Binder1fridayfebruary28,2014

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Friday, February 28, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 10

twitter.com/newtelegraph1

www.newtelegraphonline.com

N150

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

NNPC accounts too sophisticated Again, 33 killed to be probed, say EFCC, ICPC in Adamawa Chukwu David and Philip Nyam

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-

sion (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), yesterday, confessed that they

lacked the requisite expertise to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the sundry allegations of

corruption.

To the anti-graft agencies, accounts of the oil corporation is too sophis-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

lWe will bring Yobe murderers to justice, vows Jonathan lNyako: Enough is enough Page } 4

46,639 ghost workers in federal civil service

lMinistry of Education: 9,463 lMinistry of Works: 5,167 lMinistry of Information: 3,715 lMinistry of Foreign Affairs: 2,934 lN118.9bn lost through salaries, allowances lCall for prosecution of accounting officers responsible heightens Onwuka Nzeshi

SCAM

Abuja

Office of Accountant General uncovers thousands of ghost workers

O

ffice of the Accountant-General of the Federation has dis-

covered 46,639 ghost workers in the federal civil service. The figure represents 25 per cent of the entire workforce.

Surprisingly, 255 of

these were discovered in the Accountant-General’s office.

In the Ministry of Finance supervised by the Finance Minister and Co-

ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, 1,367 ghost workers were discovered.

In the Ministry of Education, 9,463 ghost workers

were fished out, Works, 5,167; Foreign Affairs, 2,934; and Information, 3,715; among others.

It took the AccountantCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

For the Centenary

NJC sacks Olotu, Inyang lRecommends Bulkachuwa’s confirmation as PCA

FIRED For gross misconduct, judicial commission sanctions two judges Tunde Oyesina, Abuja

I

n its bid to rid the judiciary of corrupt elements, the National Judicial Council (NJC) yesterday recommended CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

INSIDE

News. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Metro . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Politics . . . . . . . . . . . .

Opinions. . . . . . . . . . .

Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Entertainment. . . . . .

Business . . . . . . . . . . .

Sport. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 12 13 20 23 25 37 51

L-R: President Helen Sirleaf-Johnson of Liberia; President Goodluck Jonathan; President Francois Hollande of France; President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali and others at the Nigerian Centenary Conference on Human Security, Peace and Development at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja...yesterday

Photo: Timothy Ikuomenisan

Lagos

Isolated Storm O O

32 | 25 For subscription, advert and story tips, please call +234 (1)221 9496, 08033392655, 08023010222

AT A GLANCE

NEWS

POLITICS

BUSINESS

ENTERTAINMENT

Great Ogboru dumps Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) for Labour Party (LP) Page 6

Okei-Odumakin: I spent three days in the bush treating bullet wounds Page 16

Fuel ex-depot prices rise to N99 per litre Page 37

Liz Benson’s glorious return with ‘Living Funeral’ Page 30

2

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

46,639 ghost workers in federal civil service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

General’s office years to discover the ugly phenomenon and details were recorded in a statistical report obtained by New Telegraph.

In all, ghost workers were discovered in 103 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

One of the top officials in the Accountant-General’s Office said the agencies were “subjected to an integrity test to track down ghost workers and plug revenue leakages in the system”.

The revelation came just as the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) renewed its campaign for the recovery of the N118.9 billion said to have been lost to the ghost workers through salaries and allowances.

It also called for the prosecution of all accounting and administrative officers responsible for the phenomenon in the public service.

In the statistical report, details of the spread of the 46,639 ghost workers in all the ministries and agencies were released.

Highlights of the report showed that the National Planning Commission had the lion share of 74.90 per cent of its workforce as ghost workers; Federal Ministry of Finance had 68.35 per cent; Budget Office of the Federation,77.33 per cent; Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,74.68 per cent and Ministry of Niger Delta 64.87 per cent.

Others are Public Service Institute, 66.67 per cent, Federal Ministry of Information, 57.15 per cent and the Federal Ministry of Works, 51.67 per cent.

It will be recalled that Dr Okonjo- Iweala, last year, announced that the Federal Government discovered and weeded

SOME OF THE AFFECTED MINISTRIES 1) Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

8) Federal Ministry of Transport:

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 5,000

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 424

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 2,066

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 367

• No of Ghost Workers Found =2,934

• No of Ghost Workers Found =57

2) Federal Ministry of Education:

9) Federal Ministry of Health:

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 29,000

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 3,849

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 19,537

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 2,545

• No of Ghost Workers Found =9,463

• No of Ghost Workers Found =1,304

3) Federal Ministry of Information:

10)Federal Ministry of Petroleum

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 6,500

Resources:

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 2,785

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 303

• No of Ghost Workers Found =3,715

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 241 • No of Ghost Workers Found =62

4) Federal Ministry of Works: • No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 10,000

11) Federal Ministry of Justice:

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 4,833

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 1,032

• No of Ghost Workers Found =5,167

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 780 • No of Ghost Workers Found =252

5) Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government( OSGF):

12)Federal Ministry of Interior:

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 1,773

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 930

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 449

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 621

• No of Ghost Workers Found =1,324

• No of Ghost Workers Found =309

6) Office of the Accountant General of

13)Federal Ministry of Power:

the Federation(OAGOF):

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 640

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 2,405

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 467

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 2,150

• No of Ghost Workers Found =173

• No of Ghost Workers Found =255 14) National Sports Commission/NFF: 7)Federal Ministry of Aviation:

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 1,148

• No of Workers (Pre IPPS) = 383

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 984

• No of Workers (Post IPPS)= 344

• No of Ghost Workers Found =164

• No of Ghost Workers Found =39 out 46,639 ghost workers through the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The exercise, according to Okonjo-Iweala, was conducted across 215 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) and saved the government a whooping N118.9 billion.

A closer look at the document showed that the National Planning

Commission, which had a total of 1,000 staff on its nominal roll before the exercise, came down to 251, an indication that it had as many as 749 ghost workers.

The Federal Ministry of Finance had 2,000 workers on its payroll but the exercise uncovered a total of 1,367 ghost workers leaving behind 633 genuine work force.

Similarly, the Budget Office had 1,500 workers on its pay roll but was

left with only 340 workers after 1,160 of them were weeded out in the intensive screening exercise.

However, 321 MDAs are still outstanding and have not been incorporated into the IPPIS to ascertain the extent of their infiltration by ghost workers.

A civil society coalition, Stop Impunity Nigeria Campaign (SIN), through the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) had last year filed a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to

the Minister of Finance, asking for the details of the Accounting Officers (as defined in the Financial Regulations) and other public officers who presided over the N118.9 billion loss to the treasury.

However, this request was not honoured by the Ministry of Finance.

Upon the Minister’s refusal to grant the request, SIN, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/261/2013 (Centre for Social Justice Ltd by Guarantee Vs The Minister of Finance & Anor) approached the Federal High Court, Abuja to compel compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. The civil society wanted the court to compel government to reveal to Nigerians, the names of the MDAs that harboured the ghost workers as well as the Accounting Officers who presided over the recruitment and payment of salaries to these workers.

In a bid to resolve the controversy, the Ministry of Finance mandated the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to respond to the FoI request.

Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr Eze Onyekpere, who received the report on behalf of his coalition, expressed delight that the Stop Impunity Campaign had achieved a partial success on the matter.

Onyekpere, a lawyer, argued that the Accounting Officers (being the Permanent Secretary of a Ministry or the head of an Extra-Ministerial Department) of the MDAs as at the time these ghost workers drew the salaries and perks of office were, according to the Financial Regulations, in full control and should be held responsible for the loss incurred by the government.

“They were responsible

$22.8bn: NNPC alleges campaign of calumny Johnchuks Onuanyim, Abuja

T

he Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) yesterday issued a statement over what it termed an orchestrated campaign of calumny designed to tarnish the reputation of the Corporation by

some unscrupulous elements.

The Corporation stated that there was no correlation with what was presented by the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, at the National Assembly and what was reported in the media.

The Corporation in a statement by Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, sited the deliberate misrepresentation of the presentation made by NEITI before the Joint House Committee probing the Berne Declaration Report as an example of the well-choreographed

negative campaign against the Corporation.

Ibrahim said, “Some of the reports had sensational headlines alleging that NEITI had uncovered fresh unremitted $22.8 billion oil revenue by the NNPC. “However, the body of the stories were totally different from the headlines in terms of message

and content”.

The NNPC spokesperson noted that careful perusal of the original presentation made by the NEITI Executive Secretary indicates that the sensational headlines were mere inventions calculated to cast aspersion on the image of the Corporation and heat up the polity.

for safeguarding public funds and the regularity and propriety of expenditure under their control.

The N118.9 billion did not disappear into thin air. Some FGN officials inserted the ghosts into the payroll, the approving authorities approved of same, whilst others collected and shared the money over time. The culprits are identifiable, traceable and the long arms of the law can still reach them,” Onyekpere said.

He urged the government to extend its hunt for ghost workers to all MDAs and expressed dismay that no steps have been taken since 2013 to recover the N118.9 billion.

He said that Federal Government’s refusal to take steps for the recovery of the money was “an endorsement of corruption, a manifestation of impunity and an encouragement to intending treasury looters to seek to perfect their crime.”

Before the search began, there were 180,789 workers.

After the 46,639 (25.8%) ghost workers were weeded out, the federal civil service is now left with 134,150 workers.

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST PORT HARCOURT

33o 23o Thunder Storm

ABUJA

34o 27o Partial Cloudy

KANO

38o 16o Sunny

ENUGU

37o 14o Very Cloudy

IBADAN

7o 1o Rain Shower

CALABAR

33o 23o Thunder Storm

MAIDUGURI

41o 18o Partially CLoudy

ONITSHA

7o 1o Rain Showers

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

S

hell has shut a key oil pipeline in the Niger Delta to stop a leak caused by oil theft and sabotage.

“We closed the Nembe Creek Trunkline on Sunday for the removal of crude theft points,” spokesman, Precious Okolobo, said.

Shell has deployed engineers to repair the pipeline in the Niger Delta region, which feeds the Bonny exports terminal and would reopen “as soon as repair works are completed”, he added.

Oil majors do not usually give information on production losses.

About 95,000 barrels of crude per day might have been shut in as a result of the closure.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest producer, accounting for more than two million barrels per day.

Crude oil theft or “bunkering” is a major problem in Nigeria, with estimates

3

Oil leak: Shell shuts pipeline that the country loses some $6 billion in revenue per year as a result.

Such theft can involve

thieves tapping pipelines to siphon crude for sale on the lucrative black market.

It can lead to explosions,

fires and oil pollution.

The Nembe pipeline has been hit repeatedly by sabotage and theft.

While Shell blames most of the spills on sabotage, activists argue that the company does not do

enough to prevent such incidents and effectively clean up the damage when they do occur.

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph Newspaper, Mr. Bolaji Tunji (fouth right), presenting some copies of the newspaper to the Executive Director, MediaReach, Mr. Alaba Fadero, during a courtesy visit of the Management team of the New Telegraph to MediaReach Office, Maryland, Lagos…yesterday. With them are; Director, Buying Services, MediaReach, Mr. Yinka Adebayo (fourth left); Daily Editor, New Telegraph, Gabriel Akinadewo (second right); Manager, Buying and Control, MediaReach, Mr. Segun Adeniyi-James (right); Managing Editor, New Telegraph, Mr. Felix Abugu (third left); Advert Manager, Mr. Taiwo Ahmed (second left) and Assistant Manager, Mr. Oladipupo Ariyo.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

4,897m

The height of Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica.

Source: worldfactsandfigures.com

76,762,000 The size (in sq. km) of the Atlantic Ocean, the second largest ocean in the world.

Source: worldfactsandfigures.com

$369m

The total Foreign Direct Investment of the United States into China’s economy in January 2014.

Source: worldfactsandfigures.com

NNPC accounts too sophisticated to be probed, say EFCC, ICPC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ticated to be probed.

The agencies declared this yesterday when they defended their 2014 budgets before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption.

They claimed that the accounts of the NNPC was so ‘sophisticated’ that it required people with expertise knowledge to penetrate the corporation and carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations levelled against it, insisting that at the moment, there were no such experts in the commissions.

However, the EFCC, speaking through its chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, explained that the involvement of the National Assembly in the investigation of alleged missing $20 billion, was responsible for its delay in delving into the matter, saying as soon as the legislature rounds off its on-going investigation, it would swing into action.

He expressed optimism that the proposed forensic audit of the Corporation as recommended by the National Assembly would be of great help to any probe to be launched by the Commission.

His words: “The issue about the NNPC is already being investigated by the

National Assembly. For every investigation, once the National Assembly is on it, we have to wait until they conclude. The Minister of Finance said that they want to commission an audit firm to do a forensic auditing of the finances of the NNPC. “You need a professional firm to handle this. This is not a common investigation. These are very technical things. Let the audit be carried out. Let’s know exactly what we are talking about, understand what the figures are and criminal investigation can follow. You can’t start an investigation on nothing. You need a foundation. You can’t put a super structure without a base.

So, we need that base to put our own investigation on it”.

On its part, ICPC said its inability to probe NNPC over the years was due to the sophistication of the corporation’s account which is far above its capacity.

According to the commission’s Acting Chairman, Prof. Olu Aina: “the account of NNPC is so sophisticated that it would require hiring financial experts to study it for needed investigation, the cost of which, however, cannot be afforded by us due to underfunding.”

Responding to allega-

tion that the commission was selective in its prosecution, the EFCC boss said: “The case of the fuel subsidy payment, for which we charged people to court, is still very fresh.

Even the son of the immediate past PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, is one of the people standing trial. We did not go into the matter until it was concluded by the National Assembly and forwarded to us.

“We can’t just jump into something that is still being investigated by the National Assembly. It’s not a mob kind of thing. There must be a sequence of events that would lead us to taking decision. Let the hearing of the National Assembly be concluded.

Normally, when it is concluded, it is forwarded to us for investigation”, he noted.

When he was asked why the commission had not summoned former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, even when some investigative reports have indicted her in the N255 million bullet-proof car scandal, Lamorde said: “I think people are in a hurry.

What people want to hear is that just because there is an issue today, tomorrow you are shouting ‘kill him, stone him’. We don’t do investigation by the media. When we are ready to

charge the individual to court, we would do so.

“But when the investigation is going on, let the investigation be conclusive. Otherwise, we will join into what everybody is saying. It’s like the market place where everybody is shouting at the same time.

“Law enforcement investigation is not like that. It’s supposed to be systematic and you work towards getting evidence to sustain your case if eventually you go to court.

You can’t just go to court based on assumptions.

We have gone very far with some of our investigations. Very soon, when we are ready, you will see us in court.”

Meanwhile, the committee advised the ICPC to demobilise policemen serving in the commission and allow them return to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to make way for the employment of graduates who are jobless.

The advice was given by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Victor Lar, during the budget defence session.

The lawmaker argued that it was wrong for the commission to engage the services of several policemen when it can easily train the graduates as cadets to perform similar duties.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Samuel Ukura, yesterday, disclosed that 20 auditors trained in gas and oil auditing from his office are currently working on NNPC accounts.

Ukura disclosed this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts to defend the 2013 and 2014 budgets.

He said: “We had a budget of N60 million for training and we were able to train 20 officers who are presently on the filed auditing the accounts of NNPC” The Auditor General, who was commended by the committee for mopping up N100.1 million unspent funds meant for the purchase of vehicles, also disclosed that the contractors, Innoson Motors, failed to supply vehicles as at December 31, 2013.

He explained that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) had issued his office with a “letter of no objection” directing him to award the contract for the purchase of vehicles to Innoson Motors.

According to him, since the vehicles were not supplied, no money was paid, adding that the contractor was reminded through series of letters but he did not comply.

He disclosed that the of-

fice was only able to buy five Hilux pick up vans and one Prado jeep at the cost of N49.9 million out of the N180 million initially earmarked for the purchase of vehicles.

On the budget performance for 2013, Ukura told the committee that the recurrent was implemented 100 per cent while the capital budget was implemented only 57.7 per cent amounting to N374.157 million.

The Auditor General also denied knowledge of N200 million allegedly given to his office from the Service Wide Votes (SWV) by the Budget Office of the Federation.

The committee, however, expressed dismay with the AGF for some mix up in the report he presented to it.

Consequently, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos), ordered the AGF to submit all payment vouchers and receipts of payments and contracts awarded and reappear before the committee next Tuesday.

The committee also summoned the DirectorGeneral of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Emeka Eze, an engineer, to appear before it next Tuesday and shed light on the vehicle purchase.

4

NEWS

BLOOD LETTING Boko Haram strikes again in Adamawa burning banks, churches Anule Emmanuel, Emmanuel Onani, and Ibrahim Abdul

M

embers of Boko Haram on Wednesday night unleashed terror again in Madagli and Michika local governments of Adamawa State, killing 33 people.

The residents say that the gunmen first struck the border village of Kirchinga in Madagali local government at about 8:30pm on Wednesday where they set houses ablaze before proceeding to Shuwa where they killed scores of people.

A source at the village said when the gunmen struck Kirchinga, many of the residents fled to Shuwa for safety but the gunmen pursued them up to Shuwa where they killed some of them.

A resident, Mama Mary, said the attackers came into the town in a convoy of 13 Hilux pick-up vans shooting sporadically as people scampered in various directions for safety.

She said military per-

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Again, 33 killed in Adamawa lWe will bring Yobe murderers to justice, vows Jonathan lNyako: Enough is enough lUN: 290,002 displaced in North-East lArmy adopts new strategy to check insurgency sonnel manning checkpoints in the area quickly left because of the superior firepower of the fundamentalists.

A resident of Shuwa, Mr Kwaje Bitrus, told reporters the gunmen launched attacks on many places in the town, including a Bishop’s House, Theological School, as well as houses of prominent people in the town, leading to the death of several people.

“The gunmen attacked many places in Shuwa, including Bishop’s House, Theological School, as well as the houses of many prominent people, leading to the death of people” the source said.

Chairman of Madagali Local Government, Mr. Maina Ularamu, confirmed the killings.

A pastor said the gunmen destroyed three banks and many shops in the town.

“When the soldiers at the military checkpoints saw the number of the attackers, they retreated into nearby bushes as the gunmen operated without

challenge during the operation that lasted throughout the night,” he said.

Also, the member representing Michika State Constituency in Adamawa

State House of Assembly, Hon. Adamu Kamale, confirmed the attack on Michika.

He said: “It is so devastating, lives were lost, and

the gunmen burnt down a police station, banks and shopping malls on the road”.

A resident, Danile Ishaya, said the fundamental-

ists “just started firing at people”.

“Instantly, they killed at least over 33 persons including women, that had CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza (second right); Managing Director, UBA Foundation, Ms Ijeoma Aso (right); Director, Clinical Services and Training, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Ayoade Adedokun (second left); Head of New Born Unit, LASUTH, Dr Elizabeth Disu (middle), and UBA Divisional Head, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Charles Aigbe, during the presentation of sponsorship cheque for the overseas training of LASUTH doctors and nurses on Neo-Natal care in India...yesterday

7.4%

The rate by which FDI in China’s distribution services sector rose in January 2014 from a year earlier.

Source: Reuters

67.7%

The working percentage of the Cayman Islands, the world’s highest.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

828,000 The total tea consumption (in tonnes) of China (the world’s highest).

Source: telegraph.co.uk

NJC sacks Olotu, Inyang, appoints Bulkachuwa as Appeal Court President CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the compulsory retirement from office of Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court and Justice U.A Inyang of the Federal Capital Territory High Court over gross misconduct.

The council also warned the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Divison, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, Justice A. A. Adeleye of High Court of Justice, Ekiti State and Justice D. O. Amaechina of High Court of Justice, Anambra State, respectively.

The position of the council was contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the council, Soji Oye. Justice Olotu, who sits in the Abuja division of the court, was sacked from office , having been guilty of the allegations contained in the petition written against her.

The council finds her

guilty of delivering judgement in Suit No. FHC/ UY/250/2003, 18 months after the final Address by all the Counsel in the suit, contrary to the Constitutional provisions that judgements should be delivered within a period of 90 days.

Olotu had, however, admitted before the factfinding Committee of the Council that investigated the allegations that she forgot she had a pending ruling to deliver in an application for joinder.

She was also guilty of entertaining a post judgement matter in Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/250/2003 in Port Harcourt after delivering judgement, which made her functus officio.

The sacked judge also in another case: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/505/2012, failed to deliver judgement twice.

In Justice Inyang’s case, the council found him

guilty of including in his judgement, references to the Garnishee Proceedings, which came after the judgement had been delivered on 20th December, 2011.

It was discovered that Inyang had included the name of the Counsel to Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN), who came into the matter after the judgement of 20th December, 2011 was delivered.

Inyang was also said to be guilty of recklessly signing a Writ of Execution, a day after delivering his judgement of 20th December, 2011, the same day a Notice of Appeal and Motion on Notice for Stay of Execution were filed.

His offences further read: “That the Judge continued with the Garnishee Proceedings despite application for Stay of Execution; and that before

delivering his Judgment of 20th December, 2011, Hon. Justice Inyang ignored a properly filed Motion on Notice for leave to file additional witness Statement on Oath” The council, however, warned Justice Dalhatu for deliberately absenting himself from duty, which is an act of gross misconduct contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and the Code of Conduct of Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

New Telegraph recalls that Council at its last Meeting which was held on 4th and 5th December, 2013 considered and deliberated on the Report of its Five-Man Committee who were mandated to invite Judicial Officers with Very Low performance or Non-performance to appear before it.

At the end of deliberation on the Report of the Committee, Council found Justice A. A. Adeleye of High Court of Justice, Ekiti State and Justice D. O. Amaechina of High Court of Justice, Anambra State, respectively culpable of very low performance.

Consequently, Council decided to issue warning letters to them for decline in their productivity.

Also yesterday, NJC forwarded the name of the acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to President Goodluck Jonathan for confirmation as the substantive President of the Court.

Bulkachuwa has been acting for over a year now.

The council also forwarded the names of 25 judges to the President for confirmation into the Court of Appeal bench.

They are Justice Tani

Hassan, Justice Mohammed Shuaib, Justice Musa Alkali and Justice Jamilu Tukur.

Others are Justice Saidu Tanko, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, Justice Amina Wambai and Justice Rigwan Abdullahi.

Also, Justice Hamma Barka, Justice Bitrus Sanga, Justice Mohammed Mustapha and Justice Yagatta Nimta were also nominated.

Justice Joseph Ekanem, Justice Feoho Oho, Justice Abimbola Adejumo, Justice Bolokuroma Ugo and Justice Diobele Georgewill also made list of the new Court of Appeal judges.

Also on the list are, Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu ,Justice Paul Elechi, Justice Oludotun Adefowope Okogie, Justice Joseph Oyewole, Justice Mistura Bolaji Yusuf and Justice O.E. Williams-Daudu

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

5

290,002 have fled North-East, says United Nations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

fled from neigbhouring villages for fear of attack.

“After attacking us here, they later moved to Kubla and Michika”.

Chairman of Madagali Local Government, Maina Ularamu, said he counted 25 bodies.

He said: “The figure may rise because many people are now missing.

Those killed include women”.

Some residents of Michika town said they slept in the hills and nearby bushes during Wednesday night attack.

“They came in Hilux vans firing guns and throwing explosives,” a resident, who simply identified himself as Michael, said.

Micheal said he saw corpses of two victims whose remains were recovered this morning .

“One of the dead body is that of a staff of Bank of Agriculture,” Micheal said.

“They burnt places of worship and the house of a former commissioner, Idris Nuhu, in Shuwa village,” said a resident, Mr Habu Idris.

Spokesman of the 23rd Armoured Brigade, Yola, Captain Ja’afaru Nuhu, said the insurgents attacked communities in Madagali and Michika Local Government Areas.

Similarly, the Army Public Relations Officer of the 23rd Armoured Brigade, Captain Jafaru Nuhu, confirmed the incident but could not ascertain the number of casualties.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday vowed that his administration will spare no resources in ensuring that the murderers of more than 50 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State on Tuesday are brought to justice.

Speaking at the international security conference organised to mark the Centenary celebration (100 years of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates), Jonathan said: “Let me assure all Nigerians that we will spare no resource in bringing those murderers

to justice.”

Convened under the theme; “Human security, peace and development: agenda for 21st century Africa”, the security conference gave leaders in the continent the opportunity to share ideas on better approaches of addressing the security challenges facing Nigeria and the entire Africa.

According to Jonathan, presently, Africa loses not less than $18 billion annually to wars and insurgency, a situation which continues to hinder speedy growth and development.

He said for Africa to move forward, leaders must begin to see the challenges of sister countries as those affecting the entire continent.

“Africa has had enough of wars. And the cost of wars and insurgencies are too high. It has been estimated that Africa loses $18 billion per year from wars as well as insurgencies.

Wars, insurgencies and conflicts impact neighbouring countries even more, due to displacement of refugees, illegal trafficking of arms and disruption of economic activities.”

While lamenting the killings of the children in Yobe, Jonathan told the over 40 heads of government at the event: “But as I address you today, I have a heavy heart. Two days ago, terrorists invaded a secondary school and murdered innocent children in Yobe State, while they slept. The children, the hopes of their parents and the future leaders of our dear nation, had their hopes and dreams snuffed out, leaving behind grieving families, schoolmates, communities and a sad nation.”

He said terrorism must be condemned in the strongest possible terms in Africa.

“We must agree that acts of terrorism against one nation is an act of terror against all nations.

“We all must work together, collectively, to rid our world of haters of peace, who use terror to maim, kill, instil fear and deny people their rights to peace and security.”

“The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria is one of such condemnable acts

L-R: Secretary General, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN); representative of Lagos State governor, Prof. Bayo Williams and President, YCE, Major Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd), at the Council’s 13th annual National Congress in Lagos…yesterday

of terror. We have continued to deploy human and military intelligence, in close collaboration with our partners, to bring an end to their nefarious activities.”

“Greater regional cooperation in intelligence gathering and control of insurgents will ensure not only Nigeria’s security, but also the security of our neighbours.”

Similarly, Jonathan noted that to achieve this security stride, there is need to tackle terrorism across boundaries, not only to coordinate and strengthen defences, but also to address any socioeconomic roots on which these extreme ideologies thrive.

Various speakers at the event commended Nigeria for the 100 year’s journey and agreed to partner in ending terrorism in the continent.

He used the occasion to also advocate for an affirmative action for women.

He said banks in the continent should begin to devote 30 per cent of their lending in Agriculture to women farmers and women-owned agribusinesses.

Jonathan explained that “the evidence is clear that women rarely default on loans. This purposeful focus on women must become our priority for the post-2015 MDGs. Securing women’s future will secure Africa’s future.”

Among dignitaries at the conference were the Presidents of Liberia, Angola, Ethiopia, Malawi,

Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Kenya, Algeria, Burundi, Switzerland , representative of Britain, United States of America, Germany, the European Union (EU) among others.

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State also reacted to the killings in Yobe State, saying “enough is enough”.

Nyako said with the series of attacks, the emergency rule slammed on Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states has been defeated.

Nyako criticised the federal government for failing to foil the Yobe school “which seems predictable since school children had previously been murdered that way in the same state”.

He said: “There is no excuse at all. We want to know more from the authority. By now, authority should be able to know what is happening. We should be able to know where this arm is manufactured and even the signatures of the weapons. We ought to know who ordered it, who paid for it, how did it come to the country?

Which port in Nigeria did they use when they arrived, who cleared them?

“President, Vice President, Governors and the military are the only group that pass checkpoints without being checked. Which of these is conveying those arms to the scene of this action? We want to know.

“The other aspect is that army withdrew from the checkpoint, before the attack in Yadi –Buni, who

ordered the withdrawal.

We also have a case where General Shuwa was killed by so called Boko Haram.

There are army units there but they didn’t respond during the incident, who told them not to respond when Shuwa was being attacked?

“The Air Force base was being raided, there is a unit of army nearby, who gave them the order not to respond until all the aircraft were destroyed?

“These are questions that need answers. So, either this thing is controlled by unknown fellows or unknown Boko Haram Strategic commanders in the Defence system or stagedmanaged. We have reached a point to come out and tell them our displeasure over the way the situation is escalating.’’

Because of the series of attacks, 290,002 people, more than half of them children, have fled their homes in the North-East, the United Nations (UN) said yesterday.

UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA, said a total of 290,002 people have been internally displaced in the three states under emergency rule -- Adamawa, Borno and Yobe -- as of January 1, 2014.

The OCHA said the aggregated figures were “verified and conservative estimates” based on reports from humanitarian, development and relief agencies working in Nigeria.

The population in Borno -- the epicentre of the

conflict and where Boko Haram was founded more than a decade ago -- has been the hardest-hit, with 189,318 displaced.

In Yobe, the figure was 71,491, and in Adamawa, 29,193.

To check the activities of Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters said yesterday that it has evolved new counter-terrorism strategies.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Director of Defence Information, Maj.Gen. Chris Olukolade, disclosed that the new approach, which includes regular mobile patrol of troops from one flashpoint to the other, “is being undertaken simultaneously in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states”.

The Defence spokesman further noted that the new approach is with a view to “apprehending the terrorists and ensuring that they do not escape out of Nigeria as they are now so desperate to do.”

While acknowledging the recent killings in Yobe as well as the Wednesday incident in Adamawa State, where a bank was said to have been razed by suspected Boko Haram members, Olukolade said that “the chilling episodes are simply typical of terrorists’ intention to intimidate the people into subscribing to their false claim to invincibility.

“The current activities of the terrorist group is actually at best a reaction to the renewed offensive against terror in the country.”

6

NEWS

Friday, February 28, 2014

photo news

2015: Ogboru dumps DPP for Labour Party Julius Toba Abuja

T L-R: Director General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr. Dipo Famakinwa; Managing Director, Vintage Press Ltd, Mr. Victor Ifijeh; Commissioner for Integration and Intergovernmental Affairs, Ekiti State, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, during the opening session of the 3rd South-West Regional Integration Programme in Ado-Ekiti... yesterday.

hree-time governorship candidate of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru has dumped the party and joined the Labour Party.

New Telegraph can authoritatively report that Ogboru was sighted at the national secretariat of Labour Party yesterday in Garki, Abuja where talks about his defection were finalised.

Ogboru stormed the secretariat yesterday afternoon at about 2.15 pm

in company with chieftains of the LP and DPP in Delta State where they had a closed door session with Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, the National Chairman of LP. Ogboru and his team yesterday also discussed at length with members of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party shortly after a separate meeting on how to reposition LP in Delta .

Among those who were received by Nwanyanwu yesterday in Abuja were Comrade Emeka Nkwoala, Labour Party Delta State Chairman and Chief

Tony Ezeagwu, DPP State Chairman in Delta.

Though no official statement has been made on his defection, investigations revealed that Ogboru is now waiting for the verdict of his gubernatorial legal tussle pending before the Supreme court, and scheduled to be delivered on the 22nd of March, 2014.

Sources say Ogboru who may likely fly LP's flag in February 2015 Delta guber polls had directed all his members to move to LP, with a plan to join them after the court verdict.

Ajimobi disagrees with Jonathan on amalgamation Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

L-R: Commissioner for Culture, Ogun State, Mrs. Yewande Amusan; paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo and Divisional Director, Globacom, Ogun State, Mr. Gbolahan Olajide during a seminar, entitled “Amalgamation in Nigeria and Egba National Independence” in continuation of 2014 Glo Sponsored Lisabi Festival held in Abeokuta…yesterday.

L-R: Specialist, Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria, Okanu Ibeanu; Nigerian Idol Season 4 Judges, Nneka Lucia Egbuna; Dare Art Alade, and Nigerian Idol Host, Ill Rhymz, at the Etisalat Nigerian Idol Judges Day, held in Port Harcourt.

T

HE grand Yoruba summit for the formal presentation and ratification of the Yoruba agenda for the 2014 national conference held yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, with Governor Abiola Ajimobi disagreeing with President Goodluck Jonathan on the amalgamation of Nigeria by the colonialists, saying the amalgamation was a forced marriage that has earned Nigerians pains and calamities.

While President Jonathan had said that the amalgamation by Lord Luggard was not a mis-

different ideologies, different cultures, different political beliefs, yet we were soldered into one component by the British colonial masters.”

Ajimobi further said that "This forceful marriage has earned us several pains and calamities.

It led to the 30-month old civil war where the Yoruba suffered needless casualties in the course of fighting for the unity of Nigeria. The most recent calamity of our forced togetherness is the pain of being tagged as citizens of the same country with the senseless killers of children who are inflicting needless pogrom in the North.

Judiciary workers serve warning strike notice Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin.

J Governor Theodore Orji of Abia state (middle); His wife, Mercy (right); widow of the late John Ndubuka, Mrs. Chibuzor John Ndubuka; ( left) and a family member during the funeral service for Late John Ndubuka in Umuahia.

take, Ajimobi, at the House of Chiefs, Agodi Secretariat, where many Yoruba sons and daughters, including royal fathers, converged, said, "as you all know, the Yoruba people, like every other ethnic nationalities that make up this country did not willingly join the behemoth that was to later become Nigeria. We were coerced by the British overlords in the evergreen magical marriage of inconvenience called amalgamation of 1914.

"Since then, Nigeria has presented as the forcefully conjured seeds in the walnut pod, what our people call 'Omo inu awusa'.

Different world-views,

udiciary workers in Nigeria agreed yesterday to undertake a two-day warning strike in March, 2014 as a means of drawing attention to what they described as failure of government to obey the order of a Federal High Court, Abuja on the payment of funds accruable to states’ judiciary in the federation account directly to the heads of courts .

The worker vowed that they would embark on indefinite strike if the affected authorities failed to implement the court judgment after the warning strike.

Members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the workers, under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) who met in Ilorin, Kwara state have ratified the decision. They directed the closure of all gates of courts and judicia-

ry outfits between Wednesday, March 12th to Friday, March 14, 2014. The NEC also urged its members to withdraw their services.

The decision, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the union's three-day NEC meeting held in Ilorin affects all branches and chapters nationwide. The communiqué announcing the decision was read to newsmen by the National President of the union, Marwan Mustapha Adamu.

