Thursday, march 26, 2015 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

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Vol. 2 No. 400

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Court fails to stop Buhari }6

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Old Bende endorses Kalu }14

Nigeria closes borders for elections

lINEC won't drop card reader, says Jega Geoffrey Ekenna and Johnchuks Onuanyim

he Federal Government yesterday announced the closure of the country's land and

sea borders for Saturday's presidential and National Assembly elections. Permanent Secretary,

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Ministry of Interior, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, in a statement in Abuja, said the borders would be

closed from yesterday's midnight to Saturday's midnight. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

2 days to go... Nigeria Nigeria votes votes

2015

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News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSday, March 26, 2015

Babangida to Jonathan’s supporters: Stop attack on Obasanjo, Buhari, Danjuma, others Wale Elegbede

ormer military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday warned supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan against attacking past military leaders. Babangida, speaking against the backdrop of a documentary that denigrated past military heads of state, in a statement by his media office, condemned attempts to malign the integrity and honour of the military and its past leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; All Progressives Congress (APC)

presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma. He described promoters of such hate documentary as intellectually delinquent. According to him, it is gross political immaturity for anyone to campaign for their candidates at the expense of the reputation, contributions and loyalty of former presidents. He said: “In clear attempts to whip up support for President Goodluck Jonathan, certain persons, groups and individuals have embarked on several campaigns of calumny against former

military heads of state and presidents who have had the opportunity to govern this country. “Of particular reference is a one-hour documentary aired on Silverbird Television on Tuesday night; 24th March, 2015 that deliberately impugned the integrity of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, my humble self, Ibrahim Babangida; the late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and T.Y Danjuma; all of whom have had the privilege of presiding over the affairs of this great country at various levels. It is either that those promoting the hate documentary are in-

tellectually delinquent or they suffer memory loss, or a combination of both. "Nobody is stopping anyone from campaigning for their preferred candidates contesting various positions in the elections, but to do that at the expense of the reputation, contributions, patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice of former presidents to the Nigerian state is, to say the least, immature.” He said the former military leaders; some of who were involved in the formation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not deserve such treatment. “For record purposes, and without sounding

immodest, the idea of a PDP that has now become the “largest party in Africa” started in my home, here in Minna. With the support of my fellow colleagues, we prepared the way for this democratic process that has now led us to where we are presently. We built the democratic infrastructure and architecture. “Those who are parading themselves as democrats today, all participated in military governments. As a deliberate principle of remaining unsung, or blowing my own trumpet, I have elected over the years to maintain dignified silence on so many issues concerning Nigeria

L-R: National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the party's vice-presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari; former National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu and incumbent Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at Tinubu’s Seventh Annual Colloquium in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

while I cultivate my access to each sitting president to pass across my advice in whatever form. “It is on record and this is incontrovertible that the government I ran paraded some of the best brains this country can be proud of. I still remain eternally grateful to those wonderful brains who participated in our government to fashion a new roadmap for reengineering the country. Some of our policies have remained unsurpassed till date and most of what the country enjoys today was a creation of the military. “From primary healthcare to good roads, DFRRI, Better Life for Rural Women, housing, river basin authorities, MAMSER, new airports, agricultural development and other economic infrastructure, to mention but a few, were platforms where our interventions were felt. We achieved that much with very slim resources. If we had the several billions of dollars that are flying around today, we would have turned Nigeria to the Dubai of Africa. “It is therefore very curious that promoters of President Goodluck Jonathan’s aspiration would attempt to demonize and stigmatize former military leaders and cast aspersions on them in order to malign their reputation. This is very unfair. "As disciplined military officers, we are patriotic Nigerians and must be treated with utmost respect and decorum,” Babangida added.

INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials INEC won't drop card reader, says Jega Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced distribution of sensitive materials for the presidential and National Assembly elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega at the unveiling of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja yesterday, also disclosed that the commission would push for electronic transmission of results in the 2019 general elections. He said to avoid a repeat of the 2011 elections where results declared at Collation Centre were at variance with those at Polling Units, party agents can accompany INEC officials from the Polling Unit to Collation Centre. "For long, all our non-

sensitive electoral materials had been taken to the local government offices. Commencing from today (Wednesday), the sensitive materials will be retrieved from the vault of the Central Bank, taken to our state offices, accompanied by agents of political parties. And then from later this evening to tomorrow (Thursday) morning, this will be distributed to the various local governments in the states and they will also be accompanied from the state to the local governments by party agents. "And then at the state level, we expect that from tomorrow (Thursday) evening until around Friday afternoon, all the materials taken to the local governments will also be distributed to the ward levels. "At each ward level, we have established what we call Registration Area Centre and we have equipped it

reasonably to ensure that both our staff and security agencies spend the few hours of the night there in readiness to deploy very early in the morning to the various Polling Units in each of those wards," Jega disclosed. While stating that the same method used in 2011 will be adopted in announcing the results this year, Jega disclosed that electronic transmission of results is possible in the 2019 polls but however assured that INEC would improve the process of collation of result in this year's election. According to him, politicians are opposing the use of card readers because it checkmates alteration of accreditation figures. The Inspector General of Police, Sulaiman Abba, who was also present at the occasion, said the force is fully prepared for the polls.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, also confirmed the closure to New Telegraph in a telephone interview. Magaji, in the statement, said the borders would be closed “to allow for the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming national elections.” He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service has been directed to ensure that non-Nigerians do not participate in the elections. Also yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, restated the commitment of the commission to use the card reader machine for the general elections. Jega, while featuring on a programme, Focus Nigeria, on African Independent Television (AIT),

dismissed opposition to the use of the machine for the general elections. According to him, INEC has also acquired software to make it easy for voters to identify their polling booths, either online or by texting a short message service (SMS) to a dedicated number. Jega also ruled out the use of Temporary Voters' Card (TVCs) for the elections, adding that the commission adopted Permanent Voters' Card (PVCs) to prevent unregistered voters from participating in the election. Reacting to the opposition to the card reader by some political parties, Jega said that what was a problem now with the card reader was just the fingerprint identification, where 40 per cent of fingers have failed to register. But he said since there

was a 60 per cent success, it was illogical to oppose the use of the machine for the elections. He stated that all other functions expected of the machine had recorded a 100 per cent success. Jega said: “It baffles some of us why people are stiffly opposed to the card reader. We suspect that it is because the information stored on the card reader will help us if there is a contestation on accreditation figures being altered. We will be able to use that information to investigate and to establish the number of people who have been accredited in that polling unit. “Maybe, many people wouldn’t want that to happen because that has been one area of manipulations in the past elections. So, we keep asking ourselves that CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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THURSday, March 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Poll: Court fails to disqualify Buhari

lFixes hearing of eligibility suit for April 22 Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday cleared the coast for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari, to participate in Saturday's presidential poll. The court, in a ruling in a suit seeking to disqualify Buhari from contesting the election, adjourned hearing until April 22 and 23. It also refused the applications by parties seeking to be joined in the suit. About four different plaintiffs have approached the court, seeking to disqualify Buhari from participating in the presidential poll for alleged certificate forgery and perjury. But Justice Adeniyi Ademola, at the resumed hearing of the suit, refused the joinder application brought by a prodemocracy activist, Mr. Ebunoluwa Adegoruwa

and another lawyer, Chukwuma Ochu, seeking to be joined in the matter. Ruling on their applications, the court held that none of the parties seeking to be joined has shown enough interest that could warrant their joinder. The court, however, described them as interlopers and busybodies. It was on that note that the court refused their applications. One of the plaintiffs,

Chika Okafor, had taken Buhari to court, seeking to disqualify him from participating in the March 28 presidential election for alleged certificate forgery and perjury. But APC had joined the suit as a co-defendant while Buhari, through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), had also challenged the mode of service of court papers on him and also the order to abridge time.

APC, through its counsel, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had also filed a preliminary objection as to entertaining the suit by the court. The court had earlier fixed Tuesday for the ruling on abridgement of time and mode of service of the process on Buhari. But at the resumed hearing, Adegoruwa had brought an application for joinder. He premised his appli-

cation on the grounds that he is a pro-democracy activist and wants to ensure that all the candidates are granted equal right. Ochu also premised his application on the grounds that Buhari is his candidate in the forthcoming election. He said that if Buhari is disqualified, he would be disenfranchised. Counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to

reject the application for joinder on the grounds that the applicants are meddlesome interlopers and busybodies. Speaking on the implication of the adjournment, Ozekhome told New Telegraph that the suit against Buhari was not time barred and if the case is eventually decided against him, he (Buhari) can still be removed, even if he wins the presidential election.

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

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L-R: Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; Yunusa Tako and Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, during a visit by members of the National Peace Committee on 2015 General Elections to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN. 23oC

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Shell closes $1.7bn OML 29 sale lAiteo, others secure stake

Adeola Yusuf KANO

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hell has completed the assignment of its interest in oil mining lease (OML) 29, the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) and related facilities in the Eastern Niger Delta. The close of Shell’s deals came hours after Nigeria's multi-million dollars gas supply contracts to Ghana hit the rocks again as Ghana's debts to Nigeria increased to $100 million. Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), which confirmed this in a statement yesterday, said its interests in OML 29 and the NCTL were assigned to Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Limited. Total cash proceeds for Shell amount to about $1.7 billion, the company said

in the statement issued by its Corporate Media Relations Manager, Mr. Precious Okolobo. The divestment is part of the strategic review of SPDC’s onshore portfolio and is in line with the Federal Government’s aim of developing Nigerian companies in the upstream oil and gas business. Shell has been in Nigeria for more than 50 years and remains committed to keeping a long-term presence there – both onshore and offshore, the statement added. OML 29 covers an area of 983 square kilometres and includes the Nembe, Santa Barbara and Okoroba fields and related facilities. The NCTL is 100 kilometres long and has a capacity of 600 thousand barrels per day. It was inaugurated in

2010 and evacuates crude to the Bonny Crude Oil Terminal (BCOT). BCOT is not part of the transaction and will remain owned and operated by the SPDC Joint Venture. The divested infrastructures include flow stations together with associated gas infrastructure plus oil and gas pipelines within the OML. The divested fields produced around 43,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2014. Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited have also assigned their interests of 10 per cent and five per cent respectively in the lease, ultimately giving Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Limited a 45 per cent interest in OML29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line.

Shell said all approvals had been received from the relevant authorities. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) described Shell's completion of the sale of its stake in OML 29 as a boost for the local content policy of the Federal Government. The corporation said this at a ceremony to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SPDC and Aiteo for the transfer of Shell’s equity in OML 29 to the latter. NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha, in a statement, described the event as a milestone in the quest of the Federal Government to develop the capacity of Nigerians and Nigerian companies to play leading roles in every sector of the oil and gas indus-

try as encapsulated in the Nigerian Content Development Act. Also, the Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, described the event as a major step towards the fulfillment of “the nation’s aspiration of growing indigenous participation in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry”. He described OML 29 as one of the biggest onshore oil blocks that Shell has ever divested in the country. In his remarks, the Chairman of Aiteo Group, Mr. Benedict Peters, described the ceremony as a significant landmark to help the company achieve its aspiration of participating in the entire value chains of the oil and gas industry.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSday, March 26, 2015

Minimah warns against violence

lIG bans 'uniformed' security agencies around polling units Emmanuel Onani Abuja

head of the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah, has advised politicians and parties to exercise utmost restraint in their conducts. Also, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, warned vigilante groups, government security outfits and other private security organisations, to steer clear of polling units on election day. Minimah warned that whoever attempts to perpetrate electoral violence - no matter how highly or lowly placed - will meet "organised violence". Minimah read the Riot Act to politicians at a press briefing held yesterday, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja. The COAS urged losers at the elections, to explore the legal option of challenging their defeat at election petition tribunals, rather than resort to violence and self-help. "Regarding the question on provision of security be-

fore, during and after the elections, I think the armed forces, the police, other security organisations have made adequate arrangements for security during the general elections a few days and a few weeks back. "I do not envisage any issues because this is just an election and it will come and go, though we know there are also elements within the political class that do not want the normal election process to come and be put behind them. "I will appeal to politicians and their followers and supporters to keep the peace, maintain the peace and ensure a violence-free election. "Whoever threatens violence will meet violence. The elections will come and go peacefully. If you win you rule, if you lose, the remedies are there, go to court. That is just my advice and appeal to all Nigerians regarding this election," Minimah said. Meanwhile, the IGP has cautioned Very Important Persons (VIPs) against going to voting centres with armed orderlies. The IGP's warning was contained in a statement signed yesterday in Abuja

by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Acting Commissioner of Police. "The IGP has ordered that on no account should uniformed private/government security agencies and voluntary organisations such as Boys Scout, Vigilante Group, Boys Brigade, Peace Ambassador, Man’O War etc, be seen in uniform within 300metres of a Polling unit,” he said. While warning politicians and VIPs not to go to polling units on the day of the election with armed orderlies, the IGP said the use of siren, revolving lights, tinted glasses by unauthorised citizens would not be allowed. In another release, Ojukwu also said the IGP reiterated the consequences of laxity by personnel. He said: "In continuation of the preparations for the 2015 general elections, the IGP warned all police officers to be firm, meticulous and ensure that nothing untoward happens within their areas of jurisdiction during the elections. He further cautioned Police officers to shun any conduct capable of tainting the image of the Force.

INEC won't drop card reader, says Jega CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

we have been working at improving the whole process to stop electoral fraud. Yet, people still oppose it. “I can’t think of any logical reason behind the opposition. Some people said this technology has not been tested. But we have tested it and that is how we knew of the fingerprint problem and all the rest of it. “Even the PVC that we have done, it is conceivable that some people have gone to clone it to bring it out on the Election Day for voting. The card reader will enable us ensure that no cloned card is brought to the polling booth and used in this 2015 election. It will help us to also verify the details of the person who brought the card to the polling booth because these details are stored in a microchip, which is embedded in the card reader. So, if you can clone the card, there is no way you can clone what is on the microchip. The card reader will help us do a lot of things. It will help us to authenticate the person." He said all political parties, at a meeting he held with them last November, had agreed on the use of the card reader. However, Jega said there were some factors that could hinder the card

reader from recognizing the fingerprints of voters. According to him, the nature of work some of the voters do, such as farming, carpentry and other manual labour, can alter the fingerprints and make it difficult for voters’ fingerprints to be recognized. Thus, in that case, he added, physical identification would be used. He said: “The card reader does four things as I have explained. If it does three things 100 per cent and the fourth 60 per cent, why the idea of don’t use? This area of fingerprint, where we have identified as challenges, we can explain why. In our country, majority of the people are rural people. They are farmers and because of the hard job they do on the field, their fingerprints may have faded and their fingerprints are not easy to scan. In some of our areas, because of socio-cultural practices, some women paint their hands with dye and their fingerprints cannot be scanned. People who do manual labour, bricklayers, and carpenters may have challenges to have their fingerprints registered. We agreed with political parties that if your card has been read by INEC; your card has been verified, you can then do

physical verification that you are the true owner of that card. The only problem is that it cannot read your fingerprints. So, we said that you could use an incidence form that that person has been verified and can be allowed to be accredited for voting. All the political parties agreed to this as far back as November when we met.” He allayed fears that registered voters could be disenfranchised, saying such complainants are from people who engaged in multiple registrations. He said in the bid to clean up the voter register and remove multiple registrations, INEC usually leaves only a polling booth for the voter and such people might not know where to vote. He said: “We have introduced an online software application where people can interrogate the register. When we did that of Anambra, we did not have that facility. But now that we have done that, anybody can go to the website or send an sms to a particular number and they will be told first if they are in the register and if they are in the register, which polling booth they are to vote. This will minimize the problem of where they will vote.”

News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

NLC constitutes committee to reconcile factions Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

L-R: Human Resources Manager, Forthright Manufacturing Company Limited, Mr. Adewunmi Aina; Business Development Executive, Mr. Moses Umoru and Head, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Segun Alabi, during the company’s courtesy visit to the Corporate Head Office of New Telegraph newspapers in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Osinbajo denies pact with Tinubu Muritala Ayinla

l I'm confident of winning, says Buhari

ice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has denied signing any pact with former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, to cede the vice presidency to him if the party wins the March 28 presidential election. Speaking yesterday at the 7th annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium tagged: "Change: How it will Work," Osinbajo said his involvement in politics was motivated by desire to serve Nigeria. The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation had accused Osinbajo of signing a pact with Tinubu. But Osinbajo stated that nobody gave him condition to serve as Buhari’s running mate. He stated that the purported pact between him and Tinubu was in the imagination of the PDP.

Osinbajo said campaigns across the country had shown that expectations are high among Nigerians about change of governance. At the event, the APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, expressed confidence of winning the March 28 presidential poll. "We have been trying since 2003 and this time, a look at the PDP government at the centre show us that merger would be worthwhile to save the country. Now we have the APC and the fear of the APC is the beginning of wisdom in Nigeria. "I know that a lot of money has changed hands ahead of the Saturday elections, but if we continue to motivate ourselves and mobilise our constituencies, victory is ours," he said. Meanwhile, Tinubu has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of refusing to take responsi-

PDP planning to arrest Saraki, el-Rufai, Peterside, others — APC Temitope Ogunbanke

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led government to arrest some of its party leaders before the Saturday presidential election. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said there was a plan to arrest former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki; APC governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, his

Rivers State counterpart, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, and many others before the general election on trumped-up charges. His words: "On March 21, our party issued a statement in which we raised the alarm over a plot to arrest some of our leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on trumped-up charges. "Though they rushed to deny it, we have it on good authority that they have not given up on that evil plot. In fact, they have now cast their net wide to ensnare more APC chieftains, including Senator Bukola Saraki, Malam Nasir ElRufai, amonth others.

bilities for his administration's failures. Tinubu said: "They never take responsibility, when you have a group of people like that, please reject them. Part and essence of leadership is taking responsibility. If you listen to General Buhari in Chatham House in London, if anything else has not struck you about his speech, he took responsibility for his past and accepted that he cannot change it but he could change the present and the future. Kudos to the General; you are the president that we want. Again, they will never accept and they will continue to be blind because they have already lost." Tinubu added that instead of the ruling party to allow Nigerians choose a leader that will rescue them, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chose to postpone the election from February 14 to

March 28. He expressed confidence that Buhari will win the election. Governor Rauf Aregbesola lamented the backlog of unpaid salaries in his state, saying "that is my greatest regret." "But I must tell you that it is the strongest indictment of President Jonathan-led administration. We must know that Osun is next to Lagos in the size of civil servants and pensioners and the burden is huge. Our wage bill in the state is N3.6 billion, but N3 billion is the highest allocation we've ever received from the federal allocation. "It fell to N2.3 billion in 2013 and just N1.3 billion was allocated in January 2015.” Governor Babatunde Fashola said the public must begin to identify the difference between the APC states and those of the ruling party.

You’re propagandists, saboteurs, First Lady tells APC Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

ife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party of propagandists and saboteurs, whose principals were busy building prisons while Jonathan's administration was busy building schools. The First Lady said this yesterday in Ibadan during the campaign rally in support of the second term for her husband held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly Liberty Stadium, Oke Ado, Ibadan.

It was organized by Women Mobilisation for Goodluck Jonathan. She was accompanied by women personalities including the National PDP Women Leader, Chief Dr. (Mrs) Kema Chikwe, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide (Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja); Mrs Margaret Peter Obi, among others. Mrs. Dame harped on the threat by the APC presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari, that the Ikoyi Prison should be preparing to accommodate many politicians if he should emerge winner in the March 28 election.

etermined to proffer lasting solution to the crisis rocking its leadership, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday inaugurated a reconciliatory committee to reconcile the aggrieved members of the Congress, who formed faction after its 11th National Delegates' Conference. NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who inaugurated the eightman committee at the Paschal Bafyau Labour

House, shortly after the second meeting of National Administrative Council (NAC) of the union, said the reconciliatory committee became imperative in fulfilment of the promise and leadership of the union to resolve all the issues that arose from the conference that produced the new leadership of NLC. The committee, chaired by the first NLC General Secretary, Comrade Aliyu Dangiwa, Wabba explained, has two weeks to reach out to the aggrieved members and resolve the crisis.

Jonathan'll record landslide victory in Ogun, says Isiaka Kunle Olayeni and Yekeen Nurudeen

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan will record a landslide victory in Saturday's presidential election. He rejected some opinion polls that predicted victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari

(rtd), in the state, saying such polls did not reflect the reality on ground but were manipulated for a pre-determined purpose. Speaking with reporters at a PDP sensitization rally in Abeokuta, Isiaka said the electorate in the state did not see any fortune in Buhari's presidency and they are determined to vote against it. The PDP standard bearer expressed optimism that Ogun people will massively vote for Jonathan and other National Assembly members fielded by the party.

Witness faults Lagos’ report on Synagogue’s building Shola Adefuwa

Geo-technical engineer, Mr. Joseph Folayan, yesterday faulted the report by the Lagos State Material Testing Agency (LSMTA), which claimed that the collapsed guest house on the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) was caused by defects in its foundation.

Folayan said this yesterday at the resumed hearing of the coroner inquest into fatal accident. The inquest is aimed at unravelling the cause of the collapse some seven months ago in Lagos. The inquest was set up by the government to investigate the September 12, last year building collapse which killed 116 people.

Forthright company seeks partnership with New Telegraph Mojeed Alabi

he management one of the new entrants into Nigeria's manufacturing industry and producer of Etana Water, Forthright Manufacturing Company Limited, yesterday visited the head office of the New Telegraph in Lagos. They came, seeking for business partnership and campaign opportunities on the importance of water to human survival. At a brief meeting held yesterday afternoon in the

company's boardroom, the company's Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Segun Alabi, commended New Telegraph for what it described as its giant strides within just a year of existence. He praised the newspaper's balanced reportage and quality editorial contents. According to Alabi, the company, which had invested a huge sum of over N600 million on the water business, said its water production is completely automated with no human contact.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday met with former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar; Bishop Hassan Kukah and other stakeholders at the presidential villa where they discussed on issues relating on the need for credible and free elections beginning this Saturday. During the meeting, Jonathan assured his guests that government would ensure free, fair and credible elections on Saturday, as well as April 11. Abubakar, who led

News

NATIONAL

Jonathan, Sultan, Abdulsalami meet, insist on credible polls members of the National Peace Committee on 2015 elections on a visit to Jonathan, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Presidential Villa, told State House correspondents that similar visit would be paid to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). "As you are aware, early this year, both President Jonathan and Gen. Bu-

hari signed a peace accord in order to ensure there is peace during, before and after elections. "As a result of that accord, a peace committee was set up to ensure free, fair and violence-free elections 2015. "You can see all members of the committee, we have come to see Mr. President as the commander-inchief of the country and

to tell him what we have discussed with all the stakeholders and the role he as the commander-inchief has to play. "And also what we expect him as a contestant in this race. So, this is why we have been here this afternoon; we have briefed him and he has given us his assurance of conducting a free, fair and violence-free elections. And

this is what this committee is all about. "Tonight or tomorrow morning, we will meet with Gen. Buhari for the same purpose. We will get commitment to ensure that the followers, the politicians and indeed all Nigerians make sure that there is free, fair and peaceful elections" Abubakar said. On whether he was

comfortable with the political environment so far, he replied "you tell me you are the people talking and we are listening from you. But from what we have seen, this campaign has been filled with campaign of calumny and we have talked with all the contestants, party leaders to try to get their supporters and campaign committee to please try to ensure for God's sake, let us not make these elections personal. "There shouldn't be any insults. Let us not play politics of bitterness and I do hope they have listened to us and they are working as much as they can, so they told us."

MDAs default in tax remittances —New FIRS boss Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

he Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said that tax compliance level by many Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government is unimpressive with many defaulting in remitting deducted taxes to FIRS designated accounts. The service also restated its resolve to blocking hiding space of tax evaders just as it absolved defaulting MDAs of being entirely responsible for the blame. The service is also culpable in the blame for not reaching out to agencies.

Newly appointed Acting Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Mr. Ogungbesan Sunday Samuel, stated yesterday in Abuja during his maiden media interaction with news men. He pledged to re-direct the services’ focus by engaging and collaborating with tax stakeholders to ensure voluntary tax complaint. He said that 32 states have cued in to the Services’ Taxpayers’ Identification Number (TIN), leaving four states yet to be captured on the new platform adding that states that lagged behind on TIN compliance, citing paucity of funds.

Poly senior workers begin indefinite strike Kayode Olanrewaju

dministrative activities in the nation’s polytechnics have been put on hold indefinitely following a nationwide job boycott embarked upon by the polytechnic senior workers, under their umbrella union, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP). Addressing the journalists yesterday, the

Chairman of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) chapter of the association, Mr. Omopariola Emmanuel Olorunibe and the former National President of SSANIP, Alhaji Ganiyu Akinleye, said the strike had become imperative in view of the refusal and failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreement reached with the union since 2009.

L-R: Founder, Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola; Registrar, Lady Christine Oluborode; Prof. Israel Orubuloye and Prof. Michael Ajisafe, at a reception for Chief Babalola on his conferment of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by the University of London as he returned to Ado Ekiti... on Tuesday.

Akeem Nafiu

ustice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos will on March 27deliver judgement in a suit filed by a Lagos lawyer, Tope Alabi, seeking the removal of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 2 comprising Lagos and Ogun States, Mbu Joseph Mbu. The suit was sequel to Mbu’s alleged threat to kill 20 innocent civilians for any policeman killed during the 2015 general election. The judge fixed the date after listening to the arguments of parties in the matter. Mbu, in a counter-affidavit to the suit denied ever making such statement,

Ghanaian candidates emerge tops in WAEC Mojeed Alabi

t was yet another moment of embarrassment for Nigeria’s education sector as none of the 1,987,751 Nigerians who stood for the 2014 edition of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, conducted by the West African Examination Council, WAEC, was ranked among the top three candidates.

They were beaten by their counterparts from the neighbouring Ghana, where only 397,275 candidates representing a mere 16.21 per cent wrote the examination. More than two million candidates from the fivemember countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia wrote the exams. The winners of the prestigious annual excellence

award as announced by the regional examination body in Lagos on Tuesday evening during its 63rd annual council meeting were Masters Hassan Mickail of Ghana Secondary Technical School, Takoradi; Kenyah Blaykyi of St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, and Archibald Enninful Henry of Mfantsipim School, also Cape Coast coming first, second and third respectively.

Mbu knows fate tomorrow as court delivers judgement adding that he only ordered that any policeman shot by any person could shoot back in self defence. According to the counter-affidavit deposed to on Mbu's behalf by a policeman, Olugbemiga Adeoye, the deponent averred that the newspaper publication containing the said allegation was "complete falsehood, exaggerated, twisted and totally quoted out of context." Adeoye, who said he was at the briefing where Mbu allegedly made the statement, added that contrary to the allegation: "The true position is that

the first defendant (Mbu), during his official tours and briefing of police officers at Lagos and Ogun State Commands, directed every police officer to be law abiding, hardworking and wake up to their constitutional/statutory duties and respect to every citizens' legal rights in the course of performance of their duties and that any policeman shot by any person, that such policeman could shoot back in self defence." The applicant in the suit, Tope Alabi, had urged the judge to order the removal of Mbu over

alleged abuse of powers. In the substantive suit, numbered FHC/L/ CS/149/15, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the first defendant (Mbu) “is unfit to be a police officer in Nigeria.” The plaintiff is praying the court to direct the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, the Police Service Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, (who are the second to fourth defendants), to declare Mbu’s office vacant and replace him without further delay.

Court okays Nnamani's sole trial over alleged N5bn fraud Akeem Nafiu

ustice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to separate the trial of a former Gover nor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, from other defendants in a money

laundering suit filed against him. The trial of Nnamani, who is seeking a return to the Senate on the platform of the Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC) as a Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, has been on since 2007. The EFCC had in the application urged the court to separate Nna-

mani from other accused persons, so that his frequent medical trips abroad would no longer stall the trial of other accused persons. The judge, while granting the application yesterday, agreed with the applicant that there was a need for the separation of the trial to avoid further delay in the determination of the matter.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro

Boy, 11, commits suicide over missing N200 SUSPICION Police think a boy accused of stealing N200 might have been murdered Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

or being accused him of stealing N200, an 11-yearold boy, Terkula Botwer, has allegedly taken his own life. The incident occur red at Achusa village, a settlement in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. Botwer decided to commit suicide by hanging himself on a mango tree when his guardian, Mrs Nadoo Hembe, complained of a missing N200 she kept in her room and suspected the victim might have been aware of the missing money and was prevaricating. It was gathered that Hembe threatened to take the boy back to his parents in the village, a development which prompted him to resort to suicide. Confirming the incident yesterday, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP

‘I robbed to settle my drug case in court’ John Edu

24-year-old suspect, Ibik Emmanuel, said he tried to snatch a Honda car from two women at Ajah area of Lagos because he desperately needed money to settle his drugrelated case in court. Emmanuel was arrested at Lekki/Ajah axis after he and his friend, Chima Agomoh, bought a toy gun and attempted to snatch a Honda car from two ladies. The ladies surrendered the car and the key, but started screaming at the sight of the gun. The screaming alerted people in the area who rushed to rescue the women. Agomoh jumped into the car and

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

drove off, leaving Emmanuel at the mercy of the crowd, who pounced on him. The suspect said he would have been lynched but some people prevailed on the crowd to hand him over to Maroko Police Station. He said: “I bought the toy gun for N400 from Eke Awka Market in Anambra State. I was the one that pointed the gun at the women. It was a toy gun, operating with a battery. It cannot kill; rather it makes noise like gunshot. A person, who does not have ‘liver,’ will fear and shake. I could not escape with Chima because I thought the car would not move. But to my surprise, Chima drove off and abandoned me.” Emmanuel said he never wanted to get into crime, but was desperate after his boss, whom he used to traffic Indian hemp and cocaine for, abandoned him and disappeared after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested him. He said he was charged to a Federal High Court in Anambra State, where he had to ‘settle’ to get his bail. Even after the bail, he realised that he still needed more money to ensure the case was trashed for good. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed Emmanuel’s arrest, adding that the police had already spread their dragnet to get the fleeing suspect.

