Tuesday, september 1, 2015 newtelegraphbinder1 by Newtelegraphonline

China endorses Nigeria's bid for UN permanent seat }3

SIM deactivation: Telcos to pay N120.4m fines Kunle Azeez

our telecoms operators have been fined N120.4 million by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC)

for flouting a directive to deactivate unregistered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. New Telegraph gathered yesterday that the operators, MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat, were sanc-

tioned for failing to fully comply with the directive to revalidate over 37 million pre-registered and improperly- registered SIM cards on their networks. MTN Nigeria incurred the lion’s share of the col-

lective sanction, as the regulator asked it to pay N102.2 million as fine, representing 84.8 per cent of the total sanction. MTN is the largest telecoms company in the country with over 43 per

EdUCATION

cent market share. It currently has over 62 million subscribers on its network. The South African telecoms company was followed by Globacom, which

Confusion grips college over leadership

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Buhari silent as SGF, NSA, spokesman take oath of office Akpabio

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Oyegun: Buhari has no Northern agenda lOshiomhole, Fayose differ over president's appointments

HISTORIC TEAM: Nigeria's D'Tigers celebrating after defeating Angola 74-65 to win the AfroBasket 2015 trophy that qualified the team for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Tunisia...at the weekend.

Fear of competition drove Obasanjo, Atiku, others away, says PDP

News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Oyegun: Buhari has no Northern agenda Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday allayed fears of marginalisation of other

ethnic groups in Nigeria in the distribution of political appointments by the governing party. The party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said yesterday in Abuja that the few appointments so far

made by President Muhammadu Buhari, which many perceive to have favoured the North, would be balanced by future appointments. Odigie-Oyegun spoke against the backdrop of the disquiet that has

heightened with last week’s appointments by the president of Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Alhaji Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff; Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.), a former

military administrator of Kaduna State as Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi as the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), all

L-R: Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina; National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd.); Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari and Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachi Lawal, at the swearing in of the special advisers and the SGF in Abuja... yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Oshiomhole, Fayose differ on Buhari's appointments Adesina Wahab and Cajetan Mmuta

do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and his Ekiti counterpart, Ayo Fayose, yesterday differed on the recent appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari. To Oshiomhole, the appointments are based on merit and not political sentiments or ethnic consideration as some tribal jingoists would have us believe. But Fayose said the steps taken by the president since he came to office last May have shown that Buhari is acting as if he is the president of the North only. Oshiomhole noted that Nigeria needs unusual method to solve unusual problem. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, yesterday, the governor described the appointments of the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Comptroller-General of Customs and Presidential Liaison Officers to the National Assembly as product of merit.

He said: “The Nigerian nation has come to a point where we have to use the best hands to confront the peculiarity of our problems. “It is not all the time we descend to the level of geopolitical balancing; we need to employ unusual methods to solve an unusual problem.” According to him, “If we must make a huge difference in the lives of Nigerians, things must be done differently. “We cannot continue to apply same template in the recruitment of persons and expect different results. “The new appointees are Nigerians who have served the country in different capacities before now and deserved every bit of our cooperation and support to make them excel in their new jobs.” He urged critics of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government not to reduce governance to political patronage of bread and butter. His words: “The level of decay in the country at present requires very seasoned hands and incorruptible Nigerians that would help to trans-

late the APC agenda of change for the benefit of all Nigerians. We must not reduce governance to political patronage of bread and butter. “The Comrade Governor congratulates the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Comptroller General of Customs, all of whom he had had very close relationship with and whose credentials stand tall among their compeers.” He stated that “rather than condemn the President for taking this bold step, we should commend him for having the uncommon courage to take plausible decisions in the appointments he has made so far, as he settles down for the real task of governance.” However, Fayose admonished Buhari to watch his actions and not operate as a Northern president. The governor further added that the president's actions have been laced with ethnic and tribal colouration, which is inimical to the unity of Nigeria. He spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Monday through one of his media aides, Lere Olayinka.

The governor, who raised the alarm over what he called President Buhari’s “Nothernisation of Nigeria,” said “appointments made by the president so far negate the principle of federal character and it appears the unity in diversity of Nigeria is being taken for granted by the President.” Fayose said it was wrong for President Buhari to have made 31 major appointments and only seven would come from the South, while 24 were from the North. He asked: “Under Buhari, are people from Southern Nigeria only meant to be hounded and harassed by anticorruption agencies and the Department of State Services (DSS), while those from the North are meant to enjoy Federal Government's juicy appointments?” Fayose, who maintained that Nigeria would only move forward if there was equity and fairness, said those who made the country’s constitution and enshrined the principle of Federal Character were mindful of the ethnic diversity of the country. He added that Buhari’s

running Nigeria as if he was a Northern Nigeria’s President was not in the interest of the country. “They said the president made the appointments on merit and I wish to ask whether there are no competent people in the APC in the Southern part of Nigeria, especially South-East where no one has been appointed. “Are they saying Igbo leader like Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who graduated with a first class honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos, is not competent to be appointed as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)? “To my mind, these lopsided appointments skewed in favour of the North is a reminder of President Buhari’s tenure as military Head of State and I hope the President is not seeing Nigeria of today as that of 1984 because doing so will mean that he has turned himself to a northern president, thereby justifying his notion that those who gave him 95 per cent votes must get more benefits than those who gave him five per cent votes.”

Northerners. But Odigie-Oyegun, while receiving a delegation of MBO Dynamic Support Group, led by its National Coordinator, Hon. Usman Ibrahim, said the president would uphold the tenets of federal character in other appointments. He said the appointments made so far by the president were those of his personal aides who would help fight corruption and insurgency, two of the cardinal programmes of the administration. He said: "But we have thousands of political appointments and he has just made a few appointments while thousands are still waiting. The balancing must happen when the political appointments are being made, but we must not, at this particular point in time, with the few appointments say that one must be from the North, one must be from South or from the East; not at this very stage. "So, one must make that clear at this stage. Nobody, no leader can disadvantage any part of this nation, that will not happen." He, therefore, urged those aggrieved by recent appointments to keep their cool. "There have been a lot of unfortunate misinformation and uproar against appointments at this stage. We have two sets of appointments that have been taking place. One set are the personal privilege of Mr. President, as far as his personal staff are concerned. The other set has to do with a few important and strategic persons that are going to help him either in the fight against corruption or the fight against insurgency in the NorthEast of our country. But this is not where to play the political balancing game. These are serious (appointments) and the president has the right to appoint those he has confidence in because these are the areas where he has made promises to Nigerians," the party national chairman added. On the anti-corruption fight of the present government, he said those who did not mismanage pubic funds entrusted in their care while in office had nothing to fear. “If you do not have any skeleton in your cupboard, you go to sleep and sleep very soundly; but of course if you have, you will pretend and try to divert attention,” he stated.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Fear of competition drove Obasanjo, Atiku, others away, says PDP Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

s it marked its seventeenth a n n ive r s a r y yesterday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attributed the exodus of party chieftains that presaged its defeat in the last general elections to their fear of facing competition from other notable members. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa

Metuh, at a press conference in Abuja to mark the anniversary, said apart from fear of competition, the party’s loss of the presidential election and individual’s ambition, contributed to the mass exodus of members from the party. Among top party leaders that have left PDP are former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former national chairmen of the party,

Chief Audu Ogbeh and Barnabas Gemade as well as former Senate President Iyorcha Ayu. Others include former PDP National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and five former governors, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Murtala

Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed, who got re-elected as Kwara State governor on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). PDP was registered as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on August 31, 1998. Metuh, at the press conference, admitted that PDP has had its ups and downs since its formation, among which was the mass exit of some of its founding mem-

bers. He said: "In PDP, no matter where you come from or who you are, you compete. People left because they cannot stand competition. Some members felt that they were not well protected when they sought assistance; others left because we lost election; others for individual ambition while some others left when they felt they were honestly not accommodated in the party. "We recall with pride

Buhari silent as SGF, NSA, spokesman take oath of office Anule Emmanuel Abuja

mid criticisms that have trailed the appointment of his principal aides, President Muhammadu Buhari was silent yesterday as he swore in the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachi David Lawal and two other senior aides. Buhari, who presided over the oath taking by the SGF and two other senior officers, did not handover any directive or advice to them. This is a marked departure from the tradition in the presidency where the president would have used the opportunity to respond to the huge criticisms that have followed his appointment of principal officers so far. The president has been criticised for being sectional in the selection of Nigerians who have so far joined his government. The other officers also sworn in by the President at the brief ceremony which held inside the Council Chambers of the presidential villa are the National Security Adviser, Major General Mohammed Mongonu (rtd) and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. On arriving the chambers, President Buhari only invited the newlysworn in SGF who said the opening prayer after the national anthem was sang. At the end of the event, the President also invited Mala Buni, the national secretary of the All Progressives Party (APC), who offered the closing prayers. The new SGF, in his remarks on behalf of the other aides, thanked the president for finding them worthy for the appointments. He said their choice by the president was made out of merit consideration

and not because of tribal sentiments. "We want to thank God for granting President Buhari the vision, wisdom, kindness and boldness to consider us worthy for positions of responsibilities. "We did not have to pass examination to get appointed into these positions and not because of our tribes, or our faiths, or our political groups that we were considered worthy for these positions," Lawal noted. According to him, "If it is such, I am sure none of us would have been considered worthy of these appointments. We appreciate the president and we appreciate God that he has blessed us with these privileged appointments. "It is a privilege to serve Nigerians in these capacities at this point in time. Nigeria is at the threshold of achieving greatness and it is our honour and privilege to be senior members of the team that will propel the country to this greatness. "We have in you and the vice president leaders that lead by examples, leaders that are focused whose goal is to build a Nigeria where there is liberty, security, economic prosperity and the rule of law.” The SGF added that: "We are grateful that we are part of the team to deliver this goal. Accept our assurances that by the grace of God, we will not fail you, we will not fail our country, we will not fail ourselves, our families and our friends. By the grace of God, we will not fail you either. We will strive at all times to serve our country and to serve you with excellence, hardwork and integrity." The event was attended by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; former governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.

Senate President Bukola Saraki (left) with United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, at the fourth United Nations Conference for parliamentary heads in New York...yesterday.

that the founding fathers of the PDP are heroes who rose to the challenge, stood up for millions of other citizens, confronted the military and restored genuine democracy, national unity and stability, entrenched the rule of law and enlarged the political space we all enjoy today." He, however, stated that despite the loss of the presidency, the PDP was being repositioned to reconnect with the people and ensure that its opinion was not misunderstood. According to him, that the party would soon organise a national conference where the reasons it performed poorly in the last general elections would be examined. He faulted those proffering reasons for the poor performance of the party in the general elections, saying since a committee set up by the party and headed by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has not submitted its report, it would be premature to do so. Reviewing the activities of the party since its formation, Metuh said the PDP was the only political party completely owned and controlled by the Nigerians with structures in all the nooks and crannies of the country. "This unique national outlook clearly informs PDP’s irrevocable stance on politics of national integration which ensured that no group or section in the polity is excluded from power, public office and spread of development projects, in line with the federal character principle CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

China endorses Nigeria's bid for UN permanent seat Philip Nyam Abuja

he People's Republic of China has endorsed Nigeria`s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said the Chinese gave their nod for Nigeria`s quest to occupy a permanent seat on the UN security council during a meeting between him and the Chinese officials at the United Nations, New York. “China`s endorsement of Nigeria`s bid was disclosed by the Speaker of the People`s Parliament of China, Mr. Zhang Dejiang, after a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara in New York, United States on Sun-

day,” Dogara’s media aide, Turaki Hassan, stated in a statement yesterday. The speaker had pleaded with China to use her position as a permanent member of the UN security council to support Nigeria`s quest for the democratisation of the council. "We appreciate China for its effort to democratise the institution of the United Nations and appeal that you support our bid to occupy a permanent seat on the Security Council," Dogara said. Responding, Dejiang said there must be a better representation of developing countries in the United Nations and that Nigeria being an influential country in the world deserved a seat on the council. "We support the legitimate demands of Nigeria for a permanent seat on

the UN security council, together with the reform of the UN," Dejiang said. Dejiang, who met with Dogara on the sidelines at the convention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, United States, said China is solidly behind the legitimate demands of Nigeria for a permanent seat on the Security Council. United States, Britain, China, Russia and France are permanent members on the UN Security Council. Nigeria, along with other developing countries like Brazil and India have been campaigning for the expansion of the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, a parliamentary group between Nigeria`s National Assembly and the Parliament of the People`s Republic of China would be established soon.

Dogara and Dejiang gave approval to the proposal for the creation of such group in the coming months. The Speaker had also appealed to the Chinese government to review its five per cent tax on Nigeria`s agricultural exports. He said Nigerians had pleaded with him to take up the issue with the Chinese authorities. Dejiang promised to forward the request to the appropriate authorities in China for necessary action. The meeting was held at the instance of the Chinese delegates led by Dejiang who also promised to attract Chinese investors to Nigeria. The Chinese delegation also pledged to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, describing it as a global scourge.

News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari vows to eliminate polio by 2017 Anule Emmanuel Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his administration's determination to ensure that Nigeria is certified polio-free by 2017. He urged state governors to join hands with the Federal Government in achieving the objective. Speaking at separate meetings with governors of polio-vulnerable states and members of the HighLevel Advocacy Group, Buhari said that to become permanently poliofree, Nigeria must build on its achievement of being polio-free for 12 months which was marked in July. The president noted that he had initiated the meetings with the governors and Advocacy Group members because the country could not afford a reversal of what has been achieved after 17 years of the polio eradication programme in Nigeria. "I want to reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Government to sustain the gains and momentum to enable Nigeria achieve certification by 2017. "I am therefore inviting you to join me in actualis-

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ing this pledge as experts have cautioned that the progress we have made in the polio eradication efforts is still very fragile and that there is the risk of gains reversal if we don’t sustain this great effort and allow complacency to set in. "As you are aware, the fact that we have not had any case of polio for over a year now, does not mean that we are polio-free. It is just one of the milestones on the path to being poliofree. I understand that for Nigeria to be certified polio-free, we have to sustain this zero polio case status, strengthen surveillance in order to detect quickly any case of polio anywhere in the country, improve routine immunisation coverage and provide the needed human and material resources," Buhari said. The president urged the governors to diligently supervise the polio eradication programme in their states and join the Federal Government in ensuring that the required resources are provided and efficiently utilised to achieve the desired result. "Between now and 2017, we must ensure that we continue to build confidence in our people to

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governors and advocacy group members that his administration will continue to give the required leadership towards Nigeria's final certification as being polio-free through the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. The representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gam Gaz praised the strong political sup-

port for the eradication of polio in the country. He told the President that lessons learnt from Nigeria will be used in the search for ways to end polio in other areas of the world. Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State told State House Correspondents that "all the governors have shown commitments to full implementation and support for polio and other

communicable diseases, especially those affecting children.” He said these commitments were given by all the governors. Governor Mohammed Abubakar also told reporters that Bauchi State has not recorded any case of polio in 34 months. "This is the status, Nigeria has recorded one full year and one month without any polio incident," Abubakar said.

L-R: Representative of the Senate President, Hon. Gbenga Makanjuola; Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati; former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Chairman, Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Mr. Moses Siloko Siasia and Publisher, Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, at a forum to mark the United Nation International Youth Day in Lagos…yesterday.

SIM deactivation: Telcos to pay N120.4m fines CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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present their children and wards for immunisation. We also need to interface regularly with our local government chairmen to ensure that there is no complacency. "We must make Nigeria polio-free in 2017. We must put all our efforts to achieve this milestone for the sake of our children, future generations and the overall health and wellbeing of the nation," he said. Buhari assured the

was fined N7.4 million. Etisalat and Airtel were also asked to cough up N7 million and N3.8 million respectively. According to sources, the operators were informed of their ‘sins’ in separate letters addressed specifically to them between August 26 and 28. The letters were signed by the Head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr. Efosa Idehen and the Head, Legal and Regulatory Services, Mrs. Yetunde Akinloye, on behalf of NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta. The letters, whose contents were revealed to New Telegraph, noted that after asking them to deactivate the unregistered SIMs between August 4 and 11, subsequent monitoring exercise revealed that they had not yet complied with the instruction. In the letter addressed to MTN, NCC said in continuation of its monitoring exercise, it placed voice calls to 402 MTN subscribers from among the list of numbers submitted to the telecommunications company for deactivation to determine the level of compliance. “The numbers called

are those whose registration was incomplete or invalid as regards facial capture and the responses from those affected MTN subscribers was that MTN has neither, through text messages nor any other means, invited them to come forward to validate and update their registration,” the letter stated. The regulator said the failure to deactivate the incomplete and improperly registered MTN subscribers contravened Regulation 19 and 20 of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulation 2011, which attracts a fine of N200, 000 per subscription medium. The telecoms regulator said in accordance with Regulations 19 (1) and (2) and 20 (1) of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulation 2011, “MTN will pay to the commission the total sum of N80.4 million being fine for the contravention.” It added that the amount should be paid on or before September 9, failure of which shall, in accordance with Paragraph 2, Part B, Second Schedule of the Nigerian Communications (Enforcement Processes etc.) Regulations 2005, attract N100, 000 per day for as long as

it remains unpaid. The second letter also asked MTN to pay another N21.8 million for the discovery of 109 additional pre-registered SIM cards purchased and found to be active on the network. Also, in the letters addressed to other mobile network operators (MNOs), Globacom, Etisalat and Airtel, NCC recalled that at an industry engagement session of June 11, the commission had directed the MNOs, through its letters dated July 8 and August 4, to mop up all pre-registered SIM cards from the market. The regulator said after the directive expired on August 11, it commenced monitoring of all MNOs to ensure compliance with the instruction. According to the NCC, despite all warnings and pleadings to the operators, it found 37 pre-registered SIM cards still active on Globacom’s network, resulting in a N7.4 million fine for the indigenous telecoms company. The same pattern of letter was addressed to Etisalat and Airtel, on whose networks 35 and 19 pre-registered SIM cards were found respectively. Consequently, Etisalat has been mandated to pay

N7 million as fine and Airtel N3.8 million. NCC, however, warned that while it would continue to monitor and apply appropriate sanctions on the MNOs for all such preregistered SIM cards purchased by the commission, operators risk additional N100, 000 fine per day for as long as the fines remain unpaid. New Telegraph had earlier reported that telecoms operators’ reluctance to fully comply with the directive could result in heavy sanctions from the regulator. The commission had asked the operators to deactivate over 37 million SIM cards from their networks because of improper registrations and after having discovered that about 45 per cent of registered SIM cards on their networks were invalid. As such, NCC had sent 18.6 million numbers to MTN for revalidation, 7.4 million to Airtel, 2.33 million to Glo and 19.46 million to Etisalat. “However, our monitoring showed that MTN had only removed just 1.6 million and put them on ‘receive only’ mode. Airtel had only removed 2.3 million SIMs, Globacom also removed only 3.5 mil-

lion from the network, but it was also partially done. Etisalat barred only 3.3 million SIMs also. “The current sluggish stance of the operators to follow the directive could make the operators secure regulatory wrath, as their action is tantamount to be against the interest of the nation in the government’s efforts at enhancing the safety of the citizens,” Idehen had said in an August 11 interview in Lagos. With over N31.1 billion said to have been spent so far on the SIM registration by the operators (N25 billion), stakeholders have continued to wonder why the exercise continue to face irregularities. The renewed move by the NCC to enthrone sanity in the SIM registration database was consequent upon a meeting between Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of State Services (DSS), the network operators and the NCC, last month. Participants at the meeting took into cognizance crimes committed against members of the public either by kidnappers, terrorists, robbers and threats to lives, using unregistered SIM cards.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Saraki, Ekweremadu shun hearing of ‘forgery’ suit Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

enate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, were absent yesterday as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja resumed hearing in a suit seeking their removal from

office on grounds of alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015. The document was used for the conduct of the elections that produced them as presiding officers, shortly after the proclamation of the Eighth Senate on June 9. The suit challenging their elections was filed by Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa,

Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni. Joined, as defendants in the suit alongside Saraki and Ekweremadu are the National Assembly and the clerks of both the National Assembly and the Senate. At the resumed hearing yesterday, none of the defendants or their counsel was in court.

The matter, filed during vacation, was then assigned to Justice Gabriel Kolawole. However, it has now been re-assigned to Justice Ademola Adeniyi who took over from Justice Kolawole as the vacation judge. In a short ruling yesterday, Justice Ademola noted that the choice of Monday for the hearing

L-R: Former Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Kaoli Olusanya; Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale-Shotobi; former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu and Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, during Ayangburen’s visit to Tinubu in Lagos…yesterday.

Insurgency’ll end soon, says DHQ

he Defence Headquarters has said that the end of insurgency in Nigeria is in sight and that all known camps of insurgents on Nigerian territory have been dislodged. The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, said this on Monday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy call on Mr. Ima Niboro, Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Abubakar said that the military would continue to dominate the insurgents’ hideouts in the North-East so that the Boko Haram menace would end soon.

“We, for the past weeks, have been in the North-East to ensure that we do all what we could as military personnel to quell the activities of these insurgents. “So far so good as I’m speaking with you the major hideouts and the major camps of the militants are no more. “They are in disarray now, the central command of the terrorists, the centre of gravity is no more with them so are scattered all over the place. “So, what they resort to doing now is one of the characteristics of insurgency where they identify sub-targets to

attack it. “So, the issue of suicide bombing here and there is not in any way bravery but is a sign of decline in their activities. “They are now very weak and we will maintain that level of momentum so that they will not regroup again.” Abubakar said that information was one of the weapons of the Boko Haram insurgents and that they capitalised on it to instil fear on citizens and to portray their successes even when they have been conquered. “Insurgency strives on information because it is the oxygen of terrorists, they live by it and survive

on it,” he said. Abubakar identified the media as important partners in the fight against insurgency and sought media partnership to help in moving the nation forward. Niboro, however, expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Armed Forces to end insurgency, urging for greater public support for the ongoing counterinsurgency operation. He also advocated the formulation of a national strategy to incorporate the military, police, civil populace and all other stakeholders in the country to help end the menace in Nigeria.

‘Fear of competition drove Obasanjo, Atiku, others away' CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

of our great country. "The PDP stands tall in history as the first political party in Nigeria to nurture and sustain democratic system of government and a stable polity uninterrupted for 16 years. This did not come by accident, but through meticulous application, by successive PDP administrations, of

policies as enshrined in the party’s ideology and manifesto, which within the ambit of the laws, achieved and sustained success in all sectors of the polity and economy. "When the PDP took office in 1999, it quickly formed government and calmly, but vigorously applied itself to service, initiating reforms, and

facing the challenges inherited from past military regimes, without resorting to blame, blackmail and propaganda. "At the time PDP came to power, Nigeria’s image internationally was in a deplorable state, with very poor human rights records. The onus of restoring it from its pariah status then rested squarely on the PDP-led govern-

ment, which it successfully executed, returning the nation to its pride of place in the comity of nations," Metuh added. He said PDP did not magnify its anti-corruption war " to the extent of demarketing Nigeria. We fought corruption with the extant laws of the country. Everybody was investigated in obedient to people's fundamental rights."

of the plaintiffs’ motion on notice seeking an order restraining the Senate from going ahead to constitute its standing and ad hoc committees, was with the consent of lawyers to parties to the suit. However, plaintiffs’ counsel, Chief Mamman Osuman (SAN), withdrew the motion on notice during the proceedings, saying the essence of the application had been overtaken by event, as some of the committees had been constituted. Justice Ademola, while striking out the motion on notice, held that the application contained the same set of prayers that were in the plaintiffs’ ex-parte application, which was earlier dismissed by Justice Kolawole. The judge later returned the file to the Chief Judge of the court for re-assignment. The plaintiffs had anchored their suit on the use of the alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional Senate Standing Orders 2015 to conduct the elections of the current leadership of the Senate on June 9. The plaintiffs alleged

that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was "contrived" from the amendment to the 2011 version of the document without following its (the 2011 edition's) relevant provisions and those of the constitution. They argued that the amendment breached the "prescriptive procedures" stipulated by section 60 of the 1999 Constitution and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended). They, therefore, contended that the elections of the current leadership of the Senate and other proceedings based on the unconstitutional orders were invalid. The senators are seeking, among other prayers, the declaration of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as invalid for being a product of an alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional amendment of the 2011 version of the document. They also want the court to nullify the amended order as well as the election of Saraki as the Senate president and that of Ekweremadu as his deputy, for being products of the alleged illegal orders.

Pipeline vandalism has stopped, says Perm Sec Anule Emmanuel Abuja

he Federal Government yesterday said that it has recorded relative peace in the Niger Delta with no single case of gas pipeline vandalism since the assumption of President Muhammadu Buhari three months ago. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, stated this while speaking to State House Correspondents at the presidential villa, Abuja. He was responding to questions on what has been responsible for the recent improvement in electricity supply across the country. Igali recalled that vandalism of gas pipelines was recurrent in the last days and months of the previous administration, and reached its peak on May 26 when gas-generated electricity was completely grounded. He said things however improved since then as the current administration has redoubled efforts at engaging communities where the pipelines pass through to allow peace to

reign, which has resulted in increased gas supplies and improved power supply nationwide currently at 4,600 megawatts. The Permanent Secretary explained that apart from President Buhari building on efforts of past government and tasking stakeholders to double efforts, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has been holding almost daily meetings with power distribution companies (DISCOs) on ways of improving power supply to consumers. "It is no miracle but a lot of work being directed by the president and vicepresident," said Igali, adding that "people are working in more a concerted manner," to achieve the prevailing results. With these efforts being sustained, Igali stressed that more gas has been passing through the pipelines without hindrance. He dismissed the insinuation that power supply improved because of increased rains, saying that the hydro power stations in Kainji and Shiroro contribute just about 20 per cent of the entire electricity and no substantial addition come from there.

