Monday, july 27, 2015 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

Buhari orders probe into Jos chlorine plant tragedy }3 BUSINESS

Crude cartel controls $8,777 of GDP, say oil engineers }27

Agip begins $5bn onshore assets sale in Nigeria Adeola Yusuf

talyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest oil company, Eni SpA, has joined Shell and Chevron in the sale spree of its onshore assets in Nigeria.

New Telegraph gathered that the company's subsidiary in Nigeria, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has already set a target of $5 billion that it would realise from the

sale of the onshore assets it operates in Nigeria. "Nigerian Agip Oil Company, which operates under a joint-venture agreement with Nigerian National Petroleum Cor-

poration (NNPC) and ConocoPhillips, is already at the second critical stage of the sale," a source close to the deal told New Telegraph at the weekend. Aside from the as-

sets on sale, the source said NAOC, which also operates two onshore exploration licenses, was adhering to the business model by the Italy's headCONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Monday, July 27, 2015

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Vol. 2 No. 523

Abuja light rail project 67% }12 ready

10-year-old girl kills 15 in Yobe market }6

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PDP seeks dissolution of Rivers election petition tribunal }5

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Secondus

Fresh showdown looms in House of Reps

lDefiant Dogara set to announce principal officers lBuhari meets with lawmakers today lHow plot to make deputy speaker resign failed

L-R: Chairman, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Gbenga Oyebode; President, GBCHealth, Ms. Nancy Wildfier-Field; President, The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Oluranti Adebule and Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe, at the GBCHealth 2015 Business Leadership Award dinner in Lagos...on Friday.

Cabinet: Obasanjo, Danjuma in cold war with Buhari lWe are unaware, says presidency

News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Leadership crisis: Reps set for fresh war Philip Nyam and Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he House of Representatives is set for another rowdy session tomorrow as it resumes from a month recess it embarked on following the festering crisis in the legislature. It was learnt that supporters of the House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and those of defeated speakership candidate, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, were bracing up for a showdown following report that the speaker may announce principal officers tomorrow. The preparations for a showdown between the two factions came as President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to meet with the lawmakers today. The leadership crisis in the House over the filling of principal officers' positions had degenerated into a free-for-all on June 25, forcing the legislature to adjourn for a recess. Already, members of the APC Loyalists Group backing Gbajabiamila have accused the speaker of plotting to stop its key members from gaining access to the chambers tomorrow to attend plenary session. They warned him to drop the plan henceforth. It was gathered that Dogara would tomorrow announce Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa as majority leader, Hon. Pally Iriase as chief whip, Hon. Buba Jibrin as deputy leader and Hon. Chike Okafor as deputy whip despite opposition from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Gbajabiamila's group. The speaker, in a letter to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had stated reasons why the House cannot accept the party's proposal for Gbajabiamila to be majority leader. He had proposed that he would concede the position to the group of his rival but with a proviso that the former minority leaders should not be put forward as the candidate to fill the post. He explained that his stance was based on the constitutional principle of federal character and the spirit of "fairness, equity and justice" But the party is still insisting on Gbajabiamila as minority leader, Doguwa as deputy leader, Iriase as chief whip and Mohammed Monguno as deputy whip. At the weekend, some

of the members loyal to the party dumped Gbajabiamila and accepted the Dogara zoning formula and appealed to their members to join hands with the speaker to forge ahead. Doguwa, Iriase and Monguno at a joint press conference with representative of the Dogara-led Consolidation Group, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin, said the warring camps had agreed to sheathe their swords. But other members of the Loyalists group, led by Hon. Nasiru Zangon-Daura, yesterday said no peace accord had been reached between the two groups. He urged the speaker to seek for genuine peace. Addressing the press yesterday in Abuja, Zangon-Daura alongside 17 other lawmakers accused Dogara and his supporters of plotting to lock out some of their members from the chambers to pave the way for the announcement of the principal officers not endorsed by the party. The lawmaker warned the speaker against taking law into his hands and harassing any of his opponents. "To the Speaker Dogara group and their PDP allies, we are aware of your attempt to deny us entry into the House of Representatives chambers to members of the Loyalist Group especially the likes of Hon. Aliyu Madaki, Hon. Rufai Chanchangi, Hon. Philip Shaibu, Hon. Mohamed Soba, Hon. Isa Aliyu Zuru, Hon. Ahmed Babba Kaita, Hon. Ismaila Sulaiman, Hon. James Faleke, Hon. Yusuf Ikara, Hon. Abdullahi Salame and Hon. Abubakar Chika. "We strongly warn Speaker Dogara that we will not take any breach of our members' privileges lightly and we will hold you, Speaker Dogara, personally responsible. Honour is earned through honourable actions. A word is enough for the wise," he stated. The group also accused Dogara of entering into an unholy alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to forestall the anticorruption campaign of the president. The group deplored the "continued defiance of the APC and the APC House Caucus by Speaker Dogara as indicated in his disloyal letter to our party national chairman." It said it was not aware of any concession the speaker had made to resolve the crisis. "We hereby restate for the avoidance of any doubt that this struggle is not about Femi Gbajabiamila,

Yakubu Dogara, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, M. T. Monguno or Pally Iriase. This is about being loyal and committed to party's manifesto which amongst others includes the fight against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari," the group added. Phone calls to the Chairman, Media and Public

Affairs Ad hoc Committee of the House, Hon. Sano Zorro, to react to the allegations against the House leadership were not answered. However, it was learnt that efforts to make the House Deputy Speaker, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, to resign as part of efforts to pave the way for the emer-

gence of Gbajabiamila as House leader failed at the weekend due to the inability of the party leaders to carry along some governors in its reconciliation bid. This is Odigie-Oyegun dissociated Dogara from the appointments of the principal officers of the House reported in the me-

dia. A source told New Telegraph that the inability of the three other governors from the South-West to support the move to make Yusuf step down made the efforts to fall through. The National Executive Committee of the party had summoned Dogara, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja...yesterday.

Cabinet: Obasanjo, Danjuma in cold war with Buhari

Donald Ojogo Abuja

cold war is brewing between President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo as well as former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma over the constitution of the cabinet, New Telegraph has learnt. A top official of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confided in New Telegraph at the weekend that the president had been having a running battle with the duo who had been trying to push some candidates for cabinet positions. But the source added that the president, who enjoyed support from the duo during the run-up to the March 28 presidential election, was reluctant to accede to their proposals. It could not be independently ascertained who Danjuma wanted to be part of the cabinet, but it was gathered that the

former Chief of Army Staff had sought to nominate a candidate to head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. On his part, Obasanjo had reportedly recommended former Head of Service, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, to the president for appointment as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Oronsaye is currently facing trial for alleged fraud and has been admitted to bail on self-recognisance. But the president’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has claimed ignorance of such agreement between his principal and the former leaders. “I am not aware of that,” Shehu said in a response to our correspondent’s inquiries. The source who said the APC leadership should not be blamed for the delay in the constitution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), said there were other forces outside the

ruling party that needed to be taken into consideration in the constitution of the cabinet. He said: “People blaming the APC leadership for everything are only ignorant of the workings of government. In our own case, no one should forget that we needed a pan-Nigerian support and we got it. “In that case, we cannot play the role of ingrates just because we have taken over government and power; we just need to bring all on board to ensure that we have a seamless sail in governance. “But the only problem we are having is the insistence of some critical stakeholders on certain issues, for instance in the area of recommendations for appointments. “For instance, if the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted a certain Oronsaye as SGF and there are now challenges, we need to be careful in determining who will be without bruising

the man’s ego. But that is not to say that it is not the president’s prerogative to appoint anyone as SGF. “In the same vein, can we ignore the contributions of General T. Y. (Danjuma)? He made tremendous input, especially in mobilising the Northern Christian minorities for the APC. “So, if today the president says he will not appoint a substantive minister as against whatever deal, there must be some reciprocity even if what the General wanted is no longer possible,” he said. The president, who is likely to head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, had said last week during a visit to the United States that his cabinet would not be ready until September. According to him, given the rot left behind by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that had ruled Nigerian since 1999, his administration has so much work to do to clean up the system so it could start on a clean slate.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Buhari orders probe into Jos chlorine plant tragedy l112 still in Jos hospitals, area cordoned off – NEMA Anule Emmanuel and Musa Pam Jos

resident Muhammadu Buhari has ordered full investigation into the chlorine gas explosion that killed eight people in Jos, Plateau State on Saturday. The president in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, commiserated with the families of the victims and people of Plateau State over the incident. Buhari said that an investigation into the incident was necessary to avoid recurrence.

"The investigation should unravel the facts as to whether this was just an accident. Whatever is the cause, we need to get to the bottom of this unfortunate and tragic incident," the president said. Buhari prayed that God should grant the souls of those who lost their lives in the explosion peaceful repose and grant a quick recovery to those who were injured in the terrible tragedy. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that 112 injured persons were still on admission in four hospitals following Saturday’s explosion of Chlorine Cylinder used

for water treatment at Lamingo plant of the Plateau Water Board. The NEMA North-Central Coordinator, Alhaji Abdulsalami Mohammed, stated that three more persons had died, in addition to the initial five killed by the incident that also razed down many houses around the area. He named the four hospitals to include Jos University Teaching Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, as well as Plateau Specialist and OLA Hospitals, all in Jos. “The situation has normalised, but the area has been cordoned off to ward off further danger,” Mohammed said.

He described the incident as “very unfortunate”, and said that the community around the water treatment plant would be relocated. “The community around the plant will be relocated. In fact, we have just been told that the community was initially relocated and compensated, but started coming back gradually. “This time, once they are relocated, we shall make sure that no one is allowed to return,” he said. Meanwhile, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau had expressed shock at the incident and sympathised with families of the eight persons killed after they

L-R: Wife of the deceased, Mrs. Chinasaokwu Alao; daughter, Mercy; Head, Admin, Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph newspapers, Mr. Robinson Ezeh and Editor, Capital Market, Mr. Chris Ugwu, during a condolence visit by the company to the family of the late Mr. Dele Alao, New Telegraph's Industry and Agric Editor, at Agbado, Ogun State...at the weekend. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

inhaled excess chlorine. Lalong said that the situation had been contained, and explained that steps had been taken to ensure that the contamination did not affect the quality of water being pumped to the public. “We have taken adequate steps to cleanse

Defiant Dogara set to announce principal officers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Yusuf and the four APC governors from the South West. Of the four governors, only the Governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, attended the meeting with the House leaders and Odigie-Oyegun. The governors of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, were absent at the meeting. According to the source, the three governors refused to honour the invitation when they knew the agenda of the meeting was to ask the deputy speaker to resign He stated that the governors had queried that what would be their credentials to be democrats if they could ask a duly elected deputy speaker to resign to pave the way for some one that failed in an election to emerge as a principal officer. The source stated that Yusuf had expressed disappointment over the presence of Aregbesola at the "evil" meeting.

Lawan, Akume, Gemade, others risk sanction –Senator Chukwu David Abuja

ndications emerged yesterday that Senators Ahmad Lawan, Barnabas Gemade, George Akume and other members of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) might be sanctioned by the Senate for taking the leadership crisis in the chamber to court. The anti-Saraki senators had on Friday ap proached a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking for the nullification of the election of the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and other principal officers elected during the inauguration of the eighth Senate on June 9.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Senators Lawan, Akume, Gemade, Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Gbenga Ashafa. Speaking to New Telegraph on the lingering crisis in the Upper Chamber and the resultant litigation on the matter by the aggrieved members of the SUF, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji said that the litigants risked being sanctioned when the Senate resumes plenary tomorrow. He wondered why the group, which has been opposing the emergence of Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as the President and the Deputy President of the Senate respectively, should take the internal matter of the chamber to court, when the Senate has internal mechanism to resolve

such crisis. Ogbuoji, who represents Ebonyi South Senatorial District, expressed optimism that the deepening crisis would not affect Senate proceedings in any way after resumption. "Their going to court will not affect the Senate in any way. In fact, they risk being disciplined. The only thing that will delay their sanction is that the Ethics and Privileges Committee has not been put in place. "I can assure you, they will be the first to leave the Senate. They don't know what they have done; they have no reason whatsoever to take court action against any senator over an issue that can be handled by the Senate," he noted. He also said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be able to resolve all the issues pertain-

ing to appointment of its senators to minority leadership positions without crisis. "I don't want to take a position on the matter but it is a PDP affair, and I believe that the party will handle and take a position on the matter before Senate resumes tomorrow." Meanwhile, some proBukola Saraki senators have accused the All Progressives Congress-government of instigating the National Assembly crisis. A source from the Saraki's camp, who preferred anonymity, faulted the submission of the police report on the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015. "Is President Buhari a prosecutor, why should the police submit its report to him? The police have the power to prosecute, if it is

the main water pipes and ensure that water supplied through them is safe for human consumption,” he said. The governor said measures had also been taken to address the issue of expired components of the treatment plant to guard against a recurrence.

true that there is anything like that. In Nigeria, the Attorney-General is the prosecutor, and not the president. "It clearly shows that this is witch-hunt. When you weigh it side by side with the invitation of the wife of the President of the Senate by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), you will know that this is nothing but a witch-hunt. "After all, there was no forgery in the first place. It is only in this dispensation that I am hearing that what used to be a tradition in the Senate is now forgery. Each Assembly has always been given a new edition of the Standing Orders by the National Assembly management which is the custodian of the document," the source argued.

According to him, Yusuf had told the Osun governor that he was disappointed in him for being the only governor that would support his resignation. The source quoted him as telling Aregbesola and Odigie-Oyegun that the only way he would accept to resign would be for the party to ask the governor also to resign. The source also stated that deputy speaker lambasted the governor, saying that he personally attracted to him 78, 000 votes during his second term election. However, when the New Telegraph last week Thursday confronted the national chairman with the allegation of the party leadership requesting the Deputy Speaker to resign, he denied and said: "No. Discussion was on how to finally resolve the difference between party and the House presiding officers". Meanwhile, Buhari will today meet with APC members of the House of Representatives. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, yesterday confirmed the meeting to State House correspondents. Shehu said the meeting would hold at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja by 5pm. Although Shehu did not give details on the agenda of the meeting, our correspondent gathered that Buhari would use the opportunity to brief the lawmakers on his trip to the United States and what role they needed to play in assisting him achieve the target, especially regarding the war against corruption. With the leadership crisis in both chambers of the National Assembly, Buhari, according to a source, believes that he needs to ensure unity among APC lawmakers for his administration to succeed. New Telegraph learnt that the president would also hold a similar meeting with APC senators soon.

Travel Advisory

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule Air France Destination Abuja- Paris Paris-Lagos Paris-PHC PHC-Paris Paris –Abuja Lagos –Paris

KLM

air maroc Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

Departure 23.55hrs 10.55hrs 11:00hrs 21:20hrs 11:00hrs 23:55hrs

Arrival 6:05hrs 17:15hrs 19:15hrs 6:05hrs 17:00hrs 6:20hrs

Amsterdam-Lagos KL587 Lagos-Amsterdam KL588

13:15hrs 20:00hrs 23:05hrs 05:50hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York New York-Lagos Lagos-Johannesburg Johannesburg-Lagos Lagos-Douala Douala-Lagos Lagos-Accra

W3 101 W3 102 W3 107 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 108 (Thurs, Sat, Mon) W3 103 W3 104 W3 380 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat) W3 381 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat) W3 300 W3 304 W3 301 W3 305 W3 386 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 387 (Thurs, Sat, Mon) W3 386 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 388 (Tue, Thurs, Sat) W3 387 (Thurs, Sat, Mon) W3 389 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 362 (Tue, Thurs, Sat) W3 363 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 390 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 391 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 380/390 (Daily) W3 381 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat) W3 391 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

12:00hrs 21:30hrs 23:30hrs 12:25hrs 13:30hrs 23:15hrs 11:15hrs 14:45hrs 07:20hrs 07:00hrs 08:05hrs 17:45hrs 19:49hrs 01:50hrs 19:40hrs 20:30hrs 00:25hrs 03:00hrs 21:30hrs 02:00hrs 11:15hrs 13:35hrs 11:15hrs 17:00hrs

18:45hrs 04:15hrs 05:30hrs 04:00hrs 20:40hrs 04:30hrs 14:00hrs 17:30hrs 07:20hrs 17:00hrs 10:05hrs 19:45hrs 22:15hrs 06:25hrs 22:15hrs 00:30hrs 06:25hrs 09:00hrs 00:30hrs 05:hrs 12:50hrs 17:10hrs 11:45hrs 17:30hrs

16:40hrs

17:10hrs

W3 363 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 390 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 391 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 380/390 (Daily)

02:00hrs 05:hrs 11:15hrs 12:50hrs

ARIK AIR

Accra-Lagos Lagos-Banjul Banjul-Lagos Lagos-Dakar Dakar-Lagos Lagos-Luanda Luanda-Lagos Lagos-Abidjan Abidjan-Lagos Lagos-Cotonou Cotonou-Lagos

16:40hrs 17:10hrs Abidjan-Lagos Lagos-Cotonou

13:35hrs

17:10hrs

11:15hrs

11:45hrs

17:00hrs

21:30hrs

00:30hrs

W3 363 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

02:00hrs 05:hrs

Cotonou-Lagos W3 391 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

16:40hrs

W3 391 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 380/390 (Daily) W3 381 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat) 17:00hrs

13:35hrs

17:10hrs

11:15hrs 07:35hrs

11:45hrs 12:50hrs

14:20hrs

19:45hrs

EK 761

23:55hrs 10:30hrs

17:10hrs

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 23:45hrs 07:20hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

Lagos - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Lagos Abuja - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Abuja Enugu - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Enugu Kano - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Kano

ET900 ET901 ET910 ET911 ET930

13:15hrs 09:00hrs 13:40hrs 09:40hrs 12:00hrs

20:25hrs 12:15hr 20:10hrs 12:20hrs 20:50hrs

ET931

09:20hrs 11:15hrs

ET930 ET931

14:05hrs 20:50hrs 09:20hrs 13:20hrs

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 5:25+1hrs 16:00hrs 20:20hrs

17:10hrs Cotonou-Lagos W3 391 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

16:40hrs

DELTA AIRLINES

UNITED AIRLINES

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

IBERIA

Lagos-Casablanca AT738 Casablanca-Lagos AT 737

06:25hrs 09:55hrs 02:15hrs 6:00hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos

VS 652 VS 651

11:00hrs 17:00hrs 22:40hrs 4:40hrs

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

EY 0672 (Sunday) (Monday) (Saturday)

20.45hrs 07:00hrs 09:50hrs 20:05hrs 09.20 hrs 20:10hrs

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

EY 955

06:30hrs 11:45hrs

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 22:20hrs 08:30hrs 13:30hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

KQ 533 KQ 534

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

Lagos-Kigali

AWB 201 11:15hrs (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) AWB 202 (Tue, Thur, Sat, 14:00hrs Sun)

16:45hrs

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ETIHAD AIRWAYS

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS RwandAir Kigali-Lagos

17:30hrs

Turkish Airlines Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

332 333

22:35hrs 06:00hrs 15:10hrs 21:20hrs

Lagos to Abidjan Abidjan to Lagos

HF 851 (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun) 10:10hrs HF 852 (Mon,Wed, Thurs, Sat) 19:20hrs

10:50hrs 21.50hrs

Destination Lome to Abuja Abuja-Lome- Kinshasa Kinshasa-Abuja Abuja-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Kinshasa Kinshasa-Libreville Libreville-Lagos Lagos-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Brazaville Brazaville-Libreville Brazzaville-Lagos Lagos-Lome

Flight No. KP 032 (Tue-Fri) KP 032 ( Tue-Fri) KP 033 (Wed-Sat) KP O33 (Wed-Sat) KP O40 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP O44 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP O45 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat)

Arrival 15:55hrs 18:15hrs 10:00hrs 12:20hrs 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 18:45hrs 08:55hrs 11:25hrs 12:45hrs 14:10hrs 16:40hrs 18:50hrs 08:40hrs 11:10hrs 12:30hrs

Air Côte d'Ivoire ASKY AIRLINES

Departure 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 8:20hrs 10:35hrs 13:00hr 14:40hrs 17:00hrs 7:15hrs 9:35hrs 11:55hrs 13:10hrs 14:50hrs 17:10hrs 07:00hrs 09:20hrs 11:40hrs

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE 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

AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE

WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm

Lagos-Abuja/Kano 4:00pm Abuja-Kano 5:45pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kan 10:10am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 12:40pm Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm WEEKEND SCHEDULE SATURDAY Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Sunday Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 10:30am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 1:20pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm

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

Travel Advisory

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule Air France Destination Abuja- Paris Paris-Lagos Paris-PHC PHC-Paris Paris –Abuja Lagos –Paris

KLM

air maroc Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

Departure 23.55hrs 10.55hrs 11:00hrs 21:20hrs 11:00hrs 23:55hrs

Arrival 6:05hrs 17:15hrs 19:15hrs 6:05hrs 17:00hrs 6:20hrs

Amsterdam-Lagos KL587 Lagos-Amsterdam KL588

13:15hrs 20:00hrs 23:05hrs 05:50hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York New York-Lagos Lagos-Johannesburg Johannesburg-Lagos Lagos-Douala Douala-Lagos Lagos-Accra

16:40hrs

17:10hrs

W3 363 (Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 390 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 391 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 380/390 (Daily)

02:00hrs 05:hrs 11:15hrs 12:50hrs

ARIK AIR

Accra-Lagos Lagos-Banjul Banjul-Lagos Lagos-Dakar Dakar-Lagos Lagos-Luanda Luanda-Lagos Lagos-Abidjan Abidjan-Lagos Lagos-Cotonou Cotonou-Lagos

16:40hrs 17:10hrs Abidjan-Lagos Lagos-Cotonou

13:35hrs

17:10hrs

11:15hrs

11:45hrs

17:00hrs

21:30hrs

00:30hrs

W3 363 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

02:00hrs 05:hrs

Cotonou-Lagos W3 391 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

16:40hrs

W3 391 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) W3 380/390 (Daily) W3 381 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat) 17:00hrs

13:35hrs

17:10hrs

11:15hrs 07:35hrs

11:45hrs 12:50hrs

14:20hrs

19:45hrs

EK 761

23:55hrs 10:30hrs

17:10hrs

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 23:45hrs 07:20hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

Lagos - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Lagos Abuja - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Abuja Enugu - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Enugu Kano - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa - Kano

ET900 ET901 ET910 ET911 ET930

13:15hrs 09:00hrs 13:40hrs 09:40hrs 12:00hrs

20:25hrs 12:15hr 20:10hrs 12:20hrs 20:50hrs

ET931

09:20hrs 11:15hrs

ET930 ET931

14:05hrs 20:50hrs 09:20hrs 13:20hrs

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 5:25+1hrs 16:00hrs 20:20hrs

17:10hrs Cotonou-Lagos W3 391 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

16:40hrs

DELTA AIRLINES

UNITED AIRLINES

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

IBERIA

Lagos-Casablanca AT738 Casablanca-Lagos AT 737

06:25hrs 09:55hrs 02:15hrs 6:00hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos

VS 652 VS 651

11:00hrs 17:00hrs 22:40hrs 4:40hrs

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

EY 0672 (Sunday) (Monday) (Saturday)

20.45hrs 07:00hrs 09:50hrs 20:05hrs 09.20 hrs 20:10hrs

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

EY 955

06:30hrs 11:45hrs

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 22:20hrs 08:30hrs 13:30hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

KQ 533 KQ 534

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

Lagos-Kigali

AWB 201 11:15hrs (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) AWB 202 (Tue, Thur, Sat, 14:00hrs Sun)

16:45hrs

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ETIHAD AIRWAYS

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS RwandAir Kigali-Lagos

17:30hrs

Turkish Airlines Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

332 333

22:35hrs 06:00hrs 15:10hrs 21:20hrs

Lagos to Abidjan Abidjan to Lagos

HF 851 (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun) 10:10hrs HF 852 (Mon,Wed, Thurs, Sat) 19:20hrs

10:50hrs 21.50hrs

Arrival 15:55hrs 18:15hrs 10:00hrs 12:20hrs 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 18:45hrs 08:55hrs 11:25hrs 12:45hrs 14:10hrs 16:40hrs 18:50hrs 08:40hrs 11:10hrs 12:30hrs

Air Côte d'Ivoire ASKY AIRLINES

Departure 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 8:20hrs 10:35hrs 13:00hr 14:40hrs 17:00hrs 7:15hrs 9:35hrs 11:55hrs 13:10hrs 14:50hrs 17:10hrs 07:00hrs 09:20hrs 11:40hrs

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE ARIK AIR

AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE

WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm

FIRST NATION AIRWAYS

(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

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

PDP calls for dissolution of Rivers election petition tribunal Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the dissolution of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal for Rivers State on ground that it was illegally constituted. In a July 24 letter to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bukachuwa, the PDP, through its counsel, Godwin Obla (SAN), noted that the chairman of the panel, Justice Victor Uchenna Okorie was appointed in violation of Paragraphs 1 (1) and (2) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended. The letter further stated that Justice Okorie is a justice of the Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State and not a justice of the high court and, therefore, not qualified to be appointed as a chairman of election tribunal. Apart from asking the President of the Court of Appeal to disband the tribunal, PDP has also filed an application before the tribunal challenging its jurisdiction to continue to hear the petition filed by Senator Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Olaka Nwogu representing Rivers South East Senatorial District and the PDP.

