Binder2 june 10, 2014

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 112

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

We reject this dastardly assault on the media

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he dastardly assault on the media over the weekend by military personnel in parts of the country has raised concerns over a possible slide into dictatorship.

The belated explanations by both the military hierarchy and the presidency reflect the poor reasoning that has become the hallmark of this administration.

Editorial Regardless of any denial or motive of the military, the forceful seizure of vehicles and confiscation of newspapers is a flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And this is totally unacceptable as it smacks

of a desperate attempt to silence the vibrant and articulate press. It is indeed a sad reminder of what happened under military dictatorship in Nigeria, where the military regimes hid behind obnoxious and draconian laws such as Decrees 2 and 4 of 1984 to wantonly violate the freedom of the press.

See full editorial on page 19

Emirship tussle: FG moves against Sanusi

lBans private planes from Kano lKwankwaso defends choice as emir, blames outsiders for crisis lNorthern governors, Oshiomhole, Atiku greet monarch lSchools shut as protests continue Muhammad Kabir, Yekeen Nurudeen, Joe Ezuma and Dan Atori

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he no-love lost relationship between the Federal Government and the immediate past Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor,

Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has entered a new phase with his emergence on Sunday as the Emir of Kano.

It was learnt yesterday that the Federal Government, piqued by the appointment of Sanusi as the successor to the late Alhaji

Ado Bayero, who died on Friday, has launched a war of attrition against him.

As CBN governor, the relationship between Sanusi and President Goodluck Jonathan had gone sour in the twilight of the banker’s tenure, following his allegation that the Ni-

gerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failed to remit between $20 billion and $49 billion to the Federation Account.

The crisis triggered by his allegations over the management of oil proceeds culminated in his suspension as CBN gov-

ernor in February, four months to the end of his five-year tenure.

Jonathan had however hinged the suspension on the report of the Financial Report Council of Nigeria (FRCN), which indicted Sanusi for poor management of funds.

The two parties are in court over the suspension.

The appointment of Sanusi, which was announced late on Sunday, generated pockets of protests from supporters of a son of the late Bayero, who CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Boko Haram kidnaps 20 more women near Chibok

lTroops kill 50 militants in Borno, Adamawa lFarmers warn of food crisis Ahmed Miringa, Emmanuel Onani and Ummal-fadal Babagirei

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hile the world is still searching for over 200 schoolchildren kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok, in Borno

State, on April 15, the terrorist group has struck again near the town, abducting 20 more women.

The United States and Britain, among other countries, have sent teams to Nigeria to help the FedCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

New Telegraph lands in Brazil }3

Sanusi (left) receiving his appointment letter from Kwankwaso

FG seeks bids for NITEL assets

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Emir blames outsiders for protests CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

had earlier been rumoured to have been named to succeed his father, a rumour the state government swiftly denied.

The protests continued yesterday as Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, defended the choice of Sanusi.

On his part, Sanusi who was given his letter of appointment by the governor, blamed those he described as “outsiders” for the protests.

The emir also received more congratulatory messages from the Northern State Governors’ Forum, Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

As part of the Federal Government agenda against Sanusi, the military under the guise of security has banned the landing of private jets at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, apparently to discourage scores of dignitaries to come to pay homage to the new emir.

A report by an online news portal, Premium Times, yesterday quoted the Director of Defence

Information (DDI), Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, as saying that the ban was for “security reasons.”

Although he declined to give details, other sources said the ban might have been informed by the election of Sanusi as emir.

“After the emir was appointed, there were lots of protests from the group supporting the late emir’s son. The security agencies must have felt that certain actions need to be taken,” a source said.

However, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency (NCAA) were not carried along before the decision was taken, it was learnt.

A top official of NCAA told New Telegraph yesterday that he was not aware of the decision and there was no reason to do so.

He also declined to speak on the reason for the grounding of the private jet that flew Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and others to Kano, late Sunday night.

But in apparent defence

of the ban, the spokesperson for aviation parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati, told Premium Times that the military usually takes such decisions when there are security concerns.

“We as an authority, we have not banned any plane from landing in Kano. You know there is civil aviation and there is also military aviation which supersedes ours. They don’t consult anybody. They just go ahead with their decision since it is about security,” he added.

The ban affected the flight of Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Al-Makura, who was flying into Kano from Makurdi as he was denied clearance to land by the airport commander.

Chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu; Amaechi; former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki and former Gombe State Governor, Senator Danjuma Goje, were in Kano on Sunday to condole with Kwankwaso and

were said to have lobbied for Sanusi to be named the late Bayero’s successor.

Besides, it was reported that security agents had attempted to arrest Sanusi, shortly after he was announced as the new emir to prevent his coronation.

But the emir was said to have escaped the arrest as the state government, on getting wind of the bid, was said to have smuggled him out of his personal residence.

“It is true his royal highness did not sleep in his house after information came that there are moves to arrest him for reasons we don’t know.

The governor had to arrange for him to be smuggled into the Government House where he passed the night,” a source said.

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, criticised the attempts to embarrass the emir, and described the military’s ban on private planes landing in Kano as a “hopeless persecution” of Sanusi.

“Is Nigeria under military rule or martial law

allowing the violation of constitutional rights with such impunity?

“When will the Jonathanians (referring to supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan) give up on this hopeless persecution of a good man? For how long will the Jonathanians continue to test the patience of our people and the citizens of Kano with this reckless impunity?” he queried on his official Facebook page.

Efforts to get presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, to react to the allegations of the president being behind the ban on private planes in Kano and the grounding of Amaechi’s plane in a bid to embarrass Sanusi did not yield results yesterday.

When confronted with the issues, Abati tactically parried the questions as he told New Telegraph that he was in a hurry.

Also, Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, failed to pick calls to his mobile phone nor did he reply the text message sent CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

29oC 24oC Storm

ABUJA

29oC 22oC Rain Storms

PORT HARCOURT

28oC 23oC Rain Storms

KANO

37oC 24oC Partially Cloudy

ENUGU

31oC 23oC Very Cloudy

IBADAN

29oC 23oC Storm

CALABAR

27oC 23oC Storm

MAIDUGURI

ONITSHA

40oC 26oC Mostly Sunny

30o C 23oC Thunder Storms

L-R: Chairman, Tiger Brands, Andre Parker; President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Africa Group CE, Tiger Brands, Peter Matlare, during a courtesy visit to Dangote in Lagos

Boko Haram kidnaps 20 more women near Chibok CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

eral Government find the schoolgirls while Israel and France have pledged assistance.

A report by the Associated Press (AP) yesterday said the women were kidnapped last Thursday at Garkin Fulani, a nomadic settlement.

This came as the Defence Headquarters announced that troops involved in the anti-terror war have killed some 50 suspected terrorists in Borno and Adamawa states.

Unsettled by the effect of the ceaseless attacks on

the North-East, farmers in Borno State yesterday warned of imminent famine, saying that the activities of Boko Haram have stopped them from going to farm and this could cause a drastic reduction in the availability of foodstuffs in the state and the country.

AP yesterday quoted a member of the vigilance groups set up to resist Boko Haram’s attacks, Alhaji Tar, as saying that gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members arrived at noon last Thursday in the Garkin Fulani settlement and forced the women

to enter their vehicles at gunpoint.

He added that the gunmen drove away to an unknown location in the remote stretch of Borno State.

Tar said the group also took three young men who tried to stop the kidnapping.

“We tried to go after them when the news got to us about three hours later, but the vehicles we have could not go far, and the report came to us a little bit late,” he said.

Borno State Police Commissioner, Mr. Lawal

Tanko, however told New Telegraph that he was not aware of any fresh abduction in the state.

He said: “I spoke with my DPO (Divisional Police Officer) in Chibok 30 minutes ago and if there was such an incident, he would have informed me; only if it is after we had spoken that the incident happened.”

The military is however putting up a valiant fight against the insurgents as 50 suspected members of Boko Haram were killed at the weekend in ambushes CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

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APC warns Jonathan: Don’t plunge Nigeria into crisis over 2015 Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to plunge the country into crisis with what it called the President’s unbridled 2015

ambition.

The party also condemned the violence unleashed on its members in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday by the police who it said were acting out a script written by the Presidency and PDP to foment trouble in the South-West ahead of the 2015 general election.

APC stated this in a

statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

It said the blame for the violence squarely rested on the shoulders of the Presidency and the PDP even as it queried why the police, who are paid by taxpayers to maintain law

and order, would turn their weapons on the same defenceless citizens they are paid to protect.

The party said but for the action of the police, led by the head of Mopol in Ekiti, Gabriel Selekere, the peaceful procession by its members in the state would not have degenerated into violence, during

L-R: Young Entrepreneur, Ehime Eigbe; student, Akanni Oluwaseyi; Executive Director, UBA Plc, Femi Olaloku; student, Ibrahim Oritoke and TV presenter, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, during the official launch of UBA Next Generation (Next-Gen) Account, in Lagos…yesterday

FG seeks bids for NITEL assets Jonah Iboma

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he Federal Government has made yet another move to liquidate the troubled Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), following the placement of adverts for interested buyers to acquire assets of the company.

It invited bids from companies with at least five years of telecom experience and a net worth of at least $200 million for NITEL and its sister company, Mobile Telecommunications (MTEL), It also set the deadline for submission of bids on 1600 GMT on June 30, adding that the preferred bidder would be handed the assets of NITEL by December.

Government opted to wind up the firm in March 2013 after almost a decade of unsuccessful attempts to sell it, due to the controversial sales procedure that had trailed the planned sales of the firm and what many people see as failure to overcome entrenched interests from stakeholders in the telecommunications industry.

NITEL’s fixed lines, which are in bad shape as well as its high levels of debt have also contributed to failure of efforts

at selling the firm, despite the country having one of the world’s fastest-growing telecoms markets.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had said in 2013 that it opted for what it called “guided liquidation” because it wanted to protect the government from future claims and liabilities, as proceeds of the sale may be less than the value of the debt.

NITEL owes creditors mostly suppliers - around N400 billion ($2.5 billion), with creditors taking a loss if the proceeds from the sale are not enough to repay all the debt.

Government’s plans to sell NITEL had met with various difficulties for over 12 years now. In 2002, Federal Government through BPE, tried to sell NITEL to the Investors International London Limited (IIL), a firm led

by Chief Bode Akindele, at a bid of $1.3 billion. But the firm could only pay 10 per cent of the offer price.

It, however, applied for an extension but was refused by the BPE, leading to a loss of about $131.7 million, which caused a serious management crisis in the First Bank Plc. that bankrolled the deal then.

Following the failure of IIL, the Federal Govern-

ment in 2003, through the BPE, experimented with the idea of management contract for NITEL with the Pentascope of Netherlands. Over N1 billion was alleged to have been lost to the contract by the government before it severed relationship with the Pentascope in 2005.

After Pentascope’s exit, other firms indicated interest including Orascom Telecoms of Egypt and Newtel International were to later top the table after paying a nonrefundable bid bond of $20 million each.

However, Orascom, on December 29, 2005 emerged the preferred bidder after staking $256.53 million in the second round of the bidding compared with the $127.5million it offered in the first round for 51 per cent equity in NITEL. Unfortunately for Orascom, its bid was considered low and was rejected by the Federal Government, even when the Egyptian company had agreed to take over all liabilities, including staff pension, other remunerations and business liabilities like third party debts incurred by Nitel.

After the three failed attempts, Federal government in 2006 sold 75 per cent of its equity to Trans-

national Corporation of Nigeria (TRANSCORP) for $750 million. The remaining 25 per cent, according to government were to be given to Nigerians by way of Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the stock market.

But that was not to be.

Meanwhile, TRANSCORP was only able to pay $500 million for 51 per cent stakes with a promise to pump in at least a minimum of N8 billion new funds into NITEL between 30 days and 100 days after the take-over, to reposition it as a profitable telecommunications venture. The firm’s involvement also ended controversially and in 2010 a consortium including Dubai’s Minerva and China’s second-biggest carrier China Unicom bid $2.5 billion for NITEL but could not raise the cash for the deal.

A separate consortium made a $959 million bid the same year but this failed when the bidder missed several deadlines.

These developments made government to settle for liquidation of the assets of the telecom firm.

But opposition to the deal has mounted since.

In May 2013, the Senate has asked the BPE to discountenance any plan to liquidate NITEL.

which a harmless citizen was shot dead by the police.

“Our members were carrying brooms, not weapons, and were singing and dancing as they marched through the streets in the best tradition of political rallies. Their procession was peaceful and carnival-like until the police unleashed teargas and live bullets on them without provocation, killing one person and injuring many.

“Even the governor of the state was not spared by these trigger-happy policemen. This is unacceptable in any civilized society and must be condemned by all Nigerians,’’ APC said.

The party, however, said it was not surprised at the ferocity of the attack by armed policemen on its peaceful members, as it fits perfectly into the desperation of President Goodluck Jonathan and his party to capture Ekiti State at all costs as a leeway to entering the Southwest ahead of 2015. ‘’The President who said his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian has apparently forgotten he ever made such a comment. Otherwise, how does he explain the bloodied body of a peaceful protester who was apparently shot dead by policemen acting out a script? How does he explain that the blood-thirsty policemen, who behaved more like hooligans, were led by an officer (Selekere) who has consistently been hostile to the state governor?

“Is it by coincidence that the killer policemen were led by no other than Selekere, who once unilaterally transferred all mobile policemen attached to the governor simply

because he could not compromise them to set up the governor, until he was overruled by the IG? “Is it also a mere coincidence that a new Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Momoh, whom they believed to be pliable and willing to do their hatchet job, has been posted from Minna to Akure ahead of the Ekiti elections, to replace Brig.-Gen. A.B. Dikko who refused to be compromised and allow the PDP to rig the recent by-election in Ondo State?

“The Presidency and the PDP should know that Ekiti people will not allow a blood-thirsty and compromised Mopol Commander, a Brigade Commander or even the Presidency to pick their governor for them on June 21. They will defend their votes to the hilt, whether or not the FG floods the state with security personnel in an attempt to intimidate and harass the people,’’ it said.

“It is for this reason that we appeal to all the good people of Ekiti State in particular and all Nigerians in general to be vigilant in the days ahead.

Whatever happens in Ekiti before, during and after the forthcoming election will be a barometer for measuring the desperation or otherwise of the Presidency/PDP ahead of the August election in Osun State and the general election in 2015.

“On our part, we will closely monitor and expose all the shenanigans of the Presidency and the PDP to set Ekiti ablaze, destabilise the SouthWest and indeed plunge the entire country into crisis just because of an unbridled desperation for power,” the party said.

New Telegraph lands in Brazil

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ith less than four months on the newsstands, Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper, New Telegraph, is determined to give its readers the best in sports reportage. Our Deputy Editor (Sports), Adekunle Salami, who flew out of the country aboard Qatar Airways, will arrive Brazil today.

A veteran of three previous FIFA World Cup tournaments, Salami, while in the South American nation, will bring all his vast experience to bear as the Super Eagles compete against the rest of the world.

New Telegraph will on

a daily basis follow the Eagles progress as they set out to make history in Brazil.

Not only will we be dishing out to our readers all the juicy stories from the national team’s camp, we will also bring to our readers everything they need to know about happenings in the camps of Nigeria’s first round opponents.

And we won’t stop there, as we will also be following the progress of Africa’s other representatives in Brazil – Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana – in the biggest sporting event of the year.

Let the show begin!

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Minority leadership: APC, PDP Reps’ trade words

Philip Nyam Abuja

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s the plot to change the leadership of minority parties in the House of Representatives thickens, the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus leader and minority leader in the House, Femi Gbajabiamila has described the attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership “as laughable and a twisted logic aimed at undermining existing House rules.”

But the PDP caucus in the House has described Gbajabiamila’s comments as “a huge joke and the outbursts of a drowning man” declaring that “on resumption we shall all meet on the floor of the House and know precisely how he would escape our sledge hammer.”

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Gba-

jabiamila rejected the request made by some PDP, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), and Accord members to alter minority leadership of the House, saying “that is wishful thinking.”

“There will be no such thing. They should read the House rules intelligently and besides, who is fooling who? APGA and LP make partisan democracy in Nigeria a joke,” he said.

Gbajabiamila also stressed that all efforts by the ruling PDP in connivance with APGA and LP to weaken the opposition in the lower chamber of the National Assembly would hit the rocks. “They are PDP for all intents and purposes. They hold meetings with PDP, vote with them on the floor of the House and at the Governors Forum election. They have adopted President Good-

luck Jonathan of the PDP as their presidential candidate. Where in the world is that done?

“Now that’s even if that’s what they want or how they understand political party’s independence and democracy, but they shouldn’t turn around and pretend to be members of the opposition or minority group when indeed they are part and parcel of the majority. We will not allow moles to infiltrate our rank and file. We are far more discerning and astute than that”.

Gbajabiamila’s statement which was signed by his aide, Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart, noted that efforts to change minority leadership in the House due to collapse of ACN, CPC, ANPP, and a faction of APGA into APC negate provisions of the House Rules.

It said: “Besides, the

rules are very clear. The minority elect their leaders from among themselves as an opposition group and not on individual party basis. There were six minority parties in the House prior to now and only four minority positions. By their twisted logic, two extra positions should have then been created for DPP and PPN that had only one member each laughable.”

Gbajabiamila however urged the PDP, APGA and LP members to go back to what he earlier called “strange judgement” restricting the House from changing its leadership.

The statement stated that: “Besides, the gentleman who raised the matter of privilege, the former deputy minority now deputy majority leader, Leo Ogor, did not show how his privilege was breached as required by our rules. Perhaps he should go back to

L-R: Bishop of Kafanchan, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Marcus Dogo; retired Bishop of Lokoja Diocese, Rev. George Bako and Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, at its 19th Synod in Kaduna…at the weekend

Independence Day bombing: Court declares Okah fit for trial Tunde Oyesina Abuja

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he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday said the suspected mastermind of the October 1, 2010 Independence Day bombing, Charles Tombra Okah, was fit to stand trial.

Delivering a ruling on an application filed by Okah through his counsel, John Ainetor, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the request by the accused person for a private medical evaluation to ascertain his true state of health was “an abuse of court

process.”

The court further held that his aim was to ensure that the trial did not proceed.

According to him, “There is no merit in the applicant’s motion on notice, and it is hereby dismissed.”

Justice Kolawole also ordered that the accused person be remanded in Kuje Prisons, and be reproduced in court at the next adjourned date.

The prosecution counsel, Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN), had earlier urged the court to dismiss an application by the accused seeking a fresh psychiatric examina-

tion by a family doctor.

He argued that the request by Okah seeking an order of court allowing him to be examined by a doctor to be nominated by a family doctor “is unfounded in law and has never been heard of.”

“By virtue of sections 221 to 224 of the Criminal Procedure Act, there is no provision for independent medical examination they are asking for,” Iziyon said.

Okah, a brother to former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, is being tried alongside Obi Nwabueze for the October 1, 2010

bomb attack near the Eagle Square in Abuja, which caused the death of about 12 people.

Already, Henry Okah had been convicted by a South African court over the incident, just as another accused person, Edmund Ebiware, was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court.

Tiemkemfa Francis, also known as General Gbokos, one of the suspected masterminds of the bomb attack who was arraigned alongside Charles Okah, Nwabueze and Ebiware, died in detention in Kuje Prisons, Abuja.

the same court where he got his strange judgement stopping the change of House leadership.”

Gbajabiamila also advised his colleagues to focus more on their enormous legislative duties and join hands with Nigerians

to ensure safe return of the kidnapped Chibok girls.

It will be recalled that there was a rowdy session last week when some PDP, APGA, LP and Accord members made moves to ease out the APC-led minority leadership.

Boko Haram kidnaps 20 more women near Chibok CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

in Borno and Adamawa states.

A statement yesterday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, said the suspected terrorists, who were on a mission to attack some villages in the two states, were ambushed by troops along Bilta, who had acted on intelligence report.

Four soldiers were reported injured in the fierce encounter while 30 rifles, 36 hand grenades, seven machine guns and 11 rocketpropelled grenade tubes were seized.

“The terrorists, who were on their way to attack selected communities, were ambushed by troops along Bilta, Borno State, on receiving intelligence report of the terrorists’ intention.

“The attack was launched on the terrorists as they filed out of the forest to embark on their mission at about 10pm on Saturday. Over 50 terrorists died in the fierce encounter that ensued.

“Also recovered from the terrorists were over 3,500 rounds of ammunition, six smoke grenade canisters and locally fabricated guns as well as four vehicles used by the terrorists in the foiled attack.

“The four soldiers who were wounded in the operation are currently receiving medical treatment in the military medical facility,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the #BringBackOurGirls group has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts at rescuing the abductees.

The group, led by a former Vice-President of World Bank, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, said yesterday in Abuja that they wanted results from the rescue operation.

According to her, the group has always demanded that the girls be brought back alive and have been asking for the truth and nothing but the truth.

“What we want are results from the rescue operations. It has been 41 days since we started sitting here and we have not seen results,” she added.

She urged the group not to let the fact that the girls are not back to kill their spirit.

“We are still motivated to continue. There is no reason to tire out. Let us not lose our momentum in standing with the girls,” she added.

She explained that they would not stop because if they did, the story of the abducted girls would be like those kidnapped from Buni Yadi, whose whereabouts have been forgotten.

Ezekwesili spoke in Abuja on a day farmers in Borno State warned of food scarcity in the state, as they could not go to farms this season because of the intensified attacks by Boko Haram terrorists.

A farmer from Gwoza, a hotbed of the insurgency, Mallam Tanko Umaru, in an interview with New Telegraph said: “We can’t go to our farms this farming season because since last year, the Boko Haram insurgents have been terrorising farmers, killing our people and destroying our crops.”

He said people had abandoned their farmlands and fled to either Maiduguri, the state capital, or other places considered to be safer as the terrorists have sacked some villages, especially in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Also speaking on the issue, another farmer in Damboa, who asked not to be named, said: “We cannot go our farms again for fear of being attacked by the terrorists. Even last year, they burnt our farm products after we have harvested them.”

He called on the Federal Government to properly equip the military to fight the insurgents, adding that this is necessary because the terrorists have sophisticated weapons.

“I predicted food shortage in Borno this year, as people can no longer go their farms. The Federal Government should take urgent steps to address the insurgency, as even people from the southern part of the country depend largely on the North for their grain supply,” he added.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

5

Fayemi: Police attack, attempt to assassinate me lAssembly wants Ekiti CP charged with murder lAfenifere faults attack, violence Adesina Wahab

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kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has described his Sunday encounter with some mobile policemen in AdoEkiti as an attempt to assassinate him.

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, he said he would report the incident formally to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

He said the police displayed high level of disrespect for his office as the Chief Security Officer of the state and the people’s leader.

“I am still trying to understand what happened.

It was an assault on the people and the government of the state. I take it as an assassination attempt on the governor.

“We don’t want to go back to the era of ‘one week one trouble’. Democracy must be protected and that means that all state agencies must be fair to all and provide a level playing field for all.

“We need a multi-level security structure to respond to security challenges in the country. We are not particular about any police

officer being removed or redeployed from the state, but if somebody derelicts in his duty, the authorities must know what to do about that,” Fayemi said.

The governor also reiterated that his party members and supporters would not waver in their determination to exercise their rights during the June 21 election.

Also commenting on the incident, members of the Ekiti Caucus in the National Assembly have called on President Jonathan and IGP Abubakar to immediately redeploy the MOPOL Commander, Mr. Gabriel Serenkele out of Ekiti State over his alleged insult on Governor Fayemi.

Senator Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, described the attack on the governor as an insult to the people of the state, alleging that Serenkele’s behaviour was unprofessional and openly partisan.

He said: “It is so sad that we are dealing with people who are not ready for democracy. Those who are not ready for free, fair and credible election. But we want to sound a warning that the APC is ready to accept the verdict of a free and fair poll, but for anyone

to impose his will on us, we will not accept that.

“We are aware of their plans, but an attempt to cow or intimidate us will be resisted not only in the South-West but across Nigeria. We are sending a petition to Mr President, Senate President, Senator David Mark; the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abuba-

kar on the plan to humiliate our governor and the people of the state.”

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution calling for the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Felix Uyanna, to be charged for murder.

The lawmakers, who were sitting for the first time in two months as a result of electioneering ac-

tivities, also called for the immediate redeployment of Selenkere.

Besides, the Assembly said it had lost confidence in the ability of the current leadership of the police in the state, and therefore called on the InspectorGeneral of Police, Abubakar, to take over supervision of police activities ahead of the poll.

The Assembly said all persons involved in Sun-

day’s attack must be fished out and made to face the consequences of their actions.

The House’s resolution followed a motion moved under Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Majority Leader, Mr. Churchill Adedipe.

He described Sunday’s bloody clash and alleged role played by the police as barbaric, unconstitutional and condemnable.

L-R: Widower of Mrs. Amaka Igwe, Charles; their children, Ruby; Daniel; David and Chairman, Multichoice Nigeria, Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, at a service of songs for the late film producer in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Schools shut as protests continue as Kwankwaso defends choice CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

to him.

However, speaking on their ordeal in Kano yesterday, Amaechi said after visiting Kwankwaso he and other dignitaries headed for the airport to board their flight to Abuja but as they entered the airport buildings, authorities locked all the doors to the complex, holding him and his colleagues hostage.

“The Kano governor called the airport commandant that we should at least be allowed to leave the building but the commandant refused saying he had an order from above not to let us out. We had to force one of the doors open to get away,” he said told Premium Times According to him, after escaping from the airport, they devised a way to get to Abuja by road.

“So we quickly got a car, bought fuel and started driving towards Abuja. We sold a dummy to the airport people and a few others that we were returning to the Kano Government House.

The governor was also expecting us. But we were far

gone. I personally drove the car and all of us had to switch off our phones so no one would know our whereabouts.

“I drove for five hours and we arrived in Abuja at 2 a.m. We were not afraid of armed robbers or anyone attacking us on the road. We were only afraid that the authorities could plant people on the road to waylay and attack us. But thank God we arrived safe,” Amaechi added.

In the car Amaechi drove from Kano to Abuja were Goje, and a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.

The Rivers State Government has however condemned what it viewed as the imprisonment of the governor and the grounding of his chartered aircraft at the Kano airport.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, told reporters in Port Harcourt yesterday that the refusal of the authorities to allow the governor’s aircraft to leave

the airport was one of the signs that the country has become tyrannical.

Notwithstanding the offensive and protests, Kwankwaso yesterday defended the appointment of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.

He said at the presentation of the appointment letter to the emir that the choice of Sanusi was taken after he had been duly advised by the kingmakers.

According to him, of the three names submitted to him for Sanusi’s was on the top of the list as against speculations by some people that the kingmakers did not nominate him.

Kwankwaso decried the politicisation of the selection process and the premature announcement and congratulation of one of the late Bayero’s son as emir when the process had not been concluded.

Presenting the letter to Sanusi, Kwankwaso urged him to reach out to the Bayero family and work towards reconciliation of all the aggrieved parties.

The emir, who blamed outsiders for the protests,

said there was not discord among the contestants to the throne as they belong to the same family.

“No member of the late Emir Bayero is behind the rampaging violence that erupted after my appointment because I know my family; we are one united entity who believe in each other.

“I was well brought up by the late Bayero and loved and cherished him more than even my own biological father because the fact remains that I don’t even know my biological father like I know Alhaji Ado Bayero; he did everything for me,” he said.

But as the government was presenting the appointment letter to Sanusi, protests continued in some parts of Kano.

Security agents however moved in to restore calm.

Despite the protests, Sanusi has received more congratulations with the Chairman Northern State Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, describing his ascension to the throne as

the beginning of a new era.

The governor, in a statement in Minna by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Israel Ebije, urged the emir to rule without partisan consideration and emulate the example of his late predecessor who endeared himself to everybody in his domain regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

He also called on those who contested the position with Sanusi to join hands and make his reign peaceful and prosperous.

Also, Atiku advised Sanusi to build on the enviable and positive legacies of the late Bayero.

In a statement congratulating Sanusi, Atiku said the emir had worked strenuously to fulfill a lifetime ambition and that he should use his position to unite all the ruling houses of Kano State and its people behind his appointment.

Oshiomhole also congratulated Sanusi whose appointment he said was ordained by Almighty Allah.

Meanwhile the APC and

PDP yesterday traded accusations over the crisis that trailed the appointment of Sanusi as emir.

The APC accused the PDP of inciting the violence that followed the announcement of Sanusi as the new emir in an apparent attempt to destabilise the state.

The party in a statement in Lagos yesterday by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also urged the Kano State AttorneyGeneral to prosecute all PDP officials involved in what it described as the act of destabilisation.

But PDP fired back and accused APC of politicising the emergence of Sanusi as emir.

A statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, also defended the withdrawal of the party’s earlier congratulatory message, describing it as an honest mistake.

It denied the involvement of its members in the protests in Kano and dismissed APC’s call for their prosecution.

6

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Ozekhome's kidnappers got N40m ransom, says police Tunde Oyesina

ABUJA

delegate Chief Mike Cedonfab Ozekhome could have partwith a whopping N40m to

be freed by gunmen who abducted him in 2013.

The absence of the suspected co- mastermind of the April 14 bomb blast at Nyanya bus station in Abuja, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday stalled his arraignment.

The blast led to the death of over 75 persons and injured several others.

Also, the Federal Government before the same court arraigned the suspected kidnappers of Chief Mike Ozek-

home (SAN).They are Kelvin Oniarah Eziegbe, Frank Azuekor and Michael Omonigho.

Processes filed before the court however revealed that Ozekhome actually paid N40 million to those who kidnapped him in August last year before he was released.

Also, a former commissioner in Delta State, Professor Hope Eghagha who was also kidnapped in September 30 2012 on his way from Warri to Asaba, paid N7million to his kidnappers before he was released.

This and more are contained in the 14-count charge filed against Eziegbe and two of his co-accused, Frank Auekor and Michael Omonigho.

Tension mounts in Jos over security blockade Musa Pam

Jos

os the plateau State CapiJwitnessed tal yesterday morning serious tension

especially at the Terminus Market and Ahmadu Bello Way as a result of activities of security men who blocked the entrance of the town.

Commercial activities and movement of cars and people were all stopped in the early hours yesterday as all roads leading to Ahmadu Bello Way and Rwang Pam Street were all blocked with security men all over the roads.

Also, all banks located close to the Ahmadu Bello Way were all closed at the early hours of yesterday.

The Media and information officer of Special Task Force in the state, Captain Ikedichi Iweha in press state-

ment made available to New Telegraph in Jos said the operation by men of the STF which began at about 0145 hours on Monday morning in the state was aimed at preventing any loss of lives and property of the people of Plateau state.

The statement reads part: "Roads were temporarily shot down to prevent innocent members of the public from being caught in the line of fire.

"The roads includes Yantaya Junction, ECWA Goodnews church road, old Bukuru Junction, Terminus Junction and Rwang Pam street. Others are Kasim Ibrahim Junction by Ahmadu Bello way, Ahmadu Bello way, Hamaz and Unity Bank Junction, Murtala Mohammed way, University of Jos old campus and beach Road

by Zenith Bank."

Ghana, Togo, Nigeria search for missing tanker navies of Ghana, NigeTingheriasearch and Togo are conductoperations for a

Liberian-flagged oil tanker that disappeared off the coast of Ghana last week.

"Initial reports said the ship was in Ghanaian waters; other reports said in Togolese waters," acting Director of Public Affairs for the Ghana Armed Forces Lt. Col Aggrey Quashie told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

"To be frank, if you are dealing with Togo, you are in effect dealing with Nigeria, so we are in collaboration and sharing information," he added.

"We are looking within the whole sub-region, so everybody is searching within their territorial waters to see if they can find something," said Quashie.

There are fears that the Liberia-flagged MT Fair

Artemis might have been captured by pirates operating in the Gulf of Guinea.

"For now, I cannot confirm that," said the army spokesperson. "I would not want to speculate on anything until the vessel is found."

"Let's get the vessel and then we will know from the people on board exactly what happened," said Quashie.

He could not provide any immediate information regarding the size of the lost tanker's crew.

The oil tanker is thought to have made its last contact with its managers, Fairdeal Group S.A., at 6pm Wednesday.

Ghana has two major seaports: one at Tema, east of Accra, and another in the city of Takoradi in the Western Region, where the country operates a substantial offshore oil industry.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi; Group Managing Director, Inters witch Nigeria Limited and project contractor, Mr. Mitchelle Elegbe; Chief Executive Officer, BASL, Mr. Christophe Penninck and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Olusola Olayinka, at the inauguration of the automation of the airport's Multi-Storey Car Park...yesterday PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

120,000

The number of adults and children estimated to be living with HIV in Argentina in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

11.8%

The percentage of new HIV infections among women more than 20 years attributed to intimate partner violence in the US. Source: Unwomen.org

18.71m

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Canada in 2009.

Source: Itu.int

APC crisis: Amosun woos Osoba, Kaka, others UNITY Ogun State governor extends hand of friendship to the Osoba camp Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

O

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday extended his hand of fellowship to a former governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, and aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Amosun, who spoke in Abeokuta during the inauguration of the newly

elected executive members of the state APC, said he was committed to ensuring unity and stability in the party ahead of the 2015 elections.

The party had been factionalised along the camps of Amosun and Osoba, leading to the conduct of parallel congresses and emergence of two state executives.

The party’s Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, had last week in Abuja inaugurated APC state chairmen, including the factional party chairman loyal to Amosun, Alhaji Roqeeb Adeniji.

Osoba's loyalists, including Senators Adegbenga Kaka, Gbenga Obadara and Akin Odun-

si as well as six House of Representatives members representing the party kicked against Akande's decision.

But addressing thousands of APC members that gathered at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Amosun stressed the need for party members in the state to unite irrespective of their differences.

In attendance were the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chief Olu Adebanjo, Chief Dayo Abatan, Senator Dipo Odujinrin, Deacon Poju Adeyemi, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, Hon. Kunle Elegbede, and the chairman

of the State Congresses Committee (SCC), Hon. Ope Salami.

The governor urged his supporters to intensify meetings at ward and local government levels and eschew acrimony within the party.

He said: "We have work to do. We cannot allow one member not to be in the fold. We must find a way to unite everybody. We are all winners. Let us appeal to those who are aggrieved.

"We should not allow our members to defect to other parties. We have to bring in more members into the party. We have to intensify meetings at ward and local government levels. By God's grace, the APC will win in 2015."

Biafra: MASSOB, IPOB at loggerheads

Leo Sobechi

arely 24 hours after the South-East Governors’ Forum, (SEGF) rose from its meeting in Enugu condemning the attempt

by Biafran Zionist Federation (BZF) to seize the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) radio and television station to declare a Republic of Biafra, two other pro-Biafra organizations are at each other’s jugulars.

The two groups, Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) have declared war on each other over the de-

B

cision by IPOB to incorporate Biafra war veterans in their struggle.

A group of men believed to be members numbering close to one hundred had last weekend invaded the hilltop side of Ngwo, Enugu North local council where IPOB erected a cenotaph in memory of those who lost their lives in the 30-Month Nigeria-Biafra war.

Though MASSOB leader, Chief Raph Uwazuruike could not respond to the allegations that his men destroyed the multimillion naira cenotaph, sources close to the MASSOB strong man confided in New Telegraph that

Uwazuruike was peeved at the effrontery of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to raise a rival group to fight the cause of Biafra.

The source alleged that Kanu allegedly embezzled the sum of N4 million given to him by Uwazuruike to set up Radio Biafra adding that Kanu abandoned his wedding ceremony when MASSOB members invaded his hometown in Umuahia to hold him to account for the money.

But when contacted, Kanu told New Telegraph via a text message that “Uwazuruike destroyed the Ngwo monument because he could not build

one; he knows if he builds one he will die because he is a liar and deceiver”.

Kanu added that he has done what Uwazuruike could not do. He said: “We have raised Biafrans in over 88 countries while he is only relevant in Okwe; he is a thug for politicians and not a freedom fighter”.

On the allegation of embezzlement, the IPOB leader exclaimed: “Embezzled four million naira?

How can I embezzle money to run Radio Biafra?

Stupid black people who can’t reason properly; I did not embezzle any money. I became bankrupt because of what I put into Radio Biafra, lies and liars.”

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

7

Osun APC blames Sambo for Ekiti killing Adeolu Adeyem OSOGBO

O

sun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said that Vice President Mohammed Sambo should be held responsible for the killing of one of its party supporters in Ekiti State at the weekend.

The Party Director of Publicity and Strategies, kunle Oyatomi, who said this in a statement in Osogbo, declared: "Vice President Sambo should be held accountable for the dangerous dimension that the political process pre-2015 presidential election has taken.

"Sambo was in Ekiti, to make good his war

promise to fight and take power in Ekiti and it is a pity that this architect of a vice president is ignorant of history.

“In all the history of Nigeria's politics, no federal leader has survived a 'war' against Yoruba people."

Accordin to the APC, the killing by police of its supporters in Ekiti on Sunday was the actualisation of Sambo's promise to go to war in Ekiti and Osun states “to snatch political power in the states."

"On Sunday, while Sambo was still in Ekiti, the Federal police opened a war against APC supporters killing one person and injuring several people."

Imo gov: I’ll defeat Jonathan if...

Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

G

overnor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has declared that he would beat President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 if given the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential ticket.

Okorocha made the assertion at the weekend during the 6th Session of the 10th Synod of the Orlu Diocese of the Anglican Communion at the St. Pauls Anglican Church, Achara, Umuaka in Njaba council area of the state.

The governor, who did not categorical state if he was joining the presidential race, averred that he had 80 percent support of the Nigerian electorate and that his interest in the presidency was strictly to provide answers to the myriads of socio-political challenges facing the country, particularly the

plight of the Igbo nation in the Nigerian state.

“As an advocate of internal party democracy, I believe that APC would play by the rules and allow intra-party democracy to prevail in the party’s presidential primaries. And with such progressive platform, I can assure you that if I have the presidential ticket of the APC, with my popularity in the country, I will defeat Jonathan.”

Highlight of the occasion was the conferment of the Nehemiah Award on Okorocha by the Bishop of Orlu Anglican Diocese, Most Rev. Benneth Okoro.

The award, according to Bishop Okoro, was in recognition of Okorocha’s efforts at rebuilding Imo and upgrading its infrastructure just like the Biblical Nehemiah who rebuilt Jerusalem after Israel returned from captivity.

State of Warri Port worries Itsekiri group Dominic Adewole ASABA

T

he decrepit state of the Warri Port yesterday became a thing of concern to the Itsekiri Development Congress (IDC).

The group has therefore called on the Federal Government to urgently include it among the Sea Ports billed for dredging across the country.

The group said its accomplishment would not only facilitate calls by bigger vessels in and out of the oil-rich state but also fast-track its economic fortune.

A statement signed by the chairman of the group, Mr. Emmanuel OkotieEboh, made available to the New Telegraph in Asaba urged the Federal Government to take adequate

measures to save the Warri Port from total collapse.

According to OkotieEboh, the port which used to be a beehive of commercial activities in the past has become a shadow of itself.

He said, “Members of the group had in recent times appealed to successive governments on the need to dredge the waterways leading to the port to revive its dwindling economic fortune.”

Wondering why the Federal Government recently approved the dredging of Ports Channels in Bonny, Calabar and Lagos, to facilitate calls for bigger vessles without enlisting Warri Port, the group pleaded with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to help press home the demand.

Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan (left) and his Enugu State counterpart, Sullivan Chime during Uduaghan’s courtesy call, at the Governor's Lodge, Enugu...yesterday

83%

The percentage of individuals suing the internet in Germany in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

80%

The estimated percentage of the world’s hazardous wastes produced in the United States and other industrial countries.

Source: Unesco.org

190,000

The number of adults and children estimated to be living with HIV in Swaziland in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Okorocha: Why I sacked Ilomuanya, Onyeneke POWER

Imo Governor explains the dethronement of Chairman South-East council of traditional rulers Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

F

ollowing the controversy that trailed the announcement of the dethronement of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya by the Imo State Government, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, has come out with an explanation on the removal of Ilomuanya from office as Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and

as traditional ruler of Obinugwu Autonomous Community.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor explained that the removal of Ilomuanya as the chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council was quite different from his recent removal on June 6, as the traditional ruler of Obinugwu Autonomous Community. Also dethroned the same day was Cosmos Onyeneke, as the Traditional Ruler of Lagwa Autonomous Community.

While stating that the removal of the monarchs falls within the powers conferred on the governor,

under Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters in Imo State, Law No. 6 of 2006, Onwuemeodo explained that following grave petitions to the Imo State House of Assembly against the two traditional rulers by indigenes of their respective communities, the leadership of the Imo State House of Assembly constituted a five-man ad hoc committee to investigate the issues contained in the petitions, at the end of which the Assembly recommended and passed resolutions 376 and 377 respectively on Thursday, December 15, 2011 that the governor should, without delay, dethrone both monarchs.

The statement read in part, “Before he was dethroned on June 6, 2014, Ilomuanya had stopped attending meetings of the traditional rulers and also stopped attending state functions in breach of Section 14 of the Imo State Traditional Rulers Autonomous Communities law and had since three years, relocated to Abuja where he functioned more as a politician.”

Declaring that Ilomuanya’s continued posturing as a traditional ruler would amount to impersonation, the statement regretted that since Ilomuanya was removed as the chairman of the council, he had carried on as if there was no government in Imo State.

Funsho Williams: Court rules on defendants’ ‘no case’ submission June 30

Joseph Onyekwere

J

ustice Ebenezer Adebajo of the Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere yesterday fixed June 30, to rule on a ‘no case submission’ raised by the suspected killers of Funsho Williams, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State in the 2007 elections.

The accused are, Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonani, Mustapha Kayode and Okponwasa Imariabie, all male.

The prosecution had on May 16 closed its case and the court adjourned the

matter for the defendants to open their defence.

But, at the resumed trial yesterday, the defence counsel, Mr Agbara Okezie, made a ‘no case submission’ before the court, contending that the accused had no case to answer.

In his application, dated May 20, 2014, Okezie argued that from the totality of the prosecution’s case, it has failed to establish a prima facie case against any of the defendants.

He submitted that the evidence of the prosecution were at best circumstantial which the court cannot rely upon.

He argued that for a

court of law to rely on such evidence, the evidence must be compelling and irresistible.

Besides, he urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed woefully to link any of the defendants to the murder of Funsho Williams.

He said: "There has been no legally admissible evidence against the defendants."

Citing Section 243 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, Okezie therefore urged the court to discharge and acquit the defendants.

In her response, the Director, Directorate of

Public Prosecution, Lagos Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, urged the court to dismiss the no case submission made by the defendants.

She argued that the prosecution had sufficiently established a prima facie case against the defendants.

The defendants were first arraigned on March 1, 2013 before Justice Adebajo on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

The defendants, according to the charge, on or about July 27, 2006, at 34A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, conspired to murder Williams.

8

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

FCT confers Abuja citizenship on Pakistani President Johnchuks Onuanyim ABUJA.

T

he President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mamood Hussain, arrived Abuja, Nigeria for a state visit and was received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed.

According to statement from the Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Hazat Sule, Mohammed, who received the visiting

the President on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, presented him with a key to the city of Abuja, which confers on him the honorary citizenship of Abuja.

