Binder1 sept 10, 2014

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Vol. 1 No. 204

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N150

Subscribers spend N602.6bn on calls in five months Kunle Azeez

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elecoms subscribers in Nigeria spent about N602.6 billion on airtime for their phones to make calls in the first five months of the year, spanning January to May, New

Telegraph investigations have revealed.

The figure is arrived at using the subscriber data released monthly by the telecoms industry regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the current industry’s

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) provided by the operators.

The ARPU is a financial performance benchmark in the telecoms industry that measures the average monthly revenue generated by operators from each

customer.

According to official industry data by the telecoms watchdog, the industry recorded 127.6 million active mobile subscriptions last January and this figure increased to 129 million at the end of February.

In March, the number declined to 127 million but picked up to 129.3 million in April and at the end of May, the figure stood at 131.1 million.

The May subscriber data is the latest official CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Juwah

How governors loot treasury, by EFCC }2 Quick Read Lagos security expenditure hits N11bn in seven years }4 How PDP elders threatened Obasanjo over Sheriff – George }14 Ebola: Reps, TUC reject new school resumption date }8

Sani Dangote appeals account freezing order }12

L-R: Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo; retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo; Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr. Gabriel Amuchi; former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu; former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim; Deputy National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole and National Chairman, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu (seated), after a strategy meeting with Mu'azu at the National Headquarters, Abuja...yesterday.

I'm ready for more action, says Obasanjo's shot son Lagos

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lAtiku, Fintiri visit injured Colonel in Yola hospital lBoko Haram attacks Defence chief 's town, emir flees Anule Emmanuel, Ibrahim Abdul and Ahmed Miringa soldier son Recuperating of former President

Olusegun Obasanjo, Lt. Col Adeboye Obasanjo, yesterday expressed hope for a quick recovery from gunshot injuries he sus-

tained when Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a platoon he was leading in Bazza, Adamawa State so he could quickly return to

the battlefield.

The younger Obasanjo, who was in good spirit, received former Vice-PresiCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Afenifere, Clark, Imo Assembly kick against new polling units }6

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NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How state govs loot public funds, by EFCC Onyekachi Eze and Emma Onani ABUJA

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday identified five channels through which state governments divert public funds to private use.

It also attributed the nation's poor development to corruption and poor fiscal responsibility prevalent among state governments.

The EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, told participants at a six-week workshop on Anti-corruption, Fiscal Responsibility and Good Governance for state government officials that public funds are diverted through inflation of prices, embezzlement, misappropriation, over-estimation of cost of projects, ghost workers syndrome, award and abandonment of contracts and outright payment of money to godfathers.

He warned that the anti-graft agency would not spare anyone who violates the law.

The workshop was organised by the EFCC in collaboration with the House of Representatives' Committee on States and Local Government Affairs.

Lamorde, represented

by the EFCC Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Aremu, said: “Investigations by the EFCC show that there is corruption at a very alarming proportion at the state government level in the country.

“Where more money is found, the tendency for more corruption is high.

The combined amount of money which goes to the states every month from the federation account is quite enormous; however, the level of development in the state is not commensurate to the monies received. This is due to the corruption and poor fiscal responsibility.”

According to him, in order to ensure adequate funding of all levels of government, the 1999 Constitution allocates 52.68 per

cent of federally generated revenue to the Federal Government, 26.72 per cent to states and 20.6 per cent to the 774 local governments in the country.

But he regretted that “poor service delivery, inadequate infrastructure, poor management of public enterprise, bad governance, moral decadence and general underdevelopment are among the impact of corruption on attempt at development among state governments in the country.”

He added that corruption and lack of fiscal transparency remain one of the hydra-headed factors that account for the inefficiency and retarded growth of states.

“The state governments transmit development

to the local governments and likewise contribute to the Federal Government’s efforts at developing the country,” he stated.

Lamorde explained that the commission, in line with the EFCC Act that empowers it to investigate, prosecute and prevent the commission of economic and financial crimes in the country has been doing a lot to check the spate of corruption in the public sector, especially in states.

In his speech, Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on States and Local Government Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Lawal Nuhu, lamented the high rate of corruption at all levels of government, saying that is why the National Assembly ensured the promul-

gation of anti- corruption laws and the establishment of agencies to enforce the laws.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Mr. Ayo Olowonihi, expressed delight that after a series of consultation and preparation, the training had finally commenced.

He implored participants to be attentive as this could save them from trouble.

“Please pay attention, take part and express yourselves because you are the ones on ground, you are the ones doing the jobs. We urge you to speak to us, ask us questions and give us examples and let us talk because, when we talk about it, we won’t have to fight over it,” he added.

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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

L-R: Managing Director, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Dr. Lucy Newman; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Chief Debola Osibogun and Acting Registrar, CIBN, Mr. Seye Awojobi, during the second annual seminar on Promoting Gender Economic Inclusion, sponsored by Access Bank Plc in Lagos...yesterday.

Subscribers spend N602.6bn on calls in five months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

figures released by the telecom regulator.

It was gathered that each of the monthly subscription represents the total number of active lines on all mobile networks in the country.

These include the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operators; the Code Division Multiple Access operators as well as the fixed wired/ wireless networks.

Two telecoms firms, MTN and Etisalat, put the current average spending by subscribers monthly at $6 (N936).

Further investigation revealed that subscribers spent estimated N191.5 billion in January with based on the number of subscribers, which stood at 127 million and the ARPU averag-

ing N936.

With the same ARPU, subscribers' spending moved to an estimated N120.7 billion in February; N118.8 billion in March; N121 billion in April and in May, the airtime expenditure was conservatively estimated at N112.7 billion.

Subscribers’ expenditure thus adds up to estimated N602.6 billion for the five months, indicating the premium paid to telecoms services by the consumers.

Reacting to the findings in a telephone interview, President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, said telecoms services were taking priority position in the daily needs of Nigerians.

He said: “While I may not be able to tell you cat-

egorically how much we spend monthly on phone calls as subscribers, it is understandable that Nigerians spend a sizeable chunk of their incomes on telecoms services, which are replacing travel expenditures for the people.”

Ogunbanjo said, next to shelter, food and other needs of man “is the need to communicate, which saves us a lot of time that would have been wasted travelling from one place to another to see relatives or do transactions with business associates.”

He stated that the huge amount of money expended daily on telephone services by Nigerians had informed the insistence by the consumer rights group that “subscribers must get value for their money through the provision of

quality services by the operators.”

However, President, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the expenditure by subscribers had even reduced drastically in the last 13 years of telecoms regulation.

“You will recall that, in this country, we have made calls for close to N100 and today, we are witnessing a decrease in ARPU and in fact, today, you can make calls for as low as N10 and also send text messages for as low as N4,” he stated.

Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, said though telecoms operators might be seen to be making ‘so much’, it is clear that the healthy competition being CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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

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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Lagos security expenditure hits N11bn in seven years Muritala Ayinla

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he Lagos State Government has spent about N11 billion on the provision of security since 2007, according to figures obtained exclusively by New Telegraph.

The amount comprises contributions from the private sector and the government under the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), which was set up in 2007 to bridge funding gap in kitting the security

agencies and improving the welfare of personnel due to poor funding by the Federal Government, which is statutorily under obligation to cater for the security and law enforcement agencies.

According to figures obtained by New Telegraph, individuals and the private sector have given about N7 billion to the trust fund in cash and materials while the state government has spent N4 billion in provision of equipment for the

security agencies.

For example, the trust fund, in 2009, got N1.096 billion in donations in cash and materials from public-spirited individuals and organisations and from December 2010 to November 2011, it got a total of N199, 090,000 in cash donations.

The state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, had set up the LSSTF to make the private sector complement government's efforts in the provision of securi-

ty in the state.

Following the passage of the bill establishing it, Fashola held a series of town hall meetings with critical stakeholders in the state to make them key in into his vision on how to fund the security agencies so that they would be properly equipped and psychologically more attuned to protecting the lives and property of residents.

The decision for a public-private partnership in providing security arose

L-R: Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at the Economic Management Team meeting in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Atiku, Fintiri visit injured Colonel in Yola hospital CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

dent Atiku Abubakar and Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, who came to wish him well at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola.

FMC Chief Medical Director, Dr Aliyu Danburam, said the younger Obasanjo was recuperating and in a stable condition.

The hospital's Chief information Officer, Mr. Adamu Dodo, also said the Colonel was recuperating after a minor surgery.

Boko Haram militants had attacked the platoon on Monday while on their way to Michika to liberate the town from the insurgents. The younger Obasanjo sustained serious injuries on his legs while 24 soldiers were said to have been killed in the ambush.

It was learnt that Atiku, who was in Yola over the weekend to vote in the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries and to collect his permanent voter's card had gone to the hospital

yesterday on learning that the younger Obasanjo was being treated at the FMC. A source said Atiku was glad to find the soldier son of his former principal in high spirit.

According to him, the former vice-president, who recently mended fences with his former boss, was impressed to learn from the injured officer his readiness to return to the front to deal with the insurgents.

The source quoted Atiku to have told the Colonel that he was impressed to see him display the type of courage associated with Obasanjo.

“He was even marching before me even as he was recovering from gunshots,” the source quoted Atiku as saying.

Atiku was said to have wished him the younger Obasanjo speedy recovery from the injuries he sustained from gunshot in an operation to push back Boko Haram insurgents from Michika.

Fintiri, during his visit, lauded the military for

their bravery in confronting Boko Haram.

Fintiri, who was received at the hospital by Danburam, said the people were proud of the soldiers who had lost their lives while defending their fatherland.

However, feww hours after Boko Haram sacked Gulak, Michika Bazza towns in Adamawa State troops have recaptured Bazza, the home town of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3rd Division Jos, Major Gen J.S. Zaruwa from the insurgents.

A senior military source said the troops yesterday recaptured Bazza after a fierce battle in which soldiers killed several Boko Haram militants.

According to the source, “our soldiers circled Bazza and engaged the terrorists in a serious battle. We have now recaptured the Bazza town after breaking the resistance of Boko Haram militants in the township.”

Thousands of the residents of Gulak, Michika and Bazza had fled to

neighbouring towns and Cameroun as Boko Haram had unleashed mayhem on residents during their short reign.

Sources said successful attack on Boko Haram insurgents was made possible by an advance team of Nigerian Air Force pilots who bombed the insurgents’ command centres in Bazza.

“It was after our Air Force jets bombarded their strongholds mounted on roads that the troops moved in on a clearing mission,” the officer added.

It was also learnt that there was another fierce battle in Vintim, a hometown of Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, just as the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa Ahmadu, was sneaked out of the town.

A Mubi resident, who declined to give his name, said: "We couldn’t sleep due to the heavy gunshots that pervaded the air in the night and for now no one could say the exact situaCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

from the report of a security committee, earlier set up, and chaired by a former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith.

The committee, tasked with finding ways of reducing crime incidence in the state, identified problems of logistics, mobility, communications, kitting, adding that the state would need a minimum of N3.7 billion annually to secure the state.

It was learnt that in addition to the donations of corporate organisations and individuals’ contributions, the state government spent N4 billion in providing patrol vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), fuelling of patrol vehicles and other logistics for security operatives in the state, especially members of the special anti-crime squads such as the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) and OP MESA, which has a unit in the army, navy and air force.

According to a document which contains a list of assets of the LSTTF, exclusively obtained by New Telegraph, a total of 860 patrol vehicles were given to the security agencies in the state such as: RRS, Lagos State Police Command, OP MESA, SARS, State Security Service and the Lagos State Taskforce.

Also, a total of 1,000 AK47 rifles were provided by the trust fund while over 1,793 bulletproof vests were distributed to the various security operatives in the state.

Items such as patrol boat, drugs, clinical equipment, tactical imagery cameras, rain coats, rain boots walkie-talkies were also donated to other agencies, such as the Nigerian Prison Service and the Nigerian Navy.

LSSTF Executive Sec-

retary, Mr. Fola ArthurWorrey, attributed the huge expenditure by the state government on the security agencies to their underfunding by Federal Government, despite the security challenges in the country.

He said in the last seven years, the Federal Government had only provided one APC and 21 patrol vehicles to the Lagos State Police Command while the trust fund had provided 30 APCs and 860 patrol vehicles, equipped with cabin amber light and based radio sets.

He deplored the lack of commitment of the Federal Government to the funding of the police, saying the situation is so bad that the central authority does not even fuel the police patrol vehicles.

Arthur-Worrey said: “The running of the police is a day-to-day affair. The police force is not a company that opens and closes at certain time. It operates 24/7 non- stop. The failure of the central government to undertake its responsibility is what has led to this. I am not exempting the present government.

"The problem with the Nigerian police is that of pathological underfunding. The Nigerian police are not provided a litre of fuel. People don’t understand what is going on.

Without the efforts of the state, local government and other donors, the police cannot function. So, all the Federal Government does is pay salaries.

“In the last seven years that I have managed the trust fund on behalf of Lagosians, the Federal Government has given the Lagos State Police Command about 21 vehicles.

The majority of these vehicles were for the seven city pilot project.”

Subscribers spend N602.6bn on calls in five months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

promoted by the regulator is driving cost of telecoms services down, stressing that much more reduction is expected in the coming years.

Acknowledging how capital-intensive telecoms infrastructure deployment is, the NCC boss had recently said only MTN was making profits in the market.

He said other operators were still putting more investment in infrastructure rollout to cover more locations in the country.

MTN currently leads other network operators in the area of subscriber base and revenue generation in the country.

Official data show that MTN currently has about 57.2 million telephone users on its network. Airtel Nigeria trailed with 25.5 million; Globacom is third with 23.4 million while Etisalat has 18.5 million telephone users on its network.

This was as at the end of March when the latest data was released by the regulator.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Afenifere, Imo Assembly kick against distribution of new polling units

lClark, Gbonigi chide INEC Tunde Oyesina, Okeowo Babatope and Steve Uzoechi

T

he pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA), and the Imo State House of Assembly yesterday criticised the distribution of the 30,000 new polling units created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Besides, Afenifere passed a vote of no confidence in INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, over his ability to conduct free and fair elections in 2015.

The Yoruba group hinged its decision on the alleged lopsidedness of the electoral umpire in the allocation of polling units to geo-political zones in the country.

Also, the Imo State House of Assembly condemned the 30,000 new polling units created, saying it was heavily lopsided in favour of the North.

Leaders of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA), Chief Edwin Clark and Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi, also took a swipe on Jega over the creation of additionally polling units.

The Afenifere decision was taken at a meeting in Akure yesterday and attended by Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan; Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore; former governors of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Chiefs Reuben Fasoranti, Segun Osoba, Olu Falae and Ayo Adebanjo.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, the spokesperson of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the Yoruba condemned the allocation of the additional polling units as it was meant to manipulate the forthcoming election in favour of the North.

Odumakin said: “The meeting took decision on the 30,000 newly created polling units announced

by INEC and condemned the whole exercise. The exercise is skewed such that 21, 000 units were allocated to the Northern part of Nigeria while 8,000 was allocated to the South.

“We found it very curious. For instance, we don’t understand the democratic abracadabra that allowed the North-West, just one zone in the North was allocated 9, 906 polling units while the entire South of Nigeria was allocated 8,000 polling units.

“A war-ravaged NorthEast where people are fleeing was allocated 5, 201 new polling units while the entire SouthWest which is brimming with people is allocated only 4, 160 additional polling units. The entire South-East was allocated 1,166 new units while FCT alone was allocated 1, 200 units.

“We do not know of any country in the world where you would change electoral law one year to the election not to talk of creating additional polling units six months to the election. We don’t understand while war-torn areas are now having more polling units than peaceful areas. And more importantly, how does Jega want to migrate voters who have been given permanent voters’ cards with existing codes in existing units with the new polling units which had just been created."

On its part, the Imo State House of Assembly said the creation of the 30,000 polling units was intended to give undue political advantage to the North.

In a motion sponsored by the member representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency, Simeon Iwunze, and supported by all the members of the House, the lawmakers rejected the additional polling units.

The House, which resumed sitting after three months recess, called on the Federal Government to prevail on INEC to stop the on-going review of the voters’ register in the state and distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) till the polling units were adequately distributed amongst states according to the number of registered voters.

According to Iwunze, “this wicked action by Prof. is a premeditated plan to rig the 2015 elections in favour of the North and make the South East awfully inferior to other geopolitical

zones.”

He stated that the only consideration for more polling units to be created in any given area was the number of registered voters and not the population of that area.

He wondered why Igbo leaders should keep quiet about the ‘wicked plot’ by INEC, saying if it was an Igbo man that took the decision, it would have thrown up undue controversy across country.

Clark, who is the Coordinating Chairman of SNPA, stated that the allocation is more of a political conspiracy by the INEC-led management against Southern Nigeria, adding that despite the concern and non-acceptance of the allocation by well-meaning Nigerians, INEC has continued to pay deaf ears and blatant-

ly failed to shift ground.

Clark stated this in Abuja during the emergency joint meeting of the Elders Council and Management Committee of the SNPA. According to him, "we view with restrain worries the significant differences between the number of new polling units allocated to the whole of the South (South-West: 4,160; South South: 3,087 and South-East: 1,167) a total of 8,414 which is less than the figure of the North-West alone (7,906) added to the FCT (1,120) totalling 9,026.

"Or even more so the number allocated to the South-South (3,087) which is less than half of the alloted to the North West.

Then, that of the South East (1,167) which is less than a quarter of any of the Northern zones (North West: 7,906, North

East: 5,291 and the North Central: 6,318.)

"I repeat this is unreflective of any historical data or any significant statistical data change to inform such radical disparity in the arbitrary allocation of the polling units to the respective zones.

"For instance, the whole of the South West including Lagos, the most populated state in terms of eligible voters in the country, is allotted less than any northern zone; a position not supported by any scientific or proven data.

"I view this insensitive assault on our collective sensibilities gravely worrisome and demanding of our urgent proportionate action. No amount of explanation will be acceptable to the voters of Southern Nigeria."

On his part, the Chair-

man, Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) and leader of South-West Delegation to the meeting, Bishop Gbonigi who was represented by Senator Femi Okunrounmu noted that the sharing formula adopted by INEC which is tilted specifically to favour the North lacks any logic or wisdom particularly with lower voter turnout at previous elections and the massive exodus of citizens from many of the troubled parts of the North.

The Assembly called for the immediate withdrawal of what it described as offensive proposal.

It also called on INEC to discard totally the proposed 30,000 additional polling units and commence immediate consultation with a view to charting a viable way forward.

L-R: Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff; President Goodluck Jonathan and President Idriss Deby of Chad at a meeting in Chad...on Monday.

PHOTO: NAN

Boko Haram attacks Air Force chief's town, emir flees CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

tion.

"They kept shooting, chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great). People are now living in an atmosphere of despair and agony. Even our emir has to leave in the night.

"His Highness had earlier declined to leave the town, but security personnel mounted pressure on him, hence the reasons for the paramount ruler to travel out."

In order to halt the Boko Haram's attacks, it was also learnt yesterday that more troops had been deployed in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

A military source said since Sunday, the troops had started arriving in Maiduguri and were passing straight to the war zones.

"At about 12:00pm, troops started moving in their hundreds. The troops in more than 50 vehicles were moving straight to Bama, Damboa and their surrounded villages ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency,” he added.

A resident near the Maiduguri International Airport, Alhaji Bulama Ibrahim, said they had been hearing the sound of military aircraft bringing troops to Maiduguri since

Sunday.

A resident of 202 Housing Estate on Bama Road, Bukar Mele, also said they had been an increase in vehicular movements towards Bama Road, especially from 12am to 3:30 am.

Meanwhile, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, yesterday confirmed that about 20 policemen were missing in Gwoza after attacks by Boko Haram on a police training academy in the town.

He told State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Abuja

that the police would ensure that its missing officers are accounted for.

According to him, some of the policemen who were assumed missing later returned to their stations while others went to their various homes and later reported to the police authorities.

On the recent postings in the police, the IG said it was a routine redeployment to fill vacancies created by some recent retirements.

He also said some of the reforms being introduced were being resisted by those who had benefited from the old order.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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INEC issues Zagbayi Certificate of Return Dan Atori MINNA

he Independent National Tyesterday Electoral Commission issued a certifi-

L-R: Executive Director, Special Duties, The SUN, Mr. Bolaji Tunji; Managing Director/Editor–in-Chief, New Telegraph, Mr. Eric Osagie and Managing Director/ Editor-in Chief, The SUN, Mr. Femi Adesina, during a condolence visit to the late Dimgba Igwe’s family in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO:GODWIN IREKHE

cate of return to the Niger East Senator-elect Dr. Shem Nuhu Zagbayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Emmanuel Onuchenyo, while issuing the Certificate, said "we are giving you all these documents now so that you can start preparing for 2015".

According to him: "It was a keenly contested election. We have learnt a lot as an organisation because it was like a dress rehearsal for us and also the parties. We hope after

today, you will not relent at all".

"With this INEC certificate of return and other documents, we are going to engage him (Zagbayi) so that he can start preparing for 2015. So, that you will not say that we did not inform or prepare you for 2015".

In his acceptance speech, Zagbayi said, 'I give glory to Almighty God today because I never thought that I will receive a letter of return from the REC today, after the demise of Senator Awaisu Kuta.

"I want to commend INEC for conducting a free and fair election. Little did we expect that there will be two elections but we thank God we are able to scale through.

Igwe: Fish out hit-and-run driver, Adeshina tells police Tony Okuyeme

M

anaging Director/ Editor-In-Chief of The Sun Newspaper, Mr. Femi Adeshina has called on security agencies to fish out the driver that hit and killed the late Vice Chairman of the company, Dimgba Igwe.

He said there was the need to get to the bottom of the incident.

Adeshina said this when he led a delegation from the company to a condolence visit to the family in Lagos. “We cannot answer the question of what really happened until the driver who hit him is caught.

The security agencies, particularly, the police need to fish out the person. The theory that Dimgba may have been assassinated could be a

conjecture because he was a peaceful person; and I doubt anyone want him dead. I have not seen anything to point in that direction. He was a peaceful man and was not into any business. He was just a journalist and author. For every crime, there is a motive. Unless we find the motive, then I do not agree on the issue of assassination.”

Others in the delega-

...Dickson expresses shock

 Plateau league of veteran journalists wants him immortalised Musa Pam Jos

he Bayelsa State govTshock ernment has expressed over the sudden de-

mise of the first Vice-Chairman of the Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Dimgba Igwe.

It described his death as a tragic loss not only to his immediate family, but the entire country.

In a condolence letter to the Management of The Sun Publishing Limited, the Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, said, Igwe would be remembered for his unbiased and constructive criticisms, which had assisted in strengthening the nation’s democratic rule.

He said, “Igwe, unbiased commentator, a prolific and fearless writer, will be remembered for his contribution to the growth of the nation’s democratic rule."

His death is a big loss to the journalism profession.

His death came when his service is most needed, especially now that the country is preparing for the conduct of another general election.”

Dickson also called on security operatives to put up the necessary apparatus at ensuring the arrest of the driver responsible for the death of one of the heroes of Journalism in Nigeria.

Meanwhile , the Plateau

State League of Veteran Journalists has called on the Federal Government to immortalize Igwe The Veterans, who described the death of the frontline columnist, as a national loss because he fought through, the pen for the enthronement of democracy .

In a statement issued to New Telegraph Yesterday in Jos, signed by the state chairman, Dr. Gideon Barde and Secretary Mr Tunde Oladapo, the group expressed shock and pain recalling the outstanding trail-blazing roles of the deceased at the defunct weekend concord before joining the Sun Publishing Company

APC chides Jonathan for taking Sheriff to Chad  Fawehinmi calls for prosecution Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja.

he All Progressives Tcarpeted Congress (APC) has President

Goodluck Jonathan for taking an alleged Boko Haram sponsor, former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to Chad as part of his entourage.

According to the party, the Presidential trip with an alleged Boko Haram

sponsor would definitely portray the country in bad light before the international community and give credence to the fact that he knows more about the insurgence group.

It could be recalled that recently the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, hired by the Federal Govern­ment to negotiate with the Islamist sect for the release of the Chibok girls, had named the former governor as one of

the alleged sponsors of Boko Haram.

APC, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, wondered what message President Jonathan was sending to his compatriots and indeed to the international community when he took Modu Sheriff along during his visit to Chad to confer with President Idriss Deby on cooperation against terrorism.

tion included the Executive Director of company, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, Funke Egbemode, Kunle Solaja, Abdulfatah Oladeinde, and Barrister Obinna Kalu.

Managing Director/ Editor-In-Chief of New Telegraph Newspapers, Mr. Eric Osagie, who also paid a visit to the late Igwe family in Lagos expressed shock at the demise of the Igwe.

“To talk of Dimgba in the past tense is a harrowing experience. I worked under him at the Weekend Concord.

The weekend Concord was a small and creative team, and we always did things together. So, to imagine that Dimgba is dead is something that is incomprehensible.

He was a fine news man, profound, analytical and organised. This is a les-

son that life is transient, so we should do all we can as if there is no tomorrow. What happened can happen to anybody at any time.

“It is a shame of a nation that four hours after the incident, he could not get adequate attention. Also, if it were abroad, the police would have used CCTV to fish out the driver of the vehicle.”

8

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ebola: Reps, TUC oppose school resumption date

lDeath toll reaches 2,288 –WHO lLagos threatens companies over stigmatisation Philip Nyam, Muritala Ayinla, Wale Elegbede and Adeolu Adeyemo

T

he House of Representatives, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Lagos State Government have kicked against the September 22 resumption date of schools across the country as a result of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday painted a gloomy picture about the Ebola outbreak, saying the virus has killed 2,288 people, with half of them dying in the last three weeks.

It said that 47 per cent of the deaths and 49 per cent of the total 4,269 cases had come in the 21 days leading up to September 6.

The health agency warned that thousands

more cases could occur in Liberia, which has had the most fatalities.

Already, the House has mandated its Committee on Education to review the new resumption date for private and public primary/secondary schools in the country.

Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Ogene, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, said the directive was necessitated by growing concern amongst the public, especially parents and guardians of students, following the recent decision by federal education authorities to re-open schools for the 2014/2015 academic session on Monday, September 22.

Ogene explained that the House leadership resolved to mandate its com-

mittee on education to take another look at the issue, "in the overall interest of the pupils and students, parents and guardian and the general well-being of the entire country."

According to him, given the reality of some persons still under surveillance, and the likelihood of having other cases, there was the need to put the safety of children and that of the entire country into consideration, in arriving at when best to order a re-opening of both private and public schools.

In the wake of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, the Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, had announced a postponement in the resumption date of schools from September to October 13, so as to give the country's health authorities enough time to

ensure containment.

The decision by the minister did not go down well with private school owners, who vehemently opposed the one-month shift in resumption, compelling the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to direct the ministry of education to review the date, which consequently settled for a new date of September 22, after a meeting with stakeholders in the sector.

The TUC called on the Federal Government to ignore pressure from school owners, trying to prevail on government to shift its position on school resumption.

TUC in a statement jointly signed by its President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary General, Musa Lawal, said it supports the advice of government and health profes-

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank Limited, Philip Ikeazor; Chairman, Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe; Company Secretary, Mr. Michael Agamah and Non-Executive Director, Mr. Jonathan Yusufu Pam, during the bank's third Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI.

Maku seeks total fuel subsidy removal Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T

he Federal Government has canvassed total removal of subsidy on petroleum products, saying the policy would not allow the economy to grow.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, stated this in Abuja yesterday during a visit to the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Project (SURE-P), Gen. Marthin Luther Agwai.

Maku noted that the continuous subsidising of the petroleum downstream sector under which the nation exports crude oil remains a bad policy.

"But the mere fact that today we remain a crude

oil exporting country is a wrong policy. Why should countries that are not producing oil should sell finished products to the rest of the world? If there is money in crude oil, it will not be called crude.

“The money is in refined oil, in refined products. The crude oil is a raw material and until you create a condition in your country that you can refine these products and sell them three, four, five, six and 10 times to us we would not be able to make sufficient money to build the nation," he said He described as wisest, President Goodluck Jonathan's decision to remove fuel subsidy in 2012 noting that the effect of the partial removal are now being felt

across the country.

The minister argued that the nation stands to gain a lot when the subsidy is completely removed and private companies are encouraged to refine crude oil as well build petrochemical factories.

The partial removal of subsidy in the last two years, he said, has translated to tremendous provision of infrastructure across the country.

His words: "Today, if we take a look at what has happened in the country in the last two years of implementation of SUREP at the federal level we can see that through reinvestment of money that accrues with partial withdrawal of subsidy we are now having better roads."

sionals, who have advised that resumption date of schools be extended until further notice after losing some experienced health workers and other innocent citizens.

While noting that the initiative of the government to extend the long holiday should be commended, it averred that calling for schools resumption at such a time when the country is still battling with challenges from the outbreak may spell doom for the country.

The TUC said: “Agreed some students in the secondary schools can take care of themselves by washing their hands a good number of times, but what about those schools that lack basic amenities including water?.

“We are in a trial time and we all have to take caution; else we stand to lose more lives just to make more money. To us, it will amount to penny wise pound foolish.

“While the Congress appreciates school owners and their effort to save our decaying education system, as exemplified in the last May-June West African Examination Council (WAEC) results, they should also take into cognizance that it is only those who are alive that can go to school.

Also, the Lagos State Government yesterday raised alarm over continued stigmatisation of EVD suspects, saying it would commence prosecution of company or individual who unlawfully infringe on the right of the suspects.

The government said some EVD suspects, who have been given clean bill of health, were suspended from work on the basis of being suspects of the virus.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed that the state Ministry of Justice has been directed to prosecute any firms or individuals who infringe on people's right.

The commissioner also disclosed that pupils in Lagos State are not likely to resume on September 22, as part of the moves to ensure the state is totally free of the deadly diseases.

In another development, the Osun State Government has warned transporters in the state to desist from transporting dead bodies in the state.

Director of Primary Healthcare and Disease Control, Dr. Kayode Ogunniyi, urged transporters to request for death certificate before moving corpses in the state.

The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State also denied that a female patient has been tested positive to the EVD at its health centre on the campus.

The university's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, said there was no truth in the speculation.

In a related development, the United States has assured to help the African Union mobilise 100 African health workers to the region and contribute an additional $10m (£6.2m) in funds to deal with the outbreak.

Buhari won’t emerge APC presidential candidate –Hanga Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

T

he National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Senator Rufai Hanga, has ruled out the possibility of former Military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) emerging as the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Hanga made this assertion on the ground that Buhari has no structure in the APC. Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday, Hanga also said some factors

and intrigues may prevent both the former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwakwanso from picking the presidential ticket of the opposition party.

However, Hanga, a prominent Kano politician did not state who might likely emerged as APC presidential candidate for the February 14, 2015 election.

According to the Senator, who had worked closely with Buhari to float CPC just before the 2011 general election, Buhari appears to be losing grounds to Kwakwanso in the North West.

"I can tell you that Buhari did not move to APC with the genuine CPC structures. All that CPC structures are with us and we went with it into the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). And that is why when we decided to put a stop to our relationship with the PDM, more than 15, 000 members brought back their membership cards and dumped the party," he said.

But in a swift reaction, one of the key political associates of Buhari in CPC and a leader of the APC in South-East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said Buhari would get the ticket of the party.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

9

Again PDP attacks Fayemi Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

State chapter of the Etykiti Peoples Democratic Par(PDP) yesterday said it

L-R: Manager Director, TSL Limited, Deji Wright; Head, Business Operations, Forte Oil, Tunji Rabiu; Group Chief Executive Officer, Akin Akinfemiwa; former Managing Director, NEPA, Julius Omodayo-Owotuga; Group Chief Financial Officer, Forte Oil, Joseph Makoju and Executive Director, Manilla Banking, Heritage Bank, Niyi Adeseun, during the launch of Forte Oil’s 100 newly acquired product delivery trucks in Lagos …yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

30%

The percentage of cancer deaths caused by smoking (lung cancer) in the US. Source: Smokingstatistics.org

120m

The number of people in Europe without access to safe drinking water.

Source: Unesco.org

9.86m

The total population of Serbia (rep. 0.143% of world’s population) in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

2015: Speaker unsettles Enugu with governorship posters Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

T

he lull in political activities in Enugu State for the 2015 general elections has been broken with the governorship campaign posters of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo appearing at many strategic locations in parts of the state.

With the presentation and wording that “the hidden treasure has been revealed and the people’s joy overflows”, many posers have been raised in the state, especially from the political players. They are asking the question: has Governor Sullivan Chime finally anointed the Speaker as his successor, come 2015?

In Enugu metropolis, the appearance of the

posters increased from Monday, while at the weekend through yesterday, two different posters promoting the ambition of Odo were seen alongside another one, giving ample hints on the senatorial ambition of Chime at Nsukka urban town, Opi town and parts of Udenu and Igbo-Eze North council areas.

The development has caused some stir among the political class because it was believed that the governor, who appears to have a good measure of control of the machinery of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was averse to an early campaign for the political offices to be filled next year in order not to heat up the polity.

Hence, the posers range from whether the speaker

has been secretly anointed following the cooperation of the state assembly in impeaching the former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, to whether it is just an effrontery to break the long silence also seen as self-censorship in some quarters, among others.

Speaking on the development yesterday, a top government official told New Telegraph in a rather cynical manner, during a telephone chat, that “well, since he (speaker) is quite interested in the governorship contest, what is happening now is, perhaps, the best way to realize that ambition”. He refused to explain further.

The Speaker’s posters were sponsored by a group- Concerned Citizens of Enugu State- led

by Mr. Johnny Anene

Ani, and one of the posters came with a bang-announcement that “Great is the news. Arrow of God dangles at last.

“Green light appears, the hidden treasure is revealed; people’s joy overflows as Eugene Odo becomes the new product of divine destiny and the stuff we need as governor of Enugu State”, the group also wrote on the poster.

At Igbo-Eze North council area, home base of Senator Ayogu Eze, believed to be one of the governorship hopefuls, a senior staff of the local council told our reporter on Monday that “the speaker’s posters have been increased in number at the headquarters here since the weekend and we don’t really understand what this means.

MASSOB spokesman predicts tough times for Uwazuruike doom

Image maker Uchenna Madu sees danger ahead as the group quakes Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

T

he National Director of Information for the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Comrade Uchenna Madu, has declared that the

embattled leader of the group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has strayed from the lofty purpose of the movement. He warned that the group is presently headed for disaster if critical issues are not addressed.

Madu made the assertion while clarifying a statement made by the Deputy Director of Information, Chris Mocha, that some officers of MASSOB have been suspended while others have been expelled.

The MASSOB spokesman maintained that in the face of the prevail-

ing crisis, nobody can talk about suspension or expulsion in MASSOB now while the alleged issues of fraud, financial misappropriation and high-handedness levelled against Uwazuruike remain unaddressed.

He said, “The abandonment of the remains of our dead members at mortuaries in Onitsha must be addressed; the wives, children and families of members, who died in active service must be consoled; Uwazuruike must assist their wives financially and support the education of their

children. Such gestures will bolster the sagging morale of members and loyalists of MASSOB.” Continuing, Madu said, “The reality of actualizing Biafra through MASSOB is fading away.

We challenge Uwazuruike to personally announce our expulsion from MASSOB; then we shall throw up some questions that have been begging for answers. And as a matter of fact, Ndigbo will indeed want to know how late Chief Innocent Ogbuehi, former Umuahia Regional Administrator for MASSOB died.

had more revelations of illegal deals engaged in by the outgoing administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The party also described as an afterthought, the defence put up by Fayemi that he was not engaged in last minute illegal financial transactions and recruitment of workers into the state's public service.

The party added that Fayemi's denial, sent by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode, and the one by his Commissioner for Information, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, contradicted each other and further exposed the rot the administration was involved in.

The PDP, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti by the State Publicity Secretary,

Mr. Kola Oluwawole, described the rebuttal by Fayemi as a statement laced with inconsistencies and deliberate falsification of facts.

The PDP said it had many facts and evidence to buttress its points, and that Fayemi's call for the presentation of such would not scare it.

"The Commissioner for Information, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, in his defence of the allegations, confirmed that the recruitment of workers is an ongoing process, while in another breadth, the administration denied employing new workers," the PDP said.

Oluwawole reiterated the claims that the outgoing government commenced massive recruitment into the civil service, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and Local Government Service Commission after it was roundly defeated in the June 21 governorship poll.

Ebola: Amaechi releases N300m Emmanuel Masha

Port Harcourt

he All Progressives TRivers Congress (APC) in State (APC) has

commended Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for tackling the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) head on and putting the disease under check.

The party said that Amaechi’s sustained efforts against the disease demonstrated that the Governor runs a focused government.

The Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya, who stated this in a statement, said that Amaechi’s administration had released the sum of N300 million to the State Ministry of Health to tackle the virus.

Ikanya said: “Governor Amaechi did not only

declare war on Ebola, but has also stepped up and sustained the war against the disease. We wish to commend him and his administration on this.

“Apart from this, the Rivers State government through the Ministry of Health planned ahead by approving a temporary quarantine site in Oduoha in Emohua Local Government Area.”

He noted that the state government’s determination to eliminate the disease made it to collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO), just as he commended Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the American Embassy and the Federal Government for putting in place measures to tackle Ebola in the state.

Okpara varsity gets accreditation for Vet. Medicine, demands increase intake Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

he College of VeteriTchael nary Medicine, MiOkpara University

of Agriculture, Umudike, (MOUAU) Abia State, has been fully accredited by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria,VCN, even as the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Hilary Edeoga requested an increase in the number of admissions to the college.

President of the council, Professor Garba Sharubutu, made the declaration at the 1st Oath-taking of the first graduating students of the college at

the Anyim Pius Anyim auditorium. He said the three batches of students had to go through the rigour of the accreditation in order to ensure that the standard was followed, saying they would not have graduated before the full accreditation.

The VCN President said the oath –taking ceremony marked the formal commencement of the of the veterinary medicine college. He said the council had to insist on standard, so that the products of the college would compare favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

10

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

WednesDAY, September 10, 2014

Juliana Francis and Dan Atori

A

suspected drug peddler, Chidi Ezimora (32), said he would have used N500,000 he expected to make from drug peddling to get married, if anti-narcotic agents had not arrested him.

Ezimora, an auto parts dealer, said that he was promised half a million naira to smuggle cocaine from Brazil.

He said: “I’m single and sell auto parts. I was having problem with my business until I met a friend who promised to help me. He introduced me to drug trafficking.

I had wanted to marry with the half a million naira they promised me.”

Ezimora was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) along with Precious Ifeanyi Mbachu, Ibrahim Lukeman Elemosho (32) and Brown Chigozie Chukwu.

On his own, Ifeanyi said he would have made about N2.7 million.

The 42-year-old suspect from Imo State explained that he got involved in drug trafficking owing to lack of money. He said: “I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I sell African foods to earn a living. I was given a quit notice and I needed money to rent another shop. I was expecting $17,000 from the sales of

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

0802 393 8212

Drug peddler: I needed money for my marriage

Ezimora

the drugs. Unfortunately, I was arrested. I feel bad and sad.”

According to NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Mr Hamza Umar, Ezimora was arrested with Elemosho in connection with 1.5kg of narcotics.

He said: “Lukeman was also linked with Chukwu over 815 grams of cocaine.

The last suspect, Mbachuwas found in possession of 1.140kg of cocaine.

“While Ibrahim hid the drugs inside his socks, others simply packed the drugs inside their bags.

We are investigating the

Chukwu

Elemosho

four suspects and will soon charge them to court.”

Elemosho, said that he made a mistake by getting involved in drug trafficking.

He said: “I am married and have two children. I used to buy female clothes, bags and shoes from Dubai.

It was in Dubai I met a Nigerian who persuaded me to smuggle cocaine to Nigeria. I accepted because they offered to pay me N1 million.”

But Chukwu, an auto parts dealer from Abia State, said that he was offered $3,000 to smuggle co-

caine.

The Chair man of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, has ordered the close monitoring of passengers and goods on Nigeria-Brazil route.

The directive was given after the arrest of the four suspects at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos over illegal importation of 3.455kg of cocaine.

The suspected drug traffickers were caught with substances that tested positive for cocaine while returning from Brazil.

“We shall continue to

Nigerian gets dream job in UK after advertising self A

graduate, who held up a sign advertising his skills to commuters at Waterloo Station, United Kingdom has landed his perfect position after his direct approach to job hunting paid off.

Alfred Ajani, 22, feared he was getting nowhere after unsuccessfully applying for more than 300 jobs following his graduation in May. The Nigerian, according to MailOnline, got up early to intercept passing city workers at the busy London station last month, holding a sign saying: “Marketing Graduate - Please ask for a CV.” His approach was well received by passing executives and one director who saw him has now signed him up.

Alfred stood on the

busy station concourse with a sign advertising his skills after failing to find a graduate position despite applying for 300 roles Alfred, from south London, started in a marketing role at recruitment agency, the Asoria Group, on Monday and now works just yards from the spot where he once stood looking for a job.

He said: “The director walked past me when he saw me that morning, but later got in contact (with me).

“The company said they were looking for someone with out of the box ideas and so they were keen to get me in.”

In recognition of the fame his stunt brought him, Ajani’s new colleagues made special Tshirts with his photo on

them to welcome him on his first day.

He added: “The job is one I wouldn’t have got if I hadn’t gone to the station that morning, so I advise anyone out there who is in the same position I was to think of more direct ways to speak to employers.”

Statistics show that almost half of recent

Ajani with friends and colleagues

Mbachu

graduates are now in “non-graduate” or “stepping stone” roles, such as bar-tending, and are struggling to get the positions they had hoped for.

Ajani had always wanted to work in advertising, but after three years studying for his degree in the subject, was losing hope of ever joining the industry.

step-up surveillance on passengers from Brazil.

Several arrests have been made on the route and we are prepared to stop drug cartels from smuggling narcotics into Nigeria,” Giade said.

Meanwhile, the agency said yesterday that it had arrested 30 suspects and seized 31kg of dried weeds suspected to be Indian hemp in Suleja area of Niger State.

The state NDLEA Commander, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdul, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Minna, said that the arrest

was made during raids on five spots in the area.

He said: “Thirty one kilogramme of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa and other psycho-active drugs were recovered from eight dealers arrested at these joints.