He said: “Emmanuel was arrested on February 23 at Lekki, where he and Chima snatched a Honda Accord car, with registration number EK 804 LSD. The car belongs to one Mrs Dupe Agonoma. It was snatched at gunpoint. Even if Chima runs into an ant hole, we will get him. It is only a matter of time.” The suspect, who said he regretted embracing crime, said he was a security guard in a company before he became a drug trafficker. He said: “I used to sell drugs, especially Indian hemp and cocaine for my master, Mr Ifeanyi Okoye aka Perfect Man, at Enugu Ukwu, Anambra State. He used to pay me N1,500. “I later went to Umuahia, Abia State with some of the drugs to sell. Unfortunately, I was arrested by NDLEA. I was charged to Federal High Court, Awka, on October 23, 2013 and remanded in prison. “I perfected my bail and went to Umuahia to meet my master, to get money for my case. I had planned to steal his car if he refused to give me money. But I got there and discovered he had run away. The NDLEA even seized his car.” Disappointed and with pressure mounting, he returned to Lagos to embrace robbery. He said: “We saw two ladies in a Honda Accord 2.3 car and ordered them to come down at gunpoint. They started shouting thieves.”

Emmanuel

Austin Ezeani, said the incident occurred on Sunday morning and was reported at the Division ‘B’ Police Station in Makurdi by Hembe. The PPRO said Hembe told the police that the deceased was her houseboy, adding that she threatened to return him to his parents following the suspicion that he stole her N200. Ezeani quoted Hembe as saying that Botwer committed suicide when she had gone to the church leaving the deceased at home with instruction to recover the missing money. According to her, she came back to discover the boy’s lifeless body dangling on the tree. Ezeani said when the police got to the scene they found the boy hanging, with his eyes bulging out. He said there was nothing like suicide note left behind to explain he actually committed suicide. The PPRO added that the tongue of the deceased did not stick out and that the absence of suicide note at the scene of the incident suggested that there were more questions than answers. The police spokesman said the police had commenced investigation into the matter to unravel the mystery behind the death of the minor.

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Tears as Silverbird’s employee is buried

l Fish out her killer, family urges police Camillus Nnaji

eeping and heartrending speeches yesterday characterised the burial of Silverbird Cinema’s worker, Miss Aisha Noble-Mustapha, at Atan Cemetery at Yaba, Lagos State. Friends, colleagues and family members were at the cemetery to pay last respect to the deceased. The ceremony which lasted less than 30 minutes saw her being laid to rest at exactly 3:15pm. Aisha was murdered near her house at Ogudu GRA, Lagos State. The deceased, 26, was said to be the only child of her parents. She was stabbed 11 times on March 14, around 7:30pm while returning from the office. Most of the stab wounds were targeted at her stomach. One Chima Shadrack Mmuta, from Imo State, a young man who used to live with his uncle in the neighbourhood, had been arrested in connection with the murder. Chima has repeatedly denied killing the lady, stress-

The late Aisha

ing that he only dashed out to rescue her when he heard her cries for help. Some people in the area insisted they saw him stab her. Police said they later recovered Aisha’s bloodstained phone from Chima. The state Police Public

Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, said that the knife used in inflicting the fatal stabs on her death had also being recovered. Aisha’s neighbour, who spoke with our correspondent, alleged that Chima got Aisha pregnant, but was in a

fix because he did not want his wife to find out. He felt that it was better to get Aisha out of the way to save his marriage, thus allegedly resorted to murder. Aisha was buried according to Islamic rites. Speaking during the burial, family spokesperson, Mr Abubakar Aruna, charged the police to ensure justice was done by fishing out Aisha’s killer and bringing the person to book. Aisha’s colleague, David Ubadike, said her death still seemed like a dream to him. He said: “There is nothing to do now, than to call on Almighty God to accept her soul and for the police to do justice by getting her killer.” Speaking yesterday, Nwosu said: “Whether the lady is buried or not, it would not stop police going on with their investigation. There is no time limit attached to any crime. The family requested for the corpse, saying they wanted to bury her. “The police will continue their investigations. Crime has no time limit. Some tests and autopsy examination have been conducted. But we cannot add to the family’s trauma, they requested the burial and we allowed it.”

Two arraigned for N8m land scam Juliana Francis

wo persons, Azuka Okeke and Ibrahim Abubakar, have landed in trouble after they collected N8 million from a woman who wanted to buy a plot of land in Abuja, but could not present the land. When it dawned on the buyer, Mrs Eunice Uchendu, that she might be dealing with fraudsters she petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Okeke and Abubakar were picked by operatives of the EFCC and charged to court yesterday. They were arraigned before Justice Sunday Aladetoyinbo of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence. But the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Head, Media and Publicity of the

EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren said: “Okeke and Abubakar allegedly fraudulently conspired to collect N8 million in instalments, from Eunice Uchendu, with a promise to secure for her some plots of land at Kabusa, Galadimawa and Mpape districts of Abuja. “Though the complainant was issued acknowledgement papers, she began to be agitated when the land could not be secured. All the efforts of the victim to get a refund of her money from the accused were unsuccessful.” One of the counts reads: ‘‘That you Azuka Andra Okeke and Ibrahim Abubakar on or about June 14, 2011, in the Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N3 million from Mrs Eunice Chibuzor Uchendu of Plot 98, Gidado Idris Street, Wuye, Abuja, under the false pretence that same was payment for a plot of land at Galadimawa, FCT, which presenta-

tion you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section (3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006.’’ In view of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, I. G. Odibo, prayed the court for a date for commencement of trial. However, the accused, through their counsel, E. R. Opara and Baba Shehu Ahmed, pleaded with the court for bail. Aladetoyinbo granted each accused bail in the sum of N3 million with one surety each in like sum. The sureties must be top civil servants. The judge adjourned the case till April 16 for hearing.

Abubakar

Gov’s wife trains 1,450 women, youths Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA

ife of Nasarawa State governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-Makura, said she had trained 1,450 women and youths in different vocational skills. The training between 2012 and 2015, according to her, was done through the pet project of the governor’s wife, Mother and Child Care Foundation ((MCCEF). Al-Makura said the beneficiaries were trained in various vocational skills such as computer operations and maintenance, hairdressing, tailoring, fashion designing, interior decorations and beads making, among others. She said: “The programme was initiated as part of efforts to empower youths and the less privileged in the country.” The governor’s wife disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Lafia, the state capital.

Businessman empowers 175 widows, indigents Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

business mogul in Nise town in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Boniface Egbutu, has empowered over 175 widows and indigents in the community. The empowerment was part of his annual welfare programme tagged: “Mother Theresa Egbutu Foundation scheme for widows and the indigents in Nise community,” which began 33 years ago. It was learnt that the late Mother Theresa passed through all levels of poverty while training her children and when she was about to die she instructed her son, Egbutu who had become rich to use his God-given wealth to cater for the widows and the indigents. Since then, the welfare scheme became an annual event starting from Mother Theresa’s village, Ara, to Umuazu, Isiakpu and Ngodo villages that make up the town.

Sambo lifts 95 football clubs Umar Abdullahi Sokoto

Azuka

City Briefs

ice-President Namadi Sambo has donated sets of jerseys for onward distribution to 95 football clubs in Sokoto State. He made the donation on Tuesday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Sokoto Central held at the Giginya Memorial Stadium, Sokoto. Sambo also donated 200 balls for onward distribution to the 95 football clubs across the 23 local areas of the state. The Vice-President, who was represented by his Liaison Officer in charge of Sokoto State, Mr Yohanna Allahmagani, said the gesture was meant to motivate the football teams and players. According to him, the initiative was part of government’s efforts to promote sporting activities at the grassroots.

He said: “We believe that our youths should be engaged positively in sporting activities in order to enable them excel in sports. “So, this is our modest contribution and support to local football clubs as part of efforts to boost sporting activities at the grassroots.” Distributing the items to the 95 clubs, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Abdallah Wali, said the gesture would boost sporting activities especially at the grassroots level. He commended Sambo for the gesture and promised that all the 95 football clubs would get the jerseys and balls. Also speaking, the Deputy Coordinator of Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation in Sokoto State, Alhaji Ibrahim Gidado, thanked the VicePresident for the gesture aimed at encouraging youths’ participation in sporting activities.

12 News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

We're sure of victory, says Mu'azu Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed confidence that its presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan will be re-elected for a second term in office. PDP’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, at a press conference, yesterday, said the election is beyond propaganda and empty claims in the social media but performance, sincerity of purpose and commitment. Mu'azu noted that the achievements recorded in the last four years were enough to secure President Jonathan victory at the poll. "On these, the PDP and President Jonathan stand much more taller than the opposition and its

presidential candidate", the National Chairman added. He charged party members and supporters at all levels to remain focused and steadfast to the course as PDP moves towards victory on Saturday. Mu'azu further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies and other key stakeholders in the election, to give Nigerians free, fair and credible election on Saturday. He noted that in keeping with the commitment to a peaceful electoral process, "the PDP has ran an orderly campaign based only on issues, devoid of unnecessary political mudslinging and acts of desperations, especially seeing the fact that a majority of the Nigerian voting population is solidly behind it.

Jonathan launches Warri EPZ today Anule Emmanuel WARRI

resident Goodluck Jonathan will today flag off the long awaited Ogidigben Export Processing Zone in Delta State. The commissioning of the project is coming after series of postponement as a result of crisis between the Itsekiri and other tribes in the Niger Delta. The commissioning of the project has been postponed twice. President Jonathan had had cause to privately visit the Olu of Warri and Warri Council of Chiefs in seeking their cooperation for the success of the project. The Federal Government also promised to flag off the EPZ before the end of the Governor Emman-

uel Uduaghan’s tenure. Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in defending the postponement of the EPZ ground-breaking ceremony explained that it was based on “communal issues,”. Analysts also argue that there was no reason why the ground-breaking of the EPZ was yet to be done when those of NIMASA Dockyard and Shipyard as well as Nigerian Maritime University, NMU “which has large Ijaw interests despite being national projects were successfully performed.” A political pressure group, Delta Coalition for Change, DCC, had also challenged the President to “seize the opportunity of his planned campaign visit to Warri, February 4, to perform the EPZ ground-breaking.”

Court adjourns suit to stop card reader Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, adjourned one of the suits challenging the usage of card reader machine in March 28 and April 11 polls till April 30 for hearing. The plaintiff, Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe, had approached the court seeking an order to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC from using the card reader machine for the general elections. The court had on Monday refused the application of the All Progressives Congress APC and

its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, seeking to be joined as co-defendants in the matter. The court had also fixed yesterday for the hearing of the substantive matter. At the resumed hearing of the suit yesterday, two other parties had brought an application for joinder as co-defendants in the suit. Also, Buhari through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, informed the court that he had filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, challenging his non-joinder by the court. He, however, urged the court to stay further proceeding pending the determination of the appeal.

L-R: Director, Banking and Payment System Department of the CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun; Chief Internal Auditor, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Uduak Udoh; Director, Consumer Protection Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Hajiya Umma Dutse and Executive Director, Service Management and Technology of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Nath Ude, at the Nigerian Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) in Lagos.

Don't lose hope on presidency, Gowon tells Ndigbo Tony Okafor AWKA

ormer Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon yesterday enjoined the Igbo not to lose hope of becoming the president of the Nigeria. Gowon stated this in a lecture entitled “No Victor, No Vanquished: Healing the Nigerian Nation” delivered at the 6th Convocation ceremony of Chukwumeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam in Anambra. Gowon, who said he was in support of the idea of rotational presidency, maintained that an Igbo president would help heal

the wounds of the Civil War. He explained that the civil war was not out of hatred for Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu or the Igbo, but was based on the principle of a commitment to sustain a robust Nigeria. He said: “It is wrong to conclude that the civil war broke out following the failure of the Aburi Accord but was the direct result of unilateral decision of the independence for Eastern Nigeria. “If there was no succession, there would have been no war. “It was a reluctant war waged to unite the country.” He acknowledged that many people died of hunger and diseases dur-

ing the period but maintained that the Federal Government ensured that starvation was not used as a weapon of war. Gowon said Nigerians should be proud of the gains of the war through the healing balm of “no victor, no vanquish.” According to him, the three Rs of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction were adopted to enhance national unity. He also argued that the abandoning of the plan of development drafted immediately after the war by successive governments had resulted in the infrastructural decay in the country. The former head of state, however, lauded late Ojukwu for his courage in defending his people dur-

ing the war, saying “if Ojukwu was in my shoes, he would have equally waged the war.” He also commended the state government and management of the University for honouring Ojukwu with the change in name of the institution from Anambra State University to COOU. Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State, who lauded Gowon for honouring the invitation, said education was dear to his administration. Represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, Obiano disclosed that a blue print for development of higher education would soon be implemented in the state.

Jonathan: Opposition overheating Presidency: Ameachi, Kwankwaso, Oshiomhole better polity to take over government the presidential villa Anule Emmanuel than Buhari, says Aliyu Abuja, said that the Dan Atori MINNA

iger State Governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has sad that the APC Presidential hopeful, Muhammadu Buhari is a weak leader. He said that people like Rabiu Musa Kwankwoso, Rotimi Amaechi or Adams Oshiomhole would have been preferable. Aliyu made the remark on Tuesday in Minna when the leadership of the NLC in Niger State paid him a courtesy visit. According to him: "Buhari's emergence is to shortchange the northern part of Nigeria

because he promised to spend a single tenure of four years. "If APC had brought people like governors of Kano, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi or Edo Adams Oshiomole as vice, it would have been a different ball game today". Explaining his point, he said "the weakness of Buhari made Idiagbon to do the jobs during his regime as head of state and his appointment as chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund PTF, it was consultants who did everything. Therefore, with his administrative style today and his age, he has nothing to offer Nigerians.

resident Goodluck Jonathan has reassured members of the international community that the general election in the country will be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere. The president at the meeting accused the opposition All Progressives Congress APC of overheating the political space because they are desperate to take government from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The president, while granting audience to international election observers including those of the European Union, the African Union and the Commonwealth at

forthcoming elections will hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. He said that all preparations made by both INEC and the Federal Government, Nigerians will witness free and credible polls. "First and foremost, let me reassure the international community and indeed Nigerians that elections will be conducted as rescheduled by INEC." He said: "And I promise you again that the elections will be free, fair, credible and will ensure that the atmosphere will be peaceful.”

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, march 26, 2015

Endorsement

General elections

Controversy

Presidency 17

Old Bende endorses Kalu

INEC’s master key compromised, PDP alleges

Amaechi fingers Jonathan in assassination plot

Buhari is on rescue mission – Bamidele

Politics Mallam Sule Lamido, the Governor of Jigawa State, is one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Lamido believes that the March 28 presidential election is a direct victory for President Goodluck Jonathan. He argues that there was no way Nigeria can be left in the hands of political parties that depend on individuals for survival. He speaks with GEOFFREY EKENNA

Nigeria will be going for an election on Saturday. There is so much tension, hate speeches, people are angry and it is looking as if we are preparing for war, instead of an election. When did elections become war and why is it so? I agree with you that there is a lot of tension in the country and it may be seemingly so. If you look at the processes of the two political parties, I don’t know, their level of desperation has given Nigerians some feelings of concerns. Let me look at the PDP. I have been saying that we made some few mistakes, which are very very fundamental. Let us look at the issue of security; if you look at the issue, you see that some people have been trying to benefit from it, such that we don’t know what is called the issue of sovereignty. The world over, when there is an obvious national threat, differences are normally buried. Differences such as religion, ethnic, regional, political – they are all buried and you rally around the sovereign to protect the country and save it. This is what is done everywhere in the world. But when we bring this issue of politics, by thinking that when you say the PDP has failed, you can make some political gains out of it, the consequences are not on

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

APC’ll cease to exist after March 28 – Lamido to Nigeria, because; there is a lot of history, which are peculiar to Nigeria, which need to be understood. Nigeria’s peculiarity has to be understood. What makes Nigeria peculiar? It is a huge federation; a federation of big tribes; a federation of big history. It has got a huge history and above all, the biggest assembly of black people on earth and obviously, the leader of the black race on earth. Therefore, unless we are able to understand this God-given status, God-given role or whatever it is, we will not be able to appreciate ourselves. You know during the parley we had in Lagos, somebody was even mentioning Botswana as a model. A Botswana, which is not even one quarter of Jigawa State? There are some things that when you say them, people outside feel embarrassed for you. People outside feel embarrassed because they wonder what is all these? They look up to us for leadership as the symbol of the black race. They see us as the symbol of hope; inspirational symbol. But when we fail to appreciate ourselves, what is their own fate? These are the things which the opposition fail to understand.

Lamido President Goodluck Jonathan. The consequences are not on the PDP. The effects or consequences are on Nigerians, who are dying. It is as simple as that. What I am saying is that there is always the need to rally around the sovereign, the symbol of the country. So how does that affect the PDP? The PDP is in a terrible state because the opposition saw one huge industry of bringing out what is a national failure to lift their own party. They were even mocking the whole country. But obviously, there have been some mistakes by Nigeria and Nigerians. But the PDP being the government will take the large chunk of the blame. But it doesn’t matter who was there; whether it is Mohammed, John, Etteh or Ojo, or Jang or Sule, so long as you don’t rally around the sovereign, it is going to be the same thing. It doesn’t matter if it is PDP, APC, ACN or which party. So long as people saw it as a huge industry to make a political capital, it is go-

After the election, the epitaph of the APC will be written that here lies the desperadoes, who raised false hope and were consumed by it

ing to be the same thing. The PDP government might have made some mistakes, but then, it was denied the authority, the solidarity and the support to speak for the nation. So, this failure, seen as a PDP failure is part of the consequences, part of the tension you are seeing. What of the opposition? Yes, the chemistry of the opposition, the other parties, which have made efforts severally to win power from the PDP. But because of their sizes and because they lack national symbolism or clout, they are bent on exerting some influence. They have changed names several times. They were CPC, ACN, AC. It was the PDP they are fighting. The history of their failure has reduced them to political desperadoes. They have been reduced to political parties, who are only fighting the PDP. They have no cause; they have no appeal to Nigeria beyond their desperation. They have no appeal

Why do you always say that there is no way Nigeria can give them power? What makes them different from the PDP that is holding power now? Today in Nigeria, it is PDP versus PDP. I mean, APC is ACN which is Tinubu’s thing. I respect him for carving a niche for himself in Nigeria in the South-West, which he has turned to a colony. It’s okay. But the other people who are forming this opposition with him are all PDP. In the North here, they are all PDP. So, what is there, which they could not do in the party that they believe they will do from outside? It is the party, which made them what they are. What is it that they couldn’t do inside that they want to do outside? So, it is a PDP thing. There is bad PDP and good PDP. It is the good one that is remaining now. As they say in military parlance, a good general will stand with 1,000 properly trained infantry, rather than staying with one million infantry that is not trained, a rag-tag army that when CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Politics

THURSDAY, march 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Old Bende endorses Kalu

xpectedly, the candidature of former governor of Abia State and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) senatorial candidate for Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has received the blessing of community leaders in the zone. The decision of the stakeholders was made known yesterday shortly after a meeting of community leaders, youths and professionals drawn from Arochukwu, Bende, Ohafia, Isukwato and Ummunneochi local government areas of the state. The meeting which was held at Umunneochi on Tuesday had in attendance prominent sons and daughters from the zoneincluding Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd), Justice S.N. Imo (retired Chief Judge of Abia State), Rev. Uma Ukpai, Chief Daniel Akwari (Osu Uzo), Hon. Jones

Udeogu, Chief Paul Uche, Chief Chukwudi Dinne, Ambassador Austine Orji and Chief Kins Ekebuike. Speaking to newsmen after hours of deliberations, Justice Imo from Bende Local Government Area explained that there is an urgent need for a prominent voice to represent the zone in the National Assembly. He noted that the antecedents of Dr. Kalu is a major plus for him to give a robust representation to the zone, after eight years of neglect. He advised other contenders for the Senate seat to respect the will of the people by withdrawing from the race to support the former governor. Rev. Ukpai from Ohafia Local Government Area, in his own remarks reminded those at the meeting that it is advisable to have one voice ahead of

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the forthcoming polls. He advised citizens and residents of Abia North to come out en masse to vote for the popular choice in the person of Kalu, whom he described as a bridge builder. Corroborating the position of the earlier speakers, others who spoke at the meeting commended Kalu for his contributions to the zone especially while he held sway as the state governor, adding that he remains a voice for the voiceless. According to them,

“we cannot afford to lose this golden opportunity to elect a credible leader to represent us as legislative duties involve networking and high- level lobbying. We know Dr. Orji Kalu has a wide network of contacts that can be explored for the general interest of Abians.” In a similar development, the Movement for the Actualisation of the State of Biafra (MASSOB) has directed its members to come out en masse to vote for Kalu, describing him as a friend of the masses and selfless leader. In a message sent across to indigenes and residents of Abia North on Wednesday, the group called on the electorate to ensure a fair, credible and violence free polls, adding that perpetrators of electoral offences will not be tolerated during and after polling.

L-R: Leader, Lagos Arewa Youth, Alhaji Shehu Sampam; Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East); Chairman, Lagos Arewa Community, Alhaji Muhammadu Dammdama and the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mile 12 Arewa Community, Alhaji Isah Mohammed at the turbaning of Ashafa as the ‘Garkuwa’ (Defender of the Masses) of the Arewas in Lagos East at Magodo, yesterday.

APC: PDP plots Saraki, el-Rufai, Peterside, senators’ arrest Temitope Ogunbanke

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration to arrest some of its leaders before Saturday’s presidential election. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki; Senators Femi Ojudu, Isiaka Adeleke, Sola Adeyeye, Alkali Jajere, Serika Hadi, Jide Omoworare; APC governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, his Rivers State counterpart, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, and many others have been pencilled down for arrest on trumped-up charges before the general elections. His words: “On March 21, our party issued a statement in which we raised the alarm over a plot to arrest some of our leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on trumped-up charges. “Though they rushed to deny it, we have it on good authority that they have not given up on that evil plot. In fact, they have now cast their net wide to ensnare more APC chieftains. “The plot is to plant ammunition, PVCs and card reader jammers, which they have dubiously acquired, in the residence,

OPC, Ijaw groups rally support for Jonathan in Lagos Wale Elegbede

INEC’s master key compromised, PDP alleges L Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday alleged that the master encryption/decryption key of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the reading of the Smart Card Readers has been compromised. Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode at a press conference, also alleged that the company that supplied the card reader system and machines to be used in the election has as a major shareholder and board member, one Sani Musa, who he said is an ardent

supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. “The company’s name is Act Technologies Ltd. and the Chairman of the company is one Engineer SK Danladi,” Fani-Kayode disclosed. According to him, the master encryption/ Decryption Key can “unlock” and simulate the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) data processed by the Smart Card Reader. “There is only one copy of the Master Key in Nigeria and it is in the possession of an individual who is a known APC sympathiser/supporter (and also the contractor responsible for the production of PVCs and manufacture of Smart

Card Readers for INEC. “The Master Key should rightly be in the possession of INEC, as the neutral umpire, under the most stringent access control protocol imaginable and not freely in the possession of a partisan actor,” he said. The PDPPCO spokesperson noted that INEC has already expressed concern over intelligence reports that APC has been purchasing VINs (Voter Identification Numbers uniquely identifying each PVC), adding that this can only mean that the party is already in possession of the Master Key (as the purchase of VINs would otherwise have been a fruitless exercise). He wondered how INEC would give the contract to supply the card

readers to a fanatical APC supporter and to a man whose other company was officially blacklisted by INEC in 2011 for sharp practices. This, he said, constitute a very serious breach of security and it is a criminal offence. “This has grave implications for the PDP as the opposition APC, armed with the Master Key and sufficient VINs, can actually simulate the same data transmitted from any Smart Card Reader deployed for the elections at will. The situation is even now worsened by the fact that APC no longer has to purchase VINs or PVCs as they can now download the entire VINs directly from the INEC database which they have successfully “hacked” into.

office or vehicle of these APC chieftains. The APC chieftains will then be arrested with fanfare and subjected to trumped-up charges.” Mohammed also took a swipe at the Goodluck Jonathan administration, saying it is corrupt and wasteful. He said no president has ever encouraged corruption as President Jonathan has done by ferreting public funds into the pockets of a few in the desperation to woo voters. “Apart from being fraudulent, this PDP-led Jonathan administration is also patently wasteful and corrupt! Or how else does one describe an administration that has been wooing voters with huge bribes? “Never in the history of our country has a president superintended over such a morally-repugnant act as the massive bribery of Nigerians in recent times, especially in the six weeks for which the elections were cunningly postponed. We make bold to say that no president has ever encouraged bribery as President Goodluck Jonathan has done by ferreting public funds into the pockets of a few in the desperation to woo voters. “What this president has done by wooing voters with money amounts to undermining democracy, an action that is unbecoming of a democratically-elected leader of any country,” the party stated.

agos, the commercial capital of the nation lost its balance yesterday when members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the Ijaw Coalition Group (ICG) staged a peaceful rally to garner support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday. The groups stated that the Transformation Agenda of the president has touched all the nooks and crannies of the country, stressing that President Jonathan will consolidate on the gains of sector reforms when re-elected on Saturday. Speaking at the rally, founder of OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun said that Nigerians across all divide want President Jonathan re-elected because he

is a true democrat and the best fit for the job. “Aside from his peaceful, calm nature, Jonathan has achieved so much for Nigeria and should be allowed to consolidate on it. “Like I always said, the Jonathan administration was underreported. Nigerians were not aware that of all the leaders that ruled this country, Jonathan has performed better than all his predecessors. Not many people know that in four years, the Jonathan administration has built 12 federal universities, and 120 Almajiri schools.” In his speech, the spokesperson for the Ijaw groups, Mr. Fiyebo Eperetei, affirmed that the achievements of the president will earn him victory on Saturday, stating that “there is need for the administration to consolidate on these achievements hence the need for continuity.”

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, march 26, 2015

Amaechi fingers Jonathan in assassination plot lPDP dismisses allegation Temitope Ogunbanke

overnor of Rivers State and the DirectorGeneral of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, has raised the alarm over a plot to assassinate him on before the March 28 presidential election. Amaechi alleged that the plan was hatched by top security chiefs. Speaking to journalists in Lagos yesterday, Governor Amaechi said he had already petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan on the assassination plot. He accused the president of being behind the plot using the Department of State Service (DSS). His words: “I have gotten an information that I would be assassinated on March 28. They have approved 30 soldiers to come from 82 Division and yesterday (Tuesday) they had training in my village. The plot was to be led by a Major in the 82 D from Idoma in Benue State. “When I got the information initially, I did not

bother; I felt it was from one of these rumour politicians until people from my village reported back to me last night that strange people came to the community; drove round the community and left. And the person who gave me the information called me back and said they have come for training and by Thursday, I should be careful. “The person suggested that I leave the country and I felt it would be cowardly to leave the country. If the president wants me dead, the first thing to do is let me let the public know before I am shot to death by the president and his people. “The Chief of Army Staff is from Rivers State and this morning he has taken over Opobo town, where the governorship candidate come from and where he also come from. He want to deliver Opobo to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). So, he has sent soldiers to take over the entire place and in the same manner they have deployed soldiers to Rivers State.” Amaechi stated that a similar plot had been

hatched before the rescheduled February 14 election. “The shooting at Okrika was targeted at me but unfortunately for them, they didn’t realise that I was going to be stopped from going to Port Harcourt because I have to brief the leaders of the party on activities of the campaign. That is what saved my life. “My security has been depleted deliberately by the Federal Government, I didn’t know that they did that to assassinate me. “The information about my assassination first came that it will happen on February 14 and when it didn’t take place on February 14, I thought it was over. Now, I have received it again. This is the second time I am getting the information. The first one was a credible security source but not army but this time the source is from the military. All of them are pointing at the DSS. It is now that we are being told that DSS is asking for military cover in case they attack me.” He said the source told him that those at the

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meeting where the plot to assassinate him was discussed were security chiefs and he told him that by Thursday (today), he should watch out. He said he will not leave the country irrespective of the assassination threat against him because he believes that it is better to stay in the country to effect the change he believes in. Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPDPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, reacted yesterday night to the claim by the Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi that President Goodluck Jonathan plans to kill, describing it as a lie. Fani-Kayode said, “This is another example of the madness that has affected the minds of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders.

Rotimi Amaechi is the worst of them. Not only is he deluded but he is also a pathological liar. “The president has no intention of killing him (Amaechi) and neither does he wish him dead. We would rather defeat him and his presidential candidate at the polls on Saturday and ensure that he is alive to witness it rather than kill him. “The PDP are not a party of murderers and neither do they indulge in violence.” In another development, Amaechi has accused President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of breaching the Abuja Peace Accord. He accused the President and the PDP of inciting violence in the country. Amaechi stated this yesterday when the Special Representative of the United Nations SecretaryGeneral for West Africa, Dr. Mohamed Chambas led other top UN diplomats and delegation on a courtesy visit to the governor in Port Harcourt. Amaechi also accused the president’s wife, Patience, of taking over control of the Police in Rivers State.

According to him, “Members of APC have been crying out loud to the country and the world. In Rivers State, the wife of the President, who is from Rivers State has taken over the control of the Police Force. On Tuesday night, the Commissioner of Police attempted to arrest a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the reason for doing that is to ensure that APC members don’t come out on election day. “And as I speak to you now, the lawmaker has moved into Government House for protection. More so, we have over 400 APC members in Police detention. The other day, I asked the Police Commissioner and he told me that those arrested were criminals and why should I ask him to release them. Do we only have criminals in APC?” Amaechi queried. Earlier, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa, Chambas said the delegation was in Nigeria to sensitise and advise political parties and candidates for the election to ensure a level playing ground.

