Tuesday, august 9, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

Tin-Can Island Customs generates N130.76bn in 7 months

he Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated a revenue of N130.76 billion in the last seven months. Customs Area Control-

ler, Comptroller Yusuf Bashar, who disclosed this yesterday while exchanging views with some stakeholders in his office, said

that the revenue of the command nose-dived from N145.60 billion recorded in the seven months of 2015. The controller said that

the statutory function of the command remained revenue generation and facilitation of legitimate trade.

Investors picket Diamond Bank over N400m }43

Bashar said that deliberate and concerted efforts were being made in terms of strict adherence to the rules and standards of operation. He said that the opera-

tions, processes and procedures of Customs were fully automated so that trade facilitation could be guaranteed. The controller, howCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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N150

Zoning tears S'West PDP leaders apart Oseni

Positions National Chairman National Treasurer Deputy National Publicity Secretary

Emefiele

Zoned to Lagos/Ogun Ondo/Ekiti Osun/Oyo

Godfather battles godson for PDP chair }11

Kashamu, others walk out of PDP meeting Why I defied party zoning, by Dokpesi }4 Ex-gov's ADC, three children die in fire}9

Boko Haram threatens to attack Buhari, Buratai

Presidency: We won’t dignify Shekau with a response }5 Sleeping pills raise bone fracture risk

Egbemode

TUESday, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS

TUESday, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Zoning tears South-West PDP leaders apart Onwuka Nzeshi and Babatope Okeowo

he crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West worsened yesterday as some leaders of the party, including Senator Buruji Kashamu, stormed out of the meeting convened by the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and his Ekiti counterpart, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to zone the positions given to the zone. It was a drama of sort as the Senator representing Ogun East told his supporters to leave the venue before the commencement of the meeting. This development came as the meeting convened to zone the positions given to the zone was deadlocked, as the delegates did not agree with the zoning arrangement put forward by the leadership. The national convention of the PDP holds on August 17 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The grouse of Kashamu and some leaders including former Secretary to Ekiti State Government (SSG),

Ambassador Dare Bejide, was the decision of the conveners of the meeting to prevent the Makanjuola Ogundipe-led factional zonal executive from gaining access to the venue of the meeting. Others who were prevented from entering the Banquet Hall of the Governor's Lodge, the venue of the meeting, were Chief C. K Awoyelu; former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Abiodun Aluko; a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Segun Adekoya; factional state chairman of Osun PDP, Chief Rotimi Adagunodo and other members of Ogundipe-led factional executive. Consequently, they left the venue of the meeting, which was attended by Mimiko, Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Mr. Eddy Olafeso and members of the zonal executive and converged at an hotel in Akure, the Ondo State capital, for their own factional meeting. Others at the meeting with Mimiko and Fayose were former governorship candidate of PDP in

Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin; former Deputy National Chairman and national chairmanship aspirant, Chief Bode George; another aspirant, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; Erelu Olusola Obada, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo and Dr. Kolapo Olusola, the Deputy Governor of Ondo and Ekiti states respectively. Addressing reporters at the hotel, the factional zonal chairman, Ogundipe, said the National Caretaker Committee (NWC), led by Senator Ahmed Markafi, should not hearken to whatever decision reached at the meeting convened by Mimiko and Fayose to further zone the positions allocated to South-West among

the states in the zone. Ogundipe described the action of the conveners of the meeting as executive rascality as he and members of his executive were the legally recognised executive of the party at the zone. According to him, the zonal leadership, led by Mimiko should be brought to book as they have violated the constitution of the party by excluding critical stakeholders of the party from the meeting. His words: "It is in our opinion that these people must be brought to book, otherwise this kind of executive rascality cannot be allowed to stand in our party if we are talking of winning election in 2019.

$10m

The total amount of salary/ winnings of Drew Brees (Football) for 2015. Source: Forbes.com

N22.39bn The total import value of animal and vegetable fats and oils and other products of Nigeria in Oct – Dec 2013. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

"In a situation I have been deprived of taking charge, I am hereby calling on our National Caretaker Chairman to ignore whatever decision they might have taken because that will not hold. What they have done today is a clear violation of our party’s constitution.

"I am not going to allow this to continue in our party. This party is a disciplined party. This party cannot be run by sheer impunity." But the zonal chairman of the party, Olafeso, said the positions zoned to the South-West have been further zoned to the states with Ogun and Lagos states getting the National Chairman, Ondo and Ekiti got Treasurer while Osun and Oyo got Publicity Secretary. Olafeso said a six-man committee has been set up by the zonal executive to plead with aggrieved members to reconsider their stands and come together in the interest of the party. But one of the aspirants, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Why I defied zoning, by Dokpesi Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

hairman, Daar Communications Limited, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has reiterated that he will not back down in the race for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairmanship, no matter what happens. The party had earlier zoned the position to the Southern part of the country, but stakeholders in the region later zoned it to South-West which automatically disqualified Dokpesi from contesting. Addressing newsmen shortly after meeting with the party's representatives in Kaduna yesterday, Dokpesi said the decision of the party supercedes that of the southern leaders. According to him, whether or not the position was zoned to a particular region, every member of the party from the South, who is eligible for the chairmanship is free to do so without any limitation. "The chairman of caretaker committee has said that the chairman be zoned to the Southern part of the country, that all the three zones in the region are qualified to contest. So, that has not limited anyone who can run effectively to campaign. So, I'm fully exercising that within the context of the party.

"The Southern leaders have said they want to zone the position to a particular zone, but the structure of the party, the national body has said everybody can contest," he argued. On whether the party's governors will likely support his candidature, Dokpesi said: "Our governors are great people. They also want the party to grow. We are running a democracy where the rule of the people supercedes some interest opinion. "I strongly believe, I strongly hope that our governors are ready to abide by the decision of the people. The story has been the same in all the states we have so far visited. I look forward to seeing that being translated into paper during the national convention in Port Harcourt." The state chairman of the party in Kaduna and former Aviation Minister (State), Hassan Hyet, assured the aspirant that delegates from the state will vote him as the party chairman come August 17. According to him, "99.9 per cent of delegates from here will give you their votes. It is only the person that knows us that comes to us and you have done that. North-West has the highest number of delegates as you can see. So, we will support your candidature in Port Harcourt."

L-R: Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; wife of the Ooni of Ife, Olori Wuraola; the couple, Seyi and Layal Tinubu; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the wedding of Tinubu's son in Lagos…yesterday.

Return to PDP, BoT tells Obasanjo …says party not dead Onyekachi Eze

ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the claim by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the party has been weakened by internal crisis, and therefore is gasping for breath. It stated that contrary to Obasanjo’s belief, PDP is not dead. Obasanjo was elected on the platform of the PDP in 1999 and served as president for eight years. The former president, in a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi in Abeokuta, Ogun State last Saturday, denied that he was planning to return to PDP. The former president, who was reacting to photo news of his presence at the inauguration of the PDP national convention committee on Friday, noted that he left the party when it was alive and bubbling, and therefore, he could not have rejoined now when the party was divided, factionalised

and gasping for breath. But, Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, yesterday, said it was only in the imagination of anyone to say that the party was dead. Jibrin, who inaugurated an 18-member BoT special reconciliation committee, headed by former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, noted that the problem the party is facing is normal in a democracy. "We want to use this opportunity to calm down our members and to tell them that what is happening is normal in a democracy, that efforts are being made to end the crisis. "They should not listen to rumours, that this party is gone, it is not gone. Leaders who are talking in newspapers that this party is not alive, the party is alive, it is only in the imagination of anyone that is saying that this party is dead and that he will not come back. Such people should change their mind. If he comes back to this party, we are ready to

receive him," Jibrin said, obviously in reference to Obasanjo. He expressed optimism that the crisis in the party would end before the August 17 national convention. "We are gathered to inaugurate special committee of the BoT to reconcile our members. You are aware that the BoT has been meeting with some organs to review the situation in the party. We have, therefore, decided to set up a special committee with a view to resolving the problem," he said. According to him, God will not forgive members of the BoT if they sit down and do nothing while crisis in the party continues. Jibrin disclosed that PDP has over 15 cases in court over the leadership crisis, noting that the realisation that the best solution to solve the party's problem is political. "The way to put an end to them is to allow all the aggrieved persons to come together and agree to take all the cases out of the court and give support to this very important committee that will start work

immediately. The committee is expected to submit its report to us within seven days to resolve this matter once and for all. "We want us to agree that this our party will rely on its constitution and if we do, we must also agree that this party is supreme, this party is above everyone of us. It is above individuals and, therefore, we must all put our hands on deck to ensure that we resolve this matter politically. "It is on this issue of political consideration that attached to, that we decide to form this committee," he stated. Chairman of the committee, Gana promised that the members would do their best to reconcile aggrieved members. He admitted that not all political matters could be resolved in courtrooms, adding that that was why the PDP founding fathers recommended internal mechanism for resolution of party crisis. Gana appealed to the factional chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to allow the committee to mediate in the crisis in the party.

NEWS

TUESday, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Boko Haram threatens to attack Buhari, Buratai Emmanuel Onani

he need for the Guards Brigade to reinforce security in and around the Presidential Villa may be more compelling now as the acclaimed 'leader' of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to attack President Muhammadu Buhari and other regional leaders. In the latest video, Shekau also vowed to attack the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, as well as

the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman. The latest video is coming few days after the controversial sect leader purportedly spoke, to refute claims that his deputy, Abu Musab Al-barnawi, had assumed the leadership of the local terrorist group, which had threatened the sovereignty of the Nigerian State. Flanked by heavily armed fighters, Shekau referred to President Buhari and others, as "infidels", while challenging

President of Republic of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno (left) and President Muhammadu Buhari, during Itno’s inauguration in N’djamena, Chad …yesterday.

the military to be prepared for what he suggests, may be the most vicious attack in the country. He also indicated in the video that was recorded in Arabic and Hausa languages, his plot to extend the planned attacks to other parts of the world. A transcript of the video has been published by an online medium, Premium Times. Shekau said: "To you, President Buhari, very soon you will see us inside your home, the presidential palace. You will hear from us right in there by the will of God. "Abuja will hear from us very soon. We will demolish infidels and bring down the green white green and replace it with our flag. And under that flag, we shall worship Allah and we shall bring justice to all of you. "Don’t think it is only this weapon that will aid us to destroy you, but Allah will assist us to do this. Die you all in your rage. We are out to wage war on the world.” The re-appearance of the leader of Boko Haram at this time, no doubt, introduces a new twist to the claim by the military, that he (Shekau) had died over a year ago, during a counter-terrorism operation in the North-East.

In the meantime, the seeming leadership crisis besetting the sect has yet to abate, as Shekau reaffirmed his control over the group, whose bloodletting campaign had resulted in the deaths of over 15,000 people. This was as he restated his group's allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). Part of the video translation reads: "This is a message from the group

of Jamaatu Ahlil sunna liddawati wal jihad in West Africa of the Islamic caliphate to all the Jihadists of the world; especially to Abubakar Albagdadi. “News has recently come to us through the media outlets, including those of the infidels. The news was that someone has been made leader or vicegerent of our movement in West Africa. But we are telling you that the appointed per-

son has no qualifications to become our leader. We have listened and heard from them and their comment and how they tried to defame Ahlil Sunna wal jamaaa and we are further convinced that such a person cannot become our leader. And we cannot follow the one that is not of Ahlil Sunna wal jamaaa. “Besides, our leader, Abubakar Shekau, has

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Tin-Can Island Customs generates N130.76bn in 7 months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ever, said that trade facilitation could only work when importers and their agents were transparent in their declarations. The controller also reacted to the current hike in the exchange rate for calculating import duty, which is generating concern in the maritime sector. He said that the NCS, as an agency of the Federal Government, was charged with the implementation of the Federal Government’s fiscal policies. “It is instructive to note that the Nigeria Customs Service, by its statutory role, does not determine exchange rate, but only relies on the Central Bank of Nigeria to update us with information in ac-

cordance with its establishing Act. “It is, therefore, pertinent to note that the current situation is beyond the Customs,” Bashar said. The controller said that the command’s operational methodology was in sync with the change ideology of the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), which encompassed discipline, integrity, transparency and due diligence. “There is a paradigm shift in the operational system of the command geared towards strengthening the drive in ensuring that the time of cargo delivery is reduced to the barest minimum,” he said. He expressed his pas-

sion for stakeholders’ engagement to strengthen professionalism, promotion of inter-agency collaboration and synergy to ensure robust relationship as well as on-the-job capacity building. He also mentioned the need to enhance officers’ knowledge, particularly in modern trends and practices, which would promote trade facilitation and due diligence. The controller said the command was obliged to ensure zero tolerance for corrupt practices in line with global best practices. Bashar urged stakeholders to support the service in all aspects, so that maximum revenue could be generated in line with the vision and mission of the service.

Jibrin inserted 1,000 fraudulent projects –Rep Philip Nyam Abuja

member of the appropriation committee in the House of Representatives, Hon. Prestige Ossy C.E.O. Ossy has accused the embattled former chairman of the committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, of single-handedly inserting over 1,000 ‘funny projects’ into the budget. Ossy, who represents Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) told New Telegraph in an exclusive interview in Abuja that Jibrin had hijacked the 2016 appropriation bill for three weeks without the consent of the 40-member committee. His words: “We started the appropriation committee meetings well until when ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) submitted their estimates and Jibrin vanished. He absconded with the entire budget. He was incommunicado for complete three weeks. He never took his calls; he even extended non-taking of calls to the appropriation staff in National Assembly. “He relocated the committee to his private home

and never allowed anybody access to what he was doing. At the last meeting we had before the Easter break, he charged all members not to go home for the Easter holidays saying that we will all be busy, but we never sat for once. Throughout the Easter period, we were just milling around. We will come to the office from morning till night without seeing Jibrin.” Giving a detailed account of how Jibrin operated, Ossy disclosed that: “Before he came, I convened a meeting in the office of one of our members to express our disdain with the manner he was going about the budget without involving any of us. He single-handedly did everything behind us. “Now, he is the only honest person, when we know that he has over 1001 funny things he put in the budget. We were totally excluded from the process of this budget. This is a 40-member committee and 39 of us were excluded by Jibrin. He single-handedly went around with a national budget and did all he wanted to do with the budget. “The House reopened from Easter break on a Tuesday and in the morning of that Tuesday, I went

to the speaker to complain and tell speaker that we will not continue with Jibrin as chair appropriation and the speaker pleaded with us that he would call him and find out – that he would resolve the matter. “After the complaint, we asked him to bring the budget so that we see what he has done with it. He continued dogging until the budget was submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari and he rejected it. The feelers we got was that he had over N4.9 billion worth of projects in the budget. We went back to the Speaker and queried him that how can Jibrin have such huge amount while some of us had as low as N12 million, some N18 million, some N22 million. The Speaker again begged us that he was looking into it.” On the allegations of $20,000 bribe, Ossy denied ever being bribed by Speaker Dogara. “Now, he is saying we were paid $20,000 to address the press and lie against him. We know what happened and I want Jibrin to come out and tell us how the $20,000 was shared. Who gave the money? At what point did the speaker give us the money? If he is actually a repentant Jibrin, he should prove it.”

Central Bank of Nigeria www.cbn.gov.ng

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ON BEHALF OF DMO OFFERS NIGERIAN TREASURY BILLS Notice is hereby given by the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of DMO that the Federal Government of Nigeria Treasury Bills of 91, 182 and 364-day tenors amounting to N32,436,508,000 N30,000,000,000 and N50,000,000,000, respectively would be issued by Dutch auction on Thursday, August 18, 2016. All Money Market Dealers should submit bids through the CBN S4 WEB INTERFACE between 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. Each bid must be in multiple of N1,000 subject to a minimum of N10,000. Authorized Money Market Dealers are allowed to submit multiple bids. A bid may be for authorized. Money Market Dealers own account, Non – Money Market Dealers or interested members of the public. The result of the auction would be announced by 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. The Bank reserves the right to reject any bid. Allotment letters would be issued for successful bids on Thursday, August 18, 2016, while payment for the successful bids should be made to your account with Central Bank of Nigeria not later than 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2016. The Bank reserves the right to vary the amount on offer in line with market realities prevailing as at the period of auction of the Nigerian Treasury Bills. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES OFFICE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ABUJA.

NEWS

TUESday, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Arik begins debts negotiation with NAMA Wole Shadare

igeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik Air, yesterday began reconciliation of its indebtedness to the Nigerian Airspace management agency (NAMA). Chairman of Arik Air, Sir Joseph ArumemiIkhide, Arik’s Vice-President, Capt. Ado Sanusi and Arumemi-Ikhide’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Bamgbose, were spotted at NAMA’s headquarters in Lagos when the trio held a debt reconciliatory meeting with the Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Emmanuel Anasi.

Also at the meeting was a former Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh. New Telegraph had, yesterday, exclusively reported the plans by the airspace management agency to recover over N8 billion airlines owe NAMA. Chairman, committee on debt recovery for the aviation agencies, Dr. Saleh Ibrahim, had told New Telegraph of the plans to ground airlines that are unwilling to pay government what they owe them. The effort seems to be paying off as the committee has recovered N329 million in two months as it intensifies efforts to re-

cover more than half of the monies before the end of the year. The Nigerian airlines also owe the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) N10 billion and N20 billion respectively. Aside airlines that are still in operation, many other airlines, including cargo and charter operators that have ceased operations, are also heavily indebted to the agencies. Ibrahim said that the measure put in place to recover the funds is to deny any “recalcitrant operator start up for departure or totally ground its operations.”

He added that what the agency is demanding for is the transfer of money belonging to the agency that is in the airlines’ kitties for many years to the aviation parastatals. NAMA is said to be carrying huge liability of almost N18 billion pension, high cost of operation of manning virtually all the 24 airports across the nation and growing overhead. The Federal Government had, some few months ago, set up a committee for debt recovery, mandating the committee to recover N8.08 billion. Since then, the committee has met with the airlines. While many have rescheduled their debts, some oth-

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, Arik Air, Capt. Ado Sanusi; Chief of Staff to the chairman, Mr. Lanre Bamgbose; Chairman, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide; Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Emma Anasi and former Managing Director, NAMA, Engr. Nnamdi Udo, at the NAMA headquarters in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Mark warns against imposition of candidates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Adedoja, said he would still contest the election despite the zoning arrangement of the party at the zone. His words: "The position of the National Chairman is a very important position, irrespective of where it is zoned in the SouthWest. I am still contesting the position of the chairman and I know by the special grace of God, I will win. "People are afraid to test themselves nationally, that is why they are thinking of zoning. I will test myself nationally for the position of Chairman. The whole Oyo State delegates disagreed with the zoning. I do not agree with it and I am going ahead to contest." Also, former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, has kicked against the stance of the leaders on the zoning. The media aide to the former minister, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, told reporters that his principal obtained his form yesterday in Abuja and intentionally avoided the meeting to consult with some party leaders in the North for the realisation of his aspiration. Akeju, who is the former secretary of the party

in the zone, protested that all the aspirants should be allowed to test their popularity rather than the consensus arrangement reached by the meeting convoked by Mimiko and Fayose. His words: "What we are saying is that they should allow all the aspirants that have obtained the forms to go and test their popularity, that is democracy. We don't want impunity again in the party like before." He declared that his faction would not accede to the arrangement, lamenting the impunity in the party which he pointed out has been the crux of their calamities. "We are still battling with the Ali Modu Sheriff thing now, we know the consequences and we know the people that brought us to this level. But what we are saying is that we need to turn a new leaf. Let anybody that purchased form be allowed to contest. "This meeting that they are saying they want to zone, there is no point zoning anything, it won't work. It is not possible. You have to open up for the best material to emerge. That is our position. We want the best material to emerge at

the convention," he said. Meanwhile, one of the national chairmanship aspirants, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, took his campaign to Owerri, the Imo State capital yesterday. He addressed delegates to the national convention. Agbaje, who said he stands in solidarity with Imo PDP, urged the delegates to support him in his bid for the national chairmanship of the party. While noting that Imo is strategic in his ambition for chairmanship, Agbaje declared that PDP is one indivisible political platform that cannot be stopped in spite of the mistakes of 2015. “2015 was a mistake and will be corrected in 2019,” he said. Meanwhile, former President of the Senate, David Mark, has cautioned the leadership and members of the party against acts of impunity that could result in imposition of candidates. Mark, who gave the advice at a meeting with executive members of the Benue State chapter of the PDP, said that it was incumbent on our leaders and members to allow the popular will of the people

prevail at the congresses and convention. He described the defeat of the PDP in the last general elections as a selfinflicted injury, recalling that the party lost out because some of its leaders indulged in imposition of candidates and other acts of impunity in the build up to the elections. The former Senate President urged members of the PDP to remain steadfast with the party, as it will surmount its current challenges. He reminded party faithful to work hard in the days ahead as a credible opposition in order to overcome these challenges. "If we must uphold the sanctity of democratic culture, we must follow the path of honour like the Democrats and Republicans in the United States of America or the Labour Party or the Conservatives in the United Kingdom who hold on tenaciously to their political ideologies no matter the odds," he said. Mark vowed that no matter the challenges, he would not leave the PDP because the party provided him with the platform that afforded him the opportunity to contest and win elections since 1999.

ers are said to be reluctant to defray their debts. The source gave the breakdown of the debts amounting to N8.08 billion. He said the debt before the operators took NAMA to court in 2001 was N3.8 billion with the Supreme Court’s verdict that gave judgement to the agency

and ruled that the carriers should liquidate the debt they owe. The court had directed that NAMA collects what was owed it by airlines from 2001 to 2013, but the aviation agency is piqued that majority of the airlines are still challenging the verdict of the apex court.

AfDB approves $9m investment for SMEs in Nigeria

he African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $9 million equity investment in the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) to provide expansion capital to agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is contained in a press statement issued by AFDB yesterday and published on its web: www. afdb.org. The statement said that FAFIN is a first-generation private equity fund that provides financial, capacity-building and technical assistance to commercially viable SMEs in the Nigerian agribusiness sector. It said that FAFIN used a unique value chain-centric approach, a combination of equity, quasi-equity and convertible loan instruments to provide loan for SME’s. According to it, FAFIN implements its strategy and constructs its portfolio through a bifocal lens consisting of the twin

objectives of competitive financial returns and measurable positive social impact. The Fund is jointly sponsored by the German KfW Development Bank and the Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD). The Fund Manager is Sahel Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a fund management firm incorporated in Mauritius in 2013. The project is expected to deliver strong development outcomes from household benefits and employment through the creation of a large number of jobs and the provision of certain agricultural products. It also said this would bring about positive gender and social effects through the implementation of out-grower schemes and supporting rural development and private sector development.

Presidency: We won’t dignify Shekau with a response CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

sent you an 8-point message detailing why the person you appointed cannot lead because he is one of those that are called Irjai. You (Albagdadhi) have sent a message back to our leader asking for the meaning of Irjai, which he explained to you and you have failed to get back to us till date…. “We are also warning you the infidels of the West African countries that in no distant time, you are going to be visited with a calamity from us that will marvel you all for a long time to come. We will shock the world very soon. Watch out for us. “Especially, the Chief of Army staff, General Buratai and the army spokesman, Kukasheka; we are going to show you our strength in Nigeria. The world should know that we are no longer out to fight Nigeria, but our battle is of the entire world. And the battle has just begun. It is going to be a fresh

battle for you soldiers of Nigeria." But the Presidency said it would not dignify the group with a response. “The office of the president is a hallowed institution. You don't expect Shekau to talk and the president to be responding,” Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, told New Telegraph. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig.Gen. Rabe Abubakar, and the DAPR, did not respond to text messages sent to them and did not pick calls to their phone lines.

74.23%

The percentage contribution of Non-oil taxes to total collection for 2015 Q2. Source: Firs.gov.ng

0.37

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

national | news

monday, august 8, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NGE: Atiku, Ambode, Okowa, Dambazau congratulate Egbemode Johnchuks Onuanyim, Emmanuel Onani, Muritala Ayinla and Dominic Adewole

ormer Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governors Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulraham Dambazau, (rtd) have congratulated the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mrs. Funke Egbemode on her emergence. Egbemode, the Managing Director and Editor-inChief of New Telegraph was ratified as the President of the Guild over the weekend. Atiku, in a statement

released by his Media Office in Abuja, described Egbemode's endorsement as timely, appropriate and well-deserved, adding that going by her contribution to the profession of journalism, it was expected that she would eventually attain that highly-esteemed position. He further stated that the new Guild President was a role model, who had used her work as a journalist over the years to educate and entertain people thus winning more converts for the profession. Dambazau, in a statement from the Director of Press in his ministry, Willie Bassey, appreciated the professional prowess of Egbemode and hoped

that she would bring her experience of many years of hard work, editorial dexterity and journalistic skills to bear on the headship of the Guild. He stated that Egbemode had had a fulfilling career in journalism, effectively balancing motherhood with a demanding deadline expected of the profession and wished her a successful tenure. Ambode in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said Egbemode over the years, had proven her mettle in the profes-

$240m

The net worth of Brad Pitt in 2016. Source: Fropky.com

sion, saying that he had no doubt that the body of Guild of Editors would be taken to an enviable height with Egbemode as the President. Describing Egbemode as a thorough bred journalist, Ambode expressed confidence in the new NGE President, adding that she would not only bring her wealth of experience to bear in advancing the course of the Guild, but also the journalism profession in general. Ambode said: "Her recent appointment was thoroughly deserving and an inspiration to other women striving to make a name in the profession. “I have no doubt in my mind that the cap fits Mrs. Egbemode. She has a prov-

OWERRI

Sleeping pills raise bone fracture risk

leeping tablets taken by millions of people could double the chances of breaking a bone by increasing the likelihood of a fall. These latest findings published in the journal ‘Age and Ageing’, are likely to raise concerns among users of sleeping pill across the world especially among the elderly because broken bones in the elderly are a major problem. Similarly, the risk of a fracture soared in those relying on the drugs to get a good night’s sleep, the researchers said. The mailonline reported that the pills were thought to add to daytime drowsiness in those with existing sleep problems. “Elderly people are most in danger, scientists found, but even those in their fifties and early sixties could be affected,” the reported stated. Experts behind the latest findings warned that they were significant be-

cause they showed newer sleeping pills – originally thought to be safer than previous generations of tablets – were potentially even more dangerous. Sleeping pills being prescribed by doctors all over the world have been dogged by safety concerns. In 2013, scientists warned that certain drugs, known as Z-hypnotics, increased the risk of heart attacks by up to 50 per cent. The brand names for these drugs in the United Kingdom (UK) are Stilnoct, Zimovane and Sonata. Last year, scientists from Finland found taking sleeping tablets at least twice a week tripled the risk of lung cancer. A team of researchers at Keele University in the United Kingdom (UK) trawled through patient records from over 300 GP surgeries. They identified nearly 3,500 people aged over 45 who were prescribed sleeping tablets for insomnia. The drugs included older types – such as diazepam – as well as the

newer ‘Z-drugs’ which have become increasingly popular in recent years because they were thought to have fewer side-effects and were less addictive. The third drug they studied was melatonin – often touted as a cure for jet lag.

