Wednesday, binder1234567890 december 17, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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Sanctity Of Truth

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Vol. 1 No. 302

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

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N150

Court suspends hearing in Tambuwal's suit }16

Jonathan rolls out N4.3trn budget

NEW TELEG

The Meg a City RAPH WEDN

ESDAY, DECEM BER

17, 2014

...EXCL USIVE LAGOS MAGA ZINE

Page 25

lLeaves oil benchmark at $65 l Asian, European buyers shun Nigeria's oil Adeola Yusuf, Chukwu David and Philip Nyam

resident Goodluck Jonathan will today lay the N4.357 tril-

lion 2015 budget proposal before the National Assembly. The task, which will be performed on his behalf by the Coordinating

Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, confirmed New Telegraph exclusive story, published on Monday, that the bud-

get will be presented to the legislature early this week, notwithstanding the instability in the prices of crude oil, which last week CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Nigerian/Sem

e border

IN NUMB 363

Entrance

ERS

Roads- Ajerom i/Ifelodun

LIFE IN THE CITY BRT: Stan ding and swe ating

Seme: Ho extortion me of , racketee ring T Traffic Lights2013

Intelligence Traffic

MY CITY MY WORLD No dull mom ent in Eko

Lights-2013

he journ ing in ey that Wednesday a Toyo morn Wagon bus fromta Preview Spac - hands of to the much Mile their e town of talked 2 motor park their own fathe own security men; in r land”, Nigeria Seme, the boun about border As the he vehicle The situa Republicand her neigh dary between the ancie acceleratesaid. tion at bewilderi es inhe was not with bouring Benin boundary,nt town of Bada d through ng on why the border out rent with ment could is so passenger gry, to Nigerian pecially the Nigerianthose hitch- in the scorc have surre s were gover nhing roads, es- akin swathed ereignty to was moviLagos. Although, Benin Repundered her sovto a beach and breezy ng the vehic again The weat was not blic. devoid st traffic, the journ le pillars of abou . Apart from the her, it be unanswered ques of jam. At that Nige three tion ey a unique curv t 20 feet each every pointinter mittent that have space to build ria does not is, could manoeuvr traffi ed iron , the drive c that could likely have land on top its bord r tries to is Seme of them somebody some of the tarree potholes and er post assure jagged edges or; over 50 boarder, noth you that this from this unpr where is bene that Commercd road. ing else. metres fitting An Imm edictable ial Moto who have befor are greet From igration ed by heap e the pillar made the rcycle rider officer situation? plying s, you anonymously s, around all deadly s of refus who of the oppo resen could spok corn e littered highway e tment.“Yo if bord not hide site direcpledge of er town ers of the high outside u tion the sane a routine, woul our terri can see us work his d alway on a by a state or s are never supeway as to be tory when ing local gover s temp insane r side of the traffi in a after rvised attitude. we ough nment. ter shelt conducive duty c by theirt farth you have cross Agbara, At Chur t Even er. We are post with ed over er men of arms the pillar betnot the Nige ch-gate, after to markin, there is no tion stopp s the - only the Beni allowed to use rian Imm sign ed the vehic out the land we nese do igra- from Beni After greet territory or symbol le. operate because ings, they young men in ment agen n, even as the of Nigeria further said: “Few monis theirs.” He Mini took across law ts of the vehicle two coun enforce- paid ster of Inter ths ago, was park the road wher three together. From ior, tries hoard the an unsc who were e their Immigrat the ed. heduled Mr. Abba Moro Nigerians The young and expr ion Serv men of the Nige One of visit , men, Antirian ices to essed were to this Bom them N2,000 befor was made intimidated. Agricultub Squad, NDL the Nigerian tion. Nothing shock over this place has happ EA, Nige still waiti situacome and e they were to cough out (NAQS), ral Quarantin ened rian allowed outpouredng to see the outco and we are e Serv back to vices, NAFDAC and Accordingcontinue with empathy me of that the list Port Healt ices Anot .” and other to the driver, their journey. clubs is endle that in ss. They h Ser- ricul her officer of tural Quar basis. “Thidrivers experienc is what he and extortheir hands, the Nige clutch rian Agrunning antine Servi said ting e on daily moto of extor s is just a peep ces (NAQ rcyclists, motorists, comm after of they are daily curry tion Nige into the Beni S) Ijeka (the ercial rians suffe the level senger Vesp ing the they regu noise secur favour tricy a), truck r in the destr ity even larly ians. pushers cle pas- tion when and intim receive repor and pet of idation of Nige extorrians in