News

Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

e m b e r s of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday clashed with the Nigerian Navy, Onitsha outpost, killing a number of persons while so many others sustained serious injuries. There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties. While some reports say about thirty (30) persons were killed, another version said only 10 were killed while so many others sustained injuries. According the report, members of the IPOB were alleged to be on sensitization of the people about the actualization of the sovereignty state of Biafra when the trouble started. The source alleged that the naval outpost at Odekpe Ogbaru Local Government Area had drafted their men to Uga Junction for black spot check when the IPOB members attacked them and subsequently opened fire on them before the Navy return replied. A member of IPOB, who did not want his

NATIONAL

30 feared dead as Navy, MASSOB clash in Onitsha name in print, alleged that most of their members sustained serious bullet wounds while some of the dead bodies were taken to Borrowmeo Specialist Hospital Onitsha and another private hospital in Nkpor, near Onitsha. The eye witness told journalists that the

IPOB started the match from Mgbuka Obosi through Owerri Road to Nkpor, then back to Upper Iweka and was heading to BridgeHead, when the incident happened. However, a top official of the group, Daniel Nzekwe, told journalists that only five (5)

Port Harcourt

oremost Niger Delta activist, and member of the defunct National Constitutional Conference, Ann Kio-Briggs, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments of Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Chief of Staff from the North. She said that Buhari’s appointments negated the federal character principle in the appointment of persons into key federal appointments, and declared that she was not

surprised over Buhari’s appointments, because she expected Buhari to favour the North. Ms Briggs, who spoke to reporters in Port Harcourt, yesterday, also noted that the appointments was a reflection of Buhari’s comment in the US, that nobody should expect him to treat those who voted for him and those didn’t vote for him equally. She said: “The appointments in my own opinion so far, do not reflect the spirit of federal character, and they are deceptive, and daring to Nigerian people, that feel alienated by the ap-

pointments,” she declared. “I say so because the sentiment had been from preindependence to 2011, before Dr Goodluck Jonathan emerged as the president, that political power belongs to the a section of the country (North). Such is why you found that throughout the independence, till date the Northerners have governed the country most of the time, whether by military rule, or election. “What rather surprises me is the way people react to them. What President Buhari has done is what majority of the people are accusing former President Jonathan of not doing."

Panel summons former Rivers Finance Commissioner Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

he Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the sale of valued assets and other related matters by the immediate past administration of governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday observed a N1. 1 Billion shortfall in the figures presented by the office of the AccountantGeneral and that of the Ministry of Transport in the state.

of their members were confirmed dead as at the time of filling this report. All efforts to speak to the Commander of the Nigerian Navy, Odekpe Naval Outpost proved abortive as his calls were ringing engaged. Meanwhile tension is however building up in

Onitsha, following the incident as the members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereignty State of Biafra, MASSOB and IPOB are said to be mobilising for reprisal attack while security had been beefed up at the Naval post and its environs .

L-R: Portfolio Manager, Education, MTN Foundation, Mr. Abasi-Ekong Udobang; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma and Director MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro, at the Commission’s conference on Technology Assisted Learning in Abuja...yesterday.

Kio-Briggs: Buhari’s appointment against federal character Emmanuel Masha

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

The Commission’s counsel, Zacheaus Adango, noted that based on the record of the amount spent on the monorail project, there was no correspondence in the figure given by the former Accountant-General of the state, Ngozi Abu, who put the total figure at N35.1billion, while the Ministry of Transport gave N33.9 billion. Abu, who was interrogated, said that he dealt directly with the Rivers State Monorail Company Limited, based on the memo forwarded to his

office concerning release of money, explaining that funds to the monorail company were tied to the state ministry of transport. He said: “As former accountant-general, I have never met monorail in the whole of my life, but I have met the ministry of transport,’’ he said. He explained that as a former accountant-general, his office never monitored how money released was spent, adding that it was the function of the ministry of budget to do so.

Bayelsa group justifies mass defection to APC Obinna Odoh ABUJA

s the governorship election in Bayelsa State draws nearer, a grassroots political pressure group , Concerned Citizens Coalition has justified the recent mass defection of the people to the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the state. It described it as an exercise of the citizens' right to freedom of association and choice of political leadership. Chairman of the group, Mr Bestman Ofoni, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, dismissed insinuations that only the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) was capable of winning the forthcoming elections in the state, insisting that every party had a fair chance to rule the state given a level field of play. Ofoni said that though, the former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, hailed from Bayelsa State, the time had come for the people to face reality and realign with political forces that could bring the dividends of democracy to the state. He urged the people of

the state to put the 2015 presidential election behind them even though "our son" ( Jonathan) lost the election to the APC candidate. "We need to face the reality. Facing the reality means we should not be deceived by some of our disgruntled politicians who may want to deceive us to vote for wrong party or candidate in the forthcoming election. It is true that our son, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, became the President of this country on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party." This does not make Bayelsa State a PDP state. "The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees free association and movement in the country. Bayelsans are free to associate with any group of people or any political association to pursue their legitimate ambition. In fact, this is the time for us to face reality. We can no longer afford to waste our opportunities at the state level. It is now the time to look for a credible Bayelsan to be our governor in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state," he said.

Oshiomhole tackles Onolememen over poor roads Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

overnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday told former Minister of Works, Arch Mike Onolememen to explain to Nigerians how he spent the money approved for the ministry to fix the various roads across the nation. Oshiomhole also insisted that he stands his ground over his earlier position that a whooping N140bn was reported to have been expended on the second Niger bridge without anything to show for the vital project that serves millions of citizens. According to a statement by his Chief Presss Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Oshiomhole said his comment was a consequence of “the revelation came from those who were managers of the Sovereign Wealth Funds and not figures manufactured by anybody.” He explained that, “They told our committee that about $700m dollars were taken from the Sovereign Wealth Fund for the Second Niger Bridge project.” The governor said, “Former Minister of Works should direct his energy and explanation to the managers of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, who have depleted the savings on the explanation that it was meant for the 2nd Niger Bridge. Fully aware that not much has been achieved on that project, Onolemhemen and the managers of the Sovereign Wealth Funds should explain to Nigerians what really transpired instead of asking Comrade Oshiomhole to apologize to Nigerians.” According to the statement: “The Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole hereby declares that he stands by his earlier statement that about N140b was reported to have been expended on the 2nd Niger Bridge without anything to show for it. He said, “Rather than crucify Comrade Oshiomhole for the disclosure, former Minister of Works should direct his energy and explanation to the managers of the Sovereign Wealth Fund who have depleted the savings on the explanation that it was meant for the 2nd Niger Bridge.” “The real people who should apologize to Nigerians for their many sins against the country are those who expended so much of our resources without any corresponding achievements to show for it.”

NEW TELEGRAPH tuesday, september 1, 2015

News

national

NAFDAC cautions against traditional medicine's safety Appolonia Adeyemi

n order to address rising negative health consequences caused by the use of some herbal medicines, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday mandated traditional medicine practitioners to conform their products to acceptable standards of quality, safety and efficacy. Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who gave this directive in Lagos yesterday, explained that this development is to ensure that “all drugs and pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary use, including herbal medicines that are manufactured, imported, distributed, advertised and sold in Nigeria are certified and registered in accordance with the Drugs and Related Products Registration Decree. Orhii, who was represented by the Mrs. Titilope Owolabi, NAFDAC’S director, Drug Evaluation and Regulatory Directorate, spoke at the 13th African Traditional Medicine Day 2015 which is marked on August 31 as part of a strategy to boost the role of traditional medicine in national health systems.

L-R: South/West Chairman, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Prince Goodluck Obi; President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chairman, Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) , Comrade Ayodele Akele and Treasurer, GAFAMORG, Ven. Folorunsho Oginni, at a press briefing on the coming 6th Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Anniversary in Lagos …yesterday. PHOTO: MADAKI JEREMIAH

Akpabio escapes death in car crash Chukwu David Abuja

former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was involved in a car accident in the early hours of yesterday. He was on his way to the Airport to catch an international flight. New Telegraph learnt that his car ran into a convoy of a foreign envoy, whose identity had not been determined as at the time of filing this report.

NIMC shifts mandatory use of NIN to January Johnchuks Onuanyim and Kunle Azeez

he National Identity Management Centre, NIMC has shifted the mandatory use of National Identification Number, NIN to January next year. It was earlier scheduled to commence this month. According to a statement from the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Abdulhamid Umar, the Commission had earlier directed that all transactions involving the identification of individuals as specified in Section 27 of the NIMC Act, must be done with the NIN beginning from September 1, 2015. He said, "The extension of the September date follows the recent directive by President MuhammaduBuhari, that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should expeditiously harmonize their biometric databases.

"The extension would enable the Commission progress further, ongoing efforts with the MDAs that have reached advanced stages of harmonization with NIMC including the CBN, FRSC, FIRS, PenCom, INEC, NHIS, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, (FMARD). This would help avoid the situation similar to what was experienced when the CBN wanted to enforce the cutoff date for the BVN, leading to a late rush to meet the deadline/massive turn out of citizens and the troubles they had to go through. It would also help ensure that the need for double enrolment is reduced to the barest minimum during this transition period when the harmonization is being implemented. "Furthermore, management has taken into consideration the fact that the CBN had extended by a few months, the dead-

An officer of the Federal Roads Safety Commission, who craved anonymity, said that the occupants of the vehicles in the convoy of the ambassador and Akpabio's driver did not sustain any injury but that the Senator suffered some injuries in the chest region. The FRSC officer, who was at the scene of the accident which reportedly occurred about 7:25am near the Bolingo Hotel in the Central Business District of the Federal Capital Territory, stated that Akpabio was immediately rushed to the

National Hospital for an intensive care. One of the senator's aides sighted at the National Hospital when our correspondent visited, told our correspondent that Akpabio was travelling outside the country to visit his wife and children when the unfortunate incident happened, thereby putting his proposed trip on hold. The Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, who was one of the early callers at the hospital, explained that medical personnel at the hospital gave assurances

that he was not in a bad state, though she did not see him, having been taken to a private care unit for adequate medical attention. The Chief Information Officer, National Hospital, Mrs Rabiah Labaran, who spoke on behalf of the Public Relations Officer, confirmed that Akpabio was brought to the hospital after the accident. She also noted that the politician did not sustain serious injury while his driver was not injured at all, pointing out that Akpabio would leave the hospital as soon as possible.

Appeal Court reserves ruling in Rivers election dispute Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Court of Appeal, Abuja division yesterday reserved judgement in the three separate appeals filed before it by the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP and its governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike. The appellate court reserved judgement after hearing counsels from both sides in the disputed April 11 governorship election in Rivers State. Wike and PDP among others, are asking the court to set aside the ruling of the state governorship election petitions tribunal which held that it has power to sit in Abuja instead of PortHarcourt on security reasons. They also asked the court to set aside the permission granted the All Progressives Congress, APC and its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside to inspect the ballot papers, voter reg-

isters, and result sheets and other election materials used by INEC for the April 11election. Also, the appellants want the court of appeal to determine whether the tribunal was properly constituted by the president of the court of appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachua. At the hearing of the three appeals, counsel for Wike, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, asked the court to rule in his favour on the ground that the tribunal was wrong

in granting permission to inspect election materials without given them adequate notice. The counsel also argued that the court of appeal should hold that the tribunal has no power to sit in Abuja but in Rivers State, where the disputed election was conducted . Opposing the submission, counsel to APC and Dakuku, Akin Olujimi, SAN, urged the court of appeal to dismiss the appeals on the ground that they lack merit and substance.

Osinbajo attends Adesina’s inauguration today Anule Emmanuel Abuja

he Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday departed Abuja to participate in the swearing in of the new president of the African Develop-

ment Bank (AfDB) and immediate past Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire today. The Vice President is representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the swearing-in ceremony.

Saraki, Saudi envoy seek closer economic ties Chukwu David Abuja

resident of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Fahad Sefyan, have agreed to work towards deepening the economic ties between both countries. According to a statement issued by the media team of the President of the Senate, Saraki and Sefyan reached the agreement when the latter visited the Senate President in Abuja. Saraki, while welcoming the envoy to his office, noted that there had been existing good relationship between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said the existing cordial relationship was being strengthened by Nigeria which yearly embarked on business and religious pilgrimages to the Middle East country. "This is based on culture, religion and many things and I think we want to continue building on that relationship, continued to treasure that relationship," he said.

change of names

AKINDEJOYE

I formerly known and addressed as Ogunmoye Oladayo Oladoyin now wish to be known and addressed as Akindejoye Oladayo Oladoyin All former documents remain valid. General public please take note

Onyemaechi

I formerly known and addressed as Chukwuma Vincent Nzubeka now wish to be known and addressed as Onyemaechi Ejike Nzubeka, all former documents remain the valid, the general public should please take note.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro MD arraigned over N30m dud cheques

DARING VANDALS

Gun-wielding oil pipeline vandals kill policemen for allegedly demanding bribe Taiwo Jimoh

Camillus Nnaji

40-year-old man, Olusegun Dosunmu, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for issuing dud cheques of N30 million. Dosunmu, the managing director of Warox Global Ventures Limited, had on June 4, 2014, allegedly converted N30 million, property of U.T. Financial Services Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 278 (b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011. The defendant, however, on the same date, time and place, issued the complainant three Zenith Bank cheques amounting to N17,449,054.9, but when presented at the bank for payment for withdrawal, were dishonoured on the grounds that there was insufficient fund in the account. In his submission, the defence counsel, Mr Abel Iwarah, argued that although it was not contained in the charge sheet, what his client obtained from the finance company was a loan. He said: “I draw the attention of the court to the charge sheet, that it was a loan facility the defendant took from the bank and the charge sheet never mentioned that. I urge this honourable court to grant the defendant bail on most liberal terms.” The magistrate, B. O. Osusanmi, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties with reputable companies or owners of landed property. The court adjourned the matter till October 10.

wo policemen, a sergeant and a corporal, were killed while another one was critically wounded yesterday, when suspected oil pipeline vandals opened fire at tem at Isawo, Agric area of Ikorodu in Lagos State. The victims were attached to Owutu Police Station. The clash between the police and vandals started on Saturday, but spilled till yesterday. The wounded policeman, an inspector, is presently fighting to stay alive at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Idi-Araba in Mushin. Witnesses said the incident happened about 6am when the policemen who were on patrol duty at Olainukan village, flagged down the vandals’ vehicle. It was gathered that after a thorough search of the vehicle, the policemen discovered that the occupants were carrying petroleum product. The policemen were alleged to have demanded money from the vandals before they would allow them leave with the stolen fuel. This led to a heated argument and soon, there was an exchange of gunfire. After the dust settled, two of the policemen lay dead while the third, later identified as Inspector Yerima, was writhing in pain. A food vendor close to the scene of the shootout, Dupe Ajao, said: “I was in my canteen, cooking around 5am when I started hearing sporadic gunshots from different directions.

Akure

FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

When the gunshots were becoming unbearable, I had to run for my life. I abandoned the food I was preparing. “When everything settled, I heard that two policemen were killed and that the vandals also sustained gunshot wounds. We are sitting on keg of gunpowder here at Olainukan. This is the transit point where oil black market business thrives.” A trader close to Owutu Police Station, who does not want his name in print, said: “When I returned from the mosque after my early morning prayers, I saw many policemen gathered in front of the station. I have a relationship with some of them. I asked them what happened. “They said some of their colleagues were shot dead. The killing of policemen attached to Owutu division is becoming too much. In February, three officers from the station were killed by the vandals. Government should deploy soldiers to this area to assist the police in fighting the vandals.” When our correspondent visited the scene of the clash, blood stains were on the ground. Commercial activities were grounded as shop owners quickly locked up. Another resident, who gave

The bus abandoned by the vandals. Inset: Blood stains at the scene of the shooting

his name as Jonah, said: “The killing of policemen by oil vandals is becoming alarming. The clash was not really because of the money the policemen were demanding from the vandals. They started fighting since Saturday, but nobody died until today. We can’t sleep with our

eyes closed anymore because of the frequent clashes between vandals and policemen in this area.” At press time, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Patricia Amadin, said she was yet to get details of the attack.

Policemen kill Accord Party women leader –Family Babatope Okeowo

ABIODUN BELLO

Vandals kill two policemen during shootout

olicemen in Akure, Ondo State, have reportedly beaten to death a 50-year old politician, Mrs Ronke Adelugba. The policemen, said to be in search of suspected criminals, allegedly invaded Adelugba’s house in the state capital on Sunday night. The politician, who was until her death the Woman Leader of the Accord Party (AP) in Ward 5, Akure South Local Government Area, was allegedly hit with gun butt and beaten by two of the seven policemen during an argument. The seven policemen, who came in a white Toyota Hilux van with registration umber

NPF 4236 B, had stormed the house located at No. 1, Akinyemi Street, off Ijoka Road, Akure, after searching a nearby bush for some boys believed to be smoking Indian hemp in the area. When they did not see anybody in the bush, the policemen then went to Adelugba’s house to see if the boys were hiding there. However, an argument ensued, with Adelugba insisting that only her own children were in her three bedroom house. As Adelugba insisted that she would not let her children be arrested without any explanation or warrant, she was allegedly shoved, beaten and hit with gun butt. In the process, the woman slumped and died within two minutes. Witnesses told journalists yesterday that the policemen

were in the habit of raiding bars and ‘drinking joints’ in the area every weekend to arrest young boys who would later be asked to be bailed with money ranging from N5,000 to N10,000 without being charged for any offence. However, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Wale Ogodo, who confirmed the incident, said the woman only started panting and died after policemen left her house. He said Adelugba was not killed by the policemen as claimed by the family. Ogodo added that an autopsy would be carried out on the deceased by the hospital. The PPRO also said that the police had begun investigation into the incident to unravel the mystery behind the woman’s death.

IGP, Solomon Arase

Metro

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Lateness: Workers prostrate to beg Fayose City Briefs

Some of the workers begging the governor

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

here was a mild drama yesterday as about 31 civil servants from different ministries and departments in Ekiti State either knelt down or prostrated to beg Governor Ayo

Fayose. Their offence: The governor caught them for coming late to work. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Idowu Adelusi, said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti that it was part of unscheduled visits the governor would be paying to government offices. Fayose, who arrived the State Secretariat on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti,

around 8am, ordered the main gate to be locked. The governor, who expressed displeasure at the attitude of some workers, said such acts of indiscipline must stop. He ordered his aides and the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, to take down the names of the affected workers and that stern disciplinary actions would be taken against them. He said: “If a labourer is worth his wages, the employer also is worth his services. I have warned workers in the state repeatedly about coming late to work or taking their jobs with laxity. Despite the paucity of funds, we have been regularly paying workers’ salaries. “If workers are paid regularly, the workers too must justify our efforts and work for the money they earn. There are many people out there searching for jobs. I want to take the workers by surprise and I will visit a lot of places. This will be a continuous exercise. Those that are not disciplined and not ready to key in to our policy of taking the state to greater height will be shown the way out.” Faseluka said since punctuality was the soul of business, workers must take discharging their duties and coming to work on time with seriousness. He added: “It is a consummation of what we have been doing concerning punctuality on the part of workers. For the past few weeks, we have been emphasising this. It is time to enforce discipline and we have to mete out sanctions to erring workers. When you issue circular, pleas and some people are recalcitrant you have to sanction them.”

Three die, houses burnt in Abeokuta cult war Kunle Olayeni

Bricklayer drowns in Lagos stream Muritala Ayinla

bricklayer, identified simply as Abdullahi, has lost his life while taking a bath at a stream in Magodo Phase 2 area of Lagos metropolis. The incident occurred when the bricklayer had finished working at an uncompleted building. He was discovered missing a few minutes after he went into the stream on Sunday evening. Only his sleepers and his clothes were found at the bank of the stream before other workers and concerned sympathisers alerted the emergency agency. Speaking with our correspondent, the General Manager, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr Michael Akindele, said the agency received the distress call around 6:45pm. Akindele added that the officials searched for the bricklayer throughout the night before his body was later found about 4pm yesterday. He stressed that the remains of the victims had been handed over to the State Environmental Health and Monitoring Unit to take appropriate action. He said: “The body was handed over to SEHMU by LASEMA officials with police officers from Magodo Police Station to carry out further investigation on the incident.” Akindele warned Lagosians to be safety cautious and vigilant about the happenings around them.

Abeokuta

Amosun’s wife advises expectant mothers

hree persons were feared killed while three houses were razed yesterday when some suspected members of Aiye and Eiye confraternities clashed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. One vehicle was burnt while about 10 others were vandalised in the incident, which caused pandemonium in Ago Odo and Elega areas of Abeokuta. But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, said only one person, identified as Babatunde Alamutu, was confirmed dead in the clash. Adejobi told our correspondent that no fewer than 33 suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing. The PPRO added that 91 suspected cult members were also nabbed at Igbesa and Ilaro areas of the state between Sunday and yesterday. He said the police com-

Policemen, burnt car and house at the scene of the clash

mand would screen the suspects to determine their level of culpability while those found guilty would be charged to court. It was gathered that 32-year-old Alamutu, popularly known as Emir, was shot and subsequently attacked with machete until he died about 7am yesterday. Sources said the victim was murdered barely a day after his wedding introduction

held at Elega Junction area in Abeokuta. It was learnt that the attackers slit Alamutu’s throat and severed his left palm. In what appeared to be a reprisal attack, suspected cultists also stormed Ago-Odo area about 7:30am where two persons were murdered in cold blood. One of the victims, whose name could not be ascertained at press time, was said to have

St. Barnabas Anglican Church holds revival S t. Barnabas Anglican Church, Mafoluku-Oshodi, Lagos, will from today hold a six-day ‘powerpacked’ revival service. The Vicar of the church, Rev. Canon Joe Agomuo, said in a statement that

the revival service tagged: “September to Remember,” would start from at 6pm daily. Agomuo invited the general public to take part in the revival with the theme: “Never Again.”

The vicar promised that, during the programme, there would be deliverance from demonic oppressions, healing of sicknesses and diseases, restoration, harvest of souls and praise extravaganza.

been attacked with machete and dragged into the nearby Ogun River. Three buildings were completely razed in Ago-Odo, one vehicle was burnt while 10 vehicles had their windows smashed by the rampaging cult members. A resident, who identified himself as Lateef Koleoso, whose commercial vehicle was vandalised in the process, told our correspondent that the suspected cult members had earlier on Sunday evening stormed the area, damaging property in the process. Scores of security operatives, including men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Department of State Services (DSS) and police, were immediately deployed in the area.

gun State governor’s wife, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, has called on expectant and nursing mothers to eat balanced diet and take care of their body to stay healthy during and after pregnancy. She said this would aid development of their babies. The governor’s wife spoke during the second phase of the distribution of Frisco Mum O Gold nutritional supplement to expectant and nursing mothers at the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode. The items distributed were donated by the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari. Presenting the nutritional supplements to the beneficiaries on behalf of the President’s wife, Amosun charged the pregnant women to take good care of themselves during pregnancy and be committed to the use of the medications prescribed for them by their doctors. She said the food supplement was given to all wives of governor in the 36 states of the federation for onward distribution to pregnant and nursing mothers. Amosun added that the items were for mothers to enhance the health of their babies during and after delivery. She urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the food supplements to enhance the growth of their babies.

News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

FG targets $100bn trado-medicine market for job creation Kunle Olayeni ABEOKUTA

he Federal Government yesterday expressed its readiness to tap into the traditional medicine market worth over $100billion in order to create wealth and generate employment opportunities for teeming Nigerians. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, who

lMoves to check influx from China, India, others disclosed this, also declared that the authorities would henceforth check the influx of herbal drugs from foreign countries into Nigeria. She spoke at the 2015 African Traditional Medicine Day celebration held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The event, with the theme: “Maximizing the potentials of traditional medicine knowledge and

biodiversity for enhanced employment generation in Nigeria,” also featured the exhibition of herbal medicines and local products. Speaking in an interview with reporters after her address, Oyo-Ita said President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to support research and innovation in science and technology, adding that the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) would soon

be enacted into law to concretize government’s drive. The permanent secretary noted that the country was well endowed in traditional medicine knowledge, biodiversity and bioresources that should be fully developed. She stressed the need for various cognate ministries and government agencies to collaborate and promote local herbal drugs, especially towards fighting diseases

such as sickle cell, cancer and hepatitis, among others. She said, “We know that research is something that attracts huge issues of funding and if the government is not going to give that necessary support in funding, we’ll have issues with research. But thank God, we now have an administration under President Muhammadu Buhari who has clearly stated that his administration is going to give all the support to sci-

ence, technology research and innovation. “So, with the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) that would soon be enacted into law after we have followed all the due protocols, we expect that in the research sector of the science and technology sector, we’ll be able to go into more detailed research that would bring out these potentials in traditional medicine and the biodiversity available for us in this country."

Adefuye’s death, a big loss –CAN USA Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu (second right) and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (right), condoling with the family of Squadron Leader Adekunle Suara, during their condolence visit to families of victims of the Air Force helicopter crash in Kaduna.