NEWS

Friday, February 28, 2014

ALLEGATION

Mohammed accuses military of anti-North strategy

Geoffrey Ekenna

S

econd Republic House of Representatives member, Dr Junaid Mohammed, yesterday declared that Nigerians should expect more Boko Haram attacks in the North and similar attacks in other parts of the country should president Goodluck Jonathan win the 2015 presidential election.

He added that former military president, Gen-

Expect more attacks nationwide if … - Junaid Mohammed l Says Babangida predicted Jonathan’s failure on militant sect eral Ibrahim Babangida, told him last year that President Jonathan’s strategy on Boko Haram would fail.

Mohammed, who spoke with New Telegraph on telephone, also said that it was either President Jonathan changed the strategy in fighting the insurgent group in the NorthEast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe or

Centenary: Queen Elizabeth congratulates Nigeria Anule Emmanuel

Q

ueen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has written to c ongratulate President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria on the occasion of Nigeria’s centenary celebrations.

In a written message delivered to President Jonathan late yesterday

by Britain’s Minister for Africa, Mr. Mark Simmonds, Queen Elizabeth II conveyed her best wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Nigeria.

“On the occasion of the Republic of Nigeria

7

celebrating 100 years since the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria, I send the people of Nigeria my warmest congratulations.

“I have fond memories of my first visit to Nigeria in 1956 and again in 2003 as Head of the Commonwealth.

“The links between our two countries have deepened over the past 100 years and I hope they will continue to do so.

“I would like to convey my best wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Nigeria,” the British monarch wrote.

be prepared for his government to be changed by constitutional means come 2015.

Mohammed said, “There is the need to change the counter-insurgency strategy of the government. Babangida told me last year that the strategy is failing and would fail. If the government did not change the strategy, then it should wait for a change of

11

The world’s position of Nigeria’s labour force (2012 est).

Source: Theodera.com

government itself. If Jonathan wins election in 2015 (even though there is no way he can win except through rigging) there will be more Boko Haram (attacks) in the North and similar groups in other parts of the country. But for sure, he cannot win election in 2015.”

Reacting to the resurgence of Boko Haram activities in the three

states, especially the recent killings in Yobe and Borno states, Mohammed said the Federal Government was failing because the military has seen the crisis as a means of making money from the government of President Jonathan. He also accused the military of not addressing the real problem of insurgency on the ground, rather they are engaging

157

The number of recorded deaths among infants per 1,000 live births in Afghanistan (the world’s highest).

Source: telegraph.co.uk

in ethnic, religious and sectarian cleansing.

According to him, the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima, was right that the military was underfunded and under-armed in the fight against the sect.

Mohammed said Babangida told him last year that Jonathan’s strategy of tackling the insurgents would fail.

83litres

The average beer consumption of the average Venezuelan citizen per year.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

L-R: General Manager, Dajcom Limited, Mr. Nicolah Farah; Group Deputy General Manager, Sharp Corporation, Japan, Mr. Mitsuno Nakashima; Vice Chairman, Mutual Benefits Assurance, Mr. Akin Opeodu; Managing Director, Djacom Limited, Mr. David Safa, and Managing Director, Sharp Middle East FZE, Mr. Fumio Yamaguchi, Dubai, after a partnership announcement press briefing between Sharp and Djacom held in Lagos …yesterday.

Ogun extends homeowners' charter deadline Osun group warns against rigging at guber polls Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

T

he Ogun State Government yesterday announced the extension of the homeowners' charter to March 31, this year.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta, said the government's decision was to enable more people to benefit from the programme.

The homeowners' charter, launched on December 16, 2013, offers property

owners in the state the opportunity to obtain building plan approval, certificates of occupancy or other title documents at about 78 percent discount.

The initial deadline for the scheme was February 28 (today).

But Olaniyonu said after considering the requests made by residents to Governor Ibikunle Amosun during his tour of designated centres for collection and submission of forms for the charter, the state government decided to extend the deadline to March 31.

FAIR PLAY

INEC urged to provide level playing ground Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

A

s the governorship election in Osun State approaches, Forum of Executive Secretaries in the state yesterday warned President Goodluck Jonathan, the independent National Electoral commission (INEC) and security agencies not to attempt to

rig the election as masses would resist such move vehemently.

The forum, which spoke through its chairman, Prince Olusoji Ajayi, in a press conference in Osogbo, affirmed that the return of the incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for a second term was sure and threatened not to take it lightly with those who might want to perpetrate electoral fraud during the exercise.

Ajayi remarked that the antics of the Presidency,

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties are “secrets in the open market”.

“We implore INEC to give a level playing ground to all the political parties interested in the governorship election, so that the opposition party would not have excuse for their defeat. All we want from INEC is a free, fair and credible election that will be accepted by the people, not an inconclusive election like that of Anambra State.”

“There is no way this

government will not continue after 2014, because it is the government that the people of Osun want.

The people should vote and stand by their votes.

They should not succumb to threats and the federal might that some people want to use in winning the governorship election.

“The people of Osun should remember what they went through between 2003 and 2010. They should be wiser than some politicians that think they could buy votes with kerosene.

8

ACROSS THE NATION

Friday, February 28, 2014

Abuja

oyo

Abuja

Ibadan

Ekiti guber race: Fayose opposes consensus candidate A former Governor of Ekiti, Mr Ayo Fayose, said a consensus candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti would not be in the interest of the people.

He said this while speaking with newsmen shortly after picking the PDP nomination form in Abuja yesterday.

According to Fayose, consensus arrangement is

anti-democracy because it will not reflect the people’s wishes.

Fayose emphasised that he was an anti-consensus person because the party leadership had repeatedly said that they would enthrone internal democracy within the party. ``If you defeat me on the field, I will shake your hand and support you financially in whatever way, and if I defeat anybody on the field, there wil l be less acrimony.”

rivers Port Harcourt

PDP, APC trade accusations as unknown gunmen kidnap party chieftains The kidnap of a former member of the Federal House of Representatives. Chinyere Igwe and two other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the Eagle Island area, in the outskirt Port Harcourt, the Rivers State

capital on Wednesday has led to the party trading accusations with the All Progressives Congress.

The kidnap APC of the three also led to an emergency State Security Council Meeting, chaired by its Vice Chairman and State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin.

Nigeria is a sick society with corrupt leaders, ASUU president PRESIDENT, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Nasir Fagge, has expressed worries over the series of scandals rocking the nation, submitting that "Nigeria is a sick society where leaders are suffering from serious slave mentality".

According to Fagge,

"in normal and sane climes, heads ought to roll anytime there is scandal but they are covered up, while those doing the right thing either lose their jobs or head".

The ASUU president spoke during a symposium organised by the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) group, held at the University of Ibadan.

According to him,

Lagos Lagos

No plans to hike fuel price above N97 per litre-PPPRA The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) yesterday absolved itself of complicity in the N100 per litre arbitrary fuel price hike in some filling stations across the country.

New Executive Secretary of the agency,

Farouk Ahmed, who said this also noted that the PPPRA has not approved price hike above N97 per litre.

Ahmed, in a statement made available to New Telegraph directed all fuel marketers to release for sale products in their tanks and depots at the official approved pump price.

Onitsha

Abuja

Onitsha

Abuja

GOC tasks officers, men of Nigerian Army to be polite The General Officer (GOC) commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Shehu Yusuf, has advised officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to be polite and courteous while discharging their internal security duties.

Gen. Yusuf gave this advice yesterday while addressing officers and men of the Cantonment during his familiarization tour.

94.3

The number of computers per 100 people that Canadians are likely to own.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

1.262m

The total coffee consumption (in tonnes) of US (the world’s highest) yearly.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

53.8m

The total number of labour force in Nigeria (2012 est).

Source: Theodera.com

Lagos Lagos

Fashola renames hall to honour slain Yobe students

L-R: Minister for Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe; Chief of Staff, Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and Osun State Governor , Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun …yesterday.

lagos

lagos

lagos

lagos

Oil firm brings hope to the blind The blind and visually impaired members of SEPLAT’s host communities will have cause to smile as Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc., operators of the NPDC/SEPLAT joint venture returns with the third edition of its very popular ‘Eye Can See CSR’ programme.

A statement issued by the company noted that

the programme, a key component of SEPLAT’s Corporate Social Investment, is a health-focused community engagement initiative which focuses on bringing free, qualitative and comprehensive eye care to members of its host communities.

The programme, which is now in its third year, has reached about 4,000 people and will extend to another 2,000 this year.

Don’t contribute money for electricity facilities, DISCO tells consumers The Chief Executive Officer of Eko Distribution Company, Mr. Oladele Amoda has advised electricity consumers to stop contributing money for the purchase of transformers, repair of electricity facilities and installations.

Also, consumers were urged to seek redress

for poor service delivery through effective utilization of the forum 'soffices across the country to tackle consumers’ electricity complaints.

Amoda, speaking at a sensitization workshop in Lagos state stated that the company was poised to abide by rules and regulations that ensure customer’s best practice and satisfaction.

G ov.

B ab at u n d e Fashola of Lagos State yesterday renamed a hall initially named after him, to ``Peace Hall’’, in memory of slain Yobe school children.

About 43 children of the Federal Government College, Burni Yadi, Yobe, were killed by members of the Boko Haram Sect on Feb. 25.

The renamed hall was constructed by the Lagos Zonal Council of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), located at Fadeyi in Lagos.

Fashola said at the inauguration of the hall earlier named after him by NUPENG that he changed the name to honour the slain secondary school students.

INEC plans special salary for staff In a bid to boost the morale of its staff and protect them from undue influence by politicians, the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] is planning to place its staff on special salary.

This hint was given yesterday by the INEC National Commissioner, Dr. Ismael Igbani at the launching of the ''2015 Forum for Election Observers'' in Abuja.

Dr. Ismael Igbani who represented the chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega further disclosed that the commission had already sent the proposal to the National Assembly. ''We are working on a seperate salary structure for INEC staff. But to change it is difficult because the National Assembly is a bit reluctant to do it because of possible agitation from other MDAs.

anambra Awka

Yobe school massacre heartless, wicked - Umeh The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief (Sir) Victor Umeh, has described as heartless, wicked and barbaric, the recent murder in cold blood, of over 50 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe State, by members of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, stating emphatically that the solution to the insurgency, lay with the North-East Political leaders.

Abuja Abuja

PSC promotes 5,115 to ASP rank The Police Service Commission, yesterday, approved the promotion of 5,115 Inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) II. This was contained in a statement signed by Ferdinand U. Ekpe, the PSC's Assistant Director (Press and Public Relations).

NEWS

Friday, February 28, 2014

EXPLANATION FCDA says suit on property has been withdrawn from court Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T

he Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCDA) Department of Development Control, yesterday, said it demolished the property belonging to a former director of the State Security Service (SSS), Alhaji Sada Ilu in Asokoro District, Abuja, be-

FCDA gives reason for demolition of SSS director’s property cause it was convinced that a dispute over the property was no longer in court.

Men of the Department of Development Control accompanied by a team of heavily armed security personnel, on Monday morning stormed the area and removed the perimeter fence of the property located at plot 2653, Cadastral Zone 04, of the

District, including a security house attached to the plot belonging to Ilu. Speaking on the demolition exercise, the Public Relations Officer of the Department, Emetu Kalu, told New Telegraph that the Department would not have demolished the perimeter fence and other structures if the case was still in court.

It was gathered that

the land on which the demolished fence was built on is still a subject of a litigation, both at the Federal Capital Territory High Court and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, in suits nos. FCT/HC/CV/110/09 and Appeal No. CA/ AB/151/2012, respectively. The FCT minister and the Development control Department are joined as parties in the suit.

The plaintiff, Chief

Joe K. Gadzama SAN, had alleged that his neighbour, Ilu, exceeded his known plot boundary and encroached on the plot belonging to him.

But Kalu said that the Department told Gadzama when he reported the matter that he should withdraw the case

A

L-R: Managing Partner, Citymatters International, Mr. Muyiwa Adelu; Managing Director/CEO, PropertyGate Development and Investment Company PLC, Mr. Adetokunbo Ajayi and Managing Director, Exq-Shore Properties, Ms. Iyabo Adeoye, during the PropertyGate Breakfast Forum in Lagos…yesterday.

Committee wants Qur'an recitation in school curriculums Committee say recitation will improve morals Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

M

embers of the National Quran Recitation Committee in Kwara State, yesterday, canvassed the inclusion of Quranic recitation into the educational curriculum of the state as they lamented inadequate support from the state during their participations in the competition at the national level.

But the committee ad-

mitted that the state government had agreed to encourage more participation in the completion because it enhances both the spiritual and educational skills of the participants and will check their participation in anti social behaviours.

The move, according to Chairman of the committee, Alhaji AbdulSalam Ayinla, will further enhance the activities of centres that had been established for the training of students in Quranic recitation as is being done in some other states of the federation.

Ayinla who spoke through the secretary of the Committee, Al-

haji Abdullahi Ibrahim, made the plea in Ilorin, Kwara State, at the presentation of prizes to the state’s representatives in the 2014 edition of the programme which took place in Dutse, Jigawa state.He explained that other states in the northern part of the country had been very supportive of their participants and committees.

Two of the state’s representatives, Sodik Alabi from Ifelodun Local Government Area and Hajarat Imam-Fulani, daughter of a former Grang Khadi of the state’s Sharia Court of Appeal, won two Hyundai cars in the completion.

He said that while the committee was appreciative of what it was doing to support their participation, there were glaring evidence that much could still be done by the government. He pointed out that the state had always been represented in the yearly completion since it started.

“We are not begging for attention, but what is done in other states should be done here too; if it were sports, we will organise good reception for winners and encourage them. Let us do the same thing that is done in other states here to encourage the participants,” he said.

from the court before the FCDA could go ahead to remove the fence, adding that Gadzama later informed FCDA that he had withdrawn the case with evidence, which was later investigated and confirmed by the Abuja Geographical Information Services (AGIS).

Badagry: Court declines jurisdiction on demolition Joseph Onyekwere

MORAL

9

Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, said it lacked jurisdiction to entertain and determine the suit filed by some residents of Badagry Local Government Area Lagos, where nine respondents were claiming the sum of N100 billion for alleged wrongful demolition of their 1,500 houses.

Counsel to the applicants, Mr Declan Nkemdilim, had asked the court to declare that the fundamental human rights of the Badagry residents were trampled upon by the police.

Nkemdilim argued that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to entertain the matter and supported his argument with a 2004 Supreme

Court decision, in the case of Grace Jack Vs University of Agriculture Gongola.

However, counsel to the respondents, Mr Hameed Oyenuga, Mr Chukwu Agwu and Mr J Oloruntoba challeged the jurisdiction of the court.

Oyenuga, in his submission, said that the applicants raised the issue of ownership to the land, thereby, faulting the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine the matter.

As a result, Justice Ibrahim Buba, in his ruling, said that the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the matter. He explained that the court could not decide the issue of demolition without touching the issue of title to land, a matter on which it lacked jurrisdiction.

Porting: MTN worst hit, losses 3,052 customers

M

ajor mobile communication companies suffered great losses of customers during the recently concluded porting exercise executed in December, 2013.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) , yesterday, said the Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), Nigeria, lost 3,052 subscribers to other networks through the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in 2013.

This was contained in the Port-Out Activities of Mobile Network

Operators’ report, which was made by the NCC in Lagos. According to the report, MTN was the worst hit during the MNP’s exercise in December 2013, followed

by Airtel Nigeria which lost 1,199 customers. The report stated that Globacom lost 973 subscribers, while 626 customers of Etisalat Nigeria, ported to other networks at the same period.

A total of 5,850 telecoms users engaged in the porting-out exercise across the networks in the last quarter of 2013.

10 NEWS

Friday, February 28, 2014

PDP chides APC over Ekiti governorship election EKITI POLL

PDP says APC in Ekiti is jittery over the forthcoming governnorship election in the state Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

E

kiti State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe has chided the

Man bags 35 years over N23m recharge card scam

ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party is already jittery of losing the governorship election in the state.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti recently, the media aide to the state chairman of the party, Mr. Femi Omolusi said signs of the APC being jittery could be seen in the false alarm raised that the PDP was relying on federal might to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Reacting to the allega-

tion, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Jide Awe said his party can never exercise fear about the poll.

Awe added that the socalled federal might had never won any election in the state and would not win this time around.

“We have endeared our party to the people of the state by the various programmes and projects we are executing. We are the party to beat in Ekiti state, is it a confused opposition that will defeat us in the election?" Awe asked.

However, the PDP boss insisted that comments by APC leaders in the state, including Governor Kayode Fayemi showed a party that was on its way out of the Government House.

"Look at what Governor Fayemi said few days ago that we are planning to rig the election and that danger is looming in the state. We are going to win the election free and fair and peace will continue to reign in the state”, he stated.

According to his statement, “It is the APC that

is planning to rig the poll. Their first step was their membership drive at INEC polling units to confuse the people and bring voters from other states. We are aware of their plans to rig Ijero, Ikole, Ilejemeje, Oye, Ekiti South-West and Ido/Osi local governments”.

Ogundipe said his party believed in "one man one vote", adding that it was the APC that had a history of electoral fraud in the state.

He called on security agencies to mark the

Abakaliki

C

Abuja

A

change of name

UKPAI

Formerly Comfort Onyebuchi Ukoha, now wish to be known and addressed as Comfort Onyebuchi Ukpai, all former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

Okeke

Formerly Ifeoma Nneamaka Unigwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Ifeoma Nneamaka Okeke, all former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Avoid desperate politicians, LG boss warns Nigerian youths Ewa Nnanna

Emmanuel Onan Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Wednesday sentenced one Ibiba Jack 35 years imprisonment without an option of fine over his involvement in recharge card scam.

He was arraigned on a 5-count charge of fraudulently obtaining from a distributor of telecommunication, MTN recharge cards and accessories valued at N23, 475.000.00 (Twenty three million, four hundred and seventy five thousand naira).

He purportedly obtained the recharge cards on behalf of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. News of the conviction was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Wilson Uwujaren.

threats raised by APC leaders and curtail their excesses.

The PDP boss added that the people of the state had rejected the APC-led administration, which would manifest during the election.

But Awe, the APC chairman said no previous administration in the state had performed creditably well like the Fayemi government.

L-R: General Manager, Marketing, UAC Foods Limited, Mrs. Joan Ihekwaba; Executive Director, Corporate Services, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Joe Dada, Managing Director/CEO, UAC Foods Limited, Dr, Tawanda Mushuku and the Chairman, Scientific and Technical Committee of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Dr. Bartholomew Brai, and two pupils, Master Isaac Victor of Providence School, Agege and Angel Snipes of Glory Crown International School, Ijesha during the launch of the New Gala Tinkies held in Lagos…yesterday.

We are disappointed at Amaechi’s absence at southern forum- PDP KNOCKS

PDP leadership in Rivers state says Governor Rotimi Amaechi's from Southern forum was a big disappointment Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

T

he leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers state has expressed disappointment over the absence of Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the Southern Forum Conference held in Cross Rivers to articulate and advance the future of the people of the region.

The party said the conspicuous absence of Governor Amaechi at the forum has made some

members of the party very uncomfortable, saying there was papable fears that this may put spanner in the works of the conference, designed to articulate and advance the future of the people of the region.

“We are sad over the deliberate absence of Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the all- important Southern Forum on National Conference held in Calabar, Cross Rivers State on Monday, February 24, 2014’’, the party stated.

The statement, signed

by Mr. Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser on Media to the State Party Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah said, the party viewed Gov. Amaechi's unexplained absence as a demonstration of his neglect

and abandonment of the cause of the people of the area, which ought to be his priority.

"Most annoying to the Party is the fact that the governor, rather than showing support for the Calabar conference, which was attended by most eminent personalities from the south including his colleagues from different states, Governor Amaechi prominently featured at an All Progressives Congress (APC) meeting, which he sponsored outside of the state’’, the statement added.

Needam described Amaechi's action as disrespectful, misappropriation of Rivers people's money and lack of focus as well as insensitivity to the interest and development of

the South, just as it was described as an exposition of his exceeding hate for the people of the area as well as President Jonathan. ‘’It is unfortunate that a governor, who superintends over the affairs of the state and the people could reject and deny his own people in such a manner that rather presents him as an enemy of progress of the region”, he stated.

By his activities thus far, it has become imperative to be cautious in involving him in issues of serious concern, particularly development issues as he has consistently and doggedly showed an unrepentant quest to ensure the failure of the people's aspiration and interest’’, the party stated.

hairman of Ezza South local government area of Ebonyi state, Hon. Lazarus Ogbee has warned youths in the country to stay clear of desperate politicians, whose intensions are to use them as thugs to truncate the fledgling democracy for selfish reasons.

The Council boss, who gave this warning while addressing the youths of his Council at Onueke,the Council’s headquarters, also remarked that the nation’s political history proved that "unscrupulous politicians" always use youths as instruments for the disruption of peace and political process in the country.

Ogbee restated the need for youths to be careful as these self-seeking politicians would only use and dump them after the elections.

He however advised leaders to live exemplary life, capable of promoting peace in the country, just as he called on youths to respect their leaders, no matter their portfolios.

"Address every political office holder with his or her portfolio, if you see a deputy leader of the council, it is a very high position, address him properly, the same should apply to other political leaders in the country, "he stated.

metr One dies as Customs,

12

NEW TELEGRAPH

Sanctity

Friday, Febru

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO

FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

0802 393 8212

FRIday, February 28, 2014

youths clash in Ogun Deadly Brawl A youth dies during confrontation with Customs

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A

violent clash between irate youths and officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State Command, has left one person dead in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.

The victim, simply identified as Timothy, allegedly died of gunshot injuries on Wednesday night, following hostilities between suspected smugglers and Customs

personnel.

The incident occurred in Koko village along the Idiroko border of Nigeria and the neighbouring Benin Republic.

Sources told the NT Metro that trouble started on Wednesday afternoon when some youth groups from three communities of Koko, Alaari and Ilashe prevented Customs officials from evacuating over 900 bags of rice smuggled into the country and stockpiled in a warehouse at Koko village.

Armed with dangerous weapons, the youths were said to have blocked all access routes to the village with bonfires and huge objects to stop the Customs men from leaving with the seized contrabands.

In the ensuing confusion, Tim-

othy, who was identified as one of the leaders of the three groups, was allegedly shot by an officer.

Men of the NCS, however, managed to leave the scene with over 100 bags of rice evacuated from the warehouse, thus sparking further protest.

When contacted yesterday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chike Ngige, confirmed that one person lost his life in the incident.

He, however, claimed that the deceased had attempted to snatch a gun from one of the Customs officers, who earlier fired some shots into the air to scare the youths away.

Ngige said, in the process, a bullet accidentally hit the deceased.

The PRO said the contraband were smuggled into the country through motorcycles popularly called Okada”.

Ngige said the “DestinationSpot Approach” adopted by the command resulted in the discovery of the contraband and the attendant Koko attack.

He said: “To checkmate this, the command developed the Destination-Spot Approach where the motorcyclists dropped the smuggled rice at a spot. With our intelligence information gathering efforts, our operatives will strike.

“Our operatives struck at a smuggled rice warehouse in an outskirt of Koko village where an estimated over 900 bags of rice were stockpiled by Okada riders.”

FRSC educates pupils on seatbelts Taiwo Jimoh

T

he Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mowe Unit Command, has taken seatbelt campaign to schools in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Speaking during the campaign yesterday, Unit Commander, Mr Dare Ogunjobi, said it was a directive from the Chief Corps Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka, that the corps should sensitise pupils and drivers across the country.

He said: “We have seen a situation where parents, who like to show affluence, ask their children who are below the age of 12 to sit in front of their cars.

“We are doing this to reduce the level of under-aged accidents on the road and also to educate them and catch them young.

“When we teach these children on the dangers associated with sitting in front of the car without using a seatbelt, when-

An FRSC official demonstrating how to use a seat belt

Some of the Okada riders. Inset: T

Save us from ALLEGATION Commercial motorcyclists accuse policemen of turning them into Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

Taiwo Jimoh

A

lleged police extortion and harassment by Okada riders almost led to a bloody confrontation between some policemen and commercial motorcyclists at Idimu area of Lagos on Wednesday.

The incident happened at Solomon Durodola Street, Unity Estate, Idimu.

Members of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and

Missing N450, 000 tricycle lands two men in trouble

A

FRSC officials addressing the pupils

ever their parents ask them to sit in the front, they would be the ones to educate their parents on the dangers inherent in this practise.”

As part of the campaign strategies, he noted that the unit had concluded arrangements to visit motor parks and educate commercial drivers on safety measures.

“We have also warned and

educated commercial drivers in motor parks, who are found of taking alcohol before embarking on a journey to desist from doing so,” he said.

Men of the unit, according to Ogunjobi, usually carry out routine inspections on commercial vehicles’ tyres, windscreens and some other vital parts of the vehicles.

tricycle operator and a security guard were yesterday charged before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly stealing a tricycle worth N450, 000.

The accused, Patrick James, 31, and Audu Kanta, 40, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

They, however, denied the charges.

But the prosecutor, In-

spector Gabriel Ekundayo, insisted that the accused committed the offence on February 23, at No. 35, Akinsurulere Street, off Adetola Street, Aguda, Surulere.

He said James, who operated the tricycle, went to report to the owner, Abiodun Oroleye that the tricycle had been stolen with his eyes filled with tears.

Ekundayo told the court that Kanta, Oroleye’s secu-

A file picture of a Lagos Magistrate

rity guard, claimed to have sat on the tricycle till 5.30am before he went to pray.

He said: “Kanta also said he was surprised that on his return from the prayer session that the tricycle had been stolen.’’

The prosecutor, according to the News Agency of Nige-

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

11

Ajudua prays court to quash N1bn fraud charge PRAYER

Suspect charged with fraud wants court to quash charges

Joseph Jibueze

M

r Fred Ajudua, has urged the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to quash fraud charges brought against

him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission charged Ajidua with defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.

Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd) of $5.9 million (about N1 billion).

EFCC alleged that Ajudua conspired with others now at large to perpetrate the fraud between

L-R: Lubricant Technical Manager, Oando Marketing Plc, Ayobami Odetola; Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Olaposi Williams; Winner of a Hillux Truck, Hamisu Dantinki; Lubricant Research & Development Manager , Oando Marketing Plc, Mohammed Dahiru and Head Sales, Sanyaolu Jonathan, during the Lubes Distributors’ Award in Lagos…yesterday

3.73%

1.4bn

The annual population growth rate of Niger (the world’s fastest).

Source: telegraph.co.uk

The total population projection of India by 2025.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

13,328,054 The total number of connected Mobile (CDMA) lines in 2nd quarter of 2012.

Source: National bureau of statistics

November 2004 and June 2005.

Those said to be on the run are Alumile Adedeji (a.k.a Ade Bendel), one Mr. Kenneth and Princess Hamabon William.

They allegedly defrauded Bamaiyi at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, where they were all remanded for different crimes.

EFCC claimed that the suspects fraudulently collected the money from Bamaiyi in parts, falsely claiming that the payments represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle Bamaiyi’s case in court and to facilitate his release from prison.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that Ajudua and others claimed that $1million was to be used to assist Justice Olubunmi Oyewole in treating his father.

Justice Oyewole, also a

National Hospital staff begin indefinite strike ...Want conditions of service implemented DEADLOCK

Inconclusive meeting between union and management leads to hospital workers’ strike

Yekeen Nurudeen, Abuja

W

orkers of the National Hospital, under the aegis of Joint Health Staff

Association, began an indefinite strike yesterday compelling many who visited the hospital for treatment to return disappointed.

The strike followed

INEC’s demand for more funds in order –Balarabe

T

he National Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, yesterday backed the demand of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) for funds to conduct Civic and Voter Education.

Musa who made the assertion in an interview in Abuja said international donations without attached conditions are okay.

The electoral body had

recently requested for assistance from the European Union (EU) to achieve voter education ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Musa declared :“I am not alarmed by the request for more funds by INEC to conduct voter education.

“Though I would not consider voter education as an additional work, it is part and parcel of INEC’s duty. The CNPP chairman agreed that there was need for voter education on their rights.

The chairman urged political parties to also rise to their social responsibility by providing quality voter education that would ensure success of the forthcoming elections.

Musa faulted the competition among politicians, stressing that they should be more concerned with voter education.

“Politicians see voters as being poor, thereby using the poverty level of the electorate to undermine the freedom of voting,” he said.

an inconclusive meeting between the leadership of the union, management of the hospital and representatives of Federal Ministry of Health which ended around 8pm on Wednesday.

The association comprises nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, technicians, administration staff and other ancillary workers at the hospital.

The union is asking, among others, for the implementation of conditions of service which, it lamented, had been unduly delayed by the management of the hospital.

When the New Telegraph visited the hospital, all the wards were deserted by health workers while offices were locked. The hospital reception was manned by a securityman who confirmed that a large number of out-patients

had come and returned disappointed.

Some patients were sighted at the front of Maryam Abacha Ward of the hospital looking forlorn. No leader of the union was available for comments on the strike as they were said to be at a meeting with the management over the dispute.

A member of the association who spoke to New Telegraph on condition of anonymity said the strike was indefinite and total.

He lamented that the Minister of Health, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has attended to only the needs of medical doctors which is why the latter didn’t join the strike.

“National Hospital is on indefinite strike.

The issues are the usual ones; no condition of service. There is no payment of 28th day.

judge of the High Court, was then presiding over Bamaiyi’s case.

The suspects were said to have told Bamaiyi that Oyewole’s father was admitted at Saint Nicholas Hospital in Lagos and the $1million was meant to help offset the medical bills.

Ajudua’s lawyer, Mr Olalekan Ojo, while arguing the notice of preliminary objection yesterday, argued that the 14-count charge against the defendant were brought under a repealed law.

Centenary list: MOSOP wants Saro-Wiwa, others on List of awardees Charles Onyekwere Port Harcourt

T

he Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), has called on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to include in the list of centenary awardees the late Kenule Saro-Wiwa, the late Timothy Naakuu Paul and the late Harold Dappa Bariye.

The movement argued that Saro-Wiwa’s death by hanging sparked off unprecedented political revolution that midwifed democracy in the country.

“Ken Saro-Wiwa died for Ogoni land, for Niger Delta region and for Nigeria and such a death cannot be swept under the carpet or unrecognized,” the group said.

The spokesperson of Federated Ogoni Women Association (FOWA), Evangelist Caroline Nagbo and the Coordinator, Birabi Memorial Project Group and executive of MOSOP, Christian Lekia, bared their minds to journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, noting that the late Timothy N. Paul and Harold Dappa also fought hard for the nation’s independence.

Police permit: Weapon against political rallies/ PAGE 14 | APC faces litmus test in Kaduna / PAGE 18

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/politics

ayodele Ojo

Deputy Editor, politics

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

Okei-Odumakin: I spent three days in the bush treating bullet wounds

p-16

Friday, February 28, 2014

Defection: Recalcitrant deputy governors Deputy governors have largely being described as ‘spare tyres’ to their governors, but on the issue of defection, some refused to act as one, Correspondent WALE ELEGBEDE writes

A

fter several months of battling to patch its shredding umbrella, the fortune of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was heavily depleted on November 26, 2013 when five of its governors defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over the intra-party crisis.

The PDP governors that defected to the APC are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).

Expectedly, like the proverbial snail stuck with its shell, legislators (both state and national) and other political office holders in the defecting governors’ states swiftly moved en masse with their ‘leaders’, dumping the umbrella party for the broom fiesta.

Curiously, however, as legislators with their governors were perfecting their exit from the PDP to the APC, some major actors were missing in action. The deputy governors of Sokoto and Adamawa states who were expected to be the lead back-up singers to their governors on defection, were nowhere around the stage.

Wamakko Vs Shagari For the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mukhtari Shagari, it was simply a case of assuming a familiar terrain as PDP leader in the state when his boss, Governor Aliyu Wamakko, with all the chairmen in the 23 local government areas of the state and 27 lawmak-

Shagari

Ingilari

ers in the State Assembly, defected to the APC. Shagari, a former Minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2001 and 2007 before leaving to vie for the governorship ticket of his state, has never made any pretence of his desire to govern the Caliphate state.

Shagari was a contender in the 2003 PDP primaries, but did not succeed. In the run-up to the 2007 elections, Shagari was nominated by the PDP as its gubernatorial candidate for Sokoto State. He secured the party’s ticket after polling 2,701 votes while the two other contestants polled 447 and 431 votes. However, after pockets of crisis in the state chapter of the party, Wamakko, who had been nominated as candidate for the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) was invited to cross over to the PDP before the election. Hence, the PDP and Obasanjo then prevailed on Shagari to step

down and take the deputy governorship slot under Wamakko, a decision he assented to.

Regarded as one of those who midwifed the birth of PDP in 1998, Shagari said his decision not to leave PDP with his boss was borne out of his principled lifestyle of not eating his own words. “If I give my words, I give my words.

I don’t have the habit of jumping from one party to the other. I joined PDP voluntarily and not because of anybody,” Shagari said.

However, many pundits refused to embrace the ideological colouration that Shagari and his loyalists are postulating for his non-movement from the PDP, saying that Wamakko defection would only create a leeway for him to realise his long-term ambition of becoming the chief executive of Sokoto State.

Already, with the new power arrangement automatically confirming Shagari as the state leader of the PDP, it is near certain that he would employ the machinery of the party and his closeness to Abuja to oil his ambition in 2015.

Though he has repeatedly promised his loyalty to Wamakko till the end of their tenure, but whether the power game and political tact being employed by Shagari would work for the next nine months or thereabout is a different kettle of fish. Only time will tell how short or long he would continue to sit as the deputy governor and by extension the leader

CROSSFIRE

If the governor of Borno State felt that the Nigerian armed forces are not useful, he should tell Nigerians and I will pull them out of Borno State for one month, whether he will stay in that his Government House -Goodluck Jonathan

By his threat to pull out the troops from Borno for one month, he further victimised the good people of the state, who have been at the receiving end of the senseless attacks by Boko Haram -Lai Mohammed

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

POLITICAL NOTES

Dynamics of Imo politics

W

hen the heart grieves, trust the eyes for signals. That seems to be the story of Imo State. The Eastern Heartland occupies a strategic position in South-East politics.

During the gory years of the Civil War, Biafra was all about Owerri, Obodoukwu, Awomamma, Isu and Orlu.

