Thursday, may 19, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

Nigeria is broke, economy shrinking, says FG Anule Emmanuel Abuja

igeria is broke and cannot presently meet her financial obligations, the Federal

Government has declared. The precarious financial situation was responsible for the decision to increase fuel price from N86 to N145 per litre. Consequently, Nigeri-

ans must bear with the government. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the declarations yesterday while briefing State House

Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari. Mohammed was joined at the briefing by the At-

torney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the Minister of

Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. According to the Information Minister, "the current problem is not really about subsidy removal. It CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sanctity Of Truth

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

Vol. 3 No. 820

Thursday, May 19, 2016

OBJ Foundation liquidates, owes workers N25m salary arrears }40

Obasanjo

How we caught Lawan collecting $500,000 from }10 Otedola –Witness

Lawan

Weapons found in my house belong to onsa –Dasuki }5

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com @newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

Dasuki

Banks' bad loans hit N649.6bn }5

N150

Emefiele

Rescued Chibok schoolgirl:

Six of my mates dead …others married to terrorists in Sambisa forest lAbducted girl found with

four-month-old baby girl lHow we rescued girl, husband – Civilian JTF }2

1. Amina on the list of the missing Chibok schoolgirls 2. Amina and her baby, Safiya 3. Her Boko Haram husband, Mohammed Hayatu

NLC strike flops, partial compliance in states }5,6,7,8

'Eating potatoes increases high blood pressure risk'

}10

NEWS

THURSday, May 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Rescued Chibok schoolgirl: Six of my mates dead Wale Elegbede and Emmanuel Onani

ix of the 219 Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014 are dead. The remaining abducted girls have been married off to Boko Haram commanders in the dreaded Sambisa forest. The Chibok girls are held under heavy terrorist captivity in Sambisa forest, believed to be Boko Haram’s stronghold. One of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki, disclosed this to military and local sources yesterday after she was rescued on Tuesday. "She was saying… all the Chibok girls are still there in the Sambisa, except six of them that have already died," Hosea Abana Tsambido, the chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, told the BBC. Amina was found alongside her supposed husband, Mohammed Hayatu, breastfeeding a four-month-old baby girl, Safiya, by local vigilante group, Civilian Joint Task Force in Kulakaisa village at the fringes of Sambisa forest. She is the first of the 219 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram to be freed after the two years in captivity.

Amina reportedly told one of the vigilantes who knew her that most of the girls were being held in the forest, but that six of her originally abducted classmates are dead. Amina, in a picture made public by the military, was seen feeding her four-month-old baby girl with jollof rice, while putting on a pink hijab and a multi-coloured purple outfit. According to a local resident, Amina, who was 17-year-old when she was abducted by the Boko Haram sect is said to be the only child of her parents. Her father was said to have died while she was held captive. Manasseh Allan, a Chibok youth leader who also confirmed the girl's rescue, said Amina was brought was brought back to her hometown of Mbalala, near Chibok, clutching her baby. "She was initially taken to her school's vice principal who identified her as Aisha Ali from Mbalala village, which is her name in the school register," Allan said. A distant relative of the girl, Yakubu Nkeki, said his wife had spoken to the mother of the young woman and confirmed that they had been reunited. "It's a joyful time for me,"

said Nkeki, who is the father of another of the abducted girls. A member of the Civilian JTF, Aboku Gaji, said the girl wandered out of the Sambisa forest along with her child and a man. Gaji said he recognised Amina as one of the missing schoolgirls, although she looked different and was in poor physical condition, as were the baby and the man with her. "Their bodies didn't look good," Gaji said. "They had had no bath and were in a dirty condition. His words: "The moment this girl was discovered by our vigilantes, she was brought to my house. I instantly recognised her, and insisted we should take her to her parents. "When we arrived at the house... I asked the mother to come and identify someone. The moment she saw her, she shouted her name: 'Amina, Amina!' She gave her the biggest hug ever, as if they were going to roll on the ground, we had to stabilise them. "The mother called the attention of other relations to come out and see what is happening. The girl started comforting the mother, saying: 'Please Mum, take it easy, relax. I never thought I would ever see you again, wipe your tears. God has made it possible for us to

see each other again.' "Afterwards, we had to make them understand that the girl would not be left in their care. She must be handed over to the authority." According to Gaji, Amina’s husband said he had been kidnapped by Boko Haram from the town of Mubi, taken to Sambisa Forest and married to her. The Army confirmed the rescue of the Chibok girl. According to the Army, the girl was rescued alongside Hayatu, a Boko Haram suspect, who claimed to be her husband. The Nigerian Army said that the purported husband of the rescued schoolgirl is a Boko Haram terrorist and has been arrested by the military. "Further to that, in continuation of Operation CRACKDOWN, troops of

590

The number of fatalities in terrorists’ violence involving security force personnel in 2001. Source: Satp.org

The total number of own goals for by Croatia at Brazil 2014 World Cup. Source: Fifa.com

families if you can't meet them. I saw the families as a group twice. One, they came to visit my wife. Two, they came as a group to see me. And the less I see them, the better for my own emotional balance,” the president told his interviewer. Confirming the report, the #BringBackOurGirls spokesperson, Sesugh Akume, said in a statement that the released Nkeki was able to identify her vice principal at Government Secondary School, Chibok and she also spoke with her mother. The statement reads: “One of our abducted Chibok girls, Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki from Mbalala has been found in Kulakaisa area at the fringes of Sambisa Forest by vigilantes from Chibok on patrol Tuesday night. “Her name is #127 on our list of 219 missing Chibok girls attached. “She provided useful information that her other classmates are still held under heavy terrorist captivity in the Sambisa forest area." Boko Haram militants had, on April 14, 2014, kidnapped 276 teenage girls from their dormitory in Chibok. At least 57 girls were able to escape soon after their abduction. The abduction sparked outrage worldwide and brought global attention to the Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed at least 20,000 people and made more than 2.6 million homeless since 2009. But the insurgents have been pushed out by a military fight-back in the last 15 months.

EFCC storms Turaki's Abuja home

President, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba (middle), during a protest for the reversal of pump price of petrol in Abuja… yesterday

Emmanuel Onani Abuja

How we rescued Chibok girl – Vigilante A member of a vigilance group assisting the military in the on-going operation in Sambisa forest, Mallam Apogu, confirmed the rescue of one of the missing Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki. In a telephone interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, Apogu spoke on how the girl was rescued. AHMED MIRNGA reports We learnt that one of the Chibok schoolgirls has been found. How was she rescued? We rescued her in a Bale village forest around Sambisa forest during our operations. When members of the Boko Haram terrorists heard about our movement and gunshots, they ran away. We have proceeded

25 Brigade Damboa, in conjunction with Civilian JTF deployed in one of the blocking positions at Baale, near Damboa, rescued one Miss Amina Ali and a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Mohammed Hayatu, who claimed to be her husband. "Both were brought to Headquarters 25 Task Force Brigade Damboa at about 2.30p.m. today. Preliminary investigation shows that she is indeed one of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists on 14th April 2014 in Chibok and her name is Amina Ali as against Falmata Mbalala that was earlier stated. "In addition, she is a nursing mother with a four-month-old baby girl who was named Safiya. Both the suspected Boko Haram terrorist and the nursing mother have been taken to Maiduguri for further medical attention and screening," a statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations said. Last month, a video showing 15 of the kidnapped schoolgirls dressed in black hijabs was released and shown to some of the girls’ parents. Speaking on a Cable News Network (CNN) programme, President Muhammadu Buhari said such videos only raise hope of the parents emotionally. “I haven't seen that video. But even if I see it, I will be very careful about showing it to the family. There is no point to deliberately raise the hope of the

with her to Damboa after she was found in Bale forest. She said she was forcefully married out to one guy who was also abducted from Mubi and that they have a five-month-old baby. Both of them attested to that. How did you recognise her? I am a native of Chibok, so I was able to recognise

her. Her father died some months ago, I know her father and their house. I took them to her father’s house in Chibok. We rescued her with over 20 other women. Where is she now? We took her to Chibok and I was the one that knocked at the door of her parents’ house. When her mother came out, I told her to go to our vehicle. When

she got there, she saw her daughter, hugged her and they rejoiced. The mother asked us to leave the girl with her, but we told her we were taking her to the military in Damboa. The mother was crying and her daughter told her not to worry because she would be back. Right now, she is in Damboa. She told us that all the other Chibok girls are alive and living around Sambisa forest where they were married out to the Boko Haram members and that only six of them were dead.

peratives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday stormed the Abuja residence of a former governor of Jigawa State, Senator Saminu Turaki New Telegraph gathered from some neighbours that Turaki was not around when the operatives visited; only a few of his family members were around. Neighbours of the former governor said they spotted the team of EFCC operatives at the 16 Dennis Osadebe Street, Aso Villa home of the Turaki about 7p.m. Wednesday but it was not clear what their mission was or whether the former governor was arrested by the operatives. A source at the EFCC,

who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph, said the operatives' presence at Turaki's house, was to "execute a warrant for the arrest of the former governor who has (allegedly) refused to present himself for trial since 2011 when he was rearranged on a 36-count charge at the Federal High Court in Dutse, the state capital." The source noted that the anti-graft agency has since been on the trail of the former governor and even had him watch-listed, but “he has continued to evade arrest”. It will be recalled that a Federal High Court in Dutse, the Jigawa capital, had issued a warrant directing the Inspector-General of Police or his officers and the EFCC to arrest Turaki and bring him before the court. Justice S. Yahuza gave the order after Turaki allegedly failed to appear before the court.

THURSday, May 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS

THURSday, May 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Banks' bad loans hit N649.6bn ...refund N4.42bn disputed deductions lN1.4bn lost to frauds Tony Chukwunyem

irroring the downturn in the Nigerian economy, the amount of bad loans in the banking industry rose by 78.8 per cent to N649.63 billion as at the end of December 2015 from the N363.31 billion recorded for the same period in 2014, the Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN) has said. In its Financial Stability Report (FSR) released yesterday, the apex bank, however, said that banks’ non-performing loans at the end of December 2015, increased by 3.36 per cent from the N628.54 billion recorded at the end of June 2015. The report also showed that the total refunds made by banks in the sec-

ond half of 2015 amounted to N4.42 billion and $9.60 million, adding that lenders lost N1.4 billion to frauds in the period under review. According to the study, “Non-performing loans in the period under review rose by 3.36 per cent to N649.63 billion at end-December 2015, from N628.54 billion at end-June 2015. This reflected a 78.8 per

cent increase from the N363.31 billion recorded at end-December 2014. The NPL ratio rose to 4.86 per cent from 4.65 per cent. “Although the NPL ratio remained within the prudential ceiling of 5.0 per cent, it trended closer to the upper limit. A few banks had NPL ratio above the regulatory maximum limit of 5.0 per

L-R: President Paul Biya of Cameroon; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu and former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea, Dr. Chung Un-Chan, at the International Economic Conference organised by Government of Cameroon, in Yaoundé, Cameroon...on Tuesday

FG re-arraigns Oronsaye, five others for N1.2bn alleged fraud Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Federal Government yesterday rearraigned a former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, and two others on a 35-count amended charge bothering on alleged misappropriation of funds. In the amended charge, the Federal Government increased the 24-count charge earlier filed against Oronsaye to 35-count charge. Also, the number of the defendants have been increased from three to six, to include three companies. Oronsaye and the five other defendants were accused of fraud, corrupt act and violation of Money Laundering and Prohibition Act of 2004. In the charge filed before the court earlier, Oronsaye and two other persons, Osarenkhoe Afe and Frederick Hamilton, as well as Global Services Limited, allegedly siphoned N1.2 billion from the federal treasury. The defendants were also alleged to have connived with one Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, who is now at large to commit procurement fraud in the biometric enrolment job purportedly awarded to Innovative Solutions

Limited without following due process. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the amended 35-count charge when read out to them and the prosecution counsel, Olaleke Atolagbe, prayed the court for an adjournment to commence trial. Counsel to Oronsaye, Joe Agi (SAN) and defence counsel in the matter asked the court to allow the defendants continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them in 2015 when they were first arraigned. The application was not opposed by the prosecution counsel. The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, however, admitted the defendants to bail on the same conditions granted them last year. Oronsaye was granted bail on self-recognition by Justice Kolawole last year when he was first arraigned before the judge. In a ruling to an application for bail of the defendants, Justice Kolawole held that the fundamental issue in the application is to ensure that the accused persons are available to face their trial and admitted Oronsaye to bail on self-recognition as former Head of Service of the Federation. The judge also ordered Oronsaye, who is the first defendant in the charge to deposit his international

and diplomatic passports, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the Deputy Registrar, Litigation of the Federal High Court. Justice Kolawole admitted Afe (the second accused person) to bail in the sum of N50 million and two sureties in like sum. The judge said one of the sureties must be a civil servant in a federal or state establishment or a retired civil servant of not below grade level 12 Another condition for

Afe's bail is that one of his sureties must have a landed property within Abuja and that the property should be worth N75 million, the surety must show evidence of tax payment in the last three years and must also depose to an affidavit of means. The surety, the judge held, must deposit two passport photographs with the court and that the defence counsel must formally write a letter introducing the sureties to the court on behalf of the second accused person.

cent; however, this posed no significant risks to the industry,” the banking watchdog assured. The CBN attributed the increase in the NPL ratio mainly to the continued fall in oil prices during the review period, pointing out that this reduced government revenue and strained fiscal positions. “At end-December 2015, loans to the oil and gas sector constituted 25 per cent of the gross loan portfolio of the banking system, while credit to the sector rose marginally by 2.8 per cent to N3,307.87 billion at endDecember 2015 compared to the position at endJune 2015. Loans to state governments rose by 33.9 per cent to N1,053.97 billion from N696.87 billion at end-June 2015,” the report stated. The regulator said it expected credit risk in the industry to increase due to threats of further rise in NPLs in the oil and gas sector. As part of efforts to curb the problem, the apex bank said it would continue to require banks to strengthen their contingency plans, adding that it will conduct regular stress tests to mitigate the impact of the crash in oil prices on lenders’ balance sheets. In addition, the apex financial institution said it had mandated banks to publish on quarterly basis, in national newspapers, the list of bad debtors in their books to deter delinquent borrowers. The CBN further disclosed in the report that liquidity ratio for the industry increased by 9.31 per cent to 48.63 per

cent at end-December 2015, from 39.32 per cent in the preceding half of the year, exceeding the prudential limit of 30 per cent. It pointed out the anticipated impact of the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) was compensated by its expansionary monetary policy. Shedding light on operational issues during the period under review, the CBN said in the study, “Cases of fraud and forgeries increased to 7,183 at end-December, 2015 from 5,917 reported at end-June 2015. The total amount involved in the cases, however, decreased to N5.76 billion at end-December 2015, from N11.98 billion recorded at end-June 2015. Similarly, actual losses decreased to N1.41 billion at end-December 2015 from N1.89 billion in the first half of 2015.” According to the report, the frauds and forgeries were perpetrated through suppression and conversion of customers’ deposits, illegal fund transfers, pilfering and fraudulent Automated Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals. Similarly, it stated a total of 1,010 complaints were received against banks and other financial institutions (OFIs), during the period under review of which, 657, representing about 65 per cent, were resolved or closed. “The total claims by complainants against Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) amounted to N12.17billion and $9.60 million, while total refunds amounted to N4.42 billion and $9.60 million,” the report stated.

How Boko Haram tarnished military's image –Buhari Anule Emmanuel Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday explained that but for the decisive action of his administration to rid the military of corruption, the Nigerian Armed Forces was fast losing its hard-earned reputation. The president said that corruption was largely responsible for the inability of the Nigerian military to quickly defeat Boko Haram. Speaking when he granted an audience with the Grand Imam of AlAzhar, Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb at the presidential villa, Abuja, Buhari said that

the loss of 14 local government areas to Boko Haram had greatly tarnished the reputation of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He noted, however, that with measures taken by his administration to curb corruption and provide better weaponry, logistics, training and welfare for soldiers on the frontlines, the Nigerian military has now almost totally incapacitated Boko Haram as a fighting force and recovered all territories that were lost to the terrorist sect. "When we curbed corruption and removed the injustice in the military, we began to make progress," Buhari said. Welcoming the support

of Muslims across the world for Nigeria's war against Boko Haram, the president said that the war against terrorism was also a war against injustice, which is not condoned by Islam and all the major religions. "You can't kill the innocent in churches or in mosques and shout Allahu Akbar," Buhari said, adding that the visit of ElTayeb and his expression of solidarity with Nigeria in the war against terrorism was a clear indication of global Muslim support for Nigeria against the unjust killing of the innocent by terrorists. The president, who reaffirmed his administration's determination to re-

settle all persons who were displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency, thanked the Grand Imam for the donation of scholarships, educational and medical supplies to Nigeria's Internally Displaced Persons. El-Tayeb told the president that Muslims all over the world share Nigeria's pains from terrorism and will continue to support efforts to ensure the return of peace and unity amongst all faiths in the country.

10,986

The total number of subscribers of VGC/MTN (fixed/fixed wireless) as at March 2015. Source: Ncc.gov.ng

NEWS

THURSday, May 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NLC strike flops, partial compliance in states

he nationwide strike action called by the Ayuba Wabba faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) took off yesterday across the country with mixed responses. The industrial dispute was not effective in Lagos and Abuja. Commercial activities went on unhindered in both cities and many states. While business activities were crippled in some states of the federation such as Cross River, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Imo, Kwara and Delta, there was partial compliance in some other states such as Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Benue

and few other states. But in some other states such as Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa and most states in the northern part of the country, there was no strike action at all. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC had pulled out of the scheduled strike following meetings with the representatives of the Federal Government, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Babachir David Lawal. While Ajaero and his group opted for a committee to resolve the fuel price increase impasse, the TUC was not convinced and opted not to go for the strike.

In most parts of the country monitored by New Telegraph’s correspondents yesterday, even though many of the people were either angry at the non-payment of salaries and the increase in price of fuel, many did not believe in a strike action. Wabba, who led the protest in Abuja, decried the continued importation of fuel into Nigeria by successive governments. He said it was a sign of corruption that the country continues to import fuel till date. He added: “As continuous importation of fuel will be used to enslave Nigerians, the naira will be devaluated and prices will

N19.64bn The total value of non-crude oil export to United States in 2014 fourth quarter. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

keep going up and there will be no end to it. “We have refineries that have stayed up to 110 years and with regular maintenance, refineries can be fixed and production capacity can also be upgraded for local consumption. “But because of corruption, we have refused to do so and with the issue of subsidy, importation will actually reduce what is being produced in the country.”

In Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the labour alleged that three members of its leadership were arrested by the police. In Edo, the state government warned that any worker who shunned work under the guise of strike would forfeit his or her pay. The government, in a statement by the Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor, said, “all workers are expected to be at their duty posts. Any worker who stays away from work will forfeit his or her pay as ‘no work, no pay’ will be strictly enforced. Yesterday also, the Senate told its Committee on Labour and Productivity

to intervene in the on-going impasse between the organised labour and the Federal Government. Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, explained that the purpose of the executive session was to discuss the Federal Government-Labour face off and intervene to end the crisis as quickly as possible. He noted that the Upper Chamber had directed the Mohammed Nazif-led Committee on Labour to interface with the two groups in the conflict, to ensure early resolution of all contentious issues in dispute.

Weapons found in my house belong to onsaONSA – Dasuki and not his personTunde Oyesina ABUJA

former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) yesterday told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that weapons found in his house in 2015 belonged to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). This was just as Dasuki also told the ECOWAS court yesterday that his continual detention by the Federal Government since December 2015 is illegal. The position of Dasuki on the weapons was contained in a statement made before the Department of State Services (DSS) and tendered before the court. Dasuki, who is standing trial over alleged illegal possession of weapon, said weapons were for the use of the security details attached to him as the NSA for protection purposes. A prosecution witness in the trial of Dasuki, Samuel Ogbu, who is an operative of DSS, read in the open court the statement made by Dasuki during his interrogation by DSS before he was charged to court. However, under crossexamination by counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji (SAN), the witness said that Dasuki, in his statement, confirmed that weapons were for the ONSA and for the protection of the NSA. The witness also said that Dasuki claimed in his written statement that the weapons were to be returned to the ONSA by the security details at the end of the day. Ogbu had admitted that Dasuki, in the first paragraph of his statement, made it clear that the weapons belong to the

al belonging. The witness further said he could not remember the date Dasuki left office as NSA, but however, insisted that the interrogation was conducted after he had left office. Answering another question, the witness, who claimed to have spent 34 years in the service, admitted that the NSA is entitled to security details as the coordinator of activities for all security agencies in the country. The operative claimed that the DSS did not issue the weapon to the former NSA, but admitted he would not know whether the weapons were issued to Dasuki by the military authority, especially the Nigerian Army. Earlier in his evidence in chief, the witness had claimed that the house of Dasuki was searched based on intelligence report and that some weapons, including powerful rifles, were recovered in his house. He said that as a followup to the recovery, he was invited to participate in the interrogation of Dasuki to know the ownership of the weapons and for what purposes they were meant in the house. The witness claimed that the interrogation was freely conducted and fully recorded on video and that Dasuki’s statement was also recorded when it was being made voluntarily. The court later adjourned till today for further hearing. In a related development, Dasuki again yesterday told the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice sitting in Abuja that the Federal Government has no legal or moral justification for his continued incarceration since December last year.

Rescued Chibok girl, Amina Ali Nkek, during her visit to Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri… yesterday

Nigeria is broke, economy shrinking, says FG CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

is about the fact that Nigeria is broke. Pure and simple! "It is like somebody who has been earning N100,000 a month and he is faced with a situation where his employer says henceforth, you will be earning N10,000 a month. "He would need to make some very painful decisions and some very painful adjustments. That is the situation with Nigeria today. A few months ago, we were earning as much as $100 for every barrel of crude. In the months of February and March, we were short of that. So, we no longer have the resources, the foreign exchange to bring in refined fuel products. And our economy is shrinking. "We appreciate the fact that the decision is going to affect everybody. We appreciate what we are going through, but Nigerians should also know that the government has the responsibility at times to take very difficult decisions. So, it is not always about popularity. " On the strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and other labour organisations over the in-

crease in the petrol pump price, Ngige said that government was ready to discuss with all aggrieved groups over the new fuel price regime. When asked why government was selective in its talks with labour groups, he replied: "We are trying to bring them under one roof on an issue that concerns all Nigerians. "We wanted to speak to the sensitive sectors of the economy, that is why we brought them together," the minister explained. The Labour Minister noted that government was already taking steps to meet some of the demands brought forward by Labour over the petrol price increase. Ngige said that a 15man committee has been set up by government to look into such demands. One of them, according to him, was the reconstitution of the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA). The board of the PPPRA, he disclosed, would be constituted in the next two weeks. Fashola ‎said the FEC approved a proposal by one of the Dangote subsidiaries for the construc-

tion of the Obajana-Kabba Road in Kogi State. The firm is to construct the section of the road on basis of getting 30 per cent tax waiver from the government to recoup its investment. Fashola said government, under the arrangement which is not limited to Dangote, is encouraging industrialists to invest in infrastructure while government considers them for tax break. He said: "We presented a memo to Council for consideration. The memo seeks to take benefits of the existing policy and regulation. It seeks to take benefits of tax policies, tax laws for the purpose of using them to drive infrastructure development renewal. "So, we presented a proposal by one of the subsidiaries of Dangote group, a construction company, for the construction of a section of Lokoja-ObajanaKabba-Ilorin, specifically the section between Obajana-Kabba Road, using cement as demonstrative of how perhaps we should continue to build in order to reduce maintenance on the road. The company proposed to fund the construction of that section

of the road in exchange for some tax remissions." The Works Minister said that the policy was not just about Dangote, but "an existing tax policy that corporate or individuals that make investment on the infrastructure of a public nature should be entitled to make claims for remission on its income tax obligation." "So, the details is about 30 per cent income tax obligation spread over time. It doesn't mean they won't pay tax, they will continue to pay their tax obligation, but they will get remission for making this investment because ultimately, the road doesn't belong to them, but to government and it is for the benefits of Nigerians. So, it is like credit advance to government," Fashola said. Malami announced that FEC approved a memo from his ministry that would ensure uniformity in payment and settlement processes in the financial system in order to block leakages in ministries, department and agencies (MDAs). He said that the Justice Ministry would prepare a draft bill and forward to the National Assembly for passage to make it into law.

News|NATIONAL

Labour grounds Delta Dominic Adewole ASABA

“W

e are here to execute the labour ordered industrial strike. The Governor (Ifeanyi Okowa) should by this peaceful demonstration know that the strike has been brought to bear in Delta State. Government offices are now under lock and keys. The strike is not directed against the state but against the Federal Government.” With these words, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Delta State chapter fully protested against the

recent removal of fuel subsidy which increased in pump price of petrol to N145. The protesters, comprising all union leaders and members in the state, including the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the NonAcademic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), who trooped out as early as 7am at the popular TrafficLight Junction in Asaba, rejected both the fuel hike and new electricity tariff.

NLC protests in Abuja, says we won’t give up Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Comrade Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday made good its promise by mobilizing its members to a protest rally at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. They demanded for the reversal of pump price of petrol from N145 per litre to N86.50. The protest was in defiance of the ruling of the National Industrial Court

Partial compliance in Enugu, Benue, Ebonyi Cephas Iorhemen, Kenneth Ofoma and Uchenna Inya

MAKURDI/ENUGU/Abakaliki

lmost all the state and federal offices in Enugu State opened for normal duties yesterday, thereby rendering compliance to the national strike declared by a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Ayuba Waba ineffectual.

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NLC STRIKE

(NIC) on Tuesday restraining the organized labour from embarking on strike against the hike in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) announced last week Wednesday by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. Meanwhile, the strike was not effective in the nation’s capital as workers were seen at the Federal Secretariat Complex going about their normal businesses. Also, banks, filling stations and other private offices across the city also opened for operations while there were no reports that

The percentage of the population of men above 60 years of Central African Republic in 2012. Source: FUn.org

Despite leaders of the state NLC compliance team moving around some Federal Government agencies like the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Enugu, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Federal Secretariat Enugu to enforce the strike action, workers in the establishments maintained partial compliance as they rendered skeletal services. The industrial action witnessed partial compliance in Benue State.

the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport was shut down as promised by NLC. Major motor parks in Abuja such as Jabi, Area 1 and Nyanya were also bubbling with activities. The rally marked the commencement of the indefinite strike promised by the Labour movement to resist the new pump price and deregulation of the oil and gas sector by the Federal Government. NLC had vowed to shutdown the nation if by the midnight of Tuesday May 17, the Federal Government failed to reverse the pump

3,278

The total number of incidence of terrorist violence in 2001. Source: Satp.org

price. But the government, by the ruling of the Industrial Court, insisted that any strike by the Organised Labour would be viewed as illegal while workers who complied with such strike would be visited with arms of law. NLC leaders, who gathered at the Paschal Bafyau Labour House, Central Business District, Abuja at about 10 am in full union uniforms with other unionists carried various inscriptions and marched to the Federal Secretariat Complex at the Three Arms Zone.

33%

The rate by which the stocks of Amazon rose in the past year. Source: Forbes.com

Shutdown in Plateau Musa Pam Jos

ublic and private establishments in Jos including banks, schools and media outfits were shut down due to the strike action by labour union which commenced midnight, Tuesday. Although there was still some level of resistance in some establish-

ments, the leadership of labour said it would stop at nothing towards ensuring full compliance. Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Plateau State chapter, Comrade Francis Izam, told New Telegraph that the union was still united in the struggle despite the refusal by TUC and PENGASON among others to join.

