Monday, march 23, 2015 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

A media partner of Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS /newtelegraph

Vol. 2 No. 397

Monday, March 23, 2015

Amaechi's deputy defects to PDP }6

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

MASSOB endorses Kalu, Ojukwu's son }47

PVC collection rate rises to 81.8% lINEC ends collection lPresidential poll: N'West, S'West voters hold the ace Onwuka Nzeshi and Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he collection of Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) officially ended yesterday with a total of 56, 431, 255,

representing 81.89 per cent of total PVCs produced and distributed. By implication, 12, 402,221 eligible voters did

N150

not collect their PVCs and will not be able to vote on Saturday. The Independent National Electoral Commis-

sion (INEC) said yesterday that about 68, 833, 476 voters were expected to cast their votes in this year's CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

5 days to go... Nigeria Nigeria votes votes

2015

5 201}14-15

Muhammadu Buhari: Electing the APC candidate president, will be disaster for Nigeria and Africa By Richard Grenell

ith the polls closed in Israel, international election observers now turn their attention to the Nigerian elections on March 28. The choice for the leader of Africa’s most populous country pits Goodluck Jonathan from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against Mohammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The decision by the roughly 73 million registered Nigerian voters could have a profound impact on the future of Africa. But Western foreign policy observers pre-occupied with the rise of ISIS in the Middle East should wake up to the reality unfolding in Nigeria. Opposition candidate General Buhari wants Sharia law throughout Nigeria. In fact, he wants it everywhere. “I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria,” Mr. Buhari said. “God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country.” Agitation? Is this an indication that Mr. Buhari supports violence because the end goal of the terrorist attacks throughout Nigeria and Africa is an Islamic state? It is a legitimate question that should be asked by leaders of the Obama administration. Boko Haram has pledged its allegiance and support to ISIS. The Northern Nigerian based Islamic terrorist group wants Sharia law throughout Nigeria and beyond. They are also actively terrorizing Chad, Niger and Cameroon with their goal of an Islamic state. Mr. Buhari has also spoken sympathetically about members of the terrorist group Boko Haram, has cautioned against a rush to judgement on its members and has personally been selected by the terrorist group to lead its negotiations with the Government of Nigeria. Mr. Buhari’s election as Nigeria’s head of state would be a disaster for Africa. It would also signal trouble for the West’s fight against ISIS and terrorism throughout the Middle East. Culled from: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/19/richardgrenell-nigeria-brink/#ixzz3V62YDlps

Move on Nigeria

approves this message and timely warning

Major General

Muhammadu

Buhari

MONday, March 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH MONday, March 23, 2015

Travel Advisory

MONday, March 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule Air France

Destination Abuja- Paris Paris-Lagos Paris-PHC PHC-Paris Paris –Abuja Lagos –Paris

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 Lagos-Amsterdam

KL587 KL588

13:15hrs 23:05hrs

20:00hrs 05:50hrs

KLM

ARIK AIRLINES

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York

W3 101 W3 102 W3 107 (Mon, Wed , Fri) New York-Lagos W3 108 (Tues,Thurs, Fri) Lagos-Johannesburg W3 103 Johannesburg-Lagos W3 104 Lagos-Douala - (Tues, Wed ,Thur) Douala-Lagos - (Tues, Wed, Thur) Lagos-Accra Accra-Lagos

Abuja-Accra Accra-Abuja Lagos-Freetown Freetown-Lagos Lagos-Banjul Banjul-Lagos Lagos-Dakar Dakar-Lagos

-(Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun) -(Mon, Wed, Fri) -(Daily) - (Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri,Sat) -(Tue,Wed, Fri,Sat,Sun)

BRITISH AIRWAYS

London-Lagos Lagos-London Abuja-London Abuja-London

07:00hrs 20:05hrs 20:10hrs 11:45hrs

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 08:30hrs

22:20hrs 13:30hrs

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS

16:00hrs

Lagos-Kigali

11:15hrs

16:45hrs

10:45hrs 09:35hrs 11:10hrs 13:25hrs 07:20hrs 17:00hrs 08:05hrs 13:35hrs 18:00hrs

hrs 14:44hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs

AWB 201 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) AWB 202 (Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun)

14:00hrs

17:30hrs

22:35hrs 15:10hrs

06:00hrs 21:20hrs

17:00hrs 06:00hrs 08:00hrs 17:00hrs 08:00hrs 15:20hrs 21:00hrs

hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs

01:00hrs

hrs

3:00hrs 14:00hrs

8:00hrs 19:00hrs

EK 7821 (Sun-Sat) EK 7822 EK 7831 EK 7811 EK 761

21:30hrs 14:40hrs 07:35hrs 14:20hrs 23:55hrs

07:40hrs 01:05hrs 12:50hrs 19:45hrs 10:30hrs

Lagos-Doha Flight Doha-Lagos Flight

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 07:20hrs

23:45hrs 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 ET900 Addis Ababa - Lagos ET901 Abuja - Addis Ababa ET910 Addis Ababa - Abuja ET911 Enugu - Addis Ababa ET930 Addis Ababa - Enugu ET931 Kano - Addis Ababa ET930 Addis Ababa - Kano ET931

13:15hrs 09:00hrs 13:40hrs 09:40hrs 12:00hrs 09:20hrs 14:05hrs 09:20hrs

20:25hrs 12:15hr 20:10hrs 12:20hrs 20:50hrs 11:15hrs 20:50hrs 13:20hrs

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 16:00hrs

5:25+1hrs 20:20hrs

Lagos-Casablanca Casablanca-Lagos

AT738 AT 737

06:25hrs 02:15hrs

09:55hrs 6:00hrs

air maroc

20.45hrs 09:50hrs 09.20 hrs 06:30hrs

12:30hrs

Lagos-Dubai Lagos-Dubai Dubai-Lagos Dubai-Lagos Abuja-Dubai

IBERIA

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

EY 0672 (Sunday) (Monday) (Saturday) EY 955

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

MEA 571 MEA 572

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

to Lagos)

UNITED AIRLINES

17:00hrs 4:40hrs

KQ 533 KQ 534

11:55hrs 5:50hrs 14:35hrs 06:00hrs

DELTA AIRLINES

11:00hrs 22:40hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

17:55hrs 00:00hrs 09:00hrs 22:40hrs

QATAR AIRWAYS

VS 652 VS 651

18:30hrs 05:15hrs 05:30hrs

BA075 BA074 BA 082 BA 083

EMIRATES AIRLINES

Lagos-London London-Lagos

12:00hrs 21:30hrs 23:50hrs

Middle East Airlines (Two flights weekly (Tues & Friday)

Lebanon-Lagos Lagos-Lebanon

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

RwandAir

Kigali-Lagos

Turkish Airlines

Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

332 333

Air Côte d'Ivoire Lagos to Abidjan Abidjan to Lagos

HF 851 (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun) HF 852 (Mon,Wed, Thurs, Sat)

ASKY AIRLINES

Destination Lome to Abuja Abuja-LomeKinshasa 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

10:10hrs

10:50hrs

19:20hrs

21.50hrs

Flight No. KP 032 (Tue-Fri) KP 032 ( Tue-Fri)

Departure Arrival 14:00hrs 15:55hrs 16:30hrs 18:15hrs

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)

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

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

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

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONday, March 23, 2015

L-R: Presidential candidates - Professor Comfort Oluremi Sonaiya (KOWA); Martin Onovo (NCP); President Goodluck Jonathan (PDP) and Chekwas Okorie (UPP), at a debate in Abujaâ&#x20AC;Śyesterday.

Jonathan in final push to reclaim â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unsure states' lI'll lead with integrity, Buhari assures private sector Donald Ojogo and Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

resident Goodluck Jonathan has commenced deft moves to firm up his support base in some states considered as 'dicey and unsure' for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday's presidential poll. Among the states are: Delta, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Ebonyi and Kebbi. In these states, several issues, ranging from choice of governorship candidates and control of the party's structure, have caused disaffection among party members, many of who are waiting to exact their pound of flesh from the party by working for

the opposition during the elections. New Telegraph gathered from a Presidency source that aside personal visits to some of the states, Jonathan was billed to have private sessions with leaders and stakeholders of the PDP in the affected states where issues of 'common interests will be ironed out before March 28'. According to the source, a series of meetings are likely to hold within the next two days to 'calm frayed nerves' in the affected states with a view to mobilising them to support the president. "There are issues in most of the states. But for now, the most worrisome states are Delta, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Katsina, Bauchi and Adamawa where there are some very serious issues to be sorted

out. "The most dangerous of the scenario is that all the governors are claiming to be working for the PDP and Mr. President, but in the real sense of it, there are very incontrovertible security reports that there are underground moves by some senior party leaders to undermine the process. "In some cases, while the governors are still claiming to be working for the PDP, their supporters have all gone to either the APC or LP. These are very serious matters that the president has not taken so lightly; but he has decided to go personally and intervene in the states. "The truth is that not all measures aimed at stemming the ugly move can be made public because of the intricacies involved in it; but all I can say is that

the president has decided to hold secret meetings with party leaders to calm frayed nerves," the source said. It was gathered that as part of the moves, Jonathan would, on Thursday, visit Delta State to perform the groundbreaking ceremony of the Delta EPZ project that has strained relations between the Itsekiri and Ijaw in the state. Meanwhile, Jonathan's main challenger in the election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assured the private sector that he will lead the country with integrity and honour, if elected. Buhari, at a dinner for members of the Abuja private sector forum in Abuja at the weekend, said everything that would improve

Chadian helicopters bomb Boko Haram lDHQ angry over 'unfair comments' Emmanuel Onani Abuja

wo Chadian army helicopters bombed Nigerian Boko Haram positions yesterday, killing several dozen militants near a village on the border with Niger. A report by Reuters quoted a senior Niger military official as saying the helicopters destroyed several vehicles and motorcycles carrying fighters in the Nigerian village of Djaboullam, which lies east across the border from the Niger town of Diffa. Niger and Chadian soldiers have been fighting

the Islamist militants in a joint mission with Nigeria and Cameroon since March 2, in a bid to end Boko Haram's six-year insurgency in Nigeria that is threatening regional stability. "Niger and Chad had received intelligence that a group of Boko Haram fighters had gathered in the border village," the officer said. The Niger military officer, who requested anonymity, said Boko Haram fighters had moved to Djaboullam after they were chased from other towns by the Nigerian army. Militants were also gathering in other border towns from where they

routinely launch mortar rounds into Niger, he said. "We know they are massing in Malam Fatori, waiting for us to come," he said, referring to another northeast Nigerian town about three kilometres from Bosso, the nearest town across the border in Niger. However, it was learnt that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) was not comfortable with some comments credited to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and its neighbours against Boko Haram. According to PRNigeria, "investigations...

revealed that DHQ was especially piqued about distracting comments such as the one announcing that some of the cooperating countries have been entering Nigerian territory without the Federal Government's authorisation or that DHQ refused to respond to calls by MJTF partners to send troops to liberated communities. "A source disclosed that due to certain experiences in the past, DHQ had instructed troops never to leave any territory where they are stationed even in response to distress calls about terroristsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; invasion from unreliable and unverifiable sources."

business in the country would be given priority by his government. He listed what Nigeria needs to create conducive atmosphere for business to include the review of the Land Use Act and provision of stable power supply. He said: "We would strengthen and make government institutions more independent to provide the necessary regulatory framework for conducive business environment. We would provide level playing field and will not allow politics to creep into and constrain the business climate. We would embark on multiple tracks reform in the oil and gas sector, especially the government institutions like the NNPC to block revenue transmission leakages and make them more efficient and accountable. "We shall embark on a National Infrastructural Development Programme that will promote road, air and water transportation in the country to make Nigeria a hub of the West African sub region. Roads and rail construction will unlock a value chain of opportunities for construction companies, builders, engineers, architects, quarry operators, cement and iron rod production and supply." Buhari also promised that his administration would review the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework with a view to strengthening its legal, regulatory and operational systems. Besides, it will provide incentives to accelerate public and private sector investments in the green field ports development and inland waterways. He stated that it took the

party six months research to draft its manifesto to revamp the economy. "The manifesto of our great party, the APC, which took six months of surveys and painstaking analyses of the Nigerian condition to develop, has come out with a comprehensive Economic Development Plan geared towards promoting agriculture, power supply, infrastructural development, industrialization and job creation, amongst others. We shall promote sound macro-economic policy environment, run an efficient and transparent government, restore and strengthen financial confidence by putting in place a more robust monitoring, supervision and regulation of all financial institutions," he added. He also told his audience that he is happy that Nigerians have imbibed the clamour for change. "The desire for change in Nigeria today is not just an All Progressives Congress (APC) affair, but has turned into a national movement underpinned by a national agenda of arresting the drift and promoting the unity and development of our country. This desire for change has been embraced by all and sundry from all over the country. "I am sure you are all concerned about the general deterioration in all sectors of the Nigerian society, in particular the business environment which has been negatively affected by mismanagement, profligacy, bad governance, corruption and, above all, pervasive insecurity in our land and therefore has not been able to advance the course of doing business in our country," he said.

MONday, March 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG issues fuel import allocations to 36 marketers

lMarketers jittery over subsidy backlog as elections fear heightens Adeola Yusuf

he Federal Government has approved the list of allocation of the second quarter fuel imports submitted by Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulating Agency (PPPRA) for all the five major oil marketers and 31 independent marketers, New Telegraph has learnt. PPPRA Executive Secretary, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, had earlier submitted the list to the Minister of Pe-

troleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, for approval. It was learnt that Folawiyo, Aiteo, NIPCO, Conoil and other companies were given 90, 000 metric tonnes allocation each, based on their impressive performance in the first quarter allocation. Following the approval, it was gathered that marketers at the weekend besieged the headquarters of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to secure import clearance while

some are still struggling to obtain permits from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). These permits are needed for the importation. Executive Secretary, Major Oil marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Thomas Olawore, could not be reached by phone for comment. A marketer, who craved anonymity, however, said the approval was given to ease the lingering fuel scarcity. “Yes, MOMAN and the

independents (marketers) got their import approvals between Wednesday, March 18 and Friday, March 20. As for us, we got ours on Wednesday. The next stage, which is to secure permit from the DPR and clearance from the Customs, is ongoing. By Monday (today), God willing, a lot of importers must have secured these permits,” he said. It was also learnt that the fuel marketers were jittery over the payment of the subsidy backlog as the

uncertainty over who becomes the next president heightened. The Federal Government recently paid N100 billion-subsidy debt after MOMAN said the backlog had accumulated to N264 billion. The two major contenders for the presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan and Major General Muhammadu Buhari, have declared that they will not accommodate subsidy in their budgets. While Jonathan has

L-R: Executive Director, Risk Management, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Onome Olaolu; Ambassador of the Ireland to Nigeria, Ambassador Sean Hoy; Executive Director, Lagos and South West of the bank, Mr. Ikemuefuna Mbagwu and his counterpart at the Shared Services Department, Mrs. Chijioke Ugochukwu, during a visit by the Irish ambassador to the bank in Lagos... recently.

cut down subsidy in the 2015 budget to N100 billion, Buhari said he did not believe that petroleum products are subsidized. The PPPRA had expanded the list of importers to over 40 companies, beginning from the third quarter 2013 import allocations. About 30 oil firms were previously accredited for the exercise in the second quarter and they included Oando Plc, which won the biggest allocation of 135,000 tonnes, while Total Nigeria Plc and Folawiyo Oil and Gas got 90,000 tonnes allocation each. The business of fuel importation into the country was, before November 2011, an all-comers’ affair, resulting in manipulations and malpractices that swelled subsidy claims to about N2 trillion. A total of 128 companies were engaged in fuel importation in the old regime, thus providing an opportunity for the abuse of the system. However, in the first import permit in the first quarter of 2012, the number of participating companies was reduced from 128 to 42, before it was further slashed to 39 in the third quarter of 2012 and beyond. The volume of imported products also dropped from 5.036 billion litres in the first quarter of 2012 to 4.20 billion litres in the third quarter.

Rivers deputy governor dumps APC for PDP

lAmaechi: Jonathan’s wife collect $1m monthly from Wike Emmanuel Masha and Onyekachi Eze

he Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, yesterday dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He noted that “the APC was a party of rebels, insurgents and anarchists, clothed in robes of pretence and deceit.” The deputy governor, in a letter titled: “A call on the conscience of Rivers people,” washed his hands off APC’s plot against the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. Ikuru also urged the people of the state to vote for President Jonathan and Mr. Nyesom Wike, in the coming elections, stressing that Jonathan’s transformation agenda has impacted on their lives, and Nigerians in general. He said: “Today, I ad-

dress you out of the fullness of my heart. Recall that in December, 2013, out of extreme loyalty to my boss and friend, I joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with other then disillusioned Rivers people. “After carefully studying, interacting and analysing the leadership of the party, I have come to the conclusion that the APC is a party of rebels, insurgents, anarchists clothed in pretence and deceit. APC is a party founded on deception, and it thrives on unholy propaganda, and falsehood. “I therefore, on behalf of my teaming supporters and my humble self denounce the APC, and we all jointly and severally resign our membership of the APC. “My dear people of Rivers State, we of this generation will not in good conscience expect forgiveness

and compassion from our forebears, posterity, and the spirit of our unborn generations if it is recorded in the annals of history that after 48 years of Rivers people supporting leaders from all other parts of this country with our votes and resources, we were the same that witch hunted and hounded down the very first ever President from this region, granted us by providence.” However, the state government said it wishes Ikuru best of luck in his future political endeavours. The state Commissioner of Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the news remains unofficial as the deputy governor was yet to notify Governor Rotimi Amaechi of his move. The governor stated that the reasons adduced by Ikuru were shocking as he (Ikuru) has consistently

been the one driving political activities in his local government area of Andoni and has been the second in command driving politics and governance in Rivers State. On a personal note, Amaechi said he has accorded Ikuru all the privileges and respect due the office of the deputy governor and has treated him with love as a friend brother. In its reaction, the PDP said the defection of the deputy governor has dealt a mortal blow to the opposition party. In a statement by Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Femi Fani-Kaoye, yesterday the party advised other APC members to emulate the deputy governor of Rivers State by decamping to the PDP. “We are glad to hear about the return of the

deputy governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru, to the PDP family. This was a deeply courageous step and we welcome with open arms. “We encourage other key leaders of the APC to abandon the ranks of the doomed and to join the PDP. We urge them to see the light and retrace their steps in the same way that the deputy governor of Rivers State has done," Fani-Kayode said. He said the defection of the deputy governor at this critical time represents a deep and grievous spiritual wound on the APC. Ikuru, who was originally the deputy to Sir Celestine Omehia, until the Supreme Court judgement of 2007 brought Rotimi Amaechi to power, has been entangled in a leadership tussle with Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, the APC state chairman, who is from the same Andoni

Local Government Area with Ikuru. Meanwhile, Governor Rotimi Amaechi has accused the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State and former Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, of giving $1 million monthly to the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience. Amaechi spoke on Sunday at a Praise and Worship session organised by the Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) and Ikwerre Women Forum (IWF) at Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State. According to him, “Do you know that the PDP guber candidate, Nyesom Wike has been giving $1 million monthly to the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan? He has been doing this to gain political favour in the Presidency and to retain the favour.”

NEW TELEGRAPH MONday, March 23, 2015

News

MONday, March 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Presidential poll: N'West, S'West voters hold the ace CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

general elections after it had conducted Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) on registered voters. PVCs' collection has posed a challenge to many eligible voters, especially in the South with some voters claiming either slow pace in distribution by INEC officials or that their names were missing on the register or that their PVCs were not yet ready. INEC had embarked on PVC distribution since last year and had extended the period on many occasions, to enable those who could not collect their PVC to do so before the general elections. Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who released the latest figure on PVC distribution yesterday, ruled out further extension of the exercise. "I am not aware of any extension, or are you not comfortable with the figure?" he asked in response to a question of possible extension. The table released showed that Zamfara State has the highest number of PVC collection of 1, 435, 452, representing 95.97 per cent of 1, 495, 717 registered voters. Bauchi State followed with a to-

tal 1,907,081, representing 95.76 per cent of 2, 054, 125 registered voters. Ogun State occupies the rear with a total 1, 125, 657 (61.53 per cent) of 1, 829, 534 registered voters. It is followed by Edo State with 1, 230, 566 or 68. 81 per cent out of 1, 779, 738 registered voters. With the list, Kano State has the highest number of voters for the elections as 4,112, 039, representing 82.64 per cent, collected their PVCs. Lagos State, with the highest number of registered voters 5,822,207 came second as only 3,799,274, representing 65.25 per cent, collected their PVCs. However, as Nigerians head for the presidential election on Saturday, political pundits have predicted that the North-West and South-West with the highest number of voters in the federation, will decide the winner of the election. Both regions are believed to be the strongholds of the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), where the party plans to harvest block votes to trounce the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The prediction, New Telegraph learnt, is based on the sheer numerical strength of the voting

population in these two zones and the roles ethnicity and religion will play in the forthcoming elections. The South-West zone, comprising Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, has a voting population of 13.7 million out of which about 9.2 million have collected their PVCs. The North-West zone has a voting population of 17.6.million, out of which over 15.9 million are armed with their PVCs, ready to cast their ballot. The APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari is from Katsina State in the North-West while the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu hails from the South West region. On the other hand, the PDP has it greatest support in the South-South and South-East. President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP is from the South- South, comprising Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States. This primary constituency of the president has a total population of 10,059,347 registered voters out of which 8.4 million have collected their PVCs ahead of next Saturday’s election.

are you the one we are looking for? A fast-growing newspaper needs the services of the following: 1. Online Editor 2. Production Editors 3. Head, Supplement 4. Business Development Executives – South East, South South and North West ONliNE EDitOr: Candidate for this post must have at least a first degree in Mass Communication, Social Sciences or Arts and 10 years’ post-qualification experience, four of which must be in the online department of a reputable newspaper. The candidate must have good writing and editing skills, news judgment and be Internet savvy. He must be able to generate content for the web edition of the newspaper. PrODuctiON EDitOrS: Candidates for the post must have at least first degree in Mass Communication, Social Sciences or Arts and 10 years’ post-qualification experience, four of which must be in a similar position. In addition, the candidates should have strong computer skill and an eye for details. They should be able to drive the production process in such an efficient manner to ensure that the production deadline is timely met. HEaD, SuPPlEmENt: Candidate for the post must have at least first degree in Mass Communication, Social Sciences or Arts and seven years’ post-qualification experience. He/she must have strong editorial background with good writing skills. He must have proven track record in supplements and event execution and must be able to conceive and execute revenue-generating ideas. Business Development Executives in: i. South East ii. South South iii. North West Candidates for the post must possess a minimum of HND/BSC in Mass Communication, Marketing or Social Sciences with at least 3 years’ post qualification experience in similar position. He/She must have very strong communication skill and must be able to meet required sales target. Such candidates are also expected to reside in zones applied for. interested candidates should direct their applications to tHE HEaD, aDmiNiStratiON, DailY tElEGraPH PuBliSHiNG cOmPaNY limitED, 1, aJimOBi StrEEt, OFF acmE rOaD, aGiDiNGBi, iKEJa, laGOS or newjobstoday2015@gmail.com. The applications should reach the company within one-week of the publication of these vacancies.

In addition, the SouthEast zone, comprising Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States, has about 7.6 million registered voters, out of which about 6.6 million have obtained their PVCs. New Telegraph investigations revealed that if the assumptions of political strongholds are anything to go by, the APC will be going into the election with over 25 million votes, from South-West and North-West, in its kitty while the PDP will be having just about 15 million guaranteed votes from its strongholds. In the North-East geopolitical zone, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States, there are 8.9 million registered voters out of which about 7.7 have gotten their PVCs. Although, Jonathan has mobilised the military to record huge successes in the anti- insurgency war in the North-East, the anti- PDP sentiments in this region is so deep that the opposition might have an upper hand in terms of votes. Perhaps, the only other zone where the PDP might make significant impact outside the South-East and South-South is the North-Central. This zone, comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has 10.6 million voters out of which about 8.2 million have obtained their PVCs. But even at that, the opposition has made inroads into this region and might not yield grounds in Kwara, Nasarawa and Niger States. New Telegraph learnt that it is these permutations that has, more than anything else, boosted the confidence of the APC

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION S/N

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DISTRIBUTION OF PERMANENT VOTERS CARDS AS AT MARCH 21, 2015 States Number of Remarks Number of Cards Registered Collected % Voters by Voters (b) (c) (d) (e) ABIA 1,396,162 1,183,127 84.74 ADAMAWA 1,559,012 1,381,571 88.62 AKWA-IBOM 1,680,759 1,587,566 94.46 ANAMBRA 1,963,173 1,658,967 84.50 BAUCHI 2,054,125 1,967,081 95.76 BAYELSA 610,373 548,585 89.88 BENUE 2,015,452 1,607,800 79.77 BORNO 1,934,079 1,407,777 72.79 CROSS RIVER 1,175,623 983,968 83.70 DELTA 2,275,264 1,939,952 85.26 EBONYI 1,074,273 848,392 78.97 EDO 1,779,738 1,230,566 68.81 EKITI 732,021 522,107 71.32 ENUGU 1,429,221 1,223,606 85.61 FCT 881,472 569,109 64.56 GOMBE 1,120,023 1,070,725 95.60 IMO 1,803,030 1,707,449 94.70 JIGAWA 1,831,276 1,757,658 95.98 KADUNA 3,407,222 3,174,519 93.17 KANO 4,975,701 4,112,039 82.64 KATSINA 2,827,943 2,620,096 92.65 KEBBI 1,470,648 1,372,630 93.34 KOGI 1,350,883 926,013 68.55 KWARA 1,142,267 889,067 77.83 LAGOS 5,822,207 3,799,274 65.25 NASARAWA 1,242,667 1,048,053 84.34 NIGER 2,014,317 1,682,058 83.51 OGUN 1,829,534 1,125,657 61.53 ONDO 1,524,655 1,118,479 73.36 OSUN 1,407,107 1,033,229 73.43 OYO 2,415,566 1,639,967 67.89 PLATEAU 2,001,825 1,508,585 75.36 RIVERS 2,537,590 2,127,837 83.85 SOKOTO 1,611,929 1,527,004 94.73 TARABA 1,340,652 1,270,889 94.80 YOBE 1,099,970 824,401 74.95 ZAMFARA 1,495,717 1,435,452 95.97 Total 68,833,476 56,431,255 81.98

and informed the party's clamour for the use of the PVC and card readers. However, Jonathan has expressed confidence that he and his party would win

the March 28 presidential election. The president, in an interview on BBC, was quoted to have said: “I’ll surely win.”

Card reader stolen in Zamfara

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Zamfara State has lost one card reader during the training of ad-hoc staff in Anka Local Government Area, an official has confirmed. INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Alhaji Garba Galadima, who confirmed the incident yesterday in Gusau, the state capital, said security agents, were investigating the matter. Reacting on the issue, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Sunusi Amiru, said the police had already arrested some suspects in connection with the stolen machine. He said investigation had also commenced to

unravel the circumstances behind the missing machine. Amiru expressed the command's readiness to ensure peaceful election in the state, saying that "we will not tolerate any threat to disrupt election process and we have to ensure full protection of INEC materials." He called on members of the public to cooperate with security agents and the INEC to ensure successful elections. Meanwhile, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has intensified nationwide campaign against non-violence in the forthcoming general elections, scheduled for March 28 and April 11. Director-General, Prof.

Oshita Oshita, said that dialogue remained the best way to resolve any dispute that may arise from the elections. He said that the Stakeholders Dialogue for Peaceful 2015 Elections organised for stakeholders by the institute across the country had mapped out strategies to prevent and mitigate electoral violence. “There is always a price to pay for peace. The price to pay for peace at any time is sacrifice. Somebody must have to give something for peace to reign. “If two people want to maintain their positions, there will be problem. For there to be peace, there must be shifting of positions by both parties,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

News

NATIONAL

Varsity workers threaten strike over NUC circular Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

L-R: Minister of Trade & Investment, Olusegun Aganga; Manager, Middle East & Africa BYD Auto of China, Ivan Cao and Managing Director/ CEO, R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc., Seyi Onajide, at a courtesy visit and introduction of BYD electric vehicles to the Minister in Abuja

Jonathan: Why my government focuses on preventing corruption Onwuka Nzeshi and Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday gave reasons why his administration has not embarked on the usual bravado associated with fighting corruption in previous regimes, saying preventive actions were more potent than brazen enforcement in the fight against corruption. Jonathan gave this explanation yesterday while answering questions at the presidential debate organised by the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG). The debate, which took place at the Africa Hall of the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja saw Jonathan squaring up with the presidential candidates of other political parties. However, General Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the main opposition party,

the All Progressives Congress (APC) was absent at the event. Jonathan said that crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping had continued to thrive in spite of the stiff penalties, an indication that something more needed to be done to attack the problems of criminality and corruption at the root. He said that in pursuing the preventive option, his administration had adopted some key strategies such as strengthening the institutions, legal processes and re-orientation of the populace to understand the evil of corruption and to shun it. "The case of prevention is making sure that nobody even has the opportunity to steal what belongs to the public. We've done that in the agricultural sector where before this time, it was a major scandal every year. We have prevented people from stealing public funds

thorough government importation of fertilizer or other farm inputs. "In the payroll system where accountants in the offices stole a lot of money from salaries and pension funds, we have used the Integrated Personnel Pay System (IPPS), an electronic pay system to cut off corruption from the system. You can no longer steal money that does not belong to you. The revenue agencies are now queuing up to a platform that we have and they can no longer divert money because there is no more use of raw cash in government transactions," he said. According to Jonathan, these preventive methods of frustrating corruption will soon be introduced in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including those of the petroleum sector. He said that his administration was working hard to get the National Assembly to pass the

Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which would have unbundled the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and put an end to the lapses and leakages in the oil and gas sector. Jonathan reeled out the achievements of his administration in various sectors such as education, health, transportation and power and urged Nigerians to elect him at the March 28 presidential polls to enable him consolidate on the gains of the past four years. On the issue of insecurity and insurgency in the North-East, Jonathan disclosed that most of the territories seized by the Boko Haram terrorists have been recovered by the Nigerian troops and government was already working hard to ensure that these liberated communities were rebuilt to enable those who were displaced as a result of the crisis return to their homes.

We’re ready for presidential election, says army, police Emmanuel Onani

s Nigerians prepare for the March 28 presidential election, the Nigeria Army and the Nigeria Police yesterday assured the people of their preparedness to provide maximum security before, during and after the exercise, to guarantee its credibility. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had rescheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections from February 14 to March 28, while the governorship and Houses of

Assembly polls will hold on April 11. Speaking with New Telegraph in separate telephone conversations in Abuja yesterday, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Colonel Sani Usman and the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Acting Commissioner of Police, said the forces were adequately mobilised to deal with any form of threat to the exercise. They noted that the ongoing “operation show of force” exercise, was partly to demonstrate the capacity of the military and

the police to guarantee a violence-free and peaceful election as well as their readiness, at all times, to contain violent crimes such as terrorism, kidnappings and the like. When asked about the show of force operation, the DAPR said the “exercise is not just about election, but also to show the level of preparedness, regardless of our commitment to the fight against terrorism, insurgency and other criminality in the society.” He said the show of force was not “just in Abuja but all over the federation;

the exercise was hitch-free. Recall about two weeks ago, we carried out a similar exercise,” he said. On his part, Ojukwu said: “We are ready to do the work that Nigerians have asked us to do. Anybody who does anything that will bring disorder will be treated in line with the laws of Nigeria. “Any group that works against the law will be arrested and be treated in line with the law. We have enough capacity and presence on ground; enough willingness and motivation to carry out our mandate,” he said.

niversity workers under the auspices of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over what they called an ‘obnoxious circular’ by the National Universities Commission (NUC) ‘to obliterate the sanctity of the 2009 FGN/University-based union's Agreement.’ In a communique issued after its National Executive Counci l (NEC) meeting held at Obudu Mountain Re-

sort, Cross River State and made available to journalists yesterday, SSANU accused the NUC of unilaterally expunging, through a circular, the aspect of the agreement on university demonstration staff schools. The union also lamented the failure of government to pay the outstanding arrears of the ‘Earned Allowance’ and most especially, the political statements being made by government functionaries about the payment, which have put serious pressure on the leadership of the union at national and branch levels.

UNICEF: FG not on track to meet water, sanitation target Ladi Patrick ABUJA

s Nigeria marks the 2015 World Water Day, indication has emerge that the Federal Government is currently not on track to meeting the attainment of water and sanitation targets. This was despite revelation by UNICEF that about 2.3 billion people in the rural areas have gained access to im-

proved sources of drinking water in the country. In a statement signed by UNICEF Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku in Abuja, the body said the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the percentage of the global population with access to improved water is still beyond reach as the poor and vulnerable bear the brunt of this lack of access to water and sanitation.

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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro DEADLY AFFAIR

A man is killed by the lady he picked up at a night club John Edu

20-year-old lady, Gift Wahab, has claimed that she stabbed her live-in-lover, identified as Ebi, to death in selfdefence. The incident occurred on March 19 at Ajegunle area of Lagos State. The suspect said she picked the kitchen knife just to scare the 24-year-old victim from further hitting her. But, according to Wahab, rather than keep away, Ebi continued to beat her until the knife mistakenly tucked into his neck. Ebi bled to death. Trouble between the lovers started after Wahab told the deceased that she was hungry, but he told her to “go and drink garri”. The two started quarrelling. Apparently filled with anger, the suspect dashed to the kitchen, picked a knife and stabbed Ebi in the neck. She said: “Since I could not overpower him, I sought to defend myself. I rushed to pick a knife to prevent him from coming closer to hit me. But he continued coming towards me. It was while we were struggling that the knife mistakenly stabbed him in the neck. He started bleeding.” The suspect, who started living with Ebi since she was 18, insisted that she never meant to kill him. She said that the two of them were not just live-inlovers, but had plans to marry. She added that they once had a baby who died a few months after her birth. The couple met in 2013 at a night club and then became lovers. Wahab said she was confused when it dawned on her that she had stabbed Ebi. She started screaming until neighbours came. Ebi was

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

I killed my lover in self-defence, says girl

Lagos CP, Kayode Aderanti

Wahab

rushed to the hospital, but died on the way. Policemen from Layeni Police Station whisked Wahab away for interrogation. She was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for further in-

vestigation. A police source said: “The suspect confessed that she was not in her real sense when she killed the man.” Wahab said: “I dropped out of school in SS2, after I lost my father. We were four kids. My mother alone could

not cope with the four of us. I started going to night clubs with friends. I met Ebi in 2013 at one of the night clubs. We started interacting and later fell in love. We started dating.” Wahab, who described Ebi as a businessman, added that

the deceased introduced her to his family members as his future wife and she also did the same. She added: “I got pregnant for him and in December 2014, I gave birth to a baby girl. But the baby died later. “We were still going out as usual until on March 19, 2015, after we got back from clubbing. I told him he should give me the key to the house, so that I could go in, especially since I was hungry. But he refused to hearken to my words neither did he give me money to eat. “Rather, he said I should go and ‘drink garri’ that night and go to bed. I did not utter a word until he started raising issues which led to a quarrel and soon he began to punch me.”

N4.7m smuggled used tyres seized Camillus Nnaji

ederal Operation Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, said the headquarters’ monitoring team had intercepted 626 fairly used tyres valued N4,684,260 smuggled into the country. Controller, FOU Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Turaki Adamu, told journalists at the weekend that the monitoring team at Idiroko axis, headed by Assistant Controller Yahaya Biri intercepted the goods on Lagos-Sagamu Expressway. Adamu said the success of the interception was as a result of a tip off that a truck with registration number AGB 106 ZD was conveying smuggled goods. He said: “In line with the practice of ensuring 100 per cent physical examination on such suspected vehicles, the truck

Some the tyres

was taken to the headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, where examination was conducted and the following items were uncovered: 626 pieces of used tyres, 152 cartons of ce-

ramic tiles, 11 pieces of plastic bowls, 266 pieces of flower ports, 86 bundles of plastic containers among other items.” The controller added the goods were smuggled in contravention of sections 46 and 47 of

the Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 LFN 2004 as amended. He said that investigation was ongoing to unravel those behind the illegal importation with a view to ensuring that all their illicit supply chains were blocked. Adamu said the seizure had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N4,684,260 and commended the monitoring teams of Idiroko and Seme for their exploits and determination to collaborate with the unit in fighting smuggling. Meanwhile, the controller promised that the incessant attacks on Customs operatives by hoodlums and street urchins would soon end because of the sensitisation and public education efforts embarked upon by different stakeholders on the consequences of obstructing Customs operations.

News 11

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

Security guard robs ‘stingy’ employer

‘Corrupt leaders must be jailed’

Juliana Francis

security guard, Tunde Ajibike, said he and a housemaid planned and robbed the house of their employer for being too miserly. Ajibike (27) and the maid, Angela, would have gotten away with the crime, but for the sloppy handling of the robbery operation by the three men who stormed the victim’s home on February 28. While robbing the house, the robbers carelessly mentioned the name of Ajibike, unaware that the owner of the house, Mrs Onyeka Uzoamaka, 35, a nurse, although petrified, was paying serious attention to them. The woman said that the three armed men stormed her Ago Palace home around 8pm. She added that the men robbed her of N100,000, jewelleries and handsets. The bandits tied her to the bed and injured her with a knife. When they left, the woman confronted Ajibike. The security man tried to deny it, but he disappeared the following day with all his possessions. The guard ran away after Uzoamaka went to the hospital to treat her injured ear. This confirmed Uzoamaka’s suspicion. She lodged a report with the police. The

City Briefs Juliana Francis

Ajibike

police immediately went after the guarantor who signed for Ajibike when he came to work as a guard. The man took police to Ibadan, where they arrested Ajibike. He was arrested by a team of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos, led by the Officer in Charge, Mr Abba Kyari. After his arrested Ajibike said he started working as a security guard for the woman with a monthly salary of N20,000. He said: “I was given a small room in the compound. Part of my duty was to cut grasses, iron clothes, wash cars and sometimes even wash clothes. They fed me three times a day. They used to ‘dash’ me money sometimes. They were generous to me. “But it was the house girl,

security analyst, Mr Folorunsho Atta, has kicked against the comment attributed to the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, that she did not want to feed President Goodluck Jonathan in prison. Atta said if corrupt leaders were not held accountable for their sins and crime the country would never be a better place for the citizens. The analyst alleged that about N80 million was used to mobilise women from all 20 local government areas in Edo State, to meet with the President’s wife. He said: “It was at one of such meetings with Ekiti women, that the First Lady said to the women that she was not ready to feed Jonathan in prison. She also asked the women not to vote for people who would send their husbands to prison. “The questions are; does she want crime and criminality to continue unabated? If people who commit crime are not punished in a country, what would happen to such a country?”