The letter reads in part: "We urge your Lordship to timeously look into this matter by taking appropriate steps to correct the anomaly by disbanding and re-constituting a new panel, failing which we shall be constrained to take immediate steps by recourse to legal proceedings in the Federal High Court for the interpretation of the relevant statute as they touch and affect the said panel. “Paragraph 1 (1) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution to reads: A National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal shall consist of a chairman and two other members (1) the Chairman who shall be a judge of a High Court and the two other members shall be appointed from among judges of a High Court, Kadis of a Sharia Court of Appeal, Judges of a Customary Court of Appeal or other members of the Judiciary not below the rank of a Chief Magistrate." In a separate motion filed before the tribunal, PDP is also asking for an order restraining the chairman of the tribunal, which is sitting at the Apo Division of Abuja High Court, from further presiding over proceedings as the chairman of the tribunal. The party also asked the tribunal to set aside all the directions issued, judicial rulings delivered and the entire proceed-

ings of the tribunal from the date of the panel's inaugural sitting till date. It said that the tribunal lacked the competence and jurisdiction to sit as a tribunal, having been constituted in violation of the constitution. "Justice Okorie, chairman of the tribunal, is not a judge of a High Court. Justice Okorie, chairman of the tribunal is a justice of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State. "The President of the Court of Appeal violated the provisions of Paragraph 1(2) of the 6th Schedule to the Constitution (Second Alteration) Act 2011 when she failed to appoint a judge of the High Court as a Chairman of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal for Rivers State (Part 1) sitting at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja. "The appointment of Justice Okorie, a justice of the Customary Court of Appeal, Owerri, as the Chairman of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal for Rivers State (Panel 1) sitting at High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja by the President of the Court of Appeal to the extent of its inconsistency with the provisions of Paragraph 1(2) of the 6th Schedule to the Constitution is invalid, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever," the party argued.

I’ve evidence to prosecute Shema for corruption – Masari

overnor Aminu Masari of Katsina State yesterday said that he has “concrete evidence” to drag his predecessor, Mr. Ibrahim Shema, before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover stolen funds. Masari stated this while receiving the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar, who paid him Sallah homage in Katsina. He said that Shema would only escape from the hammer of the EFCC if he agrees to return the looted funds. The governor promised that all stolen public money would be retrieved to correct past mistakes and bring sanity into the public service. He alleged that the former governor had misappropriated over N76.6

billion collected as excess crude oil allocation and diverted over N7.5 billion into his private pocket. Besides, he said that Shema and other top government officials of the Ministry of Local Government Affairs connived and faked used receipts to divert over N750 million earmarked to purchase drugs for local government councils. Masari said his administration was aware of media campaign of calumny sponsored by his predecessor to frustrate him from the ongoing probe and retrieving of stolen funds. He alleged that more than N1.8 billion was paid by the former governor to proprietors of some newspapers for the job. “No amount of intimidation will stop us from

probing Shema’s administration. It is better for them to return all the looted money or face the wrath of the EFCC. “We will run an open door policy,” he said, and solicited for constructive advice to move the state forward. Speaking earlier, the traditional ruler advised the state government to give top priority to agriculture to generate employment and boost food production. Faruk also called on the government to commence exploration of mineral deposits that were abundant in the 34 local government areas of the state. He assured the governor that the people of Daura would support and cooperate with his administration to achieve its desired goal.

CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (Established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990) PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA DISTRICT P.M.B 198 GARKI, ABUJA-NIGERIA

INVITATION TO TENDER 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Corporate Affairs Commission was established by the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) of 1990 to regulate and supervise the formation, incorporation, registration, management and winding up of companies in Nigeria. The Corporate Affairs Commission intends to undertake the procurement of goods on Lots listed below. Interested contracting firms are hereby invited to tender for the following items; • Lot 1: Supply and Installation of Air Conditioners • Lot 2: Supply of Office Furniture 2.0 TENDER REQUIREMENTS In order to be considered, interested contractors/suppliers shall submit the following: a. Evidence of registration with Corporate Affairs Commission. b. Company’s Profile. c. Evidence of filling of up to date Annual Returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission. d. Tax Clearance Certificate for the last three (3) years. e. VAT registration certificate. f. Full office address and GSM numbers of contact person. g. Companies audited account for the last three (3) years. h. Evidence of similar job carried out. i. Bank reference. j. Evidence of financial capability or bank support. k. Evidence of pension contribution. l. Evidence of compliance with Section 6 of ITF Act. m. Evidence of registration with Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). Note: All official letter head and other documents of the company must be in compliance with Section 278 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. 3.0 Bid Documents containing full specification on each LOT can be obtained from the office of Director, Procurement located on the 5th floor of the main office building of Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, upon payment of a non-refundable sum of Ten Thousand Naira Only (N10,000.00). 4.0 SUBMISSION OF BIDS Bids are to be sealed with wax in an envelope indicating the LOT number and should be submitted not later than 2.00pm (Nigerian Time) on Thursday, 27th August, 2015 to the following address: The Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja. 5.0 CLOSING DATE Submission of bids shall close at 2.00pm (Nigerian Time) on Thursday, 27th August, 2015 to be immediately followed by the bid opening on the same day. All interested members of the public, civil societies and representatives of interested firms are hereby invited to witness the opening at the Commission’s Board Room, 6th Floor, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja at 2.00pm on Thursday, 27th August, 2015. 6.0 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Tenderers should note that: a. The Corporate Affairs Commission reserves the right to inspect or verify claims/information submitted as it deems necessary. b. The Corporate Affairs Commission reserves the right to annul the bidding process when unforeseen development warrants such action, without incurring any liability and assigning any reason thereof. SIGNED MANAGEMENT

News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

10-year-old girl kills 15 in Yobe market lTroops kill 20 terrorists Emmanuel Onani and Hassan Jirgi

10-year-old girl yesterday detonated an explosive device at a crowded market in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, killing herself and 14 others. Forty-seven others sustained injuries in the suicide bomb attack. The attack took place at 9:05a.m. Those that sustained injuries were treated at the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, Damaturu. Two women who were said to be accomplices have been arrested by the police. The Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe, Mr. Toyin Gbadegeshin, confirmed the attack and casualty figure. Gbadegeshin, who made the confirmation to newsmen in Damaturu, said: “A female suicide bomber, aged about 10 years, detonated the explosive device at a crowded main entrance of the popular Sunday Market, killing 15 people, including 10 females and five males,

while injuring 47 others.'' He said five other units of undetonated explosives were recovered at the scene of the explosion. The police spokesman said that suicide bombers used mortars similar to those recovered from suspected bombers on the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway on Monday. Three policemen and five suicide bombers were killed in the Monday incident. Gbadegeshin urged the public to be cautious and remain observant of suspected persons, bags and movements around their environments. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday admitted that Boko Haram was still occupying some towns in Gamboru Ngala, Kala Balge, Guzamala and Dikwa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

The admittance, which was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, however, contradicted the position of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah (rtd). Minimah, while handing over to his successor, Major General Tukur Buratai on July 16, had said: “During my tenure, we were able to reclaim all territories earlier lost to the terrorists, sufficiently degrade their potency and reduced them to a band of criminals and petty thieves. We were also able to stabilise the situation in the North-Central,” he noted. What is not clear, however, is whether the towns still under the captivity of Boko Haram, were overran after the exit of Minimah.

Nonetheless, the statement from the Army, is coming few days after Governors of Borno and Yobe states, revealed during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, that the sect was still occupying five local council areas in their states. The Army explained that Gujba Local Government Headquarters in Yobe State, had long been deserted. The statement further noted that troops of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Saturday, killed over 20 suspected Boko Haram fighters, after liberating Dikwa Local Government Area Usman said: "The Army wishes to acknowledge that Boko Haram terrorists have been occupying some portions of Gam-

boru Ngala, Kala Balge, Guzamala and Dikwa Local Government Areas of Borno State. "In Yobe State, Gujba LGA headquarters had long been deserted. However, due to recent concerted efforts, roads and towns hitherto being held by Boko Haram terrorists and laced with mines such as Biu-Buni YadiDamaturu and Biu-Sabon Gari-Damboa roads were liberated and cleared of mines and made safe for public usage. "Efforts are on to liberate other towns and roads. Additionally, with the support of Nigerian Air Force, I am glad to inform you that our gallant troops yesterday (Saturday) liberated Dikwa LGA. "During the battle, troops of 7 Division Nigerian Army destroyed one of the terrorists’ camp

at Faljari village along Dikwa-Maiduguri road, Borno State. During the encounter, over 20 terrorists were killed and several wounded. "The troops recovered the following items: five vehicles heavily laden with Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) about to be unleashed into the society, four motorcycles, one Toyota Hilux mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns, one Anti-Aircraft Gun and one General Purpose Machine Gun. "Others include three extra barrels of Anti-Aircraft Gun, a box of AntiAircraft Gun Ammunition, three SIM cards and a damaged AK-47 Rifle. The brave soldiers also destroyed five motorcycles adorned with terrorist flags and a Toyota Hilux mounted with Anti-Aircraft Gun.”

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

ABUJA

PORT HARCOURT

KANO

ENUGU

IBADAN

CALABAR

MAIDUGURI

ONITSHA

27o C 24oC Thunder Storms

21oC 13oC Windy

19oC 17oC Storm

29oC 21oC Storm

L-R: President/Executive Producer, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Mike Dada; Head of Culture Division, Department of Social Affairs, AUC, Angela Martins; Morocco's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mbarka Bouaida; Chairman, International Media Committee, AFRIMA, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; AFRIMA 2014 Best Male Artiste in Northern Africa, Ahmed Soultan and Head of Culture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Lania Radi, at the ministry of foreign affairs office in Rabat, Morocco...recently.

28oC 22oC Storm

No bailout for states yet, says Oshiomhole Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

26oC 21oC Storm

24oC 22oC Storm

31o C 23oC Thunder Storms

28oC 22oC Storm

overnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has stated that no state has received a kobo from the Federal Government as bailout fund. He, however, said that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to seeing an end to the financial crunch in the country where no fewer than 15 states owe workers’ salaries. The governor spoke at the weekend during a re-

ception in honour of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, by his kinsmen in Sabongida Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of the state Oshiomohle said: “There is some conversation going on between the Federal Government and the governors. The president has been extremely positive in recognising that he does not want to preside over a country whose workers are not paid. “It is not acceptable where 14 to 15 states can-

not pay salaries. The good news is that the president is standing by us and there is always a time lag between when you conceptualise and when you implement. “For now, no government has got one naira under the bailout arrangement.” He described the recent trip of President Buhari to Washington as “beautiful” and “excellent”. His words: “In the history of our country, Americans have not shown that amount of work and I was with the president when he visited

President Barack Obama. I haven’t seen an American President talking in the manner Obama did. “I mean when a president said to you, look: in the next 18 months use me, get us to do any of these things; we will go as far as you will allow us to go because we recognise that if Nigeria’s problems are solved, the African continent will be stable and if we can fix Nigeria we would have fixed Africa.” On the IG, the governor said: “The celebrant is not just a man of history, there are many people who

could become the IG, by political connection, but I think he has a very unique ability. “I also believe that your present elevation is a demonstration of the way you have sought to manage your office, deal with the challenges of the police force without being partisan. This is a difficult position to maintain. As an Edo man, you represent the finest tradition with courage, determination and intellect to your job no matter whose ox is gored.” Arase said he felt elated by the honour.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Buhari plans to run discriminatory govt –PDP lAPC: Only the guilty are afraid Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to run a discriminatory government. The party also demanded that Buhari should make public the cost of running the government since his assumption of office on May 29 when he decided to run the government as a sole administrator. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, who addressed a press conference in Abuja yesterday said the nation was stunned by Buhari's declaration while on a state visit to the United States of America that constituencies that gave him 97 per cent will be treated preferentially from constituencies that gave him five per cent in the election. Metuh said this signifies that the president will run a discriminatory government. "Never in the history of our nation has a president made such a divisive and vindictive declaration. Never in the history of Nigeria has a president made such tendentious, biased and partisan statement, a blade on the chord of unity of his own country and people," he said. The PDP spokesperson noted that Buhari as a respected leader had said in his inaugural speech that “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody," which he said brought great hope to Nigerians. He, however, said that his recent declaration has brought enormous damage and danger to the polity. "We demand that the president come clear on this matter. Would this form the basis of government appointments rather than adherence to merit and the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution? Would this be a basis for termination of appointments, promotions and key policies in the service circle? "Would it form the basis for distribution of infrastructure development projects and other essential interventions rather than the principle of equity and equality of federating units as stipulated by the constitution? Is this a deliberate policy by the APC or his personal stance? Are we expecting the same discriminatory policy from APC state governors?" Metuh asked. The PDP reminded Bu-

hari that his declaration to run a discriminatory government is in clear violation of his oath of office as president wherein he publicly swore “that in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will….” He expressed the fear that the president’s stance has further divided the people along sectional and religious lines and may trigger a return of quest for ethnic and sectional self-determination. "The burden therefore lies squarely on him to moderate the political ambiance in the nation and do the needful in reassuring all sections of the nation of his commitment to be fair and just, in keeping with the oaths and demands of the highly respected office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he added. Metuh said the demand by the PDP for government expenses since May 29 was in keeping with its much harped stance on transparency. He observed that since the APC took office, "the nation’s financial system in the absence of statutory functionaries has been

enmeshed in confusion, controversy and fertile atmosphere for financial sleazes." The PDP spokesman also noted what he called "disgraceful treatment" meted out on some Nigerian bankers and captains of industries by Buhari during his Washington visit. He said whereas President Barack Obama came to the meeting with a formidable team of experts and key federal officials, Buhari went to the meeting with three APC governors, thereby robbing the nation the benefits and gains of the discussions. While conceding that the president has the right to decide who makes his entourage on such an important official visit, he regretted the exclusion of National Assembly leaders and economic experts. "The manner with which he shamed and walked out Nigerians businessmen sends very wrong signal to international investors and poses great threats to inflow of direct foreign investment into our country. These Nigerian businessmen were rejected by their president only for them to be valued by other Presidents of

African nations who led them into a meeting with President Obama in their own countries on account of their investments in those nations. "Whilst we reserve our comments on the numerous blunders and gaffes in the presentation of ideas, we note the embarrassment caused by the absence of an economic team for healthy and informed discussion at the meeting with officials of the US government," he stated. Metuh accused the presidency of negotiating with the World Bank for a loan of $2.1 billion, which purposes, he said, is unknown to Nigerians, and wondered whether the loan was "to pay back huge contributions for the APC presidential campaign expenses. "If truly this government is transparent, it should come out clear on this loan as well as publicise details of its expenditure in the last two months. "We are worried that the ineptitude, avoidable inactivity, lack of policy direction and absence of ministers to coordinate government affairs have left the nation’s economy sour with continued slide

in the naira which has fallen from under N200 to the dollar in May to an all-time low of N240, in addition to the excruciating loss in the capital market which has lost over N1.1 trillion in the last two months." Meanwhile, the APC has berated the PDP over its criticism of the Buhari administration. “Today's statement is the most tortuous yet by the PDP and, honestly, sounds more like a compendium of beer parlour gossips and side talks than a serious criticism of a sitting government,'' the APC said in a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. ''To be in opposition does not mean you have to constitute yourself to a nuisance by rushing to the press with all sorts of hot air statements. It is the quality, rather than the frequency, of your interventions that makes you relevant as an opposition in a democracy,” the party said The party said no government in Nigeria's recent history has been as focused and systematic as the one headed by President Buhari in restoring good governance, especially coming after the worst

stretch of governance, lasting all of 16 years by the PDP. “President Buhari is working hard every day in the priority areas of tackling security and corruption, rebooting the economy to provide jobs for our teeming youths and generally to restore good governance. We are sorry for those who are too blind with hatred to see this. “We know that the PDP is terrified by the expose of how the Federal Government it led has looted the treasury and created an environment for impunity to thrive, as well as the fate that will befall those who were part of the show of shame and disgust. “But we assure Nigerians that this government will not interfere with the work of the security and anti-corruption agencies, and also that under the Buhari administration, only the guilty needs to be afraid. “In the meantime, no amount of mumbo jumbo from the PDP will stop the Buhari administration from its tough but inevitable task of restoring Nigeria's lost glory,” APC said

L-R: Former Senate President Ken Nnamani; wife of the Deputy Senate President, Dr. Nwanneka Ekweremadu; her husband, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senator Godswill Akpabio, at a thanksgiving service by Senator Gilbert Nnaji at the Holy Cross Catholic Church, Umuenwene, Iji-Nike, Enugu State…yesterday.

Agip begins $5bn onshore assets sale in Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

quarters of the company. Eni’s Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi, had earlier announced plans to sell assets worth 8 billion Euros ($8.8 billion) in 2015-2018, including shares in subsidiaries Galp Energia SGPS and Snam SpA. He also proposed a 17 per cent cut in investment

over the same four years, compared to previous plans, to adjust to lower prices. "The company is selling part or all of its onshore Nigerian operations," the source said, adding that this is coming as the company "seeks to divest peripheral businesses amid a drop in oil prices."

Eni has asked advisers to look at options for the assets, which include interests in oil and natural gas fields in the West African country, the sources said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Depending on what Eni decides to sell, the transaction may rise from $2 billion to $5 billion, the

sources said. It could also decide to keep the operations, they said. A representative of the company declined to comment. Oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc. and Chevron Corporation, have been selling fields as they scale back Nigerian operations following unrest, violence

and the theft of crude in the Niger Delta. The country’s daily output of about two million barrels of oil makes it Africa’s largest producer. The company said last July that 12 people died and three were injured in an explosion during repair work at its crude oil pipeline in Nigeria.

News

national

monday, july 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Persecution of NAFDAC boss malicious, says group Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

Civil Society Organisation, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has lent its support to the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control ( NAFDAC ), Dr. Paul Orhii for what it termed exemplary stewardship. CESJET also described the series of persecution against the NAFDAC boss as malicious and undeserving. The Executive Director of the Centre, Comrade Isaac Ikpa, disclosed this yesterday while speaking with journalists in Abuja. He said the recent persecution of Dr. Orhii was undeserving and malicious in all its ramifications. The Civil rights activist commended NNAFDAC for opening its doors and books for scrutiny in the face of criticism.

Why I'm leaving, by A’Ibom CP Tony Anichebe Uyo

et it be on record that I am not leaving Akwa Ibom because someone is driving me away as speculated. I am leaving because I have finished my mandatory 35 years of meritorious service as an officer of the Nigeria Police. I know very well that if it is possible, Akwa Ibom people would still want me to stay, but sorry, I have to go" The Akwa Ibom State police chief, CP Gabriel Achong in an emotionladen speech made the above remarks during a valedictory press briefing at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia during which he gave an in-depth account of his 326 days (between 8th September 2014 and 31st July 2015) stewardship in Akwa Ibom as Commissioner. Flanked by other top echelons of the force in the State, Achong stated unequivocally that he could comfortably beat his chest to say that his tenure has restored sanity and peace to all nooks and crannies of the state, adding that crime rate tremendously nose dived while he held sway as the Akwa Ibom Police Commissioner.

