Binder1 wednesday 2, april, 2014

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 43

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Senate whittles INEC chair’s powers

lJonathan to appoint Secretary lSenators reject proposal to hold elections one day lVoters’ cards can be transferred between 30 and 60 days Chukwu David Abuja

I

n the build-up to the 2015 elections, Senators yesterday whittled down

the power of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Com-

mission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega.

They withdrew his

power to appoint Secretary to the Commission C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Akinrinade, Aminu, Ayu disagree on new Constitution

lIgbo will remain in Nigeria, says Kalu Louis Achi, Onwuka Nzeshi and Wole Shadare

F

ormer Chief of Defence Staff, Lt-General Alani Akinrinade, yesterday made a

strong case for a new constitution to replace the 1999 Constitution.

But former Minister of

Petroleum Resources, Prof.

Jubril Aminu, countered him, insisting there was nothing wrong with the

1999 Constitution.

The former Vice Chancellor said rather than write a new constitution, the National Conference could work with the National Assembly on critical areas of amendment to

the constitution to make it better.

Both elder statesmen gave their views while contributing to the debate on the inaugural speech of President Goodluck JonaC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2

37 Reps: Why CJN must sanction judge, by APC lTambuwal gets appeal notice Yekeen Nurudeen, Philip Nyam and Biodun Oyeleye

T L-R: Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus, House of Representatives, Ali Ahmed, Dati Ahmad, Samson Osagie, Andrew Uchendu and Ayo Omidiran during a press briefing on the purported ruling of the court asking the defected members of the party to vacate their seats in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

he All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said Justice Adeniyi Ademola did not order the 37 members of the House of Representatives who defected to the APC to vacate their seats “because he is not compe-

tent to issue such a ruling, as the issue of whether or not they can defect was not before him.”

According to the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC will appeal the ruling because Justice Ademola’s perpetual injunction, restraining C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2

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APC: Justice Ademola’s comments unnecessary CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the concerned lawmakers from participating in motions and debates in the House is unconstitutional and defeats the very purpose for which the members were elected into the House.

It said Justice Ademola’s unsolicited comments were clearly gregarious, unnecessary, superfluous and has no foundation in law or fact, hence should be ignored.

APC asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Aloma Mukhtar, to urgently sanction Justice Ademola for engaging in mischief that could bring the bench into disrepute. ‘’If this case had been issued a day later than Monday, we would have said the Judge was caught in the web of April Fool!

Alas, he indeed made the ruling on Monday, hence the need for us to take it very seriously for several reasons. ‘’Firstly, the question whether the House of Representatives mem-

bers should vacate their seats was not a question before Justice Ademola for determination. The only question for him to determine was whether the APC members, with their numerical strength at that time, had the right to change the House leadership such as the Majority Leader, Chief Whip and their deputies. So, Justice Ademola had no business commenting on seats being vacated.

‘’Secondly, it is highly unprofessional and unethical for one Judge to delve into a matter that is sub judice in another court. A Judge should not make comments on matters being litigated in another court. The question of seats being vacated or otherwise is being heard

by Justice Ahmed Mohammed in the Federal High Court in Abuja who, on 29 March 2014, said the issue was still live before him

and is not ripe for judgement,’’ the party said APC recalled the alarm it raised in a statement on December 14th 2013, that the PDP is shopping for a pliant Judge who will be heavily induced to do its bidding in the case over the defections from the ruling party to the APC. In that statement, the main opposition party warned against any attempt by the PDP and the Presidency to turn back

the hands of the clock as far as the cleaning up of the judiciary is concerned, by inducing a servile and disreputable Judge to do the duo’s bidding.

Quoting from that statement, APC said: ‘’We recognise the efforts of the present CJN to sanitise the Judiciary since she assumed the mantle of leadership but she should not allow any black leg to reverse the gains that have C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4

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than to the conference.

Akinrinade admitted that since the 1963 Republican Constitution was suspended by the military in 1966, all the Constitutions that have been in use in Nigeria have been dictated at the barrel of the gun, but said he had no apologies to offer on behalf of the military because the civilians were willing accomplices during that era.

“Let me use this opportunity to apologise to youths in the house if they cannot understand the desperation and despair in the speeches delivered by their elders. It is because they did not live in the 1950s and 1960s when we had a federation negotiated painstakingly by our fathers which took us to independence and that constitution was suspended in 1964 and finally murdered in 1966. We are products of the happenings since then

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Akinjide urges delegates to be patriotic

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KANO

L-R: President, Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Garba Gusau; Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide; and Managing Director, Abuja Enterprises Agency (AEA), Aisha Abubakar, during the commissioning of AEA Entrepreneurial Complex in Abuja...yesterday PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

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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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

and that is why things are the way they are today.

“But for the elders, I have no apologies to offer on behalf of the military.

All the constitutions which truly were dictated from Dodan Barracks or from Aso Rock were drawn up by you. Also, you were very painstaking in assisting the military to match our country into the gulag.

“I appeal, therefore, though that this is another opportunity, for us to throw away this 1999 rented constitution that mandates corruption and be courageous enough, be painstaking enough and cooperative enough to draw up a new constitution that can take our country to the promise land,” he said.

In a separate contribution to the debate, Aminu argued that the trouble was not with the constitution but the inability of the people to do the right

things to make the country better. He commended Jonathan for the speech which he said has helped to clear the air on a number of issues but hoped the country could find ways other than periodic conferences to resolve its problems.

“This conference is one of those conferences we hold in this country. But this one has no compelling antecedents. No June 12, nothing. I sincerely hope that this type of conference also becomes the last one and that we find ways of resolving whatever differences we have today instead of people accumulating venom and asking for a conference only to come and let it out.

“I believe that his speech has helped to clear a number of issues about the conference and we have to believe him. He said, he has no personal agenda. We believe it. He said that we should not

insist on mistrusting one another only for us to come here to engage in polemics and poorly constructed innuendos which tend to accuse one particular part of the country.

“Our constitution is very good. There is no need to write a new constitution. Like all things, it can be made better,” he said.

A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide, urged all delegates to imbibe the spirit of oneness and pull forces together to build Nigeria. Akinjide gave glowing tributes to the founding fathers of Nigeria and explained that those who brought the various ethnic groups together to form one country did a great job that should not be rubbished by the present generation.

“Let us stop being demolition contractors, let us be C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3

OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00 ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

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Four suspected suicide bombers die in Maiduguri attack Five soldiers injured Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

F

our suspected suicide bombers died yesterday in a failed bid to attack the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) facility along Maiduguri-Damboa road with Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-laden vehicles.

The explosions, according to a statement by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), MajorGeneral Chris Olukolade, “took place at Mule in the outskirt of Maiduguri.”

Olukolade’s statement added that while “three of the four explosive laden vehicles were demobilised by shots fired at them by soldiers at the check point shortly before the explosions that rocked the area, five soldiers were wounded, while civilian casualties are yet to

be determined.”

In another explosion, scores of people were killed in Molai village.

An eye witness said the suicide bombers, who were in three Volkswagen Golf cars, rammed into two military vehicles parked at the checkpoint which occurred just within some minutes interval, while the last one rammed into a vehicle on queue waiting for military check, killings scores of people.

Olukolade said: “The military, on sighting the first car, opened fire on the occupant but they kept on moving until they hit their targets. The last one detonated his IED on the vehicle on queue waiting for the military checking. Many people lost their lives, as many cars were on the queue.

A resident of Molai village, Mallam Modu Abor, said the terrorists were

sited when three Golf cars, laden with IEDs, rammed into the checkpoint, hitting two military

vehicles, while the other one hit a vehicle.

Spokesman of the 7th Division of the Nigerian

Army, Col Muhammad Dole, could not be reached for comments.

Borno State Police

Commissioner, Alhaji Tanko Lawal, said he heard the incident but yet to be briefed by his men.

L-R: Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Chairman, Forte Oil Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola; Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, at the Economic Management team meeting in Abuja… yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

66.2%

The female percentage of internet users of Slovenia in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

33.6

The number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in the Americas in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

7.13m

The number of internet users of Peru in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Nigeria can’t afford another civil war, says Kalu

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

building contractors. Let us accept that Nigeria has come to stay as the greatest nation in the United States of Africa. Some of us, who are sitting down here, were involved in the politics of this country before independence, at the time of independence, after independence and are still involved in it today,” Akinjide stated.

However, a university don and former President of the Senate, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, described Jonathan’s speech as the words of a President who is deeply worried about the future of his country. The speech, he said, showed that Jonathan was worried about the unity or disunity, level of development and the direction the country was going.

“I think we may be taking ourselves too seriously to imagine that we would be able to solve all the problems of Nigeria.

I have heard some people say, we would re-write the constitution of Nigeria.

I don’t think we have the capacity to re-write the Constitution of Nigeria.

We can only make recommendations on the way forward. In other words, we are going to have a report which is going to be considered by people who also have a responsibility to make the changes we all desire,” Ayu stated.

Several other delegates such as Dr Ahmadu Ali, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Prof.

Olawale Albert, Justice Peter Akere, Senator Adamu Aliero, Hajia Amuna Lawan Ali and a host of others gave their impressions on the speech under discussion. Almost all of the delegates hailed the idea of the conference and urged their colleagues to work in line with the vision of its organisers.

Meanwhile, former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged delegates at the National Conference to discuss all aspects of challenges, including the indissolubility of Nigeria that President Goodluck Jonathan said is a no go area.

Speaking with reporters on arrival from United Kingdom Monday night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport

(MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, Kalu challenged the delegates to talk about all the problems confronting the country, maintaining that the country would not break under any circumstances.

He explained that having fought a civil war once and survived, the country would not go into any civil war again, adding that European Union and the United States (U.S.) are expanding their horizons.

Besides, he insisted that Jonathan erred when he instructed the delegates not to go into some areas, maintaining that the President was ill-advised on the unity of the country.

He stressed that discourse on national unity and other critical issues would make the country stronger and more unified, noting that the Igbo in the country have decided to remain with Nigeria, no matter what.

“I want to tell members of the National Conference that they should discuss everything including the unity of Nigeria.

Nigeria will not break.

We Igbo have decided that we are not going anywhere

because it will be a disadvantage to Nigeria if the country should break. You see, European Unions are coming together, America is acquiring more entities to become Northern America and everybody is coming together. So, Nigeria is not going to break, but let them discuss the issues that are making us not to have this unity.

“Mr. President was wrong on that occasion, there should not be a no go area in the discussion of Nigeria’s unity; it is those things that will strengthen the unity of the country.

We have fought one civil war and we can never fight second civil war again. No country that goes for civil war twice that survives.

So, I believe Mr. President did not think aloud or the advisers did not advise him well. They should discuss everything including the unity of the country; it helps the country to become one unified entity.”

On the threat by the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Bakindo Aliu Musdafa, to secede from the country if most of their demands were not granted

by the delegates, Kalu enthused that no one could challenge the unity of Nigeria and described the Emir as an elder statesman who was trying to protect the interest of his people.

Commenting on the attempted jail break at the States Security Service (SSS) headquarters in Abuja by some fundamentalists on Sunday morning, the former governor enjoined the government to invest more on intelligence gathering, which he said was more productive than openly carrying guns and other weapons.

He equally called on the government to checkmate the activities of the Commissioner of Police in Abia State whom he accused of violating the fundamental human rights of journalists, warning that if care was not taken, he might turn out to be another Mbu in the state.

“The Commissioner of Police in Abia State is like a savage as far as I am concerned because he does not understand what the constitution is all about.

The Inspector-General of Police understands the

laws of this country and understands that journalists have the right of existence. So, I want to warn that commissioner in Abia, I am appealing to Mr. President to have a second look on that commissioner in the state before they will have another Mbu in Abia State.

“I have a cordial relationship with Mr. President, but I don’t have a cordial relationship with my governor. My governor thinks he is a mini God and I wish him well, let him lead Abia people with his conscience. He will soon give his report card to Abia people he governed.

“I don’t have any problems in his governance. I never criticised him openly or secretly. This is what I told him the day I handed over to him, I said ‘lead us with your conscience’ and I asked him to lead us with his conscience. If his conscience is good enough for people of Abia, Abia will agree, I don’t have any problem with him, I have never had any personal encounter with him and I will not have until he leaves.”

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Reps: Judge can’t order us to vacate seats been recorded on the altar of unmitigated avarice.

This is because if that happens, Nigerians will hold the Judiciary vicariously liable for the catastrophic

consequences that may follow.’’

Noting that its alarm has now proven to be prescient, the party wondered whether there was

any link between what is clearly an exercise in judicial rascality and President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent boast in Kwara that the PDP would soon re-

trieve its ‘stolen’ mandate from those who defected from the PDP to the APC. ‘’That presidential boast raises the following questions: What did

L-R: Publisher & Chairman, Vanguard Newpapers, Mr. Sam Amuka; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; and Publisher & CEO, BusinessDay Media Limited, Mr. Frank Aigbogun, during the official opening of ‘The Brook’ Corporate Head Office of BusinessDay Newspapers in Apapa, Lagos...yesterday.

717m

The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions in Europe in 2009.

Source: Itu.int

14.3m

The number of internet users in Netherlands in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

26.6%

The female percentage of internet users in Thailand in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

the President know and when did he know it? Was this judgement procured by the PDP for a price, in which case the President’s statement amounted to a Freudian Slip? Are we to expect more of this? ‘’It is necessary to unravel this so the PDP and the presidency, in their desperation, will not paint the judiciary with their brush of failure and crash our democracy,’’ it said.

The party urged its supporters not to panic as the judgement was clearly intended to cause mischief, adding however that the plan by the PDP and the Presidency has fallen like a pack of cards!

In Abuja, the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives declared that none of its 37 members that defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would vacate their seats as ‘opinionated’

by Justice Ademola.

This is even as the 37

defected lawmakers have already served Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal with notice of appeal, urging him to maintain status quo pending the outcome of the appeal.

Minority Whip of the House, Hon. Samson Osagie (APC, Edo), who disclosed this at a press briefing also insisted that the opinion of the judge was a ‘misleading misrepresentation’ of the issue before him and that there was no judgement ordering the 37 APC members to vacate their seats.

Osagie said: “We want to assure members of the public that there is no court judgement before the House, directing any member of the APC to vacate his or her seat.

“A section of the media and indeed the public have been misled by the court ruling into believing that the said judgement has effectively terminated the C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 5

Why elections can’t be held in one day, by Senators CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and vested it in President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Senate also resolved to withdraw the power of INEC to schedule election dates in any election year and place such powers in the National Assembly.

Through legislative powers and amendment of the Electoral Act, the lawmakers will now specify sequence of elections.

The Upper Chamber further rejected the proposal to conduct all elections in one day across the country, saying that such initiative, if implemented, would throw the nation into confusion and anarchy.

Most of the Senators kicked against the proposal for electronic voting system, arguing that the level of illiteracy in the country would not allow it to produce the desired result.

The Senate took these decisions while considering three bills on the amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act, after it first duly consolidated the proposals, which focused on

the same subject.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had anchored one of the bills, seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2910 (SB, 455), to provide for tenure of office of Secretary, power to issue duplicate voters card, determine voting procedure and for other related matters in 2014, which was jointly sponsored by members of the Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution.

Senator Abu Ibrahim also sponsored another bill, which seeks to amend the Electoral Act No.6 of 2010 (as amended) to provide for the holding of elections on the same date, accreditation of voters by electronic means and confer on Independent National Electoral Commission power to cause a debate to be conducted for candidates contesting election for the office of the President.

Still on the amendment of the Electoral Act, Senator Alkali Jajere sponsored another bill entitled: “A bill For an Act to amend the Electoral Act.

2010 and for other matters connected thereto 2014”.

The legislators, however, through a unanimous vote, consolidated the bills.

Leading the debate on the Bill, Ekweremadu said: “The positive impact of the Electoral Act has not been a subject of doubt in our effort to operate a reliable electoral process in Nigeria. Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, speaking on specific terms; the bill seeks to provide a renewable tenure of four years on the position of Secretary of the Commission.

The extant Act only empowers the Commission to appoint a secretary without stating how long such a person can remain in that position. The position of a secretary cannot be underestimated in any organisation, and for an election management body, it is proper to tenure the office of secretary in the Act establishing the office”.

On the electronic voting, Ekweremadu said: “Section 52 of the Electoral Act 2010 prohibits the use of electronic voting by

the election management body. While we appreciate the challenges of the use of electronic voting system in our infrastructure-deficit environment, the bill seeks to grant the Commission the latitude to use electronic voting system when it is ready with appropriate capacity and technology to do so”.

Further more, Ekweremadu said that it had been observed that lack of time had remained a very strong excuse for not doing certain things right which its cumulative effect undermined the credibility of elections and electoral process in the country.

He also explained that the Bill intended to increase the number of days provided for INEC for conduct of elections in Nigeria.

The areas the Bill seeks to increase the number of days included the conduct of re-run election from seven to 21 days, but he pointed out that this has constitutional implication which, according to him, had been recommended in the constitutional amend-

ment additional report.

The Bill also recommended that INEC should receive and treat application for transfer of voters’ card from 30 to 60 days as well as receiving and treating application for duplicate voters’ card from 30 to 60 days.

But Senator Abu Ibrahim, (APC, Katsina South), canvassed for the holding of elections on the same day, accreditation of voters by electronic means and confers on INEC power to cause a debate to be conducted for candidates contesting election for the office of the President.

“This falls in line with global practices and Nigeria should move in that direction. Indeed, staggered elections are not cost effective and it is not cost efficient, it is expensive and as a country, we should follow the example of Ghana, Sierra Leone, the United States and Venezuela,” he stated.

He further stated that taking a look at the colossal amount of money with which INEC executed staggered elections in 2011 and all previous elections in

the country, holding elections in one day could be reduced by one-third taking into consideration three election weeks which would now hold in one day.

Ibrahim said: “In 2011 alone, INEC spent about N50 billion. The amount included payment of election duty, cost of essential and non-essential election materials, logistic for the conduct of the elections.

However, the amount did not include the money spent on security personnel assisting INEC in conducting the elections.

“The same can be said in respect of the political parties. The cost implication in paying party agents, supervisors and other party election monitors can be down sized by one third as well.”

In his contribution, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), faulted the powers given to the INEC Chairman in the appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Commission and suggested that the same power given to the PresiC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 5

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Abaribe: INEC lacks capacity to hold elections same day CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

dent to appoint the Chairman and Commissioners should also be given to him to appoint the Secretary.

Abaribe also supported the idea of using electronic voting but pointed out that INEC had once complained that it lacked the capacity to hold elections the same day.

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said INEC should have the option to use electronic voting system if it is ready to do so, but also added that the commission must move with the times by using electronic voting.

Ndoma-Egba also said that having elections one day would lead to major constitutional and security implications in the country, adding: “To hold election one day will result to voter confusion and voter fatigue. Our people are not sufficiently enlightened to hold five elections the same day.”

Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) agreed

with other senators that contributed that the President should appoint the Secretary of the Commission but he said that INEC was not ready to make use of electronic voting.

Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu North), said that holding elections in one day would be a recipe for confusion as INEC would not have the wherewithal to embark on such exercise, even as he supported the removal of the power to appoint the Executive Secretary of the Commission from the Chairman.

Senate President, David Mark, stated that it was the capacity of INEC to conduct a free and fair election with minimal logistical problems that would make all the difference. He argued that free and fair elections would reduce the barrage of litigations that usually trail elections in the country.

He said: “Whether we can do all the elections in one day or just one elec-

tion. If the materials don’t show up, then whether its one election or all the elections, it becomes meaningless. I think what we want to do is ask INEC and then from their own experience, gradually begin to do elections that would be

credible, that would be accepted by both the losers and the winners.

“I know it is very difficult for losers in this country to accept that an election is free and fair.

But, at least, if we generally agree that it has been

reasonably managed, then there would be less litigation from it. I am however a bit worried about one thing which Abaribe said.

“Why should voters come first, do accreditation and then sit there?

Why can’t they do accred-

itation, vote and then go away? Because then you decongest the area, and people can go and do other things. Most people don’t come for election because they don’t want to devote the whole day to the election.”

Vice President Namadi Sambo (right); Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Joan Ayo and Chairman of the 60th Anniversary Celebration and Presidential Public Service Lecture, Chief Emeka Anyaoku at the International Conference Centre, Abuja...yesterday

Photo: Timothy Ikuomenisan

34.6%

The percentage of households with a computer in the world in 2009.

Source: Itu.int

72.4%

The male percentage of internet users in Spain in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

N192.4m

The IGR realized from road taxes in Imo State in 2010.

Source: National bureau of Statistics

Internet access threatened as ship destroys undersea cables 37 Reps head for Court of Appeal Jonah Iboma

N

igeria and other African countries could face serious disruption of Internet access soon due to the damage of a number of submarine fibre optic cables landing on the continent by a ship ferrying agricultural goods from Kenya to Nigeria.

According to details made available to New Telegraph yesterday, the ship, which departed Mombasa, Kenya at 11pm (East African Time on Monday) damaged several undersea cables namely TEAMs, SEACOM, SEAS, Lion2, EASSy, SACS, WACS and ACE. The development means that the entirety of the African coastline from Mombasa to Lagos, and a large number of landlocked countries dependent on these cables, could be without internet or have to resort to satellite or other cables for connection.

The ship, according to its owners, Africa Ris-

ing Shipping & Exports (ARSE), travelled the whole way around the continent with its anchor trailing behind it, damaging a number of cables in the process.

Contacted, the President of Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, said the development was a painful one that could negatively impact the economies of many African countries.

“It is very unfortunate that such an incident should take place at this time. This brings to the fore the need for African countries and Nigeria in particular to seek for additional ways of internet connection.”

He said the development has further established the need for government to expedite action on the proposal to link Nigeria to Europe using terrestrial optic fibre cable passing through the Sahara Desert and Tunisia to under the Niger-DeltaEurope gas link project.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

tenure of office of the affected members. This is not only untrue, but also a mere obiter dicta expressed by a judge who veered off the course of the case before him in order to do the bidding of the ruling party. At best the judgment has turned law on its head and cannot stand”.

Osagie stated that “for the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally on behalf our members that the import of yesterday (Monday) ruling was that our 37 members cannot participate in the removal of Principal Officers of the House, nothing more, nothing less. Every other pronouncement by the Judge as to the status of our 37 members of the House were mere opinion.”

Also speaking at the briefing, Hon. Andrew Uchendu (APC, Rivers) who led the 37 lawmakers to defect to the APC af-

firmed that they have the moral justification to leave the PDP because the party has been factionalised in the last 16 to 22 months. We remain on sound moral ground to have left PDP.” Another defected member, Hon. Asita Honourable (APC, Rivers) carpeted Justice Ademola, saying the judge has no moral justification to give such a judgement, adding that “the judgement is bad in law and in morality. The judge moved a motion, seconded it and ruled on it alone” Meanwhile, the 37 legislators have served the speaker with notice of appeal. In a letter dated April 1, 2014 signed by Efut Okoi of M.A. Mahmud SAN & Co and addressed to the speaker, the lawyers to the APC lawmakers stated that “in view of the judgement/ruling of the court in the above suit delivered

by Justice Ademola on the 31st of March, 2014, our clients instructed us to pro-

ceed with an appeal.

“Consequently, we filed a notice of appeal dated 1st of April, 2014 challenging the judgement of the Court in the above suit. It is trite in law that once an appeal is filed in a particular suit, all matters relating to or pertaining to the said judgement must wait for the outcome in the said matter” Surprisingly, the issue was not mentioned at yesterday’s plenary presided over by Tambuwal.

In a related development, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Alhaji Razaq Atunwa, yesterday described the judgement as a mischief capable of bringing the bench into disrepute.

Atunwa, a lawyer, asked Justice Mukhtar to take action against the development, arguing that it was unprofessional for the court to have dabbled into a matter it was never invited to discuss.

His words: “Justice

Ademola’s comment on APC defection is preposterous, scandalous, and outrageous in the extreme.

Indeed, it’s laughable. It clearly has no foundation in law or fact.

“Firstly, the question whether the House of Representatives members should vacate their seats was not a question before Justice Ademola for determination. The only question for him to determine was whether the APC members with their numerical strength at that time had the right to change the House leadership such as the Majority Leader, Chief Whip and their deputies. So, Justice Ademola had no business commenting on seats being vacated.

“Secondly, it is highly unprofessional for one Judge to delve into a matter that is subjudice in another court. A Judge should not make comments on matters being litigated in another court.”

6

NEWS

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

photo news

Uduaghan, ex-Speaker may clash over N27b IPP money Dominic Adewole Asaba

T

he whereabouts of the N27 billion earmarked for the Delta State Independent Power Plant (IPP) is now causing ripples in the state. It has allegedly pitted the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan against the former Speaker of the state, Victor Ochei.

L-R: President/Chairman of Council, Institute of Directors (IOD), Mrs. Eniola Fadayomi; Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and Chairman, IOD Women’s Directors Committee, Mrs. Stella Okoli, during the Institute 2014 Women Directors Conference in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO:GODWIN IREKHE

the disappearance of the money.

According to a source,“As I speak to you, the former Speaker …has prepareded his case and gathered his proofs to the EFCC.” The source added that the initial contract sum was around N14.5 billion, but was later jacked up to the controversial N27 billion.

FG to deploy troops against pipeline vandals, saboteurs Chris Ejim Yenagoa

T L-R: Coordinator, Marketing, Globacom, Mr. Adeniyi Olukoya; Head, Credit, Control Unit, Mrs. Debisi Bamgbose; and Head Marketing, Data Products, Manorath Shukla, during the exhibition of Globacom's New VAS Services in Lagos... yesterday

The whopping sum disappeared shortly after it was released for the project sited in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.

Speculations were rife yesterday in Asaba, the state capital, that the exSpeaker has contacted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the circumstances leading to

he Federal Government may soon deploy armed troops against vandals of gas supply pipelines to the 10 completed National Integrated Power Projects.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who disclosed this yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital at the end of the one-day sum-

mit for all states Publicity Secretaries of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said the deployment will also be backed by the establishment of a special court to facilitate quick prosecution of vandals and saboteurs.

Okupe said though repairs on the vandalized pipelines have commenced to restore regular supply to the existing Power plants and raise the power generated up to targeted 7,000 mega watts, the war against vandals

and saboteurs will be executed in line with the ongoing security action against insurgency and terrorism.

According to him, investigations have shown that the saboteurs, suspected to be members of opposition political parties and groups, are hellbent on frustrating the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the power sector.

"These people have resolved to continue to play the dangerous game.

Agbakoba seeks to stop funding of ‘unelected’ LGAs Joseph Jibueze

A

L-R: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Chief Medical Director, DELSUTH, Dr. Leslie Pix Akporiaye; Prof Emmanuel Akporiaye and Mrs Esther Akporiaye during a funeral ceremony in honour of Late Mr. Nawe Eric Akporiaye at First Baptist Church, Warri.

former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to restrain the Minister for Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from allocating revenue to caretaker and interim committees of Local

Government councils.

He prayed that such funding should be suspended pending the determination of his suit challenging allocation of public revenue to unelected councils.

Agbakoba filed an application for interlocutory injunction to restrain the Minister for Finance, the Accountant-General of

the Federation and the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee from making allocations to states that have not conducted council elections.

In the suit before Justice Chukwu Aneke, the rights activist said the states failing to conduct Local Government Elections is equivalent to “a civil coup d’état.”

Abia gov assures corps members of welfare Ikechukwu Ucheoma Umuahia

T

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, flanked (left) by Community leader, Mr Isaac Aighafua and Chief David Edebiri, Esogban of Benin Kingdom (right) and others, at the commissioning of the Dawson-Urubi-Uselu road… yesterday.

he Abia State Governor, Theodor Orji, has assured corps members deployed to the state for the 2014 batch 'A' orientation course of his administration’s support.

The governor stated this during the closing ceremony of the 2014 batch 'A' orientation course exer-

cise at the National Youth Service corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp, Umunna, Bende, in Bende Local Government Area of the state where he was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa.

Orji said the orientation period provides the basic foundation for corps members in skill acquisition, leadership, entrepreneur-

ship development among others.

He noted that the task of nation-building is the collective responsibility of all and sundry and urged the corps members to brace up to the challenges.

Orji enjoined the corps members to move into their host communities with the zeal and determination to make great impacts on the citizenry

NEWS

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

2015: Agbaso promises 150,000 jobs for Imo citizens HOPE Aspirant aims to address challenges confronting Imo citizens Ayodele Ojo

T

he 2007 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in

Imo State, Chief Martin Agbaso, has promised to provide 150,000 jobs for Imo citizens in his first 24 months in office.

Agbaso said he is contesting for the February 28, 2015 governorship poll to address the challenges confronting the state.

He noted that Governor Rochas Okorocha has neither kept faith with nor lived up to any promise he made to Imo people.

He said: “I will contest for the Governor of Imo State in the 2015 election.

As you all know, in 2007, I set out to massively rebuild the infrastructure in the state. "As I told you at the time, we had over 900km of state-owned roads to pave and an excess of 1,400km of local government roads to stabilise.

“At that time, approximately 80 per cent of the

public water scheme was out of order. We had over 1,200 primary schools that needed to be refurbished and made fit for learning.

Seventy per cent of our secondary schools were a shadow of what they were 30 to 40 years ago.

“The industrial centres set out in different parts of Imo had become over grown by weeds and are now hideouts for miscreants. "

7

Opposition has nothing to offer Ekiti, says Fayemi's aide Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

T

he John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) Campaign Organisation has urged voters in Ekiti State to be wary of opposition political parties that have employed lies, blackmail and falsehood in their desperate bid to win the June 21 governorship poll.

Spokesman for the group, Mr. Dimeji Daniels, said in a radio programme monitored in Ado-Ekiti yesterday said that the opposition parties were only pretending to have anything to offer the people.

“The opposition is confused by the superlative

performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi which has brought massive transformation to the state,” he said.

Daniels said an opposition party’s claim that certain categories of workers would be sacked if Fayemi wins re-election was a lie, baseless and unfounded, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government had been employing more workers, rather than sacking them.

“The opposition is overwhelmed by the numerous achievements recorded by Fayemi and they are peddling lies, but I want to tell you that the people are not buying into their lies."

Pan-Yoruba groups vow to resist rigging, fraud

A

Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega (right); Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Sudirman Haseng and another member of the Indonesian delegation, when the envoy visited INEC headquarters in Abuja….yesterday.

N8.05bn

The IGR realised from PAYE (taxes) of Oyo State in 2012.

Source: National bureau of Statistics

24

The number of fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of developed countries in 2010.

Source: Itu.int

24.5

The percentage of individuals using the internet in developing countries in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

Niger imports 700 boar Oni, Adeyeye, others renew goats, others from S’Africa commitment to PDP Dan Atori MINNA

T

he Niger State government has taken delivery of 700 boar goats, 72 young South African cattle meant for dairy products, as well as Doper indigenous South African sheep that will adapt to the dry climate as it is obtainable in northern Nigeria.

Taking delivery of the animals from the supplier and veterinary doctor, Dr. Herman de Bruin, at Tagwai Dam near Tunga Goro, an outskirt of Minna, yesterday, was the state’s Commissioner for Livestocks and Fish-

eries, Dr. Yahaya Vatsa, who said an approval was granted to procure some cattle, goats and sheep in an efforts to improve on the livestock sub-sector in the state.

He said; “These animals arrived in Minna from South Africa and we are the first in the history of this country to import these animals to improve on our local breeds.”

In addition, Vatsa said, presently the state has 700 of the goats and sheep and 72 of the cattle of different species. They can survive in the state’s environment as well as in other northern parts of the country.

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

F

ormer Ekiti State Gover nor, Chief Olusegun Oni and members of his group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have renewed their commitment to the party.

At a meeting of the group held in Ifaki-Ekiti home of Oni, they said they would not leave the PDP for any other party.

According to a source at the meeting, those in the All Progressives Congress (APC) hoping to see any of the PDP leaders in their party would wait endlessly.

The PDP leaders, who met in Ifaki resolved to stay in the PDP. “We are not going anywhere and we are going to work for the party and those saying we are joining the APC are only hoping against hope,” a source told our correspondent in confidence.

The meeting had in attendance former Governor Olusegun Oni, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, Senator Ayo Arise, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, among others.

number of Pan-Yoruba groups across the South West have vowed to resist any attempt to rig the June 21 governorship elections in Ekiti State.

The groups, under the auspices of Oodua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), said they suspected that the just-concluded voters registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was designed to aid rigging.

ONAC, which comprises about 55 self-determination and Pan-Yoruba groups from nine Yoruba speaking states, includ-

ing Edo and Delta, also expressed support for the re-election bid of Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, in view of the transformation that the state has witnessed in the last three and half years.

In a communiqué at the end of a three-day meeting which also had in attendance leaders of other ethnic groups, including Hausa-Fulani, Tiv, Igbo and Ebira communities in the state, the groups called on INEC to “conduct a free and fair election and resist attempts to turn the state into an axis of turbulence.”

Bamidele takes rally to Oye, Ikole Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

T

he governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said he is in the race to make a positive change in the politics and governance of the state.

Speaking at rallies in Oye and Ikole-Ekiti yesterday, the member of the House of Representatives said it was time for positive change in the state.

He told the crowd that he joined the governorship race to ensure a better Ekiti.

“We are not in the race for the fun of it. We mean business and we are poised to give the state good leadership. The Labour Party represents positive change for the state and we urge you to carry the message to all corners of the state and tell others too,” he said.

In his speech, the state Chairman of the LP, Mr. Akin Omole, called on his members to help mobilise others for the party.

He gave the assurance that equal opportunity would be given to people just joining the party.

8

NEWS

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

VOICES FROM THE NATIONAL CONF ERENCE We Can’t Rewrite Constitution– System Is Flawed – Chief Sergeant Senator Iyorchia Ayu (North-Central) Awuse (Rivers State)

I

cannot praise nor vilify the president’s speech.

But I think it is the speech of a leader who is deeply worried about the country; the direction it is going. He is worried about our unity or disunity, worried about our democracy and worried about our level of development.

He said he expects us to serve as a turning point for positive development of the country. The whole country expects a lot from us gathered here because most of us here are people who have either served or have the capacity to make serious contribution on the way forward for Nigeria.

However, I think we

may be taking ourselves too seriously if we imagine that we alone can solve all the problems of the country. I hear some people say we will rewrite the constitution of Nigeria. I don’t think we have the capacity to rewrite the constitution of Nigeria.

We can only make recommendations on the way forward. In other words, we are going to have a report which will be considered by people who also have a responsibility for the way forward.

Most of the issues of the economy which many have alluded to today would have been handled better, but this was not done. Our iron and steel industry is dead; textile is dead. We are importing sugar which we should not be importing because a report is there that we have eleven times of sugar production in Nigeria. The economy is not expanding.

W

e have to confine ourselves to the issue of the form of government.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with Nigeria.

I think there is something wrong with the system we are running. The system is such that we look at them and say we cannot change them. The president said on page 13 (of his inaugural address) that we should go and discuss openly and frankly; those are the key words. If we look at the system we are running now and we feel it is not good enough, we can jettison it and move ahead.

Our major problem is education. The president saw it too when he intervened in the issue of Almajiri. Should the federal

government be the one to handle primary education? The answer is no.

The federal government is handling it because it has too much money.

I think the system should be restructured.

There is no way the president will know all the problems of education in Rivers State. It is not possible. If we don’t restructure the system of government we are running now.

If we don’t restructure the form of government we are running now, we will finish and make recommendations that will go nowhere.

A

ccording to Mr. President, “We must relaunch our country.” The

Plateau

yola

Karshi

As the security situation in Adamawa continues to degenerate, a university lecturer, Dr. A. A. Zemba, working with Moddibo Adama University of Technology, MAUTECH Yola, was yesterday robbed of his two jeeps.

Residents of Yola, the state capital and its environs said violent crimes have been on the increase despite the emergency

rule and the curfew imposed on the state.

Some residents of Sangere, one of the latest communities that came under attack, said they fail to understand how crime seems to be on the increase despite the emergency rule in the state.

“Before the emergency rule, we were living in peace, but now we can’t sleep at night for fear of being attacked” a resident, Sani Bello, lamented.

Oyo Ibadan

Kalu to deliver NUJ's centenary lecture A former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, is to deliver the centenary lecture of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Oyo State chapter.

The lecture, scheduled for April 3, has as theme: "Nigeria: A nation in quest of credible leadership."

Scheduled to begin at 1pm at the Press Centre,

Iyaganku, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the organisers said the choice of Kalu as Guest Lecturer was based on his disposition to the rule of law and his leadership position in the country.

The lecture was put together by the NUJ to commemorate the 100 years anniversary of the coming together of the different regions of the country to form Nigeria.

Six family members killed in Plateau auto crash No fewer than six family members, including one of the fathers of the day, were killed yesterday in an auto crash along the Wamba Fadan-Karshi road in Plateau state.

The accident occurred at about 8.45am when an 18-seater Hilux bus conveying the family of the bride to Jos, lost control and rammed into an on-

coming vehicle, heading for the wedding of the younger brother to the Secretary of the Gombe State NUJ Correspondent Chapel, Mr. Williams Attah.

The incident caused panic and a delay in the wedding programme, which was originally scheduled to commence by 11.30am, but was shifted to 12.30pm to enable the bride and the groom to be

Abia Oriendu

Group moves to strengthen Igbo language Worried by the steady decline in the number of Igbo people that can speak Igbo language fluently, a group, the Igbo World Union, has said that it is out to correct the anomaly and ensure that the language does not go into extinction.

President-General of the union, Dr. Mishak Nnanta, who disclosed this when members of the union paid a visit to

A

wise man once said that there are two primary choices before man.

One is to accept things as they are. The other is to accept the responsibility to change things. The president has given us the opportunity to change things and most of us in this place have accepted the responsibility to

change things for Nigeria.

In his agenda setting speech, the president referred to areas where things are not going well for Nigeria. In some cases he specifically mentioned those areas. I am particularly gratified because my generation wants to be given the opportunity to redeem its image.

We should grab this opportunity with both hands and make sure that this conference succeeds. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist in Nigeria to realize that, yes, we have been on the brink before.

We practice brinksmanship – Obong Victor Atta

Adamawa Adamawa residents lament increase in crime rate

We Must Ensure Confab’s Success – Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu (South-West)

the palace of the traditional ruler of Oriendu Autonomous Community in Umuahia North Local Government area of Abia State, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, lamented the gradual extinction of Igbo language.

He said the scenario was due to the preference of parents to speak English Language to their children and the rush for private schools where the use of English Language is emphasised to the detriment of the mother tongue.

cleavages referred to by Mr. President in his inaugural speech are real but they are essentially manmade. I say this because we have imprisoned ourselves in a North-South divide; a North-South

prison. So instead of practicing patriotism, we practice brinksmanship. We want to see how one will triumph over the other.

And this is what is causing the friction. So what do we do?

Bauchi

Lagos

Bauchi

Ikeja

Bauchi SSG, Chief of Staff booted out of office The Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Alhaji Ahmad Ibrahim Dandija has been removed from office with immediate effect, while Alhaji Aminu Hammayo has been named as his replacement.

A statement conveying the appointment of Hammayo, made available to the press yesterday, was signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr.Ishola Micheal Adeyemi.

Dandija was booted out of office along with the Chief of Staff Government House, Alhaji Yusuf Musa Gumli, while the appointment of Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim Mohammed was announced as his replacement.

The statement did not however give reasons for the change of guards at the two officers, but rather wished them success in their new endeavours.

Lagos to roll out drinking water standards for residents In order to ensure quality and safety, the Lagos State Water Regulation Agency, (LSWRC) said it is in the process of adopting Drinking Water Standards for the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen during the Media Launch of the agency’s toll-free lines, website, consumer unit box and corporate locational signage in Lagos yesterday, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Mrs Tanwa Koya, disclosed that the state government has already engaged some microbiologists working with the Lagos State University Hospital to set water standards.

She noted that, though there is an existing National Drinking Water Standard in the country, but the state government is trying to adopt its own standards being a peculiar city with larger percentage of human and vehicular concentration.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

TOLL Hope of a reprieve from toll payment for motorists using the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge hangs Muritala Ayinla

M

otorists plying the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge may have to wait a little longer before they stop paying toll charges on the bridge as the Lagos State government yesterday formally appealed against the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court presided over by Justice S. Saidu, on March 27, 2014.

The judge had de-

Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge: Lagos appeals court’s ruling scribed the toll collection as illegal, saying there was no law to cover the toll being collected by state government.

But, in the notice of appeal dated Friday, March 28, 2014 and filed same day, the state government is challenging the decision arrived at by the federal high court to the effect that the fact of payment by its contractors to the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was an admission that the Federal

Government has constitutional or legislative authority to regulate inland waterways throughout the country.

