Thursday, may 26, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

Shell, Chevron’s total job cuts hit 23,500

Adeola Yusuf

il giant, Shell, yesterday declared plans to sack additional 5,000 staff, raising the number of staff to

be laid-off in Nigeria and other countries of operations by the company and another oil major, Chevron, to 23, 500.

These have heightened panic and generated confusion among some staff of the companies who are now considering indus-

trial action. Shell’s vice president for the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, Paul Goodfellow, who announced the

Reps halt privatisation of refineries by NNPC }5

plan to lay off 5,000 more staff before the end of 2016, said that 2,200 more jobs would be cut in the first phase of the new disengagement, as the world’s second biggest oil compa-

nies continue to adjust to the slump in oil prices. This takes the tally of sack by Shell to 15,000 between 2015 and 2016, as the oil firm continues to adCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Biafra: Court dismisses Kanu’s bail appeal }41

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Vol. 3 No. 827

Go and face your trial, Appeal Court tells Metuh}4

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FG, states, LGs share N281.5bn }4

UK, Australia deport 40 Nigerians }5

N150

Herdsmen kill 984 people in Benue Kanu

Metuh

Adeosun

Some of the deportees

lTiv leaders: Our people were slaughtered, hit with chemical weapons lPolice nab five suspects over Nimbo massacre, recover video recording

L-R: Suspected kidnappers: Idris Abubakar, Babangida Ibrahim and Idris Mai-anguwa, paraded by the police in Kaduna...yesterday.

L-R: Suspected Fulani herdsmen: Mohammed Zurai, Ciroma Musa, Sale Adamu, Suleiman Laute and Haruna Laute, who allegedly attacked Nimbo community in Enugu State

PDP crisis: Ex-NWC members abandon Sheriff … endorse Makarfi's caretaker committee }5

Smoking cannabis damages DNA, raises disease risk }10

NEWS

THURSday, May 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Herdsmen kill 984 people in Benue

Philip Nyam Abuja

n the last two years, between 2014 and 2016, the series of attacks carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen on various communities in Benue State have claimed over 984 people. Also, 29,974 people have been displaced across the state, with properties worth over N40 billion lost to the attacks. The Tiv people, under the aegis of Mdzough U Tiv (MUT), disclosed these yesterday during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Police Affairs on killings by sus-

pected herdsmen. President-General of the MUT, Chief Edward Ujege, in company of the Secretary-General, Chief Azer Ukende, who said he was speaking for Tiv people all over the world by virtue of his office, accused the security agencies of neglecting their duties to secure Benue people. Giving a breakdown of the killings, Ujege said in 2014, no fewer than 142 persons were killed in Guma Local Government Area of the state while 6,544 persons were displaced with properties worth over N128 million lost. In Logo Local Government Area, suspected herdsmen killed 54 people, 4,088 displaced and over N9

billion properties lost. The figure was high in Makurdi, the state capital, as 484 were killed while 3,018 got displaced and over N31 billion lost in the attacks. Within the same period, 15 people were killed in Gwer East Local Government Area while 253 people were displaced with over N53 million lost. In the Gwer West Local Government Area, 168 were killed, 4,543 displaced and over N592 million worth properties lost while in Katsina-Ala, 20 people were killed, 1,679 displaced and over N4 billion lost. In Kwande, 3,199 persons were displaced and over N132 million properties lost.

Ujege further stated that in 2015 and 2016, about 28 people were killed in Buruku, 6,650 displaced and over N8 billion lost in properties in two wards of Binev and Mbaya. In four wards in Logo between 2015 and 2016, 58 people were killed while several people were displaced and property destroyed. In Tarka, 15 people were killed and in Ukum, 101 were killed while 6,650 got displaced and over N8 billion lost. He lamented that the way and manner these people were killed was barbaric as some were slaughtered and others sprayed with chemical weapons, causing them to vomit and

L-R: President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Chairman, UBA Plc., Mr. Tony Elumelu, during the annual meeting of AfDB held in Lusaka, Zambia... on Tuesday

Herdsmen: Police arrest five over Nimbo massacre

…recover video recording of attack Emmanuel Onani Abuja

he Force Headquarters has announced the arrest of five of the suspects believed to have carried out the April 25 midnight attack on Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State. It further disclosed that a Gionee L88 mobile phone, with memory card containing the video recording of the massacre in the community, was recovered from the suspects. Over 20 people were killed during the attack. The attack, suspected to have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen, had revived the conversation on the propriety or otherwise of nomadic pastoralism in the country, in the face of population growth. It will be recalled that in the wake of the invasion of Nimbo community, the Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had resolved, among other security measures, to establish vigilante groups in communities, to comple-

ment the efforts of security agencies in the state. Also, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, had ordered the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the State Command, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu. However, the Police yesterday said five of those involved in the Nimbo massacre, have been rounded-up by the IGP's Intelligence Response Team (IRT). A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mrs. Olabisi Kolawole, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said the arrest was a product of "credible technical intelligence.” Those arrested, according to the statement, are: Mohammed Zurai, Ciroma Musa, Sale Adamu, Suleiman Laute and Haruna Laute. The team recovered a Gionee L88 mobile phone, with memory card containing the video recording of the massacre in the community. "The Nigeria Police Force, in its renewed de-

termination to rid the society of crimes and all forms of criminality, has arrested five of the suspects involved in the midnight raid on Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State on April 25, as operatives of the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), based on credible technical intelligence, swooped on them. "The IGP’s IRT, based on the intelligence gathered on the attack, arrested five suspects and recovered one Gionee L88 mobile phone with memory card containing the video recording of the massacre in the community," the statement said. In a related development, the IRT busted a three-man robbery/kidnap syndicate that operated in Rivers, Imo and Enugu states Specifically, the Police noted that "the Team on the May 6 busted a threeman syndicate of deadly bank robbers/kidnappers and recovered arms, ammunition, dynamites and rifle servicing tools from them."

The Police named Gogo Daniel Ume, Ikado Michael and Ifeanyi Kalu, as members of the gang. Items recovered from them include 3 AK-47 rifles; 1 LAR rifle; 310 rounds of live ammunition; 12 rifle magazines; rifle servicing tools; cache of dynamite explosive; 1 Toyota Highlander Jeep; 1 Toyota Venza jeep; and 1Ford Edge Jeep. Also, the IRT antikidnapping operations in Kaduna State on May 20, "arrested Babangida Ibrahim; Idris Abubakar and Idris Mai Anguwa in the state for allegedly involving in kidnapping and robbery, while different caliber of weapons were also recovered from the bandits." The IGP, who "observed with satisfaction the high sense of patriotism and professionalism with which the members of the IGP’s IRT have carried out their duties so far...assured Nigerians that the Police will remain dynamic and creative in formulating new strategies for fighting crimes and criminality and urged Nigerians to continue to support the Force."

pass on slowly. The President-General of the Tiv nation alleged that all these killings and mayhems were highly coordinated as the killers were often aided by security agents. Ujege specifically accused the police of not carrying out a single arrest of the herdsmen since these killings started. He dismissed the reference to the attackers by police and other security agencies as “unidentified herdsmen”, saying “it is a cover up’, as the representatives of these acclaimed unidentified herdsmen were always meeting with the various authorities to absolve the herdsmen of alleged crimes. He lamented that these incessant attacks have impoverished his people, as they no longer go to plant in their farms. Ujege said the Tiv people were now afraid to go back to farms seeing that the herdsmen have taken over their farmlands and were armed to the teeth, ready to kill them. He said the current food and tomato shortages were connected to the activities of herdsmen, who have made farmers unable to return to farm. After the presentation by Ujege, the committee members were angry that the invited government functionaries and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association were not present to respond to the allegations levelled against them. This is just as the absence of the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP),

3.19

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Indonesia in 2000. Source: Itu.int

886,037

The total area (in sq. km) of land of Tanzania. Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

Mr. Solomon Arase, the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS); Chief of Army Staff, (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau and the representatives of the Fulani herdsmen, Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, at the investigative hearing into incessant killings in Benue. The chairman tried to explain why some of the herdsmen were absent but disagreements from members forced him to call for executive session, where they decided to adjourn the hearing to enable all the parties to appear. "The IGP, DSS, Army and Minister of Interior must be here. If the relevant agencies fail or neglect to appear, we will be compelled to invoke sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, to do the needful," Jika said. He said that the hearing was very important because it bothered on the lives of citizens. "As a House, we will not be distracted from discharging our constitutional responsibilities", Hon. Haliru Jika, chairman of the committee, said.

Shell, Chevron’s total job cuts hit 23,500 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

just to the slump in prices. Chevron, on its own, will round up the number of sacked workers to 8,500 before December while other companies such as ExxonMobil, Total have also sacked about 4,000 workers secretly in their global operations. Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), Unlimited, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation MPN/NNPC Joint Venture in Akwa Ibom laid-off about 150 contract staff and 40 drivers from its employ, while Total fired 100 in its Nigerian operations. “These are tough times for our industry,” Goodfellow said in a statement. “We have to take further difficult decisions to ensure Shell remains competitive through the current, prolonged downturn.” At least 5,000 jobs will be cut this year, Shell said

in an e-mailed statement. These reductions are in response to oil prices staying “lower for longer,” and as a result of the acquisition of BG Group Plc. earlier this year, said Goodfellow. Shell and BG employed about 94,600 people at the end of 2015. The industry is cutting deeper despite oil’s 80 per cent recovery since last January. Prices remain about half the level of two years ago and companies’ earnings have been pummelled, debt has increased and credit ratings have been cut. To help protect their balance sheets, companies have deferred or cancelled billions of dollars of projects, renegotiated contracts with suppliers and eliminated thousands of jobs. Shell had, before Goodfellow’s announcement, revealed its plans to sack CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

THURSday, May 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS

THURSday, May 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Recession: Senate summons finance minister, CBN gov

Chukwu David Abuja

orried by the wo r s e n i n g economic recession in the country, the Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to come and brief it on what the government was doing to salvage the situation. The invitation was part of the chamber's resolution on a motion entitled "An urgent need to address the present economic state of the nation," sponsored

by Senator Bassey Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom NorthEast). Leading debate on the motion, Akpan noted that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), last week, released the nation's economic scorecard for the first quarter of the year 2016 for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation and unemployment. He pointed out that the NBS's statistical analysis for the period under review indicated that the economy had plunged into recession with a decline of 0.36% year-on-year in real terms, which was a drastic drop from 2.11% in the last quarter of 2015 GDP. Akpan observed that

from the report, unemployment rate had risen to 12.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 from 10.4 per cent of the last quarter of 2015, noting that under-employment also increased to 19.1 per cent from 18.7 per cent in the same period while the inflation rate rose from 9.6 per cent in January 2016 to 13.8 per cent in April 2016, with the attendant increase in prices of food commodities and services in the country. He also warned that if nothing was done to check the current negative economic trend, the situation would deteriorate and the economy would slump into full-blown recession.

“The declining GDP and unemployment, besides the current high inflation rate, clearly show that the economic policies are not achieving desired impact and require an urgent review. “The current economic contraction is the first major drastic slump since June 2004, which according to the CBN is a 12-yearlow, while the World Bank position is that it is a 21-year-low. “The CBN had, in March 2016, deployed a contracting monetary policy increasing benchmark interest rate from 11 per cent to 12 per cent and cash reserve ratio from 20 per cent to 22.5 per cent.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), with Executive Chairman, Visible Assets Limited, Mr. Idowu Iluyomade, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the 4th Mainland Bridge in Lagos … yesterday

Go and face your trial, A’Court tells Metuh lFHC denies PDP chief permission to travel abroad Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Court of Appeal, Abuja Division yesterday told the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, to go back to the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to face his trial over alleged receipt of N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Metuh had, after the prosecution closed its case, filed a no case submission, but was dismissed by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang. Not satisfied, Metuh approached the appellate court to challenge the dismissal. In their judgement, Justice Abdul Aboki, who led two other justices, held that the appeal lacked merit. Aboki said the trial court in Abuja, led by Justice Okon Abang, was right in rejecting the no case submission. “Having gone through the merit of the case, which includes the charge sheet, the court remains convinced that a prima

facie has been already established. “It is, therefore, our view that the applicant has some questions to answer given the nature of the offence. “The court is much concerned with the action of the applicant when the sum of N400 million was transferred to his Diamond Plc., account,” Aboki said. According to him, without attempting to go into the merit of the case, the trial court did raise some rhetorical questions around the transaction. “What did the applicant do when he first noticed that his account was credited with such huge sum of money? “Whether Metuh alerted the bank manager or even reported the transaction to the police. “Whether the applicant was aware of the source of the money to have come from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd),” Aboki said. The judge, however, said the above questions and many more others raised in the charge required answers to be provided to them by the applicant. In a similar vein, the

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja also dismissed Metuh's application seeking permission to travel abroad for medical attention. Metuh had sought the permission of the court, via an application dated May 16, to travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention. Delivering ruling on the application yesterday, Justice Abang held that there was fear that if Metuh was allowed to travel abroad, he may abscond and will not be available to face his trial. Dismissing Metuh's application, the judge held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the application. According to him, Metuh's application amounted to asking the court to set aside its earlier order. The judge held: "The first defendant cannot pretend not to know of the existing order. He filed

the application as if it is a simple matter. It is not a simple matter. "Under the law, the court can only vary the bail condition if the defendant had not complied with the bail condition. There cannot be issue of variation when the defendant has complied. What he is asking for is that the court should set aside its earlier order. "Once he has complied with the bail condition, the issue of variation does not arise. This court has no jurisdiction to do so. “This is not a case of sympathy, but a case of law. This court has no jurisdiction to entertain this application. "Moreover, the medical report by Metuh's doctor, Ugwanyi Ugochukwu, does not include any reason why he cannot have his treatment done in Nigeria. "The application lacks merit. It is accordingly dismissed. The court cannot set aside its decision,” Justice Abang held.

£21.924m £93.22m

The amount of money received by each English Premiership club as equal share for the 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

The total aggregate payments received by Leicester City for the English 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

“The question is, why contracting monetary policy instead of expansionary monetary policy of boosting economic activities at such a critical time as this,” he said. While seconding the motion, Senator Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti South)

maintained that there was no feasible economic policy at all. She said Adeosun and Emefiele must not just appear before the Senate, but they must also come up with the economic blueprint of the present administration.

Reps halt privatisation of refineries by NNPC …Summon Kachikwu

Philip Nyam Abuja

he House of Representatives yesterday ordered the suspension of the planned sale of the country's refineries by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It said the NNPC initiated the procedure without following due process. The House has consequently summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, to answer questions on the said privatisation of the refineries. The parliament said that the Group Executive Director (GED) was not competent enough to field questions from the committee. The House Committee on Privatisation took the position in Abuja after it expressed dissatisfaction at the presentation of the NNPC’s GED in charge of refineries, Mr. Anibor Kragha. Kragha, during his submission, told the committee that the NNPC was

only seeking a joint venture in the management of the refineries and was not privatising it. "NNPC does not have the mandate to privatise; it is a misrepresentation,” he said. The GED, who said he was appointed in April 2016, stated that he was not aware of letters written to the NNPC by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) on the said privatisation of the refineries. In his presentation, the Acting Director General of BPE, Mr. Vincent Akpotabie, said the Bureau was not aware that the NNPC was making a move to privatise the refineries. He explained that the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan had begun preparing a framework for the privatisation of the refineries. After hearing both submissions, the committee said the NNPC violated the BPE Act of section 11, adding that the claimed joint venture agreement the NNPC was claiming to seek had, overtime, failed the country.

FG, states, LGs share N281.5bn Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

or the umpteenth time, the monthly allocation due to the federal, states and local governments dipped by N18.2 billion leaving stakeholders with grand total of N281.500 billion as April allocation as against previous amount of N299.747 billion. Minister of Finance and chair of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, confirmed the figure yesterday after FAAC session. According to her, the statutory revenue distribution also dropped to N207.878 billion as against N226.875 billion previously shared. Of the amount, the Federal Government got N101.215 billion, states got N51.338 billion while local governments got N39.579

billion. The oil-producing states got N15.745 billion as their 13 per cent derivation while balance in Excess Crude Account was $2.261 billion. For the month of April, the gross revenue available for the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N65.259 billion as against N64.234 billion distributed for March, resulting in a decrease of N1.025 billion. The breakdown of the VAT distribution for the month of April is as follows: Federal Government got N9.397 billion (15%), states got N31.325 billion (50%) and the local government councils received N21.927 billion (35%). The minister announced that N6.330 billion was refunded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the federation account while N2.424 billion being the exchange gain was equally shared by FAAC stakeholders.

NEWS

THURSday, May 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP crisis: Ex-NWC members abandon Sheriff Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

ormer National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is fast losing support as all but three members of the immediate past National Working Committee (NWC) have pitched camp with Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led seven-man caretaker committee. On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party threw its weight behind the constitution of the caretaker committee

The sex ratio of women to 100 men of Gabon in 2012. Source: Un.org

647

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation assisted by UNHCR in Peru at the beginning of 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

by the National Convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and declared that there was no confusion in PDP about the chain of command and line of authority. Also, governors who were Sheriff’s major backers have abandoned him. Yesterday, eight out of the 12 former NWC members in a statement said they "accept without equivocation all decisions and resolutions of the National Convention of the PDP held at Port Harcourt on May 21, 2016." Those who signed the statement were Prince Uche Secondus (former Deputy National Chairman), Barr. Onwe Solomon Onwe (former Deputy National Secretary), Barr. Victor Kwon (ex-National Legal Adviser), Mrs. Kema Chikwe (former National Woman Leader), Abdullahi Maibasira (former National Youth Leader), Elder Bolaji Anani (ex-National Financial Secretary) and Alhaji Buhari Bala (former

National Treasurer). The former National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who is indisposed on health grounds, was not present at the meeting, but agreed with this position. Sheriff was, therefore, left with the former National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo; erstwhile National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha and former National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju as those on his side. The Secondus-led exNWC members, who met in Abuja yesterday, dissociated themselves from "any suit, action or activity seeking to challenge the decisions of the National Convention in appointing the National Caretaker Committee or dissolving the former NWC, which had, at any rate, earlier agreed to go." According to them, the decision of the National

Convention to dissolve the NWC was in line with the resolution of all NWC members at the expanded National Caucus at its 32nd meeting on March 6 to give up their tenures for congresses and convention. "The National Caretaker Committee, constituted by the National Convention on May 21, is fully within the powers of the National Convention under Section 33(5)(e) of the party’s constitution. "We recognise the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the PDP and offer the committee all our support and cooperation," the statement added. The ex-NWC members enjoined party supporters to shun personal interest and support and cooperate with the Makarfi-led caretaker committee so that the party may move forward. According to the exNWC members, the Port Harcourt National Conven-

tion was properly convened in accordance with Section 31(2)(a) of the PDP Constitution 2012 (as amended). They noted that Sheriff who was absent at the convention was represented by Secondus who presided over the convention in accordance with Sections 33(1)(a), 35(1)(a) and 35(3) (b) of the Constitution of the party. "The National Convention, by virtue of which we owe our respective offices, resolved in accordance with democratic principles as enshrined in Section 33(9) of the party’s constitution, amongst others, to: dissolve the National Working Committee of the party; set aside the zoning formula earlier adopted by the NEC with respect to the election of national officers of the party; ratify the decision of NEC of the party that the 2019 presidential candidate of the party shall come from Northern Nigeria; consti-

tute a National Caretaker Committee of seven members under the chairmanship of Makarfi to run the party for 90 days within which time they are to organise an elective National Convention of the party," the former PDP national leaders noted. Special Adviser on Media to Sheriff, Inuwa Bwala, said he had not been briefed of the recent development in the party. Bwala, who spoke in a telephone interview with New Telegraph, evaded all the questions put to him. When asked why Sheriff was still holding onto power since Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose of Rivers and Ekiti states respectively, who were his major backers have changed their stand, Bwala retorted: "I'm not aware." Bwala also said he was not aware that eight of the former NWC members have abandoned Sheriff.

UK, Australia deport 40 Nigerians Wole Shadare

he United Kingdom and Australia yesterday deported 40 Nigerians for various immigration offences. This is the second time in a month that the UK would deport Nigerian nationals over various offences committed by them. The deportees, comprising males and females, arrived at the hajj camp area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 7:25a.m. in a chartered aircraft. The aircraft, with registration number, ZTA-4741, brought into the country 36 Nigerians comprising 29 males and seven females. Also, Air Seychelles, with registration number SND-1, brought four males into the country for similar immigration offences. Apart from Nigerians that were deported by the two countries, some citizens of Africa, especially from Ghana, Liberia and Egypt, were equally deported. The returnees were received by various agencies including officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) that checked their identities to ascertain their nationalities. Other officials came from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), National

Agency for Protection and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other relevant stakeholders. A source close to the terminal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the deportees were violent when officers of the Immigration Service attempted to collect their fingerprints for data purpose. The source disclosed that others who did not kick against the finger printing were swiftly attended to by the officers and were allowed to leave the airport after the completion of their documentations. When New Telegraph visited the Hajj and cargo terminal where the deportees used as exit, they looked dejected as some of them lamented how to begin life anew. The deportees, it was gathered, were returned from their host countries for overstaying their visas and other immigration offences. The Public Relations Officer, NIS, Mr. Ekpedeme King, confirmed the deportation to our correspondent on phone, but could not give details. He said that the service was still awaiting more information from its Lagos office as at the time of filing in this report. In April 48 Nigerians were jointly deported by UK and Switzerland governments for residing in their countries illegally.

Some of the 40 Nigerians deported from the United kingdom and Australia at the NAHCO gate of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos… yesterday.

Shell, Chevron’s total job cuts hit 23,500 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

10,000 staff and slash direct contractor positions in the company’s unedited full year 2015 results earlier obtained by New Telegraph. The oil giant also got the approval by shareholders at a January 27 meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, of a cost cutting strategy by $3 billion in 2016. Chevron would, in the process that began in 2015, complete the sacking of 8,500 staff in its services globally by the end of 2016. The United States oil company revealed that it would lay off 7,000 staff before 2016 ends in addition to the 1,500 it announced early in 2015, according to a 2015 last quarter report published by the New York Times. Stating that it expected its costs to fall again in 2016, by a further $3 billion, Shell, which slashed $4 billion investments in 2015, said that its drive to improve competitive per-

formance was delivering at the bottom line. “That is on top of 10,000 already cut! Meanwhile CEO gets £1.4 million salary, £3.5 million bonus and £441,000 pension! #Strike needed,” a staff of Shell/ BG, Richard Godon said in a tweet. Another staff, Anthony S. John, added: “A plague spreading across businesses hitting the lower paid: cut positions, lower wages and bonuses, increase world load and hours.” Shell’s adjusted net income fell 58 per cent to $1.6 billion in the first quarter following the collapse in prices. The company bought BG Group for $54 billion this year to get access to oil and natural gas reserves from Australia to Brazil. The purchase has increased its debt to $70 billion and driven up its ratio of net debt to capital to above 26 per cent. “Operating costs have reduced by $4 billion or

around 10 per cent in 2015, and the company expects Shell’s costs to fall again in 2016 by a further $3 billion. Synergies from the BG combination will be in addition to that. “Together, these actions will include a reduction of some 10,000 staff and direct contractor positions in 2015-16 across both companies, as streamlining and integration of the two companies continue,” the Shell report stated. Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Dutch Shell, Ben van Beurden, who confirmed the new business strategy, expressed satisfaction with “the momentum in the company to reduce costs and to improve competitiveness.” Beurden noted that bold, strategic moves shape the industry. “A substantial number of staff in the operations of Shell and Chevron in Nigeria will be swept by this gale of sack,” an industry source once told this news-

paper, adding that Shell and Chevron were “courageous enough to announce the number of staff to be affected, but the truth is that all the international oil companies (IOCs) are toeing the line of downsizing and they have all begun this with the termination of contracts with some of their contract staff.” The two multi-nationals did not give a breakdown of how many staff in their Nigerian operations would be affected, Chevron, however, said on its website that Nigeria was “an important part of Chevron’s business globally,” while Shell, which is also the biggest oil firm in Nigeria in terms of assets and production, “produces substantial volume of its global output from Nigeria.” Shell, according to the unedited report published on January 20, is taking impactful steps to refocus and reduce capital spending.

News|national

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Witness admits no documents linked Saraki to Abuja property Dangote contributes 53% of Tunde Oyesina solid mineral revenue –FG T Abuja

prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged false declaration of assets, yesterday admitted before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, sitting in Abuja that Saraki’s name was not linked with any of the Abuja properties contained in the charge. The witness, Micheal Wetkas, while being cross examined by Paul Usoro, SAN, told the tribunal that Saraki’s name did

0.32%

not appear on any of the documents linking him to any of the properties in Maitama district. While being questioned about the property, located at Plot 2481 Cadastral Zone and 2482 Cadastral Zone allegedly owned by Saraki, Wetkas read a letter from the Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency which informed the EFCC that the property was transferred to Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited, using a Power of Attorney. He further stated that the power of attorney was made in 1992, 10 years before Saraki became Governor of Kwara State, adding

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Kenya in 2000. Source: Itu.int

that the power of attorney was issued between one David Baba Akawo and Allied Properties Ltd, and Saraki’s personal name never appeared on any of the document relating to the transactions on the Abuja property. When Usoro put it to the witness that Carlisle Investments and Property Company Limited was different from the defendant as a person, the witness said “even though the documentation is in the name of Carlisle Properties and investment limited, we believe that the property belong to the defendant because the company belongs to him”.

56.25

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Korea Republic in 2000. Source: Itu.int

On the ownership of Carlisle Investment Company Limited, whose certificate of incorporation was tendered before the Tribunal, the witness said that Saraki’s name was never mentioned in the ownership of the firm. Wetkas further stated that the name on the certificate of incorporation is Oluwatoyin Ojora and Babs trading and manufacturing Limited. Usoro, however, noted that the certificate of incorporation of the said Babs Trading and Manufacturing Company Limited alleged to have been owned by Saraki was not tendered in evidence.

£4.509m

The amount of money received by each English Premiership club as central commercial revenue for the 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr. Bassey Akpanyung; Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Services, Alhaji Mohammed Babandede; and Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), during, the inauguration of CG immigration in Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI.