It works by boosting levels of a hormone which is naturally produced by the body to regulate sleeping patterns. The researchers compared those on all sleeping drugs with similar-aged patients who did not take them.

of democracy through her numerous writings. "As Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenges of falling oil prices and insecurity in the Niger Delta, oil revenue has continued on the decline in the past two years. "Governments at all levels have been thinking on ways of creating other revenue sources. It is therefore a challenge on the Nigeria Guild of Editors, to ensure that Editors continue to suggest more ways of diversifying the economy through their editorial comments and feature writings", the statement read.

Imo PDP holds congress as rival group kicks Steve Uzoechi

PDP governorship candidate for Lagos State in the last election, Mr. Jimi Agbaje (third left), and others, during Jimi’s visit to Owerri, Imo State…

Apppolonia Adeyemi

en track record of excellence in journalism, which has seen her rise through the ranks to the pinnacle of the profession”. Also speaking, Okowa the new President must ensure that Editors continue to support efforts geared towards diversification of the Nigeria's economy. The governor in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Ehiedu Aniagwu, in Asaba, described the emergence of Egbemode as a good omen for the journalism profession, considering her wealth of experience and contributions to the enthronement

he Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday held its state congress at the Kanu Nwankwo Sports Centre, Owerri, even as a minority group moved to discountenance the process with an unsuccessful parallel congress. The congress, which had in attendance the cream of Imo politicians drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state was well attended and peacefully conducted. Former Governor Achike Udenwa, former Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (Member, PDP BoT), PDP members of the House of Representatives from the state, those of the State House of Assembly both former and serving, local government party chairmen and ward chairmen as well as numerous delegates from

the 27 council areas of the state all participated in the congress. However, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Ohakim and a few others were part of the rival group. Chairman of the Congress Committee and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austine Opara, who addressed the delegates before the exercise commenced, urged them to be peaceful while stressing the need for the party to close ranks and look at the bigger picture ahead of 2019, saying: “we must keep our eyes on the general elections and not just the congresses. Imo is PDP and we cannot afford to lose the state again in 2019. And we can only achieve this by working together as a single team. One person must emerge at the end of the day and whoever emerges should be supported by all while the losers should accept the result in the spirit of sportsmanship”.

Chaos as power glitch grounds Delta’s 300 flights worldwide

No alternative to fixing basic education in Nigeria –UBEC boss

Wole Shadare

Yekeen Nurudeen

elta Airlines flights worldwide, including those coming to Nigeria were grounded due to a computer failure. When New Telegraph visited the Lagos airport at 5pm, yesterday, the airline whose aircraft lands at Lagos was yet to arrive as passengers were frantically getting to be rebooked on another flight. As at 7pm yesterday, there was no sign that the flight would arrive while an airline worker said Delta does not operate to Lagos on Monday as it has reduced its

daily frequency to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to six times a week. The airline reported earlier the 'systems are down everywhere' causing chaos. Consequently, not a single Delta plane could take off for five hours on Monday morning. Travellers had been waiting up to six hours after issues began overnight as the airline cancelled 300 flights as a result of the widespread problems. Passengers hoping to travel on the carrier reported long delays as boarding passes were even being written out by hand at check-in desks.

Abuja

he Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Dr. Hameed Bobboyi, has called on State Governors and other relevant stakeholders to join in the determination of the Federal Government to revamp the basic education sub-sector in the country. Speaking on his assumption of duty as the new Executive Secretary of the Commission, Bobboyi said there was no alternative to fixing the nation's basic education

sector that had suffered serious neglect in the past. A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Mrs Helen Okoro and made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Bobboyi said this after he took over the management of UBEC from the immediate past Executive Secretary, Dr Suleiman Dikko. Bobboyi noted that for the country to achieve the needed quality education and production of critical mass of manpower to drive government's development agenda, the foundation of basic education must first be established.

tuesday, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

How landlord, residents organised Lagos monarch’s kidnap Juliana Francis

landlord and two residents of Iba, Lagos, connived with suspected kidnappers to abduct the Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni, for ransom, says a police officer. According to the officer, the landlord and the two residents are well known to the monarch. These suspects, who are already fielding questions from detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja and operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), allegedly sold information concerning the layout of Oseni’s palace and security arrangement for money. The landlord and the residents were mentioned by the overall leader of the kidnappers, identified as Duba Furejo (32) aka General Duba. The three suspects were paid N800,000 out of the N15.1 million ransom for their roles. The monarch was abducted from his palace on July 16 and rescued last Saturday. It was gathered that while everyone was thinking the worst had happened to Oseni, the acting IG, Idris Ibrahim, was synergising with Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to ensure the release of the Oba and arrest of the kidnappers. Ibrahim was said to have sent operatives of the IRT to Lagos and detectives had worked round the clock to ensure the kidnappers were caught. The detectives, using modern technology, tracked the kidnappers to Iyana School on Iba Road. It

City Briefs Fire guts wire firm Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

ire yesterday razed a subsidiary of a Lebanese company, Sumal Group of Companies, on Town Planning Road, Oluyole Industrial Estate, Ibadan, Oyo State. The fire, which started about 10p.m. on Sunday, lasted till yesterday as it raged for over 12 hours and destroyed property estimated to worth billions of naira.

Oba Oseni

was, however, discovered that the monarch, under heavy guards, was held captive in a makeshift shanty, built on top of water. The detectives decided to keep surveillance at Iyana School area, on the shore of the river. They knew it was only a matter of time before one of the kidnappers would come out. General Duba was the first to come out. He walked into the hands of the detectives about 5p.m. Realising the game was up, he mentioned the names of his members, including the three suspects who gave them information about Oseni. The police officer said: “The suspects were arrested between

Saturday and Sunday. One of them, who brought out the monarch from their den and left him on the water to paddle alone, was arrested moments after he left the Oba. The overall leader of the gang is with the police. His name is General Duba. “Three others, who brought the job of the oba’s kidnap and collected N800,000, have also been arrested. One of them was arrested yesterday (on Sunday), as he was about to go to Ondo State. The overall leader and his second in command were both arrested. Isaiah Ododomu was the suspect who left the monarch on the water. General Duba went with them for the kidnap; but the

Suspected kidnappers

second in command, was left at their base. They, however, shared the money together.” Duba is a native of Arogbo Town in Ese Odo Local Government Area, Ondo State. The police source added: “The kidnappers’ second in command, Ododomu (40), also from Arogbo Town, was apprehended about 6a.m. at Iyana-Ipaja Motor Park, where he was about to board a bus heading to Ondo State. He confessed to have participated in the kidnap of the Oba. “He also mentioned Duba as

his boss. According to him, they were 20 in the gang, all in the creeks. He said that only eight of them participated in the kidnapping of the oba.” Ododomu confessed that he and Blessing, still hiding in the creek, brought the monarch to the shore and dropped him about 7p.m. on Saturday. Although the monarch had been rescued, detectives are, however, still going ahead with their investigations. It was learnt that they are going after other fleeing members of the gang.

One injured as train hits security van

The inferno spread to various outlets and offices within the steel and wire company. When the flame was first noticed, security guards on duty notified the appropriate quarters to save the situation. But people living in the neighbourhood called some media houses, the state Fire Service, for help. By 8a.m. yesterday, several of the property of the company had Scene of the accident been razed by the fire.

Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

man was injured yesterday when a train which took off from Aba, Abia State rammed into a Hilux van at Rumuibekwe Junction, Woji, in ObioAkpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. While the driver of the van escaped unhurt, the man, who was at the back, was carried out from the vehicle half-conscious by passengers of the train, who

trooped out when the accident occurred about 7a.m. The driver of the black van had defied the traffic officer’s instruction to stop for the train to pass. He was trying to drive across the other side of the road when the train rammed into the centre of the van, and dragged it for over 100 metres before it finally stopped. Immediately the occupant of the injured man was taken out of the vehicle, the driver attempted to escape from the scene, but

he was apprehended by an angry mob. The driver, believed to be a policeman but in mufti, was rescued by policemen attached to the train. He was taken away for interrogation, while the injured man, who could not be identified immediately, was rushed to the hospital for treatment. An official of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), who was present when the accident occurred, said that some motorists were fond of disregarding safety instructions.

METRO

tuesday, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ex-gov’s ADC, three children die in fire Musa Pam Jos

People going into the church

Makurdi agog as Jesus-like image appears in church

A man praying in front of the crucifix

Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

aint Augustine’s Catholic Church, Nenger, Markudi, Benue State yesterday became a centre of attraction as scores of people, Christians and Muslims, men and women, young and old, trooped there to catch a glimpse of the ‘image’ of Jesus Christ. The church is located behind Government Model College, Makurdi, the state capital, where a bright image fell on the crucifix of Christ. Witnesses said the image, which was a carbon copy of the structure of Christ when he rose from death after he was crucified and buried, had on its head a crown, while the entire body was glittering, like precious stone. It was learnt that the majority of people surging into the vicinity of the church came from Makurdi community while others were from the 23 local government areas of the state. They were all eager to see the image themselves. It was also learnt that many Christians and non-Christians alike, on sighting the image which was accompanied by a bright light that overwhelmed the entire church, moved close to it and placed their hands on it. They were shouting: “Jesus save me,” “Jesus the son of God, have mercy on me.” One of the parishioners, Mr. Emmanuel Hembenkaan, told our correspondent that he was shocked when he saw the image. He said the image was seen in the church for the first time since the church was established. Hembenkaan said the image appeared on Friday during a 3p.m. prayer session known as “Devine Mercy.” When the news flittered into town on Sunday night, people rushed to the church yesterday.

According to me, the image does not just appear in a place but when the people are suffering and have prayed for God’s intervention. When contacted, the Catholic Priest in charge of the church, Rev. Father Celestine Tyowua, declined comments. Tyowua said he would address the media after receiving approval from the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Wilfred Anagbe. The Vicar General of Otukpo Catholic Diocese in Benue State, Very Reverend Father John Adeyi, was kidnapped in April. His body was discovered two months later near a farmland in Obu-Otukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area

retired police officer and three of his children were yesterday burnt to death when fire gutted their house at the Jenta Adamu area of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the retired police officer, Anthony Kwanmi, was an aide-de camp (ADC) to former Governor of the state, Sir Fidelis Tapgun. However, Kwanmi’s wife and daughter survived the inferno and are currently receiving treatment at the Bingham Hospital in Jos, the state capital. Residents of the area said the fire started from an electric surge about 3a.m. yesterday while the victims could not escape because of the fortified security barricade in the house. Witnesses said that before neighbours could render any assistance to the victims, they had been burnt beyond rec-

of the state. On May 29, Governor Samuel Ortom dedicated the state to God for spiritual rejuvenation. Ortom said the sins of the past leaders were weighing the state down and called on the people to return to God for spiritual rejuve- The burnt house nation. He regretted that the myriad of problems confronting the state could only be overcome by divine intervention and called on the people to stand firm in payers. The governor, who said the path to economic and social recovery Taiwo Jimoh was in returning to God, regretted the huge debt profile of the state gijo community in Sagamu and said much of it was inherited Local Government Area of from the previous administration. Ogun State was a shadow of it-

Panic in Ogun, Lagos communities over cultists’threat

We killed Oyo lawmaker during robbery –Suspect Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

suspected robber, Ayobami Adedeji (23), yesterday told journalists that the death of a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Gideon Aremu, was not politically-motivated. Adedeji said that he and three other suspects arrested in connection with the lawmaker’s death only went to Adegbayi area to rob when they saw the legislator and decided to rob him. The suspect said that he and some others, now at large, Abbey, Kola Mission and Yusuf Ikire, left Beere area and went out to rob some households at Adegbayi area of Ibadan where the deceased was residing.

ognition. Our correspondent, who visited the residence, observed that the house was badly destroyed by the fire. A witness, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists that the wall of the house was destroyed by some neighbours in order to rescue Kwanmi’s wife and daughter. Sympathisers and family members were seen inspecting the burnt building. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Tyopev Terna, confirmed the retired police officer and three of his children died in the inferno. He said the ‘A’ Division of the state command got a call around 3a.m. on Monday and men were mobilised to the burning building. Terna added policemen and firefighters helped in putting out the fire. The PPRO also said the Kwanmi’s wife and one family member were currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

The suspects

The principal suspect, Adedeji, who hails from Gbongan town in Osun State, said they had no any prior knowledge of the identity of the lawmaker. He said: “We just left Beere area to go and carry out our usual operation and upon sighting the honourable, we attacked him and one of us, Abbey, had to shoot when the lawmaker flashed a torch at us in order to identify us.” Adedeji spoke at the state Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, where he and three others were paraded by the Police Commissioner, Leye Oyebade. The suspect, however, added

that Abbey’s mother had a house near the area of attack. He said: “We were not sent by anybody to go and kill him. We were only there to rob him but to my surprise he was killed by my friend, Abbey, who invited us for the job and the rest are now at large. I was the only one arrested for the crime. I will assist the police with the necessary information on our hide out so it could be easier for them to make arrest of the rest of my friends in crime.” But according to the police, the other suspects linked to the murder and paraded yesterday are Adeniran Oladapo (31), Kareem Isiaka (43) and Sodiq Adedeji (20).

self yesterday as the threat by a cult group to unleash mayhem on the town took its toll. In May, the cultists in Ogijo had issued a notice that they would celebrate the group on August 8, prompting the killing of no fewer than five people within the town last Tuesday, as a precursor to the main day. Commercial activities were yesterday grounded as nearly all shops were under lock and key while commercial vehicles were also off the road, making the town to look like a war zone. Police and military personnel were everywhere while plainclothes security men were also combing every nook and cranny of the town, arresting suspected cultists from their hideouts and joints where people smoke Indian hemp. Also, the town’s vigilantes were all over the place rendering assistance to the security team. The situation also affected commercial activities in areas such as Ita-Oluwo and Odogunyan in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area. Also affected was the plank market around the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, where there were no commercial activities yesterday. A rival cult group had, in July, carried out a similar celebration, leading to the killing of about four people at Fakale, a village under Ogijo.

NEWS | national

monday, august 8, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jonathan urges Zambian parties to accept results, shun violence M

Motorcyclists, council officials on war path over extortion Tony Anichebe Uyo

Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

head of the August 11 general elections in Zambia, Nigeria's former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday admonished political parties taking part in the election to refrain from violence and accept the outcome of the polls. Jonathan stated this yesterday at a press conference in Lusaka as head of the African Union Election Observation Mission to Zambia. He appealed to political party leaders to endeavor to place the country’s interest over political ambitions, a statement issued by his media aide, Ikechuckwu Eze, quoted him as saying. Advising those that might lose the elections to be magnanimous and accept the results as the will

of the people of Zambia, Jonathan further said: “Politicians going for elective positions should be open-minded about the outcome, because they can either win or lose. Politicians who want to play meaningful roles in governance should realise that it is not about them. Those who care only about themselves should quit politics and begin to manage personal businesses. “Our states are not private enterprises. You can-

not be interested in governance without sufficient interest in the affairs of the people. So, the interest of the country should come first as politicians tick their priority boxes. “This also requires politicians to accept the outcome of genuine elections because of the interest of the people. You cannot instigate violence and mayhem on the one hand and pretend that you are fighting for the people on the other. It does not make

any sense to get involved in bloodshed, destroy property, frustrate businesses and collapse the economy in order to win elections. Our advice is to put public interest above other expectations by accepting the results of elections. The former President also noted that Zambia has had relatively smooth power transitions since gaining independence from Britain in 1964, adding that the pre-election environment was con-

ducive for a free and fair election. “I believe that Zambia has served as the leading light and shown good examples over the issue of elections. I am convinced that the people of this country will maintain this exemplary peace during the general elections.” Organisations such as the European Union, African Union and regional bodies have also deployed their contingents to monitor the elections. L-R: Sub-Regional Coordinator-West Africa, Campaign for Tobacco -Free Kids, Hilda Ochefu; Deputy Director, Environmental Rights Action Friends of the Earth, Nigeria, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during a courtesy visit to Osinbajo in Abuja … yesterday.

34.97m

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

The total population of women of Dem. Republic of the Congo in 2012. Source: Un.org

embers of the Akwa Ibom State Commercial Motorcycles Association (APCOMA), Eket chapter and the authority of the Eket Local Government Area are poised for a showdown over alleged extortion by the officials. Members of the association also accused the local government officials of other abuses in the discharge of their duties. For more than three days, the commercial motorcyclists had embarked on protest, shutting down their operations while expressing their grievances over what they described as ‘illegal extortion’ from August 1. The protest, which started yesterday, continued till late in the evening, making many people stranded on the streets. Our correspondent who monitored the protest in Eket saw the motorcyclists in their thousands carrying placards with different inscriptions such as “We don’t need ticket again in Eket,” “N50 or no ticket,” “Don’t impose a Chairman on us.”

Okonkwo: Nigeria can't run away from restructuring Zakzakky: Coalition wants FG Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Pastor Mike Okonkwo, yesterday said that restructuring the country is only solution to the myriad of problems facing the nation. He spoke in Abuja yesterday at the end of the special service to mark the end of the church's fourth annual Leading Edge Conference. According to him, the

issue of restructuring Nigeria has been a long standing issue, which he said led to the 1966 coup. "The issue of restructuring Nigeria has been there since. It was what led to the 1966 coup. The Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, were all advocating for true federalism. That was the reason for Thomas U. Aguiyi Ironsi's killing. They said he instituted a unitary system and abolished federalism. Himself and Adekule Fajuyi were killed.

“Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu went to war on account of true federalism, they went to Aburi on account of restructuring; they agreed, they didn't do it. Now, that the chicken has come home to roost, we should do true federalism. I'm not advocating the destruction of Nigeria; let us have true federalism so that anyone ruling the country will come with ideas. “Was it not here in Western Region that Chief Obafemi Awolowo built the first television station in Africa with money from

cocoa? We need such thing; it won't stop the progress of the nation." He also noted that President Muhammadu Buhari might just be scratching corruption on its head; stressing that even if the President spends two terms in office, he might not be able to eradicate corruption in the country. Okonkwo, who said there must be fresh reorientation for Nigerians about nationalism and patriotism, also advocated that those who are found of corrupt charges should be made to go to jail.

to stop IMN trekkers Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

group, the Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE), has urged the Federal Government to immediately bring to an end the trekking by members of the Shiite sect also known as Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), warning that their activities constitute security risk to the country. This came against re-

Buhari tasks new NECO registrar Oloyede to JAMB officials: I won't tolerate indiscipline Yekeen Nurudeen on service delivery Dan Atori MINNA

resident Muhammadu Buhari has tasked heads of the 17 education agencies recently appointed, including the new National Examinations Council (NECO) Registrar, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, on better service delivery in order to improve the standard of education in the country. The President's charge was said to have been contained in the brief to the appointees before their nomina-

tions were announced last week by the Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu. This came to the fore in Minna at the weekend when Uwakwe took over the management of the examination body in the Niger State capital. "President Buhari has challenged all of us to put in our bests to transform the education sector in this country as part of the change agenda of his administration," Uwakwe said when he took over from Prof. Garba Abdulrasheed, at the NECO headquarters.

Abuja

ewly appointed Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, yesterday resumed at the board's headquarters, Bwari, Abuja, with a strong warning to members of staff that he would not tolerate indiscipline. He took over from Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, who was among the 17 Chief Executive Officers of education parastatals replaced last week by President Muhammadu Buhari even as the new

JAMB registrar said: "I won't spoil the good work you have done." Speaking at his first meeting with the management staff of the board and state coordinators, Oloyede, who also promised to build on the achievements of his predecessors, said indiscipline is a serious form of corruption, noting that ‘many people who criticised others are also corrupt by virtue of their sheer indiscipline.’ "The first rule in heaven is order and the bane of our development as a nation is indiscipline. Distinguished colleagues, indiscipline

begins from attitude to time, but it does not end there. “Discipline requires that the right thing is done at the right time for the right purpose. Discipline requires that we all clean our corners in our respective capacities. Lateness to work, laziness at work, disrespect for deadlines, insubordination and so on, are viruses that often cripple an organisations. I will implore you to hold discipline sacrosanct because indiscipline is corruption and many people who criticise others are also corrupt by virtue of their sheer indiscipline."

ports that some members of the sect are already trekking to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja to protest the continuous detention of their spiritual leader, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzakky. Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, Head of CATE secretariat, Gabriel Onoja, said the Federal Government owes Nigerians a duty to protect them from the extremism being promoted by the sect, warning that the country already has enough security concerns. He called on the government to immediately take action to manage the situation, warning that the IMN must not be allowed to export their culture of blockade of vital roads to another city, least of all the nation’s capital, Abuja. "With the existential threats facing the country at every turn, the message must be sent out clearly that no religious leader or adherent is above the law. Anyone that tries to further compromise our collective security should be made to answer for their actions. "We urge religious, traditional and political leaders in the north to call this horde to order."

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Edo guber PDP: We’ll defend our votes by any means

Politics

Niger Delta Cross River in the throes of history

12 13

The godfather, godson combat The forthcoming National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to produce one of the characteristics that makes politics a game of interest as a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, battles his political godson, Mr. Jimi Agbaje for the party’s national chairmanship. WALE ELEGBEDE reports

or those adept with the act of politics, it is a game where morality is only heard and seen but rarely observed especially when interests are involved. As succinctly put by some political scientists; there is no morality in politics. Although, the game has rules, the terms of engagement can easily be busted without a corresponding punitive measure to the delinquent. In the dictionary of politics, no such things as values and morals exist, only interests matters at every point in time. In the build-up to the last general election in Lagos State, the dramatis personae in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in state were the former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who eventually became the governorship candidate of the party. With Obanikoro’s popularity within his party men and his connections in the presidency, it was regarded in some quarters that his governorship ambition in the state was a done deal. However, against all odds, the whirlwind influence of Obanikoro was curtailed and cut to size, and the governorship ticket was landed in the bosom of a relatively unknown and neophyte

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@newtelegraphonline.com

George

in the former ruling party, Agbaje. Seeing that the unseen hand behind his kite that refused to fly was George, Obanikoro took the battle to the former and fought him hands down, claiming that he manipulated the governorship primaries again him to favour his political godson. Obanikoro said after the primary that, “the entire primary was a sham. I still cannot comprehend how accredited delegates of 806 will turn out to be 868. Bode George has been the major problem as far as this party is concerned and there is no doubt in my mind that he supervised this electoral malpractice.” With the confrontation between George and Obanikoro festering over the emergence of Agbaje, the Presidency got concerned about the exchange of tantrums and wade in. Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, visited Lagos to broker a truce between both gladiators. Although certain concessions were made, the relationship was still sour as Obanikoro singled out George as being responsible for his loss. Speaking to New Telegraph, a chieftain of the party who was privy to happenings in the party said, “George damned all the odds to carry Agbaje on his back against Obanikoro. Even some Afenifere people warned him not to use Agbaje but he insisted that the people want him. So, Obanikoro’s attack was not on Agbaje but on George.” Although the PDP lost the election to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the defeat tore the party apart and it became a situation of “to your tents” for members. However, it was gathered that signs of a crack between George and Agbaje started just after the loss of the

Agbaje

It is obvious that the coast is now clear for a tango between a godfather and a godson

presidential election. Agbaje, it was learnt, decided to go solo without any recourse to the party leadership led by George. He was said to be communicating directly with the Presidency and moved the party’s campaign to his domain. Also, Agbaje decision to congratulate the candidate of the APC, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, before the formal announcement of the governorship result angered many PDP chieftains including George. Some PDP members were also annoyed about the disposition of Agbaje to the challenge of the election at the tribunal. When the race for the national chairmanship of the PDP came to the fore, George was seen as the leading candidate. However, it came as a rude shock to many when Agbaje’s name popped up as one of the prospects for the party’s plum job. While George has picked his form for the chairmanship election, Agbaje has not, but it was gathered that he is likely to pick the form later in the week. Agbaje was conspicuously absent when George declared his intention to run for the seat in Lagos two weeks ago. It was learnt that he was with some PDP governors in Port Harcourt, Rivers State throughout last week, where the coup against George was perfected. He was also said to have been given an assurance of the backing of delegates from the PDP-controlled states by the governors. While Agbaje’s ambition has been hazy all this while, he subtly made it public for the first time during his recent visit to a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in

Owerri, Imo State residence. It was gathered that Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) are the ones keeping Agbaje on his feet against his former political benefactor. A chieftain of the party said: “We knew Agbaje will turn out this way when under one week after he emerged as a governorship candidate, he told journalists that he has no godfather. By saying that, he tactically sent a message to George. Can you imagine what would have happened if Agbaje had become the governor of Lagos State? He would have ensured that all of us who worked for him go into extinction? We are Yoruba and it is tragic to bite the finger that feeds one. “Regardless of who is pushing him, his decision to contest against George, who helped him checkmate Obanikoro less than few months after he joined the PDP defies all sense of credibility, be it morally, politically, culturally and even spiritually.” If the unfolding scenario turns out to be true, then an interesting political machination is in the offing. Will Agbaje accept the challenge to face his political godfather or wave the temptation aside? Is there an undercurrent move to tart the relationship between the duo? What will become of their followers in Lagos State? While the answers to these posers surely reside in the belly of time, it is certain that with the zoning of the PDP national chairmanship to Lagos and Ogun states by the South-West caucus of the party, it is obvious that the coast is now clear for a tango between a godfather and a godson.