Editors urge media owners not to owe workers Mojeed Alabi

ising from its conference held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has advised media owners to imbibe the culture of prompt payment of salaries and stop owing their workers. This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the conference where ways of improving journalists’ welfare topped the agenda. The communiqué, which was signed by the Guild’s President, Garba Deen Mohammad and General Secretary, Victoria Ibanga, stated that media owners must ensure regular payment of salaries as well as provide improved working conditions commensurate with the efforts of media practitioners. The weeklong conference, which had in attendance about 300 editors drawn from the print, electronic and online media nationwide, featured presentations from scholars and giants in the media industry including the Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; Pro-

fessor Etannibi Alemika of the Department of Sociology, University of Jos and the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Abuja, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma. The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information Dr. Folashade YemiEsan, was the Special Guest of Honour, while the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson was the Chief Host The editors urged the media to remain steadfast in their reportage of events as well as be facilitators and agents of the positive change that Nigerians desire.

FG to arraign Dasuki today Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Federal Government will today arraign a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged possession of firearms without license. The Department of State Security Service had earlier charged Dasuki before the court last Monday but the court could not sit due to the annual Nigerian Bar Association conference. Dasuki was charged with possession of firearms without licence, an offence punishable under section 27(I)(a)(I) of the Firearms Act Cap

F28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The DSS had on July 16 searched the ex-NSA’s residences in Asokoro, Abuja; and Sokoto, where its operatives claimed to have recovered seven high calibre rifles, including magazines and military gears in the houses located at 13, John Khadya Street, and 46, Nelson Mandela Street, both at Asokoro, Abuja; and 3 Sabon Birni Road, Gwiwa Area, Sokoto, Sokoto State. The DSS had stated that it searched Dasuki’s homes based on credible intelligence linking the immediate past NSA with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian state.

embers of the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) have described the death of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Prof Adebowale Adefuye as a big loss to the Christiandom. President of the association, Dr. James Fadele in a statement issued yesterday said the association received the news of the passing away of Professor Adefuye with heavy hearts. He said the association was grateful and thankful to “God that not only was he a believer, he lived a life worthy of praise to his maker. “Ambassador Adefuye was a true Nigerian patriot, an envoy par excel-

Niger gov faults govt sponsorship of pilgrims Dan Atori MINNA

iger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has lashed out at intending pilgrims who rely on sponsorship to the Holy land, saying that “it is senseless for government to sponsor people on pilgrimage”. Bello made the declaration on Monday in Minna when he met with the state council of Ulamas, adding that government has finally placed the lid on the sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca for Hajj. According to him, “it makes no sense to spend billions of the peoples’ money on less than one

CPC summons DISCOs over alleged ‘crazy bills’ T

he Consumer Protection Council has summoned all the electricity Distribution Companies in the country to a hearing on alleged outrageous billings, based on estimated consumption. This invitation, according to a statement from the CPC, stemmed from consumer complaints on exploitative electricity billing.

The Council, in response to numerous complaints of electricity consumers on estimated billings and nonprovision of metres, issued the summon to each of the distribution companies, warning that absence by any of the companies at the hearing would be regarded as a violation of its enabling Act.

The Federal Government’s apex consumer protection agency, in a letter dated August 26, 2015 and signed by its Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, has fixed Monday, September 7, 2015 for the hearing on these issues. The agency, in its letter, stated that it “has been inundated with complaints

lence, a notable scholar, an exemplary family man and an incredibly good-spirited human being. He would be sorely missed. “When CANAN was formed, Ambassador Adefuye embraced the association and soon became a supporter of the group, featuring prominently in CANAN’s events and supporting our advocacy. “Once the US government designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, FTO, he joined with us to form a Global Platform to advocate for and seek support for the victims of terrorism in North-Eastern Nigeria. “As Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, we have adjudged him while he was still alive to be among the very best envoys in the history of US-Nigeria diplomatic relations."

commonly referred to as ‘crazy billing’, by which Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are alleged to arbitrarily determine consumption level of consumers of electricity and bill them accordingly”, adding that it also “received complaints that many consumers have paid for metres for periods spanning

percent of the population. “The general population is justified to feel cheated when so much is spent on only about 3,000 people yearly. This is less than one percent of the population of about four million people”. Bello said Islam directs that pilgrimage should be for a person who has the wherewithal, not the individual with access to government. “I don’t believe in using government’s funds to sponsor people for hajj and then expect Allah to reward me for it. No! That is not what Islam teaches us, but if I use my own money that’s a different thing. over 12 months, but are yet to be supplied same by their respective DISCOs”. It pointed out that pursuant to these complaints, it has decided to commence investigation to “enable your organisation as well as other DISCOs make representation and individually state your position regarding the said complaints, particularly as they affect consumers in the area of your coverage.

Politics 11

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Leadership

Southern leaders in familiar turf

Politics The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recently hinted of its planned downward review of salaries and allowances of National Assembly members. PHILIP NYAM asks if this would still make the parliament attractive to politicians

Austerity measure for lawmakers

ince he was sworn in on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari has never hidden his desire to cut down on the cost of governance. He has severally hinted on his resolve to have the remuneration of National Assembly lawmakers reviewed downward in line with the current economic realities. Members of the public on the other hand have been very critical of the “jumbo” pay enjoyed by legislators and this has attracted comments from a cross section of Nigerians. It was therefore not surprising when the chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. Elias Mbam, disclosed that a new pay package, reflecting cuts in the remuneration of public service officers would be released in September. Mbam specifically mentioned the National Assembly as an arm of the public service that would be affected in the impending pay cut. While fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja shortly after a meeting with President Buhari, Mbam said: “Presently, we are reviewing the subsisting remuneration package and it is going to reflect the socioeconomic realities of today. We expect that before the end of next month, it will be ready.

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

National Assembly complex, Abuja.

“But, it will go through a process; it is not something that you will just say ‘yes or no.’ It will go through a process and it should be obvious to you the economic realities of the day and it is going to reflect that.” Asked whether senators and members of the House of Representatives would support the idea of pay cut, Mbam responded: “No member of the National Assembly should earn up to N1 million per month. They (senators and representatives) do not have a choice. We are guided by the 1999 Constitution and we are going to be guided by such laws that are provided for in the Constitution. They swore to obey the laws of the country.” Even before this action of the RMAFC was mooted, the Seventh Assembly reduced the budget of the Eight Assembly from the usual N150 billion to N120 billion as a response to the concerns of Nigerians that the budget was bogus. According to RMAFC, a senator receives N1.410 million a month while a member of the House of Representatives takes

No member of the National Assembly should earn up to N1 million per month. They (senators and representatives) do not have a choice

home N1,133,225. This is made up of basic salary, vehicle allowance, housing and wardrobe allowance, entertainment, utility, domestic staff, constituency, newspaper, recess and personal assistant allowance. An online media, Premium Times about two weeks ago published a report indicating that the 360 members of the House of Representatives consume as much as N6.58 billion in annual salaries and allowances, while the 109 Senators receive N2.14 billion in a year. According to the report, Nigeria spends a whooping N8.72 billion every year in salaries and allowances on the lawmakers in the National Assembly. The report equally showed that the amount the lawmakers remit as tax is negligible because their income tax is calculated as a function of their basic salaries alone. Yet the allowances, which are non-taxed are about 870 per cent (senators) and 820 percent (reps) of their basic salaries. NASS members’ benefits According to RMAFC, a senator

in Nigeria earns N12, 766,320 yearly. While a member of the House of Representatives earns a total salary of N9, 529,038.06, including the regular allowances. A senator earns N2,026,400 as annual basic salary, which translates to N168, 866.70 per month. Other allowances are: Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance, N1,519,800.00; personal assistant N506,600.00, Domestic Staff N1,519,800.00; Entertainment N607,920.00; Utilities N607,920.00; Newspapers/Periodicals N303,960; Wardrobe N506,600.00; House maintenance N101,320.00 and Constituency allowance N5,066,000 making a total of N12,766,320.00 as the salary per annum. Other allowances, which are paid annually or once in four years and when applicable, are: Accommodation N4, 052,800.00, which is paid annually; furniture allowance N6, 079,200 which is paid once in four years. Also, there is Duty Tour Allowance, DTA (per night), which is N37,000. Estacode (per night) is $950. Recess allowance is CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Politics

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

N202,6400 and severance gratuity, paid after a successful completion of tenure, is N6,079,200. A senator could also apply for a car loan of N8,105,600 which must be repaid before the expiration of his tenure. A member of the House of Representatives earns slightly lower than a senator, with a basic yearly salary of N1,985,212.50, divided into a monthly salary of N165,434.40. However, the total salary, including the regular allowances, is N9, 529,038.06. This is outside the other allowances, which include: Accommodation N3,970,425.00; Furniture N5,955,637.50; DTA N35,000; Estacode $900; Recess N198,521.25 and Severance Gratuity N5,955,637.50. A Representative can also apply for a car loan of N7,940,850.00. Failed attempt Before the Senate proceeded on the long recess, it made attempts to debate the issue of pay cut but it ended in a stalemate. There were sharp disagreements amongst the senators as many of them reportedly opposed the proposal. The senators had in an executive session debated the report of the Senator James Manger-led committee on the review of Senate finances for several hours but could not reach an accord. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had after the closed-door session announced that “the Senate in a closed door session deliberated on the report for the review of the finances and approved to stand down the report for additional input.” Also, spokesman for the Senate, Senator Dino Melaye explained that there was an understanding among senators that the decision to cut down the finances of the Senate could not be taken by the upper chamber alone without consultation with the House and the National Assembly management. However, with the impending review, the lawmakers salaries may be slashed to less than N1 million, according to Mbam. The questions against this backdrop are: With the salaries and allowances reduced, will the National Assembly remain attractive to politicians? Will this reduced the fierce competition that always trails elections into the national parliament? Before the RMAFC announced its plans, a member of the House, Hon. Timothy Golu told New Telegraph in an interview that there was no ‘luxury’ in their pay contrary to the belief in some quaters. He said: “As a lawmaker, I am here to make laws, to oversight and to represent. But we have a peculiar system in Nigeria because by the time your constituents ask for your stewardship, not many people will ask you about the number of bills or motions you have sponsored. They will be asking you about how many boreholes you have drilled; how many roads you have built; how many people you have employed… So, there is no luxury in the salaries and allowances you get here because except you are not a good leader, whatever you get, you share it with your people. What we get here is not enough to do what the people expect us to do.” Another lawmaker, Senator

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Pay cut: Making National Assembly unattractive the sharing of the national cake. A cursory look at the quantum of laws enacted, motions passed and investigations and oversight undertaken by both chambers of the National Assembly since 1999 indicate that majority of the lawmakers seek elections for national interest. Conversely, some unsavoury developments where some members of the parliament have been involved in cases of corruption, ranging from budget padding to outright extortion or milking of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) point to the fact that some are only interested in lining their pockets at the expense of the electorate.

Saraki

Dogara

salary and allowances of a Senator Basic salary N2,026,400 Motor Vehicle Fuelling and N1,519,800 Maintenance Personal assistant N506,600 Domestic Staff N1,519,800 Entertainment N607,920.00 Utilities N607,920.00 Newspapers/Periodicals N303,960 Wardrobe N506,600 House maintenance N101,320 Constituency allowance N5,066,000 Accommodation N4, 052,800 Furniture allowance N6, 079,200 (Once in four years) Duty Tour Allowance, DTA N37,000 (per night) Estacode (per night) $950. Recess allowance N202,6400 Severance gratuity N6,079,200 Car loan N8,105,600

Mbam

Olarenwaju Tejuosho, stated that some of them had been spending on their constituents before being elected and that whatever they get from the National Assembly is ‘peanut’. He, however, supported the planned pay cut. According to him, “I am not against the reduction but I will suggest that the gain should be remitted to every individual senator’s constituents. I mean, for instance, if they reduce money from a senator from Akwa Ibom State, that difference should be remitted to that particular senator’s constituency but unfortunately, I tell you that the money will not get to them. “It is just like when they said they were reducing money from subsidy to touch the lives of Ni-

Representative Salary N1,985,212.50 Regular allowances N9, 529,038.06 Accommodation N3,970,425 Furniture N5,955,637.50 DTA N35,000 Estacode $900 Recess N198,521.25 Severance gratuity N5,955,637.50 Car loan N7,940,850 gerians; the people never saw the money. Instead some people somewhere sat on it and embezzled it. So, if you are reducing this money let it get to the people.” It is a fact that as many as elected lawmakers to the National Assembly are genuinely committed to serving their constituents and the nation at large, quite a sizeable of them consider their membership of the national parliament as an opportunity to partake in

Lawmakers’ reaction Although, the lawmakers have received the news of the cut in salaries with mixed feelings, they are however not averse to a slash in the pay. The lower chambers has already declared that the pay cut would be a sort of “relief ” to lawmakers in many respects, particularly in changing the impression about the legislature, especially the National Assembly. According to the chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Sani Zoro, with the cut, perhaps Nigerians will stop referring to lawmakers as “looters” and “thieves” simply because their salaries are believed to be outrageous. Zoro said: “So, for us, it will be a relief if the pay is reduced. We will now have our integrity intact. We will feel confident to be called honourable, instead of feeling horrible as some people wish to address legislators”. He explained that the cut in their pay would tone down the financial pressure legislators receive from their constituents who believe that an average lawmaker is super rich. “This is good for us on another ground. There are those who see us as looters and thieves. This is a message to them to let us be; since we will no longer be paid the money they feel we do not deserve. Our burden will now become less and we are very pleased with this development.” Senate’s spokesperson, Melaye, who incidentally has been an advocate of the cut in salaries and allowances of lawmakers even before the inauguration of the 8th Assembly welcomed the development. He explained that the Senate President had already initiated moves to slash the emoluments of lawmakers. Since the Buhari-led administration is bent on blocking all leakages in the nation’s finances and with the pay cut coming, it is clear that the parliament may no longer be attractive to some people. This may definitely reduce the fierce competition that elections into the parliament and the fight for positions in the parliament attract.

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Buhari

Gbonigi

Clark

Southern leaders in familiar turf Chieftains of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) and pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, who met separately in Akure, Ondo State, recently, reviewed the Muhammadu Buhari administration and decried its approach to governance. BABATOPE OKEOWO reports

eaders of the three geopolitical zones in the southern part of Nigeria are up in arms against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government over appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari, appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); plan to jettison the National Conference report and what they called ‘selective’ fight against corruption in the country. Except in the South-West, Buhari did not make appreciable impact in the South-South and South-East in the last presidential election. Hence, it could be said that the two zones are playing opposition politics. But the

presence of South-West leaders in the gang-up against Buhari’s administration barely 100 days in the saddle removed the doubt that it was a war of attrition against the APC’s government. The Southern grouse The key agitations of the Southern leaders under the auspices of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) are the appointment of Zakari as acting INEC chairman and the plan to jettison the 2014 National Conference report. The implementation of the confab report was the reason Afenifere, the pan Yoruba socio-political group and some leaders of the Southern part of the country supported former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election. During the failed second term bid of Jonathan, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, who was the South-West coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, held three post-conference summits in Akure, the Ondo State capital; Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and Lagos State. The issue at the post-conference summits was the re-election bid of Jonathan so that he could implement the National Conference report. Several speakers at the post-conference summits including Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mr. Gani Adams, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun and others were of the view that the implementation of the 2014 Conference report is key to economic and political liberation of the South-West. But the failed bid may have stoked the renewed agitation for the implementation of the report. The Akure meeting At the stakeholders’ meeting of SNPA held in Akure, which coincided with the monthly meeting of the Afenifere, the Southern leaders asked President Buhari to implement the confab

We believe that there are corrupt people in all the leading political parties in Nigeria

report. The SNPA said in its communiqué that: “The over 600 resolutions of the 2014 National Conference which were reached by 492 delegates through consensus for the first time in history of Nigeria, touched most, if not all the critical issues that had been listed as encumbrances to Nigeria’s rapid development, security and attainment of true nationhood. The Assembly calls on the president to employ all necessary means to urgently commence the process of implementing these far-reaching recommendations.” At the SNPA meeting were Prof. Ikechuckwu Madubuike, who represented former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, who is the leader of the South-East caucus. Others are Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, leader of the SouthWest delegation; Chief Edwin Clark, leader of the South-South delegation; Governor Mimiko, his deputy, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, former ministers, ambassadors and political leaders from different political divides. Those present at the Afenifere’s meeting were Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Korede Duyile, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, Chief Femi Aluko, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Gen. Akin Aduwo (rtd), Senator Femi Okunronmu and Dr. Kunle Olajide. As if there was a rehearsal between the two groups, the two meetings arrived at the same decisions, particularly on the removal of Zakari as acting INEC Chairman, implementation of confab report and lopsidedness on the appointments made so far, while there was a bit of variation on the fight against corruption. Heat on Zakari Afenifere’s communiqué read by Odumakin said: “The meeting observed that the controversy generated over the maintaining of the INEC Chairman is unnecessary. We urged the president to set the necessary machinery

in motion towards appointing an acceptable INEC Chairman. The appointment of acting INEC Chairman that is known to be controversial is the least of the quality of an impartial umpire like INEC. Mr. President should remember that Kogi, Edo Bayelsa, Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections are around the corner and there is no enough time for anybody supervising the election to prepare. “The constitution is clear that the role of the president is to nominate the INEC Chairman in consultation with the Council of State and forward the name to the Senate for clearance. The constitution does not envisage the condition where the President would either go to the INEC to either remove or appoint somebody in acting capacity who has not been cleared by the Senate. He should ensure that he looked for a credible Nigerian who he would be nominated for the Council of State as the chairman of INEC.” The grouse of Mimiko and SNPA about the appointment was not about the credibility of Zakari as a person but about the process that threw her up and the zone which she comes from. Mimiko said: “Since the First Republic, the head of Nigeria’s electoral body has always been chosen from a zone that is different from that of the Head of Government as was the case of Chief Eyo Esua (1964–1966) in the First Republic when Sir Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister. “When General Olusegun Obasanjo prepared for a return to civilian rule in the Second Republic, he established a new Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) headed by Chief Michael Ani to supervise the 1979 elections. Ani was succeeded by Justice Victor Ovie Whiskey when Alhaji Shehu Shagari was President. During the Ibrahim CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion B

irds of the same feather they say flock together but not so can exactly be said of PMB and his strange political bed fellows. It may not be too long before something will give way because both sides are very unwilling to accept the act needed to govern -compromise for the common good. On his road to Aso-Rock and despite running on a platform forged by people gripped with ‘nostalgic psychosis’, people who no longer want to live in our current situation, unwilling to accept anything but victory, PMB’s handlers in an effort to debunk the notion then that he was a vindictive former dictator leading a pack of ignorant and angry mob, successfully rebranded and represented him to voters as a harmless and amiable granddad, the face of ‘Change’. His handlers didn’t just dress him up in designer suits and ties to match they made him smile broadly to the camera, and those smiles worked because they were refreshing, seductive, charming and bewitching, thus projecting the image of a relaxed jolly good grand dad, the type you can trust. There were indications that the army of angry youths that voted against the incumbent did so because PMBs smiles from those giant posters and bill boards were infectious. But three months down the line, having won the election and been sworn in as president, PMB is not smiling; he is rather fuming and angry, some say on vengeance trip. Consistently, headlines in the newspapers reads ‘’Buhari fumes…’’, ‘’Buhari is Angry…’’, ‘’Buhari orders…’’, ‘’Buhari Fires…’’ ‘Buhari Probes…’’, ‘Buhari Investigates…’’ I am afraid we may have ended up with an angry leader , hungry for blood. A leader with smokes coming

Angry birds of a feather My Word CLEM AGUIYI

myword@gmail.com 08034747898 (sms only) out of his ears and nostrils and blood coming out of his eyes is no one’s wish. Making PMB fume and angry and knowing his antecedents as an old soldier can be dangerous if not fatal. I will therefore warn those getting him angry to beware and be forewarned. It can be frustrating being reminded of Federal character in making appointments when you can easily appoint your old colleagues and fellow tribes men into position of trust because you can’t find 36 men of integrity from the 36 states that will make the list of cabinet ministers from a population of 170 million people. It can be frustrating leading a country where the technocrats are politicians and politicians are technocrats. It is justified to be mad at a country with written constitution prepared by ‘God knows who’ when you can make decrees that will abolish opposition, the legislature and judiciary. Why would ignorant citizens talk of due process and rule of law when you can accuse your opponents of monumental corruption and dump them in jail without the niceties of court trial, more so given that from thousands of wigs available in the Judiciary you can’t find 19 honourable judges that will do your bidding. Imagine being a president of a country where your anti corruption chief, the corruption hunter himself is now hunted by bloody civilians alleging he stole trillions of forfeited funds.

Imagine where you have already made up your mind on whom to probe and where to investigate only for the people very close to you, who funded and managed your campaign and you came to trust because the corrupt media promoted them as the new ‘’poster boys’’ of change now enmeshed in corruption. Any prudent leader whose main focus is curbing corruption will be angry, mad and heartbroken because your main man had the nerve to divert over N80bn of state funds to his personal account and the other justifying spending N139m for sinking of two boreholes and 178m on website upgrade. How do you start probe from the home of your most vociferous ally without being accused of having an eye on his beautiful wife. To keep you at bay this fellow now took it upon himself to make outlandish claims without being correct for once. Did America give PMB list of oil thieves? Nigerians want to know these thieves as much as they want to know the names of the sponsors of Boko Haram. Did the US give PMB the name and account number of a former minister that stole $6bn? Who is this Minister? Is it true that Okonjo Iweala diverted $2BN of China loan meant for Railway rehabilitation? Is it true that the agric revolution that saw food prices stabilize despite falling naira was a fluke? How do you probe the diversion of loans and funds meant for agriculture without frowning at the

diversion of N40bn Agric loan by Rivers State Government? Is it true that President Jonathan never wanted to handover until the US government forced him to? If Obama could force change on reluctant Jonathan why didn’t he force change on the simpleton in Burundi or Guinea? Every leader has his style and I can’t be justified to expect OBJ to fight corruption the way Sani Abacha did or Jonathan to fight corruption the way OBJ did. It will be unfair for me to expect PMB to fight corruption without making noise about it the way Jonathan did. Jonathan did his best and within his capacity to fight corruption including sacking at-least three ministers accused of graft and wrong doing. It will be recalled that the Jonathan administration aside ending the corruption in fertilizer distribution via e-wallet presented the single treasury account, thereby saving billions. The electronic pay roll payment system and bio metric registration of federal personnel and pensioners recognized 67,000 ghost workers and over 50,000 ghost pensioners. The administration also introduced the single Contract Requisition system with a legislative oversight. PMB can still fight corruption effectively with occasional fatherly smiles, he can go ahead to appoint his ministers as required by the law because there is no guarantee he can find his 36 saints without a Judas amongst them. He can strengthen EFCC and reform the court system knowing that we operate three arms governments that are co-equal. He can build upon the achievements of his predecessor and change policies he doesn’t like without making noise about it. He can acknowledge the place of his predecessors in history while making greater change and achievements for the common good of all. He has 4 years to prove he is an effective leader and his time started counting 100 days ago.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kudos to public schools THERE is no gainsaying that charity begins at home. The mother, fondly referred to as the homemaker, is the first teacher of the entire kids that constitute the home. Interestingly, the kids gain more experience from schools and peers. That is not to say that mothers have not contributed a large proportion to the behavioural stance of kids in this generation. No doubt, private schools provide almost every necessary platform to give students good learning culture, this can be aptly exemplified through the presence of well-equipped laboratory, well ventilated classes and opportunities for them to learn different languages that characterize their environment and curricular. Zeroing down to public schools, which are funded by the government, and only which indigent students can

find a place to fit in, there is often a large belittling of their products. Sadly, they are considered as minorities of the society. Although people perceive public schools as schools for the poor, it doesn’t mean the students should be neglected. The belief of parents, whose kids are in this school, is that the government will provide them with good furniture, good classrooms and well equipped laboratories. No place is too poor for a child to learn, whether private school or public school. Being in a public school doesn’t mean they have poor knowledge. It doesn’t also mean they are not brilliant and they shouldn’t be looked down upon. We have well known people in the society today who were once in public schools. • Anita Evahama, Ilishan-Remo.