7,500 construction workers to be re-engaged, says Fashola Caleb Onwe Abuja

ope seems to be rising for about 17,500 construction workers, who were disengaged by their various companies due to the prevalent economic recession, which led to non payment of salaries

for the past three years. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this in Abuja, when he featured on a television programme – Good Morning Nigeria, a Nigerian Television Authority programme, monitored in Abuja. Fashola stated that

the construction firms have already agreed to re-engage these sacked workers, following the ministry’s arrangement to pay 41 construction companies and some consultancy firms. He, however, noted that all the contractors may not be accommodated in the payment schedule this first quarter, due to lean resources

I’II install CCT cameras to fight crime, says El-Rufai Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

overnor Nasir ElRufai of Kaduna State plans to install Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras across the state as part of his efforts to beef up security surveillance. The Special Adviser on Internal Security and Coordinator of the state’s , Joint Security Outfit, known as “Operation Yaki,” Hon. Yakubu Yusufu Soja, disclosed this while addressing a press conference as part of the

administration’s celebration of one year in office. According to Soja, the installation of the CCTV cameras has reached about 80 per cent completion. He also said that plans were underway for the procurement of Unmanned Ariel Vehicle, UAV (drones) for surveillance purposes. The Special Adviser also said that the government would provide modern crime detecting devices, more operational vehicles for Operation Yaki and training of its operatives to man the equip-

ments in order to provide state wide surveillance. Soja said that the administration has so far reduced crime in the state, saying it has arrested 59 kidnappers, 174 cattle rustlers and recovered 59,515 livestock, including cattle, sheep and donkeys which have been returned to their owners. According to him, when the El-Rufai administration assumed office on May 29 last year, security challenge was one of the major areas of great concern.

being expected from the Federal government’s allocation. The minister, who said that the effort to pay contractors was a deliberate plan of the government to cushion the harsh effects of the economic condition, also added that his priority was to finish as many ongoing road projects as possible.

he Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has revealed that Dangote Industries Limited generates more mineral resource revenue for the government than the rest of the nation put together. In its reports made available yesterday, Dangote Cement was responsible for 53 per cent of the government revenue, that is, N15.9 billion of the total N33.86 billion accrued that year to the Federal Government. The report revealed that

93 per cent of the total government revenues from solid minerals sector was from five companies: Dangote, WAPCO, Ashaka Cement, Unicem, CCNN and others. The report states that: “53 per cent of the country’s revenue from the solid minerals sector was paid by Dangote Cement Plc to the Federal Government.” NEITI said that Nigeria has about 52 solid mineral resources across all states of the federation, with every state possessing at least two mineral resources.

Again, court orders FG to allow Dasuki access to lawyers Tunde Oyesina Abuja

gain, an Abuja High Court yesterday ordered the Federal Government to allow the detained former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) to have unhindered access his lawyer in order to brief them and prepare for his defence. The court order of yesterday would be the third order within two weeks, asking the government to allow Dasuki access to his lawyers. Dasuki has been in detention of the DSS since December 2015. Meanwhile, the court also granted one-month permission to former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who is standing trial along with Dasuki to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj. Handling down the fresh order, the trial judge, Justice Peter Affen, held that Dasuki must be released to his team of lawyers for eight working days to take briefing from him and prepare for the trial in the criminal charges filed against him by the Federal Government. He further directed that the operatives of DSS must bring Dasuki to his lawyers

within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory judiciary headquarters. New Telegraph recalls that similar orders had been made by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High sitting in Abuja and Justice Baba Yusuf of an Abuja High Court. The security agents are by the fresh order to make Dasuki available to his legal team being led by Joseph Daudu, SAN as from June 13, to June 22, 2016. The briefing is to hold in the appointed days between 9am to 4pm every day. Justice Peter Affen held that it was in the interest of justice that the defendant must be allowed to have access to the lawyers of his choice as required by law and in the interest of fair trial. Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN had earlier objected to the request of Dasuki for access to his lawyers. Jacobs argued that there was no evidence before the court that Dasuki’s lawyers made any attempt to visit the headquarters of the DSS to take briefing from their clients, adding that the request was a ploy to delay the trial. Jacobs prayed the court not to indulge the defendant in the request as doing so would further delay the trial.

PRRI gives Borno IDPs N10m Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

elp has come the way of many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Peace, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Initiative (PRRI) led by its Executive Secretary, Sam Ode, gave cash worth N2.5 million, food items worth N5 million and improved seeds and crops worth N2.5 million to support

them. The gesture, according to Ode, was to assist the returning IDPs whose communities have been liberated from terrorists in the North East to enable them return home and move on with their lives. Speaking at the event, Ode emphasised that the task of helping the IDPs to return back to their various communities became necessary after his NGO took an assessment tour of selected communities in the North-East that were once ravaged by in-

surgency and confirmed that the Nigerian military have carried out a total recovery of the area and now suitable for human habitation, though requiring urgent government efforts for meaningful life to take off. Ode, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said the team is moving to some pilot Local Government Areas that have approached the NGO with some special requests to provide them with seeds, food items and cash support to help the people quickly resettle.

EFCC re-arrests Fidelity Bank MD Our Correspondent

here were strong indications yesterday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had rearrested the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fidelity Bank Plc., Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo. New Telegraph gathered that Okonkwo's arrest may not be unconnected with fresh dis-

covery of another lodgement in the bank, besides the initial $115 million said to have been lodged by a former minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. There was no confirmation from the EFCC, as the Commission's Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached. Meanwhile, New Telegraph learnt that "Senator Sa'idu Umar Kumo of

Gombe State, who was the former national secretary of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, (ANPP) (allegedly) signed and collected N450 million, campaign fund for the re-election of the former President Goodluck Jonathan." He was said to have allegedly "admitted that out of the said amount, he benefited only N2 million, which he promised to pay back." Also, "Chief Joel H.Madaki, the current

Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Adamawa State and Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakili Adamawa) (allegedly) signed and collected the same N450M campaign fund for the reelection of Jonathan, for Adamawa State, all the transactions were with Fidelity Bank. "Madaki in his statement to the EFCC, allegedly admitted that out of the said amount, N5m that passed through his

L-R: Assistant Corps Marshal, FRSC, Manpower Development, Stephen Maitazuma; Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi and Head, Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem, during a meeting with House of Representative Committee on Federal Character in Abuja…yesterday

Kunle Azeez

ollowing regulatory upheavals being experienced by MTN Group, the telecoms giant said it expected its earnings to be under pressure for the rest of the year in its two main markets of Nigeria and South Africa, citing a weak exchange rate in Africa's biggest economy. MTN, Africa’s largest telecoms operator by subscribers and sales, according to Reuters, said that the weak economic growth in its key markets and tough competition could negatively impact performance. “We expect the group’s performance to be impacted by the weak macro environment in key markets, as well as by tough competition,” MTN’s

MTN faces profit margin crisis

Chairman, Mr. Phuthuma Nhleko, said in the statement. “We, nevertheless, remain confident about the longer term prospects of the countries in which we operate.” MTN’s organic revenue gained one per cent in the first four months of 2016, despite a drop in Nigeria, its biggest market, where the company was ordered to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered customers. Sales in Nigeria declined 6 per cent in the year through April, MTN said in the statement ahead of its annual meeting in Johannesburg later yesterday. The company finished closing down non-compliant accounts in Nigeria and in Uganda during the first quarter, it said.

However, profit margins remain under pressure, the company said in the same statement cited by Bloomberg. MTN came under pressure last year, as the Nigerian Communications Commission, the telecom regulator, withdrew services and levied a record $3.9 billion (N780 billion) fine on the company for missing a deadline to disconnect subscribers. The original $5.2 billion (N1.04 trillion) fine was issued last October after MTN failed to meet a deadline for unregistered SIM disconnection on its network. The penalty was later dropped by 25 per cent to $3.9 billion (N780 billion), but the telco remains in

drawn-out negotiations with authorities to further reduce it. However, MTN said it remains optimistic about the Nigeria fine settlement in the coming months “We remain optimistic on reaching a conclusion on this matter in the short term. We will continuously monitor developments with regards to the Nigerian fine and will review the adequacy of the provision at the end of the reporting period,” said Nhleko. The group has also told its shareholders and public it “will continuously monitor developments with regards to the Nigerian fine and review the adequacy of the provision at the end of the reporting period."

Arase: N1.9bn Police funds trapped in TSA Emmanuel Onani Abuja

he Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has disclosed that over N1.9 billion of Police's funds in the Treasury Single Account (TSA), is being garnisheed. A Garnishee Order" is an order made by a court of competent jurisdiction against the holder of a judgement-debtor's money, to enable a judgement-creditor to recover

7 FG appoints heads of NTA, NAN, VON, others

national | news

thursday, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

their money from the debtor. The IGP, who lamented the development, which he said has the capacity of affecting the performance of the Force, as funds meant for operational, personnel and other concerns, will be used to settle Garnishee orders. Arase expressed the concern yesterday at the Inaugural Annual Police Lawyers' Conference held in Abuja. "My last count shows that over N1.9 Billion

of Police Funds in the Treasury Single Account(TSA) is being garnisheed. "If this situation is not urgently addressed, the Police may not be able to perform its functions as the limited budgetary allocations will be needlessly lost to garnishee actions," he said. According to the IGP, "It is the statutory function of the Police to prevent crime but only preventive strategies cast in concrete are breach proof. We all know that it

is impossible to cast our preventive strategies in concrete. Therefore, offending members of our society must be brought to justice. "It remains the responsibility of police lawyers to guide investigators in the gathering, preservation and presentation of evidence, as well as ensuring respect for the rights of persons who become the subject of police preventive and investigative procedures, be they suspects or witnesses of crime.

office, which he promised to pay back." It was further alleged that "The former acting Governor of Taraba State, Senator Sani Danladi Abubakar, who is the Senator representing Taraba North senatorial District in the National Assembly, was the chair of the sharing committee of N450M campaign slush fund for the re-election of Jonathan." "Other members were the former minister of Labour and productivity, Senator Joel Ikenya Danlami and former speaker of the State legislature, Mark Bako Useni. "Investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed the role played by the trio in the collection and sharing of the fund. It also showed that Joel Ikenya and Mark Useni signed and collected the fund from Fidelity Bank on behalf of the State before proceeding to the government House to distribute the fund."

Our Correspondent

he Federal Government has appointed new Chief Executive Officers for six informationrelated parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture. The appointments were announced in Abuja yesterday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The new Chief Executives are: Mr. Ishaq Modibo Kawu - Director-General, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Mr. Mansur Liman - DirectorGeneral, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); Mr. Yakubu Mohammed - DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Dr. Garba Abari, DirectorGeneral, National Orientation Agency (NOA); Mr. Bayo Onanuga - Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Mr. Osita Okechukwu - DirectorGeneral, Voice of Nigeria (VON).

States endorse fiscal reform plan Tony Chukwunyem

he 36 States of the Federation have agreed to reform the finances of State and Local Governments under a Fiscal Sustainability Programme to ensure their long-term viability, the Federal Ministry of Finance has said. In a statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Festus Akanbi, the Ministry said the 22-point fiscal reform action plan to be implemented by States under the Programme mirrors the ongoing pub-

£12.52m

The amount of money received by Leicester City as facility fees for the 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

lic financial management reforms being undertaken by the Federal Government, including: biometric capture of all civil servants, the establishment of an Efficiency Unit, implementation of Continuous Audit, improvement in Independently Generated Revenue (IGR) and measures to achieve sustainable debt management. According to the statement, the reforms were unanimously agreed by State Governors during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting that was held on Thursday 19th May. The Ministry further stated that the Federal Government is developing a financial support structure, which will be directly tied to the attainment of agreed fiscal reform milestones.

FG targets production of items on import list Anule Emmanuel Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday assured Nigerians that the Nigeria would soon begin the production of most items on its import list as a step towards diversification of the country's economy. The President said that his administration was fully committed and determined to do all within its powers to achieve the rapid diversification of Nigeria's economy in this regard. He disclosed this at the

presidential villa while speaking at a farewell audience with the outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Saeed Koozechi, According to the President, he was convinced that with greater diligence, hard work and patriotic determination to achieve self-sufficiency, Nigeria can produce most of the items currently on its import list. "We made a terrible mistake by becoming a mono-product economy hinged on oil and we are now in a volatile situation, due to the crash in oil prices."

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

Corps member killed, Facebook account deleted Camillus Nnaji

Igali

Paulinus Onah Onitsha

ouths wielding machetes, axes, clubs and other dangerous weapons yesterday took over OnitshaAsaba Expressway in Onitsha, Anambra State, to protest the relocation of their market by men of Ocha Brigade. The protesters, who were chanting war songs, trooped out at 7:30am and disrupted vehicular movements for about one hour. All vehicles coming from Upper Iweka end of the Onitsha-Asaba Expressway and those coming from Asaba to Upper Iweka were forced to park while the occupants fled into safety. Earlier, the protesters clashed with

ody of a 22-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ifiemi Igali, was found yesterday at Berger near Ojodu Abiodun in Ogun State. Igali, a member of the batch ‘A’ set, was posted to Benue State but his body was discovered near Lagos. It was learnt the Facebook account of the graduate of Geography and Environmental Management from Niger Delta University (NDU) was also deleted by his suspected assailants, perhaps because something posted on his timeline was incriminating. Igali, who hailed from Eneware, Ijaw South Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was said to have told his family members in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, that he was going to his school to collect his statement of result. It became a rude shock to the parents when a police officer from Ogun State called his family members to tell them that he had been found dead on a lonely street at Berger, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun states. His sister, Conquer Igali, a lawyer, told our correspondent on the phone that the family in Yenegoa had been thrown into mourning over Ifiemi’s murder. The sister said the family had checked at bus terminals to verify if he actually travelled to Lagos, but

nothing like that was discovered. She said: “Somebody has murdered my brother. We have checked bus terminals and discovered he had no record of travelling on public transport to Lagos. No accident. His Facebook account has been deleted, while his WhatsApp was last active on Friday night.” Conquer said the father of the deceased had left for Lagos to get police report and ensure a post-mortem was conducted on the body. She added: “According to the police, his body has been deposited at Mainland Hospital mortuary, Yaba, Lagos. His father has travelled to Lagos for his post-mortem and police report. I will take up the matter, but police should do their own work. When the hospital issues the autopsy result, then I will have the power of attorney to pursue the matter.” Conquer described Ifiemi as gentle and soft-spoken man. She added that he was never a cult member. The police officer who discovered Ifiemi’s body, who gave his name as Inspector Emmanuel, at Ojodu-Abiodun Police Division, confirmed the story. He said the incident was recorded at the division while the state Police Command Headquarters was also aware of the incident. But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, neither picked his calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile line on Ifiemi’s muder.

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

Gunmen strangle 83-year-old chief Babatope Okeowo Akure

rmed men have killed an Akure High Chief, Dada Oyateru, by strangling him at his Oke-Ijebu residence in Akure, Ondo State. The 83-year-old Ayalodi of Akure, according to his junior wife, Mrs. Titilola Oyateru, was attacked by a three-man gang who broke into their house by 1am on Tuesday. Titilola said the masked men entered the house through Oyateru’s room after cutting the burglary and held them hostage for about four hours. She said: “They pointed gun at Baba and asked for the money which he brought home the previous night. He told them he didn’t have any money at home and that usually he doesn’t keep money at home. But they refused to listen to him. They threatened to kill us if we didn’t give them money.” Titilola added that the deceased ought to have gone for medical check-up at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, on Monday, but couldn’t go because he had no money. She said: “He begged them not to kill him and urged them to go with his two cars. He also promised to go to the bank the following day to withdraw money from his bank account. Baba begged them to tell him wherever they wanted him to drop the money for them. But they insisted that they would kill him if he didn’t give them money immediately.” According to her, the bandits tied the deceased with ropes and asked other members of the family to lie down with their faces to the ground. Thereafter, they pounced on the octogenarian and twisted his neck. She said the gunmen ransacked the whole house, carted away valuables such as laptops, phones, jewellery and N35,000 cash. According to her, they escaped in Oyateru’s red Toyota Camry ‘Muzzle’ car at exactly 4:30am.

Market relocation: Armed protesters ground Onitsha men of the Ocha Brigade. Over 200 vehicles entering Onitsha from Asaba and going from Onitsha to Asaba, including buses with their terminal at Niger Bridge Head, Onitsha, were abandoned on the road as people scampered into safety. The youth said they were protesting an Anambra State government directive for them to relocate their market to Atani Road near Power Mike Stadium, following incessant accidents at their location on the service lane of the Onitsha Asaba Expressway by Nigerian Bottling Company factory. The service lane has been turned to a booming foodstuff and other edible

fruits’ market. A witness told journalist that government had provided a better, safer and more spacious place for the traders on Atani Road and asked them to relocate, but they refused. He said: “Government, however, decided to use the Ocha Brigade, which has been doing similar relocation work for government. Members of the brigade swooped on the traders in the market to enforce the relocation to their new site on Atani Road but the traders resisted them. The traders trooped out to the road and clashed with the government officials.”

The protesters

METRO

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Soldiers kill two gunmen, rescue kidnap victims

One dies, 27 survive boat accident

Emmanuel Masha

Port Harcourt

en of the Nigerian Army have shot dead two gunmen during an exchange of gunfire at Afam community in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. This came as the soldiers also rescued three victims of kidnapping. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Capt. Eli Lazarus, said the gunfight lasted for several hours, and that four of the gunmen managed to escape with gunshot wounds. Lazarus told journalists in Port Harcourt that the incident occurred on Tuesday and that no soldier was killed during the operation or sustained any injury. He disclosed that the operation started on Monday when the soldiers trailed the suspected gunmen, in a Toyota Camry car, leading to a shootout. Lazarus added that the soldiers also recovered weapons and the operational vehicle of the gunmen. He said: “About 1pm on Monday, troops of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, on routine patrol, had an encounter with gunmen at Afam in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. “Two suspects were killed during the encounter while four others escaped with gunshot wounds. Items recovered from the suspects were three AK47 rifles, one pistol, eight AK47 magazines and 81 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition. “Also, a blue Toyota Camry car with registration number Rivers FC 288 PHC that was used by the suspects was recovered.” In another operation, Lazarus disclosed that soldiers rescued two men and a woman, who were abducted by gunmen at Ubima community in Isiokpo Local Government Area, after engaging the kidnappers in a shootout.

Soldiers on parade

Muritala Ayinla ne person died yesterday in Lagos while 27 others were rescued when a 30-seat capacity boat capsized a few metres away from the jetty where it took off. It was learnt that the boat - HMS 2 - travelling with 28 passengers from Origin Jetty to Addax Jetty on Victoria Island, capsized after travelling about 400 metres. The boat hit a log which damaged its single hull and sank. The incident occurred about 9:55am behind Dangote Company at Ebutte Ikorodu. Speaking on the incident, the Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Abisola Kamson (an Engineer), sympathised with the family of the victim. She said: “Rescue operation started immediately and 27 passengers were rescued from the incident. But unfortunately, one passenger was confirmed dead at the scene of the incident. Investigation reveals that all passengers were wearing lifejackets. “LASWA and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) have issued out new guidelines and standards to boat operators in Lagos aimed at sanitising and improving the waterways, including a minimum double hull standard among others.

One of the Survivors

“Operators are pleading for an extension in the implementation time line. However, government is committed to ensuring that all steps are taken to mitigate any and all unfortunate incidents on the waterways.” Kamson added that government would continue to intensify efforts to speed up the implementation of the new reforms in the waterways sector to prevent any unfortunate future occurrence. Officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), LASWA,

Awoyitan

NIWA, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), police among other emergency responders were on ground to rescue the victims. The LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Michael Akindele, advised boat operators to avoid over speeding and to always comply with safety regulations on the waterways to avoid accidents and loss of lives. He said proper investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the accident.

Lagos to demolish structures under high-tension cables Dayo Ayeyemi

agos State government has given owners of structures under hightension cables to remove them within seven days. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Anifowoshe Abiola, who gave the warning in a statement, said buildings on the Right of Way (ROW) of high-tension electricity cables were dangerous, illegal and a source of serious concern to government. He said: “Failure to adhere to the directive would lead to the removal of such structures by government at a cost to be borne by owners, developers or occupiers of such buildings.” Abiola added that building or conducting business under high tension power lines constituted a danger that could have

fatal consequences. He added: “The state Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010, not only prohibits building under the centre-line of over-head electricity wires, it also in very clear terms specified the distance to be observed between a property and a public utility such as the PHCN high tension cables. “The state government, through its relevant ministries and agencies will henceforth, enforce applicable law strictly by removing all development and activities encroaching on the Right of Way of utilities and services. “The required setback for buildings from the centre-line of over-head wires and horizontal distance between such buildings of not less than six metres for 11KV wire lines, while nine metres is the recommended distance for 33KV wire

Ambode

lines. Furthermore, the recommended setback for 132KV wire lines is 15 metres, while a 22.5-metre setback is recommended for 330KV power line.”

City Briefs Court orders teenager to produce cleric as surety Surety arraigned as accused persons A

Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday ordered that a hairdresser, Richard Awawa (19), who was alleged to have been involved in cult activities, must produce a cleric that is above 40 years as one of his sureties. The magistrate, Memunat Folami, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. “The two sureties must be the accused person’s blood relations; one must be a cleric and the other must have a suitable means of income,” Folami ruled. The accused, who is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, theft and belonging

to ‘Aiye’ secret cult, denied the charges. The prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijiale, told the court that the accused and one other at large, committed the offences on May 15 about 11:30p.m., at Olabisi Adewunmi Close in Owode Ajah, Lagos State. Osijiale said the accused and one other who belonged to ‘Aiye’ secret cult stole the Infinix phone belonging to their friend, Christian Anabaraoye, who was unwilling to be initiated into the cult. He said: “The accused and his accomplice went to Anabaraoye’s house and told him to follow them to Oke-Ira area of Ajah for his initiation. “When he refused, they forcibly collected his cell

phone valued at N36,000.” The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 42 (a), 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

disappear Emmanuel Uti

man, Alhaji Ahmed Sosanya, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for failing to produce two accused he stood surety for. Sosanya had on May 13 promised the court, at the Human Rights Resources Centre, that he would bring the two accused to court, whenever there was a trial. The accused, Augustine and Uchenna Francis, were said to have been arrested for fraud of N6.9 million. It was, however, said that the accused had been able to pay N6 million out of the N6.9 million. Now, Sosanya is also looking for those who will stand surety for him.

On May 13, Sosanya had promised the court that he wouldn’t fail in ensuring that the two men were always in court. He told the court that if he failed to keep to the promise, he would pay N7 million. But Sosanya failed to keep his promise while nobody knows the whereabouts of the two accused. Sosanya was arrested and arraigned in court. He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned. The magistrate, Aje Afunwa, granted him bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in the like sum, coupled with an evidence of Lagos State Tax payment and a verifiable address. Afunwa then adjourned the case till July 27.

NEWS | national

FG differs to Labour, appoints Buba, PPPRA Chair Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

ecretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Lawal David Babachir, has announced the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Buba as the Chairman of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). He disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, after a meeting with the leadership of Nigerian Labour

Congress (NLC) to review issues involved in the new pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, recently announced by the Federal Government. Babachir said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Buba, a former Director General of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), adding that he has also expressed willingness to serve on the Board. The Labour Congress had on Sunday announced

Col. Tanko Ayuba dies

ormer Communications Minister, Major General Abubakar Tanko Ayuba ((retd) is dead. The Senator representing Kebbi South constituency, in 2007, died yesterday afternoon at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos, of an undisclosed ailment. Details of his death were sketchy at press time, but it was gathered from the hospital that Ayuba had been on admission at a private ward for about two months. Ayuba attended the Nigerian Military School and Nigerian Defence Academy. He was commissioned second lieutenant, Signals Corps, 1967; Second-in-command, Signals

Regiment, 1967; Adjutant, 2 Signals Regiment, 1970; Company commander, 1971; Brigade major, 1972; Commanding Officer, 1973; Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Signals in 1978. He was Commanding officer, 2 Signals Regiment, 1979; Commander, 1979-80, Commander, Signals Brigade, 1980-81; Commander, Army Headquarters, Signals Group, 1981-84 and Commander, Corps of Signals, 1984-85. He was appointed member, Armed Forces Ruling Council, 1985; minister of Communications, 1985-87, promoted colonel, 1986, director of Manning, Army Head quarters, Lagos, 198890 and was appointed military governor of Kaduna State, 1990.

FG declares May 30 public holiday T he Federal Government yesterday declared Monday, May 30, as public holiday to celebrate the 2016 Democracy Day. Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in Abuja. A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary

in the Ministry, Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, quoted the minister as wishing Nigerians happy democracy day celebration. He assured the nation that with the signing into law of the 2016 Appropriation Act, the country would witness a “new deal” with its implementation.