The state government is also praying the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the federal high court, saying contrary to the ruling which held that there was no law enacted by the state House of Assembly authorising the government to impose tolls on public infrastructure in

the state, it has laws that empowers toll collection on the bridge.

In a statement signed by the Solicitor-General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law No. 2 of 2011, clearly empowers the state government to specify the service charges, user fees or tolls.

The statement reads: “The Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law No. 2 of 2011 clearly empowers the government to specify the service charges, user fees

or tolls which are payable in respect of designated public infrastructure or public assets.

“In addition to the Notice of Appeal, the state government, by an application dated and filed on Mach 28, 2014 in the Fed-

DISMISSED

Musa Pam Jos

A

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun (left), consoling the wife of late GOK Ajayi, Mrs. Magret, during his condolence visit to the family in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

The female percentage of internet users of Denmark in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

N4.4bn

Dan Atori MINNA

N

iger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, has advised the people of the state not to be taken in by the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) criticism of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state.

He said the opposition was too blind to notice the achievements of his administration in the state.

Reacting to APC’s

criticism of Governor Aliyu’s achievements, the gover nor’s spokesman, Danladi Ndayebo, described the statement by the opposition as malicious and bereft of any shred of sincerity.

Ndayebo said Governor Aliyu has stamped his seal of excellence on all the critical sectors of the state’s economy such as roads, education, agriculture, security, health, housing and infrastructural development.

riot policeman, CPL Damudu Bzibu, attached to the Special Task Force in Plateau State, who raped a fouryear-old girl last week in Kassa village, Barkin Ladi Local Government area, has been dismissed by the Nigeria Police.

Pl a t e a u State Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe, while parading the suspect with other criminals yesterday

in Jos, said the dismissal is to serve as an example that the police won’t tolerate such bad conduct.

According to Olakpe, the Inspector-General of Police is not behind such behaviour and anybody with such unprofessional conduct is not tolerated in the service.

The police boss said Bzibu has, since, been arrested for interrogation.

Our correspondent gathered that the four-yearoldgirlwasluredbythepolice officer into his makeshift tent in Kassa village, where he carried out the evil deed.

Further investigation revealed that he was said to be in the habit of raping minors wherever he was posted to the area as confirmed by residents of thelocality.

NGE fundraising dinner holds April 10

288 rifles, 35 rockets seized from terrorists in Cameroon – DHQ

A

M

The IGR realized from PAYE (taxes) of Kano State in 2010.

Source: National bureau of Statistics

You’re too blind to notice my achievements, Aliyu tells APC

71.2%

eral High Court, is praying for an order to stay the execution of the judgement delivered in the suit and to restrain the respondents from giving effect to the judgement pending the determination of the appeal.”

Policeman sacked for raping four-year-old girl Randy policeman gets paraded for defilling a minor

91.5%

9

The percentage of individuals using the internet users in Europe region in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

ll is now set for the April 10, 2014, dinner of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) meant to raise N850 million for its secretariat complex.

The event, billed for the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja,hasPresidentGoodluck Jonathan as the distinguished guestof honourandallthestate governors as specialguests.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the special guest of honour for the event, which will be chaired by former Petroleum Minister, Prof.

Jibril Aminu. Also, former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, will deliver the keynote address while

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku is the chief host.

Already, many governors and captains of industry have indicated their willingness to be present at the epochal fund raising ceremony. Restating the need for eminent Nigerians and corporate organisations to support the project, President of the Guild, Femi Adesina, said the proposed Editors’ Plaza will greatly improve the practice of journalism in the country as up-to-date facilities will be at the disposal of top professionals in the field to make them compete globally.

ilitary authorities say over 288 rifles, 35 rocket propelled guns and 35 locally made Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered from suspected terrorists after a fierce encounter in Abugasse, Cameroon, close to the Chadian border.

This is contained in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence Information and Coordinator of Joint Information Centre Counter Terrorism Campaign.

"The resolve for collaborative efforts to fight

terrorism in the region got a boost recently when Cameroon’s security forces made a huge seizure of arms, apparently meant for use by terrorists operating in Nigeria last weekend.

"Other weapons recovered include pistols, mortar bombs, submachine guns and various calibres of ammunition following the arrest of two suspects believed to be major arms suppliers to the terrorists in Nigeria.

"The suspects, who were in possession of over 50 Cameroonian passports, were arrested in a Toyota Jeep in Abugasse."

10 NEWS

N750 fixed electricity charge is extortion, says Oshiomhole FIXED CHARGES It is crude and criminal, the way PHCN is fleecing Nigerians, says Oshiomhole

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

G

overnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has come down hard on the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over the conten-

1.02m

tious N750 monthly fixed charge.

He said the charge amounts to extortion and exploitation of electricity consumers in the state.

Oshiomhole stated this at a meeting with the management team of BEDC and other stakeholders at the government house Benin the state capital.

The governor said fixed charges and estimated tariff by the electricity company were not only irresponsive, but crude and criminal.

He said, “it is agreed

The number of internet users in Senegal in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

that there is a fixed charge, there is fixed tariff by the new power company.

There is no argument about the fact on whether or not the tariff or estimated charges are paid.”

He recalled that the first meeting with the management of BEDC, stressing that, “Madam, you will recall the day I first formally received you in my office, I made some factual statements that the essence of privatisation is the increase in the entrepreneurial efficiency.

“I think I mentioned it

65.4%

The male percentage of internet users in Morocco in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

that now that the Federal Government has handed over NEPA or PHCN, it is incumbent that you improve on your service delivery to consumers in order to have confidence in your organization and failure to go below that will spark off a revolt from consumers. This is exactly what is happening today.”

He added, “I cannot sit here while watching the masses of the people of Edo exploited under the guise of fixed tariff and estimated billing.”

N12.2bn

The Internally generated revenue of Enugu State in 2012.

Source: National bureau of Statistics

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Oshiomhole commissions Dawson-Uselu road in Benin Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

T

he Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday commissioned the eight-kilometre Dawson-Urubi-Uselu road expansion in Benin City, the state capital.

He said the construction of the road was part of the state government’s urban renewal programme.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony which has two extra lanes on both sides and is 3.65 metres wide, complete with underground drains, street lights, traffic and thermostatic markings to guide road users, gover-

Fulani/Tiv peace pact, mere window-dressing, says group Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

T

Commissioner of Police, Plateau, Mr Chris Olakpe (left) and Area Commander, Metro Jos, Mr Charles Ezeala, after a news conference on the raping of a four-year old girl and other command activities in Jos …yesterday

SECURITY

Empoyment will solve most problems of security, says Akinjide's daughter John chuks Onuanyim Abuja.

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he Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, yesterday declared that Nigeria is in trouble given the level of unemployment among youths.

It was in partial reacting to last the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) job recruitment exercise

Onaiyekan, Akinjide stress need to boost employment that claimed over 15 lives last month.

Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, noted that the number one issue in the country is unemployment and not security.

The duo spoke at the commissioning of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) built by FCTA in Abuja.

Onaiyekan, in his good-

will message commended the FCTA for building the AEA and said this would assist the teeming unemployed youth.

He said, "There are a lot of problems on our hands going by what happened last month."

Akinjide, in her speech at the commissioning said, "Today marks another major milestone in our collective efforts to stem the ugly consequences of unemployment, poverty

and destitution that confront our society.

"The negative impact of unemployment in our society is so glaring and can be felt in the level of poverty and insecurity around us. Consequently, the urgency for an environment where our fresh graduates, school leavers and women can be trained, re-skilled and where necessary, assisted with the needed seed capital has become imperative."

nor Oshiomhole said, “I am here to do a formality since the road has already been commissioned by those driving on it.”

He urged leaders to look beyond the realm of exigency of time and peer into the future.

“Every leader should see beyond the exigency of the day and project into the future. That is what informed the expansion of this road. Not many will remember that in 2008, there was a funny roundabout around here, sometimes it can take as much as thirty minutes to drive from Oba Ovoranwmen Square through Agbado Market to get here,” he declared.

he coalition of NonGovernmental Organizations Network, popularly known as BENGONET, yesterday dismissed as mere windowdressing the purported peace agreement entered between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers in Benue State.

This, according to the coalition, is because, none of the leaders of the displaced Tiv/Agatu farmers and Fulani herdsmen were directly involved in the peace agreement.

The Benue state chair-

man of BENGONET, Justine Gbagir, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Makurdi, faulted the truce adding that it was a crafty way of injecting sleeping pills into Benue people to enable herders capture them easily.

Gbagir lamented the spate of killings in the state and further blamed the federal and state governments for not taking proactive measures to end the crises when it first erupted in 2009. According to Gbagir, the attacks are part of a jihadist agenda aimed at eliminating the Tiv tribe to instal emirate councils in the state.

Delta 2015: Ndokwa group intensify moves to succeed Dominic Adewole Asaba

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he Ndokwa people of Delta state yesterday made another move to produce the successor to incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015.

Already, over 12 aspirants from Delta North Senatorial District, are jostling to clinch the plum position.

The people of Ndowka ethnic nationality want the area to be compensated, especially now that the governorship favours their senatorial district (Delta North) – a district that has

not produced a governor for the state since the state was created over 22 years ago.

Briefing journalists after a general meeting at Umutu, Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state, the Chairman of the Organization For Ndokwa Unity, (a.k.a Ndokwa Unite), Mr. Steve Uweh, said Delta is blessed with human and natural resources but with the issue of the governorship position zoned to Delta North Senatorial District, it would only be fair for an Ndokwa man or woman to emerge as the next governor.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

11

Nigeria records outbreak of Dengue fever Appolonia Adeyemi

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he Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) yesterday said the country has recorded the outbreak of Dengue heamorrhagic fever.

To this end, the FMOH said any suspected case of Dengue fever should be reported to the nearest health facility, including general hospitals, Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) or teaching hospitals, where non-specific and symptomatic drugs against this disease have been prepositioned and the ministry has intensified surveillance activities on this disease while placing all

state ministries of health on alert.

These developments are contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health, Mr. Dan Nwomeh, yesterday.

According to the statement, laboratory investigation has revealed that what was recorded in the country is a case of Dengue heamorrhagic fever and not Ebola heamorrhagic fever as erroneously reported last weekend.

Dengue fever is caused by a virus named Dengue Fever Virus (DFV). This virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.

Kalu mourns G. O. K. Ajayi

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former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has described the death of legal luminary, Chief G.O.K. Ajayi, as a colossal loss to the nation.

Kalu, in a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser, Prince Oyekunle Oyewumi, said Ajayi will remain one of the leading lights of the legal profession in Nigeria for a long time to come.

He said the contributions of Ajayi and the likes of the late Chief F. R. A. Williams, to the legal profession can never be wished away by anyone.

Kalu was quoted by Oyewumi as saying: “Chief Ajayi's memory will definitely linger on for a long time.

“This can be clearly seen from the fact that despite having been away from the courtrooms in the last couple of years, his advice is always sought by Nigerians and the younger generation of lawyers in the country and the cases he pursued remain reference points till date.”

Kalu, who prayed for the repose of Ajayi’s soul, condoled with his family and Nigerians on the loss of the erudite lawyer.

L-R: Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LSWRC), Mrs. Tanwa Koya; Board member, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun; Board member/Former President, ICAN, Mr. Adedoyin Owolabi and Chairman, Mr. Taiwo Sebioba; during a media launch of LSWRC products in Lagos...yesterday. PHOTO:SULEIMAN HUSAINI

91.8%

The female percentage of internet users of Sweden in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

11.2m

The number of internet users in Argentina in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

N1.85bn

The internally generated revenue of Nasarawa State in 2010.

Source: National bureau of Statistics

FIRS takes stern measures against tax defaulters TAXATION

Nigerians may be required to present tax clearance certificates before travelling abroad Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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ax authorities at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) are considering more

punitive measures, including barring tax defaulters from overseas trips, as effective means of stemming tax evasion by Nigerians.

Explaining the newest method of combatting tax evasion in the country, FIRS Acting Executive Chairman, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, said the body would cash in on Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC), a key travel document required from Nigerians planning to travel abroad.

“For a few who may

have decided to still run against the law, please note that very soon, you won’t be able to do business or travel abroad and by this, I mean travelling to any part of the world, without evidence of tax payment and attestation, otherwise called Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC).

A statement issued yesterday by FIRS Director, Communication and Liaison Department, Emmanuel Obeta, quoting Mashi’s remarks at the Centennial Trade Fair or-

ganised recently by the Abuja Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), confirmed the new measures.

Mashi was represented by the Coordinating Director, Direct Reports Group, Hajia Q. S. Seghosime.

The FIRS boss said it was against the law to do transactions with companies and entities that have no Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and urged members of the public to be properly guided.

youths enter the labour market annually.

Okonjo-Iweala made the disclosure in Abuja when she received members of the National Executive Council of the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) led by its President, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu in her office.

She said the Economic Management Implementation Team in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has come up with a methodology that will appropriately measure the rate of unem-

ployment and job creation in the country.

Her words: “So for the first time, we know that 1.8 million people are entering the job market every year and I am happy to tell you that by the measurement and survey, we were able to give 1.6 million jobs, so we are getting close to the 1.8 million that entered the job market.

“We are not there yet, we are still two hundred thousand jobs short of closing the annual gap and we currently have a pool of 5.3 million unemployed

people which has been accumulating over the years, so that shows we need to work harder.”

The minister expressed optimism at government’s efforts towards job creation for the teeming Nigerian youths, pointing out that “government is working hard and we are counting the number of jobs being created in agriculture, manufacturing, retail trade, telecommunication and in the financial sector, not forgetting Nollywood and we intend to do more.”

NIS tragedy: Reps differ on 1.8m youths enter labour market annually – Okonjo-Iweala motion to stop inquest Philip Nyam Abuja

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embers of the House of Representatives yesterday rejected a motion seeking to stop the Presidential Special Committee from playing a part in the fresh recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

The motion which was sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Idris (APC Plateau), entitled "urgent need for the executive arm of govern-

ment to reconsider the constitution of the special committee and allow the appropriate authority to carry out its constitutional responsibility” was for the second time stood down.

The motion was earlier brought before the House on Tuesday, 25th March, 2014 and was stood down following a point of order raised

by Hon. Ossai Nicolas Ossai (PDP, Delta), who argued that the House should not take the motion on the ground that a similar motion had already been debated and ruled upon.

UNEMPLOYMENT NBS up with a method to measure unemployment, job creation appropriately Amadi Nnamdi Abuja

C

oordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, yesterday said more than 1.8 million Nigerian

metr

NEW TELEGRAPH

I sel

PRIESTLY CRIME

A Catholic priest is cooling his heels in SSS cell for his alleged involvement child stealing Tony Anichebe Uyo

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he State Security Service (SSS) has apprehended a Catholic priest and 19 others for stealing and selling children in Akwa Ibom State.

The child trafficking syndicate headed by one Uchenns Joel Onyekazuru had in the last two years stolen many children.

Onyekazuru said he had lost count of the number of children stolen so far.

Parading the suspects in Uyo yesterday, the State Director of SSS, Mr Toma Minti, noted that the unique tactics employed by the syndicate made it difficult over the years for security agencies to track and arrest them.

Minti, who spoke through an Assistant Director, Mr Tubara Duke, said that both the child thieves and the buyers were undergoing interrogation.

The director, who announced that eight children had so far been recovered while 20 suspects were arrested, disclosed that the first major breakthrough for the service came on February 11 with the arrest of one Mercy Okon and her boyfriend, Collins Monday Edet Okpo, following a tip off.

He said: “Their interrogation led to the arrest of the ring leader, Mr Uchenna Canice Onyekazuru.

Onyekazuru had commissioned many foot soldiers who go about stealing children for sale and between Onyekazuru and Okpo

FLIMSY EXC A suspected tries in vain his involvem importation

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

0802 393 8212

Wednesday, APRIL 2, 2014

SSS arrests Catholic priest, 19 others for child trafficking

Wednesday,

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

Juliana Franci

A Some of the suspects

alone over 20 children have been stolen and sold.”

According to him, the group often forges documents to give impression that their transactions on children are legitimate and sometimes involves staff of government ministries to perpetuate their evil act.

Among those arrested were a Catholic priest with St Peters Parish Nri in Aniocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Joseph Okono, Mrs Amaka Umeh who operates Amazing Grace Maternity Homes and Mrs Cecilia Ngene who owns Chigozie Maternity Home all in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Minti disclosed that Mr Oseloka Okoyeh works in a ministry and had been working with the thieves, helping them in selling stolen children.

He said: “One David Ogbubu bought a child from Oseloka at the cost of N600,000 while one Mrs Adaobi Onyeke equally bought one child from Oseloka at the cost of N550,000.

“One James equally bought a child from Oseloka at the cost of N400,000. On the case of the Rev Father he bought two children and sold them to one Nweze Glays and one other relation, who is childless.”

During an interview with journalists, Onyekazuru said he had lost count of children he sold to make money.

He said: “Today I benefited nothing but disgrace, ridicule and shame. I was lured into the business by women who have no children. My benevolence led me into it. I have five children and have not sold any of them. I am from Ugiri clan in Mbano Imo State.”

Also, the Catholic priest told

journalist: “I am a Catholic priest from St Peters Nri. I have benefited nothing because as a priest I am well taken care off.

I only directed people who are looking for children to adopt to

Amaka’s maternity and on two occasions they returned and give me N21,000 and N25,000 which I thought was to appreciate me I never knew it was proceeds from selling children.”

But one of the suspects, Nnamdi Onuchukwu, said he connected people including the Rev Father to those looking for children to buy and took his own share of the money.

suspected lazeez Am in Lagos th pipeline vanda ram members The 47-year rested for being AK47 rifles.

Amao, until go to Burkina and smuggle by concealing The suspect go to a market meet one Zakar the guns to him According t the guns in Ma to the market i He said: “I

Four suspects killed, three arr BLOODY ENCOUNTERS

Four people killed as gunmen go on the rampage in Delta State.

Dominic Adewole and Joe Obende

F

our suspected robbers and kidnappers were killed in different encounters in parts of Delta State yesterday.

In the first encounter in Warri, police shot dead two “one chance” armed robbers and arrested one with gunshot wounds.

Luck ran out on the robbers when the male passenger, who just came out of a commercial bank, they picked held on to his bag and refused to let go.

As they wrestled, the victim kept shouting for help and luckily, his yells got the attention of a patrol team on the other lane of the Effurun - Sapele Road.

Members of the patrol team opened fire on the robbers who attempted to flee.

Unfortunately for the hoodlums, there was heavy traffic which made their escape difficult.

Three suspected armed robbers, Oke Omoyibo, Uyomevwa Emmanuel and Felix Nigeria, were also arrested by the police.

Also, some gunmen killed two suspected kidnappers, Ogaga Enueme and Efe Edheki, on their way to Magistrates’ Court, Oleh, for arraignment.

Omoyibo, according to the state Police

Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, hails from Kokori village.

Narrating how they were nabbed, the PPRO said one Betty Johnshon, residing opposite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Isiokolo in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state raised the alarm that five armed men had invaded her residence and robbed her of N80,000 and escaped.

“Based on the tip-off, detectives swung into action and raided suspected houses and arrested one Oke Omoyibo of Kokori village, Uyomevwa Emmanuel and Felix Nigeria.”

She said Omoyibo confessed to the crime and led detectives to their hideouts where one locally made pistol, one English double barrel gun, one battle axe and three live cartridges were recovered.

Kalu also disclosed that operatives from Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, conveying two male suspects, Enueme and Edheki to Magistrates’ Court, Oleh, for arraignment, were engaged in a gun battle.

She said: “They ran into an ambush by unknown gunmen at Oloh Ogwashi, on Kwale Road, and at the end of the ensuing gun battle, the police vehicle was shattered while the two suspects were hit by bullets from the hoodlums. They were quickly rushed to the hospital for treatment but they later gave up the ghost.”

The deceased suspects, according to her, kidnapped one Mrs Vivian Obonyano, aged 55 years, on her way from church on Asaba - Ase Road in Uzere town.

The bus used by the ‘one chance’ ro

In the Warri encounter, two bers, who operated with a Mts bus in commercial colours wi tion number DF 862 BEN (E killed while the third was arre At press time, the injured s declined to volunteer informa police in Ugborikoko Division, w lead to the arrest of other gang Warri Police Area Comm Rabiu Hussaini, an assistan sioner of police, confirmed the

NIS recruitment: The blame game, facts and fiction / PAGE 14 | Minister tackles Customs over smuggling / PAGE 41

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/politics

ayodele Ojo

Deputy Editor, politics

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

PDP supported Mimiko with a promise he’ll join party –Agbi

p-42-43

WEDNESday April 2, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Dialogue bugged down by religious, ethnic sentiments It is three weeks since President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the national conference to discuss the future of Nigeria. In this report, ONWUKA NZESHI examines the discussions so far and reports that the talks have been subsumed in religious, regional and ethnic sentiments.

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he national conference was conceived amidst controversies. It started on a shaky note and as predicted, it has become a battleground for the various ethnic, regional and religious groups that make up Nigeria.

The delegates are not engaged in a conventional warfare but the struggle is as fierce as any armed conflict could be.

At inauguration, President Goodluck Jonathan urged the delegates to put Nigeria first, but it has become obvious that each group came with their battalion of elite troops to contest the ownership and control of Nigeria, their common heri-

Sultan

Kutigi

tage. They are leaving nothing to chance; they are contesting every inch of the land from the edge of the Sahara desert down to the Atlantic Ocean.

Some warning shots were fired the day after the conference was inaugurated but last week, the cannons boomed louder and the direction from where the sounds were coming have become clearer.

It is rather unfortunate that two weeks after its inauguration delegates have considered only the rules of procedure and

disagreed on almost every item.

Initial challenges The discourse took off with objections to opening prayers laced with Arabic incantations; a sitting arrangement that fell short of recognising the elderly and the sick; complaints of the long hours of sitting; the quest for additional allowances to hire aides and the disdain for the monetisation policy that compelled delegates to operate within a specific budget instead of living on an open cheque in five star hotels.

CROSSFIRE If we have security challenges, a governor would say bad leadership.

Bad leadership from whom? A governor has been on seat for almost eight years and we have people in that state that can’t go to primary school…

Who is the bad leader?

– Goodluck Jonathan

Nigerians should hold the Jonathan administration responsible for all the security challenges in the country... No matter what the President says or does, this government has failed Nigerians -Murtala Nyako

The conference has been able to resolve these initial misgivings, but it is not yet uhuru.

The quorum In the course of last week, delegates came face to face with other obstacles on the journey.

First, it was Order IV -the section of the Rules of Procedure which stipulates that plenary sittings and committee meeting could only take place when one third of the delegates expected at the sessions were present. In the event that a quorum is not formed at either plenary or committee meeting, such a meeting would be adjourned and all activities deferred till the next sitting. After a long debate, the one third provision was adopted by delegates.

Voting procedure Another obstacle which delegates had to cross was Order XI, the section dealing with the voting rule. Indeed, it was this CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

POLITICAL NOTES 10m jobs on the way

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inister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recently stated that 10 million jobs would be created, in the economy in 2014. The pronouncement is a very optimistic one given the timeline, and prevailing circumstances.

Successive administrations had made similar declarations of creating job opportunities and alleviating poverty in the land, but the recent tragedy involving job applicants in some parts of the country has disproved government’s assertions as mere lip service.

It does not take an economic expert to appreciate that job creation is a function of a number of factors that are presently not given priority attention in the country. How can government hope to reduce the prevailing unemployment situation in the country, when a good number of companies have closed shops, or relocated to neighbouring countries due to the unfavourable operating environment, which also discourages the growth of small and medium scale businesses.

What has government done to reduce Nigeria’s overdependence on crude oil, and diversify her economy to include non-oil export sectors like agriculture and manufacturing?

Over the years, government has continued to treat the issue of electricity supply to power the economy with half-hearted measures. Only recently, the sector was privatised with all the accompanying media hype, yet, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact, even as it becomes more obvious that it may be impossible to generate the needed megawatts to power the economy.

Government needs to do more than pay lip service to the issue of reducing unemployment, and poverty, which are a major challenge facing the country, and which if properly tackled, will consequently reduce the level of insecurity in the land.

14 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

NIS recruitment: The blame As usual, the Senate embarked on a public hearing to unravel the poor handling of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise which claimed 16 lives. Chukwu David writes on the revelations from the investigative hearing

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arch 15, 2014 was a day Nigerians will not forget in a hurry. It was the day some families across the country were thrown into unprecedented sorrow as their relatives and friends met their untimely end while in search of legitimate means of livelihood.

Aggregately, 16 applicants reportedly died during the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment aptitude test/ physical examination held at various centres in the country on March 15.

Nigerians were definitely alarmed by the unfortunate incident because it precipitated a recall to the fact that there is severe unemployment in the country.

It also provoked several questions and agitations about the transparency and propriety of the process adopted by the various stakeholders involved from the beginning to the end of the exercise.

Following this ugly development, the Senate at its plenary on Tuesday March 18, directed its Committee on Interior to investigate the matter and report back to it within one week.

The Upper Chamber also urged the Executive arm of government to come up with a marshal plan on how to tackle the persistent and widening unemployment problem in the country.

The senators made the resolutions as a result of a motion of urgent public importance brought to the floor of the Senate by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Atiku Bagudu with 10 other legislators in respect of the tragedy.

Many of the aggrieved senators, who contributed to the debate on the motion, attributed the incident to the negligence of the Ministry of Interior and the management of the NIS, whom the lawmakers accused of pursuing personal gains at the expense of the interest and wellbeing of the people, particularly the unemployed population.

Some of the legislators, who were highly infuriated by the perceived shady deal in the recruitment process insisted that heads must roll in the affected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for the recruitment exercise.

They specifically called for either the resignation or sack of the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro and the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr. David Parradang for not providing safety environments for the conduct of the recruitment examination.

However, the Senate, after a prolonged debate on the motion did not approve the call for immediate sanction of Moro and

Abba Moro and David Paradang at the Committee hearing.

Parradang. This was because they wanted to avoid committing prejudice in the matter since it had already assigned its Committee on Interior to carry out an investigation into the incident.

APC call for Moro’s head That same day, the members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the Senate also addressed a press conference after plenary, calling for the resignation of the minister for handling the recruitment process in a manner that degenerated to the accident that claimed the lives of unsuspecting innocent citizens.

The senators said: “The tragedy has further graphically underlined the insensitivity of the President Jonathan administration to the plight of the people. In other countries, the deaths of these helpless applicants in such a circumstance would be enough for the minister in charge to tender his resignation. We are calling on the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro to resign his position, because he can’t be absolved from the activities that eventually led to this monumental tragedy.

“We are very worried about the worsening unemployment rate and are, hereby, calling on President Jonathan to tackle the problem sincerely and decisively by declaring an emergency on the unemployment and urgently come out with a marshal plan to tackle the problem.

We would be deceiving ourselves not to admit that joblessness is an indirect effect of the spate of insecurity that is bedevilling the country all over. If the President continues to dither on addressing the problem, we are afraid the insecurity situation can only get worse.”

Public hearing to the rescue Those who appeared at the public

All of them kept calling me to ask how they were going to get money to do this exercise? I told them if any money is given to me, I will make it available to you. No money was made available to the Nigerian Immigration Service and the exercise was supposed to be conducted hearing, which took place on Thursday March 27 included representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Character Commission; Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Board (CDFIPB) and other concerned Nigerians who came to witness the hearing, including some Civil Society Organisations.

However, those who featured prominently during the investigation, and whose roles in the failed employment arrangement formed the target for the investigative hearing were the Minister of Interior, the ComptrollerGeneral of NIS, the CDFIPB and the consultants who provided and managed the internet facility for the exercise.

The public hearing was declared open by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who was represented by the Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba.

The Leader had told Nigerians that the Senate was determined to unravel the

circumstances surrounding the mishap that greeted Nigerians while in search of meaningful employment.

While assuring all stakeholders and indeed Nigerians that the Senate would be open, firm, fair and just in the conduct of the probe, he said that the incident further betrayed the unacceptable level of unemployment in the country. Accordingly, he pointed out that the tragedy was a wakeup call for Nigeria as a nation to rise up urgently and tackle the menace of unemployment in the land.

As it is natural with humans, the major stakeholders who made presentations to the committee indulged in defence mechanism, leading to accusations and counter-accusations characterising the hearing. But critical analysis would at the end of the day, sift the falsehood from the truth.

Moro’s apologies When he commenced presentation of his position on the matter to the Senate Committee, Moro, apologised to Nigerians over the circumstances that led to the tragedy that trailed the recruitment exercise organised by NIS on Saturday March 15, in eight centres across the country.

He also accepted full responsibility for the whole mishap, pointing out that he did not want to participate in what he described as the ‘blame game’ which trailed the unfortunate incident. Moro regretted that the incident occurred while the ministry resolved to give every Nigerian an opportunity to participate in the recruitment exercise, irrespective of class difference.

Moro, however, maintained that adequate arrangement was put in place by his ministry, the board and the NIS to conduct a credible electronic recruitment into the Service in order to redeem the image of the organisation from the smear of job racketeering it had suffered from the public opinion over the years.

His words: “Permit me to state that

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

game, facts and fiction

NIS applicants jumping over barriers to attend the screening exercise.

our patriotic desire was the pursuit of a more honest, a more transparent, a more cost effective, a more efficient and equitable platform.

“We sincerely made appropriate and adequate preparations for a hitch -free exercise, but as most things in administrative and human conditions, the yield curve of expected outcome is mostly undefined.

“The loss of these young Nigerians, who are needed as a critical human resource factor for nation-building is most regrettable. As the Minister of Interior, under whose purview this unfortunate exercise took place, I cannot abdicate my responsibility. The buck stops at my table.”

The denials But the CDFIPB and the NIS countered Moro on his claim that all relevant stakeholders were involved in all the decisions that gave birth to the ill-fated recruitment exercise. For instance, a permanent member of the Board, Mr. Mustapha Zakariya and the Comptroller General of the NIS, Parradang, in their separate presentations alleged that the recruitment exercise was not approved by the Board.

Zakariya, who revealed that he had been a member of the Board since 2008, alleged that the minister, who is also the Chairman of the Board took a unilateral decision to engage the consultant that conducted the exercise.

He also claimed that the signature of the former Secretary of the Board, Dr. R. K. Attahiru, on the agreement between the consultants and the Board, was forged, saying that the man who purportedly appended his signature, had denied it.

But the hearing became more curious when the incumbent Secretary to the Board, Mr. Sylvanus Tapgun, refuted Zakariya’s claims, explaining that the agreement was properly signed but that the non-release of funds for the exercise was partly responsible for the unfortunate occurrence that bedevilled

the exercise.

Tapgun also told the Senate that the management of Drexdel Nigeria Limited, the consultant, released only N45 million out of N201 million which the Board requested for the conduct of the exercise.

The Secretary lamented that the paucity of fund caused serious logistics problems on the day of the recruitment exercise.

But the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Messrs Drexdel Technology Nigeria Limited, Mr. Theodore Maiyaki, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Mr. Anthony Nwachukwu, defended the agreement between them and the Interior Ministry.

They insisted that the agreement they signed did not include financing the conduct of the recruitment exercise on March 15. According to them, their duty was to host and manage an electronic application technology for the NIS to enable it conduct the recruitment exercise Moreover, the submissions made by Tapgum were countered by the separate presentations of the NIS commanders in the Federal Capital Territory, Edo, Rivers, Niger, and Bauchi states, who claimed that they collected N300, 000 each for the conduct of the exercise.

Invasion of recruitment centres Rather than blame the stampede that occurred at the various examination centres on insufficient funds, the commanders attributed it largely to the influx of uninvited people, who they alleged besieged their various centres to take part in the exercise.

They also explained that the number

As the Minister of Interior, under whose purview this unfortunate exercise took place, I cannot abdicate my responsibility. The buck stops at my table

of those not shortlisted for the exercise but who invaded the various centres was three times higher than those who were officially invited by the NIS. The NIS commander in the FCT, Mr. Auta Ibrahim, and his counterpart in Rivers State, Mr. Mike Longe, all claimed that they received additional support from relevant government agencies in their respective areas of jurisdiction due to the over blotted population of applicants that thronged the venues of the test.

NIS boss faults recruitment exercise Parradang, in his presentation before the committee, faulted the entire exercise and claimed that he was not carried along in the process. He told the investigators that he got to know about the date of the exercise on the day the minister appeared before the Senate Committee on Interior to defend the 2014 budget of his ministry.

He said that the fact that the exercise was unilaterally planned, between the office of the minister and Messrs Drexdel Technical Nigeria Limited on April 30, 2013, did not make it possible for the Budget Office to capture it in the 2014 Federal Government Appropriation.

His words: “On September 9, 2013, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board placed advertisements in some national dailies for appointments into the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Immigration Assistant cadre signed by the then Board Secretary, Dr. Attahiru.

“I immediately placed a call to the Secretary that I am not aware that the Board met on this issue. I immediately placed a call to the Permanent Secretary too whether there was any decision of the Board to place an advert in the paper.

“I also placed a call to the two Commis-

POLITICS

15

sioners that are seated before you here whether they were aware that the Board met and agreed for a publication to be made to recruit in the Service, but they all answered in the negative.

“I immediately wrote a letter to the then Secretary in which I expressed my dismay that as a stakeholder, as the head of a Service that is supposed to recruit, I was not aware of this exercise.

“He pleaded with me that I should understand with him that he was under immense pressure to put that advert up. He said I should not write the letter but I said no, this is an official matter. It is not an issue to do with Mr. David Parradang but with the Nigerian Immigration Service.

“All of them kept calling me to ask how they were going to get money to do this exercise? I told them if any money is given to me, I will make it available to you. No money was made available to the Nigerian Immigration Service and the exercise was supposed to be conducted.

“If you notice too there was no advertisement giving clear guidelines on how to go about it until March 14, that people were asked to go to the various centres for the tests.”

Minister insists on agreement However, Moro insisted that an agreement was reached and executed with the vendor, Messrs Drexel Technologies Limited on the provision of online applications portal and recruitment processing. He said the ministerial tender’s Board subsequently conveyed its approval of the award of the e-recruitment platform to Drexel Technologies Limited to the Board.

According to the minister, “in the 36th meeting of the Board held on May 23, 2013, the award of the e-recruitment contract and its terms were conveyed to the Board which noted and approved the noninvolvement of the Ministry, the Board and the Nigerian Immigration Service in the collection of technology/application processing fees.

Although the Committee is yet to present its findings and recommendations to the Senate for consideration and adoption, the facts before the public through the presentations of the stakeholders are quite informing and revealing too. Despite the allegations and denials of those investigated, common sense and logic can easily decipher where the blames and sanctions (if need be) should go.

Much as Nigerians are talking and lamenting that the tragedy was caused by mass unemployment in the country, it is also evident that it was an avoidable mishap, if all the agencies and persons involved in the exercise had played their roles promptly and properly. Even if officials of the MDAs involved in the NIS recruitment tragedy are not going to be drastically punished, the incident is an eye opener for both individuals and agencies of government in the country, to know how to act and behave better in similar future engagements, in order to forestall reoccurrence. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

16 POLITICS “One good term deserves another.” This was the summation of governors and stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, March 27 during the flag-off of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election campaign.

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Fayemi: On the march again

G

overnor Kayode Fayemi last Thursday flagged off his re-election campaign for the June 21 governorship poll in Ekiti State. In a solidarity support for Fayemi’s re-election, thousands of Ekiti people, wearing a branded ankara with the governor’s picture imprinted, trooped out to register their presence at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti.

Apart from Ekiti indigenes, who trooped out en masse to lend their support to Fayemi’s second term, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and bigwigs were not left out in drumming support for Fayemi.

The rally was attended by Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), AbdulAziz Yari (Zamfara), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).

Other APC bigwigs at the rally were former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherif; Kwara State deputy governor, Elder Peter Kishira; former Ekiti State governor and APC National Vice Chairman (South-West), Otunba Niyi Adebayo; APC National Women Leader Sharon Ikeazor, Ekiti State deputy governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Fayemi’s wife, Bisi and Senator Ajayi Borofice among others.

Many traditional rulers from the State were also in attendance.

The political campaign also turned to a carnival-like event as prominent musicians and Nollywood artistes, like ace juju musician, Adewale Ayuba, Olamide, Elemure and Buga, among others, thrilled the crowd at the stadium and publicly endorsed Fayemi’s re-election bid.

Fayemi, who was filled with excitement throughout the rally and dancing to all the songs rendered by the musicians, in his address charged Ekiti people to see the June 21 governorship election as a freedom election, urging them to cast their votes for him in order to enable his administration complete the foundation of good governance, which he has laid during his first term in office.

Fayemi after reading out some of the achievements of his administration since he was sworn into office on October 16, 2010, implored the people of Ekiti to use his performance in the area of infrastructure, education, health, job creation, elderly care programmes and many others as yardsticks to vote for him during the governorship election. He also pledged to work harder to better the lives of Ekiti people and ensure a better transformation of the state if re-elected.

He explained that he has brought transparency and accountability to

L-R: Interim Chairman, APC South-West, Niyi Adebayo; Governors Aliyu Wamakko, (Sokoto); Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and his wife, Erelu Bisi during the flag-off of Fayemi’s re-election campaign in Ado Ekiti last Thursday.

governance as no official of his administration has been summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) unlike what it used to be in the past.

His words: “The advantage that I have blessed by God is that I am running on records. The advantage that I have as your son, brother and leader is that I can tell you what I have done on education, health sector, how I have made life of our elderly people better, how I have banished poverty from the life of the people. I can tell you what I have done in the area of infrastructure. I can tell you what our women have benefited from having gender sensitive person as leader. I can tell you what I have done in the area of tourism in Ikogosi; how we have transformed Ikogosi Warm Spring to an international tourist centre. I can tell you what we have done in reviving industries. I can tell you how we have made life better by creating jobs and empowering our people.

“This is a record that I challenge any other person who wants to enter this race regardless of party to share with Ekiti people. We have a responsibility to make poverty history and APC is that party of new Nigeria.

“Those who looted our resources in the past are threatening that they are coming back. We know where we are coming from and you know our history.

In Ekiti State, we don’t want somebody to sit somewhere and expect people from outside to install him in power. The coming election in June, if you think it is meant for Fayemi, you are wrong. It is not only Fayemi’s election as we don’t want to return to the dark days of one week, one trouble. This election is about our freedom, social security for our aged, respect for our elders, respect for the traditional rulers, peace and prosperity for our teachers and we are not coming back to sack people. We are not chop-I-chop party, we are not a party of I-don’t-care, we are competent, we are transparent and we can offer better than other parties in Nigeria.”

Governor Fayemi also dispelled rumours allegedly being peddled by the opposition in the state that he will ban commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders,

Ekiti will never allow thieves, fraudsters and brigands to rule us again.

When PDP was in power, Ekiti was in darkness, but when Fayemi came to power, there was light all over the state and the people have now seen the difference sack teachers and demolish markets if voted for a second term. He also refuted allegation that he would mete out the treatment being meted out to local government workers in Ondo State, saying he has no reason to victimise local government workers. He said what he had only done was to eliminate ghost workers from the system.

While stressing the need for Ekiti to have a credible person at the helms of affairs in the state, the governor urged the people to be vigilant and ready to use their votes to prevent criminals and trouble makers from governing the Fountain of Knowledge State.

“Luckily, some of the names we are seeing are people who have been there before and we knew what they did and people are intelligent enough to make a decision on record of everyone of us. I urge you, we must be vigilant and being vigilant is the price to pay for our freedom. We must be vigilant, we must be ready to man those booths, be at those polling stations and we must ensure that we kick out all the criminals and all those who want to come and make trouble in Ekiti. We must get rid of them because this government is a government of peace. It is a government of progress and prosperity,” he said.

In his address the chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Rochas Okorocha urged Ekiti people including Igbo, Hausa and other ethnic nationalities resident in the state to vote for Fayemi during the governorship election.

“Let me assure you that Kayode victo-

ry in the governorship election has been signed, sealed and delivered. Fayemi has worked for the people and he did many things to move Ekiti forward during his three and half years in office. Kayode will work for you again. Fayemi is unique; if he contests for governor in any state, he will win,” he said.

Governor Wamakko, who described Fayemi as a leader that should be celebrated judging by his performance in office which is being acknowledged within and outside the country, said that the APC governors are in Ekiti to endorse Fayemi.

He said: “APC as a party is about unity of Nigeria, performance and transparency.

We would continue to ensure that Nigerians are united in their resolve to enthrone good governance and transparency in governance. With what we have seen in Ekiti, the people have made their choice in Fayemi for the good work to continue.”

Governor Nyako pointed out that the record of Fayemi speaks for itself and that local and international agencies have adjudged Fayemi as a leader that has transformed the state with solid performance, transparency and honesty of purpose.

“Fayemi is one of the most serious governors we have in Nigeria. We wish him landslide victory in the June 21 election. You should give him another chance and he will take Ekiti to a higher ground.