“The other 22 suspects were drug addicts arrested at the various joints during the raids and the dreaded notorious spots include Yan gongon, by Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida market, new Kwata, by abattoir, old engineering barracks, Kantoma and old Minna garage.”

‘Obiano, please save us from pickpockets’ Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

raders at the Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra TState have called on Gov-

ernor Willi Obiano, to save them from pickpockets.

The pickpockets, whose ages range between 35 and 40, operate in different forms at various locations with impunity.

According to the traders, the hoodlums even operate in the presence of men of the joint task force stationed at strategic positions around the Upper Iweka.

When our correspondent visited the area yesterday, some of the pickpockets were displaying expensive telephones which they offered for sale at N500 to attract passers-by.

Ironically, the pickpockets always rob those trying to patronise them.

A policeman at a police post, who craved anonym-

ity, said the police were trying their best to chase the pickpockets away. He said: “We have been doing our best. I am alone now because my ‘oga’ is not around and if I try to arrest them, they will run away.”

At the police post, which has an operational utility vehicle No 112, had only one ar med policeman at the time our correspondent visited the area.

This is coming at a time the Obiano administration is trying to overhaul the security situation in the state to improve the security of lives and property of the people.

A passer-by, who lost over N55,000 to the hoodlums yesterday, said it appeared that some people wanted to truncate gover nment’s efforts.

The traders, especially transport operators, also urged the gover nor to prevail on the joint task force to flush out the criminals.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Benue Assembly seeks solution to communal clashes Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

he Benue State House of AssemTernment bly has called on the state govto set up a committee of

inquiry to look into the immediate and remote causes of the incessant clashes between Ugondo community in Utange District of Ushongo and Mbakura of Mbagen District of Buruku local government areas.

The House made the call yesterday at plenary when a substantive motion was moved by a member representing Ushongo, Mr Terkimbir Ikyange, and supported by his counterpart in Buruku, Mrs Ngunan Adingi, informing the Assembly of incessant clashes between the two communities over farmlands.

According to the motion, several people have been killed as a result of the clashes while property worth millions of naira were also destroyed.

Ikyange said that the crisis heightened tension between the warring sides and had affected the ongoing farming activities.

The lawmaker appealed to the House to step into the matter and stop the dispute from degenerating to a full blown war.

Reacting, the Deputy Speaker, Dr Stephen Onmeje, the Majority Leader, Mr Paul Biam and member representing Guma constituency, Mr David Iorhemba, charged stakeholders in the affected local government areas to embrace peace to prevent further loss of lives and property.

The Minority Leader, Mr Benjamin Adanyi, his Katsina Ala counterpart, Mr Ianna Jato and two others all supported the motion.

They appealed to the warring communities to employ dialogue in addressing their misunderstanding.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Mr Terhile Ayua, directed the Ushongo and Buruku local government chairmen as well as the traditional rulers of Ugondo and Mbagwa to continue to intervene in the matter.

METRO

Operation Burst: Oyo govt insensitive, says rape victim A 23-year-old female student of Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, has taken a swipe at the Oyo State Government for defending a soldier attached to the anti-crime outfit, Operation Burst, who she accused of raping her.

The lady, who spoke through her counsel, Ola Adeosun, described the government’s stance on the allegation as “insensitive” and “shameless”.

The counsel said in a statement yesterday Camillus Nnaji

O

fficers and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have launched an awareness campaign to reduce carnage on the roads, particularly in the ‘ember’ months.

The Assistant Corps Commander, Rs.2.23 Mowe Unit Command, Oludare Ogunjobi, said yesterday at the launch of the campaign on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that it was part of efforts to ensure safety on the roads.

Ogunjobi said that the campaign had become necessary because of the critical nature of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor to road users during these months as regards inflow and outflow of traffic movements.

He said: “We are flagging off our preparation

The victim

that the government’s response to the rape allegation levelled against Private Benedict Igna-

tius through the Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo, was “a reflection of the mindset of the people currently at the helm of affairs in Oyo State”.

Adeosun also faulted the claims by the government that the rape allegation had been investigated and found to be baseless.

The statement reads in part: “Our position stems from the fact that the police are still investigating the case. We say this because about

Ogunjobi

for ember months’ special patrol. As a command, we have started mobilising stakeholders and drivers through their unions, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employees

Association of Nigeria (RETEAN). We are holding a series of meetings to ensure safety and free flow of traffic on the expressway.”

The commander said the unit had designed some other strategies which included the need

How US marshal was attacked in Lagos

Muritala Ayinla

witness has disclosed AAmerican details of how an air marshal

A

Wole Shadare

was attacked with syringe at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The witness, who works with Port Health Services at the airport, said that the air marshal was in the midst of three of his colleagues outside the departure hall of the airport when he was attacked.

The source, who gave the name of the air marshal simply as Timothy, said the attack occurred about 8pm on Sunday.

“Immediately Timothy alighted from a vehicle that conveyed him and three others to the airport, he was injected in his left arm,” the source said.

Nigeria and the United States entered an agreement to allow air mar-

3.30pm or thereabout, on Monday, 8th September, 2014, our client was invited to the Oyo State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police at Iyaganku, Ibadan to make further statements to the police on this case and lawyers from our office accompanied her there.

“It was right there in the presence of our client and lawyers from our office that police officers from Eruwa Police Station handed over the case file to special detectives of the

‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ section of the CID, Iyaganku for further investigation.

“In view of the above, the questions that come to mind are: Who conducted the phoney investigation? What is the motive of the Oyo State Government?

“Our answers to the above questions are simple: Nobody conducted any investigation, the government of Oyo State is only out to prejudice and influence ongoing police investigation.”

FRSC kicks off ‘ember’ months’ campaign

22 injured as cooking gas explodes in Epe t least 22 persons were seriously wounded while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed when a cooking gas exploded in Epe, Lagos State. It was learnt that the incident, which occurred at 21 Kalesanmi Street, caused panic in the community as residents ran helter-skelter.

Fire, which followed the explosion, razed the building belonging Agbo Meji family.

It was also learnt that the explosion occurred on the ground floor of the house when a resident attempted to ignite a gas cooker. Many of the victims were caught by the fire while running out of the house.

The state Director of Fire, Razak Fadipe, said 22 people, 10 male and seven female adults as well as five teenagers were affected in the inferno.

He said: “We responded to a fire outbreak at Epe caused by domestic gas explosion. Ten male adults, seven female adults and five teenagers suffered burns and were rushed to the General Hospital, Epe.”

11

shals on board airlines departing or entering the United States in the wake of Farouk Abdul Muttalab’s attempt to bomb a US airliner over Detroit on December 25, 2009.

Muttalab had successfully carried bomb from Nigeria into the US through Amsterdam without being detected.

Air marshals are security operatives on board airliners to ensure that threat to aircraft and passengers are curtailed.

The source also said that the assailant escaped immediately the air marshal was injected, but other air marshals were able to recover the syringe used by the attacker.

The reason behind the attack still remained a mystery at press time.

The source said that if the incident had happened inside the departure hall of the terminal, the as-

sailant would have been apprehended by the security officials attached to the airport.

Investigation at the medical department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) indicated that the incident was recorded with the department by the health staff on night duty.

The source said that the air marshals, who had earlier in the day arrived the country through United Airlines, an American airline, dressed in mufti and were preparing as usual to screen the already parked aircraft at the apron before passengers started boarding the plane.

Spokesman for FAAN, Dati Yakubu, could not be reached.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Airports Command, Mr Dennis Ifijen, said he was not aware of the incident.

for proper travel management where officers would lead the campaign at major parks along the corridor.

This, according to him, is to avoid rush, night journey, over speeding and over-loading among others.

Ogunjobi added that the FRSC men would also check tyres, braking and lighting systems of vehicles on the road.

He said: “We shall focus on road traffic violators and any persons that contravene traffic rules will be prosecuted.”

The commander said the use of mobile court would be employed for traffic offences.

“All offenders must also pass through com-

pulsory public education class on proper road usage as one of the conditions for discharging him. We shall not forgive these offenders for their own good, because when we do so, we are aiding them to their untimely death,” he added.

Ogunjobi said that the command was embarking on the campaign with other road agencies like the police, fire service in Lagos and Ogun states situated on the expressway as well as ambulance services.

He promised that the unit would build on the award it received recently as the best unit in Lagos-Ogun zone to maintain a zero tolerance for offences that could lead to road crashes.

Traders rebuild stalls after Abule-Egba fire Sobowale Temitope and Sinmiloluwa Sokunbi

T

raders at Awori plank market at Abule-Egba on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Lagos have started to reconstruct their burnt stalls and shops barely 24 hours after fire gutted the market.

In the fire incident, at least three vehicles parked at a nearby mechanic workshop, goods and other valuables were bur nt.

The early mor ning infer no also destroyed about 50 shops, machines and some building materials.

It was g athered that it took over four hours before men of the Lagos State Fire Service could put out

the fire.

The Lagos State D i re c t o r o f F i re, Rasaq Fadipe, said his organisation got a distress call about the fire incident very early in the morning.

But when our correspondent visited the place yesterday, some of the traders were trying to salvage what remained of their stalls while construction work was already ongoing in others.

One of the traders, who identified herself as Mrs Bimbo, said that if not for God’s intervention, her husband’s bus would have gone up in flames.

She said that her husband wanted to park the bus at the market the previous night because there was no fuel it but decided to go against the later

12 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

N5bn debt: Dangote appeals freezing order Foluso Ogunmodede

ne week after a Federal High Court, Lagos froze his accounts in 20 banks, Alhaji Sani Dangote, owners of Dansa Foods Limited (DFL) and Bulk Pack Services (BPS), yesterday headed for the Court of Appeal.

He is asking the appellate court to invalidate an injunctive order granted by the court, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, barring the banks from given him access to his accounts.

Justice Abang had on September 4, restrained the banks from allowing Dangote and his com-

O

panies – DFL and BPL to withdraw funds from their accounts pending the hearing of a motion filed by Union Bank.

The banks, Access, CITI, Diamond, Ecobank, Enterprise, Fidelity, First Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Heritage, Keystone, Mainstreet, Skye Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Standard Chartered Bank, Sterling, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Unity, Wema and Zenith, were restrained from allowing Dangote and his companies have access to their accounts.

Union Bank had separately sued Dangote along-

side his companies - Dansa Foods and Bulk Pack over alleged failure to pay N5 billion debt despite repeated demands.

But Dangote lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Lagos to contest the freezing order.

In a notice of appeal brought under Order 6, Rule 2 of the Court of Appeal Rules, Dangote and his companies are asking the appellate court to allow the appeal with a view to setting aside the freezing order.

Besides, they sought for an order of the Court of Appeal, directing the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta,

to re-assign the suit to another judge, as Justice Abang had erred in law when he granted the freezing order.

To them, there was need to seek justice before another judge as ‘there was no materials placed before him to warrant the grant of such order in the first place’, They however formulated ten grounds of appeal, picking holes on the judicial discretion exhibited by Justice Abang as the freezing order had occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

This, Dangote and his companies said had infringed on their rights to fair hearing as the trial judge acted in excess of

the court's jurisdiction and his judicial powers to make the order especially when there was no basis for it.

Meanwhile,JusticeAbang has fixed September 22 for argument in an application filed by the defendants, challenging the leave to hear the matter during the on-going court’s vacation.

When the matter came up yesterday, the court was told of an application filed by the defendants seeking

Niger bye-election: Umaru goes to court Dan Atori

MINNA

he senatorial candidate TCongress of the All Progressives (APC) in the just

Founder of American University in Nigeria (AUN) Yola, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (middle) with the 15 Chibok abductees, who escaped from Boko Haram custody and were recently awarded scholarships to study at the AUN in Yola, Adamawa State …yesterday

Enugu takes fight against Ebola to banks, hotels Uwakwe Abugu

Enugu

State government Etionnugu yesterday held a sensitisaand resource mobilisa-

tion meeting for managers of some special institutions in the state to advance the fight against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The government, which took its fight against EVD to banks, hotels and public/ private institutions at a oneday sensitisation/resource mobilisation meeting with managers of the institutions, assured the people that coordinated efforts have been made to ensure that the state remains safe.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. George Eze, said though the state was free from the virus, the danger was not over in view of the new cases recently recorded in a part of the country.

He expressed happiness that workers of the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders were able to manage the case of a woman under surveillance, who ran to Enugu from Lagos recently.

He recalled that when the woman developed fever, vomiting and diarrhea, they responded swiftly with only few Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) delivered during the Avian Flu Epidemic by the Federal Government.

He further expressed joy that the husband of the lady guided them with his personal phone to their residence where ‘my health team went for the rescue.’

A

concluded Niger East senatorial bye-election, David Umaru, has lambasted the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, saying the ruling party cannot end his political career.

Umaru said this during a press conference in Minna, while speaking on the result of the bye-election won by the PDP candidate, Dr. Shem Nuhu Zagbayi.

He described the antics of the PDP leadership to rig him out of elective contests as foolhardy, insisting that such thoughts in the mind of the PDP administration, were mere illusions.

According to him; “My political torchlight is shining brighter each time the PDP steals the peoples’ mandate away from me. I

am ready to do the will of the people in 2015.

“And so, I totally reject the results as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), because there was massive rigging, stuffing of ballot papers, snatching of ballot boxes, monetary inducement of voters and intimidation by security agencies working for government.

“My party, the APC is studying the result and would soon come out with a position. The PDP is afraid of the will of the people that gave us their mandate, but they have used their antics to subvert the will of the people.

“However, the people of the zone and the state in general, have spoken. PDP cannot stop the wind of change that is blowing across the state, we have done well and we have won the election even if PDP stole it from us,” Umaru added.

PDP, APC lawyers at war over Osun electoral materials Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

I

nspection of election materials in the August 9 governorship election by the representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State almost ended in fracas yesterday as lawyers of the two political parties exchanged hot words.

Altercation ensued between them as a result of

the absence of an exhibit to be used for the inspection.

The drama, which lasted almost an hour before the intervention of INEC officials, who persuaded them to give peace a chance, saw lawyers from different ends of the divide, calling themselves unprintable names and pointing accusing fingers at one another.

The session later turned rowdy as all efforts to calm them down proved abortive.

Trouble started when

‘Suntai’s return'll create crisis' Wale Elegbede

political group, the Taraba Peoples Assembly (TPA) yesterday raised the alarm that plans by some people to return the ailing governor of the state, Danbaba Suntai, to the country against medical advice, may endanger his life.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Martin Andekin, the group said plans to return

to set aside the order granting leave to Union Bank for the matter to be heard during vacation.

Counsel to the defendants, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), who brought the application to the court's attention, argued that the order for leave was made under misrepresentation of facts by the bank even as the consent of the defendants were not sought before the order was granted.

Suntai to the state by his political associates, given reports of his state of mind, will again deteriorate his health.

Andekin said the latest plot to bring the governor into the country was aimed at disrupting the political serenity in the state with the ultimate aim of ensuring that the recuperating Suntai takes over the reins of power from the acting governor, Alhaji

Garba Umar, thereby launching another round of political crisis in the state.

“For several months, Governor Suntai has been placed under intensive care to at least reverse his health downward. We have report that the governor is being injected with pills to build him up for the next power drama of the cabal,” the group said.

INEC Deputy Director in charge of Electoral Operations, Mr. Azeez Olatunji, announced that items and electoral materials to be inspected for the day were that of Obokun and Ila-Orangun Local Governments.

After the announcement, the deputy director said the PDP in its' request for inspection of the materials, sought to inspect 17 local governments’ electoral materials and demanded for the cooperation of the two parties.

He listed items to be inspected as ballot papers, election registers, election result sheets, adding that if other materials like cubicle and ballot boxes needed to be inspected in the course of the exercise, it will be embraced.

Also, the Administrative Secretary of INEC, Mr. Oladipo Oladapo, assured the two political parties that the commission will be fair to all as it will discharge its duty with transparency and an open mind.

Outage: TCN apologises to Damboa, Maiduguri residents Johnchuks Onuanyim

Abuja

ith security and logistics in W place in Maidugiri and its environs, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said it was ready to reinstall power facilities razed byfireinthearea.

Also, in a statement issued yesterday by TCN, the body apologised to the people of Maiduguri, Damboa, Biu

and its environs in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, for the power outage being experienced since mid-July.

TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Seun Olagunju, in a statement said the outage was caused by a cut conductor on the 132kV transmission line from Damboa to Maiduguri as well as a 330/132kV transmission substation in Damboa, which was set ablaze in June.

Etteh: I’ll succeed Akpabio / PAGE 14 | Ondo: Furore over Ajasin’s legacy / PAGE 40

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/politics

ayodele Ojo

Deputy Editor, politics

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

WEDNESday, September 10, 2014

How PDP elders threatened Obasanjo over Sheriff –George

p-14, 15

Ahead of the 2015 elections, politicians are being driven by the obvious instinct to cling to power, which has given rise to a new concept in Nigeria’s polity – the art of defection.

FELIX NWANERI reports

Defection: New power play ahead of 2015

The beginning Defection in Nigerian politics predates independence. It first crept into the country’s political lexicon in 1951, when some members of the National Council for Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) were lobbied to cross over to the Action Group (AG), both defunct, to stop the former from forming the government in the then Western Region.

The NCNC had won 42 out of the 80 seats in the region’s House of Assembly, but in one fell swoop lost 20 of them to the AG. This stopped Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo and leader of the party from becoming the premier of the Western Region.

The trend continued in the First Republic (1960-1966). Notable defections in that era were that of Chief Ladoke Akintola, who left AG due to personality clash between him and the leader of the party, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. A similar disagreement between Azikiwe and one of his lieutenants, Dr. Kingsley Mbadiwe, forced the latter to dump the NCNC to form the Democratic Party of Nigeria Citizens (DPNC).

The story was the same in the Second Republic (1979-1983). Worst hit then were the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN, an offshoot of AG) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). Some chieftains of the UPN such as Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Richard Akinjide, Mazi Sam Ikoku and Chief Akin Omoboriowo joined the then ruling party – National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Omoboriowo, the then deputy to Governor Michael Ajasin (Ondo State), became the NPN governorship candidate in 1983.

In Kano, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, who was elected governor on the platform of the PRP in 1979, defected to the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP). His attempt for a second term in 1983 through the party failed.

While defection could be said to have characterised the country’s political landscape before now, some analysts believe that it has assumed an alarming dimension since the advent of the present dispensation (Fourth Republic) in 1999. Against this backdrop, the question some political observers have asked, is: What makes the trend disturbing, when it is normal in politics to defect from one party to another?

In advanced democracies, reasons adduced by politicians for defection include divergent views on the operations of parties’ philosophy, crisis or division, and party leaders reneging on agreements.

But most defection cases in Nigeria of late, have been mainly informed by personality clash and power tussles.

From 1999 to date, many politicians at the local, state and federal levels have moved from one political party to the other. Some did so abandoning the par-

ties on which platform they were elected into public office, while others after losing elections found it the best option to jump to another party.

Cases of defections were in trickles in the early years of the present dispensation, but it is a catalogue of defections ahead of the 2015 elections. On the list of recent top defectors are former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers) and former Governor Murtala Nyako (Adamawa). The governors, apart from Nyako, who was impeached recently, took members of their respective states assemblies to their new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While the defection of the five governors from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in November 2013 jolted Nigeria’s political landscape, Atiku’s case is peculiar. He has continued to move back and forth of the PDP. Others in this category are former Governors Achike Udenwa (Imo), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto).

Also in the back and forth movement are former Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of Interim Executive Committee of the APC, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; Sena-

tors Ifeanyi Araraume and Chris Anyanwu (Imo State).

Also in the recent defection web are Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo), former Governors Segun Oni (Ekiti), Olagunsoye Oyinola (Osun), Isiaka Adeleke (Osun) and chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 elections, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Federal and state legislators are also not left out in the current defection craze.

They include Senators Bukola Saraki and Ali Modu Sheriff, who are former governors of Kwara and Borno states respectively, as well as Senators Femi Lanlehin and Ayo Adeseun (serving senators from Oyo State). Members of the House of Representatives – Uche Ekwunife, Chris Azubogu, Cyril Egwuatu and John Olibie, all of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Anambra State and Abiodun Akinlade (Ogun State).

Atiku: Between desperation and principle Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is not new to the politics of defection.

A founding member of the PDP, he first left the PDP in 2006, when his decision to run for the presidency in 2007 pitched him against then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo’s insistence that his deputy would not succeed him forced Atiku to leave the PDP for the defunct Action Congress (AC), which handed him its presidential ticket. However, the power play continued even with Atiku’s defection. On the eve of the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) omitted his name from the final list of 24 candidates for the presidential election.

INEC cited Atiku’s indictment for corruption as the reason for the omission. But in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the electoral body had no power to disqualify candidates, and Atiku contested the poll, but came a distant third behind the PDP candidate, late Umaru Yar’Adua and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) with 2.6 million votes – seven per cent of the total votes cast.

He rejected the result and called for its cancellation, describing it as Nigeria’s “worst election ever.” In 2009, he returned to the PDP in what many likened to the “dog going back to its vomit.” He was however quick to defend his action, saying: “For any one still harbouring any doubts about my return to our great party, the PDP, let me assure that I am CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

14 INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How PDP elders threatened Obasanjo over Sheriff –George Chief Bode George has seen it all in Nigerian politics having been a military governor and Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was a delegate to the just-concluded National Conference. In this interview, he speaks on the confab, security challenge, PDP’s loss of Osun State governorship election and 2015 elections.

AYODELE OJO reports Can you share your experience at the justconcluded national conference and your views on the outcome?

Initially, my expectation was very deem, because I thought it was going to be another talk shop. It was because of the past experiences and those heavily contentious matters that I thought would conflagrate the whole conference, and so, I went there with very minimal expectations. But I will forever be grateful that my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), sent me there to represent it. It was the most educative session of knowing our great country, on debating the Nigerian project and the problems of the Nigerian project. And again, I realised that every zone sent their best first 11, in terms of education, human resource and experience.

We had some delegates who attended the 1954 Constitutional Conference, some were ministers during Tafawa Balewa’s government, and some generals who also fought on either side of the war were there. And the civil society of all shapes and sizes were there, the market women and men were also represented. And then the physicallychallenged were also there, and then the youth; the youngest member was a 24-year-old girl. And the oldest member was an 89-year-old man. So, you can see the spread, the wide experience.

I think the name Goodluck is divine also, because, what we went through, the quality of debate, the robustness of the discussions, they were frank, honest, genuine, and we never lacked a day that you would have regretted being there. I thoroughly enjoyed it; at the committee level, and also at the plenary session. Of course, it was not all rosy; we had periods of very vicious temperaments that went beyond control.

But in the end, because we all believed in this our country Nigeria, they were able to douse all that.

And being the first after existing for 100 years, there was need for us to thoroughly examine the Nigerian project, the viability of that project; is it worth continuing as a country, or can we manage ourselves in a manner that the tenets of democracy can really be actualised; you take some, you win some, you lose some, it’s not winner takes all. And no zone will go back saying they lost out completely. Those heavy suspicions, those fixations that we have had, those terrible tribal biases were exposed and expunged. Because in the end we all held hands and were singing together.

In fact, people were singing the old first

George

stanza of the national anthem. It was unbelievable.

And the fact that it was the first conference after the centenary celebration rekindled my mind that the future of this country will be bright, that this nation will form the next empire that would be envious to so many other countries. The three pillars of stability; justice, fairness and equity have now been laid. No generation can finish the job. But the pillars on which they will build a nation have been laid.

Secondly, I think we existed for 100 years as a country, not as a nation. The issue of local governments was discussed, and we came to a conclusion.

The issue of state police was discussed and we came to a conclusion. The issue of true federalism was discussed and we came to a conclusion, the respect for the differences in our cultures and norms, were also discussed, and we came to a conclusion. But we have now established a minimum standard of behaviour, which the society will say if you fall below this standard; it is not acceptable, no matter where you come from. That has been established.

So, in the end, I think we ended up on a very high note. I don’t know about people discussing that we should go for a referendum, they want to bypass the legislative arm, and I said to them, you cannot. This is not a sovereign national conference. It’s a national discourse, but the respect for the three tiers of government must be there; the executive, legislative and judiciary.

You can’t write off or bypass the legislative arm, no. Even those who are postulating that we should have a

referendum, there is no provision for referendum in our constitution. So, you must still go to meet them to create the law for referendum. And, when you do a referendum, it’s always a yes or no.

So, what do we do?

You must go and get the national and state assemblies to look at all the sixty something recommendations made, and quickly do a good job on it. They don’t need to start tampering with them, because vox populi vox dei. The representation we had there is the global Nigerian picture, and they should not go and start to guillotine it because, in fact, all those decisions will be the major issues for this next campaign.

You know one political party refused to come. And I said if they didn’t come to listen to the problems of the Nigerian project, and they proffered solutions

Sheriff had always wanted to join the PDP. The issue is that people blocked him. There was one time Obasanjo was to travel to Borno to receive him.

The elders came and said never, they would leave the party if Obasanjo made that trip

to the Nigerian project, how can they effectively govern the people?

Do you even see your party winning the 2015 elections?

I have no doubt that Nigerians will look at and weigh them; where we were in 1998/99 that’s where they (APC) are now. We are not even on the same platform. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is still on the starting block, and I said to people, let us look at the outcome of their first convention, then I will tell Nigerians that we really have a formidable opposition.

The first convention, you saw the brickbats that are going on. The second convention will be their presidential primaries. They have had a bit of hiccups now, but by the time they do their presidential primaries, if they are still in one piece then we’ll say maybe we have a semblance of opposition.

But like I said to them, they all came together with strong biases; they have their norms, cultures, behaviours and pattern of political activities, which were all different. And they suddenly just landed and said that they are ready to form a political party. Surely, they are bound to have a lot of problems.

We have been there for 16 years. Can you compare a child who is born today in terms of experience of life with a 16-year-old boy? It’s not possible. So, Nigerians should be wary of this new phase, and whether they would be able to even withstand any political storm.

We are not ready for any experimentation.

What do you think will make PDP retain

INTERVIEW 15

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

the presidency, against accusation of nonperformance from the APC, especially on security?

You know I am a soldier. I know the difference when you have war and an insurgency. The difference, to put it in mild language, is self-made war. It’s the worse to crack, because you don’t know who is what. It’s different from a welldefined war between black forces and the red forces. But in this case, when you go to the tactical table, which ones are the red forces or the black forces.

They are all the same. So your next door neighbour may be part of it, you don’t know. You sit down and say let us do vigilante, whatever plan you may have made, he knows that he is going to counter it.

An insurgency has to do with collective responsibility to resolving the matter. It’s not the issue on the table of President Jonathan alone. Because if you are saying Mr. President do it, commander in chief roll out your tanks, what will happen to the innocent Nigerians that will be killed. And he has said that if getting back the presidency would depend on the spilling of the blood of one single Nigerian, he would not want it. What else is gracious before God Almighty?

He could have asked the soldiers to roll out the tanks and level the place, like we did in Odi, so they will take him to the International Criminal Court.

A lot of moral persuasion is going on, and discussions wooing the minds of the people. They just raised billions in money to assuage the pain and infrastructural destruction of the place.

If he is not genuine or not committed, those are the qualities of a leader; you don’t rush into saying wipe out the place, because that is exactly what these people want.

Who is this enemy, apart from the man you see appearing on television saying this and that? You want him to go and wipe out Nigerians, no. These bombs are made somewhere, security agents need information. Intelligence gathering is the most important part of this fight against insurgency. If you don’t have that, what will happen?

Where are all those international bodies that landed at the beginning, with so much zeal? Why have they retracted and headed back to their countries? Let’s search our minds. Why did they turn back to their countries? Is it because they think Jonathan doesn’t know what he wants to do?

When they had the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in England, you know how long it took. The Yoruba have a saying that when a mosquito perches on your scrotum, you don’t get a sledge hammer.

And that’s like the issue of insurgency.

Sometime last year, the APC was harvesting your (PDP) members, but now it’s like you are the one doing the harvesting. Why the trend?

When they headed out there, some of them we’ve worked together. They were landlords here, they were foundation members. The lesson I’ve learned in this politics I relate back to an old English saying: ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss’. No matter what, you cannot be a landlord in your house and because of cockroaches and some noise, and then you say you’ll go and rent a house somewhere. At the end of the month, the new landlord will be collecting money from you. Whereas if you’d stayed in your house, fight it out, you could have resolved the crisis.

Atiku that headed there, took a four-forty back to the party, and I am shocked when suddenly again he declared for them. Why did he come back, because he’s a flip-flopper, what is the essence. Stand up and be recognised for something. Maybe because I am a sailor also, that’s why I know that you stay with your ship. Your ship is your life. You sink or swim with your ship.

Don’t jump ship.

Sheriff is in your party, Ikimi is back in your party, and you say….

(Cuts in) Sheriff had never been in our party. I’ll tell you this story. When I saw Kashim Ibrahim at the beginning of the National Conference, I said ‘Kashim, you left this party; you left PDP, you are a foundation member. All the things you did, contested against Sheriff, the party stood by you every contest since 1999, the ticket had always been yours’.

He said, ‘ah oga don’t worry. Bola is my friend’.

After their first national convention I saw him again, I said ‘my brother, Bola is your friend’.

He said, ‘oga, e get as e be’.

I said, ‘wow, what happened to your friend’.

He said, ‘that one, he’s no friend of anybody’.

Sheriff had always wanted to join the PDP. That I can confidently tell you.

The issue is that people blocked him.

There was one time Obasanjo was to travel to Borno to receive him. The elders came and said never, they would leave the party if Obasanjo made that trip. That was how Sheriff ’s defection to PDP was aborted.

The doors of political parties are like the doors of police stations; you don’t shut your doors. Anytime you get to a police station, there must be a desk sergeant and an inspector on duty, even in the developed countries.

Are you still expecting some of the governors that left to return to the party?

We will never shut the door on them. When Atiku came back he was welcomed. He has not even sat down properly, he jumped again to his friend.

Why? Presidential ambition or political ambition; he is a foundation member of this party.

Sometime ago you started the so-called reclamation of the South-West, and you have played two games; won one and lost one. Is there any setback on the project with the loss of Osun State or is the project still in place?

No, there is no setback. It’s still in place. As a soldier, once you keep going on the battle, you can’t win it all. You win some, you lose some. Once you lose, you take the gauntlet, you keep moving. You do a post-mortem exercise, so that you don’t repeat the mistakes you have made.

For us, it’s a quick slow down to recheck what went wrong, what did we do that was not correct, what were the

George

Whoever is coming to disrupt what we are doing will be shown the red card, and by the grace of God we will deliver Lagos for Jonathan. This is the state with the biggest registered voters in the country; 5.8 million things that we over-assumed and then thought was not right. We are not completely despondent, and for me it is a blessing in disguise, so that we would sit down and read what happened. Our calculations, methodology, strategies will be reconsidered, so that we don’t repeat such mistakes in the next few elections. The most important thing that I would not discuss at this forum for public consumption is what happened to our strategies; what we did not do right, and what went wrong.

So, what is the future of PDP in the SouthWest?

Brilliant, Lagos is ready for PDP. The people have been on a bridge for 16 years that led to nowhere. The electorate are now wiser, they are now asking where is this bridge leading them, they look to the right, nothing, they look to the left, they look forward, they look astern, nothing. Where are they going, have their lives improve in 16 years; all the over-taxation, you want to talk about the okada people, the university students, the common people, those who live on the Lekki Peninsula belt, those who live in Akowonjo, Surulere and others. What have they benefitted from the enormous funds that are available to Lagos?

Having said that, what about the debt portfolio of Lagos State? After the Federal Government debt portfolio, Lagos State is the greatest debtor in Nigeria. Who will pay these funds, all these high sounding projects that they are building; railway and all, how long does it take to build a monorail.

Look at the distance, from Badagry to National Theater. They are still digging the ground.

Look at the somersault they did in education, and I was quick to remind

Governor Fashola that the origin of Lagos State Scholarship Board started with five of us; we were students at the University of Lagos, and Lagos State indigenes; myself, Dr. Femi Anibaba, Usiba Nasco who is late, Alex Oni, who is also late and Bola Adenusi, also late.

Five of us were discussing as Lagos State indigenes, and said why can’t we go and meet the governor of Lagos State, because then there was western bursary from the region.

You know what these people have done; N350, 000 for medical students and N250, 000 for humanities. What was the justification? So, it was no longer for the children of the poor. We thank God that he somersaulted quickly.

PDP has been boasting that they will take over Lagos since 1999, what gives you the confidence that you will achieve this come 2015?

The people themselves are ready.

I can explain to you what happened in each election. First of all, we had some people who remotely controlled the planning. You would have sat done and concluded all your planning. All of a sudden from nowhere, some jokers will go to them and convince them on what to be done.

I am a soldier. If you have a commander taking charge of his unit, first the general operational order would have been given, now you give the orders to this commander on how to move your men. If you now allow some of your men calling and telling stories to the overall commander, and they start wanting to make changes, how can you succeed? If he knows it all why did he put you there?

No general knows everything. Once you’ve been given your orders, allow the man to operate freely without any interference; that has been the cause of the failure; because of greedy people, deceitful characters, self-seeking people would go and start manoeuvring, lying to people, rather than the normal managerial thing to come and let us discuss. No, they won’t do that.

But this time around, we would fight as a corporate body, as one unit; we’ll strategise as one indivisible unit. Anybody who is going to be a clog in the wheel of progress will be expunged. We will remove him.

Irrespective of status?

Status? In party politics? Whoever is coming to disrupt what we are doing will be shown the red card, and by the grace of God we will deliver Lagos for Jonathan. This is the state with the biggest registered voters in the country; 5.8 million. So it is not only our own election here, it is the PDP election. In fact, by the time they do re-registration by mid-September, it would have been more than six million, because those who have been 18 years and above, those who have re-located will swell it all up.

But we will appeal to the contestants, we are going to draw up a code of conduct and no individual can be bigger than the party, anybody that believes he can do some manoeuvres, can just forget it. We will as usual ensure a level playing field.

You remember what happened when Funsho Williams was the target, we were cruising; they killed him. Lagosians were ready for him, because they had seen the difference, but he was murdered. God Almighty is on His throne. All those who had hand in his death will never sleep.

We have learnt our lessons, we would prevent such things. Collectively we will plan, collectively there will be rules and regulations and no individual is bigger than the party. This time around, like I said, after every operation, you do a post-mortem and you prevent what went wrong. And if you see any semblance of what happened happening again, we know what to do.

No problem.

16 INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Etteh: I’ll succeed Akpabio Hon. Okpolupm Etteh is the Leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. He tells TONY ANICHEBE that his ultimate goal is to be the governor of Akwa Ibom in 2015. Excerpts: Ahead of the 2015 elections, do you see your party conducting free and fair primaries?

The PDP is the only party in Nigeria that no one person sits in his room to take unilateral decisions. I have so much confidence in PDP, it is not like other parties where major decisions are taken in one man’s parlour.

PDP believes in internal democracy; it is the only true political party in Nigeria. For me, I have absolute confidence that the PDP will give every party member an opportunity to freely partake in the processes leading to the party primaries and general election. I am a third-term lawmaker in the state Assembly from PDP stock; I never get the party’s ticket through the backdoor. I stood and won PDP primaries in 2002, 2006 and 2011 and all was done in the public; I was never called or forced to step down for anybody to be returned unopposed. The structures in PDP encourage internal democracy.

As the longest serving lawmaker in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, how will you assess the performance of House which is on its last lap?

The present Assembly has done very well considering the quality of laws which had been passed. We have passed people-oriented laws and resolutions. Though the House has its own low moments, that has not overshadowed our heroic performances. As a House, we have made the laws and it is left for the executive to ensure proper execution of these laws. And from the opinion poll at our disposal, the verdict is that the House had done well.

There are insinuations that the House is divided over some issues. As the House Leader, can you throw light on these issues?

There is no division in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. I don’t know why that information keep going round. The Assembly is one big united family. The beauty of the parliament is the argument and various opinions shared during our debates on the floor. Of course, you cannot expect a House of 26 members to always toe the speaker’s line, and when people see those speaking against the speaker’s stand, they mistake it for friction in the Assembly. We are one united family and that does not stop any member from having his or her opinion because we are representing different constituencies and we speak on their behalf. I want to authoritatively inform you that from the speaker to the last member we are united.

It was said that the Pension Law passed by the House recently dealt a big blow to the chord of unity in the Assembly.

I don’t want to believe that because even though people have their views on the issue of the Pension Law, the final decision was that of the state House of Assembly. The House operates with either two-thirds or simple

majority to pass laws and resolutions and even if you have 10 members at the sitting that passes a law, it is the decision of the House. The issue of pension had come and gone, the Assembly is still united.

There have been posters and billboards urging you to contest the governorship in 2015. Are you throwing your hat into the ring for the contest?

Well, by the special grace of God, I will contest and win the governorship of Akwa Ibom State. All the groups drumming support for me know my pedigree; I am a complete Akwa Ibom man from Ibeno council area, my mother is an Ibibio from Ikono Local Government Area, my grandmother is from Uyo, while my wife is from Etim Ekpo in Annang land. I have a track record of performance in public office and the zeal to do more with higher responsibility.

By the special grace of God, I am going to contest and I will win the race.

I will soon unveil my programme of action for everybody to see my plans and how to take the state to the next level.

There were speculations that the state government has already identified with a particular governorship aspirant.

Don’t you see that as a threat to your ambition?

Well, the governor has the right to support whoever he chooses; he is also entitled to influence who succeeds him but he will do that in a very democratic manner. I don’t want to believe that our state government will use state funds to support any aspirant, but as an individual, the governor should be sympathetic to the course of an aspirant and must show interest on the process leading to the election and who occupies the office he will soon vacate. He has done well for the state and will want to know as an individual who takes over from him but not employing government machinery to favour one against the other.

If elected, what will be the focus of your administration?

My policies, I believe, will usher a new era in every sector of the state.

Three things will happen: a support for me will bring about sustainable development, we will have a purpose-driven leadership and good governance. My era will usher in peace, unity and prosperity which will create a strong middle class in the state. Mine will be Akwa Ibom project for Akwa Ibom people, meaning that the people will have a feel of their resources.

I will massively create wealth in the state through industrialisation, using public private partnership.

The state will turn to the economic hub of the geo-political zone. I will turn around the internally generated revenue of the state. My blueprint which will soon be made public will be the roadmap to prosperity for a new Akwa Ibom State.

To what extent have you delivered dividends of democracy to your constituency for almost 12 years?

I have done a lot. I have built school hostels, computer laboratories, and markets.

In terms of empowerment and

Etteh

You cannot expect a House of 26 members to always toe the speaker’s line, and when people see those speaking against the speaker’s stand, they mistake it for friction in the Assembly. We are one united family scholarship and employment in various offices, several people from my constituency have benefited. Some of these beneficiaries are in the local government, judiciary and civil service commission among others.

Several widows and less privileged people have received empowerments to enhance their wellbeing. I have gone beyond my Esit Eket/Ibeno State constituency to touch lives in Akwa Ibom State because I am affiliated to the three senatorial districts.

So my empowerment programme cut across the entire state.

Despite the oil resources from your constituency, the area is still largely underdeveloped. What is the reason for that?

My prayers every day is that the government will come to the aid of my constituency. As the local government that produce 80-90 per cent of the wealth of Akwa Ibom State, we expect more than what we have on ground in terms of infrastructure.

We are offering prayers and supplications daily that government will beam its searchlight on the people

of Ibeno. What we are contributing to the purse of the state is not commensurate to what we are getting, but we believe that soonest we will have cause to smile and give testimonies to God. Will zoning still have a place in PDP ahead of the 2015 general election?

Back in 2011 when the governor visited my local government area for re-election campaign, I told him that we had supported Uyo Senatorial District for eight years and will support Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District (where the governor came from) for eight years, so that he will in turn support Eket Senatorial District for eight years, and I stand by the position not only as a serving lawmaker but also as a founding member of the PDP. The constitution of the PDP encourages zoning and rotation of the public office. I never had any doubt in my mind that in 2015, Eket Senatorial District will not produce a governor. I want to say that those who said there was no zoning in PDP are not foundation members of the party. Those of us who joined from inception in 1998 know that former Governor Victor Attah emerged in 1999 from Uyo and picked a deputy from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District while the then House Speaker came from Eket. These are products of zoning. Outside zoning, all these officers would have emerged from one senatorial district. These things are already entrenched in our political culture by convention. So, in 2015, the office of the governor will go to Eket Senatorial District, office of the deputy will go to Uyo Senatorial District while Ikot Ekpene takes the speaker. Other important offices will equally be shared among the senatorial districts.

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

17

Fourth Session: Task before Senate CHUKWU DAVID looks at some of the pending issues that will form the agenda of the Senate in the fourth session as the National Assembly resumes plenary next week

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he National Assembly went on its 2014 annual recess on July 17. The recess is for eight weeks. Accordingly, the lawmakers will resume legislative work on Tuesday, September 16. It is expected that when they return, they will immediately begin to address some of the pending issues begging for attention before they vacated plenary seven weeks ago.

Jonathan’s $1bn loan request In the Senate, one of the issues the senators are expected to give priority attention is the $1 billion loan request by President Goodluck Jonathan. The president had written to the two chambers of the National Assembly on July 16, 2014, requesting them to urgently approve the sum of $1 billion to enable the Federal Government tackle the deteriorating menace of Boko Haram insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria in particular and the entire country in general.

President Jonathan, in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, which was read on the floor of the Upper Chamber, explained that the money would be used to upgrade military equipment in Nigeria and also to enable the government to partner with governments of other nations in dealing more effectively with the security threat.

The Federal Government had, sequel to the nefarious activities of the terrorists, declared a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in November 2014, supposedly as the last resort to suppress the insurgency.

The National Assembly had in the N4.6trillion 2014 Budget provisions, appropriated N968.127 billion for Defence in order to effectively combat the Boko Haram insurgency, which has posed a serious challenge to this government and the citizenry in the past few years.

The Senate also, in its resolve to support the effort of the executive arm to defeat the agents of terror in the North East and other parts of the country, eventually approved President Jonathan’s request for the extension of the state of emergency for another six months. This was after some Northern Senators stiffly opposed the request to extend the emergency rule, which was first extended in November 2013.