FCT Minister sacks Environmental Board boss Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

orried by the poor sanitation condition of the nation's capital, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, yesterday approved the immediate removal of the Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Baba Shehu Lawan, who has been replaced by Mrs. Oluwatoyin Omolola Olanipekun. The Minister has also approved the immediate

removal of all heads of Departments as well as Heads of Units under the Board and directed their deputies to immediately take charge. Bello made the changes after he met with the former management team of the AEPB alongside the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye.

change OF NAME

Nwobodo

I, formerly known and addressed as Ene Sunday Onovo, now wish to be called and addressed as Ene Sunday Nwobodo. All my documents still remain valid. First bank of Nigeria plc and general public, please take note.

the suspension of its indefinite strike to demand for reversal of pump price per litre from N145 to N86.50 with a resolve to enter into negotiation with the Federal Government on the review of minimum wage for workers, electricity tariff and constitution of the Board of PPMC, among other issues. The Board of PPPRA, which has the statutory role of determining and fixing the prices of petroleum products, has not been constituted for over four years. He also disclosed that a 16-man committee has been set up to look into the various issues that emanated from the hike in price of petrol, such as the minimum wage, implementation of the N500billion palliative in the 2016 budget as well as the review of the pump price. His words: "We just finished our meeting with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and I'm happy to announce we had a very successful meeting with an outcome that will make every

Nigerian happy. First of all, on the side of the government, we want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress for their magnanimity in calling off the strike. And we thank Nigerians for being patient while the strike lasted. In this meeting, we have arrived at some major decisions. First of all, you would recall that before we adjourned the last meeting, we had basically decided to discuss three major issues. One was the issue of the minimum wage for workers, both in government and in the private. And also, Labour had raised the issue of requirement to be involved in the implementation of half a trillion naira amount of money in the budget for palliative for Nigerians that are on the fringe of society economically. “Then, Labour had requested that the government reconstitute the Board of PPPRA which they said had it being in place, the issue of the misunderstanding in the price regulation would not have arisen."

thursday, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Smoking cannabis damages DNA, raises disease risk Appolonia Adeyemi

new study yesterday said smoking cannabis can alter a person's DNA and cause mutations that could expose a user to serious illnesses. The study published in the journal ‘Mutation Research - Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis,’ said the risk from the DNA mutations is not exclusive to the marijuana user. “The disease-causing mutations are also passed on to children and several future generations,” the researchers said. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains an individual’s unique genetic code. Like a recipe book, it holds the instructions for making all the proteins in the human body. Cannabis, a genus of flowering plant, has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre. Though the link be-

CONFIRMATION/change OF NAME

Tonade

I formerly known and addressed as Ogedengbe Mercy Olufunke now wish to be known and addressed as Tonade Mercy Olufunke. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Edigbo

I formerly known and addressed as Obi Chinonyelum Nkechinyere now wish to be known and addressed as Edigbo Chinonyelum Nkechinyere. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHRIST REALM OF GRACE AND GLORY CHURCH

This Is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission for registration under part' C' of the companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990. The Trustees are: 1. Francis Oko-oboh Omon – President 2. Oko-oboh Blessing Okaka 3.Aniekwensi Michael Amaechi 4. Kunle fredrick Ebunola AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To liberate people from sin and Satan and prepare them for heaven. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: PRESIDENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHRIST SHEPHERD SPIRITUAL CHURCH

The general public is hereby informed that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for the registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Cap C20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The Trustees are: 1. Mrs. Oladosu Felicia Omolara 2. Mr. Michael Abiodun Oladosu.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the word of God. 2. To promote the teachings of Jesus Christ. 3. To establish chapels, churches and house-fellowship centres for the benefit of residents and promote the scriptures according to the Holy Bible. 4. To establish Mission Houses, Pastoral houses for the residence of our ministers and missionaries worldwide, shelters for the needy and homeless, pantry services; 5. To uses any or all means permitted by law for communication such as: established religious radio stations, tele-broadcast net work, also to write, publish and distribute religious literature such as the Bible, books, magazine and allied service; 6. To establish, extend and otherwise carry on any or all of the aforesaid purpose into a worldwide ministry movemen. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: Mrs. Oladosu Felicia Omolara

Muhammed

I formerly known and addressed as Hammed Abiola Eniitan now wish to be known and addressed as Muhammed Abiola Eniitan. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Egeun

I formerly known and addressed as Dickson Preye now wish to be known and addressed as Fidelix Egeun. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Gbenga

I formerly known and addressed as Adewale Olanrewaju Aleri now wish to be known and addressed as Adewale Olanrewaju Gbenga. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Shell

I formerly known and addressed as Toki Saturday now wish to be known and addressed as Shell Saturday. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Tebekami

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Jebbah Rita now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tebekami Rita. All former documents remain valid. Access bank Plc, Unity bank Plc and the general public should take note.

Ondukakpo

This is to confirm that Mr. Matthew Temene Sam Ondukakpo, Mathew Sam and Pemene Sam Ondukakpo all refer to one and the same person. That henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Matthew Temene Sam Ondukakpo. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC bank Plc and the general public, note.

Etim

I formerly known and addressed as Etiowo Dorathy Ekefre now wish to be known and addressed as Ekefre Dorathy Etim. All former documents remain valid. First bank Plc, UBA Plc, FCMB Plc and the general public should please take note.

tween cannabis and severe illnesses, such as cancer, has previously been documented, how this occurs and the implications for future generations were not well understood. Reacting to the study, Dr. Stuart Reece and Professor Gary Hulse, from the University of Western Australia's School of Psychiatry, analysed literary and research material to understand the likely causes. Reece said: “Through our research, we found that cancers and illnesses were likely caused by cell mutations resulting from cannabis properties having a chemical interaction with a person's DNA.” Speaking further, Reece said: “With increasing cannabis use globally in recent years, this has a concerning impact for the population.” While a person may appear healthy and lead a normal life, the unseen damage to their DNA could also be passed on to their children, and cause illness for several generations to come. He said: “The worst cancers are reported in the first few years of life in children exposed in utero to cannabis effects.

Okezuo

I formerly known and addressed as Tina Onyeisi Odinaka now wish to be known and addressed as Tina Onyeisi Okezuo. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

AVWERHONYO

This is to confirm that Avwerhonyo Ovwromo Harrison, Avwerhonyo Harrison and Avwerhonyo Ovwromo belong to one and same person and that my correct date of birth is 4th March, 1975. All documents bearing the above names/date of birth remain valid. Ecobank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and General Public take.

Salvation

I formerly known and addressed as Agiri Ikadoite now wish to be known and addressed as Salvation Ikadoite. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc and the general public should please take note.

Epain

I formerly known and addressed as Peres Ebikeme Joel now wish to be known and addressed as Joel Douglas Ebikeme Epain. All former documents remain valid. UBA bank Plc and the general public should please take note.

Okati

This is to confirm that Okati Oyila Ayebaesin Allen is the same person as Okati Oyila with which my Sterling bank/ BVN was registered. That henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Okati Oyila Ayebaesin Allen. All former documents remain valid. Sterling bank Plc, Wema bank Plc and the general public should take note.

Iniobong

This is to confirm that Iniobong Ededem James and Theresa James Udo is one and the same person. Henceforth wish to be known and addressed as Iniobong Ededem James. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Emeka

I formerly known and addressed as Nkemjika Emeka Wisdom now wish to be known and addressed as Nkemjika Godswill Emeka. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Obioha

Politics

Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved in one year

Akiyode-Afolabi

Buhari:

One year after

Buhari has brought new dimension to governance

13 15

Buhari can do more by focusing on economy – Agbakoba National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is 0.34 per cent. The last growth rate was two per cent, so we are now at a depression stage. And if you look at all the critical indices, you will find out that things are really bad. Foreign Direct Investment is zero, stock market is down, petroleum prices are up. You can see that there is no good news. In appraising the one year of President Buhari, we must acknowledge the crisis of the old order.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and human rights activist, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, speaks on the one year of President Muhammadu Buhari administration and proffers ways the government can raise the bar of governance in the country. WALE ELEGBEDE reports It is one year of the Muhammadu Buhari’ s government. What is your assessment of the administration? When this administration came on board, I was cautiously positive but right now I am cautiously negative because I am waiting to see what will happen. But in fairness to President Buhari, he has been challenged by the unenvisaged crisis of governance which bugged him down. Further credit should go to him in the area of anti-corruption but the problem with the anti-corruption war is that it is in rigmarole. It iis stories about what we are doing but like I said, if you keep looking in rear view mirror, you won’t move. The anti-corruption war suffers from the equivalent of a driver who is looking at the rear view mirror to what is happening behind; he is not going to move forward. We know people have stolen money, what we want to see is an aggressive action plan. This government needs to stop looking at the rear view mirror. It needs to develop a clear political and economic vision for the country. At the moment, it does not exist. Is there any sector that gives you concern most?

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@yahoo.com

What is your assessment of the state of security in the nation? Security has had flip-flops; Fulani herdsmen, Niger Delta Avengers, Biafra question but success on the side of Boko Haram. So, we need a new security apparatus that can deliver results. The president needs to adopt a more flexible approach. This also extends to pro Biafra agitators. But in appraising, we must say something has happened.

Agbakoba

The one that gives me the greatest concern is the unclear economic direction of government. I see two competing forces in government. I see state control from the president and I see private sector framework from the vice president. A very good example will be the handling of the shortages in the petroleum sector. First was the exclusion of the marketers. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has to do it by importing and they failed, they ran back to the marketers, who now demanded a special rate and they got N285 to a dollar, which is the current template. I see that tension between governments. One is state enterprise, the other is private enterprise and that has led to four foreign exchange regimes. First is the official rate, the second is for the marketers, there is the third one for the DISCOs and the fourth one is the autonomous market. What this will do is to breed massive corruption because people who can access the official rate will offload to the next rate and it is called arbitrate, making more money by being able to access another market. So, I am going to give the government a below average performance in respect of how it has managed the macro-economic issues.

The president’s integrity has helped to highlight all the massive stealing we are seeing, but slogans don’t put people in jail

I sense that the president is very concerned not to inflict pain on Nigerians but the way to do that is to spend the money in the budget. I believe in liberalisation and deregulation as the only way forward, it is a policy that the government has to accept. This confusion in government policy between state owned enterprises on the one hand and liberalisation on the other hand, will continue to keep us in this mess and we are not going to come out of depression unless the government announces a complete deregulation and liberalisation of economic policy. If that happens, I think by the second quarter, we will begin to see growth and if it continues to happen with the right stimulation, not the one of N350 billion but a stimulation of at least $50 trillion. Now that the politically incorrect word has finally been said by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), let me now say that we are not in recession but we are now in depression because five consecutive quarterly growths, which Q1 2016 shows is a negative balance is a depression. Technically speaking, nobody is making profit. You calculate the growth rate by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over population, but the current growth of the Q1 released by the

To what extent do you think has insecurity in parts of the country affected growth? It has affected it in a heavy way. Take for example the issue of oil, we are losing about 50 per cent already and our economy is based on oil, so it plays a significant role in our earnings. When the late President Umaru Yar’adua came on board, he saw immediately that the diminishing oil production was very counter-productive to the economy; he reached out to the Niger Delta people and resolved the crisis. What do you think is missing in Buhari’s administration so far? What is missing in Buhari’s government in the past one year is what the Europeans realised about 500 years ago. Without peace and stability, you can’t make progress. Nigeria is in low grade civil war because there are few places you can go in the country without thinking if it is safe. It is a low grade civil war situation which many don’t realise because they are participants. But if you go away and return to Nigeria from the airport, you will understand it better. But the question is what the response of the government is? I will appraise government’s response as rather poor. I think it is important that government realises that it has to put political stability on top of its agenda. We need to pre-balance the federation; we need to include all Nigerians. But CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, the Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion), commends the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s anti-corruption war. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports State of the nation We will all agree that our nation, Nigeria, has already been wheeled to the theatre, and ready for an emergency surgical operation. May the operation be a success! The economy had almost been comatose with a heavy burden of both local and foreign debts; security of life and property had become unachievable; educational sector had been on the brim of total collapse; power sector had become a still born child; while the Nigerian soil had become a dumping ground for all substandard products from all over the world. One year into the tenure of the new government, nothing substantial had changed. Trading at the Nigerian Stock Exchange is on the downward trend. The foreign exchange rate continues to skyrocket. Workers are still being owed their salaries for months and there is no solution in sight, to mention just a few. As much as we have the above problems still biting hard, the problem of Boko Haram insurgency in the north eastern part of the country is gradually fizzling out, courtesy the offensive of the new Nigerian Army. Although, the government continues to appeal for calm, the masses are gradually running out of patience. Nigerian economy When we consider both the macro and micro economic indicators, one will come to a conclusion that our economy is indeed sick. Due to faulty fiscal policies from successive governments and the monetary policies from our Central Bank, a lot of damage had been done to the Nigerian economy in the past years and it requires a strong political will on the part of our leaders to revamp our ailing economy. It does not require the counsel of a professor of Economics for an ordinary citizen of this country today to know that things are not

Buhari:

One year after

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari’s anti-graft war commendable – Odedeji fund that has run into trillions of naira could be of financial assistance. This we suggest, to keep our foreign debt of about $65 billion in check. Statistics has it that our country uses about 35 kobo to service every naira borrowed. This is not good for our economy. However, with the President’s assent to the 2016 Budget recently, all hopes are high that things will begin to take shape and the much awaited ‘change’ may begin to manifest.

Odedeji

going on well economically. Rather than for the forces of supply and demand to dictate the pace in the market, what we have today is a regulated market. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria is not helping matters. Access to foreign exchange has become a hard nut to crack and this continues to cripple commerce generally, while many small and medium scale industries are closing shops, thereby sending many to the labour market. While industries that are genuinely in need of foreign exchange cannot get it easily, some of our politicians have it in excess, keeping foreign monies in their soakaways and rendering such valued cash idle all in their bid to retain their first-class citizenship. We humbly wish to appeal to the government in power to as much as possible, avoid any form of foreign borrowing to finance our budget deficit, but rather to look inward towards reducing our foreign reserve to serve the same purpose. Better still; the pool of Nigerian workers’ contributory pension

Our collective treasures stashed away in foreign countries are being retrieved

Power sector Lack of power continues to be a clog in the wheel of progress of the Nigerian economy. For the past decade, Nigeria has never exceeded 6,000megawatts of electricity generation. Rather, it has oscillated between 2,000 and 6,000 at any point in time. Successive governments have however complained of sabotage, either through gas pipeline vandalism or shortage of gas or worse still, low level of water to power our Hydro-Electric Generators. But one thing is however certain; Nigerians are suffering from epileptic power supply. This has caused a lot of setback to both commerce and industry. Many big time industries have folded up thereby throwing many able bodied men and women back to the labour market and even those that are self-employed as artisans and in the small scale manufacturing firms, can no longer remain in business for lack of power. One can conveniently say that power has defied all solutions to date. While the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fasola, has insisted that Nigerians may have to pay higher rate to ensure regular supply of electricity, citizens are of the opinion that the stability of supply must first be assured and prepaid metres distributed to all consumers to avoid paying for electricity not consumed. Corruption One thing that the change of government has revealed to citizens of this country is the level of impunity with which our ‘so called’ leaders have been sharing the wealth of the nation among themselves, without passion for the governed. It is sad that even some officers of the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were not left out in high level corruption cases, let alone our politicians. Many of our politicians have shown that they seek election into public offices to amass wealth, and to short-change and mortgage the future of our country. The behavioural patterns of many of them are worse than those of armed robbers. The only difference is that while armed robbers use guns and other dangerous weapons to dispossess their victims of their valuables, our politicians use the ballot boxes. No wonder, they are always ready to kill and maim, in order for them to win elections. We want to humbly submit that our Constitution and Electoral Act be revisited, with a view to making political office holding less attractive, and putting in check, all forms of looting of our collective treasury by fraudsters turned politicians. We want to commend the political will of the President and his team, for ensuring that our collective treasures stashed away in foreign countries are being retrieved for use productively within our economy. Boko Haram insurgency One of the campaign promises of the government in power is to put an end to the insurgency in the north eastern part of the country and to bring back the Chibok girls held captive by the Islamic extremists for more than two years now. While we want to commend the government for standing by its promise and degrading the dreaded sect, we want to appeal that efforts be intensified on how to secure the release of the school girls and reunite them with their parents. As painful as the memory of the abduction has been, our politicians have started to whittle down the tempo of recovery. A governor in one of the states recently expressed his disbelieve, calling the abduction a ruse and mere political gimmick to discredit the government in power at that time. He even labelled those activists behind ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ as political jobbers. It is indeed shocking that our politicians can go to the extent of politicising the abduction of the school girls. May God have mercy on us!

Buhari can do more by focusing on economy – Agbakoba C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 1

when Nigerians are excluded from what is taking place, then people feel there are those people in Abuja, who are special and have the magic wand to solve problems. I think the president’s appraisal of handling political stability issue has been rather weak and going forward, he needs to address how to make Nigeria a country where all participate, such that little things that should not cause problems will not have this national ramification. When we have peace and stability, we can talk about planning. Do you agree that the government has

recorded successes in the fight against corruption? The anti-corruption programme is a very strong programme and the president’s integrity has helped to highlight all the massive stealing we are seeing but slogans don’t put people in jail. What puts people in jail is a very strong criminal prosecution strategies where you have the best lawyers including private lawyers not just government lawyers as well as funding because you are dealing with very strong men who can hire the best. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other law enforcement agencies don’t have the resources, the capacity and the skill.

So, resources we could have gathered, say around N3 to N4 trillion isn’t coming in. But I can say there has been some strong action on the part of the government in respect to corruption. There has to be a strong programme, funding, lawyers and a clear strategy on how to get these guys to jail and get our money. That hasn’t come, so, it is just in the air, we say it all time, not bad, but we need a better planning. Aside putting together a visible economic template, what other areas should the Buhari administration focus on in its second year? The government should focus on

political engagement. We need to sort out the country. The president must refrain from calling yet another wasteful national conference. All that is needed is a comprehensive review of the reports of the national conferences. It will be a very difficult but not impossible task. I believe Nigerians will accept the need for a balanced federation. We must strive for a balanced federation and decentralisation of powers from federal to state government. The centre is too strong and can pass responsibility out of the 98 items of power, under its exclusive control, to the states. This will balance up the federation.

Buhari:

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

One year after

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

What is your take on the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the last one year? A nation is organised on ironcloth policies that are germane, such as rule of law, due process, commitment to basic freedom and service to common good and well-being. These policies are effected by government through developed strategies. One thing that is clear in the last one year is that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to the above stated ideals and policies. Some of the major areas that have receive critical attention under the presidency of President Buhari are security, economy, corruption and governance. How would you assess the administration in terms of security? For several years, Nigeria has been plagued by serious domestic threat in the name of Boko Haram and before that was the Niger Delta militias. And most recently is the Fulani herdsmen marauders. The success so far achieved by the current administration in the fight against Boko Haram is now being undermined by the resurgence of militants in the Niger Delta coupled with the activities of cattle rearers branded Fulani herdsmen, who are seriously instigating violence in many parts of the country, especially in the South-East, South-West and in the North-Central. This new security challenges taking place literarily all over the country, pose clear danger to the sovereignty of Nigeria. At no time in the history of Nigeria has Nigerians relied on oil revenue for the nation’s sustainability as it is at the moment. In Nigeria’s current economic climate, all Nigerians must be in total agreement that anything that results in the under utilisation of Nigeria’s oil production output capacity must be thwarted. The threat posed by not immediately arresting the new Niger Delta Avenger’s oil infrastructure destruction is greater than the threat posed by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, because we are talking about the nation’s lifeline. To solve the problem, government must apply strong hand and read a riot act to all those involved and draw a no-cross line with clearly designed consequences for the perpetrators of the nefarious activities. Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers and Fulani herdsmen must be seen as terrorists and be treated accordingly. What is your take on Nigeria’s economy under the present administration? Nigeria’s economy is in the tow of a serious recession. The economy is based on an input that is totally relied on oil pursuit. With global oil prices far lower than what Nigeria has recently accustomed to and base her expenditure profile on, the economy is degenerating adversely. A household that was receiving 100 units of income last year was giving 16 units this year; one can easily see the task placed on the household to manage the huge difference. This is the situation in the synopsis of our country today. So, this is the time to test the true patriotism of serious Nigerians and there should be no pretence that anyone is in the dark about

and environment in designing a workable economic footprint for Nigeria. Nigeria today depends largely on importation of goods produced in other countries and we are not producing goods to be exported elsewhere. The situation of things was not what we had in the 60s and 70s when factories and plants were producing actively in Nigeria but all of a sudden all these factories were closed in the 80s, throwing millions into the unemployment market. With 4,000 megawatts of electricity at peak output and at times as low as 1,200 megawatts, the picture should be clear to anyone why Nigeria is rated as the world’s largest importer of generator,s which no matter how much we try, cannot power any meaningful production capability.

Obioha

Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved in one year – Obioha Chief Ralph Obioha is a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he says Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved within a year. He also speaks on the anti-corruption war, economy and insecurity, among other issues this very serious situation. Economy is what determines other variables in any serious society; such as employment, exchange of goods and services, education, health, strength of institution and even stability. If you look at our employment profile; some pegged it 16 per cent, of which government payroll accounts for six per cent. It is a miracle that considering the level of unemployment of 84 per cent, our nation is still a functioning entity. As we move forward, serious minds would question the viability of our government structure in general. Can we really sustain 36 states with all its overwhelming overhead and running cost? This issue has and will continue to drain our needed resources to ensure sustainable development. If the truth needs to be told, only five states are sovereign as of today. Is it not a major concern that many state governments have not paid salaries of their workers as

The past one year may be interpreted by many as slow, but it is safer to be slow and yet get to the destination

and when due. We had a robust striving economy before and immediately after independence and we have only four governments; federal and the three regional ones. Anybody over 60 years old would attest that things were working then. Can’t we see that the structures we are pretending can work now, is only an illusion? Furthermore, the instances created by our forefathers like late Obafemi Awolowo, Sarduana of Sokoto and Michael Okpara, were production before consumption and Nigerians then were reaping it as the largest producer of groundnut, cocoa and palm oil in the entire world. To save Nigeria’s economy, let the President put together tactical economists to design for us, an economy pathway that is based on an economy without energy. It is regrettable that our own economists have not been able to look inward and develop an economic module that take local imperatives such as our culture, religion

Do you think this government has met peoples’ expectation in fighting corruption, which was one of President Buhari campaign promises? It is so perverse that corruption in Nigeria has not spared any sector of our society. It is so engraved in the entire fabric of our society that it is evolving into a culture. The race is to eradicate corruption before it eradicates us. The question now is what should the president do? Majority of Nigerians voted for Buhari on the promise that he will eradicate corruption in Nigeria. The truth is that the president would need the coperation of a verse majority of Nigerians to fight this menace. If Nigeria stand up with determination and resolutely fight corruption, the menace would be minimised. This is not a call for self-help or jungle justice but tolerance for corruption at this point in time should be zero. We must ask our elected legislators to enact a law that would assist Mr. President to fight this menace. The verse majority of Nigerians are pointing their fingers in the direction of our National Assembly for not doing what it is supposed to do to assist the president. The call for special courts to tackle the huge block of corruption cases can only be accomplished with the cooperation of the National Assembly and judiciary to discharge and dispense justice for all. The past is the past and cannot be changed but what matters to a serious society is to put in place mechanisms that detest future occurrences and insistence that people in position of authority can be made to render account. In the corruption war theatre, the President need all of us to fight the war. The choice that should be clear to all Nigerians is the commitment to eradicate corruption. It is beyond a moral issue; it is now a survival imperative. Do you think this administration is getting it right in terms of governance? In today’s Nigeria, we watch the development of structures that created imperial governors practically in most of the states. Governance is the establishment of policies, commitment and initiatives which must be implemented. The role of governance is to enhance the prosperity of the governed. Good governance starts with accountability and transparCONTINUED ON PAGE 15

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

Senator Ben MurrayBruce represents Bayelsa East in the National Assembly. In this interview, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, speaks on the recent fuel price hike, the activities of militants in the Niger Delta, among others. CHUKWU DAVID reports What is your position on the recent increase in the pump price of petrol by the All Progressives Congress government? I am fully aware of the reason for the economic argument that there should be an increase in the pump price of petrol, and I am also aware of the incredible hardships this increase is doing to the people of Nigeria; but what nobody is dealing with is how you can increase the pump price of petrol and the people of Nigeria do not suffer. And that is what I am going to explain to you. The three most important products in Nigeria are diesel, kerosene and petrol. Diesel has already been deregulated. All your trucks bringing in food stuffs from all parts of the country use trucks with diesel. Therefore, if they deregulate to N1,000 or N10,000 a litre, cost of food stuffs in Nigeria should not rise because you are already paying N165 a litre for diesel and food stuffs dealers from the North to the South, East and West go by trucks. Therefore, cost of food stuffs in Nigeria should not rise. Secondly, if you deregulate regardless of what you charge for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), cost of running your bus, your car, the cost of petrol to the cost of running your car is not more than 20 per cent, so the price should go up marginally, not at 100 per cent. Bu if this is the case, why is it that prices of food stuffs, transport fare and other things have skyrocketed since government made the pronouncement two weeks ago? Now, here is the fundamental problem. Everybody in Nigeria knows the price of petrol but if you go to London, nobody knows the price of petrol; nobody knows the price of petrol in South Africa, nobody knows the price of petrol in Sweden. What you know is the price of transportation; that is all that matters. Here is my argument, diesel is deregulated; so,cost of products should not increase. I have said this over again, if the Federal Government had a mass transit policy and all of us here go by bus, and it costs you N200 to go to work and you deregulate and it still costs you N200 to go to work, nobody will protest. If it costs you N500 to catch a taxi before deregulation and after deregulation it costs you N500 to go to work, nobody will complain. Remember diesel is already deregulated. What is the problem then, why is the situation different from what you are saying? The problem you have in Nigeria

Buhari:

One year after

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Why FG should negotiate with Niger Delta militants, by Murray-Bruce

Murray-Bruce

today is very simple: the government is selling the wrong argument. The argument is not the price of petrol; the argument is the cost of transportation. So, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, the Minister of Transport, and the Minister of Petroleum Resources should sit in a room and come up with a mass transit policy like they have in other parts of the world with a regulatory authority. In other words, if a bus owner generates N10,000 a week and you deregulate and he increases his price to N20, 000, if the federal government says I won’t give you N10, 000 extra, I will give you a cheque of N5,000 every week, and I have done the calculations across the country and it will cost the government for every single city in Nigeria less than N100 billion versus the N1.2 trillion Nigeria spent subsidising petrol. The solution to this problem is simple; is as clear as day and night, yet successive governments did not stop to really think and find a solution to this problem. You have deregulated diesel, and if you control you have a regulatory authority that controls what a truck driver should charge, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) regulates television and radio, why will the truck driver from Katsina to Lagos double his price for a product that doesn’t concern him? It does not concern the truck driver; so why should he double his price and make somebody in Lagos or Port Harcourt suffer? He suffers because some truck driver owned by some cabal is increasing his price for a product that is none of his business. Check every single truck in Nigeria, check how many trucks in Nigeria go around with petrol; they use diesel, it is deregulated. So, this action by government should have no business with that truck driver. This is just common sense. Secondly, ask the Minister of

I... urge the government to negotiate with the folks in Niger Delta, so that we do not cripple our economy

Transport this question: Do we have a Transport Policy? If we have what is the policy, who regulates transport in this country? You regulate everything else; the most important factor in Nigeria is transportation. If you regulate everything else, surely you can regulate transport. You either come to work by taxi or you come to work by bus; you don’t care what the price of petrol is; all you know is if you are coming to work at the National Assembly, all you care about is you are paying N200 to go to work. A Transport Policy will cost you one-tenth of what it is costing you subsidising. N145 a litre is not going to hold in the next one week because the dollar is now N400 to one US dollar. And because it is not going to hold, it is irrelevant. So, if you deregulate and I urge the government to deregulate, charge N1000, it doesn’t matter. When you come to work in the morning, you will pay N200 or you pay N500 by taxi. That is all that is important. The Senate advised the Federal Government to implement palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel increase; why didn’t the Senate suggest a workable Transport Policy for the government? The Federal Government should come up with a mass transit policy. That is why I took my time to explain that truck drivers are already deregulated with diesel. Now, if you live in Abuja, you catch a bus, you catch a taxi; that’s all. Let us say the revenue generated by all the taxi and bus drivers in Abuja is N5 billion a year, and you deregulate, write a cheque to the bus, taxi drivers’ association for N2.5 billion, they will maintain what they pay. Now the mistake government has made in the past is every time they deregulate, they buy 50 buses and distribute to transporters to oper-

ate. Well, if I give you 50 buses and you can only charge N100, after a while you cannot maintain your buses; and because you cannot maintain your buses they will be in the scrap yard. Or if I give you buses in Abuja to use in Abuja, and you say that Lagos is where the money is, and you move the buses to Lagos and start making money in Lagos and abandon here; but the buses were made for the community that is affected. But demand and supply, scarcity and choice will determine where the bus driver will move his buses. So, you will move your bus to where you will make the most money, not where the government says you should be. Do you know why? Very simple, who regulates where you will have the bus? If you go to the bus station in London, you see bus 52, which plies this route; and every ten minutes bus 52 shows up. But you ask bus 52 to come to Asokoro, the driver and the bus are in Lagos, the guy is somewhere else and not here because you don’t regulate it. Do you know why I am so baffled by all these strikes, the solution is in front of you, and yet nobody is thinking. It is like when people come do government they stop thinking, when they leave government they start thinking again. Are you saying the government should subsidise the bus drivers? You have to regulate what the bus driver charges but you have to subsidise the bus driver. So, you take away subsidy from petrol which is N1.2 trillion and you spend N100 billion subsidising the bus driver. Guess what will happen; all those Danfo buses that are broken down, if you tell a Danfo driver, I will give you guaranteed N5,000 a day for the next five years, you take that promissory note to the bank, you buy a new vehicle. Government has no business buying you vehicles. The business of government is to give you money so that you can be successful. Put the money in the bank, the bank loans you the money, you pay back the bank, and you provide great transport service for the country. What position will you advance over the current activities of militants in the Niger-Delta area? Here is a bigger issue, and that is what really bothers me; oil production is now at 1.2 million barrels per day, not 2.2 million barrels. Soon, we will be at 50 per cent daily oil production. I therefore, urge the government to negotiate with the folks in Niger Delta, so that we do not cripple our economy. Bombs and guns will not solve this problem. We are suffering already; I am begging, I am appealing to the government to please negotiate, sit down and have a conversation with the militants in the Niger Delta, and guess what, a conversation is free of charge and it doesn’t cost more to have a conversation. If you throw a bomb, you a going to buy the bomb, you are going to buy the bullets. But the talk is free; so, have the conversation. Find out why people are aggrieved. Government should talk to the militants and let’s solve their problem.