L-R: General Manager, Enterprise Marketing, MTN, Onyinye Ikenna Emeka; Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Mike Ikpoki; Permanent Secretary, Science and Technology, Lagos State, Nike Animashaun and Chief Executive Officer, Connect Marketing, Tunji Adeyinka, at the official opening of Tech+ 2015 Exhibition, Conference and Gaming Experience in Lagos…at the weekend. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Cut off marks: JAMB insists on 180, 150 Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that the National cut-off marks of 180 for universities and 150 for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Innovative Enterprise institutions in the 2015 UTME was a bench mark to set the tone for 2015 admission exercise. A statement issued by the Public Relations of the Board, Fabian Benjamin, yesterday, said the

Onwuka Nzeshi and Yekeen Nurudeen

he Chief Imam of Washington, United States of America (USA) Muhammad Al-Asi, has said that all insurgency groups across the world, including Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda are creations of a combination of military and intelligence services of around the world who do not want a Muslims to reach a point of self determination in their home lands. Al-Asi, who spoke in Abuja yesterday at the First annual international Quds Day conference and exhibition, said the mo-

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he Women Wing of the All Progressives Congress, Kwara State, yesterday called on Nigerians to add their voices to what it called an attempt to rubbish the President Muhama-

decision to have a national accepted cut-off mark at policy meeting was to serve as a guide and pruning mechanism to give the tertiary institutions qualitative candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary education. He said however, that universities and other levels of tertiary institutions are at liberty to go higher, but not lower, depending on their peculiarities and the performance of candidates that choose them. "Provided this cut off marks are uniformly

applied to all candidates based on existing admission criteria by proprietors of these institutions. Universities are centres of excellence anywhere in the world and ours should not be an exception. The policy witnessed in University of Lagos is aimed at ensuring that our Universities admit only the top best as done globally. “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is working round the clock to ensure that Nigerian universities are among the best in Africa and perhaps the world in

the next ranking and to also utilize the available spaces and admit more candidates bearing in mind the admission criteria of various needy institution. “The Board wishes to state that no candidate would be denied any right to aspire to tertiary education even as it is aware that some universities have their own admission cut-off marks acceptable by the Board for courses they offered. Please be informed that the Board ensures that this institutions apply this cut off marks uni-

formly across all candidates without discrimination. The decision of the Board on the print-out for this year exercise was done in good faith not to jeopardize the right of candidate due to individual cut-off set by some Nigerian tertiary institution. “Those candidates who do not meet the cutoff marks of such institutions will be placed in needy institutions within their geopolitical zone depending on available space in such institutions.

Boko Haram, creation of world powers against Islam — Washington Chief Imam l Killers of Zaria 34 must be punished- NHRC boss tives of those who created Boko Haram and other terrorists groups was to create a false Islam that is violent and kills. The event was organised by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky. He reiterated that the acts of the various insurgency groups do not have roots in the Quran, noting that none of the acts can be justified in

the name of Islam. His words: "You have to look at Boko Haram in the global context. It has its counterpart in North Africa, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and all over the place, and my take on that is that it is the creation of a combination of a military and intelligence services around the world who do not want a Muslim reach a point of self determination in their home lands

“Here they want to sabotage Islamic self determination by creating a false Islam that is violent that kills, it doesn't have anything to do with Quran. None of these acts can be justified. “So Muslims in their right mind and in reverence to Allah are against any expression along the lines of Boko Haram, or what is called Al-Qaeda, ISIS. These are attempts, desperate attempts by

certain Israeli, Zionists nation state, through their intelligence services and military or paramilitary to sabotage Islam, or the name of Islam" Speaking on the massacre of 34 members of the movement in Zaria last year including three sons of Sheik Zakzaky, by people believed to be men of Nigerian Army, the Washington based cleric also blamed the killings on the influence of Isreali government on the then Federal Government.

APC women urge politicians to obey rule of law du Buhari’s stance on the rule of law and fight against corruption in Nigeria. The call was contained in a statement signed by the State Women leader of APC, Hajia Saratu Adebayo, in which the

women expressed displeasure over the invitation of Barister Toyin Saraki, wife of Senate President Bukola Saraki, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as they argued that the invita-

tion has political connotations. The women group argued that they suspected that the time of the invitation coincides with the ongoing crises at the National Assembly, involving Saraki, her husband,

which makes the whole scenario a premeditated attempt to victimize Toyin Saraki because of her husband. The group advised EFCC not to allow itself be used as a tool to settle political scores among politicians.

NEW TELEGRAPH monday, july 27, 2015

PTAD begins verification exercise today Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

ension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) will today flag off a nation-wide verification for Customs, Immigration and Prison Pensioners. The verification exercise for pensioners of paramilitary organisations, PTAD management said in a statement issued over the weekend , is scheduled to take place in 13 centres across the country namely: Rivers, Edo, Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, FCT, Kwara and Benue. Among the objectives of verification exercises include, to establish a credible and authentic database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), eliminate ghost workers and duplicate payments, regularize anomalies such as over payments and under payments as well as updating the records of the Next Of Kin (NOK). PTAD advised that all Customs, Immigrations and Prisons pensioners to come along with all necessary documents including the original and photocopies of their relevant retirement credentials for the upcoming exercise. The management advised the sick and indisposed officers to contact PTAD through its toll free number or designated email .

he president of Nigeria Entrepreneurs Forum (NEF), Dr. Sidney Inegbedion, has said that unless Nigeria jettisoned western ideologies, influences and processes, among others, the country’s social and economic development would continue to suffer irredeemable setbacks. Inegbedion, who was the guest speaker and award recipient at the weekend during the University of Abuja Entrepreneurship Club’s Magazine Launch and Awards Day, in Abuja, called on captains of industry, small and medium scale entrepreneurs and government's policy makers to look inwards and embrace local contents for sustainable social and economic growth and development. While noting that the country has enormous

Atiku, governors, Daniel congratulate NUJ president, Odusile

ong ratulatory messages yesterday poured in for the newly elected President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr. Waheed Odusile. Some of those who felicitated with the new NUJ boss included a former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar; governors Akinwummi Ambode, Ibikunle Amosun and Olusegun Mimiko of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states respectively and a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel. Atiku, in a statement

yesterday said the time of the emergence of Odusile to lead the NUJ was significant and momentous in view of the mandate by Nigerians to President Muhammadu Buhari to enthrone change in the way they are being governed. The former Vice President urged him to endeavour to key into the desire of the people of Nigeria for Change and good governance and lead the body of Journalists to support the anti- corruption campaign of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Atiku also advised the NUJ leader to take the

controversial and vexed issue of welfare of journalists seriously. He said the NUJ President should strive to be different and active in working for better conditions of service and remuneration for working journalists and even the retired ones. Ambode, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, urged Odusile to ensure that professionalism and high ethical standards are entrenched in the practice of journalism in the country. The governor commended the peaceful and democratic process that

preceded his victory. Ambode said: "While I congratulate you on the singular felicity of your emergence as the NUJ President, I urge you to work assiduously to improve the professional standard for the practice of Journalism and also ensure that high ethical standards are adhered to. This is the only way to ensure credibility in journalism as the Fourth Estate of the Realm.” Amosun said the election of Odusile in Abuja at the weekend would open up new vistas for the practice of journalism in Nigeria. In a statement signed

by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, Amosun congratulated the media community in the country for a credible poll and wished Odusile a highly successful tenure. "Odusile is a thoroughbred press man who holds aloft the banner of balance, fairness and objectivity. His devotion to the ethics of the profession is beyond doubt," he said. Daniel, in his own congratulatory message signed by his media officer, Ayo Giwa, said the news of the Odusile's victory "did not come to him as a surprise considering his sound training in journalism and professionalism in the career which qualifies him as a worthy ambassador to direct the affairs of the nation's watchdog at his crucial phase of the country."

Saraki congratulates Nigeria for 365th polio-free day Chukwu David Abuja

T Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (left) with Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, during Fayemi’s courtesy visit to the President in Accra, Ghana.

Western ideologies inimical to Nigeria's development — Inegbedion Clem Khena-Ogbena

News

national

potentials and talents that could further be harnessed for the global market, he said there was dire need for the nation's budding entrepreneurs to be supported and assisted to attain the desired level, even as he cautioned them against frivolities and indulgences capable of hindering them from achieving greatness in their entrepreneurial endeavours. According to him, "My goal in this discussion is to help you as future leaders, see that the unwholesome adoption of western ideologies and processes has not helped our development. That we must harness our talents and bring them to a global market place as being witnessed in Nigerian creative industry, where our talent in music, movies and fashion has penetrated the global market place with lightening speed and making millionaires out of Nigerian youths."

Post-UTME: JAMB to release list of candidates August 3 Mojeed Alabi

he Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has insisted there is no going back on it process of admission this year. The Board said that the list of the eligible candidates for the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination tests of the affected institutions will be released on or before Monday, August 3. The Head of Lagos Office of JAMB, Dr. Beatrice Okorie, who revealed this in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph, said the efforts were only geared towards helping the candidates of those she described as oversubscribed institutions to gain admission to other federal or state universities rather than wasting their scores in the 2015/2016

academic calendar year. She spoke amidst the protests that greeted the announcement of the new admission policy reached at the Combined Policy Meeting of the education stakeholders penultimate week in Abuja. Okorie, who condemned the continued conduct of post-UTME tests by various institutions, said the improvements recorded by JAMB so far and particularly with the adoption of

the computer-based test mode, have rendered the screening tests by individual institutions useless. She said; “We are only trying to help the candidates because the universities are just using the post-UTME to make money. Look at UNILAG for instance, its carrying capacities cannot accommodate more than 5,000 students, and yet it has about 32,000 candidates struggling for the slots."

he President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, has congratulated Nigerians for maintaining 365 days free of poliomyelitis (Polio) in the country. Saraki said the successes recorded in Nigeria in Polio eradication in the past 365 days without a single case of the virus was as a result of the relentless hard work of partners, religious bodies, community leaders, and health workers. In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr. Chuks Okocha, he expressed pleasure with the successes in Polio eradication that has a case study of 801 wide cases of polio reported in 21 states in 2005 with 62 wild cases and 34 circulating vaccine-derived cases (cVDPV) that had an endemic transmission rate in 2011, coupled with 122 wild cases and 8 circulating vaccinederived cases.

Police nab passengers smoking onboard aircraft Wole Shadare

he Airport Police Command has arrested one Lawal Oluwabusola for smoking cigarette on board Arik Air flight from London to Lagos. A statement by Mr Livinus Chukwuma, Police

Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Airport Command said, the man was apprehended on arrival at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. According to Chukwuma, the suspect was smoking electronic cigarette

in the lavatory which triggered off emergency alarm system in the aircraft, causing confusion among passengers.. The PPRO said the suspect’s action was not in consonance with the in-flight safety procedures.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro

Policemen to face trial for beating pregnant woman POLICE BRUTALITY Policemen assault pregnant woman for arguing with them in traffic jam Taiwo Jimoh

or allegedly beating a pregnant woman and causing her to lose her eight-month-old pregnancy, three policemen will soon be arraigned in Lagos. The incident occurred in Amuwo-Odofin area of the state while the policemen are attached to the Satellite Town Police Division. After beating her, the policemen were said to have sprayed tear gas on the woman in her car following an argument with one of them in a gridlock. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was rushed to a private medical facility, Safe Hands Hospital, on Old Ojo Road, Amuwo-Odofin, where she was operated upon. However, her baby reportedly died less than 48 hours after the operation. When contacted yesterday, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Kenneth Nwosu, told our correspondent that the three policemen had been arrested and detained. Nwosu said they were ar-

Lagos cp, Fatai Owoseni

rested on Tuesday after a complaint by the woman’s husband about the alleged human rights infringement and assault on his wife. He said: “The three policemen are now in detention. The law will take its course on any member of the police force that commits any crime,

Cholera claims six in Delta community Joe Obende Warri

t least six persons have died in Aladja, close to Warri in Delta State following an outbreak of what is believed to be cholera.

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

Cholera outbreak is common in coastal areas of the country during the rains. It spreads fast through contaminated food and water particularly when an infected person defecates in the source of water for a community. According to the Ministry of Health, about 85 people have been affected so far. Another eight with symptoms of the disease are said to be on admission at the government hospital in the community. The ministry has mobilised personnel to Aladja and environs to treat affected persons and take preventive measures. Those affected are being treated for free while all those who experience the symptoms of the disease have been admonished to rush down to the hospital.

particularly human rights abuse.” The PPRO said the suspects would soon be arraigned. He, however, refused to disclose when the trial would commence or the names of the policemen. Meanwhile, a policeman attached to Bariga station at Ebute Ilaje Bariga area of Lagos State has shot dead a 21-year-old man, Babatunde Jimoh. A witness said Jimoh was sitting under a tree waiting for those buying sand being dredged from the lagoon when the stray bullet hit him. The policeman was said to be chasing some hoodlums. A resident of the area,

Abiodun Balogun, said they were waiting on shore when the victim was hit by stray bullet from a policeman who was running after some hoodlums from Ososa Street. He said: “My colleagues and I were waiting for customers about 10am on Saturday when we saw some policemen chasing some hoodlums who ran into our street, while one of us was hit by the stray bullet. “We are not the ones fighting; hoodlums from Ososa Street engaged each other in a fight and policemen from Bariga Police Division were drafted to the scene to restore peace and order. It was in the process of chasing the hood-

lums that one of us was shot. “When we saw the policemen coming, we all ran away. It was after the dust settled that we discovered that Jimoh had being shot. We rushed him to a private hospital where he was later confirmed dead. “We are doing our legal business at ebute (the shore). The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, should come to our rescue.” Another resident, a 93-yearold woman, Omolola Ogbere, said, the people were tired of police harassment. She said: “It was the same policemen who stopped me from going to church. One fateful Sunday morning, I was on my way to the church when they stormed the community and started shooting sporadically. As I tried to escape, I fell down and sustained injury. Since then, I have been on sick bed. “The police authorities should call their men to order and stop harassing the innocent residents of Ilaje community simply because they want to arrest hoodlums. Some innocent residents have lost their lives in the process.” Another resident, who identified himself simply as Mutiu, said after the policemen came back about 2am to arrest some youths who were sleeping in their vehicles. He said: “Some of the victims’ family members and I have been going about different police stations in search of them until on Sunday (yesterday) before we learnt they were detained at Ogudu Police Division. At the station, we were asked to come for the bail of the suspects with N50,000 each.” Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said the residents’ allegation was baseless. He said: “What happened was a clash between two rival cult members. Our men were called to the scene to restore peace. Before they got there, one of them had been already stabbed to death the rival cult members.”

Policeman killed in robbers’ ambush Juliana Francis

rmed robbers have killed a police sergeant was killed during an ambush at Iba Ojo area of Lagos State. The robbers also injured three others who are now battling to stay alive at the hospital. The four policemen were part of a team of policemen from Ojo Police Station which responded to a distress call when the bandits attacked

them. It was gathered that the attack occurred around 8pm on that fateful day. The four men were rushed to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, by another team sent by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to follow the first team. The sergeant was said to have died the following day, while others are still in a critical condition. A police source said: “There was a distress call around Iba

area that robbers were operating. The DPO in charge of Ojo Police Station drafted the team to the scene. We heard that a few minutes later, the DPO sent another team to follow the first team. He wanted to ensure that the robbers were over powered. “When policemen in the first team got to the area, they saw a man inside a car. They went over to ask if he had seen anything suspicious around. They did not know he was part of the robbers.”

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Suspected witch’s murder: Ekiti, family withdraw case Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

fter almost three years of trial, an Ado-Ekiti High Court has discharged, but not acquitted three persons, Chief Olatubosun Orojo (the Olisa of Ilisa Quarters), Mrs Adesola Adewumi and Feranmi Abe, accused of murder in Ekiti State. The discharge followed a ‘Notice of Discontinuance’ filed by the office of the Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice. Also, the notice was supported by a letter written for the discontinuation of the case by a representative of the victim, Gabriel Omokanju. The victim, Rebecca Adewumi of Ilisa Quarters, Omuo-Ekiti, was allegedly tortured to death. In June 2012, she was accused of witchcraft by some people. The woman was tortured and made to undergo trial during which she died. However, the presiding judge, Justice Toyin Bodunde, though acknowledged the prerogative of the AG to discontinue any case at any time, frowned at the fact that the matter was awaiting judge-

ment when it was discontinued. Bodunde, therefore, expressed displeasure at the processes leading to the accused persons’ discharge. “You are hereby discharged but not acquitted. You are discharged not on the basis of the merit of the case,” the judge told the accused. He said the court was fully aware of the powers of the Attorney General under Section 2(11) of the 1999 Nigerian

Constitution as Amended, to discontinue cases at whatever stage before judgement. Bodunde noted he would not tamper with such powers as being exercised in the case. However, according to him, the move to settle the matter out-of-court came when the case had already got to an advanced stage as both the prosecution and defence had closed their case and 10 witnesses had been called and cross-examined.

Bodunde added that the exercise of such prerogative by the AG at such an advanced stage when judgement was already being awaited only meant a waste of time and resources of the court which would also affect expected returns to the National Judicial Council (NJC). The judge observed that there should be a stage in the trial of a case after which such powers could not be exercised by the Attorney General again, hinting at possibilities of initiating moves to cause such limitations to further sanitise judicial processes. Earlier, the state counsel, Paul Alabi, had informed the court about the notice and a letter from the family supporting the withdrawal. Alabi had prayed the court that based on the two documents, the accused be discharged, as both the prosecution and defence had already closed their case. He tendered apologies for the stress and the time already expended by the court on the matter. The defence counsel, Lekan Olatawura, supporting the prayer of the prosecution counsel, urged the court to discharge and acquit the accused.

Immigration officers’ wives move against child trafficking Flora Onwudiwe

mmigration Officers Wives Association (IMMOWA) members, Lagos Command Alagbon, led by the Controller, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Justina Ahmadu, recently visited Asejere Market Makoko, Yaba, Lagos to carry out an enlightenment campaign on child trafficking and abuse. When they arrived the market in three vehicles, loaded with women and armed NIS officers, the traders were scared initially. The tension, however, disappeared when Ahmadu disclosed her mission. The Chairperson of IMMOWA, Mrs Theresa Ohumaegbulem, urged the traders to do everything possible to ensure their kids are enrolled into school, especially the girlchild. According to Ohumaegbulem, parents who give out their girl-child to relatives and friends as domestic helps are not aware that these kids are later turned to sex slaves. She said: “Sometimes these girls are forced by their madams and masters to sleep with dogs. Every day, as early as 5am, we see children on the Lagoon, casting nets to catch fish,

City Briefs Stop blocking canals, Adebule warns residents

agos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, has called on the residents to stop dumping refuse in canals and drainages. Adebule warned that such acts constitute a major cause of flooding when it rains and poses serious challenge to government’s investment and intervention on the environment. The deputy governor spoke when she led other top government officials to monitor the monthly environmental sanitation exercise at Ojo Local Government. Adebule expressed displeasure at the state of canals within the local government, where residents dump refuse in canals within the council, which has blocked the free flow of water thereby causing environmental hazards and flooding. She said: “Today, we are here at Ojo Local Government and it is disheartening that our people are still in the habit of dumping refuse in the canals.”

RRS arrests 16 hoodlums Taiwo Jimoh

he Rapid Response Squad (RRS) arrested 16 suspects at Ijora area of Lagos State, over the weekend as part of efforts to rid every part of the state of criminals. Armed robbers were said to be using the suspects as cover before and after their operations. The raid on the Ijora, according to the Commander of the RRS, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, is continuation of the onslaught against criminals in all parts of the state to create a secure environment for prospective investors and to secure residents’ lives and property. The suspects are identified as Uguru Michael, Nwibo Solomon, Adamau Muhammed, Lawal Ibrahim, Dairu Muhammed, Igboke Ndoka, Gambo Garuba, Orife Phillips, Wasiu Bojuola and Azeez Adeboye. Others are Saeed Ojuola, Abdullai Usman, Okudete Nwaokwu, Ezekiel Nwayim, Chibozie Nworu and Nwegone Mathew.

NSCDC arrests four vandals Alhaja Adebayo (right), Mrs Ohumaegbulem, Mrs Ahmadu, the organisation’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ita Obasi and other executive officers and members during the visit

while their mates are getting ready to go to school.” Ohumaegbulem implored the traders to give their kids the best in life. According to her, the prayer of all parents is to see their children successful in life.

She said: “Parents should be wary of any relation they entrust their children to, as house helps because sometimes they end up being raped by their masters.” Most of the traders were people from the Republic of Benin. They came into Nige-

ria without passports. Ahmadu urged them to submit their names to the Iyaloja, Alhaja Modupe Adebayo, of the market for proper documentation and issuance of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) passports.

Mimiko launches N4bn water project Babatope Okeowo Akure

over nor Olusegun Mimiko will tomorrow kick-off the first phase of a N4.1 billion water project in Aboto area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. This is in line with the determination of the gov-

ernment to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem of potable water supply in coastal areas of the state. The water project involves the construction of two million gallons per day raw water intake and treatment facilities. The Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, said in a statement issued in Akure yesterday that

there had been water project initiatives to solve the potable water problem in the area by previous governments. He, however, said that the projects did not see the light of day or stand the text of time. Akinmade said the water project was important to the people of Ilaje as, according to him, they travel a long distance to get water to drink.

Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun State is now interrogating a middleaged man, Ahmed Abdulahi, for allegedly cutting cables attached to the transformer which supplies power to their station. The corps also apprehended alleged buyers of stolen cables, Salisu Abubakar, Usman Mohammed and Badmus Musiliu. Briefing journalists on the development, the state NSCDC Commandant, Mr Tajudeen Balogun, they were arrested at Ekoinde Waterworks in Irepodun Local Government Area of the State while perpetrating the evil act. He said: “The vandal was caught in the act before the arrest was made after a tip-off while the arrested suspect led the intelligence team to where the buyer was arrested. “The suspects would be charged to court immediately the command finishes its investigation into the case.”

News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

Zakzaky group alleges military harassment Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

embers of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, have accused men of the Nigerian Army of harassment and intimidation. According to a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the movement, Malam Ibrahim Usman, armed soldiers yesterday attacked the convoy of Leader of the Movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky on his way from Kaduna to Abuja to attend the first annual international Quds Day conference and exhibition. He disclosed that an unidentified Hilux van parked by the road side at Jere Kagoro junction along Kaduna Abuja road started trailing the Sheikh’s convoy while another tried to stage an ambush at the front, but was overtaken by the convoy. Malam Usman added that the vehicle engaged the convoy to a senseless

race, specifically aiming at the car in which Sheikh Zakzaky was seated, up to the check point at the War College at Bwari. “At the check point, the soldiers who were already on full alert took strategic position

with guns and demanded that all occupants of the vehicles step out and be checked. “When head of the convoy demanded identification and what their mission was, the already charged soldiers would not listen despite several

ABUJA

he Per manent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Engineer Obinna Chukwu, has said that the administration has redoubled its efforts to actualize the on-going multi-billionnaira Abuja Light Rail Project, which according to him is 67 percent complete. Engineer Chukwu, made this disclosure at the weekend during a media interactive session which had Directors of some FCT Operational Departments in attendance.