Uzoamaka

Angela, who called me one day. She said that we should rob our employer. She said the woman had money, but was very stingy. She said we should arrange boys to rob the house.” Ajibike, who said he came to Lagos through a local veterinary doctor, said he got the security job through the housemaid. Recounting how he and Angela hatched and perfected the crime, Ajibike said that he gave the housemaid the phone numbers of the robbers while she finalised the deal. He said: “The robbers arrived in the afternoon. I opened the gate for them. Angela and I hid them behind the water tank in the compound. They did not come with any weapon. The cutlasses they

used were picked in the compound. “Around 8pm, they entered the main building. This was easy because the doors were open. I went with them into madam’s room. “Her husband had travelled to their village. I had already begged them not to harm the woman. One of the robbers, Skelewu, mentioned my name and madam heard it. They did not touch Angela. I ran away that night after the operation because the woman suspected I was the person that organised the robbery. Since then, I have not set my eyes on the Kunle Olayeni three men.” Despite Ajibike’s defence, Abeokuta SARS men did not buy the story about Angela’s involveovernor Ibikunle Amosun will toment in the robbery. Angela day in Abeokuta inaugurate a 76was not arrested. unit housing estate, constructed by the Ogun State Housing Corporation. The project – “Plainfields Estate” – is built on 3.5 hectares of land on the Presidential Boulevard, Oke-Mosan, stormed the area and rescued Abeokuta. the baby. The governor’s Special Adviser/ In an interview, the Public General Manager of the corporation, Relations Officer of the NigeOlajumoke Akinwunmi, said the new ria Security and Civil Defence housing estate was aimed at making Corps, Emmanuel Nwali, dequality and affordable houses available scribed the incident as sympato the people. thetic and unfortunate. Akinwunmi, who disclosed that the He lamented that a woman approved budget for the project was would carry a pregnancy for N741 million, said that the corporation nine months only to heartlesshad built over 1,000 housing units of ly abandon her after delivery. various types and categories since its Nwali described the condiinception 35 years ago. tion of the rescued baby as stable, adding that she has been taken to the Motherless Babies Home, Nsugbe, Abakaliki, for safekeeping.

Amosun inaugurates 76-unit housing estate

Woman, NSCDC rescue week-old-baby in Ebonyi Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

n elderly woman working at the Umuoghara Quarry Site as a casual worker, Mrs. Angela Obasi and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ebonyi State, prevented a new born baby from death at the weekend. The one-week-old baby girl was abandoned in a bush located in the quarry site. Her shrill cry for help attracted the attention of pass-

ers-by, who converged around her in confusion till the woman summoned courage and rescued her. Obasi told New Telegraph that the cry of the child was heart rending and she was moved with pity because it was God’s creature while passers-by and onlookers were afraid of saving her apparently to avoid been accused of dumping her in the bush. She took charge of the child against the advice of her colleagues and on-lookers and her insistence led to the survival of the baby.

“People were telling me all sort of things; that I should not carry this child, that security agents will arrest me that am the one that dumped the baby or that I conspired with a person to dump her. But I did not listen to their advice, because I am an old woman who has carried babies in the womb and I know what a woman passes through before child delivery and moreover, a baby is gift from God,” she said. As people continued to visit the scene, a Civil Defence Officer, who was on patrol,

Nigeria, Finland unite against human trafficking

Thousands march for endometriosis sufferers Appolonia Adeyemi

housands of women and men stormed the streets of Lagos to show solidarity with women who suffer endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease and incurable disease which affects an estimated one in eight women and girls. Endometriosis occurs when tissue which lines the uterus (called the endometrium) is found outside the uterus. As early as 8:30am on March 14, people from all walks of life thronged the streets wearing yellow and black T-shirts to participate in the ‘EndoMarch 2015’ to keep fit at the same time create awareness about the

Participants at the walk

scourge called endometriosis. The walk, organised by the Nordical Fertility Centre and the Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN), started from the City Mall, Onikan, through Awolowo Road

to Falomo and terminated on Victoria Island. After linking Ozumaba Mbadiwe, the participants marched to the Lagoon Restaurant where they were educated about endometriosis. According to Dr Abayomi

Ajayi, managing director, Nordica Fertility Centre and EndoMarch Country Affiliate Partner Rep & Lead Medical Consultant for ESGN, the disease takes an average of six to 10 years of unnecessary suffering and countless visits to doctor before patients receive a correct diagnosis. She said: “As a result, women and girls suffer in silence and risk losing their organs, their pregnancies and their fertility. “There are some who have endometriosis but it does not progress and others have it and it regresses. The problem is that you do not know which course it will run but the most definitive diagnosis for endometriosis is through a laparoscopy.”

Juliana Francis

igeria and Finland have teamed up against human trafficking. The Executive Secretary of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, advocated a united and holistic approach by nations of the world as a major strategy in winning the fight against human trafficking. Jedy-Agba made the call when she and the Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a closer partnership in curbing human trafficking. The MOU is between NAPTIP and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Finland. NAPTIP and Finland have over the years worked together to curb human trafficking-related problems affecting Nigeria and Finland. According to Jedy-Agba, a holistic response will imply the adoption of the 4ps of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership by all countries.

Politics

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP intensifies campaign for Jonathan Onyekachi Eze Abuja

ive days to the presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified its campaign to win more votes for its candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The party, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the economic future of the nation is guaranteed under President Jonathan. “We restate that our nation has been blessed

with the meticulous application of deliberate economic policies and programmes in the last four years under President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda. Within this period, there has been a phenomenal growth of small and medium scale enterprises in addition to the revamping of the manufacturing sector with unprecedented volume of domestic and direct foreign investments empowering our people in all walks of life,” Metuh said. According to him, the

multi-sectoral development approach adopted by the Jonathan administration resulted in a stronger economy, which not only withstood the shock of the global financial downturn that ravaged most nations of the world. He added that the president has created an exceptional enabling environment and support for investments and businesses to thrive in the country. It added that investors

and entrepreneurs in the country have fared better, more than ever before, in the last four years under President Jonathan. “Nobody changes a winning team just for the sake of change,” PDP said. The party maintained that what the nation needs at the moment is “an uninterrupted flow of the transformation effort which can only be best handled by a President Jonathan-led PDP admin-

istration, especially as the opposition has failed to articulate any workable alternative to Nigerians.” “The fact remains that in the last four years under Jonathan, more businesses have been opened in telecommunication, banking, oil and gas, transport, aviation, hospitality, automobile, education, agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing sectors with an unprecedented expansion rate, providing business

and employment opportunities for millions of our citizens across the country,” the party added. He observed that this was made possible by the application of a multisectoral development strategy of the Jonathan administration in the critical sectors and direct government empowerment interventions through programmes such as YouWin and SURE-P Graduate Internship Scheme among others.

World Igbo Congress reaffirms support for Jonathan Felix Nwaneri

head of this weekend’s presidential election, the World Igbo Congress (WIC) has reiterated its support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, calling on the electorate to massively support him. The Igbo Diaspora group in a statement by its Media Director, Dr. Acho Orabuchi, said it has reviewed President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda and found significant economic progress Nigeria has made in the past four years and therefore the need to re-elect him. “The economic policies of the President have resulted in significant growth and the resultant high ranking of Nigeria’s economic position by some international institutions shows assiduous work Jonathan and his team are doing. “Thus, the overall economy improved during Jonathan’s adminis-

tration. The poverty rate is continuously declining since the Transformation Agenda policies started taking foothold. While we applaud President Jonathan on the country’s significant increase in GDP and other economic indicators, we appeal to him to develop policies that will stabilise the country’s currency – Naira,” WIC said. The group described the president as a true democrat who strongly believes in due process and rule of law, urging Nigerians to see his inner qualities because the wheel of justice in any civilized country takes a little bit of time to turn. “As Nigeria is nurturing its democracy, the last thing the country needs is a jungle justice. So, those who frown at Jonathan for being deliberate and methodical in his approach should rethink their assumptions because the alternative is the relic of the past, who does not belong in the stream of democracy,” it said.

Vote peacefully, group urges Nigerians Wale Elegbede

socio-political group, the Goodluck Mandate Worldwide (GMW) has called on the electorate to participate fully and peacefully in the coming elections, to ensure they get the leadership they desire. National president of the group, Prince Ani Chidiebere, who made the call at a media briefing in Lagos at the weekend, also called on Nigerians in diaspora to come home to contribute their quota to the development of the country. While urging the people to eschew ethnicity, tribalism and nepotism

in the choice of who governs them, he called on citizens and politicians to draw inspiration from the national anthem of the country, to arise and serve diligently. Ani stated that the media briefing was in furtherance of the groups programme tagged ‘Operation win your polling booth’, which he said is geared towards ensuring victory for President Goodluck Jonathan at the polls. According to him, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only one with the capacity to carry everyone along, and ensure that Nigerians get good life.

L-R: Coordinator, Akala Volunteers Group, Oyo State Labour Party (LP), Mr. Chris Ayantoye; Chairman, Alhaji Abiola Emiola and governorship candidate, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, during the group’s interactive session with Alao-Akala in Ibadan …at the weekend.

PPA’s Udensi unveils plans for Abia Norman Obinna

he Abia State Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) governorship candidate, Sir Chikwe Udensi has said his administration, if elected, will restructure the judiciary as well as provide alternative adjudication centres for expeditious delivery of justice. He said this in Aba, Thursday, during a Town Hall meeting boycotted by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the All Progressives Peoples Alliance (APGA) candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, organised by the Nigerian

INDEP ELECT ENDENT NAT ORAL C IO OMMIS NAL SION

Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch for all the gubernatorial candidates. He stated that the other candidates boycotted the all-important meeting so as to avoid facing another humiliation from him after he outclassed them in the previous debates. Udensi further said

that under his watch as Abia State governor, community policing will be established to ensure adequate and effective security in Abia State. “Having served the Nigerian Police as a consultant for years now, I understand security and how to properly set the community policing up to maximise the security challenges of the 21st century. “I will set up a community policing outfit comprising retired Judges, officers and other responsible members of the society to sanitise the communities because the people know where and who the criminals are,”

Obiano undermining PDP’s partnership with APGA – Group Temitope Ogunbanke

group, Anambra PDP Mandate Group, has expressed concern over the attitude of the Anambra State governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, to the partnership between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In a statement by its President-General, Chief Emeka Okechukwu and Secretary-General, Mazi Benedict Nnamdi, the group alleged that the

governor’s actions show that he is doing all in his power to undermine and truncate that partnership between the two parties. “Shockingly, Governor Obiano has embarked on a systematic campaign of intimidation, coercion, terror and oppression against PDP members and the party’s supporters in the state. This is, notwithstanding the fact that, President Goodluck Jonathan is also the APGA candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections,”

the group stated. The group also insisted that the governor’s attitude threatens the objective and political calculations that necessitated having a single presidential candidate for the March 28 elections. The group alleged that Governor Obiano now arrogates to himself the power to dictate to the people of Anambra, especially those employed by the state government where their political allegiance should lie.

Udensi said. He also said that it is a shame on Abia State government whose monthly allocations both from the federation account and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) amount to well over N10 billion cannot pay a monthly wage bill that is less than N1 billion promptly. He assured that his administration will reengineer the civil service as well as pay a decent wage as against the present minimum wage which can hardly sustain anybody. He also used the occasion to debunk the rumour that he has reached an agreement to step down for Dr. Otti of APGA, saying it was a malicious propaganda with intent to deceive the people by some elements who want to grab power by all means, including deceit. “I am the fittest, and without sounding immodest, I am the most intelligent with good understanding of governance. My performances in the Abia governorship debates organised by the Abia Think Tank and the Catholic Church lend credence to the fact that I am the best for the job,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

REC Forum

General elections

2015 polls’ll be different from 2011 – Mahuta

Polls’ll be a huge success – Niger REC

Politics Jonathan’s gamble with monarchs

raditional rulers in Yoruba land, otherwise known as Obas, are the custodians of culture and tradition of their people. In the ancient times of aristocracy and feudalism, they were regarded as the symbols of ultimate authority and divine rulership. They controlled vast territories through political, economic and military machinations that were at their beck and call. An average Yoruba community, in the olden days, developed around the traditional institution and served the Obas by paying homage to them regularly and contributing resources to their well-being. When the colonialists conquered Africa between the 18th and 19th centuries, they signed treaties of protection with the various monarchs that existed. The British imperialists, for example, introduced indirect rule which aided effective occupation of colonies and protectorates on the African continent. The indirect rule in Nigeria resulted to the establishment of native authorities in Yoruba land with the Obas becoming designated authorities. During negotiations for Nigeria’s political independence, traditional rulers played remarkable roles in moderating issues among the nationalists, political actors, local communities and imperial authorities. But when partisan politics was introduced in the country and independence subsequently attained, Obas were barred from participating in politics although they still remained titular heads of their different domains. As time went by, the ruling elite and political class began to develop various means of reducing the vast powers and influence of the Obas through series of institutional processes geared towards liberalising state governance. Thus, the traditional rulers became mere agents and voices of the people. Notwithstanding, they were often relied upon by government func-

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

President Goodluck Jonathan’s visits to traditional rulers in the South-West geo-political zone have continued to generate mixed reactions. KUNLE OLAYENI, SOLA ADEYEMO and ADEOLU ADEYEMO examine the task before the monarchs in swaying votes in the run-up to the March 28 epic presidential contest

President Jonathan during his visits to the Ooni of Ife’s palace

tionaries for the maintenance of public peace and promotion of developmental programmes. Despite the drastic reduction in their powers today, traditional rulers are still considered important in the polity and are usually courted by political office holders. Even, various seekers of elective offices often flock around them in a bid to get endorsements and royal blessings. To such political actors, the support of Obas could give their ambitions mileage and extend their spare of influence in the society. Perhaps, President Goodluck Jonathan had such notion in mind when he started visiting prominent Yoruba traditional rulers in an apparent bid to shore up his electoral chances. In the past few weeks, the president has strategically focused on states in the South-West zone and consulted with many Obas in the run-up to the March 28 presidential election. Some of the traditional rulers visited by the president are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Michael Sonariwo and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

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The situation in Oyo State is peculiar... All the Obas – Alaafin, Olubadan and Soun – have a child each as Commissioner in the APC government

Scramble for Ogun Obas In Ogun State, some of the traditional rulers who had recently had encounter with the president are the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Michael Sonariwo, who is currently the Chairman, Ogun State Council of Obas; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo; among others. At the inauguration of the 750MW Olorunsogo II Power Station located in Ifo Local Government Area on February 20, Jonathan met behind closed doors with the Akarigbo and about 20 other monarchs in the state. The president’s parley was said to have been facilitated by the immediate past governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. But two paramount rulers in the state – the Awujale and Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle – were conspicuously absent. Informed sources at the meeting said Jonathan thanked the traditional rulers for their support for his administration. He also reportedly sought their support for his re-election as well as the aspiration of all the state PDP candidates in the forthcoming poll. The president might have been propelled by the public posturing of some Yoruba monarchs, who

had openly endorsed some governorship candidates in their states. In a region where the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) wields tremendous political influence, it was not unexpected that the president’s incessant trips to the royal fathers generated a rash of reactions. The reactions were further fuelled by reports that huge sums of money were offered the monarchs during such presidential visits. Opinions are, however, divided on whether the concerned royal fathers could actually influence any electoral victory for the president. The Obas are restricted by the maxim that traditional rulers are not supposed to be involved in partisan politics. The Awujale said this much when he bluntly told Jonathan that monarchs don’t campaign for politicians. Speaking when he received the president at his palace in IjebuOde on March 12, Oba Adetona said it was better for traditional rulers to create platforms for candidates to interact with the electorate and present their manifestos. The revered monarch noted that any Oba who attempts to canvass votes for politicians would be courting trouble. He said: “In Ijebu here, it is not possible for any Oba, not even in Ijebu (but also) in Yorubaland, to go out and say vote for this, vote for that; that person is looking for trouble. But give them the opportunity to present their programmes so that people can make up their minds on what to do. I think this is a very sound democratic principle and that is what I have decided to do, to give you the opportunity of meeting with the people.” The Awujale gave his admonition shortly after Jonathan had responded to some requests by the Ijebu Traditional Council. The president had wooed the Ijebu people with state creation, saying the report of the 2014 National Conference had already worked out modalities for such agenda. He also vowed to implement the recommendations of the confab to the letter if re-elected. Jonathan further said the development of four deep sea ports across the country, including the Olokola Deep Sea Port located in CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

MONday, March 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH MONday, March 23, 2015

16 Politics

nder any token of assessment, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu is a first class monarch in Lagos and the country at large. His territory, Lagos, serves as a melting pot for all Nigerians irrespective of creed, tribe and language. Aside being a retired police officer, the monarch is a lawyer and his witty, frank disposition on issues give no carpet cover to his stance on any discourse. With stakes of the 2015 general elections going high, calculation towards the March 28 presidential election illustrates that the SouthWest which comprises of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti states will be a front line region in who becomes the winner of the election. Already, several combative moves are being made by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sweep votes in the zone. The APC controls Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Ogun while PDP controls Ondo and Ekiti state. Interestingly, the domain of the monarch, which has the highest number of registered voters in the country with 5,822,207 is regarded as the major battleground in the South-West. In 2011, President Jonathan had 1,281,688 votes in Lagos which is a state considered to be the stronghold and headquarters of the APC. Not taking any chances, the president has made several incursions into the region and visited different traditional rulers to solicit their support for his return to Aso Rock for another four-year term. Though the presidency has repeatedly captured the visits as private visits, not a few see it as a ploy to make in-roads into the region through the royal thrones. When the president first visited Oba Akiolu last September, there was no ambiguity about the reason for his stopover at the monarch’s Iga Iduganran Palace. Stopping over at the palace before proceeding to a scheduled South-West zonal rally of the PDP held at the Tafawa Belewa Square, the president who was accompanied by his vice, Namadi Sambo, and other stalwarts of the party, said: “We are here for unity rally, we are not here for campaign but we will still come. First, before we go, we came to tell you that we are in your domain and kingdom. We need your royal prayers and blessings because you (traditional rulers) are the owners of the land,” he said. Responding, the Lagos monarch expressed his special love for President Jonathan, saying: “I have special love for Mr. President. Leadership is bestowed on any person by the Almighty God. God put you in that position. God will be with you, God will not abandon you.” Last May, the monarch smacked off controversy within the ranks of the APC in Lagos State when he endorsed the former Accountant General of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. His disposition which came six months before the party’s governorship primaries caused bad blood within the party and he was duly castigated as being partisan by other aspirants in the party. With the reality of a dwindling popularity dawning on the president and the PDP, the party com-

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jonathan, Oba of Lagos: Deal or no deal? In what many have described as taking his destiny into his own hands, President Goodluck Jonathan has been traversing the length and breadth of the country to solicit support for his re-election. In this report, WALE ELEGBEDE examines his visit to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu II

L-R: Oba of Lagos, Alhaji Riliwan Akiolu and President Goodluck Jonathan

menced a fresh round of shuttle to monarchs for their support and blessing. The president took up the gauntlet and led the onslaught to invade the various palaces in the region. Perhaps, the Oba of Lagos palace is not new to him but this time, he is better reinvigorated and there is no beating around the bush about what his demand will be from the royal highness. For the president, commencing his re-election campaign in Lagos in January and seeking first the royal blessings from Akiolu before heading to the Tafawa Balewa Square campaign venue is the beginning of another four years in Aso rock. In his traditional way, the monarch welcomed the presidential entourage and in what appeared to be an open defence for the president, Oba Akiolu said the candidate of the PDP should not be blamed for the woes of the country. According to him, majority of the problems confronting the nation predate the Jonathan’s administration. Playing safe from endorsing the president, the monarch, who has the title Olowo Eko said: “What will be, will be; God Almighty will give the best person the opportunity to lead this country. Mr. President, God knows the best; I am happy; what I want are free and fair elections.” The APC candidate, Buhari, also paid Akiolu a visit in January where the monarch described him as an upright, honest and dedicated gentleman who means well for the country. Though there was another

round of visit to monarchs in the South-West including Akiolu in February. While it could be taken for granted that the monarch is supporting APC and by extension Buhari, but semblance of the position of the Lagos king on the presidential candidates became known on February 20 when he denied endorsing the retired general. Akiolu, who was one of the special guests at the commissioning of four Nigerian Navy Ships by President Johnathan, refuted reports of endorsing any candidate while speaking with newsmen. Speaking on the alleged endorsement of Buhari, he said: “Who gave you that rumour? Who said so? Some of the things they are writing…. For the presidency, I support the best person. “If I want to do something, I do not pretend, God almighty will give the presidency to the best person,” he stated. The monarch, who at the same session berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for allegedly inflicting pains on Lagos State while he was president, stressed that Obasanjo is the cause of the injustices he was accusing the Jonathan administration of. He said: “God gives many people long lives so that they can get enough punishment, like what is happening now. All the injustices they did against Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, God is exposing them. All the accusations the former President, Obasanjo is giving now, he initiated and nurtured it. He masterminded it

INDEP ELECT ENDENT NAT ORAL C IO OMMIS NAL SION

What will be, will be; God Almighty will give the best person the opportunity to lead this country

and now he is complaining. God has a way of doing things. More are still coming to him.” Though the public denouncement of Buhari by Akiolu was perceived as a setback in some quarters for the APC candidate, some analysts, however, opine that the Oba was either trying to play safe by keeping to the statutory role of traditional rulers – father to all and sundry. Although he has not endorsed President Jonathan, political analysts are however astonished that despite the knitted relationship between Akiolu and the leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his unhidden support for the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Ambode, the monarch has refused to throw his weight behind Buhari. While many are beginning to read meaning to the monarch’s body language, it was even suggested in some quarters that the monarch may be angry with the taciturn support and sympathy of Obasanjo to Buhari and the APC. No doubt, the monarch still has scores to settle with Obasanjo and it could now be a case of the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Could it be that Akiolu doesn’t want to associate with anyone that keeps company with Obasanjo? Is the Eleko of Eko acting a script or being diplomatic in line with Yoruba culture of respect for visitors. One thing is sure, the vocal Oba of Lagos cannot be silenced or intimidated but it is only left to be seen where his support, either covertly or overtly will go.

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

2015 polls’ll be different from 2011 – Mahuta Alhaji Hussaini Mahuta, Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has promised that the 2015 elections will be more transparent than that of 2011. In this interview with IBRAHEEM MUSA, Mahuta explains how this will be achieved. Excerpts: What is the level of collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in Kaduna State? We received a total of 3,382, 186 PVCs and out of that, 3, 145, 037 have been collected by the owners. This leaves us with the balance of 237,149. The level of collection in Kaduna state is about 93 per cent as at Tuesday last week. But there are some people who said that they went to their polling units and all their particulars were there except the PVCs. Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former Governor of Kaduna state, complained that his card was sighted earlier on but it was missing when he went to collect it. What do you think is responsible for this? I don’t know really. But in some Polling Units (Pus) and Registration Areas (RAs), there have been some snatching of cards. So, you have places where people’s names could be there but their cards have been snatched by youths in some places. We are battling with that kind of situation. It is not too rampant but it has happened here and there. I will investigate the case of Alhaji Balarabe Musa and find out what happened. Kaduna State was not part of the states where Smart Card Readers (SCRs) were test run. How are you sensitising the people so that they will not be confronted with it just on election day? The way that voting will go will be simple. When you come for the accreditation exercise at 8a.m., the Presiding Officer at the polling unit will spell out all the details, all the procedures that will be followed, from the accreditation up to the casting of the ballot. It is an advantage if one had known the procedure before getting to the polling unit. But definitely, if you go there, everything will be explained before the commencement of accreditation. People are expected to queue up with their PVCs, they will go through the various stages, from checking the voters register to see if your name is there and then, checking the PVC to confirm if it’s a the card of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Second, to confirm if that card is for the particular polling unit. And the third stage is to authenticate the owner, to find out if the person that brought it is the actual owner of the card. Where the authentication of the voter becomes difficult, there is an option which is to fill an Incident Form. The reason why the form will be filled is when the card has been confirmed to be an INEC card, it has also been confirmed as that unit’s card, but authentication could not be made. Now, it is left to the stakeholders at the polling unit, comprising the party agents, election observers and security agents,

to confirm that the person who had brought the card is the owner by looking at the other details of the card and the photograph. When they are satisfied, the Incident Form would be given to such a voter. At which point does the Smart Card Reader comes in? A voter will present his card to an INEC staff who will check the register, find his name on it and tick. He or she will then go to the next person with the card. That person will be holding the Card Reader and he will now confirm the card before passing it to the officer who will issue him with a tag to confirm that he has been accredited. So, it is the second Assistant Presiding Officer who will now use the Card Reader to confirm all these things.

REC’s Mahuta

There is this rumour that some people have brought some expatriates who may hack into the software and immobilise some Card Readers. Has the commission heard of this and what effort is it making to protect the software of the SCRs? There are so many rumours flying around about elections in Nigeria. Although you don’t disregard such rumour, but I think most of them are actually rumours. But all the same, I believe that INEC is not resting on its oars to make sure that the integrity of the Card Readers is maintained. So, something is being done to make sure that it works. At which distance can people wait near the polling units, until the results are announced? What did the Electoral Act specifies? After voting, the distance between the polling unit and where people are expected to wait is 300 metres. Nobody can disperse them if they are orderly. They are free to wait till the next stage of the exercise, that is the counting and declaration of results there. Does the Electoral Act also allow people to escort the ballot boxes to the collation centres? You have party agents who will be following these results. Other voters are also free to stay 300 metres from the collation centres. They are not supposed to follow,

INEC

like the agents, up to the point where counting will take place.

But people are saying that there is the need for back up Card Readers at the polling units because such devices have a way of failing. Are you making such provision? No, there will not be more than one Card Reader at a polling unit but there will be additional Card Readers at the local government INEC office. If there are challenges here and there, they will be contacted to bring the extra Card Readers.

At which point are soldiers allowed during elections? Soldiers are not supposed to be at the polling units. But I think soldiers normally remain at the background as a sort of backup in case some security challenges arise that the police are not able to handle. That is the only time when the intervention of the military is sought by the security agents and not by INEC. But there is no provision for soldiers to be at the polling units.

It is now impossible for anyone to take a card belonging to the other and use it to vote. The Card Reader will expose you

F RUM

It was said that the head of one military formation met with some people in Zaria, advising them to tell their supporters not to wait near the polling units after casting their votes but they should return home. Have you heard of this meeting? No, I haven’t. It is a rumour as you said. How will the 2015 elections be fundamentally different from the 2011 polls, from the point of the commission’s preparations? The new innovations that have been introduced will make the much difference, especially the Card Reader that we have just spoken about. The Card Reader will now make it impossible for a card that does not belong to INEC to be used. Even in the last exercise where these cards were tested in 12 states, the success rate of card identification as INEC card was 100 per cent. The success rate of identifying the card as belonging to the unit was also 100 per cent. It was only in getting the thumb print that the percentage fell. And I have told you how it will be resolved if such a situation arises. So, the Card Reader will enhance the integrity of the election because it is now impossible for anyone to take a card belonging to the other and use it to vote. The Card Reader will expose you. So,

that is the fundamental difference between this election and that of 2011. And the set up of the Polling Station is also different from the previous election. A polling station is a place where you have more than one polling units. In 2011, it was one Presiding Officer and two Assistant Presiding Officers that were used. Now, it will be one Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers. The Voting Points that we used in 2011 were managed by the same Presiding Officers but now, there will be an Assistant Presiding Officer in charge of Voting Points. He will be at the Voting Point as a Presiding Officer. That will make things easier during accreditation and it will add value to the process. Will you still use youth corps members for the election? What measures has the commission taken in order to ensure their safety in case of violence? Yes, we are going to use corpers and in places where there is not enough serving corpers, we will engage ex-corpers; corpers that have finished their NYSC and are still looking for jobs. Regarding their safety, INEC has given out the procedures to be followed during elections. The enforcement of the rules and regulations is the responsibility of security agencies. We have the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, which was set up since 2011. This committee consists of the Commissioner of Police, all the paramilitary services operating in the state; Immigration, Customs, Prisons, NDLEA and Road Safety. All of them are members. We are also members. We come together once in a while to discuss security issues and to advise what the security agencies need to do. We will be heavily relying on that and they have given their pledge that they will provide security at the polls.

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion March 28, ICC and Nigeria Dominik Umosen

efore modification, the title of this weekly literary communion was ‘Before the ICC comes’. But deeper introspection of the rapid mix of peculiarly Nigerian political contradictions compelled upgrading to accommodate a wider perspective. As a patriot who has dwelt extensively on the persistently embarrassing reluctance to address enduring faultlines that have stalked and robbed this country of meaningful development compared to nations of equal or similar age, I have every reason to be excited by the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) threat to petition the International Criminal Court at the Hague, Netherlands over alleged plan by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan to unleash violence for political profit during the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections. If the threat is real, not another dose of combustible partisan propaganda and outright mischief that Nigerians have since become used to, there is every reason to rejoice, even lick one’s lips in ec the prospect of a perfect opportunity to present one’s bill of grievances, as it were, for consideration and possible resolution. If the ICC is eventually persuaded to lend itself to the sensational folly of denouncing a crime even before it is committed as the party’s threat clearly suggests, protagonists of a political rebirth for Nigeria would be happy to table their bill of grievances with the status quo whose beneficiaries, including front-liners in the opposition, have sworn

to protect. According to the APC, their grouse is last Monday’s mass action by members of the Odua Peoples Congress(OPC) and Coalition of Concerned Nigerians who locked down the burstling mega-city of Lagos with their demand for the resignation of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega. As someone with a long-term interest in the genuine future and well-being of my country, I can hardly wait for the ICC to arrive so I can establish the real basis of the body’s interest in Nigeria- that out-back black African giant that the commission never considered fit to be lavished with similar attention and global momentum as the Middle East under the shadow of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria(ISIS). Because atrocities and criminalities rate the same before the law, I would demand from the ICC delegation, as threatened by APC, why the erroneous impression that atrocities committed by ISIS are more spectacular than those by Boko Haram insurgents for whom false rights activists are making spurious allegations of genocide. Right from the airport, I would demand why it is convenient, even profitable, to relay such allegations against the Federal Government but wax frigid about large-scale religious and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by beneficiaries of feudalism in the North-East of the country. According to the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, ‘the matchet-wielding and gun-bearing armed pro-Jonathan groups harassed and intimidated motorists’ in a manner that(in the party’s hyper-active imagination) gave them away

as acting the carefully-prepared for the truncation of the general elections. Hopefully, if this is not just stepping up of the ongoing propaganda war, the delegation might ,hopefully, remind someone that allegation does not constitute an offence, so splitting hairs over some citizens’ legitimate right to protest is definitely hypocritical. Because no elections in the history of this country has generated a corresponding outpouring of partisan bellicosity and propaganda as this, the countdown to the presidential election has liberated the worst in Nigerians, including those who, by virtue of position, ought to be deemed credible but have regrettably forfeited this capacity, no thanks to allegiance to partisan mischief. An example of this admixture of fact and fiction was the tale presented by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos that a major reason for pains suffered by motorists on Lagos roads are frequent visits by President Goodluck Jonathan which, he alleged, aggravates traffic snarls. As if the governor had forgotten his own lie, the next day his party organized a roadshow that snarled traffic from Lagos to Ikorodu, making nonsense of his earlier lie. Assuming that President Jonathan is desperate to manipulate the election using violence, why rely on OPC which is providing personal security for the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu? And if this is not unhinged propaganda, when did a group of citizens massed in legitimate protest become a responsibility of the president as suggested by Garba? The ICC, if it really values its credibility, should be interested in lies and extreme propaganda regularly churned out by swash-buckling politicians, as if discerning folks do not know their antecedents.

Card readers: What INEC should still do Adewale Kupoluyi

espite all odds, the doggedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the card reader for the forthcoming general elections is highly commendable. Since INEC made public its intention known to bring sanity into the electoral process this time around through the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as well as the Smart Card Reader (SCR), the commission has come under intense attacks from the various political interests, who many observers believe, are threatened that with the adoption of the machine, it may be difficult to manipulate the process any longer. The card reader is a simple device that authenticates a voter by matching the fingerprint with the code on the chip of a card and keeping a record of all cards that had been read and verified. It is designed in such a way that it is capable of eliminating multiple voting to almost a zero level, thus cutting off a major source of election fraud from the polity. For the first time in the annals of the nation’s electioneering, the electoral body is introducing the card reader aimed at curbing electoral malpractices and INEC said the device would be deployed in all the polling units as well as voting centres across the country. In view of its many inherent advantages of significantly limiting rigging and fraud in the course of conducting proper accreditation of voters, those still opposed to the use of card readers claim that the machine had not been well tested and as such, could not be trusted for use now. We recall that few political parties were

the first to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in opposing the use of card readers in accrediting voters while the All Progressives Congress (APC) supports its use. To the critics, the use of card readers for the elections would rather aid the opposition parties’ vested interest to allegedly manipulate the exercise to favour particular candidates and disenfranchise many registered voters or likely winners. They also insisted that the use of the electronic device was against the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), which outlawed electronic voting in the country. Among other efforts at clearing the doubts, Professor Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman was recently invited to the Senate, where the workability of the card reader was proven. At the end, it was agreed that INEC could go ahead with its plan to use the device as obtainable in other progressive nations of the world. With the nod by the Senate, the mock voters’ accreditation was conducted in select constituencies across the nation and its outcome was a mixed grill. In carrying out the mock experimentation, INEC chose one Registration Area in each of the nation’s 12 selected states - Anambra, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger and Taraba - to test the workability and efficacy of the device. Notwithstanding a few hiccups encountered, the mock voters’ accreditation was largely successful. This could have led to the wide approval granted thereafter by critical stakeholders such as the civil society groups, respected opinion leaders and international observers, who applauded the exercise.

Now that the coast is clear for INEC to use the 182,000 card readers it has acquired, there’s still the need to redress some lapses observed during the mock trial before the elections finally begin in a matter of days. There is also the need to get it right so as to prove cynics wrong that the card readers can actually work effectively! This remains a major challenge before the electoral body. To begin with, it should ensure that the card reader batteries are fully charged and well preserved such that they do not run down within the hours of use. Secondly, there is the need to reduce to the barest minimum, the stress being encountered in the process of authenticating registered voters as many of them, who had presented their cards during the exercise could still not be identified. Furthermore, it is imperative to record an improvement over the period used by the machine to clear the prospective voters by reducing the waiting period. When the waiting period becomes unnecessarily too long, it becomes Herculean to manage large crowds that could eventually turn up for voting. The commission should also address the not-too-pleasant experience recorded when some people were made to resort into washing of hands before the machine could read them. For instance, when this problem persisted, INEC staff on ground were said to have resorted to using their personal handkerchiefs to clean the fingers of the affected people. And at the end, it still did not work for some people. Eligible voters should not be disenfranchised for any reason whatsoever. It should be appreciated that conducting of credible elections remains the

right course to attaining sustainable democracy. The use of card readers, from the available information is not electronic voting but an innovation that would promote the electoral process by empowering voters to elect candidates of their choice meaning that votes would actually count. But when this is not done and people’s representatives are not credibly chosen, violence, hatred, chaos, anger and crisis become the order of the day. This makes it possible for the wrong persons to occupy elective office without any articulated programmes and policies to address the needs of the state and the citizens. And who suffers? The nation and its people, of course. That is why every effort at holding free, fair, transparent and credible polls should not be wished away. As a fall-out of the INEC’s mock trial, the introduction of the “incident form”, in which voters with an unverified fingerprint would fill and then be allowed to vote, the procurement of 35,000 back-up batteries for the card readers and 20,000 back-up card readers, are welcome development. With just a few days to go, the electoral umpire should go back to the drawing table to re-strategize. Let me add that undue interference and pressure on the electoral body by desperate political interests are not only unhealthy but distractive and burdensome in the build up to the elections. This should stop forthwith and INEC should be allowed to perform its constitutional responsibility without any unnecessary encumbrances. • Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), adewalekupoluyi@yahoo. co.uk, Twitter; @AdewaleKupoluyi, Blog; www.adewalekupoluyi.blogspot.com

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South West as beautiful bride

n about a week from now, Nigeria, Africa's most populous country will be going to the polls to elect a new leader. Fourteen political parties and their presidential candidates are on parade, seeking the votes of the electorate. Out of this lot, President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party ( PDP) and General Muhammadu Buhari , the candidate of the All Progressives Congress( APC) stand out as the top contenders. In fact, these two parties and their presidential standard bearers have so dominated the scene that the twelve remaining presidential candidates have become more or less spectators in the game. One intriguing thing about the forthcoming polls is that for the first time since the rebirth of democracy in Nigeria, two parties that are almost equal in every ramification are squaring up in a fierce contest for the people's mandate. In the last sixteen years, the PDP had held sway as the only national party with presence in almost every locality in Nigeria. During this period, the PDP had no formidable opponents as most of its challengers were regional parties, lacking in numerical strength and financial muscle. But it is now a different ball

We observe that so far, none of these two parties has left anything to chance in the South West region game. The APC which is a product of a merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria( ACN), All Nigeria People's Party( ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change( CPC) as well as a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance ( APGA) has become nearly as formidable as the ruling party. As a result of this reality, the two main parties have been working extra- hard, deploying various strategies to win the votes. Unlike in previous elections when the PDP had little or no difficulties winning majority votes, the APC appears poised to prove that the legacy parties that gave birth to it were in charge in different regions and did not dismantle their structures after the merger. It is on record that the ACN was predominant in the South West geopolitical zone while the ANPP and CPC were the popular parties in the North East and North West geo-political zones.