However, while approving the state of emergency, the Senate demanded that certain conditions be satisfied by the Presidency, including that the President should prepare and submit to the National Assembly supplementary budget to meet any establishment financial requirements needed to combat the insurgency. Therefore, it is believed that the $1 billion loan request was in fulfilment of this demand from the lawmakers for supplementary budget to tackle the worrisome security challenge in the country.

The parliament further impressed on Mr. President to immediately approve intervention funds to the affected states for development.

Following the urgency posed by the escalating state of insurgency in the country, Nigerians had expected the parliamentarians to treat the $1 billion loan request with dispatch by approving it before embarking on the elapsing recess. However, the upper chamber did not list the item on the order paper of its

Mark

Ndoma-Egba

Abaribe

last plenary before adjourning sitting to September.

This singular action of the Senate was viewed to be contrary to its procedures and conventions by those who are conversant with legislative traditions of the Senate, where executive communications were usually given immediate attention. The Red chamber conducted other legislative businesses including passage of bills and consideration of some reports without making any reference to the loan issue before adjourning plenary for its annual recess.

Apart from the perceived snobbish treatment given to the matter, some members of the public, particularly members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and their sympathizers had politicized and opposed the proposed external borrowing. But for the antagonists to the loan to equip the military for the battle against insurgency, it was a heavy disappointment as the parliament said the request was consistent with its earlier resolution, asking the president to present a supplementary budget whenever it was required in order to win the raging war against the Islamists in the North.

Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who clarified this to journalists when criticism started trailing the request, recalled that when the Senate approved the request for emergency rule extension on May 20, this year, it attached eight conditions which included a resolution encouraging the president to bring a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to meet any emerging establishment financial requirements needed to combat insurgency in the affected areas.

He stressed that the Senate had resolved that it would deploy every power within its jurisdiction to assist the executive in its determination to stamp out Boko Haram terrorist group in the country. He argued that, if the request for loan would assist the country to win the battle against terrorism, it should be supported.

He also dismissed insinuations in the media that the request for the $1 billion loan had already suffered a major setback as a result of the National Assembly’s decision to embark on its summer break 24 hours after the request was submitted by the president.

Since 2011, the Federal Government has spent not less than N1 trillion annually on defence and security sectors, aimed at tackling the Boko Haram insurgency. Critics of the request had argued that the huge sums of money spent so far to fight insurgency had yielded no

fruitful result, insisting that despite the huge sum, modern equipment had not been purchased while the media had been awash with reports of poor welfare package for security forces who stake their lives to fight insurgency.

velopment Commission.

Surprising, the same bill is still residing in both chambers of the National Assembly without serious effort to complete all the pending legislative process to make it become a legal document. Since the beginning of this year, the Senate has made several promises that it would expedite action on the bill but nothing tangible has been done to actualise the promises.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, for instance, in May, assured that the National Assembly would carry out a speedy action on the passage of the PIB. He said that the Senate was mindful of the benefits of the PIB to Nigerians and those in the petroleum sector and would work to enthrone the envisaged benefits in the major reforms intended by the bill.

Similarly, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, denied that the Senate leadership was playing politics with the passage of the PIB as being speculated by many Nigerians.

Ndoma-Egba said that the various committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate had recorded impressive progress on the bill. He insisted that no individual, group or agency of the government, had been using the legislature to slow down the passage of the PIB. Nigerians are definitely running out of patience with the National Assembly over the delay in passing the PIB. Therefore, it is expected that the bill will top the list of the legislative items the Senators are going to be treating when they resume on Tuesday.

PIB

The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is one proposal that has suffered so much politicking more than others in the National Assembly. It first found its way to the parliament in 2008. It has passed many legislative processes in an attempt to make it a law that would guide and revolutionise operations in the oil industry.

In 2012, when the House of Representatives passed the bill for second reading, and subsequently committed it to an ad hoc committee for further legislative work, Senators, mainly of northern extraction, who perceive the bill as discriminatory and skewed against non-oil producing states, particularly states of Northern Nigeria vehemently kicked against its passage. The Secretary, Northern Senators’ Forum at that time, Senator Ahmed Lawan (APCYobe), gave insight into issues behind the opposition to the bill.

Lawan stated that the legislators were against the bill because it contained certain clauses that gave too much power to any sitting Minister of Petroleum Resources. He said the lawmakers were also unhappy with the provisions in the bill in respect of the Petroleum Host Community Fund. According to him, the proposed fund was another ploy by those who conceived the bill to allocate more funds to the oil-producing states, arguing that those states were currently taking home so much through the 13 per cent derivation and the Niger Delta De-

Nigerians are definitely running out of patience with the National Assembly over the delay in passing the PIB. Therefore, it is expected that the bill will top the list of the legislative items the senators are going to be treating when they resume

NIS recruitment tragedy report Another important issue that is pending in the Senate for urgent attention is the consideration of the report on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment tragedy. The probe was instituted to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the March 15, 2014 tragedy, in which some innocent Nigerians, who went for the NIS recruitment test at some centres across the country lost their lives, and others seriously injured in various stampedes that ensued at the centres.

Senator Atiku Bagudu, who was the Chairman of the probe panel actually submitted the report of the investigation to the Senate on May 28, 2014 but it was not debated by the senators in accordance with legislative practice until it went on recess.

Nigerians are desperately expecting the outcome of that report to be made public. There is the likelihood that any attempt to sweep the report of that investigation under the carpet will provoke public outcry.

More stories on Pages 40-43, 48

18

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

OPINION

Elombah.com: How not to practice Citizen Journalism

Okey Madubuife

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he world may not be willing to admit it but one of the greatest phenomena of the 21st Century might be the advent of the social media – the mushrooming of cyber-communities across geographies and the usual boundaries of culture, religion, class and ideologies. With the social media, humanity has finally come face to face with the awesome power of the individual, the canonization, as it were, of selfhood and the possibility of a determined citizen to impose his ideas on a larger group with something as harmless as cellphone.

We all saw this awesome power of the social media in the making of the Arab Spring. Closer home, it came made a grand entry during the “Occupy Nigeria” days. In smaller circles, we have seen smart Nigerians blog their way to fame and fortune, cashing in on the information gap created by the dispossession of unemployed youths and students who have no easy access to the traditional media. Linda Ikeji, Bella Naija, Sahara Reporters, The Citizen and Simon Kolawole’s The Cable are examples of bloggers and online publishers who have wended their ways into the heart of Nigerians for their creativity, spontaneity and in some cases, attempts at fairness and balance.

As is usually true of life, there are often weeds among the flowers. Elombah.com, the virulent, poorly cooked blog operated out of London by Nnewi born Daniel Elomba is one cancerous weed in the flowerbed of the Nigerian social-media. If the call for legislation of the social media in Nigeria is ever heeded, it will find validation in the misguided and often misleading yellow-journalism of the kind that Elombah.com practices. Years of obvious failed

legal practice in England have left its proprietor bitter with himself and his more successful peers, turning him into a blight on the conscience of the compassionate world.

Indeed, since he chanced on online publishing, Daniel Elombah has kept the profile of a bull in a china shop.

Having absolutely no training in journalism, everything is grist to his horrific rumour mill known as Elombah.com.

He has evidently no understanding of the imperatives of “balancing a story” or giving the other party a “fair hearing.” Writing under assorted pen-names, Daniel Elombah has turned himself to judge and jury over the victims of his hideous quackery. He has no patience to crosscheck and validate his stories; he seems to have no understanding of the difference between facts and conjectures or simple gut-feeling. He may never have heard the journalistic maxim that “facts are sacred and comments are free.”

He is a journalistic equivalent of the failed poet in Odia Ofeimun’s classic poem, The Poet Lied, whom the bard described as “the quack of vision,” who moves around the society like a lose canon, taking foggy snapshots of his own dementia. His impulses are driven by his bitterness with his own personal failure and his determination to get rich or die trying. In his psychological state, Elombah is obdurate to all dictates of decency and fine breeding.

The moral high horse of the journalist as the repository of the people’s trust to give an objective and balanced account in their stories at all times is not for him. The high-minded subtleties of developmental journalism are way beyond his reach. Daniel Elombah appears too dense to apprehend nuance. Not for him too, the painstaking efforts that precede investigative reporting. Elombah would rather report a rumour or a speculation first and investigate later. Not for him as well, the coy, satirical, humourous, academic or even artistic and lyrically feisty style that

has earned his contemporaries a name in cyber-sphere.

Elombah has no refined taste. He is bitter, combative, uncouth and half-literate in his style, torturing his readers with poor copies that are nothing but tasteless apologia to good writing and anchoring his journalism entirely on sensational falsehood and witch-hunt.

Among other blogs, Elombah.com stands out as a typical example of what a blog is not - a threadbare patchwork that is devoid of aesthetics and elegance, depicting its owner’s aridity of mind. Those who know Daniel Elombah say that his blog is reflection of his person; sly, shadowy, greedy and inelegant. They claim that while other bloggers devote time to improving their craft and expanding their vision of society, Elombah devotes time looking for people who have personal scores to settle with each other to pay for his services and some unsuspecting politicians and society women to arm-twist into parting with hefty sums of money in exchange for his silence.

In the last one year, many Nigerians have come under Daniel Elombah’s crude journalism. The new governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has recently come under his attacks. Before him, the Petroleum Minister, Deizani Madueke and Nuhu Ribadu have taken direct hits from his poisoned arrow. In the end, we see in Daniel Elombah and his Elombah.com, the tragedy of belonging; the dilemma of the bat who inhabits the interstices between a winged creature and a four footed beast. This may well be the reason why many people will not waste their time reading Daniel Elombah. His Elombah.com is a good example of excreta of the social media and a bad example of how to practice citizen journalism. Only one warning will suffice for visitors to his blog – Readers beware!

• Okey Madubuife writes from Ojoto.

Arthur Eze’s courage and Gov. Orji’s deception (2) Orji Kalu Continued from yesterday

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efore Chief Arthur Eze’s bombshell, I had challenged Abia sons and daughters in positions of authority to rise up to the occasion and call the governor to order. Chief Eze’s expose could not have come at a better time. When I wrote that Abia people were in bondage and suffering unduly, some people called me names.

Most of those that took to the path of infamy were the governor’s attack dogs, working in collaboration with their friends in the media, who have chosen to fill their pockets with filthy lucre rather than stand by the impoverished people.

I hold the media in high esteem, but this view has been shaken by the infidelity and unprofessionalism of some of the media practitioners who have not written a line against the excesses of the government in Umuahia. Some of these media hackers and quacks prefer the handout from the government to the defence of the truth, which has been trampled under feet unconscionably. I have a comprehensive list containing the names of these shameless journalists, the media they work

for, and how much each collects from the Abia State Government to bend the truth. I will make it public at the appropriate time.

There is no way the media can afford to compromise their position, because of the constructive role they are expected to play in the furtherance of our democracy.

Abia people will forever be grateful to Chief Arthur Eze for calling a spade a spade. I wish to place on record, however, that it is only men and women of Arthur Eze’s ilk that could make such a bold statement in the face of adversity. I have known the antecedents of Chief Arthur Eze over the years. He is a no-nonsense man, not given to shenanigans. He speaks his mind as it is and does not condone injustice. This is why his comment should be taken very seriously. Forget the fruitless efforts being made by the government of Abia State to rationalize what he had said, because they know deep in their hearts that what the man said was the truth and nothing but the truth.

In terms of material riches, I can state without any fear of equivocation, that Arthur Eze is one of the five richest Nigerians alive today. He has the largest oil block in the whole of Africa, and that confers on him enormous

wealth and influence.

So, what else does he want from anybody that would make him not to speak his mind as he deems fit? Those who insinuate parochial¬ism or anything else do so out of either ignorance or self-pity. What could easily be taken away from what he said is that Abia State needs redemption. And it will get it soon.

Those who are skeptical about what is really happening in Abia State should take a short trip to the state to see things for themselves. Nobody can cover up the truth. The truth is immutable, no matter how hard you work to destroy it.

Just as Arthur Eze had asked, I repeat: where are our men and women of substance? Why have they chosen to keep silent when they are expected to speak up? Why should they fold their arms and watch Abia State disintegrate? Do they not know that our people are suffering? Is their silence borne out of fear or intimida¬tion?

Where is the manliness in them that they should all abdicate their manhood when it mattered most?

I have asked these questions because I am aware that Abia State has powerful sons and daughters, both at home and in the Diaspora, who can

stand up to be counted anywhere in the world. If I may ask: Where are people like General Ike Nwachukwu (onetime military governor, minister and Senator); General Azubuike Ihejirika (immediate past Chief of Army Staff); Col. Akobundu and Navy Com-mander Chris Osundu (both former military administrators); Senator Adolphus Wabara (former Senate President); Vincent Ogbulafor (former Minister of Special Duties under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime); Chief Ojo Maduekwe (former minister and now an ambassador); Elder Emmanuel Adaelu (one of the champions for the creation of Aba State);Chief Tony Ukasanya (former PDP chairman in Abia State); Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike (one-time Minister of Health); Senator Chris Adighije; Chief Onyema Ugochukwu (former NDDC Chairman and gubernatorial candidate of PDP in Abia State in 2011);Chief Chuku Wachuku (former DG, NDE); Chief Allen Nwachukwu (Commissioner for Works in the first term of our administration);Chief Mao Ohuabunwa (former member, House of Representatives), etc.

• Kalu, an acclaimed international businessman and politician is former governor of Abia State.

EDITORIAL

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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

The unemployment time bomb

he Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, a consortium for promoting conditions for inclusive economic growth and eradicating poverty in Nigeria, led by the British Council, recently unveiled a report which showed that the country’s unemployment rate is the highest in Sub-Sahara n Africa. While the country’s economy is said to have grown at the rate of seven per cent during the last decade, the report showed that unemployment doubled during the period with poverty rate standing at a staggering 54.4 percent. It quoted the 2013 United Nations Human Development Index, where Nigeria ranked 153 out of 186 countries and 118 out of 134 in Gender Inequality Index and linked some of the conflicts in the country to unemployment.

Already ranked the most violent country in Africa, the report stated that growing unemployment and its attendant conflicts have driven up the number of people killed through armed violence in Nigeria. It estimated that an average of 3,000 conflict-related deaths occurred annually between 2006 and 2011, while violence against women and girls has been on the increase.

Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced by conflict, the report further indicated. Consistent with global trends, there is in Nigeria evidence of a close correlation between

youth unemployment and rising armed violence.

The World Bank identifies the increasing magnitude of youth unemployment as one of two key indicators of the declining welfare status of Nigerians in recent times. High unemployment is associated with a growing gap between rich and poor, and there is evidence that such polarisation in itself reflects and fuels structural grievances.

Unscrupulous political leaders and ‘winner-takes-all’ power politics exacerbate feelings of inequality and exclusion when ethnic or religious divisions are manipulated in electoral campaigns at national, state and local levels.

“Politically mobilized violent gangs, recruited from unemployed male youths and sometimes beyond the control of their original patron, are widespread across different conflict contexts in Nigeria. Retaliatory attacks between armed groups, or armed groups and security forces, can then occur, leading to a continuing cycle of violence,” the report stated.

The study reviewed the country’s employment generation and economic empowerment programmes including the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria Programme (YouWIN!), and the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO). Other programmes reviewed were Youth Employment in

Agriculture Programme, the Agricultural Transformation Action Plan, the National Enterprise Development Programme, the University Entrepreneurship Development Programme, as well as the Integrated Youth Development Initiative.

The report concluded that despite the number of such schemes and the resources poured into them, youth unemployment and levels of insecurity have continued to grow in Nigeria.

In the worst cases, such programmes were found to produce the opposite effect based on interviews conducted on some youth in many parts of the country. Only 26 per cent agreed such programmes contributed to reducing the overall rate of youth unemployment.

Seventy-nine percent of the sampled population agreed that only youth close to politicians got selected while 64 per cent thought female youth were discriminated against. As part of measures to make such programmes work, the report called for better planning and coordination of youth employment sector. The NSRP is a five-year programme funded by the United Kingdom, UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

There is no doubt that the unemployment situation in Nigeria is almost at acrescendo with far reaching cataclysmic consequences. The largest employer of labour and this is an unhealthy situation. It is important

that entrepreneurial studies as well as vocational studies and skills acquisition should be introduced into the curriculum of schools at all levels in the country.

This will undoubtedly enable Nigerian youths to become employers of labour by setting up small scale business and not be perpetual job seekers. There are several businesses that can be done without initial capital. Hence, those in this category should be able to think on their feet and see how they can start any small business without money instead of waiting endlessly white collar jobs.

Also, government has to de-emphasize undue attention on certificate and premium should be placed on skills acquisition and vocational studies.

Again, it has been discovered that in the public service, those who ought to have retired for new intakes to get into the system are still in service because they keep changing their ages every year and this is one area that government must act on swiftly and decisively.

It is also very important for government at all levels to work hard to resolve the infrastructural deficit in the country especially in the power sector. Constant power supply for instance would make private initiates to flourish and blossom. Unemployment is a national emergency that requires urgent attention from government and organized private sector.

MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Eric Osagie DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTORS

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Suleiman Uba Gaya EDITOR, DAILY

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Emeka Madunagu DEPUTY EDITORS, DAILY

Emeka Obasi Ayodele Ojo BUREAU CHIEF, BRUSSELS

Leo Cendrowicz BUREAU CHIEF, WASHINGTON DC

Marshall Comins EDITORIAL COORDINATOR, EUROPE

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20

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

LITERATURE

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“ONLY THE VERY WEAK-MINDED REFUSE TO BE INFLUENCED BY LITERATURE AND POETRY.” ―- CASSANDRA CLARE

TONY OKUYEME

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com okuyemeogom@yahoo.com

Issues, perspectives on the Nigerian civil war Book title: The Brothers’ War – Biafra and Nigeria Author: John de St. Jorre Book Publisher: Faber and Faber Ltd Year of Publication: 1972 Edition: 2009 Reviewer: Bola Aderogba

F

orty three years after, the subject of the Nigeria-Biafra war remains indelible in the hearts and minds of living witnesses men, women and children, now adults who yet carry the scars of its burden to this day. In my previous review, I alluded to significant literatures by equally astute authors that have explored the subject but in my opinion, a most remarkable contribution remains the one put out by the late Professor Chinua Achebe, albeit at the twilight of his years. The presentation and masterly delivery of its prose, which combines a historical on the one hand and an autobiography on the other, altogether stood Achebe’s book out; and more so, he expressed his position from the point of view of the aggrieved. Writing from a regional perspective perhaps was the major drawback about his account. Going by the tone of social media comments; the general feeling was that the Professor wrote rather ‘Igbo-tically’ on the subject.

My question to his critics is – ‘what do you expect...? ‘He who feels it, they say; knows it’! In other words, I ask – how would you rather he expressed his Biafra account?

In any event, the focus this time, is on St. Jorres independent chronicle of the events leading up to the war, his reason(s) for the war, the intrigues of the dramatis personae involved, a general appreciation of the revelations therein and his motive for writing the book.

Getting a copy of his 437-page book took a whole month of searching through book stores in Nigeria, until I finally got a copy on Amazon.com. From its table of content and illustrations, to its four-page introductory annotations, the author gives cogent answers to the core objectives of this review. My interpretation is that he attempts to preserve the legend of Biafra, particularly in deference to her resilience in the face of seeming annihilation, in addition to espousing the comparative humane conduct with which the Nigerian state prosecuted the war, in relation to more brutal wars such as the Spanish civil war and that of the Congo. “...was it security or sovereignty that was really vital to the Ibo’s survival; and was a fanatical pursuit of Biafran sovereignty a justifiable policy when the human cost – principally in Ibo lives – was mounting astronomically...”, was one of many questions that endeared the author

further into pursuing the research work - culminating in The Brothers’ War The book progresses with a meticulous delivery of in-depth revelations that might have acted as triggers in themselves to the protracted war; and starts out with an overture to the January 15, 1966 coup d’état by the Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu band; and renders in graphic detail, how their ‘operation damisa’ was planned and executed and summarily quelled in Lagos largely, by 41-Year old ‘no nonsense’ Major General Aguiyi Ironsi.

In the author’s views, there were triggers which in themselves could have been responsible for the protracted war.

Excerpts of this, the reader might familiarise with in chapter III – Counter Coup and Pogrom - that ensued between the months of July – September 1966, led and masterminded by a band of what he refers to as – northern sub-alterns, in retaliation for the inequitable elimination of a number of northern and southern heavy weights, including the Sardauna of Sokoto; Premier of Western Region – Chief Ladoke Akintola; the Prime Minister – Alhaji Tafawa Balewa; Chief Okotie-Eboh, then federal finance minister etc; all heinously felled by a band steered by six majors and a captain

(Ibos all; save one) in the earlier uprising.

In the aftermath of the predominantly northern counter purge, the supreme commander, in company of his western region military governor, LieutenantColonel Adekunle Fajuyi who played host to Ironsi at the time had both been callously murdered. The events that followed that ‘return match’ mayhem are better imagined.

In chapter III, the author further describes how triggers and counter triggers helped ignite the vehemence with which innocent souls, particularly of the Ibo stalk were massacred en mass during the months of May, July, September and October of 1966, in a pogrom within parts of the north - following reported cases of denigrating the unfortunate demise of the Sardauna by Ibos; coupled with Ironsi’s inertia regarding the dispensing of appropriate punishment of the actions of the January 15 boys. In St. Jorres opinion, this perhaps was seen as a political trigger in itself which inextricably led to the equally inexcusable purge of persons of eastern extraction; the aftermath of which sparked the colossal east bound exodus of the Ibos not only from the north, but away from other parts of the country.

At 2a.m. Nigerian time on May 30th,

1967, Ojukwu got his mandate - proclaiming the birth of the Republic of Biafra - in the interest of ‘self-preservation’; just as Gowon himself had emerged head of the Nigerian state in the July of 1966; him being the popular choice of the northern power block – and chosen over and above the more vociferous Murtala Mohammed – in circumstances the author suggests was in ‘the greater imperative for the survival of the Nigerian state’.

In the author’s accounts, souring oil production factors and its long term economic implications for either of the brothers proved a trigger in the protracted war as neither would want to lose out on its lucrative revenues. Thrown in the middle of the war, was the Oil giant Shell/BP and the predicament before its management i.e. deciding which of the brothers its royalties should go to? Biafra’s main interest in the royalties was accessing foreign exchange with which to sustain the war in addition to the legitimacy such collecting rights confers on a nation in terms of international acceptance of sovereignty. Nigeria on the other hand was beginning to feel cash strapped since the cash-flow from oil drilling royalties diverted into Biafran hands.

The essence of this exercise is academic in purpose and intent and above all, a literary review. The exercise therefore does not seek to take sides or apportion blame on a matter nearly forgotten. The Brothers’ War has been selected for review mainly because of the author’s unprejudiced methodology throughout the narrative and depth of his research work. It is in my place however to express an opinion with a view to guiding the reader to forming their own appreciation or otherwise of the subject.

To this end, my candid opinion hasn’t deviated from that which was expressed in my review of There was a Country.

The remarkable thing about The Brothers’ War is in the lengths to which the author went about sourcing data within either side of the hostilities; and upon which his account has been developed; which leads me to query his motive for writing the book. Was it for glory? I’ve repeatedly asked as I progressed in my study. Or was it some other pecuniary motive? I am yet to unravel the real motivation for risking life and all, in the same manner as the retinue of humanitarians mentioned in the book had sacrificed that hapless populations of Biafrans might survive?

In concluding, I think that the author, through his book has inadvertently helped preserve for us, a bequest of invaluable proportions by his dispassionate account of the conflict; and from which we generally might gain knowledge - in our national desire for lasting peace, progress and perhaps unity.

for }p-23 UK hikes }p-23 international foreign students’ fees scholarships

Experts bemoan education quality At Mike Okonkwo lecture }p-24

EDUCATION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

21

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/education

KAYODE OLANREWAJU, Editor, EDUCATION

kayode.olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com kayolanre@gmail.com 08037127417

Unity schools exams, NECO’s albatross FRAuD

 Parents allege fraud

Parents are accusing the National Examination Council (NECO) of irregularities in the 2014 Common Entrance to the Federal Unity School, which the examination body conducted, thereby seeking the Minister’s intervention in the matter Kayode Olanrewaju and Mojeed Alabi

T

he National Examinations Council, (NECO), may be in for another round of trouble as most parents of over 94,234 candidates who sat for this year’s Common Entrance examinations into the Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools across the country, are crying foul over what they described as the fraudulent manner with which the exams were conducted.

The parents had queried the rationale behind the conduct of two series of examinations for the same purpose this year, and the refusal of the examination body to disclose the scores of all the candidates that wrote the second test (interview).

They thereby allegedly accused NECO of fraud and sharp practices to deny the candidates admission into the elite schools.

According to a parent, who simply identified himself as Mr. Dayo, his daughter had passed the first examination which held on April 26 scoring 205, and had been invited for the second examination, which held on July 12.

He explained: “I was shocked when I later learnt that the list was out and we found out that my daughter’s name was not on the list of those admitted to the Federal Government Girls’ College, Akure, Ondo State. I was surprised because I never doubted the capacity of my girl and that prompted me to seek to know her score, but the school said no score was given to the candidates, but that they were only graded as “successful” or “unsuccessful.” That sounded ridiculous and fraudulent to me.”

In a similar development, Madam Juliana Odinma, said the condition for the second examination was unwarranted to her “apart from being deployed

by NECO to extort the parents and rake in more money through the process.”

She explained: “We initially paid about N3,000 for the forms

Cross section of pupils writing exam

There is no sin in parents assisting schools in terms of finances but that should not be part of admission requirements Shekarau, Minister

for the first stage examination and another N1,500 for the second exam. Now, why would NECO announce score in the first exam and refused to do same in the second one? That is one of the issues with the unity schools which grant admission to the highest bidders and the children of the rich who could pay for their children’s admission.”

Odinma may not be too wrong in her allegation if the words of the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike were to be taken sacrosanct. He had disclosed while monitoring the examination in Abuja in April that 40 per cent of the admission into the unity schools will be based on quota system while merit would take about 60 per cent.

“But would that foreclose any reasoning for NECO not to release the candidates’ marks,” a parent queried.

Mr. Funsho Olateju, who insisted that his son could not have failed the examination, said he was surprised that his son’s name was conspicuously missing in the list displayed at the Federal Government College, Ikirun, in Osun State.

The building engineer, who has vowed to call for his son’s papers, also called on stakeholders in the nation’s education sector to intervene in the matter so that the future of the brilliant students is not sacrificed for fraudulent activities.

Olateju also alleged the unity schools of offering admission for sales, saying most parents whose wards were offered admissions into the schools were usually asked to pay certain amount of money or make donations of building materials.

Okpala, NECO boss

Other parents whose kids currently attend the unity schools but who pleaded anonymity also revealed how they parted with huge sums and several items before their wards could secure the admission.

They said most of the college principals were in the habit of complaining about dwindling allocations from the Federal Government, hence the need for parents to assist in either cash or materials.

One of them had said: “There is no sin in parents assisting schools in terms of finances but that should not be part of admission requirements.”

Now, the parents are not only challenging the examination body over the irregularities that marred the examination, but are also calling on the

Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau to urgently intervene in the matter to safe their children and wards from the anomaly of NECO. While criticizing NECO for deliberate refusal to release the candidates’ marks, Mrs. Maryam Oluwakemi said: “Why is it that NECO refused to release the marks of all the candidates.

Many of the candidates have no results recorded on their names. What kind of examination is this? Either pass or fail, all the candidates who wrote the examination should have their marks released. Why then has NECO failed to release their scores, only to tell us that only candidates who qualified have their marks released? The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) releases all the results of candidates that write its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) whether they pass or fail. That should be the system.

If NECO has nothing to hide after taking another N1,500 from each candidate invited for the interview.”

Mrs. Oluwakemi, who like many others are demanding their children’s results or scores added: “As part of the fraud perpetrated by NECO, some of the candidates, who were invited for the interview, were given the same examination number. We have situations in which three candidates have the same number for the same examination. This is part of the irregularities in the examination we are talking about and which the Minister should urgently resolve. When we protested, at the Kuramo College, Victoria Island, one of the interview centres in Lagos, about issuing the same number to some candidates, the examiners said the error had been addressed and therefore allowed the pupils to write the examination. Their action was to merely deceive and placate the candidates and their parents. How do you expect such candidates to have any mark?”

This to some of the parents, was a calculated attempt

by NECO management to defraud the candidates by selling their scores to other candidates whose parents had already paid for it.

“The number of my daughter, whose interview centre was at Kuramo College, Victoria Island, Lagos, was the same with three other candidates at that same centre. Why should CONTI NUED ON PAGE 26

22 EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

ADA foundation rolls out plan for gifted children Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

A

foundation committed to enhancing the potentials of talented persons in the country, ADA Change Divine Foundation has disclosed its intention to create a data bank and information management system for gifted and talented children.

This, according to the Chairman, Transitional Board of Patrons of the Foundation, Mr. Edward Ujege, an engineer, is for the purpose of organising linkage and exchange programme for the pupils.

He spoke in Abuja at a media outreach and interactive forum on gifted and tal-

ented children and people, where he explained that the foundation would create and develop integrated advocacy, sensitisation and mobilisation programmes in order to create the needed and necessary awareness towards identifying, managing, promoting and projecting the issues of the gifted and talented children and people.

While stating that the vision of the foundation is in tandem with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, he said all efforts would be directed at exploring potentials and possibilities of the abundant gifts and talents of Nigeria towards value addition to the transformation

agenda.

Under the initiative, Ujege said all talented and gifted children and people would be taken care of by the foundation under this programme.

The Foundation, he declared, has already awarded scholarships to some soccer talents, adding that those who have exceptional skills in arts and other endeavour would also benefit from similar scholarships.

"Our major assignment is to create a data bank and information management system for the gifted and talented people starting from Nigeria, for the purpose of organising linkage and exchange programme," he said.

Ewoh Victoria and Shadrack Yusuf

S

ome corps members, who are nursing mothers, undertaking the Batch ‘B’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, have restated commitment to serve their fatherland diligently despite the challenges to taking care of the child.

When the New Telegraph met them during the passing out parade recently at the Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos NYSC Orientation Camp, vowed to discharge their duties as enshrined in the oath of allegiance of the scheme, which they have sworn to.

Most of the corps members, who said though it was too tasking to cope with child nursing and service, expressed determination to serve their fatherland, despite the challenges of motherhood.

One of them, Mrs. Sumola Damilola, who did not disclose where she was deployed for the one-year compulsory service in Lagos, explained how she had been coping with her baby.

Her words: “I am not heavy with concern because the safety of my child is guaranteed with the help of my mother and other family relatives.

According to Sumola, who resides at Alagbado area of Lagos, the experience of youth service is very interesting, since there is a lot to learn during that year.

The graduate of History and International Relations from the Lagos State University (LASU), however, expressed optimism to reach out to the rural communities and educate them about healthy living.

This, according to her, will expose the people to various personal hygiene habits, which at the same time forestall the spread of illness among them.

Besides, Mrs. Chioma Emilore, a graduate of Computer Science from the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), explained her plight, saying: “I am in the dilemma about how I will cope with nursing my baby and the service. But I know God will help me. Serving my country has

Okpara varsity inducts pioneer veterinary doctors Igbeaku Orji UMUAHIA

ioneer graduates of VetPchael erinary Medicine at the MiOkpara University of

Agriculture in Umudike, Abia State, have been inducted at the maiden oath-taking ceremony for veterinary graduates of the institution.

The President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Professor Garba Sharubutu challenged them on the need to adhere to ethical standards and practices, in order to enhance professionalism.

Besides, he urged practitioners of veterinary medicine in the country to adhere strictly to the ethical standard in their practice to avoid the spread of the dreaded Ebola virus disease, which is mostly contacted through animals.

He warned that anyone who failed to keep to the standards would be sanctioned, saying the caution has become necessary in view of the threat of Ebola virus disease and the doctor’s closeness to the animals that are vectors of the virus.

Sharubutu said the Council is insisting on standards in order to produce quality graduates who would compete favourably anywhere in the world in the practice of veterinary medicine.

According to him, the Council had to delay the graduation and induction of the three sets of graduates of the university

at the combined ceremony because the Council was awaiting full accreditation of the college.

The President lauded the Professor Hilary Edoga-led management for the commitment to excellence and the infrastructural development of the university.

In his remarks, the ViceChancellor (Edoga) called on the Veterinary Council of Nigeria to review its admission policy as it affects students’ enrolment into Veterinary Medicine programme of the university with a view to increasing the figure.

Edoga, who argued that having successfully gone through the hurdle of accreditation for the College of Veterinary Medicine, and that the university deserves to admit more students for the course, commended the Council for ensuring that its products met the required standard and quality.

The Vice-Chancellor stressed: “However, I feel strongly that you will agree with me that there has been tremendous improvement and progress in staff and infrastructure in the last two years and therefore have no fears. The need to build a third block at the permanent site for Veterinary Medicine in Block J to accommodate the staff members, laboratories and other facilities.”

This, according to him, will enhance the quality of teaching and research in the college.

Ebola: Oando Foundation launches education support fund Mojeed Alabi he Oando Foundation, one of Tenergy Africa’s leading indigenous solutions providers, has

One of the Corps members with her kid during the training

Corps members restate commitment to fatherland always been my dream. And being a nursing mother will not be a hindrance. In fact, my parents have shown concern, in terms of taking up that responsibility and challenge on my behalf.

“I look forward to having a wonderful experience. My community service will be the area of providing sex education to teenagers and youth because it has remained a nogo-area in our community. As nursing mother, some people might want to underrate my ability, but I want to prove that I am more than capable of the challenge Similarly, Mrs. Oni Olu-

wakemi, a graduate of Management Technology from the Lagos State University (LASU), recalled the level of discouragement she had to face following her decision to undertake the NYSC because of her pregnancy.

She added: “I want to say that when I was pregnant, several people wanted to discouraged me in my dream to serve my country, but that would not hold any water or frustrate me in anyway. My eight-month-old baby and I are in it together. She is my source of inspiration. In all, I have the support of my parents, friends and siblings.”

as part of its independent charity and corporate social responsibility announced the launch of its support initiative for the education of children who are likely to be victims of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Tagged: “The Ebola Education Support Fund,” the initiative according to the organisation, is aimed at supporting the education of Nigerian children who may have lost one or both parents to the deadly Ebola Virus Disease and therefore require financial support to continue their education.

The disease, which is regarded as a contagious and highly infectious hemorrhagic fever currently sweeping through West Africa with its fatality cases already reported in Lagos

Wike, Minister of State for Education

and Port Harcourt, the organisation said requires the support of the individuals and corporate organisations to rid the country of the disease.

According to the Foundation’s Director, Tokunboh Durosaro, the challenge that may face the families especially children of the victims of the disease could be daunting, and so part of the ways to lift their spirit would be to support them financially especially in the area of education.

She said: “We appreciate that the loss of a parent or both to EVD can be very daunting, traumatising and seriously affect the future of a child. The importance of education cannot be overemphasized and this is why Oando Foundation has launched the Ebola Education Support Fund to mitigate the effects of this tragedy. The fund will ensure that all affected children complete their education to university level, notwithstanding the loss of their parent or parents.”

She added that the support fund will provide grants to cover school fees and other education costs of all affected children from now until university graduation.

Durosaro said: “In addition to the Education Support Fund, Oando Foundation is also supporting the Ebola Containment Trust Fund to prevent further spread of the disease by donating over 5,000 protective suits, gloves, protective glasses and boot covers."

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

23

UK hikes international students’ fees US boosts international

I

nstitutions in the United Kingdom (UK) have increased their tuition fees for international students, just as the increasing capitation fees have made the UK universities and colleges less attractive.

Reports have it that there is an exponential increase in fees for international students every year, without posting prior warning, while there is a huge gap between what the students from the UK generally pay.

More than 50 percent of universities in UK charge an exorbitant amount from the international students, when a student from UK pays £9000, there is no upper cap limit for international students.

According to a report obtained from UNESCO, the amount varies as per the will of the management of the various institutions from one to the other.

The amount charged on the international students depends on courses the students undertake and the laboratory they use.

“It is always costly if the academic programme is a non-arts course,” it was gathered, even as a non-European student always ends up paying more.

Towards this end, since the government cannot subsidize and finance each and every student, there has to be an alternative way, but when most of the international students depend on scholarships, it makes the thing more complicated.

On the other hand, the increase in fees has made the institutions loose potential candidates and also the reputation remains at stake.

The rising economic crisis, led by uncontrolled inflation, coupled with annual increase in tuition fees has twisted students to the core. Even some students cannot afford to get home on vacations. The survey that was conducted in Edinburgh University reports that many international students can’t even afford buying resources necessary for their courses.

“It has also been alleged that the course fees were in-

creased just after the admission. The survey, conducted records 50 per cent respondents who were surprised to find the increase just over two weeks after their admission. The survey made a clear remark about how university authorities are being monopolized in their decision. There were online petitions filed, which led to the retraction of the original increase in fees and stabilize it with seven percent lower than the earlier amount capped,” the report added.

The university that came forward to fight against a proscribed increase in fees is University of Sussex. It is also noteworthy to mention that many students were not aware of the fact that the university can increase the fees above the rate of inflation, depending on the existing fiscal situation.

Though the campaign is picking up across the UK, but there is a speculation that the lack of interest among the stakeholders might jeopardize the brand value of the UK, affecting the overall economy in a more definite way.

education programme

Institute of InternationTthehe al Education has provided educational strata layer

for students who come from different countries to pursue higher education in the United States of America.

As per records, the figure stands to 819,644 students with a huge contribution to the country’s economy by approximately $24 billion.

A report from UNESCO said in bringing such a huge force into action, the University of Memphis is being regarded as the cause for enrolling about 565 international students either as degree seeking students or as non-degree seeking students crossing all the global disparities. There is different naming convention for nondegree students as exchange students whereas for degree seeking students it is named as international students.

Non-degree students are expected to cover their studies in one or two semesters before they move back to home, but

degree students stay for one or two academic years before returning home.

Focusing on the same, Evan M. Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs said, “International education promotes the relationship building and knowledge exchange between people and communities in the U.S. and around the world that are necessary to solve global challenges.”

As per the official records given by Johnathon Holland, the study abroad advisor of The University of Memphis, a total of 24 out of 565 global students were non-degree and the rest went for degree courses.

The Centre for International Programmes and Services based on the campus provides assistance for student enrollment to cultural adjustment.

Students work on the campus which helps them to sustain in the environment away from home to maintain their livelihood.

SCHOLARSHIPS Type

Institutions

Duration

Eligibility

Commonwealth Scholarship

UK Universities

12 months

Chevening/Southampton Partner- University of Southampton ship Award

Period

Course

Deadline

Students from Common- 300 wealth nations

2015/2016

Masters/PhD

Dec 3, 2014

12 months

Chevening-eligible coun- Not known tries

2015/2016

Masters

Nov. 15, 2014

RMIT PhD International Scholarship RMIT University Australia

3 years

International students

2015

PhD

Oct. 31, 2014

Czech Republic Govt Scholarship

Czech Republic universities

3-4 years

Adult students from de- Not known veloping Countries

2015/2016

Bachelor Mas- Sept 30, 2014 ters/PhD

HHMI International

Howard Hughes

3 years

International

2015/2016

UN Law Fellowship

Peace Palace, Hague, Neth- 6 weeks erlands

Professionals from De- 30 veloping nations

June 22- July 31, International Dec 1, 2014 2015 Law

Postgraduate Elite Scholarship

University of Birmingham, UK 3.5 years

International Students 10 (Non- EU Countries)

2015

PhD, PGD

Dec 31, 2014

Law School Taught Scholarship

University of Warwick, UK

International Students

2014

LLM

Mar. 31, 2014

Not stated

No of Awards

Not known

Not known

18

International Chemistry Scholarship University of Birmingham, UK 1 year

International Students Not known (Non- EU Countries)

2014

Under-gradu- Oct 1, 2014 ates

Winston Churchill Scholarship

US Citizens

2014

Masters/PhD

Not known

Under-gradu- Oct 1, 2014 ates

University of Cambridge, UK

12 months

International Excellence Scholarship University of Birmingham, UK Not known Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

V

ice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulGaniyuAmbali, has expressed concern over the failure of candidates in the recently released May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, where about 70 per cent of the candidates failed to obtain the required credit pass in five subjects including Mathematics and English Language.

Ambali expressed the concern at the 51st annual conference of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), hosted by the University of Ilorin, saying there is an urgent need to evolve an interactive and functional ways of teaching Mathematics so that students would naturally love it, and not dread it.

He, however, pointed out that it would be a delight of stakeholders if the failure rate in Mathematics, especially in the public examinations is reduced based on such strategies.

The Vice-Chancellor, who noted that Mathematics Edu-

14

International Students Not stated (Non-EU Counties)

Nov 11, 2014

UNILORIN VC laments failure rates in SSCE  Seeks effective teaching methods

cation is facing serious challenges, which largely account for students’ poor performance every year, explained further that the implication of this is that change is required in the patterns of teaching methodology, curriculum and assessment mode with a view to enhancing performance.

He said: “There is no other proof to show that this conference is in the national interest and not the Mathematical association alone. And, I want to commend the association for responding promptly, through this conference, to this downward trend in students' performance in Mathematics specifically and other subjects”.

Ambali, in his keynote address entitled: “Real Deal: Mathematics Education for Sustainable Development,” described Mathematics as an indispensable subject, without which no nation could contemplate progress or development.

“Mathematics is important

in shaping our everyday life and development”, he stressed, adding that the subject is critical to the survival of the world and the future generations.

The Professor of Veterinary Medicine noted that “Mathematical skills are no doubt relevant to a wide range of analytical, technological, scientific, security, political and economic applications and there is no doubt that a solid foundation in Mathematics prepares the students for other educational and professional challenges.”

Earlier, the Conference Chairman and Director-General of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja, Professor A. R. T. Solarin, had stated that Mathematics is the bedrock of life, which is a most basic requirement for all students.

While urging the teachers to remove students' phobia for Mathematics, Solarin, who was represented by the Centre’s Deputy Director, Professor Pe-

Ambali

ter Onumanyi, assured the association of NMC's continued support.

He, however announced N18 million scholarships and awards for the promotion of the study of Mathematics, as well as the distribution of several volumes of Mathematics text books to the association after the conference.

The President of the association, Professor Uche Agwagah,

also submitted that Mathematics is an indispensable knowledge, describing the subject as “the builder of modern civilization”.