Buhari:

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

POLITICS

One year after

Akiyode-Afolabi: Buhari has brought new dimension to governance

hand. They need to focus on building human capital too to be able to deliver the numerous change promises. We need to see more development in the health sector. Nothing seems to have changed because the sector is still very ineffective and petty corruption still persists everywhere. He promised to focus on the constitution, the amendment processes has not taken off. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) face has changed but the promises for better electoral system is yet to be accomplished. Two governorship elections are coming and we may still have same problems like that of others. The government need to begin to prioritise. Nigerians are very anxious now, things must get better.

Dr. Abiola AkiyodeAfolabi, the Executive Director of Women Advocates’ Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), in this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, says the Muhammadu Buhariled administration has brought new dimension to governance in Nigeria

What is your take on President Muhammadu Buhari’s one year in office? The Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has brought a new dimension to governance no doubt. I appreciate the sincere drive to curb corruption. The work the government is doing in the North-East is also commendable. The security situation has been better in the last one year; the insurgents are been tackled and we may be having peace in the North-East very soon. This is very commendable. The other issue which I need to raise is the way he is going about recovering stolen funds; following the money. We really need all the funds to support our dying economy. Nigeria cannot survive with the present Gross Domestic Product (GDP), so we need a boost and pragmatic government to move us beyond where we are. I also commend the government’s image making initiatives for the country, I think we are gradually been respected and Nigeria is getting her place of pride amongst other nations around the world. We saw a government that followed our money to everywhere, recovering so much stolen asset and a government that is committed to fighting corruption. The body language is clear on this, as a government that is intolerant to corruption, which is our major challenge. In the choice of his choices of ministers, we saw a crop of people with good knowledge and credibility, though very few just didn’t appear as having the right person in the right place and we see their ministries not been effective as they should be. I sincerely think, the one year has been very challenging for the government and all of us. Having said this, a year has passed and very much has been done but very little effect has been felt in most of the areas where promises were made by the present government. I agree that he met Nigeria in a very unpalatable situation, there seem to be ‘a lot of cleaning up to be done’ but the time has come ‘for setting up.’ Nigerians voted with high expectations and thought Buhari was a magician but gradually they

Is there any meaningful or specific thing that you think this government has achieved in last one year? Security is key and they have done a lot in that regard. They have demonstrated political will to fight corruption and they have been able to identify looters and are gradually bringing them to justice and collecting our moneys from them, but they need to do more. Akiyode-Afolabi

are getting a clear understanding that there seem to be no magic anywhere, nation building does not reside in a political party, not on his table solely, we all need to be part of the cleaning the mess and setting up. Thus one year has been hectic for Nigeria; people seem fatigued along the line, civil society activists seem to have gone to sleep, the government needs engagement and we cannot afford to keep quiet. Do you think the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress has delivered the campaign promises and ‘change’ it promised to Nigerians? Not at all, I will give them less than 30 per cent score. We need to give them more time though they made several promises from social security, to infrastructure, to ensuring a better developed nation that will become one of the biggest economies. They are a little bit slow in addressing the economic crises. I think they met more than what they expected.

Government needs more accountable and effective institutions to survive the crises at hand

They haven’t been able to address the problem of energy. We are not seeing success recorded in public engagement and they are making unilateral decision on increasing fuel, causing more hardship on the people. The budget was more or less business as usual. They passed the budget very late, the processes showed a lot of incompetence from the ministries in charge of budget and finance. The social welfare package has not kicked off. The promises are still continuing. What are your expectations from the government and has it met those expectations? As I said, I expect by now for us to see very visible successes in the energy sector and more concrete changes in the power sector. We expect that there should be some lift around agro economy, infrastructure and better engagement with policies. The government need more accountable and effective institutions to survive the crises at

How would you assess the incumbent government in terms of human rights and rule of law? I think they need to do more in this regard. There have been a lot of arrests and I wonder as a human rights activist and attorney whether some of them are not mere witch hunts. There has also been a lot of disobedience of court orders. It will be bad if the human rights record of Nigeria goes down during this regime. We don’t want to be reminded of his past records, so they need to watch it. What is your advice to President Buhari and all other public office holders? We need to build accountable and effective institutions that can serve Nigeria better. There are some major issues that Nigerians want, electricity, good roads, comprehensive agriculture, good health system, education and viable economy. We need to identify some of these issues and prioritize. To do this, we need to look inward and not just focus on the outside.

‘President charting a new course for Nigeria’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

ency. Nigeria like other nations, have this mechanisms in place but the problem had always been respecting and strictly adhering to them. It is critical that a seamless synergy exists between the arms of government. As the first stakeholders to the citizens, governors must take the responsibility to implement policies and actions that will do well to the critical mass. It is the critical mass that builds and evolves patriotism and nation building. It is the negligence of our past leaders to repair oil refineries in the country that resorted to mass importation of fuel that

literarily bankrupted the nation with corruption. The President demonstrated exemplary courage and leadership by removing the fuel subsidy in other to deploy meagre resources to effect meaningful development for the nation. The President has also reduced the multitude of useless agencies and parastatals that serve no purpose whatsoever except as conduit pipes for corruption. The President must take serious decision to enhance governance culture in Nigeria. The verse majority of Nigerians put their hope on President Buhari charting a new progressive course for Nigeria. The past one year may be interpreted by many as slow, but it is safer to be slow and yet

get to the destination in one feet. Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved in one year or even in two years but signs are emerging that things would structurally be correct. One of the improvements in the country in the last one year is that impunity whether audacious or by mind has diminished. Boko Haram is being contended and government is gradually eradicating its brutality. The commitment devoted to recover looted funds stashed in foreign countries is also commendable. He has also demonstrated zero tolerance for corruption by example, insisting on resignation of high level officers being investigated for corrupt practices.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Echoes of the league of nations Turning Point MIKE ARAYUWA WILKIE pmikky1950@yahoo.com 0802-309-7251 (sms only)

he League of Nations was a product of the Paris Peace Conference which held from 1919–1920. It was established on June 28, 1919. It’s mandate included disarmament; preventing war through collective security; settling dispute amongst nation states through negotiations; diplomacy and improving global welfare. 63 nation states were members of the League (1920-1939). They were Great Britain; France; Canada; China; Greece; the Netherland; Mexico; Portugal; Afghanistan; Ecuador; and 53 other countries. America was not a member of the League due to the congressional resolution past which disapproved its membership. Geneva in Switzerland was the Headquarters of the League. There were three main organs constituted for administrative purposes–the Assembly, the Council and the Permanent Secretariat. The other two essential wings of the League were the Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Assembly consisted of all members of the League. It had its sessions in Geneva and met once in a year. An extra–ordinary session might hold at the request of a member state but subject to the consent and approval of majority of members. The Council acted as the executive body of the League while the Permanent Secretariat was mandated to play the role of an adminis-

trative department. The Council supervised the Permanent Court of International Justice. The ILO and several agencies and commissions were created to deal with pressing international matters. The court was composed of 11 Judges and 4 deputy Judges duly elected for 9 years to hear and determine any international dispute which was submitted to it by any of the parties. The International Labour Organization (ILO) was created in 1919 in accordance with part xiii of the Treaty of Versailles. Representatives were mainly from Governments, employers of labour and workers organizations. The League, however, recorded some successes in spite of the complex global issues it had to cope with. For instance, it recorded successes in settling the Aaland question between Sweden and Finland in 1921. The International Body also resolved the upper Silesia problem between Weimer Germany and Poland. The referendum which was conducted by the League indicated that 700,000 people voted to join Germany while 500,000 voted against. Inspite of this clear result which opted to join Germany, the League in its wisdom divided Silesia into Germany and Poland. In 1923, the League could not mediate in the bloody war in Turkey. It only responded and succeeded in rendering humanitarian services. It spent 10,000,000 pounds in building farms, homes, invested in seeds, wells and digging tools. In 1926, employment was found for about 600,000 people. In 1925, it also assisted to resolve a dispute between Greece and Bulgaria over a border dispute in which sentries patrolling opened fire on each other. The successes recorded was not an indication that there were no corresponding failures. The citation of C.N. Truman in his book entitled: “League of Nations failures” highlighted and examined where the International Organ

Any war or threat of war is a matter of concern to the League and the League shall take action that may safeguard peace

failed in its duty to prevent another global war of 1939-1945. Article 2 of the League’s Covenant stated: “Any war or threat of war is a matter of concern to the League and the League shall take action that may safeguard peace”. Therefore, any conflict between nations, which ended in war and the victory of one state over another, had to be viewed as a failure by the League. In 1919, the League had to face its first crisis in Northern Italy. The Treaty had given the Port of Fiume to Yugoslavia and thereafter, an Italian nationalist, d’ Annunzo governed the place for fifteen months. The League watched helplessly and did nothing. Its failure was also pronounced in Teschen, a border town between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Teschen had abundant coalmines which attracted the attention of both countries. The soldiers fought openly on the streets of the coal city and subsequently, the League was hopeless and did nothing to resolve the confrontation. In 1920, Russia seized Vilna, the historical Capital City of Lithuania. It is interesting to note that 30% of the population of Vilna were the poles and this factor influenced Poland to further consolidate her hold and occupation of the city. Lithuania asked the League for help but the Poles were adamant and refused to quit until the outbreak of world war 11. In 1922, the Treaty of Versailles had placed war indemnity on Germany but the Germans refused to pay instalmentally. Hence, both France and Belgium believed strongly that Germany needed to be taught a bitter lesson. The French and Belgian troops attacked the Ruhr, most important industrial zone of Germany. The League also failed to act as expected. The totality of the League of nations was the fact that it failed to prevent the outbreak of another world war 11 (1939-1945). It was this failure which led to the formation of the United Nations Organization on October 24, 1945. While the League of Nations was wound up on April 18, 1946.

Now that NLC strike is over Adewale Kupoluyi

t last, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its nationwide industrial action over the increase in the pump price of petrol, as announced by the Federal Government, a few days ago. After an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the President General and Secretary, respectively stated that the body “will resume negotiations with government on the twin issues of the hike in electricity tariff and an increase in the pump price of petroleum products and any other issue that may arise thereof ”. Over the years, the management of the nation’s oil industry has been mirred in one controversy or another. The resultant effect of such lack of transparency, openness and complexity is the untold hardship that is being encountered. It has always been a case of perennial fuel scarcity in which the people are forced to sleep in petrol stations, commuters trekking long distances, transport fares hitting the skies while the prices of goods and services have skyrocketed. From the former official rate of N86.50/litre, a litre of Premium Motor Spirit sold for as much as N300/

litre in the ‘black’ market as the commodity was not just unavailable for purchase. This discrepancy has raised the question on the relevance of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund, which was meant to ensure uniform prices for petroleum products. Various reasons have been adduced for the fuel scarcity, chiefly among which is the difficulty experienced by oil marketers in procuring foreign exchange for the importation of petroleum products, making the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to assume the almighty role of sole importer of refined products. It is a paradox that the country, a leading crude oil producer, cannot adequately meet up with its local consumption considering that the fact that its four refineries - with a combination installed capacity of 445,000 and are producing only about 30 per cent below capacity - making the country to depend largely on the importation in the short-fall to adequately service its local consumption. At the peak of such scarcity, many fuel station operators became celebrities and mini-gods while fuel hawkers were busy smiling to the banks. The roads were practically empty such that hold-ups and traffic congestion were hardly noticed in the major cities. For those who manage to either

buy fuel at the rip-off prices or are lucky to get after sleeping in the filling stations for many nights, driving became more interesting as it was possible to get to one’s destination in good time without any stress. I was tempted to pray that such a situation should continue so that I won’t be late for appointments having to spend precious time on the roads! Payment of subsidy claims on petrol has remained a source of controversy whenever the issue of oil is being discussed. The matter of subsidy has led previous governments to contradict themselves and is something they prefer not to talk about. Whichever way the argument turns into, what is clear is that many people are of the view that subsidy payment is nothing but a scam or a fraud. For this reason, many Nigerians believe that subsidy management is nothing but a deliberate mechanism put in place to enrich some people at the expense of the nation. It is for this reason that the removal of subsidy payment under the 2016 fiscal appropriation, was applauded. Hence, with the dwindling of foreign earnings from crude oil sales, shortage dollars supply and the perceived mismanagement of subsidy payments, the removal of subsidy and increment in the pump price of PMS from N86.50/litre to N145/litre seems inevitable. The

decision for the subsidy removal has merits on the following grounds: One, it would guaranty regular supply without experiencing long queues before buying fuel. Two, it would eliminate continued payment of public funds to faceless persons without any justification. Even though this line of thought may, perhaps, be the best option to take, the organised labour had felt that the new price regime should revert to N86.50/litre. With due respect, labour should face reality by accepting that the previous regime is unsustainable. The government should, therefore, take drastic actions to deregulate, free and liberalise the oil sector towards active participation by the private sector and to also make more resources available for the government to carry out its duties. The removal of subsidy, though painful, is the right step to take in the overall interest of the nation and a reality that labour has to contend with. On the part of government, palliative measures should be put in place to douse the tension pervading the nation. To begin with, the government should show utmost transparency and accountability in the management of the proceeds from the subsidy removal. •Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), adewalekupoluyi@ yahoo.co.uk,@AdewaleKupoluyi

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Offia Nwali: Rest at last

econd Republic senator Offia Nwali finally took a bow on Saturday May 21, 2016 almost 33 years after his family perished in a plane crash. It was like the world had come to an end when his wife, four children and a house maid where consumed by fire following strong winds that brought down a Nigeria Airways Forker-28 flight from Lagos to Enugu as it wanted to hit the Emene Airport tarmac. Of the 72 passengers, 53 died including Dr. Josephine Onoh whose father Chief Christian Onoh emerged as governor of Anambra state barely a month before the November 23, 1983 crash. She died with her cousin, a medical doctor based in Germany. Many families lost dear ones just like there were lucky survivors. One man was taking his daughter to the Federal Government College, Enugu. Both escaped death. Andrew Wimshurst, a Briton from Bristol and manager at Ciba-Geigy used quite some experience to exit through the emergency door. The Ghanaian pilot, Andrew Obeng, was unhurt. Senator Offia Nwali was hard hit. His lawyer wife, Uche, was on her way back from the United States with their new born baby. Accompanied by her other children, she was reported to have exited the aircraft after the jerked landing. However, when she realised that her other children were trapped inside, she rushed back with the baby to rescue them. That motherly act of courage cost their lives. At that time, Senator Nwali was in the National Assembly on the platform of the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He was first elected

senator in 1979 as a member of the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP),representing Abakalilki zone in Anambra state. His wife Uche was also a commissioner in the NPP government of Chief Jim Nwobodo. Offia Nwali was away all through the Civil War years but made a mark as the first Blackman to earn a doctorate in Computer and Analytical studies from Havard University in 1966.At the end of the crisis his return to the country was facilitated by top police detective Muhammadu Yusuf in 1972. A place was found for the returnee in the Ukpabi Asika administration as Chair man East Centr al S t at e S ch o o l Board. He thus joined the team that comprised

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chukwu Aporo (now Emesobum), from Isuikwuato, Udensi Okoli, from Ohafia, Chinaka Obasi, from today’s Nwangele, Godwin Ike Abugu, from Enugu Ezike (he died in the 2012 Dana air mishap alongside the sister of Ezenwa Mojekwu, a 197479 beneficiary)and Jonathan Chuks Nwosu (crushed as he tried to fix his car as a medical student in front of the University of Benin gate in 1982) became students of Government Secondary School Ilorin. The five girls moved to Queen Eliz-

Nwali leaves the world and his family behind. It is possible he never got over the air crash

high profile names like Flora Nwakuche, Martin Elechi, Ifeanyi Ifebigh, Magnus Adiele and Ukwu I. Ukwu to restore normalcy to the war ravaged state. And just as General Yakubu Gowon was packaging the National Youth Service Cor ps (NYSC) which took off in 1973 in order enhance national unity, Nwali and Asika worked out a scholarship package between East Central and Kwara states to boost cohesion. Thus in 1973,10 boys and girls from the East moved to Ilorin to begin secondary education.The same number of Kwarans also left for Enugu quid pro quo. That was how boys like Ike-

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abeth School also in the Kwara state capital. Nwali was so popular among his people. It was so obv i o u s wh e n in the 1979 elections, he dusted

the very well respected Chief S.O. Mgbada with over 80,000 votes. That was as a member of the NPP.When personal differences put the party asunder in the state and he crossed over to NPN, he still retained his senatorial seat. That was at a time the g reat Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Ojukwu backed by the NPN Federal might was thrashed by an unknown Owerri based medical doctor. After the loss of his family, Nwali became an entirely different being. The world seemed to have come to an end. On December 31, 1983, Major General Muhammadu Buhari sacked the Second Republic. The senator was also affected. He retired to

his Ameka home in the Ezza area of today’s Ebony state. Time heals though. Much later, Nwali found love again and also found life. He remarried and raised a new family. The politician, like the leopard never changes spots. The former senator began to play politics again and believed in the rule of law. When others found him too rigid to handle and kept away, for mer Abia state gover nor, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu, made moves to give the former senator a platform. Kalu’s plan was to bring him into the Prog ressive Peoples Alliance (PPA ) which was waxing stronger after the 2007 Presidential elections.With Abia and Imo in the party’s kitty, there were signs that Ebonyi was there for g rabs in subsequent polls. The tide turned, both parted ways amicably. Nwali joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and wanted to be governor in the last elections. Nwali leaves the world and his family behind. It is possible he never got over the air crash. At least stories continued to trail that disaster. Obeng, the pilot eventually lost his job, relocated to Ghana and died in a car crash. Another survivor from Onitsha was said to have been knocked down by a motorcycle in front of his house. Nwali began the crusade for Ebonyi state long before its for mal creation in 1991. He tried to govern the state, it did not work. He bore the pain of losing his family. The Nigeria of his dream began to disappear. Highly principled, the brand of politics of today must have tor n his insides out. He deserves this rest at this time.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

SouthEastFocus Buhari:

South South Focus Avenging for whom?

21-22

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One year after

MASSOB, IPOB open old wounds

Since 1967, when the Nigerian civil war started, the agitation for the creation of Biafra has been on the burner. After 1970, when the threeyear war ended with massive casualties, the agitation died down. But it was resuscitated by a group, the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) led by Chief Ralph Uwazurike. The group has now been joined by another group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, led by now detained Nnamdi Kanu. Since the advent of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the South-East has had no peace. UCHENNA INYA, in Abakaliki and KENNETH OFOMA, in Enugu, report

GEOFFREY EKENNA

he Director of Radio Biafra, London and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by the Department of State Security Services(DSS) in Lagos on Saturday October 17, 2015. Kanu was arrested three days after he came into Nigeria. He was thereafter charged to court on allegation of treasonable felony by the Federal Government. Since then, Kanu has been languishing in prison The action of the Federal Government sparked off series of protests across the states, where Biafra agitators hold sway. That is

Pro Biafran protesters

the whole of the South East region and parts of the South South. They kept pressing for the release of Kanu, which was not forthcoming. The protests turned bloody in some eastern states as security agents clashed with the agitators and many were killed while some were injured. Before the protests, MASSOB had warned that it would embark on protest to press home its demand for the release of Kanu. In a statement by the Leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, over the arrest and detention of Kanu, he said the arrest would shape the minds of Kanu, drawing sympathy from internal and external observers and was an indication that Radio Biafra has become a factor of reckoning in Nigeria. According to him, the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu would assist immensely in reviving the consciousness and sympathy for Biafra actualization in higher dimension. “Before Kanu’s arrest, he has succeeded in rooting the Biafra struggle in about 78 countries, including Biafra land’’.

MASSOB warned the Federal Government to immediately release the radio Director or face worldwide demonstration. The outcome of the warning was the protests by MASSOB and IPOB, which emerged following the detention of Kanu. It berated southeast governors and Igbo stakeholders for not demanding the release of the Director of Radio Biafra. In a statement issued in Abakaliki, MASSOB rejected the resolutions of the Igbo stakeholders in Enugu during a meeting over the detention of Kanu, arguing that it did not address the major issue for the proteststhe continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by the government. Madu said the only way to end the on-going protests of MASSOB and IPOB was the unconditional release of Kanu. The group also said it was worrisome that South East governors met in their usual characteristic manner, without their South- South counterparts, where Biafra uprising also holds sway. “MASSOB is not satisfied with all the meeting of Igbo leaders because

of no seriousness on the plight of Nnamdi Kanu. “How can revered Igbo leaders waste a whole day in a marathon meeting without discussing our simple demand of Nnamdi Kanu’s release? “Are they afraid of Northern oligarchy, western alliance with north or President Buhari? The governors, Ohanaeze and other Igbo leaders have proved that they’re not representing the interest and demands of Ndigbo. “They have shown their soft mind, inferiority complex and loyalty to our oppressors. We shall prove to Nigeria that the Igbo governors, national assembly members, other Igbo leaders are not truly in charge of affairs in Igbo land. “DSS is buying time for long incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu to impress Buhari and Northern political cabals that they can frustrate Biafra revolution. “Long incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu by DSS will only motivate, inspire and increase the morale of Biafran agitators. How CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

south-east

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

MASSOB, IPOB open old wounds

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 9

long shall they continue to detain an innocent man, who already command the massive respect of Ndigbo even in detention? “MASSOB and IPOB members are not demonstrating or protesting against infrastructural decay in Igboland or non inclusion of the Igbo in major political appointments but the release of our brother, Nnamdi Kanu, who represents the genuine desire of the people eastern region”. It added: “Other demands and clamour of Ndigbo as a result of the current political tension are good but major one now is the release of Nnamdi Kanu”. As the pro-Biafra agitators were demanding for the release of Kanu, President Buhari made his key appointments and no Igbo person was given any of those appointments. All the appointments went to the north, the President’s zone. The key positions are; President –North, Senate President North, Speaker House of Reps North, PDP National Chairman North, Head of Service – North, INEC Chairman – North, Chief Justice of federation – North, President Court of Appeal – North, EFCC Chairman – North, President Federal high court – North, National Security Adviser – North, Chief of Defence Staff – North, Chief of Naval Staff – North, Controller, Customs Service – North, Defence Minister-North, MD, Port Authority- North, MD NDIC – North , Controller Prison Services-North among others. The agitators added that “The Igbo have suffered a lot. We have been marginalized and treated like slaves by the Buhari’s administration through his appointments so far and now Fulani herdsmen have come out to compound our suffering. “MASSOB wishes to expose more Northern Islamic agenda against our people, which includes the forceful Islamization of eastern region and Christian minorities of middle belt through Fulani herdsmen invasion and forceful seizure of our lands. “Today, the world see Nigeria as an Islamic country with the attributes showcased on the cultural and native attires of her lawmakers and executives members of the cabinet and implementation of the Sharia law through Nigeria constitution.’’ For observers of political developments in Nigeria, the agitation for the right of self determination or independence seem to have increased under Buhari. Some commentators have attributed the development to some pronouncements and policies of the present administration. For instance, they easily allude to the comments by Buhari that there was no way he will abandon the people who voted 95 per cent for him for in preference for those who gave him only five per cent votes. It is known that Buhari did not gain up to 10 per cent of the South East region’s total votes in the polls that brought him to office. Even in his previous attempts at presidency, Buhari performed poorly in the zone. It is to be noted also majority of members of the political class in

Kanu in court

the zone belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and actively supported former President Goodluck Jonathan. Flowing from that was the alleged skewed appointments President Buhari has made so far with regard to his personal aides, special advisers, heads of sensitive government agencies and institutions, and service chiefs or top military and paramilitary establishments. The people of Southern part of the country, especially, South East geo-political zone of the country have at different occasions expressed disappointments that they were grossly under-represented in such appointments in a country the requires large dose of equity, justice and fair-play to hold firm the fractious units that formed it. Such sentiments were expressed by the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Mmezu, also known as Emma Powerful, who spoke to our Correspondent on the issue. Although he would not want people to believe that Biafrans hate President Buhari or that their agitation for freedom started under President Buhari, the IPOB spokesperson noted that the president’s “anti-Igbo policies and utterances may have contributed in people having that perception that the agitation for Biafra increased under Buhari”. “During the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan, agitation for Biafra, which includes the people of South South and South East was active. Most of the marginalization we suffer in Nigeria did not start today. It is unfortunate people talk about what they don’t know. “But generally, President Buhari is the architect of the hatred for Biafra. Our people are not wanted in Nigeria. Look at his appointment of his kitchen cabinet, how many Biafrans do you see there? In South South, there is oil spillage and environmental degradation and the Federal Government is not willing to remedy it; yet this is the region that pro-

It is also quite interesting to note that no Nigerian have heard of any attack of Northerners in the South East, except this strange coalition

duces the wealth of the nation. President Buhari stopped all the contracts awarded by former President Jonathan such as Enugu-Port-Harcourt expressway, Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Second Niger Bridge, the Maritime University in Niger Delta among others,” he alleged. A political commentator, Comrade Larry Onwuta believes that the increased agitation for Biafran state under the present agitation was as a result of “recalcitrant behaviour of the president, who instead of approaching the issue diplomatically, rather chose to apply the use of force to end the Biafran struggle.” Onwuta, who is a pro-Biafran sympathizer, said that the proBiafran groups are known to be non-violent in the pursuit of their separatist ideologies. Yet, they are the most hounded by security operatives in the country. “The use of force is not in the interest of Nigerians or that of the agitators but a means of trying to annihilate the people of Eastern Nigeria. The singular action of the president simply denotes that he is not a democrat. This is because dialogue should be used in all ramifications to see to the end of the agitation. “As a matter of fact, we don’t have many groups agitating for a sovereign state in this country, of which the agitation started in 1967 when the then Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu fought a defensive war that lasted for three years. And in 1970, the then military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon declared, no victor, no vanquished, with the three ‘R’ policy of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation, which at the end, non was implemented. “But in this present administration, the issue of Boko Haran insurgency that created serious havoc in the North East, through the number of people killed in such senseless war is not at equal proportion to that of Biafra- Nigeria civil war where over three million Biafrans were massacred

in cold blood. Today, the present administration has released billions of Naira to reconstruct and rehabilitate the people of the North Eastern Nigeria. So, as a result of that, people from the other flank (defunct Biafran enclave) are angry. That’s why I said that the president should have applied diplomacy in tackling issues. He should have asked questions from past leaders. “On his body language, it is quite clear, today, we hear that service chiefs have declared war on Niger Delta militants. Is it fair? Nobody is in support of destruction of oil facilities in Niger Delta because such action could halt economic activities in Nigeria. In my thinking, I feel that dialogue should have been the best option to handle the situation because it happened during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and Nigerians experienced the fact that Obasanjo could not curtail the excesses of militants in Niger Delta even with the use of force.” Similarly, some pro-Biafran agitators have pointed fingers at the boldness and increasing murderous killing of farmers in the zone by Fulani herdsmen in recent time. They said that such increased killing was only an arrogant display of impunity by “people who believe that their man is in power and nothing will happen to them”. For instance, only recently, IPOB, accused the Federal Government of plotting a genocide in the South-East. The group was reacting to a demand by a northern group that it (IPOB) should be treated like Boko Haram. But IPOB said it was worrisome considering that similar allegations led to mass killing of the Igbo in the 60s. The group, in the statement signed by its spokespersons, Barr. Emma Mmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, noted that “These sponsored groups, stoked ember of hatred and prepared the ground for the horrendous three wave pogrom of 29th May - 2nd June 1966, 29th July – 2nd August 1966, and 29th Sept - 2ndOct 1966 in which hundreds of thousands of Easterners mostly women and children, were systematically slaughtered all over Northern Nigerians. Those faceless groups, that prepared the grounds for the unprecedented genocide, quickly disappeared into thin air.” “It is instructive, that the entire South-West based media houses have never noted any attacks on Northerners in the South East. It is also surprising that these false allegations are coming only from President Buhari’s own organization, Miyetti Allah. “It is also quite interesting to note that no Nigerian have heard of any attack of Northerners in the South East, except this strange coalition. They did not give date, instance or town in the South East, where in their own words ‘hundreds of innocent law abiding citizens of northern extraction living in south eastern part have been killed in cold blood, with their businesses and properties destroyed,” they noted.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

SouthSouthFocus Buhari:

One year after

Avenging for whom?