16 Politics | Interview

THURSDAY, march 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

the father’s expectations. So, leave us alone with our Baba.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

they are shot at once, they scatter. So, all the things that made PDP very ill, ineffective are now in APC. So, how can these people serve Nigeria? How can people who couldn’t do it in PDP now do it from outside? They are the same people. But what if the APC wins the election? It is totally out of the question. It is a very wild one because it defiles modern calculation. How can they win election? How? With Gen. Muhammadu Buhari? Didn’t he run three times? Didn’t he fail three times? Those that are saying they are going to vote him, were they not the ones who denied him the ticket? Are they not the ones who fought him? Even today, the very forces are still there fighting Buhari. You can see it. When they went to their Lagos convention, the PDP which came with Atiku and all of them is a very formidable group. Buhari’s only contribution to the party is Nasarawa, where he has a governor. Obviously, the PDP people were thinking that somebody from there will pick the ticket. Now, because they did not pick the ticket, which is why they left the PDP, their anger is still there. They will not support Buhari. They will never support him. All these people you see in the North talking about Buhari, they are northern PDP; APC propagandists, who keep on making these types of statements, defaming Buhari, exposing him and claiming to be working for him. So those that left PDP for APC are not happy? The PDP bloc in the APC is very very angry. You see, when they say that PDP governors are going to join them, I know their minds. You see, I know them. I know what is in their minds. Even Atiku too, I know him. It is these same PDP members, who fought Buhari in 2003, 2007 and 2011. They fought him. Even some of them as governors, shut down their airports to deny Buhari coming to their states. These are the people who are there now. The truth is that they never forgive Buhari for defeating them. If you listened to his speech at the convention ground, he said that you cannot buy the ticket. Who was he talking to? That’s why I said they can’t win. They can’t win because the superior PDP is now standing united, committed and together. It will defeat the desperadoes and people who want to bite the very finger that fed them. There is no way the PDP will lose the election. It is very simple. Look at the calculation. How do you think the PDP will win? A national newspaper gave Buhari victory in the whole North. It is Tinubu’s paper. The calculation in the North is part of this hallucination, living in cloud 9, thinking that false propaganda will give them the victory. By the time voting ends on Saturday, they will come to the ground, knowing that they have been fooling themselves. There are things that do not add up. Nobody is in PDP because of Adamu Mu’Azu. Nobody is in PDP because of Jonathan or Lamido. It is a Nigerian thing, which is a continuation of the dream of the founding fathers of the PDP that

Lamido

Why Obasanjo can’t back Buhari, by Lamido we wanted a Nigerian thing. It is that national aggregate, that national spread and consensus that defined the PDP, which they sold to Nigerians and they bought it, which is now their own thing. That’s why I said no matter who dies in PDP, PDP will remain. It is just like Nigeria. It is not about individuals; it is the people. That is why anywhere you go, the whole idea has been bought by the people. In other political parties, they are owned by entrepreneurs who are hallucinating. That’s why the fear in APC now, the real fear is that they are reading the final chapter of their political life. That is why the intensity of the falsehood is intensifying. That is not how to win elections. They should wake up. You can see the desperation because they have sensed it, it is just very, very clear that they are losing it. Why is it the end of the APC if they lose election? If they lose election, what is left there again? If they lose, what is left? Nothing. They will simply evaporate. Tinubu will be happy because he is going to maintain his empire, where he has been holding in the past 16 years. Head or tail, he is going to win. To him, his area is very secured. Why would you want Nigerians to stay with PDP? Because it has no alternative. The PDP is very organic, it is part of them. Those who are making noise now, in 1999, could they talk? Those who are offering themselves now for governorship, presidency, in 1999, could they do it? In 1998, when PDP was formed, there were some reflections on a country that has gone through civil war; a country whose governance has been distorted; a country which is not where

it should be. That was the history of Nigeria. Then, what do we do to restore Nigeria and face the future? Look, no matter our failure, the PDP has been able to restore Nigeria. In 1998, could Buhari talk?

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Did Buhari tell Abacha to leave Obasanjo alone? Obasanjo is free now and is seeing Buhari in the espirit de corps

But Tinubu talked? Yes. That is fine but he is making a huge benefit in Lagos for talking. Is he not? But these characters who are now shouting, how many of them were able to talk then? Where were all these people who are now fighting the PDP in the North? We made them governors, House of Representatives and Senators. They are now saying they can stay on their own. What of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who tore his card publicly. What are you people doing to bring him back? When you say bring him back, where did he go to? You are trying to collapse him when you say that. You are trying to diminish his huge essence. How do you bring back your father to the house? You have a son, how can he say you should come this way? How can we tell Baba to come this way? He is not happy. When your child is not happy, you are not happy too. When you beat your child and he is crying, the pain comes to your heart. When Obasanjo was brought for the presidency in 1999, he was not the PDP candidate. He is a national symbol. There is no way he can renounce us. He is pained. That is why if you look at the birthday advertorial we put for him, we said the OBJ dynasty. PDP is his dynasty. He has been able to produce children who are now anchoring Nigeria. Whatever might have been our shortcomings, he is the father. By the time the child grows, he should be able to meet

I asked that question because from his speeches and interviews, he appears to be leaning more to Buhari than PDP. As a human being, he has every right to forgive and possibly forget. Obasanjo was in jail when Buhari was calling the shots under Abacha. Who jailed him? Abacha. What was Buhari under Abacha? He was PTF boss. He knew that Obasanjo was his own Commander in Chief. As a former Head of State before Abacha, did Buhari caution Abacha and say ‘look, don’t demystify our national symbol, don’t demystify Nigeria, don’t rubbish our spirit de corps. Let us tolerate him’. He did not say so to Abacha. Obasanjo was head of state before Buhari and Abacha. Did Buhari tell Abacha to leave Obasanjo alone? Obasanjo is free now and is seeing Buhari in the espirit de corps. But here was a man who never stood for him in his hour of need, when his life was threatened because he could have died like the late Shehu Yar’Adua. Yar’Adua died and God saved Obasanjo. It is our history. If Obasanjo is now loved by Buhari, it is because God saved him under Buhari and Abacha. For him to now know those who love him and those who hate him is because he is alive. I want to know if you are supporting President Jonathan because you are a PDP man or because of the fear of EFCC as alleged by the opposition. Are you scared about the EFCC backlash? I even heard there was a meeting between you, the president and the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde. I will leave you to answer that question with a look at my personal history. That will tell you whether what you are saying will stand or not. Look at my political life, history and everything. I went to jail three times, even under the military. So, look deep in my history, put that question against my life and history and then, answer yourself. There is no need answering that question because in law it is said that what is not there, doesn’t exist. There are people who are being tried by the EFCC, who are on bail. Nobody is looking at them and asking them what their political inclination is. It is only Sule Lamido. Are you saying that if Buhari comes to power, those who are now on bail will be prosecuted or what? He said he will prosecute anybody that steals a kobo from May 29 but that he won’t probe anybody for anything done before then. How do you see that? He said any crime. He qualified it. I see that as playing the role of God in Islam. In Islam, if anybody commits a crime or steals somebody’s property, you cannot forgive the crime for them or on their behalf. What you do in Islam is that you take the responsibility away from the person, sack him and it is left for God to forgive him. You don’t forgive crimes. If you want to forgive all crimes, then you should open the prisons for all Nigerians who are in prisons. It is not about forgiving big men. Some people are in prison because the state failed to cater for their needs. If what he is saying is real, he should open all Nigerian prisons, so that we can do national reconciliation and move ahead. It is not for political talks.

Politics | Interview 17

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, march 26, 2015

Buhari is on rescue mission – Bamidele Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele is the chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Budget and Legislative Research. The 2014 Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State speaks on why Nigerians deserve the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, as the next president. WALE ELEGBEDE reports

Bamidele

One is surprised that you did not go with your one time ally, Governor Olusegun Mimiko into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support President Goodluck Jonathan. Why did you choose General Muhammadu Buhari? There is nothing personal in all of these? I also want to add that every politics is local. First, a lot of things will have to be determined by what is the thinking of your own people. Majority of the people in Ekiti State desire a change like majority of Nigerians do. In taking the decision to move out, the question was which political party could we move to. If I wanted to go to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), believe me, I would have opted to join PDP. I got invitation from PDP, I was approached several times and several people met with me, including the president of this country. And for me it was a matter of honour, he also wants to build his own party, but my intention was not to join the PDP. I wasn’t looking for greener pasture and I wanted to remain within the progressive family. For me, the Labour Party (LP), believed to be a party of workers, was the closest to which I could go. For Governor Mimiko as the leader of LP, it was really a pleasure to work with him. I mean he also stood up for the party in Ekiti and for all of us. But when he decided he was going to join PDP, and again you must give it to him, he came from PDP and I don’t think anyone would begrudge him for going back to his political family but I made it clear that there was no way I was going to proceed to join PDP and unfortunately, a lot of people thought that because I had a political disagreement with Governor Kayode Fayemi, they believed that I was actually out

on a fight to finish with my own political family and the leadership including the likes of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. No, that was not the situation. I was meant to be fighting on principles, if I had crossed the Rubicon, for me that would have meant something else, it would no longer be a principled fight. Again, I must say that at no point did the leadership of APC give me a breathing space, at no point did they leave me alone or did they write me off. Three days to the election, Asiwaju spoke to me, four days to the election, I was invited by the president of the country in company of Governor Mimiko. And immediately after the election, the leadership of APC kept on talking to me, saying ‘election is over now whatever disagreement at the level of Ekiti is over, can we now begin to talk about the future?’ So, what is the level of your involvement in the Buhari candidacy? I want to stress that the project at hand today is the BuhariOsinbajo election and I feel so passionate about it. Why am I talking about the Buhari-Osinbajo project? One, I am convinced that there is a need for new ideas in this country. Nigeria needs new ideas. I chair the House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research. I am very concerned about the economy of Nigeria. The more you know about this country, especially the state of our economy, the more scaring you will become. There are a lot of things that Nigerians do not even know. I give you a practical example. I told my committee to carry out a research and all I needed was for them to take the budget of this country in the last four years and extract

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Nigeria is bleeding at an unimaginable level and I cannot know all of this and have the moral conscience to support the sustenance of this order

how much was budgeted for the procurement of generators and diesel by agencies of the Federal Government. As at today, we have 708 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under the Appropriation Act. It has grown from less than 400 to 708 in the last four years. So, the government is becoming bigger everyday and I am concerned that today, we have on the floor of parliament, a 2015 proposal that has 84 per cent going for recurrent expenditure while only 16 per cent going for capital expenditure. Which economy can grow that way? When you don’t spend money on capital projects, you cannot stimulate the economy because it is through capital expenditure that an economy can create jobs, that you can build the real sector of the economy. We calculated how much was being spent on the procurement of generators and diesel by the 708 MDAs and we came up with a very staggering figure: over N360 billion has been spent on the procurement of generators and diesel over the last four years. We went beyond that to all the 36 states of the federation and then to the 774 local government areas and saw that it was over N1.1 trillion had been spent on the procurement of generators and diesel. So, how much do we need to fix the energy sector. So what actually informed your support for Buhari? So, there is no way I can be going to an election and allow myself to be brought down by the sentiments of who is my friend? Who is a Christian? Who is a Moslem? So, for me it is more of the economy. We need new ideas to grow this economy and everybody is talking about corruption.

So, who deals with it? I have nothing against President Jonathan, he is a gentleman as far as I am concerned. But what manner of people are advising this administration? What manner of people are in charge of this economy? And to what extent can I assure myself that President Jonathan would be in control of these people in the next four years. I am a member of the House Committee that is investigating oil theft and I know the kind of revelation that has been coming out and that is another issue. Part of the reason that the Speaker is stepping the report of the committee down until after the election is that we don’t want anyone to think that they are trying to use it as a campaign instrument. Nigeria is bleeding at an unimaginable level and I cannot know all of this and have the moral conscience to support the sustenance of this order. Definitely, I am convinced that there is a need for a change, a change that must be quick and a change that not only must be based on manifestoes written by consultants, but a change that also must be driven by people that can give us some measure of confidence. For me, the personality of General Buhari, the kind of antecedents, the kind of things he says that which he can be held responsible, if somebody had held all the positions he had held in this country and in his declaration of assets form all you can see is what we are seeing now, which can even be held by a retired school principal and nobody has even been able to controvert him on these, then, definitely, that is a man I will like to give a chance. People talk about his age, that is even a reason we should even give him a chance because, what else does he want at his stage. Mandela came at a very critical time in South Africa. Why do you think Nigeria needs Buhari at this time? For me, what Buhari is coming to do is a special intervention. Of course, if General Buhari himself, does not mean what he is saying he is running a risk. Expectations of Nigerians are high. If General Buhari gets there and in one year people cannot see a difference, the civil society, the labour movement will be up in arms. Why would he want to take the risk? Beyond General Buhari, the person that he has chosen as a running mate, Osinbajo, is also well known to me. I was privileged to have served with him in the cabinet of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; I can attest to his strength of character, I can attest to the clarity of his purpose and I can attest to the fact that he is a man of God and thoroughly so. I can attest to the fact that he is not a materially conscious person, I can attest to the fact that he desires a genuine change in this country. I am just convinced that there is a need for this economy to be rescued and it doesn’t matter how well President Jonathan means. He has tried his best in the last four years and I believe that there is the need to rescue this country of the 16 years of misrule of the PDP and allow some fresh ideas.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

The leaders we need (2)

Leaders et al BIODUN DUROJAIYE biodundurojaiye@gmail.com, Twitter: @itweekonline

hen it comes to assessing individuals for leadership positions, integrity should be placed above all other criteria. Above ability to do the job, above being able to do what is right even when afraid, above vision, and above self-confidence or ability to inspire the followers. I remember an incident that happened just before the June 12, 1993 Presidential election. I was on the rewrite desk of National Concord newspapers then. National Concord was owned by late businessman and politician, Chief MKO Abiola, who was the Presidential candidate of one of the two parties in existence then, the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He won the election and we all know what happened afterwards. Alhaji Usman Tofa was the Presidential candidate of the other party, the National Republican Convention (NRC). Abiola had commissioned a pre-election nationwide opinion poll, to gauge his standing with the electorate. When the report of this poll came in, it was very favourable and indicated that he was most likely to win. He passed the report to our Editor then, Mr. Nsikak Essien, who passed it on to my colleague on the desk, Tunde Odediran. Tunde wrote a beautiful news story out of the report, informing that the newspaper’s publisher was likely to win with wide margin. However, the day it was published, Abiola was livid. It was even said that the late publisher wanted to fire Mr. Es-

sien. We later found out he was pissed because of a paragraph about integrity. A part of the report indicated that respondents scored Abiola not so high in terms of integrity, but scored Tofa even lower. This part of the report was included in the news story, and it was what got him very angry. That was a man who knew the true meaning of integrity. Integrity means ‘personal wholesomeness’. It means the person subscribes to the virtues of goodness and truthfulness. That the person is not out to deceive. Or out to cheat, or steal. Integrity is not ‘all or nothing’ characteristic. And high integrity takes a while to build, and cannot be acquired few days to an election. That is why in developed democracies, aspiration to high political offices, like the Presidency, often start in the teenage years. So you can start guarding your integrity even from those early days. Bill Clinton was known to have indicated his aspiration to become President of the United States even as early as his undergraduate years. The man who wrote the American ‘Declaration of Independence’ in 1776 and later became the third President of the United States (between 1801 – 1809) Thomas Jefferson, placed so much emphasis on integrity that he wrote in a letter to one John Garland Jefferson (on June 15, 1792) “I am sure that in estimating every man’s value either in private or public life, a pure integrity is the quality we take first into calculation, and that learning and talents are only the second.” In assessing a candidate for high office, if you can’t find above average integrity, there is no point going further to assess on the basis of the other criteria. That candidate should be adjudged to have failed. Because someone who is very competent, courageous, has vision and self-confidence to inspire cannot lead people anywhere if such a person cannot be trusted or is just out to cheat.

Voting for a candidate or party whose level of integrity cannot be assessed to be above average would mean willingly putting one’s well-being and future in the hands of a duper. And the only outcome of that would be loss. In terms of a diminish in one’s value or possession. Or loss of opportunity to prosper. Democracy allows for campaigning and debates. During this period, the good, the bad and the ugly about contending candidates and political parties are likely to come out. With these, the people should be able to assess the candidates and their parties’ levels of integrity, and other leadership criteria before deciding who to vote for. The greatest disservice any voter can do to him or herself is to vote purely on the basis of popular opinion. Popular opinion may or may not favour the candidate/party with higher integrity, better competence, and better articulated vision. In fact, it can be argued that popular opinion would most likely favour the candidate who has spent the most to gain media presence and reach. In our current situation, with all the information that has been thrown up during the campaigns, between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has a higher level of integrity? How about between Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari? In the different states electing new governors on April 11, which of the individual candidates of the various parties have higher levels of integrity? I know that many of those constituting the electorate are not going to make reasoned choices in this election. They would rather go with what they consider the popular opinion. Or the prevailing opinion in their environment. But ours being a young democracy, we should expect that with every election more and more people will be making reasoned choices.

APC hunks hedging their bet Isabor Akemeh

oliticians are a funny bunch, in their game there are no rules. No one plays the role of an umpire, the pocket speaks better than an orator and because there are no books and bruises, all is well. You get yourself into trouble if you flow with these sweet talking politicians. When they need your vote, they can indeed turn water into wine. They are not Jesus Christ, never will they be. That is why it is certain that the water to wine miracle in Canaan, Galilee was no magic. When a politician serves you water for wine, you could as well say your last prayers. Pure poison would just burn your throat. Nigerian politics is the craziest brand of politics anywhere. It is only here that somebody will wake up in the Prison yard today and find himself controlling a party he neither founded not funded, in just 24 hours. A man who never knew the difference between campaign and charade would become a superstar overnight, without contesting election. A criminal finds his way to the National Assembly while a canon is jailed for obstructing the dare devil convoy of the fraudster turned government official. Even conmen enjoy the privilege of Diplomatic passports. A few days to Presidential elections,

we can see what manner of politicians we have, especially in the opposition All Progressives Alliance. Last Sunday, the Deputy governor of Rivers state, Tele Ikuru, foxed himself back to his vomit. His boss, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi ,is one of those who shook the peace of the country by leading some of his colleague governors to a mega opposition gang up. At the last minute, we are seeing the true colours of some of those championing the fight against President Goodluck Jonathan. Ikuru is playing his usual game. You just cannot count on him. Was he not the same man who took the oath of office with Sir Celestine Omehia on May 29, 2007. When Amechi arrived from Ghana, full of promises and vibes, following a Supreme Court ruling, Omehia would have felt betrayed that his deputy was going to play the same role under his kinsman. That is what Amaechi will be ruing today. There are so many other Ikurus in the APC. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan did not learn the ropes as a politician. He is more of a strategist, gradually walking into the podium of statesmanship. Those who foisted him on the country, thought they were dealing with a greenhorn, not knowing that the Nigeria was going to benefit from the experience of someone who is human but has also studied the behavioral pattern of animals. Some politicians behave like animals, many need to be domesticated.

One former leader wrote a book, This animal called man. And Goodluck read it cover to cover.That is exactly why Mr. President has introduced a new brand of leadership where records speak volumes. In the past, one man sat atop our common oil wealth, as minister and President. So much money accrued to the country, there was no accountability. There were grandiose projects that never saw the light of day. Every project turned white elephant. Money that should have been used to develop the nation was poured into a library. The alarm bells rang from Abia, next moment, bells became the name of a mega institution. Elections are a few days away and those who are professional politicians are living up to their name. It has taken President Jonathan meticulous planning to save Nigeria from the disaster that some members of the so called vocal opposition plotted. They devised sundry means and now failure is staring them in the face. Dr. Jonathan simply studied some of them , like the animals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm and laughed at their tricks. Some animals are more equal than the others, that is why there is disintegration. The APC is falling apart, the centre cannot hold anymore. Pretty soon, more of their superstars will star in the PDP team for the election. You cannot just believe it, many are seeing the President

secretly and working towards his victory. We cannot sing how are the mighty fallen yet the handwriting on the wall is so clear for the blind to see. Some of those who wanted to rule through the opposition are now discussing with the president, sure of his impending victory. It is a long story, that will soon unfold. Some of the opposition bigwigs are fighting for their tomorrow, sensing that Goodluck will do it again. You will no more hear voices from up and below. The truth has hit many below the belt. The campaign Advertorials are diminishing, it is a new dawn. Nobody wants to dine with defeat. In all this, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will be the fall guy. They raised his hope to high heaven, now they will abandon him. We never learn from history, that is why history will repeat itself, like the APC flag bearer. Someone should ask Malam Nuhu Ribadu what happened in 2011. That is exactly what we are about to witness again, in 2015. Those who want to learn from history are discussing with Jonathan. They have come down from their dream bed, with eyes wide open. Soon and very soon, the general will realize that he has no troops following him. They may not be court martialled as deserters. In politics, I repeat, there are no rules. That is where a Two-star general can salute a bloody civilian and still get kicked about like football. • Dr. Akemeh wrote in from Uromi, Edo State.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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Recognising our heroes past

he nation is ecstatic once again following the Cup victory of the Flying Eagles at the Africa Youth Championships in Senegal. It is remarkable that some of the players were part of the All conquering U-17 team that won the global trophy in the United Arab Emirates in 2013. While the boys are celebrated , many would expect that they will not be forgotten for the honour they brought to the nation, for many before them walk the nooks and crannies of the nation today unheralded. Policy inconsistency does appear to be a Nigerian problem. Ordinarily, government does not operate in a vacuum. This is the rule in other climes. Our country, certainly, belongs to another world, in terms of administration. Shortly before the Abdusalami Abubakar regime stepped aside in 1999, a Board of Trustees for the Nigeria National Sports Hall of Fame was set up. Membership included Air Cdre Tony Ikazoboh who was to serve as Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, Prof. Emiola Lasun, Ambassador Ladan Shuni, Mr. Ian Nelson, John Fashanu, AkeemOlajuwon and Noel Okorougo, among others. The objective was to set up a befitting edifice where the feat of

our sports heroes will be documented, a place of honour to remind compatriots of our great men and women, who made the country proud in the field of sports. Sports minister at the time, Air Cdre Emeka Omeruah, was enthusiastic that at last, a positive step had been taken, to put smiles on the faces of our heroes. A temporary sight was chosen along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Internationl Airport Road, Abuja. Some of the great names of yore were there and beamed excitedly. One of the few surviving members of the UK Tourist team of 1949, centre back Justin Onwudiwe, read a speech, on behalf of members of that first Nigerian soccer team to play in Europe, many without boots. Goal keeper Sam Ibiam was not available, simply because many did not know he was alive somewhere in Afikpo, wallowing in poverty. Reserve goalie Isaac Akioye was expected from Ibadan but could not make it. Someone brought Hogan Bassey’s gloves. The same gloves he used to out punch Frenchman ,Cherif Hermia in 1957, to become the country’s first world boxing champion. Yusuf Ali whose Long Jump continental record still stands today, described it as his happiest day on earth. At the inauguration, Gen. Abubakar was represented by

Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Idi who got excited, admiring the photographs of Dick Tiger Ihetu, the first African to become world boxing champion in two divisions, and the only boxer in the world to have been named ‘Boxer of the Year’ twice in the 1960s, by the authoritative Ring magazine. There was also the picture of Ijebu Remo Prince, Folaranmi Adedoyin, who made the Long jump finals of the 1948 London Olympic Games. He represented Great Britain at the time, because Nigeria was a colony of the British. The Blue blood was a Medical student in Cardiff, Wales. Idi and other guests, while being conducted round, also heard of the exploits of other great long jumpers like Kareem Olowu, Wariboko West, Charlton Ehizuelen, who was sure of our first Olympic gold at Montreal ’76 ,before we pulled out in the very last minute, and Yusuf Ali. It was therefore no surprise that when eventually, the country bagged a First Olympic gold medal, it came through that event ,thanks to Immaculeta Chioma Ajunwa, at the Atlanta ’96 Games. When Omeruah left, the democratic regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, appointed Damishi Sango, Minister of Sports. In August 1999, the ministry organized a Sports seminar, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Members of the Board of Trustees

were invited. And that was the end, the last time anyone heard of the National Sports Hall of Fame. It is a very sad situation, because hopes were raised at the inauguration. Veteran sportsmen and women ,trooped to Abuja to see for themselves , encouraged by the nice words of the government. Omeruah saw it as a parting gift, a land mark achievement, that would boost sports development. It was conceived to be a museum, a library, infact, a place of honour, where the efforts of Nigeria’s best could be viewed. Today, there is even no proper record of that event. The file, if it does exist, should be somewhere ,in derelict shelves, at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja. In the United States, there are so many Sports Halls of Fame, the largest being the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Recently, the Canada Sports Hall of Fame, located at the Olympic Park ,Calgary, Alberta mourned the loss of figure Skater ,Toller Cranston[1949-2015]. He won six Canadian titles and was inducted in 1977. This paper believes that our sport heroes deserve evergreen recognition in the form of a Hall of Fame. It should serve as a Parastatal under the sports ministry. The labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain. That is what the National Anthem says.

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20 Politics Bode Bamkole

he Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Raji Fashola, could be described as a lucky person. How can one describe a man who came from obscurity into sudden limelight? Until he was handpicked by his boss and predecessor, Senator Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Fashola was running between late Kafaru Tinubu’s law chambers and courts across the country. Though a lawyer but totally inexperienced about governance, he was made the Chief of Staff, no

THURSDAY, march 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Charting new course for Lagos doubt he was loyal to his boss. Tinubu was looking for a greenhorn who will do his bidding. Fashola is a man without any discernible political experience or any knowledge of public administration. Tinubu identified the character he was looking for in Mr. Fashola so, he picked him as his candidate and successor in 2007. In the last eight years, Fashola had added too little to the value of life of the people of Lagos State. His talk about urban re-

INDEP ELECT ENDENT NAT ORAL C IO OMMIS NAL SION

Agbaje

generation is cheap, the people of Makoko and Iwaya in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area will not forget how

fire gutted their homes (or was he arson) and destroyed their source of livelihood. The squalor the people of Ijora Badia

in Apapa Local Government lives is a reminder of how Fashola and his predecessor has taken the people of Lagos State for a fool. Governor Fashola got it wrong when he asserted that Mr. Jimi Agbaje, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) knows nothing about Lagos. How can he quickly forget that Mr. Agbaje transversed the length and breadth of Lagos State in 2007 when he was the governorship candidate of Democratic People Alliance (DPA).

He knows where the shoe pinches. Agbaje’s manifestoes include regeneration of infrastructure and urban development. His vision then was to take Lagos to greater heights by judiciously using the resources of the people for the general good of the people. However, Mr. Fashola was right about promises made, promises unfulfilled. In 1999, his godfather, Tinubu, then the governor of Lagos State promised to build millennium schools in each of the local government areas of the state. Fashola should show us where those schools were built by his boss. Again in 2007, Fashola promised to build the Lagos Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lagosians are still waiting for the bridge. The promise to build Airport in Epe has proven to be a vote catching gimmick. With his own mouth he has confessed that he cannot complete the Badagry Express road/light rail project. When asked about his ambition to run for second term office in 2011, his response was any student that did well in an examination must not seek to repeat the same class. Any attempt on his part for a second term in office is a clear indication of his poor performance. Fashola was surely talking about himself when he said “any politician who makes you a promise and comes back after four years without fulfilling those promises and is promising you that he would do more, must be voted out. Any politician who cannot make definitive positive impact in your life within his first term of office will not do anything during the second term.” In the light of recent revelation in the AIT documentary on how our collective patrimony was cornered by the “Lion of Bourdillon,” Lagosians must resist any further attempt to use the broom to sweep our commonwealth into the lion’s den. APC has nothing but pain and exploitation to offer the people of Lagos State. If you are offered money by the APC for your votes take it, after all the money is from what was forcibly extorted from you through multiple taxations. Lagosians let us get it right this time around, vote en masse for Jimi Agbaje. He is the most credible alternative in Lagos. •Bamkole is a Marketing Communications Consultant and a politician.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

25 Health News

Health

Sickle Cell Foundation commends Arik Airline for support

Health News

Nestlé Waters champions water resources preservation

Endometriosis: ‘Early intervention prevents infertility’ Appolonia Adeyemi

igerian women afflicted with endometriosis have been advised to seek early diagnosis to prevent infertility and to tackle excruciating pain associated with the condition. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist/Infertility Specialist, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi said most times the condition is misdiagnosed, but noted that once diagnosed, laparascopy, a minor surgical procedure done under anesthesia has been found to be very effective in its treatment. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the endometrial growths and this helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices. Sadly, rather than seek medical solution to this crippling condition, majority of afflicted persons suffer the associated pain in silence. This has been attributed to lack of public awareness said Ajayi who is also the managing director of Nordica Fertility Centre . He spoke at a Breakfast for editors of print and broadcast media, organised by Nordica Fertility Centre and Endometriosis Support Group, Nigeria (ESGN), to mark ‘A Decade of Endometriosis Advocacy & Support’. Endometriosis is a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the womb and causing pelvic pain, especially associated with menstruation. It affects an estimated one in eight women and girls. It is found mainly in women of reproductive age and shrinks at menopause.

Appolonia Adeyemi appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

L-R: Publisher, CityPeople Magazine, Seye Kehinde, Dr. Olusegun Oyeniyi (representing the Minister of Health), MD, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi and The President Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Professor Brian Adinma, at the decade celebration of Endometriosis advocacy organised by Endometriosis Support Group, Nigeria (ESGN) in Lagos recently

However, despite being so common, there is very little in the way of public awareness about endometriosis. “Due to the lack of awareness in both the general public, as well as with medical professionals, it takes on average of six to 10 years of unnecessary suffering and countless visits to doctor after doctor before patients receive correct diagnosis,” said Ajayi, who is also the EndoMarch Country Affiliate Partner Rep & Lead Medical Consultant for Endometriosis Support Group, Nigeria.. Consequently, he said women and girls suffer in silence and risk “losing their organs, their pregnancies, and their fertility. Twenty-five to 50 percent of infertile women have endometriosis. Also, 30 to 40 percent of women with endometriosis are infertile. Furthermore, Ajayi said, “Women even lose their jobs, friends and family support as a result of misunderstanding about this serious, yet invisible disease.” However, he stated that the way out is to raise awareness about this issue as a strategy to help afflicted persons get help. It is for this reason that the ESGN has been at the forefront, actively lobbying for

Endometriosis affects an estimated one in eight women and girls

better outcomes, educational and awareness, care, treatment options and support for these women affected with the condition. On how to cope with the condition, he recommends increased exercises and getting counseling by joining people of like minds (endometriosis support group). However, the managing director of Nordica Fertility Center said, “suffers must know they are not alone; they can encourage each other; and they can share ideas on how to cope.” Dr. Olusegun Oyeniyi, Head of Reproductive Health Division of the Federal Ministry of Health, said the ministry is ready to give technical support as well as help to build capacity of medical personnel in endometriosis to reduce the morbidity and mortality of women in this sphere. On his part, the President of Society of Gynaecology & Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Prof.. Brian Adinma said nobody would want to be beset with pain; hence the larger society has a responsibility to help women that are affected to get off that situation. Endometriosis occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium) is found outside the

uterus -- usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum; the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva, and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations. This misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions which respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that the tissue of the uterine lining does: each month the tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus and out of the body through the vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial growths has no way of leaving the body. This results in internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from the lesions, and inflammation -- and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and bowel problems.

Symptoms of Endometriosis •Pain before and during periods •Pain with sex •Infertility •Fatigue •Painful urination during periods •Painful bowel movements during periods •Other Gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea. In addition, many women with endometriosis suffer from: •Allergies •Chemical sensitivities •Frequent yeast infections

26 Health News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Sickle Cell Foundation commends Nigerian Army celebrates Arik Airline for support World Oral Health Day Flora Onwudiwe

L - R: National Director, Sickle Cell Foundation (SCF), Dr. Annette Akinsete, Director, SCF, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje; Mr. Ramachandran Sivaswamy, Vice President - Commercial, Arik; and Mr. Ebenezer Adeleye, Programme Coordinator, SCF at a Press Forum on the Arik Air Inflight Donation Scheme in support of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria held at the National Sickle Cell Centre, Lagos.