‘Saint Fashola’ and his disciples MR. Babatunde Fashola is often referred to as the symbol of good governance by his numerous admirers. Now, it does not matter if I feel he is overrated. When a man is popular, he is popular. The story of his good deeds in office has not stopped reverberating across the length and the breadth of Nigeria . I remember an encounter with some youths when I visited the NorthEastern state of Yobe during his tenure as governor of Lagos state. On discovering I came from Lagos, Fashola became the talking-point. I saw the enthusiasm with which they spoke in glowing terms about the former governor of Lagos.Joy was etched on their faces as they said sugary things about Fashola. My Conclusion was simple: This Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) is really popular

In fairness to the governor of example (apologies Sam Omatseye), he did his best for Lagos. Whether his best was good enough is a matter for another day. Many Nigerians were stone shocked when the story of Fashoa's alleged N78.3m website broke. Even before the former governor uttered a word, many had risen to swear by all they worship that Fashola couldn't have spent such a huge amount of money to build a website,as if they share the omniscient quality of God to know a man’s heart. In responding to the allegation, Fashola confirmed the money was actually approved. My headache here is not whether the whole of N78.3 m was actually spent to build a website. It is the thought of allocating the money in question to build it,and its subsequent approval by the Lagos state House of Assembly. It re-

veals the see-no- evil-hearno-evil nature of the legislature in a good number of states across the federation .And who knows how many of such approvals have escaped the radar of critical observers? Just as the dust raised by Fashola's website was about settling ,details of some contracts allegedly awarded by the administration of the former governor were again splashed on the official website of Lagos state. Of interest are the N139m and N160m allegedly spent on drilling two boreholes and reconstruction of a car park respectively ! And I ask, what kind of borehole costs N69.5m in a state like Lagos? And N640m for reconstruction of a park? Well, Fashola has loads of explanations to make on these seeming obscene contracts. • Ladesope Ladelokun, Abeokuta.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

EDITORIAL

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Phantom job opportunities in UAE

ravelling to the United Arab Emirates does not come with a flower of attractions without Dubai as focal point. Although it is one out of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE, it enjoys the largest population, boasts of lots of tourist attractions and passes as the business hub of the entire Middle East. Many young Nigerians who are eager to explore the fascination called Dubai and filled with stories of money falling on the gold paved floor to pick, are lured to the dazzle and sparkle of the destination point ,only to end up used, frustrated and dumped. The attraction is too tempting to miss. There is the Burj Khalifa, the World’s tallest man made structure, at 828 metres. Dubai boasts of the globe’s largest Flower Garden, the 72,000 square-metre Dubai Miracle Garden which was opened on Valentine Day, February 13, 2013. Add that to the touted Seven –Star hotel, Burj Al Arab, you get a clutch of adventurers giggling like school girls. The icing on the cake sounds like the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping Mall on planet Earth. Some Nigerians, unscrupulous in every sense of it, have turned the dream land to a nightmare . Unsuspecting young women including unemployed university graduates ,are deceived with stories of abundant job opportunities in the land of Milk and Honey. Many of them end up as Ladies of the Night. It is a powerful ring. There

are old friends who are believed to be living big in the UAE and they post stories of the good things of life to those in Nigeria. They carefully select the best places in the Emirates to take photographs. T hey claim to be working in one of the big Malls or pose as agents for the hundreds of real estate concerns. The pay is good, that is the message and there are more opportunities. In this period of uncertainity, many young women buy into the bait. Those who cannot afford flight tickets are connected to so called agents in Nigeria who are willing to help out albeit with a string attached. The intending travelers will pay back with some interest when they start their dream job in Dubai. It sounds like a good deal. However, that is when the

Instead of offices, the new arrivals are taken to hotels in town and told what their new vocation would be

ordeal of the ladies start. The moment you agree to the mouth watering offer, you begin to go through a thorough grooming for the trip. Many are asked to start applying all forms of cosmetics in order to look as fair as the Arabs. They are told that the fairer, the more the chances . Since poverty and joblessness have a way of demeaning the human person, these ladies begin the process and end up travelling out for ‘greener pastures’. When they land in Dubai, they face tougher sanctions. The reception from the Airport starts with the collection of their travelling documents. They are driven straight into the waiting arms of an unknown face who turns out to be their new Mistress. The journey to prostitutions has just begun. Instead of offices, the new arrivals are taken to hotels in town and told what their new vocation would be. About five or six of them are herded into a room to look for daily bread. They are well tutored. When a client knocks, just one of them will open the door, the others hide in any corner of the room until ‘business’ is over. Initially, the Mistress gives the impression that Arab clients have a lot of cash to burn and can give out some Dirhams after a call. Conversion yields about 2,000,000 Naira. That would make it easier to refund the flight ticket loan. Story for the Marines. It does not happen. The cash does not flow as expected and the job seekers become the job they

were looking for in the first instance. The lucky ones find a divine way of escape, by either sneaking out or calling for help through Good Samaritans. One lady was said to have escaped with the help of an Indian casual worker while another got in touch with the Nigerian Embassy. There are many unlucky ones who are either stranded or lost in Dubai. The National Agency for the prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters[NAPTIP] has been doing a good job tracking some of these criminals who use fellow Nigerians as sex slaves. While we commend the efforts of the Federal Government in setting up NAPTIP, we also advise that more should be done in the area of youth empowerement through job creation. In the past, most migrant casual workers in the UAE were from India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Nepal ,Eritrea, Bangladesh and even China. Many of them looked for better life outside. At the moment, Nigeria has overtaken some of these countries. UAE used Oil and Gas to develop infrastructure. Nigeria, an oil producing nation, should be concerned that our leaders squandered our oil wealth, forcing our countrymen and women into all kinds of shady professions in foreign lands. Africa’s largest economy cannot be exporting our young women when there are so many other natural resources begging for attention.

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Politics

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Southern leaders put Buhari to task C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

Babangida and Sani Abacha regimes, which attempted returns to democracy, the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria was headed by Prof. Eme Awa (1987–1989), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu (1989–1993), Prof. Okon Uya and Chief Sumner DagogoJack (1994–1998). “In line with the established convention, General Abdulsalami Abubakar established the current INEC, with Justice Ephraim Akpata as Chairman. After Akpata died in January 2000, the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Abel Guobadia as Nigeria’s Chief Electoral Officer. Guobadia was succeeded by Prof. Maurice Iwu. “It is therefore a flagrant disregard to this well-known and established convention that the president appointed Mrs. Amina Zakari as the “ActingChairperson” of INEC. Mrs Amina Zakari is not only from the Northern part of Nigeria like the President, she is said to be a close relative to the President. Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a respected former lawmaker and top civil servant, revealed in his interview that he knew the “Acting Chairperson of the INEC since childhood, and that her late father, the former Emir of Kazaure, was married to President Buhari’s elder sister.” Yakassai added that, “as a matter of fact, President Buhari lived with and spent a significant part of his early years in the home of Amina Zakari’s father. “These claims have however not been controverted by anybody. In effect, what this reveals is that the ties of INEC’s “ActingChairperson” to the President is quite familial. One other issue that is also of serious concern is that the “Acting-Chairperson “ of INEC, is a title that is unknown to the Constitution, where the President ought to derive his powers from, or any Nigerian law in relation to the office of INEC Chairperson. We are already concerned by the appointment of someone from the same geo-political zone as President Buhari on a title that is unknown to law, to head a sensitive institution like INEC. The President must restore our confidence by correcting the wrong perceptions already created about his intentions for the “independence” of the Independent National Electoral Commission. War against corruption Both Afenifere and SNPA supported Buhari’s fight against corruption but suspected witchhunt in the fight. Afenifere said: “As an accountable organisation that believes that a public official must give account of his deeds, we support the fight against corruption but we want to observe that of late there has been too musc campaign and propaganda about the issue of corruption in Nigeria and we have seen a bent of selectivity in the propaganda on corruption. “We believe that there are corrupt people in all the leading

Mimiko

Fasoranti

by Buhari. Gbonigi said: “Elections are over and President Buhari is president over Nigeria and Nigerians. No section of the country should be over-patronised at the expense of others. It is our sincere hope that the lopsidedness in the appointments made by Mr. President to date is not an indication of the trend of future appointments. The constitution must be respected and the diversity of Nigeria must reflect in all appointments to guarantee stability, unity, peace and progress. “A situation where the President, Senate President, the Speaker and Chief Justice are from the North is not acceptable. The South is not subservient to the North and the situation in which only the deputies are zoned to the South is not acceptable.” Clark, who said at 89 years, he is no longer a member of any political party, said: “It is my strong, irrevocable view that the fundamental state directive principles and federal character shall not only be respected but must be seen to be adhered to by government for the overall interest and good of all Nigerians.” The Ijaw leader added that the principles of equity, fairness and justice must be put into use in future appointments to be made by the Federal Government unlike what is applicable now.

Ekwueme

political parties in Nigeria and therefore a credible anti-corruption war should be above board and not picking and choosing those who should be prosecuted or dealt with.” Similarly, SNPA commended Buhari for the war against corruption and setting up of the Prof. Itse Sagay Presidential Advisory Panel on anti-corruption. Bishop Gbonigi, who spoke the mind of his group, however said: “We appeal to him to be total and non-selective in the fight against corruption, going after corrupt persons in all political parties, even his closest political associates. Justice and the rule of law must reign supreme if the fight against corruption must be won.” On appointments The SNPA decried the lop-sidedness appointment made so far

He preaches good governance, practice bad governance and embrace fiscal indiscipline

Implementation of confab report Discussants at both the Afenifere and SNAP meetings insisted on the implementation of the report for the benefits of the people of the country. Mimiko said: “In 2014, Nigerians had a golden opportunity to discuss their collective future. The over 600 resolutions of the confab which were reached by the 492 delegates through consensus for the first time in the history of Nigeria, touched most if not all the critical issues that had been listed as encumbrances to Nigeria’s rapid development and the attainment of nationhood.

“Part of the landmark resolutions of the confab is that Nigeria shall retain a federal system of government; that the core elements of the federation shall be: A Federal (Central) Government with states as the federating units; without prejudice to states constituting the federating units, states that wish to merge may do so in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Other resolutions included that in the spirit of reconciliation, equity, fair play and justice, there shall be created an additional state for the South-East zone; and that all other requests for state creation should be considered on merit. “Confab 2014 also resolved that it is necessary to establish state and community police to enhance national security and in the economic domain; solid minerals that had been the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government since independence, would, if the report gets implemented, move to the concurrent list. States would therefore be able to harness the solid minerals at their domain thus creating employment, generating more revenue and developing at their own pace. The implementation of the 2014 Confab Report has the potential to liberate every part of Nigeria and ultimately, open up the political space. The report must therefore, not be allowed to be confined to the dustbin of history.” APC fights back Despite the arguments of leaders of the two groups, the APC in Ondo State viewed the meetings as having the imprint of Governor Mimiko. The party said he was using members of the groups to negotiate his position at the national level with the loss of his party, the PDP. A chieftain of Ondo APC, Chief Olusola Oke, said: “Like Mimiko did under President Jonathan, he has engaged in another round of cheap diversionary propaganda anchored on a self-imposed leadership status he arrogated to himself, to distract President Buhari from the good job of redressing the injustice of the past and ameliorating the sufferings of the people of Nigeria.” He added: “The governor has refused to see the benefit of the anti-corruption policy of the government which has increased his allocation tremendously in July from what it was in previous months. Typical of his style of politics, what he is doing at this moment is to cunningly assemble the people he felt he could use to cause disaffection and derailment of the good work of Mr. President by elevating the report of the last conference to the drummers as though the contents were the headache of Nigerians. “Mr. President should be wary of this fake apostle of federalism. He preaches good governance, practices bad governance and embraces fiscal indiscipline. He preaches transparency yet far from openness.”

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Arts

CULTURE

Nigerian music dying –Ugboma What inspired your programme Talk Music? Talk Music features interviews with old musicians of 25 years in music all to be inducted into Hall of Fame in December. The programme was inspired by the situation of the country since independence, which is so shameful that we don’t have anything down for the children to learn about people and situations. You cannot go to libraries in Nigeria today to learn about Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Sadauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello. What pained me again was when I was invited to Auckland to see the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, then I was invited to the Kennedy Centre; there I saw hall of fame for boxers, basketball players, swimmers, musicians and so on. And even for musicians, they have for jazz, Rhythm and Blues (R&B), Soul, and so on. When I came back home, I looked around and didn’t find anything; the only gallery I saw is where they put all the past heads of state, and maybe Wole Soyinka and Hubert Ogunde; and as soon as Soyinka says a bad word or critical of the government, they remove him. Then I went to the museum where we are supposed to have a gallery of sportsmen, and when I looked I found out that Emmanuel Ifeajuna’s was not there. And I asked the people there why his name was not there, and they said, ‘the man is a coup plotter; we don’t want coup plotter’. I told them that Ifeajuna was the first African to jump 6ft 8’ in Vancouver in 1962. It is history. So I decided that at least, to educate our children, I will set up my own, which is the ‘Movie and Music Makers Hall of Fame. I have been talking about it and calling on them, Edem Duke, Emeka Mba and others, this thing has taking me over 20 years, to create the hall of fame, and they didn’t say anything about it. So I decided, on my own, to to do it; and when I approached the then governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmnanuel Uduaghan about it during my 74th birthday and 50th anniversary in the entertainment

TONY OKUYEME Arts Editor tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

Foremost film maker and former chairman of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Eddie Ugboma talks on the need for Movie and Music Makers’ Hall of Fame, Nollywood, Nigerian music industry and his television programme, Talk Music. TONY OKUYEME writes industry, he promised that yes, he was going to sponsor it and that he would give me two buildings in Asaba for Movie Makers Hall of Fame and Music Makers Hall Fame, but as all of you know, he never gave me 10 kobo since August last year when he made the promise; nothing came out. The same thing with the then governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola; out of the N25million we applied for, he called me some months after he left government and gave me N1million. And I said for what? So my aim is to create a hall of fame, a history centre where you can go in, take this interview that I am doing in this programme, and do a research on that artist, his style of music, how he started, the agonies, happiness and so on. At the moment, it is only one television station that has promised to buy it; the other television stations were insulting me. In fact, one of the television stations offered me N20,000, for this brand new programme that has not been on air. I was not discouraged because I know that even when I die, this programme might become big, maybe in 10 years time or in two weeks time, I don’t know. I am 75 years old now. So it is my contribution to the two industries because I pioneered both of them in this country. The project has been registered with the C.A.C; I have a board of trustee and I have directors; so I am not the only one doing it. We decided that anybody who has not done up to 20 years in the industry cannot be in the hall of fame. So these are the ones we talking about. We are not talking about these boys who sing ‘owo owo’. They are not up to that yet; they have not contributed enough to the industry. We are even considering 2Face because of what he has done, and they call him 2Baba, but to me, he is not Baba enough to be in the hall of fame. What is your assessment of the music industry in Nigeria? Music is dying right now. I was asking some of the old ones: ‘What they put down for these boys to learn from?’ I found out that they didn’t put down anything. So, I told them, don’t blame these boys is they are copying America and singing rap and all those naked girls video and so on. So, if there was a place these young boys can study, for in-

Ugboma

We can use film to create 600,000 jobs in Nigeria

stance, in the university they have department of music and theatre art. They are not teaching them Nigerian music; they teach them Mozart and the E Minor, F Flat and so on. But one good thing is that they teach them how to score music, how to write music. Unfortunately, most of them just want to go to cheaper schools for six months or five months, and rush to the studio with computer. They are not creative; they just want money. So that is the situation. But if they have this hall of fame, things will be different, because I have the works of the artists in the interview. Most unfortunate is that I have tried for more than 20 years to get the government to finance it, nobody wants to listen. I thank God that today one television station has bought 26 episodes, just to give me half of what I have invested in it.

What would say is responsible for the decadence in the entertainment sector in Nigeria? If you watch Nollywood films you will know that it is dead, because they allowed the South Africans to mess us up. MultiChoice is exploiting the industry. I know most of you are afraid to publish this story. MultiChoice came in to put in money into Nigerian film industry, not to destroy it. Now every television station in Nigeria, because they can’t afford the money they are now hooked up to these South Africans. Now you watch 24 hour Nigerian films on air so why would go and buy again? So to shoot a film now you are afraid because who would buy? Even the pirates have taken over. Recently, the seized musical dvds and films they collected from Alaba market are worth more CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Arts

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Feast of performances as British Council launches UK/Nigeria 2015–16 season

Soneyin

Tony Okuyeme

t was a large crowd of partners, sponsors and young entrepreneurs from Nigeria and the UK that saw the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, launch the year-long cultural season, UK/Nigeria 2015–16. The UK/Nigeria 2015–16 is a major season of arts in Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and strengthening relationships between the UK and Nigeria. Highlights of the

activities at the launch include musical and spoken word performances. Guests were also treated to tie-and-die textile designs as many of them took advantage of the materials provided by the organisers to join in the making of the designs. Guests included; Bolanle Olukanni, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Tope Oshin, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Tunde Sotimirin, Lola Shoneyin, author and founder of Ake Arts and Book Festival. Also present were officials of the British High Commission and the British Council including Mr Simon Shercliff,

Deputy High Commissioner; Connie Price, Country Director, Nigeria, British Council; and Ojoma Ochai, Director Arts Nigeria, British Council. Others that stepped out to support the British Council include DJ Sosse, who hosted the guests to a night of delightful music, KPeace, Nigerian Idol season 5 winner, who treated the guests to his brand of Fuji infused music, Ambassador Ayo Olukanni, Former Nigerian Ambassador to Australia, Arnold Jackson, from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council Abuja; Chioma Udeh, Founder, AFRIFF, and others.

Deputy British High commisioner to Nigeria, Simon Shercliff delivering his address at the launching of UK/Nigeria 2015–16 in Lagos

Creativity increases productivity – Ojo ‘Nigerian music dying’

Ojo

he new North-Central Zonal Coordinator of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Mr. Ohi Ojo, has charged staff of the Institute to imbibe the culture of creativity, adding that being creative would

not only enhance their productivity but will also make them viable outside the Institute. Ojo stated this while briefing staff in the zone during a meeting last Wednesday, August 26, 2015. He urged them to respect their

superior officers, which was the only way harmonious working relationship could be created. He reminded them to be conscious of the NICO mandate and to also be NICO compliant regarding their dress code to avoid any public embarrassment. Earlier in a meeting held with the Departmental and Unit Heads, on Tuesday, 25th August, 2015, the New Zonal Coordinator admonished the various Heads to brace up to their responsibilities so as to earn the desired respect from their subordinates. It would be recalled that Mr. Ohi Ojo, who was formerly the Coordinator, NICO South-West Zonal Office, Akure, Ondo State, took over the mantle of leadership from the former Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, who is now the Zonal Coordniator, NICO North-West Zone in Katsina, as result of the recent redeployment of some Zonal Coordinators of the Institute, by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma. All the staffers in the zone were present at the maiden meeting except for those at the NICO Training School, Lagos.

CONT INU E D FROM PAGE 17

than N80million. So the thing is dying. And there are some young boys who want to run before they jump; they say they are now New Nollywood. They are making a mistake; there is nothing new about Hollywood and Bollywood; it is movie making. Like I am telling the government today on the need to fight piracy, we can use film making to create 600,000 jobs in Nigeria. We can make

Ugboma

sure that the 777 local government in Nigeria show Nigerian films on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, four times – 12, 2, 4 and 6pm. From there you start getting the movie going culture into people. We can use films to create image of a nation. What Nollywood did for Nigeria, I don’t think anybody or group did it. That is why I am telling the President, ‘don’t ignore culture; don’t ignore these filmmakers. We still need culture for our identity.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, september 1, 2015

Entrepreneurship Key players in poly sector unite for entrepreneurship education

Education CONFUSION

Members of Adeyemi College of Education community are confused over who is actually in charge of the institution between the Provost and the Vice-Chancellor. Babatope Okeowo Akure

ho actually is the head of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo? This is the salient question that members of the college community are challenging the Federal Government, the proprietor of the institution, to unravel. Currently, there is palpable confusion at the college over who is in charge of the administration of the 52-year-old institution. The Federal Government had in May upgraded the college to a university of education, to be known as Adeyemi University of Education, and named Prof. Richard King as its pioneer ViceChancellor, while the subsisting Provost, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, who was appointed in October last year, by the Federal Government is still calling the shots as the provost of the college. Meanwhile, the aphorism that there cannot be two captains in a ship, no longer holds water at the college, where two professors are currently in the battle of supremacy over who among them is head and should call the shot. While King is claiming that he is the substantive vice-chancellor of the university, Ogen is also holding sway as the provost of the college, a development which has continued to generate confusion among the management and members of staff as well as students. The confusion, according to the workers, is triggered by the decision of the Federal to rescind the conversion of the college to a university, and instead to maintain its status quo ante.

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

Ogen

King

Confusion grips college over leadership Established 52 years ago, as a specialised teacher education institution, Adeyemi College of Education has produced graduates, who are movers and shakers of the society as captains of industry, top government functionaries, top civil servants and head of academic institutions. Though the college, which is a Faculty under the Obafemi Awolowo University and has since been awarding degrees in education, however, was not conferred with a university status. With the standard of the college as the pioneer college of education in the country, producing quality teachers for the system, there had been agitation over the years by stakeholders and the institution’s host communities for its upgrading to a full-fledged university with all privileges to award degrees in teacher education. However, their agitation stemmed from the fact that since the college has quality academic staff and commensurate infrastructural facilities to operate as a university, the college should no longer queue under the Obafemi Awolowo University as Faculty of Education. Following the agitation and the

Currently, there is palpable confusion at the college over who holds sway...

need to open more access for university education and make the study of education more attractive, President Goodluck Jonathan in the twilight of his administration hurriedly announced the upgrading of the college with three others to universities. The other colleges upgraded in May, this year, alongside Adeyemi College of Education are the Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education, Kano; and Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Imo State. With the upgrading of the colleges and the appointment of vice-chancellors for the new universities of education, the government it was believed had tacitly relieved the provosts of their appointments, as they were to be replaced by the vice-chancellors. Now, the action of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the policy, has not only thrown a spanner into the institutions’ administrative proccess, but also created confusion in the system as vice-chancellors have refused to vacate the positions, despite the decision of the Federal Government to jettison the policy. To create more confusion in the

system, the vice-chancellor (King) is said to have claimed that a circular by the Federal Ministry of Education said he remains the head of the institution, despite the fact that the letter appointing Ogen as the provost of the college is still subsisting. Ogen, until the conversion of the college and appointment of a vice-chancellor by the administration of President Jonathan was the provost of the college, having been appointed through due process by the Governing Council of the college. Meanwhile, based on the decision to rescind the conversion policy, the President Buhari administration directed that the provosts of the colleges to continue to perform their functions in those colleges. However, the Provost of the Federal College of Education, Kano, Dr. Rabi Jubrila Muhammed had on August 19 in a memo she read to members of staff of the college said the Federal Government had directed her to continue to function as provost of the institution. But the situation was contrary at the Adeyemi College of Education, where Prof. King was said to CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

20 Education

TUESDAY, september 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Kayode Olanrewaju

or four days last week, key players in the polytechnic education sector, led by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the agency supervising polytechnic institutions in the country, brainstormed on how to evolve strategies to maximize entrepreneurship education for sustainability of higher education funding. It was at a four-day workshop on: “Engineering Entrepreneurial Mindset in the Nigerian Tertiary Institutions,” which took place at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos. Key participants at the talk-shop included rectors, provosts and Directors of Entrepreneurship Programme of technological institutions in the country. The workshop, among others, served as a platform to compare notes and exchange ideas and knowledge in accessing entrepreneurial opportunities; to formulate strategies for commercializing research outputs from higher institutions of learning and to advance policy and practice of technology venture in the country. In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Mas’udu Adamu Kazaure, described effective delivery of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) as important ingredient in the present administration’s economic agenda. In the paper delivered on his behalf by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NBTE, Mr. Ekpenyong Ekpenyong, he noted that the TVE sector is currently facing critical challenges in the areas of low access, motivation and societal esteem and discrimination, as well as inadequate facilities, resource input and consequently low output. While lamenting that 1.3 million Nigerian youth enter the job market every year without employment, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey, Kazaure, however, argued that the nation’s unemployment crisis began due to acute shortage of technical and vocational skills and manpower. He said: “Similarly, 53 per cent of Nigerians between 24 and 44 years are unemployed while the National Committee on Job Creation put the

L-R: Abdul-Isa; Dr. Ladipo, Ekpenyong and a rector from a Chinese polytechnic.

Stakeholders unite for entrepreneurship education number of unemployed Nigerians at 49 million, who are mainly the youth, who are either unemployed or underemployed. “Consequently, the army of restive unemployed youth has resulted in increased violence, kidnapping and militant insurgency in the country.” Against this background, he pointed out that the Federal Government mandated all tertiary education regulatory agencies to ensure effective planning and implementation of entrepreneurship programme and education. In view of this, Kazaure added that the NBTE is taking a bold initiative in reforming and rebranding the sector by putting in place policies that will move technical and technical education forward and in the right direction. According to him, part of the moves is the radical change in the field of TVE towards relevant industry skills development, as well as general education and development.

UBEC lauds JICA’s intervention in basic education Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Dikko Suleiman has lauded the Japan international Co-operation Agency (JICA) for its intervention in the basic education sub-sector in the country, describing it as a boost to the nation’s educational system. The Executive Secretary, Dr. Suleiman gave the kudos during the flag off and turning of sod ceremony for the construction of additional classrooms funded by JICA at some 30 selected public primary schools, Oke-Olola in Oyo State. He recalled the agency between 2004 and 2011constructed 807 classrooms, built 654 toilet booths, provided 17,010 sets of pupil’s furniture and 762 teachers’ tables and chairs, as well as 13 head teachers’ offices and sank 19 boreholes in Niger, Kaduna, Plateau and Kano States.

The UBEC boss, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Dr. Sharon Oriero-Oviemuno added that JICA also engaged in a number of other capacity enhancement programmes for teachers, school administrations and beneficiary communities. He listed the projects to include among others the strengthening of mathematics and science education (SMASE) project, saying the ground breaking was not only unique, but also very important within the context of the critical need of infrastructural development in the education sub-sector in the country in particular, considering the vast population of Oyo State which is in dire need of classroom facilities. According to Oriero-Oviemuno, JICA, under its grant assistance programme will provide 261 classrooms, 258 toilet booths, 5,220 pupils’ desk and chairs, 275 teachers’ desks and chairs, as well as 261 blackboards in 30 schools in Oyo State.