‘Factional NLC, TUC restrain workers’ Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

he strike action declared by workers over the Federal Government’s hike in fuel price did not succeed in Rivers State as most civil servants went about their normal duties. The workers resumed early morning yesterday in defiance of the action

after the state government, a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) instructed them to shun the strike. While some workers wanted to join labour and openly protest the new fuel price, they could not go about it based on the pressure from the state government, the NLC and the TUC.

A cross-section of NLC leaders and workers during their protest Some members of the NLC during their protest over the increased pump in Benin City, Edo State… yesterday price of petrol in Ado-Ekiti…yesterday

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

heindustrialstrikecalled by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recordedsignificantsuccessyesterday inKwaraState. As early as 7.00am, labour leaders and some civil society organisations had assembled at the state secretariat of the NLC and blocked the three entry points to the secretariat, which also serve some ministries and the State High Court Complex. The development created a gridlock around the NLC secretariat axis,

Ministries, schools shut in Kwara forcing many parents who were caught unaware by the strike to resort to trekking with their children to the few private schools around the area. Teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the metropolis turned back their students as early as 8.00am and locked the gates. Checks at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, indicated the strike was partially successful as two unions in the school joined while leaders of the ASUUP in the school

Public schools, offices shut in Imo Normal activities in Lagos airport

Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

ctivities in University campuses, public schools and government offices in Imo State were yesterday grounded to a halt following the commencement of indefinite strike action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). The strike may not have started with a bang in Imo but as the day progressed, compliance increased and

spread. It was not a total shut down as banks were still working and commercial vehicles were operating but the Imo state chairman of NLC, Comrade Austin Chilakpu, warned that compliance will increase by the day, noting that banks in the state will join the strike today followed by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) who had pleaded with the union for a day grace.

Wole Shadare

he Nigeria Police yesterday stopped members of the protesting Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) from gaining entrance into the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos. The NLC members, however, caused massive gridlock at the airport road as they stationed their banners at the

roundabout close to Arik Air headquarters, sang several solidarity songs while travelling air passengers had to trek to catch their scheduled flights. Earlier in the morning, an affiliate of NLC, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, had put all the agencies within the airport under lock and keys in preparation for the strike.

were still in a meeting to review instructions from the national leadership of their union as at the time of filing this report. However, teaching and other activities went on smoothly both at the University of Ilorin and Kwara State Polytechnic as workers in the two establishments shunned the strike. At the at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), activities were partially paralysed as three out of the five trade unions in the hospital

joined the strike. Those on duty were mostly senior staff members who are affiliated to the Trade Union Congress (TUC). In his reaction, the Vice President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Misbaudeen Olawale, said the association did not join the strike because it was not part of NLC. “The NMA is not on strike as it is not part of the NLC. We sympathize with the masses, as we realise that the increase can cause health problem to Nigerians,” he said.

Finally, Reps back FG on fuel hike Philip Nyam Abuja

he House of Representatives yesterday formally endorsed the liberalization of the petroleum sector and the hike in the price of fuel from N86.50 to N145 per litre, saying it was in the interest of the nation. The House took the decision after adoption

of the report of its ad hoc committee on the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, led by the chief whip, Hon. Alhassan Ado Duguwa. It also urged the organized labour to continue to show understanding of the situation while dialoguing “in the interest of its teeming membership and Nigeria”

thursday, may 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Full compliance in Ondo

Poor turnout in Abia

Babatope Okeowo

Umuahia

Akure

ocial and commercial activities were paralysed in Ondo State yesterday following the strict compliance with the strike action embarked upon by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the increase of pump price of petroleum by the Federal Government. Financial institutions, schools and filling stations did not open in compliance with the directive of the NLC. Members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state also joined the Labour Union to ensure complete compliance with the NLC directive, with commuters stranded. The state secretary of the NLC, Mr. Adewale Sanusi, said that the sudden withdrawal of the Trade Union Congress, (TUC) from the struggle did not have negative effect. He further said that members of the totally complied with the directive of the union . He expressed surprise over the last minute withdrawal of the TUC from the industrial action few hours before the commencement of the strike.

national | news

nlc strike

Igbeaku Orji

he nationwide strike declared by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday against the increase in the price of petroleum by the Federal Government, recorded partial compliance in Abia State. Some civil servants reported for duties in their offices in defiance to the order. At the close of work on Tuesday, workers were still at a loss on the direction of the strike as they waited eagerly for directive. However, as late as

9:30pm, a text message from the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Uchenna Obi Igwe, sent by the Secretary General, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, informed workers that the strike would hold since the negotiation with the Federal Government had failed. But workers were seen at the State secretariat at the normal work time yesterday morning. They were however ordered to go home by some officials of the NLC who went round to monitor compliance. Effort made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Nkwachukwu Agomuoh, to

No strike in Bauchi

compel workers to go into their offices, was resisted by an NLC monitoring taskforce. Agomuoh said that it was wrong for labour to bar workers in the management cadre from coming to work, saying that the action should be limited to workers on Grade Level 01 to 06. At about 11:45am, the state Head of Service, Dr Vivien Umah, addressed the few workers at the secretariat. He told them that there was a subsisting court injunction against the strike which made it illegal for any worker to participate.

Nankpah Bwakan Bauchi

usiness and commercial activities boomed in Bauchi yesterday with traders carrying out their businesses as usual Our correspondent, who visited Bauchi metropolis to ascertain the effectiveness of the labour strike reported that even the labour offices were shut down as Labour leaders went in hiding for fear of attack. It could be recalled that a group of All Progressives Congress members in the state staged a protest in support of fuel subsidy removal. A source, who confid-

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

Some members of NLC protesting the hike in fuel tariff in Abuja ... yesterday.

n Ogun State, there was partial compliance with the strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the recent increase in pump price of petrol in the country. Findings by our correspondent revealed that both federal and state high courts as well as public primary and secondary schools in the state were shut down.

photo: timothy ikuomenisan

trike actions embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, seemed to be dead on arrival in Kano as Universities, banks, markets and even streets traders continued uninterrupted in the ancient city. New Telegraph correspondent, observed that customers were trooping into various banks, conducting their daily usual businesses while markets

A cross-section of youths with a coffin bearing "RIP Subsidy" to celebrate the "death of subsidy" in Nigeria in Abuja …yesterday

Workers defy labour in Adamawa W

orkers in Adamawa State defied the strike orders by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, with poor compliance with the nationwide fuel increase strike action called by organized labour. That was just as labour leaders insisted that there was no going back. Schools were open, public servants showed up for work at government offices particularly Federal secre-

tariats, while normal businesses were going on in banks, markets, schools, motor-parks and filing stations in Yola. Many people, who spoke on the almost zero compliance, said there was no enough mobilization and that people were not optimistic of good result from the strike action. Adamu Danwanzam, the chairman of Yola Perishable market popularly known as Kasuwar Gwari, said his members were not part of the strike action.

Government activities crippled in A’Ibom Tony Anichebe uyo

he organized labour in Akwa Ibom State yesterday blocked the state secretariat preventing civil servants from accessing their offices. Labour Officials stormed the Idongesit Nkanga secretariat Uyo, as early as 6 am with placards, chanting war songs while defiling every plea from security officials to leave the gate for senior government officials, who

may have some issues to sort out in their offices. New Telegraph also observed that while several students in various secondary schools trooped to school for their daily academic activities, their teachers carefully stayed away, prompting the students to stray into the streets loitering endlessly. However, New Telegraph observed that market men and women did not join the strike as they were seen doing the various businesses.

At some schools in Abeokuta, the state capital, teachers and students returned home as labour leaders tried frantically to enforce compliance with the industrial action. However, workers at the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, defied the stay-at-home directive as they turned out en masse for work yesterday. Some commercial banks did not open for business early in the day but later opened doors for customers about 10:00am.

No strike in Kano Kano

Yola

ed in newsmen that the development may not be unconnected to the fear of Buhari's supporters, who are ready for a show down with anybody opposing Buhari's administration. Adamu Mohammed said the labour leaders in the state have no right to mobilize its members to embark on strike even as the state government has not paid salaries for months. "This is four months now both teachers, including some civil servants in MDAs are not paid their monthly salary but the labour officials who enjoy votes to protect their interest have not come out to challenge government insensitivity" said Mohammed

Partial compliance in Ogun, Oyo

Muhammad Kabir

Ibrahim Abdul

opened as earlier as 7am, with people going in and out. Similarly, all the schools in Kano had their students as usual while all the Universities of BUK, Kano Science and Technical University, and North West University were having lectures for their students. Many people said that from day one, they never supported the NLC, because they didn’t see any tangible reason they will go on strike, looking at the critical conditions Nigeria found itself.

Labour paralyses activities in C’River Clement James Calabar

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) formally embarked on a strike action in Cross River State to press home their demand for the Federal Government to halt the deregulation of the downstream sector. The strike, which commenced with a rally by the Labour at the Zoo Garden along Mary Slessor road in Calabar, paralyzed economic activities in the state as civil servants were told to stay at home while very few vehicles plied the roads.

As early as 7am yesterday, workers had gathered at the Zoo Garden, venue of the take off for the labour leaders, to ascertain if the strike would hold as there was confusion on Tuesday because of a purported injunction which allegedly barred Labour from embarking on the strike by an Abuja high court. Speaking at the rally before going for enforcement, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade John Ushie, said labour unions were embarking on the strike to force government to revert to the old pump price since Nigerians were already bearing the brunt of mismanagement of the economy.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

NLC strike: Hoodlums unleash terror on residents

Taiwo Jimoh

uspected hoodlums yesterday hijacked the protest by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and unleashed mayhem on the protesters in Lagos. This came despite the security measures put in place by the police to protect public and government facilities ahead of the planned strike by the NLC. Witnesses said the mayhem started around 7am at Fadeyi area when the hoodlums from Mushin, Bariga and Somolu area hijacked the protest. The protest was to register workers’ grouse against the hike in fuel price by the Federal Government. It was learnt that the hoodlums had blocked the entire stretch of Fadeyi, forcing motorists heading towards Ojuelegba to turn back and people to run helter-skelter. Some of the hoodlums were said to be armed with dangerous weapons such as machetes and axes to attack and rob some of the motorists. It was also learnt that no life was lost but some pedestrians and motorists sustained injuries, while several cars parked on the road were vandalised. About 9am, some anti-riot

Armed policemen preventing protesters from moving to the International Airport Road, in Lagos…yesterday.

policemen were deployed in the area, but their attempt to quell the situation was rebuffed by the rioters, who pelted the policemen with stones. However, but the arrival of some soldiers from Abalti Barracks, Ojuelegba, to area calmed the situation. Collaborating with the antiriot policemen, the soldiers were said to have used tear gas to disperse the rioters. Speaking with our correspondent, Mr. Olufemi Momo-

du, a resident of the area said the people were going about their normal business about 7am when the protest started. He said: “Although it started peacefully, we were surprised it even held. This is because we heard on the radio that the Industrial Court banned the strike. Also, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, asked us to go about our daily activities without fear. “So imagine our fear when

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE.

some of the area boys that have been constituting nuisance in our area joined the protesters. “On my own part, I closed my shop because they were already vandalising people’s shopd and looting their goods. They held our area hostage until the police and soldiers arrived the scene.” The riot was said to have caused gridlock on Palmgrove and Yaba ends of the road to Maryland Bridge.

Man stabs friend to death over argument Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

Tella

25-year-old man, Samson Tella, has allegedly stabbed his friend, Abiodun Abdulkareem, to death in Ogun State. Police detectives apprehended the suspect on Tuesday at Iyesi Otta in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrest in a statement, said the suspect committed the crime with a bottle. Adejobi explained that a hot argument had ensued between Tella and Abdulkareem, 25, leading to the death of the latter. He said: “The police operatives attached to Onipanu Division of the Ogun State Police Command arrested the suspect after the ugly incident when a friend to the deceased reported the case to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the divi-

sion, who immediately swung into action. “The suspect and the deceased had engaged in a hot argument, before the suspect stabbed his friend (deceased) with a bottle in his neck. The victim was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.” Adejobi said the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, had already ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. According to him, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Eleweran, Abeokuta, had been ordered to take up the matter. He said: “Ali has, therefore, appealed to the general public to always avoid unnecessary and unreasonable argument that could lead to a similar case of this nature or any criminal act. He also encouraged the youth to always maintain decorum whenever they have discussions on any issue.”

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

I once jumped bail, says suspected robber Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

38-year-old suspected robber has told police in Oyo State that he purchased a N1.2 million stolen Nissan Primera car for N850 million. The suspect, Gbenga Adebowale, also said that he was arrested in 2011 for conspiracy, stealing, armed robbery and arraigned in court, but was later granted bail. He, however, said he jumped bail and went into hiding. Adebowale, who was paraded by the Police Commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade, at the Eleyele Police Headquarters, Ibadan, yesterday, said the seller of a Primera car marked FKJ 76 EC told him it was stolen, but because he wanted to buy it and resell at higher price, he had to sell his four-bedroom flat in Osogbo for N1.3 million and bought the car. The suspect was r re-arrested in Osogbo last week by policemen attached to Oyo State Command. “The suspect had been moving from one location to the other in order to evade arrest. He was apprehended at a hideout in Osogbo, Osun State capital. He confessed he had been involved in a series of robbery operations in Osun State and neighbouring states. He had received stolen vehicles and disposed them off at giveaway prices,” the police chief said. Recalling his experience, Adebowale told our correspondent that he was arrested in 2011 in Osogbo for stealing a car. He said: “I was taken to court and later remanded in prison. I was later granted bail, but one day, I jumped the bail. I was living in Osogbo. Someone wanted to sell a Nissan Primera car which was worth N1.2 million to me. He told me the car was stolen. Because I wanted to buy and resell it, I offered him N850,000. “I did not have the money, so I had to sell my four-bedroom flat in Osogbo for N1.3 million. From the amount, I bought the car. I was later arrested by the police. That is what brought me into the police net again.”

IG, Arase

METRO

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

RRS stops woman, baby from jumping into Lagoon Muritala Ayinla and Taiwo Jimoh

27-year-old woman, Halimat Adegoke (not real name) has told the police in Lagos how a voice ordered her to jump into the Lagos Lagoon with her 12-month-old baby. Officials of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) were said to have prevented the woman from committing suicide with her daughter by plunging into the Lagoon on the third Mainland Bridge. It was learnt that a cab driver had called the attention of the RRS officials patrolling the area to the planned action of the woman around 5pm on Tuesday.

The Adegokes

Adegoke was said to have confessed to the police that after she heard the voice calling her to come to the Lagoon she trekked from Medina Estate in Gbagada to Third Mainland Bridge. She said: “Immediately I heard the voice, I harkened to the call because it was coming repeatedly from the person calling me.” The woman, described as a University of Lagos (UNILAG) dropout, was said to have had issues with her husband prompting her to relocate to her parents’ house in Gbagada. The policemen later released Adegoke and her baby to her family members.

Dealer held with seven bags of Indian hemp Juliana Francis

olice in Lagos have arrested a man, Seun Makinde, for being in possession of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp. Makinde of No 2 Yinusa Street, Ado-Odo area of Ogun State, was arrested in Shagari Estate by a team of policemen led by Inspector Ameh David who was on patrol duty with his colleagues. The police said that seven bags of Indian hemp and a Mazda 323 car, marked FST 555BM, were recovered from the suspect. Makinde was caught and arrested after he was run down by the policemen. A source at Gowon Police Station in Alimosho

area of the metropolis said it was based on instruction from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Festus Otabor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), that Makinde was transferred with the exhibit to Area ‘M’ Command. Makinde was said to have confessed that he was a dealer and local distributor at Idimu area. Meanwhile, Pastor Samuel Agbaje of Divine Grace Church, Cele village, Alimosho, has called on Otabor to check lawlessness at the popular Alaguntan spare part dealers spot in the area. Agbaje said the activities of these dealers were causing great concern for the residents. He said that the major road from

Makinde

Alimosho, linking IyanaIpaja with Egbeda, had been taken over by spare parts’ dealers. Agbaje noted that the spare parts’ dealers have turned the road to a me-

chanic workshop. He said: “The road has of recent been converted to mechanic workshop by spare parts’ dealers, leading to gridlock and accidents.”

City Briefs

Cultism: Lagos community seeks OPC’s assistance Taiwo Jimoh

esidents of Abule-Egba, a suburb of Lagos metropolis, have called on members of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC) to help them ward off attacks resulting in killings from some suspected cult members. The OPC Coordinator in the area, Mr. Adedipe Ewenla, told journalists that the activities of the cult members in the community were becoming unbearable for residents. He said: “We are not just hunting for them; it was the Community Develop-

ment Association (CDA) in the area who contacted us to assist them in chasing the groups out of the community. “We are law-abiding citizens, we don’t intervene in what we are not invited to. But we have been receiving several complaints about the groups. The CDA contacted us, that is why we are making this move. “The cult groups in the community are into robbery; they snatch people’s bags and even rape girls who refuse to date them. We want to put a stop to their activities in the community.” Ewenla added that the

cult groups also went as far as attacking commercial motorcyclists, collecting money from them forcibly. He said: “We want to make sure, with the assistance of the police that they do not come into the community anymore. A resident, Mr. Akin Adesola, said he was once attacked by members of one of the cult as groups who collected his money and phones. He said: “I was returning from work that fateful night, when about five of them came out from their hiding. They robbed me of my money and phones after they had beaten me.

We want the OPC, with the assistance of the police, to flush them out of the community because we want peace.” Another resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said his daughter was raped by a member of the cult groups in the community. He said: “My daughter was raped by a member of the cult groups when she turned down his request to date him. I spent a lot of money to take care of my daughter. After the ugly incident, we decided to reach out to the OPC to assist in the fight against the cultists.”

Indonesian court jails Nigerian for drug trafficking n Indonesian court think and consider about A yesterday sentenced appealing it,” the lawyer, a Nigerian identified as Dolfie Rompas, said. Arinze Eneh to 20 years in jail for facilitating narcotic drug distribution in Jakarta. The court also fined Arinze Rp1.2 billion. “Arinze was proven to have conspired to commit an evil act by becoming a facilitator in the distribution of Category I narcotic drug,” Chief Judge of the West Jakarta District Court, Bambang Mursito, said while reading out the verdict. In view of that, the panel of judges that had considered all the facts disclosed during the sessions, sentenced him to 20 years in jail and imposed a fine of Rp1.2 billion. If he fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve six months more in jail, reports Awtara News. Upon hearing the verdict, the state prosecutor, Nugraha, said he was yet to make up his mind whether to accept it or not. The prosecutor had asked for a death sentence. Eneh, who spoke through his lawyer, said he was satisfied with the judges’ decision but said he, too, had to decide whether to appeal or not. “In principle, we are satisfied with the verdict. However, we would

Eneh alias Zona, along with Tuti Sudartika alias Dede Rosa and Rojali Saputra (the two were tried under different dossiers), were involved in a case of illegal possession of 6.3 kilograms of methamphetamine. Eneh, who is currently being held at Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta in a narcotic case still under judicial process, was ordered by a man named John (still at large) to pick up narcotic drug from China and take it to Indonesia. He then asked Tuti and Rojali, (earlier informed by David, at large) to carry out the job. The drug, weighing 6.3 kilograms, was smuggled in a thermos flask through a Covenant Logistic expedition in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, and then kept in a kiosk in Cibinong, Bogor, West Java. The state prosecutor has charged all the suspects with violation of Law Number 35 of 2009 on narcotics because they attempted to commit an evil act of smuggling a narcotic substance by becoming facilitators in the distribution of drugs and therefore deserved a death penalty.

Court remands two for human trafficking Akeem Nafiu

ustice Abdulazeez Anka of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered that two persons, Joy Kenneth and Albert Eze, be remanded in prison custody for allegedly engaging in human trafficking. The two men were arraigned before the court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), on a four-count charge bordering on human trafficking. They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges upon their arraignment. Following an applica-

tion for remand by the prosecution led by Mrs. Kehinde Falade, the judge ordered the remand of the accused in custody and fixed June 28 for hearing. In the charge, the two men were alleged to have conspired in December 2015 to procure travelling documents for a 19-yearold girl to Dubai for purposes of prostitution. The first accused (Kenneth), who resides at No 15 Divine Victory Street, Alagbado Lagos, was said to have on December 4, 2015, at No 55, Unity Street, off AIT Road in Lagos, assisted Endurance, who is now at large, to procure the documents.

NEWS | national

N22.5bn ETF open to all residents, Lagos govt insists Muritala Ayinla

agos State Government yesterday said that the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund signed recently into law in the state would be benefited by all eligible applicants. The government insisted that applicants do not have to know anyone in government, adding that it is an initiative carefully designed to give equal opportunities to all residents with innovative ideas irrespective of their status or state of origin.

Briefing journalists on the achievement of his ministry in the last 11 months, state’s Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, who gave the assurance, said the objective of the fund shall be to provide financial support to residents in Lagos for job and wealth creation in order to tackle the problem of unemployment in the state. He added that the government s committed to giving equal opportunities to all citizens in the state in a conducive environment.

Arms deal: How Badeh acquired $6.2m Abuja property, by witness Tunde Oyesina Abuja

rosecution Witness Three in the ongoing trial of a former Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, over alleged diversion of N3.9 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, yesterday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how the defendant acquired a property worth $6.2 million in Abuja. The witness, Useni Umar, an Estate Surveyor,

gave a graphic detail of how Badeh gave $6.2 million in two tranches for the purchase of a property located at No. 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja. According to him, "Badeh instructed that the sum of $6.2 million be released in two tranches within the period of two weeks for the purchase of the property located at No 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja, after we carried out a joint inspection on the property and he was satisfied," he said.

FG sets up committee to restructure residency training Appolonia Adeyemi

inister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has inaugurated a Ministerial Committee on the Restructuring of the Residency Programme with a view to institutionalising an effective and sustainable training for doctors in the health sector. Speaking while inaugurating the committee on May 17, in Abuja, the minister charged members to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the health system. According to a statement from the Direc-

Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he prosecution witness in ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, yesterday admitted that he has no official documents linking the Senate President to the ownership of London property in which he is facing trial. The witness, Michael Wetkas, made the confession during cross examination by member of the defense team, Paul Usoro

tor, Media and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Boade Akinola, while the Chairman of the Committee is Prof. Adewole Atoyebi, members of the committee are Prof. Mike Ogirima, President and member of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. A. O. Omigbodun, who is the President of the West African College of Surgeons, Dr. J. O. Olatosi, the West African College of Surgeons as member; Prof. Ademola A. Olaitan, Prof. Uche Ezem (O and G) Dean and Prof. Philip Abiodun.

thursday, may 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

How we caught Lawan collecting $500,000 from Otedola, by witness Tunde Oyesina Abuja

rosecution Witness Two in the ongoing trial of a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan, yesterday told an Abuja High Court that Farouk was caught on video receiving $500, 000 from Otedola. The witness, David Igbodo, who is Commissioner of Police, Legal Services and Investigat-

ing Police Officer (IPO) in the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Investigation Unit, told the court that Farouk was caught on video due to a sting operation by the Department of State Services (DSS). Testifying before Justice Angela Otaluka, David said after Farouk had collected the $500,000

22%

The percentage of the population of men above 60 years of Channel Islands in 2012. Source: Un.org

at the house of Femi Otedola on April 24, 2012, he proceeded to the House of Representatives and crossed the name of Zenon Oil that was earlier indicted in a report before the Ad-hoc Committee. According to him, "I found out that on April 24, 2012 at about 3.47am, the defendant was in the house of Otedola and was given $500, 000 and was caught on video due to the sting operation by the DSS. "The purpose of the demand and acceptance was to remove the name

of Zenon Oil and AP Petroleum from the list of indicted companies." Following the case of alleged bribery against Lawan by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Lawan and one Boniface Emenalo, are standing trial before Justice Angela Otaluka, on a sevencount criminal charge bordering on obtaining $620,000 from Otedola in order to doctor the committee’s report in favour of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni (standing); DCP Adeoye (third left); Police Ambassador, Korede Bello and some traditional rulers at the security town hall meeting with stakeholders in Lagos.

‘Eating potatoes increases high blood pressure risk’

Appolonia Adeyemi and Oreoluwa Aboderin

new study yesterday said eating potatoes for up to four times a week can increase the risk of high blood pressure. The findings are published in the ‘British Medical Journal.’ According to the study, eating mashed, boiled or baked potatoes is linked to an increased danger because they are likely to raise blood pressure. The researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston in the United States think eating any form of potato, whether mashed, boiled or baked too often, can cause blood

pressure problems. They suspect the starch in potatoes as the cause of a high glycaemic index. The report said the starch in potatoes rapidly transforms into sugar in the body, triggering a rise in blood sugar levels. Over time, this may cause blood sugar problems, the researchers said. Hence, they advised replacing potatoes as often as possible with a non-starchy vegetable as a way of eating healthily. The authors said: “These findings have potentially important public health ramifications, as they do not support a potential benefit from the inclusion of potatoes as vegetables in government food programmes, but in-

stead support a harmful effect that is consistent with adverse effects of high carbohydrate intakes seen in controlled feeding studies. The experts analysed data from 187,000 men and women tracked in three large US projects for 20 years. The results suggest women who eat potatoes regularly may be at slightly higher risk of suffering high blood pressure than men. However, they found men or women who ate four or more in a week had an 11 per cent increased risk of high blood pressure compared to those who ate potatoes less than once a month. Those who ate chips four or more times a week

had a 17 per cent higher risk of high blood pressure. Replacing a day of serving potatoes with a non-starchy vegetable led to a seven per cent drop in the risk of high blood pressure, but eating crisps had no effect, the experts found. The team also included experts at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. However, potatoes, especially chips, are often consumed with added salt, which may be part of the explanation for this association with raised blood pressure. The vitamin C and potassium content in potatoes is best retained when the potatoes are baked or boiled with skins on.

I didn’t have document linking Saraki Kachikwu: We’re collaborating with Senate on PIB review inister of State “In terms of time have seen some of the to London property – Witness for Petroleum frame to present the first debates happening

(SAN). Wetkas, however, stated that the prosecution only obtained unofficial information of the London property from their foreign partners in London. He added that the partners promised to oblige them with the official documents of the property, but was yet to do so. According to him, "In our investigation, we normally receive unofficial information from our foreign partners."

The EFCC witness also informed the tribunal that Saraki used the N375 million obtained from GTBank to buy House No. 7 and 8, Whittaker Street, London, in 2011 and 2015 respectively. He said the title number of the House No. 8, was NGL802235 and the second property number was NGL802661. He also said he had requested from the GTBank to oblige him with the details of the property and the address.

Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday said that his ministry is cooperating with the Senate in the ongoing review of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Kachikwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the review was imperative as it would help to bring efficiency in the sector. “We are working very hard with the Senate on PIB and I have a huge group working on it.

draft to the Senate, we are looking at three to four months,” he said. According to him, the Senate is also on its own doing some work and has given a first draft of a first segment out of three segments. He said that the Ministry had reviewed what was sent in by the Senate and reverted to them. “I think everybody is at it and I would be surprised if by the end of the year we would not

on those draft sheets,” he added. Kachikwu expressed the hope that the bill would help bring sanity in the system with the various institutional framework for both government and those working in the industry. He added that it covered the business model, the task and physical incentives and some level of certainty in terms of what is needed to happen in the sector.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Melaye APC govt must not take its popularity for granted

Politics

Interview Buhari’s govt insensitive – Fasehun

13 14

Senator Ajayi Boroffice, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State and senator representing Ondo North District in the National Assembly, believes that he can turn around the socioeconomic and political fortune of the state, which he says, are at the lowest ebb. FELIX NWANERI reports

What is your assessment of the present government in Ondo State? It is a very bad picture. Workers are being owed salaries for months; parents cannot afford to send their children to school even as most of the schools can be appropriately described as pigsties. The health sector is in coma. A lot of our people rely on private educational and health facilities that are not adequately monitored to maintain acceptable standards. The state’s economy is in doldrums with government that started on a credit note now in debt of billions of naira. Infrastructure needed to maintain a level of development is in state of decrepit. Government obligations to the citizens, provisions of basic municipal amenities and security have been abandoned. Yet a harsh tax regime has been introduced to further enslave the people. The people are crying at this obvious failure of government. But then, there is a saying that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. This time, we need someone with a strong will, a man of character, a man who is intellectually capable to redeem the state as our governor. The

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@yahoo.com

Boroffice

Boroffice: How Mimiko underdeveloped Ondo current situation does not call for just anybody. If somebody who just want to be governor for the sake of it is chosen, the people will certainly suffer more. So many people don’t understand governance. We therefore need somebody who understands governance, the concept of development and can energise the state socially, politically and economically. What we have seen so far is that it is possible to change the fortune of the state if we manage our resources well. What has been the characteristic of the current administration and bane of development is recklessness and lack of focus. There are lots of leakages and misappropriation of funds. If we block the leakages and refine the structure of government and also energise the system for people to participate in government and see themselves as stakeholders, we are going to get to where we should be in terms of development. We have the resources, what is lacking is enough in-

The level of bad governance... has actually pushed the state to the edge of the precipice

vestment to drive the process of development. We are going to attract investors to partner with us to look at these resources and help us to build our economy. I want to assure you that no matter how bad the situation is now, there are solutions. We are already working on these solutions. I have put up a think-tank, not for my election because we are looking beyond that. Members of this think-tank are very well known and renowned academicians. I have carefully selected them. I have somebody in education, who will advise us on how to revamp our educational sector. I have somebody in health and somebody who is into development economics and who has a strong linkage with foreign investors. We intend to attract a lot of foreign investors to Ondo State. How are you going to achieve this desired development considering the dire economic situation in the country today? Ondo is not just any state. We

have what it takes to be head and shoulder above all the other states in Nigerian. We have the second largest deposit of bitumen in the world and this alone can drive our economy. We have so much agricultural endowment, from our coastline, the longest among all the littoral states, to the thick rain forest in the central and the savannah of the north. Each of the senatorial districts has specific natural endowment. Look at the hydro-carbon deposits of the south with its petroleum and bitumen, the tourism potentials of the area with its alluring body of water and imagine what a serious government can bring out of that. Look at our cocoa and rubber plantations, the timber reserves and imagine how industries can be established to tap these resources for the benefit of our economy and our people. Then you would have an idea of what we are planning to do to stop CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

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

Ondo from depending on monthly doles from the Federal Government. There are only three places where we have coal in Nigeria, Enugu, Benue and Ute in Ifon local council of Ondo State. We also have a large deposit of limestone. All these we are going to exploit for the benefit of our people. Besides, we will institute a transparent and accountable government where every kobo accruing to the state would be accounted for. For me, discipline is a virtue, so prudence and thrift would be built into government finances, so that within a short time, all the loopholes and drains through which our resources are being frittered away would be blocked. What motivated you to join the governorship race? In fact, what we rely on mostly in our quest to expand the scope of service to our people in Ondo State is what we have been able to do in Ondo North Senatorial District. Interestingly, our people here and those from the other parts of the state, who have seen the human and physical transformation that we have brought to Ondo North, are spreading the message that I should come and replicate what we have been able to do in the senatorial district in other parts of the state as a governor. We have by the grace of God, touched many lives. We have brought physical and human development to the area and our people are happy about it. So, it is these antecedents that is reverberating across Ondo as a whole that people now said we must come and do same for the whole state. That actually, plus the desire to serve and the need to arrest the dwindling fortunes of the state, got me in the race. I am also sad about the sorry state of our state despite the huge potentials that we have. The level of bad governance and ego trips of the present administration is so high that it has actually pushed the state to the edge of the precipice. Look for instance at the mega schools that the state government is constructing with huge amounts of money. Of what use are these schools when hundreds of primary schools are in high state of disrepair where pupils study under very harsh and unfriendly conditions. How do you explain that the the so-called mother and child hospitals, located in only one senatorial district of the state and other government health institutions lack basic drugs and medical personnel? How do you explain the very high debt profile of a state that should be one of the most economically buoyant in the country? These are posers that reveal our true state of backwardness. We must rise up and address it. In Ondo South, they have not got electricity supply for years. How do you expect the place to develop? The founding fathers of the state established industries to oil the economy and employ the people. These industries are now moribund. We are going to revamp and run them in a way that they would be profitable to the government and people of Ondo State. We are aware that government alone cannot do all these, so a conducive environment with

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Large number of aspirants won’t affect APC – Boroffice

the right policies would be created to ensure that development partners are brought in to do business here. Are you not worried that the number aspirants on the APC platform is likely to create the kind of problem the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had in the 2012 governorship election? I don’t think the large number of governorship aspirants for the coming election in Ondo State will have any negative effect on the party. The problem we had in 2012 was that the candidate chosen for us was not popular. He was not the choice of the party in the state. He emerged in a way that upset so many people and many people felt that he didn’t have the temperament of a governor and left the party. But even then, many of us still pulled ourselves together to work for the party along the line of his aspiration. We formed various committees to handle various aspects of the campaign and the election. This time around, I don’t think we are too much. I was telling my friend, Dr. Tunji Abayomi (another aspirant) that he should not worry about the situation. I called it a phase in our democracy because of many of the aspirants, especially those from other parties and even those from the Diaspora. By that I mean those who have not voted here, registered here or even resident here, who are making their intentions to be governor known, they are not really targeting the governorship seat. They are only announcing their arrivals on the scene. And for those of us that are very

Boroffice

It is possible to change the fortune of the state if we manage our resources well

serious, I want to congratulate us because when you know the task ahead, you will salute the courage of these serious aspirants. Here is a state where the process of governance has almost grounded, workers are being owed five months salaries and there is disenchantment among the population. You will want to ask yourself, why am I going into this? It is like a man trying to carry a 40-feet container filled with gravels all alone. It is a daunting task but one that must be done. It is true that there is rivalry among the aspirants but I want to assure you that all those will fizzle out after the primary election, it is all politics. In 2012, I was not picked as the candidate but that did not stop me from doing my best for the party. In fact, I won my local government which was one of the three won by the ACN then and I faced the stiffest opposition. It was in my local government, Akoko South West that the ruling party that we were contesting against had the Deputy Governor, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, two commissioners, an ambassador and many others. So, it was a tough period for me but I won for my party. This time around, I believe that every aspirant will line up behind the candidate and work for the party. Although I am aware that the people of Ondo State are expressing fears that the large number of aspirants may lead to rancour within our ranks, but I want to assure them that the situation is not that bad. We are all going to work together. But I assure you that

because the people of this state are so disenchanted with the current administration, we all are going to ensure that the situation is changed for the better. In fact, many members of the PDP are ready to work with us in effecting the change because they too are not happy with what is happening. Some of them are already talking to us but because of politics, they cannot come out in the open. If the right candidate is picked, a large number of PDP members would join us. The Federal Government has liberalised the price of petrol, what effect could this have on the nation’s economy? The removal of subsidy means that more money would be available in the budget for development. I am sure whatever financial gains we get out of this will go into capital budget and it is money in the capital vote that would facilitate development and energise the economy and also create wealth for our people. I know that right now people will feel uncomfortable but the hardship is going to be temporary. With this development, there will be competition in the downstream sector because anybody can import petroleum products from any part of the world. If you are selling at N145 and another one is selling at N140, of course, you will have to adjust your price or go and be buying from where you will be able to make profit at a lower price to the consumer. This is a departure from what we had before. In fact, in the United States, two gas stations can be located near each other and still be selling fuel at different pump prices. Of course, the one that is more expensive would lose customers because every cent matters a lot to an American. In Nigeria, competition would eventually bring down the price. We have people who can bring in petrol at reasonable prices but an un-deregulated oil sector does not allow that. Initially, it is going to cause some hardship but when the process runs its full course, we are all going to enjoy it. It is going to be like the deregulated telecommunication sector. You know initially we were buying SIM cards for as much as N30,000 when GSM was first introduced to Nigeria, but now it is about N200. That is what competition does. When it was NITEL alone, you have to be a big man to own a telephone. And you remember one of our leaders then said that telephone was not for the poor. I don’t know how government, through the regulatory bodies, arrived at that particular price but I can tell you that the protection of the interest of Nigerians is part of the factors. So, it depends on the indices deductible from the vagaries of the oil economy. As I said, initially, it is going to be chaotic and price riots but eventually the whole thing would settle down.

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Senator Dino Melaye represents Kogi West in the Senate. Speaking on a political programme on Channels Television, he admonished the rulling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid the mistakes of the immediate past government. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE monitored the interview How did the comment by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. David Cameron that Nigeria is ‘fantastically corrupt’ came to some of you who were on the trip to London with the president? I was very happy to be in London for the summit and I want to say that the statement by David Cameron actually dominated greater part of the summit. And after the speech by Mr. President, I also stood up in that programme and told the audience that David Cameron’s statement was reckless and demeaning. I reminded him that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and therefore Nigeria is no longer a colony of the United Kingdom. I also told the audience and Members of Parliament and secretaries in United Kingdom that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is the official broadcasting outfit of the United Kingdom, did a documentary to stipulate that the British government actually rigged the first general elections in Nigeria. So, with that backdrop and in the light of that misadventure, they have no moral justification to described Nigeria as ‘fantastically corrupt.’ I have no any other country to call my own apart from Nigeria and I will not allow an arrogant president to demean and insult my country. As I speak to you, part of General Sani Abacha’s loot, 20 years after, is still within the confine of United Kingdom. I also made a strong emphasis that the new born-again status of the United Kingdom will have to be demonstrated possibly for us to see the positive effect. As I speak to you, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha’s loot in the United Kingdom is nine years old. Alamieseigha is no longer alive but the money is still within the confines of banks in the United Kingdom. There is an agreement that the United Kingdom used in siphoning and retaining money stolen from Africa and deposited or warehoused in the United Kingdom. When people loot from Nigeria and Africa, they take it to the United Kingdom. There is a clause in Barclays Bank in London and other banks in the United States and other super nations, where they signed what they called a non-disclosure agreement. So, I asked the Secretary and Member of Parliament, who was in the programme to tell me in the spirit of the new born again status of the United Kingdom, are you going to abrogate the non-disclosure agreement? Will you stop signing the non-disclosure agreement with Africans who loot the economy of

Melaye: APC govt must not take its popularity for granted of the Transparency and Delivery Commission that is going to be independent. The commission will collaborate with international organisations and also institutional partners in Nigeria to help fight corruption; carry out proper oversight functions against MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) and to make sure that there is proper implementation of budget at all levels and to make sure that the fight against corruption is giving a serious meaning.

Melaye

their nations and come to warehouse their money in United Kingdom and other parts of the world? He could not respond or answer that question. I am not saying there is no tendency of corruption in Nigeria. Nigeria like every other developing country and even the United Kingdom and United States has tendencies of corruption. The magnitude only varies from one country to another. But it is not in the place of those who harbour corruption. In fact, it is more satanic, wicked and nefarious for one who house corruption than the one who perpetuate or commit it. From the activities of the Nigerian government in the last one year, do you think government is on the right track in fighting corruption? Speaking with sincerity of purpose of heart and commitment, I will say that Mr. President means well. Mr. President from my own perspective is very sincere and tenacious about the fight against corruption but the fight against corruption is beyond individual investigation and prosecution. Nigeria must graduate from building strong men to building strong institutions. Even the anti-graft institutions themselves would have to be completely overhauled to meet the current technological demands of fight against corruption. While I support the fight against corruption and the effort of Mr. President in fighting corruption, it would have to move beyond just mere arrest and detention to proper prosecution. And our antigraft agencies must also demonstrate capacity and capability. You don’t arrest a man first and while he is in detention, you are trying to find evidence against him. In other civilised part of the world, investigation must have been concluded before prosecution starts. A typical example is the ongoing case in the Code of Conduct Tribu-

I think the government is driving within the speed limit, but government also must not take people for granted

nal (CCT), where the statement of the principal witness was actually signed 40 days after charges were filed. That is ridiculous and actually undermining the fight against corruption in this country. So, I will say there is a serious challenge beyond arrest and detention. We should go into proper preliminary investigation and work should be done before ceremoniously announcing sensational figures that will not generate anything at the end of the day. But the truth of the matter is that the President is sincere; his effort has been applaud and we do hope that those around the President would also sincerely support the fight against corruption and don’t use it as an instrument of witch-hunt or political victimisation. As an active participant in the London summit, what are the take aways from the summit to make sure that Nigerians can stand tall in a couple of years as a nation that has rid herself of impunity and corruption? Nigeria is a very responsible nation. Our problems are domestic and they have to be domestically tackled. We need to look for ameliorated and palatable measures to our problems within Nigeria. We do not need a David Cameron or the United Kingdom to teach us how to fight corruption because corruption is also very unworthy in their countries. And what I will just suggest is that we need to come back and look at some of our laws because most of our laws are obsolete. For example, for a kidnapper, the maximum he gets according to the law of the country is two years imprisonment and I have advocated on the floor of the Senate for capital punishment, either death by hanging or gun shot. We need to actually look at some of the laws and I think the Senate has taken a lead in that direction because the Senate President few days ago announced the formation

You were largely the Master of Ceremony (MC) during APC presidential campaigns last year and your party made a lot of promises to Nigerians, would you say that you are proud of some of the actions of the government in the last one year? There is no denial to the fact that I participated very seriously in the campaign of the APC. I am very proud and I have no regret about that. I want to say categorically that we are not distracted from the implementation of the APC manifesto. But I believe that we have to be very careful as a party because those signals that actually bedevilled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begin to also manifest in APC. But I want to say that our problems are not beyond us and like every other political party, we may have our teething problems but I know we will overcome them. I know that there is sincerity of purpose on the part of the president and especially the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in repositioning the country through the instrumentality of the manifesto that we have given to Nigerians. And wherever we think we are not getting it right, it is our obligation to be sincere enough to correct ourselves and to also speak out. A lot of Nigerians who listened to the manifesto of APC during the campaigns believe that the party appealed to their conscience as a welfarist party. Is your party still on track with some of the actions of the Federal Government? Government is all about people and the decision taken does not give any signal that the government is derailing. It is possible that once in a while government will take decision that would not go down well with the citizens; it doesn’t made that government bad, irresponsible or see it as a derailing government. I want to say that collectively the government is doing well and collectively the government mean well and if you go by the magnitude of the rot that has bedevilled us as a people, in other to bring back our long lost reputation is a very herculean task. I want to say that those who want us to speed and get to our destination on time should know that speeds kills. I think the government is driving within the speed limit but government also must not take people for granted. It must not take our popularity for granted and it must also listen to the yearning and aspiration of the people, especially as it concerns the increase in the pump price of fuel.

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari’s govt insensitive – Fasehun

for early elections. In some places it is enough to call for the President to resign. Government must reverse the announced price as a matter of urgency. Petroleum pump price must revert to N86.50. If President Buhari refuses to reverse this anti-people and unconstitutional increase in fuel price to N145, we demand that he should resign immediately.

Dr. Frederick Fasehun is the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the National Chairman of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He speaks on the one-year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari, the hike in price of petrol, among other issues. WALE ELEGBEDE reports What is your assessment of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration after one year? If truth be told, the last one year of the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), has witnessed unprecedented change, in line with the change mantra of the current ruling party that used to be the opposition party. Unfortunately, the change so far has headed downhill, with Nigeria having her domestic issues amplified and magnified negatively. The naira is at its all-time low. Inflation has spiralled to an all-time high. When Buhari took over last year, a sachet of pure water went for N5, but now it sells for between N10 and N15. The naira has diminished among world currencies. As against N205 in the parallel market when Buhari took over on May 29, 2015, the naira today exchanges for N385 against $1, and N505 against £1. Importers are starved of foreign exchange. Nigeria has never had it this bad. Worse still is that the petroleum industry/commodity which supplies the available foreign exchange is on the official counter being starved of foreign exchange to import products for local consumption. There is famine in the land. How can tomato sell at N100 per fruit, 1,000 percent rise above its price last year? How can rice jump from N10,000 last year to N14,000 currently? N200 paint-bucket measure of garri is now N600? Yet our leaders pretend that all is well. Mr. President, don’t let your advisers deceive you; Nigeria has degenerated since you took over; the lives of Nigerians are harder; living standards have fallen. What is the stance of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) on the ravaging issue of Fulani herdsmen? Slowly and gradually, we have witnessed the expansion of the theatre of violence beyond Boko Haram in the North-East to the rampant Fulani herdsmen attacks in the Middle-Belt, South-South, South-West and South-East. From nowhere less than the Presidency comes the startling revelation that Nigeria is suffering invasion from mercenaries displaced from wartorn Libya. The fact is that the President is a Fulani by birth; therefore no one will begrudge him if he shows some tilt towards his Fu-

Fasehun

lani background, but not at the expense of other Nigerians. That Fulani herdsmen carrying AK47 rifles will openly brandish their weapons in the midst of innocent Nigerians, sends a signal of the superiority of a class of people not authorised to bear weapons. Do you support creation of grazing reserves for the herdsmen? Categorically, OPC disagrees with the creation of grazing reserves in the South-West. Any suggestion of special grazing reserves being created for Fulani herdsmen will amount to promoting inequity and ethnic chauvinism. We say no to this evil suggestion. By the way, is creating grazing lands in every state a synonym for annexation of our Fatherland? Ranches should be created in areas that occupationally and traditionally breed cattle with owners going to purchase grass and feeds for their animals in other zones. Don’t stir the hornet’s nest. The state of the country’s economy has been a major concern to many Nigerians. What do you think is wrong with the economy? A review of the government’s economic team shows it is made up of elements holding their seats by nepotism and political expediency. Beginning from the Minister of Finance, who should be no more than a Special Adviser in government. Buhari’s cabinet makeup is an insult to Nigerian economic wizards at home and in the Diaspora. This weakness became apparent with the mishandling of the 2016 budget. There is an urgent need for complete overhauling of the government’s economic team. The government should quickly draft into its economic management the likes of Chief Olu Falae, Malam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman, Chief Isiaka Adeleke, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, Profs. Pat

Utomi, Chukwuma Soludo, Chief Frank Kokori, and the like. This is no time to play politics with the national economy, which is the very lifeblood of our corporate existence. Buhari needs a super-team of economists to guide him through the present storm of economic problems. We must not wait until things break down like Greece, and we are being force-fed with the bitter pill of international donors. All these give cause for concern. But as if to spread this troubled atmosphere home to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, the government has embarked on some polity initiatives that can only further complicate the lives of Nigerian citizens.

If President Buhari refuses to reverse this anti-people... increase in fuel price to N145, we demand that he should resign

What is your view on the recent hike in the price of petrol by the government? The increment shows a lack-ofunderstanding of basic Nigerian economics. Nigerian life revolves on the price of petrol. The price of fuel dictates the price of transportation, which dictates the price of all commodities, rents, bills, fees, etc. That price differential of N58.50 represents a 67 per cent increase. How will the government justify an increase of N58.50 when it has always maintained that the subsidy on imported PMS is N12? Nigerians should do the mathematics. N86.50 plus N12 is N98.50. Or has a petroleum tax of N46.50 been illegally and brazenly imposed on Nigerians? Nigerians demand to know. Not only is the increase in pump price of fuel a dangerous and illegal step, it is wicked, insensitive, reckless, irresponsible, ill-advised and evil. In some countries, it is enough to cause a social upheaval. In a Parliamentary system, it is enough reason to pass a vote-of-no-confidence on the government and call

But the argument is that government cannot continue subsidizing fuel…. Nigeria needs subsidy. No country hands over its core and base commodity to be dictated by socalled “market forces.” America subsidises agricultural products heavily; the United States (US) buys off excess crops from farmers and sometimes dumps them into the sea. Through such a system, the US puts money into farmers’ hands and regulates food prices, making food the cheapest item in US. The European Union and China subsidise their rail systems. Britain and Australia subsidise coal and gas exploration. The US subsidises football and ethanol production. Like other nations of the world, Nigeria must subsidise a product common to all citizens, and today that product is petrol, along with diesel, kerosene and gas. What do you make of the description of Nigeria as ‘fantastically corrupt’ by the British Prime Minister? Everyone knows that corruption in Nigeria defies partisanship; yet the impression one gets is that APC is a safe haven for corrupt politicians. Everyone in APC is being sheltered from prosecution despite extant investigations indicting APC chieftains, some of whom are in the President’s cabinet. Meanwhile, Mr. President is playing cowboy, riding his anticorruption horse against one part of the field, showing interest in roping and silencing members of the opposition. But every democracy needs a strong opposition. That President Goodluck Jonathan allowed the opposition to flourish may be his greatest undoing, but it also succeeded in strengthening and deepening our democracy, making it a model for developing nations. President Buhari must give the opposition breathing space and allow it to flourish for the benefit of Nigeria’s democracy. Some Nigerians have criticized the president for embarking on foreign trips….. The country burns and the President fiddles, eating dinner and luncheon from one end of the earth to another. He has gone awol and left the country to virtually run on auto-pilot. By his latest visit to England, Mr. President has done 23 countries. Visiting 23 countries in 11 months averages out at two foreign trips per month. Some of the journeys have become so negative that they are already drawing insults from the hosts. Buhari’s apparent addiction to globe-trotting has become a bad habit that Nigerians want him to shed. Nigerians want their President to remain at home and do the job he was voted for –attend to the problem of Nigerians.

POLITICS

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Turning point for Lake Chad region Garba Shehu

he tone and tenor of speeches of Heads of State and government at the Regional Security Summit hosted on Saturday by President Muhammadu Buhari suggest that the countries in the Lake Chad region are looking beyond the Boko Haram terrorism. Smart leaders they are, they didn’t present themselves backslapping each other in a congratulatory mood over the enormous feat they have accomplished in the last ten or so months, substantially reducing the terrorist threats in the region to the point of being described as a mopping up operation. They were conscious of the fact the the Chibok Girls have not been found. No success can be declared in this war without the girls being found and reunited with their families. In addition, the world has come a long way since Gorge W. Bush stood there atop the ship “Abraham Lincoln” being saluted by the flight deck crew to read a speech announcing an end to the Iraq war. “The 2003 Mission Accomplished” banner dominated the background as he spoke. But with hindsight, the world knows that the war against Iraq is still work in progress. The then American President, George Bush was to say to a CNN interviewer a few years later that he regretted the outlandish display. In November 2008 specifically, Bush indicated that he regretted the use of the banner, stating that it conveyed the wrong message. There are many who believe that the United States is still paying a price for that massive public relations failure. In all probability, the world would have benefited more from the leaders if the summiteers in Abuja had to say everything on the war situation as it enters its end in their territories but they, instead, chose to dwell on the the promise of the future and what can be done to steer the economy and humanitarian situation into better times. While acknowledging the progress so far made, the summiteers who included French President Francois Hollande, Nigeria’s Buhammadu Buhari and ten other African Presidents, prime ministers and delegates concluded that defeating Boko Haram Terrorist Group will require a sustained comprehensive approach based on clear and coordinated plans of engagementat at the regional level. Such an approach, they said, must confront challenges relating to effective security operations, providing civilian security and civil administration, restoring stability, and promoting economic development and job creation to break the cycle of violence in all countries where Boko Haram is active. Among other things, they recommended the enlistment of local community and religious leaders as constantly hammered on by President Buhari; increased intelligence sharing; the prioritization of the public education system and sparing no effort in the continuing search for the Chibok schoolgirls and all those abducted

Buhari

by Boko Haram by pooling intelligence resources. The leaders also agreed to support the victims of sexual violence or forced marriage by Boko Haram, and the need to provide them with appropriate support including reintegration to communities; that defeating the insurgency requires more than a Military solution but that it also requires government-led development action to tackle the root causes of insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin through the development of education and economic opportunities. The summit agreed to address the humanitarian situation affecting millions of IDPs, refugees and host communities in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The critical situation of the inhabitants of the newly-liberated towns and villages was also adjudged to be very pathetic. The summit agreed to provide and rehabilitate facilities in the devastated towns and villages with a view to creating conditions for citizens to live without fear of violence and return to conventional life and called for additional support from the international community. They, in addition, took special note of the 20,000 unaccompanied children (below the age of 18 years) displaced by the conflict and over 6000 minors,under the age of five years, and agreed to work together with international organisations to reunite those children with their families. One other major step toward a lasting solution towards permanent peace in the region is identified as coming through the acceleration, specifically within three (3) years, of the implementation of the Lake Chad Development and Climate Resilience Action Plan as presented on the margins of COP21 in Paris in consultation with communitiesof the Lake Chad. It is hoped that the accelerated implementation of the Action Plan would go a long way in bringing development to the Lake Chad Basin. As a matter of fact, the summit blamed the impact of climate change for the unemployment and

Hollande

Accelerated implementation of the Action Plan would go a long way in bringing development to the Lake Chad Basin

crime in the region and urged the LCBC and other willing partners to pursue the goal of inter-basin water transfer project with a view to restoring its normal level, mitigating drought, re-establishing fishery, irrigation and navigation. For Nigeria in particular, the period of the summit was used to receive an important visitor described as a friend of Africa, Francois Hollande who, in a literal sense killed two birds one stone. He engaged his host, President Buhari in a bilateral meeting in the early part of the day and in the afternoon,joined the other leaders at the summit. The two presidents reviewed the activities of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF and the progress made since the Climate Change agreement, COP 21 in Paris. President Hollande gave commitment to Nigeria on the resettlement of IDPs as well as his continuing support towards the reestablishment of full security in the Lake Chad region. Five agreements were signed between the Nigerian parties and their French partners. A cultural agreement and a scientific and technical agreement were signed by government ministers. Dangote Group’s Dansa Foods Limited signed an agreement with the French company Nutriset for the production of nutritional foods in the North East. The state development commission, AFD of France signed two credit agreements with the Ministry of Finance and one with Zenith Bank for amounts that were not disclosed. In the margins of the security summit, the President also received in audience and at their request, Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Patrice Talon of Benin and Idris Deby Itno of Chad. The President also had audiences with the British Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Rt. Hon. Phillip Hammond, the U.S Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the Deputy President of the European Union Ms Federica Moghereni. President Macky Sall raised con-

cerns about the need for the emergence of a good candidate for the Chairmanship of the soon-to-be vacant African Union Commission in view of the decision of Mrs Zuma not to run for a second term. He told President Buhari that his country has such a capable candidate. He also raised an issue concerning the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. President Patrice Talon seemed very keen to strengthen the very warm and friendly relations he met on the ground between his country and Nigeria. He intends to pay a State visit to this country in the shortest possible time. President Deby Itno gave important news about some Boko Haram hideouts on the border between our countries against which Chadian troops will soon to be tackling. He was also interested in promoting a railway line linking Nigeria and Chad. Right Hon. Philip Hammond had a lengthy time with President Buhari, their discussions spanning a wide range of issues including, of course Boko Haram, the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure, the insecurity in the Niger Delta, corruption and the issue of population growth in the country. Although this summit also discussed a yet-to-be fixed donors conference on the rebuilding of the LBCD areas, the EU brought the good news of the plan to spend 140 million Euros in that regards in the next five years. The EU also announced a plan to spend 40 million Euros in the reconstruction of the Northeast. The US promised an immediate return of Nigeria’s stolen350 million Dollars held up their country. China, the African Development Bank,ADB, the Islamic Development Bank, IDB, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, IMF have all pledged various contributions they will be making. President Muhammadu Buhari’s just-concluded Regional Security Summit, which was the second after the initial one by President Hollande in Paris two years ago, has produced a communique unprecedented in terms of the strong words used and the space devoted to fighting terrorism, post-conflict resettlement and rehabilitation as well as ways of bringing social and economic justice, growth and development to a battered part of Africa. It also unveiled an expansive security cooperation agenda that binds the West and Central African states to their U.S., European and Asian partners towards a lasting peace, itself a prerequisite for progress and development in the region and the continent. In spite of the foot dragging by some participants, President Buhari’s key takeaways will include a benign consent to a partnership of the willing to recharge the Lake Chad with waters from rivers in Central Africa. On account of these milestones, the leaders had no hesitation is agreeing to make the Regional Security Summit a regular one. •Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the the President (Media and Publicity)

