a 360-degree view of the market and proffer solutions that fit its vision.” Mrs. Abraham also disclosed that the bank “is driven by the vision to be the retail bank of choice in the Nigerian banking industry.” Unity Bank, which has 240 branches spread across the country, said the institution is “Nigeria's 7th largest bank by business locations.” The lender had also recently declared a pre-tax profit of N7.9billion, representing an over 81 per cent increase in its half year unaudited accounts compared with the same period in 2013.

Naira gains 0.12% on oil firm dollar sales

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80

experiencing difficulties in getting some of their allowances, such as overtime and training allowances. They also accused her of tactically stopping some of the perks that should be given to them during festive periods. All local trainings (maximum of four a year) were also suspended by the Permanent Secretary. She had earlier attempted to calm the restive staff, which was unheeded – making her to hurriedly retire to her office. Addressing staff at the Min-

istry’s auditorium yesterday, Okonjo-Iweala along with her Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda, she promised to address their grouses. "Whatever the issue, we would settle it out like a family. I'm proud of my Ministry staff because there is never a time that I reason with you and you let me down. We are going to have a dialogue, we will listen to your complaint, you will listen to us and we will come to a conclusion", said CME at the start of meeting with staff yesterday. The media were however, barred from the meeting.

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

he naira firmed against the greenback yesterday, lifted by month-end dollar sales from multinational oil companies buying the local currency to meet their domestic obligations, dealers said. The local unit according to Bloomberg, closed at N162.08 to the US dollar, up 0.12 per cent from N162.28 the previous day. The local unit of Italy's Eni sold $20 million and France's Total sold $55 million, while two units of

Addax sold a total of $10 million and Shell sold an undisclosed amount onto the interbank market, dealers said. Multinational oil companies operating in Africa's biggest economy usually sell dollars every month in exchange for local currency to meet their local obligations. Dealers expect the naira to strengthen further this week trading within a range of N161-162 level as more oil companies sell dollars.

Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014

Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023

42 BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET

Sanctity of Truth

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023

No Debt Trading Activity

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at July 23, 2014 Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol FTNCOCOA OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 1 33 13 47

Current Price 0.50 33.01 38.00

Quantity Traded 50,000 392,640 220,965 663,605

Value Traded 25,000.00 12,893,159.89 8,396,603.00 21,314,762.89

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 48 48

Current Price 3.10

Quantity Traded 4,228,387 4,228,387

Value Traded 13,106,983.30 13,106,983.30

4,891,992

34,421,746.19

Quantity Traded 199,776 18,092 147,618 380 72,469,791 1,733,101

Value Traded 277,461.11 68,025.92 167,702.70 1,774.60 390,707,036.97 108,133,794.92

AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023 CHELLARAMS PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONGLOMERATES Industries Published Diversified by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Diversified Industries Totals

95 Symbol No. of Deals AGLEVENT 19 CHELLARAM 1 JOHNHOLT 7 SCOA 1 Daily Summary (Equities) TRANSCORP 515 UACN 38

Symbol

No. of Deals 581

CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

Current Price 1.38 3.95 1.13 4.91 5.32 62.40

Current Price

581

Quantity Traded Page 74,568,758

499,355,796.22

No. of Deals 15 15

Current Price 1.22

Quantity Traded 779,000 779,000

Value Traded 980,870.28 980,870.28

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

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 63.00

Quantity Traded 84,935 84,935

Value Traded 5,545,975.22 5,545,975.22

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 17.56

Quantity Traded 165,004 165,004

Value Traded 2,982,110.60 2,982,110.60

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 95.00

Quantity Traded 40,000 40,000

Value Traded 3,800,000.00 3,800,000.00

1,068,939

13,308,956.10

Quantity Traded 185,028

Value Traded 1,789,220.76

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers ActivityCHAMPION SummaryBREW. on Board PLC.EQTY

CONSUMER GOODS Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Symbol SKYESHELT

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol CHAMPION

No. of Deals 4

Current Price 9.67

Page

Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 INDUSTRIAL GOODS Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023

Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC.

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 10 10

Current Price 100.03

Quantity Traded 45,725 45,725

Value Traded 4,802,496.75 4,802,496.75

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR MULTITREX NASCON NNFM

No. of Deals 47 45 52 30 1 50 2 227

Current Price 8.01 9.19 77.87 4.28 0.50 10.50 20.50

Quantity Traded 454,142 781,299 181,653 4,810,385 2,000 2,713,265 1,410 8,944,154

Value Traded 3,652,985.84 7,187,265.80 13,466,661.47 19,758,853.63 1,040.00 29,313,483.75 27,732.00 73,408,022.49

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 28 30 58

Current Price 74.25 1,120.00

Quantity Traded 139,937 39,528 179,465

Value Traded 9,873,719.90 44,099,361.90 53,973,081.80

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 31 3 34

Current Price 4.15 1.44

Quantity Traded Page 582,900 1,130 584,030

3Value Traded of 12 2,425,593.36 1,548.10

No. of Deals 43 86 129

Current Price 39.00 49.00

Quantity Traded 293,797 569,530 863,327

Value Traded 11,255,123.35 27,492,399.54 38,747,522.89

12,961,445

548,994,130.82

CONSUMER GOODS

Household Durables Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

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

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 ACCESS BANK PLC. Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023 DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. Activity Summary Board EQTY UNITED BANKon FOR AFRICA PLC

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANKStock PLC. Exchange © Published by The Nigerian ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. Printed 23/07/2014 WAPIC14:54:23.023 INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

634 Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY Daily Summary SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA

Value Traded 276,442,809.40 26,014,893.87 115,499,427.12 18,909,499.54 151,207,577.91 18,423,537.80 5,278,322.42 61,930,614.32

No. of Deals 54 13 19 173 1,267

Current Price 9.01 0.50 1.10 24.95

Quantity Traded 630,729 615,640 628,012 Page 2,580,901 72,967,736

Value Traded 5,760,088.66 307,820.00 4 690,813.20 of 12 64,396,989.13 744,862,393.37

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE EQUITYASUR INTENEGINS LAWUNION LINKASSURE MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS PRESTIGE WAPIC

No. of Deals 11 14 1 3 2 1 8 3 21 2 2 74 142

Current Price 0.82 1.12 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.66 0.54 0.85 0.50 0.54 0.89

Quantity Traded 2,973,171 668,500 200 510,000 2,300 26,000 971,500 35,200 9,339,649 170,000 22,000 15,474,685 30,193,205

Value Traded 2,439,470.22 753,418.50 100.00 255,000.00 1,150.00 13,000.00 2,586,158.80 19,010.00 8,369,714.75 85,000.00 11,660.00 13,925,893.99 28,459,576.26

Symbol

No. of Deals 9 9

Current Price 1.02

Quantity Traded 1,708,990 1,708,990

Value Traded 1,754,889.80 1,754,889.80

Daily Summary (Equities) NPFMCRFBK

Page

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol ABBEYBDS INFINITY RESORTSAL

No. of Deals 2 1 1 4

Current Price 1.30 1.60 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,300 200 100,000 101,500

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

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 48 30 380 51 6 31 82 628

Current Price 3.27 3.90 15.51 4.21 0.54 27.50 2.18

Quantity Traded 517,781 750,706 8,406,480 2,599,245 200,000 1,064,888 4,190,427 17,729,527

Value Traded 1,700,913.39 2,904,777.06 131,734,921.48 10,967,182.59 107,406.79 29,266,301.13 9,129,652.28 185,811,154.72

122,700,958

960,940,086.15

Quantity Traded 150,599 719,900 55,842 650,063 171,701 100,000

Value Traded 338,816.38 2,179,127.00 3,680,209.07 1,137,588.60 211,645.15 164,000.00

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

2,050 Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 10 10 21 21 8 1

Current Price 2.16 3.03 68.99 1.75 1.25 1.64

Page

Value Traded 1,768.00 304.00 50,000.00 52,072.00

Value Traded 2,500,000.00

5,000,000

2,500,000.00

5,000,000

2,500,000.00

Quantity Traded 494,200 15,074 238,777 3,124,820 130,705 100

Value Traded 14,872,111.48 130,355.06 9,740,704.10 40,851,625.01 31,079,308.91 126.00

Current Price 30.00 8.57 41.00 13.27 237.50 1.20

Symbol CUTIX NIWICABLE

No. of Deals 2 1 3

Current Price 1.90 0.50

Quantity Traded 11,100 75,000 86,100

Value Traded 20,958.00 37,500.00 58,458.00

Packaging/Containers AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS Packaging/Containers Totals

Symbol AVONCROWN

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.69

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 170.00 170.00

4,664,818

124,520,347.18

270 Symbol BOCGAS

Value Traded 250.00 22,785.00 1,615,050.00 7 of 12 26,149,403.62 124,461,719.18

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 5.76

Quantity Traded 1,527 1,527

Value Traded 8,367.96 8,367.96

Symbol No. of Deals Daily Summary (Equities)

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 50.00 50.00

MULTIVERSE

1 1

Page

PublishedNATURAL by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © RESOURCES

1,627

8,417.96

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 26 26

Current Price 0.53

Quantity Traded 2,658,096 2,658,096

Value Traded 1,409,930.88 1,409,930.88

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 536 536

Current Price 26.01

Quantity Traded 28,841,831 28,841,831

Value Traded 741,797,067.92 741,797,067.92

Symbol CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 16 34 71 60 4 19 204

Current Price 62.32 3.90 224.23 169.90 61.99 185.73

Quantity Traded 61,522 584,855 116,075 287,005 3,075 62,007 1,114,539

Value Traded 3,643,776.26 2,288,195.24 26,137,726.38 49,708,650.41 181,117.50 11,517,353.86 93,476,819.65

Exploration and Production Symbol No. of Deals SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD SEPLAT 5 Daily Summary (Equities) Exploration and Production Totals 5

Current Price 675.05

Quantity Traded 2,014 2,014

Value Traded 1,389,060.00 1,389,060.00

32,616,480

838,072,878.45

OIL ANDSummary GAS Totalson Board EQTY Activity SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Published by The Stock R T Nigerian BRISCOE PLC.Exchange © Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

771 Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded Page 377,919 377,919

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 30 1 31

Current Price 5.17 1.96

Quantity Traded 3,591,863 40,750 3,632,613

Value Traded 17,853,439.96 77,425.00 17,930,864.96

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 49,500 49,500

Value Traded 24,750.00 24,750.00

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.78

Quantity Traded 194,829 194,829

Value Traded 151,646.62 151,646.62

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 400,000 400,000

Value Traded 200,000.00 200,000.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 2 16 27 45

Current Price 1.71 1.52 4.11

Quantity Traded 10,450 1,432,130 599,170 2,041,750

Value Traded 17,033.50 2,076,065.40 2,495,828.19 4,588,927.09

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 20 20

Current Price 0.85

Page Quantity Traded 1,416,470 1,416,470

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

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 22 44 66

Current Price 2.22 5.00

Quantity Traded 1,610,800 1,622,590 3,233,390

Value Traded 3,429,146.50 8,128,148.69 11,557,295.19

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

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 34 34

Current Price 6.85

Quantity Traded 1,644,535 1,644,535

Value Traded 10,519,111.65 10,519,111.65

220

12,991,006

46,546,872.85

4,761

273,314,128

3,076,380,618.12

Quantity Traded 170,000 170,000

Value Traded 233,755.00 233,755.00

Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 Media/Entertainment Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023

DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals

Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY Printing/Publishing Totals

SERVICES

Published byRoad The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Transportation

ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Daily Summary (Equities) ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

SERVICES Totals

EQTY Board Totals

Quantity Traded 5,000,000

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL PLC. Daily Summary as ofNIGERIA 23/07/2014 Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023 Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Quantity Traded 27,758,930 3,873,464 6,772,853 9,329,867 5,032,917 5,696,827 2,257,218 7,790,378

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 500 15,500 340,000 Page 218,942 4,578,618

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

Current Price 10.00 6.72 16.90 2.04 30.10 3.20 2.32 7.85

7,711,386.20

Current Price 0.50 1.40 4.75 117.27

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

2,427,141.46

1,848,105

No. of Deals 55 12 25 (Equities) 85 29 1

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

No. of Deals 192 83 84 102 258 (Equities) 107 44 138

Symbol UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP Daily Summary CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Value Traded 17,899,130.33 2,200,627.30 353,746,887.04 375,635,865.43

Value Traded 7,711,386.20

No. of Deals 1 3 7 48 266

Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals

Quantity Traded 90,309 82,562 1,986,845 2,344,744

Quantity Traded 1,848,105

Symbol IPWA PAINTCOM PORTPAINT WAPCO

B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals

Current Price

No. of Deals 2

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

Current Price 198.00 28.05 178.20

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials IPWA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

Daily Summary asRESOURCES of 23/07/2014 NATURAL Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023 Chemicals

No. of Deals 34 13 125 176

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol MTI

ICT Totals

Symbol GUINNESS INTBREW NB

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

No. of Deals 71 71

ICT Telecommunications Services MASS TELECOMMUNICATION INNOVATIONS NIGERIA PLC Telecommunications Services Totals

Beverages--Brewers/Distillers GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023 Food Products Totals

Symbol

HEALTHCARE Totals

1Value Traded of 12 499,355,796.22

74,568,758

Symbol COSTAIN

Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Printed 23/07/2014 SKYE14:54:23.023 SHELTER FUND PLC

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals Pharmaceuticals Totals

Activity Summary on Board Daily Summary as of 23/07/2014 Printed 23/07/2014 14:54:23.023

Daily Summary (Equities)

Value Traded of 12 378,976.05 378,976.05

10Value Traded of 12

1,195,301.29 1,195,301.29

ASeM

CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals

Symbol

No. of Deals 5 5

MCNICHOLS Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS

CONSUMER GOODS Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Current Price 1.41

170,000 Page

233,755.00 of 12

ASeM Board Totals

170,000

233,755.00

Equity Activity Totals

4,766

273,484,128

3,076,614,373.12

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 2 3

Current Price 2,050.00 19.37

Quantity Traded 5 10,510 10,515

Value Traded 10,250.00 204,313.70 214,563.70

ETF Board Totals

10,515

214,563.70

ETP Activity Totals

10,515

214,563.70

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

business | FINANCIAL MARKET 43

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

23-Jul-14

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

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

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

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

9.25 4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

100.00 535.00 515.27 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 220.15 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 35.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,479.99

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,577.60

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

***LCRM

Description

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

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

0.18 0.75 2.07 2.76 3.01 3.11 3.85 4.93 5.25 7.52 9.64 14.35 14.83 15.33 16.00 19.99

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

10.63 10.62 10.99 10.98 10.94 10.94 11.00 11.15 11.17 11.91 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 12.25 12.25

9.81 9.89 10.91 10.92 10.81 10.82 10.91 11.08 11.09 11.85 12.11 12.14 12.14 12.13 12.20 12.21