The Minister remarked that the key also confers on President Hussain all the rights and privileges of a full-fledged citizen as a mark of respect for the strong friendship and cordial relationship between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Federal Republic of Nigeria..

PDP bans factions in Kwara chapter Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State yesterday outlawed the activities of interest groups within its fold.

Party chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, who gave the order also asked members of his executive committee to distance themselves from activities

of any faction group in the party.

There are several factions within the party in the state among them the Positive Force, G2G, Unity Forum and Freedom Group.

It is believed that the failure of the groups to work together was responsible for President Goodluck Jonathan's refusal to pick a minister from the state in the latest exercise.

EFCC arraigns NLC chairman over N2m contract scam Emmanuel Onani

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, arraigned the Chairman of the Kano State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Yunusa Isah Danguguwa, before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on a onecount charge bordering on obtaining N2million by false pretence.

A statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said the accused per-

son allegedly obtained the said sum from one Usman Arzika of Williams Dabo International Limited, under the pretext that; “The Nigeria Labour Congress, Kano council, had awarded a contract to the company for the supply of 250 units of ‘second hand’ cars and that the N2 million was meant for processing of other contract documents.

“The offence is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

SARS kills two bandits, arrests three Kunle Olayeni ABEOKUTA

T

he Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ogun State police command yesterday engaged a gang of armed robbers in a gun duel, killing two and arresting three others.

The shootout occurred in Epe area of Lagos State, according to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ogun State, Muyiwa Adejobi.

Adejobi said one of

the members of the gang, Ahmed Yusuff, was arrested on April 25, at Dalemo, Ota after snatching a Benz ML Jeep from the owner.

In the course of police investigation, Ahmed was said to have agreed to lead the SARS teams to their hideout in Epe, before the gun battle.

Those arrested with fatal bullet wounds included Adeyinka Olajuwon, Isiaka Salawu, and Jumoke Odukoya.

Hoodlums attack Ahoada high court Joe Ezuma, PORTHARCOURT oodlums yesterday visited Ahoada High Court, wreaking havoc on the premises after bombing it, eye witnesses said.

Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government, Mr. Andy Nweye, said the incident happened in the early hours yesterday, adding that the explosion has political

H

undertone.

Nweye said the dynamite was planted by an unknown person at the main court building, destroying the roof of the court and documents, including case files.

“As I speak now, the smoke is still on. But this is the third time that place is being bombed and the situation is becoming worrisome.

L-R: Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogun State, Alhaji Roqeeb Adeniji; Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Speaker, House of Assembly, Suraj Isola Adekumbi, during the inauguration of the APC State Executive members in Abeokuta…yesterday

Osun 2015: APC takes campaign Kwara denies aiding Olofa to disobey court to Ila-Oragun

A

s preparation for the August 9, governorship election in Osun State hots up, the re-election campaign activities of Governor Rauf Aregbesola would today hold in the ancient town of IlaOragun.

Chairman and Secretary of the Ila Federal Constituency Campaign Committee, Hon. Sunday Akere, and Bisi Bawale, made this known yesterday in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo.

The statement said the event is schedule to hold in an open field opposite Chief Bisi Akande's house, along Ora road in the ancient town by 10.00am.

According to the statement, party supporters in all the wards in Ila, Boluwaduro and Ifedayo Local Governments, are enjoined to troop out en mass to meet the governor, who would use the opportunity to express what the people should expect if elected for a second term in office.

30-year-old man slumps, dies in motor park Onah O. Onah

A

thirty-year-old man yesterday slumped and died instantly at Ekesons Motor Park at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State, while battling with the police and soldiers to save some building materials being demolished by the Anambra State Government Task Force on Environment.

The manager of the park, who gave his name simply as Mr. Sam, told New Telegraph that they

have deployed some workers to assist them remove some planks, zincs and other building material from the debris of the demolition.

While they were trying to load them into a truck, the young man suddenly collapsed and in the twinkling of an eye, he died.

The victim, whose name was given as Chukwudi Ezejiofor, hails from Uruala village in Isulo Orumba South Local Government area of Anambra State.

Umeh shocked over Akunyili's death

T

he National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has expressed shock at the death of Prof. Dora Akinyili, at this time of the nation's political history, describing it as a great loss to the Igbo nation and Nigeria as a whole.

In a press statement issued by his Media Aide, Mr. Stan Okeke, Chief Umeh said it was unfortunate that at a time Nigerians were full of prayers for her and expected her to return alive, “we just received this very shocking and destabilising news of

her death.

“I am here in the village for the burial of a close relation. My media assistant just whispered into my ears that his colleagues called him to break the news to him and that our former governor, Peter Obi, has already announced it.”

Umeh said this was too heavy for the people of Anambra State to bear, considering her enormous contribution to their safety and that of other Nigerians when she was in NAFDAC. He said Akunyili was also a woman of great courage and a role model for most ladies, who wished to be a success in life.

Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

K

wara State government yesterday denied allegations that it was abetting Alhaji Mohammed Mufutau Gbadamosi, in disobeying court orders on the validity of his emergence as the Olofa of Ofa. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade, also denied receiving any petition from counsel to one of the ruling houses, the Olugbense Ruling House, which over the weekend made the al-

legation.

“I don’t have their petition before me,” Ajibade said contrary to the scenario created by one of the counsel, Mr. Toyin Oladipo, who claimed in a petition made available to the media that the state government was aiding the monarch to disobey Appeal Court order by still parading himself as the Olofa of Ofa. But Ajibade denied these claims, saying if the parties involved were forthright, they know the right place to go in the case of a contempt of court.

Ajaokuta key to nation's industrialisation, says Aganga Muhammad Bashir LOKOJA

M

inister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, has said that the key to the industrial revolution of the present administration must be in line with the development of the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

Aganga, who was conducted round the facility yesterday along with his colleague and host Minister, Mohammed Sada, dismissed the rumour that the steel company is

obsolete.

He said the facilities in the steel company are not different from its counterparts in other countries.

“Those who are saying that the facilities are obsolete, are not saying the truth, in fact, with what I saw, it is a great asset for the country,” he added.

Also speaking, Minister of Mines and Power, Hon. Mohammed Sada, said the current administration is determined in revitalising the steel industry in the country.

NAFDAC destroys N120m fake fake substandard drugs drugs, foods and other wholesome regShola Adefuwa he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday said, surveillance and enforcement operations in the nation’s ports, borders and the identification of routes used by smugglers has been intensified, leading to increased seizure of fake drugs as well as unwholesome foods.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, stated this when officials of NAFDAC destroyed

T

ulated food products worth over N120 million in Ogun State.

Speaking at the scene of the exercise, carried out at the Sagamu dumpsite in Ogun State, at the weekend, Orhii said the agency’s effort in the fight against fake and counterfeit products is yielding tremendous success.

According to him, some of the destroyed products were voluntarily handed over by compliant companies, while some were seized from hawkers on the streets of Lagos.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

HYPOCRISY

Head of Word of Life Bible Church hits the nail on the head Dominic Adewole ASABA

T

he President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has charged delegates at the ongoing National Conference not to be hypocritical.

The cleric fingered hypocrisy as a major problem confronting the

1.09m

Oritsejafor: Truth will set Nigeria, confab delegates free corporate existence of Nigeria.

Oritsejafor, the founder of the Word of Life Bible Church and the recently opened Eagle Heights University, Omadino, Delta State, set this agenda at the Daughters of Sarah Convention, which he co-hosted in Warri at the weekend.

According to him, the

The total area (in sq. km) of Bolivia.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

delegates must not allow any script to be handed down to them from any quarters.

While he said hypocrisy has caused friction and blocked the nation’s wheel of progress, he said Nigerians looked up to the conference for a blueprint for the development of Nigeria.

He said, “One of the

70%

things that have brought Nigeria to her knees is that we lie to one another. We know the truth, but we deceive ourselves.

We are hypocrites. We try to convince ourselves that everything is good.

If you say there are differences, then, you are a bad person but if you want to be celebrated in Nigeria, just come out

243.9

The percentage of industrial wastes dumped The number of newspaper journalists per 1m untreated into waters in developing countries inhabitants of Netherlands in 2005. where they pollute the usable water supply.

Source: Blatantworld.com Source: Unesco.org

and say ‘one Nigeria’.

The moment you try to tell the truth, you are a bad person.”

He urged the delegates not to let N4 million monthly stipend, its extension and other merits attached becloud their judgement to the detriment of national interest.

He continued, “I think

PDP lauds Delta lawmaker’s empowerment scheme Dominic Adewole ASABA

T

he chairman of the Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, yesterday hailed the strategies deployed by the party’s elected and appointed officers in their empowerment programmes.

The chairman boasted that the party had delivered on its campaign promises across its constituencies and the 25 local government areas.

Speaking in Emutu, Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state during the empowerment programme by the member representing Ukwuani at the state’s House of Assembly, Alphonsus Ojo, Nwaoboshi maintained that it was a directive from the party that those representing the people must empower the people.

Ojo, who won the Ukwuani seat in 2011 under the platform of the archrival Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), sponsored

by Chief Great Ogboru,

decamped to his original party shortly after.

He soon got the chairmanship of the House Committee on Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

He presented to the people 11 cars, two tricycles, 21 motorcycles, five welding machines, 10 barbing accessories, two weaving machines, 15 hairdresser materials, 38 farmers’ sprayers, 14 groups of cutlasses, 15 corn mill, 15 sewing machines and 50 bicycles.

He said the PDP discovered that Ojo would be a loyal party member after he retraced his steps to the party, maintaining that “this is enough reason for the party to respect him.”

He warned Ukwuani people against making the wrong choice next year, saying, “Ukwuani people must present a popular candidate who will be generally acceptable come 2015.”

Earlier, Ojo said the empowerment came very late owing to the litigation hanging on his neck.

all delegates should have the fear of God and tell the truth as it concerns those who sent them there. Let them place truth on the table, and from there, Nigeria will be able to move forward.”

While he prayed that whatever decisions brokered at the conference would be implemented, he expressed optimism that the aftermath would yield desired results.

“It will never be a waste of time as speculated in some quarters.

The truth will meet the truth on the table, I believe it will yield good fruits”, he prayed.

Ebonyi APC inaugurates new exco

Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

T

he Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated a new executive of the party with a call to all members to embrace peace and unity ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Inaugurating the officers at the party secretariat in Abakaliki, the state chairman, Ben Nwobasi, charged them to win more souls for the party and position it to take over the reign of governance in the state at all levels.

Nwobasi also challenged the new executive to build an enviable

L-R: Commercial Director of Globacom, Lorenzo Gomez; Head of Operator Business of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ololade Shonubi and Head, Gloworld, Brenda Akhigbe, during the in-store experiential activity on Galaxy S5 Samsung device, at Gloworld shop, Palms Mall, Lekki, Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

9

institution equipped with all democratic norms for the advancement of the cause of the people.

He said as the only opposition party in Nigeria and Ebonyi State, the party had come to re-engineer the sociopolitical and economic lives of people who have been plunged into despondency by long years of misrule and poor leadership.

According to him, the present Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration, has brought anguish to the people, and thrives in impunity, injustice and disunity among the people.

Akunyili was a Benue woman, says Suswam

Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

G

overnor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has called on the Federal Government to immortalise the late Prof.

Dora Akunyili for her immeasurable contributions to the development of the country to serve as a source of encouragement to the womenfolk.

The governor conveyed his feelings in a message condoling with his Anambra State counterpart, Governor Willie Obiano, the Akunyili family and the people of the state over the demise of the former Minister of Information and Communications who died in an Indian Specialist Hos-

pital.

Suswam who expressed sadness over the untimely death of the former Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), described her as a woman of substance who loved Nigeria and died in active service to the nation as delegate to the ongoing National Conference.

He said, “Prof. Akunyili showed great love to Benue State in her public service both as NAFDAC DG and as minister having been born and brought-up in Makurdi, Benue State capital before relocating with her family to their state of origin."

Students' council, UNILAG authorities in moves to settle differences

Mojeed Alabi

S

tudents of the University of Lagos, Akoka, have asked for the immediate reinstatement of their union, among others.

Last week, the students had protested alleged obnoxious policies, especially the imposition of increased late registration

fee by the management of the school.

At a press conference organised under the platform of Council of Faculty Presidents held yesterday afternoon at the Afe Babalola Lecture Hall on the campus, the students' leaders commended their colleagues for not allowing their protest go beyond control. They also

demanded the immediate resolution of all the contradictions they said were identified as the causes of their grouse against the management.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the President of the Faculty of Business Administration, Olanrewaju Ogundipe, listed the demands to include refund of the extra

charges on late course registration, editing of course forms at no cost, speeding up the process of reinstating the students' union, involvement of students' leaders in the university's basic committees for students' affairs, upgrade of the university's wireless internet facility, enforcement of the adjusted prices of

commodities on the campus and fast-tracking the lifting of ban on inter-gender visitation to halls of residence, among others.

Ogundipe said: "It is quite pertinent for us to join our voices in appealing to the management to fulfill all their commitments and promises to us for the sake of peace, progress and develop-

ment, and ultimately for posterity."

Meanwhile, the university’s management, yesterday issued a statement declaring yesterday, June 9 to Monday, June 16, as lecture-free to enable the students conduct their registration exercises and for the institution's convocation ceremony to hold.

10 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

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

TUESday, JUNE 10, 2014

0802 393 8212

Pastor, evangelist, others to die for robbery BACKSLIDERS For abandoning Bible for the gun, two men of God are to die by hanging Babatope Okeowo Akure

A

n Akure High Court has sentenced a pastor, Adeniyi Matthew, an evangelist, Akeem Benjamin, and two others to death by hanging for conspiracy and robbery.

Mathew, Benjamin and the other convicts, Cosmos Obi, a trader from Delta State and Sheriff Ogunleye, who claimed to be an apprentice, were found guilty by the court presided over

by Justice David Kolawole for their conspiracy in the robbery incident that took place at for mer NBM Bank, now Sterling Bank, some years ago.

In his judgement, Kolawole held that he found the convicts guilty based on the sufficient evidence established by the prosecution.

But two other accused, Olatunji

Akindele and Saliu Ahmed, were discharged and acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence to convict them.

One of the eight accused, Johnson Olanrewaju, escaped from prison custody during a jailbreak at Akure Prison on June 30, 2013.

The eight accused had been arraigned before the court on a twocount charge of conspiracy to commit ar med robbery contrary to Section 5(b) of the Armed Robbery

and Firearms (Special Provision) Act and armed robbery contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the same Act. At the first appearance, all the eight accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge preferred against them individually.

During the trial, the prosecution called only one witness, Inspector Abimbola Olayiwola attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), while the seven remaining accused testified for themselves.

He told the court that there was a robbery reported in July, 2005 at the Akure branch of NBM Bank, adding that N26 million was stolen during the operation.

According to him, when the DIG in charge of investigation directed him to take over the case, there was no clue.

Olayiwola said he came with his team to Akure and in the process they arrested accused.

He said: “Initially, there were no clues as to who did the robbery, but we later got information that the police in Ibadan arrested an evangelist

in whose possession N825,000 in NBM Bank wrappers were recovered.

“Thereafter, we proceeded to Ibadan to take over the investigation of the case and through the information we got from the evangelist we were able to arrest five suspects linked to the Akure robbery between Akure and Ikire. Others were arrested in Ibadan and Abeokuta.”

The inspector said the accused were brought to Akure and were made to repeat the role they performed in the robbery operation.

Some of the items recovered from them included guns and live cartridges, video cassettes and CD. The prosecution witness said those who robbed NBM Bank also robbed Union Bank while N1 million was recovered from them.

In his judgment, Kolawole said he found second, third, fourth and fifth accused guilty of the offence because the evidence before the court implicated them.

He said Matthew, Benjamin, Obi, and Ogunleye were to die by hanging until they were satisfied dead.

Residents live in fear of flood Taiwo Jimoh

T

he residents of Odubanwo, Taiwo Aremu, Ifedayo, Jankara streets on Powerline Road in Ijaiye-Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State now live in perpetual fear of rain.

It is always nightmarish for the residents whenever it rains.

The road leading in and out of the area is usually water-logged when it rains and becomes impassable.

According to them, whenever it rains the community also battles with flooding.

It was gathered that the construction of the road, scheduled to be completed in 2008 was abandoned by the Lagos State government a year earlier.

The road was said to be the major road that links the community with Agbado Crossing, Iju Ishaga

The abandoned Powerline Road

The dilapitated bridge on the road

and Akute in Ogun State.

According to the Youth Leader in Ifedayo community, Mr Taofeek Olowogemo, Gbenrinmi Bridge on Temple Road, is the only link bridge that connects Agbado Crossing, Akute and Iju Ishaga.

Olowogemo said the bridge collapsed in 2006, adding that it was washed away by erosion.

He said: “It took the intervention of the landlords’ association to put the bridge back.

“When the chairman of the Ijaiye-Ojokoro LCDA saw how we were making efforts to repair the bridge, he approached us and gave us a helping hand.

“Whenever it rains, Temple Road becomes impassable for cars, while the abandoned drainage on the road overflows. It therefore becomes difficult for children to go to school and shops owner to open.”

Also, the construction of Odubanwo Street, adjacent Tem-

ple Road, which started in 2011, had been abandoned.

The abandoned road was also said to be only link road to parts of Ogun State.

The residents called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to come to their aid because, according to them, they are part of Lagos State.

One of the landlords on Temple Road, Mr Francis Olonade, said the residents had been battling with flood for a very long time.

He said: “We have been on this issue of flooding in our area for long. We have tried our best to con-

trol the flood; there is limit to what we can do individually.

“When the erosion was becoming unbearable for us, the landlords’ association contacted the councillor representing this area, who advised us to dig another gutter at our own side. But I disagree with him on that the idea.

“My disagreement was because of the power line that passes through our side. If gutter is dug again, it would expose the underline grip of the cable and it might fall down and possibly electrocute innocent residents.”

METRO

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

11

Anxiety as Boko Haram threatens to attack Odogbolu college

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau (middle)

Temitope Sobowale

F

ear has gripped parents and teachers at the Federal Government College (FGC), Odogbolu, Ogun State, because of a mysterious text message allegedly from Boko Haram, threatening to bomb the school soon.

The text message was said to have been sent to the phone of the Principal

of the school, Mrs. Bassey Duke Akon Ntekin and believed to be from the sect.

The school had contacted the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Ntekin also alerted teachers and parents and on June I, a meeting was held,

with the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, in attendance.

The venue of the meeting was filled to the brim, as parents came from different parts of the country to listen to the challenges facing the school and their wards.

Adejobi advised parents and teachers to be alert, saying they should report any suspicious movement.

The principal said because of the insecurity in the country and the threat message, security had been beefed up in and around the college.

She added that the police had been on night patrol since May 18. Ntekin called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the school.

The Chairperson of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Mrs Chinyere Itesi, implored the members to help in tackling the challenges facing the school.

Itesi said that the state Commis-

Foundation to select kidney transplant beneficiaries Camillus Nnaji

A

Lagos-based kidney foundation, ‘OJB Foundation’ said it would soon select first set of people to benefit from kidney transplant programme.

Coordinator of the foundation, Mr Remigius Obetta, said this in Lagos yesterday.

He said: “Our major objective OJB of setting up this foundation has Obetta said the exercise was a been to assist people with life- nationwide programme with threatening ailments, specifically the Nephrology Departments kidney failure. Since establish- of the university teaching hosment, we have been negotiat- pitals across the country. ing with partners and building According to him, the first internal structures including selection will be done in Laboard members in order to en- gos with nephrologists at Laable us deliver quality services gos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). to humanity.

“Having done this, the He said: “We don’t know foundation is now ready to fa- who will benefit first. But it cilitate treatment of first ben- will be done in collaboration eficiaries, which of course is with LASUTH and other teachgoing to be kidney transplant.” ing hospitals across the counOn mode of selection, try. It will be a fair process.”

Founder and Chairman of the foundation, Mr. Okungbowa Jezreel Babatunde (OJB), who also had a kidney transplant, told our correspondent that he was inspired to establish the foundation to appreciate the public for what they did for him during his crisis period.

He said: “With people’s assistance, I was able to foot the hospital bill for my transplant.

That is what I want to do to repay the public, especially kidney patients from poor homes.”

It was gathered that kidney transplant costs between N3 million and N4 million, depending on the hospital.

Obetta said OJB Foundation plan was to grant kidney patients 100 per cent sponsorship.

But in case funds are not available, according to him, patients can leverage on its discount agreement with referral hospitals.

My husband doesn’t care for me, woman tells court BisolaTiamiyu

A

30-year-old housewife, Mrs Rabiatu Raheem, asked an Agege Customary Court yesterday to dissolve her 10-year-old marriage.

The woman was seeking dissolution of her marriage

on the grounds that her husband does not take care of her and her children.

“He is threatening my life.

Every time I dream that he is chasing me. I have been taking care of my children who stay with his mother only for her to tell me that I am not allowed to see them anymore. I

want us to be separated,” she said.

Rabiatu also said she was ready to return the bride price her husband paid when they were getting married.

Her husband, Mr Wasiru Muritala (35), who is a security guard at an aluminium company in Ikeja, Lagos, said he had been pleading with his wife not to seek divorce.

sioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, visited the school on May 25, because of the threat message.

She said: “The main challenge against the Nigerian state has been internal threat to security and suddenly terrorism. Security in term of bribery and corruption, stealing, kidnapping and ritual killings, all these are security threats to the nation.

“How can this nation move forward, with people watching their backs with each step they take? The most common word bandied around today is ‘security’ which is derived from the Greek word, meaning ‘to be in the state of no fear.’

But as it is now, we are all in a state of fear in Nigeria.

“The abduction of Chibok girls took away the shine or joy of May 27 and the killing of students of the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, making security a day-to-day issue and making the children not to enjoy their lives.”

Too many bad eggs in police, says security expert Juliana Francis

A

security analyst, Mr Folorusho Atta, said that there were too many bad eggs in the police, which explained why the public did not appreciate them.

He said: “There are evil personnel who have no fear of God, and are always caught doing questionable acts. This is part of the reason members of the public do not appreciate them.”

Atta spoke at the send forth party held at Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos State, for the immediate past Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ikeja Police Station, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Abiodun Alabi.

He was responding to Alabi’s submission at the event.

In his address at the party organised by the Ikeja Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Alabi had said that the personnel of the force were engaged in ‘a thankless job’.

According to him, the public does not appreciate them or is able to relate with the hazards the police go through.

He said: “It is the police who used to keep awake and watch while others sleep. Yet members of the public don’t appreciate the police or better still, cooperate with the police. This attitude over the years has helped in demoralising personnel of the force.”

According to Alabi, who is now with the Police Mobile Force (PMF) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, the successes of some police chiefs in the country are made possible by a few individuals and corporate bodies who know the importance of security while showering encomiums on the PCRC members.

Alabi disclosed that there were certain people in society who detested the police, to the extent that they often refused to divulge information to the police.

He hailed the Ikeja PCRC members for meeting the challenges of the police in the area.

But Atta fired back, noting that men of the force were the architects of their own misfortune.

He said: “I’m not saying there are no good men and women in the force. Alabi is a friend. He is an epitome of humility, a hardworking fellow who shuns indiscipline.

But how many Alabis do we have in the force? They are very few.’’

The Area ‘F’ Commander, Mr Tunde Adagunduro, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, (ACP), who was Alabi immediate boss, described him as, “an officer who does not compromise discipline.

Such officers are few in the force”.

The PCRC Chairman, Chief Lare Labode presented a chest deep freezer to Alabi.

He said though Ikeja division had always been lucky with brilliant DPOs, Alabi was one of the best, who hated injustice.

12 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

I'll restore peace to Rivers, says Princewill ORDER PDP aspirant seeks to bring back the glory days Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, yesterday said he was in

56m

The number of people living with diabetes in Europe in 2013.

Source: Idp.com

the race desirous of bringing peace back to the state.

That was even as the PDP and the All Progressives Congress in the state traded words over the defection of members.

The APC yesterday debunked Princewill’s claim of receiving its estranged members.

The APC in a statement

by Mr. Chris Fynebone, said it smacked of political jobbery, which it noted, is sweeping through the state.

Princewill, who is from

the riverine area and a Kalabari prince who was the defunct Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2007, said he was ‘joining the race in order to raise the game to the next level.’

“I want to be governor because I want to return peace to the state, restore it on the path of progress. We need politicians who have the solution to the myriad of problems assailing the state.

“So, I am not in the race

90%

The percentage projection of global energy demand of countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2035.

Source: Unesco.org

because of where I come from,” pointing out that the state has suffered much of socio-economic and political destabilisation in the last few years.

On whether he could, with his simplistic candour, weather the storm of politics, fighting against politically established contestants and godfathers with financial muscle, the prince said politics is not all about money.

“For me to be governor, it requires a miracle to suc-

53.9

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Canada in 2010.

Source: Itu.int

ceed. But, that is why I am involved, because Rivers State requires a miracle.

Most of you think I am new in politics; I have come a long way. I was governorship candidate on the platform of the defunct AC in 2007, and my political contacts and network cut across the country,” he said.

The PDP chieftain, who said although politics is not all about money, he has the material and mental resources to get his message across to the electorate, revealing that he raised N500 million for Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s campaign in 2007.

Tambuwal assures on empowerment programmes Ugo Willies

GOMBE

S

L-R: Representative of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo; Chairperson of the occasion, Lorrietta Aniagolu and President, Women for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Mrs. Joy Onyesoh, at a Women Political Stakeholders' Forum in Enugu…yesterday

1.8bn Fuel Subsidy Fraud: Marketers Seek case Dismissal Appolos Christian

wo oil marketers, Mahmud Tukur and Alex Ochonogor, who were charged to court on N1.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, filed an application before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja seeking the dismissal of the charges.

The two were arraigned before the Ikeja High Court with their company, Eterna Plc. and one Abdullahi Alao on a nine count of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and use of false documents.

They purportedly obtained N1.8billion from the Federal Government of Nigeria for a purported importation of 80.3m litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

In a preliminary notice of objection, counsel to Tukur and Ochonogor, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo(SAN), told the court that the proof of evidence did not support allegations levelled against them.

T

Oyetibo described the criminal charges brought against the two marketers as an abuse of court processes which should be struck out in the interest of justice.

He argued that Tukur and Ochonogor, acting in their capacity as the Managing Director and Head of Financial Control of Eternal Plc respectively, are not liable in the charge that emanated from a joint venture agreement between Eterna Plc, Axernergy Ltd., Sahara Energy Resources and Ontario Oil to import petroleum product into the country.

"It is submitted that the proof of evidence does not disclose or support the fact that the first and second defendants obtained money by themselves in the transactions in which the offences were alleged to have been committed.

"All financial dealings in those transactions were particularly between Eterna Plc and other companies mentioned in the proof of evidence." Oyetibo submitted.

Globacom, UNILORIN forge ICT partnership Biodun Oyeleye

Ilorin

igeria’s telecommunicaNLimited, tions giant, Globacom has made a part-

nership proposal to the University of Ilorin for the optimisation of the university's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure to improve its triple mandate of teaching, research and community service.

According to a statement from the university, Globacom's Chief Commercial Director, Dr. David Ehikhuemen, made the proposal when he led a team from the company on a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali.

Ehikhuemen said the company was determined to have a robust relationship with the University of Ilorin, noting in particular that optimising the telephony on campus, and helping to reduce the university's budget on ICT are high on the agenda of the proposed partnership.

Also speaking, Head of

Globacom Mobile Money, Mr. EsaieDiei, commended the university for enabling a cashless behaviour on campus. “You are ahead of your time, just as Globacom is the first telecommunication company to support the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) cashless policy.

We will like to start a pilot project with you,” he maintained.

In his response, the vicechancellor acknowledged the contribution of Globacom to the development of ICT in Africa. He thanked Globacom’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Mike Adenuga, who he described as an admired entrepreneur.

“We are delighted to associate with him,” the vicechancellor said.

Ambali said the university was the first in the deployment of ICT facilities in all facets of its system. For instance, the vice-chancellor said, the university was the first to introduce ComputerBased Test (CBT), adding that the Senate and Council meetings of the university are paperless.

Princewill added that the basic template for rebuilding the state along the line of security is to stimulate the economy and create jobs, pointing out that security is already linked with thriving business environment and job creation.

He commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda in the areas of modernisation of Nigerian airports, the railways, emphasising that in previous governments, opposition parties were silent, but that Jonathan’s government have fostered a strong opposition.

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has assured women and youths in the country that the House of Representatives would evolve programmes solely targeted at empowering them.

He stated this yesterday in Kaltungo Local Government of Gombe State during the distribution of empowerment materials provided by member representing Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency, Hon. Hajiya Fatima Binta Bello.

The Speaker, who urged National Assembly members to remain focused in empowering their constituencies, said it is one sure way Nigerians will experience the dividends of democracy. He said that was behind the planned empowerment programmes.

Tambuwal called on the lawmakers to double their

efforts at empowering the people to be self-reliant, stressing that; “It’s our responsibility to empower them to be self-reliant.”

Also speaking at the occasion, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, commended Hon. Binta Bello, for her effort in empowering her people, noting that her contribution to the development of her constituency and the state would never be forgotten.

The governor called on members of the Gombe State House of Assembly to shun differences and assist their people, warning that they should not only look for votes during elections, but should also look at the way forward by empowering the people.

Speaking earlier, Hon. Bello commended Governor Dankwambo for improving the standard of education and for recruiting competent teachers and providing infrastructural development in the state.

Elechi condoles with police Charles onyekwere

ABAKALIKI

Martin Elechi of Gtheovernor Ebonyi State has said that ability of the Nigeria Po-

lice to safeguard the life and property of the citizenry was indispensable.

Elechi made the remark when he paid a condolence visit to the police command in Abakaliki, over the demise of two officers recently killed by gunmen.

“I believe our security operatives have the capacity and the will to disgrace and rout those who are traducing and putting question marks on our sovereignty,” the governor said.

It will be recalled that two police officers attached to the Ekumenyi Police Division, Abakaliki, were on June 1, killed by gunmen.

He urged the police to ensure that all forms of crime

and criminality become a thing of the past, giving assurance that the state government would support the command in this direction.

The governor described the killing of the two officers as unfortunate, adding that government received the news of their demise with sadness.

“Death is something that occurs every day in every part of the world, but the issue is how it occurred, in this situation, the two officers died gallantly,” he said.

On the current security situation, Governor Elechi said the situation has proved the nation's ability to remain as a country.

“What the country is going through is a very difficult moment in our history and it will proof our ability to remain as a country or otherwise,’’ the governor said.

KWARA: PDP SEEKS POWER WITHOUT A GODFATHER / PAGE 16 | FALLOUT OF AJIMOBI’S ENDORSEMENT / PAGE 17

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/politics

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, POLITICS

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

13

JONATHAN’S ELECTORAL VALUE THEORY AND G5 RELEVANCE

p-14, 15

Hope rises for emergency rule states T he recent assurance by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega that polls will hold in the North-Eastern part of the country in next year’s general elections has allayed fears of the people of the troubled region not choosing leaders who will pilot their affairs in the next democratic dispensation.

The commission had earlier raised doubt over the possibility of the strife-torn states being part of the 2015 elections when Jega, in December last year at a stakeholders’ hearing organised by the Senate Committee on INEC, said that unless the security situation changes in the North-East, the commission would not conduct elections in the affected states.

He had said: “It is my hope that the challenges in the North-East will be resolved before 2015. If the security is such that we cannot hold election, then we may need to fall back on the law to suspend it or postpone it. Ideally, you cannot conduct election under a period of emergency.”

But recent events in one of the most affected states –Yobe, have proved that the people of the area are poised to be part of the electoral process in 2015.

The December 28, 2013 local government election in the state had put to rest, the security worry in Yobe.

The Ibrahim Gaidam administration made a statement with the peaceful conduct of the council poll that the 2015 general election can indeed hold in the state.

The poll had contrary to expectations witnessed massive turnout, as residents turned out in their numbers across the state with no report of electionrelated or any other violence, during and after the election.

The peaceful conduct of the election prompted the country’s leading opposition political party and ruling party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC) to charge INEC to borrow a leaf from the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (YSIEC) on how to organise elections.

The party, through its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the Yobe council poll showed that the only impediment to the conduct of elections in the three North-East states worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, is a Federal Government that has ulterior motives and one that

The prospect of elections holding in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe that are mostly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in 2015 have brightened, given the assurance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), FELIX NWANERI reports

Jega

Shettima

is mortally afraid of its own shadows, as well as a conniving INEC that is independent only in name.

Also, the governors of the three states in the zone – Kashim Shettima (Borno), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Gaidam (Yobe) expressed similar position. To them, the issue of elections in the zone in 2015 is not debatable.

The trio in a statement not only urged INEC to disregard calls by some politicians for the

postponement of the elections due to the security situation in the states, but reminded the Federal Government that it has the obligation of protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians in all parts of the country, without necessarily putting them under any special condition.

Justifying their position on having elections conducted in their states, the three governors urged INEC to take a cue from war-ravaged Afghanistan where elections were recently

held, in spite of threat of attacks by the Taliban terrorist group.

The governors said Afghanistan and her people were celebrated worldwide for liberating themselves from the scourge of fear and thereby sent a strong signal that no amount of threats would deny them from choosing their leaders through democratic processes.

They said: “INEC should take a cue from Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission which courageously held the country’s presidential and provincial election despite strong threats issued by the Taliban.

“Afghanistan was celebrated worldwide for liberating herself

CROSSFIRE The general public and the affected media organisations in particular are assured that the exercise was a routine security action and should not be misconstrued for any other motive -Chris Olukolade

The media do not bear arms; rather, we bear information, which sheds light on darkness.... Let no one accuse the media of any flimsy and nebulous security breach, and hide under that umbrella to traumatise us -Femi Adesina

from the scourge of fear, thereby sending a strong signal that no threat would prevent them from choosing their leaders through democratic processes.”

Putting the government to task on security ahead of the 2015 polls, the governors pointed out that the Afghan government provided adequate security for the country’s elections, and urged the Federal Government to do same.

“We all know that the unfortunate insurgency affecting this country has a similar attribute to the Taliban doctrine in Afghanistan even though ours is now assuming a very complicated character. INEC should as a matter of counterinsurgency approach, ensure that no part of Nigeria is excluded from the 2015 general elections,” they said.

Former Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who spurred the governors’ outburst, had argued that security of lives and property is more important than any election in the zone in 2015.

Shekarau is a founding member of the APC before dumping it for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after losing out in the battle for the control of the party in Kano to Governor Musa Kwankwaso, and has been nominated as a minister by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said: “I still believe that it is going to largely be based on practical security reports on ground. If there are threats to lives, who are you going to govern even if you win the election?

“So, it is not safe and I don’t see anybody spitting fire on it.

As a democrat, I always insist that let there be elections to allow people decide their fate, but this does not necessarily mean we conduct elections under a volatile situation.”

He added: “The truth is that let the state governors, the Federal Government and all concerned join hands together and assess the situation. What will the Federal Government gain or INEC gain if they don’t conduct elections in any state?

But if it is in the interest of the public, the life and security of the people are far more important than any election that you can think of.”

Besides the governors, some political leaders of the zone equally condemned Shekarau’s position with many describing him as an agent of the PDP-controlled Federal Government.

A former Head of Borno CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

14 POLITICS

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igerians may not have heard the last on the issue of defected governors who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The rancour generated by their move continues to play out as the country moves closer to the general elections slated for February 2015. Each side wants to make Nigerians believe thehave all the aces, hence they continue to play down on the opposition’s position, and play up their own side.

In one of such move to reassure members of his party, President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday enjoined members of the ruling PDP not to be worried by pockets of defection in the party in the past, saying those who left the party cannot win election in their wards. The president who was referring to the five defected governors Murtala Nyako, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abdufatah Ahmed, Rotimi Amaechi and Aliyu Wamakko of Adamawa, Kano, Kwara, Rivers, and Sokoto states, popularly referred to as G5 governors, said the PDP had not even noticed they were gone, because they had no electoral value.

According to him, “From the privileged position that I am, I see wider.

When I looked across I did not really see that threat. Some of them I am sure they cannot win their ward in an election now because some of those states are totally PDP states.”

The president who stated this at the 65th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP held at the party secretariat in Abuja, stressed that this was as a result of the total commitment of the factional chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Jonah Jang and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio and other PDP governors.

“We have to encourage them. We have to commend them. They are working and defending the party as if we have 36 governors and we believe they will carry on with that spirit especially in this injury time,” Jonathan added.

Piqued by the president’s comment, the G-5 governors promised to surprise him and his party come 2015. Speaking through Governor Nyako of Adamawa, the G5 described President Jonathan’s statement that they were inconsequential as laughable.

According to Nyako, there was no compulsion in belonging to a political party especially the one which entrenched impunity as its culture saying people changed religion, let alone a political party which had chosen the wrong path. “They seem to be rattled, the leadership of the party in Abuja has already given it a terrifying fatal upper-cut, like in boxing, and to leave a dead body of the already dead PDP is better than be buried with it,” he said.

He continued: “It’s unfortunate and regrettable that the president can’t read in-between the political lines and seems to be at a loss with the reality to know where the pendulum swings. The pervasive corruption and incompetence that has become the hallmarks of the Jonathan administration paved the way for this unprecedented greed in which hapless job seekers were extorted by the same government that has failed to provide jobs for them.”

Amaechi still weathering the storm Through the courts, Amaechi became the governor of Rivers State in 2000, and was re-elected for a second term in 2011 both on the platform of the PDP. If any of the G5 governors should have a major grudge with the PDP, it is Amaechi, for he has had running battles with the leadership of the party, but always manages to come out victorious.

Among his many battles was in 2007, after he contested and won the PDP’s primaries for Rivers State gubernatorial race, his name was substituted with that of Celestine Omehia. He prosecuted the case to the Supreme Court. He became governor on October 26, 2007, after the apex court pronounced him the rightful candidate of the PDP and winner of the April 2007 governorship election in that

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Jonathan’s electoral value President Goodluck Jonathan recently fired another salvo mocking the five defected governors. In this report, ETAGHENE EDIRIN, BIODUN OYELEYE, IBRAHIM ABDUL, MUHAMMAD KABIR and UMAR ADO examine the ‘electoral value’, strengths and weaknesses of the G5 governors.

Jonathan

state.

Although Amaechi did not personally contest the 2007 elections, he went on to vie for re-election in 2011, and won.

Amaechi cut his teeth in politics as secretary of the now defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Between 1992 and 1994, he was special assistant to the deputy governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.

He was the Rivers State’s secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) caretaker committee in 1996 during the transition programme of late General Sani Abacha junta. His first major elective victory was in 1999, when he contested and won a seat to become a member of the state’s House of Assembly. He was subsequently elected as the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly. He was re-elected into the State Assembly in 2003 and was again made the Speaker.

As the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), it was Amaechi who led his colleagues out from the PDP to APC, due to what they described then among others, as the high handedness of the party’s leadership.

Many a time the governor has claimed that his troubles with the presidency, and his former party, the PDP is because he always says the truth and speaks his mind.

He also claimed that the presidency did not like Rivers State and is refusing to give anything to Rivers State.

As it were, Amaechi has over the years rode on the back of the PDP to victory, and the 2015 elections will be an actual measure of his ‘electoral value’, since he will be contesting from another political party, if he decides to vie for any elective position. His support base in the state will also be made known, if any of his anointed candidates for any post is voted for by the people of the state.

No doubt, Amaechi is not in the league of those governors who cannot win his ward. Although it may be difficult for him to deliver Rivers to APC in the 2015 elections, he is sure to ensure his party wins the governorship and other legislative

Amaechi

From the privileged position that I am, I see wider. When I looked across I did not really see that threat. Some of them I am sure they cannot win their ward in an election elections in 2015.

Ahmed still constant In the last 11 years, Governor Ahmed has been a constant face in the politics of Kwara State. He came to the state in 2003, on the invitation of the then newly elected governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to complement his (Saraki’s) team. He was appointed Commissioner for Finance and he became a strong voice in the Saraki policy team. He did that for the first term successfully and when Saraki was reelected in 2007, Ahmed was again part of the administration, going ahead to win the elections, and take over as governor in 2011.

He has done a lot for his immediate constituency. Saraki, as governor, ensured that all his commissioners and aides gave back to their constituencies and Ahmed was among those who practised this regularly while he was in the former’s cabinet.

Hence, he has a strong presence in his Ifelodun Local Government Area. Even as governor, he has attracted a number of significant projects to his state, one of which is a federal police school. The General Hospital in Share, his hometown, has also been upgraded and fully refurbished along with others in the state. All of these are political investments that can earn reasonable votes from the constituency.

APC State Secretary, Prince Yemi Afolyan, said Jonathan’s statement not only smacked of ill-will from the president just because they are no longer in the same party, but also indicated the level of desperation among the leadership of the PDP. His words: “Anybody who has con-

tested and won an election should not be considered as having no electoral value.

The three years that Ahmed has been in the saddle he has done extremely well. As a matter of fact, the development we are witnessing in the state today is because he is a manager of resources, because given what comes to the state as monthly allocation, we couldn’t have done better.

“It is not correct to say he has no electoral value. In fact, that statement is laughable. But I think it is because the president is in PDP and we are in APC, and they are afraid particularly of Kwara. I think he said it for the sake of saying something; he was probably confused about what to say given the plethora of challenges confronting him. It is like somebody who is drowning; if he sees even a razor blade he will grab it to hold on to something.”

On his part, Ahmed had said if at all the president made such a declaration he couldn’t have been referring to Kwara since he himself knows the reality of politics on ground in the north central state.

Ahmed, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Oba AbdulWahab said the only reason the president could have made such a comment was if he were planning to use means other than people to vote in the next elections.

He however warned that resorting to extraordinary means to win an election should not be an option for the PDP as he expressed faith that given the president’s avowed commitment to the principles of fairness and rule of law such untoward measures would not be used by the president.

His words: “We are sure the president was not talking about Kwara, because everyone knows what is on ground here. Except maybe he wants to use other means and not people. Kwara belongs to the APC because we have decided to stay with the people through the years and they have continually rewarded us by standing with us too. It is the people that determine elections and we have them with us. We have done it before and we shall do it again.”

Nyako: Battling to keep ship afloat By now, leaders and members of the APC in Adamawa State must be worried and having sleepless nights over political developments in the state. Recently, the

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

theory and G5 relevance

Nyako

Ahmed

only remaining three members of the party in the state’s House of Assembly, Wafarninyi Theman of Hong Constituency, Simon Isa of Song Constituency and Abubakar Jarengol of Mubi North Constituency defected to the PDP, thereby making the entire 25 members of the Assembly PDP. It could be recalled that while announcing their defection at the plenary under matters of personal explanation, the lawmakers, who were elected to the Assembly on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) said after consultations with their constituencies, they were advised to move to the PDP. Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, who was initially dilly-darling, said the development was a welcome one, stressing that the action of the lawmakers was backed by Section 109, subsection G of the 1999 Constitution which gives liberty to any elected member who happens to be sponsored by a political party and the party got involved in a merger or division. “It is allowed for certain members to cross-carpet to any political party of their

Kwankwaso

Wamakko

choice,” he said.

