Binder1 may 22, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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Thursday, May 22, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 93

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25 investors express interest in Mainstreet Bank lDivestment enters due diligence stage

Ayodele Aminu

wenty-five local and foreign investment groups have expressed interest in acquiring Main-

street Bank Limited, New Telegraph learnt yesterday. Mainstreet Bank, formerly known as Afribank, was among the threebridged banks acquired

by the Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in August 2011, following the inability of the

trio to recapitalise within a time frame set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The two others are Enterprise Bank Limited (formerly Spring Bank Plc) and Keystone Bank

Limited (formerly Bank PHB Plc). AMCON had injected N679 billion into the bridge banks to meet the minimum capital base of N25 billion and the minimum capital adequacy ratio of

15 per cent. Mainstreet Bank, which assumed the assets of Afribank, got N285 billion; Keystone Bank, which assumed the assets of Bank PHB, received N283 billion, C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3

How we escaped death in Jos blasts, by survivors lBoko Haram kills 17 near Chibok lFG accuses northern govs of laxity in fighting terror Our Reporters

day after they survived the Tuesday twin bombings of a market in Jos, the Plateau State capital, which claimed about 118 lives, some of the survivors yesterday recounted the last moments before

L-R: Former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni; Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; interim National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande; the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Bisi; National Leader, APC, Senator Bola Tinubu; and a former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, during the presentation of flag to Fayemi, who is the party’s governorship candidate, in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4

Tambuwal orders Reps to resume oil minister’s probe Philip Nyam Abuja

peaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday directed the House Committee on Public Account (PAC) to continue with the probe into the allegation that Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke,

L-R: Wife of former President of Mexico, Marta Sahagun Fox; her husband, Mr. Vicente Fox; former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; his wife, Olufunso and others during the opening ceremony of Ogun State Investors’ Forum in Abeokuta…yesterday.

two bomb-laden vehicles exploded to shatter the relative peace of the tin city. It was however learnt that the death toll might have risen as more people had died in hospitals by yesterday. But the Plateau State Government in a state-

Mubarak, sons jailed

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blew N10 billion to charter private jets for her trips. Tambuwal, who gave the directive at the plenary, dissociated himself from media reports that he had directed that the investigation be discontinued following some underhand C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Oshiomhole to Ize Iyamu, others: Safe journey Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

orty-eight hours after former Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with four All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday, wished him “safe journey to his destination”. Oshiomhole, who declared that he would not be forced to hand over the state resources to “angry individuals”, said the defection would not affect the chances of the APC in the 2016 elections. Ize-Iyamu, former National Vice Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), is a grassroots politician in the South-South state. He was Chief of Staff and later SSG to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2007. Speaking at the inspection of the ongoing Storm Water Master Plan Project in Benin, Oshiomhole said he would not be intimidated to surrender the resources of the state to service private individuals who do not have the interest of the people at heart,

saying his administration will work for the masses and not for godfathers. He said: “I am aware that some people have left our party. We wish them safe journey. When I came, I was clear and I said we will work on the people of the state. I did not say I was going to work for individuals. So, if individuals feel angry that I have not helped them in what they call ‘individual personal empowerment’, I have the choice to make, work for individuals or work for the people. I choose to work for the people. “Day or night, come sun or come rain, I know that the voice of the people is the voice of God and when God stands by us, who can we be afraid of ? I know that with time, water will find its level. Those who cannot cope will leave and many have left. Those who are happy with progress will stay and the over-

whelming majority of the people have stayed. “I know that many people were deceived and they are already returning because they were told to come for a meeting only to see people carry microphone saying they are resigning from the party. We will not decamp. We will continue to do what God asked us to do and I know that the people of Egor will continue to support me. In the last election, I got 96% in this local government. “I know that the more we work, the more benefits people will see, because we are still going to build more schools, the construction work will continue, we will deliver more transformers. “Let me assure you, for us, it is ‘let the people lead’ not let the godfathers enjoy and allow the people suffer. If the godfathers like, let them move away,

we will continue the development of Edo State and our people will continue to enjoy good governance.” The governor reaffirmed his commitment to aggressive urban renewal in the state, saying: “When we came out to ask for your votes in 2007, I did make the point that the problem of Benin City is not beyond solution and that the problem of flooding, making people to be afraid whenever the rain is threatening is not an act of God but a result of many years of neglect by various governments. “I said I am not coming to Edo to lament but that I am coming to Edo to fix it, and to lay foundation for the future. As you can see, we are right now standing on a huge underground drainage which is part of the Benin City Water Storm MasterPlan that every water that drains from this area gets into

the underground drainage and it will take it to the river so that the problem of this community is solved forever. “The most difficult part has now been completed. You have seen the side drains that they are doing, when we finish it, this place we are standing will be asphalted. So, you will be driving on it and will not know that you are driving on top an underground measuring about 40feet deep and 20 -30 feet wide.” Residents of the community, who trooped out in their large numbers, expressed joy at the various projects put in place by the governor. The Ailefoba of Benin Kingdom, Chief Jonathan Idada Erinwioghae, commended the governor for his good works, promising that the people will continue to support his administration.

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41oC 25oC Mostly Sunny Two of the victims of the Jos bomb blasts, Elizabeth Musa and Hadiza Ajiji, in the hospital...yesterday.

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Tambuwal orders Reps to resume Alison-Madueke’s probe CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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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

transactions with some interested parties. The Speaker affirmed that the House would not abandon the investigation, explaining that the House had consulted Justice Mahmud Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who supposedly granted a restraining order stopping the probe and other stakeholders. “It was widely reported that I ordered that the investigation should be stopped. But it was my position that we should hold

on until I received a legal briefing on the matter, as even the judge himself had said he didn’t issue an injunction to halt the probe. “In view of this, I therefore urge you (Public Accounts Committee) that you should continue with your investigation and turn in your report accordingly,” he said. The embattled minister had taken the House to court, challenging her investigation over allegations of spending N10billion of public funds to charter a private jet.

Alison-Madueke and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had listed the National Assembly and the House as the defendants in the suit. The matter became contentious when the House, through the Chairman, Media and Public Affairs Committee, Zakari Mohammed, announced that the investigation would be suspended because of the court notice received by the speaker on the case. President Goodluck Jonathan had in his last

media chat defended the minister and instead accused the House of persecuting her. The president equally claimed ignorance of the minister’s lawsuit against the House. The president had said: “The Ministry of Petroleum has always been using jets. There is more of politics than work in the House of Representatives.” He also warned that the nation risks “parliamentary dictatorship” should the House continue in this way.

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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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Kalu urges unity, negotiation to release Chibok girls Wole Shadare

ormer Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that lack of unity among Nigeria’s

elite, political, business and military class in supporting the Federal Government in the fight against insurgency may spell doom for the country.

He said if the elite fail to support Jonathan, he might be Nigeria’s last president. Kalu, who spoke to reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Interna-

tional Airport on Tuesday night shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom, expressed worry over the incessant terrorist attacks in the northern parts of the

Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe (second left) and other security operatives at the spot where a bomb exploded in Jos…yesterday

25 investors express interest in Mainstreet Bank CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

while Enterprise Bank, which assumed the assets of Spring Bank, got N111 billion. A bridge bank refers to a temporary bank established and operated by the deposit insurer to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of a failed bank until a final resolution can be accomplished. The bridge bank will retain the failed bank’s licence but operate under a different name preferably in the same premises used by the failed bank. The media had been awash with protests by prospective investors and shareholders of the defunct Afribank Plc., who had expressed concern over the one-week timeline given by AMCON for those interested in the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank to submit their expressions of interest (EOI). The prospective bidders and shareholder groups, which had a stake in the defunct Afribank Plc. before its transmutation to Mainstreet Bank, had said the one-week deadline given by AMCON was insufficient for any meaningful evaluation and due diligence to be done on the bank. AMCON, in advertorial by its financial advisers,

had said the EOIs in respect of the bank should be submitted not later than May 16. But the parties, who spoke anonymously for fear of being victimised and their interest jeopardised, warned that the rush by AMCON to sell Mainstreet Bank without taking cognizance of the enormous work that needed to be done to ensure fairness and transparency in the eventual bid process, would put question marks on AMCON’s intention with respect to its divestment from the bank. However, the Managing Director of AMCON, Mustapha Chike-Obi, said the EOI stage was just the beginning of the process and that one week was enough for serious investors to submit their bids after which the selected ones would be given up to six weeks to undertake a due diligence of Mainstreet Bank. “We expect over 30 investors to submit bids and you cannot allow that number to go into the bank to do due diligence. In the case of Enterprise Bank, we had about 26, including spare parts dealers,” he said, adding that the timeline was to ensure that only serious investors come forward.

But sources familiar with the Mainstreet transactions said yesterday that a total of 25 EOIs were received and that the bidding process was yet to begin. “The AMCON has successfully completed the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) phase of the divestment of its shareholding in Mainstreet Bank. “In confirmation of earlier comments made by the corporation that the time frame given was adequate for serious interested parties to submit all requested documents, a total of 25 EOIs were received. This spanned a diverse group of interests, which included local and foreign investment groups. It is worthy of note that the number of requests received for this advertisement exceeded expectations and the corporation is impressed with the profiles of the entities,” a source said. According to information, all successful EOI applicants will now be required to submit further information in order to enable the advisers to perform a due diligence on them. He said: “At the completion of the exercise, the successful applicants will proceed to the next stage, which will be the due dili-

gence phase. That phase is expected to take four to six weeks, which they will require to submit their bids.” Noting that the process has included a thorough search for reputable advisers who have been engaged, the source said: “AMCON remains committed to fairness and transparency in the entire process as it looks forward to the next steps in the divestment of its shareholding in Mainstreet Bank.” In a bid to ensure fairness and transparency in the divestment process, AMCON had engaged reputable world-class firms of Barclays/Afrinvest and Banwo & Ighodalo as financial and legal advisers to the divestment exercise. AMCON, created in 2010 shortly after the banking crisis to manage the toxic assets in banks, had last year said it would sell the three bridged banks before the end of this year. The corporation, which also said it was now the second largest shareholder in Union Bank of Nigeria Plc., coming behind a group of unnamed private investors, has substantial shares in most of the blue chip companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

country by Boko Haram, especially the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State. The former governor said it was not proper to blame Jonathan for the crises rocking the nation. “I am surprised about our political class and our private sector class, our military class; I am surprised that they are still joking with this matter. “The country is in a serious crisis, our citizens are in pains, there is pressure in the business class with dwindling fortunes of businesses and we are taking it lightly. The way some of us are responding, I am talking about the political, business class, military and even some of us in the civilian class. If we don’t take time and collaborate and work together as Nigerians, Goodluck Jonathan might be Nigeria’s last president,” he said. Kalu said given the sophisticated nature of the challenge from the Boko Haram sect, he welcomed the intervention and assistance from other foreign countries. “There is the need for us to collaborate with international organisations to resolve this Boko Haram challenge,” he said. Kalu added: “Anybody’s child can be kidnapped. Whether it is at Chibok or any other place, Nigerians should take this matter seriously. Can you imagine how many Nigerians have been killed? How many have been wounded? I want people to be as wise as my grandmother. I want people to take this matter seriously. “Those girls kidnapped are our sisters; they are our daughters. It is because some of us have not lost anybody to Boko Haram or our daughters are not there, that is why some people are taking the matter as a joke. We should stop taking this as a joke and take the matter very seriously.” According to him, in the efforts to rescue the girls, government should not be so firm in its stance not to negotiate with Boko Haram if that will result in the return of the girls to their families. “The Federal Government should negotiate with Boko Haram either formerly or informally because the lives of those girls are greater than any other consideration,” said Kalu.

“We cannot allow those girls to be suffering from the hands of these people because we don’t want to negotiate. Government can negotiate formerly or informally; it can send agents to negotiate on its behalf without getting involved. The United States does this in Afghanistan and other places,” he noted. Kalu also decried the high rate of corruption within government circles noting that the presidential system of government practiced in the country tended to aid high-scale corruption. He, therefore, demanded a return to the parliamentary system of government which the country adopted immediately after independence in 1960. According to him, “I am of the opinion that Nigeria should abolish the presidential system of government. My reason is that the appointed ministers should be members of parliament so that they can see wisdom in serving their nation; so they can see wisdom in contributing to the arguments about the prosperity of the country; so that the lobbying between the ministers and the legislators will stop. “The fact remains that the major problem we have in our system is corruption and we have not been able to address that corruption in every facet of our lives on the streets of Nigeria, in the middle class and in the upper class. There is corruption and let nobody deny it. “In a parliamentary system, I see our leaders or politicians working together as parliamentarians and ministers. This means that if you don’t win election you cannot come and be minister. This is the way it used to be before. It will also be less expensive. A minister will be entitled to one car, both as Member of Parliament and as a minister. “I believe genuinely that parliamentary system is cheaper and costeffective and it is also the way to go for our democracy. We should have president and vice president. We should even have a president and have a prime minister. It happens that way in some countries, including South Africa. We don’t need the present upper house and lower house because it is expensive.”

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

How we escaped death in Jos blasts, by survivors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ment by the Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Olivia Dazyam, put the death toll at 75 and that 126 others were injured. The incident also attracted more condemnations yesterday from Senate President David Mark; his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the United States. The state governor, Jonah Jang, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Jamatul Nasir Islam (JNI) also decried the attack. Amid the grieving and condemnations of the Jos bombings, Boko Haram, believed to be the sponsor of the attack continued its killing spree as it attacked a village near Chibok, Borno State, where about 274 schoolgirls were abducted over a month ago, killing 17 persons. On its part, the Federal Government has accused northern state governors of not doing enough to end insurgency in the country. For the survivors, it was a moment of thanksgiving for escaping death by a whisker. Some of them told New Telegraph on their beds yesterday at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau Specialist Hospital and Bingham University Teaching Hospital, in Jos that the only thing they could remember was the last moments before the blasts. When New Telegraph visited the hospitals, relations were seen queuing to confirm if their family members were on admission at the health facilities while others were seen searching for the bodies of their relations. One of the survivors, Hadiza Ajiji, told New Telegraph that what she could remember was her last moments before the blasts as she blacked out and woke up in the hospital. Ajiji, who sustained serious injuries, said: “Three of us were inside Keke NAPEP (tricycle) near the old JUTH and one of the passengers decided to alight and then suddenly, a big Peugeot J5 bus came behind us and the driver of the tricycle decided to slow down to allow it to overtake us. The bus was laden with heavy bags of maize. Less than five minutes after the bus overtook our tricycle, all of a sudden, we heard a big sound like thunder. In fact, as I am talking to you now, I don’t know if those with whom we were together in the tricycle survived. “As we heard the blast, I didn’t know where I was; I only found myself here

in the hospital. You can see that my body was seriously burnt; but I thank God that I’m alive.” Another survivor, Elizabeth Musa, was in the market to purchase some items when the incident happened. “I went to the market to purchase some items and I was close to where the bomb exploded. I didn’t know how it happened or that I didn’t die because when I recovered, I just found myself in the hospital,” she said. Also narrating what he recalled before the explosions, Suleiman Ismail told New Telegraph amid tears on his hospital bed that his mother had sent him to the terminus to deliver a message to somebody and he was close to his destination when he heard the explosions. Like others, he never knew how he got to the hospital. Recounting her own ordeal, another survivor, Mrs. Oluyede, said she was trying to buy shoes for her children when the explosions occurred and she immediately collapsed. “Everybody was running for his life; and all I knew was that I found myself here in the hospital because when it happened, there was a thick black cloud with black smoke all over the place,” she added. Deputy Public Relations Officer of Plateau Water Board, Mr. John Chuwang, said he was in the market to address some customers of the board when the explosions occurred. Chuwang said immediately he alighted from the vehicle that took him to the market, he heard a bang after which something hit his leg. “I saw people beside and in front of me falling dead but God saved me with only this wound on my leg,” he said A report by PREMIUM TIMES said officials of Plateau Specialist Hospital confirmed that 15 of the injured victims brought to the casualty unit died just before midnight. A laboratory manager at the National Blood Transfusion unit of the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Demne Kut, said most of the 15 victims died during treatment due to loss of blood. The online news medium reported counting at least 52 other corpses on the floor of the hospital mortuary, including that of a child. It also saw about 100 bodies at the mortuary of the Jos University Teaching Hospital temporary site, which is adjacent the blast scene, adding that the situation was similar at Bingham University

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (second left), with Pope Francis I (right), after mass at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Rome… recently

Teaching Hospital. A medical personnel at JUTH, who pleaded not to be identified, told the online news site that about 120 corpses were brought to the hospital, while injured persons were rushed to the permanent site for medication. A 500-level Medical Laboratory Science student of the University of Jos, Christiana Paul, said seven of her course mates died in the blasts. “The seven of them are my course mates, we are in 500-level. They went to Terminus to shop and the bomb caught up with them. Two bodies are here at the Plateau Specialist Hospital Mortuary,” the student said in tears. Also at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, one Usman Adamu said he came to recover the body of his landlady, Amina. He said the victim was at the market to buy a dress for her brother’s daughter who is about to wed. A cleric, Godwin Ejeh, of Kingdom Dominion Chapel, Dadinkowa, also told the online news medium that his 18-year-old daughter, Shekina Ejeh, who was sent to the market to buy groceries, died in the blast. A civil servant, Keneng Choji, said she lost her daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and a neighbour to the explosions. However, the information officer of the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Mrs. Talatu Angi, told New Telegraph in Jos that the hospital had so far recorded a total of 55 corpses while 35 victims were receiving treatment at the hospital. As the bereaved family members mourn their dead and the survivors battle to survive, the Senate president condemned the bomb blasts, charging Nigerians to be more vigilant within their environment.

Mark also urged Nigerians to remain resolute in the fight against terrorists while assuring them that the Federal Government would strive to guarantee security of lives and property in the country. Mark said the events of recent times posed serious threat to the survival of the country. Mark’s deputy also condemned the blasts, describing them as “callous and completely unacceptable.” Ekweremadu, while decorating his personal orderly, Edward Utuh, with the rank of Inspector of Police yesterday in Abuja, said the culture of bombing was completely alien to the country, and called for a united front to combat it. Also reacting to the bombings in Jos, Atiku, while condemning the attack, called for an all-party conference to combat the insurgency. He said in a statement in Abuja that this was aimed at forging a united approach to the spate of insurgency, which he described as a threat to the peace and unity of Nigeria. According to him, the persistent terrorist violence against innocent people is embarrassing and intolerable. He, however, advised Nigerians not to despair and succumb to terrorists’ menace, which is aimed at paralysing the country with fear and hopelessness, and ultimately turning Nigerians against one another. The US Embassy in Nigeria also condemned the multiple bomb blasts in Jos and that of Kano on May 18. In a statement in Abuja, the embassy said these vicious attacks on Nigerian civilians and the abduction last month of more than 200 girls in Chibok were unconscionable acts and starkly demonstrated

the criminality of the perpetrators who continue to target defenceless civilians. In condemning the attack on Jos, the Arewa Consultative Forum described it as wicked and gruesome, considering the huge destruction of property and loss of lives it caused. In a statement by its spokesman, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, the ACF said the North had experienced too many bomb blasts in the last six years, which have distorted the economic life of the region, thereby undermining its socioeconomic development. It appealed to the terrorists to stop killing and called on government at all levels to take proactive measures to halt the terror attacks. ACF’s counterpart in the South-West, Afenifere, also reacted to the Jos blasts in a similar manner, describing the act as a ferocious war against “our humanity”. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, the group said the coming of the explosions the very day the Senate extended the emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, showed that the insurgents were far more determined than the nation was ready to admit. It urged the Federal Government to move beyond condemnation of the attacks and unmask their sponsors. For Jamatul Nasir Islam, an Islamic group, the attack on Jos was shocking and painful. In a statement by the group’s Secretary General yesterday, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, JNI said the attack had dragged Jos back to the terror and restlessness era of before. However, the Federal Government has berated

governors of the 19 northern states for their inability to partner it to stem the insurgency. Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, told State House reporters in Abuja after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the governors were not doing enough to win the war against terror. According to him, the governors must do more than criticising the Federal Government’s decision to extend the state of emergency in the North-East but should begin to reorganise social structures, including grassroots mobilisation and information gathering to halt continued killings of innocent citizens Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed, by one week, the presidential launch of the Ekiti State governorship campaign, slated for today. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja that the postponement was in honour of the victims of Tuesday’s explosions in Jos. Irrespective of the angst over the killing in Jos, Boko Haram, believed to have masterminded the attack, has struck again, killing 17 people in an attack on a village in Borno State, close to Chibok, where over 200 schoolgirls were seized. In the latest attack, Boko Haram fighters reportedly spent hours killing and looting in the village of Alagarno. Witnesses in Alagarno said the suspected Boko Haram fighters arrived close to midnight, and killed and looted for hours before leaving in stolen vehicles. One survivor told the BBC that every single building in the village had been torched.

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Reps to review proposed EU/West Africa EPA Philip Nyam Abuja

L-R: Lagos Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs. Oluranti Odutola and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adegbuji-Onikoyi, at a briefing by Gbeleyi on the activities of the Ministry in Lagos…yesterday.

Adefuye blasts MacCain over comment on govt

Ummal-Fada Babagirei Abuja

igerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye has faulted Senator John McCain, the Arizona Senator and erstwhile presidential candidate of the Republican Party, for denigrating the office and person of President Goodluck Jonathan by referring to the President of Nigeria as, “some guy called Goodluck Jonathan”. The Ambassador specifically described the comment of the American Senator as, “a show of contempt” to Jonathan. Adefuye stated these in his address at the monthly meeting of constituency for Africa held at Ritz Carlton in the US. The former presidential candidate of the

'Arizona Senator has been a sad footnote' Republican Party, had, while commenting on the abduction of over 200 secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State, described Dr. Jonathan as, “some guy called Goodluck Jonathan’’ whose consent he would not have sought before deploying US troops to rescue the abducted girls. Professor Adefuye in his statement said, “Senator John McCain has been a sad footnote. The ranking Arizona Senator and former Republican Presidential candidate has inexplicably seized on the pain of a distressed nation not only to show contempt to our country but also denigrate the office and person of His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria. “It is this President of the largest economy in Africa, 26th largest economy in the world, America’s largest trading partner in Africa and America’s most important strategic partner in the continent that McCain described as ‘‘some guy called Goodluck Jonathan’’ whose consent he would not have sought before deploying US troops to rescue the abducted girls. “But we hasten to ask: whatever happened in McCain’s mind to the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Nation States? Has Senator McCain forgotten the results of such acts just a few years ago? Could he not learn from the results

of previous unilateral military interventions? “One wonders what could have happened if the 2008 elections have gone the other way and McCain became the President of the most powerful nation in the world. But thanks to providence. The good Lord has a better plan for the people of the world. “It is instructive that only a week after McCain made his disparaging remarks which might have reinforced his image as a hawk and reminded us of his status as a veteran, the US Senate ignored him and passed a balanced Resolution on May 14 condemning the abduction and urging the US government to assist Nigeria in its effort to rescue the girls safely.

he House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committees on Treaties and African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of states (ACP) to review the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and West African countries. This resolution was consequent upon the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Micah Umoh (Akwa Ibom/PDP) on the need for the country's legislature to be involved in the negotiation processes leading to a possible agreement. While leading debate on the motion, which was unanimously adopted, Umoh submitted

Anxiety as UniZik VC selection committee meets Uwakwe Abugu Awka

he five-man selection committee which will produce a new vice chancellor for the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in Anambra State yesterday started the final interview process for candidates. They are those selected from the 40 aspirants, who filed in their applications to replace Prof. Boniface Egboka, the out-going vice chancellor whose tenure expires next month. Nine candidates have been selected from amongst the professors that applied and they are now being interviewed one after the other by the selection committee. Palpable anxiety

Chukwu David

PDP tackles APC over Ekiti rally T

ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) yesterday accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) of insensitivity. It said while Nigerians are mourning over the twin bomb attacks in Jos, Kano and Maiduguri, the party was busy holding campaign rally in Ekiti for the June 21 governorship election in the state. The party, at a press conference after its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, said while PDP cancelled its Ekiti rally in honour of people who lost its lives in the blasts, APC failed to sympathise with Ni-

gerians as shown by the Ekiti rally. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who addressed the press conference, alleged that APC was major beneficiary of terrorism in Nigeria. "The party expresses shock that while the entire nation is still mour ning following yesterday’s bomb blast in Jos, even as another incident was reported this afternoon in Borno and debris yet to be cleared from the streets of Kano, the cold hearted APC moved its campaign train to Ekiti State in total affront to the sensibility of Nigerians and in tacit indi-

cation that the party is benefiting from terrorism", Metuh said. He wondered why it is that when there is crisis in the country, APC enjoys good publicity and cautioned Nigerians and the international community to be wary of the party, which he accused of joining the naysayers in making the country ungovernable, so that the doomsday prediction that Nigeria would split in 2015 would become a reality. "APC is the major beneficiary of terrorism in this country. We stand by our statement that APC celebrates terrorism. What they are doing has nothing to do with ac-

tions or inactions of the past. What they are doing does not transcend to votes in this country. "When APC said they would partner with government to find solutions on Boko Haram, we ask whether their celebration and consultancy is what they want partnering. "We are a developing democratic country. Even in developed democracies, things are not perfect. The truth is that even if we had made mistakes, Nigerians know that APC and the opposition is not an option. We are not tribal; we are not owned by anybody and Nigerians know that," Metuh stated.

could be felt as it literally hung in the air yesterday, especially among the academic staff of the university and it was difficult all through the day to get close sources to the selection process to speak to New Telegraph on details of the meeting of the selection committee which began on Tuesday. The Director, Information and Public Relations of the university, Mr. Emma Ojukwu, had in the early hours of yesterday, told our reporter in a telephone chat that the on-going meeting of the selection committee would continue till today, but efforts to get him to speak again on the progress later in the day yesterday was futile.

Chemical weapons Bill scales first reading at Senate Abuja

Onyekachi Eze

that "If Nigeria endorses the new European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, we will inadvertently transfer job opportunities of our children to their children and we will become dumping ground of their goods to the total annihilation of our industries and manufacturing systems which is meant to create jobs for our people” He disclosed that, "The deadline of October 1 for signing of this EPA with European Union if consummated, will undermine the rising statues of Nigeria as an Economic power and will undermine the strategic advantage of our youthful population, which remains a strong resource if given opportunity.

he Senate yesterday passed to second reading, a bill seeking to prohibit the development, production, transfer and use of chemical weapons in Nigeria through the establishment of an authority that would guarantee effective implementation of Chemical Weapons convention. The Bill, which was entitled, "Chemical Weapons Prohibition Bill 2013", seeks to provide a legal framework that will stem and control the use of chemical weapons in Nigeria. In his lead debate on the bill, the sponsor and Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said the main thrust of the bill was to establish a body that would ensure

effective liaison with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) with a view to satisfying Nigeria's obligation under the convention. He described chemical weapon as toxic chemical contained in a delivery system such as shell or bomb including any toxic chemical or its precursor that could lead to death, injury, temporary or sensory irritation through its chemical action. According to him, victims of chemical weapons usually suffer painful and traumatic death or debilitating effects throughout their lifetime, noting that these weapons had over the years been evolved through the development of chemical products such as artillery shells, mortar projectiles, aerial bombs, spray tanks and landlines.

NEWS

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

he All Progressives Congress(APC) yesterday formally presented the party's flag to its standard bearer in the June 21 governorship poll in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in Ado-Ekiti. Leaders of the party from across the country also used the occasion to comment on the various problems confronting the nation, and described the party as the cure to the nation's woes. Speaking at the event, the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had failed Nigerians and urged Nigerians to vote out the party at all levels. He condemned the President Goodluck Jona-

ekiti 2014

APC presents flag to Fayemi,says it is cure to nation's problems than-led Federal Government for its failure to tame the dreaded Boko Haram insurgency. Tinubu said it was rather sad and grievous how the blood of innocent Nigerians were being shed by insurgents. "APC is the cure to Nigeria’s headache in the areas of unemployment, killings, ineptitude and in Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi is the doctor. “I don’t have to sell Fayemi to you again because his landmark achievements in all facets have shown his values. I commend you for standing by our party, but this can

Fayemi plotting to arrest my supporters - Bamidele

l Allegation spurious- Fayemi's aide

ALARM

Ekiti State Labour Party candidate accuses governor of plot to pick his supporters Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

abour Party governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration is planning massive arrest of his supporters across the state ahead the June 21 poll. In a statement by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, he alleged that the APC was particularly plotting to frame up those that resigned from Governor Kayode Fayemi-led government to join the Labour Party. He said the APC was also hiding under the violence that erupted during the LP campaign rally in Ipole Iloro-Ekiti, Ilawe, Ilejemeje and Okemesi to clamp down on some of the high-profile personalities in his party. He added that his supporters would be arrested on spurious charges. Bamidele added that he had it on good authority that the APC-led government had perfected plans to open spurious corruption cases against key supporters like former Chairman, Ekiti State House of Assembly Commission, Mr. Bayo Idowu; former Special Adviser,Chief Akin Olayisade; former Chairman, Ekiti State Waste Management Agency, Morakinyo Adebayo and those who had

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

earlier served under Fayemi’s government but defected to LP. "We want to make it abundantly clear that the LP will challenge such action with every available legal instrument in its disposal as nobody or party is above the law or has the right to trample on the inalienable rights of other citizens, particularly right to freely associate as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution," Bamidele declared. But in a swift reaction, the spokesman for the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Dimeji Daniels, described the allegations as unfounded. He noted that the LP candidate was afraid of the imminent defeat in the coming election.

only manifest if you refuse to sell your votes or be bought over by the PDP on the day of election. “You have nothing to fear on the day of election. No police or soldier can intimidate you because it is we Nigerians that pay their salaries. The June 21 election is an opportunity for you to show to the PDP that it has been rejected by Nigerians," Tinubu said. Former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari; Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and governors on the platform of Progressive Governors’ Forum were also

455,852

present. Buhari, who spoke against the rising wave of killings in Nigeria, said that the APC had competent hands to turn around the fortunes of the country, particularly at this critical period when the nation was facing serious challenges. “APC has competent hands to steer the ship of the nation. It is a party I believe in and have conviction that can bring Nigeria out of its present situation,” Buhari said. Speaking on behalf of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha, his

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

counterparts in Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, said their support for Fayemi was born out of the solid and enduring legacies he had laid in Ekiti in the last four years. Okorocha, who particularly rued the level of carnage in the northern part of the country said: “Nigerians must reject the PDP in all elections. When the wicked are in power, the people will suffer but when the righteous are there, the people rejoice. “If not for the fact that Fayemi has identified interest to be governor of

41%

The percentage of women in West and Central Africa that got married before the age of 18. Source: Unwomen.org

Ekiti State, he is qualified to be governor anywhere in the country”, he said. Fayemi, who commended the people for their support, said Ekiti could not afford to impose mediocrity on itself in the name of politics, expressing confidence that he would triumph over his challengers in the June 21 poll. Fayemi said: “What we have been able to achieve in this first term are not my achievements alone; they are yours as well. In the past close to four years, what we have seen are the first fruits of what can happen when we pull together and work together. By the grace of God and with your invaluable help, we are once again lifting the flag of our great party to run in the gubernatorial race, and we are confident you will give us your vote.”

32%

The percentage of male internet users of Ecuador in 2011. Source: Itu.int

A cross section of the crowd during the All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally and presentation of governorship flag to Dr Kayode Fayemi in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday.

PDP, Fayose accuse APC of distracting Jonathan Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State and its governorship candidate in the coming poll, Ayodele Fayose, have accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the Boko Haram insurgency, saying; "Increased terrorist activities of the insurgents are aimed at distracting President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP from Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections, but they have failed." Fayose, who addressed a press briefing in AdoEkiti yesterday, also said it was disgusting that the APC could still go ahead to hold its mega rally in preparation for the coming poll, despite their

avowed claim of being progressive democrats. "It is disheartening that the APC went ahead with its own campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti today, despite the number of lives that were lost in Jos, Plateau State on Tuesday. "God will surely visit His wrath on anyone shedding the blood of innocent Nigerians just for political gains. "Questions Nigerians must begin to ask are: why is it that anytime President Goodluck Jonathan is about to attend a major political event, the Boko Haram will strike? Why did the criminal activities of the Boko Haram insurgents increase a few months to the Ekiti and Osun State elections? "Nigerians must also cast their minds back to

the high wave of criminal activities in Ekiti State between 2008 and 2010 during the PDP government of Engr Segun Oni. "It was during this period that Ekiti was on the world map for kidnapping, murder and armed robbery. During this period, a first-class traditional ruler was kidnapped while three senior officers of the Police Anti Robbery Squad were killed in broad daylight. "Isn't it instructive that immediately the APC took over government through judicial manipulation, kidnapping and murder stopped in Ekiti? Apart from politicallymotivated killings, has anyone been killed in Ekiti since the APC took over power? "The reality is that the same way these APC

made Ekiti State ungovernable during the PDP government of Oni, is the way they are also trying to make Nigeria ungovernable now, just because they want to seize power in 2015, an ambition that will fail by the grace of God," Fayose said. In the same vein, the State Chairman of PDP, Makanjuola Ogundipe, in a statement, urged the people of state and the nation at large to read between the lines and see the hypocrisy of the APC. Reacting, the Head of Media, Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Dimeji Daniels, said PDP was suffering from General Anxiety Disorder Syndrome (GADS). Daniels added that the PDP rally was cancelled for fear of failure as the party had self-destruct

from the inside. "The enormity of the problems confronting the party owing to the controversial style of its candidate would have rubbished the rally. This is why it was cancelled. The attempt of the PDP to draw cheap public sympathy from this is another of its insensitive approach to serious issues affecting the lives of defenseless Nigerians. After all, Nigerians know which party was dancing azonto in Kano and popping champagne in Ibadan few hours after many were killed in the Nyanya explosion in Abuja." He added that it was usual for the PDP which is in control of the government at the centre to accuse others of its numerous failings.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

ASSURANCE Governor Uduaghan insists insecurity will soon become history Dominic Adewole Asaba

overnor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has said that President Goodluck Jonathan would emerge stronger from the present security challenges facing the country. Speaking when he played host to the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Revd Felix Omobude in Asaba yesterday, Udu-

Insecurity: Jonathan will emerge stronger, says Uduaghan aghan admitted that Nigeria was facing serious challenges but noted that Jonathan will emerge as a better leader from the challenges. “President Jonathan is passing through heat right now but he will come out stronger, more acceptable and a greater leader,” the governor said. Uduaghan, attributing the success of his administration to God, said: “We cannot take credit for what we are doing in the state. Whatever modest achieve-

Ogun attracted $7bn investment in two years – Amosun Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

overnor Ibikunle AmoGterday sun of Ogun State yessaid an investment

worth about $7.3 billion has accrued to the state in the last two years. Amosun, who disclosed this at the opening of the second edition of Ogun State Investors' Forum in Abeokuta, stated that 46 major industries that set up businesses during the period led to the investment. This event, with the theme: "Agriculture and Urban Development," will be rounded up today at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Ms Marie Francoise Marie Nelly, Managing Director of GTBank, Mr Segun Agbaje, former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the state Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, are among the panelists while a Senior Fellow with Lagos Business School, Dr. Doyin Salami, was the moderator. The governor explained that his administration had created enabling environment for business investment since the first investors' forum was held in March, 2012. Amosun said: "We have created an enabling environment for investment to thrive and improve our investment climate, which has made our state an investors' destination of choice. "Between the hosting of the first edition of the Ogun State Investors' Forum and now, about 46 major industries with a total investment of about $7.3 billion have established businesses in the state while over 30 others are in their various stages of completion." He said having realised that land is a key factor for

meaningful agricultural development, the state allocated over 2,000 hectares of land to investors in agriculture at minimal cost. The governor stressed that the state has an advantage because of its proximity to Lagos State and ready markets which provide window into the West African sub-region. Amosun identified some business opportunities in the agriculture sector to include palm oil, palm kernel, rubber cultivation, natural rubber, para rubber and the hevea brasiliensis, which are used in the manufacture of many industrial products, including tyres, football and others. He charged investors to take the opportunity of the significant investment in agriculture and the expansion of the state's industrial base, assuring them of adequate security of lives and property. In his keynote address, the guest speaker and former president of Mexico, Mr Vincente Fox, expressed satisfaction with the ongoing infrastructural development in the state. Fox said integration and diversification must be accorded utmost priority, noting that such made Mexico to excel. He urged the government to partner with the private sector in moving the state's economy from agriculture-based to manufacturing and industrialisation. He said: "Leaders don't stop in what they do, leaders do what others are afraid to do. We must integrate ourselves into the West. No nation can develop on its own. The association between America and Mexico brought about great things. Nigeria must understand that integration matters most and Africa Union should be committed to move everybody forward."

ment we are having is by the grace of God.” He thanked spiritual leaders for their prayers for the country and Delta State in particular, noting that with their prayers for the state, a lot have been achieved. “Without you in terms of prayers, in terms of counseling, Delta State will not be where it is today,” he said. Uduaghan congratulated

15.47

Omobude on his election as the President of PFN and commended him for his efforts at repositioning the PFN. Omobude, who led other executives of PFN on the visit, explained it was aimed at bringing the national headquarters of the body closer to the people. The cleric explained that the visits were also part of his plan to re-engi-

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Colombia in 2010. Source: Itu.int

neer the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and build synergy within the fellowship. He lauded the developmental strides of Uduaghan’s administration, noting that the free education programme of the government was one programme that was positioning the youth of the state positively. “The greatness of a

4.9m

The number of Palestinian refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency at the end of 2012. Source: Unhcr.org.uk

leader is in his people,” the PFN President said, adding, “I want to congratulate you on your developmental efforts, you have left no one in doubt that you mean well for Delta State. “I applaud you for the successes in the field of education, you have touched the lives of many and the Church of Jesus Christ is grateful to God for the man that you are.”

24%

The percentage share of India’s arms purchase from Russia between 2005 and 2009. Source: Blatantworld.com

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (middle), his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (second left), President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Felix Omobude (left), Vice Chairman, PFN, South-South, Rev. Simeon Okah and others when Omobude led members of the Delta State chapter on a courtesy visit to the governor in Asaba...yesterday

Ooni intervenes in OAU crisis Senator Etok: I've written my Will Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo he chairman, Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, yesterday intervened in the crisis rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. Students of the institution are protesting hike in tuition. The first class traditional ruler, while addressing the protesting students in Ile-Ife, charged them not to take to violence and assured them that he would wade into the development to see that reversal step is taken on the matter within 24 hours of their visit. Speaking through his second in command, the Adimula of Ife, High Chief Lowa, alongside 13 other chiefs at the palace,, the Ooni promised that he would persuade the management to reverse the fee. He condemned the sud-

den increment, saying step would be taken to reverse it. "The Ooni will do something and within the next twenty-four hours, the fee will be reversed. The fee must certainly be reversed and anybody who wants to disrupt the legacy of our forefathers will never know peace," High Chief Lowa averred. Meanwhile, the newly elected President of the students union, Ibikunle Isaac, said "the union would serve bank headquarters letter not to attend to any student regarding payment of the increased tuition until the management reverses the fee". He vowed that students would not pay the fees he described as "obnoxious and killing" maintaining that the students would continue to protest until the Professor Bamitale Omole-led management rescinds its decision.

Tony Anichebe

Uyo

he Senator representTtrict, ing Ikot Ekpene DisAkwa Ibom State,

Aloysius Etok, has reiterated his determination to contest the seat in 2015. Insisting that he was prepared for the worst, Etok revealed that he had already written his Will “because of the circumstances I have found myself ” Speaking with journalists yesterday in his private residence in Uyo, the senator, who is having a running battle with Governor Godswill Akpabio over the seat, said: “I have taken a stand on this matter and nobody can change it. “Electricity would not have been discovered if there were no mistakes. If you don’t take a decision today

because you don’t want to make mistake, it means you are not yet ready to progress. “A top politician from this area has awarded a contract by sending people to check through all the schools I attended and the places I worked whether I have stains on my record so that I could be blackmailed but they have failed since they found nothing incriminating”. The two-term senator said his ability to survive in politics for a long time “is attributed to having no skeleton in my cupboard”. He said: “I don't have anything against Governor Godswill Akpabio. He is my friend and brother. At the same time, I am not afraid of anything or anybody because he who was born in the farm can never be afraid of snakes.”

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Terrorism: Army urges change in media reportage Emmanuel Onani he Nigerian Army has called on the media to adopt a new approach in its reportage of the ongoing counter-terrorism war in the three North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The call was made yesterday at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, during a press conference addressed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Olajide Laleye. According to Laleye, "No country in the world diminishes its armed forces," even as he stressed that "the media in those countries up-

Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (left) and Amir FCT, Federation of Muslim Women's in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Raliat Akinbobola, during the group’s visit to the Speaker at National Assembly, Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Abducted Chibok girls: Protesters storm Aso Rock today Lateef Ibrahim

Abuja

he BringBackOurGirls Tgoing protest, which has been on in Abuja and

other parts of the country for weeks now, will be taken to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa today by 3pm. All those interested in participating in the protest to the seat of power have been told to convene by

2:30pm at the Unity Fountain, which has being the usual venue for the protesters. This was confirmed yesterday in a statement signed by the Coordinator of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, Hadiza Bala Usman. The statement reads, "the #BringBackOurGirls Team will embark on a protest march to the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock+. "This is in continuation

of our citizens’ engagement over the need for the authorities concerned to take the lead in safely rescuing our over 200 schoolgirls still in custody of Boko Haram. "Therefore, as the President and Chief Security Officer of the country, this movement deemed it necessary to take its cry and demand to His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan.

Don’t contest governorship again, group tells Audu Muhammad Bashir

Lokoja

political g roup, Restoration Group 2015, under the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has asked a former governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, to consider vying for another

elective office come 2015 outside the governorship. The group’s President, Muhammed Abubakar, at a media conference yesterday in Lokoja, said the state is in dare need of a young, qualitative and vibrant leader that will salvage the people and the state from the modern-day slavery under the ruling party in the state.

He said: “It is the responsibility of the opposition parties in the state to save the people from the misery occasioned by bad leadership in the state, by allowing a fresh, young and dynamic aspirant to challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 governorship election in Kogi State.”

Investors’ forum: Amosun showcases Ogun’s agric potential gun State governor, Oyesterday Ibikunle Amosun, flagged off the

second edition of the state’s Investors’ forum with a call on willing investors to harness the agricultural advantage that abound in the state. Declaring open the twoday forum with the theme;

“Agriculture and Urban Development,” which had former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, as the keynote speaker at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Governor Amosun said the state is determined to aggressively promote agriculture, which has been identified as the pivot of in-

dustrial lives. He emphasised that the growth of any economy depended largely on its agriculture; pointing out that his administration has started expanding the agrobased processing industry through the exploration of the value chain in the sector as it enters a new frontier.

MEND not responsible for Okrika explosion – NUPENG Yekeen Nurudeen

Abuja

ontrary to media reports that the Movement for the Emancipationof NigerDelta (MEND) was responsible for the last Sunday explosion at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Refinery Jetty pipelines in Okrika, Rivers

State, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has said the attack was not carried out by MEND. NUPENG said the claim was an attempt to hide criminality as the explosion was a result of oil theft by some criminal elements in the creeks. It will be recalled that MEND had claimed respon-

sibility for the explosion as partof its‘HurricaneExodus’ campaign. NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday while addressing newsmen on the explosion, also debunked media reports that only seven people died in the explosion, saying at least 50 people died.

How strife deprives community of cabinet positions Leo Sobechi ingering crisis within the Ihiala Progressive Union (IPU) and the antics of certain politicians have been identified as the major causes why Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State is yet to appoint any aide from the expansive local government area.