Esther Albert

ickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) has urged the public and private sector, philanthropists, and public spirited Nigerians that are interested in saving lives to help generate funds for the treatment of sickle cell anemia patients. Executive chairman of SCFN, Professor Olu Akinyanju who made the call also commended Arik Airline for its efforts in generating funds for Sickle cell Foundation, which will be geared to alleviate the ordeal of patients with sickle cell disorder. Akinyanju spoke at the

Media Forum on the Inflight Scheme for Sickle Cell patients organised by the Sickle Cell Foundation (SCF) and Arik Airlines, which held in Lagos recently. Sickle cell anemia (sickle cell disease) is a disorder of the blood caused by inherited abnormal hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein within the red blood cells). The abnormal hemoglobin causes distorted (sickled) red blood cells. The sickled red blood cells are fragile and prone to rupture. The chairman of the SCF said that about 150,000 children are delivered yearly with sickle cell anemia. “This is the reason why the general public needs to

render help for the treatment of these patients.” He said generating such funds has become necessary to tackle sickle cell anaemia as well as reduce high incidence of death among suffers. Akinyanju said: “People have been dying of sickle cell anemia from childhood until it was discovered in America that these set of people could be treated with the help of trained researchers. On his own part, the Senior Vice President, Commercial Team, Arik Airline, Mr. Siva Ramachandran, affirmed that sickle cell carriers and disorder patients also need assistance and care from the general public.

he Nigerian Army Medical Corps on Friday joined the rest of the world to celebrate World Oral Health Day tagged with the theme: ‘Smile for Life.’ The event was held at the 9th Brigade Officers Mess, Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ikeja. The week long activities were to create awareness on issues of oral health and enlightening Nigerians on the importance of having a healthy oral life style. In attendance were the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, Commander Nigerian Army Medical Corps Major General Obashina .A.Ogunbiyi and other Senior Officers in the Army. Minimah, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding(GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army Lagos, Major General Tamunomeibi Dibi explained that oral

Ogunbiyi

health was quite essential in the army, adding that every interaction with the military personnel starts from the face, which is home to the mouth. According to him, a man’s health could be detected from his tongue. He said that doctors merely sometimes need to examine a patient’s tongue, to be able to detect that the person’s has malaria. He added: “An officer or personnel cannot give very audible and clear orders during parades if he has a dental or oral challenge.” In his lecture, Colonel Eto Adebayo, said: “The provision of proper medical care, dental and otherwise to the military personnel and their family members, will enhance the performances of the military and boost their morale in peace and in war.” Ogunbiyi said that he had employed trained personnel who would continue to provide their services so that the vision of the Chief of the Army Staff was accomplished. Ogunbiyi explained: “To ensure comprehensive, qualitative patient and family-centered care that will prevent diseases, restore good health and maximise operational readiness of troops, this symposium was tailored to address the relevance of oral care for military efficiency.” He said this was in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) which states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, social wellbeing and not the absences of diseases or infirmity.

Nestlé Waters champions water resources preservation

s part of activities to mark the 2015 World Water Day programme, Nestlé Waters Plc has urged Nigerians especially children to actively engage in the conservation and preservation of fresh water to sustain water supply. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman, Nestlé Waters, Mr. Marco Settembri made the call in his message at the 2015 World Water Day programme which held at the Nestlé Waters Factory in Agbara, Ogun State recently. Also, speaking at the occasion, Guy Bani - Nestlé Waters Regional Manager for Africa said, “2015 is the sixth consecutive year that our company is celebrating World Water Day on a global scale: 34 countries, over 9,000 children and around 700 employees are involved behind this common motto: ‘Together for Water’!” The event brought together 100 pupils from schools in Kosofe and Alimosho Local Government Areas in Lagos, as well as delegates from the Ministry of Education. The pupils and their teachers were on a factory tour to experience the production processes at the Nestlé Agbara plant. The participating schools joined other 80 schools that Nestlé has adopted to promote water stewardship and further expand Project WET – Wa-

Children participating in world water day programme

ter Education for Teachers in Nigeria. Water is a fundamental component of Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value focus areas, the other two being Nutrition and Rural Development. Creating Shared Value is Nestlé’s approach to sustainable business practices, and is based on the fundamental belief that for a company to be successful over

the long term and create value for shareholders, it must also create value for society. “We are eager to continue to expand the scope of our work with Nestlé Waters in this renewed partnership” said Dennis Nelson, president and CEO of Project WET Foundation. In his remarks, Guy Bani - Nestlé Waters Regional Manager for Africa

advised that the water conservation habits imbibed by the pupils should be put into full practice at all times in order to preserve water for the future. Nestlé is committed to work to achieve water efficiency across its operations, advocate for effective water policies and stewardship, treat the water it discharges from its factories, engages with suppliers, as well as raise awareness. Nestlé Waters and Project WET signed a new four-year partnership. “Two decades of support from Nestle Waters have enabled Project WET to bring hands-on, action-oriented water education to people in places that could not have been reached. The activities involved five interactive games chosen from the Water Education for Teachers module. They included Life Box, Aqua Bodies, Go with the Flow, Blue Planet and 8-4-1, One for All. This was followed by an interactive questions and answers segment with Star Bright Consulting, which is the nongovernmental organisation partnering the implementation of project WET in Nigeria. The WET trainers also shared some practical steps and activities that pupils could carry out in school and at home in conserving water.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Industry

ICT

Importers flood Nigeria with poisonous tomato paste

Resumption of 2.6Ghz band auction boosts broadband

Business What's news

Importers may lose 2,000 vehicles to Customs Importers and Customs agents may forfeit their April consignments if they failed to clear them within the next one week.

p.32

How multiple taxes impede telecoms’ growth, by operators Telecommunications networks in Nigeria have, for the umpteenth time, bemoaned the negative impact of multiple taxations on their infrastructure expansion.

South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, NoH Kyu-Duk, receiving some publications of National Orientation Agency (NOA) from the Director General, Mr. Mike Omeri, during an advocacy visit of the Ambassador to NOA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

Telecoms investments may slow this year – Investigation

p.32

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

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Sunday Ojeme

he ongoing electioneering activities, which are rife in the country, might contribute to slow investment layout by operators in the nation’s telecoms sector this year, New Telegraph has learnt.

According to investigation, while telecoms investment, both local and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the country has sky-rocketed to $32 billion as at the middle of last year from $25 billion in 2012, investment profile may elude the country this year. Telecoms investment in Nigeria has increased from around $500 million to over $32 billion from 2001 when government liberalised the telecoms sector and middle of last year. “Investment inflows into the nation’s telecoms sector this year may suffer a major setback as a result of the current political activities, which are at their

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%

DELAY Elections and insecurity in the country stalls telecoms investment

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Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

peak,” said a top official of one of the major telecoms operators in the country. The source, which spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that the fact that no telecoms operator had announced a major investment commitment in the first quarter of this year was ‘a clear pointer to the slow investment that should be expected in 2015.’

141 million Being total number of mobile voice subscriptions in Nigeria

According to findings, beyond the current charged political landscape in the country, the intense security issue, which is widespread in the northeastern part of the country is partly discouraging potential investors from coming into the country. “From my observation, every telecoms network is being conscious as of now because, if you have observed, in a place such as the north-eastern part of the country, carrying our major telecoms investment is a problem for the operators because of the insecurity situCONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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

DISPUTE

Customs move against importers over time cargo at port Bayo Akomolafe

mporters and Customs agents may forfeit their April consignments if they failed to clear them within the next one week. The affected shipments are over 2,000 vehicles abandoned between January and December 2014. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Port and Terminal Multi-services Terminal (PTML), Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, has given the duo two weeks to clear the goods. It was learnt that some importers and their agents made declarations between January and December last year, but had not paid for their consignments. In a circular on the command’s notice board, affected importers who had paid but have not cleared them were advised to show evidence of

Importers may lose 2,000 vehicles to Customs payment to enable them take delivery of the goods. But a Customs source

ation in that region,” said a telecoms analyst, Mr Akin Akinbo. Also, finding shows that a major investment that would have swelled up telecoms investment was the proposed auction of the 2.6-gigahertz spectrum band, whose initial auction slated for December last year was postponed indefinitely. However, the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, had rescheduled the 2.6-gigahertz band auction to hold in May 5-8, this year. With this, an investment expected in the first quarter of the year into the telecoms sector is effectively pushed to the second quarter of the year. Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, had stated her ministry’s efforts, working with agencies under its fold, especially the NCC and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to increase investment inflow in the country. She said that while the voice segment of the nation’s telecoms sector has grown significantly, the next investment area is the development of

said that some of the goods listed had entered overtime and had been

auctioned. NCS warned that failure to comply with the

directive may lead to suspension of the consignees’ declaration in the

Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) system.

L-R: Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Joseph Dawha, at this year’s Nigerian Oil & Gas Conference, entitled “The Journey Towards Transformation,” in Abuja.

Slow telecoms investments CONTINUED FROM PAG E 3 1

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

broadband segment of the country, which she described as the next growth frontier for the country. “Having achieved so much in the area of mobile voice subscriptions from around 400,000 in 2001 to over 141 million subscriber base currently, Nigeria is focusing on attracting investment into building its nextgeneration broadband network,” she said. Also, a proposed N20 billion investment, being planned by 2.3Ghz spectrum licence holder, Bitflux is also facing some delay. A Director at Bitflux, Mr. Sunday Omoniyi, had hinted that the investment in equipment, which would be deployed to launch services on its 2.3Ghz band, would kick off in January. But when contacted recently, he said that the investment had been shifted to the second quarter of the year, stressing “that is when we expect to roll out properly.” But speaking in Lagos, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, has promised that, “just as it has continued to do, the Commission would continue to ensure improvement in the operating environment so as to make the industry more investor-friendly.”

How multiple taxes impede telecoms’ growth, by operators SERVICE QUALITY

Multiple taxations affect quality of service

Kunle Azeez

elecommunications networks in Nigeria have, for the umpteenth time, bemoaned the negative impact of multiple taxations on their infrastructure expansion. The operators spoke through their umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON). Speaking with New Telegraph by phone, ALTON President, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, said that multiple taxations and other frivolous charges usually levied on telecoms operators have been having impeding accelerated infrastructure deployment by the telecoms companies. He said: “In deploying their infrastructure, telecoms operators have had to contend with multiple taxation challenges, as all sorts of taxes of various nomenclatures are imposed on telecoms networks before they can be allowed to law fibre cables or build base stations.” This, he said, has further been complicated as govern-

ments, especially state and local and their different agencies “now see telecoms as cash cow, which they target to boost their Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR).” New Telegraph learnt that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communication Technology, has embarked on ‘Smart States’ initiative to tackle the issues of multiple taxations in each state of the federation. The scheme is geared towards engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal levels to address the issue of multiple taxations, impeding the acceleration of the rollout of telecoms critical infrastructure across Nigeria. Through this, government aims to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations across the nation. Following the success recorded in Lagos where Right of Way (RoW) charges imposed on telecoms networks was slashed significantly to encourage faster rollout by the telecoms networks, the Federal Government had signed ‘Smart State’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with states such as Lagos, Cross River and Federal Capital Territory. The scheme is also being

advanced in Bayelsa, Anambra and Ondo, with others expected to follow later this year. But industry stakeholders observe that the Federal Government appears to have softpedalled on its initial frantic efforts to extend to other states of the federation so as to accelerate the deepening of broadband penetration from its current eight per cent to 30 per cent by 2018. Adebayo, who also made a similar observation, urged the ministry to strengthen its efforts in engaging more state governments to sign up to the ‘Smart State’ initiative, saying that allowing telecoms operators to roll out faster in a state will boost the economic development of such a state. The ALTON President, however, called for a one-stopshop approach to tax collection from telecoms companies in Nigeria. “It is better and faster for a telecoms company to approach a single office and pay all the charges it needs to pay to embark on any expansion project and complete such a project in record time than to go to multiple offices and pay and yet, by the time you start building your infrastructures, another government agencies or bodies are stopping you, demanding frivolous charges before you can be allowed to proceed with your project,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

NEPC intensifies move to raise non-oil export p.34 Local manufacturers of tomato paste cry out over influx of fake and sub-standard products. DELE ALAO writes

his is perhaps not the best of time for indigenous manufacturers of tomato paste and genuine importers of the product. Although, the devaluation of the naira might have affected every manufacturer, the activities of importers of fake and sub-standard tomato paste make the impact worse on tomato paste manufactures. Local manufacturers and genuine importers are now reeling under the pains of losing billions of naira to importation of unwholesome tomato pastes. The tomato industry is one of the sub-sectors where Nigeria is highly advantaged. Nigeria is ranked second largest producer of tomato in Africa and thirteenth largest in the world, producing 1.701 million tonnes of tomato annually at an average of 25-30 tonnes per hectare. Despite this advantage, Nigeria imports processed tomato paste to the tune of 65,809 tons valued at N11.7 billion annually. Major importers are Olam, Conserveria Africana Ltd and Chi Group Ltd. The reason for this is not farfetched; not less than 50 per cent of the tomato produced in the country is lost due to lack of preservation. According to World Food Science, about 30-50 per cent of perishable produce are lost after harvest due to poor storage system and humid weather condition exacerbated by poor marketing distribution and access to markets. The tomato industry is one of the sub-sectors where Nigeria is highly advantaged. Despite this advantage, however, past records showed Nigeria imported processed tomato paste to the tune of 65,809 tons valued at N11.7 billion annually. This is attributed to not less than 50 per cent of the tomato produced in the country that is lost due to lack of preservation. According to World Food Science, about 30-50 per cent of perishable produce are lost after harvest due to poor storage system and humid weather condition ex-

Kunle Azeez

Small and Business Entrepreneurship (SME) empowerment project embarked upon by an Information Technology company, Microsoft, will be open to 1, 000 applicants who will compete for 100 spaces to participate in the initiative. The initiative, tagged ‘Microsoft Cloud Start-Up academy’ and also known as the Cloudpreneur Project, will train 100 Nigerian start-ups and consequently provide 20 with mentorship to manage and sustain their cloud-based businesses.

Industry

Importers flood Nigeria with poisonous tomato paste ing Nigerians by selling starch and colouring in the name of tomato paste. Also, reports from the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) survey revealed that such killer tomato paste with colouring are carcinogenic and therefore unfit for human consumption. At a recent forum on the influx of fake and substandard tomato paste, the President of Erisco Foods Limited, local manufacturers of Ric-Giko tomato paste, Chief Eric Umeiofia, said that apart from the cancer-causing colouring, the starch contained in those products is clearly harmful to unsuspecting diabetic patients. The importers have been doing this by luring unsuspecting Nigerians with banned synthetic colouring agents which are eye-catching and other substandard ingredients and with sell at cheap prices. Jonathan

Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga

acerbated by poor marketing distribution and access to markets. A 2011 study showed that Nigeria paid $360 million to import more than 300,000 metric tons annually of tomato paste from companies including Hebei, China-based Baoding Sanyuan Food Packing Co. and Singapore’s Olam International Ltd (OLAM) a year. No doubt, the country has become a dumping ground for all sorts of tomato pastes mostly from Asia and especially China. The situation is so worrisome that in 2014, the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, reeled out a frightening figure on how much the country was spending on the importation of the product. Sanusi, who made this known at the inauguration of the National Tomato Technical Working Group (NTTWG) in Kano, said that there was a huge deficit in the supply of tomato required in the country, leading to a huge annual

NAFDAC survey revealed that such killer tomato paste with colouring are carcinogenic

import bill on tomato paste to the tune of about N16 billion. According to the former CBN governor, the development was due to high demand for tomato in the country, which unfortunately, the farmers could not meet as a result of poor storage methods. He said: “The demand for tomato is currently estimated at 2.3 million metric tons per annum, while the output is 1.8 million metric tons. Due to lack of good storage facilities and poor developed marketing channels, up to 50 per cent of the tomato produced is lost.” Undue advantage This wide gulf between demand and supply is said to have been fully exploited by unscrupulous Nigerians and their foreign collaborators by importing fake and substandard tomato paste. Recently, it was discovered that a group of Asians and their Nigerian collaborators have been kill-

Dangote to the rescue? Two years ago, Aliko Dangote took the step to rest foreign importation of tomato paste when he teamed up with the CBN to establish a $25 million tomato paste factory in Kadawa, Kano State. With the establishment of the factory, it is expected that the deficit in the supply will be addressed. Also, the coming on board of the factory described as one of the largest in Africa, the country’s dependence on tomato paste and puree importation, experts said, may soon come to an end. This is coming on the heels of more than 400,000 tons of tomato paste to be produced by Dangote tomato factory upon completion. The country currently consumes 900,000 tons annually. However, as at the time of filing in this report, it was gathered that most of the importing companies were also looking inward to begin local manufacturing in order to mitigate the burden of importation and its negative effects on the economy and the health of the citizens.

1,000 compete in Microsoft’s SME empowerment project The scheme, launched in collaboration with Fate Foundation and Mara Mentor and which commenced on March, 20 will end on April 19, 2015. It will provide participating startups with entrepreneurship, cloud and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training. In a statement, Managing Director of Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Kabelo Makwane, said Microsoft was committed to improving youth skills for both entrepreneurship and employ-

ability across Africa. “Our efforts in Nigeria started with the launch of the Employability Portal in 2013, which provides a platform for youth to learn leadership skills and network with other leaders. Now through the Cloudpreneur Project, we hope to enable and empower young business owners, so that they can contribute to the social and economic growth of Nigeria,” he said. He explained that the companies participating in the limited

spaces must have been in business for one to three years. From these applications, 100 successful participants will be chosen. The participants will receive a four-week training in business management, sales, technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, communication and start-ups management. Following this, 30 of these 100 participants will be provided with startup models and, finally, the top 20 performers will be mentored on how to build their own Cloud-based

business. “Cloud technology has the potential to transform competitiveness amongst startups and SMEs, which is why we’re encouraging adoption of the Cloud through this project. It delivers easier access to IT, slashes costs, improves productivity and enables more agile, innovative business models, where everything startups need can be accessed and done on the web anywhere, anytime and off any device,” Kabelo said.

Business | Industry

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEPC intensifies move to raise non-oil export NEW One-State-OneProduct (OSOP) initiative under way Stories by Dele Alao

ith the decline from $2.970 billion to 2.714 billion recorded in the country’s non-oil export between 2013 and 2014, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), has con-

cluded plans to launch the One State One Product (OSOP) initiative targeted at developing and promoting one product for export per state. In this regard, the Council has identified 13 National Strategic Export Products (NSEPs) that will replace oil as part of diversification of the economy, using the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the Nigerian Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) as key strategies. The NSEPs are grouped

under three categories, Agro-industrial (Palm oil, Cocoa, Cashew, Sugar, Rice); Mining related products (Cement, Iron ore, Metals, Auto parts/ cars, Aluminium); Oil and Gas industrial products (Petroleum products, Fertilizer/Urea, Petrochemical and Methanol). At a two-day capacity building programme for state committees on Export Promotion and City Chambers of Commerce and Industries in all states of the Federation, Executive Director/

Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, said that Nigeria’s exports were still dominated by oil while its non-oil exports were dominated by agriculture. Meanwhile, in order to boost the country’s export business, NEPC said it was planning to organise an outward trade mission. Principal Executive Officer in the Kano Zonal Office, NEPC, Alhaji Saidu Sada, noted that implementing government’s

export policies and programmes was necessary in order to promote the non-oil sector of the nation’s economy. “Our vision is to make the non- oil export sector a significant contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said. The NEPC official added that the implementation of the Federal Government’s export policies and programmes would facilitate export in order to promote sustainable economic development.

“We promote the development and diversification of Nigeria’s export trade. We also maintain adequate and effective representation in other countries,’’ Sada said. NEPC, he said, would continue to provide technical assistance to local exporters to enhance economic growth and development in the country.

FG tasks miners on 2% contribution to GDP

he Federal Government has said it expects not less than two per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the mining sector in the country. According to the Federal Government, the expectation is borne out of the ongoing reforms in the sector. The formal miners have also been warned to henceforth comply strictly with taxation laws guiding mining operations or risk revocation of their operational licences. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Sada, who gave the warning during an oversight visit to the office of Tongyi Allied Mining Company in Abuja, said: “This visit is aimed at satisfying government expectations of accessing companies that are formally permitted to operate by way of ensuring that they pay taxes to boost our nation’s revenue. Counting from now, Federal Government expects that if these companies keep faith with winning acts, at least two per cent of the country’s GDP will come from the mining sector. To achieve this dream, we will not relent in tracking gauntlets and withdrawing their rights.” He explained that while government intends to diversify the sector, it was bent on ensuring that miners adhered strictly to host communities’ development agreement to further boost national growth. It would be recalled that Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) met with the patrons of the Miners’ Association of Nigeria at the NEXIM House in Abuja to further deliberate on a strategic framework the bank and the association are developing to better structure and attract sustainable investments to the solid minerals sector.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

ICT

Minister seeks local efforts to hasten digital access p.36 The much-awaited boost in high-speed Internet penetration is almost coming to fruition, as the telecoms regulator, last week, resumed the licensing round of the 2.6 gigahertz spectrum band, reports KUNLE AZEEZ

Resumption of 2.6Ghz band auction boosts broadband

trum resources. “Using auction provides better approach to manage competition; a fair and transparent allocation process while it also allows the regulator to allocate to those most likely to deploy resources valuably and to meet the market circumstances, among others,” he said, adding that the NCC was determined to put in place measures to improve broadband penetration in the country.

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), last week, released a new Information Memorandum (IM) heralding the resumption of the proposed 2.6 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band auction, whose licensing to industry players, both incumbents and new entrants, is expected to enhance high-speed internet penetration in the country. NCC had, last November, postponed the plan to auction the spectrum band, initially slated for early December, 2014. In a statement issued to announce the postponement, the NCC had informed parties interested in participating in the auction of frequency spectrum licences in the 2.6 GHz band that it had decided to postpone the process of the suction. It also said that the postponement “is to enable the conclusion of all administrative requirements aimed at ensuring that the frequency licences are delivered to winners and be effective immediately on conclusion of the auction.” The Commission, therefore, informed the entire industry stakeholder that, by the announcement, the initial timetable for the auction was also suspended, promising that a new programme, including timetable, would be published in due course. Auction resumption Meanwhile, after four months of hiatus, the telecoms regulator, last week, said that the coast was now clear for the auspicious auctioning of the 2.6 GHz spectrum band to hold. While announcing the resumption of the spectrum auction rounds, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, particularly urged interested bidders to look up the IM on the Commission’s website and be guided accordingly. The IM defines the process that the Commission has decided to adopt for the licensing of 2x70 Megahertz (MHz) paired spectrum available in the 2.6GHz band. It also provides information on the Nigerian telecommunications market, details of the spectrum to be made available, pre-qualification process, the auction process and indicative timetable, among others. Also, throwing more light on the imminent auction during a

Johnson

Juwah

presentation in Lagos, Director, Spectrum Administration (DSA) at NCC, Mr Austin Nwaulune, said that the 2.6GHz Spectrum had been influenced by the need to open up the space for the delivery of present and future generations of broadband services to subscribers in consonance with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NBP) of 2013-2018. The NBP, approved by the Federal Government in 2013, is a policy direction targeted at increasing broadband penetration to 30 per cent in the next four years. New timetable According to the new IM, it is planned that the auction will take place during the week commencing May 4, but effectively hold from May 5-8, 2015, while the auction will be an Ascending Clock Auction. In addition, the final result of the winners of the spectrum auctions shall be announced on June 2, 2015. Noting that the spectrum band is key for both new entrants and incumbent operators, Nwaulune explained that the Commission arrived at this after wide consultations with relevant industry stakeholders to determine the best way to issue the spectrum. “Based on these and observations of developments in the international licensing trends, the Commission has decided to license the available 2x70 MHz slot in slots of 5MHz to be aggregated by applicants through the spectrum auction process,” he said. The spectrum, it was learnt, will be offered on technology neutral basis, but for rollout basis, the Commission will follow the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommen-

dation, setting aside Spectrum in the 2.6GHz band for the provision of Advanced Wireless Broadband Services. According to IM, while the reserved price has been pegged at $16 million for a lot of 2x5 megahertz (MHz), at the end of the auction, each winning licensee will be issued a National Spectrum Licence for 10 years and will also qualify for a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL). “On completion of the Auction Process, the Commission will issue each winner a 10 year National Spectrum licence on a state by state basis and the Federal Capital Territory. Each winner who does not currently hold a Unified Access Service License (UASL), which is the operational licence, will be issued one at an additional fee of N374.6 million,” the IM clearly states.

Achieving ubiquitous broadband is the next growth frontier

Pre-qualification criteria According to IM, to pre-qualify, an applicant does not necessarily have to hold any telecoms operational licence, but “must be independent from all other applicants under this allocation process; transfer an intention to Bid Deposit (IBD) being 10 per cent of the reserved bid price; while licensed operators participating in the process must fulfil all existing obligations to the Commission, including payments of Annual Operating Levy (AOL), Spectrum and National Numbering Plan fees prior to pre-qualification.” Meanwhile, explaining why the Commission opted for the auction exercise for most of its spectrum sales, Nwaulune said that auction exercise is an efficient way to assign scarce spec-

Benefits Currently, broadband penetration, which stood at six per cent in 2013, has further increased to eight per cent, according to the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, who argued that, after having achieved a significant growth in the voice market, achieving ubiquitous broadband is the next growth frontier in the nation’s telecoms industry. Explaining why Nigeria needs broadband spectrum such as 2.6Ghz to achive is targeted 30 per cent broadband penetration, Nwaulune said: “Data traffic on mobile broadband networks in Nigeria is growing exponentially; consumers and business users turned to smartphones, connected laptops, tablet computers; while several other devices to access the Internet, email, business applications and social networking services are also on the rise.” He said, broadband spectrum will provide broadband services to many communities beyond the reach of the limited fixed-line infrastructure; enables operators deliver real broadband and help to realise the National Broadband Plan objective. Besides, he said that spectrum band also provides an opportunity to meet rapidly rising demand for capacity to deliver mobile broadband services on a widespread, common basis across the world. “The 2.6GHz radio Spectrum band is a ‘capacity band’; wellsuited for the next generation of broadband technologies and needed by all players in the industry, both incumbents and new entrants,” Nawulune said. Improved IM Meanwhile, the NCC said that the previous comments and questions from stakeholders as well as the responses provided by the Commission to the IM published on the Commission’s website before the suspension of the 2.6 GHz auction process in November 2014 are included as part of the new IM, which industry stakeholders say would help in providing robust information to prospective bidders as well as driving the transparency of the auction process.

Business | ICT

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Minister seeks local efforts to hasten digital access GAP Multi-stakeholders approach needed to support local content’s development on ICT Stories by Kunle Azeez

inister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, has emphasised the need for stake-

holders in the country to promote the promotion of local efforts towards bridging the digital access gap in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. The minister made the call during a visit to the newly-commissioned solar power solutions plant by an indigenous ICT company, Omatek Ventures Plc. Johnson said, “Nigeria requires the contributions of all stakeholders to support local content growth in the ICT industry. As government makes

policy to support private sector investment, the investors must package their product using world-class standard, which will ultimately change the perception of the consumers to want to buy our locallymanufactured products.” She urged Omatek to continue its efforts in bridging digital divide in the country through computer assembly business and its newly-created solar solution business. “We would continue to come up with policy that guarantees support for business through

L-R: Former Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe; Managing Director, Edo State Information and Communication Technology Agency, Ms. Yemi Keri; Head, IDEA Hub, Mr. Victor Okigbo; Executive Director, Commercial, Promasidor, Mr. Kachi Onubogu; Chief Information Officer, Skye Bank, Mr. Richard Amafonye and an Information Technology expert, Mr. Pius Eke, during a Customer Week Workshop organised by Signal Alliance in Lagos.

NCC to give out N11m prizes in tennis tourney

s part of its corporate social responsibility investment, telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has thrown its weight behind the sponsorship of a tennis tournament with N11 million, which will be given out as prizes to the winners. While speaking at the draw for the maiden edition of the tournament, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said that the tennis competition tagged ‘NCC Cup’ is open to all, including the best male and female tennis players in Nigeria. The maiden edition of the NCC Cup will feature eight teams made up of Team FCT, Abuja, Team Tombim, Abuja; Team Ogun State, Abeokuta; Team Delta, Asaba, Team Kalotari, Port Harcourt, Civil Defence, Ibadan, Team Anambra, Onitsha and CBN Features Team, Kaduna. The teams, according to a statement, will be divided into two groups with the best from each group emerging for the semi-final playoffs. After the semi-final deciders, the teams will assemble in one location for the first, second, third and fourth playoffs. Ojobo said that the regulator’s venture into the sponsorship is the Commission’s mod-

est contribution towards the engagement of the Nigerians youths through sports. “As this competition is not only limited to the youth, it is also our own way of encouraging those who are either engaged in the sport or are enthusiastic about the game. “It is also our contribution towards positive engagement of players from various parts of the country to compete among themselves as a way of sharpening their skills for greater accomplishments, even in the international arena,” he said. Explaining the structure of the tourney, Ojobo said: “The structure of this championship makes it very intensive. More so, we have prizes beyond the record prize money of N5 million for the winning team. The runners-up will go home with N3 million, while the third placed team and the fourth will also go home with N2 million and N1 million respectively. “We want to believe that the participating teams and their sponsors will utilise this prize money to further strengthen their squads for not only this tournament but other tournaments that would propel these players to Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour rankings.”

our local content initiative. More importantly, we urge Omatek to continue in its two lines of business: computer assembly and solar technology solutions, as the two are key to bridging digital divide and ensuring energy consumption efficiency in the country respectively.” Speaking earlier at the event, Chief Executive Officer, Omatek, Mrs. Florence Seriki, said that her company addresses Nigeria’s lingering electricity supply challenge by deploying solar technology solutions to reduce power consumption by as a much as 85 per cent. Already, the company, known for its innovations, had commissioned its 50KVA 3-phase offgrid solar solution factory that will represent the solar solution for factories, banks, telecoms firms, government and other organisations that require big power installations. Off-grid solutions, on-grid solutions as well as LED bulbs were also displayed at the event, attended by stakeholders from both private and public sectors at Omatek factory in Oregun, Ikeja. The event witnessed the commissioning of 12watts, 20 watts, 500 watts power solutions that replace the “I better pass my neighbour generator”, which Seriki said were for small homes, shops, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), churches, rural electrification

and rural system, street lighting implementation, schools and farmers among others. She said: “These are allin-one installations assembled locally and packed with Omatek’s solar, inverter, battery, controller in all-in-one carton and can be self-installed. “Omatek Solar Solution, which is a hybrid solution that provides 24 hours lighting/power solution by use of our solar-led bulb-inverter hybrid solution; whilst providing 70 - 90 per cent cut/deduction in power consumption and drastically reducing power consumption by an average of 85 per cent on the overall grid; thus enhancing growth in the real sector and general economic development.” She said: “We have installed these solutions in schools, homes, offices and factories and proud to inform you that the education sector welcomed not just provision of power and green energy, the hostels and all reading areas have 24 hours lighting and this bridges the digital gap in our schooling system as students had stopped reading in darkness.” She also explained that, Omatek had almost completed the setup and the establishments of two local factories that will manufacture solar panels and the LED bulbs, stressing only the all-in-one solutions are currently being produced locally.