Agwagah maintained that mathematical education would enhance citizens' capacity to tackle national challenges, urging members of the association to make useful contributions in the course of the conference.

24 EDUCATION Kayode Olanrewaju

I

t was a dream come true for Patience Brown, a pupil of Apapa Senior High School, Apapa, Lagos, as she was the proud winner of the 11th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary Schools.

Fifteen-year-old, Brown who was the cynosure of all eyes, led other contestants in the yearly academic contest with 68 per cent score in the first and second stage of the competition.

The Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition, an annual competition, was instituted in 2004, as part of activities to commemorate the birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo.

This year’s presentation ceremony and the 15th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture series, took place at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

Precious Nwaigwe of St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos, who scored 60 per cent in the first stage to come fourth, and 66 per cent in the second stage of the competition, came second, while Akinwande Akinboluwarin, a pupil of Greater Tomorrow International School, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State scored 63 per cent at the first stage and 65 per cent at the second stage of the competition to place third.

For coming top in the competition, Brown recieved N100,000 cash, a laptop and a plaque, while the school got three sets of Internet ready computers and a printer.

Amarachi went home with N75,000 cheque and a plaque for coming second, while the school received two Internet ready computers and a printer.

For emerging as the second runner up Akinwande, laughed home with N50,000 cheque and a plaque, while the school got one Internet ready computer.

The theme of this year’s essay is: “The Power of Your Vote: Catalyst for a Stable and United Nigeria,” while the topic for the first stage of the competition was: “The Use and Abuse of the Internet in Education.

In her report, the Chief Examiner of the essay competition, Prof. Ezigbo, expressed worry over what she described as marked decline in the overall performance of the pupils.

She lamented that after careful consideration of the over 2,000 entries assessed, “we could find a paltry four entries good enough to recommend for the second stage of the competition.”

According to her, “the students, who meet our carefully defined criteria, are usually those who have expressed an informed opinion on contemporary issues of national significance proposed by the organisers of the competition.”

The don added: “In assessing their entries, we look out for how much the students know about the issue, their capacity to express that knowledge in Standard English usage, and ability to follow tested methods of expressing knowledge acquired through observation, reading and experience.

“The quality is dwindling, sliding and nose-diving at the same time. And, we have begun to wonder about what is going on, and we discovered that the

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Experts bemoan education quality at Mike Okonkwo lecture standard of education has actually fallen. This is evidence in the level of cheating in examinations.”

More than 2,000 entries submitted and graded for assessment for this year’s competition.

Prof. Ezigbo, while calling on the educator and policy makers to brace up for the challenges of improving the system and the students to wake up from their slumber, however stressed that “the four candidates who scaled through the first stage proved their intellectual prowess in the second stage by satisfying the criteria.”

Besides, she attributed this low performance to wrong use of the Internet, poor English standard of students, poorly trained teachers.

As a way out the don suggested regular refresher courses and retraining for the teachers by the government, saying teachers that a not properly trained or educated cannot give what they do not have.

Setting the tone of the ceremony, the Chairman said the competition had been sustained in the past 11 years towards the development of the younger generation in the pursuant of academic excellence by encouraging them to cultivate the habit of effective reading and writing.

On the lecture, Prof. Obiozor said what rules the world today is idea, stressing that of all the major indices of power identified by the world’s leading philosophers, ‘idea’ constantly emerged as number one.

“Idea creates events and events make history. We are here today to celebrate the triumph of ideas,” he said describing the annual lecture series as an important part of the educational and youth initiative of Bishop Mike Okonkwo Foundation, instituted by the Bishop to engender discourse of topical issues that will move the nation forward.

While extolling the virtues of the celebrant (Bishop Okonkwo), the Chairman described him “as a man of impeccable character and disposition, whose leadership qualities traversed humanity and who is fearless in speaking out on national issues that has earned him international recognition and accolade as a man of justice and truth.”

He said this year’s theme was apt as it concerned with the fundamental issues of national socio-political stability, justice, peace, progress and unity of Nigeria.

In his lecturer, “The Power of Your Vote – Catalyst for a Stable and United Nigeria,” Oyebode said the slogan ‘One man, one vote’, being bandied by many of the false democrats would remain empty and hallow except and unless it is firmly grounded on a positive legal framework which could guarantee our elections free, fair, transparent and credible.

He said: “Celebrating the power of the vote without recognizing the imperative of a level playing ground for contestants amounts to no more than at-

 Winners of essay contest rewarded

L-R: Bishop Okonkwo; Miss Brown and Governor Fashola at the event

tempting to stage Hamlet without the Prince.”

The guest speaker, listed some of the characteristics of the nation’s elections which have made it unattractive to the electorate to include kidnapping of candidates, ballotbox snatching, overnight detention of party apparatchiks, gerrymandering, sundry acts of gangsterism and political intimidation, outright murder of opponents, late arrival or absence of polling officers and deliberate hoarding of voting materials in some selected polling units, compromised electoral officials, partisan police and other security personnel, inconclusive elections.

According to him, “all this would have to be factored into what has since come to be known as “stomach infrastructure’ or provision of commodities and other incentives by desperate

contestants out to bamboozle and exploit the poverty and hunger of the electorate.”

Oyebode, who stressed that elections needs to be seen more as a process than an event if democratic praxis in Nigeria is to be properly understood, regretted that “rigging which is said to be the bane of elections in the country, more often than not, occurs long before the day of election.

He said although there were nice noises regarding the nonnegotiability of Nigeria’s unity, if the truth must be told, Nigeria is still very much a nation in the process of becoming.

His words: “The cleavages existing among the over 400 ethnic groups and nationalities after over a century of forced co-habitation are an overhang on today’s realities such that the country is still far away from the destination of nation-building.”

To Oyebode, the heterogeneity which could have been harnessed as a veritable source of strength is today more of an encumbrance than anything else.

Meanwhile, he hinted that the ruling class has refused to take decisive steps aimed at welding our various people together in order to “move the nation forward.”

He wondered that under the present dispensation, the country has been trying to practice democracy with hardly any significant collection of convinced democrats, adding that the process had been so debased that it had since encompassed concepts such as “do or die,” “no vacancy,” and “carry go.”

Hence, he urged Nigerians not to hero-worship those in government since they supposed to be servants of the people, but should insist on good governance.

Ashafa sharpens 558 youths’ ICT skills Muritala Ayinla

N

o fewer than 558 youths have benefitted from the free monthly Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training programme being sponsored by the Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District.

Ashafa, who is the ViceChairman, Senate Committee on Housing, spoke at the graduation ceremony of participants and trainees of the 13th and 14th batch of the programme, held at the ICT Training Centre, Magodo, Lagos.

He described the initiative as part of his vision to see more Nigerian youths becoming computer literate.

According to him, some brilliant young Nigerian graduates had lost good jobs due to lack of basic computer skills, saying his decision to organise the free ICT coaching and presentation of ICT tools to the beneficiary was to make them self-reliant and prepare them for future chal-

lenges.

He said: “The spirit which has kept this programme alive stems from one of my cardinal points during the electioneering campaign– Youth Empowerment. By the grace of God, I have stood by this, empowering youths in the district. Today's event is just one out of other empowerment programmes I have embarked upon since 2011.

“It is pertinent to point out that some of the youths graduating today constitute a fair representation of the communities across Lagos East Senatorial District. This number is in addition to the 525 youths from the past 12 batches. Consequently, by the end of today, we would have graduated a total of 558 youths, with 36 of them going home with new computer systems and printers.”

He expressed satisfaction over the achievement of past beneficiaries of the programme, saying majority of them had become employers of labour, having established business centres

of their own.

He added: “It is instructive to note that feedback from past trainees indicates that our efforts have not been a waste. We can only advise that those of you graduating today should also make the best use of the training you have received here. Let me assure you that having been part of the training exercise, the benefits are beyond mere participation. You are now part and parcel of the family."

At the end of the programme, the best three students that performed excellently in each batch were rewarded with new computer systems and printers.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Miss Arawomo Itunu expressed gratitude to the lawmaker, saying the gesture had truly enhanced their capacity.

She said: “What other initiative could be better than this?

Any material gifts will one day vanish but this computer skills will forever last as long as I am alive. I will forever remember who made it possible.”

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

FUTMINNA rates FCE high ahead of others Mojeed Alabi

T

he authorities of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State, have commended the management of the Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical, Akoka, Lagos for what they described as its quality academic performance and administrative skills.

The university, which insisted that of all the institutions it shares academic relationships with in the country, none has performed better than the college. It said apart from the abundant facilities for research and training, the college has effectively put into use the facilities thereby leading to better performance of the students.

This was expressed by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Musbau Akanji, during the third matriculation ceremony of students of the institution’s degree programme in partnership with the college of education.

The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented by the institution’s Director of Collaborations, Affiliations and Linkages Unit, Prof. Ogbonya Chukwu, at the ceremony, which took place at the college, expressed delight over the conduct of the college’s workers’ unions towards the overall development of the college.

According to him, the action of the workers’ union to ensure that the degree programme continued despite the

L-R: Olusanya, Mekiliuwa, Osifeso and Bida at the matriculation ceremony

nationwide strike by the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) was a demonstration of progressive unionism.

Meanwhile, the college’s Director of Degree Programmes, Dr. Grace Osifeso, thanked the university’s representatives for the institution’s support so far, and pledged the commitment of the college towards sustaining the academic excellence the university is known for.

The Registrar of the college, who was represented

by Mallam Babajiya Bida,

assured the students and the university of the specialised institution registry department’s readiness to properly handle their documents, even as advised the students to pay up their fees on time to avoid being withdrawn from the programme.

However, the Provost of the college, Dr. Sijibomi Olusanya said the new students should count themselves lucky to have been admitted into the college, warning that their failure to live within the laws governing the students’ conduct on the campus would at-

tract severe penalties.

Olusanya, who commended the university for the partnership, pledged the commitment of his administration towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially as they relate to vocational and technical education in the country.

He, therefore, urged various stakeholders to support the nation’s drive towards advancing the technical education sector through provision of scholarships, necessary tools and the promulgation of relevant laws that ban quacks in the sector.

Commonwealth class: Teacher, pupil relive UK experience

Agboola and Mrs. Omotoso while in the UK

Mojeed Alabi

W

inners of the Commonwealth Class programme of the BBC and British Council from Idimu Junior High School, Lagos, Mrs. Abiodun Omotoso and Miss Temitope Agboola, have expressed satisfaction with their experience at the just concluded 2014 Games in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

The school, which was represented by a teacher and a pupil who won a trip to visit Glasgow as a team from Nigeria, with nine other schools from the Commonwealth countries, competed against 14 other teams. The pupils in the past five months worked on projects which gave young ones a unique, hands-on international learning experience of the Commonwealth family.

Mrs. Omotoso, who said the visit, was once in a life time experience, recalled that it taught the students creativity, international cultures of Commonwealth countries as well as the values of the Commonwealth nations.

She said: "As a teacher, I learnt the importance of ‘practical collaboration’ and how to bring out hidden talents in learners by giving them tasks

and activities that expose their creativity.

This I will take back to the classroom to enhance my teaching.

"Through the blog created by our team members, we intend to continue with our collaboration with all the other countries to ensure that we sustain the bond created by the Commonwealth Class."

Similarly, one of the pupils, Agboola said: "I had a wonderful time in Scotland; I saw Queen Elizabeth face to face. I made contributions during the live BBC debate, met students from other countries, made new friends and learnt how to play hockey at the Glasgow Green. I want to say a big thank you to the BBC, British Council and the Commonwealth Secretariat for giving me this opportunity."

According to the British Council, the initiative was meant to connect young people across the Commonwealth, and help them to share their experiences and learn about Commonwealth values.

The Communication Manager of the British Council, Omovie Desmond, said more than 100,000 schools, 300,000 teachers and 17 million young people across the Commonwealth nations have used themed learning resources to take part in BBC online debates, competitions and work on collaborative projects.

25

Offa Poly, Saudi bank partner on students exchange are underway by the Pal lans management of the FederPolytechnic, Offa, Kwara

State to enter into partnership with Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabi on exchange programmes for its members of staff and students.

The agreement towards this was reached between the Rector, Dr. Mufutau Olatinwo and Dr. Abdullateef Bello-led team during a courtesy visit of the representatives of Bank to the Rector.

Bello the Librarian and Director of Economic Research and Policy of the, Islamic Development Bank, was at the polytechnic to share the latest developments in library and information as practised overseas with the polytechnic.

In a paper, entitled: “Librarians and Library Services: Sharing the KnowledgeBased Economy in the 21st Century,” at the polytechnic, Bello urged staff members and students in the library profession to avail themselves with limitless benefits embedded in latest technologies, to improve themselves and be relevant in the profession.

He said that Library and Information Technology as a course of study, had various benefits from which practitioners could tap from.

He, however, canvassed for regular training and retraining of staff by the management in order for them to perform better and impart meaningfully on the students.

Bello, who was in the company of Mrs. Olaniyi, Branch Head, National Library, Ilorin and Mr. Abdulatef of Hiqrah Books, Ilorin and Lagos, pledged to donate international textbooks on all fields of endeavour to the polytechnic.

The team was received by the Dean, School of Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Abel Kolawole; Head of Library and Information Science Department, Mrs. Aliyu, and other members of staff.

The Bello-led team was said to have been honoured by the Vice-Chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo, Professor Bashiru Raji.

Olatinwo

26 EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

More condemnations trail OOU’s closure

Mojeed Alabi and Wale Abiodun

T

he Joint Action Front (JAF), a coalition of workers’ unions in the country, and the Ogun State chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) have condemned the closure of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, by the Ogun State Government.

The group also canvassed N50,000 as minimum school fees for the students.

In a statement made available to New Telegraph and signed by its Chairperson and Secretary, Dr. Oladipo Fashina and Comrade Abiodun Aremu respectively, JAF declared support for the demand by the university students for a further reduction in school fees to N50, 000 across board.

The statement read in part: “JAF is in total agreement with the demands by the OOU Students’ Union that the fee reduction regime announced by the Ogun State Government is too minimal to translate into any fundamental relief to the vast majority of students, who are from poor and working class families background. For instance, the medical students are still expected to pay N176, 596, while students from the Faculty of Arts would pay N81, 112. This is cruel in our society, where the minimum wage is as low as N18, 000.”

JAF also described as fraudulent the pronouncement by the state government that the new fees regime will

commence in the next academic session, saying it is a desperate attempt by the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration to hoodwink the mass of Ogun State voters ahead of the 2015 general elections.

In a similar development, the Socialist Party in the Gateway State on its part while criticizing the development, also demanded for the recall of all the students so far affected by the imposition of the new fees since its imple-

mentation by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel-led administration in the state in 2008.

The statement issued by the party and signed by its Secretary, Eko John Nicholas, urged the governor to order the reopening of the university with immediate effect, while demanding for adequate funding and management of the education sector in the state.

Nicholas said: “We hold that the attack on the mass of

students of Olabisi Onabanjo University is part of the antipoor policies of the Amosun administration in education sector in the state. For instance, the Ogun State Cooperative College in Ijeja has been abandoned to a terrible state of neglect and rot, to the extent, that the students of the college did not benefit from even the minimal reduction of the fee hike that was recently announced by the government.”

Miss Laura Obianuju Onu (middle) recently bagged First Class honours degree in Medical Engineering from University of Bradford, United Kingdom. With her are Mr. Charles Onu and his wife, Ebere at the graduation ceremony

Unity schools exams, NECO’s albatross CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

NECO allocate the same examination number to three candidates in one examination? The pupils did not have the same examination numbers for the first stage exam, why during the interview. Now, my daughter has no score, and I am sure my child could not have failed the examination. I am challenging NECO to produce the candidate’s answer scripts for the two stage exams if it is sure of what it has done,” she argued.

But, when the New Telegraph contacted Dr. Ikechukwu of NECO, Minna through SMS, he simply replied “Only qualified candidates’ scores were released, while similar text message sent to the Registrar’s phone was neither acknowledged nor replied.

However, NECO’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Lamara Garba said the Federal Ministry of Education was responsible for the release of the result and that the only role played by the examination body was to conduct the examination.

About the fees charged and other allegations trailing the conduct of the exams, Garba said the examination body followed due process and that he would call back to offer more detailed explanations on the situation.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the education

ministry were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report as several calls put through to the mobile line of the Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Education on Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu were unanswered.

A parent, Mrs. Williams, whose child also took the interview at Kuramo College, described such practice as full of irregularities and an attempt to swap the candidates' results for those who were able to pay for their children’s admission.

She recalled how she approached some of the examiners at the centre pretending she is a teacher and wanted them to assist her for her child’s admission.

Mrs. William noted: “They said I should pay N10,000 and that those who want admission for their children had earlier seen them. But, as a teacher and colleague, you can give us N5,000, if you want us to assist your child to be given admission. The situation is as bad as that.”

It would be recalled that this is not the first time NECO will be enmeshed in credibility crisis, as stakeholders had at different times alleged the examination body of incompetence and corruption.

Since the decree establishing it in 1999 was promulgated, NECO has attracted criticisms from stakeholders, who doubted its capacity to conduct reli-

They said I should pay N10,000 and that those who want admission for their children had earlier seen them able examinations that could command widespread national and international respect and acceptability.

New Telegraph learnt that high level irregularities also marred the conduct of the Common Entrance examination, during the administration of Dr. Babalola Borishade, as Education Minister, when he had to come to Kings and Queens Colleges in Lagos to intervene and resolve the irregularities While some welcomed it for its potential to offer subsidised registration fees to candidates and as an alternative to the monopoly the West African Examination Council, WAEC, was constituting; yet others queried even its legal status.

And true to their fear, the first set of examinations conducted by NECO almost proved the “doubting Thomases” right as candidates were said to have been freely offered good grades, with majority of those who were unable

to record good performance in their West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE), conducted by WAEC in the same period, recorded excellent performances in NECO exams.

Stakeholders also alleged contradictions in the conduct of the exams, as they insisted that they could not understand why tougher questions set by NECO could record better performance than those of WAEC which were regarded as average. The situation degenerated to the extent that many higher institutions initially declined to accept NECO results for admissions from applicants. It took the intervention of the Federal Government for the impasse to be resolved.

However, within about three years of existence, performing excellently well in NECO soon became a difficult task; the development many regarded as inconsistency on the part of the examination body.

As part of the many crises that rocked the council, its staff had in 2012 alleged the management of misappropriation of funds and non-remittance of taxes deducted from their salaries. They had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Head of Service of the Federation, demanding for comprehensive audit of the body’s account.

Nnaji to deliver TREM’s 12th lecture ormer Minister of Power and FPower Chairman/CEO Geometric Limited, Professor

Barth Nnaji, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s edition of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Breeding Leaders for Empowerment and National Transformation (BLENT).

The event, billed for Sunday September 21 and which is the 12th edition in its series, has Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of TREM as chief host.

BLENT is part of the TREM’s corporate social responsibility programmes, which its objective is primarily to support the initiatives of the government at all levels and also provide a platform to positively challenge the leaders of the country to rise up to responsive governance which is the hallmark of true leadership.

The theme for this year’s edition is: “The State of the Nigerian Power Sector: Issues, Alternative and Prospects.”

Past keynote speakers of the programme include: Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, whose paper was: “Education Development in Nigeria;” Dr. Philip Bassey of World Health Organisation (Health Care Delivery); Prof. Yemi Osibanjo (The Role of the Judiciary and the Church in National Transformation); Mr. Marvel Apoyinbo, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police (The Role of the Church and Security Agencies in Curbing Crime); Prof.

Pat Utomi (Rebranding Nigeria or Fixing the People); Mr. George Osahan, former Group General Manager, NNPC (Global Recession: Impact on Oil and Gas Sector); while the Late Mrs. Amaka Igwe, who spoke on entertainment spoke on: “Transforming the Nation through Entertainment.”

A statement by the organisers of the event and which was made to the New Telegraph said the 10th edition of BLENT focused on the Sports with the theme: “Repositioning Nigerian Sports,” was delivered

by Churchill Oliseh, Chioma Ajunwa Oparah and Sam Ahmedu as speakers.

The statement added that the theme of the 11th edition of the programme which focused on the manufacturing sector had as theme: “Nigeria: From a Consumption to a Production Oriented Economy,” with Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa as the keynote speaker.

This year’s edition will avail stakeholders and corporate organisations in the power sector the opportunity to exhibit their products at the venue of the programme.

Nnaji

CAMPUS | EDUCATION 27

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Poly's ENACTUS team shines at competition

UNIZIK alumni to build resource centre Emeka Onwudinjo UNIZIK

T

Ifedi, ENACTUS Niger

he Federal Polytechnic Offa TAction chapter of the Entrepreneur Us (ENACTUS) Team

has won the recently concluded “Entrepreneur National Competition 2014” held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos between July 15 and 18.

Presenting the team’s award to the Deputy Rector (Administration), Dr. Ayodele Olaosebikan, she commended the students for doing the polytechnic proud and for shone brightest in the competition.

While urging members of the polytechnic team to do more for the institution, she congratulated the team for its outstanding performance in the competition.

The award was in recognition of the Deputy Rector’s supportive roles in developing and building the young entrepreneurs.

For her contributions to the activities of the team, the Deputy Rector was bestowed with the Award for Excellence by the ENACTUS Team.

The leader of the team, Kolawole Oluwatosin Franklyn, a HND II student of Electrical Electronic Engineering, said that part of the team’s goal was to create ideas and build on it; connect the academic world with the real world and to ensure that students were involved in one vocational skills or the other in order to make them job creator and selfreliant.

He recalled that the team had won several awards which include the V-connect InterTechnological Award; the Best Entrepreneur Institution Award, even as he added that the year 2011 witnessed a breakthrough in the team’s achievements when the team invented a Mechanically Card Assessed Door - a door that uses card.

With this invention, the polytechnic team was able to win the best technological institution award.

As part of the team’s vision to uphold academic excellence, the organisation is planning to begin a version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” a brain teasing educative programme on campus.

He said this would allow the students to know more about happenings around them, stressing that membership of the organisation is not limited to the students alone, but also to staff members who are interested in the organisation and its activities.

he management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka has spoken of plans to build a befitting alumni resource centre for effective networking and mobilization of human and material resources of old strudents in order to reposition the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Joseph Ahaneku disclosed this in Awka, while receiving a delegation from the Awka chapter of the university's Alumni Association, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Ahaneku, who described

the university as one of the legacies of the hero of Nigerian Independence struggle, and the late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, called on people and government of South East geo-political zone to come to the need of the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor also urged members of the alumni association to be more visible in the activities of the institution, saying the management was set to partner its former students who are genuinely interested in working for the progress of the university.

In his remarks, the branch Chairman of the association, Mr. Bona Oraekwe noted that university education system

would greatly improve, if university authorities could develop strategic plans of incorporating alumni associations into the management of the institutions.

Oraekwe expressed regrets that most universities in the country concentrate efforts in building international linkages with institutions and individuals abroad, while neglecting their own products that have excelled in various fields of endeavour.

He, therefore, charged authorities of universities to engage in proper networking and mobilization of resources from former students towards the development of their institutions, while

expressing hope that such persons would be more committed to the development of their alma-mata.

Also, an alumnus of the institution, Prof Emeka Ezeonu eulogised the ViceChancellor for organising a successful Post-UTME screening exercise devoid of any form of malpractice.

According to Ezeonu, the screening exercise was the first major assignment which the Vice-Chancellor since assumption of office, would carry out.

He urged the present administration to sustain the effort towards transforming the university to enable it take its place of pride in the nation's education system.

Prof. Joseph Ahaneku (2nd right) and Dr. Dunu HOD Mass Comm. (2nd left) arriving to an event on campus recently.

Adewole urges students to embrace agric, education courses Abraham Oladipupo UI

U

niversity of Ibadan (UI) Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Isaac Adewole has explained why the authorities of the university offered scholarships to the best six students in its Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME).

The Vice-Chancellor, while announcing scholarship awards for the six candidates last week, he said the scholarship would go a long way in encouraging the students to work hard and excel in their studies.

According to the ViceChancellor, the scholarship will also cover the students’ accommodation fees.

The six candidates, who scored between 90 and 88 per cent include Animashaun Olukayode Daniel, Ajari Erioghene Esther, Oteri Efeturi Deta,, Ojo Olawale Oluwadamilare, Omitoyin Oluwaferanmi and Aremu Mathew Oluwadamilola.

Adewole

He said: “These are bright candidates and so we do not expect them to fail. We want to assure the students that the university will offer them the best facilities that could be found in any university in the country and beyond.”

Animashaun, the overall best candidates scored 90 per cent, while the five other candidates scored 88 per cent in the screening exercise respectively.

No fewer than 8,844 candi-

dates registered for the postUTME, out of whom 6,257 scored 50 per cent and above, while 236 candidates did not show up for the examination.

He said 2,351 candidates who scored below 50 per cent and could not meet the minimum requirement for entry into any of the courses in the university were not admitted.

The Vice-Chancellor noted: “If a candidate fails to score 50 per cent, he or she is not going to be considered for admission, and hence the 2,351 candidates failed the examination.”

Adewole, who stressed that the university is concerned about the quality of its postUTME test, added that the institution admitted more females than male students at a ratio of 45 to 55.

While lamenting poor subscription for education and agricultural courses in universities, the Vice-Chancellor appealed to the government at all levels to put in place measures and strategies that would encourage students to

apply for agriculture and education courses.

He said: “The government at all levels as well as parents and guardians must encourage students and their children to study agriculture and education courses in the overall interest of national development” Majority of parents come here to plead that their children and wards want to study medicine, law and engineering, and other ‘elite courses’. But such trend could be counter-productive, as all sectors of the economy should be given proper recognition and attention.”

It was gathered that since Professor Adewole assumed office, his administration has continued to offer postgraduate scholarship to graduates with First Class Honours to enhance quality tuition as well as encouraged such graduates to teach in the university.

This he said is to encourage young academics to stay in the system and contribute to research and learning.

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

OKOPOLY French Club inaugurates officers Emeka Onwudinjo and Nnachi Bright, OKOPOLY

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he French Club International, Federal Polytechnic, Oko chapter has inaugurated its newly elected members of executive to steer the affairs of the club for the next one year.

The event, which took place at the institution's Convocation Arena, was attended by students from other departments and past executive members of the club.

Welcoming guests to the event, the outgoing President of the club, Chukwudumeje Philip Ugochukwu expressed gratitude to members of the association and thanked Almighty God for His divine favour towards the success of his administration, and successful completion of

UI rusticates 13 students Abraham Oladipupo, UI o fewer than 13 students of Nbeen the University of Ibadan have rusticated by the authori-

ties of the institution for various offences ranging from gross misconduct, unauthorised possession to examination-related offences and assault on other students and members of staff.

The students are from the Departments of Geography, Physics, Computer Science, Zoology, Veterinary Medicine, Agronomy, CPEB, Sociology, Pharmacy, Theatre Arts and Faculty of Law. The decision to rusticate the students was taken by the university’s Central Students Disciplinary Committee (CSDC) at its meeting which took place on August, 13 after a thorough investigation of all the effected students.

However, one of the students was rusticated for four semesters, 12 others were rusticated for two semesters, while the case of one of them was stepped down for further investigation, and one of the students was reprimanded.

his tenure.

He said:"Leadership is not an easy task, but I thank God, Who made us succeed despite all odds and in the thick and thin.

Today, this induction is marking the 16th anniversary of this noble association. At times it may be a very difficult task to relinquish the power, and have to hand it over the power you have so much vested to another person, but as God will have it, I do not have a second term ambition, so I am glad today to hand over to my successor. My prayer for him is that the Almighty God will guide them right so that they will surpass our achievements and as well take the club to greater heights.

"The French Club, which is 16 years old today, since it is establishment at the polytechnic, has strived so much to actualise its goals and objectives, which among others is to educate and train members how to read, write and speak French accurately, especially now that the

French Language has become the second official language in the world".

Chukwudumeje, who recalled some of the challenges in making the aim of the club come to reality, added: "Our noble club lacks the necessary learning aids, such as books, DVD machine and television to enable students to learn how to speak French very well without phonological interference".

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Monsieur Onyeanuna Emmanuel, a member of staff of the Alliance Francais, Enugu office, stressed the need for the new leaders and members of the club to develop enduring spirit with which to enable them move the forward the club, urged the members of the French Club and other well-wishers of the association to give the new president and his team the needed support to move the club forward.

In his acceptance speech, the new president, Abuchi Umeh,

thanked members of the association for the confidence reposed in him by voting him to power and the opportunity accorded him to serve the club, just as he promised never to relent on his oars in providing them selfless services that will take the club to its loftier heights.

He further thanked God for His favour and honour bestowed on him by members of the club, as well as for the successful event, saying: "My joy knows no bound for this honour you all have bestowed on me today, and with great humility and love I welcome each and every one of you to this event. I must say this task is not an easy one as it came at a time I consider myself not qualified to handle such a demanding office.”

The highlights of the event were the presentation of certificates to the outgoing executive members, and the newly inducted members, as well as decoration of MR and MISS Paris, and launching of EIFFEL Tower.

Cross section photograph of the paticipants during the conference

African students' conference ends in South Africa tomorrow Oluwafemi Ogunjobi gathering of students Toushe and youths from variAfrican nations who

in the last few days have gathered in South Africa to deliberate on creative ways of transforming the continent will be rounding off the programme tomorrow, September 11.

The conference, which is tagged Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA), has been holding at the popular Cape Town Business School, South Africa. The event is sponsored by Africanliberty. org, Atlas Network and INENG- Independent Entrepreneurship Group, a nonprofit association created to promote entrepreneurship and economic development in Africa.

According to INENG, the reason for the sponsorship of the programme was to achieve the goal of discovering potentials in the continent's youths and instilling discipline in them by serving as a resource through interacting with thinkers and commentators in many countries and across many disciplines from "our base in Cape Town, South Africa."

As a group, the participants are expected to develop initiatives on education, advocacy and networking, and appraise proper ways of implementing their recommendations.

Participants were selected based on the quality of essays submitted to the organisers which focused on the theme of the conference, that is, building an army of young Nigerians desirous of changing the status quo ante.

Ajasin varsity sensitises community on how to prevent Ebola disease

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s part of efforts to curtail the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the management of the Adekunle Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko (AAUA), Ondo State, last week held a one-day public sensitisation programme for members of the university community.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, who chaired the programme, sought a concerted effort from members of the university community to prevent the life-threatening disease on campus.

He said: "EVD is a threat to our collective existence. It, therefore, requires collective and concerted efforts to curtail its spread to our university and the state in general. As a university, we believe in the maxim, prevention is better than cure.

This informs the reason for this sensitization programme.

I would like to assure you that management will do everything within its powers to support efforts at making our campus

Ebola free."

According to him, the Ebola sensitization programme, which was conceived by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko, was organised to contribute to the on-going sensitization and containment efforts of the Federal Government, and to educate the university community on the preventive measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the university and, by extension, the state.

Ajayi, however, saluted the vision of Prof. Mimiko for initiating the forum as a medium geared towards taking proactive measures that would prevent the outbreak of Ebola disease and further engendering a conducive environment in the university.

He also lauded the leadership and members of staff of the university Health Services for taking the bull by the horns by organising the programme, even as he thanked the guest speakers for the stimulating lecture.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor enjoined the Health Services unit to package and implement the outcome of the programme, constantly review the university's status and design workable strategies to ensure that the university is on top of the situation from time to time.

While welcoming guests to the event, the Acting Director of the Health Services, Dr. Grace Ajayi, thanked the ViceChancellor for showing interest in curtailing the spread of the disease in the university community.

She said the Vice-Chancellor had approved the purchase of hand sanitizers, infrared thermometers and other equipment that will prevent the outbreak of the disease on campus.

In a related development One of the guest speakers, and a Consultant, Public Health Physician at the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Dr. Stephen Fagbemi said the United States of America and the United Kingdom are working on curable vac-

Prof. Mimiko

cines for Ebola, saying that the drugs being used to combat the life-threatening disease are mere experimental drugs.

Fagbemi, who spoke on “Public Health Significance of Ebola Virus Disease: Lessons to Learn by a University Community,” said: "There is no standard treatment for Ebola yet, but only supportive treatment. There is supportive care if patients come quickly to hospital. Our hope and prayer is on the two

vaccines that are currently on trial in UK and USA. And the Zmapp is just an experimental drug being used now as a trial drug in a few cases."

He explained that the primary hosts of EVD are fruit bats, while other carriers of the disease include monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas and antelopes, among others.

Fagbemi noted: "Transmission into humans first occurred from contact with infected animals. Ebola is then transmitted through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals - dead body, raw meat.

"Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Indirect transmission occurs through contact with environments contaminated with such fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen, or used needles and other sharp object.”

CAMPUS | EDUCATION 29

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Researchers pledge to advance economic use of ceramics Mojeed Alabi

Ceramic Researchers AsTAN)hesociation of Nigeria (CeRhas spoken of plans to

collaborate with other sectors of the economy to promote advanced research works on the improved use of ceramics in the country.

The association rose from its annual conference at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). The guest speaker and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Prof. Abdullai Umar, spoke on the topic: “Advancing the Practice of Ceramics in Nigeria in the Face of Advances in Science and Technology: We Sink or We Swim.” He said; “For us to advance ceramics into all human endeavours so as to remain globally relevant, we need collaboration.

As an association and professionals we need to collaborate with others so that when the need arises, we will not be left out. We should not remain at the rudiment, but take a leap from where we are to get to the peak. To achieve this, interdisciplinary collaboration is very important.”

In his address, the National

Daramola

President of the association and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Development at FUTA, Prof. Tolulope Akinbogun said because of the relevance of ceramics to all human endeavours, there is the need to expand the curricula of ceramics in the Nigerian universities to cater for all aspects of its applications, including the sciences and engineering dimensions.

“Ceramics touches almost every aspect of human lives.

It is found in the field of sciences, engineering and arts with its application in modern time too numerous to mention.

Because of its importance, as professionals, we need to collaborate interdepartmentally.

This will be a melting point where we can share ideas to develop positively,” he added.

Declaring the conference open, Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola called for strategic partnership and synergy between CeRAN, and allied professional associations, as well as institutions including FUTA “because ceramics development requires articulate and highly resourceful experts to drive it.”

Daramola added; “Turning earthly materials into wealth, which ceramics is, is one area which we are yet to fully explore and maximize. Our teeming unemployed youths can make great fortunes by using ceramic materials to make artistic objects and tableware, as well as making industrial and technical products from such natural earthly endowments.”

At the conference, a doyen of ceramics education and founding member of CeRAN, Professor Abbas Mogaji Ahuwan and Michael O Brien, a British Potter were honoured for their contributions to ceramic development in the country.

Okonta becomes deputy rector new Deputy Rector in charge books, as well as paper presenAbeen of Academic Matters has tations at various conferences named for the Federal and seminars.

Polytechnic, Offa (FEDPOFFA), Kwara State.

He is Dr. Anthony Dumebi Okonta.

Okonta's whose appointment was ratified by the management of the polytechnic, has since taken effect from July.

A Chief Lecturer at the Science Laboratory Technology Department, Okonta is a 1974 graduate of Physics and obtained his Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 1982 and M.Sc Applied Geophysics in 1991 from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

He is a holder of Post Graduate Diploma in Education, which he obtained in 2002, and PhD in Technology Department in 2005.

Okonta is an active member of several professional associations including Science Teachers Association of Nigeria; Nigerian Institute of Physics; Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society and Nigerian Institute of Management, among others.

He also has contributions in several research journals and

The new Deputy Rector, during an interactive session, promised to contribute immensely towards the growth of the polytechnic.

Meanwhile, Okonta advised the students to learn one or two vocational skills as the situation in the country today calls for every individual to learn to be self-reliant and independent.

He said that the Federal Government’s policy on Entrepreneur skills is good development, which according to him, would go a long way in reducing joblessness in the country.

He, however, urged the Federal Government to convert the existing Federal Government Colleges in the country to Technical Colleges, saying this would exposed the students to various technical and vocational skills.

Okonta, who joined the polytechnic in 1996, enjoined members of staff and students to live harmoniously as this is the only way in which they could collectively move the system forward.

Don expresses fear over extinction of library study

L-R: Mrs. Olanlokun, Aina and Adeyemi at the lecture

Shadrack Yusuf

A

Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Lenrie Aina, has said that the current practice of librarianship in the country is a sure journey of extinction of the profession.

This was part of his views last week at the eighth Jire Olanlokun Memorial lecture, held at the Julius Berger Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, where members of the academic community and librarians gathered to celebrate one of their own, the late Dr. Jire Olanlokun.

Aina, extolled the virtue of the late Olanlokun, describing him as one of the most distinguished university librarians Nigeria has ever produced, even as he charged other librarians to sustain the legacy the deceased left behind.

His words: “Olanlokun did

not only serve Nigeria but indeed West Africa, hence, he should be immortalised. It is unfortunate that we have not been able to function effectively since he departed. The major stakeholders in the library system, which include the Nigerian Library Association and Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), have been found wanting in ensuring that libraries remain relevant in the country, principally because of lack of a council. So, the government and other professional bodies must ensure that libraries are well funded so that the profession could be practised effectively in which practitioner would be able to serve the users appropriately.”

However, the Vice-Chancellor of the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, who chaired the lecture, urged students of tertiary institutions to awaken the dying reading cul-

ture in order to build a bright future.

He also admonished participants to create awareness by exploring the world of communication and technology.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the host university, Prof. Rahman Bello, represented by the Registrar, Dr. Folashade Ipaye, while speaking, encouraged the participants never to give in to sorrow, even as she stressed the need to embrace the indelible mark the deceased made before departing.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Jire Olanlokun Education Foundation (JOEF), Dr. Taofiq Salisu said the annual lecture was part of the efforts by the organisation to recognise the tremendous contributions of the deceased, while advocating for the adoption of new technologies in the area of Library Science so as to avoid the impending extinction.

NANS tasks govt over funding of education Faith Olaniran FUTMinna

F

ormer Vice-President External Affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and now the Chairman of Northern Students Forum, Adamu Kabir Matazu, has reiterated the need for NANS to mount pressure on the government at all levels to ensure better funding of education.

He disclosed this while reacting to issues of national interest, where he faulted the stand of the Convention planning Committee to Postpone the NANS convention.

According to him, there was no genuine reason for the committee to postpone the convention.

While reacting to the spread of the Ebola virus, Adamu said; "The Ebola virus is a serious health challenge, but we all know that going by me-

Matazu

dia reports its spread has not become a phenomenon in the country yet because there have been containment strategies put in place by the government including isolation and quarantine centres for suspected cases."

As the 2015 general elec-

tions draw nearer, Adamu said the role of the Nigerian students in the election could not be over emphasized, as they remain a critical factor in the nation's elections process.

His words: "As the 2015 general election approaches I call on all Nigerian students to unite for a collective purpose of redirecting the success of the Nigerian state, students should join forces in an effort to bring down the mightiest walls of oppression and injustice in our society. We should reject the temptation of desperate politicians who use crude policy and strategy of divide and rule tactics aimed at advancing their ill-plotted agenda.

I also call on students to be vigilant and never lose hope in the Nigeria state as success is in sight. Only when this has been done that the idea of peace and progress could be fully realize.”

30

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)  Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin

Ambush for English anguish

W The pupils with their Singaporean counterparts during the exchange programme in Singapore.

Grace School pupils return from Singapore exchange programme

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etermined to produce graduates who are welltrained to make meaningful contribution towards the advancement of the country and the society at the large, the management of Grace High School, Gbagada, Lagos has sponsored some pupils to Singapore on exchange programme.

The initiative is in furtherance of the school’s belief that only well-groomed students that could understand the dynamics of the modern world and make impact in the society.

Speaking on arrival of the pupils from the two-week exchange programme, the School Administrator, Mrs. Tokunbo Edun, said the school has therefore taken it upon itself to ensure that its products are well exposed in line with global best practices.

She explained that education has gone beyond rudimentary ability to read and write but to produce complete personalities who could make positive impact and turn the society around for good.

Mrs. Edun noted: “Our students can only achieve much if they interact with the best from other climes. At Grace High School, we understand that the world is now a global village and therefore prepare our students to have global outlook, which is one of the reasons for our international exchange programme with top schools across the globe.

“We were in Singapore because this is a country that at a time was on the same level of development with Nigeria, but has since made giant strides that has placed it in the league of developed nations of the world. Our thinking for this exchange programme with a top school in Singapore is that our students can learn from the pragmatic educational system that has produced best brains that turned around the fortunes of Singapore from developing to a developed nation. Our belief is that if Nigeria must attain its lofty vision of joining the league of developed economies in the nearest future, then its young minds must not be push-

overs.”

Mrs. Edun explained that the exchange programme is designed to challenge the pupils to be the possible best they can, particularly because of the school’s belief that a society is a reflection of its education system.

She hinted: “In a way the exchange programme is another way of Grace School giving back to the pupils and society.

We want to be socially responsible hence our pragmatic approach to learning and impacting the society positively. Every child needs to be encouraged and supported, which informed the school’s policy of annual scholarship for indigent students. Beyond the scholarship, we also support public schools within our environment with the provision of some infrastructural facilities including chairs, tables, used computers, library textbooks, as well as in sporting activities. We don’t want to be taken in with Grace School alone. Our outlook is broader and this is for the good of the society”.

Etisalat’s summer camp for kids lauded Mojeed Alabi

P

arents of pupils who participated in the summer camp organised by one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunication companies, Etisalat, have commended the firm for engaging their wards in innovative skills training and talent exhibition during the break.

The initiative, which is tagged Cliqlite, according to the company, is in its maiden edition designed to make learning fun, and to improve the education of children between the age of eight and 15. It added that the programme was also aimed at building a community of school pupils who will live together and learn together while also not leaving out the opportunities of catching fun.

One of the parents, whose children participated in the programme, Mr James Akande, said the initiative was of international standards.

“Prior to Camp HYPE, my

children and I had this on-going debate about whether summer holidays should be spent abroad. Their strongest argument was that most summer activities in Nigeria were boring. Camp HYPE has become a game changer.”

Also, Mr. Kolawole expressed satisfaction over the impact of the camp on his children, saying: “I spent two full days listening to stories of my children’s experience at Camp HYPE. It is clear that they thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, they are planning for next year.”