However, he said there was growing concern that past strategies towards skills development were inadequate to upscale the new challenge which the economy is facing, even as he stressed that the challenge is not merely of producing more skilled manpower, but whether they are needed by the industry. “The board in effort to reform the TVE sector has embarked on a comprehensive planning and implementation of Entrepreneurship programmes in polytechnics and other allied technology institutions with a view to bridging and meeting the target in technology challenges and gaps. Kazaure recalled how in 2006, NBTE made active participation of all institutions under its purview mandatory in entrepreneurship education and programmes. Based on this, the executive secretary warned that all polytechnics, Innovative Enterprise Institutions, colleges of agriculture and other similar institutions in the country must comply with the directive in order to avoid losing the accreditation of their programmes. Therefore, he called on colleges of agriculture to as a matter of exigency review the abandoned opportunities in Agric-Entrepreneurship, saying that is the only alternative that could free the youth from economic marginalization and social exclusion. He stressed that polytechnics or technology institutions that failed to key into the NBTE entrepreneurship programme are being disaccredited, even as he traced the lukewarm attitude of students to entrepreneurship programme to laziness. While welcoming participants to the workshop, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, said the capacity building talk-shop, which is designed as a mandatory training programme for rectors, provosts and coordinators of Entrepreneurship Development Centres, was borne out of the collective resolve in ensuring effective management of entrepreneurship education in all TVE institutions. According to her, the workshop indicated the responsiveness of the participants to the NBTE call for entrepreneurship as a vital tool for sustainable economic development.

To achieve this stated objective, she noted that the polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology are not only well positioned, but also suitable for the attainment of technological advancement of the country. The essence of entrepreneurship education in tertiary institution, according to her, is to produce competent graduates who would be academically and economically empowered with the requisite skills to become self-employed and employers of labour. “It is, therefore, imperative that entrepreneurship education should be vigorously pursued in the polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology through the establishment of centres of entrepreneurship development to stimulate the drive for entrepreneurship culture among staff members and students,” the rector said. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abdul-Isa KafarMata, also a Director at NBTE, wondered that though TVE is expensive to implement, the government has failed to pay adequate attention to its funding as it has continued to give more attention to university education. He said: “It is unfortunate that the society has high preference for the university sector, but the economy should be allowed to dictate the need for graduates. We need TVE graduates that can move the economy forward through technical skills and manpower that could only be produced by the polytechnic sector.” Describing the workshop as apt and timely, he said it has become a directive for polytechnics to ensure they integrate entrepreneurship programme in their curriculum. Abdul-Isa, who said that NBTE is more concerned about the 70-30 ratio in favour of science and technology programmes and adhere to it strictly, said the workshop was organized to guide and sensitise managers of the institutions on how to redesign the entrepreneurship programme for the benefit of the students. He, however, noted that funding was key to the effective implementation of entrepreneurship programme, saying NBTE has so far trained over 500 lecturers in the entrepreneurship programme and education.

Education 21

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, september 1, 2015

Leadership tussle rocks Adeyemi College C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 9

have in a memo to members of the college community on Monday, last week, directed that they should relate with him directly as he remained the head of the institution. According to the memo, a source which preferred anonymity told New Telegraph that King was insisting that he had not received any memo from the Federal Government directing him to vacate his position as the vice-chancellor of the institution. Rather, King in the memo, according to the source, claimed that the Federal Ministry of Education directed that he remains as the head of the institution and advised members of staff to go about their lawful duties and direct all administrative matters to him. But the Presidency in a letter to the principal officers of the college directed that Prof. Ogen, the substantive provost of the college prior to its conversion should return to the institution and take charge as the provost. With the letter, there is palpable apprehension in the college among the members of staff as most of them, who spoke with New Telegraph on condition of anonymity expressed worry about who is actually in charge of the college since there was no clear policy or circular from the Federal Government on the issue.

Prof. Julius Okojie, NUC scribe

To one of the staff, all what they saw was newspaper publication and not a copy of the purported circular from the Federal Ministry of Education as being claimed by them, which however, has made it difficult for members of the college community to know who to relate with under this situation as the authentic head of the institution. Meanwhile, the Publicity Relations Officer (PRO) for the institution, Mr. Moses Akinfolarin, declined comments

over the development, saying they are awaiting a circular from the authority concerning the matter. Besides, when contacted on phone, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, Mr. Onipede said he did not have the details about the matter and that he would not be able to make any comment on it. Apart from the leadership crisis, some of the members of staff, who had been assured of career progression following the conversion of the college, are not happy over the latest decision of the government to reverse the policy. The workers’ unions, comprising members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) are now protesting the reversal of the policy by the Federal government. The unions, which vowed to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion, alleged that some powerful people in the country are planning to use their influence to return the university to college of education. The unions, under the auspices of the Joint Non-Teaching Staff Action Committee (JNTSAC), said they wanted the university status to remain. Addressing journalists at the weekend, the Chairman of newly founded committee, Mr. Femi Lademikan said

L-R: Director, Good Shepherd Schools, Dr. Adebayo Oyeyemi; the Onipapa of Papa Land, Oba Jimoh Famuyiwa and His Royal Highness, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale, Abeokuta during the Valedictory Service/Prize-Giving Day of the school in Atan, Ogun State.

NCCE tasks teachers on ICT in teaching methods Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Monday Joshua has challenged teachers on the need to integrate Information Communication Technology (ICT) into the teaching system. He made the call during a three-day train-the-trainers’ workshop, organised by the Commission in collaboration with the UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), which took place in Abuja. The theme of the workshop was: “Support for the Implementation of Teacher Professional Development for Secondary Teachers in Science and Mathematics programmes.” According to Joshua, who was represented by the Director, Planning,

Research and Statistics in the Commission, Dr. Alex Maiyanga, the integration of ICT into teaching methods, particularly in the area of science and Mathematics is to enable the country to move with the global trend in technological advancement. He said the workshop was aimed at building the capacity of science and mathematics teachers towards enhancing the implementation of the 2012 edition of the minimum standards. While stressing that part of its objectives is the integration of the reviewed Nigerian Educational and Research Development Council (NERDC)’s curriculum for secondary education in the implementation process, Joshua said: “For Nigeria to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its vision of becoming one of the top economics in Africa and the world in general, it needs to exponentially grow its science and mathematics output.”

He, however, noted that high quality teacher education is of critical importance for qualitative and relevant education at all levels, as well as to the teaching profession itself. Thus, the director-general urged the participants to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by the workshop to equip themselves in the areas of instructional choice, effective methods of teaching and integration of ICT into the delivery of instruction. The Programme Specialist of UNESCO/IICBA, Dr. Patience Awopega, said the workshop was to equip the teachers who are the driving force of any successful educational programme. Awopegba, who underscored the need to have quality teachers to implement the existing education policies in the country, hinted that IICBA, an institute established by UNESCO with the responsibility of building teachers’ capacity in Africa.

that members of non-teaching staff of the institution were protesting in order to register their displeasure over the alleged plan to reverse the policy and return the college to its former status as a college of education His words: “We want the university to remain. We are appealing to the Federal Government through this peaceful demonstration that what we want is the university status. We are using this medium to tell Governor Olusegun Mimiko that we want him to intervene and be more proactive on this issue. “We are also appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari that the college has everything that is required to make it a university. It has the manpower, the personnel and we have the resources to maintain the institution. “There have been so many publications in national dailies that the institution should be returned to college, but we non-teaching staff are saying no to reversal of the university”. Similarly, institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Olaolu Olaniyan, urged the Federal Government not to reverse the conversion of the college in order for peace to reign on the campus and the host community. ASUU said in the statement: “It is with utter dismay and outright displeasure, that we received the disturbing rumour making the rounds about the purported reversal of the long awaited and hard-earned conversion of the college to a university status under its new name - Adeyemi Federal University of Education and three other upgraded colleges of education to Federal Universities of Education. “Therefore, we want to express our unequivocal rejection of such a reversal which is only capable of creating avoidable tension in the new university community and by extension its host communities. “ It is worthy of note that Adeyemi college of Education has been in the vanguard of churning out well-trained and quality teachers for the Nigeria’s education system over the past five decades. The upgrading of the college to a full-fledged university was premised on several factors, chiefly among these are the high quality of academic staff who have worked assiduously over the years to produce an array of well-trained teachers for the primary and secondary school components of the nation’s education system.” “In terms of qualitative education, the institution runs Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Education programme,” the union stressed, adding that it firmly subscribed to the belief that the Federal Government’s decision to upgrade the institution to a full-fledged university is a step in the right direction to revamp the ailing education system. According to ASUU, the production of well-trained teachers with Bachelor’s Degrees, Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Education would go a long way in salvaging the comatose education system. ASUU’s words: “While we appreciate the quagmire into which the Nigerian economy has been plunged, it is not sufficient reason, as retrogressive elements adduced, to truncate the implementation of the university status of the institution, which would have profound positive impact on education development in the country in the proximate future. “It is, therefore, in the light of the foregoing that the union rejects in absolute terms any attempt whatsoever to truncate the upgrading of the college to a full-fledged university status and its other three contemporaries.”

22 Education The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Charles Eguridu, in this interview with journalists in Abuja, revealed that Nigeria has the highest cases of examination malpractices. He also spoke on other issues. YEKEEN NURUDEEN was there. Recently, WAEC listed Nigeria as having the highest cases of examination malpractices among the five-member countries, what is responsible for this? Well, talking about examination malpractice and the ranking of Nigeria when it comes to the very serious issue of the country is leading the others. There are five-member countries that constituted WAEC and each of these countries conduct WASSCE in their domains. Nigeria represents the largest contribution of candidates to this international organisation. To reflect this fact, I will give you a brief statistics. For instance, let us use the May/June 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). In that examination, we had about 2,111,638 (two million, one hundred and eleven thousand, six hundred and thirty eight) candidates that wrote the examination in the five-member countries. Of this number, The Gambia contributed 8,422 candidates; Ghana contributed 409,759 candidates, Liberia about 4,269 candidates, Nigeria contributed about 1,689,188 while Sierra-Leone did not write the examination that year because they were changing their school calendar from three years to four years. Going by this figure, you will realise that Nigeria constituted more than 75 per cent of the total candidature for the examination and with this in mind you will see that the number of cheats in the examinations in Nigeria would be higher than that of any other countries. But, this does not reflect or suggest in any way the Nigerians’ tendency to cheat. Where you have many candidates the tendency is that you will probably have many more cheats in the examination. So,

Eguridu

TUESDAY, september 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Parents responsible for rising exam malpractices — WAEC HNO when the Gambia that put in about 8,422 has about 50 examination cheats, Nigeria that have about 1.6 million will have over 1,000. So, the comparative ratio of candidates involving in examination cheat is calculated in that way. Having said that, I want to add here that the fact remains that in Nigeria we have deployed technology in monitoring of examination process which some other countries of WAEC have not started. This, in essence goes a long way in making our examination process more credible than in some other countries because they still rely largely on the reports from supervisors, teachers and security agencies. Here in Nigeria, we no longer rely on these as we have technology to detect malpractices. During the unfortunate incident of the abduction of the pupils of the Government Girl’s College, Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents, security agencies, the Ministry of Education and the Police could not provide the names and data of the abducted girls. Why was this so? It was unfortunate, but I want to quickly say that it was WAEC that provided the government with the photographs, names and date of birth of each of the abducted girls. It is because our data base is foolproof, secured and credible. So, to answer that question, the number of candidates in Nigeria is

the largest and therefore the possibility of having more examination cheats is expected but this does not in any way reflect our character as a people.

Any test that uses computer to evaluate who would be a good carpenter cannot be a valid test

JAMB seems to have adopted the use of Computer-Based Test in the conduct of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), is WAEC thinking on that line too? If there is something like intellectual dishonesty, I would regard myself as intellectually dishonest, if I am sitting here and telling you that in the next five years that WAEC will introduce CBT. I want to also stress here that my colleagues and I are key stakeholders in the assessment of candidates’ knowledge. And again, since the primary purpose of education is to prepare people for life and not merely to pass examination, those who are vast in learning theories will tell you that examinations can examine different domains of a child. There is what we call the cognitive domain, which is what you have learnt that you can put in your head. There is also what we call the affective domain that has to deal with people’s emotions and the psychomotor domain, which are the skills being used to express oneself using the hands and body. I am yet to see any education expert who will convince me that we can measure the psychomotor domain of a child using CBT. Any test that uses computer to evaluate who would be a good carpenter cannot be a valid test. I mean, any test that will use computer to evaluate who would be a good plumber cannot be valid. The examinations we conduct in WAEC take into cognisance the three domains: the cognitive domain that measures the ability to recall, to apply and other areas of knowledge one has acquired. We also use continuous assessment, which is what the teachers use to record what candidates are doing in the classroom. This contributes 30 per cent to the overall output of WAEC examinations. We also measure the psychomotor domain when we ask candidates to do practical test like in Agricultural Science and other science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology. They go to farm and the examiner supervises their actual agricultural practice. Those of them who enter for woodwork are made to carry out physical designs of whatever wo o dwo rk assignmentsthey are supposed to do

and they are evaluated on the outcome of their work. This also happens in the oral test where candidates are made to read and their pronunciation or phonetics is evaluated by experts. Yes, that to some extent can be replicated using CBT. The countries where people go to learn CBT, Netherlands, I was there few months ago even during their examinations but they have not been able to migrate 40 per cent and this is only done at the primary school level. The examination WAEC conducts covers these various domains and it stretches over three weeks apart from the content validity of limiting our examinations to mere computers. Let us ask ourselves this question, how many schools in Nigeria have the hardware or the means to buy these computers. There is also the problem of electricity. We have situations where we have schools where the students do not even have classrooms and some do not have teachers not to talk of electricity and internet connectivity. It would be intellectually dishonest of me or anybody no matter how highly placed he or she may be to announce to the Nigerian public that he or she is going full CBT in conducting a certificate examination in a nation like Nigeria. But, without sounding immodest, I beg to differ considerably. What JAMB is doing is commendable because theirs is an admission test; it is not a certification examination. If WAEC announces tomorrow that with effect from 2016 its going CBT fully, I am sure most of you would write articles condemning WAEC. WAEC cannot afford to deceive the Nigerian public. How did some state governments become indebted to the Council and why did you have to wait that long before crying out? Of course, the media were part of the story because it helped us when we cried out. You were there for us. I want to use this opportunity to commend the Nigerian media for standing out tall and bold in spite of the danger associated with the profession. I was under threat from certain quarters that what we were doing would put the country into trouble, but at the same time I was also under threat from our creditors, because we were unable to pay our creditors. I was hiding because the assumption was that we had the money but we could not pay or we did not want to pay. As the Head, I was caught in a very tight position, also my officers found themselves in similar situations, particularly the Director of Finance and we had to cry out and when we cried out there was public sympathy and people were worried how could WAEC have allowed itself to be boxed into such a corner. We are not a profit making organisation, we are a service organisation. We were established to conduct examination in the public interest and that interest is defined by the government of the day. We are responsible to the government and people of Nigeria.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, september 1, 2015

Campus

Innovation

Insurgency

KADPOLY dedicates ENACTUS victory to team spirit

My Boko Haram experience

Realstar boss admonishes youths on leadership Anita Evahama

Babcock Varsity

orried by the numerous challenges facing the youths in the country, the Founder of the Realstar Club, Mr. Matthew Ebare, has charged them to ensure efficient and effective leadership in order to build a healthy relationship. This was the thrust of the second edition of the youth forum held at the Hotel Royal, Magodo, Lagos, with the theme: “Developing Your Capacity to Lead: Self-Management Skills; Way to Stardom; Building Your Influence.” He said everyone is created to either serve as problem or a solution provider, but advised the participants to always be creative and think deeply to resolve contradictions, so as not to be seen as a burden to the society. He added: “Never place your position and title above other people and never allow the title and position to be more important to you than responsibilities. You cannot think right until you discover the joy of creative thinking.” While stressing what to think about towards building leadership influence, he gave a series of questions to participants to ponder upon: “Who am I? What are my values? What role do I want to play in the well-being of men and agenda of God? How will I influence and replace love in my generation? What should I be remembered for?”

Ebare

L-R: Okoro-Obaraye, Idiakhoa and Omokhide.

Ezekiel Efeobhokhan and David Eneye UNIBEN

bafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has shone brightest in the 2015 edition of the Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi Debate Competition, winning the coveted star prize. It defeated the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State to clinch the trophy. This is the second time the two universities would meet at the finals of the competition, which was won last year by UNIBEN. The competition was instituted by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, a Pharmacist and Managing Director of Pharmanews Limited as part of his contributions to the development of the nation’s health sector and pharmacy studies in the universities. The contest, which took place at the Banquet Hall of the University of Benin, was part of activities lined up by the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS) to celebrate this year’s edition of the Annual Pharmacy Health Week. The topics are “Should Nigeria Practice Free Education?” and “Should Euthanasia be Legalised in Nigeria?” The team representing OAU consisted of Tanwa Ani-

OAU beats UNIBEN to win Atueyi Debate contest mashaun (300-Level); Gloria Aigbola (300-Level); and Jesujoba Ojelabi (a sophomore), while the UNIBEN team was made up of Osayomore Okoro-Obaraye (500-Level); Benjamin Idiakhoa (400-Level), and Akeem Omokhide (400-Level). While the UNIBEN team argued that education could not be completely free, citing the huge budget earmarked annually to the educational sector, the OAU team also argued that it is indeed possible to run free education, considering the urgent need to ensure a high literacy rate compared with near100 per cent literacy model of countries such as Korea and Sweden. Arguing their case, the Team UNIBEN, however, countered the argument with the claim that the countries cited succeeded in the education system mainly because of their moderate population figures. “Now, imagine Nigeria with a huge population of approximately 177 million to contemplate the idea of providing free education. Where is that done?”, the team argued.

On legalisation of Euthanasia in the country, Idiakhoa, representing UNIBEN argued that the practice should be legalized in Nigeria. He opened his argument by narrating the excruciating pain terminally ill-patients pass through, saying: “Give me a hint of peace. Let me go, let me go I am tired. I cannot move my fingers, I am dying. I have lived my life. Let me go. “This was the cry of D. L. Randy, an American-based business man and a patient. But, guess what, euthanasia was not legalized in India. He then starved himself to death because he said the life he was living was no life at all. Euthanasia is a painless killing for terminally ill patients. Please legalize euthanasia for those who need it”. According to him, the best way out for D. L. Randy was for ‘mercy killing’ instead of the excruciating pain of starving himself to death. Team OAU canvassed that Nigeria was not ripe for such “obnoxious act of ‘mercy killing.’

The lead speaker, Ojelabi cited the remarkable case of Karen Quinlan of the United States, who survived after she had been removed from mechanical ventilation and even went on to live nine more years in vegetative state before her eventual death in 1985. His words: “The ethical stands of euthanasia have been a major controversy in the international community over the years. The current state of Nigeria health system is not ready for euthanasia. The current ratio of doctor to patient in Nigeria is 1:53,000, meaning that a doctor might end up attending to hundreds of patients a day. “Legalizing euthanasia would simply provide a cheap and justifiable way of correcting this anomaly. When there is no available equipment for administering treatment for disease like cancer and stroke, euthanasia becomes the only option for an average Nigerian. Also, corruption is another factor; which means the doctors could cooperate with some people who want a rich man to die in order to inherit his property.”

Media neglecting constitutional role, says NIJ provost Moses Adeyemi and Falade Tosin LASU

he Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, Mr. Gbenga Ogunleye, has insisted that the nation’s media industry has failed in its responsibility to educate the public and play its roles effectively as enshrined in

the constitution. Ogunleye, who stated this in a paper he delivered during the 60th birthday celebration of the Head of the Department of Journalism, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr. Jimi Kayode, said some media practitioners in the country are unaware of these roles. He said part of the solutions to the problems facing the country is the media and until the

ethics of the profession are upheld by the practitioners, there was no hope for redemption. Ogunleye, who paper dwelt on: “The Media and the Constitution,” said: “Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution says the press, radio, television and other means of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objective contained in this chapter, including serving as a watchdog to those in government.”

But he, however, acknowledged the distinguished qualities of the celebrant, describing him as a kind, humble and easygoing individual, who hardly gets angry. According to him, the celebrant, who is popularly called “Jimi K” by his admirers, is a professional media teacher, who has impacted greatly many lives. Another keynote speaker on the occasion and former Dean

of LASU’s School of Communication, Prof. Lai Oso, also commended Dr. Kayode for being a committed and dedicated teacher. He said: “If Dr. Jimi Kayode gets angry at you then you are finished because he hardly gets angry.” He highlighted some of the academic achievements of the celebrant, and enjoined the students to ensure they reach the height of their chosen careers.

24 Education | Campus Shadrack Yusuf RUN

inner of the 2015 edition of the annual ENACTUS Nigeria National Business Competition, the Kaduna State Polytechnic (KADPOLY) has dedicated its victory to team spirit of the club members and the management for its continued support for the programme. Speaking to journalists shortly after his team was declared winner of the keenly contested competition, the Acting Team Leader, Hammed Lynus, said it was a great thing to be crowned as the winner of a national competition for the second time within a spate of two years. He described the victory as a reward for hard work, dedication and ingenuity of the team’s members as well as the support from individuals and organisations including the polytechnic management and

TUESDAY, september 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

KADPOLY dedicates ENACTUS victory to team spirit the cooperation of the communities the team empowered through the project. He said: “After all the pains, hard work and dedication put into the project we are finally holding the trophy in our hands. It is a dream come true. Thanks to ENACTUS Nigeria Kaduna Polytechnic, and to the team members who have tried to work together to achieve this feat. We hold this victory to team work. We were focused from the onset, we knew what we wanted and the students were ready to do it.” The Enactus, being a handson leadership training programme, has gone a long way in challenging the students to become part of the solution to the numerous challenges in their host communities by

developing and strategically implementing communitybased projects that deplore innovative and business solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges in the communities. In line with this objective and support from Sahara Group, the Enactus team from Kaduna Polytechnic in 2014, innovatively used recycled materials, car alternator, bicycle wheel, and PVC pipes to construct a wind mill that generated 2,400 watts of electricity to serve the Angwanpah community - a community of 25 extended families which at the time, had never experienced public power supply in its over 50 years of existence. In 2015, under this same scheme, the Enactus team

The students with their trophy and dummy cheque.

extended the benefits of this project to another community, the Kakau community in Kaduna State. This time, the team leveraged the kinetic energy of water to create electricity; a self-sustaining and environmentally-friendly hydropower system that recycles the same amount of water over a one week period to continuously generating electricity was developed and installed in Kakau community. This was the project that beat others including an Automated and Wireless Pest Control Device developed by the team from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti which emerged the second runners-up behind the team from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State. The Kaduna Polytechnic’s team will this year represent Nigeria at the Enactus World Cup, billed for South Africa, where representatives from about 35 nations of the world will converge to slug it out to become the global champion. It would be recalled that the team from the Ekiti State University, which won the challenge last year, was unable to attend the world cup in China over the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) scare. Impressed by the quality presentations by the teams, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, commended the students for being creative, saying regardless of the verdict by the judges, all the participants were winners.

UNILAG’s best grad for Harvard post-doctoral fellowship

he management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka has sponsored the overall best PhD graduate of the institution in 2013 academic session, Dr. Hallowed Olaoluwa, to Harvard University, United States of America for a postdoctoral fellowship. Olaoluwa, who has been offered automatic employment by the university in the Mathematics Department, will be at Harvard University for one year between August this year and July 2016 under the direct supervision of a renowned Mathematician, Prof. Mark Kisin, who is reputed for his work in algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry. Born in 1989 in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR), where at the age of 14 he became the youngest student to pass the French Baccalaureate, Science (HSC or ‘A’ Levels), Olaoluwa at 15, according to a statement by the university proceeded to the University of Bangui through direct entry and graduated three years later with First Class Bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Physics. “And at 19, he obtained two Masters degrees (with Distinction) in Mathematics and Physics at the same university,” the statement added, saying upon his return to Nigeria, Olaoluwa undertook the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme at UNILAG’s Department of Mathematics, and subsequently enrolled for the PhD programme in the same department. He was said to have graduated in a record two years and ten months, and emerged the acclaimed youngest PhD holder in Mathematics in Africa at the age of 24, in 2013.

OPINION Isola Taiwo UNIMAID

“S

ome of us would have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death over and over again before we get to the mountain top of our heart desires.” Nelson Mandela. For me, the pursuit of a university degree took me to that valley. I am a Yoruba man with no knowledge of the language or lifestyle of the Northerners, but due to my desperation for a university education and the limited space available for admission seekers especially in the South-West geo-political zone of the federation, I had to look towards Maiduguri for that opportunity. I arrived at Maiduguri, one of the hotbeds of the Boko Haram sect at the wake of the insurgency. My first trip to the core northern town was by road. As the Rain forest of the South-West paved way for the Sahel Savannah of the North, the fear of the unknown gripped me. I was going to a people of strange language

My Boko Haram experience and tongue, culture and food; a people so firm in belief and rugged in disposition. But, my confidence was that God is on the throne. After a 23-hour allnight journey, I finally arrived Maiduguri. The climate was arid, the land was hot and there was heavy military presence. One Thursday night in my third year at the University of Maiduguri, I returned home around 9 pm and I was so tired that I retired to bed immediately. At exactly 12 midnight, a loud and reverberating explosion woke me up. Scared, I leaped to my feet and turned to my roommate, “What was that?” I asked, and he replied: “Explosion; and that was the fifth explosion tonight. There had been explosions since 11pm.” Cold shiver ran through my spine. It is one thing to read terrorism on the pages of newspaper; it is another thing to experience it. I sat quietly at my reading table and listened patiently as sounds of gunshots and armour tanks reverberated.