Most of the other Igbo groups ran to today’s Imo for cover. As 2015 stares us all in the face, Imo has assumed the usual place of interest. Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan landed in Owerri as part of his concealed plans for re-election.

Although his visit was to welcome Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] returnees back to the umbrella, it also unearthed a lot of questions.

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha of rival All Progressives Congress [APC] wondered why Jonathan failed to visit the state since re-election in 2011 only to come asking for support a year to another poll.

The huge profiles of decampees like ex-governor Achike Udenwa, Senators Chris Anyanwu, Ifeanyi Ararume and former Muhammadu Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ahamba could do little to Okorocha’s nerves. He described them all as “expired politicians with no electoral value.”

It does appear, election time in Imo, is also time to turn coat.

There are voices across the land echoing that. Okorocha could be right in his condemnation of the returnees. However, that does not buy him sympathy, for he has changed camp as much as the Ogboko woman changes underpants.

Imo is peculiarly different.

Presidential support does not guarantee gubernatorial victory.

The lesson is that Imo people are bold enough to pick their governor. And also wise enough to show him the way out. Today, the slogan is ‘ikiri ka onye oshi mma’.

14 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Police permit: Weapon against Nigerians who are desirous of promoting their respective political parties as campaigns for the 2015 elections begin are in for tough time, as the police insist on permits before such rallies hold, ETAGHENE EDIRIN reports.

W

ith the advent of democratic governance in the country, it was expected that freedom of expression, holding of dissent, protests, marches, rallies and demonstrations would be a right conferred on Nigerians, as enshrined in the constitution.

However, this has not been the case, as the custodians of the law; mostly the police have continued to insist that Nigerians still need to seek permission before holding public gatherings.

This has over the last few years resulted in the police denying most citizens from meeting publicly, or disrupting such meetings, and in some cases violently.

While some Nigerians have persistently asked where the law truly stands on the issue, others are at a loss over whether Nigerians really need permits to hold rallies and who should be the issuing authority.

Arguments abound for and against the issue. Most politicians and social activists maintain that the laws which make it mandatory for Nigerians to obtain such permits are outdated and against known civilized norms, especially in a democratic setting.

However, proponents of the issue, especially police authorities still maintain that Nigerians need to apply for and obtain permits before holding public rallies or processions.

be transferred from the state, the Federal Government finally gave in and redeployed him to the Federal Capital Territory. However, his successor, Tunde Ogunsakin, has reiterated that the ban is still in effect.

Ogunsakin, barely 24 hours in his new position, at a media briefing in Port Harcourt explained that any political association or pressure group that intends to hold any public gathering in the state must give the police not less than five days’ notice to allow for provision of adequate security and protection.

He warned that the police would not hesitate to go after any person, pressure groups and associations that posed a security threat to the state.

Rivers State experience Recent events in Rivers State brought to the fore the total disregard and acts of impunity by the police towards the law.

While the crisis persisted, the police disregarded the authority of the governor, who by virtue of his position is the chief security officer of the state.

The state police command, then under the headship of Mbu Joseph Mbu was constantly at loggerheads with several groups and politicians in the state over holding of rallies in the thick of the crisis that is rocking the state.

The command, at a time, placed an outright ban on political gatherings of whatever type from holding. Mbu, who placed the order, also prohibited the activities of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), Save Rivers Movement (SRM), and the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation (RLAF), which were prominent groups in the state that had been organising such rallies to air their grievances.

Such order made it unclear where the police boss was taking his orders from, as the state governor, Rotimi Ameachi was at loggerheads with him.

But, owing to several calls for Mbu to

Knocks for directive Expectedly, the ban has elicited mixed reactions. President of the SRM, Mr. Charles Ahorlu, argued that the police had no right to ban political rallies in the state, saying: “We will not take the ban on rallies lightly.”

Golden Chioma, the member representing Etche Constituency in Rivers State House of Assembly, also said the police cannot ban public activities in the state because it has no powers to do so.

According to him, the section of the Police Order Act from where the command is drawing its powers has been set aside by a competent court of jurisdiction.

He further said that if there must be any ban due to anticipated breakdown of law and order, the governor who is the chief security officer of the state should be the one to direct the police to place such ban.

Speaking in the same vein, Ken Atsuete, a Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer said that the police have no powers under the law to ban public rallies, as freedom of association is guaranteed under the constitution and political rallies are part of the democratic process.

The state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Felix Obuah,

Policemen preventing a rally from holding in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

however described the ban as a gang-up between the police and Governor Amaechi.

Obuah lamented that the ban was targeted at stopping the PDP from taking its campaign to the various local government areas of the state.

On his part, the GDI spokesman, Mr. Godwill Omunakwe, said his group is ready to comply with the ban on political rallies by the police.

“The truth is that police are there to protect us. Before now, we have been applying for police permit before we organise our rallies. But we are going to comply fully with police ban on rallies,” he said.

Public Order Act The frequently asked question against this backdrop and emerging developments in the polity ahead the 2015 general elections is: Where did the police get the power to insist on permits for rallies?

A school of thought contends that the statutes requiring such permits for peaceful demonstrations, processions and rallies are things of the past, a brain child of the colonial era that ought not to remain in the country’s statute books.

In December 2007, a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upheld the judgement of a Federal High Court that Nigerians and associations do not need police permit to hold rallies, while ruling on an appeal

filed by the Federal Government on the matter.

The court also nullified the Public Order Act, (Cap 382) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, which required Nigerians to obtain police permit before holding public rallies.

The Act had made it mandatory for individuals or groups to apply for and obtain police permit or approval to hold rallies and peaceful assemblies. The High Court had in June 2005, voided the Act while giving judgement in a suit initiated by 12 political parties under the aegis of the CNPP. But in its judgement, the appellate court, presided over by Justice Danladi Mohammad, held that such police approval infringed on the fundamental human rights of individuals and groups provided for in the 1999 Constitution, and that the provisions of the Public Order Act were in conflict with the provision of Section 40 of the said constitution.

Stalemate Despite the Court of Appeal, Abuja ruling, another Appeal Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, recently ruled that the police have every right to stop any function that has been organised without their approval.

The Ilorin court inexplicably countermanded the earlier verdict by the Court of

No law against assembly –Ahamba

Police permit illegal – Agbaje

Mike Ahamba is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) “There is wisdom in anybody doing anything involving the public in expectation of up to 100 people informing the police for them to be available to serve as deterrent to certain behaviours.

“But under our laws, it is a right to assemble peaceably. Therefore the police should let us know under what law they are insisting on such permit.”

Fred Agbaje is a constitutional lawyer “It’s highly unconstitutional. It’s an affront on the ruling of a High Court of Abuja. The police were a party to that case. The High Court and Court of Appeal upheld the petition of a political party on that issue.

“The constitution guarantees freedom of movement and association in the country, so the licence permit for rallies is unconstitutional.”

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

political rallies Appeal, Abuja that invalidated the Public Order Act of 1990.

It was against this backdrop that an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Tambari Muhammad Yabo, who spoke at the recent sensitization workshop organised by political parties in the North-West zone, averred that he has every right as a police officer to choose between the two judgements which one to obey.

Yabo said the same question over the Public Order Act was asked when he was serving as Kaduna State Police Commissioner, and that he challenged lawyers at the time, asking them why they could not go to the Supreme Court over the issue.

Such stalemate apparently explains why the Police AIG in charge of Zone 5, Hashim Argungu, warned political parties and stakeholders in Delta State to obtain permits for any meetings, rallies and processions.

According to him, the action became necessary to comply with the country’s Electoral Act Cap E6 2004, which regulates the holding of rallies, processions and assemblies among others, even as he added that where such permit is granted, section 2 of the said Act confers on the police, the power to stop such rallies where it violates any condition in the permit.

Constitution as arbiter Those who argue against police permits for rallies, cited section 40 of the 1999 constitution which they say, supersedes any other law or document.

According to them, the constitution guarantees the inalienable rights of Nigerians to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of their interests.

Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who belongs to this school of thought, lamented that the police were overstepping their bounds by compelling Nigerians to apply for, and obtain permits before embarking on rallies.

According to him, the power to regulate public meetings, processions and rallies in any part of Nigeria is exclusively vested in the governors of the respective states of the federation under the Public Order Act (Cap P42) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

To him, the power to issue permits for public meetings was never vested in the police, but in the state governors.

Police permit which is a relic of colonialism has been annulled on the ground of its inconsistency with the provisions of the Constitution He said: “Police permit which is a relic of colonialism has been annulled on the ground of its inconsistency with the provisions of the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on freedom of assembly, association and expression. To that extent, the disruption of public meetings and rallies by the police and other security agencies ought to be resisted by Nigerians as it is illegal and contemptuous.”

Way out It may have been in line with the arguments against the police permit that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, recently directed all police officers to comply with the verdicts of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal by recognizing the fundamental right of Nigerians to assemble freely and protest without harassment.

The Nigeria Police Code of Conduct launched in Abuja in January 2013, states that police officers shall “maintain a neutral position with regard to the merits of any labour dispute, political protest, or other public demonstration while acting in an official capacity; not make endorsement of political candidates, while on duty, or in official uniform.”

With the next general elections less than a year away, the issue of whether or not Nigerians need to obtain permits for political rallies will be on the front burner and may likely turn out to be a major bone of contention between political parties and the law enforcement agents. With the police still insisting that such permits have to be obtained from them, and civil society groups also insisting that the police are arrogating to themselves powers outside the laws of the land, the stage may be set for confrontation, unless the provisions of the constitution are strictly adhered to.

Permit alien to constitution –Okei-Odumakin

There must be regulation – Aduwo

Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin is President of Campaign for Democracy (CD) “Police permit is alien to our constitution. There is nothing like police permit before any rally. It is highly and strongly condemnable and anywhere people are gathered to voice their disenchantment over any policy or anything at all, those people should always do that freely, without fear. So, I am against such permit.”

Mr. Olufemi Aduwo is National Coordinator, Right Monitoring Group (RMG) “If you want to do a rally for a purpose, police should protect you and give you the kind of cover you want. I believe the permission should not be a serious issue before it is granted because under the constitution, Nigerians enjoy freedom of association.

“But if you say everybody should just go ahead, you would see different crisis. There must be a regulation of our conduct.”

15

What the laws say

1999 Constitution

S

ection 39 (1): Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

Section 40: Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests: Section 215 (4): Subject to the provisions of this section, the Governor of a state or such Commissioner of the Government state as he may authorise in that behalf, may give to the Commis-

sioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with: Provided that before carrying out any such directions under the foregoing provisions of this subsection the Commissioner of Police may request that the matter be referred to the President or such minister of the Government of the Federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the President for his directions.

Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) S

ection 94 (1): For the purpose of the proper and peaceful conduct of political rallies and processions, the Commissioner of Police in each state of the Federation and the Fed-

eral Capital Territory, Abuja, shall provide adequate security for processions at political rallies in the States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

C

police officer to issue a license, not less than 24 hours thereto, specifying the name of the licensee and defining the conditions on which the assembly, meeting or procession is permitted to take place; and if he is not so satisfied, he shall convey his refusal in like manner to the applicant within the time hereinbefore stipulated.

(3) The Governor may authorise the issue of general licences by any superior police officer mentioned in subsection (4) below setting out the conditions under which and by whom and the place where any particular kind or description of assembly, meeting or procession may be convened, collected or formed.

(4) The Governor may delegate his powers under this section(a) in relation to the whole State or part thereof, to the Commissioner of Police of the State or any superior police officer of a rank not below that of a Chief Superintendent of Police.

4. (1) Notwithstanding any licence granted under section 1 of this Act, if a superior police officer, having regard to the time or place at which and the circumstances in which any public assembly, meeting or procession is taking place or is intended to take place (and in the case of a public procession to the route taken or proposed to be taken by the procession), has reasonable grounds for apprehending that the assembly or meeting or procession may occasion serious disorder, he may give directions imposing upon persons organising or taking part in the assembly or meeting or procession such conditions as appear to him necessary for the preservation of public order including, in the case of a public procession, conditions prescribing the route to be taken by the procession or conditions prohibiting the procession from entering any public place specified in the directions.

Public Order Act hapter 382 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria Section 1 (1): For the purposes of the proper and peaceful conduct of public assemblies, meetings and processions and subject to section 11 of this Act, the Governor of each State is hereby empowered to direct the conduct of all assemblies, meetings and processions on the public roads or places of public resort in the State and prescribe the route by which and the times at which any procession may pass.

(2) Any person who is desirous of convening or collecting any assembly or meeting or of forming any procession in any public road or place of public resort shall, unless such assembly, meeting or procession is permitted by a general license granted under subsection (3) of this section, first make application for a license to the Governor not less than 48 hours thereto, and if such Governor is satisfied that the assembly, meeting or procession is not likely to cause a breach of the peace, he shall direct any superior

Abubakar

16 POLITICS

Leading

Woman Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin shares her life in the struggle and the pains with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

D

r. Joe Okei-Odumakin, the President of Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Women Arise for Change Initiative, is one of the leading human rights activists in Nigeria. With over 30 years experience in activism, she has traversed courageously where men fear to tread and remained consistent without minding the hazards to her person in a society where critical voices are loathed by an unjust system which rewards the crooked and punishes the just.

Since Joe, as she is fondly called by her colleagues, got involved in activism during her undergraduate days at the University of Ilorin, in the late 80s, she has remained a voice for the voiceless in Nigeria. She was an active participant of the struggle to reclaim the mandate of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Her opposition to military dictatorship made her a regular visitor to security agencies. She has been harassed, arrested and detained for not less than 17 times in places like; Division B Police Station; Police Headquarters; SSS Headquarters, all in Ilorin, Kwara State and SSS Headquarters, Maitama Abuja. She has also spent days in Panti Police Station; Kirikiri Prisons and Alagbon, all in Lagos. Despite several efforts to break her, she has never relented in fighting for people’s rights.

Since she cut her teeth in activism as the chairperson, Rethink Nigeria between 1987 and 1992, Joe has served in many leadership positions in civil society organisations.

She has served as the General Secretary, Campaign for Democracy (March 1996 – July 29, 2006), for about 10 years and became CD president on July 29, 2006. Presently, she is also the Executive Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Studies; Chairman, Task Force of the Citizen Forum; spokesperson, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations and President, Centre for Change in Community Development and Public Awareness (CDP).

Speaking to New Telegraph, Okei-Odumakin, a founding member of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), disclosed that her childhood dream was to be a nun but her father’s threat to disown and paste her obituary ended the dream.

Her words: “While growing up, especially when I was in primary school, when I see some people collecting people’s pencil, erasers, I will go and get it back for the owner. I just wanted to give my life to the struggle.

“When I was 14 years old, I wanted to be a nun, a reverend sister and with the help of a missionary teacher I got the application form. My father was in UK

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Okei-Odumakin: I spent three days in the bush treating bullet wounds at that time, so while I was filling the form my mother saw me and informed my daddy that I wanted to go to the nunnery. My father called that evening to say that he is going to disown me if I become a nun and not only disowning me, when he comes he will paste my obituary because he believes that I am already gone.

“He gave me some time that I should make up my mind and I realised that I could not do it alone as a 14-year-old girl, so I cried and I told the missionary, Miss Tyrrell and I also discussed with a reverend father about it and they encouraged me to go ahead because he (my father) was only my earthly father and cannot stop me. Because the pressure was too much for me to contend with, when my father called after the ultimatum he gave me, I told him that I will go back to school to further my education. So, when he got back to Nigeria, he took me to the School of Basic Studies, Kwara State Polytechnic, which was Kwara State College of Technology, Ilorin.

“While in University of Ilorin, most of my friends do call me rev. sister. So, one day, one of our lecturers, a very strict man called my matriculation number and asked me to see him in his office.

On getting to his office, he told me that I performed very well in his test and he will want to know why my friends always referred to me a Rev. Sister. I told him I wanted to be married to Jesus.

He said: ‘You are a brilliant girl, have you heard about Nelson Mand e l a , Martin Luther King, R o s a Park and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti?’ I said yes.

A t

Okei-Odumakin... my life is for struggle

Security men kicked me and I fell inside gutter. My skirt got torn immediately from beginning to the end; my blouse was also torn. Luckily for me after I came out of the gutter, I saw a scarf that fell off from a woman and that was what I tied the end of the day he gave me some books to read and said I will be married to the struggle.

“After reading the books I became born again into the struggle and the quotation from Martin Luther King that ‘Our lives begin to end the day we keep silent about things that matter,’ propelled me into activism.”

Narrating some remarkable events in her life, the CD boss said: “The first baptism I had was when I went to paste ‘IBB Must Go’ poster at the Police Headquarters in Ilorin. I love to go to the hottest zone, so on that day I went to the police barrack to paste posters around 1a.m. When I got there, I pasted the first poster and while pasting the second one, I overheard someone’s voice and I saw the person. I knew that in thick darkness, if I stand, he might see me, so I decided to lie down and unfortunately for me where I laid the person urinated on my mouth, face, everywhere.

I had to cover my mouth with my hands. The person was tipsy; so after urinating, he stepped on my tigh and immediately called on other colleagues, saying: ‘Big snake, bring touch.’ I couldn’t move, I was there and at last when they brought touch that w a s

when he saw me. He flashed the poster and saw IBB’s face crossed. He picked me up and started beating me. After beating me the starch I was using to paste the posters poured on me and everything got dried on me and I was like dried fish. I was thoroughly dazed but instead of being discouraged and dispelled; it helped to strengthen me more.

“In 1992, while I was addressing a rally some security men came, so many people were tear-gassed and in the process they cornered me, kicked me and I fell inside gutter. My skirt got torn immediately from beginning to the end; my blouse was also torn. Luckily for me after I came out of the gutter, I saw a scarf that fell off from a woman and that was what I tied. It was a Thursday and they took me, detained me and I really had no cloth on and that was the day I vowed that I will never ever put on skirt and I started putting on trousers.

“Again in 1994 during the June 12 struggle, I led a peaceful protest and the Police came and started shooting at us. Several people were killed and I was shot on my left leg and I was lying with the dead body, but I was just hearing gunshots. That was when I knew I was alive and at the end I prayed to God that; God in case anything happens to me, you didn’t tell me that this was how the journey was going to end. At the end of it all some of the people that were guiding us decided to look for something to smoke and I started looking at them till when all of them disappeared. I stood up and ran for my dear life with that wound.

Later on, I got to a place, a bush path and met an old man with a transistor radio.

He asked for my mission and I spoke to him in vernacular that I fight for people’s rights. He took me to a place and tried to remove the bullet locally and treated me. I stayed with him for three days. The day I came out, I was arrested again and taken into custody.

“There was no moment I was afraid of death because death to me was not really anything. There was a period I had typhoid and I was being moved in a vehicle from one location to another and I needed to use a toilet. I told the security men and one of them told me that I should do it in the vehicle but one of them said if she should do anything in this bus all of us will not sit here. In the process, they stopped and I started running, they were firing guns and I ran to a side of the bush and decided to use the bush path. They covered their nostrils and turned their back at me.”

Okei-Odumakin, who was honoured on March 8, 2013 with Department of States, United States of America Secretary of State International Woman of Courage Award, for her leadership traits, courage, resourcefulness and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially for promotion of women’s rights, also CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

POLITICS 17

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Leading

Woman Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele speaks on her resignation as deputy governor of Lagos State and the non-payment of her entitlements in this interview with FLORA ONWUDIWE. Excerpts: Why did you transform from being a lawyer to a politician?

It is not a transformation, people who are in politics come from all professions.

If you want to serve your country, you go into politics. There are other ways of serving, like Red Cross. But mine was to go into politics because not only did I want to serve but I thought I could try and effect some changes.

Do you still practice law?

No. I don’t practice law.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to go into politics?

I think any young woman who wants to go into politics; I would advise her to go because if she is focused and she wants to contribute and effect changes, she should go in. Yes, the water is murky; it can be dirty but you don’t have to play dirty. It all depends on how you play it.

Do you see an end to the crisis in the PDP? I think the crisis in the party is gradually coming to an end as you can see things are being sorted out. I am sure within the next few months you will see the PDP is ready to go.

Any hope of PDP reclaiming South-West in 2015?

Oh yes. Because I think the people of the South-West have had enough of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government; they have been over taxed, they have been brutalized and they have not really seen any benefit from the APC government.

The Egbe Omo Oduduwa was formed in your late father’s house in London. Your father

I’ve forgiven Tinubu, says Bucknor-Akerele

zzSays, ‘I resigned after juju was placed in my office’ I was not thrown out; I resigned. Most governors who throw out their deputies are suffering from insecurity... I have seen a case where the deputy governor was reduced to carrying the governor’s brief case

Bucknor-Akerele

was the president while the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo was the secretary. What is the political ideology you shared with your father?

I think the political ideology I shared with my father was that we believed that everybody is equal and there should be equal opportunities for everybody. The thing that could bring equal opportunities is education and free education was the cardinal principle of the Action Group. I still believe that it is only when people are educated that they can move on. I also believe that we should have free health services. I believe that we should try and create employment for all our youths and for everybody, especially integrated rural development system whereby people in the rural areas are able to earn a decent living. I believe

Okei-Odumakin: I spent three days in the bush treating bullet wounds CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 6

told New Telegraph how she left hospital immediately after the delivery of her first child to attend a press conference.

“In 1998, we wanted to hold a press conference in Papa Abraham Adesanya’s office by 11a.m. On that day when I woke up in the morning, I felt something but because my expected date of delivery was three weeks ahead, I never suspected anything. I later told my mother about it and she told me to go to hospital. On my way to Apapa for the press conference, I branched at the hospital and after checking my file the doctor said that what was happening to me is advanced labour. I told the doctor to stop the labour because I have a press conference. He said there

is nothing he can do that I have to wait.

I said for how long. I got there by 8a.m. and before 8:55a.m. the child had come.

“Immediately the baby came, I looked at the face of the baby, the baby sneezed. My mother was there with me, so, I just left the hospital to Apapa straight for the press conference. I joined the press conference and after the conference I stood up and went back to the hospital. Immediately I got to the hospital, my mother and the doctor complained and I told the doctor to discharge me that I am very strong. So, no matter what it is, I have never been afraid of my life for anything,” she said.

Joe is married to another human rights activist, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, whom she met during her detention in Lagos.

there should be decent housing for all our citizens and that people should be paid a fair wage for the work they do.

These were some of the principles I imbibed from my father.

And you feel that if given the opportunity you can implement these?

I think those were some of the things I would have done. But I doubt if I can be given an opportunity to become governor, and definitely I will not become deputy governor again to anybody.

Why is it that most deputy governors are easily thrown out of office, as was done in your case?

Well, I was not thrown out; I resigned.

Most governors who throw out their deputies are suffering from insecurity.

A deputy governor must be somebody who can become a governor; a deputy governor is not a spare tyre as somebody put it. A deputy governor is somebody who is sound to become the governor.

What happens in most cases is that a lot of governors are insecure and therefore they try and pull down their deputies.

I have seen a case where the deputy governor was reduced to carrying the governor’s brief case. This is really wrong; it should be a partnership in which when the governor is not available the deputy should be somebody who can step in. But as I said, a lot of these governors feel insecure, they think all the time that their deputies want to take over from them. It is this insecurity and immaturity on the part of the governors that is responsible for the large turnout of deputy governors.

Why did you resign as a deputy governor?

Yes, my mother asked me to resign, because she felt I was her only child. What was happening to me as deputy governor also contributed to my resignation. As a deputy governor, juju and all sort of things were being placed in my office. I asked my staff to go and destroy them on several occasions. It got to a stage I was being told that there would be attempt on my life. Then, mother said that I was her only child, that I didn’t need to be a deputy governor to live having built my own business. Certainly, my mother did

not want to lose me. So, I resigned.

In the 2011 PDP presidential primaries, Mrs Sarah Jibril was the only one that voted for herself. Don’t you see this as a discouragement to female the folk?

I don’t think it would discourage every other woman. I think it is really the situation in Nigeria. In the political parties, there are women who are competent to become president of this country, after all we have female presidents in Liberia, Central African Republic, and East Africa. So, it is not that they are not capable but it is the Nigerian situation. Men tend to relegate women to the background.

Also women do not have the financial muscle that the men have.

Do you foresee Nigeria breaking up in 2015?

I don’t foresee Nigeria breaking up. I think the national conference, if it goes the right way, would do a lot to strengthen the Nigerian federation. I don’t think the average Nigerian wants a break up.

There is agitation about zoning in the polity; do you believe in zoning of public offices?

I believe we have enough talents in Nigeria from all over the country. Anybody that appeals to the people can be president in Nigeria. Personally, I really don’t believe in zoning. I don’t think zoning throws up the best that we can have.

Well, zoning has served its purpose in that it has tried to make everybody come on board, but on the other hand I don’t think it necessarily gives us the best.

Have your entitlements been paid by the Lagos State government?

No. As a former deputy governor of Lagos State all my entitlements have never been given to me.

Why? Do I know why? You should go and ask Lagos State government. I had to take them to court and now they said they are going to give me my entitlements, but they have given me one vehicle but they haven’t given me all the vehicles they are supposed to give me. They are not paying for my staff or any of the things they are supposed to do. There is a law which states what deputy governors are entitled to when they leave office just as state governors are entitled to when they leave office. I expect them to obey the law which they themselves made.

Has there been any peace between you and your former boss, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu?

As a Christian, I have forgiven him for all what he did to me while I was deputy governor.

The Goodluck Jonathan administration seems not to be looking your side for ministerial appointment.

I don’t know. It is up to Jonathan to choose his ministers. However, I was given a board appointment; I am a board member of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola.

18 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

APC faces litmus test in Kaduna Beset by a number of internal squabbles, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State learnt from its mistakes ahead of the members’ registration exercise, which went on peacefully as MUHAMMAD ALI observed in this report.

S

ometimes, peace and harmony prevail after the storm, with lessons are learnt the hard way. In Kaduna, Kano and Sokoto states, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has had its baptism of fire before the registration exercise. Defections, disagreements and intra-party crises had rocked the party’s state chapters. Somehow, APC weathered the storm, got its acts together and embarked on hitch free registration in those states.

Earlier, in Kaduna, the party was factionalised between the Interim Management Committee (IMC) and APC legislators at state and federal levels. The IMC, led by Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, was fair, but the legislators saw Baba-Ahmed as a usurper. Incidentally, their position was informed by APC guidelines. Governors, according to the rule, are leaders of the party in APC-controlled states but in nonAPC states, former governors or gubernatorial aspirants call the shots. However, where these are absent, a serving senator or a former one will suffice as leader.

Specifically, Kaduna is a non-APC state and going by party rules, Senator Sani Saleh ought to be the party leader. Curiously, Baba-Ahmed was elected leader and this arrangement, according to reports, angered Saleh and other elected members.

The issue, our correspondent leant, was raised at the party headquarters but the

Bisi Akande, APC National Chairman

party leadership shrugged it away. Tactically, Saleh and others kept their fire but on November 26, 2013, their opportunity came and they seized it. On that day, five governors had defected from PDP to APC, displacing the party leadership as they came.

Senator Saleh, with this development, had sought Baba-Ahmed’s removal, citing the Kano, Sokoto and Kwara states precedents. Instantly, the national headquarters was in a quandary. On January 5, Saleh convened a meeting, where he accused Baba-Ahmed of high handedness and passed a vote of no confidence on him. This resolution, according to reports, was passed to the national headquarters and based on it, Baba-Ahmed was allegedly removed. In his place, Alhaji Umaru Dembo, from the same Zaria, supposedly became the new chairman. However, in a press briefing, the IMC railed against the decision, affirmed Baba- Ahmed’s leadership and called Saleh’s bluff. Naturally, the atmosphere became tensed and quietly,

Dembo disappeared from the scene and Baba-Ahmed soldiered on as chairman.

Afterwards, calm returned to APC but on February 2, the bubble burst in Kaduna again, a day before the scheduled registration exercise. Significantly, delegates were sent from Abuja but Baba-Ahmed, according to reports, had done extensive ground work before their arrival. At ward and local government levels, he had constituted registration committees and all the legacy parties were represented . However, the national officers came with a list and insisted on foisting it on Kaduna. Initially, Baba-Ahmed had rebuffed their request but in the end, he yielded some ground as he accommodated some names. The compromise, according to reports, did not go down well with stakeholders and on February 2, a meeting was convened at Tafawa Balewa Guest Inn, especially to find a way out.

Ironically, the meeting was a fiasco.

Baba-Ahmed tendered his resignation.

He thanked party members and his IMC

colleagues “for standing by me during these trying times.” He also lamented that “in spite of all manner of provocations and subversions, we remained focused, yet our leaders have failed to resolve an issue which until now was merely casting our party in poor light.”

The IMC, Abuja delegates and stakeholders rejected Baba-Ahmed’s resignation but the former permanent secretary stuck to his gun. Thereafter, appeals followed from both Abuja and Kaduna but he didn’t budge. He still remained in APC. On February 4, Baba-Ahmed had reiterated his resignation in a press conference. “The IMC informed me that they have met and rejected my resignation. I am still standing by my resignation, the IMC has taken up the issue of my resignation, and my prayer is that we find amicable solution to the problem,” he said.

However, Baba-Ahmed caved in two days later. That amicable solution was found and he withdrew his resignation.

In addition, he called on APC members to come out and register, cooperate with registration officers from Abuja and conduct themselves orderly.

Significantly, on February 10, the exercise did not commence as promised because another disagreement came up again. PDP decampees, according to reports, were not factored in the registration structure and this oversight was protested. Specifically, before last December, IMC had constituted the committees before New PDP members defected to APC in Kaduna. Afterwards, IMC conceded a slot to PDP in every local government but dispute arose between the Makama Rigachukun and Alhaji Suleman Hunkuyi’s camps, over sharing formula. Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, as national officer, settled the feuding PDP camps in Kaduna but registration was deferred to the next day. On Tuesday, it was smooth sailing all the way when the exercise commenced on February 11.

The leaders and followers, in the run up to the registration, have learnt from their mistakes and have surmounted the first litmus test.

Defection: Recalcitrant deputy governors CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

of PDP in the state. But as it stands, he is still at the mercy of APC dominated House of Assembly.

Nyako vs Ngilari Adamawa State is perhaps the most fierce of the affected states where deputies called the bluff of their defecting governors.

The political scenario in the state became more complex due to the battle of wits among the retinue of gladiators spurring for control of the state machineries. These witty political players, who ordinarily can muscle their arsenals to secure a convincing victory in any election, interestingly have eyes and roots of support in Abuja.

Denouncing his boss, Ngilari said he would not follow Nyako to APC, saying he remained committed to the PDP, which gave him his current mandate. “The Deputy Governor was elected on the platform

of the ruling PDP and he is yet to complete the mandate given to him. So, there is no reason why he should betray the electorate that gave him the mandate,” Ngilari said.

Prior to the defection feud, Ngilari has been on a running battle with Governor Nyako. Though the prolonged cold war between the two was managed from the public glare for a while, the steam of the no love lost relationship between them started oozing when the muscle flexing between Nyako and erstwhile National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was almost getting to the head. Loyalists of the governor repeatedly accused Ngilari of shifting his allegiance to Tukur and Abuja at the expense of Nyako.

At a point, a rumoured resignation of the deputy governor was orchestrated and this was linked to an alleged misunderstanding between the duo over an alleged slashing of monthly running cost for Ngilari’s office from N46 million to N13 million.

If I give my words, I give my words. I don’t have the habit of jumping from one party to the other. I joined PDP voluntarily and not because of anybody Already, the deputy governor has started some deft moves to ensure he succeeds Nyako. His alignment and links with the Presidency may count for him especially with his perceived closeness to some top hierarchy in the party.

To political pundits, however, Ngilari’s Achilles’ heel may be his inability to rally the big stakeholders in the state to support his ambition. Already, the likes of Senator Jubril Aminu, Tukur, Boni Haruna, Dr. Idi

Hong, among others, have their calculations for their anointed candidates for the Government House in 2015, an arrangement that may have excluded the deputy governor.

Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, in an interview with New Telegraph noted that the decision of the deputies not to follow their governors to the APC, was not primarily borne out of ideological leaning but to consolidate on their own political interests.

Musa said the deputies have only exercised their fundamental human rights like the governors did.

“The lesson to learn from this is that nobody should expect loyalty to supercede personal interest. There is no ideological leaning in it. If the table should turn today, this sets of people will still move 360 degree.

The important thing is that they were able to exercise their rights and that may be eroding the thinking that deputy governors are spare tyres,” the elder statesman said.

19

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

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

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

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

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

FRIday, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

For a speedy resolution of ‘unremitted’ oil revenue saga

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have been at loggerheads over alleged unremitted oil revenues.

There have been claims and counter-claims about the alleged missing oil funds. From the $49.8 billion initially alleged as missing by the suspended CBN governor, the amount said to be unaccounted for by NNPC moved down before climbing up again to $10.8 billion and now $20 billion. One thing is clear, however: some oil revenues are missing but what is not yet clear is the exact amount. That is the bone of contention.

We are concerned that very critical organs of government like the CBN, NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Finance cannot agree on such an important issue as the amount of oil revenue that for one reason or the other has not been remitted into the federation account. For us, the conflicting figures signpost a very poor public accounting system that gives room for corrupt manipulation by persons who have selfserving reasons to do so.

This is a matter of immense national importance since proceeds from crude oil sales account for about 92 per cent of Nigeria’s total revenue. So, it is only natural for Nigerians to

want to know how much money the country makes from oil on a daily basis, how and or whether it is being remitted into the coffers of the government and to what use it is being put. Unfortunately, from the cacophonous signals emanating from the NNPC, CBN and FMF, it is obvious that we can scarcely enjoy such privilege in these parts.

But, we insist that any institution or persons found to have engaged in practices that result in the loss or, better still, theft, of oil revenue are guilty of economic sabotage and must be made to face the full wrath of the law, if found guilty.

The NNPC must always give full disclosures and make public its account. The seeming secrecy surrounding the corporation’s operations and accounts has created the perception that it is a cesspit of corruption, a perception not helped in the least by the fact that a whopping $20 billion is alleged to be missing and it is being treated as if it is a measly amount.

Why, in the first place, is it so difficult to trace the allegedly unremitted oil revenue, whatever the amount? Why cannot all the government ministries and agencies get to the bottom of the matter in a matter of days, if there is really nothing to hide?