99.70 95.32 103.70 109.55 97.28 95.88 99.03 118.00 83.73 121.85 111.35 118.90 102.06 74.65 84.40 99.25

99.85 95.82 103.85 109.70 97.58 96.18 99.33 118.30 84.03 122.15 111.65 119.20 102.36 74.95 84.70 99.55

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

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

978.35 24.56 3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.27 0.84 1.45 2.38 2.74 2.95

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.72 13.19 12.91 12.90 11.92 11.93

96.91 89.86 105.68 100.43 99.04 96.63

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

0.04 0.23 1.11 0.71 1.23 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44 2.41 4.20 2.61 2.61 2.99 3.06 5.33 3.12 3.74 6.35 6.44 3.92 3.95

1.56 3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

12.01 13.98 14.93 13.88 15.00 14.02 16.51 11.78 12.76 12.70 12.03 11.91 15.69 11.93 11.94 12.20 13.68 12.00 12.50 13.47 12.45 12.96

100.04 99.89 97.57 99.96 99.10 101.83 86.05 103.18 103.34 102.85 106.29 105.72 96.71 106.19 109.04 108.79 102.63 107.91 104.24 106.43 106.04 105.96

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,266.25

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

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

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

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

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

17.00 6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28 80.00 28.37 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds

501.10 513.42

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014

Aa/Agusto

GTB µ NGC

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

Nil

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

BB+/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

*FLOURMILLS

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

NAHCO

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

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

FSDH

A/GCR

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

*C & I LEASING *DANA#

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

*DANA NAHCO

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

07-Oct-11

11.50

11.80

07-Oct-14

0.21

1.00

11.66

99.89

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.41

5.21

15.98

98.98

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.44

8.71

19.49

98.91

17-Aug-10

10.00

5.29

17-Aug-15

0.59

4.88

15.62

96.33

09-Dec-10

12.00

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.90

1.00

11.51

100.80

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.98

2.63

13.09

101.01

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.19

1.00

11.89

102.04

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

2.26

1.34

12.23

103.82

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

3.19

1.00

11.95

102.67

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.73

30-Nov-17

2.00

1.88

12.76

110.10

09-Apr-11

16.00

7.20

09-Apr-18

1.96

3.48

14.34

103.14

09-Sep-11

18.00

3.27

09-Sep-18

2.13

5.20

16.09

103.70

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.90

09-Sep-18

2.13

5.06

15.95

101.87

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

4.17

1.35

12.38

105.11

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.70

18-Oct-18

2.24

2.29

13.18

105.18

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.45

17-Feb-19

2.32

6.11

17.01

100.14

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.44

2.16

13.13

107.72

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

6.31

2.76

14.25

104.01

11-Feb-18

3.56

1.00

11.98

94.96

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

143.81

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

147.40

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

12.00 11.39 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.77

4.63

110.93

111.77

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.00

3.82

104.06

104.76

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.12

5.01

108.89

109.72

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,619.43

Corporate Eurobonds B-/S&P; B/Fitch B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.71

2.96

111.45

112.64

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.88

4.06

104.48

105.94

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

5.99

5.77

100.03

100.87

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.03

6.41

100.59

102.30

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.66

8.24

94.33

95.61

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

4.81

4.19

113.47

114.58

6.25 APR 22, 2019

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

B/S&P; B/Fitch

FIDELITY BANK PLC

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

AFREN PLC

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.39

6.09

99.41

100.66

B/Fitch; B/S&P

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

8.92

8.71

99.31

100.14

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

DIAMOND BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.26

6.56

103.42

105.92

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.47

5.10

104.41

105.89

ZENITH BANK PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,660.00 3,781.28

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

FIXINGS Maturity 31-Jul-14 7-Aug-14 14-Aug-14 21-Aug-14 28-Aug-14 4-Sep-14 11-Sep-14 18-Sep-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.15 10.15 10.20 10.20 10.20 10.15 10.50 10.50

Offer Discount (%) 9.90 9.90 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.90 10.25 10.25

Bid Yield (%) 10.17 10.19 10.26 10.28 10.30 10.27 10.65 10.68

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.5000 12.4034 13.3081 14.2803

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

10.50

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

162.00 162.40 162.66 163.29 164.42 165.69

162.10 162.66 163.00 163.96 165.61 167.32

O/N Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 10.25 12.56

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

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

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

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

14.00 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

business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

REGRESSION

Oil & Gas stocks deplete activities at the Exchange TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds

A+/Agusto; by AA/GCR LAFARGE WAPCO Stories Chris Ugwu Aa/Agusto

K Nil

ey market Bbb-/Agusto NSE ASI A-/Agusto

GTB µ NGC

indices *UPDC - the and market *FLOURMILLS BB+/GCR capitalisation,*CHELLARAMS declined A+/Agusto; A-/GCRby 0.28 NAHCO further per cent as A-/Agusto some oil and gas stocks conFSDH A/GCR to skew downwards. UBA tinued BBB-/GCR & I LEASING Total Nigeria Plc,*CMobil Oil BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *DANA# other Nigeria Plc along with # A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR *TOWER blue chip stocks shed weight, AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER# dragging the market southA/Agusto; A/GCR wards as profit takingUBA deepened. Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

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

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

1.23 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44 2.41 4.20 2.61 2.61 2.99 3.06 5.33 3.12 3.74 6.35 6.44 3.92 3.95

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

NSE records three-day low

15.00 14.02 16.51 11.78 12.76 12.70 12.03 11.91 15.69 11.93 11.94 Thursday, 12.20 13.68 12.00 12.50 13.47 12.45 12.96

99.10 101.83 86.05 103.18 103.34 102.85 106.29 105.72 96.71 106.19 109.04 July 24, 2014 108.79 102.63 107.91 104.24 106.43 106.04 105.96 Sanctity of Truth

501.10

513.42 cent. a total of 273.3 million shares On the activity chart, the worth N3.07 billion in 4,761 Banking sub-sector dominated deals. 07-Oct-11 11.50 11.80 07-Oct-14 0.21 in volume 72.9 mil- 13.17Shares of 18-Dec-14 paint manufactur18-Dec-09terms with 13.50 0.41 lion shares er, and Allied Prod01-Apr-10 worth N744.8 17.00 million 2.00 Chemical 31-Dec-14 0.44 in 1,267 deals. The 10.00 sub-sector ucts, rose by17-Aug-15 90 kobo to close 17-Aug-10 5.29 0.59 at was enhanced by the12.00 activities N41.00 per share 09-Dec-10 13.62 09-Dec-15amid the 0.90re14.00 0.60 06-Jan-16 0.98 in the06-Jan-11 shares of Access Bank Plc lease of its half-year earnings 29-Sep-11 Bank Plc. 13.00 15.00 29-Sep-16 2.19 and Fidelity report, which showed a 20.43 25-Oct-13 services14.25 5.53 cent increase 25-Oct-16in its bottom 2.26 Insurance sub sector per 30-Sep-10 13.00 sector 20.00 Also, Cement 30-Sep-17 Company 3.19 of also of financial services line. 30-Nov-12 18.00 on the 0.73 30-Nov-17 Plc (CCNN) 2.00 boosted by the activities Northern Nigeria 09-Apr-11 16.00 09-Apr-18 1.96 shares of Wapic Insurance Plc 7.20 09-Sep-11 18.00 09-Sep-18 2.13 followed with 30.2 million units 3.27 16.00 09-Sep-18 2.13 worth09-Sep-11 N28.4 million in 142 deals. 0.90 22-Sep-11 14.00 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.17 In 18-Oct-13 all, investors exchanged 15.75 2.70 18-Oct-18 2.24

Most sectored gauges were in the negative except the NSE Insurance Index, in11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCTwhich 2014 creased by 1.08 per cent. 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 At NGC the31-DEC-2014 close of trading, 29 17.00 stocks appreciated, 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 while 36 oth12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 ers constituted the losers’ table. 14.00 06-JAN-2016 TheCHELLARAMS twin market indicators, 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 the All-Share Index decline by 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 120.62 points or 0.28 per cent 13.00 42,664.95 UBA 30-SEP-2017 from the previous day, C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 to18.00 close at 42,544.33, while the MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 market capitalisation decreased MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 byMPR+5.25 N39 TOWER billion from N14,087 9-SEP-2018 trillion to N14,048 trillion, rep14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 resenting a decline of 0.28 per 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

trailled with 63 kobo to close at N13.27, while brewers of alcoholic beverages, Guinness Nige1.00 11.66 99.89 ria5.21 advanced 15.98 by 50 kobo to close 98.98 at N198.00 per19.49 share. 98.91 8.71 On the flip 15.62 side, refined petro4.88 96.33 leum marketers, Total 1.00 products 11.51 100.80 2.63 13.09 101.01lost Nigeria and Mobil Nigeria, 1.00 and N8.94 11.89to close102.04 N9.77 respec1.34, at N185.73 12.23and N169.90 103.82 per tively 1.00 Skyeshelter 11.95 102.67 to share. shed N5.00 1.88 N95.00. 12.76 110.10 close 3.48

14.34

103.14

5.20

16.09

103.70

5.06

15.95

101.87

1.35

12.38

105.11

2.29

13.18

105.18

Zenith’s half-year pre-tax Africa Prudential records 35% growth in Q2 profit profit rises 7% to N57.8bn BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# *DANA NAHCO

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

frica Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc has posted a 35 per cent leap in its post tax profit Supranational Bond for the half-year ended June 30, AAA/S&P IFC 2014. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE According to a notice to TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the company’s net earnRating/Agency Issuer ings grew to N482.6 billion, up 35FGN perEurobonds cent from N312.2 billion in the same period of 2013. Pre-tax profit grew 24 per BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P cent to N613.6 billion from BB-/Fitch; FGN N463.7 BB-/S&Pbillion in the corresponding period of 2013. BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P Revenue also increased to TOTAL billion OUTSTANDING VALUE with N914.6 compared N667.4 TOTALbillion. MARKET CAPITALISATION The company paid a dividend ofCorporate N700 million to its shareholdEurobonds ers for the year endedAFREN December B-/S&P; B/Fitch PLC I 31, 2013, which translates to 35 GTBANK PLC I B+/S&P; B+/Fitch kobo per share. GTBANK PLC Africa Prudential had said B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC that it would embark on inteB/S&P; B/Fitch FIDELITY BANK PLC gration and expansion to leverB/Fitch AFREN PLC age on BB-/S&P other opportunities for B+/Fitch; ZENITH BANK PLC growth. B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC The managing director APR, B/S&P; B-/Fitch FIRST BANK PLC TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

AFREN PLC

Mr. Peter Ashade, speaking at the company’s fact behind the figure on the floor of the Exchange (NSE), recently 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018said the company has strategic plans to explore other opportunities for both organic and inorganic growth of the business. These initiatives Description he explained, will grow the aggregate shareholders base across the APR client companies to over 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 4 million by 2015. He explained that the compa5.13technology JUL 12, 2018 , businy will invest in ness continuity plan and branch 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 network in 2014. Ashade attributed their growth in profitability to a threeyear strategic plan, which was embarked upon in 2013. He said that the has 11.50 FEBcompany 01, 2016 just executed7.50 a MAY year 19, out 2016 of the three-year strategic plan, 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 which has boosted the earn7.25company’s JUL 25, 2017 ings. 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 “By the end of APR the08,three 10.25 2019 years strategic plan6.25 inAPR 2015, APR will 22, 2019 not just be benchmarking with 8.75 May 21, 2019 Nigeria companies but 8.25 AUG 07, 2020with in-

17.00

0.45

17-Feb-19

2.32

6.11

17.01

100.14

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.44

2.16

13.13

107.72

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

6.31

2.76

14.25

104.01

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.10

104.41

105.89

enith Bank Plc has posted a 143.81

ternational companies in its secprofit before tax of N57.85 147.40 tor”, he said. billion for the six months Analysing the performance ended June 30, 2014. This indian increase cent for 2013, he said that the com- cates 11-Feb-13 10.20 12.00 11-Feb-18 of 7 per3.56 pany achieved a strong revenue compared with N54.08 billion 12.00 growth with an increase of 35 per for the corresponding period cent to N1.49 billion, from N1.03 11.39 last year. This billion in 2012. Outstanding Value was contained in a filIssueprofit Date Date Bid Yield (%) The afterCoupon tax (%) for the (N'bn) ing with theMaturity Nigerian Stock Experiod went up to N759 million, change (NSE) yesterday. from N562 million in 2012. OperProfit after tax for the period ating income by 586 per 500.00 under review, according to 07-Oct-11 also grew 6.75 28-Jan-21 4.77the cent, which was driven by better bank’s unaudited half-year re12-Jul-13 12-Jul-18 pricing in investment5.13 securities. 500.00 sult, was N47.45 billion, up4.00 by 4 He12-Jul-13 added that APR was the per cent from N45.42 billion for 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 5.12 first outfit in its niche to adopt the same period in 2013. e-stock software application in 1,500.00 Details of the results showed Nigeria. This he said, has helped 1,619.43 significant improvements, with to grow clientele base from 20 gross earnings also up by 7.8 companies at the end of 2006, to per cent from N171.02 billion to 46 companies in 2014.11.50 N184.43 billion. 01-Feb-11 450.00 01-Feb-16 3.71 He19-May-11 stated: “Currently there 500.00Assets also grew by 15.24.88per 7.50 19-May-16 are 197 companies listed on the 400.00 cent from N2.78 trillion to N3.20 08-Nov-13 6.00 08-Nov-18 5.99 NSE of which 27 representing trillion, while shareholders’ 25-Jul-12 7.25 350.00 25-Jul-17 7.03 14 per09-May-13 cent are managed fund rose by02-May-18 7.43 per cent, 8.66 from 6.88 by APR 300.00 in addition N458.31 billion to 492.38 billion. 08-Apr-12 to 19 others, 10.25 which 300.00 08-Apr-19 4.81 are not listed on NSE, The bank,22-Apr-19 with networks6.39 that 22-Apr-14 6.25making 500.00 a total of 46 client companies includes subsidiaries in the8.92 UK, 21-May-14 8.75 200.00 21-May-19 managed by the company Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Le07-Aug-13 8.25 .” 300.00 07-Aug-20 7.26