But the Adamawa APC saw nothing out of place with the development and declared through the party state’s publicity secretary, Rev. Phineas Padio, that the development would not affect the chances of APC winning elections in the state.

“Let me make it clear that the movement of those lawmakers will not affect and can never affect the APC in the state, being a grassroots party,” Padio said.

In fairness to the Adamawa APC, the defection of the last batch of their members in the Assembly was actually “normal” as it has almost become fashionable for members of the party in Adamawa State to defect to PDP. Political pundits are of the view that the exodus of elected lawmakers from APC to the PDP has put a lie to the position of Governor Nyako, who defected last year to the APC, that the PDP “is just a lifeless body, waiting to be buried.”

From every indication it is now glaring

that the Adamawa State governor might be speaking for himself and his kitchen cabinet when he pronounced PDP a dead party as his people abandoned him when he defected to the APC. In Sokoto, Kwara, Kano and Sokoto states most of the federal and state lawmakers from the states joined their governors when they defected to the APC. But in Adamawa, the reverse was the case as even the lawmakers that were originally in APC jumped ship when Nyako joined the party.

The dwindling fortune of APC is becoming a source of strength for the PDP in the state, as PDP members are daily emboldened to echo the president’s pronouncement that APC has no electoral value in Adamawa State despite having the state governor in its fold.

From the body language of Adamawa State chapter of the APC, it appears they are now surprised that Nyako could do little or nothing to shore up the fortunes of the party in the state.

According to Alhaji Yayaji Gombi, a PDP chieftain in the state, “Even before Nyako dumped PDP for the APC, his po-

POLITICS

15

litical influence was called to question when the KOWA Party candidate he subterraneous sponsored for the state House of Assembly by-election in Mayo-Belwa, lost to the PDP candidate.

“Prior to the by-election Nyako had organised a parallel congress for the PDP candidate but the national secretariat of PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the candidate that emerged at the congress organised by the Joel Madaki faction which had the backing of Bamanga Tukur.

“At the end of the by-election the PDP candidate, Umar Abdulkarim, who came from the faction loyal to Tukur trounced the KOWA party’s candidate, Umar Kugama, with 12,040 votes against 7,840 votes recorded by the opposition party. Since Nyako’s candidate lost the by-election his political fortunes have continued to nose dive,” said Gombi.

Even the rumour that he is positioning to hand over to his son, Commander Abdul’Aziz Nyako (rtd) in 2015 is being called to question as the governor is doing little or nothing to ensure APC wins the state next year.

Still, Nyako is fighting from a vantage position. He has not yet lost grip of the officially-recognised state chapter of APC. And members of his political family still maintain firm control of many lucrative government agencies in the state. Ironically, these are the same factors that his opponents are equally using against him.

Wherever the pendulum swings, though, it is becoming increasingly clear that in the treacherous waters of Adamawa politics, the retired naval officer will need all his skills to steer his ship ashore – if the opposition forces particularly in PDP, fail to gather enough strength to sink it.

To some, Nyako’s major trouble stemmed from his split with most of his elite supporters who felt he betrayed them and began to turn against him. They include Prof. Jibril Aminu, former PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, (whose son Awwal is also eyeing the exalted seat), businessman Aliyu Walga and a host of others.

This is because, dramatic political changes in the state within the last couple of days are ominous for Nyako, but it would be naïve to write him off too quickly. He still controls the state’s purse.

Though it might not guarantee comfort to him, given the speed at which things are happening in the state.

But for now, as pundits argue, only time will tell whether the retired naval officer will survive the storm.

Wamakko: A grassroot politician Governor Wamakko has already spent seven years and he would be completing his tenure next year. He spent almost seven years as deputy governor of Sokoto State before he resigned and joined PDP on whose platform he won the 2007 governorship.

His defection from PDP to APC has depleted the PDP to a very large extent, as most of the political heavyweights in the state followed him to the APC. Wamakko is a grassroots politician and a man always in touch with the masses; he is not a leader who is not conversant with the yearnings and aspiration of his people.

His popularity in the rural areas may not be unconnected with massive projects executed in rural areas especially roads and boreholes which endeared him to rural folks. The governor to a very large extent runs an open administration and his Gawon Nama residence is accessible to both the rich and poor.

So, he would be difficult to upset by his opponents in the PDP. Although, Wamakko’s tenure ends next year and he will not seek re-election having completed eight years of two terms, the truth of the matter is that Wamakko’s greatest concern is to field a formidable candidate that would be able to deliver Sokoto to APC, especially now that he is at loggerhead with PresiCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

16 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Kwara: PDP seeks power without a godfather With re-branding, mobilisation and fundraising, the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is poised to reclaim the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC). But the efforts, according to the APC, are no threat to its dominance. BIODUN OYELEYE reports

T

he mission of the new team is simple and unambiguous: to wrest power from the incumbent administration in Kwara State and put an end to the political leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki, whom they ascribe as the godfather of politics in the state.

The convergence of names in support of that mission include Prof. Shuiab AbdulRaheem, Senator Simon Ajibola, Senator Ajadi Makanjuola, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Alhaja Bola Shagaya, Mr. Dele Belgore and a host of others. They also have the avowed commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to conquer the state on his behalf in the 2015 general elections.

The state PDP chairman, Iyiola Oyedepo, boasted that given the current support and enthusiasm of members, the party is actually in the best position to coast home to victory in 2015. “We have been able to unite the divergent views in the party and there is appreciable unity in the party now,” he told New Telegraph, pointing out that his leadership has been able to discourage factionalism which was a major feature prior to the primaries.

“We used to have factional interest such as the Unity Group, Freedom Group and so on but we have been able to abrogate that kind of groupings and everybody has been urged to line up behind the executive which is the only structure of the party,” he said.

Many are worried that given the array of personalities within the party who are being rumoured to have eyes on the gubernatorial ticket, it may be a challenge speaking with one voice in the days ahead. Analysts have cited examples in Ekiti State, where the gubernatorial ambition of Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele made him to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as the recent crosscarpeting by Senator Isiaka Adeleke in Osun State, a few weeks to the gubernatorial election in the state due to rancour traceable to the emergence of the PDP candidate in the state.

Almost all the bigwigs in the Kwara PDP are said to be interested in contesting the primaries and given what took place after the state congress, there are fears that the party may not be able to control some losers who are already being labelled within the party as ‘too desperate’ in their ambition. “These are not people you can just tame anyhow; they have resources, they have ego, they have connections and they have ambition,” a source told our reporter.

The current permutation within the party, according to insiders, is to pick a candidate from the Kwara Central Senatorial District, most likely Ilorin, with the aim of checkmating the influence of Saraki. “As we speak, I can confirm to you that we know Saraki is more popular in Kwara South than in the Central,” the source said, noting that given the electoral value of the emirate which accounts for over 60 per cent of total votes in the state, if the party can secure the district then its success will be easy. But there are also speculations that given the ‘experience’ of President Jonathan with Saraki, an Ilorin man, hawks around him

Saraki

Gbemi

The way out, according to the party’s leadership, is to ensure a fair playing ground right from inception and eliminate the influence of powerful forces within the party

Oyedepo

may force his hand against another Ilorin candidate.

To handle the possible conflict scenario, the party will have to contend with whom to choose between a Dele Belgore who has ran the race before with some level of success and a AbdulRaheem who has been a major pillar of the party before Belgore joined the party. There is also the Shagaya factor as well as that of AbdulRahaman AbdulRasak, two prominent business people with interest in the politics of the state. The way out, according to the party’s leadership, is to ensure a fair playing ground right from inception and eliminate the influence of powerful forces within the party.

No more godfather Hence, some leaders of the party took part in a N5 billion fundraising last week where the party raised N250 million. The event, according to the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Chief Rex Olawoye, was meant to do what he described as ‘the essential’ by the party towards the 2015 elections funding in the state.

A high ranking member of the party confirmed to our reporter that the fundraising was necessary in order to ensure that no individual becomes the major source of financing the activities of the party. “Once we can achieve that end, we will be able to avoid the problem of godfathers,” the source explained.

It was gathered that some key players within the party who have eyes on the governorship ticket had earlier sought to downplay the fundraising by asking for its postponement raising fears among

the current leadership of the party that such a move could become an avenue to hijack the financing of the party.

It was gathered that the leadership of the party insisted on going ahead with the event even if it does not generate the anticipated target. “Whatever we get will be a good beginning, we will then know how strong or weak we are financially and we can then know what again to tell ourselves,” a source among the leaders told New Telegraph few days to the event.

Oyedepo himself confirmed this, saying the event and subsequent ones to follow are means of ending the emergence and influence of godfathers in the affairs of the party. He said the event had been able to give the party to the people by securing financial commitment from them.

“We were able to gather some resources to do some work,” he said, adding: “Some people paid cash and others made pledges which they have begun to redeem; others gave us vehicles. So, now the party is not in the hands of any godfather who can wake up one day to say he is the owner of the party because he is the sole financier.

“The Ilorin fundraising will come up before June 20 and everybody will be involved; even if you have only N1,000 you can contribute to the party. This is strange to Kwara politics. For a long time, the politics had been in the hands of godfathers, so here we want to take the party out of the hands of godfathers.”

Engagement and advocacy The leadership has also set up various committees which, according to Oyedepo will be inaugurated next week to make all hands to be on deck and ensure there is no room for idleness. The committees are measures of accommodating the various interest groups in the party and ensure that they all report to the chairman as the focal point of the party. The party has also embarked on advocacy and engagement measures to win more members.

Oyedepo said: “We have about 22 com-

mittees and we have also been inaugurating the local government chapters of the party. We are fully prepared for them in 2015 but of course you don’t measure our preparedness by what we did in one month. We will continue to get prepared for 2015; we are properly focused for that.

Lest I forget, we have also commissioned a group of professionals to put together what we want to do in form of our message to the people of Kwara.

“We are not just saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not doing well; we want to tell the whole world how they have not been doing well. The document is ready and will be printed for all Kwarans by the end of June. However, our selling point is not the distribution of money to the people; we want to mobilise them, we want to educate them and organise them so that they will follow us.”

Part of strategies to win support for the party, according to the PDP chairman when he officially unveiled his leadership vision to newsmen, is to sell the party as the credible voice of the people of Kwara with a promise to undertake five cardinal programmes if elected into office in 2015.

He described what he termed the great assignment of the rebranded PDP as “to democratically capture political power in this state in the 2015 general election.” He noted that given all indications, the party is on course to achieving that dream. “We are on a rescue mission and the vision is to provide good governance for the depressed and oppressed people of Kwara State,” he said.

He said further: “We equally have a mission to use the instrument of government to provide a platform of unity, love, fairness and justice in the heterogeneous community of Kwara State. The party shall have as its core values, integrity, honesty, character, selfless service and hard work. We know what is lacking in the present system that is unacceptable to all civilised societies. It is now that the people of Kwara State will know that the party is truly for the people.”

PDP no threat, says APC But the ruling APC says it is not fazed by any effort by the PDP so far. According to the state ruling party, the PDP has no impactful agenda that can consolidate on the achievements of APC. The state Secretary of the APC, Prince Yemi Afolayan told New Telegraph that most of those left in the PDP after the exit of the Saraki group from the party, have little or no electoral value.

His words: “There is no PDP structure in Kwara State that can threaten us. They are just managing themselves and we know it; you know it is very interesting to know that people will be hiding behind one finger thinking that others won’t see them. We know them. Who are the people with them that will threaten us? Is it Prof.

Oba (AbdulRaheem) who is an academician and who is not grounded in politics?

Or is it Senator Ajibola who has been discredited at home? Or Bio (Ibrahim) who cannot even go to Gure? Or is it (Bola) Shagaya who does not even know Kwara?

And talk of Gbemi Saraki, she has tried it before and failed. So, who will threaten us?

“We are not threatened and that is the truth. The machinery of our party and government is solid. And we even now have many of them in PDP coming back to us. This morning three of their heavyweights woke me up; they came to me at home to say they want to come back and we have told our people that whoever wants to come back should be accepted because we were from the same house before.

“Who among them was not made through the Saraki machinery? Majority of them have no ballot value. Let me tell you; it was Saraki that made them. I was somewhere during the commissioning of one of the hospitals which was given CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

POLITICS 17

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Ajimobi

Lanlehin

Alli

Fallout of Ajimobi’s endorsement W

hen Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State was unanimously endorsed for second term by many chieftains and stakeholders of the party sometime last year, it was a delightful news to the helmsman and his teeming supporters.

The leaders, both at the state and local government levels, took the decision in the belief that the governor had performed creditably to deserve the chance to consolidate on his achievements.

Even though many other aspirants within the party were waiting in the wing to also take a shot at the position, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its wisdom decided that there was no vacancy in the Agodi Government House in 2015. This was however to the displeasure of those who felt that the announcement was a death knell on their ambition.

To that end, things started falling apart within the party and the centre even though holding, appears to be on tenterhooks. Many of those who worked assiduously for the victory of the party in 2011 started withdrawing their loyalty to the party and the governor, who is the leader of the party.

They started hobnobbing with other opposition parties and surreptitiously digging the grave for their erstwhile party. Some of them even refused to participate in the last voters’ registration review exercise to drive home their angst.

Among the aggrieved loyalists are former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Sarafadeen Alli; former Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Cooperatives, Mr. Kazeem Oyedeji, Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Olufemi Lanlehin; Senator representing Oyo Central, Ayoade Adeseun, among many others.

While Alli led many other loyalists of the APC to Labour Party (LP), Lanlehin was romancing with the Accord Party (AP) of Senator Rashidi Ladoja. Alli and his co-travellers facilitated the visit of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State to inaugurate the new party’s office at Imalefalafia area of Oke Ado, Ibadan sometime in April this year.

Lanlehin, who lost the governorship to Ajimobi in 2011, but was compensated with the senatorial slot, did not feel comfortable with the endorsement of Ajimobi. Instead of aligning with others to defect to LP, Lanlehin started perfecting arrangement of jumping into the ship of AP. Though the rumour had been rife about his political reconnaissance, he only made it public last Thursday in Abuja when he presented a formal letter to the Senate President, David Mark declaring his intention to dump the APC for AP.

The endorsement of Governor Abiola Ajimobi for a second term in 2015 has led to exodus of stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State to other parties, writes SOLA ADEYEMO

According to him, he decided to move from his defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to Accord since the party was dead. He averred further that because APC evolved out of a merger of some political parties, which did not go down well with him, he decided to act according to the constitution that empowers him to freely associate, by joining AP. To every surreptitious move of these defectors, the party was also ready to pay them in their right coin. While Alli resigned as chairman of the Odu’a Investment Company Limited, another candidate was being groomed to take over from Lanlehin in the Senate. Mr Femi Olaore, a Lagos-based chattered accountant has been moving around, meeting with stakeholders as the anointed one for the Oyo South senatorial seat in 2015.

Though Ayoade Adeseun from Ogbomoso has not officially made his own plan public, rumours are thick that the former House of Representatives member on the platform of the PDP was preparing to stage a comeback to his former party.

To Adeseun and Lanlehin, it is no longer a race against the incumbent governor, but a fight for relevance in order to retain their coveted seats in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

Asked what informed his dumping the APC, Alli told New Telegraph that “many things are wrong with the people there. Those that toiled for the victory of the party were not compensated. Compensating them is not only in terms of money, but because they also wanted to contribute, but were denied. The worse of it is that of the man running a one-man show. He (Ajimobi) has lost two senators already (Lanlehin and Ayo Adeseun). Many of the party’s strikers have left.”

Confirming that he is now in Labour Party, Alli said: “LP is going to ensure all the structures of the APC are swept off. You must have seen how people have been trooping out to join us wherever we have been inaugurating our offices. At a rally in Oke Ogun, about 700 people were in attendance. Let the APC come out with their members. I tell you, many members have left because of the way the party is being run.”

Lanlehin part ways with Ajimobi Senator Lanlehin, representing Oyo South, who also aspired to contest the governorship election in 2011, but was later compensated with a senatorial slot after Ajimobi was picked by the party leaders, has also dumped the party he worked with others to build.

He had been rumoured to be hobnobbing with the Accord party in the state in order to have a soft landing, having refused to register for the APC at the last voter revalidation exercise.

A Lagos-based chattered accountant, Femi Olaore, has been raised by Ajimobi to contest the senatorial seat to oust Lanlehin in the 2015 election. Following this development, Lanlehin must have made up his mind that the game was up for him in the APC, reason he decided to retain his seat in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly through the Accord.

He parted ways with Ajimobi shortly after the state hierarchy announced the endorsement of the governor for second term. The decision did not go down well with him because until the endorsement, Lanlehin had hoped to contest the governorship, provided a level playing ground would be allowed this time around.

Speaking on behalf of his principal, Lanlehin’s Media Assistant, Wale Sadare, confirmed the defection and formal declaration, as well as the reason he parted ways with the Ajimobi administration.

His words: “In the first place, Senator Lanlehin was not part of APC. He was in ACN. And when the merger issue with other parties was to be sealed, my boss discovered that due process was not allowed to take place. There was no consultation among all the stakeholders. Positions were just allotted the way some elders felt. The merger process in Oyo State particularly was fraught with many irregularities. Many of Lanlehin’s supporters were not carried along in the

Many of those who worked assiduously for the victory of the party in 2011 started withdrawing their loyalty to the party and the governor

scheme of things in the merger arrangement. The decision of the senator not to go with APC therefore was not a personal thing, but to ensure that his supporters are not left in the lurch. That was why he sought a party where his supporters could be protected adequately. In essence, that was why he has decided to join Accord,” said Sadare.

Also part of the fallout of the endorsement of Ajimobi is the frosty relationship between the erstwhile leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, who has vowed not to support Ajimobi for a second term.

Shittu, a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in the administration of Ladoja, controls a large followership of the CPC members in the APC. He contested against Ajimobi in 2011 and is still resolute on contesting in 2015. Fragmentation of the APC via this group is also a minus for Ajimobi’s chance for a second term.

They are no threat, says APC Reacting to the series of complaints and dissenting moves by the aggrieved defecting chieftains however, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Akin Oke, said those who defected were leaders who were entitled to their opinion and decision.

He nevertheless said that the defectors did not get their decision right because instead of abandoning the party, it was the party that should have abandoned them having benefited immensely from the party.

Speaking with New Telegraph, he said: “They are leaders. They are entitled to their opinion and decision. Their action is more of a challenge to us to work harder. Nevertheless, we should wait until after the election before we know whether their defection would affect us or not. I am convinced it is the people of Oyo State whom we have been able to serve well that will determine our victory, not the set of people you have mentioned.

No doubt, the Ajimobi administration had recorded accolades in virtually all areas. Some governorship aspirants in the PDP see nothing extraordinary in whatever Ajimobi had done, same with the aggrieved APC defectors, who felt Ajimobi and his wife, Florence, are running the affairs of the state like a private business.

Already, the forces of defectors have closed ranks with the Accord and Labour parties coupled with the unrelenting PDP forces angling to stage a comeback to the Agodi Government House by 2015.

Ajimobi will have to do more to break the second term jinx in 2015.

18 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Hope rises for emergency rule states CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

State Civil Service, Bulama Mali Gubio, said that it was very clear that Shekarau has lost his mental balance since he left the APC for the PDP. His words: “Ibrahim Shekarau is a disgrace to the North as a whole. As a matter of fact, with this statement coming from him on crucial matters like this, he has lost what remains of the integrity in his person as a northerner.”

He added that apart from the three states in question, Shekarau’s comment is capable of denying most states of the North from holding the said elections as well. “If he is insisting that elections would not hold in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe because they are volatile states; then he should note that it means elections would not hold in his state, Kano, because it is also one of the volatile states.”

Pioneer chairman of the PDP in Borno State, Ahmed Ashemi, also expressed displeasure over Shekarau’s comment, saying that it is capable of sending a wrong signal that could lead to chaos.

“It is an ill-conceived assumption or foreclosure of opinion that we in Borno and sister states of Adamawa and Yobe are not going to experience peace in the next nine months despite the efforts being made by the Federal Government through the security operatives,” he said.

Further berating the former governor for playing politics with the issue of insurgency, Ashemi said: “I am a card-carrying PDP politician, but I will never allow anyone to politicise the current security challenges in the North-East. I believe the issue of security affects all of us and we have to put hands together regardless of politics, religion or tribal inclines to fight headlong the issue of insecurity, rather than playing politics with it.”

While those opposed to holding elections in the North-East in 2015 cannot be dismissed, given the worsening secu-

Kwara: PDP seeks power without a godfather CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 6

to one of them when we were together and he is now saying it is a PDP project, but I told them frankly that it is wrong.

The same man, Saraki gave him a federal appointment and he now says he wants to defend his federal appointment; something that he got through Saraki. Most of them have no electoral value; it was Saraki who made it possible for them, so how can they now become a threat to us?”

The APC’s Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, described the muchtalked about re-branding of the state PDP as a failed attempt to deceive the people of the state.

Buhari said: “For the unlucky PDP, the people of Kwara State who PDP intends to hoodwink by claims of re-branding do not need Oyedepo to address any press conference before they know the true state of PDP. Kwarans are well informed, no amount of non-existing claims or distorted figures or both can deceive them.

“All over the world, rebranding is embraced by corporate entity or a political party, like the violent PDP, to either shed its negative image or achieve a target or both. As at today, the PDP remains in confusion and purposelessness.

“How can any reasonable person describe the bloody PDP congresses held in Kwara State as watershed? These congresses were generally regarded as bloody by Kwarans and the media, both local and national, the Police command confirmed same. The PDP’s penchant for violence is clear and the good people of Kwara State will continue to reject a party that has the potential to institutionalise violence. A party that couldn’t successfully organise congress for its few members cannot be entrusted with the governance of Kwara State.”

Shekarau

rity situation in the zone, the position of others who warned that INEC would be sending a wrong signal to other criminal gangs in the country if it excludes the three states from the polls may have informed INEC’s rethink.

Some analysts had at the heat of the debate on whether or not the troubled zone should be part of the forthcoming general elections reasoned that criminal gangs like the Boko Haram, ravaging the North-East, may cash in on the exclusion of the zone to foment trouble in other parts of Nigeria and have more places excluded from the elections.

The INEC chairman (Jega), who apparently heeded to the counsel, in assuring that elections would hold in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, said “nobody should entertain any doubt about our preparedness to conduct elections in the three states currently under emergency rule.”

Jega gave the assurance in Abuja, during a courtesy call on him by the

Gaidam

Recent events in one of the most affected states –Yobe, have proved that the people of the area are poised to be part of the electoral process in 2015 leadership of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). He premised his optimism on penultimate week’s by-election in Yobe State, which he described as the best in recent times in terms of turnout and commencement of voting in good time.

According to him, the successful conduct of the by-election despite the security situation in the state is not only an in-

dication that the commission is prepared for elections in the three states in 2015, but a demonstration of INEC’s commitment to keep improving on its mandate.

He said: “Most people never knew we conducted by-election in Yobe State last week. That election was one of the best elections conducted so far. This illustrates how committed we are to keep on improving. If there is any doubt to our preparation in the three states, this is an indication that we are very much prepared for next year’s general elections. So, nobody should entertain any doubt about our preparedness to conduct elections in the three states currently under emergency rule.”

While the general election is still about 10 months away, it cannot be disputed that the success or otherwise of the current multi-national military action against terrorism in the North-East, and not mere resolve by the electoral body will determine whether elections will hold in the zone or not.

Jonathan’s electoral value theory and G5 relevance CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 5

dent Jonathan on the one hand, and his predecessor, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, on the other.

Rumours abound that the House of Representatives’ Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal may likely defect to APC and could be fielded as the party’s flag bearer for governorship election in 2015.

Wamakko’s optimism is strengthened as a result of acrimony in Sokoto PDP, where its leaders are struggling for position rather than working for unity of purpose to achieve their 2015 aspiration.

Already, there are allegations of the party being dominated by Bafarawa whom many view as inaccessible, this is because they have laboured to build the party since 1999 as founding members and wondered why Bafarawa who joined the party few months ago would be dominating them, this has already created disaffection within the rank and file of the party.

Already the party has been split into three camps, with each group trying to upset the other.

Observers opine that lack of unity in ‘the state’s PDP would be its greatest albatross and may affect its fortunes in 2015.

The APC however, seems more united with Wammakko dictating the pace. It is widely taken for granted that whoever Wamakko fields as party candidate, other members would give their maximum support. This is because he is in full control of the party structure across the state as his loyalists and lieutenants are in charge of the party machineries in all the 23 local

government areas in the state.

Wamakko also enjoys the support of the traditional institutions in the state, as he is always carrying them along. He accords priority to their welfare by renovating their palaces, providing them with new vehicles and also improved salaries and allowances.

So, this to a very large extent would give APC an edge over their main opponent PDP, and unless the leadership of PDP gets their acts together, defeating APC would be a mirage in Sokoto State in the 2015 elections.

Kwankwaso: Vast electoral capability Governor Kwankwaso has been on the political scene since the days of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC), the two political parties created by the Ibrahim Babangida military regime. He has been active in major political and electoral activities in the state including those for House of Representatives, Constitutional Conference and lately his governorship positions from 1999 to 2011.

One will vividly remember the role played by the Kwankwaso right from the days he won the seat of House of Representatives, where he subsequently became the Deputy Speaker, to when he occupied a seat at the Constitutional Conference during the regime of late Gen, Sani Abacha.

Although, one could attribute these victories to the overwhelming popularity of the political parties that fielded Kwankwaso as a candidate, however the fact remains that Kwankwaso after seven

years as governor, he is a highly symbolic politician and dogged fighter.

Though some political office holders might not have considerable influence in the domains, such cannot be said of Kwankwaso. He is popular and has a grip on Kano politics. The recent local government election where he ensured that the APC won all the 44 chairmanship seats and councillorship positions in the state attest to his political relevance.

No doubt, the PDP and APC have a tough battle on their hands come 2015, as the federal ruling party vies to take control of states being administered by the G5 members. Ironically, most members of the G5 except Ahmed are in their second term, and as such will not be seeking re-election. They will however also test their electoral might outside of the PDP, if they do decide to vie for another elective position, like the National Assembly.

They would also want to remain relevant in the politics of their respective states, by ensuring that their preferred candidates take over from them, hence will fight to ensure victory in that direction.

As for the PDP, the party will want to remain true to its words that such governors have no electoral value, and will do all it can to grab power from them. The PDP will also want to ensure that the G5 states do not fall to the opposition, so as to garner more votes for its presidential candidate. Nigerians wait with amused look to see which way the political pendulum will swing.

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 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

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

TUESday, JuNE 10, 2014

We reject this dastardly assault on the media

T

he dastardly assault on the media over the weekend by military personnel in parts of the country has raised concerns over a possible slide into dictatorship. The belated explanations by both the military hierarchy and the presidency reflect the poor reasoning that has become the hallmark of this administration.

Regardless of any denial or motive of the military, the forceful seizure of vehicles and confiscation of newspapers is a flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And this is totally unacceptable as it smirks of a desperate attempt to silence the vibrant and articulate press. It is indeed a sad reminder of what happened severally under military dictatorship in Nigeria, where the military regimes hid behind obnoxious and draconian laws such as Decree 2 and 4 of 1984 to wantonly violate the freedom of the press in the country.

Instead of engaging in antidemocratic arm-twisting antics, the administration should gear its efforts towards decisively ridding the country of the menace of frequent Boko Haram attacks and ensuring that the Chibok school girls regain freedom as soon as possible.

The attack on the freedom of the press is a red-herring, a subterfuge and a wild-goose-chase, which at the end of the day will bode ill for the security agencies, as it is a lose-lose situation for the administration.

What seems to be playing out is a plan to cow the media as the 2015 election approaches. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had issued a bizarre directive about being informed of guests on political talk-shows 48 hours before the programmes are broadcast. The implication is that NBC would determine those whose opinions are acceptable, and this is a form of censorship that is most reprehensible in a democracy. A few days later, the President followed with his unrealistic demand for the media to blackout aspects of the insurgency involving Boko Haram, as though a compliant media would achieve what the military has been unable to do so far to halt the insurgents.

Now the military has upped the ante of desperation in a very irresponsible manner. This is a time of serious security challenges and we expect that security alerts need to be responded to pragmatically, proactively and swiftly but not in a manner that antagonizes the populace that are supposed to be protected.

This is not to say that the efforts of the military and other security agencies in containing the insurgency are not being appreciated.

It is the unprofessional manner in which some actions are taken that calls into question their motives and capabilities. In doing their work, which includes responding to security challenges such as the country faces today, security operatives need to clearly understand that media work is mostly time-bound.

Media houses and their workers and other assets such as motor vehicles, buildings and machines, among others, are not to be taken as channels for security breaching. The media has always been active in the fight against the spate of insecurity plaguing the nation and should at all times be respected, taken into confidence and accommodated as reliable partners in addressing the country’s security problems.

Security briefings are always a good opportunity to explain certain situations related to the insurgency and win the confidence of the public. Yet the kind of information that should be made available only comes up after certain bizarre actions have been taken, thereby calling into question the credibility of the examples being cited. How come the discovery of buses with arms in Jos and Abuja had never been made public until it had become necessary to explain the media crackdown?

Why was there no effort to discuss with the various media stakeholders before embarking on this arrogant show of force?

These delivery vans go through various military checkpoints on a daily basis and no alarm has ever been raised. What this action unwittingly suggests is that those military checkpoints are ineffective possibly because of some form of corruption.

This in itself is an indictment of the military and serves to confirm that its effectiveness and reputation have been destroyed by corruption.

It bears repeating that the Nige-

rian media has had more than its fair share of the baptism of fire under the colonialists and particularly from the various military regimes, and has survived and will continue to survive because of its doggedness in nation building. It is too late in the day to think that the media will be intimidated to further the self-serving cause of any administration under any guise. If there is an infraction by the media, there are stipulated civil ways of getting things done. The rule of law rather than the rule of force must be allowed to prevail at all times.

It is unacceptable that a climate of impunity and tyranny should be allowed to thrive in a democracy.

The National Assembly must deal with this harassment and quickly lay a marker of non-tolerance for such unconstitutional behavior. We cannot continue to make unreasonable excuses for actions that are deliberately designed to set back the clock of progress.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Guild of Editors, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria and all other interested parties should not stop at the routine statements of condemnations, but rise above partisan interests and press legal charges to serve as a clear warning.

We advise the government to stop chasing shadows and, for once, seriously focus its attention on the task before it, which is ensuring the safety of all Nigerians in all parts of the country. This affront on the media must stop now.

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

20

Sanctity of Truth

OPINION On religious bodies and taxation Tayo Ogunbiyi

D

espite initial misgivings concerning the real intentions of the promoters of on-going National Confab at Abuja, the conference has actually brought to the front burner a number of issues of national concern. One of such issues is the one that deals with subjecting religious bodies in the country to taxation. At the moment, religious bodies in the country are exempted from taxes. Since the subject came up, lots of arguments have been put up, either for or against, by public affairs analysts, social commentators and other stake holders. Some have argued that since some religious institutions make more money than most corporate organisations, they should be dragged into the tax net. Others are of the view that the extreme flamboyant lifestyle of some religious leaders in the country is indicative of the excessive wealth at their disposal and as such the organisations which they preside over, which generate such excessive funds in the first place, must be subjected to taxation. Others have equally argued that the business ventures of most of these religious bodies should be subjected to taxation since they are strictly profit-making undertakings.

On the other hand, those who are against the move have argued that since the income of religious bodies are largely made up of voluntary gifts, donations, offerings and contributions from willing members, who have already paid taxes on their income, taxing them would only amount to double

taxation. Another argument that has been put forward by those opposed to taxation of religious bodies is that what they bring to the table in terms of providing spiritual coverage for the country is invaluable. Consequently, subjecting them to taxation would be considered an act of ingratitude by the government. According to those who hold this view, the only reason the country has not disintegrated completely is because of the fervent prayers being offered on behalf of the country, by these religious institutions.

As it is, we are yet to hear the last concerning the contentious matter. However, while the wise men and women at the Confab continue to deliberate on the issue and other related matters, one would like to provoke further discourse on the subject and other allied issues. For one, the current debate on taxation of religious bodies should be seen by religious leaders in the country as a wake-up call. They should see it as a reflection of the mood of some Nigerians in respect of the ungodly activities of some of them. It is generally believed that some of the religious organisations in the country have become business empires of their leaders who have become cult –figures being worshipped as gods by their followers. Some of them have been accused of subjecting their followers to lives of penury and distress while they continue to live in unbelievable opulence and extravagance.

The call for taxation of religious bodies should, therefore, be seen as a manifestation of current thinking in the land that some of them are mere business conglomerates established to oil the insatiable thirst of their leaders for material acquisition.

It is, for instance, immoral and unjustifiable for religious bodies to establish institutions of learning that charge fees

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

that are beyond the reach of majority of their members. In the pre-colonial and colonial periods, when European missionaries introduced western education into the country, what they offered was fee education. Their ultimate goal was to massively educate the people. Indeed, most modern day religious leaders benefited from the free education programme of the early missionaries. It is, thus, ironic that same people could preside over organisations that are taking education beyond the reach of the ordinary folks. Though many have argued that it takes huge funds to set up quality institutions of learning, in all sincerity, it is indefensible for religious organisations that used members’ funds to establish schools to charge fees that are above the means of same members.

It should, however, be emphasized that there are still religious bodies and leaders in the country who remain committed to the spirit and details of their divine callings. Those that belong to this category are widely respected across the land for their selfless service to God and mankind. It should also be accentuated that some religious organisations are fully involved in corporate social responsibilities that have largely impacted lives in various ways. This, of course, is a core essence of religious bodies and leaders.

By and large, the lesson to take away from the controversial issue of taxation of religious organisations is that religious bodies and their leaders should focus more on re-building the collapsed spiritual fabric of the society.Instead of encouraging pointless display of materialism, they need to work hard to ensure the regeneration of waning divine principles such as contentment, selflessness, discipline, integrity and love within their organisations and the society at large.

• Ogunbiyi wrote from Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos

Boko Haram, Chibok: Deconstructing religious fundamentalism Bobson Gbinije

W

hen Schizoid hysteria and lunatic martyrdom becomes the driving force in any sect, religious collectivity, society or individual, it precipitates weird characteristics manifested in sectarian violence, hate, intolerance and fundamentalism. Hence, religion has become the greatest predator on man and as Percy Shelley posited, “Earth groans beneath religious iron-age and Priests and Imams dare babble of a God of peace even whilst their hands are red with guiltless blood”.

Religion is a belief in the worship of the ultimate power greater than man. It is like a burning candle in a multi-coloured lantern; you see it from your own perspective.

But the desire to make others see it from our own religious stand point or die is the cause of religious schism in Nigeria. It is a grotesque display of blind extremism and gross intolerance for one to be religiously fanatical. For, religion is supposed to bring out the best in us as Muslims, Christians, Hindus, etc.

The cardinal matrix of love remains the organic fibre of all religions, but it has turned out to be otherwise. There is only one God, which we call by many other names and He is the quintessence and perfect exemplification of love. We are, therefore, not serving God when we end up fighting and

killing one another in the name of Islam or Christianity. It is broad daylight solipsism for which we must all be ashamed.

Sometime ago, a Danish Newspaper made a sarcastic picturesque reflection of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) and this immediately ignited violence all over the world. To compound matters, the print media in France, Britain, America, Belgium etc re-ran the socalled offensive cartoon leading to and fueling more violence in parts of the world including Nigeria. It must be stated with unequivocal clarity that democracy in Denmark is not reflective of democracy in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Nigeria. In these other areas, democracy is still gestational and embryonic, and so matters that touche on what people love with passionate depth should be treated with some modicum of respect, but that does not justify the unleashing of horrendous mayhem on people of other faiths.

How a cartoon in far-away Demark affects a Nigerian Christian remains a puzzle. Are Boko Haram’s ongoing furor and the rancid genocide in Maiduguri, Kastina, Bauchi, Gombe etc, that have led to the loss of lives and property right? Is the practice of Sharia conducive to Nigeria’s peace? Are Islamic theology and practice inherently violent and intolerant? When will this recurrent decimal of fundamentalism and blind violence stop in Nigeria? Are reprisals by Christians the best way to respond? Wither the principles, practice and tenets of Islam and Christianity anchored on love and tolerance in Nige-

ria? Why have successive governments in Nigeria not been able to solve the problem of religious violence and intolerance in the country? Is religion a new version of terrorism? Or is it merely an indirect protest against political and socio-economic dislocation?

Since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the orgy of religious violence leading to a bounteous harvest of corpses and material losses has continued unabated. In 1962, 1963, 1964 Kano, Sokoto, Jos and Kaduna were very volatile cities of religious violence. The volatility was given a political colour in the 1966 pogrom that led to the mass decimation of the Ibos in Northern Nigeria, which led to the call for all Ibos to return home to Eastern Nigeria, culminating in the Nigeria/Biafra civil war (1967 -1970). In the 80s we witnessed in the Maitasine and Zak Zaki religious schism.

Specifically, at the college of Education in the outskirts of metropolitan Kafanchan in Kaduna State at about 8:30pm on Friday March 4, 1987, activities were entering their second day of the “Mission 87 crusade” organized by the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS). It was holding at the College’s Convocation Square and the preacher, Reverend Abubakar Bako, a one-time Muslim from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria mounted the dais and started to speak. In the course of his remarks, he made references to certain verses of the Koran in Arabic and sought to interpret what these meant in English. There were some Muslim students in the library which was not too far from the convocation grounds.

They were listening to what the preacher was saying and they took exception to his interpretation of the Koran, arguing that he had no authority to do so. This later led to a religious conflagration that left in its wake genocidal destruction of lives and properties that has now resurrected in the Boko Haram holocaust and the Chibok saga. The examples are innumerably many. But for how long are we going to continue to put up with this religious madness in Nigeria? It is now time to act. Enough is enough.

Therefore, there must be a federal government-sponsored bill seeking for life imprisonment and the death penalty for religious bandits and fanatics who terrorize, maim and kill others in the name of their god or whatever.

The federal government of Nigeria must educate and sensitize religious groups on the fact that Nigeria is a secular state and that they are statutorily obligated to the payment of taxes to the Federal Government of Nigeria. This must commence immediately.

Secondly, the government must stop sponsoring pilgrims to their holy lands and all Pilgrims Welfare Boards must be reorganized to reflect the present religious realities on ground The Bible and the Koran assert that God Almighty or Allah can fight His own battles. He does not need a galaxy of hypocrites, criminals, terrorists, miscreants, hoodlums and ignorant looters to fight for Him. • Chief Gbinije is of the MANDATE AGAINST POVERTY (MAP) Warri (08023250378).

OPINION 21

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Onyejeocha’s volte-face on aviation projects Emmanuel Emeka

N

kriuka Onyejeocha,who represents Isuikuoto/ Umunneochi Federal constituency is a charming politician. It is not for nothing that she has managed to keep her position of considerable influence over the past four years as Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation. But in the past few weeks, it appears Onyejeocha is running out of fresh tricks from her bag of charms such that she has resorted to her old tricks of backstabbing.

Smacking from her father’s funeral where she allegedly tasked aviation agencies to build her house and fund her father’s funeral carnival, she is at it again.

Onyejeocha recently visited familiar territory –the Ministry of Aviation and several aviation agencies under it, including the Federal Airports Authority, FAAN and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. She was on what appears to be the routine duty of performing her committee’s “over-sight” functions, but as it turned out, there was nothing routine about her visits. She was on a self-appointed mission.

What is shocking to many observers is Onyejeocha’s volte-face over the Aviation Master Plan and in particular, the Airport Re-modelling project spearheaded by the immediate past Aviation minister, Princess Stella Oduah.

Onyejeocha now says she does not know anything about the Aviation Master plan and or the Airport Re-modelling project. She has now ‘realised’ that the remodeling project did not follow due process.

Yet it is common knowledge in Aviation and legislative circles that our charming chairman of the Aviation Committee of the House of Representatives was carried along in the implementation of these laudable programmes by the erstwhile Aviation minister.

As a matter of fact, she eagerly participated and took a prominent position at the commissioning ceremonies of several of the remodeled airports around the country last year. Could Onyejeocha only just have awakened from a

self-induced amnesia? Or is she acting out a script? Is it possible that as the 2015 general elections approach, a rattled Onyejeocha unsure of her political future wants to ingratiate herself with the leadership of the aviation agencies so she could be assisted with political war chest of sorts?

Otherwise, what could account for Mrs. Onyejeocha’s current selective amnesia over the Aviation Master plan and the well acclaimed Airport Re-modelling project, which House Committee Chair on Aviation she was privy to? To claim that the same airspace and airports she traversed every day and also participated in their commissioning ceremonies, contract signing ceremonies, among others, are now flawed is the height of political gimmickry.

For the avoidance of doubt, the contract for the financing for the five new international airports under construction by CECC of China was a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and China which was signed during the state visit of President Jonathan to China last July. The financial package was signed by the Finance minister, not the Aviation minister. And before then, the contract package financed by the Chinese government had gone through all regulatory approvals, including that of the Federal Executive Council, FEC. So, how could this be Oduah’s doing alone? In any case, the Airport Re-modeling project can defend itself against its detractors.

It is sad that Onyeojeoka is dancing to the tune of her new paymasters who are determined to rubbish the laudable achievements of the Jonathan administration and the immediate past Aviation minister in positively transforming the Nigerian Aviation sector.

Even so, we need to restate that the financing for the airport remodeling project was duly budgeted for, necessary approvals were obtained and required documentation was done. The financing was from multiple sources – Aviation ministry capital budget allocation, internally generated revenue and loans.

It is on record that the Oduah’s tenure increased government revenue generated by aviation agencies by more than 1,000 per cent that is 10 fold, which is unprecedented

in the country’s aviation history. Dr. Daniel Tarka, special assistant to Princess Oduah in a press statement dated June 4,2014 dismissed what he called the “ fabrication” of detractors who claimed the former minister incurred debts of over N174 billion to finance the airport remodeling project. As Tarka put it, “nothing can be farther from the truth.”

Curiously, the fake figure of N174 billion now being peddled

by Oduah’s enemies looks close to and of course, higher than the N164 billion Aviation intervention fund allegedly embezzled by former aviation ministers, Oduah’s predecessors, who are standing anti-corruption trials over this. Is the latest evil plan by enemies to fabricate phoney debts allegations to tarnish the image of an outstanding performer such as Oduah?

Onyeojeoka and her ilk have been trying to twist the recent statement made by Dr Sam Ortom that government was finding it a bit difficult to continue to finance projects under the Aviation master plan including the remodeling project.

Clearly, the supervising Aviation minister never suggested that there was anything wrong or amiss with the financing of the projects under Oduah.

He only hinted that government may want to go on with these laudable projects at a slower pace going into an election year 2015. As Tarka pointed out in his press statement on behalf of Oduah, the various remodeling projects and others were not meant to be completed in 2013 when Oduah left the Aviation ministry. Therefore, their implementation can be carried out as and when it suits the new helmsman of the ministry.