The suggestion by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Dr.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that forensic investigation will help to unravel the missing amount and prove the veracity of the claims is a welcome development. But, the questions must be asked: what happened to the KPMG audit report on NNPC? What about the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Independent Audit Report on NNPC 2009-2011? What about the Nuhu Ribadu report on oil subsidy scandal? Or the House of Representatives report on the oil subsidy scandal? If government has failed to act on these reports, what assurances do we have that this will not just be another game of musical chairs? The issue is that Nigerians deserve to know what really transpired with regard to this unremitted oil revenue saga and the whole world is watching.

Even as a government-owned enterprise, we believe that the NNPC can do better than it is doing at the moment. For instance, while Petrolbrazil of Brazil and Sinopetrol of China are busy prospecting for oil in different places around the globe and making money for their respective countries, NNPC, on the other hand, is still importing oil and cannot even give proper account of oil accruals. NNPC did not make needful investment when it mattered most--NNPC should have been a big player in global oil business and

not an infinitesimal and fringe player in Joint Venture Partnerships without tangible results. We have oil majors in Nigeria, where is Nigeria’s oil major? If NNPC had been pro-active, it would have been doing what LNG is now doing, instead of holding marginal shares on behalf of the government.

There is no doubt that the NNPC is overdue for restructuring and the starting point will be the passage of the PIB bill by the National Assembly. We urge both the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on petroleum resources to direct NNPC to render its accounts periodically--and publicly too-while an audit firm of international repute should be engaged to look into the corporation’s books annually.

Very importantly too, the government should act swiftly on the existing reports on NNPC and the oil sector, and not create the impression that Nigeria is a country where perfidy reigns. The missing oil money should be traced and those indicted should face the full wrath of the law. This must be done so that Nigeria will not be a laughing stock in the comity of nations; we must learn to adhere strictly to international best practices. Henceforth, we must insist that institutions and not personality cults must be built in Nigeria.

BOLAJI TUNJI Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director FELIX 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

Friday, February 28, 2014

OPINION The Yobe Massacre: Time is running out for Nigeria Adegbenro Adebanjo The horrendous and barbaric killing of over 40 innocent students of the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State by the Boko Haram Sect is proof positive that Nigeria is in clear and present danger. That killing has further diminished us as a people.

It tells the rest of the World that the worst form of bestiality still takes place in Nigeria of 2014. It is sickening not just because of the number of children killed but also because of the sheer mindlessness and crude manner those kids were summarily executed.

There is no justification whatsoever for the murder of those innocent souls. It is pure savagery. Those who planned and carried out the crime are mindless butchers and anyone who supports them one way or the other or who provides any justification for the gruesome act or tries to reap political capital out of this evil is vicariously liable and stands condemned too.

It should be clear to all of us that our country is dancing on the precipice. This heinous act should shock us to action. It should never be seen as just another killing

by the Boko Haram Sect. Of course they have done it again and again and it gets worse every time. No we cannot and should not accept it as something we can live with. There should not be any feeling of de ja vu. If we do, then we all become accessories to some of the worst crimes in history. We will lose our humanity and we will become little better than animals because life in our society will then become ‘nasty, brutish and short’.

Indeed, some will argue that the Nigerian state based on its many failings and the sheer murderous brutality of Boko Haram has returned to the Hobbesian State of Nature.

They may be right.

This is not the time to play politics. In fact, all political activities should be suspended while our leaders work together with the people to drive away this festering evil out of our land. There should be all round condemnation in the harshest terms possible. From the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto to that of Emir of Kano and Shehu of Borno, from the palace of Ooni of Ife, Alafin of Oyo, Oba of Lagos, and Obi of Onitsha, from Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdusalam Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari, the National and State Assemblies to the leadership of the APC, PDP and other political parties,

all political activities should be suspended while our leaders work together with the people to drive away this festering evil out of our land various unions, leaders of all faiths, organisations and all men and women of goodwill who believe in the survival of Nigeria, there should be unanimous condemnation of this carnage. Our sense of outrage on this collective assault on our nation must be clearly expressed. The message to Boko Haram, their patrons, supporters and sympathisers, like the late Yitzhak Rabin told Baruch Goldstein who committed a similar crime in the Middle East several years ago, should be that of isolation. We should tell the murderous gangs that they are no longer part of the congregation of Nigeria. Rational Nigerians must spit them out. Those who massacre our country’s children would not know peace either here or in the hereafter.

The outrage and condemnation should be followed with practical actions and steps

to forestall a re-occurrence. The military should reassess its strategy, beef up security and seek help in the right places. Time has come for the military leadership to talk less and do more. Boko Haram will not be defeated via press conferences and giving of deadlines. The intelligence units of the various military and paramilitary forces should be alive to their responsibilities. It is curious that the leaders of the insurgency carry out attacks without prior detection of their plans by the many security agencies in the land. The political authority should work out a plan to make the military better able to fight the insurgency. The plans should not be for public consumption. You don’t disclose your battle plan where your enemy can see them. Nigerians are tired of promises; the time to act is now.

We have mismanaged this festering sore and it has become a terminal illness.

Before our very eyes our country is becoming another Somalia and Afghanistan. Our country is bleeding, our tomorrow is being decimated and we are carrying on as if nothing is wrong. Everything is wrong!

We must rise up to halt this descent into the abyss. . Adebanjo sent this via obanijesu@yahoo.com .

Stella Oduah: A princess as transformation agent Joe Obi

I

t was far back in 2007 that a group of Professionals, led

by Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah came together at a time it was both risky and unfashionable, to publicly declare total support for, and faith in, the Yar’ Adua-Jonathan presidential ticket. With her crystal ball, Oduah saw very clearly that in the ticket lay the destiny of Nigeria. As cruel fate would have it, President Yar’Adua’s life was cut short by the cold hands of death and the baton was naturally passed on to Jonathan to continue with the race.

It was a trying period for the country, but Jonathan prevailed both as Acting President, President and subsequently in the 2011 presidential election. Throughout this period, politicians’ loyalty swayed back and forth like butterflies in harmattan wind, but Oduah remained resolute, certain in her faith that Jonathan meant well for the nation.

It should not be lost on anyone that Oduah played a frontline and pioneering role in the election of the President in 2011

through her novel, grassroots organisation, Neighbour 2 Neighbour (N2N). Gratefully, she was handsomely rewarded with a ministerial appointment and deployed to the Ministry of Aviation.

Oduah is not one to rest on her laurels. For many a Nigerian politician and technocrat, being appointed to such high office is fulfilling in itself, an ultimate trophy to be taken home and placed on the mantel-piece for keeps, with scant regard for performance. Oduah was not going to settle for that. For a virtual novice like her, the challenge of being thrown to such new grounds would have been quite overwhelming. But Oduah is driven by results, not accolades, so she aimed high for the results-set her eyes on the ball and kept her focus and sanity in a sector literally under the grip of wolves. And when the sun set on her tenure two weeks ago, she walked out triumphantly in that self-fulfilling gait of one who knows she did not disappoint herself, her family and friends, the aviation sector, the President who reposed so

When the sun set on her tenure two weeks ago, she walked out triumphantly much confidence and trust in her, and the nation in general.

Yet it was never a rollercoaster ride. The aviation sector is defined by turbulence, so it was not entirely unexpected that her tenure was characteristically turbulent from the outset. For one, her appointment was greeted with scepticism, and later; stiff resistance by the ubiquitous ‘stakeholders’ who frowned at the audacity of the President in giving them a total stranger as Captain to pilot an otherwise technical and complex machine. It was from this group of ‘stakeholders’, an internecine clan that had held the sector down for decades, that Oduah faced the toughest challenge and resistance throughout her tenure.

In the end, she prevailed, and was able to prove that it

takes more than being a pilot, an aeronautical engineer, or an air traffic controller to run the aviation sector. More than anything else, she has proved that with true, visionary, focused and determined leadership, government can indeed work and deliver expected results.

At first sight, Oduah appears weak, even vulnerable.

But behind this quiet, unassuming mien lies a steely determination. Working upclose with, and for her for two and a half years, I am not surprised how and why she achieved so much in so short a period. She is not one to be easily intimidated by challenges or distracted by some irritants. On assumption of office, in spite of the open defiance by industry ‘stakeholders’, she embraced everyone, held extensive and exhaustive consultations, empanelled committees, studied volumes of previous reports from the World Bank and other reputable international consulting firms, and burnt thousands of litres of the proverbial midnight oil to fashion out the Way Forward for the hitherto

beleaguered industry.

The result of this painstaking toil was the production, for the first time in the history of the nation’s aviation industry, of an Aviation Sector Master Plan and Implementation Road. It was this document that provided the compass for the revival and transformational revolution witnessed in the sector in the past two and a half years. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would like to re-state, for the umpteenth time, that the aviation sector was in a terrible and seemingly irretrievable state of decay and dilapidation when Stella Oduah came on board in July of 2011.

All 22 federally owned airports, including the international gateways, were nothing more than glorified goat-sheds. The toilets, for instance, smelt so repugnantly pungent that even sh**teating dogs would curse their owners that ventured to take them anywhere near them. . Joe Obi, Special Assistant (Media) to the immediate past Minister of Aviation, contributed this piece from Abuja.

OPINION

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

21

ICPC: A new approach to fighting corruption (1) Remi Oyeyemi

T

he hydra-headed monster called corruption seems to be waxing strong so far. It does not seem to be affected in any manner despite the conscious efforts to bring it to its knees. As a debased moral value, it is amazing how its apostles are arrogant and shameless in their scandalous behaviours, its foot soldiers stomping like a terminal disease through the system and across the land. Shrouded in moral paralysis, corrupt elements demonstrate a brazen bravery, unabashed in their hope of never having to retreat in the war to further entrench corruption. Perceptively and evidentially, this remains a paradox in a society achingly seeking systemic integrity.

It is like, the more Nigerians talk about this and try to fight it, the worse the situation is getting. The culture of genuinely exposing acts of corruption as a duty to the country has not really taken any root among Nigerians. Rather, exposing acts of corruption still manifests as periodic acts of vendetta against any form of enemy, perceived or real. In addition, the political, social and economic system prevailing in the country seemed to preserve corruption rather than checkmate it..

To this extent, the present Chair-

man of the Commission, Barrister Ekpo Nta seems to posit that he has answer to this issue of systemic incubation of corruption. He is espousing the view that the system is twisted as far as the fight for corruption is concerned. He insists that for the fight against corruption to be any meaningful, the system that preserves that culture has to be frontally and fruitfully engaged. He appears to have concluded that rather than engage in endless battles against the symptoms of the systemic derangement, it is the systems itself with its embedded causal variables that have to be confronted and annihilated.

While not totally discountenancing the psycho-social necessity and impact of going after the symptoms as in isolating corrupt elements, investigating, indicting and trying them where necessary, Chairman Nta seems convinced that undue belligerence could and would always lead to missing out on some relevant systemic challenges that have helped and continue to sustain the incubation of corruption. Thus, his calm and calculated approach to isolate these systemic challenges, evaluate them and put in systemic corrective mechanisms that would serve as incorrigible obstacles to embedded variable acts of corruption is worthy of being evaluated.

As I found out, the mantra for

Instituting what he called System Review is first on the list of such preventive mechanism Chairman Nta’s philosophy of approach is “prevention is better than cure.” Designing a new and effective approach to the fight against corruption seems to be the starting point for the present leadership of the ICPC. It presupposes that for the anti-graft commission to gain some credibility in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, it must tap on its past experiences, both good and ugly to make good its mandate by evolving this new approach.

The ICPC thus seems to have consummated conscious and relentless efforts to take the ICPC and the fight against corruption to the next level, starting with institution of preventive mechanism, anchored largely on effective monitoring of the Nigerian Systems with a view to plucking all loopholes which had hitherto been exploited by public officers to perpetrate acts of corruption. It is examining, reviewing and enforcing the correction of corruption prone systems and procedures of public bodies.

Instituting what he called System Review is first on the list of such preventive mechanism. For instance over the past few years, the ICPC had silently conducted system studies and reviews on different public and private institutions and had successfully blocked avenues for officers to engage in acts of corruption. For instance, the ICPC conducted system study and review on the 2012 budgetary allocation and expenditure profile on personnel cost of 234 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

In the process, it recovered a total of N24.8 Billion in cash, “being irregular payments from MDAs paid to Sub treasury of the Federation (STF).” In the same vein, a total sum of N14. 4 billion was returned to the STF by MDAS in 2012 as unspent balances on personnel costs with a directive from ICPC. More interesting was the intervention of ICPC in the payment of civil servants salaries direct from the Central Bank of NIgeria (CBN). Through this the commission has removed the temptation of physical cash left in the ministries that can be shared the end of the year.”

Records show that the ICPC conducted System Review on the Universities in Nigeria. It did so in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The Amazon aims for Higher Calling Tajudeen Kareem

I

t is a truism that those who strive to exude greatness often have no relationship with this much desired mark of achievement. Rather, the mark of an achiever sits prominently on those who merit – and thus had no reason to proclaim their own greatness.

Among those who had no need to strut is Captain (Mrs.) Chinyere O. Kalu the rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (NCAT). This unassuming achiever has quietly carved an enviable trail that has led her to the very top of her chosen profession.

She has shown the fruit of this drive for excellence on her assumption of office as Rector of NCAT. In her two years at the helm, she has facilitated several positive systemic transformations in the nation’s primary institution for training of pilots, aeronautic engineers, cabin crews, and sundry air transport managers.

Indeed, the Captain and her team are poised to make the college “the foremost aviation training institution in Africa” and make it rank among the best in the world by continuously striving to raise standards and maintain best practices. Pursuant to the above, the college management, under her can boast a number of achievements, including: * attaining efficiency in the system; *cutting down on waste, corruption, abuse and leakages; *reducing time of training and cost of doing business; *increasing productivity by increasing the number of students trained as well as income genera-

tion.

Without a doubt, Captain Kalu has made her mark as one of the leading lights of the Nigerian aviation industry, creating several industry benchmarks as she moved up the pole establishing herself as a worthy role model for the mass of the Nigeria youth, especially the girl child . Full of zest and passion for her job, this public servant can best be described as an achiever par excellence and an Amazon in the aviation industry with an outstanding commitment to building courage in women and youth of Nigeria.

Captain Kalu launched her career with a recordbreaking achievement as Nigeria’s first lady pilot when, in 1978, she obtained her private pilot license from the nation’s premier aviation college. She had, before this, attended the prestigious Leadership and Citizen Course (SS88) Sea School, Lagos in1973. Betraying her passion for excellence and self-development, Captain Kalu, who is a member of the African Women Leaders Think Tank group, has over the years, undergone so many leadership training programmes at home and abroad.

A professional pilot to the core, Captain Kalu has devoted her energy to raising the standards of training through staff development and provision of infrastructure and equipment upgrade for the College. As an experienced administrator, she places huge premium on staff development and staff welfare. For her, the welfare of staff is paramount and essential as it is said that ‘staff are the heart of every organization’.

“The welfare of our staff is considered second to none,” she says. “The driving force to work lies in the level of motivation given to staff. It is in that light that the management vigorously pursues the

welfare of the staff which has given rise to a new sense of commitment”, she adds. And indeed, she is walking the talk by ensuring staff promotion, starting with some 294 who have remained stagnant for nine years; re-instatement of staff of aviation school and security men laid off earlier; approval of over 1,800 courses for staff including messengers and cleaners; subsidized school fees for staff in the college and staff school; revolving welfare loan for staff at no interest; workshop preparing staff for retirement and upgrading of aero-medical facility to National Health Insurance Scheme status.

Beyond this, she has worked diligently to improve facility at the college. “The equipment and infrastructural requirements for the college is inexhaustible in that as the number of students and courses increases, the need for equipment and infrastructural development increases. It is in the light of making the institution a reputable and of world-class standard that we deemed it fit to put several equipment and structures in place, she explains.

In line with best practice methods, management constructed a new aviation management school to accommodate the postgraduate diploma course in aviation management and furnished hostels to provide a conducive learning atmosphere. The administrative and bursary departments have been automated and very soon, the College will boast of a new library, an ultra-modern auditorium and safe perimeter fencing; all these nearing completion.

• Kareem is a public policy analyst in Abuja

FAMILY AFFAIRS

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/familyaffairs

PRINCESS ODUN OKE

WOMAN EDITOR princess.oke@newtelegraphonline.com odunayomitide2010@gmail.com 0909 124 6811 (sms only)

Page 22, FRIDAY, February 28, 2014

Help meet or help mate?

E

ach day begins at our villa by 5a.m, and I (note, i) retire daily at about 11p.m, after doing all that has to be done for the day and in preparation for the next day. I got home tired this particular day, and as usual, still had some hungry mouths to feed, homework to supervise, some clothes to sort out and of course, few others to iron.

So I started with the cooking, because the children have this habit of eating biscuits, or just any snack available while waiting for the main course to be ready.

But in the process of waiting, they often sleep off. Though I have tried to discourage this habit on several occasions, it just has never worked, because I also don’t like it when they sleep off before I am done with cooking.

In-between cooking, I moved round to supervise each of their homework, and ensure none was left undone. At about 9pm, I dished out the food, but to my amazement, none of the children was still awake to even taste, not to talk of eat. ‘’This cannot continue like this’’, I breathed out.

I managed to get each child out of the play cloth to the sleeping ones, and the other big task was that of moving them to their room one after the other. This I don’t enjoy doing, and I was too tired to even give it a trial, so I left them on the sofa in the living room while waiting for my husband to return.

The next task was to iron their school uniforms, wash their lunch boxes, and pack some snacks in each child’s school bag. After which I remembered I was still in my office gear, and I also needed a good wash.

Just about 2 minutes in the bathroom the doorbell rang. I hurried out to open the door, and the man standing there with his tie already flanged to a side, looked very tired and probably very hungry. Still in towel and shower cap, I held out my hands to collect his jacket and the other stuff he had in his hands.

I moved swiftly to his side on the couch, to help him with his shoes and tie. While still at that, one of the children sneezed.

My husband turned in the direction and saw them lying on the sofa. I was waiting

T

his has been a source of concern to many parents who have ‘’lost’’ their precious teenage children to this menace. Peer pressure has turned some well raised children to nuisance in the society. But truth is, it is a demon with a face, hence could be tackled, but with tact.

Recently I heard a case of a teenage boy who was suspended from school over a tangled up case of cultism and dealing in drugs. The story had it that the boy started from selling the stuff to his mates in school, and graduated to doing drugs.

Another case of some female university undergraduates between ages 16 and 19 was also mentioned. Those ones were arranging fellow girls (from campus) for men, for as ‘’high’’ as fifty thousand naira per outing.

One could actually say those are not new among university students, but what often makes such, an issue of con-

for him to relax a bit, probably eat, before complaining about the children’s attitude of sleeping off without taking dinner. But I guess that was a mistake.

He asked why the children’s food on the dinning was untouched, and why they were left sleeping in the living room. I explained to him I did not have the strength to carry them that night, that I was waiting for him to come and assist with that.

I guess that was something I should not have said at that time, because my

Peer pressure cern, is when it involves children who should be exemplary and role models among their peers.

But parents (mothers, annoyingly) who feel they are busy trying to support the family, are most often guilty of not being there for their children at the crucial stage in life. And it is a known fact that any child left to himself or herself (directly or indirectly), will make mistakes, and in most cases, grave and embarrassing ones.

HELPFUL TIPS IN CURBING PEER PRESSURE.

•

Check your children’s bags, wardrobe, phone and mails from time to time, to check for any strange content.

•

• • • •

Beat your children with cane if need be, but never with words of condemnation which often harden them, and send them into the waiting hands of bad peers.

Take parenting as a more important assignment than every other social or economic responsibility. Be there for your children often.

Know how and when to use the words NO, LATER, and WHY without the children feeling denied unnecessarily.

Aside your spouse, make your children your best friends, and always ensure they carry you along in every of their relationships.

Your children’s friends should be of importance to you, because habits

husband began to give me a fresh lecture on how marriage is a contract, and both parties have roles to play. His own is to pick the bills, while as a partner in the business, I have to ensure other aspects are well taken care of.

I tried to explain to him that I have never complained, moreso, I am trying my best, to be a good wife to him and at the same time, a caring mother to the children; without failing in either of the roles. But this was like a waste of time, as my husband had his dinner, and went straight to the bedroom without touching either of the children.

Of course, we sorted things out later in the room, but it has always been like that, and my worry is will it always continue like that? I mean is my husband doing anything special by picking most of the bills and making provision for the family’s upkeep?

More so, I once asked him to allow me work at home full time, while I do some business that could still fetch me some income. He insisted that only a lazy woman sits at home and expects the man to bring in all the money. He said today’s woman competes with the men in boardrooms, instead of waiting on a man for supplies.

But I also work, and bring in some funds to supplement whatever he provides. So if I am called to be a helper and not an equal player in this marriage business, why is my husband insisting I should continue with this office work that is competing with my full attention at this villa?

Well, join us again next week to catch some more gist from our villa. Also, you could start sending in your contributions.

(good or bad) are often picked from peer influence.

Never leave your children to themselves, as a child left to himself/herself will bring shame to the family one day.

Parents should make good conduct a must right from when the children are still very young. No child is too young to take correction, especially when you insist on your point.

Parents should be united in raising the children, and not a situation where a party is trying to instil discipline, and the other is going against it.

Lastly, shower your children with praises, and discourage sibling rivalry of any form, among them.

All these will build confidence in the children, and nobody will be able to influence them negatively.

• •

•

•

LIFE FRIday, February 28, 2014

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

23

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

0802 393 8212

Fun seekers at the Marina club

Passengers boarding a wooden boat

Marina: A convergence of two worlds

T

hinking of getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Or just want to cast yourself away from the maddening crowd of the city? Then Marina is the place to be.

The Marina is a relaxation spot at the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

The hotel itself sits on 199 hectares of land while the Marina, on the coast of the sea, is located on the south of the golf resort.

The Marina, with a life of its own and in a class of its own has three seasons in a day; all for different purposes, depending on individual’s needs.

For instance, in the morning, the place is usually covered with the fog, especially in December at the pick of harmatan. This period of the day is good for creative thinking. It is quiet and usually devoid of human activities.

With the chirping of birds, the harmatan haze and the breeze from the sea, it is a time to really get close to the nature.

The late morning till the early afternoon provides another season of the day. It is usually sunny and quiet but the tranquillity is often punctuated by the ferries and small boats carrying passengers, mostly petty traders, from the hinterland.

This is a time for those who want to tan their bodies. But despite the sun,

In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the rich and the poor share a common place only separated by a fence and a gate. One side is a display of opulence, but the other is a slum, writes ABIODUN BELLO. the coconut trees planted in rows, on well-maintained lawn, form canopies which provide a shield for those who want to relax and enjoy the cool breeze coming from the sea.

The later part of the day marks a sharp difference from the lull of the earlier seasons of the day.

This is when the Marina Club opens to fun seekers.

The Marina Club, according to the Manager, Mr Riccardo Bigazzi, is open to people of all ages.

The club provides food, drinks and games, including snookers, tennis, squash, etc.

It also has a children’s section which also boasts of different games for the young ones.

It is patronised by the well to do.

Although, Bigazzi refused to disclose the categories of people that frequent the club, he nevertheless said it was “for those who appreciate what is good”.

But despite the beauty and glamour of the Marina, there is a snarl. There are two sides to the Marina.

On the flip side of the Marina is a slum. It is reminiscence of the case of

two cities of the old Marako and the Victoria Island in Lagos.

What separates the two Marinas is a gated fence. The other side is a squalor which houses a Sunday market.

Although, the club side has a terrace, that is a wooden jetty, overlooking the sea, the market runs directly into the sea.

When New Telegraph visited the shore of the sea, barely clothed children, as young as two years old, were playing in the filthy environment, without a care in the world.

Some of the disused canoes abandoned under some bamboo trees have been converted to toilets where people, young and old, men and women, engage in open defecation.

People from various parts of the state as well as the neighbouring state

You can then imagine how much is involved if the owner pays that amount for transportation of the logs from Cameroon to Nigeria

of Cross River come every Sunday to trade in local gin.

The place also houses a sawmill.

There are also shops offering provisions and other items for sale on a daily basis, apart from Sundays when the market is in full swing.

During the visit, which was on a Saturday, a woman was selling used cloths, popularly called Tokunbo cloths.

Apart from the Sunday market, there is also a thriving trade in planks. This probably explains the location of the sawmill and the presence of sea-going boats.

One of the boat owners, who gave his name as Aba John Ikang, explained that trading in logs and planks involves several millions of naira.

Ikang, who hails from Ida in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, said he usually goes to Cameroon to load logs of wood.

He said: “For every trip I load 500 pieces of logs, on the average. And for that, I charge the owner N400,000.

“You can then imagine how much is involved if the owner pays that amount for transportation of the logs from Cameroon to Nigeria.”

The man, who said he had been involved in the business for many years, disclosed that travelling on water from Nigeria to Cameroon and back C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 4

24

LIFE

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

A slum hosting a million naira business

A family enjoying the cool breeze at the club

Photos: Suleiman Husaini

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

was too strenuous.

According to him, going to Cameroon takes a minimum of 10 hours and it takes several days to complete a trip.

Ikang, however, said it was a risky venture. He said there were many dangers inherent on the journey.

According to him, the boats are vulnerable to attacks from sea pirates and militants who always lay ambush for them in the creeks and sometimes on the high sea.

Mr Dominic Okoh, who deals in boat engines, corroborated Ikang’s views.

He said: “The journey on the sea is very risky; it is a dangerous venture.

“They could spend several hours floating on water after being attacked and robbed by either sea pirates or the militants; especially if it is on the high sea.

“Unlike on the land, there is nowhere for them to stay after an attack other than to float. It could be two days before anybody could come their way to rescue them.”

The uncertainty beclouding the business, Okoh said, was having a negative impact on his own trade.

“Whatever affects them, affects me indirectly. It is when their business is going on smoothly that they have money to buy engines from me or even pay for the ones they have bought,” he added.

But despite the risk, Ikang said he could not leave the trade for another.

He said: “What else do you want me to do. This is my job; my life. I am about to embark on another journey now. Everything is set. I have prepared my boat. I have loaded petrol I am going to sell there before loading logs. I will take off this night and I hope to get to Cameroon tomorrow morning.”

Ikang, however, refused to disclosed where he got the petrol he was going to sell in Cameroon.

Another thing of interest at the Ma-

The iron boat used for slave trade

Bigazzi

Some of the sea-going boats

Ekong

rina is a boat used for the slave trade.

The iron boat, built by Isaac Pimblott and Sons Limited Shipbuilders, Northwich, Cheshire, England, is now a tourist attraction at the Marina beach.

The boat, Bigazzi said, was recovered during the construction of the hotel a few years ago.

He said: “During the construction of the gate of the Marina, we discovered six iron boats but five were already spoilt. But the one you see at

the seashore was in good condition.

It was recovered and preserved.

“The iron boats were used for the slave trade. I have read a bit of the history of the slave trade and it was not a good story for human beings. There were different points for the slave trade. The closest point to this place is the old Calabari.

“In the areas where there is lower water, there are small villages along the line. The people captured in the villages were taken in the iron boats to

the bigger ships on the high sea from where they were taken to the Americas and the Caribbean.”

Bigazzi, who described himself as modern day Christopher Columbus, also spoke on Nigeria’s potential in tourism.

According to him, if properly harnessed, the tourism industry could generate employment for the youths.

He said: “Nigeria as a country has a strong potential in the tourism sector. I hope the country will develop the sector because Nigeria has a lot of beautiful tourist centres. This will make many tourists to come to Nigeria.

“The country has a natural rainforest. From my experience, there are three original rainforest in the world.

One is in Brazil, one in Central America and the last one is in Africa.

“The sector can employ a good number of people as rangers because there are wildlife, which can be maximised and make revenue from the tourists and then improve the lives of a lot of people. And the country can become beautiful and comfortable for everybody.”

Bigazzi also spoke about services provided by the club.

He said: “At the Marina here we have two sections. One of the sections entertains tennis, squash, etc. The other section is the restaurant and the bar where we provide special delicacies.

We serve antelope and crocodile, if we are able to get any.”

The Italian, who disclosed that he had toured the world for many years before settling in Nigeria, said he would live the rest of his life in the country.

According to him, he based his decision on the hospitable nature of Nigerians, particularly the people of Akwa Ibom State, where he married from.

He said: “After 30 years of touring the world; moving around the world of tourism, I stopped my ship in Nigeria. I am the modern-day Christopher Columbus.

“After touring the jungle, I discovered a very beautiful queen of the jungle; that is my wife. Seven years ago, we got married and with the grace of God, we have two beautiful daughters.

“I relate well with Nigerians; they are very beautiful people. They are good to me and my family.”

During the visit, many people were at the club to enjoy the serenity of the seashore provided by the mix of civilisation and nature.

Many people, mostly family members and friends, sat in clusters inside the club building (a storey building), under canopies outside while others sat on the pathway as well as on the wooden jetty overlooking the sea.

In the words of the Assistant Manager of the club, Mr Victor Ekong, the Marina is a place of relaxation and fun.

Entertainment

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/entertainment

SOny Neme Entertainment Editor

sony.neme@newtelegraphonline.com 0811 181 3096

page 25, FRIDAY, February 28, 2014

Glo Evergreen Series celebrates KSA on stage today Stories by Sony Neme

T

he much hyped Glo Evergreen Series will hold today at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. On stand to thrill fans will be Juju music legend, Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, better known as King Sunny Ade. The Evergreen series provides a remarkable platform for Nigeria's music legends to perform with younger artistes and mentor them. This is helping to raise the quality of contemporary music in Nigeria and Africa.

Nigeria’s National Telecoms Operator, Globacom had in a statement made available to New Telegraph, explained that, “KSA will entertain a select audience made up of corporate customers and high net worth individuals whose profile fits into his evergreen music. The koko master, D’banj and the saxophone specialist, Yemi Sax will collaborate with KSA”.

Globacom is in association with Guinness Plc and Arik Air for this edition. It is a special music concert dedicated to honour Nigerian music legends that have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the music industry.

It further stated that the Evergreen series will be staged in different parts of the country with each edition featuring different music legends that will perform with highly rated contemporary musicians.

KSA, one of Africa's greatest music maestros globally renowned for his amazing prowess in guitar and choreographed dance routines, has pledged to dish out the best of his 52 years on stage.

A c cording to KSA,

"The Glo Evergreen show coming up on February 28 will feature the best of my performances ever. The Evergreen Series is a good development that will afford him the opportunity to connect with my fans and delight them in a special way”. He gave kudos to Globacom for the laudable concept, adding that the project will provide unique opportunities for the younger generation to learn from the legends.

“The Glo Evergreen Series has opened a new vista in the Nigerian music industry and it will go a long way in uniting the country’s entertainment Industry,” said KSA. For him, “ Globacom Chairman Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. is a man that came with the power of the Holy Spirit to rescue the communication industry in Nigeria. Dr. Adenuga came and solved the country’s communication problems and has been making artists millionaires KSA in the process”.

He further described the Koko Master, D’ Banj and Yemi Sax who will perform with him as young Nigerian musicians with appreciable following, adding that they will jointly give their fans a memorable night.

The Glo Evergreen series is a special music concert packaged by Globacom to honour outstanding African musicians who have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the continents’ music industry for decades.

The King Sunny Ade edition of the Glo Evergreen

Series is expected to consolidate on the gains of the Ebenezer Obey edition. The project has been described as the greatest concert in honour of Nigeria’s music legends.

For Globacom, “The collaboration by the three Nigerian top corporate giants is a further demonstration of the respect the Nigerian corporate world has for our music legends. While Globacom is a leader in the telecoms industry in West Africa, Guinness and Arik are celebrated brands in their sectors in the sub-region as well. The partnership CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Ajebori day of glory with godfather in London

N

Ajebori

igerian fuji act, Ambassador Asimiu Ajebori has every reason to bask in the euphoria of his success tour of the United Kingdom. He had arrived in the UK on December 24, 2013. And the release of his latest album, Champion, by Godfather Music Incorporated, (GMI) was also treated to an awesome album listening party by the CEO of GMI, Mr. Kent Uche, in London. Mr Uche is also the Chairman of Naija FM station, London.

Sources at the high profile show revealed that the event, which took place

during the yuletide celebration at the Enambling Centre, at Barking, London, was worth the hype. “It turned out to be a tremendous success as fun seekers and fans trooped out en masse to have a feel of the new album. It was a glorious day indeed for Ajebori as celebrated socialites in London circuit danced till the wee hours of the day; obviously indicating their support for the music act,” revealed an insider who was at the event.

He quoted a highly excited Ajebori to have said, "I have always known the London crowd know how to party, but

this beats my imagination. It was so awesome and I am overwhelmed by the tremendous support I have received from Godfather. I believe that I put in my best into the production of this album. I am excited at the rave comments I receive from my fans on it.

Obviously, it is notches above what I have produced in the past.”

According to Mr. Uche, an album launch had earlier been organized in Lagos, Nigeria at Mucida Lodge, (on Toyin Street, Ikeja), where Ajebori and Pasuma Wonder entertained the audience

26 Entertainment

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Rocksteady And His Love Without Barrier

I

n this season of love, Hypertek Digital/960 Music recording artiste, Rocksteady’s Valentine message to everyone was that of love, peace and togetherness. The RnB/Dancehall artist advised that the expression of love should be all-encompassing and not restricted to romance.

“The expression of love should be taken beyond the relationship between a man and woman. I believe in love without barriers, which will definitely lead to togetherness and peace. This is the message I am taking to other parts of our continent,” Rocksteady said.

Cameroonians would be treated to Rocksteady’s sonorous voice as he performed at MTN’s IFEST on Valentine's day, Friday February 14 in Douala.

As a follow up to his sterling performance at the Social Media Week (SMW) last year, The Now Muzik managed act was on stage for the flag off of this year’s SMW on Monday. After much anticipation, the audio link to his latest hit single 'My love' was finally released. Just in time for Valentine Day.

Reekado Banks, Another MAVIN Activated!!

D

Terry G perfoming on stage. Inset: Gordons

Terry G, Gordons, others tear selves apart at Nite of A Thousand Laughs

I

t was Valentine like never before at Calabar of the MTN sponsored Nite of a Thousand Laughs, took place at the Cultural Centre. As usual, the Nigeria’s leading stand-up comedy show, had the best artistes and clowns on parade.