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

17-Feb-12

09-Dec-13

6.63

5.47

one and Liberia, currently has a shareholders’ base of about one million. Aside listing $850 million worth on the 1.00 of its shares 11.98 94.96London Stock Exchange (LSE) via a technical Global Depository Receipt (GDR) programme, the bank last April recorded Offer (%) Bid Price Offer Price anYield over-subscription of about 200 per cent in its $500million Prices & Yields Eurobond issue under a $1billion Term Note 4.63Global Medium 110.93 111.77 (GMTN) programme announced 104.06 104.76 on3.82 1 April 2014. Zenith Bank had posted a 108.89 5.01 109.72 marginal growth of 0.1 per cent in its first quarter profit before tax for the period ended March 31, 2014. Profit before tax was N28.919 billion compared N28.877 2.96 111.45 with 112.64 billion in the same period105.94 of 2013. 4.06 104.48 Similarly , profit after tax in5.77 100.03 100.87 creased marginally by102.30 1.1 per 6.41 100.59 cent from N23.408 billion to 8.24 94.33 95.61 N23.677 billion. 4.19 113.47 114.58 Gross earnings climbed 8.4 6.09 99.41 100.66 per8.71cent from99.31 N86.977 billion to 100.14 N94.324 billion. 6.56 103.42 105.92

3,660.00 3,781.28

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

23-Jul-14

**Treasury the FMDQ Bills OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) 8 31-Jul-14 10.15 15 7-Aug-14 10.15 FGN Bonds22 14-Aug-14 10.20 29 21-Aug-14 10.20 Issuer Description Rating/Agency 36 28-Aug-14 10.20 43 4-Sep-14 10.15 9.25 28-SEP-2014 50 11-Sep-14 10.50 57 18-Sep-14 10.50 4.00 23-APR-2015 64 25-Sep-14 10.50 13.05 16-AUG-2016 71 2-Oct-14 10.50 15.10 27-APR-2017 78 9-Oct-14 10.25 9.85 27-JUL-2017 85 16-Oct-14 10.45 9.35 31-AUG-2017 92 23-Oct-14 10.30 10.70 30-MAY-2018 99 30-Oct-14 10.50 16.00 29-JUN-2019 NA NA 106 6-Nov-14 10.40 7.00 23-OCT-2019 113 13-Nov-14 10.50 16.39 27-JAN-2022 120 20-Nov-14 10.15 14.20 14-MAR-2024 134 4-Dec-14 10.10 15.00 28-NOV-2028 169 8-Jan-15 9.95 12.49 22-MAY-2029 183 22-Jan-15 10.25 8.50 20-NOV-2029 197 5-Feb-15 10.20 10.00 23-JUL-2030 211 19-Feb-15 10.30 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 225 5-Mar-15 10.15 260 9.90 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE9-Apr-15 274 23-Apr-15 10.05 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION 288 7-May-15 9.70 *from the Amortising bonds, #the average life is calculated Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

Rating/Agency **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

***LCRM Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

<3 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3<5 >5 KWARA Market NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE

FIXINGS

Offer Discount (%) 9.90 9.90 9.95 9.95 Issue 9.95Date 9.90 28-Sep-07 10.25 10.25 23-Apr-10 10.25 16-Aug-13 10.25 27-Apr-12 10.00 27-Jul-07 10.20 31-Aug-07 10.05 30-May-08 10.25 29-Jun-12 10.15 23-Oct-09 10.25 27-Jan-12 9.90 14-Mar-14 9.85 28-Nov-08 9.70 22-May-09 10.00 20-Nov-09 9.95 23-Jul-10 10.05 18-Jul-14 9.90 9.65 9.80 9.45

Description

14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019

Tenor Rate (%) O/N 10.5000 1M 12.4034 Outstanding Value Maturity 3M 13.3081Date (N'bn) 6M 14.2803 100.00 28-Sep-14 535.00 23-Apr-15 515.27 16-Aug-16 NITTY 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 10.2862 100.00 31-Aug-17 2M 10.6660 300.00 30-May-18 3M 10.6938 351.30 29-Jun-19 6M 10.7514 233.90 23-Oct-19 9M 10.8075 600.00 27-Jan-22 12M 10.9484 220.15 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 NIFEX 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 Current Price ($/N) 18-Jul-34 BID($/N) 35.00 161.8075 OFFER4,479.99 ($/N)

10.65 10.87 10.50

968.07 951.30 811.72 2,731.09

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

161.9075

4,577.60 Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

0.00

978.35

0.00 BOND INDEX 24.56 FMDQ FGN

35.45 34.83 29.72 05-Aug-09 100.00 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12

Money Market

NIBOR

Bonds

Issue Date

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

1,030.38 1,145.63 744.42 14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 2,920.43

Bid Yield (%) 10.17 10.19 10.26 10.28 Coupon 10.30 (%) 10.27 9.25 10.65 10.68 4.00 10.70 13.05 10.72 15.10 10.48 9.85 10.71 9.35 10.57 10.70 10.81 16.00 10.72 7.00 10.85 16.39 10.50 14.20 10.49 15.00 10.43 12.49 10.81 8.50 10.79 10.00 10.95 12.1493 10.83

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

35.28 39.23 25.49 14.00 100.00 14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50

3.30 112.22 116.70 Bucket 66.49 Weighting

1,301.62 0.35 1,266.25

0.35 0.30 17.00 1.00 6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Spot 7D Yield REPO Bid Yield (%) Offer TTM (Yrs) 14D (%) Tenor Rate (%) 1M 0.18 10.63 9.81 Call 10.25 2M 1M 12.56 3M 0.75 10.62 9.89 3M 13.11 6M 2.07 10.99 10.91 6M 13.89 1Y 2.76 10.98 10.92 3.01 10.94 10.81 3.11 10.94 10.82 NOTE: 3.85 11.00 10.91 :Benchmarks 4.93 11.15 11.08 * :Amortising 5.25Bond 11.17 11.09 µ :Convertible Bond 7.52 11.91 11.85 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 9.64 12.16 12.11 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 14.35 12.17 12.14 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 14.83 12.18 12.14 IFC: International Finance Corporation 15.33 12.19 Management 12.13 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables 16.00 Aviation Handling 12.25 Company 12.20 NAHCO: Nigerian 19.99 12.25 12.21 O/N: Overnight O/N

10.50

UPDC: UAC Property Development Company WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

Maturity Date

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

17.00 34.68 48.32 05-Aug-14 100.00 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

0.27 0.84 1.45 2.38 2.74 2.95 Implied Yield

10.98 11.67 12.22 0.04 11.82 0.23 1.11 0.71 1.23 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44 2.41 4.20 2.61 2.61 2.99 3.06

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

118.3151 134.2095 100.5127 1.56 118.5603 3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Price

162.00 162.10 162.40 162.66 Offer Price Bid Price 162.66 163.00 163.29 163.96 99.70 99.85 164.42 165.61 165.69 167.32 95.32 95.82 169.34 172.94 103.70 103.85 177.12 184.11 109.55 109.70 97.28 97.58 95.88 96.18 99.03 99.33 NA :Not118.00 Applicable 118.30 # :Floating Rate Bond 83.73 84.03 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 121.85 122.15 111.35 111.65 †: Bond rating expired 118.90 119.20 102.06 102.36 74.65 74.95 84.40 84.70 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 99.25Bank for Africa 99.55 UBA: United

Valuation Yield (%) 11.72 13.19 12.91 12.90 11.92 11.93 INDEX

1,123.75 1,136.43 1,172.56 12.01 1,126.20 13.98 14.93 13.88 15.00 14.02 16.51 11.78 12.76 12.70 12.03 11.91 15.69 11.93 11.94

Indicative Price 96.91 89.86 105.68 100.43 99.04 YTD Return 96.63 (%)

12.3752 13.6435 17.2562 100.04 12.6197 99.89 97.57 99.96 99.10 101.83 86.05 103.18 103.34 102.85 106.29 105.72 96.71 106.19 109.04

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

DADDY'S SHOES Kano lobbyists think Abba Risqa Mohammed has the Murtala charm Muhammad Kabir

KANO

powerful lobby group in Kano State under the auspices of ‘Kano Good Governance Project,’ has commenced moves to lure the son of the late Head of State, Murtala Moham-

14.1m

Lobby group wants Murtala’s son as governor med; Abba, to contest the governorship seat in the state. The group said the move is to reciprocate the good gesture of his father, who was head of state of Nigeria between 1975 and 1976. The lobby group at a press conference in Kano, said it is a known fact that the late Murtala Mohammed was the brain behind the development of modern day Nigeria.

The total number of air travel passengers of Nigeria in 2012. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

Members of the Kano Good Governance Project insisted that as the only surviving son of the late head of state, they find it desirous and needful to approach Abba Murtala Mohammed with the sincere proposal to come forward and serve the people of Kano. The group said they believe that he would bring to bear on the governance of the state, the inborn and noble

29m

The total population of Venezuela (representing 0.4% of world’s population) in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

leadership qualities bequeathed to him by his father. They disabused the minds of the people that they are not out to capitalise on the heroic posture of Abba’s father to convince him to contest the Kano governorship seat, saying that they were at home with the many important things done by Abba himself that qualified him for the position. Leader of the group,

19.2%

The percentage of households with internet access at home in Arab States in 2009. Source: Itu.int

Shehu Usman Umar, said it is on record that Abba contested for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2003 and 2007; that though he failed on each of the occasions, he has remained close to his constituency, Kano, and has participated fully in political, religious and even communal activities. Umar also hinted that Abba is into serious business and has

Bayelsa community issues 30-day ultimatum to Shell Chris Ejim

YENAGOA

L-R: Head, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standard Department, Mr. Vincent Udoye; Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, Captain Bala Agaba and Director, Shipping Development, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh, at a press conference in Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Community petitions Minister, Aregbesola over N80m project Mojeed Alabi eople of Ilobu community, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State have petitioned the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, seeking clarification over what they described as the continued budgetary allocation to a project that is non-existent in the community. In the petition written by counsel to the Ilobu Development Union (IDU), the umbrella body of all indigenes of the community, Mr. Lekan Oladapo, said all efforts put in place by stakeholders, including a non-governmental organisation, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiatives, to identify the location of the project and those handling it, have proved abortive. According to the Abujabased legal counsel, the proj-

ect, tagged; Aquaculture Entrepreneurship Development Centre, has gulped N80 million as revealed by the 2012 and 2013 budget of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, with N50 million budgeted in 2012 and N30 million in 2013, which he said was tagged; “Money for ongoing aquaculture entrepreneurship development project in Ilobu.” Oladapo, who claimed that the community has suffered from total neglect from government at all levels, said the many years of neglect has culminated into social and economic disorder in the environment, particularly among the youths. Oladapo wrote: “However, sometimes in 2011, your administration, through a subunit in your ministry made a provision for the implementation of Aquaculture Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Ilobu.

Jos North council workers lock up chairman Buhari Bello

Jos

ngry Jos North Local Government council workers yesterday locked up the interim Chairman of the council, Hon. Danjuma Sanda, in continuation of their protest over the non-payment of their outstanding salaries, arrears and other entitlements. The protesting workers, had, on Monday, blocked all access roads and gates to the council secretariat, in an attempt to stop the council chairman and other senior staff of the council from gaining access to their offices. It was also gathered from one of the workers, who did not want his name in print, that they decided to lock up the chairman to express

their dissatisfaction over the non-payment of the salaries and other entitlements. “We peacefully demonstrated seeking for our benefits, the NULGE officials calmed us down. Today we are told that our payment will commence next week. “Now, we are saying no, why not pay us this week, since the money is there,” the source said. However, NULGE Chairman for the council, Comrade Yakubu Dung Malam, said the chairman was not locked in his office, ‘but that the gate was actually locked.’ Malam said on Monday, NULGE officials were in the House of Assembly with the council chairman, where the House agreed to approve the budget for the council.

personally employed not less than 500 people both in Kano and Lagos, contributing to the economy of not only Kano, but the country as a whole. “Again, like his father, Abba is only being invited by the people to lead the Kano government, because of the confidence they have in him, being the most suitable to give the state the dynamic, purposeful and efficient leadership it requires,” Umar added.

isturbed by the failure of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to honour the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) reached with the community, the people of Nembe community in Bayelsa State have issued a 30-day ultimatum to do the needful on the matter or be ready to face the wrath of the people. The community has threatened to shut down SPDC operations, if after 30 days; nothing is done to redress the situation. Chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee in Nembe, Chief Nengi James, who issued the ultimatum yesterday in Yenagoa on behalf of the community during an enlarged meeting with officials of the SPDC, said if the company fails to honour the GMoU reached with the community as stated in the memorandum, they would be left with no option than to shut down their facilities. Other stakeholders at the meeting include the Alternate Chairman of the Nembe Chiefs’ Coun-

cil, Solomon Ockiya; and Chairman of Nembe City Development Foundation and the former Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede. They described as unfortunate, the failure of the multinational company to fund the GMoU after its expiration last year. According Chief James; “As a community, we are giving SPDC 30 days to pay the GMoU fund that has accrued to the community since last year or face immediate shut down of all its facilities. “They should stop using divestment as a deliberate ploy to deny us our privileges while they are still exploring oil within the shores of our communities, we cannot be deceived,” he said. Other demands by the community include the provision of potable water and electricity generating plant for Nembe Creek communities and settlements pending the completion of the Independent Power Plant being installed by the SPDC for the entire kingdom, and the total mop up of oil spill sites and environmental remediation.

Reaction trails scrapping of Nyako’s empowerment programmes Ibrahim Abdul

Yola

he scrapping of the SpeTgrammes cial Projects and ProUnit (SPPU),

said to be the hub of Adamawa State government’s empowerment programme by the Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has continued to attract condemnation across the state. The unit, which was scrapped last week by the acting governor shortly after he was sworn in, was made up of the Local Apprenticeship Scheme (LAS), Farm Skills Acquisition Centres (FSAC) and the Technical Training Service (TTS). A cross section of people, who spoke on the issue yesterday, said whoever advised the acting

governor to scrap the unit had advised him wrongly. “At this point when unemployment is a burning issue, how can a government scrap a unit saddled with the responsibility of creating jobs and other empowerment ventures? “Take the LAS unit for instance, which has workshops or master trainers in most communities in the 21 local government areas, trains youths in selected marketable trades for gainful employment, how can you stop such a programme and expect applause from the people? “Whoever misled the acting governor to take this action is not fair to him or the people of the state,” Aisha Abubakar Bello, a seamstress who benefitted from the programme said.