Since the advent of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Niger Delta, the base of oil production in the country has, again, been on the boil. The latest group that has ignited what was thought to be over–the Niger Delta agitation– is a group that goes by the name, Niger Delta Avengers. The group has vowed to cripple the economy. That, it is successfully doing by blowing up oil installations across the delta. DOMINIC ADEWOLE in ASABA and CAJETAN MMUTA in Benin, report

dherents of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), who are yet to disclose their full identities, have again, turned the Niger Delta region, into a theatre of war. Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, who was earlier accused of sponsoring the renewed militancy has since distanced himself from the actions of the group. Unknown militant groups on January 14, this year, attacked oil and gas facilities at Opudebunor in Delta State, from where they moved to Okpelama before descending on pipelines at Kpokpo axis, Chanomi Creek and Sahara, behind Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL). On Friday, May 6, the NDA in a multiple bombardment, launched a fresh attack on the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture oil and gas pipelines, forcing indigenes and residents of Gbaramatu Kingdom to scamper for safety. Although, the Federal Government has deployed military troops to the troubled zones, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who has become apprehensive about the spate of the bombardments, has joined forces with the Federal troop to nab those behind the insurgency. What the Governor did: Having acknowledged that misguided youths were the ones tampering with oil installations, the governor has inaugurated an

Advocacy Committee, headed by his deputy, Barr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, supported by Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mr. Mofe Pirah; the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Kelly Penaowu and Special Adviser on Petroleum Matters, Bosin Ebikeme, who, according to the governor, would collaborate with the Joint Task Force (JTF). He gave them a matching order to remain in the creeks pending when the ‘boys’ – the Niger Delta Avengers, the militia group that has claimed responsibility for the bombing, sheathe their sword. He said: “I want to plead with us that in our various communities, we should appeal to our brothers and sisters who are still attacking oil facilities. It isn’t good because the oil prices are down and it is a double challenge for us. I plead with us to please talk with our brothers, our various sons and daughters in the communities that there is a need to embrace peace, to be patient with us as a state and even with the Federal Government because we need the cooperation of all for us to have a success story”. Raising the red Flag The chairman of Kokodiagbene Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, who doubles as the Coordinator the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEJEP), Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who spoke on the renewed

They even know those behind pipeline vandalism and how oil theft has been flourishing in the region

File: A group of militants

hostility in Warri, accused security personnel of complicity in the saga. According to Mulade, security operatives have the technicalknow-how to smoke out those behind the vandalisation of oil and gas facilities belonging to NNPC / Chevron Joint Venture in Delta State and that of the Agip at Tumor in Bayelsa State, but for their connection, they are incapacitated. He said: “They are the ones escorting smugglers and oil bunkerers with their crude laden ‘Cotonou boats’. They even know those behind pipeline vandalism and how oil theft has been flourishing in the region.” -Ijaw legal adviser speaks: The Legal Adviser to the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the first female Commissioner in the defunct Bendel State, Mrs. Veronica Bamuza-mutu, a lawyer, who justified the agitation of the militants but condemned their approach, wondered why the Federal Government was wasting time in addressing the problems of the region. According to the legal adviser, instead for the Federal Government to address the problems confronting the oil bearing communities in the region, it merely granted amnesty, shared money and contracts for those that laid down arms “but regrettably neglected the devastation and degradation of the people of the re-

gion.” “The people (oil bearing communities) are truly suffering. No portable water, no electricity, no reasonable houses and their children cannot attend good schools, whereas this is the region where the country acquires its mainstay. The Federal Government should therefore address these challenges.” She said. -Pains of the affected communities: The Coalition of Ijaw Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area in Delta State in a joint statement, co-signed by the Chairman of Inikorogha community in Warri South West Local Government Area, Comrade Christopher Ejoh, Chief Isaiah Ukulor and Chief Felix Ejoh, expressed concern that the militants were targeting facilities within Gbaramatu Kingdom and other Ijaw localities. They said that besides the economic sabotage and environmental degradation which the perpetrators were causing the Nigerian state and entire Niger Delta region, the psychological effects on the locals and the immediate environment were enormous. According to the statement, the residents, each time a pipeline is sabotaged, jostle for fear of being caught along the firing line. While they described the attacks as “inimical” to the socioeconomic development of the area CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

south-south

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

and counterproductive to the development plans of the Federal Government, they wondered why the attackers struck again when major repairs were ongoing on some pipelines earlier blown. “We are seriously pained by what is going on around Gbaramatu Kingdom and its environs. We condemn in its entirety these attacks and want to appeal to the perpetrators to stay away from our communities. “Our communities should not be a battle field because we are at peace with NGC and other multinationals around us. NGC in particularly have been of great help to us, the electricity we are enjoying today was provided by them and we have no course to be in any disagreement with them, the statement said. Why are they fighting? A visit to the communities and villages in the region leaves one with sad memories of why the founding fathers and people of the area fought and some died for and are still willing to fight with the last drop of their blood. The government of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, had convinced thousands of youths from the region to lay down their arms and embrace peace while government pledged skills training and other sumptuous packages for the youths and their leaders. Indeed, dangerous arms that left many mouths gaping were laid down by the most repentant youths in the Niger Delta region, while committees that handled the exercise rightly or wrongly collected their data and went ahead to milk good number of those that embraced the amnesty programme without adequate government monitoring. Some of the youths too were trained overseas courtesy of the later years of government of former President Goodluck Jonathan which inherited the programme and gave more teeth to its success. Yet, a good number of ex-militant commanders and their loyalists, whether trained locally or overseas, through the supervision of the Niger Delta Affairs are today wallowing in regret and possibly have their eyes back to the creeks they left few years ago. The reason for this is not far-fetched; there have been so much politicization of the programme, leading to complaints from various quarters of the ex-militants. Investigation revealed that a good number of the youths, who laid down their arms were left off the exercise without recourse by government about the obvious danger of such costly mistake. A move the people reject Speaking on the renewed militancy in the region, the leader of ex-militant groups in Edo State, General Ogidigba Ayuba Godstime, gave reasons why members of the Niger Delta Avengers are threatening to cripple the nation’s economy, particularly, the oil sector and other vital installations. He said there was an urgent need for the Federal Government to take seriously the unemployment and

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Avenging for whom?

Fire fighters trying to quench a burning oil installation

empowerment challenges, especially as it affects youths in oil rich region, as a way to addressing some of the grievances and agitations of the people in order to douse the tension in the area. Ogidigba told New Telegraph in Benin, the state capital, that the Federal Government should not take the position of members of the Niger Delta Avengers for granted, as they were the fourth phase of agitators of the Presidential Amnesty programme and therefore should be accorded the needed attention through dialogue. He suggested that government should organize town hall meetings with relevant stakeholders and youths in all the oil bearing states in the region to pave the way for fruitful dialogue and peaceful resolution of some of problems confronting the areas and to also incorporate the youths in a joint committee made up of the military/communities for surveillance operations on oil facilities for peace and development of the states and the entire region. The ex-militant leader further urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to take lightly, the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to cripple the nation’s economy as the group’s position constitutes serious issues which has the potency of affecting the lives of citizens of the country. According to him: “Engaging youths in the Niger Delta region is key to protection of the nation’s oil sector and sensitive facilities from criminal activities of saboteurs operating in the oil rich region. “And also on those who are Niger Delta Avengers, the President should not undermine their earlier statement to cripple the nation’s economy. He should not take their statement for granted because these

I think Nigeria has come to a point where we need to tell ourselves that the activities of economic saboteurs will no longer be condoned

are serious issues when you talk about the economy. It affects every individual in this nation and when somebody threatens to cripple the economy, it means a lot”. He added, “I think it is issue that can equally be handled by the government in the sense that there was a time this Niger Delta Avengers started with the fourth phase struggle of the Federal Government’s Presidential Amnesty programme which some of them were made to surrender some arms and ammunition and at the end of the day, the government did little of nothing to inculcate them into the Presidential amnesty programme”, he said. “I strongly believe this is the more reason why they are angry and say okay, we lay the golden egg, we should also be part and parcel of those that will benefit from it and I think since the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, he has not been able to address that issue and I want to also say that Nigeria runs on oil. There are different ways these youths can be engaged and the cause of these here and there is joblessness among youths in the Niger Delta region.” Also, the executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev David Ugolor, condemned in strong terms, the attacks on the nation’s oil platforms in the region by members of the Niger Delta Avengers and urged the group to sheathe their swords in the interest of the peaceful coexistence and growth of both the region and the nation at large. Ugolor noted that, “the recent blowing up of the Chevron valve platform in Delta State by the Niger Delta Avengers group has come up at a time when the recent wounds inflicted on Nigeria by Boko Haram and suspected herdsmen are yet to heal.” He urged the Federal Government to address these sundry inci-

dences before they escalate. Ugolor stated: “Our problems in the Niger Delta and indeed Nigeria cannot always be solved with a resort to arms and a resolve to cripple the Nigerian economy. If there are infractions being perpetrated by one section of the country on the other, we believe that the reasonable thing to do would be to interrogate the system via superior arguments and policy suggestions against such infractions, rather than taking the laws in our hands” According to him, “Therefore, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice ANEEJ, urges all militant groups, and especially the Niger Delta Avengers, to defuse their dynamites, sheathe their swords and let peace reign in Nigeria.” On his part, the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, warned that the activities of economic saboteurs would no longer be condoned. Oshiomhole, who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said, “I think the Nigeria has come to a point where we need to tell ourselves that the activities of economic saboteurs will no longer be condoned. It doesn’t help anyone, including the militants and their families; they are also affected directly and indirectly by their own activities of sabotage. “We need to understand that nations are built by collective effort and not by militarized conduct that tends to undermine the sovereignty of the economy. If anyone has legitimate grievance, we cannot settle that by the barrel of guns. “We need to collectively work together to build a nation where our opportunities would translate to edible cake for all of us. “For any sane Nigerian, militant activities need to be condemned in all its ramifications, especially, at this period of economic downturn.”

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Insight

Buhari:

One year after

Earnestly waiting for governance Despite being in the saddle for 12 months, Nigerians, in this report by ABIODUN BELLO, say they are yet to feel the positive impact of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari

“I

have no other place to go, no hope, nothing to give to my children to eat and no salary for the past four months, I am sorry I have to do this.” The above was a suicide note left by a middle-aged man identified as De Nwankwo. The incident occurred at Ihe Ndume in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. Until May 8, Nwankwo was a civil servant in the Ministry of Lands and Survey in the state. He had lost every hope while every avenue to meet his challenges and responsibilities were blocked as well, hence, his decision to end it all. Nwankwo reportedly took his life because no help came even from his extended family members, colleagues, friends and associates. According to a close relation, the deceased used to go to his extended family members and friends to solicit financial assistance and raw foodstuffs. He said: “Ahead of Sunday’s Mother’s Day celebration in some churches, his wife had asked him for money to purchase the cloth for the uniform to be worn by the women for the celebration, I believe that his inability to foot the bill and other things pushed the man to commit suicide.” If Nwankwo’s action was extreme, one of the disengaged staff of Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, Samuel Onwe, lost his life not because he wanted to. Onwe, who was working in the security department of the college, died of heart attack on April 24, after he was given a disengagement letter by the Chief Security Officer of the college. The man took ill but did not go to hospital because he had no money to settle hospital bill. The tragedies are not limited to the South-East states, in Oyo State, a teacher at Saint Luke’s Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, Mr. Lukuman Nasiru, sustained injuries when he slumped while teaching in the classroom. The 37-year-old Accounting teacher was rushed to Molete Health Care Centre, when his profuse bleeding did not stop and he slipped into a coma. His traumatised and confused wife, Modupe, said the family could not take her husband to a standard hospital because workers were being owed.

Queue at a filling station in Abuja

Buhari

She said: “There is no money to take him to a standard hospital for proper medical attention for now and we don’t have anybody to run to for assistance.” If Nasiru was lucky, it was reported that the Vice-Principal of the same school, Mr. Emmanuel Olajide, died a week earlier owing to hunger. These are some of the tragedies which have dogged the administration of President Muhammdu Buhari in the last 12 months. But it was not always like this. The government of the All Progressives Congress (APC), seen as a child of circumstance, was elected on Buhari’s goodwill. The administration rode on the crest of the failure of the government of its predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. That Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government is seen as the most corrupt administration Nigeria has ever being saddled with. And that became the greatest weapon in the hands of the then opposition, the APC, which had been on the fringe to latch on to power. Whatever perceived shortcomings raised by the PDP to discredit the then APC presidential candidate,

Fayose

At the end, the government, it seems, has the last laugh

Buhari, were easily turned to his advantage to bolster his chances at the poll by Nigerians thirsty for change. Even when it was reported that he had no certificate, his followers retorted that if he presented ‘NEPA bill’ (utility bill), they would gladly accept and vote him in. That desire for change explained the jubilation that greeted the announcement of the election of Buhari as president by then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, despite a subterfuge by former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Orubebe, to stop the announcement. Even before his inauguration, President Buhari was given a messianic reception. From Sokoto to Maiduguri, Ilorin to Ibadan, Lagos to Port Harcourt, and Aba to Abakaliki, the celebration was wild, the jubilation was spontaneous. While some went for the green bottles to celebrate the change, others marked it with trekking. A native of Katsina State, Suleiman Hashimu, the home state of the President, kicked off the trekking which latter spread like an harmat-

tan fire. Hashimu, who claimed he had promised to trek from Lagos to Abuja if Buhari won the presidential poll, said he was in Lagos when the retired general was announced the president. According to him, he set off for the journey from Lagos about 5am the next day after the announcement. A tumultuous crowd welcomed him on arrival in Maitama, Abuja, 18 days later. Hashimu’s story also kicked off a chain of trekkers, among them a woman identified as Hajiya Talatu, who trekked from Kaduna to Abuja in honour of Buhari. Like the trekkers, millions of Nigerians had expected the President to hit the ground running. But the first shock came from his inability to constitute his cabinet until four months later. The slow start of the administration did not impact on the confidence of Nigerians in the government but also on the deliverables. The fight against corruption has been the focus of the President. This much was confirmed by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, while reacting to a recent report by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) which claimed that Buhari had only achieved one out of his 222 tracked electoral promises, representing 0.5 per cent of the promises. Shehu said in a statement that no sincere Nigerian would fail to recognise the courage of the President to tackle corruption in a country where impunity was once celebrated. He said as a result of President’s efforts, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has quadrupled its revenue base within the first seven months of the administration. A feat, according to him, the service could not achieve under the preCONTINUED ON PAGE 24

INSIGHT

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

vious administration. He said: “Doesn’t the President deserve credit for this and other efforts to confront the monster of corruption?” Shehu said progress was being made in recovering the nation’s stolen funds for which an escrow account had been opened. “Buhari is making good strides towards improving governance by tackling corruption. Till date, a good number of persons believed to have collectively stolen billions from taxpayers have been arrested and are facing the courts. “We are working with our allies across the world from Britain and America to France and Germany to China and the UAE to source, locate and repatriate misappropriated funds. “So far, an escrow account has been opened for money that is being returned. This is only the start. The return of stolen funds is important, but it is just as critical to ensure that those who seek to steal realise that no longer will there be such impunity in Nigeria,” Shehu added. The President’s aide stressed that Buhari’s war against corruption and terrorism had become a template for Africa and the rest of the world. The first celebrated big fish which the hook of the anti-corruption caught is the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd). Dasuki was arrested late last year for allegedly stealing $2 billion. He was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of awarding phantom contracts to buy 12 helicopters, four fighter jets and ammunition meant for the fight against Boko Haram. His arrest came on the heels of his indictment by a panel investigating the procurement of arm under Jonathan’s administration. What has become Dasukigate has involved several politicians and personalities with special ties to Jonathan’s administration. Those that have been arrested at one point or the other include the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the owner of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raymond Dokpesi, Chief of Air Force, Adesola Amosu and former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh. The list is endless. But one of the biggest achievements of the corruption war was the five-year jail term handed down to a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Raymond Omatseye, by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. On Friday May 20, the court found Omatseye guilty of N1.5 billion contract scam. One of the greatest challenges facing the administration, which has become an albatross, is the glut in the global oil market. Unfortunately, as a mono-economy, Nigeria depends on the crude oil revenue. At least, an estimated 75 per cent of the nation’s revenue comes from the oil and gas sector. The highest a barrel of crude oil was sold was $49 per barrel. At a point in the life of Buhari’s administration, it also went for $27.82 per barrel. This has impacted negatively on the revenue accruable to the government, hence, the downturn. Outside the padding, the price of crude, more than any other factor, seemed to have been responsible for the delay in the passage of this year’s

Buhari:

One year after

Hopeful for better days

NLC members protesting the hike on fuel pump and electricity bill in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Fuel hawkers calculating their gains.

budget. One of the fallouts of the falling price of crude is the crisis in the downstream sector of the oil industry. The administration, which was sworn in in the midst of fuel shortage, is still grappling with how to check unending queues at filling stations across the country. In the last one year, it is hard to name a month without crisis, leading to long queues of motorists in search of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol. The beneficiaries of the fuel scarcity, which has become a burden for all administrations since the return of democratic governance in 1999, are the oil marketers and the black market operators. The street urchins, in almost every corner of the country, are always waiting for fuel shortage to make brisk business. It has also recorded casualties in terms of deaths and loss of property and other valuables. For instance, on April 6, at the peak of the fuel shortage, a female member of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reportedly shot dead a man identified as Dijo, who was hawking fuel. In the incident, which occurred at Festac area of Lagos State, the shooter also injured three others. The government had tried fruitlessly to untie the difficult knot which the fuel scarcity has become. At a time, the administration said it was not going to pay subsidy but it eventually backpedalled in the face of conspiracy of the oil marketers. At the twilight of 2015, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, announced the re-

Judgement of the present should be based on the activities of the past government

duction in the price of petrol from N87 to N86.50 per litre with effect from January 1, 2016. Kachikwu, who spoke through the Executive Secretary, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Farouk Ahmed, however, said the price of petrol would be reviewed either downward or upward quarterly. But the euphoria of the reduction in the cost of fuel was short-lived. A few weeks later, the queue for fuel returned in full force. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, the Federal Government, on May 11, announced the removal of the controversial subsidy, which Buhari had prior to assumption of office described as a scam. Kachikwu, who had barely 24 hours earlier warned that new policy on the oil sector was underway, said marketers must not sell beyond N145 per litre. But petrified Nigerians wondered why the administration decided on N145 per litre of fuel given the fact that Kachikwu had about a week earlier said government was paying N12.88 as subsidy on every litre of PMS. Any hope of a reduction, which traditionally had been the practice after a hike in the pump price of fuel, was dashed when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) bungled the opportunity to champion the course of the mass of Nigerians. The divided labour made a futile attempt to force down the hands of government with a three-day strike, regarded as the worst, in terms of impact, in the history of the agitation for the welfare of its members, and by exten-

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

sion, Nigerians. During the strike, banks, schools, offices, among others, opened for business. At the end, the government, it seems, has the last laugh. The National Assembly, which ought to have acted as a check on the excesses, if any, of the government, has continued to reel in the vomit of its leaders. Both arms of the legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives, had a shaky start with leadership crisis and have continued to move from one challenge to the other. The senators, on their part, are polarised in support or otherwise of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is facing trial at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for alleged graft. Assessing the performance of the administration, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said President Buhari was not “actively knowledgeable” about economy and foreign affairs. Obasanjo, who spoke as the special guest of honour at an international conference organised by the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, however, acknowledged the President’s military prowess and dodged determination to fight graft and insecurity. On his part, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who has been a strident critic of the Buhari/APC government, described President Buhari’s one year rule as a “colossal waste” to the country. Fayose, who spoke at the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, said the administration had nothing to show in the last one year. He said: “I think Nigerians will agree with me that one year of the APC and Buhari in office is a monumental waste. “When we say they don’t have capability to do it, we were not pretending about it. Like Prof. Chinua Achebe stated in one of his books, the chick that would turn into a cock, is spotted from the first day it is hatched.” The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Prof. David Oke, said the failure of the past administration had a negative impact on the present government. He said: “The general consensus is that things are harder now. This is based on the assumption that everything would be easier based on the change mantra of the new ruling party. But this implies that the people do not understand that the judgement of the present should be based on the activities of the past government. “They fail to understand that whatever promise made could only be achieved with capital and that borrowing would further weaken our currency based on the fact that the last administration had emptied the treasury irresponsibly. “One thing that is clear is that this administration is bold, courageous and honest, and so if given time, the roadmap already identified will bring about the required change. “However, I will expect the new government to also deploy new strategies to communicate with the grassroots because there seems to be a wide communication gap between the government and the illiterate and semi-literate populace.” But beyond the façade of gloom and doom, there is hope of better days ahead. Given the pedigree and integrity of the President, which no one has faulted, Nigeria, it is believed, will rise again.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Industry

Business What's new Asia, others flood Nigeria with N248bn books, pirated materials

Manufacturing: High hopes, less execution

eWorld Regulatory upheavals, others characterised ICT

27 29

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

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(BDC as at April 16)

(Interbank as at April 16)

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

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

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

Source: CBN

p.26

AfDB: Commodity crash, terrorism threaten Africa’s FDI p.26

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha; Chairman, Mr Obinna Ekezie and Vice-Chairman, Chief Andrew Stephen Odigie, at the 21st Annual General Meeting of the Company in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

GAP Almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity Kunle Azeez

T The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

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

elecommunications industry and other sectors of the Nigerian economy and across other African countries would require between $60 billion and $90 billion annually to address their energy shortfall, roughly quadruple 2014 investments levels. The investment projection forms one of the key highlights of a new renewable energy report commissioned by IHS Towers, an Africa’s telecoms infrastructure company and conducted on Africa, by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist. IHS is a major player in the African telecoms space with around 23,000 towers across Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia and Rwanda. It has around 15,000 towers in Nigeria, its biggest market and Africa’s most populace nation. The company recently agreed to acquire its Nigeria’s rival, Helios Towers Nigeria (HTN), with 1,211 towers spread across 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states, has identified the energy gap in the continent, where it requires high dependence on energy to power all its telecoms towers. Consequently, the commissioning of the research by IHS was an attempt to ascertain the energy shortfall of Africa and how renewable energy could be deployed to effectively power the various sectors of the economy.

