Binder1 may 25 , 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

Sunday Edition

Sanctity of Truth

N150 Sunday, May 25, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 96

Facebook.com/newtelegraph

| twitter.com/newtelegraph1 | www.newtelegraphonline.com

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Asiodu, others list priorities for new CBN Governor Paul Ogbuokiri and Chijioke Iremeka

former Economic Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Phillip

Asiodu, and some stakeholders in the financial sector have advised the incoming Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to maintain tight banking regulations; improve on the supply of

foreign currencies, especially the dollar; develop and maintain sound monetary policies; avoid vendetta; and guard the apex bank’s autonomy jealously. Speaking in separate interviews, they ex-

pressed the hope that the coming of Emefiele would usher in a new era of stability in the economy and augur well for the CBN. They also cautioned against calls for the reduction in the powers of the

CBN Governor and instead urged government to allow the new helmsman unfettered space to carry out his agenda. Emefiele is expected CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

We should see Nigeria beyond prism of corruption – Chairman, UBA Plc, Joe Keshi

Release Chibok schoolgirls, Danjuma begs Boko Haram lSect is anti-Islam, says Sultan lHelp end insurgency, Northern govs tell Abdulsalami lWhy North is against Jonathan - Ango Abdullahi lProtect your children from kidnappers, Lagos govt warns parents

Ahmed Tukur, Ibraheem Musa and Sola Adeyemo

former Minister of Defence, LtGen. Theophilus Danjuma, yester-

day begged Boko Haram to release the over 200 female pupils kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014. Danjuma made the plea during his remarks after

he was turbanned as the ‘Barde Babba’ of Lafia by the Emir of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Isah Mustapha Agwai I. Danjuma, whose wife, Daisy, was turbanned alongside him as the

Aminiya Lafia, also pleaded with Boko Haram sympathisers to prevail on the sect to see reason and release the girls. “I want to make a plea to Boko Haram, whoever they are and their sym-

pathisers to please release our girls. We don’t know whether they are still alive or dead but whatever it is, I want to make this plea to Boko Haram.

neWs

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

KIDNAPPINGS: POLICE TO TRANSFER OFFICERS OUT OF ANAMBRA }3

NEWS

Septuagenarian arrested for cooking on Lagos ROAD }7

BUSINESS

Pope Francis (left) and Jordan King Abdullah II, during the Catholic Pontiff’s arrival in Amman, Jordan …yesterday

Strike: Fashola stops LASU lecturers’ pay

Stability has returned to }34 Ecobank - Essien

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

There cannot be peace and harmony where there is a wide disparity between the rich and the multitude of the poor. Our people are dying in thousands;

Danjuma begs Boko Haram our society and economy are in tatters in a highly competitive world. We

are in a season of sorrow and mourning caused by decades of neglect of a

Strike: Fashola stops LASU lecturers’ pay Muritala Ayinla

he lingering crisis between the management of Lagos State University and the Academic Staff Union of Universities LASU chapter may be far from over as Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has ordered the stoppage of their salaries. New Telegraph on Sunday gathered the striking lecturers would, in addition to losing their salaries, not have their check-off dues deducted while they run the risk of suffering other disciplinary measures. Hence, the state government has advised any lecturer who wishes to back out from the strike to feel free to report on Monday

for duty at the university where a register would be opened for them. The ASUU chapter had embarked on an indefinite strike, following the inability of the university management and the lecturers to resolve contending issues. But the state government, which expressed displeasure at the strike, said the ‘No work No pay’ rule would make the union understand that the issues it lacked genuine reasons for the industrial action. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, who confirmed the state government’s decision, said the law would be applied in its strictest measure.

The latest stand of government followed the submission of a report by the ad hoc committee set up by the State Executive Council to consider a strike notice issued by the LASU chapter. The committee was directed to examine the issues raised in the 14-day ultimatum letter which includes to consider whether or not the issues, which include the reversal of LASU School fees, repeal of No Vacancy No promotion policy of LASU administration and implementation of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2012, qualified for a strike. No official of LASU ASUU was available for comment.

I’ve forgiven Obasanjo, says Orji Kalu Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

ormer Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday said that despite the strained relationship he had with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he had since forgiven him in he interest of peace and national stability. Kalu, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital said he had dropped the issues he had with the former president because he is the father of the nation and strong leader, adding that he is an elder and he cannot hold anything against him. “I’ve always forgiven him at all times but I will not forget what he did to my businesses, because those businesses employed many Nigerians. He could have for the sake of Nigerians

not touched other people’s businesses when it’s political. “I’ve forgiven him. The man is our father, the man was a very strong leader, he loved the country but I have forgiven him. He is an elder and I cannot hold anything against an elder like Obasanjo. Never in my life do I hold anything against anybody. I live a very free and quiet life,” said the former governor. Kalu said he was in the state to confer with Governor Gabriel Suswam on the security challenges confronting the country and stressed the need for Nigerians to drop their differences and strive to bring enduring peace to the country. He commended the governor for the giant strides recorded within the last seven years, especially the gigantic teaching hospital

project, the international market and the Greater Makurdi Water Works and urged him not to relent. He sympathised with the governor over the invasion of the state by armed Fulani insurgents which led to the killing of some citizens, and advised the people of the state to support both the federal and state governments. Responding, Suswam thanked Kalu for taking it upon himself to traverse the nooks and crannies of the country to canvass for peace with his personal resources. Suswam stated that his administration had dwelt much on rural transformation as evidenced in the massive construction of rural roads that cut across the state, saying he achieved the feat through the prudent use of the resources accruing to the state.

Jonathan, others attend Zuma’s second inauguration

resident Goodluck Jonathan; and his counterparts from some other African countries yesterday attended the inauguration of South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma for a second term, in a ceremony marked by dance, prayer, a 21-gun salute and air force flyovers. The leaders attended the event at the Union Buildings, a government complex in the South African capital of Pretoria. It was the same place where Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader

who became South Africa’s first black president, took the oath of office 20 years ago in a ceremony officially ending white minority rule, the Associated Press reports. On May 7, the ruling African National Congress won elections, continuing its political dominance since the end of the apartheid system that it had fought for decades. The party retains a comfortable majority, but opposition parties have capitalized with some success on allegations of official corrup-

tion and mismanagement. National elections are held every five years. In an inauguration speech, Zuma said South Africa was “ a much better place to live in now than before 1994” but that poverty, unemployment and other problems persisted despite many improvements. “Economic transformation will take centre-stage during this new term of government as we put the economy on an inclusive growth path,” Zuma said.

sizeable segment of our society,” he stated. Danjuma exercised fear that unless Nigerians join hands to find solutions to the nation’s challenges, it may soon be impossible for people to celebrate. In his remarks, President Goodluck Jonathan urged Nigerians to assist government in solving the nation’s challenges. Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Kurfi, said the government was doing its best to ensure the security of lives and property of Nigerians. Speaking earlier, Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura assured of the readiness of state governments to work with the Federal Government in ensuring security across the country. Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has stated that the Boko Haram sect has nothing to do with Islam. Speaking in Ibadan at the inauguration of the Mosque and Islamic Centre built by Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community in Ibadan on Friday, the Sultan urged all Nigerians to join hands with government to defeat the insurgency. He was apparently re-

sponding to an earlier charge by the Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Wale Oke, that he (Sultan) was in a position to bring an end to the insurgency. Oke had reportedly said in an interview that the Sultan should caution members of Boko Haram, whom he described as Abubakar’s ‘sons’. However, the Sultan said, “There is nothing Islamic in the activities of the group and I feel bad when people ascribe them to Islamic religion. That is why I’m charging all of us irrespective of religious belief to rise in total condemnation of the sect. There is no tribe, language or colour in Islam. We are one, brothers and sisters and that is how we should see ourselves and relate. “There is no compulsion in Islam. Everybody is free to practise his or her religion. What is expected of us as Islamic faithful is to see that through our relationship with others, we bring people to light and peace which Islam is all about. That should be our concern to make Islam progress.” Also disagreeing with Oke’s position, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, said the Sultan could not stop the

violence because the sect’s actions were un-Islamic. Speaking in an interview with New Telegraph on Sunday, the monarch said, “It is belated for the Sultan to stop the Boko Haram insurgents. Boko Haram did not start one or two years ago. Farmers have been planting crops and the Fulani herdsmen would lead their cattle into it and destroy the plants. They had been entering villages and killing people and going away like that. It is now beyond the control of the traditional rulers or emirs there. “I was one of the first traditional rulers that cried out that foreign countries should come and assist us with their intelligence. I told (US Consul-General) Jeffery Hawkins when he visited me. I told (Deputy British High Commissioner) Mr. Peter Carter the same thing because of the fear that Nigeria might break up in 2015. Now, we are crying over the abduction of the Chibok girls, when earlier, Nyanya was bombed two times. My submission therefore is that the protection of lives and property is the responsibility of the government.” More on pages 13, 28 & 29

2015: 500 POLITICIANS TO WATCH

Battle royale in Coal City, as Chime, Nnamani, Ekweremadu others test might The politics of supremacy, so characteristic of Enugu power game, is expected to replay itself in the 2015 general elections, as political gladiators in the Coal City state jostle for the various elective positions that are up for grabs. In what promises to be a battle royale, the incumbent governor of the state, Sullivan Chime, will be confronting his former comrades in the Ebeano political family founded by an ex-governor of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani, particularly the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. Will Chime succeed in stopping Ekweremadu’s gubernatorial as well as 4th term senatorial ambition, as he roots for a successor from the Enugu North zone of the state? What happens to his own ambition of berthing in the Senate? Will the Ebeano exponent (Nnamani), who is presently on political exile bounce back in 2015? Grab a copy of New Telegraph tomorrow for an incisive analysis of what to expect of Enugu politics and those who will shape it in 2015.

New Telegragh …Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in Politics and Business

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

News

Church of England approves women bishops

he ordination of women bishops has moved a step closer as all the Church of England’s 44 dioceses voted to allow the change, Daily Mail newspaper reports. It leaves only one hurdle left to change centuries of church practice – a final vote at the General Synod in July. The body previously approved welcoming women bishops by a huge 378 to eight majority last year, starting the process. It would allow women to become bishops and archbishops and create a ‘declaration’ by the Church of England setting out guidance for parishes which reject female ministry on

traditionalist, ideological grounds. James Langstaff, the Bishop of Rochester and chairman of the committee on women bishops, said the dioceses expressed their approval “very clearly.” He added, “I pray that the Synod will continue to approach this decision in a prayerful and generous way as we move towards voting on the proposal that women may be bishops in the Church of England.” In 2011 both London and Chichester diocesan synods voted against the legislation. The latest seal of approval will be welcome to campaigners, who were devastated in 2012 when legisla-

tion for women bishops was rejected at the final hurdle by just six votes in the House of Laity. That decision was described by the Women and the Church campaign group as “a devastating blow for the Church of England and the people of this country.” While those proposals included a strict and complex “code of practice” for dissenting parishes, the new package lays out plans for an ombudsman, or independent reviewer, that would rule on disputes at a local level. Anglican churches in Australia, New Zealand and the United States already have women serving as bishops.

Kidnappings: Police to transfer officers out of Anambra Uwakwe Abugu Awka

ollowing a resurgence of kidnapping in Anambra State, especially with the reported death a few days ago of the immediate Commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, Chike Okoli, in the hands of suspected criminals, the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, is said to have acceded to a request from the state government for the transfer of senior police officers out of the state. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt yesterday that

the state government had some days ago complained to the police high command that there was the need to take urgent measures to arrest the resurgence. This is especially in view of the perception that some police officers may be aiding kidnappers in the state. It was learnt that divisional police officers form the bulk of those billed to be transferred based on a working understanding between the police and the state government. A highly placed source told our correspondent that one of the most senior police officers in the state might be among the first set of officers to be transferred out of the state. There have been increased cases of kidnappings in the last two weeks in the state despite

the governor’s financial commitment to the war against criminality. A member of the state house of assembly had recently told our reporter that his younger brother was kidnapped and that he was running around to see how to engage the kidnappers. Sources also stated yesterday that the body of the slain former commissioner was yet to be exhumed from where it was buried in a shallow grave at Ugwuoba in Enugu State due the fact that the police have yet to act in that direction. Similarly, the sister of a prominent businessman based in Lagos and her son were reportedly kidnapped about a week ago at Borromeo Roundabout, Nkpor, near Onitsha after a hot chase and heavy shooting by the kidnappers.

Malawi president annuls election

Former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (left) and Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, during Kalu’s courtesy call on the governor…yesterday

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

to resume on Monday June 2, 2014. Asiodu said, “Autonomy for me is ensuring the management of monetary policy in the country, defending instability and managing the devaluation of naira. It does not mean going to other sectors to announce monetary gifts. We are talking about going to plan. The present CBN Act has no quarrel with anybody. CBN should have powers to execute its policies and not reduction. Nobody will say that CBN is not well structured.” According to the Managing Director, Bani Mbaka Bureau De Change, Abuja, Mohammed Lawal, the inability of the government to arrest the fluctuation of the naira is due to policy inconsistency by the CBN. He called on the incoming central bank governor to

political crisis is brewing in Malawi after President Joyce Banda decided to annul this week’s general election – in which she was a candidate – because of voting “irregularities”. Ms Banda had earlier said Tuesday’s vote had been marred by rigging, multiple voting and computer-hacking. She said a new vote should be held within 90 days but she would not stand again in any new poll. However, the head of the electoral commission said the president did not have the power to annul the vote. Malawi’s election was chaotic, with one BBC

correspondent reporting people voting two days on from election day because of delays in distributing polling material. Frustrated voters set one polling station alight and smashed election material at another. In some places, voting boxes or lids did not arrive so officials used buckets and plastic wrap. President of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Maxon Mbendera, said despite problems involving the electronic count, the poll remained valid and vote-counting would go on.

Asiodu, others list priorities for new CBN Governor make this one of his priorities. He said, “I want the new CBN Governor to ensure policy consistency and improve on the demand and supply pitfalls of foreign currencies. The $70, 000 allocations per dealer in a day is not enough to service customers. The dollar keeps falling and rising. By Monday, it would have fallen and by Tuesday it would have gone up again. That shows that the supply is much lesser than the demand and not healthy for the economy.” He noted that the shoddier situation is the aspect where the CBN supplies only one currency to all bidders, irrespective of customers’ choices. He stated that CBN can come up one day and decide to

supply only one currency (dollar) for no reason, and those who applied for pounds sterling and euros would be constrained to buy dollars. He said this would not augur well for the economy and bureau de change business in the country. “The CBN governor should work on this to show equitable distribution of currencies according to the needs. The bureau de change should be given the opportunity to bid for all currencies in demand. Dollar is the only currency in existence in most cases. CBN should, therefore, give the bureau de change options to buy any of the three currencies. They should apply, at least, three days ahead of collection,” he stated.

On CBN autonomy, Lawal said it would help the apex bank to develop strong policies. he said such a scenario would bar politicians from controlling the nation’s monetary policies, noting that politicians don’t embark on anything that does not favour them. He said, “The powers of the CBN Governor should remain. If he is the Chief Executive Officer of CBN, he should have some powers like every other CEO. Politicians don’t think beyond the political arena, and they only think of what favours them. They will go against anything that doesn’t favour them politically. CBN can be corrupted when it has no powers.” Towards ensuring a

sound financial system, the Managing Director, Fina Trust Microfinance Bank, Deji Popoola, advised Emefiele to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, and improve on any grey areas as a way of maintaining the CBN as a reputable financial regulator. “As we are aware, Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa. I therefore expect stable monetary policies to be introduced because one of the problems we had in the past was sudden policy changes. We want to see consistency on the part of the central bank,” he said. According to him, Sanusi had good intentions for the country but the implementation timing for his poli-

cies was extremely short. He said any change in policy in Africa’s biggest economy would always have a significant impact on the lives of the nation’s 180 million citizens and beyond. He advised the new CBN governor to look at things from a micro perspective than macro, adding that most of the challenges the nation had under Sanusi would have been better managed if not for policy somersaults. Popoola said, “The previous governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, had about 100 banks under him, and he reduced them to 25 banks to push for stronger banking services. At first, it didn’t create panic in the system. CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Moments

L-R: Demola Adedoyin; Deola Sagoe; Kunle Afoloyan; Kehinde Bankole and Sadiq Daba at the private screening of Kunle Afolayan’s new movie, October 1, in Lagos... on Thursday

L–R: Director, e-Governance, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Mr. Tope Fashedeni; Chief Corporate Services Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Ms. Lee-Ann Cassie; and Country Manager, Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Kamar Abass, at the 2014 Cyber Nigeria Forum and Africa Innovation Award held in Lagos

L-R: Chancellor, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai/Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk Bahago; Niger State Governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, during the maiden convocation ceremony of the university in Lapai…on Friday

L-R: Corporate Vice President & General Manager Business Management Group (SMG), Intel Corporation, Stuart Pann; Managing Director, Brian Integrated System Limited, Olaide Balogun; Sales Director, Intel Corporation Adrian Criddle and Country Manager, Intel Corporation Bunmi Ekundare; at the launch of BrianTab B10i powered by Intel in Lagos…on Friday

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

L-R: Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Chief Tunji Orisalade; Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin; Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Chairman, e-eleven, Mr. Femi Ajiniran, during a courtesy visit and endorsement of Fayemi for second term in office, by E-eleven, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State...recently

L-R: Immediate Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos Chapter, Mr. Jide Ologun; wife of late Michael Otedola, Doja; Chairman, Mr. Joseph Okonmah; Vice Chairman, Mrs. Comfort Nwankwo and Managing Director/CEO, SOA Communication Bureau, Dr. Sunday Ajayi, during NIPR team’s condolence visit to the family of late Otedola in Epe, Lagos…on Friday. PHOTO:SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammed Santuraki; Managing Director of Sovereign Wealth Fund, Mr. Uche Orji; and group Managing Director/Chief Executive, First City Monument Bank, Mr. Ladi Balogun, at the Ogun State Investors’ Forum held in Abeokuta

L-R: Guest Speaker, Mrs. Henrietta Ukwu; representative of Enugu State Government, Mrs. Rita Mbah and former Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Mrs. Rose Ukeje, during the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of Queen’s School Enugu Old Girls’ Association in Enugu …yesterday

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

L-R: Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko; Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, during the National Executive Council meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the National Secretariat of the party, in Abuja…on Wednesday. PHOTO ELIJAH OLALUYI

L–R: Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Abuja, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma; Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd), an International Exhibitor, Patience Torlowei, and Bayelsa State Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, during the send-forth ceremony for the award winning dress ‘Esther’ designed by Torlowei, at the Banquet hall, Government House, Yenagoa...on Friday

L-R: Member, House of Reps. Committee on Education, Jerry Alagbaoso; Prof Ini Udoka; and Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, at a meeting on education at the National Assembly…on Thursday. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

L-R: Chief Imam Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Central Mosque, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiy Oladipupo; President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Osogbo, Alhaji Abdul – Ganiy Akere; and Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, during the presentation of a book, entitled: World Peace and Pathway to Peace to the governor at the Central Mosque, in Osogbo, Osun State…on Friday

Moments

L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire and Founder/Chairman, Wilson Badejo Foundation, Revd. Wilson Badejo, during the foundation’s seventh Annual lecture in Lagos…on Thursday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Former Lagos State gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; business consultant, Mr. Michael Ovienmhada; Executive Chairman, Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue, Dr. Babatunde Fowler, Lagos State Commissioner for Works, Dr. Kadri Hamzat; and former Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, at National Career Fare held in Lagos …on Wednesday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Saleh (fourth left), and Officials of Bill/Mellinda Gate and Dangote Foundation on Primary Health Care visit to the State…on Thursday

L-R: Project Manager, Lead Honeywell Group, Akitoye Ogboye; Head, Corporate Development and Investment, Dr Teddy Ngu; Director USTDA, Lee Zak; and Jimi Otudeko, after the Sagamu IPP MoU signing ceremony in Ogun State

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News IMO Imo UPP guber aspirant lifts widow with new house Steve Uzoechi

United Progressive Party (UPP) governorship aspirant in Imo State, Dr. Osmond Imo Ukanacho, has put a roof over the head of a widow, Mrs. Glory Adanna Nwosu and her three children residing in a rural community in Avu, Owerri West council area. Handing over the building which was completed in less than three months, Prince Nnamdi Ugwuezeonu, the Manager of Osmond Imo Ukanacho Foundation who represented the founder said the foundation which started five years ago has touched so many lives within and outside the state. He said that Osmond Imo Ukanacho Foundation has built and furnished a total of 67 houses for the needy,

especially orphans, the less privileged and widows across the state and beyond. He also said the Foundation through Ukanacho has made donations ranging from transformers, food items, buses, cash gifts amongst others to communities and churches in the state. According to Ugwuezeonu, the Foundation got wind of the widow’s plight through a publication in a religious newspaper, an action that moved Ukanacho to send an engineer to verify the widow’s call for help and consequently intervened by erecting the building. In her response, the beneficiary, Mrs. Nwosu, who could hardly contain her emotions, thanked the UPP governorship aspirant for putting smiles on her face and impacting on her family with his generosity.

JOS Group condemns Jos bombing

pressure group, the Strategic Team, has condemned the bombing of Jos, Plateau State on Tuesday which left over 118 persons dead. The Plateau State Coordinator of the Strategic Team, Tomas Gwom, condemned the yet-to-identified perpetrators of the May 20 twin bomb blasts at the Terminus Market in Jos. Gwom said the group took the position after its meeting in Jos on the development. In a communiqué, made available to journalists after the meeting, the group called for the support of Nigerians in fighting insurgency in the country, saying the challenge goes beyond that of the Peoples Democratic Party and President Goodluck Jonathan. The communiqué reads: “This is the highest form of insurgency, killing and menace. It is not a PDP or Presi-

dent Jonathan’s problem but a collective challenge that needs all inclusive participatory approach to curtail. “Nigerians need to support the President in order to collectively overcome this challenge. “We appreciate the love and support from the western world on the collaborative efforts with the Nigerian government to find a long lasting solution to security challenge facing the nation.” Gwom explained further that the objective of the non partisan group is the enthronement of good governance anchored on probity, transparency and accountability. The meeting, which had in attendance the DirectorGeneral of the group, Mr. Daniel Ohiomoba, and officials of the State Executive Council, called on politicians, irrespective of political affiliation, to desist from playing politics with issues of national concern.

Police rescue two kids from suspected kidnapper Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

quick intervention by men of the Kwara State Police command has saved a middle-aged woman in Ilorin, Kwara State from being killed by a crowd for allegedly kidnapping two children. The incident, which took place around Offa Garage area of the metropolis on Friday, according to eyewitnesses also created confusion in the area as many mistook the sporadic shots by the police trying to rescue the woman for an attack from insurgents. The incident took place around school hours forcing many parents with wards in schools located around Olunlade and environs to embark on swift efforts to secure their children. An eyewitness told our reporter that the woman was allegedly caught with two kids she was purported

to have kidnapped. Those who discovered the act were said to have raised the alarm which attracted a mob that soon descended on the woman. It was the arrival of policemen that saved the woman but even at that the policemen had to fire several shots into the air to disperse the angry crowd who were ready to burn the alleged kidnapper. Some in the crowd were said to have even pelted the police van with stones as it drove away with the woman. She was taken to the Civil Service Clinic for treatment. Spokesman for the police command, Mr. Femi Okasina who confirmed the incident said the woman was not mentally sound but was still in detention at the command. But an eye witness, who asked not to be named claimed that the same lady was caught by a mob at Post Office area last week but that she was apparently set free by some people.

SURE-P gets N268.37bn in 2014 budget

L-R: Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura; Emir of Lafia, Mustafa Agwai 1 and Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Emir’s 40th Anniversary…yesterday

Work on N117 billion Second Niger Bridge on course - says FG Simeon Ogoegbulem

M Abuja

inister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has assured that work on the N117 billion second Niger Bridge is on course. Responding to questions on the state of work on the project during a briefing on the 2014 budget, OkonjoIweala stated emphatically that “work is going on the second Niger Bridge”. According to her, the contractor’s presence on site can be verified by anyone because “work is going on there. The contractor has fully mobilised to site.” President Goodluck Jonathan last March flagged off

construction work on the bridge to offset the heavy traffic on the old River Niger bridge constructed nearly 50 years ago. Minister of Environment, Laurentia Mallam, had last month caused a stir when she announced that work had stopped on the project, because the Environmental Impact Assessment law was not taken into consideration before its commencement.

The suspension came barely a month after the President performed the groundbreaking of the project at an elaborate ceremony where he noted that the new bridge would alleviate the pains experienced by travelers as a result of congestion of the old bridge. The construction work on the project was awarded to the consortium of Messrs. Julius Berger-NSIA and is

expected to be completed within 48 months, under a Public Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement, using Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model. The alleged suspension of work on the bridge drew the wrath of Nigerians especially people from the Eastern part of the country and motorists that daily use the bridge to access that part of the country.

he Federal Government has earmarked the sum of N268.37 billion for various projects to be executed under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in the 2014 budget. Giving a breakdown of the budget, Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, said out of the N4.96 trillion, N712 billion was set aside for debt service, while the capital expenditure was N1.119 trillion as against N1.59 trillion in 2013. He said that that the recurrent expenditure, consisting of salaries and overhead transfers among others, was N2.455 trillion, while N408.69 billion was set aside as statutory transfers to service certain identified government organs. “Statutory transfers are monies that are sent directly to certain identified organs of government, National Assembly is one of them, NDDC is another one, UBEC, human rights and few other benefits under the window of statutory

Lawmaker seeks more funding for agric

lawmaker in Lagos State, Mr. Ibrahim Layode, has called for allocation of more funds for the expansion the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) and other agricultural programmes

of the state. Layode (APC-Badagry II) told the News Agency of Nigeria that expansion and sustenance of the programmes would boost food production. “What the Ministry of Ag-

riculture is getting from the state government should be increased. We are performing our oversight functions on this and following the budget it presented to us,” Layode, who is the Chairman of the Lagos State

House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, said. He noted that YES had been training the youths in different areas of agriculture for a period of six months.

transfers,’’ he said. He said that the budget was passed on oil benchmark of $77.5 and 2.388 million barrel oil production per day compared to 2.5 million barrel per day in 2013 budget. Okogu explained that the budget was also passed based on $160 dollars to one Naira exchange rate as was the case in 2013. “Aggregate revenue projected for the three tiers of government is N10.88 trillion and Federal Government will receive N3.73 trillion as against N4.1 trillion received in 2013,’’ he said. The director-general added that fiscal balance with the old Gross Domestic Product came up to two per cent, adding that with the rebasing it would be one per cent. Commenting on the allocations to the various sectors, he said that Education received N495.2billion, adding that there would be other forms of funding for the sector. The health sector got N264.46 billion, Niger–Delta Ministry, N113.6billion, Agriculture and Water resources got N119.32 billion. He said that Agriculture got N67.04 billion while water resources received N54.27 billion. Under infrastructure development, he said that the power sector received N101.2 billion, Works, N133.72 billion and FCT N30.4 billion.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

News

Septuagenarian arrested for cooking on high way Muritala Ayinla

fficials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit have arrested a septuagenarian for slaughtering a cow and cooking on a newly constructed portion Agiliti Road in Mile 12 area of the state. The arrest came even as the state government vowed to deal with anyone who abuses public road either by cutting or digging any portion of the road without approval from the government. Hence, anyone found burning anything, cooking on the public roads or converting the walkways to slaughter slabs may be

prosecuted as the state government said such a person would face the full wrath of law. Speaking with New Telegraph on Sunday, the task force Chairman , CSP Bayo Sulaiman, said the septuagenarian, Yinusa Odugbola, was arrested his officials while the former was slaughtering a cow and cooking in preparation for a party, thereby causing damages on newly constructed Agiliti Road. Sulaiman added that the state government would not tolerate abuse of public road built with taxpayers’ money, adding that the agency would soon clampdown on any who convert the state roads to slaughtering slab or public kitchen.

FG restates commitment to National Quality Policy Nnamdi Amadi Abuja

inister for Trade and Investment Dr Olusegun Aganga has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to developing a National Quality Policy (NQP) for the country. Aganga noted the development and implementation of the NQP would not only serve as support to the Nigerian Industry Revolution Plan, but also help to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by over 10 per cent within the next five years Aganga who spoke in Abuja at the second meeting of the National Steering Committee on NQP, commended the progress made so far by the different subcommittees which were constituted during the inaugural meeting held last January. The meeting was convened to discuss in plenary, the progress so far made by the different sub-committees which were constituted during the inaugural meeting. The minister who spoke through the National President, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, said the national policy would seek to stop the conflicts that might arise as a result of duplication of mandates. He expressed strong optimism that with an increase in the contribution of the services sector from the previous 26 per cent to 51 per cent, all energy of the government would be channelled to fast track the early take off of the NQP. He further noted that

the increase in the services sector from the previous 26 per cent to 51 per cent is an indication of the tremendous contributions of the service sector to the economy. “Since the NQP is now known to strengthen institutions, private businesses, competence of measurements, laboratory/testing, all energies must be channeled to fast track its early take off, to also stimulate our targeted industrial growth and job creation aimed at achieving the vision 2020.” Aganga therefore called for synergy in order to create an enabling environment for the public and private sectors to achieve global excellence in the quality of goods and services offered in the country. In his remarks, director general, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu said that the country stands to gain a lot especially in the area of standardization when the NQP becomes operational. Odumodu explained that while the work of the sub-committee continues, there is need for members of the committee to remain focused in order to achieve the June timeline for the submission of the initial draft report for further discussions, consultation and review. The SON chief executive enjoined members of the committee to come up with short term implementable recommendations that would serve as deliverables towards fostering the development of the economy along global best practices.

The newly constructed public road turn to abattoir at Agiliti Road Mile 12 area of Lagos

PDP accuses APC of inciting people against Gombe govt Onyekachi Eze

T Abuja

he leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to incite the people of Gombe State against the PDP- led government in the state. PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement yesterday, described as false and unfounded a statement by APC’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohamed that Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’s administration was clamping down on APC members and destroying the party’s property. According to Metuh, such a statement is capable of worsening the security situation in the North-East. He said the aim of the party was to cause disaffection and instigate the peace loving people of Gombe State against the PDP-led government using lies, deceit and propaganda as was the case in Rivers State. “We wish to alert Nigerians to the real intention behind the unpatriotic statement by the APC wherein its spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in his usual stock in trade, maliciously dished out tissues of lies and fabrications against the Gombe state government with the aim of causing disaffection among the people and worsening the security situation in the north east geo-political zone where their unguarded and provocative utterances have continued to motivate and fuel insurgency,” Metuh

said in the statement. He wondered why the PDP-led government of Gombe state would clamp down on members of a party that is practically non-existent in the state. “Why would the PDP bother about a party which has no single functional structure in Gombe state? Why would the PDP clamp down on members of a party which has since been rejected by the people due to its quarrelsomeness and preference for violence? “The APC is particularly pained by the achievements of the Governor

Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo-led government which have earned the PDP the support of the people. Realizing that they have been rejected by the people, the APC is now using every means, including the spreading of falsehood to attempt to destabilize the state ahead of the 2015 general election. Having failed in its attempts to destabilize Bayelsa State, the APC has now turned its syringe of venom on Gombe, a plot which has also failed. “Is it that the APC do not want Nigerians to live in

peace? Why is APC bent on causing disaffection among the peace-loving people of Gombe State who have continued to show their commitment to live in harmony under the PDP administration? Why would they insist on sowing seeds of discord among our people as a means to actualise their inordinate quest for power?” PDP queried. The party charged the people of the state to continue to be on the alert and resist plots by the APC to destroy the peace and unity they enjoy under the PDP administration.

Biodun Oyeleye

had however explained that they had been sufficiently scaled down in deference to the mood of the nation but that there was still the need to inspire the populace at a time like this through such programmes. He said: “As a State we are not insensitive to the plight and situation of the nation, but as Governor Ahmed said recently, “tough times do not last, tough people do”. The options we have as a state is to be helpless in the situation that Nigeria as a nation has found itself. In the alternative, it is to say that we will mark the democracy day which is the last hope of the common man. There is nothing that can get us out of all these doldrums, sadistic events, deaths and loses but the supremacy of democracy. “So, we feel that as a

State it is still worthwhile to mark the democracy day that the hope for the common man in this country is not lost. It is also to chronicle some of the achievements that this administration is committed to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people and to also showcase and commission projects. “One of the reasons we have this situation in the country is the unemployment of our youths. So we are marking the employment of 5,200 youths in the first phase. This will give hope to those that are currently unemployed. “So we are aware. We are not insensitive. It is a seriously scaled down marking of the Democracy Day which is the last resort of the common man. If we have a successful democracy in place, I believe, we won’t be in this situation.

Kwara govt, PDP bicker over Democracy Day

Ilorin

he decision of the Kwara State Government to mark this year’s Democracy Day and commission some projects has become a source of conflict between it and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. While the PDP is condemning the decision on the basis of several crises in the North-West and the kidnap of over 200 school girls by members of Boko Haram Islamic sect, the state government has justified the week-long activity. The opposition party, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye chided the state government for thinking on such a programme at a time of national mourning. Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold

EDITORIAL

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Our VISION

To build a newspaper organisation anchored on the sanctity of truth.

Our MISSION

To publish a newspaper of superior value, upholding the fundamental ethics of journalism: balanced reporting, fairness, accuracy and objectivity.

Sanctity Truth Sanctity of ofTruth www.newt e le g r aphonline .com

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

SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

The ominous signals from Maiduguri

oldiers from the newly formed 7th Division of the Nigerian Army based in Maiduguri have acted twice within the space of a fortnight in a manner that signals the existence of deep problems within the military. It must be noted that 27 Nigerian soldiers who served in the United Nations Mission in Liberia had also undertaken a public protest in 2009 over the nonpayment of their peacekeeping entitlements. There is growing disaffection within the military that must be swiftly looked into and properly addressed, so as not to fester with attendant cataclysmic consequences. From available reports, the soldiers in Maiduguri were incensed on seeing the bodies of their colleagues killed in an ambush by insurgents while searching for the abducted girls. The soldiers had requested permission from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) to pass the night in a village they considered safe. The GOC refused, insisting that they must get back to their base in Maiduguri unfailingly that same night. This could not be the only reason that made the soldiers erupt in anger, but it could have served as a trigger for expressing their dislike for deep-seated animosities which have not been addressed over time. The point must be made that mutiny cannot be encouraged under any guise or form, especially at this time that the military is charged with putting a stop to a ravaging insurgency. The military is an institution that

values discipline. There must be lawful ways through which grievances can be ventilated without undermining the institution. Therefore, situations that can give rise to mutiny must be hastily contained. The maltreatment of junior officers by their superiors must be discarded, the general welfare and wellbeing of soldiers must be immediately looked into, and the military must be properly funded and equipped. It must be emphasised too that the funds must be judiciously utilised to meet specified needs. It would be recalled that following the insurrection by soldiers in Maiduguri, leading to their indiscriminate shooting at the Maimalari Barracks recently, the Nigerian Army had removed the embattled General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Nigerian Army Maiduguri, Maj-Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed, and replaced him with Brig-Gen. M. Y. Ibrahim. Mohammed was removed because he had lost the confidence of his soldiers and it was in the best interest of the whole security operation that he

Nigerian soldiers have done creditably well in international peacekeeping operations in different parts of the world. It will be a tragic irony if the same military is incapable of performing successfully at home.

was replaced. However, the agitation of the junior officers must be addressed squarely. It is also alleged that some of the junior officers even accused the former GOC of working for Boko Haram, claiming that most times he failed to act on vital clues and when he took decisions, they turned out to be misleading information, similar to the one that led to the ambush where the 12 soldiers were killed. There are indications that also on May 23, Brig-Gen. M.Y. Ibrahim, the newly posted General Officer Commanding was confronted by angry soldiers who demanded that he pay their allowances and reinstate motorbikes to transport them and members of their families within the barracks. Even the United States has said the Nigerian military is becoming afraid of engaging Boko Haram insurgents. Testifying recently before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US Air Force Chief of Staff, General Mark Welsh III, said, “We are now looking at a military force that is, quite frankly, becoming afraid to even engage. The United States doesn’t have the capacity, the capability to go rescue every kidnapped person around the world.” The Federal Government must use the opportunity of the protests in Maiduguri to look critically at ways and means of restructuring the army, with a view of modernising and professionalising it, to be comparable with any reputable armed force anywhere in the globe. Global Security’s assessment must be

taken seriously against the background of recent events: “As a large, complex organisation, the Nigerian military contains a number of contradictions, incongruities, and internal disjunctions. It is the largest, most capable military in West Africa with major foreign deployments under ECOWAS and the AU, as well as extensive UN PKO commitments. At the same time, chronic under-resourcing has led to low operational readiness, lack of training, and relatively poor conditions of service. These problems, along with endemic corruption, have made the Nigerian military somewhat of a hollow giant resting on its reputation -- more capable than any other force in the sub-region, but considerably less capable than it should be with tens of thousands of troops and a large stock of major weapons systems and other equipment. A high percentage of the heart of the force -- the 60,000-soldier strong Army’s 25 infantry battalions -- are capable of little more than basic defensive operation.” This also is an opportunity to re-strategise on the war on Boko Haram, while also taking a closer look at the creation of the 7th division. Was it properly thought through? Is a fully kitted and funded Special Forces Unit not more suitable for the challenge at hand? Nigerian soldiers have done creditably well in international peace-keeping operations in different parts of the world. It will be a tragic irony if the same military is incapable of performing successfully at home.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director/DEIC FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Managing Editor, South SULEIMAN BISALA 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 JULIET BUMAH Deputy Editor (Sunday) PADE OLAPOJU Production Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

OPINION

Powering science and technology for africa’s economic transformation

Makhtar Diop frica has achieved exceptional economic growth over the past decade, averaging 4.5 per cent a year and underpinned by prudent macroeconomic management. Now we must achieve economic growth that is accompanied by significantly less poverty and greater prosperity for all the people of the continent. With new discoveries of oil, gas, and minerals seemingly every month, we need to be able to extract, market and invest the new-found earnings from these resources in higher quality education, health and other vital development priorities. As Africans move to cities in ever-growing strength, we must also address unprecedented rates of urbanisation and new needs for housing, infrastructure and agricultural productivity to feed urban residents as well as increase food security in rural areas. On the environmental front, Africa, which has contributed the least to climate change, is bearing its disproportionate impact in terms of droughts, floods and rising sea levels, which in turn bring economic losses and hardship. At the same time, these challenges also bring opportunities for joint research that would benefit scientists across the world as well in Africa. There is scope for similar research collaboration between African and foreign scientists in medicine and biodiversity, irrigation, engineering, mining and other fields. But here is the challenge. We will only achieve these exciting research coalitions in Africa if we correct a longstanding imbalance in our education systems. Today, our stock of graduates is still highly skewed towards the humanities and social sciences, while the share of our students in science, technology, engineering, and mathemat-

ics (STEM) averages less than 25 per cent. Further, women are under-represented in science and technology-related courses and professions on the continent. Thanks to Africa’s recent progress in school enrolment, more and more students are completing primary and secondary school. This new generation of young Africans must be equipped with the modern skills and knowledge they need to find African solutions to Africa’s challenges. Earlier this year, at a High-Level Forum on Higher Education for Science, Technology and Innovation hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank in Kigali, participating countries and partners called for a bold target — to double the share of African university graduates in science and technology fields within a decade, by 2025. This is key to transform Africa into a knowledge-driven continent within a generation. So how can we do it? There are proven steps that can be taken to realign higher education with the needs of the 21st century economy and to brighten the career prospects of young Africans today. Partnership is the operative word, between academic institutions both in Africa and abroad, between universities and the private sector, and with new investment partners in Asia and Latin America. Systemic reforms are also necessary, particularly to improve the quality of education across all levels of the education system, and to make higher education more relevant to the needs of wouldbe employers. African universities have much to gain from joining forces with universities abroad, such as through the University of Michigan’s STEM-Africa initiative which has nurtured young scientists and advanced research networks with institutions in Africa, and also their work in training mathematicians and doctors on the continent. In fact, the African Diaspora can play a

very critical role in advancing science and technology in their countries of origin by helping generate new interest in supporting the STEM fields in Africa. We must mobilise a wide alliance of supporters, including policymakers, international financial institutions such as the World Bank Group, and academics, both in Africa and abroad. At the same time, universities in Africa now need to achieve the next level of homegrown excellence. A number of US and European universities have campuses and programmes overseas, notably in Asia and the Middle East — and the next frontier is Africa. One US university has opened a campus in Rwanda, and the first cohort of students from this centre will graduate later this year. By building campuses in Africa, such programmes bring quality education that is adapted to local cultural norms and requirements. Universities that move quickly will be at a significant advantage as this is a growing market that will only become larger as Africa continues its robust economic growth. Students must also be able to apply what they learn once they graduate and look to cross the threshold of the jobs market. This requires innovative partnerships and coalitions, as well as targeted reforms. Following the example of countries like Kenya and Senegal, ministries responsible for higher education should aim to boost private representation on their university boards and engage with the private sector to strengthen links with employers, including on curriculum design. Private sector partners in Africa can also offer apprenticeships, internships, and certification programs, to help bridge the gap between what is being taught in universities and the realities of the job market, and to invest in the next generation of technicians and corporate recruits. The World Bank is working with eight African governments and the Associa-

tion of African Universities on the Africa Centres of Excellence initiative, which will strengthen 19 centres of excellence in West and Central Africa. This initiative aims to build and sustain excellence in higher education in Africa, particularly in science and technology, by fostering regional specialization, concentrating limited top-level faculty and generating knowledge ‘spillovers’. This sort of cooperative action is vital to maximise the impact of limited resources and achieve greater regional integration. Africa’s new partners — countries such as Brazil, China, India and Korea — can play an important role in building human capital in Africa. These countries have rich experience in developing higher education programmes that serve the needs of modernising economies, and have much to offer by way of lessons learned and active partnerships. The World Bank is working towards building a Partnership for Skills in the Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (‘PASET’) that brings together new partners and African policymakers, to catalyse this process especially in highpotential sectors. Partnership among all of these networks will commit us all to a coordinated, faster approach to advancing science and technology in Africa and helping Africans young people achieve their aspirations. It will also help companies to find young Africans with advanced skills and knowledge locally, allowing them to compete and thrive in international markets. As more than 11 million young Africans try to join enter the job market every year over the next decade, we need to make strategic investments in their education and other development prospects in order to drive and sustain Africa’s economic transformation. •Makhtar Diop is World Bank’s Vice President for Africa

Why can’t Nigerians watch ‘Half of A Yellow Sun’?