I stayed awake till 4am when the sounds of gunshots and explosions subsided. Despite the all-night explosions, our examinations scheduled for 8am that morning still held. Then, I learnt that insurgents’ attacks or explosions do not change any schedule as you are expected to adapt and survive The Maiduguri sandstorm, heat and cold are difficult experiences that shatter every prejudice and open a man up to a new reality entirely. There are days hell overflows its boundaries and its excesses spill on the earth. March 14, last year was one of such days. I was taking breakfast at around 7.50am when the first Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) ever landed on the soils of the university. I turned to my other two roommates and said, “That grenade landed right on this campus.” My second room-mate, Philip Jude screamed, “Taiwo, Idris, prepare!” We scrambled for our credentials, money and phones. As we stepped out of

the house, another grenade landed about five buildings away from our house. We almost froze. My heart leapt. We immediately positioned ourselves at various corners around the house to know the direction of the terrorists’ advance before we know which direction to flee to. While we waited for a face to face encounter with Boko Haram, the Nigerian Military fighter jets arrived and ended the tyranny of the insurgents. Time and space would fail me to tell of the occasional and sudden midnight explosions around the university community that were constant threats to the very life I live and many of my narrow escapes from death. Despite all these tough times, I excelled in my studies and made impacts through my Youth Development programs in secondary schools and orphanages in Maiduguri and other cities in Nigeria. I brought the university to limelight by representing her at

Taiwo

conferences and workshops. I won laurels in essay writing, public Speaking and through several of my social works. Few weeks ago as I walking out of Medical College as a graduate of Human Anatomy, I knew I had walked through the den of lions and I had survived. It’s not natural; it’s simply supernatural! • Isola Taiwo is a fresh graduate of the Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medical Sciences,University of Maiduguri, Borno State

Education | Campus 25

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, september 1, 2015

EKSU gets e-exam centre

Alao (right) being sworn in at the ceremony

UNILORIN Students’ Union leaders take oath Afis Odeyemi UNILORIN

igher school students, under their umbrella union, the Students’ Union, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter have elected new officers to steer the affairs of the union for the next one year. At the election, Alao Idris Ibrahim, a final year undergraduate of Law emerged the President of the union. Alao, who had previously contested for the position twice, is a former President of the institution’s Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ). In his inaugural speech, Alao reiterated his vision for the students and the university, saying: “The core focus of our campaign is: ‘Positive Change’ and this shall remain the guiding principle of our administration. The vision to pursue positive change is inspired by the message of change and hope personified by President Muhammadu Buhari in the last general election. “President Buhari’s doggedness, resilience and belief in his dream were a motivating factor for me to re-contest the office of the Students’ Union President.” Speaking on projects his administration plans to execute, the Presidentdisclosed that his administration will break new grounds and improve on the achievements of his predecessors. To him, ‘Positive Change’ is the blueprint of the proposed project of the union under his administration and the focus is to chart a new pathway in the scheme of projects that is students oriented. Besides, he noted that part of the focus of his administration is to redefine the union in order to fit into the 21st Century realities. “This administration’s agenda will centre on capital projects, human capacity development, welfare packages, probity, sporting and enthralling social events,” he insisted. Alao, who pointed out that youth occupies a prominent place in any society with zeal, energy and ideas that could lift the society to its potentials, Alao expressed readiness of his administration to concentrate more on human capacity development project aimed at

complementing efforts of the university management. Other officers elected at the election are Mashood Orire (Senate President), Imam Ummulikhaeri (Vice-President), Afuye Olubunmi (Vice-President College of Health Science), Akano Ifeoluwapo (General Secretary), Sulaiman Saidat (Assistant General Secretary), Oyekan Oluwadamiloju (Financial Secretary), Adeyemi Ademola (Public Relations Officer), Aondongusha Tersoo (Social Secretary), Abdulrasheed Mahmud (Welfare Secretary PS), Ganiyu Kehinde (Welfare Secretary College of health Science), and Kerimu Joel, who was elected as the Sport Secretary. Alao, who tasked the students to tap into the enormous opportunities abound in the university, explained that the university is serving as the cornerstone of the nation’s economy. He said: “The good image of the university is always an opportunity a student who knows his onions can tap into. The image of the university remains the spring board for attaining the zenith of your career. This is the reason we must work at all time to preserve the good image, especially as the university look forward to celebrating its 40th anniversary.” Alao, however, lauded the leadership of the university under the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali and his entire management team for providing an enabling academic environment, aimed at bringing about dynamism and visionary leadership. He extolled the commitment of the management to peace and stability on campus, which he noted serves as the foundation upon which the institution is built. Alao added: “University of Ilorin occupies the position it occupies in the Nigerian university system today as a result of peace. Development is impossible without peace. As students, we must continue to appreciate and work hard to sustain this great vision. We may not appreciate the peace we enjoy until we lose it. I pray we don’t lose it. “Today marks another watershed in the history of student’s unionism at the University of Ilorin as the baton of leadership changed hands. I am particularly grateful for mandate entrusted on me to serve a followership

of over 30,000 students in the best, most stable and peaceful university in the 21st Century.” He said his administration would be ever ready to listen to advice, suggestions, and their grievances, even as he assured them that their rights would be protected at all times. In the address delivered by the vicechancellor, he described the forum as special one which will remain memorable in the lives of the young leaders, who are handling over the mantle of leadership and those receiving it. He congratulated the new set of leaders for their victory at the pool, but also reminded them of the task ahead. ”You will soon realize that winning elections is even easier than managing thousands of your colleagues from diverse and varied backgrounds. One thing the university guards jealously is the stability of it system and that is what it expects all its stakeholders to key into. Your university is the bride of admission seekers in the country, the most admired among community of institutions and number one in many areas,” Ambali said.

he management of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, last week took delivery of the newly constructed e-Examination Centre, handed over to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladipo Aina. The 400-capacity centre, which has effective and functional wireless internet coverage, according to the university, will accommodate no fewer than 400 users at a time. Handing over the project to the vicechancellor, the representative of the contractors, Skeems Limited, Mr. Bayo Awoyemi, an architect, said that the construction project began in January 2015, with the Vice-Chancellor’s directive that the specifications should be followed and to be delivered on deadline. “The edifice is built to specifications, fitted with required electronic and computer hardwares,” Awoyemi said. The Director of the university’s ICT Directorate, Prof. Felix Aderibigbe commended the vision of the vice-chancellor, whom he said would be the first vicechancellor to conduct computer based Post-UTME screening exercise, where all resources used for the 2015/2016 post-UTME computer test were sourced within the university. Aina, in his remarks, described the centre as a major achievement of his administration, explaining that his vision to make the state university a world class institution of the 21st Century status would be a mirage if the university is not positioned as a major player on the digital highway. While conducting other principal officers of the university on inspection of the centre, the vice-chancellor said: “Ekiti State University is now ahead of many institutions following the successful conduct of the computer-based post-UTME test, which was not contracted to vendors”.

Prof. Aina, VC

Corps member trains pupils on entrepreneurship Anita Evahama Babcock Varsity

corps member undertaking the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme of the 2014 Batch C in Lagos, Yetunde Sanni, has trained no fewer than 56 pupils from public secondary schools in the state on different entrepreneurship skills. The participants, who were trained on bead making, make-up artistry, tying of headgear, catering, event decoration, Ankara craft and photograph, were drawn from seven secondary schools across Isolo Local Council Development Area. According to Sanni, the initiative was part of her passion to catch the pupils young, saying as a young entrepreneur, she is passionate to impact the younger generation.

She said: “As a young entrepreneurial, my passion propelled me to think about providing opportunity to other young people in the society as a means of giving back to the society, while I am still doing my youth service.” The corps member commended the Executive Secretary of the local government Council for the support she received so far, and thanked other individuals and corporate organisations who contributed towards making the training a worthwhile experience. According to her, the project, which cost over N350,000 had gone a long way in helping her to impact meaningfully the lives of the participants, who she said had indicated their interest to pursue their dreams wholeheartedly. On her part, the Head of Education Department at the local government, Mrs. Olajumoke Akinyemi commended the corps member for her creativity and ingenuity.

26 Education

TUESDAY, september 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Australia to partner UNIJOS in agric, mining studies Musa Pam Jos

he Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson, has expressed the readiness of the Australian Government to partner the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in the areas of Agriculture and Mining Studies. This was as he restated that the partnership would go a long way in accelerating the overall development of the institution. Richardson unfolded the plans last week at the university Senate Chamber when he visited the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hayward Babale Mafuyai and his management team. According to the High Commissioner, the visit was aim at creating a platform as entering point for cordial relationship with the Nigeria’s education sector as well as establishing a closer link and understanding with the university in terms of expanding the scope of its activities. He said there is a growing Australian interest in the Nigeria’s education sector, giving the increasing number of Nigerian students studying in Australian institutions. Richardson said: “Some Australian universities have established links with Nigerian institutions in the recent times, and it would be helpful for the relationship to be well placed in order to advance opportunities that may arise to facilitate further links with the University of Jos.” He reiterated that the visit to the univer-

sity was to further the interest of Australian Government in collaboration with the institution in the areas that are of relevance such as agriculture, mining and medical sciences, among others. The High Commissioner, however, declared that there had been a cordial working and trade relationship between Australian and Nigerian Governments in the past five 10 years, saying there is need for his home Government to assist the Nigeria’s education sector in the areas of capacity building, students’ scholarships as well as exploring development in agriculture and mining sectors. Such assistance, he noted would be in the area of research which he promised would deepen the ties and provides opportunities for development. The Vice-Chancellor, while responding said the university which was founded 40 years ago, has since its establishment been moving forward to attain the highest international standard. Mafuyai pointed out that the focus of the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is to revamp the education sector with a view to meeting international standard for greater achievement in academic excellence. The vice-chancellor, who told his visitors that the university is the centre of excellence in the areas of research, recalled that the institution recently established four faculties which are Mechanical Electronics, Mining Engineering, Veterinary Nursing and Agricultural Studies.

Mafuyai and Richardson during the visit.

Lagos, Edo qualify for Cowbellpedia quiz semi-final

s the maiden edition of Cowbellpedia TV Quiz introduced by Promasidor Nigeria Limited for the conduct of the second stage examination of the Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) entered its third episode, three states last week qualified for the semifinal of the competition. The three states, whose representatives scaled the huddles of the preliminary stage - Lagos, Edo and Cross River State, will now join the league of six states and the Federal Capital Territory at the semi-final stage of the ongoing competition. With the three states, the number of states that have qualified to proceed to the next stage of the mathematics competition, sponsored

by Promasidor Nigeria Limited, maker of Cowbell brand of milk, apart from the FCT, has risen to nine. Apart from FCT, the states that qualified in the first and second episodes of the Cowbellpedia TV Quiz are Rivers, Bayelsa, Osun, Oyo, Imo and Ondo States. Specifically, Tomiwa Oni, a 12-year old student of Hosanna High School, Ikorodu led the pack of other contestants from Sokoto, Benue, Abuja and Ogun States to secure a slot for Lagos State in the junior category of the competition. Meanwhile, Agbadudu Oghenekvwe, a 13-year old pupil of University Preparatory Secondary School, Benin, Edo State came second in that category. For the senior category,

representatives of Emilis Academy, Calabar, Cross River State and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja; Joshua Mokut and Kamaldeen Raji emerged successful respectively. Fabian Okafor of Dority International Secondary School, Aba, Abia State; Ruth Adetunji Reality High School, Oromu, Osun State; Ishamali Isika (Unical International Demonstration Secondary School, Cross River; and Chizubelum Njoku (St. Augustines College, New Karu, Nasarawa State were not so lucky to qualify for the next round. With this, a total of 12 students have qualified for the semi-final, while 24 have been evicted in the quiz competition, which is showing on 14 television stations across the country.

EDUPEACE

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

Free Friday, WAEC!

espite the fact that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has been around for several years, what appears of recent from the body took the whole nation by surprise. This is because for an organisation established in 1952, eight years before Nigeria’s independence, those who run it should understand the terrains in which they operate and should not in any way promote religious tension in the region. The point being made is that it is no longer news that WAEC recently released the timetable for its November/ December West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) for private candidates. What is puzzling, however, is that WAEC opted to “heat up the polity” through its irresponsibly insensitive scheduling of some exams for Friday afternoon. This is the period everyone knows Muslims observe their crucial religious obligations. When the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in a press release by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Lakin Akintola, took WAEC to task on fixing examination dates between 1p.m. and 3:00p.m. on Friday, the examination body chose to be clever by half in its rejoinder. Instead of saying that Friday afternoon is free, it engaged in circumlocution maintaining that contrary to MURIC’s claim that its exams hold between 1p.m. and 3p.m., it holds between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. What is the significant difference? In its said release, MURIC described the action of WAEC as “a flagrant breach of Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. It also submitted that the timetable was designed to cause chaos in Nigeria while upbraiding WAEC’s action as being “malicious, baseless, illegal and unconstitutional.” However, in its rejoinder, “Re: WAEC Timetable is an Invitation to Chaos”, signed by one Y. D. Ari on behalf of the Head of National Office, WAEC tried unsuccessfully to show that nothing is amiss. The body claimed that it has been conducting the examinations for several years now and there has never been a complaint about its timetable. According to WAEC, “the Government paper scheduled for Friday, 18th September, 2015 is from 2pm to 4pm and not 1pm to 3pm as alleged by MURIC. Furthermore, on Friday, 25th September 2015, there is no examination from 12noon to 3pm contrary to the claims of MURIC that Further Mathematics paper has been scheduled to be taking (sic) from 14hrs to 15:30 hrs. “ The summary of WAEC’s

The least of the options or Grade C is for WAEC to make the 12p.m. to 3p.m. free of examinations on Fridays rigmarole is that its exams are holding between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday 18h September 2015, 25th September 2015 and 2nd October 2015. But the snag is that such schedules are not convenient for several thousands of Muslim candidates who will be participating in the exams. Whoever gave WAEC the impression that the Jumuah service does not extend beyond 2:00p.m. was wrong. Based on the foregoing, there are three options available to WAEC in order not to prolong the needless religious controversy it has dragged itself. There are several challenges facing Nigeria as a microcosm of West Africa and indiscretion in the conduct of public examinations should not be part of them. These options are in Grade A, Grade B and Grace C categories such that a least one of them should be acceptable to the body in the interest of peace. The first option is for WAEC to free Friday of examinations entirely so that its staff and candidates who wish will be able to observe their constitutionally guaranteed religious rights on Friday. This is the Grade A option. The second option is for WAEC to conclude all its examinations every Friday that examinations will hold by 12 noon latest. The remaining period will then be meant for the observance of the religious obligations of the Muslim candidates who will be writing the paper. This is Option B. The least of the options or Grade C is for WAEC to make the 12p.m. to 3p.m. free of examinations on Fridays. There is no way that any examination conducted within that period will not affect the observance of Jumuat prayers. So, let 12:00-3:00 p.m. every Friday be free! In a multicultural and multireligious society like ours, the onus of the responsibility lies on the leadership at all levels to promote peace by not appearing to trample on the rights of others. This, unfortunately, is what WAEC appears to have failed to do. A stitch in time saves nine still.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, September 1, 2015

Energy

Electricity: Customers no longer kings

Property

Aviation

Abuja eyes 77,500sqm shopping space, others

Does Nigeria need a national carrier?

Business What's news

Ajaokuta Steel: MAN mulls partnership with local firms The Federal Government needs to partner local steel companies to revamp Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, Chairman, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja Branch, Mr. Oba Okojie, has said.

p.28

Customs generate N20.1bn from Lagos airport in six months The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated over N20.1 billion as revenue from its operations between January and July, 2015.

L-R: Group Head, Strategy and Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Shina Atilola; Renowned financial journalist from France/lead speaker, Mr. Hecker Jurgen and Managing Director/Chief Executive, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, during Sterling Bank’s training for financial journalists in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Marine contracts: Losses in refineries hit N1.27bn he contracts for marine crude supply to refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri have raised the operating loss of the facilities by N1.265 billion ($6.328 million) in two weeks, New Telegraph learnt. Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the installations, which have jacked

up the cumulative refining capacity to 226,000 barrels per stream day due to the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM), have spent more for the marine supply contracts in the last 14 days. President Muhammadu Buhari had, last week, ordered the cancellation of the contracts, but check by this newspaper revealed that the deals had already gulped $2 per barrel on the 126,000 barrels per stream day current production from Port Harcourt refineries and the 100,000 barrels psd from the Warri refinery. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had during the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan signed the contracts after the crude supply contracts

INFLATION RATE July 2015 ..................................9.2% June 2015.................................9.2% May 2015.................................9%

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

COLLAPSE

p.28

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Pipeline crude supply contracts between PPMC and refineries have collapsed

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

Adeola Yusuf

Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

between the refineries and Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) flopped. A document of the NNPC showed that over $2 is spent to transport one barrel of crude to the refineries through these marine contracts. “Pipelines of PPMC that connect the refineries to the wellheads of oil producing firms are to evacuate the NNPC’s share of the crude production and transport such to the refineries.

$452,000

Total amount spent daily to transport 226,000 barrels of crude to Port Harcourt and Warri refineries

Do not forget that these companies have Joint Ventures (JVs) arrangement with the NNPC. “However, the existing contracts between the PPMC and management of these refineries for crude supply through the pipelines have collapsed hence the fall back on marine crude supply arrangement. These new marine supply contracts have gulped more now that the productions by these refineries have increased tremendously,” a source at the Port Harcourt refinery told this newspaper. With the new arrangement, further checks showed that the three refineries - two in Port Harcourt and one in Warri, are spending an excess of $452,000 daily to transport 226,000 barCONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Rates Dashboard EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at Aug 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N208 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N327 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N235

l Foreign Reserves – $31.429bn as at 27/08/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at Aug 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N200 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N307.65 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N223.50

Business |News

CHALLENGES Expert wants govt to tackle challenges of power, insecurity, others Dayo Ayeyemi

he Federal Government needs to partner local steel companies to revamp Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, Chair man, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja Branch, Mr. Oba Okojie, has said. The call was hinged on the rate of monumental losses the country had suffered as a result of the project, which had been in comatose for over 30 years. Speaking with New Telegraph, Okojie suggested that local steel companies must be engaged by government as core investors in order to resuscitate the company. He noted that some local steel companies have been doing well on their own by producing steel, though in small quantities, for various usage in the country. Instead of relying on a foreign company from Rusia, he stated that local steel companies could be brought together to invest in the project and run the Ajaokuta Steel company without any interference. He said that the local steel companies would see the project as their own and show commitment to make it succeed. Okojie blamed the moribund state of Ajaokuta Steel on mismanagement, lack of capacity and lip service to duty by government workers. Experts have expressed displease over Ajaokuta Steel Company, which has

TUESDAY, September 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ajaokuta Steel: MAN mulls partnership with local firms consumed over $5 billion in the past three decades and required just about $650 million to be completed. It has reached about 98 per cent technical completion before work was stopped on it in 1992. The rate of asset depreciation at Ajaokuta Steel Company after 32 years of inactivity has resulted in monumental losses to the nation despite the multi-billion dollar investments. While many steel experts fa-

rels per day. Meanwhile, NNPC shut down the Warri Refineries due to operational challenges resulting from crude supply to the facility. Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, disclosed this. He noted, however, that the refinery is due to be reopened for operations tomorrow. “They are supposed to have at least a 25-day sufficiency in the supply of crude. So, because of the depletion in the volume of crude, they have had to temporarily shut down. “It was shut down on Monday. This is a temporary measure and it should be up and running by Tuesday,” Alegbe said. The NNPC had, a few days ago, stated that after proper evaluation and in line with the terms of contract for the delivery of crude oil to the nation’s refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, the Corporation had cancelled the current contract

cal abilities by manufacturing steels, hence government needs to partner them. Okojie urged government to look inward by making these indigenous steel companies technical partners in order to resuscitate Ajaokuta Steel Company. He said: “All local steel companies should be called as core investors; government must give them the necessary support to succeed. Let them have 70 per cent stake and give gov-

ernment 30 per cent. “There is no need for inviting Rusian investors. The indigenous companies will tackle the problem since the nation has iron ore very close to Ajaokuta,” he said. Okojie said that the future of manufacturing in the country would have been bright if government could solve the problems of power shortage, insecurity, ban on importation of foreign goods and porous borders.

L-R: Managing Director, ARM Life Plc, Mr. Teju Ogunjimi; Chairman, Mr. Dapo Oshinusi; Company Secretary, ARM Trustees Limited, Ms. Adaobi Eze and Non-Executive Director, ARM Life Plc, Dr. Oladimeji Alo, during the 17th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos.

Losses in refineries hit N1.27bn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

voured genuine privatisation of the project for total turnaround, others argued that the plant must first be reactivated. The experts were worried that the losses being incurred by the nation at Ajaokuta Steel Company was too much than could be easily estimated in monetary terms. The MAN boss, Okojie, pointed out that most of the management of private steel companies in the country have demonstrated enough techni-

due to exorbitant cost and inappropriate process of engagement. The NNPC had stated that this measure was aimed at reducing cost and strengthening the operational efficiency across its value chain. As a stop-gap measure, the NNPC said that it had engaged NIDAS Marine Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC, to provide crude delivery service on negotiated industry standard rate pending the establishment of substantive contract. NNPC explained that it resorted to delivering crude oil to the refineries by marine vessels following incessant attacks on the BonnyPort Harcourt refinery pipeline and the Escravos crude pipelines by vandals and oil thieves. “We have also commenced a rigorous and transparent process of securing capable and competitive contractors for the delivery of crude oil by marine vessels to Port Harcourt and Warri/Kaduna Refineries pending the restoration of the crude pipeline infrastructure,” the corporation added.

Customs generate N20.1bn from Lagos airport in six months CLARIFICATION

Import duty is supposed to be paid for merchandise accompanying inward bound passengers Wole Shadare

he Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated over N20.1 billion as revenue from its operations between January and July, 2015. Besides, the public relations officer of the Lagos Airport Command, Thelma Williams, told New Telegraph that over N5.209 billion was collected in July – the highest revenue collected by the airport unit since its formation. Williams said that First Bank Nigeria Plc had been designated as the bank for the collection of import duty,

which is processed using the Passenger Electronic Baggage Entry System ( PEBES) . The duty payable, she said, is calculated based on the tendered invoice value of some items. Williams said that over N179,326,833.00 million was collected by the Command at the international wing of the Lagos airport between January and July 2015 as revenue accruals on informal trade alone. The amount, she said, would have been lost save for the devotion and eagle eyes of Customs officers deployed at the arrival halls of the airport. She said that the huge revenue capture was achieved as evidence of the diligence and hard work of officers and men of the command in the period under review. The stride by the Airport Customs Command, Williams said, would be sustained with the cooperation of stakeholders in the aviation and allied sector. She urged industry players to partner with Customs to

achieve its goal of trade facilitation and revenue generation for the nation. Williams clarified that where invoices are not available for this collection, passengers are referred to the valuation unit where imports are assessed using valid data in the system. Her words: “ Recent events at the arrival and departure halls of the MMIA , Ikeja, Lagos has made it necessary to clarify issues related to the operational modalities of officers posted to the arrival and departure halls with particular focus on methods of processing payment for merchandise in baggage, defined as merchandise accompanying inward bound passengers for which import duty is supposed to be paid. Also, passengers are statutorily required to make declaration of all cash in excess of $10,000, both at points of entry and exit. She said: “The Customs Service implores travelers to be patient and honest during routine checks and questioning.”