Fayemi is one of the contributors to development of Nigeria and I plead with the people of Ekiti to give him another chance,” Nyako appealed.

Governor Yari said he was not surprised by the huge gathering that attended the rally because the people appreciate what Fayemi had done in the last three and half years. “I believe that Ekiti people appreciate what Fayemi did in the last three and half years. I will charge Ekiti people to ensure one- man-one-vote and I believe that the June 21 poll offers a new challenge to Prof. Attahiru Jega and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the votes of the people count,” he said.

Governor Amosun urged the people not to go back to the dark days which he said has become history in the state, noting that the infrastructure built by CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

POLITICS 17

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

You came to the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), but you defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Why did you defect?

No, it is not a matter of defection.

You know APGA had problems and still has problems. APGA is split into two. And for me as somebody from the South-East, I feel that people from the zone should not be on the margin. We have to be in the centre in this country. That is my honest view. And to be in the centre, I believe it is either in the APC or in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I think it is also good for the country. So, having looked at the two parties, PDP for me has no regard for Ndigbo. I have said that many times because the highest position we have in the structure of the party is the Publicity Secretary. That is nothing.

I have a lot of respect for Olisa Metuh as a person but for us as a people, the PDP is not fair to us. And that is the truth. I think in the APC, we are in a position to work with other Nigerians in the interest of the country and in the interest of our people. So, that is why I am there.

Looking at the fact that the South East is not favourably disposed to the APC, what are your chances of returning to the House in the 2015 elections?

I don’t know how you got that impression. You see, APC is a new party; you have to sell it just like any new product. But we will sell it; we will go and educate the people on why we think that it is the right place to be.

Having said that, returning to the House next session, by the grace of God, I shall be back here because I think I have done a lot of work for the people at the constituency level and so on. But for me, that is not truly the issue at the moment. The issue is to do the work I have been sent to do here.

But I shall return to the House by the grace of God. Looking at Nigerian politics, do you think that your work will speak for you better than your party affiliation?

I think we must get to a stage where individuals should be elected on the basis of who they are and what they have done. I think we should work towards that stage because if you have done well, there are people who align with you, who believe in you. So, it doesn’t really matter which party you belong.

You will win; that is what I think we should be working towards.

Your Governor, Rochas Okorocha, appears to be having this lofty ambition of becoming the President of this country in 2015.

Is this not a political miscalculation on his part?

No, I don’t think so. What the Governor of Imo State is saying is that Ndigbo deserve to be President. That is what he is saying and based on that, he thinks that we should go for it. That is just that. But again, I am a realist; we have to look at the possibilities. I think he is doing that as well. So, he will decide at the right time whether

APC’ll give Ndigbo voice –Mbadiwe Dr. Eddie Mbadiwe represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State. He is the Chairman of the South East Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives. In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID in Abuja, he speaks on burning national issues. Excerpts:

to go for the Presidency or to go for governorship in Imo State. But that is a decision that he alone can make.

The ruling PDP often accuses your national leaders of making inciting statements that could degenerate to anarchy. Do you agree with this?

For me, I don’t actually discuss persons, I discuss policy. You might have problem with presentation. That could be an issue, but you have to look at the content of what you are bringing out.

The party does not just come and make statement; these are solid statements that are well articulated, well formulated and then brought out to the public.

The APC appears to be having problem in adopting a candidate for the 2015 presidential election. Are you not concerned about this?

Well, we don’t have a problem; we have not got to that stage yet. The party is still being properly structured. When we choose our candidate, we will tell Nigerians. But we don’t have a problem.

What do you think would make APC win in 2015?

Well, it is a lot of hard work. But I believe that with the policies we have in place, and if the election is free and fair, I have no doubt that we will take over the reins of government in Abuja.

The violence that is erupting in several parts of the country is attributed to the desperation of politi-

Mbadiwe

cians who want to win elections at all cost in 2015. Are you worried about this development?

Well, everybody is concerned about the level of violence in the land; there is no doubt about that. But I don’t think that it is precipitated by politicians. Don’t forget that we had militants in the South South which also threatened the corporate existence of the country. Violence is an international thing. Insurgency is international; it is a problem throughout the world. But then, all hands must be on deck to be able to tackle the violence in Nigeria because it is getting worse. Every state in Nigeria must be concerned about the level of violence in the country getting out of hands.

When President Goodluck Jonathan proposed a state of emergency in the three states of the North East to combat the Boko Haram insurgency, the opposition parties kicked against the idea.

But the APC is now blaming the Federal Government for inability to eliminate the insurgency. How would you reconcile the contradicting positions?

No, I don’t think you are right. I am a member of the House. I know when the matter came up, most members who spoke supported emergency. The issue of opposition did not arise; we spoke in one voice.

And when Mr. President came for renewal, we renewed it.

But we don’t want a state of emergency to become a permanent thing, that was why we were saying that a lot more should be done to end it before he comes for another renewal.

People have a right to live a normal life, not in a

state of emergency.

Would you ask for the withdrawal of the security operatives while the insurgency persists?

They cannot do that. If you do that, there will be complete anarchy. All I am saying is that they should redouble reinforcement. Let them draft more troops to the area. We cannot continue to live like this. This country has the capacity and capability to contain the situation.

You want to return to the House in 2015; what have you done that will make your people to vote for you again?

Well. We have just finished documenting what we have done. We have done quite a lot. Anybody who visits Ideato Federal Constituency will know that what we have done in three years, with all due respect, is far more than the sum total of what the past representatives of the constituency did. We have touched people’s lives in various areas: education, road, boreholes and light. My personal foundation, Eddie Mbadiwe Foundation, which started before I became a member of the House has about 22 people on university scholarship, apart from those in secondary schools. We have also touched lives individually. We have gotten past WAEC question and answer papers for the past 13 years, which we distributed to all the schools, to make sure that the students don’t fail their WAEC examinations due to lack of materials for revision. We have also touched women in various ways. In fact, we don’t want to blow our trumpet, but we have done quite a lot.

What kind of scholarship do you give to your beneficiaries?

My scholarship is university scholarship, and we give N100,000 per student per session. In fact, we don’t use to announce it; we just write the cheque immediately for them; we don’t give them cash. These are verifiable facts and you can go and verify.

But how much of developmental projects have you attracted to your constituency through your representation?

Road is not what you can use your personal money to do because it is very capital intensive. But the major road which links Okigwe to Nnewi to Oba is a Federal Government road, which has been dilapidated in the past several years; we have been able to put it in the budget. In fact, work is going on there. Before you came in, I was on phone with the Managing Director of the company because they stopped work, saying that they have not been paid. But we are going to get them back to work. That road must be funded. And in this year’s budget, we have been able to get money into the road. That road will open up the place so that industries can start and employment will be created. That is why we are fighting for that road.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” ― C. S. Lewis

LITERATURE

There’s shortage of healthy literature for children – Craig

F

uelled by her unquenchable love for children, Irene Ngozi Keji Craig has come up with what can be arguably described as an all-time bestseller.

Modelled in the fashion of the Famous Five of old, the Kima series will inculcate good morals in the children. EBERE AMEH writes Irene Craig is a woman of many parts; an educationist of repute, she has spent a good number of her adult years teaching, and mentoring teachers to embrace the contemporary methods of teaching without discarding the good old methods. She served as the school mother at the Atlantic Hall, a position created for her so all could gain from her wealth of experience.

“I was working at Atlantic Hall, around the year 2007. I went in as House Parent but the school felt I was too experienced to be just a House Parent. They didn’t want only the girls to benefit from my wealth of experience. So they created a new position of a House Mother for me.

So I was to mentor the male students, the female students and the teachers if I felt they had some issues,” Craig said.

Her experience at the Atlantic Hall led to her writing the Kima series, a new series of books that are set to make the privileged children appreciate their status.

“It was while I was at the Atlantic Hall that I realized that a lot of privileged children do not understand or appreciate their privileged position. I guess it falls back on the state of the nation, the economy, where both parents are forced to work. When the children come back from school, they are home with the house maids, watching TV mindlessly.

In Atlantic Hall, they didn’t want to use many things twice. They abandoned a lot of their belongings and because the school didn’t want to encourage the staff to pilfer the abandoned items on the ground, they burnt them and it pained me. It hurt me and I got thinking ‘how do I get these children to appreciate their privileged status, that their parents could afford their fees?

“I also realized that there was a shortage of healthy literature for school children. I mean stories that are based on real life experiences, day to day issues and not necessarily to do with magic or evil spirits or wickedness. Most of the books we have for children now are based on witchcraft, magic, wicked step mother or nasty uncle and all that.”

According to her, before she joined the Atlantic Hall, she was into the training of Nursery and Primary school teachers. Among others, she taught them traditional nursery rhymes. “The type we learnt when we were growing up. You don’t find that anymore. What you find now is children being taught born again

What we have in mind is a book that will endure for all times; a book that will be a collector’s item that can be handed over from generation to generation choruses in school as Nursery Rhyme.

And I thought why don’t I do something,” Craig said.

The protagonist, Kima is an eight year old boy that lost his parents who were in their early thirties to car accident. The larger family did not want to take care of him, so they pushed him to grandma who is old and living in a one-room apartment. Kima had to stop school as there was no money for school. They decided he should learn how to be a mechanic.

Though he became an apprentice mechanic, some of the gadgets at the workshop were too big for him to carry; and the other apprentices made fun of him.

He became more or less an errand boy who was sent out every now and then to buy lunch for the others. Luckily, that became his escape route.

On his way to buy food, he passes by a school and would always stop by to watch the children at play at break time, remembering his own school days and lamenting. So every day, he would go out, watch the children, buy the food and go back.

On this fateful day, he was passing by and saw the gate wide open with many pupils rushing in. Cars were coming dropping the kids and he was so mes-

Craig

merized, and got pushed along. He found himself in the Classroom with children of about his own size. The teacher thought he was a new intake and did not drive him away. Later, the teacher sat him down; though he enjoyed the class, he was too petrified to talk. When he eventually did, he was able to remember all he learnt and he could answer questions.

After a while, the school bursar came around to find out those who are yet to pay. Apparently, Kima’s name was not on the list and he couldn’t give any explanation. So the bursar and the teacher took him to the proprietor’s office. At that time, kima was inconsolable but they tried to reassure him. They were kind and were able to calm him before Kima could tell them his story. The Proprietor found it both intriguing and providential. Kima was told to come back the following day with his grandmother after he was reassured that he was not in any

trouble.

That evening, the proprietor had an NGO meeting and she presented Kima’s case and they promised to give him a scholarship and an apartment. Grandma was overwhelmed. It was a block of two flats, one up and one down.

“That is book one titled, The adventures of Kima. In book two, which is Kima’s New Home, I introduced children.

Upstairs in Kima’s new home is inhabited by a young couple who would soon start having children. Uncle Wale’s wife would deliver and Kima would help them with the baby,” Craig said.

Explaining the morals in the stories, Craig said, “In book two, I want to teach them love, how to handle babies. Some children don’t know what love is. Some get embarrassed when you give them a hug. It will also help them to know how to take care of their own kids when they grow up. That was what helped a lot of us. I want to teach them to have a sense of pride in good grooming and self care too.

“In book three, titled ‘Kima and his Companions’, which I have written but not published yet, we are going to introduce a neighbour. It is to represent a traditional Igbo spare part dealer family. A lot of people don’t know how they survive, how they live and they come up with all forms of exaggerations and misinformation. The family will have three children, Chika and Chike, who are twins and their sister Ebele, and they will be neighbours. In book four, Kima and the Great Goat Chase, I will introduce animals. I want to teach them to love and care for animals,” Craig explained.

“Eventually I hope to have reading sessions where I would read the work to the children, explaining to them the morals and the lessons embedded in the happenstances. It is going to be a lifelong thing, along the likeness of The Famous Five. We started with them when they were very little and I don’t know where they are now but the same way, we are going to grow up with Kima and he will eventually be given a scholarship for secondary school and go to London on holiday. Luckily, one of my children is a writer and she got interested in the Kima series and I keyed her into the vision. So even if I drop dead today, she will continue from where I stopped.

“What we have in mind is a book that will endure for all times; a book that will be a collector’s item that can be handed over from generation to generation. The name Kima does not mean anything. I researched far and wide to ensure that it does not belong to any ethnic group because I didn’t want it to have an ethnic colouration, he is just an eight year old Nigerian boy.”

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19

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

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

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

WEDNESday, APRIL 2, 2014

Positive leadership values matter a lot

ecently, Anambra State elders and senior professionals organized a bespoke stakeholders’ meeting in the state capital, Awka, where the immediate past Governor, Peter Gregory Obi stood to give account of his eight years of stewardship. At that unique gathering were dignitaries from all walks of life, including international development partners and donor agencies. The arena was neither for rhetoric nor political positioning and grandstanding, but was set for more serious business that has ultimately re-defined leadership and established a one-of-itskind standard in the country.

While analysts seem to have found a sweet mantra in accusing public office holders in the private sector and elected political officers, especially, of outlandish acts of corrupt practices, Peter Obi towered in the crowded forum to emerge the new face of productive leadership in the country when he showed to all by his testimonials, that aspiring to elective public office is not in all cases spurred by avarice and the surreptitious desire to steal from the commonwealth of the governed.

He left a whopping amount of N65 billion in cash made up of local investments, ministries, departments and agencies’ (MDAs) balances and federal government approved refunds. In addition, the astute businessman in politics left

another investment valued at more than N24 billion ($156.5 million) at the end of his tenure. Considering the blameworthy practice of many past governors and numerous public office holders who plundered the treasury of the states and institutions entrusted in their care and in the process made life uncomfortable for their successors and the citizens that elected them, this marks an exemplary departure, and is therefore, praiseworthy. It is more so when the mountainous persecution, humiliation and huge cost of the numerous legal battles fought in the process of the man’s eventual emergence as Governor are put in proper perspective.

Today, testimonies abound in favour of the man who stood against all odds to evolve as one to be trusted and followed. One of these inspiring testimonies asserts that Obi severally swore that he would not steal any kobo of Anambra State money, to the extent of inviting God’s wrath upon himself and his children if he did.

Given the preponderance of corruption and accretion to greed that have made individuals more successful than the institutions they have managed in the country, we are encouraged by this level of credibility and accountability demonstrated by the former governor of Anambra state.

Interestingly, another positive development in exemplary leadership also happened in far away Kenya, where the Prime Minister, appar-

ently in the effort at addressing the country’s present economic realities, recommended a significant salary slash that affected all, including himself. This, to us, marked another clear departure from the usual practice where the leadership almost always stretches and coerces the led to make sacrifices which the leaders themselves are scarcely ready to make in public interest. That the Kenyan Government did not distance itself from the people but rather chose to share the national burden with them epitomises good leadership and calls for celebration.

However, we do not in any way infer by this that only these two scenarios represent the acts of quality leadership on the African continent.

Nor do we maintain a position here that the two personalities involved are beings from outer space. But while we celebrate that what they have done, we also demand that more leaders at all levels in Africa should deliberately strengthen institutions, channels and instruments of governance and management to build momentum in the pursuit of exemplary leadership.

“Good leaders must lead by example and walk their talks to become a people others want to follow.

When leaders say one thing, but do another, they erode trust--a critical element of productive leadership,” noted Carl Golden. To further enhance and deepen the scope and scale of exemplary leadership in the Nigeria, we invite contempo-

rary leaders and those aspiring to leadership positions to imbibe the recommendations by experts that they need to always take responsibility, be truthful, acknowledge failure and be prepared to fail forward and claw back to relevance, be persistent and create solutions, listen, roll up their sleeves to work for the people, delegate substantially, and take care of themselves.

We believe that our leaders, especially politicians, need to clearly understand that they ought to work very hard to win necessary buy-in to their styles, programmes and philosophy by the people they lead now or aspire to lead in future.

There is rapidly increasing evidence that today’s leaders need a better understanding of the imperative of leading by example as we are not left with any iota of doubt that majority of the people want to follow leaders who have a strong sense of direction and cast visions that resonate with them.

By incorporating transparency, sacrifice, service and accountability into their stewardship, the two leaders and indeed all others like them in Africa have not only improved our perception of productive leadership, but have also evolved as the kind of people that others will follow and emulate.

This, to us, is the very essence and definition of leading by example and is worthy of celebration and emulation.

BOLAJI TUNJI Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director/DEIC FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Managing Editor, South SULEIMAN BISALA Managing Editor, North GABRIEL AKINADEWO Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board BIODUN DUROJAIYE News Editor PADE OLAPOJU Production Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

20

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

OPINION Boko Haram and our common enemies Ijele Agha-Ibeka

W

e choose selective amnesia whenever it is our desire to score cheap political points.

When the intention is to corner political power, our unflattering past is covered with the ageless toga of “progressives”. When the idea is to deflect investigation from our direction, we turn emergency whistle blowers. The ploy is not new; it says baldly: the problem is not on my side; it is on that other side! We have seen the manifestation of the bestiality called Boko Haram. All sorts of commentators have been abroad with their views, most of them placing the blame of the Boko Haram blight on the doorsteps of President Jonathan.

I know for certain that the president has a collection of spokespersons paid to make his pitch, to defend his every position, to propagate his policies and programmes. However, I also believe that, as Nigerians, we must tell home truths to each other. There comes a time when the voice of employed people is simply not enough to do the job. Such a time is now.

It is a matter of public record that a certain Chief Olusegun Obasanjo – saint of the latter-day variety – was in power as the President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. It was during 2002, while Obasanjo was very much in power, that Boko Haram was created in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

The antecedents of Mohammed Yusuf, the late Boko Haram leader, especially as someone drunk and fixated on the propulsion of Jihad, could not have possibly escaped the attention of General Obasanjo and his army of intelligence and military strategists. Yet his administration did nothing tangible or sustainable to stanch the Boko Haram bleeding well before it turned into a veritable hemorrhage.

In Borno at the inception of Boko Haram was Ali Modu Sherrif – the Governor who presided over the state’s affairs for eight straight years, at the same period that elements of the Boko Haram turned the entire place into an inferno.

Modu Sherrif will have us believe that President Jonathan should simply wave a magic wand to halt and reverse the impunity of this murderous sect. Yet, there is precious little evidence of what he did to fight Boko Haram, even though he pocketed security votes that ran into hundreds of millions for every of the 96 months he was in office and power.

People expected Sherrif to remain in Borno State and stew in the juice created by his negligence, if not outright connivance. Instead he relocated to the safety of Abuja, using it as a base for his broadsides against those who are doing something tangible to destroy Boko Haram. It is left for Nigerians to decide whether or not it is wonderful for the elite to bask in the comfort and safety provided by government in some parts of the country while employing their incendiary comments for purposes other than national stability.

Consider Kashim Shettima, the incumbent Governor of Borno State. Shettima announced that Boko Haram was better armed and better motivated than the Nigerian Army.

On what did he peg his certainty? Who has been motivating the terrorists and who has been arming them? It is obvious that Shettima and Sheriff are of one side of the dubious coin now buying negatively into efforts to rid the country of terrorists!

Another fellow in their camp is Lai Mohammed, the mouthpiece of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who claimed that his party would stop Boko Haram in one month if it won the 2015 presidential ballot! This means that the magic wand Sherriff wants the President to wave is actually in the hands of the APC! It raises questions that

have to do with patriotism. If the APC knows how to stop Boko Haram in one month, why doesn’t the party let the Jonathan administration into the secret? Why must it allow Nigerians, including students and nursing mothers, to continue to suffer death, injury and material destruction for another 12 months before applying the solution?

Senator Zanna Ahmed Khalifa from Bornu State told Al Jezeera the other day that the Nigerian Military should accept defeat and seek other methods (which he didn’t suggest) of ending the Boko Haram insurgency! But he claimed knowledge of the modus operandi of the insurgents. He said, among other things, that Boko Haram members operate under the cover of the indigenes. Why didn’t the distinguished senator pass the details of the relevant indigenes to the security agencies? Statements of this kind, and their implied or expressed consequences, from a grassroots politician as highly placed as a senator question our collective faith in the country called Nigeria. If a man knows what’s wrong with the entity but refuses to reveal same, while incessantly criticizing those in authority, the sensible conclusion to draw is that we are in dire straits.

Everyone, apparently, knows how to wipe out Boko Haram, save President Jonathan! Characters who have never been in the military, who have never bothered to read up anything on ballistics, who have no inkling pertaining to specific challenges tied to fighting terrorism are on air, in newspapers, in the social media, attacking the President on a daily basis. Those in this category may be forgiven. Their problem is ignorance.

Our common enemies are the sectional and partisan politicians who appreciate the score but push it aside in order that they will continue to rail at the President – simply to score cheap political points. Shame on them!

• Mr. Agha-Ibeka, a commentator on national issues, writes from Enugu.

Journalism, not Nigeria, is crises–ridden Godwin Nzeakah

I

t sounds paradoxical. Yet it is not far from the gospel truth. In the last couple of years, even though ours is naturally a restless country, Nigerians have lived in a nation of neverending crises. To many observers, what is so worrisome about the situation is fact that while a few of the crises have been genuine, the rest – about 80 to 90 percent – have revealed themselves as mainly objects of sensationalism, exaggeration or political bias by an extremely biased news media, which appear to have lost the sense of proportion in championing political causes and clamouring for the attention of readers, some of whom have become disillusioned. One such reader today seems to be Chief Richard Osuolale Abimbola Akinjide (SAN).

In a recent press encounter, Chief Akinjide was asked how he unwinds after each day’s toil. His answer, in my view, amounted to a veiled but damning indictment of the Nigerian press. For his relaxation, he said that he always depended on the foreign news media namely the London Independent newspaper, the VOA, BBC, CNN, etc. I was thoroughly embarrassed that not a single Nigerian newspaper or electronic medium made Chief Akinjide’s list. Do a random sur-

vey and you fill find that there are many other educated Nigerians in Akinjide’s group. Why is it so?

I attribute it all to a protest of sorts whereby caught as they are in the vortex and crossfire of partisan politics, the local press can no longer properly discharge its constitutional responsibility of accurately and credibly informing and educating the public. The Nigerian media seem to have forgotten their primary duty of defending democracy, not minding which party or person is in power.

In the process, they also seem to forget that a fragile democracy or government begets an endangered, fragile freedom of the press, because each time an elected government is toppled here by means other than the ballot box journalists and journalism always face hard time. In the circumstance, therefore, my humble advice is that the press should ensure selfrestraint in the exercise of its freedom and power to inform, to educate and to entertain the public which must not be mistaken for power to warp reality or to discredit and destroy.

In the words of journalism teacher Prof.

John Hulteng of Stanford University “the job of the news media is to provide the public with as honest and as complete a picture of reality as possible.” To misrepresent the extent of a major news event like the

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi affair or a social movement, or to make it disappear by ignoring it is to default on the fundamental journalistic obligation.

In his book The News Media: What Makes it Tick, Hulteng recalls that a mother once told her young lad concerning the issue of objectivity: “son, if you have to lie, stay as close to the truth as possible.” But what one sees in the local media these days belies that woman’s wisdom. We journalists have done a lot of things we ought not to do and left undone things we ought to do.

There are a lot of propaganda, distortion and even outright falsehood in the print and in the airwaves. It is true that none of us can swear that he habours no partisan sentiments in his heart, but it is the distinguishing characteristic of a typical professional journalist to remove his partisan toga in telling the news, otherwise he forfeits the status of a credible guide to the public?

The power of the press, according to Hulteng, can be used to uncover corruption, to protect individual rights, but the same power can also be used by journalists to play God. But it is not only the danger of playing God that is manifest on the Nigerian media scene today, bias and disinformation have also been allowed free reign.

If you said on your front page that Obama excluded Nigeria from his Africa itinerary,

“because of corruption in Jonathan’s administration”, why did you pretend that nothing important happened when the same Obama wined and dined with the same Jonathan in the White House on the eve of the last UN Assembly? The mantra of the media today appears to be the old and familiar aphorism: “He whose bread we eat, his song we sing.”

In this way, journalists jeopardise their basic responsibility to democracy as impartial arbiters and watchdogs.

It is appalling that carried away as they seem today by partisan considerations, the media are unable to significantly positively guide or influence official actions and policies, especially at the centre. In the midst of ceaseless crises and tensions, well-meaning Nigerians like Chief Akinjide look in the direction of the media for sobre and neutral advice. But more often than not, this has remained a pipe dream. All we see is boring, vituperative harangue and wolf crying that pass for editorials and which, leaving the government in the middle of nowhere, only create more problems than they are intended to solve. Little wonder Charles Kuralt of CBS once observed that “the country naturally is not crises-ridden, but journalism by its very nature is.”

•Nzeakah, a former editor of Sunday Punch, can be reached through emiggaj@yahoo.com

Private varsities the hope of education sector, says Babalola

‘Lagos: Where }p-23 education is for the rich’

CAMPUS

Unfazed by poverty, student emerges overall best }p-27

}p-25&26

EDUCATION

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/education

KAYODE OLANREWAJU, Editor, EDUCATION

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014

21

A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination.

But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special - Nelson Mandela

At Zik varsity, academics make case for social science research WORRIED

Social Science lecturers in the nation's Ivory Towers are not happy over the attitude of government to research funding in their field.

Nearly 50 years after the launch of Nigeria's first Development Plan in 1945, tagged “Planning Without Facts,” the nation is still planning without facts

Uwakwe Abugu Awka

R

esearchers and members of academic community rose from their conference last week with a consensus that the Federal Government should establish the directorate of research in all universities in the country without further delay.

The eggheads, who made the call at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, said such directorate would arrest the current trend in which research is fast assuming the rear position in most of nation’s universities.

In a communiqué issued after the conference hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences of the institution, the university dons maintained that only the establishment of the centres would reverse the current danger posed by the existing research policies in the universities, which they claimed was leading the nation toward further underdevelopment.

While explaining the rationale for a research policy for the universities, the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Austine Nnonyelu, noted that when established, the directorates would guide research activities in the institutions, especially in line with the real feltneeds of the country.

However, the don hinted that the greatest problem threatening the country’s corporate existence hinges more on social issues of governance, insecurity, criminality, corruption and not that of hardcore science such as engineering and the likes.

The lecturer argued that since the indices of crisis confronting the nation are issues bordering on social science, the current research funding emphasis on hard core/natural sciences is incon-

Wike

Prof. Okojie, NUC Scribe

Prof. Okolo, UNN VC

Prof. Nnonyelu

gruous when viewed against indices of the problems endangering the country’s sovereignty.

One central issue, which was at the front burner at the two-day conference, was the policy in which the government had stopped funding Doctorate degrees (Ph.D) programmes in Social Sciences.

Besides, the duo of Professors Ogoh Alubo and Nnonyelu raised the issue of ineffectiveness of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), in which

Alubo lamented that the agency failed to release funds promptly as approved for projects, while Nnonyelu frowned at its policy of not funding doctoral research programmes in universities.

They condemned the government’s attitude towards research which is key to development efforts globally, even as they took a critical look at the research efforts in the country against global trends.

To them, the poor attitude of the government towards research in universi-

ties, is a major issue of concern, and they suggested that the government should address this "by setting aside a percentage of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or between two and three per cent of the national budget for research."

In his lecture on “Research Grant Writing, Funding and Management,” Alubo stirred the hornet's nest with the issue of poor funding of research in the country, pointing out that TETFund is rather slow in discharging its responsibilities to the universities.

The Conference lamented that "nearly 50 years after the launch of Nigeria's first Development Plan in 1945, tagged “Planning Without Facts,” the nation is still planning without facts.

The scholars hinted that while countries in developed world could boast of accurate data about their affairs and that of their citizens, Nigeria could not boast of a accurate data for its planning and development strategies.

They, however, challenged old and experienced researchers in tertiary institutions and research institutes to mentor the younger ones with a view to accelerating sustainable growth of the education sector.

Scholars at the talk-shop include former acting Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ogoh Alubo; Director, Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Prof. Isidore Obot; former Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof.

Ikenna Onyido; Prof. Charles Okigbo, a Professor of Mass Communication; Prof.

Hyancinth Ichoku, and Prof. Dung Pam Sha, a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Jos.

22 EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Ogun teachers shine at president's award Kayode Olanrewaju

O

gun State Government is still savouring the state outstanding performance as the winner of this year’s edition of the annual President’s Teacher and School Excellence Award for primary, secondary, student and administrators categories in the country.

This is the second consecutive time the state would win the annual award.

The state won nine out of the 28 prizes at the event, which took place at the Conference Room, Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.

In the award categories, Mrs. Sosanwo Folashade of Ijebu-Igbo Girls’ Grammar School, won the Best Secondary School Administrator awarded; while the Best Teacher (Junior School) was awarded to Mrs. Akintade Ilawo; and the Best Teacher (Primary School) award was received by Mr. Olayemi Abiodun Olatunji.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike in his remarks said the award, organised by the ministry yearly was to reward hard work and excellence among major stakeholders in the education sector, even as he explained that “gone were the days when teachers’ rewards were in heaven."

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the minis-

try, Dr. Macjohn, the minister charged the teachers and school heads to be more dedicated to their duties, urging recipients to see the award as a challenge to put in more efforts in their callings.

In a related development, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, has urged principals of public secondary schools in the state to support government’s efforts at improving the quality of education among students.

Mr. Segun Odubela, who gave the advice while monitoring the on-going unified examinations for public secondary schools in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of the state, however, expressed dissatisfaction at the absence of the principal and his vice during the examinations at a particular school.

Amosun

ICAN set to partner UNILORIN on quality accountants Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

T

he Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the accounting practice regulatory organ, has unfolded plans to partner the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) on how to enhance the quality and quantity of chartered accountants produced by the institute.

Its President, Mr. Kabir Alkali Mohammed, who disclosed this when he led members of the Council of the institute on a visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor AbudulGaniyu Ambali, explained that ICAN has identified structural development, academic stability and cultural identity that have remained

the hallmark of the university over the years as the impressive factors that made it the obvious choice of ICAN for such partnership.

He said: “You have a history of progress and we want you to be part of ICAN. This is why we are seeking to have agreement with the university in some key areas of interest. We are confident you will be interested because we know this is in line with the university’s philosophy”.

While describing UNILORIN as the third largest employer of chartered accountants among universities in the country, Mohammed noted that the Nigerian community is aware of the progress and success of the university.

R-L: Prof. Bashir Okesina, UNIOSUN VC, Prof. Falola, guest lecturer of the university's Distinguished Lecture Series, Prof.

Siyan Oyeweso, and others shortly after the lecture.

RUST VC attributes development to zero tolerance on blind unionism Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

T

he Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RUST), has attributed the university’s giant stride in infrastructural and academic development to his administration’s penchant for quality environment and zero tolerance on ‘blind unionism’.

Professor Barineme Fakae, who spoke at the pre-convocation press briefing for the 26th graduation ceremony of the state university, where no fewer than 4,298 graduating students will receive their scrolls for Bachelors degrees and 526 for their Postgraduate studies, said “we are able to get this far because we rejected and condemned outright blind unionism on our campus.”

While addressing journalists in his office, the ViceChancellor noted that in the country people are fond of mixing up unions with workers in the university system, even as he added that

while unions are controlled by their elected leaders, the workers are controlled by management, and by that fact no union can run as parallel management.

Fakae, who expressed concerns over the grave issue of unionism and its attendant consequences on learning and the development of university education in the country, lamented: “Unionism has become a sub-culture, such that workers have abandoned their callings or failed to do what they are supposed to do by taking to activism. The result is that some unionists spend years in activism and fail to actualise their career objectives in the system they are employed to serve.”

“We object unionism and that is why we have made the progress in moving the institution forward to a level of a Centre of Excellence,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

On the university’s teaching staff strength, he recalled that though some lectures voluntarily withdrew their

services from the university last year, currently the institution could boast of 494 and additional 132 lecturers of all cadres and high quality.

Fakae, who insisted that strikes was no longer an option in solving the myriad of problems of university system, said the management had moved in the direction of improving the welfare of members of staff, as well as the students through improved scholarships provision and restoration of the hope of our former students in the institution.

Other measures taken by the management to improve learning and knowledge-base in the university, according to the Vice-Chancellor, include introduction of students’ fund scheme, a scheme which enables an indigent student to access N10,000 loan from the institution through on-line application.

Such loan facility, he explained could keep the students afloat till his parents respond to his immediate need.

L-R: Chairman of Advancement Centre Board of Ekiti State University, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; Council Chairman, Emeritus Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladipo Aina during the inauguration of the board.

EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

23

Lagos: Where education is for the rich Kayode Olanrewaju and Mojeed Alabi

W

ith N10,000 charged by the Lagos State Government for entrance forms into its Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools, the dream of many children from not-well -to-do background to seek admission into the colleges and acquire quality education, like their other counterparts may have been foreclosed.

These sets of children are not deprived by their poor academic performance, but rather they are being denied such golden opportunity by the state government, which has priced education out of their reach.

Worried by the huge amount charged on sales of forms into secondary schools, stakeholders and parents have expressed dismay over the attitude of the state government, saying such action is at variance for a government which prides itself as provider of free and qualitative education.

The sales of the entry forms, which will close on April 4, had been on sale since January 13, while the screening examination will hold on May 3 at some designated centres across the state.

The amount and processing of the forms are contained in a circular (poster) signed by the Director (Exams Board), entitled: “Lagos State Government Ministry of Education, Examinations Board. Year 2014 Screening Test into Model/Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools.”

The circular reads: “The general public, parents/guardians, head teachers and proprietors/ proprietress of primary schools are hereby informed that forms for Lagos State Screening Test for admission for Pry Six pupils into Junior Secondary School (JSS I) in Model Colleges/Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools with Boarding Facilities for the Year 2014/2015 academic session will be on sale from Monday January 13, 2014 to Friday 4, 2014.

“Registration of candidates will be done through Customised CD which will be issued to candidates by Lagos State Examinations Board on payment of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) only per candidate payable into any branch of the following approved banks…”

The schools listed on the circular are Lagos State Model Junior College, Meiran; Vetland Junior Grammar School, I/Ijaye; Lagos State Model Junior College, Igbokuta; Lagos State Civil Service Model Jnr College, Igbogbo; Oriwu Model

College, Ikorodu; Government Junior College, Ikorodu; EvaAdelaja Memorial Jnr Secondary School, Bariga; Lagos State Model Junior College, Badore; and Lagos State Model Junior College, Igbonla.

Others include Lagos State Model Junior College, Agbowa; Government Junior College, Ketu-Epe; Epe Junior Grammar School, Epe; Lagos State Model Junior College, Kankon; Lagos State Model Junior College, Ojo; and Badagry Junior Grammar School, Badagry.

Oyindamola Ibraheem, whose mother is a cleaner with one of the Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the Mainland, where her monthly take home is Some school pupils in a classroom. about N10,000, is unhappy that her ambition of seeking admission into one of the colleges or schools has been halted, because of her parent’s poor socio-economic status.

Because of her brilliance, her teacher had advised her mother to enroll her in one of the model colleges for her to actualise her academic potential.

Now, that ambition has become a tall dream, because her mother, a widow and mother of three could not afford the N10,000 admission form.

Fashola That is the agony of Oyindamola and her other peers governmental organisation, said whose parents could not afford it is arbitrary for Lagos State to the luxury of obtaining the charge N10,000 on application forms into its model colleges and forms into these colleges.

However, investigations by upgraded schools.

Mr. Taiwo Hassan described New Telegraph reveals that the Joint Admissions and Matricu- as the outrageous the cost of lation Board (JAMB) which the forms, saying the education conducts more technical ex- policy by the Lagos State Govaminations for all universities, ernment is not only anti-poor, polytechnics and colleges of ed- but also “reveals the antics of a ucation in the country charges government that is bent on ex(N4,500) per candidate; Federal ploiting the masses for the good Unity Schools cost of entrance of the rich.”

He frowned at the governform (N3,000); Command Secondary Schools (N3,500); the ment’s action, stating that: “The November/December Diet of application fee into the model the West African Examinations colleges is fraudulent. It is a Council (WAEC) Senior School rip-off, and contradicts the proCertificate Examination (SSCE) gressive principles which the form (N5,000); while the entrance APC government often claims form for University of Ibadan it stands for. We demand that International School is sold for the state government halts its penchant for devising frauduN7,500.

Mr. Adetoyese Idris, an ac- lent means to get parents to part countant, expressed disbelieve with their hard-earned income. that the state government could If education cannot be affordcharge such huge amount for able and accessible at the level forms into the colleges and of secondary schools, then what exactly is government’s responschools.

“Why the cost of admission sibility to the citizens? We call on forms into the state’s model col- the state government to immedileges could be higher than what ately reverse this criminal policy obtains at the Federal Govern- of charging high application fees into its unity schools.” ment colleges,” he wondered.

To many stakeholders, eduEchoing Idris position, the National Coordinator of Education cation should be seen as a social Rights Campaign (ERC) a non- service by any government that

Why should the cost of admission forms into the state’s model colleges be higher than what obtains at the Federal Government colleges? is conscious of the relevance of education as the fulcrum of development, and as the right of every child and not a privilege as Lagos State Government is thinking.

“The argument by a source at the state’s Ministry of Information and Strategy, that parents have a choice to either enroll their children and wards in model colleges or not,” according to Mr. Bada Adebolade, a legal practitioner, should be completely out of it.

“Whether private school owners charge as much as N10,000 or more for their schools’ entry forms, it is not enough for Lagos State Government that prides itself as free education provider to hike its cost and deny many children from poor homes.

After all, any government that wants to be seen as serious in providing free education and making it accessible to all children irrespective of their parents socio-economic, political and religious status, should have a rethink that model colleges is not the preserve of the rich.

“Government talks of choice every time as if choice of good things belongs only to the rich, who could afford them, not thinking of the less-privileged who equally love good things only that they are been deprived by

Mrs. Oladunjoye

the society or government the providers of such good things,” Adebolade stressed.

However, a parent has recalled her ordeal at the state Exam Board where she had to spend the whole day to get the Customised CD for the processing of her daughter’s forms.

Her words: “It is a hell of a process. I spent the whole yesterday at the board and to worsen the situation; I was unable to get the CD having spent the entire day there. If you have to spend such a time to obtain a material for the processing of a form for admission into secondary school, I don’t think it worth it.”

Similarly, former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Ropo Ewenla, described the action of the Governor Babatunde Fashola-led administration in Lagos State, especially in the education sector, as anti-people and pro-elite.

Ewenla, who queried the rationale behind the designation of some schools as model colleges, said such action is meant to continue the tradition of segregation handed down to the country by the colonialists.

“There are cosmetic packages about education development in CONTINUED ON PAGE24

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EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Lagos: Where education is for the rich CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

Lagos State and that has to do with the long years of rot in our system, which has blindfolded our people to see the reality,” Ewenla noted.

He cited the nagging issue about fees regime at the state university – Lagos State University (LASU) - which for more than two years had embroiled the institution in one crisis or the other by the students, who are protesting against the new fees regime introduced by the Fashola-led administration.

He said: “How could a state government charge as much as N350,000 as tuition fee in its university, and one is saying such government is for the people.

The case of the state School of Nursing, where the government is charging about N230,000, is another contending issue."

Meanwhile, the Director of the Female Leadership Forum, a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, Mrs. Comfort Idika-Ogunye, who frowned at the development, urged Fashola-led administration to be bold enough to tell Lagosians that it could no longer run the much touted free education system, it claims it is providing.

Mrs. Idika-Ogunye insisted that the state does not have any excuse to make life difficult for the citizenry, saying deception is an act of cowardice and urged the people to rise against the government to reverse what she described as the “unfriendly policies.”

All attempts at the Lagos State Examination Board to see its acting Chairman, Mr. Femi Hassan to comment on the issue, proved abortive.

Even the board’s spokesperson, Mrs. Odedina also denied comments on the matter, saying the only person capable of making statement on it is the Commissioner for Education.

“There is an existing law from the state government barring us (civil servants) from talking to the media, and not even the Chairman of the Board is empowered to make comments either,” she said.

When New Telegraph visited Maryland headquarters of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the board’s spokesperson, Mrs. Okoh also declined comments on the issue, saying as a civil servant we could not talk on any issue as ordered from Alausa, and the Chairman was not available.

In a telephone contact, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Jide Lawal, how-

Youth council lauds FG over access to education Emeldah Ogene Abuja

T

L-R: Provost of LASUCOM, Prof. Awosanya; LASU VC, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa; DVC (Academics), Prof. Sena Bakre; Registrer, Mr Lateef Animashaun and Prof. Amidu Sanni, former Dean of Students' Affairs, with other Deans of Schools during the university's 2013/2014 Matriculation ceremony.

ever promised to raise the matter with the Education Commissioner, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, with a view to feeding us back with her response, which he refused to do.

But a source at the ministry, who preferred anonymity, told New Telegraph that the government did not see anything wrong with the cost when considered vis-à-vis with how much some

parents pay to keep their wards even in substandard private schools.