The Etisalat Nigeria Youth Segment Manager, Idiareno Atimomo, reiterated the firm’s interest in collaborating with the nation’s youth and facilitating their sustainable and enjoyable learning experience.

He said; “We decided to sponsor this edition of the summer camp for children because it provides an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate the values of the Cliqlite brand.

Camp HYPE is designed to

engage children during the holiday and help them develop life skills. The programme shares the same objectives with Cliqlite which is to nurture, educate, and motivate children through exciting and memorable initiatives.

“It also offers a 7 inch android tablet which comes preloaded with school curriculum text books, JAMB, SSCE and IGCSE past questions as well as educational applications and games. The tablet also has a Norton parental control application which enables parents to monitor online activities of their children.”

The camp, which held at a highly secured location in Lagos, lasted for two weeks and in which the children engaged in various activities. These include a four-day boot camp, indoor and outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, photography and horse riding lessons, life skills programmes, treasure hunt, and musical performance

by Hiphop Artiste, Reminisce.

orried by the poor performance of candidates in the twin subjects of English Language and Mathematics in the recent West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations conducted in May/June this year, two conferences held simultaneously last week at two fast-growing Nigerian universities.

While the University of Ilorin hosted the 51st Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), themed “Mathematics Education for Sustainable Development” between August 31 and September 5, Bayero University, Kano, hosted the 30th Annual Conference of the Nigeria English Studies Association (NESA), themed “English Studies and the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria”, between September 1 and 4.

Though the latter conference in Kano appears on the surface to thematise or focus on higher education, one major discourse that dominated the event was the need to lay a good ambush for the anguish that many students undergo whenever their results in the subject of English Language is released. This need partly informed the workshop organised for the English teachers and the holistic approach adopted at the workshop to address the rot that has characterised the critical subject.

It was interesting to note that scholars, who included the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, himself a foremost Professor of English; Prof. Munzali Jibril, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission; former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Ben Elugbe; and the President of NESA, Prof.

Wale Adegbite, among other luminous lights of English Studies in Nigeria, came to the conclusion that implementing the policy that strengthens the indigenous languages is partly the way out of the anguish of candidates.

The observation is that more and more Nigerian parents and schools introduce English only to their children and pupils at the expense of the Nigerian languages. Many nursery and primary schools, both private and public, undermine the policy of teaching pupils in the language of their immediate environment in the early years of primary education all in a bid to learn English better.

However, the unexpected result is the case as Nigerians witness double jeopardy. Students continue to fail English at an alarming rate while their competence in their native languages is also nose-diving as they have been alienated from their own languages by the system.

It is against the backdrop of the foregoing analysis that the Association presented at the conference “A Dictionary of Nigerian English”, which

However, the unexpected result is the case as Nigerians witness double jeopardy Prof. Ulrike Gut of the University of Munster, Germany, lauds as “the most comprehensive dictionary of Nigerian English to date, comprising roughly 2,000 words that are peculiar to Nigerian English and that distinguish Nigerian English from other varieties of English.” The dictionary serves to document peculiar Nigerian English usage.

Then, it was resolved that Nigerians cannot perform well in English ultimately if adequate attention is not given to our indigenous languages. This informed the recommendations of the Conference, as presented in the communiqué issued last Wednesday that: Students, teachers, parents, Governments and other stakeholders pay serious attention to education as the bedrock of development and cooperate more through increased seriousness with studies, effective teaching, positive moral support and better funding and policy implementation to address the misfortunes of English language education specifically and education generally in Nigeria; As languages are the pedigrees of nations, the Federal Government should as a matter of national interest set the machinery in motion for the formulation of a national language policy; The three major languages constitutionally recognized should be declared national languages and efforts should be made to develop other major Nigerian languages in order to preserve national heritage and prevent them from dying; Schools that do not implement the policy of teaching the native languages of the immediate environment in the early stage of primary education should be sanctioned; The Federal Government should emulate the colonial government by developing the orthographies of selected Nigerian languages and promote the developed ones in all areas of national life; As English remains the official language and lingua franca of Nigeria, all levels of government should promote proficiency in it through the sponsorship of English students and teachers as well as giving them international exposure in order to enhance their communicative proficiency and thereby learn and teach better; Though the existence of Nigerian English is undeniable, the standard variety should always be adopted for teaching, research and learning purposes.

BUSINESS Wednesday, September 10, 2014

What's news HY results: GTBank, Zenith, Access lead Tier 1 lenders Despite the harsh and slippery environment under which Nigeria’s Tier -1 bank operated, the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc with 26.63 per cent of the return on average equity (RoAE) emerged as the fairest of all tier -1 banks in the country during the first half of the year, Cordross Capital said.

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‘Graduates of ITF skills centres are world class' Graduates of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC) are capable of competing with their counterparts anywhere in the world, director general of ITF, Dr. Juliet ChukkasOnaeko, has affirmed.

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Ibaka Seaport may not be ready by 2015 There are indications that the government of Akwa Ibom State may not fulfil its dream of constructing a deep seaport before May 2015 as assured by its governor, Mr Godswill Akpabio.

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NRC, others to lift petroleum products, containers The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) have begun talks with tank farm operators and port concessionaires in Apapa Port to freight their containers and other bulk cargoes to the northern part of the country.

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BUSINESS CREW AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) Simeon Ogoegbulem, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) Godson ikoro , Asst. Editor (Money Market) DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor

KUNLE AZEEZ, Senior Correspondent Chuks Onuanyin, Energy Nnamdi Amadi, Reporter JOHNSON ADEBAYO, Asst. Production Editor

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

The odds against equity market }p-36

ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

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

12 underwriters pay N.4bn claims as death benefits REDEMPTION Policyholders who kept fate with their insurance firms have gotten their benefits Sunday Ojeme

million; Equity Assurance Plc -N17.00 million; Fin -N3.7 million and NEM -N8.2 million.

Others are Royal Exchange Plc - N3.5 million; Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc - N71.3 million and Unity Kapital N3.5 million.

According to the details, AIICO paid its claims to Philip Oil Company Nigeria Limited

on June 12, while Consolidated Hallmark did same for Emerging Market Telecoms Services Limited and British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited. Continental Re, which is one of the two reinsurers in the country, made its claims payment to the United States Military HIV Research Programme and Nigeria LNG Limited.

In the same vein, Custodian & Allied paid some claims to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc as well as Nigeria LNG Limited.

On its part, Equity Assurance paid claims to four institutions including Nigeria LNG Limited, Crunchies Fried Chicken, University of Lagos (main CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

F

ollowing the successful reconciliation of their policy documents with their insurers, families and corporate organisations of dead policyholders have been paid over N453 million claims as death benefits under the General Accident Claims of N3.5 million and above for the year 2012.

A document obtained by New Telegraph from the Nigerian Insurer Association, revealed that Leadway Assurance Plc led the underwriters with over N135 million followed by Zenith Insurance Company Limited with over N101 million.

Further breakdown showed that AIICO Insurance Plc paid out over N44 million, Consolidated Hallmark Plc - N13.12 million; Continental Reinsurance - N38.67 million; Custodian & Allied Insurance - N11.92

FLEECING African countries lost about $76.9 billion through illicit financial flows

Bayo Akomolafe

N

igeria and some developing countries lose about $1 trillion yearly to corruption perpetrated by their governments in collaboration with secret Shell companies, a research by an advocacy group, ONE Africa has revealed.

The report titled: “The Trillion Dollar Scandal,” launched

CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor Abdulwahab Isa, Finance Editor

31

L-R: Senior Manager, Accenture, Mr Tunde Adebola; Chief Executive Officer, Peace Tiding Venture (PTV) Limited, Mr Banji Adesanmi and Chief Consulting Officer, Mr Patrick Egbulife, during the maiden Franchise Conference organised by PTV held in Lagos.

Nigeria, others lose $1trn yearly to corruption —Report ahead of the G20 summit billed for November, estimated that about 3.6 million deaths as a result of poverty, hunger and disease could have been prevented each year in the world’s poorest countries if concrete actions were taken to end the secrecy allowing corruption and criminality to thrive.

It noted that African countries alone lost about $76.9 billion (over N12.304 trillion) through illicit financial flows

in 2011.

The research also revealed that in 2013 alone, about $20 trillion (about N3,200 trillion) of global undeclared assets were held in offshore tax havens, with about $3.2 trillion (about N512 trillion) of that originating from developing countries.

Highlighting the role of anonymous Shell companies in corruption scandals, the report recalled the controversial

selling off of oil fields in Nigeria in 2011 by Shell and Eni subsidiary companies, which paid $1.1 billion to the Federal Government for an offshore oil block estimated to hold reserves in excess of nine billion barrels.

The Nigerian government transferred the amount to an account in the name of Malabu Oil & Gas, a phantom firm CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Sept 05)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N168 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . . 11.57% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N290 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N228 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $39.65bn as at 4/09/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at Sept 05)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N156.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N255.32 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N202.76 Source: CBN

32 business | NEWS BEST GTBank emerged the fairest of all tier -1 banks in the country Godson Ikoro

D

espite the harsh and slippery environment under which Nigeria’s Tier -1 bank operated, the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc with 26.63 percent of the return on average equity (RoAE, ) emerged as the fairest of all tier -1 banks in the country, during the first half of the year, Cordross Capital has said.

In their review of the operations of the tier-1 capital deposit banks in the country, researchers at the Cordross Capital said that relying on the return on average equity (RoAE), which was a simplified and balanced way of looking at performance, GTbank out-performed others.

“In absolute terms, Guaranty again was unmatched return-wise as its annualised RoAE stood at 26.63 per cent in the first half of the year, way above the tier-1 average of 19.84 per cent” the researchers said in the paper titled “Who is the fairest of them all ?”

However, Cordross said: Access Bank ( in our view) was the fairest of them all during the period when looking at relative RoAE performance.

Although Access’s RoAE was 18.33 per cent and below the peer average, the lender posted a 339bps absolute increase from FY-13 level, with only FBNH also managing to record an increase (60bps) during the same period.

They argued that the Access Bank’s return was boosted by significant loan book growth, income streams from previously booked loans, reduction in funding cost through greater emphasis on retail, SME banking, and better management of OPEX. Also considering profitability among tier-1 banks

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

HY results: GTBank, Zenith, Access lead Tier 1 lenders in H1-2014, Cordros said that Access Bank was down on average as operating income growth slowed relative to OPEX growth. The average operating income was up 7.69 per cent y/y in H1-201 It said that average net interest income (NII) was up 7.50 per cent y/y while average non-interest income (non-II) was up 10 per cent y/y, adding that although this growth was to a large extent driven by a significant outperformance

by Access; operating income jumped 22.31per cent y/y.

While excluding Access, operating income growth slumped to about four per cent y/y, the average tier-1 bank PBT and PAT declined y/y by 3.22 per cent and 5.79 per cent respectively, with only Zenith and Access recording bottom line growth.

According to the analysts, Zenith was able to post a y/y increase in profitability despite a marginal decline in NII. Strong non-interest income growth on the back of gains on financial instruments, increased credit-related and FX income supported the bottom line.

However, it was interesting to note the weak y/y PBT growth and relatively modest y/y PAT growth reported by Access in spite of the sharp growth in operating income and marginal OPEX growth.

This development was a function of the significant writeback in H1-2013, which supported very weak underlying performance during the period and created an artificially high base effect for H1-2014 comparison.

If we strip out the writeback in H1-2013 and assume zero impairment during the same period, H1-2014 PBT

would have surged by 44per cent y/y.

On OPEX, Cordros said tier-1 banks have largely overcome challenges linked to the increase in the AMCON levy from 0.3 percent to 0.5per cent of total assets judging by the single digit average y/y OPEX growth of 8.68percent.

More impressive was the fact that cost-to-income ratio (CIR) actually declined y/y

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

campus), and JMG Nigeria Limited.

While Fin paid its claims to Loyola Jesuit College, Leadway paid its to the Nigeria Police Force, Medexia Limited, Ruqaiyat Ahmed, Mr, Murtala Adamu, Mr. hauwa Haruna, Arzika Yabo, Usman Mahmud and a host of others. NEM and Royal Exchange claims were paid to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and National Assembly respectively.

Other claims recipients from Sovereign Trust were Philips Oil Company Nigeria Limited, British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited and Nigerian LNG Limited.

Unity Kapital paid its claims to Unity Bank in respect of one M Military HIV Research Programme.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Fola Daniel, has often stressed the need for in-

surance operators to redeem claims to policyholders without delay.

He said: “We are going to be very strict on insurance companies fulfilling their promise to the insured. When an insurance company collects premiums and there is a problem arising from that contract, they do not pay when they like, they must pay when the customer is happy. If a customer gets your money after sweating, it is going to be a terminal deal and we do not want that to happen anymore.

“Even if he did not get it on time, it should not be as a result of annoyance following from misbehaviour.”

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) resolved 16 disputes arising from non-settlement of claims between insurance companies and the policyholders during the first quarter of 2013.

percent y/y).

Guaranty, according to the experts, maintained its leadership position in terms of operational efficiency, but its CIR increased by 222bps in absolute terms to 43.68 per cent, which “we put down to the material decline in its YoA (from 12.20 per cent in H1-2013 to 11.35 per cent in H1-2014) which hit revenue streams from risk assets.

L-R: New Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs Chika Balogun; Director of Finance and Accounts, Biodun Ilesanmi and out-going Acting Director General, Alhaji Abdul Maji Sherif, during the handover of Sherif to Balogun in Abuja.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Nigeria, others lose $1trn yearly C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

12 underwriters pay N.4bn claims

on the average (by 66bps in absolute terms), with Access posting a significant improvement. Access saw its CIR drop sharply from 76.35 per cent in H1-2013 to 63.37 per cent in H1-2014, an improvement driven by a sharp rebound in topline earnings as already discussed (Operating income jumped by c.22 per cent y/y in H1-2014), and marginal OPEX growth (1.53

linked to the former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete, found to be owner of 30 per cent of the company established in 1998 while in office.

ONE Africa noted that a positive utilisation of the $1.1 billion Malabu oil money could have helped provide about 3.2 million HIV-positive Nigerians with life-saving antiretroviral drugs; hire over 494,000 additional primary school teachers, resulting in an 86 per cent increase in Nigeria’s teaching workforce.

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), reported that the Federal Government recovered about $2 billion during various audit exercises it conducted between 1998 and 2008.

Between 1999 and 2005, the report said that the proportion of Federal Government revenues from natural resources grew from 63 per cent to 75 per cent without any changes to the country’s tax regime due to adherence to transparency

principles in oil industry operations.

Another audit report released in 2009 by NEITI revealed significant discrepancies of over $800 million (N128 billion).

The group explained that the loss was not development aid, but monies generated from the exploitation of natural resources and tax revenues illegally siphoned out of developing countries.

According to the report, phantom firms were used in the theft of public funds, illegal tax evasion and money laundering by hiding the identities of individuals who profit from such illegal activities, including trafficking of arms, drugs and people.

Executive Director of the advocacy group, Mr Sipho Moyo, described corruption in Africa as a killer that has claimed about 3.6 million lives in developing countries that could have been saved if the web of secrecy aiding criminality and corruption were dismantled.

No fewer than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are rich in natural resources, but lack of transparency has made it difficult for citizens to get a fair deal from the management of the proceeds from the exploitation of these resources.

Former Minister of Education and Nigeria’s first head of its extractive industry transparency agency, Oby Ezekwesili, said that Nigeria lost an estimated $400 billion (about N64 trillion) to “oil thieves” since independence in 1960.

Moyo added: “When governments are deprived of their own resources to invest in the essentials like nurses and teachers, the human cost is devastating.

“It is time to draw back the veil of secrecy behind which too many companies operate.”

The report quoted the former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, as saying: “Every tax jurisdiction should be required to publicly disclose the full beneficial ownership structure of registered companies.”

33

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

FCT transportation: Which way out?

The newly introduced mass transit buses

In view of the current transport challenges in FCT, do you think 18-seater buses popularly known as Araba should be reintroduced in the city? Below is an excerpt of street voices on the issue, as compiled by Amadi Nnamdi.

Ayodele Adebanjo (Undergraduate): The BRT system is not yet efficient, so Araba should be brought back pending the enhancement of the BRT system, even though the reintroduction of Araba will portray FCT government as confused and inconsistent.

Essien Patience (Trader): I don’t want Araba to come back. It brings along many “agberos” (touts) and other noisy things.

Ability Anthony (Trader): I want Araba to come back. They said Araba is the major reason for all the traffic congestion on the road, but since Araba was stopped, the congestion is still there; in fact it is worse. So I want Araba to be allowed into town again.

Prince Andrew Osas: Araba should not be allowed back, even though the banning of Araba from coming into town has really caused more havoc for commuters.

They find transportation system here very difficult, you see many commuters on the road for hours waiting for vehicles. This has made private car owners to exploit them.

Therefore, government should bring more Urban Mass transit buses to solve this problem instead of Araba.

Joel Otitoyonmi (GSM accessories dealer): I am of the opinion that Araba should be brought back for security reasons. I think it is a security risk for people to be boarding non-commercial/ private cars due to the unavailability of adequate means of transportation.

When Araba was there, we all knew that this coloured vehicle is a genuine

'Araba' buses now restricted to FCT outskirt

means of commercial transportation and you know you won’t get lost.

moving well. So I don’t think their coming back will be the best.

Abdullahi (civil servant): I don’t want them back in city centre; they should remain at the satellite towns. With time, the transportation situation in Abuja will pick up, with the provision of these big buses.

Isah Joel (worker) It is not advisable for Araba to be reintroduced to the city centre. Araba increases traffic congestion. The drivers also are very reckless. The SURE-P Mass Transit buses are good, but they should be well managed. More buses should be made available to address the issue of passengers waiting long for the buses.

Ahmed Abdulazeze (civil servant): I am not in support of the idea that Araba should come back to the city centre. The government vehicles are the best. Government must improve on them, both the big ones and small ones.

Abdulwahab (civil servant) I don’t buy the idea that Araba should be brought back to the main city. The Araba drivers are too rough and the government vehicle drivers are disciplined. We need people who are disciplined that can be controlled by the authorities.

Ahmed Abdullahi (civil servant) The issue of whether to allow Araba come back is not a welcome development because they cause a lot of traffic jam in the city. If you look at the situation now that they are kept outside, the traffic situation is okay. Things are

Nwaogu chukwuemeka (businessman): At the moment, I don’t think it is necessary to bring back Araba. Araba leads to the congestion of the city, which shouldn’t be so. They make the city look very untidy.

Vincent Okeke (self-employed): The reintroduction of Araba is very important because movement in town is difficult and expensive. The current means of transportation we have in town is very expensive. You situations where private car owners now use their cars to convey passengers at very exorbitant rates. It is not everybody that can afford moving around in town with Taxi. The poor and average people should be considered.

Chibuzor Ukonu (Youth Corper): I think it should be reintroduced.

Movement in town is no longer easy.

One now stand for a very long time before getting a cab in town.

Bridget Azenda (entrepreneur): They are too lousy for my liking.

I won’t like them to be reintroduced now. But on a second thought, I see how people suffer always when going to work or returning, especially those at the Nyanya/Mararaba axis, so, I advise government should come up with better alternative means of getting people to and fro their destination without stress. Personally I don’t like the urban mass transit buses known as El’Rufai, the way the bus is overcrowded and all that. With this Ebola thing in town, it’s risky. Perhaps more coaster buses should be introduced.

Augustina Adeyi: I don’t want Araba to come back to town. Look at the current bad traffic situation how much more when Araba is reintroduced. It will be cumbersome.

So they should remain where they are.

Government should bring in more buses to encourage private car owners to park their cars and learn to board buses.

34

FCT | BUSINESS WATCH

FUNDING Inadequate funding stiffles ITF's growth Clem Khena-Ogbena Abuja

G

raduates of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC) are capable of competing with their counterparts anywhere in the world, director general of ITF, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, has affirmed.

Dr. Chukkas-Onaeko said that the MSTCs offer high quality training to students in their various centres, adding that the professional certificates awarded to them at the end of their training puts them at par with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

Dr. Chukkas-Onaeko told New Telegraph in an exclusive interview that she was highly delighted to be the first director-general of ITF to have witnessed and presided over the first graduation ceremony at the Fund’s MSTC. She, however, decried inadequate funding of the agency, despite its critical role to the nation’s industrial revolution plan.

She stated: “First and foremost, I think I am the lucky one to have witnessed the first graduation of students who have been around since 2012.

I think it has been a long journey; they have been through a whole lot of things: the skills,

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

‘Graduates of ITF skills centres are world class' beyond the skills.

“We are not just thinking about the professionalism, we also think about the attitude, with which they carry out their job and duties. So, I expect a whole lot from them; I expect the best from them.

They just have to showcase, express themselves and show where they are coming from.

“What they have received is not just a national certificate, but an internationallyrecognised certificate from Singapore. That means we are not just looking at them filling the gaps we have in industries in Nigeria, but we also look at them being able to go out there and make a mark in the international community, the global village we have.

“So, we are looking at providing skilled workers in other countries and not just Nigeria, believing that they will do a whole lot in that area. They will have much to accomplish.”

Dr. Chukkas-Onaeko also pointed out that the trainees at the ITF’s MSTC were trained in such a way that they could be self-employed, thus providing employment opportunities for others.

She said: “We believe that they will all be gainfully engaged, either through self-em-

ployment or through being employed by otherorganisations, because their certificate is credible.

“We are already reaching out to other stakeholders to see how we can collaborate to make these ones a huge success and to make sure nobody falls by the way side.”

Dr. Chukkas-Onaeko, however, decried inadequate funding of ITF, which was why, according to her, the Fund could neither execute outright nor complete some of its projects, adding that the Fund’s inability to install equipment required for certain trades was also caused by lack of money.

“Like I said before, there are equipment needed for certain

trades, which are yet to be installed at the centre. I think it is mostly due to lack of funding. These equipment cost a lot,” she stated.

However, Dr. ChukkasOnaeko said that as part of efforts aimed at mitigating the challenges arising from insufficient funding, the agency had commenced collaborations with sister agencies, such as the Bank of Industry (BoI) and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

“Do not forget other donors, grants from other places, which we are also considering; we can get funded from other areas,” apart from the aforementioned sources, adding

that such grants and donors would go a long way to procuring the required equipment.

The ITF boss, who disclosed that the Fund graduated about 30 out of about 90 students during its maiden graduation ceremony, explained: “There are students in other trades.

These graduating ones are those in the ICT networking.

The other ones are in culinary, metallurgical and other fields of industry.

“Those ones not graduating are not yet through with their modules; their graduation had been delayed, due to certain factors. And some of the modules have to be handled with special equipment, which are not yet installed.”

CPC is African Regulator of the Year Amadi Nnamdi Abuja.

United Kingdom-based African Business LeaderTshiphe Limited has named the

Consumer Protection Council (CPC) as the African Regulator of the Year in the 2014 edition of its award held recently in London.

The emergence of CPC for the award was the result of a survey of over 480,000 respondents, 180,000 of which, were received through Facebook and other platforms used by the or-

Atoki

ganisers of the award.

Organisers of the award pointed out that the outcome of “our different polls nomination shows that Consumer Protection Council of Nigeria ranked tops in the Government Regulator category.”

While explaining the essence of the award, the organisers disclosed that “the African Business Leadership Awards is a prestigious recognition of exceptional practices and outstanding achievers, especially in Africa, among others.

Some of the past recipients of the awards include President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete; President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma; Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; former President John Kufour of Ghana; Dr. Mo Ibrahim, founder Ibrahim Prize for Leadership; Liberia Bank for Development and Investment; First Bank of Nigeria; and Chevron Nigeria.

The award was preceded by the African Business Leadership Forum 2014, a high-level meeting of African leaders in politics, the private sector, civil society and academics to take stock of Africa’s economic performance.

The Director General, CPC, Mrs Dupe Atoki, received the award on behalf of CPC.

L-R: Zonal Business Manager, South Central Zone, Airtel Nigeria, Edwin Unoko and Benue State Sector Commander, FRSC, Ada Ruben, during the Airtel’s ICT tour in Benue State… recently

Abuja Music industry comes alive again Nnamdi Amadi Abuja

T

he Abuja music industry, which has for some time now been in the doldrums is coming back to live again with the recent advent and artistic exploits of two new music sensations of Spanzy and the duo of Peezray.

Nineteen-year old Abujabased Emmanuel Amodu, who goes by the stage name ‘Spanzy’ has taken the city’s entertainment industry by surprise with his hit songs ‘Loyal’ and ‘African woman’, which are currently enjoying massive airplay on radio stations, clubs and events.

The rave of the moment hails from Ankpa in Kogi State. He has been thrilling Abuja music lovers with his R&B -Afro genre of Music. He performed alongside some top Lagos artistes like B.O.J and Soji at the Sabali Show recently and at the National Youth Summit held in Abuja.

On the other hand, the future of Abuja music industry seems to be bright with the recent unveiling of the music duo of Praise and Peace Raydon, 13 and 9 years old respectively, who go by the stage name “Peezray.”

The young musicians were unveiled recently by an Abujabased record label and artiste management company, B.Don Records, who also released their latest singles titled “My Nation” and “Time.”

The label’s manager, Leo Benjamin, at the unveiling ceremony/photo session which took place at the Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Abuja, said: “The songs showcase high energy, fantastic beats, and lyrics that delve into the hearts of real music lovers.

The two singles are aimed at reigniting and rebuilding the spirit of hope, courage, patriotism, love for one another and peaceful coexistence amongst Nigerians.”

He added that the arrival of the music duo signals the

birth of a new face of music, not only in Abuja, but in Nigeria as a whole, as it shows that Nigerian children can be encouraged to build their potentials in music from a tender age.

“These kids have over time, promoted peace in Nigeria through their music, and they will no doubt make a dramatic contribution to the resolution to peace in Nigeria,” confident Leo Benjamin stressed.

He hinted that Peezray is already working on collaboration with Kennis Music artiste, Jo El, and intends to feature other A-list artistes in their début album. Praise of Peezray added that they are set to compete with the likes of Wizkid, Tuface and other musicians globally, and that they are working very hard to achieve their goals.

Adding that their motivation comes basically from things around them and that they intend to use music to promote peace and unity in the country.

FCT | BUSINESS WATCH 35

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Why we are in love with Abuja –Residents ATTRACTIVE Abuja has earned its place among the world's capital cities Kenneth Tyohemba

T

he city of Abuja has always attracted visitors and has remained a delightful destination to many. Earmarked as the administrative capital of Nigeria nearly four decades ago, the city is fast emerging as tourism and investment hub, attracting a large influx of people from across the country thus creating a market for many businesses.

Seen by many as a haven of hospitality today, Abuja is playing host to people of various racial backgrounds either as permanent residents or in pursuit of the proverbial Golden Fleece.

Abuja receives a fair amount of visitors who are attracted due

largely to the relatively conducive climate and mild weather conditions, and the apparent ease with which pedestrians and motorists traverse the wide avenues, parks and other interesting places in the city.

The city has come to earn its place among the world’s capital cities as a lucrative attraction for tourists where nature is in perpetual symphony with man and his business.

Over the years, Abuja has attracted people who made it their home, making the city a melting pot of people, cultures and wealth. Even as life seems to be getting tough for some people because of the security challenges facing the country, it is not enough reason to convince people to make u-turn out of the city.

Some residents of the city bared their minds to New Telegraph on why they prefer Abuja to any other city in Nigeria and why they may never exchange the city that host the famous Aso Rock to any other city.

A British settler, Mr Frank Campbell, who has lived in Abuja for over 15 years, described the city as a “land of hills and granite rocks, rivers and gorges and countless malls, exceedingly fertile and healthy even for Europeans, found exactly in the heart of Nigeria.”

Campbell, who was relaxing at Bukka Restaurant at the posh Transcorp Hilton, also said that he enjoys life in Abuja hotels and restaurants especially Transcorp Hilton and other recreational parks in the city. Ask whether he has the intention of returning to his native land, he said: “Abuja is my second home, a home away from home. This is the city I feel the comfort and pleasure I desire in my life, I truly feel at home here with my business and I do not have plans of leaving the city soon.”

To Mr Olusola Olugbemi, a retired civil servant, he prefers living in Abuja even after his retirement due to the fact that the city, unlike other Nigerian cities, has no so-called “sons of the soil.

L-R: Director, Brands and Communications, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye; Chief Commercial Officer, Matthew Willsher; Captain, Etisalat FC football team, Andrew Enebeli; Chief Executive Officer, MediaVision Limited, Fela Bank-Olemoh and Coach, Etisalat FC team, Samuel Adeosun, at the finals of the Nigeria Telecoms Games in Lagos.

“It is truly a Nigerian city belonging to all Nigerians alike. It is the only part of Nigeria not dominated by anyone of Nigeria’s ethnic group, having no settler or indigene problem; where all call home, thus earning Abuja the slogan - Centre of Unity,” says Olugbemi.

To many others, their insistence on staying in Abuja, apart from the beauty of the city, is because, according to them, “Abuja is where you arrive with empty purse and leave with stuffed wallets.” Put simply, Abuja is a land of opportunities.

A taxi driver who gave his name as Alfred said that Abuja as the capital of Nigeria is a place where there are lots of opportunities.

The graduate of Business Administration said that his intention while coming to Abuja was to look for a lucrative job, but has rather temporarily resorted to driving a taxi to make ends meet after staying for over five years without the dream job, but however insisted that he will not leave the city.

“I am not going anywhere, no matter the frustration, because a lot of people have made it here in Abuja and I must get my own.” He also said that he wishes to be a contractor and staying in Abuja would present more access to his ambition.

The die-hard spirit of acquiring wealth in the city of Abuja is even exemplified in the activities of hawkers and destitute who see the city as a miracle centre that would change their destinies.

Ali Madibo is a hawker at Federal Secretariat and he said that it is better hawking in Abuja than returning to his village.

Madibo who hawks fruits however regretted that government do not want hawkers in the city, and said that would be impossible since government officials do patronise him.

“If government pursues us out of the city, who will sell these items to them? As for me,

I am not leaving Abuja because I know that one day I will become Alhaji. Even if they force me out, I will still come back, this is nobody’s land,” he fumed.

Many people have numerous reasons on why Abuja is their destination mega city. Many have settled and have made the city home, while others wish to settle.

Many Nigerians who were already obsessed with the decades-long role of Lagos as the nation’s capital, are now embracing the new city as their home. Land and other property are now proudly owned by Nigerians of different ethnic extraction, turning the territory into a new melting pot of Nigeria with socio-cultural diversity.

The colourful array of cultural displays, the enchanting symphony of multi-cultural national festivals and the general expression of indigenous folk lovers have brought sociocultural beauty into the city.

Abuja is richly endowed with tourist attractions, whose serenity and beauty cannot be said to have been more complemented by any natural phenomenon other than the wonder rocks and hills within and outside the city.

The exotic hills and colossal rock formations create a picturesque atmosphere that feeds the eyes with natural delight, two of which are the Zuma and Aso rocks. While Zuma Rock proclaimed “Gateway of Abuja” serves as the geographical centre of Nigeria, Aso Rock is from where the Presidential Villa derived its name.

Other scenic tourist attractions include Ministers Hill, Dutse Range, Katampe Hill, Keston Hill Top, and a host of Green parks, hotels, restaurants, clubs, sporting centres and a legion of government and other corporate buildings.

Indeed, Abuja is my city, your city and our city; a home away from home. Relax and catch the fun and business opportunities the city provides while it last.

Non-adherence to standards causes building collapse – SON Nnamdi Amadi and Clem Khena-Ogbena Abuja

F

ailure to adhere to the required standards in cement block production is partly responsible for building collapse in Nigeria, Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said.

Odumodu, who stated this at a National Stakeholders’ Forum on Blocks and Allied Products in Abuja, added that only five per cent of blocks sold in Nigeria were moulded to standard, stressing that this often contributed to building collapse in the country.

The event which also witnessed the flagging off of mandatory certification of Sandcrete Blocks and unveiling of new cement bags labelling in the country, was dubbed “Safe-

guarding lives through compliance with standards.”

Odumodu stated: “We did a national survey on the quality of concrete blocks in Nigeria, especially the load-bearing ones and found out that only five per cent of the blocks are mould to specifications of standard of the NIS587:2007.

“That actually necessitated what we are doing here today, because we believe that it is important that anything that is remotely or directly contributing to building collapse in Nigeria should be addressed.”

According to him, part of the effort towards addressing the problem was the need to partner relevant stakeholders in the industry.

He further said: “What we are doing today is part of the specification process and part of it is to collaborate with the blocks and concrete moulders’ association, building collapse

professional guild and other stakeholders that are involve in concrete industry in Nigeria.

“We are also collaborating with them on self-regulatory obligation to meet above 20 per cent. SON cannot be everywhere and started policing them all about but if we have association that regulate itself and comply with standards, and then we are on our way to 100 per cent. And for me, if the statistics of five per cent is improved to 20 or 30 per cent within a year, I will beat my chest and say we are making some progress.”

According to Odumodu, the new cement bags unveiled by the minister had “Safeguarding Lives through Compliance with Standards” search numbers for traceability and expiry dates, because they are chemicals and they do expire.

He pointed out that SON was also concerned about stor-

age, stating: “We are also working on as well as kilogramme, because if a bag of cement is 50 kg and manufacturer puts 45 kg, that will compromise the strength contained in such cement and that is why we are particular about everything that has to do with standard, regarding weight, labelling, search number, manufacturing and expiry dates on the bags.”

Odumodu assured that such features as search number, manufacturing and expiry dates, labelling, among others, would be borne by the new cement bags, adding that it was expected to be released into the market.

He stated: “All these must be clearly stated on the new cement bags and some of the manufacturers have been complying. In the next few weeks, the new cement will be all over the country.

“The bags also carry differ-

ent colours. If it is yellow, it is 32.5 and it is for building and blue 42.5 for serious construction like bridges, flyovers and the rest.

“We are going to be working with the blocks and concrete moulders as well as building collapse control guild in the states. We will give them the list of approved blocks for building and construction to assist them whenever they are approvals in their various states and that is part of ways to eliminate building collapse in the country.”

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, in his keynote address, re-affirmed Federal Government’s commitment to continue to provide the required support and encouragement to its agencies, including the SON, to ensure effective implementation of their mandates.

36 BUSINESS | THE INVESTOR

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The odds against equity market Chris Ugwu

F

ollowing massive sell offs that had characterised the local bourse in recent times, there are concerns among market watchers if transactions in equities will rally back this year in line with expectations by market analysts or become a forlorn hope.

This is because transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), contrary to the view of experts, have continued to skew downward as the market, which opened the trading year high at 41,329.19 index points at the beginning of trading on 2nd of January 2014, closed last Friday at 41,160.62 index points. Hence, the market has earned a year to date loss of about 168.57 points or 0.41 per cent.

The low sentiment in the market was worsened by the upset in the financial market arising from insecurity, build up to 2015 elections, Ebola crisis and recapitalisation fever, among others.

Financial analysts believed some of these factors sent a shock wave to both local and foreign investors and created uncertainty in the investment environment, leading to a retreat on the part of the bargain hunters.

Even earnings being posted by some quoted companies with promises of dividend pay-out could not rescue the stock market from limbo as sell pressure continued unabated, raising concerns that the projection of the Exchange to grow market capitalisation in 2016 to $1trillion (N150 trillion) might be a mirage.

Effects of insecurity Market experts have urged the Federal Government to be more apt and proactive in handling the menace of insecurity in the country to dissuade foreign investors from exiting in other emerging markets.

The Managing Director, Lamberth Securities Limited, Mr. David Adonri, said the rising wave of insecurity is posing a serious threat to efforts put in place so far by the regulators to attract foreign direct investments.

Adonri said that globalisation and liberalisation has made free flow of investment of capital across national borders possible with ease. He however, affirmed that if the government fails to decisively confront violent extremism in Nigeria, efforts at attracting foreign investment may be a mirage.

“Vibrancy of the capital market is conditional on the investment climate in every country. Where insecurity persists, the investment climate will not be conducive. Because peace and progress are intertwined, investment has tendency to always migrate to secure environments where peace is assured.

“Violence kills people and destroys assets. Therefore, no sane investor will risk his hard earned savings in a strife torn economic environment. This is behind the recent exodus of foreign portfolio investment from our capital market in the wake of deteriorating security situation in Nigeria. “ Globalization and liberalization of capital markets have made free flow of investment capital across national borders possible with ease. Frightened domestic investors can move their investments to conducive foreign markets, thus compounding the woes of the capital market. Also, such capital flight can exacerbate the pressure on the domestic currency,” Adonri said.

The prevailing security situation occasioned by long drawn insurgency has negatively impacted investors’ confidence and limits the realization of the tremendous potentials that the economy

Ms Aruma Oteh

presents, especially post- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) had said.

President LCCI, Mr. Remi Bello, said it would be difficult to attract investors at this time just as the risk of long-term investments in the economy has been heightened by prevailing conditions.

Bello noted that the tempo of economic activities in the Northern part of the country has declined; access to the markets by companies in the southern part of the country has reduced, resulting in loss of sales; while many enterprises have relocated.

Retail investors’ exit A financial analyst and President of David School of Financial Graduate, Mr. Tunde Adeyemi, also said that retail investors that exited the market during the recession have failed to return due to shallow knowledge of the market.

Adeyemi stressed the need for human capital development in finance that would drive the needed local investors’ participation in the market and deepen market.

He said that Nigerian capital market will achieve competitiveness, if companies are raising money successfully within six months with at least 10 per cent retail investors’ participation.

“We have serious gap of knowledge and for the market to pick, we need to develop the skill and human capital to drive the market. Innovations are coming up in the market but the skill to transform it is not there.”

He pointed out that foreign and institutional investors who understand the rudiments of stock market are investing heavily in the market.

He said, “From the last public offer we had in the country, we discovered that the investors relied on information. But today, over 80 per cent of stockbrokers don’t go out to market companies stocks anymore.

“They sit down in their offices based on their previous experience. That is why you see foreign investors dominating the market. The foreign investors are being driven by some fund managers that explains to them that despite the insecurity in the country, they can make 40 per cent interest in the country every quarter.”

Onyema

He noted that there is urgent need for marketers that can explain to the local investors, reasons why they should invest in the market.

Adeyemi explained that the challenge can be addressed by developing people that actually understand the financial market, saying that for the economy grow, there is need for human capital development.

He said, “The problem we are having in the country is that we have the people that have the money and the people that have the idea, what we are waiting for is people that will bring the two parties together, which is the financial market.

“We don’t have venture capitalists and private equities investors or fund managers. The regulators are coming out with different idea and innovations but the people that will actualize the idea are not there.”

Recapitalisation fever The issue of raising working capital to a new minimum for the operators of the Nigerian capital market has been a great concern to the market regulators, operators and other stakeholders.

While other sectors of the financial system have seen recapitalization in recent times, the last recapitalisation exercise carried out by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC )was in 2004.

Attempts have been made since the last exercise but they have met brick wall. In 2008, the SEC, in collaboration with the Exchange directed the firms to increase their capital base from N20million to N1billion.

It was the believe of the regulatory bodies that the firms would be able to meet the requirements to boost the market. But the issue generated controversy in the market; pitching market operators against the regulators.

Operators’ perspective The operators considered the amount as too outrageous.

Innovations are coming up in the market but the skill to transform it is not there

They alleged that the directive started the first major capital market crash even before the spill over effect that we had from Europe and America in 2008, as operators tried hard through different means to meet up the capital requirement.

The fall out was a run on various accounts of shareholders in different stockbroking companies, because they did not know the company that would survive the recapitalisation policy. Shareholders were giving orders to their stockbrokers to sell at any price so as to recoup their investment before the dateline.

However, given the transformation ongoing in the capital market with increased volume of transactions, the board of SEC in December 2013 in pursuant to section 313(6) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007, approved the new minimum capital requirements for all categories of capital market operators to comply by December this year.

Some operators believed the recapitalisation directive has as sparked up share dumping by market speculators.

According to senior broker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “stock market is witnessing the trend in 2007 that led to the crash of the market. For trading to go on for days and weeks consecutively towards the negative direction, is a pointer that the market may crash, if adequate measure is not taken.

“This is because shareholders are apprehensive and dumping their shares due to recapitalisation and the fear of not knowing, which stock broking firm may survive at the end of the day, since recapitalisation deadline is about three months away”.

Conclusion It is noteworthy that market regulators have tried to put some measures in seeking to reposition the market for growth and development in spite of the odds against the market.

However, with the general elections lurking around the corner (2015), the market will also bear the brunt of the increased spending activities of the politicians and the local bourse is likely to witness a huge sell pressure particularly in the fourth quarter when campaigns will be in full swing as more money leaves the capital market, coupled with general uncertainties in the polity.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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Ibaka Seaport may not be ready by 2015 When the Akwa Ibom State government announced its plans to embark on the construction of Ibaka Deep Seaport, there was jubilation among the people of the state. Investigation however, revealed that the proposed seaport merely exist in the minds and papers of those who gave the promise of turning the area into the hub of maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

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here are indications that the government of Akwa Ibom State may not fulfil its dream of constructing a deep seaport before May 2015 as assured by its governor, Mr Godswill Akpabio.

The promise Last year, the governor declared that the Ibaka Deep Seaport project would be completed before he leaves office in 2015.

Also, it announced that over 100,000 jobs would be created for its people when the project is completed.

The state government said that the deep sea port would start receiving ocean liners not later than 2015.

But recent pronouncement by the government has revealed that the port would not be ready as envisaged.

The state government just announced last week that the development of the Ibaka Deep Seaport would be carried out through a public-private-partnership (PPP) following the acquisition of 14,900 hectares of land for the take-off of the seaport in Mbo Local Government Area of the state.

Akpabio disclosed to the Chairman of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Senator Ken Nnamani, during his visit to the state.

License He said that the state government had received a license from the Federal Government for the commencement of the project.

Akpabio added: “We have worked really hard to fasttrack the emergence of Ibaka Deep Seaport, which has a free trade zone. The Ibaka Deep Seaport would change the matrix of the unemployed in the

l Akwa Ibom opts for PPP

Fishermen canoes at the yet-to-be-developed Ibaka Deep Seaport

country; it will attract investors to the state.”

He restated that his administration was committed to building a sustainable economy through infrastructure development in the state.

Although, the Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Mr Shi Hong Bing, and the management team of the firm have handed over the architectural design of the project to the governor, there is no sign of work at the site.