Biyi Bandele hen I heard last month that the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, headquartered in Abuja, had indicated that it would be unable to issue certification for “Half of a Yellow Sun” in time for the film’s release date, I naturally assumed, at first, that what we were faced with was nothing more sinister than another instance of the typical, if frustrating, culture of wilful incompetence that we’d grappled with during the making of the film -- while shooting the film in Nigeria two years ago, there were times when we felt ensnared in impenetrable jungles of red tape, when we would be given the gohead by one arm of the government only to find our path blocked by the other arm.

I had no reason to assume that there might be anything more to it than that. I had no reason to assume, for instance, that the inability of the board to issue the film with a certificate might actually be a clumsy, heavy-handed ban in all but name. After all, when the movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last autumn, amongst the entourage of Nigerians who flew in to Toronto for the occasion was Patricia Bala, director-general of the Nigerian censorship board.

Bala had arrived in Toronto -- I was told -- with several of her colleagues from the censor’s office. I know for a fact that they watched the movie. I do not know for a fact that they all liked it. I cannot say if any one of them stood up when, as the end credits rolled, the audience rose and gave the film three standing ovations. But I do know that Bala was gracious enough to tell us after the screening how much she loved the movie. At no point did she express any reservations about the contents of the film. It is now nearly eight months since Bala and her board first saw the movie in Toronto and a few weeks since she and her board have failed to issue “Half of a Yellow Sun” the certification that it needs -- that the law requires it obtains before it can be shown in cinemas in Nigeria. In those several days I’ve been assailed -- on Twitter, Facebook, and by email -with rumors, innuendos, half-truths, and downright lies, disseminated sometimes directly from the censorship board (they have issued at least one press statement), about why “Half of a Yellow Sun” still hasn’t been issued with a ratings certificate. The board claims that is has not banned the film but certain aspects of it “have some unresolved issues which have to be sorted out in accordance with the law and laid down regulations.”

It has been rumored that FilmOne, the Nigerian distributors of “Half of a Yellow Sun,” might have been late in submitting the film for certification. Not true. Most films that are screened in Nigerian cinemas are shown to the censor only a day or two before the films open to the paying public. In documentations that have been shown to me, there are instances even of movies being shown to the censor days after the movies had officially opened to the public. “Half of a Yellow Sun” was scheduled to open on April 25. It was submitted to the censorship board at least two weeks earlier. I’ve also heard tell that the censorship board’s inability to make a decision about a ratings certificate for my film has been brought upon it because of a sudden concern that a movie that depicts scenes from the Biafra war might provoke “tribal violence” in a country that has in recent months been besieged with terrorist bombings and profoundly shaken by the abduction of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram. Biyi Bandele: Making movies to tell Africa’s real stories Since the Toronto premiere those many months ago, I’ve seen “Half of a Yellow Sun” at other film festivals in all corners of the globe. And Nigerians being the ubiquitous people that we are have been present in the audiences -- quite often

in great numbers -- at each of these festivals. I am yet to meet a single Nigerian who has seen the film who came out of the cinema thinking that they had just seen a film that would incite anyone to violence. If anything, more than once, I’ve been accosted by cinema-goers -- some Nigerian, but really, people of all races -- who have been profoundly moved by the experience of watching the film. The refrain I’ve heard from them is, war is nasty, isn’t it. Whether or not the film eventually gets a ratings certificate in Nigeria, “Half of a Yellow Sun” will be seen by millions of Nigerians. The question is: will they be allowed to see it in their local cinemas and on legally acquired DVDs or will they be forced to watch it on pirate DVDs and through illegal downloads? If the biggest film that’s ever been made in Nigeria is available to Nigerians only in bootleg form, the censorship board will be doing to the Nigerian film industry what Boko Haram is trying to do to Nigeria: drive a stake through its heart. I sincerely hope they both fail. Biyi Bandele is the director of “Half of a Yellow Sun” (2013), a film based on a novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the Biafran war, in which over a million people died. Source: cnn.com

Younger Nigerian leaders will bring about desired change – US Consul General p.12

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/life

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

Life

When bloodbath returned to Jos

•Victimscountlosses •Motherdiesinblastwhilebabysurvives Buhari Bello

T Jos

he May 20 twin bomb explosions in Jos, Plateau State introduced another level of destruction and anarchy to the decade old crises which the state has been experiencing and to which over 700 lives have been lost and properties worth billions of naira destroyed. The ethno-religious killings and violence which had turned the city into being divided on several borders, has with the latest attack further spilled blood on the soil that has received numerous mass burials. There is fear and uncertainty; parents are constantly worried if their children are safe; wives remain apprehensive and even with the consciousness that some hoodlums may initiate an attack as has been recorded in the past, explosions which now happen in public places, like a market where people make a living, has made many to think again about remaining in the state or relocating elsewhere. Jos, known as the home of peace and tourism is no longer the kind of place many will like to call home and its tourism potentials is at an all-time low. When the explosion occurred, many victims caught in the blast never anticipated a bloody day; they did what they have been doing everyday; trading. They were Muslims and Christians that came together under the atmosphere of commerce and trade; they came for their business but were killed in the most bizarre way. Within seconds after a loud explosion; fire, heat and smoke followed, leaving a plume of smoke which left 188 persons dead and mutilated to several degrees. Within minutes healthcare centres in the metropolis were over overwhelmed by the number of the dead and the wounded that were brought in by soldiers and emergency management agents. Death came in the afternoon and their killer was Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has threatened to explode more bombs. The city of Jos never thought the menace would come to their state. Residents who spoke with New Telegraph on Sunday expressed dismay on what they considered a new dimension introduced by those who do not want peace in the state. While describing the attack as blight in history of the state, the state Information Commissioner, Mrs Olivia Dazeng, called on the people to remain strong in the face of the attack. “The Plateau State Government has viewed with outmost disgust the twin bomb blast which occurred at the Terminus area of the metropolis and we are calling on the people of the state to go about their normal business,” adding that security personnel have been drafted to maintain law and order, she urged all the hospitals and other health establishments in the state to accept all those affected in the unfortunate incident. The state has gotten more than a fair share of terrorism and acts of violence since 2004. The killings became so rampant that a state of emergency had to be declared that year and a Special Task Force put in place to check the menace. But people in the state are questioning the relevance of having a Special Task Force yet an attack of that magnitude occurred. The STF patrol teams are visible in virtually most streets in the capital, but New Telegraph on Sunday gathered from residents that the Task Force had gradually started reducing their presence in the various check points in the state. This development, observers said, has drawn the state back to square one. Having suffered 13 years of crises and reprisal attacks, the state is yet to recover from the violence it suffered. After the disaster, when security agents had given clearance for people to bury their dead, many were seen carrying their dead with some just picked pieces of their dead and packed them inside polythene bags to be buried. For those who survived the blasts, overcoming the fear CO NT INU ED O N PAG E 1 4

Scene of the first bomb blast

One of the victims being carried to a burial site in Jos

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Diaspora Notes

Younger Nigerians will bring about desired change – US Consul General At the hosting of selected Nigerian participants for the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) established by the Obama administration to empower African youths in leadership, entrepreneurship and social development skills, the United States Consul General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, spoke to AHAOMA KANU on his expectations from young Nigerians and why the US is interested in shaping them for the future hundreds of people to try and find the best suited for the program. What is the age bracket for participating? It is between 25- 35 years. One uniting factor among youths across the globe is the connectivity in the social media, how can the Nigeria youth use this platform to create opportunities and are there partnerships or support that the US gives in this regard? I think there are so much that can be done there. When you look at how Nigeria has changed rapidly. Few years ago Nigeria went from a country that had a hundred landlines to country where everybody has a cell phone; so many of them being smart phones. And when you look at the Ipads in this room, you will know that social media is the wave of the future. These guys know a lot about the social media than I do. So I am sure they will be working on it. In the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) program for example, a fellow from there has created a niche for himself in advising NGOs on how to set up their websites and how to do social media and stuffs like that. There are absolutely a lot of partnership opportunities the US can give in that regard.

Hawkins

What inspired the United States government to set up the YALI programme? t is the brainchild of the Obama administration. President Barrack Obama is very willing to reach out to youths across the continent. So many of Africa’s people are under the age of 30 and that demographic is absolutely very necessary to reach out to. So the idea is to reach out to people across the continent, so many people that can make a positive change; really brainy, shiny Africans who have the capacity and desire to work with us and amongst themselves to network and do something great. The programme is meant for the US government to advance the understanding and access to African youth population, in what areas is this understanding and access geared towards? We ‘ve got youths from across the spectrum, just this evening we were speaking to people who are working in government; people in the media like yourself; people who are working in the social sector. It’s a wide range of people and the thing that unites them, the thing they have in common is their desire for positive change. One worry the Nigerian youth population have is the sit-tight attitude of some of their leaders; some people in leadership positions are recycled and are still in government even after 52

years. Does this trend worry the US government on leadership change and how can this be tackled? Ultimately, Nigeria is a democracy and it is up to the Nigerian people who they want their leaders to be. But we do think that the young dynamic Nigerians we have in this room here this evening are the future. And we are interested in hearing their ideas, promoting them to the extent we can and helping them build the shape of a new Nigeria.

If given the opportunity, do you think younger generation Nigeria leaders can bring the desired change to this country? Yes because you only have to look around this room and see the intelligence and capacity; the education that these kids have. This is a truly interesting group of people and there is no question on my mind that they can bring about change and as a matter of fact, they have to because this country needs to move forward and these people need to bring it forward.

After the participants go for this program, what’s next for them or will the relationship end there? Absolutely not, this is a sort of the core of the group that hopefully we will work with in a variety of US government programs. We have a number of exchange programs, the CYFI program I talked about is an international leadership program and the alumni of all these programs will have a formal structure and we will reach out to them frequently. They often work with us in different capacities and we stay in touch, network and put them together with other young Nigerians so that they can help their country. Is this going to be a yearly program or will it stop at a point like the US visa lottery did? Actually the number should increase. The goal is to get 1000 participants next year though the decision has not being made. But it is definitely going to be yearly. The US Bureau for Counterterrorism 2013 Country report said the Nigeria Federal Government did not do much to support the development efforts of the northern governors, in what areas specifically did they not lend their support? I cover southern and northern Nigeria so I don’t want to get into a lot of discussions about that. But it’s clear that the government of Nigeria needs to do whatever every government has to do and that’s provide security; provide education; provide social services and reach out to the people in a society that doesn’t allow room for that kind of extremism. Do you like Nigerian foods? Yes I do like Nigerian food. Which is your favourite? I eat Suya.

How were the participants selected and what qualities should one have to qualify? There was a very tough selective process. There were some 14000 people that applied and then we had 50 slots for these people so you can see that it was quite competitive. It started with colleagues in Washington looking through the applications submitted and it came to Nigeria and we interviewed Hawkins with some of the selected YALI participants and US embassy staff

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

News Plus

Help end insurgency, Northern govs tell Abdulsalami Dan Atori

F Minna

ollowing the upsurge of violence in many parts of the Northern states on account of Boko Haram insurgency, governors under the aegis of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) have called on General Abdulsalami Abubakar to rally past leaders of the country to help the Northern States curb the malaise. Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Niger State Dr. Babangida Aliyu

made the call at the maiden convocation ceremony of the Ibrahim Badamasi University, Lapai, (IBBUL), Niger state. Aliyu who was optimistic that the security challenges in the Northern states can be crushed in the next three months, insisted that with concerted efforts of prominent Nigerians, the horrendous situation in the North would be a thing of the past. “I call on General Abdulsalami Abubakar to invite Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Generals T.Y. Danjuma,

Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Chief Ernest Shonekan to come together and help the NSGF to end the scourge of Boko Haram in the region in the next three months,” he said. He also called on students of the university to imbibe best moral practices, warning that academics was not only learning but also in character for good citizenship for nation building among students. “As young people you also have crucial roles to play in addressing the situation as positive change

agents by advocating for peace, unity, collective national bargain towards a unified aspiration for development devoid of ethnoreligious sentiments in the society”. On the role of education and its implication on development of Nigerians under socio-political tranquility, the Niger state governor who is also Visitor to the university called on institutions in the country not to limit instructions of students to academics alone but to partner with parents and institutions of worship

Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko (middle), traditional rulers and other officials at the distribution of Zakkat, at Gandi Town, Rabah Local Government Area, Sokoto State …yesterday

Protect your children from kidnappers, Lagos govt warns parent Muritala Ayinla

ollowing the frequent cases of kidnapping of babies and schoolchildren in some parts of the country, the Lagos State Government yesterday warned parents across the state to pay special attention to their wards, saying protection of lives and properties start from being security conscious. The Solicitor-General of Lagos State and Chairman Lagos State Secretariat Mosque, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) who gave the warning during the Children’s Day celebration for the Muslim Children, held at the secretariat, Alausa, said every parent must intensify their security consciousness. Pedro added that it behooves on every parent and guardian to ensure that the rights of the children, including the ‘right to be protected against kidnapers’ are well protected, add-

ing that if the children are well trained and protected, the nation would be better for it as more quality leaders would emerge in the future. Lawal said: ”They have the right to their education; they have the right for their safety both in and out of

the school. They have the right not to be kidnapped. They have the right to good health and food. They have the right to be in good environment, because they are the future leaders of tomorrow. If we invest in the children and train them properly, we are bound to

have good future leaders.” He urged parents to begin to pay attention to their wards at home in their various schools, saying “they should know what happen in their neighbourhood. Everybody must be security conscious.

in making Nigeria a better place. General Abdulsalami who is the chairman of IBBU endowment fund announced at the occasion that the fund

Asiodu, others set agenda for Emefiele C o n t d f r o m pag e 3

lot of people were recruited,middle markets expanded and more investors came in. That happened because of the way the policies were managed; and that is how it should be managed, unlike the last dispensation, where a lot of battles of vendetta were used to deal with critical issues.” He stressed the need for orderliness in the handling of CBN policies, stating that the manner, at which the erring banks were sold off wasn’t professional and expects the new governor to employ maturity in handling fiscal policies. More importantly, he said, “The microfinance banks in Nigeria have the potential to build the country’s Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. The new governor should see the significance of microfinance banks as the catalyst towards development of SMEs in the country.” As a tool towards fostering economic growth, Popoola urged the new CBN Governor to make human capacity building in the apex bank a priority, adding that every effort should be geared towards enhancing the growth and functionality of CBN as an autonomous body. “Given the headwinds to price and exchange rate stability on the horizon, the incoming governor will likely maintain the current monetary policy stance; at least until the 2015 elections are over and probably beyond that. Instead, the headwinds are fiercer and he will probably not undertake any major further tightening,” said analysts at Meristem Securities.

Police arrest two for kidnapping

he Police in Anambra State have arrested two suspected kidnappers operating in the state, even as they have launched a manhunt for the abductors of former Commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, Mr. Chike Okoli, The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Usman Gwari, Anambra Gwari, who addressed journalists in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area, said they suspects were arrested through the collab-

orative effort of the State Joint Security Operations. According to him, one of the suspects, Okwuchukwu Nnagbo from Agu-Ukwu Nri, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, with the assistance of the protocol department and staff of the airline while trying to board a flight to South Africa. Gwari said the suspects were already helping the police with useful information, and would be prosecuted after investigation.

He assured that the police in Anambra were determined to rid the state of criminals and bad elements, and urged members of the public to continue to assist the police with useful information. Reacting to the arrest, Gov. Willie Obiano commended the police for efforts at combating crime in the state. In a similar development, the command has promised to ensure the arrest of the abductors of Mr. Okoli. Speaking in Awka, the com-

is yielding results as all collected monies running into hundreds of millions are in a dedicated account awaiting judicious use for developing the institution.

mand’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chukuemeka Emeka, called for information from members of the public that could lead to the arrest of the kidnappers. ``We want good information from members of the public. We also assure them of adequate protection for the informants,’’ Emeka said. Okoli, a commissioner during former Gov. Peter Obi’s administration, was kidnapped on May 21 in Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area

According to the firm, the current scale of security challenges as well as impending potential political maneuvers ahead of the 2015 elections would lower expectations of any major monetary policy change that can negatively affect financial markets in the short-term. “However, we see the Monetary Policy Committee headed by the new CBN Governor faced with the major challenge of increasing the attractiveness of the financial markets (to forestall capital outflows/ reversals, naira depreciation and decline in foreign reserves) in the face of interest rate hikes in the US post-tapering of bond purchase programme. Raising the MPR may be a recurrent option/issue in 2015 while development banks will help provide the needed funds for real sector and infrastructure development. “Ensuring a robust level of reserves and the stability of price and exchange rate during the run-up to the elections given these headwinds will be the initial test of the governor’s ability. Hence, we think these concerns will be his shortterm focus. We also share the sentiments that the governor is likely to stand by his earlier comments on the exchange rate during his confirmation by the National Assembly, otherwise the market will perceive him as inconsistent and this may rub off adversely on the (central) bank’s subsequent policy communications,” the analysts said. They noted that the real sector may be expecting monetary policies that are ‘pro-industry,’ saying his moves to focus more on development banking policies will placate the real sector that has reportedly groaned under the negative impact of monetary tightening on prohibitive borrowing costs. “Industry perception of Emefiele marks him as being diametrically opposite to his predecessor and it may be safe to say that his tenure is expected to be relatively calm with a ‘soft’ policy environment post-2015 elections. This, however, does not imply compromise on firm regulation of the industry,” the Meristem analysts added. A lawyer, Chukwuma Ezeala, advised Emefiele to strengthen the department for the supervision of banks to protect customers.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Life

Scattered wares of victims

Remains of a victim packed in polythene for burial

When bloodbath returned to Jos C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 1

that the incident instilled is a bigger hurdle. For them, carrying out suicide explosions in public places is not something they want to experience again. For Aliyu Abubakar from Rikkos, a suburb of Jos, his entire family cannot forget the ugly day in a hurry even as many citizens of the state continue the endless lamentation and urging the government to provide security in Plateau State. “It is a very terrible incident and honestly, my family is distraught because we know persons who lost somebody. It is not something that I want to see again,” he said. New Telegraph on Sunday gathered that there were some indicators that the security agencies did not seriously investigate. Sources who did not want their names mentioned are alleging that there was the presence of some suspicious group of people who entered the town and lodged in a hotel with security escort stationed at the gates of the hotel two days before the multiple blasts. “The reason for their mission in the Tin City was not made known to anybody and their sudden disappearance shortly after the incident is now a talk of the town coupled with the influx of some unidentified boys into the town,” said one of the sources. Also, two men and a lady were arrested and detained on two occasions by security operatives in one of the police stations but after being bailed, they abandoned the vehicle they were arrested in and never bothered to even collect some of their personal effects including some money still in police possession. “We reliably gathered the some group of boys are now moving from one state to another in the region after they allegedly left a similar vehicle under a police custody in Gombe State before their arrival to plateau state recently,” our source said. The state Acting Governor who is also the Deputy Governor, Mr. Ignatius Long Jang, told pressmen at the scene of the blast that the state government was determined to deal with the situation and arrest those behind the killing. Meanwhile, the Plateau State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), while condemning the bombing, has urged Christians not to react in any negative way but to trust God to relieve them of the pain of losing loved ones. He admonished them to have hope of seeing an end to the spate of bombings in Jos and anywhere else in the country. Chairman of the state chapter, Rev Soja Bewarang, said it was shocking that the bombing in the Terminus area of Jos could happen at a time Nigerians were demand-

A man digs a grave for one of the victims

ing for the rescue of the abducted school girls from Chibok as well as similar blasts in Nyanya and Kano. He however emphasized that there was no need for anyone to attack any other person by way of reprisal. “If people harassed other people over the bomb blasts in Jos, it was probably out of the anger of having lost close relatives, but in the end, such reaction helps no one,” he said. Some of the relations who lost someone in the blast remain inconsolable. Mohammed Abubakar, who is now observing the three days Muslim prayer for the loss of his Sister, Aminat Mohammed killed in the blast said they will not forget the manner in which their sister died. According to him, the sister just went to the market to buy foodstuff when the explosion occurred. “Those responsible for spilling the blood of the innocent will not go scot-free. As a Muslim I know that my life and that of my sister are in the hand of God, but I think these suicide bombers are sucking the blood of too many Nigerians in their own country. I think the whole thing is a failure on the part

Victim of the blast recieving treatment

of the government and our security agencies. I think there is a set up aimed at causing confusion on the land,” he said. Another victim, Mrs. Obiageli Joseph, who lives in Sergeant Mallam Street in Jos, was killed in the blast but her two year old baby strapped on her back miraculously survived. New Telegraph on Sunday was unable to speak with the victim’s husband as the family was said to be grieving and could not speak on the loss. In a similar gesture, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Plateau State chapter also called on the citizens of the state to stand united in peace and harmony as one people bound in common humanity and shared values of mutual respect and tolerance for one another. In a press statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Sani Mudi in Jos, JNI condemned in strongest terms, the twin bombing which rocked the busy Jos main market. “We view this dastardly act by wicked individuals/groups as callous, devilish and ungodly especially as the city is gradually returning to life after years of unnecessary bloodshed and destruction due to the ethno-

religious conflicts it went through for over a decade,” the statement read. “We send our deepest sympathy and commiserate with all those who lost dear ones and wish speedy recovery to those recuperating from injuries sustained. We call on all citizens to be vigilante, remain calm and desist from any acts that could rupture our fragile polity and disrupt our march to peace, reconciliation and recovery from the effects of violence.” The group commended the security and emergency management agencies for their prompt response to the situation and ensuring that law and order prevails in this trying period, adding that “We wish to appeal to all to remain focused shun divisive tendencies and pray fervently for continued peace in our state in particular and the nation at large so that Allah will expose the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity.” One prayer every resident in Plateau State must pray is for the government to provide security enough that the travails of the people have been exposed to in the last 13 years may end so that they may move forward to living in the paradise they once knew.

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

Page 15, MAY 25, 2014

Go for fabulously sexy, smoky eyes

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT www.newtelegraphonline.com/body&soul

We should see Nigeria beyond the prism of corruption

-Joe Keshi

Bring out the man in you, use good cologne

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

rt a e h y m

rom f t h g Strai

W 14 NE

MAY

TELE

GRAP

H ON

SUND

4 Pg.

20 25,

O he G on t Y I D 48

oul

y&S

Bod

Some people are real friends. is more ims le up co if ... is e. Yeah, it friendship tiful experienc hile others say arriage is a beaue friendship in a marriage w e you love a friend. us arriage, pitch love abov they are both important beca n in a newly contracted m set in, io e, ity ss m pa real portant. To e initial heady ity. He asserted that when ace. I agree pe id that after th al A man once sa then contend with the re rance to continue to live in . ld le er the couple would need a healthy dose of to rance holds friends togeth ife and mother ou w -aw le er that tole ad ve tr lie ng the coup be ki I e is becaus appetite. w a hardwor with him on th elf silly the day I heard ho and’s after dark voracious want to sleep. ys d sb m an hu d r ed he he tir I laug I’m fied ds and still satis dear husband, n you’re through so the ki - ‘multitasked’ wled me over was, “My he w up e m r ve bo l. Please co The bit that r or open as usua rment in thei n’t see!” I’ll leave the do and see what they should and worn tolerance as a ga n up w t have se don’t wake man takes his wife mus package. The oman. I ed This man and elf. pp ra l-w el w like a e real w mys union, I told e Igbo, say that a woman is ps, whatever he sees is th ‘ill-wrapped’. ra th es , w My people ough at tim me and un e, a package, althher home, through marriag g ted package ho the well scen , I add that a man is also ke tin ta ur to co er I urge people agree. Howev e permission of a woman’s s his true self. The reason all-important is al th th s ve g ha re in d ak he e m an n nc ps O he he then unwra t the help of the heavens w . r y) couples to enlis aders have a right of repl erian-born Adetoun and he , re et ig y m N (M ey ith . th w on w w si ie ci ho de the bit about lish, our interv re I read, with re e. I smiled when I got to Adetoun wanted to be su Jo le d, hi w an ot kn e th Irish husb tie in a hurry to ds to achow Joe was ared their min ve story, ep pr ho it. w d s te al eir lo vidu she wan “I do”. Read th I saw two indi lly In their story, warts and all, before saying is edition, they are equa th r, in he s ot ie or ch st ea cept other adn more; read u, our dear re you will lear entertaining. l to titillate yo d ea an m g se in ur at co uc ll ed present our fu As usual, we . ay. ay nd us next Sund ers, this Su ep a date with ke d an y jo En

ils a n ur o y Givereat at

sink l or hot!) bow (not ak et a arm ap. So w so :G es. nailsit with s of inut osen youren fill drop few mhelp lo over Soakper, th a few for a will st left the en d n ly stop er an s on d soapany duso softly clea . wat hand er an and ill al gent themcyour e wat skin d it w ush to ound , if ne r can Th dead g an ft br in ar ils ashe you ure ke na , ic w so hen de dirt filin se a the sk your dish n w man So , , salo ect ola from les. U and under . Also, nails over the a perf ile rinse imb cutic nailsrape e dirt rem ticle go to lf Ab frag hy yourse lish , cu nd or ; just your tly sc removed. po ap in ha do me? nail d so file, Gen ry, to be us y sk them m as ur lon : at honeed: liqui nail essa can ve dr t soak lo ti to yo e, fo u ild er, or m in , use an soapyou hald no icur t yo l, m imm ill m ea If shou Wha woo il tr polish. od man red crea nd cr y skintion w nd si u na on dr y lo yo . a de trim cott mer, d nail lf a go ha nd or ha ry arou to to t; thempp ly lotion ve ve t, an and 30 min ils tter shor trim m an yourses: no ha na r A e to fo th you n, if in crea give e step your per/cu too t a little u em as sage s. If lotio rub itsoak in ip To thes file if yody le e nd ss. il cl t th d to it nailsa tren low ut and se na ’t cu see at acro th an ss ha tensiv sure d let ur in Be C th: U . Don le to e way oo acro an . t yo r nails . sm ils g in ab er ils do na ng ge pa leng na ld be all theate a e file filin your or lo u can ur fin your shou te tip d cr drag th while e nails utes en yo ving yo you e whi nail anently force n th Th , gi oo thle of thle the e. G ssive weake sire sm ap de fi Fi sh ill eak. e a . n Ex ce w not ts look clea nail. forth to br m ake. Do poin any . the and e them ke to angl back caus ch st ro an an ean upippers and le ea er th just cl the cl Fi e rath ort: ft by sh curv too ess le them ughn ro or

d: nee You

14 25, 20 MAY

NEW

TELEG

RAPH

ON SU

NDAY

Pg. 50

Soul

Body&

ired es p s n di t-i Adul es for kid styl

you e. If e ay tim thes d pl up with d are an al an casu ot keep parent a styl-e cann s as a eak with guid e to nd sp atur es let us es fe m strip al tre o shy toshops, yl take to im fro e st the we Thes trends, suits, ansnickist at t as hora of es s p e et ay u. yo our gu h a pl t, cute day’ ce, pl high to w), th d. Be roug , swee orable to la ts and tion a fe not tos erne mac th us conc at O nds u– prin men finitely e twist e you fabulo ight ad tre s are ist ini yo (to nr trendd’s stylla, says heavily t ers are dend in th l as th - fun,d dow your m ul Ki Enio lean an es for kids t behi as wel is mak , to ad t piec or girl. be lef turns fashion lated to Kids e days ilored ey wan and ks that e trans casions , boy thes les ta tely, th mimic ki sty La a Ikla e to so, you twea These ar for oc casual on as n. or om io t es m es have fash e and s’ style hasingr ing. cloth -smar Biw tim any nt, you to a their events mor parent s purc ion fo pare ked in what and their parent ike fashspotted wal s as to little find e adult-l ey are rn. eles r your e to mor kids. Th you tu fo , clu cid e their ywhere shop rchase may dely on th re u in ever to pu You op or int yo r as e. sh on dow to po as fa win stylist rection shop ht di rig the

Juliet

Contents 25.05.14 COVER

If you watch this film, ‘The Godfather’ you will see that at some point in time there was so much corruption - the judiciary, the police and the rest were in the pocket of the godfather. But didn’t they change it? They did

-Joe Keshi

} 18-19

BEAUTY

With a small eye shadow brush, soften the edges of the eye pencil line. Apply a dark shadow using a smudge brush directly over the pencilled area and smudge. (If you prefer, you can use your finger tip.)

} 21

GLAM DUDES

Men often sweat more than women, so it’s no surprise they are the worst offenders when it comes to body odour. No one wants body odour. A good deodorant, antiperspirant and cologne can keep it under control } 44

oul

Body&S

FASHION A short white dress

NEW

PH TELEGRA

ON SUN

DAY MAY

4 25, 201

es ssori Acce

Pg. 17

with a gold cuff, gold neckpiece and earrings elevate the look to an evening affair. Throw on a pair of strappy sandals and you are ready for a night of cocktails

} 22&43

OUR LOVE STORY

Do you need wasting time on courtship when you have met your spouse? I don’t believe in that. I even wanted it earlier than that, but she declined. I think she wanted to know me more before committing herself } 45

ient conven they are long as fortable. ankle is enr casual at and com n if you gant, gre And evethin and ele r flat t for any y perfec . They are h wide not ver still rock you spewit ble dut ed for tha sem im h combinsports den you cans. Finally, opt a timeg up wit a casual when ts, skirt, meetin eone for sandal terials and to slip n pan ing so daily y le ma cial som re’s someth r cute linert or any y jeans and t’s eas wara ski ss- rab style tha nn e, the about you dre ski sa Ok i dat , less ne ting Va ays shorts well as mins, there comfor into. s. suitdal ch as ries alw ccesso te a look,- flat sandaldals are not that’s bea For flat san trictions as comple tement san t Flat sanformal suit, is a es. almost no res and sta azing! Fla - able for ause there y are are com just am ar bec But the dals ares are cute andyou’re cle ss code. ether nds or dre sandal le. Wh fortab g out with frie hangin

T h e Te a m l Juliet Bumah (Editor)

BED, WORK & LIFE

A woman took my dear husband for a very long ride and he fell for it. I was beside myself with anger. I travelled to Abuja to let off steam and ran into an Adonis whose six pack proved to be no fluke. We fell

at Rock flls in style sa n d a

for each other and the result is this joy in my womb

} 20

l Bayo Adeoye (Senior Correspondent) l Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) l Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent) l Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics) l Edwin Usoboh (Graphics) +234 (0) 811 675 9770, +234 (0) 701 110 1014 chibumah@yahoo.com julietbumah@newtelegraphonline.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Accessories

Rock flat sandals in style Vanesa Okwara

ccessories always complete a look, and statement sandals are just amazing! Flat sandals are cute and comfortable. Whether you’re hanging out with friends or

meeting up with that special someone for a casual date, there’s something so comforting about your cute flat sandals. Flat sandals are not suitable for formal suit, that’s clear because there is a dress code. But they are

perfect for any casual ensemble. They are great when combined with wide linen pants, sports denim skirt or any daily skirt, shorts, skinny jeans and beach as well as mini dresses. For flat sandals, there are almost no restrictions as

long as they are convenient and comfortable. And even if your ankle is not very thin and elegant, you can still rock your flat sandals. Finally, opt for durable materials and a timeless style that’s easy to slip into.

Body&Soul

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Joe Keshi: We should see Nigeria Chairman of the Board of Directors, United Bank for Africa, and at various times former Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, the Presidency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consul-General, Nigerian Embassy to the United States, Ambassador Joe Keshi, in this interview with BIYI ADEGOROYE speaks on the just concluded World Economic Forum on Africa and other pressing national issues What were the benefits to Nigeria from the just concluded World Economic Forum for Africa? I think that coming against the backdrop of the rebasing of the Nigerian economy, the World Economic Forum for Africa was an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase itself, its potentials and advertise itself to the world as an investment destination and a leading nation in Africa. It was an opportunity to tell the world who we are and convince investors why they should invest in Nigeria. As you know, the forum itself is a club of rich boys and girls, club of rich countries; of people who are looking for areas to put in their money. Coming to Nigeria, despite the challenges we have, to listen to our President and his ministers, the members would by now l hope, be looking at how to diversify their investments, and invest in Nigeria. So at the end of the day, it is a good thing that Nigeria hosted the Forum. The benefits might not be immediate, but the good thing is that they came, listened to the opportunities which abound in the country as a growing economy, and they will now go and do their homework regarding how to invest and the areas to focus on. What sectors do you think are likely to benefit from the Forum? From what I heard, power is one area , agriculture is another and infrastructure . I know the minister of finance also spoke about housing, but the power sector, particularly gas development, is the area that the government is trying to attract significant investment in order to sustain the power reform. Power is critical to the development of the nation’s economy. Today, Nigeria can hardly generate 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of electricity and it is the largest economy in the continent. Assuming it can generate 20,000 megawatts, this economy will explode, more because we are industrious and hardworking. Steady supply of power would change the dynamics of the economy and by the time we rebase again, we will be even bigger. So it makes it crucial as virtually everything we do is dependent on power. Today, the high cost of living can be attributed to power because we spend a lot of money on generators. But now with the power reform in place, if we have adequate supply of power, the number of those companies, factories that are spending so much money buying diesel or petrol at exorbitant prices no doubt, will lower the cost of their products. those that have either closed down or relocated to other countries in the sub-region, may be persuaded to reopen or return to Nigeria.. Power is very critical to development and

it is very exciting that government is giving it the focus it deserves. On power generation, what do you make of government’s ongoing attention to gas-to-power generation, as against dependence on hydro-electric power? With so much gas in the country, the government focus is right and should be supported. I think we are the ninth major gas producer and rank second to Russia in terms of wastage, It is also cheaper to generate electricity using gas. Therefore conventional wisdom dictates that we focus on developing the gas industry in order to be able to propel our energy requirement. Not every part of Nigeria has hydro-power potentials and given the situation we find ourselves, the proper development of the gas sector, following the gas master plan, will help ment the governin increasing the number of megawatts of power required in this country. So for what has been done in the sector so far, t h e

future is bright. Let us look at the issue of security in the last few years. What is your impression about this? Security remains a major challenge in this nation, and it is very unfortunate that at a time we seem to have resolved one in the Niger Delta, we have now found ourselves in a more complex and complicated one in the North-East. And as you have seen in the last couple of days, it has gone from bad to worse, exposing this country to all kinds of ridicule, including subjecting our leaders and the country to some bad publicity. It is also very unfortunate when you come to think of it, that this is coming at a time when we are beginning to get a few things right. But for me, given what has happened in the last few weeks, l can only hope have learnt a few lessons. But knowing this country, which has no appreciation for post mortems I am sure that soon after the Chibok girls are found or released, everybody would then forget some of the shortcomings, some of the mistakes that were made, that have left us open to a different and negative narrative in the world. I used the word ‘narrative’, because it is the wrong narrative that the global media is putting out and we should not blame them for we invited them and failed to put our house in order... I also think that at that particular time, we failed to ask the right calibre of people to speak for the nation, we failed to field our first 11. I just hope that we have learnt our lessons and that we will take the security of our nation very seriously. It is now clear we need to review our security apparatus to see whether they are good enough for the 21st century Nigeria. From what we are beginning to learn, I think it is imperative that we must build a new security network, security infrastructure and reform our military. We have left them too long to themselves. Since the abduction of the Chibok girls, a number of state actors, including the President, have come up to speak for the country. How would you assess their performance? I think the major weakness in this issue is we failed to understand that the world has changed; that the world has become a global village; that modern information technology has changed the way we do things. Information spread today is faster than anything else you can imagine some 20 years ago. When I joined the diplomatic service, there was this popular saying, jokingly so, that a diplomat was one sent to a recipient state to lie for his country. So it was easy for your country to say ‘go to the recipient state’s foreign office and deny that so and so happened or did not happen. But today, with the presence of CNN, Aljazeera,the BBC and others, we can no longer deny, because they report events live with

visuals and the rest of them. Let’s be specific about what went wrong. You know we are being accused of not reacting immediately and when we did, it was too little and too late. My gut feeling is that I do not believe that the President and his team reacted too late or they did not react at all. But I think what went wrong was that they probably did not think it was necessary to take us the people into confidence and inform us of what was going on and what they were doing. They could have also confided in us, the challenges they had in sourcing for the correct information as l believe the initial information from Chibok was to say the least scanty. These would have been reassuring including the promise to get the girls back as quickly as it was possible. I have no doubt that if they reacted that way immediately, the bad publicity that this incident generated would have been minimized, and the anger would have been directed more against Boko Haram. But because of the perception that the President acted too little and too late, we are where we are now. Things need to change. And that’s why I’m concerned about the narrative, because it does not seem that publicity-wise, we were prepared for the event itself (WEF); given that we were going to use that event to showcase what we have. You see, for an event like the WEF, we invariably invited the global media, so you can make an arrangement where you can manage them; where you can tell your story. And that means that you needed to put certain things in place, but these things happened and everybody was either complacent or ambivalent until it got out of control. Now, what do you think the Nigerian foreign missions should now be telling the world? Again the Nigerian foreign missions, just as they were under military rule, are currently at their wit’s end on how to handle a crisis like this. You cannot go to any foreign ministry and offer any kind of explanation. They will ask you: ‘why did your people react so late?’ And you have no answer. You cannot go there and say that government is doing its utmost best when the news media they are watching is saying something else. So the changes in the global media have also changed the face of diplomacy, and people who are sending diplomats out must also look at the challenges diplomats face in selling you or explaining what is going on in your country. We must therefore help our diplomas to excel and perform to our satisfaction by conducting ourselves properly at home. Diplomats today can no longer tell a different story when CNN is telling another story… That is why there is the need for effective communication, cooperation and coordination among all agencies of government as the failure of one reflects on the other and creates unnecessary problems and make other arms look ridiculous. That makes it imperative for proper synergy. In that way you create one acceptable and credible narrative and all speak in unison, rather than a situation where I say something today, another person says something else tomorrow and the global media arrives and declare everyone a liar. It is unfortunate. But how do you think the insurgency issue should be addressed? I think the major mistake that was made in this Boko Haram issue was not understanding the nature and depth of the rebellion. This would have enabled us to address the atten-

