Tuesday, may 3, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

World Bank: It's tougher doing business in Nigeria now

lFederal Government needs policy reset, says IMF Ayodele Aminu

he World Bank has revealed that it is tougher to do busi-

ness in Nigeria now than it was in 2015. The Bank’s report, released yesterday, came hours after the Interna-

tional Monetary Fund (IMF) said Nigeria needed a substantial policy reset to

reap sub-Saharan Africa’s strong potential. The global bank, in its

2016 ‘Doing Business Report’, noted that Nigeria went up the ease of doing business ranking, but doing business actually

$115m Diezani cash: Fidelity bank appoints acting MD }37

got tougher in the largest economy in Africa. Doing Business, according to World Bank, sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Budget: Presidency gets preview copy }6

Vol. 3 No. 804

Troops arrest nine Boko Haram suspects }40 in fox holes

/newtelegraph /newtelegraph

FG subsidises petrol with }10 N12.62 per litre

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

Anisulowo: Police offer N5m bounty }9

N150

Gunmen kill Kaduna monarch, nephew Buhari

Kachikwu

Anisulowo

lSix feared dead as Customs, smugglers clash }4 lArmed men invade Edo communities Female traveller held with 193 wraps of cocaine }8

Twenty four year-old Rose Igbainoba caught with 3,320kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Zoning: Opposition mounts against Sheriff lNorthern elders, South-West PDP meet in Abuja, Akure }7 Hope rises on new breast cancer treatment

}10

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Block C, NNPC Towers, Herbert Macaulay Way, P.M.B. 190, Garki- Abuja, Nigeria

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Gunmen kill Kaduna monarch, nephew Ibraheem Musa, Kunle Olayeni and Cajetan Mmuta

nknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have assassinated the District Head of Fadan Karshi, Mr. Bala Madaki and his nephew, Emmanuel Tanko, in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Madaki was killed in his room. The incident took place about 10 p.m. on Sunday. Narrating how the traditional ruler was killed, a community leader from the area, Pastor Mike Makarfi, said that the gunmen stormed the palace and started shooting. Makarfi said: “The weather was very hot on Sunday night and people were sleeping outside. About 10 p.m., the chief moved into his house with his family. Then some gunmen, who our people said

were Fulani, stormed his compound and started shooting. They went into his room and shot him point blank. They also shot a small boy, Emmanuel Tanko, who was the nephew of the late chief.” However, a traditional titleholder from Numana in the same Gwantu District who wants to remain anonymous said that the monarch may have been killed by his own people over a lingering feud over land. He told our correspondent on phone that the area has been a virtual killing field since the post-election violence of 2011. The spokesman of Kaduna Police Command, DSP Zubair Abubakar confirmed the killing of Madaki. He said investigation was ongoing for possible arrest of the culprits in order to face the law. A resident of Gwantu who spoke to one of our correspondents, Malam

Musa Usman, said that Fadan Karshi village has been deserted as people are staying indoors because of the tense atmosphere. According to him, “police are patrolling the streets, but I am not sure if they have any clue about the murderers.” Governor Nasir el-Rufai has condemned the killing of the traditional ruler and his nephew, vowing that the perpetrators will be brought to book. The governor also commiserated with the families of the victims. El-rufai, in a statement issued by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, urged the people of Sanga to support the security agencies to investigate the attack and apprehend the perpetrators of the murders. “We will not relent in our duty of protecting our people. We will continue to strengthen the security agencies to do a better job, as well as encourage harmonious coexistence

across our communities. "The gains made in recent months to eliminate violent communal clashes in the area must be upheld. We must all be vigilant and do our best to maintain the peace in our communities," El-rufai stated. In another development, six persons, including two children, have lost their lives as operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and suspected smugglers clashed in Oke-Odan, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, left several others injured and property destroyed. New Telegraph gathered that the clash erupted after Customs officials on patrol pursued some suspects who allegedly smuggled two vehicles loaded with rice from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic. The suspected smugglers were headed towards Sango in Ado-Odo/Ota Lo-

L-R: Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. S.C.K Uche; former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Kalu and former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, at the burial of Dame Lewechi Ijeoma Iko, in Item Bende Local Government Area in Abia State…at the weekend.

Sub- Saharan Africa, Time for a Policy Reset, released yesterday, said that Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa needed policy reset. The Fund said the region is set to experience a second difficult year as a result of multiple shocks after an extended period of strong economic growth. It said that growth in the region as a whole is projected to fall to three per cent in 2016, the lowest level in some 15 years, albeit with considerable differences across the region. Just last March; the IMF said that it has, again, cut its growth forecast for Nigeria as the oil exporter faces "substantial challenges" from low crude prices. In its annual review of Nigeria's economic situation, the Fund said that gross domestic product (GDP) growth would slow

at Ajilete. "These smugglers carried guns, cutlasses, axe, broken bottles and stoned our officers with a view to recovering their vehicles with the contraband and injured three officers in the process. "We had to call for reinforcement of military and police before we could escape from the smugglers." The spokesman warned against obstruction of Customs operatives in the discharge of their duties, saying anyone caught risks two years imprisonment. Corroborating him, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said one suspect, identified as Gbenro Oke, had been arrested in connection with the attack. The PPRO stated that the command had launched investigation into the incident, adding that the corpses of the two people killed had been deposited at a public morgue. He said: "The command was aware of the clash between some armed smugglers and some officials of the Nigeria Customs Service who were on their duty at various points along Oke-Odan-Idiroko border axis. The smugglers attacked these Customs officials and there was exchange of fire between the two groups. "As I speak with you, we have a suspect with us – one Gbenro Oke from Oke-Odan, who actually mobilised people to go and attack Customs officials who were on duty. We have seen it as a slap on the face of security agencies in the state. So, we are going to do proper investigation and take necessary action." A group, Yewa Connecting Minds, yesterday condemned Sunday's killing of innocent persons during the clash. In a statement, the YCM Coordinator, Prince Ekunola Abraham, demanded that justice be done. “The Comptroller General of Customs should hand over the killer officer to the police for peace to reign in the area. We are ready to put an end to the unprovoked attack on villagers by Customs men who would always claim that their victims were smugglers. “Enough is enough of this wanton killings. We want the Comptroller to hand over the killer to the police to investigate the matter.” In another development, residents of the agrarian villages of Orhua, Oke, Umokpe and Ekpan in Irhue Clan, Uhunmwode Local Government Area

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cal Government Area of the state. Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the Customs operatives impounded the vehicles and the contraband, but were later ambushed on their way to Idiroko office by the smugglers. The development led to exchange of gunfire between the armed smugglers and law enforcement agents, who reportedly called for reinforcement. In the ensuing melee, six people were allegedly hit by stray bullets while others sustained serious injuries. However, the state command of the NCS and Police Command said in separate reactions that only two persons were confirmed dead in the attack. The NCS Public Relations Officer, Usman Abubakar, said three Customs operatives sustained injury during the clash, adding that three of their checkpoints were also burnt down. Abubakar said: "Two people have been confirmed dead. Our officers were attacked by smugglers on their way to Idiroko office after seizing two vehicles loaded with rice

The annual mortality rate (per 100,000) due to Alzheimer’s Disease in Nevada State in 2010. Source: Alz.org

3.2m

The number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy in Eastern and southern Africa in December 2009. Source: Who.int

World Bank: It's tougher doing business in Nigeria now CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. The report also measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 11 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and labour market regulation. In 2015, Nigeria ranked 170 of 189 countries, with a distance to frontier (DTF) or ease of doing business score of 47.33, against Singapore’s 88.27 and Eritrea’s 33.16. In the 2016 version of the report, Nigeria climbed one rung of the ladder to the 169 position, but its ease of do-

ing business score fell to 44.69. Singapore remained the easiest country to do business in, with a DTF of 87.34, while Eritrea remained at the bottom of the ladder, plunging further to 27.61 from 33.16 in 2015. At 32 and 62 respectively, Mauritius and Rwanda remained the best destinations for business in Africa, while Ghana led the West African park at 114 of 189 countries. Power generation was identified by the global financial institution as one of the reasons unemployment is high in Nigeria and why multinationals leave Nigeria. Globally, Nigeria stands at 182 in the ranking of 189 economies on the ease of getting electricity. “Industry is a core sector for the generation of national wealth and employment in Nigeria, but

faced with an electricity sector hampered by poorly-utilised generation capacity, high transmission losses and frequent outages, companies turn to self-provision of electricity. “This raises their production costs, reducing their competitiveness and thus their demand for labour. The erratic and inadequate power supply in Nigeria has often been cited as the main reason forcing multinationals to relocate production lines to other countries. Power outages also affect output levels,” the global bank stated. The bank said informal construction and bad building affected the public and businesses in Nigeria. “Where informal construction is rampant, the public can suffer. Take the case of Nigeria, which lacks an approved building code setting the standards for construction,” the re-

port read. “Without clear rules, enforcing even basic standards is a daunting task, and many buildings fail to comply with proper safety standards. Structural incidents have multiplied. “According to the Nigerian Institute of Building, 84 buildings collapsed in the past 20 years, killing more than 400 people.” On reforms carried out so far, World Bank said: “Nigeria made transferring property in Lagos less costly by reducing fees for property transactions. “Nigeria strengthened minority investor protections by requiring that related-party transactions be subject to external review and to approval by disinterested shareholders. This reform applies to both Kano and Lagos.” Meanwhile, the IMF, in its April 2016 Regional Economic Outlook for

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

ADVERTORIAL

HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKPEMUPOLO (TOMPOLO)

The Ibe-ebidouwei of Ijaw Nation

Press Release I AM NOT PART OF THE NIGER DELTA AVENGERS GROUP

y attention has been drawn to security reports, linking me to it is unreasonable and unimaginable to associate me with any person(s) a new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, who claimed or group involved in pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the responsibility for the damaged Forcados 48-Inch Export Pipeline Niger Delta. sometime ago. It is very important to let Mr President and the security agencies in the It is imperative to state unequivocally that I do not have a link with this country know that, some members of the ruling All Progressive Congress, new militant group. I am not part of the group. It is very unfortunate that I APC, particularly from Bayelsa and Delta States are not happy with him am still being accused of pipeline vandalism despite several press releases (President Buhari) because they have not gotten anything from him I have made, denying my involvement in the renewed hostilities in the after almost a year since he assumed office by way of appointments and Niger Delta region. Since the declaration of the Presidential Amnesty contracts, therefore some of them are involved in nefarious activities in Programme by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory the oil and gas sector so as to be engaged in pipeline surveillance. I am in 2009, which I wholeheartedly embraced and accepted, I had sworn not aware of how such persons are chasing the Minister of Petroleum for to be part of any armed struggle either overtly or covertly. State, Dr Ibe Kachikwu around. It is my humble advice to the Federal Most Nigerians, if not all, are aware of the role I played in safeguarding and Government to thoroughly investigate some of the servicing companies protecting crude oil and gas facilities during the last administration, which engaged in repairing damaged pipelines as sabotage on their own part am still interested in doing for the love of country, humanity and out of is not ruled out. Some of them may not even have the capacity to carry patriotism. It is worthy of mention that, as I was protecting oil facilities, I out such repairs, but must have worked their way in to get the contract in incurred the wrath of pipeline vandals and illegal refinery operators, and connivance with some people at the corridor of powers, and turn around till now, some of them are still angry with me. Therefore, it is worrisome to tender the security situation in the Niger Delta as an excuse, as they for security agencies to link me with such people that are still angry with are being paid “down time” payment. I wish to appeal to the servicing companies to go about their normal operations, particularly the repair of me. the Forcados 48-inch pipeline which is very key to the economic stability It could be recalled that when I founded the defunct Movement for the of our country. Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), at the peak of the Niger Delta agitation for better living for the people, I did not mince words. And so I have said on many occasions that I will not resort to violence because of if it was me that is behind the Niger Delta Avengers, I would have come my case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) or to out openly to claim the leadership. I am a man of my words, therefore I wage war should be taken as such by the security agencies. It is very unfair to link me with this new militant group, which I do not agree with in terms its against the Federal Government, as my legal team is working towards the philosophy, ideology and mode of operation. I am not part of the Niger resolution of the issue. It is my prayer to God Almighty to see me through in this trying times. Delta Avengers. Let it be known to all and sundry that am very proud of my achievements Thanks and God bless. through non-violence advocacy since the enthronement of the 2009 Presidential Amnesty Programme for the Niger Delta region, particularly, in the coastal areas. For instance, the establishment of the first maritime Signed: university and a dock/ship building yard and other good things which High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, space and time will not permit me to mention, but suffice it to say that am (Alias Tompolo) a lover of peace and tranquillity. I make bold to say that I have attracted The Ibe-ebidouwei of Ijaw Nation more development to the Niger Delta region than my traducers. Therefore

NEWS

Budget: Presidency gets preview copy Onwuka Nzeshi and Philip Nyam Abuja

pecial Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, yesterday told New Telegraph that his office had taken delivery of a preview copy of the revised 2016 Appropriation Bill. Enang, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone, could not, however, confirm when exactly the document would reach the desk of the president for his final approval and signing into law. He, however, gave assurance that Nigerians would be happy soon, an indication that the processes must have largely been concluded by the Joint Committee set up to review the budget and fine tune its grey areas. "We are just about to take delivery of the first copy for preview from the Committee of the National Assembly. We are like walking very closely to the end of the exercise. So, Nigerians will be very happy in the next few hours. I will not be categorical about whether the President will get it tonight or tomorrow (today) but I just want to let you know that we have just taken delivery of the preview copy

and Nigerians will be very happy, very soon," Enang said. It could be recalled that a 15-man committee was set up last Wednesday by the leadership of the National Assembly to interface with another fiveman committee from the executive to harmonise all the grey areas identified by the presidency in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. The 15-man committee, which has five members of the House of Representatives, five members from the Senate as well as the

five members from the executive, was expected to finish its assignment on or before yesterday to facilitate the transmission of the final budget to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent later this week. The Joint Committee on the review of the budget was unable to beat the deadline apparently due to the enormity of the assignment and the need to avoid submitting a hurriedly prepared document with avoidable mistakes that could trigger another row.

New Telegraph gathered last night that members of the committee were still working on the grey areas, which made the president to earlier withhold his assent. It was further gathered that the committee may round off its assignment today to enable it transmit same to the president. A member of the committee confirmed to our correspondent last night that "we're working round the clock to ensure that before midnight today (Monday) all the differ-

A hunter displaying different types of animals along Kubwa Express Road, in Abuja …yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Abuja

he Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Federal Ministry of Health have unveiled over $1 billion (about N200 billion) healthcare investment. The facilities, to be located across the six geo-political zones of the country, will handle diagnosis and treatment of complicated diseases.

Disclosing this via a statement yesterday, NSIA explained that its foray into the provision of health facilities was aimed at reversing the outflow of the over $1 billion per year spent by Nigerians on medical tourism. The agency added that, at the moment, a total of 10 Memorandum of Cooperation (MOCs) had been signed while six agreements were at advanced stages.

"The healthcare projects are being developed by the NSIA in partnership with Federal Government Teaching Hospitals and Medical Centres located in each of the six geo-political regions of the country. "Under the partnership, specialist hospitals and modern diagnostic centres, which will provide advanced medical care and modern diagnostic services, are being developed. "At the moment, a to-

World Bank set to release details on Abacha loot Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

ndications emerged yesterday that the World Bank is set to release more information on the spending of recovered loot by late Gen. Sani Abacha. The global bank has referred portion of appeal by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to the Bank Archives Unit for processing for public access. The Executive Director of SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday.

The statement reads in part: “The portion of the appeal which the Bank has now referred to its Archives Unit for public access include information on: evidence and list of the 23 projects allegedly completed with recovered Abacha loot and whether the 23 projects were actually completed; and what became of the two abandoned projects; evidence and location of the eight health centres built with recovered Abacha loot reviewed by the World Bank; and evidence and location of the 18 power projects confirmed by the World Bank.

“Other aspects of the spending of Abacha loot the Bank referred to its Archives Unit for processing for public access are information on: how the $500 million Abacha loot received before 2005 kept in the special account was spent; evidence and location of schools which benefited from the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in the amount of N24.25 billion; and evidence and location of the 13 road projects completed with the recovered Abacha loot, including the names of the three largest road and bridge projects in each geo-political zone.”

tal of 10 Memorandum of Cooperation (MOCs) have been signed. However, six agreements are at advanced stages," the agency's Communications Adviser, Titilope Olubiyi, stated in a statement. To bring the investment to fruition, the agency announced yesterday that it had entered into an agreement with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to jointly develop a specialist cardiovascular hospital in Lagos. The specialist hospital is expected to provide cardiovascular treatment, including diagnostics, minimally invasive procedures, surgery and post-surgery care. "As part of the programme, NSIA also secured approval from the Federal Ministry of Health to enter into a binding agreement with Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) for the development of a modern medical diagnostic centre to be collocated within the main hospital complex at Kano. The statement added that NSIA intended replicating similar strategies within the medical complexes of federal healthcare institutions in other zones.

touched and streamlined to perfection. "The way we are working on it now, within the next 24 hours we may just hit our target of Monday." Also yesterday, a senior aide to the president confirmed to our correspondent that the amended version was not before the president. He said: "I am right now at the State House, but nothing has been sent here. We are still expecting, but as you can see, it is almost 6:48 p.m. and nothing is here. So, certainly, it won't be today (Monday)."

Federal Government needs policy reset, says IMF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

NSIA, Health Ministry unveil N200bn investment Abdulwahab Isa

ences have been properly ironed out." She said: "Immediately we achieve this, we'll transmit it to the executive arm for the president's assent." According to her, "nobody is happy about the delay so far, but there is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel." Asked to list the grey areas, she simply said: "I can't do that now, but all the areas enumerated by the executive is being

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

to 2.3 per cent in 2016 from an estimated 2.7 per cent in 2015. In February, after IMF officials visited the country, the Fund had forecast 3.2 per cent growth for Nigeria in 2016. It added that Nigeria's general government deficit would grow further after doubling to 3.7 per cent of GDP in 2015. But in its latest report, the Fund noted that while the outlook remains favourable, growth is well below the six per cent that was customary over the last decade and barely above population growth. “Africa needs a substantial policy reset to reap the region’s strong potential,” said Antoinette Sayeh, Director of the IMF’s African Department. “This is particularly urgent in commodity exporters and some market access countries, as the policy response to date has generally been insufficient. “The slowdown reflects the adverse impact of the commodity price slump in some of the larger economies and more recently the drought in eastern and southern Africa. The sharp decline in commodity prices, a shock of unprecedented magnitude, has put many of the largest sub-Saharan African economies under severe strain. As a result, oil exporters, such as Nigeria and Angola and also most countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union, continue to face particularly difficult economic conditions.” Consequently, she said non-energy commodity exporters, such as Ghana, South Africa and Zambia, have also been hurt by the decline in commodity prices. Also, she noted that several southern and eastern African countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, are suffering from a severe drought that is putting millions of people at risk of food insecurity. However, Sayeh stressed that the outlook remains fa-

vourable. “Many countries in the region continue to register robust growth. In particular, most oil importers are generally faring better with growth in excess of five per cent in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Senegal, as well as in many low-income countries. In most of these countries, growth is being supported by ongoing infrastructure investment efforts and strong private consumption,” she said. She noted that the decline in oil prices has also benefitted many of these countries, though the drop in prices of other commodities that they export, and currency depreciations, have partly offset the gains. Her words: “More broadly, medium-term growth prospects remain favourable as the underlying drivers of growth at play domestically over the last decade generally continue to be in place. In particular, the much improved business environment and favourable demographics should play a supportive role in the coming decades. “Faced with rapidly decreasing fiscal and foreign reserves and constrained financing, commodity exporters should respond to the shock promptly and robustly to prevent a disorderly adjustment. As revenue from the extractive sector is likely durably reduced, many affected countries critically need to contain fiscal deficits and build a sustainable tax base from the rest of the economy. For countries outside monetary unions, exchange rate flexibility, as part of a wider macroeconomic policy package, should also be part of the first line of defence. “Given the substantially tighter external financing environment, market access countries in which fiscal and current account deficits have been elevated over the last few years will also need to recalibrate their fiscal policies. Such recalibration would help them to rebuild scarce buffers and mitigate vulnerabilities if external conditions worsen further.”

NEWS

TUESday, May 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Zoning: Opposition mounts against Sheriff

Geoffrey Ekenna and Wale Elegbede

espite approval by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the zoning arrangement of the National Working Committee (NWC) offices, opposition has continued to mount against the ambition of the national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to succeed himself. The Governor Udom Emmanuel-led committee had zoned the national chairmanship of the party to the North-East where Sheriff is from. Some party leaders have kicked against the zoning arrangement and Sheriff ’s plot to succeed himself. New Telegraph gathered yesterday that a meeting of some top leaders of the party from the North would hold in Abuja tomorrow to review the arrangement. Sources said that the meeting was being coordinated by a former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana. “The meeting would involve some members of the G18, who were founding members of the party that are alive,” said

a leader of the party in the South-West. He said that the meeting would take a position on the zoning arrangement, against the backdrop that the PDP has zoned its presidential candidate to the North in 2019. He said that the zoning arrangement, as adopted by the NEC, was akin to manipulation and a plot to scatter the PDP by some joiners in the party. “When we founded the PDP, were these people there? How come they want to scatter an arrangement that has persisted since 1999? Where were all these Sheriffs, (Kashamu) Burujis and (Ayodele) Fayoses when this party was founded in 1998 and the foundations were laid? “If they insist on going this route, it means they would have their own convention to elect Sheriff and we would do ours to elect a member of the PDP. We cannot allow them to toy with the party,” said another source. It was also gathered that leaders of the party in the South-West are also meeting tomorrow in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The meeting, which is at the instance of Gover-

Armed men invade Edo communities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

of Edo State yesterday raised the alarm over the presence of strange armed men in their communities. According to the residents, the men who invaded the communities were armed with guns, bows and arrows, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. The communities, in a statement by Tony Erha and Patrick Erhunsee, Coordinator General and Deputy Director of Okpamakhi Initiative, said they have it on good authority that the invaders were transported to Oke-Irhue by a firm. According to them, “Although, our communities have had minor disagreements with Fulani herdsmen of recent and the issues had been resolved amicably and grazing on the land has continued, we do not want the company to hide under this ploy by renting gunmen and foreign mercenaries to attack, kill and maim our people who are defenceless." The people also lamented that villagers in the affected areas now live in fear because they know that the men were employed to "unleash terror on the people, killing and

causing blood-letting and mayhem against innocent villagers of our clan." According to them, the plot is the "punishment they get for their refusal to allow the forceful acquisition of the over 8,000 hectares of our forest reserve, which was illegally sold by a firm, which the Edo State Government has for long revoked and gazetted." They also alleged that: “On May 1, the habitants of Oke-Irhue village end of the Irhue clan were shocked to see several truckloads of the strange and suspicious armed men move into the village while more of them moved into the village by road and the bushes." The people, however, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to immediately rescue their communities from annihilation by those they called invaders. Personnel from the Ehor Police Division in Uhinwonde have been drafted to the villages. A source said the police have succeeded in driving out the armed men from Uhiere town, close to the area.

nor Olusegun Mimiko, is to harmonise the position of the zone on the contentious issue of zoning, where the South-West has been left out of the chairmanship slot. Leaders of the party in the zone are unhappy at the actions of some elements in the zone who practically sold out the position to the NorthEast, even when it was clear that the battle was between the South-West and South-South initially. “When we get to the meeting, we will take a decision. Whatever we decide there would be binding on all of us. It is not about one person. It is about the zone. We are the only zone that has not had a taste of the chairmanship since 1999. “If after our meeting, they still insist on it going to the North-East, then, we wish them well. We are expecting the real leaders of the party at the meeting, not these impostors, parading themselves as leaders of the party in the zone,” a highly placed official in the zone told New Telegraph yesterday. It was gathered that the two meetings may likely come out with positions

that would oppose the current zoning arrangement that has placed the chairmanship of the party on the laps of the party’s national chairman, Sheriff. Onetime Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, said that the zoning arrangement could be altered going into the elections in 2019. The former presidential adviser said that nothing stopped the party from rezoning the seats to accommodate the zoning of the presidency to the North in 2019. “I am a member of the zoning committee. The NEC of the party has accepted our recommendations and the governors have also accepted it. All the party elders have accepted the recommendations. As for the presidential position, there is nothing that says the position cannot be reviewed before the 2019 elections. For now, what we have now is how we are going to run,” he said. Prior to last Thursday’s formal ratification of the proposed zoning, which saw the South-South taking the largest chunk of the 12 offices zoned,

a leaked report of the committee had unsettled stakeholders in the party, especially in the SouthWest where a former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, had to summon an emergency meeting with some leaders of the party in the zone. From all the surreptitious moves, three clear groups emerged in the South-West with different interests. First is the George group, which wanted the national chairmanship slot for the South-West; second is the Buruji Kashamu and Governor Ayodele Fayose group that prefers the North-East, specifically, Sheriff; while the third group is the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s camp which appears indifferent on where the pendulum swings. The George’s group comprises a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; for-

N407.79m

The total value of non-crude oil export to Spain in 2014 fourth quarter. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

mer presidential spokesperson, Dr. Doyin Okupe; former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, among others. After weeks of political horse-trading and intrigues, the KashamuFayose movement had the last laugh when the NEC affirmed the zoning committee report. The arrangement appears to have given a leeway for Sheriff ’s selfsuccession plan. According to a member of the party’s elders’ council in the zone who prefers to be anonymous, the battle for the control of PDP in the South-West has long been decided before now. “Senator Kashamu’s hold on the party in the zone started immediately former President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to step aside from the party. He (Kashamu) collaborated with Fayose and singlehandedly installed executives in the zone. He controls five state chairmen except that of Lagos State. Where was Bode George then? They were all busy concentrating on the federal and their respective states then,” the source said.

L-R: Director, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc., Olorogun O'tega Emerhor; President, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom; Chairman, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Non-Executive Directors, Alhaji Abdulquadir Jeli Bello and Mr. Stanley Lawson, during the company's 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Transcorp Hotel, Calabar…recently

Clerk: Saraki met with commission to upturn appointment – Ningi Philip Nyam Abuja

ore revelations are beginning to emerge as to how Senate President Bukola Saraki tried to influence commissioners of the National Assembly Service Commission to dissociate themselves from the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori as clerk to the National Assembly. The commissioner representing the North-East in the commission, Alhaji Idris Adamu Ningi, who disclosed this in Abuja, also denied ever endorsing Mr. Ben Efeturi as Clerk to the National Assembly.

Ningi was reported to have, along with six other commissioners, endorsed Efeturi as Clerk penultimate week. In a hand-written letter addressed to Chairman of the Commission, Malam Adamu Fika, dated April 29, Ningi said he was fully in support of appointment of Sani-Omolori as acting Clerk to the National Assembly. The commissioner in the letter said he and his colleague, Alhaji Rufai Tuta, were invited for a meeting of the commission with the Senate President at his residence about 7p.m. on a given day. However, he did not state what was discussed at the meeting aimed to reverse

Sani-Omolori’s appointment. According to him, “There, I met some of our colleagues already seated – Elder Yepwi, Funmilayo Lamuye, Paul Oweh and Joseph Oru. "At the meeting, one of my colleagues walked towards my seat with a sheet of paper which he gave to my colleague sitting close to me, Alhaji Tuta, to sign and thereafter gave it to me. “I noticed that the paper was merely to write our names, the zone we represent and signature to indicate our attendance at the meeting and I signed accordingly. “I am, therefore, shocked and surprised to learn that I signed a document. No

document was presented at the meeting and I did not sign any document, but the attendance sheet. “I could not have signed any document dissociating myself from the decision of the commission as I had earlier, on 19th April, 2016 in a hand-written note expressed my support for the appointment of Alhaji Sani-Omolori.” The commission is comprised of 12 members and the chairman making 13 in all. Ningi's support for Omolori's appointment had reduced the number of those supporting Efeturi to six, falling short of the required number of seven needed to reverse the appointment.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

Female traveller held with 193 wraps of cocaine

female traveller, Rose Igbainoba, has been arrested with 193 wraps of cocaine inside packs of sweets at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The whitish substance tested positive to cocaine and weighed 3.230kgs. Anti-narcotics officials discovered the drugs in the luggage of the 24-yearold Igbainoba, who was returning to Nigeria from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) also arrested a suspected member of the drug cartel identified as Chimezie Ofor. The NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Mr. Ahmadu Garba, said Igbainoba, who hails from Edo State, was found in possession of the drug while a suspected member of the drug cartel in Lagos was successfully traced and apprehended. He said: “Igbainoba Uche Rose, who concealed 3.230kgs inside sweets, was apprehended at the arrival hall during inward screening of passengers. A suspected member of the cartel, Ofor Kamsochukwu Chimezie, was arrested on a follow-up operation.

The suspects are being investigated.” The Head, Public Affairs of NDLEA, Ofoyeju Mitchell, said in a statement that during interrogation, Igbainoba said that she worked as a clerical officer after her secondary school. She said: “I work as a clerical officer after I completed my primary school because there was no money to further my studies. I have suffered hardship in life but a man offered to assist me to establish my personal business. He promised to pay me N500,000. This was how I got involved in this problem.” The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Muhammad Abdallah, warned drug traffickers to desist from their criminal acts. He said: “Drug criminals should shun their unlawful act because the agency has perfected strategies to detect narcotics notwithstanding how cleverly they were concealed. Recent drug seizures clearly reflect the reformation of the NDLEA as an intelligence-led organisation. “We are determined to trace major traffickers behind the scene and prosecute the barons.”

Igbainoba with the drugs

City Briefs

Man kills his three children Abubakar Abdul Birnin Kebbi

esidents of Goru village in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State were horrified yesterday when a man, identified as Mammman Dankarami, slaughtered his three children. The incident occurred about 8a.m. The Sole Administrator of Arewa Local Government Area, Alhaji Muhammadu Dan Kaku, disclosed this to journalists in Binin-Kebbi, the state capital. He said: “They were all male children between ages of five months and three years.”

Kaku said that after killing his children with a knife, the man attempted to commit suicide. He added: “After slaughtering his children, he jumped into a well in order to kill himself but he was saved by the local government officials and the police.” The sole administrator added that following the incident, the man was taken to Jega Psychiatric Hospital. According to him, residents of the area claimed that the man had a recurring mental illness. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the incident.

Ex-Igbobi CMD, Owosina, dies at 86 F

ormer Chief Medical Director (CMD) of National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Dr. Francis Owosina, is dead. Owosina, who died on April 19 at the age of 86, was CMD of the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi from 1978 to 1989. The deceased was also an industrialist and a successful businessman. Aside fathering his own children, he was a father figure to many in his extended family and community. He was survived by five children, among who are Tolani Owosina, Akin Owosina, Toyin Olatinwo, Oyinade Nathan-Marsh and Folake AniMumuney. Service of Songs will hold at his Lagos residence on May 25, while a commendation service will follow at Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathe-

Owosina

dral, Ikeja on May 26. He will be buried in his hometown in Sagamu, Ogun State on May 27.

METRO

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Anisulowo: Police offer N5m bounty Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

olice in Ogun State yesterday offered N5 million reward to anybody with useful information that could lead to the rescue of Senator Iyabo Anisulowo. The Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, announced this after a meeting with some officers of the command and security chiefs in Abeokuta. Other security chiefs present at the meeting included the Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brigadier-General S. Danwalis, and the Director of Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Kabir Sanni. Anisulowo, a former minister of State for Education and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was kidnapped last Wednesday while returning from her farm at Sawonjo in Yewa North Lo-

Anisulowo

cal Government Area of the state. In a statement issued yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said anyone with useful information should contact the state command. He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, therefore, appeals to the general public to sup-

port the police and give useful information that can assist in the rescue operation of the kidnapped victim. “Any one with reliable information can get across to the Commissioner of Police Ogun State, CP Abdulmajid Ali, on 09020911911 or PPRO, Ogun State, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, on

08081774631, or officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, CSP Gbenga Megbope, on 08081766937 or any security agency around him. “Ali then assures any informant of adequate confidentiality and security as information on this will be made confidential.”

‘Two million ply Lagos waterways monthly’ Muritala Ayinla

bout two million residents now commute by water in Lagos monthly, according to the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Abisola Kamson. Kamson, who spoke yesterday while briefing journalists on government policies on the regulation of water transportation, said plans had been concluded to channelize the waterways to ensure commuters’ safety. She also said that government would soon unveil the guidelines for the boat and canoe operators to enhance safety and check activities of quacks in the sector. According to the LAWA boss, who said travelling by water remained the best in the state, two million residents, especially those whose residences can be reached through water, now commute by water on a monthly basis. Bemoaning the challenges of waste and refuse disposal in the wa-

LASWA MD, Kamson

terways, Kamson decried the attitude of some residents living close to the lagoon. She accused them of deliberately dumping their refuse into the water body which endangers commuters’ lives. Kamson, however, said efforts were on by government to make the state waterways safer, healthier and attractive. She added that tons of water hyacinth, plastic bottles and pure water sachets were removed from the waterways. In the new guidelines, the MD said operating licences would be issued to the operators while captains of boat, jetty and canoe would be trained and oriented.

Dubai-based firm‘dupes’ over 2,000 Nigerians I lack parental care, says Kunle Azeez

ubai-based Emirates Vacation Club (EVC) has allegedly scammed about 2,000 Nigerians through dubious investment. The victims, it was learnt, invested several thousands of US dollars in 99 years time-sharing private residency accommodation at a 45-storey Emirates Grand Hotel (EGH) on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. According to reports of three meetings held in separate locations in Nigeria by the victims towards seeking redress on the matter, Nigerians and other nationals were lured into investing in EVC on arrival at Dubai Airport. As a product of their meetings, a Focal Persons Committee (FPC) has been set up with the

Uchenna Inya ABAKALIKI

wo suspected robbers, Chinedu Eze (24) and Edwin Nwaelem, are now in the custody of the police in Ebonyi State, for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl, Maria (surname withheld). Eze and Nwaelem were said to have invaded the victim’s house about 1a.m. at Nwezenyi in Izzi Local Government Area through the window and forcibly had carnal knowledge of the girl.

mandate to pursue legal and diplomatic means to recover all funds invested by Nigerians in EVC/ EGH. The FPC has also been mandated to write the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Inspector General of Police/ Interpol and United Arab Emirates Embassy in Nigeria. Nigerian investors held three separate meetings, under the auspices of FPC in Enugu on March 28, Abuja on April 2 and in Lagos on April 3 to strategise on how to recoup their investments from EVC/EGH. Some others, who lodged in hotels operated by the Emirates Group such as Emirates Towers had their personal details accessed by EVC, through

which the staff of EVC subsequently made telephone calls to the lodgers’ rooms and invited them for discussions at the office of EVC located in the EGH, Dubai, the reports said. The affected Nigerians alleged that when EVC found out that many Nigerians had invested so much, it moved into Nigeria and incorporated Global EVC with certificate number RC 1005770 issued on January 24, 2012. Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the group and FPC Chairman, Mr. Donald Nwandu, said the EVC opened an office on 9, Bourdillon Road, Ikoji, Lagos, after discovering that many Nigerians were interested in the investment. In addition, EVC also operated openly at the remodelled domestic wing of the Murtala Mu-

hammed International Airport, Ikeja and malls in Lekki area, he said. He said: “Nigerians, who invested with EVC Global in Nigeria, paid money into bank accounts opened with Zenith and GTB. It was discovered that about 10,000 people have, so far, paid money for just 32 apartments that EVC and EVC Global leased from Emirates Grand Hotel.” Efforts to get the EVC to respond to the allegations proved abortive, as several emails sent to them for more than two weeks were not responded to at the time of filing this report.Also, another member of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Ejime, said some members had been frustrated by EVC by arbitrarily increasing the annual maintenance fee from the contract sum of $350 to between $600 and $700.