According to him, the Lots1A and 3 of the project stretching from kilometer 0 Terminal at the Central Business District to Bazango near Kubwa is 67 percent complete. He further disclosed that the on-going project is encompassing 12 rail stations, which is at various stages between 15-50 percent complete. The Permanent Secretary revealed that the rail stations construction work include the Abuja Metro Station at the Central Business District, through Wuye, Stadium Station to serve the National Stadium, National Park Station at Kukwuaba, Ring Road II Station,

Wupa Station, Idu Station with one leg through Gwagwa. He remarked that the Lot 1A starts from Idu through Gwagwa, Dei-Dei, Jibi to Bazango Station while Biazhi to Kubwa falls in Lot 1B. He said the lane from Idu goes to the Airport Station as well as Airport North Station to serve the Airport and connecting the Federal Capital City and the Satellite Towns respectively. Engr. Chukwu also stated that a team of experts is scheduled to leave Nigeria for China this week to select the finishing materials of the respective train stations.

Admission crisis: JAMB has outlived usefulness, says ASUU Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

he University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has kicked against the controversial policy of re-assignment of candidates to universities, not of their choice, as recently adopted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

children and followers. “As a lawful citizen, Shaikh Zakzaky has all the rights and privileges to move about with his people, anywhere, and conduct his activities without the slightest interrogation or hindrance,” he said.

L-R: Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; Chairman, Arik Air, Sir Joseph Arumemi Ikhide and Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, at a reception in honour of Arase by the Sabongida Ora community in Edo State…at the weekend.

Abuja Light Rail project 67% complete Yekeen Nurudeen

attempts to dialogue, yet threatened to shoot. “We cannot also succumb to pressure and unreasonable scrutiny on the same soldiers that have been after the life of our revered Sheikh on daily basis since after the killings of his three

It said JAMB has made the admission process chaotic and exposed candidates to fraudsters. It also said JAMB must respect candidates’ preferences and choices for tertiary institutions and consider security of lives of candidates, cost, proximity, quality, and rights of the Nigerian child in arriving at any policy. Speaking on behalf of ASUU, University of Ibadan

chapter, its Chairman, Professor Olusegun Ajiboye, yesterday called on Nigerians to join in calling for the total scrapping of JAMB, noting that it has outlived its usefulness. Ajiboye described the policy as insensitive and exploitative of the children of the poor and that it amounted to abuse of their fundamental human rights of freedom of choice.

We’ll soon stop Boko Haram attacks –Nigerian Army Babatope Okeowo AKURE

he Nigerian Army has given the assurance that the Boko Haram activities, violent crimes and activities of insurgencies will soon be brought to an end. Also, the army said the Boko Haram members have been decapitated especially in the Northeast zone that they can no longer launch any attack against the Nigerian Army as they used to do before. The General Officer Commanding 2 Division Army, Maj.Gen. Sanusi Muazu, who disclosed this at the weekend, said the Nigerian Army would soon bring the activities of insurgency to a complete end in the country. Muazu spoke during the closing ceremony of 2 Division Nigerian Army Inter Brigade Competition held in Akure, the Ondo state capital. The Army Commander who said the major challenges facing the nation today is insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, assured that the challenges are coming to an end soon. He said that the BokoHaram are now changing tactics by hitting sub-target which according to him, indicates that their days are numbered.

Customs confiscate N21.8m worth of frozen products Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

he Nigeria Customs Service has in the second phase of clampdown on frozen products recorded seizures estimated at N21.8 million in second week of operation tagged “Hawk Descend”. The second phase of “Hawk Descend” operation was flagged off in the South-Western flank of Nigeria borders to enforce the ban on imported frozen poultry products. The first phase of the operation led to seizures of frozen item estimated at N12 million. A statement issued

over the weekend by Nigeria Customs’ spokesperson, Wale Adeniyi, said the fresh seizures, consisting of 6,206 cartons of the banned products, were recorded at villages around the borders in Idiroko, Badagry creeks, Badagry water ways, and Agbara in Lagos and Ogun states. The seizures, according to the statement, consist of Federal Operations Unit - 1,636 cartons; Seme Command - 318 cartons; Ogun Command - 3,150 cartons; and Western Marine Command - 1,102carton; totaling 6,206 cartons. Reacting to media reports indicating a surge in the price of frozen poultry products in the local markets, the Comp-

troller-General of Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, commended his patrol teams for making life difficult for smugglers and their customers. He said that higher cost for the product was not the intended objective of the operation. “Our objective is to make the product unattractive to Nigerian consumers, turn it to a high risk product for smugglers and eventually cut off its supplies to our markets,” he said. He advised cold room operators who stock smuggled frozen chicken to embrace other legitimate business before Customs operatives swoop on them.

Be change agents, AGF tells women financial managers Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

The Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, has called on Nigerians especially women who are financial managers to see themselves as agent of change.

He urged Nigerians, irrespective of their works of life, gender, tribe or religion to always strive to do things rightly, just as he admonished Nigerians to support President Muhammed Buhari’s administration to actualize the change promised Nigerians.

The AGF was quoted as given the advice in a statement issued over the weekend by Ifeanyi Okereke while addressing members of the Association of Women Professional Financial Managers of Nigeria at the Treasury House, Abuja.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Tribunal

Buharimeter

Imo guber: Ihedioha fights on

Buhari: God made me, but US made me

Bayelsa guber

Sylva, never again!

Politics

Contentious Senate orders It has been observed that there are some structural and content differences between the 2011 and the contentious 2015 Senate Standing Orders. CHUKWU DAVID examines these differences

he issue of the production of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 has been very controversial and generating a lot of heat in the Senate since the eighth National Assembly was inaugurated on June 9. The strife has been between senators who opposed the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate and his supporters under the auspices of Like Minds Senators. The anti-Saraki senators in the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) have been demanding for explanation on the source of the document, which they accused some members of the leadership of the 7th Senate of fraudulently bringing into effect without the approval of the entire Senate. This alleged forgery has actually led the SUF to take the matter to the police for investigation through a petition. The Secretary of the SUF, Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi (APC, Kaduna), petitioned the Police; upon which the men of the force reportedly quizzed the Deputy President of

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

Both back covers of the two books are blank, as nothing was inscribed on the back pages.

Back page of the Senate standing orders 2011

2011 edition 2015 edition

A photocopy of the contentious Senate standing orders 2015

Order 3 “Voting shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the Table, using the Division List of the Senate with the Tellers in attendance “Voting by secret ballot which shall be conducted by the Clerk-at-Table using the list of the Senators-elect of the Senate, Order 95 “The membership of all committees shall not be less than 11 and not more than 13 senators. (2) No senator shall serve in more than three committees. (3) No committee chairman shall serve in more than one other committee.” “The appointment of Senators as Chairmen and members of committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of senators from a few geo-political zones.”

the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Salisu Maikasuwa on July 6. The police had earlier promised that they would make the findings of their investigation public last week but they have not done so. However, there were reports that the report of the police probe has been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase. Some analysts argue that the police have a duty to use the outcome of its findings to do their work as required by law and not to just make it public. Against the clamour by the petitioners and their sympathisers, some Nigerians are demanding that the police should, after the investigation, go ahead to prosecute those found culpable in the forgery controversy. Whether or not the police will take any action

on the matter will be known in the days ahead.

I made proposal for amendments... but we did not consider the report. We did not amend the Standing Orders

2011 Standing Orders versus 2015 edition A critical look at the 2011 and 2015 Senate Standing Orders will reveal some structural and content differences. For instance, the 2015 edition is broader in size as against the 2011 edition, which is smaller and more portable. However, both have red covers. Another difference is in the inscription on the back of the two booklets. In the 2011 edition, the front cover carries the following wordings, “SENATE STANDING ORDERS 2011 AS AMENDED”. Then, below these words, you have, “Published by the Authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” However, the 2015 edition does not bear the name or reveal the publishing authority, which is the Senate in the 2011 document.

Content difference Going through both standing orders, it would be observed that in the 2015 Senate Orders, Rule 3, which is contained on page four of the standing rule, which provided for procedure for electing presiding officers, is different from the 2011 Senate Order. Rules 3(e) (i) and (ii) are contained in the 2015 edition, which provides for electronic voting and secret ballot system. But in the 2011 standing Orders, secret ballot and ballot papers were not mentioned. The Senate Order 3 (E ii) of 2011 states, “Voting shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the Table, using the Division List of the Senate with the Tellers in attendance. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit the result of the division to the Clerk of the National Assembly. Furthermore, 3(E iii) says, “the Clerk shall then declare the Senator-elect who has received the greater number of votes, elected as President of the Senate.” The same section in the 2015 Senate Standing Orders, states, “Voting by secret ballot which shall be conducted by the Clerkat-Table using the list of the Senators-elect of the Senate, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his vote with the proposers and seconder as Teller. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit the result of the voting to the Clerk of the National Assembly, who shall then declare Senatorelect who has received the highest number of votes as Senate President-elect.” It will be recalled that during the seventh Senate, it was the open ballot method that was adopted by the Senate to produce the past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. During the exercise, senators were called one after another, and they openly indicated and voted for the candidate of their choice. It was also observed that, apart from changing the procedure for election, the Order 95 of the 2011 rule on the chairmanship and membership of committees is also different in the 2015 version. In the 2011 edition, provisions CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Politics

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Imo guber: Ihedioha fights on Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, is yet to give up on his battle to retrieve his “mandate” from Governor Rochas Okorocha, writes STEVE UZOECHI

he 2015 Imo State governorship election has come and gone, but Imo State residents and political pundits did not lose sight of the fact that the entire governorship electioneering process was fraught with rancour. While the incumbent at the time, Governor Rochas Okorocha deployed some of his far-reaching executive influence, his closest rivals like former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) however sustained more political bruises from fighting internal battles and dissentions occasioned by the backlash of their contentious party primaries. Of all the contenders in the governorship election, the wall of acrimony between Okorocha and Ihedioha seems the strongest. At the end of polls, Okorocha was declared winner, sweeping 22 council areas while Ihedioha won in five council areas. It was not the end of the matter as the next destination became the Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. Of course the animosity between the duo was carried over to the tribunals and even before the first hearing of the petition, the fireworks had resumed between both camps. Okorocha’s media team had queried the rationale behind Ihedioha’s move to the tribunal while dismissing his petition as a mere distraction. They had argued that having won election in only five council areas, Ihedioha’s trip to the tribunal will only succeed in further ridiculing him (Ihedioha) and his party, the PDP. In a swift reaction, Ihedioha’s camp responded saying it would have been more honourable for the governor to own up that he rigged elections in 22 council areas. According to a statement from Ihedioha’s camp signed by Chibuike Onyeukwu, “Okorocha could not have won election in any council area in the state if the polls were fair. It would have been more appropriate to say that Okorocha rigged elections in 22 council areas.” Not so long after, the tribunal hearing commenced and from the outset was dotted by drama. As a matter of fact, the hearing kickstarted with allegations from Ihedioha’s camp that the life of their lead counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), was in danger. There was also the allegation that the bailiff attached to the suit was shot by unknown persons. The

Okorocha

Imo State Government, however, denied any plot to harm Ahamba, explaining that they had a good case that could stand on its own and that there was no basis to want to attack Ihedioha’s lawyer. They warned the public to be wary of the lies of the PDP as the Ihedioha camp was merely trying to whip up cheap sentiment. Nothing untoward eventually came off the allegations as the hearings continued unhindered. Before the pre-hearing was fully underway, the political parties and their candidates opted out of the suit against Okorocha and the state government made a big show of it, but Ihedioha’s camp was quick to advise that the fanfare over the withdrawal from the suit, of three parties, was premature and inconsequential. The political parties and the respective candidates that opted out of the governorship election petitions tribunal proceedings include the National Conscience Party (NCP), Hon. Chigozie Ewunonu; African Peoples Alliance (APA), Charles Nnadi and Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Pastor Anselem Igbokwe. As motion after motion came up for deliberation and decision, Okorocha took the first hit which sent a shockwave down the spine of the entire Ihedioha support base, when the tribunal foreclosed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 35 other respondents from participating in the case for failing to file their briefs within stipulated time-frame The counsel representing Governor Okorocha (1st respondent), Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), had noted that the parties were not properly served, and that the All Progressives Congress (APC) were supposed to have been served at their national headquarters in Abuja instead of Owerri, the Imo State capital. Aligning with that submission, counsel for the APC (37th Respondent), Chief Nelson Ezerioha opined that the service to the party was fundamentally defective and

Ihedioha

For the tribunal to have been used to override a Supreme Court decision as recent as 2013 and 2014 is a surprise to me

therefore null and void, stating that in that circumstance, no motion could be moved until all the necessary services were duly concluded. But counsel to Ihedioha, Ahamba, objected to the submissions of the respondents, insisting that it would erode the service of justice and urged the tribunal to go on with the pre-hearing session since parties have been put on notice through the pre-hearing questionnaires which they had duly answered. He decried the antics of delay employed by the respondents in the matter and therefore urged the tribunal, ‘to avoid case management and proceed to case hearing’. In his ruling, the tribunal chairman, Hon. Justice David Wyom, overruled the respondents’ counsel, stating that once the parties have been served whether at the headquarters or branch office, it was service duly done. “There is evidence therefore that the respondents have been properly served. Some replied while others went on slumber and the court cannot wait for someone who has gone to slumber to wake up before proceeding with the case,” the tribunal chair stated. The tribunal therefore ruled that having been duly served, that is INEC and 34 others (2nd to 36th respondents), and having failed to file their responses on time that ‘they are therefore foreclosed in the matter’. It was a great day for Ihedioha as things were looking up, with his counsel, Ahamba, displaying great wit and masterful prosecution of the case. But then, there was still a long way to go in the case and Okorocha’s counsel, Akintola, unknown to many had changed strategy. While Ahamba stayed on the points of the law, Akintola went for technicalities and loose ends. It eventually turned out his clincher for the pre-hearing stage with Ihedioha’s petition being struck out on July 22. The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wyom had dismissed the petition on the grounds that Ihe-

dioha’s counsel abandoned their petition having failed to pay for the pre-hearing notice within the seven days stipulated in paragraph 18 (1) of the rule guiding election petition proceedings. Justice Wyom went ahead to state that the petitioner applied on June 23 but however failed to make payment for the pre-hearing notice until July 3 which is outside the seven days provided by law and on the strength of the relevant authorities on the issue, the validity of the process starts from when the prehearing notice payment was made and not when it was applied which in turn means the petitioner paid out of time but applied within time. Counsel to Governor Okorocha and APC, Akintola had moved a motion for the tribunal to dismiss Ihedioha’s petition on the grounds that they have abandoned their petition having paid outside of the stipulated time. On his path, Ahamba described the ruling as an embarrassment. He said: “What happened in court today was that there were three motions to be decided; one had to do with filing pre-hearing application, the other had to do with striking out the reply filed by the governor and the APC as being incompetent process before the court and another one was an effort to amend that process which we said was a void process. “They were conceding that all was not well with the process but the court decided to rule on the prehearing notice application on the ground that the application notice was a jurisdictional matter. That was a surprise to me because the three Supreme Court authorities I cited, stated clearly that it was not a jurisdictional issue. For the tribunal to have been used to override a Supreme Court decision as recent as 2013 and 2014 is a surprise to me.” Ahamba also contended that the word ‘abandonment’ has lost its meaning if a petition that has gone through pre-hearing session in which all parties participated can now be described as abandoned. Ihedioha, on his part, has described the ruling as an affront on the Supreme Court. He immediately directed his counsel to proceed to the Appeal Court to challenge the ruling. Swiftly on July 23, Ihedioha’s counsel headed to the Appeal Court pushing his case on 10 grounds of appeal. He contended that the tribunal erred in law when it subjected the decision of the Supreme Court to its whims. According to Ahamba, “the petition tribunal misdirected itself when in discarding the decision of the Supreme Court (Per Chukwuma Eneh JSC) in Abubakar V Nasamu (No. 2) (2012) 17 NWLR (pt 1330) 523, that application for prehearing notice could be oral, relied on a Court of Appeal decision in Gabi V Dahimi (2015) 12 EPR 239 at 315 to reverse the Supreme Court decision.” Ahamba averred that “the decision of the Supreme Court is not subject to discretionary acceptance by the tribunal but is firmly binding,” adding that “letters to regisCONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Garba Shehu

hortly after the August 1983 military coup that brought a 40-year-old Muhammadu Buhari to power, he received a phone call from a top personnel in the United States Army. General Smith was the Commandant of the U.S. War College from which General Buhari graduated in 1980. The school’s 1979 set had graduated its first Nigerian, General Wushishi, who was the Chief of Defence in the just ousted Shehu Shagari government. “Please, be kind to him,” General Smith said over the phone. The essence of the phone call was not just to congratulate Nigeria’s new Head of State, but to ensure that the first Nigerian to graduate from the U.S. War College would not suffer any indignity under the government of the second Nigerian to graduate from the same school. On Wednesday, July 22, members of the U.S. War College Class of 1980 gathered at the Blair House in Washington, DC, to welcome the man they had selected as their football team referee 36 years ago. “Being referee all those years ago taught me to be fair and just,” President Buhari said during the meeting. Among the former classmates gathered were Lt. General Granrud (Commander of the U.S. forces in Japan, Rtd), Brigadier-General Jack Pellica, General Ronald Griffith (Former Vice Chairman of the U.S. army central command), Colonel Lany Gordon and Colonel Paul Summerville. General Smith has since passed on, as have all the directing staff and a larger percentage of the old students from the set. “This just shows that all of us are on the queue,” President Buhari said, “waiting for our turn.” The Nigerian Commander-inChief said he hoped that the U.S. would continue its tradition of training Nigerians in the war college. At the time he attended the school, he was the only African in his class. The other foreigners were from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, France and Japan. The Japanese student went on to become the head of his country’s army. President Buhari then went on to update his classmates on his life since he last saw them: his different appointments, his accomplishments and his family. “I have just received my 13th grandchild,” he said. He added that the wife they knew him with at the time had since died, and that he had also lost a son and a daughter from his late wife. “Of all my eight children,” he said, “only one is a boy.” Some of his former classmates were curious to know if President Buhari would place his only son, Yusuf, in the army. “I stopped him from joining the army,” President Buhari replied. He explained that the military he joined was very different from what it is today, adding that he was the second Nigerian to be sent to the U.S. War College – based on his records alone, without connections. “Things took a wrong turn in Nigeria,” he said. “Your records no longer mattered.” Some of the former classmates

Buhari: God made me, but US made me

Buhari (middle) and some of his 1980 U. S. War College classmates.

present at the meeting stated that at the time they met President Buhari back in 1980, they knew little about Nigeria or Africa. They credited the Nigerian leader with giving them their initial enlightenment about the continent. Others recalled how he always overworked himself. However, President Buhari described his war college experience as being responsible for his subsequent life of hard work, endurance and perseverance. “I contested for president three times and failed,” he said. “Then I did it the fourth time and won.” A roar of laughter followed the president’s apt illustration. He then rendered his narrative of the collapse of the Soviet Union, breaking into 18 republics and how that influenced his decision to join politics.

Without US intervention, the electoral malpractices of the past 12 years would likely have happened again

“The collapse of the Soviet empire in 1980 without a single shot being fired convinced that the multiparty democratic system was the best for all countries,” he noted. President Buhari then expressed appreciation to President Barack Obama and to the U.S. for the role the country played in Nigeria’s successful elections, recalling Secretary of State, John Kerry’s visit to him and former President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as Prof. Attahiru Jega, the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the time. “Kerry read the riot act to all of us,” he said, “saying that the conduct of the election must be free, fair and in line with the Constitution.” He added that, without US intervention, the electoral malprac-

tices of the past 12 years would likely have happened again. “God made me but America made me,” he said. The Class of 1980 gave President Buhari the full assurances of their support, stating that they were willing to use their experience to assist him in any way they can, particularly with tackling terrorism in North-East Nigeria. They promised to put together and forward to him a compendium of their thoughts on the security situation in Nigeria. In September, President Buhari will be meeting once again with his former classmates, at another event scheduled to take place at the United Nations. •Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.

Ihedioha takes battle to A’Court C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 4

trars in all judicial proceedings though filed in the case file are never assessed or paid for.” He said the “misconstruction of the dictum by Chukwuma-Eneh JSC occasioned a miscarriage of Justice.” In contending that letter applying for prehearing notice is not a judicial process but administrative, Ahamba drew the attention of the appellate court to the judgement of Justice Walter Onnoghen of the Supreme Court in Ugba Vs PDP (2013) 4 NWLR (pt. 1343) 486 at 492, positing that the “Tribunal amongst others, failed to take judicial notice of many letters to Registrars of Courts and Tribunals which ignite judicial processes but which are not assessed and paid for.” He said that “these misconstructions of the law induced the decision of the tribunal that payment of a fee for the application letter was mandatory.” He further argued that “there is no provision in the schedule of fees payable under

the Electoral Act or Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules for pre-hearing notice application,” stressing that “the APC and Rochas Okorocha did not show any provision in the Electoral Act or Federal High Court Rule or practice direction for pre-hearing notice application fee.” Ahamba stated that “the tribunal deliberately ignored the express words of the Supreme Court of Nigeria cited at the tribunal sitting that application for pre-hearing notice under paragraph 18 (1) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act is not jurisdictional and thereby occasioned a miscarriage of Justice.” Ahamba, in praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the decision of the petition tribunal dismissing PDP and Ihedioha’s governorship petition as well as restore the petition to the cause list for hearing on merit, also demanded that the appellate court invokes its powers under Section 16 of the Court of Appeal Act to determine the two undetermined motions which sought to set

aside Governor Okorocha and APC’s joint reply and their motion to amend the said reply filed on June 26 and July 7 respectively. Ahamba also prayed the court to order the constitution of a fresh tribunal to hear the petition on merit. Whether Ihedioha’s counsel gets his prayers granted or not, one thing is certain: Ihedioha is racing against time as the duration of the appeal and the counter appeal that may follow from Okorocha if Ihedioha wins the appeal, are all counting down the 180 days stipulated by the Electoral Act for the hearing and dispensing of the petitions at the tribunal. As it presently stands, the pressure is heavily piled against Ihedioha and his counsel, as it falls on them to now manoeuvre through the storm of technicalities and steer the case back to the tribunal in good time. Be that as it may, the case is yet an ‘open protocol’ that could go either way if fully adjudicated.