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Body&Soul

beyond the prism of corruption dant problems squarely. Rather we elected to play politics and now it has festered beyond our imagination and out of control. Immediately it became an issue, particularly when Abuja, Kano, Kaduna were being bombed, rather than the whole nation uniting behind the President and the military operations, some people started expressing the opinion that we must grant the Boko Haram people amnesty; you must do the same thing you did to the Niger Delta boys and all the rest. The leaders of the areas most affected found it good politics to blame the federal government for the underdevelopment of the north. How many of us today blame the past and present leaders of Bornu state for example for impoverishing the state and for their failures which in the first instance created the insurgents So we should go back and trace the mistakes we have made, including the fact that for years, it would appear we have neglected the military and now we hear of a military in decline. This has also exposed us. And then in a country like this, you need to be very careful about how we describe the military, because the guys are putting their lives on the line. Imagine when you say that Boko Haram is more motivated, then you ask yourself, - ‘with what?, with the promise of seven virgins somewhere they know little about.They are not paid, motivated with what?. Drugs By kidnapping women and raping them or putting them in trucks? They are so motivated that they steal food and destroy villages. The problem is that as a conventional force, it is difficult for the military to use all the weapons in its arsenal. But having said that for a military that has fought insurgency more or less in Sierra Leone and Liberia for 10 years, they should have developed the capacity, the knowledge and strategy to deal with this insurgency. If they have no equipment, that is another issue. Then we will ask them: ‘What have they been doing with the military budget in the last 10 to 20 years?’ As I said, with all these things happening, it is now the time for us to sit down and look at our military. For me, here is my take. This military went to war for this country, they came out victorious. Then they were not even as large as they are now. To me, that was an opportunity for it to build itself to become a strong military - well trained, well equipped, wellarmed, well-motivated to become the guardian of the state. But when we are now being told that the military we have cannot adequately protect this country, I find it difficult to believe. If it is true, then we need to sit down with the military people themselves - not in anger, but calmly - that look, let us rebuild the military, rebuild the intelligence network, maybe we take them away from what is not intelligence, and focus them on modern intelligence strategies, and provide them everything they need to do their work. This is important for, as has been said ,the wars of the future are going to be less of conventional wars, less of inter state wars but more and more of local conflicts like we now have and we must begin to prepare our military, and all security agencies for such scenarios. Let us look at our foreign policy. How has it been and where do you think we are now? Our foreign policy is certainly not as punchy or as dynamic as it should be. That is why; I don’t know why we had to wait for France to call a meeting between us and our neighbours ... I do know that if this had happened in the days gone by, Nigeria would have been sending delegations, talking and meeting with our neighbours, putting heads together to be able to help us solve this problem. I do remember during the civil war in this country, the closest ally we had was Niger Republic. We did not go to France to call on Niger to be our ally. You understand what I’m trying to say. You see, over time, we have neglected paying special attention to our neighbours. We have not pursued this whole concept of good neighbourliness which was a sub-set of the cardinal qualities of Nigeria’s foreign policy well enough. That means that in defining our security, anything that happens to any of these countries around us also affects us. The lesson we should learn from this is that we must rebuild that relationship with our neighbours and extend co-operation in all fields, so that it is very easy to relate with them back and forth. Beyond ECOWAS, we had what is called the quadripartite agreement between Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. It is all about security. I don’t know what has happened to it, I don’t know whether they meet again. It was replaced by something else under President Olusegun Obasanjo and Prof. Joy Ogwu as Minister of Foreign Affairs. I don’t know how far that has gone, but we need to build such co-operation with Chad, Niger and Cameroon for our own security and Nigerians need to understand that these things will cost money. So we should stop this argument that we are going to waste this money out there. No. Every Naira spent to promote security and good neigbhourliness is money well spent. Does that mean that the Boko Haram people could have

been intercepted along with the Chibok girls if we had this kind of co-operation with these three countries? That is exactly what I’m saying. In the 70s and 80s, we had a superb relationship with these countries, and there were institutions that were built. We have the Nigeria-Niger Commission, Nigeria-Niger Basin all these things we need to pay attention to as instruments of our foreign policy. You know, you need to build such close relations, including trade with our neighbours, and it has to be formal. Look, the United States, Canada and Mexico trade w i t h m o r e w i t h themselves than with anybody else, and that makes it imperative for the countries to ensure that nothing happens that could disrupt that trade. So we need to build that as a means of reassuring our neighbours that we are one, and that we will do anything to protect the interests of one another. We need to take a second look at our foreign policy. The cardinal principles are there, we just need to look at its execution, and do more. In recent times, we seem to have a high turnover of foreign affairs ministers, and now some of them are very old. Also, the foreign missions often complain of poor funding. I don’t really know, but what I do know is that these are part of the nature of Nigerian politics. Until we change our politics, there is actually nothing we can do in this regard. On funding, the truth of the matter is that foreign policy is expensive, and I don’t think that those who do the budget appreciate the essence of foreign policy. So the Foreign Ministry has never been given sufficient funds for its activities. But I’m also aware that we (I was there for many years) have not been good managers of the money given o us. So it is on both sides and this is not only for the foreign ministry, but for all agencies of government. Money is short, and there is also a tremendous amount of waste within the system. If we can block that waste, we will be able to do better. Nigerian embassies are doing their best, even though they are often accused of not doing well in the area of citizencentered diplomacy. The fact is that many Nigerians abroad don’t do what is expected of them like report at the embassy on arriving in the country they are visiting or staying and when this go wrong they blame the missions. There may have been times we failed to act as we should but on the whole, the fault is not the missions alone. Also some of the complaints you hear about today for all I know may have happened years ago but people repeat or recall as new cases. It is part of what l call intellectual laziness. Nigeria’s do not appear to recognized the changes taking place around them. I tell people, that a lot of things are happening in this country, but we are fond of saying nothing is happening. Even in government, they talk more of the problems than the solutions or even celebrate their little successes. Take for instance, this issue of ‘infrastructural deficit or gaps.’. Are you telling me that since 1999, we have not tried to close the gap? No. Take roads. The roads in this country today have improved more than they were in 1999. If you travel round the country, you will agree with me. Every governor in this country has been building roads, so we must be closing the gap. That is a better narrative, that the roads are getter better or improving that to keep saying not is happening. Even the media and the elites are not helpingus. If you look at Vision 2010, somewhere in the proposal, it was stated that the country should grow by about 7.5 per cent; we have achieved this and growing now at 6.5%. The Vision document enjoined us to privatize, we are doing that. And then people will now come and say we threw away Vision 2010, and started Vision 2020, when as a matter of fact, we may have done more than 50 per cent of what Vision 2010 called for. We may not have called it Vision 2010 under

President Obasanjo, but the recommendations in the documents, were carried out under the Obasanjo reforms and now under president Jonathan .Look at the trajectory, that things are gradually improving. It might not have created many jobs but we are getting there. It is the same all over the world. If we can do a few things like the gas master plan and energy reforms, and open up the economy, retrain our workforce, retrain graduates out of the universities into other areas that they are not looking at, the jobs would appear. What is your impression of the banking sector right now? The sector is doing well. In UBA, we just concluded some examinations on corporate governance and on fiduciary responsibilities of bank directors. As you know, we have the best governace structure in the industry. And the test was to part of ongoing efforts to strengthen directors knowledge of corporate governance, which is very critical to make the banks very stronger and more sustainable. I was amazed by the number of anticorruption laws we have in this country. They are so many and we got to figure out how best to implement them. There is this issue that interest rate charged by the banks as being too harsh for the growth of the economy? Banks don’t just get up in the morning and fix the lending rate. They react to the detects of the environment, the market and the regulators. Whatever they do, the banks react almost immediately. That is always why you will always have this debate about how far you can go in regulating the banking sector. If you regulate them too much, there is a problem; if you regulate them too little, there is a problem. It has to be a balance. How do you react to the issue that banks aid money laundering despite the existence of the Financial Intelligence Act? I think the laws are very clear. The banks are bound to make disclosures, especially those ones bothering on the compulsory disclosure. But you know when banks get money, there are not just going to tell the police that Mr. A has brought in this. I think what we need to do is to find a better way of handling this money laundering issue. when you go and deposit money in a bank, it is written in the deposit slip - what is it for or where is it from? I don’t know who collates these things and what they do with them but examining them often could be helpful. Candidly, we have enough and adequate laws in place. It is making them work that is the problem I asked this question because a few months back, top managers of some banks were arrested for laundering billions of Naira for politicians? It was possible that these were people aiding their friends l have no idea nor the details, but l do know we cannot fight corruption the way we are going. At some point in their history, some of the advanced countries were like us. But a combination of factors helped them to arrest rampant corruption, from leadership, to institutional reforms and sanctions. Consequently, everybody made conscious efforts to tackle corruption. While preparing for the examination on fudicial responsibility, I was amazed at the number of laws we have on money laundering, corruption and one begins to wonder where the problem lies, because we have all the laws. In the private sector, we have the whistle blowing system that works well, and the regulators are always on the Banks to make sure that shareholders Funds are not abused or misused. In the public sector, the laws are there too and making them work should be the responsibility of all. This is where we need to ask how do we begin to resolve this issue. This is because in Nigeria, particularly in the media we cry and accuse people of this and that without substantial information to investigate the cases. As long as we all fail to work together, as long as the citizens themselves don’t come up to assist the investigations or glorify people with questionable wealth, as long as the investigative authorities create their own bottlenecks and the judicial system fails to work, we are going nowhere with reducing corruption. …If you watch The Godfather - you will see that at some point in time there was so much corruption, so much so that the judiciary, the police and the society were in the payroll of the godfathers. But didn’t they change it? They did. What did they do that we are not doing? So this is where we all must accept the responsibility that we all have a role to play. We cannot be complaining that things are bad. Let the change we want start with us.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Body&Soul

with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770 chibumah@yahoo.com

Richie is all wind, no rain!

etty’s mouth was agape. She just couldn’t believe what Patra was saying. It sounded like a fantasy, but her BFF (Best Friend Forever), Patra, was telling her story exactly the way it happened. She didn’t know which was more incredible -that Richie had a love family outside, that he was infertile or that a Prince Charming put an end to her BFF’s agony by impregnating her. “Babe, please tell me you made up this story,” she said, disbelief in her voice. “How can I joke with such a serious issue, Betty dear? I’m telling you exactly what happened. This pregnancy belongs to another man. My dear Richie is all wind, no rain,” Patra replied. “But you just said he had two children outside. How come he could impregnate a woman outside but couldn’t perform the same feat at home?” Patra sighed and said slowly, “A woman took my dear husband for a very long ride and he fell for it. I was beside myself with anger. I travelled to Abuja to let off steam and ran into an Adonis whose six pack proved to be no fluke. We fell for each other and the result is this joy in my womb.” “How are you so sure he is responsible? It could be a coincidence,” Betty said. Patra shook her head and said, “I thought it was at first, but happenings afterward proved otherwise. I could trek to Sambisa Forest and back with the energy I had expended on mulling over this matter. Sister moi, someone is sitting on a very long thing and I’m afraid.” “So what is the next step?” Betty asked, worried. Tears welled up in Patra’s eyes and dropped on her cheeks and immediately, Betty’s shoulder heaved and the two friends sobbed. In a tear-filled voice, Patra said, “I prayed for a happy marriage. I did everything humanly possible to make my husband happy, everything to make my home peaceful. I was faithful to Richie...until the day I stumbled on his closely guarded secret -his secret family- and that led to another secret. He was certified ‘infertile’ by a medical doctor. “I never wanted to be unfaithful to him. I walked into another man’s arms because I was broken and needed warmth. I felt so rejected. It was as if my world had come to an end. I thought I could never have a child. I could have committed suicide if it occurred to me then. Then, I met this wonderful but equally sad man, Pius. We were like soul-siblings, united in grief. He lost his young wife to accident years ago and I lost my marital joy to another woman. We groped in the dark together until it turned into this sunshine in my womb.” Betty was dumbfounded. There was something strangely familiar about Patra’s story but she just couldn’t place her fingers on it. She dried her tears and faced Patra, “Babe, this is very serious. You shouldn’t have allowed the devil to use you. Accepted, Richie behaved like a bum but as a virtuous woman, you should have bent your knees in prayers. Is there anything our God cannot do? Your husband needs to know the truth. This is a big disgrace to our families. Have you told ‘Big Sis Tonia’?” Patra shook her head and said, “I told no one this. I told them am pregnant and everyone is happy. Of course, no one would wonder who impregnated a woman living with her husband.” “So how do you hope to solve this problem? A baby cannot have two biological fathers,” Betty asked. “I know Betty but right now, I have decided to do nothing. I accept I behaved badly. I don’t expect anyone to clap for me, not even you. I have worried myself stiff, thinking of what people will say if they hear this. I got no solution. Right now, I want to keep myself healthy so I can carry this pregnancy to full term and have a healthy baby. The doctor has warned that my blood pressure is on the rise. More worries on my part will amount to suicide. If Heavens allowed an agony-filled fling to bring joy to me, who am I to reject this gift in my womb? “The truth is that I love both men. You can say it’s impossible for a woman to love two men at the same time. I had thought so too but now I know it is very

possible. If a man can love more than one woman at a time, then a woman can. I will wait until my husband decides what he wants. He knows he cannot father a child. If he sends me out of his house, I won’t fuss over it. By the way, Pius, the father of my unborn baby is in town. He came in last night from the US. I’ve told him about you. He’s expecting us today.” Hmmmmmmmmm! Betty sighed. It was Saturday morning and Betty was in Patra’s house. Richie had gone to the gym. It was a Saturday routine for him and his friend, Dr. KC. ********** Richie had finished his workout session with the gym instructor. He really wasn’t in the mood for exercise, so, it was a short session. KC also cut short his session. They moved to the poolside and sat there. They ordered freshly juiced orange and silently watched three shapely ladies in bikinis splashing around in the pool. KC thawed the ice, “How’s the home front?” “Tense,” Richie replied, adding, “I’m hoping that this whole thing will turn out to be one long, bad dream and I’ll wake up to my pre-Ruth life with my dear wife.” KC looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Wake up buddy, this is no dream. It’s real and you cannot solve a real problem in dream land. You thought you impregnated your girlfriend twice and another man actually impregnated your wife. That’s a shitty situation you found yourself. Your problem now should be how to get outta it.” That was vintage KC; blunt to a fault. That was what endeared him to KC when they met at the orientation camp of the NYSC. They became friends and had remained so. “I love Patra. I love her, wart et all. She turned me to the success I am today with the right push and support from her now late father. It’s a pity I fell into the hands of opportunist Ruth who ruined my joy. By the way, I found out I couldn’t have fathered her children. I want Patra, but I also want to know how she came about that pregnancy. The thought of her in the arms of another man is driving me bonkers. She looks more beautiful by the day, that pregnancy makes her to blossom. Is it possible that that pregnancy could be the result of a fling gone awry?” Richie asked. “Ol’ boy, you know I don’t have an answer to that

question. Only you can get the answers to all questions bothering your mind. Have a ‘soul’ talk with your wife and decide on your next move. My golden advice is that you don’t invite a third party to this first talk, at least,” KC told his friend. They sipped their orange juice silently and watched the ladies in the pool who were obviously trying to get their attention. “Daughters of Jezebel, you can never get me again,” Richie swore silently and the two men laughed. ********** Pius checked his timepiece again and again. Patra was on her way with her friend. He was excited. For the first time, he would be meeting her friend. Patra had chosen Protea Hotel in GRA, Ikeja, for him. She didn’t want him to lodge in Sheraton because of the travel advisory warning of a possible bomb attack. Somehow, Lagos seemed safer and Pius was considering coming here more often to be with his love, Patra. “Patra!” He smiled. Mere thought of her usually flood his system with ‘sweet hormone’. He loved her so much. “I will do everything to have her and my son. The gods have certainly cracked my nuts,” he mused. The intercom beeped. He picked it and said, “Send them up.” He was at the door, waiting, when the soft knock came. He opened it and scooped Patra into his arms, kissing and telling her how much he loved and missed her. Suddenly, they remembered they weren’t alone and pulled apart. “Em...er...sweetheart, meet my best friend...” Patra stopped suddenly. Her BFF and her lover were staring at each other! “Betty!” Pius said in a soft voice, “Pius”, Betty replied and they hugged. “Do you guys know each other? I mean, how did you guys know each other? Patra looked from one to the other. *************** Indeed, what is the relationship between Pius and Betty?

Join me on this page next Sunday as we ‘burrow’ into the lives of these characters.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Go for fabulously sexy, smoky eyes Vanessa Okwara

n terms of eye makeup, is there anything sexier and more sophisticated than the classic smoky eye? Whether you’ve got a big party or a fancy gala to attend, smoky eyes can add a bit of sophisticated drama to your look. Mastering the perfect smoky eye can be difficult, but don’t let that dampen your spirit. It is not only makeup artists that create it, with the right ‘tools’ and little know-how, you can create your smoky eyes. Take the mystery out of this party ready look with these easy steps. 1. Apply a light shade of concealer to the under eye area, and all over the top lid. Your mineral makeup foundation is a great concealer for this step and prepares your eyes for the eye shadow. 2. Make sure your eyebrows are well-shaped and coloured, as the smoky eye will draw attention to them. Too thin or light brows will make your smoky eye look too dark and unnatural. 3. Choose your colours. Any colour can be used to create a smoky eye, although you will need at least three shades of a similar hue. The classic smoky eye is created with black or gray, but bronze and brown are also commonly used. You should choose three shades of each colour: a light creamy colour, a medium base colour, and a dark smoky colour. 4. First, line both the top and bottom rims with an eye pencil, paying close attention to the lash line. If you have small eyes, apply liner starting from the middle of the under eye to the outside of the eye. If your eyes are large, feel free to line from corner to corner.

5. With a small eye shadow brush, soften the edges of the eye pencil line. Apply a dark shadow using a smudge brush directly over the pencilled area and smudge. (If you prefer, you can use your finger tip.) 6. Next, apply a lighter shadow in a neutral tone with a larger eye shadow brush, encircling the entire eye area. Be sure to soften and graduate outward for that perfect blended look. 7. Blend your colours by sweeping a clean brush in soft, broad strokes across your lid at the places where the different shades of eye shadows meet. 8. Blend in strokes that go in the direction of your lash line (horizontally), but create the appearance of colour blending upwards. 9. Make sure that your lash line is the darkest part of your eyelid, and if necessary, apply a bit more of your darkest shadow directly to your lash line as you blend upwards. 10. Don’t forget to blend outwards and the edges of your eye, so that your shadow softly fades into your natural skin tone. The same should be done for the

colour that has been placed under your eyes. 11. You also need to pay attention to your lashes. Curling your eyelashes will help open up your eyes and really make them stand out. After you curl your lashes, you’ll want to apply generous coats of mascara. 12. If you want a more dramatic look, add more Shadow and Mascara! If you are looking for the most dramatic effect, be sure to curl those lashes and apply 2-3 coats of black mascara! 13. If you want to go for a classic smoky eye look, lightly line lips with a natural colour and add some sheer colour in peach, caramel, or barely there pink. You may try the nude look on the lips with your smoky eyes.

22 MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

White haute essence

Body&Soul

hite is so hot now...like its sister, the LBD! No matter the time of the day or year, a white look is sure to give you that untouchable and ostentatious air that the wealthy carry around. With a white dress, there is always an added bit of je ne sais qua which is exuded through your strut and poise. Because white is a neutral colour, you get a carte blanche on choices for accessories to pair it with. From neutrals like gray, cream and gold to bold colours like red and purple, dark ones like navy, maroon, and jewel tones like fuschia, magenta, chartreuse and jade, have your pick of which to work with. The look you intend to create is dependent on your choice of accessories like a string of colourful beads and ring for a casual look. A short white dress with a gold cuff, gold neckpiece and earrings elevate the look to an evening affair. Throw on a pair of strappy sandals and you are ready for a night of cocktails on the town! Studded accessories will give the white ensemble an edgy look, especially when paired with a neutral toned shoe and clutch or tote if you are heading to work. Bring out the cat in you when you embrace the kitty trend with this shopping tote. Perfect when window shopping with your girlfriends or just strolling through the mall with a significant other. You will need a place to stash whatever you purchase. Do not forget your pastel power when planning a white look. Throw a red blazer over a white midi skirt and crop top, a pair of nude court shoes and powder-blue earringsâ&#x20AC;Śthe woman who stares back at you from your mirror is office ready.

Biwom Iklaki

Hardball Why North is against Jonathan —Ango Abdullahi p.28

biyi adegoroye, ASSISTANT Editor, Politics biyi.fire@yahoo.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Tel: 08033024007

MAY 25, 2014

Interview Technical Aid Corps recruitment is now transparent - DG p.30

Politics ON SUNDAY

Confab: When North, South intrigues, tenure elongation evoke old memories

he National Conference resumed plenary last Monday after three weeks of intensive committee work. The 492 delegates who were hitherto split into twenty standing committees used the period of the committee work to have a deeper introspection into the various issues brought before the conference. In line with the work plan of the conference each committee was expected to deliberate on specific matters and agree on the best way to resolve the critical national issues assigned to each of the committees. They were also expected to submit a report of their activities, resolutions and recommendations to the plenary for further scrutiny.

Delegates at the National Conference have concluded their assignment at the committee level and are negotiating a crucial bend on the road to a new Nigeria. In this report, ONWUKA NZESHI reviews the conference deliberations in the last one week and postulates that the real political game is about to begin

Crucial bend

This is certainly a crucial stage in the conference as major decisions are expected to be taken by the delegates when they consider each of the reports. In the first place, the submission of Committee Reports to the plenary is in line with Order 12(d-e) of the National Conference Procedure Rules 2014 which states thus: “Each Committee shall submit to the Conference the report of its activities. The report of a Committee is the collection of all views expressed showing the consensus on decisions reached by seventy-per cent (70%) of majority of delegates present and voting.” Similarly, Order 11 of the National Conference Procedure Rules 2014 states that: “All decisions of the conference at plenary and committee stages shall be reached by consensus; or in the absence of that, the chairman shall, at his discretion adjourn proceedings to allow for further consultations. “In the case of failure to reach a resolution on the matter by consensus, it shall be decided by a vote of seventy per cent (70%) majority of delegates present and voting.” After a general consideration of the committee reports at plenary, a final report of the conference shall be drawn up and approved by the delegates. According to the rules of the conference, where an item in the final report requires the drafting of a law or policy, the conference shall in consultation with the six principal officers of the conference advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the conference into the Constitution and laws of the country. By midweek all the 20 committees had submitted their reports to the conference in plenary. However, only two of them were selected for discussion. These are the report of the Committee on Citizenship and Immigration as well as the report on Land Tenure and National Boundaries.

Jonathan

Report discourse

The report of the Committee on Citizenship and Immigration saw delegates engaging in a robust debate on several issues. Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Muhammad Zaiyanu Abdullahi, the Emir of Yauri, who gave a synopsis of the report disclosed that it covered areas such as census, integrated national database; citizenship and nationality; residency and indigenship, dual citizenship, movement of persons, goods and services, immigration and internal security; border control; refugee and asylum; and internally displaced persons. Abdullahi observed that despite the existence of constitutional and legal frameworks for census and national identity management, the continued absence of accurate census figure and integrated national data-

Kutigi

base has constituted a major challenge for national planning and security in Nigeria. According to him, this has resulted in the failure of Nigeria to have an effective citizens’ identification system, a situation that has impacted negatively on the capacity of the Nigeria Police to prevent and fight crime. He argued that as the population of the country continues to increase without adequate and accurate record to show “how many we are" and as the resources available to the people per head continues to shrink, Nigerians clash with one another over resource allocation and identity issues. The report stated that over the years, there has been a politicisation of national census resulting in the inflation of figures for the purposes of increased revenue allocation and other advantages from the government

at the centre.

Recommendations

In view of these observations, the committee recommended that the national census exercise should be preceded by the development of a full scale integrated national database. The database is expected to include registration of all settlements, registration of all households, update and sustenance of birth and death registrations; and registered information or data of citizens and immigrants in Nigeria. It also recommended the enactment of a law by the National Assembly to criminalise any attempt by census officials or members of the public to inflate or distort the outcome any census exercise. The com-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Analysis

Confab: When tenure elongation caused a stir C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

mittee proposed the creation of a National Identification Number and a multi-purpose digital card with biometric information for all citizens of 18 years and above. According to the committee, this would serve as a social security number and card for the provision of welfare services as well as a voters’ card to all citizens. On the contentious issue of indigenship and settler dichotomy, the committee affirmed that the right of any Nigerian citizen to be resident or domiciled in any part of Nigeria should not be abridged. Such a resident shall enjoy all rights, privileges and facilities in the place of his or her choice, provided that such a person meets his or her civic responsibilities. They urged the Federal Government to strengthen its border surveillance in a manner that prevents unlawful entry of persons, good and services into Nigeria.

Grazing reserve

However, a proposal seeking to encourage states governments in the northern part of the country to set up ranches and grazing reserves for the use of the nomadic Fulani herdsmen and their cattle tore the session apart as tempers rose amongst delegates, unveiling yet again the North/South regional cleavage. The trouble began as Mrs. Magdalyne Dura from Benue State proposed that there was need for the states of origin of these nomads to invest in the establishment of ranches and grazing reserves in their states to pave way for the herdsmen to rear their animals in these designated places. This process, Dura said would reduce the penchant of the herdsmen to move from place to place in search of pastures. The proposal was about to be put to vote when Mallam Naseer Kura of the Basic Rights Action, Kano raised a point of order against the proposal. Kura argued that the proposal was in and faith as it meant that the Fulani herdsmen would be restricted to their states and their state governments would be expected to fund the provision of grazing reserves. Even with these two conflicting positions, Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi moved to put the matter to vote, but there were more protests from northern delegates most of whom displayed open sympathy to the cause of the Fulani herdsmen. The matter provoked more angry reactions as some delegates of the Middle Belt and the South attempted to justify the urgent need to domesticate both the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle. The conference was forced to adjourn further debates on the issue as it was fast degenerating into threats and name calling. Akinyemi said that the matter would have to be kept in abeyance to allow for more consultations before the conference could return to the issue. However, the matter was resolved the next day through a motion proposing an integrated development and livelihood modernisation programme be designed and implemented to address the issue of settling nomadic herdsmen into communities to stem the tide of violent conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers. The modernised system would be based on established cattle ranches with fodder development technologies including abattoirs, processors and other businesses along the livestock value chain. This integrated development and modernisation programme is to be funded by both the federal and state governments in states where such settlements are allowed and established.

Akinyemi

The secretariat dissociated itself from tenure elongation on account of its sensitivity and to correct the perception in some quarters that the confab represents a presidential script to push a hidden agenda In addition, the conference resolved that this integrated development programme should be undertaken and wrapped up within a period of five to ten years after which such settlements should have become self sustaining with the full sustaining with full integration of the monadic herdsmen community into modern Nigeria political economy. These resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Jaiye Gaskia, a delegate representing Civil Society and 13 others. The motion was unanimously adopted by delegates.

Land Use Act

On Thursday when the conference took on the report of the Committee on Land Tenure and National Boundary, a high class drama ensued over the bid to expunge the Land Use Act from the Constitution. The committee had recommended that the Land Use Act be removed from the Constitution to pave way for its easy amendment whenever the need arose. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi had put the recommendation to a voice vote in which those who wanted the piece of legislation expunged from the Constitution won. In line with the procedure, Akinyemi announced that the voice vote signified that a decision had been reached on the matter. He equally hit the gavel for emphasis in line with the quasi-parliamentary tradition which the conference had adopted from inception. However, pandemonium ensued as soon as Akinyemi moved to the next recommendation. There were shouts of disapproval from mainly northern delegates who felt that the voice vote on the land tenure issue was not in their favour. Some of them had spoken against the proposal earlier in the day and were poised to have their way.

Azinge

All the explanations made to pacify them proved abortive as they continued to shout and impede further progress on the report. At this stage, Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi came to their rescue and made some explanations on the recommendations which paved way for the conference to reverse itself on the decision it had earlier taken. Kutigi ruled that the matter should be stepped down to allow for more consultations. This ruling angered other delegates who also protested the seeming double standard of bending the rules for the sake of a group of delegates.

Tenure elongations brouhaha

The National Conference was however, jolted following publications and commentaries in the media arising from a press conference addressed by a delegate, Chief Okon Osung from Akwa Ibom State. At the said press conference, Chief Osung demanded for a presidential declaration of a Moratorium to pave way for the extension of the Jonathan administration. He was quoted to had said that: “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.” This development triggered a lot of negative reactions as some delegates saw it as the unfolding of the much suspected hidden agenda of the conference. It also brought back the memories of the 2005 National Political Reform Conference during which some delegates were found to have been planted in the system to promote a tenure extension for the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the then President of Nigeria. In a swift reaction, the secretariat disowned Okon Osung and his moratorium doctrine. The secretariat dissociated itself from the proposal on account of its sensitivity and to correct the perception in some quarters that the confab represents a presidential script to push a hidden agenda.

In a five-point disclaimer signed by Akpandem James, Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, 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 its members only read about them in the media just as did members of the public. “The views expressed by Chief Okon Osung 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 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. They were never heard, never debated or discussed in any manner whatsoever in any of the committees whose reports are already with the management of the conference. “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. That such a position by Chief Osung was never submitted to any of the 20 committees set up by the conference to deliberate on and make recommendations on critical national issues. Chairman of the confab, Justice Kutigi, at Thursday's plenary openly denied any design by either the delegates or conveners to elongate the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said: “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 conference 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 completed before Chief Osong’s agenda was made public by him. Osong has since then been out of public view but his proposal may have sown the seed for mutual suspicion, deeper intrigues and power play at the conference in the coming weeks.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Politics / Confab Notes

We are in Confab to reconstruct Nigeria â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Nwanyanwu Chief Dan Nwanyanwu is the National Chairman of Labour Party and a delegate at the National Conference. He spoke to LATEEF IBRAHIM and JOHNCHUKS ONUANYIM on challenges before the conference

s a delegate to the National Conference, what was the magic delegates used to arrest the initial crisis that nearly stalled proceedings? Well, there is no magic. No magic was applied. But first of all let us understand the background of what led to that two weeks of what you called a problem that seemed as if the conference was going to break. Recall that when we were amending the rules of procedure we got to the point of reaching an agreement on to how decisions should be taken at the conference. There was a school of thought which recommended to us that decisions should be taken by 3/4 delegates. That amounts to 75 per cent. There was another school of thought where l belong and l was the person that moved that motion. We shared the view that everything we had done in Nigeria was based on 2/3. Conventionally all over the world, it is 2/3. For you to be President of Nigeria you must win 2/3 of votes; for you to be governor you must win 2/3 and for you to do anything in Nigeria it must be 2/3 of votes. So, l look at the whole issue of 3/4 as an aberration, something that was smuggled in and l did not hesitate to make that point on the floor and then moved a motion for 2/3. That was when it appeared as hell was going to let lose. l knew l had my facts and the meeting had to adjourn twice in order for us to arrive at a position before the chairman of the conference, Justice Kutigi, the retired Chief Justice of the Federation constituted a 50-man delegates committee. They entered their conclave, came out and there was no agreement. Then we gave them up till Monday, because it was on a Wednesday, to go and tidy it up. Then they made consultations here and there and arrived at 70%. And in order to move the conference forward, we conceded, though reluctantly but that did not mean that the other argument of 2/3 was not superior. It doesn't mean that we made an issue that was not sellable. What it meant was that we had to approach the conference with a spirit of give and take. You don't have to be very rigid on your position. Don't forget that when this conference was convened by the President, some people did not want it to hold. l would say that it was an afterthought that people changed their minds to attend the conference. So it could also be said that that was the plan 'B' to make sure that nothing works in the conference. I am talking as a Nigerian; l am talking as a patriot. Even the 2/3 is a difficult position to reach. You must work extra hard to arrive at 2/3 not to talk of when you now take the ladder to 3/4. What it means is that nothing will pass. Even at that, my name is Dan Nwanyanwu and it would not pass in the conference. Some people would say your name is not Dan Nwanyanwu and before you know it they will get 26%. If they get 26% and 74% agree that my name is Dan Nwanyanwu, my name will cease to be Dan Nwanyanwu because the tyranny of the minority has been imposed on the majority. The figure of 26% is now ruling the decision of 74%. The cardinal principle of democracy all over the world is that majority will have their way and the minority will have their say. But under the proposals of the promoters of 75%, the minority will have their way, while the majority will have their say and that was not good and it

Nwanyanwu

was not the tenet of the conference. But as it stands now, everybody endorses that position just for us to move ahead and that is what you called the magic that unfolded. It was because everybody realised that we must give and take for this conference to move forward. It is not a question of my rigid position and that is why I say that everything has been moving very smoothly. People are more patriotic now even though l know that we have not reached the core issues that will also put a wedge. But l am an incurable optimist. I know we will resolve them. Everybody has come to the point to agree that Nigeria is not working and all these problems that have bedevilled Nigeria have been there in the last 20 to 25 years. They didn't just start today. The power problem we have today started long ago when they refused to service the turbines but a budget was made for it. The importation of fuel was as a result

of people pocketing the money provided for Turn Around Maintenance. Today, we are importing fuel and it has become permanent. It started over the years and we have come to the conclusion that Nigeria is not working. We must have to reconstruct the country for it to work. So that was the trick that made us to be where we are. One of the issues at the confab is the issue of restructuring. Do you share this view and which area of Nigeria would you advocate for restructuring? In fact, over 80% of delegates who have spoken talked about restructuring without concentrating on the area they come from. It is because the federation is doing things they are not supposed to do. We must reconstruct it. Some were asking what is the business of the Federal Government building a primary school in my village? What will be the job of

the states and the local governments? What is the concern of Federal Government issuing driver's licence and motor licence? These are some of the issues that have to be removed from the hands of the Federal Government. You can see that it is a pitiable situation now. My position since the idea of state police was mooted has been 'no way', but now l'm thinking differently because if we have good policing in the states, local government policing in the states and even in companies they have their own armed police - with a controlled structure at the centre, Boko Haram would not be feeding on Nigerians and getting away with it. In the local governments, there will be local police moving around all the place. In America, you can't stand for five minutes without seeing a police van drive by. If you are two or three persons, they will park and ask, is there anything l can do for you guys? If you say no, they will go away. They want to be sure if you were arguing or doing anything that is against the law and as they are talking to you, their hands are on their pistols. So these are some of the issues they are talking about. Some have even opined that we don't need the system with which we are running government. They call it geopolitical zones. In your own geopolitical zone, if you say you want 100 local government areas, that would be your concern; if you say you want only 10, that is also your business as you are going to fund them. Some are saying that the local government structure should be abolished and some are saying 'no'. These are issues that we have to look at as their arguments. But as to reconstructing Nigeria that is a task we must do so that our country will be more effectively run. Look at the issue of National Assembly. The constitution of Nigeria provides for the number of days they must sit in the National Assembly. What that presupposes is that this sitting is not a full-time job. That is the intention because if it was a full-time job there would be no reason for the constitution to talk about the number of days you have to sit. So why are they collecting salaries as if they are working in oil companies? I will insist that anybody who has no means of livelihood has no reason being in politics. If you have no verifiable means of livelihood, you have no reason to be in politics. They are the ones who are spoiling politics because everything about them will be hinged on what they get from the system - his food and that of his family must come from there. Their cars must come from there, the education of their children must come from there and his frivolities must come from there because he has no other means of livelihood. He just stumbled into politics and before you know what is happening he has become a millionaire. A law must be passed to make sure you have a verifiable means of livelihood before you enter into politics so that you will not see it as a full-time employment. Our overhead is unbelievable. What you are advocating might make politics the right of a few. I think the advocacy should be that politics should be a part-time thing. I am happy you understood what l mean. What l am saying in effect is that if they have something doing, the job of a senator or an Honourable Member of the House is a parttime job and that you can always return to your business to take care of yourself. What this means is that you will be paid based on the number of the days you sit. If you don't sit, you don't get an honorarium. As you enter the House, you clock your card; that is how it is done to avoid truancy. Here, you see people being paid for a job they didn't do.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics

Abati and botched Chibok presidential visit

ne popular expression unambiguous in its meaning is that, 'nothing is hidden under the sun'. This phrase is usually used to explain the fact that whatever is done in secret, or thought to have been done in secret would be revealed someday. That is why the most difficult thing to submerge is truth, which often times remains constant. Considering this assertion about the power of truth, therefore, managing information in the context of building positive images for personalities require a greater deal of precision, strategic and tactical presentation of issues. In the political space, particularly, interpretations are bound to be given to issues in varied proportions, depending on which side one belongs. Last Friday, the Presidency faced much criticism over reports on whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan had planned to visit Chibok, Borno State, from where over 200 school girls were kidnapped on April 14. Some of the President's men, till this moment, have yet to come to terms with the reasons why this particular issue generated that level of attacks from Nigerians, despite claims by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, that Jonathan never planned to visit Chibok. But reporters, inquisitive by nature, smelt a news break and chose to go to town with it rather than remain silent. This is what makes the reporter after all. Ordinarily, not every local travel of the President without an official statement makes the headlines but what is not in doubt is that arrangements had been made for a presidential trip to Chibok. As reported in both local and foreign media, some movements of the President's advance team were noticed even right inside the Villa. Some members of the team were reported to

Anule Emmanuel emmyanule@yahoo.com have also left Abuja way ahead to prepare the grounds for the visit in Maiduguri. What is, however, not clear to date is the reason why the trip was shelved. Unknown to aides of the President, what government considers top secret is handled not by ghosts but humans beings who operate within the same Nigerian system. Nursing the imaginary belief that the movement of the President could be treated with high level secrecy is far from reality. At least, not to think of a place like Chibok which has today become a granary of international attention. This is the more reason why an attempt later by Abati and the President himself to justify the cancellation of the trip only drew more attacks. On his Twitter handle, Abati wrote, "Every trip by the President is usually pre-announced. The Presidency did not at any time announce a trip to Chibok today. Ignore rumours. The statement issued by my office yesterday indicated very clearly that the President is scheduled to travel to Paris today. It is therefore wrong and malicious to allege that a non-existent trip has been cancelled." Imagine what Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, said about the issue, "Jonathan’s suspended visit to Chibok is an expression

of his fear for the soldiers in Borno State." Like Falana's, there was a flood of comments interpreting the reasons for the cancelled trip. The cancellation was interpreted to mean expressing fears not for Boko Haram but the mutiny that was carried out by soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army

two Wednesdays ago. Were Abati to know the level and manner of attacks that would follow an attempt to defend his boss the way he did, he might have definitely kept silent or simply given some reasons for the cancellation It was Criss Jami, an American based philosopher who once said that "never hide things from hardcore thinkers, they get more aggravated, more provoked by confusion than the most painful truths." Mr. President's handlers, especially his image makers, must therefore realise that working along this line of thought is critical. An event such as a visit to Chibok would surely generate curiosity. Truth never damages a just cause. Nigerians await the safe release of the innocent schoolgirls.

Now that FEC meetings don't last long

hese are not times for long meetings. Both politicians and those in the executive may have realised that more time needs to devoted to evolving better strategies to deal with the current security problems in the country. For several months now, the Federal Executive Council, which is the highest decision making body of the Executive arm of government, has also ended its meetings earlier than what it used to be. Before now, the weekly meeting which usually commenced at 10am every Wednesday would drag up to 5pm. This week's FEC meeting also presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan ended as early as 11.30am. Away from the normal contract awards, FEC devoted time to deliberate on security issues. It received a report from the re-

cent security summit that was hosted in Paris by the French President, François Hollande. FEC has variously been criticised for turning itself into a grand theatre for contract awards. Within this period of shorter meetings, interestingly, fewer contracts have been approved compared to previous months. Some observers have attributed it to the non-availability of a workable budget for the year 2014. Maybe, when the President finally assents to the appropriation bill which government says is not without distortions, activities would pick up again with days of longer council meetings at the Presidential Villa. Whether brief or long meetings, what Nigerians expect are quality deliberations at that level that could lead to improved living condition of citizens.

Voter apathy, challenge to Nigeria’s democracy

t was not the first time Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was bemoaning poor the turnout of Nigerian electorate in elections. But the inauguration of a 15-member National Inter-Agency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity in Abuja a fortnight ago provided him another opportunity to raise the issue. The INEC chairman had during the inauguration noted that “majority of Nigerians seem apathetic to elections.” This is despite the country’s 15 years of uninterrupted democratic practice. He was however, quick to blame this on the low level of awareness on electoral matters by citizens (which perhaps, was one of the reasons for inaugurating the committee). At a workshop on voter apathy organised by INEC in 2011, Jega stated that only 35 per cent of the estimated 70 million registered voters participated during that year’s general elections. He said, “That there exists voter apathy in Nigeria is no longer contentious. Voter turnout in the just concluded general elections had provided scientific and empirical evidence of the existence of voter apathy and uninterestedness of sections of the electorate in elections. “The National Assembly elections, the presidential election, the gubernatorial and state assembly elections conducted in April showed that voters’ turnout hovered around 35 per cent. This ugly scenario has implications for popular participation and governance.” The implications of this, he added, is the wastage of investments committed to procuring sensitive election materials as well as money spent on voter education activities and election personnel remuneration. Voter apathy has been the albatross of Nigeria’s electoral

INECDiary Onyekachi Eze

The commission should go beyond setting up a committee on voter education to taking concrete steps to restore the confidence of voters in the electoral process progress. Even the June 12, 1993 presidential election that was generally believed to be free and fair but was later cancelled by the military, recorded only 35.6 per cent of the voter population of 40 million at that time. Analysts have not failed to ask whether candidates elected in election where less than 50 per cent of registered voters took part can claim to be popularly elected. This has been the challenge of leadership in Nigeria. The question therefore is: what is responsible for voter apathy in the country? What should be done to get Nigerians actively involved in electing their leaders? The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation, in its report on the 2011 general elections, identified the lack of transparent elections, election violence and politicians’ refusal to honour their campaign

ezekatchy@yahoo.co.uk

promises as major reasons for voter apathy in the country.Other reasons, according to research, are the imposition of candidates by political parties, missing of voters’ names from the INEC register as well as late arrival of election materials on election day. Over the years, Nigerians have lost faith in the electoral process owing to the activities of politicians and the electoral umpire. Most, if not all the elections conducted in the country failed to reflect the wishes of the electorate. Ballot box snatching/stuffing, mutilation of the result sheets and the declaration of unpopular persons as winners of the elections contribute to voter apathy. No voter is ready to participate in an election whose outcome is not going to reflect the wishes of the people. This therefore places a heavy responsibility on INEC to convince the people that their votes will not only count but their wishes will be respected. The first step is to ensure that election materials arrive polling booths on time and that there is adequate security at election venues. To do otherwise is indirectly telling the voters that their effort will be in vain, not minding the pains of the harsh weather they endure to cast their votes. But the greatest problem is the attitude of politicians. They are the ones that perpetrate electoral violence, impose candidates on the people, engage in the

snatching of ballot boxes as well other forms of malpractices. Even when they eventually impose themselves on the people, they fail to fulfill the promises made to them during electioneering. More worrisome are statements made by the political class or those who arrogate themselves the powers to make ‘kings’. The most recent was the statement credited to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on who should succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola. This is not only discouraging but an affront on the right of the electorate in the state to choose their governor. Even before the lifting of the ban on political activities in the state, Oba Akiolu has already declared someone ‘governor’. That means that votes will not count in next year's governorship election in Lagos State. INEC should have a way of handling such a situation. The commission should go beyond setting up a committee on voter education to taking concrete steps to restore the confidence of voters in the electoral process. This it can do by sanctioning any political party or politician whose actions or utterances are likely to make the electorate lose hope in the electoral system. With the spate of bombings, kidnapping and other associated crimes, people may be scared to go to election venues in next year's election. INEC should begin now to put security measures in place to assure voters of adequate security while they cast their votes. The 2015 elections are only about nine months away. History is therefore beckoning on Prof. Jega and his commission to reverse the ugly trend of voter apathy in Nigeria’s electoral process. Let us for the first time record over 50 per cent voter turnout in all the elections!