Not surprisingly, Onyejeocha’s antics have drawn the anger of a stakeholder group, the Aviation Squaretable who has described her latest attack on aviation agencies as “a decoy to blackmail the chief executives for monetary gains.”

According to the coordinator of the group, Captain Shehu Idris, it is “purely hypocritical for Hon. Onyejeocha who flew first class along with members of her family to China to be part of the signing of the loan to now turn round and deny its existence…”

• Emmanuel Emeka, a public affairs analyst writing from Isuikuoto

Nigeria: the approaching political cataclysm Chiedu Uche Okoye

I

s Nigeria not a blessed country what with its affable weather conditions, arable land, large land mass, natural resources and humungous population? Unlike Europe, Asia, and America that are devastated by acts of God, earthquake, cyclone and other natural disasters do not happen in Nigeria. Nigeria is a beautiful country with rolling hills, verdant greenery and rivers. Millions of Nigerians living in the Diaspora are contributing to the growth of their host countries. So, Nigeria is called the giant of Africa. Is Nigeria truly the giant of Africa? NO, it isn’t. The truth is, Nigeria has the potential to become the true giant of Africa but it is not yet one.

So, the question which people are asking is this: why has Nigeria not become a technologically and economically advanced nation? Chinua Achebe, the inimical novelist and father of the modern African literature, answered that question in his short book, The Trouble With Nigeria. The late sage diagnosed Nigeria with leadership problem.

There is no gain-saying the fact that that purposeful and people -oriented leadership has continued to elude Nigeria. The factor of the imposition of leaders, which was introduced into our politics by the depart-

ing British colonialists has ensured that people with moral probity and leadership qualities do not ascend to the pinnacle of power in the country.

Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, our prime minister in the First Republic; Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the first executive President of Nigeria; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua bested their political opponents in elections to become our national leaders at different periods.

But, weren’t they products of leadership by imposition? As national leaders, they failed to lift Nigeria up from the quagmire of economic stagnation and the wood of technological backwardness. A country cannot rise above the visions of its leaders.

Nigeria cannot achieve national growth unless people with leadership qualities and moral probity are in charge of the country.

But, did the British imperialists cobble the Northern and Southern parts of the country together to become a space where peoples from diverse ethnic groups antagonize and fight one another? Did they structure Nigeria to fail by tinkering with the demographic figures of the country and helping a Northern politician to become our president soon after we got our political freedom? Who sowed the seed of disunity in Nigeria?

Unity has eluded Nigeria since its inception. We are distrustful of one another. Our

disunity becomes manifest during national elections. Nigerians root for people who belong to the same ethnic group and religion as they’re. Nigeria is polarized along ethnic and religious lines. The Nigeria-Biafra war that raged between 1967 and 1970 was partly caused by ethnic hatred and religious intolerance. Millions of people were killed in that gratuitous civil war.

Now, the Northeast has become a hot bed of violence; it is a river of blood. Borno State has become a theatre of asymmetrical warfare. Yobe and Adamawa States have become valleys of wailing, as the murderous members of the Boko Haram group have laid siege to them. Members of the Boko Haram group have devastated the Northeast.

Thousands of their young men have been cut down in their prime; their girls are prevented from acquiring western education.

Have members of the Boko Haram group not turned the Northeast to a benighted and blighted land?

The Boko Haram group is fighting for the enthronement of Islamic theocracy in the country, as they cannot bear the sight of a man from the minority South-South geopolitical zone controlling the affairs of the country. What gave rise to the Boko Haram insurrection and insurgency is the North’s belief or feeling that the leadership of Nigeria is their patrimony.

As the Federal Government is battling

the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, some misguided oldies are resurrecting the dead Biafra in Enugu. Some days ago, Ben Onwuka with other members of the Biafra Zionist movement stormed the Enugu state Broadcasting service (ESBS) to broadcast their speech regarding secession.

They’re repelled and defeated by the police, however. A sister group to the Biafra Zionist movement, MASSOB, is still agitating and making demands for a geographical space that will be called Biafra.

Are these eruptions of pockets of violence in Nigeria not portents of an impending doom? Some northerners are sabre-rattling with regard to next year’s presidential election. They are threatening to cause political trouble in the country if power fails to return to the north in 2015.And, the Ijaw people would want their son, President Goodluck Jonathan, to continue ruling Nigeria beyond 2015.

So, now, Nigeria’s peace is very fragile; it can easily snap and the country will be thrown into another fratricidal war.

The political class must wake up to this reality and work to promote unity and equity as the surest step towards making Nigeria the great country that all its citizens desire for it.

•Chiedu Uche Okoye wrote from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State (08062220654)

22

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

ARTS TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

ABEOKUTA

C

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

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

CULTURE

Kunle Olayeni hief Hubert Adedeji Ogunde has been famously described as the doyen of theatre in Nigeria.

Judging from his many groundbreaking and evergreen works, the late playwright, actor, theatre manager and musician bequeathed a remarkable legacy to the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood.

Since he died at the age of 73 on April 4, 1990, his children had been working tirelessly to keep his memories alive. One of them is a movie director, David Adekunle Ogunde.

Last week, David stormed Ososa, the hometown of the Ogundes, near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State with his crew to direct the shooting of a new movie titled, “The Snare.”

The movie is featuring top Hollywood stars, including Stephen Baldwin, Braxton Cosby, Jacqueline Coombs and Kristina Linder. Some Nigerians, including musical legend, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, popular Juju musician, Reverend Idowu Animashaun (aka Apola King) and gospel dramatist, Elvon Jarrett, are also billed to feature.

A scene featuring the founder of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, has already been shot in London, according to David, who is the writer, producer and director of The Snare. Others working with David on the project are action director, Phil Tan, line producer, Randy Thurrow, and popular Nigerian filmmaker, Tunde Kelani.

David told New Telegraph in an interview that one million pounds was the budget for the movie, which seeks to educate and challenge people to seriously study Bible prophecy in relation to the current political and economic trends in the world. He noted that the project had been described as “highly ambitious” by some analysts.

“We believe that the time has come that we should all merge together, not just be doing African-based films, but also to introduce African culture into the Western world and blend it together, so that they will not be seeing it as them and us; they will be seeing it as us together working and that is the purpose of this movie,” he said.

On the choice of Ososa as the movie location, David explained that he had to seek divine guidance and direction. His words: “I prayed for God’s guidance and direction, and He told me not to leave my family out of it. He said I should go back to Ososa.

And when I came here, what I saw is like heaven open. And that was how we came to film in Ososa. I am so happy because I now found out that everything I was looking for is here.

In terms of settings, support, hands, equipment, our dad has done a lot of work.”

The movie director commended the Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Yewande Amusan, for the valuable support given to the filming of the movie scenes in Ososa.

By next year during the 25th anniversary of Ogunde’s death, his family would be establishing a museum in Ososa to commemorate the event.

Ayo, the eldest son of the late Ogunde, confirmed this when he also spoke to New Telegraph.

“By next year that it would be 25 years that dad has gone, we will open this museum in a grand scale. After doing that, then we can now properly

23

NEW TELEGRAPH

ALL OBJECTS, ALL PHASES OF CULTURE ARE ALIVE. THEY HAVE VOICES. THEY SPEAK OF THEIR HISTORY AND INTERRELATEDNESS. AND THEY ARE ALL TALKING AT ONCE! ― CAMILLE PAGLIA

"

Kumuyi, Obey, Hollywood, Nollywood stars for Ogunde’s The Snare

Kumuyi

Obey

Cosby

Coombs

establish anything we choose but that will be a family decision,” he stated.

Obey, who is now a church minister, also shared his thoughts about the new movie. He explained that he was involved in the film project to support the legacy left behind by the late Ogunde.

He said, “I am involved because what they are doing is something every Nigerian must support this vision and this project. The works that our Papa did for this industry in Nigeria, he took theatre from nowhere to a place of recognition, and for a man to be able to do what Papa Ogunde had done, I am encouraged.

“Papa Ogunde lived well, he lived for this and if our brother is coming out today to do what he has explained to you, I like to be part of it, I like to be involved. When I am supporting what

Papa Ogunde lived well, he lived for this and if our brother is coming out today to do what he has explained to you, I like to be part of it, I like to be involved. When I am supporting what he is doing, I am supporting the legacy that Papa Ogunde left behind.

And more so, we are friends and brothers he is doing, I am supporting the legacy that Papa Ogunde left behind. And

more so, we are friends and brothers.”

Animashaun, the Apola King crooner, said the movie project was of international standard. He stated that he decided to participate in the film for the propagation of the gospel.

“I have known Kunle since 1989 and we have been very close. And when he told me of this, I asked him what is it all about and when he told me the concept, to me it was of international standard, it was an advanced level of film making. So far it is for God, so far it is for the propagation of the gospel, so far it is for the betterment of humanity, I am in,” he added.

All things being equal, the film is expected to hit the big screen by December, this year. Other scenes of the film are expected to be shot at Morocco, Belgium, United States and United Kingdom.

24 ARTS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Society of Nigerian Artists hosts CONADEV Tony Okuyeme

T

he 3rd International Convention on Art and Development (CONADEV 2014) will hold from July 7 to August 2, 2014, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 13/15 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Announcing this in a statement, the Society said the International Convention is part of the events marking the 50th anniversary of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA). It features a conference, an award and fund raising dinner, and an exhibition.

While the two-day conference themed, “The Role of Art in National Development”, will hold from July 7-8, 2014, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 13/15 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, the anniversary exhibition which will hold from July 8 – August 2, 2014, at the Omenka Gal-

Peju Alatishe, Doors, Nigerian Constitution Door

lery, Ikoyi, Lagos, will play host to the Society of Nigerian Artists and

feature the work of the most exciting contemporary Nigerian artists;

exploring new themes and visual vocabularies in their work, the

Unemployment led me to art - Badmus

Society stated in the statement.

“There will be an

Arts, culture can change future generation, says Nwajagu Tony Okuyeme

A

Badmus at work in her studio

Adefuwa Shola You are a Psychologist, how did you come into arts?

My name is Moyo Badmus.

When I was in junior class, I loved painting and drawing. I was the best student of Fine Art in my class. My teacher took interest in me and encouraged me to paint.

When my school had to go for exhibition in Abuja, I was one of the students picked to represent Ondo State. So, I have always been an artist even though I ended up studying Psychology in the University Is there a relationship between Art and Psychology?

Yes there is a relationship between Fine Art and Psychology. You need to observe to be able to do any art work. You need to observe your environment; you need to observe and understand the people. I have passion for fine art and I get encouraged and motivated by the people

who appreciate my work. Unfortunately, my parents wanted me to do something else in the university.

That was how I opted for Psychology. But my passion for fine art has not waned a bit.

When did you decide to drop your Psychology certificate and follow your first love?

I have always been an artist.

However, having searched for a white collar job for years to no avail, I remembered I have a Godgiven talent which I can use to care for myself. That was how I picked my brush and went back to painting, not for leisure this time around, but to make a living. So I started printing again and the acceptance and motivation has been wonderful. Unemployment helped me to revive my latent talent; now, I’m happy working for myself.

What are the challenges you face as an artist?

The main challenge I have is that of poor patronage. Nigerians don’t really appreciate arts. Even though there is a slight positive change from what it used to be, we pray they do more. My parents encouraged me to train and become a professional and that has really helped me. But despite my creativity and professionalism, the patronage is not very encouraging.

How has it been so far?

It has been good. When you do what you love doing, you enjoy it no matter the challenges you face.

I’m also getting to meet more people that love art work, people who encourage me to be more creative, learn more and do more.

Have you participated in any exhibition?

I am planning to hold a solo exhibition soon. Outside the one we had in Abuja when I was in secondary school, I have not done any.

award and fundraising dinner on July 9, 2014, from 4pm at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. The dinner will feature the induction of new members, cultural performances and entertainment from a live band, an auction, a raffle draw and the award of prizes and fellowships to outstanding artists, individuals and corporate organisations who have contributed towards the development of art in Nigeria.

The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) is the umbrella body for all professional visual artists in Nigeria. It was established in 1963 to uphold excellence and engender the highest professional standards in the practice of the visual arts in Nigeria.

Representing over 6,000 artists through its various state chapters across the country, the SNA encourages the appreciation of the visual arts through publications, research, education and exhibitions.

rts and Culture, if properly harnessed, will better the future generation of Nigerian children. The Head, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Enugu State Office, Mr. Nnaemeka Nwajagu, stated this at an art competition/exhibition, with the theme, “Say No To Child Labour,” organised by the National Gallery of Art (NGA), at their office premises in Enugu, to mark 2014 Children’s Day Celebrations.

The NICO Enugu boss, who was speaking as the Guest of Honour, identified Arts and Culture which are drawn from the people as the clearest form of communication that tell people the acceptable way of doing things.

He urged parents to “go back to our core values and norms because the tenets we inculcate in a child live with him/ her forever”. He also called on the State Governments to adopt and domesticate the Child Rights Act for the benefit of the poor children in the society.

Earlier in his opening speech, the Head of Station (HOS) of the National Gallery of Art (NGA), Enugu, Mr. James Irabor who stood in for the Director-General, Alhaji Abdullahi Muku, said the Agency had care-

fully chosen this year’s theme, “Say No To Child Labour,” as a firm commitment to improving the lots of Nigerian children, who have been the victims of several social vices in the society. He added that this will protect the dreams of Nigerian children and help realize their aspirations in life for peace and positive development of our country.

On his part, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Goddy Udeh said children should be celebrated daily through encouragement and character reformative measures which will help mould them into adulthood, describing Art as an expression which has more illustrations to explain things with signs and pictures with creative ingenuity.

The Head of Research Department, NGA, Enugu, Mr. Edozie Ben, in his vote of thanks, urged parents to nurture their children properly because they were the highest legacies they would leave.

The occasion featured art exhibition and cultural renditions which were competed among the invited schools in Enugu state, and prices were given for deserving performances; while there was also drama presentation by the students of the primary and secondary schools in attendance.

BUSINESS TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

WHAT'S NEWS Stakeholders fault Reps’ plan to query Shell

Stakeholders in the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry at the weekend faulted the House of Representatives’ probe of ongoing divestments of oil blocks

by Shell Petroleum Development Company.

}p-26

Emefiele to enjoy cordial relationship with presidency The presidency is unlikely to meddle directly in the affairs of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, analysts at Financial Derivatives Company have forecast.

}p-26

FG risks losing $185bn from PIB, Shell, others insist

International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry still held firm to their opposition to the fiscal terms in the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which they said would make Nigeria to lose $185 billion within 10 years.

}p-27

Consultants fast-track EIA report of FESTAC Phase II project

It was good tiding for residents of FESTAC Phase I and thousands of home seekers in the country when the Federal Government announced the approval of the development of FESTAC Town Phase II in Lagos under a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP).

}p-33

BUSINESS CREW AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) SIMEON OGOEGBULEM, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) SIAKA MOMOH, Asst. Editor (Industry/Agric) GODSON IKORO , Asst. Editor (Money Market) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor

ABDULWAHAB ISA, Finance Editor CHUKS ONUANYIN, Energy NNAMDI AMADI, Reporter JOHNSON ADEBAYO, Asst. Production Editor

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

AEROTROPOLIS: WHEN AIRPORT CITIES COME UNDER SCRUTINY }p-37

AYODELE AMINU, DEPUTY EDITOR, BUSINESS

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

Nigeria’s oil reserve to production ratio crashes to 42 years GAS HAVEN The NNPC said that Nigeria has 155 years reserve to production ratio for gas Adeola Yusuf

“Nigeria’s quest to grow its reserves is promoted in the PIB through a robust acreage management system to be superintended by the Upstream Petroleum Inspectorate, involving the release of acreages that have been held without activity,” Engr. Yakubu explained.

He informed that in the new exploration paradigm shift, re-

serves and production decline from existing fields are driving the leading oil and gas companies to formulate new strategies and partnerships. He added that the likes of Afren have recently discovered large quantities of resources in the West Offshore Lagos (Ogo Fields).

Engr. Yakubu observed that global rationalisation of asset

portfolio by international Oil Companies, IOCs has led to divestment of some Nigerian onshore blocks, adding that this has in turn created opportunities for new companies to partner with indigenous companies.

“For example, the Shell diCONTINUED ON PAGE 26

N

igeria’s oil reserve to production ratio is now 42 years, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed.

This information, which was posted on the corporation’s website, quoted its Group Managing Director (GMD), Andrew Yakubu, as the source.

Reeling out the country’s rich profile in oil and gas, the NNPC GMD, said that Nigeria has 155 years reserve to production ratio for gas.

He said that the 42 years reserve to production ratio for oil in the country is a good omen.

Yakubu said: “The country’s reserves stand at 36 billion barrels of oil and about 182 trillion cubic feet of gas and produced an average of 2.2 million barrels of oil per day in 2013 with a reserve to production ratio of 42 years for oil and 155 years for gas.”

In Africa, only Libya, according to Yakubu, has more oil reserves than Nigeria and despite new discoveries in subSaharan Africa, especially in Mozambique, Nigeria still has undiscovered gas potential of about 600 tcf.

The NNPC helmsman maintained that even in recent times with the emerging African oil producers, the discovery of the Ogo field in 2013 with reserves of about 750 million barrels of equivalent shows that the Nigerian Delta remains one of the most prospective areas in the world.

He revealed that about 49 per cent of Nigeria’s licensed blocks (397) are still open and active, stressing that the availability of production allowances would also provide a welcome boost for small fields and profitability and would increase in the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before the National Assembly.

DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

25

L-R: Vice President, The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Olateju Somorin; President, Mark Anthony Dike, and past President, Titus Aiyewumi, at the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Institute in Lagos.

Solid minerals: FG loses N4bn to stale royalty calculation NO RECORDS There were no records to show royalty payments on gold and barites Sunday Ojeme

T

he failure of the relevant authorities to update the 2002 mechanism for the calculation of royalty payments has led to a loss of over N4 billion in the solid mineral sector.

This loss, which was incurred only on granite, sand and laterite, excludes whatever might have also been lost as a result of activities of artisanal miners who flood the sector.

A report released by the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said that there were no records to show royalty payments on gold and barites mined in the country.

According to the agency’s Outreach Team Leader, Mrs. Obiageli Onuorah, other factors that have also contributed to losses in the sector include

the absence of specific tax laws, failure on the part of operators to submit their annual tax returns to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, environmental challenges, failure of the miners to seek official permit for export as stipulated in the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, and lack of capacity and synergy between mining inspectorate to monitor mining operations.

While noting that Nigeria earned about $424 billion from CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at June 6)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N166.50 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N285 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N229 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $36.755bn as at 06/06/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at June 6))

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N260.86 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N211.31 Source: CBN

26 BUSINESS | NEWS COMPETENCY QUESTION Oil and gas experts said that the planned probe would cast aspersion on competency of Nigerian firms

Adeola Yusuf

S

takeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, at the weekend, faulted the House of Representatives’ probe of on-going divestments of oil blocks by Shell Petroleum Development Company.

The House of Representatives had, penultimate Tuesday, queried the alleged sale of Oil Mining Lease-29 and other OMLs by Shell.

Stakeholders who spoke with the New Telegraph, said that the probe of a process, which is yet to be concluded, is prejudiced.

Mr. Niran Ogunremi, an oil and gas lawyer, cautioned the lawmakers against making Nigeria to be a laughing stock before the international community.

In a resolution in Abuja, the House directed an ad-hoc committee to investigate the action of Shell within two weeks.

The resolution came after a motion moved by a member, Mr. Alphonsus Gerald, indicating that the sales contravened Item 12(1) of the First Schedule to the Petroleum Act. He said the law “stipulates that 10 years after the grant of an OML, one-half of the area of the lease shall be relinquished to the Federal Government.”

Gerald informed the House that in the case of OML-19, SPDC had possessed it for over 52 years without relinquishing one-half of the area in compliance with the law.

Stakeholders fault Reps’ plan to query Shell’s assets sale He alleged that aside OML29, the oil company had sold other OMLs “in direct contravention of the Act and undermines national interest.”

The lawmaker added that Shell and other oil majors hid under the cover of “waivers” granted by the Minister of Petroleum Resources under the Act to sell OMLs. Gerald did not however clarify whether OML-29 was sold under the tenure of the current minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The House passed the motion in a unanimous voice vote at the session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.

But Ogunremi said that the issue on ministerial consent does not warrant a probe panel to be set up.

“This divestment process is still on-going and the purported probe will have serious implication on the entire process. What I think they should do is to find out whether the minister’s consent was sought on this issue or not, instead of instituting a process that has the potentials to rubbish the entire divestment,” he said.

Adebayo Alamutu, a petroleum engineer, corroborated his view.

“The local companies have bided for these assets based on the provision of the Nigerian Content Act and Shell, which is reputed all over the World, has not raised any eyes brow on the competence of the bids.

What I think this probe by the House will do is to cast doubts on the bidders as well as undermining the entire process,” Alamutu said.

Nigeria’s oil reserve to production ratio crashes to 42 years C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5

vested blocks, which were initially being funded from joint venture cash call is now being funded by new investors. This has freed the government from the burden of annual cash call funding. In the case of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the onus is now on it to arrange funding for the acquired equity,” the NNPC GMD said.

He emphasised that all the strategies to keep Nigeria as a leading producer of oil are hinged on the passage of the PIB, which will remove the uncertainty surrounding the future fiscal framework in the oil and gas sector.

“The passage of the PIB will promote transparency, accountability and good governance and level playing field for players in the Nigerian oil industry. This will doubtless attract the much-needed investment in the Nigerian Petroleum Sector,” Yakubu said.

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

According to the GMD, despite the above strategies to remain a leading player, Nigeria has faced unprecedented challenges with regards to losses in production occasioned by incessant vandalism of crude oil export pipelines and domestic crude oil and petroleum product pipelines.

He said that in 2013, Nigeria suffered severe attacks on its critical export pipeline system leading to the loss and deferment of about 300,000 barrels per day.

The GMD stated that to tackle these challenges and ensure that the country maintains its leading position in oil production in Africa, a number of initiatives have been taken. These include: measures to address pipeline vandalism, improving small field economics, new acreage management systems, new exploration paradigm shift, attracting new capital investment and the introduction of new licensing rounds.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Software Business Solutions Consulting, Mr. Abdul Balogun; Special Guest, Prof. Part Utomi; IT leader, General Electric, Software Business Solutions Consulting, Rotola Ogunye and Principal Managing Partner, Cogniko, Mr. Iyiola Obayomi, at a software launch by Software Biz Consulting in Lagos.

Emefiele to enjoy cordial relationship with presidency –Experts Inflation may rise to 10% Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

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he presidency is unlikely to meddle directly in the affairs of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, analysts at Financial Derivatives Company have forecast.

A report by Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) posit that unlike frosty relationship that hallmarked the tenure of former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, leading to his unceremonious exit, the Presidency is unlikely to meddle directly in CBN again after the

Sanusi suspension backlash.

Also, envisaged is a greater coordination between the CBN and Finance Ministry, which impact positively on fiscal and monetary policies.

Experts at FDC said that CBN autonomy will remain intact because the PDP is on the ropes and the National Assembly has other priorities while a greater coordination between the CBN and Finance Ministry is enthroned.

Emefiele, the 11th CBN governor, who assumed office last Tuesday, promised to be apolitical.

The new CBN helmsman

during his maiden press briefing last week, said: “We would be professional. We would be apolitical. We will not going in to politics. What we will do is to focus on our banking business and use our skills to support the effort of government to increase jobs for people. We want to use our effort to support economic growth of the country.

So, it not just about politics but it is about what contribution are we going to make towards achieving economic growth and development in our country.”

On inflation, FDC forecast that inflation will spike to 10 per cent this month (June) because of the increase in car prices, positive money supply growth, planting and early harvest of agric products.

Solid minerals: FG loses N4bn to stale royalty calculation C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5

oil in 13 years, she, however, said that expired Memorandum of Understanding between the Joint Venture Operators and government still in use since 2008 accounted for $1.7 billion loss between 2009 and 2011.

She said: “Combined offshore loss to Nigeria in the offshore processing crude and product exchange in three years (2009-2011) amounted to over $866 million. Inadequate funding of JV operations contributed to the decline in government crude oil productions, crude lifting and revenues accruable to the federation.”

The loss, she said, also included the N3 trillion paid to importers of refined petroleum products, N1.4 trillion paid to the Nigerian Nation-

al Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and another N1.6 trillion paid to other marketers.

She also lamented the fact that the sector was bedeviled by challenges of poor refinery maintenance resulting in huge imports with attendant subsidy payments and lack of job opportunities for Nigerians.

According to her, “subsidy payments increased by 71 per cent from N406 billion in 2009 to N695 billion in 2010 and by 174 per cent in 2011 to N1.90 trillion. In 2009-2011, NLNG paid $4.84 billion to NNPC as dividend but this has not been reknitted to the Federation Account.

“Estimated value of stolen crude is $10.9 billion. Ten million barrels valued at $894 million lost to pipeline vandalism and 130 million barrels stolen.”

She also disclosed that

about $1.7 billion was recorded as under payments between 2009 and 2001, adding that $9.8 billion was reported as outstanding recoverable during the period 1999 -2008.

She said: “Following the presentation of the 1999-2004 audit report, the Federal Government directed NEITI to develop a strategy that would address lapses identified in the report. An Inter-ministerial Task Team - government, petroleum, mining and financial management heads - was put together to implement the recommendations of the report and was reconstituted by the president in December 2003.”

She said that NEITI subsequently developed a comprehensive remediation programme covering five areas, which was approved for implementation by the government.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

$18bn power investments in jeopardy as banks shun DISCOs loan request S-O-S Global and local lenders want new electricity tariff order implemented to save new owners Stories by Adeola Yusuf

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igerian and foreign banks have developed apathy to requests for loans by investors in power sector as antagonism rises for the new electricity tariff, New Telegraph has learnt.

Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, had earlier hinted that the global lenders were beginning to evade investment in Nigeria’s power sector due to fears that the electricity tariff order in operations in Nigeria could not guarantee good return on investments for the new owners.

He maintained that the situation on ground at the power industry made efforts to make the electricity tariff competitive necessary.

A source at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), who told New Telegraph at the weekend that the opposition to new tariff was not unexpected, maintained that the review became necessary to sustain the investments in the sector by the new owners.

Global and local lenders he said: “Want new electricity tariff order implemented to sustain the on-going level of investments by new owners through their various lenders.

“These banks need to see a workable tariff order, which guarantees return on investments before they can part with their funds.”

The local banks had been contending with tough times in the third and fourth quarters, as loans they granted to power firms became major threat to the financials.

The Federal Government had on Friday, November 1, 2013, handed over power assets to new owners across the country.

Initially, some of the preferred bidders had difficulties in getting credit from their financiers.

However, at the end of the August 21, 2013 deadline, 13 preferred bidders fulfilled the payment of the remaining 75 per cent of their bids for the power generation and distribution companies, except Interstate, the preferred bidder for Enugu Distribution Company, which failed to meet the deadline.

Banks had offered risk-prone loans worth billions of naira to finance this power sector privatisation last year, which were due for repayment by June this year.

But some officials of banks

Oil rig

and power firms close to the deals, said that the chances of servicing the debts were slim.

Already, some executives of the local banks have confirmed that they may post lower profits in their results this year.

This, they said, was because the banks needed to make provisions for the loan defaults by the power firms in line with regula-

tory requirements.

Most of the recently privatised power firms had been recording losses in their operations, a situation they blamed on the tariff order and the inability of government to meet its promise of electricity supply to them.

For instance, they listed the lack of access to gas for most

of the generation companies, among other challenges, as a major problem hindering the operation of the power firms.

Some top bank officials also said that the development had caused panic in the banks that were involved in the power privatisation process.

However, sources familiar with the situation said that

FG risks losing $185bn from PIB, Shell, others insist CAVEAT EMPTOR IOCs have said that Nigeria’s oil production may slump by 25 per cent if the PIB is implemented

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nternational oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry still held firm to their opposition to the fiscal terms in the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which they said would make Nigeria to lose $185 billion within 10 years.

Nigeria, the IOCs said, risks losing $185 billion within 10 years, as higher taxes proposed by a new law will deter investment in the country’s oil industry.

The Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), includes Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Chevron Corp. (CVX), Exxon Mobil, Total SA (FP) and Eni SpA, (ENI). The companies pump about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s oil through ventures with stateowned Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Proposed increased taxes in the legislation would make exploration “uneconomical,” they said in a joint presentation to lawmakers.

A top ranking officer of one of the oil majors, who preferred anonymity, told New Telegraph at the weekend that the companies still held firm to their opposition on the fiscal terms in the bill.

“We have for the umpteenth time made our concerns known and as I am talking to you now, this position on the fiscal terms in the bill has not changed,” he said.

Nigeria’s oil production may slump by 25 per cent from 2.4 million barrels a day if the PIB is implemented, Mark Ward, managing director of Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Nigerian unit, said at an event in Lagos.

The loss of investment caused by the law would leave it insufficient to tackle decline rates at oilfields, said Ward, representing the Oil Producers Trade Section at a conference in Lagos.

“The terms proposed increase royalties, increase taxes and lower allowances or incen-

tives all at the same time,” said Ward. Energy companies are “deeply concerned” as the new tax proposals will “create one of the world’s harshest fiscal regimes.”

The new law is aimed at reforming the way Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is regulated and funded, and seeks to increase the government’s share of profit from oil pumped to at least 73 per cent, from 61 per cent currently, according to Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The PIB may boost government’s share of oil profits to as much as 96 per cent, Ward said.

For gas projects, the PIB will increase the tax rate to 80 per cent from 30 per cent, “significantly reducing incentives for investments.”

Under the bill, rentals and penalties would be set by the petroleum minister, while the country’s president would be able to award licenses without competitive bidding. Companies remain concerned that there’s no guarantee of the sanctity of existing contracts, or of independent arbitration when disputes arise, Ward said.

banks had begun moves to refinance the power loans to avoid a situation where the default could affect their results severely.

Some lenders are seeking offshore funding through Eurobonds, tier 2 capital and others, to refinance their loans.

Some of the power firms, it was gathered, were also approaching foreign financial institutions for longer term funding to refinance their loans.

The NERC source however, said that Nigerians should support the new MYTO2, which he said, has a long-term benefit to the entire power chain.

NERC had, penultimate week, announced an increase in electricity tariff by between N1 and N5.

NERC Chairman, Dr Sam Amadi, told a news conference in Abuja that the new tariff would be effective from June 1 as provided for in the Multi-Year Tariff Order.

He said that with the review, most electricity distribution companies would retain the N750 fixed charge.

Amadi said that the MYTO provides for bi-annual reviews that take effect on June 1 and December 1 to ensure that some critical and financial variables underlying electricity tariff in Nigeria were realistic, fair and current.

He also said that the variables that determine the methodical reviews included rate of inflation, exchange rate, gas price and available power generation capacity in the country.

However, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have called on the NERC not to increase electricity tariff, describing the move as queer and uncalled for.

The unions stated that it was another deliberate attempt by some cabal to further exploit the already impoverished masses of the country, especially as the power supply and distribution situation had remained comatose even after its privatisation, contrary to the Federal Government’s promise to tackle the inherent challenges.

TUC, in a statement, said: “We find it indefensible that government has apparently concluded plans to increase the tariffs instead of prevailing on private sector electricity providers to increase power supply and distribution in the country.

“Need we remind ourselves of the demise of many industries within the last few years?

Need we list out the multitude of companies that have either gone under or fled the country because of high cost of generating power for their plants?

Or shall we tender statistics of the millions of Nigerians who are jobless and many of whom have taken to vices that create insecurity in our land?

28 BUSINESS | ENERGY RECORD Nigeria is still one of 10 highest gas-flaring nations Stories by Adeola Yusuf

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as flaring in Nigeria has dipped to the lowest in 58 years, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said at the weekend.

Notwithstanding this feat, Nigeria is still ranked among the top 10 highest gas flaring nations in the world.

New Telegraph had earlier reported that the international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry are in race to evade government’s sanctions on gas flaring, the major source of air pollution in Nigeria.

The NNPC document obtained by this newspaper however showed that although works still needed to be done, the gas flaring is at the record 11 per cent, the lowest since 58 years of oil exploration and production in Nigeria.

Minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, had declared that the oil multi-nationals have lashed gas flaring to 11 per cent.

Although government has been mute on the new deadline for the IOCs on gas flaring, this newspaper gathered that government has started to rate their compliance level on the flaring.

“Many of the IOCs are fast approaching full flare out as the gas obligation and infrastructure growth have all combined to enable utilisation of hitherto flared gas,” Mrs AlisonMadueke said, maintaining that the flare out rate dropped from 25 per cent to 11 per cent of production.

“All IOCs have set up special forces to ensure prompt compliance with the gas flaring reduction and we have seen them come up with different strategies to ensure this,” a management staff of one of the oil

Gas flaring falls to 58-year low majors told this newspaper by phone.

Meanwhile, Mrs Alison-Madueke said that as part of efforts at ensuring steady supply of gas to meet up with growing market demand of the product, the Federal Government is planning to construct the longest pipeline in the country from Calabar via Ajaokuta to Kano State.

She said this in a statement from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while delivering a paper titled: “Encouraging investment in gas production, supply and consumption” at a three-day National Conference on Gas Resources organised by the Senate Committee on Gas Resources in Abuja.

“By the end of the year, we will be commencing, via Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, the nation’s longest pipeline from Calabar via Ajaokuta to Kano State,” AlisonMadueke stated.

Represented by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, the minister said that at present the Federal Government was constructing the strategic East-West pipeline while the Lagos end segment of the Escravos to Lagos Pipelines System (ELPS) is nearing completion.

She explained that almost 500km of new gas pipelines have been completed and commissioned including the doubling of the capacity of the EPLS between Escravos and Oben and the extension from Oben to Geregu and River Imo to Alaoji respectively.

The minister said that by the end of 2018, the backbone pipeline infrastructure for gas would have been delivered, concluding an initial phase of over 2500km of gas pipeline infrastructure development.

She said that government was strategising to leverage on the full potential of gas to achieve massive impact on the economy and the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“We are focused on jump-

NNPC reiterates pledge to environment-friendly policies

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he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has expressed its determination to initiate and sustain policies that are environmentfriendly through the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies and upgrade of its production facilities.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, stated this at an organised by the Group Health Safety and Environment Department to commemorate the 2014 World Environment Day with the theme ‘Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level’ at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, quoted Yakubu to have noted that the NNPC as a responsible corporate citizen has deployed strategies to ensure discontinuation of harmful and unsafe chemicals

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

to environments where its oil facilities are located.

“NNPC has reduced routine gas flaring from over 30 per cent to about 11 per cent in the last three years. We are pursuing renewable energy development in line with the Kyoto Protocol.

We are ensuring pollution control and swift remediation of impacted site whenever they occur,” the GMD said.

He called on Nigerians to collectively address the issues of climate change and strengthen their resolve towards tree planting that will make the environment a better place for sustainable development.

Yakubu observed that the NNPC as a major player in the oil and gas industry, has raised health safety and environment standards, stressing that the event reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to staff wellbeing, safety at work place and environmental protection.

starting gas supply to enable usage in gas to power, gas based industrialisation, compressed natural gas for transportation and commercial usage, cooking gas for domestic usage and regional pipeline for gas export,” the Minister stated.

She said that for the government to support the aggressive short-term demand growth in the power sector, a domestic gas supply obliga-

tion regulation, which mandates a certain amount of gas supply for the domestic market pending the full maturation of the market was introduced.

She expressed confidence that the market will ultimately drive itself for supply growth, adding that the long run expectation is for less dependence on supply via obligation.

In order to boost investor confidence in natural gas in the country, she said the government has reviewed the contractual framework for gas through the development of world-class standardised gas supply agreements in addition to Network Code, which governs the flow of gas across the nation’s pipeline network and provides rules for open access.

Gas flaring

NIPCO attains 3, 000 vehicles conversion from fuel to gas CONVERSION COST Fuel to gas vehicle conversion pegs at $1, 000

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ver 3, 000 vehicles in Nigeria are now running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), New Telegraph has learnt.

The efforts, which was made possible through a Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and NIPCO Plc, is still domiciled in Benin, Edo State axis.

The plan to expand this number from 3, 000 vehicles, will see the company, formed from then JV, Green Gas, replicated in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.

Managing Director, Nipco Plc, Mr Venkataraman Venkatapathy, had earlier called for duty free for importation of gas powered vehicles into Nigeria.

With 60 per cent vehicles on natural gas, the Federal Government will save foreign exchange required in purchasing 4.7 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) annually, he said.

Nigeria spends an average of

$8 billion annually on the importation of fuel.

Venkatapathy, who said this in a presentation at a National Conference on Deepening Domestic Utilisation of Natural Gas organised by Senate Committee on Gas Resources in Abuja, also advocated for Customs duty waiver on natural gas vehicles (NGVs) importation and subsidy to vehicle owners to convert their vehicles.

According to the NIPCO boss, a special high-level apex committee should be formed to formulate policies with clear strategic plans.

"These plans are to include small share of the domestic gas in the Nigerian fuel mix and include in the auto fuel policy for use of natural gas as a vehicular fuel," he said.

This, he said, will boost the efforts of NIPCO at promoting the usage of CNG. "In 2007 the Federal Government granted license to NIPCO Plc to implement pilot project in Benin City, Edo State. NIPCO, in partnership with NGC, which led to the formation of a JV company, “Green Gas Ltd”, successfully implemented the pilot project in Benin City, with seven operational CNG stations catering to over 4000 NGVs.

"Special gas pricing (lower than power sector) for implementing NGV programmes subsidy to vehicle owners for CNG conversions. Subsidy saved by replacing petrol can be utilised for this purpose," the NIPCO's helmsman said.

Noting that the use of natural gas as a vehicular fuel dated back to mid 1920’s, Venkatapathy maintained that with 60 per cent vehicles on natural gas, the federal Government of Nigeria "will save foreign exchange required in purchasing 4.7 bln litres of PMS annually, resulting in saving of about 42 per cent of the foreign exchange."

To derive this benefit, he called on government to ensure that 50 per cent of vehicles imported are equipped with Vompressed Natural Gas (CNG).

"Allocation of small fraction of LNG used for exports for transportation to the North and places remote from existing pipeline network for widespread opening of CNG stations."

Natural Gas vehicles, he said, "Provides lot of prospects and opportunities for countries that have realised the need, created awareness and made appropriate regulations for using natural gas as a vehicular fuel.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

PIB: Long way to the beginning The controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is now 14 year-old. ENERGY EDITOR, Adeola Yusuf, looks at the over one decade bickering between the Federal Government and the international oil companies (IOCs) on the bill and reports that hope has again dimmed on the bill’s passage before 2015.

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xcept a miracle happens, the outgoing National Assembly may not pass the controversial PIB. The legislators, with less than one year to the expiration of their tenure, are now neck-deep into their re-election bids, culminating in more political activities. A source at the Federal Legislative Chambers told this newspaper that curtains have finally been drawn on the bill, even though it had gone through advanced stages at the National Assembly.

“The PIB has reached an advanced stage at the National Assembly, but the tempo on deliberation on the bill has been doused seriously. Except a miracle happens at this time, it will not see the light of the day until after the 2015 elections.

“The legislators are politicians and what pre-occupy their minds now is the re-election bids and the security situation in the country,” he said.

Cost of delay The imminent delay in passage now means that the loss to the bill will exceed $125 billion by 2016 when serious deliberations are likely to be re-opened on the bill. Federal Government’s loss to the non-passage of the PIB from February 2009 to February 2014, had already hit $125 billion, occasioned by the inability of Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter, to attain her annual crude production capacity of about 3.6 million barrels per day due to investment draught in her multi-billion dollars oil and gas industry since five years ago.

Experts have, after assessing the growth prospects of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, raised the alarm over the declining investment in exploration and production since 2009, when PIB became controversial.

Immediate past president, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), George Osahon, said that Nigeria’s target of 40 billion barrels oil reserves would remain ‘a tall dream’ if the foot-dragging on the PIB passage continues.

“That we are yet to have the bill has implications on exploration activities in the country and, like I said earlier, it is in the interest of all of us that the bill is passed,” he told newsmen in a recent interview.

At the Chatham House forum on the controversial PIB, experts from the private sector, operators in the oil and gas industry, management and financial consultants also warned that government’s business was facing a turbulence, which may wreck havoc on the economy of the country that depends largely on oil proceeds to service over 85 per cent of its budget.

The upstream sector was responsible for the loss of the $125 billion from 2008 to date as it failed to attain her annual crude oil production quota even when resources and investment to achieve it are available. Apart from the fact that the National Assembly is foot-dragging on the bill, watchers of the industry say that the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may not

want a balkanised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) now because of the benefits it derives from the corporation.

The support of the corporation in terms of logistics, industry analysts say, is very crucial to the success of the current government in power. International oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria have said that the delay in the passage of the PIB has completely slowed down their N17.2 trillion ($109 billion) proposed investments in the oil industry.

The bill, subjected to stakeholders’ debates for about 12 years, is still being discussed at the National Assembly.

IOCs mount roadblock Oil majors, under the aegis of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had said that the planned projects were no longer economically feasible due to the fiscal terms of the bill.

Members of the OPTS are Shell, Total, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Agip. “$109 billion in planned investments is not progressing as new projects are no longer economical,” Mark Ward, who is the OPTS chairman, had said.

Ward, who also doubles as the chairman/managing director, ExxonMobil Nigeria, said that the operators had planned to invest $33 billion in the next five years but warned that the fiscal terms of the PIB, if not reviewed, might jeopardise this.

Nigeria’s oil output has followed a volatile course in recent months, with a series of disruptions to vital pipelines and crude oil theft accounting for losses estimated at 100,000b/d in the first quarter of 2013 from its onshore operations alone.

Uncertainty over when the PIB will be passed and the form it will take will continue to push back investment decisions, and some projects could be cancelled until the financial terms have been clarified. The proposed legislation aimed at overhauling the country’s oil and gas industry, which has been in the works for 15 years, is now in its fifth year of deliberations by lawmakers.

Oil companies say higher taxes and an increase in royalties as proposed in the bill, will create one of the world’s harshest fiscal regimes and make exploration “uneconomical.”

The bill, subjected to stakeholders’ debates for about 12 years, is still being discussed at the National Assembly.

Nigerian oil output has followed a volatile course in recent months, with a series of disruptions to vital pipelines and crude oil theft accounting for losses estimated at 100,000b/d in the first quarter of 2013 from its onshore operations alone.

Uncertainty over when the PIB will be passed, as well as the form it will take, will continue to push back investment decisions, and some projects could be cancelled until the financial terms have been clarified.

The proposed legislation aimed at overhauling the country’s oil and gas industry, which has been in the works

Alison-Madueke

for 15 years, is now in its fifth year of deliberations by lawmakers.

Analysts suggest that a watereddown version of the bill may be implemented in 2015, and that while not perfect, it may put in place some guidelines that would guarantee a stable operational environment for operators and remove funding constraints.

“The Petroleum Industry Bill is not likely to happen this year but may be split up in more manageable bits or resuscitated after 2015,” Thomas Horn Hansen, senior analyst at Control Risks, said.

While it can hardly be disputed that Nigeria’s energy sector is ripe for a radical review, its failure to improve the investment climate will continue to stifle oil and gas industry’s growth.