How to tackle electricity theft with IT, by CWG

igeria’s Information and Communication technology (ICT) conglomerate, Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG), said it was working with its foreign partners to deploy IT solutions that allow distribution companies (Discos) to detect cases of theft in usage of electricity by customers. Chief Technology Officer, CWG Plc., Mr James Agada, stated this in a presentation made available to New Telegraph. He said that government had taken vital steps in resuscitating the electricity sector from privatisation, intervention funds, meter procurement and investment in new power plants towards addressing the problem of electricity efficiency in the country. The expert, however, noted that the fundamental changes would take time to fully turn the sector around and assure Nigerians of constant power supply. Agada, quoting the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedun Nebo, said that government had recently pointed out that with technical and commercial losses running

at 75 per cent in some areas, the entire system will struggle to make the necessary investment to ensure a sustainable and reliable power system. “A large percentage of about 50-60 per cent of these losses can be attributed to energy theft - people consuming power without paying for it. This can happen either inadvertently or deliberately. It happens inadvertently because the power companies are not metering and collecting the payment. “This is usually a smaller percentage because the power companies simply use estimated billing to cover for the unmetered consumers. The deliberate stealing of electricity is widespread and happens through various schemes, including - direct connection to the overhead low tension distribution cables, bypassing the meter so that only a small load is connected to it while the rest are connected directly to the supply behind the meter or tampering with the meter to make its reading inaccurate,” he said. Agada explained that the deliberate stealing of

electricity was, more often than not, aided by experienced technicians, who understand how the systems work. “In these instances, the use of smart meters, which are able to send their status readings to a central server, are easily outfoxed. The smart meter will only have records of the electricity passing through the network it is connected to. If it is by-passed, or the connection is directly to the distribution line, the smart meter is unable to detect and report the anomaly. “When the meter is, itself, tampered with by experienced technicians, they may also be able to fool the meter into not reporting the breach. Smart meters depend on being able to communicate their status to a central server, which can then analyse the information and, hopefully, be able to infer thefts using different algorithms,” he said. The CWG CTO said that considering the amount of data each meter produces, a few organisations can afford the computing power needed to execute these algorithms in near real time.

Photo | News

L-R: Representative of the National Security Adviser, Major-General J. B. Samuel; Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba and Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attairu Jega, during INEC’s National Stakeholders’ Summit on the 2015 general elections in Abuja. PHOTO: ELIJAH

L-R: Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman; General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Fan Ndubuike and Director, Air Transport Regulation (DATR), Mr. Justus Wariya, during the DG’s meeting with members of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), at the NCAA Annex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: Lay President, Methodist Church, Diocese of Lagos West, Mr. Akin Hanson; Host Bishop, Rt. Rev. Oluyemisi Ogunlere and Guest Preacher, Bishop of Methodist Church, Diocese of Remo, Rt. Rev. Gboyega Ohu, during the Synod Thanksgiving service of Methodist Church, Nigeria, Diocese of Lagos West, held at the Christ Methodist Church, Idimu, Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Convener, Coalition of Concerned Nigerians (CCN), Otunba Gani Adams; National Coordinator, National Traders and Market Leaders Council of Nigeria, Chief Anslem Njoku and Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Communication, Mr. Razaq Oladosu, at an interactive session on the 2015 general elections in Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

President Goodluck Jonathan (right), exchanging pleasantries with former President of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (middle), during a meeting of the President with Igbo Leaders of Thought and Elders’ Council in Owerri.

L-R: Former Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Fash Yusuf; Managing Director, Daily Independent newspapers, Mr. Ted Iwere; Guest Speaker and Chairman/CEO, Channels Television Limited, Mr. John Momoh and President, UNILAG Mass Communication Alumni Association (UMCAA), Chief. Lawson Omokhodion, during the first distinguished lecture series of UMCAA, entitled: The mass Media: setting the Nigerian Agenda, held at UNILAG Lagos.

L-R: Representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Hassan Danbaba; Director of Finance, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Olalekan Adebola and Pakistan High Commissioner, Lt.-Gen. Mohammad Saleem, at the Pakistani National Day held in Abuja.

L-R: Representative of the Director-General, National Council for Women Development, Mrs. Jummai Adeniji; Deputy Country Representative, UN Women, Adjaratu Ndiaye; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi and Director, Women and Gender Affairs, Mrs. Iran Asufu, at a women’s conference in commemoration of 2015 International Women’s Day in Abuja.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Mom&Parenting

A mother’s dilemma If some things should be hidden, breastfeeding isn’t one of them. Breastfeeding one’s baby is a normal and natural thing to do. Babies have a right to be breastfed and mothers have the right to breastfeed. But where and how they feed their babies when they are in the public is what calls for concern. Oluwatosin Omoniyi looks at some critical remarks that confront mothers on daily basis.

ast week, in a company somewhere in Ikeja, a nursing mother went to see a client with her seven month old baby girl. Typical of babies, she started crying for attention. All efforts to pacify the baby failed until the mother brought out her breast to feed the baby. What made it an issue was that she had to raise all of her gown up in a bid to feed her child. Her excuse was that she didn’t know the baby would get to demand for breast milk since she had fed her properly before leaving home! And that was her reason for wearing the tight-fitting corporate gown that left no space for breastfeeding. Another scene was inside a commercial bus when a baby boy of about five months was crying uncontrollably. The mother tried all she could do to calm him but the baby’s hunger wouldn’t be pacified. Voices from other fellow passengers inside the bus did not help either. The obviously young mother probably got more confused, as she did not know what to do. She broke down in tears too. Suddenly, from behind, a mighty palm slap descended on her back ordering her to bring out her breast for the baby to suck. The voice yelled “if you wish to preserve the firmness and privacy of your breast, you shouldn’t have considered having a child in the first place.” And when she eventually brought out the breast to feed the baby, another voice by her side snared “is this the rubbish you are suffering the child for?” Who cares how you look after having a child?” Well, other voices rose in her defense but the lady felt terrible and obviously did not reach her destination before she begged the driver to stop at the next available bus stop so that she could alight

Mom&Parenting Team

Oluwatosin Omoniyi Coordinator

Calming the baby with breast milk

Breastfeeding without exposing all PHOTO: www.parent24.com PHOTO: WWW.HAOCAST.COM

Feeding her baby Affectionately breastfeeding her child PHOTO:www.sbfphc.worldpress.com PHOTO: WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

from the bus. While some are not prepared for all required of motherhood, some are braced for it. Such is the case of Kate Harrison, a biochemist, who was caught in the act of breastfeeding her baby in the market! “Well, I am prepared for it since the day I became a mother. It’s their right that they are fed; where and how it is done, does not matter to the babies, so long they are fed when they need it. More so, I don’t want unnecessary attention when the baby was crying,” she said. For Fiona Adams, mother of two, every other thing is inconsequential when the baby is hungry and needed to be fed. “I always have a shawl to cover up whenever I have to breast feed in public,” she said. Susan Abayomi, a nursing mother, said she can never breastfeed her baby in the public! “Why should I do that? Is it because I am married now that I will have to forget my youthfulness?” No, I can’t feed my baby in

the public and it has never caught me unawares. I would have fed the child properly before leaving the house. I will also put some inside the feeding bottle. Before he finishes that extract, we would have been home or in a secluded place where I can breastfeed the child naturally and properly. Kehinde Awosiyan, a teacher and mother of four believes that it is not an offence to breast feed one’s baby in the open but how the mother goes about it, is what matters. She said there are dresses and braziers a nursing mother should consider when still lactating. This, she noted makes it easier and stylish to feed the baby without necessarily exposing all of her and calling for preventable attention. Susan Condon, an American based lactation consultant said not only is there is no qualms to breast feed in public or private, as long as she’s authorised to be there. “Some states in America have laws so strict that ask-

It is important for mothers to believe in themselves and their choice of breastfeeding

ing a nursing mother to stop, cover up, or move elsewhere is a violation of her civil rights and gives her grounds to sue for damages in a court of law,” she said. Recently, in Sao Paulo, the city council of Brazil’s biggest city passed a measure that could fine businesses or organizations more than $300 if they prevent women from breast-feeding in public. Bunmi Folusho,a legal practitioner in Nigeria said that Nigerian law does not anticipate violation of a mother performing her civic rights to her baby in public or anywhere, “as such, no provision for such law but the society does not frown on or mind a mother feeding her child openly. It is her business,” she said. Even with the growing awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, Nigerian parents mostly the young and trendy ones still find it difficult to do so in public. But Yetrunde Odewunmi, a social worker and grandmother advised that it is important for mothers to believe in themselves and their choice of breastfeeding. She gave some useful tips for breastfeeding in public which include: For Safety reasons, wear clothes that allow easy access to your breasts, such as tops that pull up from the waist or button down. Use a special breastfeeding blanket around your shoulders. Some babies do not like this, though, so you’ll have to see what works for your baby. Breastfeed your baby in a sling. Slings or other soft infant carriers are especially helpful for traveling. It makes it easier to keep your baby comforted and close to you. Slip into a women’s lounge or dressing room to breastfeed. Practice at home so that you can ensure you are only being as revealing as you feel comfortable with. Choose an easy-access bra. Many mothers find a stretchy sports-type bra works well for them; rather than having to undo a snap or other fastening, they can simply pull the cup of the bra down under their breasts to feed the baby. If you are using a nursing bra where you need to lower the cup, it might help to practise undoing it one-handed at home (and doing it up again after) so that you’re confident about managing it out in public. Smile! If you notice someone glancing in your direction as you breastfeed your baby, even if they are frowning or looking horrified, give them a smile! You know you are doing something very important for your child, and that’s a good thing. If you show your confidence with a friendly smile, you may defuse the situation.

40 Mom&Parenting

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

MOM’S ALERT with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Instant Noodles: The good, the bad, the ugly

Developing the children’s skills and mental ability

PHOTO: WWW.STREETFOOTBALLWORLD.ORG

Raising mentally strong kids

ccording to Amy Morin, a discipline expert, mentally strong kids are prepared for the challenges of the world. They’re able to tackle problems productively, bounce back from failure effectively, and cope with hardships competently. Helping kids build mental strength equips them to deal with life’s challenges, both big and small. Morin added that mentally strong kids don’t act tough or suppress their emotions. They also don’t become stubborn or treat others unkindly. Instead, developing mental strength is about building resilience and helping kids have the courage and confidence to reach their full potential. She however offered a three-pronged approach into helping kids develop their mental strength. It include, teaching them to replace negative thoughts with more realistic thoughts, helping them learn to control their emotions so their emotions don’t control them, and showing them how to behave productively despite their circumstances. “There are several parenting strategies, discipline techniques, and teaching tools that can help kids grow stronger. Here are 10 strategies for helping your child build mental strength: Teach Specific Skills Discipline shouldn’t be about punishing, it should be about teaching. Look at your child’s misbehavior as an opportunity to teach specific skills, such as problem-solving skills, impulse control, and self-discipline skills. These skills will help your child learn to behave productively, even when he’s faced with temptation, tough circumstances and difficult setbacks. Let Your Child Make Mistakes Allow your child to learn some important life lessons by making his own mistakes. Teach your child that mistakes are part of the learning process so he doesn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed for getting something wrong. Allow for natural consequences when it’s safe to do so and talk about how to avoid repeating the same mistake next time. Calm the Negativity It’s hard for kids to feel mentally strong when they’re bombarding themselves with put-downs or when they’re predicting doom and gloom. Teach your child to silence the negativity and think more realistically. Looking at life’s inevitable obstacles realistically, yet optimistically helps kids perform at their peak. Help Your Child Face Fears If your child avoids things that are scary, he’ll never have an opportunity to gain confidence in his ability to deal with stress. Whether your child is afraid of the dark, or he doesn’t want to challenge himself to try new things, help your child face his fears. When kids successfully face their fears, they’ll gain confidence to step outside their comfort zones so they can keep growing stronger.

Allow Your Child to Feel Uncomfortable Although it can be tempting to help a child when he’s struggling, rescuing him from all distress will only reinforce to him that he’s helpless. Whether your child is feeling frustrated with his math homework, or he’s struggling to resolve an argument with a friend, let your child experience some discomfort and give him an opportunity to solve the problem independently. Kids can build mental strength by successfully learning they can deal with their emotions. Focus on Building Character Kids need a strong moral compass to help them make healthy decisions. Work hard to instill your values in your child. Create opportunities for life lessons that reinforce your values regularly. For example, emphasize the importance of honesty and compassion, rather than winning at all costs. Children who understand their values are more likely to make healthy choices even when others may disagree with their actions. Make Gratitude a Priority Gratitude is a wonderful remedy for selfpity and other bad habits that can prevent your child from being mentally strong. Help your child affirm all the good in the world, so that even on his worst days, he’ll see that he has much to feel thankful for. Gratitude can boost a child’s mood and encourage proactive problem-solving. Affirm Personal Responsibility Building mental strength involves accepting personal responsibility. Allow for explanations but not excuses when your child makes a mistake or misbehaves. Correct your child if he tries to blame others for how he thinks, feels, or behave. Teach Emotion Regulation Skills Building mental strength requires kids to have an acute awareness of their emotions. It’s not about suppressing their feelings, but instead choosing healthy ways to cope with those feelings. Teach your child how to deal with uncomfortable emotions, like anger, sadness, and fear. When kids understand their feelings and know how to deal with them, they’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges. Role Model Mental Strength Showing your child how to be mentally strong, rather than telling him, is the best way to encourage him to develop mental strength. Talk about your personal goals and show your child that you’re taking steps to grow stronger. Make self-improvement and mental strength a priority in your own life and avoid the things mentally strong parents don’t do. Culled from www.about today parenting.com

ho doesn’t eat instant noodles multiple times a week these days? Instant noodle has become a popular and go-to lunch or dinner for those who are short of time (or cash). It is arguably the commonest meal in most homes today because it is easy to prepare, quick, cheap and delicious too. It is a ‘saviour’ of some sort for busy moms, such that even most picky eaters just love instant noodles. At first the target market was young children, now students and even adults can’t seem to have enough of it to the extent that almost every street corner has a Mallam who before now sold only Shai (tea), bread and eggs selling even more of instant noodles. Consumption of instant noodles - precooked noodle-based meals you make by adding boiling water or heating on a stove or in the microwave for a few minutes before eating, I found out of curiosity has its good, bad and unfortunately ugly side. The good side I have mentioned already, now let’s look at the other sides. The Bad: Instant noodle is a highly processed food that lacks nutritive value. Every single serving of instant noodle is high in carbohydrates, sodium and other food additives, but low on essential elements such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. We all should eat not just to enjoy the meal or fill our tummies but to nourish our bodies as well, particularly growing children and babies. To make instant noodles more nutritious and richer you may add any or a combination of the following: a little butter, eggs - can be boiled, fried or broken directly into the noodles while being cooked, ground crayfish, sausages, fish especially oil fish such as Titus, sardines are good enough, you can also add some vegetables and some beef or chicken stock (not cubes). Whatever you choose to add to your instant noodle will depend on your preference, the idea is basically to make it as rich as possible. When serving instant noodles to kids under two years of age, you should crush it into tiny pieces to make it easy for them to swallow, and cook until it is very soft. The ugly: In a first-of-its-kind experiment Dr. Braden Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, used a pill-sized camera to see what happens inside the stomach and digestive tract after eating instant noodles, then he posted this astonishing result - in the video, you see the instant noodles inside a stomach, even after two hours, they are still remarkably intact, much more so than the home-

made noodles, which he used for comparison. This is enough to give anyone some concerns for a number of reasons. First, it could be putting a strain on your digestive system, which is forced to work for hours to break down this highly processed food (ironically, most processed food is so devoid of fibre that it gets broken down very quickly, interfering with your blood sugar levels and insulin release). When food remains in your digestive tract for such a long time, it will also impact nutrient absorption, but, in the case of processed instant noodles, there isn’t much nutrition anyway. Instead, there is a long list of additives, including the toxic preservative tertiarybutyl hydroquinone (TBHQ). This additive will likely remain in your stomach along with the seemingly invincible noodles, and no one knows what this extended exposure time may do to your health. Common sense suggests it’s not going to be good… A new study from The Journal of Nutrition shows that consumption of instant noodles may increase the risk of a scary condition called cardiometabolic syndrome, which in turn can lead to heart disease, diabetes, or stroke as well as hypertension and kidney damage which has been linked to the high sodium content in instant noodles. Instant noodles are coated with wax to prevent the noodles from sticking together. This can be seen when hot water is added to the noodles. After some time you can see the wax floating in the water. Some of the chemicals found in instant noodles are likely to cause cancer. When researchers examined the numbers for instant noodle consumption in particular, they found that consuming the noodles at least twice per week was associated with a 68 percent higher incidence of metabolic syndrome among women, even after adjusting for other factors like sodium intake, estrogens use, and waist circumference. Consuming noodles once a week was associated with a 26 percent higher prevalence of the condition. This relationship they found didn’t exclude men. Occasionally eating a package of instant noodles won’t kill you or your children, but when we make a habit of substituting convenience foods (of which instant noodles ranks about the highest) for real food, it’s only a matter of time before health problems will begin to develop. So for the sake of our health and that of our families we all should opt for more wholesome food. Grace Essen is the author of Successful Working Mom, president and founder Mum To Mum Support Initiative.

Business | Money Line 41

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

CBN issues Bancassurance products’ guidelines CAVEAT

and the need to ensure synergy in the financial system, the apex bank in exercise of its power under Section 33(1)(b) of the CBN Act 2007 and the provision of Part 2, Section 3, Item (l) of the CBN Scope, Conditions & Minimum Standards for Commercial Banks Regulations No. 01, 2010 has considered it nec-

Banks are not expected to offer banking products that incorporate insurance features Tony Chukwunyem

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has published guidelines, which set out the regulatory framework for the offering of Bancassurance products through the nonintegrated referral model. In a letter to all banks signed by the Director of Banking Supervision at the apex bank, Mrs Tokunboh Martins, and posted on its website yesterday, the regulator stated that the guidelines take immediate effect. According to the guidelines, “In 2010, the CBN Regulation on the Scope of Banking Activities and Ancillary Matters No. 3, 2010 was issued to repeal the Universal Banking Model, which hitherto permitted banks to engage in non-core banking financial activities either directly or indirectly through designated subsidiaries. In the light of developments

essary to issue these guidelines on Bancassurance. “The guidelines set out the regulatory framework for the offering of bancassurance products through the non-integrated referral model. The choice of this model is premised on the fact that it does not preclude banks from focusing on

their core banking businesses and does not undermine the essence of the CBN’s New Banking Model.” The banking watchdog explained that the Bancassurance refers to an arrangement in which insurance companies leverage on the customer base of banks to

Currency holds steady on oil firms’ dollar sales

ontrary to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) view that the naira would appreciate after Saturday’s elections, financial advisory firm, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd (FDC) has said that it expects the local currency to suffer a marginal depreciation. In a note issued shortly after the CBN’s rate setting body, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) concluded its meeting on Tuesday, the firm predicted that the naira will hover around N202/$ and N225/$ at the interbank and parallel markets respectively. According to the FDC, although the MPC remains committed to its price and currency stability objectives, “The continued insecurity in the north and high political

uncertainty remain sources of concern, particularly the danger of violence after the presidential polls. This could spur capital flow reversal and increase speculative pressure on the naira.” The experts further stated that while the CBN’s scrapping of the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) window had resulted in the naira recording marginal gains against the dollar thus helping to reduce the rate of reserves depletion and boosting investor confidence, the local currency was still under pressure because of continued volatility of oil prices. Commenting specifically on the likely impact of the MPC’s decision on the markets, the FDC stated that interest rates would remain

As at N16,833,244.57 N16,509,472.5m 8.2 0.0000 13 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$61.39 US$29,892,467,294

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 24/3/2015 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

banks are not to engage in any other model of bancassurance other than that spelt out by the CBN and for which the regulator has given its approval. In addition, banks are not expected to offer banking products that incorporate insurance features.

Naira to depreciate post election, says FDC

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

sell insurance products to banks’ customers. It further stated that the referral model is the arrangement in which the bank refers its customers to its partner insurance companies. In return, it receives a commission on each lead closed by the insurance company. Under the guidelines,

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

unchanged because the markets had already discounted the outcome of the Committee’s meeting. The report said: “Other factors such as the resumption of the plunge in global oil prices and likely reversal of portfolio flows are threats to government revenue and the external reserves level. In our view, the impact of the MPC decision on the economy and the markets in the near to medium term is expected to remain neutral. The probability of the US Federal Reserve Bank increasing interest rates and its impact on foreign portfolio investors appetite have tempered the view of the CBN on its ability to slash interest rates in the near term. However, immediately after a transparent election, the markets and the economy are likely to witness a mild recovery. “The most important structural issue is that the closer we get to the real equilibrium exchange rate, the lower the adjustment required. This is because the exchange rate at N199/$ has arisen from the dismantling of the RDAS regime and is expected to engender investor confidence. Therefore, in post election Nigeria, we expect the exchange rate to float around the N202/$ level at the interbank and N225/$ level at the parallel market. The impact of a higher price for dollar purchases should reduce the effective demand over time.” However, in her comments on the outcome of the MPC meeting, the Managing Director, Head, Africa Macro, Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan, said, “Based on an expectation of a recovery in oil in H2 - is that the MPR is likely to remain at its current level for some time. Nigeria’s changed economic circumstances may re-ignite the debate over what FX policy best suits the needs of the economy. For now, the CBN has made clear that it does not necessarily prioritise the needs of foreign portfolio investors in the allocation of FX – it is merely fulfilling a pledge to investors to ensure free entry into and exit from the market.” “Our sense is that this stance will be viewed posi-

tively by investors – many of whom will be looking to re-enter Nigerian markets post-election. However, we are only likely to see this happen in scale when investors themselves start to share the CBN’s optimism on the stabilisation of the Nigerian naira.” At the end of the MPC meeting last Tuesday, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had expressed optimism that the naira, which currently exchanges at the interbank market at N97 per dollar and N225 to a dollar at the parallel market (unofficial market) will appreciate. He attributed the currency’s weakness to the partial dollarisation of the economy caused by people who use the dollars in day today domestic transactions, such as paying rent or school fees. The CBN Governor warned that action would be taken against such people after the elections. Meanwhile, the naira remained steady on the interbank forex market with large dollar sales by oil companies increasing liquidity, a day after CBN’s MPC kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged. The local currency closed at N199.10 to the dollar, the same level it has closed over the last one week. “Dollar sales by some oil companies helped boost liquidity support for the naira and eased pressure on CBN intervention fund,” one dealer said. The local unit of Chevron sold $100.6 million to some lenders, Total sold $53 million and Brass LNG sold $600,000, boosting dollar liquidity in the market. The banking watchdog has in the recent past intervened to steady the naira after it suffered as falling global oil prices hurt Nigeria’s economy, causing foreign investment to dwindle. Dealers said the effect of the dollar flows could not reflect in the value of the naira because of tight control on exchange rate by the CBN. The apex bank scrapped dollar auctions last month and directed lenders to channel all transactions through the interbank where banks are only able to purchase foreign exchange if they have a prior order from a corporate customer.

Business | Financial Market News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

25-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)

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

5,023.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,494.58

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

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

0.08 1.40 2.09 2.34 2.44 3.18 4.26 4.58 4.89 6.84 8.97 13.68 14.16 14.66 15.33 19.32

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

14.91 15.76 15.79 15.81 15.81 15.82 15.83 15.82 15.80 15.70 15.83 15.91 15.91 15.91 15.85 16.06

13.02 15.64 15.70 15.72 15.73 15.69 15.73 15.70 15.71 15.63 15.77 15.85 15.85 15.83 15.78 16.00

99.12 96.67 98.77 88.66 87.34 87.52 100.45 71.99 99.09 102.75 92.29 94.92 80.90 58.32 66.61 76.83

99.27 96.82 98.92 88.81 87.49 87.82 100.75 72.29 99.39 103.05 92.59 95.22 81.20 58.62 66.91 77.13

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

0.16 0.90 1.71 2.07 2.28

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 2.85

17.55 17.74 17.79 16.80 18.66

97.13 99.73 97.38 98.41 91.76

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

311.38

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.44

4.44

20.16

96.89

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.27

3.23

18.27

98.68

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.79

4.46

20.08

95.75

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.79

3.48

19.10

97.42

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.07

1.00

16.80

88.49

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.33

1.00

16.64

96.69

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.77

1.79

17.60

92.29

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

1.94

1.80

17.60

94.56

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.95

1.00

16.80

95.71

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.14

1.00

16.80

96.09 89.48

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

‡ /Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.14

4.78

20.58

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.34

1.00

16.81

97.60

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

2.58 4.66 2.73

1.00 1.00 1.00

16.81 16.81 16.81

97.49 92.66 95.74

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.10

10-Oct-20

3.19

1.00

16.82

95.23

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.68

1.00

16.74

88.35

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.77

1.00

16.74

93.66

‡ /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

3.43

1.44

17.27

93.36

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.56

06-Jan-21

3.46

1.00

16.83

95.52

97.52

459.68 426.24

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds ‡ /Agusto BBB-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

2.50

17-Aug-15

0.40

1.00

16.58

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

18.75

09-Dec-15

0.46

1.00

16.83

97.91

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.42

06-Jan-16

0.54

2.63

18.58

97.75

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.52

1.00

16.78

95.12

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.59

1.34

17.13

96.11

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.52

1.00

16.81

92.42

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.54

1.88

17.66

101.13

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.54

1.00

16.78

99.03

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.96

1.00

16.80

101.84

98.73

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.96

1.00

16.80

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.50

1.00

16.83

92.75

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

1.82

2.29

18.08

96.69

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

2.15

6.11

21.91

93.88

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.77

2.16

17.97

95.90

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.64

2.76

18.51

88.83

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.77

1.13

16.81

98.50

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.52

1.00

16.90

76.83

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.52

1.00

16.90

82.99

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

162.73

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

153.63

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.89

1.00

16.82

85.32

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

16.81

81.59

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 20.80

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.39

6.19

101.70

102.70

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.86

5.52

97.81

98.81

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.53

6.36

99.01

100.10

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,492.62

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

120.75

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

7.72

6.22

99.75

101.37

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

12.31

90.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

14.16

12.95

82.17

84.83

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.08

8.64

90.68

91.95

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

39.20

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

8.62

92.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

15.95

15.19

78.71

80.67

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

14.07

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

23.99 14.70 13.61

23.99 14.20 13.61

47.50 78.13 76.00

47.50 79.88 76.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

11.50

10.98

87.00

89.13

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,760.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,664.11

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 8 15 22 29 36 43 50 57

FIXINGS Maturity 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 21-May-15

Bid Discount (%) 13.42 13.05 13.50 14.30 14.09 12.88 14.15 13.95

Offer Discount (%) 13.17 12.80 13.25 14.05 13.84 12.63 13.90 13.70

Bid Yield (%) 13.45 13.12 13.61 14.46 14.29 13.08 14.43 14.26

Money Market Tenor

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 14.3750 15.8940 16.7582 17.6973

Rate (%)

OBB

14.83

O/N

15.17

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 15.00 16.00

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

199.08 201.81 202.13 202.87 204.24 205.60

199.18 201.93 202.28 203.37 205.31 207.21

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

311.38

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.44

4.44

20.16

96.89

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.27

3.23

18.27

98.68

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.79

4.46

20.08

95.75

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.79

3.48

19.10

97.42

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.07

1.00

16.80

88.49

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.33

1.00

16.64

96.69

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.77

1.79

17.60

92.29

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

1.94

1.80

17.60

94.56

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTAMARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY,

Business | Financial Market News

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.95

1.00

16.80

95.71

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.14

1.00

16.80

96.09

‡ /Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.14

4.78

20.58

89.48

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.34

1.00

16.81

97.60

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

2.58 4.66 2.73

1.00 1.00 1.00

16.81 16.81 16.81

97.49 92.66 95.74

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.10

10-Oct-20

3.19

1.00

16.82

95.23

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.68

1.00

16.74

88.35

Foreign investors’ transaction rises by 35% 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 end of January 2015 in- actions increased31-Dec-13 from 31-Dec-13 ‡OPTIMISTIC /Agusto *EKITI 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 creased to N133.95 billion 52.24 per cent to 72.61 per 06-Jan-14 A-/GCR *NASARAWA 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 (about $0.68 billion) at cent over the same period. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Foreign Investors’ the end of February 2015. In comparison to the TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION confidence increases This depicts an increase same period in 2014, toCorporate Bonds of 35.15 per cent. tal FPI transactions de10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 ‡ /Agusto *UPDC In a report obtained creased by 1.71 per17-Aug-10 cent, 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 BBB-/Agusto 09-Dec-10 *FLOURMILLS Stories by Chris Ugwu from the Nigerian Stock while the total domestic 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 BB/GCR 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMS Exchange’s13.00 (NSE’s) web- transactions decreased NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 29-Sep-11 NAHCO onthly Forsite, domestic investors 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 by 19.03 per cent. A-/Agusto 25-Oct-13 FSDH 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR 30-Sep-10 UBA FPI outflows outpaced eign Portfoconceded about 45.22 per 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 *C & I LEASING lio Investcent of trading to foreign inflows, which was conMPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 09-Apr-11 Nil *DANA#{r} ment (FBI) investors as domestic sistent with the same # MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR *TOWER transactions na- # transactions decreased period in 2014. Overall, MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR at the *TOWER tion’s bourse, which from 47.76 per cent 27.39 there was a 7.15 per cent 14.00 UBA IIto 22-SEP-2018 A/Agusto; A/GCR 22-Sep-11 UBA 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 CASERAper cent, while was N99.11 billion at*LA the FPI transdecrease in total transacA-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