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Politics

Imperative of bill prohibiting chemical weapons

n Wednesday May 21, 2014, the Bill for an Act to Prohibit Chemical Weapons and Establish the National Authority for the Effective Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Nigeria and for other Matters connected Therewith 2014, was moved to second reading at the Senate. The bill, which was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, seeks among other things, to provide a legal framework that will prohibit the development, production, transfer and use of chemical weapons in Nigeria through the establishment of a native authority that will facilitate effective implementation of Chemical Weapons convention in the country. Looking at the prevailing security situation in Nigeria vis-a-vis the Boko Haram insurgency/ terrorism, which has resulted in the death of many Nigerians of all ages, tribes and religion, it has become imperative that adequate measures are taken by the government to ensure that the situation does not happen to the country in future. Today, Nigeria is classified as a terrorist nation, where foreigners consider to be neither safe to live in nor secure for meaningful investment. Therefore, the inspiration of the Senate

From the Chukwu David chukwudavid68@yahoo.com

The sponsor of the Bill observed that victims of chemical weapons usually suffer painful and traumatic death or debilitating effects throughout their lifetime. Leader in initiating the bill and the unanimous support given to it by the senators are indications that the Red Chamber is proactive in tackling the worrisome state of insecurity in the country. It is obvious that, since terrorism has become a global trend, if precautionary measures are not

taken, the terrorists might think of going for the use of chemical weapons. Terrorists who throw bombs at motor parks, markets and schools can do anything and use any means to wipe out larger human population. Accordingly, it is timely for the National Assembly to put legislation in place to regulate the production and use of chemical weapons in the country. Those who can recall what happened to the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the World War II, where the first atomic bomb was dropped, would attest that it is better to prevent the application of chemical weapons on human society than to suffer their horrendous effects. The sponsor of the bill observed that victims of chemical weapons usually suffer painful and traumatic death or debilitat-

ing effects throughout their lifetime. He further noted 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. According to the text of the lead debate, the thrust of the bill is to establish a body that will serve as the national focal point for effective liaison with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and other State Parties to the Convention and to fulfill Nigeria's obligation under the Convention. From available records, the use of chemical weapons had resulted in the destruction of 90,000 lives and over a million casualties during the World War I; while it is a fact that large-scale of chemical weapons used during World War I and World War II resulted in a large scale abandonment of chemical weapons which now posed serious threats to peace in many countries of the world. With the step taken by the Senate to legislate on the production and use of chemical weapons in the country, there is hope that Nigeria would be shielded to a reasonable extent from the threat of accessing these weapons of mass destruction and using them for sinister motive by insurgents/ terrorists.

Untying a Gordian knot with Alison-Madueke’s probe

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal last week set the tone for the untying of another Gordian knot when he ordered the House Public Account Committee to immediately resume the almost aborted investigation of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke over allegations of 'reckless' spending of over N10 billion on the charter and maintenance of a 850 Challenger private jet for both official and family use. Any keen observer of the cat and mouse relationship that has existed between the Lower House and the Presidency would conclude that Tambuwal’s latest directive is a potent affront on the partisan posture of President Goodluck Jonathan on yet another attempt by the House to probe the Minister. But this contention could also be juxtaposed with the constitutional responsibility of the legislature as against its independence. In issuing this order to the Hon. Adeola Solomon Olamilekan-led committee, Tambuwal also denied ever contemplating reversing or selling out the resolution of the House to investigate the Minister as it has been widely insinuated in some media reports. According to the Speaker, the House will not renege on its resolve to probe the allegations, even as the leadership of the House had consulted with Justice Mahmud Mohammed of the Federal High Court who supposedly granted a restraining order stopping the probe and other stakeholders. This investigation is bound to further aggravate the bile that has always existed between the House and the Presidency. President Jonathan had already made known his position on this probe when in his last media chat expressed dismay with the attitude of the House in constantly inviting the Minister and distracting her from the responsibility of manning the ministry. Secondly, the minister is in court challenging the decision of the House to investigate her. With this development,

From the

GreenChamber

Philip Nyam

ternyam@gmail.com

Alison-Madueke

how does the Speaker intend to continue with this exercise? Will the Minister who is the principal suspect and at the same time a litigant ever submit herself before the public accounts committee for investigation? This directive from the Speaker is also coming on the heels of an alleged memo from the Ministry of Interior indicating that for any ministry, department or agency of government to appear before the

National Assembly, it must obtain clearance from the Presidency. If that memo as claimed by PAC is true, it means the House may be set on a mission impossible. The House requires absolute cooperation from the Minister and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and in fact, the Presidency to make this investigation a reality. But both the Minister and NNPC have taken their case to the court. So how can they turn around to sub-

ject themselves to the Houses’ scrutiny? If her latest actions are anything to go by, the Minister is not going to honour any invitation by the committee. The fact that she has gone to court is a clear pointer to this regard. Her efforts, however, seem to undermine the power of the House which makes it mandatory for the executive to be accountable. Although, the constitution has empowered the House to issue a bench warrant on any person that deliberately shun its invitation, one wonders if it will invoke this constitutional provision against Diezani should she fail to appear when the probe eventually come alive. Should the Minister evade arrest after warrant, what would the House do? I hope Diezani’s case will not end like that of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), who defied Senate’s invitation and could not be tamed even with a bench warrant? One is not sounding pessimistic but the writing on the wall indicates that it may be an uphill task for the House to drag the Petroleum Minister to the hallowed chambers. This may not be an individual war but it may be wrong for anyone to also underrate the Petroleum Minister; that she is powerful and wields enormous powers in this administration is stating the obvious. She controls a critical sector of the economy and has a huge financial chest to throw around and I am sure she will not give in without a fight. In fact, the suit filed by her is an omen of her unwillingness to submit to legislative scrutiny. The impression from her perspective is that the move to probe her is nothing more than a witch hunt. With this impression espoused by the President, the House is now in a tinder box to disabuse the minds of the public that it has no hidden agenda but only exercising its constitutional responsibility of oversight. How well the public accounts committee conducts itself would determine the outcome of this vexed investigation.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Hardball

Why North is against Jonathan Former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and current spokesperson for Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, explains to IBRAHEEM MUSA why the North is opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan's alleged 2015 presidential ambition and the state of the nation.

lot has been said and written about President Goodluck Jonathan's refusal to visit Chibok in Borno State, where over 200 female students were abducted. In what way will the President’s visit help in the ongoing efforts to rescue the girls? Well, I think that God in His mercy has at least exposed the person of Goodluck Jonathan as President of Nigeria. Experiences around the world have clearly demonstrated that for the leaders of various countries, their primary responsibility at any given time is the welfare of their people. We have had incidences of leaders who left their countries to attend to serious matters in other countries, as well as the United Nations. There have been cases of people attending sessions at the UN, and when news broke that something was amiss in their countries abandoned such meetings to go back home. Here, consistently, especially over the last three or four years, when this insurgency began to really gather strength, the President has refused to visit the areas that have been attacked. There have been incidents where, within a few hours, our President ought to be present at such locations but he didn’t visit such places. The only places that one can remember which he visited was the one (scene of the bomb attack) at Suleja, I have forgotten the name of the church (St. Theresa Catholic Church), when it was bombed. Even that one, it was after some days that he summoned the courage, showed the concern to visit that particular location. And the last one was the Nyanya bomb blast, where he again showed up; perhaps feeling that he is more secure in Abuja. It appears to me, from the activities and actions or inactions of the President, the man is more concerned about himself than the people that he claimed to lead. Leaders should be the first to fall in war or in any situation where sacrifices are being made. Leaders should be the first to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their people. But this is a man who has confessed openly that he has been unable to visit all the scenes of all these atrocious events in the North-East in particular because of his personal security. So, this one now appears to me to be the ultimate. He used to do it in respect of events that really did not attract international attention and virtually got away with it, by virtue of the laxity of our media. The media should have exposed this man as irresponsible and insensitive to the citizens he claimed to lead. This one, unfortunately for him, has attracted world attention through the activities of concerned Nigerians. And he couldn't escape in this particular case because the matter is beyond the interest of Nigeria but it's of international concern. This is the more reason why the man should have at least visited Chibok and seen for himself, the site, the school, the location where these 200 girls or more were abducted. The value would have been that, he was there as President, as the number one citizen of the country and in respect of the concern that Nigerian and world mothers have shown. To even go there is to show respect to the feelings of not only the Nigerian people but the international community. To be there would have also helped to calm the nerves of parents who were directly affected. And of course the people of Chibok would have seen that the leader of the country whom they only hear about on radio or see on television, has come to see things for himself and address

Abdullahi

mothers and fathers. Even if their children were not there, he should have given them assurances that the government is concerned. But for him to be in faraway Paris and give an interview to international media, to say that his going to Chibok will not make a difference to the situation of the girls and indeed the feelings of Nigerians and the world at large, this shows you the kind of man that we have as President. And really it is a pity. Nigeria is on its knees now because it has no leadership that the world can trust or even respect. His failure to go to Chibok is not a crisis only on his person but it cast aspersions on the office and the responsibility of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One of the theories being bandied around as the reason for the Boko Haram insurgency is that Northern elites are the ones sponsoring it because they are angry for losing political power. That perhaps may explain why President Jonathan does not want to go to the scenes of the attacks so as not to be the sitting target of an attack. You see, when you hear this kind of rubbish, because I will call it rubbish, you really wonder what people who argue along those lines are thinking. I always maintain that President Jonathan could never have dreamt, as a minority Ijaw man, to be president of Nigeria without the support of the North and without the North rejecting its own in an election. In

If we are going to have power shift from the present failed President to a Northerner who will behave like Jonathan, the problem will not be solved the first place, he wouldn't have picked the party’s ticket at the primaries. If Atiku was supported in all the Northern states, he could have won. But it was Northern delegates who decided, perhaps through their governors, that Jonathan should pick the ticket. Even in the course of the election itself, the North that he is referring to as being unhappy with his emergence, if they had wanted to deny him, he could have still lost the election; by failing to get the constitutional spread that would make him President, even if he had the majority. And in fact, he wouldn’t even have got the majority if the North had voted against him. So, it's sheer nonsense for some people to argue that because the North had lost power, that is why it is sponsoring Boko Haram. Lost power to whom? How could Jonathan be president of Nigeria without other parts of Nigeria, particularly without the North?

It could have been an utter dream for him to even think about it. But unfortunately for him, especially falling into the trap of those people who preach this nonsense, Jonathan has made this kind of pronouncement before himself; particularly in church services. Whenever he visited certain sections of the country, in church services, he would say he would like to thank the Igbo living in the North because they were the people who actually voted for him during the 2011 election. He discounts other people, especially Hausa/Fulani, who threw away their own and voted for him. So, this is a man that as president, pronounces that there are certain sections of the country that he refers to as his people. Then, we are not surprised that he will not visit certain sections of country because he doesn't regard them as his people. And this is the thesis that is being bandied around by those who handle this man, those who think that this is the election strategy that they will adopt before the 2015 election and hope that this is the way forward. It is utter nonsense for anybody to think that he can throw away the votes of Northern Nigeria, irrespective of our internal dissent, and expect to be the leader of this country. It will not happen. Another school of thought has it that Northerners share vicarious responsibility over Boko Haram. Poverty has been mentioned as one of the reasons for the

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Politics / Hardball

—Ango Abdullahi insurgency and the North is about the poorest part of the country. Northerners have ruled Nigeria more than any section of the nation, yet they have done little to empower the people. As a member of the Northern elite, are you not partly to blame for the rise of Boko Haram? I am! I am completely!! In my various interviews, whether in the print or electronic media, I have laid 80 per cent of the blame of the North’s poor performance in socio-economic development on Northerners. We have collectively failed as Northerners. Our parents did everything for us; by parents here, I mean first generation Northern leaders who galvanised the North and sacrificed virtually everything to ensure that the North caught up with the rest of the country. You can't argue against that when you mention the Sardaunas, the Tafawa Balewas, the Aminu Kanos,the Ribadus and the Kashim Ibrahims and so on. No doubt, what happened after they had gone was a collective failure of leadership largely by Northerners, particularly here in the North. Take the constitution of the country and try to apportion responsibility for development. There are three tiers of government, namely the local, state and federal governments. And if you look at their various responsibilities as spelt out in the Nigerian constitution, it is very clear who is supposed to do what. So, if you look at the totality of what should be done in terms of development, 80 per cent of it should be found here in the north, at the level of the state and local governments. But we have not done near enough to address those problems. Take for example, the major economic driver of the Nigerian economy as a whole is agriculture. If its 75 per cent for the whole country, you can say 90 per cent of the economic activities of Northern Nigeria is in agriculture. But what happened to agriculture after the Sardauna? I worked with him for two years in the field of agriculture and I knew what he stood for in agricultural development. And this was what gave birth to groundnut pyramids, the cotton boards, the textile industries, the oil mills. The basic agro industrial development of the North was based on raw agricultural materials being produced. He was the one who brought about all the irrigation projects on ground today. In fact, very few additions, if any, have been made. Thanks to the late Audu Bako who was also a disciple of this philosophy, who made the Kadawa area of Kano State what it is today. Agriculture is our mainstay in Nigeria as a whole but more so in the North. But go round the states and the local governments and see what is budgeted for agriculture. Take fertiliser, which is a major agricultural input. I was director of the Agriculture Research Institute in ABU. Every year we had to work out what the requirement of fertiliser would be for the entire North and make recommendations to the Northern Nigerian government. They took those recommendations seriously and acted accordingly. In 1980, a book was presented and the minimum requirement for Nigerian crops was between four and five million tons a year. As I speak to you now, less than half a million tons of fertiliser is being brought into the whole of Nigeria. And the government says it wants to promote agricultural development. In 1980, we got the first World Bank loan with Malaysia to build a fertiliser plant. We built ours at Onne in Rivers State and Malaysia built its own. Today, Malaysia has 11 huge fertiliser industries and plants and the only one we have built is not working. It has been sold. So, you can see that we have really abandoned responsibility and the North definitely has a lot to share in the blame that has led us to this pervasive and abject poverty. And take

Abdullahi

it or leave it, you don't need any philosophy to push people into crime so long as they are poor. It only requires a little stimulus. And this stimulus may come from vested interests in whatever form; it may take only a sitting thief to organise unemployed youths to rob a house. As far as we are concerned, it is the same sort of thing that has happened in the North, particularly these ethno-religious conflicts and so on. I read Senator Ayu’s interview this morning (May 18) and I agree with him almost completely on virtually everything. The blame is ours. Failed politicians have introduced religion, ethnicity in Northern Nigerian politics, which we never had before. The Federal Government should take a substantial part of the blame because it is the guardian of the constitution. And the constitution is very clear, particularly chapter two of the 1999 Constitution. That chapter is titled, 'Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy'. These are the ideological basis for the development of the Nigerian state. I was the chairman of the committee that produced the draft of chapter two of the constitution at the 1988/89 constitutional conference. The economy of Nigeria is well articulated in that chapter and it was resolved that it must never be surrendered by the state. It must also be the guardian of the commanding heights of the economy for the benefit of our people. But that has been abandoned completely. In fact, the World Bank and IMF have ensured that chapter two of Nigerian constitution is no more relevant. And this is where Nigerians are supposed to be protected in their socio-economic wellbeing. Do you think that all these problems bedevilling the North, from poverty to ethnoreligious conflicts and the current insurgency will be solved if power shifts to the North? Is that why the North is clamouring for power shift in 2015? It could be 'Yes' and it could be 'No'! Power shift, per se, that it should move from the South to the North will not solve the problem. If we are going to have power shift from the present failed President to a Northerner who will behave like Jonathan, the problem will not be solved. So, the challenge is not so much power shift to the North. Recently, I had an encounter with some of Jonathan’s aides. They said that they want the North to extend its gracious support to

Jonathan to continue in 2015. I asked them why? And they said he is doing well. I said 'No'; this is the reason why I will not support him. I will not support him not because he is Ijaw, not because he is from the South-South or from Southern Nigeria in general. I said that I will not support him based on the records of his performance because he has failed to provide the kind of leadership that will move this country forward. I asked them to present somebody who is competent that I can entrust my vote to in 2015 and I will vote for him even if he is from the same ethnic group as Jonathan or from the same South-South. They pressurised me to give a name and I reminded them that I was part of the discussion that allowed the vice-presidency to go to the South-South. I was in the company of the late Dr. Olusola Saraki under the aegis of the Northern Union. We went to Warri three or four times during the Third Term manoeuvres of Obasanjo at that time. We wanted to stop it. But the price that we had to pay was to concede, when the presidency returned to the North, the vice-presidency to the SouthSouth. We agreed. They gave us a list of seven potential vice-presidents. I have the list. Can you name the people who are on the list? No, I will not. But the only thing that I can tell you is that the name of the current president was not on it. So, he couldn't have featured in their first 11 when they were asking for the position of vice-president. Edwin Clark was the leader of the discussion on the other side, so he cannot deny that this meeting took place. The president’s aides pressurised me further to name someone that I thought was competent to rule the country from the SouthSouth. I said, 'Go and give me one person that I have met once or twice but who I have heard so much about and he was my senior in the university'. I said, 'Go and present Prof. Tam David-West and I will volunteer to be the director-general of his campaign in 2015'. They said they would not do it; that they only want the sitting President to continue. Then I told them that they had lost my vote. So, this is to demonstrate to you that our opposition to Jonathan is not an issue of tribe, religion or even geographical location. What is the attraction for Prof. Tam David-West? What has he done in concrete terms to warrant his being president of Nigeria?

From what I have read of his activities in the university, I respect him. For university people where I belong, our primary occupation is to seek and search for the truth. David West, when he was in the university, maintained that tradition strongly. And I think that tradition must have encouraged people who came into positions of political power, to invite him several times, to come and serve as a public officer. David West served as a Minister of Petroleum Resources and despite the petty charge that he took a wrist watch and drank tea, I dismiss those as outrageously irrelevant to a person who has demonstrated so much courage, honesty and so on. And in spite of the tribalism in the country, the man was able to identify a Northerner whom he trusts, that if given the chance, he will change the country. Up till today, if his only vote will bring in the next president, he will vote for Buhari. I'm not a fan of Buhari as such but he has seen qualities in Buhari, mainly of honesty and integrity, which he himself has. I am attracted to him because of this. I have never worked with him but from what I read about him and given the circumstances that I had to mention his name, I feel confident that even tomorrow, if he finds himself the president of Nigeria, he will do a good job for this country. Who speaks for the North? We have your group, the Northern Elders Forum and the Northern Elders Council... No, no, no. I would want to interject. What we have in the North is the ACF, the oldest group; the Middle Belt Forum; the Northern Union and the Northern Elders Forum. Yes, there are certain recent creations and this is perhaps the one you are talking about; the Northern Elders Council. The leader is no other person but Alhaji Tanko Yakassai. I worked with him at the Northern Union when we went to Warri, like I told you, to discuss the issue of giving the vice-presidency to the South-South. At that time, he was very active against Third Term. I don't know what has come over him to perhaps digress from his political history. His history can't be discussed without linking him to Malam Aminu Kano, who was our paragon of activism, integrity and development of the poor people in the North. To me, all these other groups are doing their best. We were not happy with the pressure that ACF should be mounting on a lot of areas affecting the North. We are also members of ACF but we have decided to form the Northern Elders Forum as the political wing of ACF. While ACF confesses to being a socio-cultural organisation, we are a political activist pressure group. This is our difference. We have taken on the public discourse of Nigerian politics, especially in areas that affect the North. And this what the opponents, whether they are from ACF or some other interest groups, are opposed to. I believe the Northern Elders Council is a product of a special interest group which is supposed to counter our views. The basic difference between us is that they are already advocating for the continuation of the present Jonathan/Sambo ticket. We are different in that respect. We are advocating for a new ticket that will present a Nigerian president of Northern extraction and a vicepresident of southern extraction. So, it is up to them to come and sell their candidates and it is also up to us to sell our views and the candidates when we identify them. Will I be correct to say that the Northern Elders Forum is aligned to APC while Northern Elders Council is supporting Jonathan? No, you are not. The Northern Elders Forum has made it absolutely clear that it has no political party and it has no candidate in the forthcoming elections yet. What we insist is that the north should produce a Nigerian president, from whichever party. We are ready to do business with such a party. We have no party but we have a constituency and it stretches from Otukpo up to Gamboru or wherever. There are so many Nigerian patriots of Northern extraction and I can list about 40 of them, who can run this country properly.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics

Technical Aid Corps recruitment is now transparent â&#x20AC;&#x201C;DG Director-General of the Technical Aids Corps, Dr. Pius Osunyikanmi, recently sent out seven of the 70 volunteers recruited for the Islamic University of Uganda. Osunyikanmi spoke with journalists on the exercise and his efforts at sanitising the organisation in this report captured by PHILIP NYAM

ow transparent is the process of recruiting volunteers and why did you choose the Islamic University of Uganda? Upon assumption of duty, one of the clear mandates given to me by the authorities was to sanitise the recruitment process and bring credibility into the entire exercise. This we did by undertaking a review of the process, looking at what had been done in the past and where the flaws were. Having been able to identify the flaws, we interacted with a number of stakeholders including Foreign Affairs Committee members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. We interfaced with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Character Commission and every other relevant agency of government. We agreed on clear-cut benchmark through which volunteers would be selected. One of such is that volunteers would have to be invited through advertisement process in at least three to four national dailies. They would have to be shortlisted by a team of experts. They would have to also undergo a process of rigorous interview conducted by external assessors. These external assessors are drawn from the universities, research institutes and relevant professional bodies. For instance, the Nigerian Medical Association was on the panel that interviewed those in the medical profession; Nursing Council is represented on the panel interviewing nurses; and of course we have a team of eminently qualified lawyers, majority of which are Ph.D. holders who interviewed the lawyers. Those who are to lecture in the university had the privilege of being examined by reputable professors from universities like Ahmadu Bello University, Nigerian Defence Academy, among others. This process of interview is not only rigorous, it is also very competitive. Volunteers who submit themselves to those interview processes are adequately assessed and graded. We have a maximum score of 100. We developed what we call national average cut off which is 70. In other words, whoever is able to score 70 is assumed to be good enough to represent the country in whatever capacity. The final selection represents something much more intriguing than that. For example, in some states there are people who score as high as 90. So the cut-off point for those states goes beyond 70. It is also done on the basis of federal character and equality. Where some states would have 70 as the cut-off point, others would have as high as 85 and 90. But the bottom line is that there is nobody that is selected who does not have minimum of 70

Osunyikanmi

Upon assumption of duty one of the clear mandates given to me by the authorities was to sanitise the recruitment process and bring credibility into the entire exercise per cent. Apart from that, the agencies and recipient countries that request for the services of the volunteers are given free access to the profiles of the volunteers. They are allowed to scrutinise their CVs. The first set of volunteers that we sent out last week constitute a part of the 70 selected by a university in Uganda to come and undertake the job of lecturing for a period of two years. Are you saying that the university specifically asked your organisation to send volunteers to it? The request was made by Islamic University in Uganda. The university is not as the name implies. It is a secular university. It was established by the Organisation of Islamic Countries. The inclination of the university focuses more on intellectualism. The organisation is development-driven. One of the reasons for establishing the university is to provide greater access to good western education, to give women greater access to education. So it is development-inclined, not religiously-inclined. The university does not admit students on the basis of religion. In other words, the university

is secular in its staff and admission policies. The bulk of the people who are being sent as volunteers by our organisation are Christians. Is the code of conduct at the university not tilted to favour a particular religion? It is common knowledge that universities have their code of conduct. Besides, the universally acceptable code of conduct, you and I know that every university has certain rules it makes to suit its operations. There are rules regulating examination malpractices, studentteacher relationship, female, male lecturer relationship etc. Specific universities develop additional code of conduct. One of the codes of conduct of Islamic University in Uganda is that if you are coming in as a student or lecturer you must not dress indecently. It is absolutely reprehensible and unacceptable. The mode of dressing is specified. If you are a male lecturer you are not expected to come to class in a nicker or short. You must be in your trousers, you have your shirt properly buttoned and you must wear your tie at all time. Your hair must be well combed, you must tuck in your shirt and you must look decent. The male lecturer is expected to serve as a role model to the students. For a female lecturer, she is not expected to come to the class in a mini skirt. She must dress decently. She must cover her hair and other sensitive part of the body. She cannot expose any part of the body. If a certain part of her chest is out, she must use her scarf to cover it. Are the Christians allowed to practise their faith on the campus? As I said earlier, apart from the name, everything about the university is secular. The

university admits Christians, non-Christians, traditional religious worshippers, Muslims. Their major focus is to provide education that can deliver people out of ignorance. As a Christian they expect that you must practise your religion reasonably. And as a Muslim, you must not distract Christians where they are practising their religion. However, there is the acceptable code of conduct which has been developed by the university. For example, no one is expected to turn his apartment to a religious centre where he or she would conduct vigils or pray violently. This will make neigbours to lose their sleep. Everybody can quietly pray, go to his church. You can pray in your room anytime you like but your voice must not be loud. The person who is a Muslim is also given a free access to the mosque. Everybody lives side by side. It is purely a secular university, no attachment to religion. If the emphasis was on religion they would have asked that we send only Muslims. The volunteers expressed fears about getting their monthly allowances regularly. How genuine are these fears? Since I came we have recognised this challenge but we are working hard to overcome it. There are processes through which the fund or allowances get transferred. First, the fund is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); it is released to us at the end of the month. We have to purchase through the CBN dollars and transmit that to our London account. From the London account, the respective accounts of the embassies where we have our volunteers are credited. Once they receive the alert, they will pay the volunteers. This takes some time to do. When the CBN would be releasing or when the Accountant General would be releasing the fund, it may be on the 22nd or 23rd of the month. By the time you make your application to CBN asking to take that Naira amount and convert it to dollars and transfer to the account in London, time would have gone. You know that sometime is spent checking whether it is not money laundering etc. They want to ensure that the fund is actually going to that account and that the account is not fictitious. It takes three to four days to do the clearance. When the amount is transmitted, before it is acknowledged in London it takes about a day or two. By the time they acknowledge to us that they have acknowledged it, that is when we can issue instruction to them to transfer to the respective accounts of our embassies. And when the instruction is received it takes at least 48 hours before doing that. Let me emphasise that the level of development of these countries is not as we envisage. They are still contending with electricity and ICT issues. It is such that even when it is transmitted from the London account, the facility for them to be able to access it may not be there. This means that it will take some extra days for their internet to come up before crediting and alerting the embassies. That has accounted for the slight delay in the past. But what we have done now is to work ahead. For instance, while we hope to pay for this month, we would start the processes the previous month so that about the time that our account is credited for the month by the Accountant General's office we would have all our papers going to CBN, London and instruction to our respective embassies to pay. Immediately the funds come, the entire processes are made to fly.

Football Friday Ekpo: I thank God for not playing in the World Cup p.32-33

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/sport

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

Golf Uncertainties over Mcllroy’s game after break-up p.34

Dapo Sotuminu, Deputy Sports Editor dapo.sotuminu@newtelegraphonline.com 08099400190, 08038154192

Sp rt

Argentina not unbeatable, says Rafiu Ladipo Dapo Sotuminu

he President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has declared that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will not be disgraced at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. He told New Telegraph in Lagos that, the Stephen Keshi-tutored Eagles will beat all their Group F opponents -Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Argentina- at Brazil 2014 to first and foremost book a ticket to play in the second round of the competition. “Even Argentina is not unbeatable despite the presence of the former World Footballer of the Year in the team. This time around, the Eagles will put in their best to make meaningful impact in the biggest competition in the world. We as members of the Supporters Club are going to do our best to ensure that the Eagles move to the second round, then into the quarters and semi-finals, at this point anything can happen.” Ladipo stated that, regardless of the fact that some Nigerians believe that the Eagles will not survive the arsenals of the Argentines, the Keshi-led boys have been presented the opportunity to get a revenge on Argentina who have beaten the Eagles in all the three occasions they met so far in the FIFA World Cup. “It is a good thing that Nigeria is being referred to as an underdog, before the world knows it, we would have shocked everybody. The first shocker would be that Nigeria would beat Argentina, as grabbing valuable points from Iran and Bosnia won’t be a difficult task. Take it from me; the Eagles will ride on the back of Argentina, with or without Messi to get to the level where history would be made in Brazil.” He noted that, the good thing about the Brazil 2014 World Cup challenge is that the Eagles’ players themselves believe that Nigeria will go as far as the semi- finals of the competition. This is the kind of determination that takes any team far in major championships. “The other thing is that, the Nigerian players are in top shape and most of them helped their foreign clubs win major championships and league titles in the various European countries. This is an indication that, for the World Cup the Eagles stars would be equal to the task as their counterparts in other highly rated teams in the

World Cup play side-by-side with them. At some points play against them in European club football. So, it’s a matter of playing against familiar foes.” Ladipo told our reporter at the Civic Centre in Lagos during the club’s official event to raise funds for a fruitful trip to cheer the Eagles to victory at the 2014 World Cup, that, on the part of the club, they cannot do less but more to support the Eagles to achieve success. “That is why we are going to Brazil with 300 strong members from Nigeria, 500 other members from across the world and other members of the club in Brazil which was inaugurated three months.” Ladipo disclosed that, the Supporters Club would have its base in Sao Paulo from where they would be going to other venues across Brazil, as we cannot afford to start travelling by air within Brazil which is as big as a subcontinent. The cost would be too expensive for us to bear. “We have hired buses that would take us to the various venues where Nigeria would be playing. I was in Brazil three months ago to launch the Supporters Club

Did you know?

That the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup was the only one without any qualification process. No African team entered

Members of the Nigeria Supporters Club

in that country, and at the moment we have five thousand Nigerians waiting in Brazil to support the Eagles. “I can also assure you that the Brazilians are anxiously waiting for the Super Eagles to qualify for the grand finale to play against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on July 13. A lot of them told me so when I was there three months ago and you must also know that Brazil is like a second home for Nigeria. The Eagles have a very big opportunity to feel at home in all their matches. Don’t be surprised that Brazilians will root for the Eagles in the June 25 match against Argentina.” The President-General also hinted that, the Supporters Club would host a final fund raising event in Abuja in two weeks times to raise the bulk of the funds that would be used by the club to travel to Brazil to support the Eagles.

Rafiu Ladipo

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Sport / Stars of Yesteryears

Friday Ekpo: I thank God for n I have not been able to achieve set goals in the area of coaching and the discovery of young talents at the volume I had expected. But so far so good I was able to discover some talents when I was coach at Akwa United Football Club of Uyo and those players are doing well in the Nigerian League. But I am not fulfilled as I have not been able to discover players in the mould of Friday Ekpo, Austin Okoja, Muda Lawal and Alloysius Atuegbu in the midfield. We ought to have to a pool of great midfield players such that Nigeria won’t have to depend on one player for that position for a very long time.

Sometime I play it in my heart the way the goal came from the right to the left and I had to send the ball back the way it came with a curling banana kick to an impossible angle and the goalkeeper did not attempt to stop the ball as it sailed into the net. At the first leg played in Libreville, I scored a goal against Stores in a 2-0 victory after losing one penalty kick. But Stores officials said it was a fluke, and I told them I would score another goal in Lagos in the second leg. Stores Team Manager, Yomi Peter, also accused some of his players of selling out when he saw them with me in a club in Libreville after the match where I had invited them for entertainment as my countrymen. Before the second leg encounter, I visited my Godfather, late Chief MKO Abiola, at his home in Ikeja and jokingly he said he knew I would score in the game and appealed that I shouldn’t score more than enough. He gave me a cash gift of N50,000 while I was leaving. At the second leg game played at the National Stadium, Lagos I actually scored that fantastic goal to level scores at 1-1 and gave Shell of Gabon a 3-1 aggregate win to progress in the CAF Club Championship. I was the happiest man on earth. Even though, I was I playing against a team from my fatherland, I had to do my job as a professional.

How will you describe your club football experience in Nigeria?

What is your most memory moment in your career?

He was a household name in Nigerian football from 1985 to 1993, but despite his mastery of the game, he never played at the FIFA World Cup finals. Friday Ekpo spoke to DAPO SOTUMINU on his shortened international career, his glorious era at Abiola Babes and Leventis United and many more

Which was the first club you played for in your career?

I started with Savannah Bank Football Club of Lagos, and later moved to National Sports Commission FC. When I left the NSC FC, I was one of the pioneer players that formed Abiola Babes Football Club of Abeokuta in 1980 or thereabout. From Abiola Babes, I joined Leventis United of Ibadan during their progressive era, after this I moved to Iwuanyanwu Nationale of Owerri. Afterwards I had to go back home to help Calabar Rovers. It was from Rovers that I travelled out of the country to Gabon to play professional football at Shell FC that was in the 1989/90 season and I was there until 1992. When I left Shell of Gabon, now renamed Mbilinga FC, I had a brief stint in Saudi Arabia with top club Al Ghazi. I

came back after two years to join Sharks FC of Port Harcourt. From here, I went to Katsina United. I later joined Mobil Pegassus FC of Eket, when I left Eket I moved to BCC Lions of Gboko in 1998 and stayed until 1999 when I left for Enyimba FC of Aba and later Rangers. After here I decided to hang my boot and got enrolled for a coaching course to build a future. What influenced your retirement from active football? For some great players, it was injury, what happened in your own case?

For me it was the desire to leave when the ovation was loudest, I was not injured; I thought it wise to give chance for the younger players to exhibit their God’s given talents. I thought that my continued stay on the stage was blocking the younger players

as I was still the best in my position in all clubs I played for. And a continued stay would mean deliberate suppression of the upcoming stars. The desire to become so as to help build and develop the country’s talents largely influenced my retirement. Would you say you have achieved set goals in coaching?

It was a very wonderful experience, I really enjoyed it, and I won a lot of laurels in my sojourn in the clubs. At a point, I was the highest goal scorer in the Nigerian League as a midfielder that was in 1986 when I was in Leventis United. Even till date, I still enjoy the legacy playing club football in Nigeria brought for me. I won the FA Cup title for Abiola Babes in 1985 in the final match against BCC Lions. I was the team captain and that was the first time the club won such title. In 1986, I won the League title, the Challenge Cup and the Unity Cup for Leventis United of Ibadan and that same year I emerged the League Highest Goal scorer after Davidson Owumi’s reign as Goal King in 1985. What about your club experience outside Nigeria?

I have so many great moments in my career and the most striking one was being the captain of the Abiola Babes team that won the Challenge Cup title first in the history of Ogun state. Later on, they added more titles. I also remember what happened at the National Stadium in Lagos in a 1992 African Nations Cup qualifiers game against the Black Stars of Ghana in 1991. There was a penalty kick awarded in favour of Nigeria and Stephen Keshi who was assigned by the chief coach to take all penalty kicks declined to take it and none of my Eagles’ teammates was also ready to do it. I stepped forward, took the kick and the ball went over the bar. I was nailed by Nigerians for missing that penalty kick. I remembered the late Muda Lawal who was at the stadium told the NFA that I

I had the best experience while playing at Shell of Gabon, it was worthwhile. The nearest to it in Nigeria was when I was at Leventis United. In Gabon players are treated like true professionals. Contracts are respected and I was paid $3000 after every match win or lose. The players and coaches respect me a lot and I respect them too. I remember your legendary goal against Stationery Stores of Lagos at the National Stadium in a CAF Continental competition while you played for Shell of Gabon in 1991. It was a perfect volley, how did you feel about this?

Friday Ekpo

As I told you earlier, while in Gabon I was a true professional player and being taken outside the shores of the country and brought back to play against a Nigerian team, I should play like, act and give results as a professional and all these I did against Stationery Stores of Lagos that year. That goal which was the only one scored by Shell of Gabon in Lagos stood out as the best goal I ever scored in my entire career.

Squatting fro Friday Ekpo,

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Sport / Stars of Yesteryears

not playing in the World Cup friday ekpo’s profile Date of Birth: 13 August 1969 Position: Midfield CAF Nations Cup: 4 CAF Nations Cup Qualifying: 3 World Cup Qualifying: 7 Nigerian Clubs: Savannah Bank FC, National Sports Commission FC, Abiola Babes Abeokuta 1985, Leventis United Ibadan 1986, 1989-1990, Iwuanyanwu Nationale Owerri, Calabar Rovers, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, Katsina United, Mobil Pegassus of Eket, BCC Lions of Gboko, Enyimba of Aba and Rangers of Enugu. Foreign Clubs: Shell FC of Gabon 1991-92, Al Ghazi of Saudi Arabia. Honours: FA Cup title 1985 and 1986, Nigerian League title 1986, United Cup 1986, League Highest Goal Scorer 1986. Nations Cup bronze medal Senegal 92 would make amends. I remembered that the boots I wore wasn’t my real size. It was given to me by Keshi who brought them from Belgium. The NFA didn’t allow me wear the one I bought personally from Holland on ground that it wasn’t adidas. So all the passes I made that day were not the best as the boots were slightly oversized. True to Muda Lawal’s predictions, I rose to the occasion in the Eagles’ next game which was also a Nations Cup qualifiers game where I scored an important goal. After the game, I became the toast of Nigerian soccer fans across the world. It was so memorable. After your retirement, Nigeria has not been able to raise another midfielder in the mould of Friday Ekpo.

Well, I feel so bad about that. It wasn’t that after me and Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and some other great players, that Nigeria has not been able to raise good midfielders, there are good ones but not as exceptional as we were, and that is not

om left Etim Esin, Dominic Iorfa, Pius Oleh, Sam Okwaraji, and Ademola Adeshina

something to cheer about. The coaches have a duty to look inwards and allow the players to express their skills for those playing in the local league and the foreign-based. The coaches need to be patient with them and gladly correct the flaws they notice in the players’ playing style, if these are done, these boys will be able to exhibit better skills than we exhibited during our time. The bottom line is going back to the grassroots and coaches should be in a hurry so as to discover talented players who will be great in the future. There were reports and speculations that your international career was in a way hindered and shortened by Stephen Keshi who influenced the Super Eagles coach, Clemens Westerhof, not to feature you in the team. How did you handle this?

(Laughter!) There was nobody on earth that can hinder what God wants me to become. It is God that said I would play a number of matches and wouldn’t stay long enough in the national team. It was a great honour representing my country wearing the green and white colours for Nigeria and I wouldn’t say anybody hindered my way in the Eagles. Everything in life has a purpose, it has time, and maybe it was when God said I should stop. I strongly believe there was problem between any of the players and the coaches. We were all friendly and ready to work together for the glory of Nigeria. Even when I was dropped from the team that went for the 1994 African Nations Cup and the USA 94 World Cup we were still united and the love was still there. Everything has a purpose; I don’t believe Keshi or any other person blocked my way in the Eagles. Even if I had only wore the national team colours for just one day I would still be very happy, but I give God the glory that I played over 15 matches for Nigeria: four Nations Cup matches, three Nations Cup qualifying games and seven World Cup qualifying matches, 15 games in all. To God is the glory. I joined the Eagles when Coach Paul Hamilton was in charge and I was a regular ahead of the Italia 90 World Cup. I played all the qualifiers except for the game against Angola in 1989 where Sam Okwaraji died. We are so many in this country, and there are people who just want to wear

the Eagles jersey to sleep, let alone play for the national team. I was so lucky to be among those who played for Nigeria. It was a great honour. So Keshi didn’t block your way. Because the story then was that he asked the Clemens Westerhof not to play you in games.

No, nothing like that happened. Keshi was a defender, while I was a midfielder, so how do we clash. Is that possible? Keshi was not the coach then, he was a player just like me and other players in the team. The coach knew what he wanted. Nobody told him anything contrary. If for instance the coach says he wants Keshi to play the top striker’s role, he must have seen something in him to take such decision and he would stand by it and take responsibility. The coach was the one training us and he surely knew what he wanted. I sincerely believe that nobody influenced the coach to drop me from the team; it was strictly the coach’s decision. I played at the Senegal 92 Nations Cup and that was my last for the Eagles. Is it not painful that a great player like Friday Ekpo did not play in the FIFA World Cup.

I thank God for not playing at the FIFA World Cup and there are so many other great players like me too that didn’t go to the World Cup. The best of them all Ghana’s Abedi Pele and Liberia’s George Opong Weah did not play in the World Cup and so many great players even till date. World football legends like George Best, Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush never played in the World Cup. There are even some of my senior colleagues in Nigeria who were greater than me who never had a World Cup experience. I give glory to God for giving the opportunity to play for Nigeria in the first place. If I didn’t play for Nigeria, how will I even talk about the World Cup? It is every player ’s dream to play at the World Cup, but since I didn’t make it to the world level, I still give God the glory and honour for playing for my dear country. How will you describe yourself as soccer player?

I made little or no impact in football. I wasn’t all that good even up till date. I thank God that he gave me a talent and I didn’t hide my talent. I brought out my talent for the world to see and also used it to the benefit of the clubs I played for and most importantly for the Nigeria national team. I feel so good putting smiles on people’s faces and making them happy when they watched me played during my active days. Over time, I have great number fans across the world most of them I don’t even know, but I wish to know them. That alone brings great joy to my heart. You are a trained football coach, will you accept the appointment as chief coach of any category of the national team of Nigeria

If I am given the opportunity, fine I will accept, but I won’t go struggling for the job just as a lot of our people have been doing. I won’t struggle for it, as the fact of the matter is that all of us can’t be national team coaches at the same time; it has to be one after the other. As coach of the national team, my focus would be the grassroots; I will discover and develop talents for the national team from here, if given the job.