Politics of PIB For the first time since coming to power 14 years ago, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been split into two groups, sparking a crisis that has deeply fractured the ruling party.

The new group, which is made up of seven governors and one former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, is demanding that President Goodluck Jonathan should not seek re-election in 2015. Many Northerners say Jonathan’s running again would violate an unwritten agreement within the PDP that power should rotate between the

Uncertainty over when the PIB will be passed and the form it will take will continue to push back investment decisions, and some projects could be cancelled until the financial terms have been clarified

North and South every two terms.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who has been embroiled in a long-running feud with President Jonathan, has joined the breakaway faction along with four governors from the North who are now in the Alliance for Progressive Change (APC).

Jonathan has held talks with the socalled new PDP but they ended without resolution and experts believe the internal squabbles could run on for months, possibly until elections.

Analysts say the row could erode the political will to push through vital reforms including the long-delayed PIB that could unlock billions of dollars of oil and gas investment.

Some northern governors have also criticised the proposed ultimate powers given to the petroleum minister in the awarding and revoking of licences as well as the proposed 10 per cent tax to benefit oil-producing states.

Jonathan became president on May 6, 2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua. He promised to end the country’s chronic power shortages, end long queues and price fluctuations at filling stations, and ensure the passage of the PIB. But electricity shortages have worsened, with current generation at around 4,000 megawatts, well under the 16,000 megawatts Jonathan promised would be available by 2013.

And under his administration, Nigerians are paying more for their fuel following the partial removal of subsidies and the country still imports the vast majority of its petroleum products.

A splinter group that leads states with some of the highest voter turnout, determined to stop Jonathan running for another four-year term, has become the administration’s first major internal challenge.

“If Jonathan does not manage to quell the PDP rebellion, the fracturing of the party in the face of a stronger opposition may significantly weaken his chances in 2015,” said Hansen.

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BUSINESS | ENERGY

CONTRACT NEITI has signed contract for 2012 oil and gas industry audit in race to meet the EITI’s December deadline

James Nwabueze ABUJA

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he 2012 audit of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry will be completed by November, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has disclosed Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who said this in Abuja, noted that the agency is fully committed to ensuring that the report is submitted in time to meet the EITI deadline of December 31, 2014.

The audit, Ahmed said, is critical for NEITI to maintain its high ranking at the global EITI and to meet the requirements of the NEITI Act and the expectations of Nigerians.

She said: “This is very important cycle of NEITI oil and gas audit, the audit we are starting today is the audit for 2012.

“The audit of the oil and gas industry that NEITI conducts has become very important for a number of reasons, the main reason being that

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

NEITI’s 2012 oil, gas industry audit ready in November there is great expectations from Nigerians for increased transparency and accountability of the management of revenues of the oil and gas sector of our country.

“You have come to us as a consortium of three, four firms with strong personnel.

We expect that you will be able to deliver this assignment effectively and on time. On our part, we are fully committed to giving you all the support needed so that you succeed in this assignment so that this report is submitted on time to meet the EITI deadline of

31st December, 2014.”

She urged the consultants to put in their best to ensure that the assignment is completed by November 2014.

Mrs. Ahmed noted that 85 per cent of the data required for the audit has been collated

by NEITI and that the consor-

Mrs. Ibiene Okeleke, Head, Human Resources, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) (left), Abiodun Ajifowobaje, MD/CEO IKEDC, Chief Gbadamosi Olugbemiga, Community Development Chairman and Ms Bukky Ojurongbe, Head, Commercial, IKEDC, at a customer forum held by Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company at Airport Hotel.

NNPC eyes European market for gas T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that it is looking for more markets for the nation’s gas on the European Continent in order to generate maximum economic benefit from the nation’s enormous gas resources.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, said this while playing host to a Belgian business delegation under the auspices of the Flanders Investment & Trade Mission in his office at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, over the weekend.

“Europe is a good market for gas. Incidentally, Belgium has important terminals such as the Port of Antwerp through which Nigeria hopes to get its gas to the rest of Europe. We

are working on independently marketing our abundant gas resources to Europe,” Engr.

Yakubu stated.

The GMD, who was represented by the Coordinator, Corporate Policy & Strategy, Dr. Tim Okon, said NNPC would strategically position itself to attract investments to boost the nation’s economy, adding, “Gas is a strong mechanism for not only power generation and job creation, but also for growth and development.”

He also reiterated the need for collaboration between foreign investors and Nigerian businesses in order to domesticate the gas industry in the country.

Earlier in his address, the leader of the delegation and the Belgian Ambassador to

ES Offshore bags $14m Jackup blocks orders from Singapore

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ingapore's ES Group (Holdings) Limited (the Company, together with its subsidiaries, ES Group or the Group) reported at the weekend that its wholly-owned subsidiary, ES Offshore Engineering Pte. Ltd. was awarded repeat orders for jackup blocks worth approximately $13.5 million (SGD 17 million) from a major shipyard in Singapore.

ES Group, which builds, converts and repairs tugs, barges, rigs, offshore support vessels, oil tankers and cargo ships,

was previously awarded an approximately $11.9 million (SGD 15 million) order from the same customer in February 2014.

The jackup blocks, which forms part of a jackup’s main hull, are expected to be delivered in 2015 and will be constructed at the Group’s Thailand yard. ES Offshore and Marine Engineering (Thailand) Co. Ltd. (the Company’s 50 per cent-owned subsidiary) owns and operates a 753,474-square foot (70,000-square metre) shipyard located in the city of

Nigeria, Ambassador Dirk Verleyen, said that no fewer than 60 Belgian companies had indicated interest to invest in Nigeria.

He said that Belgian companies wishing to invest in Nigeria cut across various sectors including energy, telecommunications, construction, transport, postal service, entertainment, engineering and agriculture.

Also speaking, the President of the Port of Antwerp and the Deputy Mayor of Antwerp, Mr. Mark van Peel, said the trade volume between Belgium and Nigeria was higher than most people know.

“Our country is the third largest European exporter to Nigeria with a total export figure of almost two billion euros Thapsakae, Prachupkirikhan Province, approximately 226 miles (365 kilometers) south of Bangkok.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this order is expected to contribute to the Group’s financial performances in the second half of the financial year ending December 31 and in the financial year ending December 31, 2015.

Christopher Low, ES Group’s CEO, said, “The repeat order affirms the Group’s capabilities and ability to deliver high quality projects and the customer’s faith and confidence in us. We will continue to build on our strengths to be one of the preferred partners in the marine and oil and gas industry.”

a year,” van Peel disclosed.

The business delegation particularly showed interest in building the capacity of staff of the nation’s refineries and other oil and gas installations in the area of safety of equipment.

The Flanders Investment & Trade Mission is the Belgian government agency supporting home-based companies doing business abroad and foreign companies looking to set up or expand operations in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium.

tium is expected to ensure speedy reconciliation, verification and validation of the data.

The Executive Secretary enjoined the auditors to be diligent and to display high level of professionalism, integrity and objectivity in the discharge of this important assignment.

NEITI had signed the contract for the audit of the oil and gas industry for the year 2012.

The signing ceremony, which took place at the NEITI Secretariat, had in attendance NEITI management and representatives of the consortium of TajuAuduEffectivo, which won the contract.

TajuAuduEffectivo Consortium is made up of four firms: Two Nigerian firms: TajuAudu & Co. and Effectivo Capital Limited, and two international firms of Baker Tilly International and Resource Consulting Services Limited.

Mr. Taju Audu, who spoke on behalf of the consortium thanked the NEITI management for the confidence reposed on them, noting that they fully understood the import of the assignment and will give it their best to ensure they meet the November 30th, 2014 deadline for the conclusion of the audit.

“We appreciate and understand the sensitivity of this assignment and we know this particular one is much more challenging because of the short time and we appreciate the fact that a lot of job has been done in terms of gathering data. We want to assure NEITI that the job will be updated at the right time and of utmost quality” he assured.

The 2012 oil and gas industry audit is the fifth in NEITI’s cycle of audits in the oil and gas sector since the agency commenced operations in 2004 as a member of the global EITI. The previous audits covered the periods 1999-2004, 2005, 2006-2008 and 2009-2011.

Bluewater to supply two Turret Mooring Systems for Angola project

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luewater Energy Services B.V. disclosed at the weekend that the firm had secured a contract with Saipem SA for the engineering of two complete deep water Turret Mooring Systems and the related procurement and construction of two Turret and Swivel Systems.

The Turret Mooring System,s will be part of two converted floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units, owned by Total, for the Kaombo deep water Field Development Project, located in Block 32, offshore Angola in a water depth of 5,413 feet (1,650 meters).

The Kaombo development scheme includes 59 subsea wells, connected through around 186 miles (300 kilometers) of subsea lines, to two FPSO units, each with a production capacity of 125,000 barrels per day.

“With an extensive track record in Turret Mooring Systems already, this project is a great opportunity for Bluewater to strengthen its position as one of the few worldwide specialists and suppliers of large complex Turret Mooring System,” says Hugo J. Heerema, president and CEO of Bluewater Energy Services B.V.

BUSINESS | ENERGY

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

31

Nigeria partners UN on sustainable energy PRIORITY The has reiterated high priority to providing access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy to Nigerians James Nwabueze ABUJA

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he Minister of State Power, Mohammed Wakil, has reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria to sustainable energy development.

She said that the country is working with the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL), in ensuring the full realisation of the project.

Special Adviser Media to the Minister of State, Mr. Olawale Rasheed, in a statement, said that Wakil said this while addressing ministerial dialogue at the just concluded first SE4ALL forum in New York.

According to the statement, the minister had declared: “Nigeria has since embraced the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative, with the formal launching of the SE4ALL initiative by President Goodluck Jonathan on 23rd of August 2012 in Abuja, just few months after it was launched by Mr. Ban Ki Moon.

The minister said: “The objectives of the SE4ALL initiative is in tandem with the goals of President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda, which gave high priority to providing access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy to our citizens in both urban and rural areas.

“President Goodluck Jonathan is no doubt committed to developing our Renewable Energy resources and his government will always promote

Energy Efficiency measures, which are the hallmark of the SE4ALL initiative”, He told the audience :“Nigeria is also playing key role at regional and continental levels through collaboration with sub-regional body- ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)”.

The agency, according to the minister, is working with ECOWAS member states “to develop and coordinate the National and Regional Action Plans for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, as well as SE4ALL National Action Agenda in the ECOWAS Region."

Flaunting Nigeria’s records in the field of sustainable energy development, the minister said: “Nigeria’s recent accomplishment in this regard includes the development of National Policy on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (NREEEP); National Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan (NRESIP) and Operation Light-Up Rural Nigeria (OLRN) Initiative launched by President Jonathan in January this year, it is aimed at increasing electricity access to rural areas, which are far-flung from the national grid.

He also used the opportunity to inform the world audience that Nigeria while reforming its power sector, has successfully privatised the sector thereby creating huge opportunities for investors.

He therefore, called on would be investors take advantage of the attractive climate and invest in Nigeria.

Furthermore, he said that the population of Nigeria, which is put at 170 million offers vibrant market coupled with the wide demand- gap for electricity.

EIA: Shale oil, gas production to offset Gulf shut-ins

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he prevalence of oil production in shale formations has reduced the likelihood that any cuts in production from offshore rig shut-ins in the Gulf of Mexico during the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season will be felt, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has said.

The Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 23 per cent of the total US crude oil production, the EIA said. However, an increasing percentage of total production is coming from unconventional formations. So, much of the lost production from shut-ins ahead of an approaching storm or hurricane will be offset by inland activity.

In 2013, Tropical Storm Karen produced the only shut-in of Gulf production, the EIA said. Nearly two-thirds of oil

output in the Gulf of Mexico was halted, according to Reuters.

Refining capacity remains an area of vulnerability, however. More than 40 per cent of total US petroleum refining capacity, and 30 per cent of total natural gas processing plant capacity, are located along the Gulf Coast, according to EIA figures.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast calls for 8-13 named storms during the 2014 hurricane season, with 3-6 of those becoming hurricanes.

About 1-2 of those hurricanes are expected to become major – Category 3 or above – with sustained wind speeds of at least 111 miles per hour (mph).

The US Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

A section of the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company (PRPC)

FG bars Ghana, others in fresh $12bn crude contracts award NO DEAL FG has halted crude exports deals with refineries in Ghana and other West African countries

Adeola Yusuf

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he Federal Government, at the weekend, finally removed Ghana and other West African countries in the last leg of the 2014 crude contracts worth $12 billion.

Deals also with neighbouring West African countries Senegal, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast were not renewed.

Nigeria and Ghana have been in a cold trade relationship in the last two years, a situation that is already affecting the economic deals and fortunes at the West African Coast.

Ghana had sanctioned Nigeria with a fine of $10 million for the inability of the latter to meet the gas supply agreement it had with her.

Although, the Federal Government raised the 2014 crude lifting contracts to $52 billion by adding China and Indian in the deals, it did not include refiners in Ghana in the new contracts.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter had up till 2012, supplied crude to Ghana.

Although Ghana is also a new oil producer, it was learnt that refiners preferred the Sweet Crude grade from Nigeria because of its low Sulphur level.

A document of the Nigeri-

an National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which detailed these new crude contracts’ awards, showed that government added about $12 billion new contracts in two months.

Government had last April awarded initial contracts worth about $40 billion, but the new deal showed that about 482 million barrels of its oil will be lifted by the winners of the new award for one year, starting from June 2014.

Chinese and Indian state oil companies, as well as more local companies are, according to a report by Reuters, beneficiaries of this expanded list of those awarded contracts to buy its crude, lift and re-issue.

The award, Reuters said, quoting trade sources, came as a result of intense lobbying by disappointed buyers.

The bulk of these companies will receive about 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) during this period.

The list now comprises 43 companies; up from 28 on the initial April list, and closer to the 50 contracts given out the last time NNPC issued them in 2012.

In this new list, 28 winners are Nigerian firms, up from 21 in the last round and two new bilateral government deals with Chinese state refiner Sinopec and India's state-owned refiner Indian Oil Corporation were added.

It was not immediately clear why the list was revised nor whether the new list, entitled "Recommended List of NNPC 2014-2015 Crude Oil Term Contracts," was final.

Trade sources said that lobbying after many habitual buyers were left off followed the release of the initial list.

Several non-governmen-

tal organisations and even a 2012 study commissioned by the Nigerian government have criticised the decision to hand a large portion of its oil exports to what the report called "briefcase traders."

However, the list indicates that Nigeria will not increase the amount sold directly to refiners as most other Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members do.

The total contracted volume is expected to be around 1.32 million bpd, the expanded list showed, or about 70 per cent of Nigeria's total crude oil exports, which fluctuate between 1.8-1.9 million bpd.

As was the case with the first list and in a break with tradition, no contracts were issued directly to global traders Glencore, Vitol, Trafigura or Gunvor, with only Switzerland's Mercuria awarded a deal.

Industry sources say that these firms will likely still trade Nigerian oil, either through buying from Nigerian firms or through partnerships.

Delaney Petroleum Corp, a Dubai-based company, which Trafigura says it sometimes cooperates with, was added to the latest list.

The total number of deals with foreign governments is just three, including Malawi, down from 10 last time.

Of the eight newly added Nigerian companies, only three were awarded contracts in the last round.

Subsidiaries of Emmanuel Ojei's holdings company Nuel Okei, Emo Oil and Petrochemical Co and Team Trade Petroleum Development Co, were two of the new winners.

32 BUSINESS | ENERGY

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

FCT residents decry electricity tariff hike NO JUSTIFICATION Abuja residents have said that there was no justification for any form of increase when the electricity supply is still very low within the metropolis

James Nwabueze ABUJA

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arely one week after the new tariff introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) took effect, electricity consumers in the Federal

Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed dismay over the increase in the energy charges.

The 2014 bi-annual review of the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) that was conducted by the NERC took effect from June 1, 2014 with slight increase in energy charge in some parts of the country.

But, some of the customers who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja, described the increase as “adding salt to injury,” saying there is no justification for any form of increase when the electricity supply is still very low within the metropolis.

At the pre-paid outlet office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) at Wuse 2, several customers complained about the high tariff, saying it is unacceptable.

A lady who gave her name as

Mrs. Aina Olaoye, said that she was unhappy about the development because light has not improved at the Price and Princess Estate where she live.

According to her, there is no justification for continuing with the so-called Multi Year Tariff Order if that was meant to reap off consumers.

“I did not know about this until I got here, I must tell you that I am very sad about the increase because it is not as if we are even enjoying the light as we are supposed. Besides, such review should have been well advertised before implementation because I was surprised to learn about it now. I had to argue with the officers here. The authorities ought to check the new owners of these companies because some of them are driven by the urge to maximize

profit” she said.

For Sanni Yakubu, the increase in the energy charge is simply outrageous because according to him, the electricity suppliers have not fulfilled part of their bargain going by the projection in electricity generation, which would have translated to more reliable and efficient supply.

“I read in the papers recently that the authorities did not meet up with their projections in electricity generation, which is part of the reason supply had remained poor all these while.

And I also learnt that the MYTO is predicated on the generation among other considerations. So, what reason will they give us for still continuing with MYTO and the review when there is little or no supply of electricity. I think the whole idea is crazy and out-

Gas plant

Oil price falls to E $102.48 per barrel TWIST Brent crude oil futures has risen as European oil demand rises Adeola Yusuf

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rent crude oil futures rose and US crude oil pared losses at the weekend in choppy trading as the euro and dollar reacted to the European Central Bank's (ECB) interest rate cut and investors’ anticipated growing oil demand in Europe.

The dollar initially strengthened against the euro after the ECB cut interest rates to record lows and announced negative interest rates on overnight deposits.

"I think it took the markets a while to process what the

implications are from these moves from the ECB, but the press conference by [ECB President] Mario Draghi propped up the view that these moves will make the economy more robust, and that speaks to what energy demand will be," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in new York.

"It was a good economic data week for the continent," he added.

Brent bounced off a threeweek low and US crude from a two-week low hit immediately after the ECB announcement.

Crude, priced in dollars, comes under pressure when the greenback rises as it becomes less affordable to holders of other currencies.

US crude lost 16 cents to settle at $102.48. It recovered after dropping to $101.60, its lowest since May 16.

ni S.p.A. reported at the weekend that the Minister of Petroleum and Mines of Venezuela and President of PDVSA, Rafael Ramirez, Eni's CEO, Claudio Descalzi, and Repsol's President, Antonio Brufau, signed strategic agreements concerning the exploitation of the Perla field, one of the largest worldwide discoveries of the last decade.

The first agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a new company (mixed enterprise) will develop and produce Perla’s condensate reserves. The new company will be jointly run by CVP (PDVSA’s affiliate) with 60 per cent participation, Eni with 20 per cent and Repsol 20 per cent.

Currently, the condensate reserves are property of the Republic of Venezuela.

The second agreement is a Term Sheet, which establishes the key elements for up to $1 billion investment structure to finance PDVSA’s (CVP) share in the Perla development. Eni and Repsol will contribute with up to $500 million each.

Both agreements are subject to final contracts to be signed

rageous, declared Yakubu.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, has explained that the result of protracted loses in generation capacity was that the benefits from the macro-economic variables are outweighed by the generation loss, the gap projected and actual available generation capacity in the industry, hence, the increase in end user tariff.

According to him, one of the indices for the minor review is available generation capacity, sadly the gross available capacity from the grid as of 31st March review date is 4,306MW; this is well below the 9,061MW that NERC had on the basis of all information available to it when MYTO-2 was set in June 2012.

The new tariff, which kicked off on June 1, revealed that there would be a marginal increase in the monthly tariff paid by certain classes of electricity customers that fall within the affected tariff classifications.

The increase, which will mostly affect customers within the tariff classes of Residential-2 (R2) and Commercial-1 (R1), will however, not affect the total amount that these classes of consumers will pay for the fixed charge component of their bills; the fixed charge are usually embedded in the monthly electricity bills and has been justified by NERC and industry operators as a universal practice for maintenance of operational hardware like transformers, office building, wire and cables amongst others.

But even with the recent tariff increase, electricity customers are not guaranteed adequate supply of electricity by operators in the industry because of the lingering shortage in overall generation capacity of generating plants in the country.

Eni seals pact with Repsol, PDVSA to develop Venezuela field and to the approval of local authorities.

The Perla field, located in the Cardon IV block in the Gulf of Venezuela, 31 miles (50 kilometers) from the shore in a water depth of 196 feet (60 meters), was discovered in 2009. The current estimate of gas in place is approximately 17 Trillion cubic feet (Tcf), or 3.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

The Cardon IV block is licensed and operated by the Joint Operating Company "Cardon IV S.A.", owned by Eni (50 per cent) and Repsol (50 per cent). PDVSA exercised its 35 per cent back-in right and, after the imminent signature of a Sale and Purchase Agreement, it will get its ownership stake in the company, which will be jointly operated. Eni and Repsol will each keep a 32.5 per cent interest.

Perla production start up is expected by the end of 2014; production will reach the following peaks: Phase I at 300 million standard cubic feet per day MMscf/d), Phase II at 800 MMscf/d and Phase III at 1,200 MMscf/d.

Eni is also present in Venezuela with a participation in the Junin-5 heavy oil block (PDVSA 60 per cent, Eni 40 per cent) located in the Faja of Orinoco, which holds 35 billion boe of certified oil in place. Junin-5 production started in March 2013. Eni also holds a participation in PetroSucre, the Operating Company, which runs the offshore Corocoro field (PDVSA 74 per cent, Eni 26 per cent).

Currently Eni’s net production in the country is approximately 10,500 barrels of oil per day.

PROPERTY&ENVIRONMENT PAGE 33, Tuesday, June 10, 2014

REVENUE The Federal Government is expected to rake in N25.7 billion from the project.

Dayo Ayeyemi

I

t was good tiding for residents of FESTAC Phase I and thousands of home seekers in the country when the Federal Government announced the approval of the development of FESTAC Town Phase II in Lagos under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

The arrangement, according to government, would yield N25.7 billion to its coffers based on the outcome of the Federal Executive Meeting on March 12, 2013.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, flanked by the former Housing Minister, Ms. Ama Pepple, had briefed newsmen that the proposal, which was accepted

by FEC, encompassed the remaining 1126 hectares of land acquired for FESTAC in 1977.

Maku stated that the council approved that the remaining portion of land should be developed after reclamation is done by the New FESTAC Property Development Company (NFPDC) to fast-track the project, which is “a way of developing the economy without dipping hands into government purse.”

NFPDC is expected to work with four other companies, including PW Nigeria Limited; SCC Nigeria Limited; Enacco Nigeria Limited and Funtaj Limited, for speedy completion.

Benefits of the project Pepple,howevetr, explained that the concession of the project, granted to four companies, will span a 30-year period with three years moratorium, adding that N150 million will also accrue to the Federal Government as rent annually once it takes-off.

The minister, who gave another benefit of the project as the provision of jobs to Nigerians, also pointed out that 7,000 plots are to be carved out of the land and equipped with infrastructure facilities such as police stations, schools, shopping malls and others.

As a new town, it is expected to offer accommodation to over 240,000 people and serve as a work place for between 15,000 and 35,000 at different phases of its development.

Beautiful plan of course! But 15 months after the proposal, nothing much was heard about the project. This has made many residents of FESTAC Phase I, who believe that the fortunes of the project would rub on their estate to begin to lose patience over the new housing scheme.

But investigation by New Telegraph has shown that there is hope in sight concerning the project as the developers have engaged the services

Consultants fast-track EIA report of FESTAC Phase II project …Concept plan ready

Some of the property and depilated road in FESTAC Phase I

of some firms to carry out the Environmental Impact Assessment of the project to ensure the right things are done for its sustainability.

Concept plan Information gathered reveled that Messrs MOA Planners Limited is the firm coordinating other firms for the project.

An impeccable source told New Telegraph that the concept plan of the new city is ready, while the design of one of the districts has been completed.

Revealing some of the components of the new city, he said that it would have four districts, adding that for this reason the consultants for the EIA report have been working hard to ensure the project’s socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders.

When the 1,126 hectares of land for the project is reclaimed and sand filled, because of its swampy nature, he said that it will create at least 7,000 plots.

Based on the concept plan, he said that FESTAC Phase II on completion will be like a new city with houses, shopping malls, schools, police station, health centres, among others.

He said: “Plan proposes the execution of FESTAC II in three phases. The land area for the coverage of each of the three phases are in 535, 265 and 326 hectares.

“Phase I is being planned

to occupy the central area of the land area, while phase II occupies the central area of the southern sector, as well as the north-eastern axis; and the Phase III covers the northern and western axis, as well as the south-western and north-eastern axis of the project land area.

“The components include reclamation of 535.76 hectares of swamps or wetlands between Abule-Ado, Festac Town and Ijedodo; dredging of canal between Festac Town and the proposed FESTAC Phase II; while site preparation, including removal of shanties and other forms of encroachment; construction of roads, drainage channels, as well as facilities for power supply, waste water management and others.

“It also includes the construction of buildings of various types and uses like residences, shopping malls, petro filling stations, hotels, motels, offices,

The components include reclamation of 535.76 hectares of swamps or wetlands between Abule-Ado, Festac Town and Ijedodo

schools, places of worship; and allocation of lands to allottees for construction purposes.”

The proposed FESTAC Phase II is conceived for a new town with substantial area of land devoted for commercial and recreational land uses.

Comprising the development of a large parcel of land between the existing FESTAC Town, Abule, Ijedodo and Isheri –Osun, the land is part of the 2,024.60 hectares of land acquired by the FHA to develop the FESTAC town. The site proposed for FESTAC Phase 1 is 1,126 hectares.

Reclamation The proposed project will create a new town that will be provided with all the required infrastructure/facilities for its sustenance. It will involve reclamation of swamps, dredging of canals and removal of vegetation, particular some mangrove-type plants.

The new town will have zone, districts or land uses reserved or planned as public/institution. Others include recreational, greens, buffers and water bodies and light industrial.

Meanwhile, it is the expectation of many that the needful will be done to ensure that the new city does not go the way of FESTAC Phase I. Dilapidation of FESTAC Phase I has been blamed on the refusal of its occupiers to pay the mandatory maintenance fee as

stipulated in their letter of offer.

Stakeholders' perspective Chairman, FESTAC Town Residents’ Association, Mr. Jola Ogunlusi, had lauded government's initiative to develop FESTAC Phase II, describing it as “the beginning of good things to come.”

He noted that the project, when completed, will positively affect FESTAC Phase I. According to him, there would be proper connection between old FESTAC and Phase II, adding that oil pipeline in the latter would be cleared to stop vandalisation and associated crimes in the areas, saying that the network issue will no longer be problem.”

Speaking on the concession of Phase II of FESTAC, Ogunlusi said that Public-Private Partnership remained the best way to achieve the project.

Immediate past chairman, Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Olatunde Jayesimi, lauded the initiative, saying that “it is a good one.”

According to him, if properly managed, it would solve housing problem in Lagos since traffic situation in FESTAC corridor will improve after the completion of LagosBadagry Expressway.”

Jaiyesimi explained that the project would create jobs for those that need them, especially the artisans.

34

property & ENVIRONMENT

GROWTH From 56 cities in 1953, Nigeria is estimated to have over 1,000 urban areas currently.

Dayo Ayeyemi

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n investment of at least N48.8 trillion ($300 billion) is required over the next 30 years for housing construction costs alone in the country, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, has said.

Eyakenyi stated this during

Nigeria needs N48.8trn in 30 years to fix housing deficit –Minister the World Bank and International Finance Corporation’s Sixth Global Housing Finance Conference held in United States recently.

In her presentation on: “Affordable housing finance: The role of government,” the minister said that from 56 cities in 1953, Nigeria is estimated to have over 1,000 urban areas currently with no fewer than 19 cities having a population of one million people and above.

‘New resource productivity can save world $3.7trn annually'

apidly rising prices of metal, up by 176 per cent, Rrubber by 350 per cent, and en-

ergy by 260 per cent since 2000 are generating hit globally.

But, a new report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which was released at the weekend, said that harnessing existing technologies and appropriate policies to increase resource productivity could save up to $3.7 trillion globally each year and insulate future economic growth from the harmful effects of resource scarcity, price volatility and environmental impacts.

Rising prices of these resources, the report said, have signaled a potentially crippling trend of increasing costs, adding that the current consumption patterns are rapidly depleting the world’s non-renewable resources Technologies, opportunities and policy options, produced by the UNEP-hosted International Resource Panel (IRP), said that the numbers demonstrate that the negative effects of unsustainable use of natural resources are already being felt, further backing the argument with a rise in volatility of food prices: 22.4 per

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

cent from 2000 to 2012 compared to 7.7 per cent from 1990 to 1999.

It stated: “Many decoupling technologies and techniques that deliver up to ten times more resource productivity are already available, allowing countries to pursue their development strategies while significantly reducing resource use and negative environmental impacts.

“The potential to reduce energy demand through improved efficiency is around 50 to 80 per cent for most production and utility systems. Some 60 to 80 per cent improvements in energy and water efficiency are commercially viable in sectors such as construction, agriculture, hospitality, industry and transport.

“Advanced furnace technology could achieve up to a 40 per cent reduction in energy intensity for zinc, tin, copper, and lead smelting and processing.”

The report argued that existing barriers to decoupling could be removed, notably subsidies for energy and water use, outdated regulatory frameworks and technological biases. Such policy change can create stable, successful economies over the long term.

She confirmed that the housing deficit in the country is estimated at about 17 million units.

According to the report from 3invest Limited, the minister pointed out that about one million housing units per annum are required to achieve significant reduction in the national deficit and eventually eliminate it by the year 2043, at a unit cost of $10,000.

She said: “This requires an investment of at least $300 billion minimum over the next 30 years for housing construction costs alone.”

Eyakenyi said that the most important constraint to adequate housing in the country was the lack of access to serviced and titled land as well as the absence of sustainable long-term housing finance.

The removal of these two

barriers, she said was one of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.

“The shared prosperity agenda is about removing imbalances, ensuring equal opportunities, equitable and inclusive growth and enhanced security for improved quality of life and reduction of human misery,” she said.

She said the provision of affordable housing and urban basic services is a veritable policy instrument for ensuring that the prosperity of the society is shared more rationally and beneficially by the citizenry.

She noted that little progress has been made through the approved National Policy on Housing and the National Policy on Urban Development

of 2012,adding that a lot still needs to be done.

On the ways out, the minister said that there should be a provision of a favourable macroeconomic, political and social environment for both local investment and foreign direct investment, including incentives for cost recovery and repatriation of funds and profits.

According to her, there should also be assistance to developers in the supply of unencumbered land and promotion of the use of alternative building materials and new technologies in housing delivery, urging government to partner with strong and competent non-government actors for community mobilisation in the delivery of mass housing projects and ensure amicable resolution of conflicts.

R-L: South West Commissioners of Tourism, Chief Ronke Okusanya (Ekiti); Disun Holloway (Lagos); Mrs. Yewande Amusan (Ogun) and Princess Adetutu Adeyemi (Oyo), during a working visit to Lekki Conservation Centre on Development Agenda for Western Nigeria.

Four months on: 229 fresh homeowners emerge in Lagos Dayo Ayeyemi

F

our months after the commencement of the Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMs), 229 fresh homeowners have emerged through the

Shogunro Housing Scheme, Ogba-Lagos

initiative.

According to statistics, 31 people won homes in March, 36 in April, 70 in May, and 92 in the just-concluded June draw, totalling 229 new homeowners within four months.

Based on expectation, 800

people ought to have won their homes in the last four months.

Lagos homes are located in various part of the state which include Epe, Ikorodu, Ogba, Surulere, Ikeja, Shasa, Agege, Lekki and Igando, among others.

Expressing joy over the turnout, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that he had released an additional N2 billion to contractors handling various projects under Lagos-HOMS to increase the state’s housing stock.

This, he said, was meant to bridge the huge housing deficit in the state.

While reiterating his administration’s commitment to providing affordable homes for residents, the governor appreciated the Lagos State HOMs Management Board for a job well done, saying that the process for the homeownership draw was easy because the state put dedicated men and women in charge.

He appealed to contractors handling the housing projects to speed up the processes of delivery without compromising safety and standard.

The governor suggested to the contractors to see how they can embark on two shifts for

them to meet up with the delivery date so that the houses can be available for people seeking homes under the state mortgage scheme.

Fashola stressed that workers could do two shifts of eight hours each, and in that way to reduce construction time without compromising quality and not compromising the safety of the workers at the construction sites.

He said: “Nothing delights me more than seeing citizens who are happy. My day is made.

This is the reason why I have this job. All of the homeowners today, their joy and their happiness and excitement make this day worthwhile for me. We have 92 new home owners.”

The governor said that the successful holding of another public draw was a confirmation that people who live in the state, who have means and work hard, can legitimately aspire to have a place to call their own.

property & ENVIRONMENT

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Chief Olusegun Babatunde Bamgbade is the Chairman of H.O.B. Housing Estates.

In this interview with Dayo Ayeyemi, the expert expressed worry over the delay in announcing the names of authorised Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) in the country by CBN. He also spoke on the need to give the newly established Mortgage Refinance Company time to stabilise. Excerpts Five months after the launch of mortgage refinance company, it is yet to take off.

What is your comment on this?

Mortgage Refinance Company is to help stabilise the confidence of the people of Nigeria in the mortgage system.

It is to create an avenue for a robust mortgage opportunities for Nigerians in a large scale. Such an edifice cannot be rushed into existence just to please a few. It must be well planned.

It must have some laws guiding its affairs. It must have some experts to run its affairs. It must not be an issue of garbage-in garbage-out. Let us give the government time to plan and act about it. Though it is getting late, I know they will come up with a good result for the benefit of Nigerians.

Is government really serious about this?

Yes of course. The government is serious about it. This government is the most criticised but it will turn out to be a government to appreciate later. Reason being that, criticisms brings out the best in governance. I mean constructive criticisms. The government listens to constructive criticisms and act accordingly. Such a government who listens to her people

DELUGE Residents are living in perpetual fear of the looming epidemic Dayo Ayeyemi

T

his is not the best of times for residents of Okun Alpha, a waterfront community in Eti-Osa Local Council of Lagos State as water from the Atlantic Ocean has taken over their homes and businesses, rendering many people stranded.

Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed due to the flooding. More worrisome is the health implications of the flooding with residents fearing a full blown epidemic.

However, this is not the first time water from Atlantic Ocean would overwhelm the community and the environment. In fact, the entire Alpha Beach in the coastal community has been a major attack of the water from the ocean as its sand has been carted away

by Past Ocean surges, leading to degradation of the entire community.

Many, according to report from Environ news, have attributed its intensity to rising

35

‘Delay in releasing names of authorised PMBs is tactical' I think this government is reasonable to a great extent. Please leave politics out of my comments. This government is reasonable Management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to educate Nigerians on this mortgage refinance issue. I did all that because I believe in the system.

I did all that because I love the idea.

I did all that because Nigerians must be enlightened. I did all that free of charge for the benefit of my people in this country. I did all that because I love my country - Nigeria. I think this government is reasonable to a great extent.

Please leave politics out of my comments. This government is reasonable.

Bamgbade

on the issue of governance will not be prepared to make outlandish mistakes. Where there are mistakes, they quickly amend their ways. Definitely, no one is infallible. The ability to retract your fallacious act makes you a reasonable government. I spent a whole day explaining and defending the government on this issue on my facebook profile about three months ago. I even sent an advisory note officially to the

We are yet to know the authorised Primary Mortgage Banks. Are you not worried as a developer?

I am worried and highly worried on so many issues with real estate development in Nigeria. Government that created the avenue for people to partner with them and build houses for the masses have really done well. However, the personnel involved in the execution of the government agenda need to be checked. A situation where a developer is denied of his/her disbursements as at when due calls for a serious concern.

A situation where approval for price review takes more than two years to be granted is an aberration. A situation

where FMBN continues to charge you interests on a facility they purposely delayed in order to earn more interests at the expense of the developer is barbaric. A situation where correspondence is not replied accordingly is an anomaly. A situation where you built at the rate of N4.5 million per unit and your books are being considered and calculated at the rate of N2 million per unit with a total disregard of the prevailing market situation is destructive.

A situation where you have to call Mr A, or Chief K, in order to get the attention of the people at the helms of affairs in FMBN is critically unpalatable.

What can you say on the issue of PMBs? On the issue of the authorised Primary Mortgage Banks, I believe the delay in the release of their names is tactical. It is strategised to keep the interest elements on the Real Estate Development Loans on a steady increase on the account of the developers. This is very disastrous!

How do you expect the developers to make profits when the interest on loans have eroded all their profits?

Mortgage issues in Nigeria needs to be handled with a more serious approach. The other time in 2009, Sanusi Lamido instructed the banks to roll out the names of their debtors. The names were rolled out on the pages of newspapers without any consideration of the cause of their predicaments. Most of those names rolled out were actually victims of FMBN's ineptitudes. Yet the innocent developers were punished for somebody-else's failure. That is rubbish! Anyway, with this new management in FMBN, I believe things will work out well.

Again, Atlantic Ocean takes over Alpha community sea level caused by melting ice sheets in the Polar Regions.

The recent flooding at Okun Alfa was quite significant as the high-level water consumed about 95 per cent of houses on Baale Street. Human waste sipped out and mixed with the floodwater, even as animals scampered for safety.

Residents who could afford to move, packed out hurriedly, while the poor ones looked on helplessly with anger and frustration written all over their faces.

A community leader, Alhaji Yusuf Atelewora, said that the neighborhood has witnessed increased shoreline erosion in the last four years and that all promises made by both federal and state governments were yet to be fulfilled.

“Many government officials have been to Okun Alfa, but all we hear are promises of this and that but our condition is not any better. Do you know that even President Goodluck Jonathan came here? We were happy when he visited. But years after, nothing tangible has been done.

“From my own side, I can tell you that since sand filling increased around the Bar

Alpha beach

Beach area (an apparent reference to the Eko Atlantic City land reclamation scheme), erosion has also increased on our shoreline. I pray one day we don’t wake up inside the sea,” he lamented.

According Dr. Chubuike Wokocha from the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers

State, many coastal towns and communities may no longer be in existence in 10 years’ time due to increasing sea level rise as a result of climate change.

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, said that efforts to reduce shoreline erosion in Okun Alfa is capital intensive

and the state would require support from the Federal Government, adding that the state government has been working to ensure that the impact on communities like Okun Alfa is reduced and plans were on to re-align the drainage of the community backwards toward the Lagos Lagoon.

36 property & ENVIRONMENT

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Guide to buying keyed door locks for homes While keyed door locks may seem simple, once buyers begin to shop, they realise that there is actually a wide variety of locks that they can purchase. The differences between these types of locks can be subtle, but it is important for buyers to understand the differences before making any purchases according to experts at www.ebay.com

T

he experts stated that two main categories of door locks include rim locks and mortise locks, adding that each provide varying levels of security.

According to them, “within each of these categories, buyers can then browse through latch locks, deadbolts, and sash locks or handsets. Latch locks are commonly found on many doors throughout the house, and they are ideal for basic locking needs. In many cases, the main doors of the home require locks that are more secure.

“However, sometimes deadbolts alone are still not enough. In fact, handlesets and sash locks are the type of locks that most homeowners will recognise because these combination devices bring together both latch locks and deadbolts within one unit.

Types of keyed door locks When shopping for keyed door locks, there are several types of locks that buyers can consider. These types include latch locks, deadbolts, and sash locks. All these three types of locks can be found in either mortise lock or rim lock versions.

When it comes to securing a front or back door, the experts said a mortise lock is the most recommended type because the locking mechanism fits inside of the recess in the doorjamb when the lock is engaged.

This, according to them, differentiates mortise locks from rim locks that are placed on the outside of the door instead of inside. “Rim locks offer very little security because the small rimmed housing that encloses the engaged lock is on the exterior of the door and can easily be removed with a little bit of force. Mortise locks, however, are fitted between the door and the door jamb, making them much more difficult to access and subsequently damage.”

Considerations There are many things to consider when shopping for keyed door locks. However, one of the most important considerations is the level of security needed, and the following chart can serve as a guideline to help buyers decide which locks correspond to certain levels of security.

While the chart below provides some indication of the level of security that a buyer can expect with certain locks, the amount of security actually provided cannot be guaranteed. Buyers should therefore make sure to compare the different features and advantages of different items before making their purchases.

Type of Lock

Level of Security Suitable Doors

Rim latch lock

Very low

Rim deadbolt

Low

Rim sash lock

Low

Mortise latch lock Mortise single-cylinder deadbolt Mortise double-cylinder deadbolt Mortise sash lock, handleset, or mortise latch lock and deadbolt combination

Moderate Moderately high High High

Bathroom doors, bedroom doors Indoor storage areas, closet doors Indoor storage areas, basement doors Patio doors Outdoor shed doors, garage doors Outdoor shed doors, garage doors Front and back doors

L-R: General Manager, Lagos’ Office of Facility Management and Maintenance, Adenike Adekanbi; President, International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Nigeria Chapter, Ms. Iyabo Aboaba; Vice President of IFMA, Mr. Richard okesola; and a member, Mrs Abimbola Adamolekun, during the forum organised to mark the World FM Day in Lagos.

IFMA to youths: Embrace maintainance culture MANAGEMENT The catch them young exercise is to ensure orderliness in the society.

Dayo Ayeyemi

N

igerians, especially the young ones, have been urged to imbibe the culture of maintenance and make it part of their lifestyle.

This was the message of many experts to the audience made up of school children and adults at the World FM Day 2014 organised by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Nigeria chapter in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, Office of Facility Management and Maintenance.

Themed: “Connected FM – Connected World: A focus on global knowledge sharing”, the occasion was used to raise awareness of the aims, objectives and progress of facility management in Nigeria and across the globe.

President of IFMA, Nigeria chapter, Ms. Iyabo Aboaba, also used the forum to highlight the valuable contributions sound facility management has made and is making worldwide in productive, safe, healthy and secured environment.

She said that the forum also centred on how facility management practises could be inculcated by all.

The desire, she said, centred on how to inculcate facility management culture in Nigerian youths so that it becomes a lifestyle for them.

Awareness programs were also planned for designated technical schools in Lagos State; ten students from five technical schools were in attendance.

The World FM Day is a global initiative that aims to raise the profile of facility managers, promote ideals and raise awareness of the facility management profession around the world.

In his paper on: “Facility management appreciation for young nigerians and students’,

chief executive office, Spicon Consults, Mr Silas Ofoegbu, an engineer, took the students through the rudiments of facility management.

According to him, facility management has become highly competitive, subject to continuous innovation and development, under pressure to reduce costs and to add value to the core business of the client organisation where possible.

He stated that the role of the facilities manager encompassed management of health and safety, fire, security, maintenance, testing and inspection; cleaning, operational, tendering, commercial property management, business continuity planning, space allocation and changes According to him, the life of a facility, whether of one building or of an extensive complex, could be divided into several finite stages: design, construction, occupancy and use, repair, rehabilitation, and disposal.

He stated that similar stages applied for individual systems or components within a facility, adding that within each stage there were additional definitive sets of actions required of the facility manager or owner and each of these actions has an attendant cost.