New Telegraph investigations revealed that attempt by leaders of the community to elect delegates for the eventual election of the President General last December ran into murky waters, following the discovery that a former member of the House of Representatives from the town made him-

self the Chairman, Board of Trustees of IPU. It was gathered that on discovering the antic of the former legislature, some eminent personalities of the town cried foul saying that the IPU constitution, which was filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) Abuja has no such provision.

hold their national security" over and above other considerations. The army lamented however, that the case was different in Nigeria, where "it appears a section of our media derides national security," wondering what will become of the fight against terrorist elements, "if a section of our media and sympathisers of BHT propagate the invincibility of the terrorists." This is even as it wondered "who will prosecute the war" against Boko Haram insurgents, "if a section of our media is used to discredit her armed forces." Meanwhile, the Army explained that the planned

recruitment of personnel, which process has since commenced, with sale of forms, is meant "for qualified able-bodied Nigerian men," who will be posted to the North-East. Consequently, it warned that "only those prepared to fight for the fatherland should volunteer." On the allegation that the military was ill-equipped, Laleye said the claim was not true as, according to him, such was "a smear campaign to portray the Army as corrupt." He disclosed that the force has "moved from a defensive posture to an offensive posture."

Osun 2015: NOA set to organise debate for candidates Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

ll candidates of the Acontesting political parties for the

governorship election in Osun State will, any moment from now, appear for political debates in the state to roll out their

templates, plan of actions and to convince the electorates about their ability and capability towards governing the state. State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Lawrence Martins, who made this known in a press conference yester-

day in Osogbo, said plans are on by the agency to make the debate a reality among the contestants in the state. The NOA director maintained that the programme would be one of the best as it would allow the electorate to know a lot about the person they would want to vote for during the election.

Adenuga lauds AMAA on 10th anniversary lobacom Chairman, Dr. Gcongratulated Mike Adenuga Jr; has African

actors, actresses, producers, cameramen and other movie practitioners for raising the bar by projecting cultural values, norms and philosophies as they mirror societies on the continent through their works.

Adenuga, who stated this in a message to the 10th edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) scheduled to hold this Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, thanked the practitioners for the robust development of the movie industry on the African continent.

His words: “It is remarkable that our movie industry has rapidly grown in stature and is today ranked among the top three in the world. To be placed in the league of the highly successful Hollywood in the United States of America and India’s Bollywood is indeed not a mean feat.

NCC donates 110 laptops to Akwa Poly Tony Anichebe

Uyo

Nigerian CommuniThashecationdonated Commission (NCC) 110 laptop computers to the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic in furtherance of its Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary

Institutions (ADAPTI). The presentation was done during the official commissioning of ADAPTI at the polytechnic by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, who was represented by the South-South Commissioner, Mr. Dominic Nwator. According to Juwah, over

297 institutions in the country had benefited from the programme since its inception in 2008. He explained that while tertiary institutions were the solebeneficiariesof ADAPTI, secondary schools were also benefiting from another programme known as Digital Access Programme (DAP).

Afenifere condemns Jos attack, demands prosecution Wale Elegbede he pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, yesterday condemned Tuesday’s twin bomb blasts at the Jos Terminus Market that reportedly claimed close to

200 lives, describing the act as a ferocious war against our humanity. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, the group said the coming of the explosions the very day the Nigerian Senate extended

the emergency rule in three North-East states, which are the headquarters of insurgency that have rocked the country in the last three years, is a sign that the insurgents are far more determined than the nation is ready to admit.

Lagos Assembly’ll wade into LASU’s crisis –Ikuforiji Wale Elegbede he Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has given assurance that the House will wade into problems plaguing the Lagos State University (LASU), promising to find a lasting solution to the crisis soon. The LASU chapter of

the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had on Tuesday embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands. The speaker gave the assurance when he received in audience the executive of LASU Alumni Association, led by Mr. Fatai Sonoiki, who came to seek the intervention of the House in

the crises confronting the university. Expressing delight with the recent rating of the Law Faculty of the 30-year-old university as the best in Africa and 14th in the world, said he felt happier about the efforts being made to solve the problems of the institution with theconcernsshownbytheinstitution alumni association.

news

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

DANGER

SSANU says the spate of bombing in the country must be checked immediately Sola Adeyemo and Kayode Olanrewaju

he Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) in the South-West yesterday told President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently find a solution to the raging insecurity problem in the country, because, according to them, the nation “is now sitting on a keg of gun-powder waiting to explode.” The message was con-

Chibok: Nigeria sitting on keg of gun-powder, says SSANU tained in a letter of protest entitled; “Urgent Need for Decisive Action on Insecurity and Terrorism in Nigeria,” addressed to Jonathan and presented to the government of Oyo State on the abducted 276 students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. SSANU’s protest letter was delivered even as the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe and

Dr. Mensa Otabil of Ghana raised their voices to condemn the abduction of the schoolgirls. The clerics, who made the call on behalf of the Council of African Apostles, an assembly of eminent church leaders across sub-Saharan Africa, said the children should be released immediately by the sect without further delay. Representatives of SSANU from all the universities in the South-West zone, led by their National Vice-President (West) and

the Secretary, Alfred Jimoh and Abdussobur Salaam respectively, staged a peaceful protest round the University of Ibadan before trekking to the Governor’s Office, where the letter was delivered to Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Singing solidarity songs, the universities’ senior staff marched through Bodija Market, Awolowo Junction up to the Government Secretariat, where a team led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG),

Ismael Olalekan Alli, received them. Addressing the people at the SSANU secretariat at the University of Ibadan, Jimoh said the union empathised and sympathised with the Nigerian people just as he lamented the lack of spontaneous reaction by the Presidency immediately after the incident. In the letter, the union described the incident “as a dangerous dimension to the current spate of insecurity in the land,

which further deepened the already existing fear in the hearts of Nigerians over the inability of the Federal Government to ensure the protection of lives and property, which is the raison detre of government.” Reiterating the need to take urgent steps to stem the tide, the union said its concern “is that these ugly trends, insecurity and terrorism, are gradually making frightening inroads into institutions of learning."

Insecurity: Atiku calls for all parties’ conference Onyekachi Eze

ABUJA

Participants at the Nigerian Army Finance Corps, Warrants Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Training in Jaji, Kaduna State... yesterday

3,901 The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions in developing countries in 2010. Source: Itu.int

7-8%

The percentage of global energy production used to lift groundwater and pump it through pipes and to treat both groundwater and wastewater. Source: Unesco.org

37.49%

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

ormer Vice-President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, yesterday called for an all-inclusive conference of all political parties in the country to find a solution to the security challenges facing the nation. He said this was to forge a united approach in dealing with the spate of insurgency in the country, which he described as a threat to the peace and unity of Nigeria. Reacting to the latest bomb blast in Jos, which reportedly killed 118 people and the killings in Kano, the former vice-president said the violence against innocent people was embarrassing and intolerable. He, however, advised Nigerians not to despair

nor succumb to the terrorists’ blackmail, which he said was aimed at paralysing the country with fear and hopelessness, ultimately turning Nigerians against themselves. According to him, terrorism is an act of “deliberate provocation” intended to throw Nigerians at each other’s jugular, thereby destroying every positive gain of the country since independence and amalgamation. Atiku advised Nigerians not to play into the terrorists’ hands by getting themselves provoked into fighting one another. The former vicepresident also called on politicians to be united in condemning terrorism, adding that terrorists enjoy dividing public opinion to justify their atrocities.

Omisore’ll restore Osun’s Obiano flags off construction of N790m road lost glory – Ex-Commissioner

Lagos govt, LASU management, others regret strike action

Uwakwe Abugu

Kayode Olanrewaju ollowing the declaration of indefinite strike on Tuesday by the Lagos State University Academic Staff Union of Universities (LASU-ASUU), the university management yesterday described the action as unfortunate, saying it was yet to be officially informed of the action by the union. The body described the decision of the striking lecturers to embark on strike as regrettable, given the spate of crises the university has witnessed in recent times and the need to return the system to the path of sanity and stability. The university’s spokesman, Kayode Sutton, said: “As I am talking to you, the management has not been officially informed by the union about the strike. Though, the strike has

Awka

nambra State governor, Aflagged Willie Obiano, yesterday off construction

work on the N790 million Achina-Onneh-AgbuduOgboji road, saying when completed, the road will open up food producing areas of the state for more infrastructural development. The 7.5-kilometre road project was awarded to Estrada Construction Company. The governor said on completion, the road would expand the scope of agricultural activities and increase food production and job creation in the area. According to Obiano, the road would become a strategic facility as it cuts across major agricultural areas of the state, which

means that it would enhance easy evacuation of agricultural produce and strengthen other socioeconomic and ancillary agro-based activities. He urged farmers in the area to form cooperative societies so that they could benefit from the various state government’s empowerment programmes, including free high-yielding seedlings and tractor services. He also urged the communities to provide land for government agricultural programmes. During the flag-off event, a member of the House of Assembly representing Aguata II constituency, Ikem Uzoezie, said the road project would give people easy access to all parts of the state while also empowering farmers in the area.

Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

former commissioner AAdekunle in Osun State, Chief Alao Lele,

yesterday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the August 9 election in the state, Chief Iyiola Omisore, would restore the lost glory of the state if elected into office. He made the assertion while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Inisa, during the 36th year coronation anniversary of Olunisa of Inisa and the official installation of Prof. Tunde Babawale as the Babagunwa of Inisa. Adekunle described Omisore as a tested and trusted leader, who will not disappoint the electorate if elected; assuring that Omisore will

make sure he brings back laughter into the faces of the good people of the state through laudable, people-oriented and reasonable programmes that will impact on the lives of the people. “Omisore is an experienced politician, who has all it takes to be the governor. He was a one-time deputy governor of the state and a two-term senator representing Ife/Ijesha Senatorial District of the state without any blemish. “A seasoned administrator and one time chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation at the National Assembly, Omisore radiates confidence and his mobilisation capacity is unique; he is a source of inspiration to the new generation of politicians, very peaceful, honest and easy-going,” Adekunle said.

begun, the management has not received any official letter or notice to that effect.” According to him, out of the initial 21 demands of the union, only three are yet to be met by the authorities and on which the union and the authorities are still dialoguing. Meanwhile, a source in the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, expressed dismay over the strike, recalling how Governor Babatunde Fashola, pleaded with the lecturers and assured them of government’s determination attend to their demands. “The strike will not help matters, but further destroy the system. The government has told the striking lecturers that it is working on their demands, so going on strike is akin to putting the cart before the horse.”

10 NEWS

ORDER A new para-military outfit is in place to guarantee peace and safety of lives in Imo

Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

he Imo State House of Assembly is set to pass the state security bill into law to give effect to the already established Imo Security Network. The bill, will enhance the performance of the new outfit and its capacity to combat threats of insecurity and other social vices across the

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

FRC appeals Imo Assembly to pass Sanusi: court ruling state security bill T

state. The bill was sponsored by the member representing Ideato South state constituency, Hon. Ikechukwu Amuka and eight others. Amuka, had in the presentation, urged his colleagues to give the bill accelerated passage, owing to the rising wave of insecurity in the country, as the bill when passed, would effectively strengthen the security network and complement the roles of other security agencies in the state in combating crime.

Speaking on the general principles of the bill, Simeon Iwunze, (Isiala Mbano), said the bill was imperative, adding that it should be given quick passage, as according to him, the state security system needs urgent assistance to guard it against collapse. Celestine Ngobiwu Obowo), while contributing to the debate on the bill, thanked the sponsors for their foresight, but advised that the bill be given what he called a ‘legislative surgical operation’ by removing some anoma-

lies which might truncate its operation. Hon. Innocent Obulimba Ekeh, representing Owerri West state constituency, also threw his weight behind the bill, but cautioned against arrogating too much powers to the paramilitary outfit to forestall abuse. In his ruling, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Donatus Ozoemena, who presided over the plenary, also called on the Simeon Iwunze-led committee to ensure the convocation of a public hearing on the bill.

he Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria has appealed against the judgement of a Federal High Court which ruled against it in a suit filed by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. The main kernel of the appeal was on jurisdiction as the FRC contended that the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the suit. The FRC’s appeal filed by its counsel, Bola Ajibola and Co; also faulted the court for relying on Exhibit 1 (briefing note) despite the fact that it had earlier ruled that it was not admissible. Another ground of the appeal was the assumption

by the court that the FRC panel was prejudicial to the cause of Sanusi. The FRC contended that the panel was not only about Sanusi, but rather about the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the years 2011 to 2012. The appeal also faulted Sanusi’s case, contending that he did not comply with Section 66 (2) and (3) of the FRC Act before bringing an action against the council in court. It also contended that the court erred in law as it ruled against non-parties in the suit. The appeal further faulted the court, saying its panel is an administrative one rather than judicial.

Crisis brews between loyalists of UNIBEN VC, predecessor Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

L-R: Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, at the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja …yesterday

170m

The number of people who could be lifted out of poverty if all students in poor countries had basic reading skills. Source: Un.org

N1.3bn

The IGR realized from direct assessment sources in Ogun State in 2010. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

46%

The percentage of women aged 20-24 who are child brides in South Asia in 2013. Source: Unwomen.org

nother war is brewing between forces backing the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Godwin Osayuki Oshodin and those loyal to the former vicechancellor and bursar of the institution, who allegedly were said to be working round the clock to ensure the removal of the former. Prof. Oshodin is presently in hospital in the United Kingdom. He was flown out penultimate week for medical treatment over alleged poisoning by agents opposed to his administration. But the leadership and members of the Benin National Congress (BNC), a socio-cultural organisation, in a statement issued yesterday

in Benin, the Edo State capital, warned that they would not close their eyes to the secret and desperate activities of “the cartel of the former vice-chancellor and bursar” to unleash an evil plan against the incumbent vice-chancellor. The statement was signed by the Publicity and Intelligence Secretary of the body, Dr. David Ekomwenrenren. The BNC also vowed to resist the plot by the enemies of the vicechancellor to appoint their loyalist as the next vice-chancellor of the university come October this year. Prof. Oshodin, it will be recalled, has been under the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a petition written against him over alleged financial misappropriation in the university.

NDDC commences stakeholders meetings in nine states Aliyu counsels voters Joe Ezuma the region believe that necessary to engage and have started the process on 2015 elections Port Harcourt

aced with widespread condemnation of failing in its vision and mission, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced a series of consultative stakeholders’ meetings in nine states of the Niger Delta region. On May 1, the commission assembled exmilitant leaders in the region in what it called an in interactive session, which turned out to be a trouble-shooting and pacification meeting at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt. Not a few people in

the commission, rather than work assiduously to actualise its mission, became a cash cow for its operators, politicians, traditional rulers and grovelling contractors who sometimes act as proxies to both politicians and NDDC barons. The broad-based consultative meetings, which kicked off in Bayelsa State last week, moved to Port Harcourt with the commission’s Managing Director, Mr. Bassey DanAbia, underscoring the concern of many. In his address at the event, from which journalists were shut out, Dan-Abia said it was

consult with stakeholders to communicate to them the resolve of the commission to evolve new and innovative strategies for delivering its mandate as encapsulated in the act establishing it. Dan-Abia, who was represented by Chief Ephraim Etete, the representative of Rivers State on the board of the NDDC, said the meetings would provide needed platforms for the stakeholders to agree on the best ways to address development challenges in the Niger Delta, in order to achieve better service delivery. “We as a commission

of redefining our vision, mission, priorities and responsibilities in a manner that will engender confidence, involvement and active support from stakeholders. “We are exploring public, private, partnership arrangement to leverage our ability to undertake major/critical projects in the actualisation of our mandate, the NDDC managing director said. He stressed the need for all stakeholders, including states, local governments and communities, to take the ownership of the projects in their areas in a way that would ensure sustainable development.

Dan Atori MINNA

head of the 2015 general elections, Niger State governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has urged voters in the state not to sell their votes or compromise their position because of financial inducement. Governor Aliyu said some members of the opposition political parties in the state have been going round the various constituencies to buy voters’ cards from the voters, saying that if they succumb to such antics, they would be

compromising the future of their children and the development of the state. Aliyu made the remark yesterday when he received a delegation from Magama Local Government area of the state that paid him a thank-you-visit for the appointment and reappointment of their sons and daughters into the state executive council. The governor said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will not embark on the illegal act of inducing voters or buying their voters’ cards, adding that the performance of the party is enough to endear it to the electorate in 2015.

News

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

532,095 farmers to get subsidised fertilizers in Bauchi Yuzarsif Alhassan

Bauchi

ver half a million Ofrom farmers will benefit the subsidised

agricultural inputs under the Federal Government's Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in Bauchi State. The Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Bauchi. Yusuf said that the farmers would share over 53,209 tons of assorted fertiliser and 5,986 tons of seeds, adding that each

registered farmer would get two bags of fertilizer and a bag of seeds. According to him, the federal and state gover nments had subsidised the fertilizer by 50 per cent at the ratio of 25 per cent respectively. Besides, he said the government had also subsidised the cost of seeds by 90 per cent. "We have successfully registered more than 700,000 far mers in Bauchi State since the commencement of the GES scheme in 2012. "We are targeting at least 532,095 farmers to benefit from the scheme this farming season,’’ Yusuf said.

Ondo APC, LP trade tackles on accountability Babatope Okeowo

Akure

pposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday asked the government to give account of the funds that have accrued to the state from the federation account and Internally Generated Revenue. The party, through its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, said the state government should tell the citizenry how the funds accruable to the state had been spent in the five years of the administration of the Labour Party (LP). But responding, the chairman of LP in the state, Chief Dele Akinyele, asked the APC to face governance in other states where it held sway and leave the LPcontrolled state alone. He asked the opposition party to move round the state and see what the Dr Olusegun Mimiko-led administration has used

the fund accruable to the state for. According to him, there is no APC state that does not award inflated contracts unlike the LP-controlled state where all contracts pass through due process. He alleged that unlike APC states that contribute to their Lagos master, the LP does no such thing. "It is inevitable and sacrosanct to ask Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s government of illusion in Ondo State, why are the people of the state not being informed of the government policies and programmes, particularly on how much has accrued to the state purse and how it has been spent since inception of the present administration." It noted that past administrations rendered monthly accounts on finances in the state to guarantee transparency.

L-R: Member, Enugu Coalition of Professional and Business Associations (ECOPBA), Lady Claire Asogwa; Vice President, Ozo Ramsy Onyia and Secretary, Sir Emeka Okereke, at a press conference in Enugu…yesterday

70%

The projected percentage of global food demand by 2050. Source: Unesco.org

Abeokuta

Federal Government Ttheheisarrest poised to commence and prosecution of anyone caught abusing federal roads and highways within the Ogun State corridor. The state Coordinator of Federal Roads Committee on Surveillance and Action against Road Abuse (FERCSARA), Segun Kaka, disclosed this yesterday in Abeokuta. He said FERCSARA, a task force of the Federal Road Management Agency (FERMA), had on Friday held a sensitisation meeting with stakeholders on its areas of operation. The stakeholders includ-

ed the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service (SSS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), towing vehicle operators and state government officials, among others. Kaka, an engineer, told reporters that any arrested defaulter risks a jail term of three years or an option of N50,000 fine or both. According to him, indiscriminate parking of trailers and faulty vehicles, trading within the right-ofway, burning of tyres on the highway and illegal occupation of bridge under pass constitute abuse of roads. The coordinator ex-

13%

The percentage share of Greece’s arms purchase from Germany between 2005 and 2009. Source: Blatantworld.com

Benue House okays Suswam’s bid for N11bn bond AT LAST Governor Suswam's bid for N11 billion bond gets lawmakers' nod Cephas Iorhemen

Makurdi

he Benue State House of Assembly yesterday granted Governor Gabriel Suswan’s request to access an N11 billion bond from the capital market to enable his administration meet its capital and recurrent expenditure. The approval is com-

Federal highway abuse to attract three years jail term Kunle Olayeni

4.4

The number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of developing countries in 2010. Source: Itu.int

plained that the task force is vested with the power to control, keep surveillance as well as take action against abuse on all federal roads in accordance with Section 7 of the FERMA Establishment Act of 2007. Kaka said his agency had met with and briefed officials of the appropriate ministries in the state on the need to comply with the provisions of the Revenue Edict of Joint Tax Board of 1998, adding that they have all given their consent. He said revenue collectors on federal highways under the pretence of working for the state ministries of Agriculture, Forestry or the Environment risk prosecution if they fail to desist.

ing when the governor has less than one year to leave office. The House gave a nod to the governor's request yesterday at plenary after a stormy session, with six of the members voting against the request, especially because the governor has few months left in office. According to the request letter, signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr. David Salifu, dated March 7 and read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Mr. Terhile Ayua, the bond was to enable government meet necessary expenditure in the face of dwindling

revenue inflow to the state. New Te l e g r a p h lear nt that although the Majority Leader, Mr. Paul Biam (Ukum Constituency), tried to persuade members to accept the decision citing past positive results, the Minority Leader, Mr. Benjamin Adanyi (Makurdi South), vehemently opposed the decision and was seconded by the Minority Whip (Ushongo Constituency), Mr. Terkimbi Kyange. The disagreement caused tension in the House, compelling the Speaker to put the matter to vote where 17

members voted in favour of the bond and six against. The Speaker, therefore, announced the House resolution granting the request to obtain the bond. Suswan had in 2012, made a similar request for a N13 billion bond and succeeded. New Telegraph gathered yesterday from sources close to governor Suswam that the latest bond, which may have to be paid by the incoming administration, is expected to be used to settle the backlog of salaries owed primary school teachers who have been on strike in the last seven months.

Crisis rocks Adamawa Varsity over new VC Ibrahim Abdul

Yola

issension has trailed the DChancellor selection of a new Vice of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State with some angry staff claiming that the process was flawed. Professor Kyari Mohammed was announced as the new VC of the University last week by Prof. Bullama Manu, chairman of the university’s governing council to replace the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Bashir Usman Haruna. The complaints range from failure of the panel to come up with a template for a fair selection process to secrecy which resulted

in change of venues for the process three times being finally conducted at a hotel. One of the contestants, Professor Remilekun M. Odekunle, who came second in the selection process, expressed confidence that NUC will right the wrongs of the flawed process. The major grouse of the aggrieved contestants was that the selected Vice Chancellor was a professor of history who ought not to be selected as the VC of the university according to the selection criteria as the university is technologically oriented. "I have nothing to say than my confidence is well placed in NUC. If it allows this to go, so be it. My confidence is

as a result of a similar, incident sometime in the past around 1999 and the system rose to do the right thing," Professor Remi said. Another contestant, Professor Abdu A. Sajou, who came third on the score sheet, expressed dismay over the failure of the panel to comply with due process in the selection process. Most arguments against the emergence of Kyari were anchored on the alleged nonadherence to preselection criteria which they said was a breach of the clause that the "VC must have a core discipline or area of specialisation in one of the departments in the University."

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Wednesday, may 22, 2014

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20 escape death as G church collapses

Cephas Iorhe

Providence At least 20 people survived when a church building they take shelter in collapsed Chris Ejim Yenagoa

t least 20 people were critically wounded yesterday when the National Apostolic Church of Nigeria building collapsed during the rain at Agudama Epie community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The roofs of some buildings were blown off in Yenagoa, the state capital, while a street light fell on Sani Abacha Expressway, causing gridlock. It was gathered that the church collapsed about 10.30am. Many of the trapped victims were semi-skilled workers who had rushed to the uncompleted church for cover while the rain started. A witness told NT Metro that the collapse

Makurdi

was heralded by a loud sound. “They thought the sound was that of a thunder. But before they knew it, they were covered under the rubble,” the witness said. Observers said the uncompleted church building was built with poor and substandard materials. For instance, they said the pillar of the church was made of wooden panels and bricks. It was gathered that by the time the Deputy Governor, John Jonah, the state Commissioner of Police, Hillary Okpara, members of the state executive council and the Julius Berger rescue team got to the

scene, sympathisers had rescued those trapped in the collapsed building. Speaking with journalists at the scene, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Lawrence Ekwujafor, said the government would invite the founder of the church. Ekwujafor argued that though the noticeable poor supervision of construction of structures in the state was caused by shortage of manpower in the Capital City Development Authority (CCDA). He, however, announced that Governor Seriake Dickson had approved the recruitment of over 100 persons to increase man power in the CCDA.

unmen s lani her sacked t Minister o and Investm Ortom, in munity, Gu ment Area The assa about nine, wives and t farmer (nam The herd the two wom ey and othe It was g women, wh ages of 18 an returned to they were r in the war-

Abd Joe Ezuma

Port Harcou

A The Collapsed church building

fter m weeks i Chair m West Loca A re a o f Hon. Awo released y abductors. A sourc Miller fam nalists th dropped o West Road hours of y Howeve could not a ransom w kidnapper who is a c All Progre (APC), was The stat er of Poli Ogunsakin release of

Fire guts Gombe grains market Man defiles nine-year-old girl, escapes lynching A A NSCDC men not protection –Com bout 200 stores and property worth millions of naira were destroyed yesterday when fire swept through Gombe Grains Market. The Caretaker Chairman of the Grains Market Association, Alhaji Usman Adamu, said the incident occurred about 3a.m. Adamu said that most members of the association lost their goods. He said: “As at now, we have not assessed the damage but millions of naira were lost, because most of the produce are beans, bambara nuts and such bags cost between N15,000 and

N18,000.” According to him, the disaster was due to an electrical spark from one of the shops in the market. Adamu, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), appealed to government at all levels to immediately assist the traders to cushion the effects of the disaster. The Director, Gombe State Fire Service, Malam Dahiru Adamu, said that the service received the report about 3.35a.m. and immediately rushed to the scene to quench the fire. A NAN correspondent, who visited the scene

around 8.30a.m., reported that fire fighters were still putting out the fire. He also saw many sympathisers who trooped to the market to commiserate with the owners of the produce. The Senior District Head of Gombe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abubakar, who visited the scene, sympathised with those whose shops were burnt in the inferno and advised them to consider the incident as an act of God. Abubakar advised the traders to take stock of the extent of damage and forward their report to the relevant authorities.

Family of missing banker offers reward Camillus Nnaji

amily of the missing 29-year-old employee of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Aloysius Chukwuemeka Nwachukwu, has offered to reward anyone who could provide information on his whereabouts. Chukwuemeka has been missing since May 4 when he reportedly went with his cousins. His mother, Mrs Monica Nwachukwu, told NT Metro at

Ojota in Kosefe Local Government Area of Lagos yesterday that the safety of her son was paramount as such the family was ready to reward whoever had information on his whereabouts. “The family does not have money but we will borrow money,” she said. The mother, who hails from Olulu Amumara Mbaise in Imo State, said she lost her husband, Mr Desmond Nwachukwu, two years ago.

Chukwuemeka had gone out on Sunday May 4 to an ATM at Ojota bus stop to withdraw money. Mrs Nwachukwu explained that two of Chukwuemeka’s cousins, Tobecukwu Iwu an undergraduate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and Ugochukwu Alfred who works in one of the banks in Lagos, had called her son on the fateful day that they had arrived Ojota in Lagos and he should meet them.

Joe Obende Warri

42-year-old man, Jonathan Armon, escaped death by the whisker as an irate mob almost lynched him for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl (name withheld). The incident occurred on Tuesday at the popular Mcver Market, the home of used clothes, shoes, beddings, toys and kitchenware in Warri, Delta State. It took the intervention of some educated adults around to save the barber’s life as the youth wielding cudgels, clubs, stones and other dangerous items were ben on killing him. Armon, who runs Danny Barbing Salon in the market, said he did not have carnal knowledge of the minor. According to him, he only “fingered her”. Armon had obviously been abusing the girl over time in his shop, but on the fateful day, he lured her to his house nearby. Although the paedophile insisted that he did not have sex with the girl, observers saw what looked like semen in her private part. Some of those around wanted to call the police, but the girl’s mother kicked against it. She said her family had no money to pursue the case should the police get involved. At the end, the mob stripped Armon, beat him to a pulp and ordered

him not to come back to his barbing salon as they were no longer sure their children were safe with him around.

Juliana Francis

he Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Donatus Ikemefuna, has debunked claims by some of corps officers, that they were directed to be attached to politicians. Ikemefuna was reacting to reports that NSCDC men had taken over security of politicians after the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, announced on February 13, 2012, the withdrawal of all police escorts from private individuals and corporate bodies across the country. The commandant said that the NSCDC men were only assigned to protect critical infrastructure at all levels and collaborate with security agencies in protecting lives and property. Ikemefuna, however, said that

some of his men local governmen and some traditio He said: “Our is to protect critic ture. We also giv reports. We have to register and co security compan not got any direc officers to politic “Any officer fo gal duty will be d slogan is ‘take bri you go where you and you are cau face the wrath of The comman was posted to La tain peace and or He also called f of the public in gi tion on suspecte groups, particular The commanda ed the support of

Confab outcome’ll be subjected to referendum –Ebiseni / PAGE 16 | ‘Minorities are interested in self-determination’ / PAGE 17

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THURSday, MAY 22, 2014

Kwara opposition lacks knowledge about public finance –Ahmed

p-14, 15

NATIONAL CONFERENCE leadership formation process. Leaders don’t just happen, they are raised. And leaders should be raised in such a way that from generation to generation, we can produce good leaders.

Gana

INEC must be unbundled –Gana Jerry Gana, a professor of Geography and former Minister of Information, is a co-chairman of the National Conference Committee on Politics and Good Governance. In this interview with LATEEF IBRAHIM, Gana gives an insight into some of the recommendations of his committee. Excerpts: Now that your committee has rounded off its assignment after three weeks of sitting, could you tell Nigerians some of the recommendations that you have made? We, the members of the Committee on Politics and Governance, have concluded our deliberations on the sub-committee reports. We have now set up an editorial committee to ensure that the draft report is properly edited to the standard of a conference of this nature and importance. So, the committee of 10 is now working and we have taken decisions on vital issues. What are these vital issues? The first major issue, with a lot of recommendations, has to do with the issue

of good governance. We believe that good governance would strengthen democracy. What we mean by good governance here is the governance that produces result of development for the people within the concept of transparency, accountability and making sure that people’s resources are utilised effectively for the development of the nation and the people. There are lots of recommendations in that area of ensuring good governance. We now back it up by saying that to really promote further accountability, the issue of immunity clause in the constitution should be removed, so that governors and other elected people are, kind of, held to obey the law. It is extremely important. Then, we took series of decisions on

the question of corruption and anticorruption and the question of national ethics. We have a number of recommendations that if implemented, would help Nigeria to be corruption free. They, in fact, include the recommendation that we should encourage the setting up of a special court to try corruption cases, because right now, the cases are left in court for a very long time. We think we should have specialised court that will deal with this very rapidly but also fairly and justly. That is very important. And we backed it all up with a section on national ethics. Ethics is extremely important in raising a good citizenry. We think the inculcation of good values is very important. And we also thought there should be a systematic

What other recommendations are contained in the report? Under party politics and party funding, since we are running a democracy, political parties are extremely important. So, we have recommendations dealing with the matter of well-organised political parties that would have ideologies, that would respect their constitutions and that would ensure internal democracy, because internal democracy would always produce good leaders and then there shouldn’t be imposition of candidates. Under that, we also appealled very strongly that the issue of free, fair and credible elections are extremely important in a democracy. Because of that, we are recommending that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be unbundled into two institutions. INEC as presently constituted should deal only with arrangements for free, fair and credible elections. Electoral offences should now be handled by an Electoral Offences Commission specifically, so that we don’t burden INEC with that because there are thousands of people that usually, are kind of involved in this. INEC’s attention should be on the conduct of good elections. When you offend, in terms of electoral offences, we are recommending a special commission to be set up on electoral offences so that it will be dealt with very seriously in terms of prosecution. Then, as part of good governance, we have made a very firm recommendation on making sure that the budget cycle is put in the constitution. What we are recommending here is that latest by September 30, or the earliest working day before that September, the budget must be presented to the National Assembly by the president. It will be an impeachable offence for anybody not to present budget before the National Assembly before September 30. The National Assembly will then have the rest of October, November or latest by December or the earliest working day before the end of that December to work on. The budget must be approved and ready for implementation from January 1, because we are wasting a lot of time on the budget process. So, we think it should be in the constitution and therefore, you will be, as it were, contravening the constitutional provision if you don’t present the budget by September 30. This is our recommendation as part of good governance. What problem do you have with the current court system that you are recommending a special court for the trial of corruption cases in the country? They are congested, seriously, and therefore they cannot find the time to attend to the court process. Special courts will now set up their own system that will rapidly thrash the matter. For now, they are congested and bogged down by adjournments, rigmarole and so on.

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Kwara opposition lacks knowledge What are you doing to address infrastructural gap in Kwara State? By the time we did an assessment of the infrastructural requirement of Kwara State, to bring the state to a fully functional environment with all the needed infrastructure that will make a state go on normally, we found out that there is a huge gap. To put those things in place, it will cost us about N300 billion. With the reality on ground, we cannot raise N300 billion. But as a government that has a tenured time to stay to drive governance, we must see how much of the N300billion we want to do in our own time. That prompted us into looking at sources of funding. Where are the sources of funding? Of course, we know that we get the federation allocation which comes in every month; from where we pay salaries and carry on other recurrent expenditure. Is this enough to do capital projects? Obviously, it is not. It means that we have to look for other sources of funds that will enable us do our own portion of the capital projects. We expect that other governments that will come will continue from where we stopped. Until one day, through a successive well-articulated transition, Kwara State will gain the benefit of not only getting full infrastructure, but also the build up of one infrastructure over another through successive governments. For us here, we’ve decided to look at the Capital Market which is the cheapest source of funds for government to raise money to do capital projects. That’s why we have approached the Capital Market to raise money, N23 billion bond. If you go to any organisation that is desirous of improving lives of its people, you will see that it must have access to a large sum of money where it can do capital projects and begin to pay back gradually. That is why we have decided to approach the capital market. Those who don’t know will exhibit ignorance by saying that government is going to borrow money to execute projects. How do you want to do projects without borrowing? I don’t know how. Even the Federal Government, as it is, issues treasury bills. For those who don’t know, treasury bills are means through which the Federal Government also borrows money to execute projects. So the state on its own goes to the Capital Market and raise the bond to do capital projects. They are cheaper sources of funding because the interest rates are lower than when you borrow from commercial banks. I have heard a few people making comments, especially I heard an opposition man saying that Kwara State is taking the bond to impoverish the people. People should talk about things they know. It demonstrates ignorance. If you say that taking of a bond to execute wellarticulated, well-marshalled out projects is impoverishing the state, then you are demonstrating that you have no business in this business of governance. You should understand it. Your opponents believe that some of the projects you intend to implement with this bond should have been carried out in the previous bonds. Can you explain what appears to be a duplication? I will explain to you. When you have capital projects you cost them. The costing will give you a specific figure. For instance, Ilorin Metropolis Water Project cost N7 billion. There is no way we will be able to raise N7 billion in one single bond, except we want to do only water and we don’t do anything else. If you have big projects, you need to

Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed has come under attack by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the proposed N23 billion bond. But in this interview, the governor chides his opponents for lacking knowledge in public finance, saying they are not worth holding public office. He also states that PDP’s quest to take over Kwara State in 2015 is empty noise. BIODUN OYELEYE brings the excerpts of the interview.

Ahmed

phase them, they will go beyond one to two bonds. If you take the Ilorin Metropolis Reticulation Project for instance, the first amount that was designated for that project in the bond was N4 billion. That was in the first bond that was taken; the N17 billion bond. When you take N4 billion, how much do you have left out of seven? You have N3 billion. When I came in I took a loan out of which I used N1billion to support the Ilorin Metropolis Reticulation Project. That takes us to N5 billion. We still have not completed it because we still have N2 billion to go. That is why we intend to raise another bond to take additional N2 billion and complete the project. When we raise money it does not mean that the money will take the project from A to Z. It may take it from A to W or from A to X, then somebody will or something else will take it from that level to completion. A typical example is the Kaiama-Kishi road. The road is going to cost us about N8 billion. We cannot raise N8 billion with our current repayment capacity; but what we can raise for that road is N2 billion. So, we have

broken it down into three sections. As soon as we take this bond, we will start section one which will take us to one-third of the road. So, somebody comes in tomorrow for any reason and see that bond has been raised to jump start Kaiama road, then the next bond is coming in again, you want to take money for Kaiama road, he will say but you have

Kwara State has come this far because of transparency; because of well-articulated and marshalled out government process largely driven by strong political process engendered by All Progressives Congress

taken money for Kaiama road before. Yes just to start, not to complete it, because completion will require large volume of money and large volume of money will require us to have a strong repayment capacity. Repayment is limited to your inflow. There is a limit to which you can borrow money. You cannot borrow all the money you want. If you can borrow all the money, I would have taken the N300 billion and complete all the capital projects but it is not possible. It is only a function of what you can pay back. So, there is no way we are going to impoverish Kwara State. We will take money; execute projects that will be completed within specific time frame for the benefit of Kwarans. And when we finish, we will still live here, because we will both enjoy the projects we are going to do. What is the repayment plan of the bond? The sources of government funds are three: federation allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Most of the federation allocation inflows go into the serving of salaries and wages and other

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

about public finance –Ahmed monthly commitments. So our VAT and IGR is where we try to see how to carry out capital projects, but they are too small on their own to continue to use them on the projects that we have. I just told you about the KaiamaKishi road, which is about N8 billion. My IGR is about N600 to N700 million while my VAT is almost about N400 to N500 million. How much of that can I use to do Kaiama-Kishi road alone? I’ve not talked about Share-Oke-Ode, I have not talked about Ipetu-Rore road, I’ve not looked at the Teaching Hospital road we are trying to expand. These are all roads that require huge funding. So, the only way is to access large sums of money, then the little that is coming on monthly basis, we will now be repaying back. What I think people should be concerned about is what do we want to spend this money on? We must see it and the benefit must be understood by all. Once we understand the benefit then what we are going to take, use and pay back will not be the problem. There are options. One option is that we can wait and be putting the little money we are getting on monthly basis until the projects get completed, maybe in 15 to 20 years. That is one option. The second option is that we borrow money and then we keep paying back gradually and then we use the money to complete the project. It is a choice. For us as Kwarans, we feel that our choice should be accessing large sums of money, completing the projects in record time, get people to enjoy the benefits of these roads and then we use the monthly inflow to begin to pay back the debt. That is exactly what we are doing; very transparent. Some people have said that your administration’s Quick Win job creation initiative is political propaganda, how do you react to this? The taste of the pudding is in the eating. We don’t judge people by what they want to do, but by what they have done. As a state and as a government we looked at the composition of Kwara and we recognised that we have a plethora of unemployed youths and it is a very critical situation for us. We are also happy to know that Kwara State has the least of unemployed youths when we checked the statistics nationwide. So, it tells you that the effort to get us there was deliberate and we want to improve on that. So, if anybody under any guise tells you that our youth empowerment scheme is political, then the person is not serious. We cannot afford to take the destiny of our youths on an adventure. So, we cannot afford to politicise it. It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with stability and security of this country. If a child leaves school, his focus will be getting a job to do. If he spends three to five years out of school and doesn’t get any job, obviously he becomes disillusioned. If anybody thinks that is politics then the person is not right. For us, these are very serious issues. We must begin to create hope in our youths and that hope is the essence of our empowerment schemes. If you recall when we started in 2011, we started with Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme designed to move our youths from idleness to empowerment and ultimately job placements. When we started, we said this is a government that will focus on youths and the theme of the direction of this year’s budget would be youth empowerment. We want to ensure that we recruit minimum of 8,000 youths who will be moved from idleness to empowerment. So, it has nothing to do with politics.

It is a programme to move our youths to build tomorrow’s Kwara. To move our youths to create hope for them. To ensure that our youths begin to have confidence in a system of government they have voted for. Your political opponents, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have said they will recapture Kwara at all levels. What is your take on this? Politics is not about noise. It is about action. We are in Kwara State. We are with our people and we know what our people want. We are giving our people what they want because the capacity to carry on what they want is flowing from them. It is a people’s government. We must recognise that when we have a people’s government, you can’t take it from the people. When you take a people’s government from the people what do you want to give them? Let us recognise the fact that Kwara State has come this far because of transparency; because of well-articulated and marshalled out government process largely driven by strong political process engendered by All Progressives Congress (APC). That is what will continue to sustain Kwara because there is strong leadership and that leadership has allowed programmes articulated. It is not enough to just put people together. You need to be organised. What has sustained Kwara State is the structure and the structure was not built by the current leadership. It was built by the Late Waziri of Ilorin. If you look at that structure, it is the structure that has been sustaining governance. That structure is an election wining machinery because it has an all-inclusive platform embedded in it. It has a consultative platform embedded in it. This allows everybody to feel a sense of belonging. Why do you think the APC congresses went very smoothly? It is because of the all-inclusive platform that has been created. And that is

Ahmed

Those who don’t know will exhibit ignorance by saying that government is going to borrow money to execute projects... Even the Federal Government, as it is, issues treasury bills what will sustain Kwara State. It has sustained us in the past. It is sustaining us now and it will sustain us in the future. Anything other than that will not be able to sustain Kwara because Kwara people know what they want. Some KWABES beneficiaries have accused the government of reneging on its pledge to transit them into permanent jobs? First, we did not renege on any promise. We started a programme, Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme that is designed to move our youths from idleness to empowerment. At the levels of empowerment, we intend to move more of them to regular paid jobs. When we started KWABES, we took some of them to the public sector, some of them, private sector. We do not have the capacity to insist on the private sector to recruit people. However, we have the capacity of getting the private sector to be supported by the people and we pay them salaries. Along the line, those of them that are able to endear into the heart of the private sector will now be absorbed. Those of them that we have attached to the public sector, over two-thirds of them have been absorbed into the civil service. As a matter of policy, every absorption that has come in through the government, either through the Civil Service Commission, Teaching Service Commission, SUBEB or Local

Government Service Commission we take cognisance of those in KWABES first. It is the KWABES recruits that will first be converted before we look for other people. By and large, we have been able to move over 3,000 of the 5,000 we started with into the civil service structure. Others have gone into the private sector. We have never reneged. Don’t forget that the process is to move youths from idleness to empowerment. It doesn’t imply that all the youths must necessarily end up as salary earning individuals. You can move from there to enjoy what we have put up under the micro-credit scheme and become an entrepreneur. It is not cast in stone that everybody must move into salary job. Some Northern governors recently visited Washington, United States. What was the trip all about? It was as a result of an invitation from the United States Institute of Peace, inviting the 19 governors to hear about the security challenges going on in Northern Nigeria, so that they can have a feel from the subnationals. This is because what they have been reading largely has been the position of the Federal Government. They wanted to see those states that are actually involved or potentially involved. What is the situation on ground? So, they had the opportunity to listen to the governors of those states from their perspectives. I am happy to let you know that the governors outlined some of the security challenges that they are facing in the states and the country at large. The government of America gave a strong backup that it will do everything humanly possible to help Nigeria overcome its security challenges. First, they needed to understand the situation. They needed to understand that this problem was not religious. This problem is not something that is ethnic. It is purely a problem resulting from incursion of insurgents across the border. What purpose they are doing and what and where they are going to is still very unclear to us. But one thing remains clear, they have a style that is destructive of lives and properties without measure and that is a serious source of concern which was expressed in America. How do you feel about the ongoing national conference? The conference is like any other conferences we have held in this country. My concern is that most of the conferences we have held in the past have not addressed the issues on the way and manner in which we carry on business. We have always looked at the rules and regulations that are guiding the business rather than looking at the way and manner in which we carry on business. I don’t see this as an exception but in Kwara we must not sit behind and allow ourselves to be left out without contributing our own quota to the process that will make a new Nigeria for us. For me, my expectations from this conference at the end of the day would be to see a conference that would give Nigerians a better sense of hope; where Nigerians would be seeing a new direction for growth and development; Nigerians would be seeing a new policy direction; Nigerians would be seeing an end to where we want to be as a country in mind. In other words, if this country comes out with set goals and targets, we would achieve the purpose for which the conference was set up. Otherwise, it would be like any other talkshows we have held in the past.