Beyond these strong regional roots of the main opposition party, the ethno- religious underpinnings associated with elections in Nigeria could make the March 28 presidential election more dicey. President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP is a Christian from a minority tribe in the South South zone. He has the South South and South East as his traditional support base but has immense appeal among Christian minorities particularly in the North Central zone. On the other hand, General Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the Hausa/ Fulani ethnic stock in the North - West zone has a wide support across the North- West, North East and parts of the North Central zone. These partitions have left out the South West as perhaps the major battle ground for the two dominant parties in the contest. This region has some peculiar characteristics that makes it the beautiful bride and common fishing ground ahead of this election. Although four of the six states in the South West are currently under the control of the APC, Lagos and Oyo states appear to be the major attractions because of their huge and cosmopolitan voting populations. It might be naive for either of the parties to expect a landslide victory in this region. Although, there may be a

natural tendency for the electorate in theregion to support a candidate from the South as opposed to a candidate from the North, if religious sentiments were also dragged into the equation, there are as many Christians as there are Muslins in the South West. This means equal opportunities for both parties. We observe that so far, none of these two parties has left anything to chance in the South West region. They are criss- crossing every inch of the territory to harvest as many votes as possible. While Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the APC and most of his henchmen in the opposition live in and operate from Lagos, the PDP has anchored several of its town hall meetings in the the same city. We think that this keen contest for Lagos and the South West is a healthy development for our democracy. We also think that the electorate in the South West have a duty to look beyond the regional and ethno- religious sentiments in this contest. They should conduct due diligence on the political parties, their manifestos and candidates and ensure they make their decisions based on sound reasons. All things being equal, the votes from this region might just be the decider at the end of the day.

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Politics

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Polls’ll be a huge success – Ayilara Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Nasiru Ayilara, speaks on the commission’s preparations, challenges and prospects for the forthcoming elections. DAN ATORI reports

Ayilara

How would you rate the just-concluded mock exercise in Niger State? I want to thank Nigerians and indeed Nigerlites

for coming out to participate in the exercise. We recorded success in some states while others criticised it. I can tell you that

REC’s

F RUM INEC

in Niger State, it was a huge success because, it has helped us to identify the loopholes. In some instances where there were delays, it was not due to the machines. The reading may reject the fingers because of blurred cap-

turing; but by and large this has been identified and rectified. What were the challenges experienced by INEC? Some of the challenges encountered during the process included lack of proper handling of the machine by officers, noncompliance with machine instructions which resulted to waste of time and thick fingerprints, which is the main challenge that has drawn a lot of criticism but these have been noted by the commission and I can tell you that it will not be a problem during the elections. However, we are happy that what we expected was achieved. Our people had carried out sensitisation for days. What is your take on the Card Reader which has been faulted by some people? I can tell you that the Card Reader is the best thing that has happened to our electoral process. It would aid the reduction of electoral malpractice, because only the authentic card owners who had passed through the verification process, will participate in the polls. We are tasked on registration areas, with full complement of the PVCs, and to also ensure that the register of voters in respect of all polling units in the areas are printed for the conduct of the exercise. How prepared is INEC for the forthcoming coming elections? INEC is very ready, we are prepared anytime to conduct the elections that is why we have extended the date for PVC collection to March 22 and I know that over 80 per cent of Nigerians would have collected their cards. How many PVCs have been issued in Niger State? The state had successfully distributed about 1.7 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), with over 400,000 yet to be collected by their owners. What are the prospects after the mock exercise? We are very optimistic that 2015 elections will be much better than 2011 elections. And if other stakeholders, especially the political class play their rightful roles, 2015 will no doubt see Nigeria take her place in the global order of nations where democracy has come of age. The various challenges encountered will be used to refine the entire process of the card reader and other logistical details of the upcoming elections. We involved 18 polling units in the pre-election trial in Gwada ward. And I am certain it will be a huge success by the time the general elections come.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

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Mobile money licensees losing focus, says NIBSS Non-bank mobile money operators licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are losing focus on reason for granting them operating licences, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), Mr. Adebisi Shonubi, has said.

p.22

Why EU blacklists African airlines

Interference in the works of Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) in Africa and poor safety records of airlines in the continent have continued to put carriers in the bad books of European Union (EU), necessitating their being blacklisted.

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L-R: Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria, O’lorogun Sonny Kuku; Managing Director, Mr. Jibril Aku; Group Executive, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan and former President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr Olusegun Aina, at the launch of Ecobank SME Club in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Uncertainty over elections hinders forex market WEAK NAIRA

oreign exchange dealers in the country have attributed the current slow pace of activities in the foreign exchange market to widespread concern over the general elections scheduled to take place this Saturday. According to them, the situation has resulted in a sharp drop

in demand for, as well as supply of foreign currencies especially the United States dollars. A bank official who did not want his name mentioned, said that lenders in the country were finding it difficult meeting their customers’ demand for foreign exchange as the supply at the interbank foreign exchange market had dwindled in recent weeks. He disclosed that banks were now only buying forex on behalf of a select number of customers. He said: “The current situation in the country makes everyone to be cautious, including banks. People are worried about what would happen before and

INFLATION RATE February 2015.........................8.4% January 2015...........................8.2% December 2014.........................8%

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

Naira is expected to fall to N263 per dollar over the next 12 months

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$28.1 billion Being the true foreign reserves figure

after the elections and this has affected the supply of forex. It is whatever banks get from the CBN that they make available to customers.” New Telegraph’s findings revealed that companies that are unable to obtain forex from banks now resort to the Bureaux de Change (BDCs) and the black market for their dollar purchases. However, a Lagos-based BDC

operator, Mr. Matthew Oshiomah, said that they were also facing a big challenge in trying to meet demands as they had an even more limited supply of forex than banks. He said: “You know our weekly supply from the CBN is just $30,000 and this is very inadequate. Many companies no longer get forex from their banks, so, they now come to us. The $30,000 amounts to nothing because it may not even satisfy only one company.” He emphasised that the dollar scarcity had got more serious as the elections draw closer, CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Rates Dashboard EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at Mar. 20)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N225 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N328 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N238

l Foreign Reserves – $30.077bn as at 19/03/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at Mar.20)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N198 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N301 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N223

Business | News

RIVALRY There is a seeming rivalry between mobile money operators and banks

Kunle Azeez

on-bank mobile money operators licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are losing focus on reason for granting them operating licences, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), Mr. Adebisi Shonubi, has said. Speaking in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph in Lagos, Shonubi said that non-bank mobile money operators were issued license to serve as transaction channels and agent for deepening financial inclusion in rural areas across the country. He, however, noted that this category of mobile money licensees have turned away from their mandate of driving financial inclusion in the rural communities as they now operate in the cities to compete with the same customers being targeted by commercial banks. The NIBSS boss attributed the development to ‘misconception’ and ‘misunderstanding’ of the objective of the licences given to the mobile money operators. As part of the cashless economy initiative of the

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mobile money licensees losing focus, says NIBSS apex bank in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, 20 organisations have been issued m-payment licences to operate in Nigeria with majority of the licensees being non-bank organisations. Shonubi said: “I think a lot of the mobile money operators have some misconceptions about their licenc-

questioning claims that politicians were mopping up dollars from the system. “We have heard claims that politicians are no longer spending naira, but dollars. But my question is that if this is true, why has the dollars not reached the market yet? If dollars are everywhere, then we won’t be having this kind of scarcity, ” he said. Another BDC operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the scarcity of forex in the market to hoarding by firms and individuals apprehensive about the elections. He noted that individuals and companies are hoarding dollars and other foreign currencies in anticipation of further naira devaluation. Just last Friday, the Financial Times of London had reported that analysts and foreign investors widely believed that the naira is going to be devalued further this year if

He also explained that this misconception stemmed from the fact that most of the licensees picked up the licences because it was cheap without knowing what to do with it. “Because of the initial low cost of getting the licence, a lot of people ran into it without understanding that it is a retail

business and retail business takes a long time to grow. So, many of them were not adequately capitalised. For that reason, they always look for the closest thing they can hang on with to do their business. “That means, rather than go to the village where there are only one hundred people they

L-R: Executive Director, Risk Management, Fidelity Bank Plc., Onome Olaolu, ambassador of the Ireland to Nigeria, Sean Hoy, executive Director, Lagos and South West, Fidelity Bank Plc., Ikemuefuna Mbagwu and Executive Director, Shared Services, Fidelity Bank Plc., Chijioke Ugochukwu, when the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the management of Fidelity Bank Plc.

Lull in forex market CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

es. Some of them believe they got a banking licence. Yes, you get a financial licence but mobile money is not banking licence. “In essence, they are transaction companies. For instance, customers have the balance with the bank but we are creating a platform for them to transact on it through mobile money.”

chose to start doing their businesses in the cities, where there are thousands of people, half of whom already understand what the technology is, since most of them have smart phones, and mobile money operators considered this easier for them to do business.” He said: “Unfortunately, that is the same people the banks are targeting. What you now find is that ‘rivalry’ because everybody is targeting the same audience and that is not the original intention when they were being given licence.”

the price of oil stagnates or falls further. The experts said that non-deliverable forwards indicate the naira is expected to fall to N263 per dollar over the next 12 months, indicating another 32 per cent decline. They noted that dwindling oil revenues and capital outflow has depleted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) reserves, which stood at $30.077 billion as at last Thursday. Analysts in Nigeria also believe that once the elections are over, the apex bank may again devalue the naira, as it would want to close the margin between the interbank and parallel markets rate. They pointed out that with no end in sight yet to the decline in oil prices, the external reserves will continue to fall thus making it difficult for the CBN to defend the naira. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Why EU blacklists African airlines STIGMATISATION Of the 24 countries banned, 17 or 70% are from Africa Wole Shadare Addis Ababa

nterference in the works of Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) in Africa and poor safety records of airlines in the continent have continued to put carriers in the bad books of European Union (EU), necessitating their being blacklisted. However, African aviation experts, who met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the weekend, raised the concern with EU, which has now changed the term, blacklist to banned list. The Chief Executive Officer of African Aviation Services Limited and former Secretary General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Nick

Fadugba, cautioned Nigerian carriers and other airlines in the continent to desist from political interference in the activities of aviation regulatory authorities, an action he said has led to more air disasters in Africa than any other part of the world. Fadugba, who is the convener of the 24th African Aviation MRO supplier and stakeholders conference, tagged, “MRO Africa”, lamented that the EU blacklist has over 70 per cent of African airlines. He said that this shocking revelation forced stakeholders in aviation to raise objection, forcing the body to change its terminology to ‘banned’ list. The expert said: “From an emotional African perspective, we have to point fingers at ourselves. If our airlines are struggling financially to train their staff, who is to blame? If they have weak CAA’s, who is to blame? There is no African standard in aviation; we cannot have standard that is below recognised standard. We have to rectify our

faults.” He pointed out that there are many civil aviation authorities that have low standards, adding that in Africa, the Director General of CAA’s are usually puppets in the hands of politicians who interfere in the job of the aviation regulatory body. Besides, Fadugba disclosed that the current EU blacklist has 284 airlines from 24 countries worldwide barred from flying into Europe. He noted that of the 24 countries banned, 17 of them, or 70 per cent are from Africa, suggesting that about a third of all African countries are on the banned list. Top of the list is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 36 carriers listed, Sudan has 14 listed while Mozambique and Angola have 13 carriers each on the list. It would be recalled that the most recent update of the EU blacklist of airlines banned from flying into and out of the EU was published on April 3, 2012.

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Torture, And Test Of Faith By JIM YARDLEY

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Fear of a Bellicose Russia Polish Are Steeling for Battle Should Putin Threaten Their Borders By RICK LYMAN

KALISZ, Poland — For evidence of how much President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has jangled nerves and provoked anxiety across Eastern Europe, look no further than the drill held recently by the Shooters Association. The paramilitary group, like more than 100 others in Poland, has experienced a sharp spike in membership since Mr. Putin’s forces began meddling in neighboring Ukraine last year. Thirty students took an oath to defend Poland at all costs, joining nearly 200 other regional members of the association — young men and women, boys and girls — marching in formation around the perimeter of the dusty high school courtyard here. General Boguslaw Pacek, an adviser to the Polish defense minister, marched with them. In recent months, he has been making the rounds of such gatherings: student chapters like this one, as well as groups of veterans, even battle re-enactors. One of those who took the oath in Kalisz was Bartosz Walesiak, 16. “I think that Putin will want more,” he said. “Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are already getting ready for such a scenario, so Poland must do the same.” What was unthinkable at the end of the Cold War now seems not quite so unlikely to many Poles: that the great Russian behemoth will not be sated with Ukraine and will reach out once again into the West. The thought is darkening the national mood

INTELLIGENCE

Leaving Bangladesh for health care. PAGE 24

Was James Foley a Catholic martyr or a convert to Islam?

asked me.” In January, the Polish Ministry of National Defense announced it would provide military training to any civilian who wanted it. About 1,000 people showed up the first day, said Colonel Tomasz Szulejko,

man who had spoken so openly about his Catholic faith turn to Islam? Given his circumstances, is it even surprising if he did? “How do we assess that?” asked the Reverend James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of the Catholic magazine America, who described Mr. Foley as “a good and holy man” and expressed doubts about the genuineness of his conversion. “The answer is we can’t assess it. We cannot look at what is in someone’s soul.” Religious faith is often described as a deeply sustaining force for people in captivity, providing comfort, strength and hope. The family of Kayla Mueller, an American who died in February while being held hostage by the Islamic State in Syria, released a letter Ms. Mueller had written in captivity in which she described surrendering herself to God and feeling “tenderly cradled in freefall.” Faith can also be a practical force, experts say, in that prayer or

Continued on Page 26

Polish paramilitary groups like the Shooters Association, top, have seen a spike in membership. Above, Grzegorz Zurek, 11, plays a wounded soldier. and rippling across the entire region. “I think the impact on everyday life is starting to be very bad,” said Marcin Zaborowski, director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs. “Very often now, people approach me — neighbors, hairdressers — asking whether there will be a war. The other day, my mother called and

VATICAN CITY — The Islamic State’s beheading in August of the journalist James Foley caused global outrage. But for many of his fellow Roman Catholics, Mr. Foley’s death in Syria transformed him into a symbol of faith under the most brutal of conditions. One Catholic essayist compared him to St. Bartholomew, who died for his Christian faith. Others were drawn to Mr. Foley’s account of praying the rosary during an earlier captivity in Libya. Even Pope Francis, in a condolence call to Mr. Foley’s parents, described him as a martyr, according to the family. Then came an unexpected twist: It turned out that Mr. Foley was among several hostages in Syria who had converted to Islam in captivity, according to some freed captives. What had been among some Catholics a theological discussion of faith and heroic resistance quickly shifted to a different set of questions: Is any conversion under such duress a legitimate one? Why would a

WORLD TRENDS

MONEY & BUSINESS

When a room won’t do, rent a village. PAGE 25

The role of a pesticide in trade policy. PAGE 29

ARTS & DESIGN

$500 million in art is still missing. PAGE 34

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

O P I N I O N & C O M M E N TA RY

ED I T O R I A L S O F T H E T I M ES

An Ambivalent Turkey Is an Unreliable Ally The website of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledges that the NATO alliance has played a “central role” in the country’s security and insists that Turkey, which became a member in 1952, “attaches utmost importance” to it. Yet Turkey’s commitment to NATO has never seemed more ambivalent. On crucial issues — from fighting the Islamic State to fielding integrated defense systems to standing firm against Russian aggression in Ukraine — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government either are not cooperating fully or are acting in outright defiance of NATO’s priorities and interests. Add the fact that Turkey under Mr. Erdogan has become increasingly authoritarian, and it becomes apparent

that the country is drifting away from an alliance whose treaty says it is “founded on the principles of democracy” as much as defense. For months, the Western allies have pressured Turkey to close its porous border, which has allowed thousands of jihadists to cross into Syria to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and has enabled ISIS to smuggle in weapons and smuggle out oil on which it relies for revenue. Although the Turkish government has taken some steps to make transit harder, it has been unwilling, or unable, to stop the flow. This is inexcusable. Turkey should also be making military bases and troops available to the American-led

coalition, but James Clapper Jr., the United States’ director of national intelligence, told Congress recently that he was not optimistic that Turkey would do more against ISIS. Public opinion polls show that the Turks don’t consider ISIS a primary threat, and Mr. Erdogan is more concerned with opposing Kurdish autonomy within Syria and with bringing down the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. There are other troubling aspects of Turkey’s behavior. The government says it is still considering buying from China a $3.4 billion air defense system that involves radars and longrange ground-to-air missiles that can shoot down enemy missiles. The purchase is opposed by the

American and European allies because they view this military purchase from China as a risk. They are also disturbed that Turkey is not purchasing a system from them, because they have borne the cost of defending Turkey against a Syrian attack by stationing Patriot missile batteries on Turkish territory. Moreover, the Turkish defense minister said the government did not plan to integrate whatever air defense system it bought with NATO’s air defenses. The presidential spokesman later said the system would be integrated with NATO’s. But NATO would not integrate its system with a Chinese system because the two are not compatible, and a Chinese system might contain risky software.

Meanwhile, Turkey is supposed to sign an agreement this year that will allow Russia to build a natural gas pipeline to Turkey, thus bypassing Ukraine. The Erdogan government, ignoring Western sanctions, has been exploiting a rift between Russia and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to gain energy supplies at bargain prices. Russia also plans to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. American officials say they don’t think Turkey will ever withdraw from NATO, which would be a catastrophic mistake. But that the possibility is even raised by officials and defense experts shows how concerned the allies are about relying on Turkey in any crisis.

The health care system in Bangladesh is both improving and troubled. A Bangladeshi woman attended to her husband, a worker who was injured after a factory roof collapsed.

INTELLIGENCE/TAHMIMA ANAM

In Sickness And in Wealth Dhaka, Bangladesh When she was 5, my cousin Hafsa fell from the roof of our house in Dhanmondi, a residential neighborhood of Dhaka. She had climbed out of a second-floor window and crawled along a ledge until she lost her footing and fell to the driveway below. Distraught, we rushed her to the nearest hospital, a private clinic. The doctor there took one look at her — unconscious, bleeding from a head wound — and refused to touch her. “Take her to Medical,” he said. “That’s the only place they can treat her.” The doctor was referring to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, the largest public hospital in the capital. Although most of the children of my mother’s generation had been born there, it was no longer the sort of place people like us went to. It was overcrowded and underfunded, and horror stories of its unsanitary conditions and inadequate facilities abounded. Still, with no choice, we took Hafsa to the emergency room. They treated her fractured wrist Tahmima Anam, a writer and anthropologist, is the author of the novel “A Golden Age.” Send comments to intelligence@ nytimes.com.

and diagnosed a concussion. She came home a few weeks later and made a full recovery. And her treatment was almost entirely free. Since Hafsa’s accident, 26 years ago, the Medical has remained poor, while new private hospitals have opened throughout the country. There are now nearly 3,000 registered private hospitals and clinics, and more than 5,000 registered private diagnostic centers — though they’re beyond the means of most Bangladeshis. They’re also not immune from horror stories. Recently, an image of a medical clinic in India offering a 50 percent discount for Bangladeshi patients popped up in my Twitter feed, together with this comment from a friend I follow: “Corporate hospitals of Kolkata luv bengalis with cash & disease.” Although the crude advertising was new to me, the news that Bangladeshis are filling the clinics of neighboring countries came as no surprise. In the smart neighborhoods of Dhaka, giant billboards promote the services of private hospitals in Delhi and Bangkok. Local brokers will book everything for you, from flights to doctors’ appointments. Heart hospitals, cancer clinics, even air ambulances all clamor for our cash.

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The health care system in Bangladesh is both improving and troubled. On the credit side, public health initiatives, especially those directed at women, have been highly successful. A range of community-based approaches that harness networks of local governments, health centers and nonprofits have brought better basic health care. These initiatives have put Bangladesh on track to fulfill many of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, and have given us bragging rights over our neighbors. Low government spending on health care, and an average of just 7.7 health care professionals for every 10,000 people (well below the World Health Organization target of 23 per 10,000), prompted the medical journal The Lancet to describe Bangladesh’s success as “one of the great mysteries of global health.” Part of the answer, however, may be that those who can afford it are paying for care abroad. In 2010, the W.H.O. reported that every year India alone attracts an estimated 50,000 Bangladeshis seeking treatment. Whether affluent or desperate, all cite the same reason for foreign treat-

ment: They don’t trust the system in Bangladesh. The horror stories, of course, play their part. They always seem to end the same way: Ultimately, the patient’s family has no redress. While the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is supposed to oversee medical standards, journalists and doctors report that no hospital has ever been shut down and no doc-

Health care suffers because many do not trust the system. tor held to account; nor has any medical professional or administrator ever been successfully sued. As in so many areas of life in Bangladesh, there is both an astonishing level of success and an ever-present potential for catastrophe — with, seemingly, no middle ground. The public health system groans under the pressures of a growing population, but its primary care service is staffed by

many heroic doctors. The pharmaceutical industry is competitive, providing the local market with safe, affordable drugs. And then, for the privileged few, there is the private network. Neither system comes under the sort of regulatory scrutiny that would give people the assurance they need. This lack of regulation and accountability means that when things go wrong, patients or their families have no leverage to get reform. Meanwhile, the availability of private health care enables affluent Bangladeshis to ignore the problems of the public sector. I confess I’m one who opts out: Twenty-six years ago, when Hafsa had her accident, was the last time I went to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. If the medical establishment would expel doctors who provide substandard treatment, if it upheld professional standards by backing patients rather than colleagues, and if the government finally created a watchdog, we could begin to build bridges of trust in our health care system. Then, perhaps, Bangladeshis might be less tempted to outsource their health care to foreign doctors.

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Sanctity of Truth

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An Economic Boom Is Remaking Ethiopia By ISMA’IL KUSHKUSH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY AKOS STILLER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

MEGYER JOURNAL

For $700 a Night, Rent a Village By RICK LYMAN

MEGYER, Hungary — Kristof Pajer’s plan to transform Hungary’s smallest village into a rural vacation paradise had not been going well. Bookings were light. Renovations were slow. Money was scarce. Then, he hit upon a new scheme: Instead of renting Megyer’s handful of available cottages one by one, why not offer the entire village? “People were using the whole village anyway, so why not?” said Mr. Pajer, 42, who recently began a third term as mayor of Megyer, population 18. And so, for about $700 a night, almost anyone can become the deputy mayor, controlling seven cottages sleeping up to 40 people, the town hall, barns full of chickens and sheep, a shaggy village dog named Csikas, a fleet of bicycles, a pig-slaughtering facility, a classroom for training sessions and a private pub surrounded by about 400 hectares of meadows, woods and vegetable patches. As deputy mayors, the renters may rename the village streets — both of them — and will receive an official street sign and a certificate to take home. “It really started as a joke,” said Barbara Balogh of Charming Country Hotels of Hungary, a consortium of family-run hotels that pool advertising efforts. “It is amazing how many people are taking an interest in our funny little village.” A year ago, Mr. Pajer got two or three inquiries a day about rentals. “Yesterday alone, I got more than 400,” he said of the idea that was just announced last month. By the beginning of March there were 17 bookings, including a large group from Holland. “We never expected to get the attention we got,” added Mr. Pajer, who runs a business repairing construction equipment in Budapest. “Let’s face it, it’s in the middle of nowhere.” The road to Megyer leads

A Hungarian town has 18 residents, just one a child. Gusztav Egly, above, caretaker of Megyer, preparing coffee for guests. southwest from Budapest for two hours, through the Somlo wine district and its steep, rocky vineyards before dipping south, crossing the Marcal River and curving into the small cluster of pale cottages that is the village. Heat in the village comes from firewood, biomass pellets and the occasional electric heater. Propane fires the only gas-burning stove. The sole

Cottages to house 40, and naming rights to two streets. Internet connection is a weak Wi-Fi signal in the municipal offices; there is one television and no landline phones. Straw sculptures hang from the beams in a former cow barn that is now the canteen and bar. Locally made apple juice, marmalades and syrups are for sale, and a battered piano rests against a stone wall. Megyer was in danger of disappearing, like dozens of other villages deserted by the young. “I wanted to make sure we

would not end up like those other places,” said Mr. Pajer, who also manages a pair of Hungarian rock bands, Sex Action and Hollywoodoo. His first project was an annual music festival in June that draws 1,000 campers. In 2006, he was elected mayor and soon became adept at applying for government subsidies and grants, drawing a total of about $700,000 into the village. “In 2010, we had, per capita, the highest amount of E.U. subsidies in Hungary,” he said proudly. By this winter, after 13 of the village’s 20 structures had been renovated, he decided to start his rent-the-village scheme. It runs as a cooperative, with the owners of the available cottages as members. In the unlikely event there is ever a profit, Mr. Pajer said, whatever money that is not plowed back into the property would be split among the owners. So far people have inquired about holding weddings in the renovated village, as well as corporate training events and even costume parties complete with masks and evening gowns. Mr. Pajer said, “Nothing surprises me anymore.”

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The bulldozers, tractors and cranes are busy day and night, paving new roads, building tall glass buildings and constructing a new light rail system to stitch together the city’s ends. In less than five years, the city’s skyline has changed drastically. “The government changed its policy,” said Abiy Gebeyehu, a real estate development manager at the Sunshine Construction Company. “They are engaging private business.” Three decades after a famine that prompted some of the world’s top pop stars to raise money with the song “We Are the World,” Ethiopia has rebounded. It has had an average economic growth rate of 10 percent for more than a decade and has achieved several important United Nations development goals. Some economists have called Ethiopia an “African lion,” mimicking the success stories of Asia’s economic tigers, and the government here has an ambitious plan to make Ethiopia a middle-income country by 2025. It sometimes seems that everything here is under construction. Head out on one road in the morning and you might find it blocked off for a development project by evening. But critics of Ethiopia’s economic growth story point to human rights abuses and the lack of genuine democracy. “When a society is not free, development is not as sustainable,” said Obang Metho of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia, an advocacy group. “It is not investment in building the human capacity of the people, but only in infrastructure and opportunities that mostly benefit the narrow interests of regime cronies.” Tin houses in shanty neighborhoods can still be seen around town, electricity cuts are common, the Internet is slow and telecommunications are not reliable. Following the examples of countries like South Korea and China, the government is involved in the economy. It has expanded in the areas of services, public investment, infrastructure, education and health by borrowing from state-owned banks and managing foreign development aid from the United States and Europe. An economy that once depended on coffee as a main source of income now sees its national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, as the main generator of foreign

exchange. The country is also constructing Africa’s largest hydropower plant, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. “Our struggle is to fight poverty,” said Haji Gendo, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Remittances from the Ethiopian diaspora and investment from countries like China, India, Turkey, Sweden and Britain — attracted to the country’s low-cost labor market — have helped the growing economy, especially in the textile and leather industries. But the development projects that are part of a plan to expand the capital into areas outside the city have bred anger and clashes. Last year, protests led to at least nine deaths. In other parts of the country, the displacement and relocations of populations for dam and big agriculture projects have also stirred discontent. “While Ethiopia needs development, the government’s approach to development leaves no room for dissent or opposition to government policies,” said Felix

A land of poverty and chaos turns into an ‘African lion.’ Horne, a researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Throughout the country, citizens are routinely displaced for development projects, and there is little consultation or compensation given for the loss of their lands.” Some economists also question how long Ethiopia’s state-driven capitalism can be sustained. “This kind of economic model has worked very well for Ethiopia,” said Guang Z. Chen, the World Bank’s country director here. “The question is, can you continue this model unchanged over the next 10 years? Our argument is no.” Ethiopia has largely been spared the type of terrorist attacks that have struck Kenya. And it remains an island of relative stability in a tough neighborhood that includes Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. A cabdriver zigzagging his blue Soviet-made Lada through a traffic jam in the city explained the roots of the economic boom as he passed a construction site. “We no longer have war,” he said.

Subway construction in Addis Ababa, one of many such projects in Ethiopia.

TIKSA NEGERI/REUTERS

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

WORLD TRENDS

After Torture by ISIS, Questions of Faith

Female members of the Shooters Association, a paramilitary group that trains in Kalisz, Poland.

Continued from Page 23

PIOTR MALECKI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Fearing Russia, Poles Steel for Battle Continued from Page 23 spokesman for the Polish Army’s general staff. Tomasz Siemoniak, the defense minister of Poland, is also contemplating a proposal to establish a volunteer Territorial Defense Force. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz has changed the law on who can be called up for service in case of “military maneuvers.” Previously, only current and former reservists, those with actual military training, could be called. Now, almost any person in the country is eligible. In Lithuania, President Dalia Grybauskaite said military conscription was going to be reinstated because of the “current geopolitical environment.” In January, the government issued a booklet (“How to Act in Extreme Situations or Instances of War”) that offered advice on what citizens should do if foreign soldiers appeared on their doorstep, and how they might offer passive resistance to an occupying power. “If you are a civilian and you make that clear, it is unlikely someone will rush to kill you,” the booklet advised. Karlis Bukovskis, deputy director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in Riga, said: “People come up and ask me: ‘Should we leave? Should we flee?’ ” Worries are increasing in Poland, but they have not yet reached the level of mass fear, said Tomasz Szlendak, a sociologist at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun who has studied the effects the Ukraine crisis is having in Poland. At a recent party of fellow academics, he said, one retired military officer announced that he would organize a local militia if the Russians invaded. Another professor declared that he would put his wife and daughter on a plane out of Poland with a bag of money and then sign up with one of the paramilitary groups. “These kind of comments are, of course, meant as jokes,” Mr. Szlendak said. “But they are based on real fear. They are humorless, sad jokes.” The situation has not quite gotten to the point that people are stockpiling food and ammu-

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Russia has alarmed Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. nition in the basement, said Mr. Zaborowski of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, but anxiety is definitely rising. Pawel Kowal, a former member of Poland’s Parliament and a foreign policy expert, said the country was getting parallel messages from its leaders, being told that a newly aggressive Russia poses a genuine threat while also being reassured that membership in NATO and the European Union will provide sufficient protection. “The sense is that the border between NATO and Russia is like a new Iron Curtain,” Mr. Kowal

Anxiety along the edge of a new Iron Curtain. said. “But at least this time, Poland is on the right side of it.” The growing enrollment in the paramilitary groups is just one manifestation of the changed climate. The number of groups, General Pacek said, is clearly rising. Not all of the increase is due to Ukraine — patriotism and uniformed service are becoming more fashionable among younger Poles, and the military does offer a stable career — but Mr. Putin’s shadow has certainly accelerated the trend, he said. A gathering a few days earlier in the city of Szczecin had 500

new cadets taking the oath. General Pacek estimated there were 120 such groups at the moment, with about 80,000 members, but he acknowledged that this was just a guess, as the groups are not required to report their existence or membership rolls. The Defense Ministry has been trying to entice the groups to join an alliance with the government, offering equipment, uniforms, training and even money in exchange for a clearer idea of who they are — and a chance to assemble a new generation of energized recruits. “There is no question of them doing any fighting,” General Pacek said. “They are to offer assistance to the military. But of course, they have to be prepared to defend.” In St. Joseph’s Square here, the 30 new members of the Shooting Association waited for the command before taking four purposeful steps forward and raising their right hands. “I hereby pledge to put the good of the Polish Republic above all else,” they repeated. “I will always be ready to defend its independence until my last breath.” Afterward, Grzegorz Sapinski, the mayor of Kalisz, said: “One cannot help but notice the change in attitudes among young people following what is happening in Ukraine. The conflict is not in some obscure place. It is happening four hours’ drive away.” The members of one squad from the Shooters Association splayed on their bellies on the edge of the high school’s soccer field, pushing themselves ahead one knee thrust at a time. Each held a prop AK-47. The youngest of the cadets, Grzegorz Zurek, 11, was having trouble keeping up, but he was stubbornly determined. As they arrived on the far side of the field, the cadets turned to cheer Grzegorz along. “I think it is highly probable that Putin will do something against Poland,” Grzegorz later said, resting his rubber-coated gun on the grass. “I know from history that Russia has always been a totalitarian state. Now it is trying to regain the territory it lost at the end of the Cold War.” “Should it invade Poland,” he added, “I would not hesitate a second to fight against them.”

Islam and that his conversion appeared sincere. Some Catholics were startled. Mr. Foley’s mother, Diane, said Jejoen Bontinck, a Belgian former captive who is Muslim, described her son’s conversion as a genuine act. But after French and Spanish captives were released, Ms. Foley said she got a different version. “What the hostages had told me was that by saying that he had converted to Islam, he would be left alone five times a day, without being beaten, so that he could pray,” she said. Ms. Foley described her son as deeply interested in spirituality and the faiths of other people. But she believes his conversion was an act of practicality. “I think the Lord used Jim in a magnificent way in the last two years of his life. He gave hope to his fellow captives,” she said. In articles in Global Post, a website focused on international news, and during an appearance at Marquette after his captivity in Libya, Mr. Foley described how he had agreed to pray with his Muslim cellmates. He was surprised when, after he had washed himself, they declared him converted.

reading religious texts can provide order and discipline to days otherwise defined by fear or brutality, or even just boredom. And practical, also, as a means of survival: Some freed hostages describe converting to Islam as a tactic to win favor and sympathy from their captors. For many Catholics, issues such as religious persecution, forced conversion and martyrdom are distressingly current. Pope Francis has frequently inveighed against the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, where militants with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, have ordered some Christians to convert or face death. To many Catholics, Mr. Foley’s death seemed infused with religious overtones. A former altar boy who grew up in a Catholic family, Mr. Foley had volunteered in low-income schools while attending Marquette University, a Catholic college in Wisconsin, and then joined Teach for America, a national program in which college graduates teach disadvantaged children. Shifting to photojournalism, he immersed himself in conflict reporting, working as a freelancer in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Mr. Foley spent 44 days in captivity after being captured in 2011 during the Libya conflict. After being released, he thanked Ma rquette stuDOMINICK REUTER/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES dents who had held prayer vigils on his The funeral of James Foley, who behalf. In a letter converted to Islam in captivity. to Marquette, Mr. Foley described the importance of his Catholic “So, from then on out, I faith during his captivity. He prayed with them five times a and a cellmate prayed aloud day,” he said at Marquette. “It “to speak our weaknesses and was so powerful, and it was hopes together, as if in a consomething I needed to do to commune with these guys who versation with God,” he said. were relying on their faith in Mr. Foley’s spirituality beAllah. But it was difficult. I was came an issue again after his thinking, ‘Jesus, am I praying grisly death in Syria last Auto Allah? Am I violating my begust. On social media, many Catholics found inspiration in lief in you?’ ” He continued, “I accounts by freed captives dejust know that I was authentiscribing Mr. Foley as someone cally with them, and I was auwho often gave away his food or thentically praying to Jesus.” blanket to others. His family said his Syrian Some Catholic commentacaptivity was much the same. “I believe, much like in Libtors suggested Mr. Foley might be a candidate for Catholic ya, Jim ‘converted’ for the martyrdom. Others questioned purpose of surviving and bewhether such talk was approing close to some of the others there, and to have some discipriate. In October, The New York pline,” said Michael Foley, one Times detailed the brutality enof his brothers. At the Vatican, Cardinal dured by Mr. Foley and others Angelo Amato, prefect of the in captivity, while also quoting Congregation for the Causes of freed hostages as saying Mr. Saints, said that any religious Foley and others had convertconversion “not done freely ed to Islam. Mr. Foley was dedoes not indicate a conversion.” scribed as particularly devout “You can’t condemn people and as a fervent reader of the who are afraid of dying and so Quran. don’t show themselves as CathOne freed captive, Nicolas Hénin, said that Mr. Foley olic,” Cardinal Amato said. “A seemed the most interested Christian is not obliged to be a of the group in learning about martyr.”

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

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Liberians Doing Without the Rituals That Ebola Stole By CLAIR MacDOUGALL

MONROVIA, Liberia — Finda Fallah sat in her tiny apartment, boiling rice and leftovers with one of the few children in her family still alive. It was the night before Decoration Day, one of the nation’s most important public holidays, when Liberians clean, paint and decorate the graves of their relatives to honor lost loved ones. But this year, after the Ebola outbreak decimated her family, there were no plots for Ms. Fallah to tidy. Burials were banned because of the highly contagious nature of corpses. The only grave Ms. Fallah could visit was that of her brother-in-law, whose funeral led to the infections in her family. The thought of his grave made her angry, especially because her mother, sister, husband, two nephews and her 6-year-old son, Fayiah, were cremated, leaving little to mark their passing. “I can’t go outside,” she said, when the holiday came. Decoration Day is a tradition adopted by freed American slaves who in the early 1800s settled in the area of West Africa that became Liberia. The national holiday, which had its 99th anniversary on March 11, is often as much a celebration of life as a memorial to the dead. But Ebola disrupted the intimate funeral practices that sometimes involve the bathing of dead relatives, the braiding of hair and the kissing and touching of bodies at burial services. When the last known Ebola patient, Beatrice Yardolo, 58, an English teacher, was discharged from a Chinese Ebola treatment unit on March 5, officials warned that the country was at least three weeks from being declared Ebola-free.

Survivors with nightmares and no graves to decorate.

DANIEL BEREHULAK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Because of Ebola, many people accustomed to decorating relatives’ graves on a memorial holiday had nowhere to visit. A burial team unloading bodies at a crematorium in Monrovia. Ms. Fallah, who was also infected with Ebola, had to care for her children, nieces and nephews in a school where people suspected of having Ebola were housed, in squalid conditions, before being taken to one of the few treatment centers. Ms. Fallah still dreams about her little nephew Tamba Nino, who died in a treatment center, rolling around in a long T-shirt, saying, “I’m hungry.” Ms. Fallah believes her psychological survival now depends on forgetting. She bows her head and passes through special routes in the narrow alleyways to

avoid the school and the cramped house where she and her family lived. She tries not to stare at women who remind her of her mother. A nongovernmental organization is paying Ms. Fallah’s rent and sponsoring her niece’s school fees. Ebola survivors are now lobbying for more support. “I hope that Decoration Day will be used to reflect on the situation of survivors and the difficulties we still face, with stigma, with our health, with finances,” said Korlia Bonarwolo, a physician assistant who was infected and is the head of an Ebola survi-

vors association. The gates of Monrovia’s Palm Grove Cemetery were open, and young men and boys offered services to brush the surface of graves in colorful paint. Many relatives of Ebola victims were afraid that they would not be able to give their loved ones a proper burial once the government took away the bodies. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made cremations mandatory, an order that has been lifted since the opening of a safe burial site in Disco Hill, on the outskirts of Monrovia. Wearing white hazmat suits,

burial teams had picked up bodies, zipped them up in white bags, and placed them into the beds of pickup trucks, traveling with convoys of police to protect them during the height of the outbreak in August, September and October. Darlington Doe, the team leader of “Safe and Dignified Burial Team 1” — formerly known as a “Dead Body Management Team” — remembers the days when each of the 12 teams picked up as many as 20 bodies a day, many of which were taken to a mass cremation site and burned. “Cremation was a taboo in Liberia; communities were resistant,” he said. Three thousand of the more than 4,100 Liberians who died during the outbreak were cremated, their bones and ashes often thrown together into barrels despite assurances by the government that remains would be handled with care. The ashes were taken to Disco Hill early this month. There, families trickled in to place plastic wreaths and flowers on the clay mounds facing north for Muslims and on graves marked with white crucifixes for Christians. Survivors who lost family members but have no grave to visit wept, placing wreaths at the foot of the closed black iron doors of the concrete hut that contains the 16 black barrels of ashes, now sheathed in white and wrapped with red ribbons.