Assurance Meanwhile, the Akpabio has assured: “With Ibaka Deep Seaport, we will have a seaport that will not require perennial dredging. Investors will be in business for a very long time without bothering about dredging.

“Whatever support that may

Ibaka is a riverine community with fishing as the main occupation of its indigenes . The site of the proposed seaport is currently used mainly for fishing activities and water transport for small crafts be required to ensure that a big ocean-going liner comes to the port by 2015, will be provided by the state government.

“The port will serve all countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The peaceful nature of the

community and availability of undeveloped land will make the area a self-sustaining industrial city when the port is completed. In addition to the port, the area will also habour independent power plants, refinery and industries.

“It sounds great and unbelievable but achievable. It will employ 100,000 Nigerians, strengthen our country’s position in oil and gas sector in the world. It will be the nation’s gateway to the rest of the world through the Gulf of Guinea.”

He noted that the 129-kilometre stretch of land at the Ibaka Port area would be a self-sustaining industrial city.

Akpabio said that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the land for citing the seaport measuring 5,580 square meters had been handed over to the Nigeria Ports Authority.

But the revelation on the

status of the much-publicised deep seaport is in sharp contrast to claims made by the state government that the project would be delivered by 2015.

The fishing community Investigations revealed that there was no sign of any construction work going on at the site of the proposed port, which the state government said would be ready next year.

Ibaka is a riverine community with fishing as the main occupation of its indigenes.

The site of the proposed seaport is currently used mainly for fishing activities and water transport for small crafts.

In addition, the only road leading into Ibaka is extremely narrow for trucks and it is in a terrible state of disrepair, raising questions on the state government’s seriousness about fulfilling the project.

NRC, others to lift petroleum products, containers FREIGHT NRC renews efforts to freight both wet and dry cargo from Lagos to the north Bayo Akomolafe

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he Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) have begun talks with tank farm operators and port concessionaires in Apapa Port to freight their containers and other bulk

cargoes to the northern part of the country.

This is coming after the corporation has successfully negotiated with major oil marketers that built tank farms on railway land along its sidelines in Apapa.

It was learnt that this month the corporation will commence the lifting of petroleum products and containers from tank farms and oil depots.

Presently, NRC was moving about 60 units of 40 feet containers every week from APM Terminals, Apapa, to the

northern part of the country.

But its management have embarked on serious discussions with AP Moller Terminals, ENL Consortium Limited and Greenview Development Nigeria Limited to lift their cargo trice a week from this month from Lagos Port Complex to states in the north.

The tank wagons procured

by NRC were specifically designed and manufactured for the existing narrow gauge rail system primarily to enhance the movement of petroleum products across the country

by rail.

Each of the tank wagons has the capacity to lift 45,000 litres of product, unlike the normal road tankers that has 33,000 litres capacity.

Its corporation’s Director of Operations, Niyi Ali, said that it was part of efforts to reduce traffic in the Apapa area and Tin-Can Island, which host the two largest seaports in West Africa.

Already, access is being created to some tank farms.

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 8

38 BUSINESS | MARITIME TRAINING Shippers' Council seeks requisite knowledge to facilitate trade

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igerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is to patronise Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) to enable it gain more knowledge in its task of moderating port tariffs.

It said that some of the problems at the nation’s seaports could be solved if the freight forwarders are well trained and conduct themselves professionally.

Executive Secretary of the council, Hassan Bello, made the observation when officials

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Port tariffs: NSC to patronise Customs brokers institute

of the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) visited him at the council’s head office in Apapa, Lagos.

Bello said that there was the need for practitioners to have the requisite knowledge not only of clearance of cargo at the port but also of delivery because of the important role the freight forwarders play in international trade.

He explained that the council was yearning to elevate cargo clearance procedure in Nigeria to international

standards hence the need for freight forwarders to be trained as professionals.

The executive secretary stressed: “The more our economy grows, the more we have freight forwarders and they are very strong element and indispensable. Freight forwarding is a very sacred institution like law or medicine and that is why Nigerians cannot afford not to have trained and professional freight forwarders or customs brokers because if we have freight forwarders who are not trained or educated, the whole

reforms will collapse.

“If we have strong freight forwarding profession, then most of the problems will be solved. They will be able to bargain with the service providers and they will be able to dictate policies and legal framework.

“Unfortunately, this is not the situation in Nigeria and attempts have been made by the council for setting up the CRFFN so that we give knowledge and professionalism and do away with touts and thugs because we can’t afford to have touts as freight forwarders.”

Bello said that most of the complaints by freight forwarders would not have been necessary if they were well educated and understand the charges

and tariff structure of service providers, thus eliminating the need for a port regulator.

Earlier, President of the Institute, Dr. Zeb Ikokide, had solicited the support of the council towards its training programme by assisting with a bigger accommodation.

He said that when freight forwarders are well trained, the council would have a hitchfree operation as the commercial port regulator.

He said that the institute would also be delighted to receive staff of the Council for higher training on freight forwarding, supply chain management, logistics, trade facilitation and customs processes and procedures.

NRC, others to lift petroleum products C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 7

MV Kota Nabil Singapore, moored at Lagos Port Complex, Apapa

ANLCA decries container seizure by Customs on highways T he Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) has denounced the interception of cleared containers on the highway by the anti-smuggling unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’.

Its National President, Olayiwola Shittu, said that the arrest of containers on the highway did not speak well of the image of Customs and clearing agents.

He noted that although the unit relies on information to intercept consignments that may have contravened importation guidelines, erring containers could be tracked and trailed to their destination rather than interception on the highway.

Shittu said that while Customs enforces government fiscal policies, clearing agents have the responsibility to implement such policies.

He added: “Mutually beneficial partnership is a sine qua non, as critical stakeholders in the cargo clearance sub-sector of the economy. Stopping cargoes in transit on the highways does incalculable damage to the image of Customs as well as that of the agents. Therefore, the best bet is, track and trail

such consignments to its destination and act from there.”

Shittu appealed to the acting Controller of the unit, Comptroller Usman Turaki, to curtail the ‘overzealousness’ of his officers in order to facilitate trade at the nation’s seaport, airport and land borders.

On the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) document, the ANLCA chieftain said it was unfortunate that Customs now sees PAAR as an advisory rather than a final document for clearance of goods at the port because of dishonest declaration of importers.

Responding, Turaki expressed appreciation for the

collaboration enjoyed by the unit and the association especially its support for PAAR since inception.

He explained that operatives of the unit only complement effort of officers in ensuring that there is total compliance with the fiscal policies of the Federal Government on importation.

The comptroller sought the cooperation and support of the association in its responsibility of suppressing smuggling, adding that his officers need encouragement and new tactics to confront the smugglers.

Turaki said his doors were open to receive complaints from his area of operation.

Men and officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) display seized goods

The corporation has also awarded contract to rehabilitate all the lines to the tank farms of the major oil marketers.

He expressed confidence that with the development, railway links to the tank farms for lifting of petroleum products by oil marketers will be completed by September this year and already, some of the oil marketing companies have started moving Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), by rail, but not yet petroleum, because of safety issues.

He said: “The Nigerian Railway recently moved its first commercial quantity of diesel out of Apapa. We moved 12 wagons of AGO from Lagos to Kano. We moved 528,000 litres of AGO by rail. Moving AGO is a bit easier because you don’t need that amount of safety considerations. So, we can trans-load from road tankers to rail tankers and that is what we will continue to do. As time goes on, we will see an increment in not just the quantity of AGO, but also other products.

“In the AGO movement, we used a third party called Connect Rail, who brokered the deal between the Nigeria Railways and the product marketer, Eterna Oil Plc.” He said that the NRC has acquired 40 new pressurised tank wagons meant for lifting petroleum products from the jetties.

“Pressurised means that they don’t leak and they can be guaranteed of their quantity.

But there is a bit more to petroleum products movement than just having tank wagons. The important thing to remember is that unlike other traffics, the point of loading and offloading is where there are always safety concerns.

“The lines are currently being built and rehabilitated

to their terminals. We also have on-going discussions with most of them about the facilities that are required to trans-load the products from their tank farms into the tank wagons. We also consider the fact that these materials are highly combustible, so, safety is always the key concern for us,” he added.

Before now, the pressurised petroleum tank wagons imported by the NRC have been rusting in its yard at Ebute Metta in Lagos.

The first batch of the pressurised oil tank wagons, were imported in February 2012.

NRC took delivery of another batch of 20 pressurised oil tank wagons last year in order to lift fuel from tank farms in Apapa to the northern part of the country, based on the agreement sealed with oil marketers using the railway land in Apapa.

It was learnt that the corporation entered into agreement with some tank farm operators to build petroleum tank farms on its sidelines.

A source at the corporation disclosed that after the tank farms operators took the advantage and built the fuel tanks, they refused to use the wagons.

The source said that some of the oil marketers have acquired trucks to lift the products directly.

It was learnt that the NRC tankers were specially manufactured by China Railway Shanhaiguan Bridge Group and Westgate Project Limited for NRC. The testing and inauguration of the equipment and training of NRC engineers in utilisation and maintenance cost N650 million.

The procurement contract for the tank wagons comprised the manufacture and delivery of the tank wagons together with spare parts, and one-year worth of consumables.

BUSINESS | MARITIME

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Loading bay: NPA, Oando, others partner on Lagos lagoon Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

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he Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Oando Petroleum, Lagos Channel Management (LCM) and Julius Berger are partnering to develop a man-made Island on the lagoon in Lagos for a fuel loading bay near Ijora Jetty, in Lagos.

The bay would enable petroleum products laden vessels to berth and discharge fuel into pipes buried deep underground.

With concretes sitting atop several dolphins, it was learnt that the Island on completion would also be fitted with some state-of-the-art fire-fighting

equipment, life jackets, buoys, and other health/safety boosting gadgets.

It was learnt that while the facility would grant the Oando group the security of safe product delivery, it may however task the Julius Berger’s engineering ingenuity, especially in ensuring that underground installation comes out perfect while the LCM is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that giant tankers deliver its product, on the little island.

The NPA Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mallam Musa Iliya, however declined comment on the cost of the project.

Stakeholders to assess ISPS code execution at port SECURITY Shipping community to assess the level of security on waterways and ports takeholders in Nigerian maritime industry are to Sconverge on Friday to assess

MD, NPA, Habib Abdulahi

39

the level of implementation of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code and the primary international security standard in the nation’s port industry.

The event will hold at the International Maritime Press Centre, Maritime Reporters’ Association Nigeria’s secretariat, Apapa, Lagos.

A season master mariner, Captain Abiodun Omoteso, will chair the occasion.

According to the president

Nigerian Maritame Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)'s patrol boats stationed at Kirikiri Carnal

of the association, Mr Bolaji Akinola, the event is being organised to enable the public and the international shipping community know the level of security on our waterways and the port environment.

Akinola added that the oneday summit will discuss the level of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)’s Verification Inspection Exercise (VIE) across all Nigerian port facilities and security threat levels.

He noted: “The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and port facilities.

“It was developed in response to the perceived threats to ships and port facilities in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The ISPS Code is implemented through chapter XI-2 Special measures to enhance maritime security in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974. The Code has two parts, one mandatory and one recommendatory.

“The purpose of the Code is to provide a standardised, consistent framework for evaluating risk, enabling governments to offset changes in threat with changes in vulnerability for ships and port facilities through determination of appropriate security levels and corresponding security measures.”

It would recall that The United States Government has said that Nigerian ports lacked effective anti-terrorism measures in place.

The country threatened to impose Conditions of Entry (COE) on vessels calling from some Nigerian port terminals, which are yet to comply with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

ANLCA opens N300m secretariat at 60 T

he Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has finally moved to its N190 million permanent secretariat after sixty years of its existence.

The association which was established by a group of customs agents on September 30th, 1954, is currently being midwifed by Prince Olayiwola Shittu, national president who did not only made the history of bequeathing to ANLCA an elusive legacy of a permanent secretariat, but also made history as the first to be elected twice, as national president of ANLCA, because of the preponderant, feel able and visible achievements.

Explaining the idea behind the secretariat, the Director of Media and Publicity to the National President of the association, Mr Joe Sanni, noted: “The idea of a permanent

National Secretariat was first muted two years into the first tenure of Prince Olayiwola Shittu – led NECOM, when the issue of the two plots of land in the Abule Ado area of Amuwo Odofin in Lagos – was being discussed – and because of the actualisation and fulfilment of all his campaign promises as at then.

“The land was acquired during the period of interregnum in the association, when the Board of Trustees, chaired by Chief Henry Njoku, administered the association, because of the absence of a National Executive Committee.

“This land was not attractive enough to commence building a permanent national secretariat, because of reasons of inaccessibility of the land, inability to get a proper guide, unsuitability for construction on the land and it is far tucked

away from the business area of members of ANLCA.” Sanni explained that various strategies on how to finance such gigantic project, was also contemplated. The brainstorming and fantasizing went on for a while, and then slowed down.

He stressed that several months later, architects were commissioned to put the ideas of a permanent secretariat in a plan format, for marketing for funds purposes.

According to him, estate agents were also commissioned to bring forward available and affordable properties.

He said: “Money became a forceful determinant. This, ANLCA did not have, because there were no constant funding sources for the association.

So, what was done? First, it was agreed amongst NECOM and BOT members that mem-

bers must be made to own the project one hundred per cent. Second, members must be made to fund the entire project, even if for a long period of time. Thirdly, whatever shortfall, it was then agreed, will be sought for, from one or two stakeholders and high net worth individuals.

“To jumpstart this process, a national committee on the permanent secretariat of ANLCA was inaugurated, with the then BOT chairman – Chief Henry Njoku as chairman of the committee to actualise a permanent national secretariat. Next was the calling of a national executive council meeting in Port Harcourt, where members were informed of the noble idea of ANLCA owning its own permanent national secretariat. Fortunately, the idea was bought instantly.

“To start with, it was agreed

that each registered agency with ANLCA was to pay a flat rate of N50,000. Officials were to make voluntary donations and each chapter pledged sums they can afford. At the end of proceedings on that November 7th of 2013, almost N23 million was netted.”

He added: “This amount, though a far cry from expectations, served as tunic to ginger the committee to go all out in seeking fund for this particular building which is set to be commissioned next Friday, 5th of September 2014. Its value was N120million, aside cost of renovation, which was put at about 70 million then.”

Apart from the N190 million, Prince Shittu said that other donations came from members and well wishers of the association.

He said that the building is worth N300 million.

40 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ondo: Furore over Ajasin’s legacy The decision to allocate the land on which Ondo State-owned Owena Motel is situated to Top Services Limited for the construction of a shopping mall and car park has drawn the ire of opposition political parties and some individuals in the state. But Governor Olusegun Mimiko has risen in defence of the action, BABATOPE OKEOWO reports

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otwithstanding what they term as its numerous advantages, the decision of Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to allocate the land on which Owena Motel was sited to Shoprite, a private concern for the construction of a shopping mall, has pitched the Labour Party (LP) government against some prominent individuals and opposition parties in the state.

The governor had on Monday August 18 during the turning of sod for the ultra-modern shopping mall said: “We are breaking ground for what will soon be an international commercial centre – a shopping mall and car park that will not only ensure the steady supply of genuine and affordable goods and services, but also make Akure, a commercial hub.”

But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Party (APC) frowned at the idea, describing the governor as a “prodigal son” who is selling the legacies left behind for the state by the previous administrations.

The Owena Motel is one of the legacies of the first civilian governor of the old Ondo State, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin. Undoubtedly, Ajasin is one of the greatest governors ever produced by the state as, during his tenure, he established Owena Bank, now known as Enterprise Bank, Ifon Ceramic, Ire Bricks now in Ekiti State, Oluwa Glass Factory, Igbokoda, Confidence Insurance Company, Ondo State University Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University of Ado-Ekiti (EKSU) and Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic among others.

Aside the establishment of these factories and tertiary institutions to create employment for the people, Ajasin’s administration gave free education and health to the people and embarked on massive rural integration project during his four year tenure. That was one of the glorious era in the government of the South-West geo-political zone.

It must be noted that most of the factories established by the late sage were either in comatose or have been sold outright. While Owena Bank and Confidence Insurance Company have been taken away from the state government, the facilities of Oluwa Glass Factory in Igbokoda have been taken over by weeds and now houses rodents and reptiles.

The Ifon Ceramic’s gate has been under lock and key for many years while Owena Motel until its controversial sale could not pay workers’ salaries while the facilities have become obsolete Consequently, the motel which is celebrated to be the legacy of the late Ajasin would give way for Shoprite property. As lofty as the idea of bringing a mall in the mould of Shoprite might be, some residents argued that Owena Motel should not have been demolished to erect the structure of the shopping mall. A neutral ground, it is argued, should have been prepared for the shopping mall.

Owena motel

Another controversy over the alleged sales and arrangement of the state government with the Shoprite is what some people described as criminal neglect of workers and abandonment of Owena Motel in the recent years.

Some of the workers who spoke with New Telegraph said the state government for the past one and the half years has not paid their salaries.They equally complained of other entitlements that have not been given to them. One of them said: “Government has refused to pay our salary arrears for the past 16 months. We have used every legal means to press home our demand but all to no avail… Over the years, we have kept hope that one day this government would see us and attend to our demands.

But now all hope seems to have been lost. It is unfortunate and sickening.

Our jobs have been taken away from us and our outstanding salaries not paid.”

Some stakeholders argued that assuming the motel has outlived its relevance, it behoves on the government to upgrade it by putting on ground infrastructure that will enhance it to be able to compete with other five-star hotels which would have provided job opportunities for people.

Echoing the minds of some stakeholders, the PDP kicked against the sales of the motel to private individuals by the state government. The party through its publicity secretary, Wale Ozogoro, said the move by the government was aimed at selling the legacies bequeathed on it by the previous administration.

The party said the decision to demolish part of Owena Motel showed that the LP administration was not out to benefit the citizens of the state but to destroy it. Ozogoro said the government ought to have given another land to Shoprite instead of selling the state legacy to family members and friends of the governor. According to him, the government supposed to have refurbished the hotel and make it to generate revenue to the coffers of the government instead of outright sale.

Ozogoro said during the immediate past government of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, what the PDP government did was to lease it to Jimoh Ibrahim’s company in order to turn it around and make it profitable. He said the intention of the LP government was to destroy all the legacies of the past administrations before it, saying what the government could not sell, he has left comatose. He

Government ought to have given another land to Shoprite instead of selling the state legacy to family members and friends of the governor cited the Oluwa glass industry and Ifon ceramic as examples.

He said the PDP would go to court to challenge the decision of the government as the party would not wait and allow the LP administration to destroy the future of the state. The party also told the company not to start construction at the site as any action taken by it would amount to waste of fund as the people of the state would resist the sale of its heritage.

Since LP government came on board, the opposition party said it has embarked on mission to destroy the hotel as the government did not pay the workers and when they protested, policemen were used to drive them away.

Similarly, the APC through its chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, doubted the sincerity of the government in handling the affairs that has to do with the motel.

The APC helmsman said: “We are not against investment but the government should be open about the transaction.

Has Owena land been sold or is it Public Private Partnership (PPP)? Or what was in the business for Ondo people.

“This is a legacy that Ondo people have been emotionally attached to.

Would it be another dome project? We are afraid that someone will pull down what we have and give us another uncompleted project again.”

But the Senior Special Assistant to Mimiko on Public Private Partnership (PPP), Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi punctured the positions of the opposition parties, saying the government acted in the best interest of the state.

According to him, “the state manages to get a reliable partner that can come and help build a world class shopping mall in Akure. We have also been able to do that in a very creative format such that Ondo State does not need to con-

Mimiko

tribute anything in terms of money. In spite of the fact that we are not putting any money down we are getting 30 per cent out of the deal. Apart from that, the property becomes that of Ondo State after 30 years. That is creative negotiation on behalf of the state government.”

Similarly, Governor Mimiko said his idea is to transform Ondo from being an agrarian state to an industrialised one, hence the need to create conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

The governor said through PPP, government has created conducive environment for private sector to take the lead in industrial activities in the state so that goods and services are efficiently harnessed for the benefit of the people.

His words: “The concept is to transform Akure into a Modern Retail Shopping City and an entertainment hub for Ondo State and its environ while in the process, creating job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youths and graduates, and also for our farmers and artisan, boosting revenue generation for the state.

“Having this shopping mall here will make it easier for retail businesses in our state to thrive, expand and discourage adulteration as well as excessive spending on transportation and storage.

Projects, such as this, will not merely help bring commerce into our state; they will also help to empower the people.

They will also help convince investors to bet on the skills of our people.”

Although the contractors have since moved to site, the people of the state are eagerly waiting to see what becomes of the legacies and heritages left behind for them by the heroes’ past.

POLITICS 41

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

In the battle for the Akwa Ibom State Government House, several governorship aspirants have indicated interest in the plum job, but ETIDO NTUKIDEM argues that Mike Sabastine is the best man for the job

2015: Sabastine eyes A’Ibom governorship

I

have carefully studied the political landscape in Akwa Ibom State over the past few months. I submit that the atmosphere is fully charged ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries and the general election. It is a battle of wits, political intrigues and influences as politicians who have an intention to vie for the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state have commenced underground moves to position themselves favourably for the task ahead.

The political actors and their foot soldiers have started their groundwork, putting in necessary strategies and machinery to realise their lofty dreams.

To ensure that they will not be lagging behind when the electoral umpire gives the nod for the contest, many of them have started funding their political structures, foundations and engaging in well-publicised philanthropic works in a calculated bid to endear themselves to the public. They have also started lobbying associations, influential individuals, and traditional rulers in the state in order to soften the ground for the task ahead. It is the usual routine.

What excites me is the level of political participation and mental agility on the part of the people and the aspirants.

There is indeed a fierce political round robin where the aspirants are taking their turns in engaging each other in the battle for supporters. While the debates and consultations go on, mixed with blackmail and falsehood, one fact remains certain that each political epoch needs a leader and a visionary who can change the traditional paradigm of society to face contemporary challenges.

Akwa Ibom State needs a man who has the right temperament and capacity to take the state to an enviable height and take the youth off the streets. After a detailed analysis, my best bet will be Mr. Mike Sabastine, a young, creative, experienced and unassuming gentleman for the Hilltop Mansion. There are a million and one reasons why I am correct on this.

Given the peculiar nature of the Akwa Ibom political turf, the next governor of the state for purposes of fair play and equity should come from Eket Senatorial District. For decades, the only emissions out of Akwa Ibom Atlantic coast line communities have been that of hydrocarbon polluting the air from oil wells and associated economic activities.

And yes, today, these communities (geopolitically referred to as Eket Senatorial District hold much promise for the future of Akwa Ibom State, just as it did in the past in providing Akwa Ibom with a formidable patriot and champion of good in the person of Sir Justice Udo Udoma.

Till this very day, there is no dearth of leadership capacity within Eket Senatorial District. That is why I am presenting a candidate with a pedigree of justice, fairness, and a heart that seeks equity for all Akwa Ibom communities.

The next governor must be a natural leader with a near impeccable background. He must not be a stooge or imposition neither must he be a selfish leader aiming for power to hunt down perceived political enemies. He must be a natural leader with a mind of his own knowledgeable enough to take the state to the next pedestal of development especially in the critical areas of job creation and industrialisation. To achieve these brave ambitions, the next governor must have as his antecedents a successful private sector experience coupled with a reasonable number of

Sabastine

years in public service. All Akwa Ibom State needs for 2015 is that complete leader.

Sabastine is a core professional and highly motivated Geologist with local and international management experience. He is trained in the best schools around the nation and the world. He was a whiz at Lagos State, where he had his primary education. He attended Etinan Institute. Mike desirous of higher education moved to Lagos for his advanced level at Federal School of Art and Science, Victoria Island. He finally settled for Geology, a highly technical discipline at University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, between October 1990 and May 1994. That says it all for his basic education.

Mike also possess sound executive education from Cambridge University and Lagos Business School, relevant technical skills and plenty of handson experience and apt for the Hiltop mansion. As far as 1993, he worked as Trainee Production Geologist at Shell Petroleum Development Company, Port Harcourt and later as Trainee Operation Geologist at Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. Mike has an exceptional mastery of his field and has worked at reputable firms. He also worked at BBC International Incorporated as Design/Project Geologist between1996 to1999. I recall at some point while at BBC, he was Head Geologist/Logging Engineer for BBC/ SPDC Otorugu Gas Plant contamination project, Ughelli, Delta State. From there he switched to private practice as Managing Consultant at Chapelgate International, till when he joined the public service in 2008 The Sabastine I know is a visionary, who can see the future in a way that most persons cannot. He relates well

with multi-lateral and other development assistance institutions, chambers of commerce and other industry groups. He is ever welcoming to bright ideas. He is not anti-academia. Mike is ever resourceful and in our interactions comes up with workable state answers to energy crisis, unemployment and industrialisation. He has played a key role in what is termed today as uncommon transformation. While he was Board Member 2 at State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), he was responsible for implementing the Basic Education Programme with special focus on the implementation of the free and compulsory education programme of the state government in the basic education sub-sector. We are living witnesses to the huge success of that programme and its attendant benefit to the state. Mike is a stickler for education, especially education for those who cannot afford its high cost. He believes in the philosophy of Francis Bacon, that Knowledge is power; power to live a de-

As the build-up heats up, there is real need for a natural unifier with the same passion and zeal like Godswill Akpabio and the creative spark of Victor Attah to step into the saddle and pilot the affairs of this state

cent life, power to earn a decent income, power that brings you respect and dignity. When knowledge can bestow the power for so many things, why should it be restricted to a few who have the advantage of wealth? Knowledge needs to be free for all those who deserve it, and what a person deserves should be decided by an individual’s capability and intelligence and not by wealth.

His conviction is that the best and simplest way to disseminate knowledge to all those who deserve it, is through free education. Mike understands that more educated people would mean better governance from the grassroots to the national level. Educated people would make better choices in electing their representatives and are better equipped to question corruption and misuse of power. Therefore, education is not only the remedy for the ills of unequal wealth, but also the remedy for the ills that plague our administration and governments. By making education free, we prod our society towards the path of better governance.

Mike, Commissioner 1 at the Local Government Service Commission, is an exceptional grassroots politician and mobiliser. His love for his people is unparalled. Mike will go out of his way, even in the face of strong opposition, to fight his people’s cause to an extent past leaders have been unwilling to go to get results. He is a leader after God’s heart and abundantly cherished by the people beyond the borders of Akwa Ibom State, his blazing strides in public service continues to echo from coast to coast. His story is rooted on his resilience and adventure, famous for his relentless pursuit of excellence and his dreams. A lover of risk you would admit, this quintessential politician is in the race for governorship of Akwa Ibom State to change the tempo and bring development to the doorsteps of the people.

My friend Michael fits into the Ibibio saying which goes thus: “if you overlook/ignore the small pot, it will boil over and douse your fire.” The meteoric rise of this grassroots politician over the years has been significant. It will be unwise to ignore him as a strong factor in this race. As the build-up heats up, there is real need for a natural unifier with the same passion and zeal like Godswill Akpabio and the creative spark of Victor Attah to step into the saddle and pilot the affairs of this state. Mike is receptive to ideas, even from the opposition elements. God has granted him the wisdom in the management of human and material resources. He is accommodating and welcomes partnership in development. He has over the years been brave, persistent and successful in the struggle to eradicate the ever presence ailments of poverty, ignorance and appalling problems of underdevelopment of our human and natural capacities. He will exceed expectations if elected governor.

The nerve and verve with which he has over the years stood against the primordial sentiments of tribalism, vicious hate, sectionalism, selfishness, greed, nepotism, geocentricism, corruption and parochial tendencies of our past political legacies are clear indications of his rational decision making capabilities and commitments to the sincerity and honesty of purpose of governance.

Akwa Ibom people need not look any further, the people’s governor is here.

His name is Michael Sabastine.

•Ntukidem Ph.D, Public Affairs Commentator, writes from Uyo.

42 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Atiku, Okorocha, Ikimi, Udenwa,

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

back for real and in it for the long run.”

While his return was initially resisted by his state (Adamawa) chapter of the PDP, he was granted a waiver by the party’s national leadership. The waiver paved the way for him to contest the PDP’s presidential primaries in 2011, but was floored by President Goodluck Jonathan, who went ahead to win the election.

Unlike in 2007, Atiku opted to remain in the PDP after the 2011 elections apparently to fight “the injustice” in the party.

His first battle was the resistance of an attempt in 2013 to foist President Jonathan on the party as its sole candidate for the 2015 polls.

His argument was that the PDP has never adopted the right of first refusal in the contest for its presidential tickets since 1999. While his position enjoyed the support of most PDP members then, his 2015 ambition was said to be the underlying factor for the stand.

The picture became clearer when he, alongside seven aggrieved governors of the PDP staged a walk-out during the party’s special convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja on August 31, 2013. They later converged at the Yar’Adua Centre, also in Abuja where they recounted the numerous sins of the then National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and why he must step aside.

The walk-out culminated, first, in the metamorphosis of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a pressure group within the PDP to a political party, and second and more significant, the defection of five out of the seven governors to the APC on November 26, 2013. Atiku followed suit on February 3, 2014. Whether he will remain in the APC would be determined by the outcome of the party’s presidential primaries, which he would be contesting.

Aggrieved PDP governors: A defection foretold The aggrieved former PDP governors - Kwankwaso (Kano), Wamakko (Sokoto), Ahmed (Kwara), Amaechi (Rivers) and Nyako (Adamawa), for long were locked in a battle of supremacy with the immediate past leadership of the PDP and the presidency over alleged highhandedness of the then Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Efforts by the party’s hierarchy, particularly its Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Chief Tony Anenih, to resolve the issues raised by the aggrieved governors as well as a similar intervention

by President Jonathan that brought him to a roundtable with the aggrieved governors could not assuage them.

The failure of both peace and coercive actions saw both camps shifting to the courts. The governors battled the Tukur-led NWC for control of the party through their factional New PDP headed

by Alhaji Kawu Baraje. While the crisis lasted, the leadership of APC continued to mount pressure on the governors to jump into its camp.

The governors initially foot dragged over the APC overture but the defection deal was sealed when they declared that they felt comfortable in the company of the APC leadership since both groups share the same goal of rescuing Nigeria from the grip of the PDP-led government.

Okorocha: Seeking end to Igbo woes The Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who dumped APGA through which he rose to power in 2011, for the APC in May last year hinged his action on the belief that the party will provide a formidable platform that will enthrone good governance at all levels in the country in 2015.

According to him, the PDP of which he was a founding member has disap-

Atiku

pointed Nigerians, hence the need for change. He added that the coming on board of APC will make way for a twoparty system that would offer Nigerians the opportunity to strike a balance in governance, pointing out that any ruling party that is not doing well is waiting to be changed.

But genuine as his reasons may sound, some analysts say that the Imo governor would have found it difficult to secure APGA’s ticket for a second term in 2015, given an alleged agreement between him and the leader of the party in the state, Chief Martin Agbaso, that he (Okorocha) would do only one term – 2011 to 2015.

Before berthing his political ship in APC, Okorocha has criss-crossed several political parties between 1999 and 2013. He contested the governorship primaries of the PDP in 1999, but lost to Udenwa. He moved to the ANPP, and lost its presidential ticket in 2003. He returned to the PDP, and former President Obasanjo appointed him a Special Adviser on Inter-Party affairs.

In 2005, he formed the Action Alliance (AA) with the intention to contest the 2007 presidential election before again returning to the PDP, and in September 2007, he indicated interest in becoming the party’s national chairman.

Saraki: Time to change gear For former governor of Kwara State and senator representing Kwara Central in the Senate, Bukola Saraki, the beginning of this year was time to change his political gear.

Dumping the PDP platform on which he ruled the North Central state for eight years and later elected to the Senate, the scion of the Saraki political dynasty, said the retrogressive and repressive policies of the PDP government motivated him to join the APC. “The consequences of the retrogressive and repressive policies of the PDP government by commission or omission have inadvertently created a broader space for the emergence of an effective opposition – a key ingredient of a vibrant democracy. A pointer to this is the condition that has led to the near Tsunami-like exodus from PDP to APC,” he said.

Though his declaration then conflicted with the Senate’s Standing Rules which formally require a defecting senator to first write a letter of defection to the Senate President, stating the reason for the decision, Saraki’s defection to APC was without a note of irony, as he was one of several politicians who

Ikimi

While the defection of the five governors from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in November 2013 jolted Nigeria’s political landscape, Atiku’s case is peculiar. He has continued to move back and forth of the PDP had earlier dismissed the emergence of the opposition party as a marriage that would not stand the test of time.

Udenwa, Araraume: Lost out in power play A unity rally in Owerri, Imo State capital in February this year saw the return of former Governor Achike Udenwa and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume back to the PDP after a political journey that saw them traversing the ACN and APC. Udenwa ruled the state between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of the PDP, but shocked many observers when he dumped the party in 2011 for the ACN to contest the senatorial election. He lost the poll, and was part of those who brokered the merger deal that led to the formation of the APC. However, trouble started when his early move to take the shine off Governor Okorocha by hoisting the APC flag in the state triggered a battle for the control of the party in Imo State. This divided the party into two factions – Okorocha and Udenwa’s camps.

Okorocha, however, beat Udenwa in the constitution of the interim state executive council of the APC. Of the four key posts in the exco, the governor conceded only the position of secretary to the former governor’s camp while pocketing the positions of chairman, women and youth leaders.

The last straw was the shutting out of Udenwa’s camp in the reconstitution of the state executive council. An agreement was said to have been reached for the ceding of some positions to members of the defunct ACN, led by Udenwa; defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) led by Chief Mike Ahamba (now in PDP) and defunct ANPP led by Chief Vitalis Ajumbe.

For Araraume, who represented Imo North Senatorial District between 1999 and 2007, he claimed to be a victim of political conspiracy in 2007, when he was denied the PDP governorship ticket. He emerged tops in the party’s primaries for the elections, but was denied to stand for the poll by the national leadership of the party and Obasanjo.

Even when the Supreme Court ruled that he cannot be substituted, the party remained adamant. When it became clear that the PDP could not have its way, the party declared that it was not fielding a candidate for the Imo governorship poll. The aftermath was a directive to its members to support Chief Ikedi Ohakim, then of the PPA after a deal that he (Ohakim) will return to the PDP after the election.

After the poll, Araraume dumped the PDP for the ACN, which gave him its ticket for the 2011 governorship election. His bid failed, and like Udenwa, he had to return to the PDP when it became clear that he could not realise his governorship ambition on APC’s platform in 2015, as Okorocha intends having another shot at the position.

Fani-Kayode: Never trusted by APC Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode is another politician in the back and forth movement. A member of the PDP before teaming up with members of the opposition to form the APC, he has returned to the ruling party after negotiating with President Jonathan.

During his stint with the APC, he persistently lashed out at the PDP, accusing it of playing up religious sentiments against the opposition party. He even at a time accused the ruling party of being behind the Boko Haram insurgent group, saying: “If you are looking for those that know Boko Haram well, that secretly sympathise with them and that are inclined to treat them with kid gloves look to the PDP. If you are looking for those that are ready to dine with that terrorist organisation that have slaughtered over 7,000 Nigerians in the last two years look to the PDP and not the APC.” But like most politicians who see politics as a strife of interest rather than contest of principles, Fani-Kayode, in what many and even the APC have described as a return to one’s vomit, made a detour, and is back to the PDP, and those he had earlier labelled Boko Haram sympathizers.

As expected, the same APC he glorified some months back is now at the receiving end of the verbal assault, which

POLITICS 43

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ribadu lead pack of defectors

Okorocha

he is known for. Only recently, he said he left the APC for the PDP because of APC’s Islamic agenda.

The APC’s leadership in a swift response, however, said the party never trusted Fani-Kayode, hence he was kept out of the happenings in APC while he was a member. The party also claimed that the former minister’s return to the PDP may have been influenced by desperation, as he is standing trial for money laundering, and risks being jailed if convicted.

Bafarawa, Shekarau: Unsettled by successors Attahiru Bafarawa and Ibrahim Shekarau, who are former governors of Sokoto and Kano states, respectively, were among the founding members of the APC, but had to jump ship to the PDP when their successors, Governors Wamakko and Kwankwaso joined the opposition party.

Both men accused the APC leadership of giving the party’s structures in their states to their current state governors, who last year defected to the APC from the PDP. The five PDP governors that left the party had reached an agreement with the APC leadership that the party structures in their respective states would be handed over to them.

Bafarawa, a 2011 presidential aspirant of the ACN, one of the parties that merged to form the APC, was said to have vowed not to work with Wamakko, his former deputy, and therefore had no option than to join the PDP immediately the latter dumped the PDP for the APC. Shekarau suffered same misfortune in Kano in the hands of Kwankwaso.

The ANPP presidential candidate in the 2011 elections had hoped on leading the APC in the state but was displaced by his archrival, Kwankwaso, also courtesy of the deal with the APC leadership.

His defection to the ruling party has since paid off with his appointment as Minister of Education by President Jonathan, but he would be facing an uphill task mobilizing votes in his homestate for the PDP in the 2015 elections.

Many believe that the main reason the ruling party embraced and empowered him was to counter Kwankwaso’s grip of the state.

Turaki, Aliero: Rallied by the Presidency Saminu Turaki and Adamu Aliero, who were governors of Jigawa and Kebbi states between 1999 and 2007, got elected to the Senate after they left office.

But for almost four years now, they have

Ribadu

been missing on the political scene.

In the case of Turaki, he had defected to the PDP from the ANPP a year to end his second tenure as governor. He contested and won the senatorial election to represent Jigawa North West on the platform of the PDP. But the rivalry between him and his successor, Governor Sule Lamido, put paid to his ambition to retain the seat in 2011.

Lamido threw his weight behind Danladi Sankara, the former PDP National Vice Chairman (North-West). This forced Turaki to defect to the ACN, which handed him the senatorial ticket, but lost the election.

Turaki’s return to the PDP is seen as a move by President Jonathan to position him as a counter-force against Lamido, who is likely to contest the PDP presidential primaries against the president.

He will also serve as the president’s point man in Jigawa during the elections, as Lamido may play the spoilers game should he lose in the primaries. The former governor has already pledged support for President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015.

For Aliero, another former governor, senator and minister on the platform of the PDP, who later moved to CPC in 2011, his return to the ruling party was said to have been brokered by Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the eve of the 2012 governorship re-run election in Kebbi State with a promise of “adequate settlement.”

Ikimi: Beaten in his own game Chief Tom Ikimi, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), is known for his political sagacity, but the Edo State-born politician was recently beaten in his own game by other leaders of the APC which he helped to midwife.

He had hoped to lead the party to the 2015 elections as national chairman but the emergence of his kinsman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the party’s national convention in June put paid to that ambition.

Ikimi had blamed former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his botched move. In a letter titled: “APC, My Reflections” and addressed to the party’s National Chairman, Odigie-Oyegun, Ikimi derided the former Lagos governor, citing betrayal and Tinubu’s knack for acquiring wealth at the expense of others, as reasons for his decision to leave APC and return to the PDP. But, Tinubu, who denied practically

Udenwa

all that Ikimi accused him of, said it was clear to practically everyone who had the interest of the party at heart that APC could not have a man of the former minister’s antecedents as chairman of the party.

According to him, as chairman of the NRC under the military transition programme, Ikimi not only connived with the then military regime to annul the elections, terminate the democratic process and sell off his party, he became Abacha’s Foreign Minister, convincing the world that heinous state murders like the hanging of Ken Saro Wiwa were just acts.

He further added that if Ikimi were the chairman of APC, the party would have to sleep with both eyes open lest its chairman sold off the party before day break, adding that no matter what anyone may say about him (Tinubu), it is unlikely that he can be accused of supporting incompetent or morally light-weight individuals for important political positions.

Sheriff returns ‘home’ Former Borno State governor and serving senator, Alhaji Ali Modu-Sheriff ’s dumping of the APC for PDP did not come to many as a surprise. It was alleged that he had always worked for the ruling party even as a governor on the platform of the ANPP (a legacy party of the APC).

Though Sheriff has never disclaimed the allegation, he however premised his move to the crisis rocking the APC. It would be recalled that he was involved in a near-fisticuff with Tinubu at a party leadership meeting before his defection.

For him, the game has changed both in Borno and at the national level, and APC has no solid foundation. “I have taken time to study the package called APC and came to realise that it won’t work. And any serious politician, who knows his onions would not want to be in a ship that is bound to crash,” he said.

The former Borno governor has already pledged to support President Jonathan if he declares for the 2015 presidential election, but some say his joining the PDP may not be unconnected to an attempt to escape possible prosecution over alleged links with the Boko Haram sect, an accusation he has consistently denied.

Adeleke, Oyinlola, Oni: Sweet revenge For two former governors of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke and Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and a former governor of Ekiti

State, Segun Oni defection to the APC on the eve of the just held governorship election in their states was meant to pay their former party back over shabby treatment.

Adeleke was the first civilian governor of Osun State (1992-1993). He represented Osun West in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 on the PDP’s platform. He claimed that he was asked by the PDP leadership to contest the party’s governorship primaries for the July 9 election but was thereafter betrayed and hounded.

Leading thousands of his supporters to the APC, Adeleke noted that with the assault on him by the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, and the candidate of the PDP in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, he and his followers were no longer safe in the PDP. He actually paid the PDP in its own coin during the governorship poll, as he mobilized enough votes for the APC in his Ede hometown in the election. He is likely to be rewarded with a senatorial ticket in the 2015 elections.

For Oyinlola, the APC was the next option after the failed bid to reclaim his position as National Secretary of the PDP. Even a meeting with President Jonathan and some high ranking members of the PDP could not dissuade him from leaving the PDP. The Okuku-born prince and former President Obasanjo’s strong ally had insisted that he be reinstated as the secretary of the ruling party but the president and leadership of the PDP were not ready to trade away the current occupier of the office, Prof. Wale Oladipo.

Oni’s reason for leaving the PDP was not different from that of Adeleke and Oyinlola, although he insisted that it was based on principle. “I found myself in a situation, after the PDP decided to pick Ayo Fayose as governorship candidate, that it is either I change my principle to retain my party, or, I change my party to retain my principle. And I feel and I still feel very, very strongly that it is my party that should change and not my principle,” he said.