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Confab outcome’ll be subjected to referendum Sola Ebiseni, a lawyer and former chairman of old Ilaje/Ese Odo Local Government of Ondo State, is one of the delegates representing Forum of former Local Government Chairmen at the National Conference. When LATEEF IBRAHIM met him, the delegate spoke on what should be done with the final report of the conference, among other issues. Excerpts: As elected representatives of the people, shouldn’t the National Assembly be left to address the various issues in the country rather than the convocation of this national conference which many see as a duplication? These are strong sentiments that bereft of ideas on the reality of our national problems. In the first place, notwithstanding the resumption of civilian rule since 1999, the clamour for a conference of Nigerian people for restructuring of the polity continues unabated. Second, as had been widely canvassed, the national and state assemblies are constituted to make laws which are meant to be consistent with the 1999 Constitution which was falsely claimed to be made for the people and in this conference on trial. Little wonder that between 2007 and 2011, this constitution has been amended about three times but in its innocuous and harmless parts without touching the fundamentals. If for instance, it is the desire of the people to do away with bicameral legislature with members sitting part-time on allowances, will you not be asking the National Assembly to be a judge in its own case or planning a coup against itself to discuss this? But members of the National Assembly are elected, while membership of the National Conference is by appointment? A wrong impression should not be given of any rivalry between the national legislature and the national conference. Their roles are different but potentially complimentary. The roles and functions of the National Assembly are explicit to make laws for the nation in accordance with the constitution. The national conference is an extra-constitutional Assembly of the Nigerian people to review our union and all its institutions without constraints. In the confab, there is no fear of party discipline or sanction, no fear of loss of party ticket if you fail to toe its line in a constitution interpreted by the Supreme Court that it is not the particular office holder that was voted for but it’s the party. The Nigerian polity is evidently at crossroad; almost on the precipice. National security is greatly challenged, crisis bothering on senseless killings and mutual destruction has seized a large part of the country, the educated, intelligent but jobless youths are almost on edge that a people revolution is virtually staring at us. Mr. President has been humble enough to see what perhaps Mubarak did not see or was not ready to admit which brought Egypt to where it is today. The critical sectors of our nation have been assembled – ethnic nationalities – Afenifere original and renewal, Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kanuri, Ijaw National Congress, Urhobo, Middle Belt Forum, Itsekiri, retired military rulers and officers, Police, other security agencies, state governments, former local government chairmen, women groups, the press, labour, professional organisations, civil society groups are all fully represented. Mr.

President has charged us to develop a new document of our national political relationship that is all inclusive towards re-launching a nation where no man is oppressed. Tell me, which sector or group in Nigeria is not being qualitatively represented in this extra-constitutional Assembly meant to rescue our nation? Whatever be the outcome of this conference, history would have scored Jonathan high in having the rare combination of the virtues of humility and courage to face the challenges of his nation as a leader. In the final analysis, what do we make of the report of this conference? That will be determined between the national conference and the Nigerian people. I have at plenary advocated a new constitution to be ratified in a referendum. Nigerians are intelligent and know what is good for them. The acceptability or legitimacy of the decision of the conference will be determined by its conformity with the people’s expectation. The most acceptable decision of even the 1995 Abacha conference is the creation of six geopolitical zones. Even when it was not enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, it remains the most acceptable platform of our national relationship or engagement. I propose a new constitution re-enacting a Federal Republic in deed with powers and institutions devolved to the constituent federating units for the benefits of the people. A situation where our states, which are bigger and have more resources than several countries sitting as sovereign states in the UN, are rendered prostrate by over concentration of powers at the centre is unacceptable. You caused a stir when you recently claimed on the floor of the National Conference that oil was first discovered in Ondo State and not Oloibiri as popularly believed. Could you shed more light on this? I wasn’t saying a new thing but making a statement of fact that oil was first discovered in Nigeria at Araromi in the present Ilaje Local Government in 1908 by a German company which pioneer achievement was truncated by the World War; Nigeria being a protectorate of Britain to which Germany and its interests were enemy. The discovery however encouraged further exploration east of the Niger Delta after the wars culminating in the further discovery and exploitation in commercial quantity at Olobiri in present Bayelsa State in 1956/1957. The first law regulating oil and gas activities in Nigeria was the Nigerian Oil Minerals Ordinance of 1914. It stands to reason that that law could not have been made to regulate Olobiri of 1956. The reason we have to emphasise this point is that the Ilajes and the Ijaws of Apoi and Arogbo and Ondo State in general have been subjected to environmental degradation as a result of oil and gas activities perhaps for a longer period than any other part of Nigeria. You were also hard on the present 1999

Ebiseni

Constitution in your contribution, but many have argued that not the constitution but its operators are the problem? Let me reiterate that the point I made on the floor that the National Conference could not have come at a better time than this and that everything about this country as evident even in the historic speech of Mr. President, is in issue here. As we say in law and is commonsensical too, you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. If the foundation of the nation, as presented by its ground norm, be destroyed, even the most righteous of its administrators or leaders will be faced with destructive but avoidable challenge. Apart from claiming legitimacy by falsely pretending in its preamble to be given by the people, it also claims to enact a federal system when its products, for all intents and purposes, is regimental unitarism; it frustrates healthy national competition necessary for

Whatever be the outcome of this conference, history would have scored Jonathan high in having the rare combination of the virtues of humility and courage to face the challenges of his nation as a leader

growth and encourages beggarly and dependent economy, it arbitrarily creates institutions and allocates benefits with impunity. It treats equals unequally and makes itself a crude and cruel source of oppression and engenders national discord as natural by-products. In specific terms, what are these areas you seem to be emphasizing? What I have said are specific enough. Is it not true that the constitution, contrary to its claim, was given by the military and not the people? Will you truly say that this is a Federal Republic when the Federal Government takes 100 per cent of national resources and give handouts to the federating units? In very specific terms of impunity, I stated on the floor that one of the greatest evidence of injustice in the constitution is the local government system, and I gave some statistics. Lagos State which existed since 1967, having a population of almost 40 per cent of the entire South-West, has 20 local governments. Osun State in the same geo-political zone created in 1996 with a population perhaps not more than Alimoso, Mushin and Ikeja local governments in Lagos State have 30 local governments. Whereas Katsina was excised from Kaduna State, the remaining Kaduna which in both size and population is far larger has 23 local governments to Katsina’s 34. Bauchi is the most populous in the North East; it has 20, while Borno in the same region has 27. Lagos and old Kano were at par in population in 1991, Jigawa was later carved

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

–Ebiseni The acceptability or legitimacy of the decision of the conference will be determined by its conformity with the people’s expectation out of Kano. Kano now has 44 and Jigawa 27 together having 71 while Lagos remains 20. Efforts by Lagos to create more was frustrated by this anachronistic constitution. Anambra with the highest population in the South-East has 21, but Imo in the same region has 27. Kano, Jigawa and Katsina together have 105 while the whole of the South-East has 95. You should also realise that these unjust and arbitrarily created local governments are also sources of unfair access to revenue from the federation account. What is the way forward? That was why I said all issues should be put on the table for discussion. In a true federal state, local governments have no business being listed in the national constitution. Local governments are local and residual matters for the federating units. Let each state create as many as its resources could take. While in the First Republic the North operated the Emirate council system, in the West it was the District council. Will that not jeopardise the clamour by councils for autonomy? When, why and how did the question of local government autonomy arise? There is a great deal of misconception and confusion created by unitarists in a supposed federal state. By autonomy, it is meant that state governments should not interfere in the administration of local governments but sincerely the problems of local governments are caused by the constitution and the Federal Government. When I was chairman of a local government between 1991 and 1993, local governments enjoyed direct allocation from the federation account. That was also the era of zero allocation when several local governments had no money enough even to pay primary school teachers’ salaries. Nigeria Union of Teachers called nationwide strikes that lasted several months and paralysed the councils and primary education. These events and agitation culminated in the Joint Allocation Committee (JAC) where council allocations are first paid into a common account from where teachers’ salaries are first deducted before the balance is shared among the councils irrespective of their number of teachers. This means that some councils particularly the rural ones are made to subsidise the urban ones to the extent that after also paying the council staff salaries, and political office holders nothing much is left for the councils to execute projects. In effect, what the councils and state governments share and administer is common poverty in our so-called federation where the Federal Government own all the resources and covetously appropriate 58 per cent of the national revenue to the misery of the states and local governments where real service to the people abide.

Obayori

Obayori: Minorities are interested in self-determination Dr. Femi Obayori, the acting Head, Department of Microbiology, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, is a South-West delegate and member of the Science and Technology Committee of the National Conference. In this interview with LATEEF IBRAHIM, he speaks on some of the problems facing the country and how they could be solved. Excerpts: One of the reasons for this conference is to find solutions to the nation’s problems. What, in your own view, is the cause of these problems? The root of our problem is in property relations. The way and manner wealth is created and shared amongst the people ultimately determines whether or not a society will develop. In Nigeria, authoritative allocation of values is skewed in favour of a few, on the basis of class, ethnicity and religion. We need to do a deep analysis of our problem before arriving at correct decisions on the way forward. To assert that, all we need do is to propose a few constitutional amendments, which amounts to begging the issue.

desired region, state or local government area as the case maybe and conduct of a referendum/plebiscite of the people of the affected area to test their proclaimed desire by answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the question: Do you wish to be relocated from ABC to XYZ? The recommendations also include the adoption of the parliamentary system of government, particularly because it is not as unwieldy as the presidential system and it is less expensive to operate and less prone to corruption and the rotation of executive positions amongst the different groups or parts that make up a state, geo-political zone/region or the country should be made a constitutional provision

So, what then should be done? The minority issues in Nigeria are issues of self-determination. The people must be allowed to determine where and how they want to be governed. We the Okun people in Kogi State have firmed up our position on this. In a nutshell, there are certain recommendations which I strongly believe will go a long way in helping to foster unity among the people of Nigeria.

You are one of the delegates that have been championing the course of the Okun people at the conference. What exactly is this struggle all about? The struggle of the Okun people of Kogi State is all about self-determination. The case was first made on Tuesday April 8, 2014 at this conference. The struggle of minorities is best approached from

What are these recommendations? These recommendations include; restructuring of Nigeria into regions, in which the regions shall determine the number of states and states determine their local governments. In this sense, regions should be on the basis of ethnocultural contiguity such that each region shall be made up of a single large ethnic nationality or a group of ethnic nationalities that share affinity, history and proximity. The next is the issue of boundary adjustment to relocate the people to their

Whereas certain people, by reason of ethnicity, religion or other biases, are denied full access to the dividends of democracy, they may have recourse to internal self-determination

the point of view of self-determination. Arguments and objections have been made from certain quarters to the effect that a nation’s national structures and affairs are not covered by International Conventions and Charters on self-determination. In the light of these objections, we (those involved in the struggle of the Okun people) feel strongly that there is need to make clarifications by drawing attention to the currency in self-determination policies and political theory. First, we are aware that by domestication of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act of 1990, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights became law in Nigeria. We also allude to the fact that there is an African Court responsible for hearing cases/ following up on compliance by signatories to the convention. We make bold to say that modern political theories of self-determination recognises internal self-determination as a strong pillar and we are aware that self-determination has been stretched to encompass attainment of democratic governance at all levels and amongst all component parts of a nation. Whereas certain people, by reason of ethnicity, religion or other biases, are denied full access to the dividends of democracy, they may have recourse to internal self-determination. We hold that creation of states or autonomous regions is one of the ways by which internal selfdetermination is achieved. We make specific reference to the case of Jura Canton in Switzerland which was created in 1979 through processes of referenda from local to national level and we are persuaded by the argument that in the exercise and implementation of right to self-determination within nations, the democratic principle of one-man-one vote may become an impediment to the attainment of the self-determination objective by a small disadvantaged group in the face of overwhelming force of sheer number of the majority. Therefore, a national referendum covering the entire country is not necessary in the case of minorities seeking internal self-determination.

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Akika: Contentious issues’ll be resolved Barrister Anthony Akika is a delegate from Nasarawa State at the National Conference. The one-time Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice, in this interview with CHEKE EMMANUEL, bares his mind on the salient issues affecting the confab and his state. Excerpts: At a point, there was controversy over the voting procedure at the ongoing National Conference which led to disagreement among delegates. What do you think is the way forward? There are those who argued that three quarters is too high a mark for issues to be decided and they canvassed for two-thirds which they believed is the lower threshold, so the argument are ongoing. I think this is so because of the contentious issues that may come before the national conference. Those who argued for three quarters believed that the threshold should be high so that people don’t just get whatever they want to get. I believe that the issue will be resolved in the interest of the nation. Were the delegates expecting contentious issues to come on the agenda other than the unity of the nation which is a no-go area. Well, I think a lot of issues will be contentious. I think that resource control and fiscal federalism will be contentious issues. How do you share the nation’s resources in such a manner that you respect the principles of derivation and at the same time put into consideration other parts of the country that may not have oil resources? I think that will be an issue. The question of devolution of powers will also be a contentious issue. The third issue may be that of state police. Also, issues relating to security, economy, unemployment and others will be contentious. So, do you foresee genuine resolution or consensus on these issues which have pitted the North against the South? Yes, I believe that all the issues will be resolved given the wide experience of people at this conference from various ethnic groups. The overriding thing among the delegates is the unity of the country. I think every delegate is ready for a compromise. There is nothing wrong with people being agitated for their demands. If the conference fails to reach consensus or agree on any contentious issues raised during debate; will such issues be dropped? No, I think we are going to agree on the voting pattern. We are going to agree on what will be threshold for voting. There will be a certain percentage that will be agreed upon.

Akika

Now, the main trust of the conference is to arrive at a consensus on all issues. So, what we are looking at is really consensus not the voting. But if we are to vote,we will have an acceptable voting formula which will be near acceptable to everybody. It will be in compromise when those issues are resolved by way of voting; it will be clear to the president, the National Assembly and the people of Nigeria that we have consensus on such issues. This is nationbuilding; I think nothing will be done in a hurry that will upset any part of this country. I think the whole determination is that we are one people. Although there are different problems and diversity, we want to build one united Nigeria and because of that we are ready to compromise. Some Nigerians are asking why Mr. President convened the national con-

The main trust of the conference is to arrive at a consensus on all issues. So, what we are looking at is really consensus, not the voting. But if we are to vote,we will have an acceptable voting formula which will be near acceptable to everybody ference when elections are near. Critics say the conference is ill-timed and also an opportunity to mobilise for the

President’s re-election in 2015. What is your take on this? I don’t believe in all these insinuations. They are not correct. There is no time that is ripe or unripe, good or bad for a national conference because these issues had been on for the past 24 years. If you recall, since 1990, the people of Nigeria have been agitating for a national conference. So, any time you are going to organise that conference will always be contentious whether there is election or not. If, for instance, this conference is holding now it will give impetus to the government to be able to know what are the issues to be addressed so that in the next dispensation they can be attended to very quickly. I believe this is the right time for the national conference. It couldn’t have come at a better time because we are now facing security challenges, vandalism of oil pipelines all over the place, farmers and herdsmen clashes and so many other things that are contentious. The issue of religion is something the government also needs to look into. The democratic space needs to widen so that people can make more inputs into the decision to be taken whether by the legislative or the executive arm of government. In fact, governing of states will even stabilise democracy. As a delegate from a state considered to be disadvantaged in many spheres, infrastructural, economically, educationally and so forth; do you have other issues you intend to raise at the conference that will be of immense benefit to the state and the nation at large? Nothing that is happening in Nasarawa State that is in isolation of what is happening in Nigeria in general. Our problems are common; there is nothing specific that you can say is not happening in other states. However, the problem of insecurity is a big one. We have problem of insecurity in the states, we have problem of clashes between farmers and herdsmen, we have clashes between ethnic groups in the state. These are worrisome issues. These are issues that are not only limited to Nasarawa State but also to Benue, Plateau, Taraba and other states. We need to be able to bring these issues to the fore. In terms of development, our revenue base depends on what we get from the federation account. So, we are interested in the debate about resource control. Definitely, we like our situation in Nasarawa to improve and we like other good things to improve also because as you can see we have infrastructural challenges. So, with more funds we can do more in terms of education and health. We have the potential but we don’t have the capital to be able to put the infrastructure in place. So, the need for peace and unity within our state, among our people is important. Like I said, we cannot leave these problems in isolation because what is happening in Nasarawa is equally happening in other states. What do you think should be done to tackle the infrastructural and security challenges confronting Nasarawa? The first thing to do is to build trust and confidence in the people. There is absolutely nothing you can do without peace. And to achieve peace, you have to get the cooperation and confidence of all the components of people that live in the state for you to earn their trust. There is absolutely every opportunity for you to achieve whichever programme you have. The absolute thing is peace and unity.

EDITORIAL

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

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THURSday, MAY 22, 2014

Gossy Ukanwoke’s innovative education initiative

he nation’s prostrate education sector is, at last, receiving some praiseworthy tonic for a significant turnaround after many years of ignominy and frustration. The country’s education system hitherto the envy of all, especially in Africa and among the member nations of the Commonwealth, downslided, to the point that employers of labour held its products in disdain. But while many engaged in blame, young Gossy Ukanwoke from Umuahia, Abia State sought to find need-based solution to the embarrassing problem, indicating that all hope of the sector’s rejuvenation is far from lost. At only age 23 when he was still at the Girne American University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude (with the highest distinction) with a B.Sc. in Management Information Systems, he had already started churning out evidence-based solutions to the problems of the sector with his thriving online university. Two years later, Gossy is already demonstrating his enterprising initiative by building the physical campus of the university at Apa in Benue State. He does not yet have a Masters Degree or Ph.D, but interestingly, the young Gossy has already been a guest speaker at the Girne American University PhD series seminars. His BAU Research & Development “is reinventing learn-

ing in Sub-Saharan Africa through its leading projects - Proposed Beni American University, BAU Online and Students Circle Network by introducing new learning models geared towards entrepreneurial development and employability.” Before setting up BAU Research and Development, Gossy founded Students Circle Network, an academic technology start-up that blends its social feature with a database of more than 10,000 academic resources comprising notes, essays, past assignments and tutorials for students, teachers and institutions from more than 200 universities and shares these free for students and teachers. Students Circle has bloomed into a globally renowned network and has featured on several news media worldwide. So forceful was the impact of Students Circle that it was referred to as “Africa’s Top Tech Entrepreneur” by IT News in 2011. He has also written a series of opinion articles for such international media channels as The Guardian, UK on Education, Technology, Higher Education Internationalization and Social Learning in Emerging Markets. Through these platforms, Gossy wants “to transform how education is provided and make it readily available for people who otherwise might not have access or the resources for an education.” Gossy has been profiled on CNN African Start-ups and described as “Nigeria’s budding

Mark Zuckerberg” by Forbes magazine. He presented a keynote address at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit held March 18-20 in Abuja, and was also invited to speak at the Harvard Africa Business Conference in February 2014. We believe the most appropriate sobriquet for this blossoming son of Africa should be “Gossy Ukanwoke of Nigeria.” Students Circle functions very much like Facebook. Maybe this underscores the dubbing of the young Nigerian Internet Entrepreneur as Mark Zuckerberg, the face of Facebook. But Gossy is a full-blooded Nigerian and his own network is essentially for intellectuals and more sedate users. The site launched in December 2010 and so far it has 2,407 registered members and over 20,371 non registered members from over 120 countries. We firmly believe in the positive change in the education sector being initiated by this young man. We also believe that it should spur further market-based action particularly by the endowed players in the private sector. Sadly, it is estimated that Nigeria may produce a significant population of highly trained, skilled and motivated criminals by 2020 if the failures of its education sector are allowed to continue. If we fail to meticulously harness our resources and continue to apply fruitless low-end-of-the-market policies and strategies while still engaging in other traditional resource depleting

jamborees, this would not only be disastrous but also erode whatever opportunities and strengths the country stands to gain as it competes among the MINT countries made up of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey in the global market. We also believe that initiatives by Gossy and others like him making impact abroad, are pointers for the country’s teeming youth and challenge them to refocus their get-rich-quick aspirations and other mundane pursuits that have left many of them under-performing, frustrated, disoriented to more positive and regenerative endeavours for our common good. This is why we believe strongly that the Nigerian youth should at all times aim for the stars rather than take to criminal acts that only hold the nation down, such as the mindless blood shedding by Boko Haram. This is why we are convinced that the Nigerian youth, if properly developed and focused, can compete and exceed expectations anywhere in the world and must be supported to optimise their impact. It is also our reason for joining the rest of the world in recognising and commending the revolutionary initiative of the full-blooded Nigerian youth internet entrepreneur. This underpins our alignment with the campaign to bring back the abducted students of Government Girls College, Chibok, because among them could be other bright stars like Gossy Ukanwoke. GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director/DEIC FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Managing Editor, South SULEIMAN BISALLA Managing Editor, North 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 PADE OLAPOJU Production Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

OPINION

Willie Obiano and Anambra’s expanding frontiers of excellence (2)

James Eze Continued from yesterday

biano’s first week in office was full of extensive consultations and consensus building as he met with the security chiefs, members of the legislature, members of the judiciary, traditional rulers, the council of elders, the leaders of town unions, representatives of donor agencies, leaders of the church, principals and proprietors of schools, leaders of vigilante groups, leaders of the healthcare sector, Anambra State delegates to the National Conference, the Labour Union and of course Anambra’s long list of industrialists and entrepreneurs who he figured had a role to play in his plan to industrialize the state. It was a masterful beginning, comparable to an auspicious opening sequence in a beautiful orchestra. But it was also one beginning that would turn the attention of Ndi Anambra to the melody of change that is playing in the State House, Awka! Again, Willie Obiano showed his uncanny ability to read the temperature of society when he divined that for his administration to have any chance at success at all, he would have to confront the monster of age old insecurity in the state head-on. And he did not only do it, he left no one in doubt that Anambra was due for cleansing. The setting up of a Joint Task Force to weed out criminals from the state and the organizing of an international summit on security with Moshe Keinan, world famous Israeli security expert as the facilitator two weeks after his inauguration has proved the ultimate game changer. Anambra rose from the two-day summit with a hunger for a new and enduring rebirth. The ensuing crackdown on criminals, codenamed Operation Kpochapu, (wipe out) that followed these two events has not been experienced in Eastern Nigeria before. In the ceaseless blitzkrieg, notorious arms dealers and the men they arm to rob and kidnap Ndi Anambra have been rounded up for prosecution. Drug barons and child traffickers that once reigned supreme in parts of Obosi town have been arrested and brought face to face with the law. Parts of the state that had hitherto served as hideaways and havens for kidnappers have been detected and busted. In what seems like a loud statement of intent, three houses built by kidnappers and used as holding cells for their captives in the governor’s home town of Aguleri were pulled down last Friday, on Chief Obiano’s command. Having begun

the cleansing from his own compound, the governor is subtly telling Ndi Anambra not to allow their own houses to be overgrown by weeds. It is fascinating how in two months of Obiano, Anambra’s tale of woes has become a piece of lovely fragment out of a beautiful symphony. Upper Iweka, the postcard of a dysfunctional Onitsha has now become an idyllic landmark in the emerging tapestry of a new Onitsha; a city that is fast shrugging off its old sordid rags and increasingly becoming a city of assorted tastes and aesthetics. Many thanks to Obiano’s successive urban renewal campaigns like Operation Keep Anambra Clean, Operation Zero-tolerance of Potholes and the latest operation to decongest all roads, alleyways and streets of dead and broken down vehicles which he launched in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Onitsha is shedding its rancid rags for colourful garments that will ease its admission into the list of Nigeria’s picturesque cities. Obiano is determined to recapture the city of his childhood from the filth and squalor that have submerged it. But even more important is his avowed commitment to ensure that the city’s long suffering residents would sleep with both eyes closed and that their nights would no longer be pierced by the ratatat of gunfire. It is heart-warming to see that Obiano’s campaign has succeeded so far. Criminals have fled Onitsha. Those who could not flee are either in detention or waiting to be picked up by the law. Obiano’s campaign has also found resonance with the people. Mythmakers have since woven a new narrative that reminds one of the tales from the once popular Onitsha Market Literature. All over Anambra, stories are told of how Obiano has cleaned up Upper Iweka so much that if one mistakenly dropped a wad of naira on the street, one would come back the next day to see the money lying on the same spot, waiting for one. This might just be one way of measuring success! Resonance! Of course, one of the things that never ceases to impress Ndi Anambra is how in spite of the concerted efforts by the opposition to distract him with a string of litigations, Chief Willie Obiano has continued to raise the bar of governance in Anambra State. In fulfilment of his campaign promise of continuing the great legacies of the Obi administration, completing the projects that Obi initiated, commissioning them and commencing a fresh set of his own projects, governor Obiano has proved to be a man of his words. He has embarked on an extensive tour to inspect the uncompleted road and

other architectural projects begun by his predecessor and extracted concrete commitments from the contractors handling those projects to deliver on schedule. The Agulu Lake Hotel Resort as well as the roads in Awka North, Ekwusigo and Ogbaru/Atani are great examples. He has also flagged of the construction of new road projects in Anam, Ayamelum, Nando and Nteje to open up access to the agricultural belt of the state in readiness for the revolution his government ignited with the symbolic flag off of the 2014 Farming Season in a colourful ceremony in Nteje, Oyi Local Government, on Thursday last week. Beyond that, Chief Obiano has also set up the necessary institutions that would guarantee the success of his administration. Just the other day, he inaugurated three Boards including the ones for land acquisition, the one for investment promotion and perhaps most important of all, the Awka Capital Territory which, charged with the responsibility of turning Awka into a capital city that reflects the genius and industry of Ndi Anambra. Of all his public outings since he became the governor of Anambra State, the Flag off of this year’s Farming Season at Nteje remains Chief Obiano’s finest hour. Dressed in a straw hat and knee-length boots, the governor wooed a huge crowd of farmers and agriculturalists that turned up with diverse farm produce and livestock to demonstrate their readiness to support the government’s revolutionary bent towards agriculture. The event had all the trappings of a huge political rally as farmers chanted his praise from all corners. Fast becoming adept in the rhetoric of leadership, governor Obiano reminded the farmers that “from time immemorial, our ancestors judged a man by the strength of his arm. A man who could not feed his family was regarded as an efulefu! A failure! That tells us how important farming and agriculture in general was and will always be to our people…this year, we light up the fire of our revolution in Agriculture in Anambra state…this year, we shall force the doors of agricultural productivity open in Anambra State.” With such carefully chosen words, Obiano successfully ignited the fire of his new revolution in the hearts of Anambra farmers. But he also raised the hope for a better day; the hope for a new Anambra! And if as Napoleon Bonarpate once said, “a leader is a dealer in hope,” Chief Willie Obiano has truly proved himself one by dispensing hope to Ndi Anambra as he has done so far. Concluded

• James Eze (eziokwubundu@gmail.com) is the Media Aid to Anambra State governor.

Udom Emmanuel: Key to transparency and accountability (2) Emmanuel Nicholas Continued from yesterday

dom will ensure the habit of Information management is enabled so that the information that government collects and creates is available to all. With no information management – or even poor information management, the road stops here with no accountability and very little reduction in corruption. So, there are four types of transparency, and Udom’s open government supports all of them. The two primary forms are proactive dissemination and reactive disclosure. Proactive dissemination is when your government makes information publicly available for everyone to see. Reactive disclosure is when your government releases information upon request – for example, under Freedom of Information laws. Both of these forms of transparency rely on information management to get the job done. Together with holding open meetings and protecting whistle blowers, all four types of transparency have the possibility of creating external accountability – or accountability to citizens through the publicity cycle. Here’s how it works: a journalist or watchdog group gets data from the government, analyzes it, and finds something wrong. They publicize this and you get angry about it. When you demand that the government do something about it,

they do! They maintain their integrity by calling for an investigation and then enforcing the law that was violated or punishing the corrupt officials. As man of high prudence, the strength of mind or spirit enables a man to encounter challenges with firmness, personal braver and heroism is not the strength of the muscles and bones. Being intelligent is the strongest strength or energy needed in winning any battle of life, a good boxer wins with technicalities not with strength ,so most a star studded team can always lose their matches if they don’t have good bench to dole out the expertise that will bring goals. Deacon Udom Gabriel Nkenang is man with that brain strength which will turn around the fortunes of the Akwa Ibom State for a better, for what the State needs now is not a career politician but a career political-professional symbol, embedded with wisdom that can continue in the uncommon trtransformation of Chief Godswill Akpabio CON that has wrought in the State. Deacon Udom Emmanuel as a professional in corporate governance is a trusted hand, and trust is the foundation of sustainable development. As the world continues to get smaller, our mutual interdependence increases and we all need to be able to mobilise the resources and goodwill from revenues to achieve success. That can only be achieved through gaining the trust of the people. Therefore, the ability to gain the trust of the masses

and of all is becoming the key to success. Transparency and Accountability are two of the central pillars of good governance. Transparency is also a necessary precondition for the exercise of accountability since without access to clear, accurate and up-to-date information, it is impossible to judge whether the standards promised has been met. Udom Emmanuel Government will be accountable to the people and God , for he will not misuse the wealth of the State as an astute financial manager . Good governance according to Downer (2000) is the process whereby public institutions conduct public affairs, manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights. Good governance accomplishes this in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption, and with due regard for the rule of law. The true test of good governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights; civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Conable (1997) was of the view that good governance is the exercise of power or authority, political, economic, administrative or otherwise to manage a country’s processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests excises their legal rights and harmonies their differences. The UN Human Development Report (2004) pointed out that governance has two faces: first, the leadership which has responsibilities derived from the principles of effective and these are what Udom have agreed to produce in his

government. By linking good governance to sustainable human development, emphasizing principles such as accountability, participation and the enjoyment of human rights, and rejecting prescriptive approaches to development assistance, the resolution stands as an implicit endorsement of the rights-based approach to development. Resolution 2000/64 expressly linked good governance to an enabling environment conducive to the enjoyment of human rights and “prompting growth and sustainable human development.” In underscoring the importance of development cooperation for securing good governance in countries in need of external support, the resolution recognized the value of partnership approaches to development cooperation and the inappropriateness of prescriptive approaches. In 2015 Udom Emmanuel’s government will not violet the human right of the right living citizens , but it will ensure violators will be brought to book , as there is no governance with transparency if human right is not respected and treasured. Good governance and human rights are mutually reinforcing. Human rights principles provide a set of values to guide the work of governments and other political and social actors. They also provide a set of performance standards against which these actors can be held accountable. Concluded • Emmanuel Nicholas (whitebombom@yahoo.com)

LAW THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014

NEW TELEGRAPH

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FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY Editor

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'Why referendum cannot validate confab’s position on Nigeria’s unity'

}p-24&25

2014 election

Alegeh, Adekoya, Akintola, Adesina jostle for NBA presidency A

FTER months of doldrums and anxiety, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) at the quarterly meeting of its National Executive Meeting (NEC), on May 15, lifted the ban on campaigns and asked prospective aspirants to freely canvass for votes ahead of the July 14 election into national offices of the 146 year-old association. Besides, the association has fixed July 14 and 15 as dates for the election while endorsing Abuja as ‘host city’ for the biennial election. It said: “With regards to the 2014 NBA national officers’ elections, the NBA NEC not only approved 14th and 15th of July, 2014 as the dates for elections, but also lifted the ban on campaigns and decided that Abuja should be the host city for this epoch event.” About fifteen positions would be filled at the biennial election just as no fewer than 70 aspirants are jostling to occupy 15 offices approved by the NBA for the election. For instance, four Senior Advocates of Nigeria officially launched their campaign manifesto on May 15 in Abuja shortly after the ban was lifted by the NBA, indicating interest in the association’s topmost post-presidency. Other aspirants contesting for other offices such as Publicity Secretary, General Secretary, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, first, second and third Assistant Financial Secretary and others also launched their manifesto. Augustine Oyarekhua Alegeh, Funke Adekoya , Adeniyi Akintola and Dele Adesina, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria are jostling for the post of the 27th president of the Nigeria Bar Association(NBA). Although the NBA presidency has been zoned to lawyers plying their law trade in the Southwest, lawyers from the Mid-West Bar Forum has named Alegeh as its candidate for the august election especially as “the March 2012 meeting leaves the door open for any member of the Mid west Bar Forum or Egbe Amofin to contest the election.” It said: “There is no South west in the informal zoning configuaration of the NBA as far as the office of the presidency is concerned. For the avoidance of doubt, the three recognized zones are north, east and west( i.e Egbe Amofin and Midwest). "Also, the meeting in Abuja, in March, 2012, the NBA 2014 presidency was zoned to the WEST thus; leaving the door open for any member of the Midwest Bar Forum or Egbe Amofin to contest the election. The South-West-(Egbe Amofin) and the Midwest Bar Forum have since moved on as both parties have already agreed that they belong to the WEST”. Adekoya, Akintola and Adesina belong to Egbe Amofin while Alegeh is from the Midwest Forum, both according to the Midwest Bar Forum are from the west. To the lawyers from the region, since Egbe Amofin had produced NBA presidents in the past years, it is now their turn to produce the next candidate for the 27th biennial election of the asso-

The race to the 27th presidential election of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), billed for July 14 and 15 has begun as the association, last week in Abuja, lifted the ban on electioneering campaign. Already, four Senior Advocates of Nigeria have indicated interest in who becomes the 27th President of the lawyers’ umbrella body on July 14 when the tenure of the incumbent, Mr. Okey Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) expires. Judiciary Editor, FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE, who was in Abuja reports

PAST NBA PRESIDENTS 1.

Akintola

Alhaji Jibril Martins, 1959, died in 1959 2. Chief FRA Williams, SAN, 1959 – 1968 3. Mr. Peter Thomas, 1968 – 1969 4. Chief G.M Bayo, 1969 – 1970 5. Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, 1970 – 1973 6. Chief Adebayo Ogunsanya, SAN – 1973 – 1974 7. Dr. Mudiaga Oje, 1974 – 1976 8. Dr. Nwakanma Okoro, SAN, 1976 – 1978 9. Chief B.O. Benson, 1978 – 1980 10. Chief Adetunji Fadayiro, SAN, 1980 – 1982 11. Mr. A.N. Anyamene, SAN, 1982 – 1984 12. Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN – 1984 – 1985 13. Mr. Ebele Nwokoye, 1985 – 1987 14. Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun, 1987 – 1989 15. Mr. Charles Idehen, 1990 – 1991 16. Mr. Clement Akpamgbo, SAN, 1991 – 1992 17. Mrs. Priscilla Kuye, 1992 18. Mr. Thompson Okpoko, SAN, 1998 – 2000 19. Mr. Onueze Okocho, SAN, 2000 – 2002 20. Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, 2002 – 2004 21. Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, 2004 – 2005 22. Prince Lanke Odogiyan, 2005 – 2006 23. Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, 2006 – 2008 24. Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, 2008 – 2010 25. Mr. Joseph B. Daudu, SAN 2010 – 2012 26. Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, 2012 – 2014 27. 2014 – 2016?

ciation. However, Alegeh, Adekoya, Akintola and Adesina had declared their intention to slug it out with each other although Egbe Amofin which the trio of Adekoya, Akintola and Adesina belong to, is yet to agree on a sole presidential candidate. Alegeh while unveiling his manifesto in Abuja, tagged together we can’, said his tenure would ‘refocus, reform and reinvigorate the association as he would continue to ‘think, idea, try, do and keep on doing’ until he attains the ultimate in the affairs of the NBA. He said among others that he would strengthen and reform the NBA Human

Rights Institute(HRI) with a view to making it more proactive and effective. Alegeh said he would: • Strengthen and Reform the NBA Human Rights Institute (HRI) to be more proactive and effective. • Human Rights Committees in all branches to have Police, Prisons, Department of State Services [DSS] and Joint Task Force [JTF] visitation biweekly. • NBA offer pro bono legal services for Human Rights Enforcement to indigent persons. On anti-corruption commission, he said his leadership would reform and strengthen the NBA anti-corruption

Alegeh

Adekoya

Adesina

commission with a view to enhancing monitoring and reporting of anti-corruption. Besides, Alegeh vowed that his tenure would witness a remarkable development on judicial reform as he would ensure that the association steps to institutionalise full compliance with the constitutional provisions for financial autonomy for the Judiciary. He said: “The NBA will make case for infrastructural development of Court Houses. • Propose amendments to existing legislation and rules for effective justice delivery. CO NTINUED O N PAGE23

22 LAW | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

NHRC boss flays NBA over insurgency in northeast Joseph Onyekwere

he chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and member of the National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has condemned the decision of the NBA to document alleged human rights violations in the troubled states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe through their respective state branches. The NBA at the just concluded meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja requested that the NBA branches in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, namely, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, should clearly document the allegations and patterns of violation of human rights by security agents in the North-East and that such reports should be sent to the NBA National Secretariat so it could take them up with the relevant security and government agencies and also the Defence Headquarters. Miffed by this development, Odinkalu described the action as misguided and mis-informed. He said: “The most charitable that can be said about this is that it is mis-guided, mis-informed and lacking in imagination. The Bar in the North-east has unquestionably encountered difficulties with the security agencies in the region. But the most serious attacks on the Bar and the rule of law have come from the insurgency. It has killed many lawyers, run many more out of town and is an assault on the rule of law. “Rather than document the persecution of its own members, the leadership of the NBA prefers to

pass the buck to branches in parts where it has acknowledged that the Bar is “non-existent”. To compound matters, when the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) earlier this year offered to enlist the skills of lawyers in Borno in prosecuting detainees under the Terrorism Prevention Act, the leadership of the NBA quickly stepped in to divert the briefs to themselves, asking the DHQ to exclusively discuss such matters with the NBA at the national level”, he stated, adding that while the mission of the NBA is “Promoting the Rule of Law”, ti does injustice to the mission when all it seeks is to secure briefs for NBA’s plutocrats off the back of a profession under brutal assault from the insurgency. According to him, the leadership of the NBA has been wantonly missing in action on the insurgency. He said: “It is little wonder that many lawyers living with the insurgency believe the NBA has failed them. If it cannot come up with a sensible programme of assistance and support, the NBA should at least show thoughtful solidarity. And if it cannot do either of these, the NBA leadership should confess that it lacks the imagination for these times and frankly abdicate. To buttress his point, Odinkalu went down the memory lane and pointed out a number of lawyers who have been killed by the insurgents in the listed States. “On the night of 17 September 2012, insurgents assassinated Zanna Mallam Gana, AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice of Borno State. Mallam Gana was killed in his home in Bama where he had gone

to spend the week-end. In response to his killing, the institutions for the defence of the rule of law in Nigeria, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said nothing. “For most people beyond Borno State, Mallam Gana was just another morbid statistic in the insurgency in Borno. For the legal profession in the State, however, it was the beginning of a sustained assault that has deepened. In the eighteen months since his killing, the insurgents have killed many other lawyers in Borno State. “Abubakar Sadiq, another lawyer, was also shot and killed in Bama while he was enlisting help to escape from insurgent who had forcibly seized his car. Insurgents also attacked and killed Babagana Alkali, Modu Denjami, and Ahmed Wali, all members of the Maiduguri Bar. Last year, insurgents similarly killed Jibrin Mohammed in his home in Maiduguri. He was also a member of the Maiduguri Bar. Also killed was Mohammed’s two year old daughter who died in his arms. “To the south of Maiduguri in Gwoza, Adamu Dugje, another lawyer was also assassinated by the insurgents. All these were real person, real lawyers. As their examples show, in addition to educational institutions, lawyers and institutions of the rule of law have been a specific focus of attacks as the insurgency in north-east Nigeria has deepened. The number of lawyers killed does not fully account for the brutality of the assault on the law and its institutions”, Odinkalu declared.

Faces at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.

Chief Ferdinand Orbih SAN, Mr. Augustine Alegeh SAN and former NBA Lagos Branch Chairman, Mr. Taiwo Taiwo.

L-R: Former President, FIDA International, Dr. Oguguo Ikpeze and Mrs. Funmi.

L-R: Former NBA General Secretary, Chief Afro Fayokun (SAN) and Chief Ochogha.

Court remands ex-Chevron accountant in prison over N5bn fraud Joseph Onyekwere

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former accountant of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Michael Adenuga before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over allegation of fraudulently converted landed property worth N5.5billion to his personal use. The lead prosecution, Jamiu Musa while presenting the case before the court, alleged that Adenuga and his company, Convenant Apartment Limited, between September 2011 and February 2014 at Aiye-

toro Ikota area of Lagos State, converted to himself about 22.68 hectres of land situated at Ikota peninsula. The matter is before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya. The EFCC also alleged that the defendant forged a Lagos State land sales document alleging that the said land had been sold to him by a Swiss firm. The commission claimed that the defendant had tendered the document before its officials at its Lagos office with the intent to deceive them. Adenuga pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge when it was read

to him in the open court. Counsel to the defendant, Ehis Badmus, told the court that he had already filed a bail application on behalf of his client and prayed the court to remand him in the EFCC custody instead of the Prisons. He argued that his client is diabetic and has High Blood Pressure and that remanding him in the Kirikiri prisons would further worsen his condition. However, Justice Ogunsanya turned down the request and ordered that both parties should return to the court on May 21 to argue the bail application.

L-R: Mr. J.S. Okutekpa (SAN) and Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN).

L-R: Alhaji Hassan Liman (SAN), former Bauchi State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and NBA National Legal Adviser, Sule Usman. PHOTOS: FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE

LAW | DYNASTY 23

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Akintola, others eye NBA presidency CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

• Push for prompt passage of Justice Sector Reform Bills pending before the National Assembly. • Propose Judicial Reform in the following areas: Case management and scheduling with time slots • Notification to Lawyers of adjournments • Provision of Legal/Research Assistants to Judges which will have the following benefits amongst others: Creation of pensionable employment for about 5,000 young lawyers. • Ensure speedy and better Judgments • Aid the fight against corruption in the Judiciary. • Digital recording and transcription in all courts • Transparency in appointment of Judicial Officers • Introduction of examinations as part of the process for judicial appointments. While Alegeh predicated his NBA agenda on ‘refocus on welfare of lawyers’, ‘reform NBA Secretariat, organs and structures, ‘reinvigorate the Bar as promoter of rule of law, defender of human rights and voice of the Nigerian people’, Adekoya insisted that her leadership would restore the lost glory of the association by ensuring that the NBA which had drifted into irrelevance and insignificance, would bounce back and reclaim its revered position. Adekoya, a former NBA 1st Vice President believe her administration would revolve around a 3-point agenda aimed to tackle Human Resource Development, Organisational Development, as well as Institutional and Legal Framework Development. The three Point Agenda, according to her, aims to equip NBA members with requisite skills for the 21st century legal practice, provide access to information, knowledge and training that will enable lawyers perform optimally, and set up management structures, processes and procedures within the NBA Secretariat to ensure that the association delivers world class membership benefits to all its stakeholders. On Institutional and Legal Framework Development, the globally renowned arbitrator said she would spearhead legal and regulatory changes to enable the association fulfill its role as a representative of the profession, its members and the society at large. Adekoya said: “Our once great association is drifting towards irrelevance and insignificance both to its members as well as the larger society,” Apparently worried that her colleagues “are increasingly looking elsewhere for assistance with their professional growth, while other civil society organisations are dominating the discourse in the larger society”, Adekoya, said she would execute the 5-year Strategic Plan approved for the association under the current administration. However, she identified a plethora of challenges facing the association and presented

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajuoke Akinjide, NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN) and Attoreny-General of the Federation and Minister of Justicce, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN)...at the NBA NEC meeting, Abuja.

a roadmap to tackle each of them, adding that, if elected, her administration would be based on “SMARTER” management principles, with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based goals which are routinely evaluated and reassessed by the NBA NEC. An arbitrator with “extensive experience,” the former NBA National Treasurer and Harvard-trained lawyer gave specific timelines for achieving some of the set goals, even as she promised to increase the subvention payable to branches to 20% of practising fees paid by their members while ensuring that payment would be made to each branch by June 1st of each year. Adekoya, a former International Bar Association (IBA) Deputy Secretary-General (Africa West) and Council Member of the IBA Professional and Public Interest Division, said she would facilitate meeting of NBA’s National Officers with ALGON within 90 days after the Annual Bar Conference to advance advocacy on the benefits to the local government system of a Legal Unit staffed by lawyers. Besides, she said the National Officers would meet with the Nigeria Police Force within 90 days after the 2014 Annual Bar Conference to propose a structure which ensures that all prosecutions are henceforth handled by lawyers in the Police Force. She said: “If elected with your mandate, I will fulfill the specific pledges that I have outlined above. “There is no better time than now to elect a female NBA President to replicate at the Bar the giant strides done by the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria at the Bench. If we all are agreed that things have to be done differently, then I can tell you without equivocation that the time to elect a female NBA President is now. It is an idea whose time has come.” Meanwhile, the NBA at its NEC meeting in Abuja reviewed the country’s security challenge and concluded that it was time lawyers stood up to challenge the Federal Govern-

The NBA NEC insisted that impunity in executive lawlessness must give way to rule of law and order, which is essential for good governance to thrive ment on some of its anti-people policies particularly the “myriads of problems like weak democratic institutions, terrorism, unconscionable crimes, kidnapping, militancy, failure of leadership at all levels; religious intolerance; insincerity and insensitivity of the elite, indiscipline and corruption; an economy that does not create jobs and benefit the people”. In a communique, the NBA

second highest organ resolved among others, the following: *On national security, the NBA NEC condemned in strong terms the Chibok girls kidnap and the recent Nyanya bomb attacks on two occasions, and further noted that the Chibok girls’ episode has exposed the lethargic response of the Federal Government to matters of urgent national security. *NEC observed that it has taken the abduction of the 223 school girls from Chibok Girls Secondary School for the menace of Boko Haram and terrorism to get the type of attention the government should pay to such dire situations and reiterated its earlier reminder to the Federal Government that the primary duty of government is the security of lives and properties of its citizens. *The NBA NEC joined the world in calling on the Federal Government to do everything

lawful within its powers to ensure the return of the remaining 223 school girls safely home to their families, and also appreciated foreign governments that have offered assistance of sorts in that regard. *While NEC agreed that the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, should be rooted out, it also advised that no option should be foreclosed in enthroning peace, as history has taught us that constructive engagement of such insurgents have sometimes yielded dividends. *NEC stated with finality that this is no time for buck passing or attribution of faults or blames and that this is a moment of solidarity, patriotism and support for the efforts to deal with a national problem, not politics or religiosity. NEC also stated that terrorism, as the Nyanya bomb blast has shown, does not know religion, tribes or political party membership.