Robbers defile girl, 12

of the Department of Business Management, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Akachukwu Agha, for allegedly attempting to rob in one of the hostels on Ishieke Campus of the institution. The suspect and his gang members, now at large, had invaded the hostel and were about robbing the students when police patrol team from Ishieke Police Division received a distress call, stormed the area and arrested Agha while other members of the gang escaped.

They were, however, arrested by neighbours who handed them over to the police. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP George Okafor, confirmed the incident. Okafor said the suspects were armed with machetes and that it was the victim’s mother who reported the matter to the police on April 21, about 5a.m.

He said: “Police are aware of the case. The victim’s mother, Alice, reported to the police on April 21 that about 1a.m. while she was sleeping in her room with her children, Chinedu Eze and Edwin Nwaelem, armed with machetes, broke into her room through the window and forcibly had carnal knowledge of her daughter.” This came as police have arrested a 200 level student

teenage robber

Juliana Francis

13-year-old boy has told the police in Lagos that he joined armed robbery in order to survive. The boy, name withheld, said although his parents were still alive, they were not interested in his welfare. He explained that he and about 40 other boys of his age used to sleep in various shops at Idumota Market at night. The teenager was arrested by traders at Idumota Market, Lagos Island while attempting to steal customers’ money and handsets. The boy would have been lynched but for the quick intervention of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials. Some traders described the suspect as terror of the night. They added that he was the leader of a gang of young robbers. The teenager said he was forced to embrace stealing and armed robbery. He said: “I was born in this market. My parents also sell in this market. But they don’t cater for me. I do everything in order to feed myself. About 40 children sleep with me in shops at night. We wake early to leave the shops before people start coming for business. “Last year, while I was playing football with other children, some guys from Jankara area called me and

gave me a gun. They said I should keep the gun for them. They also called one of my friends, Daniel, and gave him guns to keep. We hid the guns in our clothes. There was a day that they took us to Agege to rob. Daniel and I kept the guns they used for the robbery operation that day.” The boy said the men had taken him and Daniel to several places for robbery, but always wouldn’t give them anything after the operation. And if the boys dare to demand a share of the loot, the men would threaten to kill them. He added: “I don’t rob people with gun. I only carry it and hid it for them. I’m living here in the market with other children whose parents have abandoned. Most times, we sleep inside toilets.”

Lagos CP, Owoseni

NEWS | national

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

ice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, (SAN), yesterday lamented the high level of corruption in the country and the extent to which it has negatively affected the socio-economic situation of the country. He disclosed that a total of $15billion or N2.955 trillion, more than half of the current reserves of the country, had been lost to the menace. The vice president was the Special Guest of honour at the 50th anniversary of the "House of Lords, Nigeria", where a book entitled: "Nigeria: The Challenges of Growth and Development (In depth analysis by experts)” was presented. It was held at

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria lost N2.9trn to corruption in equipment procurement –Osinbajo

the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan. Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the epileptic power supply in the country, which has adversely affected the economy would soon be rectified, saying that, "7,000 mega watts of power would be generated in the next 18 months". Osinbajo said that the country could not sustain the level of the public sector corruption going on in the country, lamenting that far too much had been lost in the economy due to the corrupt activities of many Nigerians, especially in the procurement of security equipment in the military.

His words, "We need to have a sustained fight against corruption. This country simply cannot sustain the level of public sector corruption that has bedevilled us for so many years. If you look at the sheer amount of money that has been lost to the various cases of corruption, you will find out that far too much has been lost. Our country's external reserves stands at $27billion

296

The number of deaths (per 100,000) due to Alzheimer’s Disease in Nevada State in 2010. Source: Alz.org

few days ago but the total amount lost just to corruption in the provision of security equipment in the military is close to $15billion, which is more than half of current reserves of the country", the VP said. Harping on the anticorruption drive of the Muhammadu Buhari's administration, the Vice president threatened that "those found to be corrupt will not only disgorge the property stolen but will have to pay for it in terms of sanctions according to the law. “We believe that it is important to sound this warning that no public of-

Hope rises on new breast cancer treatment

breakthrough that could help scientists unlock new ways of treating and preventing breast cancer has been made. According to the study, published in Nature, scientists now have a near-perfect picture of the genetic events that cause breast cancer. Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, or a red scaly patch of skin. In those with distant spread of the disease, there may be bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, or yellow skin. Breast cancer is very common among African women, after cervical cancer. The major challenge about breast cancer in Nigeria is that most patients present their cases when it is too late to help patients, though, 30 per cent of cases can be prevented while another 30 per cent can be

this is that the aspect of power generation that is weak at the moment will be quickly restored." The most important aspect in the power generation is first, gas and secondly, transmission. It is in our plan not only to produce more gas but also that we are able to pipe the gas to appropriate stations. "We are going to generate 7,000 mega watts of power in 18 months. But the problem is pipeline vandalisation. The President has however ordered a full scale protection of the pipelines by the military", Osinbajo said.

Sacked 13 VCs: NANS gives minister 14-day ultimatum he National Associa- by Nigerian students to T tion of Nigerian Stu- resolve the issue amicably. dents (NANS) has given In the letter, which was

L-R: Past Leader, House of Lords Nigeria, Prof. Kayode Oyediran; VicePresident, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Chairman of the occasion, Oba Otudeko and Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Alake Adeyemo, at the book presentation, in Ibadan… yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Appolonia Adeyemi

ficer can steal the resources of this country and try to escape. I hope that this message is loud and clear and it will inform right behaviour in the future". The Vice President gave hope of rejuvenation of the economy, stressing that for the first time, the Federal Government would be expending 30 per cent of its budget on capital, basic among them: rail, roads and power. He explained that attention was being focused on Lagos -Kano and CalabarLagos rail lines. "Power is a major factor in nation building. But the most important part of

treated if detected early. However, the new study practically unveiled all the errors that cause healthy breast tissue to go rogue. Cancer Research in the United Kingdom (UK) said the findings were an important stepping-stone to new drugs for treating cancer. To understand the causes of the disease, scientists have to understand what goes wrong in the DNA that makes healthy tissue turn cancerous. The international team looked at all three billion letters of people's genetic code - their entire blueprint of life - in 560 breast

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

ife of the President, Aisha Buhari, yesterday charged wives of state governors to use their privileged positions to make meaningful impact in the lives of Nigerians. She spoke at the 50th birthday celebration of Ogun State First Lady, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, held at the auditorium of the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto,

cancers. They uncovered 93 sets of instructions, or genes, that if mutated, can cause tumours. Some have been discovered before, but scientists expect this to be the definitive list, barring a few rare mutations. Prof. Mike Stratton, the director of the Sanger Institute in Cambridge which led the study, said it was a "milestone" in cancer research. He said: "There are about 20,000 genes in the human genome. It turns out, now we have this complete view of breast cancer - there are 93 of those genes that if

mutated will convert a normal breast cell into a breast cancer cell. That is an important piece of information. "We hand that list over to the universities, the pharmaceuticals, the biotech companies to start developing new drugs because those mutated genes and their proteins are targets for new therapeutics. "There are now many drugs that have been developed over the last 15 years against such targets which we know work." Targeted drugs such as Herceptin are already being used by patients with specific mutations.

Buhari, Osinbajo, Danjuma, others honour Amosun's wife at 50 Abeokuta. At the event with the theme: "Greening the economy," wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and former Senate President, Dr Ken Nnamani, joined other eminent Nigerians to honour Mrs Amosun. In her remarks, Buhari challenged governors'

wives to always pursue programmes that would enhance the lives of the common citizens. The president's wife commended Amosun's pet project "Uplift Development Foundation" and her environmental advocacy programme, Green Education for the Youth (GEFTI), which she noted had improved the lots of less privileged."

the education minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu, a 14-day ultimatum to recall the 13 Vice Chancellors, who were wrongfully sacked by the Federal Government in February. National President of NANS, Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu, in a letter to the minister, dated April 27, 2016, explained that the ultimatum became necessary following the failure of the minister to take advantage of the window of opportunities provided

entitled, "NANS Demands Immediate Reinstatement of the Vice Chancellors of 13 Federal Universities Within Fourteen Days," the students described the refusal of the minister to reinstate the sacked Vice Chancellors as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari as nothing but, "A bold-faced attempt to politicise our Universities and arrest academic progression by the jugular and we have vowed to stiffly resist this."

'FG subsidises petrol with N12.62'

he Federal Government yesterday said it was currently subsidising Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol at N12.62 per litre. It said that the subsidy figure was for petrol imported directly by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and dispensed at its retail outlets, while the rate was N12.88 per litre for other oil marketers. This was contained in the latest Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) Template released in Abuja. It said that although provision was not made for subsidy in the 2016 budget, it would be defrayed from ``recoveries’’ made by the country from oil transactions in the first quarter of 2016. According to the agency, between January and March, 2016, the Federal Government was able to save about N10 billion as a result of selling the product above the Expected Open Market Price. It explained that with-

out the subsidy and given the landing cost of the product, it ought to be sold at N98.62 per litre at NNPC outlets and at N99.38 per litre by major and independent oil marketers. According to the template, the expected open market price is the actual price of the product without subsidy and it was based on the current exchange rate of N197 to a dollar. A breakdown of the template revealed that for NNPC retail outlets and independent and major oil marketers, landing cost of PMS imported into the country was N84.32 and N85.08 per litre, respectively. It stated that the distribution margin, which included retailers, transportation, bridging fund and dealers margin stood at N14.30 for both NNPC and other marketers. "This brings the current Expected Open Market Price to N98.62 and N99.38 for NNPC retail outlets and other marketers respectively," it said.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Insecurity Roadmap to peace

Politics

George

Herdsmen attack Enugu massacre: I thought of Kalu

Obanikoro

13 16

Shelle

Unending Lagos PDP crisis ADEWALE AJAYI writes on the lingering crisis in the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the the possibility of its members reconciling their differences

n the last 17 years, efforts have been made by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State chapter to rule the state, but this move have come to naught. This is not because the party is not popular among the people of the state. The problem with the party can be said to be self-inflicted, because it has a history of crisis right from

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@newtelegraphonline.com

inception in 1998. Efforts have been made by the party’s national leadership in the past to resolve the brouhaha, but the moment peace seems to have returned to the party will another round of crisis starts. In the build up to the 2015 general elections, efforts were made by the leadership of the party to mend fences, which paid off to an extent. Trouble, however, started again, after the governorship primaries, which threw up Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who was relatively new in the party as its flag bearer as against Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who was optimistic he would emerge the party’s flag bearer . Obanikoro, who was the first runner up in the primaries, challenged the total number of delegates that voted at the primaries. He polled 343 votes, while Agbaje won with 432 votes. The former Minister of State for Defence alleged there was electoral fraud. He hinged his claim on the fact that the chairman of the electoral committee, Senator Seidu Kumo, announced 863 as the total votes cast. Before delegates began voting, the committee had announced 806 as the number of accredited delegates, forgetting to inform the gathering that there are some statutory delegates. As a way of venting their anger, those loyal to Obanikoro challenged the leadership of the state chairman, Tunji Shelle, and claimed he has been relieved of his position by the state executive, and that Mr. Kamaldeen Olorunoje will hold forth for the party in an acting capacity.

A leader is somebody the people believes in, somebody who shares other people's opinion

Shelle countered their action, and said they lacked the locus standi to oust him as the chairman, adding that, by virtue of his position, he is also a member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), and that only the NWC has the sole authority to tell him to vacate his position. He maintained that those who wanted him out were enemies of the party and wondered why they made such call when the party is recording success. Shelle however got the support of leaders of the party like Chief Bode George, Senator Seye Ogunlewe and some members of the state executive who pledged their loyalty to him. The decision of George to take side in the crisis, led to the factional chairman (Olorunoje) to accuse him of contributing to the party’s defeat in the state. Olorunoje particularly accused George of imposing candidates on the party, who worked against the party. He noted that the six House of Representatives seats and eight House of Assembly seats, which the party won during the elections, were due to the efforts of the candidates, and a few party leaders. Shocked by Olorunoje vituperation, George said it was disheartening that someone he propped up politically could go to the public to malign him. He alleged that Olorunoje was instigated by Obanikoro to destabilise the party. Efforts by the party’s Acting National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and members of the NWC to reconcile members of the

party before the party’s congress and convention was frustrated as each camp was interested on how to take control of the party’s leadership. While the Olorunoje camp is out whittle George’s power and subdue his influence on the party, supporters of the latter are not leaving things to chances. At the party’s stakeholders meeting last Tuesday, to sensitise members of the party about the congresses and convention, Senator Ogunlewe said those who are clamouring for removal of George were only wasting their time because his leadership of the party is backed by the party’s constitution, and unless the constitution is amended, their effort will be in vain. “Unless the constitution of the party is changed, it is a mirage to say you want to remove George as the leader of the party, nobody can upstage his leadership, procedure to become leader in the PDP is stated in the party’s constitution,” he said. Ogunlewe emphasised that George did not just become a leader, but worked for it, and therefore challenged those who aspire to be leader in the PDP to be prepared to contribute to the development of the party and make sacrifice. The former minister alleged that some leaders were planning to use mercenaries at the congress, but urged the party members to guide their loins, because allowing them to have their way is tantamount to gambling with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

POLITICS

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Edo 2016: The Obaseki agenda Ernest Omoarelojie

s the current administration winds down in Edo State, the people are beside themselves, singing "thank you” to the governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, for a job well done. For obvious reasons, the only exception are members of the opposition who seem to see nothing good in all the amazing development witnessed across every nook and cranny since its inception in 2009. At the moment, the state and it's diverse people have more than enough reasons to shout "Halleluya" to the high heavens for making Oshiomhole the governor at a time they almost gave up hope that nothing good can ever come out of the ruling elite. None of them has forgotten the hopeless days where life meant residing alongside forgotten streets and abandoned public infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure. They now rise daily to behold evident testimonies to the breakthroughs the administration recorded in all sectors. Beyond the dexterity with which Oshiomhole handled development issues, spreading same across the state particularly at a time the country went through an unprecedented economic malaise, there is no doubt that "Oshio Baba," as he is fondly referred to by his horde of admirers, equally invested so much in human capital. This is very evident in the calibre of aides he appointed into the office to help him drive his peopleoriented policies. They are the behind-the-scene hands that constantly whispered reminders into his ears just to ensure that plans remain on course particularly in the light of the state's lean resources. For their roles, the state never defaulted in all its obligations even when some of its richer counterparts were unable to meet recurrent obligations. One of them is Godwin Obaseki, a very quiet investment banker, heading the administration's economic direction. As a mark of the confidence reposed on Obaseki, the governor did not only ensure he served out the role successfully in the first term, he also received the mandate to play same duties

Oshiomhole

during the second term re-election campaign. The governor retained him to continue to fill in as the administration's economic and investment eyes and ears after securing a second term in office to once more, fulfill the promises he made to the people. Arguably, the place of Beninborn Obaseki is like that of the Igbo adage which says that a woman needs no better praise for preparing a good meal than seeing her husband clear out every morsel. If praises follow Oshiomhole for his outstanding performance in terms of service delivery at a time the entire nation went through a debilitating economic downturn, the man who played a key role must smile. No doubt, Obaseki deserves some praises and must smile from ear to ear for helping to nurture an impressive governance record. Indeed, given the praises that trail the performances of the Oshiomhole administration, there is evidently no reason for any sane thinking individual or group to doubt the fact that he has done well. For so long, the issue that dominated the state's political space is Obaseki's aspiration for the ultimate seat as governor of the state.

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

future of the party, just as he urged the elders to encourage the youths to attain leadership position in the party. George, on his part said he was elated that the PDP has become an attractive party in the South-West because when it was formed in 1998, it was not attractive to the people of the zone. He added that as a foundation member, he will not allow the party to go under. He explained that, it was not out of place to have crisis in a political party but the most important thing is that there must be room for reconciliation, and that once a decision is reached, all members need to align with it. He maintained that Obanikoro and his supporters have proved themselves not to be politicians, but set of people who want things to go their way always. He said: “These people are not politicians, we should not allow impostors. The managers of the party will

Obaseki

Obaseki's opponents need to be reminded that his antecedents speak volumes

The real issue is that what ordinarily is a legitimate aspiration is deliberately jaundiced mainly on the supposition that he is the governor’s favoured heir. Thus tagged, the suggestion remains that he lacks the moral right to aspire to lead the state in the next dispensation. Curiously, however, those tagging him want to wish away the fact that he is as good, if not better than anyone else nursing the same ambition. Deliberately too, they ignored the fact that their claim is true, it does not remove the fact that he has every legitimate right as a citizen to nurse any leadership ambition, particularly when such aspiration is within the ambit of extant laws. In quickly putting a tag on Obaseki, his traducers also forgot that it is not an accident that democracy prescribes rules with which it must be practiced. No cares to echo the fact that none of the laws excludes him. In other words, they deliberately ignore the fact that he is, by the rules, a qualified and bonafide aspirant. One is, therefore, distressed to realize that the man is being tagged by those who seek to see their own aspirations as appropriate.

The question then is, can we rely on individuals and groups who seek to lead us but are at the same time deliberately misleading all of us with claims designed to impugn the character of a very qualified and deserving aspirant? For me, the answer is no because their aim is to employ very laughable suppositions to impose mediocrity on all of us. For me, the time has come for every right thinking individual and group to impress it on those tagging Obaseki that the real issue should be the need to have a level-playing ground for all. Character assassination will not fly. By now, Obaseki's opponents need to be reminded that his antecedents speak volumes. They need to be reminded that he seems to have enough professional contacts with the right political and economic clout to further change the face of the state for the better. If he can achieve result even as we have all seen in his capacity as a controlled lieutenant, just imagine what he will achieve calling the shots. The prospects are enticing. Therefore, rather than whine and tag him negatively, his opponents would do better developing better and bankable links that will help Edo state get to the next level. I am of the opinion that with such sublime credentials, Obaseki is deserving of our plaudits and encouragement now that he has expressed a legitimate desire to aspire to the highest office in the state. It is wrong for any rightthinking individual or group to celebrate the mundane by considering his aspiration only from the narrow prism that sets aside his sterling qualities. His chances of success should be considered from the standpoint of his antecedents and what he is doing right now. Come to think of it, he is not sitting pretty like an anointed son as he goes the entire state reaching out to those who matter. That is what matters. The time has come for our people, particularly decision makers, to celebrate achievements. For crying out loud, tagging Obaseki negatively will not fly. Not anymore. Those who seek to govern Edo state must show that they have brains; Obaseki is the best of the lot! •Omoarelojie writes from Benin City

Unending Lagos PDP crisis be elected very soon, give support to those you trust to lead the party, those threading path of perfidy in Lagos, where are they?” Reacting to George’s comment, Olorunoje said he and his supporters decided to boycott the stakeholders meeting, because the laid down procedure for calling a congress was not followed. “There is a process for calling a general assembly, the party constitution says before the general assembly, there must be a state working committee meeting, and the secretary will then issue a statement calling for a general assembly. That was not followed, so if we want things done properly, we must not support illegality,” he said. On whether they will not participate

in the congress, he said his group will participate, because it is an avenue to prove ones popularity. On why he and his group do not believe in George’s leadership, he said the role the former PDP deputy national chairman is playing now is confusing, and it will be difficult for them to queue behind someone who is a leader of the opposition party, but decided to clamour support for President Muhammadu Buhari by calling on Nigerians to give him more time to perform. Reacting to Senator Ogunlewe statement that the PDP’s constitution empowers George to be leader of the party, he said that was his personal interpretation of the constitution and not what the constitution says. He added that being a Board of

Trustee (BoT) member does not automatically translate that he is the leader of the party. “That does not make him a leader, a leader is somebody the people believes in, somebody who shares other peoples opinion, those are the people you can call a leader,” he said. Though the PDP in Lagos State is never devoid of crisis at any point in time, but the victory recorded by the party in the last general elections by winning some seats into the state Assembly and National Assembly was a rare success by the party in the state since inception, and analysts believe that the party should leverage on that rather than encouraging seed of discord, which will further relegate the party to the background in the state.

POLITICS

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Insecurity: Roadmap to peace TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE writes on the quest by ethnic nationalities and civil society groups to champion peace in Nigeria

orried by the state of insecurity, communal clashes and killings in some parts of the country, leaders of some ethnic nationalities and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), gathered in Lagos last week to proffer solutions to the myriad of problems facing the country. The two-day conference on “Promoting, peace, democracy and stability in Nigeria through the media, socio-cultural institutions and youth-driven community based groups’ was organised by Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) in conjunction with the Ford Foundation, West African Regional Office. The forum gave opportunity for leaders of ethnic nationalities and civil societies to brainstorm on how to ensure that people of all ethnic groups in the country live together in peace. Speakers at the event attributed some of the most dangerous signposts against Nigeria’s sustainable development to ethnic violence and faith-induced conflict, and therefore advised ethnic leaders not to be violent in their agitations. The guest speaker and Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), Mr. Ayo Opadokun, while delivering a lecture titled; ‘Conflict, violence and the task of sustainable livelihood in Nigeria,” said conflicts and violence do occur in some parts of the country as a result of people’s perception of bias, favouritism, neglect and discrimination against some people in favour of other groups by the act of government or wrong usage of constitutional provisions. His words: “If the Nigerian state has understood the wide implications of the cattle rearers and herdsmen audacious, insensitive and deliberate grazing of their cattle by feeding on native farmers crops and means of livelihood in other parts of the country and the consistently reported support and backing of the Nigerian security forces against the native farmers, perhaps Nigeria could not have been awashed with the reported stories of several hundreds of innocent lives already killed by the Fulani herdsmen as recently happened in Agatu community in Benue State, Iseyin and Okeho in the Oyo State, Plateau State and Enugu State. “Deliberate understanding that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-linguistic, multi-artifacts, etc country is a necessity to prevent further incidences of violence. Also, restoration to true federal constitutional govern-

NADECO Secretary, Opadokun; Prof. Banji Akintoye and Oba Olusola Olatunde at the Peace Building Summit in Lagos.

ment arrangement like devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, etc which essentially presupposes that all the components states are constitutionally equal but coordinating at the center as opposed to the militarised imposed centralised administration of the country since the military violently captured political power in Nigeria on January 15, 1966 will reduce the incidences of many conflicts and their consequential occurrence of violence. “Sustainable of livelihood in Nigeria will be better guaranteed if the Nigerian state were to adhere and or significantly performed its obligations as provided for in the constitutional provisions. It is the act of gross disobedience and or willful disregard to the constitutional provisions that have consistently being the major factors for generating conflict situations, which when poorly or manipulatively managed usually results into various incidences of violence thereby denying Nigerians commensurate standard of living that should have been their due lots.” Speaking on the need for peaceful approach in resolving conflicts, the Executive Director of JODER, Adewale Adeoye, advised people who felt aggrieved with the situation of the country to cultivate the habit of agitating for great transformation and make demands for their lofty aspirations without necessarily resorting into violence. According to him, they can call for the domestication of international conventions and advance their goals without necessarily killing one another. His words: “As I speak to you, a part of the country is almost at war, while many parts of the country are on the tenterhooks. Every day we read about the unspeakable violence and killings. We read about children being hacked down. We read about wailing women, of school children being kidnapped. The cost of violence is far more than the cost of peace. Violence breeds hate and

Deliberate understanding that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic... country is a necessity to prevent further incidences of violence

avarice. There is no country that will ever grow in the midst of aggression that does not abate or hostility that continues to grow. “We do not have to wait for the government all the time to bring peace into our communities. Being peaceful is not the same as being docile. We can agitate for great transformation; we can make demands for our lofty aspirations without necessarily resulting into violence. We can make demands for self-determination. We can call for the domestication of international conventions that advance our goals without necessarily killing one another. “By impacting the knowledge for peace-building mechanism, we are convinced that a greater people with a reputation for nonviolence will begin to emerge. We are strongly convinced that we the people may not be able to put an end to the distrust, the hate and the unending potentials for spontaneous crisis, but we can reduce them and create the platform for constructive engagement. This task is enormous but not impossible.” The National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, while delivering a paper titled: ‘Nationalities and Ethnic conflict in Nigeria: A people’s antidote for peace,’ said Nigeria is made up of different ethnic nationalities and therefore urged the government to appreciate ethnic groups’ differences and not to gloss over them or pretend as if the differences do not exist. He said: “There is no doubt that democracy remains the best option and the best form of government, however, our experience all over the world has shown that democracy does not automatically translate into peace and justice. Democracy is work in progress. Other ingredients of democracy are crucial to sustainable development. But what is most important is the people. “A democratic government that undermines the fears and aspirations of the people will fail.

The people should be at the centre piece of human development and global transformation of our people and vulnerable societies. Nations and peoples fight wars only where reason has failed. War is usually the best option for a society that lacks critical thinking about the need to protect human lives. “There is no doubt that the Nigeria is made up of different ethnic nationalities. Some of the nationalities are small, some of them are big. Some of the nationalities are weak and vulnerable while some are strong. In all, every nationality has one challenge or the other. There is no nationality in Nigeria that is self-sufficient though our fears and aspirations differ from one another. Democracy in our country must appreciate our differences not to gloss over them or pretend as if the differences do not exist.” The chairman, Supreme Egbesu Assembly, Chief Werinipre Noel Digifa, while speaking on ‘Democracy in Nigeria: Oil, the Niger Delta, Peace building and the crisis of sustainable development,’ said Ijaw nation is ready to work together with stakeholders, driven by the people to bring peace and justice to Nigeria. His words: “It is very unfortunate that successive Nigerian governments have chosen to deliberately malign the Ijaw nation and her people. Institutions of the Nigerian state were created to our disadvantage. Take a look at the creation of the states where the Ijaw nation has only one homogeneous state of Bayelsa. The Ijaw people have been deliberately balkanised into different states of Ondo, Delta, Rivers, where they are in minority and their voices stifled. “The anger and frustration you find in the Niger-Delta today are as a result of the lack of governments with a human face, the lack of institutions that care about human liberty, the lack of political leadership with a clear vision not to rob Peter to pay Paul. Our people are as desperate for peace as they are for justice. They are as desperate for liberty as they are for sustainable livelihood." Expressing his view on ‘The role of the Military in ethnic relation, democracy and peace building,’ a retired military officer and Chief Operation Officer (COO) Extreme Guards Nigeria Limited, Col. Gabriel Ajayi (rtd), said the military has the profile to assist in solving problems associated with conflict and putting down revolts both locally and internationally. Speaking on ‘Facts, realities and challenges of Black Africa’s nationalities,’ a university don, Prof. Banji Akintoye, said most urban-based conflicts have tended to play out as inter-ethnic. “In the poor urban destinations to which the poor masses tend to swarm in a hopeless quest for economic survival, fights by the poor against the poor, meaninglessly developing as fights of ethnic national groups against one another, have become common all over Black Africa,” he noted.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Before the black flag goes South My Word CLEM AGUIYI totalpolitics@ymail.com 0803-474-7898 (sms only)

hen a handful of Boko Haram detainees were moved to prisons in the South East, the locals vehemently opposed the idea. Their argument was that this was part of a clandestine plan to infiltrate the zone with terrorists. They do not trust the system especially when there is no representative from their tribe in the kitchen cabinet, Security Council or even the first five on the protocol list in the current regime and therefore do not trust the government. In their heart is the fear that the zone may become a killing field of sorts. At the time of writing this article, the South East is under siege. Over three million Igbo have been killed by fellow compatriots since after independence in 1960. They have been killed across the North and without protection from the security agencies. Now there ancestral home is under attack by same elements who understand no other language but war and conquest-the Hausa- Fulani. The latest wave of attack attack was against an agrarian community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area. The death toll according to some sources is over 100 and this includes women and children. The affected communities are Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru,Ebor , Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara. The attackers were said to have arrived heavily armed through the forests in Abbi, Orba , Ogebe and Agu Orba villages where they were said to have massed before the attack. There are indications that the State Government received credible intelligence that the communities will be attacked. The State Governor reportedly conveyed Security Council meeting which included the military and police ostensibly to either thwart the attack or ward off the invaders. The GOC 82 Division reportedly requested the Governor to seek the approval of the president to enable him deploy troops. The Governor on his part made futile efforts to speak with the President. He was put on hold for hours without the president coming

online only for an aide to the president to come online to dismiss the governor’s concern as mere hysteria. Hours later, the attack occurred living in its wake, tears, sorrow and blood. The President, the police, the military, Civil Defence and Department of State Security failed the people. What a country? Pray, why will the GOC need the president’s approval to stop terrorist attack? The failure of security agencies in this regard need to be the subject of a public hearing and high powered probe hence our representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives must begin to live up-to the responsibilities of their mandate as elected representatives of the people. The IGP of police was at-least right when he said that these blood thirsty vandals are not Nigerians; that they are foreigners from Chad, Niger, and Mali. Some of them were supposedly trained in the use of sophisticated weapons by Hezbollah. The ease by which some of the fighters who are on the international terror watch find their way into Nigeria leaves more questions than answers. Who gave them visa? Who is their host? Who is funding them? Who is procuring their deadly weapons? Though I do not approve of joining issues with cutlasses, but with no place to run to; no ear left to turn and no more blood to waste, the Igbo must fight these foreign agents of chaos . I cannot in my right frame of mind tell people under the threat of attack not to be vigilant, equipped and prepared to ward-off invaders; I cannot tell people under attack not to defend themselves with anything available to them; I cannot tell those with ‘amadioha’ not to invoke the anger of their gods against the invaders and their collaborators or tell those in custody of the Ark of Covenant not to bring it to the front so that the enemy will scatter; I cannot tell the youths not to fortify themselves with fasting and prayers or assemble to defend the honours of their mothers, sisters and daughters; I cannot tell those abroad who can retreat back home not to come back and defend their ancestral homes , neither can I tell those that remain abroad not to bring the ongoing genocide before the attention of the global world. Die we must someday but not to be beheaded in chains and bended knees for there is no comfort in slavery nor honour in shameful death Looking back at the Uzo-Uwani tragedy, I wonder if this was part of ‘setting the Igbo up for massacre’. I wrote extensively on this following the claim by DSS that five Fulani Herdsmen were abducted, murdered and buried in shallow graves by elements affiliated to IPOB in Abia State. IPOB strongly denied the claims and called for probe and forensic investigation. The Ohaneze and another group known as Igbo

In an open letter addressed to President Buhari , the Igbo intelligentsia urged him to speak out against the violent activities of the herdsmen

Intelligentsia Forum also called for forensic investigation. In an open letter addressed to President Buhari , the Igbo intelligentsia urged him to speak out against the violent activities of the herdsmen. They alleged that the president has no business remaining as the National Patron of a group that has been accused of robbery, rape, abduction, extortion and mass murder. Curiously and most annoying is the President’s muteness in the face of the herdsmen aggression. For instance the herdsmen had killed hundreds of people in Taraba and nearly a thousand in Agatu, not even the Enugu state massacre attracted his comment just like the abduction and killing of Obi of Isele Uku and Chief Olu Falae’s aide and many others by herdsmen. What’s going on in the president’s head? Truthfully, it doesn’t matter anymore what goes on in his head but his heart. There was this fear of his dictatorial tendency, age and capacity to cope with the strain of office; before his election he was accused of being a bigot and a hater of the Igbo which he denied vehemently. Indeed, President Buhari inherited a highly polarized country due to divisive politics but has done nothing to bring the people together. Why has the pleadings for the release Nnamdi Kanu of Radio Biafra fallen on the president’s deaf ears. Whereas Nnamdi Kanu never held a rifle nor killed anyone, he is languishing in prison while Fulani herdsmen who have committed mass murder, rape, robbery and abduction remain at large. No single Fulani terrorist has been charged to court for any crime but Kanu is in court for allegedly preaching hate. When will the president divorce himself of being a Fulani and show himself as President of one nation? When will the President belong to nobody but to all? You cannot be dealing with Biafra activist loudly, dealing with the shites very loudly, dealing with Boko Haram over loudly and threatening IPOB over openly, and bombing pipeline vandals to submission openly and then choose to deal with the Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen silently without being accused of obvious bias and being complicit. Whatever the president does now may be coming too little too late as the people have taken position and resolved to defend themselves because their expectations that he will do the right thing on the issue of the herdsmen seem to have fallen flat. At the end of his tenure President Buhari like other presidents before him will be judged for his own actions and inactions on this great stage and it’s admirable enough that he will want history to be fair to him hence he should act now to halt the reckless bid to foist the Black Flag in the South.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Tracking Anambra’s impressive IGR growth under Obiano ON Thursday, April 14, 2016, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced in its IGR Report, that Anambra State showed a great promise in Internally Generated Revenue drive, taking the second position after Ogun State. The Report says that Anambra placed second with a significant rise of 29.32 percent indicating an improvement from N10.45bn in 2014 to N14.79bn in 2015. What the report did not capture is that as at March 2013, Anambra’s IGR figures stood at a paltry N500m. That was before Chief Willie Obiano took over the leadership of the state. The NBS Report further indicated that Ogun State took the first position

by doubling the N17.5bn it generated in 2014 to N34.6bn in 2015. Other states that showed a significant drive in the quest to boost IGR are Borno, Edo, Bauchi, Abia, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba and Sokoto states. Sadly, Ebonyi State showed unacceptable ineptitude by not presenting any documentation of its IGR. Surprisingly, Lagos State with its enormous industrial and commercial capacity showed a drastic loss of appetite for IGR as it ranked among the states that put up abysmal performance in the period under review. However, it is instructive to note that long before the NBS Report, Anambra’s impressive performance had been noised around but many people had re-

garded it as official propaganda. Now, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics has decorated it with a seal of authenticity. Anambra is undoubtedly on the rise under Obiano. Coming at a time when the nation’s economy is gasping for breath, this is indeed cheerful news. However, for many observers of Willie Obiano’s silent revolution in Anambra State, the state’s remarkable growth in IGR does not come as a surprise. Shortly after he was sworn in, Governor Obiano had swiftly eased himself into action mode by holding a Strategic Retreat for his cabinet. Far ranging issues were exhaustively discussed at the retreat which attracted some of the best financial

strategists, economists and technocrats in the country. It was at this Retreat that the newly born administration foresaw a stormy future for the Nigerian economy that would be induced by an imminent fall in oil prices. Consequently, it began to lay out measures and strategies for survival. This informed the creative search for improved revenue in a manner that would not wipe away the promise of the young administration. Regardless, Governor Obiano must have risen from the retreat with a heavy load on his mind; brooding over the future of the state under him and the brass task of leaving a legacy in a dilapidated economy. •Obiajulu Ajuluchukwu, Lagos.

Kalu and the Fulani scourge THE statement that a hero is remembered whenever what he knows best to do occurs, was re-echoed in virtually all the media avenues in Igbo-land, after supposedly Fulani terrorists invaded an Enugu community on April 25 2016. The former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, although alive, was remembered by Ndigbo. The people said that if Kalu was still in a political position, as a man of peace whose wealth of knowledge transcends Nigerian politics, he would make sure that peace was brokered. Many people regretted that what Ndigbo have today as political lead-

ers are those who are always afraid to confront the daunting challenge before those they are leading, unlike Kalu. They said that they now know that Kalu is the only Igbo man who truly loves Ndigbo and is ready to spend his time and energy to bring their issue to the world’s consciousness. Conversely, Kalu has always believed in an indivisible Nigeria with the view that many countries were enlarging their coast for economic and political strength. He believes that a word can bring about peace than many hollow words. • Rubby Obinna (Mrs.), Abuja.