The Nige rian bord er with Benin Rep ublic is like in partial a slave free master, repo dom from his rts EZURIK UGOCHU E KWU

eight pages of mega city

Tinubu holds Buhari to ransom over VP lEx-Lagos governor insists on self or surrogate OLUWATOS IN OMONIYI CO-ORDINAT

tosin.omoniyi

@newtelegrap

honline.com © Daily Telegra ph Publish ing Compa ny Limited

CONT INUED

ON PAGE 27

Telegraph

Travel Advisory

Your guide to local and international flights 4

Motorists queuing for fuel at a filling station on Herbert Macaulay Way in Abuja...yesterday

PHOTO: NAN

Fake Boko Haram negotiators lied against Ihejirika, Sheriff, says DSS

Quick Read

Editorial

Yultide and oil workers’ strike }19

lBorno gov's ex-aide, others accused of holding talks with FG Alison-Madueke emerges first }9 Emmanuel Onani Abuja

he Department of State Service (DSS) yester-

day paraded six fake Boko Haram commanders and a former special adviser to Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima,

for negotiating with the Federal Government and holding talks with a selfstyled Australian negotiator, Dr. Steven Davis.

The fake terrorist chiefs, including Alhaji Junaid Idrissa Khadi, were accused of holding several meetings with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

female president of Gas Exporting Countries Forum

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Travel Advisory

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50 AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30 MEDVIEW AIRLINES LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:50; 12:00; 15:30 (SAT) 10:00; 15:00 (SUN) 17:30; 18:30 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 14:00, 15:00; 18:30 OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00 ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI)07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10 AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm Lagos-Abuja/Kano 4:00pm Abuja-Kano 5:45pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kan 10:10am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 12:40pm Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm WEEKEND SCHEDULE SATURDAY Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Sunday Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 10:30am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 1:20pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm

Air France

Destination Abuja- Paris Paris-Lagos Paris-PHC PHC-Paris Paris –Abuja Lagos –Paris

Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

Departure 23.55hrs 10.55hrs 11:00hrs 21:20hrs 11:00hrs 23:55hrs

Arrival 6:05hrs 17:15hrs 19:15hrs 6:05hrs 17:00hrs 6:20hrs

Amsterdam-Lagos Lagos-Amsterdam

KL587 KL588

13:15hrs 23:05hrs

20:00hrs 05:50hrs

Lagos-New York New York-Lagos Lagos-Abuja-Dubai Dubai-Abuja-Lagos Johannesburg-Lagos Lagos-Johannesburg Lagos-London London-Lagos

W3 107 W3 108 W3 105 W3 106 W3 738 W3 737 W3 344 W3 345

23:35hrs 12:00hrs 9:40pm 12:10pm 09:35hrs 01:00 hrs 12:45hrs 21:30hrs

05:30hrs 16:00hrs 5.40:hrs 17:10pm 14:44hrs 08:05hrs 18:30hrs 05:15hrs

London-Lagos Lagos-London Abuja-London Abuja-London

BA075 BA074 BA 082 BA 083

17:55hrs 00:00hrs 09:00hrs 22:40hrs

11:55hrs 5:50hrs 14:35hrs 06:00hrs

KLM

ARIK AIRLINES

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Middle East Airlines (Two flights weekly (Tues & Friday) to

ASKY AIRLINES

Destination Lome to Abuja Abuja-Lome- Kinshasa Kinshasa-Abuja Abuja-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Kinshasa Kinshasa-Libreville Libreville-Lagos Lagos-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Brazaville Brazaville-Libreville Brazzaville-Lagos Lagos-Lome

Flight No. KP 032 (Tue-Fri) KP 032 ( Tue-Fri) KP 033 (Wed-Sat) KP O33 (Wed-Sat) KP O40 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP O44 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP O45 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat)

Departure 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 8:20hrs 10:35hrs 13:00hr 14:40hrs 17:00hrs 7:15hrs 9:35hrs 11:55hrs 13:10hrs 14:50hrs 17:10hrs 07:00hrs 09:20hrs 11:40hrs

Arrival 15:55hrs 18:15hrs 10:00hrs 12:20hrs 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 18:45hrs 08:55hrs 11:25hrs 12:45hrs 14:10hrs 16:40hrs 18:50hrs 08:40hrs 11:10hrs 12:30hrs

Lagos-Casablanca Casablanca-Lagos

AT738 AT 737

06:25hrs 02:15hrs

09:55hrs 6:00hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos

VS 652 VS 651

11:00hrs 22:40hrs

17:00hrs 4:40hrs

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

EY 0672 (Sunday) (Monday) (Saturday) EY 955

20.45hrs 09:50hrs 09.20 hrs 06:30hrs

07:00hrs 20:05hrs 20:10hrs 11:45hrs

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 08:30hrs

22:20hrs 13:30hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

KQ 533 KQ 534

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

air maroc

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ETIHAD AIRWAYS

Lagos)