N36m fraud: Court remands Chinese woman in prison Sola Adeyemo, Ibadan

ustice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, New Adeoyo Road Hospital, Ring Road Ibadan, has ordered that a Chinese woman, Zhou Jun, be remanded in Agodi prison over alleged fraud. Zhou Jun (50) and others at large were alleged to have obtained precious stones estimated at N36.6 million from some businessmen in Ibadan under the pretence of paying on delivery, knowing to be false. According to the sixteencount charge marked FHC/ IB/39c/ 2014, Zhou Jun and others at large in the first count, sometime in 2011 at Ibadan conspired to commit felony to wit obtaining goods under false pretence and stealing and thereby committed an offence "contrary to and punishable under section 8(A) of the Advance Free Fraud and other fraud related offence Act Cap. A6, Vol. 1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004". The second count had it that "Zhou Jun and others at large on the same date, time and

place obtained precious stones valued N5,400,000,00 (five million four hundred thousand naira) from one Awokson Dilan Shem 'M' under the pretence of paying for the goods on delivery, knowing same to be false". Zhou Jun and others at large in count three was accused of obtaining precious stones valued N11,666,140.00 (Eleven million six hundred and sixy-six thousand, one hundred and forty naira) from one Abdulahi Sani Mayanchi 'M' under false pretence of paying for the goods on delivery, knowing same to be false. In count four, Zhou Jun and others at large were accused of obtaining precious stones valued N17,850,000.00 (Seventeen million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira) from one AbdulRaman Mohammed 'm' "under the pretence of paying for the goods on delivery knowing same to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Free Fraud and other fraud related offence Act Cap. A6 Vol. 1 Laws of the

Federation of Nigeria, 2004", among others. The accused person however pleaded not guilty to all the sixteen counts when her plea was taken, while her counsel, Korede Oyedele orally applied for her bail, He told the court that it was on Tuesday morning that he was contacted that the case would be coming up, reason he could not file an application for bail. He said the accused had earlier been given administrative bail by the police and urged the court to sustain the bail or she should be remanded in the police custody, pending filing and hearing of the bail application. Counsel to the prosecution, Funke Fawole, however told the court that the police cell at Eleyele was already congested, adding that the Agodi prison has better facility to take care of the accused person. In his ruling, Justice Ayo Emmanuel remanded Zhou Jun in Agodi prison pending the filing and hearing of bail application, while adjourning the case till 27th of May 2014.

24 JURIST

rom the very beginning, the issue of local government council ought not to have found itself in the constitution. The local government council is a state affair. There is no reason the constitution should concern itself with how many number of local governments a state should have. If a state decides to have 1000 local government areas, that should be its own problem. It is a very good development that a committee of the conference has resolved to recommend that the local government councils be removed from the 1999 Constitution or the constitution that would come into force thereafter. It's a good idea”. With these words, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, a Senior Advocate and principal partner in one of Nigeria’s leading dispute resolution firms-Tayo Oyetibo and Company believes that it is unnecessary to include local government council in the Constitution as it ought to be in the exclusive list of the state government's. He specifically said that the issue of local government should be left as the sole business of the state government as there was no reason the Constitution should concern itself with the number of local councils the nation must have. Oyetibo said: “Nobody will tell a blind man that there is nobody in the market anymore when he can no longer hear the sounds and voices of people, he would know that the market is empty. If you create too many local government areas than you can finance, no one will tell you to scrap them. I don't think that would be an issue. Of course it could be abused in the beginning, but with time, people will sit up and ensure that you only create the number of local government areas that you need in your state. Asked whether the nation must adopt unicameral legislature, Oyetibo said although the unicameral legislature was aptly suitable at the state government level where it was achieving results, there was need to adopt it at the federal level, at least to save cost of governance. He said: “Well, at the state level we have unicameral except at the federal level. So you probably might be sending 109 senators out of the system. If you collapse both chambers in one body, it is either you are reducing them or you are increasing them. Yes, it would save us some cost of running the system, but I can tell you that that is not the major source of wastages in the system. South West for example has six states. If you look at the laws in the South west, they are basically the same. So, why do we have six houses of assembly in the South West? Why can't we have one legislature? If you go to the South East, all the laws in the five states are almost the same. Go to South-South, North East and the rest. Most of the laws operating in those States are almost the same. So, why do we have to replicate six houses of assembly in the West with speaker, deputy speaker, majority leader, minority leader

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Why referendum cannot validate Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria bares his mind on the proposal by a committee of the national conference that the 774 local government councils be scrapped. Besides, the Senior Advocate speaks on Nigeria’s security challenge, his fears for the 2015 elections and sundry issues. Joseph Onyekwere met him.

Oyetibo

and so on with retinue of aides whereas just one body could pass the laws. There are no hard and fast rules as to the mode of democracy. Each State adopts the mode that suits them. What obtains in the United States of America is not the same that obtains in the United Kingdom. It is different from what obtains in France, India and Switzerland. So you have to look at the situation, look at the resources available to you and the peculiarities of your society and evolve a system that will be cost effective and minimum requirements of democracy. That is what Nigeria requires. We do not need six houses of assembly in the South west, five in the South East as well as other regions. One house of assembly can legislate for all those areas and election would go from each State to go there. That removes the cost of running houses of assembly in those areas and the money can be available for something else. In my opinion, it would safe us a lot. I have demonstrated to you that there is no justification for having six houses of assembly in the West and the rest. There is no justification because the laws are the same. On the constitutional role of the centre, he said “the centre will still be the centre for things that connect us as a federation such as defense, currency, taxation, industries, and others. The federal government will concentrate itself with those things that bind us together. Agriculture

We do not need six Houses of Assembly in the South west, five in the South East as well as other regions is State; each should be able to develop its own agricultural resources. Railway should be concurrent. There is no reason why states should not be able to develop its own railway lines. I don't know why it is under the exclusive legislative list. There is no reason why Lagos state government should not be able to run its own railway line. On what would become of the outcome of the national conference, Oyetibo believes that whatever decision arrived at would still be subjected to the confine of the National Assembly. This, to him is sacrosanct as the Constitution was clear on the role and duty of the National Assembly even though sovereignty belongs to the people. Such sovereignty, Oyetibo said would still be exercised through their representatives at the National Assembly. He said: “There cannot be any debate about that because the constitution is clear. It is the National Assembly and the

houses of assembly of States that have power to amend the constitution. So, whatever you get out of the national conference must still go back to the National Assembly. You cannot run away from it. You don't sit down in your home and assert sovereignty. You assert sovereignty the way it has been prescribed by the constitution. Sovereignty belongs to the people, yes! But the people have exercised the power of sovereignty by electing their representatives who are in the National Assembly. So, there is nothing you can do that will remove the power of the National Assembly without first amending the constitution. You cannot achieve it outside the existing legal regime, unless it is through revolution. Whatever the national conference is able to come out with at the end of that meeting, it would still be subjected to the National Assembly. Talk of referendum, first of all there is no provision in the present constitution for the use of referendum for the approval of constitution. But I have always argued that; what is the value of a referendum in the making of a constitution that contains over 200 provisions? What is referendum? It means to say yes or no to an issue. You have a document that have over 200 provisions and you put it before the people and say they should say yes or no. Yes to what and no to what? I may say yes to 20 provisions and no to 80 provisions and I don't have the opportu-

nity to express that because I have been straight-jacketed into saying yes or no. So, to me, it is valueless and useless. We use referendum when you have a situation when you ask people 'do you want to go that way or this way'. For instance, we are under colonial regime and you want to become a republic; choose yes or no. So you see that referendum can only be useful if the question is either yes or no. But when you have multiple provisions that you need to disagree with some and agree with some, referendum is useless and that is what we have in constitution making. The present constitution has over 300 provisions. So when you have over 300 provisions in the constitution and you take it to referendum, what are you trying to achieve? Not everybody will agree with the contents of the over 300 provisions. So, referendum is most unfair to the voters when it comes to approving the contents of a constitution. Who elected members of the National Assembly? Is it not the people? We must rise above political sentiments. If you say the people in the National Assembly are not good, which process produced those who are at the National Conference? Whether you said in quote or not, under the present legal regime, they are deemed to have been elected, so I go by the law - they are elected. I will rather place the deliberations of the National Assembly over and above the

JURIST 25

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

confab’s position on Nigeria’s unity-Oyetibo When we talk about the security of Nigeria, we should not play politics. If there is crisis in Nigeria, no governor will stay in office peacefully national conference because those who populate the National Assembly are deemed to have been elected by the people whereas those who populate the conference were selected. So, where are we? Is it not sheer political sentiments to say we don't want to go to the National Assembly, we only want to use referendum to approve. The holding of referendum in such situation will not only be wasteful, it would be valueless. Many of the people who will go and vote would not even have read the contents of the document to be put for the referendum. However Oyetibo described offer by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents to trade their detained members with the abducted Chibok girls as a bit complex. He said: “Well, the situation is a bit delicate. Delicate in the sense that you have those young girls in the custody of the terrorists and you have a state that want to maintain law and order. The question is: should the state negotiate with the terrorists? Fall to the dictates of the terrorists with regards to those who have found themselves in the custody of the terrorists? It is very delicate! If you use violence or force, you put the lives of the young girls in danger or jeopardy. At the same time, if you succumb to the demand of the terrorists and release those who are detained; particularly, those who have been found to have carried out terrorist activities, what type of state are we projecting to the rest of the he world? A state that cannot maintain law and order? A state that would go cap in hand to beg ascertained terrorists? That could be the beginning of anarchy; and that is why it is a very delicate situation. How do you handle this situation and get those girls out of the custody of those terrorists? Should the state compromise the security of the nation - because we are talking about those who have been arrested for committing heinous crimes, setting places ablaze, killing people, arrested and kept in custody? I think it is very delicate. I think the government along with those who have come to assist the country should put their heads together in order to find an answer to this delicate situation. In fact, it is not easy for the government; it is not easy for the nation. You cannot sit in your room and deal with such a situation without information. You need intelligence! What intelligence does government have, what does it have by way of information? All those would be put together to access their response. You must be able to access your strength in terms of rescuing those girls. Those are security information. It is not very easy and it is not straight forward question. It is a question that the government has to be very careful in dealing with in order not to weaken the very fabric of the nation. If you lay this precedent, criminals in future will hold people to ransom and give you conditions. That is why it is very dangerous. You cannot afford to set a very dangerous precedent. But at the same time, the lives of those girls are very precious. So, it needs balancing, you have to balance the facts! On foreign intervention, he said there was nothing wrong for the coun-

Oyetibo

try to seek help from international community with a view to not only rid the nation of terrorism but rescue the schoolgirls from the insurgents. Oyetibo said: “There is nothing wrong about it. Terrorism is a cross border problem, particularly the kind of terrorism Nigeria is experiencing. It is a trans-border and cross-border problem and therefore, if there is a problem that has gone beyond the territorial boundary of Nigeria, there is absolutely nothing wrong in asking other nations to come to the assistance of Nigeria. But the responsibility of protecting Nigeria remains the primary responsibility of Nigeria and not foreign governments. They could only render assistance and I didn't see anything wrong in rendering assistance provided the government does not abdicate its responsibility of protecting Nigerians. On the extension of emergency rule in the trouble Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe states, he said “nothing has changed! The reason why the state of emergency was imposed is still there. There is still insecurity in Borno and Yobe. In Adamawa, you may say it has subsided, but there are still traces of insecurity. Until government is able to establish uninterrupted law and order in those states, it is necessary to maintain state of emergency in those states. On allegation of genocide brought agaist the federal government by Gov-

ernor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, Oyetibo said “I don't want to use strong words for the man who made that statement. It does not portray the maker of that statement as somebody who appreciates the responsibility of the office that he occupies. “When we talk about the security of Nigeria, we should not play politics. If there is crisis in Nigeria, no governor will stay in office peacefully. If there is genocide, will he be able to stay in office? I think that politically exposed persons should be very careful with their utterances. If a governor opens his mouth to say that there is genocide in Nigeria, what do you expect outsiders to say? If there is genocide you and I will know. It is not something that is done under the ground. There will be evidence everywhere. So, if a governor is saying such thing, what do you expect outsiders to be saying, because he would be deemed to be saying the truth; whereas there is no such thing in the country. Genocide is not done in the corner! I am a libertarian and I will always stand on the human rights of the people. But when it comes to a tough situation as Nigeria is undergoing currently, you must balance the interest of either nation against the interest of individual. If one man loaded a vehicle with bombs and detonated it, killing over 100 people, that suggests to me

Until government is able to establish uninterrupted law and order in those states, it is necessary to maintain state of emergency in those states

that he has put his own human rights in issue. His rights to continue to enjoy his own human rights has been put to issue. So, in dealing with such a situation, you cannot expect the society to fold its hands and still treat such a person with velvet gloves. Having said that, our laws says he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. That is correct! That will avail where he is arrested. But if you are fighting the terrorists, certain rights will go. If you see terrorists approaching an area to throw bomb, you don't expect that people in that neighborhood would not be affected one way or the other. It could be by way of tear-gas thrown to dispese the terrorists. That's an emergency situation where the rights of the larger society is greater than individual rights. So individual rights must be subsumed in the rights of the larger society. So, it's a balancing factor. Talking about Amnesty International crusading for human rights, it is easy to sit down in London, Paris or New York and issue statements when you are not at the centre of ether activities of the terrorists. In any society where there are terrorists, there are always laws made to contain the activities of the terrorists. Human rights are not necessarily absolute. But that doesn't give right to security agencies to ride roughshod over the rights of people. What I am saying is that it is a balancing factor. The law enforcement agencies put in place to protect the interest of larger society against the activities of the terrorists might at some point trampled on individual rights. In the interest of larger society, that can be accommodated. On the 180 days given to conclude election petitions Oyetibo said “180 days is six months. There is nothing absolutely wrong for the time and duration prescribed for the hearing and determination of election petitions. “I support the retention of the 180 days. What I think is wrong is the interpretation given by the Supreme Court to the provision whereby, it has been interpreted that if there is an appeal, whether interlocutory or final; and the court of appeal orders a rehearing, the Supreme Court has interpreted that the 180 days will begin to count from the original date that the result was announced. That was not the intention of the makers of that particular provision. So, the rehearing should begin to run its own course. I think that is where the injustice lies, not in the original 180 days. There is nothing absolutely wrong with that. Nobody wants to go back to what we used to have, where election petition would be in court for three, four years. Is that what anybody is advocating? I do not think Nigerians should be allowed to go back to those days. After all, under this present democratic regime, there were election petitions that were held and concluded within the time frame. So, it has been achieved and is achievable! Under the old system you found a party who won and whose election is being challenged would be engaging in all sorts of time wasting devices so as to prolong the life of the petition in court so that he would continue to enjoy the advantages of that office. And at the end of the day what do you have? Empty judgment, either because the tenure has expired. We shouldn't go back to that type of situation anymore. It was highly embarrassing! And it was sheer injustice on the part of the person affected. It is because to that provision that we don't have any election petition in courts right now. If not, we would still be in court now for the last elections. So, I think it should be retained.

26 LAW | INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Why NBA needs female president -Adekoya

Mrs. Olufunke Adekoya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has declared her intention to lead the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) as its 27th president on July 14. The Senior Advocate, who believes she is the candidate to beat come July, tells Judiciary Editor, FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE last week in Abuja, why she is running for the association’s topmost post.

Adekoya, SAN

Some of your colleagues believe that you may not be able to lead the Bar because you are too ‘international for the Nigerian Bar Association? No. Rather, I think all lawyers must embrace an ‘international’ outlook as the world has become a global village. I believe that the experiences I have gained at the international level – especially at the International Bar Association (IBA) - will be useful to the developmental agenda of my own Bar association. We must as a professional body think globally and act locally. That is the only way we can raise our standards, be of good standing in the comity of our professional colleagues, and be just as relevant on issues affecting us and our nation internationally and at the domestic level. Aspirants to the NBA topmost post have made pledges to take the Bar to greater heights, how would you convince your colleagues that you would fulfill your pledges? In my previous record of service to the association, I fulfilled the pledges I made when seeking the mandate. As national Treasurer, I ensured that accounts of the association were audited and presented to NEC (a tradition that continues till date), and that a statement of the current income and expenditure of the association was presented to NEC at each meeting. As 1st Vice President, I ensured that the Stamp and Seal Project was established. That it is non-operational till date has nothing to do with failure to fulfill any pledge made. Again, in the forthcoming elections, I am putting myself out to be held accountable for any pledge that I make. I shall keep my word! That is what our noble profession enjoins us to do. What do you plan to do differently if elected as NBA President? My quest is based on a 3-point Agenda aimed to tackle Human Resource Development, Organisational Development, as well as Institutional and Legal Framework Development. On Human Resource Development, we plan to equip NBA members with requisite skills for 21st century legal practice and provide access to information,

I can tell you without equivocation that the time to elect the first female NBA President is now! It’s an idea whose time has come! The best man for the job is a woman knowledge and training that will enable lawyers perform optimally. The Organizational Development agenda focuses on setting up management structures, processes and procedures within the NBA Secretariat to ensure that the association delivers world class membership benefits to all its stakeholders. We shall drive the Institutional and Legal Framework Development agenda by spearheading legal and regulatory changes to enable the association fulfill its role as a representative of the profession, its members and the society at large. Our once great association is drifting towards irrelevance and insignificance both to its members as well as the larger society. Our members are increasingly looking elsewhere for assistance with their professional growth, while other civil society organisations are dominating the discourse in the larger society. We must stop the drift. We will take the 5-year Strategic Plan approved for the association under the current administration and run with it in zealous implementation. In my Manifesto, I have identified a plethora of challenges facing the association. But I did not stop at that; I have presented a roadmap to tackle each challenge effectively and decisively. If elected, my administration will be based on the “SMARTER” management principles, with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based goals which are vigorously pursued and outcomes routinely reported to the NBA NEC for

Evaluation and Reassessment. My role as Chair of the Branch Capacity Building Committee has given me unique insights into the challenges facing the branches,being the first points of contact with our esteemed members. If elected, we shall increase the subvention payable to branches to 20% of practising fees paid by their members while ensuring that payment is made to each branch by 1st June of each year. This will enable our branches to discharge their obligations to our members. As a former International Bar Association (IBA) Deputy Secretary-General (Africa West) and Council Member of the IBA Professional and Public Interest Division, I was privileged to gain insights into the running of a world class Bar association. If elected, I shall deploy these experiences towards making the NBA a truly world class Bar by infusing international best practices into its management. I am aware that many of our members are disillusioned. Non-accountability of the leadership to the electorate has been the bane of modern leadership. Let me assure you that my administration will be accountable and responsive to the yearnings of NBA members and stakeholders. Accordingly, we have also set specific timelines to enable our members easily track whether or not we are making progress. NBA National Officers will meet with ALGON within 90 days after the Annual Bar Conference to advance advocacy on the benefits to the local government system of a Legal Unit staffed by lawyers. They will also meet with the Nigeria Police Force within 90 days after the 2014 Annual Bar Conference to propose a structure which ensures that all prosecutions are henceforth handled by lawyers in the Police Force. The national officers will within the same period of 90 days after the Annual Bar Conference meet with the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) leadership to solicit their support and explain why we will file criminal complaints against any estate surveyor and valuer that collects legal fees in their own names for preparation of tenancy and lease agreements, as this amounts to the illegal practice of law. The national Secretariat will by June 2015 ensure that continuing legal education materials are made available to members through DVDs/VCDs; by December 2015 CLE materials will be available as online videos/webinars. We will restructure the NBA Secretariat. You would recall that I was privileged to be one of those who spearheaded the restructuring of the NBA into Sections and drafted the bye-laws for the Sections. We are poised to do it again.

Accordingly, a detailed administrative manual will be put in place at the NBA Secretariat by March 2015 to guide its operations. Also, the Prof. Chidi Odinkalu Report on the running of the NBA Secretariat would be fully implemented to create a conducive working environment, motivate staff, and ensure optimal performance. The report noted that the NBA may be lagging in fulfilling its statutory roles as a good corporate citizen. This is unacceptable. If elected, we will redress the situation within six months of assumption of office. By June 2015, we would have set up a Health Insurance Scheme for all lawyers who would have paid their practising fees by 31st March, 2015. We will meet lawyer-members at the National Assembly within 90 days after the Annual Bar Conference to discuss pending legislations especially those affecting the profession and ensure their speedy passage. I will not make empty promises. I have my reputation to protect. If elected, I will fulfill the specific pledges that I have outlined above and those more fully set out in my manifesto. Specifically , why are you running again for the NBA presidency having contested the same office and lost in 2006? Some of the issues I raised in 2006 have not been resolved till date. I said then - as I say now - that towards its members, the association has both a representative and a regulatory role to play. The association is regulating its members through the collection of practising fees and disciplinary procedures, but has still not fulfilled its representative role of providing membership benefits or even improving on and protecting the livelihood of the average lawyer. The association must be relevant to its members. If it fails to do so, if we as an association do not project that relevance, then the association is certain to become increasingly irrelevant to our professional well-being or even the nation at large. How do you think you can withstand the intrigues involved and secure victory in the July election? I am not a stranger to matters of leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association. Irrespective of the different power blocs and shades of opinion within the Bar, victory at the polls rests wholly on the votes cast for a candidate. I believe strongly that the Agenda set out in my manifesto is what the Bar needs at this time. I have the leadership experience, exposure, candour, and above all, competence to deliver on the pledges and commitments made in my manifesto. I am aware that the majority of the delegates and members are tired of ‘business as usual’ and there is a conscious effort by them to make the

NEWS | LAW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Jibrin Isah vs INEC: Many unanswered questions Ogbonna V Ogbonna

B ADEKOYA AT A GLANCE Adekoya, SAN

Bar better. Many NBA members have called me to pledge their support; many keep calling to urge me on. The election is the opportunity to vote as our conscience directs us, and I believe delegates will individually and corporately live up to their commitment to join me in ‘Raising the Bar!’ Looking at your age, don’t you consider yourself as too old to lead the Bar or run for a national Office? Certainly not! I am not too old. I have both the physical and mental energy required for the office. The staff strength in the National Secretariat is not as large as that in my firm, and I ran that successfully as Managing Partner for four years. What is more, as a result of competing social and marital responsibilities, women in every sphere of human endeavour tend to reach their peak later than their male colleagues. Beyond this is the fact that I shall be working with a formidable team of National Officers to steer the ship of the Nigerian Bar in the right direction. But your zone-the Southwest is yet to endorse any candidate? The South West Zone where I come from and practice in has only endorsed candidates who practice in that zone but has not endorsed any sole presidential candidate. This is because it could not agree on a consensus candidate. The Leader of the South West Lawyers Forum (SWLF), has duly informed other zones that there has been no endorsements. Why did you run against the candidate of the Eastern Bar Forum in 2006 when the NBA presidency was zoned to the zone? My understanding and that of my zone at that time was that ‘zoning’ would be the zoning arrangement resulting from an agreement between Chief O. C. J. Okocha (SAN) and Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN). At the time Chief Okocha (SAN) wanted to run for office, it was not intended to be a continuous arrangement; it was to end in 2006 after the arrangement would have gone round the agreed zones. My decision to run was based entirely on that understanding, together with my desire and passion for service to the association, nothing more. Apart from Mrs. Priscilla Kuye, no female ever led the Bar again, do you think the NBA is ripe for a

• An alumnus of UNIFE now OAU, Ile-Ife • Obtained LL.B in 1974 • Called to Nigerian Bar in 1975 • Obtained LLM from Harvard Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 1977 • She is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales • Pupillage/ NYSC with the law firm of Abdullahi Ibrahim & Co., Kaduna between 1975 and 1976 • Head of Chambers, Abdullahi Ibrahim & Co., Lagos Office in 1980 • Sets up Adekoya and Company in 1990 •Became Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2001 • In 2004, Adekoya and Company merged with three other law firms to form AELEX – a full service commercial law partnership • Ex-first Assistant National Secretary, NBA • Ex-Secretary, Lagos Bar 1986 • Member, NBA NEC 1986 – till date • Ex-Member, NBA, consultative Assembly on Return of Company Law 1989 • Ex-Member, Editorial Committee on Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 • Ex-National Treasurer, NBA 1990 – 1992 • Ex-Member, NBA Disciplinary Committee, Lagos Zone, 1998 – 2000 • Ex-Member, Body of Bencher 1999 • Ex-Member, NBA National/ Judiciary Committee 2000 – 2002 • Ex-1st Vice President, NBA 2002 – 2004 • Ex-Chair Section of Legal Practice 2007 female President? What I can tell you is that such assertions are not borne out by facts and current trends. If the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)- of which Nigerian lawyers are a substantial part - can elect a Nigerian woman as President and she has distinguished herself, I cannot see the point in that assertion. In fact, there is no better time than now to elect a female NBA President to replicate at the Bar the giant strides done by the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria at the Bench. If we are all agreed that things have to be done differently, then I can tell you without equivocation that the time to elect the first female NBA President is now! It’s an idea whose time has come! The best man for the job is a woman. That’s the refrain I hear everywhere I go.

asically, “Lex non deficere potest in justitia exhibenda”, is a Latin legal maxim which implies that the law cannot fail in dispensing justice. It is expected that the primary aim of any adjudicating process ought to be geared towards occasioning a harmonious marriage between judgment and justice. Consequently to achieve the end of justice, the law not only requires that all parties to any given dispute be heard (audi alteram partem), but insists on strict adherence to the principle of “Fiat justitia ruat caelum”, another Latin maxim that means “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” While saluting the industry deployed by their Lordships in arriving at the judgement of the apex court on 21st February,2014 in the Kogi gubernatorial tussle, I cannot help admitting that I do not share the views of the Honourable Supreme Court Justices as a careful analysis of the judgment reveals that the Supreme Court committed several errors in both facts and law and also overlooked the vast amount of evidence presented before it , 'manufactured' new evidence, while arriving at the decision. My Lords held in paragraph two (2) of the lead judgement written by Bode Rhodes Vivour,JSC that: "The facts are these: On the 9th day of January 2011 the PDP conducted its primaries to decide who its candidate would be for gubernatorial elections in Kogi State slated for April 2011. The appellant and the 2nd respondent both members of the PDP participated in the primaries". With respect I submit that, it amounts to delivering a judgement without justice by relying on a 'fact' that is non-existent and farcical. Let me emphasize here that, none of the parties to the suit made such averment. So, how did their Lordships arrive at that conclusion? Why would my Lords render an opinion on facts that were not before them nor averred by any of the parties? What is more serious is the confidence and certainty with which the Justices relied on the said non-existing 'fact' throughout its Judgment to dismiss the case. It was simply a clear reminder of the many dramatic twists and intrigues the case suffered at the level of the Appeal Court; as the date for the judgement on the case at the appellate court suffered up to four adjournments. It was initially fixed for 20th December, 2012 , rescheduled to 16th January, 2013 and was again postponed to Tuesday 28th January,2013 before the court finally delivered the judgement on 31st January 2013; making it the fourth time the judgement would be postponed and the first time such a thing will happen in the history of the Court of Appeal.

Mukhtar, CJN

The Supreme Court appeared to also be in serious error when it held that, the appellant was not a party in Marwa v Nyako and as such could not derive any benefit from the judgement. With much respect to their Lordships decision, the Supreme Court, by the decision in Marwa v Nyako invalidated the decisions of the two lower courts, set aside and nullified all rights or interest that may have accrued from the decisions and of course restored whatever and whichever interest that was suspended or put in abeyance during the subsistence of the decisions of the lower courts. Against the foregoing background, we submit that it was the decisions of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal (that were set aside by the Supreme Court in Marwa v Nyako) that stalled and hindered appellant’s already restored rights to contest election as governor of Kogi State since his name had already been forwarded to INEC (the 1st respondent) as its candidate for the said election. Legally and logically, if it was the decision of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court that hindered the appellant from contesting; the setting aside of those decisions by the Supreme Court revived his already vested right. Put differently, since all parties are ad idem that is, was the decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal (giving rise to the appeal and decision in Marwa v Nyako) that frustrated appellant’s already vested right to context election as governor, it will amount with all respect to standing logic on its head to argue that a setting aside of those decisions would

It is expected that the primary aim of any adjudicating process ought to be geared towards occasioning a harmonious marriage between judgement and justice

not confer any benefit on the appellant irrespective of whether he was a party to the proceedings or not. With much respect, I assert that, the setting aside of those decisions mandatorily conferred appellant with benefits qua locus, because the law is clear that the effect of an appellate court setting aside the decision of a lower court is that in the eyes of the law the decisions of the lower court did not exist. See, Waziri & Anor v Ali & Anor (2009) 4NLWR (Pt. 1130)178 at 221 and 227 where the court held that a judgment delivered in respect of an appeal from the decision of a trial court, being one in continuation of the case before the trial court is deemed to have started from the date of the decision of trial court. The court further held that no legal consequence can be derived from the judgment of the lower court which has been set aside or declared a nullity. Which was why, in compliance with the January 27, 2012 in Marwa Vs Nyako, INEC held governorship elections in Adamawa State on February 4, 2012, in Bayelsa State on February 11, 2012, in Sokoto State on February 18, 2012 and in Cross River on February 25, 2012. But INEC refused to hold fresh governorship election in Kogi State after the judgement. Therefore, it is crystal clear that the nexus between the Supreme Court judgment in Marwa v Nyako and the appellant is evidently clear, unassailable and cannot be impeached by any impartial and unbiased panel. With much respect to their Lordships decision in this matter, I am of the view that their Lordships failed to distinguish between "facts" and own interpretations and thereof making it look as if it were for the purpose of arriving at a predetermined conclusion when they held that, the appellant (Jibrin Isah) participated alongside 2nd respondent (Idris Wada) in the September 2011, that was conducted during the pendency of INEC's appeal at the Supreme Court in Marwa vs Nyako. The fact is that the falsity of the assertion of their Lordships is confirmed in a document in respect of the said 2nd Primary Election prepared by the 1st respondent (INEC) titled: “Report of the special state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on 22nd September, 2011 at the mini stadium, Lokoja, Kogi State” ,which was tendered before their Lordships (Certified True Copies on pages 1906-1909 of the records) where it was clearly stated as follows: “It is noteworthy to observe that only 3 out of the 7 cleared aspirants addressed the delegates at the venue. They were Addulrazaq Isa Kutepa, Capt. Wada Idris and Mr. Philip Salawu (Deputy Governor of Kogi State), and the remaining four (4) were absent.” * Ogbonna, is of The Lawyers for Justice and Equity, Lagos

TO BE CO NTINUED

28 LAW | FILE

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Obtaining probate in Nigeria: Argument Multichoice, two other for its retention and modification employees arraigned CON TINUED F R O M LA S T W EEK

Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe

he duties of the probate also include to invest prudently such that would yield profit for the deceased estate, sell property or deceased business as a going concern, appoint trustees for some of the beneficiaries where necessary or upon request, as well as do such other things as contained in the testator’s Will with diligent, honesty and integrity. The Procedures legally put in place for the grant of Probate has gone a long way in preventing unauthorized persons from meddling with the administration of the deceased’s estate. It is a well known legal truism that the umpire and supervisory roles of the Court has helped in a great deal to check-mate the activities of executors in the management of testator’s estate especially where the beneficiaries are infants and young children without any surviving parents. The provision of sureties by the executor and or personal representatives is a reasonable mechanism to curtail the excesses of the executor who may want to defraud the beneficiaries and then disappear into the thin air. Of significant note is the procedure that enables other interested parties, particularly the beneficiaries and close relatives of the testator to enter Caveat to address perceived grey areas in the deceased’s Will. Thus, the probate granted in the case of Stephen Dan-Jumbo v. Bernard Dan-Jumbo was set aside by the Supreme Court, on the ground that the probate registrar lacks the power to grant probate without first notifying the caveator and for ignoring the pending appeal in the appellate Court. This protective role of the court is to the effect that the court without bias considers the facts in issue as contained in the caveat and give both parties to prove or to void the caveat. Relevant facts and the weight of the evidence before the court will necessarily provide the basis for the court to decide. The court ensures that after granting probate the executor must as a legal requirement file statement of account to show the state of affairs of the deceased’s estate. This accounted for the requirement that the executor must first prove the Will, provide two suitable sureties, and provide his/ her identity, et al. The procedure is well thought out, though not without some administrative compromise as revealed in the Dan-Jumbo’s case and other cases where probate registrar and other Court officials commit administrative irregularity in favour of one or some of the interested parties in the deceased’s estate However the advantages outweighs its disadvantages. Loopholes abound where fraudulent persons connive with officials of the Probate Registry to grant Probate

Oghenesivbe

without diligent in investigating the information and documents supplied by the executor seeking probate. It is very ideal to retain the procedure for the grant of probate because the process enables the court to figure out the right executors, identify the beneficiaries, creditors and other interested parties stated in the deceased testamentary document. Furthermore, the process also rakes in revenue for the government through the payment of stamp duties, taxes and other levies. It is the law that ten percent of the total value of the deceased estate accrues to government through the probate registry. No government can function effectively if citizens either corporate or individual avoid payment of legitimate taxes and levies. Section 4 of the Administration of Estates Law of Lagos State requires a personal representative to exhibit inventory and accounts of the estate under oath whenever he is lawfully required to do so by the court. The section provides: The Personal Representative of a deceased person shall, when lawfully required so to do, exhibit on oath in the court a true and perfect inventory and account of the real and personal estate of the deceased and the court shall have power as heretofore to require personal representatives to bring in inventories. It flows from the above that a personal representative (executor) may be compelled at the instance of a beneficiary or a creditor to exhibit an inventory. Thus, the court enforces the rules and laws which protects the estate of the deceased as well as protect and preserve the equitable titles of the beneficiaries and mortgages, where applicable. I shall now articulate my argument for the modification of procedure for the grant of probate. One aspect of the

It is the law that ten percent of the total value of the deceased estate accrues to government through the probate registry

procedure for the grant of probate that is prone to fraud is the vexed issued of death certificate of the deceased person. The simple requirement that a death certificate be signed by a medical doctor in any hospital whether or not the deceased died outside the jurisdiction of the issuing doctor should be amended. The procedure should be modified to compel a medical doctor from the hospital that issued the death certificate to testify in court that the deceased death occurred in their hospital and that the death was recorded in the hospital records. The death certificate should contain the cause of death, name and signature of the doctor that issued the death certificate. A strict penalty should be attached to that provision so that if in the event the testimony of the medical doctor is discovered to be irregular or false, the court then imposes penalty on the hospital management and also convict the medical doctor for misleading the court. This, in my view, will help to reduce the cases of fake death certificates used by some interested parties to obtain probate. Official corruption has been identified as one of the problems experienced by the courts during the processing probate. The Dan-Jumbo case is a clear cut official irregularity which may have been influenced by corruption resulting in the grant of probate by the chief registrar knowing full well that the caveator had appealed against the judgment of the High Court. Therefore, penalty and imprisonment of offenders should be incorporated in the Administration of Estates Laws in each state of the federation to the effect that court official and/or judicial official found to have comprised their duties in the grant of probate are sanctioned and convicted for breaching utmost good faith reposed in him by the public. In the same token, caveator who fails to defend the caveat upon entering citation by the executor should be fined or punished for wasting the precious time of the court as well as causing unjustifiable delay in the grant of probate. This is necessary because certain degree of disputes between the executor and the beneficiaries or one of the beneficiaries may take several months or years to resolve due to appeal of lower court decision to superior courts either by the executor or beneficiary. This delay has accounted for the appointment of administrator pendent elite to protect the estate of the testator from dissipation as was the case in Kule Ladejobi v. Odutola Holdings Ltd. Probate is in the realm of administration of estate law. Legally, probate is the authority given by the court to an executor or executors. It takes the form of a document which contains a copy of the Will of the deceased and bears the seal of the court. The executor can produce the probate to show his title to act and also a process of establishing that a Will is valid.

over USA lottery fraud Joseph Onyekwere

he Nigeria Police has arraigned two employees of Multichoice Nigeria Limited and their company before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over alleged fraudulent promo. The accused, Ayo Ajala and Tomi Olugbemi were arraigned by the police on a 22-count charge bordering on conspiracy, promotion of illegal lottery and fraud. They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor, Mr Joseph Nwadike, told the court that the accused committed the offence between October 2013 and March 2014, at their premises at Plot 1381, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. He said that the accused and four others, now at large, had conspired to obtain money from a complainant, under false pretence that he would win a trip to the USA, for the 2014 Grammy Awards. He told the court that the accused had published a promo in 2013 tagged: "Multichoice 20th Anniversary Promo", in which they promised to take the winner, to Las Vegas in January 2014, to witness the Grammy Awards. He said that the accused had falsely represented that the winner would get an all-ex-

pense-paid trip to the Grammy Awards, if they purchased the products of Multichoice Nig. Ltd. He told the court that the promo also urged interested participants to make an advance payment of their DSTV Telecast monthly subscriptions as a criterion for participating in the lottery. According to Nwadike, the products were tagged: "Return Ticket to 2014 Grammy Awards, DSTV Samba 2014 Return Ticket to Brazil, and BBA VIP promotion and DSTV compact promo" The prosecutor further added that consequent upon the advert, one Emmanuel Igoche eventually emerged winner of the lottery, but unfortunately, Multichoice renerged on its promise, in spite of repeated complaints by Igoche. Nwadike told the court that the complainant then petitioned the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), on the issue. He said that investigations by the Commission revealed that the promo was illegal, since no permission was sought and obtained from the NLRC. The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of sections 1(2), 3, 8, and 13, of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, Cap A6 Laws of the Federation, 2006.

Young Lawyers' Forum

For young lawyers, especially ‘new wigs,’ appearing before a judge for the first time can be daunting. A shaky voice; clenched fists; pounding heart; dry mouth – these are some signs of the anxiety that can throw a new lawyer offbalance, and possibly lead to awkward or embarrassing moments in court.

My embarrassing moment in court: Prosper OJakovo y first day in court was first test in Mathematics class, M very amazing. I recall that nobody told me to withdraw I appeared before Hon. Justice from the science courses and go Molokwu retired and I was supposed to move a motion that day. Out of nervousness, I was moving back and forth, but my Lord was able to guide me. She drew my attention to the area I was misleading myself. She was like a mother to me. She realized that I was a new wig from the way I appeared. It was about four months after I was called that I appeared before her. It was a day to the matter that my principal said, we had a matter before justice Molokwu and added that I would lead it. He immediately gave me the file. I went home and studied it very well. But interestingly, my principal was still sitting behind me, assessing me when the matter was on. The judge was smiling. After the court, my principal told the judge that the young shall grow. I will never forget that day and that statement in my life. I was very nervous that day because I wondered what people will think of me. After the court, my principal congratulated me and asked me to always be audible. When I was in secondary school, I thought I was going to be an engineer. But after my

for the Arts. So when I started Arts, I thought of the course to do and decided to study law since there was no lawyer in my family then. So, with time, my interest started growing very well and I decided that I will practice it. My mentors in those days are the late Gani Fawehinmi SAN. I used to admire his courage. Another person is Femi Falana SAN. I look up to Falana now. My advice to fellow young wigs is to be diligent, study wide and respect those who are already above us in the profession.

OJakovo

BUSINESS THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014

WHAT'S NEWS Thailand exports $750.2m rice to Nigeria, others Ahead of El Nino weather, Thailand’s rice exports to Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Malaysia and South Africa have jumped 40 per cent to 2.2 million tons worth $750,200,000 in the first quarter of 2014.

Lekoil Limited has declared Final Investment Decision (FID) to carve out N10.720 billion ($67 million) for the acquisition of a 40 per cent participating and economic interest, re-entry of the existing wells and all costs until commencement of production in the Otakikpo Marginal Field, offshore Nigeria.

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ICT stakeholders want telecom ducts included in roads, houses Roads being built afresh and those to undergo renovation could now have provision for telecommunications ducts, if government follows recommendations made by stakeholders in the information and communications technology industry.