15.00 tions in comparison5.00 to the 14.50 4.55 same 15.00 period in 2014. 4.56 On a monthly459.68 basis, The Exchange polls trad426.24 ing figures from major custodians and market 10.00 2.50 operators on their foreign 12.00 18.75 portfolio investments 14.00 0.42 (FPI).13.00 15.00 According to reports, 14.25 5.53 13.00 20.00 highlights of the domes18.00 tic composition of 0.64 trans16.00 6.30 actions on the Exchange 18.00 2.54 between 16.00 January0.70and February 14.00 , 2015 showed 35.00 15.75 2.40 that institutional com-

KOGI

31-Dec-20 16.74 93.66 position of the 5.77 domestic 1.00 representing 57.5 per cent 31-Dec-20 3.43 1.44 17.27 93.36 market, which was about of total transactions in 06-Jan-21 3.46 1.00 16.83 95.52 33.69 per cent at the end 2014 (An increase of 42.7 of January increased to per cent over the 7 year 53.32 per cent at the end of period). Domestic transactions February, while the retail 17-Aug-15 0.40 1.00 16.58 composition decreased on the other hand,97.52 started 09-Dec-15 0.46 1.00 16.83 97.91 from 66.31per cent to at N3,556 billion, repre06-Jan-16 0.54 2.63 18.58 97.75 46.68 per cent in1.52 the same 1.00 senting16.78 85.2 per 95.12 cent in 29-Sep-16 period. decreased signif25-Oct-16 1.59 1.34 2007, but 17.13 96.11 30-Sep-17 2.52 1.00 icantly16.81 Total FPI transactions to N1,137 92.42 billion, 17.66 of 30-Nov-17 N616 billion, 1.54 which ac- 1.88 translating to 42.5 101.13 per cent 09-Apr-18 1.54 1.00 16.78 99.03 counted for 14.8 per cent of total transactions in 09-Sep-18 1.96 1.00 16.80 101.84 of 09-Sep-18 total transactions in 2014 (A sharp decline of 1.96 1.00 16.80 98.73 2007, increased3.50 over the 1.00 42.7 per16.83 cent in the 7 year 22-Sep-18 92.75 18-Oct-18 1.82billion, 2.29 period).18.08 96.69 years to N1,539

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.36

17-Feb-19

2.15

6.11

21.91

93.88

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.77

2.16

17.97

95.90

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.64

2.76

18.51

88.83

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.77

1.13

Sterling Bank grows pre-tax profit by 15%

n spite of the regu16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 30-Dec-14 UBA latory headwinds, 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 STANBIC IBTC 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 Sterling Bank STANBIC Plc IBTC TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE N77.9 billion, which far reduction in impairment continued its robust performance in 2014 as outweighed the 2.2 per charges to N61.4 billion in TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION top-line and bottom-line cent increase in funding 2014, an increase of 24.4 Supranational Bond earnings showed consid- costs to N34.9 billion. This per cent on N49.3 billion 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC 11-Feb-13 erable growths. underlined 11.25 theAFDB increasrecorded in 2013. 10-Jul-14 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P AfDB The lender’s gross ing cost efficiency of the Meanwhile, operating TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE earnings rose by 13 per lender as cost of funds expenses increased by TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION cent to N103.7 billion, had dropped from 6.1 per 26.5 per cent to N50.6 bilwhile Rating/Agency profit before tax cent in 2013 to 5.3 percentDescription lion in 2014 as against N40 Issuer Issue Date surged by 15.4 per cent to in 2014. Similarly, non-in- billion in 2013. This was N10.7 billion. terest income grew by 18.3 due mainly to on-going inFGN Eurobonds Key extracts of the auper cent from N21.8 billion vestments in branch07-Oct-11 refits 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P dited report and accounts in 2013 to N25.7 billion in and expansion and rollout FGN This was boosted 5.13 12-Jul-13 by JUL 12, ofBB-/Fitch; the bank for the year 2014. of2018 alternative channels BB-/S&P ended 82.2 per cent growth in net as well as regulation-inBB-/Fitch;December 31, 2014 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 BB-/S&P released yesterday at the trading income to N6.8 bil- duced cost. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Nigerian Stock Exchange lion. Consequently, profit be(NSE) The bank continued fore tax inched up by 15.4 TOTALshowed MARKET appreciable CAPITALISATION growths in all key perfor- to strengthen its mid and per cent to N10.7 billion, Corporate Eurobonds mance indices, sustaining bottom-line performanc- while profit after tax in11.50 FEB 01, 2016 B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I 01-Feb-11 the strong performance es as its increasing focus creased by 8.8 per cent to 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P N9 billion. The net 19-May-11 profit outlook of the lender.GTBANK PLC onI cost reduction, credit 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC 25-Jul-12 was impacted by 68.4 per Major highlights risks management and 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC 09-May-13 showed that net interoperating efficiency cushcent increase in income 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 08-Nov-13 est income leapt by AFREN 20.1 PLCioned macro headwinds tax expense. 10.25 APR 08, 2019 B/Fitch II 08-Apr-12 per cent to N43.0 billion and The bank’s balance 6.25 APR 22, 2019 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC retained values for 22-Apr-14 inB/Fitch; 2014 as against N35.8 shareholders. stron8.75 May sheet 21, 2019 also emerged 21-May-14 B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC 8.25 AUG ger. 07, 2020Net loans and B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC Net operating in07-Aug-13 billion recorded in 2013. ad6.63 DEC vances 09, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&Pdriven mainly AFREN PLCcome III 09-Dec-13 This was rode on the back increased by 15.4 USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II 24-Jun-14 by 11.4 per cent growth of growth in net9.25/6M interest per cent to N371.2 billion 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD 23-Jul-14 inB-/S&P interest incomeECOBANK to NIG. income and a 10.5 per cent in 2014 compared with 8.75 AUG 14, 2021 LTD 14-Aug-14 A/GCR

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

11.93

0.10

13.25

15.44

162.73 N321.7 billion in 2013. Customer deposits rose by 15 153.63 per cent to N655.9 billion as against N570.5 billion, 10.20 12.00 while shareholders’ funds 11.25 12.95 increased by 33.5 per cent 24.95 from N63.5 billion to N84.7 20.80 billion. Total assets closed 2014Coupon at N824.5 billion, repOutstanding Value (%) ($mm) resenting an increase of 16.5 per cent on N707.8 billion recorded in 2013. 6.75 500.00 Commenting on the 5.13Managing 500.00 results, Director of the bank, Mr. Yemi 6.38 500.00 Adeola, said the bank’s 1,500.00 performance shows the strengths of its resilient 1,492.62 growth model and its ability to continue to deliver 11.50 450.00 value for all stakeholders. 500.00 The7.50 top-flight banker 7.25 noted that 2014 was350.00 a diffi6.88 300.00 cult year in many respects 6.00 400.00 for the10.25 Nigerian banking 300.00 industry 6.25 as the multiple 500.00 challenges arising 200.00 from a 8.75 8.25macroeconomic 300.00 weaker 6.63 360.00 environment and the vari9.25 400.00 ous regulatory responses 8.00 450.00 to them put significant 8.75 250.00 4,760.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

ture and the re-engineer16.81 98.50 30-Sep-24 9.52 1.00 ing, centralisation 16.90 76.83 and 30-Sep-24 9.52 1.00 automation 16.90 of processes 82.99 to improve the customer experience while in recognition of the critical role that human capital plays 11-Feb-18 2.89 1.00 16.82 85.32 in successfully driving 01-Feb-21 4.75 1.00 16.81 81.59 strategy and its execution, it also continued to invest substantially in employeeBid training, talent reMaturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield (%) Price Offer Price tention, and the creation of an environment that Prices & Yields fosters continuous learn28-Jan-21 6.39 6.19 101.70 102.70 ing and development. Adeola 12-Jul-18 5.86 5.52 97.81 the assurance 98.81 He gave pressure on the margins that going forward; the 12-Jul-23 6.53 6.36 99.01 100.10 bank would continue to of banks. “Despite these pres- deliver better values to sures, we achieved dou- all stakeholders given the ble-digit earnings growth steadiness of its strategic in line with our medium- growth plan and its cur01-Feb-16 120.75 120.75 48.00 48.00 term strategic objectives. rent strong balance sheet 19-May-16 7.72 99.75 101.37 This performance under- 6.22 position. 25-Jul-17 12.31 12.31 90.00 90.00 scores the commitment Besides, the Sterling 02-May-18 14.16 12.95 82.17 84.83 of 08-Nov-18 the entire team to our Bank boss said the lender 9.08 8.64 90.68 91.95 would further strengthen corporate goals and the 08-Apr-19 39.20 39.20 43.63 43.63 raising resilience business 8.62 its capital 22-Apr-19 of our8.62 92.00base by 92.00 model,” said. 21-May-19Adeola15.95 15.19new funds 78.71 to support 80.67 its 07-Aug-20 14.07during14.07business 77.95 77.95 and He noted that expansion 23.99 initi-23.99enhance 47.50 the09-Dec-20 year, the bank its ability47.50 to un24-Jun-21 14.70 79.88 ated the upgrade of its14.20dertake78.13 large-ticket trans23-Jul-21 13.61 13.61 76.00 76.00 technology infrastrucactions. 14-Aug-21 11.50 10.98 87.00 89.13

25-Mar-15

3,664.11

The DQL contains and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute **Treasury Bills^ data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities FIXINGS Money Market Exchange (Spot & Forwards) professional,DTM financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; theBid Information basis and mayRate not (%) be accurateForeign or up to date. We do not guarantee Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discounthowever, (%) Yield (%) is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE”Tenor NIBOR the accuracy,8timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, 2-Apr-15 13.42 13.17 13.45neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information. 15 9-Apr-15 22 16-Apr-15 29 23-Apr-15 FGN Bonds 36 30-Apr-15 43 7-May-15 50 14-May-15 Rating/Agency Issuer 57 21-May-15 71 4-Jun-15 78 11-Jun-15 92 25-Jun-15 99 2-Jul-15 113 16-Jul-15 120 23-Jul-15 127 30-Jul-15 134 6-Aug-15 141 13-Aug-15 NA NA 155 27-Aug-15 162 3-Sep-15 169 10-Sep-15 183 24-Sep-15 190 1-Oct-15 253 3-Dec-15 267 17-Dec-15 288 7-Jan-16 302 21-Jan-16 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 316 4-Feb-16 330 18-Feb-16 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION 3-Mar-16 344

13.05 13.50 14.30 14.09 12.88 14.15 Description 13.95 14.35 4.00 23-APR-2015 14.31 ^13.05 16-AUG-2016 14.15 ^15.10 27-APR-2017 14.44 9.85 27-JUL-2017 14.49 9.35 31-AUG-2017 14.31 10.70 30-MAY-2018 14.48 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 14.81 7.00 23-OCT-2019 13.46 15.54 13-FEB-2020 11.80 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.27 14.74 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 14.82 15.00 28-NOV-2028 14.93 12.49 22-MAY-2029 13.90 8.50 20-NOV-2029 14.00 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 14.40 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 14.44 14.47 14.41 14.40

358 17-Mar-16 13.74 *for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration #

Rating/Agency Issuer Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

12.80 13.25 14.05 13.84 12.63 13.90Date Issue 13.70 14.10 23-Apr-10 14.06 16-Aug-13 13.90 27-Apr-12 14.19 27-Jul-07 14.24 31-Aug-07 14.06 30-May-08 14.23 29-Jun-12 14.56 23-Oct-09 13.21 13-Feb-15 11.55 27-Jan-12 14.02 14.49 14-Mar-14 14.57 28-Nov-08 14.68 22-May-09 13.65 20-Nov-09 13.75 23-Jul-10 14.15 18-Jul-14 14.19 14.22 14.16 14.15 13.49

13.12 13.61 14.46 14.29 13.08 14.43 (%) Coupon 14.26 14.76 4.00 14.76 13.05 14.67 15.10 15.03 9.85 15.17 9.35 15.01 10.70 15.24 16.00 15.66 7.00 14.20 15.54 12.42 16.39 15.23 15.82 14.20 16.01 15.00 16.18 12.49 15.38 8.50 15.60 10.00 16.25 12.1493 16.40 16.54 16.57 16.66

Bonds

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Rate (%) 14.3750 15.8940 16.7582 17.6973

OBB

14.83

O/N

15.17

REPO

Tenor Call(Yrs) TTM 1M 3M 0.08 6M 1.40

Maturity Date

535.00 NITTY 23-Apr-15 581.39 16-Aug-16 Tenor Rate (%) 476.80 27-Apr-17 1M 14.4759 20.00 27-Jul-17 2M 14.6762 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 14.8070 300.00 30-May-18 6M 15.6987 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 15.7164 233.90 23-Oct-19 12M 16.6143 54.00 13-Feb-20 600.00 27-Jan-22 499.68 14-Mar-24 NIFEX 75.00 28-Nov-28 Current Price ($/N) 150.00 22-May-29 BID($/N) 200.00 199.0000 20-Nov-29 OFFER ($/N) 199.1000 591.57 23-Jul-30 254.50 18-Jul-34

Rate (%)

Bid15.00 Yield (%) 16.00 17.00 14.91 18.00 15.76

Spot 7D 14D 1M Offer Yield 2M (%) 3M 6M 13.02 1Y 15.64

2.09 15.79 15.70 2.34 15.81 15.72 2.44 15.81 15.73 :Benchmarks 3.18 15.82 15.69 * :Amortising Bond 4.26 Bond 15.83 15.73 µ :Convertible 4.58 Management Corporation 15.82 15.70 AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 4.89Government of Nigeria 15.80 15.71 FGN: Federal 6.84 Mortgage Bank15.70 15.63 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria IFC: International 8.97 Finance Corporation 15.83 15.77 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 13.68 15.91 15.85 NAHCO: Nigerian 14.16 Aviation Handling 15.91 Company 15.85 O/N: Overnight 14.66 15.91 15.83 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 15.33 15.85 15.78 WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company 19.32 16.06 16.00 NOTE:

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

199.08 199.18 201.81 201.93 Price 202.13 202.28 202.87 203.37 204.24 205.31 Bid Price Offer Price 205.60 207.21 206.28 213.47 99.12 99.27 220.29 226.27 96.67 96.82

98.77 98.92 88.66 88.81 87.34 87.49 NA :Not Applicable 87.52 87.82 ^ :Market Prices 100.45 # :Floating Rate Bond 100.75 71.99coupon bonds 72.29 ***: Deferred 99.09 99.39 102.75 103.05 ‡ : Bond rating under review †: Bond 92.29 rating expired 92.59 N/A :Not94.92 Available 95.22 {r} :Issuer in receivership 81.20 80.90 58.32 58.62 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 66.61 66.91 UBA: United Bank for Africa 76.83 77.13

5,023.13 4,494.58

15.88

Description

Tenor

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

**Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.16 0.90 1.71 2.07 2.28

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 2.85

17.55 17.74 17.79 16.80 18.66

97.13 99.73 97.38 98.41 91.76

Agency Bonds

FMBN ***LCRM Modified Duration Buckets TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Sub-National Bonds

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 Porfolio Market Value(Bn)

Total Outstanding Volume(Bn)

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

Weighting by Outstanding Vol

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 FGN BOND 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

Weighting by Mkt Value

24.56 2.40 INDEX112.22 116.70 66.49 Bucket322.38 Weighting

311.38

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration

Implied Yield

Implied Portfolio Price

INDEX

1,385.82

1,409.48

42.92

46.31

0.43

21.05

15.80

101.9397

3<5

1,040.73

1,059.68

32.27

34.78

0.32

38.15

15.76

100.1401

999.21 -

1.3198

565.76

815.07

24.82 31-Aug-10

12.50 18.91

8.50 0.25

40.80 31-Aug-15

15.91 0.44

70.7467 4.44

994.35 20.16

1.2578 96.89 95.75

1,142.13

YTD Return (%)

3.0941

A/Agusto

KADUNA

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

100.00 30-Sep-10

13.00100.00

4.18 1.00

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.79

4.46

20.08

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.79

3.48

19.10

97.42

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.07

1.00

16.80

88.49

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.33

1.00

16.64

96.69

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.77

1.79

17.60

92.29

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

1.94

1.80

17.60

94.56

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.95

1.00

16.80

95.71

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.14

1.00

16.80

96.09

Market

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

2,992.32 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

3,284.23

100.00 30-Sep-15

15.83 0.27

93.6177 3.23

1,057.87 18.27

0.2548 98.68

44 Travel Advisory

THURSday, March 26, 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

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NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Features

OPC rally: Stirring the hornet’s nest More than a week after protesters grounded Lagos, controversies still trail the OPC rally, reports JOHN EDU

n March 16, social and business activities were paralysed in many parts of Lagos, the commercial hub of the country. The was gridlock on the highways, particularly the Ikorodu Road, as members of Coalition of Concerned Nigerians staged a protest to demand the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega. The protest organised by the National Coordinator, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams. Scores of OPC members and notable Nollywood artistes, who took part in the protest through Ikorodu Road to the National Stadium in Surulere, distributed flyers and demanded Jega’s resignation. According to them, the electoral umpire boss can no longer be trusted to organise a free, fair and credible general election. But the social media was awash with the commotion allegedly caused by the protesters. The protesters, especially OPC members, were accused of attacking members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). A lady posted on her Facebook wall: “If you are on Ikorodu Road in Lagos at the moment and your car has APC sticker or you are wearing APC shirt, please turn back or remove the sticker. The Jonathan’s sponsored Gani Adams OPC and his cohorts are currently destroying APC properties and attacking anybody wearing APC shirt on that road.” It was also alleged that the protesters vandalised APC campaign billboards and that the rally was sponsored by President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a bid to scuttle Saturday’s presidential election. But at a cultural fiesta at Abule Ado in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, the Adams denied the allegations that the protesters attacked APC members or vandalised its campaign billboards. The OPC leader said the INEC actions in recent weeks necessitated the protest.

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

Participants at the rally

Jonathan

He said: “One of the reasons was the shortage of the permanent voter cards (PVCs) in the states in the South-West. When we held that rally, which was less than two weeks before the presidential election, about 25 per cent of the registered voters in the South-West were yet to get their PVCs. “Even the South-East and SouthSouth also had the same issue. PVCs were not given to them. But the people of the North-East, a place that was bedevilled by the Boko Haram insurgency, recorded 90 per cent collection of PVCs. Yet in the South-West, only Ondo State had 70 per cent of PVCs as at three weeks ago. And without the PVC, there is no way you can vote. So that was one of the reasons we decided to show our displeasure against Jega to Nigerians.” Adams also said that OPC was aware that many minors were illegally registered to vote in states in the North, adding that INEC deliberately allowed such registrations to give undue advantage to the North. He equally Jega of creating additional 30,000 polling units in the North, insisting that such extra polling units would enhance rigging. The OPC coordinator disclosed that many organisations, including the Southern Nigeria People’s Assembly and Afenifere had kicked against the polling units. “But to deceive people, Jega said they are now voting centres, not polling units. We realised that Jega was planning to rig, even before the elections. That was why we marched against him,” he added.

Buhari

Jega

Earlier, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) lashed out at Adams, saying he was only seeking relevance. In a statement in Kaduna after the rally, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Muhammadu Ibrahim, said Adams’ utterance was laughable and pedestrian. According him, the OPC leader lacks the understanding of the Nigerian Constitution and the electoral law. But reacting to ACF, Adams said those that were at the rally were just about two per cent of his members in Lagos. According to him, OPC under him is firmly in place in 33 states across the country. He said: “We had no personal grouse against Jega. All we wanted to do was to highlight some of these issues and to make sure that they were properly addressed by the INEC boss. If he could not address them, then he should resign. That was the reason.” But asked if it was possible to change the chairman of the electoral umpire a few days to a crucial election without precipitating a monumental crisis? Adams said: “What if we have an election that is not credible? Wouldn’t that lead to a crisis? And God forbid, but what if something serious really happens to Jega, will the election not hold? No one is indispensable. “We have about 36 INEC commissioners. They are qualified, well read. Any of them can do the job. That was why we said if Jega is tired, he should go and rest and let another person do the job.”

But since the protest, Jega has refused to resign, insisting that quitting now was not an option. Wasn’t the rally a failed venture then? “No. All we wanted was to register our protest, which we did successfully. Now, he has a moral burden to do the right thing. Even the international observers have been pressurising him to do the right thing. And after the protest, he organised two press conferences within a week. “There is an estate in Ikotun called Diamond Estate. People from there were told by INEC that their system was corrupt and they couldn’t get their PVCs. Imagine the number of people that will be disfranchised. “The polling units in this area have been compressed to two. How will people get to polling units that are far from their homes, because there would be no vehicular movement? These are our concerns. After the rally, photographs emerged showing some of the protesters bearing weapons, while some others were seen destroying campaign posters and billboards of the opposition candidates. But Adams said the pictures were not from the rally. He said: “It is a shame that the APC people are trying so hard to discredit us. The rally was not staged against APC. It was against Jega. But APC will quickly come to the defence of Jega. I do not understand. Those pictures could not have come from our rally. There was one that had a young man in black with a pump-action gun.”

News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-WEST

Fayose to Obasanjo: Tell Nigerians more about your coup rumour Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

kiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has asked Nigerians to seek explanation from former President Oluseg un Obasanjo, on the rationale behind his raising the alarm over the probability of a military coup. He stated that going by his recent fears, he should reveal the identities of the characters planning to execute a coup plot in the country. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti yesterday through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the gov-

ernor said Nigerians needed to ask Obasanjo, what formed the basis of his recent utterances and fears. “At his age, one would expect that the former President should not be peddling rumour, as th is may lead to unwarranted anxiety and confusion in the polity. “Being a former military leader and also a retired general, whatever Obasanjo says carries weight and people would tend to believe it. Or was it that General Obasanjo has some ‘boys’ touting the idea of a military coup? “May be he is the person planning one. But

whatever the case is, coup making and plotting are no longer in vogue in the world. Anybody thinking along that line would be swimming against the tide and the consequences are dire. “After he said he had quit politics and publicly tore his Peoples Democratic Party membership card, peace has returned to the PDP. Obasanjo, should wait till after the elections

when his candidate is defeated to see how jubilant Nigerians would celebrate the victory for the continuation of democracy. After the impending victory of President Jonathan, Obasanjo can leave the country or return to prison in protest. The former President should also do away with the primitive idea that anything or anybody not coming from him is not good,” he said.

Two candidates lay claim to APC’s ticket in Ondo BabatopeOkeowo Akure

wo parallel candidates have emerged on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Odigbo/Ileoluji/Okeigbo/ federal constituency in Ondo State. They are Mrs. Yejide Ogundipe and Mr. Festus Ayodele Adefiranye, who are laying claim to the candidature of the party for the House of Representatives While Ogundipe, was nominated by the party as

candidate of the party for the federal constituency, Adeniranye, has procured a court order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, proclaiming him as the candidate of the party. The claim of Adefiranye, wassequeltothejudgmentof Justice G.O Kolawole which proclaimed him as the candidate of the party against the decision of the party and Appeal Committee of the APC which nominated Ogundipe as the candidate of the party having won the party primaries conducted by the party.

APC, Fayose trade accusations over arrest of Fayemi’s ex-aides Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

kiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday accused governor Ayo Fayose of hounding its members and leaders over allegation of not refunding the monitised car loans granted to some officials who served in the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi. The APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in Ado-Ekiti that the ploy by Fayose, was to ensure that APC leaders were out of circulation before next Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections. Olatubosun alleged that Oluwole Ariyo, who was Fayemi’s Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, was arrested by some people and taken to Okesa Police Station where the official vehicle he was riding was impounded. Ariyo, he added, was later released on bail.

“The same fate would have befallen former Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, when some unidentified people went to her house to forcibly take away her vehicle, but her supporters did not allow them to achieve their aim. The plan was to deny our members the opportunity to vote for our party in the coming elections,” he said. However, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, denied the allegation, saying APC has only embarked on its sheer blackmail and propaganda. “The APC has again gone to the town with another lies that its members are being arrested by policemen and vigilante sent after them by Governor Ayo Fayose. Nobody has been arrested, the arrest was in the imagination of Babafemi Ojudu and the APC to cause confusion since Ojudu and others in APC know that their party cannot win these elections.

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UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN CITADEL

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the corporate affairs commission, abuja for registration under part ‘c ‘ of the companies and allied matters acts 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1) Reverend Dr. Olugbenga Sanyaolu Onasanwo 2) Pastor (Mrs) Elizabeth Modupe Onasanwo 3) Pastor Adewale Temitope Onasanwo 4) Evangelist Oluwaseun Onasanwo AIMS OBJECTIVES 1) To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2) To train, authorize, license and ordain ministers for the propagation of the work of God 3 To acquire administer, hold and deal with assets for the furtherance of the association Any Objection To The Registration Should Be Forwarded To The Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.m.b 198, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja Within (28) Days Of This Publication. SIGNED:TRUSTEES

L-R: Regional Service Manager, South-West, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Bajo Onafuwa; Head, Verification Services, Alexander Forbes Consulting, Mrs. Ibilola Akinla; MTN Cash Quest Promo N10 Million Winner, Mr. Chukwuebuka Okeakpu; Principal Manager, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Adeyeye Azeez and Regional Technical Manager, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Olufuwe, during the presentation of prizes to winners in Ibadan, Oyo State

Why Yoruba will vote Jonathan, by Okupe T

he Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has said the people of the South West geo-political Zone would vote massively for President Goodluck Jonathan in Saturday’s Presidential election because of the Zone’s readiness to stand for the truth, equity and justice. In a lecture titled ‘The Yoruba: Our Politics Yesterday and Today’ delivered at the Lagos Country club, Ikeja yesterday, Okupe, stated that the

Yoruba, have acted as the conscience of the Nigerian nation ensuring at all times that no ethnic group was subjugated or marginalised in the country’s political process. The presidential aide said having benefitted from a national concession, which enabled the race to enjoy two terms in office during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo the Yoruba people needed to rise in defence of the minority Ijaw nation, represented by President Goodluck Jonathan, stat-

Ekiti suspends two over illegal deduction Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

kiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, yesterday announced the suspension of two state officials over illegal deductions from the salary of teachers in Ido/ Osi Local Government Area of the state. The governor also announced that the two officials, Mrs Owoseni R.K, former Education Secretary in Ido Osi LG and Mrs Kayode F.F, an accountant, had four weeks to prove their inno-

cence before a committee set up to investigate the matter. They were accused of illegally deducting money from the salaries of teachers in the LG under the guise of deducting money for the repayment of laptop computers given public teachers by the former administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi. Fayose, said his administration would not condone any act of illegality, stating that the welfare of public servants was paramount to his administration.

ing that he has justified the mandate given to him by Nigerians through in his programmes and policies. While eulogising the political leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in the old Western region, Okupe, said the late sage and the entire Yoruba political class held dearly to the principles of a restructured federation, fiscal autonomy, regionalism and balanced economic development. Okupe said, “It is an irony that the platform for seeking these reforms

which the Yoruba had agitated for in decades was only recently provided by a man from the minority ethnic group who emerged Nigerian President by providence in 2011. That platform is the national conference which among others has come up with far-reaching recommendations which if and when implemented will solve quite a number of our social, political and economic distortions and restore Nigeria to the path of sustainable growth and stability.

APC’s claim on election disruption sign of panic –Modupe

he Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, has described the statement credited to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that it plans to ensure that next week’s presidential election ended on inconclusive note, stating that such falsehood could only come from a party known for lies. Responding to the claim, Akogun Adetokunbo Modupe, Ondo State Goodluck/Sambo

Campaign coordinator said though the statement issued by the party that what the ‘head of APC propaganda team’ has said amounts to nothing as he was known to be a serial liar who was always looking for cheap publicity with his knack for by trading in falsehood. He however said, that the PDP was only responding to the allegation because of the impression that the falsehood his could be inadvertently be viewed seriously by the unsuspecting public.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Elechi: My opponents are still battling to impeach me Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

he Ebonyi State governor, Martin Elechi, yesterday alleged that politicians pushing for his removal from office have not reneged. He spoke at the Government House, Abakaliki, when the Nigerian Youth Organisation paid him a solidarity visit. Elechi said: “I am never

afraid of my shadows; if I misbehave, I should be answerable, but not when people see a political goal and the only way to achieve that political goal is to remove me. They have taken the decision to remove me before looking for reasons to adduce to convince the public that I should be removed. “The battle is still raging and I know the feelings of Ebonyi people. If not that we have appealed to them to douse the tension, Ebonyi State would have been

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on fire by now. Don’t mind those who set the House of Assembly ablaze to cover their illicit deeds and then turned round to point accusing fingers at others.” The governor traced the genesis of the crisis to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries last November, which he said was faulty, leading to the division in the party and the emergence of an unknown party, the Labour Party (LP). “How come that a nonexistent party like the

Labour Party in this part of the world suddenly overshadowed everything else?” Earlier, the National President of the Nigerian Youth Organisation, Okorie. C. Okorie, commended the governor for the peaceful manner he handled the issue. He called on the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, to apologise to Ebonyi people for nursing the ambition of impeaching Governor Elechi.

Pay workers their dues, cleric tells Elechi Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali, yesterday urged Governor Martin Elechi to pay workers of Ebonyi State their dues. Organised labour in the state has been on strike since March 10 over the non-payment of their September 2011 salaries by the state government. In a paper delivered during a prayer summit organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Nwali said: “Every worker ought to eat from his labour. Let the administration do whatever is possible and pay her workers and others their wages. So much is spent on conflict while justice and peace take very little.” The cleric called on the state government and labour to go back to

the negotiating table to end the industrial disharmony in the state, saying; “some consultations must be made and certain concessions and sacrifices may be called for on all sides,” said. Nwali condemned the N3, 000 monthly deductions from teachers’ salaries by the umbrella body, NUT, which he said portrayed the government in bad light. Meanwhile, the state government yesterday accepted to pay 50 per cent salary increment to the workers and their September 2011 salaries it has withheld for so long. In a release issued by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Boniface Chima, the government expressed dismay that the labour leaders have allowed themselves to be compromised by politicians with vested interest in their continuation of the dispute.

Group endorses Jonathan Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

A L-R: The Eze Ndigbo of Igbogbo/Baiyeku, Dr. Enwemadu Chimezie; Head of Igbo community in Ikosi Isheri LCDA, Chief Kelvin Nwaoha; Lagos East lawmaker, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and the Eze Ndigbo of Shomolu/Bariga, during the endorsement and conferment of Ashafa as the ‘Ugochinyere’ of Igbo land in Lagos..on Tuesday...