Energy deficit: Telecoms, others need $90bn yearly In Nigeria, telecoms companies currently spent an estimated N540 billion in 2014 and this was expected to have risen to at least N730 billion in 2015. Already, industry analysts told New Telegraph that the cost of purchasing fuel to power their over 30,000 base stations scattered across the country could even be higher this year, considering the current economic recession in the country. Each year, the average sub-Saharan African manufacturing firm loses 5.5 per cent of annual sales due to power outages, over double the global average (2.6 per cent), according to the World Bank. “Nigeria has nearly 33 outages a month; the average duration is eight hours. Overall, almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity.” According to the study titled: “Power Up: Delivering renewable energy in Africa,” while fossil fuels, notably coal, oil and gas, continue to provide a significant quantity of energy, renewables need to play a greater role. The report, combining expert interviews with country fieldwork, assesses renewable infrastructure dynamics in Africa today, focusing on solar and wind and outlines the strategies employed by developers, corporates, governments and international partners. “Following high-level declarations

N750 billion Being the estimated cash telecoms companies in Nigeria are expected to spend this year to bridge the energy gap

at the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Conference late last year, there is a growing appetite for renewable energy in Africa. This is much needed; the continent’s energy supplies are not meeting the needs and aspirations of its people. “A better system will promote economic diversification, raise productivity and improve the health and wellbeing of citizens,” says the report in its executive summary. The study notes that Africa has plentiful resources, from geothermal power in Kenya and Ethiopia to hydropower in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Solar and wind are especially promising, thanks to falling costs and resource abundance. From solar-powered hospitals in Lagos to wind farms in Lake Turkana, renewable energy is not just a pipe dream - it is a reality. “Renewables can increase energy security, reduce energy import bills, and diversify and de-risk the energy mix. Through off-grid technologies, they can provide direct, affordable power to rural regions beyond the reach of the grid system,” it explains. But to harness renewables at scale, the study found that very significant infrastructure was needed, stressing that both core assets such as wind and solar farms and transCONTINUED ON PAGE 26

BUSINESS |news

AfDB: Commodity crash, terrorism threaten Africa’s FDI OPTIMISTIC FDI into Africa increased by 16 per cent to USD 57.5 billion in 2015 Tony Chukwunyem

eclining oil and metals prices, terrorist activity, coupled with political instability, are key threats to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB), has said. In its latest regional economic outlook, the lender said that although FDI into Africa increased by 16 per cent to $57.5 billion in 2015, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures, the continent faces volatile FDI inflows. According to the report, “terrorist activity and deteriorating security in some Sahel countries and political instability are a threat to investment. External and domestic factors influence Africa’s investment return, including economic slowdowns in emerging economies and the weak recovery in the European Union. Declining oil and metals prices have led foreign investors to scale down operations in resource-rich countries.” It noted that while West African investment rose from $9.3 billion to $9.7 billion, FDI into North Africa reversed a downward trend, increasing from 20 per cent from $17.2 billion in 2014 to $20.7 billion in 2015. Similarly, the report stated that East Africa saw higher FDI since 2010, with the figures showing an increase of 16 per cent to $8.9 billion in 2015 from $7.7 billion the previous year. Also, Southern Africa received $12.9 billion of FDI in 2015 against $8.7 billion in 2014, and $11.4 billion in 2013. However, the study showed that FDI into Central Africa fell from $6.6 billion in 2014 to $5.4 billion. According to the report, the leading African investment destinations in 2015 were: Egypt ($10.2 billion), Mozambique ($4.7 billion), Morocco ($4.2 billion), South Africa ($3.6 billion), Ghana ($2.5. billion), the Democratic Republic of the Congo ($2.5 billion), Zambia ($2.4 billion), Tanzania ($2.3 billion), Ethiopia ($2.1 billion), Guinea ($1.9 billion) and Kenya ($1.9 billion). The study further revealed that the estimated $208.3 billion of external finance – foreign investment, trade, aid, remittances and other sources that Africa attracted in 2015 – was 1.8 per cent lower than the previous year. “The total sum is projected to rise again to $226.5 billion in 2016. Falling commodity prices, particularly for oil and metals, were one of the key causes for the 2015 fall,” the report added.

DAMAGE Non-performance of paper mills cost the country N180 billion in 2015 Bayo Akomolafe

ook exporters from Asia, Africa, United States, Australia and Europe have crippled publishing outfits in Nigeria by flooding the country with books, industry manuscripts, photographic printing papers, pictures and typescripts and some pirated materials valued at N248 billion ($1.240,580,000) in the last five years. It was learnt that the exporters took the advantage of the ailing pulp and paper mills to ship in massive substandard materials into the country. The ailing mills, which were established by the Federal Government in the 1960s and 70s include: Nigeria Paper Mill (NPM), Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC) and Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company (NNPMC). Already, the Director-General of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Hussain Doko Ibrahim, had said that the non-per-

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Asia, others flood Nigeria with N248bn books, pirated materials formance of the country’s paper mills had cost the country N180 billion at the end of 2015. According to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), most of the pirated materials were shipped through the seaports and the country’s porous borders. It listed some of the materials to include secondary school books such as New General Mathematics for JSS 2 by Pearson, New Concept Mathematics JSS 1, New Primary English Book 5 and Nigeria Primary English Pupils Book 6 by Learn Africa. Others are dictionaries and copies of the Holy Bible. Between 2011 and 2015, International Trade in Goods statistics revealed that United States and China, the major suppliers ferried some books valued at $221.5 million and $207.3 million respectively to the country. Other suppliers are United Kingdom, $130 million, Germany, $43.6 million; Malaysia, $101.4 million; Australia, $5.4 million; India, $130.9 million; France, $78.9 million; Japan, $16.8 million and South Africa, $44.6 million.

According to the NCS, some of the imports and printed materials were pirated books. The service put market value of some secondary books seized last November at N1.5 billion. Also, Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA) said that some of the books were imported from South East Asia in large quantities. The President of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), Mr. Wahab Muhammed-Lawal, who called on President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit the issue of pulp and paper mills in the country, explained that the importation of printing papers, especially news print, had robbed the country thousands of jobs. The institute said that the country produced less than one per cent of the 199.76 million books needed per year based on six books per child in primary school for 20.4 million pupils, eight books per student in the secondary school, for 6.4 million students and eight books per student for close to one million

students in tertiary education. In the first quarter of 2016, no fewer than 35 people were arrested by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in connection with pirated books worth N40 million. The commission said that 10,000 cartons of books, artworks, musicals and cinematography worth over N1.5 billion were seized and destroyed in October, 2015. The Commission’s Director General, Afam Ezekude, said that NCC was able to seized pirated works valued at N7.9 billion over the last four years. Also, Customs seized some pirated home videos and books worth N11.6 billion between January and November at the seaports in 2015. It noted that the contraband were New General Mathematics for JSS 2 by Pearson, New Concept Mathematics JSS 1, New Primary English Book 5, and Nigeria Primary English Pupils Book 6 by Learn Africa. Others are dictionaries and copies of the Holy Bible.

L-R: Group Executive Director, Lafiagi Sugar Company, Alhaji Kabir Rabiu; Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed; Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Adegoke Bamidele and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, during the flag off of 2016 sugarcane plantation at Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

mission grids, as well as connective infrastructures, such as roads to and from sites for transporting kit and manpower, or for bringing products, like solar-powered mobile phones, to market. This, the report says, requires effective regulation, sufficient financing, appropriate technologies and smart business models. Meanwhile, the study explains that the African countries have the ambitions. “The African Renewable Energy Initiative, led by institutions including the African Union and the United Nations Environment Programme, has set a goal of 300 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. But this requires a 680 per cent increase in current deployment rates.” Citing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s latest data, The Economist renewable energy report said the installed renew-

Telecoms, others need $90bn yearly

able power generation capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa currently stands slightly below 30 GW, roughly 25-30 per cent of the installed power base, but this is dominated by large hydro, with other renewables collectively accounting for just 4-5 per cent of power generation. However, the study stressed: “The sun is shining on African renewables.” According to the report, “falling technology costs, ambitious targets, resource abundance, a pipeline of high-quality projects, and the support of international donor partners are driving the rollout of renewable power in Africa.” It stated that countries could look to positive experiences in lead markets such as South Africa and Kenya for strategies and best practices. “Like mobile communications in the late 2000s, Africa’s power sector can ‘leapfrog’ heavy infrastructure. Africa’s green power sector resembles mobile

communications a decade ago. There is a large pool of African consumers able to buy power but simply lacking appropriately priced and designed options. “Leapfrog’ strategies are emerging in rural regions, where electricity is delivered without heavy, clunky infrastructures. Innovative ‘pay as you go’ contracts, affordable technologies like pico-solar units, and remote utility management software, are smart alternatives to the conventional grid approach. “In rural regions, off-grid power generation could create an entirely new type of ‘bottomup’ network as island grids gradually become interconnected. As with mobile in Africa, the key will be smart business models, not just a reliance on cheapening technology.” Noting that governments must implement cost-reflective tariffs based on publicly available ‘cost of service’ studies, the report notes that to attract

infrastructure investment, power tariffs must reflect costs. “Targeted subsidies to protect the poor can help improve access to power without deterring the private sector from investment. Transparency and harmonisation are essential for investors. Governments should publish key planning documents, like Integrated Resource Plans, and introduce bankable and harmonised legal documentation including power purchase agreements (PPAs), government support agreements (GSAs) and connection agreements (CAs). Africa also needs strong, independent energy regulators that enforce competitive procurement,” the study says. Meanwhile, to utilise renewable technologies, the study said landlocked African nations must improve supply chain efficiency so developers can quickly move equipment and replace parts such as panels and turbines.

InDUSTRY

THURSDAY, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari:

One year after

Manufacturing: High hopes, less execution triggering a sell-off in the nations’ assets. As at last Monday, the Nigerian equity market had lost in the last one year of the current administration, 21 per cent or N2.38trillion, making the local bourse one of the worst performing equity markets this year, Depressed international oil market, exchange rate crisis and fears coming from slowing Chinese economy induced negative pressure on the equity market. However, economic analysts see great prospects in the Nigerian equities over medium to long-terms, as most stocks are currently trading far below their fair values.

When President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, there were high expectations for the manufacturing sector, but less has been achieved, writes TAIWO HASSAN

n assumption of office as the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria on May 29, 2015, Buhari was expected to turnaround the nation’s economy and fix the numerous challenges that have been bedevilling the industrial sector. Consequently, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was greeted with high hopes by key stakeholders in the manufacturing sector, especially the organised private sector (OPS) who saw his election as the ‘messiah’ that would salvage the nation’s ailing industrial sector. The OPS, which is the umbrella body of the private sector operators in the country, comprises the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Nigerian Economic Consultative Association (NECA). However, in the last one year, the high expectations that greeted Buhari’s administration have suddenly waned with little impact to show for the country’s comatose industrial sector in terms of development and growth. Unfortunately, the current administration was hit by sudden slide in the prices of crude oil at the international markets, adding to the already familiar challenges facing the real sector of the Nigerian economy. Crude oil effects The plunge in the prices of crude oil took a toll on the country’s revenues from oil, a development that drastically reduced inflow of foreign exchange. This made it extremely difficult for manufacturers to access foreign exchange from the official market to import their raw materials. At the official forex market, a dollar exchanged for N199, while as at last Tuesday, N347 traded for a dollar at the unofficial market (parallel market), making it uncompetitive for manufacturers in Nigeria to import raw materials. Speaking after the last Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Monetary Policy Committee Meetings (MPC) in Abuja two months ago, CBN Governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, said that the weakening global economic prospects as well as increased risks in the domestic

Buhari

economic environment had put pressure on Nigeria’s economy. He said that on the global front, uncertainties and geo-political tensions have increased in the Middle East, leading to a major standoff between two major oil producers; Saudi Arabia and Iran, in the face of improving relations between the United States (US) and Iran. He explained that in the global oil market, both Iran and the US have emerged as new suppliers while OPEC appeared to have shifted from protecting price to defending market share. These developments, according to him, underscored the conclusion that the current global oil prices would remain for a much longer period. The CBN governor also noted that the widespread stock market weaknesses and worsening macroeconomic conditions in China had further exacerbated the already stifling global economic challenges. These uncertainties have he explained, blended well with domestic vulnerabilities to affect the monetary policy environment in Nigeria. LCCI’s view For Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the one year in office of President Buhari has been challenging in all ramifications. Indeed, the country’s business environment has been tough for private business operators, manufacturers and Small and Medium scale Enterprise (SME) owners. Director-General, LCCI, Muda Yusuf, said mixed reactions have continued to trail the policy direction of President Buhari’s administration in the last one year and this has brought about low public confidence in the administration among the comity of private sector. He said the chamber admitted that political and economic developments really shaped business and economic environment in the administration’s one year, coupled with the fallen in the prices of crude oil at the international

Fuel scarcity Last November, there was resurgence of long queues by motorists at most of the filling stations across the country following the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechuwu rumour that the country’s storage capacity for petroleum products Enelamah was declining faster and that the Nigerian National Petroleum Cormarket. poration (NNPC) had no intention “In fact, sectors such as manuto import more premium motor facturing and the services slipped spirit otherwise known as petrol, due to cash crunch. into recession after recording successive declines over the last three Initially, the Federal Governquarters of 2015,” he added. ment, through the Minister of The LCCI DG said that the State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. successful democratic transition Ibe Kachikwu, tried to dispel the that ushered in a current politirumour, saying that the country cal administration presented a had enough storage capacity for new wave of optimism on the the products that could last for back of the inherent goodwill of several months. the administration at the federal Kachikwu, who also doubled level. However, business activities as the Group Managing Director were largely slow for a better part (GMD), NNPC, assured Nigeriof the year under review due to ans that NNPC will continue to uncertainties around the general import petroleum products into This is truly economic policy direction of the the country. a challenging present administration. However, like a volcano eruption, the fuel scarcity continued period for policies to gather more steam and spilled the country’s Economic In the last one year of Presiinto the New Year, as motorists, dent Buhari’s administration, manufacturers, SMEs operators economy Nigeria has increasingly drifted lamented the adverse effects the into economic and financial crisis fuel scarcity had caused to their following series of adverse develbusinesses. opments in the international oil Chairman, Lagos Chamber of market. In response to dwindling Commerce and Industry (LCCI), receipts from oil export, the bankSmall and Medium scale Entering watchdog had adopted several prise Group (SMEG), Jon Kachikmeasures such as the closure of wu, said that the manufacturing Retail Dutch Auction System sector and the SMEs sector alone (rDAS) window, restriction of lost a whooping N70 billion and cash payment into domiciliary N30 billion respectively to the linaccounts and prohibition of 41 gering crisis. items from accessing the interKachikwu revealed that the issue of petroleum products bank foreign exchange market. now takes 65 per cent of manuCBN’s administrative allocation of foreign exchanges inflicted facturers’ operating profit every more pains for manufacturers year, adding that they now spend and constituted a challenge for double amount of money on peinvestors and the economy. As last troleum products to power their Tuesday (May 24 2016), premium generating sets in order to remain at the parallel market reached in business. was N148 against the official exConclusion change rate of N199, as the naira crashed further to 347/$ in the No doubt, this is truly a chalparallel market. lenging period for the country’s The CBN, in an attempt to areconomy and the administration rest the trend last December, had of President Buhari. But the private sector operators believe that blamed the development on the activities of speculators in the Nigeria still has great prospects in parallel forex market. future. For them, the only way out The forex restrictions also to the present economic woes is prompted JPMorgan Chase & for the present administration to Co. to remove Nigeria from its relax its current forex policies and local-currency emerging-market be a ‘listening’ government that bond indexes last September 2015, values investors’ opinion.

business \ industry

LOSSES The Federal Government has lost about N100 billion in foreign exchange on EEG scheme Taiwo Hassan

he Federal Government is currently addressing and reviewing the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) scheme and Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate (NDCC) claims in the country and would soon resolve the impasse in the nation’s export market. Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar, disclosed this during the breakfast meeting/ inauguration of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Large Corporation (MANLCG) of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos. She said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to resolving manufacturers’ challenges in the country, especially on the issues of EEG and NDCC. “To assure you of the present administration’s interest in manufacturer’s activities, the issue of EEG/NDCC claims is being addressed and the review will very, very soon be concluded,” she said. The minister stressed that the ministry, apart from pur-

FG begins EEG review to boost exports suing industrial policies has focused also on permissive economic strategies anchored on free market economy, free entry and free exist of factors of production, local resources development and utilisation to get it right. She added that this entails capacity production utilisation in manufacturing sector, as well as vigorous export promotion and expansion through the provision of appropriate mix of incentives to local and foreign investors, manufacturers and exporters so as to encourage increased

he Bank of Industry (BoI) has disbursed N8.44 million to 15 prospective entrepreneurs through its Kaduna Start-Up Entrepreneurship program (KADSTEP). Acting Managing Director, BOI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, while presenting cheques to the beneficiaries of the KADSTEP programme in Kaduna State, said that those whose loans were approved were the candidates that met the bank’s Risk Acceptance Criteria (RSC). He assured of the bank’s readiness to render financial and business mentoring support to entrepreneurs. While recommending the KADSTEP model to other states of the federation, Olagunju restated the bank’s commitment to continue to provide financial support to existing and start-up businesses across the nation. KADSTED was designed by the Kaduna State government in conjunction with the Kaduna Business School (KBS) and the development finance institution to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to be able to access various intervention funds available to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the state. He said that apart from benefiting from other loan windows of the bank under the KADSTEP, successful small business opera-

domestic production, and export of made in Nigeria goods, which have huge potential to generate alternative streams of foreign exchange other than crude oil. Abubakar stated that the interest of the present administration is to have a visible and vibrant manufacturing sector that is adequately empowered to produce goods for local consumption and for export, in line with its diversification agenda. Her words: “Government has created and is still creating enabling business environ-

ments to fix and fill the gap created by industrial challenges, value addition to the natural resources is key to attaining the set objectives. Economic growth can never be achieved without diversifying through agriculture value chain, mining, oil and gas processing in Nigeria today. The interest of the present administration is to have a visible and vibrant manufacturing sector that is adequately empowered to produce goods for local consumption and for export.” She, however, listed the challenges facing the manu-

facturing sector to include, the nationwide low capacity utilisation as well as infrastructure deficiency especially in poor energy supply; poor access to modern technology; unfair competition and multiple taxation. The minister added that the manufacturing sector is expected to give life to the government policy on employment generation and empowerment, but it seems to be endangered as its decline has partly contributed to the current level of unemployment and the rising number ailing industries.

L-R: Assistant General Manager Operations, and Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee, Chemstar Paints Industry Nigeria Limited, Mr. Cyprian Ukpai; Deputy Managing Director (DMD), Mr. Adedayo Paseda; Head of Finance, Mr. Tiwalade Adebiyi; and Head of Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Toyin Robert, at 2016 edition of the annual week-long Health and Safety Week, in Lagos.

BoI disburses N48.44m to entrepreneurs in Kaduna Amadi Nnamdi

THURSDAY, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

tors would also have opportunities to leverage on existing N1 billion matching fund. Twenty-five budding entrepreneurs enlisted in the programme, which comprised two months intensive entrepreneurial training and one month practical session in business plans development but only 15 graduates got loan cheques ranging from N2 million to N5 million. Olagunju, however, noted that the bank and KBS are working with the other 10 applicants in a hand-holding manner and guiding them towards also meeting the laid down RAC. According to him, the bank is putting up the measures to increase the success rate of KADSTEP graduates with a view to reducing the mortality rate. “We are optimistic that most of them will eventually scale through and encourage others to complete their applications in good time so that they could also become beneficiaries,” he assured. In his speech, the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, noted that the state government was targeting creation of 5,000 young entrepreneurs in the next four years under the KADSTEP. Speaking on the significance of the programme, El-Rufai said: “As business creators, they will strengthen the SMEs sector as a driver for job creation. Empowering our youths with the skills and the funding to establish businesses is not a trivial matter.

LCCI recognises StarTimes

frica’s digital television platform, StarTimes, has clinched the Fastest Growing Pay TV award in Nigeria at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) awards held in Lagos recently. StarTimes was presented with the prestigious award and commended for its consumer friendly offerings at the event attended by presided over by the President, LCCI Dr. Nike Akande; former President, LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello and other captains of industry.

While presenting the award, LCCI, said: “The objective of the annual awards is to recognize, celebrate and promote private and public institutions who have exhibited the core values of best business practices, growth through innovations, business sustainability and have impacted positively on the society.” Receiving the awards on behalf of the Board, management and staff of the company, Marketing Director, Mr. Oludare Kafar, expressed appreciation to millions of StarTimes sub-

scribers who made it possible with a promise of better subscribers experience. “As a business, we have embraced innovation and cutting edge global technology solutions to deliver compelling digital television experience to our millions of subscribers. “With very sharp picture quality, strong signals and rich channels that meet the entertainment need of every member of the family, we offer affordable bouquets of digital television as part of our commitment to guide Nigerians into full digitisation.”

Local firm launches new energy drink Taiwo Hassan

anagement of East Hem Liquids Limited has announced the debut of ‘Last Shot’, a premium recovery and detox drink that helps prevent hangovers after a period of alcohol consumption. Speaking at the company’s product unveiling ceremony in Lagos, General Manager, East Hem Liquids Limited, Kodili Ukaonu, said that the product was manufactured under the strictest standards for producing food and beverage products in the

United States of America. Ukaonu said that the product contains essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, electrolytes and antioxidants. According to him, with only five calories per can and zero sugar, Last Shot was meant to refreshingly improve detoxification level, prevent cell damage and dehydration associated with “playing hard.” He said that the product was a great choice of beverage for health conscious individuals, adding that it can be enjoyed on its own or as a mixer with one’s favorite

party drink. “Finally, you have a drink that delights and detoxifies. “Now, you can drink to clear head and cleansed body,” he said. Also speaking, the Vice Chairman, East Hem Liquids, Ed Ukaonu stressed that it is completely sugar free drink and works as a recovery drink. He explained that it contains key ingredients such as Glucorate, which is found naturally in fruits and vegetables, along with other vitamins such as B12 that help remove toxins in the liver.

Buhari:

Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry has witnessed some ups and downs in the last 12 months of President Buhari-led administration.KUNLE AZEEZ examines these issues

eWORLD

THURSDAY, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

One year after

Regulatory upheavals, others characterised ICT million last November and currently the figure has dropped to 148.7 million. Teledensity also followed the same pattern, rising from 104.69 per cent last May to reach 108.66 per cent in November and has since crashed to 106,45 per cent currently. Similarly, mobile Internet subscriptions, which had earlier grown to 97 million, have also collapsed to 93 million at present.

nformation and Communications Technology (ICT) industry witnessed both bullish and bearish trends in the last 12 months of the current administration in the country. The fine crisis One of the major issues that continue to pervade the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry in the last 12 months has been the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on MTN by telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The sanction stemmed from the MTN’s failure to deactivate some 5.1 million unregistered lines on its network as directed by the regulator. After a suit by MTN challenging the regulator’s power to impose the fine and a counter-suit by NCC, the former finally opted to settle out of court with N50 billion good faith payments to commence new talks with the regulator. Government, in turn, slashed the fine by 25 per cent, bringing the payable fine to $3.9 billion (N780 billion). However, the road to peaceful resolution of the fine brouhaha remains largely elusive. Currently, government has suspended talks with MTN to allow the House of Representatives complete investigation on the nature of the penalty. The delayed resolution has led to over 35 per cent crash in MTN shares since the crisis started last October. Stakeholders are also divided on the imposition of the fine with some backing the regulatory action while some others believe the sanction could deter foreign

Telecoms equipment

direct investment in the country. Poor forex access Another policy that has been affecting the operations of players in the ICT industry in the last 12 months has been the challenge of access to foreign exchange. “We, as a telecom company, are not on the list of those who can access forex, so, it has been a real struggle in the last one year to pay for telecoms equipment, which companies plan to import for infrastructure expansion. We need some flexibility on the part of CBN,” said the Managing Director, Ntel, Mr. Kamar Abass. Other operators such as MTN, Globacom, Airtel, Etisalat and Bitflux are also faced with a similar challenge in the last one year, according officials of these companies. The operators are now seeking the intervention of the Ministry of Communications to liaise with the CBN in easing the process of

Source: www.commsmea.com

obtaining foreign exchange for purchasing telecom equipment to fasttrack telecoms development.

Investment lull Arguably, the industry witnessed Though the a somewhat downturn in the volindustry ume of investment inflow into the country. In the last 12 months, no witnessed major player in the industry annotable nounced any investment outlay for ups and their operational expansion. Indeed, while their revenue is threatdowns,… ened by the decline in Average Revanalysts beenue Per User (ARPU), the rising capital expenditure and operational lieve that … expenditure have also acerbated the it would see operators’ experience. Today, indusa rebound in try investment stood at over $34 bil- QoS intervention The last 12 months have witlion with a huge investment gap. the next 12 nessed timely interventions months Oscillating growth data from both the regulator and the Industry growth indices such as supervising ministry, especially the quality of service, active voice on quality of service (QoS) deand Interne subscriptions have livery, as they try to reduce the also been oscillating. For instance, cases of unfair billings system from 146.5 million in May 2015, ac- by the operators and incidences tive voice subscriptions hit 152.1 of unsolicited short messaging services. Currently, operators are being made to roll over unused data, be more transparent in their billing of subscribers an online application form for tswana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, while the NCC is close to finalisNigerian tech-driven startups Gambia, UK). ing work on an industry regulato indicate interest. Applica“Responses have been im- tion on the value-added service tion form opened on Saturday, pressive, and we hope to get (VAS) segment of the industry. May 7 and closed on the mid- the best startups to represent night of May 19, 2016. Nigeria at this global startup Conclusion An online advert was also hub,” said Okunowo, who is Though the industry witlaunched on Twitter, Insta- the National Coordinator of nessed notable ups and downs, gram and Facebook to the the Office for ICT Innovation which seemed to have slowed Nigerian tech startup eco- and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), down the pace of progress in the industry, analysts believe system. created by NITDA. In all, 180,000 online imFifteen to 17 startups, that with proper implementapressions were recorded, which must have unique tech- tion of various policies aimed and 709 link clicks resulting driven solutions/businesses at engendering foreign direct in 369 entries submitted by that address the themes of investment (FDI), driving lostartups as at the end of ap- Gitex are to be pre-selected. cal contents, deepening broadplication on May 19 from 32 Thereafter, the final selection band and improving services states across the country and process for 10 will follow at a generally, the industry would 9 other countries (Ethiopia, pre-selection meeting holding witness a rebound in the next Cameroon, Uganda, Chad, Bo- this week. 12 months.