Shifting Boundaries in the Post-Sexual Revolution Sometimes open minds show up where you least expect them. Consider the case of Li Yinhe, a sociologist in Beijing who has long challenged Chinese sensibilities on LENS all matters sexual. Gay sex. Sadomasochism. Swinging. She encourages it all, to the displeasure of the Communist authorities, and has been since the 1980s, when she returned from nearly a decade in America to find that the puritanical mores imposed by Mao had outlived him. But recently she started pushing a new boundary, a personal one: She announced that her partner, Zhang Hongxia, is a transgender man. Though most Chinese know little of transgender men, interest in the couple has been strong and the reaction, for the most part, has been warm. “Everyone is unique in some For comments, write to nytweekly@nytimes.com.

Restraint shows up in places where it is least expected. way, so let’s work to have society catch up with science,” said People’s Daily, a major Communist Party news outlet. “Respecting the choices of people like Li Yinhe is respecting ourselves.” Professor Li told The Times she had long believed most Chinese had different attitudes than their leaders about such matters. “I find people here to be pretty accepting and open,” she said. Sometimes sexual restraint shows up where you least expect it. Consider France. Cheating presidents. Orgies of the rich and famous. The ménage à trois. When outsiders think of the French, the word “puritanical” does not come to mind. Still, it turns out, there are limits. The online dating site Gleeden discovered this when it placed advertisements on buses in

GILLES SABRIÉ FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Li Yinhe, right, says Chinese people are open about sexual differences. Her partner, Zhang Hongxia, is a transgender man. several French cities. Gleeden is not a garden-variety dating site, though its ads evoke the garden of Eden. It focuses on women who are looking for extramarital affairs. Many in the country were aroused by the ads, but not in the intended fashion. “I was shocked and disgusted,” Aude Ducros, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Family

Associations, told The Times. “Infidelity pollutes the couple and the family and destroys the social fabric of France.” Seven cities have dropped the ads. Social media is abuzz. “Fidelity is not for sale!” one man wrote on Twitter. What Gleeden is selling, said Solène Paillet, a spokeswoman, is justice for Frenchwomen, who have endured centuries of

cheating men. “In 2015, religious organizations, whether Catholic or otherwise, cannot dictate morality to the French,” she told The Times. Sexual freedom has found other resistance in France lately. Same-sex marriage has also run into strong opposition. The photographer Olivier Ciappa, who has rankled some people with his images of same-sex couples, said France is “much more reactionary than people like to think.” Sometimes, attitudes simply change. Consider Michael J. Bowers, an American lawyer. In the 1980s, as the Georgia attorney general, he made a name for himself by defending a state anti-sodomy law, leading to a Supreme Court decision that upheld such laws nationwide. The court reversed itself in 2003, and Mr. Bowers, 73, has done the same. He is now lobbying for a gay-rights group against legislation that he says would justify discrimination. He is not sure how or why, but “I know I’ve changed,” Mr. Bowers told The Times. “I’m not as mean as I used to be.” ALAN MATTINGLY

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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

WORLD TRENDS

Dalai Lama’s Afterlife A Concern for China

President Nicolás Maduro, center, has followed the policies of Hugo Chávez, which have led to shortages and inflation.

MIRAFLORES PALACE, VIA REUTERS

Chávez’s Successor Stays Loyal By WILLIAM NEUMAN

CARACAS, Venezuela — He thunders about assassination plots and says he sleeps with both eyes open. But no matter the dangers, President Nicolás Maduro says that he will carry out the mission that the “eternal Commander Chávez” has given him “until the end of the end of the roads, now and forever.” Mr. Maduro came into office seeking to imitate his charismatic predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chávez, in nearly every way: the way he talked and dressed, and in his fulminations against American imperialism. But two years after Mr. Chávez’s death, with his country sinking deeper into an economic crisis, what was once Mr. Maduro’s greatest advantage — his loyalty to the former leader — may have become his greatest handicap. “The government inaction, the inertia, comes from a belief that you find in Nicolás Maduro and his government about defending Chávez’s legacy, as if nothing that Chávez left can be touched, nothing can be changed or corrected because that would be considered a betrayal,” said Victor Álvarez, a former government minister under Mr. Chávez. Some economists say those policies have contributed to recession, soaring inflation and chronic shortages of basic goods. “Maduro has a tragic destiny,” said Alberto Barrera, a writer. “Maduro knows that he has to

By DAVID CROUCH

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Not far from the Sticky Fingers nightclub, three Romanian women were hunched against the cold on a street corner. When a man walked by, the women, in broken Swedish and English, tried to tempt him to buy sex. On this dismal street in Sweden’s second-largest city, the same scene plays out every Friday night. Until recently, Daniella, 34, who was brought to Sweden from Romania by a pimp 10 years ago, was a part of it. Now, Daniella, who asked that her full name not be used, has walked away from that life. After the pimp was sent to jail for four years, she turned to a volunteer group for help finding a way off the streets and became part of

confront a very big crisis, but to accept and recognize the crisis is to recognize that Chávez and the revolution failed.” Many Venezuelans also say that Mr. Maduro may have surpassed Mr. Chávez in his attacks on the political opposition. After dispatching troops during protests last year, Mr. Maduro has jailed a succession of politicians. Last month, the intelligence police raided the office of Antonio Ledezma, the mayor of Caracas, and put him in jail. He has been accused of taking part in one of the many coup plots Mr. Maduro has alleged. “Maduro’s problem is that he does not project leadership, so he has to make up for it by trying to look strong,” said Stalin González, an opposition legislator. “People laugh at him; they don’t take him seriously. It’s like a bully at school. They laugh at him, and he resorts to violence so that they will respect him.” Faced with shortages of basic items like corn flour or sugar, Mr. Maduro has jailed retail executives while maintaining the price controls that many economists say cause the problem. “Instead of attacking the structural causes that create these problems, they are attacking the consequences,” Mr. Álvarez said. Diosdado Cabello, the president of the National Assembly and a former military officer, is considered Mr. Maduro’s main rival for power and also the government figure with the great-

est influence within the armed forces. Mr. Maduro, who has no military background, has loaded his government with military officers and doled out perks like a TV station and a bank. Mr. Maduro has also earned a reputation for indecisiveness. He has spoken for over a year about raising gasoline prices, the world’s lowest, but has taken no action. The presidential mansion, known as La Casona, is still occupied by one of Mr. Chávez’s daughters, Rosa Virginia, and her husband, Vice President Jorge Arreaza. Mr. Maduro has said the house is for the use of the late president’s family. “He says that he is going to stand up to the gringos, but he hasn’t even been able to stand up to Chávez’s daughter so that he can occupy the presidential mansion,” said Mr. Barrera. Each week, Mr. Maduro spends many hours on television denouncing his enemies. Recently, he has focused on President Barack Obama, sometimes pretending to speak directly to him during his speeches and describing him as a decent man unaware of the sinister forces in the American government intent on attacking Venezuela. But in a speech, Mr. Maduro sounded hurt that Mr. Obama had not returned the attention. “You have, in an arrogant way, refused to speak to me,” he said. “I’m as much a president as you are.”

By CHRIS BUCKLEY And the former governor of the Tibetan autonomous reHONG KONG — Chinese Communist Party leaders are gion, Padma Choling, said the afraid that the Dalai Lama Dalai Lama had profaned the will not have an afterlife. WorTibetan Buddhist faith by sugried enough that officials have gesting that he might not be rewarned that he must reincarincarnated. The idea of Communist Party nate, and on their terms. officials defending the precepts Tensions over what will hapof reincarnation and hurling pen when the 14th Dalai Lama, accusations of heresy at the who is 79, dies, and particularDalai Lama might have Marx ly over who decides who will turning in his grave. The party succeed him as the most promis committed to atheism in its inent leader in Tibetan Budranks, though it accepts relidhism, ignited at the annual gathering of China’s legislators gious belief in the public. in Beijing recently. Lobsang Sangay, the prime Officials amplified their minister of the Tibetan governargument that the Commument in exile, said: “It’s like Finist government is the proper del Castro saying, ‘I will select guardian of the Dalai Lama’s the next pope and all the Cathosuccession through an intricate lics should follow.” process of reincarnation that has involved lamas, or senior monks, visiting a sacred lake and divining dreams. Party functionaries were incensed by the exiled Dalai Lama’s recent speculation that he might end his spiritual lineage and not reincarnate. That would confound the Chinese government’s plans to engineer a succession that would produce a 15th Dalai Lama who accepts China’s presence and policies in Tibet. NAVESH CHITRAKAR/REUTERS Zhu Weiqun, a Communist Party official, A portrait of the Dalai Lama. He told reporters in Beijing has suggested that he might not that the Dalai Lama had, be reincarnated. essentially, no say over whether he was reincarnated. That was ultimately But the dispute has profound for the Chinese government to implications for Beijing and its decide, he said, according to a hold over Tibetan areas. Party transcript of his comments on leaders would prefer to insert the website of People’s Daily, themselves surreptitiously into the party’s main newspaper. a succession process that car“Decision-making power ries the full weight of Tibetan over the reincarnation of the tradition than to install a new Dalai Lama, and over the end Dalai Lama by fiat. or survival of this lineage, reSo if the incumbent Dalai Lama uses his clout to nullify sides in the central government the historic selection process, of China,” Mr. Zhu said. China faces the prospect of Mr. Zhu accused the Dalai continuing discontent there Lama of trampling on sacred after his death. It would in estraditions. “In religious terms, this is a betrayal of the successence be a last act of defiance by the Dalai Lama, who turns sion of Dalai Lamas in Tibetan 80 in July. Buddhism,” he said.

Sweden Assesses Prostitution Law Some see problems in punishing only the buyers of sex. a broad decline in prostitution in Sweden. Sweden’s pioneering law criminalizing the purchase of sex while allowing its sale — putting the criminal burden on the buyer, not the prostitute, while providing more assistance to women who want to stop selling sex — has been considered a success

and a model for other countries since it was introduced in 1999. A study issued on March 13 found that street prostitution had been cut by more than half since 1995. Norway and Iceland adopted legislation similar to Sweden’s in 2009, and leading British politicians have called for the same. But as Sweden assesses its approach, it continues to grapple with issues that could limit progress in reducing prostitution and sex trafficking, including the effects of technology on the market and the rights of prostitutes. A review of research on the legislation that the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education

commissioned from Malmo University found that it was unclear to what extent mobile phones and the Internet may have accelerated the reduction in street prostitution by bringing buyers and sellers together electronically. The stigma against prostitutes remains widespread, the review also found, making it difficult for women to get help, and stoking their fear of eviction or loss of custody of their children. The law is forcing women who sell sex into more dangerous situations, it said, arguing that transactions have become faster and more furtive because men are afraid of the police, leading wom-

en to jump into cars without first checking if the driver is drunk, high or otherwise threatening. The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education said the review raised questions about the law’s effectiveness, as well as its impact on prostitutes and on women like Daniella seeking to leave prostitution. The government has an agency to help prostitutes, but “the girls don’t trust it,” said Jonna Bostrom, the founder of Rosenlundstodet, a volunteer group. She spent months trying to convince Daniella that she could start a new life. “I wanted it to be my decision, not being pushed by somebody else,” Daniella said. “I needed to be ready inside to take this decision.”

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MONEY & BUSINESS

New Leader Wants Ronald’s Arches to Turn Into Halos By STEPHANIE STROM

For years, McDonald’s has lurched from showcasing new items — Egg White Delight McMuffins! sliced apples! — to mining nostalgia for its Big Macs and fries. Customers still line up at the drive-through window for cheap, quick cups of coffee and hash browns. But the company is also trying to appeal to more finicky eaters. Can McDonald’s be both fast and bespoke? Cheap and high-quality? Steve Easterbrook, who took over as the chief executive on March 1, thinks so. He has presented a new vision of McDonald’s as “a modern, progressive burger and breakfast restaurant” where “customization and made to order” are essential. His first major act as C.E.O. was to announce that within two years chicken served at the restaurants would be free of antibiotics, or at least those antibiotics also used in humans. It was a

The McDonald’s to-be list: healthier, customized and fast. big move for McDonald’s, which is one of the biggest buyers of chicken, and one that pleased health officials who see overuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry — and the resulting antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria — as a serious threat to human health. A 47-year-old British national, Mr. Easterbrook has spent nearly his entire career in Europe, most of it with McDonald’s. He is credited with turning around the company’s 1,200-store business in Britain in part by doing things — reducing salt, adding organic milk — that appealed to a more health-conscious consumer.

TOP, LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS; RIGHT, JEREMY ENECIO

But he may find the challenge in the United States daunting. While McDonald’s is the world’s largest restaurant chain, with more than 36,000 outlets, about 14,000 of those in the United States, its performance is slipping fast. Same-store sales have fallen over the last five years, and last year the company turned in a miserable performance. The fast-food market has splintered. Upscale fast-casual restaurants like Smashburger and Chipotle attract customers who will pay $5.99 for the Classic Smash burger (“handcrafted” and “seared and seasoned to order”) or $6.65 for a steak burrito (“organic and local produce where practical”). The menu might be full of calories, but it comes with a halo of quality. The McDonald’s core customer, on the other hand, is still looking for a $3.99 Big Mac, served fast. Rivals of McDonald’s are winning on taste and image. To catch them, the company might have to sacrifice speed, which has been its main advantage. And even on that score, it’s not doing so well. “The two key words in fast

The world’s largest restaurant chain is having an identity crisis. From top, the ’50s look and a modern store. food are fast and food, and McDonald’s is no longer fast, and its burgers ranked last in a Consumer Reports survey recently,” said Larry Light, chief executive of Arcature, a consulting firm, and a former McDonald’s executive. “Those are their Number 1 and Number 2 challenges, but I’m not sure they know it.” Ten years ago, customers placing drive-through orders would have their food in an average of 152 seconds. Today, the same order takes 189.5 seconds, according to research from Janney Montgomery Scott. The longer wait times are primarily the result of efforts to make McDonald’s more relevant in a premi-

um, fast-casual world. “The problem is not that consumers don’t want hamburgers, as anyone who’s been to Five Guys recently can tell you,” said a former McDonald’s executive whose severance agreement effectively made it impossible for him to speak publicly about the company without taking a financial hit. “What they’re waiting for is a better hamburger from McDonald’s, not a wrap.” The latest turnaround by McDonald’s is a Create Your Own tablet that allows people to custom-build their sandwiches from a menu of meats, toppings and buns. Barry Klein, the former McDonald’s marketing ex-

Pesticide Question Shows Trade Sensitivities By DANNY HAKIM

LONDON — Syngenta, a Swiss chemicals company, produces one of America’s most popular herbicides. It is called atrazine, and 33.4 million kilograms of the chemical compound were applied in the United States in 2013. It was used on more than half of all corn crops, two-thirds of sorghum and up to 90 percent of sugar cane. But Syngenta cannot sell atrazine to farms in its own backyard. It is banned as a pesticide in the European Union as well as in Switzerland over concerns that it is a groundwater contaminant. Even though the European Union banned atrazine over a decade ago, the company has long insisted that the pesticide was not banned. “It is not banned,” Ann Bryan, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an email, but she acknowledged that “countries in the E.U. currently do not use atrazine.”

Companies are perhaps understandably sensitive about revealing too much about the gulf that exists between American and European regulation of pesticides and other chemicals. Generally speaking, the European approach requires companies to establish that new chemicals are safe before they are put on the market. The American approach puts the onus on regulators to show some evidence of danger before taking action against new chemicals. Scores of chemicals that are banned or tightly restricted in the European Union are allowed in the United States. One recent analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law, a Washington-based advocacy group, found 82 instances of pesticides allowed in the United States but barred or restricted in Europe. This disparity can make selling products on one side of the

Trans-Atlantic talks try to close gaps on chemical regulation. Atlantic that are banned on the other uncomfortable, though few companies have tried a semantic maneuver quite like Syngenta’s. “The use of atrazine as a herbicide/pesticide is banned in the E.U.,” Mikko Vaananen, a spokesman for the European Chemicals Agency, said in an email. Mr. Vaananen added that it was still allowed as an intermediate substance used in the industry to create new chemicals. European Union government documents, from formal filings to informal newsletters, also use the term “banned.” Sensitivity over regulatory

gaps between the United States and Europe has flared during trans-Atlantic trade talks. But both sides have made reaching an agreement a cornerstone of trade policy. Finding commonalities in regulations is one of the main efforts of the talks, since much work has already been done to reduce tariffs. As a result, though, an increasing number of critics of the process are concerned that the outcome could favor corporations more than consumers. Government negotiators on both sides, however, call concerns misguided. Trevor Kincaid, a spokesman for the United States trade representative, said in a statement: “We have made it clear privately

ecutive who created Ronald McDonald, tried it out. He said the burger he got could compete with those at higher-rated chains, but it was about $1.50 more than a Big Mac. The new burgers can be ordered only inside rest aura nts, a nd they take seven or eight minutes to prepare. “When something like two-thirds of the business is drive-through,” Mr. Klein said, “this is not the solution.” Mike Dona hue, who led communications at McDonald’s from 1987 until 2006, said the company had allowed itself to be defined by others. “Instead of telling consumers that they sell more chicken than beef and are the Number 1 seller of apples, for instance, they’ve allowed the fringe groups and so-called influencers to define McDonald’s as the company that’s made America fat,”

he said. The new marketing campaign, “Our Food, Your Questions,” is an attempt by McDonald’s to take back its story. Consumers can watch short videos that answer questions such as “What’s in a Chicken McNugget?” (meat from the chicken breast, tenderloin and ribs ground with a small amount of chicken skin). Mr. Easterbrook’s first big marketing move indicated that he was reaching for the halo — the perception of quality — floating above some of his rival companies. “It can’t be all things to all people,” Mr. Donahue said. “It has to decide.”

and publicly, in Europe and the U.S. in multiple languages, and in a variety of formats: Neither one of us is looking to a b a nd o n ou r unique, high-standard approaches to chemical regulation. Period.” Such statements have done little to quell critics of the talks. Baskut O. LIZ GRUMAN Tuncak, a senior lawyer at the Center for International Environmental Law, the advocacy group, said that in his view the chemical proposals that have surfaced so far “reflect a lot of industry’s demands and their concerns with more protective E.U. policies.” Mr. Tuncak added that proposed changes in the standards could “slow or stop and possibly weaken efforts to develop stronger chemical regulation in either the E.U. or the U.S.”

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MONEY & BUSINESS

For Emerging Markets, A Strong Run Is Ending By LANDON THOMAS Jr.

In Russia, it’s assassinations and war. In Brazil, a corruption scandal may derail the economy. And in Turkey, the president is attacking the country’s senior central banker. Emerging markets have lately taken on a toxic quality as messy politics and staggering economies are prompting some investors to reassess their investment rationale. Compounding these concerns are the dollar’s upward march and the growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve will soon increase interest rates as the United States economy outpaces the rest of the world’s. Emerging-market currencies are suffering the consequences. The Turkish lira and the Brazilian real have touched multiyear lows against the dollar while the Russian ruble remains volatile after its 65 percent plunge. Even the currencies of economies seen to be in better shape, like the Mexican peso and the Indian rupee, are under pressure. “You are seeing all the bad things about emerging markets that originally made them sub-investment grade,” said Daniel Tenengauzer, an emerging-mar-

A healthy dollar puts pressure on developing nations.

have borrowed heavily in dollars and in the process made money off investors who were seeking high-yield bonds. Chinese shortterm debt has exploded to $850 billion from $101 billion since 2008; in Brazil, the increase was to $112 billion from $47 billion, and Turkey’s near-term liabilities jumped to $95 billion from $56 billion. When their currencies were strong and the dollar weak, such a strategy made sense. But when the reverse is true, foreign investors take their money elsewhere, and these dollar debts become harder to pay off. Not all emerging markets are suffering. Stocks and bonds soared in India under a new reform-minded government. Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines also attracted investor interest because of their successful economic policies. While currencies have been volatile, capital from emerging markets has not approached the levels of a year ago. According to the Institute of International Finance, the trade group for global banks, money moving into emerging markets nearly halved last month, to $12 billion from $23 billion, with money flowing out of Brazil, Ukraine and Thailand and into Indonesia and India. Since the beginning of YURI KOCHETKOV/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY the year, investors in the In Moscow, the euro and dollar world’s largest emergtraded strong while the ruble fell. ing-markets investment vehicle, the $38 billion Oppenheimer developing market specialist at the Royal Bank of Canada. “The whole thesis that kets fund, have withdrawn just emerging markets are emerging $400 million — an amount by is being questioned right now.” no means indicative of investor Mr. Tenengauzer points to panic. Still, experts say that the Brazil as the main culprit. Allefact that the dollar is rising and that interest rates in the United gations of kickbacks and bribes States are moving up will entice at Petrobras, the country’s enerinvestors to hunt for returns gy giant, threaten to engulf the there as opposed to in Brazil and country’s business and economTurkey. ic elites. Petrobras, which has The United States’ appeal is rerelied on global bond markets to finance its ambitious investinforced by the questionable dement plans, is now retrenching cision-making of some leaders in — a bad omen for Brazil’s investdeveloping countries. In Turkey, for example, the country’s presment-starved economy, which is not expected to grow this year. ident, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, But the outlook is no better has been pressuring his central in Russia, where a war with bank, which is nominally indeUkraine and President Vladimir pendent, to bring interest rates V. Putin’s erratic ways — comdown even though inflation is high and the lira shaky. bined with a collapse in the price Brazil and Turkey have taken of oil — have rattled investors. steps to reassure investors. But Beyond these surface probas long as turmoil and scandal lems are deeper vulnerabilities persist, such measures, while that, analysts say, will become helpful, run the risk of being too more acute as the dollar continlittle too late. ues to strengthen. In a recent Mr. Tenengauzer, the emergreport, Mr. Tenengauzer highlighted how, in the last five years ing-market expert, said he had of central bank easing, emerging been barraged by phone calls markets have taken on more debt from investors about the chaos in as developed markets have done these markets. the opposite. He said, “It’s really affecting Companies in need of capital the asset class.”

KO SASAKI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Japanese utilities say they cannot handle the solar power being generated. A solar plant.

Push for Solar Stumbles in Japan By JONATHAN SOBLE

MAKURAZAKI, Japan — Rice fields, golf courses and even a disused airport runway. All over the southern Japanese region of Kyushu, unexpected places gleam with solar panels. As part of an ambitious national effort to promote renewable energy, solar use in Japan has exploded over the last two years. But the technology’s future role is now in doubt. Utilities say their infrastructure cannot handle the swelling army of solar entrepreneurs intent on selling their power. And their willingness to invest more money depends heavily on whether the government remains committed to clean energy. “It’s upsetting,” said Junji Akagi, a real estate developer on Ukujima, a tiny island near Nagasaki. Mr. Akagi said he hoped to turn a quarter of the island’s 25-square-kilometer area into a “mega-solar” generating station. But last September, Kyushu Electric Power Company abruptly announced that it would stop contracting to buy electricity from new solar installations. Other power companies in Japan soon followed suit. “It was a shock,” Mr. Akagi said. “Now we don’t know if Kyushu Electric will buy our power.” The faltering solar boom is threatening an important goal for Japan as a whole: finding clean sources of power to replace the nuclear output lost after the Fukushima disaster four years ago. So far, the country has been relying mostly on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas to fill the gap, leading to sharply higher emissions of greenhouse gases. Some solar advocates fear the government is retreating from clean energy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to bring back into service some of the 50 nuclear reactors that were closed over safety concerns. Many in Mr. Abe’s circle view Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.

solar as expensive and unreliable. The government recently reduced the amount of clean power that utilities are required to buy from outside producers, and additional measures to curb supply are expected this spring, including cuts to price subsidies. “It would put a brake on the spread of solar power,” Yuji Kuroiwa, the ecologically minded governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, next to Tokyo, said at a news conference in December, referring to the new restrictions. Solar power here is costly for consumers because of high state-mandated prices, and handling the fluctuating output of thousands of mostly small solar producers is tricky for utilities. Necessary improvements

A commitment to clean energy is being questioned. in the infrastructure have not kept pace, experts say. “The homework wasn’t done,” said Nobuo Tanaka, former executive director of the International Energy Agency. Utilities, he said, need to install more hardware — transmission cables, substations and the like — and develop new expertise to avoid disruptions. “To make renewables work in reality, they have to be properly connected to the power system.” The problem is especially acute in Kyushu, where relatively plentiful sunshine and low land prices have attracted a disproportionate share of solar development. Installed solar capacity roughly doubled in the two years from mid-2012, when a law took effect requiring utilities to buy renewable energy from outside producers at rates far above market prices. By last summer it stood at 3.4

gigawatts, about equal to the output of three modern nuclear reactors — at least during those hours when the sun was at full strength. More challenging for electric-company planners is what is in the pipeline. An additional 8.4 gigawatts’ worth of projects, including Mr. Akagi’s on Ukujima, have received government approval. That is far too much for Kyushu Electric’s grid to handle without the risk of failures, the utility argues. Solar projects have already changed the landscape and economy in Kyushu. The largest ones, like the Nanatsushima Mega-Solar Power Plant in Kagoshima, which opened in 2013, cover areas bigger than 100 soccer fields. In Makurazaki, a remote city in Kagoshima, the local airport went unused for a decade, a victim of economic and population decline. Now its 1,300-meter runway is covered end to end with solar panels. According to the government, if every solar plant now on the drawing board were actually to be built, it would cost users 2.7 trillion yen a year in special charges, or about $23 billion, four times the premium they’re paying now. Solar supporters say the money would at least remain in the Japanese economy. Higher energy bills related to the nuclear shutdown are already being blamed for squeezing household budgets. Rather than curtail the expansion of solar power, what is needed, advocates for the technology say, is a broader shakeup of Japan’s electricity market. A bill now in Parliament would force Japan’s 10 regional utilities to split their generation and transmission operations into legally separate businesses. Some say the plan does not go far enough. “These 10 monopolies will still own the grid,” said Tom O’Sullivan, a Tokyo-based energy consultant. “It will still be very difficult for independent power companies to get their electricity into the grid.”

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

In Texas, Terry McAlister uses cover crops like white turnip.

Abandoning the Plow To Improve the Soil By ERICA GOODE

FORT WORTH, Texas — Gabe Brown talks about soil-conservation farming, a movement that promotes leaving fields untilled, “green manures” and other soil-enhancing methods, with an almost evangelistic fervor. Such farming methods, which mimic the biology of virgin land, can revive degenerated earth, minimize erosion, encourage plant growth and increase farmers’ profits, their proponents say. “Nature can heal if we give her the chance,” Mr. Brown said. Mr. Brown said he has produced crops that thrive on his 2,000-hectare farm in North Dakota, even during droughts or flooding. He no longer uses nitrogen fertilizer or fungicide, he said, and he produces yields above the county average with less labor and lower costs. Soil-conservation farming is gaining converts as growers increasingly face extreme weather, high production costs, a shortage of labor and the threat of government regulation of agricultural pollution. Farmers like Mr. Brown travel the country telling their stories, and organizations like No-Till on the Plains — a Kansas-based

nonprofit — attract thousands. Surveys suggest that the use of no-tillage farming has grown sharply over the last decade, accounting for about 35 percent of cropland in the United States. For some crops, no-tillage area has nearly doubled in the last 15 years. For soybeans, for example, it rose to 12 million hectares in 2012 from seven million in 1996. The planting of cover crops — legumes and other species that are rotated with cash crops to blanket the soil year-round and act as green manure — has also risen about 30 percent a year, according to surveys. Farmers till the land to ready it for sowing and to churn weeds and crop residue back into the earth. Tilling also helps mix in fertilizers and manure, and loosens the top layer of the soil. But repeated plowing exacts a price. It degrades soil, killing off its biology, including beneficial fungi and earthworms, and leaving it, as Ray Archuleta, a federal agronomist, puts it, “naked, thirsty, hungry and running a fever.” Degraded soil requires heavy applications of synthetic fertilizer. And because its structure has broken down, the soil washes

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRANDON THIBODEAUX FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

away easily in heavy rain, taking nitrogen and other pollutants with it into rivers and streams. Soil health proponents say that by leaving fields unplowed and using cover crops, which act as sinks for nitrogen and other nutrients, growers can increase the amount of organic matter in their soil, making it better able to

Untilled fields that help when it rains and when it doesn’t. absorb and retain water. Each 1 percent increase in soil organic matter helps soil hold 30,000 liters more water per hectare, said Claire O’Connor of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In turn, more absorbent soil is less vulnerable to runoff and more resistant to droughts and floods. Cover crops also help

Study Reveals Lashes Keep Eyes Moist By JAMES GORMAN

Long and luxurious eyelashes have been in fashion at least since Cleopatra. But scientists now suggest that their real function is to help protect eyes from drying out. David Hu at the Georgia Institute of Technology first decided to investigate eyelashes after seeing his newborn daughter bat hers three years ago. Dr. Hu enlisted graduate students in his biomechanics lab and colleagues to join the investigation. They measured the lashes of different mammals, most of which have them. They made an artificial eye with lashes, put it in a wind tunnel and blew air at it. And they created mathematical models of airflow over lashes. They found that across a wide variety of mammals, eyelashes are always about one-third as long as the eye is wide, which, it turns out, is the ideal length for diverting airflow around the eye

In humans, lashes are thought to play a role in seduction. and reducing evaporation. Dr. Hu, Guillermo J. Amador and several other researchers, all from Georgia Tech, published their findings in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Steven Vogel, a professor emeritus at Duke University in North Carolina, who studies similar problems in biomechanics, said the research was “terrific.” Now, he said, “we know why eyelashes are the length they are.” In the past, scientists have offered different explanations for the existence of eyelashes, including protecting the eye by

catching dust as it settles from above, and acting as sensors to trigger blinking, which helps protect eyes and keep them lubricated. And of course, in humans, lashes were also thought to have a role in sex and seduction, or, in biological terms, mating. All of these functions may be true, Dr. Hu said, but changing airflow around the eye is so important that, from elephants to rabbits, the proportion of lash length to eye width does not change. The research began with measurements of eyelashes of 22 species of animals preserved at the American Museum of Natural History. Those measurements showed the constant relation to eye size. Mathematical models of airflow showed that this length, onethird the width of the eye, should be the most efficient for diverting airflow. Wind tunnel experi-

suppress weeds. Environmental groups like the Defense Council have long been fans of soil-conservation techniques because they help protect waterways and increase the ability of soil to store carbon dioxide, rather than releasing it into the air, where it contributes to climate change. One recent study led by the Environmental Defense Fund suggested the widespread use of soil-health practices could reduce nitrogen pollution in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins by 30 percent, helping to shrink the giant “dead zone” of oxygen-depleted water in the Gulf of Mexico. But the movement also has critics, who argue that no-tillage is impractical and too expensive for many growers, who must purchase new equipment. There is also the perception that weed control is harder using no-tillage; that the method, which reduces water evaporation, places limits on how early crops can be planted; and that

the residue left by no-tilling is too difficult to deal with. Even farmers who adopt notill and other soil-conservation methods rarely do so for environmental reasons; their motivation is more pragmatic. “My goal is to improve my soil so I can grow a better crop so I can make more money,” said Terry McAlister, who farms 2,500 hectares in North Texas, growing cotton, wheat, hay, grain sorghum and some canola. He uses a GPS-guided no-till seeder that drills through residue. He credits no-tillage for one of his biggest wheat crops, in 2012, when extreme drought left farmers throughout the region struggling to salvage any harvest. Mr. McAlister and other no-till farmers said that perhaps the biggest barrier to the spread of no-till is the mind-set that farmers must do things the way earlier generations did them. He said, “We have a saying in our area: ‘You can’t no-till because you haven’t buried your father yet.’ ”

A study shows that lashes protect eyes from drying out. to prevent the particles that air currents carry from landing on the water. If eyelashes are too long, Dr. Hu said, they channel air to the eye. DAVID HU AND GUILLERMO J. AMADOR/ Apart from satisfyGEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ing his curiosity, and providing a potential worry for ONLINE: WHOSE LASH IS THIS? wearers of long false eyelashes, Take a quiz to identify the animal Dr. Hu said the research might whose eyelashes are shown: have some application to solar nytimes.com Search Eyelashes panels, which suffer from reduced efficiency when particles are deposited on them. And it is, Dr. Vogel said, an exments reinforced the conclusion. The researchers used a dish ample of what Dr. Hu does best. In of water the size of an eye, with a the past, he and his students have circle of mesh around it to mimic studied the time it takes for mameyelashes. They first determined mals to empty their bladders, the that the mesh functioned the physics of fire ants and the fresame as false eyelashes made quency at which wet dogs shake. with human hair. He has a talent, Dr. Vogel said, The actual length of mammalifor “looking at what everybody has looked at, and seeing what an eyelashes worked best to prenobody has seen.” vent evaporation of the water and

Sanctity of Truth

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Protecting Against Infections Without Using Vaccines By CARL ZIMMER

Last month, scientists announced what could prove to be an enormous step forward in the fight against H.I.V. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute said they had developed an artificial antibody, that once in the blood, grabbed the virus and inactivated it. The molecule can eliminate H.I.V. from infected monkeys and protect them from future infections. This treatment is not a vaccine. By delivering synthetic genes into the muscles of the monkeys, the scientists are re-engineering the animals to resist disease. Researchers are also testing this approach against Ebola, malaria, influenza and hepatitis. “The sky’s the limit,” said Michael Farzan, the lead author of the study. He and others hope that this technique will provide long-term protection against diseases for which vaccines have failed. The first human trial based on this strategy — called immunoprophylaxis by gene transfer, or I.G.T. — is underway. “It could revolutionize the way we immunize against public health threats in the future,” said Dr. Gary J. Nabel, the chief scientific officer of Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company that produces a wide range of vaccines. Researchers still need to gauge I.G.T.’s safety and effectiveness in humans. And the prospect of genetically engineering people to resist infectious diseases may raise concerns among patients. It is “going to take some explanation,” said Dr. David Baltimore, a Nobel Prize recipient and virologist at California Institute of Technology. Vaccines prompt the immune system to learn how to make antibodies by introducing it to weakened or dead pathogens. Vaccines often fail to produce ef-

immune system, rather than trying to stimulate the immune system,” Dr. Baltimore said. Other experiments have shown success against malaria, Ebola and various strains of the flu. Dr. Johnson has begun the first clinical trial of I.G.T. in humans, placing H.I.V. antibody genes into the muscles of volunteers to see if the treatment is safe. But there is no guarantee that the successes in the animal trials can be replicated in humans. Human immune systems may attack the artificial antibodies or the viruses delivering them, destroying their protection. Or muscle cells might make too ma-

Synthetic antibodies delivered by viruses spur cells to fight. BENJAMIN RUSNAK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

In 2009, Dr. Johnson and his colleagues said the approach worked in their experiment to protect monkeys from S.I.V., a primate version of AIDS. They used viruses to deliver powerful genes to the monkeys’ muscles. The muscle cells produced S.I.V. antibodies. Then they infected the monkeys with S.I.V. The monkeys produced enough antibodies to protect them from infections. Without the gene-therapy procedure, monkeys dosed with the virus died. In 2011, Dr. Baltimore and his colleagues showed that antibodies delivered into cells with viruses could protect mice against H.I.V. “We’re going around the

ny antibodies, because they do not have the built-in regulation that immune cells do. Dr. Farzan and others are also seeking molecular switches that can turn off the production of antibodies, or adjust their dose. “If we really want to see this blossom, we need regulatory ‘off’ switches,” he said. Bioethicists do not foresee ethical hurdles, because gene therapy has been developed for over 30 years. Still, Dr. Baltimore said some people might be leery of altering their own DNA, even if it prevents a potentially fatal disease. “But my feeling,” he said, “as a basic scientist, is that it’s our responsibility to take things into the clinic that we feel will make a difference.”

changes in the way deaths are reported, but the improvement was still powerful. “I don’t know why in India there has been economic development but drowning has not declined,” he said. Progress in reducing the 237,000 global deaths a year from fire is equally variable. It makes sense that more Russians than Brazilians die from fire: Russia has fearsome winters, and many fires are caused by heaters. But climate does not explain why the age-standardized death rate from fire was halved between 1990 and 2013 in Brazil, accord-

ing to Global Burden figures, while in Russia it did not decline at all. Show policy makers the larger data and what other countries are doing, said Dr. Vasiliy Vlassov of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, and there is a better chance they will take appropriate action. “For example,” he said, “in Russia, very strong legislation was introduced in relation to smoking almost two years ago. Smoking in public places almost disappeared.”

Dr. Michael Farzan hopes a new technique can create protection against viruses like H.I.V. fective antibodies. H.I.V. comes in so many strains that a vaccine that can protect against one will not work against others. With I.G.T., scientists isolate the genes that produce powerful antibodies against certain diseases and then synthesize artificial versions. The genes are placed into viruses and injected into human tissue. The viruses invade human cells with their DNA payloads, and the synthetic gene is incorporated into the recipient’s DNA. If all goes well, the new genes instruct the cells to begin making powerful antibodies. The idea for I.G.T. emerged during the fight against H.I.V. In a few people, some antibodies

against H.I.V. turn out to be extremely potent. So-called broadly neutralizing antibodies can latch onto many strains of the virus and keep them from infecting new cells. Dr. Philip R. Johnson of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a virologist at the University of Pennsylvania, had an idea: Why not give broadly neutralizing antibodies to everyone? Researchers had figured out how to load genes into viruses and persuade them to invade cells. Dr. Johnson thought he might be able to use this strategy to introduce the gene for a powerful antibody into a patient’s cells.