46 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Egbema killings: Casualty figure hits 21 ...Okorocha sets up joint taskforce Steve Uzoechi

OWERRI

he P re s i d e n t General of Obiakpu Community in Ohaji Egbema Local Government, Prince Ogwumaru Joseph has declared that cultism has become a festering problem in the town community. He informed that the cult war between two rival groups; “Dey-Gbam and Dey-Well” has led to heightened insecurity, sporadic shootings of automatic weapons and selective killings by the cultists. According to him, about 21 youths have been killed in the cult war, while the communities

now live in fear and sleepless nights. He called for government’s quick intervention. The Traditional Ruler of Mmahu, Eze Augustine Iwueke, also revealed that the warring cult members live and operate from the bush and have threatened to kill many more people. According to him, the communities worst hit by the clash are Obiakpo and Abacheke while neighbouring communities are also living in fear. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Egbema, Enihe Paul disclosed that about 12 suspected cult members are already in police net while he requested for

The life expectancy of women at age 60 years in Ethiopia in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org

Sola Adeyemo

government’s assistance. Meanwhile, Governor Rochas Okorocha has directed the immediate set-up of Anti Cult Task Force in the state. Okorocha disclosed this yesterday in the meeting with the people of Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area at the Government House Owerri. The governor, who stated that the Task Force will comprise the Army, Police, State Security Service (SSS) and the Imo Security Network, regretted the spate of killings by suspected cult groups in the area and therefore directed the Task Force to shoot on sight any cult member and take neces-

The percentage of landslide and avalanche disaster of world’s water-related natural disaster between 1990 and 2001. Source: Unesco.org

Balogun warns Ibadan aspirants against undemocratic practice

sary steps to immediately dislodge them. The State Chief Executive, who directed immediate deployment of eighteen men of Imo Security Network to the troubled area, approved the release of Hilux vans for the police, 40 motorcycles for the local vigilante as well as other logistics to ensure smooth operation for the taskforce. Okorocha further urged the affected communities to give the task force the necessary cooperation they need, pointing out that they should divulge all necessary information to the police to ensure speedy restoration of peace and order in the community.

45,000

The total number of internet users in Mauritania in 2007. Source: Blatantworld.com

Ibadan

ROMINENT Peoples P(PDP) Democratic Party chieftain in Oyo

State, Senator Lekan Balogun, yesterday admonished the party's governorship aspirants from Ibadan extraction, who on Sunday called for an Ibadan man to be its flag bearer, not to jeopardize the political fortune of the party in the 2015 election. The Ibadan aspirants met at the residence of former Special Duties Minister, Elder Wole Oyelese and resolved that the party should present an Ibadan indigene as its present candidate. This has however been kicked against by the Ibadan PDP Forum on Monday. Senator Balogun, the Osi Balogun of Olubadan, said yesterday that it was not only Ibadan people that are in the party, but that its membership cuts across the five geo-political zones in the state. Lending credence to Balogun's admonition, a National Assembly aspirant, Hassan Olawale Giwa (an architect),

who is aspiring for the Lagelu/ Akinyele federal constituency, said PDP remained the only reliable party for the people of the state, saying that APC had disappointed so many people in the state. While receiving about 1,500 defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress and Accord Party into the PDP at Ejioku in Lagelu Local Government area of the state yesterday, Balogun stressed that the call by the Ibadan gubernatorial aspirants was not democratic as PDP governorship candidate could come from any part of the state. Balogun condemned the APC, saying most of its policies were detrimental to the well-being and comfort of the masses, stressing that "seven out of ten contracts awarded in Oyo State were given to Lagos. This, however, negated what Governor Abiola Ajimobi said earlier that more than 80 per cent of the contracts awarded in the state were given to indigenes of the state, but that some of them were selling the contracts to outsiders.

Immigration arrests human trafficking kingpin in Katsina Ahmed Sani Mohammed KATSINA

Nigeria ImmigraTsinahe tion Service, NIS, KatState command, has

L-R: Wife of the author, Adenike Oyeyemi; Author "Kill or Get Killed" Mr. Kolawole Oyeyemi; former President, Nigerian Institute of Marketing (NIMN), Chief Lugard Aimiewu and Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Micheal Ikpoki, at the official unveiling of the book in Lagos

Kwara PDP hails Jonathan over Suleiman's posting Biodun Oyeleye

Ilorin

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State yesterday described the appointment of Dr. Abubakar Suleiman as Minister for National Planning as the fulfilment of the first phase of President Goodluck Jonathan's promise to the state. The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye, asked the president to also stand with them in fulfilling the second part of his promise, which is the expected electoral victory for the

PDP in the next election. The party also commended the president for the office he gave Suleiman, saying it was reflective of the high regard the president has for Kwarans by giving many of them sensitive appointments in the recent time. Text of the statement reads: "The Ministry of National Planning, for which Dr. Suleiman has been graciously assigned by Mr. President, is no doubt the heartbeat of Nigerian growth and development. And it is by every means the engine room of the President’s much coveted Transformation Agenda.

"The Ministry of National Planning spearheads the development of macroeconomic framework for short, medium & long term development plans of the country. It is responsible for maintaining surveillance on the economy. From the statutory mandate of the ministry, it is crystal clear that none of the other federal and even state MDAs would be able to function properly or develop results-focused templates without the active consultation of the National Planning ministry. "By this appointment therefore, the President has fulfilled a major part of the promise he made

to the good people of Kwara State to make our dear state first among equals; he has proven beyond doubt that Kwara indigenes would not play second fiddle in his cabinet again. "The other half of the promise, which is germane and even dearer to the people, is his avowed commitment to lift Kwara out of the hands of the APC. Kwara people fervently await this! Together with the President, Kwarans are ready to use the instruments of democracy and the rule of law, to flush out the present APC administration in Kwara State, Olawoye said.

arrested an alleged human trafficking kingpin, Muntari Hamidu, 30. Hamidu, an indegene of Katsina State, who hails from Kongolam, in Maiadua council area, was arrested while trying to traffic five people, who are of Edo state origin. Speaking while parading Hamidu and his five victims yesterday, the state's Comptroller of Immigration, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbumuo, said the suspect had been on the Immigration wanted list for some time.

Ogbumuo said his arrest was as result of combined effort of both patrol officials and Nigerien police, and that he was arrested at Maimujiya, a border town between Katsina and Niger Republic. The five victims include, two fashion designers, Joy Osifo, 22, Gift Osagwe, 23, Jerry Igiewe, 25, an aluminum maker; Faith Idemude, 21, wedding event planner; and Esosa Atiba, 23, a cobbler. He said the suspect and the five victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, NAPTIP, for further necessary action.

FG declares Monday, Tuesday as public holidays Johnchuks Onuanyim

Abuja

Federal Government TandhehasTuesday declared Monday next week as

public holidays to mark this year's Eid-el-fitri celebration. A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Minister for Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, on behalf of the Federal Government enjoined all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to extend

the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which he said are love, peace, justice to their daily living and through this contribute to the development of Nigeria. The Minister also appealed to all Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the holidays to reflect on the imperative of peace in nation building. Moro wished all Nigerians most rewarding and peaceful celebration of Eid-el-fitri.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Community applauds demolition of kidnappers home Igbeaku Orji

UMUAHIA

people of Umuariaga, TcalheUmudike in Ikwuano LoGovernment Area in Abia State have applauded the demolition of the building belonging to one Ogbuonye Ogbonna for kidnapping activities. Ogbonna was said to be the owner of the kidnappers’ hideout, which was raided by security operatives. It was there that the Abia State chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chief Sony Nwakodo was said to be rescued during a shootout in which

three of the kidnappers died. Some of the residents of Umuariaga, who spoke on condition of anonymity during the demolition exercise applauded the state government for embarking on the demolition exercise. They said they had been living in fear because of the activities of some suspected kidnappers operating in the area. It will be recalled that not long ago, a hotel belonging to another kidnapper at Afaraukwu in Umuahia North LGA of the state was demolished by the state government in its bid to flush out kidnappers from the state.

Navy arrests 20 for drug trafficking in Onitsha Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan (right), exchanging pleasantries with traditional rulers at a prayer session for the release of the Chibok girls at the 100th day of their been in captivity in Warri…yesterday

Jega supports use of military in elections Onyekachi Eze

ABUJA

he Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday defended the use of military personnel in the conduct of elections in Nigeria, saying they provide security to officials of the commission and the voters. The All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently approached the court, seeking an order restraining the Federal Government from deploying military personnel for the conduct of governorship election in Osun next month. Jega who spoke at an interactive session with news managers in Abuja, disagreed with people who said the deployment of soldiers in Ekiti State during the June 21

governorship amount to militarisation. According to him, while he was adverse to military rule in the country, he was in support of the role the military has played so far in ensuring that voters are encouraged to come out and vote, and accused some politicians of creating excuses to undermine the electoral process. "People raised the issue of militarisation in Ekiti State. By the strict definition of militarisation, I am a student of politics and military rules. I have even published papers on militarisation. So, I know the definition. So, there is no way anybody can conceivably define what happened in Ekiti as militarisation of electoral process. The electoral process in Ekiti Election was not militarised. Yes, there was heavy secu-

rity presence but I don't think it can be conceived as militarisation", Jega added. He advised on careful use of words, noting that the concern of people was that there should not be overbearing presence of military on election day. "The military performs what we describe as peripheral outer cordon. It is the mobile police that handles internal movement in terms of movements in the towns but away from polling unit. And it is unarmed policemen that you have on an average of three per polling units, and that is exactly what happened in Ekiti", the INEC Chairman explained. He assured all preparations have been made to ensure a free, free and credible election the August 9 Osun governorship election,

noting that the commission has taken note of the peculiarities of the state, which he said is more populated than Ekiti state. According to him, while Ekiti has 16 local government areas with voter population of about 700,000 Osun which has 34 local government areas, has a voter population of about 1.4 million. The INEC Chairman described as painful for the commission, the removal of the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) for Osun State, Ambassador Rufus Akuje, despite of the none availability of evidence to support allegations that he was partisan. Jega further assured the determination of the commission to conduct elections in all parts of the country, including the three states where there is state of emergency.

At 85, NUJ celebrates Jakande with book launch Elijah Samuel n recognition of his lofty achievements and ideals in public service, a book: “Jakande: Fountain Of Excellence” was launched by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lagos yesterday. The event was organized to coincide with the 85th birthday celebration of Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the former first civilian governor in Lagos state. The occasion, which was used to celebrate a doyen of Nigerian journalism, had notable guests who took turns in reeling out the ideals and

achievements of Jakande, who was adjudged to have put up excellent service during his public service years, both in the state and Nigeria as a whole. Notable among the guests who graced the occasion were Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly; Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Ogun State Governor; Lateef Aderemi Ibirogba, Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, who represented Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola; Alhaji Yussuf Olaniyonu, Ogun State Commissioner for Information, who represented Gov. Ibikunle

Amosun; NUJ National President’s representative, Comrade Dele Atunbi and Mr Gbile Oshadipe, an NIJ lecturer, who is the book reviewer. Osoba, who chaired the event, extolled the virtues of Jakande, who is notable for landmark achievements in the development of journalism in Nigeria. He said: “the contributions of His Excellency, Alhaji Lateef Jakande in Lagos as a governor and in the development of journalism in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized”. Ikuforiji pointed out the lasting legacies of the quintessential former governor.

“In just four years and three months that he served as the governor, his achievements still stand tall to be defeated by any governor in the state. His achievements in that short period were spread in all areas: see the roads, the schools and the many housing scheme established in many areas of Lagos State,” Ikuforiji stated. However, the NUJ Chairman in Lagos State, Comrade Deji Elumoye said the book project which commenced about two years was used to celebrate a man who has made landmark contributions in the development of journalism in Nigeria.

Onah. o .Onah. he Nigerian Navy Tuesday arrested 20 hard drugs peddlers in Nsugbe near Onitsha in Anambra following a tip-off. Briefing newsmen after the operation, the Commanding Officer of Navy Out-Post, Onitsha, Navy Capt. Mike Oamen, said that it was only through fighting hard drug peddlers that the war against criminals and their syndicates could be won. Oamen noted that those arrested were selling and smuggling bags of hard drugs, such as cannabis and other body/brain stimulants in the community.

He said that the navy had assured the Governor of the State, Chief Willie Obiano, that Onitsha and its environs would be a haven and breeding ground for criminals and people with evil intentions. “So what we have done is to make sure that we begin to deal with the root causes of criminality. “So after exhaustive discussion especially at the Security Council meeting, we decided that we begin to look at how to reduce to the barest minimum, the availability of illegal drugs in Onitsha, Obosi; and environs, so that it would also have an impact on the level of crime and criminality within the state.

‘Our position on tobacco Bill will bring sanity' Mojeed Alabi takeholders in the nation’s tobacco industry, including the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA; Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, IPPA; Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth, ERA; the British American Tobacco Nigeria, BATN among others, have expressed their positions on the National Tobacco Control Bill currently before the National Assembly. They also declared their support for the parliamentarians on the subject.

They stated their position during the recently conducted public hearing, where they insisted that the passage of a balanced and evidence-based bill for the industry was not only necessary but timely too. NACCIMA, which was represented by it National Vice-President, Mr. Dele Sotuba, said the bill will go a long way in sanitising the industry and counselled that the house should ensure enacting a producer-user friendly legislation that will drastically reduce the negative effects and maximise the positive effects of tobacco production and smoking in Nigeria.

Foundation donates 75 wheel chairs in Taraba Sabiu Mustapha

JALINGO

he DSK Foundation in TFoundation collaboration with Grace USA, yesterday flagged off the distribution of about 75 wheel chairs to persons living with disabilities in Taraba State. Chief David Sabo Kente, Founder of the DSK Foundation, said the donation was meant to provide suc-

cour to the pl disable persons across the three zones of the state namely, South, North and Central. Kente, who is eyeing the number one seat in Taraba State, come 2015, also used the occasion to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to as a matter of urgency, sign into law, the bill seeking protection for disable persons passed by the Senate since March 2014.

48 NEWS

osun 2014

Speaker: APC victory will shock opposition optimism

Aregbesola's men are so sure of victory Stories by Adeolu Adeyemo, Osogbo

peaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Nojeem Salaam has expressed optimism that the All Progressive Congress (APC) will be victorious in the August 9th governorship election, adding that the victory would shock the opposi-

271,992

tion. Hon. Salaam who made the assertion at a Mega rally of the party held in Ejigbo, his country home, charged party's supporters not to be intimidated by the antics of the opposition which he said would not last. He said the acceptability and achievements of the party in all the nook and cranny of the state are enough to campaign for the re- election of Aregbesola into office, saying with these and many others, their victory at the poll will beat the imagination of their political detractors.

The number of air travel passengers of Owerri airport (international wing) in 2013. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

The Speaker further maintained that "all roads have been blocked against the opposition and all their tricks have failed to deceive the people with contaminated rice and kerosene". He added that, "there is no way for the PDP to rig the coming election in the state as Osun is not like Ekiti." Hon. Salaam who pointed out that the party has taken so many steps to see that rigging is discouraged in the forthcoming election, charged the electorate especially the party supporters not to entertain

1.46

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Angola in 2012. Source: Itu.int

fear but troop out to perform their civil right in a lawful manner. The lawmaker also assured that they will do their best as a party to see that the coming election is not influenced nor characterized by fraud. “We will try to checkmate the antidemocratic moves of the so-called desperate politicians from the opposition party in a lawful way", he declared. The speaker however appealed to the people to cast their votes for the APC and assured that the party would not let them down if re-elected.