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Restoring History as a teaching subject Turning Point MIKE ARAYUWA WILKIE pmikky1950@yahoo.com 0802-309-7251 (sms only)

istory as a subject constitutes a branch of knowledge dealing with past events, particularly in human affairs. It is a continuous typical chronology, record of important or public events or of a particular trend or institution. Summarily, it is a continuum of events occurring in succession leading from the past, to the present and even into the future. The teaching of History in Nigerian institutions both at the secondary and tertiary levels was influenced and brought into the country by the British colonialists. The subject which was selected for examination by the British Examination Board invited some other Examining Bodies to assess our secondary school performances in History. Thus, the University of London (1887), Cambridge University (1910) and Oxford University in 1929 commenced the assessment and examinations for History in Nigeria. It is of note to stress that the examination questions were centered on the explanation of policies, discussion of events, description of major reforms, comparison of personalities and the identification of problems confronting leaders and countries which assist the learners to acquire critical spirits. This assertion was that of Michael Omolewa. It was to further emphasize the relevance of History as a teaching subject in Nigerian schools and why it should be restored. Let it be known for the purpose of clarity that the universal status of History has never

contradicted the fact that the subject is not a value for Nation building or the development of the individual. For instance, A.L. Rowse, a British Historian, declared: “There can be no subject of study more important than History”. Also, Dr Nwafor Orizu, an elder statesman and Historian, in his book titled: “Without Bitterness” (1944), noted that: “unless we know what we are and how we came about to be what we are we shall certainly be unable to know where and how to go further”. Another contributor, Professor Alice Jekayinfa, President of the History of Education in Nigeria had this to say: “History as a discipline has been relegated in Nigeria, whereas, the discipline is the bedrock of any nation”. She added: “History instills patriotism and nationalism in the minds of citizens of any nation”. In their contributions, Sir Sidney Philipson, a British administrator and Chief Simeon Adebo, a Civil Servant emeritus said: “every situation has its roots in the past and the past survives in the present, the present is indeed the past undergoing modifications”. Robert Walker, a seasoned Historian, further emphasized the symbolic relevance of History. According to him: “History is a vast umbrella subject. It encompasses all disciplines, not just political and cultural history. It therefore includes Literature, religion, social and natural sciences, the arts, technology and mathematics. To be ignorant of the political and cultural History of a people is also to be ignorant of the contributions of that people to all areas of intellectual activities”. Our own Professor J.K. Ade Ajayi, a consummate historian, author and a retired Vice Chancellor, observed that history is: “lookedup to history for knowledge of the accumulated wisdom of the Ancestors, the sense of values, the morality and the norms upon which society was founded. History information was imparted privately by parents, grandparents, heads of lineages and others from the level

History as a discipline has been relegated in Nigeria, whereas, the discipline is the bedrock of any nation

of the nuclear family to the largest lineage group”. I am to add that human endeavour is accompanied by events, which are recorded, stored and can be retrieved when necessary to do so. These preservation of knowledge through research, references, securing information and the sustenance of culture through generations makes History as a teaching subject thick. For instance, without recorded History, Africans captured into slavery and those in the Diaspora would not have been able to reconcile with their past and rise against slavery, racism, colonialism and injustice. Without History, too, it will be difficult for the Nigerian students to have a deep knowledge of the past global wars (World wars 1 and 11), the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970) and even the activities of the Niger Delta Militants and the nauseating murderous actions of the Boko Haram. Still, it will also not be possible for Nigerian students to grab and understand the Crimean war (1853-1855); Russian Bolshevik revolution (1917); Korean War (June 25, 1950July 27, 1953); American war of Independence (1775-1783); how Nigeria became a Sovereign nation and so on. Yet, inspite of the merits of teaching History in Nigerian Schools, those in the Educational department at the National level deliberately expunged this marvelous subject from the curriculum of learning. The official reasons advanced were: that students now shun the course at the Tertiary stage of education, there had been few vacancies for the employment of History teachers and finally and that such teachers were not forth-coming. It is woefully difficult to accept these official reasons in view of the narrow sense behind the thoughts of the executors of the silly policy. Such reasons can better be told to the marines. Let History be restored as a teaching subject in our Nigerian Institutions in the positive interest of our children.

After AFCON 2017 debacle, what next? Andrew Iro Okungbowa

his indeed is hard time for the country; Nigeria and its people. Sad and sorrowful tales all around us. Worse still the only thing, which has become a common denominator and unifying force for us, our football, is at a crossroads, it has always be anyway, with the Super Eagles crashing out of the Orange African Cup of Nations 2017 billed to hold in that tiny but beautiful and prosperous country, Gabon just in the same manner it did in 2015 when our flag was not hoisted in Equatorial Guinea. The sad tale is heightened by the fact that Nigerians especially the football crazy ones among us are incurable optimists whose faith in the national senior team to perform even when it is so clear that the odds stacked against the national team, which over the years has become perpetual under achiever, were obvious for all to see. For some us of who are consummate followers of the beautiful leather game called football and have had the opportunity of play-

ing the game at some point in our lives and now close watchers of happenstance within our football circle and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), it was quite clear to us that the senior national team was walking a tight rope and was not going to make it to the summit of African football come 2017. Prior to Amaju Pinnick taking over the rein of NFF, Nigeria’s qualification for AFCON 2015 was already threatened following the shoddy manners the qualification matches were prosecuted. What Nigeria needed then was ‘A Daniel,’ an astute football administrator with a clear head who understood clearly what needed to be done strategically to salvage the chestnut. But unfortunately, Pinnick came in under a ‘politically’ managed election in Warri, Delta State and his first action few days into the office was to sack the former coach, Stephen Keshi and his cohorts but only to get them re-instated few days later following ‘orders from above,’ Aso Rock, I presum. That action of his clearly showed that Amaju was not the man for the job; that he was not the war general that we needed; that he was not the

strategist that was badly needed to put Nigeria’s wobbling qualification quest back on course. Because, if he was, what he needed to do then was to have held a strategic meeting with everyone involved with the team, coaching crew, players, technical team and even the supporters club to fashion a strategy that would be bought into by all and singularly pursued by all. But rather, he chose to play the wrong hand and the result was the ouster of the team from the 2015. He learnt nothing from that episode as subsequent events and actions taken by him and his cohorts at the Glass House thereafter have all culminated into our ouster yet again from the 2017 event. Thus making the era of Pinnick, the man who professes to know it all, following the media touted achievements he recorded while at the helm of affairs in Delta football circle, the worst in our recent history. Now the cacophony of voices is rising to the crescendo daily to the point of haranguing everyone proffering different solutions including the so called ‘wise men’ at the Glass House led by whose voices seem to be the loudest.

In a sane society where people have respect for history, achievements, commonwealth, the people, sense of responsibility and accountability, everyone expect Pinnick and his other musketeers to leave the stage honourably and where they refuse to should at least bow their heads in shame and not be the chorus and cheer leaders as they are doing now blaming everyone but exonerating themselves from the woeful show of shame over the last two years. The solution for me to this debacle is not hiring the best foreign or local coach or disbanding the team and coming up with a brand new one. It is quite simple and that is that we must discard this mentality of quick fix and winning the next laurel in sight without a visible and enduring strategic plan that is understood and bought into by everyone. For years we have cried hoarse for Nigerian sports in general to have a developmental plan that takes us from the grassroots to the national levels as it is done in other sane climes. We once had this mentality where most of us who are now adults benefited from and it worked magic for the country.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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What Buhari did not tell Cameron

resident Muhammadu Buhari showed quite some wisdom at the International Anti–Corruption Summit which was hosted in London by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The President was in the air when his host shot down the country with the uncomplimentary remarks that “ Nigeria is fantastically corrupt.” Cameron, who will be 50 on October 9, had attended a meeting with the Queen and Archbishop of Canterbury ,Justin Welby, among other dignitaries. As he briefed the duo on preparations for the summit which attracted the World Bank, International Monetary Fund [IMF] and the United States his flippancy was obvious. The Prime Minister described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “ possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the world”. It was below the dignity of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to commit such a diplomatic blunder and the Queen and Archbishop must have been totally embarrassed by their political leader. President Buhari knows his way with the British. As military Head of State in 1985, his government tried to abduct Second Republic minister Umaru Dikko from his London home. It was a plot by Nigerian Military Intelligence backed by Isreali elements. An eagle eyed British customs officer killed the plan just as the target had been successfully crated. That created a diplomatic row that led to severance of ties for about two years. In London, the Nigerian leader employed strong words in tackling Cameron but they appeared quite cute diplomatically. He urged his host to bring back all the loot siphoned to the United Kingdom

by those who had plundered our economy. Cameron drew the first blood. Buhari stole the show. What President Buhari told Cameron in simple language was that his country was worse than Nigeria in terms of corruption because like the Englishman will say it takes two to tango. In Nigeria Police parlance, both the thief and the receiver of stolen goods are guilty of stealing. In this case it is like the pot calling the kettle black. Buhari showed more civility. He did not want to open a can of worms. The British will always stand guilty of looting Nigeria ever before our politicians caught the bug. Cameron’s ancestors were more of tricksters. They came first with the Bible. Our

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Cameron smoked Indian hemp at Eton College and bagged a fine for that, a little away from expulsion

forbears listened. Then they introduced business which was tilted to grow the colonial economy while the colonies were squeezed. When our ancestors realized they were being deceived and reacted accordingly, the colonial masters brought out bullets with which they stole our freedom. On a personal note, Cameron should be told the bitter truth. He should not beatify himself and condemn others when he has corruption charges hanging around his neck. His father left 300,000 pounds for him as part of inheritance. Today the world is talking about the Panama Papers. Most of the wealth the British Prime Minister and his siblings inherited from their stockbroker dad came

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through investments in Panama and Jersey, safe places to dodge tax. Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone did not spare Cameron, screaming that the man “ shouldn’t just resign, he should be sent to prison.” That was a fellow Briton passing judgement. Buhari could just have saved the British Prime Minister a deserved place in jail. Cameron did so well in History in his A levels. And we know his history even if Buhari decided to save that for another day. Cameron smoked Indian hemp at Eton College and bagged a fine for that, a little away from expulsion. Some suspected he could have been close to drugs. At Oxford u n i v e r s i t y,

Cameron was a member of the Bullingdon club, reserved for hard drinkers and noise makers. It is possible the cannabis and liquor he took in his salad days have a way of getting back at him which could have happened before the Queen and the Archbishop just before President Buhari touched down in London. Nigerians know so much about the name Cameron. Our colonial governor between 1931 and 1935 was Sir Donald Charles Cameron. The British Prime Minister is David William Donald Cameron. The Prime Minister and the governor share a lot in common. Their fathers were also Donald Cameron and their mothers were Mary [ Mary Emily Brassington for the

dead and Mary Fleur Mint for the living]. Both men lost their first sons. The fight against corruption is a global task, no nation should be blackmailed into guilt. What is needed at this time is international cooperation. It is criminal to label Nigeria corrupt when most of the loot is domiciled in the United Kingdom which earns so much from the looters in tax. There are cases of British companies operating outside the Isles under dubious circumstances. President Buhari did not table that before leaving Abuja. The Anti-Corruption Summit was not meant exclusively for Nigeria and Afghanistan. It also had a message for the hosts. Cameron should be told that he lives in a glass house. He ended up hurling stones at himself. There is a possibility that Mr. David Cameron cannot sequester the son of a stockbroker married to business woman from the business of governance. Number 10 Downing Street is not a place for clowns or swashbucklers. The job is more than baby sitting which for now seems to be the best call for this almost 50-year-old who has made babies as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) and its numerous far flung overseas territories. Above all, courtesy mixed with diplomacy is an available tool that oils international relations. If Cameron described his predecessor Gordon Brown as “ an analogue politician in a digital age “ and got away with it, Nigeria is too important a country to be rubbished by a leader who should behave like one. Apparently, Cameron is hard hit by the relegation of his favourite club Aston Villa and cannot get his acts together anymore.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Insight

Abandoned processing facilities

Adapalm: A goldmine in ruins Oil palm plantations were a product of the foresight of the previous administrations in the old Eastern Region. Adapalm, a vast area of oil palm plantation, established by the first Civilian Governor of Imo State, the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, was aimed at raising the economy of the state. But today, the estate, now known as Imo Palm Plantation, is overgrown by weeds, while every other ancillary to it is grounded. Steve Uzoechi, in Owerri, reports

n 1964, the World Bank declared the old Eastern Region as the fastest growing regional economy in the world. Former Eastern Nigeria was at the time made up of the present five states of the South-East – Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra states - and four states from the present South-South regions - Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The position of the World Bank was also supported by findings by Havard University, United States, at the time. The affirmation of the former Eastern Region as a regional economic power was largely based on the remarkable agricultural landmark recorded by the region within the period. The same year, Nigeria was the world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil and palm kernel. More than 90 per cent of the palm oil and palm kernel came from Eastern Nigeria. Nigeria was also the world’s largest producer of cassava. More than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s cassava was produced in Eastern Region. By 1964, garri, yam and palm oil from Eastern Region were

sold in South Africa, Great Britain and the United States. Coal mining had reached commercial production and Eastern Nigeria had started making money from Nigeria’s coal export. Beside other agricultural products identified with the Eastern Region, oil palm placed the region and the country in the global economic map. The region did not come upon oil palm by chance; instead it was a product of meticulous economic development plan by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was premier of Eastern Nigeria from 1954 to 1960 and Dr. Michael Okpara, who succeeded Azikiwe from 1960 to 1966, as premier. With no oil revenue except resources from palm oil, coal and limestone, Azikiwe and Okpara equitably transformed the entire Eastern Region within 12 years. The 10-year Eastern Nigerian Economic Reconstruction Plan (1954-1964) designed by Azikiwe and Mbonu Ojike, which was later fully implemented by Okpara at the time, triggered accelerated development in the region. Today, most Eastern Nigerian cities still reflect the industrial

Adapalm was a big boost to the economic growth of Eastern Region

design; Aba (Factory Road), Umuahia (Factory Road) Calabar (Factory Road), while Enugu, Owerri, Onitsha and Port Harcourt have Industrial Layouts. A public commentator, Ugo Ukandu, said: “As a deliberate approach for success, innovative farm settlements patterned after the famous Israeli Kibutz were set up in five towns - Igbariam in Anambra State, Uzo-Uwani in Enugu State, Ulonna North and South in Abia State, Ohaji in Imo State and one located in present day Ebonyi State.” At the end of the NigeriaBiafra Civil War, Ukandu said some of the farm settlements were remodelled, sold or privatised, while others were simply abandoned and allowed to waste. The Ohaji farm settlement in Imo State was remodelled into a vast commercial oil palm plantation named Adapalm. While the nine-mile square, 4,310 hectares of cultivated plantation, was established in 1962 as Ohaji Farm Settlement by Okpara, the planting of the palm trees were carried on under Ukpabi Asika in 1976 while the late civilian Governor of Imo State,

Chief Samuel Mbakwe, set up the Adapalm mill in 1983. Adapalm became a massively thriving economic enterprise with clientele cutting across the globe. The main structures that followed the opening of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), were built using five million pounds, generated by the Eastern Nigeria Marketing Board through the sales of palm produce from the region with the bulk of the output from the Ohaji Farm Settlement, later to be known as Adapalm. Adapalm was a big boost to the economic growth of Eastern Region. The wealth generated through Adapalm easily reflected on its host environment and the state economy. From the upstream to the downstream production line, agro-products from Adapalm were premium export commodities that placed Imo State and Nigeria in the world map, at the time. By March 2006, a record 40,000 Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) were harvested in Adapalm and the plantation still boasts of competitive viability. The sprawling

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THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

The entrance to the plantation

Abandoned staff clinic

estate has about 200 buildings, with a market, two churches, a primary school and a staff clinic. However, somewhere down the line, the fortunes of Adapalm began to dip. By October 2008, the company was saddled with arrears of 10 months salaries of its workers, amounting to about N103 million. By the end of January 2010, additional six months arrears of salaries had piled up, thereby increasing the debt profile to about N168 million. On February 10, 2010, the administration of then Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, in a bid to salvage the plantation, inaugurated a three-man Interim Management Committee to save Adapalm from total collapse. Before then, the two mills operated by Adapalm at Umuogu and Ohaji were practically grounded and out of operation for 18 months. At Umuogu Mills, the two boilers were in bad shape. The presses were worn out and grossly inefficient. Its clarification, steam turbines, tractors, forklifts and water supply equipment were all bad and obsolete. It was the same story at Ohaji Mills, which was eventually shut down in August 2009. Adapalm has two plantations -

the Ohaji plantation and Umuogu plantation. As at February 10, 2010, the Ohaji plantation had no motorable access roads. Its palms were not pruned and about 65 per cent of the plantation was ‘colonised’ by thick bushes. There were zero replanting activities to sustain the plantation’s future and fortunes. As at February 2010, Adapalm had 29 vehicles, consisting of light duty, heavy duty and earthmoving equipment/vehicles. Out of this number, 22 were bad while seven were good. In the area of finance, Adapalm could only hand over a paltry sum of N2,950 to the Interim Management Committee as cash at hand. All bank balances at the time were all in the red. By June 6, 2011, the Interim Management Committee led by Hon. Kerian Onwuzuruike was dissolved by Governor Rochas Okorocha. Onwuzuruike said then that he coordinated the activities of members of the Interim Management Committee and championed the resuscitation of Adapalm, from a failed company to a profitable organisation within nine months of hid appointment. He said: “A ‘new’ company was created with new focus and

Adapalm could only hand over a paltry sum of N2,950 to the Interim Management Committee

policy direction. The currently functional Ohaji Mill was reactivated by the committee after nearly two years of shutdown and three years no maintenance. These achievements were recorded without government financial commitment or bank facility. A turnover of N450 million was achieved from a paltry sum of N2,950 received from the previous Board and Management of Adapalm.” That was in June, 2011. Later in the same year, Okorocha went into a lease agreement with an Irish company, Roche Group, to manage Adapalm for 15 years. Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the establishment’s corporate office at Ohaji, the governor described Adapalm as one of the greatest investments of the state that was mismanaged by previous administrations. He explained that the plantation was not sold by the government but handed over to a competent organisation for effective management, so as to enhance its productivity as well as generate more revenue for the state. Okorocha added that under the partnership with Roche Group, Imo Palm Plantation would generate 1,500 employment opportunities and live up to its corporate

social responsibilities to boost the development of the host communities. The facility again thrived for a while until 2013, when industrial dispute between workers and the new management began to drag down the viability of the company. At that point, the Roche Group felt it could no longer bear the wage burden of what it called some unwanted staff. The group said out of the over 600 staff it met on ground, only about 150 were useful to the new management. The affected workers argued that Roche Group, having acquired the plantation on lease, should take responsibility of both assets and liabilities of the company to the extent that the new management should pay unwanted workers their due terminal entitlements and severance benefits before disengagement. Roche on the other hand, insisted that it was the responsibility of government to pay severance benefits to the unwanted workers, noting that same was captured in the lease agreement. While Roche Group maintained that the Adapalm Landlords Association has also continued to make inconvenient demands on the new management of Adapalm to the point of extortion and confrontation; the landlords differed, insisting that they only demanded the rights and benefits due the host community and the locals who constitute the bulk of the workforce in Adapalm. Due to the dwindling productivity of the plantation occasioned by alleged exploitative activities of the landlords and ongoing industrial dispute with workers, Adapalm has been closed for the past five months. When our correspondent visited the plantation, which hitherto was a beehive of activities, it has been reduced to a gloomy shadow of its old self. The mini-market that serviced the plantation was empty and desolate; not even a single palm produce truck was sighted in the vicinity. With the entire area deserted, the scenario speaks volumes of the huge economic loss inflicted on the community and Imo State at large. The plantation has grown bushy. Its buildings are also overgrown by weeds. With just a handful of security men around, it seemed nobody was really in charge of the facility anymore while poachers and thieves are having a field day. Adapalm, now renamed Imo Palm Plantation after the concession deal, is progressively being degraded and devalued, with its continued closure and non-productivity. Commenting on the situation at the plantation, Secretary, Agricultural and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria, Adapalm Chapter, Simeon Opara, observed that the crisis at the plantation started with moves by the Roche Group to terminate services of over 90 per cent of regular members of staff at the plantation in 2013. He said: “We demanded our severance benefit, since we were no longer needed but Roche said they paid the whole money to CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Adapalm needs no subvention to succeed, says ex-GM Former General Manager of Adapalm, Dr. Don Okwu, says in this interview with STEVE UZOECHI, that he was shocked to hear that the plantation has been shut down for months You were once the general manager of Adapalm. Why is the plantation in this mess? The plantation can fund itself without any allocation from government if it is properly run. Government did not give me money to pay staff salaries for more than two years. In 2006, the mill was producing about 40,000 Fresh Fruits Bunches and Adapalm was making over N35 million monthly. I was the General Manager of Adapalm from 2004 to 2007. Then the proceeds from the plantation was sustaining the company and the host communities. The money

is in the bush, inside the plantations. Government did not give me a dime to run the place and I paid salaries for 30 months without government’s subvention. Is turnaround in the fortunes of the company possible? I still believe that that successful feat can be reproduced by careful and diligent management. If well-harnessed, they can still make up to N100 million a month at Adapalm. If we were making N35 million then, they can gross over N100 million now. The economy of the state can significantly be raised through agricultural investments like palm plantations. Adapalm is a goldmine, if the will is there, such plantations can be replicated in other parts of the state. At least, there are still virgin forests in many parts of the state like Ngor Okpala, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema and others. Why has Nigeria seemingly abandoned agriculture?

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the government in the concession deal which fetched the state about N3.2 billion. Theys stressed that it was not their responsibility to pay our severance. “However, later in same 2013, government intervened and offered to redeploy affected workers to the Ministry of Agriculture and take up responsibility of paying our salaries. But since 2014, it is now over 14 months and we have not been paid a kobo by the government.” Opara argued that Roche Group had shown lack of capacity to manage the company. According to him, the mill has been shut for the past five months due to industrial disputes and conflicts between Roche and the host communities represented by the Landlords’ Association. He added: “Roche has no managerial or financial capacity to manage Imo Palm Plantation. They have had to borrow on two occasions to build the mill, yet to no avail. Roche is a contracting/ construction company, not an agricultural firm”. Opara regretted that the company, which had the capacity to employ over 3,000 workers and drive the economy of

Inside the plantationseedlings.

If we were making N35 million then, they can gross over N100 million now

Okwu

Before Independence in 1960, agriculture was everything in Nigeria. There were regional laws that stipulated the setting up of farm settlements across the regions of the country as introduced by Moore. In 1966 when the Ministry of Agriculture was created, the farm settlements were abandoned. Our economy was previously being driven by agriculture and that can

still be recreated. Agriculture was mechanised in the North but the Eastern states have a different focus. If we revert to our former agricultural status before the discovery of crude oil, we can revive the economy of our region and inspire massive development across the region. And as for Adapalm, you do not need government to give you any money to succeed.

A prostrate economic giant the state, was now in a shambles owing to inefficient management. The secretary noted that the downstream processing sector of the company had facility that was about 70 per cent completed and could produce soap, margarine and vegetable oil to further boost the economy of the state. But, according to him, the facility is now lying fallow owing to poor management. Our correspondent, however, sighted an abandoned nursery of improved variety of palm seedlings imported from Costa Rica since 2012. The imported seedlings, which bear fruit in two years, should have been the replacement stock for some of the aging palm trees in the plantation but have been overgrown by weeds. The unionist believes the Imo State budget can largely be funded from the plantation if better management and equipment are put in place. However, while the Special Adviser to the governor on Technical Mat-

ters, Ikenna Emeh, maintained that the situation at Imo Palm Plantation was ‘a conspiracy of the landlords and workers against Roche Group,’ the legal adviser to Roche Group, Philip Nyitni, described the claims of the union as a misrepresentation of facts. Nyitni said Roche was a group of companies with broad interests in diverse sectors of the economy, which included agriculture. He said: “We were on the verge of buying a plantation in Ghana before the lease agreement with the Imo State Government went through. With our level of financial commitment to the agreement, there is no basis to suggest that Roche lacks the resources to run this plantation. We have experts on ground and have also brought in several expatriates with technical depth in specialised areas of our production, to sustain and enhance productivity and viability of the plantation. “Regrettably, some of these experts were frustrated by the unions; others

Abandoned and overgrown nursery of imported replacements stock of palm seedlings.

were threatened and harassed until they left. An estate manager we hired from another competing firm was literally abducted and threatened until he had to leave for fear of his life. Arbitrarily, workers shut down operations at the mill and sabotaged production at will. We cannot continue this way. This is why we shut down, so that we can once and for all, address these issues and where necessary take decisive actions to save this investment from undue exploitation and sabotage.” On the severance package of workers, Nyitni remarked that, “the 15year lease with the state government foresaw this situation and stipulated that government would take care of the severance benefits of workers and government has not declined from this responsibility.” The situation, as it presently stands, calls for urgent intervention in the agro-sector and particularly in the oil palm industry. Experts believe that Imo Palm Plantation could be replicated in other parts of Imo State and Nigeria to strengthen the state and country’s capacity in the global oil palm market, especially in the light of the dwindling fortunes of the crude oil. While urging a decisive policy on the revamping of the oil palm sector in the country, Ugo Harris Ukandu, said that while Nigeria continued to treat her enormous agricultural endowment with abandonment, Malaysia and Ivory Coast which came to the country in the 60s to obtain their first oil palm seedlings had been making tremendous impact in world economy, using agriculture as a major platform. “Nigeria can hardly point at any major leap in the sector, while Malaysia’s popular KIA Motors is produced with proceeds from oil palm,” he added.