POLITICS

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP: We’ll defend our votes by any means

he Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation has declared that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State are ready to defend their votes by any means necessary in the September 10 governorship election. The campaign organisation, said the position was informed due to a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use security agencies and some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the election. Urging those behind the plot to have a rethink,

the campaign organisation, reiterated its call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the international community, non-governmental organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on INEC and security agencies to avoid any act that is capable of causing violence and plunging the state into crisis. The plan, according to a statement by the organisation will lead to crisis that would invariably force INEC to declare the election inconclusive, adding that the APC in Edo had also perfected plans to influence INEC officials to supply faulty

Card Readers to areas were PDP is very strong in order to deprive and reduce the party’s votes. The statement said: “They have also mapped out seven local government councils, where they will disrupt election results and make the election inconclusive. We therefore strongly recommend to INEC to be law abiding and fair to all to avoid crisis it may not be able to manage. On our part, we have advised all PDP member and indeed Edo people to be law abiding, for victory is ours. “Election is not a do or die affair; we must al-

Edo DECIDES

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

T low the will of the Edo people to prevail in the election; and those who want to test the strength and will of our supporters should think twice because the negative consequences will be very huge. “Our evidence is very strong. We know for sure that the APC is planning with their collaborators to withhold campaign materials from all the areas in Edo State where the PDP has clear voting majority supporters.”

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, (right), with Otaru of Auchi, HRH Aliru H. Momoh, Ikelebe III, after the endorsement of Obaseki by all the traditional rulers in Edo North…yesterday.

Edo North royal fathers donate to Obaseki’s campaign

raditional rulers in the six local government areas in Edo North have endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as the next governor of the state. They also made cash contributions to his campaign to enable him reach out to people in other parts of the state, assuring him that he will win the election with a landslide in their zone. Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers who converged in his palace, the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh, Ikelebe III, said their support for Obaseki stems from the fact that he was introduced by their son, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who performed creditably as governor. He said: “This meeting is under the auspices of Edo North traditional rulers. The reason for it is that we have had one of our sons, who has transformed Edo State. From Edo Central to South and

North, there has been a transformation of unsurpassing dimension. “So, we want to demonstrate in no small sense that the whole of Edo North traditional rulers are behind him and the candidate that he is presenting for this governorship election in Edo State. Basically, that is the mission. And I want to say that Edo State traditional rulers have further committed themselves to this campaign by saying that whatever money you gave to traditional rulers at meetings at various locations of this nature, we donate it to the campaign that is on.” Addressing Obaseki, the monarch said: “What is destined by Almighty God, nobody can alter it, nobody can violate it; nobody can overtake it. So, we are happy to make that statement today because there is no doubt about the fact that the one who is propelling you and giving you to Edo State is a man that

God has chosen for that assignment. And because of that, we are assuring you that we will continue to pray for your success in this exercise.” Responding, Oshiomhole said: “I believe, my royal fathers, with your endorsement now, knowing that each and every one of you is not just a registered voter, many if not all the people in your respective domains, they will take a cue from your body language and even express instruction on how to vote. "I want to assure your highnesses that Godwin has worked with me long enough. Therefore, he will have no difficulty in further improving on

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

socio-political and cultural group, Masses Eyes in Edo State, yesterday, urged the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC),

Volunteers to boost KOWA’s campaign

what we have done.” Expressing his gratitude to the royal fathers, Obaseki said: “The next four years will be one in which we will go out to attract investors into our various domains. To get investors, we have to guarantee security of the investments and who can do that more than our royal fathers, the custodians of the traditional institutions and the ones closest to the people.” He assured the royal fathers that he will justify the confidence reposed in him and take Edo to a higher level, saying “whatever we have started, we will continue and improve on.”

he governorship candidate of KOWA party in Edo State, Mr. Thompson Osadolor, yesterday, disclosed that about 1,000 volunteers would be recruited to spread his message of hope to all the nooks and crannies of the state. Osadolor, who revealed this in an interview with journalists, said no fewer than 200 personnel, would also be recruited by the party for the purpose of the September 10 governorship poll. He said KOWA is taking the election serious because the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are no longer alternatives to the people. Osadolor said his policy trust if elected would be human capital development, pointing out that the volunteers are expected to move round the 18 local government areas and the 192 wards of the state to propagate KOWA’s message to the grassroots. The volunteers, he further explained, have been fully equipped with

the party's manifesto and would after the party's flag-off campaign this week, commence work. According to him, the approach is to ensure that the people do not only get the message, but also for them to be fully informed before making any choice. His words: "Like I have said in every fora, the choice is no longer between APC and PDP, but other political parties, especially KOWA. Our message of hope is that we have come to rescue the people from the challenges of unemployment, qualitative and affordable education, food security through a robust agricultural development, youths and women empowerment among others. "The present government have done its best in the area infrastructural development, but development goes beyond that. So many things such as portable water and development of the tourism sector, have been left untouched. We hope to do more in the area of infrastructural development and focus on these areas that have been left idle for so long a time."

Iduoriyekemwen to Ize-Iyamu: You’re campaigning for me Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

he governorship candidate of the Ali Modu Sheriff led faction of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) in Edo State, Ho. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, yesterday, expressed happiness that Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu is indirectly campaigning for him, following the court ruling which favoured the Sheriff-led group of the party. Insisting that he remains the authentic candidate of the PDP for the September 10 governorship election in the state and not Ize-Iyamu, Iduoriyekemwen restated his readiness to flag off his campaigns next week. He, however, blasted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for committing what he called "a serious blunder last time," adding: "But I am happy they have no choice now than

to give me what belongs to me after the Federal High Court ruling last week which recognised Modu Sheriff as the authentic chairman of the PDP." According to him, "Ize-Iyamu has been campaigning for me; that is good after all we are all PDP members. So, I am urging all Edo people to come out on September 10 to vote PDP, with me as the candidate of the party so recognised by law. It is clear the Ali Modu Sheriff leadership of the party has remained and recognised by law. There is no place in the PDP constitution for a caretaker committee." The PDP governorship hopeful explained the court ruling made it clear that anything arising from the Port Harcourt convention or the Makaffi committee is a nullity. He urged Edo people to remain resolute in their support for him, assuring that he will run a government that is all inclusive.

Group calls for genuine reconciliation in APC especially, all the contestestants in the governorship primaries of the party and their supporters to genuinely come together in order to defeat the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 10 gov-

ernorship election. In a statement issued by its coordinator, Samson Momorin, the group said: "We are using this medium to again beg APC members particularly the aspirants and their supporters to come together

as one because in politics it is give and take. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose." The group also appealed to the governorship candidates to focus on issues and shun campaign of calumny.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

The recent appointment of former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, as chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), offers an opportunity for the agency and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, also headed by an indigene of Cross River State, to re-engineer development in the oil-rich region. Clement James reports

POLITICS

Niger Delta: Cross River in the throes of history

hen in November 2014 the former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba lost the PDP ticket for Cross River Central Senatorial District to Senator Owan Enoh, many people thought that his political career was over and his influence halted in both the district and the state. There were however, those who were optimistic that Ndoma-Egba would be settled with a federal appointment in the event of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) victory at the center. This optimism was premised on the fact that the former Senate Leader is not only said to be close to then President Goodluck Jonathan, but had also satisfactorily acquitted himself in the various national assignments he was saddled with while in the Senate. He would be given, according to this group of optimists, a ministerial appointment or appointed chairman of a board. This optimism however, crumbled with the loss of the PDP’s loss of the presidency to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Against this backdrop, those who had insisted that NdomaEgba had come to the end of his political career claimed they had been vindicated. Matters were not made better when the former Senate Leader led his loyalists to “relocate” to the APC a few months after President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 presidential election as those who claimed they had laboured in the party in the state raised all manner of sentiments to safeguard themselves from perceived intruders. While the mainstream APC members were bickering over who should be given a federal appointment, the influence of Ndoma-Egba, which before now had flourished in the national space, was recognised by the APC kingmakers in Abuja and they wasted no time in making him a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party. With the former state chairman of the party, Usani Uguru Usani, drafted to head the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as minister, other mainstream members were left jostling for board appointments. It is believed therefore, that the recent nomination of the former Senate Leader to head the Board of the Niger Delta De-

Ndoma-Egba

velopment Commission (NDDC) as chairman, must have come as a rude shock and an unpleasant surprise to some of these mainstream members who, before now, had argued that such appointment be reserved for them. Indeed, the appointment is a proof that Buhari, among other party leaders, has come to recognise the relevance and intellectual capacity of Ndoma-Egba. This assumption becomes even more germane when juxtaposed with the fact that his nomination has not raised any dust either in his home state or from other parts of the region as has happened in the case of a few others. But beyond this appointment, which perhaps is meant to give the former Senate Leader and his followers a sense of belonging and to accentuate the promise of the national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun that all “genuine decampees” would be integrated into the party, is the issue of positioning the Akparabong born politician for the next major elections, both in his home state and at the national level. Often regarded as an astute politician by his close associates, this appointment has rekindled the hope that Ndoma-Egba will bounce back into the political firmament of the state once the bell for politics tolls. Already, discreet move is being made by even those who frustrated his senatorial ambition for reconciliation. Yet, it is hoped that he has learnt his lessons in the way he trusted those who posed as friends but actually worked for his opponents. Perhaps, the first lesson the former Senate Leader needs to learn is the fact that he was accused of playing elite politics. In plain words, he was alleged to have concentrated his time more in Abuja, attending to national issues to the detriment of his people back home. Although this may not be completely true, it is important for him to use this

Usani

President Buhari has wittingly handed Cross River State the task of re-engineering development in the area

fresh opportunity to correct this impression. Thankfully enough, his primary place of assignment this time around, apart from occasional meetings and exigencies, is Port Harcourt. It is hoped that the proximity between Rivers and Cross River states would be fully utilised to rebuild structures that may have been dormant or even dismantled. Another lesson the former Senate Leader is likely to take into consideration is the fact that he felt, and indeed was betrayed by people he reposed so much confidence in before and during the November 2014 PDP primaries. Incidentally, some of these people have started recanting and re-establishing contacts with him after his nomination was made public. This is particularly so after some of them failed to warm their way into the heart of the present administration in the state. But most importantly, the major huddle he is expected to surmount is how he will muster enough resources and mobilise enough goodwill to fight from a seemingly disadvantaged position where a PDP government is in place in the state. Having been used to working with the establishment from within the system, the present situation poses enormous challenge and it is hoped that this appointment will prepare him well for battle when the time comes. Away from the test of political relevance, the fog has once again been cleared for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to reach out to the magic wand that helped him pilot the affairs of the Seventh Senate as leader without rancor, acrimony and the conflict that trailed the Sixth Senate. Fortunately or unfortunately, his nomination and hopefully subsequent confirmation is coming at a time crisis has erupted in the Niger Delta region. The crux of the age-long agitation is the

development of the region and coming to head a foremost commission statutorily empowered to develop the region is no less an uphill task. However, it is believed that before his nomination to that all important position and in that very sensitive commission, the President would have previewed his past achievements, ruminated through them and satisfied himself that such appointment will generate ideas that will boost efforts to pacify the restive youths in the region. This appointment therefore, goes beyond the confidence reposed in Ndoma-Egba by the President. It is a test of one’s ability to explore effective means of stemming the tide of restiveness while at the same time drawing up and implementing projects in a way that will coat development with crystals. It is a test of one’s ability to do things differently from those done by previous occupiers of that office. It is an opportunity for the Senate Leader to reassure the region that he can change the ever saddening narrative associated with the region to a positive outlook that will bring refreshing brotherhood and enduring peace in the region. Coincidentally, he has the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to his side. Apart from being in the same political party, the two leaders are from the same state and the same senatorial district. By appointing the two people into positions of administering over the affairs of the region, President Buhari has wittingly handed Cross River State the task of re-engineering development in the area. Finally, the Senate Leader will not forget in a hurry the allegation that he did not attract development to the state or even to his senatorial district while he was the Senate Leader, even though he had made several attempts to debunk this allegation. As the Chairman of a development agency in the region, another opportunity has presented itself to assess his impact in the region in general and Cross River in particular. This is an arduous task given the fact that there are competing interests and every genuine interest is bound to be satisfied. Yet, it is a responsibility that many within his political base will watch with keen interest to see how dispassionately he will discharge and how meaningfully they will benefit alongside other parts of the region. As Senator Ndoma-Egba therefore, prepares to assume office, he has the challenge to write his name with an indelible ink by stimulating development and repositioning the commission to fulfill its statutory mandate to the region. He is carrying along an integrity earned over time and this integrity must be brought to bear on the activities of the commission for political reasons and for posterity.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Re: The inspiration of Igbo aspiration My Word

opium that inspires us to greater heights. +2347069161616

CLEM AGUIYI

We are vindicated In 2015 we voted wisely and we have been vindicated. Those who voted change have now seen change as their change is killing everybody. I urge ndi -Igbo to listen to you and think home and develop home. +2348136081853

totalpolitics@ymail.com 0803-474-7898 (sms only)

f I ever have to come back to this life again, I will still come back an Igbo because to be Igbo is to be the apple of God’s eyes. None can stop the sun from rising from the east. We are people inspired to rise above tribulations and adversity just by the rise of the morning sun. I don’t know of any other tribe that is so blessed. Our story is not just inspiring but a story that fits into our daily struggle and collective aspiration as a people. Last week my essay titled the ‘Inspiration of Igbo Aspiration’ received very wide reactions. In response to a message from Comrade Eva 08023889617 from Bayelsa State and many others which urged me to encourage my readers by publishing their responses, I am happy to yield this week to some of my readers. I also want to thank Eva for the following kind words ‘as at now no Igbo can equal your fight and contributions to our people in the South-South and South East’. From my mail box We are the Jews of Africa Thank you for that inspiring story of Igbo aspiration. The thing is that our individualistic attitude and mannerism should have a limit. There is no denying the fact that we are the Jews of Africa. If by any reason we fail to acknowledge the fact that we need to learn self preservation and being our brothers’ keeper and sisters’ keeper, then we may never survive to tell an inspiring story like our Jewish brothers. +2348184885444

Thank you Clem I don’t know how to thank you for giving words to my thought and worries. You are a son any good man would want to have. I have always read your article and hardly miss them. May God almighty bless you and keep you to a ripe old age. Please continue to uplift the spirit of the Igbo. I am a proud Igbo woman and have no regrets even after going through the civil war and all its tribulations. +2348037802040

Let’s think home As unique people, blessed and chosen by God, we have never complained and will never complain. Even if they continue with their NAIRA policy of “Never Allow Igbo Rule Again”, we will not complain. Let’s think home and rebuild our promise land. +2348063730644 Thank you for your inspiration Thank you for your inspiring and motivational write-up. Ndi- Igbo must think beyond the mirage called Nigeria and act with resilience in rebuilding a prosperous Igbo land. +2348177220514 I am a proud Igbo man I am a full blooded Igbo man, a lawyer from Umuahia. Your piece, the inspiration of Igbo aspiration is right on target. Am proud to be Igbo and you are an inspiration to me. +2348140538713 Send a copy to Victor Attah Yours is the most realistic, most objective and the most inspirational write-up on the Igbo in the Nigerian project. It is informative for all Igbo and for Nigerians who love to face realities send a copy to Ex-governor Victor Attah: +2348034710186 The promised land is near You are a true Igbo man truly telling our story the way it is. I find you as very strategic on the future of the Igbo. The promise land is near. +234802345816

God will make a way for us Your write-up about ndi- Igbo brought real happiness to us and the latest one on the ‘Inspiration of Igbo Aspiration’ took me to heaven and back. I wish our South- South brothers will understand that our destiny are tied together. God will certainly make a way for us. +2348161869590

Enough of your divisive writings There’s no virtue in ethnocentric prejudices. Those who feel that persons of their tribe are superior to those of other tribes betray lack of civility. I do not know what made you think the Igbo are superior to other tribes in Nigeria. Enough of your divisive writings borne out of narrow thinking. +2348033397362

Their suppression is our opium Indeed, ndi-Igbo prosper more in adversity. Had a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph not emerged in Egypt, the Jews wouldn’t have sought after their natural roots. Their suppression of Igbo aspiration is the

You captured my thought Your article titled the ‘Inspiration of Igbo Aspiration’ came to me as a delicious meal. It captured my thought. May God bless you real Good. +2348033794028

You make us stronger Thank you for encouraging us the Igbo despite the frustration with Nigeria. They de-franchise us, destroy our business, kill our youths and rape our women. Even those of us who believe in Nigeria are now fed up. But somebody like you make us stronger again because you give us a voice. God bless you. +2348039144380

None can stop the sun from rising from the east. We are people inspired to rise above tribulations and adversity just by the rise of the morning sun

Hope for the Igbo and Nigeria Thank you for your kind words on the Igbo inspiration and aspiration. The article was a “Bulls Eye”. It really hit the mark and helped to express the rage, reason and revulsion that many of my peers feel. Am truly proud of you and still have hope for ndi- Igbo and Nigeria as a whole once people like you are still talking and refusing to be silenced. +2348062919810 Ndi Igbo can never go down Ndi Igbo can never go down. No, not now! We have gone too far to turn back. Those calling us wailers are worse off than us as far as this pathetic administration is concerned. Thanks for your insight. +2348035462727 Let the Igbo listen to you Igbo youths should stop despising their elders. What an elder sees while sitting down, a youth may not see it while standing up. Despite being republicans, we should trust a leader who speaks for us. I urge ndi- Igbo to listen to you and listen attentively. +2348033130464 They will be tired They can change Obigbo to Onyigbo, Afamukwu and Afannta, Umukurusi and Umumasi to Rumu anything. They took the Enna or Erei clown from Afikpo division to Cross River and the heaven didn’t fall. So ‘nwanna m, Ochu nwaokuko nwe ada. Oji ihe nwata, aka ga afuya ufu. +2348069576470 God will raise us a Moses Keep it up my brother, you always write my mind and I hail you for being part of the truth. God will surely raise a Moses for us someday. Kudos! +2348033480225

The plight of accident victims (2) Adewale Kupoluyi CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

his insensitivity should no longer be allowed in any sane society. Concerted effort should be made to ensure that accident victims are protected from abuse, assault and criminal activities. To begin with, people should continue to assist their fellow human beings when they are in dire situation. Those found engaging in the act of photographing accident victims should be apprehended and punished appropriately. Until this is done, the impunity would continue.

Secondly, more awareness should be created to let the people know that accident victims can be rescued by taking them to the hospital without having to produce police report. This ignorance should not be allowed to continue. The predilection of hospitals for refusing to treat accident victims until police report is obtained has always put the lives of victims in danger and it is a welcome development that the police authorities are giving the new order. The directive by the Inspector-General of Police to hospitals and other health institutions to treat accident and gunshot victims even before contacting the police is a good but many hospitals

seem to be ignorant of this. What appears to be causing the hardline posturing and confusion is the existence of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Decree No. 47 of 1970, with the 1986 amendment to the decree, which provides that hospitals must notify the police if they treated any gunshot victim. Fortunately, the National Health Act 2014, Section 20, has changed the status quo by providing that states that “A health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason …” With this development, any violator of this provision is liable to a fine of N100, 000, a jail term of six months or both, upon conviction. However, the Na-

tional Health Insurance Scheme should be made more functional and accessible by Nigerians. Therefore, accident victims should no longer be treated with disdain, neglect and carelessness. There is no more justification to either reject accident victims or gunshot victims. The issuance of police report before treatment is no longer required in our hospitals. Medical personnel should be alive to their primary duty of protecting and saving lives. Sick and accident victims should, henceforth, be accorded the needed respect, care and sympathy in the country. •Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), adewalekupoluyi@yahoo. co.uk,@AdewaleKupoluyi

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

EDITORIAL

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The renewed calls for restructuring

“U

nited we stand, divided we fall.” This is a common refrain in Nigeria. But has there ever been proof of unity in diversity? Outside its myriads of problem, particularly the economic and political challenges, Nigeria is facing real dangers of secession. After the 1967 to 1970 Civil War, this is probably the first time the threats by sections of the country to pull out of Nigeria have become more real than ever before. Although there have been pockets of agitations mainly sponsored by politicians trying desperately to cling to power or those who want to return to mainstream politics. However, the emergence of Nnamdi Kanu with his Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on the firmament of the agitation gave fillip to the cause of g roups seeking separate republics. It changed the traditional approach employed by groups such as Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and others. The IPOB agitation, which appeared at the outset as a flash in the pan, has unfortunately become a thorn in the flesh of Nigeria’s unity. Several people have been killed in the fresh phase of the agitation for the Biafra Republic. In the last couple of weeks, more daring associations such as the Niger Delta Avengers,

Biafra Avengers, etc, have emerged with g reat consequences on the nation’s fragile economy. The g roups have vowed to ground the nation’s economy unless they are allowed to form the Biafra Republic. Nigeria has not always being a country. It became a country through the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914 through the efforts of Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, who became Nigeria’s first governor general. Since the people of the geographical entity which is today called Nigeria had no choice in the forced marriage which brought about the c o u n t r y, they ought to have the right

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In Nigeria, lessons can be learnt from the Scottish example

to deter mine their continue stay together. Unfortunately, referendum is not expressly stated as part of the provisions of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution. If democracy is borrowed, it ought to have been lifted with all its tenets. Instead of trying to create a comfort zone for themselves by making fruitless efforts to entrench immunity and pensions for themselves in the constitution, the National Assembly members ought to make provision for the inclusion of referendum in the nation’s constitution. Holding a referendum does

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not suggest an automatic balkanisation of the country. Pulling out of any region will depend on the outcome of the referendum, which in its own is dependent on several variable factors. In recent history, a classical example is the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. European Union (EU) membership, currency which an independent Scotland would use, public expenditure and North Sea oil were some of the important issues raised during the referendum. It was not only just about independence. At the end, those who wanted Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom won by 55.3 per cent

as against 44.7 per cent who voted for independence. But there were underlining factors which produced the result at the referendum. Compromises were reached as more rights and other fringe benefits were promised the Scots before the referendum was held. In Nigeria, lessons can be learnt from the Scottish example. Those who want to go should be allowed to go; if it will not hurt the rest of the country, otherwise concessions could be given to the agitators. It is often said that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change in-

evitable. Nigerian political leaders must not wait for the former Yugoslavia experience in the country. From 1991 to 2001, wars, which sprang up from ethnic skirmishes, were fought inside the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The wars eventually led to the breakup of the country into different republics. The Yugoslav government attempted to forcibly halt the breakup which led to the Yugoslav wars and the ultimate breakup of Yugoslavia into six countries and later seven republics. But from reactions to the agitation for a separate republic in Nigeria, it can easily be deduced that those who want to gain political millage are behind the move. Every segment of Nigeria is dependent on the other. There are mutual benefits for all the regions or geo-political zones. But if there is a break up through referendum, who says the door of reconciliation and reunification will be permanently shot? Germany today is a united nation. But at a time there was German Democratic Republic (GDR) otherwise called East Germany and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) or West Germany. Although the Germans did not vote to break up, in fact, they had no say or choice in the split, the two ‘countries’ came later back as a nation. The world stood in awe when Berlin Wall came down, then the city became one and the two countries became one again.

POLITICS

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

'Political solution'll resolve PDP crisis' the crisis. What is happening to the party is a shame because they need to get their house in order. The issue here is not about who is having the majority but a question of legality. The way they are going, the crisis may have adverse effect on the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states governorship elections.

Mr. Olufemi Aduwo is the National Coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG). In this interview, he speaks on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states governorship elections, among others. WALE ELEGBEDE reports What do you make of the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party and the various court rulings on the matter? I am worried because when you look at the characters that formed the political parties in Nigeria, either the PDP, APC and others, you will find out that only one interest is common to all; how to plunder and enrich themselves at the expense of the people. For the current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis, the first question to ask is: How did Senator Ali Modu Sheriff emerge as the party's chairman? It is a common knowledge that when the former chairman of the party, Adamu Mu'azu left, some governors like Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose brought Sheriff into the party to conclude the term of that zone, which was made vacant by the resignation of Mu'azu. Suddenly, the powers that brought him in as the chairman decided to get rid of him. But the man felt that you can bring him in to come and stabilise the party and humiliate him. He man went to court and the judgement was in his favour. It was baffling that the same

How do you think the elections would be affected? As it is today, if the Ahmed Markafi-led caretaker committee candidates win the elections in Edo and Ondo states, I can assure you that whoever the Sheriff's camp brings out would be sworn-in as governors. I can tell you that all my friends belong to the Makarfi group but the truth is that Sheriff by the position of law remains PDP chairman. The PDP governors hijacked the party, brought in Sheriff and want to use and dump him. All the talks about founding fathers of the party do not hold water before the law, they should address the issue. Aduwo

PDP went to another court of the same jurisdiction in Rivers State on the same issue to get an injunction. It is sad that they are ridiculing the judiciary on this issue and people are not talking. From what I know, the PDP constitution does not give room for caretaker committee. Secondly, who proclaimed the Port Harcourt convention, where Sheriff was removed to hold? Was there a subsisting court order that elections into some positions should not be conducted? As of today, legally, Sheriff is the chairman of the PDP. Some of these people trying to create issues don't know the implication of this division and they are only claiming big men for nothing. Resorting to call Sheriff names won't solve

Pius Edokpolor

“I

t will be a sin against God and my people if I walk away from Edo State with the knowledge and experience that I have gathered. It will be unpatriotic not to stand and be counted. Over the last 30 years, I have had successful experience in the private sector and, over the last seven years, I have been part of the most successful administration in Nigeria which is Edo State.’’ With this statement, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who heads the Edo Economic Team, unveiled his vision for the state. Having been a key player in the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, his decision to succeed his boss, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is believed to be a boost for the template already created by the administration. With a robust background in the financial sector and public policy implementation, it indeed comes as happy news that he anchored his vision on the cardinal expectations of Edo people which border on the continuation of Oshiomhole’s developmental strides. “I don’t need to do much differently because I just need more of what we have done in the last seven years,’’ he earlier stated in an interview. In a society like ours where policy somersault is widespread, such a decision easily triggers enthusiasm on the part of the electorate, who, over the years, had seen popular policies abandoned for self-serving

The issue here is not about who is having the majority, but a question of legality

How should the party tackle the crisis? They should look for a political solution in order to end the crisis. There is no big deal if the likes of Prof. Jerry Gana, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and others meet with Sheriff and resolve the issue. If you don't want Sheriff, there are many ways you can do it. But to sidetrack and humiliate him, I don't think that is fair enough. It is a shame that Governor Fayose said it was a mistake bringing him (Sheriff) in as chairman when in the real sense; there was no dissenting voice against his entry as chairman. As I am talking to you now, many people from Makarfi's faction are going to Sheriff to beg him because they can see the handwriting on the wall. Interestingly, these people when they come out to the public, they will talk as if

Sheriff is inconsequential. They should quickly look into the crisis and resolve it. As a stakeholder in the Ondo governorship election, where do you stand on the issue of zoning? There are many things to put into consideration in winning elections, not only because you are popular. The issue of zoning has become an unwritten guideline for political parties to put a lot of things into consideration. Nobody can jettison zoning in Ondo State. We have three senatorial districts like others. The North produced Adekunle Ajasin and Adebayo Adefarati for eight years. Mimiko who is my big brother is from the Central and he is about completing eight years too. From the South, where I come from, Olusegun Agagu was there for five years plus before the court removed him. Technically, Agagu only used one tenure; that is four years. If any of the political parties want to allow reason to guide them in the forthcoming election, it should zone the position to the South; either Ilaje, Ikale, Ese Odo and others, but not the Central. We are saying that there are some fundamental issues that should be resolved. The people of the South are bitter about how Mimiko emerged and how Agagu was swept out. The South is the economic bloc of the state, the crude oil and bitumen, but they believe that Mimiko abandoned them. If both the PDP and APC are serious, they have enough candidates to pick from in the South, any other thing will boomerang. Mimiko, who is from the Central cannot handover to another person from the Central. Ondo State does not believe in godfatherism and it won't start now. There should be a level playing ground. Both the PDP and APC should consider us in the South.