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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

TECHNOLOGY Nigeria still footdragging on new television technology use

Jonah Iboma

ifty African countries may not meet the June 2015 deadline for digital migration, according to United Kingdom (UK)-based telecoms consultancy firm Balancing Act. The Digital Migration involves moving television users from analogue to digital television. This will allow for higherquality digital pictures, sound, faster Internet speeds and enhanced home phone services to be offered to TV users. The International Telecommunications Union had set June 2015 as deadline for digital migration. However, many countries, especially in Africa seem to be far behind in keeping up with this date. While there are claims of some efforts being made, it appears that the deadline might not be met. At the 2014 SatCom and World Rural Telecoms Congress Africa, which opened in Johannesburg last Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer of Balancing Act, Russel Southwood, said many countries will not

Wole Shadare

igeria has been ranked as country with largest market for private jets or what is generally referred to as business aviation, toppling South Africa and other nations with far more developed aviation industry. Experts attribute the rising acquisition of state-of-the-art business jets to the increase in the ranks of wealthy Nigerians. All over the nation’s airports are private jets such as Bombardier, Gulf Streams, Hawker Sidley and other brands with an average cost

CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor ABDULWAHAB ISA, Finance Editor CHUKS ONUANYIN, Energy NNAMDI AMADI, Reporter

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

AYODELE AMINU, DEPUTY EDITOR, BUSINESS

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

even meet the switchover. “Fifteen countries won’t make the conversion at all,” he said, adding the satellite industry had not experienced the same levels of disruption as the mobile and internet industries. Digital migration has been a contentious issue on the continent over the past few years with Kenyan media houses Standard Group, Nation Media Group and Royal Media Services appearing in court at the end of March over the award of digital licences. The migration to digital

broadcasting in Kenya, which was initially set for December, has been on hold due to a challenge to the planned migration by the media houses, who had disputed the award of licences to StarTimes and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). South Africa has also seen regulatory clashes over digital migration with MultiChoice, the Association of Community Television South Africa (ActSA) and the National Association of Manufacturers in Electronic Components (NAMEC)

accusingCommunications Minister, Yunus Carrim, of creating the digital migration policy to benefit “certain narrow commercial interests.” Carrim responded by saying the accusations were an “act of desperation” intended to sway voters ahead of the May 7 election. In Nigeria, aside services offered by StarTimes, a pay TV company, the only meaningful pilot on digital migration is beCONTINUED ON PAGE 30

L-R: Sales Coordinator, VConnect.com, Mr. Adelakun Tijani; Managing Partner, Jasek Consulting Limited, Mr. Joseph Okonmah; Project Coordinator, Top 50 Brands, Mr. Taiwo Oluboyede and Managing Director, Top 50 Brands/Townsway Investment, Mr. Oluwadare Victor, during a press conference on the activities of 2014 edition of Top 50 Brands held in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Nigeria now country with hightest private jets –Report  Topples South Africa  put at between 40 and 70 million dollars. One noticeable thing is that virtually all these airplanes carry foreign registration, a situation, which denies the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of huge revenue. Former Assistant Secretary General of Airline

Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur, said that the decision to register the airplane outside Nigeria is to ensure that it has economic value when being resold. He said that there are indications that affluent Nigerians spent over N3trillion on the flying

machines in the last five years.  Buttressing this new status, founder and chairman of the African Business Aviation Association (ABAA), Tarek Ragheb, noted that Nigeria has Africa’s largest fleet of business aviation. He disclosed that more new and pre-owned business aircraft were delivered to CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Rates Dashboard

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor

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NEW TELEGRAPH

50 African countries may miss digital migration deadline

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Lekoil carves out N10.72bn for Otakikpo oil blocks acquisition

LAFARGE’S JOE HUDSON

INFLATION RATE April 2014...............................7.9% March 2014............................7.8% Feburary 2014 ........................7.7%

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at May 16)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N167.50 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N286 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N231 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $37.54bn as at 14/5/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at May 16)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N261.31 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N216.69 Source: CBN

30 BUSINESS | NEWS NATURE Expected natural occurrence forecast forces Thailand to offload excess rice to consumer countries Bayo Akomolafe

head of El Nino weather, Thailand’s rice exports to Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Malaysia and South Africa have jumped 40 per cent to 2.2 million tons worth $750,200,000 in the first quarter of 2014. It was revealed that prices of Thailand rice declined from $372 to $341 per ton. A ton contains 20 bags of 50-kilogramme The country, it was learnt, was in tough competition with India in the African markets. Sources further said that massive exports of Thailand’s rice stocks could be linked to a forecast that El Nino weather could threaten production. The country has stockpiled over 30 million tons of rice in the last four years, it was learnt. To avoid blight, Thailand decided to sell the commodity at low price to their traditional markets in Africa and China. It was learnt that weather forecasters increasingly predicted that an El Nino weather pattern in the second half of the year would bring a potential drought to Asia. The last El Nino in 2009 cut India’s rice output by 10 million tons or 10 per cent. “The next three to four months are really crucial for the global rice market,” said Darren Cooper, senior econo-

Thailand exports $750.2m rice to Nigeria, others in three months mist at the International Grains Council (IGC) in London. Global rice prices have fallen for the past two years as Thai stocks grew under a controversial subsidy scheme launched in 2011 that paid above-market prices to farmers, making exports unviable while rival suppliers boosted shipments. Since late last year, Bangkok has been offering the lowest price

The company has acquired 40 per cent interest from Green Energy International Ltd Adeola Yusuf

ekoil Limited has declared Final Investment Decision (FID) to carve out N10.720 billion ($67 million) for the acquisition of a 40 per cent participating and economic interest, re-entry of the existing wells and all costs until commencement of production in the Otakikpo Marginal Field, offshore Nigeria. The company said on its website that its subsidiary in Nigeria, Lekoil Oil and Gas Investments Ltd, would spearhead the deals. The company, which will get hold of stake in the field from Green Energy International Ltd., said that it also participated in Shell and $1.55 billion ConocoPhillips Nigeria divestment processes and reviewed opportunities through the continent. Under the deal, Lekoil is required to pay seven million dollars on signature to Green Energy, and a further four million dollars, contingent on production and receipt of ministe-

in the world in an effort to unwind its stocks and stave off the political turmoil that has since engulfed the country and led to the declaration of martial law. But it was revealed that the rice subsidy has cost Thailand, traditionally the world’s largest exporter, some billions of dollars in losses. The head of the Commerce Ministry’s Department of For-

eign Trade, Surasak Riangkrul, said: “We will continue to sell, including negotiations to sell up to 800,000 tons to Malaysia.” The country has been selling around 400,000 tons a month from its stocks, although analysts said some rice is being picked up by private traders and could hit the market if prices rise. The stocks drawdown comes

as the UN World Meteorological Organisation notes that most weather forecasting models indicate that an El Nino may develop around the middle of this year. Rice prices in India have held above Thai prices even though the country had 20.4 million tons of rice in storage as of May 1, almost double government’s target of 12.2 million tons.

L-R: Past President, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr. Oba Otudeko; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Chairman, Caverton, Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola; Executive Vice Chairman, Caverton, Mr. Olabode Makanjuola; and Director, Niyi Makanjuola, at the Facts Behind the Listing on the Floor NSE in Lagos.

Lekoil carves out N10.72bn for Otakikpo oil blocks acquisition ACQUISITION

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

rial consent to the transfer of the participating interest. Lekoil is also required to fund an initial work programme for re-entry of the existing wells and all costs until commencement of production, with a base case estimate of approximately $67 million. Otakikpo lies in a swamp location offshore Nigeria, adjacent to shoreline in the eastern part of the Niger Delta. “Lekoil Oil and Gas Investments Ltd has agreed to acquire a 40 per cent participating and economic interest in the Otakikpo Marginal Field, offshore Nigeria, from Green Energy International Ltd,” the company said. The company also said it intend to place up to 33 million new shares, or around 10 per cent of the company, with existing and new institutional and other investors, to fund the work programme and for general corporate and working capital purposes. Meanwhile, Lekoil said in a separate statement that it recorded a pretax loss of $18.1 million in 2013, compared with a loss of only $3.8 million the prior year, due to costs associated with its stock flotation during the year, and $7.1 million in costs related to the terminated acquisition of an interest in OML 113 site, offshore Nigeria. Lekoil shares were down 4.0 per cent at 66.25 pence on Tuesday afternoon.

50 African countries may miss digital migration CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

ing done in Jos, Plateau State. Nigeria and other countries of the world signed GE-06 Agreement, which sets up a frequency plan for Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) in the bands 174–230MHz (VHF Band III), 470-582 MHz (UHF Band IV) and 582-862 MHz (UHF Band V). The GE-06 agreement requires member countries of the ITU to complete a transition from analogue to digital transmission by June 17, 2015, in UHF bands IV/V, and in VHF Band III by June 17, 2020. Over seven years after the agreement was signed, Nigeria is still foot-dragging. Part of the preparations expected of the government are: set up a

migration team, put in place local switchover deadlines, carry out sensitisation to ensure that citizens are not taken unawares or swindled by shylock businessmen who may want to sell substandard equipment to them, provide regulation on standard of equipment to be used, and ensure compliance. In other African countries such as Ghana and Kenya, the populace is aware of digital migration, what it entails and the implications of not switching over. Not so in Nigeria: only a few people are not ignorant of the issue. Yet, the federal government constituted a “Digi Team” in 2007 to midwife the migration to digital broadcasting. The committee submitted a white paper in 2009, which was approved in

April 2012. Little or nothing has been done ever since and there are concerns that the country is not likely to meet the deadline. At the moment, only pay-TV operators and others are on the DTT platforms. Meanwhile, Rwanda has set July 31 as a new date for digital migration following problems over the limited number of settop-boxes, while Zambia has approved its Digital Migration Policy. The Zambian government launched its Digital Migration Policy last week, seeking to provide guidelines for the establishment and operation of signal distributors and the implementation of a licensing framework ahead of the planned 2015 switchover.

Nigeria now country with hightest private jets CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

Nigeria than to South Africa in 2014, in a weekly report by ABAA.  Ragheb lamented that one of the biggest obstacles in African aviation presently is the difficulty in obtaining financing for African business aviation companies. He said: “One of the things we’re working on is to make sure that we put finance in place so that African companies can purchase foreign-manufactured aircraft using extra guarantees from

overseas and administered by African banks.”  Ragheb spends his time lobbying and liaising with committees from the 54 African Union countries, and is concentrating on widening the nucleus of successful business aviation clusters in countries that are already performing well. “We want to focus on Nigeria to make sure best practices are in place here as we expand our mission,” he told Show News in Cairo, Egypt, before the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition.

Aviation authorities from Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda and Mali are among the 60 members of the ABAA. The association is courting South Africa, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. “Expanding membership is a priority,” Ragheb said. “One of the most important things we need to do now is establish a very robust link between us and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). That’s very clearly in our best interests and I would think, although I can’t speak for the EBAA, it would also be in their best interests,” he noted.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Coping with road works, high tension blues SIAKA MOMOH went to town to find out how the ongoing reconstruction of Lagos-Badagry motorway, valued at N220 billion, is impacting on the hordes of small businesses along this international highway.

wenty-nine years ago (that is in 1985) some houses were demolished along the Lagos-Badagry motorway, an international highway, which connects Nigeria to the rest of the West African sub-region, because they were found to be situated on the right of way of the then Nigerian Electric Power Authority (NEPA). But the demolished houses, residential and commercial, sprang up, on the same locations, not too long after they were pulled down by Lagos State Town Planning Authority, all rebuilt by their owners. Again, the on-going reconstruction of this Lagos-Badagry expressway, have seen these houses going down and the businesses therein naturally going down with them. Bulldozers went to work and pulled down structures. From the Eric Moore end through Orile Iganmu, Suru-Alaba to Mile Two bus-stop, all on Lagos mainland. This is the first phase (first lot) of a three-phased highway which forms part of the West African highway. Work on Lot 1 (starting from the Eric Moore end of the road to Mile Two) handled by Julius Berger Plc. has been ongoing for over three years now. Similarly, bulldozers also went to work and pulled down structures and shanties standing on the Right of Way (RoW) of the project’s second lot, being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). The Lagos-Badagry motorway is being expanded into 10 lanes. The first lot which is 7.5 kilometres stretches from Eric Moore to Mile 2, the second measuring 24 kilometres from Mile 2 to Agbara in Ogun State, and the third from Agbara to Badagry. The project, which is being executed under a World Bank-assisted programme is estimated at N220 billion. The houses that went down with the 1985 demolition exercise were valued at over N2 billion. As at press time, New Telegraph was unable to get the value of houses that would go down with the current exercise.

High tension blues

But going by the rising trend of inflation rate over the years and the higher number of houses involved this time around, if 1985 recorded N2 billion, it may be convenient to say put the current value at over N200 billion. Small businesses of all shades have gone down with the demolition – plank markets, furniture clusters, restaurants, bars, mechanic workshops, printing companies, auto marts, used domestic electronic shops

and foods markets, among others. Some of the affected business owners related their ordeal to New Telegraph. Chairman of Oluti Plank Market, Alhaji Adelodun Sumaila, said that many plank shops had to give way for the road reconstruction work. He said that they were forced to relocate to places that “are not commercially strategic. As a result, sales volume is now 20 per

cent of what it used to be.” Adelodun said that the Oluti Plank Market has been around for over 30 years. Plank traders in the neighbourhood of Alakija are going through similar problems. Some of them have been forces to relocate to Festac side of the road and, according to some traders who chose to remain anonymous (you begin to wonder C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 2

Nigeria’s personal well-being index is 41.7 –Survey NOIPolls reveals personal well-being index at 41.7; consumer confidence’s is 68.7 Siaka Momoh

he Portfolio of Indices Results released by NOIPolls has revealed that the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index stands at 41.7 in April 2014, indicating that Nigerians have maintained a neutral stance in terms of their personal well-being. This represents a 0.4-point improvement after the continuous downward trend observed since January 2014. More findings revealed there were improvements in all the indicators that constitute the Personal Well-Being Index except for Personal Security which experienced a further decline.

Similarly, the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index remained steadily at 68.7 in April after experiencing a similar downward trend from January 2014. These are the key points from the April 2014 Portfolio of Indices Result Release. In February 2014, NOIPolls officially unveiled its portfolio of indices; the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI), the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) and the NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index (EBCI). The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index measures factors impacting on the lives of everyday Nigerians; thereby producing a complete view of the individual’s personal well-being. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index provides consumer assessments of the economic situation and their intentions and expectations for the future.

This report presents the April 2014 results for the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI) and NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). Nigerian businesses, financial and government agencies largely depend on their perceptions and micro assessment of consumers’ expectation in making decisions. At best, they draw conclusion on the business environment based on information from their immediate surroundings while the minority conducts surveys that are time and money consuming. However, the introduction of these indices provides indicators that will ensure stakeholders can detect and respond to changes in consumer behavior, the economy and the business environment in Nigeria. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 2

Fact File Capacity will triple in 10 years from 2010 to 2020. Nigeria will be second highest producer in Africa after Egypt. By 2015, Nigeria will be an exporter to the West African Region. Nigeria has capital investment of over N1.8 trillion on cement. The cement demand will continue to increase, due to investment in Energy supply, road, water, housing and other infrastructure projects. The entrepreneurial landscape in sub-Saharan Africa is changing rapidly and the region is now becoming a Mecca for business development and growth. Entrepreneurs in the sub-Saharan nations have among the highest entrepreneurship rates in the world, with women participating at equal or nearly equal rates in most of the countries we studied in this region. Entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa can contribute substantially toward providing income for families and lifting communities out of poverty. Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) measures the percentage of adults (18-64 years) who are in the process of starting or just starting a business. At 28 per cent, SSA rates are significantly higher than all other regions around the world. Countries like Zambia (41 per cent), Ghana (37 per cent), Nigeria (35 per cent) and Angola (32 per cent) show some of the highest TEA levels in the world. SSA countries have over twice as many startups as established businesses. In Angola (32 per cent vs Five per cent), Botswana (28 per cent vs six per cent), Malawi (36 percent vs 11 percent) and Zambia (41 per cent vs four per cent). Due to high TEA rates there are also a lot of established businesses simply because a lot are getting started; but fewer have survived into the mature stage. SSA nations have a high perception about the existence of good opportunities for starting a business in the next six months, with the exception of South Africa (35 per cent), falling well below the average of 70 per cent for the region. Over 80 per cent of people in Nigeria and Uganda, on the other hand, see opportunities for starting businesses. SSA entrepreneurs exhibit the lowest levels of fear of failure, with only 24 percent responding that it would prevent them from starting a business. The only other region that comes close to this optimism is Latin America and the Caribbean at 28 percent. The levels of intentional entrepreneurs (those who intend to pursue a business in the next three years) are high at an average of 53 per cent. Exceptions include South Africa (12 per cent) and Ethiopia (24 per cent). In contrast, 70 per cent or more intend to start in Angola, Botswana, Malawi and Uganda. In all SSA countries, without exception, entrepreneurship is seen as a good career choice (76 per cent on average) and 77 per cent believe they garner great media attention as entrepreneurs: more so than in another region.

BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Coping with road works CONTINUED from PAGE 31

why), this meant additional cost. And for the CEO of Supreme Furniture Concepts, Habeeb Ajayi, the on-going road reconstruction work has destabilised business in Furniture Complex Inc, Oluti, along the motorway. The Complex is a furniture cluster along the road. Said Ajayi: “We are bedeviled with the challenge of flood which has brought about a plunge in the number of our customers. The flood which stretches from Agboju through Oluti, FreeNiger, Alakija and Abule-Ado, is caused by the non-provision of drainage outlets by CCECC. There is no easy access to our workshops; our customers have no parking space and flood has destroyed valuable pieces of furniture in our workshops. Before the road reconstruction work commenced, we were doing business worth N2 million a month but all we do now is between N150,000 and N200,000. We now depend on our old customers, only a few new ones come to us.” Supreme Furniture Concepts has been in Oluti area for over nine years. Many others have been around for over 10 years. Meanwhile, Ajayi has made an alternative arrangement to move to the Festac side of the expressway and this is causing him some good money because he had to pay the Federal Housing Authority and spend money on building a new workshop. The same story goes for several other businesses along this route. In fact, Furniture Complex Inc. has taken its issue to the doorstep of the Lagos State

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat. In a letter from the group dated August 13, 2013, it said: “The ongoing expansion of the Badagry Expressway has affected our furniture complex and much loss has been incurred by reason of this rehabilitation exercise. And presently, the work has disrupted easy access of our customers into our premises and our business has suffered due to this.” They implored the commissioner to help create a parking zone for their staff and customers. High tension blues The issue of illegal structures built along this international motorway, has been a longstanding one. Most of them are built under high tension transmission lines. And it is hazardous to live under high tension transmission lines. Research has proved that it accounts for reduced sperm count in the workers who regularly service the line, that fewer children are born to high tension wire workers compared to other people. A study has also established a relationship between overhead transmission line and childhood cancer, while another study indicates a higher incidence of suicide in homes around high tension lines relative to others. Big problem, yet owners of the businesses in question have stubborn spirit and so are not deterred; they, despite warnings, have refused to move. But who owns the land under high tension power lines? This, for some time, has been

Facebook’s co-founder’s most interesting quotes n Silicon Valley years, Face- that we’d be the ones to help do Iexecutive book co-founder and chief it. And I think a lot of what it Mark Zuckerberg is comes down to is we just cared over the hill. Last week was his 30th birthday. In honour of Zuckerberg’s big day and to mark Facebook’s decade-long existence, Entrepreneur has compiled 10 of the tech entrepreneur’s most interesting quotes over the years. Here they are, in no particular order: “Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.” (October 2009) “If I were starting now I would do things very differently. I didn’t know anything. In Silicon Valley, you get this feeling that you have to be out here. But it’s not the only place to be. If I were starting now, I would have stayed in Boston. (Silicon Valley) is a little shortterm focused and that bothers me.” (October 2011) “I remember really vividly, you know, having pizza with my friends a day or two after - I opened up the first version of Facebook at the time I thought, ‘You know, someone needs to build a service like this for the world. But I just never thought

more.” (January 2014) “The question isn’t, ‘What do we want to know about people?’ It’s, ‘What do people want to tell about themselves?’” (November 2011) “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” (October 2011) “Building a mission and building a business go handin-hand. It is true that the primary thing that makes me excited about what we’re doing is the mission, but I also think, from the very beginning, we’ve had this healthy understanding which is that we need to do both.” (September 2012) “The Hacker Way is an approach to building that involves continuous improvement and iteration. Hackers believe that something can always be better, and that nothing is ever complete.” (February 2012) “People can be really smart or have skills that are directly applicable, but if they don’t really believe in it, then they are not going to really work hard.” (October 2005)

a subject of controversy. One Mukaila Sogbamu of the Information Department, Lagos State government, (not sure if he is still in service) in a paper, rightly strikes the point with its remark that house owners and government “would have been saved the undue expenses and embarrassment if the relevant town planning and NEPA officials had come up with required long term development plan and stuck to it”. The paper describes the high tension problem as “a manifestation of decadence, shortsightedness and incompetence, which have continued to plague our society.” Corruption This is a good argument because the process of plans ap-

provals is slow and spiced with corruption. House-owners and government officials are guilty of misconduct – but government should take the blame for it. Houses marked for demolition have, inscribed on them, approved plan numbers, whereas such numbers are process numbers for most of those houses. This fact is given credence by a senior official of the Lagos Land Use Allocation committee. He says what landlords do as soon as they submit their plans for approval is to dubiously collect their file numbers from the planning authority’s office, commence construction and inscribe such numbers on their buildings and claim they are approved plan numbers. Long term planning is re-

quired for national development. Government needs a long term land-usage plan which will take into consideration power authorities and other important institutions’ needs. High tension now low tension Told about the danger inherent in living or doing business under high tension power transmission lines, Alhaji Adelodun Sumaila, said that was then and not now. Said he: “That was when power was available. The lines now have low tension, very low tension, since there is little power in them. That was around 1982/1983. So we have nothing to fear now. But if full current comes back, we know what to do.”

Death overhead: Structures under high tesion transmission lines

Nigeria’s personal well-being CONTINUED from PAGE 31

The NOIPolls Personal WellBeing Index (PWBI) The NOIPolls Personal WellBeing Index for April 2014 stands at 41.7; when compared with March 2014, there was a marginal improvement in the personal wellbeing of Nigerians. Assessments of the individual indicators that constitute the PWBI highlight variations in the level of satisfaction of Nigerians on various aspects of their lives. Nigerians are most satisfied in terms of Religion (86.9); this has remained the aspect of life Nigerians have shown the highest level of satisfaction over the past 16 months from January 2013; Social Interaction (74.3) and physical health (71.7). Furthermore, in terms of achievement in life (51.6), standard of living (49.1) and personal security (47.7) Nigerians are mostly neutral; while Nigerians are obviously not satisfied with their personal economic situation (36.1). Trend analysis of the individual indicators shows there was an increase in all the indicators except for personal security which experienced a further decline in April when compared to March 2014. Personal security has continued its steady downward trend from January declining by 1.4 points in April

and a total of 11 points over the past four months. In contrast, the highest increases were observed in standard of living and economic situation with two points each from March 2014. Overall, the personal wellbeing index picked up slightly by 0.4 points in April 2014 after the continuous downward trend observed from January 2014. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index for April 2014 stands at 68.7. This result indicates that consumers are relatively positive about their individual state and stability of the economy. Thus, as consumers are optimistic, they would therefore be inclined to purchase more goods and services. This increase in spending will inevitably stimulate the whole economy. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index comprises of two independent variables; the Present Situation Index (PSI) and Expectation Index (EI). In April, the Present Situation Index of 60.2 confirms that Nigerians feel somewhat good about their present individual and economic situation. Likewise, the Expectation Index of 75.1 shows that consumers are very hopeful about the future. Trend analysis reveals that the CCI in April 2014 stands

at 68.7; the same figure as in March 2014. However, the Present Situation Index increased by 1.5 points while the Expectation Index experienced a slight decline of 1.1 points from April compared to March 2014. In addition, it is pertinent to note that while the Present Situation Index continues to increase after a decline in February, the Expectation Index continues to decline from January, in a four-month trend. This continuous decline shows that Nigerians have continuously lowered their expectations for the future. Furthermore, the Consumer Confidence Index of Nigerians maintained a downward trend from January to March and remained steady from March to April 2014. Conclusion The Personal Well-Being of Nigerians with the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index for April 2014 stands at 41.7 indicating that Nigerians have maintained a neutral stance in terms of their personal well-being. This portrays a slight 0.4 point improvement after a continuous downward trend from January 2014. More findings revealed improvements in all the indicators that constitute the Personal Well-Being Index except for Personal Security which experienced a further decline.

BUSINESS | INDUSTRY 33

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

INVESTING With things well in place, cash inflow will be swift and steady.

How to set up nylon bag factory

Chukwudi Odili

ylon/polythene bag production has indeed assumed significant economic importance in Nigeria today owing to the variety of uses to which these finished products could be put. The raw materials required for this project are bye petrochemical products obtained from the refineries. At the moment, much of the raw materials, which include polythene and polyethylene sheets or other basic petrochemical products such as Escorene, Luplen, Dow, B.A.S.F., are imported mainly from Indonesia, Korea Republic and China. These raw materials are obtainable also from extruders operating in Nigeria who process both the low density and high density materials by polishing them into usable forms for the benefit of cutters and sealers. The machinery recommended for a small project envisioned in this write-up is the semi-automatic nylon cutting and sealing machine with punching blades. The designer component is usually separate and contains a decorating printer used mainly for printing on and decorating shopping bags. It is not necessary to acquire the designer component as the design or printing activity is best sub-contracted. For a starter with very small capital, the locally fabricated machinery is recommended but it is wiser to procure a foreign machine if the investor could afford it. The most important thing is to get a very strong and compact machine. The small, manually operated nylon cutting and sealing machine is powered by a 220 Volt electric motor, whereas the automatic types have far greater capacity. The nylon raw material to be sealed is placed between the upper and lower arms of the machine. Cutting and sealing take place in quick succession when the plant is switched on and the assembly of the plant pressed down by foot; the automatic device gyrates on its own. On completion of the cutting and sealing processes, the element is automatically put off. The operation is repeated over and over again until the roll of polythene that was fed into it is exhausted. The punching is done semi-manually by the puncher. It is important to know that only one of the two ends of the raw material, which is usually in bundle, is initially hollow. The plant therefore cuts out the required length and seals up only one end, usually the bottom end. It may be necessary for the plant to seal up the sides if the raw materials have already been cut open from various sides. Depending on the desired styling of the polythene bag variety, the upper end is punched to produce a fanciful

Enterprise with

Strokes

handle. The small polythene bag usually has a curved slice at the peak of the punched hand. After the basic cutting and sealing operations, the bags are then packed in bales of hundreds and punched, 300 bags at a time, although the rate depends on the style of desired finish. The final nylon polyethylene bags are then packed into bigger sheets and sold in wholesale prices. A big-time investor could, over time, further expand his business to incorporate extrusion, which though is more capital intensive but more lucrative. Although, so many people in Nigeria are into the simple nylon cutting and sealing business, supply is yet far from being saturated due to the huge demand for the finished products. The shopping bag production segment of the business has fewer suppliers, hence a wider demandsupply gap. There is automatic market for the various products everywhere and any time. You do not need much advert or sales effort to sell the products. Distribution is easy and swift, more so as the products are light-weight. Based on these lucrative market opportunities against relatively Preliminary/ preoperational expenses Plant and machinery Rent (year 1) Raw materials (1 month of extruded nylon stuff) Operating cost (1 month provision) Total investment outlay

N110, 000 N275, 000 N100, 000 N220, 000 N130, 000 N835, 000

little capital needed to establish the business, the resultant profit margin is worthwhile. Imagine a plant that has the capacity to cut and seal 9,000 pieces or 750 dozens of finished stuff per day. In one month comprising about 20 working days, the plant could produce about 180,000 pieces of a mix variety of films, pouches and bags ranging from the ashcolour and transparent breadpackaging nylon films to the black multi-purpose polythene and fancy shopping bags. The products churned out could generate a turnover of about N900,000 per annum. The factory would create employment for up to nine persons. The best way to go about setting up a cottage nylon bag production project is to commission a feasibility study, which will provide details of the basic information needed. Details of the raw material input-output mechanism, reliable sources and prices of the raw material and machinery, production process, labour and space requirements, marketing strategies employed by existing operators, cost and revenue projections, profitability, assessment of project viability, and all other essential information will be embodied in a business plan or feasibility study, which could be professionally packaged for any interested investor. The start-up cost breakdown of the presupposed cottage plant is presented below. The total funding may be scaled up or down to suit the pocket of the investor. Chukwudi Odili’s email: ticodilis@yahoo.com.

siakamomoh@yahoo.com 08061396410

Success strategy

A polythene factory

Siaka Momoh

boss must be a good flagbearer; one that must manifest right traits that are worthy of emulation. When you, as the boss, spend most of your time hanging out, expect that your staffers will follow suit; when all the CEO of a company does most of the time is receive visitors that do not add value to his business, such a CEO will not see anything wrong in those working with him or for him, if they do same. Such a CEO lacks one important trait that is required for success. That trait is focus. Donald J. Trump, billionaire real estate developer, television celebrity, author and icon is a well-known businessman in America. He has a knack for finding a happy balance between working hard and enjoying life with his family, an interview with Success magazine reveals. How does he do this? The answer is in one word - focus. Says he: “I’ve learned to balance it by focusing on what I am doing at that moment. When I am with my family, they have quality time with me. When I am working, I am working.” Additionally, he has passion for what he is doing. “People who aren’t doing what they love can be unhappy or depressed. That is a problem I don’t have to worry about. I consider myself very fortunate,” he says. Focus is a poorly appreciated quality yet ranks among the most critical factors in professional success and personal satisfaction, Trump says. He prides himself on his own powers of concentration and insists that anyone he hires show evidence of the same. Says he: “I work efficiently and so must they, which requires focus. Many people underestimate the importance of focus, but it is something I observe, and I can tell who has it and who doesn’t.” For Trump, the essence of leadership is setting example, and in a business setting, the best way for leaders to ensure a positive response is recruiting likeminded employees. “Your people should be a reflection of aspects of yourself. I work fast, I’m disciplined, I’m a positive person and I expect those around me to be that way, too,” Trump says. “I also look for the hidden talents in people – never label someone by his or her job title...” He rises early in the morning, reads voraciously and avoids staff meetings. These are habits Trump has adopted to minimise downtime and maximise his productivity. For him, lack of information can be a disaster. No long lunch way from office, it’s on-the-desk lunch for 5-10 minutes. No ‘staff meetings’, it’s a one-on-one meeting with staff. And he relies on a

large circle of advisers to guide his decision-making; but relies even more on his own instincts and information. “Asking is a way to find out, an easy one. I listen to my advisers, but the decision is always mine. So is the responsibility. That’s part of being an entrepreneur.” It is interesting that Donald Trump’s three adult children share his passion for business. Says he: “I wanted my children to do what they wanted to do – whether it had anything to do with my interests or not. It would be pointless to coerce them, and I didn’t.” One hopes parents who push their children into what they consider juicy courses will learn from this. I have seen graduates of electrical engineering dumping their certificates and launching full blast into publishing. There are cases of lawyers turned shoe-makers. I had the priviledge of meeting some 20 visiting postgraduate students of MTI at Fate Foundation who fit into this mould. “There is no question that all of us share my father’s passion for the business,” stresses Eric, 24. “Hard work and the love of real estate is simply part of the Trump genetic code.” Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles said these principles have not only worked for him but have also helped hundreds of thousands of his students achieve breakthrough success in their careers, greater wealth in their finances, greater aliveness and joy in their relationships, and greater happiness and fulfilment in their lives. There are 64 principles. His Principle Two is ‘Be clear why you are here.’ This is the principle that Donald J. Trump is applying. Canfield quotes Elisabeth Kubler-loss, M.D., psychiatrist and author of the classic On Death and Dying as saying: “Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in life has a purpose.” Canfield believes each of us is born with a life purpose. For him, identifying, acknowledging, and honouring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. “They take the time to understand what they are here to do – and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.” Canfield argues without a purpose in life, it is easy to get side-tracked on your life’s journey… But with a purpose, everything in life seems to fall in place. “To be on purpose means you are doing what you love to do, doing what you are good at and accomplishing what is important to you,” he says. Trump has done exactly this, this is why he is a bundle of success.

34 BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Lafarge’s Joe Hudson sees great potential for growth in Nigeria Siaka Momoh

afarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, a foremost cement manufacturing and marketing company in Nigeria, has presence in 64 countries. Lafarge WAPCO is driving excellence in Nigeria’s building industry and places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity. The company, headed by British-born Joe Hudson, has one plant in Sagamu and two in Ewekoro (all these in the South West) with a current production capacity of 4.5 million metric tons. It also has Ashaka Cement in the Northern part of the country. “And we have our import terminal, Atlas Cement, in Port Harcourt. Likewise, we are a key stakeholder in UNICEM, a joint venture cement company based in Calabar,” says Hudson. The Company’s objective of increasing the availability of cement to Nigerians as well as assisting in achieving the Federal Government’s drive for affordable housing for all is our major drive. Lafarge WAPCO has made immense investments in supporting Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Having fulfilled the national desire to establish a cement manufacturing company, Lafarge WAPCO, since its establishment in 1959, has grown sustainably and has made tremendous contribution to the availability of cement in the country. This puts the Company at the forefront of exploration, production and marketing of cement in Nigeria. For Hudson, “Lafarge WAPCO is in the business of ‘Building Better Cities’ and this vision is expressed through the innovative solutions and services our operations offer. Our activities meet the basic needs of mankind by providing materials for housing and infrastructures in the country: shaping the everyday surroundings of millions of men and women and the way our societies are being transformed.” Over the years, Lafarge WAPCO has acquired strategic visible presence in the business environment whilst building a visible and enduring legacy on the nation’s individual landscape. Lafarge WAPCO continues to have tremendous positive impact on its numerous stakeholders: communities, customers, shareholders and employees. Lafarge WAPCO is known for putting values at the forefront of the way it does business. According to Hudson, “the following principles are the hallmark of our business operation: Health and safety, people development, corporate governance, customer care/market orientation, corporate social responsibility, performance, value creation, respect for employees and local culture, environmental protection, conservation of natural resources and energy.” As a result of its take-over of Blue Circle Industries Plc, U.K, on July 1, 2001, Lafarge SA of France became the majority shareholder in WAPCO, culminating in the change of name from West African Portland Cement Plc to Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria PLC in Febru-

ary 2008. With the acquisition, WAPCO vested in has integrated into the Lafarge culture, ready-mix implementing process re-engineering b u s i n e s s to try to get and imbibing Lafarge’s best practices. Joe Hudson holds a Bachelor of Arts downstream in degree in Education from the University order to open up of Exeter, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow and increase consumpof the Chartered Institute of Personnel tion. We lead the way in and Development, UK. Appointed CEO in product development 2011, he has worked in different capaci- and innovation ties with Home Grown Kenya Limited within the variously as Head of Human Resources and Area Operations Manager in Nairobi and Nanyuki, respectively. Hudson explains, “Traditionally, cement in this country has become known generically as Elephant Cement, which is our premier brand. Elephant Cement is reputed for its quality and known as a very strong and trusted brand. Therefore, we have a lot of heritage that we are very proud of. We have been expanding our capacity as well as the market in Nigeria is ripe for expansion. The cement market in Nigeria used to be dominated by imports - having some local manufacturers such us ourselves.” Lafarge has keyed into the Federal government’s backward integration policy to support government’s drive to grow the real sector and make Nigeria a self-sufficient nation in cement Joe Hudson production. While in 2005 Nigeria had eight million tons of cement capacity, in 2012 the figure has grown to twenty five million tons. The building materials sector.” Lafarge’s chief sees great potential for Ministry of Trade and Industry is trying to use the cement industry in Nigeria as growth in cement business in Nigeria and a reference, because of the increasing he is ensuring that Lafarge is part of this investment and growth, as well as for the growth. He explains: “Getting back to the reduction in reliance on imports. Those consumption per capita, about 150 kilos; factors have been quite significant and with a population close to 170 million in Nigeria and growing at around three per exciting. Hudson says “From Lafarge, we real- cent a year, there is a lot of potential for ize that this country needs cement and growth if you look at that gap. The real building materials to grow, and although size of the market would require 50 or we are not the biggest in the market in 60 million tons of cement, and the figure terms of size, we are demonstrating lead- currently is 25 million. So we still see a lot ership through the values that we bring of needs to build factories, and not only to the market and our stakeholders.” ourselves but also the competitors. “We have expansion plans currently The consumption of cement per capita in this country is very low, about 150 kilos in place. We have just built a brand new per person per year; while if you look at 2.5 million tons plant, so our focus now South Africa it is about 350 kilos, and in is bringing that plant on stream and Egypt it is around 600 kilos. The reason developing the market to deploy it. We for this difference is capacity, but also not know that we will have to expand capacihaving found applications. We have in- ties to cope with the growth. I think that is a critical issue, the urbanisation is unstoppable and we are already working on an affordable housing project in partnership with different stakeholders and with the collaboration of the federal We will have to expand government also.” Lafarge sees itself as providing solucapacities to cope with tions in this area. “Likewise, with regard the growth. I think to the emerging middle class we need to find the ways of helping them, even with that is a critical issue, architectural design specifications, and the urbanisation is we find that is a very exciting space in the market as well. We are currently unstoppable and we are working on a micro-credit scheme that already working on an can help the middle-class in this regard. Our social investment projects (CSR) also affordable housing project address the needs of our local communiin partnership with ties in the area of shelter and support for basic infrastructure development.” different stakeholders Only recently, the option of building

concrete roads came to the front burner. Lafarge, under the leadership of Hudson was part of the Cement Manufacturers’ association team that organised a seminar in Lagos to push the case. Hudson explains: “The construction sector as a whole is growing, so infrastructure is critical. To that extent, and as part of the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMAN), we led in setting the agenda for the use of concrete roads recently when we brought to Nigeria experts on concrete road building. Now Nigerians are educated and very excited about building concrete roads. Before, it was never a viable option that cement could be applied to build this kind of roads, but now there is enough cement available in Nigeria. The advantage of concrete roads is that they last for about fifty years with little or no maintenance, so that is becoming a really interesting area for us.” To further demonstrate its commitment to value adding offerings and solutions, Lafarge on April 15, 2014, organised the second national dialogue series as part of its contribution to concerns on the menace of building collapse in Nigeria at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The theme of the workshop, which was held in partnership with Standards Organization of Nigeria, the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Nigeria Institute of Architects was “Building Collapse: an assessment of building practices in Nigeria and the imperative for sustainable construction.” The one-day national dialogue brought together policy makers, professionals and other key stakeholders in the construction industry.

BUSINESS 35

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Recently, several telecommunications operators entered into a pact to develop an interoperable mobile money system. JONAH IBOMA looks at the elements of that agreement and how it could prove to be the next level of development of the global payment system.

he GSM Association (GSMA) said recently that nine mobile network operators, including Bharti Airtel, Etisalat Group, Millicom, MTN Group, Ooredoo Group, Orange, STC Group, Vodafone Group and Zain Group, have committed to work together to accelerate the implementation of interoperable mobile money services across Africa and the Middle East regions. The agreement among these firms is part of the successful implementation of GSMA’s Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) programme. MMI is a global programme which also include mobile network operators from other regions and focuses on helping them to successfully launch and scale interoperable mobile money services through identifying and sharing best practices, guidelines and processes, creating performance benchmarks and providing regulatory support. Collectively, these nine operators account for 582 million mobile connections across 48 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The agreement aims to develop standards and implement convenient and affordable financial services across the regions where many citizens have limited access to traditional banking services. “We have seen the significant benefits of mobile financial inclusion in the developing world and operators recognise that through collaboration, there are opportunities to extend this inclusion even further,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. “Mobile network operators are engaging with each other, with banks, financial institutions, regulators, governments and ecosystem partners, to identify and implement solutions that will successfully allow more mobile financial services to be delivered to a broader range of people across both regions, while maintaining high service quality. We are very pleased that these operators are taking the next steps in providing convenient, affordable and ubiquitous financial services to men and women across the region.” Figures show that mobile money transactions in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East totaled $5.7 billion last year, and more than a quarter of Kenya’s economy now flows through groundbreaking service M-

TECHTalk

W it h

Telecoms interoperability and future of mobile money

CBN acting governor, Sarah Alade

Pesa – which has been adopted by 56 per cent of Kenyans since its introduction by Vodafone and Safaricom in 2007 – without touching a bank account. But while Kenya stands as an exemplar of mobile money, far ahead of even the United States in usage of payments through a mobile phone, other countries have been much slower to adopt the model – thanks in part to regulatory challenges that hold back innovation. There’s hope that this MMI program will accelerate growth through collaborative development of best practice guidelines, regulatory support, performance benchmarks, and interoperability between services. It is estimated that 2.5 billion people in lower to middle income countries lack access to financial services and cannot adequately invest in their livelihoods, protect their assets nor mitigate shocks that cause them to fall deeper into poverty. However, it is estimated that 1.7 billion of these people have a mobile phone, providing existing infrastructure that can be used to sustainably offer financial services such as payments, transfers, insurance, savings, credit and crossborder remittances. GSMA research has shown that the number of active mobile money users continue to grow rapidly, with over 61 million active accounts as of 2013. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is widely recognised as a pioneering market for mobile money and is home to 52 per cent of all live mobile money deployments worldwide. GSMA said that in some of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, although there

are some regulatory challenges that have slowed down the growth of mobile money, it is now gaining popularity in the region. At the end of 2013, deployments in MENA represented six per cent of the live mobile money services globally and 13 per cent of total planned services, indicating that the region will become increasingly important for the industry globally. As of December 2013, mobile money in the sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East and North African regions showed significant growth with the following figures as the regions accounted for 58 per cent of the world’s 218 mobile money deployments. In addition, 66 per cent of all registered accounts and 73 per cent of active accounts are located in subSaharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. That’s where MMI comes in. The initiative is meant to connect mobile network operators with banks, governments and other partners in a bid to allow access to more mobile financial services for a broader range of people. This would provide a means for them to take out insurance, invest in savings accounts, make and accept payments and send money across borders. According to Bouverot, “mobile money is a young industry, with over 80 per cent of all deployments launched during or after 2010. In order to accelerate the growth of mobile money, we call on telecommunications, financial sector regulators and policymakers to provide a policy and fiscal environment that enables these services to be rolled out successfully to promote a nascent and important driver of commerce and socio-economic development.” But there are some major concerns for some countries, including Nigeria, where mobile money is not driven by telecommunications but by banks. This is because of the country’s current mobile money framework that allows the service to be led by banks instead of telecommunication operators and mobile network operators are used as simple carriers.

The initiative is meant to connect mobile network operators with banks, governments and other partners

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

08050498516

Can NCC's governance code curb telecos' excesses?

NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Eugene Juwah

Jonah Iboma

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), last week in Lagos, released the Code of Corporate Governance for the Nigerian telecommunications industry. In the code, which was made available on its website, the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, said that its provisions were based on international best practices. Juwah said that the code sought to foster good corporate governance practices in the Nigerian telecommunications industry. According to him, it is now common knowledge that enthronement of good corporate governance standards and practices in organisations encourage corporate success and business sustainability. “The need to develop a sector-specific corporate governance code for the Nigerian telecommunication industry is necessary to address the peculiarities of the sector that are not typically dealt with under broadly-aimed codes. “This is more so in view of the fact that the telecommunications sector, though dominated by privately-held companies, is of strategic importance to the economy at a macro level. “It also has considerable impact at the micro level. “As the telecommunications industry’s regulator, NCC, in keeping with our core values, proactively undertook industrywide consultations with a view to determining the industry’s corporate governance needs,” he said. Although, it is coming a little bit late, it is good that the telecommunications industry is now having standards that will guide their corporate behavior and by which they can be engaged. Over the years, the industry has faced a lot of challenges, including the sudden disengagement of staff under very questionable circumstances. The important thing is that telecom operators follow the code as it is capable of creating a credible industry in which every stakeholder would have confidence, foster the growth and development of the industry, and the larger national economy. Given that today, the telecommunications industry is one of the main drivers of the Nigerian society and economy, having a code of corporate governance is one of those things that can promote further investment and help in building a truly acceptance local market. One thing that must be emphasised is the need for the document to be acceptable to the industry. Although, the NCC boss said that the commission conducted wide consultations to determine the best approach to adopt in addressing the issue of corporate governance in the sector, it is hoped that this is actually the case. Experience has taught us that government sometimes makes claims without proof. Another thing the NCC said about the code is that Nigerian Telecommunications Sector Corporate Governance Working Group (CGWG) has membership drawn from across the Nigerian telecommunications sector. The regulator also said that the code was a voluntary one comprising leading practices aimed at regulating corporate behaviour and practices of companies within the industry. This is a commendable development, but the fact that it is voluntary code should not be allowed as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour among corporate bodies.

BUSINESS | ICT

INFRASTRUCTURE Experts seek town planning to make room for technology usage. Jonah Iboma

oads being built afresh and those to undergo renovation could now have provision for telecommunications ducts, if government follows recommendations made by stakeholders in the information and communications technology industry. The stakeholders noted that if government follows its recommendations, then the problems of incessant damage of telecommunications underground cables and the attendant negative effect on services would be drastically reduced. President, Nigeria Internet Group, (NIG), Mr. Banjo Bayo, revealed in Lagos recently that the recommendation had been made to government so that practical steps towards preparing the country as an information society could be taken. Corroborating the development, the President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, said that the initial recommendation was for ducts to be built into new roads, adding that this was later extended to roads under renovation so that further progress could be made in the quest towards improving telecom services in the country.