990

The number of refugee/people in refugee-like situation in Burkina Faso in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

PDP plans to rig, says Adebiyi  Their days are numbered – PDP

sun state chapter of the Ogress All Progressives Con(APC) yesterday

accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of planning to perpetrate electoral fraud in the August 9th governorship election. The APC, in a press conference by its Chairman, Elder Lowo Adebiyi, also included the names of Ministers of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Oobanikoro and Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan as accomplices in the act. Elder Adebiyi however called on President Goodluck Jonathan to warn them to desist from the act, which he described as undemocratic. He vowed to resist the move at all cost. APC chairman vowed to work against diabolical and conspiratorial means of the PDP to wrestle power from the

NOA charges politicians to be tolerant arely four weeks to the "I charge you all to Bnorship conduct of the gover- imbibe the spirit of tolelection in Osun erance to ensure contin-

State, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, (NOA,) Mr. Mike Omeri yesterday charged all political stakeholders to distance themselves from uncivilized attitudes that could disturb the electoral process. The Director General who made the charge in an interactive session organised by the NOA in Osogbo with the stakeholders, said politics with bitterness would not advance democracy but get it retarded. He however appealed to them to play their politics with oneness, unity and tolerance in the interL-R: Managing Director, FCMB Group Plc, Mr. Peter Obaseki; President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs. est of the state. ‘Debola Osibogun; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Ladi Balogun and Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu, during a courtesy visit by CIBN’s new executives to the bank in Lagos…yesterday

Akinwusi pledges all inclusive government

he flagbearer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Osun State, Mr. Olusegun Akinwusi yesterday promised that if elected as the governor of the state, he will form an all-inclusive government where professionals would be put in charge of ministries and parastatals. He added that, he would put in place a public service that will compare favourably with the private sector. Akinwusi in a statement in Osogbo also referred to civil servants as better managers of men and resources than professional politicians. "Civil servants are technocrats who ensure stability and continuity of government and have

contributed immensely to the development of the nation. Public officers are expected to be loyal, anonymous and impartial to government but that is not saying we must be blind followers of politicians. Now, they are going around making several promises to civil servants in the state but none of them can be trusted. “It is dangerous to just believe in today’s Nigerian politicians who are unstable in their ways. Yesterday they were in PDP, today, they are in APC and by tomorrow they jump back to PDP. Can they be trusted? I say no. We cannot take them by their words” “Now, they are prostrating and begging for

votes, if by chance they get into office, they become the kings and we become their slaves. They will rule with iron fists as if we are nobody”, he stated. According to Akinwusi, civil service is the oldest institution and “I have found out with my 35 years’ experience as a civil servant that we are better managers of men and resources than those professional politicians most of who are less qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with us”. He said: “I have served in their midst and I have not only been in the corridor of power but in the bedroom of power. I know what politicians can do and that is why I kept on saying that I

am not a politician but a technocrat who God wants to use to rescue Osun state”. Akinwusi praised teachers for their commitment and dedication to duty in spite of “the terrible situation they are now”. “I can confidently say that we have the best set of teachers in Osun state compared to some states in Nigeria. With a better environment and better policies, our teachers will perform excellently well”, he enthused. He explained that while in service, he protected the rights of workers and ensured that nobody rubbished “this cherished institution which produced” him as HOS.

APC. He stressed that "PDP has also concluded plan to arrest and assassinate APC party elders numbering fifty six in the state ahead of the election and such would portend great danger to the fledgling democracy." He said: “PDP is also planning to unleash on the state explosives and incendiaries during, and after the election. This reign of terror is to silence the people, if there is any wide spread protest against a rigged PDP victory.” But in a swift reaction to the accusation, the PDP Director Of Publicity, Prince Diran Odeyemi, Said: “It is no longer news that the people of Osun state are tired of the APC led government which symbolizes destruction, violence and crisis."

ued peaceful coexistence of the society. The task of achieving violent free election in the state requires collective responsibility of everyone and that is why we are appealing to politicians and their followers to eschew violence before and during the election", he stated. Also speaking, the state director of NOA, Dr. Lawrence Martins charged politicians to be focused and follow the rules of the game during the exercise. He pointed out that the forum was organised to give political education to the people concerned.

LP promises modern facilities for farmers State candidate O(LP)sun of the Labour Party in the August 9th

governorship election, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade yesterday promised that his administration would support indigenous farmers with modern facilities and technical know-how to enhance productivity if elected as the next governor. Akinbade in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, said: "Farming will become a big profitable venture that the youth will find attractive as soon as he assumes office. Farming system would be mechanized and through it, remove the rigour associated with the traditional farming system." Akinbade noted further that through the massive production of agricultural materials,

agro-allied industries that would specialise in the conversion of these products would be established across the state. "These two schemes - farming and industrialisation are capable of generating thousands of jobs for the youths and at same time stem ruralurban drift if necessary things are put in place", he said. The former SSG urged the people to be forwardlooking, promising not to let them down when he gets to power. “I have seen it all, nothing freaks me anymore, so I will fulfill my promises because that is my covenant with God and the good people of this great state", he asserted. He also promised to use agriculture as the springboard for the development of rural areas in the state.

AFRICA | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Somali lawmaker shot dead in drive-by shooting

unmen killed a Somali lawmaker in a driveby shooting yesterday in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, a police official said. Saado Ali Warsame, who also was a popular singer of Somali folk music, was shot dead by gunmen who pulled up near her car as she was being driven to a hotel, said Somali police Capt. Mohamed

Hussein. The Somali Islamic extremist militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Warsame, one of few women in Somalia’s parliament and the first female legislator killed by the group. She is the fourth lawmaker killed this year in militant attacks that increasingly target members of Somalia’s parlia-

ment, which has emerged as a pillar of democracy in the Horn of Africa nation. This is the second drive-by shooting of a lawmaker since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, during which scores of civilians and government troops have been killed in militant attacks. Mohamed Ali, a Somali lawmaker who knew Warsame, described her

as “courageous and patriotic,” saying she was the victim of terrorists who “want to cripple the country.” Warsame’s driver was also killed in the attack which happened in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, considered to be one of the safest places in the seaside city because of heavy security presence, according to Hussein.

Al-Shabab, which has links with al-Qaida, has previously carried out attacks against government officials, African Union peacekeepers and United Nations staff in a deadly campaign of suicide bombings and gun attacks. Militant attacks have continued despite al-Shabab being ousted from its bases in Mogadishu in 2011.

Seleka to sign ceasefire, drops call for Central African Republic split

Somalis carry the body of Saado Ali Warsame, a Somali member of parliament, yesterday.

Yemen President preaches peace

emen’s president yesterday visited a town close to the capital that was captured by Shi’ite Muslim Houthi fighters this month, and said all sides had agreed to allow the state to retake control, state news agency Saba reported. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi went to Amran, 50 kms (30 miles) north of Sanaa, to check on efforts to “return the situation in the city to normal and address the effect of the unfortunate events of armed confrontation that took place recently,” Saba said. The fighting killed at least 200 people, displaced more than 35,000 and increased concer ns of further turmoil in a country also struggling with a secessionist movement in its south and attacks by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Hadi said all parties had agreed to withdraw fighters from Amran province. He also pledged 5 billion rials ($23.3 million) to rebuild property damaged in the fighting, Saba reported. The Houthis rebels, named after their leader’s tribe, have said their fight was against rivals loyal to the Islamist Islah party which has links to the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood - rather than the government, and that they had no intention of attacking Sanaa. Yemeni analyst Abdulghani al-Iryani, said Hadi’s visit was

likely to bolster the Houthis. “This underlines the government’s position that the fighting in Amran is not between the state and the Houthi movement but between Islah and tribal allies and the Houthis,” he told Reuters. Earlier this month, the Houthis handed back an army camp they had captured in Amran to the government, a move seen as an attempt to defuse tensions. In a sign of continuing instability elsewhere in Yemen, five government soldiers were killed when they confronted tribesmen trying to stop engineers repairing an oil pipeline blown up earlier this month, a local official

said. Tribesmen bombed the main oil export pipeline in the restive Maarib province in central Yemen on July 12, depriving the impoverished country from an important source of revenue. Two tribesmen were killed in Wednesday’s clash, the official said. “The army has instructions to open the road by force for the engineers, and the situation is tense,” he added. The Maarib pipeline carries around 70,000-110,000 barrels per day of Marib light crude from Safer oilfields to Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea, the official said. It was repaired in late May after a previous attack by tribesmen.

entral African Republic’s mainly Muslim Seleka rebels signed a ceasefire with ‘anti-balaka’ Christian militia yesterday, having dropped their demands for the country to be split in two along religious lines, Seleka officials told Reuters. Seleka’s call for the country to be officially partitioned into a Muslim north and a Christian south risked derailing talks in Congo Republic aimed at ending religious violence that has killed thousands of people and forced 1 million to flee their homes. “We will be signing the cessation of hostilities agreement this afternoon,” Colonel Youssouf Ben Moussa, a senior Seleka official, said by telephone from the Seleka-controlled north of Central African Republic. “Our demand for the partition of the country has been dropped. That demand is obsolete now: what we have

Rhino poacher bags 77 years in South Africa

South African court has jailed a rhino poacher for 77 years, one of the heaviest sentences handed out for the crime as poaching continues to escalate, an official said yesterday. South African national Mandla Chauke was arrested in the iconic Kruger National Park in 2011 after he killed three rhino calves. The vast park has seen the highest number of killings, with 370 slaughtered since January. The South African National Parks (SANParks) hailed the

Sisi defends Egypt’s Gaza peace efforts

resident Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yesterday defended Egypt’s role in trying to broker a Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas, which accuses him of proposing a ceasefire favourable to Israel. Unlike his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi whom he toppled and detained last year, ex-army chief Sisi has sought to isolate the militant Palestinian movement in the neighbouring Gaza Strip. The Cairo government worked to contain the crisis even before it escalated into a full-blown conflict on July 8 that has killed more than 650 Palestinians and at least 31 Israelis, Sisi said. “Egypt has sacrificed, for the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians, 100,000 martyrs,”

he said in a televised address, referring to casualties in Egypt’s wars with Israel between 1948 and 1973, before Cairo signed a 1979 peace treaty. “So it is difficult for anyone to engage in one upmanship, not just regarding (our role) with the Palestinian brothers but also the Arab region,” he said in a speech to mark the 1952 military overthrow of the monarchy in Egypt. Since Morsi’s overthrow in July 2013, Egypt has been at odds with Turkey and Qatar, both of which back his Muslim Brotherhood and have been critical of Sisi’s stand on the Gaza conflict. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Sisi a “tyrant” who could not be

agreed to is the sharing of power,” Moussa added. Most Muslims have fled the south of the former French colony, creating a de-facto partition, but Seleka leaders had pushed for this to be formalized.Members of Seleka’s negotiating team in Congo Republic confirmed the information. They said they would provide further details after the signing of the deal in Brazzaville, where delegates from the armed groups, transitional government and civil society have held three days of talks. Central African Republic has been gripped by violence since Seleka seized power in March last year. Seleka’s rule was marked by abuses that prompted the creation of the ‘anti-balaka’ militia. Cycles of tit-for-tat violence have continued despite Seleka’s leaders stepping down from power in January this year.

trusted to mediate a truce, while Hamas demands a role for Ankara and Doha, which hosts its political leadership, in any truce negotiations. Morsi mediated a truce to end an eightday conflict with Israel in 2012 that Hamas was able to represent as a “victory”. Sisi said his truce proposal would give Hamas its key demand of an end to the eight-year blockade of Gaza once calm is restored. “What we want is that simple citizens in the Gaza Strip not be subjected to what they are going through now,” he said of the proposal, which demands a ceasefire before talks. Hamas, however, insists on a comprehensive agreement before it agrees to a ceasefire.

sentence, saying it showed that “the courts are keen on stamping out the scourge of poaching.” “It’s one of the harshest sentences, and we hope it will send out a strong message to poachers out there,” said SANParks spokesman Reynold Thakhuli. This month two Mozambicans were each jailed 16 years for killing and dehorning rhino. They were also caught in Kruger Park. The vast area roughly the size of Israel forms a border with neighbouring Mozambique, a country where many poachers are recruited by international syndicates. Rhino horns are prized as a status symbol in Asia, where they are falsely believed to possess medicinal properties to cure cancers and hangovers, despite being composed of the same material as fingernails. A total of 558 rhino have been killed across South Africa since the beginning of the year, according to figures released this month. Authorities have struggled to catch poachers who use increasingly sophisticated weaponry such as semi-automatic rifles or poisoned darts. Though 62 people have been arrested since the start of the year, most of the prosecuted are lower-level gunmen, while kingpins evade detection.

50 WORLD | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Malaysia jet victims’ bodies arrive in Netherlands

wo planes carrying 40 coffins bearing victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 landed yesterday in the southern city of Eindhoven, and pro-Russian rebels shot down two fighter jets in Ukraine’s restive east as fighting flared in the region. Six days after the Boeing 777 was shot down over the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, the first bodies finally arrived in the Netherlands, the country that bore the heaviest toll in a crash that killed all 298 passengers and crew. Dutch officials said they have taken charge of the stalled investigation of the airline disaster and pleaded for unhindered access to the wreckage. British investigators began work on a pair of “black boxes” to retrieve

information on the flight’s last minutes. The Dutch Safety Board said in a statement that specialists found the plane’s voice recorder was damaged but not manipulated, and its recordings were still intact. Investigators will study the flight’s data recorder Thursday. New volatility erupted in embattled eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s defense ministry said two fighter planes were shot down yesterday about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the site of the Malaysia Airlines wreckage. The separatist group Donetsk People’s Republic said in a statement on its website that one of the pilots was killed and another was being sought by rebel fighters.

While the insurgents deny having missiles capable of hitting a jetliner at cruising altitude, rebel leader Alexander Borodai has said that separatist fighters do have Strela-10M ground-to-air missiles which are capable of hitting targets up to an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,500 feet). In fighting on the ground yesterday, rebel leader Pavel Gubarev wrote on his Facebook page that 30 rebels were injured and his men retreated Wednesday from the villages of Chervona Zorya and Kozhevnya, on the Russian border about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the scene of the Malaysia Airlines crash. The first victims were brought Wednesday on Dutch and Australian military transport planes from Ukraine

to Eindhoven Air Base, where the flights were met by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other government officials. Hundreds of relatives were also there, Hekking said. “If I have to wait five months for identification, I can do it,” said Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, whose son, Bryce, and his girlfriend Daisy Oehlers died in the crash. “Waiting while the bodies were in the field and in the train was a nightmare.” King Willem-Alexander clasped his wife’s hand as the couple grimly watched teams carry the coffins slowly from the planes to a fleet of waiting hearses. Almost the only sound was of boots marching across the ground and flags flapping in

the wind. From the airport, they were to be driven under military police escort to the central city of Hilversum where forensic experts were waiting at a military barracks to carry out the painstaking task of identifying the remains. Rutte says many bodies could be identified quickly and returned to their loved ones, but some families may have to wait weeks for a positive identification. The bodies arrived back in the Netherlands which is home to 193 of the victims — on a day of national mourning. Flags flew at half-staff on government buildings and family homes around this country of 17 million. Church bells rang out as the planes taxied to a standstill in Eindhoven.