Edo: On the trail of Obaseki’s vision political reasons. For us in Nigeria, the fact that a candidate has pledged to continue with already defined vision distinguishes such a person from others, whose new promises are likely to remain unfulfilled. This is where Obaseki becomes a reference point, as he has won our hearts with his well-conceptualised vision. His plans for the state, when juxtaposed with the vision of the present administration, translate into a highway for consolidation and growth. Of course, plans, pedigree, and purpose are key drivers in any democratic contest, but the tragedy of the Nigerian scenario is that not a few seekers of public office often have defined workable framework. Interestingly, the APC candidate possesses a practicable roadmap which he intends to implement with visionary leadership and clear understanding of the narrative that stimulates governance in Edo. Consider the vision as enunciated by him: ‘’The Edo project, which is the house that we started seven and a half years ago, will tower above many in this country and so we have taken time out to lay a very solid foundation in terms of ensuring that we have restated the whole idea that government is about the people; that there must be governance, there must be prudence in the management of government resources because these resources belong to the people.

You can’t just dip your hands in the treasury and take people’s money and do whatever you like with it. “You have to have a sense of accountability; you have to show the people and tell them what you are doing with their money. In specific terms, what I will do differently is to extend the plan to the next phase which is to begin to introduce more of the economic elements into the plan; to begin to sell what we are doing to the world so that we can attract investment and investors to create jobs. “We have to send children to school, we have to create an economy that will employ them and the only way we can get employment for them is to encourage and attract the private sector to come. Will they come? They will come because they see that we are governing the state properly. They will come because they will see we have built infrastructure which will help reduce their cost of doing business. We are the only state that has actively encouraged electricity because electricity is a core plank required for production and industry.” He further said: “I am going to redesign our agricultural cadastral so that we can make land an asset available to investors who want to do agriculture. We will organise an agricultural value change such that we can get large commercial farmers to come in and support our small-scale farmers with modern technology, with modern

tools of farming so that their yields can be improved. “So, this out-grower arrangement, which changes government extension services, we will see how we can combine our grower framework to extension services working with the private sector to ensure that we can move our peasant farmers into modern day farming and boost agricultural production. We also want to make sure that we extend that value change such that we can begin to process what we produce and add more value before we take them into the market. “How is that going to happen? We are going to have industrial layout close to agricultural concerns and I believe that, if we can put between 100 and 200 thousand hectares of land by the way we have 20 million hectares of land, if we can put 15 to 20 per cent of that land into active use and properly organised agriculture, we should be able to create jobs in their hundreds of thousands. Then we look at the industry, because of the location of Edo at the core of Nigeria, we are three hours away from every major market in Nigeria, that is, like eight hours from Kano, the farthest. “We believe that if we can create Edo, as a production hub, attract people to come and produce here, then we should be able to have access to all the major markets in Nigeria." •Edokpolor, a public affairs analyst, writes from Ekiadolor, Edo State

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Infrastructure FCT motorists, residents lament abandoned ISEX road

Inside Abuja

Unpaid salaries FCTA cleaners down tools

19 20

Charcoal sellers at Garki modern market, Abuja.

Booming charcoal business Charcoal has been part of domestic fuel in Abuja and its environs, but never has it witnessed such a boom like it has in the last couple of months. CALEB ONWE reports

ho says that God does not control the fate of the mortals and divinely swing the pendulum to the direction that will further confound the wisdom of man? For the hitherto ignored merchants of charcoal to be making brisk business with what was re-

Onwuka NzeshI

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF nzeshi@newtelegraphonline.com

ÂŠ Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

â&#x20AC;Śas kerosene 'evaporates' garded as non-essential commodity by a segment of the society and be smiling to the bank now, could only be an act that is possible with the unseen hands of divinity. Though, the opportunity to make money from charcoal has always been there, going by a report credited to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that charcoal industry has a multi-billion dollar potential, many investors have been reluctant to venture towards that direction. Many people, except those whose day to day economic activities have something to do with charcoal, do not know about the immense value wrapped up in this black substance. Many, like the promoters of white apparels, have avoided it like a plague. Trading on charcoals might also not look attractive to people in this age that "white collar" job is the desire of all and sundry. However, following the unavailability of kerosene both the poor and rich residents of Abuja have resorted to the use of charcoal for their domestic needs. Mad rush for charcoal Inside Abuja visited different places within the Federal Capital Territory and environs to assess the situation, and one interesting and common feature about the boom of charcoal business is the

Both the poor and rich residents of Abuja have resorted to the use of charcoal for their domestic needs

number and calibre of customers that were seen scouting for the commodity. At Zuba, one of the satellite towns in the FCT, a group of women who appeared very engrossed with their frantic scramble for charcoal, attracted the attention of our correspondent who stopped and sought to find out what was different in that particular sales outlet, since there were other outlets around. The inquiry revealed that most of the women and young ladies there were people that roast corn for sale. One of the ladies who spared a few seconds to talk to our correspondent spoke on what actually differentiated that sales outlet from the others. According to the lady, there are two types of charcoal; one type is soft charcoal while the other type is called iron charcoal. The lady, though did not oblige to mention her name, told our correspondent that people who roast corn prefer the soft charcoal because it catches fire easily, while the iron charcoal is too hard to catch fire. She stated further that within the Zuba motor park, there is no other outlet where soft charcoals are sold and that is why many people were seen around that particular selling point. When asked about the afford-

ability of the commodity in Zuba area, she explained that the affordability depends on the volume or quantity that is needed by a customer. She said that a small quantity wrapped up in a nylon bag goes for N100, while a 50kg bag goes for N1,600. At Karu, another suburb of the FCT, the story was not different as most of the charcoal outlets were attending to considerable number of customers who needed the commodity. The price of charcoals there was also the same as that of Zuba. One of the sellers who simply identified himself as Salisu, attested to the fact that more patronage is coming now courtesy of the unavailability of kerosene. Salisu also said that the commodity has added money to what it used to be. According to him, those who supplies them with charcoals from some parts of Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states are complaining of hike in transportation fares. He added that the supplies are also complaining that some agents of government have increased the levies placed on vehicles that cargo charcoals. However, the price of 50kg of charcoals is still sold at N1600 as against N1200 it was sold before at Karu. An interesting testimony of brisk business opening in charcoal is that of a woman, simply called Mama Happiness, who allegedly abandoned her fairly used CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Inside ABUJA | SLUMS

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Roasted yam, a choice roadside menu In their daily hustling and bustling to make ends meet, low income earners in Abuja, the nation's capital, usually go for their lunch by the roadside. AMADI NNAMDI, who has been following the trend, discovered that roasted yam and plantain have become their favourite delicacies

ike every city, Abuja has a population which can be broadly divided into two â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the rich and the poor. While the rich could afford all the luxuries of life, the poor cannot and is forced to feed on the crumbs falling from the table of the rich. One area where this dichotomy is very obvious is in the daily menu of these two groups. The well to do could easily drive into one of the classy hotels to have lunch but the poor knows too well that the cost of having a single buffet in the hotel could put food on the family table for one month. This is the reason, you will find civil servants, traders, motorists, mechanics, vulcanisers and other artisans, rushing to the roadside bukateria where one woman serves roasted yams and plantain. This native delicacy which is often times garnished with vegetables, usually goes down well with red oil sauce prepared basically with onions, pepper, fried fish, "ponmo" and sometimes oil bean fruit popularly called "ugba" in Igboland. The fan-base of this delicious combo-dish is so large that it has overshadowed that of other staples like rice, fufu and garri on the streets of Abuja. Hot spots Surprisingly, not even the fear of stains from the red oil has deterred those who patronise this delicacy as they continue to besiege roasted yam selling points

Another view of the roasted yam spot

around the town in large numbers. Around the old Federal Secretariat in Area One and U.T.C Shopping Malls of Garki District, a standard plate of a roasted yam goes for N200, while an addition of plantain could shoot it to N300. The situation is the same in Wuse, Utako and the adjoining Jabi District. However, the same meal can be procured at a lesser amount in Nyanya, Karu, Karshi, Karmo, Kubwa and other suburbs of Abuja. Request of "animal supplements" like fish and "ponmo" which cost about N100 and N50 respectively, definitely shoots your bill per plate higher. Testimonials Inside Abuja met some lovers of roasted yam and plantain at various selling points and they were very willing to share their experiences. In his testimony, a man who simply identified himself as Ageh testified that for him eating roasted yam is more than just eating food, as it serves as a spiritual connection between him, his ancestors and his roots. He described roasted yam served with red oil as the original African dish which is highly nutritious and comparable to any balanced diet anywhere in the world. In his village, Ageh said, eating roasted yam is a "special occasion" that doesn't happen all the time in families. Another respondent, Mrs.

Roasted yam and plantain spot in Abuja

We enjoy eating roasted yam in my office everyday. It is our daily lunch

Mary, a civil servant who works in one of the offices at the old Federal Secretariat, attested that eating roasted yam and plantain has become a daily habit for her and her colleagues in the office. "We enjoy eating roasted yam in my office everyday. It is our daily lunch. We purchase the meal without spending much. It is also very healthy; we get energy for work from the yam. We also get Vitamin A from the red oil, as well as other nutrients inherent in the food," she stated. According to Queen Onyeje, another fan of roasted yam and plantain, "the meal can sustain you from morning till night. It is a very good African delicacy that holds the stomach firmly. It is healthy and spiced with good ingredients. It is also medicinal." Commenting on the nature of her yam roasting business, Mrs. Elizabeth Egbo, a yam seller at the busy old Secretariat, said the business has been a progressive one even though she lamented over what she called the high cost of yams in the market now. Egbo said she was formerly into rice and beans selling, but due to low patronage, she diverted into roasted yam a few years ago. According to her, she is now making more profit than before as on a very good business day she sells more than 17 tubers of yam. Yam and plantain which have gradually grown to become one of the most popular street foods in Abuja, nay Nigeria, is also a delicacy cherished by many at home. Thanks to technology that has provided different kinds of modern facilities to roast yams and plantain in the comfort of our homes with the use of grills. Medical opinion According to Fidelis Ogbonna, a medical practitioner, yam is a good source of energy; composed of complex carbohydrates and soluble dietary fibre. He attested that: "Dietary fibre help reduce constipation, decrease bad cholesterol levels by binding to it in the intestines and lower colon cancer risk by preventing toxic compounds in the food from adhering to the colon mucosa. "Additionally, being a good source of complex carbohydrate,

it regulates steady rise in blood sugar levels. For the same reason, yam is recommended as low glycemic index healthy food. It is also an excellent source of B-complex group of vitamins, anti-oxidant and minerals." Speaking on the health risks associated with the delicacy, he said: "In most cases, roasted yams are commonly served with palm oil and excessive palm oil consumption can lead to weight gain, heart problems and other chronic diseases. "Eating a proper amount of fat is essential to human health, but too much can be detrimental. Palm oil is particularly high in saturated fat which can lead to an elevated cholesterol level and a build-up of plaque in the arteries. Over time, this can lead to heart attack or stroke. For this reason, palm oils are decidedly worse than butter. "Also, consuming palm oil that has been heated may elevate blood pressure as well as long term consumption of oxidized oils and fats has been reported to cause growth retardation, thrombosis, fatty livers, essential fatty acid deficiency, nucleic acid deficiency and micronutrient malnutrition leading to deactivation of key metabolic enzymes important for normal body metabolism." He also raised concern about the environment where some people roast and sell yams to the public. "The environment where most of the roasted yam joint are located are usually unhealthy. This dirty environment harbours many serious and lethal germs that can lead to food poisoning causing very negative effect on health. "Many food items have the potential of being contaminated with salmonella from contact with contaminated hands, surfaces, utensils. Listeria is another type of bacteria that is carried in animals," he noted. To prevent this, Ogbonna cautioned that the environment where the yam is roasted as well as where other meals are prepared should be properly cleaned after use with an anti-bacterial agent as that could go a long way in preventing the spread of bacteria and the contamination of our delicious menus.

Inside ABUJA

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FCT motorists, residents lament abandoned ISEX road Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

hen Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammad Musa Bello, did a partial opening of a section of Inner Southern Expressway also known as Goodluck Jonathan road from Shehu Shagari way to Tafawa Balewa way on January 29, many residents in the nation's seat of power had thought that the completion of the project was indeed near. Seven months after, a section of the project has become impassable and an eyesore to the nation's capital. The road from Emeka Anyaoku street to the NTA National Station through to FCT Administration's secretariat has become a nightmare for both motorists and pedestrians. Anytime rainfalls, it is always difficult for staff of FCT Administration, FCDA, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other visitors to the area to have easy passage. When performing the partial opening of the road in January, the minister said the work on the road had reached advanced completion stage which was at about 90 per cent. That, according to him, was the reason the road was opened to provide another rapid alternative route movement in the East-West axis in the Southern flank of the city. He said the partial opening was in fulfilment of the present administration's policy to continue with ongoing projects. "...In line with the policy of the present administration to continue with all on-going projects that will impact positively on the lives of Abuja residents and Nigeria at large that the government is going ahead with funding of the ISEX Phase I project from Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to Southern Parkway (S8/S9) being handled by Messrs Salini Nigeria Limited," said the minister But, according to a motorist, John Olaniyan, the little portion of the road between NTA headquarters and Shagalinku store in Garki, Area 11 has become a serious thorn in the flesh of both private and commercial motorists. He lamented that since the construction of the subway in front of the two gates of FCTA and FCDA which led to the scrapping of the surface of the road sometime 2015, the road has been abandoned. Olaniyan, a commercial taxi driver, said the area becomes dusty during the dry season and slippery when it is raining. This is besides the damages, he noted, it causes to vehicles due to different potholes along it. "When you drive here during the dry season, you must wind up your windows and use air condition because of the dust. During the raining season, you won't like

A section of the abandoned ISEX road project

A section of the road leading to the FCT Minister's Office.

to also come here, everywhere will be slippery" he said A pedestrian, who identified himself as Moses and was a visitor to the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS), described the road as an eyesore to the FCT Administration. "I can't imagine this kind of road existing just in front of the minister's office. Look at how we are struggling to pass and cross the road simply because the whole place is messed up. There's nowhere to step, my shoes have become something else because of this road," he said. Another taxi driver, Saka Abdul, said most commercial drivers often avoid the road as it causes serious traffic during the peak hours, noting that the bad portion usually slows down free flow of traffic and thereby causes

I can't imagine this kind of road existing just in front of the minister's office

Abandoned road project near NTA Headquarters, Abuja.

go slow, which he noted wastes productive hours of commercial drivers. When Inside Abuja contacted the Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Media, Alhaji Abubakar Sani, on the situation of the road, he blamed it on paucity of funds. He however gave assurance that work would resume on many of such abandoned projects in the FCT. His words: "As you are aware, every project in the FCT has suffered from proper funding but because of the importance of these kind of projects like the one you are mentioning, the FCT Administration has prioritised in the 2016 budget and luckily the National Assembly has just passed the 2016 budget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, in the coming months, you would see the return of

contractors on that site. It will be completed and put to use. It is pedestrian crossing between FCDA and FCTA. Inner Southern Expressway, that's adjacent to Goodluck Jonathan expressway moving right down the Boulevard towards the Airport. " The National Assembly has recently signed the FCT 2016 budget which is N241 billion out of which N154 billion has been earmarked as capital expenditure. Breakdown of the budget also revealed that 80 per cent of the capital expenditure would go to the completion of abandoned projects. Efforts to get the FCT Director of Engineering Services did not yield results as he did not answer calls put to his line even as he did not reply the SMS sent to inquire about the state of the project.

INSIDE ABUJA

These days, strikes by workers over unpaid salaries have become a common feature in the country. One of the most recent strikes was the one embarked upon by the cleaners at the Federal Capital Territory Administration. YEKEEN NURUDEEN reports

here is an African proverb which says that the broom might be considered worthless but it comes handy every morning and in every home. Without the broom sweeping away the refuse of the previous day, the household might find itself swimming in filth to the detriment of those who failed to accord the broom its due respect. It has been three weeks now that cleaners in the office complex of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, have refused to carry out their official assigned duty. Reason: they are protesting the non-payment of their meagre salaries. Inside Abuja gathered that the cleaners, mainly women and young ladies were being owed three monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salaries despite the critical role they perform in keeping the whole complex neat and tidy. Specifically, many top management staff and workers in office within the minister's complex resumed for work on Monday July 25 and met stinking lavatory and unkempt offices as cleaners who

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FCTA cleaners down tools over unpaid salaries also came for work were already protesting what they described as insensitive posture of the administration to their plights. The cleaners, who came out in large number that Monday to demand for their salaries, also rained curses on the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, for delaying their salaries. The cleaners mostly widows and orphans threatened that until the administration paid up the outstanding salaries, they would not go back to their various duty posts, just as they littered some offices in protest. "I have not paid my children's school fee for last term because of these greedy people who take delight in seeing the poor masses suffering. Their children are in big schools in Abuja and some are abroad. It will not be well with their generation for this pain we are undergoing. Whoever is withholding our payments, I pray to my God that it shall not be well for him and members of his families," one of the protesters cursed. Another cleaner who confided in our correspondent revealed that the FCT Administration is owing a backlog of three monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salaries arrears. Inside Abuja who witnessed the scenario confirmed that it was the fifth time the cleaners have embarked on protest since the inception of this present FCT Administration eight months ago. Further findings revealed that the delay in payment was as a result of Treasury Single Ac-

Bello

I have not paid my children's school fees for last term because of these greedy people

count (TSA) policy of the Federal Government, stressing that the FCTA was still waiting to hear from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, despite appeals to the cleaners by some senior officials of FCTA to shelve their strike and continue with their work, the protest was taken to another week. They vowed not to go back to work until their salary arrears were paid by the administration, a situation which made the minister's block uncomfortable for workers and visitors as the whole place stink. Inside Abuja gathered that the cleaners would have abandoned

the protest and go back to work but for the failure of the FCT Permanent Secretary to approve the payment of their salaries before he embarked on his foreign trip a week before the protest. The absence of the permanent secretary, our correspondent gathered, compelled the minister to give ministerial approval for the payment of the backlog. However, despite the step taken by the minister, the cleaners have threatened that until their arrears were paid, no worker would be allowed to resume work. One of the cleaners who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said since the inception of this present FCT Administration, cleaners are finding it difficult to receive their salaries as at when due. "We are told last week that the minister has approved our payment, but we are yet to receive the money. All we are saying is that no pay, no work. We have shown understanding with the administration in the past, but this time around, we must demand for our right," she affirmed. Inside Abuja however learnt that the ministerial fiat given by the minister following the absence of the permanent secretary in whose office the cleaners' payment voucher was said to be lying has led to the payment of the salary arrears of the cleaners. One of the cleaners who is attached to the first floor of the minister's office confirmed that the salaries were paid last Thursday.

Abuja booming charcoal business C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

clothes business (Okrika) for charcoals. She said she buys the commodity in bags and retails for small users within her neighbourhood in Kurudu where she lives. From Inside Abuja's inquest, it was revealed that she buys a 50kg bag at N1600 and sells for N2500. The situation at Garki Model market, one of the elites shopping hubs in FCT was however, different. Inside Abuja confirmed what is often associated with status symbol. The prices of commodities in some of markets within the City Centre in FCT is usually determined by the calibre of customers who patronise the place. Charcoal like any other commodities in Garki model market has high price tags compared to what is obtainable in satellite towns market. A small quantity of charcoal wrapped in nylon bags sells at N100, while a 50kg bag goes for N1,800. The fact that charcoal has come to the rescue of many housewives in Nigeria is not the news. What is rather curious and worrisome is the concern raised by many experts that the efforts of both the government and stakeholders to ameliorate the effects of the climate change will further be

Abuja residents buying charcoal

undermined. Climate change One thing that is not in doubt is the fact that the high demand for charcoal results into felling of more timbers and even more exploitation of the forest. Obviously, this situation compounds the climate change challenge in Nigeria. Charcoals may have become the only

consolation for many households since kerosene 'evaporated' unceremoniously. It may look like a solution to the current energy crises, but the fact remains that deforestation is inevitable due to the activities of loggers who have increased indiscriminate cutting down of trees without any effort to replanting them. In other words, the solution to the current scarcity of kerosene might also become

a major challenge in the long run. An official of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of Earth Nigeria (ERA/ FoEN), Philip Jakpor, described the unchecked logging activities in one of the communities in Kogi State as "frightful". He said that "the decimation of the forest is simply shocking" as almost all the former forest areas have now become grassland. Experts also argue that cutting down trees, burning them into charcoals and using them either for industrial or domestic purposes, affects the climate by the smoke that is emitted, just as digging up coal and using it to generate electricity churns out emissions that intensify the greenhouse effect. According to environmentalists, greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere. They are said to absorb part of the energy from the earth's surface and from clouds, preventing heat from escaping into space. More disturbing facts emerging from the arguments of the experts on environmental issues about the increased use of charcoals, both for industrial and domestic uses, is that instead of making efforts to make the earth a little bit colder than it is, the smoke that emits from burning charcoals is further compounding the complexity of damages to the climate.

INSIDE ABUJA

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Night of tributes for Maduekwe Nigeria recently lost a quintessential politician, diplomat, philosopher and statesman, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, whose last posting on national service was at the Nigerian High Commission in Canada. As the family prepares for his burial, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic community held a night of tributes in his memory. EBERE AMEH reports

he ambience at the auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs was calm and the mood solemn. Soft farewell music played at the background as dignitaries took their seats in readiness for the event. It was the Night of Tributes for the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, late Chief Ojo Maduekwe, which took place on Tuesday August 2. A native of Ohafia in Imo State, Maduekwe, was until his death, the Secretary, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also held other several top offices in both government and the PDP, including Culture and Tourism Minister, Transport Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada and PDP’s national secretary. He came home to Nigeria from the United States, to celebrate his wife’s 70th birthday when death came knocking – he died after a brief illness at Turkish Specialist Hospital, Abuja on July 29 at the age of 71. In his tribute to Maduekwe, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffery Onyema, who described him as a great icon and national fig-

Maduekwe

ure, who dedicated his life to the promotion of Nigeria’s interest, noted the giant strides recorded by the fallen diplomat, adding that he will be greatly missed. According to Onyema, “His appointment as the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada was a giant stride recorded by him. During the period, he facilitated the establishment of the Nigeria–Canada Bi-National Commission (BNC) Framework in April 2012, which has till date become a platform for the consummation of all relations between Nigeria and Canada.” The minister further noted that Maduekwe engaged vigorously on the drive for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and his tenure showed greater increase in volume of trade and investment between Nigeria and Canada. “He conducted a Nigeria–Canada Investment Conference, which drew 16 Nigerian governors, 12 ministers and 600 Nigerian businessmen to the business summit held in Toronto, Canada. The conference created awareness for

He was profound in his intellect and he was engaging in his conversation

many Canadian businessmen on the investment potential in key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Such a feat can only be attained by a man with very high clout,” Onyema said, adding that Maduekwe’s intellectual prowess, principle of one Nigeria, integrity and hard work, endeared him to many. In his citation, Ambassador Humphrey Orjiako noted that at his first encounter with him in 2007, he saw “a man of profound intelligence, irrepressible stamina, a strong sense of collegiality and a streak that questioned everything conventional, yet welldisposed to absorb disparate views with unusual aplomb.” “I soon found out that his critics, even some of his friends, felt that a man of such outspoken stubbornness was a diplomatic disaster waiting to happen. Contrary to all that, the international circuit provided Ojo the liberating space to deploy his immense charms, boundless intellect, and unquestionable patriotism to canvass his vision of a strong, demo-

Minister faults NITDA recruitment exercise Clem Khena-Ogbena Abuja

inister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, has described the last recruitment exercise carried out at the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as lacking in merit and due process. Shittu accused the former Director General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, of not following due process in conducting the recruitment, stressing that the breach resulted in the suspension of the exercise. The minister said that he could not be held liable for

the non-absorption of the 368 candidates issued letters of appointment from the inconclusive recruitment exercise, because the process of their recruitment contravened all civil service provisions for such an exercise. He said that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the exercise was not cancelled because only one candidate was offered employment from Oyo State, his home state. The minister described the innuendos that he rejected the recruitment exercise because his state was poorly represented on the list of successful applicants as laughable, adding that it was a failed attempt to cover the inadequacies inherent in the whole exercise.