Lebanon-Lagos Lagos-Lebanon

MEA 571 MEA 572

3:00hrs 14:00hrs

8:00hrs 19:00hrs

Lagos-Dubai Lagos-Dubai Dubai-Lagos Dubai-Lagos Abuja-Dubai

EK 7821 (Sun-Sat) EK 7822 EK 7831 EK 7811 EK 761

21:30hrs 14:40hrs 07:35hrs 14:20hrs 23:55hrs

07:40hrs 01:05hrs 12:50hrs 19:45hrs 10:30hrs

Lagos-Doha Flight Doha-Lagos Flight

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 07:20hrs

23:45hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

Lagos to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Lagos Abuja to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Abuja Enugu to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Enugu Kano to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Kano

ET900 ET901 ET910 ET911 ET930 ET931 ET930 ET931

13:15hrs 09:00hrs 13:40hrs 09:40hrs 12:00hrs 09:20hrs 14:05hrs 09:20hrs

20:25hrs 12:15hr 20:10hrs 12:20hrs 20:50hrs 11:15hrs 20:50hrs 13:20hrs

EMIRATES AIRLINES

QATAR AIRWAYS DELTA AIRLINES

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS

ASKY Airlines international travel tips Earning Miles on ASKY Airlines

UNITED AIRLINES

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

ASKY is a Lome -Togo based airline that provides an extensive route network within West Africa. The airline provides excellent connections with Ethiopian Airlines flights serving cities in West Africa. Ethiopian Airlines and ASKY provide an end-to-end service for frequent flyers enrolled in ShebaMiles. The airlines jointly provide full coverage of Africa providing full mile earning opportunity for a frequent flyer. Wherever you fly and whichever airline you fly with, it’s easy to earn miles. You only need one frequent flyer card to collect miles from either airline – the ShebaMiles Membership Card. It couldn’t be easier to build your miles and start enjoying all the benefits of ShebaMiles and its partner network wherever you are in the world. Mile Registration Registering ShebaMiles Membership Number on ASKY flight is simple. Members need to advice Reservation Registration Center that they are a member of Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles Frequent Flyer Program, at the time of flight reservation. They need to prompt the reservation center to record the membership number on flight reservations made for ASKY, with Full Name as per Name on Passport coinciding with the Full Name on the ShebaMiles Membership Account and ShebaMiles Membership Number. Reservation confirmation shall show your ShebaMiles Membership number and your Full Name in the reservation record. Confirm Mile credit by presenting Membership card to the check-in or boarding agent at the time of check-in or boarding.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Tinubu holds Buhari to ransom over VP Ayodele Ojo and Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

fter a series of meetings that started last Friday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday failed again to agree on who will pair its presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, in the February 2015 presidential poll. Party chiefs who gathered in Abuja to continue the meeting that started last Friday in Lagos after Buhari had defeated four others, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, to emerge the party's presidential candidate, could not break the logjam arising from the insistence of a national leader of the party and former Lagos State Governor,

Senator Bola Tinubu, to be named Buhari's running mate. Tinubu, one of the chief financiers of the party, had refused to give up his vice-presidential ambition despite opposition from other party chiefs who are against a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Tinubu, who is from the South-West, is a Muslim like Buhari, from the North-West. Alternatively, the former Lagos State governor said he would nominate his surrogate to the position, an idea which does not bode well with many party leaders. Buhari, it was learnt, is not disposed to picking former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Yemi Osibajo, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who Tinubu prefers to replace him.

Sources said Buhari is against the Osibajo candidacy because it would not add much value to the ticket like in 2011 when he picked Pastor Tunde Bakare to run with him. However, sources close to the APC meeting, which was still on as at 10.20pm yesterday, said two other names have emerged as possible replacement for Tinubu: former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Ekiti State Governor, Chief Segun Oni. But one of the sources said Oyinlola's candidacy had been knocked out on the grounds of his military background like that of Buhari's. An aide of Tinubu told New Telegraph that despite the suggestions of other names, his principal was still interested in the vice-presidency. The choice of the run-

ning mate has been laced with intrigues and horse trading. So far, the only headway was the resolution that the South-West will produce the vice-presidential candidate. Former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, is reportedly leading the rebellion against the choice of Tinubu as Buhari's running mate. The governors are also opposed to his choice, preferring one of their own. A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) told New Telegraph that about 10 meetings have been held without a way out. “Tinubu is insisting on being on the ballot while several people have kicked against his choice on the basis of religion. “There is groundswell of opposition to a Muslim-

Muslim ticket. This argument does not make sense to Tinubu,” the source said. Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) have also featured prominently among those gunning for the running mate. APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, however said yesterday that despite the intrigues, Buhari would name his running mate today. He spoke with newsmen when the party leaders broke for a short break during one of their meetings in Abuja. When the APC national chairman was asked why the issue of the party's running mate was being delayed, he said: "It is not delayed. I have a feeling that the candidate will speak to you by tomorrow." Asked if it is for the