ICT stakeholders want telecom ducts included in roads, houses Ajayi also said that aside roads, government had also been told to ensure that highrise buildings are also fitted with telecommunications ducts in addition to provision for the supply of other utilities such as water and gas. He said that the ongoing repairs of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other roads to undergo renovation going forward, were expected to be fitted with such ducts so that whenever operators or infrastructure companies need to lay fibre cable, this would be done easily without causing inconveniences to people. According to the stakeholders, telecommunication infrastructure need to be treated as national infrastructure such as roads, railways lines and water pipes because they serve the entire public irrespective of the firm that have put them up. The stakeholders further said that for Nigeria’s quest towards being an information society to succeed, the country should take necessary measures to put things in place that will help the process. The classification of telecommunication infrastructure as national assets to prevent them from vandalism has been a major argument of industry stakeholders for some

Future of mobile money CONTINUED from PAGE 35

According to Chief Executive Officer of eMaginations, ’Sola Fanawopo, there is the need to have a second look at the current mobile model operational in the country to ensure that the service gains traction as in other African countries. Aside Nigeria, only Ghana and Liberia operate a bankled mobile money service in Africa. Telecommunication operators have for long attempted to be at the fore front of the development of mobile money in Nigeria, but the argument of the Central Bank of Nigeria had always been that the service is a financial transaction and such should be controlled by it. Fanawopo stated that though Ghana operates a similar model as Nigeria’s, the country’s reserve bank has increasingly allowed the telecommunications industry to drive the process. Commenting on the development, Principal Associate, Mobilemoney Africa, Emmanuel Okoegwale, said that for the African continent as a whole, this is a positive development which will be felt quickly with cross-border remittances products and services.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

“GSMA, as we know, is largely focused on mobile network operators so there might be a challenge with other players outside of this industry. However, the agreement will provide basis for fresh and new initiatives at country-level to drive interoperability of mobile money services.” Other experts also say that as good as the MMI scheme may be, some operators may not fancy it since it could disrupt their own existence and positioning. They noted that this is why continental mobile money leader, MPESA, cannot be found in the scheme list, at least for now. Okoegwale also said: “Where the mobile network operators operate, it will accelerate adoption, improve access and reach of agency network, merchant point acceptability for mobile money and reduce cost of cross-border remittances especially within African Nations. At different country level, it will help regulators and providers understand why and how they need to work together to achieve interoperability. In places like Nigeria where the interoperability discussion is already on, this agreement may provide some insights on achieving better outcomes,” he added.

time now. Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria,

Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, had been in the forefront of the quest towards giving national protection for telecom infra-

structure. According to him, if this is done, such assets would better serve citizens and businesses.

L-R: CEO Ajomedia Limited, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, Head, Research, National IT Development Agency, Mr. Jimi Sonuga; ChiefExecutive Officer, Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem; President Digital Bridge Institute, Prof Raymond Akwule; and President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi at the 2014 eWorld Forum held in Lagos recently

‘Improved internet access critical to Africa’s growth' Jonah Iboma

he provision of infrastructure that offer stable and reliable internet access is a very important element that must be addressed if Africa is to quicken the pace of economic development and ensure that citizens are enabled to compete with the rest of the world. This was the submission of the Chief Executive Officer of Phase3 Telecom, Mr. Stanley Jegede, while speaking about his firm’s participation at Cyber Nigeria Forum and Innovation Awards and the decision to support the event. According to him, the investment of millions of dollars in network development across Nigeria and other African countries was based on the belief that Africa had a lot of untapped potential “At Phase3 Telecom, we have,

for long, believed that developing the right communications infrastructure in Africa is what will open up the continent’s economic potential and make its citizens globally competitive. That is what informed our decision to build a regional optic fibre network using the best technologies available in the industry. “Today, we are ready to take our network to other regions not yet reached by high-capacity transmission network to provide the best communications experience to people in the continent,” he said. Cyber Nigeria forum was organised by Cyber Africa and Africa Independent Television (AIT) and this year’s theme was The Cyberspace: Enterprise, innovation, opportunities and security. Organisers said that the decision to adopt the theme was because of Internet’s rising impact

on global social and economic development and its emergence as an indispensable tool of daily life. They added that part of the focus of the event would be how to use the internet to create jobs and ensure national security. Jegede further said that Nigeria already had the foundation for effective communications and promised that Phase3 Telecommunications will continue to offer solutions that meet the needs of businesses, organisations and individuals. “At Phase 3 Telecom, we have helped in developing what we believe is Nigeria’s most robust national communications backbone. We have now moved beyond just developing the basic communications infrastructure into offering solutions that will increase productivity and deliver the full benefits of global technology development.

TV overtakes PC as main platform for online video research unveiled by Parks Associates shows Athatnew television sets are outpacing computers as the key platform for Internet video. According to the report, in the first quarter of 2014, US broadband households watched roughly three hours of online video per week on each platform, but the amount of online video consumed on a TV is increasing, up from 2.3 hours per week in first quarter of 2013, while online video viewing on a PC is on a steady decline. “The amount of all video

consumed on PCs has declined, dropping from over eight hours per week in 2013 to 6.2 hours per week now,” says Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates. “Ultimately, consumers can more easily access online video options on a television than ever before. In addition to smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and game consoles, consumers are also buying streaming media players and devices such as Google’s Chromecast. Pay-TV providers are making a strong push to extend TV everywhere

to a variety of devices. These trends are converging to displace computer-based video consumption. The new research, titled 360 View: Entertainment services in US broadband households, found 81 per cent of US broadband households watch video on a TV set, while 60 per cent watch content on a computer. Thirtyone per cent said they watch video on a smartphone, and 28 per cent watch on a tablet. The PC was the only platform to show any significant decline in video viewing in the past year.

BUSINESS | ICT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

EFFICIENCY National regulators urged to embrace new spectrum allocation techniques. Jonah Iboma

new method of allocation and utilisation of spectrum more efficiently has been recommended by Microsoft in view of increasing demand for frequency. Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Olayinka Oni, in a document made available to New Telegraph on Monday, said that the use of a system called dynamic spectrum access (DSA) could be the solution to the traditional method whereby allocated frequency is sometimes left unutilised by operators or other users, even when other persons need them. According to him, recent technology developments have created an increasing need for more spectrum for several applications, which is making

Dynamic access’ll ensure improved frequency use –Microsoft boss regulators around the world to consider proposals to assign more spectrum for exclusive use licensing. He, however, noted that nearly all the radio frequency spectrum is allocated for specific applications, making reallocation of exclusive use licenses extremely challenging and time consuming. “Traditional licensing model of spectrum bands allocation has limited the amount of usable spectrum for a wireless data communications, particularly as the demand for data, voice, and video traffic continues to explode on Internetenabled mobile devices. To alleviate this disparity in spectrum use, researchers and policy makers have proposed the concept of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA), allowing devices to use unoccupied portions of spectrum without

interfering with the licensee’s transmissions In a special document titled Spectrum, oxygen of a digital world, Oni said that this concept could prove to be very important in the future in the light of the importance of the internet in the lives of people globally. According to him, the DSA becomes more important because more people will have need to be hooked to the internet, adding that with the fact that most people using the internet are connected via mobile devices, frequency becomes very important to be tackled. “The internet has become so central to our existence in this age that the UN defined access to the Internet as being among one of global citizens’ most basic rights. The European Commission’s Digital Agenda goes one step further by similarly

highlighting broadband access as a basic right. Invariably, connectivity (interchangeably here spectrum) is essential in the same sense as oxygen: invisible and unnoticed, until you don’t have it (and by then you are dead). “And, of course, the vast majority of this connection is relying on wireless technologies and the currency of the wireless industry is spectrum, literally the oxygen of the digital world.” He said that this was the reason why Microsoft believes that countries should adopt the use of DSA. “For over five years, Microsoft has been working with industry and government partners around the world to demonstrate the viability and potential of Dynamic Spectrum and TV White Spaces. The viability of the technology has been proven in over a dozen trials and commercial deployments around the world – rang-

ing from remote villages of Africa to the dense urban centers of Asia,” he said. Oni added that as part of efforts to drive thought leadership in this space, Microsoft recently partnered some other stakeholders to form the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, a global, cross-industry alliance focused on increasing dynamic access to unused radio frequencies. DSA, he said, was advocating for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilisation. According to him, DSA is an umbrella term used to describe a set of technologies and techniques enabling radio communications devices to opportunistically transmit on available radio spectrum. These technologies and techniques, he further said, ensured that consumers and their devices have wireless bandwidth when and where they need it.

Airtel restates commitment to youths n line with its commitment Iempower to consistently encourage and Nigerian youths to

L-R: Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi; Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Maurice Newa; Chairman, Open Media Group, Mr. Earnest Ndukwe, at the 2014 Mobile West Africa Conference in Lagos recently

OneCard bags ICT innovation awards

neCard Nigeria, the innovative fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that provides top-up solutions on multiple platforms was recognised with an award for ICT development excellence for its innovative and quality products. This award was received by the company at an award ceremony held recently. African Quality Achievement Awards (AQAA) is an annual event aimed at celebrating leadership, innovation, creativity and quality management in Africa. The award is aimed at identifying, recognising and rewarding companies, personalities and products that apply quality assurance culture and quality management best practices. It is organised by AQAA, the leading professional organisation dedicated to developing quality professionals and implementing African programmes on quality Management and Assurance (AQI) with the support of South African Quality Institute (SAQ)

and the Chartered Quality Institute (UK). Chief Executive Officer, OneCard Nigeria, Mr Ahmad Baba, while speaking on the award said: “We are happy that our innovative services that improves the lives of our people was recognised in and outside Nigeria as shown in this award and recognition from the Pan

African body, AQAA.” The Chief Commercial Officer, OneCard Nigeria, Taiwo Ogunkanmi, commended the AQAA for its laudable initiative aimed at encouraging innovation and quality standards in Africa, adding that “OneCard will continue in its effort to provide world class top up services to Nigerians.”

achieve their dreams through various platforms, leading telecommunications service provider, Airtel Nigeria, has unveiled a music talent hunt initiative tagged, ‘Airtel One Mic,’ aimed at discovering talents in various institutions in Ogun and Lagos states. The project, a platform for talented youths in tertiary institutions to express themselves, hone their skills and discover opportunities to achieve their dreams in the entertainment industry, was unveiled on Monday in Lagos with prolific music producer, ID Cabasa and Nigerian rapper and singer, Reminisce, in attendance to motivate participants. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, described the project as one of the ways through which Airtel Nigeria continues to help discover and empower talents in the country. He said: “The stable of the telco is replete with quality initiatives designed to help Ni-

gerian youths achieve their dreams and aspirations. As an innovative Telco, Airtel remains a trailblazer in helping Nigerian youths to come alive.” Relating to the company’s other efforts at discovering musical talents in the country, Ogunsanya, in his address, stated that barely four months after the successful completion of the Airtel-sponsored Season Two of the Nigeria’s Got Talent (NGT), the company’s decision to unveil the Airtel One Mic is to create additional avenues to uncover and tap the rich talents, creativity and skills of Nigerian youths.” According to huim, “Airtel Nigeria is committed to continuous creation of robust platform and opportunities for youths in the country to achieve their dreams. Airtel One Mic is a testimony to our dedication, commitment and unwavering support to every Nigerian youth. At Airtel, we believe that this unparalleled platform will facilitate the dreams and ambition of our youths in various institutions who have deep interest in music and entertainment.”

Ericsson maintains leadership in LTE infrastructure artner Inc. has positioned Evolved Packet Core and IMS and Radio Dot System as well networks have already gone live GEvolution Ericsson as a Long Term for voiceover LTE) based on as industry-leading solutions commercially. (LTE) industry their ability to execute and including LTE-A Carrier AgThe firm said that it had leader within the “leaders” quadrant of its 2014 Magic Quadrant for LTE Infrastructure report for the fifth year in a row. LTE is a technology that allows for 4th generation mobile speeds to be achieved on networks. The world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, evaluates end-to-end vendors of LTE equipment (including Radio,

completeness of vision in the LTE market. Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson, Thomas Norén, said in a document made available to New Telegraph on Tuesday that the quality of its equipment sets it apart from others. “Ericsson LTE is differentiated by its performance, enabled through innovative products such as Ericsson AIR

gregation, LTE Broadcast and our industry-leading VoLTE solution. Ericsson’s end to end LTE offering, large footprint and worldwide service capabilities have enabled us to serve 50 per cent of all LTE smartphone traffic worldwide.” Ericsson has signed over 190 commercial contracts for LTE and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in more than 70 countries on six continents, of which above 140

supported all the world’s first commercial VoLTE launches and it is the IMS market leader with over 115 IMS contracts worldwide for both fixed - and mobile accesses. Ericsson is present today in all high traffic LTE markets including US, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada, and has been selected by the top 10 LTE operators as ranked by LTE subscription worldwide.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

FEATURES

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ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES EDITOR

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THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014

Anti-smoking law: Seeking acceptance through sensitisation To ensure full compliance with the anti-smoking law, Lagos State Government is embarking on the enlightenment of the residents, reports ELIJAH SAMUEL

n this age and clime, human population is on steady growth. Such demographic rise is accompanied with increased socio-cultural and economic activities that affect and pollute the environment. Many of such harmful activities to the environment abound. Apart from the more well-known sources of pollution like industrial activities, vehicular exhaust, generator fume and other daily activities like car painting, furniture spraying, smoking is also one socio-cultural activity which sends harmful emissions into the environment. The health hazards which these highlighted activities unleash on the environment can be attested to, in the upsurge in cases of terminal diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory ailments. The Lagos State Government is worried about the danger posed to society by these harmful activities. For its high premium placed on the healthiness of its teeming populace, therefore, the government is making effort not only in identifying such practices and activities which tend to undermine the health and medical wellbeing of the people, but also to exterminate or, at the least, reduce such to insignificant minimum level. Consequently, smoking in the state has been identified and confirmed as one such act which endangers the good health of the people. Hence, it is the responsibility which the state realised it had to perform in safeguarding the good health of its residents that spurred it to promulgate a law that will regulate smoking in public places within the state. Although the bill seeking the ban of smoking in public places has been passed into law since February 17, 2014, its enforcement will have to wait till August 17. The enhancement of a cleaner atmosphere for the healthy living of its residents has preoccupied the state government. The need to imbibe safe habits that will protect the collective health of the people was placed on the front burner at a one-day advocacy and sensitisation campaign organised by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA). At the sensitisation forum, Gover nor Babatunde Fashola said

Adesina (left), Shabi and others at the event

It is a responsibility that we owe to every resident in Lagos to ensure that you enjoy good health which should not be endangered by another person’s social or life habits that the need to put the available resources at the disposal of the gover nment and the responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of the residents in Lagos were behind the decision to enact the anti-public smoking law. Fashola said in his address delivered by his Special Adviser on Health, Dr Yewande Adesina, that a situation where a significant amount of the available resources for the socio-economic development of the society was dedicated to providing health and medical facilities and services to the people would impoverish the community. He said: “It is a responsibility that we owe to every resident in

Lagos to ensure that you enjoy good health which should not be endangered by another person’s social or life habits.” Yet, taking into cognizance the social rights which have been accorded citizens under the constitution, the governor said that the government did not intend to infringe the rights of the citizens; but a situation where one tried to carry out act that was injurious to others was not acceptable. He added: “It is simply a restriction of smoking in public places and not an outright ban as it is set out in Schedules I and II of the law. “A situation where smokers converge to pollute a public gathering with cigarette smoke without regard for the health or convenience of non-smokers is not acceptable. “Therefore, the law has made necessary provisions for conditions under which smokers can indulge in their pleasure without inconveniencing others.” According to the new anti-public smoking law, the places where smoking has been banned are “public convergence points - hotels, bars/lounges, restaurants, cinemas/events centres, public stadia, school buses, public commuter buses/taxi-cabs, and private vehicles with more than one person”.

Moreover, Prof Alade Akintonwa, while educating the participating public on the environmental hazards of smoking, said it was a source of pollution. “Research shows that some gases such as tar and carbon dioxide released by smokers are har mful to the environment. We all know that now the environment must be protected; we do not want smoking to be another of the problem,” he said. However, the General Manager of LASEPA, Rasheed Shabi (an engineer), disclosed that the law would be implemented to the core as the agency would collaborate with the law enforcement agencies in carrying out its monitoring and implementation duty. He said: “We will begin the implementation of first phase of this law in August, as we are presently at the sensitisation period. When the time comes, we will carry out the provision of this law in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. “We will take this sensitisation campaign to the markets, motor parks and other public places. Also, radio jingles and TV adverts will be embarked upon in other to get the people adequately sensitised, as ignorance of the law will not be an excuse.”

40 FEATURES

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Eminent personalities inaugurate Umuigbo United Assembly

ovember 2013 will go down memory lane in the life of Evangelist Raphael Chukwudulom NwaDavid (Ezeonodugu), as the day he got a heavenly vision to establish Umuigbo United Assembly (UUA). Having received the vision, little did he know that the Assembly, which is the first of its kind, will be an avenue to unify all Igbo indigenes, at home and in the diapora. The growth of the Assembly established just a few months ago, is a testament that Umuigbo United Assembly is indeed divinely inspired. On how NwaDavid established UUA, with his soft spoken voice which sounds like the charm of mystic magnetism, he said: “it was in November last year (2003), in my dream, I saw two hands that joined together and commanded me to bring all Igbo together. So, I began to wonder how to bring Igbo together. I began to contact people and discussed with some ministers of God, They encouraged and prayed for me. In order to actualise the dream, I consulted the five Igbo speaking states of the South Eastern Nigeria which include Anambra, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu states. I also contacted the Igbo speaking part of Delta State. “In January this year, I invited them to my country home, Anambra state where we recorded unprecedented attendance of distinguished men and women from different parts of Igbo land. I presented the vision to them and the idea was welcomed” On how the vision was actualised, he said: “After the meeting in Anambra State, we held another meeting in Enugu, which is the present head office of the Assembly. The venue was donated to us by Engr. Chris Nwude. At the meeting held, I was elected the President General, while Deacon Benjamin Arisa Adile from Abia State was elected the Secretary General. At present, there are State Executives, Local Government Executives and Ward Executives in all the six South Eastern States of the Federation with a National working Committee Institut-

Evangelist Raphael Chukwudulom NwaDavid (Ezeonodugo) is the Founder/President General of Umuigbo United Assembly (UUA) with its head office in Enugu. STANLEY CHIBUIHEM AMALAHA writes on the principles behind the formation of the Assembly

L-R: Deacon Benjamin Arisa, secretary general; Elder John Ihuaku, national treasurer; Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former Anambra State governor; Evang Raphael NwaDavid, Founder/President General and Chief Norbalt Udoye, Chairman Anambra State at Abia State inauguration of Umuigbo United Assembly held at A group photograph of Umuigbo United Assembly members at the inauguration. the Government House, Umuahia.

Lady Henrietta Nwudu, Anambra State woman leader (standing 6th from left), Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Evang NwaDavid, Chief Norbalt Udoye, chairman Anambra State and others at the inuaguration.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To assist members in their economic and social lives To organise and promote cultural heritage of the Umuigbo people To promote unity, peace and mutual understanding among Umuigbo and the entire nation To help create awareness of the Igbo culture to Igbo people To support sustainble peace and liase with Umuigbo people in diaspora for peace and development To provide education and other humanitarian assistance for the less priviledge members of the society To stand and defend Igbo interest all over the world Umuigbo United Assembly believes in one united Nigeria Umuigbo United Assembly is calling the federal governmnet to do everything possible and rescue the abducted Chibok Schoolgirls.

ed. At present, we also have branches in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt with two other branches outside Nigeria. The speed with which UUA is spreading shows it is really a divine intervention.” About the inauguration of the State Assemblies,

L-R: Deacon Benjamin Arisa, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ebeife and NwaDavid at the inuaguration.

NwaDavid

NwaDavid stated: “Abia State was recently inaugurated while Anambra State will be officially inaugurated today (Thursday May 22, 2014) at St. Matthew’s CathDeacon Arisa, Ezeife and Evang NwaDavid. olic Church Hall, Amawbia, Anambra State.” Already, Dr. Chukwueme- Ubaka is the National Public ka Ezeife (Okwadike Igbouk- Relations Officer. Elder John wu) former Governor, Anam- Ihuaku from Imo State is the bra State has been nominated National Treasurer and also member BOT. as the Chairman, Board of Other personalities inTrustee, (BOT) of the Assembly, while Prince Victor Udo- clude: Lady Martina Ch-

igozie Ihekire who is the National Women Leader and Lady Chinyere Gbugbu, the deputy. Other members of BOT include Mrs. Winner Ogbonna, Chief Israel Ojikwe and Chief Norbalt Udoye.

HEALTH THURSday, May 22 , 2014

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Beware: Study shows you may get cancer through sti

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appolonia adeyemi appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com appoloniaadeyemi@gmail.com

‘Two-year birth spacing saves lives’ Many pregnancies recorded among youths, single parents and even married couples are not planned. If family planning services are effectively utilised by those intending to get pregnant, with adequate child spacing between siblings, it will check the high incidence of child and maternal mortality in the country, reports APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

FAMILY PLANNING Get facts about pregnancy spacing

or Margaret Ilesanmi, a nursing mother weaning her three monthold-baby was compelling. Her threemonth maternity leave was over and she must resume duties in the oil and gas company where has worked as a secretary for 10 years. Income from the job has been useful for the upkeep of the Ilesanmis especially in the last four years that Mr. Toye Ilasanmi, Margeret's husband has been out of job. . Ruminating over her decision to abandon the exclusive breastfeeding she started for her daughter at birth, Mrs Ilesanmi knew she had taken the wrong step considering the counseling which recommends six months exclusive breastfeeding for babies in their first six months after birth and thereafter continued breastfeeding in addition to complementary feeding until the baby is two years. “I have to return to work. My family needs income from this job,” she thought aloud and assured herself that with complementary feeding only, the baby will survive. She trudged on only to find three months after that she had missed her menstrual period. Mrs Ilesanmi’s first baby was six months only when she became pregnant for the second child. Clearly, the pregnancy was not planned. The experience highlighted above is the lot of many women in Nigerian communities and it has negative impact on both mother and child. For instance, four months into Ilesanmi’s pregnancy, she had a spontaneous abortion during which the fetus died. Although, she was lucky that her first daughter survived, her neighbour who had a similar experience lost both fetus and her first child. Spacing siblings less than one year or about one year apart is very common in the Nigerian setting and the problems arising from this practice has contributed in no small measure to maternal and child mortality.

Dr. Adesina

With both governments and stakeholders presently advocating to reduce this trend with a view to having pregnancies planned, many couples are still ignorant of what birth spacing is all about and how it can benefit families and society at large. Medical experts have recommended birth spacing of at least two years between siblings and stressed that it will prevent unnecessary death of pregnant women and babies. Sadly, every minute, a woman dies during pregnancy, labour and puerperium. Each year approximately, eight million women suffer pregnancy related complications worldwide and over 500,000 maternal deaths are recorded yearly worldwide. While 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in low-income countries especially in sub-saharan Africa including Nigeria, most deaths are avoidable or preventable. Highlighting the dangers inherent for mothers that do not follow this measure, a Public Health Physician and Special Adviser to the Lagos State governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adesina confirmed that the standard child spacing that is safe for mothers is two years. "When a woman gives birth, whether through a full term pregnancy, abortion or miscarriage, the uterus is not immediately healed for another placenta to implant. So, if she gets pregnant too quickly after the uterus had evacuated the earlier fetus, it is a weak compromise for the forthcoming baby,” she said. According to her, the placenta may not implant properly so the baby may not get enough nutrition. Most of the time, because the placenta is not well attached, it can separate leading to the death of the foetus. Rather than wait for the standard two years that should be between siblings, the public health physician lamented that most of the time, most mothers only wait for between six weeks to three months to get pregnant again. However, explaining how the two years waiting can benefit all, she said in the space of that two years, the body of the mother would have reverted to pre-pregnancy state. The nourishment the previous baby took from the mother's body would have been replaced because the baby feeds off the mother. So, if a woman gets pregnant too soon after giving birth or after losing a baby, it’s like building a house on a shaky foundation. It does not go well for the baby. Furthermore, Adesina said the complication for the mother is often post-partum heamorrhage (bleeding) because the uterus is not got strong enough to contract back, it tends to cause much bleeding that some mothers die from. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates in 2003, that heamorrhage contributes 26 percent of maternal death in the country. Other causes of maternal death are ectopic pregnancy, prolonged

A baby boy after birth

labour, eclampsia, abortion, sepsis, among others. On the risk of spacing pregnancies too close together. According to information sourced from Mayo Clinic Website, limited research suggests that a pregnancy within 12 months of giving birth is associated with an increased risk of: lThe placenta partially or completely peeling away from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery (placental abruption); and l The placenta attaching to the lower part of the uterine wall, partially or totally covA pregnant woman ering the cervix (placenta previa), in women who had a first birth by C-section. How then do mothers prevent themselves from getting pregnant so soon after delivery, Appropriate birth spacing Dr. Adesina advised, “This can be prevented throughfamilyplanning,whetheritisthrough lowers the risk of: beadcountingwhichisthetraditionalmethod or basal body temperature or after taking conl Maternal mortality traceptive pills, the (IUDs) inter-uterine device l Fetal death (miscarriage or and so many other methods that Lagos State stillbirth), neonatal mortality and other states of the federation provide for l Anaemia in the mother during citizens free, “it is up to the person who is not subsequent pregnancies readytogetpregnanttogotothehealthfacility nearhercommunitytoaccessfamilyplanning l Postpartum inflammation of the services”. endometrium lining the uterus She said officials at the facilities will ask l Premature rupture of the questions to determine certain people who amniotic membranes surrounding have high blood pressure that cannot take certhe fetus tain type of contraceptives. l Premature birth Consequently, they will look at a person's profile and match the fellow with a the right l Intrauterine growth retardation contraceptive and then, the person can go on and a low birth-weight baby andspaceherbabyeverytwoyears.“Thisspacl Malnutrition of newborns and ing will give the body healing and by the time infants due to insufficient breast the person has the second baby the previous milk. babywhoistwo-yearoldismoreindependent”. Given the benefits highlighted above, it is important for couples intending to have chil- stories were highlighted in this report know dren to know that pregnancy spacing is an about birth spacing and utilised family planessential part of family planning. Hence, they ning services suitable to them to achieve should understand the importance of preg- recommended two-year spacing, they would nancy spacing and what factors to consider have averted the deaths recorded in the report before having another child. It is believed that and consequently reduced the incidence of if the Ilesanmis and their neighbor whose child and maternal mortality.

42 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Exercise crucial for women's health, Study finds with Dr. Ihuoma Uko-Ndukwe

ada.ndukwe@yahoo.com

Fatigue: When it is not normal REFIL Recognise when you are worn down and take action to replenish yourself

A woman suffers heart ache

Oluwatosin Omoniyi taying physically active is far more likely to determine a woman's future risk of heart disease than any other well known factor, including smoking, obesity and high blood pressure, a new study has reported. Looking across the lifespan of Australian women using data on more than 32,000 of them, University of Queensland researchers found that physical inactivity served as the leading risk factor for heart disease at every age from the early 30s to late 80s. "We have to get everyone to move more," said lead author Wendy Brown, director of the university's Center for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health. "From about age 30, physical activity levels decline. We need to do everything we can to prevent this." Even though this study was conducted in Australia, American women and women worldwide should figure that physical inactivity will affect their risk of heart disease in much the same way, said Dr. Michael Scott Emery, co-chair of the American College of Cardiology's Sports and Exercise Cardiology Council. "They're both very developed countries, and developed countries tend to have the same general themes of health issues," said Emery, a cardiologist in Greenville, S.C. The study measured the top four risk factors for heart disease in Australia - excess weight, smoking, high blood pressure and physical inactivity. Together, the factors account for more than half the heart disease across the globe, the researchers said in background information. The researchers used data drawn from more than 32,000 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Since 1996, this study has been keeping tabs on the long-term health of women born during specific generational periods, including 1921 to 1926, 1946 to 1951, and 1973 to 1978. They analysed how the women's health would improve if each specific risk factor vanished for example, if no one ever smoked or everyone had an ideal body weight. Younger women were more likely to smoke, they found, which drove heart disease risk up

by 59 percent and made smoking the most important contributor to heart disease among the youngest adults. But smoking rates fell from 28 percent in women between the ages of 22 and 27 to five percent in women 73 to 78 years old, while physical inactivity and high blood pressure increased steadily across all women's life spans from ages 22 to 90. In findings published May 8 in the online British Journal of “Sports Medicine’, the researchers concluded that from age 30 until the late 80s, low physical activity levels were responsible for higher levels of heart disease risk than any other risk factor. Remaining inactive raised women's risk of heart disease an average of 33 percent for middle-aged women and 24 percent for older women, they determined. If every woman between the ages of 30 and 90 were able to reach the recommended weekly exercise quota, 150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity physical activity, then the lives of more than 2,000 middle-aged and older women could be saved each year in Australia alone, the researchers concluded. The recommended weekly exercise quota is the same for both the United States and Australia. Brown noted that the type of exercise doesn't necessarily matter, as long as a woman becomes more physically active. "Aerobic exercise and activity is very important for cardiovascular and metabolic health, and strength training is very important for musculoskeletal health that maintains the ability to conduct activities of daily living in older age," she said, adding,"So, both are important." Physical activity tends to play a key role in heart health because it affects so many other risk factors, said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and medical director of the Women's Heart Program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. For example, exercise helps lower blood pressure, reduces body fat and improves blood sugar levels. "If you want to do one thing to prevent heart disease, you should exercise," Goldberg added. "We need people to become more active again, and the way you can do that is to make it part of your life, like brushing your teeth."

atigue can be described as inability to perform activities repeatedly or in another form physical exhaustion without weakness. it is a common problem in both men and women and can negatively impact work performance, family life, and social relationships. Men and women differ in the way they describe fatigue (tiredness). Men typically see it as tiredness/overworking while most women see it as feeling depressed or being anxious. Fatigue can be temporary/or per-

sistent and disabling in activities of daily living. Some frequent presentations seen in the populace can be in form of “I can’t get out of bed in the morning”, “I am tired all the time”, “I feel drained” and frequent lack of energy of prep, which can happen throughout the day, strong desire for sleep or rest, headache, body pains and exhaustion. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SLEEPINESS AND FATIGUE: Sleepiness is the impairment of normal arousal system with the tendency to fall asleep anytime. People who are sleepy are aroused by activity, and feel better after a nap, whereas fatigue is provoked by activity with delayed recovery, lack of energy poor muscle endurance and mental exhaustion, and non restorative sleep. A person who experiences fatigue does not feel refreshed after a nap. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FATIGUE AND DEPRESSION; although they may coexist people with fatigue are unable to complete specific activities because of lack of energy, or stamina where as people with grief and depression are unable to do anything due to lack of interest FOUR TYPES OF FATIGUE 1. PHYSIOLOGIC FATIGUE: This is more common in the general population and it is initiated by inadequate rest, mental strain, stressful social history and exhaustive lifestyle. Fatigue is worse in the mornings and it comes with diminished motivation and boredom. Similarly, it can last for two weeks or longer. Some well conditioned athletes during intense training can misinterpret fatigue for illness.

TREATMENT: Daily exercise (physical fitness) can improve energy levels. Thirty minutes of daily exercise carried out five times a week of moderate aerobic exercise will significantly increase energy levels. Adequate sleep at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night for adults will help as well as decreasing tension and stress reduction. Similarly are the need to restructure daily activities and the practice of good sleep hygiene. Naps may help but should be limited to less than 60mins (average of 40 minutes) in the early afternoon preferably between 1100a.m and 130p.m 2. SECONDARY FATIGUE: This consists about 20 percent of fatigue problems. It is fatigue with underlying medical sickness and can last from one month to six months. It manifests with signs of another serious fatigue that comes with fever, pale look, worn-out look and swollen face/ legs. It is a fatigue that can be relieved with sleep/or rest and one who experiences it feels refreshed in the morning. Very insignificant activity can cause the tiredness, weight loss and anxiety. It can manifest as difficulty in breathing after small activity and this sign will require a visit to a doctor. Sometimes, it manifests as loss of blood from heavy menstruation in young girls and women, causing tiredness due to body not having adequate blood cells to carry oxygen around. Side effects of some medications may also cause fatigue. In addition, obesity which is a disease can cause fatigue. TREATMENT: Most of these form of fatigue will require medical attention and series of test done to find out their root cause. For the women that have a history of heavy menstruation and tiredness after that, intake of iron supplement

Treatment for chronic fatigue has been in form of behavioural therapy and supervised graded exercise programmes. If the disease process in an affected person is resolved, most will recover gradually

with vitamin c (oranges) will help build up your blood volume/energy. Some medications have been used with success to improve energy and concentration. Effective weight loss will improve energy levels, proper nutrition, (balanced meals) and eating three times daily. 3. CHRONIC FATIGUE: This is defined as fatigue that last longer than six months, fatigue that does not improve with bed rest, and may or may not be associated with a disease process. In most cases, there is no known cause. The fatigue can occur in all age groups including children and more common in minorities and women, in persons with lower educational status and tends to run in families. Some percentage of

people with chronic family history of fatigue have been known to have concurrent issues with depression, pain problems and sleep disturbances Treatment for chronic fatigue has been in form of behavioural therapy and supervised graded exercise programmes. If the disease process in an affected person is resolved, most will recover gradually. 4. COMPASSION/OR CAREGIVER FATIGUE: This is seen mostly in people caring for sick family members, especially those with chronic terminal illness. They continue to work hard and give to others, a form of BURN OUT that involves deep physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion. They find it difficult to maintain healthy balance and they tend to eliminate the very things they need to revitalise (recharge their batteries), such as engaging in exercises, taking relaxed meals and spending time with other family members other than the sick. Signs to look out for are—anger, blaming game, hopelessness and irritability. The best treatment is to recognise when they are wearing down and get into the habit of doing something that will replenish them including getting enough sleep, engaging in exercises, developing interest outside of inside environment and finding someone to talk to.

HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Build trauma centres to tackle bomb blast distress, NCH tells states TERROR States tasked on health facilities to address victims’ ordeal Appolonia Adeyemi gainst the backdrop of maiming and injury arising from terrorist activities in the country, the National Council on Health (NCH) has urged all states prone to trauma and trauma related issues to put in place contingency plans for the management of trauma victims and their relations. According to a communiqué issued at the end of the pre-57th NCH meeting in Abuja on May 12, the Council also condemned the activities of Boko Haram Sect and other terrorist groups in Nigeria especially, the recent bomb blast in the Federal Capital Authority ( FCT) as well as the

Christian Obinna Odoh ederal government has signed a $20 million dollars partnership with General Electric to provide health care services to reduce preventable child-maternal deaths in Nigeria. The Minister of Health Prof. C.O Onyebuchi Chukwu, during press conference to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with GE, said that the project is in tandem with “Saving One Million Lives” initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan in providing mother/child health care irrespective of class. Prof Chukwu who stated that the MOU is action driven and set to provide key assistance in health technology, training/ education of nurses and midwives, consumer education for pregnant mothers to drive the right referrals at the right time to impact Millennium Development Goals 4 (reducing child mortality) and 5 (improving maternal health). According to Chukwu, the FMOH is concerned with the issues of provision of health services to people and efficiency of health workers through training and retraining of health professionals and said that this is done with reference to accountability. He highlighted some of the significant progress made by FMOH over the past few years with the support of several private sector partners, including GE and said that he is pleased with what GE is doing in the healthcare sector, leveraging its expertise, technology and building capacity in our healthcare workforce with some very clear results. “We welcome this continued partnership to help drive further health sector improvements with an ultimate focus on ensuring greater access to better quality healthcare for all” added Chukwu. Mr. Farid Fezouo, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Africa who pledged their support and commitment in providing quality healthcare assistance for Nigerians, said that this assistance will particularly focus on technology and technical training. Mr. Fezouo stated that “As part of our Company-to-Country partnership with the FMOH, GE is proud to have contributed relevant technologies and capabilities to support the development of Nigeria’s healthcare system as part of the ministry’s progressive healthcare transformation plan. Through a comprehensive framework of engagement that covers hospital infrastructure, capacity building, primary and rural health and financing strategies, we remain committed to the FMOH and other local and international partners to deliver on our ongoing commitments to support better clinical and patient outcomes for Nigeria.”

abduction of school girls from Chibok in Borno State. Similarly, the NCH approved that states should use the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Harmonised Country Plan of Priority Interventions for 2014-2015 and the management processes in last ditch effort to accelerate the achievement of the Health MDGs. They added that states should own and domesticate the plan and use it as a tool for resource mobilisation. Similarly, the Council endorsed the theme and sub-themes for the 57th NCH meeting and approved that the 57th NCH meeting should be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from August 25 to 29. Furthermore, the Council mandated states to immediately set up state task teams to inspect the Obstetric Department of all health facilities in their states with a view to ensuring compliance with prescribed minimum standards and improve quality of care. In addition, the Council appreciated

the members of the Senate for passing the National Health Bill and urged the members of the House of Representative to do likewise. The meeting which held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Health, Prof. C. O. Onyebuchi Chukwu was attended by commissioners for health of 36 states in the federation and the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). According to the communiqué, the meeting was preceded by the Technical Committee meeting on May 11 under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. L. N. Awute with the directors from the Federal Ministry of Health and directors of Planning, Research & Statistics from the State Ministries of Health as well as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in attendance.

Child, maternal health: Govt signs $20m partnership with GE

General Electric (GE) Global Vice Chairman, John Rice, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu and GE Africa CEO, Jay Island at the signing of a $20 million partnership agreement between GE, the Federal Ministry of Health and the United States Agency on International Development (USAID) on preventable child maternal deaths held in Abuja

Lagos records reduction in new born deaths

he Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adesina has said Lagos State has recorded reduction in the number of deaths among neonatal and children under five years. Adesina who disclosed this in Lagos, said that under-five and infant mortality rates in Lagos State have reduced from 157/1,000 live births and 75/1,000 live births (2008 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) to 65/1,000 and 45/1,000 live births respectively as reported in the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. She unveiled this data at a press briefing on the First Round 2014 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week MNCH) Week in Lagos State. The MNCH Week was flagged-off at Ifako Ijaiye Local Giovernment Area (LGA) by the wife of the state governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola last Friday, May 18 and it is expected that 57 LGA/local council development area (LCDA) chairmen and chairpersons of Lagos State will also flag-off this week-long event in their respective domains to further create the public awareness the programme deserves. The first round of 2014 MNCH Week in Lagos which started on Monday, May 19 would be concluded tomorrow, Friday, May 23. The objective of the MNCH Week is to improve the healthcare seeking behaviour of the whole family especially pregnant women and caregivers of under-5 children Dr. Adesina urged families and caregivers along with their under-5 children to visit primary health care centres in their areas from May 19 to 23 to access free health care services which include immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring and promotion, malnutrition screening, de-worming, distribution of insecticide treated nets (ITNs), and antenatal care. Others available services are immunisation of pregnant women against tetanus, family planning services, HIV counseling, birth registration of under-5, among others.

Study: Coffee may reduce oral cancer risk

new study by the American Cancer Society has found a link between drinking coffee and reduced risk of death from oral/pharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancer. The study that was published online December 10, 2012 in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" stated that people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day were about half as likely to die from oral/ pharyngeal cancer as people who drank coffee only occasionally or not at all. The researchers analysed coffee and tea consumption among people enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study II, a prospective United States (U.S) cohort study begun in 1982 by the American Cancer Society. Among 968,432 men and women who were cancerfree at enrollment, 868 died from oral/pharyngeal cancer during 26 years of follow-up. Drinking more than four cups of caffeinated cof-

fee a day was linked to a 49 percent lower risk of oral/ pharyngeal cancer death compared to drinking no coffee or only an occasional cup. No significant link was found for decaffeinated coffee, and no link at all for tea. Previous studies have also suggested that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of oral/pharyngeal cancer. Coffee contains antioxidants, polyphenols, and other compounds that may help to protect against development or progression of cancer. Still, the strongest risk factors for oral/pharyngeal cancer are tobacco and alcohol use. Most people with oral/pharyngeal cancer use tobacco. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has also been linked to this cancer, especially in non-smokers. The number of oral/ pharyngeal cancer cases linked to HPV has risen dramatically over the past few decades. Often, oral/pharyngeal cancer does not cause symp-

A cup of coffee atop coffee beans

toms until it has reached an advanced stage, or it may cause symptoms similar to those caused by something that is not cancer, such as a toothache. The most common symptom is a sore in the mouth that does not heal. Another very common symptom is pain in the mouth that does not go away. To find this cancer early, some dentists and doctors recommend that you look at your mouth in a mirror every month to check for any abnormal areas. This type of cancer can sometimes be found early during routine examinations by a dentist,

doctor, or dental hygienist. Lead author Janet Hildebrand, MPH, said, “We are not recommending people all drink four cups of coffee a day. This is just a little bit of good news for those of us who enjoy coffee. There may be some other effects of coffee that may prevent people with certain conditions from drinking a lot of caffeine. This study is about just one cancer site among many. There needs to be much more consistent research before we can support the conclusion that coffee should be consumed for cancer prevention.” Hildebrand and her colleagues plan to study the risk of cancer incidence and coffee consumption among a more diverse population in the Cancer Prevention Study - 3. The American Cancer Society hopes to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the U.S for this new cohort study to help researchers better understand how to prevent cancer.

44 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

FG partners NIFAA on malaria, others Obinna Odoh

spacing, awareness creation

Abuja on HIV and AIDS, adolescent

he Federal Government has pledged to collaborate with the Nigerian Inter- Faith Action Association (NIFAA) to fight malaria and provide health care services to Nigerian children. President Goodluck Jonathan who stated this in Abuja during Faith Health Summit for Child Health organised by NIFAA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) observed that there are several challenges that require concerted efforts of all stakeholders. Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. C.O Onyebuchi Chukwu, observed that among other challenges are the issues of reproductive maternal health – child

health, routing immunisation, polio eradication, and promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for children, school health initiatives and the recently adopted integrated community case management of childhood illness. According to Jonathan, Nigeria like many Sub-Saharan African countries has a high burden of communicable diseases of public health importance that are responsible for high morbidity and mortality among children under the age of five. He noted that malaria, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection (particularly pneumonia), HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases are still posing serious problems in Nigeria and called on NIFAA to use their position

in creating awareness and providing necessary support to help in discussing child health problems. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaja Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar who is co-chairs of NIFAA observed that mosquitoes have no religion and cautioned that all hands must be on deck to surmount this challenge. He further promised that NIFAA will do all the necessary things within their reach in providing information to their people. He however, cautioned international and local media to cease from reporting Nigeria in bad light and further assured that Muslims and Christians are coexisting in mutual understanding in Nigeria. Sultan Abubakar called on all

L-R: Consultant Peadiatrician, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka; Professor of Pharmacy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone; Executive Board Member, Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa (CWAR), Prof. James Renner and Prof. Steiner Asiedu at the Advanced Nutrition for Anglophone Countries training Workshop for Central and West Africa (CWAR) organised by Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan on Monday

Obesity: Nestle champions nutrition education, physical activity Appolonia Adeyemi estle, is actively addressing the pressing issues of obesity and under-nutrition in Central and West Africa and worldwide and so far, about 1,200 children and 75 teachers have benefited from the initiative. Similarly, as part of the programme, teaching and learning materials have been provided to ten schools in Nigeria. In youngsters, a lack of physical activity and bad dietary habits may lead to obesity. At the same time, the absence of vital micronutrients such as vitamin A, zinc, iron or iodine can cause stunting in growth and a lower resistance to infection. To help tackle these prevalent problems, Nestlé launched its Healthy Kids Global Programme aimed at children aged six to 12 in 2009. The programme aims to help counteract these wide-

spread trends by promoting nutrition education, good nutritional practices, healthy lifestyles and physical activity amongst schoolchildren. Its approach is based on worldwide multi-stakeholder partnerships such as national and local governments, non-governmental organisations, nutrition health institutes or sport federations. Two years after its global launch in Nigeria, Nestlé extended the initiative to the Central and West Africa region, starting with Nigeria and Ghana. The Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme was recently rolled out to Cameroon at the end of last year. Nestle is also set to launch programme in Côte d’Ivoire in 2014 with an aim to reach about 250 children in the pilot stage. In Ghana, the Nestlé Healthy Kids programme has already reached 10,039 children and 240 teachers since it was launched in 2011. A total of 62,483 children and 807 teachers and monitors in Ni-

geria have also been impacted by the initiative in the same period.

stakeholders to put heads together to fight the ugly trend called terrorism which has posed a serious security challenge. In his remark, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who is also a co-chair of NIFAA stated that he is obliged to act because he sees many Nigerian children suffering. “What is needed to tackle the issues of malaria and child health

problems in Nigeria” stated Oritsejafor. Dr. Oritsejafor called on government to make a paradigm shift from only using them as instrument of information and move ahead by providing technical support in terms of training of health workers in religious institutions and provision of facilities.