According to him, the recruitment process was stopped after realising that it did not follow laid down procedures, adding that approvals were not obtained, while most of those employed did not possess the requisite skills to adequately bridge the manpower gap at the agency. "The employment process did not follow due process, because employment letters were issued to the applicants, even before the interview exercise and the issuance of Certificate of Compliance by the Federal Character Commission (FCC), coupled with the disregard of Ministry of Communications' directive that the recruitment exercise be put on hold. "We suspended the process,

due to the non-adherence to the guidelines for recruitment in the Public Service. Mandatory composition of Senior Staff Committee / Junior Staff Committee; Advertisement in two or more national dailies; Declare establishment positions; Invite observers from the Federal Civil Service Commission, Head of Service and Ministry of Communications; and Obtain the Honourable Minister’s approval in the absence of the NITDA Governing Board.The candidates were not interviewed, no declaration of vacancies and no ministerial approval before letters of provisional appointment were issued and circulated on the 9th of November, 2015," he said.

cratic, united and prosperous nation, whose banner he would carry with so much pride and distinction,” Orjiako said, noting that throughout Maduekwe’s 32 months as a diplomat, he spoke and acted for Nigeria without any partisan, ethnic or religious bias. Describing him as a committed democrat and rule of law advocate, Orjiako noted that Maduekwe reached out to leaders across the world, building friendships for Nigeria, leading to such great feats as the landmark Nigeria-USA BiNational Commission, that covers a broad range of issues including security in the Niger Delta, infrastructure development, power and energy, trade and anti-corruption. Former Deputy Head of Mission, High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who also worked as the spokesperson of the late diplomat, when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ozo Nwobu, said that working with him was a revealing experience. “He was profound in his intellect and he was engaging in his conversation, and very importantly, he has a way of making it easy for those of us who were his subordinates to challenge his views. And he had this always to say ‘that he will subscribe to better reasoning.’ So if you had better reasons and better arguments, it always prevailed in his kitchen cabinet. He was not averse as to counter views and he listened in a manner that enabled him to see the vision we were also pursuing,” Nwobu said. He added that he had a capacity to build on the vision and make it even bigger than you could imagine. First Secretary and Senior Development Officer, Development Cooperation Section, High Commission of Canada, Peter Unger, said: “Ojo was very well known among the diplomatic community. He stood out among a fairly large crowd, not only for his intellect, his energy and enthusiasm in promoting Nigeria; he was able to draw a large amount of Canadian private investment to Nigeria and helped establish the CanadaNigeria Bilateral Commission, but also for his personality, he managed to have everyone he spoke to feel very special. He was often seen in the summer months bicycling up and down in the canal, chatting with the locals. He was very well known ant otherwise very congenial and very friendly and he will be greatly missed.” Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumoghobia (SAN); former Commandant of the Road Safety Corps and onetime Minister of Transport, Osita Chidoka; Ambassador Olisaemeka; and Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje were also among those that paid their tributes to the late diplomat. Members of the diplomatic Corps, both serving and retired from both within and outside Nigeria, were on hand to pay tributes to one of their own. Maduekwe’s remains would be committed to mother earth on August 20 at his hometown in Asaga, Ohafia in Abia State.

politics

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Abia: Beyond the limits of politics Mecha Udo

here is no need regaling us with the sordid tales of the shabby performance of T.A. Orji during his tenor as the Governor of Abia state. His scandalous record as a thoroughly corrupt and inept tyrant is out there in the public domain. This colossal failure left so much ruin in Abia, that it is becoming more and more difficult to fathom his mindset when he served as governor. T.A.Orji is said to have looted Abia State dry, destroyed it’s economic life, abandoned the state’s infrastructure and turned all classes of civil servants; serving and retired into beggars because payment of salaries was replaced with settlement of a few acolytes of his. Attempts are still being made by him to turn Abia State into the private estate of the Orjis. They carried on as if there was no tomorrow and that their tenor would never end. In their conceit, they did not imagine that a day of reckoning would come. As that day approached, it apparently dawned on them that they needed to cover their tracks or otherwise they would end up in jail. It is indeed the quest for an escape route and their greedy desire to retain power even if through a stooge that led them into conceptualizing the worst legacy that T.A Orji would leave in Abia and that is the present division and disunity amongst the component clans in the state. We no longer have Abians; we now have people from Ukwa Ngwa, Obi n gwa, Old Bende, Ibeku, and “Ndi Ogbo” etc. In 2015, when T.A. Orji needed an escape route, he conceived a plot that would enable him cover his tracks and still hold on to the reins of power in the state. He brought in Okezie Ikpeazu. From his antecedents, it needs to be emphasized that T.A. Orji is incapable of projecting the interest of any other person, persons or group other than that which will benefit him and his immediate family. The propping up of Ikpeazu is definitely not because he is of Ngwa stock, but because it was in him that he found the perfect qualities of the kind of pawn that he needed to do his bidding; and somehow his choice has proven to be perfect. With the availability of a pliant and malleable man, it became necessary to tweak and twist every structure and process to fit the person and circumstances of an Okezie Ikpeazu. The governorship was not zoned to Ngwa people; it was zoned to Ikpeazu as a person by T.A.Orji, let no one be fooled. It is distressing to note that in 2015 when T.A. Orji pulled the turn by turn theorem out of his magic bag of mischief, some people cautioned that the concept of electing governors based on clan was one that was fraught with so many dangers to the polity of Abia. It was advised that the state should pursue merit and look out for candidates that would reverse the drift towards total collapse and institute a march to an egalitarian society, but a few misguided and selfish politicians who were

Ikpeazu

collecting “akara and moi moi”, pressed on with this jaundiced arrangement and the outcome is what we have today; a total lackey to T.A. Orji. It must be said that the field of contestants was rich and they came from all zones of the state as they have always done. Abia had the opportunity of electing a dynamic and progressive leader possibly from Abia South Senatorial zone from the team that indicated interest in the job. Orji Uzor Kalu was not elected in 1999 because he hails from Abia North Senatorial zone, T.A Orji himself, (a disastrous imposition by Orji Uzor) was not selected because he was from Abia Central Senatorial zone. In all our previous elections, contestants have come from Abia South Senatorial zone also. The point being made here is that the Ngwas were not and still are not the consideration for selecting Ikpeazu, therefore it would be naïve and extremely erroneous to assume that T.A. Orji was considering them in the scheme of the elections. If indeed it was the turn of Ngwas, it is obvious that Ikpeazu would have indeed been the onye ikpeazu (last person) that the Ngwas would have presented. How would a man who did not cover a single pot hole in the whole of Ngwa land during his tenor suddenly become so Ngwaphobic as to champion their quest for governorship? It is also important that we remind ourselves that we operate a constitutional democratic process where a governor is entitled to a single vote just like other voters are. The primitive idea that a governor is the one to choose his successor is alien to the democratic culture that we are supposed to be practicing. It is on record that T.A.Orji spared nothing ranging from the criminal to the out rightly devious and despicable to ensure that Ikpeazu was sworn in as the governor of the state. By a divine twist of fate, they drank out of the poi-

Abians must not allow the ambition of one family to tear apart the fabrics of what holds us together

soned portion that they intended for others. We have not been told the manner of duress that was exerted in making the state Internal Revenue Department, which is fully under their control, to issue the manner of tax document that was issued to Ikpeazu. In their desperation everything was thrown into the mix and because truth will always rise above falsehood as oil above water, their manipulations failed them. Since the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja terminated the fraudulent stay of Ikpeazu as governor of Abia, all manner of tomfooleries have been unleashed on the people. Now that the possibility and reality of an ouster is steering him in the face Ikpeazu has taken off his masks, his pretentions have been halted, and his gloves have all come off. He has since been throwing all manner of wild and reckless punches very much like his master. Curiously and in a most bizarre twist, he has accused Uche Ogah; who today is the constitutional governor of Abia State, of desperation. This is not only weird, it is extremely ludicrous. Here is a man that violated the spirit of the dead Ojo Maduekwe by playing politics with his death when he shut down the state purportedly as a mark of respect for the departed statesman, when in actual fact, that was a ploy to frustrate his ejection from government house - Umuahia. It is scandalous that this insensitive government did not make any other statement pertaining to that death nor was there any activity associated with the death to justify the shut-down. This is the height of insensitivity and is extremely disrespectful to the spirit of the dead, and a wicked and unkind cut to his family. What would Ikpeazu call the act of calling out a 91year old Mrs. Olanman Okpara to an arranged solidarity visit all in a bid to curry unhelpful support; it is criminally wicked to so callously and recklessly violate the peace of the aged and to attempt to drag the names of the highly revered Dr. Okpara into the disastrous show of shame that is going on in Abia in the name of politics. What would be more desperate than Ikpeazu’s boast of unleashing militants and terrorists on hapless Abians, if and when he is eventually kicked out. Nothing could be more desperate than using thugs and cultist brandishing coffins (never seen at any election in the world), machetes, guns and other harmful weapons to harass indigenes of the state to either vote for him or get killed during the past elections. We are aware of those who more or less held the INEC officials hostage in Umuahia all in a bid to get them to do their bidding. If the above actions exhibited by Ikpeazu and his principals are not the worst form of desperation then we must accept that Pope Francis the first is a practicing Moslem. Ikpeazu and his masters must understand that the genie is already out of the bottle and there is nothing a million contrived solidarity visits to them will achieve, we are all are consigned to wait for the review of the judgment of the Federal High court by the Court

of Appeal based on the facts presented at that trial and the judgment delivered. No more, no less!! Ikpeazu’s reaction to the judgment of the Federal High Court has indeed revealed him as one that has the same vicious and devious tendencies as his mentor and master -T.A.Orji. Stories abound about a diabolical bond between Ikpeazu and his sponsors and the realities on the ground tend to lend credence to such suggestions. Ngwa people must realize that the present situation is not about them or their quest for power, but this is about the desperate desire of a cabal to protect their loot and retain their hold to power by using Ikpeazu as their access, and this is to the detriment of all Abians. When a true son of Ngwa with the character and requisite pedigree and attributes presents himself to Abians for the office of the Governor, Abians who know what is good for them will definitely consider such a candidate. Abians must not allow the ambition of one family to tear apart the fabrics of what holds us together. We must reject this retrogressive clannishness being introduced by those who will go beyond the limits of politics to continue to hold us hostage. We should focus on the restoration of the full structures required to develop our state and attain greatness in the comity of Nigerian states. We should continue to work together as one unit, and not allow the selfishness and greed of a few divide the state. We are all bound by the laws of the land and are expected to obey all orders emanating from institutions that are empowered to make such laws. When it pleased the courts to award the governorship of Abia to Ikpeazu, the heavens did not fall and Abians painfully took it with equanimity, if it will again please them to give a judgment against him in the present case with Uche Ogah, the heavens will still remain intact and like Abians did he will have no choice other than to take it with the same equanimity. Abia State is not anybody’s personal estate and will not burn on account of anybody’s loss of a matter that such a person personally and fraudulently contrived. Ikpeazu’s boost and threat of mayhem and the desperation of the evil cabal that have underdeveloped the state is only in realization of the extent of the crimes that they have committed against the people and the state, as they cannot in any way account for nor explain their actions and inactions when the time of reckoning comes. It would therefore amount to double jeopardy to allow these conmen to use the deprived, humiliated, raped and short changed citizens of Abia as shield from the law. It is time to complete the process of recovery of our state from desperate people; as such we must come together and join hands in taking back what rightfully belongs to us as Abians and not any section of the state. Reject their divisive tendencies as no state divided against itself can prosper even as the Lord is set to make Abia great again.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Energy

Business

Kerosene scarcity and deregulation flaws

Homes & Property Affordable housing:Experts endorse S’Africa, Brazil models

25 27

Akinkuotu: Why airlines abandon their aircraft abroad CAPITAL FLIGHT C-check is more problematic for airline operators

Wole Shadare

he biggest problem airlines are contending with in terms of maintenance is the high cost of C-Check, which has compelled some carriers to abandon their airplanes in countries of repairs. The Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, made this disclosure at the weekend in Lagos. Aircraft maintenance checks are periodic inspections that have to be done on all commercial/ civil aircraft after a certain amount of time or usage. Airlines periodically carry out checks on their airplanes. The checks are A to D checks. The A and B checks are lighter checks, while C and D are heavier checks. Akinkuotu stated that on the domestic front, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in its wisdom had imposed a calendar limit for a C-check at every 18 months and depending on the scope of work to be performed. The Aero Contractors’

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

L-R: Head, SubSaharan African Sub-Region, Roche Products Limited, Mr.Markus Gemuend; Country Manager, Roche Products Limited, Mr. Herman Addae and Managing Director,Old Mutual Nigeria Limited, Mr. Keith Alford, at the signing of MoU in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

boss, who stated this while delivering a paper at the quarterly meeting of aviation think-tank, Aviation Round Table (ART), said an average C-check costs $1 million, adding that by today’s exchange rate of N310/$1, this can be conservatively N310 million per aircraft every 18 months. “Sixty to 70 per cent is labour costs, while the balance is the cost of parts and engineering services associated with the C-checks,” he said. He noted that presently, Nigerian a i rl i n e s collectively operated a fleet of about 65 airplanes, adding that with an estimated

N310million for C-check, that is about N20.15billion of capital flight every 18 months (N13.43billion per annum). Also, considering other incidental costs of about N21.7billion ($70, 000) associated with each C-check done abroad, Akinkuotu said the cumulative for the fleet operated collectively was about N1.41billion every 18 months. In his presentation, entitled, “Justification for a Nigerian Indigenous MRO”, he said the C-Checks became more problematic for the nation’s airline operators because most airlines were, “unable to pay for the checks and eventually abandon the aircraft at the foreign MROs who usually refuse to release the aircraft to

INFLATION RATE June 2016 ..............................16.5% May 2016...............................15.6% April 2016............................13.7%

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

N560 billion Being the estimated amount airline operators are expected to spend on maintenance this year

the airlines until all invoices are settled.” He explained that in the a g reement, the aircraft maintenance facility owners may charge a very attractive standard C-Check fee of $500, 000, there are usually findings which are beyond the quoted cap that must be rectified when the aircraft gets to the facility and the actual work begins and panels are opened. He noted that this is where the huge difference comes in that dramatically raises the final C-Check cost. Justifying the need for an indigenous MRO, the aircraft pilot said it would bring significant savings and not only increase their survivability but also ensure that such capital can be applied to CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

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What's new

EXCHANGE RATE

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N398 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N510 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N415

l Foreign Reserves – $26.001bn as at 4/8/2016

Industry, Agric & Brands Editor

Chuks Onuanyin

EXCHANGE RATE (Parallel Market as at August 5)

(Interbank as at August 5)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N311 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N414 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N347

Source: CBN

Weakening naira raises Customs’ revenue by 44.4%

Disquiet over rising building materials’ cost

p.26

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS |news

Weakening naira raises Customs’ revenue by 44.4% IMPROVEMENT Customs collected huge revenue from bulk commodities in July due to CBN’s monetary policy

Bayo Akomolafe

he new import duty rate of N313 per $1 has boosted the revenue of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa, as importers are made to pay more on their consignments, New Telegraph has learnt. Investigation by this newspaper revealed that despite fewer ships calling at the Lagos Port in July 2016, the hike in tariff from N197 to N313 last month (July) in

line with the new foreign exchange regime has aided NCS’s revenue to improve. From a two-year fixed exchange rate of N197 to the dollar, the adoption of a flexible exchange rate on June 20, weakened the naira exchange rate to N314 per dollar as at last Friday. In July, the command recorded N27.4 billion despite the low ship traffic at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa. The amount generated indicated an increase of 44.41 per cent of the total revenue raked in the first quarter of 2016 by the command. It was learnt that the revenue collected on items such as fertiliser, wheat, rice

and sugar was responsible for the huge revenue collected in July. It was revealed that the revenue for July was N5 billion higher than what was collected in June. The command had raked in N22 billion in June 2016. Also, it was revealed that the total revenue collected in the first quarter was N61.7 billion, while the command lost N13 billion. The new monetary policy of the CBN is being used by NCS to calculate its import duties. However, Customs agents operating at the seaports are not happy with the development, insisting that

the new tariff had increased the cost of cargo clearance. Special Assistant to the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, Mr. Joe Sanni, said that the increase in the exchange rate would have ripple effects and lead to inflation, which had already hit 15 per cent in June. Also, a former National President of ANLCA, Chief Ernest Elochukwu, said that the import duty hike would not only fuel inflation but also worsen smuggling of goods across Nigeria’s frontiers. But the Customs has urged stakeholders to direct their

Why airlines abandon their aircraft abroad

L-R: PostmasterGeneral, Nigerian Postal Service, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi; Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu and Director, Telecom and Postal Service, Ministry of Communications, Mrs. Ngozi Ogujiofor at the investiture of the new PostmasterGeneral, in Abuja.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

purchasing more airplanes to strengthen the carriers’ operations and schedule reliability, create more jobs for pilots, engineers and other category of airline staff. There are many Nigerian airlines, which aircraft were flown to places like Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt and other places for maintenance but which never returned. After checks, the operators at times find out that the costs are almost the value of buying such classics; they decide to abandon the airplanes there. It was predicted that by the end of this year, Nigerian airlines are expected to spend over N560 billion for the maintenance cost of over 350 aircraft that are expected to go for both C and D checks. In 2013, Nigerian airlines spent over $1.22 billion (N200 billion) when the exchange rate was at N200 to $1 on overseas checks due to lack of any major maintenance facility, according to statistics given by the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren. Nigeria has about 350 aircraft in operations (scheduled, charter and privately owned) that are ferried overseas for major repairs, resulting in ridiculous capital flights. South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Ethiopia have workable Maintenance Repairs Overhaul (MRO) facilities, as well as airports that operate as hubs.

complaints to the Federal Ministry of Finance and the apex bank. Meanwhile, a former image maker of NCS’s Tin Can Island Command, Mr. Chris Osunkwo, said that NCS was not in control of the exchange rate. He said that it was the banking watchdog that determined the duty through the Federal Ministry of Finance, while NCS’s responsibility is to implement the policy of CBN and the ministry. Osunko, h o w e v e r, acknowledged that the new import duty rate of N313 per $1 was boosting the Customs revenue at ports and borders.

RISING Cost of iron rod of 16 mm has risen from N115, 000 in January to N120, 000

Dayo Ayeyemi

espite current lull in the real estate sector, the rising cost of reinforcements/iron rods and other building materials has continued to generate concerns in the housing industry, leaving home builders/developers in a dilemma, New Telegraph has learnt. The upward swing in the price of building materials between January and July 2016, if not well managed, housing experts warned, might force developers/ landlords to jack up cost of accommodation in the country. According to the market survey by this newspaper, prices of reinforcements (high yield bars) of 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, and 20mm have increased from N110,000; N95,000; N95,000; N115,000; N115,000 in January 2016 to N119,000; N120,000; N120,000;

Disquiet over rising building materials’ cost N120,000 and N125,000 in July, leaving price differentials of N24,000, N25,000, N25,000, N5,000 and N10,000 respectively. Besides, the price of a bag of cement has risen from N1, 400.00 last January to N1,600.00 in July; white plywood of four millimeters (mm) thick, which sold for N5,300 in January now sells for N7,000. Also, price of long span aluminum of 0.55mm thickness has risen from N1,900 per metre square (pmsq) to N2,200.00. Similarly, prices of both wall and floor tiles have risen between N1,200 pmsq and N2,850 to N1,300 and N3,000 respectively. There have also been marginal increases in the prices of soft wood, plywood door, steel door and glass sheet. Meanwhile, granite per 30 tons lorry load, which was sold for N150, 000 last January still remain unchanged. Ceiling materials such as UPVC ceiling strips, POP preformed ceiling have increased by N2,500 and N50.00. Also, paints, plumbing fittings, pipes and electrical materials have increased between 20 per cent and 30 per cent. While some developers are

contemplating jacking up house prices, others have remained cautious looking for ways to accommodate the additional price increases in the building materials’ market in order not to further worsen the situation of the sector, which is currently battling with the issue of vacant properties in high end locations of Lagos and Abuja. Speaking with our correspondent, a former President, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr. Chucks Omeife, explained that the rise in building materials’ prices was due to the current forex policy, pointing out that $1 now exchanges at N400 at the parallel market in line with the flexible exchange rate regime, which commenced on July 20, 2016. Omeife noted that most of the building materials for housing construction were sourced abroad, adding that increase in forex would automatically lead to high cost of importation. Former Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos branch, Mr. Stephen Jagun, said that the new forex regime,

which is impacting on cost of building materials, would automatically affect the cost of new houses. He stated that home-seeking Nigerians would have to pay more for accommodation, since developers are out to cover cost and make profits. Jagun noted that the current drive by the government to increase revenue had not helped the situation, as local manufacturers of building materials have to pay more tax. Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), Bismarck Rewane, had recently predicted that the current forex policy would definitely lead to increase in cost of building property, adding that Nigerians should expect stabilised rents as a result of price wars between developers. Ss\ome of the building materials in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s 41’ not valid for forex items include cement, cold rolled steel sheets, galvanised steel sheets, roofing sheets, steel pipes, wire rods, iron rods and reinforcing rods, wire mesh, security and razor wire.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Energy

The scarcity of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), a partially deregulated product, has worsened with a litre hitting an all-time high price of N600. Adeola Yusuf reports that the scarcity has shown the flaws in deregulation

Nigerians queuing for kerosene at one of the NNPC Mega Stations

recisely, on May 1, 2016. Nigeria’s downstream oil sector was completely deregulated, as subsidy was officially removed on two major petroleum products-Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), that had gulped over a trillion naira from the Federal Government annually. With the government throwing importation of the products open for marketers, the products have since been available at filling stations across the country.

Subsidy removal Before the May 1 announcement of subsidy removal, the Federal Government, last January, announced a major decision on kerosene, which saw the product selling at N83 per litre. Government, on January 3, 2016, took the first step on the removal of subsidy on President Muhammadu Buhari DPK, a development that shot the product’s price up from N50 per litre. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, in its product pricing template released last January, however, stated that the N83 per litre price applied only to the NNPC, meaning that other petrol stations and dealers could sell higher than the stipulated amount. try, with most retail outlets This development by the in Abuja , Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, government indicated that it had finally heeded the adKano, Kaduna and Abia states vice of the World Bank after going out of stock. spending N6.9 billion in the Filing stations ran out of last five years trying to subkerosene, as the smaller residise petroleum products at tailers, who have the product in Lagos and Ogun, sold a time the price of oil is still it for as high as N450 and under pressure. It also gives the government ample opporN600 per litre. The Nigerian tunity to save about N310 bilNational Petroleum Corporalion spent annually on kerotion NNPC) and its subsidiary, sene subsidy, accumulating PPMC, were not available for revenue in the excess crude comments. account. Like Lagos, like others Lagos and perhaps Ogun Beyond the poor’s reach state are not alone in the keroThe price of kerosene has sene scarcity saga. In Kano, hit an all-time high price of N600 per litre, worsening residents have dumped the the pains of over 30 million use of kerosene for charcoal households, who depend on and firewood following the the product for cooking. rising cost. Scarcity of the product hit The people of Kaduna State major cities across the counare also groaning under the

Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu

Kerosene scarcity and deregulation flaws The price of kerosene has hit an all-time high price of N600 per litre

exorbitant cost of kerosene, as the cooking fuel costs N1,100 per gallon, indicating a 600 per cent increase in price. In Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital and environs, residents are lamenting over the cost. A litre of kerosene costs between N270 and N300 depending on the location or part of the metropolis. In Yobe, a gallon of kerosene in Potiskum, the commercial centre of the state, sells from N1,500 to N1,700. The same goes for Taraba, Jalingo where a gallon is sold for between N1,300 and N1,500. In Borno State, black marketers sell the commodity at N1,400 per gallon while a Conoil filling station along Agbani Road in Enugu sold the product at 200 per litre. In Abia, the product sold for N220 per litre while in Osun

State, no less than 70 per cent of the populace use kerosene. In Delta, a litre of kerosene goes for N220. This has forced residents to embrace the use of charcoal, sawdust and firewood. Conclusion A hike in the price of kerosene has invariably resulted in the increased use of lessclean cooking fuels such as coal, sawdust and firewood by low income earners in the country and consequently an increase in the 70 per cent of 36 million Nigerian households presently using less-than-clean cooking fuel options. The adverse effect of this is an increase in the number of ill-health and deaths caused by the toxic fumes of these fuels.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Energy

‘Why FG failed to meet 40bn barrels oil reserves target’ MODEL NNPC GMD unveils rekitting plans for NPDC

Adeola Yusuf

ational aspiration for oil production and reserve growth to a target of 4million barrels per day (mbopd) and 40 billion barrels respectively has been elusive over the years due to a combination of factors. Such factors range from funding constraints, infrastructure vandalization, and security concerns, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Bary, disclosed these at the just concluded Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) in Lagos. He said that the corporation was committed to ensuring oil production and growth in reserves. Bary, who was represented by the Managing Director of NETCO Mr. Siky Aliyu, said, this could be achieved by restoring oil and gas production to peak levels, growing the production mix and portfolio of oil and gas reserves through very transparent processes. He said; “One of the agitations of the oil and gas unions during its recent strike was as a result of nonremittance of JV Cash Calls on NNPC’s part. We are working round the clock to ensure that all outstanding cash call arrears are settled. “As part of our resolve to settle this pertinent issue, we are also working towards creating a sustainable and long term funding plan to sustain

Oil rig

our portion of the JV funding.” He added that the exploration and production company, Nigeria Petroleum Company (NPDC), would form the nucleus of growth for the corporation. “We have developed strategies for re-kitting NPDC and empowering it to compete favourably with other E&P companies. All current contractual arrangements with NPDC will be reviewed. As mandated, where contracts are discovered to be against the interest of the government, they will be terminated,” he said. He added that gas development was imperative for economic development. He said: “We are seeing a situation whereby by 2018, domestic gas demand will outstrip gas supply to our export projects. This calls for an aggressive development of gas resources along with the gas infrastructure to deliver the gas to end users. We intend to leverage on NNPC equity and

dominance in the industry to fast-track gas development to meet both our domestic demand and export commitments. “We are all witnesses of the perennial fuel crisis witnessed in the country. I have to acknowledge at this point, my predecessor and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources for his doggedness and leadership steer in ensuring the stability of fuel supply currently enjoyed by all. However, to ensure that fuel scarcity is curtailed for good, we need to carry out upgrade and expansion of our existing refineries. “I am pleased to note that Dangote Group is here and also a sponsor of the conference, The company’s commitment to build a 600kbop capacity refinery is very commendable. We are willing to in any way support companies with such initiatives. Strategies are under way to enable retooling of NNPC’s four refineries for better efficiency so as to ensure

Nestoil gets certifications for quality mgt

QS Holding, one of the world’s leading certification bodies, has rewarded Nestoil Limited with International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9001:2008 certification for Quality Management System (QMS). Nestoil Limited made this known in a statement made available to New Telegraph. This certification, which came after a detailed evaluation of the company’s operational processes and standards, according to the statement, is a valid testament to Nestoil’s capacity to deliver quality services that conform to customers’ needs and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. This certification, according the statement, has again affirmed Nestoil Limited’s positioning as Nigeria’s foremost Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC)

Service Company. As the indigenous leader in pipeline construction, the certification serves as a tacit endorsement of indigenous expertise, which has been supporting the operations of International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria since the activation of the Local Content Act. ISO 9001:2008 is a quality standard with generic requirements that are applicable to organisations of different types, sizes and service/product orientations. Where any of its compliance requirements becomes inapplicable owing to the nature of an organisation, its products or services, an exclusion can be considered. However, where exclusions are granted, claims of conformity to ISO 9001:2008 are not acceptable, unless the exclusions are limited to requirements within clause

7, and such exclusions do not affect the organisation’s ability, or responsibility, to provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Specifically, the ISO 9001:2008 standard helps organizations develop a Quality Management System (QMS) that ensures they meet customers’ quality requirements while continually improving their operational processes. Therefore, organisations with ISO 9001:2008 certification have completely complied with the necessary requirements and demonstrated consistent ability to provide products that meet customer requirements as well as enhance satisfaction through effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system.

product availability and selfsufficiency. “NNPC under my watch will pursue business diversification and also rekindle focus on renewable energy and frontier exploration services. We intend to tap into the growing market of solar energy for power. We are also looking at the possibility of establishing wind turbine farms in suitable areas within the country. The objective of undertaking these projects is two pronged;

assisting the Federal Government towards delivering its commitment of 10,000MW by 2019 and ensuring an alternative source of revenue for NNPC “We have a mandate of opening up new frontiers to enable production and reserve addition. NNPC is set to resume exploration activities in both the Chad and Benue troughs. There is a high level of optimism based on recent seismic processed data from the Chad Basin that our sojourn this time around will yield successes. “Our oil and gas infrastructure are at the mercy of vandals who carry out their nefarious activities at will. Downstream oil pipelines connecting depots across the nation are at a deplorable state. Tackling the issues plaguing our refineries without addressing repairs or in some cases, replacement of these pipelines will be tantamount to revamping your old vehicle and not changing the worn out tyres. “NNPC will aggressively move to provide a robust security system in conjunction with security agencies putting detection and deterrence as a major priority. We are also committed to responding swiftly in situations where our oil and gas pipelines are either breached or have over time developed integrity issues.”