E-mail: ifeanyiandrewibeh@gmail.com Tel: 08085973490

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

WITH IFEANYI IBEH

HOLE IN ONE

Uncertainties over McIlroy’s game Five players to watch at Brazil 2014 after break-up Countdown to FIFA World Cup

he FIFA World Cup is the biggest stage where the world’s best players meet; so here is a look at five players whose performances should be watched out for, and who are likely to be influential in Brazil. • Thiago Silva Widely regarded as the best central defender in the world, Brazil national team captain Thiago Silva has gone “under the radar” in terms of publicity ever since his move to Paris Saint Germain. In spite of niggling injuries that have bothered him now and again, he has continued to perform well enough to cement his place as the best in the world. In Brazil, Silva will not just be a leader by name, but will also need to lead by example. Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, having won a World Cup once before, brings a tournament-winning pedigree to the table, but has chosen a squad that is suited more to a game-plan based primarily on defense and counterattack. Brazil, on paper, have the best defense among all the clear favorites going into the tournament – so this should serve them well. Scolari, however, is loath to change a settled setup once it is shown to work. Fielding David Luiz in central defense worked wonders at the Confederations Cup last summer, but David Luiz has since been on the periphery at the club level. Club form and international form are two different things, but were there to be any changes made before and during the tournament, Silva’s role in keeping the defense tight will be crucial. • Ramadel Falcao Radamel Falcao Garcia, not so long ago, was seen as one of the finest players in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, even though he has never played in the UEFA Champions League. He will finally do so with Monaco in 2014-15, but a knee injury suffered in a Coupe d’France fixture against Monts d’Or Azergues Foot may possibly end his dream of playing at a World Cup in his prime. He is still not confirmed as a member of Colombia’s squad for the World Cup, and will face a late fitness test to determine whether he will make it. Were he to make it, however, it will be interesting to note how he would perform at less than 100%. Manager Jose Pekerman and the medical staff will have a hard decision to take. • Vincent Kompany Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will be fresh from winning a second Premier League title in three years as he leads his team on to Brazil 2014. The presence of Kompany along with the likes of Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois mean that despite not qualifying for the tournament since 2002, the Red Devils go into the tournament with a squad full of players who have all

Thiago

Kompany

Sturridge

performed at the highest level of the game at the club level. Lack of experience at the international level could be compensated for. Just as with Brazil, however, the central defensive partnership will be central to Belgium’s hopes for making a deep run into the tournament’s knockout stages. Jan Verthongen has just come off an unimpressive season with Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal captain Thomas Vermealen has only played whenever Laurent Koscielny has been injured (read, rarely). Moreover, Kompany himself has been inconsistent this past season, despite winning the Premier League. Hence, his role both in terms of his playing position and as a leader will be one to watch. • Daniel Sturridge Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge walked into Anfield in January 2013 seen as a Chelsea and (previously) Manchester City “reject”,Daniel Sturridge whose perceived issues with his attitude and on-field relationships with his teammates meant that he was joining the Reds to rebuild his career. It was widely believed that the opportunity offered to him by Brendan Rodgers was likely his last at a big club; and he has indeed grabbed it with both hands. Ironically, he was close to being a Premier League title winner earlier this month over the two clubs that cast him aside. One thing that has never been in doubt is Sturridge’s ability to deliver the goods. He is that kind of player that relishes the challenge of performing under pressure; as shown by the 21 goals that he has scored this past season in the league. However, Sturridge is also known to feel the need to be “loved” within the setup that he

ncertainties surround the immediate golfing future of Rory McIlroy following his publicised split from fiancée Caroline Wozniacki with suggestions from some quarters that the Northern Irishman’s golf game will likely experience a dip. One of those who feel McIlroy’s game is likely to suffer is Luke Donald, who said: “We all know how hard this game is when you have a clear mind. I can’t imagine what’s going through his mind now. Obviously that’s the first I’ve heard of it and I’m as surprised as shocked as I’m sure you guys are. “Any time you have personal issues clouding your mind and you’re trying to play golf, it becomes very difficult. Sometimes being on the golf course can be a little bit of a break away from that, but most of the time it’s very hard to separate those two things. Obviously I wish both of them the best.” However, while the immediate sporting concern is that McIlroy’s

form will suffer, it just turns out that the only way is up. Since the beginning of 2013, McIlroy and Wozniacki, often called Wozilroy, combined for just two tournament victories. This is in stark contrast to the success both enjoyed as their romance bloomed after first meeting at a boxing match between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko in Germany on July 2, 2011. From that moment to the end of 2012, McIlroy climbed to the top of the world rankings and won six events. At the same time, Wozniacki collected three titles and ended 2011 as the season-ending world number one. However, 2013 was a struggle for McIlroy as he failed to win any event and missed the cut in five tournaments. The stats are not much better for Wozniacki, either. She only won one event in 2013 and lost in the second round at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Now ranked Number 14 in the world, Wozniacki is yet to win a title in 2014.

Kagawa

works in. While Liverpool has now become his comfort zone, the England national team setup is not the same. Thanks to his unfulfilled potential in the past, Sturridge seldom got the chance to play for his country before; and hence will enter the tournament relatively inexperienced in international football. It remains to be seen how he will translate his club form to the World Cup. England will not be seen as favorites by any stretch of imagination, but Sturridge’s selection along with several young players from Liverpool and Southampton mean that it will be crucial for him to perform in order to bring the best results out of the system Roy Hodgson puts out. Moreover, Wayne Rooney cannot be expected to shoulder the goal scoring burden by himself; hence, Sturridge will prove to be a key player for England this summer. • Shinji Kagawa Going purely by presence on social media, Evil Kagawa has surfaced more often than Shinji Kagawa this past season at Manchester United, despite the club’s troubles on and off the pitch. Having been marginalized by David Moyes, the Japanese midfielder has a golden opportunity to get hold of the attention of incoming manager Louis van Gaal. Japan will enter the tournament as part of a tough group featuring a high flying Colombia and an Ivory Coast squad that is looking towards one last hurrah for surviving members of their golden generation. Kagawa will be a key member of Alberto Zaccheroni’s Samurai Blue; and a strong showing at the tournament will have a positive knock-on effect on his career at the club level.

Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki at the last Masters

Rivers government takes golf to school

n its determination to grow golf at the junior level, the Rivers state government has taken a giant step at developing the sport by taking the game of golf to secondary schools in the state. Disclosing this, in a chat with New Telegraph, was Port Harcourt-based professional golfer, Morgan Atako, who is involved in the project. Explaining the gains, Atako said, besides engaging the youth, it also

helps the state in discovering talent in the sport and also offers opportunity of winning medals for the state at the national level, most especially at the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Calabar. According to Atako, golf is one area where the state normally wins medals at the National Sports Festival and not wanting to be left behind, the state government, through the Sports Ministry, engaged him and others who regularly train young golfers.

Dolphin golf course to get facelift

cting captain of Dolphin Golf Club, James Onokerhoraye, has promised everyone who participated in the just concluded Annol Ventures Pro-am that when they return next year, for the tournament’s next edition, the course will be in much better shape. Speaking in a chat with New Telegraph, Onokerhoraye said plans are on to upgrade the course to a status it deserves, even though

the course is currently evenly divided between browns and greens. The acting captain, who said he and other club members learnt a lot from the recently concluded championship, which saw Oche Odoh carting away the top prize in the professional category, added that the management of the club will continue to work round the clock to make the course playable at all times.

Sunday Transport GTBbank named 2014 African Bank of the Year p.36

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

Market and Malls CCC enlightens traders at Lagos Trade Fair complex p.42

Business AZUBIKE NNADOZIE, ASSISTANT Editor, SUNDAY

azubike.nnadozie@newtelegraphonline.com

ON SUNDAY

Nigeria’s good for investment -Automobile Peugeot VP A

Paul Ogbuokiri

utomobile Peugeot AP, France Vice President, Mr. Yves Moulin, has said that Nigeria is a destination for investors; hence the company will definitely commence the assem-

bly of Peugeot cars in Kaduna next month. He said this when he led top officials of AP France on a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, in Abuja on Thursday. Moulin urged the Federal

Government to put in place an enabling environment that would guarantee huge foreign investments required to support Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan. He said, “The Nigerian market is important to us because of its huge potential.” He not-

ed that since it is currently the largest economy in Africa with good infrastructure, favourable population and talented people, “Nigeria is a destination for private investors.” He said that if the right regulations are streamlined by the government to promote and

build local industries, Automobile Peugeot France would provide the additional value needed by Nigeria to generate employment for the youths and attract foreign investments that would help promote the national auto plan. The AP France boss further said that the current Peugeot market campaign slogan, ‘Back in the race’, is aimed at retaking the auto market globally. He therefore called on the Nigerian government to patronise Peugeot brands, particularly as PAN prepares to commence production in June this year. In his speech, the minister thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his transformation agenda and support to the ministry to put in place the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, which the Automotive Policy is derived from. The minister expressed happiness with the responses of automotive firms from across the globe so far, adding that the visit by AP France vice president to Nigeria is an indication that the auto plan is working. CONTINUED ON PAG38

Inside

L-R; Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom; Vice President of AP France, Mr. Yves Moulin; and Managing Director of PAN Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi, shortly after the minister adorned Moulin with Tiv traditional attire during a courtesy visit on the minister.

Apapa Customs issues 28,861 PAARs in one month

elays and challenges associated with the recent introduction of the Pre Arrival Assessment Report by the Nigeria Customs Service has been surmounted by Apapa Area 1 Command of the service, which issued 28,861 PAAR in April. The number, according to the Customs Area Controller of the command, Mr. Charles Edike, surpasses what three destination inspection service providers were able to achieve during the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) regime. He told New Telegraph on Sunday that the achievement of the command also impacted positively on the revenue it collected in the period under review, which amounted to N29,315,856,664. He said that the figure was over

50 per cent of the N55bn collected between January and March 2014 when the command grappled with the teething challenges of PAAR. “This feat was achieved by a combination of dedicated personnel and apt application of available technology,” he said. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the service providers were issuing an average of 900 RARs daily which has now been surpassed with an average of 1000 PAARs daily now that the customs have fully taken charge of the DI implementation. Edike said that the feat was a product of hard work and increasing Information Technology (IT) knowledge of customs personnel deployed to serve at the command. He said that the PAAR document, which is a new requirement

for goods clearance at all customs ports, is now issued within hours of entry submission in Apapa port, provided importers or agents make declarations that are not self-contradictory and which may cause the automated system to reject such entries. Edike, who described the initial challenges faced by the introduction of PAAR as ‘teething problems’, added that such problems were not unusual for any project at inception as they were challenges that are surmountable. At inception of PAAR regime, over 99,000 RARs were left unattended to by the destination inspection service providers which made the customs to address the challenge of backlog of imports delayed at the ports. “We are fully aligned with the

patriotic zeal and optimism of our Controller General Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, CFR who has instilled in us the belief and confidence that Nigerians can do better what foreigners do in any sphere of our national, economic and social life. “Initially, dealing with the 99,000 Form ‘M’ that were not perfected by the service providers alone was an enormous task for us and when you add that to the teething problem of PAAR itself, then you will understand the kind of challenge the service will be faced with,” ,” the Comptroller said. He added, “We are happy that PAAR is coming out beautifully and I must say that we are coming out of the storm gradually and CONTINUED ON PAG38

Nkwonta

Lagos roads are underpatrolled -FRSC boss

pg 39

Yusuf

LG taxes should be streamlined -DG LCCI

pg 30

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Business News

GTBank named 2014 African Bank of the Year

uaranty Trust Bank Plc has been adjudged the ‘2014 African Bank of the Year’ for the second consecutive time by African Banker Magazine. This was stated on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at the awards ceremony held at Kigali Serena Hotel, Rwanda. The African Banker Awards is one of the biggest annual events that recognises and celebrates the achievements of the finan-

cial services industry in Africa. It recognises individuals and financial institutions contributing to the development and growth of Africa’s banking industry and changing perceptions of the continent’s domestic and international markets. Outlining the rationale for selecting GTBank as the overall winner of the coveted ‘African Bank of the Year’ award, the panel of judges commented that the award recognises financial

institutions that are industry leaders, consistently report strong financial performance and significantly contribute to the quality of service offered by the financial services industry within their country and across the African continent. Commenting on the awards ceremony, Publisher of African Banker Magazine, Mr. Omar Ben Yedder, said, “We are here in Kigali where we have witnessed the transformation of a

country. Since we have launched the awards, we have witnessed the transformation of an industry. There is no room for complacency because there is much room for growth and development to achieve the transformation we all desire and work towards. Seeing local African banks finance and structure international deals is a step forward and unimaginable a decade back. I am also delighted to see three women

pick up three coveted individual awards. Congratulations to them all!” Receiving the award on behalf of GTBank, Managing Director of GTBank Kenya, Mr. Kunle Sonola, said, “GTBank Plc is honoured to win this highly coveted award. The award is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the board, management and staff of the bank. It is also a challenge and a call to do more to project the global relevance of the African banking industry.” He also used the medium to thank the bank’s customers for their continued trust and support as well as assure them that the bank would continue to strive to deliver beyond stakeholders’ expectations at all times.

ABC Transport wins LCCI award

L -R: Former President, Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers, Chief E. A. Ukpabi; Executive Secretary, Mr. Aderemi Adegboyega; Vice President, Mr. Sunil Sawhney; and President, Mr. Paul Gbededo, during its 35th Annual General Meeting, in Lagos recently

Olugbodi, others, discuss African business at Cambridge Azubike Nnadozie

s the spotlight beams on Africa again, the world must surely expect to discover surprises. But very often, these surprises are of a different

kind; good surprises - surprising stories of successful businesses that have been built through the alchemy of hard work, guts and a dose of luck. These surprising African stories will be the heart of the 2014 Busi-

ness in Africa Conference. Now in its third year, this year’s Business in Africa Conference aims at breaking the myths about success. Recognising that Africa is no longer just a land of opportunity, but

Star lager tops OAAN awards

tar lager beer from the stable of Nigerian Breweries came tops at the recent Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) Awards by clinching ‘Grand Poster’ Award, ‘Best Creative’ Award, and the ‘Grand Prix’ Award. At the eighth OAAN Exhibition and Poster Awards held in Lagos, Star was awarded the ‘Grand Poster Award’ for producing the best creative among all the brand winners in eight categories. The categories included Dairy/Food/ Beverages; Non Alcoholic drinks; Alcoholic drink and Electrical/ Electronics. Other categories were

Public Service; Telecoms/ICT; Household and Financial Services. Star was also given the ‘Best Creative award’ and the ‘Grand Prix Award’ for the most innovative Brand in Outdoor Advertising 2014. OAAN President, Mr Charles Chijide, said “the award was initiated to reward excellence in outdoor creativity.” According to him, it was the association’s way of appreciating the work that has gone into creating the messages through which advertisers connect with their various targets using OAAN platform.

In his reaction to the awards, Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Walter Drenth, said, “Since the start of 2012, we have been focusing on how to improve our outdoor advertising creative for all the brands. I find outdoor a very important connection moment, but the creativity and presentation needs to be on point to create maximum impact and effectiveness. In essence, outdoor creativity is an art which is sometimes underestimated. We are very proud to have won these three fantastic Outdoor Awards. It’s a great recognition for the Star team and Nigerian Breweries.”

a region full of success stories, the Cambridge Africa Business Network (CABN), a Cambridge alumni and student led initiative to promote networking and dialogue about business in Africa, will explore stories of what Africa has done right through panels on Business and Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance and Talent Development. While sharing his expectations of the conference, panelist and speaker, Tunji Olugbodi, believes that increasing awareness about the success stories from within the broad African business community will result in increased interest in private sector-led development and economic growth on the continent. As an advocate of new thinking and breaking new grounds to remain dynamic, this forum will provide a platform for acculturating opportunities for business innovation across the African continent.

BC Transport has been conferred with the ‘Most Innovative and Impactful Transport and Logistics Company in Nigeria’ award at the 2014 LCCI Commerce and Industry Award organised Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos. ABC Transport won in the category of transport and logistics, having been nominated alongside corporate heavyweights like Maersk, DHL and Arik. ViceChancellor, Pan-Atlantic University, Prof. Juan Emmanuel Elegido, was the chairman of the Award Jury. while this special honour was bestowed on ABC Transport in recognition for its outstanding services in land transportation. ABC Transport, Nigeria’s leading coach service operator, has been commended severally time sfor its pioneering role in the road transport sector and its enviable safety records in the industry. The Head, Customer Service (Western Region), Mrs. Ijeoma Onyekwuo, received the award on behalf of ABC Transport. Commenting on the award, she said, “Our thanks go to the organisers of the award for their significant contribution to economic development, especially in their recognition of key industry players,” saying the company takes the award as a strong vote of confidence from customers its customers. “We are very grateful to them and like to reassure them that we will intensify efforts to consistently meet their needs and strive to build a world class road transport company in the West African subregion,” she stated. Meanwhile, ABC Cargo Express, a division of ABC Transport Plc, has opened an office in Ikorodu, Lagos. This new cargo outlet is located at 62, Ayangburen Road, off Ebute Road, beside HRM Palace, Ikorodu, it said in a statement. ABC Transport stated that it plans to commence passenger service operations from Ikorodu to the east and South-South.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Business News

FG’ll sustain 6.8% GDP growth this year, says Okonjo-Iweala Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in this interview with The Banker magazine speaks on Nigeria’s future and the resilience of the economy in the face of security problems.

igeria budget for 2014 has a deficit of 1.9 per cent and the country is talking about increasing military spending. Are you still optimistic that you will meet that target of controlling spending? Yes, the budget that we brought back from the National Assembly increased slightly from 1.9 deficit to 2.01 per cent of the old GDP. Of course, this is less than one per cent of the rebased GDP. I think we can still make it.

year. We will not use it again. Nigeria spends huge money on fuel subsidy. Is there anything to be done to reduce it further? I think it is not very likely this year because we have a very tough policy and we are very brave. And this is an election period. I don’t think we can do that anymore this year. The President was brave enough when he rolled back 50 per cent of it. We are not likely to do it this year because this is an election year. The country is drained and the President as well.

You mentioned to (UN Secretary-General) Ban Ki Moon that you probably wouldn’t issue a euro bond this year and Nigeria will tap the euro bond. Do you think Nigeria can still tap the euro bond? I don’t think we can tap the euro bond this year. For the Diaspora bundle, we are thinking of shifting it later in the year or even next

With Boko Haram insurgency, do you think Nigeria will still sustain the 6.8 per cent growth in GDP? We are forecasting growth of 6.75 per cent and we are on track to get it done. I think we have taken account of the impact of activities of the insurgency in Northern Nigeria and it’s a doable thing. It’s a double number and it’s doable.

Okonjo-Iweala

Stability has returned to Ecobank -Essien The new Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank, Albert Essien, spoke to The Banker magazine on how he intends to move the bank away from its corporate governance crisis. He also spoke on why focusing on costs and efficiency will be his priority.

cobank has been in the news for some time now due to corporate governance crisis. How much has this affected the bank, especially customers’ confidence? Well, we have been in the news for obvious issues but it’s over

Essien

and stability has come back. We got a bit of knocks. You know, money doesn’t like to talk and people don’t want to hear that their bank is in the news, especially for the wrong reasons. Since I took over, I have been able to reach out to our staff, partners, supporters, regulators, journalists and customers, trying to talk to them on what happened and how we hope to move the organisation forward. Also, I was in London, educating the people on what we are doing and where we are going to from here. In the light of what happened, what do people expect from your leadership in the next two years? The most important thing is to focus on building confidence, trust and unity. We need to renew the confidence the people repose in the bank, work like one team. I believe that confidence, trust and unity are cardinal to the survival of

any business. This are the major things that help us in the system. I said unity before I discovered that there was polarity in the system, though not bad enough to rock the business. We need to come back and work together as a team. Well, in short terms, we will do something and bring everybody together and strive for efficient driving of the bank. Having done that, we are going to look at more ways of bringing people from the back of the bank to the front and move them to the field to form fireballs. With this, people will still know that we are in business. Of course, despite the crisis, we broke the N2 billion profit barrier last year, which is good for Sub-Saharan Africa. On the long term, we will be moving the revenue base of the organisation. Operation-wise, we will be re-launching e-banking, getting people in the right place. We will look at staff efficiency and return to profit before tax. Ecobank is now in 65 countries, and people said that that was what led to the bank’s profitability ratio. Do you want to keep expanding or shrinking your branch networks?

We will continue to expand until we get there. If you look at our previous documentary, you would discover that there are countries very dear to us and there other countries in serious problem. Ethiopia will take a while because that was a closed shop. Mozambique has 9.2 per cent in growth and is critical to our business because it is a gateway to other countries, including Malawi, Ghana, Zambia and Angola. Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia are the major countries with the largest revenue base. And we need to optimise our costs, if we want to have our revenue. We are profitable despite the challenges. Nigeria is your business biggest market. Can you explain issues surrounding that even after taking over Oceanic Bank? What do expect to see? Nigeria is very critical. Yes, we took a hit and we wanted to get legacy issues right. We are growing our revenue base and I’m confident that Nigeria will contribute much to this business. I’m confident of the measures we have taken. This year, Nigeria will be very great for us. I’m looking forward to good business from Nigeria.

Nigeria’s good for investment -AP Vice President CONTINUED F R OM PAGE 35

by AP France vice president to Nigeria is an indication that the auto plan is working. Speaking earlier on the occasion, the Managing Director/ CEO, PAN Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi, said that of all the auto assembly plants established in Nigeria in the 70s, PAN remains the only functional one still producing cars. He stated that the company had itemised and outlined technical activities to recommence assembly operations in Nigeria and gave the assurance that the first assembled cars would come out in June this year. “It would be recalled that the technical team from France had earlier this year concluded an onsite assessment of PAN assembly plant and certified it for immediate production,” he said. He further noted that with the development of the Nigerian Auto Policy, PAN has received tremendous encouragement from AP France as it has shown great commitment to support the policy. Boyi said the full implementation of the new auto policy would transform the nation’s industrial segment, pointing out that PAN’s history in the sector is over 40 years. He said this would give the company an edge in the Nigerian market because it is one of the most experienced and resilient auto plants in Nigeria today.

Apapa Customs issues 28,861 PAARs in one month CONTINUED F R OM PAGE 35

as we speak PAAR is now being transmitted with ease, PAAR is rolling out smoothly and before the importer gets home after processing his form M”, the PAAR will be ready before that same night.” Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said PAAR was increasing government revenue and reducing unemployment. According to him, other benefits of the PAAR regime include time saving, cost effectiveness and automated check system on all stakeholders and customs officers. Meanwhile, the Customs CG has sent a delegation of officers led by the Area Controller of Seme Command, Mr. Willy Egbudin, to visit a girl who was allegedly assaulted by a customs officer. The victim is currently responding to treatment at the General Hospital in Badagry, Lagos State, according to the Deputy Public Relation Officer of the NCS, Mr. Joseph Attah, shortly after the visit. He said, “The CGC is saddened by the report and he has expressed his readiness to pick up the medical bills of the girl. The officer who was involved in the case has been placed on suspension pending the conclusion of the investigation which is being handled by the police.”

SundayTransport 38

PAUL OGBUOKIRI, paul_ogbuokiri@newtelegraphonline.com 0802-779-0557, 08037613380

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNRDAY

MAY 25 , 2014

Nissan unveils Pathfinder Crossover SUV

tallion NMN, authorised Nissan sales company, has taken delivery of the remodeled Nissan Pathfinder, which it re-launched with a new R52 generation proposition and distinctively urbanefocused styling for the 2014 model year. Unlike the last three generation models and the nameplate’s 28-year history, the new Pathfinder casts aside its truck-like off-road roots for a more sophisticated, comfortable, car-based and family-ready crossover SUV. Better explained, the Pathfinder has traded off its previous Navara-sourced ladder frame underpinnings in favour of a bitumenbias unibody structure with an ultra-flexible seven-seat cabin that the Stallion NMN Managing Director, Parvir Singh, describes as a “perfect match for families.” Nissan says the new Pathfinder adapts to the needs of consumers by breaking away from its ‘proper offroader’ status to become an urbane-friendly SUV with a far more refined proposition; yet offering a dramatically improved ride quality and fuel economy than its predecessor, launched in 2004. The previous Pathfinder was a rugged truck-like adept off-roader with remarkable towing capabilities but Nissan has transformed these characteristics to an SUV with a comfortable cabin, improved fuel economy and aesthetically appealing looks. That is why the new Pathfinder is built on a unibody structure shared with the equally new Infiniti JX crossover with a sliding secondrow seat that can tilt and fold forward even with a child seat in place, making access to the adultfriendly third row much easier. Targeting existing family favourites such as Toyota Prado, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Mazda CX – 9 among others, the new Pathfinder adopts a 260-horsepower 3.5-litre V6, matched to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). And justifiably lighter than its predeces-

sor, weighing 500 pounds – one factor in fuel economy estimates of 20 mpg city / 26 mpg highway and 22 combined, the new Pathfinder crossover SUV is currently ranked one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in a class that includes the Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander. World class test drivers say though the Pathfinder has given up some towing capacity to its forbear, but it can still tow 5000 pounds – an appreciable weight for a midsize, sevenpassenger crossover whose primary duty, especially in Nigeria, won’t stray from pulling a

Driving tips to avoid an accident Don’t allow children to fight or climb around in your car (they should be buckled up in their seats at all times). One accidental bump or too much noise can easily distract you from concentrating on driving safely. Cell phones can also take your focus away from the task at hand: arriving safely at your destination. Avoid driving when you’re tired. Be aware that some medications can cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous. Always use caution when changing lanes. Cutting in front of someone, changing lanes too fast or not using your signals may cause an accident or upset other drivers. What should I do if I’m in a car accident? If you’re involved in an accident, first make sure no one in the car is injured. Next, check on the passengers in the other vehicle; or, if necessary, make certain that no pedestrians are hurt. Then, take these five things into account:

mere cruise boat. However, the test drivers profess that the new Pathfinder has a lot going for it, namely smooth performance, impressive fuel economy and a welcoming cabin, which according to them has a very strong appeal over Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot. Body Styles, Trim Levels The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder R52 over SUV is availcrossable in four trim levels: S, SV, SL and Platinum but only the ‘S’ (base) and ‘SV’ are available in the local market. Standard equipment on the ‘S’ includes 18inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, keyless entry, tri-zone auto-

matic climate control, cruise control, a height adjustable driver seat, a 60/40-split secondrow seat (slides, reclines and folds); a tilt-andtelescopic steering; and a six-speaker sound system with six-CD changer. The ‘SV’ adds automatic headlights, keyless ignition/entry, an eight-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a 7-inch colour multi-information display, a rear-view camera and an upgraded audio system with a single-CD player with satellite radio and a USB/iPod interface. Power-trains and performance The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 good for 260 hp and 240 poundfeet of torque. A CVT and front-wheel drive are standard. An optional all-wheel-drive system automatically apportions power between the front and rear axles as needed or allows the driver to lock in a 50/50 ratio. EPA fuel economy estimates are 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 19/25/21 with 4WD. Safety Standard safety features include antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Interior Design and Special Features The new Pathfinder’s cabin is elegantly crafted and boasts quality materials as the luxury Infiniti JX brand, given the variety of rich finishes and easy to reach intuitive controls.

Auto Clinic Stay at the scene. Leaving can result in additional violations or fines. Call the police or other security agencies as quickly as possible. They’ll dispatch medical personnel and a police officer immediately to the scene of the accident. Wait for the police to complete an accident report. If you’re on a busy highway, stay inside the car and wait for the police or an ambulance. It’s dangerous if passengers stand along a busy street. Don’t get into an argument or a fight with the other driver. Simply exchange contact and insurance information. If possible, also get the name and phone numbers of witnesses. Call your insurance provider to report the claim. Your agent will ask you to send any paperwork you receive regarding the accident and will give you instructions as to where you can get your car fixed. What should I do if a police officer stops me? If you notice that a police car is following you with its

emergency lights flashing, pull over to the side of the road safely and quickly. Wait inside your car for the officer to approach and talk to you and also be prepared to: Turn on your interior light at night and keep your hands where the officer can see them, preferably on the steering wheel. Don’t reach under your seat or into your glove box. This may cause the officer to think you’re reaching for a weapon or hiding something. Give your licence and registration to the officer if asked to do so. If the officer asks you to step out of your car, do so without sudden or threatening movements. Stay calm − don’t become argumentative, disorderly or abusive − and never attempt to bribe the officer. Present your story in traffic court if you feel you’ve been unfairly treated. You may be represented by a lawyer, if necessary; you’ll be heard by a judge or magistrate Source: www.nationwide.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Sunday Transport

Lagos roads are underpatrolled - FRSC boss

In this interview with PAUL OGBUOKIRI, is the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Lagos State, Chidi Nkwonta, speaks on challenges in the issuance of new driver’s licence and other issues. To what extent has the activities of the Federal Road Safety Commission impacted on safety consciousness among Nigerian motorists and other road users? n the last 26 years, we have been out there on the streets sensitising and enlightening Nigerians on safer ways of using our roads. We are there at the parks, schools, churches. We collaborate with agencies and corporate organisations and we have road safety clubs in schools. I would say that it has impacted on safety consciousness of Nigerians on the roads. State governments have also bought into the programme. People are complying. But we still record a high number of road crashes and deaths on our roads yearly? In 1988, we projected that we had not less 22,000 deaths on our roads, but in 2010, we had about 4500. The trend has been going downwards. If you look at the figure last year, you would notice that it was slightly higher than that of 2010. But when you match it with the rising number of vehicles in the country and the population, you would realise that it was not astronomical. I would say that through our efforts and those of other state road safety agencies that are offshoots of FRSC, you would see that a landmark achievement have been recorded in the last 26 years since we started. But we are not resting on our laurels because of that we have taken the safety campaign a step further by domesticating the enlightenment programme. I recall that in the last two years, we used the opportunity of the August Meeting of Igbo women to reach them in a relaxed atmosphere and lecture them on road safety. These are mothers; even when they do not drive, they have husbands, children or relations who drive and they can help to talk to them on road safety and etiquette.

There have been reports of friction between FRSC and the road safety agencies of states on jurisdiction. To what extent is this true? There is no need for friction because under the United Nations convention and the FRSC enabling law, the commission is the lead agency which regulates road safety in the country. We encourage state agencies to set up these agencies. We are kind of devolving power to the states. Any issue on whose role it is to issue driver’s licence, vehicle numberplates and other documents? No. There is no such friction. Issuance of driver’s licence and vehicle number-plate is a state function. There is an agreem e n t that we

provide the technical backup, including design. We ensure uniformity because it is a national thing. It must be uniform and meet national standards. FRSC doesn’t issue the permanent driver’s licence but we issue you with a temporary one, which only enables you to drive until you obtain the permanent driver’s licence from the state agencies. FRSC is seen at almost every corner of major roads in the country, including trunk B and C roads. Is that not an encroachment on areas over which the state agencies have jurisdiction? The Act establishing the Federal Road Safety Commission gives it power to patrol all public roads in the country. Unless the roads is a pri-

Nkwonta

vate street, the FRSC attends to all public roads in the country. It is an aberration when people talk of FRSC staying off state roads. There is no division as to the areas that should be patrolled by the commission. Lagos roads are grossly under-manned and under-patrolled. Lagos is a mega city of no fewer than 20 million people. When you remove the traffic police, the state has just a total of 20,000 FRSC, VIO and LASTMA officials put together. But on the other hand, the state has 4.5 million vehicles and between seven to eight million drivers. If you divide the number of vehicles in the state by 20,000, you will begin to appreciate how grossly under-patrolled the state’s roads are. Also, if you are talking of federal roads in the state, 60 per cent of the roads in Lagos State are federal roads. There is no restriction whatsoever on the state road safety agency, LASTMA, on where it should patrol. That is why you can see them on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. So this territorial struggle is completely unnecessary. FRSC and LASTMA cannot be everywhere. It is better we do not restrict any state agency. There have been reports of attacks on FRSC officials. is there any plan in place to ensure the safety of your staff when they are on duty? We have sensitised our officers on personal relationship. We train them on good human relations so that they will be able to manage situations of friction when they arise without allowing them to degenerate to violence. You know that FRSC is a law enforcement agency that enforces rules, so we are bound to meet people who would want to resist. In such a situation, we emphasise restraint on the part of officials. we also ask them to approach such situations professionally to forestall assault.

Auto Trend: Vehicles, accessories, discounts and more...

Hyundai tops Brand Keys Index H

yundai’s continued dedication to its customers earned them the No. 1 spot in the automotive category in the Brand Keys 2014 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. Brand Keys, a New York-based brand, customer loyalty and engagement consultancy, publishes this annually-syndicated study that examines customers’ relationships with 555 different brands in 64 categories. 2014 marks the fourth year in a row in which Hyundai took the top spot in the automotive category. “Hyundai continues to top our automotive category due to their understanding of how to exceed customer expectations with model after model,” said Robert Passikoff, president, Brand Keys. “Hyundai

delivers consistently high levels of emotional engagement for their brand and for their customers by leveraging class-leading technologies, all while providing real brand value.” For the Brand Keys 2014 survey, 32,000 consumers self-selected the categories in which they are consumers and the brands for which they are customers. Assessments fused rational and emotional aspects of the categories to identify the behavioral drivers of brand loyalty and customer engagement and gauges how well each brand met or exceeded consumers’ expectations in their respective categories. “Every new vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup is designed and engineered to go above and beyond what our customers expect

from their vehicles. It is very rewarding to see that our unwavering commitment to providing

our customers with the quality products they deserve results in long-term customer loyalty,”

said vice president, Marketing, Hyundai Motor America, Steve Shannon.

Firm develops new car care product Chijioke Iremeka

he days of washing one’s car with water and various cleaning products may soon be a thing of the past, as Nissan has developed an Ultra-Ever Dry protective coating. The company says it has a special paint coating that can repel water and oils, as well as mud rain from vehicles. To demonstrate the new technology, Nissan outfitted one of its subcompact hatchbacks

with the ultra-ever-dry protective coating. One side of the car was coated and the other was left dry. Then, the car was driven through a whole bunch of mud and dirt. At the end of the test, one half of the car looked clean and presentable, while the other looked like it needed a good wash. Of course, the side that had the ultra-ever-dry was clean and other dirty. However, Nissan hasn’t announced plans to put the new product into mass production,

but the company did say that it “will continue to consider the coating technology as a future aftermarket option.” As Popular Science wrote a few years back, the company’s Scratch Shield paint, which was first applied to certain 2008 Infiniti models, contains a synthetic resin that, when activated by daytime heat and sunlight, flows into surface wounds, repairing the damage in anywhere from a day to a week, depending on temperature and the depth of the scrap.

MAY 18, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Equities index hits 3-month high

he equities market appears to be stripping itself of investors’ domineering perceived sentiments that have encrypted listed stocks since the beginning of the year. The breather in the regulatory space following the MPC decision during the week to retain the major policy variables unchanged and perceived re-entry of foreign fund managers despite the restiveness in the country remain the plausible reasons for the current state of the market. In an unprecedented outing since the last three months of trading, the bulls resurfaced during the week after the index traded above its 3-month high, settling at 39,831.83pts to close the week 2.08% northward. The total volume and value of transactions swung positive in the week as they pegged at 1.865bn units (+12.81%) and NGN23.666bn (+19.47%) mainly due to a special trading on Zenith Bank Plc. Given the momentum of gains recorded in the week, we are of the view that the positive trend will most likely be sustained in the coming week given the relative low pricing of some counters and the fact that no major domestic regulatory shock or global uncertainty should crystallize in the near term. We further analyze from a sectoral perspective, specific sentiments on sectors and counters that triggered the general market reaction during the week in the following sections while we also present our outlook for the week ahead.

Banking Sector: “ETI” lists as part of MSCI Frontier Index

The banking sector’s performance was downbeat in the week’s trading when compared with the previous week (returns last

…as sleeping bulls awake week). There were only 8 gainers, bringing the sector’s return to -6.47% Ytd. The positive performance from the previous week was partly reversed as investors took their profit on the major gainers from the previous week. The major gainer from last week, FCMB (16.22%) shed 7.91%. This was a recurring theme for some of other top gainers from the previous week ACCESS (5.18%), and STERLNBNK (4.55%) which both shed 2.62%, and 1.30% respectively in this week. The major gainer this week was Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), which gained 8.07%. The stock seems to be benefiting from increased investor awareness and patronage due to its recent addition to the MSCI frontier index which provides a broad representation of the investible opportunities in equities in 34 frontier countries in regions including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This recent addition is expected to be followed by additional inflows into the Nigerian financial markets which will portend a recovery in the banking sector, and the equities market in general.

Insurance Sector: More consolidations expected.

The insurance sector gained 2.59%during the week driven largely by CUSTODYINS and CONTINSURE which recorded gains of 9.8% and 4.9% respectively. WAPIC and OASISINS on the other hand lost 3.57% and 3.77% respectively, as investors took profits following the appreciation in both tickers’ share prices in previous weeks. Similar to the increased trading volumes witnessed on African Alliance at the beginning of the month, Universal Insur-

ance (UNIVINSURE) was actively traded during the week. The stock featured as one of the top ten most traded stocks on three of five trading days. We attribute the increased trading volumes on both stocks to the proposed merger between both companies which we expect to conclude before the end of the year. The increasing need to grow and boost market share leads us to deduce that there will be more propositions of mergers/acquisitions in the insurance sector as the year unfolds. We maintain our positive outlook for the insurance sector as investors are expected to take position in stocks with good fundamentals and technical history such as CUSTODYINS, MANSARD, AIICO, NEM and CONTINSURE.

Industrial Goods: Sector heavy weights push returns

Performance of the industrial goods sector in the week (+0.25% WtD return) was a reflection of dominant positive sentiments towards the tail end of the week. The share price appreciation of the heave weights in the cement basket (DANGCEM and ASHAKACEM) which gained 0.28% and 1.02% respectively drove returns. While WAPCO remained unchanged WoW, investors somewhat commenced a steady reentry into DANGCEM. Skepticism around the company’s ability to sustain strong profit growth (given the 11.3% decline in Profit-After-Tax as at Q1:2014 though net margin stayed as the industry’s highest at 45.98%) which dominated investors’ trading decisions in the prior weeks seems to have waned. We expect the company to remain prof-

itable given its large-scale production, widespread distribution and relatively cost-efficient production despite having gas challenges. CCNN which traded flat in the previous week gained 4.3% as investors took advantage of its fairly attractive price level. The industry leader in the chemical and paints segment, CAP, witnessed negative trades in the week resulting in the stock’s 3.07% decline. Other key players in the industry (BERGER and PAINTCOM) traded flat through the week as there was no catalyst or news flow to drive movement in the share prices though we note that PAINTCOM portends more upside than BERGER at current price levels.

Consumer Goods Sector: Modest positive price gyration expected

Market consideration for consumer goods counters received a boost during the week given the general positive market mood. Whilst the relatively less capitalized stocks such as 7UP, DANGFLOUR, NNFM traded flat WoW, the largely capitalized stocks traded positive. Impressively, FLOURMILL is beginning to rebound from the hibernation of the prior weeks returning +3.68%. In a similar pattern, CADBURY, NESTLE, UNILEVER and VITAFOAM gained 4.07%, 0.46%, 0.32% and 2.75%. However, NASCON was punished for the 19.2% and 2.4% decline in turnover and PAT in its 2013FY result and the unimpressive 2014Q1 result. As such, the stock lost 4.14% WoW. Sentiments on brewery sector stocks stays largely in favour of Nigerian Beweries Plc. The stock appreciated for the second consecutive week (8.02%), following the announcement of the intention of Heineken, the majority shareholder, to merge the premium brewer with Consolidated breweries. We however see sentiment on the stock waning in the short term. Investors’ appetite for GUINNESS stayed calm as the stock returned -0.83% following negative reaction after the last earnings release. Our technical estimate shows that the current support level for GUINNESS is NGN200. This is further supported by our fair valuation price of NGN199.11. We recommend short-term speculation at current price. Our full year expectation for International breweries suggests 4.45% and 9.08% top and bottom line growth given that the company operates in the value segment of the sector which is currently the fastest growing segment. Hence, we anticipate a rally on the stock once the 2014FY result is out. On the whole, the consumer goods sector in the week returned 1.18, contributing to the overall positive market return. Our outlook on the sector remains positive for the week with possible upward swing on FLOURMILL, VITAFOAM, PZ and GUINNESS.

Agric Sector: Low prices present entry opportunities

Negative sentiments prevailed in the sector last week as LIVESTOCK and OKOMUOIL shed 4.15% and 5.00% respectively. PRESCO however traded flat through the

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 18, 2014

Market Report week, except on Friday when it returned a modest 0.57%, as there was no major news to drive sentiments. FTNCOCOA traded significant volumes as 2.20million and 8.8million shares were exchanged on Wednesday and Thursday respectively to leave the price unchanged at NGN0.50k. Technical indicators on OKOMUOIL and PRESCO still show an oversold position suggesting entry opportunities for technical traders. However, barring any significant trigger and given that the stocks are currently around their fundamental values, we do not see any major activity on the stocks in the coming week. LIVESTOCK may continue to trend downwards during the week as it gradually approaches the oversold region.

tion status. Some companies in the sector (FIDSON, MAYBAKER & NEIMETH etc.) are at the verge of getting the WHO prequalification status, huge investments in the upgrading and construction of new plant to align with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) has increased the gearing level of most of the companies on the WHO queue, hence cost of servicing these debts has been a major drag to performance and liquidity at large. Going by this, we expect these companies to come to market to raise funds as MAYBAKER takes the lead.

Services Sector: CAVERTON slumps on arrival, IKEJAHOTEL to the rescue

Oil and Gas: Positive upswing to continue

The Chief Executive of SEPLAT on Thursday further calmed investors’ worries saying that he expects Chevron asset sale dispute case to be settled in the company’s favour as the court order continues to prevent Chevron from selling the asset until it resolves its dispute with Britannia-U. SEPLAT closed at NGN636.00 for the week, -0.62% loss WoW. Oando Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Oando Plc, listed on the Toronto exchange; reported an average of 22% increase in its oil production largely driven by a significant 110% increase in the production from its OML 56 asset. However, the company reported a loss of USD32.9m on the back of the finance expenses incurred in the acquisition of ConocoPhillips assets. Oando and FO rally were the only signifi-

cant movement in the Oil and Gas Industry during the week as the Oando returned 25.08% to close at NGN20.00. We expect the stock sector’s return to remain positive in the week on the back of our expected positive upswing on OANDO.