The source insisted further that Lagosians in particular spend so much on frivolities especially on parties, adding that quality education cannot be cheap.

But Taiwo explained: “That argument is baseless and does not hold water. For someone to

think in such a way means he or she is totally out of his mind.

He has forgotten that those, who spent on frivolities, are those who could afford it and not the less-privileged who hardly eat one or two meals a day. And, unless he and the government want to tell us that model colleges/ schools are for the children of the rich, and not for the children of the masses.

Some of the students orchestra.

School owner harps on quality teaching Mojeed Alabi

F

ounder and owner of LeadForte Gate College, a private school located at Lekki, a high brow of Lagos, Mrs. Yemi Lemo, has identified quality teaching and adequate facility as requisite for academic excellence among school pupils.

Mrs. Lemo, the wife of the immediate past Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo, who disclosed this in her welcome address during the college’s Open Day programme, praised the parents for supporting the vision of the school towards providing all-round

education and building future leaders who could reclaim the country’s lost glories, and that of the African continent by extension.

“The parents of our pupils have shown more than enough commitment to make their wards excel academically and they could be best described as partners in our developmental progress in terms of values we attached to their contributions,” she stated.

The Principal of the college, Mr. Bje Greyling expressed optimism that the existing cordial relationship among the management, staff, pupils and parents of the school has enhanced a clear vision of expectations

in the academic curricular and other school activities.

While insisting that teaching the children is not mere “chalk and board” and “one size fits all,” Greyling debunked the belief that teaching only takes place in the classroom.

According to him, whenever one travels, meeting new people and visiting interesting places, learning also takes place.

Reverend Abraham Muraina, a parent expressed satisfaction with the creativity and innovation amongst the teachers and pupils, saying such high level of creativity and innovation has gone a long way to motivate the pupils’ passion for learning.

he North-West zone of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, has lauded the Federal Government over its bold steps in creating access to education for the Nigerian child.

The Vice-President of the council, Jamilu Abdullahi Karama, gave the kudos during a visit to the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike in his office.

The Council, according to him, applauded the Federal Government for flagging-off the Almajiri education system in the north.

Karama, who led other officials of the group on the visit, said the government’s initiative to integrate the Almajiri education into the Basic Education system was to address the challenges of out-of-school children in the country.

“It is on record that as at the last count, 120 of such schools have been established all over the country, particularly in the North-West zone, where the menace is high,” he said.

The leader, however, appealed to the government to increase the number of such schools and expand scholarship opportunities to the less-privileged youths in the society.

He urged the government to assist youths who have acquired one skill or the other to enable them start up a business, adding that the inability of the young ones to start a business of their own was the reason why previous efforts by government to empower the youths yielded little or no result in its employment generation drive.

Responding, the Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, said “a nation that aspires to grow and pursue lofty heights must not neglect the youths.

While saying that as the Federal Government is pursuing its Vision 20:2020, it must be anchored on ensuring that the youths are carried along, he noted that it is also to ensure that their capacities are fully developed and encouraged through various ways for them to contribute meaningfully to national development.”

According to Nwaobiala, the government’s intervention at the basic education level is to ensure that youths who are leaders of tomorrow are provided with the enabling environment to develop their potentials.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

What is your view on the current allocation to the education sector in the 2014 budget?

Over time and for a long period, budgetary allocation to education has been grossly inadequate, and when you have such inadequate allocation, you are most certainly not going to get the desired outcome. It is on record that if you take Harvard University in the United States for instance, it is on record that the total budgetary allocation for Harvard last year was more than Nigeria’s entire budget for education. That was the budget of just one university, as against the budget for the entire nation, including the universities, polytechnics, secondary and primary schools. So, there is no doubting the fact that we have been paying lip service to education in this country, and if we don’t provide the required and necessary facilities and logistics for our educational system, we will not get anywhere with education. Education budget has been grossly inadequate.

That is why it is important that the government does something urgent about it. The issue of inadequate allocation to education explains why the standard of education is falling daily, and that is why many people today are setting up private universities to set the standards and say ‘hey!’, it can be done.

Look at what is happening on our campus. Afe Babalola University has won virtually all the awards you can think about. Within three and half years, we were ranked as the second best private university in Nigeria, and number 16 of the total 157 public and private universities in the country.

So, what we are saying is that if the facilities are there, if the financial resources are there, we can achieve a lot in the education sector in Nigeria. Thank God a lot of people (I don’t want to mention names) are doing something similar to what we are doing here. We need to set standards; we need to re-order our priorities, otherwise, we may be toying with the future of our children.

It is often said that it is one thing to allocate huge sum of money to education and it is another thing to ensure prudent management of it…

Based on my experience as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, I have discovered that the issue is not that of management really, it is that of availability or lack of funds.

Are the required provisions made for education?

When I was in UNILAG, I told them that ab initio, that I am not there for any other thing other than to re-organise this place and make things work and show that things can work. I told them from the beginning that I would not take a kobo from here, rather I spent my money and so I brought my friends, clients and I deployed my goodwill to attract so much to the University of Lagos, so much so that the university became a reference point and it was voted the best university in the country by the National Universities Commission and the world ranking bodies.

And for the two terms of eight years that I spent there, I was voted the Best Pro-Chancellor twice by the National

INTERVIEW | EDUCATION

25

Private varsities the hope of education sector, says Babalola

Babalola

Pro-Chancellor and founder of the Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola speaks with BIYI ADEGOROYE in this interview about the development in the education sector, intervention of private universities in the system, quality of products of the university and other sundry issues.

Universities Commission (NUC). So, if the money is there, we know how to tackle the issue of management. If anyone mismanages university funds, there are lots of laws in our books to take care of that, but let the government do the needful first, and then we will know how to tackle the issue of management, since you cannot mismanage what you do not have. Of course, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was on strike for more than half of last year, was it due to the issue of mismanagement? It was largely because the required amenities and facilities were not on ground.

Recently, an international organisation provided the sum of $100 million to 10 Nigerian universities. What is your advice as to how this fund should be utilized?

Now the question of management comes in. There is no gain-saying that this will go a long way in improving the financial base of the 10 universities. I do not know how this would be shared, maybe $10 million per university. Nonetheless, that will augment whatever budgetary allocation made to the universities, if it is properly managed.

What is your impression of the entry of private universities into the nation’s education sector?

The only answer to that is that it is a good and welcomed development. As I told you earlier, I was at the University of Lagos as a Pro-Chancellor, it was during that time I was able to see the rot; the decay and the decadence in our educational system. Things that should work were not working. And we asked what could we do to savage the situation. We did the little we could do together with our col-

leagues; the management of the university, and like I said earlier, the university became the best in Nigeria at that time.

The advent of private universities has improved things tremendously. New curricula have been developed. For instance, we just began a Certificate Programme in Social Justice. We are about the only university in the country offering that course, and it is very relevant and important to every segment of the society. My prayer is that more people will wake up to emulate what we are doing here, more people will wake up to copy what Covenant University is doing, more people will wake up to copy what is going on at Babcock University. We welcome many more of such private universities. They are the hope of the Nigeria education sector.

What would you say are those things that make the private universities worthy of emulation?

If you have gone round these universities to see the level of investments in less than four years, you will see that it is more than what many universities have been able to do in 30 or 40 years.

In these universities, virtually all their programmes have full accreditation. I know a number of universities, (I don’t want to mention names) that have been working on interim accreditation for more than 20 years. What does that

The advent of private universities has improved things tremendously

suggest? It simply suggests that what they are supposed to run with are not on ground.

But like I said, virtually all our programmes here at Afe Babalola University have been accredited - our Engineering programme have been accredited by the Council for Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) , the Computer programme has been accredited by CPA, our Accounting programme has been accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). So, if a university is running on partial accreditation for so long a period, it is evidence that something is fundamentally wrong.

And, any university that has almost all its courses accredited within its first four years of existence is an indication that it has put in place all necessary things.

Not too long ago, 18 of your graduates came out with First Class. How did they achieve it this, or whether the university has been generous in its marking pattern?

You see when we started this dream, we had a vision, we had a mission and we have a goal – to set a standard in quality and reformatory education in the country. And we are achieving that by the grace of God and with the cooperation of all stakeholders. On the issue of quality, if you look at our Faculty, the teaching staff, what we have here compares with what you can find anywhere in the world, both in terms of quantity and quality. Another thing people are oblivion of is that the way we run our academic programmes here is remarkably different from what other universities do. It will shock you to know that we run lectures till 10 pm. We don’t go on holidays here. So, when other people are doing something else, we are here facing our studies. So, if quality is an issue here, those leaders and captains of industries who have their children here would not have sent them. I have friends, relations and colleagues who wanted to send their children abroad, but have changed their mind because they love what we are doing here and that is why every state in this country has students in the university, and they are doing well.

Back to the question of 18 First Class graduates (we will even have more this year).It is not that we are being generous with our marks, because we have standards. It is either you are good or you are not good. I want to elaborate on this. You go to our laboratories, you go to our libraries, and we have more than 35 laboratories in this university as I am talking to you. I do not know any university that can boast of that in Nigeria. Go to our farm. It is so large that you cannot walk it round in two days. So, there are standards set and we have collaborative arrangements with so many universities abroad.

To tell you that we are not of wishywashy standard, during our convocation on October 21, last year, the UNESCO DiCONTINUED ON PAGE26

26 EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

VC warns students against cultism, bad character ...As LASU admits 1,119 fresh students

Kayode Olanrewaju

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ome 1,119 fresh students admitted into the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos for admission for the 2013/2014 academic session, have sworn to the matriculation oath of the 32-year-old state university.

Administering the oath of allegiance on the students, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oladapo Obafunwa, said the fresher admitted into the 10 Faculties of the institution, were selected based transparent exercise and through largely merit-driven admission process.

According to him, 1,582 candidates were offered admission, out of whom 1,119 were cleared for matriculation.

“Those who claimed to be Lagos State origin were required to substantiate their claim to Lagos. A very transparent, thorough and fair body called the Independent Indigeneship Verification Committee was constituted for the purpose. Following the exercise, candidates with false claims had their offer of provisional admission revoked,” he said.

While urging the students to pay serious attention to their studies as the only means they could maintain a good academic standing in the university, the Vice-Chancellor said the Information and Communication Technology Centre (ICT) and Data Processing Unit (DPU) have been upgraded to reduce

the stress students usually encounter during their registration, release of results and in obtaining vital information about the university.

To this end, Obafunwa explained that the students could now obtain examination results before resumption of a new semester through the Internet.

On measures put in place to ensure the delivery of quality education, the Vice-Chancellor hinted that “the university has provided adequate facilities and security services that would enable students maximize their academic potentials in a conducive learning environment.”

While congratulating the students and their parents for scaling the university’s admis-

Cross section of the matriculating students.

sion huddles, Obafunwa advised parents not to abdicate their responsibilities to the institution, even as he implored them to continue to look after their children and wards.

“Parents should continue to counsel them (students) against bad associations and negative social influences,” he stressed, saying the university authority would not tolerate any form of indecent behaviour, including indecent dressing, among students.

The Vice-Chancellor, who insisted that the penalty of cultism is expulsion and that parents should warn their children to steer clear of cult-related activities, however noted: “Cultism is evil and those who involve in it are not only wreaking havoc on themselves but on the society.”

He, therefore, solicited the cooperation of parents and to join the University Parents’ Forum, in order to collectively participate in moulding the students’ character for them become responsible citizens.

The high points of the ceremony were a matriculation lecture, delivered by Professor Amidu Sanni, former Dean of Students’ Affairs and Dean Faculty of Arts; words of advice from the university’s Counseling Unit, which according to its head, was established to address the students’ emotional, social, psychological, academic needs and stress, as well as other career challenges.

Budgetary allocation‘ll take education system nowhere – Babalola CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5

rector-General in charge of Africa said we have distinguished ourselves such that UNESCO is ready to partner with us in several areas. She even said she is going to put our university on UNESCO website. The fact that such a comment came from UNESCO underscores the kind of quality that is inherent in our university and its products. We are here for serious business. Standards have been set and we are not in any way ready to go below that.

Let me tell you this again, we are just four years old. I always like to refer to this university as a giant at four. So many universities have been here to understudy us; to ask us, ‘how did you do this within four years?’ And it is not only in Nigeria alone.

Only last year, we received a letter from the new Industrial University in Ghana, appointing us as a mentor university.

If you are not good enough, will anybody invite you to come and

Aare Babalola

mentor him or her? As long as we continue to mentor that university, its graduates will receive ABUAD certificates.

How do you appraise the roles of the National Universities Commission and the Nigeria Education Research Council in relation to Nigerian universities?

The NUC is the regulatory body for the universities in the

country; we don’t have any issues with them. As regulators, there are serving university vice-chancellors as members.

So, it’s a two-way thing. They relate to the universities and we also serve as Advisers to them.

I think there have been considerable collaborative efforts between Nigerian universities and NUC. We will continue to work with them and when there

is need, we will advise them.

Recently, there was the introduction of 39 new subjects into the secondary schools curriculum. How do you think this will bring about entrepreneurship development?

I am happy because this will be geared towards technical education. You will recall that in the 60s to early 80s, we used to have Technical Colleges. I remember there was one in Owo and another in Otun-Ekiti.

The fact is that all of us cannot be professors, medical doctors and lawyers. There are people who are gifted with the use of their hands- tillers, masons and in those days, if people like that handled jobs for you, you would marvel.

But, for no reason or for some inexplicable reason, that type of education was stopped.

And the yawning gap is there, and that is why the introduction of 39 subjects is a welcome development because it will take us to where we were before.

Don laments varsities’ failure in research Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

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he Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has lamented the failure of Nigerian universities to translate knowledge they generate into innovations that appropriately address societal challenges.

Ambali, who spoke at a symposium on “Curriculum Development, Research Priorities and National Needs Assessment”, organised by the university’s Postgraduate School, challenged universities on the need to translate research findings into innovations and make such available to policy makers as part of their contributions to national development.

The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented at the event by his Deputy in charge of Academic, Professor Bayo Lawal, however noted that the multifaceted problems confronting most developing countries arose due to the failure of their universities to translate research findings into innovations.

He stressed that while research and knowledge are not lacking in the nation’s Ivory Towers, the problem has been that the knowledge is put on the shelf instead of being translated into innovations for societal use.

While explaining that creativity is required to translate knowledge being generated in our universities into innovations that address the challenges of the society, Ambali pointed out that postgraduate studies contribute to a large extent to national development because it is at the level where highbrow research takes place.

However, he lamented that most research efforts in the country stop at the level of knowledge which is not translated into innovation that could be used to further the development of the country.

His words: “One of the major challenges of Nigeria and other developing countries is how to move from the level of knowledge to innovation. Most research efforts in Nigeria stop at the level of knowledge and we can see plenty of knowledge in our libraries, where we shelve knowledge. The difference between the developing and the developed world is that the latter do not shelve their knowledge; they move from data to findings and from findings to knowledge.

We stop there.

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Akinola Sikiru OAU

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wenty-four- year-old Sodiq Oyeleke, has emerged as the best graduating student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos, at the institute’s last convocation ceremony.

The student, a holder of National Diploma (ND) certificate epitomizes perseverance, doggedness and a true representation of hustler, who is determined to attain his goal in the face of all odds.

Though, going by his background that presented him a little chance for survival, Sodiq throughout his programme in the institution kept on wading through the muddy waters of life.

The second child of a family of four was the cynosure of all eyes at the institution’s convocation ceremony when he was adjudged the best graduating student among the 2012 class, by coming out in Distinction.

Basking in the euphoria of his success, Sodiq, who is currently studying English Language at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said the journey to his success was riddled with difficulties, as he had to battle poverty, hunger and want, to survive the humiliation he suffered several times in the course of the programme.

He explained: “The experience was bitter and very un-

Oyeleke being congratulated by the Provost of the institute, Mrs. Elizabeth Ikem.

Unfazed by poverty, student emerges overall best pleasant too. I grew up in the densely populated Ebute Meta area of Lagos. My father is a tailor, and mother a petty trader, who had difficulties in raising us. I struggled to complete my secondary school education by engaging in menial jobs including serving at parties and hawking of sachet water, among

Osundare counsels students on creativity Sikiru Akinola OAU

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enowned poet and Professor of Literature, Niyi Osundare has challenged Nigerian youth to be more creative, saying they should not to be discouraged by the pervading unfavourable environmental condition, including bad leadership and corruption facing the country.

Osundare spoke at the launch of the second edition of Pendulum Magazine, published by the Pendulum Media Enterprise, a student group at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife. Represented by Dr. Doyin Agoro of the Department of English Language, University of Ibadan, Osundare said the magazine initiative by the students was an example of what young people should do with their time and energy.

While urging them to make use of their time creatively, the

don said: "If you take what is on the media without verifying the contents, you are going to end up stuffing your head with wrong things. For young people, this is the freest time you will ever have and I strongly believe you can still be creative in this crisis-ridden country."

Oyebola Yusuf, the leader of the group and publisher of the magazine was the cynosure of the eyes at the launch as the guests took turn to shower encomium on her.

Oyebola is a Final Year undergraduate of the Department of English Language.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Ademola Adesola, urged the students to emulate Oyebola’s initiative by engaging themselves in ventures that have positive effects on the society.

The high point of the event was a poetry rendition by Tola Adegbite, also part Four student of her Department.

others.”

He, however, recalled: “Fortune smiled on me when on the day of my graduation ceremony at Longford International School, Ebute Meta in Lagos Mainland in 2008, when I delivered an emotion laden speech as the school’s head boy.

One woman I never knew just approached me from the crowd and squeezed something into my hand, which I later discovered later to be N5,000.”

According to him, his joy knew no bound and that was the money he used to set up a recharge card business and telephone calls in Makoko, a slum in Lagos.

“But the business never lasted more than months as debtors ran me out of business,” he recalled, saying undaunted by his

OAU students at a fellowship programme.

socio-economic challenges, he enrolled for GSM repair training at Okam Solutions, also in Makoko, where he learnt phone and computer repair works.

He hinted that it was part of the money he saved as an apprentice that he used to obtain admission forms into the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.

Sodiq said: “Even when I secured admission all efforts to raise the school fees proved abortive, until a fellow classmate, Agbaje Esther, who decided to forgo her admission into the institute to resume to the University of Lagos to study Russian Language, transferred to me the school fees she paid.

That was the saving grace.”

Meanwhile, having completed his phone repair training, Sodiq spoke of how he partnered

a friend, Afeez, to start their phone repair business, but which was never a smooth ride as erratic power supply posed serious difficulty. Thus, in order to meet up with his school needs, Sodiq joined a sachet water factory, D-Truth Pure Water, in Ebute Meta, where he was deployed to supply water to customers. From here he joined the A3 Water in Agege area, apparently to move close to his school.

“I could remember how Wasilat Kabiawu would bring me foodstuff from home, and I dash for helping some students in their assignments,” he recalled, adding that sometime he had to sleep at Ikeja bus stop any day he was unable to raise the required transport fare to take him home.

When asked about his major unforgettable period in his course of study, Sodiq recalled the day he was embarrassed by a lecturer in class, who asked his classmates to contribute money so that he can buy good clothes.

He said: “One day, the lecturer wondered that I do dress shabbily and so he asked the class to contribute money for me. It was so embarrassing that I had to cover my face in shame.

That is to tell you the irony of life, where the child of a tailor cannot wear good clothes.”

But today, Sodiq said he is grateful to the Almighty God and his parents, who he said genuinely showed interest to help, but that they are incapacitated. Especially my mother, I must be grateful to her because she really tried to see me through secondary school education.”

Today, as a student of OAU, Sodiq said his aspiration in life is to serve God and humanity, by bringing smiles to the faces of the less-privileged through whatever forms of assistance he can render.

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EDUCATION | CAMPUS

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

After NUGA, religious activities return to OAU sports centre Kemi Busari OAU

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Abiose (2nd right) presenting an award plaque to Buhari, while other guests watch.

Buhari, Akande, others donate N5m to UI hostel Hammed Hamzat UI

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talwarts and bigwigs in the All Progressives Congress (APC) penultimate week converged on the nation’s premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI), where they donated N5 million to the Nnamdi Azikwe Hall of the university.

The donation was made during the golden jubilee anniversary of the hall.

The party leaders, who were accompanied to the venue of the anniversary celebration by the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, include the Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande; former Military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, among other prominent members.

Ajimobi personally donated N1 million and another N1.1 million on behalf of the state government, while Akande announced the donation of N1 million on behalf of the party.

Senator Chris Ngige, Masari, Lai Muhammed donated N500,000; N 200,000 and N100,000 respectively towards uplifting infrastructure of the hall.

A traditional ruler, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oyo State, Oba Ganiyu Adekunle, an alumnus of the hall also donated N100,000.

However, Buhari, who chaired the ceremony and did not announce his donation public, advised the students to be proactive and participate

actively in the nation’s politics, saying the late John Kennedy became the American President while in his early 40s.

The fundraising ceremony, according to the hall Chairman, Olajide Abiose, was to ensure speedy completion of the ongoing and some abandoned projects in the hostel.

The projects, he said include the renovation of the hall’s basketball court, common room and provision of street light to the hall, among others, stressing that the money realised from the anniversary celebration would be used for the resuscitation of the moribund water fountain in the hostel.

The guest lecturer at the event, Dr. Mustapha Shetima, who spoke on: “Youth and the Future of Politics and Gov-

ernance in Nigeria,” said the youths have great roles to play in the efforts to change the face of politics in the country, even as he advised them to always strive to contribute towards the development of the country.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Adewole, who was represented by his Deputy in charge of Administrative Services, Professor Arinola Sanya, lauded the students’ initiative in organising the fundraising ceremony.

The first son of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe thanked the students for organising the event and commended the donors for honouring his late father by coming out to donate towards rebuilding the infrastructure, named after him.

rior to the commencement of the just concluded Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) sporting competition at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the management had insisted that the use of the university’s sports centres by over 50 religious fellowships is constituting menace on the campus.

It, therefore, earmarked a large expanse of land for all the religious groupings at separate location, while it banned any individual or organisation from using the sports facilities for religious purpose.

The strict adherence to the rule could not be achieved until the two-week of NUGA events, when full compliance to the order was ensured as security measures were put in place to foreclose the use of the facilities, including football, basketball, volleyball, hockey and cricket pitches, which the management claimed cost a huge amount of money to maintain.

But, barely a month after the games, the various fellowships have resumed their religious activities at the sports centre, citing various reasons, particularly the long distance between the students’ hostels and the new space provided by the university, as major reason for disobeying the university order, banning the use of the facilities.

Now, walking through the pavilion of the sports centre, either early in the morning or at night, worshipers of different denominations are seen holding their services, making

it difficult for the members of the university community to actually recognise the actual purpose of the centre.

On the sudden return of the religious activities at the centre, one of the church members, who preferred anonymity said: “My church has completed our building at the religious ground, but I cannot imagine going that far especially for late services.”

Meanwhile, the campus former Evangelism and Mission Secretary of Foursquare Students’ Fellowship (FSF), Dayo Atanda said the distance from the school area to the new ground is a major challenge and it would be difficult for fellowships to comply with the order except the means of transportation to and from the area is resolved.

Atanda recalled: “Before the commencement of the games the management told us to vacate the complex permanently, and not only because of NUGA. We have to resume back there because of the distance and the cost of developing buildings at the landed area allocated to us.

Only few of us, not up to 10 of the over 50 fellowships have been able to erect structures for their worship.”

Also, a student pastor of the Redeemed Christian Fellowship on the campus, Oyetola Justin said his fellowship had complied with the order, and that it used the advantage of the new rule to mandate members to finally relocate to the new area.

“Though the new place poses a challenge because of the distance, we will soon overcome it,” he said.

Benue varsity don breaks new ground in maths Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

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lecturer at the Benue State University (BSU), Dr. Michael Atovigba, has broken new grounds with an Algorithm for total counting of prime numbers below or up to any natural number.

The formula is Arithmetic of three Algebraic numbers: 1+K-C, where K is total count of odds and C is total count of odd composites with Algorithms for K and C provided.

Mathematicians since the days of Euler have unsuccessfully sought this formula and concluded that total number of

primes up to a natural number could only be approximated.

This led Mathematicians propounding various Zeta functions or Algorithms of approximating the total counts of primes, one of the most revered being Riemann Hypothesis, which Atovigba proved in 2010 after 162 years of the hypothesis.

Atovigba's Algorithm is an edge above Riemann zeta function, because it provides exact count of the primes up to a given natural number while the zeta function is an approximation.

He told New Telegraph that he dedicated the equation to

God, who revealed it through various stages during fervent prayers he made at the December 2013 Shiloh of the Living Faith Church Worldwide.

According to him, God led him through ethno-mathematically studying Tiv heaps patterns which form a special matrix group each of which rows has exactly K odd numbers.

Atovigba, who said his new equation formula is now at the National Mathematical Centre Abuja for peer reviewing, hinted that he had applied to the university to organise a university-based seminar where he could present the equation for critiquing.

He said he is poised to stand before mathematical or science audience anywhere to present and defend the equation.

Gov. Suswam

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Rotaract sharpens pupils’ skills at quiz competition

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o fewer than 10 secondary schools in Ikoyi/Obalende and Mushin Local Government Areas of Lagos took part in a quiz and Spelling Bee competition organized by Rotaract Club of Ikoyi and Rotaract Club of Mushin, Lagos, under the Rotary District 9110 Nigeria.

The competition was part of the activities marking this month Literary and Rotaract Week.

The participating schools include Community Junior Secondary School, Mushin; Oduduwa Junior Secondary School, Mushin; New State High School, Mushin; Lafiaji High School, Obalende; Aunty Ayo Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikoyi; Girls’ Junior Secondary School, Ikoyi and St. Gregory's College, Obalende.

At the end of the competition, Aunty Ayo Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikoyi and Community Junior Secondary School emerged the overall best schools in their respective Local Government Areas.

The District Rotaract Representative of District 9110, Rotaractor Ayeni Timothy, who presented the awards to the best schools, expressed satisfaction over the brilliant performance of the schools and the pupils.

He also challenged other Rotaract clubs in District 9110 to emulate such projects that would further enhance the performance of the pupils.

"While we appreciate the performance of the schools that participated in this year's edition, we also call on individuals and other corporate organisations to initiate projects that will have positive impacts on the students as the future of this country," he said.

The President, Rotaract Club of Ikoyi, Rotaractor Ayobami Sowale, gave a toast of the clubs present at the event which include Rotaract Club of Medilag Golden; Rotaract Club of Alagbado and Rotaract Club of Amuwo Main, while the President of Rotaract Club of Mushin, Rotaractor Rauf Hammed gave the vote of thanks.

MAPOLY students escape death by whiskers Gafar Elekede MAPOLY

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ome 15 students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State, sustained various degrees of injuries as the campus shuttle bus, which was conveying them to the campus had a break failure and collided with the entrance gate of the polytechnic.

According to an eyewitness and student of the Department of Food Science and Technology, Basirat Aderibigbe, the development was so sudden that all that was seen was that the bus collided with the school gate and pandemonium ensued.

She said the driver of the bus and some of the victims with serious injuries, but whose identities could not be ascertained, were said to have been rushed to nearby hospital for quick medical attention. She added that the school’s surveillance team immediately removed the damaged bus from the road to ease free flow of traffic for other road users

plying the route.

Some of the matriculating students.

FUTA is committed to excellence –VC

T

he Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, has reiterated the commitment of the Ivory Tower towards the sustenance of culture of academic excellence and discipline among its staff and students.

The Vice-Chancellor disclosed this during the matriculation ceremony of the fresh students, who were described as the lucky few out of the teeming population of applicants that aspired to secure admission into the university.

During the ceremony, which held at the institution’s new auditorium, no fewer than 2,371 students admitted to various departments of the institution, out of over 12,000 applicants, sworn to the matriculation oath of the university.

“For the past three years, we have consistently been winning national and international competitions with our students emerging as winners of the National Software Competition organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in conjunction with Microsoft. Also, some of our students are currently pursuing their one-session comple-

mentary studies at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. You can be part of the success story of our great institution if you work hard. Be focused, law abiding and avoid all the social vices associated with your age and you will get there with us,” Daramola said.

The Vice-Chancellor, who urged the students to be free and open to staff members, who he said are to be seen as mentors and role models, however promised that management will continue to ensure that they pursue their studies in conducive learning environment.

At debate, Pharmacy students differ on anti-gay bill

The OAU team

Sikiru Akinola OAU

T

he rights and legality of gay or otherwise following the recent decision by the Federal Government to sign into law the anti-gay bill, were the crux of the discourse at the just concluded second edition of the Shade Olafimihan InterPharmacy School Debate Competition held at the Obafemi

Awolowo University (OAU), IleIfe, Osun State.

Participants at the debate, which formed part of the activities of the annual week celebration of the university’s chapter of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), include the host university, which slogged it out with three other universities including Igbinedon University, a private university located in

Okada, Edo State.

Others are Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State and the University of Ibadan (UI).

The main topics of the debate are: “Religion, Ethnicity and Sexuality: A Tripartite Obstacles in the Promotion of Cross Cultural Harmony”; “National Health Insurance Scheme: An Otiose Policy”; among others.

The debate, according to the organisers, was instituted to encourage Pharmacy students to share experiences and develop their interests in various topical issues apart from their primary assignments.

The atmosphere of the venue became tensed suddenly when the representatives of OAU held their opponents from Igbinedion University in a hot debate on the Gay Rights which almost degenerated into fiasco.

While debaters from OAU argued in support of gay rights, that the essence of federalism was to protect minority rights and as such, gay should be al-

lowed to do whatever they feel is pleasurable to them; their Igbinedion University opponents threw a challenge back at them, arguing that "as a woman, will your parents be happy to see you go into lesbianism?”

In the final results at the end of the intellectual engagement, OAU, the host university emerged the overall winner with 300 points; Olabisi Onabanjo University, came second with 287 points; University of Ibadan was third having scored 264 points; while Igbinedion University scored 261 points, to come fourth after UI. Other high points of the activities lined up for the week include a lecture session, delivered by Dr. 'Lolu Ojo, a pharmacist, who spoke on: “The Challenges of the Pharmacy Profession in the 21st Century.”

She noted that despite the sound education acquired at the university, the environment of practice does not allow the young graduates to give their best.

30

EDUCATION

LECTURERS' FORUM

UNIOSUN VC takes stock, one year after Kayode Olanrewaju

O

ne year after he took over as the second substantive Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof. Adekunle Bashir Okesina, said his cardinal vision of positioning the university as one of the best universities in the country and Africa in terms of cutting-edge research, quality teaching and learning and relevant academic practices in compliance with best global educational practices, is on course.

He disclosed this during the third convocation of the university, held over the weekend at the Osogbo main campus of the institution.

According to him, the university had succeeded in securing 100 per cent full accreditation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) for its 32 academic programmes.

Following this remarkable feat, and in order to actualise the academic programme component of Strategic Plan of the institution, Okesina told the owners of the university, including the Governor of the state and Proprietor of the university, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; the Council Chair, Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN) and the Chancellor of the institution, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse-II, the Ooni of Ife, how the university processed and obtained the NUC approval for the commencement of 12 new undergraduate programmes, while another 17 undergraduate programmes are currently being processed for NUC Resource Verification.

“My mission is to leave behind a university well-positioned to compete favourably with leading universities around the world,” the Vice-Chancellor said, adding: “I am irrevocably committed to the ideals of academic excellence and my administration is also very keen on the internationalisation of UNIOSUN’s activities and engagements, with the core agenda of attaining financial sustainability and prudent utilisation of the university

financial resources.”

Okesina, who noted that the institution currently has 613 members of staff, who are made up of 244 academic staff, 157 senior non-teaching staff and 212 junior members of staff, explained that it also has student enrolment of 7,582 students across all its six colleges.

No fewer than 1,186 graduating students received their scrolls at the ceremony, with Oladipupo Rasheed Oluwaseun of the Department of Economics emerging as the best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.73 points.

Giving the breakdown, the ViceChancellor noted that 20 had First Class, 328 graduated with Second Class Upper Division, 660 graduates with Second Class Lower Division, while 178 came out with Third Class.

While congratulating the students and their parents, for successful completion of their studies, he said “to compete in the 21st Century, we need graduates like you - young people that are truly outstanding in character and learning, fired up and ready to compete in a highly globalised and fast-changing world.”

Okesina said: “I admonish you to transfer the lessons of the UNIOSUN spirit that is encapsulated in our motto and core values–the ‘living spring of knowledge’ - to the wider world where you will now function. I urge you to be courageous, adventurous and be good ambassadors of your citadel of learning.”

On the milestones of his one-year administration, the Vice-Chancellor recalled that the university is part of the first phase of the Nigerian Universities Electronic Teaching and Learning Platform, aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning.

To this end, he explained that in this first phase, the university had been provided with 20 units of interactive whiteboards; and 20 units of higher resolution Liquid Crystal Display Projectors which are been used with the boards.

L-R: Prof. Olawoyin, Aregbesola and Okesina at the ceremony

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

EDUPEACE with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)

Schooling without learning

I

n my Daily Newswatch column of August 2, 2013, the title of which was “Democracy without decorum, courts without justice”, I quoted the celebrated mastermind and iconic advocate of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, who provided “seven blunders” that accounted for the violence that ravaged the world of his day and today. I also gave the eighth blunder provided by his grand-son, Arun Gandhi, before saying that if being a fan of Gandhi would entitle me to anything, I would add two, previously quoted, to make the list 10.

But, I apologise here the list will grow further. To wit, another blunder of our modern age that accounts for where we are in Nigeria especially is “schooling without learning”, taking a cue from the Sunday Punch editorial of this week which addressed “teaching without learning in Nigerian schools” as a national tragedy.

Before going further, however, it will not be superfluous to quickly recall the Gandhian seven blunders alluded to earlier, which he initially called “seven social sins” in an article he published in his weekly newspaper, “Young India”, of October 22, 1925. These blunders are: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle. His grandson’s addition is “rights without responsibilities”.

There is no doubt that education is the bedrock of all development. This is why the progress a society makes is often proportional to its level of education. But in Nigeria, we confuse education with schooling. Many people go to school and parade certificates without much education to show for it. Some others assume that education lies in the ability to speak English and rather than become open minded, they become more empty-headed.

It is an unfortunate reality that there are hundreds of thousands schools in Nigeria but there is little learning going on there. This problem mainly borders on the poor motivation for those who should be instilling learning in the pupils and the attitude of learners themselves. When we add those who are under-educated to the 10.5 million out-of-school children in the country, which is the highest in the world, according to UNESCO, we realise we have a big issue on our hands.

As the Sunday Punch editorial earlier mentioned indicates, there were 207,818 unqualified teachers spread across Nigeria as at 2010. The number will have certainly increased since then especially as schools are proliferating daily and there is a vast army of unemployed youths roaming the streets ready to be exploited by unscrupulous proprietors.

It is a national tragedy that little

There is no doubt that education is the bedrock of all development learning is going on in our schools and the consequences are with us. I was at a top private school in Ilorin the other day to assist the management with capacity building. It was sad that most of the teachers were not supposed to be in the classroom.

The classroom has become the dumping ground for those who cannot do anything else. With a take home pay that hardly takes them home, many teachers in Nigeria are frustrated. Instead of reserving our best for the classrooms, the worst eventually end there making the standard of education go downhill. But few outstanding graduates wish to teach in our school system. Graduates of our colleges and faculties of education would rather work at any other place apart from the classroom.

The Government has been spending on education without any tangible result to show for it. The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, said recently at the Nigerian Economic Summit that N144.67 billion was given as matching grants to states for basic education between 2009 and 2013. He added that N39.695 had been invested in the Federal Unity Colleges within the same period as well. Despite all the purported spending, little learning is our children’s lot.

An average student wants to work with the petroleum or telecommunication industry. Few people want to teach because teachers are poorly paid. Since the best that would have erected the education of thousands of pupils on a solid foundation have been lured away, the school system One way of revamping the education sector and making schooling to positively impact on education is to accord respectability to teachers and pay them mouthwatering salaries. This will magnetise the good ones who will happily choose careers in teaching. Rather than look down on teachers and treat them like dregs of the society, government should make deliberate efforts to address their welfare and encourage others to join their rank.

On the part of the students, it is the attitude that determines the altitude and they should appreciate that the future is for the prepared. The best preparation is good education that is anchored on discipline, hard work and determination.

If they don’t learn well today, they won’t earn much tomorrow and there will be crisis. The fact that some drop-outs are successful today does not detract from the fact schooling without learning is a disservice to one’s future. l Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Acting Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin.

BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014

WHAT'S NEWS GSK to invest $216m in Nigeria, others GlaxoSmithKline has resolved to invest $216 million or 130 million pounds in Africa over the next five years as chronic diseases become more common among the continent’s swelling urban middle classes.

}p-32

APCON, NBC to sanitise tradomedical campaigns To ensure that trado-medical practitioners in Nigeria communicate with consumers fairly with no unwholesome communications getting into the public space, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, (APCON) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have held a stakeholders’ forum.

}p-35

Nigerian ship owners groan as others invest $15bn in vessels Ship owners have kept on their aggressive stance in the investment scene both for new buildings, as well as for secondhand vessels globally in February, pouring in over $14.7 billion.

}p-38

Customs begins execution of 35% auto duties policy Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun the phased implementation of auto policy after the Federal Government reduced vehicle levy to zero per cent.

}p-39

BUSINESS CREW AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) SIMEON OGOEGBULEM, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) SIAKA MOMOH, Asst. Editor (Industry) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor

CHUKS ONUANYIN, Energy NNAMDI AMADI, Reporter

}p-34

AYODELE AMINU, DEPUTY EDITOR, BUSINESS

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

ALLIANCE Theft pact between Britons and military officer backfires.

O

ver 85 per cent of the stolen crude from Nigeria is shipped to refineries abroad, a report by Londonbased Chatham House has revealed.

This figure represents about 85, 000 out of the total 100, 000 barrels stolen from Nigeria on daily basis.

New Telegraph had earlier reported that Nigeria, which lost between 100,000 and 250, 000 barrels of oil to crude theft daily had secured the support of the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) in her fight against the surge.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, who hinted of the determination of the UK and US governments to support Nigeria, maintained that the government had also discovered that the oil theft is executed with the support of some foreign experts and oil traders.

But the Chatham House disclosed that military, politicians and the foreign collaborators are behind the large scale of crude theft in the Niger Delta.

This came as the Joint task Force (JTF) at the weekend arrested two citizens of the UK and 10 Nigerians for oil theft in Niger Delta.

The two Britons and their local partners were nabbed on charges of trying to bribe a military officer to facilitate oil theft, which culminates to loss of billions of dollars annually.

Major-General E.J. Atewe, commander of the mixed military and police Joint Task Force

L-R: Managing Director, Frontiers (Frankly Speaking on Radio), Muyiwa Afolabi; Chief Financial Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman, and Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Iyadunni Olubode, at a media briefing on Sterling Bank’s ”Get Ready For Work”- a programme for NYSC, fresh graduates and those seeking employment held in Lagos.

(JTF) for the oil-producing Niger Delta region, said two of the bunkerers, both Nigerian, had gone to an officer to request clearance to move the crude oil.

They had openly admitted their plan was to hack into a pipeline and connect a hose that would siphon crude out of it onto a waiting boat, and offered him $6,500 to provide a gunboat to protect them on the way out.

"The suspects were immediately arrested for attempting to bribe the brigade commander for economic sabotage," At-

ewe said in a statement, and a follow-up operation had led to the arrest of two Britons and another eight Nigerians.

Stories of collusion with the security forces are common and the sheer scale of oil theft in Nigeria would not be possible without systematic collusion by various security agencies, security sources said.

Loss of output from theft and outages caused by sabotaging pipelines has cost the treasury - which relies on oil for about 80 per cent of revenues - billions of dollars. Critics, however, said

theft is exaggerated to cover up embezzlement of oil revenues by officials in the state oil firm, a charge they deny.

Oil theft has contributed to the high likelihood Nigeria will lose its top African crude oil exporter spot in May, as exports could fall to their lowest since records began in 2009.

Production of the Forcados grade has been hit by underwater pipeline leakage, which Shell blamed on oil theft, and which led the operator to declare force majeure on the grade this week.

Interswitch, Western Union introduce account-based money transfer Bayo Akomolafe

I

nterswitch Transnational and Western Union have introduced an account-based money transfer service (“ABMT”) into the Nigerian market.

It was learnt that the new service, which comes at no extra cost to the customer, has

processed over N700 million worth of transactions since it started earlier in the year.

Already, Wema Bank, StanbicIBTC and GTBank have access to the ABMT service.

Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Enterprise Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa and Skye Bank are currently

in the process of implementing the service.