16 Politics

Saraki

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ekweremadu

Enang

Row over Senate’s grundnorm C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

in Order 95 read: “The membership of all committees shall not be less than 11 and not more than 13 senators. (2) No senator shall serve in more than three committees. (3) No committee chairman shall serve in more than one other committee.” This is, however, different in the 2015 edition, which introduced equality principle in committee distribution. The new insertion in the amended version reads: “The appointment of Senators as Chairmen and members of committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geo-political zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of senators from a few geo-political zones.” The implication of this principle is that each zone is expected to get at least, nine committee chairmanship seats out of the 57 Senate committees that will be set up by the Chamber in due course. But looking at the provisions in the 2011 document on the distribution of chairmanship positions of the 57 committees, the arrangement had always favoured senators of the ruling party and of ranking status. This was why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) enjoyed the privilege up to the 7th Senate. Comments on the alleged forgery Senator Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central, APC) who served in the 7th Senate and was re-elected into the 8th Senate, in a reaction to the development, alleged that order 3 (2) (iv) was fraudulently inserted into the new rule book, which now made it compulsory to spread committee members and chairmanship across the six geopolitical zones. He also pointed out that a critical look at both the old and new standing rules would reveal that the insertion of order 3 (3e i – iv ) was done deliberately to accommodate a member of the opposition party as Deputy Senate President.

His words: “The problem is that the Senate was inaugurated using a forged document. Who forged that document? We can’t gloss over or sweep that criminality under the carpet, Nigeria is not a banana republic! “The insertion of order 3 (2 iv) & 3 (3e i-iv) in the 2015 edition is a deliberate act perpetrated by fifth columnists operating within the National Assembly to sabotage the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. “It was done to cause friction, disaffection and generate bad blood among senators from different zones and provoke confusion in the Senate with the sole aim of stagnating government business to give them time to perfect their agenda.” He further alleged that the insertion of order 3 (2 iv), was done to favour the PDP caucus in the Senate who supported Senator Saraki, to become the Senate President. He said: “For 16 years of PDP leadership, the presiding officers and committee headship was skewed in favour of the zones that produce more PDP senators but suddenly they introduce equality of zones in the distribution of these offices because they lost out, this is unacceptable by APC senators.” Procedure for amending orders The SUF has continued to argue that the 7th Senate never made any amendments to the 2011 Senate Standing Orders. Members of the group argued that it has been the duty of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business to initiate such amendments. They described the new 2015 Senate Standing Order as a forgery and called for the immediate prosecution of the perpetrators. The group’s statement reads: “We did not change anything in the rules used for the 7th Senate. The procedure for such amendments are clearly stated even in the rule itself and none of the process took place throughout the lifetime of the 7th Senate.

“Even in the proposed amendment, we did not include the issue of secret ballot system. Who inserted it? When did the ballot box become a matter of the chamber? “The only thing we inserted in the proposed one was to insert the Committee on Millennium Development Goal (MDG). There was the Committee on Commerce and Industry, the Senate President abolished it and created Committee on Investment. There was a dispute between Senators Nenadi Usman and Odion Ugbesia, so we created the Committee on Investment and deleted the Committee on Trade and Industry.” Meanwhile, the sudden alteration of the principle by the new provision has however, provoked anger and agitation from the members of the SUF, who are currently threatening to reject and resist the equality principle when the Senate resumes. The aggrieved senators said that they would ensure that the new sharing arrangement, which

gave advantage to the minority party, the PDP, does not stand. The SUF in a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Kabir Marafa, urged the police to expedite action on their petition on the alleged forgery against some past principal officers of the 7th Senate. Accordingly, the Forum called on well-meaning Nigerians to, as a matter of urgency prevail on authorities concerned, to commence necessary investigation that would unravel the forgery scandal, and also ensure that the contentious 2015 edition of the Senate rule book was not accepted for use in the eighth Senate. Commenting on the controversial production of the 2015 Senate Standing Orders last weekend, Senator Victor Lar, a chieftain of the PDP, who represented Plateau South in the seventh Senate, told journalists that as at the time they left the Senate, there were no alterations to the document. He said: “As at the time we left the Senate, there were no alterations (to the Senate Standing Orders). The Senate did set up a committee to amend the provisions of the Standing Rules of 1999; that amendment was adopted and so the Senate rules as at 2003, 2007, and 2011 have been the same.” Also, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business in the 7th Senate, Senator Ita Enang, clarified that the Standing Orders that ought to have been used for the inauguration of the 8th Senate was the Standing Orders that was used and closed within the 7th Senate. He said: “I made proposal for amendments between 2011 and 2015, I laid the report on the floor, but we did not consider the report. We did not amend the Standing Orders. “Before we left, I had approved the reprinting of the Standing Orders and the reprinting did not include inserting anything which was not in the old one. Reprinting is, simply reproduce what we have because there are no more copies,” he explained.

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Francis Sagbama

n sane climes, Chief Timipre Sylva, self-acclaimed opposition leader in Bayelsa State would bury his head in shame for putting Bayelsa, the glory of all lands in reverse gear for about five years. As governor of the littoral state between 2007 and 2012, a period characterised with oil boom, the Sylva administration impoverished the people, underdeveloped the state by plundering its resources and stifled dissent in a manner reminiscent of the Thomas Hobs’ State of Nature. It was against this background that Bayelsans stopped Sylva’s re-election bid in 2012. But Nigeria is a contradiction where anything goes. Sylva who has been standing trial for multiple corruption charges and who indeed should have long been in jail is now strutting the political landscape with exaggerated swagger, posturing sanctimoniously as a governorship candidate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). What a country! I can beat my chest that if Sylva throws his hat into the governorship ring, he will kiss the ground the way he did on March 31 when Ben Bruce trounced him in the Bayelsa East senatorial contest. Already, the mainstream women and youth groups in the state, the clergy and Ijaw elders in Bayelsa have condemned the ambition of Sylva and the gale of defection of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to APC, many of whom were aides, appointees and associates of Sylva. The groups have consequently led the charge in the re-election of Governor Henry Dickson. Tagged Operation Retain Dickson in Creek Haven campaign, the groups particularly the elders, clergy, women and youth organisations said they must return Dickson to government house to prove that there is reward for hard work and selfless service to fatherland. At separate events, these groups endorsed the re-election of the governor. Rising from an emergency meeting in Yenagoa last week, the elders led by the financial expert and political heavy weight, Chief Francis Duokpola cursed the APC and the PDP politicians defecting to the APC, describing them as vultures and a shame to the Ijaw nation. They wondered why a party that controversially wrested power from Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw icon would be embraced by desperate politicians whom they describe as vultures and self-seeking. They vowed to stop APC from gaining root in Bayelsa State even as they declared: “The APC has declared war on the Ijaw nation. Right from the days of our forefathers, the Ijaws have never been conquered and our generation cannot be conquered by APC!” Bayelsans are not in a hurry to forget how commissions of enquiries were capriciously set up by Sylva with the sole mandate of indicting his perceived opponents on phantom charges with a view to making them unfit for public office. The incumbent governor who was Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of

Sylva, never again!

Sylva

Bayelsa State under then governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was principal victims of Sylva’s despotism. In 2008, precisely, less than 10 months after Sylva was elected as governor, he amongst other things, accused his predecessor, Jonathan of approving and releasing the sum of N150 million for a Library project to the Ministry of Justice under the watch of Dickson as commissioner. Sylva claimed that the money was diverted. The truth of the matter however, was that the contract was actually awarded but the money was not released before Jonathan’s government wound up. The certified true copy of the handover note to Sylva which was made public contained this hard fact yet Sylva went ahead to waste public funds on a witchhunting mission in the name of a commission of enquiries. As usual, we, Bayelsans knew the facts. We stood behind Jonathan and Dickson. And they triumphed over their adversary while the commission fizzled out even before the Sylva days came to an ignominious end! Curiously, it was a fact that under Sylva’s watch, corruption walked with two legs untamed. Public funds were frittered and the state was turned into a private estate of a cabal led by Sylva such that only a microscopic few feasted on the collective wealth of Bayelsans. Many of the members of the Sylva-led cabal organised parties to celebrate their leap-frogging to the elite club of

Under Sylva’s watch, corruption walked with two legs untamed

billionaires while the people on whose thighs, sovereignty lies, wallowed in abject poverty. In spite of the huge revenues accruing to the state, Bayelsa stagnated for almost five years under Sylva – no serious development in terms of infrastructure and human capital development took place. Yet Sylva took multiple loans which has ploughed the state into indebtedness of about N500 billions. Indeed, under Sylva’s stewardship, his home, Nembe was inaccessible to motorists until recently when Dickson who is from Sagbama came to his rescue. Today, the same Sylva who is hoping to be governor on the crest of change can now travel by road to Nembe. Before now, he could only access Nembe the water ways. Ongoing projects initiated by the DSP Alamieyeseigha and Jonathan administrations were abandoned by Sylva. While public institutions were dilapidated and begging for attention, the Sylva administration used over N10 billion monthly to run Government House, Yenagoa. Regrettably, government failed in its cardinal responsibility of protecting lives and property. Crimes and criminalities were canonised. According to the police, over 100 people were wasted by the dreaded group between 2008 and 2012. After his inauguration in 2007, Sylva wasted no time in sending bulldozers to work at Azikoro road, Ekeki Yenagoa in the name of expansion. Houses

and stores were destroyed and property owners were supposed to be paid compensations. The people allowed the state government to have its way since it was assumed to have carried out the demolition for their good. The affected traders and landlords held their breath and waited for compensation from government to no avail. Similarly, the expansion was abandoned by Sylva. It took the intervention of Governor Dickson for Azikoro road to be dualised and compensation paid in the face of dwindling revenue. Not long after that, Sylva said he would create a central business district in Yenagoa. It was a bright idea but it was not implemented after over N5 billion had gone down the drain for site clearing. In the same vein, the then governor promised to construct 7,000 housing units at Ekeki Housing Estate, Phase II. His uncle’s firm, Gefesco International Limited, was awarded N3 billion contract for the clearing of the site. The job was haphazardly done and after one year, there was another round of clearing and money was paid again. Call it duplicity of contract. Sylva told Bayelsans, time and again, that education remained a cardinal priority in his administration’s policy. He promised to build model secondary schools in all the senatorial districts in the state. Parents who had primed their children to benefit from Sylva’s illusionary dreams CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Buhari's dilemma Dominik Umosen

t is easy to explain the smiles of self-satisfaction that are splashed, triumphantly, on the faces of supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Party (APC). For one thing, these could be explained as exhilaration from a successful visit to the United States of America which, undoubtedly, is a boost in the arm for the president who is yet to convince many that he is, indeed, ready for the tough job of re-fixing Nigeria. Even if you criticized the trip as fresh evidence of the nauseating tendency by African leaders to always scamper to the West for financial assistance, you can take consolation in the fact that, at least, this junket paid off in the form of a S2.1b loan from the World Bank which was announced during the visit. To the chagrin of his traducers, the president not only secured a fresh lifeline for the country, he also got a boost in the arm which, in addition to his personal conviction, are what he really requires to succeed in the task of rebuilding the country. Of course, criticism of the penchant by African leaders to always run, cap in hand, to the West for financial assistance is valid! According to this argument, doing so betrays a fatalism which denies the fact that the assistance they require outside could actually be sourced from within the continent with a lit bit of strategic thinking and creative planning by largely-lazy leaders. But considering the harvest of gains, including the president’s exhilarating promise not to spare

any corrupt person, including members of his own party, we can concede that this is one presidential visit that was worth the trouble. The justification for endorsing the visit is his promise to invoke appropriate sanctions against corrupt citizens who helped to consolidate the country’s economic adversity which the first citizen made during the trip. We can also assume that the admission that the promise to prosecute former ministers who either stole or sold one million barrels of oil daily and pocketing the proceeds was inspired by the trip. The promise is certainly reassuring because it is proof that indeed, the visit proved effective as a shot in the arm in his determination to re-fix the country. But that is as far as declarations of intention go! Now, the big masquerade, as it were, is back in the country and presumably, the task of rebuilding its ‘ruins’ will begin in earnest, with or without the appointment of ministers which, we have also been told, will not come earlier than September. It is a fact that since independence over 50 years ago, Nigeria has waddled like a permanent toddler, unable to refuse its feeding bottle which must have grown understandably mouldy by now, either from disuse or improper use. The situation has remained so since because either successive administrations deliberately refused to apply what was necessary to guarantee a country that was stable and sustenable in growth and progress or because it was profitable to let the hypocrisy run. Whatever it was, the situation remained so, even transmogrifying into a most hideous contradiction whereby state policies became driven by vindictive-

ness rather than common sense. The unilateral suspension of the constitutional principle of derivation from the constitution by the military is a striking case in point. Eventually, the state invariably became enmeshed in the hypocrisy of religion even when the constitution prescribed a secular state for federating nationalities. And this welter persisted until Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, returned as a democratically-elected leader after his fourth attempt to secure election as president. Understandably, the president returned when the burden of this unholy concoction had begun to take its toll, including a vicious religious insurrection which is allegedly predicated on the desire by some people to achieve their desired way of live; an inordinate desire which invariably triggered religious insurgency which has undermined the authority of the state in various parts of the North-East. And this is where the futility of re-fixing the country, as the president has severally re-affirmed, without first addressing the causes of tension, becomes most visible. And this futility becomes even more dramatic when it is considered that the president is not favourably disposed to implementing the report of the National Conference of 2014 which was hurriedly summoned to defuse tension in the country. So if the president is not favourably disposed to implementing the report which represents the true aspirations of the federating nationalities as well as the only leeway out of tension which has consistently denied the country of sustenable progress, how can his promise to re-fix the country be credible?

And then, our conscience sector Oyin Oludipe

ome centuries ago, an eminent English man, John Locke, in whose mordant work Two Treatises of Government the notion of civil liberty partly survives today, wrote: When a people gather to unite as social beings, they must quit the laws of nature and assume the laws of men in order for a society to prosper as a whole. The position, it should be explained, was a retort around a growing imperialist condition, that which sought to enthrone conquest as evidence of a civic existence, of a communal sensibility that incarnates anything recognizable as a government. In essence, the motif is simple enough. Only with consent can a man give up his natural liberty and enter into a civil society with other men. For thence, he is not really authorized by society. Instead, he authorizes that society to make laws for him, to own him as the public good of such society shall require. In other words, he resigns. Yet societies can differ – even in visionary strains. We know also, however, that such differences can, as in the case of this century-old Niger Area, invoke a shared doubt to the shared ‘resignation’. As if to underline the morbid irony of its birth, the historic yet haunting phase almost enacts itself, fits snugly on top of one another to reach a compromise ground. These massive displeasures deserve more importance, and – more urgently still – a lapsing decency to that effect. That those skeins of a traumatic past can benumb the collective gusto of a people like Nigerians to consistent positive reaffirmation even in a defining moment as this is direr song for a

certain humane necessity. A remedial mental conditioning in this case, as I hear it: the carnivals are probably some smart chap’s idea to siphon public funds. It is not to dramatize a shameful condition, but to push forward the one basic question: just where did we fail to pull it off ? As all of human nature, this probably serves an unviable note. However, I wish to emphasize very strongly that this is not aimed as another finger prodding quite awake an indicting sentiment. Even in impulse, that would rob me of the very weapon I prescribe to brave the contagious misery. I firmly believe that the challenge of Nigeria this century gone and the one to come is never merely the question of development, taking into evaluation the current and specific bounties of natural and human resources heaved upon her. Instead, it is a question of headship, the virtue of it – a resurgent incursion that inspires a people to probe the very bends of their political existence and all implementing powers, doggedness of service and wherever the threads intersect. It is a question of determination from both ends, of constitutionalism, onus, of light or rather the craving of it. Even primordial accounts of origin owe essence to that singular happening of light, for it did set the stage for any incident to be indeed called inventive. Every nation has a core. And like the entire globe itself; for Nigeria, it is her diversity. Notwithstanding claims of a scripted 1914 mistake, a vast jewelled repository is in the likeness, as well as might be a volatile but peculiar socio-political condition that calls to itself every possible chance for dazing reparations.

Each need then only identify its own, tap into it against a moral code and out of a collective social volition. History concedes to exceptional nations, past and present, – France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and so on – the resolve of nation-building as well as explorers of prospects. What differs in our present-day situation is that the questioning of indices is no longer an attribute of the endowed, allpowerful implementer; such question marks lodged behind the fact of a postworld war Japanese economic resurrection or renaissance extraordinaire of a once toppled South-Africa or even the question of what the discovery of oil in Dubai – even then diminutive – meant essentially to the progressive fiat creation of the United Arab Emirates. Despite political turmoil and very tragic landmarks, Nigeria has not stopped to be the promising emerging market with expanding financial, service, communications and entertainment sectors. By current indices, her economy is largest on the continent. Still, it does not rob her of the urgency to maximize the potentials of her core, which is the very unity in diversity she proclaims as national creed. Every initiative of government, institution or individual towards socioeconomic expansion will mean nothing if we have not achieved peaceful co-existence, or at least, a dignity-insuring degree of it; for only in the relative union of our multi-ethnic and multigifted communities can we brave the tide to stand as true giant of Africa. Of course, this would require the conception of a certain kind of Nigeria where morality and virtues have ceased to be properties of the naïve, coward and un-

sophisticated alone; a certain endowment of a nation where monumental resource is complemented by strong political institutions and democratic authorities. In other words, before any creative internalisation of an acceptable reality, it would require an absolute approach to rekindling the kernel of nationhood, that awareness of good purpose in reclaiming whatever dignity lies in mending the Nigerianness that binds us together and cedes us meaning other than the mere fortuitous existential ordinariness that has defined our existence as a country up till today. I refer to this space as the Conscience Sector. It is that lone altar defiled by our masses’ praise and worship of mediocrity in place of excellence, of fleeting monetary pleasures in place of service, of everything beaten; yet if, this moment, renewed, the first threshold of light upon whose mission would be enacted a language of unparalleled altruism, of duty and of eventual possibilities of reform, in faith and in works. First, all social institutions must recognize that the time is ripe for an urgent infanticide of ethical compromise; that it is time the Nigerian public life is inundated – severely even – with the high-powered symphony of nation-building. That new gospel should befriend every voice emerging from classrooms, pulpits and minarets. It should engulf the media, every corporate mission and homes. Bus-stops and restaurants, debate podiums and billboards, that song for conscience should letter the wind. It is obvious that no single rationalization should even attempt to defend the relapse of national prosperity. • Oyin wrote in from Epe, Lagos State.

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President Buhari’s trip to America

t dawn on July 23, this year, President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria after a fourday state visit to the United States of America. In addition to firing up diplomatic relations between both countries which went limp after former president Goodluck Jonathan declined American pressure to ratify gay marriage in Nigeria, the visit was successful for many reasons. For one thing, the visit provided the platform on which the African giant successfully leveraged upon to secure a S21.1b loan facility from the World Bank. Apart from facilitating the reconstruction of the insurgency-ravaged NorthEast and the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in the insurgency, the interest-free loan which is to run for 10 years, the facility is also projected for deployment in the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are scattered across various centres in the zone. Apart from providing both countries the opportunity to review various aspects of their bilateral relations, the presidential visit was also successful in the sense that it provided President Buhari the opportunity to unfurl, put in perspective and re-affirm the policy thrust of his administration which critics have lampooned as being slow, especially in its failure to appoint a cabinet over a month after its inauguration. Notwithstanding, the visit which was eagerly awaited, especially by supporters of the president, proved instrumental

as a shot in the arm because the president used the opportunity to re-state the policy thrust of his administration. For example, during the visit, the president made various profound policy statements, not the least being the pledge to fight corruption which is arguably one of the greatest challenges facing the country. According to him, the fight against corruption is non-negotiable because his administration is conscious of the fact that if the fight against this social monster is not fought and won conclusively, the alternative is surrender which is an option he vowed his administration is not prepared to consider. Apart from wide consultations with various stakeholders, including Nigerians resident in the US which the president was also able to make during the period, the visit also provided the president the opportunity to convince compatriots that delay in constituting his cabinet

President Buhari lamented that corruption in the country had developed into a culture

does not necessarily translate into sleeping on the tough mandate of rebuilding a devastated country whose economy is almost in ruins for several reasons. For instance, it was during the visit that President Buhari explained that his delay in constituting a cabinet till September is borne partly out of the patriotic conviction to reduce the exhorbitant cost of governance and partly to ensure that he secures the services of people who shared in his vision to re-build the country. No doubt, another success attributable to the trip is the sensational disclosure that some former ministers in last administration either stole one million dollars worth of crude oil or pocketed proceeds from the equivalent daily; a criminality for which the president pledged to bring perpetrators to book in the interest of the country’s economy. President Buhari lamented that corruption in the country had developed into a culture where honest people are abused and vowed that his administration would not relent in tracing all accounts of individuals who stashed away ill-gotten oil money. ‘When we get as much as we can get as soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze those accounts and go to court, prosecute those people and let the accounts be taken to Nigeria. The amount of money (involved) is mindboggling , but we have started getting documents’, he said. ‘We have started getting documents where some of

the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them had as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrels per day on their own. Whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from Ministries, Departments, Central Bank, we will ask for cooperation of those countries to return those monies to federation accounts and we will use those documents to arrest those people and prosecute them. This, I promise Nigerians,’ the president said with finality. These profound statements contradict the erroneous impression that the administration is either slow or not doing enough as expected by Nigerians. Obviously, work is ongoing, albeit discreetly and only fortuitous opportunities like this can re-assure Nigerians that the president is definitely on course in his pledge to fight corruption. It is our conviction that if a corresponding passion as that with which the president is pursuing sleaze in the oil industry is extended to the fight against insurgency, rich and powerful sponsors who secretly provide sympathy for Boko Haram would be exposed in no time. And insurgency quashed, once and for all. Unlike sleaze in the oil industry which the president has attributed, no significant sponsor of Boko Haram has been identified, years after the war against insurgency began. This failure is a slap on the nation’s pride and not even America can console Nigeria in this regard.