Healthcare Sector: Negative sentiment stirred by uncertainties

The sector closed the week at -0.02%, the

ICTWorld

loss was driven by MAYBAKER & NEIMETH which shed -8.2% and -12.38% respectively WtD. FIDSON also saw activities during the week but sentiment pegged it at its prior price of N1.56. All other stocks in the sector closed the week flat. The current trend in the sector may persist as investors are uncertain about sectors long term prospect pending the WHO prequalifica-

Positive expectations of a new listing on the Stock Exchange went awry barely 24 hours after CAVERTON was introduced to the market as the stock shed 9.68% on its first day of trading and 26.11% to NGN7.02. In what appears as a hasty move to quickly dump the shares by existing shareholders of the company, the stock has suffered from poor market sentiment which we believe may persist into the coming week out of sheer panic by other shareholders. The Services sector as a whole was upbeat this week as 6 stocks advanced against 4 stocks as the sectoral index closed positive at 0.019%. IKEJAHOTE, LEARNAFRICA and TRANSCORP continued to rally as share prices appreciated by 42.86%, 6.58% and 3.01% in that order. In the absence of any major external market moving news, we see continued calm in the sector.

with

Kingsley Roberts kingndcha@yahoo.co.uk

Foundations of CALL: Theory, frameworks, conceptualisation

omputer assisted language learning (CALL) is both exciting and frustrating as a field of research and practice. It is exciting because it is complex, dynamic and quickly changing – and it is frustrating for the same reasons. Technology adds dimensions to the already multifaceted domain of second language learning, requiring new knowledge and skills for those who wish to incorporate it into their professional practice or understand its impact on the language teacher and learner. Yet the technology changes so rapidly that CALL knowledge and skills must be constantly renewed to stay apace of the field. The amount of literature in the field is impressive: there are thousands of published articles, almost 500 of which were considered in preparing this series. We have many promising and innovative ideas but only the beginnings of definitive answers as to how to use computers most effectively to support language learning. Despite this uncertainty, as computers have become more a part of our everyday lives – and permeated other areas of education the question is no longer whether to use computers but how. CALL researchers, developers and practitioners have a critical role in helping the overall field of second language

learning come to grips with this domain. So what exactly does this exciting and frustrating field of CALL entail? Beatty offers the following characterization: ‘a definition of CALL that accommodates its changing nature is any process in which a learner uses a computer and, as a result, improves his or her language’ (2003: 7). This definition, though ratherbroad, is nevertheless a reasonable starting point when we consider the range of articles that show up at CALL conferences, in CALL journals and in CALL books. It does, however, give rise to two additional questions: What do we mean by ‘computer’? And what do we mean by ‘improve’? The first of these is an important question in defining the field because CALL as considered here does not include simply the canonical desktop and laptop devices we label computers. It also includes the networks connecting them, peripheral devices associated with them and a number of other technological innovations such as PDAs (personal digital assistants), mp3 players, mobile phones, electronic whiteboards and even DVD players, which have a computer of sorts embedded in them (Levy and Hubbard, 2005). The second question, what does it mean to improve, can be answered with respect to a number of different perspectives:

• learning efficiency: learners are able to pick up language knowledge or skills faster or with less effort; • learning effectiveness: learners retain language knowledge or skills longer, make deeper associations and/or learn more of what they need; • access: learners can get materials or experience interactions that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to get or do; • convenience: learners can study and practise with equal effectiveness across a wider range of times and places; • motivation: learners enjoy the language learning process more and thus engage more fully; • institutional efficiency: learners require less teacher time or fewer or less expensive resources. Note that in some of these cases this does not lead to improving language directly in Beatty’s sense, but rather to improving the learning conditions in some fashion. It is also worth pointing out that, just as with other ‘assistance’, uses of CALL can in some cases impede progress. In other words, while improvement in one or more of the areas above may be the goal of a given CALL initiative, that outcome is not always achieved. Practically speaking, we can further expand Beatty’s already broad definition. CALL books and

journals also include articles relating to the use of computers to improve teacher productivity and in teacher education, professional development, materials development and language assessment. In terms of what appears in CALL publications and conference presentations, then, the wider field of CALL encompasses any use of computer technology in the domain of language learning. It is this more extensive view of CALL that is assumed in the present work. In the remainder of this general introduction, we will explore this wideranging field following the same general path as the four volumes in this set. We will begin with a discussion of the foundations of the field, including conceptualizations of research, design and evaluation. We will then touch on how CALL has been used to promote the development of language skills, discuss the important area of computer mediated communication (CMC) and conclude with a number of additional topics, including online learning, computerbased language testing, teacher and learner training, and CALL based on natural language processing. GENERAL INTRODUCTION Throughout its history detractors of CALL, and indeed many of its supporters, have criticized the field

as being overly ‘technology driven’ at the expense of theory, research and pedagogy (e.g. Egbert and Hanson-Smith, 1999, 2007; Salaberry, 2001). Similarly, others have criticized the field for being too connected to general education rather than focusing on the unique qualities of language learning (Hubbard, 1987). In response to this a number of conceptualizations or frameworks have been proposed in an attempt to describe the elements of CALL adequately or to guide the field in what the individual authors contend is a more coherent direction (Bax, 2003; Chapelle, 2001; Colpaert, 2004; Hubbard, 1996; Levy 1997; Phillips, 1985; Underwood, 1984; Warschauer and Healey, 1998; and many others). At the time of writing, two of the more influential views are those of Chapelle (2001), who links the design and evaluation of CALL tasks to a set of principles derived primarily from the research base of the interactionist perspective of second language acquisition (SLA), and Bax (2003), who views ‘normalisation’ as the defining direction for the field, a state where technology is fully integrated into language teaching and ceases to be special or unusual, much like the textbook, pen and blackboard of the traditional classroom.

MARKETS&MALLS CCC enlightens traders at Lagos Trade Fair complex 42

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

Tel: 08027790557, 08037613380

n a bid to ensure increased adherence to government policies on the part of the importing public, the Customs Consultative Committee last Thursday launched an intensive market sensitisation campaign at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway, Ojo, Lagos. The committee was set up by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi, to facilitate

trade and monitor the level of compliance by Customs personnel, importers and Customs Brokers. At the sensitisation campaign, which witnessed a large turnout of traders, a member of the CCC and National President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Chief Eugene Nweke, explained to the business community the cargo clearance process. Nweke stated that when importers are fully compliant in

their declarations, they will benefit from the fast-track system, which will help in reducing the cost of doing business at the ports. Nweke noted that, when the service finally assumes full control of the destination inspection scheme, which is the new cargo clearance procedure, the Pre- Arrival Assessment Report will further help in facilitating trade. “The PAAR will ensure that as soon as a vessel leaves her port of origin, the shipper or the carrier agent will transmit electronically

the shipping manifest to the Customs server, and the agency will in turn send the consignee a message to come forward and take the goods, because it is the system that will trigger the selectivity either for red, yellow or blue channel,” he said. President of the Balogun Business Association, who hosted the sensitisation campaign train, Mr. Leonard Ogbonnia, while expressing his appreciation to the Customs CG for creating the CCC, said that traders at the market

had been complying with import guidelines. He noted that they are, therefore, familiar with the emergent PAAR regime. Ogbonnia, who is also a member of the CCC, said that with the traders’ cooperation, importation and trading would be made easy in Nigeria. “Before now we have been complying, and we will continue to be compliant. We understand the system and that is why we have no issues with Customs,” he said. The CCC is expected to carry its sensitisation campaign to other markets, as well as Customs formations in the coming weeks.

CPC confiscates fake goods at Onitsha Main Market

A street at Computer village, Ikeja

Shop owners reject relocation of Computer Village

hop owners in the popular Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos State said they would resist plans by the Lagos State Government to relocate the market to another part of the state. The state government announced recently that it had earmarked over N500 million for the construction of a new site for the market. While making the announcement, state government officials hinted that shop owners would be compelled to relocate to the site before the end of the fourth quarter of the year. Reacting to the state government’s position, some shop owners in the market condemned what they described as an ‘unnecessary haste’. They said that it was unfair for government

to insist on relocating them to a place where no adequate infrastructure had been put in place. “The announcement by the state government is very unrealistic. For over two years now, they have been saying they will build a new market for us. We have not seen the new market and all of a sudden, government says we must move before the end of the first quarter when no structure is on ground at the new site. This is bad and I believe government is not sincere with us,” said Emeka Chukwugindu, a shop owner in the market. He pleaded with the state government to allow shop owners in the market to continue with their business until the new market complex is ready. Another shop owner in the market, Abio-

dun Komolafe, also faulted the plan, saying that the relocation of the market should be a properly organised. He said that most of the shop owners had paid rent for a period of three years and thus forcing them to relocate to a new market would pose a challenge. “The state government is certainly not being fair to us. We have agreed to move when the market is built. Up till today, there is no single structure in the proposed site and they are talking about moving us there. Even the current occupants of the proposed market site have not been relocated. This is a market that generates over N200 million monthly and we cannot just be pushed around. Let government first build the place, then we will relocate,” he said.

he Consumer Protection Council last week raided Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State and confiscated fake and substandard products found in several shops. The Head, Surveillance and Enforcement, South-East, Mr. Uchegbu Chukwuma, said the agency acted on information and was able to seize fake Lux and Premier soaps as well as men and ladies underwear imported from China, saying the seized items would be destroyed at a later date. He said that the body was alerted by an Indian whose original products were being faked by an Onitsha-based importer. “Having all the information needed, CPC decided to raid the shops and warehouse of the dubious importer who is now on the run,” Chukwuma said. He stated that it would be difficult for consumers to differentiate the fake underwear from the original ones, which he said was much more superior as the products were produced in India but faked and imported from China. The CPC officer warned Onitsha businessmen against importing fake materials to the detriment of Nigerian consumers. He stressed the readiness of the body to continue to protect the rights of Nigerian consumers and making sure that they enjoy adequate value for their money. Chukwuma, who had earlier held a sensitisation workshop with electronics and electrical parts dealers of Iweka Road Market and Obosi Market, threatened to raid those markets, including Ogbaru Relief market soon.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Bring out the man in

you, use good cologne Vanessa Okwara

magine being in an airconditioned waiting room and suddenly, a man with a BO (body odour) walks in and sits beside you. Immediately, you’ll twitch your nose and think of the best way to get away from the source of the offensive smell. Men often sweat more than women, so it’s no surprise they are the worst offenders when it comes to body odour. No one wants body odour. A good deodorant, antiperspirant and cologne can keep it under control. You can never go wrong as a man with a good soap, roll-on, body spray, after-shave and a spritz of cologne. Once you smell nice, you become irresistible. It’s often said that the smell of a good perfume can open doors in some quarters but remember,

perfumes can never replace personal hygiene. Make sure your personal hygiene and grooming are religiously adhered to before splashing deodorant or perfume on your body. Deodorants are designed to eliminate odour by killing the bacteria that causes odour, in addition to masking the odour. Selecting a good cologne is a very personal thing. It is a scent that people will associate with you, so it’s important to select something that is as interesting as you are. Choose something that’s unique to you and your chemistry. The quality of a man’s fragrance or cologne, correctly applied, is an effective way to take your fashion game up a notch. Invest in quality and long lasting cologne and leave your signature scent in a room long after you have gone.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Body&Soul

With love, there is no barrier in marriage -Reilly Princess Adetoun Reilly is a popular Nigerian radio presenter in Dublin, Ireland. The former Nollywood star is married to an Irish, Joe Reilly. They bare their minds to BAYO ADEOYE about their union How did you meet? Adetoun: We met in July, 2010 at a friend’s wedding. When he arrived at the venue, he greeted me in my language (Yoruba). I was astonished that a white man could speak my language fluently. When we were leaving, he said ‘odabo’. This was very funny to me. The following week was the church wedding; we met for the second time at the couple’s house because we were both part of the bridal train. He greeted me in Yoruba language again. This was more interesting. When we got to the church, the groom was ‘pairing’ bride’s maids and groom’s men and then we got paired together. He was such a gentle man throughout the event. After the wedding, he asked for my (telephone) number and that was how we became very good friends. It eventually led to our courtship, introduction, engagement, and finally, we got married here in Dublin, Ireland. Joe: It was love at first sight; I knew at that moment I saw her, I had met my wife. We met at a friend’s wedding. I have many Africans as friends, especially from Nigeria. Our meeting was destined because everything played itself out just like that. How long did you court? Adetoun: It didn’t take long. We courted for just a year. Joe: One year. Do you need wasting time on courtship when you have met your spouse? I don’t believe in that. I even wanted it earlier than that, but she declined. I think she wanted to know me more before committing herself. Did your parents object to your marriage to a foreigner? Adetoun: Not at all. They were really supportive. He is someone they really respect for knowing much about our culture and they appreciate the fear of God in him, which is the most impor-

tant thing to them. They were more particular about the kind of man that would add value to my life through peace, love, tolerance and acceptance of who I am. Joe: No objection at all. Her parents love me like their own son while my parents love her like their own daughter. Our parents are really supportive. All they want is our happiness. Are you adjusting to Irish culture? Adetoun: I am really and already used to the system now. I love and appreciate the Irish culture. In fact, I love cooking the Irish food. Do you like Nigerian food? Joe: Yes I do. Before I met her, I had many Nigerian friends and I love their foods, especially amala and ewedu. I love pounded yam too, with efo riro. What are the challenges of marrying a foreigner? Adetoun: No much challenges, except adjusting to the culture of who you are married to. You have no problem adjusting if you love his culture the way you love him. I love Irish culture, so I have no problem whatsoever. Joe: I don’t think there is any challenge as long as you love each other. We are adjusting and learning fast. Marriage is about learning. Marriage is the same all over the world irrespective of wherever you come from. There is no culture or language barrier in marriage as long there is love.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Roli Uduaghan Titi Atiku’s love for builds dancing multimillion I Naira school with

s part of her desire to contribute to the educational development of the state, wife of Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Roli, is building a multi-million Naira school in Asaba, Delta State. We gathered that the new project is part of her pet project, ‘I Care Foundation’. Celeb Lounge learnt that the full boarding institution, which comprises nursery, primary, secondary and theology schools, is expected to open in September this year. The school is privately owned and financed by the kind-hearted first lady who holds education in high esteem.

Quilox Nite Club boss’ belief

lobacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr., has commended African actors, actresses, producers and other stakeholders in the movie industry for raising the bar in their movies. He noted that they were 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) held on Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, thanked the practitioners for the robust development of the movie industry on the African continent.

What you don’t know about Tunde Fowler N State swelled the coffers of the state government. He spent 21 years in the banking sector, holding various managerial posts before leaving the banking hall as a general manager to take up the challenge thrust his way by former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His brief was to drive the tax revenue of the state, having been a specialist in revenue generation. Tunde Fowler, a Pastor and philanthropist, does not embark on any mis-

08032016869

f you think that Titi Atiku, wife of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, will slow down on partying and dancing as she grows older, then, you are wrong. The light complexioned lady has not slowed down and is not planning to do that soonest. Celeb Lounge gathered that the amiable woman is enjoying herself so much and owes nobody any apology for that. The Osun State-born business woman and

bayoolunla@yahoo.com

her friends were sighted recently at a party having fun. She danced so well that she left many mouths agape while some young ladies at the party grinned with envy.

Globacom has added value to African movies –Adenuga

agos night crawlers may look for new entertainment haven as one of the city’s biggest night club, Quilox, located on Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, will shut down soon. Celeb Lounge was informed that the club, said to have redefined nite clubbing in Lagos, would be closed during the Muslim Ramadan period. The owner of the club, Shina Abiola-Peller, is a staunch Muslim and he will be observing the Ramadan as well, Celeb Lounge learnt. Meanwhile, the Oyo Stateborn businessman added another year last Wednesday and as expected, a lavish black and white gig was held in his honour. Friends, celebrities, and high networth individuals came to celebrate with the handsome dude. It was a classy party that saw all kinds of expensive champagnes and wines flowing freely.

ot many people know that there is much more to Lagos State’s chairman of Internal Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler‘s life or daily activities, than tax and revenue collection. The unassuming boss of Lagos Internal Revenue Service revealed his secret in a recent interview with a Christian-based magazine, Harp Applause. His tenure as chairman of the revenue-generating powerhouse of Lagos

Bayo Adeoye

sion or accept any challenge without consulting and hearing from God. He once said, “The truth is that when God changes your direction, he changes it for a purpose. I have found myself in the position where I can directly impact positively on the lives of people, because when you collect revenue for government, you are empowering the government to do more for the people. Today, I can tell you that I am fulfilled in what I am doing. I can feel and see the impact

of what I am doing in the lives of the people than when I was a banker. The once upon a time teenage chorister, who later became an usher at the Redeemed Christian Church of God before being ordained pastor, traced the secret of his success to a special request he made for the wisdom of Solomon. Not only did God grant his request while still a boy in secondary school, he has remained his Consultant.

“It is remarkable that our movie industry has rapidly grown in stature and is today ranked amongst 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. This development has earned Nigeria the status of the movie capital of the African continent, and perhaps explains why this event is being held in the country,” he said He expressed satisfaction that Globacom played a pivotal role in the development of the movie industry through its pioneering role in brand ambassadorship, adding that

this had encouraged excellence, professionalism, versatility and resourcefulness in the industry. Adenuga, however, enjoined movie practitioners to continue to project the continent in positive light and focuse more on developmental issues. He urged them to de-emphasise scenarios that could inadvertently project the continent as the epicenter of violence and crime. “It is imperative for Africa to tap into the awesome power of the movie industry to shape opinions, lives, character and values. The industry is a veritable medium of mentoring and moulding opinions. We must seize the moment,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Body&Soul

Judith Amaechi plans big for Children’s Day T

he garden city of Port Harcourt will be playing host to top Nollywood stars as wife of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Lady Judith, celebrates this year’s children day with the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima and her colleagues. Fiberesima will be leading other actors including Joseph Benjamin,

Mercy Aigbe, Tamara Eteimo, Alex Ekubo and Yomi Fash Lanso to Port Harcourt on Children’s Day, May 27, for a reading and mentoring session. This is part of the activities lined up for the 2014 Best of Nollywood, BON, awards which will be hosted by the Rivers State Government. Other celebrities who wil be part of the event are Sylva Oluchi, OC Ukeje, Dayo Amusa and BON Revelation of the Year 2013, Laitan Ogungbile. Fiberesima, a Rivers State native said, “I am a Port Harcourt babe and I love the city like I love life itself. That’s why I am excited about

returning home on May 27 to be part of the Best of Nollywood Reading and Mentoring session with secondary school pupils who are the next generation of change makers.” Eteimo, regarded as one of Nollywood’s fastest rising actresses, said, “I couldn’t have come this far in my acting career without the influence and impact of Port Harcourt. It is for this reason that I’m really excited to be going back to my roots to share with the secondary school pupils some of the secrets that have propelled me this far. I’m sure the kids will learn a lot from my colleagues and I.”

with

Bayo Adeoye 08032016869

bayoolunla@yahoo.com

Odemmingie, wife welcome new baby

Hajia Habiba Abubakar’s latest feather

uccess comes easy to those who put in their best in whatever they do. This is discernible from the profile of delectable pacesetter, Hajia Habiba Abubakar. She added a new feather to her cap as she became the latest Fellow of the Institute of Administration. Hajia Habiba was acknowledged and honoured by the Institute of Corporate Administration in appreciation of her kind gesture towards the less privileged in the society and her distinguished professional contributions to public service and the Institute of Corporate Administration.

Abiodun Yuguda shuns rumour mongers

t seems that the first wife of Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda, Abiodun Yugudu, is not bothered at all about the rumour about her conflict with Nafisat, her husband’s second wife. Rumour had gone round that Abiodun, who is Yuguda’s senior wife and a more sociable person, was relegated to the background because of the governor ’s

frequent outing with much younger Nafisat. Celeb Lounge learnt that Abiodun is not worried at all as she has been frequenting social scenes lately. The general belief in the social circle is that Abiodun has decided to enjoy herself through partying, while her husband and Nafisat play the official role of Governor and First Lady.

his is a good and happy moment for Nigerian-born international soccer star, Osaze Peter Odemwingie. Apart from being recalled to the Super Eagles’ camp, the talented footballer and his wife, Sarah, welcomed their second son penultimate week. The bundle of joy arrived three weeks before its due

date. He has been named Theo. Osaze made the announcement via his twitter handle. Osaze and Sarah got married in May 2012, and they welcomed their first son, Noah, in January last year. Meanwhile, friends, family and associates have been sending their congratulatory messages to the happy family.

Between Bola Tinubu and Femi Pedro

t seems that the popular saying in politics that there is no permanent enemy will be playing out soonest between former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his exdeputy, Otunba Femi Pedro. The two political enemies were said to be mending fence in order to become the good friends they were before parting ways some years ago. Celeb Lounge gathered that the ex- bank MD is staging a comeback into Lagos State politics through his old camp –Asiwaju’s camp. He is said to have consulted some top members of the party who has Bola Tinubu’s listening ears. The former First Atlantic Bank MD, who joined PDP after his imbroglio with Tinubu, dumped the party for APC last year but despite this, his boss had been avoiding him.

Body&Soul

DIY on the GO

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Give your nails a treat Abimbola Sodeke

You need:

hy go to the salon when you can do yourself a perfect manicure at home? What you need: nail polish remover, cotton wool, mild liquid soap, cuticle trimmer, nail trimmer, nail file, hand cream and nail polish. To give yourself a good manicure, follow these steps: Cut and file your nails to a desired length: Use nail clipper/cutter to trim your nails. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cut them too short; you should be able to see at least a little of the white tip all the way across. File the nail and create a smooth and clean shape. Gently drag the file across the nail. Excessive force while filing back and forth will weaken the nails and cause them to break. File each stroke to make a smooth curve rather than an angle. Do not file them too short: just clean up any points or roughness left by the clippers.

Soak your nails: Get a bowl or sink stopper, then fill it with warm (not hot!) water and a few drops of soap. Soak your hands only for a few minutes. The water and soap will help loosen dirt, dead skin and any dust left over from filing and it will also soften the cuticles. Use a soft brush to gently clean your nails and the skin around them. Gently scrape under your nails, if necessary, to remove dirt. Also, dishwasher soap can be used. If you have dry skin or fragile nails, you should not soak them; just rinse them. Apply hand cream or lotion: massage the lotion or hand cream into your hands. If you have very dry skin, use an intensive lotion, if not, any lotion will do. Be sure to rub it into and around your nails and let it soak in for 30 minutes or longer. Then you can paint your nails if you desire, giving your finger nails a trendy look.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Wine & Dine

Jollof rice and chicken with steamed veg side Biwom Iklaki

Body&Soul Steamed vegetable side

Ingredients

• 2 cups long grain white rice. • Tomato Stew • Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast). • Pepper and salt (to taste). • 2 medium bulbs of onions. • 3 Knorr cubes. • 2 teaspoons thyme.

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches of spinach/ ugu. • 3 table spoons Olive oil, extra virgin. • 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly. • Salt to taste

ollof rice and chicken is a meal most of us remember as a Sunday staple. Sunday was always a favourite day of the week because you were sure to eat “party rice” whether you went to a party or not! today, we are health conscious and add a few tweaks to our regular meals. Here is a little tweak to jollof rice as we pay homage to those Sunday meals... Nutritional fact: Outside of just providing you with vitamins and nutrients, spinach is also great for helping you to stay healthy. While the nutritional food value of spinach is extremely high, it can also help you to protect your body against everything from heart disease and colon cancer to arthritis and osteoporosis. The 13 different flavonoids found in spinach can also help your body fight certain types of cancer, including some skin cancers. The carotenoids that are in spinach, as well as other leafy vegetables, can help your body combat prostate cancer and ovarian cancer, too. Finally, spinach can help you build stronger bones, improve the cardiovascular system within your body, help improve your mental function, improve your gastrointestinal system, help your eyesight and provide your body with iron, which gives you energy. Nutritional fact Culled from: www.fitday.com

Preparation • Fry the tomato stew. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew first and set aside so that whenever you want to cook jollof rice, it is just a matter of mixing it with the rice and other ingredients. • If you will use whole chicken, then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with the thyme, Knorr cubes and two bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a pretty golden brown look, which is more presentable. • Parboil the rice and set in a sieve to drain.

• Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a pot and leave to boil. • Add the drained parboiled rice, salt and pepper to taste. The water level should be enough to cook the rice. • Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up. • Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat, allow to burn a little and cover the pot so that the burnt smell infuses into the rice. this is if you crave that ‘party rice’ taste. • Serve with steamed vegetable side(Ugu or spinach)

• Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water. Add a little salt and soak the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining. Put the spinach in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture. • Heat 2 tablespoon-full olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, until the garlic is just beginning to brown. • Add the spinach to the pan, packing it down a bit if you need to with your hand. Turn it over in the pan so that you coat more of it with the olive oil and garlic. Cover and cook for 1 minute, uncover, stir and cover again. After 2 minutes (4-5 minutes for ugu) of cooking, the spinach should be completely wilted. • Remove from heat. Drain any excess moisture from the pan. Add a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Adult-inspired styles for kiddies Biwom Iklaki

any times as a parent, you have walked into a shop, clueless as to what to purchase for your little one. You may decide to window shop or rely on the shop stylist to point you in the right direction as far as

trends are concerned. Kid’s stylist at Omac Kids, Eniola, says trends these days lean heavily on styles tailored to adult fashion. Lately, they want more and more to mimic their parents’ style so, you find parents purchasing more adult-like fashion for their kids. They are spotted everywhere you turn.

These styles feature today’s trends, from stripes to lace, playsuits, animal prints and high top snickers (to mention a few), the kids are definitely not to be left behind in the twists and turns as well as the tweaks that fashion is making. These are translated to their clothes for occasions and events -smart casual,

casual and play time. If you cannot keep up with these trends as a parent and are too shy to speak with a stylist at the shops, let us guide you. Be our guest as we take you through a plethora of fun, fabulous, sweet, cute and downright adorable pieces for your mini you – boy or girl.

Interview I won’t exploit people to buy a private jet -Pastor Olasupo p52

TAI ANYANWU, titus.anyanwu@newtelegraphonline.com 0706 438 0029

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/faith

Sermon Diligence makes rich p.55

Sermon Overcoming fear p.54

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

MAY 25, 2014

Faith

CAC leadership crisis

ON SUNDAY

No end in sight

Akinosun

Tai Anyanwu resh attempts to end the 24-year-old succession crisis within the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), which has left the church with two splinter groups, collapsed again recently. An impeccable source within the churchís leadership, who made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with New Telegraph on Sunday, however, noted that a group committed to restoring peace within the church hierarchy would soon take steps to settle the leadership crisis. Speaking under condition of anonymity, the source noted that the prolonged leadership struggle in CAC had made a caricature of the orderliness expected to exist in the church of God. “We feel thoroughly embarrassed by confusion orchestrated by the leadership tussle in the CAC, which is the mother of all Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. There should be no confusion in the house of God, but look at what is happening in our Pentecostal churches today. The succession crisis in the CAC has lasted 24 years; the other day a newspaper published

Obadare

a report on the crisis in Assemblies of God Church. Would you talk about the leadership crisis in the Cherubim and Seraphim or the Celestial Church? There is confusion everywhere over leadership succession,” the source stressed. New Telegraph on Sunday gathered that the peace group had convinced the President of CAC, Pastor Abraham Akinsoun, to invite the factional leader for reconciliation in accordance with Christian brotherly principles. Responding to the invitation, the factional President, Pastor Gabriel Lagunju, agreed to the peace move and asked Akinosun to choose the venue for the reconciliation meeting. “The evangelical headquarters of the church, in Ibadan was finally chosen as venue for the reconciliation bid. But Pastor Lagunju did not turn up for the meeting. He insisted that the reconciliation meeting must be held at Ayo Babalola University, which he renamed as the evangelical headquarters and is controlled by his own faction. “The peace group later discovered that it was his own way of saying that he was

opposed to the reconciliation moves. But soon, we are going to take a stand to bring the situation under control. The intractable leadership crisis rocking Christ Apostolic Church is one that has been at an Ibadan court for 22 years,” the source said. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the crisis began when CAC General Evangelist, the late Apostle Timothy Obadare, came up with his Tele Evangelism innovation to advance the cause of soul winning. According to our source, the programme generated a lot of money which Obadare solely used to sponsor evangelical programmes against the wishes of some leaders of the church. “Some people wanted him to settle them, but the evangelist refused to do so. He stated that he was led in his spirit to commit the money, coming from internal and external sponsors, to evangelical and mission activities,” the source explained. It was further learnt that Obadare started the programme as a semi-autonomous outreach television outreach, which led to a great revival in the 1970s and early 1980s. Obadare had independent control of the evangelistic arm to run to the programmes

and some people wanted to have similar influence, the source further explained. The refusal prompted CAC authorities at that time to ask the then General secretary, Nelson Udofia, to suspend Obadare. But Udofia did not see how he could do such a thing. As a result, Udofia was suspended by the church leaders at the time. He then moved swiftly to assert his authority as a member of the churchís Board of Trustees and the custodian of CAC’s certificate of incorporation. As he was leaving, he reportedly went away with the certificate, the source said, adding, “Then, the crisis began.” The peace group may take some steps to achieve reconciliation, including organising special prayers and sanctioning CAC leaders allegedly fanning the embers of division. “We shall organise press conferences to enlighten the public on their shameful role in the CAC leadership crisis,” the source added. The source also accused the Corporate Affairs Commission as ‘incredible’, adding CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Interview Interview

I won’t exploit people to buy a private jet - Pastor Olasupo Pastor Olaupo Oladele retired as an Instrumentation engineer, having put in several years of service in the oil sector. He now combines his secular profession with ministering at the altar of God. He spoke about TAI ANYANWU about his dual occupation and experience in the oil sector. What were you doing before you became a minister of God? I served as an instrumentation engineer in different oil companies, including Shell Oil Company, Light House Petroleum Engineering Company, Elf and Chevron. I retired from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 1989 before I founded Tenidel Integrated Ventures Limited, an engineering company which I now combine with ministering the word of God. Could you tell us about your call and how you were converted to God? I received my calling when I went for a seven-day church programme. On the first and second days, the pastor preached in Yoruba, and had to use an interpreter to get across to non-Yoruba speaking participants. The third day, he asked me to interpret for him; I wanted to run away. Few minutes later, the pastor came back and said to me, ‘God told me that you want to run away’. He then encouraged me to interpret for him. After the fellowship, people were congratulating the pastor and telling him that he had a good interpreter during the ministration. From that moment, I continued to function as an interpreter. Before then, I was a Disc Jockey (DJ). Then, there was great pressure on me to start preaching the gospel rather than playing music. One night, God visited me in a vision and said to

Anyanwu

me, ‘Gather my people on to me’. This message came severally. I ran from one church to avoid being recognised or used as a pastor. There are several things I asked God to do for me to ascertain that God actually wanted me in his service; He did them all. So, when I could not resist any more. We then formed a church in our house. So, how has it been? Doing ministry has been good, to the extent that one is enjoying what one is doing and getting the satisfaction from just ministering before the Lord. However, one challenges I can talk about is that of some pastors working with me converted our branches to theirs. Some are not sincere with what you entrust into their hands. H o w have you been able to combine your pastoral job and secular business without losing focus of the call? Before I finally yielded to the call, I told myself that I would tail o r

my ministry after that of Apostle Paul in the Bible. By that, I mean that I would be doing the tent as well as God’s work so that I would not depend on tithes and offering for my sustenance. I determined that want of money would not prevent me from telling people what I need to tell them. I was sure that I had all it took to make enough money for myself outside church income. Now, I see my call into God’s vineyard as my primary assignment and my secular work as secondary. You were a former secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Rivers State. Could you tell us what came out of the collaboration between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and church leaders which was intended to check money laundering? Though I don’t know much about that collaboration, you can see for yourself that some people just claim to have a job to do; but how they do it is not important. They just want to interfere in the affairs of the church. Otherwise, would they say that they don’t know where to look for money launderers? If God blesses your ministry abundantly, would you buy a private jet? I am working, I have my business. If God blesses me, I will drive good cars. Why not? But I will not exploit anyone to get one. And if other secular workers or business people can buy a private jet, what is wrong with men of God having a jet? I will buy a private jet for my ministry, if God blesses me that much. Why did you resign from NNPC? Could you relive your experiences while you worked in the oil sector? I resigned from the Warri refinery in 1989 because I had worked and each time I was due for promotion my boss would say ‘no’. Then I felt I wasn’t good enough for the system and I decided to try something else. Those who were junior to me were being promoted. I realised later that many Yoruba people were seen to have climbed up in the system and there was the need to slow them down so that the indigenes can climb up. It was so serious that when I had opportunities to go for training abroad, my name would just vanish from the list. A less qualified person would be given the slot. I also ob-

served that when they eventually returned from training, they could not perform and I ended up doing their job. I felt that if I continued under such circumstances, frustration might set in. It’s not about me working in a place but about me getting job satisfaction. And job satisfaction here is not necessarily in terms of the money one was making, but what one was able to deliver to people coming after me. I wasn’t given the opportunity hence I left the system. How did you come about forming your private company? Around the time I resigned from NNPC, the Ondo State Government organised a programme called ‘Working for Yourself’. I went for the orientation. An examination was conducted for the participants after the programme and I was among those they felt did very well. The state government had invited many banks because they promised to give us loans. We were made to do feasibility studies on proposed business interests; but for six years nothing came out of that loan promise. At that time, one needed to set up a company to access the loan and that was how Tenidel came about. My focus had always been to set up an instrumentation and control outfit. Precisely, what does Tenidel Integrated Ventures do? We are into electrical and instrumentation engineering. The electrical aspect covers three broad sections such as domestic or house wiring, industrial electrification and rural electrification. Generally, we handle such jobs as running cables, laying cable trays, terminations, installing panels and electric motors for industrial concerns. In the area of manpower development, we run training programmes for people. We specifically have a 12-week intensive training package intended to teach skills to the unskilled. We have various aspects of training in the area of instrumentation; we train people on how to calibrate instruments such as transmitters, controllers, control verves, gauges and the like. We also train people on how to install them. We have another training scheme on how to read piping and instrumentation diagrams, tube bending, pressure testing and leak testing. For example, tankers that convey petroleum products are supposed to be calibrated before they are loaded but due to fraudulent activities of relevant officials, they are not made to present a proof of certification by a company certified by DPR. These are what we train people on and also do. How affordable are these training packages? We deliberately made them incredibly cheap, so that the average Nigerian can gain technical skills as a solid foundation for sustenance. Both registration and cost fee are affordable, because we give personal tools to trainees. We also give our trainees Personal Protective Equipment like helmets, safety boots and every other thing that will keep them safe during the training. Handouts covering the course content are also made available for ease of reference. We also allow trainees to pay in instalments and proCONTINUED ON PAGE 53 vide ac-

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Faith

Sustain campaign against I won’t exploit people terrorism -Cleric urges A

Olasupo at work CON TINUED FR O M PAGE 52

commodation for people outside Rivers State. Part of their training experience is our direct on the job training. We take our trainees to Warri and Port Harcourt refineries as a conscious effort to expose them directly to relevant industrial environments. For instance, we are currently revamping and upgrading one of the boilers in Port Harcourt refinery. About 15 of our trainees are there and they are well at it. In your opinion, what should government do to encourage technical skills among our youths? First, government should review its policies of importing foreign technicians, which is detrimental to the emergence of indigenous technicians. There is the need for the government to stop engaging foreigners because these guys are here for their own selfish purpose. Nigerians are intelligent but successive governments have not made provision for our people to fit in. When a company called MAC DAMON came to Warri, they trained our boys as welders and fitters because that is the job that the company specialised in; and because the boys where so good on the job, the company took them to Angola to execute their projects in that country. The boys return smiling with plenty of money. As I speak to you now, the best welders today are found in Warri. When the Delta Steel Company in Warri was being built, the Germans came and took our boys to Germany for training, and they did well. So government needs to change that unfavourable policy. Are you of the opinion that government projects should be awarded to indigenous engineers? Yes! But we also need to address the fact that some indigenous engineers are not adequately equipped. Government needs to equip our training institutions. ASUU went on strike because the government failed to fulfil their own own part of their joint agreement. My son attended one of the Nigerian universities to study Electrical/Electronics Engineering and the university does not have oscilloscopes. Our institutions are not adequately equipped to produce professionals. The educational system is faulty because the people educating us are also corrupt. The lecturers keep recycling the same handouts without adding new research work and nobody is monitoring them. The government is not also helping matters. After graduating students, youth corpers who are engineers are posted to rural villages to teach in schools. Why don’t they send these graduates to engineering firms so that they can acquire knowledge and possibly gain employment in such firms? Government said that they approved 70 per cent local content, but do you know how that policy is interpreted or implemented now? At the point of implementation, it is interpreted as 70% Nigerian labourers and 30% foreign professionals. It wasn’t like this in the past. But today the white guys come and the governments lodge them in the best hotels, provide them with heavily armed security and pay them fat wages at the expense of the indigenes. An average Nigerian can do even better if given the right exposure to technical knowledge. Indigenous engineers can handle our projects if government does things right.

cleric, Archbishop Samson Benjamin, has called on Nigerians not to relent in the Campaign calling for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted in Borno State. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign claimed a life in Port Harcour, Rivers State. Benjamin who is the founder of the Ressurection Praise Ministries also stated that the sustained campaign may influence the terrorist to have a change of mind. Speaking with journalist at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on his return from Malawi, the cleric said “The campaign should not stop because there is one casualty. There is a threat in the country there must be casualty. The casualty should not deter us from the essence of the campaign. The campaign might influence the terrorist to have pity on the girls”. He also expressed concern over the psychological pain that the girls and their parents must be going through, even as he expressed optimism that the girls will be reunited with their familes soon. “In the next couple of weeks

the girls will be out. With Britain, France, America and other international communities and our collective effort: you can see for the first time the villagers have decide to join hands and fight this people. Right now I will tell all the parents that its not their pain alone, its the pain of every body. And we are doing everything to make sure that it comes to past, clerics are praying and at the same time we know that prayers is not alone action is better” he said. Archbishop Benjamin also called on all well meaning Nigerians to support the fight against terrorism, noting, that government and the security agencies are doing their very best to rescue this girls. He therefore encouraged the parents to take heart. “So mothers stop crying, we feel your pain, we feel the way you feel but we want you to know that we will take actions that will not be detrimental to the girls”, he said. According to him, “There is hope to save the girls, the foreign aid will put this insurgents to an end which I know will happen very soon, I will assure

every one that all we have to do is to have collective effort against this terrorists and get them out,” he stated. The Archbishop maintained that the Boko Haram group should not be referred to as an islamic group. “The truth is that they are not an islamic sect. They are a terrorist group. Nigeria is not in a religious or political war. Nigeria is under a terrorist attack. I can speak for myself and not for others, we fought so that the international community should stop calling Boko Haram a religious sect. They are terrorists. Yes. Both religion preach peace not violence, he stated. On his trip to Malawi, Archbishop Benjamin said that it was part of his campaign against terrorism, and that it was also a sensitisation tour of that country to encourage them to avoid violence in their elections. He noted that Malawi is a s m a l l g ro w i n g c o u n t r y a n d needs assistance from Nigeria and other countries to suceed.

No end in sight CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 5 1

that the power tussle in the church would have long been resolved if the commission acted in good conscience. According to the source, the commission had issued the certificate of incorporation to the church with the same registration number but bearing different dates. Obadareís eldest son, Prophet Timothy Obadare, has since reportedly said that his father neither caused the crisis nor frustrated efforts to resolve it. Obadare, who is also a pastor and president of the USA chapter of WOSEM, made the clarification in response to insinuations that his father allegedly frustrated all moves to reconcile the warring factions before his death. Obadare said he personally made a move to reconcile the factions while his father was alive. Speaking while announcing his father’s death, he said, “We use this occasion to call for the unity of CAC worldwide in the tradition of our motto: one fold one shepherd. “It is not true that my father caused the crisis within the CAC fold. In fact, his accusers were actually responsible and I made a series of efforts, which were frustrated by some of the leaders. My father carried on his WOSEM as an evangelical arm of the CAC for many years and he submitted himself under the authority of the church, which he still did until he was called to glory. A lot of people were at peace with WOSEM activities and they requested for branches, which were granted by my late father. Some leaders saw this as the setting up of an independent church, which was not the case. The statementAgboli that my father caused the crisis is not correct. It is not a hon-

est one. Before his death, baba had on many occasions sent letters to the authorities, seeking their understanding on the need to be in one accord.î The President of CAC, Pastor Abraham Akinosun, had admitted that Obadare took steps to correct whatever mistakes he realised he had made that led to the lingering crisis in the fold before his demise. Akinosun made this known in his reaction to the death of the popular evangelist and which was made available on the denomination’s website. While eulogising Obadare, he stated that unknown to many, the late evangelist had taken steps towards reconciling with the mainstream CAC family. “Unknown to many who were conversant with the crisis in the Christ Apostolic Church, Prophet Obadare, towards the end of his life, had taken steps to correct whatever mistakes he realised he made that led to the crisis. “I have to state this openly that Prophet Obadare had openly castigated litigation-mongers among the church’s ministers to withdraw all cases in court, saying he was no longer in conflict with the leadership of the church. When they refused to budge, he had distanced himself from them. “Furthermore, Prophet Obadare had reconciled with the mainstream of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide. But because of the parlous state of his health, he couldn’t effectively push it through before his death,” he noted. Unlike many other religious crises, the CAC case has had little or nothing to do with doctrinal differences. It has to do more with independence of certain individuals to hold programmes. However, a member of Obadare’s group, Mr. Mike Awe, says the crisis in the fold is caused by factionalisation. Speaking on the telephone on Friday, he said, “All the splinter groups are fac-

tional groups. Infact, the truth must be told and the truth is that the original and legitimate group is the faction led by Pastor Gabriel Lagunju. What happened was that in 1994, during the Abacha regime, the so-called mainstream CAC led by Abraham Akinosun used whatever means they had to obtain anotehr certificate of incorporation for their own group from the Corporate Affairs Commission. “They told the commission that the original certificate was missing but when the other side learnt of it, they went to CAC and they showed them that the certificate was not missing. As a result, the fake certificate was revoked but later the mainstream CAC wrote a letter and through their links at the commission, they got the revoked certificate revalidated. After Abacha died and the boys who helped them to revalidate the certificate at CAC were no longer in position, the original group wrote another letter countering the revalidated certificate. “At that point, the Federal Government arrested four members of the mainstream CAC and charged them with criminal offences. The case is still in court. “The Supreme Council had four members on the church’s Board of Trustees, namely the president, the general superintendent, the general secretary and the general evangelist. According to the CAC constitution, the general secretary is the custodian of the certificate. So, when the crisis escalated and the general secretary was suspended, he went away with the original certificate of incorporation. All efforts by the other members to get the then General Secretary, Nelson Udofia, to release the certificate failed.” Asked about the peace moves, he stated that he was aware of it, adding that “it is still ongoing.”