On job opportunities for the youth in facility management, Ofoegbu said interestingly jobs abound for facility managers as the training of the profession fits into all aspects of the economy ranging from real estate, banking hotels hospitals telecommunications religious houses (churches, mosques etc) government ministries and parastatals.

Other opportunities, he said, included self-employment as a facility management consultant or service provider, adding that managers also occupy both executive top management positions.

Also, Facility Manager, PriceWater House Coopers, Mr. Abimbola Olusegun-Adamolekun, said the culture of maintenance saved time, save cost on the long run, ensure orderliness, and promote record saving.

House of Reps tour: So many questions, but few answers p–38

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

BUSINESS 37

Aerotropolis: When airport cities come under scrutiny

The aerotropolis project embarked upon by the Federal Government for Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports have come under intense scrutiny from the National Assembly and stakeholders in the aviation industry. The concept is good but the challenge is in planning to get it right, writes Aviation Editor, WOLE SHADARE

T

he concept of Aerotropolis was very alien to Nigeria until former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, embarked on what she claimed would open up Nigeria’s aviation industry to foreign direct investment that was estimated to be as high as $350 million.

Roadshows Yes, the concept was new.

She and her team went on road shows, transversed major cities of the world to draw attention that Nigeria was indeed embarking on the project that would open up the country’s economy. That was in 2012. The road show drew lots of flaks from Nigerians who were not too convinced that the Ministry of Aviation then was sincere with the entire exercise.

The aerotropolis model brings together airport planning, urban and regional planning, and business-site planning, to create a new urban form that is highly competitive, attractive, and sustainable. It is a business-planning model that brings clusters of travel related businesses like tourism, hospitality, shopping, fashion and others together within an airport environment.

The government believes that the transformation would maximise the contribution of the industry to the socio-economic development of Nigeria through increased trade.

Sources close to the former minister said that aerotropolis would specifically target diversification of the economy through increased economic activity, technology transfer, increased trade through global partnerships, value chain development and rural transformation especially in exploiting the country’s agro-export opportunities, employment poten-

Murtala Mohammed International Airport

tial, local and foreign business development and private sector investment.

Transparency Not a few believed that the Federal Government’s plan to open up the aviation industry for commerce was a move in the right direction. There were still skepticisms and lack of transparency that threatened the project.

It could be said that major airports have become key nodes in global production and enterprise systems offering them speed, agility, and connectivity.

They are also powerful engines of local economic development, attracting aviation-linked businesses of all types to their environs. These include, among others, time-sensitive manufacturing and distribution facilities; hotel, entertainment, retail, convention, trade and exhibition complexes.

The rapid expansion of airport-linked commercial facilities is making today's air gateways anchors of 21st century metropolitan development where distant travelers and locals alike can conduct businesses, exchange knowledge, shop, eat, sleep, and be entertained without going more than 15 minutes from the airport. This functional and spatial evolution is transforming many city airports into airport cities.

As more and more aviationoriented businesses are being drawn to airport cities and

the Federal Government’s plan to open up the aviation industry for commerce was a move in the right direction. There were still skepticisms and lack of transparency that threatened the project along transportation corridors radiating from them, a new urban form is emerging - the aerotropolis - stretching up to 20 miles (30 kilometers) outward from some airports.

The aerotropolis is thus much more of a dynamic, forward-looking model than a static, cross-sectional model reflecting historic airport area development to date.

Probe Meanwhile, Oduah’s project may have come under scrutiny following allegations by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that the project lacks clear-cut direction.

The committee however stated that the project and its details were enmeshed in serious secrecy, not knowing how the

Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wanted to fund the project at a go with lean resources, saying that there was more to it than meet the eye.

Chairman of the Committee, Nkiruka Onyejiocha, stated that aerotropolis is a good concept, but explained that the committee wanted to know the relationship between Aerotropolis Company Limited, their directors and Arotropolis Company; a situation they said does not make the whole idea of the project transparent.

Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, said that he was not aware of anything about the concept embarked upon by the ministry.

He said: “I don’t know anything about aerotropolis but what I know is the strategic development of the airports which is expected to bring industries that are aviation related and those that can help develop the airports. What we have done is that we got land in Abuja with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and they want to do infrastructure design. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).”

Dunoma said that the lack of space for development at the Lagos Airport has made infrastructure enhancement very cumbersome.

Many agreed that aerotropolis, if well implemented, could bring enormous economic boost to the nation, the same

way it is done in many big airports across the world like the London Heathrow, Chicago O’ Hare, Frankfurt, Dubai and Charles de Gaulle airports.

Expert's view Travel expert, Mike Ohimemen, listed lack of infrastructure and the absence of political will are two factors that could truncate the project and make it unrealisable.

He said lack of good network of roads, airports, railway lines, telephones, electricity grid and telecommunications were issues that were not tackled before the former minister embarked “on what many have tagged white “elephant project.”

Commercial hubs such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt are being primed to host the aerotropolis. There is a plan to develop a 5-star hotel close to MMIA as one of the facilities for the new airport concept.

Elsewhere, aerotropolis is not only real, it has taken root and blossomed to some of the most concrete and enduring examples to point at. Airports are no longer staging points for arrivals and departures of passengers and aircraft.

Amesterdam’s Schipol Airport, believed to be the world’s first airport city with more than 58,000 people who work daily within the airport grounds, is a modern transport hub-integrating people and businesses, logistics and shops, information and entertainment.

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BUSINESS | AVIATION

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

WITH

Airline operators fault AIR RAGE ministry over policies House of Reps tour: • Chides govt on stoppage of royalties by foreign carriers

Many questions, few answers

W

London Heathrow terminal

VIOLATION According to the operators, the new policy undermines the survival of domestic airlines.

Wole Shadare

A

irline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have accused the Ministry of Aviation of violating the industry regulation of notice of rule making, which requires that stakeholders be given 90 days notice to make their input on any vexed matter before it becomes law.

Also, the operators faulted the directive issued by the Federal Government, which has directed foreign carriers to stop the payment of royalties to it, effective October 27, 2014.

The AON chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison, stated that the new directive by government was another step to further undermine the survival of the domestic airline carriers.

Meggison said that the stoppage of royalties by the foreign carriers would make government lose significant revenue it needs to fix critical infrastructure in the aviation sector.

The utilisation of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), funds and royalties have assisted in the past to fund major aviation projects.

He said that industry experts were not carried along before government, in a hurry, cancelled the agreement, for which the benefiting international carriers have been officially communicated.

The AON chief said that government, through the Ministry of Aviation, only informed the umbrella body of domestic carriers after it had concluded the cancellation of the payment of royalties to Nigeria He said that though, the

stoppage of payment of royalties by foreign carriers to Nigerian government is in line with the Open Skies Policy, but Nigeria is not yet ripe for such a policy that throws up its airspace for foreign carriers at the detriment of indigenous carriers.

He said that the new move by government is another attempt to further erode the Nigerian aviation market after the multiple entry policy, which has adverse effects on domestic carriers.

According to Meggison said, “if something drastic is not done to correct these anomalies, the domestic carriers of today will be out of business in five years."

He noted that with such waiver or stoppage of payment of royalties, government may find it difficult to raise substantial funds to liquidate its over N 174 billion borrowed by the ministry of aviation.

Meggison wondered how government would be able pay up the loans used to fix airports, when funds accruing from royalties paid by foreign carriers could be utilised to offset such loans.

Just last year, the ministry of aviation spent overN7.5 billion of bilateral air services agreement (BASA), funds on the rebuilding of airports out of the $80 million BASA funds domiciled with the NCAA. In 2012 it was alleged that NCAA had in its kitty over $80 million of BASA funds.

The Federal Government has secretly signed the agreement on abolition of commercial agreements and royalties by foreign carriers a month ago.

About N150 billion is said to be collected as royalty from the foreign airlines flying into Nigeria annually.

The BASA money is the royalty foreign airlines pay to Nigeria for the extra rights they requested for and got outside the original bilateral agree-

ment between their countries and Nigeria.

The approval signed by the Federal Government to cancel the collection of BASA charges, according to sources, is borne out of the position of the International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) and International Air TransportAssociation (IATA) that airlines should be allowed to operate into each other’s countries without paying royalty.

While countries from Africa and many other foreign countries, even from developed countries are slow in embracing the policy, Nigeria had rushed to approve of the decision without considering the economic implications on the industry.

Prior to now, the money generated from BASA account, which used to be managed by the defunct Nigeria Airways, but transferred to the Ministry of Aviation, was squandered by government in a controversial manner.

Following the heat the disappearance of the money in BASA’s accounts, running into several billions of naira, the government of late President Yar’Adua directed that the account be transferred to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the service of critical elements in the sector.

With the approval for the abolition of the BASA fund collection, the foreign carriers may have now actively taken over the country’s aviation sector with no competition from the Nigerian domestic carriers.

According to a source at the Ministry of Aviation, who did not support government’s position, “the rush to approve the abolition of BASA levy was one of the unpatriotic decisions government had taken.”

Following the development, the aviation agencies, which hitherto had been the beneficiaries of the BASA royalties, would have to look elsewhere to remain in business.

Wole Shadare

hen the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation visited last week Wednesday, not a few deemed it necessary. Reason: They had done that in the past with nothing tangible coming from the tour of facilities. It was like a ritual sort of thing.

But last week’s visit was different. It helped to answer some questions on probity and accountability in a sector that many said is riddled with corruption.

Kudos must be given to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for not getting on the wrong sides of the lawmakers. The lawmakers seemed to be impressed with the two agencies but picked a lot of holes with the FAAN and it is understandably so.

FAAN is the proverbial cash cow of the industry and one that has been too profligate with huge resources at its disposal.

One must commend the Chairman, Nkiru Onyejiocha and her team for digging deep to unravel some issues that were shrouded in secrecy, and one many would not have known. The revelations were scandalous. In a good country, heads should have rolled by now, while public hearing would have long been convened to ascertain the culpability of people saddled with the running of the FAAN. Onyejiocha has however promised that the House of Representative might be forced to convoke a public hearing to know the level of corruption that goes on in FAAN, in respect of the Avitech deal which she and her members admitted is bleeding the agency to death.

In a question and answer session at the board room of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the media was treated to a cocktail of misuse of funds, a very corrupt concession deal involving AVITECH and the Ministry of Aviation which they say was the height of fraud in the sector.

Onyejiocha and her team said the imperfection in the concession deals involving Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited/ Maevis Nigeria Limited and the FAAN pales into insignificance when compared with Avitech concession that hasexposed the underbelly of the agency.

They however called for the immediate termination of the deal that is backed by a leading Nigerian bank.

The committee alleged that the concession deal was bleeding the industry and one that has done incalculable damage to the sector, adding that it should be discontinued to allow FAAN to generate its funds.

Speaking at the site of a new terminal undergoing construction at the Lagos, Onyejeocha was visibly angry that the new terminal under construction does not have a design, stressing that not only is the terminal going to be smaller than the one in use that has lasted for over 30 years, she added that most of the remodelling jobs done at most of the airports were shoddily done.

The committee requested the Chinese contractor to forward the design for the project to them.

On the aerotropolis project embarked on by Oduah, the managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma said he was not aware of the project, but stated, "All I know is that it is a strategic development of the airports that would bring industries that are aviation related and those that can help to develop the airports.

One of the committee members, Bala Chanchangi said he was miffed with the fading of the tinted glasses used for airports which he noted have become a source of embarrassment rather enhancing the beauty of Nigerian aerodrome.

Onyejiocha stated that aerotropolis was a good concept but said the committee wanted to know the relationship between Aerotropolis Company Limited, their directors and Arotropolis Company; a situation they said does not make the whole idea of the project transparent.

Dunoma said he was not aware of anything about Aerotroplis as embarked upon by the Ministry.

According to him, “I don’t know anything about aerotropolis but what I know is the strategic development of the airports which is expected to bring industries that are aviation related and those that can help develop the airports. What we have done is that we got land in Abuja with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and they want to do infrastructure design. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)”.

Dunoma said the lack of space for development at the Lagos airport has made infrastructure development very cumbersome.

BUSINESS | AVIATION

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

39

Arik to begin flight services to Dubai HISTORIC Arik is the first Nigerian airline to offer commercial service to Dubai from Nigeria.

Wole Shadare

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igeria's biggest airline, Arik, has commenced flight to Dubai, as the airline reciprocates air pact between the country and the

United Arab Emirates.

The airline operations to the Middle East become the first Nigerian airline to offer a commercial service between Abuja, Nigeria and Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the airline, the first commercial flight on the new route is currently slated for July 28th, 2014 and will subsequently operate five weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nigeria and return on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday,

IATA appoints Glyn Hughes Global Head of cargo

he International Air TransTannounced port Association (IATA) has the appointment,

effective from June 9, of Glyn Hughes, as the association’s next Global Head of Cargo.

Glyn Hughes joined IATA in 1991 to enhance and expand the Cargo Accounts Settlement Service, growing it from 35 to nearly 100 operations while maintaining very low levels of agency default and decreasing overall operating costs for members.

In recent years, he has led IATA Cargo’s initiatives, embracing industry management and relationship building, in-

Hughes

cluding being part of the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group steering committee.

He has led a campaign to promote the value of air cargo, and is taking a principal role in the IATA team working to modernise the cargo agency program.

“I am delighted that Glyn has agreed to become our new Head of Cargo. He has worked very closely with Des Vertannes these past four years and is well placed to continue the important work of driving the transformation of the air cargo business and supporting our members in the delivery of industry objectives.

“He is well known and respected across the air cargo industry and I know he will have tremendous goodwill and support. Air cargo faces considerable challenges and we have an ambitious goal to improve the industry’s competitiveness through a cut in end-to-end shipping times of up to 48 hours.

“Glyn and his team will be dedicated to that goal, as well as to deliver the industry priorities of safety, security, quality, modernisation and transformation through the e-cargo agenda,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Sunday and Monday from Dubai.

Outbound flights will depart from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 1905 (local time) arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), Abuja at 2020 (local time).

The flight will then continue on to Dubai, departing Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), Abuja at 2150 (local time) finally arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai Terminal 1 at 0720 (local time).

The inbound flight will depart Dubai at 1030 (local time) and arrives in Abuja at 1430 (local time). The flight con-

him Mshelia, has said that training professional aviators is a passion borne out of balancing the scales between African and European professionals as well as tackling the acute dearth of manpower in the airline industry.

He made this known at the African Royal Beach Hotel, Ghana at the 6th International Business Conference with theme: Achieving the Africa Entrepreneurial Success organised by Aspire Africa where he bagged the Aviation Training Excellence in Africa award and a medallion for Outstanding Leadership Qualities.”

Mshelia who was repre-

sented by the Director of Special Duties, Mish Aviation, Mr Sam Winful, said that it is a joy and passion to see Africans rise to the challenge of flying the latest and best technology and the only way that can be achieved is through intense and concise training.

He said that already, the flying school has graduated over 30 pilots and is looking forward to graduate more as plans have commenced to increase the in-house capacity of trainee candidates to 40 this 2014 and 60 students by 2020.

“Training has been a passion of mine and it is my goal, now our goal at Mish to actually give back to the industry that nurtured us by grooming and training the next generation of pilots as well as aviation admin-

is another exciting moment for us all at Arik Air, not only launching a new international destination, but becoming the first airline to link the capital Abuja to Dubai. The importance of Dubai as the Middle East’s commercial capital makes it imperative for Arik Air to connect the city with Lagos which is a Nigeria’s commercial capital.

“As the number one airline in West Africa we have an obligation to ensure we constantly strive to enhance the service we offer travelers who fly with us. Guests on the new route can, as usual, be assured of Arik Air’s highest safety and service standards.”

An Airk aircraft

SAHCOL bags award T

he Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has again won an award as the “Outstanding

Mishaviation Ghana gets aviation training award he Chief Executive Officer TSchool, of Mish Aviation Flying Ghana, Captain Ibra-

tinues on to Lagos, leaving Abuja at 1600 (local time) and arriving in Lagos at 1715 (local time).

Current planning has the Lagos-Dubai route operated by an Airbus A330-200. Fitted to offer the very best in-flight comfort and style, the A330 is an environmentally friendly product that provides the highest degree of operational flexibility and passenger comfort.

The A330 will offer a twoclass configuration with 30 Premier Business Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats.

Dr Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, Arik Air’s Global Chief Executive Officer, said: “This

istrators in the region.”

On the award, Captain Mshelia said that it was welcome and apt for the flying school and would go a long way in encouraging the staff to continuously do their utmost.

“Well, let me express gratitude on behalf of my staff and crew as being singled out to be honoured is an indication that the flying school was making significant progress and one that we intend to sustain in the coming years.

“The award also shows that someone somewhere takes note of everything you do, no matter how little. Aviation is our life at Mish; we live it through our commitment and high level of professionalism, so, once again, thank you for this recognition,” he said.

Aviation Provider in Africa,” in the maiden Leadership Awards for African Achievers (LAFAA 2014).

The award was presented to SAHCOL at a ceremony, held at the Balmoral Event Centre, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, and had in attendance government functionaries, businessmen/women, entertainers and celebrities from Nigeria and other African nations.

According to the organisers of the Leadership Awards for African Achievers, SAHCOL was picked for the award “based on your world-class services and sterling performance in the aviation sector in Nigeria and your noteworthy contributions to the task of making air travel safer in Africa.”

The award is a “Pan African Platform instituted for the purpose of identifying, honouring and encouraging extra-ordinary men, women and institutions of African origin across the

globe, deemed to have distinguished themselves in various fields.”

The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, since its privatisation and handing over to the SIFAX Group in December 2009, has developed business modules geared towards ushering in efficient and speedy service delivery, while also investing in personnel development, stateof-the-art equipment, fleet replacement, and massive infrastructural development, with the goal of meeting, and exceeding customers’ expectations.

SAHCOL’s duties includes Passenger Handling, Ramp Handling, Cargo Handling/ Warehousing, Aviation Security, Baggage reconciliation, Executive Lounge, and other related Ground Handling Services; ensuring that Ground Handling assignment is carried out in an efficient, speedy and safe manner, by deploying the right tools in all airports across Nigeria.

40

BUSINESS | AVIATION

Ghana is a beautiful and exciting country. It is home to a wonderful mix of animal species, beaches, mountains, landscapes and an incredible coastline.

The country is boarded

by Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south…

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Some beautiful tourist attraction sites to visit in Ghana

I

t is also famous for its mineral wealth most notable of them are: gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds among many others and also for its fondness for sport – especially football. If you get a chance to see the BLACK STARS in action, it will give you a real understanding of the kind of passion the people have for the sport. All these contribute to its attractiveness.

Many prefer to call it the gateway to Africa with emphasis on the various attractions sights it has. Although the country may look geographically small on the African map, it boasts of many, beautiful tourist sites (some known and unknown).

A visit to some of these sites could be tricky but enjoyable too. To avoid getting lost in the maze of attraction sites in Ghana, one needs to know where exactly they are going.

Accra, Ghana’s capital Accra is a sprawling city with about two million residents and one of Africa’s safer capitals. Accra has a mixture of modern buildings, shantytowns, occasional castle and lively markets. The central hub is around the Makola Market; just south of the market is the Atlantic Ocean.

The National Museum: This museum has wonderful displays about Ghana’s culture and history including the slave trade, and Ashanti Kingdom.

Makola Market is colorful, bustling, and you can buy absolutely everything. It is one place you can never miss in Accra.

James Fort: This is situated in the suburb of Jamestown.

It used to be one of the monuments of the Europeans and slavery. Presently, it houses a number of prisoners in Accra.

Christianborg castle-it is unique among the castles and forts in Ghana as it served as Government House during various periods in the 19th centuries and continues to play that role today.

Beaches – there are some nice beaches in and around Accra, with Labadi Beach, Coco Beach and Bojo Beach being the most visited beaches in Accra.

The Arts Center is a great place to shop for handicrafts but you must also be prepared for a hard sell.

Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum (Kwame Nkrumah Me-

Kwame Nkrumah Tomb, Accra, Ghana

morial Park (KNMP))- is the last resting place of the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It is dedicated to him for his outstanding campaign to liberate Ghana (then Gold Coast) from colonial rule on 6th March, 1957.

It has a total surface area of approximately 5.3 acres. The mausoleum provides a front for the statue of Nkrumah whereas the museum is subterranean and does not compete with the mausoleum for attention.

Rhythm, contrast and harmony were the main principles of design used in this building.

The Museum houses the personal effects and publications of Ghana’s first president and pictures showing his life history.

Some of these pictures of Dr. Nkrumah with some of the most famous people of his time are an eye opener.

Wander through the photos, and you will be stunned at how many of the 20th century’s most iconic people pictured shaking hands with the founder of modern Ghana.

He is pictured with famous people like Jawarharlal Nehru, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Nikita Khrushchev, John F Kennedy of U.S.A, Sir Alec Hume, Queen Elizabeth II of England, Harold Macmillan, Pope Pius XII, President Nasser of Egypt, and countless leaders of countries like Malaya, Sri Lanka, Niger not forgetting Nigeria and many other more.

The body is buried under a catafalque raised in the centre of the park. Symbols, which reflect Ghana’s culture and history, were used to portray Dr. Nkrumah’s vision to promote the African personality.

As you approach the main way leading to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, you’ll see springs on either sides of the walk way. Each spring has seven bare-chested, squatting statuettes of flute blowers, who

seem to welcome the arrival of world leaders and other important personalities.

The design of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, which represents swords turned upside down symbolizes peace.

It can also be viewed as an uprooted tree to signify the unfinished work of Dr. Nkrumah to totally unite Africa.

This is a place you wouldn’t want to miss during your stay in Ghana, since the transition of Gold Coast to Ghana happened on this same location. Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is what some scholars call the “genesis” of the actual History of Ghana.

Some beaches outside Accra you should visit: Kokrobite Beach Ghana has some lovely beaches but the most popular for the last decade has been the beaches around Kokrobite including Langma. Kokrobite is a quick 20 mile (30km) tro-tro ride away from the capital Accra. One of the main attractions here is the excellent Academy of African Music and Art (AAMA) founded by master drummer Mustapha Tettey Addy. The Academy attracts drummers and dancers from all over the world.

You can get accommodation at the Music Academy or head to Big Milly’s Backyard in the village (also on the beach). Big Milly’s has a friendly bar and restaurant where backpackers, volunteers and Ghanaian Rastafarians chill out.

Busua Beach Busua is one of Ghana’s best beaches and offers the visitor a chance to relax, paddle around in the Atlantic and enjoy some lobster. There are several hotels along the beachfront ranging from luxurious to simple. Some of the notable hotels/inns found in this area are the Busua Beach Resort, Busua Inn and the African Rainbow resort.

If Busua is too touristy for you, you also check out Prin-

cess Town a little further to the west along the coast.

Cape Coast Castle Ghana’s Atlantic Coast is lined with old forts (castles) built by various European powers during the 17th Century. The Cape Coast Castle was built for the slave trade and is one of the most impressive of Ghana’s old forts. The Dutch originally built it in 1637, later expanded by the Swedes; finally the British took control of it in 1664 and turned it into their colonial headquarters.

It stayed that way for the next 200 years until they moved the capital to Accra in 1877.

The Cape Coast Castle is now an excellent museum with information about the history of Ghana, the slave trade and local culture. Tours are a “must” and will take you through the dungeons and the “door of no return.”

Other interesting places in the Cape Coast environs or en route to Cape Coast you should not miss are the Posuban Shrine and the West African Historical Museum.

Elmina and St George’s Elmina is a picturesque fishing town along Ghana’s coast, not far from Cape Coast.

It is home to one of Ghana’s biggest attractions, St George’s Castle. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, it was captured by the Dutch 150 years later and became the headquarters of their West Indies Company for the following 250 years.

Slaves soon replaced gold exports and the tours through the dungeons will give you a good idea of how gruesome a trade it was. The Castle houses a small museum and guided tours are available. The stark beauty of the whitewashed Castle walls contrast deeply with the dark history of this place.

Fort St Jago lies across the lagoon from the castle, and is

worth visiting for the views it offers of the town and Castle.

Another attraction, which should not be missed when travelling on the Central- Western road, is Cape three points.

It is a small peninsula in the Western Region of Akanland, West Africa.

Forming the southernmost tip of Akanland, it is located between the coastal towns of Dixcove and Princess Town. Cape Three Points is known as the “land nearest nowhere” because it is the land nearest a location in the sea which is at 0 latitude, 0 longitude and 0 altitude (the distance is about 570 km).

It is best known for its lighthouses, the first of which was constructed in 1875 by the British as a navigational aid for trading vessels sailing through the Gulf of Guinea.

The original structure has since become a ruin, however, a larger and more improved lighthouse was completed in 1921, and is still functioning today.

Kakum National Park Kakum National Park is a dense tropical rain forest in southern Ghana. The forest is home to over 40 species of larger mammals including forest elephants, forest buffalo, Monameerkats and civets. The bird life is fantastic as well with over 250 species living in the forest.

The highlight of any visit to Kakum is a stroll on the Canopy Walkway that is built 30 meters above ground, crosses several bridges and is over 1000 feet (350 m) in length.

The canopy walkway offers a unique viewing perspective of the wildlife and unique plants of the forest. Trained guides are on hand to take you on a tour and provide detailed insight into the medicinal uses of the forest plants. There’s a basic campsite for those who want to stay overnight.

• Culled from On Top Travel

MOM&PARENTING

NEW TELEGRAPH

41

www.newtelegraphonline.com/mum&parenting

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI oluwatosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com tosin042001@yahoo.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

Social Media: Checking kids from emerging obsession For the youth and teenagers in particular, the social media is not only a platform of interaction or information, but a source of influence on character. It, therefore, behoves parents to take stiffer measures in tracking what their kids look at or share online.

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI writes.

A young boy working on the computer

B

y now, that story, aired on the Cable Network News, CNN recently, would have been well absorbed and probably taken as one of those usual tales or rumours. Well, any how it is seen; there is the lesson that is meant to be learnt. Two 12-year-olds in Wisconsin, America, were charged with stabbing a friend nearly to death. They were allegedly motivated by a character called “Slender Man,” a demonic creature they learned about on a website devoted to horror fiction. According to the CNN report, the girls stabbed a 12-year-old friend 19 times and left her for dead. The victim was invited for a sleepover, during which her attackers had planned out how to murder her to imitate Mr Slender Man. They allegedly abandoned their first plan, which was to kill their friend by taping her mouth shut with duct tape and stabbing her in the neck. Instead, they walked to a local park together, pushed the victim down, while one girl sat on her, the other stabbed her.

Another scenario back here in Nigeria; was between two children of an

My daughter checks critically through each and everything she posts and carefully considers if it qualifies army Colonel in Ibadan, several years ago, when the children were playing with their father’s rifle. The junior asked his elder brother to pose for him, so that he could shoot at him (the elder brother) just like what he saw in the television.

The elder brother innocently and playfully posed for his younger brother, who triggered the gun twice at him. Upon inquiry as to why he did that, the poor boy replied it was the film he watched that influenced him.

Those are really extreme cases. Eight year old Daniel Johnson, who lives with his mother in Ojodu, Lagos, pleaded to have a diary. The purpose? To be keeping the offences of his mother. Stunned, the mother asked why? He replied, “because I saw it like that in Sponge Bob Square

pant show.” It’s a cartoon network where a boy kept record of the wrong doings he felt the mother has done against him and thereafter was taken to court. Daniel’s mother’s quickly woke up from her slumber and corrected her child about the cartoon show and erased the reasons for keeping records of wrong doings.

For many years, social media has been a tool for people to share information. It is also a platform to interact and socialise. The youth and teenagers in particular have hijacked the social media platform in many ways to the extent they use the knowledge there from, to harm themselves like the aforementioned cases.

Just as it is tool for youths, some parents are mindful of it and are adverse to their children having an internet account or other forms of social media.

While some make excuses for their children having it, others outrightly go against it. For instance, Godwin Oghenekevwe, a medical doctor, said that it is necessary to keep his daughter abreast of happenings around her. He said his daughter only posts the things

she’s proud of, things she believes make her unique, and make her look good.

“My daughter checks critically through each and everything she posts and carefully considers if it qualifies,” he said.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison, the old adage says. Ebun Melody, an accountant has her reasons not to allow her child before the age of 15. “I have good reason why I wasn’t ready to let her be on this social bandwagon. I was concerned about her privacy. She doesn’t yet realize that joining the social media world is like opening her world and the entire family up. Melody added that how her under-age children participate matters, especially her daughter. “It is how she will participate that bothers me. I know my daughter. She will want to be the best in that social media stuff.

Already I’ve heard her say things like, “Oh that’s not cute enough to post if I had an Instagram account.”

For Aiyelabola Clement, a staff of Flourmills Nigeria Limited, what keeps him from allowing his “responsible and C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4 2

42

MOM&PARENTING

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Checking kids from emerging obsession C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 1

trustworthy child from breaking into social media isn’t my concern of how she’ll behave, but the pressure she’ll, undoubtedly, put on herself to make it good. I do tell her often that when you’re 11, you’re too young to focus on a highlight reel of your life. So for now, I’m keeping her mostly offline and outside riding bikes and playing with friends and her pets!”

Joseph Odogbo, a senior manager with Nestle foods, said his 14 year old twins don’t have cell phones or social accounts because he perceives one of them to be very gullible. “I believe it’s not worth it for now; the headache and trauma associated with social media.

My daughter for example has trouble with interacting face-to-face with peers in socially acceptable ways at times.

She says whatever she thinks and it hurts her when dealing with siblings and friends. She does not need the anonymity of the internet right now. She unfortunately would be a little too aggressive.”

But what really do youths post on social media and what is the nature of their interaction on online media?

They are mostly posting pictures of bathing suits, and those hot leg pictures. The trend of pictures and discussion especially, dwells on sex, relationship and posting of nude pictures. In fact, some go as far as exposing online their nude pictures. The offence could either be that one snatched the other person’s boyfriend or the other person felt cheated in another way. So one is right to say the social media has also become a weapon. A parent recently went nearly mad when she saw the naked picture of her 12 year old daughter on Facebook. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she double checked the post, brought her daughter close to the picture to be sure it was her daughter or not. Alas!

It was her daughter indeed. With deep vexation, she hit the girl and that sent both mother and child to the hospital.

The mother had high blood pressure and the girl got broken bones as a result of her mother’s anger. That is exactly one of the harms social media is posing to teenagers.

The question now is how best parents can monitor their children and their online activities?

For Joseph Chimaango, a teacher, control is the watch word. You can’t actually stop them. The best thing, he said, is to talk to them in ways parents know their kids would listen. “Tell them the impact of the social media in both negative and positive ways.” He stressed that parents can’t totally be in control because peer pressure is stronger. Although, there are some schools who already practice it but all schools, he said should be at the forefront of the campaign against early introduction to the social media.

Bello said everything that has advantage has disadvantage. “It’s a situation

Children playing with a tablet

Aside the fact that it helps me with my school work, it is a platform where I chat, make friends and gist with friends when my siblings are not around me. I can’t be chatting with my parents the type of chat I have with my friends we cannot help as parents.” Children are different from one another and so is in their academic performance. Normally, there must be control especially on Internet and the type of magazine they read. There is no way you can monitor them hundred percent. The best way is letting the kids know why you are curtailing them. “These children are very vast; they are even more current because they are in jet age.” Another way he highlighted is create a conducive atmosphere for them, let them be free to talk to you.

By so doing, you prevent them from being wrongly influenced.

Benedicta Adeyemi, a social worker said, things have changed. We shouldn’t look at the negative side alone. It is more about parents’ attitude, more because of social status. How? She said parents are too quick to give their children cell phones, where they can download all sort of nonsense and learn. For her, cell phones and social media are whole lots of distractions. “You see this kids spending plenty of quality time on the phone and interacting on facebook; listen to the quality of discussion; it is rubbish and more about sex or boyfriend.” Adeyemi

suggested to fellow parents that there should be criteria before exposing them to online activities and ensure they are of proper age.

Samson Okenyi, a technical engineer with Nestle foods, says it is only grace of God that is needed in this. He said it is nauseating with declining nature of written and spoken English among youths. He cited an instance when his company conducted job interviews for a few of them. According to him, 40 per cent of them were writing in abbreviated words and incomprehensible English. Unfortunately, they can’t be monitored. He, however, suggested to parents to install what is known as firewall to the children’s computer or phone. It places restriction to certain websites that are unfit for the children to see.

Theresa Ajewole, a counsellor said the unfortunate incident of the two 12 years old is a good opportunity to review what the kids are watching online and a sobering reminder that the internet can be a dark mistress. It’s important to talk to the children about every aspect of their online activities. She said there are websites that parents can introduce to their children and family at large.

BONDING THROUGH GADGETARY! For Christian Ayodeji, 14 and an SS2 student of a government school, it’s a must have. “I can’t imagine myself at this age and amidst my friends without a phone or not using internet,” he said.

What he does he do on the internet? He replied that he uses it mostly to do his assignment and other school activities.

Ever since Ayodeji got introduced to the social media world, he said he has been excelling in his class works and vast with knowledge he said he needed to possess of.

Confidence Emeka, 13, an SS1 student of a private school in Maryland, Lagos, said the social media is where she derives joy whenever she is depressed and it helps with classwork. On the social ground, she gets acquainted with current issues that ordinarily, her parents don’t bother to share with her. Emeka said the internet media boost her confidence as she is naturally a shy girl.

Truly, she seems so because throughout the chat with New Telegraph correspondent, she didn’t look up or maintain an eye contact.

Olaonipekun Emmanuel, an SS.3 student of a secondary school in Magodo, Lagos, said he really can’t think of what else to do outside the social media. “Aside the fact that it helps me with my school work, it is a platform where I chat, make friends and gist with friends when my siblings are not around me. I can’t be chatting with my parents the type of chat I have with my friends.”

Emmanuel also tenders an excuse that it is a must for youths of his age to have access to phones because of the sad events happening around them now in terms of child kidnapping and rituals all over. “If I or my mates fall into danger, with the phone or internet, we can quickly reach the necessary body to help out.”

Quiet an interesting and revealing session with the teenagers out there. These are just the few out of the many teenagers that chatted with New Telegraph. The social media has come to stay and to stay permanently but it now left for parents to know the best controlling methods to use for their kids and positively. Do we say that could be the reason the kids are smarter with gadgets?

FEATURES

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

NEW TELEGRAPH

43

newtelegraphonline.com/entrepreneur

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES EDITOR

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

Al-Makura and challenges of governance Despite lean resources and challenges of steering the ship of state, the administration of Governor Tanko Al-Makura is trying to make life worth living for the people, writes CHEKE EMMANUEL

I

t is pretty difficult governing Nasarawa State, which many commentators have described as a crippled state because of its level of socioeconomic and infrastructural development.

That was the situation when Governor Tanko Al-Makura assumed office three years ago.

But some analysts have agreed that there is a significant improvement three years after.

Lafia, the state capital, which hitherto looked like a glorified local government headquarters, is now wearing a new look.

The city was in a shambles with dirty streets as there was a heavy presence of heaps of un-evacuated refuse dotting the intra-city roads.

Thuggery and idleness became the order of the day. The deplorable situation of the state capital was a reflection of the entire state.

Apart from the trunk ‘A’ road which passed through the heart of Lafia city centre and two other streets, Abuja Street and Al-Makura Street, constructed by Lafia Local Government Area about 20 years ago, Lafia could not boast of one asphalt road, most of the rural roads in the state were not ‘motorable’ until the coming of Al-Makura.

In the last three years, the state has witnessed tremendous infrastructural development, especially with the construction of asphalt roads in both urban and semi-urban areas.

The state capital has been lifted to the status of a modern state capital as many more roads have been constructed, just as traffic and street lights have been installed.

Apart from the construction of 4.8-kilometre Lafia-East Government Guest House Road with spur to Shendam Road, 3.5-kilometre Tudun Gwandara-Gonar Mallam Sarki Road, 1.48-kilometre T-Abdun Kura and Abdul Shatu-Adamu Muaza Road, 1.1-kilometre Agwai Hotel Junction to Agwan Nungu (Millionaires Quarters) Road, Specialist Hospital-Jos Road, Supper Cinema Road and many other streets in Lafia, traffic lights have been installed in

production.

Extension workers have been trained to educate farmers on modern technics of faming. The water works in Lafia, Doma, Keana and Nasarawa Eggon and Keffi as well as Mada Water Treatment Plant were repaired to ensure adequate water supply.

Recently, Al-Makura led the displaced Tiv people who fled in the wake of attacks by Fulani herdsmen to their homes and provided them with relief materials as well as cash to enable them settle down once again.

The governor also promised to provide more security personnel to protect them in their areas.

The transport sector was not left One of the model primary schools

out in the infrastructural and transformation drive of the administration.

The government purchased 40 buses to boost the state transport scheme, Nasarawa Express, to ease the movement of goods and services within and outside the state.

Realising the need to have effective, efficient and a re-oriented civil service, the administration carried out a biometric exercise to ascertain the factual number of civil servants and the wage bill.

Shedam Road, Lafia At the end of the exercise, 845 ghost workers were discovered on strategic places to ease the hitherto ministration is the first of its kind the pay roll of the government.

Ahmed Zakari and Co, the firm chaotic traffic situation in the state since the creation of the state in 1996.

Parents, teachers and lovers of which carried out the exercise, discapital.

Other road projects being con- education within and outside the covered that the actual number of structed by the administration state have commended the free reg- civil servants in the employ of Nainclude College of Agriculture istration of indigent students for the sarawa State was 19,982 with a wage Junction-Kwandere Road, Lafia- Senior Secondary School Examina- bill of N1,639,856,650 as against 21,405, B.A.D. Road, Wamba-Arikya Road, tion conducted by the West African collecting N1,935,050,874 before the Garaku-Amba Road, Tudun Wda- Examinations Council (WAEC). exercise.

The health sector has not also Karshi Road, Andaha-Angwan The salary of the 845 ghost workZaria Road, Gudi –Moro Road and been left out. Apart from the free ers was N62,862,461 monthly.

Agyaragu-Kwara Road and Ashige- surgery carried out on eye patients, Analysts believe that the state Gidan Buba and Sinsinbaki-Kwarra the government has extended the would witness rapid infrastructurRoad, including construction of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital to al development in the years ahead, abandoned Adudu-Ribi-Azara and Millionaires Quarters to ease con- given the achievements recorded in Obi-Keana roads, among others. gestion at the main hospital, while the past three years.

The government has also provid- construction of General Hospitals Some Lafia residents, who spoke ed free education from primary to has begun in Lafia, Akwanga, Awe, with our correspondent, commendsecondary school level in addition to Keffi and Toto as well as Mararaba ed Al-Makura for his achievements. the construction of over 144 blocks in Karu.

“Look at the streets, the school The abandoned Central Medical buildings and hospitals across the of classroom and toilets across the Store in Lafia has been completed state. Look at the two-storey model state.

The administration also provided and stocked with drugs while the primary schools built in all the parts instructional materials and built 36 existing General Hospitals and Pri- of the state. One can only praise Altwo-storey model primary schools mary Health Clinics across the state Makura,’’ an elated Abubakar Adacross the three senatorial districts were renovated. amu said. alongside the on-going construction Another resident, Esther Monday, Agriculture also received a boost. of e-library in Lafia, Akwanga and The government purchased 50,000 said she was happy to see orderlitons of assorted fertiliser and sold it ness in the state capital.

Keffi.

“Look at the traffic lights and the It also built schools for the deaf in to farmers at the subsidised prices.

Ombi, Lafia, Keana and Akwanga. This was in addition to the procure- model primary schools. They are The construction of two-storey ment and distribution of improved wonderful; we have not seen these Model Primary schools by the ad- seedlings to farmers to boost crop things before,’’ she added.

44 FEATURES Several lives have been lost on the ever-busy Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, writes CAMILLUS NNAJI

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Reducing crashes on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

L

agos - Ibadan Expressway is regarded as the most critical roads among all major highways in the country.

The expressway is very important because it connects every part of the country, either directly or indirectly, to Lagos, which is the economic nerve centre of Nigeria.

It is also essential because of the volume of traffic on the road.

Millions of naira worth of goods and services are moved in and out of Lagos on the road on a daily basis.

Sadly enough, over the years, the massive movement of people and movement of vehicles have resulted in Road Transport Crashes (RTC), leading to loss of lives, physical disabilities and properties.

Statistics on road accidents made available to New Telegraph by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) shows that many lives have been lost on the road, on the stretch between Warewa and Catholic turning, in the last four years.

However, it also shows a downward trend in road crashes from 2000 to 2013.

According to the statistics, in 2000, 311 accidents were recorded while 68 people died out of 2,286 people involved in the accidents.

In 2011, 248 accidents were recorded, 43 people died out of 1,629 people involved.

In 2012, 126 cases were recorded while 20 people died out of 1,082 people involved.

Last year, 16 accidents were recorded from which 18 people died out of 189 people involved.

The Assistant Corps Commander, RS2.23 Mowe Unit, Olundare Ogunjobi, said the reduction was as a result of many programmes embarked upon by the command to reduce road crashes along the corridor despite its busy nature.

He said: “Like I said, our corridor stretches from Warewa to Catholic turning; that is after Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Camp on Lagos - Ibadan Expressway, regarded as the busiest road in the country.

“Besides, the road witnesses the highest concentration of religious activities for both Muslims and Christians; the RCCG, Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM), Deeper Life, NASFAT, and the Islamic prayer ground. Some have weekly programmes, some quarterly while others have theirs yearly. When we considered this and the consequent gridlocks that keep motorists and commuters passing nights on the road, we introduced some programmes aimed at reduction of crashes, clearing of obstructions, ensuring free flow of traffic and safety of travellers.”

Ogunjobi added that all officers attached to his unit were at alert all times.

He said: “In the last two years, crashes have reduced drastically when compared to what happened in the past.

“To achieve this, we have made a lot of personal and deliberate efforts. We have a programme called: ‘Passengers watch

FRSC men checking overspeeding on the expressway

Ogunjobi

programme.’ This is targeted mostly at commercial vehicles, where a road safety official dresses in mufti, pays the normal transport fare and enters the vehicle with other passengers to monitor the activities of the driver.

“If the driver answers phone calls while driving, he over speeds, engage in wrongful overtaking and any other traffic offense, the road safety official will radio his colleagues who are already waiting at the next duty post with details of the vehicle number and the driver will be apprehended.”

This, according to him, is to create that consciousness in the mind of drivers that their activities are being monitored.

Another programme is called: ‘Motorised speed control patrol,’ which Ogunjobi said had been successful.

“Our patrol vehicles and power bikes are stationed in front of all vehicles on the road, mainly on Fridays and weekends.

“We control the speed using our own vehicle while every other car or truck follows us. Anyone who flouts this rule is usually apprehended and punished.

“Our public education and enlightenment programme have achieved a lot beyond our expectations too. The motive is to inform motorists on road caution ideas.

A crash on the road

“Every day our officers move from one motor park to the other, educating people.

Today it might be Lotto, tomorrow Ibafo, Kara or Mowe. We teach the use of traffic lights and seat belts and dangers of speeding, drinking, smoking and use of phones while driving.