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Politics

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waited in vain. The Bayelsa State College of Arts and Science was shut throughout Sylva’s reign until Dickson, rebranded, fortified and re-opened it. Sylva said he was going to turn Epie Creek into a fish farm and released N3.5 billion to consultants for the project. He said Bayelsa would produce five million table fish for Nigeria. According to Sylva, a whooping N7 billion was spent on the fish project which again, went down the drain. Not done, the governor went ahead and

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bayelsa guber poll: Sylva Again! established a spurious N1.5 billion fish farm in front of the Okaka Housing Estate. That place would best have served as a recreation centre for residents and children in the estate. The fish farm is now sanctuary for frogs and other reptiles. What about the white elephant project called Cargo Airport? Doife Ola, Sylva’s spokesman said government as at 2011 had spent N10 billion on the airport but

what is on ground is not near the whopping amount. No wonder Mr. Mike Igini, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State described Bayelsa under Sylva as a failed state. The Sylva government claimed to have constructed 53 roads which again is contestable. These low quality roads put together are neither up to 53 nor up

to 36 kilometres. How much has been spent, nobody knows but there was a lot of noise about these roads. But the Dickson government has done more roads, provided critical infrastructure such as an audacious and first ever flyover in Yenagoa, built many schools, Teachers’ Training Institute, Sports/ Football Academy, Catering/ Tourism Schools, built Ecumenical Centre, first of its kind-Traditional

Rulers Secretariat, massive renovations of public facilities, built referral hospitals, built a world class diagnostic centre with a drug mart named after late Ptof. Dora Akunyili, created social security scheme for the aged, made education free and compulsory at Primary and Secondary levels while many Bayelsans and Ijaw citizens are now doing their post graduate and doctoral degrees on govern-

ment scholarship in the best of schools abroad, all within three years. Yet we don’t hear the kind of noise that greeted the so-called 53 roads constructed by Sylva! Curiously too, these new roads they claimed are within Yenagoa. What happened to other parts of the state? What about the senatorial roads Sylva promised Bayelsans? Aside the senatorial roads, Sylva promised to initiate and complete the following projects but reneged. They include the suspension bridge, the rail link to Port Harcourt, the super tunnel at Epie Creek, Bayelsa Oil Palm Project, Riverine Transport Services, the Yenagoa Marina, 53 inner roads, the 500-bed hospital, the Rice project, the Fishing Trawler and Company and still counting. In the Dickson’s new Bayelsa, transparency and accountability are the bedrock of the restoration government. Month after month, the governor organises a highly interactive town hall meeting where all the accruals and expenditures of government are laid bare for public scrutiny. People ask the governor questions and he supplies answers. This experiment is the first of its kind in Nigeria and for the first time, the people are very proud to be called Bayelsans. Under Sylva, government business was shrouded in secrecy. So what has Sylva forgotten in government house? We are not in a hurry to leave the Promise land and return to Egypt, Sylva be warned! In this era of credit crunch, Bayelsans do not need a spendthrift but a prudent and transparent governor that would continue to govern the state responsibly in the next four years, this Governor Dickson is already doing. His fiscal discipline is the reason why no public servant or pensioner is owed his take home and allowance in Bayelsa State even though the state’s salary wage bill is bloated and second only to Lagos State. And we the ordinary people want to retain Dickson because no sane coach changes a winning team. The return of Sylva or his cohort means return of the days of the swarming locust! •Sagbama is a grassroots politician and Public Affairs analyst lives in Yenagoa

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015

Interview

News

Ananaba: EFCC, ICPC’s merger not panacea for corruption

UNILAG admission: Olukanmi, 8 others sue JAMB, VC

22&26

Law FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE writes that lawyers including Senior Advocates of Nigeria could not agree on the proper and competent court to handle a juvenile charged with murder. While some believe only the High Court has the requisite jurisdictional powers to try a juvenile facing murder charge, others differ.

decade ago, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted two juveniles tried, convicted and sentenced to death by a Lagos High Court after spending 15 years behind bars, five of which was spent on death row, waiting for the hangman’s noose. Also in 2009, Sopuruchi Obed and Otobong Sunday Edet, who were convicted and sentenced to death for armed robbery by a Lagos High Court were allowed home by the appellate court. Bayo Davis, not real name, killed his classmate, Doris Donsmith following a fisticuffs in one of the Nigeria’s primary school some months ago. Davis was arrested and charged for murder. Both Davis and Donsmith are 13 years-old. A few days after Davis was arrested, he was arraigned at a magistrate’s court; a court with no jurisdictional power to try murder cases. In India, a 16 -year-old boy gang-raped a 13 year-old girl to death and was arrested. He was subsequently arraigned in a Special Court. Last year, a legal controversy erupted in Kano over which court has the jurisdiction to try a 14 year-old girl, who allegedly killed a 35 year-old man she was forced to marry by her family through rat poison.

FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY Editor

foluso.ogunmodede@ newtelegraphonline.com

Murder: Lawyers differ over juvenile trials She was arraigned at a magistrate’s court. But the court has no power to try murder case. Thereafter, the ministry of justice, prosecuting the matter on behalf of the state, approached the High Court. The High Court has the requisite powers to try murder cases. But this again, is being contested by a section of lawyers who prefer the trial to be handled by a Juvenile Court. Which courts has the requisite jurisdictional powers to try minors facing murder charges? The only court competent to handle juvenile on murder charges is the High Court, says a former vice president of the lawyers’ umbrella group-the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Funke Adekoya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. She said: “The High Court is the court with jurisdiction to try juveniles who committed criminal crimes such as murder. But the provision of the law is that a juvenile convicted will not be sentenced to death. However in the Northern states where they have Sharia penal codes, there is a slight difference because the sharia law says that the age of a child is de-

The High Court is the court with jurisdiction to try juveniles who committed criminal crimes such as murder

termined by puberty which could be said that a girl of 14 years is an adult if she has started her menstrual circle, whereas under the criminal codes, juvenile is under 18, under the Child Right Law it is now under 21. But in either case, a child who commits criminal crime as murder cannot be tried in a juvenile court. It’s the High Court that has the jurisdiction but the issue is whether or not the child can get death penalty”. Adekoya was echoed by Adetunji Fadairo and Dr. Joseph Nwobike, both Senior Advocates as they insisted on the High Court as the court of first instance with jurisdictional powers to try juvenile on murder charge although sentence may be reserved to a later date. “The court where the matter takes place is the one that has the jurisdiction to try the person. The minor cannot be sentenced to death, but instead, he would be kept in something like a remand home”, Fadairo said. To Nwobike: “It is definitely the High Court that has the jurisdiction. Though such case must be tried in the normal public

hub of the court like in the case of an adult at the knowledge of the court that it involves a minor/ juvenile, the court will either set up a juvenile panel or a special court to try such case in private. Another lawyer, Oyewale Olaogun also shared Nwobike’s view. He said: “Any case that has to do with criminal matters especially murder falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court. He went on: “When a criminal crime such as murder is committed by a minor /juvenile or adult, since the magistrate’s court does not have powers to sentence one to death, it will not venture into such matter, hence, it is the High Court that will setup a special juvenile court that will sit privately to try the case. Since it involves a minor/juvenile there won’t be such pronouncement sentence as death penalty unless such a person has reached the age of 17 as at the time the crime was committed”. Also Haruna Musa corroborated Olaogun’s view that “If a minor/juvenile commits a criminal CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

22 Law | Interview By November, Justice Mahmud Mohammed would be one year in office as the nation’s Chief Justice. What is your appraisal of his tenure so far? The CJN is really doing well because the rot in the judiciary is so deep that it takes more than a day job to deal with. But as it is, a lot of improvements have been made within the recent time. If you take a look at the Justice Mohammed Uwais’s report on the judiciary, you will find out that the rot is so much. But today if you go to the court, you will see judges eager and really carrying out their duties justly in many instances unlike what was obtainable in the past. There is now a practicable assessment reports on judges base on their activities. The system is more serious now than before. So, my assessment sincerely is that they have stepped up though not there yet. He is indeed doing well but I pray for continuity in this direction. Are you satisfied with some of the ongoing reforms in the judiciary? The structure of our judiciary should be looked into. We should think to have regional appeal and Supreme Courts. The six geo-political zones should each have appeal and supreme courts to aid and speed up judicial proceedings. And as a result of this, not many or anyhow cases should go to what should then be the federal Supreme Court. In this respect, except cases that have national significance, every other case should from their regional Court of Appeal to their Supreme Court and end there. Secondly, we should think and establish serious support for judicial works both on welfare and training for the attainment of efficiency and effectiveness. Some universities should be designated to run certificate programme on judicial administration to professionalize judicial working positions because they are very important to the judicial system. For example, when the court was on strike, the court was closed down and nobody was able to do anything. As the supporting staff, so many of them need training because some of them lack what it takes to perfectly meet-up with the challenges of the ever knowledge growing world of the judicial system. Come to the judges, I appreciate the ongoing reform but we should deeply continue to professionalize our courts. I mean, let it get to the point that a judge on criminal cases will only specialize on criminal cases. Also, there should be provision for continuing education for our judges, seminars in and out of the country and so on. We should begin to dispense with police prosecution of cases, because most of the criminal cases for example, terminate at the magistrate’s courts. As regard to this, many lawyers should be engaged on ad hoc basis and paid allowances to prosecute these cases instead of the police. And every part and parcel of legal profession and judiciary should be serious with the conduct of the profession so that cases are not delayed unduly and frivolous cases and application are not filed. In other words, there won’t be a reoccurrence of such things as strike or deficiency around judicial system as we are part of the world that is moving forward. Before May 29, the two anti-graft agencies literarily went to sleep.

MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ananaba: EFCC, ICPC’s merger not panacea for corruption He is an alumnus of the Abia State University, Uturu. Elder Paul Ananaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, speaks on terrorism, judiciary, corruption, President Buhari’s plan to merge EFCC/ICPC and sundry issues. FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE met him

Ananaba

Today, a few cases of corruption have begun, from which perception are you looking at them in the corruption war? Well, they are fighting corruption so to say but I’m not satisfied with the way they are fighting it. They themselves know that they are not doing well and the international agencies are also not rating us well at all. Seriously, they have not given the fight against corruption the seriousness and sincerity it required because much of the fighting they do is in words. And that is why I am saying there should be a restructuring of our judiciary so that some of these corruption cases should be timed; so that there should be judgment within three months on a corruption case. That is why I talk about regionalization of courts. A Court of Appeal in a region, should be able to within two months, dispense a case and a man who should go to jail be jailed. This will obviously save us the time that is today being wasted of which they end up not getting punishment or serious punishment. Which of them, the anti-graft agencies or the government to be blamed for the lackluster fight against corruption? It is the fault of both of them but more on the government because I have handled corruption cases where people bring cases that the

There is need to split the office of the AttorneyGeneral from Minister of Justice

agencies ought not to entertain but they went ahead and took up those cases. The anti-graft agencies are not the Nigeria police force, so the agencies should not be getting involved in the cases the police handle. There are some special corruption cases for the reason they were set up in the first place. So, they should not be allowing those distractions because it makes them to have too many cases with poor results. So, the government should not have undue influence on the anti-corruption agencies by appointing their heads and detecting what and what they should not do, and the agencies shouldn’t be tied to the government. Adding to that; we should separate the office of the Attorney-General and the Minister of Justice in order to improve justice system in the country so that all these agencies could independently work through the Attorney-General and consciously be able to prosecute government officials. President Buhari may yield to Orosanye’s recommendation that both ICPC and the EFCC be merged into one body, what is your take on this? If that is the case, let them also say that both the Nigerian police and other para-military agencies be merged. There is no point talk-

ing about merging them, yes, they have their opinions but merging is not the issue. The war against corruption is so vast that we rather should be talking about deepening their activity, making it very clear what each agency should go for and ensuring that they don’t clash. ICPC is distinct, EFCC is strictly on financial crimes and like I was earlier saying, agency like the EFCC has no business entertaining cases outside economic, financial and of course, terrorism now. ICPC goes about corruption itself even though the act talks about other offences, those other offences should not ever be interpreted to include economic and financial crimes. All that is needed is enlightenment both to Nigerians and the agencies on what each of the agencies stands for. Though they should both be on their own, there should be a communicating point where they can exchange intelligence when necessary. How would you look at the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR? Is ADR really working in Nigeria? ADR is a good practice all over the world. It is just that it cannot be involved with criminal matters because criminal matters involve the state. One problem with ADR system in Nigeria is the level of civilization and mindset of our people especially when it comes to the issue of enforcement. When people fail to abide in the terms of resolution, what do we do? Go back to court room and start a fresh litigation proceeding? So, we need to develop a kind of definite method whereby ADR resolution or agreement will be effective and more reliable. And once this is achieved, more people will go for ADR. Now though ADR system is more of commercial and domestics matters but it was the way our people settle dispute situations before the advent of white men. Meanwhile, many legal practitioners are not at home with ADR practices because they see ADR as a model that is taken away our food because ADR can be practiced by non-lawyers. And that is because arbitrators and mediators do not need to be lawyers. So, since they are not lawyers, most lawyers then feel that they are taken away what was thought was strictly meant for the almighty legal profession. Haven’t said that, ADR is indeed good, as a mediator and arbitrator though a full time legal practitioner I strongly state that it is really a good way of settling dispute situation. And in the context of Nigeria, ADR is really working only that it has not been given the attention and publicity it requires to take serious position as a conflict resolution medium like in most other developed countries. Check for instance during Lagos mediation week, several cases were settled just within that one week alone and I must say the combativeness of litigation process is not the best. Many times in dispute situCONTINUED ON PAGE26

Law | News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015

UNILAG admission: Olukanmi, 8 others sue JAMB, VC Akeem Nafiu

cores of placard-carrying students who are seeking admission into the University of Lagos, at the weekend stormed the Federal High Court in Lagos to continue their protest against the alleged plan by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde to stop them

from writing post-UTME examination into the prestigious institution. The students, who stormed the court in two BRT vehicles, were led by their lawyers, Dr. Kayode Idowu and Mr. Alex Ogedengbe. After their protest, the lawyers, on behalf of nine of the students filed a suit at the court’s registry against JAMB, its Registrar, Prof. Ojerinde, UNILAG and its Vice Chancellor, Prof Rahmon Bello. The names of the nine students with their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) scores are: Kofoworola Olukanmi (235 marks); Mojisola Sholola, (247 marks); Mojisola Ajetunmobi, (239 marks); Ayomide Olajide,( 228 marks) and Joseph Omotosho, (247 marks). Others are: Olabimpe Oladipupo,( 228 marks); Chijioke Nwachukwu, (233 marks); Saviour Echedom, (235 marks) and Adebola Ekungomi, (223 marks). The nine stu-

Ojerinde

dents are seeking an order prohibiting the removal of their names from the list of candidates eligible to sit for the 2015 UNILAG’s post-UTME scheduled for August 12 and 13, 2015. They are also seeking the leave of the court to apply for an order of mandamus to compel UNILAG and its VC to sell the post-UTME forms to them to allow them sit for the examination. In a 22-paragraph affidavit of urgency filed in support of the ex-parte application, the students explained that they bought the UTME forms and sat for the examination on March 14, 2015 on the published condition that if they score 180 marks and above they would be eligible to sit for the UNILAG’s postUTME. They however alleged that a few days to the commencement of the sale of the UNILAG post-UTME forms, their names were removed from the list of eligible candidates by JAMB and its Registrar, Ojerinde. They averred that following the decision of JAMB to remove their names from the list, UNILAG had refused to sell post-UTME forms to them, a situation, which they claimed would deprive them the right to compete for admission in the university of their choice. They also accused JAMB

and Ojerinde of forwarding their names to private universities against their wish. They averred that the media had also reported Ojerinde to have directed that names of any student who scored below 250 marks should be forwarded to private universities. They averred that a pre-litigation letter written by their lawyer to JAMB and UNILAG on July 16, 2015 to rescind the decision was ignored. They further averred that their attempt to serve notices on JAMB and UNILAG in their offices were resisted and they were prevented entrance. They claimed that the denial to enter the UNILAG Registrar’s Office, led to an open peaceful protest at the Amphi Theatre of the Students’ Union Building on July 22. The students, who said they were running against time, had decided to come to court because “it would be unreasonable to continue to wait for the unwilling respondents, whose press releases and public responses on the matter have not shown any inkling of seriousness in addressing the appeal and the fact that time is of the essence.” The students said they believed their lawyer who told them that “the leave of court is needed for the application for judicial review by way of prohibition and mandamus.” They urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice saying the respondents will not be prejudiced if the prayers of the applicants are granted. Their ex-parte application marked FHC/L/CS/1135/2015 could however not be heard on Friday because it had not been assigned to any of the vacation judges in the court.

Lawyer sues, Stanbic, MTN for N200m over breach of contract Akeem Nafiu

Lagos based Lawyer, Dr. Charles Dumber Mekwunye, has slammed a N200milion suit on MTN Nigeria communication Limited (MTNN) over an alleged breach of contract at a Federal High Court in Lagos. Also sued are an investment company, Lotus Capital Limited; an asset management Company, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management and two other limited liability companies, IHS Holding Limited and INT Towers Limited. But Stanbic IBTC Assets Management Limited, in its statement of defence deposed to by its Investment Manager, Olugbenga Saseun, averred that Dr. Mekwunye and other defendants were unknown to it and that it has never had any relationship whatsoever, whether contractual or otherwise with the investor. Stanbic insisted that it neither made any mis-

Stanbic: No relationship with lawyer, others representation to the plaintiff nor privy to the alleged “telecoms private equity investment agreement” entered into by the plaintiff with Lotus capital. It urged the court to dismiss the suit describing it as baseless, unmeritorious and unjustifiable. However, Dr. Mekwunye in his witness statement on oath, swore to and filed by his firm, averred that sometimes in 2008, he was invited by a fund management company, Lotus Capital Limited and Stanbic IBTC Assets Management Limited, to invest in a fund purportedly established by the Lotus Capital called ‘Telecoms Private Equity Fund, which was an investment into MTNN Linked Units. He averred that he bought 5,000 of the MTNN Linked Units at the rate of $24.56 per unit in 2008, and paid the sum of $122,800 which was an equivalent of N18, 376,800 million.

He added that he later entered into an agreement with the company which was an agent of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Company and MTN Nigeria communications. The lawyer also stated that Lotus Capital through a letter dated July 3, 2008, informed him that he had been allocated with 4,990 units, which represented 4,990 Linked Units of the MTN Communications Nigeria Limited’s private placement instead of 5000 MTN Linked Units. He added that pursuant to the said Telecoms Private Equity Fund Investment AgreementJoint, he paid the sum of $122,800, which was an equivalent of N18, 376,800 million, as consideration for the 5,000 units of the MTN Nigeria Linked Units. He averred further that both Lotus Capital Limited and Stanbic IBTC Asset Management

Company, re-presented to him that at the end of three years, the MTN Nigeria’s Linked Unit will be exchanged for MTN’s Shares in a Special Purpose Vehicle, which will be listed in the Nigeria Stock Exchange or globally recognized stock exchange. This, he said was what informed his decision to invest in the MTN’s Linked Units. However at the end of the three-year period, the plaintiff averred that Stanbic IBTC asset management in breach of the agreement failed to create the Exit Special Purpose Vehicle, (SPV), as agreed in private placement memorandum on the grounds that MTN International was already quoted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and it was unwilling to set up another publicly quoted company, as well as on certain “tax consideration”. The plaintiff further

averred that Lotus capital without his consent or knowledge entered into a supplementary agreement to the Custodian Term and Condition with Stanbic IBTC Assets Management limited dated November 1, 2010 to amend the terms of the private placement memorandum regarding the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle, thereby creating alternative Exit Mechanism which was neither listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange nor any globally recognized stock exchange. Dr. Mekwunye averred further that in breach of the 2008 agreement, he was not given the 90 days or three months’ notice required under Clause 12 of Custodian terms and conditions to the private placement memorandum for the exchange of the exit mechanism and by April 4, 2013, Lotus Capital informed him of an upward review of “management fees” without his

knowledge or consent. He argued that the said management fees was arbitrarily reviewed to one per cent of the value of his investment, and was to take retroactive effect from January 2013. As a result, he claimed that the sum of $5,250 being one per cent of the then value of his investment was deducted by Lotus Capital between January 2013 and January 2015 from total value of his MTN unit each year. This he claimed has caused him considerable loss since 2011. However, the plaintiff is seeking the following declarations among others; “A declaration that the defendants improperly induced him to enter into telecom private equity fund management of May 21, 2008, by representing to him that after three years of the nominee structure, all MTN Nigeria Linked Units will be converted into shares in MTN Nigeria through a Special Purpose Vehicle.

Law

MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Juvenile murder trial spilt lawyers C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

offence, the High Court, being the court that has the jurisdiction to try criminal cases will constitute a juvenile court which must not sit publicly to try the matter.“ “When such a person is found guilty and sentenced, it must not be death sentence and if sentenced to prison, such a person must be kept in a normal prison cell where adult convicted criminals are kept”, he added. But Caroline Ajie, Chino Obiagwu, Chris Okeke , Shamsudeen Abubakar and Tolulope Aderemi differ. They said juvenile court remains the only court seized of the matter. It is the juvenile court that has the requisite powers to entertain such case. Ajie said: “The North operates penal code while the South operates criminal code. Our system is a common law that is modeled along the British system. It is the same law that is operating in India. “There was a minor; that boy was either 16 or 17 in India who was involved in gang-rape; they have to set up a Special court to try him. So you have to go to the Juvenile court. He or she would face the trial at the juvenile court. “But the juvenile court cannot give a death penalty to a minor but a life jail. In the United States of America, death penalty for juveniles who were under 18 when they committed the crime was abolished by the U.S Supreme Court in the case of Roper vs Simmons as violating the 8th and 14th amendments. “In Nigeria, after spending ten years in prison and five years on death row, the Court of Appeal freed two juveniles, Sopuruchi Obed and Otobong Sunday Edet, who were convicted and sentenced to death for armed robbery by a Lagos High Court in 2009”. To the national Coordinator, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), Chino Obiagwu “If a minor commits such an offence, in a State that has adopted the Child’s Right Act, he would be tried at the Family Court. “The family court is a court set up under the Child’s Act Law to handle juvenile matters for people who are below the age of 18. But in reality, in many states even though they have enacted the Child Rights Act, they have not set up the family court. “They are still using the Juvenile court which is contained in the former law. Now, if a minor commits such an offence like murder alongside an adult, that minor would be tried alongside the adult. In that case, they are being charged together. They can be charged in such a way that the man would be charged separately while the minor is charged separately. But if they are charged together in such that they cannot be separated, the High Court takes jurisdiction. “During trial, the court will direct that the issues relating to the minor be tried as a juvenile and confidentially. No law provides for death sentence in Juvenile law, not even in the criminal code. In fact if a child under 18 is found guilty for murder, armed robbery or any capital offence, he cannot be sentenced to death. The criminal code and the Family Court did not provide for such. “All the laws on criminal law did not provide for it. It depends on the prerogative of the State governor or the President if it is a federal offence. They can be given life sentence. Those who are mad, mentally ill as well as pregnant women cannot be sentenced

Aderemi

Obiagwu

Adekoya

Ajie

to death until she weans the baby. If a child is sentenced, he has to be kept in a borstal and the same prison made for adults. That is what the law provides. “In reality, we only have two borstal - one in Kaduna and another in Ikoyi Prisons. The reason why some minors are taken to High court, tried, convicted and sentenced to adult Prison is because the police will not always state the age of the child. They will always rewrite adult in place of age. It is the information provided by the police that the prosecutor will use. “So, the police will always provide wrong information about the age of the child. There are so many other children who are below the age of 17 who are in the Prisons for one reason or the order”. Okeke said: “There are juvenile courts with jurisdiction to try minors of criminal offences. The courts sit in camera and not in the open. Those who attend the court are parents of the minor. It is so done to protect the

image of the juvenile. The courts pass sentence on the minor but oftentimes, it suspends the sentence until the child becomes an adult”. Abubakar: “It is a juvenile court. And again it depends if the minor is charged together with an adult. If it is a minor that commits the offence alone, he would be tried at the juvenile court. In most cases, because of his age, they cannot try him but allow him to be of age. He cannot be convicted of murder. Aderemi said “there are no wellestablished and adequately equipped distinct institutions and coherent programmes for dealing with juvenile offenders in Nigeria. The existing legislative and institutional frameworks which were inherited from our colonial masters predated the evolution of contemporary international standards in the form of the United Nations Conventions and Charter on the Rights of the Child. “Every State Legislature enacts its

own Children and Young Persons Law (“CYPL”). This law established Juvenile Courts where minors/juveniles are tried for criminal matters. “The Child’s Rights Act and Childs Rights laws of the various states also have provisions for establishment of the family court for the purposes of hearing and determining matters relating to children. Section 149 of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003 establishes the family court for each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. “Section 150 provides that the family court (in the Act referred to as “the court”) shall be at two levels- “(a) The court as a division of the High Court at the High Court level; and (b) The court as a magistrate’s court”. “That said, I must add that these days, it appears that the Juvenile Courts are no longer allowed to exercise jurisdiction over children who are accused of criminal offences with a few exceptions.”