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, September 1, 2015

Nigeria, others struggle as oil weakens p.30

Despite the pact between the Senate and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over estimated billing, electricity consumers in Nigeria are still at the receiving end, writes Adeola Yusuf

Energy Electricity: Customers no longer kings

he NERC on August 22, yielded to the query by the Senate over estimated billing and fixed charges bedeviling electricity consumers in Nigeria. The electricity sector’s regulator had earlier rescinded the order given to it by the upper legislative chamber to end fixed charges. Speaking with reporters at the Commission’s headquarters, its Chairman/Chief Executive, Dr. Sam Amadi, said that NERC received response to seven queries from the Senate. The interrogations had to do with the complaints by electricity consumers on the fixed charge, bulk metering of customers and estimated billing. Earlier, talks on the scrapping of fixed charges between NERC and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), whose members form the bulk of electricity consumers, had deadlocked. Customers pay N750 monthly as fixed charge to the distribution companies whether or not they had electricity supply. The stalemate NERC’s insistence that consumers must continue to pay fixed charges in line with the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) drew the ire of manufacturers. To NERC, the MYTO was scientifically determined bearing in mind all the variables involved in the production and distribution of power. But the organised private sector (OPS) vehemently opposed the proposition. MAN contended that it cannot afford to continue to pay fixed charges for electricity, which it hardly access for its operations. To MAN, the payment of fixed charges is arbitrary and killing. Consequently, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)’s Director-General, Muda Yusuf, said that manufacturers are putting in place measures aimed at strengthening advocacy on the issue by taking the matter to the Presidency, the National Assembly, Civil Liberties Organisations (CLO) and other pressure groups that would help them in achieving their goals. The chamber had earlier met with NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, on the need to scrap fixed charges. The OPS had, at various fora, appealed to NERC to scrap fixed charges, but regretted that no agreement had been reached. Yusuf said that issues such as the scrapping of fixed charges, assisting manufacturers to own

Elecricity metres . Inset: Amadi

power plants, either separately or as a group, by providing effective operational framework in the industry, had come up between MAN and NERC on several occasions. He added that the discussions have come to a head because neither NERC, MAN nor LCCI was ready to let go. Yusuf said: “In advocacy, one needs to explore all the available options to achieve the desired results. What matters most is the end, not the means to the end. From all indications, the two parties involved in the issue are not ready to shift grounds. While NERC is not willing to change the regulatory frameworks by removing fixed charges, MAN and other relevant bodies are not ready to stop agitating for things that would benefit them. ‘’MAN has agreed to use opportunities at its disposal to press home its demand. If MAN and other relevant institutions have complained to NERC on the issue of scrapping fixed charges without getting the desired results, we (MAN and LCCI) will sustain our advocacy by meeting agencies that, by law, are stronger in outlook.’’ NERC, however, said in a reaction to LCCI’s protest, that it was not ready to cancel fixed charges. Its boss, Amadi, said that the agency was committed to the provision of enabling environment for power generation companies (GENCOs), distribution companies (DISCOs) and other operators within the electricity value chain. Senate’s intervention Disturbed by complaints of

Estimation should only be applicable in situations where residential meters are not provided to customers

electricity consumers across the country, the Senate, on August 11, directed NERC to halt community metering and the monthly N750 fixed charge on electricity bill to consumers. The Senate took this decision following a motion brought to its floor by the former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North) and co-sponsored by Senator David Umaru (Niger East). While considering the motion, the Senate argued that a consumer has the right to elect to be part of the bulk metering scheme that is being implemented by the DISCOs or not. Consequently, the Senate directed NERC to urge DISCOs to discontinue the practice of compulsory bulk metering of villages and communities in the rural areas. It also urged NERC to inquire into the numerous consumers’ complaints before it in line with the provisions of Section 74(1)(b) of the Power Sector Reform Act (PSRA). It called on the power regulatory agency and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to sensitise electricity consumers on the remedies available to them in the event of inefficient services by the DISCOs. The upper chamber also directed NERC to make a regulation to mandate the DISCOs to discontinue the practice of making consumers pay for meters, poles and transformers, which by law are properties of the DISCOs. While leading debate on the motion, Egwu argued that where the consumers purchased those items, they should give notice of the purchase to the DISCOs and be

entitled to recover their expenses from subsequent consumption of electricity. Speaking further on the motion entitled: “Unfair trade practices of electricity distribution companies in Nigeria,” Egwu lamented that Nigerians had been short-changed by the DISCOs for too long as a result of their sharp practices. He said: “The distribution companies, since the takeover of their operations, have been ripping-off consumers through (the) fixed charges and bulk metering across the country. “Some areas in the country are still billed through the estimated billing system, which doesn’t make provisions for payment of only electricity that is consumed, even though bills are dished out without commensurate services being offered by the distribution companies. “Despite all efforts by government, however, there has been constant arbitrariness, whereby electricity consumers are charged extortionate fixed rates based on the use of the billed meters installed by the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). “With the present economic situation in Nigeria, a lot of Nigerians (particularly the downtrodden) would not be able to access one of the very basic needs of life (electricity). This billing system is also capable of ruining the economic power of most small scale businesses that requires electricity to function. “Even those (Nigerians) that have these prepaid meters are beCONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Business | Energy

FRAGILE FIVE OPEC’s most vulnerable members are Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and Venezuela Adeola Yusuf

TUESDAY, September 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria, others struggle as oil weakens below $50

and model as being a six- or would maintain output to de- ing output from US shale wells Saudi strategy was when priche struggle by Nigeria 12-month view. In the long-run, fend its position in the market. eclipsed gains in fuel demand. es rallied to $60 and looked like Yet the steep slide in Brent, they’d stay there, because other and other members of what you’re going to see is lowThat decision has been the Organisation of er non-OPEC supply, higher de- tested by the collapse in crude, which traded near $47 last Fri- producers can learn to live with Petroleum Exporting mand and greater market share which has since dropped more day after recovering to more it,” said Paul Horsnell, head of Countries (OPEC) to snatch for them.” than 40 per cent amid a global than $60 in May, could prove commodities research at Stanbeneficial to the 12-member dard Chartered Plc. “For that The OPEC in November supply glut. market share from rival oil proOPEC’s share of the world group as higher-cost competi- strategy to work, it needed a ducers might look like a costly 2014 diverged from its traditionfurther severe downward corfailure, as prices languish below al policy of adjusting supply to oil market dwindled to the low- tors struggle. manage prices, announcing it est in a decade last year, as surg“The worst thing for the rection in prices.” $50 a barrel. Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter, which depends largely on crude proceeds to service over 85 per cent of its budget, has been at the fore front of efforts to stabilise prices of oil since commodity began its free fall from $115 per barrel during the last quarter of 2014. Supplies outside OPEC are expected to contract in 2016 for the first time since 2008, sliding by 200,000 barrels a day, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). With consumption set to grow by 1.4 million barrels a day, OPEC and its de facto leader Saudi Arabia could seize the chance to broaden their market, as competitors damaged by the price slump fall off. “To declare their policy a failure is a pretty big leap,” said Greg Sharenow, who manages $15 billion as executive vice president of Pacific Investment Management L-R: Director, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Friday Ebojoh; Vice Chairman, Mr Tony Aletor; Managing Director, Mr. Eddie Efekoha and Chairman, Ugo, Dr. Co. “I don’t think you could view Obi Ralph Ekezie, during the 20th Annual General meeting of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, in Lagos. Saudi and OPEC’s business plan

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

ing billed a fixed rate of about N700 per month on these meters (whether or not they consume electricity). What is the purpose of this fixed rate? Why is this so? What is the rationale behind it? “By the avalanche of complaints by electricity consumers about the unwholesome practices of the DISCOs, which fall short of standards established by the NERC and do not also meet up to global best practices, the distribution companies have failed to discharge their contractual obligations to the Nigerian public.” Besides, Egwu explained that the arbitrary charges of electricity bills by the Discos was because they were struggling to meet a set target. In their contributions, Senators Mohammed Danjuma Goje, Ben Bruce, Nelson Effiong, Chuka Utazi, Mohammed Salami, Francis Alimikhena and Shittu Mohammed Ubali, supported the motion. In his remarks, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said: “This is a very important topic. The people have not seen any benefits from this privatisation exercise. If they need to be reversed, they must be re-

Customers no longer kings versed in the interest of Nigerians. The period of impunity is over.” Protests galore Also, MAN’s DirectorGeneral, Remi Ogunmefun, said that the issue of tariff increase is of great importance to the manufacturers because it forms a major part of their production cost. Also, Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, MAN, Reginald Odiah, said that manufacturers are aware of the problems, which poor electricity supply posed to the sector and the economy, and had taken precautionary methods to safeguard their investments. He said that companies have resolved to build their own power plants to prevent production hitches and stay afloat of competition. Odiah said that the cost of electricity differs from one company to another, arguing that many operators had either wound up operation or relocated to neighbouring countries, such as Ghana and Cote de’ Ivoire, where they hope to enjoy a comparative advantage. He said: “Problems such as huge tariff and poor electricity supply,

among others, made companies to build their own power plants to take care of companies in the OgunLagos axis to improve production of goods and further help in growing the economy,’’ he said. The Status quo Notwithstanding the media hype that greeted the latest reaction of NERC to protests by the Senate and individuals, the commission has not scrapped the fixed charges. A letter addressed to the Senate by NERC chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, only stated: “The commission agrees with the Senate’s position on the need to eliminate the practice of bulk billing residential customers and replace the practice with individual metering and billing.” The Commission said: “It is important to state that the commission had previously abolished bulk billing in its ruling on the VGC Case CASE NO: NERC/H/03/07 (copy attached). This case was brought by a customer against the VGC Estate Management.” Amadi added that NERC would ensure that whatever DISCOs proposed, its approval

was fair, reasonable and meant to improve the quality of power supply to consumers. Fixed charge Nevertheless, fixed charges have come to stay. Consumers who had earlier rejoiced to the erroneous reportage of some media organisation that NERC had scrapped fixed charges, should listen to Dr. Amadi. He said: “In recognition of the negative impact of the fixed charge, the Commission has held several public consultations to ascertain a measure that will guarantee financial viability in the industry and not expose consumers to paying for electricity not consumed. Based on the intervention of the Commission, the distribution companies have agreed to find a way to restructure the fixed charge such that a consumer who does not receive electricity supply does not pay the fixed charge. “This remodelling of the fixed charge will be part of the on-going tariff review process being conducted by the distribution companies. NERC will continue to ensure that whatever model is

presented for its approval is fair and reasonable, and ensures the survival of the new electricity market and improves quality of supply to consumers.” Operation ‘meter all’ Besides, Amadi stated that the decision of the Commission stipulated that every customer is expected to be metered individually, irrespective of the status of supply coming into the area, and the class of billing should be on R2 or as appropriately determined by DISCO. He disclosed that the commission had provided a leeway for the application of estimated billing, saying that estimation should only be applicable in situations where residential meters are not provided to customers. He said that communities placed on bulk billing arrangement should immediately reject it and demand individual meters. The NERC chairman said: “The Commission is in the process of completing public consultation on a proposal to cap the amount an unmetered customer can pay until he or she is metered. The proposal will also commit distribution companies to

strict deadline for metering of all its customers. “In the interim, the commission has abolished connection of new customers without meters.” With the submission of the NERC boss, customers are still at the mercy of the distribution companies over fixed charges and estimated billing. The submission by Amadi that the “Commission has abolished connection of new customers without meters,” serves no purpose to old customers - many of who are battling with ‘crazy billing’ and fixed charges. Conclusion The Senate needs to look at the substance of Amadi’s submission. Nothing has really happened to the order given by the former that the latter should abolish ‘crazy billing’ and fixed charges. While NERC’s intervention of is commendable, the commission needs to go a step further by hitting the nail on the head. It should address the issue of ‘crazy billing’ and fixed charges to customers. The DISCOs, which invested heavily should be protected but not at the detriment of the poor customers.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Property&Environment Abuja eyes 77,500sqm shopping space, others Despite Nigeria’s economic downturn, as promoters of the N560 billion World Trade Centre (WTC) are set to deliver the first phase of the project in December 2015. DAYO AYEYEMI reports

s investors await the policy direction of President Mohammadu Buhari’s government, others have taken progressive steps, which have boosted the Abuja property market with over 77,500 square metres retail and office spaces between December 2015 and 2017. Top among these investors is the developer of the N156 billion Abuja’s World Trade Centre (WTC) with 40,000 shopping space, followed by the promoters of Jabi Lake Mall with 26,000sqm and Asokoro Mall with 30,000sqm retail and shopping spaces respectively. While the first phase of WTC Abuja, a 37-floor project is set to be delivered by December 2015 and Jabi lake Mall in December 2015, others have picked 2017 deadline for the completion of their projects. However, with the coming of the WTC, 40,000-metre square shopping space and 400 upscale suites will be added to Abuja property market. WTC complex Flagged off in July 2011 with 2013 as completion date, a new completion date of December 2015 by the promoters of WTC has raised the hope of stakeholders in the project. The first phase, according to spokesperson of the group, Mr. Femi Awopetu, comprised the residential and commercial towers, which have been structured to have 37 floors, excluding the ground floor. The towers, he said, would feature a multi-use complex comprising luxury high-rise office and residential apartments, international conference facilities, entertainment facilities and a shopping mall comparable to the best anywhere in the world. He, therefore, called on would-be investors to buy into the project, which he said would further boost Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. The project, which seats on a 6,102 hectares of land along Constitution Avenue in the Central Business Area of Abuja, has as developer, First Continental Properties Limited, a subsidiary of Churchgate Group.

Experts’ view Observers noted that as the first phase of the World Trade Centre (WTC) towers nears completion, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, would witness increased inflow of the much sought after Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from over 150 membercountries of the organisation. They said that the project would give a unique opportunity for occupants and tenants within the Abuja WTC to become a member of the World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) Club and enjoy all the benefits that comes with it. Vice Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB),

Abuja chapter, Oghagha James, described the WTC Abuja as a 21st century development that will be an envy to other African countries. He urged government and the private sector to support builders and other relevant stakeholders in delivering quality housing that addresses the needs of the nation. Managing Director of Churchgate Group, Mr. Vinay Mahtani, gave assurrance that when the complex is completed, it would compete with similar WTC complex anywhere in the world. Mahtani said: “The World Trade Centre Abuja master plan provides residential

apartments, AAA commercial offices, a 5-star hotel and the Capital Mall and will rank among the landmark destinations of Africa. “The residential tower features elegant one to six-bedroom floor plans, with spacious balconies, concierge services, security, underground parking, tennis and squash courts, swimming pools and a fitness centre, among others,” he said. WTC Association The World Trade Centres Association, headquartered in New York City, is the umbrella organisation for over 330 World Trade Centres in over 100 countries. The association

stands outside politics across national boundaries, in service to those who develop and facilitate international trade. It stimulates trade and investment opportunities for commercial property developers, economic development agencies and international businesses looking to connect globally and prosper locally. Established in 1995, WTO membership means that the nation automatically receives the Most Favoured Nation status. Members enjoy lower trade barriers with each other, which allows for larger market for their goods, leading to greater sales, more jobs and faster economic growth.

Model of World Trade Centre in Abuja

Builders decry underfunding of regulators APATHY Experts lament low participation of women in building profession

Dayo Ayeyemi

he Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), the umbrella body for builders in the country, has blamed low performance of professional regulatory bodies in the country on their underfunding by government. Insufficient funding of these bodies, NIOB said, has impinged on the effective discharge of their duties. Some of the professional regulatory bodies in the built environment include Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN),

Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Surveyors Registration Council of Nigeria (SURCON) and Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVRBON). Third Vice president of NIOB, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, said that he could not specify the level of subvention these regulatory bodies got yearly from government, but noted that the subventions have been drastically reduced. In a communiqué issued at the end of the 45th builders conference/annual general meeting held in Ibadan and signed by NIOB’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Akoji Abalaka, the professionals lamented

the wide gaps in efficiency of existing national polices and institutions of skills development in the country. The noted that the existing facilities for effective skills acquisition training in the country were grossly inadequate and poorly maintained. They also expressed worries about the current neglect or abandonment of Teachers Industrial Work Experience Scheme (TIWES)/Staff Industrial Training Scheme (SITS), saying that the neglect has contributed to skills gap in the industry. The experts insisted that to bridge the gap, Teachers Industrial Work Experience Schemes/Staff Industrial Training Schemes should be re-introduced, promoted and strengthened. They also want government to consolidate the role given to NIOB as an award-

ing body under the National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE). The communiqué read: “Builders should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities under the NVQF in order to add value to the scope of their practice as well as contribute to nation’s building.” The forum of builders tasked CORBON to place more emphasis on hands-on training facilities in all training schools to provide practical experience. It noted that women have not been insufficiently involved in training as artisans and in the practice of the building profession and called on government and all stakeholders to encourage the participation of women in the building profession at all levels.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Aviation Does Nigeria need a national carrier? The debate is on and opinions are divided on whether Nigeria should have a national airline or not, writes WOLE SHADARE

ect that was doomed to fail even before its takeoff. She also experimented with other ideas of having three national flag carriers that would be owned by all Nigerians, run and managed efficiently by professionals to get the commercial and economic benefits from it, if the market potentials of the country were well harnessed. She equally failed woefully to achieve her aim until she was sacked from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet.

he search for a national carrier is gathering momentum. One of the campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari is to set up a national airline for the country. His party, All Progressives Congress (APC) ran with that promise. Few months into his administration, the President directed the Ministry of Aviation to come up with modalities for the floating of an airline that would represent the yearnings and travelling needs of travellers. The momentum Sequel to the directive, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello, Monday last week, inaugurated a 12-man Ministerial Committee on the establishment of a national carrier. The committee was headed by former Managing Director of Discovery Airlines, Capt. Mohammed Abdulsalam with the legal adviser of FAAN, Uche Isichei, serving as secretary. Bello stated that the establishment of a national carrier is not only justified by economic considerations, but also for strategic national interest, national pride and job creation potential. She urged the committee to work with the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) on the debt profile of domestic airlines and make its recommendations. The permanent secretary also charged the committee to review previous reports of consultants while examining the report on the defunct Nigeria Airways and other failed private airlines. It advised that the committee to consult stakeholders in the aviation sector with a view to fashioning a national carrier based on the Public Private Partnership (PPP). This clearly shows that the government is desirous of a national airline for the country and there seems to be no going back on the project, which many argue would help to reposition the nation’s aviation industry. The big question But the question is; does Nigeria really need a national carrier at a time the country’s domestic airlines are still struggling out of the slump? The economic collapse of several indigenous airlines and

Challenges The initiative of designating private airlines seems not to have achieved the purpose of a national carrier. A number of reasons account for this. For instance, lack of adequate funding remains a major constraint for airlines, making operational efficiency impossible for them. This is also the situation for state-funded airlines. Examples abound. There are many of them that are struggling in spite government’s support for them.

Nigerian airlines designated on international routes

wobbly finances of many existing ones again re-emphasise the need for a national carrier. Foreign airlines open access Foreign national carriers have found the Nigerian route a veritable source of revenue because of the huge passenger traffic. Airlines such as Royal Dutch KLM, Emirates Airline, Qatar, Ethiopian Airways, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airline (another British airline), Delta Airline, and South African Airways among others, are exploiting the huge potential of the aviation market. The liquidation of the Nigeria Airways opened the door for these airlines to come in. The Nigeria Airways went into extinction because of mismanagement, inefficiency, corruption and greed. Since then, the country’s airline industry has been on a steady decline. This, perhaps, among other factors, led to the clamour for the re-establishment of a national carrier. The apprehension Many are wont to ask if a new national airline would not experience similar fate that befell Nigeria Airways. For the promoters of national airline, the reasons appear quite compelling considering that both national pride and economics are at stake. The absence of a national carrier has resulted in the designation of some privately-owned indigenous airlines as ‘flag carriers’, which allows them to benefit from Bilateral Air Services Agreement

(BASA) and other international aviation agreements and policies.

Does Nigeria really need a national carrier at a time the country’s domestic airlines are still struggling out of the slump?

Failed designated carriers These airlines included Bellview, Arik Air, Virgin Nigeria, and Air Nigeria. Sadly, of these four airlines, only Arik Air is still operating. Bellview after its 2005 air crash in Lisa village, Ifo, Ogun state, has not been able to continue in business. Virgin Nigeria, an airline formed in partnership with British business mogul, Richard Branson, has become history, as a result of Federal Government’s policy reversals. Air Nigeria, coming from the ashes of the defunct Virgin Atlantic, had ceased operations few months after the business mogul, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, acquired it. Ibrahim, while announcing the stoppage of the airline’s operation, had promised to return the airline as a more viable entity in nine months. However, four years after, Air Nigeria is yet to return to the skies. Oduah’s many tryouts The argument has, however, been that existing domestic airlines should be strengthened and made national flag carriers, instead of the government establishing any airline under any form or guise. This initiative of designating private airlines seems not to have achieved the purpose of a national carrier. Former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah tried it and got her fingers burnt when she tried to transform Aero into Nigerian Eagle Airlines; a proj-

Expert’s position Chairman, Arik Air, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide had in an interview he granted a national newspaper made a case for privately owned airlines to be designated as flag carriers instead of government pumping scarce resources into a project he said many countries around the world are doing away with. He stated that as far as he was concerned, Nigeria needs flag carrier, not national carrier simply. This he said was because nations are doing away with national carrier. He cited the case of Air Lingus of Ireland he claimed was sold recently. His words, “The Irish people were very happy, although they were emotional about it but they said their government would no longer pump money into the airline. “But you find that Ryanair and other privately owned airlines are doing very well. Government has so many things to do with its lean resources and these include healthcare, education, provision of infrastructure; so Irish government looked at the airline and preserved its technical side like the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and its leasing concern. The airline has one of the biggest aircraft leasing companies in the world”. Conclusion Although most countries are doing away with the idea of national carrier, the development in Nigerian calls for a national carrier that will be supported and entrenched to compete favourably for the huge passenger market. It is only when such an airline is up and running that the government can divest its stake.

Business | Aviation

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Weakness in some emerging markets could dampen growth

Stories by Wole Shadare

irline share prices rose 4 per cent in July compared to June, outperforming the broader market according to the International Air Transport (IATA), the clearing house for global carriers. The association however,

Global airlines see 4% rise in share prices in July – IATA said that airline share prices were in decline throughout Q2 as a result of investor profit-taking, particularly in the United States, as well as the strength of the US dollar, which was placing upward pressure on US-dollar denominated costs for non-US airlines. The July rally in airline shares was buoyed by a fall

in fuel prices as well as the release of strong profit results for Q2 2015 in all major regions. Initial second quarter financial results show strong profit improvement in all major regions. A sample of 25 airlines showed that the industry financial performance improved significantly on the

year ago period at the operating and net profit level. The increase was driven by North American airlines, where consolidation and lower fuel costs had resulted in a significant boost to profitability. Airlines in Asia Pacific and Europe also showed gains on a year ago, supported by cost cutting measures as well as easing fuel cost pressure. IATA in the statement, noted that crude oil prices fell below $50/bbl in January, the lowest price seen for the past six years. It added that since then, there had been two small rallies while the most recent was a 15 per cent increase in May compared with the prior low in March. It said July saw further decline in oil prices, by 5 per cent compared to June. Crude oil prices are now $53/bbl, or 54 per cent down on the 2014 mid-year high. The recent weakness reflects expectations of supply increases from Iran

and the US. IATA declared that US passenger yields had been in decline since the start of 2015. In May, US passenger yields were down 5 per cent year-on-year. The weakness in yields likely reflects downward pressure from earlier declines in fuel related costs and stronger growth in capacity relative to demand. It added that globally, air transport volumes moderated in June, but the trend was robust so far this year. Weakness in some emerging markets, including China, could dampen the strong rate of growth in air travel seen during the recent past, it added. But the decline in oil prices should help support economic activity overall and sustain robust demand for air travel. Airfreight volumes fell by 0.4 per cent in June compared to May, further entrenching the weakness that had been developing in 2015.

AIR RAGE Kenya Airways posts $290m annual loss

Gulf carriers, adding that competition from within the continent was also a factor, with Ethiopian Airlines becoming a major regional rival. Losses were forecast, but these were “much worse that they were expected to be”, African Aerospace magazine editor Alan Peaford said. Tourism numbers are down because of the attacks in Kenya by Somalia-based militants al-Shabab, he added, but Kenya Airways has also been late in responding to the challenge of Ethiopian Airlines. Kenya Airways moved to upgrade its aeroplanes ordering its first Boeing 787 Dreamliners in 2013, some two years

after Ethiopian Airlines. But, the timing was unfortunate as it coincided with the tourism slump and the “growth of the fleet was not matched by revenue growth,” the airline’s Mr. Mbuga acknowledged. As a state-owned company Ethiopian Airlines does not publicly declare its profits or losses, making it hard to draw a financial comparison between the two airlines. Kenya Airways has also been hit by insuring itself against fuel price rises at exactly the time when prices have been falling. The airline is now looking for a $200 million loan to help it through this period.

Arik, Ireland in talks on trade mission he Irish Embassy in Nigeria ed that the trade mission to on global markets. T and Enterprise Ireland are Nigeria is expected to be one Trade Mission Representaseeking to partner with Arik of the largest in recent times tive in Nigeria, Thessa BrongAir on the Irish Trade Mission to Nigeria in December 2015. This came to light during last week, when Sean Hoy, Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, led a team of Enterprise Ireland officials to Arik Aviation Centre at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on an official visit. Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in markets around the world. The Irish Ambassador stat-

and there would be a lot of interest in the aviation sector, which has about 250 aviation companies in Ireland. He said that the Irish Embassy in Nigeria is committed to improving trade relations between Nigeria and Ireland. Head of Africa Region, Enterprise Ireland, Fred Klinkenberg, who was in the team, said the organisation works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales

Wole Shadare

Cracks on Abuja airport runway

MMA 2 terminal rated as best airport terminal in Nigeria

enya Airways has announced its biggest ever-annual loss, partly blaming the $290milion (£188million) shortfall on a decline in Kenya’s tourism sector. This is as the airline seeks the sum of $200million loan to help it through the difficult period. The airline stated that it incurred the massive loss due to competition and travel advisories warning about terror threats in certain areas by some governments across the world. Finance Director of the airline, Mr. Alex Mbugua told investors that the airline had been hit by competition from

WITH

GROWTH

ers Bagu, said that Arik Air is the airline of choice. He disclosed that Arik would be the official carrier to move the trade mission between Accra, Abuja and Lagos. Meanwhile, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, Chairman of Arik Air, who led the management team of the airline to receive the visitors, disclosed that Arik would be interested in flying the Lagos-Dublin route if there is enough traffic between the two countries.

he Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport’s runway is in need of some attention. It shows the jigsaw-puzzle cracking network that is typical of the entire runway, which is a matter of concern for travellers, pilots and other users of the facility. Few years ago, the airport was closed for maintenance to enable engineers to fill some pot holes that were becoming threat to aircraft, pilots and passengers. While the pot holes may have been closed, the cracks on the runway, which is very noticeable during taxiing or landing make air travel very scary. A peep from aircraft window reveals the over use of the sole runway that has not undergone rehabilitation more than 30 years after it was laid. Experts told New Telegraph that the existing runway was built in 1981. The lifespan of the runway was 20 years. It has exceeded its lifespan by 14 years. In 2013, a Saudi Arabian cargo aircraft was damaged when it taxied though a section of the runway under construction and it led to the closure of the airport for almost 24 hours impacting on passengers and airlines. Pavements are normally designed for a mix of traffic and a defined life. For flexible pavements, the functional life is usually 12 - 15 years before major pavement maintenance is required. The true life expectancy of a pavement is a direct func-

tion of, environmental factors, quality of pavement material; traffic distribution, number of operations/repetitions of aircraft loading, aircraft characteristics - weight, tyre pressure, wheel configuration; and overload operations. The strength rating of airport pavements is commonly thought of in terms of conventional structural concepts in which limiting loads are determined based on ultimate strength or failure criteria. The bad state of the runway has re-enforced call by stakeholders for the Federal Government to speed up on constructing a second runway for the airport considering the importance of the aerodrome to the country. The plan to have a second runway for Abuja was put on hold in 2010 when it was discovered by the House of Representatives that the cost was inflated to N64billion. PW, a construction company was said to have quoted N32 billion but eventually the job was given out at N64 billion to Julius Berger. The former Nigerian President, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was said to have decided to cancel the project while he was in France and after meeting with the Contractor, Julius Berger, due to so much pressure from the House and severe criticisms from the media. The project was desirable but the entire project sum was said to be outrageous.