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because there had not been recruitment into the police for more than five years. According to him, thousands of policemen who died in the course of service, were dismissed or retired, had not been replaced in the last five years. The former IG added that the recruitment would strengthen and re-energise the service to tackle more security challenges facing the country. According to Okiro, the recruitment is in three entry points of Constable, Cadet Inspector and Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), while there is also recruitment into the Special-

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proval for recruitment into the police. According to a statement by the PSC, by that Tuesday, 202,427 applicants had applied for the position of Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 169,446 for the position of Cadet Inspector and 333,479 for the position of Constable. At the close of the application, it is possible over a million applicants would have applied.

The huge response of Nigerians to the recruitAt the close of the ment has application, it is thrown up a lot of salient possible over a issues. One, it million applicants shows there is high rate would have applied of unemployist cadre. ment and underemployment Despite glitches encountered in the country. Secondly, there by the applicants in terms of seems not to be clear instrucdifficulty in accessing the portal tion on the modalities for the and submitting form after fillscreening of the applicants. There are fears, genuine ing it, thousands of people had, within the first three days of the though, of possibility of reenacting the ugly episode of the exercise, applied for the police infamous recruitment into the job. By Tuesday (April 19), 705,352 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) a few years ago where applicants had submitted their applications. In a couple of days many applicants died while scores of others were injured over 800,000 applications had during screening. been turned in. While it is important that The number, which came those who want to police Nigeabout three weeks to the close of the application, is 695,352 ria in the 21 Century are physihigher than the 10,000, which cally, medically and mentally President Buhari had given apfit, picking the best among the

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Police: Getting it right

n August 2015, at the National Security Summit in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Police Service Commission (PSC) to recruit 10,000 men. Many people had anticipated that the commission would begin the process immediately but for about six months nothing was done in that regard. The recruitment process did not take off last year, it was learnt, because the funding was not captured in the 2015 budget. The excitement, which greeted the announcement by the President, emanated from the fact that for many years there had not been recruitment into the service. And secondly, it was seen as a means to reduce the high rate of unemployment whose impact has continued to reflect on the nation’s economy. About seven months after the presidential directive, the PSC announced that the recruitment would commence on April 1. “The process leading to the recruitment of 10,000 policemen as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the National Security Summit in Abuja last year, has commenced,” the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro, said while unveiling the portal for the exercise. Okiro, a former InspectorGeneral of Police (IG), said the exercise was remarkable

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thousands of applicants must not lead to avoidable deaths. Proper medical tests must first be conducted to determine the fitness or otherwise of the candidates before subjecting them to rigorous physical screening. Modern-day policing depends more on scientific approach. It, therefore, thrives on mental alertness. Although Okiro said “the process of receiving the forms has been smooth and transparent,” and assured “the applicants of fairness and equal opportunity,” there are fears that politicians, of course that is natural to them, would hijack the recruitment process. But if they are allowed to use the recruitment as political patronage, it will rubbish the process and defeat the President’s noble intention to create jobs on the one hand and combat the surge in crime on the other. This also represents a litmus test for the police hierarchy and the administration of President Buhari because it is the first to be conducted by the Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, and the President. If it fails, it will also be an indictment on the police whose job is it to check crime and police the nation. On the other hand, a proper and successful recruitment exercise will do the sagging image of the police some good.

POLITICS

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Enugu massacre: I thought of Kalu N Odimegwu Onwumere

digbo, my people, have been slaughtered in their own land in the Fulani herdsmen incursion of Ukpabi, Nimbo in UzoUwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, in the early of hours of April 25 2016. Now that ala-Igbo has been taken over by the Fulani herdsmen or is it Fulani militants, one man that came to my mind was Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State. If he were still a governor, possible ways would have been mapped out to stop the killing of Ndigbo in their own land by the marauders that have no respect or attach a meaning to human life. I want to talk about Kalu today, whom I had written about in the past before I channeled my energy to other more challenging issues. Kalu would have ended this rofo-rofo if on November 12, 2012, he could offer to negotiate the end of insurgency in the northern part of the country on Federal Government’s behalf. Kalu is not like the current crop of governors in the SouthEast, who only dangle balls in-between their loins, but are weaker than what is known as weaker vessels. In 2013, I wrote that Kalu’s offer came when it was obvious that the chief-nominee of Boko Haram for the dialogue, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), failed to accept the offer. However, Kalu gave reasons why he offered to be the agent of peace. Through his Special Assistant on Media, Emeka Obasi, Kalu did not blame Buhari, he rather said: “General Buhari took a laudable step by opting out. For one who contested the 2011 presidential election, meeting with Boko Haram may be misconstrued because many believe that the group’s activities heightened after the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan.” With the killings on March 18, 2013 in Kano through bomb blasts that took over one hundred lives and damaged property, numerous people, especially those from the southern part of the country resident in the North, condemned the government’s lackadaisical approach to Kalu’s earlier benevolent bid. I wrote then that despite that President Goodluck Jonathan had condemned the bomb blasts and described it as barbaric, these Nigerians who live in fear in the northern region, said that the president was just using mere rhetoric, instead of practical approach such as Kalu’s. The conviction of many people was that the Federal Government was only boasting that it would not be deterred from what it claimed was its “strong-willed determination to overcome those who do not mean well for the nation”, when it was obvious that it had been stampeded, but only turned to using the media as its proffered measure of fighting the hyper-terrorists, who were bent on incessant bombings and killings of people and destruction of property.

Kalu

Following that, it could be deduced that Nigerians were not strongly convinced that Jonathan could win the war against terrorism in the country, no matter his reassurances to the citizens and foreigners in the country that the Nigerian Government would not relent in its efforts to bring terrorism to a halt in the country. Someone sent me an e-mail in 2013, in respect to the bombings in the North. He was a university don in one of the universities in the northern part of the country who was from the Igbo extraction and wrote under anonymity and bemoaned his fears that he doubted if the Federal Government could halt the terrorists; but added that if that would be, it might not be in the soon. He cried that non-natives in the northern part of the country could only walk the streets of the North after embarking on spiritual exercise. Hear him: “You guys that live in the homeland cannot appreciate completely what those of us who live among them pass through on a daily basis. What baffles me more is that the authorities have already made up their minds that the only solution is to saturate the airwaves with their messages of condemnation.” He admonished the Federal Government to take more steps above censuring anytime there were killings in the North to proffering practical solutions to the danger. He stressed that Ndigbo (Kalu’s people), are killed in droves in the North, not like human beings, but like rats and other pests. His words: “Igbos are being decimated on a daily basis, yet, people who should speak and act pretend as if chickens are being

If he were still a governor, possible ways would have been mapped out to stop the killing of Ndigbo

slaughtered. Somebody should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that we have permeated one another so much that there are many other tribes and religious groups in my village. How would they feel if we begin to slaughter their people the way they slaughter ours in their midst?” Further, he said that traditional rulers from the Igbo region have not done enough to send message to their counterparts in the north in the language they could possibly understand. He affirmed that it was only Kalu, who have done this; and that was when he was governor. (19992007). “Please, my brother, you should not misunderstand me. I am not a politician. I am not holding brief for any person but I must tell you that if there is any politician we miss now, it is only Orji Uzor Kalu”, he said, and added: “This is the point we shall begin to make as from now. What are our traditional rulers doing? How many of them have spoken out against what we are suffering in this country? Does it imply that these people who were slaughtered in Kano last week did not come from villages and towns with traditional rulers? What stops them from protesting to their counterparts in Northern Nigeria?” He went down memory lane and told how Igbos in the North now miss Kalu, even when he was not a governor in the region. The university don smoldered: “You may like to ask. We once had a big problem in Kaduna, some years back, when Kalu was the governor of Abia State. He did not waste time in protesting to the Sultan of Sokoto. Check the records. Since that time, nobody had targeted the Igbos in Kaduna because he was very practical. But today, I can tell you unequivocally that things have fallen apart. Our leaders are relaxing on their comfort zones, because their own children are not directly affected.” The lecturer pleaded that he was not wrongly transferring his aggression, but he was of the philosophy that somebody like Kalu whose voice should be heard must speak out, because Ndigbo residing in the North have turned all the cheeks they have, which the northerners have taken advantage of. “I just feel that somebody whose voice should be heard must speak out to tell the world that nobody has the monopoly of violence. We must speak my brother. We have turned all the cheeks we have. Maybe, our leaders expect us to voluntarily turn in our necks this time around. Ndigbo should have their agenda in this country. Every group in this land now has a clear identity. We seem to be the only group that is still groping. We must stand up and go back to the drawing board. When we do that, I believe we must stop being the dumping ground of all the evil in the land.” Apart from that Kalu had sought to bring peace in the North on behalf of the government; he had also warned that

there should be an end to the monumental killings of Ndigbo. He disclosed this to media men on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. He expressed sadness in particular, over the ceaseless killings of Ndigbo, and southerners in the Northern Nigeria. In strong terms, Kalu said that it was offensive that Ndigbo had come to be besieged whenever there was a discrepancy or crisis of any sort in the north. He was disappointed, and added: “Everyday, Igbo people in the North are being slaughtered in huge numbers and the Federal Government appears clueless, helpless and incapable of coming to the defence of these citizens.” Kalu had said: “Unfortunately, northern political leaders have made statements and interventions at levels that further question the essence and founding vision of one Nigeria notwithstanding the obnoxious dimension of carrying out such killings in holy places of worship.” He conversely quoted literary icons such as (Chinua Achebe (now late), Wole Soyinka and J. P. Clark) in their shared response to the disgustful national calamity thus: “All who possess any iota of influence or authority, who aspire to real leadership must act now to douse the first flickers of ‘responses in kind’, even before they are manifested and become contagious.” Known as a peacemaker, Kalu did not only talk about the catastrophes, he also submitted advise to Ndigbo and other southerners resident in the North not to rest on their oars to seek gauge to protect their lives and property. He warned that they should not sit down and watch themselves being hacked down by marauders among the northerners. Hear him again: “Christians (northern and southern) and all southerners must also refuse to be made scapegoats and must get together to resist these unwarranted attacks. If the attackers get help from outside the country to attack, Christians and southerners should also do the same to defend themselves, if help will not come from within. If we are singled out for attack again, we shall no longer turn the other cheek, but shall demand an eye for an eye.” Notwithstanding, many Nigerians had scrutinized disappointingly that the elements that originated the civil war of 196770 were being experimented. It was a known fact that many Igbo people were killed and mutilated in a pogrom in the North, which was chiefly the cause of the 196770 (un)civil war. These Nigerians are afraid that the country does not experience another war, but added that the war mongers could have been disciplined only if the Federal Government had heeded to Kalu’s offer to negotiate the end of insurgency in the northern part of the country on its behalf. Today, has the hen not come to the South-East to roost? •Onwumere writes from Port Harcourt, Rivers State

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Feature Saving Abuja Master Plan from distortion

Inside Abuja

Protesters arriving the NASS gate.

It was more than a coincidence when two rival groups clashed as they protested for different reasons at the main entrance to the National Assembly. ONWUKA NZESHI reports

News IGP warns communities against stealing of telecoms masts

Onwuka NzeshI

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF nzeshi@newtelegraphonline.com

ÂŠ Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Occupy NASS: Three days of anger-venting

n Tuesday, last week, about a 100 young men and women stormed the National Assembly and literally held lawmakers hostage for three days. The protesters came, brandishing various placards, denouncing the actions and inactions of members of the parliament. They forced their way through the Hospital Avenue, the six- lane highway leading to the main gate of the National Assembly. The mass action almost degenerated into chaos and violence as two opposing groups met at the rally ground.

Barricaded - No Entry, No Exit

Just as the Occupy National Assembly ( #OCCUPY NASS) marched into the arena from one end of the road, another group of protesters called Save National Assembly, marched in from the opposite end of the road. Like the first, members of the second group came dressed in branded T- shirts and caps. They also bore placards with various inscriptions and were singing solidarity songs. However, the Occupy NASS group appeared more prepared for business. It had a musical sound system with loud speakers mounted on a van from where they

played songs and made speeches announcing their arrival and proclaiming their mission. The whole atmosphere became charged as nobody was sure of what could happen the next moment. Security men, who were apparently waiting for them , quickly shut the twin gates and cordoned off the area to prevent the crowd of protesters from advancing further. But it was an unusual reception. In the past, protesters were confronted by armed policemen even before they got close to the gates. One could recall the day a certain civil society group, Stop Impunity

Nigeria, staged a protest march around the same vicinity. Armed policemen intercepted them at the Unity Fountain released a volley of tear gas into their midst. They all scampered for safety and that was the end of the show. Almost immediately, about six police patrol vans conveying dozens of security operatives arrived the scene to beef up the security and forestall a breakdown of law and order. In spite of this, there was an instant commotion as the two groups struggled for space and attention. Some members of the two groups were seen chasing one another as if in a contest to claim sole ownership of the rally. Some women and young ladies in the Save National Assembly told Inside Abuja that they were attacked by some hoodlums, who allegedly came with the Occupy National Assembly group. The women said that in the stampede, they ran and fell down several times, thereby sustaining varying degrees of injuries. They alleged that they were attacked by daggerwielding young men in the crowd. It soon became obvious that they were all hirelings and had been mobilised by two opposing political forces. They were engaged to promote two diametrically opposed views in the polity. CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Inside ABUJA | SLUMS

Abuja City Gate

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

t is not in doubt that the defacing of the Abuja master plan is coming back and the distortion is mainly caused by the relevant stakeholders responsible for the protection of the master plan. These agencies range from the Federal Capital Territory, Department of Development Control, Parks and Recreation, Abuja Geographical Information System, Federal Capital Development Authority and some others. The establishment of these agencies was to keep and improve the Abuja master plan. For many years, these agencies were unable to live up to their mandates until a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, came to the saddle in 2003. As a minister, El-Rufai was concerned with how to return the Abuja master plan that had been badly defaced and that he did to a large extent. He was the first person to chase away the motorcyclist (Okada) riders from the city of any state in Nigeria, as he made sure that areas marked for different purposes in the Abuja metropolis were used or returned for such purposes. Before his coming on board, the Abuja metropolis that was conceived to be like Paris, capital of France, was something else. Paris is said to be the most beautiful city in the world that people talk about its beauty in such manner as "See Paris and die". Abuja, which came into being in 1976 when Paris had been built, cannot still compete half way with the beauty of Paris as a result of the apparent administrative indiscipline and corruption. People, who were saddled with the responsibilities to maintain and keep the city in shape, are majorly the people defacing the city. There is no structure or ac-

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Saving Abuja Master Plan from distortion tivity which does not conform with the master plan that does not have the backings of one agency of the Federal Capital Territory. For every illegal land allocation or illegal structure, there must have been overt or covert connivance of some officials of the agencies of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory. This was probably why ElRufai preferred to make use of technocrats and consultants in running his administration at that time. To this effect, he created the Abuja Geographical Information System, AGIS to help in restoring back the master plan by keeping proper records of information on allocations. But few years later, the lack of political will of subsequent administrations have made the civil servants in the agencies go back to their old ways. Structures are springing up illegally at all nooks and crannies of the Abuja metropolis. Areas designated for parks and recreation are being re-allocated for residential building, as encroachment into such areas by individuals were overlooked by the Department of Development Control. A critical example of this is the 4.05 hectares of green area in Wuse Zone 3 allotted to Obike Industries Limited in 2004 and recertified in 2007 for the operation of Peka Park and Garden. The administrators of the Federal Capital Territory agencies have in recent years watched how this garden has been encroached upon by different individuals for different reasons with all entreaties to them being ignored. Also, part of the garden has

Some officials of the AGIS have been alleged to be involved in double or triple allocation of a particular plot

been allocated for residential building, with a former minister signing the allocation papers. The approval, which was signed on behalf of the Minister by the Director of Land, Planning and Survey, Mallam M.S.U. Kalgo, was given in 2001. The allocation paper reads: Re: Application for statutory right of occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. "Please refer to the above subject matter and the approval of the Hon. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to allocate to you Plot No.91 within Dutse (CGSS) Layout District for which approval was conveyed to you by Right of Occupancy No. MFCT/ LA/NG. 2566 and which has been withdrawn for overriding public interest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In its place, Plot No. 2429 within Wuse A2 District measuring approximately 1500 square meters is now reallocated to you in replacement.â&#x20AC;? This new plot allocated to Mallam M.S.U. Kalgo in 2001 according to documents and survey plans is inside the Peka Park Garden owned by Obike Industries Limited with plot no. 1353 Cadastral Zone A02 Wuse Zone 3. Similarly, in July 2007, the Director of Parks and Recreation allocated part of the hectares to YAE International Limited without any revocation, either in full or part of the first allotment. When contacted, the Director of Parks and Recreation, Mr. Roland Ologun, who has allegedly allocated some portions of the hectares of land to some other persons without revocation of the previous allocation, declined to speak. According to him, he can only

speak when he has the permission of the Permanent Secretary of FCT to do so. The Counsel to Obike Industries Limited had petitioned the leadership of the National Assembly and the Committees responsible for oversight functions of the FCT. Also petitions have been sent to the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police on the activities of the Development Control, Park and Recreation and Mr. Magaji Galadima of the Development Control by the Counsel. Obike Industries Limited, buttressing its claims on the 4.05 hectares of land, stated that it still pays the sum of N479, 000 annually, which is the ground rent for the land. The encroachment on the allocation to Obike Industries Limited is one too many. Similarly, some officials of the AGIS have been alleged to be involved in double or triple allocation of a particular plot of land to different individuals and creating files for them in the system. To curb the illegal activities of the staff of the MDAs in the FCT, it would be pertinent that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello rises up to the occasion to restore the master plan. He has to look at the petitions of various aggrieved persons including Obike Industries in order to fish out erring staff of the ministry and sanction them to serve as deterrent to others. The mantra of change as being canvassed in the present administration of the All Progressives Congress government must be seen to be visible in every sector.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

efore the last April 9, 2016, Area Councils elections in the Federal Capital Territory, five out of the six Area Councils in Abuja, the nation's seat of power were under the control of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The remaining one was with the opposition. The PDP, had in 2013, cleared five of the six FCT Area Councils, leaving only Abaji Area Council to APC. However, the table turned against the former ruling party in the Abuja Councils' polls. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) shared the Area Councils seats while the PDP lost out completely in the rescheduled elections. APC emerged winner in Bwari Area council when the elections were first held, but it was declared inconclusive in the remaining five Area Councils by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The rerun, which were held in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Kuje, Abaji and Gwagwalada saw the APC clinching the four of the five Area Councils while APGA won in Gwagwalada. INEC had declared the elections inconclusive due to violence, over voting and non use of smart card readers or accreditation of voters and ordered a rerun in 39 polling units in 20 registration areas. In Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), APC candidate, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, was declared winner after polling 27, 482 votes, while PDP candidate, Kura Bitrus Tanko, emerged runner up with a total of 21,965 votes. Abdulrahaman Ajayi of the APC was declared winner in Abaji area council. He won with a total of 13,515 votes, followed by the PDP candidate, Yahaya Garba, who polled 10,632 votes. In Bwari Area Council, Musa Dikko of APC won with 18, 066 votes, while the runner up, PDP’s Andrew S. Gwani Igu, polled 13,279 votes. Danze Mustapha Adams of APGA won in the Gwagwalada area council. He polled 15,950 votes to defeat Abubakar Jibrin Giri of APC who got 14,569 votes. In Kuje area council, the APC candidate, Adullahi D. Galadima was declared winner with a total of 15, 175 votes polled, while Ishaku Tete Shaban, of the PDP followed closely with 13,650 votes. Joseph K. Shazin, of the APC emerged winner of Kwali area council with a total of 15,309 votes, while Daniel Ibrahim, of the PDP polled 13,673 to come second. Campaign Blues In the build up to the elections, parties opposed to APC, especially the PDP, were cock sure of winning, given the dwindling popularity of the broom party. Their argument was that APC has not delivered the change it promised the electorate almost one year in power. PDP whipped up a lot of sentiments pointing at happenings like long queues

Inside ABUJA

New Mayors in town

and the people followed him to the not-well-known APGA in FCT. A big shock was recorded where the candidate of the relatively unknown All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won the Gwagwalada chairmanship seat. But ahead of the polls, there were skirmishes here and there following which FCT Administration sensed that the elections might be marred by violence. It was for this reason that the FCT Minister and the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye endured sleepless nights, holding security meetings and attending to all electoral matters to midwife a crisis-free election.

Political parties, candidates and overzealous supporters were warned. FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, said Police were still hunting for the suspects because they no longer slept in their houses. But he assured the people that the Police would surely arrest them. Similarly, while briefing the House of Representatives Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters on the preparedness of the FCT Administration for the rescheduled Area Council election on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, the FCT Minister enumerated the flashpoints in the Territory and promised that they would be effectively monitored. To achieve this, Malam Bello mobilised traditional rulers to reach out to their subjects on need for a peaceful election. Despite all these, another violent incident was recorded in Gwagwalada Area Council on March 26, 2016, during a political rally. The clash in a village called Dobi, led to the death of one Haruna Adamu. Irked by this development, the FCT Minister summoned a full brief from the security agencies. He was told that political heavyweights and their thugs were at work. The Minister, who said security breach in whatever manner was not acceptable in FCT, emphasized that political violence has no place in FCT history and directed that perpetrators be arrested. Sequel to the directive, the FCT Police Command arrested eight suspects in the Gwagwalada political conflict. After voting on April 9, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for FCT, Prof. Jacob Jatau, cancelled the results in 39 polling units in 20 registration areas due to violence, over-voting and non-use of smart card readers for voter accreditation.

Electoral Violence This informed why the election which was earlier fixed for March was shifted to April 9. Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the polls were shifted to be able to put proper arrangements in place, observers said it was also to ensure that all flash spots in the FCT in terms of violence were adequately taken care of. One of the reasons bothered on security of the electorate as well as INEC officials and electoral materials. On Wednesday, March 16, 2016, the FCT Security Committee met in the Banquet Hall, FCT Minister’s Residence, Gwarinpa I District, Abuja. That meeting presided over by the FCT Minister assessed the electoral process and strategized on ways to tackle security breaches in the course of the election. The security committee assessed a violent political incident in Abaji Area Council. The committee warned sponsors of violence against testing the will of the security agencies in FCT, even as the Minister stressed that under no circumstance should the security agencies allow anyone break the law.

Suppementary Polls At the end of the supplementary election on April 13, three incumbent chairmen lost their re-election bids as APC won five of the six Area Councils while APGA won the Gwagwalada chairmanship seat. What else could the Minister have done for the poll to be peaceful? The Chief Press Secretary to FCT Adminisration, Mr. Muhammad Hazat Sule, said the election was successful despite the hiccups because it was truly the reflection of the people’s wish. According to him, the absence of protests against the results was proof that winners were really voted for. "Credit should therefore be given to Malam Bello, who is ably assisted by the Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and his entire Administration for not exhibiting the do-or-die tendency, yet delivering to the people of FCT a fair and credible poll despite the hiccups. Nothing good comes easy. By declaring some of the poll inconclusive, neither the FCT Administration nor electoral umpire is to blame. It is the same do-or-die thing that led to the in-

Mohammed Bello, FCT Minister

at fuel stations, due to scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), dwindling value of the naira, general hardship, as reasons APC should not be allowed to take the Area Councils seats. One big thing PDP laid hold of to undo APC was non -payment of salaries of local council workers. At the time, Area Council workers had been on strike over unpaid salaries for January and February. Even though PDP was ruling party at the local level and payment of council workers’ salaries was no responsibility of the FCT Administration, the Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, went extra mile, sought approval of the National Assembly and released funds to offset the wage bills amounting to N1.6 billion for the two months. But those who have followed the politics of FCT keenly said that the PDP was banking on manipulating the elections, especially in the rural areas of FCT as was the case in the past elections. Those who have been part of electioneering in FCT said that many communities in the rural areas did not vote in 2013 but results were declared in favour of PDP. According to these people, it has been like that since 1999. The contest was narrowed down to APC and PDP, the two dominant parties in the country. This clearly proved that the FCT Minister created the needed free space for the election and the electorate took advantage of it. It is said that the APGA candidate was popular and he sought nomination in PDP. Dashed Hopes But the PDP, in its style of stifling and skewing the electoral process to appeal to the sensibilities of its chieftains, would not allow the candidate to pick the ticket. APGA gave it to him

The Minister stressed that under no circumstance should the security agencies allow anyone break the law

INSIDE ABUJA \ NEWS

Emmanuel Onani

he InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has warned against illegal sealing of Telecommunications Mast/BTS. He said that the relevant provisions of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act CAP C39 L.F.N (2004) and Cyber Crime will be applied in

IGP warns communities against stealing of telecoms masts dealing with individuals or groups found culpable. Arase handed down the warning in Abuja, at a one-day seminar on the Sensitisation of Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Preventions Etc Act, jointly

CSOs canvas improved funding for health relevant international Caleb Onwe Abuja

ivil society groups in Abuja have resolved to chart a new course for improved funding of the health sector, which according to them has suffered due to dwindling budgetary allocation over the years. The groups, which met recently at the instance of Centre for Social Justice (CENSOJ) said this had become necessary in view of the expected exit of foreign donor agencies from full interventional participation in mitigating health situations in key areas of the Nigeria’s health sector. Executive Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyekpere, while addressing Journalists at a one–day workshop on ‘Dialogue on Innovative Funding for Maternal New Born and Child Health’, said in view of the proposed exit of foreign donor agencies from sponsoring health services in Nigeria, both stakeholders and governments at various levels ought to start thinking out-of-thebox on how to fund the sector. Onyekpere argued that paucity of state resources should not be a justifiable excuse for abandoning the health sector, which over the years, has depended so much on international handouts. He also said that governments at all levels ought to domesticate all

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

instruments that promote health of the citizenry. Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health Care, Communicable and non-Communicable Diseases, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, who addressed participants at the workshop, acknowledged that the health sector in Nigeria had suffered a decline in budgetary allocation due lack of political will of successive governments. “ It is therefore largely the lack of political will of governments that the paucity of funding of the primary health care sector has persisted and affected services relating to maternal new born and child health”, he said. Ohuabunwa lamented that the health sector was still being underfunded, coupled with the fact that international donor agencies have begun gradual withdrawal of support in key areas like HIV/AIDS and immunization programmes. He urged the executive and the legislature to muster the political will to implement the Abuja declaration and allocate at least 15 per cent of the national budget to the health sector. Chairman, House Committee on Health Care Services, Hon. John Okafor, represented by his Special Adviser, Mr. Okonkwo Vitus, lamented the rate of maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria, which according to him, can be attributed to gross neglect of the health sector.

organised by the Police's Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and IHS Nigeria Limited. The IGP, while underscoring the importance of public/private partnership in the protection of critical infrastructure and assets in the country, said the partnership with IHS was aimed at creating public awareness on the danger associated with,

and legal implication of vandalising telecommunication equipment. According to the Police Chief, the partnership was meant to achieve the following: "Sensitize members of the public and all Police Formations on the provisions of the Criminal Justice...Act 2015 with respect to the issue of illegal sealing of Telecommunication Mast/BTS.

he Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, has said that given the dwindling economic resources in the country, there was the need for the service to move from a cost centre to a revenue generating organ where the potentials of all revenue outfits in the Ministries, Departments and Agen-

cies (MDAs) are fully utilized. Oyo-Ita noted that the Civil Service would remain a machinery for the delivery of good governance and deserves the greatest attention. She made this known in her office while playing host to members of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) led by its President and Chairman Mr. Anthony Chukwuemeka Nzom, who paid her a courtesy visit recently.

Communications, argued that the acts of vandalism were perpetrated by people, who were ignorant of the legal implication of their action. "There has been several reported cases of damage/vandalization of Telecommunication BTS/ Masts nationwide caused by miscreants as well as the recurring menace of illegal sealing/shutdown of BTS."

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal. Sadique Abubakar (middle), during the Nigerian Air Force first Quarter Route March, in Abuja… on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

Property developers advocate renewable energy option Caleb Onwe

ollowing the unimaginable decline in electricity generation in the country, property developers in Abuja have started exploring renewable energy options for their luxury homes and apartments. One of the developers, and a renewable energy entrepreneur, Mr. Sulaiman Yusuf, during an exhibition organized in Abuja by Blue Energy Solutions Limited, conducted Journalists round one of the properties that is completely running on solar and wind energy in

the newly developed Guzape District of the Federal Capital Territory. Yusuf said that the five terrace duplexes of ten (10) apartment block have no business with the national electrical grid, but depends on hybrid system of solar and wind energy. The developer also said that the building with about 40 living and well serviced rooms, including a borehole system with the capacity to supply up to 57,000 litres of water, enjoy uninterrupted power supply from the combination of 148 solar PV of 200watts and 10 units of 1.5KW wind

FG to enhance civil service revenue Ebere Ameh

"Direct all Police Formations to desist from being used in the illegal stealing of Telecommunication Mast/BTS. Prosecute any individual or corporate body that violates the provisions in the Act in respect of the illegal stealing of Telecommunication Mast/ BTS" he said. On his part, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of

“As a machinery for the delivery of good governance, the civil service deserves the greatest attention and that is why concerted efforts is being made by government to identify areas of weakness of the service, and also streamline past efforts made towards repositioning the service for effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens of Nigeria,” she said. She said that her office, having identified the

need to build the capacity of the civil service across board, is developing a Structured Assessment –Based Training Programme to equip civil servants with basic skills and knowledge required to discharge their duties in a more professional, knowledgeable, competent and effective manner and that her office was ready to extend such trainings to members of ANAN so as to enhance service delivery.

turbines. He also stated that the occupants of the property have enjoyed the benefits accruing from these renewable energy for more than 11 months now without any reason to think of resorting to the national grid. “The systems we have installed here sustain the building effectively and the residents of this apartments don’t have to worry about the problem of PHCN or the Distribution Company who are grappling with the challenges of power failure in the country," he said. On the cost of installing the renewable energy system, Yusuf said that each apartments needs about N2.5m to get an uninterrupted power. He agreed that the initial start- up for the project may seem to be very expensive, but considering the whooping sum of money which the government have spent over the years on the power sector without any positive result, the renewal energy option are still better. Some of the stakeholders who participated in the exhibition were of the opinion that the government needed to intro-

duce what they described as’ consumer financing’ platform to enable individuals who may want to explore the opportunity in renewable energy get funds for the project. One of the stakeholders, Engr. Segun Agboola, said that for now, the renewal energy option is only accessible to the rich since the project is capital intensive. He also acknowledged the fact that the window of opportunity as presented by the solar system can actually solve Nigeria’s quest for steady power supply. Speaking further on the challenges being encountered by renewable energy entrepreneurs, Yusuf, who said he has been in the industry of energy generation through his company, Blue Camel Energy Solution; enumerated a number of problems which he admitted that if the government could summon political will and something concrete about, the industry would grow rapidly. Some of the problems are: lack of government funding and heavy custom duty imposed on battery, solar panels and other components of the system.

INSIDE ABUJA

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Three days of anger-venting C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

Leader of the Save National Assembly group, Mr Phil Roberts, expressed disgust at the turn of events and blamed the clash between the groups on politicians. He condemned the attitude of some of the youths in the crowd, who disrupted vehicular traffic and attempted to manhandle a journalist covering the protest. According to him, he led his group to a peaceful protest but was surprised to find the other group trying to cause confusion. He said he was ashamed about the clash and had to withdraw his group to prevent further chaos. "We are calling on Nigerian youths to wake up to the reality of life and not allow people to use them to achieve their different political motives. We have had several incidents of killings by Fulani herdsmen; the fuel scarcity has persisted for several months; the power sector has not been fixed; the exchange rate of the Dollar to the Naira is still a sad story and so many other problems. Why have people not come to occupy the National Assembly all these days? Why have these people not gone to occupy the Presidential Villa? So how come, they are coming now to say they are occupying National Assembly?" He asked. Inside Abuja gathered that the clash among the protesters was not unconnected with the clash of the political forces, particularly the lingering cold war between the Presidency and the National Assembly. Since the gates to the National Assembly were under lock and key, a traffic gridlock was already building up. The long queue of vehicles stretched as far as the Federal Secretariat as many law makers and visitors to the parliament struggled to find their ways through the crowd but to no avail. Investigations revealed that while the Occupy NASS group was officially mobilised to the street protest by the Citizens United for Peace and Stability ( CUPS), their real sponsors were top politicians in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who have been uncomfortable with the profile of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and wanted him out of limelight . Saraki has been undergoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on allegations of false declaration of assets and there have been speculations that the forces against his political career would stop at nothing to send him packing. It was learnt that part of the agenda of the Occupy NASS was to create the conditions necessary for Saraki's colleagues in the red chamber to move against him and force him to resign. Inside Abuja caught up with one of the conveners of the Occupy NASS group, Mr Ibrahim Garba and asked him what the protest was meant to achieve and whether they had links with the Occupy Nigeria group, which was at the forefront of the nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy in 2012. Garba admitted that he was one of the leaders of the Occupy Nigeria four years ago but denied that they were being sponsored by politicians.

Another scene of the shutdown

The music van

He said that they were not out to force Saraki to resign from office but to draw the attention of the lawmakers and Nigerians to the acts of corruption in the National Assembly. "The padding of the budget is totally unacceptable. The attempt to change the law just probably because or of them is presently undergoing trial in one of the courts is also unacceptable. There was really an attempt by the Senate to change the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act. This is part of impunity and we are saying we don't want impunity. We don't want corruption to continue in this country. That is why we are occupying the National Assembly," he said. According to Garba, the Occupy NASS is more than the usual protest as it was designed to invite every citizen of Nigeria to the gates of the National Assembly to sit out there for at least three days to press home their demands for positive changes in the way the parliament does its work. "We don't want that old system to continue. It is a practice in the National Assembly that whenever we are talking of the national budget, you discover that individual lawmakers, particularly the principal officers are taking advantage

Why have people not come to occupy the National Assembly all these days? Why have these people not gone to occupy the Presidential Villa?

of their positions to manipulate the figures in the name of constituency projects. " We don't want that practice to continue because it is not in the interest of Nigerians. We are not making progress in this nation because of these practices. If the executive could respect the rule of law and the policy on Single Treasury Account (TSA), what is wrong in the National Assembly complying with these same law and policy? It is in the best interest of Nigerians," he said. Garba vowed that he and his team were prepared to stay out in the open for as long as they could just to demonstrate that they were serious about their demands for an end to impunity and corruption in the National Assembly. Less than one hour after the protesters arrived, a van loaded with canopies and chairs arrived the scene and members of the Occupy NASS moved in quickly to take delivery of the items and set up their camp behind the cenotaph, a hitherto sacred military ground, where armed soldiers keep vigil round the clock. While, the siege lasted, the main gate to the National Assembly remained shut. Lawmakers, including principal officers who normally ride in motorcades to the

parliament, avoided the protesters and used alternative routes to access their offices. Civil servants and visitors to the parliament were also forced to use the alternative routes. The protest, which began on Tuesday at about midday, continued for three days. Having chased away the Save National Assembly group on the first day, the Occupy NASS group truly laid siege on the National Assembly. They had a well planned routine. The music played on without ceasing and the protesters danced on without ceasing. This was only broken by intervals of speeches, announcements and meals. Where the meals were coming from, no one could tell except the conveners of the event. As the leader of the group told newsmen on the first day, it was not an ordinary protest. It was an everyday affair but it was not your everyday kind of protest where people march to a location, display their placards to pass the message and go home. Observers are still at a loss how the Occupy NASS group managed to block the entrance to the National Assembly for three consecutive days( seventy two hours) without the hordes of security men guarding the gates evacuating them. It was an unusual treatment they got from the security operatives. Was it the outcome of the recent training of policemen in human rights and policing in a democratic setting? Was it the regular and free distribution of food packs to everyone, including the uniformed people in the vicinity? These protesters were treated more or less like sacred cows. There was no brutality except the one they unleashed on the other group called Save National Assembly. In the past, protesters were confronted by armed policemen even before they got close to the gates. Perhaps, our democracy has begun to show visible signs of maturity so much so that even the dragons are beginning to learn not to bare their fangs at the slightest provocation.