Expectedly, Nigeria’s music rave, Terry G, got the massive crowd dancing non-stop with the “Free Madness” who came ringing his “bell”. Ace comedian, Gordons, wasn at his best as he took the show to another height dishing out fresh rib-cracking jokes that almost made the fans forget the mind-blowing performance of Terry G. “Warri No Dey Carry Last”. This was Gandoki’s tongue-in-cheek response to the challenge posed by the performances of those before him. And that was exactly what he proved with his wise jokes as he stepped on stage to deliver what was arguably the

best performance of his career to the appreciation of the enthralled fun-seekers.

The audience did not go home empty handed, as MTN, the leading ICT Company in Africa, gave out goody bags. There was also a raffle draw that saw five people emerge as winners. The quiz was on MTN Dobox, a platform that allows people to rent and watch the movies they love on their phones.

Some couples walk home with mouth-watering prizes for doing well during the quiz slot.

Other acts that performed there were Koboko, Funny Bones, Professor Aboki and Monkals. Some young and upcoming talents were also given the chance of a life time to perform at the big platform.

The show, which was designed for sharing love with family, friends and the general public, had kicked off at 7pm and ended in the early hours of the next day.

9ICE to remarry, album launch for March

Efe Omorogbe at Harvard on entertainment and digital media

E

fe Omorogbe, founder and CEO of Now Muzik Limited, has been listed to discuss digital and media entertainment at the technology and media session. Omoregbe is one of the panelists to the 16th Annual Africa Business Conference of Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts between February 28 and March 2, 2014.

With the theme ‘Africa Accelerates: Equipping a Vibrant African Economy’, the conference recognizes the need for Africa to change gears on its growth story and move beyond commodities led growth to focus on human capital development internally.

The conference believes that the entertainment industry is a mirror of our culture thus the success and failure of this industry depends on the skills of the people working on stage and behind the scenes.

Thus, the co-founder/director at 960 Music Group will join other panelists to discuss the latest movements in marketing and distribution on the continent and also examine the opportunities the creative fields generate to move Africa forward.

on Jazzy, CEO, MAVIN Records has unleashed another MAVIN, Reekado Banks (Solomon Ayoleyi Hanniel), to the family. This is coming barely a week after the Reekado Valentine’s Day debut of LiberianNigerian born Di’Ja. His first official single under Mavin, Turn It Up that features MAVIN's first lady "Tiwa Savage" is a melodious entreaty that screams get up and dance. Definitely a party anthem that is sure to make it to the top of DJs' playlists.

The record label in a mail sent to New Telegraph, enthused thus: “Imagine blending country, dancehall and afro-pop music in a Don Jazzy way. “Turn It Up” is just a snippet of Reekado Banks abilities. As a valuable addition to the incredible team of Don Jazzy, D’Prince, Tiwa Savage, Dr Sid, Reekado Banks joins new label mate Di ja to further strengthen the new frontline of the Mavin 2.0.”

According to the Mavin Records source, “Reekado Banks with a fine combination of talent, determination and swag, is set to make history. The final year History and Strategic student of the University of Lagos is everything you can ask for – a gifted singer and song writer”.

The young man is described as “God fearing, fun and spontaneous.”

S

Efe

inger Abolore Akande, better known as 9ice is again in the news. Weeks after he revealed his political ambition to at the 9ice national assembly, 9ice admits that he has become wiser as he is now in a serious relationship. Though he refused to reveal the lady’s identity, explained that the lady is outside the entertainment circle.

While speaking on a local Pay Tv, 9ice revealed that he may propose soon, adding, “We have been seeing for about three to four years.” Despite that, he noted that he still maintains a cordial relationship with kids’ mothers, Toni Payne and Victoria Godis.

Entertainment

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

27

Okoroji, Monrovia declaration in Liberia

T

hursday, February 20, 2014 may go down as a historic day for all artistes and creative people in Liberia. That was the day they all gathered at Monrovia's Providence Island to jointly sign a document which in many ways may start a revolution for the music, movie, literary and other creative undertakings in Liberia.

The document termed the Monrovia Declaration was loudly affirmed by different artistes that were present after the draft had been read by the President of the Cultural Union of Liberia, Mr. Kerkula Kamara. It is interesting to note that Providence Island is the historic place where freed slaves from America first landed upon migration from the United States to Liberia.

The Monrovia Declaration is a major product of the one week visit to Liberia of Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and one of Africa’s best known Intellectual Property change agents.

At the island, it was singing and dancing as okoroji was decorated with a robe by the artistes of Liberia, and honoured as Chief Jallah-Lon, meaning the Lion King. He promised unrelenting support to the Liberian creative community in its desire to take its rightful place on the continent.

A press release signed by Mayree Uket of COSON, revealed that, the Nigerian copyright leader and author of Copyright & the New Millionaires who sparked the creative revolution in Liberia, had earlier held a two day workshop for the diverse Liberian creative community.

It stated that the event that took place at YMCA hall in Monrovia had the artistes of Liberia voting in unity to eschew all forms of bickering. They also resolve to work together to change the place of creative people in the Liberian society.

“Accompanied by Mr. Ernie Bruce, Officer in Charge of the Liberian Copyright Office, Chief Okoroji visited the streets of Liberia where he saw hundreds of thousands of copies of pirated Nigerian works in open display. He sent a warning to those engaged in music and movie

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5

therefore shows the importance of the music icon being celebrated in this edition of the Glo Evergreen series".

The night is expected to be a celebration of the legend on parade, as KSA will take the people down the memory lane. “A specially packaged documentary on the legend and his contributions to the growth of the Nigerian music industry will also be played at the event,’’ the statement added.

King Sunny Ade’s brand of juju is a dance-inspiring hybrid of western pop and traditional African music with roots in the guitar. Together with his band, the African Beats, he has continued to weave an infectious blend of electric guitars, synthesizers and

piracy in Liberia that their days are numbered,” it further stated Before Leaving Liberia, Chief Okoroji met with the Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, Mrs. Chigozie Obi-Nnadozie who expressed joy at the work being done in Liberia by Okoroji and sought co-operation in ensuring substantial

Nigerian entertainment investment in Liberia. Okoroji also met with Ambassador Tunde Ajisomo, Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS to Liberia at which meeting discussions were held on how the ECOWAS structure in the sub-region can be used to wage an effective war against piracy and other

forms of copyright infringement across the sub-region.

Before departing, the COSON Chairman also inaugurated an anti-piracy task force made of artistes from various societies and charged them to redeem that which had been considered lost by the Liberian creative community. Among the many stars who welcomed Chief Okoroji to Liberia were popular Liberian singers Miatta Fanbuleh and Zack Roberts.

Reacting to the developments, foremost Liberian musician and producer, Mr. Tony Karbedeh said, ‘I am very proud of Chief Tony’s visit to Liberia and his interaction with the artistic community.

He has brought us together and brought us hope. Suddenly the train which engine appeared to have knocked is once again on the move’ As tribute to the inspiring message brought by Chief Okoroji to Liberia, Mr. Karbedeh urged all creative people in Liberia to put away their differences, unite, join the train and join the revolution.

Mavin Unveils Di’Ja, Releases New Single

T

he wait is over as Mavin Records boss; Don Jazzy recently unveiled new signing Di’Ja (Hadiza ‘Di’Ja’ Blell) to the scene. That came after about five months of meticulous planning and orchestration behind closed doors at the Mavin head quarter.

Her first official single under Mavin, Yaro is an up-tempo celebration of love and commitment against all odds. The song features an ethnic twist that infuses Hausa and Krio dialects in honour of her Nigerian and Sierra Leonean roots.

The eclectic sensation that is set to be the most dynamic new act of 2014 has already made waves in Canada. She has always had a passion for her craft. She won the 2008 Best New Artiste award at the Beat Awards her rise to stardom con-

multi-layered percussion to impress loyal audiences who for decades have remained fans of his unique musical output.

Born to a family of Nigerian royalty, KSA left school to pursue a career in music. In the mid 1960s, he played for a highlife band, Moses Olaiya and the Federal Rhythm Dandies. He later formed his own band, the Green Spots, in 1967. Frustrated by the exploitative tendencies in the record industry, he launched his own record label in 1974, releasing more than 100 albums in the over three decades thereafter.

KSA began to attract attention in the western world when three of his albums, Juju Music, Synchro System and Aura were released in the early '80s on the Mango record label, a sub-

tinued with a nomination for the Best Urban/R&B Single at the 2009 Canadian Radio Music Awards According to MAVIN Records, “This multi-talented singer, song-writer, visual artist and humanitarian holds degrees in Biology and Psychology, but it is music that always coursed through her veins. It is a talent that she is now about to share across the continent and beyond.

For Don Jazzy, "Di'Ja represents the new generation of Nigerian music. She is versatile and adaptable. No experience in the studio with her is ever the same as the last. Our fans, friends and good music lovers are in for an interesting musical journey planned ahead."

sidiary of Island Records.

Sunny Ade & His African Beats made their debut American performances to enthusiastic crowds in 1983.

E Dide (Get Up), released in 1995, offered hints that the best days of Sunny Ade and His African Beats were yet to come. Next was Odu, a collection of ancient Nigerian songs, in 1998 that was nominated for a Grammy. Its follow-up, Seven Degrees North was in 2000.

In 2010, he released a special album entitled Ayo Owuro with a track in honour of Dr. Adenuga Jr. (GCON).

Sunny Ade has remained a powerful force in the Nigerian music industry.

He maximized the revenue he generated from his early albums to launch an oil firm, a mining company, a nightclub, a film and video production

Di'Ja

company, a PR firm and a record label specializing in recordings by African artists.

He is estimated to have over 700 people directly on his payroll. In the mid 1990s, he founded the King Sunny Ade Foundation. It is an organization that includes a performing arts centre, a state-of- the- art recording studio, and housing for young musicians, as well as performers on a five acre tract donated by the Lagos state government.

KSA is a past chairperson of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), and Performing Musicians’ Employers’ Association of Nigeria, PMAN . He has been featured in three films with his band, Juju Music in 1988, Live at Montreux in 1990, and Roots of Rhythm in 1997.

28 Entertainment

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Omawumi Flavour

Flavour denies being Late MC Loph close pal

T

he dust that followed the death of highlife supremo, Mc Loph and Flavour’s cold should shoulders is yet to abate as the later declared that Loph was never a friend. That is contrary to opinions that apart from coming from the same village, they both had duets and were seen together as friends. But Flavour thinks differently.

In a chat with a local television penultimate week, the highlife musician reacted thus: “MC Loph and I weren't as close as people thought. I met Loph MC Loph through Mr. Raw when I came to Lagos. He wanted me to produce for him as I was producing for Mr. Raw. Somehow, we came together and did the Osondi Owendi song.

We later found out that we came from the same village.”

Flavour said, “I played a very big part in the song. People would always want me to perform the song. But I couldn't. What is the essence of collabo-

rating when you cannot play the song? It didn't make any sense. He (Loph) said people told him I was performing his song. I felt, ‘oh, it is now your song?’ That was the last time we really spoke to each other.”

Flavour said that Lophs didn't pay him to feature in the song, even when his voice turned very significant in the song. But he played along as Mc Loph was more popular in Lagos.

His words, “He was more popular than me in Lagos then. But I was better known in the East. So if I was called to come and perform at shows, I would tell them to call MC Loph and pay him since I couldn't feature the song. I did a song with Tiwa. I don’t mind if she performs the song. People would think of Flavour if she performs the song. That is the essence of collaboration. I don’t even rap. I wouldn't have tried to take his line because I don’t know how to rap.”

Omawumi Valentine Fever, Drops Three New Singles

M

ultiple awards winning Nigerian singer, Omawumi released three beautiful ballads that captured the essence of the Valentine season and an everyday lovers’ anthem. The three songs entitled Finally, You Must Love Me and Serious Love Nwantinti (remix) are timeless classics that show more musical diversity of the gifted singer.

Without any hype, the first cut, ‘Finally’ produced

by E-Kelly is a powerful music narrative that has a mind of its own. It describes the genesis of every relationship, the lady’s pretence and the required patience by the man before giving up on his prospective lover. The rhythm and melody expresses personal ecstasy as she delivers the song. Since everyone has experienced either some success or failure at love,

the subject is a familiar territory.

The Second single, ‘You Must Love Me’ is more receptive due to its midtempo masterpiece. The lyrics is enthralling with the profession of true love and then, you can’t fault Omawumi’s vocal charms and the song’s excellent production by Sizzle Pro. It’s very infectious.

With the third single, ‘Serious Love Nwatinti (remix)’, Omawumi highlights her love for live instrumentation. One will also notice that the tempo of the song has increased compared to the original version on her debut album, Wonda Woman.

Omawumi sure has a great musical mind that goes beyond one type of music and she pushes the boundaries at every given opportunity with a much heavier confidence on R&Binfused vocals.

FAYROUZ Valentine: Uti, Rowland, Darey delight couples

I

t was reward and thrill time for consumers with a number of exciting activities that marked this month’s Valentine Day. And Fayrouz was not left out as they partnered with Love Like A Movie 2, LLAM2 that featured epic performances from Darey Art Alade and international singer, Kelly Rowland . othrf stars on parade were Tiwa Savage, Waje, Timi Dakolo, Mo Eazy, Zaina, Eva, and Muna among others.

Interestingly, Fayrouz has been a part of Love Like A Movie since last year’s maiden edition, which featured international reality star, Kim Kardashian.

The occasion brought out best of the ‘Original Mixer’ gave loyal consumers and their loved ones an opportunity to

taste the Fayrouz Cocktails Abuja, PortHarcourt and Lagos. Other brands provided in abundance were Champagne De Fayrouz, Omoge, Fay Martini, Tatoo, Royalty, Virgin Royalty and Ultimate lady among others.

Popular TV personalities, Uti Nwachukwu, Toke Makinwa and Isio Wanagho were the Fayrouz Cocktail bartenders. They were in premium bars around Lagos mixing Fayrouz cocktails for fans that came out to see their favourite celebrities mix up exciting and refreshing cocktails.

An excited Senior Brand Manager, Fayrouz, Nnenna Ifebigh-Hemeson, said, “The Fayrouz Valentine Cocktail activation is our own little way of rewarding

consumers during this season of love.

And following what Fayrouz represents, we are bringing something unique as usual to couples who are original in a way that is classy, innovative and unconventionally fun.”

The groove continued as Fayrouz joined Darey and US singer, Kelly Rowland to deliver the concert of the year for the second year running at the Love Like A Movie 2 at the Eko Hotel & Suites Oceanview.

Starting out with a cocktail session in the Fayrouz VIP lounge, guests enjoyed a variety of Fayrouz exotic cocktails as they mingled with celebrities and top brass of the marketing, banking and entertainment industries.

Rowland

29

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Nigerian female politician fingered in Dillish broke up

B

ig Brother Africa, BBA, winner Dillish broke up with Stephen was an event waiting to occur. What is interesting; however, are the roles played by two Nigerians in the whole saga. Especially with her rumoured affair with Nigerian high life star, Flavour N'abania.

Stephen in a chat with the Namibian Sun recently gave reasons for the breakup in December; and the role of a Nigerian female politician he dated while Dillish was at the BBA house in South Africa. He said it all boiled down to Dillish accusations about his infamous flirtatious SMSs to the Nigerian lady that he allegedly put in a family way. A story he denied, rather he accused Dilish of jealousy.

Stunned on the moral issues raised, Stephen said, “I was shocked when I heard that I impregnated another girl and that I have many other kids. I have a ten-year-old boy. This alleged pregnancy is just untrue."

On the buzz around town that Dillish is dating Flavour, he said, “I doubt Dillish is seeing Flavour, but if she is, then it won’t be to spite

me. Dillish isn’t a spiteful woman. It’s not her kind of thing.”

He narrates their sour affair thus: “It wasn't about money. It’s just that we both agreed that we are better apart.

Dillish isn’t just physically beautiful, she is also amazing and I respect her. While Dillish was on the show, there was a Nigerian woman who was helping to campaign for people in her country to vote for her.

I was in contact with her because I helped with the campaigning.”

He confessed that, “We flirted via text messages and so on. I mean all guys flirt, it doesn't mean you intend on acting on it. She then sent a snapshot of our conversations to a friend of Dillish, who eventually sent it to Dillish.”

He further said they had an argument about

Dillish

that, which led to an argument about other things, “And we both said some things that we wish we didn't. After that we decided to break-up and haven’t been together since December. We both need our privacy, we love each other.”

Glamour, Excitement As House of Tara Unveils New Studio Olushola Ricketts

A Iyanya

Iyanya, SheyiShay, Others Rock Asaba CupidConcert

T

he maiden edition of the CupidConcert in Asaba the Delta State capital on February 20 was a classical display of what musical concert should be. The which show featured top Nigerian music stars like Iyanya, Sheyi Shay, Beejay Sax and a host of ten other top-rated artists in the Nigerian music industry, lived up to its billing.

In a release by the organizers of the concert, the show which celebrates values, culture and relationships took place at the glamorous Lamibele Place, Asaba, Delta State.

It stated that “The CupidConcert featured a fashion show showcasing gorgeous attires from Delta state, brought together notable Delta State professionals, the public sector,

and key players in the Nigerian fashion and entertainment industry.”

Speaking ahead of the concert, the Project Director of CupidConcert, Anne Omezi, stated that the desire to promote the cultural values and enhance viable relationships was the primary reason for the concert. She noted that the ‘’the CupidConcert offers a unique entertainment for all lovers of music and. fashion “we expect both individuals and corporate sponsors to take full advantage of the event to reach out to their various customers within the South-South region.

The CupidConcert 2014 is supported by leading organizations in Nigeria especially in the corporate and entertainment industry

leading brand in the makeup and beauty industy, House of Tara on Sunday launched its new luxury studio at an exclusive VIP event at the rooftop of the Centro Mall, Lekki in Lagos The party attracted entertainers and other celebrities who appeared in their glamorous attires.

It was basically a show of fashion and beauty.

In her address, Managing Director, Tara Fela-Durotoye, lauded the efforts of her staff and friends who have been contributing to the development of the brand over the years. She assured that the brand will continue to grow in leaps and bounds as well as try to train more make-up artists for the industry.

According to her, every studio is special to them and it’s an expression of the passion they bring to making women beautiful in Nigeria and beyound.

She said: “we are particularly excited with this store as it gives an expression to the wholesome make up experience we want to create. Because we have mastered the art of retail management with their 14 studios and over 3000 reps, we are scaling up our distribution channel management by presenting other brands with our retail opportunities.”

The elegant lady revealed to journalists that they are set to launch 29 new stores across 12 cities in 2014. She added that the studio will host TARA Makeup, the company’s in house brand as well as some of the world’s most exciting beauty brands.

Also, the Retail Experience Manager, House of Tara, Rhema Akabuogu, said they appreciate that each brand has its own offering to the customers.

“No woman’s makeup bag has all same products, so we want to ensure our consumers have access to a wide variety of products every time

they walk into our stores,” she opened up.

Akabuogu said they are excited about their development, insisting that they possess the education, infrastructure and distribution channels that allow other international and local makeup brands to flourish.

The soul and award winning singer, Bez gave the audience a tantalizing memory to take home with his performances.

The launch had in attendance Toke Makinwa, Omoni Oboli, Bola Balogun, Munachi Abii, Ufuoma Ejenebor, Anna Banner, Lamide Akintobi, Eunice Efole, and a host of others.

Tara

30 Entertainment TELEMOVIES

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Liz Benson’s glorious return with ‘Living Funeral’ …Says, ‘I am Liz Ameye, not

R

emember Liz Benson that entertained millions of viewers as a Nollywood actress? She is back and better as Liz Ameye.

She spoke exclusively with New Telegraph at Lekki, Lagos recently on life as wife of a resident pastor.

The celebrated actress, married to Bishop Great Ameye, who has since found absolute peace with God, and humanity, made an interesting come-back with Living Funeral. Bishop Ameye is a renowned man of God and founder of Freedom Family Assembly, located in Jesse, in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The movie directed by Udoka Oyeka and produced by Mrs. Orode Ryan-Okpu, founder, Pink Pearl Foundation is to creating more awareness about breast cancer.

The movie with eight nominations in categories for the forthcoming Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards – AMVCAS 2014 is also designed to sensitize the public on the need to embrace early detection as the only veritable solution to overcoming the disease.

According to the producer, Mrs. RyanOkpu, “The film tells the inspirational story of Yvette, a young woman coming to terms with the reality of her battle with breast cancer. It portrays the unbelievable journey of hope, valour and despair told through the eyes of the lead character’s sister.”

She said the role was played by same actress, Stephanie Wilson, whose hardhearted mother (Liz Ameye) struggled

Coming Soon Generations

Friday 28 February at 21:30 on AfricaMagic Entertainment

Kumwesu

Friday 28 February at 19:00 on AfricaMagic

Phoenix Rising

Friday 28 February at 19:30 on AfricaMagic Entertainment

Gold Diggin'

Sunday 2 March at 22:00 on AfricaMagic Entertainment

Bianca

Sunday 16 March at 22:00 on AfricaMagic Entertainment Source: AMVCA

to come to terms with her daughter’s illness. In a bid to help her family deal with their anguish, Yvette held a mock funeral, while she was still alive!

For her, “It has been tremendous reviews for the film since it premiered in Lagos and later Asaba in 2013. Its success story has also been amazing especially with its nominations for AMVCA”.

With 27 categories in total, Living Funeral has been nominated in eight categories. These are Best Movie 2013 (Orode Ryan-Okpu and Udoka Oyeka), Best Movie-Drama (Orode Ryan-Okpu and Udoka Oyeka), and Best Movie DiLiz Ameye rector (Udoka Oyeka).

Others are Best Actress in a Drama technically focused categories will be (Stephanie Wilson), Best Supporting Acselected by an expert panel of judges. tress in a drama (Liz Ameye), and Best General public are encouraged to visit Writer-Drama (Akpor Kagho); as well as the link – www.amvcaawards.com/nomiBest Cinematographer (Idhebor Kagho) neeslist to vote in other categories. and Best Lighting Designer (Godwin For starters, Pink Pearl Foundation was founded in October 2007 as a pubDaniel),” Ryan-Okpu enthused. lic service charity organization. It is Eventual winners will be voted by designed to empower women against viewers via sms or online at www.ambreast and cervical cancer by providvcaawards.dstv.com. Winners in other

ing free check-up and educating them on healthy tips to avoid having diseases that claim the lives of women every day In five years, the foundation has been able to screen over 6, 570 women for free, across Nigeria. These are in Edo, Cross Rivers, Lagos, Abia and Delta States, respectively In March 2013, they visited Kumbo, Cameroon with over 160 women screened for free.

CinemaWatch

(Radio/TV/Events Guide)

GOtv woos subscribers with exciting content

T

V lovers have more than one reason to stay tuned to GOtv; with a selection of hit movie titles, the debut of new reality shows, music and kiddies’ programming, families are spoilt for choice.

To kick-off the month, E!Entertainment will bring Keeping Up With The Kardashians.As they return for a brand new season this month, the Kardashians face some of their most challenging times as a family as Kris and Bruce deal with living apart and Khloe struggles with the future of Kardashians her marriage to NBA star Lamar business and Kendall contemplates findOdom.

However, they all attempt to celebrate ing a place of her own!

Movie buffs are also in for an exciting their joys and share their grief, as Kim and Kourtney support Khloe through month with Mnet Movies Zone starring this difficult time and Kris turns to some of the world’s leading actors in Broadway lessons to ease her stress. movies such as If You Really Love Me, Meanwhile, budding entrepreneur Rob The Lawn Boy and Ground Control.

Channel O and MTV Base will treat continues to expand his designer sock

music lovers with the best of Africa and international hits with a Channel O special on Nigeria’s own Mr Capable, Banky W in the lineup. Arguably Africa’s biggest RnB star, from Thursday 13 to Wednesday 19 March, Channel O take a page out of his book, from his decision to move back home to Nigeria, to gaining success, being a Manager and Businessman.

The fun continues with Jake and the Never Land Pirates. It’s Jakes birthday and kids can joinhim and the gang during the week of Monday 10 - 14 March and help him party in true Disney Junior style. Not forgetting SpongeBob SquarePantsand The Legends of Korraon Nickelodeon.

Other entertainment to look out for in March includesThe Wendy Williams Show,Let’s Stay Together (series 3) and Bobby JonesGospel all on BET.

ARTS

FRIDAY, February 28, 2014

31 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

CULTURE

We Need New Names wins Etisalat Prize for Literature Tony Okuyeme

I

N a colourful, grand award ceremony of first time writers of published fiction books, held last Sunday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos, which attracted scores of dignitaries including scholars, writers, artistes, among others, Bulawayo was announced as the winner of the Prize for her book We Need New Names.

Bulawayo, in addition to the cash prize of £15,000, was presented with an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, a Samsung Galaxy Note and will attend the Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia as well as being mentored by Giles Foden – Author of the “Last King of Scotland”. She will also have book tours in three African cities and get the chance to start work on her second book.

According to the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, the Etisalat Prize for Literature was designed to recognize and reward debut writers of fiction in Africa, with the objective of discovering new creative talents from Africa and promoting the growing publishing industry on the continent.

"As a rite of passage, published and unpublished literary works of art have been passed down from generation to generation in Africa. Etisalat Nigeria is indeed pleased to celebrate all authors in the African literary spectrum. As such, Etisalat Nigeria is proud to use its maiden pan-African Prize for Literature to recognize and celebrate the amazing work done by these unique individuals." He said.

An elated Bulawayo specially thanked the judges, patrons, and Etisalat Nigeria for the award and for the opportunity the Etisalat Prize for Literature afforded her.

"I am thankful to the organisers of this event, Etisalat Nigeria for this most excellent and necessary prize. We are all aware of the shortage of

Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo has won the maiden edition of Etisalat Prize for Literature for her book We Need New Names. She defeated two other finalists Yewande Omotosho and Karen Jenning.

L-R: Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, Bulawayo, Jennings and Omotoso at the award ceremony

literary prizes and it is heartwarming to know that Etisalat Nigeria sees and values the significance of such literary works in Africa," she said.

The Etisalat Prize for Literature Flash Fiction category was won by Uche Okonkwo for her book, Never Lying. She was presented £1,000.

Runners-up, Yewande Omotosho from Nigeria and Karen Jenning from South Africa were presented with Samsung Galaxy notes. They also won book tours to two African cities.

To spice up the occasion, there was a special performance from celebrated Senegalese music legend, Youssou N’Dour, who performed six songs, including "Redemption Song" and "New Africa".

The Flash Fiction compe-

tition winner was also announced. The prize was won

by Uche Okonkwo for her entry “Neverland”, she took home the cash prize of £1000 and a Samsung galaxy note. Runners up were Bonaventure Chukwu for “Fear” and Nzere Jeremiah for “Silent Screams”, each winning £500 and Samsung Galaxy notes respectively.

The shortlist, the organisers stated, was decided after a retreat in Morocco where the judges met to discuss at length the nine longlisted books. Chair of the Judges, Pumla Gqola said they discussed each of the books on the long list in quite some detail, although considerably more time was dedicated to those books that were ranked differently by the judges. “We are quite pleased

to have reached yet another important milestone in the young life of the Prize.”

Sarah Manyika Ladipo said, “The diversity of these debut novels, both on the level of content and narrative style, makes this a very exciting shortlist.

Whether it is Bulawayo’s coming of age story set in the context of contemporary global migration, or Omotoso’s crosscultural tale with its slowly unfolding secrets and interconnected narratives of love and loneliness, or Jennings’

multilayered exploration of history and allegory, each story is uniquely compelling. These are African stories with universal resonance. All three novels traverse time and space and at their core, each addresses the basic human condition.”

Billy Kahora said “The shortlist reflects what I had hoped for as a judge when I became involved with the Etisalat Prize for Literature – the recognition of the best, diverse and emerging voice(s) of contemporary African fiction today.”

I am thankful to the organisers of this event, Etisalat Nigeria for this most excellent and necessary prize

32 ARTS

Friday, February 28, 2014

Ojeikere, an artist par excellence “HE came, he saw, he conquered.” This is no doubt a fitting statement describing Johnson Donatus Aihumekeokhai Ojeikere popularly known as J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, a foremost African artist who passed on February 2, 2014, in Lagos, at the age of 83.

Ojeikere

Tony Okuyeme

R

enowned as one of Africa's most iconic photographers and consummate professional, his contributions to the medium were immense, and some of his works including his hairstyle series were amongst the best - known in the world.

Best known for his series of about 1,000 black and white photos of African hairstyles, last year a selection of them was shown at the Venice Biennale. They were also exhibited at Documenta in 2007, and in many galleries and museums. Also, last year he had a group exhibition titled Networks and Voids: Modern Interpretations of Nigerian Hairstyles, held jointly with American artist, Gary Stephens, at Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, where his hair style series received great acclaim.

Tributes have continued to flow for JD 'Okhai Ojeikere. Describing his demise as shocking, the Director General of Centre for Black and African Arts and Culture (CBAAC), Prof. Tunde Babawale said Ojeikere was an artist par excellence, adding his photography had intellectual touch to it. “Pa Ojeikere was a man that we cherished and adore in CBAAC, not necessarily because he was an outstanding photographer of his generation, he was an artist par excellence.

His photographs, some of which reflected the different hairstyles of our people, were not only fascinating, but also represented an excellent action which was uncommon, either during the period that he started or even in contemporary period. A number of exhibitions were held

Images of some of Ojeikere's photographs

on that; and what is attractive about them is that they portray African culture in its beauty, in its splendor, because each time I look at his photographs of these hairstyles, I marvel at the talent of our people; the artistic quality of those who made those hairstyles.

He was very committed and his photography had intellectual touch to it which has stimulated researches across the world. I have received students from universities outside the country who have come here to study Pa Ojeikere’s art works and photographs,” Babawale said.

The CBAAC D.G added that “for a man who has done so much in his area of specialization, who concentrated on recording moments of 'beauty and moments of knowledge', as he put it, we will forever remember him. Our hearts go to members of his family and the Nigerian artistic community, because of the loss of this giant in the culture and arts sector.”

President of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) and the Director of Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mr. Oliver Enwonwu in his tribute said Ojeikere’ was one of Africa's most iconic photographers, and some of his work including his hairstyle series were amongst the best known in the world. His words: “Ojeikere was a committed member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA); and at his age was always present at meetings, participated in the Society's group exhibitions, and attended individual shows by other member artists. Among his last exhibitions are Networks and Voids: Modern Interpretations of Nigerian Hairstyles, held jointly with American artist, Gary

Stephens at the Omenka Gallery, Lagos.

The exhibition traveled to London last October as part of Omenka's presentation at 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. It also forms part of Omenka's presentation at this year's edition of Art 14, London in February this year.

“Ojeikere was a hardworking and consummate professional. He was an inspiration to us all, especially the younger generation of photographers who have tried to follow in his footsteps. The Society of Nigerian Artists and the entire Nigerian arts community mourn him.

Papa will be sorely missed but his contributions to the growth and respectability of photography as a profession in Nigeria, his mentorship, advice and kind words of encouragement to the younger generation of artists, and an iconic body of work built over 6 decades ,remain his lasting legacy.”

Born in 1930 in Ovbiomu-Emai, a rural village in South Western Nigeria, at the age of twenty he pursued a future in photography, which was out of the ordinary for people in Nigeria, especially those in his village. Cameras were not of high demand and were of low priority as they were considered a luxury. However,

he was passionate about photography and in 1950 bought a modest Brownie D camera without flash, and had a friend teach him the fundamentals of photography.

Ojeikere started out as a darkroom assistant in 1954 at the Ministry of Information in Ibadan. After Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, he pursued his first job as a photographer. In 1951 he became a studio photographer, under Steve Rhodes, for Television House Ibadan.

From1963 until 1975 Ojeikere worked in publicity at West Africa Publicity in Lagos. During his time in publicity, specifically in the year 1967, he joined the Nigerian Arts Council. He began working on his Hairstyle series in the late 1960s after he joined the Nigerian Arts Council and began documenting the country's culture. At the same time, he was taking hundreds of pictures - many still unpublished - of some of the now iconic buildings of Lagos as they were being built, including the National Theatre.

A large selection of Ojeikere's work was included in the arsenale section of the 55th Venice Biennale d'arte, "Il Palazzo Enciclopedia" curated by Massimiliano Gioni in 2013.

Ojeikere was a man that we cherished and adore in CBAAC, not necessarily because he was an outstanding photographer of his generation, he was an artist par excellence

ARTS 33

Friday, February 28, 2014

Dawn in the Creeks of Niger Delta Ebere Ameh

D

AWN in the Creeks: A Niger Delta Legacy, a new reality television show is set to debut. Unlike other reality TV shows in Nigerian, Dawn in the Creeks is not only unique, but promises to be remarkable. The show which is made by and for the people of the Niger Delta, also heralds the birth of a Nollywood Academy.

An initiative of the US State Department, Dawn in the creeks is guided by a board composed of distinguished Nigerian thought leaders, from entertainment, civil society, academia, business, religion, among others. This group, which is dedicated to shaping a legacy of peace in the Niger Delta, forms a new special organization called the Niger Delta Legacy. The show will follow teams of Niger Delta youths as they embark on a

New trailer, photos of Tunde Kelani's Dazzling Mirage out

F

OREMOST film maker, Mr. Tunde Kelani has released new trailer and photos of his latest film Dazzling Mirage featuring veteran actress Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Lala Akindoju, Kunle Afolayan, and other notable artistes.

This comes as the countdown to the premiere of the movie continues with high expectations among buffs.

In Dazzling Mirage, Lala Akindoju leasds as a sickle- cell sufferer who strives to overcome social stigma, prejudice and low self-esteem, determined to achieve success, marriage and motherhood. Will she have it all? Written by Olayinka Abimbola Egbokhare, Dazzling Mirage also features Tosyn Bucknor, Bimbo Manuel.