People lay flowers in front of a plane prior a ceremony to mark the return of the first bodies.

Ukrainian honour guards lift up a coffin, onto a Dutch cargo plane in Kharkiv airport.

Ukrainian honour guards march away from a cargo plane.

A youth group holds a banner as they march towards the Parliament house during a rally to seek justice for victims of the plane crash.

Interpol officers and international experts walk in Kharkiv airport, yesterday.

Officials attending a ceremony to mark the return of the first bodies of pasengers and crew.

SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

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

thursday, july 24, 2014

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

Did you know?

That UEFA has won the last three World Cups, 2006, 2010 and 2014. The first time a single confederation has won three in a row

Okagbare: I’m ready for Commonwealth Games challenge Emmanuel Tobi

igeria’s medal hopeful in athletics, Blessing Okagbare, has expressed determination for a good outing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games which started on Wednesday in Glasgow, Scotland. The Sapele-born athlete who earlier this month produced a strong second half to win the women’s 200m at the IAAF Diamond League meet in Paris revealed that she was ready to win her first Commonwealth Games medal.

“This is my first Commonwealth Games because I missed the last one. My aim is to do well here in Scotland because it will be great. I really want to do well. My target is to come back with two medals,” she enthused. The 25-year-old Olympic and World Championships medalist is expected to take part in the Women’s 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 x 100 metres events. The African champion, who won the 100m race at the 2014 Jamaica International Invitational on May 2nd returned

a personal best of 11.18 seconds to finish second behind double Olympic Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2014 Diamond League opener in Doha on May 9. Fraser Pryce will be Okagbare biggest threat in Scotland, where both athletes are expected to attempt the 100m/200m double. One thing is certain, Blessing will need a more explosive start so that she doesn’t have too much ground to make up in the final stages of their match-ups. Fraser-Pryce has 13-3 head-to-head advantage in the 100m with Okagbare.

Okagbare

FIFA largesse:

Agbim

Charles Ogundiya

he FIFA largesse given to every club that produces a player to the World Cup is causing ripples in the Nigerian domestic football scene. This is because three clubs are fighting to collect the largesse of Super Eagles third choice goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim. The teams are Gombe United, Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves. According to investigations, clubs who released the 736 players to the World Cup will also get their share of FIFA’s revenues. FIFA has set aside $70 million to distribute at a rate of $2,800 per player for each day the player was on World Cup duty. However, the money is shared between each player’s current club and any other he played for in the two previous years

Agbim tears Rangers, Wolves apart

during qualification matches. With this template, it is clear that the three clubs are to share the money anytime it is released by FIFA. Agbim’s current club is Gombe United but the Super Eagles goalie featured for Rangers in 2013 and also for Wolves in 2012. For now, Rangers believe 100 per cent of the money should come to Enugu while Wolves also expects the money to land in their purse in Warri. Interestingly, Gombe United, the current club of the player, have refused to be dragged into the crisis. Speaking with New Telegraph, the media officer of Warri Wolves, Moses Etu, said it was unfortunate that Rangers that supposed to be a role model to other clubs in the Nigeria league was involved in such an act that can take football back to the stone-age. Etu said; “Rangers came for Agbim’s

services with the agreement that they would pay N8m transfer fee, but as I am talking to you, no dime has been paid and we have notified the authority in charge of football in the country that Agbim belongs to us. “The Nigeria Football Federation and League Management Company are aware. We kept quiet all this while because we did not want to jeopardise his chances of making the World Cup squad.” Chief Executive Officer of Wolves, Davidson Owumi, also said; “Nobody can reap where he did not sow. Warri Wolves cleared Agbim before he joined the club and we expect any other club to do same if they require his services. There are rules governing the game and I am sure everyone of us know this.” Also speaking, Rangers chairman, Chidi Ofor, said the player in question

belong to the Enugu team. “I don’t understand what Warri Wolves are crying foul about. The players originally belong to Rangers before going to Wolves, anything that is coming from FIFA should come to us because he started his professional career with Rangers,” Offor said. On the transfer of the player to Gombe, the chairman said; “Rangers didn’t transfer Agbim to Gombe, he joined them on a free transfer. He has no contract with Warri Wolves again, so why are they laying claim to him?” It could be recalled that Agbim was also at the centre of controversy shortly after the Nations Cup held in South Africa early last year. Gombe United and Rangers appeared before NFF panel over the goalkeeper. This fresh crisis is more intense because huge money is involved.

52 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Team Nigeria set to redeem image at Glasgow

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Ajoke Odumosu in action for Nigeria

Dapo Sotuminu

eam Nigeria athletes are convinced they are going to put up a better overall performance as the 2014 Commonwealth Games began in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday. Nigeria finished in seventh place at the 2010 edition held in New Delhi, India with 11 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze medals and a total of 33 medals in the Games won by Australia which bagged 74 gold, 55 silver and 49 bronze medals amidst controversy and drug-tainted results. Nigeria emerged the first African country in the New Delhi Games, despite the presence of the continent’s presumed sports giant, South Africa. Nigeria’s celebration of clearing medals the athletics events was thwarted by the

Southampton set to hijack Onazi deal Ajibade Olusesan

use of prohibited substances by Damola Osayomi who was disqualified in the Games. Her blistering race did not count. She was disqualified from the Games and all results nullified for a positive drug test. Two other female athletes were also nailed. This time around, the emergence of Blessing Okagbare gives Nigeria the prospect of winning gold in the 100m, 200 and the 4x100m relays. In the women’s 200metres, Okagbare would have to contend with fellow Nigeria-born athlete Abiodun Oyepitan who competes in the colours of England. Oyepitan won silver in 2010. Meanwhile, the likes of Ajoke Odumosu who won gold in the women’s 400metres hurdles and Tosin Oke who won gold in the Men’s Triple Jump have also vowed to retain the titles they won in New Delhi. With Okagbare, the country also stand the chance on winning gold in the women’s

in gold. For the Team Nigeria Table Tennis squad, it is going to be a time for redemption as the sport which used to be Nigeria’s best medal’s prospect in the Commonwealth Games did not win anything at the 2010 Games. The coming of Barrister Enitan Oshodi as the federation president has helped tremendously in lifting the standard of the sport from its previously moribund state to a more progressive more. The likes of Seun Ajetunmobi, Segun Toriola, Funke Oshonaike, Offiong Edem and Cecilia Otu among other top players are good to win desired medals at the Glasgow Games. Nigeria will be competing in seven sports, a decision that was taken by the former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, and corroborated by the new Minister, Tammy Danagogo. In the words of Abdullahi, competing in only seven out of the 17 sports events in the Games is to ensure the country concentrate in sports they have comparative advantage.

GAMES RECORDS HELD BY NIGERIA Athletics 100m Para Sport - Men 2002 (Adekunie Adesoji) 10.76 100m Para Sport T12 - Men 2006 (Adekunie Adesoji) 11.07 Long Jump - Men 1990 (Yusuf Alli) 8.39 m Shot Put Para Sport - Women 2006 (Njideka Iyiazi) 9.76 m Weightlifting 48kg - Women 2010 (Augustina Nkem Nwaokolo) 175.0 64kg Clean and Jerk - Men 1994 (Oliver Toby) 152.5 kg 64kg Snatch - Men 1994 (Najite Ogbodu) 125.0 kg 70kg Clean and Jerk - Men 1994 (Moji Oluwa) 165.0 kg 70kg Combined - Men 1994 (Moji Oluwa) 295.0 kg 70kg Snatch - Men 1994 (Lawal Riliwan) 132.5 kg 75kg - Women 2010 (Hadiza Zakari) 239.0 99kg Snatch - Men 1994 (Christopher Onyezie) 155.0 kg Bench Press Para Sport - Men 2006 (Ruel Ishaku) 190.2 kg over 75kg - Women 2010 (Maryam Usman) 255.0

NFF meets to decide Keshi’s fate

lElection, Falcons, F’Eagles top agenda Emmanuel Tobi

Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi OnSofuper azi, could realise his lifelong dream he decision on Super Eaplaying in the English Premier Tgles coach, Stephen Keshi, League as Southampton are report- is expected to top the agenedly interested in him. The midfielder has been linked with a host of clubs in England with Everton and Liverpool reportedly topping the race to sign him. But according to a report in Italian press which was monitored by our correspondent, Southampton are ready to beat other contenders for the player’s signature. Though he said that he was not in a hurry to leave Stadio Olympico, sources around him have revealed that the 21-year-old is keen about a move to England. Both Everton and Liverpool are yet to make formal bid for the former My People FC player and scouts from Southampton have encouraged the management of the club to move for the midfielder before the close of the transfer window next month. Onazi has become an integral part of the Super Eagles since making his debut in 2012 and has also gone ahead to form a big part of Lazio team in the last two seasons. He played more than 20 league matches for the Capital club last term scoring one goal.

Long Jump which was carted away by Canada at the last edition of the Games in India. The Delta-born athlete is set to join Nigeria’s legend Modupe Oshinkoya who won gold in the women’s Long Jump at the 1974 edition of the Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch, New Zealand. She jumped 6.46metres to win the gold which was the first and the last for Nigeria in the Games. It was sad that boxing which used to be the country’s sure bet in winning medals at the Commonwealth Games, recorded zero at the New Delhi Games, but the Nigeria Boxing Federation, NBF, Secretary General, Luke Olusola, is optimistic that, it would be a different ball game this time around in Glasgow as the country’s boxers have trained so hard and are in great condition to win valuable medals in the Games. He noted that, the federation president, General Minimah, has been committed towards ensuring that Nigeria do not return empty handed this time. For weightlifting, which gave Nigeria three gold medals won by Augustina Nwokolo in the 48kg, Obioma Okoli 63kg and Hadiza Zakari 75kg, all in the women’s class in 2010, the story may not be different as the country’s lifters have been very consistent over the years in African and other international championships. The wrestlers, who are being motivated by the Olympic, world and Commonwealth Games champion, Daniel Igali, are poised to do the country proud in Glasgow. The wrestlers have been involved in series of international competitions preparatory to the 2014 Games. The athletes have also promised to win more than the three gold medals they won at New Delhi 2010 in both the Freestyle and Greco Roman categories. Ifeoma Nwoye (51kg) and Sinivie Boltic (96kg) in the freestyle women and men’s respectively and Joe Agbonavbare (84kg) in the men’s Greco Roman wrote the country’s name

da as the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation meets at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday. According to a release made available to New Telegraph on Wednesday, the 13-member Committee is set to review Nigeria’s participation in the recently –concluded 2014 FIFA World Cup

finals in Brazil, appraise the preparation of the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Canada next month and also deliberate on Nigeria’s participation in the qualifying series for the 2015 African U-17 and African U-20 Championships. The body will also discuss on the qualifying series for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the preparation of the Senior Women national team, Super Falcons, for the 9th Afri-

can Women Championship in Namibia in October this year. Following the recent crisis in Nigerian football, the NFF will deliberate on the 2014 Annual General Assembly of the Federation, which is the elective Congress, stated for next month. Other issue to be discussed includes the grand finale of this year’s Men and Women Federation Cup competitions, tentatively slated for Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Saturday, Keshi August 16.

MultiChoice rewards subscribers ahead new football season s football lovers across the 45 days. selected radio stations in LaMabutho further clarified that Asoccer country prepare for a new Speaking on the promotion gos, Port Harcourt and Abuja” DStv Explora decoders won and not activated within seven days of season, MultiChoice, which runs from 14 July to Mabutho said. Nigeria’s leading entertainment destination has declared a big win promotion for its subscribers across all bouquets. In a 45 day promotion tagged; “MultiChoice Open House Promotion”, Premium and Compact Plus subscribers stand a chance of winning 45 DStv Explora decoders each with 1 month subscription daily for

27 August, General Manager Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Martin Mabutho, said subscribers have an opportunity to win in the promotions if they stay connected by paying for their DStv or GOtv subscriptions. “Every month paid is an entry into the daily draw and the winners will be announced every Friday on

He also explained that Com- collection will forfeit their complipact and Family subscribers mentary one month subscription. who enter for the promotion also stand a chance of being Fed Cup quarter-final results lucky winners of generator Enyimba 2-0 Sharks sets. Mabutho said; “Three generator sets will be given out Crown FC 0-0 Giwa FC (4-5 p) daily for 45 days and over 100 000 Access and GOtv Plus subLobi Stars 2-4 Dolphins scribers will win N150 airtime Prime 0-0 Gateway (4-2P) top-ups”

SPORT 53

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

ToriolanamedTeam T & T slams organisers Nigeria’scaptain T

lAs Nigeria tackles Kenya, India in table tennis Charles Ogundiya

igeria table-tennis player, Segun Toriola, has been named captain of Team Nigeria competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Toriola, who is making his fourth appearance at the games, will be in charge of the 127-man contingent representing Nigeria at the 11-day multi-sports tournament. He made his first appearance at the 2002 Manchester Games in the United Kingdom. Making the announcement at the Athletes Games’ Village in Glasgow, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, said Toriola was picked as the most experienced athlete in the team. The long-serving Nigerian won gold medal in men’s singles during the maiden outing of table tennis at the Common-

wealth games in Manchester 2002. In addition to his men’s singles title, Toriola had joined forces with Kazeem Noziru, Monday Merotohun and Suraju Saka (now of Congo Brazzaville) to secure bronze in the men’s team event. Four years later in Melbourne, Australia, he added to his medal tally by winning men’s doubles gold with Merotohun, whilst also securing bronze in the men’s singles and men’s doubles events. Meanwhile, Nigeria will today (Thursday) begin its campaign in the team event of table tennis as the Funke Oshonaike-led women team tackles Kenya and India in their group D matches of the competition. The last group game for the team holds on Friday when it takes on Barbados to decide the two top teams that

will progress to the knockout stage. The men team has been drawn alongside Bangladesh, Mauritius and Kiribati with the team clashing against Bangladesh and Mauritius also today (Thursday) while the last group game will be against Kiribati on Friday.