Gitex 2016: NITDA gets 369 startups’ entries

bout 369 entries were submitted by startups hoping to have a chance to participate in the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (Gitex) 2016 Startup Movement and pitch for the $100,000 prize at the technology trade show billed to hold in Dubai in November. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) plans to sponsor 10 startups to the global startups event that will be attracting over 400 startups in addition to the over 150, 000 trade visitors from more than 150 countries expected to attend the 5-day technology

expo and conference. To get startups to participate, the NITDA set up a Startup Sub-committee led by Mr. Bunmi Okunowo, a technology entrepreneur. The Startup sub-committee is under Nigeria@Gitex 2016 Local Organising Committee (LOC) inaugurated recently by the acting Director General of the NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji. The sub-committee is mandated to select the winning entries to enjoy the NITDA startup sponsorship. To get the process going and engage the stakeholders, the sub-committee launched

Roadmaps Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu and the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, separately unveiled growth roadmaps for the industry. The two policy directions, especially the eight-point agenda of the telecoms regulator, are expected to provide the necessary impetus needed for the growth of the industry in the coming years. Analysts say when these policies are complementarily implemented, it would help in deepen access to ICT services and further give the required accent to broadband penetration in the country. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Galaxy Backbone, as well as the Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) are also going to be affected by the overarching policy of the ministry for the entire industry.

business \ eWORLD

83% Nigerians rely on mobile devices for Internet–Report

TARGET Partnership between Ericsson and Airtel are expected to deepen broadband penetration

Kunle Azeez

n Ericsson Mobility Report for sub-Saharan Africa has underscored the high mobility trend in Nigeria’s $34 billion telecoms industry. In the second half of 2015, Nigeria was among the top five countries worldwide in terms of mobile subscription additions, the report says. Ericsson also said that Nigerian businesses are increasingly adopting mobile-first strategies. With broadband in Nigeria currently standing at 10 per cent, the country’s approved National Broadband Plan (NBP) targets 30 per cent broadband penetration in the next three years. As such, Airtel Nigeria and Ericsson have entered into a strategic deal to roll out the award-winning Ericsson Radio System in sites across the country in order to address the growing demand and increase access to affordable mobile broadband Internet service. Ericsson Radio System’s multi-standard platform enables Airtel Nigeria to cost-effectively leverage the reach, maturity and increasing affordability of today’s 3G technology, while laying the foundation for their 4G

and 5G evolution. The network-wide solution incorporates a broad range of products including: radio, baseband, small cells, backhaul, fronthaul, enclosures, power site equipment and the controller. The products, the two partners said, are augmented through twice-yearly network software updates, and through Ericsson Global Services offerings. “Mobile broadband access is really a prerequisite to achieving our key objective of enrich-

ing the lives and empowering the people of Nigeria to benefit both consumers and industry,” Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, said. “Ericsson Radio System provides the performance and efficiency to support this objective while also ensuring a future-proof evolution as Nigeria continues to establish itself as a progressive and innovative ICT-driven country.” By 2021, it is forecast that over 90 per cent of the world’s population will be covered by mobile

broadband networks. Meanwhile, cost points for entry-level cellular devices reduced by 85 per cent over the last ten years. The increasing device affordability addresses the major barrier to entry and is achieved through the global economies of scale enabled by cellular standards. Head of Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, Mr. Arun Bansal, said: “Airtel Nigeria and their customers are directly benefitting from the performance and efficiency innovations designed

into the Ericsson Radio System – network-wise, its future-proof multi-standard platform ensures a smooth evolution, while its compact, modular design reduces operating costs enabling Airtel Nigeria to offer more affordable mobile broadband access today. “Ericsson Radio System has already won both the Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Infrastructure and the Red Dot Award for Product Design, but it is the recognition of our key customers like Airtel Nigeria that matters the most.”

L-R: Senior Regional Sales Manager, Africa, Motorola Solutions, Mr. Uzonna Izugbokwe; Director of Sales Channels, Africa, Mr. Laurent Tribout and Communications Manager, Israel & sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Maor Aharoni, at the Channel Partners engagement sessions and training organised by the company in Lagos.

Careers24 hits 5,000 registered firms igeria’s online job platform, Careers24, has said it currently boasts of about 5,000 registered companies, which are available for review. It said that the number is expected to increase daily, as the platform also allows reviewers to add new companies for review. The firm has also introduced what it called ‘Company Review’ feature, which is a feedback mechanism that provides unfettered access to employees to rate their employers, thereby driving employer/employee relations. Speaking on the motivation for the new platform, Head of Marketing, Careers24, Niyi Temitope, said: “As a business, our goal is to provide a place where candidates or potential employees can get detailed information at the right time to help them make careerrelated decisions. We also wanted to give companies an objective insight into what their employees think about

THURSDAY, may 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

working for them. This is what inspired the creation of the Company Review feature. The Company Review feature falls within our employer branding strategy for organisations,” he said. Temitope said Company Review provides an opportunity for employees to give completely anonymous feedback to their former or current employers. The platform, he said, also provides potential employees or candidates with reliable information and gives them valuable insights while researching potential employers. According to him, the Company Review feature was created as a suitable platform for people to find and share reliable information about what it is really like to work for companies across Nigeria. “The platform is also designed to help businesses attract more relevant talents and ultimately, employees who are engaged and are a great cultural fit.

NITEC 2016 targets ICT growth

he Nigeria International Technology Exhibition & Conference (NITEC 2016) will serve as a catalyst to achieve greater conversation among stakeholders to engender increased growth in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology industry. The maiden edition of the annual forum is being handled by Neo Media & Marketing, a foremost public relations and event management company backed by an experienced Board of Advisors with different professional background. With the theme: “Role of Disruptive Technologies in Catapulting the African Continent’s GDP,” the NITEC 2016 is scheduled to hold between June 23 and

24, in Lagos. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of Neo Media & Marketing, Mr. Ehi Braimah, explained the concept behind the event, which is to showcase Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and promote innovative ICT solutions. Braimah admonished the public and private sectors particularly entrepreneurs to embrace technology and its disruptive nature. “This is why the slogan for what will become an annual conference and exhibition is “Trending Technologies,” a slogan that will ensure each year’s edition captures all the trending issues in technology around the world,” he said.

Braimah explained that NITEC 2016 is positioned to bridge the gap between the private and public sectors and the international technology community in re-engineering the African technological ecosystem for greater impact on the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Also speaking, a member of the Board of Advisors, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr, maintained that NITEC would serve as a platform that will bring together the public, private sectors as well as young innovators. He added that top industry stakeholders and thoughts leaders as well as regulators have been lined up to speak at the conference.

VoguePay serves 20m SMEs market

oguePay.com, an e-payment platform, has declared that it integrated solutions and services are helping small and medium businesses (SMEs) to power their online payment infrastructure by offering free online payment integration to serve an estimated market audience of 20 million SMEs in Nigeria. Chief Executive Officer of VoguePay, Mr. Micheal Simeon, disclosed this in a statement, while receiving its Best Emerging Online Payment Platform in Africa Award, which it won at

the African Information Technology and Telecom Awards (AITTA) 2016 in Accra, Ghana. Launched in 2012, VoguePay was created with a vision to make online, cross-currency payments and transactions safer, cheaper and more accessible for businesses, traders and consumers in Africa and internationally. The platform offers both users and merchants an opportunity to transact without directly using their card or bank details. Simeon reiterated his company’s commitment to champion

online payment security, stating that VoguePay’s financial framework is designed to meet International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) and the platform deploys several secondlevel authentication protocols in order to prevent unauthorised access to merchant’s account. Chief Executive Officr of InstinctWave, orgainsers of the annual awards, Mr. Akin Naphtal, said VoguePay won the industry recognition “as a result of its contribution to online payment in Nigeria and Africa in general.”

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Interview

Health

Rats eating an apple

Twelve months into the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, ensuring the right to health for all Nigerians is still illusive, writes APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

or anxious Nigerians still waiting for the much expected change in the polity which is supposed to be ushered in by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the 12th month of the new government in office seemed to have crept in surreptitiously. An example played out in the case of a civil servant in the employment of the Lagos State Government. When he learnt of the traditional yearly Ministerial Press Briefing during which various commissioners in the state reel out the achievements in their ministries, to commemorate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s one year in office, Mr. Tajudeen Amosun was alarmed. “You mean this government is almost one year in office?”, he asked a colleague standing nearby. “Yes, we are already in the month of May. By May 29, the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government would have spent exactly one year in office,” the colleague said. “One year! How time flies. Yet the impact of the much cel-

Appolonia Adeyemi Health Editor

appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

Poor budget, health sector albatross

News Buhari:

One year after

PHOTO www.africa-express.info

African health ministers tasked on neglected tropical diseases

A woman undergoes treatment under a radiotherapy cancer machine

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Waiting for Buhari’s universal health coverage ebrated change this administration promised during their campaign period, is yet to be felt,” said Amosun bluntly. The reality is that by May 29, which specifically is in three days time, it will be exactly one year that the government took over the reins of power from the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). With this development, it has dawned on some that by Sunday, a quarter of the four-year tenure of this administration would be gone. The question that naturally comes to mind is: what can be counted as the achievements of this government? Of course, the attention of the populace is already shifting to what the dividends of democracy have been within the 12 months. Many even have doubts that there is any. Based on this, the team of the New Telegraph Health launched its own investigations, with the searchlight beamed on the health sector. Lassa fever Buhari’s 36 ministers were appointed and sworn in nearly six months after he took office, delaying take off of activities in all sectors of the economy including health. Lassa fever was already ravaging the country when Prof. Isaac Adewole assumed duty as the minister of health. By January, 2016, the Federal Government began offering free treatment for dozens of victims affected by Lassa fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused

the country lost about 60 per cent of people who tested positive to the disease; and the lack of effective laboratories to tackle the disease. “So, one of the things we want to do is to make sure that our laboratories are working. We want to make sure that we can test and treat Lassa fever patients nearer home,” the health minister said.

A foremost virologist, Prof. Tomori

With the establishment of this 10,000 PHCs, the government would reach 100,000,000 Nigerians

by Lassa virus which is common in West Africa. The Chairman of the Committee on the Control of Lassa fever, Prof. Oyewale Tomori disclosed that as at May 3, 2016 the total Lassa fever cases were 272 cases with 149 deaths. Of these, confirmed Lassa fever cases are 165 while confirmed deaths are 89, he told the New . While assessing where Nigeria was in its handling of Lassa fever during a tour of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on April 1, Adewole said although, “Lassa fever has been with us with the country experiencing yearly outbreak,” Adewole described the 2016 outbreak as a national embarrassment because the country has what it takes to make sure it does not happen. According to him, the two things that worry the Federal Government were the high fatality rate of this year in which

Primary Health Care (PHC) Although, there are about 30,000 primary health care (PHCs) in the country, only 20 per cent of these are working while some are dilapidated. The plan of the current administration is to make 10,000 0f this 30,000 PHCs functional in the next two years, Adewole said. Going by the plan, he explained that the Federal Government would make one PHC functional per ward? “It is not a new idea; what is new is our strong determination to implement it,” he added. Adewole explained that with the establishment of this 10,000 PHCs, the government would reach 100,000,000 Nigerians and as an advocate of the poor “we want to give them free medical care and we will find the resources.” To achieve this, he said a funding proposal for this project which involves the World Bank was still being worked out. Cancer care With regard to cancer care, the minister of health said although, the country needs 140 radiotherapy machines to look after Nigeria’s population, the number of equipCONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Health \ NEWS

One year after

Buhari:

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

ment that is however available is between seven and eight radiotherapy machines and of this number only two to three work fully at any time because they were over used and they broke down so frequently. He said, “We are talking with the International Atomic Agency; there is a program that will help us to establish more radio therapy machines, adding, “we are talking to many organisations and we believe this would happen. “Our plan is to reactivate cancer centers – seven this year and seven next year. We also need to train the people that will use the machines and it’s going to take time.” There is also a proposal by proponents of the Buhari government to handle cancer care under a public private partnership (PPP). National Health Act It took over 10 years to get the National Health Act (NHA) passed in October 2014 and the NHA is inherited by the present government. Presently, the Federal Government, almost one year after taking office, is putting together a steering committee for its implementation. Fake drugs The problems that has bedeviled the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) under the Buhari Government are drug counterfeiting and lack of effective leadership to man NAFDAC Fake drugs are a common problem in the country. Last year alone NAFDAC destroyed fake and unwholesome food and drug products worth N765,000 million in three different destruction excises that took place in Awka, Anambra State on February 20; Kebbi State on December 8; and Ibadan, Oyo State on December 9. Buhari in February sacked 26 director-generals and heads of parastatals which included Dr. Paul Orhii, the immediate past director general of NAFDAC. Dr. Albert Kelong Alkali, the national chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on Buhari to replace Orhii with a pharmacist in line with the constitutional provisions of NAFDAC Act establishing. Since, Orhii’s dismissal, the Agency under the Acting Director General, Mrs Yetunde Oni, on March 25 destroyed more counterfeit food and drug products worth N1 billion, which is an indication of the serious challenge posed by drug counterfeiting. Strikes Agitations over better remuneration and welfare package remain key issue for medical and dental practitioners and other health workers. Apart from series of strike threats which have been delayed severally to give the Buhari government sufficient time to intervene, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on May 11 embarked on a five-day warning strike to pressure the Federal Government to address their demands or face indefinite strike at a later date. This apart, there had been se-

A woman harvesting soghum used for herbal medication

NAFDAC often deploys handheld analyser to detect fake medicines

PHOTO www.

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oneacrefund.org

‘Traditional medicine still neglected’

Akintayo

PHOTO royaltimes.net

ries of strikes by resident doctors and others over remuneration, welfare, among others. Reacting to these developments, First Vice Chairman, Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) in Lagos State, Dr. Shehu Akintade, a family physician, said nothing has been done in the health sector in the last one year. He ascribed the development to the drop in funding in the health system as well as delay in electing the minister of health. “There was also a delay in passing the budget,” he added. Speaking in similar vein, Vice President of Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) and immediate past President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele said not much can be said to have happened in the health sector since the new government took over. According to Enabulele, within one year, it may not be realistic to score the administration of President Buhari in terms of achievements. However, based on details of the 2016 budget, he reasoned that one should not be too optimistic about the ability of the government in one year, to bring about the huge expected reforms and changes in the health sector. Immediate past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr. Olumide

Fake drugs are a common problem in the country

Akintayo faulted recent appointments Buhari made in the health sector. “For a leader of his magnitude, Akintayo said, one would have expected that the appointment would bring balancing in the sector which has been bedeviled by inequality in the area of distribution of priviledges and resourses. “The biggest gaffe is that former President Goodluck Jonathan created a record of appointing two members of one profession to lead the Ministry of Health. President Buhari unfortunately amplified it by bringing on board not just two medical doctors, with one as the Minister of health, he also brought another as permanent secretary who is supposed to be the chief bureaucrat at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). While he commended the appointment of Prof. Adewole as the health minister, given his laudable administrative antecedents, Akintayo noted that the negative reaction of health workers to the appointment of the permanent secretary, adding that going by the current structure, problems and challenges in the health sector inherited by Buhari would continue to be there. The welfare of health workers apart from that of medical doctors is an issue that the Federal Governement has not been able to resolve. Also reacting, the Vice President of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Dr. Obinna Ogbonna said apart from the medical doctors, others known as health workers in the health sector do not get enough recognition and remuneration . He urged Buhari to look into the issue of harmonious working relationship between the medical and dental practitioners in one hand and others health care practitioners. “We have talked about medical tourism all this while and we need to make sure that we equip our various hospitals with first, enough man power. Secondly, equipment that will be needed because we already have enough trained personnel who can discourage the medical tourism project that is going on now. According to him we have the enabling environment, we have the equipment and the man

power is there.” Traditional/herbal medicine On his part, Otunba Olajuwon Okubena who is chairman, Board of Directors, Research Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine (RITAM), urged President Buhari to get it right If the Federal Government sincerely wanted to take advantage of the huge resources in herbal medicines as is currently being done by the Chinese, Indians and other developed nations. He said the idea of pharmaceutical companies still dominating traditional/herbal medicine sector must be promptly reversed. Those there now do not have basic knowledge about traditional/ herbal medicines and hence cannot advice the Federal Government appropriately in this regard. The so much talk about integrating traditional and orthodox into the health care system with a view to provide choice for consumers of health is an illusion. It was not realised during the era of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Buhari administration is yet to make a difference even after its 12th month of being in the saddle. Citing the example of plans by the Federal Government to look inward with regard to the local production of mosquito nets and herbal medicines as being proposed by the minister of health, Okubena said If this could be achieved, it would be a revolution as much of the raw materials required would be sourced locally. This would help the nation save scarce foreign exchange. Okubena called for the appointment of the appropriate personnel from the team of qualified experts from among traditional/ herbal medicine practitioners who are well qualified to advice the government better on this. On his part, Akintade urged the Buhari administration to ensure health for all which could be truly achieved under the National health insurance scheme (NHIS). Under previous governments of former presidents, Olusegun CONTINUED ON PAGE34

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari:

One year after

Health \ INTERVIEW

Enabulele: Poor budget, health sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dr. Osahon Enabulele is the vice president of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) and the immediate past president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). In this interview with APPOLONIA ADEYEMI, he reviews the delays in reforming health sector in the last one year and recommends solutions

Health sector assessment in the last one year of President Muhammadu Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration I see it as work in progress, in terms of getting the priority and perhaps looking forward to a real state of implementation. In his first year, apart from his effort at curbing the spread of Lassa fever which was very prominent after his emergence, really, not much can be said to have happened apart from the priorities that will engage the government in this tenure. Of course, part of it was getting to ensure that the appropriate provisions were made in the budget for implementation and of course we are also beginning to see that the plan of the government is yet to materialise. Within one year, I cannot sincerely say I want to score the President Muhammadu Buhari administration but perhaps now that the first budget has been passed we can begin to be more realistic to access his commitment to the health sector. Even at that, one cannot be too optimistic about the ability of the government in the first one or two years to bring about the needed huge reforms and the expected changes in the health sector. I said that from my understanding of the very poor provisions of health in the budget for 2016. So, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much in terms of the expectations of Nigerians for the promise of the president. To gain substantial amount proportionately to the health sector was seen in terms of the passed 2016 budget. The budget mirrors the vision and plan of the president and so we can easily say that what we see from the budget, some of those very huge expectations particularly in terms of ensuring the provisions of National Health Art (NHA) for instance was given a very serious implementation. We can no longer look forward to such. That means that we have to look forward to, perhaps, after his second year to begin to see if any of those promises will be kept and I say that because of what we were told before he got into the office. For instance, we wear told that 15 per cent of the national budget will be devoted to health and now we are having less than four per cent of the national budget was given to health. That falls far short

of the promise Nigerians were given which led to that huge expectation. Secondly is the earlier promise by Buhari for the inclusion of the one per cent of the consolidated fund of the federation as dictated by the NHA (Section 11). Part of the budget will enable sustained provisions of needed resources in the PHC system. Again, that promise has not been kept. After my perusal of the 2016 budget, it is clear that promise has not been kept. So, we may not look forward to that level of revolve and strengthening of the PHC system in spite of what government has said it is going to do in terms of rehabilitating thousands of PHCs across the federation. It is clear that we will still perhaps remain expectant and hope that even the little that has been so provided in the 2016 budget will find some place for real implementation and perhaps look forward to other years and hope and pray that the president comes to terms with the promise his political party made to Nigerians about giving health real priority that it deserves. Health, as we all know is the prima for development and economic prosperity and nations that have given it utmost priority have never regretted it. So, for now, in the first one year, I cannot say much has happened. Perhaps, a lot of planning is still being done; a lot of policy brainwork is still being put on ground. Perhaps in the second year, we can begin to have a more purpose-driven plan and of course, a real implementation to bring about the health dividend for the people of Nigeria. Involving public-private partnership in cancer control, chronic diseases I think government cannot shy away from its responsibility to ensure that greater access to care is created for people with chronic con-

Dr. Enabulele

Health, as we all know, is the prima for development and economic prosperity

ditions like cancer. If we recognise that cancer is now an increasing cause of death among Nigerians and of course, the earlier we begin to address the various dimensions in terms of access to care in terms of affordability of care, the better. Ditto for patients with chronic renal diseases. This chronic debilitating conditions that have increasingly decimated most Nigerians are some factors that we can readily address particularly the issue of poor financial access to care and not coming up to procure care on time as a result of poverty or as a result of ignorance. Issues that government are likely to be able to address is expanding and strengthening the National Health for Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as well as providing special resources just the way it is being contemplated now for the people. A special dedicated fund can be created if not within the fund but under a separate health line but channeled to identified chronic medical conditions because it is not most Nigerians that can afford cancer treatment for now just like those other chronic and debilitating conditions. I need the government to come to the aid of Nigerians by perhaps looking at it from a more socialistic point of view in terms of their social responsibilities to the people rather than consigning it with some private concern that may not necessarily improve financial access to care. Beyond the provision of facilities which of course private investors may come in and what is much more important is the ability to afford even those services by reaching some resources at several levels of care. Because what we increasingly see is that some of these patients may have accessed treatments at local levels even from unorthodox sources and now their resources are restrained.

So, by the time they are picked up you find people financially devastated. You cannot now expose them further to facilities that will yield very good profits from them. Government still have to come in like I said and identify selected chronic conditions importantly, chronic conditions like cancer, among others. The government can provide more special resources and let Nigerians have access to health because this conditions are the ones that do not discriminate against age, sex and can affect anybody, anytime irrespective of their age or cadre. It is the reason why I said government has to more than ever give necessary provision to the dictate of the constitution which is providing for the well being and security of Nigerians. This is a security matter. If the government does not provide care for this sector, a lot can go wrong. I think, the government while thinking private investors in terms of procurement and installation of those high profound technological facilities and services must also look at the other side of supply and demand equation in terms of the demand and the ability of course to effect those demands for the purchasing power and the financial access to health. Way forward The way forward is for government at all times to live up to the promises of the people. That is the best commitment they can have through the promises they made to the people at any point in time and this goes for all levels of government. The people of Nigeria expect that when people come to power they must be able to meet up with promises they made. As bad as it is just now in terms of the failure to benefit from those promises, I will like to say they should live up to expectations as that alone will inspire transparency of purpose, sincerity and integrity of the government in terms of making their work easier. Future of National Health Act (NHA) Secondly, the government really has more than enough templates on the table to work with. For instance, the National Health Act of 2014 which up till now has not attained any level of serious implementation. I think the government must not stop the implementation and let the second year be the year of its implementation both in service conditions and quality of care in terms of exercising control over foreign medical travels by public officers. This will ensure that there is leadership by example even on issues of foreign medical travels. Similarly, the Federal Government should ensure that the poor has health packages created for them as provided in the NHA and also ensure that necessary organs that were spelt out for creation in the NHA are set up. So, a lot of work needs to be done and of course increasingly to ensure that they implement positions that will extinguish but substantially reduce the unnecessary altercation in the public health care sector. This is one area they must try not to politicise but act according to health practices and according to all professionalism to of course bring back sanity and harmony in the health sector.

Health\News

Buhari:

African health ministers tasked on neglected tropical diseases Oreoluwa Aboderin

M Adewole (3rd left) and other dignitaries at the launch of ESPEN in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday

Buhari: Expanding health insurance is key CONTINUED FROM PAGE32

Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, among others, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was less than 10 per cent. Even in Buhari’s 12th month, the nation’s UHC has not changed either. UHC is about the right to health. Implementing UHC ,means that everyone whether rich or poor – should get the health care they need without suffering financial hardship. This is however far from what is obtainable in the country presently. On the way forward, the first vice chairman of the AGPMPN in Lagos

State warned that leaving care services under the planned expanded NHIS in the hands of business men meant that the project would be hijacked by profiteers as those people that would take the fund would not let it get to the appropriate quarters. Government should not give the health insurance to businessmen; the HMOs are businessmen, he added. He called for the inclusion of the private sector including the AGPMPN in the implementation of the NHIS which would provide health coverage for Nigerians. The AGPMPN

provides care for 70 per cent of the public. If the snail-speed of the Buhari-led government ultimately quickens its pace of activities, Akintade said making services at the PHCs functional and effective were part of the strategies that would expand the nation’s UHC to attain the expected 100 per cent. At that level, not only will the health system tackle rising diseases, it would cut preventable deaths and further increase Nigerian’s life expectancy which a new World Health Organisation (WHO) 2016 report puts at 54. 5 per cent.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

One year after

inister of Health, Prof Isaac Folorunso Adewole has called on African ministers of health to work together in bringing the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) into the health agenda, create awareness around them and ensure that they were no longer neglected. The minister made the call Tuesday at the launching of the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases [ESPEN] by the World Health Organisation [WHO] Regional Office for Africa [AFRO] at the ongoing World Health Assembly [WHA] in Geneva, Switzerland. This is contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Mrs Boade Akinola. ESPEN, which is a new partnership to help African countries reduce the burden of NTDs, will provide national NTDs with technical and fundraising

support to help them control and eliminate NTDs. Prof. Adewole , in his statement, said “NTDs is a disease of the poor and such efforts at reducing the burden must include poverty reduction” he therefore called on his colleagues to take ownership of ESPEN, put it at the front burner and bring it under a robust domestic financing. While acknowledging the dwindling resources globally, he encouraged his colleagues to look into the limited available resources and re prioritise its activities, work at getting better value for it and make more money available to the programmethrough prudent allocation of funds to all health related activities. He said Nigeria would situate NTDs within the Primary Health Centers (PHCs) which is being revitalised in the country in order to provide Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to Nigerians. He added that UHC is one of the flagship projects [UHC] in the Change Agenda of President Mo-

Healing powers of ginger (2) I

t is not possible to list all the medicinal effects of ginger on the body because ginger affects most of the body’s organs. Ginger acts on the musculo-skeletal system by reducing inflammations. This is why it is useful for treating rheumatism, arthritis, gouts and appendicitis. In the digestive system, ginger inhibits the growth of toxic microorganism while allowing the useful bacteria to grow. This is a quality which is never present in synthetic drugs. Ginger acts on the circulatory system preventing the formation of thromboxanes, a substance that causes blood platelets to aggregate, which eventually forms blood clots that leads to hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. It is scientifically proven that ginger is as effective as aspirin in preventing formation of blood clots in the arteries, with the added advantage of having no side effect. 1. Fever: Ginger has been an ancient African remedy for fever. It stimulates the body to perspire, lowering the body’s temperature. Simply soak one teaspoon of ginger powder into a glass of hot water, then drink. 2. Jaundice/Hepatitis: Ginger is an excellent remedy for jaundice and hepatitis, especially when combined with bitter kola. Mix five or ten tablespoons of powdered ginger with an equal quantity of powdered bitter kola. Pour one teaspoonful into a glass of hot water and allow it to infuse for five minutes before adding two tablespoonfuls of honey.

Nature

minutes. Take a glass twice daily. You need to take this preparation for as long as three months to be able to experience its full benefit.

Power

Anselm Adodo

naturepower@paxherbals.net twitter: @anselmadodo

Take a glass every day. Please do not exceed the dosage because it may lead to over stimulation of the liver, which is dangerous in hepatitis. Some herbal scientists have even suggested that those who suffer from hepatitis should not take ginger at all. But there is no need for such extreme caution. Follow the dosage above and you will be safe.