Images of the Making of Dazzling Mirage

Arguably one of the most talented young actresses working in Nigeria at the moment, Kemi Lala Akindoju studied Insurance at the University of Lagos, and holds a master’s degree in Media and Communication from the Pan African University. The Ondo State, Nigeria, born actress has appeared in over 70 stage productions, playing roles such as Amope in Wole Soyinka’s Trials of Brother Jero, Ojuola in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame, Sizwe in Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead, and Iyaloja in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman. In 2010, she won the award for Actor of the Year at The Future Awards – on the strength of her performance as a stage actor.

journey to create films in the Nollywood style, showcasing stories of non-violent transformation in their communities.

With Nollywood filmmaker, Jeta Amata as its Creative Director, many already attest that the show will be a blockbuster.

Amata got a global recognition when he produced a documentary film for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2003. His recent film, Black November, which centered on a local community’s struggle against its own government and multi-national oil corporations to repair the land that is being destroyed by oil spillage, was premiered at the United Nations during the General Assembly in 2012. It was also screened at the Kennedy Centre as well as the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Black November reportedly inspired sponsoring of a bi-partisan resolution on the Niger Delta of Nigeria by members of the 112th United States Congress.

Amata who has been nominated and has won several film awards in Africa, Europe and the United States, said he is doing all he is doing because of his daughter. “I tell you one reason why I want to do this… It’s the first time I’m coming home with my daughter, Zeno.

She is five. We cannot hide the fact that the most likely place for violence to erupt in Nigeria is in the Niger Delta.

What kind of Niger Delta do we want to leave for our kids? Do I want to bring her home in another 10 years and hope that it’s going to be safe? The responsibility now rests with us. It’s no longer time to play the blame game. If tomorrow it goes bad, it is us; our children will blame us.

So, I’m doing this so that we can have a better Niger Delta and a better people for my daughter. I welcome all of you to do the same for your children too, even if you don’t have kids yet,” he said.

Amata flew into the country from Los Angeles, United States, for a press briefing heralding the show and will visit communities in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states where he will pick seven youths each to form a seven-person team of local youths with inspiring stories to tell.

“In Ozoro, Delta State, we will pick seven people to do this, then we will move to Nembe in Bayelsa State, where we are taking another seven people. From there, we will go to Rivers State, where we will also take seven people. We will fly the 21 people to Lagos and take them to where I call Nollywood Academy. There, we’ll be teaching them how to do films. After that, we are giving them money and equipment, which they will take back to their communities and make these films.

“Now the ‘reality’ part of it is that from the moment we start talking about it, like now, till when we arrive in Ozoro.

The coverage continues, as we pick the people and teach them, up to the point that we see them making these films.

This way, Nigerians can see the process of bringing people up from the creeks and transforming them into great filmmakers in a couple of weeks.”

The final episode of Dawn in the creeks, season 1 will be hosted by TV per-

Amata

sonality Andre Blaze Henshaw. Tagged ‘Town Hall Reunion Show,’ it will feature the young filmakers, who are by then, stars in their own right, convene with real-life characters, featured in their films for a live audience taping to tell the ‘story behind the story.’

Amata disclosed that he has only 18 months to successfully deliver this all important project. But having done it before and being a man with ‘a heart,’ he promised to deliver.

“They (Americans) keep asking me are you sure you can deliver? And I told them, yes! I know my people and I’ve done it before. We are even going to do more, premiere their films in cinemas and get them to attend film festivals around the world. They will transform from just local people into celebrities. This will distract them from violence and give them a voice and opportunity to tell their own story. That was how Nollywood grew and that is how these people will grow,” he also said.

The United States has always had a strong interest in supporting Nigeria’s peace, prosperity and security efforts.

Most important to them is the stabilization of the “the resource-rich Niger Delta – an economic engine of the country, but a region historically prone to violence.”

Having launched a conflict mitigation initiative, together with the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operation in the Niger Delta region in September 2013, the US Consulate General Lagos knows that reducing the vulnerability to violence in the Niger Delta region is in the interest of both the US and Nigeria, especially now that the election approaches.

Speaking at the press briefing, U.S. Consul General, Lagos, Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr. noted that the Niger Delta is still vulnerable to renewed conflict and that “the U.S is delighted to support Nigeria, knowing Nigeria also plays a critical role in Africa, as an economic and cultural giant with a growing and dynamic population.”

Now the ‘reality’ part of it is that from the moment we start talking about it, like now, till when we arrive in Ozoro.

34 TOURISM

Friday, February 28, 2014

Treat Nigerian travellers with respect –Duke

Nigeria, others for ITB Berlin 2014 Andrew Iro Okungbowa

P

L-R: Ambassador Mokgethi Monaisa, South Africa Consul General in Lagos; Thulani Nzima, South African Tourism Chief Executive Officer; Edem Duke, Nigeria Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, South Africa Minister for Tourism at the unveiling of South African Tourism West Africa office in Lagos.

Andrew Iro Okungbowa

A

S the South Africa Tourism (SATOUR) commences full operation in Nigeria with the recent opening of its first regional office (West Africa) in Lagos, Nigeria, from the Nigeria Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke has come a word of caution.

To succeed in this new venture, Duke called on South Africa to treat Nigerian travellers with respect, dignity and decorum. ‘‘Nigerians must be treated with dignity, respect and understanding,’’ he said, adding that anything short of that would not be tolerated by the Nigerian people and government.

This call by Duke was also welcomed and re-echoed by many of the Nigerian people, particularly travellers who were at the opening ceremony of the Lagos Office. This is coming against the backdrop of series of bad treatments that Nigerian travellers to South Africa had been subjected to over the years.

This climaxed sometime last year when a group of Nigerians were turned back from the country’s airport on the flimsy excuse that they did not possess the right vaccination (yellow) papers alongside other documentations. This resulted in a public outcry and backlash against the country with Nigeria also taking a retaliatory action.

This heightened the frosty diplomatic relationship between the two countries, which was later resolved following a meeting between Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Jacob Zuma were commitments were made to avoid any such bad blood, and strengthen the existing economic ties and bilateral relationships between the two countries.

From all indications, South Africa has taken the first step towards strengthening this existing relationship by opening their first ever tourism office in Africa in Nigeria. The thinking behind setting up a tourism presence in Nigeria was highlighted at the event by the South Africa Tourism Minister, Marthinus Van Schalvyk and the South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lois Magana.

Africa, according to the Schalvyk, is a focal point in their tourism agenda while Nigeria stands out as the centrepiece of that agenda. The obvious reason for this is the growing market in Africa and Nigeria. The figures generated from within the continent, particularly from Nigeria, over the years, they both informed justify this move.

Now that they have finally set up a tourism office in Nigeria to coordinate their marketing drive within the west coast, consolidate on their gains from Nigeria, as the country is actually the number one source market for its tourism, Duke says they must check their attitude towards Nigerians by treating them courteously.

Describing the opening of the tourism office as ‘‘a step in the right direction, and a giant stride that would promote bilateral cooperation and provide a platform for the people of the two countries to engage,’’ Duke expresses a wish for a mutually benefitting relationships between the two countries.

While pledging his support and that

Do proper documentation, we are very anxious about the image of Nigeria

of the Nigerian government to the successful operation of the office by ensuring that all impediments are adequately addressed and removed however, he calls on the managers of the Nigeria office to study carefully and understand the DNA of an average Nigerian travellers and not to treat them as a typical European travellers.

Turning his attention to SATOUR’s trade partners and operatives in Nigeria, he urged not to engage in cutting corners in the handling of their affairs with Nigerians, insisting on proper documentation so as to avoid anything that would affect the image of the country. ‘‘Do proper documentation, we are very anxious about the image of Nigeria, especially in Africa,’’ he adds.

He called on the operators, particularly the Nigerian travel sellers to see the opening of SATOUR’s office as a challenge not only to promote out – bound tourism but more importantly, in – bound insisting that it is only when there is a balance at both ends that opportunity for both countries to understand themselves better and explore other opportunities and potentials available in the two countries would be better appreciated.

The minister then extends his wish to the Regional Manager of the new office, Hloni Pitso and his team. ‘‘I wish this office the very best and I commend the appointment of the regional manager and I am sure that he will enjoy this country.’’

For SATOUR’s Chief Executive Officer, Thulani Nzima, coming into Nigeria is a great feeling, as he reveals that the intention of SATOUR is to use the Nigeria office is to serve the West Africa region of the continent, insisting that the mandate of SATOUR board on this is very clear, ‘‘we are going to execute this successfully,’’ he says.

REPARATION is in top gear by almost 200 countries of the world, including Nigeria, to showcase their tourism destinations at this year’s International Tourism Bourse otherwise known as ITB Berlin holding at the MesseDamn/International Conference Centre (ICC) in Berlin from March 5 and 9, 2014.

Organised annually by Messe Berlin, ITB Berlin is regarded as the world’s leading travel trade show and Business to Business (B2B) platform where all the leading destinations of the world gather yearly amidst travel sellers, buyers, investors, administrators, visitors and the travelling public to display their various products and services as well as to network and prospect for business.

Speaking on this year’s event, the President and Chief Executive Officer of World Travel and Tourism Council, Mr. David Scowsill while describing tourism as the largest employer of labour as its accounts for 258 million jobs yearly and a key driver for investment and growth contributing 9.1 percent to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reveals that key issues affecting the industry would be the focal attention at the event. ‘‘Our key challenge in the industry is to stimulate jobs and investment, eliminating barriers to travel such as visa restrictions, taxation, and outmoded infrastructure systems. I am confident that these issues will be addressed at Europe’s premier travel trade fair - ITB Berlin. It is the key place to learn about new trends, market developments, and to deepen existing business relations,” he says.

With more than 170,000 visitors - 113,000 trade visitors and 11,000 – companies from over 180, expected to attend the event this year, the amount of business to be conducted is put at over Six billion Euros while all the levels of the value added chain are expected at the five days travel trade exhibition, ranging from tour operators, booking engines, destinations, airlines, and hotels to car rental companies.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is already putting together a blend of team consisting of its officials, state tourism officials and operators from the private sector to represent the country at the event. It is not clear yet what the focus of the new Director General of the corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo would be, but feelers from the private sector operators indicate that attention maybe on culture and business tourism.

CRIME

35

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/entrepreneur

JULIANA FRANCIS juliana.franci.durojaiye@newtelegraphonline.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Juliana Francis General Overseer held for robbery On March 23, 2013, policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, arrested three members of a gang that attacked the Murtala Mohammed International Airport on March 13, 2013.

The gang stormed the airport, where a Bureau De-Change was robbed and two policemen were killed.

The three suspects arrested were later identified as Saidi Adekunle, 30, a.k.a SP, Olarenwaju John, 37, a.k.a Pastor and Okunola Saidi.

The gang had allegedly been terrorising Lagos and Osun States. On March, 24, the suspects led detectives to their hide out in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, where six other members of the gang were arrested. Five AK-47 rifles, 64 AK-47 rifle magazines, 1, 920 7.62mm caliber live ammunition, four dynamites, two locally-made pistols, two masks and charms concealed in an iron box and two Toyota Sienna buses were recovered.

Kidnappers of OkonjoIweala’s mother nabbed A former servant at the palace of the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, where the mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was kidnapped in April 2013, revealed how he gave kidnappers the necessary information to facilitate the kidnap of the queen, Prof.

(Mrs.) Kamene Okonjo.

The suspect, Chiejine Onochie, said the kidnappers collected N13 million as ransom before the 83-year-old Okonjo was released.

The SARS men arrested eight kidnappers, Jideofor Ogbue, 22, a.k.a Marvelous; Chiejine Onochie, 32; Chukwuma Okoh, 31; Michael Ojeabu, 23; Endurance Oke, 22; Ibrahim Abubakar, 18; Buhari Amajola, 27 and Hassan Husseini, 19, in their hide out in Delta, Enugu and Edo States.

The suspects were also alleged to have killed one Mrs. Regina Obi, after collecting a ransom of N2 million.

Five biggest arrests by Lagos Command in 2013 The year 2013 was one filled with challenges for the Lagos State Police Command. In the midst of these challenges were some big arrests. Below are excerpts of some notable achievements.

Some of the suspects in the airport robbery

Arrest of kidnappers of Bamigbetan On June 24, SARS operatives had a gun battle with some kidnappers who were based in Ghana. Many of the gang members were alleged to have been killed in the battle.

These groups of kidnappers were responsible for the kidnapping of notable personalities, among who were, the Chairmen of Ejigbo Local Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan on April, 15.

There was also the abduction of Mrs. Onwuamagegbu and her two kids and a justice.

The police and the gang members had an encounter in a hideout at Edu village, Agbara, Ogun State. About eight members of the gang were said to have died from bullet wounds, while another two were arrested in military camouflages. One Vivek Changrani,

an Indian, who was kidnapped by the hoodlums, was rescued.

Robbery suspect who killed several policemen held On August 1, Abiodun Ebenezer Ogunjobi, a.k.a Godogodo, a notorious armed robbery suspect, who had been on the police wanted list for over 14 years, was arrested.

Investigations revealed that Ogunjobi had led many robbery gangs and had attacked several banks in Kwara, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States.

In many of his robbery exploits, he and his gangs had killed several civilians and policemen. He led the gang that invaded Channel 04 Hotel at Berger Palaver Yard, Ajah on July 7, where the owner of the hotel and six members of his staff were killed.

He also led a robbery on July

7, where two policemen were killed at Ajao Estate and Adeniji Adele respectively.

Church robbers arrested On December 31, a gang of armed robbers stormed the Christ Authourity and Power Evangelical Ministry (CAPEM), Vespa, Ijaniki, Lagos-Badagry Expressway during the crossover night worship service and robbed the members of their Ipads, Ipods, phones, jewelries, money and church offerings.

The bandits struck when the worshippers were exchanging pleasantries for the New Year.

The same gang also robbed at Morontola Street, Vespa Ijaniki, on January 1, 2014, where the occupants exhibited bravery and engaged them in a fight.

As a result, one of their operational weapons fell on the ground. The robbers escaped, abandoning the gun.

The following day, Hassan Ado, a gang member foolishly went back to the street, to ask some street urchins if they had seen any gun, explaining that his own fell the night before during an operation.

The community was immediately alerted about it and he was apprehended. He was later transferred to SARS. He was used as a bait to catch five other gang members, including the ring leader, one Adewale Osoja, who had just returned from prison.

The gang’s arms’ supplier, identified as Abbey Edward, a Beninese was also arrested. Edward had supplied the gang five double barrels, locally-made pistols, which he imported from his country. He sold same to the gang at N7, 000.00 apiece to Abiodun Olarewaju, who in turn sold same for N20, 000 each to the robbers.

36 CRIME

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

‘Welcome to hell fire’ Juliana Francis

O

n August 1, 2013, Chief Bonaventure Mokwe, an hotelier based in Anambra State, was accused of being a ritualist and a murderer. He was arrested with his wife and members of his staff.

Mokwe was later paraded by the police and detained at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu, Anambra State. Minutes after his arrest, his Upper Class Hotel was levelled to the ground.

The hotelier believed he was set up. Mokwe, who has since been granted bail by the court, hired Barrister Femi Falana (SAN) to sue the Anambra State government for dragging his reputation into the mud and for demolishing his three-star hotel.

He said his arrest and the destruction of his property were based on spurious and defamatory allegations.

While Mokwe was in police custody, a civil society group, Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), a non-governmental organisation, which acts as a watchdog over police activities, took up the fight on his behalf, screaming injustice.

While attempting to prove Mokwe’s innocence, NOPRIN said it stumbled on alleged atrocities going on at the Awkuzu SARS. According to NOPRIN, investigation carried out in January 2014 revealed that Mokwe and his workers were framed up on the murder of one Nnalue Okafor, 23, whom it was discovered, was already in police custody before the arrest of Mokwe. NOPRIN believed that Okafor was killed in detention.

One of the arrested workers along with Mokwe is Mr. Justin Nwankwo, a PhD student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He was the manager of Mokwe’s hotel until his arrest and subsequent arraignment in a Magistrate’s Court for alleged murder and being in possession of human heads and firearms.

Nwankwo gave a detailed description of what he witnessed in SARS, calling on the Federal Government to change the mentality of policemen attached to the unit. Below is an excerpt from his experience in SARS: Nwankwo: “I arrived Awkuzu SARS on August 1, 2013. I tried to keep my mind alert, refusing to faint or collapse in the police van.

On our arrival at SARS, I read the bold inscriptions on the wall of that Nazi camp, which reads: ‘Well come to hell fire.’ I quickly

told myself that we are in for the worst.

“I was marched straight by the almighty O. C. SARS to an open hall. All other victims were separated, each to his or her fate.

Standing at one end was a police officer with two suspects who were chained together and the tempo of the interrogation was getting higher.

“Momentarily forgetting my own ordeal, I looked around the hall, which looked like a torture camp. Ropes were streaming down from ceiling tops, bags of sand were elevated on perimeter wall fence of the hall and all types of rod and metal in varying shapes, lengths and sizes stare at you.

“We heard shouts of people from the back of the hall, screaming in pains. Buckets of water were at standby in case one faints or opts to die before appending signature to already written statements. I was still taking in the entire facility when I was jolted back to reality by the sound of a rapid military rifle...tem! tem! tem! You no wan talk...you wan follow am go? you wan travel?’ Those were the words from the other end of the hall. I tried looking, but slaps from my Investigating Police Officer (IPO), reminded me that I was not in this camp for an excursion. That guy don travel oooo ...so make you tell me the truth otherwise I go travel you,’ were the words from the officer.

“Meanwhile, the O. C. torture, the second-in-command and about four other police officers started asking me questions. The questions ranged from personal to academic.

When I got to the point, where I was explaining that I was a PhD student, the questions suddenly ceased and the O. C. shouted. ‘Mister! Tell us what happened or I will shoot your two legs,’ I started my story of what happened, but that was not what they wanted to hear.

The questions were already set and I must be categorical in my answers...Your director kill people? I said no sir! And the torture

Sleeping was with one eye open, because gunshots fill the air at all times and people are summarily judged through the barrel of a gun

The demolished Upper Class Hotel

Nwankwo

started. Ropes were tied round my two hands. My two legs were tied, then both legs and hands bended and tied together with a rod passing through in between them and then elevated to a perimeter wall. In fact, if you’ve watched a goat being prepared for suya, then you are close to getting the picture. At the turn of each question and noncompliance, a bag of sand was added at my back, to add extra pain. I cried until I passed out. A cold bucket of water brought me to reality. From minutes to hours, the torture lasted but never stopped until finally one started confessing lies! You can even confess that you killed Babangida so that you could be brought down from where you had been tied.

“From hanging on the beam, they took me down and tied a rope in a strangulation mode around my neck, inserting pin and rope inside my penis. One is immersed in pains and your

Chief Mokwe

pre-written statements, a product of individual pain threshold. I came to know the real essence of that cell days later.

Cursed with five cells at that bay, some are better than others. Cell 5 is the worst because it is tagged, “Condemned Cell.”

“If you happened to be there, then you are not in Awkuzu SARS, because that cell for them does not exist. High profile criminals caught with military rifles are kept there, awaiting execution and because our case had the above element, I smelt the cell for six hours. I was transferred the following day, while Director (Mokwe) remained there till August, 5, 2013. From cell 5, I was moved to Cell 1 and to Cell 4, where I rotted away. I was not allowed to take my bath or brush my teeth.

I defecated in a nylon bag and only saw rays of sunlight occasionally.

The cell was a total black cell, filled with the stench of

suspected criminals caught with locally-made rifles.

In my days at Guantanamo Bay, I rekindled my pastoral skills and led the two twin-cells of 3 and 4 in morning, afternoon and night devotions.

“Sleeping was with one eye open, because gunshots fill the air at all times and people are summarily judged through the barrel of a gun. A room of not more than two square size, packed full with 29 to 31 suspects. Heat, hunger kills and police bullets do the rest. In the cell, talks of going to court are freedom itself. Every day, we waited for our turn, singing to God.” Police spokesman, Emeka Chukwuemeka, when contacted about allegations of extrajudicial killings and torture in SARS made by NOPRIN, said he would not react to ‘something he has not seen.’ According to him, NOPRIN has not alerted him of any allegation.

BUSINESS FRIDAY, February 28, 2014

What's news ‘Poor gas supply threatens FG's 7,000 MW target’ The scheduled privatisation of the 10 thermal National integrated power projects (NIPPs) later this year, is facing the challenge of insufficient gas supply.

}p-38

Outlook promising for Okomu, Presco Oil –Report Okomu Oil Plc and Presco Plc, two big commercial operators in the Nigerian palm oil sector have a promising outlook, analysts at FBN Capital Research have said.

}p-38

Local rice supply and smuggling hiccup The appetite for rice, Nigeria's popular staple food has shut up and it is doubtful if it can ever be reversed.

}p-39

Cocoa rebounds on slowing Ivory Coast deliveries Cocao rebounded in London as traders weighed slowing deliveries in Ivory Coast, the world's largest producer.

}p-42

BUSINESS CREW AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) Simeon Ogoegbulem, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO AYEYEMI, Property Editor

BRIDGING Only four out of about 25 depots in Lagos have supplies of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) Adeola Yusuf

A

bout 21 fuel depots in Lagos have ran out of supplies of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, investigations by New Telegraph revealed on Wednesday.

The four depots with supplies are Capital Oil, Folawiyo depot, Integrated and Nipco Plc. This development has affected fuel bridging to other parts of the country.

The Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulating Agency (PPPRA) had at the weekend approved the first quarter fuel imports allocation but a marketer, who craved anonymity, said that it would take a few days before the positive effect of the allocation could be felt.

As a result of the shortage of fuel at depots, Ex depot price has gone up to N99 in some deports for a product that is supposed to be selling at pump price of N97.

Rates at depots on Wednesday are Capital - 98.50, Folawiyo - N98 and Integrated - N99.

The lowest by Nipco is N95.

Both Folawiyo and Capital are loading only tickets of the Products and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) to Bulk purchase customers of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The federal government paid about N832.06 billion in 2013 to marketers as subsidy claims on PMS, otherwise known as petrol, the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulating Agency (PPPRA) revealed last Tuesday.

The out-going executive secretary, PPPRA Mr. Regi-

ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

INFLATION RATE

Abdulwahab Isa, Finance Editor

January 2014 ...........................8.00% December 2013.......................8.00% November 2013..........................7.90%

Nnamdi Amadi, Reporter

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

}p-43

ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

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

Fuel ex-depot prices rise to N99 per litre l As 21 depots run out of fuel in Lagos

L-R: President, Cosco Shipment Group, Mr. Wang Yuhang; Chief Executive Officer, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould; Chief Executive Officer, UTM Offshore Limited, Mr. Julius Rone and Ghanian Minister for Energy and Petroleum, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, after the signing ceremony of $750m drill ship in partnership with the GNPC in China.

nald Stanley, who presided over the fuel imports allocation in 2013, said at the handing over ceremony in Abuja that the marketers got the N832.06 billion under the Pe-

troleum Support Fund (PSF).

This figure, according to him, was slightly lower than the figure of N862.06 billion, which the agency paid in 2012.

"We have been able to as

part of cost cutting measures, eliminate previous manipulation of bill of lading to continuously make such savings to the government," he said.

Nigeria to secure terminals from illegal foreign fishermen Bayo Akomolafe

T

he Federal Government has resolved to secure the entire fishing terminal from the illegal fishermen from Europe and Russia.

The country is currently facing a deficit of 1.9 million tons imports.

According to Environmental justice Foundation (EJF) illegal fishing costs African countries over $1 billion and the entire world $100 billion every year. Consequently, Nigeria loses more than $60 million annually in its territorial waters.

It was learnt that the country and other African

coasts are losing their fish stocks to illegal trawler operators in her territorial waters.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it would propose a joint action plan with the Nigerian Navy to over CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Rates Dashboard

DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor

Chuks Onuanyin, Energy

NEW TELEGRAPH

PenOp/USAID deal: A cautious search for safe investment haven

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate. . . . . . . . . . . 10.75% Prime Lending Rate. . . . . . 17.01% Maximum Lending Rate. .24.90%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Feb. 21)

USD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N171.20 Pounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N284 Euro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N236

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at Feb. 21)

USD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.75 Pounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N259.7 Euro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N213.5

38

BUSINESS | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

‘Poor gas supply threatens FG's 7,000 MW target’ SABOTAGE Gas supply to the power plants is still grossly inadequate and may stall plans to increase power supply .

Adeola Yusuf

T

he scheduled privatisation of the 10 thermal National integrated power projects (NIPPs) later this year, is facing the challenge of insufficient gas supply.

This is already threatening the achievement of the first phase of asset sales, a report

by FBN Capital Research has revealed.

The report; a daily analysis of financial transaction, risk and solutions, showed that transmission is also a part of the challenges facing the power privatisation.

The federal government had through its agency; Nigerian Electricity Regulating Commission (NERC) promised to generate 7,000 MW by the end of 2014.

The report noted: "Given the abundant gas reserves in Nigeria, most of her power generating plants is gas-fired. However, gas supply to the thermal plants is inadequate for the power plants to produce at optimal levels.

"Although the figures are not widely circulated, we estimate

that less than 1,000 million standard cubic feet (mscf) per day of gas is currently available for the existing power plants to generate output of around 3,500 megawatts (MW).

"The FGN’s power sector roadmap estimated that about 1,636mscf per day of gas is required to generate about 7,800MW. "Gas supply to the power plants is inadequate because multinational oil companies have not made the required investment to boost domestic gas supply due to unattractive fiscal terms. While domestic gas prices have been pegged at around US$2 per million British thermal units (mbtu), the

LNG export price is around US$6mbtu."

Proferring solution, the FBN Capital said: "One way to increase investments from the private sector is to ensure that domestic gas prices are close to the export parity price.

"Regardless of these low prices, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) recently announced its intention to make investments of US$6.0bn between 2014 and 2018 in order to boost its gas production to 900mscf from about 450mscf currently.”

According to some industry reports, about 3,000MW could be achieved with the additional 450mmscf per day.

L-R: Area Head, Regulatory Affairs, British American Tobacco (BATN), West Africa, Sola Dosumu; Managing Director/CEO, Nigeria Export Importation Bank, (NEXIM), Roberts Orya and Member , Executive Committee, Borderless Alliance West Africa/Chairperson, Nigerian Chapter, Chinwe Uzu, at the 3rd Annual conference of Borderless Alliance Sponsored by British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) held in Lagos.

Outlook promising for Okomu, Presco Oil –Report Siaka Momoh

O

komu Oil Plc and Presco Plc, two big commercial operators in the Nigerian palm oil sector have a promising outlook, analysts at FBN Capital Research have said.

A report made available to New Telegraph noted: “After decades of neglect, the agriculture sector as a whole is recovering strongly, thanks in part to supportive government reforms. Both companies are expanding their plantation area aggressively; by 2020, we expect their combined land area to have more than doubled from around 39,000 hectares

(ha) in 2012.”

It holds that in the past five years, both Okomu and Presco have grown their palm oil output by 12 per cent on average, faster than 2–5 per cent for the overall sector. “The outlook is promising: Nigeria’s palm oil production volume to land area ratio of 0.3 tonnes per hectare (te/ha) compares with Malaysia’s 3.6te/ha and Indonesia’s 3.0te/ha and, on a per capita basis, consumption at 8kg is below the global average of 21kg.

Demand for palm oil outstrips local supply by almost 50 per cent”.

Besides, the report noted that beyond palm oil, rubber

offers diversification opportunities. It stated: “Okomu has successfully complemented its palm oil offering: rubber accounts for over 35 per cent of its sales and gross profit. Presco is following in its rival’s footsteps. It has acquired 14,400ha of land and commenced rubber cultivation on another 10,000ha. Although 2013 was a weak year for both companies due to a double-digit decline in prices, we expect a recovery in 2014 on the back of increases in both units and prices. Over the 2013-2016E period, we forecast average sales and adjusted EPS growth of 14 per cent and 18 per cent for Okomu, and 15% and

16% for Presco.”

FBN said noted that the two stocks have outperformed ratings on both stocks, explaining: “On average, over the past three years, both shares have gained over 80 per cent each (22 per cent for the ASI). From current levels, we see 21 per cent upside potential for Okomu to our end-2014E price target of N46.5, and for Presco, 26 per cent upside potential to our price target of N50.5. Okomu shares are trading on a 2013E P/E multiple of 16.1x for a 15.0 per cent adjusted EPS growth in 2014E while Presco is trading on 16.3x for 19.1 percent EPS growth.”

Nigeria to secure terminals from illegal foreign fishermen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

see all issues of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Nigeria’s territorial waters.

According to its minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, fishing terminals at Igbokoda in Ondo State, Ebughu in Akwa Ibom State and Borokiri in Rivers State would be secured.

The minister noted that the country spent an estimated N125 billion on I.9 million tons of fish imports annually.

Adesina said this in Abuja at a fisheries stakeholders interactive forum titled: “Repositioning the Fishery subsector.’’ He explained that total demand for fish in the country was 2.7 million tons of which 800,000 tons were currently produced locally.

He said: “Our four-year target is to increase the production of fish fingerlings by 1.25 billion per year; the production of fish feed by 400,000 metric tonnes per year and increase table size fish production by an additional 250,000 tonnes a year.

“We will produce 100,000 tonnes of value added fish and fisheries products, annually. We expect that within four years, we will add an additional one million tonnes of fish to our domestic production and reach 67 per cent self-sufficiency.”

Adesina said the Nigerian marine waters were plagued with attacks by ar med robbers on the shrimp trawling vessels, killings, maiming and abduction of crew members and the removal of communication equipment and catches.

He added that a total of 271 reported cases of attacks on vessels operating in the Nigerian territorial waters occurred between February 2009 and September, 2013.

Adesina said it led to a drastic reduction in the number of fishing fleet from about 230 vessels to only 119 vessels, with only 10 companies in operation in recent years.

business | AGRIC

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Local rice supply and smuggling hiccup

39

Coffee, sugar prices near multi-month highs

A

Men of the Nigerian Customs with arrested smuggled rice. INSET: Motocycles laden with smuggled rice.

Government’s effort at boosting local production of rice is commendable. But Benin Republic, is a stumbling block. This is one problem the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) should have taken care of.

Siaka Momoh

T

he appetite for rice, Nigeria’s popular staple food, has shot up and it is doubtful if it can ever be reversed. This was a food item that was eaten in homes only at Christmas and later on, on Sundays in the sixties and seventies. It wouldn’t have been any problem if the rice we consume with so much appetite is homegrown. At least N356 billion is spent yearly on rice importation. Government considers this scandalous and wants the situation reversed.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development is out to

make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production but there is currently a problem – rice smuggling into the country through Seme border – the country’s popular border with the Republic of Benin.

To address the rice supply problem, government employed some fiscal measures. It granted five per cent tariff for imported Brown rice while polished rice attracted 35 per cent.

But it was discovered that importers were outsmarting government by bringing in polished rice disguised as brown rice and, in this process, made 30 per cent profit at the ports! Government therefore collapsed the tariff to protect investment in local rice production.

Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said in an interview that within 12 months of launching that policy by President Goodluck Jonathan,

14 large scale integrated rice mills sprang up with total capacity of 240,000 metric tonnes.

Government must have reasoned that it is foolhardy to be spending billions of Naira importing rice from Thailand and India when Nigeria can grow it. Rice is grown in Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Kogi, Ogun, Abakiliki and Niger Delta. All types of rice - upland rice, lowland rice, fadama rice. Ogun has Ofada rice in good quantity.

Government also brought in Dominion Farms, the largest American rice farm in Kenya. Today, they are investing $40 million on a 30,000 hectare of land with the T.Y Danjuma Group in Taraba State. It is planned that in 18 months, that rice farm would produce 15 per cent of all the rice import into Nigeria. Government has also sent 50 young graduates from Taraba State to Kenya to be trained in commercial

Government must have reasoned that it is foolhardy to be spending billions of Naira importing rice from Thailand and India when Nigeria can grow it

rice farming and it distributed 11,000 metric tonnes of high quality rice seeds before the last flood disaster and had produced about 690,000 metric tonnes of rice paddy in the wet season before the flood.

For Nigeria to be self-sufficient in rice, we need to produce 3.2 million metric tonnes of paddy. According to Akinwunmi Adesina, in just one dry season farming in the North, we had a total production of 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice while the total demand of the 20 rice mills in the country is 1.2 million metric tonnes of paddy in a year. He therefore wondered why some “mischievous people” are saying that they can not find paddy in the country. He believes they are saying this to make case for continuous importation of rice into the country.

But rice merchants and allied stakeholders have raised an alarm over the scandalous smuggling of rice into the country which they believe is as a result of government’s nonimplementation of the dutiable tariff of $190 per metric tonnes which they say has since been approved as the new duty for legally imported rice into the CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

rabica coffee and raw sugar futures traded near multi-month highs on Tuesday, underpinned by deteriorating crop prospects due to drought in Brazil, the top producer of both crops, according to Reuters.

"Droughts in Brazil tend to occur in October/November, when the rains don't return on time. We've never had a situation where we've had such a prolonged drought during the height of the rainy season in January/February," a European analyst said.

May arabica coffee futures on ICE rose 1.65 cents or 0.9 percent to $1.78 per lb by 1542 GMT, just below the previous session's 16-month high of $1.7935.

Arabica coffee prices are currently about 50 percent above levels traded a month ago, when Brazil was expected to produce a crop of 51-60 million 60-kg bags.

"We could have easily lost five to 10 percent of the crop," the analyst said.

"March is the last month of the rainy season. If we have a dry March, then it could be a catastrophe."

Dealers and analysts said the dry weather would impact not only the 2014/15 crop, but would also curb 2015/16 output.

"Rain at this time of year not only helps the development of cherries on trees, it also generates branch growth for the following crop," the analyst added.

May robusta coffee futures on Liffe were up $11 or 0.6 percent at $2,014 a tonne.

Sugar cut Raw sugar futures on ICE edged higher, with March up 0.22 cents or 1.3 percent at 17.63 cents a lb, after peaking at 17.69 cents earlier in the session, the highest price for the front month since November 2013.

Brazil's drought is also cutting its sugar crop prospects.

The world's largest sugar and ethanol trader Copersucar forecast a 7 percent fall in 2014/15 output.

"The ISO still believes that it is too early to introduce a massive adjustment to Brazil's forecast production in 2014/15.

40

BUSINESS | AGRIC

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Mobile fish pond for city dwellers MOVING POND Fish pond on the move now the fad among city people

F

ish production in Nigeria has increased by about 30 per cent in the last seven years according to a current report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Indirectly, this may be attributed to the growing popularity of mobile fish ponds which makes it easier for greenhorns to venture into fish farming.