Inside ABUJA

Dasuki, Metuh, Kanu's cases for May 5

he Court of Appeal, Abuja division, last week adjourned the separate appeals filed by a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. In the Dasuki's appeal, the court said it will communicate the adjourned date to parties. The appeal filed by Metuh was been adjourned to May 5 to enable the counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, file his brief of arguments to the issues raised by Metuh is his appeal. Metuh is asking the appeal court to set aside the ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, that he has a case to answer in the money laundering and corruption charges brought against him by the Federal Government. In a related development, the appeal by Kanu

could not go on last Monday as it was not slated on the course list. The court then adjourned to May 5. Meanwhile, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last week also refused the application brought Kanu seeking to stay proceedings of his trial before the court. In his ruling, the trial

Dasuki

judge Justice John Tsoho, refused the plea in totality on ground that the application was not based on facts and findings. The judge had relied on provisions of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which prohibits courts from entertaining motions for stay of proceedings with respect to

criminal cases. The court held that the provision of section 306 of ACJ Act could not deny an accused person fair hearing or right of appeal guaranteed an aggrieved party in a criminal case in section 241 of the Constitution. Absence of prosecution, interpreter stall Dokpesi,

Metuh

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Inside

ABUJA

COURTS

with Tunde Oyesina

Suswam's trials The trial of the chairman of Daar Communications Plc, owners of Ray Power and AIT, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and that of former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, were respectively stalled before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. While the trial of Dokpesi was stalled following the absence of the pros-

Kalu

ecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, that of Suswam was stalled due to the absence of an interpreter, who will translate proceedings to the 4th witness, who cannot speak English language Dokpesi is facing a sixcount criminal charge of fraud before the court. He was accused of illegally receiving N2.1 billion from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. The trial Judge, Justice James Tsoho, subsequently adjourned the matter to June 15 for the continuation of trial. Meanwhile, the trial of Suswam before Justice Ahmed Mohammed suffered set back due to the inability of the 4th prosecution witness, Abubakar Umar, to communicate in English. The ex-governor and his former Finance Commissioner, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, are facing trial over alleged diversion of N3.1 billion brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC).

FCT Minister promises to work with Area Councils Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

inister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muahammad Musa Bello, has congratulated all the newly elected FCT Area Councils’

Chairmen and Councilors, promising to work very closely with them irrespective of their political parties. The Minister gave the assurance when the officials of the FCT Press Corps led by its Chairman; Mr. Ikharo Attah, met with him in his office.

Bello reiterated that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, which is built on change mantra, was committed to entrenching good governance at the grassroots level. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the election adjudged to be

free and fair. "The FCT Administration under my leadership, would work very closely with all the elected Councils’ officials irrespective of political parties they belong to, in order to bring rapid development to the Area Councils of the Territory.

“We will interface with all the elected officials at the local level to bring development to the grassroots where majority of the people reside,” he stressed. Chairman, FCT Press Corps, Mr. Ikharo Attah commended the Minister for the exemplary way

he managed the recent FCT Area Council’s election that was devoid of any skirmishes. He charged other states of the federation to emulate the peaceful conduct exhibited by the residents before, during and after the FCT Councils polls.

Basic metal imports hit Japan, UN Women to spend US$4.5 billion, says Fayemi $450,000 on women IDPs Amadi Nnamdi

he Federal Government has assured investors in the solid minerals sector of support in form of incentives, in order to ensure that the sector contributed maximally to the economic diversification plan and development of the country. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who gave this assurance, said that government would also focus on capacity building in the steel sector in order to drive the country’s technological development. That was even as the minister announced that basic metals in Nigeria, made up of processed steel, aluminium prod-

ucts and associated derivatives import is about 25 million tonnes per annum estimated at about US$4.5 billion. Fayemi said government has put in place structures to support and provide incentives to genuine investors in order to enhance their productivity. He said: "Adequate incentives and encouragement have been extended to investors, who have distinguished themselves in their various areas of businesses leading to such ventures as this which we gather today. "The government is doing this in realization of the fact that Nigeria, like all other developed nations of the world, must

have a viable steel sector. Therefore, this government is turning on all the keys and pushing all the buttons to ensure that the steel sector is brought to its rightful place. "The enabling environment created by government is what has given spore and muscles to the private sector such as seen in the strides of today," he said. Fayemi said that a new Mineral Sector Road Map has been developed in order to accomplish the set targets of boosting the sector. He noted that despite the country’s ranking in terms of iron ore reserves in the world, exploitation and steel production were still very low.

Ebere Ameh

he Government of Japan, in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), will soon launch a humanitarian response project tagged ‘Emergency Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, particularly women, girls and other survivors of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria’. The project, which is targeted at selected areas in Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states is a one-year initiative (20162017), wholly funded by the Government of Japan to the tune of $1,450,000. It will be implemented by

UN Women, in partnership with relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), CSOs and other Development Agencies, amongst other stakeholders. It will complement an on-going Women Peace and Security Programme in Northern Nigeria, being implemented by UN Women and other partners and enhance collaborative interventions between the government of Japan and Nigeria. In a statement signed by Peter Mancha of the Women Peace and Security Section, UN Women Nigeria Country Office, the initiative is strategically designed to achieve the following objectives:

“Strengthen emergency assistance initiatives to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially women, girls and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in target areas; improve the economic capacity and social rehabilitation of women affected by crisis for peaceful cohabitation in target areas, and strengthen humanitarian coordination mechanisms for a more comprehensive and gender-responsive approach in Nigeria. “Gender mainstreaming in humanitarian response is undoubtedly central to an inclusive, effective, efficient and sustainable support and recovery programme for IDPs in Nigeria."

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Energy Fresh setback for PIB, oil investments

Business What's news Why foreign carriers flourish on Nigerian routes

Aviation Accra: what attraction for Nigeria airlines

25 29

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE March 2016...............................12.8% February 2016............................11.4% January 2016..............................9.6%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(BDC as at April 15)

(Interbank as at April 15)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N321 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N450 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N359

l Foreign Reserves – $27.405bn as at 22/4/2016

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

Source: CBN

p.24

Lagos to invest N400m in acquiring water meters p.24

L-R: Company Secretary, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, Mrs. Oyinda Ehiwere; Chairman, Mr. Osaro Isokpan and Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Rilwan Belo-Osagie, at the company’s 4th Annual General meeting in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Telecoms investment hit N6.7trn DEFICIT

The nation’s telecommunications sector faces an estimated N1.6 trillion infrastructure deficit for voice services

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Taiwo Hassan

Industry, Agric & Brands Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Kunle Azeez

igeria’s local and foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the nation’s telecommunications market have further increased from $32 billion (N63.6 trillion) to over $34 billion (N6.7 trillion), New Telegraph has learnt. Chairman, Association of Licensed Telephone Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, disclosed this to our correspondent in Lagos. ALTON is the Umbrella Association for all providers of telecom service in Nigeria, comprising of all providers of mobile telephone services, fixed network services, backbone services, infrastructure providers and all support service companies for the telecom operators. But experts say the investment could reach over $42 billion (N8.5 trillion) by 2017 going by the on-going regulator efforts being made to woo foreign investors into coming to develop the nation’s broadband segment. Broadband development has been identified as the new growth

frontier for the nation’s economy over the next years. Confirming the new investment profile, Adebayo said: “Our members have cumulatively invested over $34 billion in the Nigerian communications industry and we contribute about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) benefitting governments and the citizenry across all strata of the Federation. “Our services and infrastructure has continued to power national growth and development, and we are keen to see to the sustainability of these investments in the overall socio-economic interests of the government and good people of Nigeria.” Adebayo also promised the commitment of the licensees to further increase investment in the country. He said: “We are also keen to continue to support the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to achieve its statutory mandate of deepening investments in all sectors of the Nigerian communications industry, and of performing its statutory obligations to all industry players with fairness, and without discrimination.” This newspaper learnt that the figure thus represents a new interim investment outlook for the industry after the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, had said that he would soon set up a mechanism to establish the new investment profile in the nation’s telecoms market. Prodded to state the value of telecoms investments in the country in

N8.3trn Being the anticipated value of total investments in the country’s telecommunications by 2017

Lagos early this at the unveiling of the Commission’s eight-point agenda for the industry, he said, “I cannot give you the new investment portfolio of the country. The figures are often arrived at through a vigorous computation with a view to accurately presents a figure that represents the worth of the industry. “It is not a guess work and that is why we would look into this and the new investment figure in the country over the last two years would be ascertained.” At the last International Telecommunications Union (ITU) held in Budapest, Hungary, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, Mr. Ubale Maska, had indicated that the country’s was vigorously wooing investors to come and invest in the Nigeria’s broadband sector, a move that KPMG predicted could generate additional Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in excess of $10 billion for the country by 2017. Nigeria’s telecoms investment rose from $500 million in 2001, following the licensing of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to $15 billion in mid-2008; $25 billion in 2009 and to $32 billion in mid-2013. Also, mobile subscriptions have also increased from less than 500,000 in 2001 to over 150 million; teledensity moved up from less than one per cent to over 106 per cent; while mobile Internet subscriptions also rose from base zero CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

BUSINESS |news

Telecoms investment hit N6.7trn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

to close to 100 million, according NCC statistics. Since, 2013, the telecoms authorities in Nigeria have not released any official investment figure. From 2001, the industry has grown in leaps and bounds to become the fastest telecoms industry in Africa and by far the largest in the continent. Various reports have also identified the nation’s telecoms market as an investment haven for telecoms business. However, New Telegraph’s investigation has shown that Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is facing an estimated N1.6 trillion infrastructure deficit for the provision of voice services to telecoms subscriber in the country. With over 150 million telecoms subscribers in the country, analysts say telecoms operators in Nigeria are supposed to have in excess of 70,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) to be able to provide reliable voice services to the bourgeoning subscribers. However, there are only about 30,000 telecom towers collectively owned by telecoms operators as well as tower management companies such as IHS, Helios Towers, among others in the country, according to Annual Industry Statistics Report 2014 released by the telecoms regulator, the NCC early this year. According to industry pundits, the extant deficit of 40,000 base stations, among others, is currently responsible for the poor quality of service (QoS), being experienced by telecoms sector. The deficit represents an investment gap of N1.6 trillion, as sources at the major telecoms companies estimated the cost of building a base station to average N40 million. Further findings show that with 40,000 base stations are still needed to meet the required number of BTS needed to provide seamless voice services. The cost of bridging the deficit by the telecoms firms is estimated at N1.6 trillion. “Telecoms operators continue to pull more subscribers onto their networks without engaging in the commensurate network expansion investment that would guarantee seamless calls by subscribers on their networks,” said President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo. According to the latest NCC data, MTN currently has about 63 million telecom subscribers on its network until recent SIM deactivation directive on its network. Globacom has 33 million, Airtel - 32 million, while Etisalat has 23 million. “Each of the operators continues to add new subscribers daily, as there is still latent demand for voice services, given that the country’s population is now estimated at over 170 million,” said a telecoms analyst, Mr. Akin Akinbo.

UNACCEPTABLE Nigerians pay more than travellers from Ghana, South Africa and other countries in Africa Wole Shadare

otwithstanding the harsh economic reality, the classification of Nigeria as high yield and mixed income route would continue to make foreign carriers flourish. Managing Director of a leading airline, who preferred anonymity, expressed the view. He said that the pulling out of Iberia from the route was not because it is not lucrative, explaining that the European airline hadn’t built the type of capacity created over the years by airlines such as British Airways, Air France-KLM, United, Delta and other mega carriers. He added that the action would be to the great advantage of BA. Both BA and Iberia are owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), indicating that the British carrier could clandestinely

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Why foreign carriers flourish on Nigerian routes fill in the gap for Iberia following Iberia’s inability to grow the route over the years. The airline chief disclosed that foreign carriers are getting high yield on Nigerian route, stressing that many Nigerians even enjoy paying for their tickets in the United States currency; a situation he said pleases the airlines. He said: “Foreign airlines are getting high yield on this route. It is a mixed income route. Nigeria is not a single currency route. So, it will be difficult for these major airlines to stop operations. We do not have airlines to even challenge them.” Experts are of the view that passengers from Nigeria pay more than travellers from Ghana, South Africa and other countries in Africa. This is compounded by lack of functional national carrier or competitive flag carriers to force down airfares.

Business and First Class cabins are usually sold out because of high travel taste of Nigerians, coupled with demand that far outweighs supply, forcing these international airlines to jerk up fares at will. The pulling out of Iberia from the Spain-Lagos route had raised fears that other mega airlines could follow suite, but two of the leading foreign airlines restated their commitments to the Nigerian routes. The Spanish national carrier, Iberia Plc, operating under the Oneworld Alliance had penultimate week announced plans to cease operations to Nigeria from May 12, 2016, citing dwindling low patronage for the action. Regional Manager, West Africa of British Airways, Mr. Kola Olayinka, while speaking to New Telegraph, said it is inconceivable for BA that has operated in Nigeria for 80

years to leave a route it helped develop. He agreed that the nation’s economy was tough at the moment, but gave assurance that the challenge would be resolved very soon. On the $600 million airlines’ funds allegedly trapped in Nigeria, Olayinka said the International Air Transport Association (IATA) would be in the best position to give the actual figure, just as he declined to be specific on the BAs funds stuck in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He, however, confirmed that foreign companies including airlines held a meeting with the House Committee on the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) in Abuja recently. He described the meeting as fruitful, but noted that the carriers’ inability to repatriate its revenue was affecting its performances in the country.

L-R: Director, Licensing and Authorisation, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Ms Funlola Akiode; Executive ViceChairman/CEO, Prof. Umar Danbatta and member, House of Representative Committee on Communication, Hon. Duoye Diri, during the consultative forum on Draft Regulatory Framework for the Provision of Value Added Services in Nigeria, by NCC, in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Lagos to invest N400m in acquiring water meters INFRASTRUCTURE Government spent N54 billion on on-going construction of Adiyan Phase II waterworks Dayo Ayeyemi

n its drive to improve water infrastructure and services, Lagos State government may be investing $2 million (N400 million) in acquiring facilities for water metering in the metropolis, New Telegraph has learnt. The state government is embarking on this investment in order to ensure that people pay for water supplied to their residences, offices and factories. Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, disclosed these in Lagos. He said: “We are looking up to

invest more to build water infrastructure. We cannot continue to sell water cheaply. People must pay for water services. We are investing $2 million to acquire meters so that people pay for what they use. We are going to enforce the law, get more mobile courts as promised by the state government for trials of evaders.” He said that the Lagos Water Corporation has a total asset of N40.34 billion and operates 11 service areas with three major waterworks of 119 mdg capacity and 48 mini/micro waterworks of 91mdg capacity. This newspaper also learnt that the state authority is planning to partner private investors for water infrastructural development in order to capture more population for water delivery services. The commissioner said that about N54 billion is being spent on the ongoing construction of Adiyan Phase II waterworks, which has the capacity to generate 70 million gallons of wa-

ter per day (mdg). He disclosed that the state government would be proposing a bill to the State’s House of Assembly seeking an increment in water tariffs in order to promote quality and sustainable pipe borne water supply to residents of the state. He noted that in the last one year, his ministry he said that Adiyan Phase II waterworks’ construction has reached 75 per cent completion stage. As at 2015, he said that Lagos had an installed water capacity of 214mdg, explaining that water demand in the metropolis rose to 689mdg, leaving a demand gap of 475 mdg. The water supply gap and the need to serve people better, the commissioner said, informed the decision of government to seek partnership with the private sector in order to develop water infrastructure. According to him, unaccounted water in the state (water lost through illegal tapping

and damaged pipes) has risen to 60 per cent, leaving 40 per cent for consumption. On wastewater management, the commissioner disclosed that the state government had terminated contract for the ongoing construction of Odo Iyalaro wastewater treatment plant project for non-performance. Adejare explained that the contract was axed when it was discovered that the level of works done was far below the money paid so far to the contractor for the project. The project, which its contract was earlier awarded and scheduled for completion in 2016, he said, was expected to improve public health and promote a cleaner and sustainable environment in the catchment area and, by extension, the state, upon completion. Odo Iyalaro wastewater treatment plant project is a product of five-year roadmap of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Energy

Fresh setback for PIB, oil investments

Suspension of debate on the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the Senate has stifled the high expectation that oil industry investments’ drought caused by the foot-dragging will end soon. ADEOLA YUSUF reports

he seeming dashed hope on passage of the PIB began to resonate on February 8 2016, when the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, declared that the National Assembly (NASS) was tired of the federal government’s foot-dragging on the passage of the bill. He said that the legislative arm of government was working on its own version of PIB to reform the nation’s oil and gas sector. Earlier, stakeholders in the oil and gas industry had condemned the huge loss, which the alleged unwillingness of the government to get the bill passed had caused the country. Opposition mounts Oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) are one of the stakeholders that are enraged with the PIB delay saga. The workers did not only say that the federal government has not demonstrated seriousness in getting the bill passed into law by the National Assembly, they also carpeted the National Assembly for foot dragging on the passage of the bill. “Our association has been vociferous on the petroleum sector reforms through our participation and representation at different stages. There are grey areas noted in this bill by various stakeholders and we have advised government to harmonise these issues so as to quicken its passage. NUPENG and PENGASSAN have gone a step further to engage the Oil Producers Trade Sector and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as representatives of government to address those controversial issues as it relates to costs, profits, royalties, taxes and fiscal investment among others. The union said in a statement, “PENGASSAN has worked with NUPENG to adopt a common position on identified industry and labour issues in the bill, which was presented to both the Senate and the House of Representatives”. Also, two non governmental organisations (NGOs), Africa Centre for Leadership, Strategic and Development and Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), issued a joint communiqué decrying the inability to pass the PIB into law

A worker at an illegal refinery.

for the benefit of the citizens. “Nigeria is a sovereign nation and the PIB presents an important opportunity for the Nigerian state to exert its sovereignty in the management of its oil and gas sector, hence, the imperative of its prompt passage. “The PIB presents a significant window of opportunity to further deepen reforms that can redress decades of secretive and ineffective management of the oil and gas sector, which has led to the impoverishment of the Nigerian people. There is the need therefore for civil society organisations to strengthen their co-ordination and scale up advocacy actions towards ensuring the immediate passage of the PIB in a form that is peoplefriendly. The National Assembly should, as a matter of urgency, pass the PIB before the end of the current legislative session”. Investments on hold The federal government had for the umpteenth time acknowledged the harm done to the oil industry and country by the delay in the passage of the PIB. The piece of legislation when passed into law is the key that will undoubtedly open this industry into a new era. “Government is not unmindful that a lot of investment decisions are currently on hold while it is losing potential revenue that could have accrued to it due to the proposed changes in the deep water fiscal terms and current high oil prices resulting in windfall profits,” a document of the ministry of petroleum resources showed. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, revealed that Nigeria loses $15 billion annually due to nonpassage of the PIB into law. Dr. Kachikwu said this when he appeared before the Senate for ministerial screening. He expressed concern and disappointment over the delay in passing the PIB into law and the huge revenue the country loses

Nigeria loses $15 billion annually due to nonpassage of the PIB into law

annually as a result. The minister, who doubles as the Group Managing Director, NNPC, said that he was equally disturbed about the various versions of the bill presented in the past to the National Assembly and the long period it had been debated upon without passage. “We don’t need to present a new version. We will continue with the authentic one that was finally confirmed during the 7th assembly. We rather want a situation where the National Assembly will go ahead and pass those elements of the bill that have direct and immediate bearing on the economy and are very critical to the immediate implementation of the policy direction in the industry,” he said.

Dogara said the need for oil and gas reform Bill became pertinent following the challenges facing the sector and Nigeria’s dependence on revenue accruing from it to fund its budget. He said: “We have repeatedly called on the executive to present reform proposals in the petroleum sector. “However, we may not continue to wait for an executive bill on this subject matter as we are prepared to introduce the National Assembly’s version. “We cannot continue to take the blame for non-passage of the petroleum reform legislation in Nigeria, as I speak to you, work on our own version has reached advanced stage.

Qualms over long wait The speaker registered displeasure of the National Assembly over the delayed passage of the PIB and the planned works on its version when he received the former Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr Fredrick Reinfieldt in Abuja. Dogara explained that the decision of the National Assembly to draw up its own bill was reached because of the urgent need to reform the oil and gas sector. He said the House was willing to cooperate with the executive arm of government to effect the necessary reform in the oil and gas industry. Dogara expressed optimism that the planned version of the bill, when passed and assented to, would reform the oil sector and amend necessary laws guiding its operations. The speaker added that if the executive comes up with its own version in the process of considering the bill, “there are enough instruments within NASS to merge the two. ‘‘We hope to introduce it in both chambers of the National Assembly. If it happens that the executive transmits its own version, we have provision in the House rules to merge the two,” he said.

The setback The new PIB, however, on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 suffered a fresh setback, as the Senate suspended debate on it midway on the excuse that copies of the bill were not circulated. The bill, which would have passed second reading, however, faced stiff opposition by senators predominantly from the southern part of the country, who insisted that copies must be available for members to study, in order to make meaningful contributions to the debate. Midway into the lead debate by sponsor of the bill, Tayo Alasoadura (APC, Ondo Central), some senators started murmuring; a situation that forced the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to raise a Point of Order for personal explanation. Akpabio argued for copies of the bill to be circulated to all senators to study ahead of formal debate so that they could make useful contributions. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who presided over the session, ruled that the debate be stood down for another day, telling Alasoadura to ensure that the financial compendium was CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Energy

FG domiciles oil employment, training in-country ALLIANCE NCDMB, Imperial College forge a common front on research for oil and gas

Stories by Adeola Yusuf

he Federal Government has declared plans to domicile employment and training in the oil and gas industry to mitigate oil price rout and its correspondence loss of jobs by workers. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), an agency of government, made this known in a statement. Specifically, it said that it would achieve this for Nigerians on the back of research projects domiciled in-country. Acting Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah, said that his agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Imperial College of London and four leading universities in Nigeria, have forged a framework for developing world-class research for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. This collaboration, which is spearheaded by the NCDMB, he

said, seeks to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Oil and Gas Research at the Federal Universities of Technology Minna, Niger State, Federal Universities of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Federal Universities of Technology, Owerri, Imo State and the Niger Delta University Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. “The aim is to solve oil and gas industry problems in Nigerian universities and local research centers thereby growing local research capacities and

retaining huge spend, which stakeholders normally spend on research overseas,” he said. Speaking at the Needs Assessment Workshop on the Board’s CoE initiative held at Imperial College, London, recently, Mr. Daziba Obah explained that the Board conceived the policy to galvanise the development of home grown research and technology in the oil and gas industry. He listed other objectives to include developing a pool of

attached to the bill. Benefits in the waiting When the first draft copy of the proposed bill was initially presented to the public on July 16, 2009, the PIB - given all constraints - was expected to be passed into law by March 2010, but that deadline had been shifted more than seven times, from August 2010 to May 2015. While the foot dragging continues, many benefits are evading the country. The PIB had sought to maximise the net economic benefit to the nation from oil and gas resources and to enhance the social and economic development of the people while meeting the nation’s needs for fuel at a competitive cost. In the downstream sub-sector, the PIB had proposed the full deregulation of the industry to encourage third party investments in new refineries. Such investors would be able to recoup their investments

because under the deregulated regime, market forces will determine prices of products, as the refineries established would have become cost centres. Besides, the NNPC will become a full-fledged commercial entity with a vision to become an international oil company with strategic autonomy. The corporation will align with national economic growth aspirations and operate in the entire oil, gas and power value chain competing with other local and international investors while paying the government appropriate royalties and taxes like any other oil companies operating in the country. Similarly, to boost the development of the gas industry, the bill also proposed low royalties and hydrocarbon taxes as well as the creation of new gas processing plants and gas pipelines supported through tax holidays under the Corporate Income Tax. The PIB also proposed that direct dividends be paid to oil

producing communities to address the Niger Delta crisis and make the communities key stakeholders with incentives to protect oil and gas facilities located in their areas. In fact, an estimated $600million is earmarked under the bill to be paid annually to the communities hosting oil and gas facilities or directly impacted by their operations. Conclusion The Senate should re-ignite the confidence of Nigerians and all stakeholders in the oil industry in its ability to pass the PIB before the end of 2016, as envisaged by all and sundry. The President should, in the same vein, be working closely with the legislators on the bill and also be prepared to also append his signature on the bill immediately after it is passed. The support of all stakeholders in the industry is needed by both the president and the legislators to get the bill passed and signed into law for the benefit of the country.

Obijackson Group showcases Nigeria’s potential at OTC

he Obijackson Group is attending the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) holding in Houston, United States of America for economic ambassadorial purposes from May 2 to 5, 2016. A statement from the group said that its obligations to the nation include projecting her potentials to global investors and attracting them to join in

support to the Research Centers of Excellence being promoted by the Board. The Acting Executive Secretary who, was represented by the General Manager, Zonal Coordination and Board’s Projects, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah, noted that the Board invited the NNPC to participate in the CoE initiative because of the corporation’s leadership role and enormous influence in enforcing Federal Government’s policy in the oil and gas industry.

Port Harcourt refinery.

Fresh setback for PIB, oil investments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

capable researchers and world class research centers, linking the oil and gas industry to academia and local supply chain through research programmes and creating employment and training opportunities for Nigerians on the back of research projects domiciled in-country. He noted that the Imperial College had an enviable track record in research capabilities and collaboration with the oil and gas industry and would be expected to provide technical

the government’s resolve to diversify and develop the nation’s economy. The group would also leverage its participation at the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection, to showcase the country’s potentials though its specialist

services. Group Managing Director, Dr. Ernest Obiejesi-Azudialu, said, “Nigeria is currently undergoing a process of rebirth that will bring prosperity to everyone. As Nigerians, we have a duty to help the world understand this and highlight the opportunities that come with the transformation to them.”

Kachikwu meets refineries’ Original Equipment Manufacturers in US

inister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu is to address the Houston community and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of the refineries at the “Nigeria Content Investment Forum.” The OEMs of the refineries had earlier turned down several requests by the Federal Government to help fix the installations based on disregard for the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) over the years. Kachikwu, according to a statement from the organisers, would also seek fiscal collaboration with institutions on the funding for the refineries and the oil sector. He had earlier said that the Federal Government needed $700 million to upgrade its refineries to produce at maximum capacities. NCIF initiative, a highly anticipated investment event during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), is however, to enable the minister and other Nigerians to seek partnership with Houston’s well known size of OEM’s to set up facilities for manufacturing and services in the oil and gas sector in the country. The forum was created to serve as a platform to bring Nigerian oil and gas Small

Medium Enterprise, SMEs who have manufacturing pedigree together with international original equipment manufacturers of components, including but not limited to upstream development, upstream operations and logistics, downstream and midstream. The conference, according to the statement, would stimulate collaboration between Nigerian SMEs and the OEMs towards local manufacturing of key inputs of oil and gas production, transportation, and distribution. “It will also enable credible stakeholders to share experiences, identify possible synergies in the various area of operation so that professionals and entrepreneurs alike can collaborate to develop and optimise Nigeria’s hydrocarbon asset as well as those in other sub-Saharan African countries. “In addition, the forum will showcase the gains of Nigerian Content Act and the opportunities for collaboration, growth and development contained therein. “Other Speakers will include the U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB and industry leaders from the Houston metropolitan area,” the organizer said.

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Homes&Property

Ogun presidential Housing Mandate Estate, Abeokuta,Ogun State

The need to tap into locally–sourced materials for lowincome housing was brought to the fore at the 15th edition of Lagos Housing Fair. DAYO AYEYEMI reports

overnment and professionals in the built environment have been urged to promote locally sourced materials for the production of low-cost housing in the country. Besides, the authorities were urged to use indigenous materials in order to create jobs for unemployed youths. All tiers of government were also tasked to show leadership in the use of local materials, especially clay bricks, in their various housing schemes across the nation so that citizens could copy from them. Speaking during a weeklong Lagos Housing Fair forum in Ikeja, Lagos, manufacturers of local building materials noted that no country in the world could meet the housing needs of its citizens while relying on importation. They called on government, professionals and home builders to look inward in their search for solutions to the 17 million housing deficit in the country. The Lagos Housing Fair is an initiative of Beachland Resource Limited and Lagos State Radio Services. Clay bricks Speaking glowingly on the propriety of clay bricks for low-cost housing construction, Managing Director, Bolyn Construction Company Limited, Mr. Rufus Akinrolabu, stated

Stakeholders renew call for local building materials that the use of these materials would reduce housing cost by 40 per cent. Akinrolabu, an ex-president of Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria (BUMPAN), explained that one of the most readily available local materials for housing projects in the country was clay, adding that it could be stabilised with cement to enhance its strength. In his paper titled: “Low cost residence through the use of clay bricks,” he stated that laterite soil, being the main material for stabilised bricks, could be found locally, are cheaper in cost and requires the use of less cement. Besides, he said the technology for its production was cheap, adding that unskilled persons could be trained in a few hours to handle its operation. Listing the advantages of clay bricks, Akinrolabu said: “Stabilised bricks made into wall require mostly no external wall plastering while remaining beautiful for a long time; walls made of stabilised bricks require no painting; houses built with the bricks remain cooler inside because of the insulating properties of the bricks.” He showcased some states in Nigeria such as Borno and Jigawa that bought his bricks making machine for their housing projects. Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of Ire Block Industry in Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Adedeji, said the company currently produced 20 million units or 50 tonnes of different fired bricks products

No country in the world could meet the housing needs of its citizens while relying on importation

per annum. According to him, the products range from load bearing to sun breakers, decking pots and facing slips. He listed advantages of burnt bricks to include aesthetic appeal, thermal and acoustic insulation, zero maintenance cost, fire resistance, flexible application, durability and competitive cost of building in the medium and long-term since there would not be need for plastering and painting. Justification Chairman, Lagos Housing Committee, Mr. Moses Ogunleye, decried the proliferation of Nigeria’s property market with foreign building materials when the nation has abundant local resources that could be sourced for housing construction. He noted that the National Housing Policy of 2011 had advised federal, state and local governments to develop the means of promoting acceptability and use of local building materials. According to him, there is no need for importing building materials at exorbitant rates since no component used in the construction of a building that cannot be sourced within Nigeria. He said: “Our concern, among others, is how various resources like soils, timber and other array of solid minerals that are available in the country can become materials for housing development.” He queried the extent to which outputs from research institutes had been applied for housing production in Nigeria. Vice Chairman of the com-

mittee, Mrs Abiola Williams, also canvassed an expansion and improvement in the manufacturing base for building material production, as well as efficient network for the nation to have an enhanced material production system. Experts’ view Commenting on the initiative, the President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mrs. Mercy Iyohser, who chaired one of the sessions at the forum, said there were enormous local materials and policies that could be explored for mass housing production in the country. She called on the government to come out with legislation to support the use of local materials in mass housing projects, adding that efforts must be made to ensure that past housing policies are revived for implementation. President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Joshua Patunola-Ajayi, in his goodwill message, stated that the level of building materials produced in the country would reflect the cost of building production. According to him, locally sourced materials, which are easily accessible and cheaper than foreign products, will help to reduce housing cost tremendously. He noted that inadequacy of building materials in the country had raised the cost of imported ones, stressing that the foreign exchange policy of the government coupled with scarcity of forex, had not helped the situation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business | Homes & Property

UNSUSTAINABLE

FG plans to spend N268 billion for roads in 2016 Dayo Ayeyemi

agos-Ibadan Expressway, Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road and others are top on the priority list of 206 roads the Federal Government planned to complete before the end of 2019. According to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Federal Government’s focus would be to complete already awarded roads across the country with priority to those carrying heaviest traffic. The minister disclosed that about 206 roads are currently in this category while fielding questions as guest on the popular Channels Sunrise Daily programme at the weekend. On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concession crisis, he said it was now the subject of a court case, but remarked that since court’s injunction did not affect government, construction of the road may see the light of the day. Fashola explained further: “Injunctions have been obtained to stop the arrangement

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, others top government’s priority –Fashola put in place by the last administration to finance the road through the private sector and the injunction was granted by a court in Nigeria, saying that nobody should raise money to finance the development of the road. “Thankfully, there is no injunction on government building its road yet; I hope there will be none. So, government is hoping to finance the road. It is part of what we put in the budget for this year. But I got a message from the lawyers last night suggesting to me that the action has been dismissed but I haven’t seen the judgment since he said it to me; this was late last night,” he said. Regretting that his ministry inherited the problems of injunctions and court orders to stop development, the minister declared: “At the end of the day, when it is a contract, the only remedy that the court recognises is damages for breach of contract.”

Fashola described as wrong the practice of the recent past whereby whole capital budget was taken and roads were just lumped together with each road allocated just little fund no matter the extent of rehabilitation such road needed. “The strategy I recommend is that let’s take the roads that carry the heaviest traffic and phase them; take Phase 1 this year finish them or push them to near completion. Then next year Phase 2, third year, Phase 3 and in each phase let us ensure that at least every geopolitical zone in the country gets something,” he said. According to Fashola, some of the roads are more compelling than others, citing the horrific Ilorin-Jebba Road as a classic case. He described the road as a lifeline for agricultural products and lots of other supplies from the North to the South. Because of the impassable state of the Ilorin – JebbaMokwa Road, the minister

said: “There was endless queue of trucks carrying all sorts of things, construction materials, petrol, pipes and so on which got stuck there for days. The only way I could pass was through a bush path, through an elevated detour. “None of the articulated trucks could pass that; those who did just tipped over and people slept there for days”, adding that although the contract for the 98 kilometre road was awarded, but the contractor wasn’t paid for a year and half and when he was paid the fifteen per cent mobilization fee, they only paid him half of the fifteen per cent.” In his appealing, he urged contractor handling the road “to please go back to site.” Fashola noted that the contractor stabilised the road significantly, but has yet to put the concrete deck on it, adding that government has not been able to provide the money for him to do that.

“The rains are coming, I don’t want that road to deteriorate again back to the condition that it was,” the minister appealed. He said it was imperative to emphasize the issues to correct the impression that government was complaining about the past adding: “but you can’t assess me without the context of where we were coming from.” He said that although the whole contract sum for the road was N14 billion, the past administration could not pay the contractor. On whether the funding of the roads would be strictly from the budget, Fashola explained: “Essentially we can do most of those roads because we proposed a budget of N433 billion to parliament for my three ministries and our plan was to use N268 billion for roads, N99 billion for power and N66 billion for housing.”

Stakeholders renew call for local building materials CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

Due to importation of building materials, he said the cost of housing production had gone beyond the reach of low-income earners. He said: “Most of the machines being imported into the country are obsolete. There is need to look inward to see what we can do to upgrade local building material production. “There is need to develop indigenous materials with new technology.” Patunola-Ajayi called on governments at all levels to be involved in direct construction of houses for the low-income group, saying they should start by building houses for their workers first in order to reduce housing deficit. Besides, he urged architects to help the government integrate local material usage into house designs. Stakeholders comprising developers, manufacturers, policy makers and artisans were part of the forum, which had manufacturers of building materials showcasing their products. Conclusion There is need for stakeholders to go back to the drawing board and come out with workable policies backed by law to promote the use of indigenous building materials for mass housing projects in the country.