Habana

Commonwealth Games after being granted a late release from his French club Toulon. However, the South African winger’s participation in Glasgow will still depend on one of his fellow countryman being injured as Toulon’s change of heart came after the deadline for the submission of squads had expired. Habana had been named in the original South Afri-

who also heads the Caribbean country’s Commonwealth Games delegation, has hit back, lambasting the “regrettable and disappointing assertions made by the CGF President”, which are “certainly not in keeping with the Commonwealth Games brand positioning as the ‘Friendly Games’ nor the sport value of fair play.” “The President of the CGF and the chief executive, Mike Hooper, are well aware of the totality of the facts,” the official told insidethegames. “They are well informed or ought to be that the June 11 deadline presented an intractable problem to some CGA’s such as Trinidad and Tobago, since the selection process for athletics is the National Track and Field Championships scheduled for the third weekend in June. “Trinidad and Tobago wasn’t the only country facing this challenge.”

Australian Sally Pearson sweating over injury Toriola

Late chance for South Africa Bryan Habana orld Cup winner Bryan W Habana has an outside chance of competing in the

rinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee President Brian Lewis has strongly criticised the Commonwealth Games Federation for giving the impression that eight countries had “bungled and forgotten” to enter athletes for Glasgow 2014. Lewis, reacting to claim by CGF President Prince Imran and chief executive Mike Hooper that all the countries should have met the deadline of June 11, and that such behaviour will result in sanctions in the future after special dispensation had been granted to nearly 50 athletes to ensure they did not miss their events, even though the deadline for entries had closed. The total of 48 athletes reportedly spanned a variety of unnamed sports and came from Australia, Bahamas, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as from Trinidad and Tobago. But TTOC President Lewis,

can sevens squad for the Games but this was initially blocked by his club. Toulon have since had a change of heart but the decision means he will have to remain on stand-by and hope that a member of the submitted squad is injured. South Africa open their campaign on Saturday with group games against Trinidad and Tobago, the Cook Islands and Kenya before the knock-out matches and medal games are contested on Sunday.

hurdle champion Oto lympic Sally Pearson is unlikely be able to compete in both

sprinting events at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 27-year-old Australian has been struggling with a hamstring problem since last month but is still hopeful of competing in the 100 metres hurdles. The 100 metres, which is scheduled for Monday, and the 100m hurdles, which will be held on August 2, will both be staged at Glasgow’s Hampden Park. She said; “The latest I can pull out is 48 hours, and right now it is more likely I am going to. I’ve had a few discussions with my coach and we’re really at the stage where I can’t do two events.” Pearson was stripped of her

2010 Commonwealth 100m gold after a protest from the England team over an apparent false start. She is, however, the current reigning Commonwealth 100m hurdle champion and she also holds the Olympic 100m hurdles gold medal.

Pearson

Male boxers to discard head guards

Boxers with headgear

ale boxers in Glasgow M will be able to fight without head guards for the first

time in the history of the

Commonwealth Games. Head guards were first introduced for all international amateur competitions shortly before the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and have been in force for 30 years. However, recent research has shown that they may in fact cause more damage to boxers, which has led to the authorities to allow the male competitors at Glagow 2014 to fight without the padded protection. Doctor Mike Loosemore, from the English Institute of Sport, told the Daily Mail: “Evidence has found that, when they introduced head guards

in 1984, the number of head injuries increased. The number has actually decreased since head guards have been removed. “The style of boxing has changed a little bit because the boxers’ heads are not getting quite so close and I think it’s made it a bit more interesting to watch. It’s a positive development. “The boxing’s better without the head guards and it’s reducing the number of head injuries, which is low in this sport anyway.” Female boxers in Glasgow are still required to wear head guards.

Kiwi squash players see C’wealth Games as ultimate may see the medals as Stheome irrelevant, but for others Commonwealth Games represents the pinnacle of their sport. Squash has had a number of bids for Olympic inclusion turned down. Kiwi player Martin Knight says to be able to compete in the Commonwealth Games is huge for them. “It’s the biggest world

stage, so for us we put a lot of time, a lot of effort into trying to do as well as we can, and it’s a huge event for us.” New Zealand has a full contingent in Glasgow with four doubles teams, two mixed doubles teams and six singles players, spearheaded by Delhi double-medalist Joelle King. Knight says squash continues to work hard to im-

prove as a spectacle, with the latest measure reducing the height of the tin. “One of the main criticisms if you like from the last Commonwealth Games was that the rallies did go on a little bit. By lowering the tin that definitely does make the game a lot more exciting, a lot more attacking, and creates a lot more openings on the court. “

Transfer Updates

54 SPORT

Liverpool to hijack Vidal deal

Casillas wants free transfer

is hoping that Real IfreekerMadridCasillas will let him leave on a transfer this summer.

The Spain international made just two league appearances last season, with most of his football coming in the Copa del Rey and Champions League – both of which were won by Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 33 year old, who has spent his entire career so far at the Bernabeu, is likely to move on to pastures new with Premier League side Arsenal the favourites to secure his services.

n what looks to be a sensational development regarding the Arturo Vidal transfer saga, Chilean newspaper El Mercurio have reported that Liverpool are willing to table a record offer to land the midfielder. The Chilean will cost £43m (€54m) and the Reds will have to compete with the £200,000-a-week wage packet that the Red Devils are ready to offer. A couple of days ago El Mercurio had reported that United are willing to offer Vidal the same salary as what Robin Van Persie earns at Old Trafford.

Sigurdsson closes on Swansea

Aurier on loan at PSG

Tottenham striker Gylfi Sigurdsson is set to sign for Swansea. Sigurdsson was in south Wales on Wednesday morning for a medical and it is believed the Iceland international should secure a deal worth £8million to head to the Liberty Stadium,where he previously spent a season on loan. It would also appear that Wales left-back Ben Davies has alreadycompletedhistransferfromSwanseatoSpurshaving been pictured in his first training session in Toronto, although the move has still to be formally announced.

oulouse’s Ivoirian full-back Serge TSaint-Germain Aurier is joining French giants Paris on loan with a biding pur-

Mathieu joins Barca for €20m

Porto swoop for Brahimi

arcelona have completed the signing of Valencia centreback Jeremy Mathieu after meeting his €20m (£16m) release clause, the Catalan club has confirmed on its official website. The Spanish giants were desperately looking for deffensive reinforcements after Carlos Puyol’s retirement while new manager Luis Enrique wants Javier Mascherano back in midfield. The Valencia defender had been earmarked as his toppriority since the beginning of the summer alongside Paris Saint Germain star Marquinhos.

chase clause for his permanent move for € 10-12 million at the end of the 2014-15 season, revealed canal-supporters on Wednesday morning. Such a deal has been concluded so PSG can comply with UEFA new Fair-Play regulations. The 21-year old was chased by several European big guns this summer, including Arsenal, following an outstanding season with Toulouse in the Ligue 1 and a solid performance in Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire.

orto have stepped up their intensive recruitment drive with the 6.5million euro capture of Algerian midfielder Yacine Brahimi from Granada. The 24-year-old - who recently repr e sented his country at the World Cup in Brazil, where he scored his first senior international goal against South Korea - has signed a five-year contract at the Estadio do Dragao. A statement published on Porto’s official website on Wednesday revealed Brahimi’s contract features a minimum release clause of 50million euros.

Juventus eye move for Borini Pellegrini targets more giants Juventus have been Man City signings Italian linked with former Azzurrini

player and current Liverpool striker Fabio Borini. New signing Alvaro Morata injured his knee during a pre-season training session and already the Bianconeri have been linked with some forwards to fill the void. According to Leggo, Juventus will have to pay Liverpool €15 million if they want to buy Borini outright. Borini was expected to complete a transfer to English club, Sunderland but he refused to move to the Black Cats on a permanent basis.

anchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says the club is open to the prospect of making further signings in the close-season. Since winning the Premier League title in May, Pellegrini has strengthened his squad with the acquisitions of Bacary Sagna, Fernando and Willy Caballero. City have also long been linked with a move for Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala and Pellegrini said the club remains eager to strengthen ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Roma submit formal bid for Monaco winger

Palace on verge of new getting Campbell

oma have submitted an official bid of €3 million to Monaco for young winger Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco. The 20 year old Belgian had an impressive debut season in the French top flight last season, but may be sold due to his contract expiring next year. Sky Sport Italia report that Roma director Walter Sabatini issued the offer on Monday, and is confident of getting a deal wrapped up for the young starlet. If Monaco refuse to sell the Belgian, Roma are confident of nabbing him on a free transfer for next season.

rystal Palace are on the verge of signing Cardiff City striker Frazier Campbell. The 26 year-old reportedly undergoing a medical Wednesday before making the move to Selhurst Park. Campbell would become Palace’s first major signing of the summer after weeks of speculation linking the pacey striker with a move back to the Premier League. Crystal Palace are reported to have triggered the former Manchester United player’s release clause of £800k.

Xavi ‘at Barca until January’

avi Hernandez is expected to remain at Barcelona, but reports in Spain claim he will leave Camp Nou in January. Mundo Deportivo reports that Xavi contacted the publication Tuesday to contradict their front-page claim that his departure was about to be confirmed. Xavi will instead begin pre-season training with Barca but it’s said that he has an agreement with New York City, and it will come into effect in January. It was thought that Xavi would leave Barca this summer, either for MLS or the Middle East, and MD added that was the situation until Monday of this week.

Metz sign Senegal’s N’Daw

international defensive Ssignedenegal midfielder Guirane N’Daw has for two years with promoted

FC Metz, the French Ligue 1 club has confirmed. The 30-year-old is out of contract with Greek top flight side Asteras Tripolis where he played 32 matches last season. Capped 44 times for Senegal, N’Daw started his career with French side Sochaux in 2002 before moving to Ligue 1 rivals Nantes and Saint-Etienne, followed by stints at Real Zaragoza in Spain and Birmingham City and Ipswich Town in England. He becomes Metz’s fifth recruit for the new season.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Arsenal prepare ‘substantial’ fee for Benzema

Getafe agree Michel loan

rsene Wenger is preparing to open the etafe have agreed a loan deal with A Arsenal cheque book in order to tempt GValencia for Michel that could see Real Madrid into parting with Karim Ben- the 25-year-old remain at the Coli-

zema, who is also a target of Liverpool. After landing World Cup star James Rodriguez f o r a reported £63-million, Real Madrid have publically insisted the acquisition does not effect the future of Benzema. However, rumours from Madrid suggest Carlo Ancelotti will listen to bids for the French international - if the price is right. The notoriously frugal Wenger has been keen to land his countryman, and is ready to make what is being reported as a “substantial” bid for the striker.

Galatasaray table bid for Medel

urkish giants Galatasaray have moved ahead of Inter Milan in the race to sign Cardiff City’s World Cup star Gary Medel after tabling a £10m bid. The Italian club have been pursuing Medel for a number of weeks now, but their desire to land him on a n initial loan deal is not thought to be something the Bluebirds are keen on. Cardiff chiefs are understood to have held talks with Galatasaray, while any agreement with Inter Milan is believed to be a long way off. The Championship side is resigned to losing Medel ahead of the new season but they are determined to hold out for a substantial transfer fee after smashing their transfer record last summer to land Medel for £11m.

Sevilla complete Krychowiak deal

evilla have completed the signing of midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak on a four-year contract. The deal to take the Poland international t o the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium from Ligue 1 outfit Reims was finalised on Wednesday after the 24-year-old completed a medical on Monday. Krychowiak will now remain in Spain until 2018 and was expected to join his new team-mates for a pre-season friendly in Lyon later on Wednesday. A statement on the Liga club’s official website read: “Krychowiak is now officially a Sevilla player after signing his fouryear contract.[He] immediately leaves for Lyon with his new team-mates.”

Sociedad reject Spurs bid for Griezmann ottenham have seen a bid rejected by Real Sociedad for French winger Antoine T Griezmann, who they are unwilling to let go

for less than his release clause of £25m, the Daily Mail is reports. Spurs were thought to have made a bid of £15m for the winger’s services, who impressed during this summer’s World Cup with France, but have swiftly seen the offer rebuffed. Griezmann found himself thrust into the France first team picture after star Franck Ribery was ruled out through injury – and did not disappoint. Chelsea and Monaco are said to also be monitoring the situation of Griezmann, 23, who has only played for Real Sociedad during his senior football career.

Vorm confirms Tottenham transfer

etherlands goalkeeper Michel Vorm has apN peared to confirm he will join Tottenham from Swansea City.

An impressive performer since moving to Swansea from Utrecht in 2011, Vorm has seen his first-choice status at the Liberty Stadium thrown into doubt by the recent signing of Lukasz Fabianski. Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Vorm revealed he is now set to provide competition for Hugo Lloris, who started all but one Premier League match for Tottenham last season and recently agreed a new five-year deal. “Every top club has two top goalkeepers in their squad,” Vorm is quoted as saying. “It suits the club’s philosophy that there is broad selection (of players). Especially when we see that Tottenham are active in a lot of competitions.”

Low quashes Germany exit rumours

oachim Low has moved to end speculation Jaffirming that he will quit as Germany head coach by rehis commitment to the national team.

Captain Philipp Lahm announced his decision to step down from international duty after leading Germany to World Cup title and there were rumblings that Low, after eight years in charge, may also decide to end his tenure on a high. However, Low - who penned a new deal with the German Football Association (DFB) last October to extend his reign beyond the 2016 European Championship - has revealed his intention to remain in charge after letting victory in Brazil sink in. “We had agreed before the World Cup that we would sit down down after the World Cup in peace and analyse the tournament, as we have done in every tournament. I have not renewed my contract with the DFB until 2016 to end it prematurely.

seum Alfonso Perez for two seasons. The attacking midfielder embarks on the third loan spell of his career having been limited to only 13 La Liga appearances for Valencia last season. “Valencia have reached an agreement with Getafe for the loan transfer of footballer Michel until June 30, 2015, with option to extend another season.” Having made his Valencia debut in 2008, Michel has spent time with Deportivo La Coruna and Hercules, while permanently leaving the Mestalla for one season to play for Levante.

Eagles’ transfer Update

Betis, Tel Aviv agree Igiebor deal

fter weeks of negotiations, Real Ainternational Betis have agreed to sell Nigeria Nosa Igiebor to Mac-

cabi Tel Aviv for an undisclosed fee, SL10.ng can exclusively report. Real Betis decided that it was not in their best interest to keep the midfielder in their ranks for the upcoming campaign, as he did not want to play in the second - tier. While the Andalusian outfit and Maccabi Tel Aviv are operating on the same wavelength, Nosa Igiebor and his representatives, including his lawyer, are carefully studying word-for-word the three-year contract that has been proposed by the Israeli champions. The website has been specially informed that the earliest possible date the contract will be returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv was to be on Wednesday. Afterwards, Maccabi Tel Aviv are to book flight tickets for Igiebor and his agent, both are scheduled to leave for Israel for the player’s traditional medical before he puts pen to paper on the contract. However, most airlines have suspended their flights to Israel because of recent events in the country, and it remains unknown the exact date Igiebor and his agent will finally be cleared to make the trip.