THURSDAY, MAy 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

SouthEastFocus

GEOFFREY EKENNA coordinaTor

goeekenna@yahoo.co.uk 08068774740

South South Focus A smile on Edo workers’ faces

23 News Abused by daddy’s ‘friend’

24 Part of Mrs. Kalu’s building demolished by the town union

t all began on February 19, 2016, when a section of the house of a widow, one Mrs. Victoria Kalu, was demolished by the town union of the community. The said house was built by Kalu’s stepson, Okechukwu . In anger, Kalu and Okechukwu, who protested the demolition reported the matter to the state government and the government set up a committee to look into the matter. As the committee was doing its work, the President of the town union, Dr. Ndubuisi Ekumankama and one other person who allegedly led the demolition exercise were arrested by the police and put under prosecution. The arrest and prosecution of the two sparked off protest by the women of the community, who dressed half naked and stormed Abakaliki, the state capital. The women, who had planned to storm the Government House for the protest were intercepted by policemen at the Nkwegu, near the military cantonment when they resisted the first team of policemen, who could not withstand the sight of the rampaging naked women. The women protested without wearing anything at the upper parts of their body, which threw many people into confusion, including the policemen led by the officer- incharge of Safer Highway, who was reported to have escaped from the scene because of the sight of the naked protesting women. However, it took the intervention of the Police Commissioner, CP Peace

Rustling the peace in Edda The peace that had enveloped the Amangwu Edda Autonomous Community in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in the past is currently under threat UCHENNA INYA, in Abakaliki, reports

Ibekwe Abdallah, who immediately mobilized another team of policewomen, led by the Officer in charge of Criminal Investigation Department, O/C CID, who led other policewomen to the scene. When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP George Okafor, described the actions of the protesting naked women as shameful and a desecration of Igbo culture and norms. He said that the women had planned the protest last week but were advised to toe the legal way of registering their complaints since the suspect and the President General of the Community, who was arrested by the police in connection to the demolition of the widow’s house has been charged to court. “Last week, a group of women, numbering about 20, stormed the state headquarters to protest over the arrest and detention of a suspect who was being held for demolishing a widow’s house in Amangwu-Edda. After we spoke to them, they even saw the suspect and he spoke to them, which showed them he was alive. They went back and today again, we

got information that the same women had gone and mobilized over 200 other women to storm the government house to protest and we also got information that they were coming into the town naked. So, we tried to halt them from gaining entrance into the city”. “Our men who earlier got to the scene were repelled because of the sight of the nakedness of these women and we had to mobilize our police women led by woman ACP in charge of CID, who went there. Of course, as women, they understood each other and had more access to them unlike the men who were being careful because these women were naked. “Their actions were unfortunate and shameful. They have desecrated the Igbo culture by protesting naked over a politically motivated issue. If there were reasons to protest naked, these women should have known that it must be a serious issue”. The Police image maker further disclosed that the police were able to put the situation under control without any casualty and further said the two suspects arrested for demolishing the widow’s house have been charged to court.

As the women were protesting, Dr. Ndubuisi Ekumankama was arraigned and remanded in Abakaliki federal prisons. Ekumankama, a medical consultant with the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki(FETHA) and Mater Miserecodae Hospital, Afikpo, all in the state and one Boniface Ama were remanded by an Abakaliki Magistrate court for demolishing Kalu’s house. They made their first appearance in Magistrate Court 2 on two count charge of conspiracy, rioting and demolition of a house belonging to the widow; a house built for her by her step-son Nnachi Agha valued at N9million. After the charges were read to the accused persons, their Defence Counsel, E. Ogban applied for their bail on liberal terms as the offence according to him was not a capital offence. In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Chief Magistrate Nnachi Olughu, noted that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter as it was a case of riotous assembly, which has a life jail as penalty and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody. He directed the police to transmit the case file and exhibits to the Directorate of Public Prosecution and adjourned the matter to July 8, 2016. Following the remand of Ekumankama, the women, who rubbed ashes all of their bodies and elders of the community took to streets in the area to protest the court action. The people who numbered over 5,000 were spotted chanting solidarity songs such as ‘’we will say the truth no matter whose ox is gored’’ among others. They alleged that Mrs. Kalu’s building was built on an ancient road called Ebirinta which connects Oso Edda community in the area. They noted that before the structure was erected, there were several warnings that no one should build on the road which were neglected by Okechukwu, who went ahead to erect a structure along the road. Speaking on the matter, Mr. Paul Onu Eni, the landlord of Okechukwu, said when he noticed that Okechukwu was encroaching on the ancient road, he told him not to do so; that it was a road where people pass to other villages but he paid deaf ears to the warning. He said he wrote an SOS to the President of Amangwu Edda, Dr. Ndu Ekumankama, over the obstruction of the road by Okechukwu Kalu, who wrote to him and asked him to remove the structure but he refused. The Financial Secretary of the town union, Emmanuel Ibe, in his own comment said: “The community resolved that the house should be removed during the union’s meeting of December 31, 2015 but we are surprised that those who supported us backed out and are prosecuting innocent persons. ‘’On Jan 9, 2016, he came with thugs from Abakaliki and started building the house and having properly informed him not to build the house, the community decided to remove that part of the building on the road.” There is tension in the community even as the people are polarized into two factions over the matter with each of the factions loyal to two political groups in the area.

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THURSDAY, MAy 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Flowers of beauty, nightmares

Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

he large concrete buckets, believed to be flower vases, that line major streets in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, have become an eye sore. When they were put there a few years ago, many thought they were meant for or namental flowers that would enhance the aesthetics of the city. But rather than add to the beauty of the city, they have defaced the capital city. And since they bear no flowers, they have become ready receptacle for all kinds of refuse. Even the street sweepers find them to be of g reat assistance in the effort to dispose of the refuse swe pt from the streets. They just simply pack the dirt and debris into them. Passersby have also taken a cue from them to empty their refuse into them. However tur ning the pots to refuse bins is a little thing compared to the havoc the concrete buckets have caused to motorists and road users. The flower pots dot the streets of Umuahia; from the ceramic culvert to the end of Umuwaya/Garki and from Dr Anagha Ezeikpe/BCA Road to Secretariat and House of Assembly. The flower pots/buckets are not fir mly fixed on the road median where they are placed and therefore easy to move. Multiple accidents have been recorded because they are not held with mortar or screw. When a vehicle hits any of them, which occurs

often, it shifts from its original position blocking the road and causing more accidents. The concrete buckets are so heavy that it is futile trying to push it back to place. Those who placed them there at the onset used heavy duty machine to carry and fix them. Since then, motorists and other users are at their mercy. In most cases, some of them fall off the median blocking the major road altogether and posing great danger to road users, especially at night. Travelling the streets of Umuahia at night has become a nightmare. Residents of the capital city have raised serious concer n over the danger posed by the heavy concrete buckets. Now that there are no flowers in them, the people are wondering what purpose they are serving. And any vehicle that hits it is instantly damaged beyond recognition. It is even more worrisome when those hit by vehicles are left blocking the road for days causing more accidents. At the end of the day, a few concer ned individuals will have to heave the heavy concrete bucket of f the road. The problem of the vases are compounded by the narrow median of Aba Road as their menace is not as pronounced on the wider median of Dr Anagha Ezeikpe/BCA and House of Assembly Roads. At Aba Road, several of them have shifted from the median and are on the roads without attention. Every day, the people lament the menace of the pots that now compound the problem of bad roads.

One of the flower pots

Equipping Nimbo community vigilante Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

group, the Professionals Group, Lagos State branch, have pledged to assist Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government of Enugu State in the area of vigilant to ensure adequate security. The president of the group, Mr. Charles Nwodo, gave the assurance in Nsukka on Monday, when the group visited Nimbo

Avoiding another clash with herdsmen Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

he leadership of Obaji Akanano, Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has warned Cattle herdsmen in the area to be mindful of farm crops belonging to the farmers or be ready to face dire consequences. The President -General of Aboji Akanano Union Oba, Nze Dozie Nweke, issued the warning while addressing Journalists in Oba yesterday. He said that the community had suffered severely in the hands of herdsmen who walk freely in their farmland and eat up crops that belong to the farmers, thereby impoverishing the farmers. Nweke said that the dan-

gerous herdsmen mostly move around the village between the hours of 2am and 3am, when people were at sleep and cause severe damages. According to him, on one occasion, the herdsmen opened a private water tank in someone’s compound to serve water to their cattle and when the owner of the tank demanded to know who was doing that, they released four gunshots. “The elders of the community had consistently stopped the youths of the area from confronting the herdsmen,” Nweke noted, adding however that the herdsmen must operate by the rules. “We do not want the youths to react to the cattle menace. “We, therefore, calling on the Anambra State gov-

ernor, Chief Willie Obiano and President Mohammadu Buhari to find a lasting solution to the menace to avoid bloodshed. “The herdsmen should in fact rear their cattle in their region and bring them to the South East to sell,” he added. Nweke stated that the Police could not do much in identifying the herdsmen because the herdsmen operate in the area at nights. He warned that the village farmers would no longer fold their arms to allow the cattle to continue to ravage their crops. Nweke however commended Obiano for his tremendous success in the area of security and for promoting peaceful coexistence between the indigenes and the herdsmen in the state.

communities to commiserate with residents over the recent attack by Fulani herdsmen on the community in which 30 people were killed and many injured. “We will assist in whatever arrangement to ensure that the community vigilante group is strengthened, so that it will help in protecting residents to avoid future recurrence of herdsmen attack in Nimbo. “If the community has a strong vigilante group, it could have repelled the invasion of the community by herdsmen,” he said. Nwodo said the group was in Nimbo to convey its grief, sadness, sympathy as well as solidarity on the killing of some residents by suspected Fulani headsmen recently. “Your misfortune is our misfortune; the losses are not your losses alone and lives lost are indeed loss of the global community. “We are here to convey our grief, sadness, sympathy on the killing of some residents and injuring of others by herdsmen “NPG commends Federal Government, state, local government in their efforts at ameliorating the suffering of Nimbo community since the unfortunate incident. “We came with some relief materials which include, bags of beans, rice and bags of local beans used in preparing ‘Okpa ‘ as own little contribution to assist the victims of

attack, ‘he said. He said that the group was in support of Enugu State government in instituting of Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the massacres and hoped the that the panel would appropriate punishments to all those involved. “We will be happy also, if the panel will make provision to assist all those who sustained losses as well as rebuilding of vandalized houses,“said. Receiving the group in his palace, the Traditional Ruler of Nimbo community, Igwe John Akor, thanked the NPG members for coming all the way from Lagos to come and identify with the community at its time of grief and agony. “What you have done is an indication that you are sons of Nsukka senatorial distinct, the community is also happy on the support you have expressed in equipping the Nimbo vigilante. “Thank you for identifying with us at trying moment in the community, after some people are killed, others injured and houses vandalized on the recent attack by herdsmen. The people of Nimbo will remain grateful of this your visit as well as the food stuffs you brought to help us in this difficult moment, ‘he said. Some of the members of South- East Professional Group (SEPG), accompanied the NPG to Nimbo community.

THURSDAY, MAy 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

SouthSouthFocus

Workers at a May Day rally

It was a day many came out in black, bemoaning their bad fortunes in some local government councils of the state. But by the time they left the venue of the event, their tears had dried and turned into joy. CAJETAN MMUTA reports from Benin

his year’s May Day celebration has come and gone. But it left behind for most workers in the state and across the country testimonies of either good or sad experiences. The reasons are not far-fetched given the echoes of lamentation from different quarters in the polity. While it has always been the sing song that a labourer has his wage, it is hoped that for any wage paid to a single worker anywhere, much input is also expected of him or her to compliment the good gestures from the employer. This assumption, however, is not true with some states. The obvious sad tale is a consequence of present economic hardship, arising, firstly from the endless plunge of price of crude oil at the international market and a corresponding administrative and leadership recession the nation has witnessed in recent past. More worrisome is the fact that considering the nature of Nigeria’s erroneous concept of federalism, states almost always at the end of each month, go with caps in

A smile on Edo workers’ faces

hands to the Federal Government for allocations with which to develop their respective territories and cater for the welfare of their citizens. This recurring dangerous trend is what has kept most states to where they are today. It leaves the states with sour and frightening weather, particularly, where such state or states cannot device alternative measures to meet with the confronting challenge within that level of government. Most saddening is that some governors of these states with lean resources to match the demands of their people have resorted to waiting in the parlous offices of government houses for the monthly allocation from the centre before they can make the seeming anthill of development not to talk of adequately meeting the demands of workers who like the goose lays the golden egg with which the state and its people eat from on daily basis. Although, some of governors at the helm of affairs of their home states have demonstrated commensurate effort to bring smile to the faces of their people, others resort to singing praises of paltry indices of what they call development. The sad story, however, is not the same with the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo

State. To workers in the Heart Beat state, Oshiomhole means a lot to many of them. This testimonial assertion stems from the governor’s unwavering belief, poise, courage and will to write his name on the sands of time as one who once led and still believed in labour movement as his primary constituency. Obviously aware of what government and governance mean to his people, Oshiomhole since assumption of office as governor resolved to take the burden of ensuring improved welfare of workers in Edo State as not only his sole responsibility but also an indispensable priority. This, he has traditionally and religiously followed in both principle and practice, firstly, with a thorough sanitization of the state’s civil service and plugging of all loopholes as well as ensuring that square pegs are is square holes in terms of appointment and service delivery to guarantee positive actions. Oshiomhole’s focus and targets for determining what he and the state want have jointly paid off with the shoring up of the state’s internally generated revenue to make up with the lean monthly allocation from the federation account. With a combined team of tested technocrats, Oshiomhole has been able to demonstrate inexplicably

the political will and industry that what was initially thought impossible in the eyes and hands of past governments that presided over the affairs of the state. The proven facts of this could be clearly seen in the massive network of roads, political stability, improvement in the standard and quality of education in addition with the red roof revolution laced with massive renovation and reconstruction of school buildings, awareness creation and consciousness in electoral processes, capacity building, secured and peaceful environment that guarantees harmonious coexistence as well as added boost to investment drive that has seen many prospective investors putting and staking their funds towards the growth and development of the state. What is more, the state has left the boundaries of mediocre to timeless limelight and reference is the word. Above all, the public sector or civil service is on sound footing and the workers today are singing Oshiomhole’s praises. It was not wonder therefore when at this year’s workers day celebration, the Peoples’ Governor made good his 2014 promise to workers in the state to ensure a gradual increment of their salaries to meet with the challenges of the time. Although, the gesture has taken off over time and in tremendous ways but not many believed it when at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Oshiomhole announced an increase of minimum wage for Edo workers from the initial nationwide N18, 000 to N25, 000, a difference of N7, 000. Interestingly and unexpectedly too, the gesture came at a time most states cannot pay monthly salaries to their workers. The state government has consistently maintained prompt payment of workers in the state civil service on the 25th of each month and the promise kept has bolstered the zeal and commitment of each worker to duty and they are indeed happy for it. The cheery news for Edo workers, however, is not for their pockets alone but the fact holds that to whom much is given, much is also expected from him or her. Oshiomhole’s large heart was not only meant for the least workers but he declared that the details be worked out and be spread across all shades of public servants such that even the directors in the public service will have a pinch of it added to their existing monthly salaries. It would be recalled that Oshiomhole recently vowed that any day he reneged to live up to the promise in the payment of the approved workers’ minimum wage, it was time for him to resign from office as governor of the state. Oshiomhole made the assertion when he commissioned a 500-capacity lecture theatre, a Moot-Court building abandoned since 1991 and six other projects funded by CO NTINUED O N PAGE 24

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THURSDAY, MAy 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Abused by her daddy’s ‘friend’ Tony Anichebe

Uyo

he story of a 19-year-old Mercy Godwin Ayitu from Ugep Local Government Area of Cross River State and her father’s friend, Jude James Obonna of Iyaka LGA of same state could best be described as a case of betrayal and sexual enslavement. Jude, who had over the years served Engr Chris Kingbrown’s Broad Haulage Nig. Ltd as General Manager, last year, offered to recommend a domestic assistant to the boss’ family, but ended up subjecting his friend’s daughter and boss’ domestic assistant to sexual enslavement for over six months. Narrating her ordeals at court nine, Uyo, Mercy, a former student of Girls Secondary School, Ugep, reported to the court that the accused, popularly known as ‘uncle Jude’ started the rape exercise from their way coming from Calabar to Akwa Ibom where she was taken to. Her words: “When Uncle Jude took me from my parents in Ugep on January 6, 2015, we drove down to Calabar town where he and his family reside. There, we slept over. The next day, we set on the journey to Uyo. On the way, he stopped to take a drink. I waited for him in the car. When he got back, he drove a little further, stopped along the way and asked his brother who was with us to excuse him. He flattened the car seats, locked the doors and asked me to be his girlfriend. I said no. He started dragging me, drew my pant out, pushed his trouser down and forced his penis into my vagina and had canal knowledge with me” “After that, he threatened to kill me if I tell anyone. I cried till we got to where we were going in Ewet

A rape victim

Housing Estate Uyo. When we got to his master’s house, oga and madam asked why I was crying, if I did not like the place. I was still crying. I could not tell them anything because Uncle Jude threatened to kill me. They encouraged me to wipe my tears and carry my bag inside”. “He went back to Calabar. When he came back to Uyo, I was inside the house sleeping. I felt a hand on my lap, and I woke up. I was home alone. It was uncle Jude. I started shouting, pleading with him to leave me alone. He threw me to the bed, overpowered and raped me. When he finished, he brought out a knife, and told me that if I say anything, he would slaughter me like a goat. When my oga and madam came back, I wiped my tears and pretended as if nothing happened, because I did not want to die”. “My boss asked him to sleep over for some office work the next day. When he came back to drop office keys with me, I went inside the

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

the government at the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. He said, “In Edo State, we will not only pay the minimum wage. We will pay all wages because I believe that the day I cannot pay salaries, it is time to resign. My task is cut out clearly from the beginning and we have to find the courage to take from those who have and give to those who don’t have. We will look at those who have and collect taxes from them, so that we can provide for those who do not have including students.” But addressing the workers who turned out in their large numbers during this year’s annual worker’s day celebration, Oshiomhole said he was doing his best, deliberately having been groomed from the family of labour movement and in keeping with his promise to ensure improved welfare of workers such that other governors in the country would not use the state as an example to justify the present economic predicament and to add to their own failure too. The governor’s gesture at the event had turned suddenly the sorrow, tears and sadness of protesting workers of Egor local council area under the umbrella of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), who dressed in black clothes. They had stormed the venue with placards with various inscriptions to register

When he got back, he drove a little further, stopped along the way and asked his brother who was with us to excuse him

room, he came after me, dragged me, tore my pant and had canal knowledge of me. At this point, I could not bear it anymore. When my boss and madam came back, I decided to tell them all I have been through in Uncle Jude’s hands. My boss and madam were very angry, but they told me they could not do anything because there was no evidence”. “When he came again the fourth time, I was on menstruation. He forced my pant and pad out and had sex with me. my boss had gone out and madam was on night duty. Suddenly, we heard a knock on the door. He jumped off my body. I was still crying. I went to open the door. It was my boss, Engr. Kingbrown. He told me not to worry, that he has seen everything. He called my madam. That was how we went to the police station”. The Defence Counsel, Barr Anselm Eyo, who tried to squeeze the victim to admit to a long standing relationship with the accused per-

son, later in a chat with our correspondent said the essence was to establish consent to be able to discharge and acquit his client. He, however, assured that justice would be done if no consent is established at the end of the case. Speaking with reporters, Kingbrown complained that Jude’s randy attitude has over the years been responsible for serious setback in his company, especially the Calabar branch, as reports of rape and sexual harassment of both staff and client has continued to trail his path “The Calabar branch has drastically gone down because all female staff decided to quit. In 2013, I went with my wife to the Calabar office, knelt down and pleaded with Jude to stop sexual harassment and rape of staff and clients. He promised to change, but I never knew he was still like that”. Further affirming the suspect to be of fraudulent character, he said “he came to us, pretending to have two masters degree. We employed him. He was doing well, but never presented any certificate to us. When we requested for it, he claimed the school he attended was trying to frustrate him, since he was good on the job and was almost a part of the family, we decided to make it a brotherly employment. But I later found out he was sent out of secondary school and no history of further education”. While expressing disappointment over such level of betrayal and irresponsibility from someone he trusted to a point of assigning sensitive responsibilities in his company, Kingbrown who recalled how he picked Jude up as bus driver and transformed him into a well to do individual, however prayed for justice to be done in favour of the victim of such unwarranted abuses and threats, to serve as deterrent to others.

A smile on Edo workers’ faces their displeasure over non-payment of arrears of salaries running into 14 months. It was, indeed, sorrow turned into joy as most of the workers sang the praises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government in the state. The governor said: “Nobody can accuse me of interference in the local government funds except in the payment of teachers salary,” promising the protesting council workers that he would “turn their black into white and if I don’t do it, I will not leave Osadebay Avenue Government house but that is not to say that I will elongate my tenure.” The governor reflected that he “has a duty to service the workers, not because of the workers endorsement of my second term in office in 2012 but because they (workers) are my creation.” He further stated that “whatever happens to our economy, every Edo worker will get his salary as and when due. From today, the least worker in Edo will have salary increase from N18, 000 minimum wage to N25, 000. This wage will be spread to the same level so that even a director will get his due.” Besides, Oshiomhole deplored the action of

some workers which he noted had negatively impacted on their productivity especially promotion of corrupt activities and such other illegal activities against the avowed resolve of the state government put the state on a sound footing. Oshiomhole, who cited the case of some workers, who aid and abet preparation of multiple vouchers for some pensioners, whether dead or alive in the state pensions board, vowed that he would not forgive any worker who duplicates vouchers for such pensioners as that encourages fraud and corruption in the system and contributes to obvious delay in the payment of monthly pensions to retirees in the state. According to him, “Our movement is founded on truth and justice, not fraud,” adding that the state government “will computerize the pensions system and to create a unit to ensure elimination of leakages in the pension system.” He, however, commended the workers for resolving their various differences and for their support since assumption of office and pledged his resolve not to neglect their welfare even as he as-

sured them that the next governor of the state after him will ensure improved welfare for them. He said that labour cannot afford to compromise its united front and contribution to nation’s growth and development in spite of the challenges. Earlier in their addresses, the leadership of the labour unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress led by the state chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ademokun and the Trade Union Congress led by Comrade Marshal Ohue, expressed appreciation to the governor for taking the welfare of workers very seriously since he assumed office as governor and pledged their unalloyed support for the administration. They, however, called for concerted and urgent attention towards addressing the plight of workers in some local government areas, particularly, Egor council whose months of salaries were left unpaid by immediate past chairman of the council. The labour union leaders also appealed for government’s proactive measure to address the cries of some institutions such as the Tayo Akpata University, judicial workers and Edo line respectively.

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Industry

Business What's new Discos’ revenue shortfall hits N300bn

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Nigeria, others to push Africa’s GDP to $29trn

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Nigeria, Cote d’ Ivoire eye N400bn trade volume

eWorld Nigeria prepares for $14.4trn Internet market

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

T Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Taiwo Hassan

Industry, Agric & Brands Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at April 16)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N345 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N468 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N367

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N200 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N307 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N224

Source: CBN

L-R: Managing Director, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. John Donnachie; Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Anthony Youdeowei; Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Mr. Sunday Oduntan and Mr. Neil Croucher, at a press conference on privatisation, in Lagos.

Kunle Azeez

Ayodele Aminu

EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at April 16)

l Foreign Reserves – $26,684bn as at 16/5/2016

The number of PoS terminals so far deployed is still far below country’s requirement

Deputy Editor (Business)

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE April 2016.................................13.7% March 2016..............................12.8% February 2016...........................11.4%

DISMAL

The Business Desk

he value of transactions executed by cardholders on point of sales (PoS) terminals in Nigeria, hit N197.68 billion in the first four months of this year, available data obtained from the Nigerian Interbank Settlements Systems (NIBSS) have revealed. Latest official data obtained by New Telegraph provides information on the bank customers’ activities on the various payment platforms, including PoS, mobile transfers, National Electronic Fund Transfers (NEFT) and NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP), among others. According to the study, between January and April this year, the value of PoS transactions increased from N46.65 billion to N53.28 billion. In February and March, the transaction values were N46.14 billion and N51.96 billion respectively. Deals values this year have been higher when compared with the value of monthly transactions recorded in the first four months of 2015. Last year, aggregate PoS transaction value for the first four months of the year stood at N130.74 billion, with a breakdown of N31.79 billion in January; N30.79 billion in February; N33.54 billion in March and N34.62 billion at the end of April. The report thus indicates that the cardholders are doing more transac-

Cashless: PoS deals hit N198bn in four months tions on the PoS terminals across the country, a development, which experts linked to increased public confidence in the e-payment system. “More and more people are beginning to be more aware of the importance and efficiency of adopting an electronic payment platform such as PoS for payment when they go shopping,” said the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary of the Electronic Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN), Mrs. Regha Onajite, said on phone. In 2015, Nigerians transacted N448 billion on some 62,000 active PoS terminals deployed across the country, according to the NIBSS report. Further analysis of the report showed that PoS recorded an average of N1.5 billion daily transactions throughout last year. In January 2015, PoS transactions stood at N31.7 billion; in February, the transaction as N30.9 billion and by March, the figure had increased to N33.5 billion monthly. Also in April, May and June, the value of PoS deals executed by some of the 42 million Automated Teller Machine (ATM) holders stood at N34.6 billion; N35.9 billion and N34 billion respectively. The PoS transactions increased to N36.9 billion in July; but slightly dropped to N35.8 billion in August and further regained its growth momentum in September with trans-

N46.6 billion Being the value of PoS deals Nigerians executed last January

action seating at N39.6 billion. The country recorded its highest PoS transaction volume and value in the last quarter of 2015 with transactions standing at N41.5 billion; N40.2 billion and N53.4 billion in October, November and December respectively. However, last January, the PoS business by Nigerians dropped to N46.6 billion. Meanwhile, the NIBSS report also provides information on the number of PoS registered and those deployed, from which the industry has active and dormant PoS terminals. According to the report, while these are 141, 787 PoS registered terminals only 119,126 have been deployed while less than 100 of the deployed are actually being used for services. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had set a 350,000 PoS deployment target for the country but has not been able to achieve this auspicious target, in spite of the increase in the number of Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) licensed. PTSPs are the companies licensed by the apex bank to deploy PoS terminals for merchants on behalf of the banks. The idea of PTSP was conceived to allow the banks to focus on their core banking services without bothering themselves with the deployment of PoS for merchants. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

BUSINESS |news

SHORTAGE Gas pipeline vandalism leads to shortage of gas to power stations

Adeola Yusuf

nvestors in power distribution companies in Nigeria, last Tuesday, urged the Federal Government to provide them with easy access to foreign exchange, declaring that their revenue shortfalls had risen to N300 billion. Managing Directors of all the 11 distribution companies in Nigeria (Discos) collectively revealed this at a World Press Conference in Lagos. They unanimously declared that their cash liquidity crisis is threatening to completely undermine the country’s electricity value chain. They insisted that the elec-

PoS deals hit N198bn in four months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Till date, the apex bank in a bid to deepen cashless economy in the country, has licensed no fewer than 19 terminal operators. They include Global Accelerex Limited, Citiserve Limited, Interswitch Limited, ITEX Integrated Systems, Top Limited, Paymaster Limited, Globasure Technologies Limited, Signal Sources Nigeria Limited, Bizzdesk Global Solutions Limited, Callphone Limited and Cloud Systems Limited. Others include TITIS /Goswiff Limited, Nera Networks Nigeria Limited, Electronic Settlement Limited, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, Inlaks Computers Limited, Easyfuel Limited, Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited and Ameya Infocom Limited. However, despite the boost in the number of PTSPs, the country could not achieve its set target of 350,000 PoS terminals deployment by end of last year. Poor connectivity and initial apathy on the part of customers to quickly adopt e-payment platform also discourages merchants from using PoS as a means of accepting payment from customers. Reacting, the Chief Executive Officer of NIBSS, Mr. Adebisi Shonubi, said the success so far recorded was still commendable, saying the e-payment sector is gaining traction. “The increase in volume and value of consumer transactions carried out via PoS is indicative of growing acceptance and use of the payment channel, attributable to sustained public awareness,” he added. Meanwhile, the President of Medallion Communications Limited, a technology-neutral interconnect clearing company in the nation’s telecoms company, Mr. Ike Nnamani, pointed out that encouraging widespread access to quality broadband penetration will accelerate deployment of more PoS terminals.