Construction works on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway before contractors abandoned site due to lack of funds

Kenya ranks high in infrastructure projects –report

enya has continued to lead the region in terms of infrastructure development with 20 roads, harbours, water and energy projects, a report compiled by consultancy Deloitte, has said. Ethiopia comes second with 12 projects. Large mega projects for the last three years occupied up to 20 per cent of all the total capital investment in Africa with a cumulative worth of $568 billion, a big chuck of it coming from financiers and foreign aid such as the World Bank and even China, the report

added. According to the study, transport infrastructural development took a bigger portion of Africa’s development budget kitty with 51 per cent of the projects being transport-related. “Transport infrastructural development took up 51per cent of projects, energy and power (30 per cent), water (8 per cent) and social development (4 per cent),” said the report. The continent has also been treated to a new trend of infrastructural investment especially in the real estate sector countries; Ke-

nya and Tanzania have recorded significant growth in this area. Other upcoming sectors are entertainment, retail, modern office parks, hotel space and lifestyle facilities. “The mix of projects has expanded to incorporate the retail estate sector where countries such as Kenya and Tanzania are experiencing significant growth in retail, entertainment and lifestyle facilities, modern office parks, and hotel space,” the report added. Besides, it note that mushrooming of urban centers characterised by a

strong growing middle class economy that has richly embraced the use of green energy and open spaces, has attracted foreign direct investments, an area where investors are reaping huge yields from technology, real estate rentals, innovation and sustainability. Of all the projects under focus, local governments funded 36 per cent of the construction projects with foreign contractors employed to implement them, followed by China with 21 per cent, while public private partnership claimed 13 per cent.

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

AVIATION

Dana, Arik Air take position for take-off

Accra: what attraction for Nigeria airlines The demise of Ghana Airways, Nigeria Airways and Air Afrique made interconnectivity within the West African sub-region very difficult. But the Nigerian airlines are now filling the gap, as they dominate the region, writes WOLE SHADARE Big attraction What could be the attractions for Nigerian airlines, as four of her carriers scramble for Accra route? Medview, Arik, Aero and Dana have all made Accra their fortress, providing air services to the city and connecting flights from there to other West and Central African countries. A top official of one of the airlines told New Telegraph that government can turn the West coast routes into domestic operations because Nigeria has dominance and in doing so, this will get some returns for the country. The Accra route is supposed to be an international flight, but many see Lagos-Accra route more as domestic route rather than international operation because of its proximity to Nigeria - just 45 minute journey by air and less than six hours by road. It is not surprising that West Africa’s aviation industry is being led forward by Nigeria and Ghana. Sub-Saharan Africa is showing a solid macroeconomic performance, with many economies now growing at rates close to their pre-

crisis average. Nigeria is slightly slower in its growth rates, reporting a smaller-than-two percentage point difference from pre-crisis levels. Ghana, on the other hand, is one of the continents fastest growing. Nigeria and Ghana are headlining growth in West Africa, but it is mainly being captured by foreign (US, Middle East and European) carriers in the absence of financial stable and internationally competitive local airlines. Meanwhile, Airbus estimates only five other cities in Africa will become an “airline megacity” – Accra (Ghana, West Africa), Lagos (Nigeria, West Africa), Luanda (Angola, Central Africa), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia, East Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya, East Africa). Johannesburg (South Africa, Southern Africa) is already a megacity, according to Airbus. Going down memory lane Nigeria Airways had a troubled and erratic time during its 56-year history. In 2003, a new airline, named Transatlantic Airlines, operated for a few weeks before it collapsed, leaving hundreds stranded. Next, the joint venture attempted by Virgin, resulting in the creation of Virgin Nigeria, also had a brief and colourful life before Virgin divested itself of the association. The remnant operated domestic and regional routes as Air Nigeria. Bellview Airlines had a similar poor track record. Founded in 1992, it finally disappeared in 2009 with many of its aircraft still derelict in Lagos. The owners then began a new carrier called FirstNation Airways. Both nations have a repetitive tale of failure in aviation. Ghana Airways on the other hand, ceased operations in Aug2004, shortly after it was banned from US airspace. Ghana Airways suffered a wealth of problems including under-capitalisation and

Nigerian airlines enjoys a monopoly of routes in the African subregion

mismanagement. The carrier’s fleet, comprised of Soviet-built Ilyushin jets, could only be serviced in Russia. Ghana Airways served Russia but it was a loss-making route – most passengers were government officials who travelled for free. Ghana International Airways (GIA) was established to replace Ghana Airways when it folded. GIA launched operations in Oct2005 but was plagued with similar problems to Ghana Airways. In May-2010, GIA ceased operations, making it the second causality to Ghana’s aviation industry in six years. Nigerian registered carriers appear locked in a keen competition to determine who takes the biggest pie out of the West African aviation market. Shift in investment vision Aside the Accra route, the airlines’ scramble for the West Coast was not only because of the absence of national carriers in those countries, but rather signals a shift in the investment vision of the Federal Government targeted at supporting private sector operators to rake in funds from the region to compensate for her many years of playing the big brother role in some of those countries. So far, four of Nigeria’s notable airlines, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Med-View Airlines and Dana are currently enjoying what is obviously a monopoly of routes within the sub-region operating daily scheduled and chartered flights to countries like Ghana, Togo, The Gambia, Benin Republic, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and even as far as Sao Tome and Principe. It may not be just aviation that seems to be benefiting from the new shift to economic diplomacy by the Nigerian government. Meanwhile, officials of the Nigerian airlines plying the West Af-

rican routes have acknowledged that traffic has been very encouraging. This, according to some observers, was necessitated by the recent increase in the volume of trade relations between Nigeria and some of these countries. Another reason for the rising passenger traffic was the fact that Abuja and Lagos, two of Nigeria’s major cities, are also increasingly hosting a lot of trade, diplomatic, health and academic conferences that are attracting passengers into the country from the sub-region. The sub-region is also attracting a lot of tourists and religious pilgrims. Managing Director/CEO of Med- View Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, whose airline began operations to Ghana recently, admitted the fact that Abuja and Lagos are playing a big role in raising the volume of air traffic into the country for domestic airlines. He also listed increase in the number of Nigerian students studying in some of the West African countries as one other reason for a rise in traffic. “On our inaugural flight to Ghana, we were surprised at the number of Nigerian students and movie stars who booked and flew with us even when we did not do any public advertisement,” he said. Not a few believe that the commencement of the commercial air war would bring stiff and fair competition, which passengers from Lagos to Accra and Accra to Lagos have been looking forward to. From the look of things, Dana is set to use its arsenals, which include low fare, comfort, friendly –in-flight service and on time departure to attract passengers to fly Dan Air. It would be recalled that before now, Aero, Arik and Medview had commenced flights on the regional CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | AVIATION

Africa Tourism earns $43.6bn revenue in 2014 –AfDB GROWTH 65.3 million tourists visited the continent in 2014 Wole Shadare

ourism in Africa generated $43.6 billion revenue and received a total of 65.3 million international tourists in 2014, the African Development Bank, AfDB, has said. This is just as the report disclosed that Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco were the greatest beneficiaries from the expansion of hotel chains and the corresponding increase in the number of available rooms. AfDB revealed these figures in its publication; The Africa Tourism Monitor; an annual report on the tourism industry in Africa jointly published by the bank, New York University’s Africa House and the Africa Travel Association, ATA. The study, which offered a comprehensive overview of the tourism sector in Africa, focusing on both opportunities and challenges, contained facts, figures and contributions from key tourism players across the continent, with tour operators, experts and industry representatives shedding light on key issues via a series of case studies. One of the key findings according to the report titled, “Unlocking Africa’s Tourism Potential”, is that the tourism sector in Africa is growing. The study noted that in 2014, a total of 65.3 million international tourists visited the continent and that about 200,000 more than in 2013. The report recalled that in 1990, Africa welcomed just 17.4

Accra: what attraction for Nigeria airlines CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 29

route. To further ensure that it secures part of the market share, the airline pegged its introductory online fare at N22, 000 for one-way, a situation that further endeared passengers to the airline. Bankole said, “We are the fourth airline operating into Accra from Nigeria, the quality services that we offer stand us out, we have on-time performance, good pricing, we have come back with renewed package to serve, with good quality in-flight refreshment and excellent cabin crew members, we will surpass our competitors”. Conclusion Considering the rush for West African route, especially the domination of Nigerian airlines, stakeholders have expressed concern over the over-saturation on the route, hoping the bubble won’t burst.

million visitors from abroad and that the sector has quadrupled in size in less than 15 years. The influx of tourists, the report said, meant more money for the continent and that in 2014, Africa recorded $43.6 billion in revenue. The study added that according to the UK’s World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC, the international tourism sector now accounts for 8.1 per cent of Africa’s total Gross Domestic Products, GDP. The report noted that since more tourists also mean more jobs in the continent, there are about 20 million people working directly or indirectly for the tourism industry, adding that what this means is that the sector accounts for 7.1 per cent of all the jobs in Africa. The AfDB report listed the jobs supported by the sector to include guides, hotel staff,

interpreters, aviation staff and small businesses, noting that the economic impact of tourism extends beyond job creation. According to AfDB, “The hospitality sector is experiencing particularly rapid growth and is expanding into new countries such as Mauritania, which have, until now, remained largely on the fringes. “It is Sub-Saharan Africa, rather than North Africa, that is benefiting most from the expansion of hotel chains and the corresponding increase in the number of available rooms. Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, comes top of the rankings in this respect, followed by Egypt and Morocco. However, the biggest hotel development project in Sub-Saharan Africa can be found in Equatorial Guinea,

in the Grand Hotel Oyala Kempinski, which, when complete, will feature 451 rooms.” the report said. Africa, the report said, boasts of rich variety of attractions that attracts tourists from all parts of the world, stressing that the continent also has a wealth of archaeological sites and historic monuments such as pyramids in Egypt, Ethiopia cave churches, South Africa’s Robben Island, Gorée Island in Senegal, cave paintings in Algeria and Botswana’s Tsodilo. The Africa Tourism Monitor added that the continent is also a place with stunning landscapes and scenery, boasting attractions such as Victoria Falls, the Sahara, Namib and Kalahari deserts, picturesque coastlines, mountains, plains, tropical rainforests and bush ecosystems; home to exceptional plants and

wildlife and flourishing small businesses. The report noted that recent years have seen the launch of numerous initiatives, across the continent to attract more tourists and that the recent simplifications to the visa system and regional cooperation mechanisms, including the introduction of the e-visa and the single visa scheme, enabling tourists to visit all Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states using just one visa. Other initiatives that have led to influx of tourists according to the report, include the introduction of “KAZA” (Kavango Zambezi);a common tourist visa developed by Zambia and Zimbabwe and the single visa covering three countries; Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda launched by the East African Community (EAC) in February 2014.

The ultra modern MMA2, terminal, Lagos

NCAA: JET A1, week naira worsen airlines’ challenges

he current skyrocketing price of Jet A1 otherwise known as aviation fuel and the deplorable state of the nation’s currency, naira, have been identified as some of the major challenges affecting the growth of the airline sub-sector in Nigeria. Other identified challenges are the high cost of providing standard air transport services, increasing demand for customer satisfaction by air travellers and rising cost of operation. Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muktar Usman, stated these while delivering a paper entitled, ‘The acts of promoting a sustainable air transport economy while maintaining high level of aviation safety standards,’ at the Airport Business Summit and Expo. Usman further noted that human and cargo traffics at many airports, not just in Nigeria, but also around the world had also dwindled with the declining purchasing power of passengers and shippers. He pointed out that in Nigeria for instance, aviation fuel constitutes between 40 and 50 per cent of the airlines’ direct operating

costs, which he said was having an untold effect on the performance and profit of domestic airline operators. Despite the astronomical crash in the price of crude oil from over $100 per barrel over a year ago to about $44 in the market today, domestic airline operators still purchase a litre of aviation fuel at skyrocketing price of N120 per litre, depending on the airport, marketer and the litres such an airline is purchasing. In other climes, price of aviation fuel is determined by the price of the crude oil in the international market, but the reverse is the case in Nigeria in spite of the fact that the product has been deregulated in the country for almost a decade. Usman noted that with the obvious challenges, the nation’s airlines would not be able to compete with their counterparts in Europe and elsewhere, stressing that in almost three decades, revenue flow to airlines globally had dropped substantially in the face of discontinued State funding, sustained deregulation, privatisation and intense competition. Within the period in reference, he said a lot of small and average

airlines around the world have either collapsed or gone bankrupt, while most, if not all the world’s major airlines have recorded losses or sharp falls in profit. He noted that major carriers are diverting into low-cost operations in order to meet up with the current challenges in the sector, stressing that they now resort to use of smaller and more fuel-efficient aircraft. Usman disclosed that the big challenge at the moment for Nigeria and many other countries was creating a friendlier and more enabling environment for airlines and indeed other economic activities to flourish and hence ensure a sustainable air transport industry. He however, opined that national political leadership should ensure that square pegs are put in square holes, giving the regulatory body the necessary autonomy by resisting unnecessary interference in the latter’s statutory operations. Besides, he said that government’s interference in the sector should also be limited to ensuring an enabling political and economic environment to engender economic viability and sustainability of the aviation industry.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Curriculum Stakeholders pick holes in school curriculum

Education

Campus Students accuse Ondo of splitting NANS/JCC

33 35

RESCUE MISSION

Worried by the state’s collapsing education sector, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on assumption of office barely one year ago, has embarked on massive rehabilitation of schools to salvage the system from total collapse. Reports

Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

ne of the major challenges confronting Benue State, which Governor Samuel Ortom’s administration is set to tackle, if the state is to be positioned for the challenges of the 21st Century, is the compelling need to rescue the education sector from its imminent collapse. To fight this daunting task headlong, the governor, during his swearing-in ceremony at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Square in Makurdi, the state chapter, challenged the citizens including those in the Diaspora to offer their wealth of experience to unlock the bottlenecks confronting the education sector. Towards this end, he assured teachers at all levels of his administration’s determination to rebuild the school system and leapfrog the sector to the next level. Ortom, who rose from grass to grace having being ‘a school dropout and a motor park tout’ as he used to tell his story, took bold steps at the inception of his administration to revamp the sector. On assumption of office, the governor inherited over sixmonth-old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), at the stateowned Benue State University, Makurdi and the workers’ unions at the state’s colleges of education, as well as collapsed facilities at the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Setting the tone of the government’s agenda, the governor was said to have ordered the immediate renovation of the Nursing and Midwifery School in order to meet the accreditation status, which it has been denied of in the eight years of the immediate past administration.

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

Ortom (left) and other officials during inspection of facilities in one of the schools.

Unlocking challenges in Benue education sector Faced with the protracted strikes in the state’s higher institutions of learning and the urgent need to address it, the governor intervened by dialoguing with the striking lecturers with determination to end the impasse. Through the intervention, he appealed to the striking workers to suspend their strike and resume normal academic activities in the interest of the students and state’s education development, which received immediate positive response from the workers. Consequently, the governor paid all outstanding lecturers’ salaries through N28 billion bailout the government received from the Federal Government, to address the huge debts inherited by the governor. Also stagnating the system was the over 11-month-old strike by primary school teachers across the state. Apparently miffed by the activities that led to closure of the state university, the governor swung to action by taking a bold step in setting aside the report of the Visitation Panel to the institution, chaired by a former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Daniel Saror for what he described as its inaccurate assessment of the university activities by panel throughout the five years of its inauguration. Determined to restore sanity into the university through improved quality of tuition and infrastructure, the governor also

We are training and equipping our younger ones in order to embrace agriculture...

facilitated the accreditation of the College of Health Sciences of the university 10 years after its takeoff, while the College of Medicine is yet to be accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the professional accreditation body which had threatened to close the college over the failure of the university authorities to invite it for accreditation of the medical college. The governor, however, attributed the accreditation of the college to the concerted efforts of his administration to meet the requirements of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, despite the lean resources of the state government. While expressing delights with the accreditation of the programmes, the governor noted that the students who had hitherto been stagnated at the college could now graduate, adding that the accreditation exercise has led to the graduation of the first set of the medical college after spending 12 years studying in the institution. According to him, of the 40 medical students, 27 have been successful in their qualifying examinations which ended last month. The results were said to have been published after approval by the Board of the College of Health Sciences and forwarded to the Senate of the university for vetting. The Provost of the college, Prof. Simeon Adebisi, while speaking on the development, said the fac-

ulty board of the college had certified the results and forwarded it to the university’s Governing Council Given the accreditation of the medical college to produce medical graduates, the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Cecilia Ojabo, lauded the governor for what she described as his concern and efforts in securing accreditation for the college within his short span in office. Ojabo, who pointed out that the governor’s intervention, has facilitated the graduation of the medical students, also commended the students for their excellent performance in their final examinations, adding that their graduation would go a long way in addressing the challenges in the health sector in the state, especially in the area of shortage of qualified doctors. Also, during his visit to the Nursing and Midwifery School, the governor reiterated his administration’s readiness to do everything that is required to ensure the accreditation of the programmes run by the school, and that the government would pursue the upgrading of the college to a degree awarding institution. While stressing the importance of the school to healthcare delivery in the state, the governor decried its non-accreditation status and state of dilapidation, even as he lauded Rotary Club International and Centre for Integrated Health CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

education

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FUNAAB don tasks FG on loans, development aids Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

don at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Kolawole Adebayo, has urged the Federal Government to apply foreign loans and development aids to income-making ventures in order to revamp the nation’s ailing economy. Adebayo, a Professor of Rural Development Communication, advised the government to put in place effective mechanisms and institutional frameworks to check misuse of loans and financial aids.

Minister urges students to embrace reading culture Yekeen Nurudeen

This was part of the thrust of the 52nd inaugural lecture of the university, entitled: “Mercenaries and Merchants: The Dialectics of Rural Development in Nigeria.” The lecture, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, was attended by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; a former military governor, Navy Captain Rasheed Raji (rtd), and immediate past ViceChancellor of the university, Prof. Olaiya Balogun, among other personalities. The don, who expressed concern over the level of deterioration of rural areas in the country, however, noted that poverty

posed the greatest threat to rural population, adding that the rural economy is not buoyant enough to sustain its human component. “If the trend is not reversed, two scenarios that are already rearing their heads will play out with time. First, an implosion will occur in urban areas, placing a heavy toll on urban infrastructure and exacerbating the prevalence of urban slums. Second, rural life will gradually die out starting with an ageing rural population,” he added. The inaugural lecturer, who insisted that rural development aid is not necessarily desirable for the country, however, enjoined the government to be

cautious in accessing and dispensing such loans. Adebayo tasked the government at all levels to develop infrastructure and ensure funds allocated to development purposes are judiciously spent. He also called for sustainable funding and the decentralisation of rural development planning in the country. He said: “The political elites have adopted the mercinarist approach to rural development. Electioneering campaigns are awash with promises to provide road, water, health care and schools as if these are not the responsibilities of government. “The modern celebrities in the jungle of political merce-

narism have even developed new coinages such as ‘stomach infrastructure’ to perpetuate the contemptible acts of egocentric interventionism. The good news is that the days of this ideology and its protagonists are numbered.” He added: “When you take loans from World Bank and foreign nations, it is better used for income-making ventures. The Bank expects return on its investment. Also, power supply needed to be improved for micro-finance loans to be discharged effectively. The country needed to develop infrastructure such as road, water and power supply so that small businesses could thrive.”

Ovie-Afabor (left) presenting the award to Prof. Ozumba. With them are some principal officers of the university at the event.

Abuja

inister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, has urged students to embrace the reading culture as a way of fostering the right mental alertness and capacity for meaningful education and living as future leaders. Anwukah, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Technical Matters, Prof. Godswill Obioma at the 2016 World Book and Copyright Day celebration in Abuja, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is deliberately supporting an aggressive reading culture because of the inherent power of books to transform individuals for the better. “Books are seen as vectors of values and knowledge and depositories of intangible heritage, thereby providing window unto diversity of cultures and tools for dialogue,” he said. The minister also commended the READ Campaign Unit of the ministry for celebrating the yearly World Book and Copyright Day, as a way of inculcating the reading culture into Nigerians as we collectively seek to build a fully mobilised and informed citizenry. In her goodwill message at the event, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mrs. Irina Bokova, who was represented by the UNESCO Country Representative, Mrs. Anene Maido, who also doubled as the Secretary General, National Commission for UNESCO in the Ministry, highlighted the role of books in opening the doors of literacy and knowledge which are essential in building confidence and self-esteem in the individual. The event, which took place at Federal Government Boy’s College, Abuja, was attended by several stakeholders including the Chief Executive Officer, Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr. Victoria Okojie; her Nigeria Copyright Commission counterpart, Mr. Adam Ezekude and the Principal of the school, Mr. Mbaaka.

Kayode Olanrewaju

an African students, under their umbrella group, the All Africa Students Union (AASU) have conferred the 2016 Kwame Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award in Education, Medicine and Societal Development on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba. The award was presented to him by the Acting Speaker of AASU Congress, Ambassador Armstrong Ovie-Afabor at a ceremony, which took place at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium of the institution. While presenting the award, Ovie-Afabor said the choice of Prof. Ozumba was based on his outstanding administrative track records as Vice-Chancellor and his ‘stellar antecedents’ as a medical doctor. “Our choice of Professor Ozumba for this award is a testimony to his dedication to research in Gynaecology, general medicine, university administration and management,” he said, stressing that

UNN VC wins 2016 Kwame Nkrumah leadership award Professor Ozumba did not solicit for the award as his selection was based on merit and recommendation of the union. “Among all the recommendations presented to the Jury that was saddled with the selection process, Prof. Ozumba stood out,” the union added. The Speaker of the Pan-African students’ organisation explained that the aim of the award is to promote excellence among African leaders and project them as role models to the younger generations. His words: “Today, all of us have come from different parts of the continent to reward and commend the good work of Prof. Ozumba; he is the kind of leader many nations of Africa is yearning and aspiring for.” While receiving the award, Ozumba, however, said he dedicated the award to the staff, students and various workers

and students’ unions in the university, stressing that without their commitment and dedication to the vision of his administration, he would not have been able to record any meaningful progress. “I love and cherish this honour from the bottom of my heart,” the Vice-Chancellor, who recently was conferred with the ‘Vice-Chancellor of the Year Award,” bestowed on him by the South-East Students’ Union, however, said that the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award had challenged him to double his efforts in the service to humanity. Ozumba sought the elimination of all forms of barrier in the inter-university movement among African students to enhance exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing. “Students from any part of Africa should have the free-

dom to visit other institutions on study sabbaticals, as this will go a long way in helping to achieve the desired Pan-Africanism among the students,” the vice-chancellor said. Meanwhile, the high point of the event was the inauguration of the university’s newly elected students’ union leaders. The Vice-Chancellor urged the student leaders to see their election as an opportunity to serve their fellow students and as a preparation for future leadership positions in the society. “Always be guided by the fact that education would catapult you to a higher position, but only good character will sustain you there,” Ozumba noted, even as he urged them to be transparent in their dealings and learn to balance their services in the union with their academic demands.

FCT to partner NTI on training of teachers Bello

Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Federal Capital Territory Administration has

expressed willingness to partner the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) to develop the capacity of teachers in primary and secondary schools in the nation’s capital in order to deliver quality education to the citizenry. The FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello dropped this hint while receiving a delegation of the NTI, led by its Director-General, Dr. Aminu Ladan Sharehu, who

paid him a courtesy visit in his office. The minister pointed out that the partnership has become necessary to reverse the downward trend in the standard of education in the Federal Capital Territory. In fact, Bello expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of students of the territory in the public examinations, especially in the Senior School Certificate Ex-

amination (SSCE), conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). He said: “A few weeks ago, we appraised our overall education system and the statistics we saw in terms of performance of the students at the primary and secondary school levels was really disappointing in terms of success in the two major examinations.”

education

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Stakeholders pick holes in school curriculum

Kayode Olanrewaju

ore knocks have continued, in recent times, to trail the national primary and secondary school curriculum for lacking the capacity to transform the country. Specifically, key players in the education sector have criticised the curriculum for relegating History as a school subject, a development, which has signaled its match to extinction at all levels of education, as History is almost non-existent in secondary and tertiary institutions. While calling on the government at all levels and policy makers to review the national curriculum with a view to making it more relevant to the needs of the country, they blamed the shortcomings on the failure of the government to employ experts to design and plan the curriculum. Also, picking hole in the nation’s school curriculum, the winner of the maiden edition of the 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi, expressed dismay that the teaching-learning document is grossly insufficient to transform the nation to its education habour. This is as the teacher of Chemistry and Mathematics at the Federal Govern-

ment Girl’s College, (FGGC) Onitsha, Anambra State, said there was the urgent need to review the curriculum. Obi disclosed this during the flag-off of the 2016 Maltina Teacher of The Year, at the Corporate Head Office of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Iganmu, Lagos. “The method of teaching is obsolete and no longer working, but many teachers are still using it in the school system,” she lamented, saying her teaching philosophy is “Active Learning” which creates a positive environment for students to thrive in their learning. According to her, this is the era of practical teaching which brings about creative thinking required to make students more alive and rel-

evant. Meanwhile, Mrs. Obi condemned the 45 minutes lesson duration in primary and secondary schools, saying the period is quite inadequate for teachers to teach a topic effectively. Her words: “The 45 minutes lesson period is not adequate to teach a topic well. I have already written to the Federal Ministry of Education to increase the lesson period to one hour to enhance informative teaching which is a window for creative thinking.” While flagging off the entries for this year award, the Corporate Affairs Adviser for the Nigerian Breweries Plc, the sponsor of the award, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, said the programme was instituted

last year under the auspices of the Nigerian BreweriesFelix Ohiwerei Education Trust, to accord teachers their deserved recognition and to bring back respect to the teaching profession. He said the award, which was targeted on teachers in public secondary schools last year, has now been expanded in scope to cover private school teachers. The yearly award for teachers in public and private secondary schools across the country, according to him, was instituted based on the realisation that teachers seldom get the recognition they deserve in the scheme of national development in spite the pivotal role they play in the training and determining the quality of education.

L-R: Director, Human Resources, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Mrs. Obi and Ekanem at the event.

NBTE chief lauds poly for keying into govt policy thrust

he management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti has been lauded for working in consonance with the policy and objectives of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The commendation was given by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. M.A. Kazaure, during the inspection of products exhibited by various departments, centres and units of the polytechnic at the Special Convocation Exhibition organised as part of the activities marking the 16th combined convocation ceremony. The polytechnic, he said,

has been able to, in all ramifications, marry the “Town with the Gown” by fabricating equipment for learning and teaching, and also for the benefit of the society. He commended the departments and the Polytechnic Centres for their commendable efforts in producing such products, even as he urged them not to relent but to always think about marketing opportunities outside the institution when making their products. “I want to advise you not to wait for investors to come looking for your products rather you should go out there and market your products by using appropriate marketing

strategies,” he said. In her remarks, the Rector, Dr. Taiwo Akande commended the Exhibition Committee for bringing the departments and centres together to showcase

tributing the letters to the students, counseled the beneficiaries of the programme to justify the gesture by the university management to work hard and demonstrate commitment to the services of the institution. Omoniyi said: “Despite the financial recession facing the university, the management has kept faith with the scheme. I, therefore, want to advise you to justify the sacrifice that the management is making by reporting at your respective duty posts promptly.” In a related development,

the university, named after the Second Republic Governor of the old Ondo State, the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, in collaboration with a capacity building firm, Bridgeup Nigeria Limited (a licensee of NIIT) has organised a week-long training on Information Technology for students and corps members deployed to the institution. Tagged: “Train All Nigerian Students Information Technology (TRANSIT),” the training was declared open by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and Director of the University

Kasaure

their products, even as she urged the departments and centres not to rest on their oars. She, however, enjoined the staff to encourage the society and the industry to patronise their products, while she advised the committee to ensure that the issue of patency is sorted out as soon as possible. Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the Exhibition Committee, Dr. Peter Oyewusi, thanked the rector for the management’s support towards the exhibition and reiterated the committee’s commitment to take the polytechnic to the next level.

100 students benefit from work-study scheme

ome 100 undergraduates of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), are currently undertaking in the institution’s Student Work-Study Scheme (SWSS) for the first semester of the 2015/2016 academic session. The scheme, which had since taken off in July 2010, allows willing students to work for two hours daily and receive monthly stipends to support themselves financially, while studying in the university. The Director of the scheme, Dr. Iyabo Omoniyi, while dis-

Advancement Office, Prof. Francis Oyebade. According to him, the training was one of the platforms which the university has employed to equip its students with relevant information and communication technology skills that would help to enhance their capacity and make them globally competitive. Oyebade praised the management, led by the ViceChancellor, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun for partnering with Bridgeup in organising the programme, even as he lauded the group for facilitating the training.

Benue’s rescue mission for education C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

Programmes (CIHP) for contributing towards the sustenance of the college. Flaying the neglect of the school by the immediate past administration, Ortom, however, promised to raise the monthly allowance to the students, as well as payment of the arrears as soon as the financial status of the state improved. The school, it was gathered, lost its accreditation status in 2013, due to the dearth of personnel, as it had only eight qualified nurses and two midwives on its payroll. The state, which is known as the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’ for its agricultural practice, will now have its College of Agriculture located in Yandev, adequately fixed to reclaim the state’s old glories. As a major step towards repositioning the institution for excellence, Ortom spoke of plans to upgrade the college to a degree awarding institution and merge it with the Benue State University in order to boost agricultural productivity. Following his visit to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the governor recalled that the college, which was established in 1926 by the British Government, when upgraded, would benefit from TETFund intervention. According to Ortom, his administration’s vision is to make the state the food basket of Africa, as the merger of the two institutions would make such vision a reality. His words: “For us to boost agricultural production, our plan is to merge the College of Education, Yandev, with Benue State University, Makurdi. Our dream is to be the food destination of Africa and not just food basket of the nation. And to achieve this, we intend to take the bull by the horns and the strategy is to embark on catch-themyoung. We are training and equipping our younger ones in order to embrace agriculture in view of the value chain addition in agricultural produce.” During the maiden stakeholders’ forum, convened to brainstorm on the problems confronting his administration and to seek solutions, the governor, however, recalled that he inherited a deficit treasury on assumption of office. His words: “The situation we met on ground was that of total collapse of governance and public institutions resulting in unprecedented hardship of the people, even as salaries and pensions had not been paid for months, while public institutions including the Benue State University and the College of Health Sciences were on strike.” Given the situation, which was almost at a standstill, the governor hinted that his administration had to secure N10 billion loan facilities to pay the worker’s two-month salary and provide other facilities to enhance the take-off of the institution, as well as to meet other critical obligations. Besides, he spoke of how his administration sought approval from the state House of Assembly to secure another N5.5 billion loan to pay counterpart funding for development projects being undertaking with some development partners working with the state government so as to retain them. According to Ortom, that money would soon be accessed and it is hoped that it would attract at least a matching amount to the state. Meanwhile, given the fact that if the governor’s lofty dream of repositioning the education sector is realised, the state will not only be the haven for agricultural production, but also the home of sound and quality educational training.

education | public discourse CRISES IN NATIONAL VARSITIES

Ewenla: Varsities’ve failed in their roles

primary responsibilities. Considering the spate of conflicts on the campuses, the universities have failed to convey simple messages of reasons behind the poor water and power supply on the campuses to the students, and by their conducts, the management of the institutions have shown their incapability to resolve simple contradictions. They allow issues to degenerate because they lack the quality needed to run institutions. There-

Eight UNIBEN professors now head tertiary institutions Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

Comrade Ropo Ewenla is a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students and now Deputy Director, University Media Centre, University of Ibadan he universities, and any academic institution for that matter, are by their own making and structure, established to serve as laboratories where solutions to societal challenges are provided. They are designed to groom future leaders in all spheres of life, but with the current state of academic institutions in Nigeria, and universities in particular, one could simply conclude that they have failed in their

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

S fore, if the universities cannot be governed in a simple democratic way without resulting to anarchy, how do we expect the larger Nigerian society, which is expected to draw inspirations from the universities, to conduct its affairs? That is the stage of the absurdities in the Nigeria’s system. Therefore, the frequent clashes on the campuses are mere products of the cracks in the nation’s education system.

Jimoh: Blame managements for crises

ome eight Professors of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State, whose academic activities crisscross various disciplines have been appointed heads of different tertiary institutions in the country. According to the university, “if for nothing else, the appointments have gone a long way in demonstrating the testimonial of the university and reenforced the deployment of quality service delivery epitomised by the appointments. The Public Relations Officers for the university, Mr. Michael Osasuyi in a statement made available to journalists listed the appointments to include Prof. Akii Ibhadode, who is the ViceChancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Warri, Delta State; Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, who has been named the Pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Edo University, Iyamho and Prof. Sunny Onoheabhi, the Rec-

tor, Institute of Building Technology, Uromi, Edo State. Others are Prof. Frank Otunta of the Faculty of Physical Sciences (UNIBEN), now appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Umudike, Abia State; Prof. Austin Asagba of the Faculty of Arts (UNIBEN) also is the ViceChancellor, Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State. The appointment of the dons was contained in a report presented by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Faraday Orumwense to the institution’s Governing Council at the 145th Regular Council meeting, which took place in Benin-City, the state capital. According to the report, which entitle: “University of Benin Exports Chief Executive Officers to Head Other Tertiary Institutions,” Prof. Friday Okonofua of UNIBEN School of Medicine was appointed the Vice-Chancellor, Medical University, Ondo State, while Prof. Samuel Aduwa-Ogiegbaen of the Faculty of Education was appointed ViceChancellor, Tayo Akpata University of Education, formerly known as College of Education, Ekiadolor, Edo State.

Comrade Alfred Jimoh is the National Vice-President (South-West), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities

he refusal of the management to accede to the requests of both students and workers has been responsible for the frequent crises we notice on most of the campuses nationwide. And, the fact is just that it is purely a matter of insensitivity on the part of the man-

agement and the government, most especially. As stakeholders in the system, nothing could be said to be hidden from us but when simple requests are made and the management feels they are not important for our survival, then conflicts will arise, and quite unfortunately, crisis management is a difficult thing for them. I am sure this issue has become relevant based on the recent happenings on the campuses including the University of Ibadan (UI) where I work. The challenge is that

you cannot be in control of more than 20,000 students and think they could just be treated anyhow. That cannot be possible, particularly, in an environment where the best weapon is the intellectual knowledge. To address this challenge, the university managements must improve on their relationships with both the students and the workers, and especially the unions. There is need for more openness and accountability in the administration of the institutions.

Ogunsola: Managements taking students for granted Okikiola Ogunsola is a student of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, and the South-West Coordinator (Zone D) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)

hat we are witnessing on most of our campuses are mere products of the bottled up anger and frustrations the students have coped with for many years. If you do not know, Nigerian students are the most rugged and dedicated all over the world. We study under very harsh conditions, yet we do not complain. How many universities all over the world, will you find students studying without water, light, accommodation and even in some in-

stances, with classrooms not roofed? It is only in Nigeria that you see members of management living largely at the expense of students and workers. If this is not so, why do you think the protests on the various campuses are in quick succession? Why do they take the same format? It simply tells you that the problems in the institutions are similar and this is because the government and its representatives on our campuses, that is, the managements, have been taking

the students and the Nigerian people for granted for quite some time. To confirm this to you, how many of the vicechancellors have their children studying here? How many members of the country’s leadership have their children studying here? Yet, they milk us to make their money. So, since dialogue no longer works, taking to streets for the world to know our plight would not be a bad idea.