Forex scarcity worsens meter firms’ woes Adeola Yusuf

he drought of foreign exchange has worsened the bearish sale and tight economy faced by meter manufacturers in Nigeria. A manufacturer, Chantelle Abdul, who revealed this in Lagos a the weekend, said that this difficulty had led to lack of finance for them to operate their factories and also unable to provide vendor financing to off-takers. “One of our critical issues at the moment is lack of access to foreign exchange. A lot of our manufacturing inputs rely on goods abroad. As I mentioned during the minister’s visit my goal as a manufacturer is to produce much of my manufacturing input locally here in Nigeria so that we go as far as producing our chips and the PCB, which is the brain of the meter and all other component that is required,” Abdul, who doubles as Managing Director, Mojec International, said. “There is nothing that stops us from producing the battery and the capacitors that we need. It is sad to say that we don’t have factories that produce those things here in Nigeria,” he added. Meter manufacturers, she continued, need the support of the government both at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) level and

financing institutions to be able to produce these components here in Nigeria, noting that they need forex to be able to do these things. “We cannot afford to be borrowing at double digit rate, it will automatically increase the price of the meter,” she said. Meanwhile, the minister of Power, Housing and Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said that the patronage of local meter manufacturers by distribution companies could not be done by compulsion. “I think that commercial things should be done by persuasion, reason and the dynamics of the economy,” Fashola said in Lagos. Stating the reason why DISCOs and meter manufacturers should embrace persuasion and dynamic of the economy, Fashola said that it would make the power sector more competitive in terms of pricing and also competitive in terms of quality for the local market. When the market is competitive in terms of pricing and quality, the minister added that it would make more business sense to produce and patronise meters locally. He expressed delight that there were Nigerian companies that can meet the metering demand in the country but wondered why there was still a huge meter gap in the power sector.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Homes&Property

As calls for mass housing provision gathers steam, Nigerian real estate experts have urged the government to adopt the South African and Brazilian models in achieving its target. DAYO AYEYEMI reports

oing by the plethora of housing policies and paper presentations generated in the last 50 years, Nigerians by now would have been the most housed in the world if such theories were put into practice. While countries such as South Africa and Brazil have done well in the area of mass and affordable housing provision for their citizens, Nigeria is still battling with over 17 million housing deficit. Experts at different fora have adduced many reasons for the escalating housing shortages in Nigeria. Some of the reasons include absence of clear property and security rights, mandatory governor’s consent for all land transactions, inefficient land management system, high cost of land transactions, premium barrier and slow change in use of public land. Speaking on how Brazil and South Africa overcame these challenges, President, First World Communities Limited, Gen. Tunde Reis (rtd), said that both countries carried out major reforms in their land and housing finance sectors, while encouraging developers and construction companies to go into mass housing production. South Africa’s model Citing how South Africa reduced its accommodation deficit, Reis, in a chat with New Telegraph, said that the government put in place measures by rolling out Development Facilitation Act (1997) for speedy land acquisition, developed tribunals to resolve land disputes, allowed urban local bodies to incorporate public housing needs in city plans among others. In the area of construction Reis stated that the government gave room for development and construction by state companies, Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO1) or private developers, Joburg Property Company (JPC1). He added that the government also mandated registration for all developers to ensure compliance of building norms. According to the housing expert, there were subsidies from provincial government to cover construction cost and central government unit for bridge financing for social housing. He added that the government of South Africa promoted housing credit by facilitating defaulter handling and risk un-

Units of two-bedroom detached flat in Agbowa’s Chois Estate, Lagos

Affordable housing:Experts endorse S’Africa, Brazil models derwriting. “The government objected subsidies to developers to build affordable housing stock for eligible beneficiaries,” the first world boss said. On oversight functions, he stated that the government emphasised integrated development, provision of clear titles for properties and revised subsidy amounts based on macro-economic conditions. By this actions, Reis stated that more than two lakhs houses were built per year in South Africa since the new housing policy began in 2004, leading to reduction in housing deficit from 30 lakhs in 1994 to 22 lakhs in 2007. “Total government spending amounted to $3.5 billion in five years,” he said. Brazil’s model In Brazil, the president of First World Communities stated that the government rolled out a programme entitled: “My House, My Life”, funded with $20 billion fund by the government and targeting one million household. He added that the programme offered attractive financing options for buyers and partnership potential for developers. Reis explained: “Buyer provides loans at five to eight per cent interest for up to 90 per cent of a house’s value. “Those making up to 3x minimum wage access full subsidy, up to $27,000, while those between 3-6x minimum wage have access to smaller subsidy and loan size, and loan must be re-financed within three years.

Government emphasised integrated development, provision of clear titles for properties and revised subsidy amounts based on macroeconomic conditions

“The Fund reduces or eliminates stamp fees and other onetime costs, no down payment or any other payment before occupation.” On the part of construction companies, he said that the government helped to improve their financing conditions through lower interest rates and also helped them to manage land purchase cash requirements. Materials suppliers’ companies, he pointed out, were encouraged to develop new materials, especially for the supply of the programme. “Fabrimar, a metal company will launch a completely new line sold directly to the construction companies; Suvinil, a paint company from BASF group, is investing in low pricing product line to paint a million houses, with just 50 million litres of paint,” he said. In Nigeria New Telegraph gathered that over 80 per cent of Nigerians cannot afford a N4.5 million ($15,000) mortgage even with a 20-year tenor due to their low level income, Over 79.6 per cent proportions of household require social or low-income housing. According to estimates by First World Communities Limited, only 13.8 per cent proportion of current households in Nigeria can afford mortgages by subsidised plans like the National Housing Fund (NHF). Reis said that 3.1 per cent households could potentially access mortgage market, while 1.3 per cent could afford to make outright cash purchases or use mortgage loans.

He said “Assuming no interest, no down payment and 45 per cent of monthly income as repayment, the cheapest house in the formal sector in Nigeria is set at N6 million ($20,000.).” Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with 180 million people. Currently, the country has a housing deficit of 17million. About 100,000 units are constructed annually in place of the estimated 700,000 to fill the gap. Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria’s estimates have shown that N59 trillion is required to bridge housing gap. Submission Principal Partner, Ubosi Eleh and Company, Mr. Chudi Ubosi, however, said removal of regulation limiting direct investment of pension funds in real estate should be looked into. He said that Pension Fund Administrator (PFAs) should be allowed direct investment in real estate for economic development. According to Ubosi, the impact of this singular amendment to the Act would make funds available for mass housing development just as the economy will be the main beneficiary. Conclusion Canvassing the restructuring of the nation’s housing industry, experts believe it should also involve the government ministries and the private sector to come up with policy development to salvage the situation. They also sought the appointment of regulators from the government agencies to oversee the process, while advocating liquidity support for mortgage banks through the secondary mortgage market.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business | Homes & Property

‘Developers should explore their products’ selling points’ Olukayode Olusanya is the Managing Director/CEO, Oak Homes Limited, a real estate development company with special attention on luxury apartments. In this interview with DAYO AYEYEMI, the banker turned developer speaks on the impact of current economic downturn on real estate and what home builders should do to remain in business How would you describe the real estate industry particularly at this period of recession? It is quite interesting. The truth of the matter is that housing deficit in Nigeria is still growing as I speak to you; so also is the need to fill that vacuum. Good enough, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen in filling the gap. So, we find ourselves in line with the policy of the government of the day, and irrespective of the harsh economic condition, there is always a need to meet. So, we are there to meet that needs. Some things are very critical in every man’s life: shelter, feeding and clothing. So, we find ourselves on the shelter side of life, which is the peak need for every man. There is always a market. We try to build luxury apartments that are affordable. Oak Homes is actually established to take care of this deficit.

to be but a lot of us run to the government to solve all our problems. Government is designed to provide the enabling environment but the wherewithal to take advantage of the climate rests on us as individuals. We have to do our best to help the government. The government cannot provide millions of housing deficit we need in Nigeria and this cannot be done without private developers’ involvement. That is why we are here to partner with the government to bridge the gap. I think people can be what they want to be as long as they keep their mind on it.

Why did you leave banking job for real estate business? For me, it is about the passion you create. I see real estate like a lady that got pregnant and after nine months gave birth to a baby and looked at the baby and said this is a nice thing. At the background you saw nothGoing by what you told Lady ing and after some months, you Realtors in training, do you see big edifice and everybody think they have the passion and starts asking questions,” who capacity to cope with real estate are these guys, when did they development and investment? start and oh what a nice development.” It is a privilege to creYes! You can be what you want ate and to bring to life. Talking

about my banking job, I used to be on the construction desk at Skye Bank Plc. So, basically it is something I have done for over a time and it just came naturally to move to real estate sector. How did you raise the initial capital to start real estate business? To be honest, permit me to go spiritual. If God is on your side, honestly speaking nothing is unachievable. When we started, we had to take loans from friends, family, sold quite a number of things and mortgage our house, but glory be to God for where we are today. I said earlier today during the housing programme in partnership with the United States Government, some of this things takes passion. Once you believe in it, you run at it. Yes, we get few loans from banks; even banks will not necessarily come to your aid at the initial stage of your business. If banks really come to your aid, what they want is commitment on your partthat you are committed to what you believe in. As far as you are committed and believe in what you are doing, the sky will be the starting point. Tell us more about your project? The project in Oniru is called Oaks Place. Oak Place is a development of 19 flats in the upscale environment of Oniru. So, we have three units of two bedroom flats, 15 units of three bedroom flats and four bedroom apartments pent house. Also, we have started a new development at Kayla’s

Comprehensive housing scheme for workers unveiled Dayo Ayeyemi

he Federal Government of Nigeria has officially launched a comprehensive housing scheme exclusively meant for federal workers. Tagged: ‘Federal Civil Servants Housing Scheme (FISH)’ and located in Apo Tafyi District, Abuja, the Minister of State Power, Works and Housing, Mustapaha Baba Shehu, said the project would offer workers the opportunity to optimise their service output. The minister according to a statement, said the Federal Government had a target of about 5,000 housing units in all the states in a period of three years. “I therefore urge the workers to re-dedicate themselves to service and contribute to good governance. This government is committed to workers’ welfare,” he said. Executive Director, Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed , an engineer, who spoke on behalf of the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said that the

government and private sector must continue to work together not only in building structures but also in building other national values and maintaining the already existing structures to enhance national development. He added that civil servants were at the center of all institutions and if the civil service works seamlessly, other institutions would also work well. Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, said the provision of housing as a basic necessity and need in every society would also boost the development of the country’s economy through creation of employment in building and related industries and its attendant increase in financial intermediation and economic activities. Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office (CSO) of the office of the HoCSF , Dr. Yemi Adelakun, said: “The upper limit price for the low cost houses are N5 million, N9 million and N12 million for one bedroom, two bedrooms and three bedrooms respectively.

Olusanya

Haven. This is 10 units of semidetached and we also have Oak Heights. This is a development of 36 units of apartments in Dideolu Estate in Victoria Island, Lagos. Which market are you targeting for these developments? The market we are targeting is the upper end of the middle-class and upper end itself because we are building blocks of luxury apartments. How are you financing your projects despite the cash-squeeze in the economy? What we have done or what we are trying to encourage is developer’s finance. Developer’s finance in the sense that we are building, especially in Dideolu Estate, for those that need a particular period of time for payment. These people fall within a particular income bracket. We told them that we are moving to site, stay at a particular deposit. We know you don’t have all the money at a point in time, so as we build,

you give us the amount due on a monthly basis such that as we build, you are more or less monitoring the development and we are providing everything. For those who want to buy finished houses, we also have a partnership with Standard Chartered Bank and also Imperial Homes. They provide a longer-term tenor of credit facility. Standard Chartered Bank provides loan tenor as much as 25 years and Imperial Homes is well grounded too in facilitating mortgage. We can provide up to a year credit interest free, but anything apart from this our partners will take care. What is your advice to other developers during this period of economic downturn? To be honest, it is important that they believe in what they do. There are some products that sell themselves without necessarily running after the market. They should try and find out their products’ selling point. They should identify their unique selling point.

Envoy: Eko Atlantic City may be home to British firms Dayo Ayeyemi

ritish High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has described Eko Atlantic City, a sprawling mixuse estate being built on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos, as an ‘opportunity for British businesses to make a difference in Nigeria’. He said this during a recent tour of the project site by a trade delegation of the British Prime Minister. John Howell, a Member of Parliament and British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy in Nigeria, led the delegation according to a statement. He said: “I look forward to seeing the city develop and become a home to British businesses. “I am also surprised by how much development has taken place since I was last here; most roads have been constructed with numerous buildings nearing completion. Eko Atlantic is a wonderful opportunity for British business to make a difference in Nigeria.” Arkwright said he was amazed by the size and ambition of the project, which has replaced land that has been lost due to coastal erosion. Howell described the project as an ‘amazing feat of engineering and commended the handlers of the multi-billion-dollar project, South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, for the ambitious work being undertaken.

He said: “I look forward to future discussions on the ways that UK businesses can facilitate the scale and ambition of this project in areas such as construction and retail.” On the UK team were Acting British Deputy High Commissioner, Ahmed Bashir; Executive Assistant, UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Laura Mackie ; British Deputy High Commission’s Press, Wale Adebajo, and Member, Executive Assistant, Acting British Deputy High Commissioner, Boma Beddie. Briefing the delegation, Development Director, South Energyx Nigeria Limited, Pierre Edde, said that on completion, the estate would be home to about 450,000 residents, providing office facilities for another 150,000 people, with commuter volume expected to exceed 300,000 people daily. In addition, he said the new city would be self-sufficient and sustainable, generating its own power, water and telecommunications facilities. He pointed out that the project was designed to change the face of Lagos coastline by permanently solving the problem of incessant ocean surge that had threatened to overrun the Victoria Island area of the state. He described the project as an investor delight, with promise of quick return on investment. He urged investors, especially Nigerians in diaspora, to take the opportunity offered by the emerging city to increase their investment in Africa’s most populous nation.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

AVIATION

Med-view, Arik, two of Nigeria’s flag carrier airlines

In any depressed economy, air operators naturally try to cut corners (even in the USA and UK). It takes a vigilant regulator and active checks and balances to prevent such practices from becoming the norm. WOLE SHADARE writes Nigeria, others in recession Nigeria is not the only nation hit by economic recession. Many countries are also in that situation but how countries get out of it is one that has dominated headlines. Aviation like every other business is not immune whenever the economic reality sets in, as aviation is said to contribute hugely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many countries. In Nigeria, the industry contributes less than two per cent to her GDP, whereas in some countries, the contribution is as high as six to seven per cent. IATA’s fret The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for 260 airlines across the globe, recently expressed concern that the demand for air travel was growing at slow pace owing to the fragile and uncertain economic backdrop, political shock and a wave of terrorist attacks that are contributing to a softer demand environment. IATA’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Tony Tyler, stated this when he announced global passenger traffic data for June, which showed that demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose by 5.2 per cent compared to a year-ago

Economic downturn:Getting airlines out of the woods period. This was up slightly from the 4.8 per cent increase recorded in May (revised). However, the upward trend in seasonally-adjusted traffic has moderated since January. June capacity, according to IATA (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 5.6 per cent, and load factor slipped 0.3 percentage points to 80.7 per cent. His words, “The demand for travel continues to increase, but at a slower pace. The fragile and uncertain economic backdrop, political shocks and a wave of terrorist attacks are all contributing to a softer demand environment.” Traffic tumbles For Nigeria, the signs are already showing. The volume of traffic in the Nigerian aviation industry has tumbled against the backdrop of the downturn in the economy. Total passenger traffic, which had been on decline since second quarter 2015, dipped further by end of the year, with fourth quarter figures at 3,810,758, showing a significant 8.5 per cent dip from 4,163,762 passengers recorded in the corresponding period of 2014. Though domestic traffic picked up in the second quarter of 2015 and increased quarter-on-quarter to reach 2,723,769 at end of the year, the fourth quarter domestic traffic was still lower than the corresponding period of 2014 by 245,971, showing about 8.3 per cent drop. Similarly, the number of international passengers also declined by a massive 16.2 per cent

The most spectacular musical rendition amounts to nothing, when the audience is deaf

to 1,086,989 in the fourth quarter of 2015 against 1,296,822 in the corresponding period of 2014. According to the Nigerian Aviation Industry report unveiled by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, recently, Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, in Lagos, remained the busiest domestic airport in the second half of 2015, with 983,903 travelling through the airport in the fourth quarter, which represented 36.1 per cent of Nigeria’s domestic passenger traffic within the period. However, the report also shows a continued decline in MMA share of domestic passenger traffic, while Abuja domestic airport, which is the second largest in terms of passenger traffic, increased its share of passenger travel relative to 2014, although the share declined between the third and fourth quarter of 2015. In absolute terms, Abuja domestic airport recorded the largest year-on-year increase in passenger numbers in the third quarter of 2015, with an increase of 116,350 passengers. Risks to airlines In this precarious situation, airlines may device a way of cutting corners to remain afloat and still offer quality services. Nigerian airlines are short on service delivery and generally adjudged not to be prudent with the little resources at their disposal. This is where the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) needs to up its game in ensuring better regulation of the sector. The aviation regulatory body

had been accused of the tactics of, ’consistently weak economic regulation’. The first part involves ignoring obvious signs that airlines are facing serious cash flow problems. Usually evidenced by a host of abnormalities such as; staff salaries delayed for extensive periods, flights delayed because the 90-day credit limit with fuel vendors is breached and purchase of fuel by cash from ticket sales after passengers have boarded, coupled with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) refusal to clear the aircraft to depart because navigation/landing/parking fees have not been settled when due. Posers Also, what else have the operators concealed? How much of non-mandatory training has been sliced off the books? How many times expired components are still on the plane simply because they are still functioning? Do the planes really depart with the required IFR minimum fuel reserves so they can hold when weather conditions suddenly deteriorate or they’ll just have to try and land in the thunderstorm and wind-shear because they didn’t have the extra fuel required for holding or diversion? President, Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI), Capt. Dung Pam, said airlines must have clear business plans, defined business models and robust quality management systems in place, at which everything possible must be CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | AVIATION

Airlines to FG:End JET A1 scarcity STRESS Marketers have been increasing prices to an unbearable point

Wole Shadare

iqued by unending aviation fuel scarcity, airline operators have called on the Federal Government to urgently help to address the problem, which has given airlines and passengers untold hardship. The operators, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), said JET A1 scarcity had led to airlines experiencing acute shortage in recent times. The AON President, Capt. Noggie Meggison-made the call on the heels of consistent unavailability of the product in the past weeks for airlines to conduct their operations, thereby leading to 50 per cent delays or cancellation of flights. He said: “We have been forced to cry out about the perennial problem at this juncture because it continues to put us in a difficult situation to go an extra mile to fulfill our obligations to our esteemed customers in spite of the inconveniences that go with it.” “However, we are at the mercy of the oil marketers and many times our hands are tied such that we are left with no other option

London Heathrow Terminal 5

than to cancel flights.” Speaking further, the AON chairman noted that together with the shortage of Jet A-1, the marketers have been increasing the price consistently to an unbearable point. He noted: “Till April this year, I bought Jet A1 Fuel for N105 a liter. About a month ago, the price jumped to N145. Two weeks later, it rose to about N200 a liter. Today the price has skyrocketed above N200 a litre. This has greatly increased our operational cost.

“For instance, considering that the cost of fuel accounts for about 40 per cent of the operational cost of most airlines, the colossal rise in price of the product by over 100 per cent has equally increased the operational cost astronomically. In the light of this, our feasibility studies and financial projections are greatly threatened, thereby putting the airlines in a dangerous and difficult financial posi-

Getting airlines out of the woods CONTINUED FROM PAG E 29

done to support by giving them tax breaks, duty free on consumables, zero interest loans and loan guarantees with aircraft manufacturers to facilitate procurement of new equipment and realistic lease/maintenance contracts. “The government can support the aviation development without throwing money at the airlines and this is what I want to prove. Giving them money I believe will just encourage fiddling and bribing to continue unabated,” he said. Expert’s view Pam stated that for those who are not aware, Nigeria’s population is 18 per cent (nearly 1/5) that of the entire African continent and currently has the second highest revenue passenger kilometer (RPK) second only to South Africa in the continent. To him, “Nigerian airlines present 60 per cent of commercial aviation activity in West Africa for now. In 2018, we’ll be the largest economy in Africa. The major advantage we have is that our GDP is predicted to grow at an average of 4.4% per cent for the next 20 years. Even China will have to pay attention to our potential.” He listed two strategies that he believes would cut down the operating cost of local airlines by about 15 per cent as granting the carriers under the aegis of something more than

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the licence to import Jet A1 and Avgas required by the industry stakeholders to be sold to all operators at a nonprofit pricing. He said: “I’m not dreaming this up; the Indian airline industry has tried that, though a bit too late for some of their operators.” I’ll facilitate a private sector initiative to setup a type rating training organicity (TRTO) in partnership with reputable foreign partners comprising of three full flight simulators (FFS) of the most popular type of commercial jet aircraft operating in the West African sub-region. This, he said, would save 65 per cent of the $16.3million Nigerian airlines spend yearly on pilot recurrent simulator training overseas to pay for visas, flight tickets, hotel accommodation, subsistence allowances, etc. The actual simulator training required only 35 per cent of the total amount spent. Conclusion Not a few believe that the current model with which the NCAA is regulating both safety and the economics of the industry is unsustainable and will result in losing strategic control of this vital tool for Nigeria’s economic development. Despite all the hues and cries, it is true that even the most spectacular musical rendition amounts to nothing, when the audience is deaf.

tion. “ He noted that in spite of all this, the airlines can’t increase ticket prices in order not to discourage their customers that have been seriously stretched by the economic downturn, which has reduced their disposable income. For most of them now, he said, the alternative means of travel is going by road. “It should be put on record however, that road transport

uses Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, which is highly supported or assisted by the Federal Government with exchange rate of N285 and available to marketers.” Arlines, on the other hand, don’t have such foreign exchange support or availability from our government with regard to helping to make Jet fuel available to airlines or at an affordable price.