Prostate cancer may be a sexually transmitted disease

he University of California scientists tested human prostate cells in the lab and found that prostate cancer may be a sexually transmitted disease caused by a common yet often silent infection passed on during intercourse, but experts said that proof is still lacking. Although several cancers are caused by infections, Cancer Research UK said it is too early to add prostate cancer to this list. They found a sex infection called trichomoniasis aided cancer growth. There are still no known lifestyle factors that seem to affect the risk of developing the disease and no convincing evidence for a link with infection, I said, Nicola Smith Cancer Research UK . More research is now needed to confirm the link, they said in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS). Trichomoniasis is believed to infect some 275 million people worldwide and is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Often, a person will have no symptoms and be unaware that they have it. Men may feel itching or irritation inside the penis, burning after urination or ejaculation, or a white discharge from the penis. Women may notice itching or soreness of the genitals, discomfort with urination, or a discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell. This latest research is not the first to suggest a link between trichomoniasis and prostate cancer. A study in 2009 found a quarter of men with prostate cancer showed signs of trichomoniasis, and these men were more like-

Enlargement of the prostate is the most common prostate problem in men PHOTO: WebMD

ly to have advanced tumours. The PNAS Study suggests how the sexually transmitted infection (STI) might make men more vulnerable to prostate cancer, although it is not definitive proof of such a link. Proffesor Patricia Johnson and colleagues found the parasite that causes trichomoniasis - Trichomonas vaginalis also secretes a protein that causes inflammation and increased growth and invasion of benign and cancerous prostate cells. They say more studies should now follow to further explore this finding particularly since we still do not know what causes prostate cancer. Nicola Smith, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This study suggests a possible way the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis could encourage prostate cancer cells to grow and develop more quickly. "But the research was only done in the laboratory, and previous evidence in patients failed to show a clear link between prostate cancer and this common sexually transmitted infection.

Researchers probe mobile phone child health risk

or parents giving phones to children under the age of 16, a latest research has shown that it is health risk for them. A major investigation into whether mobile phones and other wireless technologies affect children's mental development is getting under way. The study funded by the United Kingdom (UK) government and industry will track 2,500 11 and 12-year olds from September. It will look at their cognitive ability thinking skills, memory and attention and then repeat the tests in 2017. The researchers said "very little" is known about what impact these technologies have on children. The World Health Organisation has said research in this area is of the "highest priority".

More than 160 secondary schools in the outer London area will receive invitations to enroll pupils into the study. Much of the research into mobile phone use has focused on adults and in particular, the risk of brain cancer. No evidence of harm has been established to date. Nonetheless, NHS advice is that children under the age of 16 should use mobile phones only for essential purposes and, where possible, with hands-free kits. The theory has been put forward that children's brains may be more susceptible because they are still developing. The research led by Imperial College London will put that idea to the test by asking children and their parents about their use of mobile phones and wireless devices, such as tablets, as well as analysing data from

operators. The 11-12 age group is particularly important as many children get mobiles at that age to coincide with starting secondary school. Some 70 per cent of that age group now owns a mobile. Lead investigator Dr. Mireille Toledano said: "The advice to parents is based on the precautionary principle given in absence of available evidence and not because we have evidence of any harmful effects. "As mobile phones are a new and widespread technology central to our lives, carrying out the study is important in order to provide the evidence base with which to inform policy and through which parents and their children can make informed life choices." The researchers will now be writing to 160 secondary schools in the outer London area asking pupils to take part.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

erdsmen rob, rape usewives

emen

suspected to be Furdsmen have ranthe village of the of State for Trade ment, Dr Samuel n Mbagwen comuma Local Governof Benue State. ailants, numbering , raped two housethe daughter of a me withheld). dsmen also robbed men of their moner valuables. gathered that the ho are between the nd 20, had recently o their village after rendered homeless -torn area having

spent about two months in Makurdi where they were taking refuge. The armed men stormed the victims’ house on Tuesday when their husband was out of the village and took turns to rape them. After torturing and raping the women, the assailants also stole N60,000 and two handsets belonging to their victims. The victims, who were unable to walk, were rushed to a private hospital in Makurdi for treatment. The women told our correspondent that the armed men invaded their home in the wee hours of the fateful day and asked to be given water to drink. According to them, as the men were being served, they

noticed the absence of their husband and asked for his whereabouts. The unsuspecting women replied that their husband had travelled out of town. At this point, the men brought out their guns and ordered the women to lie down or get killed. According to them, four of the assailants fired several gunshots in the air to scare them to submission. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident. Ezeala added that one of the rapists had been arrested while eight others were still at large. The PPRO said that the police were on the trail of the fleeing herdsmen.

Thugs attack rice millers over leadership tussle Charles Onyekwere Abakaliki

hugs attacked and wounded three employees of the Abakaliki Rice Mill Company, Ebonyi State. The victims, Chidiebere Mbam, Chijioke Nwode and Albert Oketa, who are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), were said to have been attacked when they insisted on defending the leadership of Deacon Joseph Ununu, the elected chairman of the company. When our correspondent visited the company, thugs were seen collecting toll from one of the entrances to

the mill while workers under the tutelage of the chairman were at another entrance performing a similar duty. Addressing journalists over the incident, Ununu, who condemned the use of thugs to terrorise both operators and customers at the mill, said that the level of peace in the company was possible because of his display of maturity in the matter. He alleged that the state government was using members of Committee it raised to oversee the operations of the company to cause chaos at the mill to give the general public the impression that there was breakdown of law and order there. Ununu, however, said

that no amount of threat or intimidation would make him relinquish his position as the chairman of the company. He advised the government to follow due process in its bid to ensure that they (rice millers) leave the mill. According to him, it is wrong for them to be driven out without due compensation and assistance from the government as their investment in the company runs into billions of naira. Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Maigari Dikko, said that the command was prepared to ensure adequate protection of lives and property at the company.

55 suspected robbers, cult ductors free Rivers LG chair members, others in custody

urt

ore than three in captivity, the man of Ahoadaal Gover nment R ive r s S t at e, ori Miller, was yesterday by his . ce close to the mily told jourhat Miller was of f on the Eastd in the early yesterday. er, the source ascertain if any was paid to the Ogunsakin rs before Miller, chieftain of the while addressing jour nalssives Congress ists in Port Harcourt. s released. The c o m m i s s i o n e r, te Commission- however, attributed the ice, Mr Tunde release to pressure from n, confir med the men and of ficers of the the chair man command.

He said: “I want to use this medium to infor m you that the Ahoada-West Local Gover nment Chairman, Hon. Awori Miller, who was kidnapped, was freed from kidnappers’ den around 0300 hours this mor ning (Wednesday).” When asked if any ransom was paid in exchange for Miller’s freedom, Ogunsakin said the police had never encouraged payment of ransom. “We are not aware of any ransom. What we did was that we mounted pressure on the kidnappers to release him,” he added. Miller, who is also a lawyer, was abducted by three ar med men near Acinia Hotel on the newly constructed Ada George Road in Por t Harcour t about 10pm on Saturday, May 3.

t for politicians’ mmandant

were posted to nt secretariats onal rulers. core mandate cal infrastrucve intelligence e the mandate control private nies; we have ctive to attach cians. ound in an illedealt with. Our ribe and die!’ If ou are not sent ught, you will f the law.” ndant said he agos to mainrder. for the support giving informaed persons or arly on vandals. dant also solicitother security

agencies in the state, with a view to providing adequate security. On the alleged killing of a woman by one of his men in Apapa area of the state, Ikemefuna said that investigation had begun into the matter. Ikemefuna

The recovered arms

Ahmed Tukur and Cheke Emmanuel

olice in Nasarawa State said they arrested 55 people for various offences such as armed robbery, cultism, among others between February and May. The police also recovered 32 locally-made guns, five AK47, four Mark 4 rifles, six toy guns, G3 rifle and a dane gun. He also disclosed that 366 live ammunitions of different sizes were also recovered with 15 cartridges. Parading the suspects before journalists at the State Criminal Investigations De-

partment (SCID) headquarters in Lafia, the Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Idris, said that two suspected car thieves were also apprehended while five vehicles were recovered from them. Idris said that the police had established a case of homicide against one Hahiya Amina Zubairu, who allegedly killed her husband, the Gom Mamam, Ahaji Zubairu K. Adamu, a First Class chief in Farin Ruwa Local Council Development Area of the state. The commissioner explained that the forensic report obtained by the police indicated the woman injected the late paramount ruler with

a poison which was found in a sock-away on the premises during investigation. He added that the police arrested a 14-year-old boy. Barnabas Karo, who threatened to bomb a school at New Karu. Idris disclosed that the police arrested one Alhaji Mustapha Sani, who allegedly conspired with six others, including a senior official of the state Ministry of Agriculture and defrauded Ginanas Nigeria Limited. The commissioner appealed to the public and the media to cooperate with the police by reporting any suspicious movement or objects to the police for necessary action.

Police nab 814 kidnap, robbery suspects Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

olice in Rivers State said yesterday that they arrested about 814 kidnap and robbery suspects between February and April. This figure, according to the Police Commissioner, Tunde Ogunsakin, does not include 11 other suspects who were paraded yesterday at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Port Harcourt. Parading the suspects, Ogunsakin praised the Special Anti-Robbery Squad

(SARS) for making assiduous efforts in arresting armed robbers in the state. He said: “Statistically speaking, a rise in apprehension to the measure of 250 per cent has been recorded with 27 armed robbers apprehended from February 2014, as against only two arrests made in January.” The commissioner said that in February, 181 cases were recorded, for which 257 suspects were arrested while 98 cases were charged to court alongside 175 suspects. According to him, 33 suspects were convicted, 78 are awaiting trial, while 36 were discharged and acquitted. He said: “In March, a total of 171 cases

were recorded of which 213 suspects were arrested. Of these, 99 cases were charged to court alongside 166 suspects, out of which 36 suspects were convicted; 72 are awaiting trial, while 16 were discharged and acquitted. “In April, a total of 198 cases were recorded of which 344 suspects were arrested. Of this number, 128 cases were charged to court alongside 243 suspects, out which 84 suspects were convicted; 135 are awaiting trial, while 24 were discharged and acquitted”, he further revealed. Ogunsakin added that within the peri-

od, the command recovered from suspects, 1,115 arms and ammunition, vowing that the police would not relent in fighting criminals and criminal activities in the state. He said: “I want to restate my mission here in Rivers State, which is to make the state uncomfortable for criminals, while upholding the tenet of protecting lives and property. “All evil doers within the state should repent or be ready to feel the iron hand of a well-positioned police command. We will never stop, we will not waiver, we will not go weary and we will never say never in our fight against evil.”

46 BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

21-May-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 9.20 29-JUN-2014 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

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

29-Jun-07 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

9.20 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

45.00 100.00 535.00 470.27 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 110.00 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57

29-Jun-14 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

0.11 0.36 0.92 2.24 2.93 3.18 3.28 4.03 5.11 5.42 7.69 9.81 14.52 15.00 15.50 16.17

9.62 9.89 11.11 11.65 11.63 11.62 11.63 11.78 12.05 12.03 12.47 12.46 12.79 12.83 12.87 12.98

8.26 9.45 10.50 11.57 11.57 11.50 11.52 11.68 11.98 11.94 12.42 12.41 12.75 12.79 12.81 12.93

99.92 99.74 93.91 102.65 108.40 95.37 93.89 96.62 114.70 80.36 118.95 109.65 114.39 97.75 70.95 80.00

100.07 99.89 94.41 102.80 108.55 95.67 94.19 96.92 115.00 80.66 119.25 109.95 114.69 98.05 71.25 80.30

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

4,334.84 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

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue 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 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.45 1.01 1.49 2.55 2.92 3.13

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 3.20 1.00

11.43 13.85 13.63 13.55 14.78 12.61

95.18 87.37 104.98 96.90 90.31 92.97

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

0.21 0.40 1.28 0.88 1.18 1.18 2.91 1.74 3.61 2.58 4.37 2.59 2.59 3.17 3.24 5.51 3.20 3.91 6.52 6.61 3.92 3.95

1.56 1.34 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 1.00 1.94 2.74 2.74 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

11.47 11.68 15.74 14.29 15.73 14.75 17.17 12.43 13.49 13.35 12.84 12.55 12.76 12.61 12.63 13.98 14.36 14.49 13.22 14.17 13.20 13.71

100.42 100.83 96.32 99.39 98.30 101.18 84.07 102.32 101.39 101.52 103.75 104.37 116.07 104.76 107.39 101.93 100.99 100.74 101.20 103.43 113.15 112.78

07-Oct-14 18-Dec-14 31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15 09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16 29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 14-Nov-20

0.38 0.58 0.61 0.76 0.84 0.92 2.36 2.43 3.36 1.98 2.14 2.30 2.30 4.34 2.41 2.49 6.49

1.00 5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 4.52 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 1.00 2.29 6.11 2.76

11.29 15.86 19.41 15.78 12.00 13.74 12.53 12.88 16.17 13.38 14.99 16.73 16.59 12.83 13.83 17.65 14.97

100.02 98.71 98.60 96.07 100.17 100.65 100.89 102.76 91.97 109.11 101.98 102.65 101.96 103.74 103.91 99.04 101.12

11-Feb-18

3.73

1.00

12.72

92.67

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,304.32

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 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 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

572.90

Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; AA/GCR Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR 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 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO GTB µ NGC *UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# NAHCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

07-Oct-11 18-Dec-09 01-Apr-10 17-Aug-10 09-Dec-10 06-Jan-11 29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 14-Nov-13

11.50 13.50 17.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 13.00 14.25 13.00 18.00 16.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 15.25

11.80 13.17 2.00 15.00 37.50 1.50 15.00 5.53 20.00 0.94 8.01 3.63 1.00 35.00 3.00 0.54 2.05

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

175.67

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

12.00 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value ($'mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.16

5.00

108.88

109.79

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

18-Dec-09

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.36

4.15

102.85

103.66

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.53

5.40

106.02

106.94

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.92

3.41

112.18

113.07

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.32

4.74

104.05

105.14

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.36

6.16

98.63

99.38

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.12

6.46

100.35

102.22

ACCESS BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.51

8.08

94.61

96.00

AFREN PLC

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

5.24

4.85

113.44

114.19

ZENITH BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.43

6.25

99.23

99.99

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.25

6.79

103.57

105.25

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

6.17

5.94

101.77

102.68

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

FIDELITY BANK PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,460.00

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

FIXINGS Maturity 29-May-14 5-Jun-14 19-Jun-14 26-Jun-14 3-Jul-14 10-Jul-14 17-Jul-14

Bid Discount (%) 9.00 9.00 9.40 9.05 9.00 9.15 9.35

Offer Discount (%) 8.75 8.75 9.15 8.80 8.75 8.90 9.10

Bid Yield (%) 9.02 9.03 9.47 9.13 9.10 9.27 9.49

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.5500 12.1360 13.2117 14.4423

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

10.50

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

162.30 163.21 163.56 164.22 165.27

162.40 163.42 163.90 164.88 166.61

O/N Tenor Call

REPO

Rate (%) 10.25

***LCRM

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

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

0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

112.22 116.70 66.49

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

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

2.55 2.92 3.13

2.00 3.20 1.00

13.55 14.78 12.61

96.90 90.31 92.97

1,304.32

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/AgustoMay 22, 2014 Thursday, 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 Sanctity of Truth

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

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 Limited, Lamberth Securities ONDO Adonri, 14-FEB-2019 said the risMr.15.50 David GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 ing15.50 wave of insecurity is posing 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 a threat to efforts put in place so 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 far14.75 by OSUN the IIregulators to attract 30-SEP-2020 foreign direct investments. 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 Noting that globalization 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 and14.50 liberalization has made free EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 06-JAN-2021 flow ofNASARAWA investment of capital

05-Aug-09 14.00 15-Oct-09 14.00 31-Aug-10 12.50 30-Sep-10 13.00 30-Jun-11 14.00 30-Jun-09 15.50 19-Apr-10 10.00 30-Jun-10 13.75 30-Dec-10 14.00 30-Sep-11 14.00 04-Oct-11 14.00 09-Dec-11 14.50 12-Dec-13 14.00 investment has tendency to al14-Feb-12 15.50 ways migrate to secure environ02-Oct-12 15.50 ments22-Nov-12 where peace is14.50 assured. “Violence kills people and 12-Dec-12 14.75 destroys assets. Therefore, no 30-Sep-13 14.75 sane investor his hard 27-Nov-13 will risk 13.50 earned savings in a strife torn 31-Dec-13 15.00 31-Dec-13 14.50 These economic environment. 06-Jan-14 were responsible for 15.00 the recent

17.00 05-Aug-14 0.21 6.00 15-Oct-14 0.40 8.50 31-Aug-15 1.28 16.50 30-Sep-15 0.88 13.00 30-Jun-16 1.18 18.50 30-Jun-16 1.18 57.00 19-Apr-17 2.91 50.00 30-Jun-17 1.74 25.00 31-Dec-17 3.61 50.00 30-Sep-18 2.58 9.00 04-Oct-18 4.37 20.00 09-Dec-18 2.59 12.00 12-Dec-18 2.59 flight can exacerbate the pres27.00 14-Feb-19 3.17 sure on the domestic currency ,” 20.00 02-Oct-19 3.24 Adonri said. 80.00 22-Nov-19 5.51 The Lagos12-Dec-19 Chamber of Com30.00 3.20 merce and Industry had 11.40 30-Sep-20 (LCCI)3.91 also prevailing security 87.00 said the 27-Nov-20 6.52 situation occasioned by 6.61 long 5.00 31-Dec-20 5.00 31-Dec-20 has nega3.92 drawn insurgency 5.00 06-Jan-21 3.95 tively impacted investors’ confi-

1.56 11.47 100.42 1.34 11.68 100.83 4.44 15.74 96.32 3.23 14.29 99.39 4.46 15.73 98.30 3.48 14.75 101.18 5.59 17.17 84.07 1.00 12.43 102.32 1.79 13.49 101.39 1.80 13.35 101.52 1.00 12.84 103.75 1.00 12.55 104.37 1.21 12.76 116.07 Bello said it would be difficult 1.00 12.61 104.76 to attract investors at this time 1.00 12.63 107.39 becuase the risk of long-term 1.94 13.98 101.93 investments in the economy has 2.74 14.36 100.99 been 2.74 heightened 14.49 by prevailing 100.74 conditions. 1.00 13.22 101.20 Bello noted that the103.43 tempo 1.94 14.17 of 1.44 economic13.20 activities113.15 in the 1.95 13.71of the country 112.78 Northern part

BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Insecurity may affect foreign investments, say experts INVESTORS’ EXIT

Foreign investors may exit to other emerging markets if insecurity is not addressed TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Corporate Bonds

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

Aa/Agusto takeholders inGTB µ the capiNil NGC tal market have urged Bbb-/Agusto *UPDC the Federal Government A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS to be more apt and proacBB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS tive in handling the menace A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO of A-/Agusto insecurity in the country FSDH to A/GCR dissuade foreign UBA investors BBB-/GCR from exiting to other *C & emergI LEASING BBB+/DataPro†; ing markets.BB+/GCR *DANA# # A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR *TOWER The Managing Director, AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER# A/Agusto; A/GCR UBA Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR *LA CASERA BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS# A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO

across national borders possible with ease, he however, affirmed that if the government fails to 11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 decisively confront violent ex13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 tremism Nigeria, efforts at 17.00 NGC in 31-DEC-2014 attracting foreign investment 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 might be a mirage. 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 “Vibrancy of 06-JAN-2016 the capital mar14.00 CHELLARAMS NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 ket13.00 is conditional on the invest14.25climate FSDH 25-OCT-2016 ment in every country. 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 persists, the Where insecurity 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 investment climate will not DANA 9-APR-2018 be MPR+7.00 conducive. Because peace MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 and progress are intertwined, MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

exodus of foreign portfolio investment from our capital market in the wake of deteriorating 07-Oct-11 11.50 security situation in 13.50 Nigeria. 18-Dec-09 “ Globalization and liberal01-Apr-10 17.00 ization of capital markets has 17-Aug-10 10.00 made09-Dec-10 free flow of investment 12.00 capital across national borders 06-Jan-11 14.00 possible with ease. Frightened 29-Sep-11 13.00 domestic investors 14.25 can move 25-Oct-13 their 30-Sep-10 investments to 13.00 conducive 30-Nov-12 18.00 comforeign markets, thus 09-Apr-11 pounding the woes of16.00 the capi09-Sep-11 Also, such 18.00capital tal market.

dence and limits the realization 572.90

iger Brands Limited (TBS) priate to carry out a review of the said first-half profit declined carrying value of the company’s 52 per cent after South Af- investment in DFM,” Tiger said Supranational Bond rica’s largest food IFC company in the 10.20statement. IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P wrote down its investment in Tiger, which makes Jungle TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Nigeria’s Dangote Flour Mills Oats and All Gold tomato sauce, Plc less than two years after bought a 63.5 per cent stake in Description Rating/Agency Issuer buying the stake. Dangote Flour Mills from DanEarnings dropped to 631.9 gote Industries Ltd. in SeptemFGN Eurobonds million rand ($60 million) in the ber 2012 for about $190 million, 6.75 JAN 28, B+/S&P sixBB-/Fitch; months to March 31, from its third purchase in2021 Nigeria. 1.29 billion rand a year earlier, Tiger targeted acquisitions in BB-/Fitch; FGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 theBB-/S&P Johannesburg-based com- Africa’s largest economy as it BB-/Fitch; pany said yesterday in a state- saw limited opportunities 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 in its BB-/S&P ment made available to Bloom- home market. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE berg news. Tiger will seek to boost profit Tiger said May 15 it would im- from the division by expanding Corporate Eurobonds pair Dangote Flour by 849 mil- into “value-added” products FEB 01, 2016 B-/S&P; B/Fitch AFREN PLC I lion rand, half its investment, that use flour,11.50 it said. The com7.50 MAY 19, 2016 GTBANK PLC I due to underperformance. pany will pay a half-year diviB+/S&P; B+/Fitch NOV a 08,share, 2018 PLC “Given the currentGTBANK underperdend of 3.29 6.00 rand an 25, 2017 B+/S&P BANK PLC increase of 6 7.25 formance of DFM andACCESS the excess perJUL cent from the MAY earlier. 09, 2018 B/S&P; B/Fitch BANK PLC same period a6.88 milling capacity thatFIDELITY continues year 10.25 APR 08, 2019 B/Fitch AFREN PLC to increase in the Nigerian flour Intense competition had seen 6.25Nigerian APR 22, 2019 flour B+/Fitch;it BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC Tiger Brands’ market, was considered approB/S&P; B-/Fitch

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

1.00 12.00 100.17 2.63 13.74 100.65 1.00 12.53 100.89 1.34 12.88 102.76 4.52 16.17the insurance 91.97 companies in 1.88sector which 13.38 109.11 sub contributed 14.99 101.98 to 3.48 this achievement. The com5.20 worked 16.73 102.65 in pany tenaciously 5.06 16.59 101.96 2013 to increase shareholders’ 1.00 12.83 103.74 profit to N4 billion.” 2.29 13.83 Commenting on the103.91 award, 6.11 17.65 99.04 the2.76Chief Executive Officer, 14.97 101.12

09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 14-Nov-13

16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 15.25

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.25

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

6.17

Custodian wins CEO award for quoted firms

products subsidiary continue to the Businessday Top 25 CEO Award. contribute operating losses in 175.67 The Top 25 CEOs Award is the group’s first quarter ended a12.00 yearly event, which is meant December, 11-Feb-13Tiger Brands 10.20 chair11-Feb-18 3.73 to appreciate the contributions man André Parker said at its 12.00 of the 25 CEOs who contributannual general meeting . Dangote Flour Mills, in ed the most to the growth of Issue Date Coupon (%) Issue Value ($'mm) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) which Tiger Brands bought a the capital market in a particu63.4 per cent stake in October lar financial year. The Top 25 CEOs, according 2012, placed a major drag on the 07-Oct-11 28-Jan-21 5.16 to a statement, were honoured group’s earnings in its6.75 year end- 500.00 ed September 2013 — for which for having contributed 68 per 18-Dec-09 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.36 it reported a 3.8 per cent decline cent of the gains in the capital market capitalisation in 2013. in headline earnings per share. 01-Apr-10 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 5.53 According to the organisWith Dangote excluded from ers, these CEOs “ensured that the results, headline earnings 1,500.00 per share would have risen 5.4 their companies’ share price outperformed the All-Share per cent. 01-Feb-11 01-Feb-16 3.92 Tiger Brands said11.50 recently 450.00 Index (ASI) of the NSE, which 19-May-11 7.50 500.00 19-May-16 5.32 that it was now required to closed the year at 47 per cent. 6.00 to ac400.00 6.36 make08-Nov-13 a mandatory offer “Their 08-Nov-18 contributions 25-Jul-12 25-Jul-17 7.12 of quire up to 6.6 per cent7.25 shares in 350.00 amounted to 58 per cent 09-May-13 6.88 share300.00 8.51 Dangote from minority the nation’s02-May-18 budget in 2013. 08-Apr-12 10.25 08-Apr-19 5.24 holders who wanted to sell their 300.00 Custodian and Allied Insur22-Apr-14 6.25 500.00 22-Apr-19the only 6.43 ance were among two shareholdings.

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

had declined; access to the markets by companies in the southern part of the country 1.00 11.29 100.02 has5.21 reduced resulting in98.71 loss of 15.86 sales; while many enterprises 8.71 19.41 98.60 have 4.88 relocated. 15.78 96.07

37.50 09-Dec-15 0.84 1.50 06-Jan-16 0.92 15.00 29-Sep-16 2.36 5.53 25-Oct-16 2.43 20.00he Chief 30-Sep-17 3.36 Executive Officer 0.94of Custodian 30-Nov-17 and Allied 1.98 8.01Insurance, 09-Apr-18 2.14 Mr Wole Oshin, 3.63 been honoured 09-Sep-18 2.30of has as one 1.00 09-Sep-18 2.30 the top 25 distinguished Chief 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.34 Executive Officers (CEOs) of 3.00 18-Oct-18 2.41 companies listed on the Nige0.54 17-Feb-19 2.49 rian Stock Exchange (NSE) at 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.49

Tiger Brands earnings drop 52% on Dangote writedown TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

of the tremendous potential that the economy presents, es11.80 07-Oct-14 0.38 pecially postGross Domestic 13.17 18-Dec-14 0.58 Product (GDP) rebasing. 2.00 31-Dec-14 0.61 President17-Aug-15 LCCI, Mr. Remi 15.00 0.76

Custodian and Allied Insurance, Mr Wole Oshin said : “This is an encouraging development. I 12.72 am truly elated to 1.00 92.67 receive this award. I would like to state that this achievement would not have been possible Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price without the support of the Board, Management and Staff Prices & Yields of Custodian, who worked as 5.00 108.88 109.79 a team to get us to this level. We are glad that Custodian is 4.15 102.85 103.66 contributing her quota to the GDP of the Nigerian economy 106.02 5.40 106.94 and towards the improvement of the insurance sub sector.” Custodian and Allied Insurance is a member of the 3.41 112.18 113.07 Nigerian Insurers Associa4.74 104.05 tion (NIA) and quoted105.14 on The 6.16 98.63 company 99.38 is a Exchange. The 6.46 100.35Custodian 102.22 and member of the 8.08 94.61 Allied Plc Group, a 96.00 wholly 4.85 113.44 114.19 owned Nigerian investment 6.25 99.23 . 99.99 holding company 6.79

103.57

105.25

5.94

101.77

102.68

3,460.00

21-May-14

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

8 15 FGN Bonds 29 36 43 Rating/Agency 50 57 64 71 78 85 92 99 106 113 NA 141 197 232 246 260 274 288 323 337 TOTAL OUTSTANDING 351

VALUE

29-May-14 5-Jun-14 19-Jun-14 26-Jun-14 3-Jul-14 Issuer 10-Jul-14 17-Jul-14 24-Jul-14 31-Jul-14 7-Aug-14 14-Aug-14 21-Aug-14 28-Aug-14 4-Sep-14 11-Sep-14 NA 9-Oct-14 4-Dec-14 8-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 19-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 9-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 7-May-15

9.00 9.00 9.40 9.05 9.00 Description 9.15 9.35 9.20 29-JUN-2014 9.25 9.25 28-SEP-2014 9.35 4.00 23-APR-2015 9.15 13.05 16-AUG-2016 9.40 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.10 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.30 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.20 10.70 30-MAY-2018 10.45 16.00 29-JUN-2019 10.10 7.00 23-OCT-2019 10.15 16.39 27-JAN-2022 10.15 14.20 14-MAR-2024 10.05 15.00 28-NOV-2028 10.20 12.49 22-MAY-2029 10.10 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.15 10.00 23-JUL-2030 10.10 10.25 10.35

8.75 8.75 9.15 8.80 8.75 Issue Date 8.90 9.10 29-Jun-07 9.00 28-Sep-07 9.10 23-Apr-10 8.90 16-Aug-13 9.15 27-Apr-12 8.85 27-Jul-07 9.05 31-Aug-07 9.95 30-May-08 10.20 29-Jun-12 9.85 23-Oct-09 9.90 27-Jan-12 9.90 14-Mar-14 9.80 28-Nov-08 9.95 22-May-09 9.85 20-Nov-09 9.90 23-Jul-10 9.85 10.00 10.10

*from the Amortising Description Rating/Agency Issuer #bonds, the average is Risk Premium is a life combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

9.02 9.03 9.47 9.13 9.10 (%) Coupon 9.27 9.49 9.20 9.40 9.25 9.52 4.00 9.33 13.05 9.61 15.10 9.31 9.85 9.54 9.35 10.51 10.70 10.80 16.00 10.51 7.00 10.74 16.39 10.85 14.20 10.78 15.00 11.00 12.49 10.93 8.50 11.03 10.00 11.09 11.32 11.49

NIBOR

Bonds

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

Rate (%) 10.5500 12.1360 13.2117 Maturity Date 14.4423

45.00 100.00 NITTY 535.00 470.27 Tenor 452.80 1M 20.00 2M 100.00 3M 300.00 6M 351.30 9M 233.90 12M 600.00 110.00 75.00 NIFEX 150.00 200.00 Current Price ($/N) BID($/N)591.57 OFFER ($/N)

4,334.84

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

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 FMDQ0.00/16.50 FGN BOND

29-Jun-14 28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 Rate (%) 27-Apr-17 9.2266 27-Jul-17 9.4431 31-Aug-17 9.4493 30-May-18 10.6365 29-Jun-19 10.8026 23-Oct-19 11.5016 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 163.3050 163.4050

Issue Value (N'bn)

OBB

10.25

Spot O/N 10.50 7D Offer Yield 14D TTM (Yrs)REPO Bid Yield (%) (%) Tenor Rate (%) 1M Call 10.25 2M 0.11 9.62 8.26 1M 11.61 3M 0.36 9.89 9.45 3M 12.38 6M 0.92 11.11 10.50 6M 13.69 1Y 2.24 11.65 11.57 2.93 11.63 11.57 NOTE: 3.18 11.62 11.50 3.28 11.63 11.52 :Benchmarks 4.03 Bond 11.78 11.68 * :Amortising 5.11 Bond 12.05 11.98 µ :Convertible AMCON: 5.42 Asset Management12.03 Corporation of 11.94 Nigeria 7.69 Government of 12.47 12.42 FGN: Federal Nigeria 9.81 Mortgage Bank 12.46 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 12.41 14.52 12.79 12.75 IFC: International Finance Corporation 15.00 12.83 12.79 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 15.50 12.87 12.81 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 16.17 12.98 12.93 O/N: Overnight UPDC: UAC Property Development Company WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

AMCON FMBN

***LCRM

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 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

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

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 INDEX 66.49

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

162.30 Price 162.40 163.21 163.42 163.56 163.90 Offer Price Bid Price 164.22 164.88 165.27 166.61 99.92 100.07 166.38 168.38 99.74 99.89 170.32 173.83 93.91 94.41 177.95 184.63 102.65 102.80 108.40 108.55 95.37 95.67 93.89 94.19 NA :Not Applicable 96.62 Rate Bond 96.92 # :Floating 114.70 coupon bonds 115.00 ***: Deferred 80.36 80.66 118.95 †: Bond rating expired 119.25 109.65 109.95 114.39 114.69 97.75 98.05 70.95 71.25 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 80.00 Bank for Africa 80.30 UBA: United

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.45 1.01 1.49 2.55 2.92 3.13

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 3.20 1.00

11.43 13.85 13.63 13.55 14.78 12.61

95.18 87.37 104.98 96.90 90.31 92.97

Implied Yield 0.21 0.40 1.28 11.64 0.88 12.35 1.18 12.98 1.18 12.47 2.91 1.74 3.61 2.58 4.37 2.59 2.59 3.17 3.24 5.51 3.20 3.91

Implied Portfolio 1.56Price 1.34 4.44 114.7975 3.23 128.2564 4.46 88.3889 3.48 113.6543 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 1.00 1.94 2.74 2.74

**Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Agency Bonds

Tenor

1,304.32 Porfolio Market Total Outstanding Value(Bn) Volume(Bn) 14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 973.57 923.07 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 1,116.64 951.30 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 473.25 591.57 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 2,563.46 2,465.94 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

Weighting by Outstanding 05-Aug-09Vol 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 37.43 30-Sep-10 38.58 30-Jun-11 23.99 30-Jun-09 100.00 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

Weighting by Mkt Value 14.00

14.00 12.50 37.98 13.00 43.56 14.00 18.46 15.50 100.00 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75

Bucket Weighting 17.00 6.00 8.50 0.37 16.50 0.39 13.00 0.24 18.50 1.00 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration 05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 19.80 30-Sep-15 39.37 30-Jun-16 40.83 30-Jun-16 100.00 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

INDEX 11.47 11.68 15.74 1,090.34 14.29 1,086.03 15.73 1,070.02 14.75 1,078.43 17.17 12.43 13.49 13.35 12.84 12.55 12.76 12.61 12.63 13.98 14.36 14.49

YTD Return (%) 100.42

100.83 96.32 9.0343 99.39 8.6027 98.30 7.0019 101.18 7.8432 84.07 102.32 101.39 101.52 103.75 104.37 116.07 104.76 107.39 101.93 100.99 100.74

Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET 49

Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 Sanctity of Truth

Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002

Thursday, May 22, 2014 Daily Summary (Bonds)

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at May 21, 2014

No Debt Trading Activity

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 56 24 81

Current Price 0.50 34.00 35.00

Quantity Traded 2,200,000 324,592 128,388 2,652,980

Value Traded 1,100,000.00 10,789,860.42 4,458,610.56 16,348,470.98

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 20 20

Current Price 3.04

Quantity Traded 143,862 143,862

Value Traded 439,215.83 439,215.83

2,796,842

16,787,686.81

Quantity Traded 40 996 15,500,673 1,516,512 17,018,221

Value Traded 58.00 4,790.76 56,768,129.00 85,110,356.54 141,883,334.30

17,018,221

141,883,334.30

AGRICULTURE Totals

101

Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 CONGLOMERATES Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002

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

Symbol AGLEVENT SCOA TRANSCORP Daily Summary UACN

No. of Deals 1 3 167 (Equities) 63 234

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONGLOMERATES Totals

Current Price 1.52 5.06 3.70 56.20

234

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

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 17 17

Current Price 1.25

Quantity Traded 267,405 267,405

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

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 26 26

Current Price 72.00

Quantity Traded 129,411 129,411

Value Traded 9,309,670.18 9,309,670.18

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 37 37

Current Price 17.05

Quantity Traded 648,485 648,485

Value Traded 11,033,790.42 11,033,790.42

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Symbol SKYESHELT UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 5 6

Current Price 95.00 10.47

Quantity Traded 469 313 782

Value Traded 42,327.25 3,270.85 45,598.10

1,046,083

20,723,409.95

Symbol DUNLOP

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 152,020 152,020

Value Traded 76,010.00 76,010.00

Symbol CHAMPION GOLDBREW

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 13.79 0.68

Quantity Traded 330 1,000

Value Traded 4,326.30 710.00

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

Symbol GUINNESS INTBREW JOSBREW NB

No. of Deals 36 16 9 233 296

Current Price 178.07 25.60 3.24 169.20

Quantity Traded 216,546 87,850 183,060 2,632,691 3,121,477

Value Traded 38,692,634.69 2,203,342.01 593,464.40 440,802,585.02 482,297,062.42

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

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 49 49

Current Price 85.80

Quantity Traded 110,403 110,403

Value Traded 9,393,349.01 9,393,349.01

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UTC

No. of Deals 38 54 50 28 44 18 232

Current Price 8.00 9.49 70.00 3.81 12.99 0.51

Quantity Traded 97,003 782,970 163,019 1,424,491 623,184 624,336 3,715,003

Value Traded 757,885.99 7,327,200.69 11,475,642.75 5,391,570.85 7,987,909.69 325,711.96 33,265,921.93

Symbol No. of Deals Daily Summary (Equities) CADBURY 33

Current Price 70.95 1,070.00

Quantity Traded 75,063 148,048 223,111

Value Traded 5,306,790.51 158,378,046.33 163,684,836.84

Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GOLDEN GUINEA BREW. PLC.

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 U T C NIG. PLC. Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Activity on Board EQTY FoodSummary Products--Diversified Totals

NESTLE

CONSUMER GOODS Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

46 79

Page

Value Traded 334,351.25 334,351.25

3 2,355,537.29 of 14

Value Traded 2,355,537.29

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 30 54 84

Current Price 35.30 49.00

Quantity Traded 137,195 377,038 514,233

Value Traded 4,802,767.42 18,471,844.80 23,274,612.22

8,406,210

714,347,329.71

Value Traded 8,459,877.15 106,062.50 4,414,489.24 4 of 14 5,113,893,223.64 7,923,476,799.25

No. of Deals 29 6 8 1 8 13 14 28 7 31 1 6 10 1 (Equities) 8 3 1

Current Price 0.81 1.02 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.30 0.80 0.50 0.53 0.57 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,013,412 192,400 364,967 1,998,501 969,457 2,030,804 634,010 4,492,477 501,173 3,765,222 394,000 513,920 170,965 1,500,000 428,658 29,990 200

Symbol UNIVINSURE WAPIC

No. of Deals 6 64 245

Current Price 0.50 0.81

Quantity Traded 10,021,500 328,796,179 358,817,835

Value Traded 5,010,750.00 263,041,103.71 280,785,612.09

Micro-Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol FORTISMFB NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 2 9 11

Current Price 6.27 1.02

Quantity Traded 82 455,095 455,177

Value Traded 488.72 468,097.85 468,586.57

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC. Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol UNHOMES

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,388 1,388

Value Traded 694.00 694.00

No. of Deals 63 45 1 401 104 6 23 (Equities) 93 736

Current Price 3.29 2.73 0.91 13.21 3.81 0.55 22.41 2.40

Quantity Traded 832,087 4,180,054 70,737 21,035,427 17,870,970 44,851 208,125 4,325,928 48,568,179

Value Traded 2,682,489.71 11,153,309.15 64,370.67 277,240,771.20 68,160,806.77 24,872.05 4,708,275.68 10,061,151.59 374,096,046.82

774,654,423

8,578,827,738.73

FINANCIAL SERVICES Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT & TRUST PLC Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 FBN HOLDINGS PLC Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS DEAPCAP FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC Daily Summary UBCAP

Activity Summary on Board EQTY FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

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

2,537 Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

HEALTHCARE Totals ICT Computer Based Systems

No. of Deals 9 20 11 11 5 1 57

Current Price 2.70 2.60 67.00 1.61 1.12 1.57

57 Symbol

No. of Deals

Current Price

Page

Page Quantity Traded 13,775 810,523 14,837 243,878 51,000 70,000 1,204,013

3,674,614.23

Quantity Traded

Value Traded

Symbol MTI

No. of Deals 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,500

Value Traded 1,250.00

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 BERGER PAINTS PLC Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC IPWA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER Daily Summary FIRSTALUM IPWA PAINTCOM

2,500

1,250.00

437,635

289,349.10 Value Traded 23,778,652.49 589,222.73 2,796,728.60 5,770,104.98 273,236,866.58 8,171.65 29,480.00 89,561.00 30,673.80

Current Price 19.70 9.70 37.51 9.89 221.00 1.06 0.50 0.52 1.50

Quantity Traded 1,200,849 60,314 74,500 587,756 1,232,704 7,595 58,960 173,122 20,440

Symbol PORTPAINT PREMPAINTS WAPCO

No. of Deals 3 1 49 259

Current Price 5.00 10.93 109.51

Quantity Traded 26,700 10 996,634 4,439,584

Value Traded 136,170.00 103.90 110,360,900.85 416,826,636.58

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

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 2.00

Quantity Traded 64,000 64,000

Value Traded 127,350.00 127,350.00

Packaging/Containers AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

Symbol AVONCROWN BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 2 12 14

Current Price 1.54 17.96

Quantity Traded 50,735 106,943 157,678

Value Traded 76,102.50 1,825,627.25 1,901,729.75

4,661,262

418,855,716.33

Current Price 6.47

Quantity Traded 3,040 3,040

Value Traded 18,856.00 18,856.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price

Quantity Traded 200 200

Value Traded 100.00 100.00

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

Page

278 Symbol BOCGAS

No. of Deals 3 3

MULTIVERSE

2 2

0.50

3,240 Page

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,066,332 2,066,332

Value Traded 1,033,166.00 1,033,166.00

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

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 218 218

Current Price 16.59

Quantity Traded 8,158,776 8,158,776

Value Traded 132,653,872.92 132,653,872.92

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Symbol CONOIL FO MOBIL TOTAL

No. of Deals 26 104 27 26 183

Current Price 46.74 163.50 120.03 156.00

Quantity Traded 273,383 234,757 31,632 121,725 661,497

Value Traded 12,926,358.27 37,717,606.62 3,833,435.21 18,872,075.00 73,349,475.10

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 22 22

Current Price 636.00

Quantity Traded 46,757 46,757

Value Traded 29,450,928.87 29,450,928.87

10,933,362

236,487,442.89 Value Traded 694.00

429

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol LENNARDS

No. of Deals 1

Current Price 3.31

Quantity Traded 200

Apparel Retailers Apparel Retailers Totals

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price

Quantity Traded 200

Value Traded 694.00

Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 1.06

Quantity Traded 77,821 77,821

Value Traded 79,636.01 79,636.01

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

Symbol REDSTAREX

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 4.50

Quantity Traded 203,000 203,000

Value Traded 913,525.00 913,525.00

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 21,250 21,250

Value Traded 10,625.00 10,625.00

Symbol CAPHOTEL IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 1 14 15

Current Price 4.55 0.81

Quantity Traded 200 655,206 655,406

Value Traded 866.00 530,686.86 531,552.86

Symbol

No. of Deals 2 19 8 29

Current Price 1.80 1.82 4.16

Quantity Traded 35,600 21,606,966 75,149 21,717,715

Value Traded 60,876.00 37,618,975.38 326,352.44 38,006,203.82

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 27 27

Current Price 0.83

Quantity Traded 1,213,256 Page 1,213,256

Symbol NSLTECH

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,250 1,250

Value Traded 625.00 625.00

Symbol No. of Deals AIRSERVICE 10 NAHCO 42 Daily Summary (Equities) 52

Current Price 2.36 5.00

Quantity Traded 73,559 2,660,699 2,734,258

Value Traded 168,254.27 13,231,915.75 13,400,170.02

SERVICES Road Transportation

ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Road Transportation Totals Specialty SECURE ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY PLC Specialty Daily Summary as ofTotals 21/05/2014 Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002

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

Activity Summary on Board EQTY Support and Logistics SERVICES Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals

Page

Daily Summary (Equities) ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

Value Traded

No. of Deals

Current Price

Quantity Traded

Value Traded

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 38 38

Current Price 8.58

Quantity Traded 4,524,854 4,524,854

Value Traded 38,871,053.97 38,871,053.97

Daily Summary (Equities)

11 990,495.64 of 14 990,495.64

Symbol

SERVICES Totals

EQTY Board Totals

18,956.00 of 14

Symbol JAPAULOIL

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

No. of Deals 46 13 17 36 72 5 (Equities) 1 7 9

Hotels/Lodging Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 CAPITAL HOTEL PLC Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

6Value Traded of 14 36,695.54 2,084,781.80 996,023.31 392,643.58 54,570.00 109,900.00 3,674,614.23

1,204,013

Telecommunications Services MASS TELECOMMUNICATION INNOVATIONS NIGERIA PLC Telecommunications Services Totals

Value Traded 1,619,263.89 195,858.00 182,483.50 999,250.50 484,728.50 1,015,402.00 317,005.00 2,246,238.50 1,157,815.20 2,972,880.94 197,000.00 272,377.60 94,030.75 750,000.00 214,329.00 14,995.00 100.00 5

Value Traded 1,042.00 1,042.00

SERVICES Apparel Retailers LENNARDS PLC. EQTY Activity Summary(NIG) on Board

Quantity Traded 831,536 212,125 4,558,341 Page 217,911,225 366,811,844

Quantity Traded 200 200

OIL AND GAS Totals

Current Price 10.20 0.50 0.96 22.90

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST EQUITYASUR HMARKINS INTENEGINS LASACO LINKASSURE MANSARD NEM NIGERINS OASISINS PRESTIGE SOVRENINS Daily Summary STACO UNIC UNITYKAP

Current Price 5.48

Exploration and Production Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 Exploration and Production Totals

No. of Deals 69 5 33 286 1,540

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC Printed 21/05/2014 N.E.M 15:24:02.002 INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. OASIS INSURANCE PLC PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNITY KAPITAL PLC Activity Summary onASSURANCE Board EQTY

No. of Deals 1 1

NATURAL RESOURCES NATURAL RESOURCES Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Value Traded 56,787,727.72 32,790,695.52 17,157,715.64 35,632,577.13 2,554,877,068.00 23,972,630.20 9,082,100.44 66,302,632.07

PLC

Symbol CWG

Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC

Quantity Traded 6,211,825 5,114,733 1,117,119 17,389,808 93,026,081 7,182,398 4,018,051 9,238,602

Banking Totals

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC IT Services Totals

Mining Serviceson Totals Activity Summary Board EQTY

Quantity Traded 569,963 569,963 Page

Symbol UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Value Traded 287,057.10 287,057.10

B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals

Current Price 9.04 6.42 15.50 2.05 27.50 3.31 2.25 7.19

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK

Quantity Traded 434,935 434,935

Daily Summary as RESOURCES of 21/05/2014 NATURAL Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 Chemicals

No. of Deals 149 104 103 56 420 96 (Equities) 42 177

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 0.66

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC PREMIER PAINTS PLC. LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

Current Price 4.15

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY SKYEBANK Daily Summary STERLNBANK UBA

No. of Deals 6 6

No. of Deals 27 27

769

Symbol COURTVILLE

ICT Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 DIAMOND BANK PLC Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

Page

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

183

31,149,010

92,804,581.32

4,688

852,310,301

10,224,700,159.37

Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food TotalsExchange Daily Summary as of 21/05/2014 Published by TheProducts Nigerian Stock Printed 21/05/2014 15:24:02.002 CONSUMER GOODS Totals

ASeM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals

Exchange Traded Fund

Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Symbol MCNICHOLS

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.34

Quantity Traded 2,000 Page 2,000

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

Value Traded 2,560.00 of 2,560.00

2,000

2,560.00

4,689

852,312,301

10,224,702,719.37

No. of Deals 1 2 3

ETF Board Totals

ETP Activity Totals

Current Price 2,030.00 17.99

2,560.00

Quantity Traded 17 202 219 Page

219

Value Traded 34,510.00 3,633.98 38,143.98

38,143.98 38,143.98

50 WORLD | NEWS

eposed former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison on a conviction for stealing public funds. The verdict may please some Egyptians who lived through three decades of autocracy under Mubarak before a 2011 uprising toppled him. But business executives still loyal to him remain influential and rights groups say the abusive security practices of his era remain alive and well today with another former military man set to win a presidential election next week. Mubarak’s two sons were sentenced to four years in jail on the same charges of embezzling state funds that

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Ousted Egyptian leader, Mubarak jailed three years

had been earmarked for the renovation of presidential palaces but were instead spent on sprucing up family properties. “He (Mubarak) should have treated people close and far from him equally,” said Judge Osama Shaheen as the 86-yearold fallen leader watched from a cage flanked by sons Gamal and Alaa. “Instead of abiding by the constitution and laws, he gave himself and his sons the freedom to take from public funds whatever they wanted to without oversight and without

regard.” Mubarak spent 23 months in jail from the uprising until August 2013, when he was transferred to house arrest. It was not immediately clear how much of that time served would be applied against Wednesday’s sentence, but judicial sources told Reuters that they did not expect Mubarak to serve the entire three years as punishment for the corruption charges. They said his sons, who have already done three years

in jail, will also probably not serve their complete sentences. Four other defendants were acquitted. Mubarak’s former intelligence boss, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is poised to be elected president next week in a vote that could boost the legitimacy of a military-backed government. Since ex-army chief Sisi

Mali army launches offensive against separatist northern town

Mubarak sitting in a cage during one of his appearances in court.