In the new deal, customers will be able to receive transfers made through Western Union directly into their accounts, using the Quickteller website or the internet banking platforms CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard

DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor ABDULWAHAB ISA, Finance Editor

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

‘85, 000 barrels of Nigeria’s stolen crude shipped abroad daily’

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

NEW TELEGRAPH

TASK BEFORE CBN GOVERNOR DESIGNATE EMEFIELE

INFLATION RATE February 2014......................7.70% January 2014 .......................8.00% December 2013....................8.00%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Maximum Lending Rate..25.83%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Mar. 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N170 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N282 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N238

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at Mar. 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.74 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N258.93 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N213.90 Source: CBN

32

BUSINESS | NEWS

EMPLOYMENT GSK's overall investment would create 1,500 jobs.

G

laxoSmithKline has resolved to invest $216 million or 130 million pounds in Africa over the next five years as chronic diseases become more common among the continent’s swelling urban middle classes.

The firms said up to 100 million pounds of the new money would be used to expand manufacturing in Nigeria and Kenya, and to build as many as five new factories.

According its Chief Executive, Andrew Witty, GSK, which currently makes drugs in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, is reviewing possible factory locations in countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Ethiopia. The first new plants could be up and running in three years.

Additional funding will also be funnelled into establishing 25 academic chairs at African universities and increasing support for community health worker training.

The decision reflects the draw for the pharmaceutical industry of the region’s rapid economic growth and rising demand for treatments for

GSK to invest $216m in Nigeria, other African factories non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart and lung disorders, diabetes and cancer.

France’s Sanofi has also highlighted Africa as a promising market.

Sub-Saharan Africa currently accounts for only around 500 million pounds of GSK’s annual sales, which totalled 26.5 billion pounds in 2013, but the group sees potential for much more as African economies grow.

He said: “If you’re looking for a one-to-two year payback, then Africa is probably not the place to be. But if you want to build relationships for the long term, then I think Africa is becoming very interesting because it is going through an inflection point in terms of growth.”

NCDs are expected to account for 46 per cent of all deaths in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, up from 28 per cent in 2008, according to the World Bank, which will change the nature of the African market and increase demand for new products beyond treatments

Nigeria, S'Arabia discuss investments in energy, others

N

igeria and Saudi Arabia have met on various investment opportunities available to both countries.

Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who received the Nigerian delegation led by Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo in Saudi Arabia, said the meeting was an opportunity for both countries to foster economic cooperation.

Both discussed investment issues related to their respective countries and the bilateral economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

Moreover, the Vice-President commended the prince on his efforts and global investments, and his generous philanthropic contributions to those in need through Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation – Global (Registered in Lebanon) that is chaired by Prince Alwaleed.

In addition, the two discussed the large role of petroleum in the Nigerian economy and the investment opportunities in that sector, as Nigeria is one of the major countries exporting oil, and it is a member of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 1971.

Interswitch, Western Union introduce account-based money transfer C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

of their banks.

Interswitch’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mitchell Elegbe said:. “Interswitch is proud to be working with Western Union to introduce this new account-

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

based money transfer (ABMT) service to the inward remittance market.”

He stressed that the new service was in compliance with Central Bank of Nigeria regulations, making it mandatory for monies coming into the country to be account based.

for acute infections.

In a report by Reuters, Britain’s biggest drug maker will invest 25 million pounds to create the world’s first openaccess research and development (R&D) laboratory for NCDs in Africa.

The overall investments will create at least 500 jobs a substantial increase on the 1,500 currently employed by GSK in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition, Britain’s biggest drug maker will invest 25 million pounds to create the world’s first open-access re-

search and development (R&D) laboratory for NCDs in Africa.

The overall investments will create at least 500 jobs a substantial increase on the 1,500 currently employed by GSK in sub-Saharan Africa.

The R&D centre will allow GSK scientists to work with outside researchers to investigate the specific needs of African patients with chronic diseases by focusing on variations in the nature of certain illnesses on the continent.

An above-average Africans with high blood pressure, for

example, appear to be resistant to medical treatment, and there is also a high prevalence of aggressive breast cancer in younger women. The aim is to find new drugs to address the specific needs of such African patients.

GSK has been stepping up its exposure to many of the world’s emerging markets in recent years by increasing investment in local supply lines and sales forces, striking deals, and buying out minority shareholders in certain subsidiary businesses.

L-R: Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs Aishatu Sadauki; Deputy Governor, Kaduna State, Amb. Audu Bajoga and General Manager, Sales, MTN, Adekunle Adebiyi, during facility a tour donated MTN Foundation by Abraham Laah to Government Technical College, Malali, Kaduna.

Maersk Line begins new service from Nigeria to Ghana EXPORT The import market is expected to grow by around 8 per cent this year.

Bayo Akomolafe

M

aersk Line has commenced a new service from Apapa, Nigeria to Tema, Ghana, to facilitate export of finished goods.

Nigerian agricultural commodities such as cocoa, charcoal, sesame seed and cotton continue to dominate Nigeria’s non-oil export since 2013 as export of finished foodstuffs grew by over 80per cent, an indication of increase in local manufacturing.

The company said in its 2014 reports that most non-oil agricultural exports out of Nigeria were loaded to Europe, followed closely by exports to the Far East.

Managing Director of the company in Nigeria, Mr. Jan Thorhauge, explained that provisional data revealed that Nigeria’s export volumes remained small and volatile, depending on agricultural seasonality. Volumes declined from 11,000 Forty Feet Equivalent (FFE) in Q2 2013 to 5,600 FFE in Q3 2013.

“In the last quarter of the year, the export market experienced a 68 per cent leap compared to previous quarter ending the year at 35,000FFE which is a 9 per cent increase when compared with the full year 2012.

“High oil prices have boosted national revenues in recent years and this has contributed to some of the trade growth and also helped shore up the foreign reserves of the country in the recent past.

“Government has done well to keep the naira valuation in check and this is very important to provide the needed stability for trade to flourish.”

On a conservative estimate, the import market is expected to grow by around 8 per cent in 2014, whilst exports from its relatively small base to grow a bit faster.

He added that Maersk Line had been able to maintain its market leadership ending the year with market shares of 36 per cent and 29 per cent for import and export respectively.

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET 33

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review...

Market tempo slows on sell pressure BEARISH

by the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) with reduced cost implications to both buyers and sellers in the Nigerian Capital Market", said Onyema.

"In addition to paying less for transactions, customers will have updated positions of their accounts at any point in time as this new system offers convenient and easy monitoring of all accounts.

There are also the added benefits of effective fraud alert in cases of unauthorised transactions on account, reduction in time spent confirming trades and an enhancement of transparency between the trader and its clients" he added.

Equity market closed southwards in the first quarter.

Chris Ugwu

H

opes by experts and market observers in the Nigerian capital market, that transactions in equities will rally back more in the 2014 can be said to be a forlorn hope as the recent activities on the stock market for the first quarter showed a negative trajectory.

This is because transactions on the Exchange continued to skew downwards as the market, which opened the trading year at a high of N13.226 trillion in market capitalisation and 41,329.19 in index at the beginning of trading on 2nd of January 2014, closed last Friday (28th of March) at N12. 312 trillion and 38,331.78 index points. This translates to a year to date loss of about N914 billion or 7.8 per cent.

Low sentiments The low sentiment in the market was worsened following upset in the financial market arising from the suspension of the suspended CBN governor over allegations of acts of “financial recklessness and misconduct.�

Financial analysts believed the suspension sent a shock wave to both local and foreign investors and created uncertainty in the investment environment, which led to 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.

Analysts' perspective A financial analyst and Managing Director Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Jonson Chukwu attributed the decline in the country's foreign reserve as a major factor that is making capital market less attractive to investors.

Chukwu linked the sustainable bear run in the equities market that has led to a considerable drop in value of equities in market capitalisation year to date to decline in foreign reserve.

He noted that external reserve remains a cardinal barometer for assessing the financial risk of an economy, which according to him, was usually the first point of call for foreign portfolio investors in either the equities sector or in the debt instruments.

"The Nigerian external reserve currently stands at USD38.07 billion from a high of USD48.86 billion on the 2nd of May 2013. This represents a USD10.79 billion (or 22 per cent) decline in 11 months. “Other factors that affected the market include continued Naira defense, lack-

Aruma Oteh

Oscar Onyema

luster crude oil prices, decline in crude oil production and panic withdrawals by foreign portfolio investors," he said.

He added that the recent CBN's increase in deposit money banks' Cash Reserve Requirement on public funds to 75 per cent obviously curtailed their investment potentials and ultimately their earnings capacity.

He added that the increase has triggered a cautious outlook on the banks' equity shares.

Chukwu said with leaner cash for lending, banks' lending rates remain high at about 26 per cent, which was a disincentive to real sector borrowing. Besides, he said equity shares of non-bank companies were also faced with a bearish outlook as business activities are scuttled by non-availability of funds.

The Chief Executive Officer, Modus Market Concepts Limited, Mr. Brian Ojukwu, also said the market was characterised with short- term profit taking, which he blamed on market speculators dominated by foreign investors.

He said:"Foreign institutional investors seeking speculative opportunities now dominate our equities market. Although when compared to domestic fixed income market, average yield on equities is very low. However, it surpasses what is obtainable in several advanced markets.

The relatively stable exchange rate environment is an additional attraction for foreign portfolio investment in Nigeria's financial assets.

Other than few domestic investors, several retails investors who are yet to recover from the crash of equities continue to shun the market.

Several market operators and institutional investors who participated actively have also suffered deadly damages to their balance sheets due to the near crash of the equities market.

Despite the optimistic outlook for 2014, analysts at Morgan Capital Group expect some sell pressure on the market particularly in the first half of the year due to the uncertainties surrounding the exit / selection of the new CBN Governor.

The analysts said the policy direction of the incoming CBN Governor would go

a long way in dictating the direction of the market afterwards.

"Also 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 we are likely to witness a huge sell pressure particularly in the third quarter when campaigns will be in full swing as more money leaves.

Regulatory measures However, market regulators have tried to put some measures in seeking to reposition the market for growth and development as well as increased the dividend yields of shares to investors during the quarter under review. Since the resumption of Mr. Oscar Onyema as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Exchange, the nation's bourse has continued to experience several reformation agenda to restore investors' confidence and improve the current low market capitalisation.

One of such agenda during the first quarter was the decision of the NSE to discontinue the old trade notification system, Trade Alert and introduce a fresh notification system known as X-Alert to all its investors in March 2014.

Onyema said the X-Alert was a new and improved notification system, which will provide investors with details of transactions on an investment account via a text massage on the recipient's mobile phone or via an e-mail to the recipient's box.

"The service, which will allow the investing public know when a transaction has been made on their account, will be run in-house on behalf of the Exchange

Other than few domestic investors, several retails investors who are yet to recover from the crash of equities continue to shun the market

Online portal Also during the period under review, the Exchange inaugurated an online portal through which information could be disclosed to the NSE. The online platform tagged 'X-whistle will also permit the whistleblowers to perform a status check on matters they have reported on X-whistle.

Speaking at the launch, General Manager, Legal and Regulation Division/Head of Department Surveillance, Mrs. Tinu Awe, said the Exchange is encouraging whistle blowing because it provides a mechanism for providing information which is not available to the exchange so that it could take requisite action.

"If the Exchange is not aware that violations have occurred, are occurring or about to occur, it cannot take appropriate action. Action taken on such information leads to the promotion of investor confidence in the capital market," Awe said.

Speaking on why whistle blowing happen rarely in the market, Awe said the main reason was because individuals with requisite information might not feel sufficiently protected to provide such information as they fear reprisals from those actively involved in the matters about which they have knowledge.

She noted that many individuals who may otherwise decide not to become whistle blowers will be encouraged to provide information because they do not have to disclose their identities while providing information.

Awe said confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible within the limitations of law and the legitimate requirements of investigation.

NSE in an effort to achieve a world class capital market has reiterated its commitment to maintain zero tolerance posture on dealing member firms and quoted companies on violations of rules and regulations.

This was on the back of the Exchange's determination to shift gears to drive innovations centered on increasing global visibility for the Nigerian capital market in the current year.

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BUSINESS | BANKING

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Task before CBN governor-designate Emefiele Ayodele Aminu and Abdulwahab Isa

sure that we work with the manufacturing companies to ensure that we improve on their level of production and, by extension, ensure that we improve and achieve economic growth in Nigeria.”

Indeed, this is the path CBN under suspended governor Sanusi had followed. The acting governor, Sarah Alade, is also taking a cue. Experts say Emefile is not likely to deviate from this path.

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he coast is clear for resumption of Nigeria’s 11th Central Bank governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, following endorsement of his appointment by the Senate last week.

On standby to take the mantle of leadership in June when the tenure of suspended CBN governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido will officially come to end, Emefiele's choice caught many by surprise.

Emefiele never featured on the list of potential candidates jostling for the plum job. Touted as front runners were Minister for Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, his counterpart in finance ministry, Dr. Yerima Ngama, while in the banking circle, names of former Deputy Governor, Tunde Lemo, immediate past MD of Access Bank, Mr. Aig Imokhuede and CEO of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mustapha Chike –Obi, were touted as top contenders being considered by the presidency for Sanusi’s replacement.

In Emefiele, analysts said President Jonathan struck the right cord. Described by many as a shrewd introvert banker who prefers his work do the speaking rather to be heard, those familiar with him say he is bringing a huge experience acquired over the years on board.

Challenges Immediately he assumes duty, the new CBN governor will be expected to continue and possibly build on the successes recorded by his predecessor, especially in attaining a workable monetary policy, banking reforms and the cashless policy.

The country’s currency and external reserves have not been on very sound footing in recent times. While the Naira has continued to slide against the US dollar, even as it is officially said to exchange at N155.75 per dollar, Nigeria’s external reserves have steadily dropped from about $50 billion mid last year to its present balance of less than $37.8 billion as at last Friday.

Emefiele will, therefore, need to introduce more proactive measures, including further tightening of the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) on public sector bank balances to help stabilise the Naira and also lead to raising the nation’s foreign reserves.

The introduction of a cashless policy will, no doubt, stand as one of the remarkable accomplishments of the CBN under Sanusi.

Associated to this is the $50 million biometric solution project which was inaugurated by the outgoing CBN chief executive six days before his suspension.

The project aims at building a central database of bank customers in the country. It will specifically serve to identify those transacting business with Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and Point of Sales (PoS) machines. Incidentally, Emefiele already serves as chairman, Biometrics Sub-committee of the Bankers’ Committee.

Emefiele

Policy direction But what would be his focus in terms of macroeconomic policy and banking regulation? These are some of the questions on the lips of analysts.

Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said it would be difficult for him to comment on Emefiele’s school of thought in terms of macroeconomic policies.

He, however, said he was sure that the in-coming CBN governor would do well in terms of banking regulation.

“I am comfortable that he won’t tolerate risky bets and he will make sure that banks are well regulated.

But I cannot put him in any particular school of thought in terms of macroeconomic policies. If he is a monetarist, he will control money supply and inflation.

“If you are not in a school of thought of economists, you will not follow any school of thought, you will only listen to the information you get and act on it,” he said.

CEO, Economic Associates, a Lagos economic consultancy, Dr. Ayo Teriba, wants Emefiele to strike a balance between monetary tightening and employment.

He said: “My message to him is that he should stop focusing on financial variables and financial markets. CBN should broaden its view to focus on the economy. They should focus on real economic growth, spending growth and household spending consumption.”

Teriba advised that before tightening liquidity, the CBN should make sure that it's stance does not slow employment. “A situation where the CBN just focuses on inflation and exchange rate when unemployment level has doubled, Nigeria is the loser for it,” he insisted.

Speaking to New Telegraph on phone recently, former Group Managing Director, Skye Bank Plc, Akinsola Akinfemiwa, said Emefiele is a right choice for the job considering his wealth of experience garnered over the years in the sector. Describing him a seasoned banker that has been around, he said the new CBN governor-designate was a team member in most decision taken at

Bankers’ Committee where he had the privilege of serving in some of the sensitive committees.

CBN under its suspended helmsman, Sanusi Lamido, took a firm stance on defense of naira, a policy that Acting Governor, Sarah Alade, also defended with a resolute assurance that naira devaluation is never an option on the table.

Interestingly too, this stance is shared by the Zenith Bank CEO billed to take over as next CBN governor in the next two months.

Given a tip of his policy direction last week when he appeared for screening at the Senate, the new governor gave the impression that he endorsed the current monetary stance of the apex bank.

He approved of the current CBN’s exchange rate policy and told members of the Senate that any attempt to devalue naira could spell a doom for a nation like Nigeria that is import-dependent economy.

He said in response to Senate enquiry: “I am aware that the core mandate of the CBN is to achieve the monetary and price stability. Another core mandate of the CBN is to ensure that we have a strong naira and build strong foreign reserve. We are also expected to ensure that we have a strong financial system in Nigeria. We would ensure, if approved, that whatever monetary policy decision that would be taken would be those that would improve the level of employment in Nigeria because we know that employment is very important.

“We know today that we have an employment emergency in Nigeria. And we must ensure that whatever decisions we take at the CBN in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would be those that would lead to improvement in the level of employment in Nigeria. We would en-

I am comfortable that he won’t tolerate risky bets and he will make sure that banks are well regulated

Credentials What professional pedigree qualifies the new CBN governor for the plum job?

The Delta, born Chief Executive Officer had, before he succeeded Jim Ovia as CEO served as Deputy Managing Director of Zenith Bank in 2001. Before then, he had at various times served as Executive Director in charge of Corporate Banking, Treasury, Financial Control and Strategic Planning of the bank.

With over 18 years of banking experience garnered from banking sector and a modest career in classroom as lecturer of finance and insurance at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and University of Port Harcourt, respectively, Emefiele is well suited for the top job at the apex bank.

He holds a BSc and an MBA in Finance from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka . An alumnus of Stanford University, Harvard and Wharton Graduate Schools of Business, his early career as lecturer in finance, bank management departments at the University of Nigeria and University of Port Harcourt respectively unknowingly prepared him for the future job he will be plunging into.

Financials Zenith bank is the third-biggest lender by assets in Nigeria. Though Emefiele consolidates on foundation laid by the pioneer CEO, Jim Ovia, he has consistently grown the bank in size and earnings since he took over in 2010.

Reported gross earning of Zenith Bank was N192.5 billion in 2010; the year Emefiele took over from his predecessor, there was 13 per cent decrease from FY 2009 result. Afterward, as at the end of financial year 2012, the group’s gross earnings soared to N307.082 billion, translating to additional of over N100 billion to the earning capacity of the group.

In 2011, reported gross earnings rose by 26.72 per cent to N243.95 billion, while the net interest contribution to the group’s earnings was N128.286; a 40 per cent leap from 2010, which impacted the pre-tax profit in 2011 by +34.88 per cent to N67.44 billion reported in 2011.

By the end of financial year 2012 however, Zenith Bank’ gross earnings swelled up to a little over N307 billion, a 25.88 per cent positive trend from 2011 with net interest income contribution of about N156.757 billion, a 22.19 per cent above the previous year.

For last year operations, Zenith Bank posted a profit after tax of N95.32 billion for the financial year ended December 31, 2013.

BUSINESS | BRANDS & MARKETING 35

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review...

SLOW START As expected, the country’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) recorded slow, but steady growth.

Stories by Dele Alao

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ctivities in the nation’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) comprising Public Relations, Advertising, Brands and Marketing, among others, witnessed a slow start as usual.

Most activities in the sector depend on budgets of companies or organisations. Hence, the company’s spends, to a large extent, determines how far activities in the sector will play out.

Reviewing the PR sector, Principal Consultant, Indigo, a PR concerns, Bolaji Abimbola said: “I think with all sense of decency, the PR industry has performed fairly well in the first quarter of the year with PR taking the centre stage of the integrated marketing communications industry. Most often, the first quarter is always slow with relatively low activities, but the first quarter of this year has witnessed several PR campaigns from product launch to consumer promotion and so on.”

Also, Managing Director, Curve Communications, Deola Odunowo, said: “In terms of communications and activations, activities don’t start at the beginning of the year but starts at the end of first quarter.”

“Considering the economy slowdown of the nation in terms of delay in the passage of budget, companies have been a bit reluctant in terms of spending and planning. Then, of course,

Slow but steady growth

activities don’t pick up at the beginning of the year. Communications and activations start towards the end of first quarter,” he added.

On his part, the Public Relations Manager of StarTimes, Mr. Irete Anetor, said that activities are always slow in the first quarter because of the delay in the passage of the budget.

“So, companies and organisations cannot plan and that is why things are always very slow in the first quarter,” he said.

He added: “Nothing much in the first quarter and it is just peculiar to Nigeria because of the way budget is being planned.

In the organised environment, it doesn’t happen that way. And the slowness cuts across all sectors; banking, marketing, among others.”

However, the period under review witnessed some exciting events. For instance, PR accounts moved from one agency to another, pitches were conducted for creative businesses, new products entered into the market, brands engaged in consumer promotions, among other marketing activities.

On account movement, the Diamond PR business left the portfolio of TPT International for Mediacraft Associates while TPT International also grabbed the juicy GE PR business from The Quadrant Company. The British American Tobacco (BAT) PR business, which until early this year resided with The Quadrant Company, was thrown open for a pitch. The outcome of the pitch is still being awaited as at press time.

The period under review witnessed the launch of national consumer promotions such as

the Coca-Cola World Cup. Coca-Cola Nigeria launched its 2014 World Cup campaign with the unveiling of a promotion that would give 22 lucky Nigerians the opportunity to go to Brazil for the football competition.

The campaign which started in March will end in June.

Marketing Manager Colas for Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mrs. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, described the company as the ideal brand to connect consumers with the global soccer entertainment.

“As a FIFA partner, Coca-Cola gives consumers the World Cup. The company has always been a fan of football, both internationally and here in Nigeria; we have been refreshing Nigerians and this is another platform to do what we do best. This campaign is our way of inviting consumers to participate and celebrate with other fans around the world as

they experience the World Cup,” she said.

The period under review also witnessed the birth of Gala Tinkies from the stable of UAC Foods.

Speaking at the launch recently in Lagos, the Managing Director of UAC Foods Limited, Dr. Tawanda Mushuku, said the new Gala Tinkies roll is one of the positive results of the strategic alliance between UAC Foods Limited and Tiger Brands Limited.

Mushuku disclosed that the new Gala Tinkies, which is available in Strawberry, Peanut and Fruity filling, are specially produced to create unlimited fun and adventure with a special appeal to children.

“The launch of the new Gala Tinkies is another significant milestone in the annals of our company - UAC Foods Limited and indeed that of the entire

UACN group - as we have created another class in the snacks category specially designed for kids between the ages of five and 12,” he said.

Furthermore, mobile operator, Airtel Nigeria, took a major step to redefine customer experience for High Net-worth customers as it launched the Airtel Premier Club, a special V-VIP programme specifically designed to offer exceptional and personalised services.

According to the mobile operator, customers who enroll on the Airtel Premier platform will enjoy several benefits including dedicated helpline, exclusive emails and website, dedicated Relationship Manager, enrolment into Airtel Rewards Programme, exclusive access to designated service points at Airtel showrooms and access to over 600 premium lounges across the world, among other benefits.

L-R: President, Association of Professional Party Organisers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), Mrs. Omolara Akande; Ace Comedian, Tunde Adewale (Tee-A) and Venue Manager, The Summit Centre, Mrs. Motunde Rasheed-Yusuf, during the inauguration of The Summit Event Centre at Alausa Ikeja, Lagos.

APCON, NBC move to sanitise trado-medical campaigns PARTNERSHIP APCON and NBC seek ways to ensure wholesome tradomedical campaigns.

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o ensure that trado-medical practitioners in Nigeria communicate with consumers fairly with no unwholesome communications getting into the public space, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, (APCON) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have held a stakeholders’ forum.

APCON Chairman, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, said that efforts had been on for a long while to hold the stakeholders forum because government has realised that the two regulating agencies need to do their jobs for the full benefit of the people. Akinwunmi said that the president echoed reasons for the two regulating agencies to be involved in what is going on in the tradomedical field when he launched the new APCON code.

According to him, government does not want to stop or completely control the practitioners in terms of advertising, but it is part of government’s

responsibility that the communication being dished out is true, honest and credible. For him, the people who benefit from the lacuna are those doing things wrongly, which will negatively affect those doing things genuinely.

He urged the practitioners to partner with APCON so that they could have a say besides working together to move the sector forward for the benefit of all.

“We are going to organise seminars so that people who are spoilers of the credibility of the genuine practitioners are not allowed to operate. So we need

your support,” he said.

He, however, took a swipe at those whose advertising and marketing tools are vague and unfair.

APCON Registrar, Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi, in his paper, Trado-medicine advertising: what we must do, appealed to practitioners and advertisers of traditional medicine as well as the media to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising practice and to comply strictly with the content.

The forum, however, observed that traditional medicine remains an indispensable

component of Nigeria’s health services and practices patronised by a large percentage of the population and should be integrated into the nation’s health delivery system in a manner that protects users and the general public.

It was also agreed that a Council to control the practice of traditional medicine and establish standards for admission into the practice be set up. Specific training programmes also need to be organised from time to time to educate traditional medicine practitioners on various regulatory requirements to guarantee compliance.

36 BUSINESS | BRANDS & MARKETING

Dangote Cement joins global standards with 42.5 grade FIRST Dangote becomes the first to introduce 42.5 cement grade in Nigeria.

Stories by Dele Alao

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angote Cement has once again confirmed its market leadership when it recently introduced 42.5 cement grade in the country.

The Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, who unveiled the new cement bag in Lagos said: “Dangote has since stopped the production of the 32.5 lower cement grade,” saying as a corporate organisation, it values human lives rather than just making money.

“This is why we are focusing on 42.5 cement grade, because we believe as a responsible organisation, human life is more precious than making profits. The introduction of Dangote 42.5, 3X cement, is not to dominate the cement indus-

try but to follow the acceptable global trend, which has also been adopted by West African countries like Ghana, where the focus is shifting towards the 42.5 cement grade as the preferred quality of cement for building and construction activities,” he added.

Edwin said the company is committed to the safety of human lives rather than maximizing profits alone in the country. He maintained that incidences of building collapse in the country do not only destroy lives and properties, but also bring about huge economic losses to the nation.

He noted that most of the building collapse in the nation were caused by varied factors among which poor quality cement is significant, pointing out that the lifetime investment by Dangote was to further demonstrate the company’s effort to guard against unfortunate incidents of failure of buildings and the attendant loss of lives and property.

The Standards Organisa-

tion of Nigeria (SON), also on Tuesday, formally gave approval to Dangote Cement Plc to commence rolling out of 42.5 higher grade of cement into the Nigerian market.

The agency said it had inspected the company’s manufacturing facilities across the country and found the processes to have been upgraded to efficiently produce the 42.5 cement grade, which provides higher strength in building and construction.

SON said that the indigenous cement manufacturer had been given full certification by the standards agency to produce the high quality cement.

The SON Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, who was represented by an enforcement official of the agency, Mr. Adeoye Onipede, commended the move by Dangote to increase its value proposition to Nigerians with the new product and urged the company to keep abiding by the strictest manufacturing standards.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Nokia X family enters Nigerian market NEW Giant phone maker, Nokia, introduces Nokia X smartphone.

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few weeks after it was launched to wide acclaim at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Nokia has launched the Nokia X Smartphone into the Nigerian market.

The dual SIM android compatible device comes with a fresh, tile-based user interface inspired by the Lumia family as well as fastlane to simplify and enhance the consumer experience.

Addressing trade partners at the launch ceremony in Lagos, the Head of Marketing, Nokia West and Central Africa, Debbie Shepard, explained that the Nokia X device combines beautifully-crafted design, quality hardware with access to the android app ecosystem to provide consumers with an affordable dual SIM smartphone in a range of exciting colours.

“We believe this unique combination will resonate with consumers around the world

and set a great precedent for the level of quality that can be achieved in the fast-growing, affordable Smartphone segment.

Users will enjoy signature Nokia experiences including free HERE Maps, with true offline maps and integrated turnby-turn navigation, Microsoft services such as Skype, One Drive and Outlook email as well as chat applications including BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and WhatsApp. “The device comes with a 10.4mm slim, durable monobody design further enhanced by 4 inch scratch-proof display and an exchangeable back cover that comes in a variety of statement colours. The device runs on the Nokia X Software Platform and is powered by a 1Ghz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,” she said.

Vice President, Nokia West and Central Africa, Nick Imudia, who believes influencers are at the core of a company’s success, noted that this has resulted in Nokia partnering with iDea Hub, CCHub and MoMo (Mobile Monday) Nigeria to organise a 2-day training for apps developers tagged Nokia X Portathons.

Legend extra stout wears new look

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L-R: Nigerian Breweries Plc’s Human Resources Director, Victor Famuyibo, Sales Director; Hubert Eze, Brewery Manager, Ethel Emma-Uche and Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufre Ekanem, at the launch of Legend Extra Stout’s Stanoil and metalised labels at the Eko Atlantic (Barbeach), Lagos.

TomTom leverages on World Cup PROMO Loyal consumers are to watch the World Cup live in Brazil.

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omTom has flagged off a consumer loyalty reward promo with an all-expense paid trip to Brazil. In a company statement, Head, Corporate and Government Affairs of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bala Yesufu, stated that “if a

consumer present one TomTom candy to the roving TomTom promo crew from March 15 to April 30, 2014, he or she will collect a raffle ticket in exchange for the empty TomTom pillow wrapper which qualifies him or her for a draw.”

Yesufu added: “Digital raffle draws would hold in three major cities; Abuja, Lagos and Calabar, where winners would emerge and proceed on an allexpense paid trip to Brazil.”

He expressed the compa-

ny’s delight in taking loyal consumers on this lifetime memorable experience.

“Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s flagship candy - TomTom - remains a mega brand and Nigeria’s favourite candy, with three variants, TomTom, TomTom HoneyLemon and TomTom Strawberry. Over the years, consumers have enjoyed the brand’s promis, and it has grown to become a trusted brand that helps consumers breathe deep and go for it,” Yesufu said.

egend Extra Stout is now wearing a new look. The stout brand, on the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. will now come in new Staniol cover with metalised labels.

Furthermore, the stout brand, regarded as the fastest growing in Nigeria, also announced the 2014 edition of its Real Deal national consumer promotion.

The Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Hubert Eze, described the new Staniol as a milestone in the lifes of Legend Extra Stout which he described as one of Nigeria’s most enduring brands.

Eze said that the rich history of Legend Extra Stout is replete with innovation because It continuously focuses on optimum consumer satisfaction.

According to him, this factor that is responsible for Legend Extra Stout’s status as the fastest growing stout brand in Nigeria.

“What we just unveiled is the culmination of one of the most successful social media campaigns which kept Nigerians guessing for weeks. We also had a tour bus traversing the length

and breadth of Lagos, creating awareness about this unique packaging re-launch. We presented the BlackREALvolution as a movement; and it is indeed a movement for consumers that yearn for more in terms of satisfaction and quality,” Eze said.

He added: “As we all know, the only constant thing in life is change. And for the change to be meaningful, it has to be an upgrade. Today, Nigeria’s fastest growing stout brand, Legend Extra Stout, is being upgraded.

“When you go to your favourite restaurant or bar to savour your favourite Legend Extra Stout, be sure to look out for this new packaged product.

Even though Legend Extra Stout is being re-packaged, the great taste which our numerous customers have enjoyed all these years remains the same.

Legend is the only full brewed stout in the Nigerian market with a unique bitter taste and longer lasting foam head, giving it the authenticity to be called ‘The Real Deal.”

He said the new Staniol and metalised label represent quality and the ‘premiumness’ of the Legend Extra Stout brand.

BUSINESS 37

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review... 2014 First Quarter Review...

Maritime records dismal performance BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports that the maritime industry recorded low mark in the beginning of the year due to policy failures. Despite this, Nigeria’s containerised import market is expected to enjoy positive growth in 2014, notwithstanding the heightened political activities in the country.

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he maritime industry started the year on a bad note as the implementation of government’s policies suffered some set back.

The policies include the new auto policy, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, new cabotage guidelines, 110 per cent rice tariff, among others.

Also, piracy and smuggling remained serious challenges to government agencies during the period. There were complaints among freight forwarders over sever failure and cargo delay at ports.

But the sector recorded some progress in the areas of capacity building, procurement of boats to fight piracy and infrastructure development.

Piracy There was a sudden surge in piracy in the first quarter of the year. It was a harrowing trend that made Nigeria to occupy a top position in the global high sea piracy charts. The country recorded greater ‘successes’ in events of boat capture and robbery, global levels have recorded appreciated drops. The total events of piracy, according to the International Maritime Bureau, were 264 in the first quarter 2014 compared to 297 in the same period of 2012 and 439 in 2011. But events off West Africa’s coast are increasing.

On January 29, 2014, PSV Cee Jay liner was attacked by pirates and boarded off the coast of Bayelsa State.

The pirates kidnapped the master and chief engineer and robbed the crew.

The following day, the Tug Lamnalco Hawk was attacked and boarded by three sea robbers in Pennington Terminal area of the same Bayelsa State.

Exports There is steady improvement in Nigeria export trade. The country signed bilateral trade agreement with some countries. Top five export destinations of Nigeria include United States (24 per cent), India (9.6 per cent), Brazil (6.8 per cent), Spain (6.8 per cent) and France (4.7 per cent). Also, five products exported by Nigeria are crude petroleum (78 per cent), petroleum Gas (9.3 per cent), refined petroleum (6.7 per cent), cocoa beans (1.1

of cadets through various programmes including the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), saying that approval was granted for the training of over 300 seafarers on the Standard of Training and Watch keeping Certification (STCW) to enable them update their mandatory certification while continuing efforts to ensure that Nigerian Seafarers get placement on both Nigerian and Foreign flagged vessels.

It unfolded plans to tackle illegal bunkering, crude oil theft, smuggling and piracy.

CG of Customs, Dikko Abdullahi

Chairman, NISA, Isaac Jolapamo

per cent) and rubber (0.74 per cent) Also, the country manufactured exports include cigarettes, evaporated milk, soaps, detergents, noodles, dairy products, ingots, bathroom slippers and seasonings. Others include cocoa, coffee and cashew nuts.

geria’s shipping sector.

The authority also made some moves to develop deep sea ports in Lekki and Badagry (both in Lagos State), Ibaka in Akwa Ibom State and Olokola along Ogun/Ondo states maritime boundary as part of efforts to make Nigerian ports the hub of shipping in West Africa.

The authority also introduced e-payment and made some moves to integrate various ports nationwide using the same information technology platform, thereby improving efficiency and reducing manual intervention in processes.

Imports The dominant items imported into the country have remained the same over the past five years and are made up of traditional commodities. Major products coming from the Middle East are industrial raw materials, chemicals, electronics, iron and steel and tyres, while from Europe, major products include industrial raw materials, frozen fish and cars. Top five import origins are Brazil (13 per cent), Netherlands (11per cent), France (9.5 per cent), Germany (7.6 per cent) and Algeria (6.2 per cent) NPA Investment in massive infrastructural renewal and development geared towards deepening the channels to attract larger vessels topped the programmes of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to move the port sector forward.

According to the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Alhaji Habib Abdullahi, “the collaborative efforts between NPA and the Nigerian Navy in safe guarding the Nation’s water front got a boost last quarter when it handed over three patrol boats to the Nigerian Navy. The boats consists of one 32 meters Ocean named NNS Dorina and two 17 meters Manta boats named NNS Torie and NNS Egede.”

Also he disclosed that NPA would collaborate with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to rehabilitate the Forward Operational Base (FOB) of the Navy located at Takwa Bay. During the period, the authority sought more Economic Cooperation between Nigeria and Belgium in Ni-

NIMASA The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in the period under review, granted N4.955 billion to four tertiary institutions for the establishment of maritime institutes within the schools.

Niger-Delta University received N1,735,144,775.00; University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), received N1,190,849,675; IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, got N1,072,267,437 and the University of Lagos took N957,049,410.

Also, the agency organised strategic admiralty seminar for judges. The seminar, an initiative of the agency, brought Justices of the Appeal Court, High Courts and lawyers to brainstorm on contemporary issues in admiralty law and practice.

Its Director General, Patrick Akpobolokemi, said that the agency committed huge resources towards the training

Top five export destinations of Nigeria include United States (24 per cent), India (9.6 per cent), Brazil (6.8 per cent), Spain (6.8 per cent) and France (4.7 per cent)

CUSTOMS Poor implementation of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) and incessant sever break down as well as antitrade practice to the issues at the port Cargo clearance from Nigerian seaports became a hard nut to crack in the past three months, as goods that were formerly cleared and taken to the importer’s warehouse within 14 days took a minimum of four to seven weeks to clear.

Stakeholders attributed the delay to poor implementation of PAAR Assessment introduced in December 2013 by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to replace the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) formerly issued by the Destination Inspection service providers.

During the period, the Customs Comptroller General stormed the Tincan Island Port and arrested some officers engaged in anti-trade facilitation. 200 officials were posted out of the command in one day.

Customs at Seme Border Command recorded low revenue in February due to massive smuggling from neighbouring countries Nigerian shippers’ Council It was a glorious time for the council. The Federal Government ordered it to assume the status of port commercial regulator pending the passage of the National Transport Commission Bill by the National Assembly.

Also, the council made some efforts to ensure that the Inland Container Depot (ICD) become designated ports of origin and ports of destination. The ICD are six locations in Aba, Ibadan, Kano, Funtua, Maiduguri, Kano and Jos. Also the council is thinking to establish one each in Kaduna and Gombe to boost industrial clusters around them like warehouses, haulage businesses and other ancillary industries.

Terminal operators Terminal operators under the umbrella of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) complained over cargo diversion to neighbouring countries and erratic power supply at the port in the period.

38 BUSINESS | MARITIME HARD TIME Ship owners in Nigeria face hard time as their foreign counterparts are placing orders for new ship

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hip owners have kept on their aggressive stance in the investment scene both for new buildings, as well as for secondhand vessels globally in February, pouring in over $14.7 billion.

But it is not so in Nigeria as the indigenous ship owners claimed they had incurred not

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Nigerian ship owners groan as others invest $15bn in vessels less than N480 billion as debts to banks.

They said that foreigners had taken over their jobs contrary to the cabotage act of 2003.

They chided President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for not having any plans for the maritime sector.

Chairman, Nigeria Indige-

nous Shipowners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, said: “Today, our members have in excess of $3 billion as bad debts in Nigerian banks alone, 50 per cent of us are out of business.

“Maritime development is not on the agenda of the present administration, the bottom line here is that a law that has been around for 10 years and

L-R: Flag Officer Commanding, (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi; Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore O. E. Uwadiae; and Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, NIMASA, Capt. Bala Ezekiel, when the naval officers visited NIMASA headquarters in Apapa, recently.

it’s not working, the guideline is not a priority, our priority today is a maritime reform that will show that this government is sincere in developing the sector.

“The aviation sector is not as important as the shipping sector, yet they are given every attention.’’

But globally, some ship owners are ordering more vessels because of the huge trade in Nigeria and other African countries as well as Asia.

According to the Golden Destiny shipbroker’s latest monthly report, there were 205 vessels ordered during February costing $11 billion, while an additional 92 orders were contracted at an undisclosed price. These numbers represent an increase of 33 per cent on the year, but a decrease of 27 per cent on the month.

Meanwhile, in terms of secondhand vessel purchases, the shipbroker reported deals for 149 ships for an invested capital of over $3.71 billion, which represents a fall of 13 per cent on the month, but an increase of 26 per cent on the year.

In its commentary, the firm said: “Expectations remain firm for the current outlook

of freight rates with rosy picture of dry bulk segment, uncertainties for the steady recovery of crude freight rates and sharp downward pressure in boxship rates.”

It added: “Overall, S&P activity in the secondhand market for February 2014 ended on firmer levels than last year and even sharper levels than 2012. The upward incline of secondhand purchasing appetite is being led mainly by 45 per cent year-on-year stronger vessel purchases for bulkers.

During January-February 2014, the average number of weekly reported S&P transactions is 38 vessels, up by 58 per cent year-on-year compared with 24 vessel purchases in the first two months of 2013 and up by 111per cent from 2012 levels.”

“During the first two months of 2014, the average number of weekly reported new orders was 79, up by 139 per cent year-on-year, 33 new orders on average reported per week in January-February 2013 and up by 295 per cent from 2012 levels. 18 new orders on average reported per week in January-February 2012,” said Golden Destiny.

AP Moller invests $220m on equipment, to handle 600,000 TEU CONSTRUCTION A new building to house officials of the Nigeria Customs Service is being constructed by APMT Bayo Akomolafe

T

he terminal operator of the largest container terminal in West Africa, AP Moller Terminals Apapa Limited is to handle over 600,000 twenty equivalent units (TEU) of containers before the end of the year.