NANTA tasks Medview Airline on int’l route devt Wole Shadare

resident of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard, has called on Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Medview, to develop other destinations the way it has done on the Lagos-London route. He said that the association would support the growth of the airline as a national carrier. Bernard disclosed these during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of Medview airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, at his corporate office in Ikeja. The NANTA boss called on other Nigerian airlines to emulate Medview, which has done well despite the odds. The NANTA President also disclosed that the association would organise an eminent persons lecture, in honour of the Medview boss whose airline now ferries passengers from London Gatwick three times weekly into Nigeria with a Boeing 747 aircraft. NANTA boss, who led the Vice President Lagos Zone, Mrs. Adeola Adewole, Vice President Western Zone, Mr. Tokunbo Dagunduro and Executive Secretary of association, Mr. Osaro Olobor, in September to the meeting, told an elated Medview airline boss and his top managers that Nigerian

travel agents and Nigerian travelling public were happy at his airline’s intervention on the London route and prays the airline develops others destinations. “NANTA is proud of you not just as a local investor but your background as a travel agent before breaking forth into the airline business’’ Bankole noted, adding that the association would help drive its commercial expectations and also “ brand” it as national carrier. “We are ready”, NANTA boss repeatedly gave assurance to the Medview boss and his team who also promised to partner with NANTA to grow the airline. In his response, Bankole told his visitors that he would support the new NANTA leadership, which has shown capacity and courage to call a spade, a spade in a strategic advocacy to change the Nigerian aviation space. He said: “We have been following your activities since you came on board not only as an airline but also a travel agency and we are proud to see you and your team in our office today.” Bankole noted on a lighter side that the two Bankoles’, himself and NANTA president, would join hands to re-write the history of aviation in Nigeria to the glory of God and Nigerians.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Empowerment Academy graduates trainees, harps on vocational skills

Education

Interview FG not doing well in education sector, says UNIJOS don

AGENDA

Following the last week massive shake-up in the nation’s education sector, stakeholders have called on the new helmsmen in the education agencies and parastatals to rise up to the challenges of fixing the system

Mojeed Alabi

espite the massive shakeup in the leadership of major parastatals and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education, stakeholders in the nation’s education sector, are of the views that beyond the change of leadership, the parastatals should be restructured for efficiency, if the sector is to move forward. This was as they set agenda for the new helmsmen, urging them to live to expectations by leveraging on their wealth of experience to repositioning it for the challenges of the 21st Century. The Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had last week Monday, announced what could be described as the first major shake-up in the sector, when the leadership of about 17 parastatals and agencies under the ministry were sacked. The Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr. Ben Bem Goong, in a statement, had said that four chief executives officers, whose tenures were yet to lapse, were however retained, while others including the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, were relieved of their appointments. The new development, which took immediate effect, with the inauguration of the new helmsmen on Tuesday, August 2, had the former Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, replacing Ojerinde as the new Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB. Other agencies affected in the shake-up include the National

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

Adamu

Ojerinde

Oloyede

Agenda for NUC, JAMB, TETFund helmsmen Universities Commission (NUC), where Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed took over from the immediate past Executive Secretary of the body, Prof. Julius Okojie, whose tenure had lapsed same day; the Nigerian Institute for Education Planning and Administration, Prof, Mrs. Lilian Salami; Universal Basic Education, Dr. Hameed Bobboyi and the National Library of Nigeria, which has Prof. Lanre Aina. Others are the National Examinations Council (NCE), Prof Charles Uwakwe; National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Prof Abba Aladu, and Nomadic Education Commission, Prof Bashir Usman. In a similar development, Prof. Isioma Isiugo-Abanihe was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer for the National Business and Technical Examinations Board; Prof Sunday Josiah Ajiboye, former Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, while his counterpart from the Bayero University, Kano, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, took over as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Other agencies include the Computer Registration Council of Nigeria, Afolabi Aderinto; National Commission for Colleges of Education, Prof Bappah Aliyu; National

It is too early to begin to expect much from the new CEO

Teachers Institute, Prof Garba Dahuwa Azare; Librarian Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof. Michael Afolabi, and the National Mathematical Centre, Prof Steven Ejugwu Onah. The National Institute of Nigerian Languages has Prof. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche as its new Chief Executive Officer. Meanwhile, the four CEOs whose tenures were yet to lapse but were retained in the shake-up include those of the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council, Prof. Samaila Junaidu; Nigerian French Language Village, Prof Rauf Adebisi; National Board for Technical Education, Dr. Mas’ud Kazaure and National Arabic Language Village, Prof. Muhammad Mu’az. Reacting to the shake-up, some stakeholders including the President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Dr. Usman Dutse; former Registrar of the University of Lagos and now Visiting Registrar at the National Universities Commission, Mr. Oluwarotimi Shodimu; leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and its West African Polytechnics Students’ Union (WAPSU), among others, in separate interviews with New Telegraph, have listed their expectations if the sector is to move forward. While acknowledging the fact that the change of batons had been long overdue for some of the agencies, especially the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board

(JAMB), citing cases of inconsistences in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the admission crisis that characterised the ongoing 2016/2017 admission process, the stakeholders commended the Federal Government for the bold steps taken and for putting round pegs in round holes. Specifically, the ASUP President, who noted that it would be too early to expect so much from the new heads of these parastatals, however, said the union would only appeal for consistency in government policies in the sector. “It is too early to begin to expect much from the new Chief Executive Officers who are mostly political appointees. But one thing that is important is to advise them against repeating the mistakes of the past. We will appreciate the review of some of the policies which are no longer in tandem with the present realities in the sector globally,” Usman said. On his part, Shodimu expressed satisfaction with the caliber of individuals appointed to superintend the agencies, saying through its actions, the Federal Government has demonstrated responsiveness by conceding to superior arguments on important matters such as the issue of admission to higher institutions. According to Shodimu, JAMB in the recent time had constituted a CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

education

Kayode Olanrewaju

head of resumption of schools in September, the Sterling Bank Plc has launched its BackTo-School Campaign, which is aimed at providing succour for all stakeholders in the sector. With the launch of the BackTo-School campaign, relief seemed to have come the way of parents, guardians, teachers and proprietors of schools in the country. According to the bank, the primary target of the campaign are the primary and secondary schools administrators, owners and teachers, while in the secondary audience are primary and secondary school students and their parents. It listed some of the areas to be covered under the campaign to include school financing, asset finance, textbook and educational materials finance for schools; school fees finance for parents; coding and robotics summer boot camp for children, household equipment finance and training for teachers, among others. The Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Finance, Mr. Shina Atilola, in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, explained that the school fees financing solution was introduced to provide parents with instant financing for school fees and allow them to put their children and wards in

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Relief as Sterling Bank launches back-to-school campaign

school while awaiting salaries and other receivables. He explained that under the bank’s asset finance scheme, existing and new account holders will qualify for short-term financing against receivables, while “Sterling Bank can finance acquisition of buses, ICT infrastructure, interactive boards and other items the school might wish to purchase in the Back-to-School season under the asset finance scheme.” Atilola noted that schools in the books of the bank could access finance for 90-day tenure at very competitive rates compared to the industry benchmark. “This would be an incentive to school owners as surveys have shown that a large number of schools have challenges with payment of salaries and for renovation projects when school fees are not fully received,” he explained. However, he added that existing and prospective schools could also enjoy free deployment of the bank’s Eduportal and Payment Gateway at no cost to the school, even as he pointed out that the solution provides a platform to integrate the payment of

school fees, levies and any other school-related payments. “The platform also aids record-keeping, and makes for seamless day-to-day management of operations in schools,” Atilola said, adding that the bank offers schools a quick financing solution to purchase textbooks and learning materials from major publishing houses and bookshops such as Learn Africa Plc, Doroena Books and other designated outlets for the school year. Atilola further explained that schools that open salary accounts for their teachers this season will have their teachers qualify automatically for the Bank’s Personal Financial

Management and other teacher training programmes (for both local and foreign courses). Under the Household Equipment Finance, he explained that teachers with salary accounts would qualify for discounted acquisition of household items with flexible payment plans. He said further: “New and existing I-CAN-SAVE customers, who have opened and maintained a balance of N50,000 in their accounts for a minimum of 30-day period qualify for freebies and are eligible to Coding School Summer Boot Camp and Robotics Training Schools being organised by the bank during the holidays.” Sterling Bank Plc, “the

one-customer bank,” is a fullservice national commercial bank with an asset base above N800 billion, over 187 business offices and more than 800 ATMs nationwide. In over 55 years of service, Sterling Bank (formerly NAL Bank) has evolved from the nation’s pre-eminent investment banking institution to a fully-fledged commercial bank. With a strong national presence, the bank, Atilola argued is one of the top 30 most capitalized institutions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, even as he noted that the bank has also remained one of the country’s fastest growing banks and is recognised as a dynamic financial services organisation. A cross-section of the pupils of Unique Laurel International School, Lagos during their graduation and prize-giving ceremony.

How Nigeria can attain greatness, by ABUAD founder Sulaiman Salawudeen Ado-Ekiti

he Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has insisted that Nigeria will escape the mire of underdevelopment only if, and when the youth were given the right mentoring and guide. The foremost legal icon lamented what he described as deep seated indiscipline, especially among Nigerian leaders, saying that genuine change should begin with the youths, who should be properly nurtured by their parents and qualitative education. His words: “Parents, primary, secondary, university education systems must ensure they offer the right guide that would make the youth useful leaders. The country does not need youths, who are criminals because the only sustainable change is the focused on the youth.” The legal icon disclosed this at the university during his investiture as the National Patron of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYC). Expressing strong belief in the viability of Nigeria as an entity, Babalola said: “How can Nigeria become strong. It is through building virile youths. I congratulate those who thought of helping this country by bringing the youths together like this. “We established this university to make a change in the youths through character and

learning. We needed to do something different. Our leaders have failed us. Our education system has collapsed, while several old universities are not working and are not making the best out of the youths. Where is character in public institutions today?” ABUAD, he said was established to bridge the gaps in quality tertiary education in the country, expressing the determination to position the university as a model of how a university should be run and what its products should be like. He added: “Already, we are building a total new world for the youth, and I want to invite you to join us in developing a philosophy of building a wholesome academic curricular in which any graduate would be above board in learning and character. Responding, the President of the Council, Mr. Ibukun Oluwole extolled Chief Afe’s virtues, describing the legal luminary as “a role model,” in the corporate pursuit, academic and agricultural excellence. According to him, the choice of the legal icon and notable philanthropist as the National Patron of the NYC was in recognition as an epitome of possibilities. “There are so many things about Chief Afe. He is an incurable optimist. In a society where many people steal public funds and invest outside the country, he established this university (ABUAD) to produce the best for the nation and world at large.”

NDDC boss harps on endowment to fund tertiary institutions Mojeed Alabi

he Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, has advised universities and other tertiary institutions to set up non-profit, wholly-owned subsidiaries to manage their endowments. In fact, she urged them to seek potential donors for possible areas of interest that could attract research funds. Semenitary gave this advice while delivering a lecture at the eighth Registry Annual Lecture of the Federal University of Technology Akure

Ajayi

(FUTA), where she spoke on: “Endowments, Grants and Corporate Social Responsibility as Funding Options for Tertiary and Research Institutions in Nigeria.” While saying that the universities should collaborate with other institutions to help grow the pool of endowments and grant funds available to them, she reiterated the fact that education funding is more tasking than what government alone could shoulder. She said that the higher institutions could attract funds through endowment, partnership with the private sector, wealthy individuals who have integrity, among others, even as the NDDC boss encouraged them to engage in critical alumni relations that will attract “give back” from their alumni. Speaking on the role of NDDC in developing manpower and infrastructure in universities, she said: “The NDDC runs a robust education directorate that focuses on appropriate and sustainable manpower development. Currently, the Commission is constructing students’ hostels as part of its regional proj-

ects across the nine mandate states. We do not only build, but also equip and handover the hostels to beneficiary institutions. The objective is to save the schools from that burden, thereby freeing scarce resources for other pressing needs, while at the same time creating an enabling scholarly environment for students.” On the hostel accommodation under construction at FUTA, she promised a speedy completion, saying: “Let me assure you that the Commission is earnestly taking steps to address the issue of abandoned projects by the contractors and we will get on with it without further delay.” Addressing the issue of funding higher education in the country, the Chairman on the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olatunde Arayela said: “The economic reality staring us in the face in our dear country has shown that stakeholders in education sector needed to device creative ways of finding alternative funding for education.”

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

education

Academy graduates trainees, harps on vocational skills

Fagbohun

VC tasks staff, students on physical exercise Kayode Olanrewaju

he need for members of staff and students of the Lagos State University (LASU) to engage actively in physical exercise to keep their body fit, has been stressed by the ViceChancellor of the state-owned institution, Prof. ‘Lanre Fagbohun. Fagbohun, who admonished them to take exercise as a way of life, however, said that they should always balance service delivery and academic with routine physical exercise. The vice-chancellor, who was represented by the Registrar of the university, Mr. Akinwunmi Oladapo Lewis gave the advice during the sensitisation programme on health benefits exercise for members of staff and students, which was organised by the University Sports Centre at the Hussam Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Sports Centre, Ojo, main campus of the institution. He reminded the participants comprising of staffers and students that “it cannot be academic and work all the time; and not only theory as well, but we must once in a while go practical. We must balance academic activities and service delivery with physical exercise for us to live a healthy life.” The vice-chancellor applauded the organisers and urged members of the university community to take advantage of the opportunity, especially, “the new dawn” at the university, saying: “I strongly believe that we all need to go back to the basics”. In his paper, the Acting Director, LASU Sports Centre, Dr. Femi Adeogun urged all to embrace the culture of regular exercises, claiming that majority of the staff members and students were under-exercised. “We all are under exercised as a nation. We look, instead of play. We ride, instead of walk; our existence and lifestyle deprive us the minimum of physical activities essential for healthy living. Physical inactivity is an epidemic,” he lamented. The acting director listed some of the benefits of physical exercise to include boosting of mood, controls weight, improvement of mental alertness, physical fitness, reduction of medical cost and enhancement of sexual life, among other benefits.

Some of the graduating trainees

Kayode Olanrewaju

ey stakeholders in the nation’s technical and vocational sub-sector last week forged united front on how to leverage on skill acquisition and training programmes to improve quality of artisans and create employment opportunities in the country. It was at the graduation ceremony of Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI), a non-governmental organisation academy established in 2004 to empower vulnerable girls and women with mechanical and technical skills. The Chief Executive Officer and Founder of LMI, Mrs. Sandra Aguebor, who is the first lady mechanic in the country, said that the initiative occupies

a veritable and unique space in the world of vocational education, employment, job creation and small and medium size business development in the country. While welcoming guests including the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Board (LASTVEB), Mr. Olawumi Gasper, who represented Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode; the General Services Officer of the United States Embassy, Mr. Steven Fox; Mr. Jalla Aminu, who stood in for the Minister of Trade and Commerce; Mrs. Mary Isiong, who represented the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development; Mr. Adeyemi Brown from NEBTEB; representatives from Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and Federal

Ministry of Youth, Sports Development, she noted that the initiative was a response to the urgent need to remove poverty, especially among women and encourage them to actualize their dream and aspirations. “The main objectives of LMI are to take the women and girls away from the streets, up-skilled and empower them to be useful to themselves and relevant to the society by contributing meaningfully to national economy and to be self-reliant,” Mrs. Aguebor noted. Tracing the journey of the initiative, Mrs. Aguebor, an engineer by profession, said it was a dream which she took up as a challenge. Her words: “Some people asked why I was going into lady

A SS2 student of International school, University of Lagos, Oladipo Oduwole (2nd left), receiving a copy of the book from Mrs. Peters, while Mrs. Ojo (2nd right) and other students watch

Invest more in education sector, Nigerians told Kayode Olanrewaju

call has gone to Nigerians, especially those in authority and members of the political class to invest adequately in the education sector in order to provide unfettered access to sound and functional education for every child. This, it was said would fasttract the goals and realisation of the objectives of meaningful development of youths and children, who are leaders of tomorrow. Specifically, parents and guardians were urged not to abdicate their responsibilities to the school, teachers and the society, but to strive at all times

to complement their efforts through regular monitoring of their children and wards’ activities at school and home. This was as they were advised to join hands with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other public spirited organisations and societies in moulding the character of the children for the future in order to attain their enviable heights. The call was made by the Principal of International School, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos, while receiving a former Principal of the school, Mrs. Olusola Peters, who visited the school on behalf of her daughter a 1988 graduate of the school, Mrs. Idowu Olufunke Of-

fokansi to donate some books. Mrs. Offokansi, a Londonbased SAP Consultant, is a counselor and publisher of an audio visual book, titled: “Can Do,” a collection of inspirational quotes for teens and young adults, which she donated to the school. The presentation, which was performed on her behalf by her mother (Mrs. Peters) at the main auditorium of the school, Akoka campus of UNILAG, is part of her contribution towards the development of her alma mater. The donation of copies of the books to the school was said to have been borne out of Mrs. Offokansi’s passion to assist and develop the younger ones.

mechanic, but today it is a huge success story. It gives the lady mechanics a source of livelihood; it elevates their status from poverty and to make them have a voice in future. I have been doing this for the past 31 years running my mechanic workshop. This initiative began about 20 years ago, in which I have been running free Lady Mechanic Initiative, a nonprofit making empowerment initiative for lady mechanics.” The Chief Executive said LMI literarily, takes the girls and women, some of who are street hawkers, commercial sex workers, school drop-outs, married women who wanted to acquire skills, and those who once travelled out of the country for greener pasture, but which they could not get off the streets and empower them. To encourage the trainees, Mrs. Aguebor hinted that the academy pays them N10,000 monthly stipends to cushion the effects of the training on them. So far, the LMI School of Engineering has trained over 1,000 trainees, who are said to have established their mechanical workshops across the country eking out a living and also training other women. “The major aim is to train and empower girl mechanics,” she noted, saying no fewer than 170 trainees would be graduating at the ceremony, which took place at the Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Lagos. Under the Lady Mechanic Free Training Programme, the academy offered training in Lady Automobile Technician (LAT); Lady Speedboat Technician (LST); Lady Mechanic Professional Driver Training (LDP); Lady Mechanic Generator Repair Expert (GRE); Lady Mechanic Speedboat Driver (LSD); Lady Mechanic After School Club, which has been introduced into secondary schools in Lagos, from where they could proceed to the Lady Mechanic Academy for wide-ranging training and certification; as well as Lady Mechanic Summer School Class, which is also a summer school programme that offers young girls to diverse fundamentals of automobile repairs. The programme, which is being sponsored by Mac Arthur Foundation, is today graduating 20 female mechanic technicians; 20 generator technicians; 20 household water pump technicians; 20 female professional drivers in Kano State; and 90 after school club students. Mrs. Aguebor said the Lady Mechanic Initiatives are also in five states of the federation – Lagos, Benin, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt, while it has graduated over 1,000 lady mechanics in the last few years, who have their workshops and training others women. On the feedback on the graduates of the academy, she noted: “We have an alumni of the graduates of the academy called the Lady Mechanic and there are 500 members in number.”

education | public discourse

Reactions on improved performance in WASSCE

Adenipekun: We should give credit to teachers, candidates, parents Mr. Olu Adenipekun is the Head, Nigeria’s National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

he management of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) is very impressed with the performance this year because if you look at the performance rate in the last few years, you would realise the significant improvement. The percentage of candidates that obtained credits in five subjects and above including English Language and Mathematics in the WASSCE for candidates in 2014 and 2015, was 31.28 and 38.68 per cent respectively. So, the credit cannot go to an individual or

any single organisation because in the business of teaching and learning, team work always gives good results. We will, therefore, acknowledge the efforts of the teachers, parents and the candidates themselves. Everyone has contributed significantly towards ensuring that the best is achieved. And, indeed we must add as well that the training and retraining of staff facilitated by WAEC in partnership with education ministries nationwide must have contributed to the success recorded.

Adenipekun

At this juncture, let me use this medium to appreciate the staff of the Council, whose dedication and commitment to duty contributed immensely to the successes recorded during the conduct, marking and processing of the results of the 2016 WASSCE for School Candidates in Nigeria.

Alabi: Multi-dimensional factors must be responsible Mr. Dare Alabi is an Assistant Director, Education Administration Department at the Osun Central Education District Office, Ila Orangun

want to strongly believe that the factors responsible for the success are multi-dimensional. Teachers, parents, governments and the candidates must have contributed very well. I will cite the case of Osun State in particular. It used to be the tradition that the state sponsors all Senior School (SS 3) candidates to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations either competent or incompetent, but this year the government decided to screen the candi-

Akhetuamen

have to be thankful to the government and the teachers because I am a beneficiary of this improved performance. My daughter at the Queen’s College, Yaba, made four As, four Bs and only one Credit in the examination. I am very proud of the performance. This, I can attribute to improved

dates by conducting mock examination. Those, who did not pass the examination, but whose parents insisted they should write the examination had to sponsor themselves. So, this new development must have curbed significantly the incidence of failure in the state. Another factor here is that the state had earlier suspended evening classes for the pupils, but lately, the government approved the return of evening lessons to the system.

Alabi

Besides, there is also inproved supervision and monitoring of schools and teachers by the Education Inspectors across the state. One major factor that I am very sure would have added value to the system in Osun State in particular, is the condition that if pupils do not do well in a particular subjects in external examinations, then the teachers of the subject in the affected schools will not be promoted.

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fanfare as Molaks School bids ‘Ambassadors’ farewell Oluwatosin Adepoju

mid excitement and fanfare the owners, management and staff of Molaks High School, a private school sited at IjuIshaga, Lagos last week bade their graduating students, they described as “future leaders” farewell last week. It was at this year’s edition of the school’s graduating and prize-giving ceremony, where the graduating students were sent forth to the next phase of academic life. The event, which was held at the school premises, was attended by the parents, guardians and other wellwishers, who had come to celebrate the progress of their children and wards. The Proprietor of the school, Mr. Okeleye Kehinde, who hinted that having nurtured the students for academic growth and development for quite a number of years, said that was made possible with the support of parents and staff. He expressed excitement at the progress and success so far recorded by the school, as well as the quality of education and moral rectitude imparted on the graduating students, which will make them useful citizens of the country. The Proprietor, however, said that one of the challenges facing the school in the upbringing of the children, who are teenagers, is that they always want to be independent and be free from the teachers’ control and discipline. “But, with wisdom and patience we are able to cope with them,” Okeleye stressed, even as he advised that as the students progress to their next level of academic pursuit, they should be focused, prayerful and not desist from the path of instructions given them by

their parents, teachers and guardians. In fact, he added that parents on their own part should always guide the children with the right advice and give them moral and financial support to achieve excellence in life. Meanwhile, the Principal of the school, Mr. Oloke Abidemi admonished the students to take caution not to abuse the freedom they are about to be exposed to in the next phase of academic world, saying that they should be disciplined and take their academics more serious as they find themselves in tertiary institutions. He said that the school has groomed the students to a certain level where they should be able to adapt to any rigorous academic situation wherever they find themselves, even as he urged them to apply the training and knowledge they have acquired in the last six years of qualitative education and moral training in the school. Worried by the cases of some students who come to school in tattered uniforms and looking unkempt, Oloke appealed to the parents to ensure that their children and wards wear neat uniforms and to appear tidy to school. “In as much as the school is ensuring that the students’ lateness to school is curbed, parents should also play their part in curbing the act,” the principal advised, saying parents should ensure prompt payment of their wards’ school fees and also provide them with necessary educational materials such as textbooks to equip the students and support the growth of their learning. However, the proprietor and principal expressed gratitude to God Almighty for the success of the year, and also to parents and guardians for their support always to the development of the school and their children.