APGA reps as election ticket hunters Whereas the four members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of APGA in Anambra State – Uche Ekwunife, John Olibie, Chris Azubogu and Cyril Egwuatu, cited the internal crisis and endless litigations between the Chief Victor Umeh and CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

business | MONEY LINE

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ecobank closes $200m Afreximbanksupported bond issuance

FUNDING Ecobank has joined Diamond Bank, and Access Bank that are bolstering the capital for operation

• Nedbank ‘committed’ to ETI, says CEO

Godson Ikoro

E

to advise it on the bond issuance, Ecobank assigned the trade finance bank with the responsibility to assist it in preparing documentation for the transaction as well as preparing Ecobank’s presentations to potential investors and arranging investor road shows.

Furthermore, Afreximbank was also tasked with the marketing and placement of the securities to be initially issued under the transaction.

“Afreximbank’s support for this transaction is part of our continuing effort at leveraging funds into Africa to fi-

T

Naira falls to seven-week low on strong dollar demand

cobank Nigeria has successfully concluded a “highly anticipated” $200 million bond issuance aimed at raising needed capital for its operations.

The lender said this in a statement yesterday - naming the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) as its advisory services provider.

The lender said that the publicly place coupon bonds, which were listed on the Irish Stock Exchange, attracted an oversubscription from investors.

In mandating Afreximbank

he naira fell 0.28 per cent against the dollar yesterday to its weakest level in seven weeks, hit by strong demand from foreign exchange users and a squeeze in availability of the US currency.

The local unit closed at N162.80 to the dollar, compared with last Monday's close of N162.35 according to Reuters.

"We saw a bit of demand in the market today, pushing down the naira value," one dealer said.

"Dollar flows have been scanty after many of the oil

companies concluded their month-end dollar sales early last week," another dealer said.

The naira eased against the dollar last week after some importers brought forward their forex requirements to tap into the month-end liquidity boost provided by oil companies selling the greenback to meet their local obligations.

Dealers said the naira

nance trade activities,” said Jean-Louis Ekra, President of Afreximbank.

“We remain fully committed to providing African financial institutions with much-needed access to the international financial market to enhance their capacity to support economic growth in Africa.”

According to the statement, Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered Bank were the joint lead managers on the transaction while Afreximbank, Ecobank Capital and Nedbank Capital served as co-lead managers.

should trade within range for the rest of the week in the expectation that state-owned energy company – Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will sell dollars in the market soon.

The corporation accounted for the bulk of dollars traded on the interbank market and usually sell dollars to some lenders once or twice every month.

Economic Indicators

FirstRand targets $924m for expansion in Africa

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

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

Description

TTM

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

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

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

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

F Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

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

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

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

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

Ecobank has joined the list of deposit banks such as Diamond Bank, and Access Bank that are bolstering the capital operation as well as possible capital adequacy increase by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a related development, Nedbank Group Ltd. (NED), the South African lender controlled by Old Mutual Plc, said it remains committed to its partnership withEcobank Transnational Inc. (ETI), even after the Togo-based firm sold a stake to a Qatari bank.

Qatar National Bank QSC, the largest Arab lender, bought a 12.5 per cent stake in Ecobank for $290 million on Sept. 4, marking its first acquisition in sub-SaharanAfrica. Nedbank formed an alliance with Ecobank in 2008 and has the option until Nov. 25 of gaining a 20 per cent stake, a move that would give it access to bank customers in more than 30 African countries.

“If we exercise our rights, Nedbank would become the single largest shareholder in Ecobank,” Mike Brown, chief executive officer of the Johannesburg-based lender, said in an e-mailed response to questions from Bloomberg yesterday. “Nedbank and Ecobank are committed to our al-

liance.”

South Africa’s government pension fund administrator, the Public Investment Corp., owns 18.2 percent of Ecobank, with QNB now the secondlargest shareholder, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Ecobank, Africa’s most geographically diverse bank, said it’s discussing a strategic partnership with QNB to expand its reach in North Africa and the Middle East.

“We believe QNB would likely out-muscle Nedbank,” Jaap Meijer, an analyst at Arqaam Capital in Dubai, said in a Sept. 5 note. “We only see QNB’s stake in Ecobank as a first step as we believe QNB has ample capital to go after the full acquisition of Ecobank. This could result into a battle for Ecobank.”

Nedbank has dropped 2.7 per cent to 227.81 rand in Johannesburg trading since the Qatari bank announced its acquisition.

Albert Essien, CEO of Ecobank, isn’t immediately able to comment because he’s in a board meeting, he said in an e-mailed response to questions.

Nedbank has until late November to convert a $285 million loan it made to Ecobank in 2011 into an equity holding and then increase the stake to as much as 20 percent. The banks’ alliance is aimed at corporate customers, assisting businesses with cross-border transactions. Nedbank and Ecobank also work together on African financing projects.

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

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

irstRand Ltd. (FSR), Africa’s biggest bank by market value, said yesterday that it was setting aside 10 billion rand ($924 million) for expansion across the continent as profit increases from regions outside its home market of South Africa.

“We’ve got a provisional license in Ghana and should be up and running there in early 2015,” Sizwe Nxasana, chief executive officer of the Johannesburg-based bank, said by phone last Monday to Bloomberg. “In time we’ll set up operations in Kenya and Angola.”

South African and international banks are targeting expansion in west and east Africa to take advantage of accelerating economies and population growth.

Robert Diamond’s Atlas Mara Co-Nvest Ltd, last week increased its stake in Union Bank of Nigeria Plc after buying lenders in Botswana and Rwanda, while Qatar National Bank QSC acquired a 12.5 per cent of Togobased Ecobank Transnational Inc. (ETI) on Sept. 4.

FirstRand has representative offices in Angola and Kenya, full service operations in countries including Botswana and Zambia, and investment banking in Nigeria.

While the lender last year considered buying Nigeria’s Mainstreet Bank Ltd. or Keystone Bank Ltd., it now favours organic growth, Nxasana said.

Automobile financing and investment banking recorded “strong growth” outside of South Africa in the year through June, FirstRand said in its annual earnings statement last Monday, without giving more detail.

Net income in the period rose to 18.4 billion rand, from a restated 14.8 billion rand a year earlier. Earnings per share excluding one-time items increased 22 percent to 3.36 rand, beating the 3.20 rand median estimate of 13 analysts surveyed

by Bloomberg.

It was “another good set of results, which were marginally ahead of our above market expectations,” Greg Saffy, banks analyst at RMB Morgan Stanley, said in an e-mailed note yesterday. “Very good top line growth is a stand out feature.”

The final dividend per share was 97 cents, a 20 per cent increase from 81 cents a year ago.

With capital adequacy ratios above regulatory minimums, FirstRand ruled out special dividends with Nxasana saying the lender would prefer to increase payout ratios.

business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS 45

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

9-Sep-14

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

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

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

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

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

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,591.19

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,672.73

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

Description

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

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

0.05 0.62 1.94 2.63 2.88 2.98 3.72 4.80 5.12 7.38 9.51 14.22 14.70 15.20 15.87 19.86

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

10.15 10.99 11.33 11.28 11.30 11.30 11.34 11.38 11.49 11.97 12.04 12.41 12.43 12.45 12.17 12.20

7.34 10.72 11.24 11.22 11.24 11.24 11.24 11.30 11.40 11.92 11.99 12.37 12.38 12.39 12.13 12.16

99.93 95.91 102.90 108.45 96.49 95.18 98.06 116.70 82.95 121.20 112.05 117.08 100.39 73.32 84.85 99.60

100.08 96.06 103.05 108.60 96.64 95.33 98.36 117.00 83.25 121.50 112.35 117.38 100.69 73.62 85.15 99.90

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

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

978.35 24.56 3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.14 0.70 1.32 2.25 2.61 2.82

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.60 13.67 13.53 13.31 12.30 12.30

98.39 91.08 104.67 101.29 99.70 97.21

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

0.10 0.98 0.58 1.10 1.10 2.61 1.65 3.31 2.28 4.07 2.48 2.48 2.86 2.93 5.20 2.99 3.61 6.22 6.31 3.79 3.82

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

13.67 15.65 14.19 15.69 14.71 16.89 12.30 13.11 13.11 12.36 12.30 16.08 12.30 12.30 12.52 14.04 12.33 12.83 13.80 12.78 13.29

99.96 97.24 99.46 98.72 101.30 85.90 102.43 102.28 101.85 105.11 104.81 96.13 105.08 107.84 107.36 101.68 106.69 102.74 104.87 105.03 104.97

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,283.05

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds

484.10 491.50

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014

Aa/Agusto

GTB µ NGC

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

Nil

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

BB+/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

*FLOURMILLS

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

NAHCO

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

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

FSDH

A/GCR

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

*C & I LEASING *DANA#

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

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

*DANA NAHCO

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

07-Oct-11

11.50

11.80

07-Oct-14

0.08

1.00

11.27

99.98

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.27

5.21

16.31

99.13

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.31

8.71

19.78

99.01

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.69

4.88

15.91

96.48

09-Dec-10

12.00

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.77

1.00

12.08

100.52

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.85

2.63

13.76

100.79

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.06

1.00

12.33

101.17

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

2.13

1.34

12.66

102.84

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

3.06

1.00

12.31

101.71

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.73

30-Nov-17

1.87

1.88

13.20

109.07

09-Apr-11

16.00

7.20

09-Apr-18

1.83

3.48

14.80

102.17

09-Sep-11

18.00

3.27

09-Sep-18

2.50

5.20

16.49

102.86

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.90

09-Sep-18

2.50

5.06

16.35

101.74

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

4.04

1.35

12.71

103.98

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.70

18-Oct-18

2.11

2.29

13.62

104.15

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.44

6.11

17.41

99.38

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.31

2.16

13.48

106.51

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

6.18

2.76

14.58

102.60

11-Feb-18

3.43

1.00

12.32

94.19

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

142.08

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

144.75

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

12.00 11.30 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.63

4.49

111.57

112.43

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

3.89

3.68

104.35

105.10

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

4.98

4.86

109.89

110.73

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,629.05

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.22

3.22

111.13

111.13

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.36

4.36

105.04

105.04

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.72

6.72

101.35

101.35

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.55

8.02

94.83

96.42

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

5.98

5.66

100.07

101.24

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

8.70

8.70

105.75

105.75

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.18

6.18

100.25

100.25

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

8.92

8.67

99.33

100.26

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.43

7.43

103.01

103.01

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

7.69

7.69

94.77

94.77

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

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

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

8.74

8.57

102.93

103.78

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

7.54

7.54

101.48

101.48

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.66

8.44

99.55

100.68

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,760.00 4,849.36

**Treasury Bills DTM 9 16 23 30 37 44 51 58 65

FIXINGS Maturity 18-Sep-14 25-Sep-14 2-Oct-14 9-Oct-14 16-Oct-14 23-Oct-14 30-Oct-14 6-Nov-14 13-Nov-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.10 10.15 10.40 10.00 10.35 10.35 10.40 10.15 10.65

Offer Discount (%) 9.85 9.90 10.15 9.75 10.10 10.10 10.15 9.90 10.40

Bid Yield (%) 10.13 10.20 10.47 10.08 10.46 10.48 10.55 10.32 10.86

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.7917 11.9139 12.6595 13.9934

NITTY

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.50

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

10.75

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

162.70 162.73 162.99 163.45 164.78 165.87 169.56

162.80 162.97 163.30 164.18 166.06 167.66 172.92

O/N Tenor Call 1M 3M

REPO

Rate (%) 10.50 11.81 12.70

NA

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

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

***LCRM

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

1.32 2.25 2.61 2.82

2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

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

0.10 0.98 0.58 1.10 1.10 2.61 1.65 3.31 2.28 4.07 2.48 2.48 2.86 2.93 5.20 2.99 3.61 6.22 6.31 3.79 3.82

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

13.53 13.31 12.30 12.30

104.67 101.29 99.70 97.21

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,283.05

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

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

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

46 business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

RETREAT

Stories by Chris Ugwu

xpectations by investors that gains recorded in

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE the equity market would TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

be sustained were dashed Corporate Bonds yesterday, following return of A+/Agusto; AA/GCR WAPCO bearish sentiment,LAFARGE as activiAa/Agusto ties on the shares ofGTB Cadbury µ NGC Nil and Seplat lowered the moBbb-/Agusto *UPDC mentum.

A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS BB+/GCR Cadbury Nigeria*CHELLARAMS Plc along A+/Agusto; A-/GCR Petroleum, NAHCO Neswith Seplat FSDH tleA-/Agusto and other blue chips shed A/GCR UBA weight, market BBB-/GCR dragging the *C & I LEASING southwards to give*DANA the# bears BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR enablement to submerge *TOWER# # AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR the *TOWER gains recorded previous A/Agusto; A/GCR UBA days.

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR CASERA This was due to *LA profit takBBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS# ing by investors in the BBB/GCR *DANA wake A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

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

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

of the cautious optimism that had prevailed in the market in the recent time.

The twin market performance measures, the NSE ASI and market capitalisation, dropped by 0.85 per cent, as the market tempo lowered.

A total of 1,312,444,260 ordinary shares of Ashaka Cement Plc at N30.95 per share, LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 were11.50 crossed yesterday via an 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 off-market trade.

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 The was Lafarge Af10.00buyer UPDC 17-AUG-2015 9-DEC-2015 rica 12.00 Plc,FLOURMILLS while the seller was 14.00 CHELLARAMS Lafarge Nigeria 06-JAN-2016 Plc. 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 According to market ana14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 lysts,13.00the transaction was UBA 30-SEP-2017 part of on-going process to 18.00the C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 consolidate the9-APR-2018 South African MPR+7.00 DANA MPR+7.00 9-SEP-2018 Assets.

Assets andTOWER the Nigeria TOWER 9-SEP-2018 AtMPR+5.25 the close of trading, 27 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 stocks appreciated, while 29 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 others constituted losers’ MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS IIthe 17-FEB-2019 table.16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index fell by 346.79 basis points or 0.85 per cent from 41,214.81 the previous day, to drop at 40,868.02, while the market capitalisation depreciated by N115 billion or 0.85 per cent from N13.609 trillion to N13.494 trillion.

Further analysis of the 11.50 day’s 07-Oct-11 trading showed that 18-Dec-09 13.50 Forte Oil Nigeria Plc topped 01-Apr-10 17.00 the day’s gainers’ table 17-Aug-10 10.00 with N7.01,09-Dec-10 to close at 12.00 N225.00, 06-Jan-11 Mills added 14.00 N5.89 while Flour 29-Sep-11 13.00 Propto close at N64.76. UAC 25-Oct-13 14.25 erty Nigeria Plc followed with 30-Sep-10 13.00 N3.03 30-Nov-12 to close at N15.30 per 18.00 share. 09-Apr-11 16.00 On 09-Sep-11 the flip side, 18.00 Cadbury 09-Sep-11 16.00a drop Nigeria led losers’ with 22-Sep-11 14.00 of N30.73 to close at15.75 N55.08, 18-Oct-13 while Seplat Oil shed N29.98 17-Feb-12 17.00 to close at N650.00 per 01-Apr-14 16.00share.

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

NAHCO

14-Nov-13

15.25

Nestle Nigeria followed with N8.99 to close at N1, 010.01 per share.

On the activity chart, the building materials sub-sector of the industrial goods sector dominated in volume terms with 1.32 billion shares worth 484.10 N41.6 billion in 253 deals. The 491.50 sub-sector was enhanced by the activities in the shares of 11.80 07-Oct-14 0.08 Ashaka Cement Plc. 13.17 18-Dec-14 0.27 The banking sub-sector 2.00 31-Dec-14 0.31 also sec3.61 of financial 17-Aug-15services0.69 tor, by the activities 13.62 boosted09-Dec-15 0.77 0.60the shares 06-Jan-16 0.85 on of Access Bank 15.00 and Ecobank 29-Sep-16 2.06 Plc Transna5.53 25-Oct-16 2.13 tional Incorporated (ETI) Plc, 20.00 30-Sep-17 3.06 followed with 152.7 million 0.73 30-Nov-17 1.87 units, worth N1.9 billion 7.20 09-Apr-18 1.83 in 3.27 2.50 1,441 deals. 09-Sep-18 0.90 09-Sep-18 2.50inAt the close of trading, 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.04 vestors exchanged a total of 2.70 18-Oct-18 2.11 1.6 billion shares, worth N46.3 0.41 17-Feb-19 2.44 billion in 4,872 deals.

4.50 01-Apr-19 3.31 2.05

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

142.08

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

144.75

Ebonyi plans N9.340bn bond issuance

T

Sanctity of Truth

2014

IFC

he Ebonyi State Govern-

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE ment has filed an applicaTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

tion seeking the approval of the Securities and Issuer ExRating/Agency change Commission (SEC) to raise funds through the issuFGN Eurobonds ance of bonds in the Nigerian BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P Capital Market.

BB-/Fitch; The fixed rate bonds areFGN to BB-/S&P beBB-/Fitch; issued at N1000.00 per unit.

BB-/S&P The proposed utilisation of OUTSTANDING VALUE theTOTAL proceeds from the bond issuTOTAL CAPITALISATION ance as MARKET published in a prospectus by SEC in its official webCorporate Eurobonds site, showed that N4.340 billion B-/S&P orB/Fitch; 51 per cent will beAFREN usedPLC forI reB+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I financing of existing loan with B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC United Bank for Africa (UBA), B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC which was taken to part-finance B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC Ochudo City and International B/Fitch AFREN PLC II Market, Abakaliki. ZENITH BANK PLC B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P Also,B/S&P N2.453 billion, which B/Fitch; DIAMOND BANK PLC B-/Fitch; B/S&P PLC represent 31 per centFIRST willBANK be utiB-/Fitch; AFREN PLC lised asB/S&P part of financing ofIIIInB-/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC II ternational Market,ACCESS Abakaliki.

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

While N1.800 billion will be used to finance electrification and accessories for the Ochudo, N743.2 million is the estimated Description cost of issue. All these summed up to N9.340 billion.

Lead Issuing House/Lead 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 Book Runner is Planet Capital JULjoint 12, 2018 issuLimited, while 5.13 the ing houses and book runners 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 are Cowry Asset Management Limited and Skye Financial Services Limited.

Bauchi had last week also unveiled its plans for the use 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 of proceeds in its proposed N15 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 billion bond issuance maturing 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 in 2021 under the state govern6.88 MAY 09, 2018 ment medium-term note 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 programme.

10.25 APR 08, 2019 According to6.25the of APR details 22, 2019 8.75 May 21, 2019issue the proposed bond, the 8.25 per AUG 07, 2020 price is N1, 000.00 unit.

6.63 DEC 09, 2020 The proposed utilisation of 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 the proceeds from the bond is8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

11-Feb-13

6.18

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.43

suance as published in a pro12.00 spectus by SEC shows that N5.4 11.30 billion will be used to complete its international airport, repAdeola Outstanding ValueYusuf Issue Date Coupon (%) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) ($mm) resenting 36.6 per cent of the proceeds. he Forte Oil on yesterday Also,07-Oct-11 N2.030 billion, which said that it had awarded the 6.75 500.00 28-Jan-21 4.63 represents 13.5 per cent of the contract for the overhaul of 12-Jul-13 500.00 12-Jul-18 proceeds will be used5.13 to com- Geregu Power plant worth 3.89$90 plete a 400 bed specialist hos- million.

12-Jul-13 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 4.98 pital; catering for about 15,000 Chief Executive Officer of 1,500.00 patients monthly. the Group, Akin Akinfenwa, While N6.338 billion will be 1,629.05 who said this at the launch of used to refinance bank loans, the company's 100 fuel trucks this represents 42.3 per cent of in Lagos, maintained that the 01-Feb-11 11.50 450.00 01-Feb-16 3.22 power deal was made by Forte the total proceeds.

19-May-11 7.50 500.00 19-May-16 4.36 All these summed up totals Oil Plc's arm, Amperion Power 25-Jul-12 7.25 350.00 25-Jul-17 6.72 N13.852 billion net proceeds Distribution Company Limited.

09-May-13 6.88 300.00 02-May-18 8.55 from the offer after deducting "We have awarded a $90 mil08-Nov-13 6.00 400.00 08-Nov-18 5.98 N589.821 million, which is costs lion for the overhaul 08-Apr-12 10.25 300.00 contract 08-Apr-19 8.70 of and expenses rep- Geregu power plant," he said.

22-Apr-14 of the issue, 6.25 500.00 22-Apr-19 6.18 21-May-14 8.75and an 200.00 21-May-19 resenting 3.93 per cent He said that the contract8.92 was 07-Aug-13 300.00 by Messr 07-Aug-20 7.43 underwriting fee of 8.25 N559.178 won Siemen, adding 09-Dec-13 360.00 09-Dec-20 7.69 million, translating to6.63 3.72 per that the company had stream9.25 400.00 24-Jun-21 8.74 cent. 24-Jun-14 lined the time of project deliv-

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

T

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

7.54

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.66

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

14-Nov-20

1.00

11.27

99.98

5.21

16.31

99.13

8.71

19.78

99.01

4.88

15.91

96.48

1.00

12.08

100.52

2.63

13.76

100.79

1.00

12.33

101.17

1.34

12.66

102.84

1.00

12.31

101.71

1.88

13.20

109.07

3.48

14.80

102.17

5.20

16.49

102.86

5.06

16.35

101.74

1.35

12.71

103.98

2.29

13.62

104.15

6.11 Onyema 17.41 Oscar

99.38

2.16

13.48

106.51

2.76

14.58

102.60

Forte Oil awards $90m contract for Geregu overhaul

Supranational Bond

AAA/S&P

13.67 99.96 15.65 97.24 14.19 99.46 15.69 98.72 14.71 September 101.30 Wednesday, 10, 16.89 85.90 12.30 102.43 13.11 102.28 13.11 101.85 12.36 105.11 12.30 104.81 16.08 96.13 12.30 105.08 12.30 107.84 12.52 107.36 14.04 101.68 12.33 106.69 12.83 102.74 13.80 104.87 12.78 105.03 13.29 104.97

Cadbury, Seplat deplete NSE activities

Investment value dips N115billion

E

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

1.00

12.32

94.19

ery from 17 months to between 12 and 15 months.

Bid Price Offer Price On the launch of 100 delivery trucks, said that the compaPriceshe & Yields ny invested N250million for the 4.49 111.57 112.43 first phase of the project, while the phase would 3.68second 104.35 105.10 also gulp additional N250 million.

109.89 4.86 The Forte Oil's plan110.73 is to get 200 trucks for fuel haulage business and the company took this step, according to its helmsman, "towards sustaining Superior 3.22 111.13 111.13 Customer Service delivery ."

4.36 105.04 The company had 105.04 in 2013, 6.72 101.35 completed a101.35 deal to acquire a 8.02 94.83 96.42 controlling stake in the 414MW 5.66 100.07 101.24 Geregu Power plant that exists 8.70 105.75 105.75 in6.18 Kogi State of Nigeria.

100.25 100.25 Amperion power acquired 8.67 99.33 100.26 7.43 stake under 103.01 the the 103.01 govern7.69 94.77 94.77 proment-led privatisation 8.57 102.93 103.78 gramme in the power industry .

Offer Yield (%)

7.54

101.48

8.44

99.55

101.48 100.68

9-Sep-14

4,760.00 4,849.36

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

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) 9 18-Sep-14 10.10 16 25-Sep-14 10.15 FGN Bonds23 2-Oct-14 10.40 30 9-Oct-14 10.00 37 16-Oct-14 10.35 Issuer Description Rating/Agency 44 23-Oct-14 10.35 51 30-Oct-14 10.40 9.25 28-SEP-2014 58 6-Nov-14 10.15 4.00 23-APR-2015 65 13-Nov-14 10.65 13.05 16-AUG-2016 72 20-Nov-14 10.10 15.10 27-APR-2017 79 27-Nov-14 10.70 9.85 27-JUL-2017 86 4-Dec-14 9.90 93 11-Dec-14 10.70 9.35 31-AUG-2017 107 25-Dec-14 10.60 10.70 30-MAY-2018 114 1-Jan-15 10.80 16.00 29-JUN-2019 NA NA 121 8-Jan-15 10.75 7.00 23-OCT-2019 128 15-Jan-15 10.80 16.39 27-JAN-2022 135 22-Jan-15 10.45 14.20 14-MAR-2024 149 5-Feb-15 10.60 15.00 28-NOV-2028 163 19-Feb-15 10.35 12.49 22-MAY-2029 177 5-Mar-15 10.35 212 9-Apr-15 10.20 8.50 20-NOV-2029 226 23-Apr-15 10.30 10.00 23-JUL-2030 240 7-May-15 9.90 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 331 6-Aug-15 10.40 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 359 3-Sep-15 10.35 *from the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

Offer Discount (%) 9.85 9.90 10.15 9.75 10.10Date Issue 10.10 10.15 28-Sep-07 9.90 23-Apr-10 10.40 16-Aug-13 9.85 27-Apr-12 10.45 27-Jul-07 9.65 10.45 31-Aug-07 10.35 30-May-08 10.55 29-Jun-12 10.50 23-Oct-09 10.55 27-Jan-12 10.20 14-Mar-14 10.35 28-Nov-08 10.10 22-May-09 10.10 9.95 20-Nov-09 10.05 23-Jul-10 9.65 18-Jul-14 10.15 10.10

Bid Yield (%) 10.13 10.20 10.47 10.08 10.46 (%) Coupon 10.48 10.55 9.25 10.32 4.00 10.86 13.05 10.31 15.10 10.95 9.85 10.14 11.00 9.35 10.94 10.70 11.18 16.00 11.15 7.00 11.23 16.39 10.87 14.20 11.08 15.00 10.85 12.49 10.90 10.84 8.50 11.00 10.00 10.59 12.1493 11.48 11.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

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

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

Modified Duration Buckets

***LCRM <3

3<5 >5 CAPITALISATION Market

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET

Description

Issue Date

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25Porfolio FMB II 03-APR-2017 Market Total Outstanding Value(Bn) 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 Volume(Bn) 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 1,036.71 983.07 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

1,137.17 817.20 2,991.08

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

Rate (%) 10.7917 11.9139 12.6595 Date Maturity 13.9934

100.00 28-Sep-14 535.00 23-Apr-15 NITTY 530.27 16-Aug-16 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 10.1083 2M 10.4558 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 10.8931 300.00 30-May-18 6M 10.8947 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 10.8967 233.90 23-Oct-19 12M 11.5058 600.00 27-Jan-22 281.35 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 NIFEX 150.00 22-May-29 Current Price ($/N)20-Nov-29 200.00 BID($/N) 591.57 162.4500 23-Jul-30 OFFER ($/N) 162.5500 70.00 18-Jul-34

4,591.19

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.50

O/N

10.75

REPO TTM (Yrs) Tenor Call 0.05 1M 0.62 3M 1.94 6M

Bid Yield (%) Rate (%) 10.50 10.15 11.81 10.99 12.70 11.33 13.70

Tenor Spot 7D Offer 14D Yield 1M(%) 2M 7.34 3M 10.72 6M 11.24 1Y

2.63 11.28 11.22 2.88 11.30 11.24 2.98 11.30 11.24 :Benchmarks 3.72 11.34 11.24 * :Amortising Bond 4.80 11.38 11.30 µ :Convertible Bond 5.12 11.49 11.40 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 7.38 11.97 11.92 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 9.51Mortgage Bank 12.04 11.99 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 14.22 Finance Corporation 12.41 12.37 IFC: International 14.70 12.43 Management 12.38 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables NAHCO: Nigerian 15.20 Aviation Handling 12.45Company 12.39 O/N: Overnight 15.87 12.17 12.13 UPDC: UAC19.86 Property Development Company 12.20 12.16 NOTE:

WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

Bid ($/N) 162.70 162.73 162.99 Bid Price 163.45 164.78 99.93 165.87 95.91 169.56 102.90 176.91

Offer ($/N)

Price 162.80

162.97 163.30 Offer Price 164.18 166.06 100.08 167.66 96.06 172.92 103.05 185.18

108.45 108.60 96.49 96.64 95.18 95.33 NA :Not Applicable 98.06 98.36 # :Floating Rate Bond 116.70 117.00 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 82.95 83.25 121.20 121.50 †: Bond rating expired 112.05 112.35 117.08 117.38 100.39 100.69 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 73.32 73.62 UBA: United Bank for Africa 84.85 85.15 99.60 99.90

4,672.73

#

Rating/Agency

NIBOR

Bonds

951.30 872.92 2,807.29

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 Weighting by 03-Apr-12 Outstanding Vol 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 35.02 06-Jul-12 33.89

0.00 0.00 Weighting

by Mkt 17.25 Value 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 34.66 0.00/16.50 38.02

978.35 24.56 3.30 Bucket Weighting 112.22 116.70 0.35 66.49 0.34

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 % Exposure_ 03-Apr-17 Mod_Duration 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 16.25 06-Jul-17 34.48

0.14 0.70 Implied1.32 Yield 2.25 2.61 11.30 2.82 11.80

31.09 100.00

27.32 100.00

1,283.05 1.00

0.31

49.27 100.00

12.13 11.88

1,301.62

# Risk Premium (%)

1.00 2.63 Implied 2.27 Portfolio2.00 Price 1.00 119.2745 1.00 135.5806

103.7096 119.9603

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

11.60 13.67 13.53 INDEX 13.31 12.30 1,132.86 12.30 1,148.04

98.39 91.08 YTD Return 104.67 (%) 101.29 99.70 13.2865 97.21 14.8045

1,209.86 1,139.49

20.9856 13.9494

13.67 15.65 14.19 15.69 14.71 16.89 12.30 13.11 13.11 12.36

99.96 97.24 99.46 98.72 101.30 85.90 102.43 102.28 101.85 105.11

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

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

14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

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

14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00

6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00

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

0.10 0.98 0.58 1.10 1.10 2.61 1.65 3.31 2.28 4.07

3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00

NEWS 47

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Kwara lawmakers debate debt security bill Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

State Debt Security Kbillwara Issuance (Amendment) has passed through the

second reading at the floor of the House of Assembly.

Leading the debate on the bill, House Majority Leader, Hon. AbdulGaniyu AbdulKareem, said the amendment being sought on the bill is meant to improve the principal law and improve the scope of financial assistance to enhance mechanised farming and improve educational facilities.

He then urged his colleagues to support the passage of the bill to ensure the realisation of its benefits.

In his contribution, Hon. Olarinoye Olayonu,

representing Ojomu Balogun constituency noted that though the bill, if passed into law, would boost agriculture, he pointed out that some sections of the bill, if passed, would erode the power of the legislature to approve, monitor and control any loan or bond obtained by the government.

But, in their contributions, the members representing Oke Ogun constituency, Hon. Kamaldeen Fagbemi and Ilesha Gwanara constituency, Hon. Suleiman Sunaboro, allayed the fears raised by Olayonu as they pointed out that the bill would not usurp the power of the lawmakers to approve, monitor and control financial transactions of the government.

Avoid conflicts that could mar elections, presidency tells Fulani herdsmen Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

T

he presidency yesterday called on the Fulani herdsmen to live in peace with their host communities and avoid conflicts that could mar the peaceful conduct of the general elections The Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, who gave this advice when he received the National Executive members and elders of the Myetti Allah Socio-cultural Organisation of Nigeria who paid him a solidarity visit, stressed the need for the herdsmen in the country to exercise great restraint in reacting to any conflicts any time there was any misunderstanding

between them and farmers.

Alkali told them that President Jonathan was concerned about the ugly development in some parts of the country, during which crises had claimed many lives and properties worth several billions of naira .

"I call on you, the Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and your associates to exercise even greater patience in handling conflicts with your host communities", he stated.

"Government is concerned that if there is anything, the best thing is not to retaliate but to follow government channels of laying down complaints and seeking for redress".

Aregbesola mourns Osun Chief Imam

sun State Governor, Odescribed Rauf Aregbesola, has the death of

the President-General, League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, and Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Mustafa Ajisafe, as a big loss to the entire Muslim community in Osun State and Nigeria in general.

In a condolence message by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Governor's Office, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola described Ajisafe as a cleric of repute, saying that his contributions to the search for peace in the

state and the country, was outstanding.

He added: “The death of Sheikh Ajisafe is a big loss to the Muslim Ummah in Osogbo as well as the entire state, because he preached peace and unity while alive. His preaching at home and his gospel of Islamic scholarship will be missed.”

While praying for the repose of the soul of the late cleric, Governor Aregbesola urged members of various Muslim societies to continue the good works Sheik Ajisafe started, adding that; “This is the only way to immortalise this pride of Osun in particular and Nigeria as a whole."

L-R: Brigade Commander, 44 Division Engineers, Brig.-Gen. F. O. Akanji; Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Col. Jubrin Fagge; Corps Commander of Nigerian Army Engineers, Maj.-Gen. John Davis and Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, during the presentation of N100m cheque in the state.

Nomads delay completion of Abuja-Kaduna rail project Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

C

hairman of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Project (SURE-P), General Marthin Luther Agwai, yesterday said the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna rail project, which was fixed for the end of this year, has been shifted to the first quarter of next year.

Agwai said this in Abuja while hosting the Minister of Information,

Mr. Labaran Maku, who was on a courtesy visit to his office.

The rail track, according to him has attained 85 per cent completion, but is undergoing fencing to prevent nomads and their cattle crossing the rail.

This, he explained became necessary to avoid accidents due to the speed of the train and the large population of nomads on the route.

He also added that the construction of stations for Abuja light rail where he said passengers would

be buying tickets may also delay the completion of that project till next year.

The light rail is expected to have 12 stations from the city centre through to airport and Kubwa.

“On the Kaduna-Abuja rail project, I would have said that by the end of this year, it will be 100 per cent complete, but it has a challenge. The challenge is the type of community we live. There are a lot of nomads with their cattle and this train goes very fast.

So, there is the additional challenge of fencing the

two sides of the track from Abuja to Kaduna.

And that's the real challenge that we have now.

The completion of the track, the speed of the rail, and because we have people who will cross the rail with their cattle, it will be dangerous to life and property. The government has decided that before it goes operational, it must be fenced on both sides. So that may take us to the first quarter of next year. I think we have gone beyond 85 per cent of the track,” he said.

Ikimi behind Oshiomhole’s woes in Edo, says APC chieftain riddance For Edo APC, it does appear Ikimi's exit is more than good news Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

P

olitical Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Charles Idahosa, yesterday said former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, was responsible for the political crisis rocking Edo State for some time now.

He asked leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to watch their back with the defection of the former minister and oth-

ers from the APC to the party as such step will soon spark an implosion within the PDP. Idahosa specifically accused Ikimi, who recently left the APC for the PDP, of causing most of the political problems the state governor is currently facing in different parts of the state and the party.

He said this in an interview with selected journalists in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The governor’s aide added that by Ikimi’s action, he has proved himself an ethnic bigot, who would only allow his ego to be massaged, especially, when it favours him.

“Ikimi is the leader of imposition, all the problems Governor Adams Oshiomhole has been facing were caused by Tom

Ikimi; he wanted to impose people from everywhere. He put Oshiomhole in a tight corner.”

According to the governor’s aide; “What Ikimi has done by saying that he has gone back to the PDP, where his Esan brother, Chief Tony Anenih is, just because Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the first Benin man to be made National Chairman of the APC, is an insult to the Benin people and they will pay for it come February 2015, because when both of them were National Chairmen of NRC and SDP, the Benin people supported them, because we see them as our brothers.

“For Ikimi to say because Odigie-Oyegun, who is even more experienced than him, is na-

tional chairman, so he decided to quit the party to join his brother, they will never get any support from Benin people,” he said.

Idahosa wondered “how Ikimi can tell people that he is decamping because he was not made national chairman and that Odigie-Oyegun was imposed.”

He said, “Ikimi is the god-father of imposition. All the problems that Oshiomhole has encountered in Edo State were spearheaded by Tom Ikimi. He created a lot of problems for Oshiomhole. The last congress we had in Edo, the problem we are having in Esan, is tied around him, because he believed that everything that was done in that area must be tied to him.”

CANAN asks Jonathan to implement White Paper on Boko Haram Biodun Oyeleye Iloirn

embers of the ChrisM tian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) yesterday called on President

Goodluck Jonathan to summon courage and implement the decision of the Federal Executive Council on the Usman Galtimari Panel, which was set up in 2011 to probe the promoters of

the Boko Haram sect.

In a statement by its Executive Secretary, Laolu Akande, the body said the president should no longer tolerate the affront on the sovereignty of Nigeria by the sect and

called on the international community to equally join hands with the Nigerian government to put an end to the insurgency by the group in the interest of humanity.

Text of the statement,

which was made available to our reporter reads: “We have been watching with insistent ardor, how Boko Haram’s audacity and impunity have become more and more daring!

“Seemingly following the script of ISIS in Syria and northern Iraq, Boko Haram is now making a sovereign claim on parts of Borno State. They are forcing the military to retreat."

48 POLITICS Comrade Femi Aborishade, lawyer and human rights activist and founding National Secretary of the National Conscience Party (NCP) says that those endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan for 2015 presidency are deceiving themselves not Nigerians.

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Aborishade: Pro-Jonathan groups for selfish purposes Those who are endorsing him do so for selfish reasons rather than for public good as prescribed in section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution

L

egally, there is nothing wrong with political parties other than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan as their candidate for 2015 elections.

However, the performance of President Jonathan does not recommend him as fit to stand re-election. From the standpoint of Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides that “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” President Jonathan should have long resigned from office.

If he does not resign, then he would have found it difficult for any party to either sponsor or endorse him. This is because on the two measures of the state of security and welfare of the people, the graph has been on an unprecedented downward slope. There are too many indices to use to substantiate this contention. That parties and groups are endorsing him shows that the Nigerian society is not a normal society. Those who are endorsing him do so for selfish reasons rather than for public good as prescribed in section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution.

Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and other pro-Jonathan groups endorsing the President are just carrying out Jonathan’s plan. There is no doubt about it; it is still the same JonaCO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 3

Chief Maxi Okwu factions of the party for their defection to the PDP, their former party described them as perennial election ticket hunters.

In a move that shocked most political analysts and even the APGA leadership, the legislators dumped APGA in one fell swoop, and immediately wrote to the national chairman of the PDP for waiver in order to contest the 2015 polls on the platform of the ruling party.

Their request is yet to be granted, but APGA said it is not losing sleep over “perennial election ticket hunters, who conveniently declare their allegiance where they may be favoured with tickets.”

Ekwunife had been in PPA, APGA and PDP. Ribadu in enemy’s territory Nuhu Ribadu, the former anti-graft czar contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the ACN and was one of the founding members of the APC, but defected to the PDP recently to contest the Adamawa governorship by-election.

Ribadu was said to have been under pressure from the national leadership of the party and the presidency to defect and contest the governorship election, but most of his political associates were shocked that he yielded to the pressure given his view on some chieftains of the ruling party.

He, however, justified his defection saying the APC was not better than the PDP in terms of the character of the people who constituted both parties. “In Nigeria, especially in politics, you can’t say that this is an exclusive party for the people who are thieves or this is for good people,” he argued.

Aborishade

than that is acting. Nobody is deceived because TAN comprises nothing other than Jonathan stooges and those who are selfishly benefitting from his government. They are not doing anything for public votes; they are doing it from the point of what they can personally benefit.

The position of TAN that millions of people across geo-political zones have endorsed Jonathan to run in 2015 is not the true reflection of the Nigerian people. It is a manipulated process by

TAN to give the impression that Nigerian people support Jonathan. Millions of Nigerians are unemployed; about 97 per cent of Nigerians have no access to medical care. There are no good roads, so it would mean that the people do not know their interest if they are supporting a president that has deepened their poverty over the years. Nigerians know their interest, so they cannot be supporting a government that has not improved their welfare. I don’t think those figures to be a true representation of Nigerians;

they are manipulated figures.

TAN and all those who are endorsing Jonathan for re-election are deceiving themselves; nobody is deceived. I have never met anyone of them campaigning anywhere, asking for my signature. A single person can sign in thousands of way for individuals. How can they claim that they are really collecting the signatures? They can just sit down in a beer parlour and generate all those so-called signatures. If those signatures are put under serious forensic analysis, it would be discover that perhaps only few people signed the so-called signatures. So, Nigerians are not fooled. They are only deceiving themselves.

Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act provides that campaigning in public by political parties “shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”. That parties are already holding rallies shows that such a conduct is a violation of the Electoral Act. INEC should be able to bark and bite in this instance. Free and fair election is not limited to the voting phase alone. It includes observance of rules and regulations and the Electoral Act before, during and after elections.

Politics of convenience takes centre stage He also said that his defection was not borne out of his desperation to realise his political ambition but was based on his patriotic zeal to serve the country and its people.

Despite the justification, some say that Ribadu’s defection had more to do with his governorship ambition and the alleged failure of the APC to give him the expected support and compensate him for his “sacrifices” for the party.

But in a twist of fate, the former EFCC boss and seven others stepped down from the race last Friday. In a deal brokered by the Senate President, David Mark, along with other officials of the PDP, it was agreed that the six aspirants who contested the party’s ticket on Saturday will not contest for the position in 2015. Will Ribadu get the ticket in 2015?

Only time will tell, as Nigeria’s politicians hardly keep agreements.

Adeseun, Lanlehin, Anyanwu, Akinlade: Propelled by ambition For Senators Ayo Adeseun, Femi Lanlehin, Chris Anyanwu and Hon. Abiodun Akinlade the quest for higher political offices, and, or consolidation of present one in 2015, cannot be ruled out in their defections from their former parties.

Adeseun, currently representing Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate, said he is ready to contest the 2015 governorship poll on PDP platform with his former ally and immediate past governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to reclaim the state for the PDP in 2015.

He was elected to the Senate in 2011 on the platform of the APC before he dumped

the party recently for the PDP. According to him, he decided to join the governorship race since he had the wherewithal to rule the state and having discovered that thee one he assisted in becoming the state governor in the past, had not implemented all the ideas he suggested to them to improve the welfare of people.

Lanlehin, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, on his part, said the merger between ACN, on which platform he was elected in 2011, and other political parties to form the APC did not go down well with him, hence his dumping of the APC for Accord party, but some say the plot by the APC leadership in the state to deny him the senatorial ticket in 2015 explains the jump into Accord Party.

The same quest for higher position cannot be ruled out in Senator Anyanwu’s (Imo East) dumping of APGA for the PDP. The journalist turned politician was formerly a member of the PDP before she joined APGA in 2011. She has already declared interest to contest the 2015 governorship election on PDP’s platform.