Already it has invested $220 million to upgrade facilities and acquire modern container handling equipment at the terminal.

Its Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Neil Fletcher, noted that vessel waiting time at the port facility had reduced drastically from 28 days in 2006 to less than a day in 2014, adding that the terminal now handles an average monthly through-

put of 50,000 TEU’s.

He disclosed these in Lagos at a stakeholder’s forum on Enhancing Trade Facilitation through Ports Operations in Nigeria. The forum was organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

Fletcher said that since the old Apapa container terminal was concessioned in 2006, APM Terminals had invested and worked hard to ensure efficiency in service delivery.

He added that the company was constructing a new administrative building and container examination facility to meet the high demand for physical inspection of cargoes.

Fletcher said: “We are building a new three-story building which includes 200 square meters of new offices for Customs in Apapa and we have a meeting with some project team who will be refurbishing the customs offices at the inspection building.

“APM Terminals grant

waivers to importers when necessary. We waive storage charges on anything we are responsible for. We get 10 to 15 requests a day for waiver and out of those request, 90 per cent start off by saying, ‘we know it is not your fault but can you help us?’ That is what I get. If it is our responsibility, we will

AP Moller terminal, Lagos port

waive. We waive for scanning and physical examination cargo that was not positioned within 48 hours. Most of them are not our fault but we still waive the charges.”

Earlier, the President of LCCI, Mr. Remi Bello, said the forum was aimed at resolving the lingering challenges mili-

tating against speedy cargo clearance at the ports.

He said that the challenges include duplication of responsibilities by government agencies operating at the port and complaints about the PreArrival Assessment Report (PAAR) scheme of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

BUSINESS | MARITIME

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Customs begins implementation of 35% auto duties policy POLICY Vehicle importers are to enjoy 35 per cent duties without levy in all seaports and borders under a new policy Bayo Akomolafe

N

igeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun the phased implementation of auto policy after the Federal Government reduced vehicle levy to zero per cent.

It was learnt that contrary to the 30 per cent levy and 35 per cent duty proposed in the policy earlier, government has shifted grounds that imported vehicles should pay only 35 per cent duties without levy.

According to the Customs spokesman for Apapa Area 1 Command, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpa, the Federal Ministry of Finance had rolled out a fresh policy on the implementation of the policy.

He disclosed that the automotive policy earlier released would go into full implementation by July as directed by the Finance Ministry.

Ekpa said: “It is true that we have started implementing the new tariff, but importers of vehicles now pay 35 per cent duty without levy. Before now it was 20 per cent.

“This is the policy of the Federal Government and we have been directed to implement it to the letter.”

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, in the new automotive policy signed last year, had said that tyres of cars, buses and lorries will also attract 20 per cent duty and five per cent value added tax from this year.

Stevedores seek jobs for dock workers in oil sector

S

should be harmonised to international standard.

“There should training and retraining. We need to continue to build our capacity so that we can offer the most efficient service as equal to anywhere in the world.”

The president commended the effort of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for training the dock workers, adding that there had been an improvement in the salary enumeration.

He added that NASC had been operating on open door policy which had boosted the synergy between them and the dock workers.

“We want to commend NI-

Cargo expected this week at the Lagos port Terminal

Ship

APMT APMT ABTL ENL APMT ENL ENL APMT APMT

Esperanza Kota permata Safmarine Seacon 7 Hanjin Vassailler Jin Niu Ling Star cappella Harmony N Maersk Chinna

Tonnage Lagos port 600 units 565 units 5,000 tons 8,000 tons 425 units 3118 units 30,0000 bags 700 units 850units

cargo Containers Containers Bulk malt General cargo Containers Containers Rice Containers containers

Shippers seek ships acquisition for Nigeria T he Nigerian Shippers Council has stressed the need to acquire fleet of ships by Nigeria to be able to compete favorably with the rest of the shipping world.

Executive Secretary of the council, Hassan Bello, disclosed this when he received new executives of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners led by its President, Capt. Ade Olopoenia.

Bello identified one of the challenges facing the implementation of the Cabotage Law in Nigeria as the inability of Nigerians to own ships.

He noted that until Nigeria begins to own vessels, it cannot be considered as a maritime nation.

The executive secretary reminisced the glory days of the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) where master mariners were trained and worked on board Nigerian flagged vessels.

He condemned the way Ni-

geria crude was being transacted, saying that Nigeria’s crude was being freighted based on Free On Board (FOB).

He said: “The council has made this position known at the presidential retreat on maritime sector in Abuja, last week.

Bello added that the master mariners must have a role to play in re-fleeting the country.

He said: “Unless we have ships, we are just pretending that we are a maritime nation, forget about the cargo or coast line or the waterfront or ports.

“The council had made its presentation known at the presidential retreat that Nigeria still carries its crude on FOB bases, it is bizarre and not done anywhere else. You have to partner with us more so that the contributions of the maritime industry to the economy will be practical.

"I will like to see your voice louder than it is in the vanguard of positioning the industry,” he said.

Customs to defend Maritime Cup shield

Tasinge Maersk moored at Apapa port, Lagos

tevedoring companies under the umbrella of the National Association of Stevedoring Company (NASC) have urged private oil and gas companies to employ more dock workers to reduce unemployment among the youths.

Its president, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, explained that this would go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country.

He said: “In oil and gas, there must be maximum patronage for Nigerians so that employment can be generated. This will put the vast unemployment and unrests we have in some parts of the country to an end. In addition, the issue of rates too

39

MASA for this. The agency has conducted trainings for dockworkers, but we are still requesting more from the management in order to improve service delivery in the industry. All we need is capacity building.

“The salary enumeration is good. There is minimum standard of payment as negotiated by the union and employers and then the regulator as well.

No part of that agreement has being found wanting. We are into another series of negotiation or review.

Sunmola noted that the standard negotiation had assisted the association in checkmating the arbitrary request by workers.

D

efending champions, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) football team, will take on Dominion Divine Clearing and Forwarding Agency (DDCFA) in the opening match of the 6th Ships & Ports Maritime Cup Competition tomorrow (Monday).

Customs was seeded in Group C and would play along side Nigerian Shippers’ Council and DDCFA. 2009 champions, Micura Stevedoring Service were seeded in Group A and will slug it out with Sifax Group and African Circle for the two quarter final tickets from that group.

Group B has Nigerian Navy, new entrants Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) and 2013 third place winners, ENL Consortium Nigeria Limited while the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); APM Terminals Apapa Limited and Mickey Excellency Clearing Agency,

will slug it out in Group D. The Opening Ceremony of this year’s competition has been scheduled to take place on Monday morning at the Nigeria Institute of Sports (NIS) Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

All the matches of the completion, which will hold from 31st March to 11th April, 2014, will be officiated by accredited licensed referees under the Lagos State Referees Association.

Coordinator of the competition, Eucharia Okoli, said adequate arrangements and security measures have been put in place to ensure hitchfree competition.

The Annual Maritime Cup competition, otherwise known as the Ships & Ports Soccer Challenge, was instituted in 2009 to encourage healthy recreation and rekindle the spirit of friendship and camaraderie among operators and regulators in the maritime industry.

40 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Dialogue bugged down by religious, ethnic sentiments CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

rule that tore delegates apart. It states as follows: “All decisions of the Conference at Plenary and Committee stage shall be reached by consensus or in the absence of that, the chairman shall, at his discretion adjourn proceedings to allow for further consultations.

“In case of failure to reach a resolution on the matter by consensus, it shall be decided by vote of three quarter majority.”

This rule also has a nexus with Order VI Rule 4 which states that: “Any questions proposed for decision in the conference shall be determined by consensus and when this is not achievable, a three quarter majority of the delegates present and voting is required.”

But there was a third clause found in Order VII Rule 4 which tends to contradict the two previous provisions. It reads thus: “No portion of these Rules shall be suspended except by a vote of two-thirds majority of the delegates sitting and voting at a particular time.”

It took the eagle eyes of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah to spot the differences in these rules. Attah drew the attention of the delegates to what he described as inconsistencies and argued that the standard rule of voting and reaching decisions in Nigeria was two-thirds majority.

He recalled the argument of some delegates that President Goodluck Jonathan had stipulated that decisions of the conference would be reached through consensus, or three quarter majority votes but said that such a rule was strange in the politics of the country.

He argued that the 1999 Constitution allows the President to be elected on the strength of two-thirds majority votes and not three quarters. Attah said that even before the 1999 Constitution came into being, the electoral victory of former President Shehu Shagari was also based on two-thirds of votes cast across the states of the federation. He then moved that the conference adopt the norm of two-thirds majority votes rather than introducing a strange formulae called three quarters or 75 per cent majority.

Chairman, Labour Party, Comrade Dan Nwanyanwu made a presentation that reinforced Attah’s position. Nwanyanwu expressed disappointment that whereas the conference was meant to address issues bedevilling Nigeria, the voting rule prescribing three quarter votes appear to have been brought to ensure that none of the fundamental problems facing the country could be resolved.

He argued that the intention of those who want three quarters as the voting benchmark was to frustrate any attempt to make a change in the structure and governance system of Nigeria.

Although this presentation drew a lot of applause, the next contribution from another delegate, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi was a counter-motion

Jonathan

intended to support the three quarter voting benchmark. Gummi argued that since the conference would be discussing fundamental issues such as federalism, regionalism, creation of states, geo-political zones and general restructuring of the country, it would be wrong to allow two-thirds of delegates to take the final decisions on these weighty issues.

“These are issues normally referred to as the fundamentals. They are foundational issues and are normally submitted to a referendum. In our own case, if a referendum cannot be reached, the better practice is to try and get near unanimity and near unanimity in this case is three quarters,” he said amidst shouts of disapproval from the audience.

Apparently undeterred by the shouts, Gummi moved on to remind the audience that the conference was not a parliament but a unique body created for a specific purpose which, he said, was to move Nigeria forward out of the quagmire it had found itself. He argued that determining these weighty issues on a two-thirds majority would be doing more harm than good.

The instant rowdiness that followed this presentation showed that the stage was set for a face-off between the North and the South. It became obvious that the southern delegates were at the conference to canvass for fundamental changes to the political structure and governance system of Nigeria, while the Northern delegates were there to halt any move to change the status quo.

50 Wise Men In a bid to break the stalemate, an ad hoc committee of 50 delegates was assembled to discuss the issue in greater details with the chairman of the conference. The idea was to allow the committee, most of whom were elder statesmen to meet behind closed doors to iron out their differences and reach a consensus on the issue.

The committee has recommended a middle course formulae of 70 per cent as the voting benchmark but it remains to be seen if this would be acceptable to majority of the delegates.

Ajayi

The discourse took off with objections to opening prayers laced with Arabic incantations; a sitting arrangement that fell short of recognising the elderly and the sick; complaints of the long hours of sitting The referendum Another area of contention was Order 13, the section of the Rules of Procedure prescribing what should happen to the final report of the conference. Order 13:3 of the draft rules states that: “Should the final report lead to the drafting of issues of law and policy, the Conference shall in consultation with the six principal officers of the Conference advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the National Conference into the Constitution and laws of the country.”

As it was with the previous contest, Northern delegates were comfortable with this provision but their counterparts from the Southern region were against it because it fell short of their expectations. In fact, the desire of the Southern delegates which they openly expressed was for the conference to discuss the fundamental issues, take appropriate decisions and draft a new constitution for the country.

Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, a delegate of the South-West geo-political zone who articulated the position of other Southern delegates captured it thus: “Mr. Chairman, we know why we are here. As I said earlier on, we are here to re-write our history. We know what our problems have been; why we have not been able to make it having been together for 100 years, 54

Attah

part of which we were a sovereignty, yet we were not making progress.

“We realised that failure but thanks to the President who convoked this conference. It is to right all the wrongs of the past; that is why we are here. If by any mistake, the decision of this conference is submitted to the National Assembly, then we are back to square one.

Mr. Chairman, I do beg of you and all members of this conference that we want to be happy people of a great and united country, but we cannot do so if we don’t observe what is just, fair and equitable.

“If we forget by any means, the problems we have been facing for 54 years, it would be a great pity. It would be very wrong of us and I am sure that we shall be on the wrong side of history, if we make the mistake of submitting our decisions to the National Assembly, rather than submitting our decisions to the people of this country for referendum.”

Ajayi said that the decisions of the national conference should also produce a new constitution that reflects the aspirations of the people.

However, chairman of the Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, thought otherwise and ruled that what happens to the final report would depend on the content of the report. He urged delegates to drop the idea of referendum until the end of the conference. Again, this did not go down well with the delegates from the South but was obviously in tune with the thinking of delegates from the North as shown in their subsequent contributions to the debate.

The religious protest As the rules of engagement generated so much controversy at the conference, a religious protest took place on the sidelines. The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar led a delegation of Muslim leaders to the Presidential Villa in protest over the alleged lopsided composition of the membership of the conference.

According to the delegation, the MusC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4 4

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Minister tackles Customs over smuggling A two-day public hearing organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Customs and Excise on the Federal Government’s new rice duty regime ended at the weekend in Abuja.

PHILIP NYAM reviews the position of stakeholders during the event and the disagreement between the Minister of Agriculture and the Comptroller General of Customs

I

t is often awful when highly placed public servants disagree on a policy issue.

It is further appalling when they differ on data and statistics. But this was the scenario when the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko made presentations at a two-day public hearing organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Customs and Excise on the Federal Government’s new rice duty regime.

The House had mandated the Customs and Excise Committee to look into the Federal Government’s new policy on rice importation following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Nasiru Baballe Ila (APC Kano). Several stakeholders were invited including local farmers. The minister was hard on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) because he believed, they were not doing the right thing. But the NCS felt it had done a lot within the limits of its capacity.

Minister berates Customs The minister had in his presentation took a swipe at the NCS blaming it for the lingering cross-border rice importation into Nigeria, despite the increase in local production.

Worried by the influx of imported rice into the country and the need to encourage local farmers, the Federal Government had in 2013 increased levy on rice from 20 per cent to 100 per cent. It was an agreement reached between the government and the Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN) on November 21, 2013 for customs duty on rice to be brought down to $190 per ton and from the current $570.

Adesina explained that available date shows exports of rice to Nigeria stood at 2.100 million metric tons per year, adding that only 25 per cent of Nigeria’s rice imports were recorded by the Nigerian customs between 2009 and 2011. The minister, who was furious but frank, deposed that: “These bags of rice were not imported into this country by goats or donkeys; they were imported using trucks, and trucks are not ghosts, which means the Nigerian customs need to do their job properly.”

He outrightly accused the customs for under-reporting the magnitude of smug-

These bags of rice were not imported into this country by goats or donkeys; they were imported using trucks, and trucks were not ghosts, which means the Nigerian customs need to do their job properly Akinwumi

gling of rice into the country through its borders. According to him, “Nigerian customs data indicated that an average of 341,000 of milled rice, 384,000 of rice of all types was imported into Nigeria from 2009 to 2011, while data obtained shows that the Nigerian imports in this period shows an average of 517,000metric tons per year.”

According to him, “local sources claim that around 8,000 bags of rice are smuggled into the country everyday through waterways between Nigeria and Benin, this totalled 400 tons per day equivalent to 146, 000 tons”.

The minister insisted that there was an increase in rice production activities in the year 2012 wet season and dry season which resulted in 358 jobs produced in rural communities, while gross paddy produce was N149.513 billion, while net value was N79.691 billion.

Therefore, if the smuggling could be reduced, it will go a long way in helping to ameliorate the intractable problem of unemployment in the country.

The minister is said to be doing well and even the lawmakers acknowledged this. In fact, he is said to be one of the few performing ministers in the present administration.

NCS checking smuggling But countering the minister’s submission, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko said that 2. 9 million metric tons of rice was CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 6

Fayemi and the social security stipends given to the elderly citizens all attest to good governance being enjoyed in Ekiti.

His words: “Governor Fayemi has worked for the people of Ekiti State and we should not allow deceivers to plunge us back to dark days or dark era. The opposition in the state have little to offer. All they want is to rig the election. We should not allow them to steal our votes. We should all be ready to say it is one-man-one vote.”

Dikko

imported into the country in 2011 and not 342,000 metric tons as claimed by the minister. Represented by the assistant comptroller in charge of Tariff and Trade, Mr. Odunbaku A.T, the comptroller general instead attributed the success of rice smugglers in the country to the connivance of local border communities who assisted them.

Dikko said that the service was collaborating with such communities to check activities of smugglers. He called on the Federal Government to put in place an effective sanction for smugglers of rice into the country. The customs boss also identified the low tariff on rice in neighbouring countries as one of the major factors contributing to smuggling of rice into the country.

But it seems the CGC’s defence did not hold water because the Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal also collaborated the position of the minister in his opening remark. Tambuwal had disclosed that over three million metric tons of rice was smuggled into Nigeria in 2013 through Benin Republic border alone, resulting in the loss of over N300 billion revenue to the federation account.

According to the Speaker, “Nigeria has been branded complacent in abating smuggling of rice into the country as an unprecedented millions of tons of rice has been proven to enter the Nigerian market through smuggling. But as we make efforts to combat smuggling physically; we must also utilise fiscal policies in tandem with physical enforcement to

stamp out illegal importation of rice if we are to achieve the noble position of becoming a net exporter of this essential commodity.”

Apart from the Speaker, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Sabo Mohammed Nakudu, spoke in a similar vein.

It is clear that there are certain things that the Customs has not gotten right.

A practical observation or survey of the Nigerian market would reveal that imported rice dominates markets and stores across the country. Local rice is often relegated to the background thereby allowing the foreign rice to ride roughshod over it. But like the minister asked rhetorically: is it goats or donkeys that import this rice? Where do men of the NCS operate that they cannot track down smugglers? The comptroller general has attributed the successes of smugglers to the low tariff on rice in neighbouring countries. He may be right but do we sit and lament instead of taking up proactive measures to curtail the menace of these smugglers? The bottom line is high level of corruption in the Service.

These smugglers cannot succeed without support from within. It means there are some officials operating in cahoots with the illegal importers. The smugglers have accomplices within the Customs circles and are making effective use of their contacts. Instead of seeking to defend itself against the allegations from the minister, the NCS should put its house in order and properly tackle smugglers who are doing the nation a great disservice.

Is it that the NCS is not adequately equipped to fight smugglers and criminals? Let the NCS put its house in order and tackle these smugglers head on.

Fayemi: On the march again Governor Ajimobi described Ekiti as a land of honour and respectable people, urging Ekiti people to sustain the change fought for by Fayemi.

Former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff said he and other APC leaders from outside Ekiti came to endorse Fayemi whom he described as a “working and performing governor”

for second term. He therefore urged the electorates to ensure his re-election.

Also, Adebayo said: “Ekiti will never allow thieves, fraudsters and brigands to rule us again. When PDP was in power, Ekiti was in darkness, but when Fayemi came to power, there was light all over the state and the people have now seen the difference. We should all come out to vote for Fayemi,” he said.

42 INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

PDP supported Mimiko with a Prof. Olu Agbi is a one-time Nigerian Ambassador to Greece and Australia. He once served as Secretary to the old Ondo State Government. Agbi, who alongside other PDP leaders formed the PDP-Gbasibe, a faction of the party that supported Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s second term ambition, gave reasons for his action. He also explains why PDP would reclaim the South-West.

In an interview with BABATOPE OKEOWO, he speaks on Boko Haram, the National Conference and the chances of PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections. Excerpts: You have been two time Nigerian Ambassador to Greece and Australia; what was the experience like?

I was appointed an Ambassador to Greece by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004. Of course, I have never been a career diplomat but my training has been in the realm of Diplomacy and International Relations. I did a PhD in Diplomatic History and I was very conversant with the theories of International Relations and I thought that appointment afforded me the opportunity of having a practical understanding of what diplomacy really is.

It’s a little bit different from what you read in textbooks.

When I got to Greece, I realised that Nigeria’s contact with that country was highly limited even though the Greeks had been in this country since the early 1950s. So, I set in motion a Greek-Nigerian Commission which would also improve the economic relations between the two countries because Greece has a lot to offer Nigeria, and through that I think we were able to bring a lot of their investors to this country and some of them are still here till today. But the experience of Greek investors in Nigeria has not been very palatable because most of our people deal with them in a very smart manner and some had to go back. When people in this country especially businessmen decide on their own to be straight forward, truthful foreign investment in Nigeria would be possible, and even because Nigeria is a rich country in so many resources and human development. This is what we need for investment, but Nigeria is still poor in terms of infrastructure.

Anybody who wants to invest in this country now would not come if we don’t have power, roads and water supply. These three things are very critical.

So, when I left Greece I came home and surprisingly again, maybe because of my performance in Greece they said I should go to Australia. But it was not just only Australia; it was Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji Island including some of those islands in the Pacific and that afforded me the opportunity of knowing many more countries.

Again, we had to set up an Australian trade Committee but the problem we had in Australia was the problem of distance. If you travel from Nigeria to Australia, it would take you almost two days and the investors who are coming here from Australia don’t know this country very well.It would still take sometime for those who are

in Australia to come to Nigeria. They would need to know Nigeria very well; they will need to interact with our businessmen, intellectuals and academics.

Once they do that then the opportunities are there because Australian economy depends if not entirely on mineral resources and they are doing very well. They have the best mining techniques in the world and Nigeria has a lot of mineral resources and we could cooperate with that country on that basis, and am sure Nigeria will benefit a lot from Australia.

How feasible is Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plan to reclaim South-West from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015?

The truth is that people in the SouthWest don’t like APC. The party does not have structures. If you look at PDP, the structure is very strong. People believe that instead of voting for APC, they would vote for PDP. The problem APC has is the problem of leadership. A party where dictatorship thrives cannot be seriously appreciated by the people because in the South-West, we are used to democratic forms of taking decisions. Even during the period of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo with all his status, eminence and resources he still let people go into primaries all the time and he will not intervene unless there was crisis. I remember in Papa Reuben Fasoranti’s house we used to have the primaries in those days in his wife’s primary school.

But in the APC today, somebody will sit in Lagos and impose a senatorial candidate on Ondo Central Senatorial District. This will not be possible again because people will revolt against such dictatorial tendency, and that is why APC will find it extremely difficult to penetrate the South-West. If you look at their governors now, they are like onions or palm trees without strong taproots; their taproots are scattered all

My problem with PDP then was also problem of structural arrangement, lack of internal democracy and emperor style dictatorship within the party. It is possible for a party man to revolt against these things

over the place. Take Ogun State for instance, it was because there was crisis between Obasanjo and Gbenga Daniel; that made APC to make an inroad in that state.

When you go to Osun it is almost the same. You go to Oyo State; it is clear that if Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo AlaoAkala did not quarrel, Ajimobi would not have won that election. If you add the result of Ladoja and that of Akala, it is much more than what Ajimobi scored. The issue in Ekiti was a judicial award to Kayode Fayemi. It was not based on popularity; it was based on legal argument and technicalities. But Fayemi will now test his popularity in the June election and I can assure you that Fayemi would lose Ekiti if the PDP comes together.

If you have so much faith in PDP why did you support Labour Party (LP) candidate in the last governorship election in 2012 in Ondo State?

My problem with PDP then was also problem of structural arrangement, lack of internal democracy and emperor style dictatorship within the party.

It is possible for a party man to revolt against these things and when you revolt against them as a party man, as a politician you cannot just sit down in your house and be

Agbi

watching things. The late Chief Bola Ige once did that when he said he would sit down and look; it is not possible to sit down and look. Even when you want to sit down and look, politicians out there would come around to worry you and eventually you will have to take a decision. And I took a decision then which was right and which was in tandem with my own conviction that at that time PDP was hopelessly divided and they could not win election. Instead of wasting your vote, it is better to support an incumbent governor who was also part of us, and who told us that he was going to join us if h e wins t h a t election.

I think that was the belief on which many of us supported him and it was a sizeable number of leaders of this party that supported Governor Oluse-

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

promise he’ll join party –Agbi gun Mimiko. We were thinking that if Mimiko wins, he would come back to PDP because that was the party that really promoted him. It was the party that made him Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, it would have been easier for him to come to PDP to help build this party.

We banked on that.

Now that Mimiko is not in the PDP, what are you doing to reposition the PDP in Ondo ahead of 2015?

I know there won’t be governorship election in 2015 but what we have done since I came back from Germany is that we are trying to restructure and rebuild the party, especially at the state level and we have tried to reconcile all the aggrieved people within the party.

I can assure you that we are succeeding and we have held quite a number of meetings both here in Ondo State and in Abuja and I hosted another meeting on March 16, 2014 in Akure for all leaders of the party. I’m sure with these meetings going on, we would be able to face the 2015 elections. We hope that we will win sizeable majority in the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate.

In the event the LP, like it did in the last presidential election, supports President Goodluck Jonathan candidacy; would that not be conflict of interest within the PDP and members of LP?

No, there can’t be. In fact, we expect that Mimiko will support Jonathan during the presidential election. We also believe that Governor Mimiko is very close to the president, so he has no choice than to support Jonathan and I can assure you that we will also work together amicably since we are all supporting the same person. So, there won’t be any conflicts when it comes to House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate. But you don’t know what will happen between now and then. It is possible that the PDP and the LP may come together to make some kind of arrangement that would reduce friction in these two parties. PDP and LP are just two sides of the same coin, and they are like two brothers fighting for the same thing.

I don’t see any serious crisis between them; it is a matter of confidence. When it comes to working for the president, the crisis that may arise when working for the legislative house would be reduced considerably because the leadership of the two parties will surely meet and discuss this issue.

Members of the PDP in Ondo are feeling short-changed that they don’t enjoy patronage from the Presidency.

The reason is that before 2015, PDP would have been totally reconciled and there would be unity within the party.

Once there is unity within the party, it would be difficult for the president not to take notice of PDP in Ondo. What has happened hitherto is that the division and the crisis within the party here created problems for President Jonathan. He was not willing to pick somebody from group A and leave B outrightly. So, the most convenient thing for him was to act as if PDP does not exist in Ondo. I am not sure leaders of this party are aggrieved with President Jonathan because if I were there too that’s what I would do. But the situation would be different in 2015 because of the present unity which PDP leaders are forming amongst themselves. We are now united in Ondo State; no more crisis and am sure that will interest the president. If he wins the 2015 presidential election, he will take notice of PDP in Ondo.

How do you see the security challenge in the country?

This country has security challenges like any other country where you have terrorism. Look at September 11 attack in United State; look at the 2013 attack on a shopping mall in Kenya by a group of terrorists. Look at what is happening in Pakistan and Afghanistan. So, you have these terrorists all over. All we can do is to pray that God will intervene and enter the minds of these terrorists and they would stop their terrorism in a jiffy. It is not like a conventional warfare where soldiers of A are fighting sol-

Instead of wasting your vote, it is better to support an incumbent governor who was also part of us and who told us that he was going to join us if he wins that election.

I think that was the belief on which many of us supported him and it was a sizeable number of leaders of this party that supported Governor Olusegun Mimiko diers of B. If you go to borders of Borno State today you cannot identify who is a Boko Haram member; it is difficult and the people are afraid to point them out.

When they attack villages and towns, they run back and mix with people and even if we have soldiers with heavy and sophisticated weapons would they be shooting people at random? So, it has been difficult for government to deal with these Boko Haram people because they live among the people.

It is like armed robbers; if you don’t catch an armed robber on the road or during an operation and they run into the major towns and mix with the people, the police might search for the next six months before they might be lucky to identify that armed robber and all along he would have been walking freely every day in the street. So, it is for the people to now be bold to point out who these people are. I am sure if the people can point them out, within a short time the government will be in a position to eliminate them, but if the people refuse to point them out it would be extremely difficult.

Are you not disappointed that Governor Mimiko has refused to join PDP in spite of his promise before the 2012 governorship election?

Not quite, the PDP has been in some crisis for quite some time. You know when some governors went away from the National Convention to form the new PDP and if you look at state chapters, there were serious crises. If you are in the government of LP and you want to come to another party, that party must be settled. But PDP was not settled and I don’t think it’s the fault of Mimiko who has not indicated interest in coming. When the party is united and there are no major crises, I am sure the governor would have joined PDP. Once the party is united, he will come.

I am sure he is interested in this party, and in Abuja they see him as PDP’s governor and not LP. That is not an indictment on him but it is a serious observation of his activities.

What is your view about the National Conference which has just taken off; do you think it can achieve anything?

It all depends on the objective of President Jonathan. If the National Conference is to restructure Nigeria in such a way that this country would have a true federalism where states are almost coordinate and autonomous with the Federal Government, of course it would have achieved a lot. But if the national conference is another mere debating platform for some politicians to flex their muscles and regurgitate theories of politics or economics, it would be a waste of time. So, there must be a clear focus on where we are going as a nation.

What we need in this country is total restructuring in such a way that the three tiers of government would have their powers and the normal checks and balances on them. The local government would not depend on the state government as it is today. A state governor will just wake up one day and dissolve all the local government chairmen in the state and appoint caretaker committees. Such is unnecessary in a presidential system.

Then a state should have powers to control all the resources within the state and then live according to its resources. That’s what is called presidential system, but in a situation where the Federal Government is like a godfather to all the states dolling out money every month, that system is not really presidential; it is unitary system and it is like the legacy which the military has bequeathed to Nigeria and I think this would be a golden opportunity to throw away this legacy of the military.

We cannot continue to live in the shadows of unitary system of government all these years.

So, I expect that the national conference would address these serious issues. Then the issue of state police, once you have a state that is almost autonomous to the Federal Government, the state police becomes automatic. It is not something you can just be arguing about in the vacuum; you cannot have a state police in this present system. It is not possible. But where you have a state which is almost independent and managing its resources, state police is possible. The Federal Government would also have its own powers like currency, defence, foreign affairs. Apart from these three, I don’t know what other things should be controlled by the central government.

When you look at the recurrent and the concurrent list, it is in favour of the Federal Government at the expense of the state. So, once this confab can do that and it’s not another opportunity for people to talk without any result, then of course the confab would have achieved something.

44 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Repositioning AMCON for effectiveness Philip Nyam

O

ur bill of the week is “A bill for an Act to amend the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), 2010.” The bill was presented in the House of Representatives by the chairman, Committee on Banking and Currency, Hon. Chukwudi Jones Onyereri representing Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/ Njaba federal constituency of Imo State.

Onyereri

equivalent to 50 basis points of its total assets to the Fund.”

He stressed that these obligations have already been agreed to and embodied in a written agreement between CBN and the banks. “What this bill therefore seeks to do is to codify the obligations of both CBN and the banks and to give the previous agreement between the parties the force of law.”

The primary purpose of the Resolution Cost Fund as provided in the proposed section 65 of the bill is to meet the obligations of AMCON arising from debt securities issued by AMCON if the corporation is unable to meet such obligations from its resources, which includes proceeds from sale of acquired assets from banks.

BILL OF

WEEK

THE

The Bill The proposed amendment bill seeks to clarify and remove certain contradictions in the current Act that inhibit and impede the operations of the Corporation in carrying out its mandated functions. The proposed legislation seeks to amend a total of seven sections of the law to strengthen AMCON as an institution to be able to efficiently carry out its functions. These are proposed in section 61 to 85.

When the bill came up for debate to be read the second time, Onyereri who presented the bill noted that the goal is to further strengthen AMCON to be able to efficiently carry out its functions in order to make sure that the Federal Government guarantee does not fall short thereby putting taxpayer’s money at risk. He said the key provisions in the bill are the proposed sections 61 to 85.

According to him, “these sections relate to the Sinking Fund or Resolution Cost Fund, which is an agreement between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the commercial banks that obligate the banks to contribute annually an amount

According to Onyereri, “The Resolution Cost Fund is a safety net for AMCON to ensure it meets its obligations arising from debt securities issued by it. It insulates the taxpayers from obligations occasioned by financial mismanagement by the banks.

The bill provides for a Board of Trustees to oversee its supervision, administration and management of the Fund.”

The bill provides in sections 69 to 74 for the establishment and composition of a Board of Trustees, which shall oversee the Resolution Cost Fund and will be responsible for the supervision, administration and management of the Fund.

The Board of Trustees shall consist of two representatives of CBN, four representatives of banks or eligible financial institutions and two ex-officio members – one from the Federal Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).They proposed and invest the Funds. The Funds manager shall be a company duly registered in Nigeria.

Section 76 provides for the investment of the money in the Fund, which is not immediately required to be utilised while the proposed section 77 of the bill, provides for the appointment of a fund manager to manage the Fund.

It further provides in section 83 for penalties relating to offences committed by any eligible financial institution or any management staff of an eligible financial institution. Such offences in-

Dialogue bugged by religious, ethnic sentiments C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 0

lim leaders sought audience with President Jonathan on the perceived attempt to marginalise Muslims at the conference.

Just before this protest, the Ja’ma tu Nasril Islam (JNI), the umbrella body of all Muslim groups in Nigeria had alleged that there were more Christians than Muslim delegates at the conference and accused the government of plotting to sideline Muslims in such a crucial exercise. The group claimed that there were more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria and that it was an injustice to have Christians outnumber Muslims at the national conference.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has since disputed the claims of the JNI and challenged the group to disclose the source of the data that put the Muslims above Christians in terms of population. It has also threatened to mobilise Christians to boycott the next population census in Nigeria unless the National Population Commission (NPC) made provision for collating data on the religion of every Nigerian.

Lamido’s outburst Another incident that dominated the conference last week was the outburst of a traditional ruler, Dr. Muhammadu

Barkindo Mustapha, the Lamido of Adamawa. In the midst of the discussions at the conference, the royal father lost his temper and made comments that cast shadows of doubt on his loyalty to Nigeria. He threatened not only to stage a walk out along with his people, but to also join his kinsmen in the neighbouring Cameroun and Chad if Nigeria disintegrated. It was a commentary that attracted a lot of condemnations from delegates.

The undertones These protests in and outside the national conference could not have come by chance. They are part and parcel of Nigerian politics where religious sentiments, regional affiliations and ethnic loyalty usually overshadow the national interest. It cannot be a coincidence that while delegates to the conference were yet to settle down to the real business, these flashes of confusion were coming to distract the conference from its assignment.

It has been revealed that the controversies over quorum, voting benchmark and referendum are borne out of fear and misconception that a certain group would lose the game if a certain formulae is adopted at the conference. An atmosphere of mutual suspicion pervades the conference.

The Northern power block which ruled Nigeria for most of the 53 years of its in-

Nwanyanwu

dependence and was instrumental to the unitary federalism in practice has a morbid fear of change. The South which has been more or less, a victim of the Northern dominance of power, is itching to seize the moment to make changes.

The scenario is that of a people who acknowledge that their country is in a quagmire but are unable to agree on how to rescue it. All the 492 delegates agree that Nigeria is facing a lot of challenges but they disagree on the solutions to the problems. But the tragedy is that the North as a regional block appears fixated about the structure of Nigeria and its governance system. The region could be said to be

clude failure by any bank to contribute to the Fund.

In addition to the proposed sections relating to the Resolution Cost Fund, the bill seeks to further clarify section 16 (5) by inserting a stronger and clearer language prohibiting any board member or employee of AMCON from being directly or indirectly involved in the purchase of assets acquired by AMCON. The proposed section 34 of the bill seeks to remove any contradictions relating to the purchase agreements between AMCON and the eligible financial institutions, which excludes the transfer of any obligations under any contract between the eligible financial institution and their debtors as it relates to the acquired assets. Proposed section 34 (2) seeks to further remove any impediment to the operations of AMCON by allowing AMCON to acquire an asset already subject to litigation except where there is a valid and subsisting court order expressly restraining such acquisition.

The sponsor Hon. Chukwudi Jones Onyereri was elected to the House in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before his election, he served as chief protocol officer to the Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime. He also served as a public relations consultant and had stints in business. Apart from being the chairman of the committee on banking and currency, he is a member of the following committees: Appropriation, Electoral Matters and FCT Area Councils/ Ancillary matters. parading a delegation of conservatives who guard jealously the unitary federalism in practice in Nigeria. They are more concerned about maintaining the status quo. Perhaps their only grouse with the situation of things in the country today is that a Muslim is not the current head of government in the country.

On the other hand, the South as a regional block is uncomfortable with the political structure of Nigeria. Although President Jonathan is a Southerner, delegates from the South appear more favourably disposed to changing the status quo.

They acknowledge the enormity of the challenges and have expressed readiness to bring the desired changes. They want a return to the 1963 Constitution where the regions had considerable autonomy and were engaged in a healthy competition for development. They want fiscal federalism and not the current system where every state is an appendage of the Federal Government.

Therefore, the real struggle is between the forces of change and stagnation; the apostles of fiscal federalism and unitary federalism and a battle between the hegemonists and the liberalists in Nigeria.

In this struggle, religion, ethnicity and regional alliances are usually the tools of mobilisation. The battle for the soul of Nigeria has just begun and it is doubtful if the forces of change would win given the antecedents of both groups and the dynamics of our politics.

METRO 45

April 2, 2014

ll guns to vandals, not Boko Haram – Gunrunner

CUSE d gunrunner to justify ment in n of arms

is

d gunrunner, Abdumao, has told police hat he sells guns to als and not Boko Has or robbers. r-old suspect was arg in possession of 10

il his arrest, used to a Faso to buy guns them into Nigeria them in yam flour. t said that he used to t in Burkina Faso to ari Watara, who sells m. to him, Watara buys ali and brings them in Burkina Faso.

I buy the guns for

N240,000 each and sell in Nigeria for N350,000. Watara is from Wayalga area in Ouagadougou, Capital of Burkina Faso. He gets his supply from Mali from where he transports the rifles to Wayalga market in Burkina Faso, there I buy from him.

“To bring them into Nigeria, I package them into large containers of condensed milk. On getting between the border of Nigeria and Benin Republic, I will remove them from the condensed milk and conceal them in yam flour.

It is from there I would travel to Ibadan.

“Once I’m in Ibadan, I will alert a man called Gbenga Olusegun, who is an intermediary between me and two of my buyers in Onitsha, Moses Okoli and Obiora Nnanna.

“Normally, I don’t sell to Boko Haram members. I sell to Olusegun, who sells to the Igbo boys.

The boys said they used the guns for oil bunkering.”

The Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said Amao was ap-

rested in Delta

prehended after the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, arrested a gang of robbers, who mentioned the name of one Olatunji Tunbosun, a hunter, who used to assist in getting them guns.

He added that when Tunbosun was arrested, he mentioned the name of Amao and Olusegun as those behind the gunrunning racket.

Amao, according to him, was arrested, while Olusegun simply vanished.

The commissioner disclosed that Olusegun and others may

run all they want, but it was only a matter of time before police catch up with them.

Manko said that he had received information on March 10, that Tunbosun was a member of notorious armed robbery gang and had directed the officer in charge of SARS, Mr Abba Kyarri, to track down the suspect.

Tunbosun was arrested at Ikorodu, with one AK47 rifle.

When he was quizzed, he confessed to have bought the gun from Amao, an arms dealer in Ibadan, the commissioner disclosed.

thing to probe further. I have a mandate to make sure there is peace in Lagos and I will follow it through,” he said.

However, Amao disclosed that he started the business early 2014 and was initiated by the fleeing Gbenga Olusegun.

Speaking on his system of beating security agents, he said: “We don’t settle Customs officers, which is why we conceal the guns in yam flour and move at night.”

The suspect said he had two wives and both women knew he was a smuggler, but he had cleverly hidden his arms running business from them.

He said: “My wives know that I’m a smuggler and they had warned me several times against the business. I now wish I had listened to them. But they didn’t know that I was into gunrunning. I don’t bring the guns into the country in large quantity. I bring two or three at a time.”

Man, 70, commits suicide in Abeokuta Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A

70-year-old man, simply identified as Baba Ijemo, has reportedly committed suicide in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The deceased, a father of seven, was found hanging inside his bedroom in his Olor-

ombo residence in Abeokuta.

It was gathered yesterday that the decomposing body of the man was discovered on Monday afternoon by neighbours and co-tenants.

As a result of the odour emanating from the room, it was learnt that curious neighbours peeped through his window only to discover the man’s

body dangling on a rope tied round his neck.

The residents subsequently reported the matter to the police who visited the scene and removed the body.

When our correspondent visited the scene yesterday, the residents and neighbours were discussing the

incident in groups.

Though some of them could not give reasons for the incident, others observed that the man might have committed suicide as a result of neglect by his immediate family.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comments at press time.

Ibadan evil forest created 10 years ago – CP Abiodun Bello and Sola Adeyemo

O

obbers

o of the robsubishi L200 ith registraEDO), were ested. suspect had ation to the which could g members. mander, Mr nt commise incident.

Amao (left) and Tubosun

He said: “Sequel to Tunbosun’s confessions, two SARS decoy teams were briefed and sent to Ibadan and after eight days, Amao was arrested in his house at Ayegun area, Olomi bus stop. Ten AK47 rifles were recovered from him.