AAUA VC, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun (middle) during inspection of facilities in the institution. With him are some members of staff

VC seeks more attention for agric development Kayode Olanrewaju

he need to revive and reposition the agricultural sector as the mainstay of the economy as it was the case in the 60s and 70s, especially in view of the current dwindling fortune of oil economy globally, has been stressed by a university don. This is as the Vice-Chancellor, McPherson University, Ajebo, Ogun State, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade, wondered that a holistic development of the economy would remain elusive without a strong agricultural base. He, however, noted that the country has the potential for a dual economy of a modern sector driven by crude oil overlaying a traditional agricultural and trading. Agunbiade, the guest lecturer at the maiden public lecture and Farmer’s Forum of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Lagos, said: “Increase in agricultural production has been the traditional pathway to industrialisation and countries that industrialised rapidly achieve such feats by building a strong agricultural base.” The vice-chancellor, whose paper was on: “Repositioning Agriculture for Youth Empowerment and Economic Revival in Nigeria,” listed some of the objectives of strong agricultural base to include solution to unemployment; wealth creation, food sufficiency and

sustainability. As one of the main thrust of the lecture, the guest lecturer regretted the huge resources being spent yearly on foreign exchange by the country on food importation, which has continued to sustain farmers in business in other climes, saying such resources would not only be conserved, but that the economy would also be less susceptible to external shocks and vagaries, if the nation properly harnessed its agricultural sector. In his 50-page treatise, the vicechancellor, spoke of urgent needs for a comprehensive infrastructural overhaul, especially power generation and good road network, stressing that attention must of necessity be turned to agriculture as a mainstay of the economy for revival of the industries; given the fact the many industries are moribund due to lack of raw materials. Despite the economic downturn affecting the country, the increasing trend of unemployment, fall in the Naira exchange, Agunbiade reiterated the urgent need to reposition the agriculture sector in order to transform the rural communities and create job opportunities for the teeming youths. Besides, the don said there is the need for deliberate commitment on the part of the government to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture to match its promises to develop the sector towards enhanced food sufficiency.

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campus

Students accuse Ondo of splitting NANS/JCC

Group partners FG to tackle mismanagement in LGAs revenue Oladele Oge UNN

n international organisation, the Human Right Development Initiative (HDI) said it has concluded plans to assist the Federal Government in ensuring transparency and curb mismanagement in Local Government Council revenue. According to the organisation, the partnership would forestall the mismanagement of the Local Government Council revenue by governors, Council chairmen and LGA caretaker committees in order to restore citizens’ confidence in governance of the councils. The group disclosed during a two-day stakeholders meeting organised for students and members of staff in the South-East geo-political zones to review the performance and budget capacity for public participation in governance. Tagged: “Engaging Local Government for Sustainable Development,” the meeting took place at the Igwe Manakaya, Institute of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). The group, which noted that it was not amused with poor conditions of rural dwellers despite the huge amount of money allocated to the Councils, said revenue being given to local governments across the country since its inception was enough for the country to be envy of its contemporaries that gained independence in 1960, if not for mismanagement.

Lauretta Obakpolor, UNIBEN’s newly-elected students’ union president, shortly after her declaration

Temitope Yakubu ADOPOLY

ll seems not to be well with the Ondo State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students/ Joint Campus Committee after its recently concluded convention. The state government is being accused of causing division among members of the association because of the governorship election in the state, billed for later this year. Barely few months to the election, Telegraph Campus gathered that the state chapter

of NANS/JCC has broken into two factions, following the activity of the state government to impose its candidate as the Chairman of the association at convention, which took place last month at the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, the state capital. The position of the chairman was contested by Azeez Adewunmi Adebowale, Anthony Atolusi Damilola, Damilare Olusanya, Olasunkanmi Olajuyin and Samson Falegan, which at the end of the election was won by Anthony Atolusi. The convention, which was attended and supervised by journalists, State Security

Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police, was also monitored by NANS stakeholders at the zonal and national level. Few hours after the convention, Samson Falegan, who polled two votes issued a statement rejecting the outcome of the convention, and declared himself the winner. Following his self-declaration, Falegan was said to have been immediately recognised by the state government as the chairman of the association, while he was inaugurated on March 29 with some of the governor’s aides present, against the collective wish of the students as expressed in the election. But, reacting to the development, one of the aspirants for the election, accused the state government of imposing its desired candidate on them so as to be in control of the association during the forthcoming governorship election in the state. He accused the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Matters, Tony Omogbemi and the National Vice Chairman of the Association, Timileyin Ayenuro, who he described as a card carrying member of the PDP of using Samson Falegan to destabilise the students’ body and dragging it into a murky political environment.

Provost warns fresh students against cultism, exam malpractice Emeka Onwudinjo UNIZIK

he Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Prof. Josephat Okechukwu Ogbuagu has advised the fresh men and women admitted into the institution to shun cultism, examination malpractice and other social vices that could truncate their stay in the college. Ogbuagu gave the warning during the 27th NCE and 5th Degree/Postgraduate Diploma in Education joint matriculation ceremony of the college for the 2015/2016 academic session, which took place at Umunze in Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State He, however, reminded the matriculating students that their primary purpose in the college is to be trained in character and to be worthy in learning.

According to the provost, students should make hard work their watchword as all grades they obtained in the examinations will count in their final results. He said: “The College does not tolerate any form of examination misconduct; you must therefore shun all social vices that breed distraction, cultism, gangsterism, drug abuse, prostitution, robbery and forgery. You are expected to be morally stable, hardworking, respect constituted authority and acquaint yourselves with the Students’ Handbook, which specifies the rules and regulations that will assist you to accomplish your mission in the college.” He also assured the students that the management is committed to providing learning facilities that will improve teaching and learning for them to become fulfilled students.

Prof Ogbuagu (middle) flanked with the newly inaugurated SUG Officials

College elects students’union leaders Emeka Onwudinjo UNIZIK

igher institution students, under their umbrella union, the Students’ Union of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze in Anambra State, have elected new leaders for the union. The conduct of the election, which took place at the Convocation Arena of the college, was characterised by excitement, reactions and high expectations. At the end of the election, which results were announced by the Dean, Students’ Affairs,

Mrs. C. Okoye, a 300-Level student, Augustine Okoye, emerged as the President of the union. In the other results in which Okoye polled 269 votes to defeat his closest rival, Okeke Chibunna who polled 188 votes; Okeke Grace was elected as the Vice-President, while Okoli Chinonso emerged as the Secretary General. Also Ezeokafor Tinatamar became the Assistant Secretary General; Ibe Innocent was elected as Director of Transport; Nnadi Goodluck emerged as Director of Information; Okafor Kelechukwu as Director of Socials; and Ebubeoha Obianuju as Financial Secretary, among others.

He told Telegraph Campus on condition of anonymity: “A convention was conducted; Anthony had five out of nine votes at stake. The NANS/ JCC election was free and fair, but why is the government through the SSA on Youth Mobilization created another historical blunder. Ondo State students have voted their choice, but why should any government recognizes someone with two votes in the election, if it does not have any hidden agenda to distabilise the association for its selfish interest. “Some of us were called before the convention by an official of the government to vote for Samson Falegan, but we declined by following our hearts, the association is for students and not a political party.” But, when contacted to speak on the matter, a former Senior Special Assistant on Students’ Matters to late Governor Olusegun Agagu and Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Evangelist Olumuyiwa Asagunla blamed Ondo NANS for its own woes. According to Asagunla, the association has lost its credibility and relevance as a voice for Nigerian students, and has become a sounding cymbal which does not add harmonious tunes to songs.

Following the announcement of the results, some of the students who could not hide their feelings, expressed excitement over what they described as a free and fair election. But, they, however, decried the low turnout of students for the election, saying they needed to be enlightened on the need to carry out their civic and social responsibilities by voting for candidates of their choice. The Provost of the college, Prof. Josephat Ogbuagu, while inaugurating the new executive, advised them on the need to keep faith with the oath of allegiance they swore to during the ceremony. He expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the election, which he described as peaceful, reminding the union leaders that the main purpose of the students is to acquire knowledge and study hard. “Students’ Union is an extracurricular activity in the institution, which is primarily to assist the college management govern the students,” the provost noted, warning that whoever derails from his assignment and caught to have embezzled the union’s funds would be shown the way out of the college.

education

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

VC restates commitment to provision of basic facilities

kiti State University has initiated unprecedented steps that will not only change the face of the university, but also provide hostel accommodation for several thousands of students on campus beginning from next session. Thanks to the ongoing massive construction of hostels embarked upon by the university, under the Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) scheme arrangement. The hostel project described as historic achievement in the annals of the 34-year-old state university is being embarked upon to provide accommodation facilities for students on campus. According to the ViceChancellor, Prof. Samuel Bandele, the new initiative is a clear departure from the non-residential status of the university since its establishment on March 31, 1982. Under the initiative, he said that the university through the PPP arrangement has commenced the construction

of 20,000- bed modern hostels that would accommodate students in their large numbers. This, he explained would further enhance the academic culture in the university since the hostels when completed would allow the students to be closely monitored, and as well be fully entrenched into the university culture of academic excellence. “These progressive steps would begin to yield the fruitful results as from next academic session as the university intends to make it compulsory for 100-Level and Final Year students to live on campus,” the vice-chancellor said. Similarly, plans are under way by the university to provide residential quarters for members of staff on campus, even as Bandele insisted that the steps were being taken based on the management’s consciousness about the enormous challenges such as inadequate water supply, erratic electricity supply, problem of transportation and the gener-

al poor living conditions the staff and students are facing in their residence off campus. “The deliberate decision to tackle the challenges propelled the aggressive pace of ongoing construction work to complete the students’ hostels on campus on time,” the vicechancellor said, adding that despite that the university is connected to the National Grid, the erratic power supply by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) forced the management to rely daily on generators with huge expenses on diesel. While lamenting the poor electricity, Bandele explained that the management is working hard to ensure steady regular supply of electricity to Iworoko community and Ado-Ekiti, where most of the students live off campus. While lauding the vicechancellor for his administration’s bold initiative, the duo of Messrs. Bode Olofinmuagu and Builder Emmanuel Abulefon of the Physical Planning Department of the institution.

The VC (middle) with the four corps members who constructed the toilets and other EKSU management staff.

dekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, has challenged the university’s Centre for Research and Development (CRD) to drive cuttingedge research in the institution. The centre was established by the university as academic centre charged with the responsibility of moderating and coordinating the institution’s research efforts.

The winners and Adebomi (right) at the event

Ekiti students win drug abuse essay contest

or shinning brightest in the 2016 edition of the essay competition on drug abuse, some three female students of secondary schools in Ekiti State have smiled home with cash prizes, laptops, and big notes. The students were rewarded for their outstanding performance in the essay competition, organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Youth Saving Lifestyle Creation Initiative, in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. As part of the campaign against drug abuse, no fewer than 41 students from various secondary schools in the state were short listed after series of tests in their schools to participate in the final stage of the competition, in which three female students emerged in the first, second and third position respectively. The winners are Deborah Ekunloluwa, a student of from Comprehensive High School, Ado-Ekiti, who led the pack as

VC tasks varsity on cutting-edge research The Vice-Chancellor spoke while declaring open the third lecture series of the Centre, with the theme: “The Noble Role of Space Journalism in Global History and Nigerian Media Control: In whose Interest,” which took place at the university’s Multipurpose Hall. Other sub-themes of the

lecture were “The Noble Role of Space Journalism in Global History,” which was delivered by the Head of Media and Corporate Communication, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Felix Ale; and “Nigerian Media Control: In whose Interest,” delivered by Dr. Raphael Olugben-

ga Abimbola of the Department of Mass Communication. Ale, in his paper called on the Federal Government to pay more attention to the development and deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and skilled manpower that would enhance eeducation across the nation and

De-Bright Schools, Lagos Cultural Day

The pupils in one of their cultural attires

the overall winner with 80.5 per cent; Kolawole Kehinde, from Ijaloke Girls Secondary School, who came second with 77.5 per cent and Fabunmi from Okemesi High School, who placed third with 77 per cent. While presenting the prizes to the winners, the facilitator and sponsor of the competition, Captain Sunday Adebomi, congratulated the students for what he described as their outstanding performance. During the presentation, the first 10 participants in the essay competition received a certificate each and notebooks for participating, while cash prize, laptops and certificates were presented to the overall winner as well as the first and second runners-up. Apart from the prizes, Adebomi pledged to pay the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration fee of the overall winner of the competition, even as he charged the three winners not to relent on their efforts to read well and focus more on their academic activities.

Africa at large. He stressed that the country must continue on the path of developing and utilizing spacebased technologies in its education sector, saying: “The government should do more to support greater development and deployment of ICT infrastructure and skilled manpower in order to enhance the diffusion of teleeducation across Nigeria and Africa at large.”

BUSINESS |Money Line

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG’s latest proposals stand at N1.8trn ANALYSTS Deficit could hit N3.2trn in 2016 budget Stories by Tony Chukwunyem

gainst the background of expectations of imminent signing of the 2016 budget, analysts at FBN Quest have said that the projected deficit could rise from the offi-

cial N2.2trillion to N3.2trillion. In a note made available to New Telegraph, the analysts said, “The baseline fiscal projections for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) this year have non-oil revenue collection lower than in 2015 and a poor performance from independent revenue, of which the authorities have high hopes based upon the Treasury Single Account (TSA). “However, they do show FGN capital spending at N1.5trillion, compared with N1.8trillion in the latest pro-

posals. (The deficit is forecast at N3.2trillion, compared with the official N2.2trillion.)” President Muhammadu Buhari had presented a N6 .08trillion budget- the highest in the country’s history- to the National Assembly last December, in which he set aside N1.8 trillion for capital expenditure. According to the government, there was an urgent need to address the huge infrastructure deficit in the country. It also stated that funding for the budget will be sourced from increase in non-oil revenues,

Lender boosts youth entrepreneurship

idelity Bank Plc in partnership with Gazelle Academy and the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), has empowered 300 Nigerian youths with top-of-the-line entrepreneurial skills. The bank in a statement, said that the programme, which is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, is targeted at creating a new breed of entrepreneurs amongst Nigeria’s boisterous youth population. Speaking at the launch of the 5-day youth empowerment programme held at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, said the programme seeks to empower the university community by creating thriving business owners amongst stu-

dents. Reiterating the lender’s commitment to continually equip Nigerian youths with requisite skills needed to make them self-reliant, Okonkwo said that Nigerian youths have been denied opportunities to develop in diverse realms of human endeavours. “In a national survey jointly sponsored by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Education Trust Fund (ETF), about 61 per cent of 20 organisations rated graduates poor in skills needed in the work environment such as literacy, entrepreneurship, analytical, problem-solving and decisionmaking skills”, he explained. Commenting on the scope of the programme, Okonkwo said that the students were trained on tailoring and make-up, explaining that the exercise pro-

vided students with knowledge and first-hand experience on the above-mentioned skills. Okonkwo, who was represented by Leonard Ezugwu, head, Anambra-Enugu-Ebonyi Regional Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, said, “Nigerian youths are only exposed to Theoretical Education without…practical entrepreneurship, vocational and skill acquisition trainings.” As a leading financial institution with a proven track record of service excellence and integrity, Okonkwo reiterated the lender’s commitment to create a veritable platform for building an entrepreneurial spirit in the nation’s teeming undergraduates. “We want to create a positive mind-set among them, shifting them ‘from paid-labour mentality to business owners and employers’”, he noted.

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

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 12.8 12 10.77 US$44.77 US$27,123,309,579

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 Mar, 2016 23/03/2016 Mar 2015 2/5/2016 28/4/2016

monies from government agencies, a reduction in recurrent spending as well as controlled borrowing from domestic and foreign lenders. Allegations of padding and unauthorised insertions of projects by the National Assembly have held up the passage of the budget. There are, however, strong indications that President Buhari will sign it into law this week. Referring to the budget delay, the FBN Quest analysts, commented on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF)

recently published 2016 Article IV consultations with Nigeria in which the Fund proposed that the country should a “depoliticised” oil-based fiscal rule in preparing its budget. They also noted that the IMF suggested a combination of the oil price over the past five years, the current price and the forward level over the next five years, together with a primary surplus target (before interest payments). The analysts said, “We would applaud any step to smooth the passage of the annual budget.”

Forum assesses employee screening in financial firms

roundtable on employee vetting organised by HireRight has identified the key challenges faced by the financial services industry when it comes to ensuring that firms recruit the best candidates. In a statement, the firm listed the lack of a central database holding key information about potential employees, including their personal financial status and debt default information as a key causes for concern in the industry. It added that the absence of a functioning Persona Non Grata - or PNG - list, identifying employees that have been terminated by banks or other financial services firms for reasons relating to fraud. An absence of reliable information is exacerbated by references that fail to offer up meaningful information about a person’s employment record, leaving one bank vulnerable to employing an individual with a bad history at another. Clearer guidelines and greater collaboration with the regulators was also cited as an area for improvement in the financial services industry, with many feeling that this would

help mitigate some of the other challenges being faced, and helping ensure all firms have a greater grasp on best practice in the industry. Panellists participating in HireRight’s inaugural roundtable also identified the cultural challenge faced when initiating a full screening of potential employees in a region, where the concept is not widely understood, as an area requiring careful management. Ensuring that candidates have a smooth screening experience is an important part of the hiring process, especially for those unfamiliar with what it can mean. But Steve Girdler, Managing Director, EMEA and APAC for HireRight suggested that explaining the screening process and why it is needed to candidates from the very beginning of the recruitment process can make all the difference. “If you point out the screening process right at the start of recruitment, it’s easy,” said Mr Girdler. “We screen 14 million people a year globally. We have to be an important part of the recruitment process and what you don’t want is the candidate experience to be tarnished by the vetting experience.”

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 ↔

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) -0.08 ▼ -0.08 ▼

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

Fidelity Bank names Acting MD/CEO

idelity Bank plc has named Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Balarabe, as its Acting Managing Director/ Chief Executive. This follows the detention of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a terse statement issued last night, the bank said, “In the absence of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo the Board of Directors has appointed Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Balarabe, Executive Director North as Acting Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Fidelity Bank Plc with immediate effect subject to regulatory approval. “The Bank reassures all its stakeholders including over 400,000 shareholders and 3.4 million customers of its continued seamless services.” The EFCC had last week de-

tained Okonkwo and the bank’s Head of Operations Martins Izuogbe for allegedly receiving $115 million from Mrs. AlisonMadueke. Investigators believe the cash was meant for the bribery of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to change the results of last year’s presidential election. However, in a statement, the bank defended the transaction saying it complied with the extant regulations on suspicious transactions reporting. It added that it was “cooperating fully with the authorities on the investigation”. Financial institutions are required by the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Regulations, 2013 (as amended) to forward their AML/CFT Compliance Manual to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for off-site review of the document as well as carry out enhanced customer due diligence for high risk customers.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Financial Market News FMDQ Daily Quotations List

28-Apr-16

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

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

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

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 576.93 605.31 719.99 266.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 80.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

6,407.46

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

6,361.14

Rating/Agency

Description

Issuer

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

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

0.30 1.00 1.24 1.34 2.09 3.17 3.49 3.79 5.75 7.88 9.74 12.58 13.06 13.56 14.23 18.22 19.89

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

8.54 11.32 11.43 11.47 11.77 12.21 12.47 12.71 12.56 12.86 13.01 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.12 13.22 13.32

8.05 11.16 11.29 11.34 11.69 12.10 12.35 12.62 12.49 12.80 12.95 13.03 13.04 13.04 13.06 13.17 13.28

101.26 103.48 98.18 97.41 98.04 109.66 84.91 108.25 115.29 106.47 97.21 111.69 96.28 71.15 80.09 92.66 93.57

101.41 103.63 98.33 97.56 98.19 109.96 85.21 108.55 115.59 106.77 97.51 111.99 96.58 71.45 80.39 92.96 93.87

6362.457269

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

03-Apr-12

17.25

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

1.20

03-Apr-17

0.51

2.94

12.38

102.33

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

0.17 0.17 0.98 0.70 1.67 1.49 1.50 1.47 1.47 1.66 2.08 3.57 2.04 4.58 4.67 2.71 2.74 3.97 3.52 3.55 4.03 6.46 3.64

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

11.17 10.19 12.23 15.87 13.99 12.53 12.53 15.34 15.08 15.41 13.79 14.52 12.75 13.95 16.40 14.56 13.04 13.87 16.50 13.50 15.07 14.38 15.58

100.39 100.82 98.00 98.62 99.96 101.88 101.90 98.92 98.62 100.05 102.89 99.92 103.42 98.48 95.47 99.83 104.17 103.97 99.93 107.83 106.32 110.16 103.59

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

0.42 0.49 0.61 0.98 1.19 1.42 0.88 1.20 1.37 1.37 2.42 1.47 1.55 1.68 2.27 4.55 3.05 5.56 5.67 6.04 4.21 8.42 8.42 9.55

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

10.06 10.72 10.84 16.72 16.65 13.38 12.73 14.56 17.83 12.48 13.08 15.94 17.66 14.88 16.32 13.65 15.72 15.09 13.59 13.60 15.45 13.90 13.90 13.99

101.14 101.65 102.94 99.79 99.76 99.50 104.96 101.47 100.09 104.14 101.83 99.73 100.37 101.53 97.72 105.25 99.44 96.87 111.02 111.58 101.59 111.59 96.79 104.51

10-Oct-20

2.57

3.37

15.34

98.81

Agency Bonds Nil

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

FMBN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1.20

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1.23

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

446.12 447.92

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

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

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.00 FCMB 6-NOV-2020 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 15.50 TRANSCORP 4-DEC-2020 14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021 16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 16.48 FIDELITY 13-MAY-2022 16.00 TRANSCORP 26-OCT-2022 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 14.90 NMRC 29-JUL-2030

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

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

15.00 5.53 112.22 116.70 66.49 20.00 0.46 3.60 1.82 0.50 35.00 1.50 0.27 4.50 23.19 2.05 9.76 26.00 30.50 30.00 10.00 0.10 15.44 7.90

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

538.53

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

547.97

Sukuk BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

10-Oct-13

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

14.75

9.40

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

9.40

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

9.29

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.79

1.00

10.93

98.80

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

*AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

3.01

1.00

11.67

98.96

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 24.67 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($’mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

7.48

7.25

97.11

98.02

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.50

5.07

99.23

100.11

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.75

7.58

92.50

93.40

Issuer

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,444.22

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

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

373.41

19-May-16

19.63

-1.40

99.44

100.40

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

8.66

7.02

98.37

100.26

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

20.67

19.44

78.14

79.82

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

8.01

95.50

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

9.09

92.75

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

16.94

16.23

81.07

82.51

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

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

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

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

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

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

13.70 13.89 14.53

82.25 83.00 76.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.23

11.76

84.88

86.63

DTM

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Discount Rate (%)

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

3,523.41 3,090.86 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Yield @ Issue (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Commercial Papers Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

GUINNESS CP II 4-MAY-16

04-Nov-15

13.25

7.23

04-May-16

6.03

9.45

9.44

Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

GUINNESS CP III 29-JUL-16

04-Nov-15

13.75

2.77

29-Jul-16

6.18

14.51

14.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

10.00

**TREASURY BILLS^ DTM 7 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 77

FIXINGS Maturity 5-May-16 19-May-16 26-May-16 2-Jun-16 9-Jun-16 16-Jun-16 23-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 14-Jul-16

Bid Discount (%) 3.79 3.96 4.65 5.59 6.68 6.64 6.11 6.50 6.56

Offer Discount (%) 3.54 3.71 4.40 5.34 6.43 6.39 5.86 6.25 6.31

Bid Yield (%) 3.79 3.97 4.66 5.62 6.73 6.70 6.16 6.57 6.65

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 3.8333 8.0295 10.4097 11.8627

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

3.25

O/N

3.83

Tenor Call 1M 3M

REPO

Rate (%) 3.67 5.00 6.00

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M 6M

197.33 199.13 199.32 199.90 200.88 202.43 207.10

197.43 199.65 199.85 200.44 201.47 203.68 209.09

9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE NEW TELEGRAPH Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds

The framework aims TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION at achieving ultimate Sub-National Bonds protection for investors

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

MDQ OTC Securities Exchange has developed a management framework to address complaints covered under the FMDQ rules pursuant to the Investments and Securities Act 2007 and the SEC Rules and Regulations 2013. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE A statement obtained from TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION the company, said that the Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO framework would also address A-/Agusto FSDH Nil other issues that arise in re***LCRM Nil spect of activities conducted Nil A/GCR UBA within the over-the-counter BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING Nil *DANA (OTC) markets under FMDQ’s A-/DataPro†; CCC/GCR *TOWER purview such as fixed income AAA/DataPro†; B/GCR *TOWER A+/Agusto; A/GCR UBA (money , treasury bills, bonds, Bbb+/Agusto†; BBB+/GCR† *LA CASERA BBB-/DataPro†; *CHELLARAMS repos andBB/GCR commercial papers), #{r}

11.43 11.47 11.77 12.21 12.47 12.71 12.56 12.86 13.01 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.12 13.22 13.32

11.29 11.34 11.69 12.10 12.35 12.62 12.49 12.80 12.95 13.03 13.04 13.04 13.06 13.17 13.28

98.18 97.41 98.04 109.66 84.91 108.25 115.29 106.47 97.21 111.69 96.28 71.15 80.09 92.66 93.57

98.33 97.56 98.19 109.96 85.21 108.55 115.59 106.77 97.51 111.99 96.58 71.45 80.39 92.96 93.87

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

03-Apr-12

17.25

*DANA#{r}

currencies and derivatives. 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 “The framework is designed 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 to ensure that complaints from 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 FMDQ members and/or their 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 clients about the activities of 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 the 14.50 securities exchange and 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 its members are managed in 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 a fair, impartial, transparent 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 and14.75 timely manner. 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 “It also seeks to support the 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 primary objectives 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 of securiBAUCHI 9-DEC-2021 ties 15.50 regulation in any capital 16.50 OYO 16-FEB-2022 16.50 BENUE 27-FEB-2022 market as provided by the In17.50 PLATEAU 30-MAR-2022 ternational Organisation of 17.00 KOGI II 31-MAR-2022 17.00 CROSS RIVER 27-MAY-2022 Securities Commissions. “ìt is aimed at achieving ultimate protection for investors NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 and13.00 reducing systemic risk in 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 the 0.00/16.00 markets,” the Securities 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 Exchange said. 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 FMDQ recently introduced 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 Member DANA 9-APR-2018 Specialists Dealing MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 (DMSs) category for non-bank MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018 financial institutions (NBFIs) 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019in the to act as market makers

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

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

FMDQ fixed income market. 30-Jun-11 of the NBFIs, 14.00 Participation 30-Jun-09 15.50 typically the investment 10.00 bank19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 13.75 ing firms and securities14.00 deal31-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 ing firms, will generate14.00 addi04-Oct-11 14.00 09-Dec-11 14.50 tional liquidity to the Nigerian 12-Dec-13 14.00 fixed income market and15.50 serve 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 15.50 as an avenue for effective and 22-Nov-12 14.50 12-Dec-12 14.75 in efficient retail participation 27-Nov-13 13.50 15.00 this market.31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 14.50 A statement made available 06-Jan-14 15.00 09-Dec-14 15.50 by the management said that 17-Feb-15 16.50 16.50 the unique27-Feb-15 initiative, where 30-Mar-15 17.50 fixed income dealers of NBFIs 01-Apr-15 17.00 27-May-15 17.00 can trade Bonds, Commercial Papers (CPs) and Treasury Bills (T.bills) in the FMDQ 29-Sep-11 13.00the market, was birthed from 25-Oct-13 14.25 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 identification of an innova20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 tive opportunity much 06-Jul-12 for the 0.00/16.50 30-Sep-10 13.00 needed participation of NBFIs 30-Nov-12 18.00 09-Apr-11 fixed income 16.00 in the Nigerian 09-Sep-11 18.00 market. 09-Sep-11 16.00 30-Sep-11 14.00 “The DMS market will be one 18-Oct-13 15.75 17-Feb-12 18.00 where the participants, DMSs, 01-Apr-14 06-Nov-15 14-Nov-13 04-Dec-15 20-Nov-14 30-Dec-14 13-May-15 26-Oct-15 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-14 29-Jul-15

16.00 15.00 15.25 15.50 14.25 16.45 16.48 16.00 16.29 13.25 14.90

Fidelity Bank reports N4bn pre-tax profit

1.24 1.34 2.09 3.17 3.49 3.79 5.75 7.88 9.74 12.58 13.06 13.56 14.23 18.22 19.89

6362.457269

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

1.20

03-Apr-17

0.51

2.94

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

12.38

102.33

1.20

Stories by Chris Ugwu

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

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

FMDQ develops complaint mgt framework Description

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

FMBN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 576.93 605.31 719.99 266.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 80.00

6,361.14

SECURITY

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

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

6,407.46

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Nil

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

idelity Bank Plc has reported a profit before tax TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE of N4 CAPITALISATION billion for the first TOTAL MARKET quarter ended March 31, 2016 as Sukuk against N4.7 billion in Q1 2015. BBB-/Agusto *OSUN Profit after tax stood at N3.6 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET billion fromCAPITALISATION N4.0 billion in Q1 2015, representing a decline of Supranational Bond AAA/S&P IFC 10.5 per cent while gross earnAaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P *AfDB ings by 5.5 per cent TOTAL decreased OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION to N34.4 billion from N36.4 billion inRating/Agency Q1 2015. Issuer However, net interest inFGN Eurobonds come increased by 30 per cent BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P to N16.1 billion from N12.4 bilBB-/Fitch; FGN BB-/S&Pin Q1 2015 and net operatlion BB-/Fitch; ing income equally increased BB-/S&P TOTAL VALUE by 6.2OUTSTANDING per cent to N20.8 billion TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION from N19.6 billion in Q1 2015. Corporate Eurobonds from the bank’s A statement B+/Fitch; B+/S&P PLC I management said theGTBANK financial B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC performance for the quarter B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC was reflective of the continB+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC B/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC ued slowdown in DIAMOND business B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC activities due to lower governB-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD ment revenues arising from B-/S&P ECOBANK NIG. LTD depressed oil prices, TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE lower inTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION terest rate regime and weaker macro-economic environment. Rating/Agency Issuer “We continued to improve Commercial Papers capacity of our the earnings Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

Nil

GUINNESS NIGERIA

balance sheet (fund based in- economic indices, overall loan come) despite the decline in fee growth of 2.1 per cent was baincome. Though gross earnings sically driven by public sector declined by 5.5 per cent (due to a on-lending facilities. N4.214.75 billion drop in our foreign “Our NPL ratio declined to 10-Oct-13 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 exchange income), net interest 4.3 per cent largely due to the income increased by 30.0 per growth in the loan book while cent, e-banking income by 216 our regulatory ratios remained IFC and 11-FEB-2018 10.20 per 10.20 cent net operating in- well above 11-Feb-13 the set thresholds, 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 10-Jul-14 11.25 come by 6.2 per cent respectively. our capital adequacy ratio at 19.3 “In line with our focus on per cent gives us ample leverage balance sheet optimisation, to take advantage of emerging Description Issue Date Coupon (%) we ensured that the reduction business opportunities. in funding costs outpaced the “Total deposits increased 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 07-Oct-11 6.75 decline on yields on earning as- by 1.9 per cent and the disci5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 sets. This improved our NIM to plined execution of our 5.13 retail 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 6.38 7.3 per cent from 6.9 per cent in strategy continued to deliver the 2015FY,” the statement said. strong results as savings deThe bank noted that though posits grew by 13.4 per cent in operating expenses increased the quarter under review. 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 7.50 by 15.7 per cent YOY, expense Our key19-May-11 objectives for the 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 25-Jul-12 7.25 MAY 09, 2018 09-May-13 6.88 redesigning growth was flat 6.88 when com- 2016FY remains; 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 pared with 2015FY quarterly our systems08-Nov-13 and processes6.00 to en6.25 APR 22, 2019 22-Apr-14 6.25 8.75 May 21, 2019 21-May-14 8.75 opannualised figures and actu- hance service delivery, cost 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 07-Aug-13 8.25 ally declined byUSD 24.1 per cent to reduce 9.25/6M LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 timisation initiatives 24-Jun-14 9.25 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 23-Jul-14 8.00 from Q4 2015. expenses by14-Aug-14 five per cent, proac8.75 AUG 14, 2021 8.75 “Our cost of risk remained tive risk management, increased within our guidance of 1.0 per customer adoption/migration cent as we saw a decline of our to our digital platforms and Description Issue Date Yield @ Issue (%) risk asset portfolio in most sec- increasing our retail banking tors due to the weaker macro- market share,” the bank noted. GUINNESS CP II 4-MAY-16

04-Nov-15

13.25

GUINNESS CP III 29-JUL-16

04-Nov-15

13.75

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1.23

will make market in T.bills (to 1.30 with) and 30-Jun-16 0.17 begin FGN Bonds, 2.05 30-Jun-16 0.17 providing two-way quotes 57.00 19-Apr-17 0.98 16.45 30-Jun-17 0.70 to 25.00 other DMSs and one-way 31-Dec-17 1.67 23.44 30-Sep-18 1.49 quotes to clients (institutional 4.22 04-Oct-18 1.50 09-Dec-18 generating 1.47 and10.98 retail), thereby 8.14 12-Dec-18 1.47 the21.68 required fixed mar14-Feb-19income1.66 12.55 02-Oct-19 2.08 ket80.00 liquidity 22-Nov-19 in these factions 3.57 21.65 investor 12-Dec-19 of the market. 2.04 87.50 27-Nov-20 4.58 5.00 4.67op“The DMS31-Dec-20 market will 4.03 31-Dec-20 2.71 erate existing FMDQ 4.04 like the 06-Jan-21 2.74 14.37 09-Dec-21 dealing member (banks) 3.97 mar4.39 16-Feb-22 3.52 27-Feb-22 ket4.53 with a view to the full3.55 inte27.10 30-Mar-22 4.03 gration of the31-Mar-22 dealing member 3.00 6.46 7.68 3.64 (banks) and 27-May-22 dealing member 446.12 (specialists) markets at some 447.92

point in the future. 4.46“Forward-thinking 11.17 100.39 and re3.48 10.19 100.82 sourceful NBFIs, via 98.00 this new 1.00 12.23 5.71 15.87 98.62 membership will con2.39 13.99 category,99.96 1.00 12.53 101.88 tribute to the development of 1.00 12.53 101.90 3.82 Nigerian 15.34 DCM and 98.92 the indeed 3.56 15.08 98.62 leverage on this potentially 3.82 15.41 100.05 2.02 13.79 102.89 highly beneficial business op2.01 14.52 99.92 1.00 103.42 portunity .12.75 1.30 13.95 98.48 3.76“FMDQ 16.40currently 95.47 has 23 2.53 14.56 99.83 institutions success1.00 13.04 that have104.17 1.52 13.87 103.97 fully completed the first phase 4.01 16.50 99.93 1.00the membership 13.50 107.83 of application 2.52 15.07 106.32 process and to take 1.79 14.38positioning 110.16 3.04 15.58 103.59 advantage of this opportunity ,” the Securities Exchange said.