“We engage in ‘pre trip vehicle inspection’ which has become an award-winning programme as drivers and motorists keep sending us messages of ‘thank you’ for saving them unforeseen tragic incidents,” he added.

Ogunjobi explained that in this programme, FRSC officials are sent to the parks to inspect vehicles before they engage on journey.

“The condition of the tyres, the brake system, the sitting arrangement, the lighting and when we discover any defect, we make sure the driver repairs that damage before embarking on a journey,” he said.

The programme on catch them young, according to him, was designed for school pupils while the interest the zone has re-

ceived from school children and schools have been encouraging.

The idea, he added, was to teach the children the principle and practice of road safety ideas.

He said: “We educate on child fatality campaign, like children should not seat in front of cars, baby-sitters must be put in place in case an infant is in the car, how to fasten seat belt, discourage bringing their hands outside the car window for any purpose.”

Another method the FRSC has adopted to reduce crashes is to apprehend and punish offenders.

To achieve this, the commission has a mobile court at Abigi.

Recently, 51 traffic offenders were arraigned and taken to the mobile court.

While 50 of them were sentenced to various jail terms with options of fine, one person was discharged and acquitted.

Ogunjobi said it was not victimisation.

“We are doing this to prevent people from taking traffic offenses for granted,” he said.

NEWS 45

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Army continues siege to newspaper vendors, distributors CLAMPDOWN Security agents continue with seizure of newspapers Dan Atori

MINNA

D

espite the denial

by Defence spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, that the military has found nothing wrong with the editorial content of the newspapers that were impounded last week, men of the 31 Field Artillery Brigade, Niger State, are yet to allow the affected newspapers on the news stand.

On Sunday, a team of armed soldiers, impound-

32.7m

ed copies of The Nation newspaper as the circulation officer was about to start sharing copies to vendors at the popular ‘Fleet Street.’

For four days running, armed military men laid siege and impounded copies of The Nation, Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers, threatening to deal with any distributor or vendor selling them.

The soldiers also warned newspaper distributors and vendors in Minna, not to sell any of the three titles and that anybody caught with them will be dealt with accordingly.

To demonstrate that they meant business, a man who was found with a copy of Leadership newspaper he

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of India in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

bought from Suleja, was harassed and challenged to disclose where he got the perceived offending article, when he was apprehended in Minna by the soldiers.

As early as 6.am yesterday, parcels of Leadership newspapers were impounded at Kilometre 10 military check point, Minna, while another set of armed soldiers stormed the distribution centre at ‘Fleet Street,’ searching for any of the three titles.

The armed men later left for their barracks at about 11.42am, when they were satisfied that no paper was coming for the day.

Efforts by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, and the Secretary to the Niger State Government,

260,000

The number of adults and children estimated to be living with HIV in Ghana in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Hon. Idiris Ndako Kpaki, to get the military release the impounded newspapers were still in progress at the time of filing this report.

When contacted on phone, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Captain Salisu Mustapha, assured our correspondent that he would look into the matter.

He said: “You may have to call back in an hour's time. I will meet with my superiors. I know something is being done to normalise the situation.”

But, distributors and vendors are still apprehensive and are not freely disposed to selling any of the three titles for fear of being harassed.

90%

The percentage of water withdrawals for agriculture in least developed countries.

Source: Unesco.org

Uduaghan tasks leaders on value reorientation Uwakwe Abugu

Awka

D

elta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday advocated for a deliberate action of advocacy on value reorientation to be powered by political and other leaders in the country.

He said such value reorientation is a way of resolving the country’s security issues and the deficiency in human capital development.

The governor spoke yesterday at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, while opening the Prof. BIC Ijeomah Centre for Sociology/ Anthropology Studies, donated by his government in honour of a scholar, an elder statesman and alumnus of the university, who hails from Delta State.

It was an occasion when Uduaghan received many commendations from the university’s administration, from the honouree as well as various representatives of the faculty

members, student union bodies and Delta State students, who alluded to their bursary awards given by the governor.

The complex, a multimillion naira edifice built by the governor in honour of Prof. BIC Ijeomah, a pioneer graduate of the university and pioneer president of the Alumni Association of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, constitutes classrooms fully equipped with modern facilities, departmental library and staff offices.

Uduaghan, who addressed the gathering, which includes the former registrar of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and foremost author, Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, as well as scores of other dignitaries, drew attention to a speedy erosion of Nigerian societal values, calling on leaders and all to take up the task of getting back to the roots, give the youths, who would be the leaders of tomorrow, a new orientation.

Be wary of rumour mongers, Ajimobi tells citizens Abiola Aji- tration would not relent Ghasovernor mobi of Oyo State in its efforts at providing charged the people adequate security to the

Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko (left), and Argentine Ambassador, Amb. Gustaro Dzugala, during Dzugala’s visit to the Government House in Sokoto…yesterday

APC group to Tinubu: You can’t impose governor on Lagos lDemands reversal of zoning arrangement

Muritala Ayinla

undreds of All ProgresHmembers sives Congress (APC) under the New

Lagos Movement yesterday stormed the Lagos State Governor's Office, Ikeja, protesting what they described as the imposition of a governorship candidate on Lagos.

The group said they were against the imposition of candidates by the National Leader and former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying all aspirants to whatever position, must be allowed to contest in the primaries

before the decision on who flies the party’s flag in 2015 is made.

The group, which also faulted the idea of selecting a candidate through a 'kangaroo' consensus arrangement, said it would resist any attempt to impose candidates on Lagosians, adding that it was determined to bring about a change in the order of Lagos politics.

The New Lagos Movement accused Tinubu of serial imposition of candidates on them, saying their right to vote and be voted for do not matter to him.

Armed with placards of various sizes and inscrip-

tions, the protesters, who chanted war songs, also demanded for the immediate reversal of the zoning arrangement allegedly and unilaterally orchestrated by the former governor for the choice of Fashola’s successor.

Speaking yesterday, President of the group, Mr. Niyi Akinsiju, said the aggrieved members of the party want the zoning arrangement scrapped, to give room for the best candidate to emerge.

He also accused the former governor of cancelling the results of their congresses held on April 5

and 26, 2014, replacing the ‘genuine winners with his men.’

to be wary of rumour mongers and politicians who are bent on bringing down his government through peddling of unfounded rumours.

He gave the charge in Ibadan yesterday while addressing members of the Union of Tippers and Quarry Employers of Nigeria, who were on a solidarity visit to him.

The governor said he was aware of the activities of some unscrupulous elements, who he said had been going round to cast aspersion on his personality as well as the activities and achievements of his administration.

Ajimobi called for the practice of developmental politics as against the politics of mischief and character assassination, which used to be the order of the day.

He said his adminis-

people to enhance their contributions towards the socio-economic development of the state.

He pledged his government’s support to the tipper and quarry employers, adding that contractors handling road and building projects had been directed to patronise them for needed materials.

The governor called on members of the union to continue to maintain peaceful coexistence with other unions and organisations as well as the people, urging them to continue to work for the growth and development of the state.

He also asked them to form a cooperative association to enable them benefit from the interestfree loans being enjoyed by traders and associations in Oyo State.

Itsekiri rejects Oru as ministerial nominee Etaghene Edirin

tsekiri Youth Forum yesterday kicked against the nomination of Dr. Steve Oru to represent Delta State in the Federal Executive Council, as his name has been forwarded to the National Assembly

by President Goodluck Jonathan for screening and consideration.

The group, in a peti-

I

tion signed by its National President, Prince Omayemi Fregene, and addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, stated that the nomination of Oru was a breach of the constitution, and was against the principle of federal character.

According to Fregene; “Dr. Steve Oru is an Ijaw man, nominated to take

over from another Ijaw man, Godsday Orubebe, who resigned recently to pursue a higher political career.

“It is, therefore, inappropriate to replace him with another Ijaw man from Delta State, at the detriment of other tribes like Isoko and Ndokwa; that have not produced a minster since the creation of Delta State.”

Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024

Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY HEALTHCARE Medical Supplies Medical Supplies Totals

Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014

Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024

Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

46 BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET Daily Summary (Bonds)

No Debt Trading Activity

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price

Quantity Traded 294

Value Traded 535.08

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 13 23 12 14 7 1 70

Current Price 2.70 2.76 68.00 1.68 1.20 1.57

Quantity Traded 172,356 1,168,991 55,586 481,860 30,460 250 1,909,503

Value Traded 450,802.04 3,257,580.29 3,788,907.21 Sanctity of Truth 805,944.82 38,138.60 375.00 8,341,747.96

1,926,697

8,350,733.04

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at June 9, 2014 Daily Summary (Equities)

HEALTHCARE Totals

ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 Computer Based Systems Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals

Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 42 19 61

Current Price 33.15 37.50

Quantity Traded 265,838 111,293 377,131

Value Traded 8,846,819.25 4,255,736.98 13,102,556.23

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 3.09

Quantity Traded 368,261 368,261

Value Traded 1,150,018.37 1,150,018.37

745,392

14,252,574.60

Quantity Traded 113,991 12,348 54,042,736 239,578 54,408,653

Value Traded 163,306.39 13,582.80 246,210,901.29 14,114,719.70 260,502,510.18

54,408,653

260,502,510.18

AGRICULTURE Totals

Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 CONGLOMERATES Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

85 Symbol AGLEVENT JOHNHOLT TRANSCORP Daily Summary UACN

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE

Building Construction ARBICO PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Building Construction Totals

No. of Deals 12 4 540 (Equities) 54 610

Current Price 1.40 1.15 4.60 60.00

610

Symbol ARBICO

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 5.30

Quantity Traded 500 Page 500

Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 1.17

Quantity Traded 339,059 339,059

Value Traded 399,849.03 399,849.03

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

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 70.87

Quantity Traded 205,760 205,760

Value Traded 14,409,755.00 14,409,755.00

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 19 19

Current Price 17.34

Quantity Traded 166,827 166,827

Value Traded 2,921,468.27 2,921,468.27

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 10.47

Quantity Traded 927 927

Value Traded 9,223.65 9,223.65

713,073

17,742,815.95

Quantity Traded 1,400,000 1,400,000

Value Traded 700,000.00 700,000.00

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals

47

Daily Summary (Equities)

Value Traded 2,520.00 of 14 2,520.00

Current Price 90.00

Quantity Traded 21,436 21,436

Value Traded 1,921,015.77 1,921,015.77

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR MANDRID NASCON NNFM UTC

No. of Deals 60 107 48 32 1 60 6 7 321

Current Price 8.50 9.75 77.50 4.00 5.35 13.23 19.88 0.55

Quantity Traded 190,119 5,296,287 137,936 1,774,220 425 1,492,054 69,159 23,766 8,983,966

Value Traded 1,566,876.82 50,401,304.36 10,734,247.23 7,074,487.95 2,273.75 19,440,143.90 1,374,896.82 12,595.98 90,606,826.81

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 56 41

Current Price 81.89 1,080.01

Quantity Traded 202,086 49,144

Value Traded 16,212,927.10 53,046,694.34

Symbol

No. of Deals 97

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 251,230

3 of 14 Value Traded

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM

No. of Deals 10 10

Current Price 4.48

Quantity Traded 79,531 79,531

Value Traded 338,937.06 338,937.06

Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 45 42 87

Current Price 36.00 48.42

Quantity Traded 240,119 295,287 535,406

Value Traded 8,616,074.80 14,515,164.45 23,131,239.25

14,098,238

644,437,739.94

Current Price 9.76 6.79 16.70 2.06 31.50 3.32 2.37 7.75

Quantity Traded 4,590,483 3,084,647 1,997,804 2,293,423 23,330,282 32,298,656 8,472,154 50,490,232

Value Traded 45,417,289.24 20,666,607.79 33,344,964.97 4,708,336.40 707,093,441.32 109,260,057.44 20,002,299.18 391,339,042.21

No. of Deals 58 5 32 248 1,475

Current Price 10.30 0.50 0.99 25.00

Quantity Traded 324,834 Page 3,949,791 1,263,956 11,281,378 143,377,640

No. of Deals 22 8 7 2 1 14 13 32 1 2 8 1 65 176 Daily Summary (Equities)

Current Price 0.84 1.08 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.50 0.51 0.80 0.50 0.53 0.52 0.50 0.75

Quantity Traded 1,136,922 236,334 2,368,251 129,000 500 1,441,286 5,557,932 3,239,000 10,000 400,000 149,776 25,000 9,290,010 23,984,011

Value Traded 952,303.98 250,934.32 1,184,125.50 64,500.00 250.00 3,563,607.98 2,808,988.10 2,604,190.34 5,000.00 215,300.00 77,845.76 12,500.00 6,950,472.44 18,690,018.42

Food Products--Diversified Totals

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 ACCESS BANK PLC. Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. Activity Summary Board EQTY UNITED BANKon FOR AFRICA PLC FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNION BANK NIG.PLC. Published by The Nigerian UNITY BANKStock PLC Exchange © WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 OASIS INSURANCE PLC Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks

805 Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 143 DIAMONDBNK 50 ETI 74 FIDELITYBK 59 GUARANTY 336 Daily Summary (Equities) SKYEBANK 146 STERLNBANK 44 UBA 280 Symbol UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST EQUITYASUR GNI MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS OASISINS PRESTIGE UNIVINSURE WAPIC

Value Traded 2 of 14 63,546.00 107,889,333.05 7,688,606.76 27,900.00 342,810,713.80 458,480,099.61

69,259,621.44

Value Traded 3,297,259.38 4 of 14 1,974,895.50 1,226,717.55 283,013,830.47 1,621,344,741.45

No. of Deals 1

Current Price 1.02

Quantity Traded 5,000

Value Traded 4,850.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price

Quantity Traded Page 5,000

5Value Traded of 14 4,850.00

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol INFINITY

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.61

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,000

Value Traded 7,650.00 7,650.00

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 57 28 409 48 6 31 99 678

Current Price 3.20 3.50 15.53 4.05 0.52 25.31 2.48

Quantity Traded 1,081,136 968,993 13,457,430 1,938,626 69,000 1,699,699 5,544,398 24,759,282

Value Traded 3,485,910.20 3,392,032.18 209,694,165.69 7,856,072.60 36,030.00 43,092,882.07 13,842,657.87 281,399,750.61

192,130,933

1,921,447,010.48

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banks Published byMicro-Finance The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals Medical Supplies Activity Summary on Board PLC. EQTY MORISON INDUSTRIES

HEALTHCARE Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Medical Supplies Medical Supplies Totals

Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

2,331 Symbol UNIONDAC

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

Current Price 1.91

Quantity Traded 294

Value Traded 535.08

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 294

6 of 14 Value Traded

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 13 23 12 14 7 1 70

Current Price 2.70 2.76 68.00 1.68 1.20 1.57

Quantity Traded 172,356 1,168,991 55,586 481,860 30,460 250 1,909,503

Value Traded 450,802.04 3,257,580.29 3,788,907.21 805,944.82 38,138.60 375.00 8,341,747.96

1,926,697

8,350,733.04

535.08

Quantity Traded 357,815 357,815

Value Traded 217,475.30 217,475.30

Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC Computers and Peripherals Totals

Symbol OMATEK

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 4,000,000 4,000,000

Value Traded 2,000,000.00 2,000,000.00

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC NCR (NIGERIA) PLC.

Symbol CWG NCR

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 5.48 15.99

Quantity Traded 1,000 100

Value Traded 5,210.00 1,520.00

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

7

of

Published by Nigerian Stock Exchange © ITThe Services

Symbol

No. of Deals 2

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 1,100

7Value Traded of 14

Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 Processing Systems Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 CHAMS PLC

Symbol CHAMS

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 44,000 44,000

Value Traded 22,000.00 22,000.00

4,402,915

2,246,205.30

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials Activity Summary Board EQTY ASHAKA CEMon PLC INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. IPWA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC PREMIER PAINTS PLC. LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Services Totals Published byMining The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

No. of Deals 140

Current Price 26.13

Quantity Traded 3,045,525

Value Traded 81,960,508.68

Symbol BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER IPWA PAINTCOM PORTPAINT PREMPAINTS WAPCO

No. of Deals 17 31 47 49 6 3 2 4 1 80 380

Current Price 9.00 40.00 10.40 229.00 1.11 0.50 1.40 4.97 10.93 113.50

Quantity Traded 164,200 209,597 1,491,809 954,646 24,000 15,000 10,000 158,480 200 387,988 6,461,445

Value Traded 1,467,136.74 8,094,185.55 15,847,678.79 218,561,515.95 26,036.10 7,520.00 13,475.00 775,645.60 2,078.00 44,210,232.61 370,966,013.02

Symbol CUTIX NIWICABLE

No. of Deals 10 4 14

Current Price 1.90 0.50

Quantity Traded Page 331,018

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 16.00

Quantity Traded 89,331 89,331

Value Traded 1,429,240.87 1,429,240.87

6,903,014

373,036,745.09

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 6 6

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 PRODUCT PLC BECO PETROLEUM Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 CONOIL PLC

ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Activity Summary on Board Products EQTY Distributors Totals Petroleum and Petroleum

OIL AND GAS Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Exploration and Production Totals

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,000,000 Page 1,000,000

6

9

Value Traded 500,000.00 of 14 500,000.00

1,000,000

500,000.00

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 32 32

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 6,370,418 6,370,418

Value Traded 3,185,209.00 3,185,209.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 324 324

Current Price 20.34

Quantity Traded 6,255,467 6,255,467

Value Traded 126,430,964.59 126,430,964.59

Symbol No. of Deals BECOPETRO 1 CONOIL 57 ETERNA 33 FO 77 MOBIL 18 Daily Summary (Equities) MRS 32 TOTAL 34 252

Current Price 0.50 54.50 3.50 250.01 126.00 46.35 170.00

Quantity Traded 2,500 272,411 1,601,441 340,941 27,228 144,196 163,157 2,551,874

Value Traded 1,250.00 14,764,767.82 5,560,727.05 81,162,480.41 3,459,134.40 6,455,224.73 27,870,146.34 139,273,730.75

Current Price 650.00

Quantity Traded 111,980 Page 111,980

Value Traded 73,448,786.79 10 of 14 73,448,786.79

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 20 20

OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Value Traded 8 630,881.20 of 14 10,610.00 641,491.20

21,220 352,238

397

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

11

6,730.00

Symbol ASHAKACEM

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Activity Summary onTotals Board EQTY

628

15,289,739

342,338,691.13

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 1.05

Quantity Traded 442,091 442,091

Value Traded 461,124.64 461,124.64

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 8 6 14

Current Price 4.60 2.20

Quantity Traded 39,000 427,142 466,142

Value Traded 179,430.00 939,712.40 1,119,142.40

Employment Solutions

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 430,500 430,500

Value Traded 215,250.00 215,250.00

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 0.86

Quantity Traded 192,040 192,040

Value Traded 165,354.40 165,354.40

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 165,000

Value Traded 82,500.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 2

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 165,000

Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 1 3 5 9

Current Price 1.71 1.76 4.48

Quantity Traded 46,000 65,048 59,600 170,648

Value Traded 78,660.00 111,080.64 265,722.00 455,462.64

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 0.81

Quantity Traded 259,000 259,000

Value Traded 211,810.00 211,810.00

Specialty INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC Specialty Totals

Symbol INTERLINK

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 4.90

Quantity Traded 20 20

Value Traded 93.20 93.20

Transport-Related Services

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 18 52 70

Current Price 2.32 5.00

Quantity Traded 747,525 3,709,396 4,456,921

Value Traded 1,661,836.95 18,598,067.60 20,259,904.55

Symbol No. of Deals Daily Summary (Equities) CAVERTON 34 34

Current Price 4.41

Quantity Traded 1,109,411 1,109,411

Value Traded 4,699,815.31 4,699,815.31

C & I LEASING PLC. Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 Employment Solutions Totals Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024

Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY

AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CAPITAL OIL PLC Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

No. of Deals 1

Current Price 0.62

Value Traded 5,210.00 1,520.00

Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Equities)

11 of 14 Value Traded 82,500.00

159

7,691,773

5,152

299,310,427

3,612,525,482.85

Quantity Traded 20,000 20,000

Value Traded 10,000.00 10,000.00

Page

27,670,457.14

12

of

14

Activity Summary on Board ASeM

Symbol MORISON

No. of Deals 7 7

Quantity Traded 1,000 100

EQTY Board Totals

Value Traded 8,450.00 8,450.00

Symbol COURTVILLE

Current Price 5.48 15.99

SERVICES SERVICES Totals

Quantity Traded 16,900 16,900

73

No. of Deals 1 1

Daily Summary (Equities)

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Current Price 0.50

HEALTHCARE Totals

Symbol CWG NCR

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

No. of Deals 2 2 (Equities)

Daily Summary

Value Traded 2,000,000.00 2,000,000.00

SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Media/Entertainment Media/Entertainment Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

Activity Summary on Board EQTY NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC

Quantity Traded 4,000,000 4,000,000

Electronic and Electrical Products Published by The Nigerian CUTIX PLC. Stock Exchange © Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

No. of Deals 18 18

CONSUMER GOODS Published by The Products--Diversified Nigerian Stock Exchange © Food

Current Price 0.50

Processing Systems Totals

Symbol 7UP

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC.

No. of Deals 1 1

ICT Totals

Quantity Traded Page 5,100 603,517 296,352 10,000 1,911,700 2,826,669

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol OMATEK

IT Services Totals

Current Price 13.11 179.00 25.93 2.93 176.80

Daily Summary (Equities)

Value Traded 217,475.30 217,475.30

ICT

No. of Deals 1 63 24 1 180 269

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC P Sas MANDRIDES & CO PLC. Daily Summary of 09/06/2014 NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024 N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals

Quantity Traded 357,815 357,815

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW JOSBREW NB

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

Current Price 0.62

Activity Summary onPLC. Board EQTY NCR (NIGERIA)

Current Price 0.50

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

No. of Deals 7 7

Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC Computers and Peripherals Totals

No. of Deals 3 3

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CHAMPION BREW. PLC.

Symbol DUNLOP

Symbol COURTVILLE

Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024

1

73

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

OIL AND GAS Totals

1

20,000

10,000.00

ASeM Board Totals

1

20,000

10,000.00

Equity Activity Totals

5,153

299,330,427

3,612,535,482.85

Daily Summary as of 09/06/2014 Exchange Traded Fund Printed 09/06/2014 15:41:24.024

Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Exchange Traded Fund

Name Exchange Traded Fund Totals

14

Symbol CAPOIL

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 3

Current Price 1,978.00 19.26

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol

Quantity Traded 50 2,110 Page

No. of Deals 4

Current Price

Value Traded 98,900.00 40,642.60 13

of

Quantity Traded 2,160

Value Traded 139,542.60

ETF Board Totals

4

2,160

139,542.60

ETP Activity Totals

4

2,160

139,542.60

14

BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS 47

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

9-Jun-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

Description 9.20 29-JUN-2014 9.25 28-SEP-2014 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

29-Jun-07 28-Sep-07 23-Apr-10 16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10

9.20 9.25 4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00

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

29-Jun-14 28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30

0.05 0.30 0.87 2.19 2.88 3.13 3.23 3.97 5.06 5.37 7.64 9.76 14.47 14.95 15.45 16.12

7.67 11.02 11.28 11.52 11.71 11.66 11.67 11.69 11.81 11.81 12.32 12.40 12.78 12.82 12.87 12.99

5.04 10.51 10.64 11.44 11.65 11.54 11.55 11.60 11.74 11.72 12.26 12.35 12.74 12.78 12.81 12.93

100.07 99.42 94.10 102.85 108.05 95.33 93.89 96.90 115.60 81.25 119.75 110.00 114.47 97.78 70.98 80.00

100.22 99.57 94.60 103.00 108.20 95.63 94.19 97.20 115.90 81.55 120.05 110.30 114.77 98.08 71.28 80.30

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

4,334.84 Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

Description

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.39 0.96 1.44 2.50 2.86 3.07

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 3.20 1.00

11.34 13.96 13.65 13.54 14.83 12.66

95.75 87.89 104.85 91.39 90.87 93.43

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.16 0.35 1.23 0.83 1.13 1.13 2.86 1.69 3.56 2.53 4.32 3.04 2.54 3.12 3.18 5.46 3.15 3.86 6.47 6.56 3.87 3.90

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

10.21 11.36 15.81 14.49 15.82 14.84 17.22 12.40 13.47 13.35 12.71 12.66 12.76 12.66 12.66 13.76 14.40 14.43 13.02 13.98 13.13 13.64

100.51 100.81 96.38 99.37 98.12 100.94 84.18 102.26 101.44 101.54 104.15 104.37 117.77 104.57 107.26 102.74 100.85 100.91 102.02 104.25 114.65 114.31

07-Oct-14 18-Dec-14 31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15 09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16 29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 14-Nov-20

0.33 0.53 0.56 0.71 1.29 0.87 2.31 2.38 3.31 2.12 2.08 2.25 2.25 4.29 2.36 2.44 3.56 6.43

1.00 5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 4.52 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 1.00 2.29 6.11 2.16 2.76

10.87 16.31 19.83 16.07 12.37 13.91 12.50 12.85 16.19 13.33 14.92 16.68 16.54 12.71 13.80 17.64 13.84 14.78

100.13 98.63 98.53 95.98 99.57 100.36 100.94 102.74 92.01 109.09 102.14 102.73 101.97 104.12 103.99 99.07 105.92 101.89

11-Feb-18

3.68

1.00

12.68

92.85

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,304.32

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

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

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

14.00 14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

17.00 6.00 8.50 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

572.90

Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; AA/GCR Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR BBB-/GCR BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

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

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

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

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

11.80 13.17 2.00 15.00 37.50 1.50 15.00 5.53 20.00 0.94 8.01 3.63 1.00 35.00 3.00 0.54 4.50 2.05

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

180.17

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

12.00 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value ($'mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.75

4.60

111.28

112.14

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

18-Dec-09

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.04

3.83

104.05

104.85

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.16

5.04

108.75

109.64

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

Corporate Eurobonds AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.79

3.02

112.11

113.43

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.19

4.33

104.20

105.83

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.21

5.93

99.21

100.28

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.20

6.71

100.11

101.50

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.59

8.16

94.40

95.77

AFREN PLC

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

5.09

4.32

113.53

115.01

ZENITH BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.38

6.19

99.44

100.24

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.03

6.62

104.33

105.84

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.91

5.61

102.77

103.97

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

ACCESS BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,460.00

**Treasury Bills DTM 10 17 24 31 38 45 52

FIXINGS Maturity 19-Jun-14 26-Jun-14 3-Jul-14 10-Jul-14 17-Jul-14 24-Jul-14 31-Jul-14

Bid Discount (%) 9.30 8.60 10.20 8.00 10.10 10.20 10.20

Offer Discount (%) 9.05 8.35 9.95 7.75 9.85 9.95 9.95

Bid Yield (%) 9.32 8.63 10.27 8.05 10.21 10.33 10.35

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.7667 11.6479 12.9988 14.0097

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.46

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

10.67

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

162.58 162.90 163.16 163.74 164.95

162.68 163.17 163.50 164.39 165.74

O/N Tenor Call

REPO

Rate (%) 10.25

15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030

28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10

15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00

75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

14.47 14.95 15.45 16.12

12.78 12.82 12.87 12.99

12.74 12.78 12.81 12.93

114.47 97.78 70.98 80.00

114.77 98.08 71.28 80.30

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

4,334.84 Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON

Description

FMBN

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

***LCRM

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

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

0.39 0.96 1.44 2.50 2.86 3.07

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 3.20 1.00

11.34 13.96 13.65 Tuesday, 13.54 14.83 12.66

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.16 0.35 1.23 0.83 1.13 1.13 2.86 1.69 3.56 2.53 4.32 3.04 2.54 3.12 3.18 5.46 3.15 3.86 6.47 6.56 3.87 3.90

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

10.21 11.36 15.81 14.49 15.82 14.84 17.22 12.40 13.47 13.35 12.71 12.66 12.76 12.66 12.66 13.76 14.40 14.43 13.02 13.98 13.13 13.64

100.51 100.81 96.38 99.37 98.12 100.94 84.18 102.26 101.44 101.54 104.15 104.37 117.77 104.57 107.26 102.74 100.85 100.91 102.02 104.25 114.65 114.31

48 BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS NA

28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30

95.75 87.89 104.85 June 10, 91.39 90.87 93.43 Sanctity of Truth

2014

Analysts lower Nestle’s revenue forecast TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,304.32

Sub-National Bonds

A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

INSECURITY

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

Security challenges may weigh down Nestle’s

Stories by Chris Ugwu

N

estle Nigeria Plc is unlikely to achieve its revenue forecasts for the current financial year due some key challenges, financial analysts have said.

Analysts at Renaissance TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Capital in a report made available Corporate Bonds toA+/Agusto; New Telegraph, said the key AA/GCR LAFARGE WAPCO challenges Nestlé faces Aa/Agusto GTB include unrest in the North Nil NGC and inµ

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR BBB-/GCR BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# *DANA NAHCO

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

creased competition from new market entrants.

“Nestlé maintains it is best in class, with higher quality and strong brands, but we believe increased competition is adding to pricing pressure.

Although we believe Nestlé is unlikely to achieve our revenue forecasts for the year due to the lack of price increases, we expect EBIT to be in line due to a higher margin than we were expecting. In what is a challenging time for consumer companies, we believe it is best to stick to quality names. In our view, Nestlé Nigeria has a history of delivering superior 11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 results regardless of the exter17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 We maintain nal environment.

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

14.00 14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

our TP of NGN1, 200,” they said.

They noted that given the fragmented nature of the Nigerian consumer market, they believe the company power is somewhat diluted along the channel.

“According to Nestlé and most consumer companies we saw, the relationship is a partnership with distributors. Only Dufil (unlisted) said that power might lie with distributors. Given Nestlé’s strategy on Maggi prices, we believe the distributor commands some power.

Nestlé noted that it needs to motivate distributors more on slow-moving ranges such as Maggi. we think 07-Oct-11“However, 11.50 producer size matters, and here 18-Dec-09 13.50 01-Apr-10 17.00 critical Nestlé has the greatest

17.00 6.00 8.50 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

mass,” the analysts noted.

They were also of view that in response to pricing pressure, Nestlé is concentrating on its continuous excellence programme aimed at improving factory efficiencies and reduce costs to mitigate input cost increases, while still investing in

Oasis Insurance announces take-over bid by FBN Life

I

nsurance 572.90

firm, Oasis Insurance Plc yesterday announced a take-over07-Oct-14 bid of I, 872,911,465 11.80 0.33 ordinary shares of 50k each 13.17 18-Dec-14 0.53 in 2.00 company 31-Dec-14 the

by FBN Life 0.56 Lim17-Aug-10 10.00 15.00 17-Aug-15 0.71 ited.

09-Dec-10 12.00 37.50 09-Dec-15 1.29 The company , in a notice to 06-Jan-11 14.00 1.50 06-Jan-16 0.87 the Nigerian Stock Exchange 29-Sep-11 13.00 15.00 29-Sep-16 2.31 (NSE) said qualification date 25-Oct-13 14.25 5.53 25-Oct-16 2.38 is 30-Sep-10 13.00 20.00 30-Sep-17 3.31 June 20, 2014, while offer opens 30-Nov-12 rand a year 18.00 earlier, 0.94 2.1214, June 23, 201430-Nov-17 and closes July 1.29 billion 09-Apr-11 16.00 8.01 09-Apr-18 2.08 2014. the Johannesburg-based com09-Sep-11 18.00 3.63 09-Sep-18 2.25 First Bank of Nigeria Holdpany09-Sep-11 said in a statement made 16.00 1.00 09-Sep-18 2.25 available Tiger 35.00 ings Plc (FBNH) had said4.29 dur22-Sep-11to newsmen.

14.00 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-13 15.75 impair 3.00 the company’s 18-Oct-18 Annual2.36 also said May 15 it will ing Gen17-Feb-12 17.00 million 0.54 Meeting17-Feb-19 2.44 Dangote Flour by 849 eral (AGM) that efforts 01-Apr-14 16.00 4.50 01-Apr-19 3.56 rand,14-Nov-13 half its investment, due are ongoing to roll-out bancas15.25 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.43 to underperformance. surance products to enhance its 180.17 “Given the current underper- banking portfolio. formance of DFM and the excess The Group Chief Executive 11-Feb-13 11-Feb-18 milling capacity that10.20 continues 12.00 Officer, Mr. Bello Maccido,3.68 who to increase in the Nigerian flour 12.00 made the disclosure recently, market, it was considered appro- said the initiative is to leverIssue (%) Issue Value Maturity Date Bidof Yield (%) priate toDate carry outCoupon a review of age($'mm) over 760 branches the the carrying value of the compa- bank, cash centers and agencies ny’s investment in DFM,” Tiger across the country.

07-Oct-11 500.00 4.75 said in the statement.6.75 He noted 28-Jan-21 that the insurance Tiger, which makes Jungle industry continues to experi18-Dec-09 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.04 Oats and All Gold tomato sauce, ence a positive outlook, driven 01-Apr-10 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 5.16 bought a 63.5 per cent stake in by enhanced level of insecurity Dangote Flour Mills from Dan- 1,500.00 in the country as well as the degote Industries Ltd. in Septem- velopment of new Telco-based ber 2012 for about $190 million, products that are significantly 01-Feb-11 11.50 01-Feb-16 3.79 of its third purchase in Nigeria. 450.00 impacting the penetration 19-May-11 7.50 5.19 insurance in19-May-16 Nigeria.

Tiger targeted acquisitions in 500.00 08-Nov-13 6.00 08-Nov-18 6.21 that the group Africa’s largest economy as it 400.00Macido noted 25-Jul-12 7.25 350.00 25-Jul-17 7.20 has enhanced its insurance saw limited opportunities in its 09-May-13 6.88 300.00 02-May-18 8.59 home08-Apr-12 market. portfolio with the recently5.09 con10.25 300.00 08-Apr-19

Dangote Flour divests 99 % stake in Agrosack

T

he Board of Dangote Flour Mills Plc on yesterday announced it had divested its 99 per cent stake of the total issued ordinary share capital of Dangote Agrosacks Limited (DASL).

In a notice to the Nigerian TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Stock Exchange (NSE,) the Supranational Bondthe divestment company said AAA/S&P necessary IFC became following a TOTAL OUTSTANDING strategic review of VALUE its portfolio of businesses, aimed at aligning Rating/Agency Issuer its core business areas with that ofFGN itsEurobonds core shareholder, Tiger Brand Limited.

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P It noted that focusing on its BB-/Fitch; food-related businesses going FGN BB-/S&P forward, the company has exeBB-/Fitch; cuted BB-/S&Pa share sale and purchase agreement (‘’SSPA’’) with DanTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE gote Industries Limited (‘’DIL’’) Corporate Eurobonds in respect of the sale of the B-/S&P; B/Fitch 84,150,000 AFREN PLC I company’s ordinary GTBANK PLC I shares of N1.00 each in DASL, B+/S&P; B+/Fitch PLC of which represents 99GTBANK per cent B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC the total issued ordinary share B/S&P; B/Fitch FIDELITY BANK PLC capital of DASL. B/Fitch AFREN PLC

The company said the execution of the SSPA followed the receipt of approvals from its board and shareholders, as well as requisite regulatory approval from the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).

Dangote Flour said the divestment is in furtherance of its group-wide business opti10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 misation initiative, aimed at ensuring that the company is efficiently structured to maxiDescription mise shareholder value and sustain its market leadership position in the Nigerian food 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 and beverages sector.

Tiger Brands Limited 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 (TBS) first-half profit had declined by 6.38 JUL 12, 2023Africa’s 52 per cent after South largest food company wrote down its investment in Nigeria’s Dangote Flour Mills Plc 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 less than two years after buy7.50 MAY 19, 2016 ing the stake.

NOV 08, 2018 Earnings6.00 dropped to 631.9 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 million rand6.88 ($60 million) in the MAY 09, 2018 six months 10.25 to March 31, from APR 08, 2019

brands.

“Construction of the Abuja water plant was aimed at reducing distribution costs to Northern regions of the country. As a result, the company is guiding for EBIT margins of 22-23 per cent, despite cost pressures,” they said.

cluded acquisition of Oasis Insurance Plc. “This acquisition allows 1.00 10.87 100.13 our insurance flagship company , 5.21 16.31 98.63 8.71 Insurance 19.83 to play98.53 FBN in the 4.88 16.07 of the 95.98 general segment insur1.00 12.37 99.57 ance market, which represents 2.63 13.91 100.36 851.00 per cent of the total100.94 insur12.50 ance This development 1.34 market.12.85 102.74 16.19 92.01 inis 4.52 expected to significantly 1.88 our group’s 13.33 109.09 crease overall share 14.92 102.14 of 3.48 the insurance market,” he 5.20 16.68 102.73 said.

5.06 16.54 101.97 FBNH reported a 21 per 1.00 12.71 104.12cent 2.29 13.80 103.99 tax decline in profit before 6.11 17.64 99.07 (PBT) during its first quarter 2.16 13.84 105.92 ended March 31, 2014.

2.76 14.78 101.89 The Q1 financial report submitted to the Exchange showed that the company’s profit before tax1.00(PBT) fell12.68 to N24.77992.85 billion from N31.409 billion in the same period of 2013.

Offer Yield (%) Bid Offer Price Similarly , Price profit after tax (PAT) declined 13 per cent to Prices & Yields N21.555 billion in the Q1 of 2014 4.60 N24.691 111.28 from billion in112.14 the corresponding period of 2013.

3.83 104.05 104.85 However, gross earnings in108.75 5.04 creased slightly 6.4 per109.64 cent to N81.479 billion in the review period of 2014 from N76.570 billion in the Q1 of 2013.

3.02 112.11 FBNH had proposed113.43 a divi4.33 payout104.20 105.83 dend of N1.10 per share 99.21 100.28 the to5.93 its shareholders during 6.71 100.11 101.50 financial year ended December 8.16 94.40 95.77 31,4.32 2013.

113.53 115.01

ZENITH BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.38

6.19

99.44

100.24

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.03

6.62

104.33

105.84

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.91

5.61

102.77

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

09-Dec-13 6.63 FMDQ Daily Quotations List

3,460.00

9-Jun-14103.97

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

10 19-Jun-14 9.30 17 26-Jun-14 8.60 3-Jul-14 10.20 FGN Bonds24 31 10-Jul-14 8.00 38 17-Jul-14 10.10 Issuer Description 45 24-Jul-14 10.20 Rating/Agency 52 31-Jul-14 10.20 59 7-Aug-14 10.20 9.20 29-JUN-2014 66 14-Aug-14 10.05 9.25 28-SEP-2014 73 21-Aug-14 9.70 4.00 23-APR-2015 80 28-Aug-14 10.00 13.05 16-AUG-2016 87 4-Sep-14 10.50 15.10 27-APR-2017 94 11-Sep-14 10.65 101 18-Sep-14 10.80 9.85 27-JUL-2017 108 25-Sep-14 10.70 9.35 31-AUG-2017 115 2-Oct-14 10.80 10.70 30-MAY-2018 NA NA 122 9-Oct-14 10.80 16.00 29-JUN-2019 129 16-Oct-14 10.90 7.00 23-OCT-2019 164 20-Nov-14 10.50 16.39 27-JAN-2022 178 4-Dec-14 10.50 213 8-Jan-15 10.65 14.20 14-MAR-2024 227 22-Jan-15 10.60 15.00 28-NOV-2028 241 5-Feb-15 10.60 12.49 22-MAY-2029 255 19-Feb-15 10.65 8.50 20-NOV-2029 269 5-Mar-15 10.55 10.00 23-JUL-2030 304 9-Apr-15 10.45 318 10.45 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 23-Apr-15 332 7-May-15 10.50 *from the Amortising # bonds, the average is Risk Rating/Agency Premium is a life combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiumsDescription Issuer **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto

<3 3<5 KWARA >5 NIGER Market KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER

9.05 8.35 9.95 7.75 9.85 9.95 Issue Date 9.95 9.95 29-Jun-07 9.80 28-Sep-07 9.45 23-Apr-10 9.75 16-Aug-13 10.25 27-Apr-12 10.40 10.55 27-Jul-07 10.45 31-Aug-07 10.55 30-May-08 10.55 29-Jun-12 10.65 23-Oct-09 10.25 27-Jan-12 10.25 10.40 14-Mar-14 10.35 28-Nov-08 10.35 22-May-09 10.40 20-Nov-09 10.30 23-Jul-10 10.20 10.20 10.25

923.07 951.30 701.57 2,575.94

NIBOR

Bonds

Tenor O/N 1M 3M Outstanding Value 6M

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 Weighting by 06-Jul-12 Vol Outstanding

Rate (%) 10.7667 11.6479 12.9988 14.0097 Maturity Date

(N'bn)

45.00 NITTY 100.00 535.00 Tenor 470.27 1M 452.80 2M 3M 20.00 6M 100.00 9M 300.00 12M 351.30 233.90 600.00 NIFEX 110.00 Current75.00 Price ($/N) BID($/N)150.00 OFFER ($/N) 200.00 591.57

29-Jun-14 28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 Rate (%) 16-Aug-16 8.2987 27-Apr-17 10.2238 10.6866 27-Jul-17 11.0254 31-Aug-17 11.3814 30-May-18 11.7815 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 162.8500 22-May-29 162.9500 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30

OBB O/N

10.46

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

10.67

Spot 7D Offer14D Yield 1M (%) 2M 3M 5.04 6M 10.51 1Y

162.58 162.90 163.16 163.74 Bid Price 164.95 166.21 100.07 169.85 99.42 177.68

REPO Tenor (%)(%) TTM (Yrs) BidRate Yield Call

10.25

1M 11.71 0.05 7.67 3M 12.84 0.30 11.02 6M 13.55 0.87 11.28 10.64 2.19 11.52 11.44 NOTE: 2.88 11.71 11.65 :Benchmarks 3.13 11.66 11.54 * :Amortising 3.23 Bond 11.67 11.55 µ :Convertible Bond 3.97 11.69 11.60 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 5.06 11.81 11.74 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 5.37 Mortgage Bank 11.81 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 11.72 7.64 12.32 12.26 IFC: International Finance Corporation LCRM: Local Management 9.76 Contractors Receivables 12.40 12.35 NAHCO:14.47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 12.78 12.74 O/N: Overnight 14.95 12.82 12.78 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 15.45 12.87 12.81 WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company 16.12 12.99 12.93

Offer ($/N)

Price

162.68 163.17 163.50 Offer Price 164.39 165.74 167.34 100.22 171.00 99.57 182.74

94.10 94.60 102.85 103.00 108.05 108.20 NA :Not Applicable 95.33 95.63 # :Floating 93.89 Rate Bond 94.19 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 96.90 97.20 115.60 115.90 †: Bond rating expired 81.25 81.55 119.75 120.05 110.00 110.30 NGC:114.47 Nigeria-German 114.77 Company UBA: 97.78 United Bank for Africa 98.08 70.98 71.28 80.00 80.30

4,334.84

Issue Date

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 Porfolio Market Total Outstanding 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 Volume(Bn) Value(Bn) 972.92 1,124.60 14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 594.25 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 2,691.78 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

9.32 8.63 10.27 8.05 10.21 10.33(%) Coupon 10.35 10.37 9.20 10.24 9.25 9.89 4.00 10.22 13.05 10.77 15.10 10.95 11.13 9.85 11.05 9.35 11.18 10.70 11.20 16.00 11.34 7.00 11.02 16.39 11.07 11.36 14.20 11.35 15.00 11.40 12.49 11.51 8.50 11.44 10.00 11.45 11.50 11.61

Issue Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

0.00

978.35

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 Weighting by Mkt 0.00/16.50 Value

6.00 112.22 116.70 Bucket66.49 Weighting

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

0.39 0.96 1.44 2.50 2.86 Implied 3.07Yield

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 3.20 Implied 1.00Price Portfolio

11.34 13.96 13.65 13.54 14.83 INDEX 12.66

95.75 87.89 104.85 91.39 90.87 YTD Return 93.43 (%)

0.00 BOND INDEX 24.56 FMDQ FGN

35.83 36.93 05-Aug-09 27.24 15-Oct-09 100.00 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13

#

Coupon (%)

36.14 41.78 14.00 22.08 14.00100.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00

1,304.32 0.36 0.37 17.00 0.27 6.00 1.00 8.50 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00

18.53 37.40 05-Aug-14 44.07 15-Oct-14 100.00 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18

11.63 12.16 0.16 12.89 0.35 12.38 1.23 0.83 1.13 1.13 2.86 1.69 3.56 2.53 4.32 3.04 2.54

115.4869 129.9634 1.56 92.7618 1.34 114.6438 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21

1,096.89 1,100.48 10.21 1,082.14 11.36 1,088.99 15.81 14.49 15.82 14.84 17.22 12.40 13.47 13.35 12.71 12.66 12.76

9.6890 10.0481 100.51 8.2142 100.81 8.8994 96.38 99.37 98.12 100.94 84.18 102.26 101.44 101.54 104.15 104.37 117.77

BUSINESS | MONEY LINE 49

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

FG to channel more pension funds to corporate bonds

INFRASTRUTURE Nigeria loses at least two per cent of GDP growth annually due the shortfall in power and transportation

rently investing only 2 per cent of funds in corporate debt, well below a 35 percent limit, according to data released by the commission.