“He confessed to have sold several other AK47 rifles and English pistols to several buyers in Oyo, Lagos and Anambra states. Most of the buyers got information of his arrest and ran, but effort is on to get them.”

Reacting to Amao’s dexterity in concealing and smuggling guns into Nigeria, Manko said that the suspect’s mode of operation was an eye-opener for security agents.

The commissioner explained that since both men were arrested in Nigeria, there might not be need for intervention of Interpol.

“But for the fact that the guns went through Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin, Republic, I think it is some-

He said crime had reduced in Warri and its environs because of new strategy employed by the police.

Hussaini said gone were the days when the sources of information on the activities of criminals volunteered to the police were divulged.

Another senior police officer from ‘B’ Division in Warri said they were recording successes in crime combating and prevention with the new strategy.

yo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Ndabawa, yesterday disclosed that kidnapping and killings had been going on in Soka area of Ibadan.

Ndabawa said this after the emergency meeting of the Oyo State Security Council presided over by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo, the meeting also resolved to apprehend those behind the forest.

Addressing journalists af-

ter the meeting, the commissioner said that among others, preliminary investigations from the security agencies had shown that the den of kidnappers and the activities of kidnap in the place now tagged Evil Forest, had been in existence since about 10 years ago.

He said: “From the information available so far, that place has been there for a very long time, perhaps about 10 years. It was initially used by a construction company during the channelization of Ogunpa River and after then, the site was abandoned.

“We got information in

the course of our investigation that government (previous and present) contacted the issue of picking lunatics and then reuniting them with their families. That thing (kidnapping) had been on but government was not aware of it.”

Ndabawa attributed the discovery to the prompt response of the state anticrime unit, Operation Burst.

According to him, Operation Burst responded to a distress call of kidnap in the area which led to the discovery of a large number of captives and bones of human beings.

On what the security agencies had done so far since the

discovery, Ndabawa said a team of policemen had been sent from the Force CID, Abuja with forensic pathologists.

He said: “They were on site yesterday (Monday) and they will continue the site investigation before the demolition (of the make-shift structures at the site).”

Briefing journalists, the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Affairs, Mr Toye Arulogun, said the government had also decided to create a temporary shelter with medical personnel and other facilities to take care of the lunatics picked up from the streets before they are reunited with their families.

46 BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

1-Apr-14

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

Bonds

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

Description

Price

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

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

9.20 9.25 4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00

45.00 100.00 535.00 327.47 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 50.00 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57

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

0.24 0.49 1.06 2.38 3.07 3.32 3.42 4.16 5.24 5.56 7.83 9.95 14.66 15.14 15.64 16.31

13.59 13.95 14.27 13.59 13.90 13.75 13.75 13.76 13.84 13.77 13.85 13.90 13.71 13.69 13.68 13.71

12.96 13.61 14.10 13.51 13.77 13.63 13.63 13.65 13.76 13.67 13.79 13.85 13.66 13.64 13.61 13.65

98.89 97.84 90.21 98.90 102.90 89.83 88.30 90.51 107.80 74.27 111.85 101.55 108.04 92.37 66.91 76.00

99.04 97.99 90.36 99.05 103.20 90.13 88.60 90.81 108.10 74.57 112.15 101.85 108.34 92.67 67.21 76.30

9.20 29-JUN-2014 9.25 28-SEP-2014 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,132.04

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

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

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

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.58 1.15 1.51 2.69 3.05 3.26

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.49 1.00

15.01 16.85 16.28 15.74 15.24 14.75

91.94 83.07 101.33 90.47 87.49 85.98

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

0.35 0.54 1.42 1.02 1.32 1.32 3.05 1.88 3.75 2.72 4.51 2.73 2.72 3.31 3.19 5.64 3.34 4.05 6.66 4.06 4.09

4.88 5.99 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 7.60 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 2.46 1.94 2.74 2.74 1.00 1.44 1.95

18.25 19.97 18.50 17.52 18.58 17.60 19.34 21.40 15.54 15.54 14.76 14.74 14.95 14.75 16.21 15.71 16.49 16.50 14.78 15.20 15.71

98.48 97.06 92.78 96.00 95.03 97.94 79.20 88.87 95.67 96.81 97.56 99.66 106.87 99.43 98.30 95.52 95.83 95.13 94.65 103.91 103.57

1,304.32

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

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

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 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 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

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

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

567.90

Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; AA/GCR Aa/Agusto Nil

LAFARGE WAPCO GTB µ NGC

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR

*UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS

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

NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER

17.00 6.00 8.50 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00 5.00 5.00

#

UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

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

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

07-Oct-11 18-Dec-09

11.50 13.50

11.80 13.17

07-Oct-14 18-Dec-14

0.52 0.72

1.00 5.21

14.97 19.31

98.33 96.21

01-Apr-10 17-Aug-10

17.00 10.00

2.00 15.00

31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15

0.75 0.90

8.71 4.88

22.84 19.11

96.06 92.92

09-Dec-10 06-Jan-11

12.00 14.00

37.50 1.50

09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16

0.98 1.06

1.00 2.63

15.28 16.90

97.23 97.62

29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13

13.00 14.25

15.00 5.53

29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16

2.50 2.57

1.00 1.34

14.74 15.08

96.48 98.26

30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11

13.00 18.00 16.00

20.00 0.94 8.01

30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18

3.50 2.12 2.02

4.52 1.88 3.48

18.27 15.61 17.21

86.80 105.30 97.96

09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11

18.00 16.00

3.63 1.00

09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18

2.44 2.44

5.20 5.06

18.94 18.80

98.45 101.85

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

4.48

3.06

16.82

91.36

18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 14-Nov-13

15.75 17.00 15.25

3.00 0.54 2.05

18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 14-Nov-20

2.30 2.63 6.62

2.29 6.11 2.76

16.02 19.85 16.54

99.57 94.81 94.88

11-Feb-18

3.87

1.00

14.75

86.90

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

175.67

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

11-Feb-13

10.20

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

12.00

12.00 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value ($'mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.54

5.39

106.79

107.65

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

18-Dec-09

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.65

4.44

101.83

102.63

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.94

5.82

103.06

103.93

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

Corporate Eurobonds Afren PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.78

3.36

113.49

114.29

GTBank PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.38

4.55

104.19

105.90

GTBank PLC II

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.24

5.92

99.07

100.31

B+/S&P

Access Bank PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.98

6.57

100.78

101.99

B/S&P; B/Fitch

Fidelity Bank PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.41

8.02

94.77

96.04

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

(%)

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

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

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

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.58 1.15 1.51 2.69 3.05 3.26

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.49 1.00

15.01 16.85 16.28 15.74 15.24 14.75

91.94 83.07 101.33 90.47 87.49 85.98

1,304.32

BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014 Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto KWARA A-/GCR NIGER A+/Agusto KADUNA A/Agusto *EBONYI Nil *BENUE A+/Agusto *IMO A+/Agusto; A+/GCR LAGOS A-/Agusto *BAYELSA A/Agusto EDO A+/Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTA A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER A/Agusto; A-/GCR† *EKITI A-/Agusto *NIGER A/Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO A/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS rading A/Agusto; A-/GCR activities *OSUNon the A/Agusto *OSUN Stock floor of the Nigerian Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS Exchange (NSE) opened A/Agusto *EKITI the month on downward A-/GCR *NASARAWA

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 with 10.00193.8 LAGOSmillion 19-APR-2017shares valued BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 at13.75 N3.06 million in 1,639.

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 The subsector was activated 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 by14.00 theNIGER shares of GTB and Zenith II 4-OCT-2018 Bank.

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGERfinancial III 12-DEC-2018 institution Other 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 services sub sector enhanced by 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 the shares of Stanbic IBTC and 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 FBNH followed with a turnover 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 of14.75 72.4 million units valued at 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 N448.9 million in 795 deals.

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 On the whole, investors ex15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

05-Aug-09 14.00 15-Oct-09 14.00 31-Aug-10 12.50 30-Sep-10 13.00 30-Jun-11 14.00 30-Jun-09 15.50 19-Apr-10 10.00 at the The number of gainers 13.75 closed close30-Jun-10 of trading session 30-Dec-10 14.00 flat at30-Sep-11 18 while decliners closed 14.00 higher at 39.

04-Oct-11 14.00 09-Dec-11 Plc led on 14.50 Interbrew the gain12-Dec-13 14.00 ers' table with 10.25 per cent gain 14-Feb-12 15.50 to close at N26.68 per share while 02-Oct-12 15.50 UAC 22-Nov-12 Property Plc followed with 14.50 12-Dec-12 14.75 to close a gain of 10.20 per cent 30-Sep-13per share.

14.75 at N25.38 UPL Plc 27-Nov-13 13.50 gained 10 per cent to close at 31-Dec-13 14.50 N4.4 per share.

06-Jan-14 15.00

17.00 05-Aug-14 0.35 6.00 15-Oct-14 0.54 8.50 31-Aug-15 1.42 16.50 30-Sep-15 1.02 13.00 30-Jun-16 1.32 18.50 30-Jun-16 1.32 57.00 19-Apr-17 3.05 50.00 30-Jun-17 1.88 25.00 31-Dec-17 3.75 50.00 30-Sep-18 2.72 9.00 eventy-three 04-Oct-18per cent 4.51of 20.00 share certificates 09-Dec-18 in2.73 the 12.00 Nigerian 12-Dec-18 2.72 capital market 27.00 14-Feb-19 3.31 have been dematerialized, the 20.00 02-Oct-19 3.19 Central Securities Clearing 80.00 22-Nov-19 5.64 30.00 12-Dec-19(CSCS) 3.34 System Limited has 11.40 30-Sep-20 4.05 disclosed.

87.00 27-Nov-20 6.66 Managing31-Dec-20 Director, CSCS, 5.00 4.06 Mr. who said4.09 this 5.00 Kyari Bukar, 06-Jan-21

47

4.88 18.25 98.48 5.99 19.97 97.06 4.44 18.50 92.78 3.23 17.52 96.00 4.46 18.58 95.03 3.48 17.60 97.94 5.59 19.34 79.20 7.60 21.40 88.87 manipulation and fraudulent 1.79 15.54 95.67 practices.

1.80 15.54 96.81 ''The existence of the 1.00 14.76 97.56pre1.00 market14.74 99.66 CSCS was fraught with 14.95 106.87 one1.21 long transaction cycles, a lot 1.00 14.75 99.43 of 2.46 fraud related to certificates 16.21 98.30 clowning, certificates been 1.94 15.71 95.52lost 95.83 or or 2.74 invalidated16.49 via one form 2.74 16.50 95.13 another.

1.00 14.78 94.65 People handled paper certifi1.44 15.20 103.91 cates; so they can actually play 1.95 15.71 103.57

71% of share Bearish sentiments return to NSE CSCS: certificates dematerialised RIPOSTE

The bears have resurfaced at the Exchange Chris Ugwu

T

trend the bears staged TOTALasOUTSTANDING VALUEa comeback to cull gains recorded durCorporate Bonds ing the past two days.

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR LAFARGE WAPCO The return of bearish sentiAa/Agusto GTB µ ments was on the backdrop of NGC Nil Bbb-/Agusto *UPDC price losses suffered by major A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS blue chip companies.

BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS Specifically , at the close of A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO transactions yesterday, the A-/Agusto FSDH A/GCR banking subsector ofUBAthe finanBBB-/GCR *C &the I LEASING cial sector remained most # BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *DANA active stock in volume terms # A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR

*TOWER # *TOWER

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

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

changed a total of 369.8 million shares valued at N4.8 billion in 4,494 transactions.

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 Further showed 13.50 GUARANTYanalysis TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00at NGC 31-DEC-2014 that the close of trading ses10.00 UPDC sion, the 17-AUG-2015 NSE All-Share Index 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 was down by 117 basis points or 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 0.95 per cent to close at 38,383.05 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 while the market 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016capitalisation 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 depreciated

by N117 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 billion or 0.95 per cent to close MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 atMPR+7.00 N12.329 trillion.

TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

Chris Ugwu

S

On the flip side, Paint Company Plc led on the price losers' table, dropping by 4.97 per cent 07-Oct-11 11.50 to close at N1.72 per share 18-Dec-09 13.50 while CCNN Plc and Coulterville 01-Apr-10 17.00 17-Aug-10 10.00 Business Solution Plc followed with 09-Dec-10 a loss of 4.92 12.00 06-Jan-11 14.00 per cent each to close at N1.72 29-Sep-11 13.00 and 58 kobo per share.

Sterling 25-Oct-13 14.25 30-Sep-10 13.00per cent Bank Plc s shed 4.91 30-Nov-12 18.00 to close at N2.58 per share.

09-Apr-11

16.00

09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11

18.00 16.00 14.00

at a forum, noted that though a 567.90

larger percentage of the certificate has been dematerialized, it 11.80 07-Oct-14 0.52 was 13.17 still expedient 18-Dec-14 that aware0.72 ness is stepped up 2.00 campaign 31-Dec-14 0.75to 15.00 17-Aug-15 on the need 0.90 educate Nigerians 37.50 09-Dec-15 0.98 to dematerialised their share 1.50 06-Jan-16 1.06 certificates.

15.00 29-Sep-16 2.50 5.53Bukar explained 25-Oct-16 that before 2.57 20.00 30-Sep-17 share 3.50 1998, only manual cer0.94 30-Nov-17 2.12 tificates were being handled, 8.01 09-Apr-18 2.02 which created room for market 3.63 1.00 ruary 35.00 .

… Transactions shed 36.62% in March

T

UBA

NAHCO

he total shares traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Supranational (NSE) inBond March dropped by AAA/S&P IFC Agency 36.62 per cent, the News OUTSTANDING VALUE yesofTOTAL Nigeria (NAN) reported terday.

Rating/Agency Statistics released byIssuer the Exchange yesterday in Lagos FGN Eurobonds showed that investors traded BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P 7.79 billion shares worth N83.59 BB-/Fitch;in 92,958 deals during billion the FGN TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

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

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

month.

Transactions during the month were lower than the 12.29 10.20 IFCshares 11-FEB-2018 billion valued at N99.34 billion traded in 104,578 deals in February.

Description A further breakdown of the market activities showed that the financial services sector 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 remained the most active, accounting for 5.13 6.31JULbillion 12, 2018 shares 6.38 JUL 12, 2023

09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18

2.44 2.44 4.48

3.00Mr David 18-Oct-18 2.30 Adonri, the Chief 0.54 17-Feb-19 2.63 Executive Officer, Lambeth 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.62 worth N46.04 billion traded in Trust & Securities Ltd., said 175.67 52,945 deals. that the decline experienced in The market capitalisation March was due to market un11-Feb-13 12.00 11-Feb-18 led to sales 3.87 in March dipped10.20

by N261 certainties, which billion to close at N12.446 tril- 12.00 pressure. lion, against N12.707 trillion He said that the equities Issue Date Coupon Issue Value ($'mm)declined Maturityby Date2.05 per Bid Yield (%) achieved in February . (%) market cent Also, the NSE All-Share In- due to investors' anxiety over dex lost 810.88 points or 2.05 per the fate of the naira.

6.75 28-Jan-21 5.54recent 07-Oct-11 to close at 38,748.01 from 500.00 Other factors include the the 39,558.89 recorded in Febduction of exposure of institu18-Dec-09 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.65 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 14-Nov-13

15.75 17.00 15.25

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

12-Jul-23

5.94

around the market and take advantage of this. All these malpractices were reduced or 1.00 14.97 98.33 completely eliminated as a re5.21 19.31 96.21 sult8.71of the advent of the CSCS 22.84 96.06 4.88 market,'' 19.11 92.92 to the Bukar said.

1.00 97.23 He said the15.28 establishment of 2.63 16.90 97.62 the1.00 West African Capital Mar14.74 96.48 kets Integration (WAC1.34 15.08Council98.26 4.52 was to avail 18.27 investors 86.80 in MIC) 15.61 opportunities 105.30 the1.88 region more 3.48 17.21 97.96 to invest in more securities.

5.20 18.94 98.45 5.06 18.80 101.85 tional 3.06 investors 16.82in the financial 91.36

2.29 16.02 99.57 market.

6.11 19.85 94.81 He also attributed the mar2.76 16.54 94.88 ket depression to tight monetary policy and suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria 1.00 Governor 14.75 by the Federal 86.90 (CBN) Government.

Adonri said that the market Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price would likely experience improved growth this month bePrices & Yields cause of improved 2013 quoted 5.39 106.79 released 107.65into companies results the4.44 market. 101.83 102.63 5.82

103.06

103.93

1-Apr-14

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 1,500.00 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.

Corporate Eurobonds Afren PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

GTBank PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

Rating/Agency B+/S&P

GTBank PLC II Issuer Access Bank PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018 Issue Date 7.25 JUL 25, 2017

B/S&P; B/Fitch

Fidelity Bank PLC

B/Fitch

Afren PLC II

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

First Bank PLC

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

Afren PLC III

B-/S&P; B/Fitch

FGN Bonds B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE **TreasuryNABills

NA

DTM Maturity 9 10-Apr-14 16 17-Apr-14 23 24-Apr-14 37 8-May-14 44 15-May-14 51 22-May-14 58 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 29-May-14 65 5-Jun-14 79 19-Jun-14 86 26-Jun-14 Rating/Agency Issuer 93 3-Jul-14 100 10-Jul-14 Agency Bonds 107 17-Jul-14 AMCON 121 31-Jul-14 128 7-Aug-14 FMBN 135 14-Aug-14 NA 142 21-Aug-14 ***LCRM 156 4-Sep-14 247 4-Dec-14 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 282 8-Jan-15 296 22-Jan-15 Sub-National 310Bonds 5-Feb-15 324 A/Agusto KWARA 19-Feb-15 338 A-/GCR NIGER 5-Mar-15

Description

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

9.20 29-JUN-2014 29-Jun-07 9.25 28-SEP-201410.25 APR 08, 2019 28-Sep-07 4.00 23-APR-2015 8.25 AUG 07, 202023-Apr-10 13.05 16-AUG-2016 16-Aug-13 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 15.10 27-APR-2017 27-Apr-12 9.85 27-JUL-2017 27-Jul-07 9.35 31-AUG-2017 31-Aug-07 10.70 30-MAY-2018 30-May-08 16.00 29-JUN-2019 29-Jun-12 Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) 7.00 23-OCT-2019 23-Oct-09 12.00 11.75 16.39 27-JAN-2022 27-Jan-12 11.95 11.70 14.20 14-MAR-2024 14-Mar-14 11.85 11.60 15.00 28-NOV-2028 28-Nov-08 11.80 11.55 12.49 22-MAY-2029 22-May-09 12.05 11.80 8.50 20-NOV-2029 20-Nov-09 12.15 11.90 10.00 23-JUL-2030 23-Jul-10

12.30 12.05 12.35 12.10 12.10 11.85 12.50 12.25 Description 13.00 12.75 12.30 12.05 13.00 12.75 0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 13.05 12.80 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 13.00 12.75 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 13.10 12.85 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 13.10 12.85 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 13.05 12.80 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 12.90 12.65 13.00 12.75 13.00 12.75 12.90 12.65 13.00 12.75 14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 13.00 12.75 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014

A+/Agusto KADUNA 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 A/Agusto *EBONYI 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 Nil *BENUE 14.00 *from the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated andBENUE not the 30-JUN-2016 duration # A+/Agusto *IMOof credit risk and liquidity 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 Risk Premium is a combination risk premiums A+/Agusto; LAGOS 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 **ExclusiveA+/GCR of non-trading t.bills A-/Agusto *BAYELSA 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 A/Agusto EDO 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 A+/Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTA 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 A/Agusto; A-/GCR† *EKITI 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 A-/Agusto *NIGER 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 A/Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 A/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE 15.50Porfolio GOMBEMarket 02-OCT-2019 Modified Duration Total Outstanding Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS Buckets 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 Value(Bn) Volume(Bn) A/Agusto; A-/GCR *OSUN 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 A/Agusto *OSUN 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 <3 789.80 780.27 Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

Bonds

08-Nov-13 Coupon (%) 25-Jul-12 09-May-13 9.20

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.78

3.36

113.49

114.29

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.38

4.55

104.19

Price 105.90

6.00 Outstanding Value 7.25 (N'bn)

400.00 Maturity 350.00Date

08-Nov-18 TTM (Yrs) 25-Jul-17

6.24 Bid 6.98 Yield (%)

45.00 10.25 100.00 535.00 8.25 327.47 6.63 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 Tenor 600.00 CALL 50.00 775.00 DAYS 30150.00 DAYS 60200.00 DAYS 90591.57 DAYS

29-Jun-14 300.00 28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 300.00 16-Aug-16 360.00 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 2,960.00 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 Rate (%) 27-Jan-22 10.7500 14-Mar-24 11.0000 28-Nov-28 11.3750 22-May-29 11.7083 20-Nov-29 11.9583 23-Jul-30

300.00

02-May-18 0.24

8.41 13.59

6.88

08-Apr-12 9.25

4.00 07-Aug-13

13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 Bid Yield 7.00 (%) 12.04 16.39 12.01 14.20 11.94 15.00 11.94 12.49 12.23 8.50 12.36 10.00

09-Dec-13

12.55 12.63 12.43 12.88 Issue Date 13.45 12.73 13.52 28-Dec-11 13.64 24-May-10 13.62 03-Apr-12 13.77 09-Dec-11 13.80 20-Apr-12 13.82 06-Jul-12 14.13 14.45 14.53 14.49 14.70 05-Aug-09 14.78 15-Oct-09

FIXINGS NIBOR

180 DAYS 4,132.04 365 DAYS

Coupon (%) Tenor 1M 0.00 2M 0.00 3M 17.25 6M 0.00/16.00 9M 0.00/16.50 12M 0.00/16.50

12.2083 12.5417

Issue Value (N'bn) NITTY Rate (%) 11.9708 978.35 12.5044 24.56 13.2736 6.00 13.9378 112.22 14.3426 116.70 15.0262 66.49

1,304.32 NIFEX

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 Weighting by 22-Nov-12Vol Outstanding 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 33.59 27-Nov-13

14.00Current Price ($/N)17.00 BID($/N) 14.00 164.6750 6.00 OFFER ($/N) 164.7750 12.50 8.50 13.00 16.50 14.00 13.00 15.50 18.50 10.00 57.00 13.75 50.00 14.00 25.00 14.00 50.00 14.00 9.00 14.50 20.00 14.00 12.00 15.50 27.00 15.50 20.00 Weighting

by Mkt Bucket80.00 Weighting 14.50 Value 14.75 30.00 14.75 11.40 13.50 34.50 87.00 0.34

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

08-Apr-19 0.49

1.06 07-Aug-20

13.95 5.11

14.27 7.10 2.38 13.59 6.14 3.07 13.90 3.32 13.75 3.42 13.75 4.16 Money Market 13.76 5.24 13.84 Tenor Rate (%) 5.56 13.77 7.83 13.85 OBB 10.25 9.95 13.90 14.66 13.71 O/N 10.50 15.14 13.69 15.64 REPO 13.68 Tenor Rate (%) 16.31 13.71

09-Dec-20

Call 1M 3M 6M Date Maturity

10.25 11.25 11.92 Avg.12.17 Life/TTM (Yrs)

NOTE:

5.92 Offer Yield 6.57 (%) 8.02 12.96

99.07 Bid Price 100.78

14.10 6.85

90.21 104.23

13.61 4.74 13.51

1.32 1.32 3.05 1.88 3.75 2.72 4.51 2.73 2.72 3.31 3.19 Implied Yield 5.64 3.34 4.05 13.78 6.66

94.77 98.89

96.04 99.04

97.84 114.33

97.99 115.12 90.36 105.18

98.90

99.05

5.92 13.77

101.92 102.90

102.83 103.20

2M 3M #6M Risk 1Y Premium (%)

167.01 168.11 171.63 Valuation 178.74 Yield (%)

168.36 170.39 176.35 Indicative 188.43 Price

13.63 89.83 90.13 13.63 88.30 88.60 13.65 90.51 90.81 Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) 13.76 107.80 108.10 13.67 74.27 74.57 13.79 111.85 112.15 Tenor Bid ($/N) Offer ($/N) 13.85 101.55 101.85 Spot 164.61 164.71 13.66 108.04 108.34 7D 164.98 165.25 13.64 92.37 92.67 14D 165.24 165.62 13.61 66.91 67.21 1M 165.84 166.58 13.65 76.00 76.30

31-Oct-14 0.58 1.00 :Benchmarks 24-May-15 1.15 2.63 * :Amortising Bond 03-Apr-17 1.51 2.27 µ :Convertible Bond 09-Dec-16 2.69 2.00 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 20-Apr-17 1.49 FGN: Federal Government of 3.05 Nigeria 06-Jul-17 3.26 1.00 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria IFC: International Finance Corporation LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company NGC: Nigeria-German Company 05-Aug-14 0.35 4.88 UBA: United Bank for Africa 0.54 15-Oct-14 5.99 UPDC:31-Aug-15 UAC Property Development 1.42 Company 4.44 WAPCO:West Africa Portland 1.02 Cement Company 30-Sep-15 3.23 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 % Exposure_ 22-Nov-19 Mod_Duration 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 17.62 27-Nov-20

100.31 Offer Price 101.99

4.46 3.48 5.59 7.60 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 2.46 Implied 1.94 Portfolio Price 2.74 2.74 108.4102 1.00

91.94 NA :Not15.01 Applicable 16.85Rate Bond 83.07 # :Floating 16.28 coupon bonds 101.33 ***: Deferred 15.74 15.24 14.75

†: Bond rating expired

18.25 19.97 18.50 17.52 18.58 17.60 19.34 21.40 15.54 15.54 14.76 14.74 14.95 14.75 16.21 INDEX 15.71 16.49 16.50 1,029.68 14.78

90.47 87.49 85.98

98.48 97.06 92.78 96.00 95.03 97.94 79.20 88.87 95.67 96.81 97.56 99.66 106.87 99.43 YTD 98.30 Return 95.52 (%) 95.83 95.13 2.9676 94.65

48 BUSINESS | MONEY LINE

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

‘Daily oil production to hit 2.6 m barrels in Oct' planned to increase oil output to over 60,000 bpd at OML 42.

The plan to be realised in the coming year, is expected to increase the total output of the OML from the present 30,500 bpd to over 60,000bpd.

"This projected increase, together with high level activities

MORE REVENUE NPDC has produced 30, 500 barrels daily as its first oil from ONL 42.

Adeola Yusuf

O

on other fields, is going to be a major booster to the country's oil production. By and large, the figures available to NPDC shows that the country will hit the 2.6 million barrels daily in six months time," a management staff of the NPDC who is not authorised to speak told New

Nigeria, others pledge $50m for Abidjan-Lagos road

il production from Nigeria will hit 2.6 million barrels per day in October, the highest in four years, New Telegraph gathered yesterday.

The last time Nigeria produced this level was in 2010 due to improvement in post-amnesty programme.

The country depends largely on proceeds from crude oil to service over 85 per cent of its budget.

Already, Nigeria's daily production has exceeded 2.5 million barrels bouyed by production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42.

The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), operator of the OML 42, declared that it made the first production from OML 42, which has not been effectively productive since two years ago.

NPDC, which took over the operatorship of the field from Shell in January 2012, said it

Jonah Iboma

A

treaty that formally establishes the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Abidjan-Lagos corridor to operationalise the 1025-kilometre road project linking the region’s major commercial cities and ports have been signed by leaders of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo.

The five countries have already pledged to contribute $50million for preparatory activities for the project, which has attracted significant donor interest.

The corridor accounts for 70

per cent of the commercial traffic in the ECOWAS region, making it a major tool for facilitating the implementation of the region’s flagship protocol on the free movement of persons, goods and right of residence and establishment.

According to details made available to New Telegraph yesterday, the treaty, which was signed on the final day of the just-concluded 44th summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, requires the five countries to construct and manage the 6-lane road and establish a corridor management au-

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

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

Description

TTM

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

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

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

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

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

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

Telegraph in confidence.

The NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said in a recent presentation that six months "after successful takeover of operatorship, NPDC raised the production level to 30,500 bpd (13,800bpd net) from

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

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

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

thority with a supra-national status.

The project is expected to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of persons and goods, stimulate socio-economic development, transfer of the corridor into a platform for development and a tool for accelerating economic growth of the countries involved.

To realise these objectives, the affected member states

13 strings. This milestone production was unprecedented in the history of Batan production even when SPDC was operating.

NPDC stated that the key achievements on OML 42 since the takeover of operatorship included the accomplishment of a zero lost time incidence. agreed under the treaty to develop and harmonise their trade and transport facilitation procedures along the corridor in nine identified areas including maritime port facilities, routes and facilities, customs control, immigration, police and other agencies.

They are also to develop and harmonise procedures for routes and facilities, documentation, transport of goods by road, rail and other means, multimodal transport of goods, corridor development, handling of hazardous materials and measures to facilitate the work of transit agencies.

‘Ondo generated N2.93b IGR in two months’

E

fforts of the Ondo State Government to increase its revenue has received a boost as it generated N2.93 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the first two months of 2014.

Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, in a chat with newsmen in Akure, the state capital, said the success recorded so far in the state’s revenue drive was as a result of the ingenuity and drive of the state's Board of Internal Revenue.

“Recall that while signing the 2014 Budget, Mr Governor did mention that the state’s Board of Internal Revenue had been re-organised to drive the expansion of the state’s revenue base and the result of this is already manifesting,” Akinmade said.

Noting that the marching order is beginning to yield result, Akinmade said report made available by the Acting Chairman of the State’s Board of Internal Revenue, Mr Kafaru Akinsehinwa, indicate that the agency raked in N2.93 billion in the first two months of the year as revenue.

He added that various steps have been taken by the Board to meet the N15 billion target set for it by the government for this year.

He said the target last year

was set at N12 billion, but N10.1 billion was realised.

He hinted that policies have now been put in place to also reduce leakages.

Akinmade said the decision of government to reorganise the revenue generating board has led to it taking steps to further ease the process of tax payment in the state, thereby widening the tax net.

He said, with more initiatives developed to further boost the state’s IGR, the state’s revenue in the next two months would be double what was realised in the first two months.

One of the innovations developed to shore up the state’s revenue is the introduction of sales terminals across the state, he said.

“By April, in collaboration with a bank, it will deploy 100 Point of Sales terminals across the state, which will make paying of tax as easy as going to a supermarket to make purchases, anywhere in the state.”

Stating that only 30 per cent of people in Ondo State pay taxes, the Commissioner said the Board is being restructured to be able to carry out its mandate, with a new department created for the purpose of increasing the width of the tax net.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, 2, 2014 Daily SummaryApril as of 01/04/2014

Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023

Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET 49

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at April 1, 2014 Daily Summary (Bonds)

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Debt Trading Activity

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Daily Summary (Equities)

HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. Healthcare Providers Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 14 27 41

Current Price 42.00 40.00

Quantity Traded 49,133 230,544 279,677

Value Traded 1,960,406.70 9,610,687.44 11,571,094.14

Fishing/Hunting/Trapping ELLAH LAKES PLC. Fishing/Hunting/Trapping Totals

Symbol ELLAHLAKES

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 4.26

Quantity Traded 348 348

Value Traded 1,409.40 1,409.40

Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 18 18

Current Price 3.32

Quantity Traded 419,566 419,566

Value Traded 1,368,480.94 1,368,480.94

699,591

12,940,984.48

Quantity Traded 12,667 11,445,152 1,476,500 12,934,319

Value Traded 18,363.81 42,350,400.86 80,262,222.12 122,630,986.79

AGRICULTURE Totals

Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 CONGLOMERATES Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023

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

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

60 Symbol No. of Deals AGLEVENT 4 TRANSCORP 141 Daily Summary (Equities) UACN 73 218

Page

Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONGLOMERATES CONGLOMERATES Totals

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

Current Price 1.40 3.69 54.00

218 Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 15 15

Current Price 1.46

1

of

12,934,319

122,630,986.79

Quantity Traded 318,703 318,703

Value Traded 460,206.38 460,206.38

Symbol JBERGER ROADS

No. of Deals 6 1 7

Current Price 71.25 8.46

Quantity Traded 105,056 200 105,256

Value Traded 7,111,240.64 1,692.00 7,112,932.64

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 129 129

Current Price 25.38

Quantity Traded 4,811,287 4,811,287

Value Traded 121,769,194.71 121,769,194.71

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Symbol UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST (REIT) UHOMREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 47.59

Quantity Traded 20 20

Value Traded 904.40 904.40

5,235,266

129,343,238.13

Quantity Traded 3,031,173 3,031,173

Value Traded 1,515,586.50 1,515,586.50

CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC U Tas C NIG. PLC. Daily Summary of 01/04/2014 Food Products Totals

152 Symbol No. of Deals Daily Summary (Equities) DUNLOP 3 3

Page

of

Current Price 13.79 195.00 26.68 151.00

Quantity Traded 500 31,283 145,469 3,362,565 3,539,817

Value Traded 6,555.00 6,072,631.04 3,879,269.17 509,175,865.92 519,134,321.13

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 90.00

Quantity Traded 46,120 46,120

Value Traded 3,943,760.00 3,943,760.00

No. of Deals 32 45 64 18 1 20 8 188

Current Price 8.34 9.85 68.00 3.81 0.50 12.13 0.55

Quantity Traded 161,318 822,012 282,435 282,700 100,000 380,960 261,191 2,290,616

Value Traded 1,351,231.25 8,058,625.48 20,450,910.88 1,074,126.52 50,000.00 4,658,395.60 143,655.05 35,786,944.78

No. of Deals 36 50 86 (Equities)

Current Price 75.00 1,050.00

Quantity Traded 134,791 68,756 203,547

Value Traded 10,101,223.79 74,486,426.67 84,587,650.46

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR MULTITREX NASCON UTC Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

Daily Summary

Page

3

of

No. of Deals 34 34

Current Price 4.20

Quantity Traded 1,287,488 1,287,488

Value Traded 5,085,067.97 5,085,067.97

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 38 51 89

Current Price 31.10 45.15

Quantity Traded 284,886 177,580 462,466

Value Traded 8,798,467.31 8,115,462.96 16,913,930.27

10,861,227

666,967,261.11

Current Price 7.44 6.39 13.10 2.18 26.30 3.65 2.52 7.07 9.55 0.50

Quantity Traded 32,769,757 3,513,945 831,077 3,307,501 65,532,473 4,930,995 12,990,153 26,287,281 301,663 2,310

Value Traded 243,986,684.93 22,535,449.06 10,952,066.07 7,301,051.35 1,696,799,376.70 17,936,941.21 33,394,363.02 184,283,354.19 2,957,616.25 1,155.00

No. of Deals 20 339 1,639

Current Price 0.95 20.95

Quantity Traded Page 2,733,044 40,613,379 193,813,578

Value Traded 42,580,191.36 of 844,092,764.84 3,066,821,013.98

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Symbol No. of Deals AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AFRINSURE 1 AIICO INSURANCE PLC. AIICO 24 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONTINSURE 17 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. CORNERST 7 EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. EQUITYASUR 2 GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. GUINEAINS 3 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC HMARKINS 3 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC INTENEGINS 11 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LASACO 1 LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. LAWUNION 2 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MANSARD 27 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. MBENEFIT 3 Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NEM 7 Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. NIGERINS 2 OASIS INSURANCE PLC OASISINS 3 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE 29 SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC SOVRENINS 1 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNIC 1 Daily Summary (Equities) UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC UNITYKAP 3

Current Price 0.50 0.77 1.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.62 0.50 0.50 2.10 0.50 0.76 0.50 0.52 0.56 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,000 1,442,765 6,574,774 2,170,100 104,698 40,200 560 451,130 10,000 10,200 3,649,460 77,500 226,310 6,750 190,000 1,034,148 10,000 10,000 16,230,387

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 SKYE BANK PLC Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC

635 Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 132 DIAMONDBNK 59 ETI 46 FIDELITYBK 97 GUARANTY 411 SKYEBANK 81 STERLNBANK 127 UBA 289 UBN 37 Daily Summary (Equities) UNITYBNK 1

Computer Based Systems Totals

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking

ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

Symbol WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

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

of

Symbol WAPIC

No. of Deals 63 210

Current Price 0.78

Quantity Traded 16,020,712 48,261,694

Value Traded 12,058,846.54 37,878,096.18

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

Symbol FORTISMFB NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 1 8 9

Current Price 6.27 0.81

Quantity Traded 100 1,572,957 1,573,057

Value Traded 596.00 1,271,607.01 1,272,203.01

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol INFINITY

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 1.64

Quantity Traded 1,520 1,520

Value Traded 2,574.00 2,574.00

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

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 55 16 353 72 2 27 270 795

Current Price 2.90 2.05 12.50 3.45 0.62 20.50 2.55

Quantity Traded 2,386,154 570,302 25,331,016 8,386,342 5,983 134,312 35,609,567 72,423,676

Value Traded 6,902,340.68 1,172,706.78 315,668,618.60 28,655,922.09 3,589.80 2,763,485.84 93,824,289.95 448,990,953.74

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

2,657

316,073,525

Page

Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 Electronic and Electrical Products Printed 01/04/2014 CUTIX14:33:23.023 PLC.

Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

of

Value Traded 4,127.64 4,127.64

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH

No. of Deals 7 29 18 10 3 67

Current Price 2.22 2.75 70.00 2.00 1.45

Quantity Traded 74,787 2,955,362 31,401 53,716 6,000 3,121,266

Value Traded 162,942.32 8,184,415.90 2,234,786.01 105,787.56 8,560.00 10,696,491.79

3,122,432

10,700,619.43

68 Symbol COURTVILLE

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 0.58

Quantity Traded 627,890 627,890

Value Traded 364,478.20 364,478.20

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price 5.85

Quantity Traded 1,000

Value Traded 5,560.00

Symbol NCR

No. of Deals 1 2

Current Price 15.99

Quantity Traded 50 Page 1,050

7

CWG Daily Summary (Equities)

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

13

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 OIL AND GAS Totals

370,798.20

Current Price 16.00 8.90 40.62 9.27 235.00 1.16 0.50 1.72 104.50

Quantity Traded 314,695 36,843 108,534 63,988 299,428 73,000 200,000 101,430 247,181 1,445,099

Value Traded 5,043,906.56 314,703.52 4,189,062.06 593,195.64 70,281,563.93 83,950.00 100,000.00 176,730.30 26,259,947.60 107,043,059.61

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 1.97

Quantity Traded 501,500 501,500

Value Traded 987,955.00 987,955.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 2 4

Current Price 1.48 19.00

Quantity Traded 66,270 2,601

Value Traded 98,079.60 51,889.95

AVONCROWN Daily Summary (Equities) BETAGLAS

Page

Symbol

No. of Deals 6

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

628,940

No. of Deals 27 9 32 8 47 2 1 4 43 173

Activity Summary on Board EQTY INDUSTRIAL GOODS Packaging/Containers Packaging/Containers Totals

Value Traded 760.00 of 12 6,320.00

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER FIRSTALUM PAINTCOM WAPCO

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Current Price

181

8

of

12

Quantity Traded 68,871

Value Traded 149,969.55

2,015,470

108,180,984.16

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,378,012 1,378,012

Value Traded 689,006.00 689,006.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 213 213

Current Price 15.65

Quantity Traded 9,746,003 9,746,003

Value Traded 152,873,395.14 152,873,395.14

Symbol CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 4 29 74 12 4 18 141

Current Price 51.90 3.99 101.29 125.00 54.44 172.95

Quantity Traded 1,990 552,570 783,794 7,295 87 18,170 1,363,906

Value Traded 98,126.90 2,038,920.95 78,284,784.82 901,162.25 4,499.64 3,071,592.54 84,399,087.10

12,487,921

237,961,488.24

368

Daily Summary (Equities) Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Activity Summary on Board EQTY SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC Advertising Totals

12

of

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 250 250

Value Traded 125.00 125.00

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

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 18 18

Current Price 1.12

Quantity Traded 249,111 249,111

Value Traded 291,708.92 291,708.92

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

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 14 8 22

Current Price 4.47 2.26

Quantity Traded 64,800 503,501 568,301

Value Traded 281,833.00 1,137,912.26 1,419,745.26

Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC Hospitality Totals

Symbol TANTALIZER

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 9,000 9,000

Value Traded 4,500.00 4,500.00

Hotels/Lodging CAPITAL HOTEL PLC IKEJA HOTEL PLC TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC. Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol CAPHOTEL IKEJAHOTEL TOURIST

No. of Deals 1 2 1 4

Current Price 4.55 0.63 4.08

Quantity Traded 100 21,168 100 21,368

Value Traded 477.00 12,700.80 388.00 13,565.80

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA

No. of Deals 1 12

Current Price 1.80 2.14

Quantity Traded 2,000 1,372,500

Value Traded 3,420.00 2,846,090.00

ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC

Daily Summary (Equities)

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Activity Summary on Board EQTY SERVICES Printing/Publishing UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

12

9

Symbol AFROMEDIA

Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 Printing/Publishing

10

of

Symbol UPL

No. of Deals 30 43

Current Price 4.40

Quantity Traded 2,208,969 3,583,469

Value Traded 9,646,811.25 12,496,321.25

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 0.89

Quantity Traded 214,917 214,917

Value Traded 190,420.79 190,420.79

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

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 2 37 39

Current Price 2.58 5.04

Quantity Traded 850 1,134,834 1,135,684

Value Traded 2,097.50 5,740,199.71 5,742,297.21

SERVICES Totals

142

5,782,100

20,158,684.23

EQTY Board Totals

4,494

369,840,791

4,864,219,885.68

Equity Activity Totals

4,494

369,840,791

4,864,219,885.68

12

12

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

Name Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Exchange Traded Fund

Name Exchange Traded Fund Totals

3,554,964,840.91

6

ICT IT Services NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. Published by Nigerian Stock Exchange © ITThe Services Totals

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

Value Traded 1,000.00 1,125,900.48 6,600,284.00 1,085,050.00 52,349.00 20,100.00 280.00 268,764.00 5,000.00 5,100.00 7,617,502.22 38,750.00 171,995.60 3,375.00 98,800.00 599,805.84 5,000.00 5,000.00 8,115,193.50 5

Quantity Traded 1,166 1,166

ICT Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

BANKStock PLC. Exchange © Published by WEMA The Nigerian

Current Price 3.72

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

12

Symbol VITAFOAM

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

ICT Daily Summary as of Based 01/04/2014 Computer Systems Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC

12

No. of Deals 1 23 17 188 229

Published

by TheSummary Nigerian Stock Exchange © Activity on Board EQTY

CONSUMER GOODS Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals

2

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW NB

Printed 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023

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

Current Price 0.50

No. of Deals 1 1

HEALTHCARE Totals

12

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

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals Daily Summary as of 01/04/2014 Printed CONSTRUCTION/REAL 01/04/2014 14:33:23.023 ESTATE Totals

Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals

Symbol EKOCORP

12

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 2,050.00 17.22

Page

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol

Quantity Traded 98 100

No. of Deals 2

Current Price

Value Traded 200,900.00 1,722.00 11

of

Quantity Traded 198

Value Traded 202,622.00

ETF Board Totals

2

198

202,622.00

ETP Activity Totals

2

198

202,622.00

12

50 WORLD | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday,April 2, 2014

Malaysia releases transcript of last words from missing plane

T

he last words from the cockpit of missing Malaysian jet were a standard “Good night Malaysian three seven zero”, Malaysian authorities said, changing their account of the critical last communication from a more casual “All right, good night”.