Nigerian Breweries posts 4% growth in profit 15.00 5.53 112.22 116.70 66.49 20.00 0.46 3.60 1.82 0.50 35.00 1.50 0.27 4.50 23.19 2.05 9.76 26.00 30.50 30.00 10.00 0.10 15.44 7.90

0.42 0.49 0.61 0.98 1.19 1.42 0.88 1.20 1.37 1.37 2.42 1.47 1.55 1.68 2.27 4.55 3.05 5.56 5.67 6.04 4.21 8.42 8.42 9.55

igerian Breweries Plc has reported a four per cent growth in profit after tax for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. The unaudited and provisional results released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange show that the N10.45 billion PAT represents a four per cent increase 538.53 over the N10.10 billion declared 547.97 in the corresponding period in 2015. 9.40 10-Oct-20 2.57 The 9.40 company’s revenue for the9.29 period grew by 11 per cent from N69.92 billion in 2015 to 12.00 11-Feb-18 1.79 N77.55 billion in the current 12.95 01-Feb-21 3.01 period. 24.95 24.67 A further analysis shows that the Outstanding Value results from operatMaturity Date Bid Yield (%) ing($’mm) activities improved by 10 per cent from N16.37 billion in 500.00 28-Jan-21 7.48 the first three months of 2015 500.00 12-Jul-18 5.50 to N17.99 in the corresponding 500.00 12-Jul-23 7.75 months in 2016. 1,500.00 A statement from the com1,444.22 pany said the 11 per cent growth in revenue was a reflec373.41 19-May-16 19.63 tion of the company’s strong 350.00 25-Jul-17 8.66 300.00 20.67 and effective 02-May-18 route to market, 400.00 08-Nov-18 increased sales during8.01 the 500.00 22-Apr-19 9.09 200.00 period21-May-19 16.94 Easter as well as higher 300.00 07-Aug-20 13.70 number of sales days in the 400.00 24-Jun-21 13.89pe450.00 23-Jul-21 14.53 riod as against the lower 12.23 num250.00 14-Aug-21 ber of days recorded in the cor3,523.41 3,090.86 responding period of 2015 due to the general elections. Outstanding Value DTM Maturity Date (₦’bn) According to the statement, despite the current challenging 7.23

04-May-16

2.77

29-Jul-16

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

10.06 10.72 10.84 16.72 16.65 13.38 12.73 14.56 17.83 12.48 13.08 15.94 17.66 14.88 16.32 13.65 15.72 15.09 13.59 13.60 15.45 13.90 13.90 13.99

101.14 101.65 102.94 99.79 99.76 99.50 104.96 101.47 100.09 104.14 101.83 99.73 100.37 101.53 97.72 105.25 99.44 96.87 111.02 111.58 101.59 111.59 96.79 104.51

operating environment leading to consumer down-trading, rising inflation, increased cost of financing due to higher foreign exchange cost and increased input cost amongst others, the company was still able to return the four per cent increase in profit after tax. The increase in profit was also helped by the one-off merger costs incurred in the first quarter of 2015. 98.81 3.37 15.34 The statement, signed by the company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Mr. Uaboi Agbebaku, 1.00 10.93 98.80 further said although the 1.00 11.67 98.96 board expected the operating environment in 2016 to continue to Bid bePrice very challenging, Offer Yield (%) Offer Price it remains confident that the Prices & Yields company was in a good posi7.25 97.11 98.02 tion to take advantage of any 5.07 99.23 100.11 upswing in the market espe7.58 92.50 93.40 cially with its twin agenda of cost leadership and market leadership supported by innovation. -1.40 99.44 100.40 The brewer recorded a 10.3 7.02 98.37 100.26 19.44 cent increase 78.14 per in 79.82 revenue 8.01 95.50 from N26695.50 billion recorded in 9.09 92.75 92.75 16.23 81.07 billion in82.51 2014 to N293 the 2015 13.70 82.25 82.25 financial year. 13.89 83.00 83.00 14.53 76.00 76.00 Further look at the86.63 audited 11.76 84.88 results showed that results from operating activities deRisk clined by 6.9Yield per cent to close Valuation Discount Rate (%) Premium (%) at (%)N62 billion in 2015 from N66 billion achieved in 2014. #

6.03

9.45

9.44

6.18

14.51

14.00

10.00

28-Apr-16

**TREASURY BILLS^ FIXINGS Money MarketThe Information does 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”). not constitute financial or Foreign Exchange professional, (Spot & Forwards) DTM We attempt to ensure the Maturity Bid Discount Offer Discount (%) Tenor Rate (%) investment advice. Information is accurate; however, the (%) Information is provided “AS IS” (%) and on an Bid “ASYield AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance NIBOR 7 5-May-16 3.79 3.54 3.79 OBB 3.25 Tenor Bid ($/N) Offer ($/N) or fitness for a particular purpose of any of19-May-16 the Information, neither do we accept action taken on the 3.97 basis of the Information. 21 3.96 liability for the results of any 3.71 Tenor Rate (%) 28 26-May-16 4.65 35 2-Jun-16 5.59 42 9-Jun-16 6.68 16-Jun-16 6.64 FGN Bonds 49 56 23-Jun-16 6.11 63 30-Jun-16 6.50 77 14-Jul-16 6.56 Rating/Agency Issuer Description 84 21-Jul-16 7.68 91 28-Jul-16 8.07 13.05 16-AUG-2016 7.81 98 4-Aug-16 105 11-Aug-16 8.21 15.10 27-APR-2017 112 18-Aug-16 8.11 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.04 126 1-Sep-16 9.35 31-AUG-2017 8.86 133 8-Sep-16 147 22-Sep-16 10.70 30-MAY-2018 9.02 161 6-Oct-16 9.48 ^16.00 29-JUN-20199.13 168 13-Oct-16 7.00 23-OCT-2019 8.63 175 20-Oct-16 182 27-Oct-16 ^15.54 13-FEB-20208.98 189 3-Nov-16 9.38 NA NA ^16.39 27-JAN-20229.55 203 17-Nov-16 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 217 1-Dec-16 9.15 224 8-Dec-16 ^12.50 22-JAN-20269.41 231 15-Dec-16 9.33 15.00 28-NOV-2028 9.21 252 5-Jan-17 266 19-Jan-17 12.49 22-MAY-2029 9.78 280 2-Feb-17 8.50 20-NOV-2029 9.94 294 16-Feb-17 ^10.00 23-JUL-20309.94 308 2-Mar-17 10.02 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 322 16-Mar-17 10.11 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036 329 23-Mar-17 10.39 343 6-Apr-17 10.40 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 357 20-Apr-17 10.39 *for the Amortising the average life is calculated and not the TTM TOTAL MARKETbonds, CAPITALISATION

4.40 5.34 6.43 6.39 5.86 6.25 6.31Date Issue 7.43 7.82 16-Aug-13 7.56 7.96 27-Apr-12 7.86 27-Jul-07 8.79 31-Aug-07 8.61 8.77 30-May-08 9.23 29-Jun-12 8.88 23-Oct-09 8.38 8.73 13-Feb-15 9.13 27-Jan-12 9.30 14-Mar-14 8.90 9.16 22-Jan-16 9.08 28-Nov-08 8.96 9.53 22-May-09 9.69 20-Nov-09 9.69 23-Jul-10 9.77 18-Jul-14 9.86 18-Mar-16 10.14 10.15 10.14

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

Rating/Agency

Issue Date

Agency Bonds Nil

FMBN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Sub-National Bonds BBB+/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto‡ ; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A-/Agusto; A-/GCR BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA *NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE

<3 3<5 >5 Market

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

Porfolio Market Value (₦’bn)

988.11 1,464.41 1,470.72 3,923.24

Bonds

O/N 1M 3M 6M

3.8333 8.0295 10.4097 11.8627

O/N Tenor Call 1M 3M (Yrs) TTM 6M

Outstanding Value Maturity Date (₦’bn) NITTY Tenor 581.39 1M 2M 480.13 3M 20.00 6M 100.00 9M 12M 300.00

Total Outstanding Volume (₦’bn)

03-Apr-12 Weighting by Outstanding Volume

908.23 1,325.30 1,667.49 3,901.02

23.28 33.97 42.74 100.00

30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 31-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12

3.83

REPO

Rate (%) 16-Aug-16 4.8612 6.7373 27-Apr-17 8.1864 27-Jul-17 9.1414 31-Aug-17 10.4131 11.7788 30-May-18

351.30 29-Jun-19 233.90 23-Oct-19 NIFEX 576.93 13-Feb-20 Current Price ($/N) 605.31 27-Jan-22 BID($/N) 199.0000 719.99 14-Mar-24 OFFER ($/N) 199.1000 266.02 22-Jan-26 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 1075.92 18-Jul-34 80.00 18-Mar-36

Rate (%) 3.67 5.00 Bid6.00 Yield 6.83

(%)

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

0.30 8.54 8.05 NOTE: 1.00 11.32 11.16 :Benchmarks 1.24 11.43 11.29 * :Amortising Bond 1.34Bond 11.47 11.34 µ :Convertible AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 2.09 Management Corporation 11.77 11.69 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 3.17 12.21 12.10 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 3.49 Finance Corporation 12.47 12.35 IFC: International LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables 3.79 12.71 Management 12.62 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 5.75 12.56 12.49 O/N: Overnight 12.86Company 12.80 UPDC: UAC7.88 Property Development WAPCO:West 9.74Africa Portland Cement 13.01 Company12.95 12.58 13.08 13.03 13.06 13.09 13.04 13.56 13.10 13.04 14.23 13.12 13.06 18.22 13.22 13.17 19.89 13.32 13.28

6,407.46

197.33 199.13 199.32 199.90 200.88 202.43 207.10 Bid Price 215.68

197.43 199.65 199.85 Price 200.44 201.47 203.68 209.09Price Offer 221.14

101.26 103.48

101.41 103.63

111.69 96.28 71.15 80.09 92.66 93.57

111.99 96.58 71.45 80.39 92.96 93.87

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

NA :Not Applicable 98.18 98.33 ^ : Market Prices 97.41 97.56 # : Floating Rate Bond ***: Deferred coupon bonds 98.04 98.19 DTM: Days-To-Maturity 109.66 109.96 TTM: Term-To-Maturity 85.21 ‡ : Bond 84.91 rating under review †: Bond 108.25 rating expired 108.55 N/A :Not Available 115.29 115.59 {r} :Issuer in receivership 106.47 NGC: Nigeria-German Company106.77 UBA: United 97.21Bank for Africa 97.51

6362.457269

6,361.14

Outstanding Value (₦’bn) FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

Description

Issuer

4.66 5.62 6.73 6.70 6.16 6.57 6.65 (%) Coupon 7.82 8.24 13.05 7.97 8.41 15.10 8.32 9.85 9.33 9.35 9.16 9.36 10.70 9.89 16.00 9.53 7.00 9.00 9.40 15.54 9.86 16.39 10.09 14.20 9.68 9.99 12.50 9.92 15.00 9.83 10.53 12.49 10.76 8.50 10.81 10.00 10.95 12.1493 11.09 12.4000 11.46 11.53 11.57

Coupon (%)

17.25 Weighting by Mkt Value 25.19 37.33 37.49 100.00

14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50

1.20

Bucket Weighting

1.20

0.23

1.23 0.34 1.30 2.05 57.00 16.45 25.00 23.44 4.22 10.98 8.14 21.68 12.55

0.43 1.00

Maturity Date

03-Apr-17 % Exposure_ Mod_Duration 12.52 29.41 58.08 100.00

30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

0.51

Implied Yield

12.54 12.74 13.19 12.97

0.17 0.17 0.98 0.70 1.67 1.49 1.50 1.47 1.47 1.66 2.08

Risk Premium (%) 2.94 Implied Portfolio Price 135.9269 150.3549 113.4768 131.2323

4.46 3.48 1.00 5.71 2.39 1.00 1.00 3.82 3.56 3.82 2.02

12.38

INDEX

1,236.62 1,303.49 1,368.08 1,249.67

11.17 10.19 12.23 15.87 13.99 12.53 12.53 15.34 15.08 15.41 13.79

102.33 YTD Return (%) 11.6235 28.7303 35.8547 18.4319

100.39 100.82 98.00 98.62 99.96 101.88 101.90 98.92 98.62 100.05 102.89

NEWS | national

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Troops arrest nine Boko Haram suspects in fox holes, rescue 400 F

Mojeed Alabi

Emmanuel Onani

he Nigerian Army yesterday said troops of 22 Brigade Garrison, during a clearance operation in four villages on Sunday, arrested nine Boko Haram suspects hiding in fox holes even as three fighters were killed during the exercise. The army also said 400 hostages were rescued during the operation, which also saw the recovery of items, including guns. This was made known in a statement signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Colonel Sani Usman.

He said: "In compliance with the military high command’s directive, which is to ensure that all villages and towns are cleared of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 22 Brigade Garrison in Operation Lafiya Dole, on Sunday May 1, 2016 cleared four villages of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area. "During the operation, three Boko Haram terrorists were killed, while nine of them who tried hiding in foxholes and dug outs were identified and captured alive. Items recovered from them include nine dane guns,

three machetes, one bow with arrows, six motorcycles used by the Boko Haram terrorists to ferry slaughtered cow meats to Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts were recovered and burnt. Other items recovered include one tricycle, four Tiger Generators and one solar panel," the army said. It added that; "400 persons held hostage by the terrorists were rescued and set free," adding the troops also "recovered 300 herds of cattle rustled by the Boko Haram terrorists from Fulani herdsmen and handed over to their rightful owners."

ederal Gover nment’s team to this year’s world education conference slated to commence today in Cape Town, South Africa, will be comparing notes with participants from other parts of the world as part of efforts to seek solutions to the various challenges facing the sector in the country. To lead the delegation is the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, who will be joined by the Secretary, Committee of ViceChancellors in Nigeria, Prof. Michael Faborode, as well as the President, Association of African Vice-Chancellors and the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of

Buhari deserves to be NLC patron senior member of the ruling All A Progressives Congress

(APC), Chief Sam Nkire, yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari, deserves to be named the patron of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) due to the programme he has for the Nigerian worker. Reacting to events that marked this year's May Day celebration, Nkire said the welfare of the masses, job creation as well as the fight against corruption were the principal reasons why Buhari sought to be President in the first place. The APC chieftain said the President was not oblivious of the fact that most NLC members voted for him and therefore would always fight for their rights and wellbeing. According to him, the APC government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari was working day and night to see that Nigeria's economy recovered in record time to impact the Nigerian worker.

Our Correspondent

hief of Army Staff, Lt . Gen. Yakubu. Buratai has dismissed the allegations by the global human rights group, Amnesty International, that troops of the Nigeria Army were involved in premeditated murder of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria ( IMN) in Zaria, Kaduna State, last year. Buratai reiterated the position of the Nigeria Army that there was nothing like premeditated murder of the Shittes

Nigeria seeks support for education at global conference Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, among other participants. The event, regarded as the world’s largest education conference globally, which is holding for the first time on

CONFIRMATION/change OF NAME gbadamosi: I, formerly known and addressed as Bhadmus Saheed Folorunsho now wish to be known and addressed as Gbadamosi Saheed Folorunsho. All former documents remain valid. First bank Plc and the general public take note.

Odinakachi

I formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Mbaeru Ugochinyere Rejoice now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Odinakachi Rejoice Ugochi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Oluwaseye

I formerly known and addressed as Mulero Adedotun Adisa now wish to be known and addressed as Mulero Adedotun Oluwaseye. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Okafor

This is to confirm that the names Okafor Victoria Adaeze and Bernard Victoria Adaeze refer to one and same person. Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Okafor Victoria Adaeze. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank Plc and general public take note.

Ebiyaimiyen

I formerly known and addressed as Wotimi Mama now wish to be known and addressed as Eperetun Ebiyaimiyen. All former documents remain valid. Unity bank Plc and the general public please take note.

Godgift

A suspected Boko Haram member being pulled out of a hole.

Rivers killings: Arase deploys homicide team against perpetrators Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

n a bid to check the recent killings in Rivers State, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has deployed a team of homicide detectives to the state with a mandate to investigate the killings. Arase also said that he has tasked the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, to apprehend those behind the killings, noting

that it was not possible for a few criminally-minded individuals to hold the state to ransom as according to him, nobody has the right to take the life of another person. The IGP warned that whoever that foments trouble in the state and the country in general will face the full wrath of the law. Speaking during the flag-off of new police uniform for Police Spy at the premises of Shell Petroleum Development

Zaria massacre: Army dismisses allegations of human rights abuses group as alleged, insisting that on the contrary, it was some members of the said religious sect who attacked his convoy. The COAS who gave the explanation when he received in audience the Executive Secretary of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd) said it was absurd for groups including Amnesty International to be making

such allegations against a national army. "How can anybody accuse a responsible armed agency of government of murder? On the contrary, the people were attacking the soldiers with petroleum bomb and other weapons. In actual fact, not all of them knew how to handle Molotov they were trying to use against the Army and it back fired on them," he said.

Company (SPDC) in Port Harcourt, the IGP said the police was against the proliferation of arms and vowed to check it. He said: “The killings in Rivers State are being investigated. I have dispatched a team of homicide detectives to the state. You know when a thing like this occurs; there are different perspectives to it. “And I have always taken a stand that police should be apolitical." We must show professionalism in investigating this matter. "And, while I have deployed a team of homicide officers from Abuja; we have to take over most of these cases and ensure they are professionally investigated.” Continuing, he said: “It is unacceptable for people to take the law into their hands. Nigeria is not a Hobbesian state where might thrives. "And I have told the Commissioner of Police; he must go after whoever that has taken the lives of other people and ensure we bring them to book."

the continent of Africa, is being organised by the British Council to offer an open forum for global leaders of tertiary education to discuss issues facing the international education community.

I formerly known and addressed as Serifa Oyindoubra now wish to be known and addressed as Godgift Monday. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Mathias

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Priscillia Edward now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mathias Priscillia. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Ozor

I formerly known and addressed as Uka Loveth Chukwu now wish to be known and addressed as Loveth Chimezie Ozor. All former documents remain valid. Ebonyi State University, NYSC and the general public please take note.

Onukogu

I formerly known as Miss Chidimma Sopuruchi Onukogu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chidimma Sopuruchi Odionye. All former documents remain valid. NYSC, Keystone Bank Plc and general public please take note.

Philip

I formerly known and addressed as Ehima Kenneth Anthony now wish to be known and addressed as Ehima Kenneth Philip. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Tahiru

I formerly known and addressed as Muhammed Sanni now wish to be known and addressed as Tahiru Muhammed Sanni. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Eyo

This is to confirm that Victor Etim Okon and Victor Okon Eyo refer to one and the same person. Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Victor Okon Eyo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Oyetornchi

I formerly known and addressed as Ejiofor Gabriel Onyetoro now wish to be known and addressed as Ejiofor Gabriel Oyetornchi. All former documents remain valid. Banks and the general public please take note.

Jonah

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Wilson

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Erinfolami

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Tope

I formerly known and addressed as Mr. Shola Williams Tunde now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Shola Williams Tope. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SOIL HEALTH INT’L

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990. The Trustees are: 1. Mrs. Nweke Esther .O. 2. Nwokpoku Ezekiel .N. 3. Miss Usifoh Magdalene .O. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To help in conservation plan of our natural inheritance. 2. To help in promotion of sustainable agriculture in the world in general and in Nigeria in particular. 3. To help mitigate effect of environmental depredation in our society. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: Secretary

south-west | news

TUESDAY, may 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

CMD seeks IGP’s intervention into Ekiti doctors' death crisis Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

he Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Ido Ekiti, Dr. Lawrence Majekodunmi Ayodele, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to immediately intervene in the crisis trailing the death of the six Ekiti doctors, who died in a recent auto crash along Abuja/Kaduna Road penultimate Sunday. The call came following what the CMD described as plot by some staff of the hospital to link him to the death of

the doctors, because they were uncomfortable with the reforms he had carried out in the system. Six medical doctors including two from the FTH, lost their lives in the crash on their way to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) annual conference in Kaduna. The bus in which they were travelling had a burst tyre, leading to the crash. Aladesanmi, who was one of the candidates that contested the CMD position of the former Federal Medical Centre with Ayodele in June 2012, unfortunately died in the crash, leading to protesters accusing Ayodele of culpability. Speaking with some

journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on his travails since the incident, the Ise-Ekiti born expert in Neuro-Psychiatry, said that the allegation was barbaric, preposterous, inhuman, unthinkable and uncalled for, coming from those who would stop at nothing to malign an innocent person. Ayodele, who exonerated himself of any culpability, said that he was already in Sokoto in the evening of the incident when he was informed by one Dr. Mrs Abidakun and immediately made enquiries on the development. He said neither him nor any of his principal officers was allowed to get to the hospital where the

dead doctors were taken, saying it was astonishing to learn that some people later accused him as being responsible for the accident. "These people threw caution to the wind by beating and tearing the clothes of some of our staff at the church where burial service was held for some of our departed colleagues," he said. They went ahead to assault Oba Olojudu and have shut the hospital down, chased out all patients and put series of fetish objects in front of the hospital with some juju buried in holes dug within the hospital premises. They have practically turned the hospital to a shrine".

Court strikes out suit against Aregbesola Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

n Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo has dismissed the suit filed by a High Court judge, Justice Folaranmi Olamide against Governor Rauf Aregbesola, seeking the state House of Assembly to investigate and impeach the governor and his deputy Mrs. Grace Laoye Tomori over the allegations of corruption and reckless spending of the state funds. It can be recalled that the state House of Assembly had through an ad hoc and fact-finding committee of the House had indicted the judge on the petition. Oloyede's petition at the end of the panel's report was dismissed while the panel recommended that she be sanctioned because she was a sitting

judge. Not satisfied by the position of the House, the judge dragged them to the law court filing a motion on notice before the court seeking the court to quash the recommendations of the ad-hoc committee and declare its action illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. Oloyede who also filed a motion ex-parte asking the court to grant her permission to institute a legal action against the state lawmakers over their recommendations that she should be sanctioned by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) also joined the Osun Judicial Service Commission in the suit. However, at the resume hearing of the case, the High Court in Iwo presided over by Justice Moshood Adeigbe dismissed Justice Oloyede’s application for lack of jurisdiction.

1,100

The estimated deployment of electricity (TWh/year) in total hydro market area of Asia in 2010. Source: Unesco.org

Ogun PDP crisis deepens as exco suspends chairman Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta L-R: Justice (Mrs.) Adedayo Oyebanji; Chancellor Cathedral Church, Justice George Oguntade (rtd.); Diocesan Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Ephraim Ademowo; Governor Akinwumi Ambode and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; during the official opening of the First Session of the 33rd Synod, Diocese of Lagos Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), at the Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos…yesterday

LASUCOM has produced over 500 doctors, says Provost

Muritala Ayinla

he Provost of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof. Babatunde Solagberu, yesterday has said the college had produced over 500 doctors who are excelling in the medical profession since inception. The provost who also disclosed that the college had resuscitated the parents forum platform of the college in its bid to

achieve the N24 billion endowment fund target of the new administration, added that the college in the next few months would produce it's first set of dental doctors. This was disclosed this in a statement signed by the college's Head of the Information Unit, Mrs. Ibironke Akitoye, describing the forum as a platform for the parents to share in the vision of the college. Solagberu, said the col-

lege under his administration was redefining the vision of the institution in order to place it in its rightful position as a leading medical college in Africa. He commended the state government for providing necessary human and financial support for the college, as he reaffirmed that his administration's commitment to run a participatory administration that would deal with challenges. The provost, however,

stated that government alone cannot be left to do everything hence all hands must be on deck to support government’s effort at making the dream of making the college gain universal recognition was fulfilled. He traced the success story of the college to the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who established the state university from which the college emerged.

of Lagos State, Late Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo yesterday. Delivering a lecture with the theme 'Preparation for Death', the commissioner told the gathering that death was inevitability, saying that since no man decided to come to the world on his own volition, no individual would exist forever. The commissioner who explained that the purpose of creation was to worship Allah (God Almighty), urged Nigerians to live a life worthy of emulation, warning against arrogance,

greed and selfishness. He implored people to humble themselves and live a simple life. According to him, "Live in this world like a traveler. Alhaji Jafojo is no more today but his legacies would continue to live after him. May Allah forgive him" he prayed. AbdulLateef also gave kudos to the former Governor of Lagos State Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his late deputy, saying he was one of the beneficiaries of the initiatives of their ad-

ministration. Stressing that life was not a right but a privilege, the Commissioner cited sleep as an indication that every human being on earth would be raised after death by their creator. The event was graced by the Former Governor of Lagos, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefolure, Former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Musiliu Smith, Governor Akinwumi Ambode among otherdignitaries.

Jafojo’s fidau: Politicians admonished on selflessness Muritala Ayinla

oliticians and influential Nigerians have been urged to rise above self-estimation but rather strive to render selfless services to the people while they occupy public positions. Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul Hakeem AbdulLateef, gave the admonition during the eight day Fidau prayer in honour of former Deputy Governor

he crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new dimension yesterday as its Chairman, Chief Adebayo Dayo, and Secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, were suspended indefinitely. They were suspended by nine members of the State Working Committee, who unanimously elected Chief Ibukunolu Ojosipe and Muritala Adegoke as interim chairman and secretary respectively. The nine officers accused Dayo and Sodipo of alleged financial misappropriation, indiscriminate imposition of candidates and exclusion of party officials from the

ongoing PDP congresses. But in a swift reaction, Dayo described his suspension as illegal, adding that the nine officers lacked the locus standi to sanction him. Speaking on behalf of the nine officers at a press conference in Abeokuta, the PDP Organising Secretary, Dr. Folasade Filani, said the suspension was in accordance with section 21 (5) of the party's constitution. Filani declared that the chairman and secretary would remain suspended pending the time their cases would be determined by the appropriate organ of the party. She stated that the PDP national secretariat would be duly informed about the development, urging party faithful to cooperate with the new interim officers.

Group berates Fayose over comments on George Wale Elegbede

group, Lagos Collectives, has chided Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, over his comments on the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, stating that the governor’s comments during a television programme was disparaging and un-

called for. While appearing on a live political programme on Sunday night, the governor was quoted to have said, “Chief Bode George told me personally that he wants to be national chairman of the party, I told him no, I won’t support you. “With all due respect to elderly people in our party, they must take the backstage."

News|SOUTH-EAST

No grazing land for herdsmen in Igboland –IWA Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

he Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) said there would be no grazing lands or ranches for Fulani herdsmen in the South-East geopolitical zone, as doing so, was like giving a tacit approval to the herdsmen to wipe away the Igbo from the surface of the world. The group said that the only one sensible route to the country’s development was for Nigeria to be restructured now. It added that “intimidation will not work; neither will false accusations.” The women spoke while reacting to the latest killing of farmers at Ukpabi Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State last Monday. In a statement signed by the National President of IWA, Chief (Mrs) Marie Nwanyiwunwa Okwo, the women lamented against what they described as the audacity of the herdsmen in killing innocent Nigerians across the country since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office about 10 months ago, the extra–judicial killing of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by security agents among others issues facing the zone. The statement reads in part: “Not long ago, 76 people from Ugwuleshi in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, were arrested by the Nigerian Army and taken to Umuahia, in Abia state which is another area of jurisdiction.” “Their offence was that they tried to defend their farm land from being

destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen. It was through the intervention of the Governor of Enugu State Ifeany Ugwuanyi, that those poor farmers were later released on bail. The extra-judicial killing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members between November 2015 and February 2016, in Port Harcourt, Aba and Onitsha is condemned by IWA. “This unresolved, coldblooded murder of Eastern youths, coupled with the provocative brigandage of Fulani in recent times may have probably emboldened the Director of State Services (DSS) to publicly lay a charge of abduction and murder on the IPOB. This accusation of killing and burying of five northerners (in a shallow grave), if true, is wrong and IWA condemns it, and would want the culprits brought to early justice. “If, however, the accusation is false, then, it must be said as succinctly as possible that the DSS has taken a very dangerous route that will not only lay the foundation for eventual disintegration of Nigeria but ensures that a needless bloodbath accompanies the mayhem. The DSS intends to prop up mutual suspicion and spur ethnic hatred. “Our message to the APC government is clear, short and precise. The quest to intimidate, oppress and silence Eastern Nigeria will not succeed. The dream of conquering our people through hatred and threat of genocide will not work. We cannot be Islamised. There is only one sensible route open to Nigeria, which is to restructure the country now.”

EEDC records 56 cases of vandalism in S’East

he Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) recorded 56 cases of power installation vandalism in the South East between January and April. The Head of EEDC Communications Unit, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Enugu. He said that sabotage was retarding the effective supply of power within the South East. Ezeh added that the company had spent huge sum of money and manhours in repairing the vandalised installations and power units within the first quarter of the year alone. “This high rate of vandalism is purely an act of economic sabotage. EEDC calls for concerted efforts

by members of the public and the law enforcement agencies to track these public enemies and vandals down and bring them to book,’’ he said. Ezeh commended vigilante groups, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police for working tirelessly to ensure that those behind these acts were brought to book. “In recent times, we have also recorded considerable success in prosecuting arrested vandals.” We are appealing to members of the public to report any nefarious activities going on in or around power installations in the South East to act as a deterrent to those that are yet to get the message,’’ he said. (NAN)

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Enugu to set up Neighbourhood watch outfit Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

isturbed by the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government the Enugu State government has resolved to set up a security outfit known as neighbourhood watch across the 17 local government areas of the state. The state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who stated this yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting, said the essence of the security outfit was to forestall future occurence of the the ugly incident. He also announced the decision of government to set up a Judicial Commission to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the incident and other pre-

vious occurrences in Enugu State. Ugwuanyi commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the governors of various states, the National Assembly, Christian religious leaders, the civil society organisations, the media and the generality of Nigerians, for their remarkable show of concern and outrage over the dastardly act. The governor called on the National Human Rights Commission and all other relevant national and international bodies and organisations to give necessary attention to the incident with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book and preventing future occurrences. “I have invited you here today to formally brief you on the prevailing security

situation in this state, especially in the aftermath of the killings at Nimbo and for us to discuss and agree on the formula for safeguarding our land and ensuring the security of lives and property of our people. “We intend to activate the provisions of the extant and relevant laws of Enugu State, particularly, the Neigbourhood Association and Watch Groups Law 2006 which provides for the establishment and operation of neighbourhood watch associations in every autonomous community in Enugu State,” he said. He added that though the associations have been constituted in many communities, most of them have not been functional mainly due to lack of funding and other incentives.

The governor stated that the intention of government, particularly in the light of contemporary challenges, was to reactivate and make them functional in the interest of peace and security of our people. “Towards this end, we have scheduled to inaugurate the board for the neighbourhood associations, and we will be asking you to make inputs in relation to its composition in order to ensure adequate and fair representation of all concerned parties. “Notwithstanding, the current poor finances of government, we are constrained by prevailing circumstances to provide an initial seed money of N100 million to support the security efforts and activities of the communities.”

Abia State Police Command paraded 11 suspected armed robbers/ kidnappers/car snatchers where they recovered some locally made pistols and some stolen vehicles as inserted

Ekweremadu, lawmakers visit victims of herdsmen attacks, call for justice Chukwu David ABUJA

he Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has assured the Nimbo community of Uzo Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu State that the state government and federal lawmakers from the state would never rest until justice was done on the recent attacks unleashed on the community by suspected Fulani herdsmen, which led

orkers of Enugu State have commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his commitment to their well-being and other developmental strides in the state which have impacted positively on the lives of the people. The workers made the commendation during a rally at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, commemorating this year’s May Day, which was attended by the governor and other top government functionaries

to loss of lives and property. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, the Deputy Senate President gave the assurance when he led a team of National Assembly members from Enugu State, on an assessment and condolence visit to the community. He urged the people of the community to continue to live in peace while a permanent solution to the problem was being sought.

He assured them that the perpetrators of the attacks, which led to the destruction of lives and property in the community, would be brought to book. He further called on all Nigerians to respect the sanctity of life as well as the culture and tradition of host communities where ever they find themselves. He said: “On behalf of my colleagues from the national Assembly, we want to send our condolences to

those who lost their dear ones in the incident of 26th April. We are here to assess the situation as Members of the National Assembly from the State and we will appropriately report to our colleagues at the National Assembly when we get back.” “We have seen the carnage, we have seen the church that was burnt; we have seen other buildings that were destroyed; we have seen families who lost their dear ones. We have also been to the hospital to see those who were injured; and we are happy to see that they are recovering and the hospital authorities are giving them adequate treatment.”

May Day: Enugu workers laud Ugwuanyi on welfare in the state. The state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, and his Trade Union counterpart, Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, in their separate addresses, applauded the governor for his “dynamic leadership in promoting government-labour relationship in the state. They added that the gesture has “created a peaceful industrial atmosphere in Enugu

State”. They also said that Ugwuanyi’s administration as a labour-friendly government has within one year in office recorded milestone achievements through the payment of 30% equity for the cost of 100 housing units for junior workers, regular payment of salaries of workers on or before every 25th of the month, on-going massive roads construction across the state, transparent disbursement of the N4.207billion bailout fund

for the liquidation of arrears of salaries and pensions of public servants of the state, training and retraining of civil servants, donation of two buses to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) among others. The workers, who made some demands on their welfare, assured the governor of their continued support to his administration and pledged to join hands to build a prosperous Enugu State.

News|south-South

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Benin Crown Prince: Oba’s transition, emotional for me

Cajetan Mmuta and Dan Atori

he Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness Eheneden Erediauwa, has described the transition of the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa, as emotional for him. He said that he was very close to his father. Speaking in his Uselu Palace during a condolence visit to him by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Eheneden Erediauwa said he is probably the “first Crown Prince in the history

of Benin Kingdom that has been so close to his father.” Oshiomhole told the Crown Prince: “We are all shattered by this very sad news. In my formal tribute, I have already made a statement that represents my evaluation of the life and times of our royal majesty. “But in all of that, we know that kings will come, kings will transit, but our joy even in the midst of this grief is that we are fortunate, indeed very fortunate that in spite of the vacuum left by the departure of his royal majesty, we have in your royal highness a

true crown prince that has already gone through all the rigours of life and sufficiently travelled and held sensitive diplomatic positions in most strategic countries. “For people like me who have had the very rare privilege of interacting very closely with your royal highness over the years, I believe that his royal majesty has prepared a crown prince that, as tradition prescribes, has what it takes to fill the big royal shoes that his majesty left behind. “That for us gives us the

confidence that the robust tradition, the national respect and international recognition and the way in which his royal majesty carried the office, that it will be sustained and built upon by your royal highness.” Meanwhile, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, yesterday sent his condolences to the Benin royal family, the Government and People of Edo State and entire people of Benin Kingdom over the demise and transition to glory of His Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku

Governor Adams Oshiomhole (right), pays obeisance to the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Ambassador Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken n’Uselu, during the governor’s condolence visit, to the Edaiken on the transition of His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin… yesterday

Fear grips Ughelli residents over killings, kidnappings Gabriel Efeduku Ughelli

alpable fear yesterday griped the people of Ughelli in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, following incessant kidnappings and killings in the area by suspected hoodlums. They have been terrorising the community for some time. Reports said no fewer than three lawyers and twin brothers have been kidnapped in the community. They include John Okoriko, Fred Erha, a serving councilor in Ethiope East and Naira Idogwu. The oth-

ers who are twin brothers are Wilson Odibo and Ayo Odibo, while the manager of a popular filling station (name withheld) along the Port Harcourt road was also kidnapped and killed after paying N3 million ransom. Residents of the community have also expressed serious doubt over police protection on the live and property of its citizens, describing the police as helpless in this menace of robbery and kidnapping in the area. The residents said both indigenes and non-indigenes now sleep with their eyes half closed while movement has been restricted in

the busy community, following the incessant robbery and kidnapping in the area without security measures to calm the situation. Meanwhile, families of three friends allegedly murdered by a team of police and vigilante team in Ekredjebo, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have been accused of plotting to frustrate the investigation of the incident. The families of the deceased had lamented that the killers of their children were still moving around, with the confidence that nothing was happening, as if they are untouchable.