L-R: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, during the House resumption in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Senate rejects bill to recognise Anambra as oil producer Chukwu David Abuja

he Senate yesterday rejected a bill seeking to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission Act Cap 86 laws of Nigeria in order to recognise and include Anambra as an oil-producing state. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Andy Uba, who led the debate on the proposal anchored his decision on the declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan, that Anambra had joined the league of oil-producing states in the country when he visited the state this

year. He argued that with Jonathan’s pronouncement, Anambra had since "joined the oil bearing states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Edo, Abia and Ondo states, as home to the nation's oil installations and a rich wet land." Andy said: "These communities account for 93 per cent of the country's export earnings and provide the economic lifeline that sustains the Nigerian state and as a result of which this amendment is being sought for Anambra to be part and parcel of the NDDC." He pointed out that the

integration of Anambra as part of the NDDC states was necessary to avoid the violent conflicts that accompanied all oil exploration activities which include environmental degradation. The legislator further noted that the objective of the bill was also to ensure the socio-economic development of the host communities where oil installations are located and the general development of the state. Senators who made contributions to the bill noted that a mere pronouncement from Jonathan, which was not based on any empirical fact, was not

enough to make Anambra an oil-producing state. Senator Attai Ali said he was against the bill because the issue of delineation between Kogi, Anambra and Enugu states which shared common boundaries with the oil installation was still ongoing. Also Senator Ayogu Eze expressed opposition to the bill, explaining that Jonathan had admitted that he made the pronouncement ascribed to him by Uba in a haste. According to him, Jonathan’s statement degenerated into crisis between the states that shared common boundaries, where the facility was located

which forced him to set up a committee led by VicePresident Namadi Sambo to resolve the problem. Senate President David Mark supported the views of his colleagues and noted that since the issue was not only technical, but also controversial, it was better to suspend further action on the bill, pending the report of the presidential committee. The senators voted in support of the motion to suspend further action on the bill pending the outcome of the presidential committee on the issue, thereby compelling the sponsor to withdraw the bill.

candidate to pick his running mate, he said: "The party has consulted with the candidate and we have reached some agreements and he will address you on it."

FRC accuses NNPC, SEC of swindling government Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

he Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has accused some revenue generating agencies of short-changing the Nigeria economy of revenues worth billions of naira. The Commission said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were the worst culprits in what it described as the diversion of internally generated revenue (IGR) by these two agencies. A report posted by an online news platform, Premium Times, indicated that "the two agencies, and many others, either lied about how much they generated, or how much was due to the government." According to the online platform, these agencies of government deliberately supplied contradictory information to different regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Finance, Accountant General’s Office, and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission with the intention to mislead the government on the state of their finances. However, the NNPC has described the report as a ruse. Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe told New Telegraph that he was not aware of any report from the FRC indicting the state-owned oil corporation. Alegbe disclosed that the NNPC accounts for about 70 per cent of revenues accruing to the Federation Account and that there would be no Federation Account without the revenues accruing from oil and gas sector. "I am not aware of such a report and I do not think there is any truth in it. If we are not remitting revenue to the Federation Account, it means there will be no revenue to run the economy. If we are not remitting revenue, the economy would have collapsed long ago because there would have been nothing in the coffers," Alegbe said.

News

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NUPENG, PENGASSAN shun meeting with FG Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

here may be no end in sight yet to the ongoing strike embarked on by members of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). Yesterday, aggrieved oil workers' unions and their officials shunned a meeting called by the Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity, Kabiru Turaki (SAN) to broker peace and resolve the industrial action. Another meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow. While the Supervising Minister was absent at the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, top directors at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity including the Permanent Secretary, Clement Iloh, were all present. After several hours of waiting for the NUPENG and PENGASSAN executives to turn up for the meeting, the Permanent Secretary publicly

announced the postponement of the meeting to Thursday. His words: "This meeting was called by this ministry to trash out the issues that must have necessitated this current strike and other problems in the sector. “However, this meeting has been postponed to Thursday, December 18th by 11a.m., we sincerely apologise for this postponement." As the strike enters the third day, both unions have hinged their action on Federal Government's inconsistent policy in carrying out turnaround maintenance of the nation’s ailing refineries including effecting reduction

in pump prices of petrol in line with the fall in global prices of crude oil. They have also accused the government of not being able to evolve new strategies to combat issues related to pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, including delay by the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Others are non-implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act expected to reflect Nigerians in management positions and expatriate quota law. NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, justified the refusal of the unions to honour the meeting. He told New Telegraph