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

DISCOs’ revenue shortfall hits N300bn ...Seek access to forex tricity debts plus interests that the ministry, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government, including the Ministry of Power, owe them, had risen to N93 billion. Executive Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr. Sunday Oduntan, who spoke at the forum attended by Managing Directors of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Companies (IBEDC), Mr. John Donnachie, and his counterparts in Ikeja Electric and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (ABEDC), Mr. Anthony Youdeowei and Neil Croucher, respectively, stressed that the power sector needs the intervention of the Federal Government to secure foreign exchange at official rate for purchase of equipment that are majorly bought abroad and imported into Nigeria. Croucher added that the ministry of power is “inclusive” in the N93 billion debts. “The ability of the power industry to meet its service delivery obligations is severely constrained by the lack of access to foreign exchange,” the

ANED said. The revenue shortfalls, the investors said, “Adversely impact the ability of Discos to make capital investments in metering, network expansion, equipment rehabilitation and replacement that are critical for service delivery improvement. The investors noted: “Industry shortfall is massive and growing, now about N300 billion. This is a cash liquidity crisis that threatens to completely undermine the electricity value chain and its ability to continue to serve its customers. “The ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) debts plus interests now stands at N93 billion and yet to be paid. The industry cannot survive with this high level of debt. “The ability of the industry to meet its service delivery obligations is severely constrained by the lack of access to foreign exchange.” Expressing disappointment at the high level of power theft, ANED declared that the industry “cannot survive with this level of theft,” which include “bypass of meters and self-

connection by customers.” It noted: “Historically, tariffs did not cover full costs versus payment obligations, creating significant revenue shortfalls in the sector.” On why there is no sufficient electricity, the DISCOs spokesperson said: “Gas pipeline vandalism leads to shortage of gas to power stations; shortage of gas leads to low generation; low generation and poor transmission facilities leads to low distribution, therefore, Discos are not to blame for poor power supply. We cannot give what we don’t have.” The limited power generation, Oduntan said, however, “robs customers of needed power supply and it prevents the Discos from collecting sufficient revenues to maintain and improve the network.” Noting that 3,283,402 million customers have now been metered, Oduntan said that the metering gap is now down to 2.8 million customers. In the generation, transmission and distribution chain, the power investors said that Discos collect for all stakeholders in the value chain as collection agent. They explained that “only 25 per cent of col-

lection belongs to the Discos. When customers don’t pay, the whole sector is affected.” For Nigeria’s electricity to move forward, the investors said that government should honour terms of the privatisation and allow Discos easy access to foreign exchange. MD of Ibadan Disco, John Donnachie, said that N55 billion forex is required by Discos annually. He said: “The way forward is that we need to generate more electricity; consistency in regulation making is fundamental to commercial viability of the sector. “There is need for partnership amongst all the key stakeholders in the sector to resolve all issues in power sector. Electricity is a commodity with a price and customers must pay for their consumption of this commodity. “Failure of customers to pay for electricity means that the Discos cannot make the needed investment that will result in improved power supply; and theft of electricity by meter bypass/tampering or illegal connections increases the cost of electricity for other legitimate consumers. This has to stop.”

L-R: Director/CEO, Lagos State Library Board, Tajudeen Ajani Lawal; Group Managing Director, Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc, Wole Oshin; Executive Secretary, Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye LCDA, Hon. Ajala Rasaq and Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, at the re-opening ceremony of the refurbished Ilupeju Public Library by Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

UPBEAT Despite a tough year for global emerging markets, long-term prospects for Africa remain intact Taiwo Hassan

enowned emerging and frontier markets investment bank, Renaissance Capital, has forecast that Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and South Africa are expected to push Africa’s economy to $29 trillion by 2050. This figure, according to the experts, will be larger than the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States and the Eurozone in 2012. Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Renaissance Capital Nigeria, Temi Popoola, disclosed this in a note obtained by New Telegraph.

Nigeria, others to push Africa’s GDP to $29trn He stressed that there were currently fundamental changes in Africa’s economies that were ongoing and these would assiduously bring about growth and development in the continent in the years to come. Popoola said that Nigeria will continue to be a hub of investment destination in the continent because of her large market and population. He said that Ethiopia’s economic indicators have improved significantly, approaching the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) inclusive growth status and Cote d’Ivoire was now the fastest growing market in Africa. His words: “Despite a tough year for global emerging markets, long-term prospects for Africa remain intact. In recent years, we have seen several success stories. “Rwanda and Ethiopia’s economic indicators have

improved approaching the IMF’s inclusive growth status, and Cote d’Ivoire is now the fastest growing market in Africa. We expect that Africa’s economy will reach $29 trillion by 2050, which is larger than the combined GDP of the US and the Eurozone in 2012. “Fundamental changes in Africa’s economies are on-going and we are strong believers in the region’s potential.” The expert noted that it’s been a tough year for emerging markets; a tough year for Africa in general; and in some ways, an especially tough year for Nigeria in particular. He said that there was no denying that Nigeria has been through some pretty dramatic changes in the past 18 months, adding that the oil price has fallen, with the impact affecting the external accounts and government revenues in general. Commenting on the low crude

oil prices, Popoola stressed that oil was a curse to Nigeria, rather than omen, adding that oil would not make Nigerians rich. He said: “But conceptually, what does it mean for Nigeria? Well, oil was never going to make us rich. Extract 37 billion barrels of oil and spread it across 170 million people – it’s enough to add $1,500 per head, perhaps taking us across the threshold of “upper middle income” status. What it did provide was an easy source of working capital to many industries, which must now learn to live without out it. “This will take time, but it’s not a deal breaker. Many other African countries survive without it.” He, however, explained that the coming of President, Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has brought about change in the country’s economic policies, which has affected equities on the Nigerian capital market.

THURSDAY, may 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

COLLABORATION More countries need to come together to develop their economies Stories Taiwo Hassan

n a bid to improve trade relation between Nigeria and Cote d’ Ivoire, the Ivoirian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Toure Kone Mamman, has called for an aggressive trade agreement between the two countries. The collaboration is expected to push the volume of trade to $2 billion (N400 billion). Mamman, who disclosed this when she led some key Ivoirian trade delegation to the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA)’s head office in Lagos, said that Nigeria remained a key market in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). She said Ivoirian investors were ready to tap into some of the economic potential in Nigeria. Mamman said that Cote d’ Ivoire and Nigeria had come a long way in term of trade ties, adding that although the volume of trade between both countries had been good, there was need to increase it through aggressive partnership and collaboration. She said: “The trade volume between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire is good, but we only need to intensify trade partnership to improve upon it at this moment. You see, Cote d’ Ivoire and Nigeria, they know each other very well because they are in the same ECOWAS. The two countries have worked together for very long time and they need to increase the current trade volume between them because we are now working on win-win partnership. It is very important. “We are targeting a trade volume that hopefully will reach $2 billion. We can do it but we need close partnership to achieve that goal. We need to urge our business community to come together and cooperate more to develop trade between our countries.” Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General, CEPICT and leader of Cote d’ Ivoire’s trade delegation to Nigeria, Emmanuel Essis, explained that the trade visit to Nigeria was to look at investment areas in the country’s strategic sectors of the economy where they hoped to invest and develop. Essis noted that his country regarded Nigeria as the hub of destination in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), adding that Cote d’ Ivoire was also fast becoming a key market in the region and could not overlook the Nigerian market since it is the largest economy in the continent. The Ivoirian investor, however, listed some key areas the Ivoirian investors hope to invest in to include agriculture, solid minerals, ICT and oil and gas sectors. His words: “We are looking at all the areas of investments

InDUSTRY

Nigeria, Cote d’ Ivoire eye N400bn trade volume L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Capital, Igor Vayn; Former Minister of National Planning and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman; Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko and Chief Executive Officer (Nigeria), Renaissance Capital, Temitope Popoola, at the company’s organised investment forum, in Lagos.

starting from agriculture to mining, bitumen, especially where our two countries have opportunities. So, the aim of this trade visit is to see where Nigeria has more comparative advantage. Now, we have come here to see your investors with the hope of investing in your market. Next time, Nigerian investors will also visit us. That is why we paid this courtesy visit to NACIMMA today to meet the chamber’s president. There are lots of opportunities for Nige-

rian investors in Cote d’ Ivoire, especially arable lands for farming.” Responding, the National President, NACCIMA, Chief Bassey Edem, said the trade delegation’s visit to Nigeria was very strategic and timing because it was coming at a period Nigeria became the largest economy in the continent. Edem noted that Cote d’ Ivoire had a lot to benefits from Nigerian market in order to boost their trade volume.

OPS: Budget execution key to industrial drive

ast week public presentation of the 2016 budget and strategic implementation plan by the Federal Government would be a key driver to the transformation of the nation’s industrial sector growth, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) has said. President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, said that the implementation process of the 2016 budget was good for the real sector, as it will formally clear the way for Federal Government’s economic policy direction and its agenda for the country. Jacob, who spoke with New Telegraph in Lagos, said that government was keen to see that the revitalisation of the country’s industrial sector become successful, adding that things would begin to take shape soon with the implementation of the budget. He said that with the implementation of the budget, there were prospects for manufacturers in the country.

His words: “I believe that when they begin to implement the budget we will now have a direction in terms of policy thrust as MAN members have been able to key in. “I am very hopeful that manufacturing will prosper because the N350 billion that will be released into the system for capital expenditure is going to help empower the populace in terms of buying power and they will be able to patronise the manufacturing sector as they produce and this will get better in this second quarter,” he said. Also speaking, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf, commended that Federal Government for the passage of the appropriation bill and the public details of the implementation plan of the budget. Yusuf said that the country’s economy needed economic instruments that will jumpstart some key sectors of the economy, especially the manufacturing sector.

He explained that there was need for the two countries to improve their bilateral trade, adding that NACCIMA was ready to assist the Ivoirian investors in their bid to invest wisely in the country. His words: “NACCIMA is the umbrella body of all business associations in Nigeria. We have about 47 chambers in the country and they are all answerable to NACCIMA. They advocate for their members at the state and local levels. But when it comes

to national issue, we advocate on behalf of all the businesses in Nigeria. So, your coming to Nigeria and first coming to NACCIMA, I think it is a right step. “And one thing we find out is that we are very quick in having business relationship with outside countries, which I will call overseas. In Nigeria, we have business relationships with China, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates but our next door neighbours, we forget about them.”

Chamber to FG: Merge petroleum agencies

he Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has called on the Federal Government to restructure and merge the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) into a single regulatory body. The National President, NACCIMA, Chief Bassey Edem, who gave the advice in Lagos, said that since the Federal Government had taken the bold step to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, there would be need to have one regulatory agency controlling the petroleum industry. According to him, Federal Government’s decision to remove subsidy is good as it will reduce the pressure on the country’s foreign reserves. He said the fuel subsidy on PMS was not good for the economy, stressing that the subsidy removal was an attestation to the political will of President Muhammadu Bu-

hari’s administration to put an end to the incessant fuel scarcity being experienced in the country. Edem said: “NACCIMA wishes to commend the Federal Government for finally taking the bold step to remove subsidy on PMS (petrol). This is an attestation to the political will of this government to put an end to the incessant fuel scarcity being experienced in the country, while reducing the pressure on our foreign reserve as a result of huge demand for petrol imports. “However, it is pertinent to note that deregulation with the influence of government in pricing is not good for the economy. Therefore, we counsel that government should allow market forces to determine price, instead of fixing a ceiling of N145 per litre. “Accordingly, we counsel that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) be restructured and merged into one regulatory body for better monitoring and efficient service provision.

business \ industry

POTENTIAL Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) market has enormous potential and opportunities to bounce back in 2016

Stories Taiwo Hassan

he cur rent economic impasse in Nigeria, South African and some other countries, has made doing business in the continent tougher, African renowned entrepreneurs have said. They also faulted the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s forecast on the realities and opportunities of doing business in the continent. The World Bank and the Inter national Monetary Fund (IMF) had jointly predicted that growth in SSA is expected to slow further to about three per cent from 3.5 per cent recorded in 2015. Speaking at the 15th annual LBS Africa Business Summit in London, United Kingdom, the entrepreneurs queried the realities and opportunities of doing business in Africa, as analysed by the World Bank and IMF. They said that current economic realities showed that the continent was going through various economic challenges. They, however, added that enormous potential and opportunities in the SSA market smacked of optimism and reflecting that the continent is better placed to bounce back from the economic challenges at the end of this year. Renowned economist, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, said that the rule of law was a quintessential factor affecting state development in the continent, especially in Nigeria and South Africa. Ibrahim, who spoke on the theme: ‘African economic progress,’ said Africa was improving generally but that the picture of progress remained mixed.

‘Nigeria, others make doing business in Africa tougher’

“We have some thriving democracies in Africa but there remain countries with life-time presidencies,” he said. He noted that Africa, as a continent of 54 diverse territories, was “a normal place,” with degrees of success and failure at all levels. He questioned Africa’s difference from the world’s other continents, each of which has varying measures of governance in public and private life. To Ibrahim, the rule of law dictates the safety of children in streets, the accountability of politicians, the propriety of businesses - and so the extent to which infrastructure can be created and operated effectively and efficiently, the degree to which children and adults can be educated, and the ex-

tent to which governmental resources can be mobilised to safeguard citizens as well as commercial concerns. The Executive Director at CNBC Africa, Bronwyn Nielson, who spoke at the event of a new era of growth “Africa requires ‘patient capital’,” said that the developed economies could not doubt the continent’s long-term commitment. According to her, growth in SSA fell to 3.5 per cent in 2015 and may be expected to slow further to three per cent, half the six per cent recorded over the last decade. However, Nielsen encouraged investors to travel across the continent and take note of the factors affecting the ease of doing business, the logistics affecting various markets, and the degree to which the continent is con-

nected by communications infrastructure. Her words: “It varies, even within countries. One can travel to Dar es Salaam, for example, as I did recently, and can enter the country easily, can connect to the Internet with ease in hotels, but be frustrated by a poor traffic management in town. “One can travel to Addis Ababa, find a city that is conducive to business, and then travel outside that city and find no access to power over vast swathes of the Ethiopian heartland.” She added that there had been sufficient progress to support many industrial and commercial markets. However, progress in infrastructure has been insufficient in more areas than not. Hitherto, many African countries are affected by the

monetary policy of central banks thousands of miles away because their currencies are pegged to either the euro or the dollar. The dollar’s long rally has had a significant effect on countries from Angola to Nigeria that are now burning through reserves and using capital controls to maintain their currency peg. The relative strength of the greenback is particularly key because commodities--the continent’s primary export--are dollar denominated. Conversely, rounds of European Central Bank monetary stimulus have done little to revive the eurozone’s moribund economy, but they have kept a cap on the euro-good news for the 14 African countries that track the currency.

L-R: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, receiving cassava bread from Director General of FIIRO, Dr. Gloria Elemo, during his visit to the institute in Lagos.

LCCI inaugurates mining, solid minerals’ group he Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has concluded plans to inaugurate its newlyformed Mining and Solid Minerals Group. The group, which held its inaugural meeting at the LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, said the confab was borne out of the urgent need to diversify the economy and encourage investment in the sector. President, LCCI, Nike Akande, said: “The major reason for the creation of the LCCI Mining and Solid Minerals Group is to give operators in the sector a viable platform

THURSDAY, may 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

to engage the government and exchange ideas on the growth and development of the sector. “The objectives of the group, among others, include advocacy at every level to government and its relevant agencies, value-addition to members of the group and sustainable growth of the sector.” The event witnessed seasoned professionals and experienced operators in the mining and solid minerals sector. They deliberated on key issues that affect the sector, aggregate their yearnings and make a presentation to government on ways to move the mining sector forward.

Firm to reward loyal customers

anufacturer of low cholesterol milk brand, Friesland Campina WAMCO, has pledged to reward loyal mothers for their support and patronage to the brand, Three Crowns Milk, in the last few years. The firm in a statement said it intends to crown a distinguished mother as the 2016 Mum-of-the-Year in commemoration of this year’s Mother’s Day celebration. Specifically, the Three Crowns Milk Mum-of-theYear campaign is aimed at recognising and celebrating the unique roles of mothers in a family by identifying and designating a mother as the

Mum-of-the-Year. According to the Senior Brand Manager, Three Crowns Milk, Mrs. Maureen Ifada, the campaign is the brand’s way of rewarding mothers who are the key target consumers for their patronage to the brand. “The mothers are as invaluable to Three Crowns Milk as they are to their families. The mothers are our primary target as the key decision makers and influencers through which the brand connects to other stakeholders. Hence, the brand places a very high premium in identifying and celebrating them,” she said. Ifada explained that the Mother’s Day celebration

provided mothers the opportunity to compete and win amazing prizes for themselves and their families during the competition, which will take place at the end of this month. On the reward, she said that the winner of this year’s campaign would get an all-expense paid vacation for herself and four members of her family to a yet to be disclosed destination. On how mothers can participate in the competition, Ifada said: “All our esteemed consumers need to do is to simply buy the Three Crowns Mum-of-the-Year special pack for N1000 only, search inside for a card with two scratch panels.

THURSDAY, may 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Some stakeholders in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology are bent on ensuring that Nigeria benefits from the new wave of technological trend tagged Internet of Things (IoT), whose value is estimated to be worth $14.4 trillion globally by 2022. KUNLE AZEEZ reports

eWORLD

Nigeria prepares for $14.4trn Internet market

ing in sync with the overall ICT development target of the state. “We welcome participants and international delegates to Hackjos 2016 into Jos – home of peace and tourism. Despite recent sad challenges, Jos beckons with opportunities for various economic activities. We are glad to share with the world our improving statistics on conflict management and restoring of order for business,” said boss of the Plateau State ICT Agency, Mrs. Rahab Shik, on behalf of the state government.

takeholders in Nigeria are setting a motion processIn retrospect ing towards unleashing the economic potential of Hackjos had its first run in 2015; owned and promoted by Internet of Things (IoT) in the Nignux Technologies Ltd owncountry. Already, Cisco predicts the ers of nHub, premier innovation global IoT market to be worth $14.4 centre in the north of the countrillion by 2022 while IoT in manutry. The 2016 edition is running facturing market size is estimated in collaboration with Qitech to grow from $4.11 billion in 2015 Technologies in partnership with to $13.49 billion by 2020, attaining IoT illustration SOURCE: www.networkworld.com Knowhow Media International, a compound annual growth rate publishers of IT Edge News.Com. forthcoming Nigeria’s software (CAGR) of 26.9 per cent. “Dwindling oil revenue and a geria’s economic space. development marathon holding in The challenge-driven hackathon large population of young people What IoT is Jos, Plateau State by November. is bringing together techy-savvy would only mean that Africa’s The IoT is a system of interreThe initiative tagged ‘Hackathon citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, largest economy will have to lated computing devices, mechani- 2016’ and second in the series, is exeducators, students, programmers rework its fate on its youth and cal and digital machines, objects, pected to be a convergence point for and developers across Nigeria the expansive ICT sector. We are animals or people that are provid- international stakeholders and the under one roof for 48 hours to get happy to collaborate on an event ed with unique identifiers and the local ICT community. involved and showcase their inge- themed on innovation, youth and ability to transfer data over a netThe four-day software develnuity and talents in the pursuit of the future of Nigeria,” said the creating compelling solutions that Chairman of Qitech Technology work without requiring human- opment and apps competition is The Jos to-human or human-to-computer designed to foster interest among cut across mobile, desktop, web and Limited, Dr. Sola Afolabi. young people in software developinteraction. hardware (embedded systems) that He noted that Hackjos was creHackBasically, IoT may be explained ment and the entire spectrum of will help solve problems relevant to ated in 2015 with the belief that athon will as the ability of all objects that ICT and will also feature a one-day the various sectors of the Nigerian when the country gets the right unleash human beings to use such as conference with the theme: “How economy. people to connect, good things cars, wrist watch, equipments at ready is Nigeria for the internet of “People may wonder why Jos. will happen. IoT potenhomes and offices and so on, to be things (IoT)”. We are bringing people to experitial for the connected and being capable of ence the changing dynamics in Jos, Conclusion communicating with each other Participation which recent history has been painMeanwhile, stakeholders are Nigerian According to findings, about 30 because they are Internet-enabled. fully gory. We want them to come see of the view that a forum such as economy This, according to experts, is teams consisting of a minimum of the quiet transition as Jos acquires the forthcoming annual software a new reputation as the go-to-place challenge contest would position believed to be where the world is three developers/ ‘hackathoners’ for innovation to harness the abil- Nigeria to create a pool of highlymoving, as global IT vendors such 10 judges, 10 tech support team and ity of young people for innovation skilled and technology-savvy inas Cisco, Ericsson, Huwaei are al- over 300 live audience and spectaready working to leverage the IoT tors will be housed for four days in a in ICT,” said the Chief Executive novators, who deepen Nigeria’s segment of the ICT industry. marathon of wit, entrepreneurship Officer, nHub Nigeria organiser of leverage of the promising IoT Hackjos, Mr. Daser David, said. With the potential to streamline and mental fitness to develop appsmarket. and deliver greater time and cost solutions under the framework of The event is also getting supports Indeed, the Jos Hackathon savings to a broad spectrum of en- Nigeria’s readiness for IoT and from the Plateau State Government, will unleash IoT potential for terprise tasks, industry analysts sector-by-sector challenges in Nias the scheme was accepted as be- the Nigerian economy say opportunities for IoT adoption are proliferating. Currently, many industryleading manufacturers, service providers, software and systems he Nigerian Pavilion LOC was recently inaugurat- would not be in the global merous enquiries and set-up at Gulf Information ed by the acting Director Gen- technology event for a jam- meetings from several offdevelopers are getting down to the hard work of making the vision Technology Exhibition eral of the NITDA, Dr Vincent boree. shore companies seeking to IoT investments pay off. (Gitex 2016) will be exposing Olatunji in a ceremony that Her words: “There are clear see how they do business in opportunities in non-oil sec- also officially commenced the objectives for joining over 130 Nigeria and how they could Local efforts tors and how the Nigerian selection of the country’s 15 to countries to be part of Gitex explore partnerships with exNigeria, which is rated as one government is committed to 17 startup champions that will to showcase our budding ICT isting companies in Nigeria.” of the fastest growing in terms of supporting foreign and local pitch for business and part- industry and provide a platWhile encouraging NigeICT development and government entrepreneurship, particu- nerships at the Gitex Startup form for foreign prospects to rian companies to leverage agency responsible for ICT polices larly in the ICT sector. Movement where over 400 see the boundless opportuni- on the opportunities provided Head of Corporate Affairs global investors community ties in our non-oil sectors. formulation and implementation, by the country’s pavilion, she “Last year, there were over said last year, “the Nigerian is making frantic efforts to create at the National Information are expected to converge for awareness around IoT in Nigeria Technology Development five days. 150, 000 trade visitors to the Pavilion boasted of heavy by focusing on raising young genAgency (NITDA), Mrs. Hadiza Olatunji had stressed at Gitex Technology Week, the public sector and private seceration of tech-savvy Nigerians, Umar, stated this in a media the inauguration in Abuja Nigerian Pavilion attracted tor exhibitors.” that The NITDA will foster well over 4000 visitors and interaction in Lagos. who will develop software soluThese, she said, include tions that are critical to IoT unUmar is a member of the its 2016 Gitex presence on “the hundreds of enquiries; we the Nigeria Investment Proleashing in the country. Nigeria@Gitex 2016 Local promotion of ICT startups as had official visitation from motion Council (NIPC), the It is instructive that one of Organising Committee (LOC) the country aggressively pur- public and private sectors Nigerian Communication the efforts being put in place for and heads the sub-committee sues foreign earnings in non- from Bahrain, Serbia, Egypt, Commission, Nigcomsat, on Managing and Promoting oil sectors.” Nigeria to tap into the global IoT Malaysia and the United Arab PFS, Sidmach, Sasware, and the Nigerian Pavilion. market estimated to be worth $14.4 While speaking in Lagos Emrates (UAE) among others. a number of startups chamtrillion in the next six years is its The Nigeria @ Gitex 2016 recently, Umar said Nigeria “Of course, there were nu- pioned by the NITDA.

Gitex 2016: Nigerian Pavilion to expose gains in non-oil sectors

BUSINESS \ eWORLD

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘30% handsets in Nigeria are smartphones’ BROADBAND The phone manufacturer says deeper access to broadband will accelerate smartphone uptake in Nigeria

Kunle Azeez

lobal smartphone manufacturer, Samsung estimates that only 30 per cent of mobile phones being used in Nigeria are smartphones, even as deeper broadband access has been identified as key growth driver. As such, approximately 70 per cent of the market is still feature-phone based even though there is a significant growth year-on-year of smartphones, according to the Director of Information and Mobility, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas. Revmatas, who disclosed this on the sideline of the launch of Galaxy S7 edge and S7 smartphones into the country, said the country had, over the years, witnessed a huge growth in smartphone. He said: “We have seen the huge growth that the smartphone market has witnessed in Nigeria, which is not too different from other markets around the globe. “Indeed, a recent report ranked Nigeria 17th globally in smartphone usage. What could be responsible for the huge growth that we are expe-

riencing in this market?” Analysing the growth factors, Ravmatas said the huge growth is being driven by availability of broadband. “Nigeria often leapfrogs technologies evidenced by the fact that most people will never have a landline. Another factor driving adoption is investment in 3G, and more recently Long Term Evolution (LTE), coverage and capacity. “A third factor is that smartphones are becoming more affordable and in addition, the need for people to be connected is also driving growth. Nigeria ranks extremely high in terms

everything having connectivity to the Internet, which role do you see the smartphone playing in this milieu? he asked. The Samsung official further explained that only last year, Samsung launched Galaxy S6 edge and S6 with much fanfare and few months into 2016, the company is also launching the Galaxy S7 edge and S7. “Is the introduction of the new devices a result of lessthan-stellar performance of the preceding model in the market?” Ravmatas asked rhetorically. “Not at all. Samsung as a

brand has become synonymous with innovation. Our Galaxy S range is also regarded as the premium smartphone. Introducing the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and S7 is our commitment to our customers to meet their everevolving technology needs in the fast-paced world we live in. “Samsung did not just redefine these devices, but also re-imagined what they could do based on the feedback from the people who use them, and what they need most from the devices. Our customers are the inspiration for any innovation.”

L-R: Facilitator, NESG Science and Technology Committee, Moji Olateru Olagbegi; Policy and Government Relations lead, Google Nigeria, Titi Akinsanmi; Managing Partner, Fifth Era, Matthew Le Merle and Research Analyst, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Chuba Ezekwesili, at the round table session of the Google and Fifth Era report launch in Abuja.