Professionals seek approval for FTZ before polls Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

he South-East, South-South Professionals (SESSP) yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 28 election, to approve the application for the establishment of a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Enugu before the elec-

tion. President Jonathan had, while inaugurating the rebuilt new model of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, about two years ago, said a Free Trade Zone would be approved for Enugu beginning from the 9th Mile corner to boost the economy of the zone. But worried that no action has been taken by the government despite a formal application by the Enugu State government

in line with the promise of Mr. President, the professionals are making this demand to commit him to take action on the matter, if he wants their votes. Speaking to newsmen shortly after taking part in the Enugu International Trade Fair that ended on Monday, President of the SESSP, Dr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, said the application seeking for the approval of a Free Trade Zone for the area has since been sent to the President and that he

(Ugwu-Oju) has had the opportunity of perusing its contents. According to him, “It’s something that has been hanging; the people of the South East are passionate about that. The president should know that and that all necessary things have been done in that regard. “Let it possibly be approved before the elections, otherwise, it might cost him some significant number of votes in the area,” he said.

head of the March 28 and April 11 general elections, an Igbo group, the Igbozue International Association (IIA) has endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for yet another four years, describing him as the President with a positive vision for Nigeria. The endorsement, according to the President of the group, Elder Pius Okoye, was predicated on the giant strides made by the Jonathan administration, which he said was consid-

Ebonyi varsity to honour Kukah, Ejike Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

State UniverUNDP, others hold voter education programme in Enugu Ebonyi sity (EBSU) will, on April 25, confer honorary

Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

he United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working in liaison with the National Council for Arts and Culture, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture, have commenced an aggressive

voter education programme in markets, motor parks and other strategic locations in different parts of the state. The programme has been conducted in Ogbete Main Market in the capital city, Udi town, which is the home base of Governor Sullivan Chime, as well as the Nsukka urban town, using various media of direct communication

to catch a sizeable segment of the populace. Speaking with New Telegraph yesterday after hours of advocacy involving drama presentation and dance performance by a cultural group, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture, Mr. Izueke Eddy Okolo, said though the programme has so far attracted huge crowds at the locations

so far visited, it was regrettable that logistical issues did not allow the group to commence such activities earlier. Apart from the drama condemning any form of violence during and after elections, the team held the attention of the audience at a location directly opposite the Nsukka Central motor park yesterday through the performance of its dance troupe.

ered after their extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Awka, the Anambra State capital yesterday. He said the group considered the re-election of Mr. President as a period of reconciling all the aggrieved groups in Nigeria. Commending Jonathan for what he has done for the Igbo and the development of the South East by extension, the association calls on every Nigerian to join hands in reciprocating the President’s gesture, who he said have changed the nation’s economy for good.

degrees on the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah and Prof. Chiweta Ejike, former Vice-Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Francis Idike, who led the management of the institution on a courtesy call on Governor Martin Elechi, said the convocation ceremony will come up on Saturday,

April 25. He described Kukah and Ejike as eminent Nigerians, who have contributed immensely to the development of the country. Idike said the university recorded 90 per cent accreditation in the last exercise, owing to the support given by Governor Elechi and called on him to repeat same in the second phase of the exercise slated for next month. In his remark, the governor thanked Idike for his courage and tenacity in waging war against indolence and examination malpractices, which he said have placed the university on a global map.

News

I won’t move against Ikuru, says Amaechi Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

ivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday declared that despite the defection of his deputy, Mr. Tele Ikuru, to the Peoples Democratic Party from the All Progressives Congress APC, his position as deputy governor remains intact. Stating that he only learnt about Ikuru’s return to the PDP in the media, he revealed that he was yet to get his deputy’s official resignation letter as member of the APC. The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Informa-

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-SOUTH

tion and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, shortly after an executive council meeting in Government House, told journalists that the “status quo remains,” thus clearing fear in some quarters of a possible impeachment proceedings against Ikuru. Amaechi said that even though Ikuru has defected, it does not, in any way, affect his position in government, just as he said that all the commissioners remain members of the party, contrary to reports that some of them left with the deputy governor. She said that every member of cabinet was present at the meeting, except Ikuru, and the Chief

of Staff, Government House, Mr. Tony Okocha, who is running for the House of Representatives election. He said: “This is the second emergency meeting of the state executive council. Present at this meeting were 32 members of the executive council. The only person absent was the Deputy Governor of Rivers State. “Issues of concern were discussed during the executive council meeting. Exco will wish to notify the media that as at today, no formal resignation letter of the Deputy Governor has reached the chairman of exco.” Amaechi appealed to security agencies to create the needed secured

atmosphere for peaceful, free and fair elections. Meanwhile, the state’s Commissioner for Power, Mr. Augustine Wokocha, has faulted the state’s Police Command over the killing of his relation, whom, according to the police, was not related to him. Wokocha said that the victim was a brother, who was killed, and the even if they police claim it is not so, then whoever is the victim has the right to life, and deserves security. “I condemn the position of the police whether the person killed is my community or my house is a relation. First, a citizen of Nigeria was supposed to be protected by the police was killed.

PDP prays court to quash forgery case against candidate Dominic Adewole ASABA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged the Federal High Court, Asaba, to quash a forgery case against its candidate Engr. Emeka Nwaobi, for lacking jurisdictional competence to entertain the matter. Another aspirant, Prince Uzoma Idaboh had dragged the winner of the November 29, 2014 for the Delta State House of Assembly seat for Aniocha North constituency seat, Engr. Emeka Nwaobi, to court, accusing him of forging the election result. The plaintiff had also

Anenih’s kinsmen endorse Edo APC senatorial candidate Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

Wife of the Cross Rivers State governor, Mrs. Obioma Imoke (middle) with some opposition female contestants in Calabar…. on Tuesday

Three feared dead in attack on Edo SDP senatorial candidate’s convoy Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

hree persons were reportedly killed and several others seriously injured yesterday following an attack on the convoy of the Edo North senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Abubakar Mo-

moh, in Etsako area of the state. A statement by the state Chairman of the party, Prince Frank Ukkonga, which was made available to newsmen in Benin, said “On behalf of all SDP members of the state, we wish to condemn in strong terms the attack on our

candidate, Hon. Abubakar Momoh and Chief Shagadi by some hoodlums.” The party said its findings have revealed that the attack was orchestrated by persons who were bent on curtailing the popularity of SDP in Edo north in particular and Edo State,

so that they can continue to fester their domination on the people of the state, as well as perpetuate the ruling party in power. The party appealed to the various security agencies to carry out full scale investigation on the matter with a view to unraveling the perpetrators.

PDP, APC bicker over moves to scuttle election in Edo From Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

he leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC), led government of stockpiling arms and other dangerous weapons to be used to attack targeted leaders

and members of the opposition during and after the March 28 and April 11 elections in the state. Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who raised the alarm during a press conference in Benin, the state capital, appealed to relevant security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and properties of members of the party and Edo

people during the polls. Orbih’s accusation came as the state government also raised the alarm yesterday that it has uncovered plans by the PDP to clone the voice of the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, which would be used to send out messages in support of the PDP presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan.

Special Adviser (Media Affairs) to the governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin, urged people of the state, to ignore such message as the governor, stating that the was solidly behind the presidential candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari and all candidates of the party.

secured a police report disowning Nwaobi and accusing him of forgery. But, the lead counsel to the PDP, J.O. Ikoriko, averred that the plaintiff, was desperate to be declared the winner of the primary election conducted by the PDP, after he lost the contest. Quoting relevant sections of the Electoral Act on the latest decision of the Supreme Court in a similar case between Khaki Versus PDP, Ikoriko asked the court to dismiss the case as incurably defective and malicious. According to him, two parallel primaries were conducted by the PDP, hence the court lacks jurisdiction on the matter.

ith two days to the first round of the general elections, traditional rulers from Edo Central senatorial district of Edo State and the Esan Youth Movement (EYM) have endorsed the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Francis Inegbeneki, as their candidate for the March 28, National Assembly election. Chief Inegbenekhi received the blessing of the traditional rulers at the palace of the Onogie of Opoji, His Royal Highness Zaiki Ehidiamen, during the monthly meeting of the royal fathers. HRH Ehidiamen said yesterday that the royal fathers decided to back Inegbeneki due to his relentless respect for the

traditional institution in Esanland. He said, “We unanimously agreed that Chief Inegbeneki, the Uzoya of Esanland is the sole candidate and we pray that the almighty God answers our prayers for Esanland, to witness the desired representation at the Senate which we have craved for. Unlike most politicians, Inegbeneki is a man of the people despite his influence and achievements in life. He gave our children scholarship and the indigent students free education. He is a committed Esan son, so we must support him” he stated. The Esan Youth Movement, in a communique signed by its President, Comrade Henshaw Oligbi and Secretary, Nostain Odigie, said the movement “and other affiliate bodies have unanimously resolved to endorse the candidate.

PDP, APC, will be defeated in gov election –Delta LP DominicAdewole ASABA

he Labour Party yesterday predicted an end to the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta state, while it stated that it would defeat the PDP and the All Progressives Party (APC), in the state. The party said its gubernatorial candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, would bring about genuine dividends of democracy if elected, as against the current situation of lip service to people-oriented projects by the ruling party in the state. The state chairman of the party, Chief Tony Ezeagu, gave the assurance at IsseleUku, Aniocha North Local

Government Area of state yesterday, when he visited the various party faithful in the locality. While he calling on the people not to lose sight of the fact that Chief Ogboru, from Delta central axis of the state, is also from Delta north, stating the ruling party has nothing new to offer the state since their occupation of the seat of power since 1999. Pointing to what he tagged “perennial water problem”, which has bedeviled the headquarters of the council area for decades, he said, “whereas the Catholic Bishop of Issele-Uku was able to provide bore-hole water for the people, the PDP government has done nothing, so it should be voted out.’’

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

News 49

NORTH

20, 000 security agents deployed for elections in Nasarawa READY, SET...

Nasarawa police look set for presidential election. 20,000 on standby Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA

he Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Sani Mohammed, yesterday said no fewer than 20, 000 security agents would be deployed to provide security at Sat-

urday’s presidential election in the state. He spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held at INEC headquarters in Lafia, the state capital. Represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Usman LongLong, the police boss said the 20, 000 security agents were from the combined security agencies in the state including the Police, SSS, NSCDC, Immigration and Prisons and

FRSC and the military. He warned that security agents would deal ruthlessly with anyone caught fomenting trouble before, during and after the elections. Earlier in his address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji. Abdullahi Umar Danyaya, said a total of 1, 242, 812 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have so far been received while about 1, 049, 053 have distributed. Danyaya also reiterated the commission’s

dogged determination in steering activities of political parties, and politicians towards free, fair and credible in the elections. The REC made this disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting with representatives of the various political parties held at the commission’s headquarters in Lafia, the state capital. He said the commission has put in place farreaching measures aimed at ensuring a smooth conduct of the polls.

He, however, hinted that about 3, 010 Smart Card Readers have been received and configured by the ICT/VR Department just as he maintained that they are ready for use during the elections. According to him, ballot boxes and other nonsensitive materials had been received and distributed to all the 13 local governments’ areas of the state. He, however, admonished the stakeholders to desist from anything ca-

Stakeholders tasked on medical education

Group warns against division on religious lines

Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

Biodun Oyeleye

takeholders in medical education in the country were asked yesterday to give more attention to post-graduate medical education. Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, made the call in a paper he delivered at the March 2015 induction ceremony of the 2014 graduating class of the College of Medicine at the University of Ilorin. Adewole, in the lecture titled; “Beyond the Coveted MBBS; Contemporary Problems and Prospects of Postgraduate Medical Education in Nigeria,” said there was the need to reorganise most medical training schools, most of which, he claimed, have been turned into ‘glorified tertiary health centres.’ He said the trainee, the trainer and the government and other stakeholders needed to take postgraduate medical education seriously, adding that there is no end to medical education. He said: “We need to have a comprehensive regulation at the national level that will transcend individual professional association and disciplines for a qualitative output. “Training colleges should continue their engagement with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and look for ways to incorporate real academic training into the professional fellowship programme. “We cannot deny the fact that the current pressure might lead to a future demand from the incoming generation to have academic exposure before being engaged in the universities,” he said.

pable of causing violence during and after the elections. Danyaya said: “The stakeholders should, during this very crucial moment in the country’s determination to sustain its hard-earned democracy, endeavour to come together about peace and security in the state before, during and after the elections. “From all indications, the stakeholders are formidable and I believe that if you rub minds together, cross-fertilize ideas, you can bring about the much needed peace and security before during and after the elections.”

ILORIN

L-R: Wife of Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Modupe Awoniyi; Mr. Simbabi Ogbeha; Senator Tunde Ogbeha and Special Adviser to the President of the Senate, Hon. Kola Ologbondiyan, at the funeral mass for late Mrs. Grace Bosede Ologbondiyan, in Kabba, Kogi State.

Wali: I’ll prosecute violence perpetrators Umar Abdullahi SOKOTO

he Sokoto State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Abdalla Wali, yesterday said he would prosecute perpetrators of election violence if elected as governor of the state. He said this will serve as deterrent to others,

especially those who engage, support or sponsor youths to participate in violence and cause crisis and disharmony during and after elections. Wali spoke at a PDP rally in Sokoto North and South Local Government areas held on Tuesday at Giginya Memorial Stadium, Sokoto. The aspirant, who said he was concerned about increased violence among

Baraje to voters: Don’t be scared of soldiers Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

s Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, has called on voters not to be intimidated by the presence of military men on election duty. Baraje, who asked voters to troop out en masse to cast and protect their votes, urged the electorate not to be afraid or deterred by the deploy-

ment of armed military personnel to some strategic locations in the state. The APC chieftain, who was in Ilorin to drum support for the candidates of his party in Saturday’s elections, emphasised the need for voters to cast their votes and wait at the polling booths to ensure that their votes count. He also cautioned the citizens against voting based on financial inducement, noting that this elections provided them the opportunity to chase out bad leaders.

youths in the state, assured the people that anyone found instigating violence in the state would be arrested and prosecuted. He urged the people to conduct themselves well while they cast their votes in the elections. Also, the former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, yesterday said he will jail the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu

Wamakko, if found guilty of embezzling public funds. The former governor assured the people that the PDP will win the elections either the incumbent governor likes it or not. He said the party has concluded arrangements to unseat the opposition APC in the coming election, adding that people in the state are eager to vote PDP at all levels.

PDP ends campaign, confident of winning in Jigawa Dahiru Suleiman DUTSE

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jigawa State yesterday ended its campaign in Birnin-Kudu with a firm belief in winning the March 28 and April 11 elections in the state. Addressing a mammoth crowd in BirninKudu, chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Salisu Mahmuda Kuit, said part of the strategies adopted by the party include mobilising and

educating members on how to vote, as well as eschewing violence during and after the elections. He said other measures taken by the party to ensure victory at the polls also include educating members on the dos and don’ts in the electoral law. On the allegation of selling PVCs, Kuit said there was nothing like that; adding that such cannot be found in their camp, “as we are wise in knowing the importance of democracy and elections.”

religious group, the Kwara State Muslim Stakeholders and Imams, representing Muslims across the 16 local government areas of the state has expressed concern over the division being introduced into the 2015 general elections. Addressing newsmen yesterday in Ilorin, the group asked Nigerians to be wary of some people they claimed might want to use religion to divide the country in the course of the elections. The group, led by the pioneer Grand Khadi of the state Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Abdulkadir Orire, while saying Islam is a religion of peace, which represents peace in its entirety, asked Nigerians to reject religious indoctrination and vote according to their conscience based on the competence and capacity of the candidates. Orire said the press conference was on the recent unguarded utterances of some Christian leaders against the interest of Muslims and Islam. He said it was wrong for anyone to claim, for instance, that the Boko Haram insurgency is an attempt to Islamise Nigeria and that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is a Nigerian version of the Islamic Brotherhood of Egypt and that Muslims are killing Christians indiscriminately and destroying churches. Orire said his group was uncomfortable with such claims as it is perceived as an attempt to whip up religious sentiments ahead of the 2015 election.

News

WORLD | News

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG defends planned use of Charles Taylor loses bid for prison transfer military for elections Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

he Federal Government may go ahead with the deployment of the military personnel for use during the presidential election on Saturday despite a court order banning that move. That is in view of the stance of the Minister of State, Defence, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) in a statement yesterday. He main-

tained that the military was constitutionally empowered to assist the police in enforcing law and order in the polity.  Akobundu, in the statement, in Enugu, said the Federal Government would do everything within its constitutional mandate to ensure a hitch-free poll, adding that the military as an institution was constitutionally mandated to help the police and the government to ensure peace.  He urged Nigerians to vote

for President Goodluck Jonathan and all PDP candidates in Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections. “As we Nigerians go to the polls to exercise our democratic franchise, it is pertinent to remind us that we have a date with history come Saturday. It is on that date that Nigerians will decide whether this train on its right track will remain and even accelerate to a glorious crescendo or derail.

Ndigbo, Kwarans endorse Buhari, Ambode Temitope Ogunbanke

gbo and Kwara indigenes in Lagos State have called on Nigerians to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the March 28 and April 11 elections.   Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday, chairman of Association for the Defense of Igbo Interest in Lagos, Dr. Chris Nwaokobia, called on Igbo indigenes not to be deceived by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Igbo interest will be protected if President Goodluck Jonathan is re-elected. He noted that there was no significant federal investment in Igbo land since the Jonathan government came

into power six years ago, adding that the state of infrastructure in Igboland remains horrible, even with several unfulfilled promises by the Jonathan administration. The Coordinator of Kwara Indigenes in Lagos, Prince Ahmed Olanrewaju Ajikobi, appealed to all Kwarans in Lagos to vote for APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.  “We will give APC 95 per cent votes in Lagos. We have decided to give our votes for APC because of what the state government is doing and because APC is the ruling party in Kwara State,” he said.  “Our fate

with the PDP Federal Government , even in things that should be rightly ours in the Nigerian federation has been endless stories of lies, deceit and fraud played on the Igbo nation. Igbo land is where fuel sells at the highest price and where supply of dwindling light is at its very worst. “Our roads remain the worst in the federation as the Igbo find it difficult to move from one state to the other especially during rainy seasons,” he said.  Nwaokobia said that the Igbo have resolved to vote for the continuity of the party in Lagos State and to vote for change at the federal level. He, therefore, urged Ndigbo across the country to vote enmasse for APC during the March 28 and April 11 elections.

Amosun counsels electorate on military presence

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has advised Nigerians not to allow the on-going deployment of soldiers deter them from casting their votes on Saturday.  Amosun, in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said though it was abnormal to deploy armed soldiers for supervision of civil acts like the voting process, the soldiers, like

other security agents, can only help to maintain peace and security during the elections. “Those desperate politicians who think they can use the deployment of soldiers to intimidate and scare our people away from fulfilling their constitutional obligations will fail.  “They will fail because, one, our people are determined to use their votes to effect positive change and nothing will stop them. Two, our military men are also citizens of Nigeria. They are experienc-

ing all the hardship that have resulted from the bad governance by the PDP and they also desire change. In any case, the military are there to protect the people,” he said.  The governor appealed to soldiers not to allow any politician use them to wreak violence on the people while urging them to demonstrate strict compliance with military ethics and provision of the Electoral Law in the cause of performing their duties during the election period.

Vision, key to survival, says Aig-Imokhuede Ebere Ameh

“W

hen it comes to copi n g with challenges, which is inevitable and constant in life, there is nothing as important as having a vision. Nothing noteworthy in life has been achieved without a vision.” That is

the view of the President of the Nigerian Stock exchange, Mr Aigboje AigImoukhuede, which he made known during the 2015 Women in Business, Management and Public Service (WIMBIZ) Annual Lecture that held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos recently. Themed Thriving in Tough Times: Navigat-

ing Challenging Environments, Aig-Imokhuede, who was the Guest Lecturer, explained that it was vision that makes entrepreneurs succeed. “Vision is fundamental to survival. I have used the analogy of turbulent waters to describe the challenges I have faced in the course of my professional career.

onvicted Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor’s request to be transferred from Britain to serve the remainder of a 50-year jail term in Africa has been denied, Sierra Leone’s special tribunal announced yesterday. Taylor, 67, was transferred to the Frankland prison near Durham in northeastern England in October 2013 after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone’s bloody 1991-2002 civil war. The former warlord has complained that his wife and daughters have been refused entry to Britain and asked to be moved to a prison in Rwanda instead. “The motion is rejected,” a three-judge bench said in a decision

by the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone made on January 30, but released by the judges only yesterday. “Prisoners do not have the right to choose their place of detention,” the tribunal added in a press release. Other inmates convicted by the tribunal for atrocities in Sierra Leone are serving their sentences in Rwanda, but “Mr Taylor had no justification for demanding that he be treated in the same way as other prisoners from Africa, given his exceptional circumstances and the gravity of his offences,” it said. The court found that his wife and daughters’ inability to visit him in jail was not due to “interference with his rights to family life.” “Rather, this was due to their failure

to provide information showing they intended to leave the UK at the end of their visit” and Taylor’s wife’s “failure to comply with the United Kingdom visa requirements.” The judges also quoted a a UN Security Council resolution that said Taylor’s presence in west Africa could pose a threat to peace and security in the region. Taylor was arrested in 2006 and sentenced at The Hague in 2012 for what judges called “some of the most heinous crimes in human history”. As Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003, he supplied guns and ammunition to rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone in a conflict notorious for mutilations, drugged child soldiers and sex slaves.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor waits on September 26,2013 in the courtroom of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague before the start of his appeal judgement.

Yemen’s president flees amid rebel advance

emeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled the country by sea yesterday on a boat from Aden, as Shiite rebels and their allies advanced on the southern port city where he had taken refuge, captured his defense minister and seized the city’s airport. Hadi’s departure marks a dramatic turn in Yemen’s turmoil and means a decisive collapse of what was left of his rule, which the

United States and Gulf allies had hoped could stabilize the chronically chaotic nation and fight al-Qaida’s branch here after the 2011 ouster of longtime autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh. Over the past year, the Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are believed to be supported by Iran, have battled their way out of their northern strongholds, overwhelmed the capital, Sanaa, seized province after province in the north and worked

their way south. Their advance has been boosted by units of the military and security forces that remained loyal to Saleh, who allied with the rebels. With Hadi gone, there remains resistance to the Houthis scattered around the country, whether from Sunni tribesmen, local militias, pro-Hadi military units or al-Qaida fighters. Hadi and his aides left Aden after 3:30 p.m. on two boats, security and port officials told The Associated Press.

Ukraine’s president dismisses regional governor

kraine’s president acted to quell a potential source of fresh political unrest yesterday by dismissing the truculent billionaire governor of a region neighboring areas where fighting is still taking place between government and separatist forces. The confrontation between oil and banking tycoon Ihor Kolomoysky and the authorities has highlighted the struggle Ukraine will face in dilut-

ing the influence of super-rich businessmen in public life. President Petro Poroshenko’s office said in a statement that Kolomoysky had asked overnight to be released from his duties as governor of Dnipropetrovsk. The request came only after days of tension fueled by Kolomoysky’s heavy-handed attempts to resist a government effort to wrest important energy companies from his control, however. Kolomoysky

made no immediate comment yesterday. Last week, parliament overwhelmingly adopted a law requiring only 50 percent of shareholders of joint stock companies to attend company meetings before decisions could be taken. The threshold was previously 60 percent. That measure had the most immediate ramifications for Kolomoysky, whose Privat Group conglomerate holds a 43-percent stake in oil and gas company Ukrnafta.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2015

News

Interview

International Sport FA rejects Skrtel’s ban appeal

Team Nigeria ready for Kenyan National Relays

Mixed fortunes for Nigeria in Spanish Open

World Cup will be tough – Manu

Athletics

Sport

Did you know? The Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to Uganda was the fourth in seven of their last meetings with the Super Eagles winning two and drawing one

Uganda ruin enyeama’s party • Super Eagles 0 Cranes 1

Ajibade Olusesan

incent Enyeama’s centenary match ended on the worst possible note after the Cranes of Uganda handed a shock 1-0 defeat to the Super Eagles in an international friendly match on Wednesday. Farouku Miya scored in the 76th minute to punish the Nigerians who struggled all evening. Coach Daniel Amokachi started Cologne’s Anthony Ujah, Watford’s Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow in the attack but the trio who have scored a massive 35 goals between themselves for their clubs in Europe fluffed several chances as the first half ended goalless. Ujah was put through in the 5th minute by Hope

Akpan but the striker failed to get past goalkeeper Onyango Dennis and Musa could not do better with the rebound. Ighalo, Musa and Steve Ukoh also had chances in the first half but poor finishing and Onyango’s excellent performance frustrated the Eagles. Although the Nigerian team showed more urgency in the second half following the introduction of Simon Moses, Akeem Latifu and Aaron Samuel, they still could not break the deadlock. However, the Eagles were so desperate to score the elusive goal and forgot to protect their backline; the Ugandans hit them on the counter in the 75th minute. Eagles defenders failed to clear their lines and Miya who collected a pass from Goefrey Massa fired a short which was de-

flected into the net by Latifu. Although Enyeama got a hand to it, the goalkeeper could not keep the ball out. Eagles fought to force a draw but the Cranes defended stoutly to earn the victory and continue their domination over Nigeria. Speaking after the match, Enyeama said that it was unfortunate that his 100th cap for Nigeria ended in a home loss. “I want to say a big thank you to Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora. “It was a great disappointment but this is football. It is a training game. There was prestige at stake, there was pride at stake but it is part of life. We played with a new team and it’s going to take time for us to blend; for us to get to know ourselves. This is football.”

U-23 Eagles not under pressure – Siasia

Enyeama

Ifeanyi Ibeh

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sport

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sport Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

oach of Nigeria’s U-23 national team, Samson Siasia, is confident of his side’s chances of making it to the football event of the 2015 All Africa Games despite last weekend’s unimpressive outing against Zambia in the first leg of the final round qualifiers in Abuja. The Nigerian team could only play a goalless draw against the Zambians at the National Stadium; a result that led to the coach of the Zambian side, Fighton Simukonda, boasting that the Nigerians should forget about

turning up for the return leg fixture, now scheduled to take place on April 11, in Ndola as against the earlier scheduled date of April 4. Simukonda, in an interview with Zambian newspaper, The Post, said: “The game in Nigeria was tough but the boys played according to our strategy and it worked so well. We have just played the first half; we are now going to plan for the second half.” He added: “By the time [Nigeria] come, we will be ready for them. We will have to work extra hard, they have a good team. They just have to fall when they come here. Definitely Nigeria will have to fall,

we are playing at home with our supporters behind us; they will definitely fall.” But Siasia, whose side squandered a number of scoring opportunities against the Zambians, is hoping to get it right when next he comes up against the former Zambian national team captain and his charges. “They came with a game plan; to prevent us from scoring and to frustrate us. And it worked for them thanks to our inability to convert any of the chances that came our way; and there were a number of them,” recalled Siasia. “So I can’t fault anything he (Simukonda) has said. He is entitled to his opinion. But

NFF board approves Keshi’s new deal

Siasia

it would be different in the return leg as I don’t think they are going to sit back like they did in Abuja. “They are going to have to come out. And we, on our part, won’t sit back and allow them to bring the game to us. We are going there to score a goal or more, and to win.”

} 54

Sport

THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Eagles and the 35 years celebration of excellence!

unday was an eventful day in the life of the country’s soccer. It marked the 35th anniversary of the national soccer team, Green Eagles, celebration of the country’s first ever victory at the prestigious African Cup of Nations. And to boot –on home soil. I had cut my teeth in the coverage of the event two years earlier when Ghana hosted the tournament in the cities of Accra and Kumasi. Can’t forget in a hurry. As a rookie, I sat dejected as the Ugandan Cranes stole the ball from the Nigerian attack for that goal that dispatched the Eagles. I had followed in tow writing for the Breeze Magazine and then an internship at the Daily Express where my uncle-in-law, Chief Dapo Daramola of the Spear Magazine fame placed me under the tutelage of Omotayo Adigun and I worked on the desk headed by my revered Lagos Sportswriters Chairman, Lat Ogunmade. Perry and Segun Adenuga are Nigerians by birth and names but in their hearts they are Ghanaians. Both still run homes in Accra, peacefully, so! Together with Isaac Ibhafidon I got my writing skills and intuition honed with that tournament in Accra and Kumasi-it was from there that Adenuga “handed” me over to his best friend – Owolabi Ilori – the Punch Sports Editor.

Muyiwa Daniel on Thursday

md_muyiwa@yahoo.com 08023525087 (sms only) I grew in confidence covering the West African sub-region, picked a bit of French within the stadia in Cotonou, Lome, Conakry and Dakar covering the West African Football Union(WAFU) competition at a time telecommunication persona –Chief Jonathan Ogunfere and his colleague –J.K. Tandoh –ran the administration at the sub-region. I also picked the Ghanaian languages of Ga and Twi but can’t claim to be as “genuine” like Adenuga, Adigun, Mike Awoyinfa and News Agency of Nigeria’s Tony Nezianya – who actually attended journalism school in the Kwame Nkrumah’s country. 1980 posed a challenge as Chief M.K.O. Abiola launched the Concord group of newspapers on March 1, when the Nations Cup flagged off at the Lagos National Stadium. For effect –Alhaji (now RCCG Pastor) Yinusa Akee led the sports desk. Ilori placed me with my frailness but ambitious disposition at the Liberty (now Obafemi Awolowo) Stadium, Ibadan where the “war”

was Joseph Carr’s Ghana, Guinea, Morocco and Algeria. With a beetle at the reporter’s disposal, photojournalist –John Ebhota completed the team and we shuttled through that express road everyday. The competition was against “fresh” Concord and “homebased” Tribune and Sketch that deployed, Kayode Ojo, Washington Tamakloe, Biodun Onadipe, Ade Somefun, Gbolagade Busari amongst others. God continue to bless the soul of Ilori as the stories kept tumbling in and at a point when I reported the “exit” of Ghana as a fan ran onto the pitch and removed Carr’s cap with the distraction resulting in the qualification of Morocco whose players had earlier “checked-out” of the Lafia Hotel en-route Lagos for departure home if the “Black Stars” had won, a vendor at the stadium gate refused to acknowledge my picture on the front page logo and insisted on selling the copy of “my newspaper”

at an inflated price. I had no choice because it was a sell-out that caused not only a stir at the newsrooms at Imalefalafia but queries. My bosses at Onipetesi received a call from Chief Lekan Salami (of IICC “shooting stars fame) with the reminder that Punch Chairman – Chief Olu Aboderin-was not just an Ibadan indigene but also lays claim to the Olubadan stool. The result! I got bonuses. And an opportunity to join the big bosses at the Press box of the Lagos National Stadium to report the semifinal. On the other box, I saw live Dele Adetiba, Ishola Folorunso, Ernest Okonkwo, Fabio Lanipekun, Yinka Craig, Tolu Fatoyinbo amongst others running commentaries in the radio and TV cubicles with their drinks and cigarettes in tow. At our written box, the Confederation of African Football gave me a seat through the National Sports Commission press unit headed by Chief Ajibade Fashina-Thomas with Adeoye Mabo, Abiola Laguda and Kunle Sewoniku as the top bosses. Sewoniku actually handled the press box tickets. My seat was next to ESSBEE – Solomon Babatunde Oshuntolu- Akee, Ilori, Ojo, Adigun and Adenuga amongst the greats

World Cup will be tough – Manu Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, who led the national U-20 side to victory at the recently concluded African U-20 Championship in Senegal, in this interview with sl10.ng, speaks on his plans for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. How would you describe Nigeria’s win in Senegal? It was good and all glory must go to the almighty God for His grace and mercies. It wasn’t an easy competition, but we went, saw and conquered and we must be happy about that. Going into the tournament was difficult because, for example, we didn’t know anything about the Senegalese whom we played in our first game but all the teams there already knew almost everything about

us because they watched us from the Super Six and several other games we played. But overall we must be grateful for what we achieved.

were confident. The other teams also knew our strengths and they came all out against us but we always had our game plan and it worked most times.