Malaysia yesterday released the full transcript of communications between the Boeing 777 and local air traffic control before it dropped from civilian radar in the

early hours of March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The correction comes as Malaysianauthoritiesfaceheavycriticism, particularlyfromChina,formismanaging the search, now in its fourth fruitless week, and holding back information. Most of the 239 people on board the flight were Chinese.

“There is no indication of anything abnormal in the transcript,” Malaysian Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in the statement,

without giving explanation for the changes in the reported last communication.

“The transcript was initially held as part of the police investigation,” he added.

Minutes after the final radio transmission was received the plane’s communications were cut off and it turned back across Peninsular Malaysia and headed towards the Indian Ocean, according to military radar and limited satellite data.

The search is now focused on a vast, inhospitable swathe of the southern Indian Ocean west of the Australian city of Perth, but an international team of planes and ships have so far failed to spot any sign of the jetliner.

“In this case, the last known position was a long, long way from where the aircraft appears to have gone,” retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, told

reporters in Perth.

“It’s very complex, it’s very demanding and we don’t have hard information like we might normally have,” he said.

Malaysia says the plane was likely diverted deliberately, probably by a skilled aviator, leading to speculation of involvement by one or more of the pilots. Investigators, however, have determined no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers and 12 crew.

UN ready to help evacuate 19,000 Muslims in Central Africa

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he UN’s refugee agency said yesterday it was prepared to help evacuate some 19,000 Muslims at risk of attack from mainly Christian militias in the conflict-torn Central African Republic.

“What we don’t want is to stand by and watch people being slaughtered,” UNHCR spokeswoman Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba told reporters in Geneva.

She pointed out that so-called anti-balaka militias controlled major routes to and from Bangui as well as a number of towns and villages in the southwestern part of the country.

They posed a particular threat to Muslims in the PK12 neighbourhood of the capital, in Boda, Carnot and Berberati to the west and Bossangoa further north, she said, lamenting that “we fear for the lives of 19,000 Muslims in those locations”.

“UNHCR stands ready to assist with their evacuation to safer areas within or outside of the country,” she said, pointing out that so far “the only thing keeping them from being killed right now is the presence of (international) troops”.

UN staff were heading to the

town of Bemal in the north yesterday to discuss possibly relocating Muslims there, but LejeuneKaba said it was difficult, since locals feared welcoming evacuees could attract unrest to their area.

The chronically unstable Central African Republic sank into chaos after the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels who had helped topple president Francois Bozize a year ago refused to lay down their arms and went rogue.

Their campaign of killing, raping and looting prompted members of the Christian majority to form the anti-balaka vigilante groups, which are also accused of atrocities.

Around 8,000 international troops are working to contain the crisis in the former French colony, where more than 2,000 people have been killed since December.

At the height of the crisis in December and January, more than a quarter of the country’s 4.6 million people had fled their homes.

A new surge in bloodshed has forced nearly 16,000 people from their homes in the capital since early last week alone, Lejeune-Kaba said.

Pro-Morsi students, police clash in Egypt

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iolent clashes have erupted in Cairo and three other Egyptian cities between police and university students loyal to the ousted Islamist president.

In Cairo, police and students from Ein Shams University fought pitched street battles for hours, with police using tear gas and the students pelting them with rocks. Police helicopters hovered above as the fighting continued.

In Assiut, some 400 kilometers

(250 miles) south of the capital, some 45 people, including 15 schoolgirls and two policemen, were injured when police and university students clashed.

Seven students were arrested.

Clashes also broke out yesterday in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and in Mansoura, north of Cairo.

Nearly daily violent clashes between Islamist students and police have been taking place since the military ousted Mohammed Morsi in July.

Egyptian officials announced that the first round of the country’s presidential election, which former Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Sisi is widely expected to win, will be held May 26 and 27. Above, T-shirts displaying photos of Sisi are offered for sale in Cairo...on Sunday.

Russia hikes gas price for Ukraine

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ussia yesterday sharply hiked the price for natural gas to Ukraine and threatened to reclaim billions previous discounts, raising the heat on its cash-strapped government, while Ukrainian police moved to disarm members of a radical nationalist group after a shooting spree in the capital.

NATO foreign ministers were gathering for a two-day meeting in Brussels to consider further steps in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, including measures to reassure the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania that the alliance would help guarantee their security.

Alexei Miller, the head of Russia’s state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom, said Tuesday that the company has withdrawn December’s discount that put the price of gas at $268.50 per 1,000 cubic meters and set the price at $385.50 per 1,000 cubic meters for the second quarter.

The discount was part of a financial lifeline which Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to Ukraine’s President, Viktor Yan-

ukovych, after his decision to ditch a pact with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Moscow.

The move fueled three months of protests which led Yanukovych to flee to Russia in February.

Radical nationalist groups played a key role in Yanukovych’s ouster, but they quickly fell out with the new government. Many activists are still encamped on Kiev’s Independence Square, known as the Maidan, and have signaled their intent to remain there until the election of what they deem to be a legitimate government.

Last week, one of the leaders of the most prominent radical group, the Right Sector, was shot dead while resisting police.

Right Sector members then besieged parliament for several hours, breaking windows and demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. They lifted the blockade after lawmakers set up a panel to investigate the killing.

Late Monday, a Right Sector member shot and wounded three people outside a restaurant adjacent to Kiev’s main Independence Square, including a deputy city

mayor, triggering a standoff that lasted overnight.

Police responded by surrounding the downtown Dnipro Hotel, which Right Sector had commandeered as its headquarters, demanding that the radicals lay down their weapons and leave.

Avakov said that Right Sector members agreed Tuesday to leave their weapons behind and went to a suburban camp, escorted by officers of Ukraine’s Security Service.

The Ukrainian parliament then voted to order police to disarm all illegal armed units. Backers of the measure said the drive was needed to combat a recent surge in violent crime and to defuse the risk of provocations by “foreign citizens” in Kiev and the south and east of Ukraine, heavily Russian-speaking regions where anti-government groups have rallied over the past several weekends in calls for secession.

In March, authorities launched a broad appeal for the voluntary surrender of weapons, many of which went astray from police depots during months of unrest. The government has said a similar amnesty will remain in effect in April.

NEWS 51

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Special Publication

L’Avion les Elus de Dieu S’Envole Sur Cameroun The Lord’s Chosen Plane Flies To Cameroon

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Pasteur Lazarus Muoka

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eux jours de programme inspire’s par le sainty-Esprit de l’Eglise du Reveil charismatique des Elus de dieu intitule. “L’arrivee Du Maitre”, prendra place le samedi 5 Avri 2014 a 15h.00 et le Dimanche 6 Avril 2014 a 7h.00 au stade omini sport de Douala; Cameroun. le reporteur de la scene; Stanley Chibuihem Amalaha, des ecrits sur la singnification de la croisade.

Toute personne que ne participara point a cette croisade au cameroun ressemble a un home que a voyage’ sur New York sans voir la statue fameuse de la liberte’. Parce que toutes choses sont pretes pour le croyant a recevoir. Il yaura la liberte’ pour les pecheurs, la deliverance pour les oppresses and la victoiore. Pasteur Lazarus Muoka. i.e. Surintendant General du ministere invite tout le monde a venir recevoir des benedictions de dieu par la repeutance parceque le chretient n’est pas un pecheur et un pecheur n’est pas un chretient.

he 2-day Holy Ghost inspired crusade of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries titled “Arrival of the Master”, will take place by 3pm on Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April 2014 by 7am at the Stade Omini -Sport De Douala, Cameroun. Science Reporter, Stanley Chibuihem Amalaha, writes on the significance of the crusade.

Anybody who will not attend the Lord’s Chosen Crusade taking Cameroon brethren with their National Pastor preparing for the crusade place in Cameroun this week-end, cold be likened to that man who travelled to the city of New York without a glimpse of the famous Statue of Liberty.

This is because all things are ready for evey believer to receive.

There will be freedom for the capPastor Lebi testifying on behalf of a Chosen boy honoured tives, salvation for sinners, delivA section of people healed at the Lord’s Chosen crusade posthumously at the Centinary erance for the oppressed, and viccelebration in Abuja tory for all. Pastor Lazarus Muoka, General Overseer of the Ministry, in his usual ministration, invites everybody to come and receive the blessings of God, as they give their lives to Christ and live a dedicated Christian life, because a Christian is not a sinner, and a sinner is not Chosen women in modest apparel a Christian.

Some foreign mission pastors of the Lord’s Chosen

Nigeria assumes rotating UN Security Council presidency for April

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igeria yesterday assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for April.

Mrs Joy Ogwu, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, took over the role from Mr Sylvie Lucas, Luxembourg’s representative.

Nigeria was elected on October. 17, 2013 by the UN General Assembly as a non-permanent

member to the UN Security Council for 20142015.

This is the fifth time Nigeria would be representing West Africa on the UN body. It was elected to serve on the council in 1966-67, 197879, 1994-1995 and 20102011.

Ogwu listed her priority for April to include three open debates to address the Middle East, women,

peace and security and on the initiative of Nigeria, maintenance of international peace and security.

She also said other issues that could be taken up included the Central African Republic and Ukraine.

Under the UN Charter, the 15-member Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and

security.

The council is composed of five permanent members - China, United States, Britain, France, and Russia and 10 non-permanent members.

The presidency of the Council rotates among the members on a monthly basis according to the Englishlanguage alphabetical order of the countries’ names.

IKEDC enhances customer experience with upgraded contact centre

I

n line with its commitment to ensure an enhanced customer experience for electricity consumers within its coverage area, the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has upgraded its contact centre to provide solutions to customer queries through interactive and multilingual

platforms.

Known as “IKEDC Care”, the contact centre was upgraded to facilitate increased access to IKEDC and enable customers receive prompt attention on issues relating to billing, metering, faulty installations, etc, from the comfort of their homes and offices.

The contact centre, according to IKEDC’s spokesperson, Pekun Adeyanju, represents the company’s commitment to deepen the customer experience through innovative and speedy solutions to customer queries.

“We are delighted to pioneer this service in the power sector and

urge all our customers to call the numbers 0800-CALL-IKEDC and 0700-CALL-IKEDC today to experience the service and let us know how we may be of help, as we continue to work towards the goal of ensuring efficient power supply across our network in the near future,” he said.

Nasarawa Assembly to al-Makura: Sack NASIEC officials now Muhammad Ahmad, Lafia

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he political crisis in Nasarawa State yesterday took a new dimension as the House of Assembly gave Governor Umaru Tanko alMakura 24 hours to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (NASIEC), Dr Abdullahi Modibbo, and all commissioners of the commission.

The resolution was reached 24 hours after one of the lawmakers, Hon Francis Orogu (PDP), representing Keana Constituency was remanded in prison for two hours for allegedly assaulting the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi.

Although the state assembly did not make reference to the matter between Orogu and the Attorney General,

it was reliable gathered that the Assembly is out to take its own pound of flesh over the humiliation of their member.

A source said the Assembly “wants to bring the governor to his knees” and ensure he obeys the resolution demanding the sack of the Attorney-General “for scaling a fence”.

The House has mandated a joint committee to investigate why the Attorney-General, who is not a judge, swore in the newly-elected chairmen few hours after he scaled the fence.

The House Committee on Information chaired by Hon Baba Ibaku ( PDP ), Committee on Local Government chaired by Anthony Obande (PDP) and the Committee on Judiciary chaired by Adamu Maikatako (APC ) are to investigate and report back next Monday.

Did you know?

That Hungary scored the most goals by one team at a single tournament, finding the back of the net 27 times in 1954 in Switzerland

NBBF moves to grab NBA star, Oladipo Ifeanyi Ibeh

P

lans are underway by the Nigeria Basketball Federation to lure Orlando Magic guard, Victor Oladipo, to pledge his international future to

Nigeria.

Twenty one-year-old Oladipo, who has Nigerian parents but was born in the United States of America, has been one of the standout players in his debut NBA season and is one of

SPORT

the favourites for this year’s Rookie of the Year award.

The former Indiana University star is eligible to play for the United States but is currently not in naCONTINUED ON PAGE 53

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN

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

Enyeama not a rival -Ejide Ejide

Enyeama

Ajibade Olusesan

S

uper Eagles goalkeeper, Austin Ejide, has said that national team first choice, Vincent Enyeama, inspires him anytime he gets the chance to stand between the sticks for the country.

The Hapoel Ba’aaer Sheva of Israel goalkeeper said he always pull off great feats due to the good rapport between himself and the Lille shot stopper.

He said two of them have never felt like rivals apparently because they had

similar objective which is to help the national team.

“There is no rivalry, we never feel that we are competing with each other because we have same goal that is, to lift the country’s name with good results. We are brothers. So, I support him anytime he’s there and anytime I have my chance whether he’s around or not he will call and say ‘Austin, I trust you, you can do it.’ So, we have always supported each other, There was a time that I was like playing more than him, he kept on supporting me, we are like brothers,” he said.

Ejide said he would not feel bad even if he has to sit on the bench again in his third World Cup appearance in Brazil.

“It does not matter if I have to sit on the bench again. It is natural for you to feel like, yes I can go in there and help the team but you cannot choose yourself, you just have to support those who are on the pitch. Of course, I will be happy if I get to play, because this is my third World Cup but the coach knows the best,” he said.

52

SPORT 53

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

ITTF World Tour: Quadri, Offiong get opponents Charles Ogundiya

A

runa Quadri and Edem Offiong will begin their campaigns on Wednesday (today) at the International Table Tennis Federation sanctioned World Tour tagged Spanish Open.

Portugal-based Quadri will be campaigning in his fourth ITTF World

Tour, while Offiong will be making her debut in the championship, using it as part of her build up to this month’s World Championship in Japan.

Other Nigerian players taking part in the five-day championship include Kazeem Makanjuola and Ganiyat Olatunde-Aruna.

In the draw released by the organisers on Tuesday, Quadri was

drawn in Group 10 of the preliminary round alongside Spain’s Carlos Franco and Joshua Band, while Offiong was pitched against Russia’s Yulia Prokhova and England’s Hannah Kicks in Group seven of the women’s singles.

Makanjuola will tackle Spain’s Alfredo Carneros and Venezuela’s Nelson Villanueva in Group 13 of the men’s sin-

gles event.

Olatunde-Aruna will confront India’s Shanim Kunaresan, Bulgaria’s Kutsiaryna and Spain’s Elena Lopez for a place in the main draw of the women’s singles.

Aside the singles event, the players will also compete in the preliminary stage of the doubles on Thursday.

“I think I need to raise my

game because my Spanish opponent is a familiar foe I played against during the European Table Tennis Union Championship recently. I won 3-2 and I hope to repeat same feat on Wednesday,” Quadri said.

Over $100,000 will be at stake at the tournament, which is one of the major competitions in the ITTF World Tour.

Iheanacho to join Flying Eagles April 9 Ifeanyi Ibeh

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ost Valuable Player at last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup, Kelechi Iheanacho, will join the rest of the Flying Eagles squad next Wednesday, April 9, ahead of the team’s friendly games against Morocco.

Nigeria’s U-20 national team will next week play two friendly matches against the Moroccans in Casablanca with the first game holding on April 9 and the second two days later.

The games are part of the Nigerian team’s preparations for the qualifying series for the 2015 African Youth Cham-

Offiong

Sport Trending

TWITTER |@NTelegraphSport

Onazi Ogenyi Eddy Happy new month to everyone. May God’s mercy and favour follow us all amen. @OnaziOgenyi George Abbey The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team. #eaglesinbrazil. @GeorgeAbbey15 sunday mba Every man for himself ...God for all of us. @mba_sunday Andy Murray And 2 avoid confusion like last time i will be announcing my new coach tomorrow. lTennis superstar, Andy Murray, disclosing via Tweeter that he will be announcing his new coach on Wednesday. @andy_murray

assurance from the sporting director of Manchester City (Txiki Begiristain),” Aliyu Auwal said .“We hope to soon receive confirmation on the other foreign-based players we have called up,” added Ibrahim, referring to player like Musa Muhammed, Musa Yahaya, Chidera Eze and Dele Alampasu, who were all members of the victorious 2013 Golden Eaglets side.

The Flying Eagles have been in camp for the final phase of preparations for the Africa Youth Championship and will face either Kenya or Tanzania in May for the 2015 AYC qualifiers.

Eagles can shock the world in Brazil -Okocha Chimaobi Uchendu

A

ustin Okocha has tipped the Super Eagles led by Coach Stephen Keshi to surprise the world at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The former Eagles captain noted that the team has nothing to lose at the World Cup, advising the players to go to Brazil and enjoy themselves. He maintained that once they can approach the World Cup with that mentality, it will take

Victor Valdes Thank you very much to everyone for the messages of support and strength. @1victorvaldes Roger Federer Had a great time in Miami and Indian Wells.. I love driving myself whenever I can like the last month! @rogerfederer Stanislas Wawrinka First at the practice this morning for Davis Cup. Where are you Roger Federer? @stanwawrinka Micah Richards Stop shazaming my music @VincentKompany thief.....

Trying to act all innocent. @MicahRichards Antonio Valencia Never give up the desire to make something of your life extraordinary. Never give up the desire to do something extraordinary in your life. @ 7AntoV David Luiz On our way to Paris!

pionship holding in Senegal, and Coach Manu Garba, who last week announced a 35-man squad for the trip to Morocco, can look forward to having Iheanacho in camp.

Making this confirmation was Flying Eagles team secretary, Aliyu Ibrahim, who however disclosed that Iheanacho, as well as Chidiebere Nwakali, who is also on the books of Manchester City, will only team up with the rest of the Nigerian squad after playing a game for the Manchester City youth side a day earlier.

“Iheanacho and Nwakali have a game on April 8 and they will be released to join us a day after. I received this

@DavidLuiz_4 Oladipo

pressure off them.

“It’s just for them to believe in themselves, have a good preparation and most importantly realise that they don’t have anything to lose and everything to gain. Once they play with confidence I have no doubt they will do well,” Okocha said.

The former Bolton Wanderers star showered praises on the Nigeria Football Federation for arranging several friendly matches for the team, saying it will really go

a long way in helping the players get fully prepared for the Mundial.

“Playing the three friendly matches against Scotland, Greece and USA would hopefully be enough to knock the players into competitive shape and match fitness,” Okocha said.

“I am happy the NFF, with the blessing of the Coach (Keshi) was able to arrange these matches. It will definitely go a long way in preparing the team for the task ahead.”

NBBF moves to grab NBA star, Oladipo C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5 2

tional team coach Mike Krzyzewski’s plans after he was left out of a 28-man list Krzyzewski intends to use to prosecute every international tournament the US will be taking part in between now and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Nigeria’s D’Tigers were at the London 2012 Olympics and the NBBF, keen on making up for the disappointments of failing to qualify for this year’s basketball World Cup, wants to make sure that the country secures a place at the Rio Games. One way of going about it is by securing the services of the country’s best players, including Oladipo.

“When your goal is winning, then you have to keep going after your best

talent. He (Oladipo) is one of the best out there, and plans are in place to get him to play for us,” said Technical Director of the NBBF, Ayo Bakare, in an interview with New Telegraph.

“But he isn’t the only one we are after for we are always interested in our best talents. Once you are a Nigerian and you qualify to play for the national team, we are interested in you. Don’t forget that we are in the business of winning and nothing else.”

Oladipo, if he gets to play for Nigeria, will join a long list of American-born players such as Ike Diogu, Gani Lawal, Chamberlin Oguchi, Tony Skinn and the Aminu brothers, Al-Farouq and Alade, who have donned and continue to turn out in the green and white of Nigeria.

54 SPORT | EURO FOOTBALL

Sanctity of Truth

Cavani out for revenge against Chelsea E

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Lewandowski banned as Ancelotti’s men seek revenge

Dortmund will have to manage without talismanic striker Lewandowski for this week’s meeting, however, with the Poland international serving a one-match ban.

Jurgen Klopp’s men scraped into the last eight with a 5-4 aggregate success over Zenit, while Real were far more comfortable in seeing off Schalke, brushing aside Dortmund’s fierce rivals 9-2 over two legs.

Real have not lost in the Champions League since last year’s semi-final firstleg defeat to Dortmund, recording eight wins and a draw in that time and scoring 31 goals in the process.

The Spanish giants are searching for their 10th European Cup success, and first since 2002, with coach Carlo Ancelotti calling on the Bernabeu faithful to inspire his team to victory this week.

dinson Cavani will be out for revenge when Paris Saint-Germain meet Chelsea in the UEFA ChampiLewandowski ons League quarter-finals.

The Ligue 1 leaders are set to face Jose eal Madrid will be out for revenge Mourinho’s men in the first leg at the when they face Borussia Dortmund Parc des Princes on Wednesday, with the in the Champions League quarterreturn tie to follow at Stamford Bridge final first leg on Wednesday. next Tuesday.

The two sides met at the last-four stage And Cavani, who was part of the in 2012-13, with a Robert LewandowskiNapoli side that lost to Chelsea in the inspired Dortmund blowing Real away 2011-12 round of 16 after taking a 3-1 4-1 in the first leg at home before holding first-leg lead, has a personal incentive on in the return game to progress to the to knock out that season’s champions. final despite a 2-0 defeat.

“To me I will be using the game Madrid and Dortmund also went headlooking for revenge, because I faced to-head in the group stages last season, Chelsea with Napoli,” he said. “We and once again it was the Germans who didn’t deserve to lose, although we came out on top, winning 2-1 at home and didn’t play well in London to get earning a 2-2 draw at Santiago Bernabeu. through but we showed a lot in Naples, where we were better than them (winning 3-1 having lost the first leg 4-1).

“It’s like revenge against one of the avid Beckham wants the being permitted to sign two MLS to remove its salary ‘designated players’ outside biggest teams in the world, with the best players and against a team who cap in order to improve the those strict regulations.

Former England capare playing in a really attractive league. standard of the competition.

Teams in the American tain Beckham became the league currently adhere to first designated player in Beckham UEFA Champions League a USD $3.1million cap when the league’s history when launch his own franchise in Chelsea v PSG 7:45pm it comes to paying their he signed for LA Galaxy in Miami, Beckham is keen to Dortmund v Real Madrid 7:45pm squad members, with each 2007 and, as he prepares to see salary restrictions lifted.

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Beckham wants to scrap MLS salary cap

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Cavani

Marcelo out of Dortmund tie

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eal Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt a blow ahead of his side’s Champions League quarterfinal tie with Borussia Dortmund after Marcelo was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The Brazilian defender was benched for Madrid’s 5-0 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend and the problem will also keep him out of Wednesday’s first leg.

“Marcelo has been diag-

Ronaldo (middle)

nosed with a first-degree tear in his left hamstring during a series of tests,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.

Barcelona warned off Arsenal’s Wilshere

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arcelona look likely to end their interest in Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, [football] direct news understands.

[FDN] reported earlier this week that Barca were to make a summer move for Jack Wilshere as it looks extremely likely that Cameroon midfielder Alex Song will leave the club.

However, we can now further report that club doctors at the Catalan club have looked closer into Wilshere’s

Aguero won’t take short cuts

troubling injury plagued career and have informed boss Tata Martino not to make a move.

Barca have often been linked with the England international after he gained heavy praised from a number of players such as Xavi Hernandez, but a deal now looks unlikely with the La Liga giants set to look elsewhere.

Martino’s side have been linked with a number of targets in recent months, with Juventus’ Arturo Vidal and Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan all linked.

Aguero

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anchester City’s top scorer Sergio Aguero does not intend to take short cuts in his recovery from injury.

Aguero, who has scored 26 goals in all competitions for Capital One Cup winners City this term, has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the Champions League loss at Barcelona on March 12.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini hinted last week that Aguero could be fit to

face Southampton in the Premier League this Saturday but the player himself - also crucial to Argentina’s World Cup campaign - is cautious.

The 25-year-old told DirecTV: “With this recovery I am trying to do my best to be able to play again, but I cannot do it in a hurry.

“I do think to myself if something happens now, I will lose the rest of the Premier League season and the World Cup.”

other spor Woods close to announcing Masters decision

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orld number one Tiger Woods is reportedly close to announcing whether or not he will play in next week’s Masters.

The 38-year-old is currently struggling with a back problem and was forced to miss one of his favourite events - the Arnold Palmer Invitational - a couple of weeks ago.

TheFloridaresident’sagent,MarkSteinberg,gave little away when asked about the likelihood of his client playing in the year’s first major, but said “a decision would be made very, very shortly on Tiger’s status for the Masters.”

Murray opens a luxury hotel

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ndy Murray’s luxury hotel has opened, a business the tennis star hopes will boost his Scottish hometown Dunblane.

The Wimbledon champion bought Cromlix House, a Victorian mansion dating from 1874, in February last year and has transformed it into a 15-bedroom, five-star retreat.

The property, set in woodlands five kilometres outside Dunblane in central Scotland, has undergone extensive refurbishment and tourism officials hope it will prove a big draw for visitors to Scotland.

Kemboi escapes robb

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wo suspects a prison ward in Ruiru were Monday af as they forced Abraham Kiproti boi to withdraw cas Kapsa- bet bank.

A policeman was shot on the leg durin eration to rescue the Kenyan-born Fre distance runner who had been held ho three armed gunmen.

Police said the men had carjacked Mr 30, at Namgoi on Monday afternoo control of his car, a maroon Subaru.

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Nigerian League Rendezvous

Courtois makes decision over Chelsea future Wolves join air travel club with charles Ogundiya

charlesog2001@yahoo.com, charles.ogundiya@newtelegraphonline.com

08098042287

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Courtois (right)

Captain hopes Kaka stays in Milan

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C Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo hopes Kaka will remain at the club next season.

The Brazilian midfielder revealed last week that he would like to play in the United States and he will consider his future with Milan at the end of the campaign.

“Kaka will evaluate his situation but only at the end of the season,” Montolivo

hibaut Courtois has made a decision over his Chelsea future but will wait until the end of the season before going public.

The Belgian goalkeeper has spent the past three years on loan at Atletico Madrid, helping the club to Europa League and Copa del Rey successes as well as qualification for the Champions League while this term sees the club in a three-way tussle for the La Liga title.

Courtois will travel to the World Cup as the Belgian No.1 this summer and has gradually gained a reputation as one of the finest stoppers on the continent during a successful spell with Atletico.

Therefore, the 21 year old is unlikely to settle for being the No.2 behind Petr Cech who is showing no sign of slowing down under Jose Mourinho’s regime at Chelsea and throws Courtois’ long-term future into doubt.

But nevertheless Courtois has come to a decision regarding his Chelsea future but will delay any announcement until after the summer, with Atletico fighting on domestic and European fronts during the remainder of the campaign.

“I will tell you my decision, I will communicate it soon. But for now I am concentrating on the games that we have,” Courtois said of his Chelsea future.

said to www.acmilan.com.

“We will try to qualify for the Europa League in order to give him a further motivation to remain at Milan, even though I’m certain that he is aware of the prestige this club has.”

Kaka returned to Milan last summer after playing four years at Real Madrid.

The 31-year-old scored twice while making his 300th appearance for Milan in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Chievo Verona, taking his tally for the campaign to nine in all competitions.

Montolivo

Stories: Charles Ogundiya

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lubs in the Nigeria Premier League are now towing a professional travelling path, with Warri Wolves joining the clique of clubs that travel by air for away games.

Wolves, following their elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup, and with their decision to fly by air to away games, can now look forward to a stress-free trip to Kano to face reigning Premier League champions, Kano Pillars, on Thursday in a re-scheduled fixture.

Sunshine Stars blazed

the trail, travelling by air for their first two away games of the season.

The team travelled from Lagos to Kano and PortHarcourt respectively for their games against Kano Pillars and Dolphins, with their management promising that the team will throughout the season be flying to away venues, except in situations where the venue is a short drive away from their Akure home ground.

Nigerian club sides travel by road for away matches, sometimes making such journeys at night to save cost, thus exposing the players to road hazards.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that clubs have discovered that the difference between travelling by air and road is minimal.

“At the beginning of the season, we compared the cost implication and psychological effect of travelling by road to travelling by air, and we come to a conclusion that air travel is more cost effective,” said Sunshine coach, Henry Abiodun.

“The difference is two to five thousand naira per player. Compare this to the trauma and stress the players go through on the road, then you will agree with me that air travel is much cheaper than travelling by road,” Abiodun said.

Kogi Utd’s Ebenezer Odeyemi(left) in action against a Kwara Utd player

Everton plot £9m move for Lukaku replacement Kogi United maintain home record O

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oberto Martinez is planning a £9million move for Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 27-year-old Colombian has been a revelation for the La Liga side this season, and hit a double during their shock win over Real Madrid last week.

His form in front of goal this season has attracted interest from the Toffees, as well as other

clubs in Spain, and Martinez is hoping the club can activate his £9million buy-out-clause.

The Everton boss has already begun planning for next season, and has been keeping a close eye on Bacca.

The Toffees may find they need to sign a striker as a priority this summer, with Romelu Lukaku’s loan move from Chelsea looking increasingly unlikely to be made permanent.

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Pacquiao won’t part ways with Arum

s including der based arrested fternoon d athlete tich Kemsh from a

f made to choose between a super-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and promoter Bob Arum, Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao will likely opt to stay with the Top Rank executive.

The eight division former world champion noted that the American has come up with all sorts of demands, including drug testing and a huge cut in revenues.

But for Pacquiao, the wildest of Mayweather’s demands was for him to part ways with his long-time boxing promoter.

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r Kemboi, on, taking

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‘Vettel’s outburst should be applauded’

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espite the fact that the FIA are rumoured to be unhappy about Sebastian Vettel’s public response to the new engines, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says no official complaint has been made, and that his driver should be praised for speaking out.

Vettel used a four-letter word in Malaysia to describe what he thought of the new quieter V6 engines, despite all drivers being warned

by FIA boss Jean Todt in 2012 not to swear in media interviews.

ver the weekend, Nigeria National League side, Kogi Unit-

3SC place 11 on transfer

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head of the Week nine transfer window, 3SC have placed 11 players on transfer due to low productivity.

Revealing this to New Telegraph was the media officer of the team, Jubril Arowolo.

“There is need to reposition the club for the battle ahead hence the need to recruit fresh legs. To do that, we need to release some of the players that are not living up to expectations,” Arowolo said.

The players include Thomas Adesina, Akinbinu Samuel, Ekom Effiong and Lukman Oyelade. Others are Abdulsalam Atilola, Akinsade Abayomi, Bobby Clement, Niyi Akande, Dauda Kazeem, Chijioke Joseph and Ibrahim Adewale.

ed, recorded another home victory, this time against FRSC FC. Kogi United, coached by former Remo Stars handler, Fatai Osho, defeated the Abuja-based FRSC 2-0 at Lokoja’s Confluence Stadium, courtesy of first half goals from club captain Afolabi Abiodun and Ebenezer Odeyemi.

Speaking in an in-

terview with New Telegraph, Osho commended his players for the victory over FRSC, but admitted that the game was a difficult one as the team from Abuja did not allow his team to play their normal free-flowing style of football.

He however promised to make amends in subsequent matches.

Dividends of live games

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eams are coming to the realisation that they need to brace up and stop believing they can secure wins at home through the back door now that more matches are beamed live.

The first live match between Sunshine Stars and Enyimba ended goalless.

Sunshine later picked an away point in Kano against Pillars in another match

televised, while Abia Warriors recorded the first away win of the season against Enyimba in a local derby in yet another televised game.

With the attention placed on live matches, referees are cautious of their actions with the home teams putting everything in place to allow a hitch-free match for fear of banishment or points deduction.

World Record

On Marble One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.

– Gilbert K. Chesterton

Sanctity of Truth w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha WEDNESday, APRIL 2, 2014

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National Confab as circus show

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he transformation agenda of the Jonathan Presidency, to all intents and purposes, is an ordinary self serving media blitz, a mere exercise in mass deceit, vote catching ploy devoid of any substance, or direction. In theory and practice, what we have witnessed so far, since 2011, the real assumption of power of the Jonathan Presidency, cannot by any stretch of imagination be called transformation. I think that the framers of the Agenda have not carefully thought through what transformation entails, or even its essence. Its current usage is a complete negation, or desecration, of the term. The course of the transformation agenda in Nigeria is an insult on the sensibilities of any self-respecting individual.

The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English sees transformation as a “complete change in someone or something.” National transformation is about reconstituting society, or a radical, revolutionary change of the extant social order. It is not, therefore, the deepening or the consolidation of the ruinous past.

Transformation cannot be a wholesale endorsement or acceptance of all that have defiled Nigeria. Transformation is not cosmetic, or window dressing. Transformation must seek to improve the social and material conditions of existence of the people.

The stench of corruption, the official malfeasance in government, the deteriorating living standards of majority of Nigerian masses, the widening inequality, the fear of insecurity in the land, and serial orgy of violence, which is a throwback to the Hobessian depravity and bestiality of nature, have all been accepted and promoted as normal even in the midst of so called Transformation Agenda. Indeed, the promotion of the status quo, particularly the negative tendencies immanent in the Nigerian system as the current Administration is wont to, cannot in any way be seen as transformatory. The rehearsing of old methods used by despotic military regimes to earn legitimacy in the past as in the several constitutional or reform conferences is anything but transformation.

The Constitutional Conference, the latest gathering of the unholy coalition of Nigeria’s ruling class in Abuja inaugurated by President Jonathan some three weeks ago, an exemplar of the crisesridden nature of the Nigerian state, is a comic show of sorts. Some of us had argued that the way the conference was hastily put together, even by President Jonathan himself, who hitherto saw

IvoryGlory Nkemdili Nnonyelu

aunnonyelu@yahoo.co.uk - 08122801926 (sms only)

no compelling reason to have the conference, was very suspicious to say the least. What factors informed this latter day conversion to a born-again adherent of National Conference?

Even then, the timing of the conference as observed by several commentators is ominous. What with the coming 2015 elections, its sensitive and delicate nature, and the increasing volatility of the Nigerian state, the National Conference as presently composed is a macabre dance of ghosts. Its agenda, in a sense a witch’s brew, cannot bring about any meaningful result. Given its ancestry, and the selective logic that informed the hasty convocation of the National Conference, it seems to me that the conference is dead on arrival. As is evident to discerning Nigerians, the conference is a Greek gift. Anybody who feels that something tangible can come from it must be an incurable optimist.

With the assemblage of all manner of people, majority of them directly or vicariously responsible for the numerous ills afflicting the nation, it is difficult to see what promise the conference holds, or how any reasonable decision that will change the fortunes of Nigeria will be achieved. The average age of majority of the participants must be around 60 years, the age of retirement for most public officers. It is deceptive and patently unserious to think that the future of Nigeria should be left in the hands of this gentocratic assembly. Majority of these elders have been in government since 1960, yet the nation has nothing to show for their long and cyclic existence in power. To say that they have run completely out of ideas is to be very modest.

What we have in Nigeria is a large coterie of political elders, not statesmen. Worse still, all the delegates were handpicked.

This is instructive. Who are the delegates speaking for? Who are they representing? Only a tiny fraction of the delegates could be said to be patriotic and sincere in their mission.

With their obscene remuneration, it is also clear that the conference is another Jamboree, an invitation to dinner, or food is ready meeting. The come and

The record for the fastest time to travel a mile on a space hopper is 13 minutes flat and was set by Ashrita Furman (USA) Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York, United States on 19 August 2010.

chop politics which characterizes Nigerian post-colonial political experience is continuing unchecked. I was waiting for some of the humongously wealthy delegates to reject their payment or allowances, so called. But only the lawyer Olisa Agbakoba and Pastor Tunde Bakare had the serenity of mind, and empathy for the masses who earn minimum wage of N18, 000 to say no to this offer. Some of the civil servants or artisans live and work in the federal capital territory, and still earn peanut as wages. The rest of the delegates who will earn a princely 12million naira for three months, have smiled to the banks for idling away in Abuja for three weeks, some even asking that their retinue of aides or whoever they are, be also paid allowances or salary.

The conference has started expectedly with a lot of drama. I do hope that professionals in the Nollywood Industry would take one or two things from the episodic comic reliefs. Threats and counter threats have started emerging even before agreeing on the ordinary rules and procedures that will guide the conference. Nothing gives away the mythical character of the Nigerian state than what is playing out currently in Abuja where self recruited delegates could not agree on trivial basic issues. It exposes the weaknesses of Nigeria. Nigeria is not yet a nation state. This perhaps explains why an otherwise respected traditional ruler, the Lamido of Adamawa, had in an audacious manner not only threatened that the North would be staging a walk out of the conference, but reminded the delegates that the Adamawa Emirate had substantial portion of his territory in Cameroun where he exercises dominion.

This revealing piece of information exposes the dual loyalty of the Lamido and his subjects (half Nigerian, half Cameroonian), and the obstacles impeding Nigeria’s attempt to build a nation and foster national integration. The submission of Lamido Adamawa is not however limited to him and his followers.

Nigerians like to identify themselves, first from the prism of their ethnic, and sub ethnic categories and, then, their religious affiliations. We are first Ibo,

Yoruba, Hausa, Tiv, Idoma, Ijaw, Ibibio, Fulani, Bini etc, before becoming Nigerians and that is even only when sharing of the national-cake is the prime issue, or when the super eagles is winning a football match.

The presidential proclamation that delegates are barred from discussing the dissolubility or divisibility of the country as politically expedient as it is, does not help matters. Given our history, particularly our colonial experience, forced amalgamation culminating in what has come to be known as the Nigerian trap, whether Nigerians are desirous of remaining part and parcel of this country ought to be the necessary starting point of this conference despite its inherent systemic disabilities. We cannot continue to run away from this reality. We must deal with it now or we find the problem resurfacing like a recurring decimal. If the answer is in the affirmative, then the next question would be the structure of government, and the terms of engagement. We need to put in place all inclusive measures to help the country overcome the teething problems it has faced since independence, and also overcome the miasma of underdevelopment that seems to have been our lot.

Issues about fiscal federalism, resource control, creation of more states, state police, devolution of powers, the centrality of the people and their welfare, sustainable development, climate change etc, shall be addressed with the patriotic and nationalistic fervour that they deserve. The possibility of this Conference coming out with anything tangible is premised on the serendipitous nature of experiments where the unexpected event happens. In that case, we will thank our stars.

OmoBaba

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