The use of mobile, collapsible fish ponds is giving professionals, lay people, students and housewives living in cities the opportunity of becoming catfish farmers.

Before the wide acceptance of mobile pond a few years ago, only about 10 per cent of the fish consumed was produced domestically. Concrete ponds which are permanent fixtures were generally used.

The mobile ponds are plastic or rubbery materials, but the most common and widely accepted is the collapsible ponds which can be folded when not in use and can be easily relocated.

These mobile ponds have solved the problem of acquiring land for fish farming as even tenants living in rented apartments can use the front or back of a building for rearing fish for commercial purpose.

Many farmers use neutralisers to control the bad odour associated with fish like a product called bio-nano energy product which is added to the fish pond

water which is changed regularly to prevent odour that would have offended neighbours in a residential area.

Features The collapsible fish ponds are polygon shaped of 10 feet by 10 feet by 4 feet or 13 feet by 13 feet and goes for between N60,000 and N83,000. Each can take about 800 to 1,200 fish. A fish at table size is expected to be about 1kg, so a pond can accommodate about 800 kg to 1.2 tonnes of fish depending on the size. 1 kg of fish is sold for about N500.

Financial implication A small fish farmer with one collapsible pond can therefore get a return of N384,000 to N576,000 in four to six months.

Setting up a fish farm with one collapsible pond and all other logistics provided there is no unforeseen circumstance costs about N300,000, which is about

half the cost of setting up an equivalent concrete pond farm.

So, unlike the concrete pond farm where a self-starter can barely break even at the first harvest which is after four to six months, with collapsible ponds, small fish farms are making profit at the first harvest.

Though, the use of the ponds were adopted initially by people with low capital and without access to land, the ponds are now

being widely used by big fish farmers, who set up as many as 10 or more collapsible fish ponds without plans of building the permanent concrete ponds.

Olatundun Tijani, a fish farmer in Egbeda area of Lagos, for instance uses 15 collapsible ponds on about one plot of land. Before relocating her business to this piece of land, she did the fish farming in her home compound with concrete

Though, the use of the ponds were adopted initially by people with low capital and without access to land, the ponds are now being widely used by big fish farmers, who set up as many as 10 or more collapsible fish ponds without plans of building the permanent concrete ponds

pond. When she decided to expand the business, she went for collapsible fish ponds. Even though the piece of land the mobile fish ponds are located is not rented but owned by her family, she disclosed that she has no intention of constructing permanent fish ponds.

The mobile fish ponds, no doubt, have challenges. Due to excessive usage, it may begin to leak at some points after some time because the material is not as tough as concrete.

But there is a simple solution. Yinka Fayemi, another fish farmer using mobile collapsible fish ponds, says repair is very easy. “It can be sealed at the point of leakage by melting plastic and spreading at the leakage point. When this dries, it seals the leaking point and then one can continue using the collapsible pond normally,” he explains.

Mobile pond

Smugglers resist drive for local rice supply sufficiency CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

country. Only recently, the Federal Government, through the Inter-ministerial Committee on Dutiable Rate, held a stakeholders meeting with the rice dealers in Abuja. The meeting was meant to quickly arrest the rate of smuggled rice through the neighbouring countries like Republic of Benin. It was agreed that in order to discourage the rate at which the commodity was smuggled into the country, a new duty tariff that was almost import-friendly and commensurate with what obtained in the neighbouring countries was good enough, hence the duty for legally imported rice

was pegged at USD190.

Regrettably, according to them, though government reviewed the dutiable price, the measure was yet to be implemented leading to dislocations and unease within the rice industry in Nigeria.

Stakeholders lamented that USD570 remains the duty for rice in Nigeria despite international price crash and stiff competition from Benin Republic. The claim is that to further boost the volume of Nigeriabound rice through its ports, Benin Republic deliberately crashed dutiable rate to USD200 per ton. This made the place a haven of sorts for smugglers of the product into Nigeria.

According to the Secretary General of Rice Millers, Importers and distributors Association of Nigeria, RiMIDAN, Alhaji Shuaibu Mohammed, over 20 vessels conveying the product are trapped and stocked in Nigerian territorial waters due to non-take off of the new tariff regime. He said that the situation has resulted in massive loss of revenue both to government and importers while consumers continue to groan over smuggled rice from neighbouring countries, particularly Republic of Benin.

It is claimed that over three million tonnes of parboiled rice was smuggled into Nigeria through Benin Republic last

year with the attendant over N300 billion revenue loss to the Federal Government. However, Benin Republic and others allegedly gained over N200 billion via smuggling.

Although, Government’s effort at boosting local production of rice is commendable, Benin Republic, as it stands now, is a stumbling block. This is one problem the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) should have taken care of.

The move towards establishing a common market within the ECOWAS sub-region has given rise to the adoption of a CET which has four tariff categories: Zero (0%) per cent for essential goods, 5 per cent

for essential/basic raw materials, capital goods and specific inputs, 10 per cent for intermediary products and a peak rate of 20 per cent for final goods.

It is argued that a successful integration of tariffs will curtail the incidence of smuggling, thereby improving the increasing custom revenue in the country.

The $190 per metric tonne tariff fixed by government is a good one but one wonders why government is foot-dragging on the implementation. Government should go ahead and implement it and seek Benin’s cooperation. A lasting solution is perhaps CET. There is the need to make it work.

BUSINESS | AGRIC

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

41

Africa, Asia, home to 95 per cent global agricultural population Rural farmers

Although the world’s agricultural population grew only marginally in recent decades, global agricultural output increased dramatically

T

he global agricultural population defined as individuals dependent on agriculture, hunting, fishing and forestry for their livelihood, accounted for over 37 per cent of the world’s population in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, a recent report

by New Worldwatch Institute states.

According to the report, this is a decrease of 12 per cent from 1980, when the world’s agricultural and nonagricultural populations were roughly the same size. Although the agricultural population shrunk as a share of total population between 1980 and 2011, it grew

numerically from 2.2 billion to 2.6 billion people during this period.

The report states that between 1980 and 2011, the nonagricultural population grew by a staggering 94 per cent, from 2.2 billion to 4.4 billion people, a rate approximately five times greater than that of agricultural population growth. In both cases, growth was driven by the massive increase in the world’s total population, which more than doubled between 1961 and 2011, from 3.1 billion to 7 billion, it adds.

It argues that it should be noted that the distinction between these population groups

is not the same as the rural-urban divide. “Rural populations are not exclusively agricultural, nor are urban populations exclusively nonagricultural.

The rural population of Africa in 2011 was 622.8 million, for instance, while the agricultural population was 520.3 million.

“Although the agricultural population grew worldwide between 1980 and 2011, growth was restricted to Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

During this period, this population group declined in North, Central, and South America, in the Caribbean and in Europe.”

According to the report, in 2011, Africa and Asia accounted for about 95 per cent of world’s agricultural population. “In contrast, the agricultural population in the Americas accounted for a little less

than 4 per cent. Especially in the United States, this is the result of the development and use of new and innovative technologies, as well as the greater use of farm machinery, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation systems that require less manual labour.”

Although the world’s agricultural population grew only marginally in recent decades, global agricultural output increased dramatically. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), global net agricultural production increased by 112 per cent between 1980 and 2011.

The world’s net per capita production of agricultural goods increased by 35 per cent during this period, averting food security crises in many places.

It argues: “Although productivity gains have enabled

How to set up an oil palm plantation The uses to which oil palm can be made seem in-exhaustive, as such, an investment in the establishment of its plantation is nothing but a wise one. There is a guaranteed ready market for all its products.

Olumakinde Oni

O

il palm is native to West Africa. Nigeria used to be the World’s largest pro-

Palm plantation

ducer of oil palm before the oil boom era. Malaysia has now taken the lead position.

Oil palm plantation and allied industries is now the main stay of Malaysian economy.

Malaysia came to Nigeria in the 70s to obtain oil palm seeds and seedlings.

The palm tree has various uses. The leave is used in making brooms and as roofing material (in the rural areas, while the bark of the frond can be peeled and woven into baskets.

The main trunk can be split like sawn timbers and used as part of building materials. Palm wine can be obtained from oil palm, palm oil is readily obtainable from the fresh fruit bunches. When the fruit is processed, the residue obtained can be used as fuel (for cooking and fertilizer to

improve soil nutrient). Palm oil is used in cooking, soap making, candle and margarine. Palm Kernel oil can be extracted from the nut. The residue obtainable in the process of palm kernel oil extraction otherwise called palm kernel cake is used as livestock feed. Palm kernel oil is used in vegetable oil and soap making while the shell is also useful as energy source and industrial raw material such as mosquito coils when binded The uses to which oil palm can be made seem inexhaustive. This clearly indicates that investment made in the establishment of oil palm plantation is nothing but a wise one.

The market is guaranteed for all the products of oil palm plantation in this era of global food crisis.

farmers to meet the growing demand for food, the methods used to achieve such gains have come with unintended consequences, including soil degradation, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and depleted freshwater supplies.

Short-term production gains achieved by overusing chemical pesticides and fertilizers have, as a result, reduced the sector’s long-term resilience to climate change.”

The FAO estimates that the global agricultural population will decline by 0.7 per cent and that the nonagricultural population will grow by 16 per cent between 2011 and 2020. The organisation also estimates that feeding a population projected to reach 9.1 billion in 2050 will require raising overall food production by 70 per cent between 2005/07 and 2050.

Technical information To establish oil palm plantation involves getting a good site where rich, well drained acidic soil abound. The soil should have adequate quantity of potassium, magnesium and nitrogen. Soil tests should therefore be carried out to determine the nutrient status of the land.

Other requirements include seedling procurement.

It is usually better to use the early maturing variety called tenera which bears fruits as from the fourth year and can be obtained from reputable nurseries.

Prospective investors must engage the services of agricultural experts in the course of establishing this project.

Other cultural practices are planting, regular weeding, pruning and fertilizer application. Serious minded invesCONTINUED ON PAGE 42

42

BUSINESS | AGRIC

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Callebaut expands Cocoa rebounds on Barry cocoa-sourcing foothold in Africa slowing Ivory Coast C deliveries

C

ocoa rebounded in London as traders weighed slowing deliveries in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest producer, and the possibility of a large mid-crop, the smaller of two annual harvests starting in April. Coffee rose.

Farmers in Ivory Coast will harvest the biggest crop in three years this season partly due to “good” rains during the dry period, according to Ecobank Transnational Inc. (ETI), which finances the cocoa trade

in West Africa. Bean arrivals were 14 percent higher from the start of the season on Oct. 1 through Feb. 16, according to KnowledgeCharts, a unit of Commodities Risk Analysis. Deliveries were 30 percent higher on Jan. 19.

“Arrivals have started to slow and it will now all depend on the mid-crop,” Edward George, head of soft commodities research at Lome, Togobased lender Ecobank, said by phone from London. “If we get

a good mid-crop, there’s still a chance that this crop will be a record.”

Cocoa output in Ivory Coast will probably rise to 1.495 million tons in 2013-14, according to Ecobank. That compares with 1.445 million tons a year earlier. Growers harvested a record 1.51 million tons in 201011, data from the bank showed.

Bean deliveries to ports in Ivory Coast amounted to 1.08 million tons as of Feb. 16, estimates KnowledgeCharts.

hocolate manufacturing giant, Barry Callebaut, has acquired the remaining 51 percent of Biolands Group, a certified cocoa bean supplier in Africa according to Africa Report. This is the company’s latest effort to secure long-term bean supplies to meet rising demand.

The deal comes as Barry Callebaut, the world's biggest maker of industrial chocolate, seeks to "gain access to individual farmers in addition to cooperatives," it said in a statement.

In Biolands, Callebaut gets full control of a certified organic bean supplier with 143 full-time staff and operations in Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, the world's biggest cocoa growing region.

Callebaut first invested in the company in 2008 and has been buying all its certified beans since 2000.

Terms of the deal were not given. The news underscores

a push by chocolate makers to buy beans direct from source rather than rely only on merchants which have typically supplied the industry with beans.

A combination of largely unorganized farmers, crop disease, competition from other cash crops and poor husbandry has raised concerns about longterm availability among chocolate makers.

Competition for beans has also intensified as the industry aims to source traceable and sustainable cocoa.

The takeover follows a string of bigger deals for Callebaut, including its takeover of Petra Foods in December 2012, giving it a vast footprint in Asia where chocolate demand is growing.

In 2013, the Zurich-based company acquired ASM Foods AB in Sweden and opened cocoa and chocolate factories in Indonesia, Turkey and Mexico.

How to set up an oil palm plantation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

tors will be guided accordingly in the implementation of this project.

Cocoa beans

Agricultural Commodity Prices Grains Commodity CBOT Corn CBOT Wheat CBOT Oats CBOT Rough Rice CBOT Soybeans CBOT Soybean Meal CBOT Soybean Oil ICE Canola

Units USd/bu.

USd/bu.

USd/bu.

USD/cwt USd/bu.

USD/st USd/lb.

CAD/mt

Price 460.00 616.00 483.00 15.75 1,382.50 449.40 41.33 427.70

Change -1.25 -2.00 +14.75 -0.01 -4.75 -4.30 +0.48 +2.70

% Change -0.27% -0.32% +3.15% -0.06% -0.34% -0.95% +1.18% +0.64%

Contract May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14

Time(ET) 08:28:54 08:28:38 08:27:19 08:03:33 08:29:26 08:28:51 08:28:52 08:22:42

Softs Commodity ICE Cocoa ICE Coffee "C" ICE Sugar #11 ICE Orange Juice Conc ICE Cotton #2 SFE Greasy Wool CME Lumber TOCOM Rubber CME Ethanol

Units USD/mt USd/lb.

USd/lb.

USd/lb.

USd/lb. cents/kg USD/tbf JPY/kg USD/gal.

Price 2,903.00 173.70 17.39 146.25 87.41 1,027.00 358.60 220.20 2.15

Change -18.00 -2.55 -0.29 -0.30 +0.06 0.00 -1.60 +0.40 +0.07

% Change -0.62% -1.45% -1.64% -0.20% +0.07% 0.00% -0.44% +0.18% +3.12%

Contract May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 May 14 Apr 14 May 14 Aug 14 Apr 14

Time(ET) 08:28:46 08:29:24 08:28:56 08:27:39 08:29:06 00:05:27 08:17:33 04:59:56 16:48:11

Commodities trade on different exchanges with different trading sessions. Change always shows from the previous close price.

Quotes delayed, except where indicated otherwise. All prices in local currency. Time is ET.

Financial implication A 20-hectare plantation is recommended for a start. A 20-hectare oil palm plantation can conveniently service a palm oil mill that will be established by the owner when the plantation starts to fruit.

To establish a 20 hectare plantation, about N19, 300,000 will, however, be required.

Pre-Investments : N300, 000 Land Acquisition :N10, 000,000 Land Clearing/ Preparation : N3, 000,000 Seedlings procurement 400/hectare (8000 @ N500)

: N4, 000,000 Other Cultural practices @ N100, 000/ hectare. : N2, 000,000 TOTAL N19, 300,000 ========= Various governments (federal, states and local) can also set up this project and lease it out to individuals and corporate bodies on maturity. It is a way of diversifying the economy and also to create jobs and income opportunities for Nigerians. It is also one of the strat-

egies for food security in the country and also in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

Income analysis A matured plantation will start to give investor five tonnes per hectare of red palm oil yearly from the fourth year per hectare. 100 metric tonnes of oil can be obtained yearly from 20 hectare plantation. A tonne of red palm oil is a minimum of N150,000. Gross revenue of N15 million is obtained from red palm oil.

We can also get three metric tons of palm kernel per hectare. This gives us 60 tons from 20 hectares. This translates to annual income of N4.2 million. Total income realisable is about N19.2 million while the annual operating expense is put at N5.8 million. This leaves us with a net income of N13.4 million yearly for the investor for the rest of his/her live.

There are still other sources of income such as palm fronds and palm kernel shells.

Serious minded investors can be assisted in the realisation of this worthwhile investment.

Olumakinde Oni can be reached through olumakindeoni@yahoo.com

business | PENSION

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

43

PenOp/USAID deal: A cautious search for safe investment haven

Recently, the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOP) had discussions with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on possible ways of expanding its investment portfolio through the agency. With contributors’ apprehension over investment decisions at the back of their minds, the association has continually reassured on the safety of the pension assets, SUNDAY OJEME writes.

A

bout two weeks ago, members of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria met in Lagos to review their operations in the previous year as well as set goals for the future. Discussions during the interaction that also doubled as the body's annual general meeting was indeed reflective of the success story so far recorded with the new pension scheme, which has obliterated the bitterness associated with the previous non-contributory scheme.

With pension assets now close to N4 trillion and still growing, the need has naturally arisen for the Pension Fund Administrators to look beyond the statutory investment instruments stipulated by the enabling Act. Guided by this Act under the watchful eyes of the regulator, the National Pension Commission, the PFAs have, over the years, meticulously managed the pension contributions of workers who are registered with the scheme.

Their success is now the envy of those who are yet to register or whose organisations fail to remit deductions.

As the assets continue to grow in size with the PFAs promising that their value will hit about N4.3trillion at the end of 2014, with 5.9 million registered contributors to date and at annual growth rate of N500 billion, a section of Nigerians and contributors alike have been expressing worries over Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that the funds would not go the way of other failed investments in the country.

However, to ensure further growth and safe investment haven for the assets, the PFAs recently opened up discussions with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on energy financing.

The discussions, if fruitful, could offer the pension managers a new investment platform to deploy the growing pension funds.

The discussion with the international agency stemmed from the fund managers’ fear of inadequate and reliable in-

The Director-General, PenCom, Chinelo AnohuAmazu.

vestment instruments, as they rely, for now, mostly on government bonds. They, however, believe that, if in the next few years no new instrument comes up, investment returns may be hampered.

According to the Managing Director, ARM Pensions Limited, Mr. Sadiq Mohammed, the issuance of bonds in the Nigerian market is reducing and yields also would begin to taper with time, so there might be drought of investment instruments going forward.

He said, “From the capital market, we expect new issues to come up as stakeholders including the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) are working on the background to woo more firms to list in the market, and that we expect will bring liquidity.

He also hinted that alternative assets were coming into the market to access pension funds, expressing hope that all of these would offer investment opportunities for the Pension Fund Administrators.

USAID, through its initiative, Nexant, in January 2013, signed a memorandum of cooperation with African Biofuel and Renewable Energy Company for the promotion of Clean Energy Financing in West Africa.

The two bodies will be responsible for implementing the Regional Clean Energy Invest-

Ideva

ment Initiative (RCEI) in the sub-region.

Under the terms of the cooperation the two organisations will be responsible for creating a regional base of support for Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) in West Africa, and will contribute to the development of a PFAN network of partners and other interested stakeholders. It will also support the development of a pipeline of clean energy projects for consideration by investors in West Africa region through a Call for Proposals, among others.

Obviously, the discussion with USAID is seen by observers as a positive step by the PFAs to move part of the fast growing funds into another reliable entity for safe keeping and enlargement, and out of the prying eyes of some Nigerians calling for the funds to be invested in dilapidating sectors.

In the last five years, some highly placed Nigerians including the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido, have called on

the Federal Government to deploy the sacredly guarded pension funds into stabilising government infrastructure that are in deplorable state. Specifically, while Sanusi called on the government to invest part of the money in power sector, others advised that it should be used in filling the 16 million housing deficit gaps in the country.

Apart from these calls on the government to directly flout the law setting up the scheme, other Nigerians, especially the contributors also nurse the fear that the Federal Government might turn the scheme into another cash cow to settle loyal politicians, or draw funds directly from it as it happens with some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for political engagements.

In the face of such apprehension and search for investment havens, the PFAs have also come out strongly to reassure contributors that the scheme is designed in such a way that no unauthorised individual or institution could tamper with

The Act setting up the scheme provided enough guidelines to ensure that at no point would anybody or institution gamble with the pension assets

the assets, no matter how highly placed.

The fund managers believe that the law establishing the scheme has got an internal mechanism that guarantees safety of the funds and its availability at the point of retirement of the worker.

Giving credence to this, the Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Mr. Wilson Ideva, said the Act setting up the scheme provided enough guidelines to ensure that at no point would anybody or institution gamble with pension assets, adding that the guidelines allowed for infrastructure investment that must be done through structured instruments.

According to him, “There is nothing to worry about. There is no cause for alarm for Nigerians. PenCom has enough technocrats. Even the directorgeneral must have certain qualifications to occupy that position.

The industry is a strong institution and in any strong institutions there are rules you cannot change easily.

“The guidelines allow for infrastructure investment but it must be done through structured instruments. We cannot gamble with the pension assets. The industry is going to wax stronger and stronger. The industry does not have problem with investment in infrastructure but we must go for safety first because we can’t come back to tell people stories.”

On his part, the Chairman, PenOp, Mr. Misbahu Yola, said since the inception of the scheme about eight years ago, there has never been a single reported case of mismanagement of fund or fraud, adding that the system was watertight and no one could even have access to the money except the contributor at the point of retirement.

As successful as the scheme has been, the PFAs are, however, worried over some noticeable flaws on the part of some employers who either fail to register employees under the scheme or those who have registered theirs, deduct the pension funds but also fail to remit same to any PFA.

44

business | GLOBAL NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Bloomberg donates $50m to boost global fishing

EU banks shrink loan books by $5.5tr

E

Philanthropy For the expansion of fishing activities globally

B

loomberg Philanthropies have announced their plans to donate a total of $53 million to help fund three non-profit organizations, Oceana, Rare, and EKOenergy to form the Vibrant Oceans Initiative.

The three groups that form the Vibrant Oceans Initiative will receive the funding over the next five years to help them to expand their activities in three global regions that are already heavily involved in the fishing industry- Chile, Brazil, and the Philippines yet are still interested in expanding.

Currently these three regions of the world contribute around seven percent of the total global seafood catch.

These three expansive regions have long been regarded as conservative in their fish-

More than 700 customers affected as profit at the US retailer, Target, plunged.

ing habits, refraining more than any other regions of the world in a dangerous practice of overfishing.

According to recent figures released by the World Bank, if these unhealthy fishing practices continue unabated, they will affect the global fishing

industry to an extent that it might eventually cost as much as $50 billion a year in reduced yields.

Estimates are that just over one billion of the world’s population depend on some part of the food of the sea as their primary source of protein,

PHOTO: BBC

which makes protecting this food source increasingly vital, and Bloomberg’s $53 million donation, one of the largest the fishing industry has ever received a much more serious matter than it initially appears, as well as among its more humanitarian.

Ghana spends $1.5bn on importation of consumables COMMERCE Ghana's import bills have continued to rise

G

hana spent a total of $1.5 billion on the importation of consumables in 2013 while a sum of $1.3 billion was lost in export revenues as a result of the decline in cocoa and gold prices in the same period.

As of 2013, the import bill of the country continued to rise to $17 billion while the country’s debt to GDP ratio currently stands at 52 per cent. A breakdown of products imported included rice, sugar, wheat, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry and vegetable cooking oil.

Making these known at his second state of the nation address to Parliament Tuesday, President John Dramani Mahama bemoaned the dollarization of the economy, noting that forex holdings stood at over $3 billion as of 2013.

Irrespective of the challenges, President Mahama maintained that Ghana remained the most attractive investment destination in West Africa that guarantees peace, safety, stability and security.

“As with the taste of any bitter medicine, this turbulence we are going through is temporal. I assure you that we shall begin to see the benefit of the sacrifices we are making very soon,” he said.

President John Mahama noted that work had commenced on the Ghana Infrastructure Fund which is intended to reduce the overreliance of public institutions on the public debt stock.

He explained that institutions such as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Gas Company, VRA, the Ghana Airport Company and GNPC will be able to finance their investments through the fund

without burdening the public debt stock.

President John Mahama reiterated the need to add value to raw materials to increase exports and reduce the importation of cocoa products, gold among others.

“We must add value to our cocoa by increasing domestic processing, we must refine our gold before export. We must pursue Nkrumah’s dream of an integrated bauxite and alluminium industry and halt the export of raw bauxite. We must revamp TOR, BOST, VALCO, Tema Shipyard and Dry Dock and the many other strategic industries that serve as extra pillars for our economy,” he said.

According to President Mahama, he has tasked the Minister of Trade and Industry to request that the Export Developemnt and Agriculture Development Fund be extended to assist local investors who will in turn increase their production of consumables such as poultry, rice, tomatoes, vegetable oil and fish.

He noted that the financing for the construction of a new sugar processing plant in Komenda had been finalized and discussions in place with a private investor for the construction of another sugar processing plant in Savelugu in the Northern Region to reduce the importation of sugar.

South Korea to invest $3.7 bn to balance economy

S

outh Korean President Park Geun-Hye said his country has unveiled a three-year plan to rebalance the export-reliant economy, investing $3.7 billion on start-ups, boosting domestic spending and getting more young people and women in the workforce.

The president the plan to boost start-ups and domestic

spending would deliver a potential economic growth rate of at least 4per cent by 2017.

Park said the plan -- announced on the day she completed her first year in office -- would deliver a potential economic growth rate of at least 4% by 2017.

"Our past way of growth that made us one of the world's 10 largest economies

has now reached its limit," Park said in a national televised speech.

Asia's fourth-largest economy faces a widening imbalance with the export and manufacturing sector -- led by all-powerful conglomerates -- totally overshadowing the domestic consumer market and services industry, she said.

uropean Union banks have shrunk their loan books by over $5.5 trillion, more than a tenth, since the global crisis of 2007-08, cutting risk on their balance sheets but choking off credit to companies and stalling the region's recovery.

Faced with this retrenchment, businesses have looked elsewhere for alternatives, using asset-based loans and turning to bond markets, private equity firms, insurers, their own suppliers and even crowds of private savers to raise funds.

And although many EU banks deny holding back, blaming weak demand for the decline in credit, such diversification by companies away from bank lending seems here to stay, even once the retrenchment in bank balance sheets comes to an end.

In a region where banks previously accounted for almost two thirds of corporate funding - double the level for their U.S. counterparts, that is a major opportunity for other lenders.

"Companies have latched on to the fact that they need to diversify," said Richard Cranfield, who advises corporate clients on financing at law firm Allen & Overy in London.

"I don't think that toothpaste is going to go back in the tube.

Estimating that banks may only be half way through a decade of modification in their business models following the global crash, Cranfield added: "They are still adjusting, still simplifying their structures and getting out of certain businesses and that keeps pressure on where they can lend."

David Brown's loan from Wells Fargo takes more work and administration than a typical secured bank credit as it uses harder-to-value assets as a guarantee. Those include the gearboxes it makes for a range of specialist machinery, from submarines and tanks to oil rigs, as well as client invoices.

But Armitt found it overall cheaper and more flexible.

Banks across Europe may say they are "open for business" and deny blame for shrinking credit - lending to euro zone firms fell 2 billion euros in December - but their customers, notably smaller firms, tell a different story.

METRO 45

of Truth

uary 28, 2014

23-yr-old remanded over alleged robbery A n Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday remanded one Shehu AlMustapha, 23, in prison for alleged armed robbery.

The prosecutor, Sunday Onwechekwa, told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 20, at Zone 11, Irewumi Street, opposite Bawa Estate, Ado-Ekiti.

He said the accused, while armed with a gun and cutlass, robbed one Amonimo Rachael of N20, 000 and MTN recharge card valued at N7, 500 and some jewellery.

According to him, the offence contravenes Section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Onwechekwa, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), added that he had duplicated the case file to obtain legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution.

The plea of the accused was not taken while Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo adjourned the case to April 4.

Spiritualist faces N700, 000 fraud charge

A

The union chairman standing with the policemen in their van

m police extortion, Okada riders cry out Riders Association (ACOMORAN), Unity Estate branch, said trouble started when members of their organisation resisted attempts by the policemen posted to the area to impound their motorcycles.

The Okada riders called on the Lagos State government and the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, to come to their rescue as men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Operation ATTACK of the state security outfit, extort money from them on a daily basis.

But on Wednesday, the union members stood up to the police when, as usual, they allegedly came around for another round of extortion.

It was also learnt that when the RRS men came to the area, they asked for the chairman of the unit. But,

es’ Court

ria (NAN), added that the offence contravened Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The Magistrate, Mrs. M. O. Olajuwon, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case to March 25, for mention.

one of the riders, identified as Mr. Goody, told them that the chairman was not around.

The policemen, who reasoned that the chairman was hiding in order not to give them money, attempted to seize some of the motorcycles at the park.

However, the Vice-Chairman of the organisation, Mr. Ade Lawal, said the police had no right to impound any motorcycle.

“When the vice-chairman told the policemen that they have no right to seize the motorcycles, the RRS men cocked their guns and threatened to shoot the man,” one of the motorcyclists said.

Lawal also told our correspondent that as a leader at the park, it was incumbent on him to protect his members and look after their interests.

He said: “I would not have allowed them to take any motorcycle away; that was why I resisted them. But, I did not now that the motorcycle they wanted to impound was mine.

“It was when I moved closer to them that I discovered that it was mine and one of the policemen threatened to shoot me for refusing to allow him take away my motorcycle.”

Lawal added that Goody saved the day when he gave the policemen N1, 000.

“When the policemen collected the money, they went inside their vehicle and zoomed off,” the vice-chairman added.

Also speaking on the issue, the Chairman of Zone 2 of the union at the Unity Estate, Mr. Jonathan Offiah,

said his members were tired of the incessant extortion by the police.

He said: “We were banned from operating on the major roads in the state and we have left the highways, why are the police still after us?

“Every month, we pay the police N10, 000. But we do not know what they do with the money they collect from us.”

Investigation showed that this was not limited to Unity Estate, as commercial motorcyclists operating around Seliat Street, have a similar tale to tell.

Chairman of the Seliat Unit of the union, Mr. Abel Ojo, said the situation was becoming unbearable.

He continued: “We give so much to the police. How much do we make from picking passengers from one place to another? Some of us are family men, who have wives and children in the university.

“Each time the police come to our park, all they are after is the money they want to collect from us. They don’t want to know if we have money or not; all they are interested in is to get the money each time they come.

“We have a record of the different police outfits that come to exhort money from us, including OPPS ATTACKS and the RRS men.”

When contacted, state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ngozi Braide, neither confirmed nor denied the allegation.

She merely said; “I will call you back,” but she never did.

spiritualist, Ebuka Ndulue, 23, yesterday appeared before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N700, 000 under false pretences.

The accused is being tried for conspiracy, fraud and theft.

According to the prosecutor, ASP Godwin Eze, the accused committed the offence sometime in January in Ilogbo area of Ojo. “The accused collected N700, 000 from one Augustine Onyekachi, on the pretext of ‘doubling’ the money for him.

“The spiritualist failed to double the

money for the complainant as promised and also failed to refund his money,’’ he told the court.

Eze, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the offence contravened Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Ndulue, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Ruling on the bail application of the accused, the Magistrate, Taslimi Shomade, granted him bail in the sum of N700, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned to March 24, for mention.

Two docked for impersonating Army personnel

F

or allegedly impersonating Army officers, two men, Abubakar Baba, 28 and Victor Okon, 25, were yesterday arraigned by the police in Ogun State.

The men are standing trial over a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and conspiracy at an Ota Magistrates’ Court.

The prosecutor, Corporal Olumide Awoleke, told the court that the accused falsely presented themselves as military personnel by wearing Army faze caps and T-shirts.

He said the accused committed the offence about 8.30am at Coker Junction, Ifo, Ota in Ogun State.

The offences, Awoleke said, contravened Section 109 (a) and 516 (a) of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, 2006.

The magistrate, Mrs. A. O. Abimbola,

according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties each in like sum.

She said the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and show evidence of tax payment to the Ogun State government within the last one year.

Abimbola said that one of the sureties must be the owner of a developed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

She also said that each of the sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and submit his passport photograph to the court.

The magistrate, who said that the addresses of the sureties should be verified by the police, adjourned the case to April 15 for mention.

Property agent arraigned for cheating

A

42-year-old property agent, Kingsley Oke, of Asokoro, Abuja, was yesterday arraigned at a Gudu Upper Area Court in Abuja for alleged cheating.

Oke was charged with a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and cheating.

The prosecutor, Inspector Emmanuel Edet, told the court that one Aibangbe Ehis, of House 26, Zone E, Apo Resettlement, Abuja, lodged a report against the accused at the Apo Police Station, Abuja, on January 23.

He said the accused conspired with one Joy Enebili, now at large, to deceive Ehis that they would secure a visa for him sometime in August 2013.

Edet, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the accused collected N300, 000 from Ehis for the visa and diverted the money to his personal use.

He added that the offence contravened sections 97, 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

After the charges were read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. Audu Lawal, made a bail application, assuring the court that a reliable surety would be provided if bail was granted.

The presiding judge, Mr. Abdullahi Abdulkareem, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

46 business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

47

Why Cadbury mulls cut in capital –MD Capitalisation: SEC, operators’ RECOMPENSE Happy hour for shareholders of Cadbury Nigeria Plc Chris Ugwu

C

adbury Nigeria Plc has said that the reason behind its capital reduction was due to the excess capital at its disposal.

Capital reduction entails the reduction of the company‘s share capital, share premium and the return of this capital to the company’s shareholders.

The Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Emil Moskofian gave these explanations while addressing stock market community at the company’s facts behind the capital reduction. He said that the company’s projections indicated that it would generate sufficient capital to meet its expansionary and operational requirements.

Moskofian noted that rather than invest the excess capital on behalf of shareholders at what might be sub-optimal returns, the board of directors decided to recommend the return of excess capital to shareholders, who are best placed to take their own investment decisions.

“Whilst the company’s board and management do not currently foresee any future

Moskofian

capital requirements that will not be met from the internally generated resources, to the extent that the company is faced with an opportunity requiring significant capital, the board is confident that shareholders will continue in their steadfast support and participate in any capital raising requirement. The company also has excellent relationship with banks and other financial institutions that can be relied on to meet capital requirements as they arise,” he said.

Moskofian explained that a number of approaches were assessed for utilising the company’s excess capital. He said one of the options explored by the Board was to retain the excess capital until such a time for sufficient opportunities for its deployment arise.