Accidents Seen as Global Health Crisis By JEREMY N. SMITH

Accidents should move higher up your list of things to worry about. Worldwide, road injuries kill more people than AIDS. Falls kill nearly three times as many people as brain cancer. Drowning claims more lives than the deaths of mothers during childbirth. Both fire and poisonings have many times more fatal victims than natural disasters. In 2013, the combined death toll from all unintentional injuries was 3.5 million people. Only heart disease and stroke were greater killers. These findings, published last year in the British medical journal The Lancet, are from the “Global Burden of Disease” study, an international collaboration led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which tracks the annual toll of 240 causes of death for men and women in 20 age groups across 188 countries. Look beneath the top-level results and you also see huge variations among countries that are economic peers. This

Preventable injuries get attention from health researchers. means that some countries have figured out a better way to curb accidental deaths — and that other countries might be able to follow suit. In France and Spain, according to the study, people die from transport injuries at roughly the same rate, but the French are twice as likely to die from falls, even when you adjust for the country’s older population. In Britain and the United States, deaths from falls are almost equivalent, but Americans are twice as likely to die from poisonings. Why? If Russia could emulate Brazil, it would cut deaths per capita from fire by 80 percent. If India could copy China, it would cut deaths per capita from drowning by 30 percent. How? The study does not answer

these questions directly, but it makes clear where to start looking for best practices. Global public health leaders have often ignored injuries as health risks. Consider drowning. For decades, it has been one of the 20 biggest killers worldwide, but the World Health Organization issued its first report dedicated to drowning only in November 2014. Effective prevention strategies include teaching swimming, providing life jackets,fencing off open water and training emergency medical responders. Drowning deaths also tend to decline as countries urbanize and when income and education increase. China, which both urbanized and started prevention programs, saw drowning deaths plunge from 190,000 in 1990 to 64,000 in 2013, the study found. In India, drowning deaths barely budged, falling from an estimated 91,000 to 88,000 in the same period. David Meddings, an epidemiologist who was executive editor of the W.H.O. report, noted that China’s gains may partly reflect

JOHANNA GOODMAN

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

T H E W AY W E E AT

Questions of Taste Over Chocolate Deities By ANDY NEWMAN

As religious questions go, it is a relatively small one. But, inevitably, it must be asked: Is it O.K. to eat a chocolate statuette of your favorite holy figure? The matter arose at Bond Street Chocolate, a small boutique in Manhattan that traffics in detailed figurines of Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh. Last month, an organization called Universal Society of Hinduism issued a demand: “Upset Hindus urge withdrawal of Lord Ganesh-shaped edible chocolate.” The owner of the store, Lynda Stern, was puzzled. For more than five years, she has been selling the gold-dusted Ganesh and his shelfmates, beside passion fruit bonbons and chocolate-coated wasabi peas, with barely a whiff of controversy. In the news release, the society’s president, Rajan Zed, wrote that Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, was “highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not to be eaten casually.” The chocolate statues, he wrote, were an

Some of the devout are offended by candy statuettes.

“So we would not say that the lord resides only in that little piece of chocolate. It’s more like when they eat it, the lord comes back to us — he is within us.” She added, “Our own Indian children would love to have some candies like this.” The store’s Divine Collection also includes a 10-centimeter-high Virgin of Guadalupe. The Reverend Santiago Rubio, pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in New York, was not pleased to hear this. “We consider statues and images as sacred objects that help connect with the divine or the supernatural,” he said. “So to transform them into merchandise, candy to eat, I don’t think it’s the best way to go.” But a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Joseph Zwilling, recalled a Catholic group’s dinner at which guests were given white chocolate Virgin Marys. “I don’t think there’s anything inherently sacrilegious about it,” Mr. Zwilling said, speaking about Ms. Stern’s Jesus treat, which is cast from a dashboard ornament. “It’s the intention of the person making it that matters.” Ms. Stern said that after an artiJAMES ESTRIN/THE NEW YORK TIMES cle about the chocThe Hindu god Ganesh, as a olate statuettes appeared in 2009, confection in New York. she got a call from a representative of a Buddhist community in insult to Hindus. Chinatown who threatened a Mr. Zed, a former United boycott of the store. She chose States Postal Service supervito ignore it — “That’s not my sor in Reno, Nevada, and the demographic,” she said — and society’s only full-time staff it ended there. member, is a frequent critic of Since then, she said, her figthe nonreligious use of Hindu imagery. urines had been purchased by Mr. Zed has taken on an Ausmany religious customers. Hun Lye, a Tibetan Buddhist tralian brewery whose ginger lama who last year helped beer label shows Ganesh and make a sand mandala at the the goddess Lakshmi; chalAsia Society in Manhattan to lenged the Brooklyn Museum demonstrate impermanence, over a mural depicting the desaid that for many Buddhists ity Kali; and persuaded Urban eating the Buddha’s likeness Outfitters to stop selling a Ga“would be considered disrenesh duvet cover. But Ms. Stern, whose nearly spectful and it would be beeight-centimeter-tall Ganesh lieved that it would result in sells for $15, has no intention of negative karma being creatdesisting. ed.” “All spiritual icons are treatBut he said an ancient Buded equally in my shop,” she dhist text, “A Guide to the said, “with honor and respect Bodhisattva Way of Life,” to the religion.” “says that those who get upBut whether the statues ofset when the Buddha is being insulted should not call themfend the devout depends on whom you ask. “We Hindus selves disciples of the Buddha.” look at the universe as eternal “It’s the Dalai Lama’s favorand god almighty as one,” said ite text,” he said. “But probaUma Mysorekar, president of bly you wouldn’t see the Dalai the Hindu Temple Society of Lama buying the statue and North America in New York. chomping on it.”

ANDREW TESTA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Balti curry, a popular dish in Britain, is thought to have started at Adil’s in 1978.

Seeking Standing for Balti Curry By STEPHEN CASTLE

BIRMINGHAM, England — The year after opening a small restaurant here in 1977, Mohammed Arif spent two weeks in his native Pakistan, where he saw spicy, aromatic curries being cooked and served, sizzling, in the same dish. “It just came into my mind that I could take this idea back,” said Mr. Arif, whose thought gave life to a new dish — the Balti, a curry usually made of meat, chicken or prawns, combined with vegetables and a spicy sauce, and cooked over a high heat. Mr. Arif’s recently refurbished restaurant, Adil’s, is thought to be the place where the first Balti curry was served in 1978. It lies in a colorful immigrant area of Birmingham where bustling shops sell South Asian food, spices and clothing. More than 35 years later, at a time when tensions over immigration, assimilation and religious and ethnic differences seem to be growing ever sharper, this adaptation of Pakistani cooking to British tastes is a symbol of culinary cross-fertilization in one of Britain’s most multicultural cities. Most customers at Balti restaurants are non-Asians. The area around Adil’s is now known as Birmingham’s Balti Triangle. Restaurants in other cities have their own recipes, and precooked Balti meals occupy supermarket shelves. But does that make Birmingham’s Balti one of Britain’s traditional specialties? European Union officials are debating whether Birmingham Balti should be recognized and registered alongside European foods like Italy’s Neapolitan pizza and its mozzarella cheese, and Spain’s jamón serrano. The British government wants European recognition. “Let’s hope the popular Birmingham Balti recipe follows in the footsteps of our other iconic foods like the Cornish pasty in achieving protected status,” said Liz Truss, Britain’s secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, referring to a traditional savory pie that has won a related European status. Curry is “a great part of the U.K.’s food heritage, along with

fish and chips and pork pies,” said Ms. Truss. Ms. Truss is not the first British politician to make such claims. In 2001, Robin Cook, who was then foreign secretary, described chicken tikka masala as “a true British national dish.” With its spicy, but creamy, orange-colored sauce it was, Mr. Cook said, a perfect illustration “of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences.” Both politicians have a point since Britain, India’s former colonial overlord, has had a long love affair with food inspired by the subcontinent, but adapted to palates unaccustomed to hot spice. Even small British towns generally have an Indian restaurant and takeout, and Indian-influenced food features in everyday staples like sandwiches. Balti emerged at a time when curry was well established here. (Britain’s oldest Indian restau-

A sizzler out of Pakistan, adapted for tamer tastes. rant, Veeraswamy, opened in London in 1926.) By the 1980s, such food was found all over the country, but was often eaten by late-night diners, their taste buds dulled by an evening’s drinking. Many restaurants, according to Mr. Arif, “just put it on a plate and microwaved it.” Eating Balti in Birmingham was, and remains, a different experience. In Birmingham, Balti is usually consumed not with a knife and a fork, but with large naan breads dipped into hot wokstyle cooking pots made from thin-pressed steel. During the 1980s, Birmingham’s Balti restaurants were basic places, usually with glass tabletops. In line with Muslim beliefs, they did not serve liquor (though most allowed customers to bring their own, and still do). Balti in Birmingham is cooked in less than 10 minutes over a high heat and in vegetable oil. It contains less cholesterol than

curry recipes using ghee, a sort of clarified butter. It tastes simple, but is full of flavor, spicy but not fiery, oily but not too heavy. Mr. Arif ascribes its success to the fact that it is “fresh cooking, and people like the fact that it is served sizzling.” In the kitchen at Shabab restaurant, on Birmingham’s Ladypool Road, the owner, Zafar Hussain, demonstrates the cooking technique over a fierce flame. One of his helpers rolls out a large naan bread, and then pulls out a pillow that is the perfect size to shape the bread, and then places it carefully into a hot, circular tandoori oven. “We get visitors from all over the world,” Mr. Hussain said. “Balti has a distinctive taste because it is cooked in a unique way.” Each restaurant has its own sauce, but ingredients include turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, garam masala and coriander (jokingly known here as “Pakistani Viagra” because of its supposed aphrodisiac qualities). There is debate over the origin of the name Balti, one theory being that it was derived from a South Asian term for “bucket” because at large gatherings on the Indian subcontinent, food was sometimes served from buckets. Another theory is that it refers to a mountainous area of northern Pakistan, known as Baltistan. Mr. Arif said the name was invented because it was easier to pronounce than the Pakistani cooking pot known as a karahi. Andy Munro, adviser to the Birmingham Balti Association, has led the campaign to gain the European quality mark known as T.S.G., which stands for traditional specialty guaranteed, and is one of three programs intended to protect European agricultural products and foodstuffs. If the European Commission gives Birmingham Balti the designation as a traditional specialty, restaurants will be able to use it as a proof of authenticity and quality. Mr. Arif, 62, who came to Britain in the late 1960s, said he had some personal regrets that he did not exploit Balti more commercially. “This was my brand,” Mr. Arif said, “but I never really bothered about it.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

ARTS & DESIGN

Films Aim at Abuse Of Female Gamers By ROBERT ITO

In the documentary “GTFO,” Jenny Haniver is relaxing in her living room in Wisconsin, thumbs on her Xbox controller, settling in for another session of Call of Duty. But when her fellow online combatants discover that the shooter in their midst is, to their chagrin, female, the comments commence. One player takes potshots at women — they are poor game players, they can’t drive — before commanding Ms. Haniver to leave the game. “You’re useless when your hymen is broken,” he tells her. Over the years, Ms. Haniver has endured all sorts of abuse as a female gamer. You must be fat, male players tell her, or ugly, or a slut, or own a lot of cats. Several have threatened to rape and kill her. “One guy said he was going to impregnate me with triplets and then force me to have a late-term abortion,” she said in a phone interview. “Then he giggled.” Ms. Haniver’s story of online

Women who play online say sexism is not isolated. harassment is one of the creepier moments in the film, which had its premiere this month at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. While online harassment in the video game industry has made headlines of late — most notably, with the so-called GamerGate controversy, in which anonymous players threatened to rape and murder the game developers Zoe Quinn and Brianna Wu, among others — “GTFO” (an acronym for an obscene dismissal) makes the case that these are not isolated incidents. The treatment of women in gaming — as players, developers or cultural critics — is being explored in new documentaries. In addition to “GTFO,” the idea is also explored in “GameLoading: Rise of the Indies,” about indie game developers, and in “No Princess in the Castle,” about the experiences of female gamers and developers. Shannon Sun-Higginson, the

director of “GTFO,” started work on it after she had seen a clip from Cross Assault, a live-streaming competition in which a player, Aris Bakhtanians, sexually harassed his teammate Miranda Pakozdi for several minutes during the show. But Ms. Sun-Higginson’s approach broadened as she spoke with more women. “I decided to take a step back and explore what it means to be a woman in gaming in general,” she said. The film includes amusingly animated intertitles, screen shots of typo-filled texts and footage of computer techies from the dawn of the information age, with nary a woman in sight. In the scenes with Ms. Haniver, you hear the messages in all their stark awfulness. In 2012, Ms. Haniver, now 26, began recording live comments and voice mail messages directed at her and posted them on her website, NotintheKitchenAnymore.com. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, it’s just a bunch of 13-yearold boys,’ ” she said. “The voice recordings let you hear it’s not just kids. ” When Lester Francois began talking to indie developers for his documentary “GameLoading,” similar stories arose unprompted. Among the interviewees are Ms. Quinn, who created Depression Quest in 2013. Instead of battling dragons and demons, players fight clinical depression. It enraged some gamers, who objected to its subject matter. Anonymous trolls sent her rape and death threats and posted her home address and phone numbers online, prompting her to relocate. The interviewees in “GTFO” and “GameLoading” offer possible remedies for the industry: more female coders and game creators, and a wider range of female characters; more peer pressure on the small minority who ruin things for everybody; and more women attending gaming events. “My biggest fear for this movie is that it scares young women away from this industry, which is really growing and thriving right now,” Ms. Sun-Higginson said. “Obviously the more women and the more diverse people in general who join the industry, the better.”

MARK MAKELA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Shannon Sun-Higginson, the director of ‘‘GTFO,’’ which looks at the treatment of female gamers.

KEITH MEYERS/THE NEW YORK TIMES; BELOW, FROM LEFT: REMBRANDT/ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM; MIKE GRECCO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Masterpiece Mystery, 25 Years On By TOM MASHBERG

BOSTON — The hallway in the Brooklyn warehouse was dark, the space cramped. But soon there was a flashlight beam, and I was staring at one of the most sought-after stolen masterpieces in the world: Rembrandt’s “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” Or was I? My guide that night in August 1997 was a rogue antiques dealer who had been under surveillance by the F.B.I. for asserting he could secure return of the painting — for a $5 million reward. I was a reporter at The Boston Herald, consumed with finding the “Storm,” a seascape with Jesus and the Apostles, and 12 other works, including a Vermeer and a Manet, stolen in March 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum here. The stolen works are valued at $500 million, making the robbery the largest art theft in American history. I wrote a front-page article about the furtive unveiling and stood by for the happy ending. It never came. Eighteen years later, I still wonder whether what I saw that night was a masterpiece or a masterly effort to con an eager reporter. In 2011, I wrote a book about art theft with the Gardner’s chief of security, Anthony M. Amore. We omitted the Gardner case because Mr. Amore said the hunt had reached a delicate phase. The assumptions that he and the F.B.I. special agent now overseeing the case, Geoff Kelly, were forming became their active theory of the heist: It was the handiwork of bumbling gangsters and Mafia middlemen, many now long dead. Over the years, the theft has been attributed to Vatican operatives, Irish Republican Army militants, Middle Eastern emirs and greedy billionaires. The Gardner museum was created by Isabella Stewart Gardner, who amassed paintings, sculptures and curiosities like letters from Napoleon and Beethoven’s death mask. In 1903 she arranged her 2,500 treasures inside a Venetian-style palazzo that became her home and a museum. Her fiat was that upon her death (in 1924), not one item could be moved.

Rembrandt’s ‘‘Storm’’ was cut from its frame, top, in 1990. George A. Reissfelder, one of many implicated. But on March 18, 1990, her edict was broken. Two thieves dressed as police officers handcuffed two guards and cut paintings from their frames, smashed cases and made off with two Rembrandts, Vermeer’s “Concert,” Manet’s “Chez Tortoni,” Degas sketches, a bronze-plated eagle and a Shang dynasty vase. Investigators focused on Myles J. Connor Jr., who, in 1975, had stolen a Rembrandt from the Museum of Fine Arts here and used it to bargain himself out of prison time. Mr. Connor came forward with William P. Youngworth III to say he had planned the Gardner heist. But when Mr. Connor left federal prison in 2005 and failed to produce the paintings, investigators ruled him out. In a new book, “Master Thieves,” Stephen Kurkjian says another Boston crook, Louis Royce, dreamed up the robbery. The investigators say Mr. Royce’s tale is unsupported. Mr. Amore and Mr. Kelly’s theory dates to 1997, when informants told the F.B.I. that they had heard a midlevel mob associate, Carmello Merlino, talk about trading the stolen art for the museum’s $5 million reward. In 1998, the F.B.I. arrested Mr. Merlino and others. Investigators said they promised him leniency if he helped them find the art but that he denied knowing of its whereabouts. Several years later, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Amore said, informants drew their attention to George A. Reissfelder

and Leonard V. DiMuzio. Mr. DiMuzio, who was involved with the Merlino gang, was shot to death in 1991. And Mr. Reissfelder, who died of an apparent drug overdose that year, had owned a 1986 red Dodge Daytona, the same model of car that witnesses have said they spotted outside the Gardner on the night of the break-in. Members of Mr. Reissfelder’s family have said they saw the Manet in his apartment. Another stolen item may have been seen in Philadelphia. Two years ago, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Amore outlined this theory but did not identify Mr. Reissfelder or Mr. DiMuzio as suspects. Other characters have also died, including Mr. Merlino, in 2005, in prison; and Robert Guarente, a reputed Maine mobster suspected of harboring some of the art. In 2009, Mr. Guarente’s widow, Elene, said her husband had turned over some of the art to a reputed Mafia associate, Robert Gentile, in Maine in 2002. Investigators searched Mr. Gentile’s home in 2012, and he has said he knows nothing about the art. Meanwhile, the search continues. Mr. Kelly said he rejects the notion that the art was destroyed when the thieves realized they had “unwittingly committed the crime of the century.” “Most criminals,” he said, “are savvy enough to know such valuable paintings are their ace in the hole.”

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

UNCHANGED Experts predict retention of interest rates at 13% Tony Chukwunyem

ust like it did at its last meeting in January, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is likely to leave key interest rates unchanged at the end of its March gathering, which commences in Abuja today, financial analysts have predicted. Apart from retaining

MPC: Meeting’s proximity to elections prevent raising rates the key benchmark interest rate-the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)- at 13 per cent, the MPC had, at its last meeting, also held unchanged the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) on the public sector deposits at 75 per cent, the CRR on private sector deposit at 20 per cent, the Standard Deposit Facility at 11 per cent, the Standard Lending Facility at 15 per

cent and the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent. In a note made available to New Telegraph, analysts at Standard Chartered Bank predicted that the MPC will take essentially the same decisions that it reached at its last meeting despite the expected rise in inflation. The analysts stated: “Despite the slow pace of FX pass-through to

inflation, inflation is set to rise further in the coming months. Despite this, we now expect the CBN to keep the MPR on hold at 13 per cent at the March MPC meeting, versus our previous expectation of a 100bps hike. The timing of the meeting, just four days ahead of scheduled elections, will be a key factor. With the possibility of a presidential run-

How National ID card boosts financial inclusion - Expert Tony Chukwunyem

gainst the background of continuing efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to increase the number of Nigerians with access to the financial services, an Information Technology (IT) expert, Bethan Cowper, has said that the National Identity card can play a critical role in helping the country to attain its financial inclusion targets. In an online article, Cowper who is Head of international marketing for a soft ware development firm, Compass Plus, noted that Nigeria had intro-

duced several initiatives to boost financial inclusion. According to her, “as part of this initiative, the country arranged knowledge exchange visits in order to explore the successes and hurdles that Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, South Africa, Philippines and Cambodia had experienced in similar ventures. Nigeria also rolled out an electronic national identity card that doubles as a prepaid card, opening up access to secure financial inclusion for millions of its citizens. By offering electronic identity coupled with prepaid capabilities, Nigeria can use this card to instill habit-form-

ing financial behaviours and actively boost trust in mainstream financial services.” She pointed out that financial inclusion was a major issue in many countries of the world, adding that numerous financial inclusion schemes are currently achieving success across the globe. The expert stated: “Despite differences in the economic development of various countries, the primary reasons why people lack access to financial services appear to be universal. The most predominant reasons unbanked consumers cited in a 2012 Nigerian sur-

vey were distrust in the formal financial system, concerns over the fees and costs associated with having a bank account and a lack of financial literacy. This list also reflects the experiences of many US consumers.” Significantly, as part of efforts to promote financial inclusion in the country by reducing the level of fraud in the banking system, the CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, introduced the Bank Verification Number (BVN) initiative, which entails financial institutions obtaining the biometrics of their customers.

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N16,833,244.57 N16,509,472.5m 8.2 0.0000 13 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$61.39 US$30,155,350,527

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2014 Dec, 2013 Feb, 2015 2/5/2014 24/2/2015 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 24/2/2015 17/3/2015 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

off extending the election period by a week and with gubernatorial elections not due until 11 April, foreign portfolio investor flows are unlikely to return to Nigeria’s fixed income markets quickly. This makes for a less compelling rationale to raise the MPR now in order to put a higher floor under Nigerian yields. Hiking before the election would have only a very limited market impact.” The analysts further argued: “A rate hike at this point would also run counter to the CBN’s efforts to boost the economy

in the face of weaker oil prices and pressures on government spending. To date, the CBN has announced special support packages for the power and oil-marketing sectors. It is encouraging the maturity extension of loans to the oil and gas sector in order to ease repayment terms. Tightening monetary policy now might be seen as running counter to its aims, despite the near-term threat of higher inflation.” Similarly, financial research and advisory firm, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd, (FDC) in its “Economic Bulletin” for March released a fortnight ago, predicted that the expected rise in inflation would not lead to a significant change in monetary policy.

Sterling Bank’s boss, Adeola, wins top CEO Award

he Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. ‘Yemi Adeola was at the weekend rewarded for his sustained efforts at positioning the bank as a reference financial institution in the country. The top-flight banker was conferred with Outstanding CEO Award, which was instituted by BuisnessDay Media Limited last year to identify, reward and celebrate chief executives behind the success stories recorded by their institutions in the Nigerian economy. Other chief executives of companies quoted on the NSE were also conferred with the Award at the Wheat Baker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos at the weekend. The organiser in a statement signed by its chief executive, Mr. Frank Aigbogun, explained that despite the lull in the economy especially in the 2014 financial year, the Chief Executives of the companies being recognised, added over N333 billion to shareholders funds and realised N107.1 billion as profit after tax as at the end 2014 compared with N66.8 billion realised in the corresponding period of 2013. “It is to this effect that we celebrate these men and women who have contributed to the successes recorded by their companies and the Nigerian economy in general in 2014”, the company noted in the statement. In his vote of thanks after receiving the Award, the Sterling Bank boss commended the organisers for instituting the Award and for taking the pains to analyse the financials of the companies assessed and for coming up with the list of winners

who have indeed contributed to the growth of their institutions and the economy by extension. Mr. Adeola, who was represented at the Award ceremony by the Bank’s Executive Director, Commercial & Institutional Banking, Mr. Lanre Adesanya, gave an assured that Sterling Bank will continue to sustain its growth pattern through the adoption of the right strategy and leverage on its highly skilled workforce to continue to deliver quality products and services to its increasing customer base. The Sterling Bank story is one that is characterised by institutional resilience and bold steps. From its emergence as the preeminent investment bank in the country in 1960, through the 2006 banking industry consolidation exercise and the acquisition of the business interest of the defunct Equitorial Trust Bank in 2011, the lender has consistently demonstrated its capacities to withstand regulatory and macro-economic headwinds. The Bank continues to deliver double-digit growth (above industry average) along key financial metrics. The pioneering role of Sterling Bank in key areas in the industry is commendable. Apart from being the first financial institution to raise additional funding from the equities market after the collapse of the stock market, Sterling Bank was the first lender to launch and promote financial inclusion, introduce the award winning product, Kia-Kia to take care of the banking needs of the unbanked in the society and launch the agency banking scheme.

Business | Issue of the Week

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ogungbesan, new icon at FIRS ministration System (ITAS) and other automation projects: e-tax pay and VAT auto collect. FIRS was also certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation, amongst others. Going forward, Ogungbesan is expected to surpass these figures considering the pressure facing the government occasioned by the crash in oil price at the international market. To demonstrate government’s thirst for increase in revenue from the nonoil sectors, it has hired the services of international consultant - MacKinsey to work with FIRS in realising the task of generating more revenue from taxes. The consultant was hired to plug several leakages experienced in the tax collection system and boost national non-oil revenue. In 2014, FIRS was given a revenue target of N2.2 trillion while the Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approved the services the consultant to assist the FIRS raise additional N75 billion within 12 months. The FIRS under Ogungbesan is expected to work with MacKinsey in realising government’s dream of making taxes the main cash cow for its revenue.

Abujwahab Isa Abuja

hange of leadership at the top echelon of any organisation especially governmentcontrolled agencies comes with apprehension. Whenever such sudden change occurs, staff of the organisation are not only nervous, but profoundly troubled with the policy direction of the organisation in the hands of a new helmsman. This scenario is prevalent among category 1 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) designated to play key roles in the sustenance of the economy. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), unarguably, belong to category 1 MDAs. However, a different scenario ensued at Revenue House, the Abuja Corporate Headquarters of FIRS, where the government, last Wednesday, announced a new Acting Executive Chairman, Mr. Samuel Akin Ogungbesan, as replacement for the out-going Chairman, Alhaji Kabir Mashi. President Goodluck Jonathan approved Ogungbesan’s appointment as Acting Executive Chairman in a terse statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati. Change long foretold Political and ethical permutations combined in thwarting past efforts by government to find a substantive CEO for FIRS after the exit of Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru as the Executive Chairman of the Service. President Jonathan nominated M’fon Akpan as replacement for Okauru and sought Senate’s confirmation. In a letter addressed to Senate President, David Mark, the president said that the nomination was pursuant to the provision of Section 11a of the Federal Inland Revenue (establishment) Act 2007. The letter read: “Pursuant to the provision of Section 11a of the Federal Inland Revenue (Establishment) Act 2007, which stipulates that the Executive Chairman shall be appointed by the president, subject to confirmation by the Senate, I write to forward the name of M’fon Akpan, whose CV is attached herewith for consideration as Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service.” Attempt by the president to secure Senate’s clearance for a substantive FIRS chairman in the person of M’fon Akpan ended in a stalemate, an unresolved development that made Mashi to act for over three years until he was replaced last week with Ogungbesan. The man Ogungbesan Revered as one of the inner caucus team members that drove tax reforms pioneered under the leadership of Omoigui-Okauru, Ogungbesan, many pundits say, is in possession of blueprint for implementation of the tax reforms. An astute team player, he has handled challenging responsibilities and assignments in various departments within the Service. He was credited with pioneering the administration of Large Taxpayers Unit in Lagos. A strong advocate of change with focus on tax administration system in Nigeria, the new Acting FIRS boss has held various challenging posi-

Ogungbesan

tions. During the review of Nigerian Tax Laws in 2005, the Board appointed him Coordinating Director Tax Operations Group. He has represented the FIRS in many tax conference and seminars, both in Nigeria and overseas. He paddled the administration of Tax Policy Department of the Service for many years and was pioneer Director, Planning Reporting and Statistics Department. Until his appointment last week, Ogungbesan was Coordinating Director, Standards and Compliance Group. The group delineates and articulates service-wide operational standards for tax practice in the FIRS. Ogungbesan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and an Associate member, Nigerian Institute of Management. He joined FIRS as an Inspector of Taxes II and has risen to his present level, having handled challenging responsibilities and assignments in various departments within the Service. Challenges before him As to be expected, the headship of a sensitive organisation like FIRS comes with challenging demands that are equally daunting. The challenge could be situated in the context of the enormous revenue in taxes and additional target of recoup from Value Added TAX (VAT), which government expects the Service to rake in as it steps up effort to diversify its resources base from oil. Data on tax collection by FIRS has shown consistent leap in the last couple years, a feat attributed to unleashing of

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

ficult adjustment on its own. The Federal Government it added did little to help during the good times, “in our view, running down savings when oil prices were high, and is now at a political impasse over the 2015 budget. With parliament on recess until after the poll, it could be July before the eventual 2015 budget is implemented. Until then, any talk of “austerity”

Many pundits say he is in possession of blueprint for implementation of the tax reforms

tax reforms initiated by former FIRS chairman, Omoigui-Okauru, but sustained by Mashi. For instance, upon taking over as Chairman from the former Executive Chairman, Omoigui Okauru, in April 2012, FIRS recorded a total of N14.529 trillion under Mashi. The Service recorded N5.07 trillion as its annual collection in 2012, N4.805 trillion in 2013 and N4.714 trillion. In 2014, FIRS launched the e-filing programme under the Integrated Tax Ad-

The conqueror If testimonies by his close associates in the tax community and professional colleagues are anything to go by, the new legend at FIRS is taking on the new role with experience acquired over the years. The outgoing Acting Chairman of the Service, Kabir Mashi, attested to this. Speaking last week during a short valedictory remark, he said: “This is a very brief meeting. I’ m sure you are all aware: There is a change of guards. I am leaving and one of us is taking over. I am sure you will continue to give him all the necessary support. Lucky enough, FIRS is a family and we should continue to work as a team. I believe we will continue to work and support each other as a family. I urge and encourage you to work as a family and give him all the support he needs to succeed. If he succeeds, the credit goes to all of you that have succeeded. I am sure he will succeed. Mr Ogungbesan, welcome on board. I pray Almighty Allah to guide and protect you,” said Mashi as he proceeded to vacate the Executive Chairman’s seat inside the boardroom for the new Acting Chairman. Other Directors of the Service took turn in pledging their loyalties to the new helmsman whom they said is capable of running the race full circle in the arduous task of surpassing FIRS revenue target as the nation’s alternative cash cow. From the foregoing, one can conclude that Ogungbesan, the new kid on FIRS block, is perfectly fit for the job.

Lull in foreign exchange market should be taken with a pinch of salt.” Oil has lost about half its value since late June amid weakening international demand growth and rising supplies from US shale formations. Nigeria’s economy relies on the oil for over 70 percent of government revenue and

90 percent of export earnings. As part of efforts to stabilise the naira and stem the decline in the external reserves, the CBN had last month shut the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) window and directed authorised dealers and members of the public to channel all demands for forex to the interbank window.

The move led to the naira falling from its official rate of N168/$ to N198. Since then the local currency has been trading between N197 and N199 at the interbank bank. However, the currency has continued to depreciate at the BDC segment of the forex market as well as the parallel market.

Business |Stock Watch

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

Lafarge Africa banks on alliance for growth OUTLOOK

100 per cent of Atlas.

Demand growth may be supported by need for infrastructures Chris Ugwu

he cement industry in Nigeria has experienced immense growth over the past few years. With a population of over 160 million people, the demand for and consumption of cement is expected to increase. However, there is no doubt that the security challenges in the Northern part of the country, with the attendant consequences of loss of lives and properties, domestic constraints such as depletion of fiscal buffers and dwindling foreign reserves, have inhibited the growth of business operating environment. Other militating factors are unstable supply of power and poor infrastructures. Though Lafarge Africa Plc, like its competitors, is not insulated from the harsh operating environment, the company has continued to retain the top two spots in the building materials sub-sector of industrial goods sector quoted on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) in terms of share price. Analysts believe that despite of the weak sales it reported in Q4 2014, the recent business consolidation of African business will create a stronger platform for growth in sub-Saharan Africa, with value creating opportunities. The company’s bottom-line grew appreciably in the first and second quarters of 2014 financial year, but was weak in the third quarter. Market watchers attributed the decline to stiffer competition and lack of accessibility to key markets in the Northern part of the country, coupled with increased financing cost, which have resulted in slow growth of sales. Just as other quoted firms in the local bourse are facing depression in share prices, market sentiment for the shares of Lafarge has dwindled relatively due to challenging environment faced by the real sector of the economy. The share price, which closed at N108.50 per share on April 30, 2014, has recorded a decline in growth. At the close of business last Friday, the company’s share price stood at N80.40, representing a decrease of N28.10 or 34.95 per cent drop year to date. Business consolidation Lafarge, had last year, announced the completion of its $1.35 billion consolidation of its entities. The deal saw Lafarge Africa acquiring Lafarge group’s shareholdings in Lafarge South Africa Holdings Limited (LSAH), United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited (Unicem) through Egyptian Cement Holding BV, AshakaCem Plc (Ashaka) and Atlas Cement Company Limited

Roux

(Atlas), The cement maker, in statement to the NSE, confirmed that it had received all shareholders and regulatory approvals and met all the requirements to create the leading sub-Saharan Africa building materials company. Lafarge Africa has a market capitalisation of 241.328 billion listed on the Nigerian bourse with current cement capacity of 12 million metric tonnes per annum. “The company is already on the path to further growth with an additional 5.5 million metric tonnes (2.5 million metric tonnes from Unicem’s on-going expansion project by second half of 2016 and three million metric tonnes in Ashakacem by mid2017),’’ the company had said. Lafarge Africa as a consolidated entity has a strong balance sheet and cash flow generation potential, which positions it for future growth opportunities and increased product range and services to meet the growing building materials demand in sub-Saharan Africa. The cement maker, prior to its name change to Lafarge Africa, had on June 2, 2014, announced its intention to consolidate all of Lafarge’s Nigerian operations and its South African assets in order to create a stronger platform for growth in sub-Saharan Africa, with value-creating opportunities. Under the terms of the transaction, Lafarge group received 1,402,575,984 ordinary shares of Lafarge Africa and $200 million in cash, for its 100 per cent shareholding in LSAH, which owns 72.4 per cent of the Lafarge group operating companies in South Africa, 35 per cent equity stake in Unicem, a 58.61 per cent controlling stake in Ashaka and

The recent business consolidation of African businesses will create a stronger platform for growth

Financials Lafarge began the year on a positive trajectory, as it turned in interesting numbers in its first quarter 2014. The company recorded 20 per cent increase in pre-tax profit for the 2014 first quarter results; a reflection of fairly sustained level of construction activity in its market niche. The company’s profit was up to N8.621 billion in Q1 of 2014 from N7.202 billion in the same period of 2013, representing a growth of 20 per cent. Post-tax profit also climbed 34 per cent to N8.148 billion in the first quarter of 2014 from N6.073 billion in the corresponding period of 2013. Its revenue also grew from N23.238 billion in the Q1 of 2013 to N27.033 billion in the review period of 2014, indicating a growth of 16 per cent. Lafarge continued the profit trends in the second quarter, rasing its revenue by 12 per cent to N55.357 billion in the first half of the year 2014, from N49.481 billion in the same period of last year, while its operating income rose by 21 per cent to N18.930 billion from N15.620 billion. Profit before tax surged by 29 per cent to N17.746 billion in the review period from the N13.806 billion it declared in the first half of 2013, while profit after tax advanced by seven per cent to N15.557 billion from N14.586 billion. However, Lafarge’s profit receded during the third quarter of the year as the company recorded 37 per cent drop in profit after tax for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. In filings with the Exchange, the company’s profit after tax dropped by 37 per cent from N50.524 billion in the Q3 of 2013 to N31.757 billion in the review period of 2014. Revenue, however, rose to N159.396 billion from N154.169 billion previously, indicating a growth of three per cent. With weak results, which were largely due to slowing demand for cement in Nigeria during the fourth quarter, Lafarge’s first audited results of the newly transformed company managed to report an operational profit after tax of N37 billion for the full year ended 2014, which is eight per cent higher than prior year, after adjusting for one-offs. According to a statement by the management of the company, operations of United Cement Company Limited (UNICEM) were included on an equity basis in Q4. Cash of N49 billion was generated from the operations. Based on the results, the Board of Directors of Lafarge Africa at its meeting of March 11, 2015, approved a dividend of N3.60, representing a nine per cent increase over prior year, subject to shareholders’ approval. Looking ahead Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Guillaume Roux, not-

Share price movement of Lafarge Africa Plc 2014 Apr 30

N108.50

May 31

N112.50

Jun 30

N111.00

Jul 31

N120.00

Aug 31

N118.00

Sept 30

N126.76

Oct 31

N108.21

Nov 30

N80.00

Dec 31

N80.50

2015 Jan 31

N82.55

Feb 28

N85.00

Mar 13

N80.40

ed: “Our company has shown impressive performance; our business combination plans have been well executed within set timelines. We are committed to improving operational performance by leveraging on opportunities this presents to us to deliver sustainable returns to our shareholders.” He noted that the company had shown remarkable performance in the year and remained highly committed to driving business excellence. “We expect cement demand to increase both in Nigeria and South Africa in 2015. In Nigeria, the demand growth should be supported by increasing needs for housing and infrastructures, but could be lower than normal growth levels given the exchange rate development. This should be partly cushioned through the South African cash flow. We remain very optimistic and highly committed to delivering innovative building materials while leveraging on the operational strength and pedigree of the Lafarge group,” he said. Analysts’ perspective Analysts at FBN Capital said in terms of outlook, “we continue to expect that the weak macro fundamentals, particularly the slide in oil prices and potential reduction in FGN revenue in 2015, will constitute a drag on the sector’s sales growth. We note that the Federal Government in its 2015 budget proposal reduced the allocation to capital items to N630 billion compared with N1.55 trillion in the 2014 budget. More recently, the Federal Ministry of Works had its annual budget slashed from a N100 billion to N11 billion. Consequently, we expect a visible slowdown in sales growth for WAPCO’s Nigerian operations. “Given the weak set results, we expect marked reductions in consensus PBT forecast. WAPCO shares have outperformed the index and the sector this year. They have gained 10.6 per cent ytd compared with -10.6 per cent and -18.3 per cent for the ASI and the sector respectively. Our estimates are under review.”