Did you at any point fear you may fail to win it? I try as much as possible not to put doubt before me. We knew before we went that it would be a tough tournament and we got exactly what we wanted but we knew what we had and we

So looking forward now, what plans do you have for the World Cup? We would like to have a concentration camp for about two months so we can get the boys into shape and keep improving on what we have. The World Cup will be different from the AYC and

of the written press. That was the beginning of the cigarettes and drinks infection. No regrets. Then the March 22. The deal was completed by Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal and Segun Odegbami. 3-0 and Mustapha Cuichi’s Algeria were dispatched. The telex machines at the Press Centre were jammed as the stories flew to various media houses. Then came “Chairman” Christian Chukwu leading the Eagles to our domain –with the heavy trophy that took Governor Lateef Jakande to assist President Shehu Shagari and CAF President, Ethiopian Ynackatchev Tessema and his vice-President, Nigerian Oyo Orok Oyo, to present. Sunday was a day of reflection of that 35 years of success made more eventful as Manu Garba”s Flying Eagles claimed the African Youth Championship with that 1-0 victory over hosts-Senegal- now heading “Down Under” in New Zealand for the Under 20 World Cup as African Champions. Forget for once that Barcelona hit Real Madrid in El-Clasico, Manchester United shocked Liverpool, Bayern lost at the Alianz Arena. The day belonged to the Green Eagles. In retrospect. Take a bow, Chukwu and company.! Happy anniversary!

we need adequate time to prepare the players for that. This is a different level of football and we need to keep them in line with what is obtainable in the world game and also bring them up to speed with what to expect there. Now that you’ll be going to the World Cup as African champions, what chances do the stars like Kelechi Iheanacho, Isaac Success, Musa Yahaya and Wilfred Ndidi have to break into this team since they weren’t in Senegal? Kelechi Iheanacho is a player that we need and I have said this several times but he is not guaranteed a shirt. He has to work as hard as the other players and it will be very difficult. When we started this team; during the qualifiers, it was difficult for him to break into the team and he was always coming from the bench. And this time it will be very difficult because we shall be preparing for the World Cup and he must have to fight to deserve a place. But not only Kelechi, even Isaac Success and Wilfred Ndidi. They shall all fight for places. Wilfred Ndidi? That’s quite surprising considering the fact you have always maintained he is your best defender. Yes. He will have to fight for a place in this team. He is a very good defender that will be a good addition to our team but he can’t just come in and walk straight into the team. There were guys in Senegal who did well and should we just discard them? So anyone coming in must prove himself. Including Ndidi, Iheanacho, Success, Musa Yahaya and whoever else we’ll bring in. We must go with our best players to the World Cup.

Intertional Sport 53

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2015

Spain stars rally behind Casillas

pain new boys Juanmi and Vitolo are the latest Roja players to jump to the defence of under-fire goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The Real Madrid star, who is captain of the Spanish national team as well as los Blancos, has faced heavy criticism in the past couple of seasons and was on the losing side in Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona. However Gerard Pique, a team-mate with Spain since 2009, came out in

support of Casillas in the build-up to their Euro 2016 qualifier against Ukraine and friendly against the Netherlands. And Vitolo, Sevilla’s in-form winger, said: “No one can doubt Casillas. He is the captain of this team that has won a World Cup and two European Championships. “Maybe your club may be going through bad times, but I do not doubt him.”

Usain Bolt to race in the USA

Skrtel stood on David De Gea in the last seconds of Liverpool 2-1 home defeat by Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday

lympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt will make his first appearance in the United States in five years when he competes in the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League meeting in New York City on June 13, organisers said on Wednesday. The Jamaican sprinter set his first 100 metres world record at the meeting in 2008 when he clocked 9.72 seconds. His only other appearance in the U.S. since then was to anchor a Jamaican 4x100 metres team at the 2010 Penn Relays. ‘No one could ever forget their first world record, and I will never forget the crowd in New York that night,’ Bolt said in a statement. ‘They had to wait for an hour during a thunderstorm delay before our race, and I don’t think a single person left the stadium.

FA rejects Skrtel’s ban appeal

artin Skrtel‘s hope of being available for next week’s big Premier League match against Arsenal has faded away. The Football Association rejected Skrtel’s appeal of a ban for stamping on Manchester United goalkeeper

Bolt

‘They deserved a great performance, and I’m glad I was able to give it to them. I’m looking forward to running in New York again.’ Organisers did not announce whether Bolt would run over 100 or 200 metres in the meeting at New York’s Icahn Stadium.

TRACK & FIELD WITH CHARLES OGUNDIYA

Okpekpe 2015: International athletes arrive May 14

he coordinator of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race, Yusuf Alli, has revealed that some of the international athletes will be arriving the community from May 14 ahead of the race scheduled for May 16. Alli said all the athletes pencilled down for the race had confirmed their participation and would be coming in from May 14. “We are going to intensify preparations immediately after the national election and I can confirm to you that the international athletes will be arriving from May 14,” he

said. “Because of our plans for the race, we have contacted some top long distance runners across the continent while some others have also signified their interest.” On the performance of some of the country’s athletes at the Splash FM Integrity Race in Ibadan, the 1990 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said it was a welcome development. “The idea is to have enough major races before the competition so that our athletes can be in top shape for the race,” he said.

De Gea in the last seconds of Liverpool’s 2-1 home defeat by Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday. The incident was missed at the time by referee Martin Atkinson with Skrtel claiming that the alleged stamp had been unintentional.

Van Gaal carpets Di Maria’s performance

ngel Di Maria’s Manchester United future was plunged into doubt after it emerged he was berated by Louis van Gaal after Sunday’s win at Anfield. Van Gaal was unhappy with Di Maria’s performance

as a second-half substitute and gave the Argentinian a dressing down, report the Manchester Evening News. Club record signing Di Maria is also believed to be keen to leave United in the summer, with Paris Saint-

Germain monitoring his development at Old Trafford. Van Gaal’s blast is the latest setback for £59.7million Di Maria, who is experiencing a poor run of form in the United team and has lost his place to Ashley Young.

Team Nigeria ready for Kenyan National Relays

T Nigeria 4x400m relay team after winning gold at the last African Junior Athletics Championship in Ethiopia

David De Gea last weekend. The 30-year-old defender will now miss Premier League matches against the Gunners and Newcastle. The third match will be the FA Cup quarterfinal replay against Blackburn. The Slovakian stood on

he Technical Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, has said Nigeria athletes will depart the country this weekend for the Kenyan National Relays. Nesiama said the athletes were ready for the competition, putting into consideration what he noticed in the team’s camp. “We are going to Kenya this weekend for the Kenyan National Relays, it will be a good opportunity to access the athletes we are taking for the

World Relays,” he said. “The invited athletes are already in camp and we are expecting them to do well. It is part of our preparation for the World Relay in May. “The federation is putting up another team in the US and before the World Relay, we hope to come up with a formidable team that will make Nigerians proud.” Speaking on the schorlarship given to some Nigerian athletes, Nesiama said it was a welcome development. The man popularly called Oscar in military circle said:

“We at the federation appreciates the fact that what we have been clamouring for, the Nigeria Olympic Committee has followed it up and it has now come to fruition. “I hope the athletes will make the best use of the opportunity offered by the scholarships to excel in their career.” Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru, Ese Brume and Christian Morton are some of the 12 Nigerian athletes who benefited from the Rio 2016 Scholarship for Athletes programme.

Governorship candidate backs Integrity Race

People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, has stated his reason for supporting the annual 42km marathon race tagged ‘Splash FM Integrity Race’. Folarin said his involvement in the tournament stemmed from his desire to join the race for ‘good governance, accountability and transparency in our governance’ which was the theme of the event.

“The philosophy of fighting ills in our society through sports should not be left to one person, alone and I believe that is the underlying principle behind the annual 42km marathon race, so we decided to join the campaign this year which is the 7th edition,” the immediate past Senate Leader said. “Chief Adebayo Akande has been the sole financier of this event, using a long distance race which we all know is not for the faint-

hearted, as a tool for the campaign. “The fight for a better society should be for all and I believe more people would still join by the next edition.” Haris Ismail and Deborah Pam, both from Plateau State won the mens and women categories is of the race with a record time of 2hrs, 35mins 6 secs and 3 hrs, 3 mins and 23 secs respectively to cart home the sum of N600,000 and N400,000 prize money.

54 Sport

THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mixed fortunes for Nigeria in Spanish Open

FRIENDLY RESULTS Nigeria 0 – 1 Uganda Indonesia 0 – 1 Cameroon Mauritius 2 – 2 Burundi Ghana 1 – 0 Namibia Georgia 2 – 0 Malta

Ajibade Olusesan

Swaziland 1 – 3 South Africa

N Taribo

Senior players never intimidated Enyeama – Taribo

ormer Super Eagles defender Taribo West has hailed Vincent Enyeama as one of Nigeria finest goal tenders, who got his 100th cap in Wednesday’s friendly against Uganda. “From day one the way he barked instructions at us, his senior colleagues, in the Super Eagles defense, without the fear and respect he gives us off the pitch made me know he was heading for the top,” West told SL10.ng. “With all due respect he deserves more than the respect he is currently getting, he belongs up there with some of the finest goalkeepers Nigeria ever had”.

On what makes the Lille goal tender a stand out from others who had been in goal for the Eagles, the former Inter Milan star pointed at his consistency, which makes him different from the others. “Vincent has been very consistent over the years from 2002 to 2015; staying at number one is no mean feat in a country like ours, where sometimes people just get tired of your face. “But for Nigerians to accept him all those years, in error, in victory and in pains, marks him out as a rare breed, a role model for upcoming goalkeepers.”

Ideye eyes return against QPR Charles Ogundiya

rown Ideye is optimistic he will be fit for West Brom’s Premier League clash with relegation-threatened QPR as he recovers from a knee injury. Ideye pulled out of the Nigeria squad for the friendlies against Uganda and South Africa during the international break, but the West Brom record signing is targeting a return against beleaguered QPR a week on Saturday. He told the club’s official website: “I am in rehab now so hopefully I will be better before the QPR game. “I just have to work with the doctors and the physios and hopefully things will get better in time. “Somebody kicked me from behind in the Stoke game and since then I’ve been getting pain.

igerian players had contrasting outings in the first day of the Spanish Open yesterday (Wednesday) as Ojo Onaolapo secured victory in his opening match but Kazeem Makanjuola suffered a first day loss. Onaolapo walloped Lopez Pedro who was playing in front of his home fans 4-0. The Nigerian who crashed out in the semifinal of the last Lagos Open beat the Spaniard 11-7, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 to brighten his chances of qualifying from group 20 into the preliminary rounds of the men’s singles. Makanjuola was not that lucky as he suffered a 4-1 loss to Franzen Alexander of Sweden in his first group 5 match. The G-20 Table Tennis Club player went down 3-11, 7-11, 4-11, 13-11,011 to the Swedish. However, Onaolapo will play his second group game against Kuzmin Fedor

of Russia and a victory in that one will earn him a place in the next round. Makanjuola will also play his second group game against Stoyanov Niagol of Italy and the Nigerian will attempt to salvage his campaign.

NFF board approves Keshi deal Ajibade Olusesan

igeria Football Federation has approved the appointment of Stephen Keshi as the coach of the Super Eagles, the President of the federation, Amaju Pinnick, announced yesterday (Wednesday). The federation and the coach had been locked in protracted negotiations over a new deal after the coach’s initial contract expired at the end of last FIFA World Cup but

reports emerged a few days ago that Keshi had accepted a new deal. And Pinnick announced during the Eagles international friendly match with Uganda that the board met yesterday (on Wednesday) to approve the appointment of the coach. He said that although the coach was yet to officially sign the deal, he expected the former Mali national team handler to put pen to paper soon. “Keshi is yet to sign

Keshi

but I can confirm to Nigerians that the NFF board met today (Wednesday) to approve the appointment of the coach. I am happy we have finally sorted that issue out,” he said.

NSF: Two Plateau athletes to train in Kenya Musa Pam Jos

A Ideye (right)

“I spoke with the gaffer and said I didn’t think I could play, so I just have to rest it and get good treatment. “I thought I could be fit for Nigeria. I thought I could even be fit for the game at Manchester City but the pain was still there

and I couldn’t run so I just had to stay back instead of risking it by going to internationals and coming back. “I just have to rest. The pain is still there but the doctors and physios have been doing their best. They should make sure I’m fit for the game.”

head of the National Sports Festival, the Plateau State government has concluded arrangements to send two of the state’s athletes to train in Kenya. The state’s Commissioner of Sports, Mr. Lorenzo Gwatau, made this

Awolowo Stadium Tennis Club as part of the activities to mark the 28th posthumous birthday anniversary of the sage and foremost nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Number one seed Kunle Yusuf will confront hard

fighting Yemi Asaleye in the men’s singles final. Yusuf defeated Reverend Father Martin Olowoyeye 6-2, 7-6 while Asaleye dumped out number two seed Barrister Leye Olubajo 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.

disclosure in Jos while on a visit to the camping ground, where 50 athletes train for the festival. “We are living nothing behind in our preparations for this year’s NSF since our goal is to emerge winner top during the event. “Approval has been given for two of our athletes to train in Kenya for maximum result in track

and field events,” he said. The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Julius Shinkur, charged the athletes which include teens to be well disciplined and write their names in Gold while also advising them to stay clear of drugs.

Emenike resumes with Fenerbahce Emmanuel Tobi

Awolowo Tennis Tourney ends today he final of Awolowo 2015 Tennis Tournament will take place today (Thursday) at the tennis courts of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan. The competition is organised by the Obafemi

Onaolapo

Emenike

enerbahce’s striker Emmanuel Emenike has returned to Istanbul following a two-day leave in Nigeria. Emenike received permission to return home from Fenerbahce’s manager Ismail Kartal. The 27-year-old striker is expected to participate in team training at the Cam Bartu training facility. Emenike walked off during the derby game against Beikta at the ükrü Saracolu stadium after being booed

by his own fans. The Nigerian international has only scored four goals in the league campaign. Emenike missed a great chance early in the first half to put Fenerbahçe ahead and was heckled by the the home supporters afterwards. Kartal eventually managed to convince Emenike to put his shirt back on and return to the game. Emenike was whistled and booed for the rest of the first half and replaced at half time by Pierre Webo.

Special Features

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

Buhari: Yesterday, today and ... Chimdi Maduagwu

am pleasantly surprised at the level of enlightenment in Nigeria. One would think that as a developing country, Nigeria would not parade the level of political consciousness that it is enjoying today but that would be a deceit. Right now, many people, at least, know who Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is and who Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is. They may not specifically say much about their parties, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) and what the parties are all about but they have an idea who is who in the race and invariably can make up their minds about who to vote for. The main point is that the personalities in the political race are not the products of their parties; rather, the opposite appears to be the case. In any case, it is an interesting development. Parties are yet to take shape in Nigeria and as we face the March/April, 2015 elections, it appears to be more of attention to candidates than parties. True to our understanding, we have “Individual driven parties rather than Party driven individuals.” We know who “drives” APC and who “drive” PDP. Buhari is an honourable man. I am one of those who have and will continue to acknowledge him as an honourable man, even though I did not feel comfortable with the military regime he headed, and recently with the mode of his entry into the Nigerian Army. I have read a lot about him and a reasonable volume of literature on him come in positive light. I do not claim that I know him personally and thus can give an accurate or even a near accurate assessment of him. I am an academic, I did not, have not and not likely to “teach” him (extremely presumptuous?). I was not a soldier in any regiment, platoon, battalion of his, and thus have never experienced his direct influence. But I will not say that I was never under his command, because he was commander in chief and was I in the Nigerian armed forces? my answer is yes, but not in the formal army. I, an academic, and the General, a military; we have a lot of similarities and one glaring and significant example is “discipline.” I am academic by virtue of my discipline. The first

condition for his military astuteness is discipline. People in our chosen careers are termed “gentlemen” because we are constrained by the ethics of our profession from anything other than gentility. This perhaps explains why he was particular about discipline in his first coming as a military head of state when he instituted the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). I therefore have no doubt that he is capable of enforcing discipline. I feel so delighted comparing myself with such an accomplished citizen of this country. Well, this is the beauty of democracy. However, there is something called retirement. Buhari is a retired army General. He has done a lot both in the army and in the general life of Nigerians and has been adequately acknowledged. He has been a Head of State, and also the Executive Chairman of Petroluem Trust Fund (one of the most elitist organizations that ever existed in the country). He has, afterwards, tried about three times to return as a Head of State and is on his fourth bid. His insistence on returning to the helm of affairs of this country fascinates me but I have a major question and I think this question needs an urgent answer: what exactly is it that he must accomplish as a President that he cannot, either by way of suggestions, or even direct involvement, as a member of Council of States or in several other capacities and positions that he occupies, which I may not know, also accomplish? The long drawn battles for various posts in this country can be curtailed if great citizens of this country consider alternative avenues of contributions to national development. Political bickering will be drastically reduced and a healthier society with amiable relationships will be birthed. I hate to constantly refer to the advanced countries of Europe and America, but I am left with little choice so I just have to do so. In USA, for instance, former Presidents get very busy pursuing their passions. So also do former Prime Ministers of Great Britain. They established “Humanitarian Causes” through which they affect the entire globe. I particularly want to mention a former leader of the US, not even a President, but a Vice, Al Gore. He was very close to the White House, having supposedly won the popular votes in an election but he honourably

surrendered to the superiority of the US constitution and backed out, as at and when due. He did not capitalize on his nearness to the seat of governance to return for another contest, rather, he quietly moved on and thereafter, has made tremendous contributions to the universal pool of civilization through the pursuit of his passion, “The Environment.” Through his efforts, a lot has been made known about the greenhouse effects, global warming and other impending environmental crises. Also, former President of the USA, Jimmy Carter has done so much work on the eradication of guinea worm that the result is felt world-wide, including Nigeria where the incidents of the disease has been reduced to a single digit. I have gone too far to select examples, but I think I have one by the doorstep, the former Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. He left office in 1979 as Military Head of State and kept himself busy with both intellectual and social activities as he founded African Leadership Forum. African Leadership Forum (ALF) did make an impact. I still remember the animated series of interactions known as The Farm House Dialogues, which engaged many academics, social and political commentators then. Through such engagements, useful lessons are made available to younger people as they drink from the fountain of knowledge of the more experienced technocrats, bureaucrats and other professionals. It is difficult to place a value on such endeavours. What I am saying in effect is that there is room for commensurate contributions in areas other than direct governance, which can affect the people in equally the same ways. These areas should be explored by former elected or appointed officers so that the political circle can be decongested. Having said this, I feel a lot relieved but it appears to be coming late for this particular elections. I accept, but it is better that it arrives late than that it never came at all. I think it is still useful because there must be winners and losers. Now for those who would not be fortunate enough to win. Let it be an honourable venture because areas abound where they can make impact. • Dr. Maduagwu teaches at the University of Lagos.

Aliyu Gwarzo and his thought Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

woke-up early in the morning to find on my phone the ethnocentric thought of one Aliyu Gwarzo who claimed to have hailed from the Hausa-Fulani ethnic stock. On the basis of this, I decided that other Nigerians should also share this information and selfish proclamation with me inorder to ascertain on whether the Aliyu Gwarzo claim is good for the Nigerian project or not. For the purpose of clarity, I hereby reproduce the unedited content, inter alia, and to comment on it thereafter. Hear him: “When I say that the Presidency must come to the North next year I am referring to the Hausa-Fulani core North and not any Northern Christian or Muslim minority tribe. The Christians in the North such as the Berom, the Tiv, the Kataf, the Jaba, the Zuru, the Sayyawa, the Bachama, the Jukun, the Idoma and all the others are nothing and the Muslim minorities in the North, including the Kanuri, the Nupe, the Igbira, the Babur the Shuwa Arabs, the Marghur and all the others know that when we are talking about leadership in the North and in Nigeria, Allah has given it to us, the Hausa-Fulani. They can grumble, moan and groan as much as they want but each time they go into their bedrooms to meet their wives and each time they get on their prayer mats to begin their prayers, it is we the Fulani that they think of, that they fear,

that they bow to and that they pray for. Some of them are even ready to give us their wives and daughters for one night sport and pleasure. They owe us everything. This is because we gave them Islam through the great Jihad waged by Sheik Usman Dan Fodio. We also captured Ilorin, killed their local king and installed our Fulani Emir. We took that ancient town away from the barbarian Yoruba and their filty pagan gods. We liberated all these places and all these people by imposing Islam on them by force. It was the Koran or the sword and most of them chose the Koran. In return for the good works of our forefathers Allah, through the British, gave us Nigeria to rule and to do with as we please. Since 1960 we have been doing that and we intend to continue. No Goodluck or anyone else will stop us from taking back our power next year. We will kill, maim, destroy and turn this country into Africa’s biggest war zone and refugee camp if they try it Many say we are behind Boko Haram. My answer is what do you expect? We do not have economic power or intellectual power. All we have is political power and they want to take it from us We must fight and we will fight back in order to keep it. They have brought in the infidels from America and the pigs from Israel to help them but they will fail. The war has just begun, the mujahedeen are more ready and by Allah we shall win. If they don’t want an ISIS in Nigeria then they must give us back the Presi-

dency and our political power. Their soldiers are killing our warriors and our people everyday but mark this: even if it takes one hundred years we will have our revenge. Every Fulani man that they kill is a debt that we will be prepaid even if it takes 100 years. The Fulani have long memories.” -ALIYU GWARZO. COMMENTS: I wonder what the socalled Aliyu Gwarzo stands to benefit in his committed posit to regard other ethnic groups, minority Christians and Muslim minority tribes as being inferior to the Hausa-Fulani in the Northern part of Nigeria. In his egoistic impression, he further claimed that leadership in the North or Nigeria must revolve around the Hausa-Fulani only because the British colonial masters handed-over this country to the duo ethnic group for Governance. Aliyu Gwarzo also said a lot of unprintable things about the Yoruba of Ilorin and other people and how they were conquered by the Jihadists led by Sheik Usman Dan Fodio during the infamous unholy war of subjugation and the imposition of their religion on them. I hate to write or comment on any religion including Islam in view of its explosive and sensitive nature. I will therefore concede the issue of Islam as a religion to Aliyu Gwarzo and his ego fallacy. His conclusive approach bothers on the fact that when political power returns to the North, it must be in the hands of the Hausa-Fulani. Again, this is unacceptable to other Nigerians. At the moment, there are three geo-political zones in the North: the North West, North central and the

North East. The question is: are the three zones dominated by the Hausa-Fulani? Apart from the core North West which can best be described as largely a Fulani enclave, Kano and its catchment areas as dominated by the Hausa, does it signify that the other two geo-political regions are dominated by classless human beings who are equally Nigerians? The Aliyu Gwarzo of his time equally admitted his faithful allegiance to Boko Haram, a radical Islamic group which is already destined to collapse and it has started to vapourise itself. Honestly, I did not appreciate that anybody such as Aliyu Gwarzo still exists in this part of the world, let alone, in Nigeria. From his one man philosophy, I am deeply upset that such people like Gwarzo could endeavour to preach a gospel of ethnic-consciousness and hate capable of dividing Nigeria at this period of the 21st century. There is no doubt that he is still of the same age bracket with the 1804 Jihad. Let it be known that Gwarzo’s negativity position in terms of the character of politics belong to the past and history shall judge him in accordance with his satanic impression. I think that Aliyu Gwarzo should be privileged to get his head thoroughly examined by an expert in psychiatry. According to Usman Dan Fodio in 1804, “conscience is open wound, only truth can heal it.” In this vein therefore, I wish to say that Aliyu Gwarzo is conscienceless to the core and his thesis is archaic, retrogressive and of no value whatsoever. • Wilkie can be reached at pmikky1950@yahoo.com (08023097251)

On Marble

You will always feel insignificant if you never do anything to change the world or another person’s life, other than your own. – Shannon L. Alder

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The hour of decision has come “Every election is determined by those who show up”- Larry Sabato

he heart beat of this nation is being heard clearly as its citizenry file out in 72 hours time precisely on Saturday March 28 2015, to elect a President and members of the federal parliament for the next four years. This great history making event is coming just 24 hours to passion Sunday when Christians prepare for the anniversary of the big sacrifice of Jesus Christ for humanity over two thousand years ago. It is in this spirit of the moment therefore that we pick the title for this discourse from the holy book given the mood of the Christendom. The anxiety that grips Nigerians as they begin this 2015 general elections on Saturday can be likened to the one that seized the apostles when amidst the tension of likely arrest of Jesus Christ, some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, one of the apostles of Jesus and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” A panicky Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus their master and he answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat” The hour indeed has come for Nigeria and symbolically it is coming a day to passion Sunday when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem ahead of his crucifixion and eventual resurrection from the dead to fulfill the scripture. The hour really has come for our democracy to be tested once again. A democracy without election is like a football match with players, spectators and field but without a ball. And like the biblical wheat grain which must fall to the ground before it can grow, our democracy every four years must come to this tipping point before it can grow and move to the next level. The decisions of Nigerians on Saturday is indeed going to be a very critical one because never in the political history of this country has election been fought in such a cut throat contest. Never in the electoral history of Nigeria has the voting population been so mobilized and polarized ahead of voting. Never in our political journey as a nation has the opposition been able to put up such a challenge against a ruling party to the level of nearly making it an under dog. On the down side also, never in the history of electioneering campaigns in Nigeria has hate language been so freely utilized by the politicians to the regrettable point of virtually relegating issues to the far background. Ahead of this very important election, we saw all forms of mobilization in our polity, raging from youth, women and various interest groups all sufficiently galvanized for a decisive position in saturday’s contest. In the last three months, Nigerians have witnessed unprecedented campaign rallies

Political Musings IKE ABONYI

igwebuike2001@yahoo.com 08024024029 (sms only)

Jonathan

Buhari

across the country but the die is casting on Saturday as the world waits to see which of the parties and candidates would be able to translate the support they got at the rallies into vote. It’s not always that turnouts at campaign rallies correctly reflect the electoral support for candidates especially given the poverty in the land where the people would not mind serving two masters if that could help their income. It is also true that the number of registered voters does not always correspond with real voters hence the agreeable position of Professor of Politics from the University of Virginia and Director of Politics of the University Prof Larry . J. Sabato, that “every election is determined by the people who show up.” at the polling unit and cast their votes. On Saturday the final decision would be taken by those who show up and cast their votes. The real friends of democracy are indeed those who put themselves up to get registered to vote and who indeed show up at the polling centers to cast their votes. It is also in this line that one vividly remembers one of the popular wise sayings that bad leaders are thrown up by good people who stay away on the voting day. Abraham Lincoln knew this when he said that “elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” Expectedly, Saturday’s election has channeled global focus on Nigeria and the reasons for this international interest are better captured in the joint statement issued on Tuesday by American Secretary of State John Kerry and his United Kingdom counterpart Foreign Secretary,

Obasanjo

Philip Hammond. According to these foremost international diplomats “There are good reasons why the international spotlight is firmly fixed on Nigeria during this critical period and why we have come together to support an open and credible electoral process,” “Nigeria is Africa’s largest democracy and what happens there will have an impact well beyond its borders. A successful election, free from violence and with wide participation, accurate vote counting, and responsible leadership from the candidates would inspire the region and spur future progress and prosperity” they said. Earlier on Monday US President Barack Obama had made a rare broadcast to Nigerians from Washington, the American

capital, when he urged Nigerians to steal the moment and put Nigeria on the path of peace and progress. “Now you have a historic opportunity to help write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress—by voting in the upcoming elections. For elections to be credible, they must be free, fair and peaceful. All Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear” Obama declared. For the American President, if Nigerians can get it right on Saturday and conduct a free, fair, peaceful and credible election they would continue to have a friend and partner in the United States of America. There have also been some other concerns expressed by international statesmen, Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Commonwealth leaders and Ghanaian President who doubles as ECOWAS President all have visited President Jonathan and his frontline counterpart Gen. Muhammedu Buhari. One common message from these friends of Nigeria is on the need to eschew violence during and after the election and the need to have a free, fair and credible poll. Prayers have been ceaseless in Churches and Mosques across the country all to ensure that the outcome of the poll reflects the desire of majority of Nigerians. Relevant agencies to Saturday’s election led by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and the Police have all been giving assurance of their preparedness for the historic event. Having listened to concerns raised by well meaning Nigerians and the international community on the need to have a peaceful election on Saturday as the only sure way of eschewing violence, the non violence message of Black America’s Martin Luther King Jnr could be handy at this time. He said “If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos” The hour of decision has come, when it came to Jesus, he was not afraid to make it, you must go out there on Saturday and take a decision for the good of this country and for the future of its citizens. Vote right, vote your conscience.God bless Nigeria. Obasanjo and his rumour: Those of us who were already adults during military regimes in the country could recall how military coup stories are cooked. Leaders would start by calling it rumour and begin by issuing warnings against it, but when it happens, they scheme for influencing roles. Against this backdrop therefore when an army General and two -time Commander in Chief of this country, in the person of General Olusegun Obasanjo talks about coup rumour, even with women audience, discerning minds should not wave it aside especially when such a person has been so biased in his politics lately. Democracy and its true admirers should shine their eyes.

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.