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Faith

Overcoming fear (2)

he spirit of fear which comes from the devil has caused many disasters in our world. The greatest crisis of many people in the world comes, not from the presence of trouble, but from the fear of trouble. Psychiatrists describe the spirit of fear as ‘phobia’, and they have identified 75 different phobias that produce abnormal, irrational and mind-crippling fears. The spirit of fear has the capacity and tendency to break the spirit of its victim. It can also paralyse, disarm and destroy their defence in any life’s battle or challenge. The spirit of fear has killed many people several times before their death. No matter your religion or profession of faith, if you have the spirit of fear or live with it, you are an unbeliever or practising atheist. Aforesaid, St. Paul declares, ‘For God had not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.’ 2Timothy1:7. The spirit of fear continues in men because sin has continued to rule men’s lives. Sin created fear, and sin sustains fear. Like a virus, fear invades the soul, looking for filthy and dirty areas of one’s life in order to live and feed there. Sin gave fear

the licence to rule any life. The fear of the unknown has driven many people into the houses of native doctors and demonic prophets to enquire about their future. By that, they entered into deeper bondage and perils. The fear of death has also pushed many people into many erroneous actions. Many have joined many diabolic occult groups and secret societies just to elongate their longevity and escape from death. But death, they say, is a necessary end. From the time every man was born into this planet earth, his life enters into a process of daily and gradual conclusion, called THE END which in other words is called DEATH. The Bible says, ‘And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement’. –Hebrew 9:27. Life is not permanent, it is transitory. The book of James declares, ‘Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away’. –James 4:14. The Psalmist also says, ‘Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before

thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity’. Psalm 39:5. He also said, ‘Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth’. Psalm 90: 5-6. King Solomon after a critical analysis and examination of man’s life stated the barometer of life very clearly, and said, ‘To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck that which is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up’. Ecclesiastics 3:1-3. Three medical doctors asked themselves this question: What is death? The Bible tells us that physical death is the separation of the spirit and the soul from the body. The book of James says that the body without the spirit is death. But the fact must be borne in mind, that the most horrible death is spiritual death. This death is rather the separation from God for all eternity; in

Power of Insight with

Bishop John Ogbansie gbe Tel:08033416327

other words, making hell your eternal home. King David called death a mere shadow. By that, he dealt with the fear of death and said, ‘Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me’. Psalm 23:4. Many people are saturated with the fear of man and all the evil things that men can do to fellow men. These include criticism, scandal or defamation of character or worse still, character assassination, depravity, victimisation, bewitchment, conspiracy, man’s inhumanity to man etc. Yet, the Bible says, ‘So that they may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me’. Hebrew 13: 6. There is also the fear of failure, but I must put it here categorically without contradiction, that the worst type of failure is the failure to try again and again.

The man who gets up one more time when he has been knocked down many times can never be a failure. Remember, God’s plan for you is not for you to end up a failure. Cheer up with this scripture, ‘For I know the thought that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to bring you to an expected end’. Jeremiah 29:11. There is also the fear of betrayal and also the fear of poverty. Fear not, the Bible says, For He that spared not His own son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him shall also freely give us all things? When you overcome these fears, you shall subdue the spirit of fear and emerge victorious and triumphant over anxiety and its incidental dangers. As you eradicate every atom of fear in your heart, may God give you total victory over your worries and anxiety in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

‘Let my morning come’ (2) od does not mind killing, removing, sacking, sweeping away anything or anyone to satisfy His children. Isaiah

43:3-4 ‘For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. (4) Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ There was a woman who had a school and she found out that her pupils were leaving for other schools. The children found her school boring; the other schools were thriving. One day, she attended an MFM crusade, where she heard a message like this and found out that God could do what He did for the Israelites in Isaiah 43:3-4 for her. She made up her mind to receive it. On that day, she prayed the kind of prayers that l am suggesting below and something happened. It was on a Friday. She prayed violently, by the following week, the two other schools had started having problems with the government and they were closed down. The pupils from these schools rushed to hers and she now had a new but pleasant problem - she could not take all of them and she needed more teachers. The Lord God Almighty, who did hers, is ready to do yours. He has not changed. We serve a God who has no respect for human logic. The problem with many people is the fact that they allow their brains to get involved in their faith. They allow what they have learnt in school to be the strongmen of their families. The word was a warning that if they did not let go of her, the three of them would die one after the other. As at then, this word of knowledge did not mean anything to her. However, when she got home, she made a cup of tea to break her long fast. As she finished praying, her phone rang and she was told that her mother just died.

Odukoya

She hung the phone and wept herself sore. She could not even break her fast again. As she was there sobbing, the phone rang the second time and she was told that her uncle in the USA just died. It was then that it dawned on her that there was a word of knowledge concerning family strongmen. She now consoled herself and said it was God at work. She got up to drink her tea. Shortly afterwards, her phone rang informing her that another prominent member of her family had just died. By the end of that year, this sister, who had every comfort in life but was unmarried at the age of 39, got a proposal for the first time and within a short time, got married. Close

your eyes and pray these prayer points: Every power of my father’s house that has refused to let me go, your time is up to die in the name of Jesus. Every power of my mother’s house that says l will die in this condition what are you waiting for? Die in the name of Jesus. Beloved, these are serious prayers and must of a necessity bring results. However if you are yet to be born again, you are still in darkness and you cannot command your morning to come. If you had never at one time or the other asked the Lord to come into your life, you are not yet His. If you are ready, you can surrender your life to Him, right there where you are. All

you need to do is acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner and that you cannot approach God in your sinful state. Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Claim the redemptive power in the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross at Calvary, for the remission of your sins. Invite the Lord Jesus Christ into your life and ask him to come in and become your personal Lord and Saviour. Renounce the world of sin and Satan and make sure that you don’t go back to them. If you did that seriously, the Bible says you are now in Christ and as such, you are a new creature. Old things have passed away and all things are become new. I congratulate you on this important decision that you have just taken. It is the most important decision in your life and I pray that it shall be permanent in your life in the name of Jesus. I pray that the Lord will uphold you and will not let you fall in the name of Jesus. I pray that your name will be written in the Book of life and it will never be blotted out in the name of Jesus. I would like you to make this confession out loud, before you start praying Isaiah 8:9 ‘Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word and it shall not stand, for God is with us.’ Beloved, I want you to examine your life and identify those things that the enemy has stolen from you. Make up your mind that you want them back and make sure you get them. Meditate on those things that should be your lot and be sure that you get them. Be sure that you get a touch from the Lord. Now, take the following prayer points with all the aggression that you can gather.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Power of The cracked wall can be mended

PSALMS: 11: 3 (NLT) ‘The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?’

n average Nigerian is law-abiding and he also lives orderly. They like to work with their hands and forge ahead with little or no help available to them. Life still rolls on. Nigerians have respect for leaders and they are diligent people. Though in tribe and tongues they differ, we have respect for one another’s culture and traditions. As a little boy, I was born in Maiduguri, grew up in Jos and lived with my parents up till 1970. They left me with an uncle with whom I stayed throughout my primary school days from 1965 to 1971. I later joined my parents in 1972. While growing up as a boy, my mates and I didn’t know the difference between the Christian and Islamic religions. On our way back from school, we would drink water from the pots outside the mosque. Though a Christian, I and my mates attended the same cinema, watched the local boxing tournament called ‘danbe’. When we missed our way, we would be led back home by people unknown to us without gratification; no kidnapping. In between this period, we fought a civil war, settled and started living together again, through the efforts of our heroes, led by Gen. GOWON (Go On With One Nigeria). He was bent on the task of keeping Nigeria one. True love for one another was demonstrated. We enjoyed 24 hours of water

supply and electricity through ECN (Electricity Corporation of Nigeria). If you lost anything, the matter would be reported to the police and they would deliver it to the owner at the address, if known. If the address was not known and you went to them with a proof they will give you your property without ransom. Newspapers, fresh milk bottles and bread were delivered daily at our gates and no one stole them. They were there till we picked them up. Our leaders then had Nigeria at heart as a major project and development was high as leaders competed with one another. Things were done with the fear of God irrespective of your religion and ethnicity. Jobs were created and opportunities for business were given. No stringent measures and policies were in place that hindered Nigerians. Every sector of the government was functioning well. Nigerians canould move at any time of the day, enjoying their night life anywhere in Nigeria. The police were on daily and midnight patrols, there weren’t much security challenges. Soldiers were hardly found in the city and everyone had respect for the other. Though we experienced army take-over, Nigerians were not bordered as we expect new trend of development, though the outside world were clamouring for democracy, the military were focus and industrialisation was the order of the day. Until 1999 when the military handed over to civilians, that was the beginning of the crack. The foundation of love, respect, hard work started decay-

ing; those who were in power, though it was government of the people for the people and by the people, things were no longer at ease. Nigerians live in fear, the looting of the labours of our past heroes began, our normal life was turned to a nightmare, some goods we used to get normally became essential commodities. Even with your money, you can’t get them easily. Hardship began, stealing, murder, mass arrests were done indiscriminately. They were the order of the day. Then, Nigeria sought for help externally to no avail. The army took over in early 1983. Nigerians breathed for hope again. Foreigners invaded Nigeria pretending to help. Advance looting, money transfers to foreign accounts started. Huge amounts of money were invested in projects that never saw the light of the day. Nigerian elite and intellectuals that were not ready to compromise left for greener pastures abroad. The ones that were around were imprisoned unlawfully, some without trial. Several moves to transfer governance to civilians were made. National protests, strikes, students’ unrest were the order of the day. Companies were folding up, some were merging, the educational system started falling apart, internal looting started, people became conscious of themselves. It was a case of stealing what you could because it was your time. Some said this was their own opportunity. 2 Timothy: 3:1–5 1. You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud,

The Seeds of by Greatness Apostle Clement by Ogbonna Bishop Lawrence Osagie apostleofgraceinwo

Tel: 08063250667, mail:powerlineministries@mail.com, www.powerlineministriesinc.org

he twin-force of faithfulness is diligence. To be diligent means to be industrious; showing steady effort; being full of initiative; or hardworking in whatever you are doing. ‘The hand of the diligent maketh rich (great) but he becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand’. (Proverbs 10:4). The soul of the diligent shall be made fat (Proverbs 13:4b). The opposition of diligence is slothfulness - laziness. Slothfulness has become a way of life to many children of God; they sleep all day and make faith confessions with the deception that confession brings possession. ‘The sluggard desireth and hath nothing’. (Proverb 13:4a). If you desire to be great then rise up from from your slumber. Face every assignment with an attitude of victory. Seek the help of the Holy Spirit of initiative, foresight and strength. Remember that continuous efforts makes for continuous progress. There is no

substitute for hard work on your part to greatness. Be excited and zealous in whatever you are doing; be consumed in the spirit of the job or business and you will be making a place for yourself at the top. ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business; he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men’. Proverbs 22:29. Diligence, the Bible emphasises, will make you stand and dine with kings and noble men. Hard work is the key, folks. Faith teaching has made many sluggards out of the children of God; they do not bother to update their knowledge in their professions or businesses. They are not current and are completely oblivious of the latest developments in their chosen businesses or careers. With their obsolete information, they prepare slipshod proposals and quotations and then go about confessing all the ‘claimables’; whereas their proposals are the subject of laughter and fun at

Faith

From the Pulpit by

Olasupo E.A. Oladele

Email: eaolasupo@yahoo.com, Tel: 08058161864

scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. The only election we can say has been free and fair in this country was annulled. Nigerians were not voting for either religion or tribe, they needed a positive change. They are always on the march, searching for good leaders. All manner of governments have been practised - military at the helm of affairs, civilians supervising states and local governments. They are pushed out at random. Fraud and corruption have became the order of the day. People can no longer predict what will happen to their future as everything is done through quota system. I don’t know how to explain to my daughter who got 495 that she could not gain admission to a Federal Government College, because Ondo State’s cut-off mark was 520. We lived in Port Harcourt where she sat for the exam, and her classmate from another part of the country that got

259 because of quota system gained admission. Thank God for President Obasanjo, that made cut-off marks flat generally. People no longer got promotion on merit or hard work. You can only be favoured if your person is at the top, as employment is no more by merit. It is now is by recommendation from one highly placed personality. Why will our industries not collapse? Why will the health and education systems not fail? Quacks are getting contracts toady because they have an insider that will give them in-house estimates or because they are the lowest bidders. Whether he or she lacks the knowhow is not relevant. Some don’t even have an office as they operate from their house or from one business centre. Yet, they will win contracts in millions. Managements no longer respect junior officers’ assessment. They impose whom they like. Whether the job is done well or not, payment will be made. Genuine people and people with the fear of God are not having access to bank loans. But fraudsters are always getting loans without proper assessment and requirements. Snr. Pastor Christ Kingdom Apostolic Bible Church (No. 1, Ogale Farm Road, Nchia Eleme, Rivers State) Managing Director (Tenidel Integrated Ventures Ltd, Ajoor Shopping Complex Obo Nwanke Road, by Coca Cola Junction Ogale Nchia Eleme Rivers State).

Diligence makes rich

his client’s office. This is why the Bible says, ‘The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing’. (Proverbs 3:4). As an antidote to poverty and failure, the Bible alerts us to: ‘Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. Which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long will thou sleep o sluggard? When will thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep a little slumber, a little folding of the hand to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth and thy want as an armed man’. Proverbs 6:6-11. The Holy Spirit knows how best to pass information to us using simple natural observable things. The ants by their way of life epitomise the virtue of diligence. They make very little but careless efforts that provide for their very need. Greatness is consolidated gain made through steady efforts and diligence. That is what will take us there. Humility: Humility means a state of showing or having a modest opinion of oneself or one’s position. In order for us to appreciate the virtue of humility, it

is important for us to consider what humility is not as well as its opposite - pride. Humility is not your appearance; the way you dress or in the longness of your face. It is an attitude of the heart, a natural tendency to play down on one’s personal or position and exalting others above self. Pride, on the other hand, is seeing oneself over and above all others; having or showing a very exaggerated opinion of oneself or position. You think more highly of yourself than you ought to. Pride, like humility, is an attitude of the heart but manifests itself in the way you talk and relate to others. Pride is a fruit of emptiness; a sort of defensive mechanism to cover up inadequacies. It is a manifestation of the flesh and it is the devil -Lucifer. Anyone that exhibits pride is of the devil because the spirit of pride makes people to exalt themselves to positions that God has not placed them. And because these false positions are not the planting of the Lord, they are very soon uprooted and cast down. That is why the Bible says, ‘Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty (proud) spirit before a fallî

Proverbs 16:18. ìA manís pride shall bring him low’. Proverbs 29:23. A fallen position is a place for total defeat and complete failure. Pride in any man or woman would lead him or her to failure. It brought Lucifer (Devil) down from Heaven. ìThou...full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Ede, the Garden of God...thou art the anointed Cherub, that covereth...thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee. Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou has corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: i will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings that they may hold thee’. Ezekiel 28:12-17. Lucifer became puffed up by reason of his closeness to God, because he covered the throne of God. Then in his pride, he said, “I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14;13&14.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Faith

God can never be wrong

t is our confession, it is our motto; it is our belief; it is our stand; it is our faith. It is our great encouragement. God can never be wrong. In Numbers 23:19, the Bible says, God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? God is the only one in the whole world who can say a thing and keep it. In our case, He spoke to us individually concerning our union. At 2am on May 14, 2004, He gave me a revelation and spoke to me about my darling wife. As usual, I wrote it down and filed it. I did not discuss it with anybody, not even her. Unknown to me, however, she also received her own messages about me the same day and was rebuking the voice. This was in my revival programme in their church where I preached one of my finest messages titled, ‘Things Fall Apart’. That same day, God spoke to her mother and one of her pastors. Nobody discussed any of these messages with anybody. According to the mother, she went home and discussed it with the husband, who prayed about it with her. They told God that they did not know me, where I came from, where I was residing and who I was. The dad told God to make us, his daughter and myself to meet each other in one month’s time if He God was actually speaking to them concerning the union. At this time, the daughter had not told them anything about

what she heard concerning me. On June 14, which was one month’s time, God authenticated His word. On the way, we encountered each other. She greeted me and I responded and went on my way. As I was going, the spirit of the Lord said to me, “That is your wife. Go and talk to her.” I stood confused. I had even forgotten the revelation I received on May 14. My confusion and trouble were that I would not talk to someone I didn’t know about marriage. She was totally strange to me. I did not know her name, her spiritual background and her academic qualifications. In fact, these were my major concerns as far as going into a relationship was concerned. As I tried to go forward, the pressure to call her was so much on me. I stopped, turned and beckoned on her. She came and I said to her, “Please, I can’t remember where I got to know you. Can you tell me where we have met each other before now?” She mentioned the name of her church where I attended a revival programme. There, I told her to see me in the office for a discussion. We fixed the date. I did not even bother to ask for her name. On the D-day, she came and we discussed. I encouraged her in the Christian faith without saying a word about marriage. As she was about to go, I fixed another appointment with her. When she came the following day, I quickly let her know my interest. I did not say to her that the Lord

Word of FAITH

told me anything. I told her that I was in love with her and would like to have a future with her. I, however, told her what God told me about her father and family. She confirmed that the message was true. Before she left my office, she told me that she would give me an answer in a month’s time. We dragged the date. I tried to tell her that God was not deaf; that He speaks at all times, even as we were reasoning together. She insisted on the date she gave me and I allowed her to go. I made a proposal without knowing who she was, her spiritual life, her character and her academic background. I made my proposal by faith because l knew that God can never be wrong! Three days later, I rang her line and told her that I did not accept the distant date she gave me. She instantly said to me, “I can’t say anything now. Don’t hurry me. My father placed me on three days prayer and fasting concerning the matter. So I cannot say anything until I’m through with the prayers.” I accepted what she said but was shocked that she had told her father. I waited patiently and prayerfully. Unknown to her, I joined her in the three days prayer and fasting. While she was doing her prayer, I was busy praying and telling God, “You cannot be wrong. I cannot go into a wrong relationship. If you have said it, confirm it to her and to the parents and to so many people.”

byby Apostle Clement Apostle Clement Ogbonna Ogbonna apostleofgraceinwof2010@gmail com, apostleofgraceinwo clementogbonnaya2007@yahoo.com Tel: 08036774737 .

I was busy with these prayers, without knowing that God had spoken to her parents, to her and to other ministers who were very close to the parents. GOD CAN NEVER BE WRONG! I was still waiting patiently and prayerfully for the appointed time. I never knew that she was battling with her mind. She had already made up her mind to marry a businessman. At that time, suitors were very much around her. Three of them were comfortable businessmen who were live and doing business overseas. One suitor was coming from NNPC in Port Harcourt. I was never moved by their proposals because I knew that God can never be wrong! A lot of them visited her home. The parents were even in good terms with two of them. Her aunt was also interested in helping one of them marry her. The glamour was heightened, but I was never discouraged, afraid or shaken because I knew that God Can Never Be Wrong! I folded my hands and waited on God to confirm and bring to pass what He had organised in His secret place. God is God. He does not change

from His promises. In Jeremiah 29:11, He states: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’. From the above statement, we can give ourselves the assurance that God is interested in our destiny. He knows what you will be and the partner that can assist you become what He has created you to be even before you were born. He can never be wrong. In Jeremiah 1:5, He said, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’. Also, your creator knows what is good for you. He knows how to give His children the perfect things. The book of Psalms 85:11 confirms it. It says; Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. You can worship with us @ Word of Faith Int’l Church, No. 69, Ohanku Road, Aba, Abia State.

Barriers to blessings (2)

lessing in a man’s life is so mysterious that when a life is devoid of it, the victim becomes a mere nonentity. Every man and woman requires blessing in life to succeed and prosper. Blessing is when you complete the good projects that you lay your hands on. It is being a stranger to failure and confusion; it is fulfilling your destiny in spite of all odds and attacks from the enemy. Like we were made to understand previously, blessings are simply the opposite of curses. This week, we will continue and conclude on those things that constitute barriers to blessing. • ANGER – When you allow anger to rule or have a better part of you, you close the door against your blessing. “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” Eccl 7:9 The root of murder is anger. Maybe as we speak, there are people you already hold in

anger and grudge for months or even years. this is a very good instrument or device in the hand of the devil to use against you. Listen carefully, you are only deceiving yourself and may your efforts not be in vain. • UNTRUTHFULNESS – You must always speak the truth at all costs. Let your yes be yes and your no, no. “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12 Little lies, deceit and insincerity on your part will only succeed in blocking your blessing. You can not go far when you find it difficult to own up to issues in life. • IMPURITY OF HEART – Purity is compulsory. In the sight of God, evil thoughts

are just as evil as the actions that result from it. It is true that Satan can fire arrow of evil thoughts into our heart, but you must throw them out and disconnect yourself from any book, firm or person that makes your heart impure else, you will be denied your blessing. If the angels of God visit and happen to meet your heart in that state of impurity or you are developing evil thoughts in the laboratory of your heart, they will only return with it and you will be the one to lose the blessing. • SPIRIT OF RETALIATION – Leave vengeance to God. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19 You have no spiritual or moral justification whatsoever to avenge whatever your neighbour has done to you. It does not matter how terrible the offence is. Leave vengeance for God Himself. Whenever you take revenge by yourself, you are indirectly saying that you are big enough and do not need God in handling issues of your life. • PRIDE – Pride is capable of destroying destinies. It has pulled down so many giants and stars from great and enviable heights. Do you know the Greek translation of ‘pride’? It means ‘swelling up like balloon’. Pride was what turned Lucifer to devil. “But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6 When you begin to puff or feel you are superior to others, you are inviting the wrath of God. He looks at you from afar; in fact, you cannot receive anything from Him. Your cloud of blessings will only be suspended and eventually fizzle away. • ENVY/JEALOUSY – When you are not happy with the happiness, progress or success of others, envy results. Or when you are unable to love others as yourself, you feel or believe the happiness, joy, privileges, etc., given to others should rather be yours; and because of this hatred comes in. All these are potent instruments in the hands of the enemy to hinder children of God from being blessed. • SELFISHNESS – You can easily see the best of everything. You want to find a way of getting that best for yourself always but have no concern for the good of your counterpart. You are always ambitious and all your plans revolve around yourself. You cannot do anything for anybody free, this is the reason God has not remembered you. The little He has kept in your care for you to be a blessing to others around you, you have selfishly guarded and kept it to yourself. This spirit is capable of blocking you. • IMPATIENCE

“For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised.” Heb 10:36 (AMP) More often than not, we tend to hasten ourselves out of God’s plan and roadmap. In a man’s walk with God, patience is key and this is why the Bible says there is a great need for patience. It is after we have endured patiently that we will fully accomplish His will. In other words, outside patience, no matter how much we have done for God, we could still be out of the will of God. Blessing cannot locate anyone outside His will, instead all that you encounter is multiplied and inexplicable calamities. WHAT DO YOU DO • You must first surrender your life to Christ. • After you have surrendered your life, locate those things that could be hindering your blessing. Many a times, they are little things which we often overlook. • Take it to the altar of the Almighty in prayer. I know you have been blessed. Write and share your testimonies, comments, etc., with me Rev’d Femi Akinola – The Hebrews International, Lekki, Lagos.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Faith

WORD OF Why I listen to my inner man LIFE by

Bishop Moses Kat tey Tel: 08087707486, Email: moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

I feel strongly impelled to plead with you not to do anything while in doubt. Wait until the doubt or fear clears before doing that thing. Infact, see it as a ruler: Never say or do anything out of doubt or fear ‘Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin’. (Romans 14:22,23). People succeed or fail from the first day they take important decisions of their lives. Victory or failure may not necessarily be as a result of luck, or in cases of business, bad or good market. Furthermore, success or failure may not be because of being highly intelligent or otherwise. It may not also be because of socalled good management process, or procedures. I very much believe that the application of the scripture (Romans 14: 22,23) written above determines the success or otherwise of a person, irrespective of the area. Inner conviction and business venture Take for example a business venture. A business consultant served

many clients. Many were succeeding while many failed in their ventures. He decided to find out why some particular clients were always succeeding while some others were always failing. To his surprise, he discovered that those clients who were succeeding embarked on the business venture without doubt and without fear. Their sprit agreed with the decisions. They made the decisions they took because their mind asked them to do so. They were not persuaded. They did not take such a decision or embark on the business ventures against their will. They did not do it because the consultant asked them to do so. The Lord enforced Romans 14:22 and 23, in their inner minds. For the other group of businessman that failed, it was observed that for these particular business venture, their spirit did not agree with their decisions to embark on such a business. Asked why they decided to embark on this business venture if their spirit did not agree with it, they responded by saying that the business consultant asked them to do so. They did not trust themselves, their inner voice or what their minds told them, more than the consultant. In fact, they

did not stand solidly behind their decisions. Never do anything your spirit or mind does not agree with It may work well with others whose spirit agrees with it but not with you. Do not do it because of anybody if your mind does not agree with it (Ref: The 9 steps to financial freedom by Suze Orman. (Three Rivers Press. New York 1997) Inner conviction and marriage affair The same principle of ‘Never do or say anything with doubt’ works perfectly well in marriage also. Now ask yourself the following questions if you are married or engaged: The day you proposed to your partner, or the day you accepted his proposal, did your mind or spirit agree with it? Did you just do it (propose or accept) because you were convinced, or out of respect, or because you were desperate to marry? Did your mind ask you to do it? Did you propose or accept the proposal out of much pressure or persuasion? How is the marriage or engagement now? A friend of mine approached a girl far below him in terms of education. The girl refused. Both of them were Christians and friends. It surprised every one, including my wife and I, that such a girl should reject the proposal. We called the sister and persuaded her to accept. She refused and finally said that she should be given sometime to pray or think about it. When she finally came back a

Lost vision (1) Praise the Lord. Heavenly hosts are rejoicing because destinies and purposes are being reawakened and fulfilled. To God be the glory. Text messages and feedbacks on our teachings are soul inspiring. The one received from the Academy for Future Leaders is striking and instructive – I am always available to teach future leaders and help them discover their being. Shalom. Heaven opened up today again that as individuals are sent and equipped, so also nations. • Moses and children of Issachar with Israel. • Jehoshaphat with Judah. • Tabitha with Joppa. • David with Bethlehem. • Samson with the tribe of Dan. • George Washington, Martin Luther King and Barrack Obama with America. • Zerubbabel with Jerusalem. • Nelson Mandela with South Africa. • Anthony Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe with Nigeria. For nations to fulfil their mandate, those sent to them must play their roles effectively but ironically today, nations and their harbingers have lost focus, derailed and shipwrecked their mandate and the resultant effect has brought untold hardship into the lives of millions, rendering many disillusioned and destroying the lives of unborn generations.

That informed our teaching today – Tragedy of a lost vision. THINK RIGHTLY • A man of lost vision will grope in the dark. •Those following him are endangered. •He is unknowingly destroying others. •Those ignorant will fall into the same trap with him. •Helpless but too shameful and arrogant to seek help. •Former height make others too fearful to confront him[ Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler as case study]. •Will not go down easily, millions and great destinies will perish with him. DIVINE WORD Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear let him hear

what the spirit saith unto the churches [nations] … [Revelation chapter 2 verses 5 and 14-17]. What a tragedy of a lost vision. God is watching nations and will judge them quickly. Tell those who are merrymaking that this will be more severe than the days of Noah. It is dangerous and suicidal to fall into the hands of an angry God. •Whence thou art fallen – What Heaven asks us to do, are we doing them? We have derailed, let’s go back to the basics. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. • Repent, do the first works – One thing I have learnt from history is that people refuse to learn from history. Is this the nation of our dream in the 60s and70s? • Will come quickly – Run to the mountain with your ill gotten wealth, nemesis will catch up with you. No mercy on that day, whatsoever a man soweth, he shall reap. Watch your back, judgement beckons. •Remove thy candlestick – No one will be able to save you. Repent now. Candlestick is your life. Divine fury will be too hot for you to handle, it is a judgement of no appeal. Better go and undo the wrongs you have done now. WHITHER NIGERIA Nigeria, the once vibrant country and the pride of black race suddenly became a pariah in the comity of nations because we lost our vision and direction. Leaders and the

couple of days later, she said her mind did not agree the proposal. What a devil is that! I shouted. I was silently binding the devil who did not allow her to accept. I commanded her to accept the proposal. She immediately obeyed my command and despised the doubt in her spirit. She trusted my Christian maturity and experience more than her mind. She finally went into the marriage. What is the situation now? Initially things went fine. They travelled abroad i.e. to the United Kingdom, and had three boys and girl over there. They lived happily and came back to Nigeria. Suddenly, problems surfaced. The two partners appeared to be right and also appeared to be wrong. What was wrong? None could understand. My friend seemed to be very stubborn sometimes and at some other time, the wife appeared to be very stubborn. Nothing could save the marriage of the two born-again Christians. My friend had another marriage another wife with children. The sister wrote long letters blaming us for the marriage. The message: I made her to trust more than her own inner voice. Her spirit, which is the candle of the lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly did not agree (pro. 19: 27) She did not stand solidly behind her decision. Even if she had to accept the marriage, she could have had her doubts and fears dissolved. Again, never do anything that is against your will. I have since asked God to forgive me for forcing her to marry against her will. Learn a

lesson from that incident. Do learn a lesson too. A General Overseer approved a letter of application for engagement between a brother and sisters after interviewing them. The marriage committee of the church also confirmed that the marriage/engagement was from God. He (G.O ) traveled out and handed over the church to one of his senior ministers. Within just two months of his absence, the senior minister changed a lot of things and procedures of the church at the headquarters of the church. He felt the GO was not teaching enough holiness, was not spirit-filled, and was leading people to hell. He had come to set many things aright. He felt that God had given him this opportunity to correct the GO’s maladministration. He further cancelled the approval for engagement between that brother and sister. He called the boy and persuaded him to break the engagement. Anything done by the GO was not proper; that was why the Lord made the GO to travel so that he could set things in proper order. Against the will of the brother, the engagement which the General Overseer approved was broken. He, the reformer minister, went ahead and gave him a girl to marry which he accepted because of the respect he had for the reformer minister and persuasion. Worship with us at COMMONWEALTH COVENANT CHURCH INT’L INC (Aka Christ Fellowship Deliverance church) Alode Nchia Eleme,Rivers State Nigeria. P.O . Box 555 nchia Eleme, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Prophetic Insight with

Rev. James Akinadewo Tel: 08037188392 (SMS only) motailatugrow@hotmail.com

led became disjointed, wickedness took over and disorderliness became the order of the day. Note that God will not bless a nation where His laws are being broken with impunity. This is not the nation our leaders craved for. Not the present ones but those who fought the colonial masters. Enahoro, who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence, is saddened with this development likewise Chief Ayo Adebanjo and other co-travellers of the pre-independence era. Why, how and when did we find ourselves in this sorry state behaving as if we are in a jungle? – Ask yourself, you are part of the rot and God will judge you. SEARCH WITHIN Are you among those destroying our society? Every form of bad behaviour is corruption. Civil servants without civility, honourables without honour, His Excellency without excellent spirit, His Grace with disgrace trailing you, youths with youthful and evil lusts, businessmen with sharp business practice, contractors with contrasting spirits, leaders leading astray, parents with perverted spirit, teachers becoming

‘cheaters’, chairmen with demonic characters, leadership with selfish ambition [self first, self middle, self last], politicians with polluted spirit [do or die politics], godfatherism – appointing, supporting, importing and imposing cronies to suppress and oppress the people. In fact, Nigeria has become a family contract to some politicians because they have no second address. Simply put, our leaders are ‘dealers’. You destroyed your nation with your position in that office by milking her dry. Some stole the country blind, displaying the wealth publicly when millions are going to bed hungry with thousands dying miserably daily – their blood is on you and God will give you full dose of your judgement. God sent me to you today – Repent now. You can’t destroy this country and think your own life will be smooth, your enjoyment will be shortlived and you will be disappointed shortly. Day of reckoning beckons. I believe Nigeria has a great future. Repent. Be Holy. Jesus loves you. It is well.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Sermon & Faith

Impartation of spiritual gifts for supernatural turnaround! (4)

The Voice of

Dominion by

Bishop David Oyedepo

Phone: 7747546-8; E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

xceeding Grace of God will meet you at every point as you progress into a new month few days from now. I have been dwelling on the abundant gifts of God available for impartation in our lives only if we believe, covet and make them practicable in your life. I shall be concluding the teaching on the Spirit of Counsel, which manifests in divine guidance. Virtues inherent in divine guidance When God guides, He goes Before the Guided (Isaiah 45:1-3): When God leads, He goes before the led to make every crooked path straight. He goes with the guided: And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him (John 8:29). That means, I follow His guidance; so, He has not left Me alone. He walks with the guided (Mark 16:20): So, we become co-labourers with God in the pursuit of every

guidance He gives. We work together with Him, so we cannot fail because whatever involves God cannot fail. He works through the guided: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He works for the guided: Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Also, Psalm 118: 23 says: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. So, when God is at work, marvelous results are obtained. Therefore, when we are guided, we end up a marvel to our world. • The Spirit of Wisdom: It enthrones and establishes that throne. This Spirit empowers us to rule in the midst of our enemies, because the end-time church is ordained to reign (Proverbs 8:14-16). What is unique about the Spirit of Wisdom? • It connects the believer to celes-

THE Oracles of God by

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com, 07033621866

“O

ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” John the Baptist came as a sign of the times for the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi. The Jews could not discern him as a forerunner; rather they said he had a devil, Matt.11:18-19. The Lord Jesus Christ came with the sign of the Messiah they were expecting. They could not discern his timing on the historical horizon of Israel. They crucified him and chopped off the head of John the Baptist. Falling Away From the Fiath “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” 1Timothy 4:1 – 5 “Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” Christianity now has the slowest growth rate among religions. Nearly one out of five young people age 18 – 22 now self-identify as atheists. Between 1990 and 2001, Christianity grew only by seven percent. Mormonism grew by

112 percent. Humanism by 169 percent, Buddhism grew by 270 percent and Hinduism by 337 percent. The Wiccan Religion that celebrates witchcraft and wizardry became the fastest growing at 1,675 percent. These are evidence of the falling away from the Christian faith. The falling away from the faith will be the result of the Spirit of Error that will pervert the true foundational teachings of the Apostles and formulate church traditions, tenets, creeds and dogmas without Biblical support. This Apostate or backsliding spiritual condition is an indication of the signs to witness before Christ comes for His bride. Moral Decay “And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt. For all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Gen. 6:12. Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Lot, thus shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed” – Luke 17:28 – 30. Shortly after the son of man is revealed, that is, a prophet like John the Baptist, who will come in the spirit and power of Elijah to forerun the second coming of Christ, before the rapture will take place. Below are cases of sexual perversions as evidence of moral decay.

tial wisdom — wisdom from above: The Spirit of Wisdom is our access to the wisdom from above, and whatever is from above is above all (John 3:31). There are four kinds of wisdom namely: earthly, sensual, devilish and the wisdom from above. The Spirit of Wisdom is our only access to the free flow of the wisdom from above, which is superior to any other form of wisdom (James 3:15-17). • It unveils divine secrets: Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven (Daniel 2:19). It guarantees our access to divine secrets, which will make a star of us any day. Job became the greatest of all men in the East because of his access to divine secrets, which he encountered by the fear of the Lord (Job 29:4). • It unravels the future: Joseph reigned by the Spirit of Wisdom, so he could not be deterred or discouraged. We cannot see a future and still

be discouraged. The Spirit of Wisdom unlocks the future to us and that sets us free naturally from discouragement or depression. • The Spirit of Wisdom is innovative: It generates witty inventions, which implies creating solutions. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions (Proverbs 8:12). It is constructive and creative. It does not wait for solutions; it creates them. • It is the Spirit of Exploits (Mathew 13:54): This Spirit does not just speak great words, but accomplishes great feats. The wisdom of God is the wisdom of mighty works. In conclusion, God has ordained our access to all the seven Spirits of God. The end-time church is ordained to reign, because we shall be ruling effectively in the midst of our enemies before Jesus comes. It is these Spirits that make stars of believers. Therefore, today, by the encounter with the impartation of spiritual gifts, your star

must shine! Friend, the spiritual gifts for supernatural turnaround are the preserve of the saved. Are you born again? You can become saved, simply by confessing your sins, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and saying this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again!” I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m. and 10.45 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

The stage is now set for the Rapture (2) Homosexuality was once a crime; now taking a stand against it, is considered the crime. Homosexual clergy is one of the subjects itself that churches, Protestants as well as Catholics are trying to confine to the ecclesiastical closet. But secrecy is no longer possible. In the Roman Catholic Church, there have been highly publicised cases of child molestation by priests. AIDS, the result of sexual promiscuity, is now the sixth leading cause of death. In less than 20 years, the United Nations says AIDS has killed more than eight million farm workers in Africa. It has killed the breadwinners in millions of families, devastated poor rural villages and orphaned 4.2 million children. The terrible perversion and moral plight of the whole world has long been envisioned as a discerning sign of the last days. What has happened to holiness? It’s been swept away by moral decay. In addition to this, mixed swimming, scantily dressed women, social drinking, smoking, necking and petting among young people etc. have become accepta b l e i n t h e c h u rc h e s . I n the days of Noah and Lot, the prevalent sin was sexual promiscuity and finally total

perversion. The word ‘unisex’ has been widely adopted to describe the attitudes, styles and appearances of today’s men and women. Over the last 20 years, the trend has evolved until now they are literally exchanging roles. The women are cutting their hair, wearing men’s garments, demanding equal rights and have forsaken motherhood and home keeping for career jobs and military services. The men have become morally weak and perverse, growing their hair like women, visiting beauty salons, wearing blouse-like shirts, tight suggestive pants and even necklaces and earrings. The churches, instead of resisting this pervasive decline, have succumbed and adopted most of these standards of conduct, dress, music and entertainment. Consequently, God has given them the portion of the unbeliever. Ichabod has been scratched across their ornate portals and God has abandoned them to the harlot system and the irrevocable mark of the Beast. Rev. 13:15 – 18. Violence Gen. 6:11 “The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence”.