Same goes for Akinlade, who has been in the House of Representatives since 2003. The Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency representative feels that he has seen enough of legislative duties and that it is time to step up.

Akinlade won election into the lower legislative chamber in 2003 and 2007 on the platform of PDP but in 2011, he was re-elected on the platform of the defunct ACN for a third term. Currently, he is the chairman, House Committee on Science and Technology.

Deciding factor While officials of the parties at the receiving ends of the various defections have argued that defectors are mere political prostitutes, bereft of ideological convictions, the poser is: How many of the parties can be identified with ideologies on which economic or political systems are based.

Against this backdrop, analysts insist that the main deciding factor in most of the recent defections is interest, as politics in Nigeria, remains strife of interest masquerading as contest of principles.

This strife, the analysts opine, has only succeeded in relegating integrity and politics of ideas to the background and in its place encouraged the ascendancy and triumph of self-identity and money politics.

The unguarded manner with which politicians jump in and out of parties has also negated the wisdom behind the provision of section 68(1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

The section, which is designed to check this malaise provides as follows: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

NEWS 49

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Monarchs applaud Leke Pitan's free health initiative Temitope Ogunbanke

he three major traditional rulers in Ifako Ijaye local government area in Lagos State have commended All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Dr. Leke Pitan, for his untiring efforts in taking free and accessible healthcare to the grassroots in the State.

The Obas and their aides were among the beneficiaries of the Dr.

T

Leke Pitan and friends free medical outreach held at Fagba Junior Secondary school, Fagba-Iju, in IfakoIjaiye local government area yesterday.

The Obas present at the outreach were the Olu of Iju Ishaga, His Royal Highness, Oba A. A. Ajibode; the Oniju of Iju Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba Elijah Ogundimu and Onifako of Ifako Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba Taofik Fatunsi.

TAN sure of Jonathan Chris Ejim

Yenagoa

T

he Bayelsa Coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Hon. Thalford Ongolo yesterday said the people of the South-West and North-East geo-political zones have resolved to give their total support for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 based on his performance and positive development policies.

According to Ongolo, the support by the SouthWest and North-East is contained in the over

3.5million signatures gathered during the recent mega rallies organized by TAN in the regions.

The Bayelsa TAN Coordinator and one time Speaker of the Old Rivers State, Ongolo, while speaking at the weekend in Kaima community in Kolokuma/Opokuma during a rally organized by a group known as Restoration Forum, said in spite of the open support given by the South-West and North-East region, there is the need for the people of the South-South to unite and support the re-election of Jonathan in 2015.

NMA to immortalise Adadevoh Obinna Odoh

Abuja

Nigeria Medical AsTsaidhesociation (NMA) has it would immortalize

late Dr. Ameyo Adedavoh, describing her as a heroine. The late Adedavoh died following her doggedly act and complete display of patriotism in curtailing the spread of the dreaded Ebola virus in Nigeria.

She treated the late American Liberian, Patrick Sawyer who imported the virus into Nigeria. Service of songs would be rendered for her on Thursday September 11, 2014.

The Vice President of NMA, Dr. Titus Ibekwe in Abuja yesterday in a telephone conversation with New Telegraph said the association has planned a rewarding package to immortalise her.

‘APC, formidable opposition' Muhammad Bashir

Lokoja

chieftain of the All A(APC) Progressive Congress in Kogi state and

a governorship aspirant, Chief Rotimi Obadofin has insisted that the party is a highly formidable opposition that would take over in the state and

country in 2015.

On the wide speculations making around that the party in the state has lost ground due to alleged leadership crises, Obadofin dismissed that, saying that the leadership of the party is made up of men of proven integrity working to salvage the state from maladministration.

Yero criticises religious extremism Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

over nor Mukhtar Gduna Ramalan Yero of KaState has advised

adherents of all religions to abhor religious radicalism, fundamentalism and extremism as a panacea to peaceful coexistence among adherents of different

faiths throughout the world.

In a statement issued by Ahmed Maiyaki yesterday, the gover nor made the call while receiving the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, who led the management team of Darul Iftar, an institute from Egypt, on courtesy call.

L-R: Managing Director, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Gert Kriek; Vice-Chairman, Alhaji Rabiu Gwarzo and Vice-Chairman, Mr. John Coumantaros, during the Annual General Meeting of the company in Abuja …yesterday

61%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Cyprus in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

59,125

The total number of internet users in Andorra in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

28.3%

The percentage rise of capital importation of Nigeria in 2013 over the previous year.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

Ogun LG scribe resigns, chides Amosun Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

S

ecretary to ImekoAfon Local Government Area of Ogun State, Hon. Olusola Oke has resigned his appointment.

Oke, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also accused the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, of stifling local governments of funds and under-

developing the grassroots.

His resignation, according to a copy of his letter obtained yesterday, will take effect from September 25, 2014.

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Muyiwa Oladipo, debunked Oke's allegation, describing it as unfounded and baseless.

Speaking with reporters in Abeokuta, the council

FG to tap from USA on airport security — Minister Johnchuks Onuanyim,

Abuja

inister of Aviation, Mr. M Osita Chidoka, yesterday stated that the Avia-

tion Sector in the country would tap from the expertise of the United States of America on Airport security.

The Minister made the comment when the US Ambassador, Mr. James Entwistle, paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.

The Ambassador, in his comment, was also quick to commend the Federal Government on the handling of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD outbreak in the country.

The Minister, in his speech, said, "of course, there is a category one issue which is ongoing and as I said before, the renewed focus on safety and security at our airports and we shall be tapping into USA expertise on security issues and on the US Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. "On the category one, we are doing a lot on our safety and security stand-

ards at the airports and we want to deepen that by ensuring that not only do we have the category one status but we will also going beyond that by ensuring that all our systems which are on the safety and security issues are world class such that the next certification process will be just per functionary.

"So, we are thinking that there is a lot of cooperation from the USA in terms of capacity building and regulatory improvements and also in terms of commercial improvement to encourage more airlines to grow their fleet and have the capacity to provide services to Nigerians".

The US Ambassador, in his speech, said, "I am here because I want to pay my respect to Chidoka in particular and because Aviation is an area which USA and Nigeria have always worked and collaborated together.

"As the Minister and I were just discussing now, he is travelling to Washington shortly to have discussion with the relevant agencies.

scribe said he decided to quit as a result of alleged poor administration of local governments and the factional tussle rocking the ruling APC. According to him, the state's local governments have been unable to fulfill any electoral promise made to the people for the past two years.

Oke said it would be wrong to continue in office till the end of the tenure knowing full well that

the state government was not ready to change its approach to governance.

He said: "I resigned for a lot of reasons. For over two years, our council has not done anything meaningful for our people. All my advice to change things for the better has been ignored. The vice chairman comes from my ward, yet our people have not benefited anything. My conscience cannot take it anymore."

Rivers PDP rejects zoning Emmanuel Masha

Port Harcourt

T

he Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from any arrangement to zone the governorship ticket to any senatorial district or to any ethnic nationality.

The party, which stated this in a communiqué after its executive council meeting at its Aba Road

headquarters, said that any qualified member was free to contest.

"All constitutionally qualified members of the party are free to vie for the party's ticket to allow the best candidate to emerge," the party said.

It said it was totally in support of the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, noting that it was set to reclaim all the offices it lost in the state.

Jang charges new NUJ officials on professionalism Musa Pam

Jos

Jonah Jang of Gstateovernor plateau state Plateau has charged the new-

ly inaugurated officials of the Plateau state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) to be credible in their leadership and make sure that every practising journalist adhered to professionalism based on the ethics of the profession.

He also promised to partner with journalists in the state to promote

peace amongst diverse ethnic groups.

The governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Labour matters Barr. Samuel Kumkur stated this yesterday at the NUJ Press Council, Jos during the official handover to the new NUJ executives.

He called on journalist to be objective in their reportage especially as the country prepares toward the 2015 general elections, saying the Media must report issues that will bring unity.

50

WORLD | NEWS

NEWS

Hundreds die in India, Pakistan after heaviest rain in 50 years

T

he death toll from the heaviest rain to fall on Kashmir in 50 years rose to more than 400 yesterday, with thousands still trapped on rooftops and residents criticizing Indian and Pakistani authorities for not doing enough to help them. On the Indian side of the heavily militarized Line of Control that divides the Himalayan region, the city of Srinagar lay submerged along with more than 2,000 villages. “The damage is shocking,” a senior offi-

cial from India’s National Disaster Response Force said in New Delhi. “People have been stranded on the rooftops of their homes for the last three days in some parts of Kashmir.” The official, who requested anonymity, said he would have deployed disaster-response teams earlier, but “we were all caught off guard because there was not a single warning issued by the weather office. The flash floods took us by surprise”.

India’s meteorological department had forecast heavy rain in Kashmir

last week, but the Central Water Commission, which issues flood advisories, has been criticized by Indian media for not warning the state. Some 47,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in India, where 217 were reported dead by yesterday.

The Indian Air Force has air-dropped more than 550 tonnes of relief material, and 80 medical teams have established emergency health services in government schools and state-run health care centers.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ajimobi sues for peace in Oyo

G

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has inaugurated a 28-member inter-religious and ethnic committee, with a charge on members to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence among different religious and ethnic groups in the state.

The governor, who performed the inauguration ceremony at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Ibadan on Monday, also appealed to members to do everything within their powers

to ensure the maintenance of the existing peace in the state.

The committee, which draws its membership from all the religious organizations, ethnic groups and security agencies in the state, is headed by Ajimobi himself.

The governor said that since the inception of his administration, government had done everything possible to ensure the safety and peaceful co-existence of the populace.

Ajimobi, while expressing displeasure over the wanton destruction of lives

and property occasioned by the security challenges in the Northern part of the country, said this had necessitated the raising of the committee.

In his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Azeez Bonuola, said that the present administration had provided necessary opportunities to all religious leaders and traditionalists to have a say in the Ajimobi administration, particularly in terms of conflicts resolutions and development.

UNESCO, Babalola want synergy on Ebola Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

T Flood-affected people row boats past partially submerged buildings in floodwaters in Srinagar, India.

PHOTO: AP/DAR YASIN

French Muslims support Mideast Christians against Islamic State

T

he Muslim Council in France, home to Europe’s largest Islamic minority, denounced the persecution of Middle East Christians yesterday and said mosques across the country would pray for them this week. In a joint statement with a Christian group, the Council (CFCM) said “barbarians are perpetrating crimes against humanity” in the region “exploiting Islam as their banner”.

Several French Muslim groups have already condemned the harsh tactics of Islamic State, the radical movement that has declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, but this was the first time they got together with Christians to support the victims. The Vatican and Christian leaders in Western countries have called on Muslims to speak out against Islamic State.

Many have, but the decentralized nature of Islam

means these individual declarations often carry less weight than a joint effort.

“The signatories reaffirm their support to their Middle Eastern Christian brothers, many of them Arabs, as well as for all other minorities in the region who are now victims of a destructive campaign by these terrorist groups that threaten their existence,” the joint declaration stated.

Cairo: Brotherhood leader, cleric sent to jail

A

n Egyptian court sentenced a leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and an Islamist cleric to 20 years in prison yesterday for attempting to kill two policemen, part of a government crackdown that has severely weakened the group. Mohamed ElBeltagy and cleric Safwat Hegazy were convicted of detaining and attempting to kill the policemen during protests against

the military’s overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on July 3, 2013. The demonstrations at Cairo’s Rabaa alAdawiya were crushed by security forces, who killed hundreds of people. Egyptian officials, who call the Brotherhood a terrorist group, have repeatedly said that some protesters were armed and fired at police and soldiers.

Two doctors who treated wounded protesters at a

field hospital during the clashes, Mohammed Zenati and Azim Mohammed, were sentenced to 15 years each on the same charges.

Like many Brotherhood leaders, Beltagy faces several legal cases. In April, he was sentenced to one year in jail for insulting the judiciary. He has also received a life sentence for inciting violence following Mursi’s removal.

he Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Regional Office in Abuja, Prof. Hassana Alidou, and legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), have called for synergy between public, private and international bodies to rid the West African sub-region of Ebola and insurgency. They made the call in Ado-Ekiti yes-

terday at the opening of a retreat by UNESCO in Ado Ekiti. Babalola, the founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), said a proper application of religious tenets would have prevented the Boko Haram problem in Nigeria.

In her speech, Alidou, who described the university as a model in Africa, bemoaned the scourge of Ebola ravaging countries such as Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra-Leone at present. The UNESCO boss reiterated that gov-

ernment alone could not tackle the deadly disease, calling on private organisations to synergise with the government to save the masses from looming doom.

“Our main goal is to promote sustainable peace in the region through education, natural sciences, culture, communication, and human and social sciences. But the region faces a number of challenges at this crucial time,” she said.

Adedoja faults N5.5m fee for PDP aspirants Temitope Ogunbanke

O

ne of the governorship aspirants of the Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, has faulted his party’s N5.5 million Expression of Interest fees for gubernatorial aspirants in the state, saying that the fee was unrealistic and outrageous. Speaking to party supporters and media

practitioners at his Ikobala residence in Ibadan, Adedoja, a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, said paying N5.5 million at state level for Expression of Interest fees will discourage party members of brilliant ideas, from contributing in the governance of Oyo State.

Adedoja also observed that such exorbitant fee will likely promote corruption among the elective offi-

cials, negating the corruptfree society that President Goodluck Jonathan stands for.

“Raising intention fees from N1 million to N5.5 million is definitely too outrageous. It will discourage many intending participants from all levels, from governorship to the State House of Assembly, from taking part. More so, that another N10 million payments awaits aspirants at the national level.”

Beneficiaries of Gani Fawehinmi’s scholarship emerge Shadrack Yusuf

T

he Gani Fawehinmi Scholarship Board will tomorrow announce this year’s beneficiaries of the annual financial support initiative for select students of higher institutions across the federation.

The Chairman of the board and former Na-

tional President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr. Dipo Fashina, who disclosed this yesterday, during an interview session for applicants from the South West region, also revealed that a total of 40 students will benefit this year.

Fashina explained that the figure doubled

this year from the usual 20 annual winners due to the prolonged nationwide ASUU strike that paralysed academic activities on campuses last year.

The interview, which held at the Nigerian Publication House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, recorded more than 100 students, who said they were hopeful of being selected.

Maigari defies minister’s order, storms Glass House

} P 52

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Organise election with statutes, FIFA tells NFF Adekunle Salami

T

he world football ruling body, FIFA, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to make the forthcoming elections into the board of the federation open to all persons in accordance with its statutes.

FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, in a letter addressed

to Aminu Maigari and dated September 9 , urged the NFF to quickly convene an extra-ordinary executive meeting that will decide on the roadmap of the elections.

The letter read; “The elections should be open to all persons complying with FIFA statutes and regulations. These elections should also be organised as soon as possible.

“Should the electoral process

be affected by any interference or mishap, the case will be referred again -and without prior notice or warning- to the appropriate FIFA bodies for immediate suspension of the NFF until the next FIFA Congress” FIFA however commended Nigeria for resolving the recent crisis in the football family.

“We note that you and the management of the NFF were able to

SPORT

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

return to office and work without hindrance. We also note that the persons claiming to have been elected vacated the premises of the NFF… We would like to confirm that the conditions set in FIFA’s letter of September 3, 2014 have been complied with and that the NFF is accordingly, not suspended,” the letter added.

President of the factional NFF, Chris Giwa, has not shown up at the Blatter secretariat of the body this week.

NEW TELEGRAPH

Did you know?

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

Nigeria surrendered a 46-match unbeaten home record in Cup of Nations qualifiers during the 3-2 loss Congo Brazzaville

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

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

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Wednesday, september 10, 2014

Nigeria vs South Africa

It’s make-or-break for eagles

Mikel (right)

lSouth Africa confident of victory lKeshi, Eagles battle ready

Adekunle Salami

A

s the Super Eagles file out against the Bafana Bafana today in Cape Town, the South Africans for once have a psychological edge over Nigeria. If there is any time they have a chance of beating Nigeria, it is now.

Only last weekend, Nigeria lost 3-2 to Congo Brazzaville in the opening fixture of the African Nations Cup qualifiers. The match was played in Calabar and Stephen Keshi‘s wards apparently underrated their opponents and paid dearly for it.

On the other hand, Bafana Bafana went to Omdurman to whip Sudan 3-0 in the other Group A encounter. This places the South Africans on top of the group and it is a big boost to their aspiration to qualify for Morocco.

South Africa coach, Ephraim Mashaba, and his boys are bubbling

with confidence ahead of this encounter. It is believed that if Congo can stun the Eagles in Calabar, the Bafana Bafana can also do the same in Cape Town.

Mashaba has described the encounter as war. He told his boys to brace themselves for it and get the victory which according to him will change a lot of things in the country’s football.

He said; “It won’t be an easy walk in the park for both teams but I have told my boys to attack and tame the monster in our path. We need to show mental toughness against Nigeria because they will come out fighting after losing their first match to Congo.

“Nigeria has been giving us sleepless nights in the past but this time we are battle ready to change all that with a good result, which is a win.”

Sibusiso Vilakazi who scored two goals against Sudan last weekend has

also expressed confidence in the ability of the team to change history on Wednesday.

“History is there to be rewritten and I am confident we are going to do that against Nigeria. We are going to make South Africans happy with a victory against the Eagles, “he said.

Bafana Bafana captain and goalie, Senzo Meyiwa, said they team would not underrate the visiting Nigerian team because of the defeat they suffered against Congo on Saturday in Calabar.

“The fact that they lost to Congo has not affected our preparation and determination. We are concentrating on the task of beating Nigeria this time,” he said.

But Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, said the poor result recorded on Saturday made this encounter a must win for his wards.

“We have no option than to go for the three CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

It’s now or never against South Africa –Oboabona Emmanuel Tobi

S

uper Eagles defender, Godfrey Oboabona, has told his teammates that they must raise their game when they comfront Bafana Bafana of South Africa today in the second group match of the 2015 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers at the Cape Town Stadium.

The Rizerspor of Turkey player while admitting that they allowed the Red Devils of Congo to overrun them in Calabar at the weekend, stressed

they have resolved to restore their pride as African Champions with the match against the Bafana Bafana.

“It’s now or never for us in this AFCON 2015 race because we can’t afford to lose to South Africa. South Africa must fall. Another lose will jeaopardise our chances of qualification,” he warned.

The former Sunshine Stars of Akure captain added that the loss to Congo is a wake-up call for the team.

“We were complacent against the Congolese and

we paid dearly for it. We have resolved to fight like lions and true champions that we are and restore the confidence the coaching crew and Nigerians repose on us.

He however urged Nigerian fans to continue to support the team despite the challenges the Eagles are currently facing in the qualifying race.

“We know we have let down the fans but they should not relent in their support for the team because that has always inspired us to greatness,” Oboabona(left) vies with United States’ Jozy Altidore in a friendly he said.

Maigaridefiesminister’sorder,stormsGlassHouse Comfort Chukwu Abuja

F

ormer President of the Nigeria Football Federation NFF, Aminu Maigari, on Tuesday stormed the secretariat of the federation as NFF interim boss in defiance of the order of Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo.

Danagogo had ordered that neither Maigari nor the factional NFF president, Chris Giwa, should come to the secretariat of the federation, although FIFA had mandated the

former to return in acting capacity to supervise the election into the new board.

But Maigari who arrived the Glass House around 1:30 pm told journalists that he was unaware of the minister’s order and his return was in deference to FIFA’s order.

“He (the minister) did not tell me anything, but I was told to leave the office which I refused, but I just want to follow and respect the instruction. Like I said, my being in the office is an interim measure, to readjust and we will leave very soon, and this

will be without anybody’s interference,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister said he had not received official report that Maigari actually came to the secretariat, saying that the decision to have all parties stay away from the Glass House was taken in the interest of peace.

“We have asked all the parties, Maigari, Giwa everybody involved in this crisis to stay clear of that place so that we can resolve the issue amicably,” he said.

Ugbe calls for publicity for sporting events A s part of efforts geared towards giving visibility to sporting events, the Commissioner for Youth & Sports, Development, Mr. Patrick Ugbe has called on the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), to give maximum reportage to sporting activities in the state.

Speaking in his office when the new Executive of the State Chapter of SWAN called on him, the commissioner stated that every sporting activity is a media event and that it behooves on the new leadership of SWAN to give effective publicity to

Cilic hails US Open ‘miracle’ after doping ban

M

arin Cilic hailed his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open as a “miracle,” 12 months after the towering Croatian was forced to watch the tournament from home, seething over a controversial doping ban.

The 25-year-old Cilic eased past Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in his first major finals after 27 previous Grand Slam appearances and wasted no time in summoning up the appropriate adjective.

“Considering everything, it’s a miracle,” he said.

Cilic tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide at the Munich Open in May last year.

He always protested his innocence, claiming the substance was contained in an over-the-counter product bought on his behalf.

Although his ban was cut from nine months to four, he was still unable to play the 2013 US Open.

“I felt the first part that helped me was the mental toughness, being much stronger and I was much tougher with myself on the tennis court when I

was practicing and also when I was playing matches,” he said.

“The other part was enjoying myself much more on the court. I was always

Cilic

Etim: Eagles needs Iheanacho Charles Ogundiya

F

ormer Nigeria midfield maestro, Etim Esin, has urged Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi to consider Manchester City kid sensation, Kelechi Iheanacho, for invitation to help the team’s quest for

qualification for the 2015 Nations Cup in Morocco.

Speaking with New Telegraph in Lagos on Tuesday, Etim laments the lack of creativity in the Eagles’ midfield.

“We all watched Iheanacho in action during Manchester City’s pre-season

matches where he distinguished himself. The confidence Manchester City coaches had in him must be complemented by Keshi who needs to invite him now to play for the Eagles.

“Our midfield lacks creativity which is the missing link in the team and a player

these activities happening in the State.

Making specific mention of the state comprehensive sports programme, Mr. Ugbe stressed the need for that programme to be given the necessary visibility to be truly appreciated by the whole country.

He told the members of SWAN to recognise the enormity of the task in their hands bearing in mind that it is a huge challenge when so much is going on in the

sports arena.

Ugbe disclosed that the National Sports Festival tagged “Centenary Games” is just by the corner and that this event, among others, offers the sports writers the opportunity to work very hard in showcasing them.

The commissioner sued for strong partnership with SWAN to take the long-desired sporting activities happening in their domain to the door steps of everyone in Cross River and beyond.

Okon dreams AWC title,invites 30

looking for the result. So Comfort Chukwu things changed with trying Abuja to enjoy on the court and uper Falcons coach, Edenjoy every moment, which win Okon, has boasted helped me to be much more that Nigeria would reclaim relaxed.” the African Women Championship billed for October 11-25 in Namibia after inviting 30 players to camp on Tuesday.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Okon maintained that, “The plan is for us to go to Namibia and win back the trophy we lost two years ago in Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria is the best in women football on the continent, and anything short of the trophy is not in our agenda.” such as Iheanacho will add According to the list of spark to the Eagles midfield. players released by Super It’s a pity a country which Falcons team Administrahas produced great midtor Ruth David, the players fielders like Henry Nwosu, and coaches are expected Etim Esin and Austin Okoto report to Serob Hotel cha can’t still find a good on Sunday September 14, replacement.” with their training kits He also argued that other and travelling documents. members of the current FlyTeam List: ing Eagles side be invited to GOAL KEEPERS: Ibubeleye compete with the current Whyte (Rivers Angels), Preplayers. cious Dede (Ibom Queens),

S

Charity John (Rivers Angels), Juliet Obi (State House FC),Ohieriaku Christy (Oshogbo Queens) DEFENDERS: Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars),Ebere Ngozi (Rivers Angels),Mariam Ibrahim (Nasarawa Amazons), Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels), Onome Ebi (FK Minsk ,Belarus), Osinachi Ohale (Houston Dash, USA), Ugochi Njoku (Rivers Angels),Gloria Ofoegbu (Rivers Angels),Sarah Nnodim (Delta Queens) MIDFIELDERS: Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens), Onyinyechi Ohadugha (Rivers Angels), Chiwendu Ihezue (Pelican Stars), Stella Mbachu (Rivers Angels), Asisat Oshoala (Rivers Angels),Cecilia Nku (Rivers Angels), Evelyn Nwabuoku (Rivers Angels), Halimat Ayinde (Delta Queens), Loveth Ayila (Rivers Angels), Gloria Iroka (Rivers Angels), Rosemary Okezie (Nasarawa Amazon).

ATTACKERS: Desire Oparanozie (En Avent De Guingamp, France) , Francisca Ordega (Pitea IFF,Sweden), Esther Sunday (FK Minsk, Belarus), Uchechi Sunday (Rivers Angels), Pepetua Nkwocha (Sunana SK, Sweden)

Nigeria vs South Africa Ekpo, Dosu back Eagles to fly past Bafana

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

F

ormer Super Eagles players, Friday Ekpo and Dosu Joseph, are confident Nigeria will emerge victorious in Wednesday’s AFCON qualifier against Bafana Bafana, despite last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Congo.

“I believe the Super Eagles can turn things around and win in South Africa,” said former midfielder, Ekpo.

“The South Africans are aware that the Super Eagles lost at home and so our boys should do everything humanly possible to see that we get a win,” added Ekpo, who was a member of the Super Eagles side who played out a goalless draw against the South Africans back in January 1993.

That barren draw in Johannesburg remains South Africa’s best result in a competitive fixture against the Super Eagles, and Ekpo is hoping that will not be the case at the end of Wednesday’s game in Cape Town.

“In the worst case scenario, they should get a draw, but a draw is not good enough for us, so we need to work hard to come back from South Africa with all three points,” he said.

On his part, former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu, is confident about the Super Eagles chances in Wednesday’s game, hinging his optimism also on the fact that the reigning African champions have never lost a competitive game to the South Africans, even when playing in their backyard.

Mashaba wary of ‘focussed’ Eagles

Mashaba

B

afana Bafana coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, has urged his team to be wary of the Super Eagles in Wednesday’s AFCON 2015 qualifiers in Cape Town. He said that Nigeria’s loss against Congo should not be used as a yardstick to judge Stephen Keshi’s team as he believes administrative issues in the Nigeria Football Federation played a role in the 3-2 loss to the Congolese.

“In my opinion Nigeria failed to beat Congo due to administrative issues

We’ll beat Eagles with teamwork – Manyisa

B

afana Bafana midfielder, Oupa Manyisa, believes that team work will give South Africa the required result against the Super Eagles in Wednesday’s AFCON qualifier.

“We have renewed confidence but that is controlled confidence because we know the history and also the challenges,” said the Orlando Pirates player.

“If we continue to

“South Africa is a blessed ground for us,” he said. “Every time we’ve played in South Africa, we’ve always come out victorious, and this time will not be any different.”

He added: “I have a lot of confidence in Stephen Keshi’s team and I believe they will emerge victorious on Wednesday.”

play as a team, we can go far but we’ll have to take it one day at a time and one game at a time,” he said.

not tactical issues,” said Mashaba. “There were so many distractions off the pitch with the issues in the federation and I believe it played a role in their loss.

“We are aware they will come at us wounded and gunning for a victory and that will make us treat them with the respect they deserve.”

South Africa must fall, declares Ejide

Ifeanyi Ibeh

N

igeria goalkeeper, Austin Ejide, has declared that he and his teammates will do everything possible to emerge victorious at the end of Wednesday’s AFCON qualifier against South Africa.

Ejide, who was in goal last weekend when the Super Eagles suffered a shock 3-2 home loss to Congo, vowed that the reigning African champions will return to winning ways when they come up against Bafana Bafana in Cape Town, even though

he doesn’t think Wednesday’s tie will be a stroll in the park for the Eagles.

“There are no easy games again but we have our backs to the wall now and we must do what we have to do to move on in the chase to qualify for the Nations Cup,” said the Super Eagles stand-in captain.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, who breezed into Cape Town Tuesday morning to link up with rest of the squad, has officially dispelled reports in the me-

Ejide

Bafana Bafana line-up

dia that he had extended invitations to Uche brothers – Kalu and Ikechukwu – ahead of Wednesday’s game against the South Africans.

“I have heard it myself and I just laughed because those who should know, that we have no time between our last game and the match against Bafana Bafana, are the same people misleading Nigerians,” said Keshi.

“These players are professional footballers and there are processes for invitation. You don’t just bump into them and say ‘come and play’, that is very unprofessional and I never did that,” added the former Nigeria international.

Regarding Wednesday’s game against the South Africans, Keshi highlighted the importance of the encounter, urging his players to rekindle the spirit that earned them the title of African champions at last year’s AFCON in South Africa.

“We are the champions of Africa and we must start showing that not only against Bafana but in all our remaining games,” he said.

Big mistake for Bafana playing in Cape Town – Idah F

ormer Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, believes the South Africans have erred by taking Wednesday’s AFCON 2015 qualifiers against Nigeria to Cape Town.

According to Idah, who

has spent over 10 years in South Africa, the high altitude of Johannesburg would have given the South Africans an advantage over the Super Eagles.

“One big mistake South Africa did was taking the game to Cape Town, (they)

should have capitalised on the high attitude of Johannesburg,” he posted on Twitter.

A well-known TV pundit in South Africa, Idah is confident that the Super Eagles will beat South Africa despite last weekend’s

3-2 home loss to Congo.

“Congo beat Nigeria and so what? All I know is that there is no way South Africa will beat Nigeria in tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) game,” he tweeted in an interaction with one of his followers.

It’s win-or-burst for eagles

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5 1 Manyisa

Head-to-head

1994 World Cup qualifier, 10/10/1992, Lagos – Nigeria 4-0 South Africa 1994 World Cup qualifier, 16/01/1993, Johannesburg – South Africa 0-0 Nigeria 2000 AFCON second round, 10/02/2000, Lagos – South Africa 0-2 Nigeria 2004 AFCON first round, 31/01/2004, Monastir – Nigeria 4-0 South Africa 2004 Friendly, 17/11/2004, Johannesburg – South Africa 2-1 Nigeria 2010 World Cup/AFCON qualifier, 01/06/2008, Abuja – Nigeria 2-0 South Africa 2010 World Cup/AFCON qualifier, 06/09/2008, Port Elizabeth – South Africa 0-1 Nigeria 2013 Friendly, 14/08/2013, Durban – South Africa 0-2 Nigeria 2014 CHAN first round, 19/01/2014, Cape Town – South Africa 1-3 Nigeria

points. It won’t be easy but we are going to work towards it since that’s the only way to move on,” he said.

Eagles goalkeeper, Austin Ejide, has told Nigerians that the best of the team would be seen against the Bafana Bafana in this encounter.

“There are no easy games but for now we have our backs against the wall and the only option is to perform well to move on in our attempt to qualify for the Nations Cup. We are the defending champions and we have to show the stuff of champions,” Ejide said.

In the past 20 years, Nigeria and

South Africa have met nine times with the Super Eagles beating the Bafana Bafana seven times, recording a draw and losing just once. Interestingly, the only defeat Nigeria suffered was a friendly tie in 2004 which ended 2-1 in favour of the South Africans.

However, Eagles won five of their seven competitive games against the Bafana Bafana convincingly. Nigeria has scored 19 goals against South Africa and conceded only three. History favours Nigeria as both countries meet again tonight in a crunch Nations Cup qualifier.

The first match between both countries was a World Cup quali-

fier in 1994. Eagles won the match 4-0 at the mainbowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

At the 2004 Nations Cup in Tunisia, Nigeria lost 1-0 in the opening match to Morocco but bounced back into reckoning in the competition with a 4-0 victory over South Africa.

Eagles are faced with a similar situation now in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers but can they rise to the occasion this time?

Ejide will have to coordinate his men from the rear to avoid some of the elementary errors recorded against Congo in Calabar.

54

2015 NATIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

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Ghana visit Togo in tricky Group E clash

G

hana face a tough assignment against Togo in Lome as they seek to swiftly improve their fortunes in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifier.

The Black Stars needed a controversial early second half penalty to earn a point in front of a hostile home crowd against Uganda last Sunday.

Things have been made worse for the 2014 World Cup finalists who lost key defender John Boye in their build up to the match.

The Kayseri Erciyesspor centre-back suffered

a serious ankle injury and had to be helped off the pitch by members of the technical team.

But head coach Kwesi Appiah has options in Maritzburg United ace Mohammed Awal or Edwin Gyimah of Mpumalanga Black Aces. “[John] Boye picked up an injury to his ankle in training,” Ghana FA spokesperson Ibrahim Sannie-Daara said.

“He was looked at by the medical team and is continuing treatment. He will not travel with the team for the game in Togo.”

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Cameroon, Ivory Coast in for tough test T he new-look Cameroon side will test their strength when they come up against an Ivory Coast side which is also going through a rebuilding phase in their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifier at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé on Wednesday.

The Indomitable Li-

ons defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-0 last weekend to top the Group ahead of the Elephants, who had to fight back from a goal down to beat Sierra Leone 2-1.

Coach Volker Finke has made numerous changes to the side which failed to get past the group stage at this year’s FIFA World Cup

in Brazil and has also changed the leadership following the retirement of former captain Samuel Eto’o.

Sevilla midfielder Stephane M’bia is the new skipper while Schalke forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is his deputy and the latter is honoured with the opportunity to lead his national team.

“Being appointed as a vice captain is an honour but I know that one doesn’t have to be a captain to be respectful and responsible,” he said.

“The most important thing is to be a real team.

“We are a new group of talented players, a very young team, so the most important thing is to work and grow together.”

Gabon hope to continue winning start G

abon will look to continue their winning momentum when they travel to Maseru to face Lesotho in their second Group C Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Setsoto Stadium on Wednesday.

Gabon got their qualifying campaign off to a winning start with a slender 1-0 victory over Angola in their opening match last weekend.

Samson Mbingui scored the goal for Gabon Mbingui, Gabon player which sees them in sec-

Tunisia aim to peg down Egypt

T

unisia will be aiming to add to seven-time champions Egypt’s woes when the two North African giants meet in a 2015 Afcon Qualifier at the Cairo International Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Egypt who have failed to qualify for the last two continental championships, this despite winning three titles back to back, in 2006. 2008 and 2010, lost their Group G opener against Senegal in Dakar

Fixtures Congo v Sudan South Africa v Nigeria Malawi v Ethiopia Algeria v Mali Angola v Burkina Faso Lesotho v Gabon Cameroon v Ivory Coast Sierra Leone v DR Congo Togo v Ghana Uganda v Guinea Cape Verde v Zambia Mozambique v Niger Botswana v Senegal

on Friday.

The 2-0 loss again underlined the North Africans’ decline in the past four years in which time they failed to qualify for the 2012 and 2013 finals held in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon and South Africa respectively.

Head coach Shawky Gharib has called on critics to evaluate teams performance after the qualifying campaign and not after one fixture.

ond place in Group C on three points, only behind Burkina Faso (on goal difference) who beat Lesotho 2-0 in their opening game.

Lesotho will be hoping to bounce back after their loss to Burkina Faso when sloppy defending allowed Jonathan Pitroipa and Alain Traoré to breach their goalline.

The loss leaves Lesotho at the bottom of the group with points, same as Angoal, but with a worse goal difference.

Mbia

Congo to end poor run against Sudan D

iables Rouge (The Red Devils) of Congo are set to end the dominance of Sudan as they play host to their nemesis on Wednesday in continuation of the AFCON qualifying series.

Congo are second in Group A behind South Africa after they upstaged hosts and African champions Nigeria 3-2 in Calabar last week-

end.

Congo under Frenchman Claude Leroy have shown they are an improved side who can hold their own against any team given the way they played Nigeria.

Both teams have met four times with Sudan winning on three occasions, while Congo won once.

After they were re-

instated to the competition on account of the disqualification of Rwanda, Congo will want to show their home fans that the victory over Nigeria was no fluke.

Sudan, on the other hand, will want to get their hope of qualification for AFCON 2015 back on track with a

win in Congo after they lost 3-0 to group leaders South Africa in front of their fans in Omdurman.

Despite missing injured skipper Delvin Ndinga, stand-in captain Prince Oniangue, the giant midfielder Fode Dore and Thievy Bifouma shone in the famous win in Nigeria.

Algeria, Mali to renew rivalry

A

lgeria and Mali will renew their rivalry when they clash for a Group B 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Blida on Wednesday night.

Algeria come into the match having claimed a 2-1 away win over Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Saturday in their first match under new French coach Christian Gourcuf f.

Goals from El Arbi Soudani and Yacine Brahimi secured the three points for the Fennec Foxes.

As for Mali, they eased to a 2-0 home win over Malawi in Bamako despite playing a third of the match with 10 men following a red card to Mamadou Samassa. Bakary Sako and Cheick Diabate’s second-half goals took

the Eagles to an opening victory.

T h i s m i dwe e k match presents a chance for either Algeria or Mali to take control of Group B and put themselves in a strong position to end the qualifying phase as one of the top two in their pool, thereby securing a ticket to the AFCON finals in Morocco next year.

Nigeria’s Emmanuel Emenike and Congo skipper

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

55

World Record

On Marble

Every woman that finally figured out her worth, has picked up her suitcases of pride and boarded a flight to freedom, which landed in the valley of change.

– Shannon L. Alder

W

riting on a subject or title like This Life is like attempting to put the vast ocean into a tea cup. This life is so vast and so encompassing that no piece of article as the one I am embarking upon now will suffice. But I have decided that I will be taking you my reader on a walk and along the way, we shall be talking about This Life!

This life can be viewed from as many angles as there are human beings on the surface of the earth. Each individual will look at life from his or her own perspective and in the end, each will be deemed right because like the gangan drum, what is it front to others is its back to another. Some perceive of life as one of endless enjoyment while to some, like those born into refugee camps in Palestine, it has been hellish, and a place of endless sorrow and suffering.

But let us start with the boredom of life. Life could be so boring. It is actually boring given the repetitiveness of its daily rites and rituals. It is the same routine every day: You wake up about 5 a.m. every day, start the day with your daily morning devotion either by kneeling down in the corner of your room, read some select chapters or verses of the Holy Bible most invariably the David incantations popularly called the Psalms. You may, if you embrace another faith, do your ablution and do the gestures and gesticulations as ordained by the Holy Quran in observance of the Subhuhi. Again, you mouth some incantations in Arabic and feel armed for the day against evil men and women. And for the African/Chinese/Japanese/Aborigine Indians and others who stick to their natural indigenous faiths, it is incantations galore, sometime with guttural voices.

Thereafter, in continuation of the daily routine, you visit the bathroom to empty your bowels. After that, you do some minor exercises before you return to the washroom for the daily bath. Before bathing, you do the mouth wash and shaving of unwanted hair in unwanted places. But for a woman, you head to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for self, husband if you are lucky to have one, and children. It is after preparing breakfast that the woman goes to the bathroom to have a wash and that may take as long as one hour in some cases. You do all of these every blessed day: so repetitive and so routine and so boring.

You send the children off to school while you now go to start your day’s work. Lunch time you have a break,

The first player to score an own goal in the World Cup was Mexico’s Manuel Rosas in a match against Chile on July 16, 1930.

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Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

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This life

Guest Columnist Tola Adeniyi

Former Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, enthused when asked whether he would be bothered by what history writes about him: ‘I will never be there to read it’ he quipped. Professor Femi Osofisan it was who wrote in 1974 that ‘no one shall leave this life alive!! This Life! munch something if you can afford it and, come closing time, you head towards home to begin another daily routine until you retire to bed; which again is another daily ritual.

Now, imagine the aforementioned routines and you realise that one day is like another in terms of what you must do every day to stay alive.

Life is not all about daily chores and boredom. There is life of challenges and life of fulfilment. Life of joy and life of sorrow. Life of expectations and life of serious heart-breaking disappointments.

As I was saying, you go through life hearing so many stories from so many different people. Stories that will make you weep, and stories that will make you throw up, these are in character of the buffetings of life.

Some cultures will tell you life is a war theatre. You go through life fighting one battle or the other, winning some, losing many and in the end, you end up the way you came, knowing not where you came from or where you are heading. In fact, the moment the breath of life escapes through your nostrils or through your mouth and the Soul goes back to the Soul Reservoir in the Unknown, you are no longer aware. Your consciousness has returned to its Creator.

Adeniyi

This Life to some must be lived to the fullest. To such people, it is the slogan ‘Life is for the Living’ that carries the flag. And there is some sense in the axiom, because it is only the Living that is alive! Therefore, life can only be for the living. And in both senses, it is right: that is living of the Soul in the body and living of the Soul outside of the body. Living, therefore, is eternal. The body by itself constitutes no life; it is not a living entity.

What about material life as opposed to spiritual life? What about the life of science and the life of metaphysics, of the supernatural, of the unexplained and unexplainable phenomenon? The life of extreme strangeness and life of the extraordinary?

This life! What a life?

We have not talked of the super rich and the life of the most wretched poor. We are talking of life of contradictions. We look at this life and we get confused and confounded by its extremities and ask ourselves if this life is the same creation of the same Agent. You ask why a woman would be blessed with only one child, struggle all her life to see the child through school up to qualifying as a medical doctor only for the child to be murdered by armed robbers on his

wedding day! This Life!

It is not unusual to find the most beautiful, most diligent, most wellbehaved and technically most athletic woman losing her husband to some ugly, badly behaved, loud mouthed and a character like a male crocodile.

You simply shrug your shoulders and exclaim: This Life!

It is a life of paradoxes; it is a life of shocks and traumas. And yet, despite all its imperfections and torments, no one wants to leave.

What may bother you, as it bothers me, is why human beings are so crazy about this life when they know that it is so transient and the trappings of power, glory, and splendour are all so temporary and so fragile?

Why should any one spend a whole brief life time trying to be a hero? How many heroes are actually ever remembered? When one reads the stories and biographies of the great men and women of the past, men and women who in their time played God, or were treated as gods by their contemporaries and such characters are not even mentioned in any discourse whatsoever, one realises that it is extremely futile ‘killing’ himself/herself in rabid ambition to be a hero or heroine.

And in any case, what does one remember after leaving this planet to start another journey in the Continuum?

Former Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, enthused when asked whether he would be bothered by what history writes about him: ‘I will never be there to read it’ he quipped.

Professor Femi Osofisan it was who wrote in 1974 that ‘no one shall leave this life alive!!

This Life!

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