that "we cannot be a party to a meeting that will lead to nothing at the end of the whole exercise." According to Achese, government has penchant for organising meetings when industrial issues have gone from bad to worse, but has never shown consistency in implementing resolutions that emanate from such meetings. He said there have been series of meetings between the oil unions and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, to resolve the nagging issues, but such meetings failed to yield any tangible results. Achese carpeted government for abandoning

the Turnaround Maintenance policy of the refineries, adding that the unions' major grouse was poor supply of crude oil to service the refineries while several oil vessels with fuel products are at the seaport waiting to be discharged for sale in Nigeria. "We cannot be party to a meeting that will ultimately lead to nothing at the end of the day. What we want to see is a situation where government makes commitment by implementing some of these demands we have raised, not series of meeting. It will surprise you to know that in the past eight months, we have been meeting with the Minister of Petroleum Resources and other stakeholders in

the petroleum industry yet these meetings yielded nothing. "You heard the Ministry of Petroleum Resources bragging that there are over 17 oil vessels at the seaport waiting to discharge fuel, how do you explain the turnaround maintenance initiated by the government itself ? "We want to see regular supply of crude oil to the refineries so as to stop the importation of fuel from other countries which do not even have oil deposits in their soil. What is government doing about the turnaround maintenance it initiated and the Petroleum Industry Bill before the National Assembly?" he asked rhetorically.

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

23o C 20oC Rain Showers

ABUJA

37oC

22oC

Sunny

PORT HARCOURT

L-R: Group Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Plc, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sanni; Chairman, Mr. Chika Mordi and Company Secretary, Mr. Leo Okafor, at the extra o rdinary general meeting of the company in Lagos...yesterday. 23o C 20oC Rain Showers

KANO

32oC

10oC

Sunny

ENUGU

35oC

22oC

Partially Cloudy

IBADAN

23o C 21oC Drizzle

CALABAR

29o C 19oC Rain Showers

MAIDUGURI

ONITSHA

34oC 13oC Sunny

29o C 19oC Rain Showers

Jonathan leaves oil benchmark at $65 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

fell below the $65 per barrel benchmark. New Telegraph had also reported that the Federal Government would not slash the benchmark oil price of $65 per barrel in response to the dwindling oil price, which reached a four-year low of $63 per barrel last Friday and about $60 per barrel yesterday. Given these developments, the expectation was that the Federal Government would further slash the oil benchmark. Okonjo-Iweala, for the second term in the life of this administration, will lay the budget proposal before the Senate and the House of Representatives for consideration. Today's budget presentation is coming on the

heels of the submission of the revised Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) by the president to the House yesterday. Yesterday's event was the second time the Federal Government effected a change to the MTEF and returned it to the National Assembly for ratification, following the instability in the international oil market, which crashed crude oil prices. In the first MTEF presented to the parliament in September 2014, the government had proposed a benchmark of $78 per barrel of crude oil, with an exchange rate of N160 to a dollar. The total budget figure then was N4.8 trillion. At the resumed plenary yesterday, the House elected to admit the minister into the chambers to lay

the appropriation bill in compliance with the request by the president. According to the revised 2015-2017 MTEF received by the House yesterday, of the N4.357 trillion 2015 budget proposal, the government proposed N627 billion for capital expenditure and N2.622 trillion for recurrent expenditure. The budget was based on a benchmark of $65 per barrel as against $77.50 per barrel in 2014 while oil production for 2015 was pegged at 2.278 million barrels per day as against 2.388 barrel per day in 2014. The exchange rate was pegged at N165 to a dollar as against N160 to a dollar in 2014. Breakdown of the expenditure showed that N50.96 billion is for transfer to Niger Delta De-

velopment Commission (NDDC); N73 billion for National Judicial Council (NJC); N72.18 billion is for Universal Basic Education (UBE); N62 billion is for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); N150 billion for the National Assembly; N2.5 billion is for Public Complaint Commission and N1.50 billion goes to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Of the total sum of N943 billion proposed for debt servicing, N894.61 billion is set aside for domestic debts while N48.39 billion is for the foreign component. For the recurrent expenditure (non-debt), the Federal Government proposed N1.801 trillion for personnel costs; N216.56 billion for overheads;