Another was that hasty deployment of capital in the absence of value enhancing opportunities may lead to destruction of shareholder value.

Following a review of the complex legal and regulatory provisions that govern the implementation of share buy backs, it was determined that a share buyback was not the optimal approach in this instance hence the returned the excess capital of N11.9 billion to shareholders which resulted in cancelling two out of every five shares that amounted to N1.252 billion.

Moskofian said paying a shareholder the market value of a share as a consideration is appropriate where that shareholders shareholding in the company will be reduced.

He noted that all shareholders are being treated in the same way as Cadbury Schweppes Overseas Limited currently owns 74,97 stake in Cadbury Nigeria Plc and still owns same stake in the company post capital reduction.

meeting deadlocked STANDSTILL No victor, no vanquish in the meeting between the regulator of the capital market and its operators.

T

he meeting of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with capital market operators on the new capital requirement has ended in a deadlock.

The meeting ended in a deadlock because SEC refused to accommodate some suggestions of the operators on the new minimum capital requirements.

Mr Emeka Madubuike, President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), confirmed

the development.

Madubuike said that the meeting with SEC executive management did not yield any result as both parties failed to reach a compromise.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he said that the stockbrokers would seek audience with the commission's board to discuss their reservations on the new capital requirement issued by SEC. “We want to follow due process in the interest of the market and we are going to discuss with SEC's board,” Madubuike said.

The agency said stockbrokers decided to follow due process in order not to overheat the system and the market.

Stocks Exchange appreciates by 0.06%

T

ransactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) recorded marginal growth yesterday with the market indices appreciating by 0.06 per cent.

The All-Share Index appreciated by 23.06 points to close at 38,885.93 against the 38,862.87 posted on Wednesday.

Similarly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N12.483 trillion, grew by N7

billion to close at N12.490 trillion. Guinness led the gainers' table, gaining N8.58 to close at N180.36 per share.

Presco reports, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), came second on the gainers' table with N2.10 to close at N44.10, while Dangote Cement inched by N2 to close at N237 per share.

Unilever gained N1.68 to close at N45, while UBN rose by 34kobo to close at N9.20

per share.

On the other hand, Flour Mills topped the losers' chart, dropping N4.12 to close at N78.38 per share.

Oando dipped by 82kobo to close at N19.18, while Ashaka Cement lost 74kobo to close at N17.90 per share.

GT Bank dropped 45kobo to close at N24.30, while Zenith Bank depreciated 39kobo to close at N20.60 per share.

48 BUSINESS | MONEY LINE

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Nigeria to experience drop in FDI in 2014 –Expert Salami made the assertion during a breakfast meeting organised by the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAD) in Lagos.

He said that the United States quantitative tapering would lead to investment out flow in emerging and frontier markets, including Nigeria.

Salami, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the nation would face weaker currency, high interest rates, inflation rates, high ex-

TAPERING The quantitative tapering in the United States would affect inflows into Nigeria

A

n economist with the Lagos Business School (LBS), Dr. Doyin Salami, yesterday said that the quantitative tapering in the United States would cause a drop in Nigeria’s foreign investment inflow in 2014.

penditure and slippery revenue due to forthcoming general elections.

He also said that in spite of the challenges, the Nigerian economy would experience stable growth in the medium-term with progress in power reforms and transportation transformation.

Salami stressed the need for development of new products and markets by fund managers for economic growth and development.

“For Nigeria to remain com-

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) yesterday, disclosed plan address power supply shortfall.

his company is also embarking on massive repairs of installations and other programmes to address power supply shortfall from the national grid.

Chief Executive Office of the company, Oladele Amoda, who corroborated Olowolafe's view, absolved his company of complicity in the drop in power supply to its customers.

The insufficient supply to the customers, Amoda said, was caused by "inadequate electricity generation and bulk load allocation from the national grid.

Adeola Yusuf

N

ew owner of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) yesterday disclosed plans to inject N42 billion into the company over the next five years.

Director of EKEDC, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, who revealed this at the commissioning of Eko Forum Office in Lagos, said that

Shortage of gas supply, acts if sabotage and vandalism have combined to worsen this situation."

He said: "We are presently exploring the option of embedded generation to supplement power allocation from the grid. Our focus is to have an additional 400 MW off-grid power in the shortest possible time."

To ensure that this is done, Olowolafe said that the N42 billion investments are necessary.

It would be spread over the next five years.

Economic Indicators 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

As at

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

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

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

FX

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

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

T

he Executive Directors of the African Development Bank have approved a N4.8billion ($30-million) loan to finance the rehabilitation of Oku Iboku Pulp and Paper Mill in Akwa Ibom state.

The bank said the decision to rehabilitate the pulp and paper mills, a wood concession and a gas-fired power generation plant, was taken in Tunis, Tunisia and it was sponsored

by Negris Group, an indigenous engineering company servicing the energy and industrial sectors in Nigeria.

The complex according to information of the bank’s website, was established as a government-owned company, shut down in the 1990s and acquired by Negris following a privatization process in 2008.

In line with the bank's

long-term strategy, the project supports inclusive and green growth, by contributing to a better management and use of forestry resources and generating linkages with local economy.

It is aligned with Nigeria's newly approved Agricultural Transformation Agenda, the Bank's Country Strategy Paper for Nigeria and the AfDB's Regional Integration Strategy for West Africa by contributing to the modernization of agriculture and infrastructure development, increasing intraregional trade as well as promoting local entrepreneurship.

The project is expected to deliver annual savings on newsprint paper imports to Nigeria and tax revenues to both State and Federal Governments.

CBN, IFC to host International Sustainable Banking

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

players.

Also speaking, Mrs Louisa Eni-Umukoro, Director, Fund Management and Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said that the commission would work with FMAD to improve the industry.

Eni-Umukoro said that the association should map out strategies aimed at increasing the number of CIS subscribers to a sizeable percentage of the nation's population.

Investor to inject N42bn AfDB’s N4.8bn loan for intoEko power company Oku Iboku mill

ELECTRICITY

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

petitive in the global market, there is need to develop dynamic products and new markets where foreign investment inflows could be channeled to other sectors of the economy,” he said.

Salami said that the market stakeholders needed to be concerned on how to improve local participation in the market.

He said that fund managers should strengthen their risk management strategies to avoid being displaced by international

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

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

T

he International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have announced plans to host the second International Sustainable Banking Forum in Lagos from March 3 to March 4.

IFC said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.

The statement said that the forum would serve as a platform to share experience and build partnerships for sustainable banking in emerging markets.

The forum is to attract policy makers from governments, multilateral development banks, financial institutions, civil society organisations and technical institutions.

It will also provide experts

opportunity to share insights and ideas also on sustainable banking.

Dr. Sara Alade, Acting Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was quoted by the statement as saying that :“Financial sector in emerging markets has a critical role to play in fostering sustainable economic growth”.

“We are partnering with IFC to create knowledge sharing through the forum and generate critical guidance on environmental and social risks management for banks and other financial institutions.”

The IFC Country Manager for Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor: “The forum will bring together representatives from the Nigerian financial sector with colleagues from all over the world”.

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

business | CAPITAL MARKET 49

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at February 27, 2014

50 NEWS

Friday, February 28, 2014

Deadly car bomb hits Somali capital

A

t least 10 people were killed in an explosion when a suicide bomber drove his car into a tea shop near the national security headquarters in Somalia's capital, a senior police officer has disclosed.

The al-Qaeda-linked group, al-Shabab, said it carried out the attack yesterday and threatened more.

"We are responsible for the car bomb blast," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operations spokesman said.

"We targeted the national security forces who were sitting in the tea shop. Today's blast was part of our operations in Mogadishu and we shall continue," he added.

The blast is the second in

almost a week after al-Shabab said it was behind an attack on the president's palace on Friday.

"A bomber swerved his car bomb into a tea shop where national security men were sitting and blew up. So far, we have confirmed 10 people dead including national security forces and civilians. The tea shop was completely destroyed," Colonel Abdikadir

Hussein, a senior police officer, told Reuters.

Abdullahi Hassan, the district commissioner of Mogadishu's Abdiasis district, said the target of the attack was a national security car passing the tea shop.

A Reuters witness counted eight bodies.

Al-Shabab ruled most of the southern region of Soma-

lia from 2006 until 2011 when African Union forces drove them out of Mogadishu and then expelled them from most urban centres.

The group, which wants to impose a strict version of Islamic law, still holds swathes of rural territory in southern Somalia and some smaller towns, including the major coastal stronghold of Barawe.

North Korea fired short-range missiles into sea, says South Africa

N

Scene of a suicide bomber who drove his car into a tea shop near the Somali intelligence service headquarters.

PHOTO: AFP

France ready to help Nigeria fight Boko Haram - Hollande

P

resident Francois Hollande yesterday said France stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nigeria in its battle against Boko Haram, vowing to support its fight against Islamist militancy as it had done in Mali.

Hours before Hollande's arrival in Abuja, hundreds of suspected militant fighters besieged a town in northeastern Adamawa state, destroying homes and businesses with heavy weaponry and explosives.

At least two people were killed in the attack late Wednesday, which destroyed four banks, hundreds of shops, a police station and several government buildings.

The attack came after 43 people, mostly students, were killed in a night-time raid by suspected insurgents at a secondary school in Yobe state on Tuesday.

Hollande, guest of honour for celebrations to mark 100 years since Nigeria's unification, expressed his condolences, calling the Yobe attack "brutal"

and "unjustified".

"Nigeria is today confronted with the terrorism of Boko Haram," he told delegates at a security conference attended by dozens of African heads of state and European Union President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"I assure you that your struggle is also our struggle. We will always stand ready not only to provide our political support but our help every time you need it, because the struggle against terrorism is also the struggle for democracy."

Hollande is on a two-day visit to Nigeria and had been expected to hold talks on trade and investment with his Nigerian counterpart Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer and is tipped to become the continent's largest economy in the coming months.

But with a raging insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, France's military action against Islamist fighters in Mali last year and peace-keeping in the conflicttorn Central African Republic,

security has been pushed to the fore.

Hollande's office announced separately that he would travel to the Central African capital Bangui today to meet French troops, his counterpart Catherine Samba-Panza and religious authorities in the country, beset by months of violence between the Christian majority and Muslim minority.

Religious violence and insecurity such as drug running, human trafficking and maritime piracy were a "scourge" that risked hindering Africa's promising future development, he said.

Nigeria -- a former British colony whose northern and southern protectorates were formally merged on January 1, 1914 -- is not traditionally in France's sphere of influence.

But it is surrounded by French-speaking countries, notably its former colonies Chad, Niger and Cameroon, which have been flooded with people from Nigeria's northeast escaping violence.

orth Korea fired four suspected short-range missiles into its eastern waters yesterday, South Korean defense officials said, in an apparent effort to protest ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises that Pyongyang calls a rehearsal for invasion.

The launches, however, weren't expected to raise tension as North Korean routinely tests short-range missiles and it has recently sought better ties with South Korea in what outside analysts say is an attempt to win badly-needed foreign investment and aid. The rival Koreas this month held their first reunions of Korean War-divided families in more than three years.

The projectiles that landed off the North's eastern coast were believed to be short-range missiles with a range of more than 200 kilometers (about 125 miles). The South Korean Defense Ministry officials who discussed the launches spoke anonymously, citing ministry rules.

The officials said they were trying to learn exactly what North Korea launched and that South Korea has bolstered its monitoring on North Korea.

Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified military official, reported the North Korean projectiles were suspected to be ballistic Scud missiles or an upgraded version of its newly developed surface-toship KN-02 missiles.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korea studies at Seoul's Dongguk University, said the launches won't be a prelude to provocation. He said the North appears to have intended to protest the South Korean-U.S. military drills that began Monday or to grab international attention as there has been little progress over a push to resume disarmamentfor-aid negotiations.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the North also carried out such launches to examine its weapons.

Ukraine warns Russia after gunmen seize Crimean parliament

A

rmed men seized the parliament in Ukraine's Crimea region yesterday and raised the Russian flag, alarming Kiev's new rulers, who urged Moscow not to abuse its navy base rights on the peninsula by moving troops around.

Crimea, the only Ukrainian region with an ethnic Russian majority, is the last big bastion of opposition to the new leadership in Kiev since President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted at the weekend and provides a base for Russia's Black Sea fleet.

"I am appealing to the mili-

tary leadership of the Russian Black Sea fleet," said Olexander Turchinov, Ukraine's acting president.

"Any military movements, the more so if they are with weapons, beyond the boundaries of this territory (the base) will be seen by us as military aggression," he said, a day after 150,000 Russian troops near Ukraine were put on high alert.

The Ukraine Foreign Ministry also summoned Russia's acting ambassador in Kiev for immediate consultations as the face-off between Moscow and the West over Ukraine revived memories of the Cold War.

Confederations’ Cup: Bayelsa United seek shift in date … As Warri Wolves arrive Douala

Chimaobi Uchendu

B

ayelsa Football Club of Yenagoa is asking for a shift in date for their CAF Confederations’Cup match

against Konzo of Congo Brazaville.

The team made efforts through the NFF to convince CAF on the need to move the match forward foranother 24 to 48hours before they left Nigeria

for Congo.

Bayelsa United departed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport last night at about 6.30pm aboard Arik Airline to honour the scheduled match for today.

SPORT

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

51

Bayelsa United players

CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

Did you know?

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

That FIFA has already allocated 2.3million tickets for the 2014 World Cup to fans

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

FRIday, February 28, 2014

Nigeria Can Rule African Basketball -Olajuwon

Chamberlain Oguchi (middle) trying to evade the American pair of Andre Iguodala (left) and James Harden during the 2012 London Olympics.

NFF to move into new office before World Cup

Torres worth £50m, says Lampard

Ihezuo’s hattrick lift Flamingoes over Sporting

}p-53

}p-52

}p-53

Olajuwon

} p 55

52 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Torres worth £50m, says Lampard

F

rank Lampard believes £50million striker Fernando Torres is proving value for money for Chelsea in Europe. The Spain international scored his 13th goal in his last 17 games in European competition for Chelsea to help secure a 1-1 draw away to Galatasaray.

Torres has struggled to win over the doubters since he joined from Liverpool for a British record fee in 2011 but Lampard feels Torres is justifying his place in the squad. He told Standard Sport: “Fernando has a great record in European games for us.

“People have

Sport Trending

TWITTER |@NTelegraphSport

Samuel Eto’o Knowing how difficult the beginning of the year can be for most of us, I have decided to share a little bit what life has offered me. First, I would like to thank all of you for supporting and being there for me, secondly I would like to give a hand to people who might really need it. That is why I have decided to offer 15,000 Euros to two lucky winners. lSamuel Eto’o announcing a contest for his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram fans. @setoo9

showed w h a t he can do a g a i n s t Galatasaray and scored a very important goal for us but got behind them a lot particularly in the first half. That’s what you need when you come to places like this, to have players that are willing to run and get in behind defences, on the counter attack particularly and he did that.”

made a lot about Fernando and his £50m price tag over the years but I don’t think he has to prove or sit back and analyse too much what he’s got to do. He just has to go out and score goals and 13 out of 17 European games is the sort of stuff we’re talking about.

Torres “ H e

Moyes, Rooney labelled dreamers l for saying United can win Champions League

Rooney

Q

Benzema focused on Atletico

R

eal Madrid striker Karim Benzema has said that while he is happy with the win over Schalke attention must now turn to Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos meet Los Colchoneros at Vicente Calderon on Sunday and go into the game with a three point lead at the top of the table over both Atleti and Barcelona.

Madrid prepared for the game with an emphatic 6-1 win over Schalke in the Champions League and Benzema, who scored twice, as did Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, was understandably pleased

PR midfielder Joey Barton has mocked Man United pair David Moyes and Wayne Rooney for saying they could win the Champions League this season.

The Red Devils crashed to a stunning 2-0 defeat to Greek champions Olympiakos on Tuesday and are out of all the domestic cup competitions. They are also languishing 11 points from the final Champions League spot occupied by Liverpool. But despite their shocking form

this term - most glaring for a lack of any fight - Rooney and Moyes spoke confidently before the Olympiakos match of winning the competition.

But former Man City man Barton mocked Moyes and Rooney, hinting they were dreaming if they thought they could win this year’s Champions League.

“When I heard Moyes and Rooney speaking about winning UCL yesterday, I thought they either know something I don’t or...,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ronaldo, Real impress Schalke captain

S Torres

with the outcome.

“It was a great game and a great night,” he told reporters after the final whistle. “The game was important because it was away from home and we had to win. We’ve played to a high level and we are very happy.

chalke captain Benedikt Howedes has revealed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and has acknowledged that his side were taught a lesson by a rampant Real Madrid in Wednesday night’s 6-1 defeat which all but ends the Bundesliga side’s participation in the Champions League for this season.

“We held our own very well for the first 15 minutes, but then we really felt the difference in quality between us,” Howedes said. “It’s incredibly hard to defend against Real when you hardly ever get

close to the ball.

“Cristiano Ronaldo was everywhere. We saw why he was voted the world’s best player.

It’s very bitter to lose by such a margin, but unfortunately we deserved it. You can see the disappointment on our faces, but we’ll come back.”

Howedes now hopes to take a leaf out of Real’s book when Schalke travel to runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, where another hiding could be in store if they make the same mistakes again.

“We’re going to have to keep a clean sheet for as long

Joseph Barton When I heard Moyes and Rooney speaking about winning UCL yesterday, I thought they either know something I don’t or they’ve been smoking something illegal. Seems it was the latter. lJoey Barton makes mockery of Manchester United’s loss to Olympiakos. @Joey7Barton Chicharito Hernandez Without your teammates you can’t be somebody in football, always be thankful. lManchester United striker, Javier Hernandez, hits back at Robin van Persie following the Dutchman’s earlier remark about his teammates. @CH14 Brown Ideye We’ll fight despite the first leg defeat and make sure we qualify. l Dynamo Kiev striker, Brown Ideye, sends out a warning to Valencia ahead of their Europa League return leg match. @OfficialIdeye Gareth Bale Really enjoyed the first leg tonight. Great way to celebrate @officialpepe and @JeseRodriguez10’s birthdays. l Gareth Bale sends out birthday wishes to Real Madrid teammates, Pepe and Jese Rodriguez. @GarethBale11 Mo Farah Honoured to be nominated for the Laurues World Sportsman of year! Group of legends! shabba!! @Mo_Farah

Taarabt wants Milan deal

A

del Taarabt has reiterated his desire to make a loan deal at AC Milan permanent at the end of the season. The Moroccan has impressed during his short time in Serie A - netting twice in four appearances - and he hopes that Milan coach Clarence Seedorf will take up the option of bringing him on board full-time when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.

He told L’Equipe: “I have been made to feel very welcome by everyone at the club.

On every level, people have tried to put me at ease. Coach Seedorf has shown trust in me and I feel good. It is a dream to be in Milan and I hope it is only the start of a great adventure.”

Barcelona eyeing Vidal

B

arcelona are readying summer bid for Juventus star Arturo Vidal, Catalan daily Sport has revealed. The Catalans are currently identifying targets ahead of the summer transfer window and Tata Martino has reportedly made signing the Chilean his priority.

The Argentine coach has asked the club chiefs to try and lure Vidal to Camp Nou, but that will be no easy task. Vidal shares an agent with Alexis Sanchez and his representative has already been informed of the Barcelona interest.

SPORT 53

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

Nigeria can rule African Basketball -Olajuwon Emmanuel Tobi

N

igerian born NBA legend, Hakeem Olajuwon, believes Nigeria can be a powerful force to reckon with in African Basketball if all stakeholders put their acts together to develop the game in the country.

Olajunwon in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph stressed the need for a condusive atmosphere for the game to grow and compete favourable with countries like Angola, Senegal who are dictating the pace in Africa.

“We need peace for the game to grow and develop in the country because Nigeria have the resources both human and capital to be best in Africa.

“If we get our acts right, Angola and Senegal will be behind us,” said the former Orlando Magic who visited Nigeria last year December.

Olajunwon also said that the country must strive harder to leverage on the men’s national team, the D’ Tigers qualification for the 2012 London Olympics as a springboard to attract other Nigerian players abroad into the team as well as structuring out a special programme for the other national teams.

“Nigerian players are doing well everywhere but we need to harness all their talents together to produce a great team.

We must show we’ve got something to offer for them to accept to join in the great vision,” he said.

NFF to move into new office before World Cup

Maigari, NFF President

Jude Opara

Abuja

A

ll is now set for the Nigeria Football Federation to move into its new office located at the package B of the Abuja National Stadium.

The Sunday Dankaro Football House was donated to the federation by the de-

funct Presidential Task Force set up by the Federal Government for the country’s qualification for the South Africa 2010 World Cup. General Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu, told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that the movement would be in three phases starting from this April while the exercise would be completed before the 2014 FIFA World Cup in June.

“It is true that we took possession of this building since July last year but we have not been able to move in due to paucity of funds, but we have resolved to move in here before the World Cup in June, the movement will be in three phases, the first will be in April, the second in May while we will complete our movement in June.”

Bayelsa United seek shift in date C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5 1

Super Eagles trio of Ejike Uzoenyi (left) Shehu Abdullahi (middle) and Chigozie Agbim during the unveiling of Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup Jerseys on Thursday.

Ihezuo’s hat-trick lift Flamingoes over Sporting

S

triker Chinwe Ihezuo scored a hat-trick for the Nigeria U-17 female team to edge past tough Spanish Sporting Huelva for a 3-2 victory in an international friendly in Portugal on Wednesday.

The Coach Bala Nkiyu-tutored girls stated their resilience as they pull through another victory despite their Spanish opponent’s coming back twice at the Browns Hotel Football arena in Faro, Portugal.

Pelican Stars forward Chinwe Ihezuo who was outstanding in the encounter put the Nigeria U-17 women in front with her breakthrough in the 13th minute and doubled the lead in the 40th minute.

The Flamingoes’ lead was reduced in the 43rd minute when the Spanish side pulled one back to keep the score line 2-1 at half time.

However, the Spanish visitors powered home the second five minute into the second half through for-

stoppable Azerbaijan 2012 silver boot winner breezed past the Spanish club side’s defence to secure the much-expected winner and her hat-trick of the day.

Speaking after the game, hat–trick scoring hero, Ihezuo, reaffirmed her resolve to help the Flamingoes to reach the finals of the Costa Rica U-17 FIFA World Cup. Head Coach of the Nigeria U-17 women; Bala Nkiyu, commended the Nigeria girls for their resilience.

Nkiyu said; “I’m happy with the performance of the ladies. We had a good test against the Spanish club and good account of ourselves – there are many positives although we have some areas we will continue to imIhezuo prove on and get stronger.

“The 16 teams in the competition ward Martin Prieto as they held out to won’t field angels or prophets as we deny the Nigerian side easy victory.

Disappointingly, Sporting Huelva are preparing like this. So for the met their awful moment when the un- World Cup, I think we are prepared.”

Chairman of Bayelsa United FC, AkpofiniOdogwu, before departing for the match, said they had contacted the NFF to assist them because it would be hard on the players to play the match few hours after their arrival.

But, when reminded of the experience of Heartland last year, he said Heartland’s situation was different, because they did not get to the match venue before the kickoff.

NFF detailed Adesanya to accompany the team and sought out whatever difficulties they might encounter in Congo.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s second flagbearer in the competition, Warri Wolves, arrived Doula yesterday and are ready for Union Douala.

According to Warri Wolves’ media officer, Moses Etu; “We arrived Duala, Cameroun safely for the Confederations’ Cup game this weekend, we are presently lodged at the Akena Hotel, Duala,” he said.

Ezeh dazzles at CBN tennis tourney

N

ine-year-old Chidinma Ezeh produced outstanding performance to see out Ololade Holmes in the group stage of the CBN Junior Tennis Championship.

Ezeh shrugged off his poor start to win 9-6 in the group stage match of age-10 category of the tournament on Thursday.

Holmes, 10, playing her first CBN tournament, pushed Ezeh from Onitsha, ranked No.2 to come up with some outstanding rallies on the centre court of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.

Ezeh trailed 2-4 but fought back to level at 6-6 and eventually prevailed 9-6.

The top seed in the age- 12 boys category, Gabriel Friday also overcame spirited challenge from his opponent, David Dawariye to progress in the competition.

54

SPECIAL PUBLICATION

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

The Lord’s Chosen train halts in Onitsha

The 2-Day Holy Ghost-inspired crusade of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries titled: “God has no Challenger” will take place tomorrow Saturday March 1 & Sunday March 2, 2014 at the state headquarters of the ministry, 62, Onitsha-Owerri Rd, Onitsha, Anambra State by 8am daily.

Science Reporter, STANLEY CHIBUIHEM AMALAHA, who was with Pastor Lazarus Muoka, General Overseer of the Ministry, writes on the significance of the crusade

I

t is no longer News that the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries has come to cause grass-root revival all over the world.

The 11-year old Mega Ministry with its branches almost all over

the world has been working assiduously to draw as many souls as possible to make heaven at last. It is with this regard that the state headquarters of the church is organizing a 2-day Holy Ghost

inspired crusade titled: “God has no challenger” According to Pastor Lazarus Mouka, General overseer of the Ministry,” Although this 2-day crusade is a state one however, every challenge in your life, family, career and business must end at the Crusade and you will celebrate your freedom in Jesus name”

In another highlight, Pas-

tor Bethel Ogbonna, Anambra State co-ordinator of the ministry, emphatically stated: the title of this crusade is taken from Isaiah 43:10-13, indeed God has no challenger. We are calling everyone to come and witness the manifestation of the power of God as of old because God has no challenger and has decided to meet your entire challengers no matter whatever it is.

Venue of the Crusade, Anambra State Headquarters of the Church at Onitsha Pastor Lazarus Muoka, General Overseer

Anambra State leaders with the state cordinator, Pastor Bethel Ogbonna (middle) Anambra State choristers with the cordinator, Pastor Bethel Ogbonna (middle)

15 years broken marriage restored

Delivered from fuel tanker fire accident

18-year deaf and dumb boy healed

Yoke of barrenness broken at Lord’s Chosen

Sanctity of Truth

Friday, February 28, 2014

SPORT 55

SPECIAL PUBLICATION

THE LORD’S CHOSEN TRAIN ON MOTION

Milo B/ball Championship dunks off March 8 IfeanyiIbeh

T Anambra State intercessors with the state cordinator, Pastor Bethel Ogbonna (middle)

he 2014 Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship for boys and girls will get underway on March 8 with preliminaries across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The preliminaries will come to a close on March 17 with the state finals, while the state champions would go into Conference Playoffs.

Making this disclosure on Wednesday at a press conference in Lagos, was Nestle Nigeria Plc’s Category Business Manager (Beverages), Mrs.DojaEkeruche, who

revealed that the various state champions will be grouped into four conferences. The conferences are: Atlantic Conference in Asaba; Savannah Conference in Kaduna; Central Conference in Akure and Western Conference in Ibadan.

“At each of the conference, the first placed teams in both the male and female categories will go home with the championship trophies and various amounts of cash rewards for the development of sports facilities in their respective schools,” she said.

“At the end of the conferences, twelve teams will emerge for

the grand finale of the championship.”

The 12 teams will thereafter converge in Lagos, from August 4 to 10 for the national finals at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere.

“There is a guaranteed sum of N200,000 for every team participating in the national finals,” continued Ekeruche.

“Winners will go home with additional N150, 000 for the first place, while second and third placed teams will receive N120, 000 and N100, 000 respectively. They will also receive trophies, Milo goodies and lots of Milo to drink.

11 Governors storm Lagos for Tinubu ‘s wrestlers award

G

Brother Victor and family thanking God at Chosen as his child takes first position in the school

Brethren rejoicing as an insane man (carried up) is healed

overnors from the All Progressive Congress controlled states have been invited to grace the gala nite of the Nigerian Pro-Wrestling Federation where the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, his wife, Oluremi, will be given awards on March 9.

Tinubu is expected to receive the Governor Emeritus/Leadership Award, while his wife, Oluremi, will be honoured with the Best Senator/Good Governance Award.

APC Lagos Chairman, Chief Ajomale, will receive Peace Maker’s Award. Also, some local government chair-

men in Lagos State will be given Inter-Continental Good Governance and Peace Awards at the event, scheduled for the Gymnasium of the National Institute of Sports, NIS, National Stadium, Lagos.

President of the professional wrestlers, Prince Hammed Olanrewaju, said 11 governors of the APC governors and two deputy governors of the party, have been invited to join party faithful who will troop out in their numbers to honour Tinubu at the event, which is being organised in conjunction with the current World Wrestling Federation.

UfukFoundationhostsBasketballtourney

U

A section of women leaders of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Lagos

“Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola, is the chairman of the occasion.

He will be joined by his colleagues, who are the special guests of honour of the day. We are expecting Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso from Kano and Umaru Tanko of Nasarawa State.

Others expected at the event are Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed from Kwara, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Kayode Fayemi from Ekiti and Ibikunle Amosun from Ogun State.

fuk Dialogue Foundation is organizing yet another sports event to solidify further efforts to cement peace in our society. Ufuk Dialogue Foundation will be having an International Dialogue Basketball tournament on Saturday 1st March 2014, at Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Sport Complex Abuja.

The tournament will

consist of 16 teams that will be drawn from various people of different nationalities in Abuja.

After the opening day,

fixtures will follow to lead to the Final Match on Saturday 22nd March 2014 during the Nigerian Turkish Cultural Festival.

To Ufuk Dialogue Foundation every team is a winner because our motive is to promote the culture of coexistence and mutual understanding amongst the various countries. By coming together and having fun we will achieve that.

On Marble

World Record

The more things change, the more they remain the same – French proverb

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 FRIDAY, FEBRuary 28, 2014.

The highest tsunami death toll was recorded on December 26, 2004 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 occurred under the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Indonesia, killing 226,000 people

N150

King of the dunghill ?

I

cannot recollect precisely when I first knew the name of the black insect that looked different from the other insects of the same size.

The only reason for its catching my attention was that it did something totally different from the others. It did not appear to give a damn about being a different insect of some sort. It seemed to have a passion for rolling little balls in a straight line towards its destination tenaciously, regardless of the obstacles in its path. So I started watching out for this particular insect at the slightest opportunity. One day, I found out its name in Hausa, gungura kashi, which translates directly into English as “roller of excreta”.

Until I heard the name, I did not even know that those little balls, sometimes four times the size of the insect and ten times its weight, were dung.

I had no reason, as a kid, to disbelieve this revelation by my parents. But it was an unsettling revelation. Why would an insect, which by now I had come to know it as a beetle, have no interest for anything but dung? The only explanation my parents could give me was that this was the way this particular beetle had been created.

It was at this point I realized that most times I noticed what I now knew was called the dung beetle, it was not too far away from the source of those pellet like balls. There would always be some semi-fresh cow, sheep, goat or even human dung. Apparently the dung beetle would muddle in the dung, doggedly cut up bits and expertly mould them into the balls which it would then roll away to some burrow.

Almost at the same time I got to know about termites and their dexterity at building anthills. Of course, I never saw how the termites performed their architectural wizardly. They seemed to be more interested in working discreetly and allowing the product of their industry to manifest suddenly. But it got me wondering if the dung beetles also had some kind of underground hills, solely made of dung.

Corruption is like dung and those who wallow in it are like the dung beetle. The documented history of corruption in Nigeria commences from the colonial era and a keen observer would notice that in the hundred years of what is now known as Nigeria, there has been a progressive escalation with each administration seemingly setting out to outdo its immediate predecessor.

Google, social media geeks are fond of saying, is your best friend. A few months ago, I took up the challenge and out of sheer curiousity typed in the phrase, “Corruption in Nigeria”.

In 0.22 seconds the mind boggling result showed up before my eyes. Link after link led to one corruption case after the other, majority of them perpetrated during the current administration.

GRAFFITI

Emman Usman Shehu

Jean-Bedell Bokassa

Even more mind boggling is that there seems to be some contest as to who would out do the other in recklessly milking the country financially. Never in the history of this country has there been such a looting bonanza orchestrated with a brazen frenzy.

Curiously, this is an administration whose election mantra was TRANSFORMATION which implies accepting that it is inheriting liabilities, including corruption, which it would set out to

decisively deal with proactively. To underscore that position, it has kept repeating its commitment to the fight against corruption. Strangely, the fight seems to be directed towards encouraging no-holds-barred corruption and destroying anything that looks like bringing perpetrators of corruption to book. So it is bewildering when sympathizers of the administration go on about corruption starting before the current administration. That is true; in fact it is a no brainer. But

it is also painfully true that this administration and its sympathizers either do not understand the meaning of transformation, or have chosen to give it a wholly new definition. The latter seems more like it.

Based on this new definition, impunity has become a synonym for their kind of transformation, and corruption is the fresh air that permeates Nigeria. The country is steadily being transformed into a dung hill of corruption. The leader of the administration is being touted as the greatest leader Nigeria will ever have. I will not be surprised if there is a multi-million man -and -woman march to ensure that he takes on an imperial title as soon as possible in the manner of Jean-Bedell Bokassa. Just before you think it is a far-fetched notion, some months ago his Queen, the title she will naturally transit into, got even the female members of the armed-forces to march before her at the Eagle Square. Another idiosyncratic first, like all the quirky firsts this administration likes to crow about.

But he may not even need that kind of ego masturbation of getting millions to march on his behalf. As he himself has publicly asserted, he has absolute powers. Democracy his foot! So he can transform into His Imperial Majesty, without giving a damn. Don’t be in the least surprised if his insignia of office is the image of the scarab, which in Egyptian religious and funerary art conveys ideas of transformation, renewal, and resurrection.

May Nigeria never become a dunghill. Only the people can do the needful in the manner of Egyptians to stop it from happening. Otherwise we will end up wallowing in the dung, moaning how low we have sunk while the king revels on his throne.

OmoBaba

QUALITIES MY SUCCESSOR MUST POSSESS - Fashola

The country is steadily being transformed into a dung hill of corruption. The leader of the administration is being touted as the greatest leader Nigeria will ever have. I will not be surprised if there is a multi-million man -and -woman march to ensure that he takes on an imperial title as soon as possible in the manner of Jean-Bedell Bokassa -First, he must pay tax!

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos.

Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Telegraph House, Ministers' Hill, Mabushi, Abuja, Nigeria. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: GABRIEL Akinadewo.