Insurance

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Health insurance: Accessibility by phone gaining ground WELLNESS It is lamentable that most Nigerians are yet to embrace the uncommon benefits attached to the National Health Insurance Scheme Sunday Ojeme

he introduction of mobile telephone into the country has come to meet several needs different from the primary purpose of voice communication and sending text messages. While it has come handy for those interested in online banking, it has also become a research tool for those whose sets are internet compliant. Mobile bug Of late too, it has suddenly become a major tool in the hands of insurance operators who, hitherto, had faced the challenge of reaching those in the grassroots with their products. As at this moment, the mainstream insurance operators as well as telecommunication service providers in the country are basking in the euphoria of satisfaction as they have been able to record more customers and boost their premium through their involvement in mobile telecom insurance. With such high degree of success recorded, the health sector has also followed suit with the introduction of the National Mobile Health Insurance Programme (NMHIP), which the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Mr. Femi Thomas, said was going to be a game changer, revolutionise establish the scheme as the heartbeat of the health sector. mHealth broadly encompasses the use of mobile telecommunication and multimedia technologies as they are integrated within increasingly mobile and wireless health care delivery systems. This success story on the part of NHIS was again crystalised last week when President Goodluck Jonathan flagged off indigenous mobile telecommunication service provider, Globacom’s involvement in the mobile health insurance scheme. Jonathan pointed out that the latest development would enable more people at the grassroots to benefit from Federal Government’s health programme through their telephones. So far, no fewer than 7.2 million Nigerians have enrolled into the various health schemes of the agency established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government to provide easy access to healthcare for all Nigerians at an affordable cost through various prepayment systems. Success story Statistics from the agency reveals that the scheme had put to use over 10,000 health care facilities out of over 36,000 health facilities across the country, even though most Nigerians are yet to take

Adenuga

7,000

Being the number of accredited facilities nationwide

advantage of the scheme to address their health challenges. According to Thomas, “the president gave us a mandate to enroll about 35 per cent of Nigerians into one programme or the other by the end of 2015, but we have decided to up the target to 40 per cent. “With this target, we have restructured our services as well as energised our staff to be able to meet up.’’ Thomas said that though the attainment of 100 per cent health coverage by 2020 was enormous, it was possible. He said: “What we have done is to introduce other support programmes. “Before now, we were telling state governments to contribute to a national common pool for the NHIS, but they resisted, saying they were independent and could legislate it on their own.” Prior to Globacom’s entrance into the scheme, the leading mobile telecommunication provider in the country by subscription, MTN, had also had a stint with the scheme. Thomas had maintained that the digitalisation of the health insurance industry was one of the latest initiatives to ease public access to the programmes of NHIS, as part of the overall focus on achieving and surpassing the presidential mandate of 30 per cent coverage by 2015 and universal health coverage in the shortest time possible. The digitalisation is in collaboration with a cross section of stakeholders, including Salt & Einstein MTS Ltd as Mobile Technology Aggregator, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the National Communications Commission

Michael-Ikpoki

Thomas

(NCC), Health Maintenance Organisations (HMO) and Healthcare Facilities (HCF). The process considered to be fraud free would be made possible by facilitating identification, using telephone numbers, NHIS number or thumb print, as the case may be, through a central Health Insurance Information Exchange that transmits all related transactions to relevant stakeholders. According to the executive secretary, the required equipment has been adapted to the local peculiarities of the people and distributed free to over 7,000 accredited facilities nationwide.

The Chief Executive stressed that this initiative is designed to leverage on the mass penetration of the Mobile Telecoms Operators in the country, adding that the project is beginning with the MTN, while negotiations are already advanced with other MNOs to key into the programme. The Managing Director of MTN, Mr. Mike Ikpoki, said health is one area that his organisation was particularly passionate about, while applauding the opportunity to work with reputable organisations like the NHIS and Salt & Einstein to come up with this laudable product.

Potential It is believed that the programme will leapfrog health insurance coverage, while eliminating the critical delays associated with operations in areas of registration, encounter data collection, referral, subsidy gap funding, monitoring and quality assurance. This model will set the stage for subsidy gap funding for health insurance in the country.

Prior to Globacom’s entrance into the scheme, MTN, had also had a stint

Stakeholders’ opinion He noted that MTN is extremely proud to be partners with a proactive government agency like the NHIS, towards the development of this unique solution for meeting the needs of Nigerians while the Chairman of Salts & Einstein MTS Ltd, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, stated that the unveiling of the National Mobile Health Insurance programme is the satisfactory outcome of a long journey of planning, technological development and liaison with various stakeholders. However, he said that the real test of its success would be when Nigerians in their large numbers start enjoying healthcare services through the mobile health insurance programme, irrespective of their social class or economic status in the society. The mobile health insurance programme, as the name implies, is to enable Nigerians register for the various programmes under the National Health Insurance Scheme from their mobile phones, thus removing both physical and financial barriers to access at once. The programme simplifies opportunities and processes for Nigerians to register, make payment and choose the Healthcare Provider of their preference, all at the touch of a button.

Business | Insurance

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

‘Experts must put service above self’ ETHICS Underwriters should be guided according to laid down rules Sunday Ojeme

he President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Ayodapo Shoderu, has advised insurance practitioners to continually earn the trust of policyholders by putting service above self while carrying out their business. Shoderu spoke at the 2nd Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA) in Elmina, Ghana. He said that since insurance itself is built on principles of utmost good faith (uberima fidei), insurance brokers are fiduciaries and insurers trustees of policy holders’ funds, an insurance professional must therefore put service above self and should always endeavour to employ the most effective and economic ways to doing business and achieving

the legitimate objectives of his company. The NCRIB boss, who delivered a speech on ethics, said that for the above to be possible, every country must continually subject its professionals to some forms of regulations in form of government or self -regulation or a combination of both. He said: “I am glad to note that the Nigerian insurance industry has continued to fine tune its Code of Ethics to meet with changing dynamics of business and professional practice. For instance, the extant Code of conduct of the industry stipulates that every insurance practitioner must observe the general law of the land as well as adhere to guidelines and decisions of his profession and trade association. “He (the professional) must ensure that his business is conducted in accordance with sound insurance principles. Rules are made therein to ensure that operators adhere to high moral standards in the performance of their duties. Appropriate rules are also made for the guidance of Insurance Bro-

kers, Underwriters and Loss Adjusters.” He pointed out that ethics and professionalism constituted the major pivots upon which business success or failures rest, adding that it is a known fact that the foundation of any business behavior is hinged on moral principles and practices of those people involved and the standard set for or by the profession. “Whilst noting that there exists a thin line

between professionalism and Ethics in insurance business, which is our own constituency, it is apposite to note that professionalism connotes the utmost demonstration of integrity and probity. That is, the professional must always display ability to stand up to the test of accountability. He must not do anything that will not stand to private or public scrutiny. “The professional must be a person of impeccable character who

will not compromise moral principles and the ethics of the profession. Professionalism also includes continuous demonstration of competence acquired partly through continuous leaning and personal development,” he said. He urged insurance operators to constantly challenge their regulatory institutions to come up with regulations and laws that are in line with the changing global environment,

stressing that in view of the increasing temptations to cut corners or embrace unethical acts, professionals must be vanguards in societal reformation. He stressed that professionals must realise that they are the conscience of the respective nations where they operate and should therefore, refrain from the temptation of staying aloof in political, social, economic and environment matters.

BoE to apply new insurance rules

he Bank of England said on Friday that it would apply new European Union insurance regulations “proportionately”, following industry fears that the central bank might seek to add extra rules for companies based in Britain. Reuters reports that the so-called Solvency II rules, which take effect in 2016, aim to ensure that insurers such as Britain’s Prudential and Aviva hold enough capital to honour policyholder commitments even when markets turn sour. In a statement on Friday about how he intended to police the rules, BoE Deputy Governor Andrew Bailey said the British insurance industry already managed risks in the way the rules intended, unlike elsewhere in Europe. “Solvency II must be applied proportionately, with the emphasis on substance over form, if we are to maintain our focus as a forward-look-

ing and judgement-based regulator,” he said. BoE Governor Mark Carney said there would be “robust implementation” of the rules, which he called “revolutionary”. In January, a senior BoE official, Paul Fisher, said the central bank did not intend to use the new rules to require insurers to hold more capital has a buffer against losses. “We can’t and won’t gold-plate,” Fisher said, dismissing suggestions Britain might implement a tougher version of the EU rules. However, the BoE has said that it is considering subjecting the insurance industry to some of the tougher rules that it has imposed on British banks since the financial crisis. Senior insurance executives will face higher levels of scrutiny. And earlier this week a new member of the BoE’s Financial Policy Committee, Alex Brazier, said there could be a case to make insurers undergo bank-style stress tests.

L-R: Consulting Systems Engineer, Cisco, Mr. Morakinyo Salami; Chief Financial Officer, Business Connexion Nigeria, Mrs. Olusike Bamisebi; Marketing Manager, Business Connexion Nigeria, Mrs. Pekun Adeniyi and Chief Solution Architect, BCN, Mr. Chike Acha, at the Business Connexion and Cisco Workshop in Lagos.

FG moves to scale up agric insurance

ollowing unpredictable weather condition as a result of climate change, the Federal Government is considering scaling up agriculture insurance by giving more support to the Nigerian Agriculture Insurance Corporation. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed this in Lagos. He said that in recognition of the fact that extreme weather effects were likely to become more prevalent due to climate change, there is need to scale up agricultural insurance programmes to ensure that farmers and agribusinesses are protected. He said: “In acknowledgement of the importance of risk management in agricultural investment, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development decided to reposition the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation in order to build its capacity and prepare it to more effectively meet the insurance needs of the agricultural sector. “Our focus is to promote affordable crop and livestock insurance products for farmers and insurance products for agribusinesses. Government is supporting the development of weather index insurance products for farmers, improving access to climate information and expansion of Agro-Metereological stations. Both agricultural insurance and reinsurance are being rapidly developed.” The minister also disclosed that he had directed the release of $5 million to NAIC to support its institu-

tional reforms, as well as to strengthen its operations and roll out of agricultural insurance products. Adesina said that the goal was to ensure that over 15 million farmers are covered by crop and livestock insurance in the next three years. He said: “I have given directive to the National Agricultural Insurance Company (NAIC) to totally reform and reposition agricultural insurance. To ensure this, I have directed the release of $5 million to NAIC to support its institutional refforms, strengthening of its operations and roll out of agricultural insurance products. “I have also directed that NAIC ensures that it works with global reinsurance companies to make agricultural insurance in Nigeria of global standard.”

Business | Financial Market News

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

20-Mar-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 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 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)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

23-Apr-10 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

4.00 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

535.00 581.39 476.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 54.00 600.00 499.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 254.50

23-Apr-15 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

0.09 1.41 2.10 2.35 2.45 3.20 4.28 4.59 4.90 6.86 8.98 13.69 14.17 14.67 15.34 19.33

14.66 15.91 16.09 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.10 16.08 16.06 15.98 16.27 16.37 16.36 16.35 16.25 16.20

13.04 15.78 16.00 16.00 16.00 15.96 16.00 15.96 15.97 15.90 16.20 16.31 16.29 16.26 16.17 16.14

99.00 96.47 98.25 88.13 86.79 86.87 99.63 71.26 98.23 101.62 90.38 92.53 78.84 56.74 65.00 76.17

99.15 96.62 98.40 88.28 86.94 87.17 99.93 71.56 98.53 101.92 90.68 92.83 79.14 57.04 65.30 76.47

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

5,023.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,447.00

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 2.40 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.18 0.91 1.72 2.08 2.30

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 2.85

17.39 18.60 17.97 17.06 18.93

96.93 99.04 97.11 97.75 91.06

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 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

322.38

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

309.79

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.45

4.44

20.22

96.79

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.29

3.23

18.26

98.61

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.80

4.46

20.71

95.26

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.81

3.48

19.73

96.94

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.08

1.00

17.06

88.01

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.35

1.00

17.05

96.20

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.78

1.79

17.88

91.70

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

1.95

1.80

17.84

94.17

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.97

1.00

17.05

95.31

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.16

1.00

17.07

95.64

‡ /Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.16

4.78

20.85

89.04

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.35

1.00

17.08

97.10

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

*GOMBE LAGOS

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

BBB-/Agusto; A-/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

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

15.50 14.50 14.75

16.23 80.00 25.70

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

2.59 4.68 2.75

1.00 1.00 1.00

17.09 17.08 17.09

96.94 91.86 95.17

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.10

10-Oct-20

3.20

1.00

17.10

94.60

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.69

1.00

17.01

87.47

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.78

1.00

17.00

92.74

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.55

31-Dec-20

3.44

1.44

17.54

92.72

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.56

06-Jan-21

3.47

1.00

17.10

94.88

97.42

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

459.68 423.41

Corporate Bonds ‡ /Agusto BBB-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

2.50

17-Aug-15

0.41

1.00

16.62

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

18.75

09-Dec-15

0.47

1.00

16.90

97.82

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.42

06-Jan-16

0.55

2.63

18.70

97.64

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.53

1.00

16.91

94.92

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.60

1.34

17.27

95.88

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.53

1.00

17.09

91.85

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.55

1.88

17.80

100.96

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.55

1.00

16.92

98.85

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.97

1.00

17.05

101.47

98.35

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.97

1.00

17.05

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.51

1.00

17.10

92.07

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

1.83

2.29

18.29

96.37

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

2.16

6.11

22.18

93.47

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.78

2.16

18.25

95.31

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.66

2.76

18.77

87.98

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.53

1.00

17.47

74.68

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.53

1.00

17.47

80.72

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

132.23

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

122.75

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.90

1.00

17.09

84.71

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.75

1.00

17.07

81.02

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 20.66

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.63

6.42

100.56

101.57

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.11

5.78

97.10

98.05

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.90

6.74

96.71

97.73

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,471.88

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

118.29

48.00

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

7.60

6.25

99.87

101.35

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

13.11

88.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

13.97

13.24

82.50

84.13

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.20

8.45

90.31

92.49

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

39.11

43.63

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

8.94

90.95

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

16.05

15.01

78.42

81.11

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

14.08

77.95

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

AFREN PLC III ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

6.63 DEC 09, 2020 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

09-Dec-13 24-Jun-14 23-Jul-14

6.63 9.25 8.00

360.00 400.00 450.00

09-Dec-20 24-Jun-21 23-Jul-21

23.96 14.79 13.62

23.96 14.36 13.62

47.50 77.88 76.00

47.50 79.38 76.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

11.45

10.93

87.25

89.38

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,760.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,652.82

**Treasury Bills DTM 13 20 27 34 41 48 55

Money Market

FIXINGS Maturity 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15

Bid Discount (%) 14.71 13.91 14.05 14.52 13.96 13.87 14.59

Offer Discount (%) 14.46 13.66 13.80 14.27 13.71 13.62 14.34

Bid Yield (%) 14.79 14.01 14.20 14.72 14.18 14.13 14.91

Tenor

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 11.2917 15.5717 16.6278 17.5872

Rate (%)

OBB

10.00

O/N

10.75

Tenor Call

REPO

Rate (%) 10.50

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

199.01 201.81 202.13 202.87 204.24

199.11 201.93 202.28 203.37 205.31

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

27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

600.00 499.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 254.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

5,023.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,447.00

Rating/Agency NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23,Issuer 2015

Description

***LCRM

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

‡ /Agusto Stories by Chris Ugwu

SEC’s website, the apex regula12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 tor suspended International 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 Standards Securities Limited, 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 its directors and sponsored indi10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 viduals from all capital market 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 31-DEC-2017 activities14.00 inEDO view of its non14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 compliance with SEC Rules/ 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 Regulations and deficiencies NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 observed 14.00 in its operations dur15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 ing a target inspection carried 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 out on it recently . 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 The suspension, according 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 to SEC, is13.50 indefinite and shall 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 remain in pending the 14.50force EKITI II 31-DEC-2020

*IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

he Securities and ExNIGER *EKITI change Commission ‡ /Agusto *NIGER (SEC) has suspended ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO International StanBBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR LAGOS dards BBB-/Agusto; Securities Limited and A-/GCR *OSUN Woodland Capital Market Plc BBB-/Agusto *OSUN Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR LAGOS for various market infractions. A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI In a‡statement obtained*EKITI from /Agusto ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

A-/GCR

101.62 90.38 92.53 78.84 56.74 65.00 76.17

101.92 90.68 92.83 79.14 57.04 65.30 76.47

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 2.40 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.18 0.91 1.72 2.08 2.30

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 2.85

17.39 18.60 17.97 17.06 18.93

96.93 99.04 97.11 97.75 91.06

Business | Financial Market News

309.79

*BENUE

‡ /Agusto

15.90 16.20 16.31 16.29 16.26 16.17 16.14

322.38

SEC raises the bar to TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION strengthen monitoring Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto KADUNA capacity A-/Agusto *EBONYI ‡ /Agusto

15.98 16.27 16.37 16.36 16.35 16.25 16.20

SEC suspends two market operators

INFRACTION

BBB+/Agusto

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 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

6.86 8.98 13.69 14.17 14.67 15.34 19.33

Issue Date

Agency Bonds FMBN

27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

*NASARAWA

resolution of the matter. 31-Aug-10 12.50 Also the regulator suspended 30-Sep-10 13.00 30-Jun-11 14.00 Woodland Capital Market Plc 30-Jun-09 15.50 together with its directors and 19-Apr-10 10.00 sponsored individuals13.75 in con30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 14.00 nection with the unauthorised 30-Sep-11 14.00 sale of 3,750 PZ Plc 04-Oct-11units of 14.00 09-Dec-11 14.50 shares belonging to an investor 12-Dec-13 14.00 and its refusal to comply with 14-Feb-12 15.50 the Commission’s directives in 02-Oct-12 15.50 22-Nov-12 14.50 that regard. 12-Dec-12 14.75 SEC noted also that 14.75 the sus10-Oct-13 27-Nov-13 13.50 pension was indefinite and 31-Dec-13 15.00 shall remain in force pending 31-Dec-13 14.50 06-Jan-14

15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

15.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Expert seeks neutral analysts for equity reports Corporate Bonds

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 *UPDC financial analyst erality of the investing pub- calm down. A few17-Aug-10 months 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 09-Dec-10 *FLOURMILLS has advocated that lic or privy to information later, we all know what hap14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 BB/GCR 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMS 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 A+/Agusto; boardA-/GCR members ofNAHCO that no one else will ever be pened to the bank.29-Sep-11 Regard14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agusto 25-Oct-13 FSDH publicly aware13.00 of.UBA This sets less of what people listed A/GCR companies on the may 30-SEP-2017 30-Sep-10 UBA Nigerian Stock Exchange an unfair advantage sets think about Sanusi’s taking 18.00 C&I and LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 *C & I LEASING MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 09-Apr-11 *DANA our stock market the in(NSE)Nilthat own or partly backward over some banks and MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR *TOWER own stakes in brokerage when information is not trigues surrounding it, my MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR *TOWER 14.00 UBA he II 22-SEP-2018 A/GCR 22-Sep-11 UBA firms A/Agusto; and/or investment fairly disseminated,” said. analyses in 2008 did foretell 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 *LA CASERA banksBBB-/DataPro†; should beBB/GCR prevented Fejokwu noted that in- that Intercontinental Bank MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-12 *CHELLARAMS from publicly disseminatvestment banks needed to was a bank heading south. 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 Nil *DANA 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 14-Nov-13 InNAHCO provide a deeper level of ing equity research reThe events that befell 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 30-Sep-14 STANBIC IBTC disclosure about the exact tercontinental Bank ports A/GCR and related materi(as it 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 STANBIC IBTC nature of the business reals onTOTAL companies where relates to the bank’s perforOUTSTANDING VALUE they are board members. lationship they have with mance) did not surprise me TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION a company and/or if they one bit when it all came to a A Senior Africa Equity Supranational Bond were paid in 10.20 cash and/or head. Analyst at Thaddeus InvestIFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC 11-Feb-13 ment Advisors & Research the particu“The valid question is 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P AfDB kind to produce 10-Jul-14 TOTAL VALUE lar equity research product Limited, Mr.OUTSTANDING Jude Fejokwu, what was the nature of relaMARKET CAPITALISATION made TOTAL this call while high- in question each time a re- tionship between Interconlighting some of the prob- port is disseminated. tinental Bank and RenaisDescription Rating/Agency Issuer Issue Date lems with publicly dissemiHe recalled: “In the first- sance Capital at the time? Eurobonds nated FGN equity research on half of 2009, Intercontinen- Why did the bank’s management Nigerian companies. tal Bank management was 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 not open its books BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P 07-Oct-11 to a He said that the preven- dealing with widespread bevy of analysts for broader BB-/Fitch; FGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 BB-/S&P tion became necessary in speculation that the bank reach, analyses and potenBB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13and was in distress. When the order to avert the risk of subtially deeper scrutiny BB-/S&P jectiveTOTAL disclosure on compadifferences of opinion? Did OUTSTANDING VALUE negative news refused to go nies listed onMARKET the Exchange. Intercontinental Bank comaway despite using a bevy of TOTAL CAPITALISATION “It isCorporate a conflict of interest journalists to get out their pensate the investment bank Eurobonds positive message, managethat places inherent doubt on for this crisis period report 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I 01-Feb-11 the views that are held in the ment or2016 was this just a business 7.50 MAY 19, B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I turned to Renaissance 19-May-11 fa7.25 JUL 25, 2017 ACCESSCapital BANK PLC Nigeria for succor. 25-Jul-12 reportB+/S&P by the “home base” vour? Questions that should 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC 09-May-13 analysts. Secondly, the risk “Management turned never have been allowed to 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 08-Nov-13 of unfair disclosure is high over their books to the Renarise hang in limbo08-Apr-12 six years 10.25 APR 08, 2019 B/Fitch AFREN PLC II who came out in which theBB-/S&P analysts of the and Renais6.25 APR 22, 2019 counting while B+/Fitch; ZENITH cap BANK analyst(s) PLC 22-Apr-14 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC 21-May-14 particular company may end with a report stating in8.75aMay 21,sance Capital Nigeria con8.25 AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC 07-Aug-13 up being privy to non-public nutshell that the bank is not tinues smiling to the bank,” 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P AFREN PLC III 09-Dec-13 distress and we should he JUN noted. information before the gen9.25/6M USDall LIBOR+7.677 24, 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESSin BANK PLC II 24-Jun-14

10.00

‡ /Agusto BBB-/Agusto

12.00 14.00 13.00

18.00 16.00 18.00

16.00 15.75 18.00

#{r}

FIRST BANK LTD

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

16.00 15.25 11.93 13.25

10.20 11.25

Coupon (%)

6.75 5.13 6.38

11.50 7.50 7.25 6.88 6.00 10.25 6.25 8.75 8.25

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

6.63 9.25 8.00

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

29-Sep-16

1.53

1.00

16.91

94.92

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.60

1.34

17.27

95.88

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.53

1.00

17.09

91.85

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.55

1.88

17.80

100.96

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.55

1.00

16.92

98.85

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.97

1.00

17.05

101.47

450.00

23-Jul-21

13.62

76.00

250.00

14-Aug-21

11.45

10.93

87.25

89.38

14.00

that both the institutional and 4.44 20.22 personal costs of any96.79 wrongdo3.23 18.26 98.61 4.46 are extremely 20.71 95.26 ing high. 3.48 19.73 96.94 “We will ensure 88.01 high stan1.00 17.06 dards in regulatory oversight 1.00 17.05 96.20 1.79 enforcement. 17.88 91.70are conand We 1.80 17.84 94.17 tinuing to17.05 strengthen 1.00 95.31 inspec1.00 95.64 tion and 17.07 investigation and 4.78 20.85 89.04 any operator found erring 1.00 17.08 97.10 will be suspended, issued a 1.00 17.09 96.94 1.00 17.08 91.86 warning, or fined depending 1.00 17.09 95.17 on and94.60 nature of 1.00 the gravity 17.10 1.00 17.01 87.47 the violation. We hope that the 1.00 17.00 92.74 various enforcement 1.44 17.54 92.72 actions 1.00 17.10 94.88 against erring operators, including their suspension from participating in capital market activities, will deter 1.00 16.62 other operators from97.42 breaching 1.00 16.90 97.82 rules,” he had said. 2.63 18.70 97.64

PZ Cussons net earnings fall by 28%

13.00

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

15.00

14.25

#{r}

the resolution of the matter 8.50 31-Aug-15 0.45 against the operator. 4.18 30-Sep-15 0.29 4.86 30-Jun-16 General 0.80 of Acting Director 5.73 0.81 the SEC, Mr.30-Jun-16 Mounir Gwarzo, 57.00 19-Apr-17 2.08 had the commission 25.73 said that 30-Jun-17 1.35 25.00 31-Dec-17 2.78 would do anything to compel 34.14 30-Sep-18 1.95 operators in the market to obey 9.00 04-Oct-18 1.97 13.73rules guiding 09-Dec-18 it. This, 2.16 acthe 10.20 12-Dec-18 2.16 cording to him, informed the 27.00 14-Feb-19 2.35 decision to tighten the noose 16.23 02-Oct-19 2.59 80.00 on market 22-Nov-19 infractions4.68 and 25.70 12-Dec-19 2.75 other miscellaneous capital 11.10 10-Oct-20 3.20 87.50 27-Nov-20 5.69 market crimes. 5.00 31-Dec-20 5.78 “We must implement 4.55 31-Dec-20 3.44the 4.56 zero tolerance 06-Jan-21 SEC policy3.47in a 459.68 decisive and far-reaching man423.41 ner. We are therefore determined to eliminate sharp prac2.50 tices, deter 17-Aug-15 malpractice0.41 and 18.75 09-Dec-15 0.47 change behaviours 0.42 06-Jan-16 by ensuring 0.55

0.70 Z Cussons 09-Sep-18Nigeria 1.97Plc 35.00 has reported 22-Sep-18 a 27.91 3.51per 2.40 18-Oct-18 1.83 cent decline in net earn0.36 17-Feb-19 2.16 ings end4.50 for the third 01-Apr-19quarter 2.78 5.66 ed2.05 February14-Nov-20 28, 2015. 0.10 9.53 In a filing 30-Sep-24 with the Nigerian 15.44 30-Sep-24 9.53 Stock Exchange (NSE), the 132.23 company’s profit after tax fell 122.75 to N2.787 billion during the period under review as against 12.00 11-Feb-18 2.90 N3.866 billion01-Feb-21 recorded the 12.95 4.75previous 24.95 year. This represented a 20.66 decline of 27.91 per cent. Profit before tax stood at Outstanding Value Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) ($mm) N3.991 billion as against 5.174 billion posted the previous year 500.00 accounting 28-Jan-21for a drop 6.63 of 22.85 per cent. 500.00 12-Jul-18 6.11 Turnover increased margin500.00by 0.56 per 12-Jul-23 6.90 ally cent to N52.889 billion 1,500.00 during the period, compared 1,471.88 with N52.594 billion in the same period of last year. The local01-Feb-16 unit of British 450.00 118.29 soap 500.00 and shampoo 19-May-16 maker 7.60had 350.00 25-Jul-17 per cent 13.11derecorded a 37.82 300.00 13.97 cline in net 02-May-18 earnings for the 400.00 08-Nov-18 9.20 second quarter 2015 ended No300.00 08-Apr-19 39.11 vember 30, 2014. 500.00 22-Apr-19 8.94 200.00 21-May-19 16.05ExIn a filing with the 300.00 07-Aug-20 14.08 change, the company’s post-tax 360.00 09-Dec-20 23.96 profit fell to N 1.441 billion dur400.00 24-Jun-21 14.79

ing under 1.00 the period 17.05 98.35 review 1.00 17.10 billion 92.07 against N2.317 recorded 2.29 18.29 96.37 the previous year, representing 6.11 22.18 93.47 a2.16 decline of cent. 18.2537.82 per 95.31 2.76Profit before 18.77 tax87.98stood at 1.00 17.47 74.68 N1.941 billion as against 3.077 1.00 17.47 80.72 billion posted in the previous year accounting for a drop of 36.90 per cent. Turnover also 84.71 dipped to 1.00 17.09 N31.659 billion during 1.00 17.07 81.02 the period, compared with N32.460 billion in the same period of last year. Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price The Nigerian unit of British Prices & Yields household products maker had also 6.42 reported 100.56 a 30.8 per 101.57cent decline in pre-tax profit for the 5.78 97.10 98.05 first quarter 2015 ended August 6.74 2014. 96.71 97.73 30, In a filing with the Exchange, the company’s pre-tax profit fell to N872.29 million during the period 48.00 under re118.29 48.00 view as against N1.261 6.25 99.87 101.35 billion 13.11 88.50 88.50 recorded the previous year. 13.24 82.50 This translated to a84.13 decline of 8.45 90.31 92.49 30.8 per cent. 39.11 43.63 43.63 to N15.019 8.94Turnover 90.95dipped90.95 15.01 78.42 the period, 81.11 billion during com14.08 77.95 77.95 pared with N15.066 billion in 23.96 47.50 47.50 the of last 14.36 same period 77.88 79.38 year.

20-Mar-15

4,760.00 3,652.82

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 Money **Treasury Bills FIXINGS 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” basisMarket and may not be accurate up to date. We& do not guarantee ForeignorExchange (Spot Forwards) DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept NIBOR liability for the results of any Tenor action taken onRate the (%) basis of the Information. 13 2-Apr-15 14.71 14.46 14.79 FGN

20 27 34 Bonds 41 48 55 Rating/Agency 62 76 83 97 104 118 125 132 139 146 160 167 NA 174 188 258 272 293 307 321 335 349

9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 Issuer 21-May-15 4-Jun-15 11-Jun-15 25-Jun-15 2-Jul-15 16-Jul-15 23-Jul-15 30-Jul-15 6-Aug-15 13-Aug-15 27-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 NA 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 3-Dec-15 17-Dec-15 7-Jan-16 21-Jan-16 4-Feb-16 18-Feb-16 3-Mar-16

13.91 14.05 14.52 13.96 13.87 14.59 Description 14.45 13.01 14.16 4.00 23-APR-2015 14.07 13.05 16-AUG-2016 14.19 15.10 27-APR-2017 14.31 9.85 27-JUL-2017 14.85 14.34 9.35 31-AUG-2017 14.67 10.70 30-MAY-2018 14.63 16.00 29-JUN-2019 11.80 7.00 23-OCT-2019 14.78 14.74 15.54 13-FEB-2020 14.87 16.39 27-JAN-2022 13.93 14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.94 15.00 28-NOV-2028 14.16 14.70 12.49 22-MAY-2029 14.54 8.50 20-NOV-2029 14.71 10.00 23-JUL-2030 14.67

13.66 13.80 14.27 13.71 13.62 14.34 Issue Date 14.20 12.76 13.91 23-Apr-10 13.82 16-Aug-13 13.94 27-Apr-12 14.06 27-Jul-07 14.60 14.09 31-Aug-07 14.42 30-May-08 14.38 29-Jun-12 11.55 23-Oct-09 14.53 14.49 13-Feb-15 14.62 27-Jan-12 13.68 14-Mar-14 13.69 28-Nov-08 13.91 14.45 22-May-09 14.29 20-Nov-09 14.46 23-Jul-10 14.42

12.1493 18-JUL-2034

18-Jul-14

OBB 10.00 Tenor Bid ($/N) Offer ($/N) 14.01 Tenor Rate (%) 14.20 O/N 11.2917 Spot 199.01 199.11 O/N 10.75 14.72 1M 15.5717 7D 201.81 201.93 Price 14.18 3M 16.6278 14D 202.13 202.28 REPO 14.13 6M 17.5872 Tenor Rate (%) 1M 202.87 203.37 Outstanding Value 14.91 Call 10.50 2MOffer Yield 204.24 205.31 Coupon (%) Maturity Date TTM (Yrs) Bid Yield (%) 3M Bid Price 207.21 Offer Price 14.82 1M 11.50 205.60 (N'bn) (%) 13.37 3M 12.50 6M 206.28 213.47 NITTY 14.634.00 6M 0.09 13.50 14.66 1Y 13.04 220.29 99.00 226.27 99.15 535.00 23-Apr-15 14.61 Tenor Rate16-Aug-16 (%) 13.05 581.39 1.41 15.91 15.78 96.47 96.62 14.79 1M 14.8059 15.10 476.80 27-Apr-17 NOTE: 2.10 16.09 16.00 98.25 98.40 15.00 2M 15.0144 27-Jul-17 2.35 :Benchmarks 16.08 16.00NA :Not Applicable 88.13 88.28 15.659.85 3M 20.00 15.1765 15.129.35 6M100.00 15.5277 Bond 31-Aug-17 * :Amortising Bond 2.45 16.09 16.00# :Floating Rate 86.79 86.94 15.54 9M300.00 15.5552 10.70 30-May-18 µ :Convertible Bond 3.20 16.10 15.96***: Deferred coupon 86.87 bonds 87.17 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 15.54 12M 16.8167 16.00 351.30 29-Jun-19 FGN: Federal Government 4.28 16.10 16.00‡ : Bond rating99.63 99.93 12.44 of Nigeria under review 233.90 23-Oct-19 FMBN: Federal4.59 16.08 15.96†: Bond rating71.26 71.56 expired 15.857.00 Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 15.86 15.54 54.00 NIFEX 13-Feb-20 IFC: International 4.90Finance Corporation 16.06 15.97N/A :Not Available 98.23 98.53 16.10 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management {r} :Issuer in receivership 16.39 600.00 27-Jan-22 6.86 15.98 15.90 101.62 101.92 Current Price ($/N) 15.45 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 14.20 499.68 14-Mar-24 O/N: Overnight8.98 16.27 16.20NGC: Nigeria-German 90.38 Company90.68 15.55 BID($/N) 199.0000 15.00 28-Nov-28 UPDC: UAC Property 13.69 Development16.37 16.31UBA: United Bank 92.53for Africa 92.83 15.97 OFFER ($/N) 75.00 199.1000 Company 16.77 Africa Portland Cement Company 12.49 150.00 22-May-29 WAPCO:West 14.17 16.36 16.29 78.84 79.14 16.678.50 200.00 20-Nov-29 14.67 16.35 16.26 56.74 57.04 17.00 10.00 591.57 23-Jul-30 15.34 16.25 16.17 65.00 65.30 17.07

Bonds

12.1493

*for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Rating/Agency

Agency Bonds

Issuer

Modified Duration Buckets

FMBN <3

3<5

***LCRM >5

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Market

254.50

18-Jul-34

19.33

16.20

16.14

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

76.17

76.47

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

5,023.13

4,447.00 Outstanding Value FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX (N'bn)

Description

Porfolio Market Value(Bn)

Issue Date

Total Outstanding

Volume(Bn) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 1,379.30 1,409.48 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 1,025.20 1,059.68 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 554.75 815.07 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

2,959.25

3,284.23

Weighting by Outstanding Vol 24-May-12

03-Apr-12 42.92 09-Dec-11 32.27 20-Apr-12 24.82 06-Jul-12

100.00

Coupon (%)

Weighting by Mkt Value0.00

17.25 46.61 0.00/16.00 34.64 0.00/16.50 18.75 0.00/16.50 100.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Bucket Weighting

24.56 2.40 0.43 112.22 0.32 116.70 0.25 66.49 1.00

322.38

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration 24-May-15

03-Apr-17 21.25 08-Dec-16 38.19 19-Apr-17 40.55 06-Jul-17 100.00

Implied Yield

Implied

0.18 Portfolio Price 2.63 0.91 2.27 16.04 101.1459 1.72 2.00 16.11 97.8275 2.08 1.00 16.23 69.3006 2.30 2.85 16.15

92.1719

INDEX

17.39 18.60 1,133.23 17.97 976.13 17.06 974.03 18.931,041.54 -

YTD Return (%) 96.93

99.04 97.11 97.75 3.2760 91.06

2.2913

3.5987 1.2935

309.79

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.45

4.44

20.22

96.79

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.29

3.23

18.26

98.61

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.80

4.46

20.71

95.26

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.81

3.48

19.73

96.94

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.08

1.00

17.06

88.01

Business | Interview

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘Commodity Exchange has Established in 1999 as a Commodity Exchange to boost trading in agriculture produce, the Exchange has been moribund for over a decade until recently when government took steps towards reactivating the organisation, even though it is billed for commercialisation by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). To reposition the Exchange, the Federal Government has renamed it the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and appointed Mrs. Zaheera Baba-Ari, as an acting CEO. In this interview with Abdulwahab Isa in Abuja, Baba-Ari expresses optimism that the Exchange will realise its potentials. Excerpt

The Abuja Stock Exchange has adopted various corporate names. It was first known as Abuja Commodities and Stock Exchange, later Abuja Commodity Exchange and, recently, Nigeria Commodity Exchange. What is the philosophy behind each corporate name adopted and their significance to the overall objectives of the organisation? The Exchange started off in 1999 as Abuja Stock Exchange. In 2001, it was converted to a Commodity Exchange and it became Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange (ASCE). In 2013, the name was changed to Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) to reflect its national outlook. Sixteen years after the Exchange was set up, no significant activity has taken place there. What are the obstacles that have stalled its operations? The Exchange became operational in July 2006 after it had gone through its conversion from a Stock to a Commodity Exchange in 2001. Prior to that time, an inter-ministerial committee was set-up on the conversion from ASE to ASCE. Thereafter, an implementation steering committee was set-up. The work of that committee was concluded in October 2005 and, in July 2006, the ASCE began operations. The absence, however, of the relevant support infrastructure like standard warehouses, grades and standards, farmers’ cooperatives, the necessary legal and regulatory framework and supportive government policies, amongst several other issues, stuttered the growth of the Exchange.

Baba-Ari

You were appointed recently as the MD in an acting capacity. As one of the pioneer staff of the Exchange, what is your blue print to make it a successful Exchange like the Nigeria Stock Exchange in Lagos? We are doing the needful in terms of reaching out to the relevant stakeholders in order to get their buy-in. Apart from centralising and facilitating agricultural trade, we are providing market transparency, price discovery, reducing transaction costs, enhancing quality of commodities and providing access to finance for farmers through our warehouse receipt system. All these factors will make NCX successful in its own right and deepen the capital market. You engaged recently in advocacy visits to some government agencies such as SEC and others,

what message are you taking to them? We sought supportive regulatory and government support from the listed agencies.