N228.81 billion for CRF pensions while N376.05 billion is for other Service Wide Votes. In a letter addressed to House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, dated December 2, 2014, the president said the oil benchmark, which was fixed at $78 per barrel, was reviewed to $73 and finally pegged at $65 per barrel. "I refer to my earlier transmission to the National Assembly in November 2014 of a revised 2015-2017 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for consideration and approval. "Given further developments in the international oil market, which have necessitated further revisions, amendments have been made to some CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF ABIA STATE NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION My beloved People, I bring you good tidings of the Season of Advent – the season of love - set aside by Christendom to prepare us for the commemoration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. My desire to write you at this time of the year is to underscore the significance I attach to the need for all humanity to co-exist in love and mutual tolerance. We are witnesses to the sordid events, especially the downturn in the global economy and wanton destruction of precious human lives, which have characterized the world in which we live today. There is no more respect for human life or dignity of labour. What rule our world today, unfortunately, are greed, wickedness, licentiousness and ostentation. The era of ‘ONURU UBE NWANNE AGBALA OSO’ seems to have gone with the winds. Our state, being an integral part of the world, cannot, therefore, exist in isolation. What affects the world could even affect us in greater magnitude, considering the history of our existence in a society that has been most unjust and uncharitable to us. It is not the intention of this letter to lament our past, but there is no way we can discuss the present reasonably without reminiscing on the past. My heart is in deep pain that our people have been made to suffer untold hardships in the midst of plenty, when they should be rejoicing. I recall the unsuccessful, but powerful moves we made in the recent past to reposition our state and build a more cohesive platform to further our collective interests. Unfortunately, some of us (Ndigbo) have continued to constitute a clog in the wheel of progress. The disadvantaged position we occupy in the scheme of things in Nigeria is not caused by any other reason other than self-centredness. The monumental achievements of our forbears were predicated on their indissoluble and indefatigable commitment to stand together and face the adversaries that came their way together. In unity and love they were able to conquer. The legacies our forbears bequeathed to us are gradually and steadily dying. Yet we have continued to live as if nothing has gone amiss. The greatest disservice we can do to ourselves as a people is to allow our personal differences or parochial interests to becloud our sense of reasoning, to such a level that we can no longer navigate our way properly in the murky waters of Nigeria’s socio-political life. Things have come to a point that we can no longer pretend to be fighting one another, while our house is on fire. Igbo are not the only tribe in Nigeria. There are two other major tribes with hundreds of socio-linguistic groups that make up the entity called Nigeria. Despite their socio-cultural differences they have stuck together under thick and thin to weather the unfavourable storms of life. The unity that pervades other tribes and ethnic entities is a lesson for Igbo. For how long shall we fight and disparage one another before we realize the need to love one another and work together in harmony? What plans do we have for the incoming generations of Ndigbo who place their hope and trust in us? Why should strange things happen among us and we gleefully gloss over them? Why have we suddenly lost our manhood, behaving as if we have no scruples anymore? The generations before us shone like a million stars. They were men and women of valour who made enormous sacrifices both for Ndigbo and Nigeria. It was their courage and steadfastness that placed Nigeria on the global map. They did not shy away from the challenges that faced them, even when some of these challenges bore mortal consequences. The recent primaries of the political parties in Nigeria have further exposed the disunity and lack of political sagacity on the part of Igbo politicians. While other tribes spent less money and made less noise to achieve their goals, our people doled out billions of naira, which could have been channeled to other more useful ventures, and squabbled among themselves to achieve the same purpose. Why couldn’t our politicians exhibit more maturity and love, and less acrimony, in the quest for political power? Those that participated in the primaries whether in APGA, PDP, PPA, APC, etc in our state were all Abians. Must we always fight, intimidate and harass one another before we achieve our political goals? I have asked these questions because answers to them are at the heart of the endemic problems confronting us as a people. As a first step to rekindling the new Igbo spirit of unity, love and progress, I, ORJI UZOR KALU, hereby tender an unreserved apology to any Abian and, indeed, Nigerian, whom I have offended in any way or form, especially during the 8 years (1999-2007) I served as the executive governor of Abia State. This apology has become necessary to set the tone for a new beginning for our people. We owe it as a duty to offer a similar apology to all those we have offended individually or collectively. Apart from trying to cement the bond of fraternity among us it is also a way of satisfying an obligatory religious duty of every Christian to love one another and live with one another in peace and brotherhood, particularly this Christmas. In the same vein, I have forgiven in advance those that trespassed against me. There is no question that for the eight years I sat in the saddle as governor of Abia State I must have made mistakes – consciously or unconsciously. From whatever angle you look at these mistakes they were made in good faith and in furtherance of the duties of the office of governor. We never intended to deliberately offend anybody. The decisions we took as a government could not have pleased everybody. But in the long run, most of the things we did helped to move our state to the next level of development. We have never deluded ourselves that everybody would be happy with all that we did. That would have amounted to asking for too much. But any objective observer or analyst will agree that considering the circumstances we found ourselves, with mountainous debts and absence of basic infrastructure, we did our utmost best. We served Abia people honestly, dedicatedly and transparently. We inherited a debt of N8.3 billion, made up of a staggering 168 million US dollars, several years of unpaid pensions and gratuities, three-month salary arrears of workers, and billions in successfully delivered contractual obligations. The reason past administrations failed to meet these obligations was best known to them. Since government is a continuum and determined to leave behind something for which we would be remembered, we decided to take up the defrayal of the debts. I am glad to announce that by the time we exited office on May 29, 2007 we had paid all the debts. We were able to achieve this feat by the grace of God and an unremitting determination not to fail. Our success as a government between 1999 and 2007 was also made possible by the unprecedented support you gave us. You stood by us at all times and