Glo to give N125m prize in promo igeria’s indigenous telecoms company, Globacom is set to make over 1000 thousand Nigerians richer and turn others into multi-millionaires in a new promo. Cash prizes worth N125 million will be given out to lucky winners in the next 100 days during the promotion known as Glo Hamma Millions Promo. Under the promo, N5 million will be won every 20 days by one lucky customer. In other words, five fortunate customers will smile home with N25m cash during the 100 days of the promo. In addition, 1,000 lucky subscribers will go home with N100, 000 each during the promo. The breakdown shows that 10 subscribers will win N100,000 cash every day for 100 days, making a total of 1,000 winners and a total of N100 million. Speaking at the official launch on Monday in Lagos, Globcom’s Coordinator, Enterprise Sales, Mr. Folu Aderibigbe, said too win in Glo Hamma Millions Promo, customers are required to text ‘GLO’ to a dedicated code of 555 and answer a football trivia question. Within minutes of

of social media trends and activity,” he said. He, however, noted that without full broadband network in addition to the not-sopleasant Internet connectivity in Nigeria, Nigerians are not really optimising the benefits of smartphones such as the Galaxy series. “I think the experience of smartphone users in Nigeria is improving everyday. Furthermore, many of the great features on the Galaxy do not always require Internet connectivity. With the world gradually moving into the era of Internet of Things, with virtually

texting, subscribers will receive a particular question. “A fresh question shows up each time the code is sent. After each text, N100 will be deducted from the subscribers’ account,” he said. Aderibigbe said Globacom was committed to “changing the lives of our people for good and to rewarding our loyal subscribers across the country. Glo Hamma Millions Promo is therefore designed to achieve this purpose.” Representatives of telecoms regulatory authorities at the event also commended Globacom for the promo. The NCC Lagos Zonal Controller, Mr. Okechukwu Aninweke, urged Globacom to educate its subscribers on the workings of the promo. Also, the Lagos Zonal Office Coordinator,National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Fidelis Ajibogun said: “We are here to endorse this promo. Transparency is very important to us. We will ensure that everyone who participates in this promo will have equal chance of winning. We will also make sure that once you are declared a winner, you will have your prize.”

MTN rolls out livestock tracking solution

o help reduce challenges with cattle grazing and the judicious use of land across Nigeria, MTN Nigeria has launched the MTN Livestock Tracking Solutions (LTS) to assist herdsmen in monitoring and tracking their livestock. The telecoms network also said tha its Mobile Electricity solution will provide affordable electricity to rural community dwellers. Accordng to the company, in a statemet, the solutions will help reduce the incidence of wandering cattle and provide electricity to entrepreneurs and rural

dwellers. The mobile electricity solution in partnership with Nova-Lumos will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas. MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, announced the launch of these solutions in her goodwill message at the first Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit 2016. According to her, “This ICT solution can track the location of cattle, send panic or emergency alerts to the authorities in times of trouble and help with creat-

ing grazing areas separate from farmlands. “It can perform location tracking for cattle and geofencing for grazing areas. It makes use of GPS technology and is solar-powered to ensure that you can always stay in touch with your cattle, everywhere they go.” On the mobile electricity solution, she said, “Our customers in rural areas can therefore replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs all at once and this service is already running in Katsina State.”

Executive Officer, CBS, Mr. Nigel Parsons, said that with the launch of the channels, CBS is on a momentous step to deepening its penetration and reach across Africa. “Partnering with MultiChoice Africa reinforces TVC’s vision of being the continent’s first truly pan-African 24-hour news station, 24-hour Nigeria-centric news channel and 24/7 entertainment channel,” he said. The Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, welcomed

the addition of homegrown channels on the DStv and GOtv platforms, which he believes both play a pivotal role in showcasing the channels’ rich content to the rest of Africa. “We are deeply committed to Africa and support the growth of original African programming. The collaboration with Continental Broadcasting Service will complement and expand our range of quality local content on our platforms,” he added.

TVC migrates to DStv, GOtv

o democratise information for Africans, Nigeria’s Continental Broadcasting Service (CBS), owners of TVC, has announced the launch of two of its channels on DStv and GOtv. With the development, digital satellite viewers are not able to watch TVC News Nigeria on DStv channel 418 and GOtv channel 45, while TVC Entertainment is on GOtv channel 27. Announcing the development in Lagos, the Chief

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Interview Ogoni clean up provides sustainable growth template – Parker

Health

News Healing powers of ginger

33 34

In spite of availability of family planning commodities, their usage has been largely turned down by the majority that need them in developing countries, writes APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

oday, Mr. and Mrs. Toye and Stella Alabi bear a big burden. The couple has nine children and contends with their upbringing including feeding, clothing and paying for their education in private institutions. They feel particularly over-burdened given the present socio-economic situation in the country where the falling value of the Naira has resulted in the uncontrollable rise in prices of basic necessesities. A chat with Mrs Alabi recently revealed that if this family had another opportunity of going through their lives again, adopting some family planning method would be a key option. However, given the ordeal they have been through in day-to-day living, struggling to make ends meet in the responsibility of their family upkeep, she confessed that it hasn’t been a mean task. Asked if she and her husband did not know about the advantages of contraceptives, she explained that negative stories of the impact of family planning commodities had actually put them off using the products. Despite the hardship this couple faces, they are not alone in rejecting modern contraceptives. For Mr. Mark Chiejile, an accountant in his late 40s, his experience with contraceptives is the same. He regards them as untouchables. “I will not allow my wife to use them,” he charged while discussing his attitude towards contraceptives. He noted that a close friend of his wife who lives next door is already going out of shape occasioned by weight gain from contraceptive use. That apart, he said, “I cannot contemplate my wife using such drugs.” He added, “how do I check her from being promiscuous? She could

Appolonia Adeyemi Health Editor

appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

Contraceptive pills

PHOTO: www.thecandidadiet.com

Misconceptions about family planning conveniently play around with other men, if care is not taken.” Although, Echiejile admitted that he and his wife often resort to the using the withdrawal method, it has failed them thrice resulting in three unwanted pregnancies, all of which ended in abortions, he told New Telegraph. For many adult Nigerian females including married and single women, unplanned pregnancies remain a big problem. Available data show that while some women that ended up with unplanned pregnancies accepted their fate by keeping the pregnancies, some pregnancies ended in abortion, which according to a new global report is reducing in developed countries. The researchers from the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organisation (WHO) accumulated abortion data from nationally representative surveys, official statistics, published and unpublished studies. The study which analysed worldwide abortion rates between 1990 to 2014 comparing rates in developed and developing nations, revealed that abortion rate falls to all-time low in developed countries because of

Many unwanted pregnancies end in abortion

better access to contraception. While rates dropped from 46 to 27 per 1,000 women in developed countries with Eastern Europe seeing biggest fall, those in developing countries including Nigeria - where abortions can be unsafe - rates only declined from 39 to 37 per 1,000 in the same period. The researchers concluded that women in poorer countries do not have the same access to contraception as those in developed countries. The study showed that worldwide, an average of 56 million abortions took place each year from 2010 to 2014, but there was no link between the rate of abortions and the strictness of a country’s abortion laws. In countries where abortions were legally restricted and performed under unsafe conditions, rates were just as high as in countries where abortions were legal. In fact, researchers suggested that restrictive laws did not actually limit the number of abortions undertaken. In Nigeria, abortion is illegal but could be done only when the life of a pregnant mother is at risk. Study co-author, Dr. Gilda

Sedgh, of the Guttmacher Institute, New York, said: “In developed countries the continued fall in abortion rates is largely due to increased use of modern contraception that has given women greater control over the timing and number of children they want. “In developing countries however, family planning services do not seem to be keeping up with the increasing desire for smaller families. “More than 80 per cent of unintended pregnancies are experienced by women with an unmet need for modern methods of contraception, and many unwanted pregnancies end in abortion.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 225 million women in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception. According to medical experts, most of the reasons for refusal to use contraceptive products are based on misconceptions, cultural and religious beliefs. Miss Adewunmi Cooker, 29, and graduate bank employee said modern contraceptive use is against her religious belief. Although, she is a Catholic which propagates the natural methods of contraception, CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Health \ NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

PSN kicks against public private pharmacy Medical ‘Appolonia Adeyemi

he Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has kicked against Private Sector participation in public hospital pharmacy practice in some state government owned pharmacy facilities based on its present operational approach which could jeopardise medicines needs in hospitals. This is contained in a statement issued by the PSN and signed by its President, Ahmed Yakassai. After an appraisal of the current system in which some state governments privatised pharmacy facilities in government hospitals, the PSN noted that although it was not opposed to Public Private Partnerships (PPP), “it believes in the philosophy of PPP especially when it is crafted in ways that offer positive therapeutic outcomes to

Yakassai

the citizens of Nigeria.” According to Yakassai, the present structure on ground in most States that have commercialised/privatised pharmacy facilities paves the way for sacrificing the clinical and pharmaceutical care aspects of pharmacy practice which are some of the social func-

SUBEB advocates synergy in hepatitis screening Muritala Ayinla

he Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Ganiyu Sopeyin has advocated for a synergy between the government and stakeholders in the education sector to work out modalities to conduct free medical screening exercises in Lagos public primary schools. Speaking during the Opening Ceremony of a 3day Health Week programme organised by the Board in Maryland, Dr. Sopeyin noted that synergy has become paramount in order to take care of children in public schools whose parent cannot afford the medical screening of their wards. He assured that synergy will go a long way in preserving the health of the children adding that the health week was organised by the Board in order to educate civil servants on the need to pay

attention to their health. According to him, “We have organised free Hepatitis B and C testing for all staff of the Board as part of our responsibility as a government, stressing that the health week is to create awareness on various ailments “we have discovered that a lot of workers do not take care for their health; many do not have interest, money or are afraid of stigmatisation which have led to untimely death of worker that are often time precious to loss”, he said. Sopeyin urged the workers to take advantage of the health week or other health programme powered by the state government to improve their health condition. Also speaking, the Assistant Chief Nursing Officer of SUBEB, Mrs Modupe Oduleye, disclosed that over 250 SUBEB staff would benefit from the test, adding that three doses of the hepatitis vaccine cost about N2400 per person.

tions owed the citizenry by government. “We believe albeit strongly that drugs remain the pivot upon which credible healthcare revolves. According to the PSN, “drugs should not and must not be commercialised beyond a reasonable limit. To properly underscore our belief in genuine re-

forms and the PPP concept the PSN will itemise some recommendations to the State Governments in a bid to enable them perfect the PPP model in hospital pharmacy.” The PSN stated that pharmacy facilities in State government owned hospitals cannot receive the statutory approval through inspection and registration by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) except through public sector pharmacists as provided for In the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) guidelines on PPP in public pharmacy facility. “This might shortchange the good people of such state as they would not enjoy minimum standards prevailing in other public pharmacy facilities in tandem with best practices which the PSN seeks to entrench.” The President of the PSN noted that this

amounted to an act of sacrificing a guaranteed public sector market to private profiteers when government hands over its pharmacy facilities without some fundamental condition precedent. Similarly, Yakassai said, “the goodwill of government can easily be frittered away with regards to clients who visit government hospitals in the assumption that the sources of drugs would be genuine. In the unfolding scenario is it government receipts or those of private profiteers that will be issued to patrons of the affected pharmacy facilities? Whichever side of the divide, government opts for when spurious/ fake drugs find their way into these pharmacy facilities belonging to State government, the government will have to contend with serious legal and moral burdens.”

Breast milk aids brain growth, prevents diseases Oreoluwa Aboderin

he World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to enable them achieve optimal growth, development and wellness. Similarly, the world body said after six months, children should receive a combination of breast milk and easily digestible foods through the age of two. Research shows that if 90 per cent of families exclusively breastfeed children for six months, almost 1,000 infant deaths may be prevented annually and $13 billion would be saved in medical costs each year. Breast milk has been discovered to help develop a robust brain growth in babies who are exclusively fed with only breast milk for the first six months

of life as it aids muscular brain growth in them. Furthermore, it has the protective role of fighting against infection and illnesses as well as inflammation due to the presence of the nutrients and antibodies in the composition of the breast milk. According to a Chief Matron at the Primary Health Care Centre, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi said only 27 per cent of mothers have been recorded to have breastfed their babies exclusively in Lagos state.” She added that babies should be given only breast milk for the first six months of life except if they are sick.” A child’s brain continues to develop until the age of 20.The cortex is the part of the brain associated with cognition. So, it is assumed that more cortexes will help improve cognition as the babies grow and develop. Feeding babies breast milk at a very early age could help improve cognition by

encouraging brain growth. According to Mrs Oni, she said it is very essential to breastfeed babies as it helps build mutual love between mother and child as the baby grows. As the amount of breast milk increased so did a baby’s chances of having a larger cortical surface area. Breastfeeding she said may also help children avoid a host of diseases that strike later in life, such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease. In fact, babies given exclusive breast milk are less likely to have high blood pressure by the time they are teenagers. Breastfeeding she said can also protect the baby from developing allergies. Babies who are fed a formula based on cow’s milk or soy tend to have more allergic reactions than breastfed babies and they are more vulnerable to inflammation, allergies, and other eventual health issues.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

Benefits of family planning

her failure to adopt it accordingly five years ago resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. She ended up with aborting the pregnancy. Similarly, some cultures discourage women, both singles and married to use contraceptive product despite their numerous advantages. For instance, it is erroneously believed that women that use

family planning commodities tend to be promiscuous. However, apart from reducing the need for abortion, especially unsafe abortion, family planning / contraception reinforces people’s rights to determine the number and spacing of their children and prevents deaths of mothers and children by averting unintended pregnan-

cies. Similarly, the WHO promotes family planning as it ensures access to preferred contraceptive methods for women and couples. The world body said it is essential to securing the well-being and autonomy of women, while supporting the health and development of communities. For the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID), enabling women and men to plan their families through the usage of modern contraceptive products, results in multiple health, economic and social benefits for families, communities and nations. Everyday an estimated 800 women lose their lives in pregnancy and childbirth, whereas

voluntary family planning could reduce these deaths by 30 per cent and save the lives of more than 1.6 million children under five each year, according to USAID. This could be achieved by enabling women to delay first pregnancy, space later pregnancies at safe intervals, and stop bearing children when they have reached their desired family size.

Facts

Genetics determine smell

veryone has a unique smell, except for identical twins. Newborns are able to recognise the smell of their mothers and many of us can pinpoint the smell of our significant others and those we are close to. Part of that smell is determined by genetics, but it is also largely due to environment, diet and personal hygiene products that create a unique chemistry for each person. Changes in length of baby’s head A baby’s head is one-quarter of it’s total length, but by age 25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. As it turns out, our adorably oversized baby heads won’t change size as drastically as the rest of our body. The legs and torso will lengthen, but the head won’t get much longer.

Tongue, strongest muscle in human body The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue. While you may not be able to bench press much with your tongue, it is in fact the strongest muscle in your body in proportion to its size. If you think about it, every time you eat, swallow or talk you use your tongue, ensuring it gets quite a workout throughout the day. Women are better smellers Women are born better smellers than men and remain better smellers over life. Studies have shown that women are more able to correctly pinpoint just what a smell is. Women were better able to identify citrus, vanilla, cinnamon and coffee smells. While women are overall better smellers, there is an unfortunate two per cent of the population with no sense of smell at all. Fingernails’ growth faster than toenails If you notice that you are trimming your fingernails much more frequently than your toenails you’re not just imagining it. The nails that get the most exposure and are used most frequently grow the fastest. On average, nails on both the toes and fingers grow about one-tenth of an inch each month. Chronic stress increases disease risk Over 90 per cent of diseases are caused or complicated by stress. That high stress job you have could be doing more than just wearing you down each day. It could also be increasing your chances of having a variety of serious medical conditions like depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Health \ INTERVIEW

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ogoni clean up provides sustainable growth template â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Parker and vulnerabilities of all our people, through local government and state collaborations with the private sector and affected communities, and in doing so we must then put in place prevention and mitigating processes including early warning, community empowerments and vulnerability reduction mechanisms. As we say in healthcare, prevention is better than cure, but in sustainable environmental disaster management it is by far better and cheaper.

Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Sampson Parker is the immediate past Commissioner for Health in Rivers State. In this interview with YEKEEN NURUDEEN, he gives an insight into the public health importance of the Ogoni clean-up, and how the current effort to revive the endeavour also helps sustainable development Given your previous role as the chief policy maker and chiefexecutive in the public healthcare sector of Rivers State, how important do you think the Ogoni environmental clean-up exercise is to the people of Rivers State? The Ogoni clean-up exercise is important in many respects. A healthy environment is one of the key requirements for the health of a people because the level and distribution of health of a population is intrinsically linked to the environment on a continuous basis, in terms of the interactions with the biological and physical factors in the environment. For instance, air quality impacts on nutrition through possible contamination of water, food and other micronutrients, as well as possible direct impact on livelihood such as the economic activity of the population, namely fishing, agriculture and others. For the people of Rivers State, water and land are closely linked to their livelihood and because of this pollution in any form it constrains and impacts on our livelihood. Therefore, it impacts on our health and sustainable growth. While this clean-up exercise is a vital requirement, we must be able to push the envelope from a reactive occasional intervention, as we are currently having; to make it a proactive, continuous sustainable partnership between all stakeholders, both from the public, private and community leadership. Before we go to the need to establish a whole-ofsociety partnership, we must remember that as a country, apart from the need to protect every inch of our environment for the benefit of our people and future generations, we also have international obligations which compel us to act to see that efforts such as the Ogoni clean-up succeeds. What exactly do you mean? For a start, apart from the numerous environmental conventions which Nigeria as part of the international community should uphold, there are also important considerations linking Ogoni land, and other such places in Rivers State with the global marine environment. So if we degrade these areas we are also indirectly creating

negative externalities for other parts of the world. Thus, because of the concern for our immediate environment and the larger global environment, we need to take the following conventions and protocols seriously: the Stockholm Declaration on Human Environment, Convention on Wetlands, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal, the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World, and the Hyogo Framework of Action 20052015, which was followed by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. These international efforts indicate that the Ogoni cleanup is not only a local but actually a global issue which we must take very seriously to avoid or mitigate future disasters that can affect Ogoni and Rivers State and spread its impact to the entire world. This is scary. Is it possible that the situation may present opportunities? Of course, apart from the disaster risk that results in the vulnerability of our people to health hazards, there are also opportunities. Given that the natural resources in our environment must be exploited so that it can add value to the lives of the Ogonis, Rivers State and other parts of Nigeria, efforts must be made to step up health, safety and environmental activities, especially on the part of industries and agents of government whose task it is to ensure daily actions to prevent or mitigate a repeat of the kind of disaster that is being experienced in Ogoni land. In ensuring this daily prevention and mitigation efforts we can also create associated industries and sectoral efforts that create sustainable opportunities for our people, in conservation of the environment, and other productive activities within these areas, such as ecotourism, new avant-garde green industries in the maritime and associated sectors, as well as in industries that produce compounds and equipment that facilitate human activities in these sectors. If we are to take

When the Ogoni issue started, the state and the Federal Government shared similar party political ideologies, but now the political affiliations of the state and Federal Government are different. Do you think this will impact on the political will to see the project through? After elections we must develop a culture of collective and shared interest in community development because that is the reason we all offer ourselves for public service. This clean-up is not for a political party but to ensure that our people in Ogoni and similarly affected areas do not see industrial development as an irreversible disaster to their health and livelihood, irrespective of our political persuasions that must be a value that we all share collectively. In that respect, I am certain we all share an equal commitment. It must be so.

Parker

Efforts must be made to step up health, safety and environmental activities

an inventory of the human activities needed to support the industrial sectors, maritime resources and marine transport industries in the prevention and mitigation efforts, we can see that we will not only help to create a healthy environment but we shall also help to promote sustainable economic activities for both the Ogoni and other people of Rivers state. While these efforts are ongoing do you see it extending to other affected areas of Rivers State? It should, but as you know a successful effort in one place makes it more likely in others. But as I stressed above we must refrain from a reactive effort to try to create a more sustainable model of disaster risk reduction approach, as advised by the Sendai Framework of 2015-2030. In this new global approach, we must have a continuous model that takes a proactive review of our entire environment, mapping the risks

Are you saying that such issues are capable of eroding the political differences among major stakeholders at the state and federal levels? Well, I am saying that when it comes to the development of our people, they must come first before our political persuasions. If anything, our persuasions should compel all of us to act more in the collective interest and shield any differences we have after elections and therefore concentrate on the improvement in the lives of our people after very election. If we do that, our people will see elections simply as a model to re-assert their sovereign power to decide who should gover n their collective development and not merely a blood-sport amongst the elite. So I am positive we can and should have cooperation and collaboration in this endeavour because that is what the people expect from all of us. The wellbeing of the people of Rivers State is more important than any of us. However, I am not unmindful of the reality that elections have consequences. The effect should be a better impact on the lives of our people.

Health\News

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Obesity: Do not give children food for comfort (2)

Healthy Living

Ihuoma Uko-Ndukwe ada.ndukwe@yahoo.com

E National Secretary, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Afuye Adeoye; National Chairman, ACPN, Dr. Albert Kelong Alkali; and Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, Bridget Okocha at the media conference to announce the 35th National Conference of the ACPN which held in Lagos recently

ACPN wants pharmacist to head NAFDAC

n order to properly regulate pharmacy practice, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has reminded the Federal Government of the need to appoint the director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from among pharmacists for greater efficiency. Also, National Chairman of ACPN, Dr. Albert Kelong Alkali who made the call has urged the Federal Government to

constitute the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to enable it carry out its constitutional/statutory responsibilities efficiently. He spoke while briefing the media on the forthcoming National Conference of the ACPN tagged ‘Coal City 2016’ which will hold between May 29 to June 3, 2016 at the Nike Lake Resort Enugu in Enugu State. He added that the theme of this year’s conference is “Manpower Development in Community Pharmacy - Adopting Global Best

Practices”. Speaking, Alkali said task before the NAFDAC leadership is huge and reasoned that the government could not afford to appoint a non-pharmacist. He noted that the immediate past director general of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii is not a pharmacist, while lamenting his poor performance in the sector especially when compared with the laudable roles played by the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, a pharmacist and predecessor of Orhii.

valuation of obesity in children advice to parents of infant is to respect is important for several reasons. the child’s appetite. Children do not It offers the best hope for prevent- need to finish every bottle of milk or ing disease progression which could be meal. associated with complications. Obesity However, avoid pre-prepared and sugared food, limit amount of high has a negative impact on self-esteem of children and adolescents which may calorie food, provide a healthy diet at have significant implications for long home with food that has fewer caloterm happiness and success in life. ries—eliminate excessive fat and sugThe number of obese children and ars—limit fat calories to less than 30 adolescents have tripled since the 2000 per cent of total calories. to an estimated 25 to 30 per cent, beDo not give food for comfort as is tween children that are two the practice to stop kids to 19. crying, or as a reward for The persistence of obesity good behavior. Avoid sugarinto adult hood depends on Similarly, do not offer several factors including the food in exchange for finsweetened age at which the child bemeals., drinks like soda, ishing comes obese, the severity of Provide balanced diet— the obesity and the presence fruits and drinks maximise child dietary of obesity in at least one parfiber intake, encourage children to eat five or ent. Overweight in children under the age more fruits and vegetables per day. of three does not predict future unless Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks like at least one parent is obese, after age soda, fruits and drinks. three, the likelihood that obesity will Encourage healthy eating behavpersist into adulthood increases with iours—eat meals as a family at least advancing age of the child and this is five days per week. Limit eating out. higher in children with severe obesity Do not skip breakfast and do not keep in all age groups. television in a child’s room. Foster Treatment: The best way to treat active play and family exercise for at childhood obesity is to prevent it from least 30 to 60 minutes a day, infancy. Parents should know that both Management: Set reasonable bottle and breast fed babies can be overweight loss goals. Establish dietary fed, though more common in infants fed guidelines. Establish regular exerwith bottle. Breast feeding and delaying cise, both at home and school and the start of solid food may decrease fu- involve family in weight reduction ture problems with obesity. Important programs.

Healing powers of ginger

Dandruff not caused by fungus

ingiber officinale is one of about 1400 species in the Zingiberaceae family of herbs. A native of Asia, ginger grows well in the tropical countries of the world. Ginger is widely cultivated in West Africa, especially in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Of the over 1400 species of aromatic herbs in the Zingiberaceae family, ginger is the most powerful and the most well-known. The perennial tuberous rhizome is mistakenly referred to as root. Just as one does not call yam tuber root, so also one should not call the ginger rhizome ‘root’. The rhizome is ginger. Because of differing climatic conditions, each variety of Zingiber has its own unique aroma and flavour. Ginger grown in China is often mild in flavour while ginger in Africa is hot and peppery. Jamaican ginger often has very strong aroma. The botanical name for ginger was given by a Swedish botanist named Linnaeus. It comes from the Sankrist word ‘singabera’, which means ‘shaped like a horn’. The term officinale simply means that it is commonly available. Indeed, ginger is a common feature in the cooking pot of cooks as well as the concoction jars of herbalists. In the Koran, it is written that among the richest in heaven ‘are passed vessels of silver and goblets of glass…and a cup, the admixture of which is ginger’.

Nature Power

Anselm Adodo

naturepower@paxherbals.net twitter: @anselmadodo

In England in the middle ages, a pound of ginger spice was held to be equal in value to a sheep and can only be afforded by the rich. How to preserve ginger Take a walk to the nearby local market and ask for ginger. It is always readily available in the market. The fresh ginger can last up to two months in a refrigerator. The dried powdered ginger can last up to one year. The dried whole ginger can last up to two years. It is not advisable to store ginger in the refrigerator. It is better to dry it and grind it into powder. Some people use powdered ginger to season their food. They simple sprinkle a teaspoon of pow-

Ginger is a common feature in the cooking pot of cooks as well as the concoction jars of herbalists

dered ginger on their food. This adds taste to the food as well as strengthens the system. Medicinal uses of ginger Ginger contains Phenols, resins and many volatile oils, such as borneol, camphere, citral, eucalyptol, linaol, and zingiberol.

Ginger

Ginger is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins. In middle-age Europe, ginger was an important food and medicine. Ginger’s warming, aromatic properties have long been used to treat colds and flu. Ginger promotes a beneficial sweating that helps to eliminate toxins from the system and may be taken as a tea with honey and lemon at the first sign of a chill. The fresh or dried also stimulates the circulation and is helpful for cold hands and feet. It aids the digestion of food. It has a calming effect on the digestive system.