‘Edo’s position on Odubu embarrassing’ Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

ore fireworks are coming from the camp of Deputy Governor of Edo State and aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming party primaries, Dr. Pius Odubu, over the alleged assassination attempt on him. His campaign organization yesterday described as ungodly and embarrassing the al-

leged attempt to snuff life out of him weekend in the state. The north senatorial district coordinator, of Odubu Campaign Organization, Mr. Peter Obas, noted that it was laughable to hear that one would equip thugs to disrupt and shoot at the Deputy Governor’s security aides and followers as painted by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Kassim Afegbua. According to Mr. Obas: “We have it on

information that some people were given money not to come out to receive the Deputy, pointing out that even a mad man cannot empower a person to shoot himself.” He added that, “the whole convoy of the Deputy Governor was the target.” “He being the number one was the target. If not the security that shielded him and other of his supporters, it would have been a different thing,” the coordinator stated.

Akpolokpolo Erediauwa. Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the governor described the monarch as a true African leader, an exemplary monarch, who brought uncountable progress and lasting peace in the Benin Kingdom

throughout his reign. Bello said the Oba, who lived a descent and honest life worthy of emulation, epitomises the royalty and would be sorely missed, adding that his demise has left a very big vacuum in which only faith in God would fill.

Army gets 7-day ultimatum to apologise for assaulting journalist Gabriel Efeduku Ughelli

igerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Warri Correspondents chapel, yesterday condemned in strong terms the unwarranted attack on The Sun correspondent in Warri, Emmanuel Ogoigbe, by men of the (Joint Task Force (JTF) at a checkpoint in the town, giving the JTF a 7-day ultimatum to apologise to the victim. Ogoigbe was assaulted for allegedly passing information to them on a possible breakdown of law and order at a nearby location. In a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the union,

Michael Ikeogwu and Akpokona Omafuaire respectively, the union gave the army seven days to apologize to the union and the victim for what it called ‘unprovoked attack.’ “We want to state our displeasure on the unwarranted attack on our colleague who was only carrying out his constitutional duties of collaborating with security agencies in the country to forestall the breakdown of law and order.” The NUJ Warri correspondents’ chapel also called on the Chief of Army Staff and the Commander, 3 Battalion to fish out the culprits and call them to order to forestall a re-occurrence.

Opposition laud Emmanuel for inclusive govt Tony Anichebe Uyo

pposition parties under the auspices of Akwa Ibom State Political Parties’ Chairmen (AKPPC) have commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for running an all-inclusive government

The percentage of the population of women above 60 years of Ethiopia in 2012. Source: Un.org

The sex ratio of men to 100 women in the 60+ age group of Kazakhstan in 2012. Source: Un.org

in the state. Rising from their meeting held in Uyo, the state capital, the chairmen resolved to work with the Emmanuel administration with a view to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. At a media briefing held at the Labour Party (LP) secretariat, the Chairman of Accord Party (AP), Hon. Joe Itiaba, who read the communiqué on behalf of 17 others, reeled out some far-reaching resolutions agreed upon at the meeting. The opposition leaders thanked Emmanuel for the drive to industrialise the state, but rejected the appointment of one of their own, Mr. Lawrence Udoh,

of the Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), as the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on InterParty Affairs. After the Supreme Court victory, which reaffirmed his election as the governor, Udom had extended his hands of fellowship to the opposition, pledging to run an all-inclusive government. In another development, there was a mild drama on Sunday in Akwa Ibom State, when workers at the celebration of the workers’ day, booed the state Head of Service, Mrs. Ekereobong Akpan, the Special Adviser, Bureau of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Enyima Ekpeyong and the Special Adviser on Labour, Unyime Usoro.

Edo workers express worry over Oshiomhole’s successor Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

orkers in Edo State yesterday expressed worry over who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole after the expiration of his tenure this year. The workers, however, unanimously pledged to work with a governorship candidate who will be labour-friendly and has shown enough commitment to workers’ welfare. They also expressed concern, over the activities of

some politicians and stakeholders ahead of the governorship primaries and actual contest on September 10, urging them to play by the rules of the game. Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Edo State chapter, Marshal Ohue, stated this during the ceremony marking this year’s May Day held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, the state capital. He warned Oshiomhole to be wary of politicians who masquerade as friends but are actually after their self-

ish interests, stressing that they are not friends of the governor while the workers have remained resolute in their faith and commitment to the project of governance and leadership of the state. Ohue recalled that not all the politicians who supported the All Progressives Congress from inception are still keeping faith with it as some of them have left even as he reminded the governor that they were likely to look the other way moments after the tenure of the present government ends.

News|north

Former envoy, Ahmadu, buried

lSaraki, Dogara, Atiku condoles with Sokoto govt Philip Nyam and Johnchuks Onuanyim

he remains of a former diplomat Alhaji Hamzat Ahmadu was laid to rest yesterday in his hometown, Gwadabawa, Sokoto State. He died on Sunday in Lagos at the age of 92. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the prayer for the departed was led by chief Imam of Gwadabawa Central Mosque Malam Isa Atu. The funeral ceremony was attended by Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Saád Abubakar III and a former Minister of Defence Gen. Aliyu Gusau Also in attendance were a

former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Jubril Ayinla, Baba Addini of Lagos, Sheikh Abdul Hafeez and a former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji. In his tribute Tambuwal said the people of the state would continue to be proud of the deceased’s contributions to the development of Nigeria. Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto state described late Ahmad as a role model for Nigerians. He called on the Federal and State Governments to honour the memory of the deceased for his tremendous contribution to the socio-economic and political development of the country. Meanwhile, the Senate

President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and former VicePresident, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have condoled with the Government and People of Sokoto State and the Sultanate Council over the demise of Ahmadu. Saraki in a condolence message to the Government and people of Sokoto State, the immediate family and friends of the deceased, said death is an inevitable end of man, but reminded the bereaved family to take solace in the fact that the departed diplomat lived a selfless life. The message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, eulogized the late envoy, saying he was

an accomplished diplomat and a technocrat per excellence. Dogara in his message, described Ahmadu’s death as a big loss not only to Sokoto State, but Nigeria in general, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Turaki Hassan. The speaker noted that the late Ahmadu made valuable contributions to the development of Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives under different administrations for which he will be remembered for years to come. Atiku, in a condolence message released by his media office in Abuja, said the former ambassador was one of the most distinguished and vastly experienced diplomats that ever served the country.

Kwara speaker tasks NBA on judicial system

he Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ali Ahmad, has urged the judiciary to remain steadfast, especially at this period when it is on public trial. This is as he called on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to rescue the legal system from its condemnation. Ahmad, who made the call when the members of executive of Ilorin Branch of NBA visited him in his office, also

enjoined the association to rise up to the occasion by speaking up on various issues bothering on the judiciary with a view to protecting it as a veritable third arm of government. He lamented a situation where judges were falsely accused, hoodwinked, blackmailed and threatened before giving judgement, arguing that it posed serious threats to the expected independence of the judiciary as enshrined in

the Nigerian Constitution. The Speaker commended the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) for voicing their views on some political trials in the country, insisting that NBA should also lend its voices by constantly speaking on the side of the law without taking sides especially in the areas of the administration of justice. He said: “The NBA does not have to be political, but it must at all times

speak up against anything that could threaten the judicial arm of government. NBA should speak on fundamental institutions, which is the judiciary by supporting judges, who are being hoodwinked, blackmailed and threatened. “This is due to the fact that not only politicians are on trial, but also the judiciary. And, NBA must assist in restoring the integrity of the judiciary; otherwise we will all be in trouble.”

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar (middle), flanked by the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal (right) and other sympathisers, at the prayer for late Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu in Sokoto… yesterday

FG to partner donor agencies to empower IDPs Dahiru Suleiman

DUTSE

he Federal Government has said it would in partnership with international donor agencies embark on moves to ameliorate the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) nationwide through rehabilitation and empowerment programmes for selfreliance. The Acting Federal

Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Mrs. Margaret Essien, who disclosed this, however, noted that the government was much concerned about their plight and the need to enhance their welfare. “Our resolve is to articulate a formidable framework that will cater and address your plight in order to better your future as well assist you return to your abode

with ease,” she said. Essien, who spoke during the distribution of relief materials valued at over N30 million to IDPs in Gumel, explained that their full resettlement, integration and rehabilitation would be in phases, even as she assured them that the whole concept was to ameliorate their continued suffering. According to her, the government was working tirelessly in collaboration with the other international do-

nors towards achieving the desired objectives; which entails the provision of good shelter, enabling environment, adequate security and provision of skill acquisition centres for self-reliance and empowerment. On the IDPs’ empowerment, Essein noted that vocational training centres would soon be established in all IDPs camps across the country, where they would be trained to acquire relevant skills of their choice.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Military arrests alleged killers of retired Army General – Report Emmanuel Onani

here are indications that the officials of the Nigerian military intelligence, have arrested the suspected killer of Major General Mohammed Shuwa (rtd). The pioneer General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Kaduna, was killed by suspected Boko Haram fighters in his residence in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on November 2, 2012. A report by PRNigeria said; “The officials of Nigerian military intelligence

have arrested a suspected killer of Major General Mohammed Shuwa (Rtd) Mohammed Shuwa... “The retired military officer was the first General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Army’s 1st Division. He also commanded the Nigerian Army’s 1st Division during the Nigerian Civil War.” The report also quoted the Army’s spokesman, Col. Sani Usman as having confirmed the development. He, however, did not pick calls made by New Telegraph for confirmation.

Diversification, antidote to economic woes –Bello Dan Atori MINNA

he Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has suggested that diversification of the economy remained the only way out from the present economic challenges facing the country. The governor, who disclosed this yesterday, regretted that the country was going through its most critical and bad time in the history and evolution as a nation. Speaking to journalists during the Workers’ Day celebration in Minna, the state capital, the governor blamed the age-long reliance on oil as major source of national revenue on the woes ravaging the country. He said: “The imperatives of diversification of government sources of revenue have never been so pronounced in our history of survival as a

nation. Diversification is not just an option, but it is inevitable for the country to survive.” Bello, however, lamented the contemporary trend of the country’s economy and its resultant predicament in which the country has found itself with consequent dwindling of its revenue base, pointing out that the ripple effect of the development has affected the monthly subvention to the federating states.

72.7

The estimated deployment of electricity (TWh/year) in total hydro market area of Mediterranean (Turkey, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Malta) in 2010. Source: Unesco.org

0.01%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000. Source: Itu.int

Insecurity: Expert seek security agencies’collaboration Dan Atori MINNA

s the nation grapples with security challenges ravaging it, expert in the security industry have called for a more robust collaboration among all the security organisations to stem the tide of insecurity in the country. The Niger State coordinator of the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Mr. Yunusa Mohammed Sahabi, who made the call, said the sharing of information among the security organs would go a long way in assisting to check the menace of insurgence in all parts of the country. “We should be able to work together to achieve the common goal we are all pursuing,” he stressed. Sahabi, who spoke at a dinner in Minna, com-

mended the various security organisations for ensuring peace in the country in recent times. According to him, the institute was ready to synergize with security operatives across the country with the sole aim of bringing about peaceful co-existence among Nigerians in all spheres of life. He said: “Our own is to synergise. We do not enforce; we educate people about security so that they will be security conscious and they are happy with it.” On the relationship with other private security agencies, Sahabi added: “Our relationship with the people is cordial; they make more use of our services. We organise seminars and workshops for them to improve their capacity and bring them in tune with modern trend in security operations.”

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Sport

Sport News

Amazing Leicester win EPL title

Foreign coach: Sponsors may turn back on NFF

Eden Hazard’s recorded his first goal for Chelsea in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night at the Stamford Bridge and it was enough for Leicester City to win the 2015/2016 English Premier League title. With two matches to go, Leicester are seven points clear on top.

International Muller: We need fireworks against Atletico

46 47

Akpoborie: Indigenous coaches not good enough for Eagles Adekunle Salami

former international, Jonathan Akpoborie, on Monday hit hard at Nigerian coaches as he declared that none of them currently have what it takes to handle the Super Eagles. Akpoborie argued that the downward trend in the country’s football in recent years was a clear

indication that there was need to engage a quality foreign manager for the senior national team. He stated that the quality of the Nigerian coaches could not be compared to the high quality of the country’s players in different leagues abroad. The former VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg player said: “If you evaluate our coaches without sentiments and also look at the calibre

of players we have, it is clear they cannot handle Eagles well. The coaches handling out players abroad have modern knowledge of the game. “The difference between Nigerian coaches and their counterparts abroad is enormous. The players know and the coaches themselves know this. That is the root of our problem. “It is really unfair to force our coaches on the players

abroad who have enjoyed high level of tactical coaching in their respective clubs. It is very wrong.” Akpoborie urged the Nigeria Football Federation to go all out for a very quality foreign coach. “The recent signing of partnership with La Liga by the League board showed that the country’s football needs help from all angles. That is a good move but the details of the agreement should be made public,” Akpoborie added.

Akpoborie

Owolabi to NFF, LMC:

Action between Giwa FC and Enyimba inside the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos

Charles Ogundiya

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Sport Editor

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

former member of the Nigeria Professional Football League board, Dr. Felix Owolabi, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation and the League Management Company, to call club owner, Chris Giwa to order. Giwa has been fighting to take over the leadership of the NFF. He recently claimed he received an order by a Jos court to resume as the substantive president of the federation. Owolabi was reacting to the recent failure of Giwa FC to honour their Week 14 match against Wikki Tourists in Ilorin at the weekend where the club was banished to following their fans’ attack on match officials during the club’s game against Rangers. The club had earlier failed to honour the remaining 16 minutes of the game against Rangers in Abuja, before their

Curb Giwa’s rascality now!

failure to travel to Ilorin. “The question is what did the rules say when we have such situation on our hand? If the decision to banish them to Ilorin was in the rules, I think all he should have done was to appeal the decision, but for keeping silent, it means they have accepted the decision,” Owolabi told New Telegraph. “Their failure to follow the verdict, the next line of action as stated by the rule book must be applied. “We must not lay a bad precedent that might affect the league in the future. Any team that failed to follow the rules must be severely punished.” According to Article 13.27 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, “if a club fails to honour two consecutive matches without an acceptable reason to LMC such club shall be expelled from the League and its matches played and unplayed shall be cancelled.” Also, Article 13.28 stated that “if a

club fails to honour three matches cumulatively within the League season without an acceptable reason to the LMC such a club shall be expelled from the League and its matches played and unplayed shall be cancelled.” Owolabi added: “The LMC should allow the hammer of law to fall on the team for failing to play the two games. They have to be consistent with their decision making so that the case of favouritsm will not come up. “If you give a verdict today and it was not obeyed by the party involved, if such happen in the nearest future and you decided to apply same rule, people will remind you of your inconsistency years back and that might lead to anarchy.” He ‘however’ advised Giwa to thread softly as no individual can fight government or an established body and win. “Even if you have a genuine case and you are not going about it the right way, you will fail. I want to advise Giwa to thread softly.”

SPORT NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Foreign Coach: Sponsors may turn back on NFF N

igeria may be forced to settle for a local coach for the Super Eagles next month after a proposed company to foot the bills of an expatriate handler “developed cold feet”. AfricanFootball.com reports that the recent leadership tussle in Nigerian football may have thrown the oil company off forking out close to $2 million spread over two years for the Nigeria Football Federation to hire a top-rated foreign coach. “The oil company was

rganisers of the IAAF Bronze Label Okpekpe international 10km road race have unveiled three Charity Partners for the fourth edition of the race which holds this Saturday in Okpekpe, near Auchi, Edo State. Spokesman for the race, Dare Esan, said that the first Charity run would be for breast cancer which will be anchored by Miss Nigeria in conjunction with Sebeccly Cancer Care. ‘’Sebeccly Cancer Care is dedicated to cancer prevention and committed to helping more women survive breast cancer in Nigeria. They want to use the Okpekpe 10km road race to raise awareness about the causes and prevention of breast cancer as well as screen the rural women for breast cancer,” said Esan. The second Charity will be for the

City will bounce back against Real Madrid – Iheanacho

uper Eagles Kelechi Iheanacho believes Manchester City can bounce back stronger when they battle Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old who scored Man City’s two goals in Sunday’s 4-2 Premier League defeat at Southampton says they expect a tough game despite the goalless draw recorded during the first at the Etihad Stadium last week. “We need to put it

behind us, it’s gone, it’s not going to come back. So many things went wrong in the game, we lost so many balls and we didn’t defend well. “We lost so we’re not happy, but we’ll put it behind us and come back stronger.” After scoring a brace which took his Premier League goals tally to seven, Iheanacho hopes can convince Pellegrini to start him at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. “I think I’m working hard towards it, I’ll keep working hard, nothing is

announcement that the vacant Super Eagles top post will be taken up by the best candidate whether he is local or foreign.” Sunday Oliseh quit the post in February for Samson Siasia to take temporary charge of the Eagles for the AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Egypt in March. Former Kano Pillars and Enyimba coach Salisu Yusuf will be in interim charge for two friendlies against Mali on May 27 and Luxembourg on June 1.

Okpekpe race: organisers unveil charity partners

Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross battling Manchester City Kelechi Iheacho

Emmanuel Tobi

ready to give the NFF close to $100,000 a month to take care of a top foreign coach and his assistants, but since the latest round of instability in the Nigerian football polity, the company has developed cold feet,” a top source informed AfricanFootball.com “The NFF on their own do not have the cash to pay for such a coach and the government through the sports minister has made it very clear it will not pay for a foreign coach. “That could well have informed the NFF recent

enough in football,” Iheanacho told the club’s website. “So, I’ll keep working hard to build confidence. I’m pleased with my performance, getting goals in the Premier League, and I’m happy coming through to the first team this season, working hard to get more goals for them and help them in Europe. “We have two games left now, we should be focused and try to win the two games to qualify for the Champions League for next season.”

orphanage by ‘We Care Trust’ which is a pet project of Mrs Iara Oshiomhole, wife of the Executive Governor of Edo State. “Mrs. Oshiomhole is so passionate about children in the orphanages and has partnered with us to let people know their plight as well as raise funds for them while the third charity run will be for safer roads and fuller lives by the Federal Road Safety Commission,” Esan added. ‘The Okpekpe international 10km road race is not all about running for the prize money. All over the world people have seen the power of sport to raise funds and awareness about any project or cause and road running have been a very veritable vehicle for achieving this purpose,” the spokesman explained.

Amusan qualifies for Olympic Games Charles Ogundiya

urdler Amusan Tobiloba, at the weekend qualified for the Rio Olympic Games 100m hurdles with her 12.83secs run at the UTEP senior day Spring Invitational. Amusan has been in an imperious form since the beginning of the year and broke the 13secs barrier for the first time in her career, clocking a wind legal Personal Best of 12.83secs to win ahead of Bridgette Owens, and qualify for the

forthcoming Olympic Games, surpassing the entry standard of 13.00secs. The All African Games 100m Hurdles champion also in the process broke her school’s 33-year-old record of 12.95secs finish by Kim Turner set in 1983. She is currently ranked No 2 on the NCAA list, just behind University of Michigan’s Cindy Ofili (12.66s), and is currently on the Top 10 world list. At junior level, her time is the second fastest ever, tops the 2016 list and is now the Nigerian/African junior record holder.

Aruna Quadri

Portugal, Russia, 13 others for Nigeria Open Azeez Ibrahim

op European super-powers, Portugal, Russia and Hungary as well as African giant, Egypt including 11 others have confirmed

Dayak Tennis: Nigeria’s Balami upsets Ugandan Mugabe

igeria’s Umaru Balami upsets Duncan Mugabe of Uganda 7-5, 7-6 as the main draw of the first leg of the Dayak Tennis Championship served off on Monday at the National Stadium, Abuja. Balami was a lucky loser from the qualifier and was less fancied to win the first round clash, as he struggled in the opening set where at a point he trailed 4-1. He however rallied back to edge his world no

1036 ranked opponent for the first set which he won 7-5. Mugabe was in a similar position in the first round of the Tombim Abuja Open exactly a week ago losing the first set to another Nigerian Sylvester Emmanuel but on that occasion, he upped his game to win the second and third sets to progress to the next stage. He was on the verge of repeating that feat when he led 6-5 in the second set but Lagos-based Balami would not blink as he took

his serve leveling scores 6-6 to force a tie-break which he won 7-4. “I’m happy to win because my starting was very poor. I came into the game knowing that if I play well I can beat him. The belief together with the support I got from my friends helped me a lot,” the 21-year-old left-handed player, now scheduled to meet seventh-seeded Mohamed-Karim Maamoun of Egypt, a 7-6, 6-3 conqueror of Russian Yan Sabanin, said.

their participation in this year’s ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open. Other are players from Portugal, Russia, Hungary, Egypt, Finland, Slovakia, Romania, Iran, Mexico, Ghana, Congo Brazzaville, Morocco, Tunisia, Congo DRC and Cameroun. Nigerian players dominated the entry with two-time ITTF World Tour champion, Hungary’s Szandra Pergel squaring up against women’s singles defending champion, Portugal’s Jieni Shao as well as her Nigerian counterparts – Edem Offiong and Olufunke Oshonaike. In the men’s singles, home-boy, Aruna Quadri will have his hand full when he battles against top players from Europe as well his Egyptian rivals. Over 122 players across the globe have been listed for the tournament scheduled for May 18 to 22 at the Molade OkoyaThomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Muller: We need fireworks against Atletico UCL FIXTURE

Real Madrid vs Man City 7:45pm

WORLD \ NEWS

INTERNATIONAL SPORT

homas Muller wants Bayern Munich to produce some “fireworks” when they face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday. Bayern are 1-0 down in the tie after failing to break down Atletico at the Vicente Calderon last week. It is not the first time they have faced adversity in the competition this year as they recovered from 2-0 down in the last round to beat Juventus 4-2 in extratime. Muller, who started on the bench for the first leg, is hoping for more of the same against Atletico.

“As a team we need to set off a few fireworks,” he said. “We’re in for a tough challenge, but after all we’re Bayern. It’s a Champions League home match and I think our record is quite decent in that respect.” Bayern rested several key players at the weekend and missed out on the chance to wrap up the Bundesliga title as they were held to a draw by Borussia Monchengladbach. Having lost to Barcelona and Real Madrid at the semi-final stage in the last two years, Bayern face the prospect of a third straight elimination by a Spanish side.

Bermuda Triangle: Ship reappears, 100 years after reported missing

he Cuban Coast Guard announced this morning, that they had intercepted an unmanned ship heading for the island, which is presumed to be the SS Cotopaxi, a tramp steamer which vanished in March 1916 and has since been connected to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle. The Cuban authorities spotted the ship for the first time January 11th, near a restricted military zone, west of Havana. They made many unsuccessful attempts to

communicate with the crew, and finally mobilized three patrol boats to intercept it. When they reached it, they were surprised to find that the ship was actually a nearly 100-year old steamer identified as the Cotopaxi, a name famously associated with the legend of the Bermuda Triangle. There was no one on board and the ship seemed to have been abandoned for decades, suggesting that this could actually be the tramp freighter that disappeared in 1916. An exhaustive search

of the ship led to the discovery of the captain’s logbook. It was, indeed, associated with the Clinchfield Navigation Company, the owners of the SS Cotopaxi, but hasn’t brought any clue concerning what happened to the ship over the last 100 years. Cuban expert, Rodolfo Salvador Cruz, believes that the captain’s logbook is authentic. This document is full of precious information concerning the life of the crew before the ship’s disappearance, but the entries stop suddenly on March 1, 1916.

Thousands mourn Papa Wemba in Kinshasa

housands of mourners are attending the first day of official commemorations in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mark the sudden death of music star Papa Wemba. His body is lying in the parliamentary building in the capital, Kinshasa, and will be taken later to his family home for the public to view. Papa Wemba will be buried tomorrow. Known as the king of Congolese rumba, the 66

year old died after collapsing on stage in Ivory Coast on 24 April. President Joseph Kabila delivered a tribute to the singer at the memorial held at the parliamentary building, and awarded him one the DR Congo’s highest honours for the “loyal and eminent services given to the nation”. Fans from all over DR Congo are attending the memorial, the BBC’s Maud Jullien reports from Kinshasa. These include mourners from the Society of Elegant People, known

Football action between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich

Vardy named FWA Footballer of the Year 2016

eicester forward Jamie Vardy has been voted the 2016 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association. The England international topped the poll of 290 journalists with 36 per cent of the vote, a clear

winner ahead of teammates Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante. The 29-year-old striker has scored 24 goals for club and country so far this season as the Foxes close in on what would be a remarkable Barclays Premier League title tri-

umph. Seven Leicester players received votes in the FWA poll, with captain Danny Drinkwater, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, defenders Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson being recognised by the voters.

Ronaldo returns to full training

ristiano Ronaldo completed Monday’s training session with Real Madrid as he stepped up his bid to be fit for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Manchester City. Ronaldo sat out last week’s goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium with a thigh injury, which also

kept him out of Saturday’s 1-0 Primera Division win at Real Sociedad. However, the Portugal captain was back in training on Sunday, participating with his teammates for the first half before working individually for the remainder, and he was able to take a full part in Monday’s session.

Ronaldo

Madrid Masters: Injury stops Federer

ormer world number one Roger Federer has pulled out of the Madrid Masters due to a back injury. Confirming the news, the 17-time Grand Slam champion, however, said that he remains hope-

ful of being fit for next week’s Rome Masters. Federer, who is a three-time winner in Madrid, had initially planned to skip the fourth Masters series event in order to reserve his energy for the three

remaining Grand Slams and Rio Olympics, scheduled later in the year. He had also missed nearly three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery following the Australian Open.

as the Sapeurs, who saw Papa Wemba as a god of fashion. Papa Wemba was born Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in June 1949 in Lubefu, in what was then the Belgian Congo. He was considered one of Africa’s most influential musicians and pioneered modern Congolese soukous music, which spread through the continent. In a career which spanned over four decades, he collaborated with stars like Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder.

OPINION

Boiling Southern cauldron and the insults of Northern governors CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

Chief Harold Dappa Biriye, the Leader of the Ijaw nation were still with us. How I wish that men like Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Orji Uzor Kalu and Chimaroke Nnamani were still governors. How I wish that people like Ojo Maduekwe and Ebenezer Babatope were still Federal Ministers. Meanwhile the people of the South are still grieving and suffering immeasurable pain as a consequence of the gratuitous violence and evil that we have been subjected to at the hands of these murderous Fulani herdsmen over the last ten months. We are still mourning our dead and indeed all the innocent and defenceless souls, including women and children, that were murdered in cold blood in Enugu state just a few days ago. The truth is that as long as those that represent the Fulani militants and herdsmen continue to try to justify or rationalise their beastly behaviour and threaten the South there will be people like Mr. George Akinola who will respond with the sort of rhetoric that he has expressed in this contribution. There would also be far more than mere rhetoric and this, more than anything else, saddens me because I am a man of peace and I deplore violence. Yet you cannot expect people to sit by silently and watch their loved ones and kith and kin being slaughtered like christmas turkeys and sallah rams on a daily basis by a bunch of uncouth, vulgar and unlettered barbaric beasts who are suffering from some kind of vampiric

blood lust and who are plagued and afflicted with a cult-like Janjaweed syndrome. It would be most unwise for the Fulani leaders and indeed the leaders of the North to ignore such sentiments and dismiss them with the usual contempt. It is important that the Fulani militants and herdsmen are reigned in and that they stop killing Southerners and occupying our land. It is important that the Buhari administration stops encouraging and covertly supporting them in their mass murder and savage butchery. It is important that the greater and wider agenda to conquer the south, to take our lands, to dominate and islamise our people and to discredit, destroy, jail and kill all vocal and credible southern leaders that have opted to stand up against them be brought to a halt. It is important that the master plan to subjugate the people of the South to perpetual bondage and slavery at the hands of the Fulani be stopped. It is only when that happens that we can guarantee lasting peace in our nation. It is only when this is done that people like Mr. George Akinola and all the other young rising Southern stars will stop saying the sort of things that they are saying. It is only when that happens that they will stop speaking and reflecting the minds of millions of Southerners who are fed up with what is going on in our country and who are prepared to stand up, challenge the powers that be, break the yoke of bondage and slavery and fight for their freedom.

On Marble “You can’t always please everybody,

but you can do what makes you happy and just hope that those around you will be happy for you.”

Clem Aguiyi

Sanctity of Truth

Before the black flag goes South

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

– Robert Tew

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016

N150

}14

Boiling Southern cauldron and the insults of Northern governors

ast week I wrote an essay titled ‘The Road To Kigali’ which was widely published. The callous response of the northern governors to the horrendous events in Enugu has compelled me to write this contribution as something of a follow-up. These are difficult and troubling times and they are times that the truth needs to be spoken more than ever. I appreciate those that publish my contributions in my various columns because, in a country that hates to hear the truth and that finds it difficult to comprehend and grasp reality, that in itself takes courage. I also appreciate the increasingly large number of Nigerians from all over the world that take the time to read my weekly contributions because without them there would be no point in writing. Now to the matter at hand. On 30th April 2016 Mr. George Akinola wrote the following words on Facebook. “When the Fulani exploded on the geographic space later christened Nigeria in 1804 they did not negotiate power with the Hausas, they seized it from them on the battlefield. When the same Fulani appeared in Ilorin in 1823, purportedly to assist Afonja, the Are-ona-kakanfo of Oyo and the ruler of Ilorin, in revolt against his sovereign, Alafin Aole, the Alafin of Oyo, it was to gain his confidence for a while and a vantage position to murder him. Ilorin has been under Fulani rule since then and up until today. When the British colonised all these empires, kingdoms and fiefdoms in the 19th century, it was not out of love for the black man. It was an imperialistic push for more land, more territories to exploit minerals and other resources from. If you did not agree by subtle pressure, they simply applied the brute force. To hell with you and all you cared for! When the Fulani attacked Yorubaland in 1825, they gave all our ancestors notice that they intended to bury the Quran in the sea at the backyard of the Yoruba empire and kingdoms. Meaning? They will kill, destroy, maim, trample on men, women, children and all that we hold dear to achieve this goal. This was not by negotiation or a bargaining deal. Blood was on the cards and red was its colour. Thank God for the fierce resistance of the Yoruba, rallying at Ibadan. If not, maybe we will be doing “ranka dede” for one clown Emir of Ado-Ekiti or another comedian Emir of Abeokuta today. Power does not give way to persuasion. Power only succumbs to superior power. Fast forward to 1960. The new nation had just gained independence. But the drums of drunken power was already pulsating with madness in the heart of Ahmadu Bello, the leader of NPC, the party that won the 1959 elections, and which assumed the reins of power to lead Nigeria at independence. Note that this was the great grandson of Uthman Dan Fodio, the leader of the 1804 Fulani Jihad. He made his intention, and the intention of the Fulani, clear in this now infamous statement: Hear Ahmadu Bello in the Parrot Newspaper of

Crossfire FEMI FANI-KAYODE ffk2011@aol.com

Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Umar

12th October, 1960: “The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future”. I am sure you did not read any entreaties of love, affection and camaraderie disposition in that statement. It was harsh, callous, wicked, sadistic, exploitative, intimidating and wholesomely damning. That is drunken power talking with inspiration from the lunatic fringe. When he eventually paid for it with his life, his inheritors found a way to reinvent their stranglehold on Nigeria. They came in through the military and continued, in a more draconian fashion, the bleeding exploitation of Nigeria. What we inherited from the British was “self-governing Regions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Now we are forcibly united by an unfeeling centre. What we inherited was a revenue allocation formula that was largely derivative. Now it is almost ‘allocative’. At a point, Mohammed Buhari reduced the 50 per cent derivation formula to one per cent.

years the enemy shall not feel comfortable until they leave. With reference to how they will leave, however, the choice remains theirs: either on foot, running helter-skelter, on stretchers, in trailers, buses, straddled on horses or loaded in coffins. But, leave, they shall, when superior power speaks!” These are harsh and frightful words yet Mr. Akinola’s historical analysis and assesment is first class. He has spoken nothing but the truth no matter how bitter that truth may be. This takes courage and I commend him for it. I deplore violence and I do not advocate or condone it in any shape or form. I do not want anyone to leave our land “loaded in coffins” or in body bags and neither do I believe that violence and bloodshed leads to anything but even more violence and bloodshed. It is nothing but a vicious cycle. However the type of rhetoric that is now being expressed by our Southern youth and intellectuals about the situation in Nigeria and particularly about the excesses of the Fulani cannot be ignored or downplayed. We ignore the words of people like Mr. George Akinola, Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi, Mr. Grandson Soyemi and so many others at our own peril. Clearly there is tension and anger in the land. The spirit of division is rife and it is getting stronger by the day. Things are getting hotter and tempers are flaring. Nigeria is begininning to unravel at the seams. We must all be very careful not to set a match to the tinderbox. Thankfully there are still a number of Fulani and non-Fulani voices in the North who represent a moderate and sane disposition and who have nothing

Either way, force is force. The irreducible decimal is that the Yoruba reject enslavement, the appropriation of their resources without their approval and illegal occupation of their God given land with all iota of their soul and with all the power in their being. Whether for one second or for 200

to do with the hegemonist or religious agenda of the bigots and the hardliners. I am talking about men like Colonel Abubakar ‘Dangiwa’ Umar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Imam, Alhaji Ibrahim Turaki SAN and so many others. I know every single one of these individuals and I can vouch for them. These are the sort of people that are still holding the country together by giving Southerners hope that the voice of moderation, reason and restraint still exists in the north and that that voice may eventually prevail. Yet the fire continues to burn on the mountain and tempers are still rising. The insulting warning to the South from the 19 northern governors just the other day made matters worse. This contribution did not help to calm the storm but instead it has further frayed nerves. Simply put the Northern governors have rubbed raw salt into our Southern wounds. They said that Southerners should “not insult the Fulani again” and that even though they deplored what their kinsmen, the Fulani herdsmen, did in Enugu the other day, that does not mean that “their people” ought to be insulted. This is all they had to say after thousands of Southerners have been killed, maimed, raped, abducted and tortured in the sanctity of their own homes and land by the Fulani militants and herdsmen over the last one year alone and after over one hundred Igbos were slaughtered in Enugu state just a few days ago. They even went a step further by saying that they intend to take the cue from Kaduna state and introduce the licensing of all Churches and preachers in all the states of the North. This is a deep insult to every Christian worth his salt, to the clergy and to the Church. It is also a surreptitious attempt to curb the spreading of the gospel in Northern Nigeria. If ever the northetn governors had an all-time low this is it. Instead of them burying their heads in shame and appealing to the rest of Nigeria to forgive them and their kith and kin for their collective and historical sins the Fulani leaders are still issuing threats to the rest of us through their surrogates, leaders and governors. This is unacceptable. Such reckless arrogance and callous insensitivity does not serve them well and neither does it engender peace and reconciliation in our country. Instead it is provocative and insulting and it can only lead to a greater degree of alienation and more misunderstanding. Sadly the 17 southern governors could not even muster the resolve to organise their own meeting and respond to the slur in a virile and responsible manner. Instead they all ran for cover and chose to dwell in the safety and comfort of a cowardly and conspiratorial silence. How I wish that men like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Leader of the Yoruba, Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Ikenga of Igboland, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, the former Senate President, Chief Alfred Rewane, one of the greatest and most fearless Southern elders that ever lived and CONTINUED ON PAGE 47

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