Photo | News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh; Managing Director, Lubcon Limited, Mr. Taiye Williams; Executive Director Business Development, Lubcon Limited, Mr. Mohammed Umoru and General Manager, Commercial, Mr. Ben Chukwu, during the presentation of the 2015 National Productivity Order of Merit Award in Abuja.

L-R: Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development, Michael T. Harvey; Acting Consul General, United States Consulate General, Dehab Ghebreab; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute; and a representative of the Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDs, Professor John Idoko, at the groundbreaking ceremony to kick-start the construction of the Warehouse-in-a-box project, in Lagos.

L-R: Academy Secretary, Biological Science, Prof. Temitayo Sokunbi; President, Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) , Prof. Oyewale Tomori; Academy Secretary, Physical Sciences, Prof. Domingo Okorie and Guest Speaker, Dr. Ibilola Amao, at a roundtable meeting with media representatives, in Lagos.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: Assistant Director, Nursing Services Lagos State Health Service Commission, Ms. Amimashaun Olaide; Category Manager, Nestle Nutrition Nestle Nigeria, Dr. Rizwan Yousuf; Premier Specialist, Medical Centre, Lagos, Dr. Omotunde Ogunlaja; Guest Speaker, Prof. Christy Okoromah and Consultant, MSCH, Dr. Cecilia Abimbola, at the Nestle Nutrition Scientific Symposium on why Protein Matters most by Nestle in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Hajj Commission (NAHCOM), Alhaji Abdullahi Muktar; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. John-Kennedy Opara and Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja.

L-R: Wife of the Anglican Bishop of Minna Diocese, Mrs. Alice Yisa, Bishop of Minna, Rt. Revd. Daniel Abubakar Yisa and Chairman, 25 years Anniversary Planning Committee, Mr. Abraham Ndana Yisa, at a press conference to mark the Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter Minna. PHOTO: DAN ATORI

L-R: Church Administrator, Royal House of Faith Ministries, Rev. Ude Agwu; General Overseer, Prophet James Bassey and Vice-Chairman, Slok Group, Rev. Emeka Abone, during the church’s Men’s Week celebration, with the theme: ‘Total Man’ in Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Director, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja Study Centre, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman; a visiting Professor at NOUN, Prof. Godswill Obioma and others, during NOUN’s 2015 matriculation, at Dutse, in Abuja. PHOTO: NAN

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Features

Gridlock in the Centre of Excellence Several reasons, including, but not limited to bad roads, illegal parks, negligence, street trading and motorists/commuters’ poor attitude, connect to create traffic on Lagos roads, report BUSOLA SALAWU, ZAYNAB TAIWO, BETTY SOBO and ENIOLA JOLAOSO

ormer Governor Babatunde Fashola has been applauded for achieving many things in Lagos State, but traffic jam remains one hell of a nightmare the enigmatic former number one citizen in the Centre of Excellence could not defeat. The Lagos residents have become used to the traumatic experience faced on the road daily, with many saying they would give anything to see an end to the gridlock on Lagos roads. Many people, these days, tailor their movements, events, including parties and weddings based on traffic. Determined to curtail the situation, if not arrest it, the government came up with the Traffic Radio. The radio is supposed to tell motorists how to access other roads, when the main roads are impassable. But what really are the causes of traffic jam and what can be done to manage it? Our correspondent visited Iyana-Ipaja, which is one of the routes commuters used to experience gridlock every day and at all hours. This is even with police and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials’ presence there. A LASTMA official, who craved anonymity, said that it had been discovered that some of the major causes of traffic jam at IyanaIpaja are the roundabout, narrow bridge, bad road, street trading and lack of traffic light. He said: “Traffic at the Iyana-

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

Gridlock at Owode Onirin, Ikorodu Road

Ipaja roundabout is usually heavy in the morning hours when people are rushing to their various places of work and when returning. IyanaIpaja is still a developing area. “The roundabout leads to various destinations like Ipaja, Ikotun, Agege, Egbeda, Ayobo and Ketu. Lack of traffic light, to regulate traffic flow, is part of the causes of traffic here. There is also the issue of bad roads. Potholes worsen the situation. The Iyana-Ipaja Bridge is very narrow. There is a particular point on the bridge where two cars cannot drive through at the same time.” Stating his opinion on what he thinks is the appropriate steps to take, the LASTMA official suggested that the bridge should be expanded while traffic light installed at the roundabout point. The potholes should also be mended. A handkerchief seller at the Iyana-Ipaja Market, who gave his name simply as Mr Sunday, bemoaned the traffic jam at the roundabout. He said: “The traffic here is caused by commercial drivers who park and pick passengers on the road meant for other users as well as walkways used by pedestrians. Most times, their vehicles would break down in the middle of the road and by the roadside. This further increases the traffic jam.” A Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO), who pleaded anonymity, said that traders, hawking by the road-side, especially in the evening, were part of the traffic problem. The DTO noted that the size of the roundabout makes it difficult

for most motorists to reverse easily. He said: “The street traders will occupy one lane from the two lanes available, and the pedestrian will hardly have space to walk. “Personally, the solution to the gridlock in Iyana-Ipaja roundabout is for street traders to be restrained from displaying their wares by the roadside. The bridge should also be expanded, to allow room for more vehicles, especially trailers.” A commercial bus driver, Mr Wasiu, who plies Iyana-Ipaja-Agege route, explained that another major problem was that most commercial buses had no permanent parks. He said: “These drivers park on the road to pick passengers. Commercial vehicles going to Ketu are the ones causing traffic jam. Ketu drivers don’t have park to pick commuters, so they park on the road.” Wasiu added that the solution to the problem of parking by the roadside was for Ketu drivers to have their own park. A cosmetics’ seller, who gave her name as Miss Benson, said: “There is no way there won’t be traffic at Iyana-Ipaja Roundabout. “The traffic officials are not directing the traffic very well. There are times commercial drivers won’t be patient with one another. They always want to be the first to go. There are instances when they will start struggling to overtake one another. “The road is too busy for only LASTMA officials to control traffic. The provision of traffic light won’t be enough to solve the whole problem here.”

In her own opinion, a soft drink seller, Mrs Sera Jaf, said that the thousands of people walking pass and driving through the area every day were enough to cause traffic jam. She added: “The roundabout is a junction which allows movement of vehicles, heading to six different destinations. There is no way there won’t be traffic jam. These drivers also drop and pick passengers on the road, obstructing other motorists. “There are times the traffic will be at a standstill. You can’t begin to imagine how frustrating it is to experience traffic in the morning and when returning.” The story is the same at Fagba Junction on Iju-Ishaga Road. Starting from Gudugba to Fagba Junction, the traffic jam is awful most of the times. Mrs Modupe Adetola, a teacher, who passes through Iju Road almost every day, said: “The road is usually heavy. The main reason is that people heading to different offices, come out almost at the same time. There is only one outlet to pass through for everyone. This only outlet is Fagba Junction. “This junction is used by people coming and going to Agric Road, Agbado Crossing and Iju-Ishaga.” A LASTMA official at Fagba Junction, Mr K. Adeyemi, explained that the traffic at that point was not a traffic jam, but “traffic congestion”. According to him, this congestion happens due to accidents or vehicle breakdown. C O N T I N U E D on PA G E 3 6

FEATURES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015, NEW TELEGRAPH

Residents face challenges of traffic jam C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

Adeyemi noted that the solution was for people to be careful while driving in order to reduce accident rate. He said: “Another thing is that drivers should check their vehicles regularly to avoid unnecessary breakdown on the road.” A commuter, Miss Anita Evahama, attributed the traffic jam at Fagba Junction to reckless driving. She said: “Reckless driving on the part of some drivers used to cause traffic jam at Fagba Junction. “One day, a trailer driver was trying to reverse, while also greeting a friend. He hit a Toyota Avalon car. The Avalon’s front light got broken. “The driver came down and started screaming. The trailer driver came down too, but rather than apologise, he accused the Avalon driver of being impatient. They both stood there, shouting at each other, while hindering the way for other motorists. This caused gridlock.” Ketu, a community in Kosofe Local Government Area is faced with a series of developmental and environmental problems, one of which is traffic jam. Investigation shows that the residents of the area had been experiencing traffic jam for long, finally accepting it as a feature of their lives. Sadly, this problem persists even after the state government deployed several means to curb the menace. Being a major route to Ikorodu and Epe areas, coupled with alternative link-routes to LagosIbadan Expressway, the reason for the traffic jam is not far-fetched. Ketu traders have the largest supply of perishable farm produce, as well as finished products like bags, shoes, clothing, electronics, thereby contributing to the large chunk of population in the area. Another major cause of gridlock at Ketu axis of the Ikorodu Road is the lawlessness often exhibited by commercial drivers. Their reckless driving also contributes to most accidents, leading to gridlocks. Some of the transporters said that the size of the road was too small. They believe that an expansion was vital to allow free flow of traffic. Ismail Adigun, 45, a bus driver, blamed LASTMA officials and police traffic warden for unnecessary arrest of buses while on motion. Adigun noted that such arbitrarily arrests used to cause traffic jam. He said: “We try as much as we can to obey traffic rules. We don’t cause traffic jam, but LASTMA officials and police will delay us and sometimes impound our vehicles on the road. They impound vehicles on motion, blocking motorists behind.” Mrs Serifat Ogunbiyi, a fruit seller in Ketu Market, said that most times, the traffic was caused by the large population

Motorists, commuters and traders jostle for space at Iyana-Ipaja

Traffic jam at Ketu

of people within and outside the market. She said: “The government needs to expand the market inward to reduce traffic on the road. “We are happy when people come to the market to buy from us, but we are not happy about the traffic situation in Ketu. It is a terrible thing. “Our goods get stuck in vehicles as drivers can’t find their way into the market easily to deliver them. Sometimes, we have to hire ‘carriers’ to help us bring our wares into the market. We want the government to do something about the road. “The LASTMA officials and police are doing their best, but the market needs to be expanded inward so that there will be enough space for vehicles on the road.” Sometimes, goods are left by the roadside, owing to lack of space inside the market, this also contributes to the traffic jam, said Ogunbiyi. Another reason for traffic jam at Ketu is that pedestrians prefer crossing the road to using the footbridge.

Residents of Ikorodu always think twice before embarking on any journey

Many people gave different reasons for abandoning the pedestrian bridge, among which was that crossing the highway was faster. A policewoman, who craved anonymity, said it was hectic controlling traffic at Ketu and getting people to take the pedestrian bridge. She said: “We work tirelessly every day, controlling traffic of both vehicles and humans. We try to compel them to take the footbridge but only a few follow the instructions. “Many times, we have to arrest some of these people just to curb their lawless behaviour. When they refuse to take the footbridge, it leads to traffic jam.” Mr Chima Ugochukwu said it was difficult getting to Ketu from Lagos Island owing to traffic. He said: “I usually spend close to an hour getting to Ketu from Ojota here. I believe the cause is from the transporters and roadside traders. They constitute so many nuisances on the road.” A businessman, Mr James Igbokwe, said that most people

refused to use the footbridge because they were in a hurry, thus causing traffic jam. He said he did not understand why pedestrians preferred to risk their lives. Igbokwe urged the government to formulate policies and strict traffic laws and ensure it deployed trained officers to places like Ketu and other major areas in the state. The Ikorodu axis is another area well known for its perennial traffic jam, otherwise called ‘Go-slow’ in local parlance. In fact, residents of Ikorodu always think twice before embarking on any journey. Some of those, who spoke with our correspondent, said that the number of motorists driving through Ikorodu and the commuters, including lack of enough parks for commercial buses, contributed to the problem of traffic jam in the area. According to the residents, from 6pm to 11pm, they tend to experience heavy traffic jam along Owode Onirin, down to Ikorodu Park. Once they get to the Ikorodu Park, they further experience another round of traffic on Itamaga and Parafa roads, down to their various bus stops. The commuters said that a major cause of traffic jam was the bad roads. According to them, they also experience a lot of frequent breakdown of trailers in the middle of the road. These trailers or trucks are left on the road for two to three days before they are removed. When commuters get to Itamaga area, there are three routes, leading to gridlock. A businesswoman, Biola Oladimeji, recounted that there was a time she forgot her goods in a BRT bus after she was in traffic for four hours. The traffic jam started from Mile 12 to Ikorodu ‘Garage’. She was not the only one with this experience. A study of the Ikorodu traffic situation shows that motorists park vehicles on the road, thereby, turning every spot and space to motor park. They pick passengers indiscriminately. BRT buses also park on the road to pick passengers. All these activities usually cause traffic jam. A commuter, Mr Ebuka, said that traders also contributed to traffic jam by spreading their wares on half of the road. Investigation revealed that once it is 5pm, traders who don’t have stalls or shops, start selling on BRT lane. This forces the BRT drivers to take the route meant for other motorists. A businessman, who gave his names as Mr Musa, said that the population density of Ikorodu required the construction of new road to serve as an alternative route for vehicles. He said: “Ten years ago, Ikorodu was not densely populated. Now, you can see there are over four million people who reside in Ikorodu. We need alternative roads for motorists. An alternative route will ease traffic off the present Ikorodu-Ketu Road.”

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, September 1, 2015

2016 budget, key test for Buhari –Analysts process, financial analysts have said that how well President Muhammadu Buhari succeeds in reducing recurrent expenditure in the budget would determine the fortunes of his administration. Analysts point out that the bloated bureaucracy gobbles two-thirds of government spending through salaries, allowances and running costs for officials, civil servants and functionaries. Only 12 per cent of the country’s N 4.493 trillion budget this year was allocated to capi-

TRIAL FG has to tackle huge recurrent expenditure Tony Chukwunyem with agency report

ith the expected appointment of a Finance Minister in the next few weeks set to trigger the commencement of the 2016 budget preparation

tal projects. Bloomberg quoted the Vice President at Teneo Intelligence, a risk advisory company, Manji Cheto, as saying, “The budget is a very important test for Buhari. People will be looking at where the cuts come. Even if they manage $100 million in savings, that will be just enough to send the right signal to markets that he is doing something.” Similarly, the head of operations at BudgIT, Stanley Achonu, said the amount of recurrent spending is “a huge worry

for a developing country like Nigeria.” He added that while the country can make some savings in the budget, “we can’t halve it,” he said. The Federal Government earns about twothirds of its revenue from the export of oil, the price of which has plunged by more than half in the past year to below $50 a barrel. The last budget passed by Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, was based on an oil price of $53 a barrel. Buhari “expects a budget where recurrent

Foreign reserves rise to $31.43bn Naira weakens 2.3 % against dollar on black market

the apex bank to bureau de change operators to narrow the margin between the naira ‘s official and black market rates. Meanwhile, the naira weakened against the dollar yesterday on the parallel market after a boost in liquidity and a surge in demand for dollars, traders said. The naira was trading at N218 to the dollar in the bureau de change market, 2.34 percent weaker than the 213 it closed at on Fri-

igeria’s’ foreign exchange reserves stood at $31.43 billion on August 27, up 1.12 per cent from $31.08 billion a month earlier, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed yesterday. The reserves were down 20.65 per cent yearon-year from $39.61 billion a year ago. According to Reuters, the decline from $31.63 billion on August 14 reflects consistent dollar sales by

day. “There is an upsurge in demand for the dollar due to increase in liquidity in the system, with some buyers willing to pick up dollars at any available rate,” Aminu Gwadabe, president of Bureau de change operators said. The naira hovered between N208- N210 to the dollar last week after the apex bank increased dollar sales to bureau de change operators in a bid to narrow the margin be-

tween parallel and interbank market rates. Another dealer said a number of people are buying up dollars to pay school fees and other commitments abroad, fuelling a surge in demand at the parallel market. The naira was trading at N199 to the dollar on the official interbank window yesterday weaker than the N197 to the dollar rate where the local currency has closed since February, when the CBN introduce tight control in the official market.

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

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 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 98.95 100.16 98.92 102.16 91.96 68.00 78.89

1.66 3.83 4.45 6.41 8.54 14.89 18.88

NIBOR

Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

Rate (%) 10.1250 16.0298 17.3474 18.1851

Bid Yield 15.80 15.92 15.88 15.83 15.95 15.58 15.65

Change (%) -0.88 ▼ -1.20 ▼ -0.95 ▼ -1.75 ▼

Change (%) -0.02▼ 0.06 ▲ -0.02▼ -0.02▼ 0.03 ▲ 0.00 ↔ -0.02▼

Price 99.10 100.46 99.22 102.46 92.26 68.30 79.19

Tenor (Months)

Offer Yield 15.70 15.81 15.78 15.76 15.88 15.51 15.59

NITTY

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Rate (%) 14.0894 15.1500 15.3395 15.4752 15.6722 15.8354

Change (%) -0.02▼ 0.06 ▲ -0.02▼ -0.02▼ 0.03 ▲ 0.00 ↔ -0.02▼ Change (%) -1.10 ▼ -0.52 ▼ -0.39 ▼ -0.53 ▼ -0.40 ▼ -0.26 ▼

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) Change (%) 10.01 10.27 -5.41▼ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 35.00 -3.33▼ 03-Dec-15 10.26 10.53 -5.42 ▼ 14.21 15.31 -0.79▼ Overnight (O/N) 37.50 -4.33▼ 03-Mar-16 14.46 15.60 -0.79 ▼ 13.51 15.45 -0.16▼ 04-Aug-16 13.76 15.77 -0.16 ▼

Spot($/N)

Bid 198.87

Offer 198.97

Change (%) 0.68 ▲

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

CBN Clearing Rates of August 31, 2015 Spot($/N)

196.00

197.00

“Beyond security and his anti-corruption campaign, his policy statements are very vague, which causes concern.” Key to Buhari’s credibility this time around is his selection of a Finance Minister, said Teneo’s Cheto. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who held the position in Jonathan’s administration, was a former World Bank managing director and largely respected by international investors for helping to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden. Interestingly, renowned economist and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, predicted at the weekend that due to the significant shortfall in expected revenue occasioned by declining oil prices, the Federal Government will soon present a supplementary budget to the National Assembly. He reiterated his call that the Federal Government should remove the subsidy on fuel, pointing out that this would ease pressure on the naira which, would soon be devalued despite the banking watchdog’s resistance to such a move.

FirstBank partners MMIT on international payments

As at Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 July, 2015 4/6/2015 Mar 2015 31/8/2015 28/8/2015

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 9.2 13 10.77 US$46.56 US$31,398,675,126

spending is going to be lower than it currently is, and where there will be more for capital expenditure,” his spokesman Femi Adesina, was quoted by the news agency as saying. He said that savings will come through cutting waste, rather than firing workers or reducing paychecks. The budget is due to make its way through lawmakers’ committees in the final quarter of the year. Plunging oil revenue curbed economic growth to 2.4 per cent in the second quarter from 4 per cent in the previous three months, and prompted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to impose foreignexchange restrictions to shore up the currency as reserves dwindled. The naira has dropped 7.8 per cent against the dollar on the interbank market this year and has been trading in a range of N197 to N199.75 per dollar since the end of March. “The budget is something Buhari has to get right, and he has to move swiftly on, but as there are still no ministers, it’s going to be difficult,” Laura Barber, an intelligence analyst at AKE Group, said by phone from London.

0.00 ↔ Source: FMDQ

irstmonie, the mobile money platform of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has partnered with Mobile Media Info Tech Global Limited (MMIT) to commence a new mobile wallet capability that allows consumers to purchase services on international merchant websites. The lender said in a statement that the initiative is the first of its kind in the African mobile money and payment landscape and would enable online purchases, and apps download through the Firstmonie platform. The lender said, “Leveraging on its expertise in electronic payments, FirstBank is constantly exploring innovative ways of enhancing its service offerings to ensure products are well suited to its existing and potential mobile subscriber base. With the upswing in digital applications, Firstmonie subscribers can now directly pay for applications download from their mobile wallet. This has eliminated the limitation posed by daunting payment process, es-

pecially for the youth market, many of whom have no access to international payment cards and have been un-served within the global ecommerce space.” The statement explained that on the heels of this partnership, Firstmonie and MMIT have launched the Aflix project - a mobile VideoOn Demand (VOD) content provider that offers a wide range of streaming materials including international hit movies, series, music, children programmes, lifestyle, nature and science, and much more. Commenting on the partnership, Acting Head of Mobile Financial Services at FirstBank, Celestine Okobi, asserted that the bank is proud of this innovation, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. He said, “This service will allow consumers to use global best app-based services and pay for such services with their Firstmonie wallet in Naira. With this new development Firstmonie will be one of the payment options for digital content”.

Business | Financial Market News

TUESDAY, September 1, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

28-Aug-15

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 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

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

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

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 311.93 605.31 599.99 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 370.50

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

0.97 1.66 1.91 2.01 2.75 3.84 4.15 4.46 6.42 8.54 13.25 13.73 14.23 14.90 18.89

15.51 15.82 15.82 15.84 15.85 15.86 15.89 15.90 15.85 15.92 15.37 15.30 15.23 15.58 15.67

15.34 15.72 15.72 15.74 15.78 15.75 15.77 15.80 15.77 15.85 15.31 15.24 15.15 15.51 15.61

97.85 98.92 90.44 89.20 88.80 100.32 73.66 98.87 102.10 92.09 97.87 84.01 61.26 68.00 78.80

98.00 99.07 90.59 89.35 88.95 100.62 73.96 99.17 102.40 92.39 98.17 84.31 61.56 68.30 79.10

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,971.02

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,449.96

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.85 1.28 1.64 1.86

2.94 1.00 2.66 3.13

18.67 16.60 18.42 18.94

98.91 99.25 103.22 98.63

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

297.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

299.50

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.01

4.44

19.21

99.97

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.09

3.23

18.51

99.47

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

2.60

30-Jun-16

0.59

4.46

20.68

96.42

A/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

3.96

30-Jun-16

0.60

3.48

19.68

97.68

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.64

1.00

16.76

90.59

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

21.24

30-Jun-17

1.13

1.00

16.52

97.24

A-/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.34

1.79

17.63

93.21

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.72

1.00

16.78

96.11

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.74

1.00

16.78

96.06

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

1.92

1.00

16.82

96.38

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

1.92

4.78

20.60

90.27

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

24.44

14-Feb-19

2.11

1.00

16.84

97.75

BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

*GOMBE LAGOS

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12

15.50 14.50 14.75

15.09 80.00 24.74

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19

2.34 4.24 2.41

2.02 1.00 1.00

17.86 16.90 16.84

95.77 92.87 96.11

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

10.46

10-Oct-20

2.95

1.82

17.67

93.72

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.25

1.00

16.89

88.44

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.34

1.00

16.88

93.47

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.30

31-Dec-20

3.19

1.00

16.86

94.57

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.31

06-Jan-21

3.21

1.00

16.86

95.68

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

437.71 407.60

Corporate Bonds BBB-/Agusto

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.38

09-Dec-15

0.28

1.00

17.29

98.54

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.22

06-Jan-16

0.36

2.63

18.96

98.23

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.09

1.00

16.50

96.61

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.16

1.34

16.88

97.27

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.09

1.00

16.84

93.42

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.56

30-Nov-17

1.32

1.88

17.51

101.24

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

5.40

09-Apr-18

1.37

1.00

16.65

99.23

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.53

1.00

16.73

101.56 99.07

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.53

1.00

16.73

A+/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

30-Sep-18

3.09

3.00

18.86

88.96

BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.64

2.29

18.05

96.91

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.32

17-Feb-19

1.97

6.11

21.94

94.18

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.34

2.16

18.00

96.33

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.21

2.76

18.65

88.89

BBB/GCR

FCMB

14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021

20-Nov-14

14.25

26.00

20-Nov-21

6.23

1.00

16.85

90.13

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.34

1.00

16.85

98.41

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.09

1.00

16.91

97.13

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.09

1.00

16.91

83.27

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

175.32

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

163.23

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.46

1.00

14.92

90.58

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

3.68

1.00

16.87

85.36

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.92

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

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

7.46

7.21

96.89

97.97

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.07

5.65

97.53

98.62

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.71

7.51

92.23

93.33

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

1,433.22

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

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.43

102.13

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

9.29

96.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

15.75

14.49

81.12

83.51

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.61

8.84

90.29

92.23

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

8.86

92.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

12.41

11.79

89.32

91.01

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

9.69 12.91 14.23

9.69 12.54 14.23

93.70 85.31 75.00

93.70 86.69 75.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.44

11.47

84.01

87.67

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,650.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,261.38

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 13 27 34 48 55 62 69

FIXINGS Maturity 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15 22-Oct-15 29-Oct-15 5-Nov-15

Bid Discount (%) 13.15 14.54 14.53 15.44 15.01 15.28 13.13

Offer Discount (%) 12.90 14.29 14.28 15.19 14.76 15.03 12.88

Bid Yield (%) 13.21 14.70 14.73 15.76 15.35 15.68 13.46

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 11.0000 17.2268 18.2936 19.9357

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

8.33

O/N Tenor Call

8.83

REPO

Rate (%) 8.50

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

197.52 199.21 199.60 200.48 201.95

197.62 199.56 199.98 200.93 202.86

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, September 1, 2015

POSITVE

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

TOTALchip MARKET CAPITALISATION Blue firms lift stockRating/Agency market