4. High blood pressure, stroke As mentioned above, ginger is good for hypertension and stroke. This is due to the presence of gingerol, an antiplatelet chemical that has inhibits the formation of thromboxane. Add a teaspoon of dried, ginger powder to a cup of hot water and allow it to infuse for ten

5. Cancer For the treatment of cancer, follow the same recipe as for stroke above and take a glass three times daily. Ginger has an important role to play in the fight against cancer. 6. General health The most important quality of ginger is the fact that it is beneficial for the whole body systems. It is therefore recommended that everybody makes a habit of taking ginger regularly.

3.Cough/Sore throat Ginger is one of the most active herbs against cough and sore throat. In this case the fresh, raw ginger is more effective. Simply tear off a finger of ginger and chew, then swallow the juice. Do this twice daily. You may not like the taste at the beginning, but you will soon get used to it. Taste is simply a matter of choice. To those who are not used to it, beer and stout or beer taste awful. But to those who are addicted to it, it is either beer or nothing at.

Ginger is good for hypertension and stroke

Ginger

PHOTO www.sagargingertraders.com

hammadu Buhari led administration in Nigeria. Earlier, in her opening remarks at the launch, the Secretary General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, pledged the support of WHO to the African governments in moving ESPEN forward ESPEN will run from 2016 to 2020 and it is designed to work towards the control and elimination targets established by WHO and endorsed by the London declaration of 2012 on NTDs In her comments, Dr. Matchidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, said the directorate will provide the relevant data, expertise and financial resources required to accelerate the fight against these diseases. The NTDs are a group of infections that place a constant and heavy burden primarily on the poorest, most vulnerable communities in the world most of which are located in Africa. These diseases are onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and trachoma.

UN seeks to eliminate obstetric fistula

he United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon has urged governments around the world to strengthen health systems and address human rights issues affecting women and girls. This is part of global strategy to end obstetric fistula, the most devastating and serious of all childbirth injuries. An obstetric fistula is a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder that is caused by prolonged obstructed labour, leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both. Moon stated that “The persistence of fistula in some countries and regions is an indicator of very poor access to quality maternal health services.” Fistula has virtually been eliminated in most high- and middle-income countries around the world, so we know that it can be eliminated in every country.” Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, in his statement, acknowledged the need to accelerate efforts towards ending Obstetric Fistula.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mom&Parenting The current deepening economic crisis seems to be profoundly impacting children, youth and families. For low-income families especially, its effects are rippling. Factors such as job loss, home foreclosure or losses in family savings place strain on parental relationships and on the family as a whole. Oluwatosin Omoniyi writes

or some families, the shock perhaps is more severe with basic needs such as food security, healthcare and shelter going unmet. Higher poverty rates are associated with increased rates of family conflict, child neglect and abuse, and intimate partner violence. As is it, children and youths are particularly vulnerable as they undergo critical developmental transitions, for example, graduating from high school. Some adolescents at this stage may be forced to postpone their plans for higher education and instead seek increasingly scarce jobs in order to contribute to the household economy. All of these sudden harsh changes can have intense and lasting effects on the mental health of the nation’s children and youths, often causing problems in terms of anxiety, lowered selfesteem and other emotional/ behavioral difficulties. Jamiu Alatise, a national diploma,(ND) student of a polytechnic told New Telegraph that the current economic situation in the country does not encourage him to go back to school for his higher national diploma, (HND) to further his education. Why? He replied that his parents said they can’t afford to support his education any longer. According to him, his mother is a herb seller, his father a book seller and he has six younger ones in secondary

Mom&Parenting

Oluwatosin Omoniyi City Editor

Parenting

Raising children under difficult circumstance

Mom’s Alert

Food being rationed in a family photo: www. patheos.com

Parenting through hard times and primary schools, “as such, they asked me to put my higher education on hold to allow to allow them be able to sponsor my younger ones through primary and secondary schools. They also asked me to look for a job to support the family’s meager income,” he said. Kehinde Omosehin, a senior secondary school 2, SS2, student of a government school hawks plantain along Agindigbi, Ogba, area of Lagos, every evening- from 5.30pm-7pm. This according to him helps to provide dinner for the family. “It is now compulsory that I must make sale from my plantain business because that is where my parents feed us from every evening and give us money-N50, each to school the following day. My father told me to forget the issue of furthering my education to University level because they can’t afford it. But he has promised to help me obtain WAEC form. So, after my secondary school education, he has instructed that I go learn how to scan vehicles, that way, he said I will be supporting the family’s income,” he revealed. For Titilayo Ojuolape, a primary five pupil, no more school. Her education stopped abruptly about six months ago. According to the girl’s narration, at nine, she has become saddled with the burden of supporting the family’s income from selling roasted groundnut on the road along Agindingbi, Ogba, Lagos. Ojuolape in the midst of other children selling on that road has accepted the fate her parents under the umbrella of hard economy have subjected her to. Her daily take home according to her was always between N3, 000 and N1, 600. “Out of it, my mommy

A healthy emotional balance is challenging for stressed parents to maintain, but it is vital, and worth the effort!

will do daily contribution of N500. Thereafter, cook rice concoction or yam porridge for us, if it remains, we eat it the following day as breakfast, if not, we take only corn meal otherwise called pap till 3pm when we must have made afternoon sales from our hawking business. I am the third of six children and all of us are into this hawking business but we hawk different things. Some of us go to the market to sell vegetables with my mom, the boys among us have been fixed into factory jobs where they earn N8,000 monthly,” she explained. However, the harsh economy somehow has its positive side. Some full time housewives are now getting meaningfully engaged. They are now making good use of their hands. They no longer wait for what their husbands bring home for them. A particular street within the neighbourhood of Ketu, area of Lagos was a long line of about 12 women frying been cake, puff-puff, bun, dough-nut, yam and fish. Some were operating a grinding machine to make beans and pepper paste! In a chat with New Telegraph, they all said that since the harsh economy is biting into their skins, their husbands have started nagging and even becoming brutal, they decided to start doing something to augment whatever their men bring home. According to Grace Mahmud, a housewife, who fries bun, the harsh economy is to be blame for her husband’s sudden change of attitude. “My husband, who was always sweet and wouldn’t hear or see me working, suddenly became overbearing and started throwing tantrums in form of anger. He also raise his hands now to strike our children. He complained often of

The joy of one Chibok mom

34 34

lack and wants. Shockingly, one early morning, he woke me up and asked me to find something doing! Immediately, I joined the league of women outside to start something, and since then, there is less friction in the house,” she said. Modupe Seni, one of the housewives’ regret ever voting for a change which made her sweet home turned sour! “If I had known this is how hard the economy would turn out, I wouldn’t have voted for President Buhari who came and turned the country’s economy upside down. Now, my husband has been retrenched from his banking job on the excuse that his company said they could no longer afford large staffing salary, he was affected. So, while he is thinking and looking for what to do, I decided to join the women outside doing something for their families. I careless how low the job may seem, what matters most is my being able to feed my family. I grind beans and pepper, at least, I get something daily-like N2, 500,” she revealed. Seni explained that when the going was good, her husband gave her N15, 000 weekly but now, hardly could she make N10, 000 weekly. Already, she said she is contemplating halting her two children’s education pending the time, the economy bounces back to normal No doubt, economy crisis will have adverse effect on individuals, children and families. According to a psychologist with the government hospital who prefers anonymity, children are particularly vulnerable when times get tough She explained that children may not fully understand the situation, but they can sense the stress in the air, the tone in your voice, and the frustration on your face. “And even though they are aware something is wrong, they will still continue to make demands as before. Financial stress can be overwhelming, and soon anger, impatience, irritation, neglect and even abuse can replace the kind words and warm hugs previously given,” she said. The Psychologist further explained that a healthy emotional balance is challenging for stressed parents to maintain, but it is vital, and well worth the effort! She however suggested few steps that can help to foster love, security, and stability which families need during difficult economic times. 1) Get enough sleep: a rested mind and body is critical to properly cope with stress and allows for more effective reasoning. 2) Minimize stress: eliminate what you can. Do your best and leave the rest. 3) Serve others: work together as a family and help those in need. This helps to minimize our own troubles, recognize our blessings, and develop healthy bonds with others. 4) Stay engaged: maintain routines of fun and be involved in your children’s lives.

Mom&Parenting

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

i-Protect

Childhood Protection & preservation culture

with

Taiwo Akinlami principal@taiwoakinlami.com

MOM’S ALERT

Monogamous, lifelong marriage is a universal cultural norm

with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Raising children under difficult circumstance The joy of one Chibok mom

his is a very sobering series for me to write. I write this kind of series with mixed feeling: first, a feeling of satisfaction that I am offloading a heavy burden, which has arrested my mind; second, which is a contrast, the fact that the promising destiny of the children under my searchlight today is precariously threatened. I will like to begin this discussion with the words of Gary Chapman in his book, The Four Seasons of Marriage: ‘I explored ethnographies compiled by various anthropologists. One conclusive finding of these studies was that marriage between a man and a woman is the central, social building block in every human society, without exception. It is also true that monogamous, lifelong marriage is the universal cultural norm.’ The foregoing corroborates this creed. I am here to submit today that any child who is not brought up under in a properly constituted family is a child being brought up under difficult circumstances. Let me quickly submit that many children in Africa are being brought up in very difficult circumstances. Unfortunately a child being brought up under difficult circumstances is being brought up to live a difficult life. It also most unfortunately that since the state of humanity is in the hands of the child as revealed by Abraham Lincoln, it is not only the child, who is being prepared for a difficult life, it is his/her entire area of influence, it is the entire humanity. Many are children, who are being brought up in troubled homes. By the standard of our society, these homes are not troubled. I consider children being brought up in polygamous homes as children being brought under difficult circumstances. I consider children being brought up in broken homes as being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children

being brought up by single parents as children being brought under difficult circumstances. I consider children being brought up under hostile step parents as children under difficult circumstances. I consider children being brought by warring parents as children being brought under difficult circumstances. I consider children being brought up by live-in lovers and same sex couples as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I am not done yet, I consider children being brought up by their grandparents as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children being raised in orphanages as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children being brought up under abject poverty as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children in conflict with the law as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children on the street as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. Wrapping up the list because of our space, I consider child soldiers as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children who are labelled witches and are being persecuted by their own parents and communities as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children who are exposed to child sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and abuse by neglect as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children, who have no access to quality education as children being brought up under difficult circumstances. I consider children who are left to fend for themselves as children being brought up under difficult circumstance. I consider children who are subjected to child labour as children being brought up under difficult circumstances.

THE VIRTUOUS MOM with

Hameed Opeyemi abdulvirtuepen@gmail.com

Violence on future mothers What we see here is shameful, not appealing What makes way for her is fearful, bad feeling What gives her confidence is deadly, not rewarding What we see around for the girl child is cruel, so killing What brings her to maturity is uncalled for, so frustrating What the house give future mothers is worthless, not parenting From hawking around communities to border, she is murdered Education for her to further now a feel of shame to border Who will rescue the rabbit from the hole set for her slaughter Shame to shame, civilization of flame we embrace as claim The future coming to an end, mothers must be call for salvage Parenting of the old days is our cultural value, we need it now If a girl child died of domestic violence, the world losses a world

From prospective mothers with good upbringing, the world will smile As the violence of abuse on them rises, the reward might for be future cry Road of success in the past becoming truanting, as it fade off the eyes Like killing the whole world lions, the wild kingdom becomes a barren land Like shooting at all eagles, the sky will lose its value of higher fly for birds

needs a better growth All young human needs it though, let give the girls the best In the eyes of world leaders, can’t believe the girl child should suffer When we all know that transformation comes through their world Now we neglect the mothers of future inventors and world leaders Our leaders and parent to the challenge, give a life to the girl Get a rewarding returns in turn for a better and successful world

Every day the cry of the young mothers goes to heaven Over the land and sea, we see the silt of the red sea on sit Where our hope for a new world keeps ruining off like flame Where the value of life now nothing to the wicked eyes Where the hope of you and I keeps dropping to the lagoon Trafficking of young bloods seems norm as slaughtering to butchers For the world to grow, the girl child

Mothers must rise to the call, remember the old time mothers way Mothers needs to explain to us, why their future is losing its treasure Mothers should rise from asleep, their slumber is causing murder Mothers! We need your parental touch, the future is dangling of threat Mothers, we know your care can change the face from bad to best Mothers of the world arise, the violence on your heir need a redress.

t was a beautiful day like As with most incidences in any other, nothing suggested life, the rescue of the girls has something unexpected was had its share of controversies, going to happen until there was political debates and all of that. a knock on the door. A man was Social media has since after the standing right at the entrance to rescue been awash with questhe house of one Chibok mum, tions and arguments on the auhe possibly didn’t look familiar thenticity of the ‘Chibok girls’ when she opened. Then he asked especially Serah Luka who was her to come out and identify reported to have said she was a someone. How could she ever JS1 student at the time of the abguess who was standing outside. duction when only SS3 students “Amina! Amina!!” She shouted were supposed to be in school. giving the girl the biggest hug Amina having to meet the ever, they almost rolled on the president and being paraded in floor but for the men of the task the media has been faulted by force who helped stabilize them. some persons who think the girl It was her daughter who had should be getting some rest and been missing the past two years medical attention. Also the meand she had prayed earnestly dia has come under fire for dewould return someday. scribing the Boko Haram memThe mum in an excitement ber who was rescued alongside that was difficult to contain ran Amina as her ‘husband’. off calling out relatives to come While some of these critiand witness what was happen- cisms make sense, we must not ing. I can imagine that her wrap- stray from the main thing – the per could have fact that the girls and many others fallen off her who have been in waist and captivity for so she wouldn’t be bothered long have returned At least one can - the joy of a safe. It is something point to the grave mum who had to celebrate. Yes, a known nothlarger number of of the dead, but for the girls are still ing but agony the lost there is no missing and acthe past two years. When cording to Amina peace of mind she could no some of them have lost their lives. Sad longer control her emotions, she broke down. as the news of their death may Amina was said to have com- be, it will only help put to rest forted her saying, “Please mum, the trauma of the parents of the take it easy, relax, I never thought girls who had been waiting earI would ever see you again, wipe nestly for the return that would your tears. God has made it possi- never be. There is a saying that ble for us to see each other again.” one who is dead is better that April 14, 2014 turned out to be one who is lost. At least one can the darkest day for members of point to the grave of the dead, Chibok community when Boko but for the lost there is no peace Haram terrorists seized 276 stu- of mind. So while we await the dents who were in school for the safe return of the remaining senior secondary school certifi- girls and every other person cate exam from the Government taken captive by the terrorists, Girls Secondary School in Chibok we will celebrate the rescue of one night. Fifty-seven girls man- these two, whether they are both aged to escape in the immediate ‘Chibok girls’ or not. I salute the courage of the ofaftermath. Nothing had been heard from the 219 still held cap- ficers and local vigilante groups tive after a video was published by who worked tirelessly to rescue Boko Haram in May 2014. the girls and many others, the The entire nation was thrown conveyers and members of into jubilation when news broke BBOG who continued to speak that Amina, one of the over 200 up on behalf of the girls and school girls had been rescued. their families even after the zeal Reports say she was rescued of most people had gone cold. with a 4 month old baby along- They continued their sit outs deside a Boko Haram member who spite that their numbers reduced claimed to be her ‘husband’. drastically, and many made cariI watched on TV when Ami- cature of them. Same goes to the na accompanied by her mother media for bringing the issue of and brother met with President the missing girls to the fore and Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja reminding us the girls are still after her rescue, I tried really out there, and also to Nigerians hard to hold back tears from who have not relented in their my eyes. What a sweet relief it prayers for the girls and their would be for Amina, her family, families. We are indeed gratethe Chibok community, Nigeria ful to God and we pray that the and the world over. Thereafter remaining girls would be found we heard the news of the rescue and rescued the same way Amof the second girl, Serah Luka ina and Serah were found and from the northeastern town of reunited with their families, and Madagali, in the state of Adama- then we all can heave a big sigh of relief. wa, which borders Borno.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Money Line

Rewane: New forex policy’ll increase FDI inflow MISUSE The new CBN forex policy creates a dual exchange rate, which is open to abuse

Stores by Tony Chukwunyem

espected economist and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has described the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to adopt a flexible exchange rate policy as a

“welcome development”. He said that the move would lead to an increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into the country. Commenting on the new forex policy in the firm’s latest economic bulletin, Rewane, noted that the CBN’s previous rigid stance on the naira’s exchange rate had resulted in Nigeria being starved of international trade and investment flows. He said, “The change in ideological slant from a rigid and fixed exchange rate, driven mainly by economic patriotism to the explicit acceptance of market forces is a welcomed development. This is also likely

to lead to a sharp increase in foreign direct investment as well as foreign portfolio investment and Diaspora flows. Nigeria had been starved of international trade and investment flows after sticking dogmatically to a fixed exchange rate policy. In spite of deteriorating terms of trade and a vulnerable trade balance, it refused to change the policy. It instead increased exchange controls by restricting imports of many items.” The apex bank’s rate setting body, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), had at its meeting last Wednesday, voted for the adoption of a flexible exchange rate regime, as part of

greenback yesterday. Forex dealers said although they were still confused over how the new exchange rate policy would be implemented, they expected the naira to decline marginally on the parallel market in the short term. They also said the CBN settled dollar bids submitted last week on Wednesday at its pegged rate of 1N97, implying that the new policy was yet to take effect. Bond prices rose as traders bought debt to cover positions taken before the MPC’s decision, as they had expected the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to stay at 12 per cent to boost the economy. According to Reuters, few expect foreign investors to return in the short term after ex-

iting the debt market last year due to JP Morgan’s decision to remove Nigeria from its government bond index. “To the sceptics among us, this will simply sound like a rehash of the same old material we’ve been hearing about since December 2015,” said Alan Cameron at Exotic Partners. Giving an indication of where traders see the naira going once the rules become clearer the one-month non-deliverable forward traded at 270. Analysts expected the interbank market to take a cue from the N285 to the dollar now used by the government to calculate fuel imports. It had lifted prices to N145 a litre from N86.5 before to eliminate a costly subsidy scheme.

…Triggers bond yield rise, naira declines

eanwhile bond prices rose yesterday, fuelled by hopes that the flexible foreign exchange policy will help boost dollar supply and lure foreign investors. Reuters quoted Head of Research at Afrinvest, Ayodeji Eb, as saying, “The cheering news is that the central bank has come to realise that we need a flexible exchange rate regime rather than the fixed regime.” He also said that the introduction of a flexible interbank market from a de facto peg of around N197 would boost investors’ confidence and create more dollar liquidity. However, the naira depreciated from N346 to the dollar at the parallel market in Lagos on Tuesday, to N352 against the

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$48.02 US$26,506,667,908

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 April, 2016 28/03/2016 Mar 2015 25/5/2016 23/5/2016

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 ↔

efforts to stave off what it says is, “an imminent recession”. The CBN Governor, who is also the Chairman of the MPC, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said, “The committee expressed concern over sustained pressure in the foreign exchange market and the necessity of implementing reforms to engender greater flexibility of rate and transparency in the operation of the interbank foreign exchange market. According to Rewane, “The MPC’s decision to adopt a flexible foreign exchange framework indicates the CBN’s acceptance of market realities. We expect increased dollar inflow in the next few days, as the CBN announces the new market guidelines. “Though an adjustment to the naira will likely have a short-run inflationary impact, we expect increased forex supply and reduced

uncertainty will reduce the unintended consequences and the exchange rate pass through effect. In the end, an efficient market structure and a transparent process are likely to keep Nigeria on the Real Equilibrium Exchange Rate path (REER).” He, however, pointed out that the key challenge of the new forex policy is the introduction of another exchange rate segment for critical transactions. The FDC boss warned that the policy creates a dual exchange rate, “which is open to abuse.” Besides, he said the depreciation in the exchange rate will increase the quantity of dollars supplied to the market. “However, the market structure changes, which should lead to an outward shift in the shortrun aggregate supply curve, will take a little longer,” he stated.

Financial inclusion: MasterCard commits $1m in Rwanda

he MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth will commit up to $1 million over the next three years to advance economic growth and financial inclusion in Rwanda. President, Middle East and Africa for MasterCard, Raghu Malhotra, announced this at the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) in Kigali. “The Rwandan story is one of triumph over adversity, and the country stands as an example on how embracing technology and striving for a financially inclusive society can overcome the challenges of poverty. MasterCard is committed to helping develop a Cashless Rwanda, and the establishment of the grant is further testament to the importance we place in our collaboration with the Rwandan government.” said Malhotra. Rwanda has made important strides when it comes to financial inclusion. According to the World Bank only 16 per cent of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa have bank accounts. In Rwanda, however, 42 per cent of adults own a financial account, whether

formal or informal, and 1.6 million people have opened accounts in the country’s national SACCO savings and loan program. Raghu pointed out that in Rwanda, small businesses comprise 97.8 per cent of the private sector and account for 36 percent of private sector employment. Emphasising how important it is for the private sector to get involved to offer assistance and expertise. The funds will be used to deliver a holistic mix of tools and resources, providing an opportunity to connect micro-entrepreneurs in Rwanda to the formal economy, thus helping them to expand their business. “Igniting broad-based economic growth presents one of the most complex and urgent challenges of our time. We are in a unique position to help provide business owners in Rwanda with access to useful market insights, expertise, technology and a global network of likeminded individuals,” says Shamina Singh, Executive Director, MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth.

Africa outperforms global economy, says AfDB

espite the difficult and challenging global economic situation, African countries achieved considerable economic progress in 2015, registering a 3.6 per cent average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth during the year when the best performers in developed countries hardly reached 2 per cent. Africa also accounts for five of the world’s fastest-growing economies with Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania registering growth rates of seven percent or more. These are some of the positive stories presented to thousands of participants at the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Lusaka, Zambia, yesterday by its Vice-President for Fi-

nance, Charles Boamah, and Treasurer, Hassatou N’Sele, who underscored the Bank’s strong financial standing and preparedness to support the regional member countries. However, the much-celebrated growth comes with downside risks such as persistent commodity prices declines, inadequate infrastructure, non-inclusivity and global headwinds, which impede growth and underscore the need for diversification. In 2015, economic performance was varied across countries and regions, with Eastern Africa at the top of the group with an average GDP growth of 6.3per cent, from 6.5per cent the previous year. Central Africa averaged 3.7per cent from 6.1per cent while Western Africa recorded a sharp decline to 3.3per cent from 6per cent in 2014.

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

25-May-16

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

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

6,348.51

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

0.23 0.92 1.17 1.27 2.01 3.09 3.41 3.72 5.68 7.80 9.66 12.51 12.99 13.49 14.16 18.15 19.81

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

7.88 11.66 12.11 12.17 12.62 13.28 13.34 13.41 13.23 13.07 13.08 13.12 13.13 13.13 13.14 13.20 13.29

7.25 11.49 11.97 12.03 12.54 13.17 13.22 13.31 13.16 13.01 13.02 13.07 13.08 13.07 13.09 13.16 13.24

101.09 102.90 97.56 96.75 96.66 106.68 83.04 106.01 112.27 105.38 96.85 111.41 96.08 71.06 79.99 92.75 93.80

101.24 103.05 97.71 96.90 96.81 106.98 83.34 106.31 112.57 105.68 97.15 111.71 96.38 71.36 80.29 93.05 94.10

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

0.43

2.94

12.27

102.04

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

0.10 0.10 0.90 0.62 1.60 1.42 1.43 1.39 1.40 1.58 2.00 3.49 1.97 4.51 4.60 2.64 2.66 3.23 3.45 3.47 3.59 6.46 3.57

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

11.43 10.45 12.56 16.05 14.76 13.26 13.27 16.07 15.81 16.18 14.64 15.37 13.60 14.64 17.09 15.53 14.02 14.81 17.36 14.36 15.89 15.01 16.41

100.19 100.43 97.85 98.68 98.91 100.86 100.86 98.16 97.86 99.04 101.35 97.70 101.89 96.33 93.47 97.89 101.98 101.61 97.86 105.36 104.01 107.51 101.46

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

0.35 0.42 0.54 0.90 1.11 1.35 0.80 1.13 1.29 1.29 2.35 1.40 1.48 1.60 2.45 4.47 2.97 5.49 5.60 5.97 4.14 8.35 8.35 9.48

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

9.72 10.56 10.96 17.05 17.32 14.10 13.01 15.23 18.53 13.18 14.00 16.67 18.41 15.65 17.36 14.34 16.76 15.76 14.24 14.21 16.14 14.07 14.07 14.08

101.03 101.43 102.55 99.50 99.13 98.65 104.45 100.69 99.30 103.09 99.95 98.85 99.45 100.40 95.62 102.91 97.21 94.59 108.29 108.92 99.55 110.64 95.99 104.06

10-Oct-20

2.49

3.37

16.29

97.02

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

446.12 441.07

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

540.24

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

9.12

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.72

1.00

11.76

97.61

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

*AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

2.94

1.00

12.38

97.32

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 24.32 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

7.27

7.04

97.97

98.84

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.67

5.27

98.92

99.71

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.48

7.31

93.98

94.88

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

1,454.32

Corporate Eurobonds B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

8.86

7.75

98.24

99.44

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

23.27

21.22

75.47

78.08

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.10

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

8.52

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

18.01

16.98

79.32

81.34

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

13.83 15.63 14.65

13.83 14.70 14.65

82.25 78.01 76.00

82.25 80.75 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

Maturity Date

DTM

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Discount Rate (%)

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

3,150.00 2,703.35 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Yield @ Issue (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Commercial Papers Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

GUINNESS CP III 29-JUL-16

04-Nov-15

13.75

2.77

29-Jul-16

6.18

13.72

13.39

Bb-/Agusto

UACN COMPANY PLC

UPDC CP 18-OCT-16

18-Apr-16

11.00

16.80

18-Oct-16

146

2.03

11.12

10.65

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

19.57

**TREASURY BILLS^ DTM 8 15 22 29 36 50 57 64

FIXINGS Maturity 2-Jun-16 9-Jun-16 16-Jun-16 23-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 14-Jul-16 21-Jul-16 28-Jul-16

Bid Discount (%) 5.03 5.82 7.01 6.68 6.39 5.97 7.43 7.41

Offer Discount (%) 4.78 5.57 6.76 6.43 6.14 5.72 7.18 7.16

Bid Yield (%) 5.03 5.83 7.03 6.72 6.43 6.01 7.51 7.50

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 8.2567 10.3205 12.2209 13.6975

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

8.00

O/N

8.42

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 8.50 8.83

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

197.33 199.00 200.01 202.10 202.14 210.11

197.43 199.50 200.11 202.20 202.24 210.21

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