We are interfacing with farmers through licensed seed companies

Farmers are basically the Exchange’s most important stakeholders and clients. How does your interface with farmers look like? We are interfacing with farmers through licensed seed companies. Prior to this time, we had been reaching out to farmers groups directly, but we did not achieve the desired results as the farmers had expectations such as direct disbursement of inputs by the Exchange or, in certain instances, wanting us to buy off their commodities. We then decided that since licensed seed companies have farmers’ groups whom they disburse

seeds to, it made more sense working through them. We have come up with a model that involves the seed companies, the farmers’ groups under them and some financing banks. We have gotten the commitment of some of these licensed seed companies and their farmers’ groups for the production of specific grains for specific processors. It is work in progress. There is a conscious effort by government to diversify the economy from oil to the non-oil sector. Being a commodity-driven Exchange envisaged to play a pivotal role in the promotion of non-oil sector, how prepared is the Exchange to play a significant role in the drive to steer Nigeria to the direction of biggest non-oil sector economy? The NCX is poised to, in con-

Business | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

world class potentials’ cited in huge grain production areas and, in some cases, in huge consumption areas.

B I O D ATA

There is a Bill on the Exchange pending before the National Assembly. What is it meant to achieve and what is the level of work that has gone into it? The draft Bill at the National Assembly is on Warehouse Receipt Trading. The bill is for the regulation of warehouses and warehouse receipt trading and for making warehouse receipts negotiable instrument of trade. The Bill is necessary because warehouses form an integral part of the operations of a Commodity Exchange as they serve as delivery points for ready delivery contracts which are the basic requirements for commodity-backed

Education: University of Maiduguri; University of Ibadan; Institute of Capital Market Registrars; Bureau of Public Procurement Certificates: B.A. English M.A. Communication Arts Certificate: Institute of Capital Market Registrars Certificate: Procurement Officer (BPP) Work Experience: Prior to joining NCX, worked with the Academia, the Media and Corporate Marketing. Head, HRM & Admin, Abuja Stock Exchange - 1999-2001; Head, HRM & Corporate Services, Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange 2001 - 2006 Group Head, Management Services, Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange - 2007 – 2014 Group Membership Secretary, Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Conversion of Abuja Stock Exchange to Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange - 2002 -2003; Secretary, Implementation Steering Committee, Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange (ASCE) - 2004 – 2005; Secretary, Board of Trustees, Commodity Brokers Association of Nigeria (CBAN) - 2008 – till date.

The NCX team has the experience and has been adequately trained

junction with our ministry, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), to revolutionise the trading of agricultural commodities and make Nigeria the agricultural trading hub of West Africa, for Nigeria has the commodities, the right soil and climate and our farmers have been availed of the right farming techniques. You were in Jos recently where you signed an MOU with Jos-based Grand Cereals Limited. What does it entail and is the Exchange planning similar MOU with other firms? The MoU means that we have provided a ready market for farmers and a steady all-yearround availability of commodities for the processor from NCX accredited warehouses. The processor is assured of the quality of the commodities and reduced transaction costs while both the seller and buyer are assured of realistic pricing. There are over 22 abandoned warehouses scattered across the country. What are your plans in terms of bringing these warehouses under the control of Exchange for trade in their various farm produce? I am not aware of 22 abandoned warehouses. What we do is accredit warehouses that are

Baba-Ari

credit. Also, a financial institution will only be willing to accept a commodity as collateral if it is assured of the dependability of the warehouse in which the commodity is held. The Exchange is slated for commercialisation by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). However, opinions differ on this, with some arguing that government ought to fund it to a functional level before it hands over to the private sector. What is the best option to go? Our position is that there are certain infrastructures and enabling environments that can only be put in place by government while all other elements of building a viable Commodity Exchange is the responsibility

of the private sector. Also, the issue of whether certain percentages of any commodity should be mandated to be traded on the Exchange has to be addressed. It would be ideal if there was a Public Private Partnership with government funding at the onset due to the peculiarities of the Nigerian agricultural environment, with government later phasing out with clear exit strategies. Do you have the confidence that you can make the Exchange a huge success if given all the support? The NCX team has the experience and has been adequately trained and with the support we have received from our minister, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, NCX will become a world class entity.

Politics

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Can Obas deliver South West for President? C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

Ogun Waterside area in Ijebuland, would dominate the focus of his administration in the second term. The president stated that he came to the palace to formally inform the Awujale about his re-election bid. He maintained that his administration had transformed Nigeria positively, adding that he required a second term to consolidate on the gains already recorded. “Within the past four years, we have tried as a government; you know government cannot complete all projects within four years period. The education sector, we have tried across the country. The problem of Federal Government is that Nigeria is a very vast country and you may do much and some parts of the country may not even notice what you’re doing. But we’ve done quite well,” he added. After listening to the president, Oba Adetona observed that it was inappropriate for traditional rulers to be canvassing votes for politicians. Rather, he said monarchs in Yorubaland should only encourage their subjects to make informed choices about voting. The monarch, who prayed God to guide the country right, noted that he had never seen any election that was full of tension in the last 55 years like the forthcoming poll. He, however, urged the electorate to vote for those that had the fear of God and integrity and not those who would mortgage their future, after offering them gifts. He said: “Each time I have cause to talk to our people, I have always told them, in churches and mosques, that when you’re going to vote, make sure you back your sons and daughters who will give something back to you, not the Ojelus (looters). “Those who will be honest with you, who know the way of God; those are the people you should vote for; not those who will give you two, three spoons and mortgage your future. It is not right. “I am sure over the years, there has been improvement but this election is full of tension. I don’t know how it is so. Why has election never been like this? About 55 years, I have never seen any election that is full of tension; and the one we are having now, my prayer is God should guide us and make sure that there is peace, harmony and tranquillity in the country.” The royal father appeared smart and diplomatic with his remarks. He could not have done otherwise, especially in the light of the prevailing political situation in the state and the whole country. Will Alaafin, Olubadan, Soun deliver for Jonathan? President Jonathan had sought royal blessings in Oyo State with visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Ogunlana Odugade I and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III. In terms of priority, the Alaafin of Oyo wields enormous powers when it comes to enjoying the support of one’s subjects, reason President Jonathan had visited his palace twice in less than five months. He had nevertheless visited the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso once in recent time as the electioneering hots up. The three monarchs are influential on their subjects and could influence their voting patterns. However, the situation in Oyo State is peculiar. All the Obas – Alaafin, Olubadan and Soun – have a child each as Commissioner in the present APC government of Abiola Ajimobi, thus commanding the loyalty of the Obas to the administration.

Ooni of Ife

As a state being controlled by APC, it will appeal to commonsense that the Obas who are in support of APC and Governor Ajimobi should support its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. With the trend of things, the influence of Jonathan in his romance with the Oyo monarchs appears to have overwhelmed that of Buhari. Going by the subtle campaigns and sensitization tours that the Alaafin had made of recent with his chiefs and lesser Obas from the Oke Ogun zone in his company, it was however apparent that the monarch was non-concomitant as he was in 2011 when he openly campaigned for Ajimobi against the then Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s second term ambition. The Alaafin merely told his subjects to vote wisely and not get engaged in any violent act. He did not categorically mention support for any particular candidate, be it Jonathan of Buhari. One of Alaafin’s son, Akeem Adeyemi, a council chairman who has spent eight years in office, is gunning for the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC, while one of his daughters, Folasade Adeyemi wants to be elected into the House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP. Alaafin is therefore a groom standing between two brides, whose loyalty to either, may be difficult to decipher. The centenarian Olubadan of Ibadan has the ears of his subjects, and as a pragmatic monarch, could direct where the Ibadan people should go in terms of voting. But as a democrat who has many High Chiefs and children loyal to different political parties, his influence on Jonathan’s victory may be limited. Olubadan has his son, Gbade Lana, as Information Commissioner in the APC controlled state, while one of his prominent High Chiefs, the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Lekan Balogun, is a staunch leader of the PDP. Because of his love for Ajimobi, it is most likely that the Olubadan would prefer Buhari to Jonathan. Even there is purported endorsement for Buhari from Olubadan. The Soun of Ogbomoso is not too much of a political monarch like the Alaafin. As a successful businessman before his installation, Oba Ajagungbade still engages in his business activities even beyond the shores of Nigeria. To many Ogbomoso residents, therefore, he wields negligible electoral influence on his people as he is not known to be an overt political determiner. For the sake of his daughter who is a commissioner, it is very obvious that the Soun would want APC to secure victory to consolidate on the gains of democracy being currently enjoyed. His support for Jonathan is therefore in doubt. Royal visit to Osun President Jonathan also visited prominent traditional rulers in Osun

Alaafin of Oyo

It is not possible for any Oba, not even in Ijebu (but also) in Yorubaland, to go out and say vote for this, vote for that; that person is looking for trouble

State. Osun was the only South-West state that the president lost election in 2011. Jonathan has visited the Osun State Chairman of Traditional Rulers, Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, and his vice chairmen, Owa Obokun Of Ijesha land, Oba Adekunle Aromoran and Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun. At the palace of Ooni, the president told the traditional ruler and other monarchs who were in attendance how his administration has impacted on the development of South-West, assuring that he would batter transform the zone if re-elected on March 28. Oba Sijuade later blessed the president, saying “by the grace of God, you will win in the forthcoming election.” Other traditional rulers were also directed by Ooni of Ife, to point their staff of office to Jonathan for further blessing. The royal fathers later endorsed the president for re-election. At Ilesha, the country home Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Owa Obokun of Ijesha land urged the president to work for the unity of Nigeria and pay more attention to the development of South-West. Also, the Ataoja of Osogbo pledged to support the Jonathan administration. Will the visit pay? In virtually all the visits to monarchs, the president and his handlers were ostensibly angling for endorsements. But traditional rulers in Ogun State have so far been cautious. They have refrained from plunging themselves into any political project. Besides, the monarchs also face a daunting task in marketing Jonathan as a result of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s factor. There is growing sentiment in the South West, and Ogun State in particular, that the Yoruba stand a better chance of benefitting immensely at the centre with Osinbajo as APC vice presidential candidate. Osinbajo, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, hails from Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State. His younger brother, Akin Osinbajo, also served the

Awujale of Ijebuland

Gateway State as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel. It, therefore, became a risky venture for the monarchs to openly sell another ticket. Another reason why it could be difficult for some of Yoruba monarchs to mobilise their subjects for Jonathan is the fact that some of their children are contesting against candidates of the president’s party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). For example, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has a son, Adeniyi, who is contesting for House of Representatives seat of Oyo Federal Constituency on APC ticket. Also, Akeem, who is the son of Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi, is contesting for the House of Representatives on APC’s ticket. In Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu has openly endorsed APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, and even maintained his stand right before Jonathan. To political observers, the monarchs would dare not swim against the tide and subsume the dominant party in their domains for the president’s party. What if the people in their domains voted overwhelmingly against the candidates supported by the Obas? Would that not be tantamount to a vote of no confidence against themselves if such candidates eventually lost at the polls? They must have thought about all these while weighing the odds of Jonathan’s candidature. Except PDP members themselves re-strategize and plan properly for Jonathan’s victory in South West, analysts believe the president’s reliance on traditional rulers to sway votes in his favour may come to nought. Deputy National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Alhaji Waheed Lawal, told New Telegraph that the president’s romance with the traditional rulers will not stop his imminent defeat in the South-West. Lawal said: “The sudden romance of the president with traditional rulers in the South-West would yield no positive results in the presidential election… Gone are the days when traditional rulers decided the direction their people will go in an election. Now, the electorate are well informed, sophisticated and hopeful of a better Nigeria. They are very sensitive to election matters for any traditional ruler to manipulate them.” But the Osun State chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, said President Jonathan has won the heart of the electorate in the South-West before his endorsement by the traditional rulers in the zone. Olaoluwa said that the president’s transformation agenda has impacted positively on every aspect of the economy.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

L-R: Secretary to Kwara State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; wife of the governor, Omolewa and the founder, Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, Mrs. Omolaja Adedoyin, during the inauguration of the Hospice in Ilorin.

L-R: Assistant Corps Marshal, Administration and Strategy, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Augustine Aipoh; Deputy Corps Marshal, Technical Services and Special Duties, Ojeme Ewhrudjakpor and National Chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Salimon Oladiti, at the National Executive Council meeting of PTD in Calabar, Cross River State.

L-R: Project WET Coordinator, Nigeria, Mr. Motayo Latunji; Nestlé Waters Manager, Africa, Mr. Guy Bani; Socialisation Mobilisation Director, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Lagos, Mr. Colman Akinwolere and Chief Executive Officer, StarBright Consulting, Mr. Emmanuel Olu-Ayeni, at the Nestlé Waters 2015 World Water Day held at Nestlé Agbara Factory, Ogun State.

L-R: Officer, Lagos Directorate, Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Group, Mr. Gboyega Johnson; Member, Mr. Gbemi Jaiyebo; Director, Mr. Gboyega Soyannwo; Head, Medical Services, Dr. Wale Oyebanji and member, Mr. Muheez Bello, at the group’s free medical screening services in Epe, Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Photo | News

L-R: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd); Governor Seriake Dickson and the National President, New Nigeria Initiative, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, during a peace rally entitled, ‘Blow the trumpet of peace in Nigeria, organised by the initiative in Yenagoa.

L-R: President, Nigeria Basketball Federation, Tijani Umar; Public Relations Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria, Caroline Oghuma and Marketing Manager, DStv, Chioma Afe, at the opening of 2015 DStv Basketball Season in Lagos.

L-R: Bishop, Theologian of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Prof. Dapo Asaju; his wife, Mrs. Asaju and Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Ituah Ighodalo, during the monthly Orthodox/Holy Communion Service of the Church in Lagos.

L-R: Beneficiary, Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Chinwenduri Richess Ifenkwe; GIS representative, Ngozi Okonkwo; SINBOL consult representative, Abiola Adedeji and another beneficiary, GIS, Ebogu Mary-Jane, at the scheme’s training organised by SINBOL Consult for the SURE-P GIS project in Lagos.

News

SOUTH-WEST

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Court rules on APC’s application to join UPN’s suit tomorrow Akeem Nafiu

ustice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos will, tomorrow, rule on an application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to be joined in a suit initiated by the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). UPN had filed the suit seeking an order of the court compelling INEC to list its presidential candidate and other candidates for the March 28 and April

11 general elections. At the resumed hearing of the matter, APC’s lead counsel, Chief Emeka Ngige, urged the court to allow his client to be joined as a co-defendant in the suit. He was of the view that any order compelling INEC to list UPN candidates would negatively affect not only his client, but the voters who, he said, were ready to perform their constitutional rights of voting for their preferred candidates come March 28 and April 11. Ngige, while noting that the suit was filed on

February 25, after the initial dates of the general elections were postponed, disclosed that the implication of the court granting UPN’s prayer is that ballot papers and other electoral materials already printed and distributed ahead of the election would have to be destroyed and new ones printed. “We are in a race and we are ready to go but someone is trying to draw us back. What we are saying is that time is of the essence because election must be conducted at least 30 days before the end of the tenure

of an incumbent administration,” Ngige said . The silk also drew the court’s attention to a statement issued by the UPN adopting President Goodluck Jonathan as the candidate of the party for the presidential election. He also urged the court to take judicial notice of a letter written by the UPN to INEC stating that the party was engrossed in internal crisis. The application for joinder was not opposed to by INEC’s lawyer, Mrs. N.O. Taiwo. However, UPN’s lawyer,

Akinwale Ekunusi, while opposing the application, argued that no serious reason to justify the application was canvassed before the court. He said APC must show real and not speculative interest to join the suit. Ekunusi while expressing his dismay as to how APC knew about the distribution of the sensitive materials for the election, stated that it was absurd for the party to be canvassing arguments on behalf of INEC. He also faulted claims by the APC that the granting of the prayers in the suit

would rob them of political fortune, saying such statement was without definition. Justice Abang, after entertaining arguments from parties, said he would first consider APC’s application, after which the outcome would determine the neccesary consequential orders to be made. UPN’s presidential candidate, Helen Godswill had filed the suit alongside other candidates of the party over the non-publication of their names as candidates for the forthcoming general elections.

Group cautions youths against political violence Temitope Ogunbanke

head of the forthcoming general elections, a religous organisation, the Christian Conscience Group has called on Nigerian youths to desist from participating in electoral violence, rigging and all forms of political vices. The group’s call was contained in a message delivered by the group to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, in his office at Alausa lkeja, at the weekend after a road show in Ikeja by the group to drum up support for free and fair elections.

Leader of the group Ven. Folarin Shobo, who led the road show on behalf of its chairman, Chief Enock Ajiboso, described the youths as leaders of tomorrow and therefore urged them to participate actively in the elections by voting for credible leaders they can trust rather than allow themselves to be used for dirty jobs, while the children of some political leaders who engage them reside abroad. He said the Christian Conscience group in the last few months has been at the forefront of seeking an egalitarian society, where leaders will be held responsible for their actions.

L-R: Speaker, Ogun House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi; Yetunde Onanuga; Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Yewande Amusan, during the governor’s interactive session with entertainment professionals in Abeokuta… at the weekend

APC won’t get 25% in Ondo, says PDP Babatope Okeowo Akure

ollowing the reconciliation moves by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) which has yielded results in Ondo State, the leadership of the party has said that it would deny the opposition All Progressives Congress(APC) the 25 percent of total votes cast in the state in next Saturday’s presidential election. The leaders of the party,

including the governorship candidate of the party in the last election, Chief Olusola Oke, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger /Delta affair and Chairman amnesty programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, Chief Femi Adekanmi and the immediate past Chairman of the Party, Hon Ebenezer Alabi who met at the weekend said they were not afraid of losing March 28 election but want to deny the rival APC 25 percent of the vote cast in the state. Both Kuku and Oke and

others who spoke at Owo, in Owo local government area of the state in the final round of reconciliation of all factions in the party said the rival APC, did not have any chance of winning a seat in the forthcoming election as the does not exist in the state but only on television and radio stations. Kuku who noted that President Jonathan, would win in not less than 21 states in the country said the APC was not an opposition to the ruling PDP in the coming election in the state.

Ondo APC: Why South-West will vote Buhari Babatope Okeowo Akure

he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday challenged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to show the scorecard of the Federal government that should make the people of the state to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election and other candidates of the party in the state and other South-West states. The party in a statement by its Chairman of the Pub-

licity Secretary, Mr Kunle Adebayo, said the APC presidential candidate Gen Muhammadu Buhari, has been tested and trusted and was expected to win the next Saturday’s poll both in the state and other parts of the South-West region. Adebayo said the efforts of Governor Olusegun Mimiko in mobilizing traditional rulers, teachers, youths and workers would be an exercise in futility as the people of the zone have decided to vote for change which Buhari represents.

He said, “We challenge Mimiko, to point to a single Federal project in the state to commit the people of Ondo State to the Jonathan’s project. Instead of good life and progress, Ondo State people, like other Nigerians have suffered failed promises, anxiety, poverty, gloom and retrogression under the corrupt government of PDP. All these account for the reason Ondo state people have turned to the APC and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to seek redemption for our failing nation.”

Group seeks life ban for politicians over hate speech Akeem Nafiu

group, the SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has called for the enactment of a law to explicitly bar anyone guilty of electoral-law violations, including hate speech and violence before, during and after elections for life. While advocating that such individuals should be barred from being elected or appointed into public offices the group noted that inciting or perpetrating electionrelated violence should also be included in the constitution as an explicit stand-alone ground for the impeachment of elected officials. In a statement signed by SERAP’s executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “election-related violence is a very serious problem and it is really something we need to look at in a number of ways. Barring from

public office those found guilty of violence is perhaps one of them.” “It’s patently wrong to allow anyone guilty of hate speech and violence around elections to occupy public office. It shouldn’t matter what political party those complicit in these crimes are from. If they have got that kind of charge against them, and they have been

convicted, they should surrender the right to hold public office,” the organization said. It also noted, “Allowing an elected or appointed official with election-related violence pedigree to continue to serve demeans the office he or she occupies and sends the message that such behaviour is acceptable.”

PUBLIC NOTICE MELUKAH CHORAL ENSEMBLE OUTREACH This is to inform the general public that the above named OUTREACH has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. THE TRUSTEES: 1. KAYODE FASOLA 2. BAR. BABATUNDE OLAPADE

- CHAIRMAN - SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To promote gospel music. 2. To promote development and empowerment of young gospel artistes. 3. To propagate the gospel of Christ through music. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria within 28 days of this publication. Signed: TRUSTEES

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

News 47

SOUTH-EAST

Achebe’s kinsmen adopt Umeh for Senate

MASSOB endorses Kalu, Ojukwu’s son for National Assembly polls

Tony Okafor

Awka

he Ogidi kinsmen of foremost Nigerian writer, late Prof. Chinua Achebe, yesterday endorsed the senatorial bid of Chief Victor Umeh, the All Prog ressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Anambra Central District. The endorsement took place at the headquarters of Idemili North local council, Ogidi, at a function organised to appreciate the projects and appointments APGA had given to the town in the past nine years. The ceremony featured dancing and masquerading, as well as feasting at St. Philip’s Primary School while members of the community trooped out to thank APGA for its gesture. The President General, Ogidi Union N i g e r i a , D r. E r i c Obiakor, said the community decided not to only adopt Umeh as its sole candidate for the senatorial election, but to also adopt all APGA candidates and the party itself as no other party had done what APGA did for the community.

he Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday endorsed the senatorial and House of Representatives’ bids of former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Emeka Ojukwu, son of late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwueme-

ka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The group, however, chided its leader, Chief Raph Uwazuruike, for what it called the woes faced by the group in recent times in the country, describing him as selfish. It called on Ndigbo to vote wisely in this week’s presidential and National Assembly elections and the April 11 governorship and Houses of Assembly polls. In a communiqué

issued after its executive council meeting at Okwe, Imo State and made available to newsmen in Awka, Anambra State by the group’s Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, said it has endorsed some candidates for the National Assembly elections in the South East zone. These candidates, according to MASSOB, were the son of former leader of Ndigbo, late

Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is vying for Nnewi North/ South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Others listed as credible Igbo sons and daughters by MASSOB for South East positions include Chief Uche Onyeaguocha for Owerri senatorial district election under the All Progressives

L-R: Convocation Lecturer, Dr. Joseph Odumodu; Pro-Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Dr Chilo Offia; Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; Chancellor, Ambassador Hassan Adamu and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Cyprian Onyeji, at ESUT 26th Convocation lecture in Enugu …at the weekend. PHOTO: NAN

Congress (APC). Others are Chief Orji Uzor Kalu - Abia North senatorial district (PPA), Chief Victor Umeh - Anambra Central (APGA), Chief Athan Nneji Achonu - Okigwe district (PDP), Andy Ubah - Anambra South (PDP). Ozo Nwabueze Okafor Enugu East (APGA). Also, Senator Ike Ekweremmadu - Enugu West (PDP), Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji Abia Central (PDP), Chief Sam Egwu - Ebonyi North (PDP), Hon. ThankGod Ezeani - Orlu senatorial district (APGA), Princess Stella Oduah - Anambra North (PDP). MASSOB further listed other persons like Anambra State Speaker, Princess Chinwe Nwaebili - Ogbaru Federal Constituency (APGA), Hon. Tobias Okechukwu - Awgu-Aniri, Oji River Federal Constituency (PDP), Prince Emeka Mamah - Udenu/ Igboeze North Federal Constituency (APGA) and Ofochukwu Egbo - Enugu North/South Federal Constituency (APGA). Though Uwazuruike boycotted the meeting, it was attended by regional administrator, state zonal leaders, foundation members and senior officers of MASSOB. Furthermore, MASSOB unanimously agreed that the political leadership of Ndigbo had been on the down turn, adding that it was the reason the group wanted strong-willed Igbo sons and daughters with the spirit of the South East as leader.

Why Buhari will defeat Jonathan, by Mbadinuju Former minister predicts victory for PDP Tony Okafor Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

former Minister of State for Power and Steel, Chief Godwin Ogbaga, has predicted victory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the general elections. Speaking at the campaign office of the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly at Mile 50, Abakaliki, during a workshop for PDP canvassers across the 13 wards that make up Ebonyi Local Government, Ogbaga said the large turn-out of canvassers have shown that PDP will overrun other parties during the elections. He promised that the party will complete all the outstanding projects in the state if victorious in the elections. Ogbaga also assured the people that the party will resettle the people of Izzi displaced at Agbaja and Igbeagu in Abakaliki

Local Government and called on the people to support power shift to the south in the interest of equity, justice and peace. Also speaking, a former Deputy Speaker, Chief Sabinus Nwankwegu, said PDP believes in equity and fair play, which he said was why it zoned power to the district of the state, adding that the north had ruled for eight years and the Central District about to complete its own eight years while south have not.

Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

he National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), at the weekend, said the new electronically powered national identity card, otherwise known as the General Multi-Purpose Card (GMPC) has been installed with necessary mechanism to forestall any act of abuse, impersonation or

Awka

ive days to the general elections, former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, has said that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, has the potential to defeat President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the polls. Mbadinuju, who spoke at a press conference in Awka, Anambra

State, yesterday said the indices for victory in elections were in favour of the retired general. He submitted that recent inter national opinion polls gave the victory to Buhari in the ratio of 60 per cent to 40 per cent against his PDP counterpart, adding that both the United States and Britain would be more disposed to Buhari becoming the President of Nigeria, because of his anti-corruption legacy. The ex-governor added that in the General’s

recent visits abroad, prominent world leaders met with him and expressed their resolve to support his bid. He said Nigeria is a strategic country in the world that different interests would play out in presidential poll. He said the bane of the ruling party, the PDP, was monumental injustice meted out to most founding members of the party, as himself, restating that he twice won the primary elections of the party for his re-election in 2003, but was denied the opportunity despite what he called

his popularity at the time. Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, would today in Onitsha address a town hall meeting of the organised private sector. The town hall meeting is aimed at addressing some critical policy issues as regards business and industry in the South East and its strategic importance to Nigeria. The event, which is convened by the Presidential Campaign Council, Anambra State, is at Sharon House, Onitsha.

‘New identity card will check corruption’ any other fraudulent use. The Imo State Coordinator of NIMC, Mr. Ugo Basil Ihejirika, who gave the assurance while explaining the merits of the card to stakeholders, said the card captures both the biometrics and demographic data of the holder and the database ensures that no two individuals have the same

National Identification Number (NIN). Ihejirika further explained that NIMC has been saddled with the mandate of sustaining the National Identity Management System and noted that while the old identity card may be phased out by July; enrollment for the GMPC is continuous.

He said the enrollment would capture Nigerians from 16 years of age and above, stressing that the exercise not only authenticates one’s national identity, but promotes well secured e-transactions as “nobody else can use your card, because it is well protected.”

According to NIMC, when fully activated, the card will have linkages to the holder’s international passport, driver’s licence, voters cards and equally enhances inclusiveness in the financial industry and government’s intervention programmes for any select group of Nigerians as the need arises.

News

Tony Anichebe Uyo

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has said it is not losing sleep over the endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gover norship candidate, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, at the weekend by the former governor Victor Attah, at rally of the party held in Uyo. The state chairman of the party, Obong Paul Ekpo, who spoke with New Telegraph in Uyo, stated that in 2011, Attah endorsed Senator James Akpanudoedehe, against the incumbent governor, but failed. “It is unfortunate that Obong Attah, a BOT member of the PDP unsuccessfully sought to undermine the party in year 2011 while still a member of the party. He is repeating the same anti-party posture in 2015. The truth is that he failed in 2011 and would again. This time, he would fail woefully. We are not losing sleep over his activities, PDP is on ground here and the outcome of next week’s election would vindicate us, we are not worried at all,” Ekpo said. Ekpo, who urged PDP faithfuls to continue their door-to-door campaign to ensure total victory for the party during the March 28th and April 11th elections, lamented the former governor’s penchant for insensitivity

Attah’s support for APC not a threat –PDP to the quest of the entire people of Eket senatorial district who were having their first shot at the governorship position of the state since the creation of the state 28 years ago. The party chairman, however, did not state the sanction to be meted to the ex-governor by the party over his alleged anti-party activities.

Attah, while addressing APC supporters at a campaign rally in Uyo, warned the electorate that a surrogate of governor Godswill Akpabio, Udom Emmanuel should not be allowed to govern the state. He said: “I do not need to add anything to that. I am a leader of my people. My people do not want anyone im-

posed on them as governor, they want Umana Okon Umana and that is why I am here.” The former governor also urged the people of Ikot Ekpene to join force with their fellow communities from Abak and vote Inibehe Okorie from Abak as the next Senator from the district, instead of Governor Akpabio.

ogy in Port Harcourt, at the weekend. According to him, Nigerians would be faced with the reality of voting on March 28 in the country’s presidential election. “Today, you are confronted with one reality, the reality of Nigeria, that reality begins from 28th of March, the reality to choose between good and bad and the reality to choose between peace and corruption and those who want to change your life. “The reality of the fact that after now, most of

you will be unemployed, the reality of the fact that I sit here as governor and students are fighting over electric fan, compared with the reality of the fact that in other universities outside this country, convocation arenas are built with airconditioners, so students don’t fight over fan, that reality is what confronts you today. “It is the reality of asking your lecturers, what are their qualifications, why don’t we have enough lecturers in each faculty,” Ameachi said.

BENIN

he Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Philip Shaibu, yesterday accused the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, of allegedly being a stooge of the Peoples Democratic Par-

Clement James CALABAR

ith few days to the general elections in the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has taken steps to ensure that illegal immigrants coming into Cross River State from neighboring countries were identified and checked. The service has, therefore, acquired and installed 11 fibre glass cab-

ty (PDP), saying that the police boss should stop meddling in politics or resign his position and join politics. He said the IG’s position that Nigerians should cast their votes and leave the polling units was an indication that the IG is working with or for the ruling party to rig the elections.

Shaibu, who is also the APC House of Representatives candidate for Etsako Federal Constituency, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Benin, the state capital. He said, “The Inspector General of Police should leave politics alone and face his work as the head of the police, particularly catering for the welfare of the police.”

ins in the border areas of Cross River State to checkmate irregular and indiscriminate migration from neighboring countries. The Comptroller General of NIS, Mr David Parradang, who inaugurated the cabins in Ikang, headquarter of Bakassi Local Government Area at the weekend, said the equipment was introduced to ensure that illegal immigrants are kept out of the borders of the country, especially during the period of the elections. Represented by the Cross River’s Comptroller of NIS, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, Parradang said the cabins which would be located at strategic border areas in the state, will assist the officers and men of the service for effective border patrol. The NIS boss said the acquisition of the cabins was a way of improving the working conditions of his officers, as well as creating a conducive atmosphere for them at the various patrol bases, especially under difficult weather conditions. ``This is one of our genuine visions and passion to improve the working conditions of the NIS work force. With these cabins at the different border patrol base in the state and Nigeria as a whole, officers of the NIS would be better positioned to effectively patrol the land and border corridors in Cross River,’’ he said.

‘We didn’t borrow N50bn again’ Dominic Adewole ASABA

elta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday denied borrowing another N50 billion from the capital market. The Governor, who described the allegation as bizarre, wondered what he would do with such money barely two months to the terminal date of his administration. In a statement routed through his Commission-

Edo majority leader to IGP: You’re a PDP stooge Cajetan Mmuta

NIS installs fibre glass cabins to check illegal migrants in C’River

L-R: Pro-Chancellor, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) and retired Supreme Court jurist, Justice Karibi Whyte; Rivers State Governor and Visitor to the University, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Alice Nemi and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B. B. Fakae, at the 27th Convocation of the university in Port Harcourt…at the weekend

Amaechi: Determine your future with your votes ivers State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday urged Nigerians to vote cautiously in the coming presidential election in order to shape their future. He said it is their only power to transform both the country and its leadership and appealed to the people to vote for the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Amaechi spoke at the 27th convocation ceremony of the Rivers State University of Science and Technol-

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-SOUTH

He stated that the IGP should ensure that men of the force get their entitlements as and when due, stating that what should be of concern to the police boss is the welfare of police officers so that they would be dedicated to their duty, as against the present situation where policemen buy their boots and uniforms.

er for Information, Chike Ogeah in Asaba yesterday, Governor Uduaghan faulted his adversaries, wondering why he would divert N40 billion from the said bonds. “The most bizzare of the reports by one Fejiro Oliver of Secret Reporters claimed that “over N40 billion will be diverted to private pockets as farewell gifts for loyal aides, while the balance will be used to bribe officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and banks”, the statement read. While the Governor said there was no iota of truth in the allegation, he said there was even no such plan and no move has been initiated to that effect. He said in the morbid haste to portray his administration in poor light, his detractors displayed total ignorance of the workings of the capital market or genuinely lacked adequate knowledge to distinguish between an executed bond and a tranche that was not taken. “On December 8, 2011,

the SEC listed the Delta State N50 billion bond on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The bond had earlier been issued on September 29, 2011 after due diligence and strict regulatory requirements of the capital market and SEC had been complied with. Rated A+ by Agusto & Co and Global Rating Company Limited, the issue was the first tranche of N50 billion out of its N 100 billion Bond Issuance Programme and was fully subscribed. “The bond proceeds were irrevocably tied to the execution of projects critical to the actualisation of Dr. Uduaghan’s pledge to provide world class infrastructure in health, education and transport to the people of Delta State. The projects include the building of over 50 model schools across the state, the Maternal and Child Care Centre, Eku, 100-bed Mother and Child Healthcare Complex at the Warri Central Hospital as well as some roads and bridges.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

SAFETY

Adequate security sought for electoral personnel, ahead of polls

he Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has tasked security agencies on the safety of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members during the March 28 and April 11 general elections. He said the security agencies should provide adequate security for members of the corps members and other personnel that will be involved in the conduct of the elections. He gave the charge when the NYSC DirectorGeneral, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, paid a pre-election advocacy visit to his palace. The Sultan also called on members of the public, especially politicians, to ensure the safety of the corps members. Sultan Abubakar told the Director-General about a standing directive from the Sultanate Council to all District Heads in the state, asking them to take charge of the safety of corps members serving in their domains, and went on to advocate the replication of the same arrangement in other parts of the country.

Sultan tasks security agencies on safety of corps members He called on corps members not to be deterred by upheavals of the past, but to consider their engagement in the conduct of elections as a national duty of which they should be proud. The Sultan further urged them to go into the assignment with a high sense of patriotism and avoid identifying with any political party. Turning to politicians, he reminded them that winners of elections had

already been pre-destined by God and wondered why some of them viewed elections as a do-or-die affair. He said while they struggled for electoral success, they should also consider the well-being of the country after the elections. The Sultan used the occasion to also call for recognition and compensation to persons who suffered incapacitation in the course of serving

the nation. Earlier, General Olawumi had told the Sultan that the security of corps members was paramount to the body and appealed to the monarch to help in sensitising members of the public, especially politicians, to ensure the safety of the corps members before, during and after the elections. Olawumi said the corps members had been trained on their expected roles and had been sen-

JOS

he Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has been challenged to conduct free, fair and credible elections come March 28 and April 11 by providing Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to all eligible Ni-

gerians before the polls or resign his office. Chairman of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bauchi Local Government of Bauchi State, Mr. Mako Gwamis, made the call during a press briefing in Jos. He said INEC has not supplied PVCs to most Christiandominated areas within Bauchi metropolis. He lamented that INEC

Nigeria’s stability lies in Jonathan’s re-election, says envoy Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

igeria’s Ambassador to Argentina, Chive Kaave, yesterday stressed the need for Nigerian citizens to file up behind President Goodluck Jonathan in the rescheduled March 28 general elections. Kaave in an interview with journalists in Makurdi, said the stability of the country lies in the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. Kaave, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in

sitised on the need to be neutral, adding that the NYSC had internal mechanism for dealing with anyone of them who flouts the rules. The Director General appealed to members of the public to report acts of misconduct by corps members to the management instead of taking the law into their hands. He thanked the Sultan for his role in making corps members comfortable in the state.

L-R: Sokoto State Deputy Governorship candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu; Speaker, House of Representatives/the state’s APC gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and Director General of the state campaign organisation, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, at a sensitisation meeting with women and youth groups in Sokoto…at the weekend

Give us our PVCs or resign now, CAN tells Jega Musa Pam

News 49

NORTH

Benue State, said it would be highly unreasonable for the nation to produce four presidents within 16 years of democratic rule. He maintained that allowing the president a second term in office will further enhance growth and allow for the actualisation of the transformation agenda. He said: “Changing this administration now is tantamount to instability and it will be to the disadvantage of the nation to say that within 16 years of this political dispensation, Nigeria is producing four presidents."

has made things difficult to rural people in Bauchi State, where aged people are required to travel for 40 kilometres to search for their PVCs, adding that they will resist any attempt to be disenfranchised for lack of PVCs. According to him, “We have about 10, 000 people who took their time to stand under the sun and registered for the coming polls, but not up to 2,000

of them had their PVCs in some areas in Bauchi Local Government due to INEC’s deliberate act not to make PVCs available to their polling units for distribution. “There are reports that some village heads are in possession of the PVCs. We strongly ask that the PVCs be returned to the respected polling units and be distributed to registered voters immediately,

Group organises one-day workshop for voters Musa Pam JOS

group, under the umbrella of Plateau Initiatives for Development and Advancement of the Native, PIDAN, in collaboration with King David Generation Foundation, has organised a one-day sensitisation workshop on Voters Education and Strategies for Elections and Post-election Violence Risk Reduction for Leaders of various women and youth groups in the state held at Eliel Centre, Jos.

President of PIDAN, Dr. Aboi Madaki, speaking during the programme, said the aim of the workshop was to caution the various groups in the state on the need to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a free, fair and credible election, devoid of violence. He lamented the violence that took place during the 2011 presidential election and called on Nigerians not to play into the hands of politicians during the March 28 and April general elections.

we will not accept the disenfranchisement of even a single registered voter. “If INEC cannot correct the problems in Bauchi Local Government and any other place in Nigeria, Prof. Attahiru Jega should come up and tell the world that he has failed to conduct a free and fair election and should honourably resign for a credible person who will show no ethnic or religious difference in marshalling the affairs of INEC to take over.”

Saraki wants INEC's independence respected Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

he leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, has said that the sanctity of the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the independence of the electoral body must be respected by the political class. Saraki, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, told newsmen in Yashikira, Baruten Local Government of Kwara State that anything short of respect for the independence of the electoral body would put the conduct of credible elections in jeopardy. The former Governor of Kwara State, while responding to questions on the alleged plan to compel the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to proceed on end of tenure leave, said politicians as players in the electoral process must allow INEC as an umpire discharge its responsibility without interference, fear or favour. Meanwhile, during the campaign trip, incumbent state governor and APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has promised that if re-elected, his administration would upscale the provision of infrastructure and human capital development in all parts of the state. He also promised that all on-going projects in the area would be completed. Ahmed, who appreciated the massive turn-out at the campaign grounds, said his administration has, in the last four years, ensured rural development; promoted youth employment through various entrepreneurship development initiatives, as well as small and medium enterprises development financing.