This, according to Bloomberg news compares with 65 per cent invested in federal and state government bonds and 13 per cent in equities.

New rules are being considered to encourage more investments in corporate bonds, thereby making long-term capital available to fund infrastructure projects, AnohuAmazu said. “We have a huge amount, which can go into the development of infrastruc-

Stories by Godson Ikoro

T

he Federal Government plans to amend investment rules to channel more of the country’s $26 billion of pension funds into corporate bonds, Nigeria Pension Commission (PenCom) Director-General Chinelo Anohu-Amazu said.

Pension administrators, including Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd. and ARM Pension Managers Ltd. , are cur-

Ghana central bank prints money to pay debt –Fitch

G

hana’s central bank is printing money to help finance the government’s budget deficit, threatening to fuel inflation and weaken a currency that’s already the worst performer in Africa this year.

The first-quarter budget deficit of 2.1 per cent of gross domestic product “was financed by the central bank, which provided funding equivalent to 10 per cent of government revenue,” Carmen Altenkirch, an analyst at Fitch in London,

said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

Investor concern that Ghana’s government will struggle to rein in spending has contributed to a 23 per cent slump in the cedi against the dollar this year. That’s pushed up the inflation rate to 14.7 percent in April.

“Printing money to finance the deficit will aggravate already high inflation and contribute to further cedi weakness,” Altenkirch said.

Calls to Ghana’s central

ture, but what we have now is an under-utilization.”

Nigeria needs at least $14 billion annually to bridge its infrastructure gap, according to Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The country of about 170 million people loses at least 2 per cent of potential gross domestic product growth annually due the shortfall, mainly in power and transportation, according to the minister. Nigeria’s economy is estimated to expand 6.75 per cent this year.

A major slice of pension assets are now in government bonds, the “safest place,” acbank Governor Kofi Wampah didn’t connect and Grace Akrofi, head of research, wasn’t immediately available when contacted by Bloomberg news for comment.

Fitch, which has a negative outlook on Ghana’s B rating, said it expects the budget deficit to exceed 10 per cent of gross domestic product for a third consecutive year, in line with forecasts by Moody’s Investors Service. Debt will probably reach 61 percent of GDP by the end of the year, Altenkirch said.

The cedi dropped 1.3 per cent against the dollar to 3.075 at the close business yesterday.

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

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

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

“Whether it is power, real estate, roads, railway, all sorts of infrastructure, we are interested in the format in which the pension funds go into these projects,” AnohuAmazu said. “Our overriding objective is to ensure that the retired workers receive their payments when due.”

Nigeria will host the World Pension Summit’s “Africa Special” edition from July 7 to July 8, seeking to explore opportunities for improving its pension administration and investment, Anohu Amazu said

CBN sells $2.35b forex in May

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equel to reduced intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria at both the Retail Dutch Auction sales and special intervention, the total foreign exchange sold in the month of May slid to $2.35 billion.

This indicates a decrease of 10.31 per cent over the sum of $2.62billion sold in April.

A report from the Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) said the increased exchange rate volatility made the Naira flat at both the official ad parallel markets in May. Consequently, the Naira depreciated by 1.33 per cent at the interbank market. The study by FDC, also showed that the spread between the market exchange rates would widen as speculative pressure increases.

The pressure stems from CBN’s one per cent commission, official and interbank commission of N5.5 kobo, official parallel market N10 and interbank – parallel market of N4.

On the external sector, external reserves, which are

currently at $36.81 billion are expected to cover 7.81 months import cover, and pay for 5.5 months imports and payments.

FDC also noted that the Bonny light averaged $112.32 per barrel, showing an increase of 1.44 per cent from April $112.73 per barrel.

While the oil production remained flat at 1.87mbpd, the report noted that crude oil proceeds were not reflected in the reserves and Excess Crude Account (ECA) despite reduced forex sale by the CBN. Meanwhile, FDC said the money supply (M2) has increased to N15.97 trillion in April, indicating 1.72 per cent higher than March.

On an annualised basis, FDC noted that M2 grew by 5.83 per cent but the targeted level is 15 per cent. The M2 is driven by an increase in both the net domestic and foreign assets.

However, the money supply is expected to increase in the second half of 2014 and increased government spending, the report said, will fuel the increases.

DMO raises N70bn bonds tomorrow

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Treasury Bills

cording to Anohu-Amazu. With an average growth rate of 30 per cent over the last four years, pension funds are seeking new investment options in equities and other outlets that are safe and offer higher returns.

The Federal Government increased the limit for pension funds’ investment in equities to 50 per cent from 25 per cent of assets in November 2012 to help boost trading in stocks.

As an additional investment outlet, infrastructure funds could take as much as 15 per cent of pension assets, PenCom had said.

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

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ll is now set for the Debt Management Office (DMO) to raise N70 billion (US430) at its sixth monthly auction of Federal Government of Nigeria bonds of the year tomorrow.

The sales for the unchanged target of raising N70billion are from two staple reopened issues, the 13.05 per cent Aug ‘16s and the 14.20 per cent Mar ‘24s.

New Telegraph gathered that the DMO’s remit is easier now that the National Assembly has approved the 2014 budget and the president has signed it off.

The target is attainable despite the noted tightening of liquidity in the market. The total bid has exceeded N70billion every month for at least five years and averaged N163billion over the past year.

DMO expects demand from the local institutions Pension Funds Administrators (PFAs) as well as a few offshore investors. The PFAs held bonds totaling N1.9trillion at the end

of March, equivalent to 45per cent of their assets under management and 42per cent of the outstanding stock of debt instruments While there is anecdotal evidence that the FGN has achieved some tightening of the fiscal stance in the form of a modest build-up in the balance on the excess crude account to around US$4.1billion as of mid-May, FBN Capital said the FGN has appointed advisors for a small Diaspora bond to raise US$100million this year.

Furthermore, it said that domestic issuance for the year has well advanced with the raising of N385billion (gross) from the sale of FGN bonds in the first five months. There has also been a tightening of liquidity in recent weeks with the resumption of regular open market operations (OMOs) by the CBN. The total bid at its auction of NTBs on 04 June amounted to N304billion, compared with N813billion one month earlier.

50 WORLD | NEWS

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

27 killed as Taliban attack on Daniel: Probe Amosun over Pakistani airport Dipo Dina’s death

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aliban militants disguised as security forces stormed Pakistan’s busiest airport on Sunday and at least 27 people were killed in a dramatic night-long battle at one of the country’s most high-profile targets.

The assault on Jinnah I n t e r n at i o n a l Airport in Karachi, Pakistan’s sprawling commercial hub of 18 million people, all but destroys prospects for peace talks between the Pakistani Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It also deals a heavy blow to Sharif ’s efforts to attract foreign investors to revive economic growth and raises questions about security at the country’s main installations. In a possible change of tack, the Taliban said their mission was to hijack a plane - a break from their usual pattern of roadside bombs and suicide bomb attacks.

“The main goal of this attack was to damage the government, including by hijacking planes and destroying state installations,” said Shahidullah Sha-

hid, a Taliban spokesman.

The violence began just before midnight when 10 gunmen, wearing military uniforms and armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades shot their way into the terminal building after arriving at the cargo terminal in two minivans.

The militants then split into two groups, with one attacking a gate called Fokker to create a diversion and the other storming the cargo terminal, police said.

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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ormer Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has called for the investigation of his successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, over the murder of a former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress (AC) in the state, Otunba Dipo Dina.

He alleged that the Amosun-led administration in the state was set to free some suspects arrested by the police in connection with the brutal murder of

Dina in 2010.

Daniel spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Labour Party (LP) held on Sunday in Sagamu, where hundreds of defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the party’s former chairman in the local government, Chief Shamsideen Osho, joined the LP. It will be recalled that Dina was killed in Ota on January 25, 2010 by gunmen but two months later, the state police command arrested some suspects in connection with the mur-

der and charged them to court.

Addressing thousands of LP faithful, Daniel said he was surprised that the state government allegedly discontinued the prosecution of those accused of killing Dina and urged the law enforcement agencies to investigate the rationale behind the governor’s intention to release the accused.

The former governor contended that all the allegations of killings and mysterious deaths levelled against him and his regime were unfounded.

PDP raises the alarm over alleged arson on members •We are peace-loving, APC says Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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Smoke rises above the Jinnah International Airport where security forces continue to battle militants yesterday, in Karachi, Pakistan.

Egypt Cabinet resigns after president takes office

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gypt’s new president, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi asked the prime minister to form a new Cabinet yesterday, moving ahead with the transition as a court sentenced more than 100 supporters of the ousted Islamist president to a year in prison in the country’s latest mass trial.

The interim prime minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, submitted his and his government’s resignation, a ceremonial step after the inauguration of a new president. State TV said elSissi asked him to return to the post and form a new government.

Mahlab has served as

interim premier for the past five months, the second person to fill the post since el-Sissi ousted Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, last summer following massive protests against the Islamist leader and his Muslim Brotherhood.

In his speech after his swearing-in on Sunday, el-Sissi vowed to build a more stable future after three turbulent years. He said there will be no tolerance to those who took up arms against the government and Egyptian a thinly veiled reference to Morsi’s supporters.

The government has branded the Brotherhood a terrorist organization, an accusation the group denies and says is intended to justify eliminating it as a political force.

Since Morsi’s removal last July, his supporters have held near daily demonstrations, which have been met by a fierce crackdown by security forces that has killed hundreds and arrested thousands.

Morsi and much of the top leadership of his Muslim Brotherhood have been jailed and are on a series of trials, mostly in connection to violence associated with the protests.

he Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning to attack its members and burn their properties across the state.

That was even as the candidate of the party, Mr. Ayo Fayose, gave out six motorcycles to commercial motorcyclists, popularly called ‘Okada’ riders, whose motorcycles were burnt by the political thugs during Sunday’s violent

clash between in Ado-Ekiti.

He also promised that he would take care of the medical bills of those injured in the attack and that he and PDP leaders would visit the family of Taiwo Akinola, who was killed.

In a statement in AdoEkiti yesterday by the State Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, the party also added that a member, Omolafe Ade, had become the first victim of the APC’s arson attack, as his business premises and vehicles were burnt early yesterday in Ado-Ekiti. In a reaction, the State Chairman of the APC, Chief

Jide Awe, said the PDP was only raising a false alarm. He added that the APC was peace-loving and that it had no need to attack or burn down anybody’s properties. He urged the PDP to look inward and not engage in self-inflicted injuries.

Presenting the motorcycles on behalf of Fayose, the Director General of the Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO), Chief Dipo Anisulowo, expressed concerns about the plight of the victims of the attack, adding that it was necessary to come to their rescue.

My boys behind illegal oil refineries, says Bayelsa Monarch Louis Achi and Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

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traditional ruler and delegate to the national conference, His Royal Majesty, King Edmund Dakorou yesterday threw his weight behind the resolution of the conference not to encourage the local technology being used by operators of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region.

The startling revelation came same day the national conference said it was under pressure to complete its assignment in the next five weeks and

therefore needed to devise a new method of conducting its business in order to beat the deadline.

The royal father, who is the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Bayelsa State, said that even though the illegal refiners were his “boys”, he would not encourage its proposed legalization because the technology being used was too crude and not economical.

Dakorou, a one time Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters made the revelation while reacting to the resolution passed by the conference prohibiting the

government from taking deliberate steps to harness the potentials of the illegal oil refinery operators.

Those behind the proposal had argued that harnessing the local technologies of the illegal oil refineries would increase Nigeria’s local refining capacity but this was rejected.

In commending the decision of the conference, Dakorou said that apart from the problem of crude technology, the illegal refineries also waste a lot of crude oil in the process of refinining, resulting in the production of poor quality petroleum products.

Don’t judge Eagles with friendlies -Ikpeba lRecounts France’ 98 experiences

Emmanuel Tobi

F Ikpeba

ormer Super Eagles striker, Victor Ikpeba, has expressed confidence that the Super Eagles will excel in Brazil when the competition kicks off despite recording series of not too impressive results in

their friendly matches.

The Eagles did not win any of their build-up games, having been held to a 2-2 draw

by Scotland and played out a goalless draw with Greece before losing 2-1 to USA at the

SPORT

weekend.

Ikpeba maintained that the Eagles should not be judged with friendly matches.

“The friendly matches are there to prepare the team for the World Cup, but the World

Cup itself has its own spirit.

“Nigerians should not judge the team with the draw results because we lost all our friendly matches during our preparation for the France ’98 World Cup, but we ended up shocking Spain in our opening match,” he noted.

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS kunle.salami@newtelegraphonline. com

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

TUESday, june 10, 2014

Eagles hit Brazil lEnyeama, Maigari upbeat about chances

Adekunle Salami

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he Super Eagles will, Tuesday night, arrive in Brazil ahead of the commencement of the FIFA World Cup, which gets underway on June 12.

The reigning African champions, who finalised their preparations for the 32-team tournament with a training camp in the United States of America, where they played two tune-up games against Greece and the Americans, will touch down at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, just before 9pm local time, aboard an American Airline flight from the Miami International Airport.

The Super Eagles are in Group F along with two-time winners Argentina, tournament debutants BosniaHerzegovina, and Iran.

Their opening game comes up on June 16 against the Iranians, and Lille goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, believes the Super Eagles will not just be in Brazil to make up the numbers.

In fact, the 31-year-old believes Nigeria, along with Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, is capable of winning the World Cup in Brazil.

“It (an African side winning the World Cup) can happen. It can hap-

pen. We (Nigeria) have a good team; Ghana has a great team. Ivory Coast has a great, amazing team,” said Enyeama, in an interview with FIFA TV. He added: “I believe an African team can win the World Cup. It can happen. I don’t believe in negativity. I am a very positive person so I believe it can happen in Brazil.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria Football Federation president, Aminu Maigari, who is already in Sao Paulo for the 64th FIFA Congress billed for Tuesday and Wednesday, has expressed satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ World Cup build-up and is confident Stephen Keshi’s side will impress at the finals.

“I want to assure Nigerians at home and in the diaspora that the Super Eagles will not disappoint in Brazil,” began Maigari. “For sure, our people would have wanted the team to win the matches against Italy, Mexico, Scotland, Greece and USA. But we drew the first four and lost the last one.

“I have spoken with the Head Coach and he is optimistic that his boys will be ready for the finals. The earlier draws, and the loss to Team USA have afforded our boys a lot of lessons, which will be useful against Nigeria’s Victor Moses challenging Greece’s Loukas Vyntra during an Iran in the first match and subseInternational friendly quently.”

Golden League: Four athletes in contention for N2M jackpot Charles Ogundiya

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our athletes are in contention for the Athletic Federation of Nigeria’s Golden League two million naira jackpot, scheduled for June 13 in Warri, Delta State.

According to a release by the Federation, the battle has been narrowed down to four contenders who will each battle for a

share of the N2million at stake in Warri.

Top on the list is Chime Nkechi who competes for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the women’s shot put. The 21-year old has extended her dominance across all previous four legs of her event and will be seeking a fifth consecutive win in Warri on Friday.

Chime had a throw of 14.14m in the first leg in Abuja and further improved on that performance with 14.62m in Ilorin a fortnight later. The third and fourth leg in Akure proved to be a turning point as she hit a mark of 14.86m, and 14.17m to end with 40 points.

Another contender is Martins Ogieriakhi in the 110 hurdles.

Ogieriakhi, who competes for

51 49

the Nigeria Police Force, kicked off his campaign with 14.01secs in Abuja and 14.09secs in Ilorin.

He further extended his lead with 13.99secs in Akure and would be aiming for the perfect climax in Benin.

Other contenders are the Nigeria Police men’s 4x100m relay team and the NSCDC men’s 4×400m team.

Chime

52

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Countdown to Fifa World Cup 2

Days To Go

Ageless Milla dazzles at Italia ‘90

Roger Milla

Chimaobi Uchendu

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amerounian football legend, Roger Milla, inspired the Indomitable Lions close to fulfilling Pele’s prophecy, that an African team would win the World Cup before the turn of the century at Italia’90 at the age of 38, when he led them to the quarter final, a feat hitherto not achieved by an African nation. They have since been emulated by Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Milla scored four goals at Italia 90, which makes him the tournament’s oldestever scorer. He retur ned four years later in 1994 to add another goal.

Five goals in all continue to make him Africa’s leading scorer at the World Cup finals.

G l o b a l stars like Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba have not surpassed him.

Drogba has scored just two in two finals, while Eto’o has two goals from three championships.

Milla is Africa’s biggest achiever in the tournament’s history; a pioneer and recordbreaker yet to be matched by anyone from the continent.

“At 42, I couldn’t have imagined myself play like that,” Milla said.

Italia ’90 was his second finals. In Spain in 1982, Cameroun showed that African teams would not be pushovers for much too long. Milla impressed as his team drew all three games, and had a goal questionably disallowed against Peru in the opening match.

“I had an exceptional tournament in 1982 and if they hadn’t disallowed my goal against Peru, maybe Cameroun would have played in the final,” Milla recalled.

Milla has never been a man to doubt himself. His belief is that with better organisation from the football association, FECAFOOT, Cameroun might even have

won at Italia 1990. He reckons that the team was not really professional and that also undermined them. “The team was not like a professional team, I tried my best to organise my teammates,”Milla said.

His aging legs meant he played mostly as a sub, but once he got on the field, he harried opposing defenders, forcing them into mistakes in the fashion that is associated with Eto’o today.

“Off the pitch, he was a very kind person, he is a brother to me. On the pitch he was totally different; he was talking all the time, talking to the opponents, talking to everybody. He was angry at everything, angry at the opponents and angry at the referee. We finally discovered that he needed to be like that to deliver.” said Joseph Anthione Bell, former Indomitable Lions goalkeeper.

Having been a late substitute in an amazing Italia ’90 o p e n i n g - m at ch victory against holders Argentina, Milla

PROFILE Name: Roger Milla Nationality: Cameroon Position: Striker Clubs: Eclair (1965-70), Leopard Douala (1971-74), Tonnerre (1974-77), Valenciennes (1977-79), Monaco (1979-80), Bastia (1980-84), Saint-Etienne (1984-86), Montpellier (1986-89), Saint-Pierroise (1989-90), Tonnerre (1990-94), Pelita Jaya (1994-95), Putra Samarinda (1995-96), Tonnerre (1996-99) International career: 102 matches, 28 goals World Cup participation: 1982, 1990, 1994 - played 10, scored five goals Finest World Cup moment: Two goals in round-of-16 victory over Colombia at Italia ’90 Roll of honour: Quarterfinalist

scored the goals that fired Cameroun into the tournament’s further reaches. He scored a predatory brace against Romania, and then, in the round of 16, punished the dallying of Colombia goal keeper Rene Higuita.

He said; “I noticed Higuita was up to his tricks, I saw a chance to dispossess him and took it. It was good tactics, good planning. I had never been a quick player, I am just quick on short distance, but it never stopped my ability to score.”

His goals were all accompanied by a corner-flag dance, with Milla’s hips undulating in rhythm as his teammates joined him.

“He has never done that before,” Bell said. This routine begun with Milla’s first goal against Romania that eventually became a global craze.”

Ahead of the quarterfinal in Naples, Bobby Robson was told by his scouts that his England team had been given a “bye,” suggesting an easy match, instead they were given a terrible scare, only managing to win 3-2 in extra time thanks to two penalty kicks that Gary Lineker converted. Milla did not score, but his astute passing set up both goals for Cameroun.

“One of my great souvenirs is that we led England six minutes from the end of the game,” he said.

Milla returned in 1994, but Cameroun could not repeat their exploits.

The element of surprise had gone. Behind the scenes they were even more disorganised than before.

“USA ‘94 was something really disappointing; our officials never understood that you have to plan to get good results. They didn’t try to understand what we did in 1990,” he said.

Cameroun exited at the group stage, but not before Milla, who played from the bench in their final two matches, had added to his legend. His record-breaking goal came during a 6-1 defeat to Russia. Even though Cameroun were already three down, he celebrated in his trademark style.

He said; “I played at a time when not so many people thought Africans could be so good, that was when the world realised the difference. Now they are used to seeing good performances from African players.”

But no other African has burned as brightly as Milla, still his continent’s brightest World Cup star.

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Inside Super Eagles Camp

Keshi settles Emenike, Mikel dispute Ajibade Olusesan

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uper Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has forestalled cracks in his squad after he settled the dispute between two of his senior players, Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike.

The two players had not been on talking terms following an altercation during their friendly match against Greece, a development that was said to have threatened the harmony in camp.

According to feelers in the team’s camp, Keshi noticed the problem and quickly convened a peace meeting before the team departed their United States base for Brazil.

“Keshi had a family chat with the boys yesterday (Sunday) and in the meeting he made it known to Mikel and Emenike that their rift is unsettling the team,” a source said.

“After a heated exchange in which both players vented their

anger, Keshi settled the matter, but not without getting involved in a shouting match with one of them” “At the end, both players shook hands, hugged and even ended up in each other’s rooms, chatting before going to bed.

It’s over now thanks to Keshi who spotted it

…..Eagles better than 2010 squad-Chelsea star

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uper Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi, believes Nigeria have improved over the past four years and have the ability to go far in the World Cup. “I think the guys are a bit more hungry,” he explained. “Four years ago, we had an aging team, but there are a lot of young players in the team and they’re all hungry.

“I think that’s the mentality we have.

Hopefully we’ll have a good tournament.”

Nigeria emerged as Africa Cup of Nations

Gaiya backs Eagles for glory

champions in 2013, and the Chelsea midfielder admitted that it had led to an increase in confidence in the Super Eagles camp.

“It gives us extra confidence,” he said. “We have to make sure that we know we’re representing the entire continent, the same goes for the other African countries.

“It’s going to be tough – the highest of all tournaments. We have to go there and make sure we perform well.”

The Super Eagles face Iran in their open-

AJibade Olusesan

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hairman House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, has backed the Super Eagles of Nigeria to surpass African record at the World Cup in Brazil.

Gaiya said; “Nigeria will go far in Brazil and probably get to the semi-final because that is our target. The goal is to surpass the performance of every African country at the Mundial, which means getting to the semi-finals.”

He however, advised Nigerians not to judge the team with friendly matches played so far, claiming that friendly matches are for the coach to test his team.

euben Gabriel’s agent, Tony Harris, has landed a jackpot with the inclusion of his client in the Super Eagles squad to the World Cup. Reports in the Belgian newspaper, which was monitored by our correspondent, indicated that the FIFA licensed agent would pocket £50,000 appearance fee that will come from FIFA to Reuben’s club, Waasland Beveren.

FIFA is scheduled to pay each of the club that has its players at the Mundial a minimum of £50,000.

And Het Nieuwsblad newspapers reported that

To Go

early.”

Reports also indicated that the rest of the players were part of the meeting and the coach asked the players to reveal any grievances they might have before leaving for Brazil, insisting that the team needed oneness and absolute cooperation.

Mikel

ing game, play BosniaHerzegovina next before taking on the highly-fancied Argentina.

But the Chelsea midfielder believes that his country has the ability to, not only progress from the group, but emerge triumphant at the Maracana on July 13.

“I think we’re in better shape than in 2010,” he said. “We want to go all the way.

“With the team spirit and the calibre of players we have, I think we can. We want to get to the final.”

Gabriel’s agent to pocket World Cup largesse

Charles Ogundiya

2

Days

the one for Beveren would go to the agent according to the terms of the contract of the player.

The paper reported that the contract stipulated that Beveren will not get anything from FIFA windfall should Gabriel be selected for the Mundial.

Gabriel’s inclusion in the Eagles has attracted criticisms after playing very limited roles for both club and country since 2013.

The player joined Waasland-Beveren in January after he terminated his contract with Scottish side, Kilmancok, and managed just five matches with them without scoring any goal.

Emenike

Keshi trusts me -Babatunde

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Babatunde

uper Eagles winger, Michael Babatunde, has downplayed criticism that trailed his selection in the party to the World Cup, and declared that Coach Stephen Keshi trusted his ability.

The Volyn of Ukraine man is one of the play-

ers whose inclusion in the team has met widespread criticisms from Nigerian fans, but the player said he was ready to win over the doubters.

“I just need to work harder to justify my being at the World Cup. I have a lot to prove to the fans and Nigerians.

But already the coaches know what I can do and that is why I am here.

“I pray it’s our tournament. I have so much to show in Brazil, but I will not be desperate. A cool head has helped me to this level. I will prove myself at the expected time and I hope this will not change in Brazil.

“The coaches know what I can do and the right time to do it. And I will not allow this to get into my head. I have something better in me and only time will tell,” he said.

The player featured at the last Confederations Cup and he said Eagles will head back to Brazil with much more experience.

“We are returning to Brazil to correct our mistakes. Brazil is a lovely place, but we had a bad outing due to ill luck during Confederations Cup, but I am very confident that we will make an appreciable impact in the World Cup,”

Akinbobola charges Eagles to remain focused

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h a i r m a n O n d o room staf f should State Fo o t b a l l watch their war nA g e n c y, A k i n up tapes especially Akinbobola, h a s against Greece and charged the handlers USA, correct their misof the Super Eagles to takes and get the team remain focused as the ready for the tourna2014 World Cup begins in Brazil.

Eagles are drawn in Group F with Argentina, Iran and BosinaHerzegovina.

Akinbobola felt the defeat to USA on Saturday was an eye opener for the technical crew and players to ensure a better outing in Brazil.

“Keshi and his back Eagles celebrating

ment.

“But at this point, we need to rally round the team and give our support to the Eagles to have a superlative perfor mance in Brazil”, said the former Chair man, Publicity Committee, Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

The ODSFA boss however, expressed joy at the inclusion of Sunshine Stars defender, Ebenezer Odunlami, in the Eagles’ final 23-man list urging him to prove his worth in the team.

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Germany ready to win trophy -Low

Low

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ermany coach Joachim Low has faith his men can win the World Cup, but stopped short of predicting a title triumph in Brazil.

The three-time world champions will open their campaign against Portugal in Salvador on June 16, with Ghana and the USA completing the rest of a

Traffic woes hit Sao Paulo

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isitors looking to get around Sao Paulo have found themselves in winding traffic in parts of Brazil’s largest city after subway unions voted to continue a strike.

With the city poised to host the opening game of the World Cup on June 12 between Brazil and Croatia,thousands of soccer fans are now restricted to buses and taxis instead of the faster and cheaper subway systems.

Union leaders said late on Sunday that the strike, launched to back up workers’ demands for higher wages, would continue indefinitely.

daunting Group G. “I have absolute faith in the abilities of every one of them. I know what we’re capable of and I know we’ve got a chance, but I’m not a prophet and it’s not my job to be,” Low told FIFA. “Even if I were to promise that we’d win the title that’s still no guarantee that we would do so.

“The only thing I can say is that we want to win the World Cup. We’ll give everything and we want to play with heart and passion to give our fans something to cheer about.

Brazil our biggest title threat -Torres

Brazil police use tear gas on striking workers

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razilian police have used tear gas to disperse about 100 striking subway workers from a station in central Sao Paulo, the city that will host the World Cup opener this week.

Subway workers are on strike for higher wages and have violently clashed with police during recent protests.

Authorities are expecting almost all of the fans attending Thursday’s opener in Sao Paulo to get to the

apan’s Keisuke Honda, has predicted the Asian champions will produce a “miracle” at the FIFA World Cup™ and reach the quarter-finals, local media reported on Monday.

Sporting a spiky mohawk haircut, the bleached-blond Honda touched down in Brazil with the Japan squad at the weekend, and declared the Blue Samurai were ready to take on the world.

“Firstly, we can 100 percent get through our group,” Honda said to Japan’s Nikkan Sports daily, ahead of Japan’s opening game against Ivory Coast on June 14.

“After that anything can happen at a World Cup. We’re good enough now to reach the quarter-finals.

To Go

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pain inter national Fer nando Tor res has identified Brazil as the biggest threat ahead of his side’s World Cup title defence which starts next week.

While many pundits are adamant that there are several teams which could compete for the world title, Tor res is convinced that this year’s tour nament will be a twohorse race between the hosts and Spain.

“For me, we are still the favourites to win the World Cup, but in

stadium on the subway.

Union leader Alexandre Roland was one of the strikers hit by tear gas.

He said that until the government sits down to negotiate, the strike will continue, even through the World Cup. The strike has thrown Sao Paulo’s gridlocked traffic into chaos.

The metro area of 20 million relies heavily on the subway and overland commuter trains.

Honda: Japan can reach quarter-finals

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NEWS UPDATES

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Obviously we all need to stay fit, but if we do the basics right 100 percent, no mistakes, we can get to the quarter-finals. From there we can make miracles hapWorkers run for safety after police fire pen.” teargas in Sao Paulo, Sunday Japan, who also face Greece and Colombia in Group C, underwent intense warm-weather training in southern Japan and Florida before flying to hana striker Jordan Ayew, Brazil. is delighted to play alongside his big brother, Andre at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

The 22-year-old will play alongside his brother for the first time at the World Cup after been included in the final 23-man squad.

Coach Kwesi Appiah kept fate with the Marseille striker after he impressed during his Honda

Torres

a big tour nament the hosts are nor mally f avourites as well,” Tor res told Goal.com this week.

“The fact they will be playing at home and have a g reat squad means they will be just as strong. If we win the World Cup we will definitely have ear ned it,” added Tor res who hasn’ t enjoyed the most successful of domestic seasons this ter m.

Jennifer Lopez pulls out of opening ceremony

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op superstar Jennifer Lopez, pulled out of the World Cup opening ceremony in Brazil, four days before the tournament kicks off, FIFA has confirmed.

Lopez, who recorded the official World Cup song, “We Are One,” with rapper Pitbull was due to perform with them at the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo but had to cancel, said the football governing body.

“For production issues, Jennifer Lopez, one of the artists of the official song ‘We Are One,’ will not be able to perform at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony,” it said in a statement.

FIFA said in a news release that Cuban-American rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte will sing the official tune “We Are One” before Brazil take on Croatia at the Thursday opener in Sao Paulo.

Pitbull however, is still looking forward to performing in front of the world.

Playing with brother, Andre excites Jordan Ayew

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loan spell at relegated French side Sochaux.

Jordan is thrilled with the Jordan (Left) and Dede Ayew idea of playing alongside his beloved brother “In 2010, I watched him at Andre Ayew in Ghana colours. home. Now I am here with him “It’s a good feeling to be in in the same team.” the Ghana team with my brothThe two brothers are exer because I haven’t played a pected to play a key part for big tournament like the World the Ghanaians at the global Cup before,” Jordan said. showpiece.

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Sanctity of Truth

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Transfer Updates Milan sack Seedorf, pick Inzaghi

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C Milan have dismissed manager Clarence Seedorf and replaced him with youth-team coach Filippo Inzaghi.

In a brief statement on Monday, Milan say they have handed former club great Inzaghi a two-year contract until June 30, 2016.

Seedorf, who was only four months into a two-and-a-halfyear contract, replaced the fired Massimiliano Allegri in January. The former Dutch star led Milan to an eighth-place finish in Serie A, with 11 wins in his 19 league matches in charge.

Argentina scared of ‘physical’ Eagles

Shaw desperate for Man United switch

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uke Shaw has already told Southampton he wants to join Manchester United this summer, reports suggest.

United saw their opening offer of £27m for the 18-year-oldknockedbackbythesouthcoastclubinMay.However,BBC Sportsuggests ShawhadalreadyinformedtheSouthamptonhierarchy of his desire to leave for Old Trafford before that original bid was made, informing the club of his wishes at an event at a hotel following the 1-1 draw between the two sides on the final day of the 2013/14 season.

City told to pay €30m for Callejon

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anchester City have been told

by Napoli that they will have to pay 30million euros if they want to sign forward Jose Callejon. The 27-year-old Spanish star has only been with Rafael Benitez’s Italian side for one season after moving from Real Madrid in a nine million euros switch 12 months ago.

Callejon enjoyed a successful campaign with 15 goals in 37 league appearances and that has alerted several clubs from around Europe including City.

Torino slap £16.5m price tag on Cerci

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orino will not entertain offers below £16.5m for sought-after Italy winger Alessio Cerci. The 26-year-old, who has been scouted by clubs including Liverpool and Manchester United, catapulted himself into the spotlight last season with a series of exciting displays for Torino.

Cerci scored 13 goals and assisted in 11 more in Serie A and subsequently secured himself a spot in Italy’s World Cup squad.

Valencia join chase for Vucinic

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alencia have joined Arsenal and Tottenham in the race to sign Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic, who is understood to be leaving Juventus in the summer, after seeing his Serie A appearances reduced to 12 last season, scoring just twice.

Reports in Italy claim that La Liga outfit Valencia have made a bid of £2.8m for his services, despite the Bianconeri slapping a £6.5m price tag on the former Roma man.

Candreva flattered by PSG link

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azio midfielder Antonio Candreva has told TF1 he is “flattered” to be linked with a move to Paris-Saint Germain this summer.

Juventus are also reportedly interested in the former Udinese midfielder, but a move to the Ligue 1 champions appears to be more enticing for Candreva.

“Paris would certainly be a great option for me,” Candreva told France’s TF1 television. “They are currently one of the biggest clubs in Europe. I’m very flattered to be one of PSG’s targets. We’ll just have to see if things can go any further with Paris Saint-Germain.”

Oboabona(left), vies with Jozi Altidore, during Saturday’s warm-

Ifeanyi Ibeh

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rgentina coach, Alejandro Sabella, has expressed the fear that his side will face a very physical Nigeria and Iran at summer World Cup in Brazil.

The football’s showpiece is scheduled to kick

off in the South American country on Thursday and powerhouse Argentina will take on Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia in Group F. Argentina will open their World Cup campaign against Bosnia at the famous Maracana stadium on Sunday before facing Iran at Estadio Mineirao,

Belo Horizonte on June 21.

The 1978 and 1986 champions will then face Nigeria in their final group game at Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre on June 25.

“I can’t predict the future but we are going to be playing in games where we must play well, the 59-yearold told sportal.co.nz.

“We are going to be playing strong teams, physically very strong teams, specifically Iran and Nigeria.

“Bosnia are a European team and so they also are physically a threat but have other stronger elements.

“We are obviously going to try our best to perform well in the group stages and have the players be in their best condition.

The African champions Nigeria, who were also drawn against Argentina at the USA ’94, Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010 World Cups, lost all three games.

Eagles must fight like warriors -Fashanu Mercy Jacob

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ormer Wimbledon star, John Fashanu, has advised the Super Eagles to prepare for a tough time at the World Cup in Brazil, stating that the World Cup is like a war front where you either sink or swim.

Fashanu, in an interview with Ne w Tele graph, said that Elderson Echiejile’s absence should not cause panic in the team.

“T he World Cup is a peculiar tour nament, different from the Nations Cup, even the UEFA Champions league can not be equated to it,” he said.

C’wealth Games: Igali targets six wrestling gold medals Emmanuel Tobi

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resident of Nigerian Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali, has revealed that the Wrestling team was determined to double their medal haul by winning six gold medals at forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The NWF named a 30man wrestling team at the

weekend, following the conclusion of the 2nd Chief E. K. Clark National Wrestling Championship in Warri, Delta State.

In 2010, Nigeria won 13 medals in wrestling including three gold, finishing third on the wrestling medals table, but Igali, a gold medallist for Canada at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, expressed confidence in the

abilities of the athletes.

“I won’t say we are having an ideal preparation for the Commonwealth Games, but I’m sure we are going to do well and double our medals in Glasgow,” he said.

The 30 wrestlers, 16 male and 14 female, are already moving to Abuja as directed

by National Sports Commission to begin preparaIgali tions for the Games.

Otu, Adebisi victorious at Ekiti Governor’s Tennis

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ohn Otu and Sarah Adebisi on Sunday emerged men’s and women’s singles champions of the maiden edition

of the Ekiti Governor All Nigeria Open Tennis Championship.

Playing before a large

Oparanozie tips Nigeria for AWC title

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uper Falcons striker, Desire Oparanozie, believes the Nigerian women’s national team will regain their aura of invincibility at the 2014 Africa Women’s Championships.

Nigeria qualified for the 2014 AWC following a crushing 12-1 aggregate victory over Rwanda and Oparanozie reckons that the earth-shaking win underlines popular belief that the African giants are stirring from hibernation.

“Two years ago, we didn’t win a game after reaching the semifinals as we lost to South Africa and Cameroon in the third place game and the reason for this is simple - we were too relaxed and over confident,” she told supersport.com.

Oparanozie, who netted

a hat-trick in the second leg of the qualifying tie against Rwanda, says preparations must begin early for the 2014 AWC which gets underway in Namibia on October 11.

“If we must win, we have to begin preparations early. I believe we have the best players in Africa today but like we saw at the last tournament, talent alone is not enough,” she said.

Oparanozie

crowd which included Engr. Segun Oni, the former Governor of Ekiti State, Otu defeated Edward Christopher 7-6 (2), 6-2, while Adebisi confirmed her new status as Nigeria’s top-ranked female player with a 6-3,6-1 win over Nosa Esorae. It was the first major domestic title win for the 17-year-old who was a finalist at the 2013 CBN Open and also a semifinalist in the same tournament in Lagos last month.

“I did not play well because I lost some points which I shouldn’t have, but I’m very happy to become a champion for the first time in the open category,” Adebisi, a former number one player in Africa for Girls 14&Under said.

Nigeria Tennis Federation Vice president, Yemi Owoseni, restated Ekiti State commitment to the development of tennis, promising to make the tournament bigger in subsequent editions.

Otu and Adebisi respectively pocketed N100,000 and N75,000, while they also each amassed 18 points in the NTF rankings.

On Marble

In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman.

– Margaret Thatcher

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 TUESday, JUNE 10, 2014

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usted Nigerian Central Bank Gover nor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has long been a sensational voice re g arding Nigeria’s road to prosperity and moreover, outspoken on the moder n-day speed-bumps that have occurred along it’s way. However, the controversy surrounding his latest appointment, that of the Emir of Kano, may take discussions on Nigeria’s continued fragmentation to record highs and hinder more than help the reconciliation process in country, following the tragic passing on Friday of former Emir, al-Haji Ado Bayero.

The deter mining factors behind Mr. Sanusi’s startling ascendancy are, as of yet, unclear.

However, the new Emir’s background paints a colorful collage of a contemporary whistleblower or conversely, an opportunist who unequivocally, in his new position, could serve to further the divide between what is shared and collaborated upon from Nigeria’s North and it’s South moving forward.

Many believe Mr. Sanusi’s longstanding rivalry with the Presidential administration led to his sudden de par ture from his for mer of fice (nonetheless at a juncture near the end of his of ficial tenure as Central Bank Gover nor). Others argue that the instability he fur thered in the inter national arena by decrying massive embe zzlement in Nigeria’s petroleum industry was in fact, reckless; of fering shaky, unsubstantiated ‘evidence’ to prove cor ruption at re gular intervals, a move that may have also prompted his exit.

Nonetheless, the inter national community has been abuzz over this retur n to the public limelight. Importantly, given that the emir of Kano is the second-highest Islamic authority in Nigeria, they seek to lear n whether Mr. Sanusi can transition in to his new role ef fectively, and look to help the nation (and not just the State) in a lasting way, defending it against a mounting insurgency caused by Boko Haram militants at-present in the north.

These are rather large ‘shoes to fill’, even for someone as accredited as the for mer Central Bank Gover nor. His predecessor was also a critic of Boko Haram,

World Record In 2003 Aharon Shemoel set a new record for the heaviest lemon, grown on his farm in Kefar Zeitim, Israel. The mighty citrus fruit grew next to another large lemon and weighed 5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz) - heavier than an adult human’s head!

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Emir Sanusi, I presume

World View SAM AMSTERDAM

Appointments such as these themselves, at least on the world stage, often serve as intriguing dilemmas in a contemporary era

Youths on the rampage after annoucing Lamido Sanusi as the Emir

Sanusi

having himself survived an assassination attempt last year that was entirely blamed on the militant cabal.

Despite the fiscal confidence attained during his tenure at the Central Bank, a collective assurance Mr. Sanusi has long held with the populous both in Nigeria and throughout the Diaspora, many remain skeptical of the positioning, believably ‘shortchanged’ by

the proclamation. Certain sources have reported that supporters of Sanusi Ado Bayero, the son of the late Emir of Kano, who was indeed defeated in the contest to emerge as the Emir of the ancient city, have already taken to the streets to protest the rejection of their prefer red candidate. Bonfires have been lit and continue to glow on now-scattered streets, with schools again shut as an effectively installed defense mechanism for civil ‘disobedience’.

Appointments such as these themselves, at least on the world stage, often serve as intriguing dilemmas in a contemporary era, indig enous to only cer tain nations. Monarchist positions have recently drawn scrutiny around the globe (as witnessed in Spain), given the instability that they may sometimes foster in the face of domestic fiscal turbulence and the day on day crises that tend to develop at home.

We will, therefore, watch with baited breath the actions of a long-accountable Mr. Sanusi. The burden he bears to protect Kano,

assuage concer ns on his appointment and re-instill confidence in his leadership is one not be envied but one that will craft an indelible imprint on the Nigerian Body Politic of today.

OmoBaba

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