Law | File

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015

Wahab Shittu

he pledge by President Muhammadu Buhari to recover allegedly looted funds from the previous administration is one of the commitments arising from his recent visit to the United States. The President was quoted to have said that he would arrest and prosecute past ministers and other officials who allegedly stole Nigeria’s oil and diverted government’s money into personal accounts. It may be too early and premature to summarily pronounce anyone guilty of looting without pronouncement of guilt by court of competent jurisdiction; nevertheless, it is useful to interrogate the strategies and legal framework available to the authorities in the quest for loot recovery within and outside the shores of Nigeria. This is the purport of this intervention. Undoubtedly, the scourge of corruption coupled with astronomical rate of embezzlement of public funds constitutes serious impediments to the developmental process of any country including Nigeria. It is okay to strive at dispatching the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to prison after a detailed and fair trial proceedings but it is also useful to recover for the benefit of the state the proceeds of such criminal activities. This is technically referred to as loot recovery or the forfeiture of proceeds of crime. The latter objective is the essence of this write-up, the rationale being that other than penal measures of imprisonment of guilty persons, recovery of the financial benefit which is the motivation for the crime will greatly discourage potential perpetrators. Given the fact that we operate a democracy with adherence for constitutionalism, rule of law, due process including transparency and accountability, it is important to deploy strategies and identify legal framework for loot recovery that would not run foul of the prescriptions of the democratic traditions including the rights of citizens in line with best practices and international standards. Clearly, recovery of looted funds particularly by way of forfeiture is an effective weapon of weakening and tackling the scourge of organised crimes in that such weapons if successfully implemented reduce the efficacy of carrying out such crimes as perpetrators are unable to access funds to carry and sustain such crimes apart from also providing a platform for restitution for victims of such crimes including serving as veritable sources of funding for developmental purposes of which law enforcement remains a critical component. The question is given the challenges of loot recovery and the determination of this administration to recover looted funds, how can this be achieved and with what instruments and legal framework if achievable? In my article published in one of the journals of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies I had observed as follows on the phenomenon of dirty money otherwise called illicit funds the subject of recovery or forfeiture. ‘Money laundering is one clear example of trans-national organised crime, and in the context of Nigeria it is regarded as one of the dangerous economic and Financial Crimes assuming such notoriety as to compel the draftsman to put in place a special legislative framework to address the scourge. As a preliminary point there is a need to address the misconception of equating money laundering with

Shittu

Strategies, legal framework for recovery of looted funds currency trafficking as well as the era of perceiving money laundering as basically cross-border crime or trans-national crime. It is clear that there is pervasive incidence of money laundering within national frontiers and the salient feature of the crime would appear to be deploying proceeds derived from criminal activities such as illegal drug trafficking, corruption, dealings in narcotic drugs, any other crime or illegal act to lawful outlets and endeavours with the object of concealing the illicit origin of such funds with a view to avoiding the legal consequences thereof. The focus of money laundering therefore will appear to be against any form of ‘dirty money’ or funds derived from illegal activities technically referred to as money laundering’. I had concluded in the said write-up by making the following recommendations: ‘It is clear from the foregoing that African countries must design a regulatory and policy framework that will strengthen international partnerships and sustain strong ties amongst themselves and other countries of the world to effectively address the crime of money laundering. This would require the ratification by countries of the United Nations convention and the passage of more effective money laundering and forfeiture laws. It is also important to investigate the points where the money is most vulnerable and identify what can be done to separate criminals from having access to their ill-gotten wealth. There is also the need to strengthen international co-operation on information exchange and law enforcement; ensuring proper mechanism for handling suspicious reports and effective compliance culture among financial institutions that will ensure that proper systems and procedures are put in place. There is also the imperative of increased public aware-

ness of the threat of money laundering as well as effective synergy that will lead to increased cooperation between multiple agencies (national and international). These agencies must ensure that their personnel are well trained in investigation and intelligence sharing. It is also necessary to deploy more personnel and focus on new technologies and counter-measures of investigating suspected violations. Multiple law enforcement agencies must share information on forfeited proceeds among themselves as well as introduce measures that will make it difficult to conceal funds derived from illegitimate and unlawful sources. The foregoing analysis may have revealed the harmful effects of money laundering within and across national borders with disastrous consequences on the financial communities and the economic development process. Clearly, the crime undermines legitimate businesses and competition including impacting negatively on government tax revenue as well as reducing legitimate opportunities for genuine business operators. It has also been shown that the increased sophistication of money laundering as well as its diverse mechanism and process pose grave challenges of investigation and prosecution within and across borders. Finally, we have shown the need for countries to strengthen international cooperation, vigilance, legal and institutional frameworks to tackle the menace of money laundering’. The above suggestions remain useful for addressing funds looted and starched abroad for Nigeria and any other African country faced with such dilemma. With respect to funds sought to be recovered within the shores of Nigeria, what is to be done? Professor Adedeji Adekunle, the current Director-General of the Nigerian Institute

of Advanced Legal Studies has done extensive work in this area and his expertise will certainly be useful to the authorities in charting the way forward in our quest to recover looted funds. In his inaugural lecture titled ‘Proceeds of Crime in Nigeria: Getting our Act Right’ delivered in 2011, the erudite Scholar addressed the issue comprehensively covering such areas as: ‘What kind of crimes/offences are proceeds important; Why should we be concerned with proceeds of crime; Basis and Forms of Forfeiture; Legal Framework for Forfeiture in Nigeria; Addressing Weaknesses and Gaps in the Law; Strengthening anti Money Laundering Measures; Asset Recovery and Management Agency; The forfeiture Regime should include Civil Forfeiture; Forfeited property and the criminal justice system’, and other far-reaching recommendations and suggestions. The erudite Professor had also written extensively on related areas in his article titled ‘Fair hearing and Law Enforcement: some recent developments; Seizure of proceeds of criminal activity: Trends in recent financial crimes; status and independence of Prosecutors in National systems: Nigerian Legal System in perspectives and the corporate organisation and Business Crimes in Nigeria amongst others’. I recommend these works in dealing with the problem of loot recovery in Nigeria. Without prejudice to the foregoing, what is clear from the research findings on the subject of loot recovery is that the drive must be pursued within the framework of constitutionalism and legality; meaning that we must first of all try to trace the assets representing proceeds of crime. Secondly, we must be able to restrain by judicial order dealings on such assets and lastly, we must set machinery in motion to obtain a final forfeiture order in CONTINUED ON PAGE26

26 Law CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

respect of assets that have been restrained. It is necessary to follow the law and the steps itemised above because it is difficult to trace proceeds of crime or looted funds given the fact that perpetrators of such crimes have also devised ingenious mechanisms and measures for concealing their illicit loot away from prying eyes. Justice Obaseki JSC in Igbinovia v State (1981) NSCC 63 at pp 68-69 acknowledged this fact when His Lordship observed as follows: “In this area of the world where crimes of violence are on the increase

MONDAY, juLY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘Legal framework for recovery of looted funds’ and means of investigation are in their rudimentary stage of development coupled with the secrecy with which these crimes are committed and the abiding faith in the concealment of facts by whatever means by the perpetrators of these crimes, the responsibility of ensuring security for the lives and property of our citizens demands the detection of the perpetrators of these crimes by all means al-

lowed by law. Detection of crimes is a never ending task the Police is called upon to perform and in the performance of this task they ought to be able to beat the suspects in their game of hide and seek…” It is necessary to distinguish two forms of forfeiture. Again Professor Adekunle posits: ‘There are two broad methods by assets of criminals can be forfeited to the state. The more

common form – conviction based penal forfeiture and the lesser known (at least in these climes), civil forfeiture process that has been popularised in countries like the United States. The main distinction between the two forms is that in the latter, forfeiture is not contingent on a finding of guilt or proof of any offence, it being essentially proceedings against property as distinct from persons’.

Shittu

EFCC, ICPC’s merger not panacea for corruption CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

ations, people just simply want a neutral party to come, advice and have them to settle their case at ease, which does not just happen in litigation process. So ADR is really working but more need to be done. For example, how many centers do we have? How many people in the cities, know about them or have access to them let alone in the local areas? So, as long as it’s far from the reach of the people, you cannot have a good result of its existence in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, there is a good future for ADR system in Nigeria because so many institutes are coming up on it. Like in Lagos, for example it has been incorporated into the High Court Rules, a part of its steps to go further. So, I expect courts in other states to formally incorporate ADR because it will go a long way to help case settlements in the country. Is there a need for a new Constitution as being touted by the 8th National Assembly? We indeed need a new constitution. The amendment process of a constitution is so cumbersome. Having done researches on constitution amendment and making a new constitution in Nigeria, I know the last constitution was done within one month or thereabout and it was the military work. So, when the Constitution we are using today says ‘we’, it was really not the people. So, this may be about the first time the people will come out and really say, “We the people…give ourselves this constitution” and it indeed will be.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Money Line

Insurance

PenCom: Pension contributors to hit 20m by 2019

States’ bail-out money: NLNG not afraid of probe –Inuwa

Nigerian Breweries: Competitive pressures slow profit

36-37

NIBSS: 18m customers register for BVN

Interview

Stock Watch

Business What's news

Cabotage funds unremitted for three years –Investigation The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) may not have been remitting the two per cent surcharge proceeds on all contracts performed by vessels on the nation’s coastal waters into designated Primary Lending Institutions (PLI) since 2011, New Telegraph's investigation has shown.

p.28

Again, airlines push for N200bn bail-out Airline operators are clandestinely pushing for another round of bail-out as a way of saving their businesses, New Telegraph has learnt.

p.28

L-R: Project Manager, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Seyi Adenmosun; Executive Director, Technology and Operations, Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), Niyi Ajao; Managing Director/CEO, Adebisi Shonubi and Head, Corporate Communications, CBN, Lagos, Innocent Edozie, during a briefing on BVN for Nigerians in the Diaspora in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Crude cartel controls $8,777 of GDP, say oil engineers PROSECUTION

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Government to arrest and prosecute some exgovernment officials for stealing Nigeria’s crude oil

he crude theft cartel controls Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $8,777 as against the National Par Capital GDP of $1,200, New Telegraph has learnt. Crude pilfering, which is growing at a geometric ratio in Nigeria, also controls direct employment of 98,435, a data released by the Society of Pe-

troleum Engineers (SPE) has revealed. President, SPE, Nigeria Council, Emeka Ene, disclosed these at the Nigeria Gas Association (NGA) Business forum in Lagos. GDP is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period, though it is usually calculated on an annual basis. Just last week, President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that one million barrels of crude, which sold at an average price of $98 per barrel in 2014, was stolen by some former ministers.

INFLATION RATE May 2015.................................9% April 2015................................8.7% March 2015.............................8.5%

LENDING RATE Interbank Rate....................12.57% Prime Lending Rate...........17.93% Maximum Lending Rate...26.83%

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa

Adeola Yusuf

Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Employ 98,435 workers

However, the SPE president hinted on the sideline of the NGA Forum that the crude theft industry has a total dependants of 492,175 people, stressing that “the nefarious act leads to expansion and mainstreaming of a rogue economy.” Ene, who earlier delivered a paper entitled: “Political economy and environmental degradation resulting from

492,175

Estimated number of people that depend on the oil thieves

oil theft,” at the confab, said that crude theft “is a threat to industry and national security while it constitutes to further degradation of environment and loss of livelihood.” The social implication of this act, Ene said, is that it heightens destruction of socio and traditional fabric and values and contributes to political instability at local government area (LGA) level. President Muhammadu Buhari had, last Wednesday, in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington District of Columbia, United States of America, indicated his readiness to end the crude theft in Nigeria. He said that his government CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Rates Dashboard EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at July 24)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N242 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N365 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N262

l Foreign Reserves – $30.773bn as at 23/07/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at July 24)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N199.00 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N307.65 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N223.50

Business | News

IMPEDIMENT There is delay in the disbursment of cabotage finance fund Bayo Akomolafe

he Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) may not have been remitting the two per cent surcharge proceeds on all contracts performed by vessels on the nation’s coastal waters into designated Primary Lending Institutions (PLI) since 2011, New Telegraph's investigation has shown. Four banks were appointed to manage the fund under the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF), to assist indigenous investors in the procurement of ships under the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act 2003. To fast-track the disbursement of the fund, according to the guideline, NIMASA is expected to contribute 55 per cent of the total application

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Cabotage funds unremitted for three years –Investigation Ship owner alleges diversion

of a particular applicant company; the banks will pay 35 per cent of the total and applicant company 15 per cent, making a total of 100 per cent at 5.6 per cent interest rate. The PLIs appointed to manage the fund on behalf of Nigerian ship owners are: Skye Bank, Sterling Bank, Diamond Bank and Fidelity Bank. These lenders are expected to lend, monitor and manage the

CVFF scheme. However, a ship owner, Mr. Osita Onunomi, said that no ship owner had benefited from the fund. Osita, who is the managing director of Mercury Oil and Gas Company, said that his company was among those shortlisted by NIMASA. He explained that when he contacted one of the banks for the

$25 million loan he applied for, as directed by the agency, the lender turned him down. “It was from the bank I learnt that the agency had not been remitting the fund to it in the last three years. This is our contribution for indigenous capacity, the agency is denying us.” Former Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, had said that the

CVFF surcharge was $193.1 million as at early 2013. There had been delays in the disbursement of the fund in the last three years when the agency said it had shortlisted some shipping companies, which would benefit from the fund. It would be recalled that when the Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund (SASBF) was introduced by the defunct National Maritime Authority in the

1990s to encourage ownership of ships by Nigerians, a few genuine Nigerian ship owners benefited and bought ships, but several politicians, ‘briefcase ship owners’ and cronies of the then military junta also dipped their hands into the funds. It was learnt that most of the money was never recovered and no one was punished. When contacted, the agency’s spokesman, Mr Isichie Osamgbi, a deputy director, public relations, neither responded to the short messaging system (SMS) nor e-mail sent to him.

Crude cartel controls $8,777 of GDP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

was examining pieces of evidences that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of some former ministers and other government officials for stealing Nigeria’s crude oil. Buhari added that it would take at least 18 months to revive the economy. Some of the affected officials were, according to Buhari, involved in illegal sale and diversion of crude oil monies belonging to the Federal Government to multiple private accounts abroad. He said: “We are now looking for evidences of shipping some of our crude, their destinations and where and which accounts they were paid and in which country. When we get as much as we can get as soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze those accounts and go to court, prosecute those people and let the accounts be taken to Nigeria. “The amount of money is mind-burgling, but we have started getting documents. We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them had as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrels per day on their own," the president said.

L-R: Former Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Prof. Sidi Osho; Member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Prof. Emmanuel Dan Daura; Chairman, Promassidor Nig. Plc, Chief Keith Richards; Chairman, NIPR. Lagos chapter, Mr. Joseph Okonmah, member, Dr. Ken Egbas and Acting Registrar/CEO, Rev. Yemi Adeniran, during the Institute’s 26th Annual General Meeting/Public lecture on Corporate Social Responsibility: Prospects & Challenges in Growing Economy, in Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

SCANDALOUS The bail-out given to some airlines eight years ago was controversial Wole Shadare

irline operators are clandestinely pushing for another round of bail-out as a way of saving their businesses, New Telegraph has learnt. The operators are emboldened by the fact that the Federal Government had, in a resolve to end the lingering crisis of unpaid workers’ salaries in the country, especially in several states of the federation, recently approved a comprehensive relief package designed to salvage the situation. In addition to the direct cash bail-out, the three tiers of government were expected to share $1.7 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA). Some of the operators who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said that all they are

Again, airlines push for N200bn bail-out waiting for is the appointment of a minister for the sector through which they would channel their request to government. Some of the operators disclosed that the amount they are requesting is in the region of over N200 billion with a caveat that government gives them long period to offset the debts at three per cent interest rate. One of the operators said that in other climes such as the United States, government had rescued carriers that were in serious financial dire straits, especially during September 11 when carriers in America were on the verge of collapse, occasioned by the terrorists’ attacks. Asked why the operators were demanding another round of bail when the first one given to them some years back had not been repaid, he

said that government at that time neither administered the funds very well nor ensure that it was channeled very well to achieve the desired effect. He, however, reiterated that under the new scheme, he was very sure the funds would be properly administered. Experts are, however, divided over the development. Former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), stated that the airline bail-out given eight years ago was controversial at the time and today still rankles many taxpayers and fliers. Of the over N100 billion that was disbursed, the defunct Air Nigeria is the lead beneficiary with N35.5 billion, followed by Aero with N20 billion. Arik Air had accessed N15 billion, Kabo Air N6.66 billion and Chanchangi Airlines

N3.4 billion. Others are Dana Air - N618 million, Caverton Helicopters - N1.348 billion, Overland Airways - N805 million and FirstNation Airways N271.7 million. “Lots of people believe that government should have let big airlines fail; after such a shakeout, they say, maybe we’d have better service from stronger survivors and creative start-ups today,” Ojikutu said. Others however argue that the airline industry is vital to the nation’s economy, and a widespread collapse could have been devastating at a time of enormous economic and emotional trauma for the nation. The newly elected President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Gbenga Olowo, accused the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) of misplaced priorities in the bail-out and takeover of some airlines in the industry, adding that the sincerity of AMCON in the issue was in doubt.

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 20, 2015

NIBSS: 18m customers register for BVN Registration for Nigerians in the Diaspora begins

RISING Nigerians in the Diaspora have to book appointments on-line

revealed that on-line BVN registration for Nigerians in the Diaspora had commenced. Managing Director of the NIBSS, Mr. Ade Shonubi, said this last Friday in Lagos while briefing journalists on issues surrounding the BVN registration of Nigerians in the United Kingdom. Shonubi explained that contrary to reports in some quarters, it was

Tony Chukwunyem

he Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) has said that 18 million customers have so far registered for the Bank Verification Number (BVN), even as it

the NIBSS and not the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that contracted the firm, Online Integrated Solutions (OIS), to carry out the BVN registration of Nigerians in the UK. He said that the decision to engage the services of an external firm was informed by the fact that aside from the costs and logistics challenges of transporting and accommodating NIBSS staff

overseas to handle the BVN registration, the law in many western countries prevents biometric data of citizens from being collected outside their territory. The NIBSS boss further pointed out that OIS was selected because the firm already had an existing relationship with the Nigeria High Commission for the provision of Nigerian visa and pass-

Expert faults MPC on inflation expectations and were outside of monetary policy control.” But reacting to this view, Khan said, in a note made available to New Telegraph: “We take a somewhat different view. Despite the recent slowdown in money supply growth, shortages of key items should keep price pressures sustained, in our view. Given fiscal and external pressures, expectations of a future adjustment in the FX rate will keep inflationary expectations elevated. Achieving a turnaround in inflation may not be easy.” The country’s inflation rate has accelerated for seven straight months,

Tony Chukwunyem

he Managing Director/Chief Economist, Africa Global Research at Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan, has disagreed with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) over its position on the rising inflation rate. At the end of its meeting in Abuja last Friday, the MPC had stated that while it was concerned by the gradual but steady increase in headline inflation, “most inflationary drivers such as fuel shortages weren’t permanent

reaching 9.2 per cent in June, to exceed the apex bank’s six per cent to nine percent target band. The MPC kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at 13 per cent last Friday and also kept the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) on public and private sector deposits unchanged at 31 per cent. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said that naira, which has lost around 15 per cent against dollar over the last year, with an official devaluation in November and a de facto one in February, was "appropriately priced" at its current level of N197.

The bank has curbed interbank access to hard currency over the last few months in a bid to keep the naira on an even keel, although the restrictions have angered investors and frustrated companies that need dollars for imports. Emefiele rejected the idea of loosening the forex curbs, saying that the central bank could not adopt an "indeterminate policy" of currency depreciation. The weak currency has put pressure on inflation, which at 9.2 per cent is above the upper limit of the central bank's target range.