Cesena chasing Emeghara

nnocent Emeghara might conIchampionship tinue plying his trade in the Italian as newly promoted Serie A outfit Cesena are reportedly keen to land the Nigerian-born player. Emeghara, who sported the jersey of Livorno last term, is very interesting to suitors as he is currently a free agent, meaning Cesena, who are in pole position for his signature, will not part with a single euro to sign a player with Serie A experience. To capture the signature of the 25 - year - old, Cesena must see off competition from Palermo. The former FC Zurich and Grasshoppers ace scored 4 goals in 27 matches last term for Livorno.

SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, July 24, 2014

IAAF World Junior: Nigeria athletes record woeful result

Charles Ogundiya

igeria athletes at the ongoing IAAF World Junior Athletics Championship, recorded woeful results on the first day of the competition, with so many of them crashing out of their respective events. In the men’s 110m hurdles heat, Bashiru Abdullahi finished in a national junior record time of 14.04seconds, albeit crashing out as he finished sixth in the race. Kehinde Olubodun also failed to qualify from his heat

in the 100m men, finishing sixth in a time of 10.62s. The story was the same in the 400m men, with the country’s three representatives failing to qualify from their various heats. The most disappointing result came in the women long jump, where Ese Brume failed to qualify. Heading into the All Nigeria trials long jump winner was tipped as one of the stars to watch with a jump of 6.68m, but failed woefully in her heat consisting of 17 athletes, coming last with a disappointing 5.18m jump.

The searchlight will be on the remaining Nigerians in the competition, the 200m (men and women) and the relay teams as they compete in their various events. Speaking with our correspondent from their United States base, African 200m junior youth, Divine Oduduru, said he is aiming to win the 200m and take the confidence to Scotland where he will be joining Team Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games. “A win here will give me the confidence needed to achieve success at the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

U-20 World Cup: Falcons departs for Canada lAs Dedevbo picks Oshoala, Kanu, 19 others

Emmanuel Tobi

fter several days of uncertainty, the female U-20 team, Falconets are expected to depart for Moncton, Canada through Frankfurt in two batches aboard Lufthansa Airlines flight on Thursday and Friday, from Abuja. The team has been stranded in Abuja for weeks following the imbroligo in the Nigeria Football Federation which led to the suspension by world football ruling body, FIFA. The Falcons will clash with Mexico, Korea Republic and England in Group C, with the first two games coming up in Moncton before they travel to Edmonton to slug it out with England. Meanwhile, Head Coach, Peter Dedevbo has released his final list of 21 players for the competition, including Super Falcons’ ace Asisat Oshoala and former U-17

stars Patience Okaeme, Halimatu Ayinde, Jiroro Idike, Uchenna Kanu and Yetunde Adeboyejo. There are three goalkeepers, seven defenders, five midfielders and six strikers in the squad that Dedevbo believes will stun the world in Canada. Dedevbo, who steered the U-17 girls, Flamingoes, to the quarter finals at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 and in Azerbaijan in 2012, has also included US –based college star Courtney Dike, younger sister of Super Eagles’ forward Bright Dike. The tall and spritely forward from Oklahoma State University is the only overseas –based player in the squad.

Defenders: Ebere Okoye (Nasarawa Amazons); Jiroro Idike (Delta Queens); Maryam Ibrahim (Nasarawa Amazons); Sarah Nnodim (Delta Queens); Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels); Victoria Aidelomon (Pelican Stars); Gladys Abasi (Ibom Angels) Midfielders: Asisat Oshoala (Rivers Angels); Patience Okaeme (Delta Queens); Halimatu Ayinde (Delta Queens); Yetunde Adeboyejo (Bayelsa Queens); Osarenoma Igbinovia (Inneh Queens)

Forwards: Loveth Ayila (Makwada Babes); Courtney Dike (Oklahoma State University, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Pelican Stars); Yetunde THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers: Sandra Chiihii (Ibom Angels); Ibi- Aluko (Sunshine Queens); Chinjoke Sangonuga (Inneh Queens); Chiudo Ehiudo wendu Ihezuo (Pelican Stars); (Delta Queens) Uchechi Sunday (Rivers Angels).

Oduduru(left)

EneramotipsChrisantusto shineinTurkey N

igeria striker Michael Eneramo has backed his compatriot Chrisantus Macauley to shine at his new Turkish club Sivasspor. Eneramo, who once played for Sivasspor added that Macauley has the quality to do well in Turkey. “It is a good move for him. He is a good striker and I believe he will do well at Sivasspor. I wish him well,” Eneramo told AfricanFootball.com. Twenty three-year-old Chrisantus signed a threeyear deal for Sivasspor from Spanish Segunda Liga club Las Palmas.

He was the top scorer at the U17 FIFA World Cup in 2007 with seven goals. He was also the silver ball winner. He had previously played for Hamburg, Karlsruhe and FSV Frankfurt all in Germany.

Macaulay

Oyo FA boss hosts South-West referees Charles Ogundiya he leadership of Nigeria footTchair ball referees comprising of state men, secretaries and elders

Nigeria team during a training session at the Abuja stadium

will converge at the University of Ibadan Thursday 24 July for the zonal meeting of the Nigeria Referees Association. The meeting according to the zonal coordinator of the association, Chief James Odeniran, would be held at the senior staff club of the nation’s premier university. Part of the agenda for the meeting according to the retired FIFA referee who doubles as the acting

Chairman of Oyo Football Association is to examine some challenges facing the states from the geo-political zone and to proffer lasting solutions to them. “We are happy that the recent misunderstanding between the Nigeria Football Federation, National Sports Commission and the Minister has been resolved amicably. “The implication of inter nal bickering within the football family would always be detrimental to the development of the game,” Odeniran noted while addressing newsmen ahead of the meeting in Ibadan.

‘Entertainment industry killing sport’ ARS 4 national finals draw holds Friday Ajibade Olusesan igeria Swimming Federation presiNlieves dent, Babatunde Fatai-Williams, becorporate organisations would

spend money on entertainment rather than investing resources in sport. He said ‘lesser sports’ in the country cannot grow because source of funding is drying up. He said that government has abandoned other sports with overwhelming attention on football, adding that sports like swimming cannot even turn to the corporate world who are more interested in growing the entertainment industry. “It is difficult for other sports to develop the way we want in this country. We know that government is more interested in football. Sports like athletics and basketball are still fortunate because some monies still go to them from government but what can sports like swimming, judo, taekwondo

do when we don’t even enjoy such privilege. “Corporate body are expected to drive the development of sports but they are now more interested in entertainment. They will rather spend money on reality shows and things like that than spending on sports which is not good enough for us,” he said. Fatai Williams also spoke on Nigeria’s chances at the Commonwealth Games saying that the athletes would do well. “I don’t agree with you that the World Cup has affected the preparation for the Commonwealth Games because they are two different competitions. “I am aware that government has done well to prepare our team even though it might not be the best. I don’t want us to be pessimistic about our chances at the Commonwealth Games. We have to support the team. I believe we will do well,” he said.

head of the national finals of Airtel Rising Stars Season 4, organisers of the youth football tournament and leading telecommunications operator, Airtel Nigeria has announced the that final draws for the boys and girls categories of the football tournament will be held on Friday, July 25 in Lagos. The draws, scheduled to take place at Zen Garden, GRA, Ikeja, will be supervised by officials of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria, (YSFON), Airtel officials, SWAN, Lagos Chapter and coaches of the participating teams. The four-day national finals is scheduled to hold between Wednesday, July 30 and Saturday, August 2, at the Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech) Sports Complex, Lagos, and promises exciting football ac-

tions and thrills from boys and girls from across various states of the country including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The five zonal champions representing Lagos, Kwara, Enugu, Abuja and Port Harcourt are set for battle in the crucial encounters which will ultimately produce the national champion. The Female Team Lagos and Male Team Oyo are representing Lagos, while Kwara is represented by the boys and girls of Team Kwara. Enugu Zone will be represented by White Chiefs FC (male category) and White Princesses FC (female category), while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) boys team and Plateau State girls team will fly the flag of Abuja zone. Port Harcourt Team is representing Port Harcourt in both the male and female categories.

World Record

On Marble

The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.

– Kalu Ndukwe Kalu

October 29, 2010 - Francisco Domingo Joaquim is the man with the world’s largest mouth, measuring 16.99 cm.

Sanctity of Truth

w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha THURSday, JULY 24, 2014

N150

One week, one trouble T TALKING TOUGH GABRIEL AKINADEWO he ghoulish nature, which depicts the level to which the Nigerian state has sunk, was revealed two weeks ago with the abduction of a nonagenarian, Pa Uguoala, in Abia State. Just open the pages of newspapers these days and you will marvel at the rate murderous groups operate, unleashing a reign of terror from state to state. Due to the general insecurity in the land, it is now common for people to leave their houses peacefully in the morning and return in body bags a few hours later, with family members left to bear the anguish. Pitiably, no one is truly safe from the devices of these blood-thirsty maniacs who have so far shown that they can always escape from the clutches of the state. Nigerians are being forced to flee certainty for uncertainty as agents of death move around with confidence, wreaking havoc. Usually, the government will say ‘we are on top of the situation’. But are they when hoodlums spend hours on a particular spot unleashing mayhem with no sign of security intervention? I am sure 98-year-old Pa Uguoala, one time or the other, had contributed to the development of this country. At that age, he has seen it all and what is left is for him to continue to pray for members of his family and the country. Only God knows what he suffered during the Nigerian civil war between July 6, 1967 and January 15, 1970 and he must have been praying that such a pogrom never happen in this land again. A man loved by members of his family, one of his sons in the United States (U.S.) recently sent money and gifts to him and after receiving these, his joy knew no bound. That fateful day, he was having a nice sleep with some of his grandchildren in his house at Egbeyi Ofosi Village when his abductors stormed the village in two motorcycles. He must have been woken when the front door was broken by the hoodlums. At that age, I am sure he would have thought he was dreaming. The grandchildren were locked in a room and the abductors forcefully took the nonagenarian away. They later demanded for a N7 million ransom. When I read the story, I just wondered how they took him away on the motorcycle. Have you ever seen a 98-year-old man? Obviously, he cannot be as agile as a man in his 20s. Was Pa Uguoala dragged on the floor? Did one of the abductors put the nonagenarian on his back and took him to the motorcycle? When they arrived at their destination, what did they feed him with? What went through their minds when they took him away? Were they lackadaisical in their attitude? What was the motivating factor? Quick money or political gain? How will these kidnappers be treated when they grow up, that is if they even attain the age of this man they maltreated because they believed his children will pay the ransom? Why is life not worth more than a few naira notes in this country? Is it because value system is gone? Is it because those mandated to ensure safety of lives and property have been conditioned to beg for their daily survival from hoodlums? Do security agents also get their ‘cut’ from these kidnappers after every successful abduction? This old man was with the abductors for seven days. Such a harrowing experience for a man who, God sparing his life in 2016, would be celebrating his 100th birthday. Villagers were surprised when they saw him walking, with tired bones, to the village

gabyfola@hotmail.com - 08023010222 (sms only)

IGP, Abubakar

NSCDC CG, Abolurin

in the cloth he wore when he was abducted. In pains, he told policemen that he was dropped at Isiala Ngwa North Junction which was about N70 fare to his village. He said: “I told them (kidnappers) that at my age, I am not afraid to die. If they think they would get anything from me, they were mistaken. My tradition is to share whatever my children send to me from overseas with indigent villagers. I told them that before they kidnapped me, I had shared the money sent to me from abroad and I had just N2,000 left”. From Sokoto to Ibadan, Enugu to Port Harcourt, it is the same story line: insecurity. Or else, how does a sane country explain what happened last Sunday morning in Ibadan when some assassins stormed Olorunsogo area of the city? After every crime or killing, some Nigerians are liable to dismiss it as the victim reaping the fruit of ‘a deal gone sour’ or a deal in which he tried to cheat his fellow partners. That is where the problem lies. A crime is a crime anytime. If, due to annoyance, you kill a fellow being, you are guilty of murder or, if you are lucky, a manslaughter. If your partner cheats you in a deal and

you kill him, you are still guilty of murder or manslaughter. It is only in a war situation that you kill or be killed. There is no law which legalises killing to settle business scores. According to reports, last Sunday, the assassins stormed Olorunsogo, looking for a land speculator. Only God knows what must have happened before the invasion by the killers but the outcome of their action was brutal. Their target was said to be in a nearby mosque, praying when the assassins entered his house. Because they didn’t see him, the wife was killed immediately. His mother, who heard the agonising scream of the daughter-in-law, came out of her room and she was also killed. They left the house without picking any item. In this country, it is one week, one trouble and Nigerians are wondering what security agencies are doing to arrest the situation. Instead of collaborating, they are often busy fighting for supremacy which was what happened in Ibadan the day before the two women were killed. Men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and officers of the Nigeria Security and

The needless pandemonium which followed was unprecedented as bullets and tear gas canisters were fired. Tyres of the vehicle of the NSCDC officers were deflated and the policemen eventually took the suspect away. People ran helter-skelter just because security agents mandated to protect them, were fighting over who should arrest a suspect. If one or two of the security agents had died during the melee, what would have been the justification for the killing?

Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) fought over who should arrest a suspected vandal. The suspect, Okeola Emmanuel, was arrested along the Oyo-Ogbomoso road in a Toyota Hilux van containing 15 25-litre jerry cans of petrol. As he was being taken to the NSCDC office, some policemen ‘waylaid’ the team and demanded that the suspect be surrendered to them. The needless pandemonium which followed was unprecedented as bullets and tear gas canisters were fired. Tyres of the vehicle of the NSCDC officers were deflated and the policemen eventually took the suspect away. People ran helter-skelter just because security agents mandated to protect them, were fighting over who should arrest a suspect. If one or two of the security agents had died during the melee, what would have been the justification for the killing? Days before, NSCDC officers stormed the office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) in Lokoja, Kogi State and beat workers to stupor just because they wanted the contract of securing the office. Journalists who were around were also molested. Does it make sense for NSCDC officers to storm JAMB office and beat up staff just because the examination body refused to engage their services? Thinking aloud now, what has happened to the command structure of security agencies, such that now, some officers can just unleash mayhem and return to their offices? Although four of the NSCDC officers have since been suspended, is that not just begging the question? What type of system will allow security agents to take laws into their hands? If some JAMB officials had been killed during the invasion, what would have been the lot of their family members? During the invasion, a senior officer was even alleged to have told his men to shoot any JAMB official who refused to surrender him or herself to beating. With scores confirmed dead in yesterday’s bombings in Kaduna, what a country.

OmoBaba

PDP’s MAGIC WAND WILL SECURE SECOND TERM FOR JONATHAN, SAYS FAYOSE

– Through Abracadabra?

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