PHOTO www.sagargingertraders.com

andruff which was believed to be caused by a fungus, is now known to be as a result of imbalance between two competing bacteria that naturally colonise the human scalp. This is the findings of a study , published in the ‘Nature Group’s Scientific Reports’ last Thursday. Dandruff is a common chronic scalp condition marked by flaking of the skin on the scalp. Although dandruff isn’t contagious and is rarely serious, it can be embarrassing and sometimes difficult to treat. The good news is that dandruff usually can be controlled. Think of Propionibacterium and Staphylococcus as the yin and yang of healthy hair: when they hold each other in check, so too is dandruff held at bay. But when one dominates the other, the tell-tale white flecks that settle on shoulders like snowdust begin to proliferate, a team of Chinese and Japanese researchers reported. Dandruff is the most common scalp disorder on the planet, a tonsorial bane for about half the world’s population. But experts have differed sharply over the years on its causes and possible cures, though consensus has formed of late around one culprit in particular.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mom&Parenting

Parenting

Mom’s Alert

Rising domestic violence, child rape and molestation, kidnapping and other crimes, have been attributed to failed family values and lack of strong family ties. MURITALA AYINLA reports

xperts identified dysfunctional family background as the major reasons for upsurge of terrorism, insurgency, and domestic violence and other societal vices. These, according to them, explain why most marriage don’t last and while the newly wedded couples call it a quit shortly after the usually elaborate wedding ceremonies. Since the family is the smallest but most important unit of the society, there is need for any government desirous of better and peaceful society to first address the challenges confronting family. Hence, the Lagos State government in commemoration with the United Nations held a symposium for the families in Lagos where couples; old and young gathered to felicitate with one another, also to learn about ways of keeping the family ties. The venue was the football pitch of the Lagos State House, Ikeja. Dignitaries from all walks of life gathered at the giant and beautifully decorated tent on the pitch. The event was indeed the gathering of the couples, many of whom have married for more than five decades. Some septuagenarian couples were in attendance with their children and their spouses. It was the time to crack jokes, exchange pleasantries and banters more importantly to hear from the old couples, the secret of having strong family ties.

Mom&Parenting

Oluwatosin Omoniyi City Editor

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd left), presenting a Certificate of Merit to Rev. (Dr.) and Mrs. Bosun Cecelia Ayinde while Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (left), watches during the 2016 International Day of Families themed “Families, Healthy Lives and Sustainable Future”, at the Lagos House, Ikeja...recently

Keeping the family ties The 2016 family day celebration was indeed an assemblage of parents and grandparents. Speaking on the theme of this year’s International Family Day, tagged: “Families, Healthy Lives and Sustainable Future”, Wife of the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, said the role of family in creating and providing a healthy and sustainable future cannot be compromised particularly in ensuring overall development of the entire family emotionally, economically and spiritually. She added that communication, social interaction, love and mutual respect for one another, form the basis upon which the family unit thrives, adding that without any of these, a family can hardly be united or peaceful. Mrs. Ambode who said that the stability or otherwise of the society has been attributed to the role of the family, saying that family remains the pillars of the society as its strength and weakness determines the nature of the family. “The stability or otherwise of the society has been attributed to the role of the family. Family is generally regarded as the pillar of the society. Without strong and united families, the stability and foundation of our society will be weak. A stable family structure is one of the basic building blocks

for a healthy society. She alluded to bad behaviour as main factor affecting the society today which she said is traceable to change in family values that has been declining in recent times. It is in the interest of all to ensure that family institutions do not derail from its uncommon and important functions, if all are to build a society that is decent and united. “The most important legacy we can give to our children is

If we want to get the society right, we must get the family right

to adequately care for them, inculcate in them societal values, equip them with good morals through education and socialization and train them in the fear of the Lord. “As families, we must create in the consciousness of our children the need to maintain healthy living by abstaining from harmful habits. It is important to use this occasion of the family day, to resolve to protect the family, specifically the wife and children, from all forms

Tackling surge of domestic violence

of domestic violence. Women and children are meant to be pampered not battered,” Mrs. Ambode said She appealed to couples to mend the leak and always renew their love for each other for the sake of the children. The Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, appealed to parents to always spend time with their children. He explained that lot of acts of terror and violence that have ruptured global peace and security could be traced to the absence of strong family ties, and as such parents must spend time with their children no matter how difficult it may be. According to the Governor, “Most of the recorded incidences of domestic violence are as a result of dysfunctional family backgrounds. Our traditional family cohesion and bond have been weakened due to daily life challenges of trying to make ends meet. We must therefore, as a matter of urgency, in spite of the demanding pace of life pause and find time to reconnect with our families. Our families need us; our children need us. The family always provides emotional support in times of need. We have family members in need of emotional, physical and moral support. The support and encouragement given to a family member today can prevent a violent act of terror or suicide tomorrow.”

Smart approach to parenting

34 34

Harping on the essence of the international celebration which was designated by the United Nations, Governor Ambode said everyone was born into a family and that the most important moments of people’s lives have taken place in the family, saying it was for that reason that the international body places emphasis on the family as a key factor in human relations thereby setting aside May 15 annually to celebrate the value of the family bond across ethnic, religious, social and economic divide. He added that one of the crucial infrastructure that the government has put in place to encourage family bonding is the establishment of Parks and Gardens in various strategic locations across the state. “I am happy to note that these facilities have become the convergence point for families to relax not only during festive occasions, also on weekdays and weekends. In addition, this administration has started the process of building new world class leisure parks. ‘As we celebrate the international day of the family today, I urge you all to spend more time with your family, especially with our children. A hug or a smile goes a long way in boosting the morale of family members. If we want to get the society right, we must get the family right. We must start at the family to reintroduce the norms and values which we grew up with. Our families must reintroduce and imbibe the virtues of honesty, respect, morality, good neighbourliness, peace and love. We must work towards living in harmony with family members and ensuring safety of lives through healthy practices.’ Speaking on the secret of keeping healthy family life style, Rev. (Dr.) Bosun Ayinde urged men to always keep their wives happy, as that is the only way of living long. According to Ayinde who said he has married his wife, Mrs Cecilia for more than 50years, said if men could make their wives happy, they would live long and enjoy their lives. At the event, some families were honoured and rewarded with gifts for having strong ties and for having existed for decades. Also honoured at the event was the family of Hon. Abayomi Lapete. Dignitaries at the event include: left); Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade; Commissioner for Youths & Social Development, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf (right) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths & Social Development, Mr. Hakeem MuriOkunola among others.

Mom&Parenting

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

MOM’S ALERT with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Smart approach to parenting I A group of participants

Tackling surge of domestic violence The issue of domestic violence in Nigerian society is fast becoming a daily occurrence. And the most hit victims are women and children who often do not have a voice to express their disappointment and hurt. Flora OnwudiwE writes

t is in this light that Domestic Violence Anonymous (DVA)- non- governmental organisation, NGO – created a platform for the voiceless and helpless to express their voice and hurts. Barrister Efe Anaughe, founder of the NGO said it is a platform where women, men and children who have been abused emotionally, physically, psychologically share their experiences with hope offered to recover from violence and escape route. The foundation with centres in Nigeria and United Kingdom said aside their aim of helping to alleviate poverty in the society, also provide free counseling, legal, medical services to abused women and men of domestic violence. “We support by providing services not just legal services, but medical services, we also support by bringing in counselors and pastors, so we have a holistic approach that is irrespective of what you are going through. We try to help financially because we do free skills acquisition workshop too, so for women who are not financially empowered we try to help them,” Barr Anaughe said. She added that they connect people in getting accommodation but only on issues bordering on domestic violence, “we don’t go to issues that are outside of domestic violence. It is rather issues that are threat to life and we need to take the person away from the home and take to the accommodation that we provide.” In explaining how they operate, Barr. Anaughe gave reasons they use pseudo names for the abused victims, “Pseudo names like Jane for female and John for male.’ The essence, she said was to protect the privacy of abused victims, so that people don’t go to Facebook to seek them out. She said she does not allow the victims to be photographed. In her lecture on Domestic Violence

Barr. Anaughe

with all members and abused victims in attendance, Anaughe said, “If you are going through abuse or you notice someone who is going through abuse. If you are in danger, get out of the house or get a safe location, if you are in an immediate danger, call DVA or the police, depending on your physical mental or emotional state. You may wish to go to the hospital or come to us to access the situation and to plan your next step. According to her, the DVA has limited resources to offer accommodation to abused victims, but promised to connect with the shelter that Lagos state government provided. She however advised couples to always operate a separate account, an avenue for saving some money, “we don’t encourage separation but where they have established history of abuse, you have to do something to protect yourself, you can only bring in the police when there is a threat to your life,” she said. Event manager, Mr. Sola Fakorede , an attendee said advised the DVA foundation on the need to expand beyond its nine already established centres because the society will be better for it. Explaining his reason, he said, “If couple are not together, it could derail the family and it will tell on the society. So many of the miscreants that we see in the society are products of broken homes, when you interact with some of them, you can distinguish those from broken homes from a united family. In other to avert such thing, it’s better we support the foundation to make it bigger.”

t sure takes a lot more to raise may possess. Give lots of encouragedecent children in today’s world ment to your children; acknowledge than it did many years ago. Our efforts they make at given tasks and children need very firm boundar- assignments, not just the end results. ies at the same time some flexibility When we acknowledge efforts made, to enable them learn to make right and small changes or improvements choices at all times. Sometimes it is observed, big ones will follow. hard to know where to draw the line, A good number of successful men and so we are constantly under pres- and women today worked hard in school alright but were not necessure to get it right. As a working mom you will have sarily top students. They learned to accept that you really cannot be how to understand people and get physically present with your chil- along well with them, and that hard dren as much as you would love to. work and determination are prereqIt is a reality you and your family uisites to success. Give your children will have to come to terms with. The life and success skills and you would smart approach to parenting for you have given them an edge in life. is to bring up your children with the future in mind, and to teach them Be tough and nice There are times you will need to at any given opportunity, (like one mom teaches her children numbers make some changes in your home every time they climb the stairs). which may not go down well with You want everyone. You will need courage to go them to learn to be independent, ahead and make those to be able to use changes. Initially their initiatives, Be firm and positive; your kids will want to dare you just to know and have the offer your children will to stand up if you really mean business, let them for themselves constructive and make smart know you do, and exalternatives choices always. plain to them why the In other words, change is necessary at you have to that time. And if they help them build do not understand, character and become responsible maybe they will sometime in the fuadults. You do not want to produce ture. You do have a duty to do what what Robert Elliot Speer refers to is right for them, but you might conas: “…riffraff of the world that the sider proving healthy alternatives. worthy men and women have to bear Marabel Morgan in her book The along as they go,” and neither do you Total Woman had this to say about want children who (even as adults) setting limits: “Be firm and positive; keep running back to mama when offer your children constructive alconfronted with simplest of life chal- ternatives… It is always easier to lenges. take away a cracker when you offer a cookie in its place.” Teach your children to do things for You will have to be consistent themselves with routines, rules, discipline etc. Let your children continually It teaches the children that in life learn how to do things on their there are rules, standards and limown, for themselves and for others its which are meant to be obeyed as well. At first, it is usually slow - and followed at all times. They also annoyingly slow, time consuming, learn that there are consequences wasteful, and somewhat frustrating. for every action or no action taken. Resist the urge to take over, if you Some of these will hurt you and your give them the chance to learn, they children a bit, but the end result will will improve every time they try. be well worth it. When you say ‘NO’, mean it. By That way, you will build confidence in them and in yourself as a parent doing so you empower your children as well. to be able to say NO when they need Telling children what to do and to, especially when you are not there. how to do it all the time tends to take Saying YES all the time even when away their natural curiosity, hamper you do not mean it, teaches them to their creativity and make them feel do same. If that becomes their way dumb. Take the back seat once in a of life, they will likely give in easily while and let them explore and come to peer pressure, harassments and up with their own ideas and ways to abuse. solve problems. There might be a betNever make a threat you do not ter and faster way to do things than mean or are not in a position to carry the way you have always known. out. You will only be shooting yourself in the foot, and making parentEncourage your children to be theming more difficult for yourself. Your selves children will see you as a dog that Encourage your children to dare only barks but never bites. to be different, to stand out, and to run their own race. Don’t make •Culled from the e-book Sucschool grades the entire focus for cessful Working Mom written by being in school, look out for other yours truly, available online for abilities and talents your children download free.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Money Line

DISAPPROVAL Rates gap fuel opportunities for currency arbitrating Stores by Tony Chukwunyem

embers of the Central bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) are worried about the wide margin between the official interbank forex market rate and the parallel market. Minutes from the 12-member MPC March meeting posted on the apex bank’s website late Tuesday, showed that members are concerned that the wide margin between official interbank forex market

MPC members criticise official, parallel markets rates’ margin rate and the parallel market was fuelling opportunities for currency arbitrating. The minutes showed that in his personal comments at the meeting, one of the MPC members, Dahiru Hassan Balami, said, “The gap between the official and parallel market is a source of concern because for rational economic agents it encourages round tripping which is very devastating to the economy.” Currently while the naira trades against the dollar on the official interbank market at about N200 to the dollar, the local cur-

rency goes for N345 to the greenback on the parallel market. According to the minutes, another MPC member, Professor Chibuike Uche, called on the CBN to impose restrictions on short-term portfolio investment flows to prevent damage caused to the economy if investors exit at short notice. He said history has shown that such speculative capital inflows only offer temporary relief, mainly in the arena of exchange rates, and generally cause more harm than good, meeting showed. “I therefore see no harm for

E-PPAN partners NITDA on eGovt Summit 2016

he Electronic Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN) has announced a partnership with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for the 5th annual E- Government summit. The summit with the theme: “Attaining Increased IGR; Efficiency and Accountability in Government through Smart Innovation” is slated to hold from July 12th-13th, 2016 in Abuja. The summit 2016 is designed to explore the use of ICT and Smart Solutions in resolving core developmental issues mitigating the effective implementation of E-government and the holistic application of ICT as a panacea for corruption, wastages and lack of ef-

ficiency in the public sector. According to the Chief Executive Officer of E-PPAN, Mrs. Regha Onajite, the principal aim of the summit is to provide a platform for high-level dialogue among development partners, policy makers, top government executives, decision makers and executives in the industry. The summit, she said, intends to highlight core developmental issues mitigating the effective implementation of Egovernment and the holistic application of ICT as a panacea for corruption, wastages, and lack of efficiency in the public sector. The objectives of the summit is therefore designed to address these issues and proffer solutions, framework and model

structures that can be adopted on national scale for increased IGR, accountability and self reliant national economy. The summit will endeavor to demonstrate the effectiveness of smart solutions/ ICT and their capacity to increase and generate International Generated Revenue (IGR); set agenda for the deliberate use of ICT to enhance security, drive productivity in agriculture and attain quality education; explore the opportunities for shared infrastructure and interoperability in the public sector to enable reduction of cost of government and reinforce the need for synergy between the public and private sector for sustainable growth and economic development.

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

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 13.7 12 10.77 US$48.59 US$26,656,283,753

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 April, 2016 28/03/2016 Mar 2015 18/5/2016 17/5/2016

the country to insist that the only types of foreign capital it will welcome are those that have long term investment intentions,” he said. Professor Uche also wants a ban to be imposed on all imports of products that can be produced locally to boost support for local production and curb depletion of foreign reserves. Nigeria witnessed increased foreign investment in local currency denominated bonds prior to last year’s foreign exchange restrictions introduced to conserve depleting forex reserves. The country, Africa’s top

crude exporter, faces its worst economic crisis in years as a result of dwindling oil revenue, which last year prompted the central bank to impose a currency peg to conserve foreign exchange reserves. Last year, JP Morgan removed Nigeria from its Government Bond Index (GBI-EM) in protest against the currency controls, which it said make transactions on local currency denominated bond too complicated. Most foreign portfolio investors sold off their local bond holdings, triggering significant capital outflows.

Moody’s: Fintech to drive transformation for banks

hile the rise of fintech firms highlights the shift to digital in financial services, banks will retain a place at the center of the industry and continue to work both alongside and in competition with new entrants, said Moody’s Investors Service. Estimates for the number of fintech-related startups range as high as 4,000 companies, globally, with total estimated venture capital investment rising from about $2.4 billion in 2011 to more than $19 billion in 2015. Along with the high growth rate of investment, the sector has shown signs of maturation - with later stage investments accounting for a rising share of the total and the number of ‘exits’ via acquisitions and (a still small number of) IPOs also increasing. In a new report, Moody’s said it anticipates an evolutionary path for banks, as the traditional players take advantage of new technologies and approaches to improve the consumer experience in order to maintain competitiveness. While the Millennial cohort -- who are

typically more open to, and often expect, technology-enabled services and interfaces -- are behind much of the impetus for fintech’s rise, Moody’s analysts said it will likely be a few years before this large group predominates in terms of consumption of financial services. “Millennials lag prior generations along a number of indicators important to financial services firms, including lower household formation and home buying rates, higher student loan burdens, lower earnings and higher debt-to-income ratios,” said Moody’s Senior Vice President Robard Williams. “Banks will certainly need to transform to appeal to this generation and counter fintechs’ rise, but many incumbents have made significant steps towards implementing their own digital strategies and they have some time before the full transformation is complete.” The ratings agency noted that much of the focus of fintechs has been on retail banking services, largely lending and financing along with paymentsrelated products and services.

Source:CBN

Description 15.10 27-APR-2017 16.00 29-JUN-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 12.50 22-JAN-2026 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 104.96 114.56 112.10 120.50 109.35 100.24 83.91 98.09

1.08 3.25 3.87 5.83 7.95 9.81 14.31 18.30

NIBOR

Rate (%) 15.0000 10.6864 12.4601 13.8466

Bid Yield 10.09 10.57 11.56 11.46 12.32 12.45 12.43 12.41

Change (%) 2.17 ▲ 0.20 ▲ 0.24 ▲ 0.22 ▲

Change (%) 0.04 ▲ 0.00 ↔ 0.25 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.08 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.04 ▲

Price 105.11 114.86 112.40 120.80 109.65 100.54 84.21 98.39

Tenor (Months)

NITTY

Rate (%) 5.4817 7.3699 7.8938 9.2453 9.3846 10.0913

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Offer Yield 9.95 10.47 11.47 11.40 12.26 12.40 12.38 12.37

Change (%) 0.04 ▲ 0.00 ↔ 0.25 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.08 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 0.04 ▲ Change (%) 0.25 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 0.29 ▲ 0.60 ▲ 0.45 ▲ -0.44 ▼

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) Change (%) 7.90 8.06 0.26 ▲ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 12.67 0.00 ↔ 30-Jun-16 8.15 8.32 0.26 ▲ 22-Sep-16 8.71 8.46 8.82 0.46 ▲ Overnight (O/N) 13.75 0.42 ▲ 9.10 0.46 ▲ 9.06 9.92 0.00 ↔ 16-Mar-17 9.31 10.22 0.00 ↔

Spot($/N)

Bid 198.45

Offer 198.55

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

CBN Clearing Rates of January 7, 2016 Spot($/N)

196.00

197.00

0.00 ↔

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

Barclays plans more sell off in African business

arclays plc plans to continue selling further stakes in its South African business on the market after cutting its holding to about 50 per cent, three people with knowledge of the matter said, Bloomberg reported yesterday. The British bank is leaning towards conducting more sales to money managers - fast, controlled offerings with little, to no marketing - after the May 5 transaction drew demand exceeding what was on sale. Selling to a single buyer may face significant regulatory hurdles, the sources said. Dubai-based Abraaj Group was leading a group of investors that planned to bid for a stake of as much as 35% in Barclays Africa, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month. That came after former Barclays CEO Bob Diamond confirmed months of speculation in April when he said he and investors including US private equity giant Carlyle Group were working

together on a potential bid. The bank is open to selling a significant minority stake, according to one of the people. “As a regulator, we won’t be comfortable with a private-equity play for any of the banks,” deputy Reserve Bank governor Kuben Naidoo said earlier this month. The central bank would “look quite negatively” on a buyout because these typically involve leverage and exit strategies, and banks need long-term commitments from shareholders with deep pockets, he said. Barclays sold about one-fifth of its stake in Barclays Africa Group in the market earlier this month as part of CEO Jes Staley’s plan to retreat from the continent and raise cash to reduce its capital burden, leaving it with 50.1per cent. The bank is restricted from selling more shares in the African business by a 90-day lock-up period. The bank has said it may sell shares until it holds 20per cent or less.

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

18-May-16

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 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 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

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

13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 16.39 14.20 12.50 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493 12.4000

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 584.43 605.31 719.99 286.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 105.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

6,459.96

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

6,062.22

Rating/Agency

Description

Issuer

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 22-Jan-26 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34 18-Mar-36

0.25 0.94 1.19 1.29 2.03 3.11 3.43 3.74 5.69 7.82 9.68 12.53 13.01 13.51 14.18 18.16 19.83

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

8.60 13.15 13.52 13.56 13.88 14.33 14.37 14.42 14.34 14.36 14.42 14.41 14.40 14.40 14.40 14.38 14.29

8.01 12.98 13.38 13.43 13.79 14.21 14.24 14.31 14.26 14.30 14.36 14.36 14.35 14.33 14.33 14.32 14.24

101.01 101.65 96.04 95.14 94.52 104.03 80.55 103.09 107.74 99.20 90.09 103.39 88.89 65.29 73.67 85.71 87.57

101.16 101.80 96.19 95.29 94.67 104.33 80.85 103.39 108.04 99.50 90.39 103.69 89.19 65.59 73.97 86.01 87.87

6414.957269

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

03-Apr-12

17.25

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

1.20

03-Apr-17

0.45

2.94

13.44

101.62

30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21 09-Dec-21 16-Feb-22 27-Feb-22 30-Mar-22 31-Mar-22 27-May-22

0.12 0.12 0.92 0.64 1.62 1.43 1.45 1.41 1.42 1.60 2.02 3.51 1.99 4.53 4.62 2.65 2.68 3.97 3.47 3.49 4.03 6.46 3.59

4.46 3.48 1.00 5.71 2.39 1.00 1.00 3.82 3.56 3.82 2.02 2.01 1.00 1.30 3.76 2.53 1.00 1.52 4.01 1.00 2.52 1.79 3.04

11.81 10.83 14.04 17.35 16.09 14.62 14.63 17.44 17.18 17.51 15.89 16.39 14.86 15.69 18.14 16.67 15.15 15.85 18.39 15.38 16.91 16.13 17.43

100.18 100.47 96.60 97.89 97.07 99.19 99.18 96.56 96.26 97.30 99.31 95.08 99.81 93.09 90.39 95.67 99.64 99.14 95.48 102.72 101.41 103.15 98.94

29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 30-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 06-Nov-20 14-Nov-20 04-Dec-20 20-Nov-21 30-Dec-21 13-May-22 26-Oct-22 30-Sep-24 30-Sep-24 29-Jul-30

0.37 0.44 0.56 0.92 1.13 1.37 0.82 1.14 1.31 1.31 2.37 1.42 1.50 1.62 2.47 4.49 2.99 5.51 5.62 5.98 4.16 8.37 8.37 9.50

1.00 1.34 1.00 5.49 5.25 1.88 1.88 3.15 6.35 1.00 1.17 4.42 6.11 3.28 4.47 1.00 3.55 2.51 1.00 1.00 2.77 1.00 1.00 1.00

10.70 11.69 12.21 18.53 18.75 15.48 14.43 16.65 19.92 14.57 15.19 18.04 19.76 16.98 18.53 15.39 17.83 16.86 15.35 15.34 17.17 15.38 15.38 15.42

100.74 101.02 101.96 98.30 97.72 97.00 103.44 99.29 97.81 101.52 97.66 97.25 97.82 98.64 93.54 99.56 94.90 90.87 104.01 104.35 96.73 104.15 90.12 97.63

10-Oct-20

2.51

3.37

17.45

94.83

Agency Bonds Nil

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

FMBN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1.20

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1.22

Sub-National Bonds BBB+/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto‡ ; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A-/Agusto; A-/GCR BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR† Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto‡ A-/GCR A-/Agusto A-/Agusto Bbb-/Agusto Bbb+/Agusto Bbb+/Agusto A-/GCR

*BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA *NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA *BAUCHI *OYO *BENUE *PLATEAU KOGI *CROSS RIVER

30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 31-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14 09-Dec-14 17-Feb-15 27-Feb-15 30-Mar-15 01-Apr-15 27-May-15

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 15.50 BAUCHI 9-DEC-2021 16.50 OYO 16-FEB-2022 16.50 BENUE 27-FEB-2022 17.50 PLATEAU 30-MAR-2022 17.00 KOGI II 31-MAR-2022 17.00 CROSS RIVER 27-MAY-2022

14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00 15.50 16.50 16.50 17.50 17.00 17.00

1.30 2.05 57.00 16.45 25.00 23.44 4.22 10.98 8.14 21.68 12.55 80.00 21.65 87.50 5.00 4.03 4.04 14.37 4.39 4.53 27.10 3.00 7.68

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

446.12 431.04

Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto Nil Nil Nil A/GCR BBB-/GCR Nil A-/DataPro†; CCC/GCR AAA/DataPro†; B/GCR A+/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto†; BBB+/GCR† BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR Nil A-/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR Bbb/Agusto; A-/GCR BBB/GCR A/GCR BBB/GCR Bbb/Agusto; A-/GCR A/GCR A/GCR AAA/GCR

NAHCO FSDH ***LCRM UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA#{r} *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# *DANA#{r} *FCMB NAHCO *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC *FCMB UBA FIDELITY *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC *NMRC

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 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 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.00 FCMB 6-NOV-2020 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 15.50 TRANSCORP 4-DEC-2020 14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021 16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 16.48 FIDELITY 13-MAY-2022 16.00 TRANSCORP 26-OCT-2022 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 14.90 NMRC 29-JUL-2030

29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 06-Nov-15 14-Nov-13 04-Dec-15 20-Nov-14 30-Dec-14 13-May-15 26-Oct-15 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-14 29-Jul-15

13.00 14.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50 13.00 18.00 16.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 18.00 16.00 15.00 15.25 15.50 14.25 16.45 16.48 16.00 16.29 13.25 14.90

15.00 5.53 112.22 116.70 66.49 20.00 0.46 3.60 1.82 0.50 35.00 1.50 0.27 4.50 20.87 2.05 9.76 26.00 30.50 30.00 10.00 0.10 15.44 7.90

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

536.21

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

529.77

Sukuk BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

10-Oct-13

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

14.75

9.40

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

9.40

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

8.92

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.74

1.00

13.09

95.60

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

*AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

2.95

1.00

13.52

94.72

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 23.74 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($’mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.98

6.76

99.10

99.94

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.32

4.92

99.61

100.40

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.28

7.12

95.04

95.89

Issuer

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,468.70

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

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

373.41

19-May-16

180.58

-119.37

99.50

100.37

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

8.46

7.20

98.66

100.04

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

21.43

20.39

77.63

79.00

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.09

97.56

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

8.51

94.25

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

17.82

17.12

79.59

80.97

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

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

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

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

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

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

13.77 13.92 14.59

82.25 83.00 76.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.23

11.76

84.88

86.63

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

DTM

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Discount Rate (%)

2.77

29-Jul-16

6.18

14.31

13.92

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

3,523.41 3,103.34 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Yield @ Issue (%)

04-Nov-15

13.75

Commercial Papers Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

GUINNESS CP III 29-JUL-16

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

2.77

**TREASURY BILLS^ DTM 8 15 22 29 36 43 57 64

FIXINGS Maturity 26-May-16 2-Jun-16 9-Jun-16 16-Jun-16 23-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 14-Jul-16 21-Jul-16

Bid Discount (%) 3.16 6.24 6.52 6.82 6.78 6.57 7.33 7.73

Offer Discount (%) 2.91 5.99 6.27 6.57 6.53 6.32 7.08 7.48

Bid Yield (%) 3.16 6.25 6.55 6.85 6.82 6.62 7.41 7.84

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 13.3750 11.6900 13.5864 15.3278

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

13.17

O/N

13.58

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 12.42 12.00

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

197.33 199.42 199.38 199.98 201.29 202.68

197.43 199.96 199.96 200.73 202.29 203.93

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 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 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 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036