Economic Indicators M2* CPS* INF MPR 91-day NTB Bonny Light Ext Res**

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 9.2 13 10.77 US$56.51 US$30,773,635,250

As at Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 June, 2015 4/6/2015 Mar 2015 23/7/2015 23/7/2015

Source:CBN

Description 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 16.00 29-JUN-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 98.07 100.66 103.59 103.49 106.63 97.05 68.00 85.93

1.06 1.76 3.93 4.56 6.51 8.64 15.00 18.98

NIBOR

Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

Rate (%) 19.2083 15.4321 16.6393 17.5294

Bid Yield 15.05 14.62 14.75 14.46 14.77 14.81 15.57 14.32

Change (%) -10.33▼ -0.30 ▼ -0.30 ▼ -0.03 ▼

Change (%) 0.12 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.00 ↔ -0.04 ▼ -0.03 ▼ 0.03 ▲ 0.00 ↔ -0.15 ▼

Price 98.22 100.81 103.89 103.79 106.93 97.35 68.30 86.23

Tenor (Months)

Offer Yield 14.89 14.52 14.65 14.37 14.70 14.74 15.50 14.27

NITTY

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Rate (%) 11.8199 13.2081 14.1638 14.1849 14.6000 14.6276

Spot ($/N)

Offer 197.55

Change (%) -0.21 ▼ 0.01 ▲ 0.32 ▲ 0.29 ▲ 0.41 ▲ -0.31 ▼

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) 13.50 14.00 0.07 ▲ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 14.17 29-Oct-15 13.75 14.27 0.07 ▲ 12.53 13.36 -0.05 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 14.67 21-Jan-16 12.78 13.64 -0.05 ▼ 12.55 14.07 -0.01 ▼ 02-Jun-16 12.80 14.39 -0.01 ▼ Bid 197.45

Change (%) 0.12 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.00 ↔ -0.04 ▼ -0.03 ▼ 0.03 ▲ 0.00 ↔ -0.15 ▼

Change (%) -0.44 ▼

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) -14.83▼ -14.67▼

Change (%) 0.00↔

CBN Clearing Rates of July 24, 2015 Spot($/N)

196.00

197.00

0.00 ↔ Source: FMDQ

port services. He debunked speculations that the thirty pounds fee charged by the firm for the exercise was high, adding that it was to cover the firms’ cost. He said: “They (IOS) are not paying us one kobo. We told them to recover their cost; I think the cost was meant to be something like fifty pounds, but it was brought down to thirty. They have also agreed to go anywhere there are Nigerians. For instance, they will go to China.” Shonubi explained that the first day of the exercise at the Nigerian High Commission seemed rowdy because the firm had not envisaged that Nigerians residing in the UK would come out in the large numbers that they did for the exercise. In order to prevent a recurrence, he disclosed that the firm, in conjunction with the NIBSS, had set up a website through which Nigerians in the

Diaspora could enroll on the BVN platform. Reacting to complaints that many customers in Nigeria who had registered for the BVN exercise were yet to receive their numbers, Shonubi revealed that NIBSS had worked out an arrangement that would see it sending the numbers to such customers via Short Messaging System (SMS) in the next few weeks. He stressed that currently, there were no plans to extend the new deadline of October 31 for bank customers both at home in foreign countries to register for the BVN, urging Nigerians that were yet to obtain their BVN to do so before the date, otherwise, they could be denied access to their accounts. Also speaking at the briefing, BVN Project Manager at NIBSS, Mr. Seyi Ademosun, explained that to obtain their BVN, customers in the Diaspora would henceforth have to book an appointment for the exercise online.

Sterling Bank deploys BVN solutions for customers

terling Bank Plc has successfully deployed an innovative solution to enable customers who had previously enrolled for their Bank Verification Number (BVN) with other banks to upload it on its platform via their mobile phones. With this development, customers, according to a statement from the lender, are now able to seamlessly comply with the regulatory requirement on BVN and save themselves the stress of having to come to the banking hall. On how the development affects customers, the bank said: “It aims to make the exercise seamless, easy and consistent with the move towards self-service that has become the order of the day. Ultimately, it also enables the bank comply with the CBN’s position within reasonable time.”

Customers who had already registered with other banks can now register their BVN by dialling *822*3*BVN#. For its Sterling Alternative Finance offering (non interest banking) customers, the code to dial is *822*4*BVN#, Sterling Bank said. The bank gave an assurance that it would continuously strive to improve its processes to “ensure the customer experience at every touch point matches our brand promise.” Already, the bank said it had distributed BVN cards produced by NIBSS to all the customers who have registered. Meanwhile, some customers of the bank have continued to commend the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for extending the deadline of the BVN programme by four months until October 31, 2015.

Forex reserves hit $30.69bn

igeria's foreign exchange reserves rose to $30.69 billion by July 22, up 5.6 per cent from $29.03 billion a month earlier, latest data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has shown. However, the forex reserves were down 20.9 per cent from $$38.8 billion a year ago.

The growth in reserves for the month was attributed to efforts of the present government to plug leakage and demand management by the apex bank. The CBN restricted access to foreign exchange last month and introduced tight control of the foreign exchange market to curb speculation and conserve forex reserves.

Business | News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

76.8m lack Internet access in Nigeria –Investigation GAP NCC is engaging various regulatory activities to bridge the digital gap Kunle Azeez

n estimated 48 per cent or 76.8 million people still lack access to the Internet with majority of affected located in the rural and semi-urban area where Internet connectivity is still low, New Telegraph findings have shown. This is coming just as the total number of mobile individuals connected to the Internet grew to 88.1 million, representing a 52 per cent Internet teledensity in the country. While the National Population Commission (NPC) estimates the county’s population to have reached 170 million, the teledensity is based on the initial 160 million population figure. As at May, this year, the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, showed that Internet subscriptions grew by 30 per cent year-on-year to 88.1 million in May. This represents a density of 52 per cent, placing Nigeria well above the African average of around 16 per cent as estimated by McKinsey, a research firm. According to experts, the surge in Internet penetration has enhanced trade by spurring e-commerce transactions. Based on industry information, the leading online stores are said to have achieved about N1.5 billion worth of transactions per month. Meanwhile, the NCC has said that Nigeria’s five submarine fibre-optic cables operators - MainOne, Globacom, MTN Group, NITEL and Dolphin Telecoms are expected to facilitate ubiquitous internet and broadband services. In 2013, when the Federal Government approved the broadband plan, broadband Internet penetration stood at just six per cent, while it increased to eight per cent last year. Submarine cables have about 19.2 terabytes in capacity across Africa, including over 340 gigabytes bandwidth capacity in Nigeria. As at 2014, investment in submarine cable systems across Africa was approximately $20 billion,

with Nigeria accounting for 35 per cent of this figure. Over the past few years, the broadband sector has attracted sizeable investment with plans ongoing by the NCC to attract additional $10 billion into the sector over the next five years. Experts expect that the new government will build upon existing policies geared towards expanding the industry. Though, the country

has an auspicious target of 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, in line with its National Broadband Plan (NBP), the pace has been slow and the country’s submarine cable capacity utilisation rate is still less than 10 per cent. The Global Connectivity Index (GCI), a quantitative assessment tool, ranks Nigeria 47th globally and places the country among the top three emerging broadband mar-

kets. GCI is promoted by Huawei, the large Chinese telecoms operator. The report, which is the second annual GCI of Huawei released in Shenzhen, China, recently, ranked 50 economies in terms of connectivity, ICT usage, and digital transformation. The index focuses on a total of 38 variables such as networks, connectivity, computing, mobile adoption, digital economy, service demand and e-

commerce to determine the position of each of the 50 nations. The variables are divided across four areas namely supply, demand, experience and potential being measured and analysed. The 50 countries are listed under three categories namely leaders, followers and beginners on the GCI list. According to the report, South Africa and Egypt are ranked number

33 and 36 respectively and fall under the followers' category. While, Morocco, Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana fall under the beginners section of the index, the countries are ranked 42, 43, 46, 47, and 48 respectively. However, industry experts say to ensure ICT growth, African countries need to develop national broadband strategies to compete with developing nations.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Insurance INVESTMENT The pension fund currently put at N6.9 trillion has been attracting investors’ interest Stories by Sunday Ojeme

he Director-General, National Pension Commission (PenCom) Mrs. Chinelo AhinuAmazu, has projected that the number of workers contributing to the new pension scheme will rise to 20 million from the current 6.5 million by the year 2019. Anohu-Amazu, stated this while addressing participants during the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She also clamoured for the investment of pension funds within the African continent in line with the vision and ideas of the African Union’s long term economic development plan tagged Agenda 2063. The AU Agenda 2063 is both a vision and an action plan, a call for action to all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny. It is expected to translate this vision and ideals into concrete objectives, milestones, goals, targets and actions/measures

PenCom: Pension contributors to hit 20m by 2019

and it is supposed to enable Africa remain focused and committed to the ideals envisaged in the context of a rapidly changing world. In operational terms, the Agenda 2063 would be a rolling plan of 25 years, 10 years, five years and short term action. Sharing her thoughts on “Leveraging Pension Funds for Financing Infrastructure Develop-

ment in Africa” in one of the discussion panels, she said PenCom is committed to the vision and ideals of the AU Agenda 2063 and would promote the investment of accumulated pension fund assets within the continent. “PenCom is committed to promote sustainable pension fund investments on the African continent and welcomes the AU Agenda 2063 as well as

11 years after it was established. She said the Commission hopes to raise the coverage using the Micropension initiative, which it planned to launch very soon. “The current position of 6.5 million contributors is low relative to estimated working population. There is plan to expand it to at least 20 million by 2019 through Micro Pensions. This is

L-R: Managing Director, Heritage Banking Company Limited, Mr. Ifie Sekibo; Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun; Managing Director, SecureID Limited, Mrs Kofo Akinkugbe and Managing Director, Intermac Consulting, Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, during the cutting of the tape to commence the CBN Cashless Card Expo at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

NIMC set August date for partnership with NHIS

the Programme for Infrastructure Development (PIDA). It would project same through the annual World Pension Summit (WPS) ‘Africa Special’ in collaboration with the WPS Amsterdam,” Anohu-Amazu said. Speaking on the Contributory Pension Scheme, the Director General, expressed dissatisfaction with the level of coverage of the scheme

pertinent also due to inadequate social safety nets. This is a Pan-african issue that should provoke ideas sharing,” Anohu-Amazu said. She asserted that the Nigerian pension reform represents a major action in Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (DRM), an AU policy that stemmed from the realisation that Africa should take responsibility and indeed possess the resources, if properly mobilised, for its own economic development. This reform is mobilising funds which hitherto were untapped, she stressed.

he Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Chris Onyeneme, has confirmed that the agency will go into partnership with the handlers of the National Health Insurance Scheme next month. Onyeneme, who disclosed this in Abuja, also said that the National Identity Management System (NIMS) was now functional. The DG said that the task of verifying and authenticating identity cards had become more effective, stressing that after decades of trying the system, it was finally a reality for NIMS to ensure safety of Nigerian identities. “Commission is also working tirelessly to ensure that proliferation of data, fraudulent activities and cases of insecurity, among others, are addressed within the shortest possible time,’’ he said. He pointed out that the commission was working towards the harmonisation and integra-

tion of data in partnership with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), adding that the NIMS has come to stay in Nigeria after decades of trying. He said that the system would also contribute to the enhancement of security in the country. “It is the foundation identity that can be verified and authenticated either online or offline, before any service can be rendered to any individual. It is interesting to note that tackling insecurity and reaching out to the poor and unemployed is part of the present administration’s agenda. “With the National Identity Management System in place, assured identity and global access is the future of Nigeria,’’ he said. Onyemenam said that Nigeria had witnessed series of poverty alleviation programme which failed to reach the beneficiaries because of lack of authentic identity management system to verify beneficiaries.

'Directorate saves N100m monthly from ghost pensioners' FRAUD About 3,000 fake pensioners were discovered

xecutive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Nellie Mayshak, has said that the discovery of over 3,000 ghost police pensioners has saved the Federal Government over N100 million monthly. Mayshak, who spoke during a sensitisation workshop in Abuja, said that the directorate saved

the Federal Government over N100 million monthly which would have been paid to the ghost pensioners. The workshop was to sensitise stakeholders, particularly the pensioners, to what they were expected to do to access their entitlements effortlessly. She said: “When PTAD was first given the police pensions payroll, it contained 18,000 pensioners, which we thought were all genuine, but when we went around the states to verify, we discovered that there were just 15,000 pensioners in the police. “If we had not made this discovery, we would have been paying pension to those non-existing

3,000 pensioners.” She advised pensioners to submit their pension records to PTAD so that it could access their liabilities and advise them appropriately. According to her, there are 104,000 pensioners in the civil service, 13,000 in parastatal agencies and 15,000 in the police. She said that and that PTAD was handling the payrolls of 132,000 pensioners from the civil service, parastatal organisations and the police. “PTAD had sensitised pensioners through their unions, radio commercials, newspaper advertisements and text messages, not to pay money to any person before their files could be processed,” she noted.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business | Insurance

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

Regulators fine Cornerstone N128m PENALTIES NAICOM and SEC have been relying on heavy fines to whip insurance firms into line Sunday Ojeme

he penalties by regulatory bodies sweeping across the insurance sector has caught up with Cornerstone Insurance Plc as it was compelled to cough up about N128 million as fines for operational flaws. Lamenting the situation at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, some shareholders said that it was painful to see on record N128 million fine

paid by the company to the National Insurance Commission(NAICOM) and other regulators because of various offences. Specifically, one of the shareholders, Mr. Akinsonya Solomon, noted that fines heaped on operating firms by the regulators were weighing heavily on them, as virtually the firms have been fined for one offence or the other this year. He said that it was unbecoming of the Financial Reporting Council to be encating laws that keep

operating firms in the system very uncomfortable. Mr Robert Igwe, also a shareholder, demanded that the NIA as the umbrella body of underwriters take up the issue of statutory deposit of the industry lying idle with little or no interest with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the lawmakers. He observed that the huge amount could yield good interest to the various firms if used in business, adding that on the alternative, the CBN should

pay interest commensurate to the quantum of money deposited by the various companies. Meanwhile, Cornerstone’s financial reports showed that its profit after tax grew by 11 per cent from N860.36 million in 2013 to N946.48 million in 2014, while its profit before tax increased by 20 per cent from N870.2 million in 2013 to N1.04 billion in 2014. The Group Chairman, Adedotun Sulaiman, said: “The financial performance in 2014 is a re-

flection of our deliberate focus on profitable underwriting and investment performance, while cautiously pursuing top-line growth.” While the gross premium written stood at N5.21 billion in 2014, the gross premium income grew by 12 percent, moving up from N4.62 billion in 2013 to N5.19 billion. Its underwriting profit also rose by 60 percent from N939 million to N1.50 billion, even as the company paid claims totalling N1.23 billion dur-

ing the year under review. Sulaiman also said that the group achieved a 12 percent growth in investment income from N890 million in 2013 to N999 million in 2014. Similarly, shareholders equity appreciated by 12 percent from N6.90 billion to N7.76 billion, while retained earnings inched up from a negative N555 million in 2013 to N99 million in 2014. The underwriting firm also paid a dividend of 2 kobo per share to its shareholders for the 2014 financial year.

Bird Flu: Firm plans free insurance for farmers

rand Cereals Limited says it has concluded plans to introduce free insurance scheme to poultry farmers, have up to 500 birds as a step to cut short the effect of bird flu. Managing Director of the company, Mr. Layi Oyatoki, who disclosed this in Jos. He said that the company initiated the insurance scheme to insure farms against the dreaded disease (bird flu) and cushion its effect whenever it occurs. Oyatoki said that the insurance would encourage both old and new farmers to continue with the poultry business with the assurance that they have something to fall back on in the event of an outbreak. "The insurance is absolutely free for farmers, who have up to 500 birds; the company will pay the premium on their behalf provided they are using the Grand Cereals' feed (Vital feed) consistently," he said. Oyatoki said: "Our intention is to cover any farmer using Vital feed; we don't have a ceiling for the number of farmers that we intend to cover. The Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) is covering the cost of raising a bird from pullet to lay at the cost of N1,450 per bird, and the company is paying the premium of four percent of the amount."

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Daisy Management Centre, Ibiai Ani; Chief Executive Officer, Bestman Games, Nimi Akinkugbe and Head, Corporate Affairs, Heritage Bank, Fela Ibidapo, during the Financial Literacy Lecture and Monopoly Tournament, sponsored by the bank at the University of Lagos, Lagos

Niger Insurance earns N11bn income

iger Insurance Plc achieved a gross premium written of N11.06 billion in 2014 as against N10.44 billion recorded in 2013, representing a growth of 5.95 per cent. The company’s Chairman, Bala Zakariyau, disclosed this during the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the organisation in Sokoto. He said that the group's profit after tax rose to N690.96 million in 2014 from N627.42 million in 2013 despite the challenges in the operating environment. The management’s ability to cut costs also helped to increase the profit as its expenses reduced by 29.27 per cent from N4.68 billion in 2013 to N3.31 billion in 2014. He also said that the

net premium income of the underwriting outfit increased by about 1.45 per cent to N9.79 billion in 2014 from N9.65 billion in 2013. Niger Insurance is increasing equity in the business and also improving on its insurance fund as investment income grew by 46 per cent to N1.15 billion in 2014 from N790.54 million in 2013. Zakariyau explained that the growth in investment income was due to strict implementation of NAICOM directives on “No Premium No Cover Policy” from January 1, 2014. The policy aims to stimulate liquidity within the system by reducing the huge receivables being carried on the statement of financial position of insurance companies.

PenCom seeks closer ties between PFAs, clients

he National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to set up Client Familiarity Index for their clients’ database. The decision by the regulator is to enable the PFAs render excellent services to workers that have registered under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Head, PenCom’s Surveillance Department, Mohammad Datti, in a statement, said: “The Commission has observed the dearth of adequate information on clients with Pension Fund Administrators. This has continued to impact negatively on the ability of PFAs to provide service to clients, including ability to pay clients as at when due, as well as to deliver quarterly statements on a consistent and timely manner.” The regulator, in a circular issued to the pension fund operators, mandated them to establish the CFI to enable them build a database on each of their clients. CFI, popularly known as Know Your Customer, is a term commonly

used for customer identification process. It requires a client to fill a form with basic information such as name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, among others for identification purposes. This information enables the company to maintain contact with the client as well as effectively identify, verify and monitor them. The PFAs are now required to develop a CFI form to be completed by new clients at the point of registration, while existing clients are also required to fill out the forms, which should be updated after every three years through sales agents. Among other things, the form is expected to capture client names; date and place of birth; gender and marital status; nationality, state of origin and local government area; current home address, postal address, permanent home address and proposed address after retirement; name of next of kin; and name of beneficiary (i.e. the person to be paid in the event of the client’s death).

Business |Financial Market News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

24-Jul-15

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information.

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description ^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 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 13-Feb-15 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 261.73 605.31 599.99 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 340.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,890.82

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,484.39

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

1.06 1.76 2.01 2.10 2.85 3.93 4.25 4.56 6.51 8.64 13.35 13.83 14.33 15.00 18.98

15.05 14.62 14.64 14.65 14.70 14.75 14.58 14.46 14.77 14.81 16.23 16.41 16.61 15.57 14.32

14.89 14.52 14.55 14.56 14.63 14.65 14.47 14.37 14.70 14.74 16.17 16.34 16.52 15.50 14.27

98.07 100.66 91.91 90.67 90.91 103.59 76.57 103.49 106.63 97.05 93.31 78.75 56.10 68.00 85.93

98.22 100.81 92.06 90.82 91.06 103.89 76.87 103.79 106.93 97.35 93.61 79.05 56.40 68.30 86.23

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.94 1.38 1.74 1.95

2.94 1.00 2.66 3.13

17.56 15.79 17.39 17.79

99.73 100.19 102.95 98.73

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

297.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

300.32

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.10

4.44

16.79

99.50

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.19

3.23

16.70

99.27

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

2.60

30-Jun-16

0.68

4.46

18.52

97.20

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

3.96

30-Jun-16

0.69

3.48

17.56

98.68

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.74

1.00

15.73

91.52

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

21.24

30-Jun-17

1.23

1.00

15.77

97.83

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.44

1.79

16.46

95.19

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.82

1.00

15.70

97.42

Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.83

1.00

15.70

97.39

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

2.02

1.00

15.64

98.10

Bb-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

2.02

4.78

19.42

91.55

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.00

1.00

15.64

99.74

BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

*GOMBE LAGOS

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12

15.50 14.50 14.75

15.09 80.00 24.74

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19

2.44 4.33 2.50

2.02 1.00 1.00

16.69 15.53 15.68

97.70 96.78 98.17

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

10.46

10-Oct-20

3.04

1.82

16.53

95.99

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.35

1.00

15.57

92.63

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.44

1.00

15.59

97.86

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.30

31-Dec-20

3.28

1.00

15.73

97.04

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.31

06-Jan-21

3.31

1.00

15.73

98.22

99.80

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

440.27 420.92

Corporate Bonds BBB+/Agusto BBB-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

2.50

17-Aug-15

0.07

1.00

12.86

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.38

09-Dec-15

0.38

1.00

14.98

98.90

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.22

06-Jan-16

0.45

2.63

16.41

98.90

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.18

1.00

15.76

97.06

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.26

1.34

16.11

97.89

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.19

1.00

15.65

95.18

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.56

30-Nov-17

1.42

1.88

16.68

102.29

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

5.40

09-Apr-18

1.46

1.00

15.81

100.18

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.63

1.00

15.77

102.91

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.63

1.00

15.77

100.26

A+/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

30-Sep-18

3.19

3.00

17.73

91.15

BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.74

2.29

17.02

98.13

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.36

17-Feb-19

1.82

6.11

20.81

96.17

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.44

2.16

16.83

98.35

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.31

2.76

17.32

92.93

BBB/GCR

FCMB

14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021

20-Nov-14

14.25

26.00

20-Nov-21

6.33

1.80

16.61

90.92

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.44

1.00

15.83

102.39

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.19

1.00

16.02

101.19

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.19

1.00

16.02

86.84

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

177.87

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

169.30

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.55

1.00

15.68

88.82

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

3.77

1.00

15.74

87.78

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 22.03

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding 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

6.30

6.06

102.06

103.19

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.26

4.91

99.62

100.59

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.59

6.42

98.69

99.73

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,501.87

Corporate Eurobonds B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.77

102.13

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.66

99.26

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

11.88

10.25

88.42

92.00

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.67

7.14

95.24

96.70

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.33

96.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

10.18

9.68

95.54

97.08

B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

8.25 AUG 07, 2020 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

07-Aug-13 24-Jun-14 23-Jul-14

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

07-Aug-20 24-Jun-21 23-Jul-21

9.72 10.77 10.11

9.72 10.34 10.11

93.70 93.68 90.00

93.70 95.48 90.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.71

10.20

90.75

92.88

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,650.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,465.54

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 13 20 34 41 48 62 69 83

FIXINGS Maturity 6-Aug-15 13-Aug-15 27-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15

Bid Discount (%) 11.90 12.00 11.78 12.27 12.69 12.58 13.34 13.72

Offer Discount (%) 11.65 11.75 11.53 12.02 12.44 12.33 13.09 13.47

Bid Yield (%) 11.95 12.08 11.91 12.44 12.90 12.85 13.69 14.16

Money Market Tenor

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 19.2083 15.4321 16.6393 17.5294

Rate (%)

OBB

14.17

O/N

14.67

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 13.00 13.25

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

197.75 199.39 199.79 200.78 202.98 205.59

197.85 199.91 200.35 201.41 203.82 206.73