L-R: The Proprietress, Mrs. Okeleye Temitope Funmilayo, Mr. Okeleye and Mr. Oloke with the graduating students

Akhetuamen: Teaching method has improved

Kogi set for education summit

Mrs. Beatrice Akhetuamen is the Chairman of the Parent Teachers’ Association of the Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos.

teaching method and techniques in schools. This year, the college introduced class before breakfast for the pupils and after breakfast they now go to their classrooms. They also created more time for pupils with some forms of difficulties in their academic work. These are some of the factors that I can ascribe to the enhanced performance, especially

the teachers’ dedication and commitment. But there is an area I will like the teachers to look into which is the fact that not all students are equal in terms of abilities and so special classes should be conducted for slow learners in order to keep them at same pace with the fast learners. That will greatly impact on the pupils meaningfully.

interviews conducted by mojeed alabi

Zacchaeus Ozovehe Lokoja

etermined to reinvigorate the education sector in the state, the Kogi State Government has spoken about plans to convene a summit on education, which will serve as platform for major stakeholders in the state’s education project to highlight the challenges bedeviling the sector with a view to finding lasting solution. This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Empowerment, Sports and Student Affairs, Comrade Moses Eseyin during the sensitisation and familiarisation tour of some tertiary institutions in the state. According to the Special Adviser, the summit, which is expected to draw participants from all tertiary institutions in the state, Ministry of Education, Students’ Union bodies and the State Scholarship and Bursary Board

will chart a new course for development of education sector which hitherto is struggling for survival. “The era whereby people stay in the office to dish out policies concerning education in the state is over. This administration is concerned and passionate about youth empowerment and development. That is why the issue of education summit to iron out striking challenges in our schools becomes imperative,” Eseyin said. During the tour, the Special Adviser visited the Federal College of Education (FCE), Okene; Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba; ABU College of Agriculture, Kabba and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Obangede. In his remarks, the FCE Deputy Registrar, Students’ Affairs, Mr. Isaac Gambo expressed delight at the level of transparency and commitment of the present administration to alleviate the suffering of students.

interview | education

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG not doing well in education sector, says UNIJOS don Could you shed more light on the theme of your recent inaugural lecture: Suicide by Installment? Well, suicide means killing oneself, while installment means something happening step by step. The concept of the theme came up because most times people do something unconsciously or unknowingly. Unknown to them those things are harmful or dangerous. Let me give you an instance, the food we eat, sometimes we go to restaurants where there are food of different colour - red, green, yellow - all these things used dye or colouring and my study as a Toxicologist has revealed that those colourants are poisonous, and could bring about cancer. I have come to realise that most of this colourants have been banned in other countries but unfortunately they find their way into the country. That is in the aspect of food. Even in the area of drinks, such as energy drinks, cedar drinks, some companies used sapolenes which destroys the red blood cells. They use it to create foam so that their drinks could foam. The bottom line is what we eat is installmentally damaging ourselves, and we allowed ourselves to be destroyed. If you look back 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, some disease were alien to Nigerians, even cancer was not that rampant, but now cancer is very rampant and it is as a result of we eat and what we do. By the time we realise that and change our eating pattern we are to go back to those natural food, vegetables and fruits. Most importantly, in the area of drugs; sometimes people go to pharmacy outlets and pick any drug. It is not strange to see somebody entering a chemist or patent store requesting for paracetamol, requesting for pain relievers and other medications, but some of the drugs have been banned which they do not know. Rather, we should have gone to a pharmacist who will give us a direction and tell us whether a drug is good or not. But, such abuse of drugs is a very common case in the country presently. With that we can say that we are gradually killing ourselves by gradually reducing our life span. In those days life expectancy was over 80yrs and if you go to villages you see people who are 100 years old. Something you have to know is that they eat natural food and local dishes devoid of the plenty condiments which are being eating in the cities. Today, people hardly reach 40 years or 50years and so on. That is what the theme of my lecture, set to highlight. As a Professor of Toxicology, what is your advice to the government? You see the Federal Government, through NAFDAC under the late Prof. Dora Akunyili did well but suddenly something happened, but again I want to believe that there is room for improvement. If those drugs are not accepted in their countries they should not bring

Noel Wannang is a Professor of Neuropharmacology and Toxicology at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos (UNIJOS). A Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in this interview with MUSA PAM said the Federal Government has not done well in the area of education, ban on the sales of sex enhancement drugs, and establishment of research training institute on herbal medicines, among other national issues. them into our country. There are drugs which ordinarily should not to be on our shelves and in hospitals such as Novalgin and Analgin. They cause bone marrow depression but they are available in the Nigerian market. There is a common drug that they use for catarrh and cold, which I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want name, but that causes cancer. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to mention their names because they are trade names; they cause cancer and thse drugs are sold in urban cities and in the villages. If they are found in that quality in the urban centres, I sympathise with those villagers that do not know anything about the drugs. Of course, the Federal Government can do a lot about this, by introducing Toxicology laboratories to be manned by experts and professionals so that each of these imported drugs could be randomly subjected to scientific validation, in order to be sure that they do not have any toxicity or toxicological index. That also relates to the mandates or functions of NAFDAC. All those drinks and food that have found themselves into Nigeria, must be subjected to real analysis. And having said that, the distribution system of drugs in the country

Wannang

All those drinks and food that have found themselves into Nigeria, must be subjected to real analysis

is faulty and there must be a distribution system that fits humanity. If you go motor parks you will see people selling drugs on trays such as kolaut, sweets and chocolates, those things should be banned. Advertisement of drugs is also against the law, but nobody knows, if you go to terminus market now, you will hear people ringing bell on drugs as if they are selling clothes, you will see the traditional medicine practitioners with loudspeakers carrying snakes, carrying horns it should be banned because it is not acceptable, but the enforcement is always the problem. Nigeria, as a country has almost every rule that is necessary to keep law and order, and to maintain law and order, but the enforcement is always the issue. The Nigerian police must rise to their expectations. NAFDAC should live up to its expectations, while other security agents should play their roles in this regard and with that we will be able to curtail the importation of fake drugs, importation unlicensed and unaccepted, as well as unwarranted drugs into the system and then invariably when you cutoff the supply chain definitely the demand

chain will be affected. What is your assessment of the education sector and how will you rate the Federal Government? Let me answer this question in two phases, education I must confess, the Federal Government has not done reasonably well in terms of education delivery. I could remember in the days of the last administration promises were made and that led to incessant strikes by ASUU, promises were made by the Federal Government and unfortunately it reneged on those promise. It is unfortunate if the government agreed to do certain thing and is coming back to start renegotiating. There is integrity issue; university system should not close even for one day. In fact, during the World War II no university in Germany was shut down, universities were still operating, lectures were still going on even research and new discoveries were done more during the war than after the war. But, if we have a system where there is peace and stability, the system will be allowed without be truncated. What I am saying in essence is that the government has not done much to educational system in this country, our budget is still very low, I think the figure is less than eight per cent, which is nowhere comparable to the 26 percent stipulated by UNESCO. You can see it is a decimal, a fact cry, we are not doing well; the Federal Government is not doing well in this critical aspect of national development. The government should invest more in education; any country that develops its education is actually developing the future. We are not doing that, the same applies to pharmacy. Education generally is poorly funded, more efforts should be geared towards that and then in pharmacy. Pharmacy is a course that needs researches and equipment. What is the level of training of pharmacy students at UNIJOS? To start with University of Jos is one of the best pharmacy schools in the country, In fact, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) regulations in the last 10 years, we have topped about three or four years and the quality of our graduating in the last four years has been of high quality. We produce First Class or Distinction every year, and our first class materials incidentally go outside the country to the United Kingdom, United States of America for their Masters Degree and PhD. Incidentally, in the last six years or 10 years all the first class graduates from the university went outside the country for their Masters degrees and all of them came back with a distinction, that is to justify what they have acquired from here. Between three and four years ago, all of our graduates came back from the United Kingdom, United States of America with distinction even in their PhD too they made distinctions.

education

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

eaders of St. James Catholic Church, Sabo-Oke in Ilorin, Kwara State, are unhappy about the level of dilapidation of their school, St. James RCM LGEA School. The school, one of the oldest primary school established by the church, and which was forcefully taken over by the state government, is in its total state of ruin. The derelict St James RCM School is located within the premises of other magnificent structures built by the church, but the church could hardly build another structure for the school or improve its facilities since it is no longer the owner. Speaking with newsmen as part of activities marking the Fathers Feast of the church, the Chairman of the church’s Building Committee, Prof. Aderemi Olutola, lamented the neglect of a school, where the likes of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, the late Prof. Adewole Oyinloye began his academic career as

TUESDAY, august 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Church seeks return of school to mission a Headmaster. Olutola, a Knight of St. Gregory, said the church is seeking among others things either the government step in to renovate the school and upgrade it like its peers in the neighbourhood, or outright hand it over to the church and to see the wonders that it will transform the school. His words: “It appears that the government is not responsible as such to the school. There was a time that I had to renovate the first two blocks when they became so dilapidated. The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) wrote me a letter thanking me for what I had done. We then thought they could be more proactive in renovating the school so that it would be worthy of being called foundation primary school. Even since then, they have not been able to do anything. “I want to say that in the Catholic Mission, there is a committee that is responsi-

ble for schools and they have had meetings with SUBEBE to complain about the deplorable state of the school. Since the government is not forthcoming, we feel that the school should now be returned to the mission. If the Catholic Mission is to take responsibility for repairing the school, then the Mission should have total control by returning the school to the mission, the original owner. To me, the government is dragging its feet on returning the school to the owner and hence the dilapidation is so glaring. “I was discussing with the Reverend Father at that time, that we could use part of the roofing sheet in the mission to repair the blown off roof, but why should we keep on doing that when the management of the school is in the hands of the government? You will then wonder why we should be putting in money in a school that is controlled by the government in terms of administration.

The dilapidated school building. Inset: Olutola

ASUP, NANS: Policy inconsistencies must be stopped C ON T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 3 1

kind of stumbling block to the hitherto smooth transition of students from the high schools to tertiary institutions. He said: “JAMB under Prof. Ojerinde, in the recent times had become acrobatic in its approach to issues and the high level of inconsistences has brought much shame on the government and the entire university system. It took the vice-chancellors to hold more than four emergency meetings and even it was at a point they were mulling the legal option that the registrar was sacked. “I think the fact that most of the technocrats in government do not tell the politicians who appointed them the truth about the system is not right. I am one of these technocrats and I think it is high time we stopped the idea of hoarding the truth from our employers. We should face the facts for the sake of posterity and the sector we represent. Mistakes and administrative lapses in the education sector could greatly affect the country and lives of the people, because it is not like a biscuit factory, where production error could be pardoned or

easily corrected without leading to any significant loss.” For the immediate past Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria (CVCRPU), Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, there is the need for the new Chief Executive Officers to hold regular meetings with the stakeholders in the sector to understand current issues affecting their agencies. Adeyemi, who has just returned to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, having completed his 10-year tenure as the vice-chancellor of the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, also advised the new helmsmen to sustain workable policies in their agencies in order to avoid halting development of the sector. The Chairman of the Zone D chapter of NANS, Okikiola Ogunsola, urged the new Chief Executive Officers to prioritise the growth of the sector and work together with all stakeholders to achieve the best for the sector. Ogunsola, who is a student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun,

Ogun State, applauded the choice of the experts so far appointed by the Federal Government to lead the sector out of the woods, saying the expectations of the students’ body is a rebirth of the nation’s tertiary education in the country. Also, the WAPSU President, Salawudeen Lukman, wants the dichotomy between the HND and BSc degree certificates resolved once and for all. He said the choice of Oloyede and Baffa to head JAMB and TETFund respectively, is a right decision based on their antecedents and pedigree. He, however, advised that Baffa should review the TETFund policy, which he said currently allocates resources based on nomenclature and not the institutions’ carrying capacities. Some stakeholders are worried about the new JAMB’s helmsman- Oloyede, advising him to tread softly, saying if his antecedent at the University of Ilorin where he failed to obey court orders for the reinstatement of the 49-sacked lecturers was anything to go by, administering JAMB may be difficult for him.

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)  Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre

for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin

JAMB: The chief has come

“I

f you have a book for recording forecasts, please mark my words and make this entry into the book. By the time Prof. Oloyede is through with the University of Ilorin as Vice-Chancellor, you will not only be ‘Better By Far, you will, if you permit the usage, be ‘Far, Far, Better By Far.” Those were the words of a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola (OFR), while delivering a convocation lecture at the University of Ilorin a year after Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede became the Vice-Chancellor of the University, precisely on October 21, 2008. Nothing would make a person of Prof. Okebukola’s reputation give such a definitive endorsement except for his deep knowledge of the personality involved. At the end of the day, when Prof. Oloyede completed his assignment as Vice-Chancellor, the entire University was transformed in all spheres of development. An external indicator was that the University that was not featuring in the ranking table eventually became consistently ranked by international ranking agencies the best in Nigeria and one of the best twenty in Africa. So dynamic was Oloyede that not only the University of Ilorin felt his far-reaching impact. The national, regional, continental and global university communities knew that Nigeria had an extra-ordinary university administrator that blazed the trail and redefined administrative acumen. In other words, as ViceChancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Oloyede was at various times also the Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU)/ Committee of ViceChancellors (CVC), President of the Association of African Universities (AAU) and Board member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and International Association of Universities (IAU). He also initiated the Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU), established through the “Ilorin Declaration”. Well known for his intellectual depth, academic dynamism, tremendous courage and abundant physical energy, Prof. Oloyede would dare the devil and damn the consequences. A man of transparent honesty and unblemished integrity, he banished cultism from the University of Ilorin and the bad boys fled for good. He was the Vice-Chancellor who with his deputy laid ambush for a notorious criminal at 11:30 p.m., personally arresting him and keeping the female students safe thereafter. By the time he completed his eventful tenure, the whole University was grateful and he left big shoes that only Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, the current ViceChancellor, could perfectly fill in.

It was the typical Nigerian attitude of considering beheading the solution to headache

So, when the announcement was made last July 31, 2016 that Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, is the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), there was an instant excitement in several circles. The excitement was based on the new chief ’s pedigree and the firm belief of several Nigerians that he is a man that would reform the Board, which pissed many Nigerians off in the past one that clamour was made for its scrapping by serious-minded stakeholders, including newspapers. It was the typical Nigerian attitude of considering beheading the solution to headache. Now that “the chief has come” (Oloye de) to JAMB, following Prof. Okebukola, one can also aver that change indeed has come. His appointment will no doubt impact positively on the lives of millions of Nigerian adolescents and adults alike who must pass through JAMB to attain higher education in about 1,000 tertiary institutions in the country. I heard with one ear (apologies to Prof. Pius Adesanmi) that some people, motivated by religious bigotry, ethnic zealotry and crass hypocrisy, are denigrating Prof. Oloyede but the sun cannot be smeared by their sticky mud. I also learnt, half-heartedly, that they are flooding the social media with hate and hubris. I they should “kontinue” and earn a living by so doing. Afterall, William Shakespeare had said in immortal words in his “Hamlet”, “…be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou can’t escape calumny.” Ultimately, one thing is certain, regardless of being friend or foe, “the chief has come” on Board: to paraphrase Prof. Okebukola, dear Nigerians, “if you have a book for recording forecasts, please mark my words and make this entry into the book. By the time Prof. Oloyede is through with JAMB as Registrar, it will not only be ‘BETTER BY FAR’, it will, if you permit the usage, be ‘FAR, FAR, BETTER BY FAR.’”

RE: WHY NOT ME?

e have to see life as a place full of trouble and the strength to be above or manage the challenges is man’s greatest nemesis. This is the situation where the Almighty God reveals His mightiness to mere mortals. – Aina Akindele Oyebanji, Ketu, Lagos

BUSINESS |Money Line

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Considerate Macro-economic challenges impact lenders

Tony Chukwunyem

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted banks in the country a, “oneoff forbearance, this year 2016,” to write-off fully provided Non Performing Loans (NPLs) without waiting for the mandatory one year as required by extant prudential guidelines. This was contained in a circular signed by CBN’s Director, Banking Supervision Department, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins. Specifically, she said the concession was in view of “current macro-economic challenges”. The circular, stated: “The CBN acknowledges the re-

Bad loans: CBN gives banks concession change rate policy, which resulted in the devaluation of the naira. The circular had stated, “In continuation of the efforts to enhance efficiency, facilitate liquidity and transparency in the foreign exchange market, the CBN issued the Revised Guidelines for the Operations of the Nigerian Inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market on June 15, 2016. “One of the effects of

quest by banks to amend the requirements of S.3.21 (a) of the prudential Guidelines, which mandates banks to retain in their records, fully provided Non performing Loans (NPLs) for a period of one year before write-off. “The CBN has no intention to repeal the provision of the above mentioned section of the guidelines. In view of the current macro-economic challenges however, the CBN hereby grant a one-off forbearance, this year 2016, to banks, to write-off fully provided NPLs without waiting for the mandatory one year.” It would be recalled that the CBN in a circular issued a fortnight ago, ordered banks to make provision for all delinquent foreign currency loans on their books. It said the move became necessary following the commencement of the flexible ex-

itch Ratings has affirmed the national ratings of the Bank of Industry (BoI) and seven other banks operating in the country. According to Fitch, the rating actions follow Fitch’s downgrade of Nigeria’s Long-Term Local Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-’, as a result of which it is now equalised with the Long-Term Foreign

Currency IDR. A statement from Fitch explained that the new rating was driven by change in Fitch’s sovereign rating criteria. “Following the sovereign criteria change and rating action, Fitch has recalibrated the National Rating scale for Nigeria. As a result, the National Ratings for these banks are affirmed as there is no change in their relative creditworthiness.

Tony Chukwunyem

ast week’s directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that banks should begin to embed Bank Verification Number (BVN) biometric

“The National Ratings of BOI are driven by potential sovereign support reflecting its 99.9 per cent state ownership, its policy role and the bank’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s economic and industrial development”, statement noted. BoI, however, maintained that it remains very virile and better repositioned to push the frontier of the nation’s industrial sector through aggressive business financing.

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

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 16.5 14 10.77 US$42.33 US$26,001,062,262

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 June, 2016 26/07/2016 Mar 2015 4/8/2016 4/8/2016

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 104.54 114.58 111.91 120.62 109.79 100.32 83.54 97.16

1.06 3.23 3.86 5.81 7.94 9.80 14.30 18.29

NIBOR

Rate (%) 4.2500 8.2420 10.1127 11.7162

Bid Yield 10.45 10.54 11.61 11.43 12.23 12.43 12.49 12.54

Change (%) -0.21 ▼ -0.87 ▼ -0.90 ▼ -0.66 ▼

Change (%) 0.07 ▲ -0.01 ▼ 0.01 ▲ -0.01 ▼ -0.04 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.06 ▲

Price 104.69 114.88 112.21 120.92 110.09 100.62 83.84 97.46

Tenor (Months)

Change (%) 0.07 ▲ -0.01 ▼ 0.01 ▲ -0.01 ▼ -0.04 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.06 ▲

NITTY

Rate (%) 5.1731 6.4137 7.3300 8.8857 9.6247 10.5416

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Offer Yield 10.30 10.44 11.52 11.36 12.18 12.38 12.44 12.50

Change (%) -1.82 ▼ -0.82 ▼ -0.75 ▼ -0.32 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.04 ▲

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) 7.34 7.47 -0.35 ▼ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 3.75 30-Jun-16 7.59 7.73 -0.35 ▼ 6-Oct-16 8.37 8.12 8.47 -0.24 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 4.25 8.74 -0.24 ▼ 16-Mar-17 9.40 10.32 0.04 ▲ 9.15 10.02 0.04 ▲

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.14

Offer 199.24

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

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

196.00

197.00

0.00 ↔

the Guidelines, which liberalised the foreign exchange market, is the increase in balances on foreign currency-denominated loans and advances in the books of banks, especially facilities that had been fully provided for under the previous exchange rate regime, but were yet to be written off as per our extant regulation under Section 3.21(a) of the Prudential Guidelines for Deposit Money Banks in

Nigeria of July 1, 2010. “Consequently, to ensure adequate and proper provisioning, banks are by this circular, required to ensure that the unprovisioned portion on all such facilities are fully provided for immediately in the income statements and evidence of the additional provisions forwarded to the Director of Banking Supervision within one week of the date of this circular.”

‘How CBN drives up costs in banking industry’

Fitch affirms BoI’s sovereign rating Taiwo Hassan

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) -0.08 ▼ -0.08 ▼

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

data in payment cards issued by them is generating ripples in the industry as lenders have said that the move would drive up their costs. Bank officials who spoke with New Telegraph on condition of anonymity, said that the apex bank did not seem to have taken cognisance of the serious challenges currently facing lenders before issuing the directive. In a circular signed by the Director, Banking and Payment System Department, Mr. ‘Dipo Fatokun, issued to banks last Tuesday, the banking watchdog asked banks to begin to embed BVN biometric data in payment cards issued henceforth, to facilitate off-line BVN verification and biometric-based customer authentication on payment devices such as Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and Point of Sale (PoS) terminals. The regulator also directed banks and other financial institutions to allow their customers that are savings account holders to lodge in cheques in their accounts. According to the apex bank, savings account customers with BVN should be allowed to deposit cheques not more than N2 million in value per customer per day into their accounts. It explained that the decision to allow cheques in savings accounts was in

furtherance of its efforts at strengthening the Nigerian payments system. Furthermore, the CBN announced the removal of fixed interest rate on credit cards and discontinued the actual address verification in account opening, for customers with BVN. According to the circular: “Banks should begin to embed the BVN on all payment cards issued henceforth to facilitate off-line BVN verification and biometric-based customer authentication in such payment devices as the Automated Teller Machines, Point of Sale Terminal, kiosks etc. “Savings account customers with the BVN should be allowed to deposit cheques not more than N2m in value into their savings account per, customer per day. Please, be guided and ensure strict compliance with the content of this circular.” However, reacting to the directive, a bank staff said: “The new directive is going to substantially drive up costs for banks in these times when most banks are struggling to keep their heads above water. For instance, the directive that banks should begin to embed BVN biometric data in all payment cards that they issue will lead to the redesign of the cards, which is a very expensive process.”

UBA sends forth Oduoza, two EDS

nited Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc recently organised a befitting sent forth ceremony for its former Group ManagingDirector, Mr. Phillips Oduoza and two retired Executive Directors; Mr. Femi Olayoku and Ms. Obi Ibekwe. The event, which held in the presence of stakeholders including; customers, shareholders, Board of Directors, staff and associates, took place at the Eko Hotel Banquet Halls in Lagos, according to a statement from the lender. It had in attendance, top dignitaries from Nigeria and Africa, including the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi Lamido II, captains of industries such as the MTN Chairman, Mr. Pascal Dozie as well as political leaders such

as Governors Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; Simon Lalong of Plateau State. Former Governors were not left out of the roll call. Former Governor of Cross Rivers, Donald Duke, Senate Minority Leader and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio and former Governors of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniels were in attendance. Tony Elumelu, Chairman UBA Plc, in his remarks at the occasion, paid glowing tribute to Oduoza, describing him as “very cerebral, very diligent, loyal and astute.” He described Phillips Oduoza as “a wonderful colleague and supporter, a man who loves and encourages progress and a man who always works for the best of the corporate.

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

8-Aug-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 Issuer

Rating/Agency

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 14.50 15-JUL-2021 ^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

Price

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 13-Feb-15 13-Jul-16 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 14.50 16.39 14.20 12.50 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493 12.4000

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 606.43 30.00 605.31 719.99 361.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 210.00

16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 15-Jul-21 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

0.02 0.72 0.97 1.06 1.81 2.89 3.21 3.51 4.93 5.47 7.60 9.46 12.30 12.78 13.28 13.95 17.94 19.61

14.76 19.40 19.68 19.57 17.83 15.32 15.26 15.19 14.97 14.89 15.52 15.26 15.29 15.30 15.30 15.31 15.35 15.28

8.32 19.16 19.49 19.39 17.72 15.26 15.12 15.08 14.88 14.81 15.45 15.19 15.24 15.24 15.23 15.24 15.29 15.22

99.94 97.15 91.69 90.58 89.32 101.49 79.62 100.91 98.37 105.47 94.19 86.39 98.33 84.38 61.78 69.73 80.58 82.18

100.09 97.30 91.84 90.73 89.47 101.64 79.92 101.21 98.67 105.77 94.49 86.69 98.63 84.68 62.08 70.03 80.88 82.48

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

6,691.96

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

6,030.23

Rating/Agency

Agency Bonds Nil

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Description

Issuer

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

FMBN

6646.957269

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

03-Apr-12

17.25

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

0.90

03-Apr-17

0.35

2.94

20.50

98.88

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

0.70 0.65 1.40 1.21 1.22 1.41 1.41 1.37 1.80 3.29 1.87 4.30 4.40 2.63 2.65 3.21 3.24 3.27 3.39 6.46 3.53

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

20.38 25.03 21.18 20.22 20.20 22.59 22.32 22.66 19.88 17.25 18.70 16.37 18.82 18.52 16.95 16.78 19.26 16.24 17.74 16.73 18.23

93.50 93.57 91.64 93.75 93.72 90.91 90.61 92.30 93.84 93.24 94.13 91.31 88.87 92.23 96.10 97.01 93.95 100.57 99.37 100.89 96.97

0.90

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

0.89

Sub-National Bonds 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

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

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

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

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

57.00 11.33 25.00 23.44 4.22 9.45 7.01 21.68 12.55 80.00 20.55 87.50 5.00 3.74 3.76 14.37 4.39 4.53 27.10 3.00 7.34

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

432.95 404.50

Corporate Bonds

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

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR Nil Nil Nil A/GCR

NAHCO FSDH

BBB-/GCR Nil A-/DataPro†; CCC/GCR

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

***LCRM UBA

*TOWER # *TOWER UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# #{r}

*DANA *FCMB

NAHCO *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC *FCMB UBA FIDELITY *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC *NMRC

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

13.00 14.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50 13.00

15.00 5.53 112.22 116.70 66.49 20.00

29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17 30-Sep-17

0.14 0.21 0.33 0.70 0.91 1.14

1.00 1.34 1.00 3.55 5.25 1.88

16.63 17.49 18.33 22.93 24.87 21.26

99.39 99.19 99.11 95.96 93.47 91.91

30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11

18.00 16.00 18.00

0.36 3.60 1.82

30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18

0.82 0.92 1.09

1.88 3.15 6.35

21.40 22.78 25.86

98.26 94.72 93.17

09-Sep-11 30-Sep-11

16.00 14.00

0.50 35.00

09-Sep-18 30-Sep-18

1.09 2.14

1.00 1.17

20.51 18.22

95.88 92.71

18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 06-Nov-15

15.75 18.00 16.00 15.00

1.50 0.27 4.50 20.87

18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 06-Nov-20

1.19 1.27 1.40 2.25

4.42 6.11 3.28 4.47

23.68 25.19 22.07 21.28

92.34 93.00 93.26 89.76

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

4.27

1.00

16.08

97.45

04-Dec-15 20-Nov-14 30-Dec-14 13-May-15

15.50 14.25 16.45 16.48

9.76 26.00 30.50 30.00

04-Dec-20 20-Nov-21 30-Dec-21 13-May-22

2.77 5.28 5.39 5.76

3.55 2.51 1.00 1.00

19.28 17.43 15.91 15.98

92.36 89.21 101.85 101.78

26-Oct-15

16.00

10.00

26-Oct-22

3.93

2.77

17.90

94.95

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

30-Sep-24

8.14

1.00

16.44

99.26

30-Sep-14 29-Jul-15

13.25 14.90

15.44 7.86

30-Sep-24 29-Jul-30

8.14 9.32

1.00 1.00

16.44 16.28

85.89 93.81

10-Oct-20

2.39

3.37

19.86

90.91

536.07

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

513.12

Sukuk *OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.51

1.00

17.07

91.18

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

*AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

2.73

1.00

14.09

93.87

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

BBB-/Agusto

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

14.75

9.02

9.02 8.20

Supranational Bond

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 23.10 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Outstanding Value ($’mm)

Coupon (%)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.69

6.47

100.23

101.05

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.04

4.55

100.16

101.04

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.88

6.71

97.23

98.17

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,488.05

Corporate Eurobonds B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.26

100.90

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

22.59

20.83

78.28

80.38

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.30

99.38

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.39

97.25

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

20.61

75.75

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

16.13 15.37 16.10

16.13 14.76 16.10

77.00 79.11 72.50

77.00 80.87 72.50

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.23

11.76

84.88

86.63

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

DTM

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Discount Rate (%)

16.80

18-Oct-16

2.03

18.04

17.43

B/Fitch; B/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

3,150.00 2,709.12 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Yield @ Issue (%)

18-Apr-16

11.00

Commercial Papers Bb-/Agusto

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PLC

UPDC CP 18-OCT-16

16.80

**TREASURY BILLS^ DTM 10 24 31 45 59 66 73 80

FIXINGS Maturity 18-Aug-16 1-Sep-16 8-Sep-16 22-Sep-16 6-Oct-16 13-Oct-16 20-Oct-16 27-Oct-16

Bid Discount (%) 12.08 14.32 14.56 14.74 16.93 14.70 14.71 14.64

Offer Discount (%) 11.83 14.07 14.31 14.49 16.68 14.45 14.46 14.39

Bid Yield (%) 12.12 14.45 14.75 15.01 17.41 15.11 15.16 15.13

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 20.5067 17.4971 19.4297 21.8613

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

18.33

Tenor

Closing Rate ($/N)

O/N

19.42

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

315.66 311.00 312.00 315.00 315.45 316.00

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 21.17 19.33