showed faith in our dealings with you. We ran a transparent government and maintained due process in contractual matters, making it difficult for treasurylooters to operate. Again, as Chief Executive, I never had any underhand business with anybody be they Chief of Staff, Commissioner or contractor. The only money I spent, which was judiciously done, was the statutory security vote duly appropriated by the State House of Assembly. The money was used for the purpose it was meant and was managed by our present governor, Chief T.A. Orji, as my Chief of Staff. I wish to state without any equivocation that I did not personally handle any money throughout the period I was governor. This fact could be attested to by our civil servants who know every corrupt government official. Our total collectible revenue from the federation account from May 1999 to April 2007 was N108 billion compared to the over one trillion naira the present administration has collected between May 2007 and September 2014. We were not given the May 2007 allocation on the orders of the President then that no state should be given that month’s allocation. With the meager resources we were able to do many projects, paid salaries and pensions regularly, offered free education and healthcare, provided all-round security, and ensured freedom of speech, movement and political association. We transformed the civil service in Abia State and built a culture of transparency and accountability. Though the first 97 days of our 8-year tenure was tumultuous as we tried to implement reforms in the service, however, we were able to sail through, because we were open to objective criticisms and ideas. I listened to everybody who had a contrary view about our government. The two Catholic Bishops in Abia State – Luciu Iwejuru Ugorji of Umuahia and Vincent Ezeonyia of Aba – were particularly quite helpful in resolving the initial disagreements we had with civil servants over critical issues. The civil servants went to them and they came to me for discussions. We sat in-house and resolved all contentious issues amicably. Thereafter, it was a smooth sail all the way. It is on record that Abia State ranked first among the states in Nigeria in industrial harmony. In fact, there was no single strike by both the civil servants and lecturers of our tertiary institutions throughout our tenure. We paid subventions to all institutions in our state as due. We also paid salaries every 25th of the month and met contractual obligations promptly. All this led to the peace and tranquility we experienced during the period under review. Recall that during my tenure as governor we offered free education and free healthcare to our people. We did these things for the love of our people, even when the financial resources were scarce. We could have done more if the resources were as rosy as they are today. In everything, we give God the glory, especially in our struggle to recover the 43 oil wells ceded to other states. We initiated and completed the process, and we thank the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua for graciously granting the approval before he died. Abia is forever indebted to him for his benevolence and love for our people. My dear people, contrary to the wicked insinuations of some laid-back critics our administration, to the best of my knowledge, did not award any contract to my mother or any member of my family as a matter-of-factly. I was vehemently opposed to giving any contract to any of my relations, no matter how sanguineous. Those who peddle the rumour have no concrete evidence to support their claims. I am always open to quality and transformative ideas. Nevertheless, I have deep aversion for injustice and oppression. This is why it is very easy to do business with me once you can observe these principles. There is nobody I had done business with that would claim I cheated him. When I feel strongly about any issue, then there is an element of injustice in it. As a government, we were not unnecessarily confrontational, as some critics would make some believe. We took the federal government to the Supreme on a number of occasions to seek interpretation to vital constitutional matters. And the judgments given helped to enhance our legal system. For instance, my disagreements with Olusegun Obasanjo as President were purely based on principles and beliefs. They were not personal at all. I have utmost respect for the former President and will always do. For the avoidance of doubt, Obasanjo was a strong president and remains a patriot with huge passion for Nigeria. It is the same respect I have for Obasanjo that I extend to all our elders who have conducted themselves with dignity and integrity. It is sad that some elders in our state have behaved in a manner that calls their integrity to question. They have made futile efforts to displace the truth with their inordinate desire for political largesse. Wherein then lay the hope of the younger generation if such elders could sell out too cheaply? I wish to place on record that some of these elders, who today work against the common interest of our people, were recommended for ministerial appointments and appointments to boards of federal parastatal agencies by me. I even brought some of them to PDP from other splinter political groups. So, I have nothing personal against any of them. However, I appeal to them to sheathe their swords and let us work together to advance the cause of our state. If they felt aggrieved in whatever way, I sincerely apologize to them. Some people erroneously blame me for the choice of T.A. Orji as governor. I take total responsibility for his choice. Let me, nonetheless, state here that the choice of T.A. Orji was made out of a sincere desire to enthrone a leadership that would be close and work for the growth and development of our state. There was no way I would have presented him to you for support if I knew he would turn out as a chastisement to our people. As at the time I settled for him, after due consultation, he was deemed to be the best. How he changed overnight to become what he is today is still strange to me. I remember I cried out when Governor Orji started derailing, but nobody listened to me. I drew his attention to the development and advised him not to run for a second term rather that he should go to the Senate. He probably did not like the idea and decided to do his own will. This, I believe, could be the cause of the rift between us. If he had any other reason he should let the world know. It is important our political and traditional leaders, youth, clergy, elders, men and women come together and invite the governor and myself to sit eyeball to eyeball and let him tell them what I had done against him to warrant the spewing of such venoms from him. It is, however, my belief that if God had not anointed him governor there was no way he could have won election from prison. We knew what we went through