One of the signs that foreclosed the first world in the time of Noah by flood is violence in varying forms. The world has turned her back on God and entered the gates of Sodom. Gunfire is in fact the 11th most frequent cause of death. More Americans die from firearm injuries than the total number of American soldiers killed during peacekeeping wars. Gunfire is the product of violent killing by armed robbers, terrorism and ritual killers and these have led to the deaths of countless millions across the globe. Sexual violence is pervasive throughout the world. As many as one third of all girls are forced into their first sexual experience. A woman is raped violently every six minutes, some involving children less than one year old, which has left humanity reeling in horror. Next episode, we shall speak on the most profound sign that will definitely herald Christ’s coming. There is indeed time no longer. Rev 10:6 Frank Oboden Olomukoro writes from Christian Ministry of Reconciliation, Km. 14, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, (beside Punch Newspapers), Ogun State.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 18, 2014

Business Interview

LG taxes should be streamlined - DG LCCI

The slow pace of economic growth in the country has been blamed on poor leadership offered by the drivers of the economy both at state and federal levels. In an interview with New Telegraph on Sunday, Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf, tells AZUBIKE NNADOZIE that the challenge is not so much for want of bright ideas, but that of having leaders that can make things happen.

o many heads of state/presidents have ruled this country over the years but none of them appears to have found a solution to its economic problems. What in your view has been the problem all along? It’s not a question of lack of ideas, or people not knowing what to do. It’s a question of having the will, the political will to do what needs to be done. If you go through the archives of governments and ministries at the federal and state levels, you will find 1001 quality reports on how to move the economy forward. What you call economic blueprint. But the challenge is to have a leader that can make things happen, not so much for want of ideas. You don’t need to be an economist to know the value of infrastructure in economic growth. You need to provide power, you need to provide railways, and you need to provide roads. All these things enhance productivity in an economy. The economy works by providing a space that is conducive and when you provide such an environment, entrepreneurs should be able to express themselves in various ways. Most of the activities that ensue would engender the creation of jobs for the teeming population, because there is no limit to the ingenuity of the average Nigerian citizen. Is that all? The problem of slow economic growth in the country is a governance problem, as I said. It can be solved by putting round pegs in round holes. But a situation where people get into positions because of who they know and not by merit is bound to breed mediocrity. Such settings breed corruption which in turn puts the economy in a vicious cycle as it results in the waste of valuable resources. I’m not saying that the leadership should be expert in everything, but we need a leadership that can assemble a team that can work and get results, not just creating an avenue to ‘chop’ for party loyalists. When assembled, it should give the team a free hand to work and get results. But to get a leader that would make that happen is a major problem. When we talk about the economy, it is not just about the Federal Government, the subnational governments also have a role to play, because we are talking about human capital development. For instance, we are talking about primary and secondary education and state governments have a role to play. We need solid human capital to be able to drive the economic development of the country. When you look at the problems of inequality and poverty, for instance, we need a government that knows what its priority should be, not the one that would be spending 75 per cent or 76 per cent of the budget on recurrent expenditure; that cannot make for economic growth. There are a whole lot of issues involved. There is the governance issue of tackling corruption, the issue of fixing infrastructure and other sectoral issues. If you talk of agriculture, what are the critical issues in agriculture? How well are they being addressed? If you look at the maritime sector, what are the critical issues and are they being addressed? If the leader-

ship is right, it would be easy to fix the other components. If the leadership is right, the right people would be in the right places and the resources of the state would not be stolen, corruption would be minimised, the priorities would be right, then the economy can grow. Among business people, entrepreneurs and even some of your members, there is always the cry of rising cost of doing business, multiple taxation and other charges. What really constitutes multiple taxation? Multiple taxation relates to too many taxes. Now, we have federal taxes which include company taxes, VAT, education tax, various duties that you pay on importation of goods and services. At the state level, you have the PAYE, which is the Personal Income Tax, basically that is the main tax for the states. In some states, you have property tax. So for the Federal Government and states, there is a measure of clarity and certainty about taxation. But for the local governments, there is hardly any such clarity. There was a time local government people came to this building and were issuing debit notes to some offices here on such ridiculous items as photocopiers, computers running into hundreds of thousands of naira. So there are all sorts of things that come up at the local government level. A local government may just wake one morning and introduce one thing or the other, sometimes some of these things are not clearly spelt out. They say they are pursuing Internally Generated Revenue... Yes, that is what they call it. But it creates a lot of problems. Sometimes, you see some company vehicles with all manners of stickers on their windscreens. Sometimes even for company delivery vans to move from one local government to the other becomes an issue. It is such a great nuisance. Even interstate movement is hampered. Because the driver that is sent on an errand does not have any money to pay such taxes, the vehicle is detained and the journey delayed. Sometimes there is bit of lawlessness about the whole exercise. There are two sets of people in the local councils, the politicians and the civil servants. The politicians see such taxes as political compensation, an avenue for them to make money. However, in Lagos there has been an attempt to sanitise the taxation process through some publications that were made by the state government, even way back to when Bola Tinubu was governor. There was a stakeholders meeting that we attended with local government chairmen and all these things were spelt out. Even at that meeting, some of them argued that they were constitutionally independent and could enact bylaws that would enable them to source revenue within their jurisdiction. There is some level of sanity in Lagos because the state and virtually all the local governments belong to the same political party. In some other states, it is exactly like that. For political reasons, sometimes they just allow them to do what they like. Since some of them take cash, sometimes when they bill you, you haggle with them for the amount to pay. There is no structure, and genuine taxes are not supposed

Yusuf

Streamlining the taxes should have been the ideal thing. Streamline it and put it in about three to four compartments, so that once you pay for one category, you are free to be negotiated. There are also the challenges with regulatory institutions such as Standards Organisation of Nigeria, NAFDAC, those in the aviation industry and the others who are carrying out regulatory functions at the federal level. They impose all manners of levies, and they impose them in a manner that you begin to wonder whether there is any control. There is no framework to regulate the kind of fees that they charge. So, once you see an agency of government set up to regulate private sector activity, the next thing you see is a catalogue of fees that you have to pay. So when people complain about multiple taxation, they are complaining about too many taxes and levies, they are often referring to the nuisance posed by the local governments. If you are a telecom company trying to erect a mast for instance, you will be surprised at the amount of levies that you have to pay for your base station. And once it starts in a state, other states begin to copy it. All sorts of things come up in the name of taxes and levies from regulatory agencies, and unfortunately there is no mechanism to regulate their activities, particularly in relation to the amount they charge. Is there no way these taxes and levies could be streamlined? Well, we have been making submissions to government but nothing has happened yet. Streamlining the taxes should have been the ideal thing. Streamline it and put it in about three to four compartments, so that once you pay for one category, you are free. Lagos State Government did something close to it. Before now, all these advert taxes used to be collected by the local governments, but since LASAA

was set up, LASAA now has the custody of everything. It collects all the money and shares some parts with the local governments. That was made possible because they are in the same party, which makes control easier. The issue of security is a national one, not just in the Northern part of the country but nationwide. How has this affected the businesses of your members? It is an issue that affects everyone. Some of our members have raised it, how it is affecting their sales, especially those in the cosmetics and other consumer products sector. Close to 70 per cent of industries in Nigeria are in the Lagos-Ogun axis, and their market space is the entire country. To some extent, the West African sub-region. So with the security crisis in the country, many of them can no longer access their markets for a number of reasons. It is difficult to release your delivery vans for sales people to go to such places because you will be risking people’s lives. Second, because of the crisis there, the population in such places is no longer what it used to be and the level of economic activities has gone down. With all these crises, how much income could you generate? Even the purchasing power of the populace has reduced. Then, many of the banks can no longer function in such places the way they should and some of them have closed their branches, some open maybe twice a week and for few hours. If you are in an environment where the banks are not working, how much business can you do? Some of our members have lost as much as 30 per cent of their business to these crises. Even some companies that source raw materials from the North now find it difficult because of security concerns, and cost of transportation has also increased. Generally, the perception of the country as an investment destination has been affected. Although foreign investors still come and we still receive trade delegations, but generally the perception has also taken a toll on the number of foreign investors that are willing to actually invest, especially when it concerns long term investment. Our members have raised concern along these lines.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

News

Ogun evacuates 231 lunatics, destitute O

Osun promises better health facilities for citizens

•Gets 3,000 applications for child adoption Kunle Olayeni

O Abeokuta

gun State Government has evacuated no fewer than 231 nomadic lunatics, destitute and beggars across the state just as it unfolded a plan to construct a N400million permanent rehabilitation centre. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abeokuta, also said the state government had stepped up measures to arrest pupils roaming the streets or hawking during school hours. Sonubi also revealed that about 3,000 applications have been received from citizens seeking adoption of babies from the state

government in the last one year. According to the commissioner, the 231 people of unsound mind were evacuated during various raids carried out by government officials in the last one year. Of the figure, she stated that 60 vagrant lunatics have been reunited with their families and relatives while 56 destitute from the Rehabilitation Centre, Owotu, Ikorodu, Lagos State have also been re-integrated with their respective families. Sonubi, however, expressed dismay at the failure of the families of some affected evacuees to properly support and cater for them after re-unification. Speaking on the achievements of her ministry, the commissioner stated that no fewer than 687 couples were reconciled in its mat-

rimonial reconciliation programme while “30 lost but found children” were reunited with their families. She added that under her Ministry’s social welfare services, a sum of N63.9million collected from 6,563 fathers had been disbursed for the upkeep of 12,315 children and wards from May 2011 till date across the state. Sonubi reiterated the commitment of the Governor Ibikunle Amosunled administration to the promotion of family harmony, reformation of juvenile delinquents and

young persons as well as social education. She said, “Despite the fact that education is free in the state, there is still truancy in schools. We want to bridge the gap. It should also be noted that there is reduction in abandonment of children in the state due to free education, free health for children between 0 and 5 years. “As at today, we have over 3,000 applications of parents seeking adoption but 36 have been granted. Suitable homes have been found for 36 abandoned children. We have requirements and guidelines for adoption and we always want these children to be well taken care of.”

ABUJA

OSUN

sun State Government yesterday assured people of the state that it would stock its health facilities in the 30 local governments of the state with essential drugs, free maternal and child medical services and free surgical equipment that would enhance the health status of its citizens. Wife of the state governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola made the assurance at the flag-off ceremony of Maternal, New-born And Child Health (MNCH) week programme organized in collaboration effort the Sure-P MNCH Advocacy team and the State Ministry of Health in Ijebu-Jesha of the state. Mrs. Aregbesola said that the present administration in the state would do its best to see that it makes its citizenry health an ailment free one.

Reps order suspension of presidential scholarship scheme Philip Nyam

he House of Representatives has ordered the suspension of the activities of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme forInnovationandDevelopment (PRESSID),allegingunevenallotment of spaces to beneficiaries. Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Hon. Aminu Suleiman (APC, Kano), gave the directive after the committee received a submission from the head of PRESSID, Prof. Julius Okojie, who submitted that the committee awards scholarship based on merit. While ordering for a suspension of the programme, the House resolved that it would subject the members of the award selection board to scrutiny, to ascertain how they arrived at the decision they took. It will also check the criteria that were used in the selection.

…Imo to outlaw ‘baby factories’ Steve Uzoechi Owerri

ollowing the proliferation of baby factories in Imo State, the state house of assembly has commenced legislative efforts to ban such activities and other clandestine enterprises involved in the criminal merchandising of babies. A bill known as the “Bill for a Law to Prohibit Baby Racketeering through baby factory operations and every other arrangement by which babies are illegally transacted on, and other matters thereto”, has been presented on the floor of the assembly for passage into law. Sponsored by the Majority Leader of the House and the member representing Ahiazu Mbaise State Constituency, Hon. (Mrs.) Adaku Ihuoma and supported by 11 other members, the bill seeks to fully criminalise the activities of the baby racketeers and plug the loop holes in the existing criminal law, making the usual legal manipulation of court processes by child traffickers difficult by introducing stringent punitive measures for offenders. It is believed that the bill which has undergone its First Reading on the floor of the House would help when passed into law, to

curtail the flagrant excesses of child traffickers and rid the state of any abuse against children. Meanwhile, the assembly has debunked rumours suggesting that proceedings in the assembly on Thursday were interrupted by an alleged ‘juju’ scare. Emeka Ahaneku, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker of the State Assembly said, such rumour only exists in the imaginations of their peddlers and sponsors. “I can tell you without an iota of doubt that legislative businesses were conducted and concluded without any hitch on the said Thursday.”

L-R: Chairman, Labour Party (LP), in Ekiti State, Akinbowale Omole; running mate, Alhaja Mariam Ogunlade; Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele; Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, and National Chairman of the Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu at the Labour Party mega rally, in Ikere-Ekiti..yesterday

Corruption, politics hinder of judiciary -Musdapher Dahiru Sulaiman Dutse.

ormer Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Dahiru Mustapha, has advocated for an Inde-

pendent Electoral Judicial Court to handle all cases of political elections malpractices. Delivering a public lecture at the Federal University, Dutse on ‘Law Reforms, Issues and Chal-

Bayelsa govt urges mobilisation for PVC

he Bayelsa State Government has called on the chiefs, community leaders and youths across the state to mobilise their people to participate actively in the ongoing issuance of permanent voter cards and the registration of new and eligible voters. Making the call in a statement, the Chief press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, stated that, the government has already put all the necessary machinery in place to ensure a hitch free exercise

across the state. According to the statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs, Chief Fred Agbedi has been mandated to ensure the effective mobilization and coordination of the exercise in the Local Government Areas, while security agencies have been put on red alert to ensure a peaceful exercise. The statement warned persons with negative intentions to steer clear, stressing that, those planning to foment trouble in the course of the exercise will be made to face the full weight of the

law. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state says reaching out to people in creek communities is posing great challenges in the ongoing permanent voter cards distribution. The Residential Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Edwin Nwatarali, made the disclosure in an interview in Yenagoa yesterday said Bayelsa is a riverine state and reaching the people in the creeks is always time consuming but we will reach out to them to ensure they have their voter cards.

lenges’ he blamed the lapses in Nigeria’s judicial system on political motivations of leaders, and attitude of the country’s political class. He contended that for law reform to be effective in the country, it should reflect the culture, religion, and thinking of its citizens. He blamed the Nigerian elite, including Emirs, the judges and the Ulamas for their failure in developing a domestic standard law in tandem with the citizens’ way of life, due to greed and personal interest. According to him, a lot of money has been invested by government on issues that are of less importance such as politics instead of developing the nation’s educational system that can give the country and its people a sense of belonging.

“Therefore, people should start thinking in order to change their way of life and attitudes,” he said. He stated that before the coming of British colonial masters there was Islamic law in practice especially in the North which was in line with Islamic injunctions. “But when they came, they set aside both the Islamic and the customary laws and upgraded English law above all. So we have to forget about the British way of thinking and develop our own”. He also frowned at the rate at which cases or proceedings are being delayed by Judges, especially at the Shariah courts and Magistrates. “Shariah courts and Magistrates cannot be absolved of these blames”, he added.

60 60

Abuja Beats

FCT transport system and BRT policy

Johnchuks Onuanyim n the last three years, the Federal Capital Territory Administration through its Transport Secretariat has been driving a new transport system in the territory. The new policy is expected to reduce the transportation problems of residents and ease gridlock in the Abuja metropolis. This new system designed for the country’s seat of power is being captured in the Transport Secretariat Vision and Mission statements. The vision states that it is to “provide an effective and efficient transportation system in the FCT through proactive planning, effective monitoring, safe, accident-free and infrastructural development in consonance with the Abuja Transportation Master Plan to meet the expectations of public,” while the mission is “to improve ‘real time’ oprations of transportation through team work and technology; to maximise public transport mobility for those residents who do not own cars; to minimise traffic movements passing through the various development sectors; to provide multiple highway paths between development sectors, thereby avoiding network bottlenecks; and to ensure that only sound and roadworthy vehicles with qualified drivers ply the roads in compliance with road traffic regulations and put in place structures capable of achieving set goals and objectives.” The Executive Secretary of the FCTA, Jonathan Ivoke, told New Telegraph on Sunday that it was the need to achieve the vision and mission of the transport sector that had led to the articulation of different policies in the sector. Such policies, according to him, include the scrapped ‘Park and Pay’ policy, Rail Mass Transit, Bus and Taxi Mass Transits, biometric capturing of drivers, computerised roadworthiness test services of vehicles, construction of pedestrian bridges and BRT. Some of these transport policies are in operation while some are still under planning. Ivoke in his explanation stated that the Bus Rapid Transit known as BRT is one of those policies whose implementation has not started. According to him, the planned FCT BRT is still under-designed against the backdrop that it has been abandoned. He attributed the delay in the commencement of the BRT to careful and thorough planning to achieve the best of the services. His words: “What we are currently providing is regular bus services not BRT. We are still at the study stage for the BRT services. We have mapped some routes that will be used for the pilot stage, and they include Eagle

Square in FCT to Masaka in Nasarawa State. But with time we will extend it to Niger and Kaduna states.” He, however, explained that the project is being executed in collaboration with the African Development Bank and World Bank. He said, “Due to our peculiar challenges in handling transport system in Abuja, we have ordered for another demarcation product to be used for the pilot as the plastic feed barrier initially acquired for the same purpose failed the test of standard. We have also made effort to ensure that the bus terminals are built closer to the people that need them. To this end, we have created bus terminals at various points in Abuja for easy reach of the masses. For example, we have in Nyanya, Area 3, and 1, Nicon Junction, Zuba and Giri Junction.” But many residents of Abuja believe that the procurement of the plastic feed barrier by the FCT Transport Secretariat for BRT was another waste of public funds. According to the residents, since the design was not complete, why was the contract for the procurement of the plastic feed barrier awarded and executed? These plastic barriers are lying waste on the Nyanya-Keffi road and here the design is suggestion concrete barrier for the BRT, some residents noted. The Abuja residents are of the opinion that the contract to procure the plastic feed barriers for BRT when design was no completed should be investigated. However, Ivoke stated that the financing of the BRT was coming from the AfDB and World Bank. According to him, a $50 million loan was earmarked for the building of the BRT, while $950, 000 was approved for the design. He, however, stated that the monies were not given to the FCTA or the Transport Secretariat but that the monies would passed through the Ministry

Bala Mohammed, FCT minister

of Finance after approved legislation. He said, “The AfDB and World Bank made a provisional approval of $50 million for the expansion and construction of BRT lane from Eagle Square in

Abuja and Masaka in Nasarawa State, after the initial approval of a grant of $950,000 for the preparatory studies including consultancy services, though not accessed yet but very hopeful.”

Abuja residents turn uncompleted Kuje market to shelter Obinna Odoh

bout 800 persons residing in the Federal Capital Territory have turned the uncompleted Kuje International Market located in Kuje Area Council to living quarters. The contract for the construction of the market, according to New Telegraph on Sunday checks, was awarded in 1999 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. The level of work at the site is still lopsided as some parts are completed while some are still at foundation level. When New Telegraph on Sunday vis-

ited the place to ascertain the level of work and what led to the abandonment of the project, a tenant in the market, Mr. Nmaduabuchi Ukoji, noted that he had spent more than two years in the uncompleted block and was enjoying the serenity of the environment. When our reporter sought to know who receives the rent, Ukoji revealed that they pay rent to Kuje Area Council. He stated, “What we pay is not called rent but waste management rate and we pay this rate on quarterly basis. We pay N2500 in each quarter so for four of the year we total of N10000 to Kuje Area Council.”

Ukoji added, “We have been harassed several times by herdsmen and have been attacked by reptiles. The worst aspect of our problem here is the lack of electricity and water supply. Lack of these social amenities has put the condition of staying here at risk.” Efforts to reach the contractor to ascertain the reasons for the abandonment of the project proved abortive but a reliable source said it was due to nonrelease of funds by government. Some of the tenants told our correspondent that they were dismayed at government’s attitude toward the project.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Vendors take over water supply in FCT Obinna Odoh

n what looks like an aberration, water vendors popularly known as mai-ruwa are gradually taking over the supply of water in FCT as a result of the failure of the Ministry of Water Resources to provide water for its inhabitants. During a tour of area councils of Abuja, including Nyanya suburb of FCT under Abuja Municipal Council, New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that water vending had become a thriving business in FCT as the inhabitants can no longer rely on government for pipeborne water. The issue of regular water scarcity in Abuja, the seat of power in Nigeria, has left many residents in distress. Mrs. Amaka Ekwealor, is a banker, told our correspondent that the issue of water scarcity in Abuja is becoming unbearable. “We suffer more during festivities, especially during Sallah, when all the vendors would have travelled to their hometowns. Our concern now is no more whether government should provide water for us but to have constant supply from the water vendors.” Mr. Ishiaka Bello Abubakar, who has three children and has been a water vendor for the past 10 years, said he makes between N1,500 and N2000 each day.

Water vendors

He stated that after removing expenses, he would be left with between N900 or N1200. Abubakar expressed regret at the onset of the rains, adding, “This is the time

we usually experience bad business and suffer a great deal because many of our customers will use rain water.” He said dropped out of school in primary three because there was no support.

Arts and Crafts Village: Tenants without landlord Kenneth Tyohemba

rts and Crafts village is strategically located in the Abuja Central Business District adjacent Abuja Sheraton Hotels and Towers. The village was originally allocated to the National Council for Arts and Culture in 1987 for the construction of its permanent site and other facilities. However, development did not start there until 2003, when the Federal Government initiated the construction of round tents that would serve as arts and crafts market for expected visitors during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The village which serve as a tourist and shopping centre for Nigeria’s arts and crafts played host to dignitaries from all walks of life, including Queen Elizabeth II of England and other heads of states. The village till today is a place where one can shop Nigeria’s arts and crafts work that serve as iconography of Nigeria’s culture. Everything about the village is a representation of culture. The shops are thatch-roofed huts walls made from red earth (clay). From little sculpted statuettes, beaded necklaces and bracelets to African traditional masks, traditional leather bags, and clothes among others, the village is no doubt an authentic shopping spot for local arts and crafts. It has three sections - the crafts, tailoring and the painting sections which play host to local and foreign visitors. It, however, lacks basic social amenities. There is no potable water in the village. The village of three sections which covers about 3.2 hectares has one toilet and a single bathroom which is managed by a private individual for generating revenue. “To have your bath here costs N50, while using the toilet costs N30,” said the toilet attendant who did not want

his name in print. Secretary-General of the African Arts and Cultural Heritage Association, Mr. Lawan Muhammed, in an interview with our correspondent expressed worry over the deplorable state of the village. He stated that the situation can best be likened to ‘tenants without landlord’, saying that the village does not have an owner. According to Muhammed, the problem began after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003, as the government failed to continue with the project of building infrastructure in the village. The project was intended to make it a permanent hub of tourism beyond CHOGM. He further stated that it was the FCT administration under a former minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, that championed the construction of thatch-roofed shops for the take-off of the site, a gesture which had strings attached, as the FCT later moved to claim the land. After a court judgment, the Ministry of Arts and Culture retained the Certificate of Occupancy and subsequently handed it to the National Council of Arts and Culture as the landlord of the village. On assuming control of the market in 2013, the Executive Director, NCAC, Mr. Mwajim Maidugu, said that the village would soon be transformed into an international tourist centre as an architectural design had been submitted to the Federal Capital Development Authority. However up till now nothing has been done, and the village sanitary condition keeps deteriorating day by day. AACHA in seeking for justice recently dragged NCAC to court, praying it to compel NCAC to redeem its pledge of infrastructure provision in the village. Mohammed said the position of AACHA which is made up of all the busi-

ness members in the village is that “unless NCAC assume full responsibility of the village by providing infrastructure, if not we can no longer pay our dues to them.” He also stated categorically that AACHA has since the ongoing court case instituted against NCAC been collecting and managing its dues, pending the outcome of the case. Attempts to get the director of NCAC to comment on the issue did not yielded result.

Abuja Beats

Peace Ambassador pageant unveiled Amadi Nnamdi

he Messengers of Peace Foundation last week unveiled the maiden edition of Queen of Peace Africa Pageant before an elated audience in Abuja. The aim of this Pageant according to its organisers is to use Young people to propagate the gospel of Peace across Africa. In his speech at the unveiling ceremony, the foundation’s National President, Dr. Suleiman Adejo, stated that the Queen of Peace Africa Pageant will attract 45 beautiful and intelligent young ladies between the ages of 18 - 26 to Abuja to contest for the coveted crown. Attached to it are $30,000 and a brand new car while the winner becomes the Messenger of Peace who will be used to carry out some peace projects across Africa. According to Adejo, the Grand finale of the pageant, which will be held in Abuja on August 2, 2014 is endorsed by Nigerian ambassadors in different African countries as well as their African counterparts who have assured of their participation in the event. “It is going to be an annual event to be hosted rotationally around African countries. It is not just a Nigerian thing but a continental affair that will engage African youths in peace discussion,” added the foundation’s South-East Coordinator, Nze Elvis Agukwe. While fielding questions from journalists at the event, the Pageant Coordinator, Ms. Paula Achicha, noted that forms for the pageant is available at the offices of the foundation nationwide and that the process of selecting a representative for Nigeria is on. “For this purpose, the country has been divided into zones, each zone will produce 10 candidates that will make up the 60 ladies who will be assembled and screened in Abuja for the final selection of Nigeria’s representative at the continental event,” Achicha stated. While calling for corporate sponsorship and partnership for the event, she urged all Nigerians to spread the message of peace wherever they are. Other members of the Foundation are the Chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria Abuja chapter, Mr. Agility Onwurah, Alhaji Adamu Taku, Rita Edochie, Bob-Manuel Udokwu and other prominent Nigerians.

Disaster management: FCTA recruits volunteers Yekeen Nurudeen

s part of measures to step up its emergency response, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency has started recruiting voluntary emergency workers from the six area councils of the nation’s capital. Speaking at a one-day workshop for the volunteers in Abuja, Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas G. Idriss, explained that the essence was to bring volunteers to the needs of the public. He noted that they are often close to scenes of accidents when they happen. The DG said a total of 47 volunteers had already been trained by the agency, adding that plans are on to take the campaign to markets and motor parks, with a view to attracting more volunteers. He said, “Volunteers can be at the scene of accidents before we arrive. The incident might happen far away from you but if you have volunteers around, they can go and be rendering rescue operations.

“The idea behind professional volunteers is that there could be some form of professional misconduct like negligence from other professionals whereby instead of really sitting down to practise the ethics of their profession, they derail. As a result of that, you have so many incidents that lead to death and injuries. So we have to bring them and educate them. “We are going to have town hall meetings; we will be visiting public places, markets and motor parks. Why we have not really taken off now is because of the security situation. We are really watching; as soon as everything subsides we will take off.” While addressing the volunteers, FEMA’s acting Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mrs. Rachael Alkali, said the programme was aimed at motivating and improving their skills for better services. She noted that FEMA found the services of volunteers quite significant to help in interventions during disasters such as terrorism, fire outbreak and building collapse.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Abuja Beats

Abuja agog with World Cultural Day Celebration Amadi Nnamdi

n Wednesday May 21, 2014, Nigeria joined the global community to mark the World Culture Day in

Abuja. The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation had in 2002 declared May 21 every year as a day for the international community to reflect, promote and showcase cultural diversity as vehicle for guarantying peace and prosperity. So, in fulfillment of this annual ritual, the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation in collaboration with UNESCO and other agencies and parastatals under the ministry organised a ceremony at Women Development Centre, Abuja to commemorate the day. This year ’s celebration with the themes, ‘Dialogue and Development’ and ‘Cultural Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria’, as a sub-theme, featured performances from different cultural troupes, demonstrations of some cultural products, traditional hair dressing, bead making, poetic renditions, motivational talks by Nollywood artistes and lectures by culture experts. Students were not left out as they had the opportunity to compete for prizes in cultural performances as well as participate in an arts and crafts exhibition. At the end of the event, pupils of junior secondary schools in Karu, Jikwoyi and Garki came first, second and third respectively. In his speech, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, stated that the fundamental essence of the day is rooted in three pillars, namely: Cultural diversity, Dialogue and Development.

“These three pillars are seen as the sine qua non for global peace, cooperation and understanding, which are essential

ingredients for political and social stability in the world. “For us in Nigeria, there is no better

Nigerians can overcome terrorism -Maku

Kenneth Tyohemba

he Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has said the war against terrorism in Nigeria can be won if the Federal Government, states, local governments, corporate bodies and individuals collectively join hands to overcome thescourge. Maku stated this on Friday against the backdrop of the kidnap of over 200 female pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State and bombings in some parts of the country during the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations Week organised in Abuja. While describing PR as the catalyst for change and development, he charged the institute to play a key role in the war against terrorism through a strategic communication approach.

Maku also enjoined NIPR to organise public forums on fighting terror, adding that government alone cannot do it. He further stated that the Nigerian army is recognised as one of the best in the world, adding that Nigerians should not see it as weak. He added that the war on terror cannot be won with armoured tanks but rather with strategic information from all, including NIPR. “Defeating terrorism is a collective effort. The FG, states, LGs, corporate organisations and individuals must be involved. The enemy is living within us, and the military cannot use armoured tanks to bomb the enemy. “Nigeria has one of the best armies in the world, but they need strategic information to counter terrorism, and the NIPR is crucial for winning this war,”

he stated. In a lecture titled, ‘Prospects and Challenges of Nation-building: Public Relations Perspectives’, the guest speaker stressed the need for attitudinal change and called on practitioners to key into development initiatives rather see themselves as mere ‘spin doctors’ concerned only with image laundering. According to him, the goal of communication is to move the nation forward from the level of cynicism to optimism with subsequent behavioural change. “So many government policies have been rejected not because they are bad, but because they have not been properly communicated from policy formulation to implementation,” he stated. Earlier, the Chairman of NIPR, Abuja chapter, Mr. Osondu Ohaeri, said the organisation would strictly adhere to professional code of ethics.

time than now to promote the principle of cultural diversity as a tool for cooperation and understanding among our diverse ethnic peoples, considering our peculiar security situation. I therefore want to appeal to all segments of our society to use the import of this global event to forgive one another and create a peaceful environment for all our citizenry. Please, let us give peace a chance.” Duke pointed out that UNESCO places emphasis on dialogue as a tool for promoting cultural diversity between and among civilisations to move our world forward.”Proper application of cultural diversity can help melt down prejudices, ethnic conflicts and discriminations. It will further address the challenges of gender inequality, social exclusivity and stereotyping which are polarising our world today,” he said. Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova, in her goodwill message advocated for the need to develop education and inter-cultural skills in young people to sustain the diversity of our world and to learn to live together in the diversity of our cultures to bring about change. Tophill Private School, Federal Government College, Apo and the junior secondary schools in Wuse Zone 3, Gwarimpa, Dutse and Tundun-Wada, Abuja were among the schools that participated in this year ’s WCD celebration. Among dignitaries at the event were Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, Onyeka Onwenu; Barclays Ayakoroma; and the First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed. Others are UNESCO Country Representative in Nigeria, Prof. Hassana Aidou; Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura; and Dr. Bernice Dema.

MAY 25, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

QPR back in Premier League, T but problems not over

Sport / News

Super Falcons whip Rwanda 4-1

ueens Park Rangers clinched promotion to the Premier League in the most dramatic style as they beat Derby County 1-0 in the Championship play-off final thanks to Bobby Zamora’s 90th-minute winner, despite being reduced to 10 men after an hour. On a tense afternoon at Wembley, QPR had to withstand a Derby onslaught in the second half after Gary O’Neil’s straight red card for a foul on Johnny Russell. But Zamora, who hit a play-off winner for West Ham in 2005, pounced in the final minute to dash Derby’s dreams and secure a return to the top flight for QPR just a year after being relegated. Despite gaining promotion to the Premier League, QPR’s financial troubles are not over. The club is £177million in debt, having posted the biggest losses in the country of £65.4m last year. This was largely the result of their wage bill which at £78m is higher than that of Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid, both Champions League finalists in the past two seasons. The club also faces a heavy fine under the Football League’s financial fair play rules. Promoted teams are fined a graduated Fair Play Tax based on the excess by which they fail to meet the requirements. This rises to 100 per cent for losses of £10m or more. If last year’s losses are replicated, the club could face a penalty of approaching £50m. A vote among Championship clubs to increase the permitted losses from £10m to £12.5m received majority support, but not the 75 per cent required for it to be passed. There may be another vote, but in any case QPR may mount a legal challenge. Promotion guarantees a minimum of £134m over the next five years in television payments

RESULTS

AWC 2014 Qualifiers Algeria 2 - 1 Tunisia Comoros 0 - 13 South Africa Cote d’Ivoire 1 - 1 Equatorial Guinea Zimbabwe 2 - 1 Botswana Kenya 2 - 1 Rwanda Tunisia 2 - 2 Egypt Today’s (AWC) Games May 25 Ethiopia vs Ghana Zimbabwe vs Zambia International Friendly Ukraine 2 - 1 Niger Hungary 2 - 2 Denmark Bulgaria 1 - 1 Canada Slovakia 2 - 0 Montenegro Morocco 4 - 0 Mozambique Today’s Friendly Matches Thailand Vs Kuwait 04:00 Kosovo Vs Senegal 08:00 Mali Vs Guinea 09:00 Ireland Vs Turkey 10:00

Hero- Zamora celebrates with the trophy and team mates after winning Play Off Final

and parachute payments, even if QPR survive for just one season. Sponsorship deals and merchandising could boost this to £150m. However, it has to be remembered that this a gross figure and

does not take account of additional spending on transfer fees and wages. However, this may not be necessary in QPR’s case given the number and quality of players they have in place.

Owner Tony Fernandes says that he has learnt his lesson on excessive spending, particularly in terms of being manipulated by agents.

Flying Eagles rout Tanzania in Kaduna

Ifeanyi Ibeh igeria’s Flying Eagles are through to the next round of the African Youth Championship qualifiers after demolishing Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Heroes 4-1 on Saturday at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna with Alhassan Ibrahim, Musa Yahaya, Taiwo Awoniyi and Chidera Eze all getting on the score sheet. Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, made only one change from the starting XI who beat the Ngorongoro Heroes 2-0 a fortnight ago, introducing Abubakar Aliyu for Izu Omego to partner Wilfred Ndidi in the heart of the Nigerian back-four. It took the Nigerians just seven minutes to grab the game’s opening goal courtesy of a low

shot from Ibrahim, popularly known as Mu-azam. But the lead only lasted 10 minutes as the Tanzanians got back on level terms through a well-taken free kick from Banda Hassan. However, in the 34th minute, a minute after Awoniyi fluffed a chance to restore Nigeria’s lead, Yahaya stole in to make it 2-1 much to the delight of fans at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium. And minutes later, Awoniyi made up for his earlier miss with a cool finish to hand Manu’s side a comfortable 3-1 lead into the break. Manchester City starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho, was introduced at the start of the second half, while FC Porto youngster, Chidera Eze, came in on the hour mark for a profligate

“The late ‘Thunderbolt’ was full of humour, humility, discipline and was a good mixer who showed his dexterity in his coaching job after his playing career.” In his own tribute, Dr. Ladipo described the late Alhaja Mulikat as a great lover who played a noble role in her husband’s glorious soccer career. Alhaji Nosiru Kadiku, a former chairman of the Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area, said in his tribute that the late Alhaja Mulikat left behind a memorable high profile of her immense contributions to the development of football in the country. “In 1958, when she received a passionate appeal from the then

Brazil 2014: Nigerians should pray for Keshi to succeed Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

T Taiwo Awoniyi

Awoniyi, and it didn’t take long before Iheanacho turned provider for Eze to make it 4-1 for the Flying Eagles.

Onigbinde, Ladipo pay tribute to Teslim Balogun’s wife he former chief coach of the Super Eagles, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde and the President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, at the weekend joined a crème of sports men and women, sports administrators, fans and various sports organisations from different parts of the country to pay glowing tribute to the wife of Nigeria’s football legend Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, who passed on to glory 16 years ago. Onigbinde in his tribute as the Balogun family marks her 16th year memorial on Sunday May 25 said that, Alhaja Mulikat was a motivator to her husband Teslim Balogun who was a great asset to the nation.

he Super Falcons of Nigeria on Saturday in faraway Gisenyi, Rwanda, whip lashed host Rwanda 4-1 in a first leg African Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifiers. Falcons started the game brightly by dominating proceedings but threw away so many scoring chances they created. Rising star Asisat Oshoala, however, opened scoring in the 37th minute with a volley inside the box. Three minutes later, the rampaging Desire Oparanozie who was the tormentor -in -chief set-up Asisat to put Falcons two goals up. It should have been more before interval but poor shooting denied the Falcons a more comfortable lead. The Nigerian girls made it three on resumption when team captain Evelyn Nwabuoku found Esther Sunday who beat Rwanda goalkeeper with a low shot. Thereafter it was the Falcons against the She Amavubi goalkeeper who pulled off several good saves. Rwanda pulled a goal back in the 65th when Clementine Mukamana’s free-kick beat Precious Dede in goal for Nigeria. Stunned by the goal the Nigerian girls piled pressure on their host and Oparanozie was brought down inside the box and she rose to convert the resultant penalty kick for Falcons fourth goal in the match.

Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to persuade her husband to dump his British club, Queens Park Rangers, and return to Nigeria so as to assist the Western Rovers in the quest to win the Challenge Cup, she promptly delivered. “She also rendered some assistance to various youth clubs particularly in Lagos for the development of the game that brought fame to her late husband and children. She left a mark as she gave birth to sporting children who took over from where their late father stopped. This include ex-international striker Tunde Balogun, Tokunbo, Kayode, Olamide, Jibola and Bioye.”

he President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club (NFSC), Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has urged Nigerians not to criticise the Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi, but pray God to grant him wisdom at Brazil 2014 World Cup. Ladipo, at a forum organised by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State Chapter, in Ibadan on Friday, said that, the coach has done the proper things till the moment. “He has done the proper things up till this moment. The players have been scattered around playing for their respective clubs. They can still do better within the weeks left for them to train and with two to three matches played before the Mundial. What may not be the right thing now is for Nigerians to start criticising him,” he said. Ladipo assured that the Eagles would have a better outing at the World Cup, urging the people to avail them maximum support. “We have the belief that they will perform because they have promised to give their best and write their names in gold,” he said. The Supporters’ Club boss said that they would be going to Brazil to give the players maximum support through fasting and prayer, as well as to sustain the good image of the nation which they have been laundering years back.

}31

SPORT I thank God I didn’t play in World Cup - Friday Ekpo }32

News 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

VOL. 1 NO. 96

SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

N150

Church of England approves women bishops

On INEC’s Confidence scare

ven those who are not from Enugu should be worried by the recent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) voters’ register fiasco in the state. For, it surely is not a good omen for next year’s general elections in the country—if the trend is not arrested. According to media reports, names of prominent Enugu politicians, including those of Governor Sullivan Chime, the state chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Vita Abba, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh and some National Assembly members were conspicuously missing from the state’s register of released by INEC last week. Worse still, a whopping 621 out of the 2945 polling booths in the state were cancelled and completely erased from INEC records in what has become easily the worst case of voters’ register mismanagement in the nation’s political history. When INEC showed up in Anambra State last November for the governorship election with a voters’ register replete with names like the late Gani Fawehinmi, Michael Jackson and Collin Powell, former US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and from which names of thousands had been omitted, many of us had thought that that was the lowest the commission could go in such show of shame. How wrong we were! Now, barely six months down the road, we are confronted with another mind-boggling scenario in Enugu State (instructively another critical South East state!) that, to all intents and purposes, has become much worse than the Anambra hiatus. To think that INEC mobilized men and material to Enugu, spent two to three weeks in the state to register voters who were all issued with cards after the exercise, only for the commission to come back with a register from which records of voters in all of 621 booths had been completely wiped out! Quite curious, even messy, you would say. In the case of Anambra, INEC’s spokesman, my friend and former colleague Kayode Idowu explained then on national television that many Anambraians were disenfranchised because a lot of them had failed to cross-check their names in the voters’ register when it was displayed for verification prior to the election. Which is to say that since the shenanigans in Enugu came to light early enough for the people and their government to take steps to remedy the situation, fewer people might in the end be disenfranchised in Enugu where the government has practically sounded the town crier’s gong to call out all deregistered voters to go register again, starting this Wednesday, May 28. But, that delisted names will always be restored during verification of names in the register can never excuse this incessant shoddiness that INEC has displayed in the handling of voter registration and voters’ register as a very important aspect of a democratic process. The question, then, should be, why does such nonsense happen at all? Elsewhere, people register for election, collect their voters’ cards and just go and sleep easy, knowing full well that on the day of election, they will simply go to the polling booths and, without let or hindrance, cast their votes and go home. Here, we have to go through the drudgery of queuing to register for cards, queuing to verify our names in the register and finally queuing to vote on election day only to discover, to our utmost

Sunday

Notebook

Felix Oguejiofor Abugu

abugufex@gmail.com 08076290498 (sms only)

dismay, that our names are no longer in the register and therefore we cannot vote, even with our voters’ cards in our hands. Elsewhere, people do everything to encourage voters to turn out en mass so as to enhance the credibility of the election; here we invent every trick under the sun to discourage large voter turn-out, even to reduce our voting population, because the kingmakers are never sure where the pendulum will swing in the event of an orderly election with a massive voter turn-out. We spent billions of naira the other time to do ‘data-capture’ voter registration, which was touted as capable of eliminating double registration and or double voting but till tomorrow, INEC still waves double registration as one of its major headaches in its electoral fidelity in Nigeria. In an age of tablet computers, smart phones and wireless printers, we still write down voters’ names in Onward exercise books, consciously and unconsciously misplace those books only to turn around to plead double registration as cause of the complete absence of such names from the final voters’ register.

MAMA LASISI

The truth of the matter is that Attahiru Jega’s INEC isn’t yet the Daniel come to judgment, permit the biblical extrapolation. It’s not enough that the Chairman himself is credible, or that we can vouch for the fairness of some his subordinates’ characters. That would be tantamount to saying that a company’s management is great but the workforce is unproductive— which does not make sense. For, the two must always be positively correlated. Thus, if a company has a good management team in place, it is as sure as the earth’s rotation that the workforce will be productive. The world celebrates Jack Welch today because through his management success and skills, he created a workforce that turned what was described then as “the struggling slow moving giant of a company” into “a dynamic growth company revered by many,” during his 20 years (1981-2001) of leadership at the General Electric (GE). Down here, we celebrate Dangote, Innoson, Adenuga and others because these are incredible workaholics and great managers who have created dynamic workforces that have lived their

visions, turning hitherto small enterprises into international conglomerates. One’s worry is that we have a man of unimpeacheable character in Chairman Jega whose persona has not become a benchmark for the behavior of the average INEC employee. Forget the arrest of Mr. Okeke Chukwujekwu, an INEC official, for alleged electoral fraud during the Anambra governorship election (by the way, he said he did not do it alone). Every one of us knows that 90 per cent of the electoral fraud in Nigeria is committed with the active connivance, if not participation, of INEC officials. Whether it is ballot box snatching, theft of result sheets and entering of fake results, dumping of ballot boxes in the bush, late release of electoral materials meant for particular constituencies or manipulation of voters’ registers to exclude some people or groups, you will find electoral officers’ soiled hands in it once you look deeper. Many have cried foul play over the Enugu fiasco. Personally, I like to believe it was a genuine human error, which mitigates the horror I feel at the thought of what has happened, because in that case I know the mistakes will be corrected. But, it is also possible, as many have insinuated, that it was an act of sabotage, a deliberate plot by hate mongers aimed at disenfranchising a section of the Enugu electorate. The insulting removal of the names of Gov. Chime, Chairman Abba and Speaker Odoh, three key personalities in the state government, from the voters’ register may well be indication of how far vile, anti-democratic forces can go in their quest, in collusion with INEC, to scuttle what has been described as the deftest political engineering in northern Igboland since the nostalgic days of C.C Onoh, Okaome Ngwo: power shift to Enugu North. If this is a plausible argument—and it may well be—then it has placed a big obligation, even burden, on INEC, namely, to read the politics of the state well and ensure that the evil ones do not use its men to scuttle the will of the people. The starting point in the discharge of that obligation is for INEC to allow for a reasonable time frame, say 10 working days, for Enugu voters, especially delisted ones, to re-register for the 2015 election, which begins this Wednesday. To do otherwise is to compound the mess it has already made of its pre-election processes in the Coal-City State. Jega and his men must give us good reasons to be confident that they can give us credible elections in Nigeria. If the isolated polls the commission has conducted in recent times are anything to go, then they have got to work hard at reflating our confidence. Ekiti and Osun governorship elections provide great opportunities for that.

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: EMEKA MADUNAGU. All correspondence to PMB 10000, Ikeja, Lagos.

By Aliu Eroje