CBN sets aside N220bn for MSME in Zamfara Idris Salisu GUSAU

he Project Leader and Chief Executive Officer, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF) in Zamfara State, Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, has said that the objective of the N220billion fund set aside by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to provide medium to long-term, low-interest funds to the MSME sub-sector of Ni-

gerian economy. Hajia Fatima made the disclosure after series of sensitisation and educative programmes for entrepreneurs in the state. She said the CBN has mapped-out a window in the guidelines for all states to access the funds. She explained that 60 per cent of the funds is targeted at women entrepreneurs, who are the engine room for speedy economic growth, wealth creation and national development, hence pegging the interest rate at two per cent.

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WORLD | News

Seven die, 23 injured in Lagos-Ibadan road accident Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

even passengers yesterday died while 23 others were injured in a multiple accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The accident, which occurred at Danco filling station area along the highway, involved four vehicles - a truck laden with container, two commercial buses and a Toyota Camry car. New Telegraph learnt that the accident claimed the lives of four males and three females. Source said the incident happened near the site of a construction company handling road project on the highway. When contacted,

the Ogun State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC),Adetunji Adegoke, confirmed the multiple accident. He, however, declined comment on the number of casualties or those injured. Adegoke stated that FRSC officials and the police raced to the accident scene to rescue the injured and clear the area for unhindered movement of vehicles. "It is true that a multiple accident involving four vehicles happened along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Both FRSC officials and policemen were there for rescue operation and those injured were taken to the hospital," he said. The FRSC Unit Commander in Sagamu,

Abdullahi MohammedLawal, told reporters that those injured were taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu and another private hospital in the town. Also speaking, the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) spokesman, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed that seven people died and 23 others were injured in the multiple accident. Akinbiyi stated that TRACE officials were present during the rescue operation. He gave the registration numbers of the vehicles involved in the crash to include KEY 857 DN (Toyota Camry); buses XB 367 LAF, XC 909 FFA and the truck AGL 632 XH.

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

530 years after death, British monarch honoured before reburial

ichard III was finally getting the ceremony and honor a king deserves, 530 years after his ignominious death in battle. Hundreds of people turned out in Leicestershire yesterday as a procession carrying the remains of the medieval king, whose bones were found under a parking lot, headed to a cathedral where the monarch will be properly reburied. Richard, the last Plantagenet king, was killed in battle against Henry Tudor in 1485 and buried hastily without a coffin in a long-demolished monastery. His bones weren't

found until 2012, when archaeologists excavated them from a Leicester parking lot. DNA tests, bone analysis and other scientific scrutiny established that the skeleton belonged to the king. Yesterday, a hearse carrying the monarch's remains, sealed inside an oak coffin, processed through Leicestershire's countryside to Bosworth, the battlefield where the monarch fell. Hundreds lined the route of the cortege, and re-enactors in costume fired cannons in a gun salute. Michael Ibsen, a descendant of the monarch who built the coffin that carried Richard's remains, was among academics and

others who placed white roses on the casket during a short ceremony earlier yesterday. The coffin will lie in Leicester Cathedral, where it will be lowered into a tomb Thursday. "His reburial at the end of the week will have all the dignity and solemnity that his original burial never had," said Phil Stone, chair of the Richard III Society. The monarch was portrayed as a hunchbacked villain in Shakespeare's play "Richard III," though some historians claim he was a relatively enlightened monarch whose name was besmirched by his opponents.

Nigeria joins transparency initiative Amadi Nnamdi Abuja

igeria has officially become a member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) as the country’s minister of National Planning Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, said that the move was laudable as it would boost the country’s image. Speaking on the development, the minister said "the nation was delighted to join the International Aid Transparency Initiative as part of steps towards achieving the Transformation Agenda of the present administration. We look forward to working together with other partners to bring greater transparency to development cooperation.” IATI, is a multi-stakeholder initiative that

seeks to increase the transparency of development cooperation to maximise impact on poverty. IATI has developed an open data standard – the IATI Standard– which enables a wide range of organisations, to publish information on their development cooperation in a common, open, electronic format. To date, over 300 organisations are linked to IATI. The minister said with this decision, Nigeria has taken its place among the 25 partner countries, leading the creation of a global standard for presenting data on development cooperation financing. Nigeria is the 11th African country to become a member of IATI. It joins Ghana, which holds responsibility for IATI partner country outreach, as well as regional neighbours Burki-

na Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. As a member nation, Nigeria would have the opportunity to contribute to the governance of IATI, as part of its Steering Committee, and to learn from the experience of other members in managing data related to development cooperation financing. Once published to the IATI Standard, development funding data can be used in various formats and combined with other information for multiple purposes. Governments can use the timely, comprehensive data to generate budgets and national plans, and citizens can track and monitor use of development resources against reported allocations.

Bishop admonishes Nigerians on peaceful elections Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Anglican Bishop of Kubwa Diocese, Abuja, Rt. Rev. Duke Akamisoko, yesterday tasked Nigerians on the need to be peaceful during and after the March 28 presidential election. The cleric, who stated this in Abuja, said the unity of the country should be the primary concern of every citizen

and not political or religion affiliation. Akamisoko, however, urged Christians to pray for Nigeria and its leaders. “We have been praying for our leaders and our country and we know that God has been hearing our prayers. As we go to the poll this weekend, we pray that God will go ahead of us. “We should all go about in a peaceful manner, no fighting. This is our coun-

try, election will come and go, but the unity of our country will remain even after the elections,” Bishop Akamisoko stated. The cleric further called on contestants to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship, as everybody cannot win at the same time. He also called on the staffers of the electoral body to discharge their duties with the fear of God devoid of fear or favour.

Michael Ibsen (L) a direct descendant of Richard 111, bows before the king's coffin during a ceremony at the University of Leicester, Central England yesterday.

South Sudan rebels free 250 child soldiers

South Sudanese rebel group has freed 250 child soldiers including a girl as young as nine, the UN children's agency said yesterday, but warned that thousands were still being forced to fight. The rebel Cobra Faction is also set to release another 400 child soldiers in the next two days under a deal with the government, out of total of 3,000 it holds, UNICEF said. However, the scourge of child recruitment is far from over in South Sudan, as some 12,000 youngsters are still fighting in the ranks of the country's

warring factions, the UN says. Civil war broke out in the world's youngest nation in December 2013, after President Salva Kiir accused rebel leader Riek Machar of attempting a coup. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since, and two million have been forced to flee their homes. Another four million people face starvation. The violence has put paid to a law that Kiir and Machar signed in 2008 banning the use of child soldiers and setting a minimum age of 18 for recruitment or conscription. Earlier this month, UNICEF accused both the government

and rebel groups of forcibly enrolling hundreds of children in their ranks in February alone. The government and the rebels have been accused of widespread atrocities and war crimes including gang rapes, massacres and attacks on aid organisations and peacekeepers. At a ceremony, Saturday in eastern Jonglei state, the released children's weapons and uniforms were exchanged for civilian clothes and they were taken to a centre to be given food, shelter and medical care. Among them were four girls, one as young as nine, UNICEF said.

Palestinians protest planned Jerusalem evictions

ozens of Palestinians and foreign supporters protested in east Jerusalem's walled Old City yesterday against the threatened eviction of a Palestinian family to make way for Jewish settlers. "No to the eviction of the Sub Laban family," read banners carried by demonstrators, referring to the eight occupants of

the house near the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a site holy to both Muslims and Jews. Rafat Sub Laban, who lives there with his parents, his sister and his brother's wife and children, said the families have rented their home since 1953 when the Old City was ruled by Jordan. Israeli authorities is-

sued an eviction order in September which is currently under appeal, but settlers backed by police tried to gain possession last week, he said. "Twenty police officers with settlers wanted to evict us," he said in a statement. Israel seized Arab east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

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All Africa Games

General elections hinder Nigeria’s preparations Ifeanyi Ibeh

ecretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Tunde Popoola, has blamed the upcoming general elections for Team Nigeria’s poor preparations for the All Africa Games, in September, in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville. In recent years, it has become customary for Nigeria to approach the African continent’s version of the Olympics Games without the best of preparations, often leading to the country’s athletes struggling to assert their superiority over those from other nations. It therefore comes as little surprise that the country has not been able to emerge overall winners of the Games since its victory ahead of Egypt at the 2003 Games in Abuja.

Popoola however feels there is a logical reason behind the country’s seemingly unimpressive outings at the last couple of Games as he believes Team Nigeria’s preparations, at least since the country’s return to civil rule in 1999, has been affected by the fact that the country’s general elections always take place in the same year as the All Africa Games. “For now preparations are going on. The various federations are going for one competition or the other to ensure their athletes are in top shape,” Popoola told New Telegraph at the weekend in Lagos. “But the challenge we are really having in this country is that, unfortunately, every All Africa Games year coincides with our general elections. And we will continue to have these challenges unless the schedule changes.

“Everybody knows that the budget is not yet out, and it is unfortunate that we have to rely on the national budget for sports to move on in this country. Some of us have been clamouring for a change but no Nigerian should excuse himself or herself from this blame because we have a lot of corporate bodies that are supposed to get involved but are shying away from partnering with sports.” He added: “Government cannot do it alone but they cannot afford not to because they have a responsibility.” Nigeria is one of the top nations in sports on the continent.

Injury stalls Ideye’s Eagles return

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sport

Ifeanyi Ibeh

rown Ideye’s return to international football is on hold due to a ‘minor injury’ that has forced him out of the Nigeria squad. Ideye has not played for the Super Eagles since November 2013, but was named in a 28-man squad for Nigeria’s fixtures against Uganda and South Africa next week. The 26-year-old missed West Brom-

Sport Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

Ideye

wich Albion’s 3-0 loss at Manchester City and he has now been forced to withdraw from the squad, according to Super Eagles officials. “A minor injury has forced Brown Ideye to pull out of the Super Eagles friendlies against Uganda and South Africa,” national team spokesman Toyin Ibitoye told BBC Sport. “It’s only a minor setback for him. We all know it would have been a good return to the international fold after a long absence. “But his health is more important. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see Ideye when the Nations Cup qualifiers start in June.” Ideye’s Baggies strike partner Saido Berahino has also withdrawn from international duty with England’s under-21s because of a foot injury.

Okagbare

Sport

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Uganda name 18 players for Nigeria friendly Emmanuel Tobi

ganda’s head coach, Milutin Sredojevic, has named the final 18 players who will play against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Wednesday’s international friendly match at Akwa Ibom International Stadium. Sredojevic released the final list of players after the

Sunday last training session held at the KCCA Stadium, Lugogo in Kampala. South African based striker, Geofrey Massa, plying his trade with University of Pretoria F.C trained with the six home based players on the team at Lugogo on Sunday morning. Team List Goal Keepers: Denis Onyango and Isma Rashid Wa-

tenga Defenders: Isaac Isinde, Richard Juuko Kassaga, Murushid Jjuko, Shafiki Bakaki ,Alex Kakuba, Godfrey Walusimbi, Denis Iguma, Joseph Nsubuga Midfielders: Miya Faruku, Khalid Aucho, William Luwagga Kizito, Kizito, Kezironi, Brian Majwega Strikers: Geoffrey Massa, Robert Sentongo, Brian Umony

Man Utd, Everton, others battle for Awoniyi

nglish clubs, Manchester United and Everton have expressed their desire to sign Flying Eagles striker who had a superlative performance at the African Youth Championship in Senegal. Also, Bordeaux of France, Anderlecht of Belgium and Panathinaikos of Greece are among the teams that scouted the 17-year-old in Senegal. Representatives of Manchester United and Everton have made enquiries about the possibility of signing the United Academy starlet ahead of this summer’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

However, both teams are aware that Awoniyi’s preliminary contract with Kalmar is littered with controversy, and will only offer the teenager a contract in the event that his move to Sweden does not come to pass. Kalmar chiefs were in Senegal, and their main objective was to recommend the player to several European teams and agents hoping to find the next big African star. Kalmar are prepared to auction the Flying Eagles striker off to the highest bidder in order to earn a huge profit on their 50,000 Euros initial investment.

Tokelo Rantie of South Africa in action against Kenneth Omeruo

NOC names Igali Technical Commission Chairman

T Awoniyi

Ladoja vows to revive Shooting Stars

ormer governor of Oyo State and Accord Party gubernatorial candidate in the April 11 elections, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has promised to pay adequate attention to the financial and welfare needs of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan if he is elected into office. He made the promise in Ibadan in a statement by the Director-General of his campaign, Deolu Adeleke, while reacting to the club’s woeful start in the on-going Premier League. “Reports reaching me indicate that the govern-

ment has not paid the salaries of 3SC players and workers for December 2014, January and February 2015. “Neither has the Ajimobi-led government allocated money for players’ recruitment for the new season. And we all expect the team to do well. “How can the players play on empty stomach? Neglecting this crucial arm that gives joy to thousands of people is wicked,” the statement said. Senator Ladoja recalled that during his tenure between 2003 and 2007, his administration

allocated generous funds to the team such that for a long time, the team led the premiership log and was going to win the title in 2005 if not for the political crisis that engulfed the state. “The glory days of Shooting Stars are around the corner. My administration will revamp and revive the team. It is the pride of, not only Ibadan and Oyo State, but of the Yoruba nation,” the statement added. 3SC lost 2-1 to Heartland at home and lost 2-0 away to Wikki Tourists of Bauchi.

L-R: Brand Manager, Seven-up Bottling Company Limited, Segun Ogunleye; Director, Pepsi Football Academy, Kashimawo Laloko and Head of Marketing, Seven-up Bottling Company Limited, Norden Thurston at the birthday celebration of coach Laloko in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday.

he Nigeria Olympic Committee has appointed President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali, as Chairman of Technical and Development Commission as Team Nigeria looks set to better its third place finishing in the last All Africa Games in Maputo. NOC President, Habu Gumel, announced the appointment with the tacit approval of the Board and Execuive committee members of the NOC during their meeting at the boardroom of the NOC, National Stadium, Lagos. “He’s a young man of many parts. He is highly intelligent and a go-getter. You can see the support from his federation colleagues was overwhelming. We want him to use it to the good of Team Nigeria,” Gumel said.

Charles Ogundiya

former member of the League Management Company, Mike Enahoro, has called on the government to involve communities in activities to develop sports in Nigeria. Speaking with New Telegraph, Enahoro said isolating sports from the communities was one of the problems facing development of sports in Nigeria. “We must involve the various communities if we truly want to develop sports in Nigeria,” he said. “We must go back to after school progammes whereby the local community will be involved.” He said sports should be taken away from the government while also advising that sports should be developed like the entertainment industry.

Igali while thanking the NOC board and executive members said, “I’m surprised. I thank all of them and promise that Team Nigeria will benefit from this appointment.” He also promised that Nigeria will do better than it did at the last All Africa Games. Other Commissions announced include Marketing Commission with Fatai Williams as Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Project Development Committee (Solomon Ogba as Chairman), Athlete Commission (Enefiok Udo-Obong), Sports For All Commission (Henry Amike), Women And Sports Commission with Mary Onyali as Chairperson. The commissions and Committees would be inaugurated after the general elections.

Enahoro tasks government on community sports development The former Nigeria footballer said: “We need to take the government out of event sponsorship, let the private sectors get involved and make money from it. “When you allow nongovernmental funding for sports, it will be easier for private sector to see a plus and minus, profit and loss environment. “Sport is a money making activity for a wise organisation, because in Nigeria, we are gifted with human capacity in all sports. “If we can link sports with entertainment and the community, sports will surely grow in Nigeria. We should stop isolating and disconnecting sports from the community.”

He further stated that a frame work for sports that would link the communities and sports together should be designed.

Enahoro

International Sport 53

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

RESULTS PREMIER LEAGUE Hull City 2 - 3 Chelsea QPR 1 - 2 Everton Liverpool 1 – 2 Man Utd Man City 3 – 0 WBA Aston Villa 0 – 1 Swansea City Newcastle 1 – 2 Arsenal S’hampton 2 – 0 Burnley Stoke 1 – 2 C’ Palace Tottenham 4 – 3 Leicester West Ham 1 – 0 Sunderland SERIE A Juventus 1 – 0 Genoa Chievo 1 – 0 Palermo AC Milan 3 – 1 Cagliari

Mata lifts Man Utd as Gerrard sees red J uan Mata scored a wonderful double as Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard saw red for a crazy challenge just seconds after coming onto the pitch. Manchester United made a fantastic start to the match and controlled possession, preventing Liverpool’s forward line from creating any notable opportunities. And the Red Devils got the scoring underway after just 13 minutes as a re-

surgent Mata latched onto Ander Herrera’s wonderful through ball. Despite raising their game after the goal, Liverpool were unable to find a breakthrough against the well-organised visitors and were trailing after a breathless first-half. Gerrard replaced Adam Lallana for his final ever appearance in a Liverpool match against Manchester United as the teams came

Remy rescues Chelsea after Hull City scare

helsea survived a major scare to secure a 3-2 win at Hull City and restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea, who have a game in hand on secondplace Manchester City, was on course for a routine victory when Eden Hazard crashed home an opener inside two minutes and Diego Costa doubled their advantage with another strike on 10 minutes. Ahmed Elmohamady was able to reduce the deficit in the 27 minutes. Hull, who went into the game just three points clear of the relegation zone, found an equaliser

Remy

moments later when Chelsea goal keeper, Thibaut Courtois’ loose touch after a poor back pass set up Hernandez for the simplest of finishes. Chelsea however restored their advantage on 77 minutes when Remy’s shot somehow found its way past Allan McGregor.

German Grand Prix cut from Formula 1 schedule

he German Grand Prix has been cut from the Formula 1 calendar for 2015, leaving just 19 races on the schedule. Hockenheim hosted the event in 2014, won by Nico Rosberg, but is supposed to alternate with the Nurburgring. However, the Nurburgring has changed own-

ership and baulked at paying the hosting fees for the July 19, race. Hockenheim, which has a contract for 2016, was asked to step in but track officials failed to agree terms with F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone. The last time Germany was absent from the F1 calendar was in 1960.

back out after the break. And his swansong turned into a nightmare just 42 seconds later as he smashed through Mata before stamping on Herrera’s leg with a sickening follow-through. Referee Martin Atkinson dismissed him immediately. Mata got his second in the 59th minute, the 28-year-old acrobatically dispatched a bicycle kick into the corner of Simon Mignolet’s net after Angel Di Maria clipped

Empoli 3 – 1 Sassuolo LA LIGA Elche 0 – 4 Valencia Atletico 2 – 0 Getafe Vallecano 1 – 0 Malaga Levante 0 – 1 Celta Vigo Bilbao 2 – 1 Almeria

in a beautiful pass. Daniel Sturridge however clawed one back for Liverpool in the 69th minute before Wayne Rooney missed the opportunity to heap further misery on his hometown club as he saw a last minute penalty saved by Mignolet. The 2-1 defeat meant Liverpool suffered a heavy blow in their push for a top four place as United cemented their position by going five points clear of their Anfield rivals.

Granada 0 – 0 Eibar Deportivo 0 – 0 Espanyol BUNDESLIGA Mainz 1 – 1 Wolfsburg Hamburger 0 – 1 Hertha Cologne 1 – 1 Bremen Freiburg 2 – 0 Augsburg Hannover 2 – 3 Dortmund Paderborn 0 – 0 Hoffenheim Stuttgart 3 – 1 Frankfurt

Messi better than Ronaldo, says Pele

razil legend Pele says Lionel Messi has outshone Cristiano Ronaldo as “best in the world” over the past decade. Argentina and Barcelona star Messi, 27, edges Real Madrid and Portugal’s Ronaldo, 30, 4-3 in Ballon d’Or wins. “At the moment people always try to compare Ronaldo with Messi [but] it’s a different style,” the three-time World Cup

winner told the BBC’s Sportsweek. The 74-year-old added: “They are two great players, but in the past 10 years the best in the world was Messi.” In addition to their individual World Player of the Year honours, Real’s Ronaldo has three Premier League titles from his time with Manchester United, and one La Liga title. He has won the Champions League with both clubs.

Messi has won La Liga six times and the Champions League three times with Barcelona. Pele continued: “Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, George Best - they were the same level as Messi. We had in Brazil Zico, Rivaldo.” Pele previously told ESPN in January 2014 he thought Ronaldo had surpassed Messi, troubled with injury at the time, in recent seasons.

Mo Farah breaks European half-marathon record

o Farah became the first British athlete to run the half-marathon in under an hour with an impressive win in the Lisbon half-marathon on Sunday. Farah crossed the line in a new European record time of 59 minutes 32 seconds, sprinting clear of Kenyan rival and runner-up Micah Kogo and taking 20 seconds off the course record set by Spain’s Fabian Roncero 14 years ago. Farah, who celebrates his 32nd birthday on Monday, has now set a world record and a European record in his two races so far this year. “It feels amazing, I got massive support from the crowd,” Farah told www.iaaf.org. Farah has now won four of the six half marathons he has raced, coming second in the other two.

Mo Farah

Schalke 04 0 – 1 Leverkusen LIGUE 1 Reims 0 – 2 Monaco Etienne 2 – 0 Lille PSG 3 – 1 Lorient Lyon 1 – 2 Nice Bastia 0 – 0 Guingamp Caen 0 – 0 Metz

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE Team

1 Chelsea

2 Man City

3 Arsenal

4 Man Utd

5 Liverpool

6 S’hampton

7 Tottenham

8 Swansea

-4

9 West Ham

10 Stoke City

-3

11 C’Palace

-5

12 Newcastle

-15

13 Everton

-4

14 WBA

-12

15 Hull City

-12

16 Aston Villa

-20

17 Sunderland 30

-21

18 Burnley

-23

19 QPR

-22

20 Leicester

-21

Sport

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Siasia upbeat as U-23 Eagles, Mali cage Falcons in Bamako T Zambia draw Emmanuel Tobi

-23 Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has expressed optimism after his team drew 0-0 against Zambia in an All Africa Games qualifier at the Abuja National Stadium on Sunday. The Nigerians started on the front foot and could have easily been three goals up inside the opening 30 minutes. Warri Wolves striker, Oghenekaro Etebo was the biggest culprit as he missed three glorious chances when faced with the Zambian goalkeeper and wasted two other chances in the second half of the game.

“You all saw what (Etebo) was trying to do. He tried to go for glory rather than pass to a teammate. “All the same, if they (Zambia) could come here and get a draw, we could go there and beat them 2-0. We are not going to relent; we will give our best in the second leg. We did very well. We kept possession and created chances in the first half,” he enthused at the post-match press conference. Siasia added that, “The fact that we did not score does not mean this is a bad team. We only have to improve in our finishing.” The U-23 Eagles will travel to Zambia for the second leg in two weeks.

he Super Falcons were forced to a 1-1 draw by their Malian counterparts in a final round, first leg qualifying match for the Women’s Football Tournament of the 11th AllAfrica Games, played in Bamako on Saturday. Delectable midfielder Ngozi Okobi put the African champions ahead and an avalanche was expected, but it was not to be. Instead, a mistake by goalkeeper Ibubeleye Whyte allowed the Malians an equalizer at the Stade Modibbo Keita. Nigeria’s delegation is expected back in the country on Monday morning. The Nigerians will have to wait till a fort-

Siasia

night for the return leg in Nigeria and hope to turn the table on the Malians. The return leg will take place at the National Stadium, Abuja on Sunday, April 5. In the other game of the afternoon, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana beat Botswana 1-0.

Falcons coach, Edwin Okon

South Africa ready for Nigeria –Hlatshwayo

Hlatshwayo

outh African defender Thulani Hlatshwayo has expressed confidence that the Bafana Bafana will give Nigeria a good fight when both teams clash Stadium in a friendly international on March at the Mbombela Stadium in South Africa. The Bidvest Wits defender missed the final Group A 2015 Afcon qualifier against Nigeria in Uyo through suspension in November, and

is keen to make up for lost time. “First of all I am very happy that I have been given a chance again to represent my country, it’s always an honour. The Nigeria clash is going to be very interesting. You must remember we were the ones who denied them a chance to defend their Afcon title so they will be coming here with guns blazing and wanting to prove a point. But the

good thing is that lately we enjoy playing against them, they are very arrogant and that is only because they are confident,” Hlatshwayo told the safa website. Bafana take on the Nigerians, but four days later they travel to Mbabane- the Swaziland capital - to take on the senior national team in another friendly international. According to Hlatshwayo, that’s an encounter they shouldn’t take lightly.

NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE round up

Kano Pillars blame weather for loss Stories by Charles Ogundiya

igeria representative on the continent in the CAF Champions League, Kano Pillars, blamed the cold weather and other antics experienced in Morocco for their scandalous 4-0 loss to Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco. Mouhcine Lajour’s first half hattrick and Zaid Krouch late strike helped Moghreb Tetouan to a 4-0 win over the Nigeria Professional Football League champion in the first leg of their first-round CAF Champions League tie on Saturday. A member of the team, Mike

Idoko, on a radio programme monitored in Lagos on Sunday, cited weather as one the big factors. “The match was played under an extreme cold condition. Even on the pitch, fans of the home team were using touch light on Pillars goal keeper Theophilus Afelokhai each time there was a freekick or corner kick against the visitors,” Idoko said. He however promised that the team would be coming back home to strategise on how to turn the tide in the second leg. The second leg will be played at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Nigeria on April 4.

Heartland whitewash Nasarawa 5-2

t was seven goals thriller in Owerri on Saturday as Heartland whitewash Nasarawa United 5-2 to maintain their impressive start to the new season. Two goals from Bright Ejike and further goals from Ebere Odiche, Fred Okwara and Joseph Iniobong gave the Owerri said the biggest victory in the three week old league season. Mannir Ubale and Mustapha Musa got the goals for the visitor. Heartland defeated Shooting

Stars of Ibadan 2-1 away from home in their first league game of the season. In some of the other matches played at the weekend, FC Taraba’s 100 percent start to the season ended with a home draw against Lobi Stars, while Kwara United snatched a point away to Wikki Tourist in a game that ended 1-1 on Saturday. Giwa FC defeated Sunshine Stars 1-0 in Jos, while in Kaduna, El-Kanemi beats Abia Warriors 3-1.

Mfom Udoh (in Blue) in action for Enyimba against Akwa United

Mfon returns with a bang RESULTS Enyimba 1-0 Bayelsa United FC Taraba 0-0 Lobi Stars Giwa FC 1-0 Sunshine Stars El-Kanemi 3-1 Abia Warriors Heartland 5-2 Nasarawa United Gabros 1-0 Rangers Sharks 1-0 Akwa United Wikki Tourists 1-1 Kwara United

igeria Professional Football League record top scorer, Mfon Udoh, returned to scoring way with his Enyimba side, breaking his duck for the new season in a 1-0 victory over Bayelsa United on Sunday. Udoh broke the deadlock in the 50th minute of the game with a tap in from close range following a scramble from Daniel Etor’s corner. Speaking after the game, the former Akwa

United striker said he was happy getting his first goal of the season. “It is a thing of joy scoring in front of your fans,” Udoh said. “I am happy to get my first goal today and hopefully more will come in subsequent games.” Udoh became the record goal scorer in the NPFL history after scoring 23 goals last season, he was expected to leave the country but missed out during the January transfer window.

Sport 55

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

here is a sad, dilapidated air about the yellow clapboard building that sits above the busy intersection of Conroy and Apopka Vineland in the upmarket suburb of Windermere in Orlando, Florida. There are a few chairs on a terrace that has an uninterrupted view of the traffic and a fountain still shoots water into the air from the lake below. But there are bits of flotsam floating in the lake now and pieces of rubble rest on the shore. The beautiful people used to come here but not anymore. This was the Perkins restaurant where Tiger Woods would make eyes at a waitress called Mindy Lawton as his wife, Elin, ate breakfast and read the newspaper. It was when the National Enquirer became aware of their affair and started to shadow their trysts that Woods’s world began to fall apart. Across the parking lot, the CVS pharmacy outside which Woods used to wait in his Cadillac Escalade to pick Lawton up when she got off work is still there but the Perkins closed a few years ago despite its fleeting brush with notoriety. A couple of sports bars used the space for a while but they are all gone. Now, workmen are doing the place up again and in a few weeks it will reopen as a restaurant called the Fresh Made Kitchen. Whether Woods would smile at the double entendre is something we will never know. Other landmarks and symbols that Woods once set his life by are disappearing around him, too. EA Sports revealed last week that Woods, who has graced the cover of their golf game for the last 15 years, is being ousted by current world No 1, Rory McIlroy. The Tiger Woods PGA Tour computer game is now the Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Woods, as they say in Toy Story, has been replaced. They have stuck him on a high shelf while the kids flock around a new, cleaner, trendier superhero. Rankings The golf world rankings, which he sat atop for so long, so high above the rest that they were specks in the distance, showed this week that he had fallen to 87th. He may be outside the top 100 by the time the US Masters comes around in less than three weeks. It is now nearly seven years since Woods won the last of his 14 majors, the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. A couple of months ago, he shot an 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on his way to missing the cut, his worst score as a professional. It has got to the point where Woods does not trust his game or his body and

Tiger in retreat as Rory roars into centre stage Tiger Woods grew golf’s popularity but is now in decline. The American has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and now ranked at No 87 in the world. Woods shot 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, his worst score and the 39-year-old has been passed by a new generation led by Rory McIlroy. Tiger Woods is a man in decline. this weekend, as he continued his latest break from tournament play in a desperate bid to restore his short game to something approaching respectability in time for the Masters, growing doubts about his future cast a pall over the sport. Three miles from the junction of Conroy and Apopka Vineland, the best golfers in the world gathered this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill as they tried to come to terms with the fact that Woods’ career appears to be drawing to a stuttering close. His fall is felt particularly keenly here. This was where he lived and this was where he ruled. He won eight times at Bay Hill in a span of 14 years, equalling a record set by Sam Snead for the most wins at a single tournament. Bay Hill was his very own magic kingdom, his tune-up for the Masters. McIlroy McIlroy has taken centre stage at Bay Hill this week, a venue where Woods won eight times With Woods, that means stuff like wearing a skull mask that made him look like an extra from Scream on a recent trip to watch his girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, at a ski event in Italy. Vonn, by the way, equalled Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 19 World Cup titles when she won a SuperG race in France on Thursday. Woods is not even the most successful sports star in his own household any more. The interest in Woods does not centre on sport now. In the freak show phase, it revolves around stuff like pictures of him missing a front tooth. His explanation that he had been hit by a TV camera was not widely believed. His management recently had to deny claims that Woods does not even have the rights to his own name af-

Woods

ter speculation that it had been bought by Nike. They also shot down claims made by a former PGA Tour player, Dan Olsen, that Woods’ current break from the sport is actually a one-month ban. Olsen later retracted his remarks. What is obvious, though, is that golf is bracing itself for Woods’ exit. The sport is nervous about losing him and it should be. ‘I don’t know what he’s going to be like when he comes back,’ said Ian Poulter, ‘but I’d love to think he’ll be on good form. Every player wants him at his best so you can measure yourself against him.’ If Palmer built golf into a modern spectator sport, Woods took it to a new level of popularity. He broadened its appeal, heightened its value to sponsors and television companies and emerged as the bestknown sportsman in the world. He made a lot of his fellow players very, very rich as total prize money on the PGA Tour quadrupled to more than £200million. Television Audience The three highest television audiences for the Masters have involved Woods storylines (wins in 1997 and 2001 and his return in 2010, a few months after the scandal about his personal life had broken). In years he was not in contention, the figures plummeted. In the United States, Woods’ decline appears to have prompted a decline in public participation in golf. Courses are being closed at a rate that suggested there will be 10 per cent fewer each year for the next five years. The number of rounds played by hardcore golfers is dwindling, too. ‘It’s going to happen,’ said Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour commissioner of Woods’ withdrawal from golf. ‘So the more relevant question is, “How bad is it when it happens?” We need other stars to develop. They are going to develop more without Tiger dominating television coverage and media coverage. There’s no question in my mind. ‘The thing about Tiger is that he wasn’t just a great player. He was a unique individual from a lot of different perspectives. He captivated people and hopefully you will see that again. ‘The PGA Tour has grown in periods of parity and it’s grown in periods where we’ve had a dominant player.

Mcllroy

Fans seem to like both. They are just different. And our job is to take whatever we have to deal with and make it work. ‘And thus far, if you go back and look at the times Tiger was out in the past and you look at television ratings and you look at sponsorship and the rest, there isn’t anything there that would tell you that we should be wringing our hands.’ Note how Finchem talked about Woods mainly in the past tense. Woods and golf are parting. He is 39. His body and his mind are ailing. A new breed, headed by McIlroy and America’s great new hope, Jordan Spieth, have caught him and passed him and it is hard to see a way that dynamic can ever be reversed now. Woods has even started to plan for a future outside the game. Later this spring, he will open a restaurant in his new home town of Jupiter, Florida, the place he escaped to when it all turned toxic in Orlando and the paint on the white picket fence began to peel. It will be a place, Woods said of his restaurant, where ‘people can meet friends, watch sports on TV and enjoy a great meal’. They haven’t come up with a name for it yet. Fresh Maid Kitchen? Probably not.

On Marble

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. – Napoleon Hill

World Record

Sanctity of Truth

Largest snake ever, Medusa, a reticulated python, clocked in at 7.67 meters (25 feet, 2 inches) long in its official world record measurement, on October 12, 2011.

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015

N150

March 28: Open letter to global community GUEST COLUMNIST Nick Ezeh

his piece is specifically directed to the international community, especially the Barack Obama-led American government, which has exhibited a stark misunderstanding of the unique nature and challenges of the electoral process in Nigeria. I will address this issue from both the historical and contemporary perspectives, but with a special emphasis on the 2015 elections. The purpose is to flag some of what is right or wrong with the increased level of foreign interest in the 2015 elections. Below is the rest of my thesis: One: It is noted that, like in previous elections, the pressure on INEC and Prof. Attahiru Jega is just too much. But unlike 2007 for instance, Jega appears to have unwittingly stoked much of the pressures now arrayed against him. I say this because he freely allowed elements of foreign inter-meddlers who are passing off as either monitors, observers or advisers to gain too much access to the point that they now appear to be dictating policies on our elections. By their words and actions, Jega and these foreigners are demonizing anybody or political party that dares venture a contrary opinion. The ruling party, the military, the NSA, the IGP, the SSS, and even the President are worst-hit, as they have been cast as villains and enemies to 'credible' elections. To Jega and these few foreign elements, credible elections means that everything they say, however so unjust, must be accepted by all and sundry. That's very troubling, and it portends imminent danger to the elections, and to Nigeria's wellbeing. Two: Take the PVC for instance, and you get the the impression created by Jega and sold to these foreigners that the PVC can never go wrong. But it did and still does, in more ways than one. Up to this day, they are still in denial over the almost 20 million Nigerians who would have been disenfranchised had the elections held from February 14. It's telling enough that, foreigners from advanced democracies, are not troubled by the skewed 'victories' that would have emerged from such patent anomaly. It appears that they have come to believe that anything goes, provided it sits well with the opposition, not minding the disadvantaged others. The deliberately or negligently disenfranchised Nigerian voters do not matter. Well-meaning Nigerians and foreign friends of Nigeria should please ponder this, and ensure that we don't go into March 28 without ensuring electoral justice for all - the voter and all the parties fielding candidates. Three: As for their opposition to the deployment of security forces on Election Day, Jega seems to have forgotten that organizing elections in the unique setting of Nigeria goes beyond INEC alone. Other pertinent national institu-

Jonathan

Jega

Nigerians on queue to vote during the 2011 elections

tions like the police, the SSS, the military, and immigration, all have disparate roles to play. The police maintains civil order; the SSS acts as sleuths that detect and frustrate those operating covertly to rig or cause trouble. The military ensures that we won't

Finally and most importantly, these foreigners, especially the Americans need to rethink this strange notion that elections in emerging nations are credible only when the opposition wins

have bloodshed as we did in 2011, and secures the areas, like Northeast, which still have pockets of terrorists intent on scuttling the elections in those locales. And the Immigration secures our borders to keep away illegal aliens from coming to vote and thereby diluting the results of the elections. It is very disturbing that Jega and these foreigners see it otherwise. Is it a coincidence that the opposition also sees it the same way? Four: Foreign funding of our elections has become too pervasive, and to the point of becoming a major factor in foreigners brazenly dictating our electoral policies. Unlike before, Jega appears to have stoked an unprecedented regime of INEC taking too much foreign funds. This is dangerous. Nigeria has come full circle to the point that we don’t have any business with asking foreign nations to help fund our elections. If foreigners are not allowed to fund our political parties, why would we accept their strings-laden freebies to fund our electoral body? This is a national

Obama

security matter which came to the fore when these foreigners demanded access to the biometrics of Nigeria’s registered voters in 2007. It was reported then that they were refused. It is not being reported now that they have not succeeded. Is Nigeria allowed free reign to fund American elections; and then run wild in America dictating to its umpire and insulting its leaders? Five: Jega has missed two opportunities, in 2011 and 2015, to push for inclusion of the Diaspora vote. The fine idea of polling the diaspora vote developed out of the ‘Absentee Ballot’ system used in America, whereby Americans living overseas can cast their ballots at any of the American diplomatic missions closest to them. It doesn't make sense and it is not fair that the Diaspora which remits quantum billions in forex that helps stabilize Nigerian economy are, to this day, still denied the right to vote. In a close elections, such as we now might have in 2015, the Diaspora may be all it takes to determine who truly won the elections. Therefore, it is duplicitous that foreigners and a Jega who together tout the beauty of credible elections would ignore this fundamental angle to making elections much more credible. Finally and most importantly, these foreigners, especially the Americans need to rethink this strange notion that elections in emerging nations are credible only when the opposition wins. That's not true at all, as we can see from the recent reelection of Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu. In that very election, these foreign interests gave Netanyahu no chance but the Israeli voter voted otherwise, not before the foreign intermeddling has stoked an atmosphere of tension in Israel. Here in Nigeria, the same atmosphere now exists to the point of this same people almost calling the election for the main opposition. This is reckless, and unfair to the Nigerian voter, as well as the other political parties that have been marginalized and treated like token players in the electoral process. •Prof Ezeh (profnicezeh@yahoo.com) writes from Abuja.

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