World Health Organisation: MERS isn’t an emergency

he spread of a puzzling respiratory virus in the Middle East and beyond is not a global health emergency despite a recent spike in cases, the World Health Organization said yesterday. The decision was made after a meeting of WHO’s expert group on the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. Since 2012, MERS has sickened more than 500 people and killed 145, mostly in the Middle East. The majority of cases have been in Saudi Arabia, although the disease has spread within the region and to Asia, North Africa, Europe and the United States. MERS often starts with flu-like symptoms but can lead to pneumonia, breathing problems and in severe cases, kidney failure and death. “Calling a global emergency in a world which has a lot of urgent issues going on is a major act,” said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, an assistant director-general of WHO, told reporters Wednesday. “You have to have really solid information to say this is a global emergency.”

Last week WHO did declare the world’s widening polio outbreaks to be an international health emergency. Some scientists said while MERS technically meets the criteria for a global health emergency, declaring it as such could confuse the public. “People might think (WHO) is crying wolf because MERS is still primarily a problem in the Middle East,” said Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota who has worked in the Middle East. “But if one of those infected people gets on a plane and lands in London, Toronto, New York or Hong Kong and transmits to another 30 people, everyone will have a different view.” Yesterday, the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment announced its first case of MERS, a man who became infected during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He is now in isolation at a hospital in The Hague. Some experts say the spread of MERS is worryingly similar to the 2003 global outbreak of Severe

Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS, which infected about 8,000 people in 2003, killing nearly 800. MERS is genetically related to SARS. Scientists are unsure exactly how people are catching MERS but suspect the disease is linked to camels. WHO recommends that people avoid contact with the animals, skip drinking camel milk or using camel urine in traditional medicines and only eat camel meat that has been well cooked. Dr. Clemens Wendtner, who treated a German MERS patient in Munich last year, said the current spread of MERS should not set off a global alarm. He was not part of the WHO meeting. “I do not see an international threat or a pandemic (being caused) by MERS,” he wrote in an email. He said the spread of MERS to humans was still exceptional and that the disease was mostly affecting animals. WHO said its expert committee would reconvene in several weeks to consider any new MERS developments.

toppled elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July, courts have meted out tough sentences to members of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood and to secular activists. The judiciary is regarded by critics as part of a state crackdown against all dissent to the army-backed government.

ali has launched a military offensive yesterday to retake control of a northern Tuareg separatist stronghold, the government said, and witnesses reported intense fighting with machine gun and heavy weapons fire. The clashes threaten efforts to find a peaceful solution to the long cycle of Tuareg rebellions in the desert north. It also upsets plans by France and several West African countries to combat Islamist militants operating elsewhere in the region. Malian soldiers and Tuareg separatists clashed on Saturday while Prime Minister Moussa Mara was visiting the town of Kidal. At least eight soldiers and eight civilians were killed. The army had been reinforcing its positions since then, in preparation for an expected campaign to retake Kidal. “At around 10 a.m., the Malian armed forces launched operations to secure and take control of Kidal. The operations are ongoing,” a government statement read on state radio said. A Defense Ministry source said the army had begun an assault on the regional governor’s office in Kidal after it was seized at the weekend by Tuaregs from the National Movement for the

Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). Spokesmen for the ministry and Mali’s U.N. peacekeeping mission confirmed fighting had restarted but declined to give further details. “These aren’t just shots, it’s fighting. There’s been shooting for an hour without interruption,” Kidal resident Assikadaye Ag Warzagane told Reuters by telephone. Attaye Ag Mohamed, an MNLA official in Kidal, accused the Malian army of starting the clashes and called on the U.N. mission and international community to press for a ceasefire. “The Malian army launched an offensive, opening up with heavy weapons at 10 o’clock (1000 GMT) this morning ... Right now intense heavy weapons and machine gun fire is continuing,” Mohamed said by telephone. Blasts were heard in the background. Mali was thrown into turmoil in 2012 when al Qaeda-linked Islamists took advantage of a Tuareg-led rebellion and seized control of the country’s north. A French-led military operation, known as Serval, drove them back last year.The government agreed with a number of armed groups to hold talks over autonomy last year.

U.S. tests enhanced Aegis system, fires SM-3 missile onshore

he United States yesterday announced the first live-fire test of a Raytheon Co SM-3 missile from the land-based version of Lockheed Martin Corp’s Aegis missile defense system, which will be operational in Romania next year. Lockheed said it was the first test of the Aegis system using a land-based missile launcher. The test, conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Hawaii late on Tuesday, marks a significant milestone for the Aegis Ashore weapon system, which is designed to protect U.S. and NATO forces in Europe from a ballistic missile attack. During the test, the Aegis system used on U.S. warships around the world detected, tracked and engaged a simulated ballistic missile target using

Raytheon’s Standard Missile 3 Block IB, according to the U.S. Missile Defence Agency and the companies. “We’re now one step closer to achieving an operational Aegis Ashore capability to combat missile defense threats to further protect our nation and allies,” Brendan Scanlon, Lockheed’s director of Aegis Ashore programs, said in a statement. The test of the new missile defense system comes amid growing interest in missile defense systems as tensions mount between NATO and Russia over its annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. Raytheon said an intercept flight test of the system would follow next year. It said the ability to use the SM-3 missile at sea and on land would give military commanders more flexibility.

SPORT

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

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

thursday, MAY 22, 2014

Did you know? That Italy are the only World Cup squad going to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, are the only team without any English-based players

Enyeama: Nigeria will reach w/cup semifinals

You are puppet, Eto blasts Mourinho again

Oparanozie, Mbachu lead Falcons to Kigali

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Eagles will struggle in Brazil -Adiele

… Urges Keshi to select the best 23 players Chimaobi Uchendu

former Green Eagles player, David Adiele, is not comfortable with the 30-man Super Eagles World Cup provisional list released by Coach Stephen Keshi. He says some of the players are unfit to be at the Mundial.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

Musa

NBA names Olajuwon African envoy Ifeanyi Ibeh

Adiele

frica’s greatest basketball player of all-time and two-time NBA Champion, Hakeem Olajuwon, was on Wednesday named Ambassador to Africa and will play a prominent role in the development of basketball on the continent. “Basketball has given me so much in life,” said Olajuwon, an Olympic gold medallist at the Atlanta ’96 Games. “In this new role, I am looking forward to impacting young Africans and utilising the power of sport to help change lives in what is an exciting new chapter

Olajuwon

in my career.” Olajuwon, who became an NBA Basketball Hallof-Famer in 2008, will work closely with the NBA Africa office, which is located in Johannesburg, South Af-

rica, and led by Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice-President for Development in Africa. The Nigerian native will represent the NBA through a range of basketball development events and NBA Cares activities across the region to help grow the game, give back to communities in need, and bring attention to diplomacy through sport. “We are elated that one of the greatest to ever play the game, a son of Africa, and a legend of Hakeem’s stature will officially represent the NBA in Africa,” said Gallo Fall. “He truly embodies the values of the game, and will be a great CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

52 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Countdown to Fifa World Cup 21

lthough Nigeria have struggled in their last two World Cups, Lille custodian Vincent Enyama tells FIFA. com that the African champions can make deep in-roads in Brazil after being drawn into Group F against Iran, BosniaHerzegovina and Argentina. “I think we are going to make big progress,” Enyeama said. “We are focused on the World Cup, to make Africa the proudest continent. Ghana almost reached the semifinals four years ago. We are going to achieve a better result and be the first African team to get to the semifinals of the World Cup.” The 31-year-old first played for Nigeria at Korea/Japan 2002, when coach Adegboye Onigbinde gave the then 19-year-old a starting place in their final group game against England, after the team had already been eliminated. Enyeama’s outstanding display helped the Super Eagles to a goalless draw and was a sign of things to come for the Kaduna-born goalkeeper, who took over the No1 jersey from Ike Shorunmu when the veteran retired shortly after that World Cup. Since then, Enyeama has been an ever-present for his country, shining at South Africa 2010 and last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup, and winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2013 - a tournament the West Africans are hoping to defend in Morocco next year.

Enyeama

Argentina battle It will be the third time in a row that Nigeria will be facing

Eagles, Africa’s greatest hope in Brazil - former Cameroon star Chimaobi Uchendu

ormer Indomitable Lions of Cameroon player, Charles Nzams, has predicted good outing for the Super Eagles in Brazil. In a telephone interview, Nzams who is now a FIFA licensed agent in the United States of America said Nigerians should give Coach Stephen Keshi the benefit of doubt over the players he has chosen to represent Nigeria at the Mundial which kicks of next month because he believes Eagles will be the team to beat. “I’m a believer of Nigerian football be-

cause I played against some of the finest Nigerian footballers in my active days. “In fact Africa hopes hangs on Nigeria; I must confess that despite some hiccups, Eagles are looked upon as the torch bearer for African teams in Brazil.” “No one would be more committed to the success of a team than a coach because if the team fails, the coach fails as well. “I believe coach Keshi has his mind set on what he wants to do in Brazil and I want every Nigerian to believe in him as well “I’m not writing off Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Algeria, but what I’m saying is that Nigeria will be a leading example for other African teams.”

The federation based the request on local labour regulations and on a study conducted by a renowned Brazilian sports doctor, Turibio Leite. The study was a request by the Brazilian athletes’ federation and FIFPro, the international football players’ union. In a statement, the professional athletes’ federation said that, as an alternative, it would accept that matches are stopped for two minutes in each half so players can take water breaks to get hydrated.

To Go

semifinals

Argentina at the World Cup, but more importantly for Enyeama, a match-up with France in the second round could be on the cards: “If we play against France, it will be interesting, but if we play against Switzerland, it will also be interesting. The important thing is to qualify. “Playing France for a place in the last eight is not really what matters to me right now, I just want the team to make it to the second round. But maybe we will come out first, and then we will not have to play against France.” Ghana almost reached the semi-finals four years ago. We are going to be the first African team to get to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Enyeama started his career with Ibom Stars, before moving to Nigerian giants Enyimba, with whom he twice won the CAF Champions League. A short stint with Heartland FC followed. He then embarked on his overseas career in 2005 when he joined Bnei Yehuda in Israel. His performances with the side were so impressive that Israeli glamour club Hapoel Tel Aviv put in an offer and Enyeama made the short move across town. With Hapoel he played in the UEFA Champions League and even managed to score a goal in the play-off round against Red Bull Salzburg. He joined Ligue 1 club Lille in 2011, but failed to break into the first side and returned to Israel in 2012, where he joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on loan, winning the championship with them. He returned to Lille a year later and

was made first choice goalkeeper by coach Rene Girard and has not looked back since. “I always wanted to be a firstchoice goalie anywhere I played. I always wanted to be the person who puts the smile on people’s face. At first it was not the case here, but it changed. I don’t work for trophies. I work to improve my game, to help my team. Trophies are just the icing on the cake.” Foe award Enyeama has enjoyed a highly successful season with Lille, helping the club to third in the league, keeping 21 clean sheets in the process and coming close to breaking the Ligue 1 record for a goalkeeper without conceding a goal. However, those statistics are far from being the most important thing to him. He said; “I don’t care about statistics. I just want to see how far I can go and help my team. When I am no longer effective, then I leave the scene. I also do not care to be the most-capped player in the history of the Super Eagles - things like that.” But even if Enyeama is not chasing records, his performances were greatly appreciated this season, as the awarding of the Marc-Vivien Foe award shows. “This is a great trophy, I’m really happy,” he said. “It is inspiring because it bears the name of a great player - Marc-Vivien Foe - who worked so hard to succeed and save his team and his country. I think this award will give me more confidence for the World Cup.”

Rags-to-riches Edin Dzeko leads Bosnia to Brazil

din Dzeko heads into the World Cup fresh from finally establishing himself at Manchester City, where he played a key role in securing the Premier League title. The 28-year-old Bosnian had an explosive start to a season of two distinct halves in which he scored 16 goals. The 1.93-metre (6ft 4ins) tall striker has become a huge favourite wherever he has

Brazil athletes’ union sues FIFA over kick-off times

he Brazilian federation of professional athletes is demanding that FIFA changes the start times of more than a third of World Cup matches because of the heat and humidity in Brazil. The federation said on Tuesday it filed a lawsuit asking FIFA to change kick-off times of all 24 matches that are scheduled for 1pm local time (8pm UAE). It wants all matches starting no earlier than 4pm to avoid subjecting players to the “risks” of playing in “intense heat.”

Days

Dzeko

played in his rags to riches story. As a child, Dzeko endured the siege of Sarajevo and spent three war-stricken years living in a one-bedroom apartment with a dozen relatives. Having started with FK Zeljeznicar Sarajevo, Dzeko became a goalscorer with Czech side Teplice and was spotted by German side Wolfsburg, who made him a European star. Dzeko’s goals took Wolfsburg to fifth place in the table and City’s cash won over Dzeko in January 2011 – he was signed for $45 million. “I have to admit it was very tough for me in the opening few months in Manchester because everything was so different and I wondered if I could ever adapt to what was expected of me,” he said in one interview later. He has had to come through long spells sitting on the bench for his club, but he has stuck it out and it won’t be the same playing for Bosnia in Group F at the World Cup against Argentina, Iran and Nigeria. Bosnia and Herzegovina are playing in their first World Cup finals and the nation has sky-high hopes. Dzeko cried with joy after Bosnia beat Lithuania in October to seal first place in their qualifying group. “To be there the first time in Brazil would be amazing for the players, for the people, for the whole country,” he said after the game.”

SPORT 53

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

You are a puppet, Eto’o blasts Mourinho again S

amuel Eto’o has branded Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho a ‘puppet’ and outlined his confidence to carry on playing at the top level. Eto’o is out of contract at Stamford Bridge after a season-long stint following his move from Anzhi Makhachkala and looks to have signalled his departure with some disparaging remarks in recent weeks. The 33-year-old was angered by Mourinho’s comments earlier in the season when he appeared to

question his official age and has now described the Portuguese as a ‘puppet’ after previously branding him a ‘fool’. “Contrary to what a puppet says about my age, I am still physically fit,” he told the Confederation of African Football’s official website. “At 33, I feel real good. I have proven that I could do better than youths.” Eto’o scored 12 times last season as Chelsea finished third in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions Eto’o and Mourinho League.

Beckham´surprised´ by Giggs retirement Barca return possible -Yaya Toure

avid Beckham is “surprised” by former team-mate Ryan Giggs’ decision to retire in order to assist Louis van Gaal at Manchester United. Beckham and Giggs were part of the famous ‘Class of ‘92’ at United, playing regularly under legendary former manager Alex Ferguson as the club won numerous titles. With Ferguson’s replacement David Moyes sacked after less than a year in charge, Van Gaal and Giggs have been tasked with returning the club to the upper echelons of the top flight after finishing seventh this season. “I’m surprised he’s retired because he was still playing great,” he told Sky Sports News. “Physically he’s still in great condition, to play for so many years at the top level you have to be in great condition. “Now he has a new role at the club and it was great to see him walk out as Manchester United manager for those four games. “When you’ve got someone like Giggsy, who all the players respect and all the fans

love, it makes a huge difference. “His role now has totally changed and I’m sure he will find it an easy transition because he takes things in his stride, he’s not affected by anything. “He knows the club better than most people who are at Manchester United now.”

“Seeing the magnificent season that City have had, everyone is speaking about me and everything is open,” Toure told beIN Sports. He also went on to admit that a return to Barcelona, where he spent three seasons from 2007 to 2010 before joining City, is in the card. “Yes, I have talked before about ending my career at Barcelona - but we don’t know because football is moving fast and you never know about tomorrow,” Toure told beIN Sports in a TV interview on Monday night. Toure later revealed via his personal Twitter account that he will give an interview after the World Cup about his future.

Balotelli racially abused at Coverciano Beckham and Giggs

Ronaldo praises ‘spectacular’ Atletico eal Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has praised Los Blancos’ crosscity rivals Atletico Madrid for their ‘spectacular’ season. The two sides go head to head on Saturday in the Champions League final in Lisbon, with Real looking for their tenth European Cup win and the Rojiblancos going in search of their first. In an interview with UEFA, the Portuguese said he is anticipating a special match and says that, though his teammates feel a positive pressure to win, they are confident of doing so. “It will be a special match,” Ronaldo said. “It will be played in my country and it’s my first Ronaldo

aya Toure has admitted that a return to former club FC Barcelona is possible and he has considered hanging up his boots in the Catalan capital. The Manchester City midfielder has been one of the Premier League’s top performers this past season, scoring 20 goals in 35 league matches as well as providing nine assists. The Ivorian is said to be unhappy with the club for not showing him enough affection and could be set for the Etihad Stadium exit door in the summer as a result. Speaking in a recent interview, Toure believes that the interest shown in him, believed to be from Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, is logical due to City’s excellent campaign.

Champions League final with Real Madrid, and that makes it special too. “We are going to play against a team like Atletico who have impressed and been spectacular. But we are going out to win and we are going to give it everything because we want La Decima. “The team is doing well and we are confident. “We are a very fast team, we play with three or four touches. We attack very quickly with very fast players up front. We score a lot of goals and that’s what people want to see. “The fans enjoy it because it is a direct style with a lot of beauty and quality. “We are an offensive team that likes to score goals, play well and make our fans happy.

small group of young men reportedly shouted racist abuse towards Mario Balotelli during yesterday’s pre-World Cup training with Italy. The Azzurri are at the Italian Football Federation’s headquarters in Coverciano for a first week of on-field preparations ahead of this summer’s tournament in Brazil. Reports in Italy are that an unsavoury incident occurred during yesterday’s mor ning’s session, when a group of young men outside the training camp shouted racist abuse towards Balotelli. The Milan man was reported as initially upset at the incident, before dismissing it and is quoted as Balotelli telling teammates: “Unbelievable. Only in Rome and Florence do these Police are reported to have interthings happen.” vened in the situation.

Ribery: This will be my last World Cup

Ribery

rance winger Franck Ribery has revealed that next month’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil will be his last. Ribery, 31, will appear in the finals for the third time, after an agonising penaltyshootout defeat to Italy in the final in 2006, and a dismal first-round exit four years ago

in South Africa. The Bayern Munich man will be 35 by the time the next finals come around in Russia, and he told radio station RTL that this year’s tournament in South America will be his final bow on the world stage. “It will be my last World Cup,” he said. “We have to go there to achieve something, to try to win the World Cup, quite simply.” France have been drawn in Group E along with Switzerland, Honduras and Ecuador. Coach Didier Deschamps will be keen to avoid a repeat of their 2010 debacle, when former boss Raymond Domenech faced in-fighting within the squad as France took just one point from their three pool matches.

54 SPORT

Bahamas 2014: Injury threatens Team Nigeria performance Charles Ogundiya

eam Nigeria hope of winning medals at the inaugural edition of the IAAF World Relays in Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas this weekend is currently been threaten with injuries. Top sprinters like Obinna Metu, Bukola Abogunloko, Josephine Ehigie and Ada Benjamin are suffering from various degrees of injuries. Others are Rita Ossai and Chukwudike Harry. The Athletic Federation of Nigeria is however optimistic of a good show by the athletes in camp. Female quartermiler, Patience Okon, left Nigeria yesterday (Wednesday) alongside winner of the men’s 400m in the last Golden League, Omeiza Akerele to boost the team’s chances in Bahamas. AFN President, Solomon Ogba,while thanking Nigerians for their support maintained that the relays will be used to assess the strengths of the country’s relay teams in preparation for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow. He also expressed high hopes that the injured athletes would recover in time for next month’s All-Nigeria National Athletics Championships in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

NBBF suspends Dodan Warriors’ coach Ifeanyi Ibeh

he Nigeria Basketball Federation has handed out a two-game suspension to Dodan Warriors’ Technical Adviser, Adeka Daudu, following an incident involving the latter that took place during the May 16, 2014 DSTv Premier League match between Warriors and Islanders at the National Stadium, Lagos. With time running out on the game clock, and with Warriors trailing Islanders by a point, Daudu, after initially failing to get the attention of the presiding match officials in an attempt to call for a timeout, went to the officials’ table and hit it with his towel. The timeout was eventually given and from the resulting play, after resumption of play, Warriors went on to score the game-winning shot and run out with a 56-55 win. Daudu’s actions during the heat of the encounter against Islanders has however caught up with him and the former coach of Nigeria’s junior national will now miss his side’s next two games: the double-header against Union Bank on May 23 and 30 respectively. Meanwhile, the management of the Lagos-based club has no intention of appealing Daudu’s suspension. According to the team’s Media Officer, Joe Apu, the club has forwarded its response to the NBBF even though they feel the suspension was unfair to Daudu and the club.

Sanctity of Truth

Oparanozie, Mbachu lead Falcons to Kigali Mercy Jacob

eteran Super Falcons player, Stella Mbachu, and Desire Oparanozie who plays professional football in Turkey are expected to lead the female National team to Kigali for the African Women Championship qualifier against Rwanda this weekend. But conspicuously missing in the team that left on Wednesday for Rwanda via Addis Ababa are Gloria Ofoegbu, Lilian Cole, Uchechi Sunday and Glory Iroka. The surprise inclusion in the squad are captain of the Under-17 women that got to quarter-final of the last FIFA U-17 World Cup, Chiwendu Ihezuo and two members of the Under-20 women team the Falconets Asisat Oshoala and Yetunde Adeboyejo. The team departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja Wednesday af-

ternoon aboard an Ethiopian airline flight to Addis-Ababa before connecting a flight to Kigali. Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dili Onyedinma, will lead out the team that comprises four coaches and six officials. The full squad: Goalkeepers: Precious Dede, Ibubeleye Whyte Defenders: Onome Ebi, Blessing Edoho, Ngozi Ebere, Mariam Ibrahim, Josephine Chukwunonye Midfielders: Evelyn Nwabuoku, Onyinyechi Ohadugha, Ngozi Okobi, Azizat Oshoala, Ceceilia Nku,Chioma Wogu, Stella Mbachu, Esther Sunday. Strikers: Desire Oparanozie, Chiwendu Ihezuo, Yetunde Adeboyejo

Eagles will struggle in Brazil -Adiele CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

He said Nigeria would struggle to make an impact in Group F if the right decision was not taken by Keshi when the final list comes out. In an interview from his United States of America base, Adiele said Keshi must be smart to omit certain names that would ruin the chances of Nigeria at the mundial. “I don’t want to mention names, but there some individuals in that list that must not make the final squad that will wear Nigeria’s colour when hostilities begin in Brazil,” Adiele said. “Keshi knows the players that should not be in the final list and I urge him to throw them out. “During the World Cup qualifiers, players could be used for experimental purposes, but not at the World Cup proper, where every nation has prepared to make impact. “When I read through the list of players in the provisional list, I discovered some quality players that could make the difference and others that were used

NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

to fill space. As you know, this world is unpredictable, and as such stakeholders should start the campaign that would put the technical crew on their toes before the 23-man team is released.” Adiele, a member of the Nigeria team that took part in the 1980 Olympic also advised football administrators not to be in a hurry for results with any of the national teams, rather he asked them to start building a strong pool that could be used to select players for any of the teams. He said; “I am an advocate of grassroot football and youth football development, which made me establish an academy in America for players between 5-15 years. “I will want to see a change in attitude by our administrators on grassroot football, because winning trophies cannot be used to measure development. “Honestly, I will want to see our youngsters rise through the ranks and play for good clubs in Europe because presently our players are not playing well in Europe.”

Oliseh (left) and Okocha

Brazil: SuperSport hooks Okocha, Oliseh,

ormer Super Eagles stars, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh, will be part of a superstar assemblage of analysts SuperSport will be rolling out to head up its coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Manchester United superstar Ryan Giggs, former World Cup winner Marcel Desailly of France, English legend John Barnes and former Spanish star Gaizka Mendieta are also among the big-name football personalities who will be analysing matches for SuperSport. They will be joined by Sammy Kuffour, Shaun Bartlett, Andre Arendse, Andy Townsend, Neil Tovey, Ernst Middendorp, Ruud Krol, Stuart Baxter, Gavin Hunt and Doctor Khumalo. SuperSport will offer two 24-hour channels – one in HD (SS3HD), one in SD (SS3) – for the duration of the tournament with four language options: English, Portuguese, Sotho and isiZulu. Every match will be broadcast live. In Brazil, SuperSport’s coverage will be anchored by Oliseh and Colin Udoh, alongside Robert Marawa, Carol Tshabalala, Phumlani Msibi and Townsend.

Kaduna to host Eaglets, Egypt friendly Ajibade Olusesan

ational U-17 team, Golden Eaglets, will confront their Egyptian counterparts in a double-header international friendly matches at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, the Nigeria Football Federation has announced. In a press release from the media officer of the team, Morakinyo Abodunrin, Director of Competitions at the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said the matches would take place on May 28 and 30 as part of both teams’ preparation towards their forthcoming 2015 CAN Under-17 qualifying match slated for July. The statement quoted Sanusi to have said that the choice of Kaduna was strategic, adding that the opportunity would allow the Golden Eaglets to play under different conditions and atmosphere since their crucial competitive matches are around the corner. “The NFF decided to take the Golden Eaglets to Kaduna since work is still going on at the Abuja National Stadium and we want the match to be played under a conducive environment in order to keep exposing the players to different situations,” he said.

NBA names Olajuwon African envoy

Bayelsa Utd 1-0 Akwa Utd Heartland 1-1 Abia Warriors

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

Crown 2-1 Warri Wolves El-Kanemi 1-1 Enyimba Nasarawa Utd 2-0 Giwa FC Nembe City 1-0 Dolphins Kaduna Utd 2-2 Kano Pillars Sharks 1-0 Rangers

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Eguwekwe chasing Balotelli

ambassador for the league and a perfect role model for youths in Africa.” Olajuwon recently participated in the launch of “Power Forward,” the ExxonMobil, NBA and Africare’s development program launched in Abuja last November. Born in Lagos, Olajuwon was selected with the top pick in the 1984 NBA Draft,

becoming the first African player selected first overall. His playing highlights include: 12-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Champion (1994, ‘95), NBA Most Valuable Player (’94), and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’93, ’94). He is the only player in league history to be named MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1993-94).

NEWS 55

FROM THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Confab: Again, Kutigi denies T tenure elongation plot

Nebo inaugurates 11-man committee to fast-track gas to power project

Louis Achi and Onwuka Nzeshi Abuja

hairman of the National Conference and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, yesterday emphatically denied any design by either the delegates or conveners to elongate the president’s tenure. Addressing the plenary after the lunch break, Kutigi stated: “We wish to announce to the whole world that this conference has in no way anything to do with tenure elongation of anybody. The conference has not been programmed by anybody to extend tenures or debate this.” According to Kutigi, the confab did not at any point make the issue of tenure extension for any elected official part of a term of reference of any of the 20 committees whose work were already

l‘20 committees never debated tenure extension’ completed before Chief Okon Osong’s agenda was made public by him. It will be recalled that in a press briefing earlier addressed by Osong, a delegate, he canvassed a presidential or National Assembly declaration of a moratorium on the 2015 general elections to enable what he felt would be a cooling-off period before the conduct of the third Transitional Elections scheduled for February 2015. His words: “At this crucial juncture in our national history, a Presidential or National Assembly declaration of a politico-administrative moratorium or cooling-off period before the conduct of the third Transitional Elections scheduled for February 2015 has become an imperative necessity. “This calls for a postponement or deferment

of the scheduled 2015 elections by at least 18 months while retaining all the democratic institutions at all levels of governance and across the entire spectrum of the country’s political divide, without any bias to the statutory termination dates of such democratic institutions.” But in a swift reaction, the Secretariat of the National Conference on Monday moved to clarify and isolate the proposal on account of its sensitivity and with particular attention to its possibility of feeding the perception in some quarters that the confab represents a presidential script to push a hidden agenda. Mr. James Akpandem, Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, said the conference managers acknowledged Osong’s rights to express his viewpoints but

firmly dissociated itself from the substance and import of the delegate’s proposal. According to the secretariat, both the leadership of the conference and the other 491 members only read about them in the media just as members of the public did. In its words: “The views expressed by Chief Okon Osong regarding tenure extension for any elected official, based on any reasons cited by him, are entirely personal to him and must not be viewed or regarded to, in any way, have any anything whatsoever to do with the National Conference or any of its Committees. “That such views were never expressed on the floor of the Conference, which did not sit in plenary, as at the time the views were made public.

he Federal Government has inaugurated an 11-member committee headed by Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack to fasttrack the realisation of the Gas-to-Power project. Dagogo-Jack, who is the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power, is expected to galvanise the committee into realising its mandate. This is contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Power, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, Abuja yesterday. The statement stated that the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, stressed the need for a holistic approach to the gas challenge in the power sector. Nebo said the committee, an inter-ministerial committee of professionals, was expected to drive government’s plan of in-

Crude oil theft: Navy detains 38 ships Emmanuel Onani

A cross-section of members of the National Conference calling for the immediate release of Chibok girls in Abuja.. .yesterday.

PHOTO:TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Lagos Sinking Fund hits N47bn Muritala Ayinla

he Lagos State Government yesterday said that it has set aside N47.8billion out of its generated revenue for payment of the second tranche of the bond collected in 2010. The bond is due for repayment in 2017. Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, who made the disclosure at a ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry in the last one year, also said the value of the second series of the N275 billion multi-tranche bond programme is put at N57.5

billion. He noted that the first tranche of the bond valued at N50 billion and issued in 2009 reached maturity in 2014 and had since February 2014 been retired by the state government. Gbeleyi said the state government had developed a framework that would guarantee sufficient generation of funds required to settle the N275 billion MultiTranche Bonds Programme. Responding to questions, the commissioner explained that a fixed proportion of 15 per cent of the state’s Internally

Generated Revenue (IGR) has been set aside in a consolidated debt service account for the purpose of managing the debts. According to him, N47.8 billion has so far been generated as sinking fund which is being managed by independent trustees for the repayment of the loans. He said: “We contribute 15 per cent of our revenue into the consolidated debt service account which enables us fund all the obligations whether it is the interest which is called coupon that is paid on the bond or the principal and that is regulated and man-

aged by the trustees. The bond series began in 2009 with the issuance of N50 billion in tranche one (which has matured and had fully been redeemed) and N57.5 billion in 2010 in tranche two of the same series expected to mature in 2017. Gbeleyi noted that Lagos Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $100 billion as of 2013 accounts for 20 per cent of Nigeria's GDP, and is equivalent to that of some 15 states put together and larger than that of most African countries, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Kenya.

creasing gas-fired plant contribution to the grid from the current 70 per cent to 85 per cent by December, 2014. “We are thus at the mercy of gas in order to meet this target, it is for this reason that Mr President has tasked us to find solution, otherwise we can be strangulated by gas shortage,” he said. He decried the gas challenge to the power plants, which he said, had been made worse as a result of pipeline vandalism. Nebo expressed regrets that the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) was conceived with no adequate provision for gas, which he described as the back bone. “We cannot be giving gas to the world through export, while we are in dire need of gas to fire our plants,” he said.

he Nigerian Navy yesterday, said it has detained 38 ships since the beginning of the year, allegedly involved in crude oil theft and other illegal activities in the maritime domain. It revealed that eight of the vessels, which are Chinese ships, were arrested "for illegal fishing in Nigerian waters." The disclosure was made at the Navy Headquarters in Abuja, during a briefing by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral A.O.A. Ikioda, as part of preparations for its 58th Anniversary. According to Admiral Ikioda, "there has been enhanced surveillance of the nation's maritime environment in recent

times." He stated that the Navy has upgraded available maritime surveillance, through its Regional Maritime Awareness Capacity (RMAC). As a way of strengthening its capacity to man the nation's waterways, Ikioda said the Navy has "adopted a double-pronged strategy", one of which, is the acquisition of ships "from friendly countries." To this end, he disclosed that "the United States Coast Guard Cutter GALLATIN was transferred to the Nigerian Navy on May 14 at Charleston. The Navy also disclosed that "construction of the second Seaward Defence Boat is progressing steadily and smoothly at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Lagos."

Police recover luxury bus, arms from highway bandits Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

he Ogun State Police Command yesterday said it has recovered a luxury passenger bus belonging to a Lagos-based transport company which was earlier hijacked by suspected armed robbers along the Lagos-Benin expressway. The command also recovered some ammunition, including three single barrelled guns, a dane gun and one English double barrelled pistol with number 101. A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, said the Port

Harcourt, Rivers Statebound bus was hijacked at 11:30pm on Monday. Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, explained that the vehicle with registration number Lagos LSD 235 XJ was snatched along with its passengers. He said the suspects blocked the expressway with a truck at Odogbolu area. He said: "The anti-crime patrol team attached to Odogbolu Division of the command on Monday recovered a snatched luxury bus belonging to a transport company in Lagos while on transit to Port Harcourt with its occupants mostly passengers at about 2330hrs."

World Record

On Marble

Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. – Mahatma Gandhi

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, MAY 22, 2014

The most Summer Olympic Games attended is 18, by Harry Nelson (USA), 90, of Torrance, California, USA, between 1932 and 2012.

N150

Lagos 2015: Elders’ position and the gang-up O TALKING ba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu I, the 19th Oba of Lagos, is one traditional ruler whose gumption I love. The septuagenarian monarch, who retired as a top police chief, does not suffer fools gladly. On any issue, you will immediately know where he belongs and it is either you love or hate him. You can’t sit on the fence. Call it courage, boldness or clairvoyance, he knows, just like former President Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, how to set the pace on any issue and defend his position, despite odds. Of course, given his background, you don’t expect him to run from any fight, monarchical or political. When he was favoured by former governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2003 to succeed the 92-year-old Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, who died after 38 years on the throne, Oba Akiolu knew, and still knows, that to whom much is given, everything is expected. That is why you will always find him on the same page with the former governor on any issue. It is not by sheer luck that Oba Akiolu is the most influential and powerful monarch in the Centre of Excellence. His position and personality play a big role in this and not only is he the number one occupant of Iga Iduganran, he is in control and in charge of the entire monarchical apparatus. Just like the Biblical King Ahasuerus who controlled 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, Oba Akiolu controls the entire landscape of the jurisdiction under his command. It is either you accept his authority or you don’t. If the latter is your choice, be ready for a quick and decisive fight. So, when the monarch threw a ‘boko haramic’ political bombshell last Thursday in Lagos that a former Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Finance, Akinwumi Ambode, must succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015 (whether enemies like it or not), the barrage of attacks from some concerned citizens was expected. Dignitaries were stunned speechless. It was at the presentation of two books: Public Sector Accounting (PSA) Book, written by Ambode, and his biography, The Art of Selfless Service, written by Marina Osoba. What did the highly-revered monarch say? “I will not lie to you. The elders of Lagos have met and they have said Ambode should be governor. It is true that we are launching a book, but we know why we are here. Some aspirants have sent delegations to me. But, I strongly believe that only God can choose a leader. The elders of Lagos have said that Ambode will be governor. You will still meet in your party and take a decision on who will be governor. But, in my capacity and in accordance with the wish of God and the elders around, I will make my position clear on this matter. When you see someone that is dancing upstairs, you should know that some people are beating the drums downstairs for him. “The elders have been meeting. I have not, for once, gone out of my way without giving due respect to whom it is due. We review things regularly. The elders have said that Ambode should be the next governor of Lagos State. Other aspirants have the right to aspire too. For me, Osuolale Aremu,

TOUGH GABRIEL AKINADEWO gabyfola@hotmail.com - 08023010222 (sms only)

Senator Ganiyu Solomon’s campaign office in Ikeja

I will not open my eyes and allow the son of the Oba of Ewekoro to be the governor. But all things are in the hand of God Almighty. “God will help you (Ambode). You will triumph. God will give you wisdom. Nobody can predict any human being, until he finds himself in a position of authority. God will stand by you. The alfas and bishops will stand by you. Whoever gangs up against you will not triumph over you. Before I became the Oba of Lagos, many things were said against me. In respect of my son, Fashola, you can see the level of his achievement in Lagos. You will surpass his achievements. Those of you (other aspirants) that are annoyed, you should be patient. He (Ambode) is not from Ilaje. He is a Lagosian and he will be governor.” If the political history of Lagos State is put in perspective, it is obvious that the build-up to the 2015 race will not be different. Partisan actors in the Second Republic knew the politics that played out before the first civilian governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, emerged on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and eventually became the Chief Executive in 1979. The emergence of the late Sir Michael Otedola in the Third Republic, when the late Femi Agbalajobi and Dapo Sarumi fought to the finish, is also recent history. Ditto the emergence of Tinubu in 1999 after a bitter primary in the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the sudden appearance

of his successor, Fashola, from the array of experienced aspirants in 2007. I remember in 2006 before the primaries of the then Action Congress (AC) when I, with some colleagues, met Fashola somewhere in Magodo, he was categorical and assertive that he would become the fourth civilian governor. And he eventually did, relegating ‘established names’ to the background. Given this established trend of voting pattern in Lagos and, since 1999, the hold of the Asiwaju Political Machinery on partisan issues in the 47-year-old state, it is almost certain that Oba Akiolu spoke the minds of those who matter politically and, “take it or leave it”, Ambode will succeed Fashola on May 29, next year. If it can be comfortably asked “Is history repeating itself?”, the next question will be “Will this early and open endorsement of Ambode work in his favour?” Aside this, “Is Ambode just a decoy thrown up by the Asiwaju machinery to hide the ‘real’ candidate who will emerge later?” Oba Akiolu’s ‘declaration of war’ against the ‘son of the Oba of Ewekoro’ is a direct reference to the Works Commissioner, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, whose father, Oba Olatunji Hamzat, is the Olu of Afowowa Sogaade in Ewekoro Local Government Area, Ogun State. This Ogun monarch, a commissioner during the Jakande administration, is an influential member of APC and is known for grassroots mobilisation.

You can never know the ways of politicians but was the reference to Hamzat and his father necessary? Was it to send a strong warning to the duo not to dare the Asiwaju Political Machinery? Was the warning to Fashola himself? Hitherto, it was believed that ‘Fashola is backing Hamzat’ but the latest ‘gist’ is that the governor is supporting his former Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Supo Sasore (SAN). I was driving along Awolowo Way, Ikeja last week when I saw the campaign office of Senator Ganiyu Solomon. A dogged and veteran political fighter, it is believed he is ready for a showdown by opening the campaign office a few kilometres to Fashola’s office in Alausa. Is he not sending a strong message to the Oba of Lagos that “Eh, look, you are far away on the Island. I am here close to the seat of power and your pronouncement can’t stop my ambition?” Is he also trying to dare the Asiwaju machinery the way he tried to do in 2003 when he insisted on going to the Senate? I was told yesterday that a member of the House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has also thrown her hat in the ring. Another aspirant on APC platform and former commissioner, Dr. Leke Pitan, said of Oba Akiolu’s statement: “If any intimidation was intended, it has not achieved its purpose. We are even more resolute in our goal and it has galvanised many more citizens of Lagos State to stand and support us”. From Badagry, the monarch, Oba De Whenu Aholu Menu-Toyi 1, chiefs and people have resolved that their son, Abayomi Sewanu Sutton, must succeed Fashola. Despite the fact that the APC is yet to conduct its primaries, is the opposition to Oba Akiolu’s statement a dust that will soon blow away or a gang-up that can lead to an implosion? Where is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in all these and what role for voters? Eko o ni baje oooooooooooooooooooooo.

OmoBaba

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