to convince major stakeholders to accept his candidature, while still in prison. The election proper that produced him as governor was entirely an act of God. If I may ask: for how long are we going to cry over spilt milk? We have made a huge mistake in the choice of T.A. Orji, for which I am very remorseful. But it is high time we put it behind us and faced the future squarely. The challenges ahead of us are greater and mightier than those we had already overcome. This is why there is an urgent need to convoke a mini-Summit mid-January 2015 to discuss the way forward for our state. We cannot afford to fold our arms and watch mediocrities toy with our collective destiny. One fact all of us should bear in minds is that our state has drifted dangerously in the past 8 years. We may wake up one day and discover, to our chagrin, that our state has been mortgaged on the altar of greed and selfishness, unless we do something drastic now to avert it. No time is better than now for us to work together to reposition our state. We are blessed with rich human and material resources, yet our state is very backward in terms of infrastructural development. We did our best to develop Abia State between 1999 and 2007, in spite of the staggering problems we met. We thank God for the wisdom and strength he gratuitously bestowed on us, which saw us through. What we achieved might not be adequately appreciated today. I am confident posterity will judge us better. The times in which we are call for the concerted effort of all Abians. The blamegame should give way to a more pragmatic approach to resolving whatever differences exist among us. It is time to move forward. The time has come when the experience and acuity of many of our sons and daughters, irrespective of their religious, political or cultural inclinations, are needed to effect the desired change. We can only tap into their rich reservoir of knowledge by bringing them together and according them the required recognition to propel them to do more for our state. Coming together to discuss the way forward will eliminate acrimony, which is brewing steadily among those who felt shortchanged in the just concluded primaries of different political parties, and produce suggestions that will promote peace, progress and development of our state. We have the capacity to resolve whatever disagreements exist among us. Spreading malicious rumours and making tendentious allusions appear to have become a trend among us. When we run one another down we set the hand of the clock several days or months back. We are all the same brothers and sisters of one heritage. What then do we gain running one another down? That one does not like my face should not be a cause for us to kill or malign ourselves. I was the first governor in Nigeria to bring people from other states to work with us for the development of our state. We engaged them for their exceptional skills and to further cement the bond of unity among all Nigerians. It was after we had altruistically engaged in this exercise that other governors started doing it for selfish political gains. I have made immeasurable sacrifices for the peace, unity and progress of Abia State, nay Nigeria. The sacrifices might not have been noticed or recognized by some persons for personal political reasons. But deep inside me, I believe I have steadily done my best to promote the cause of our people. I took up the gauntlet when others feared to do so in the heady days of the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was the speech I delivered at the World Igbo Summit in Enugu on January 21, 2001 that set the tone for the Igbo project in Nigeria. It has always been my conviction that Ndigbo should not play a second fiddle in Nigeria. Do we have any reason to behave as second class citizens in a nation we have equal stakes? I do not belong to a timid and trepid generation. Our generation should be able to leave something remarkable for the incoming generation to build on. We should act as one at all times and guard our interests jealously. Our support for the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan is non-partisan – it cuts across parties, religions and cultures. It is also borne out of the conviction that he would protect our interests and leave behind substantial legacies at the end of his tenure for the good of all Nigerians. Having resolved to collectively throw our support behind President Jonathan’s reelection bid, whatever is left of other political positions will be distributed in such a way as to promote equity and fair play. The survival and sustenance of our unity and progress should not be decided by one man. It should be a collective decision and choice. Abia deserves the best and nothing but the best. The interest of our state is bigger than the interest of any one man. We must place our collective interest above our personal, parochial, and narrow interests. We cannot afford another round of lousy and clueless leadership characterized by egocentricity, arrogance and mindboggling malfeasance. We need a clean break from our past to chart a new cause for the growth and development of a new Abia State. We must have made mistakes individually and corporately, it is now time to reconcile and move on. What is paramount is the new attitude we bring to the table. This new attitude should be built on mutual trust, respect for one another, love and reconciliation. Abia State is now in the dawn of a new era. Abia State has been rededicated to God, who ab intio, has been in control of its affairs. I urge all of us to embrace the new wind of change blowing in our state. This is the only opportunity we have to right the wrongs of the past and build a new Abia State in which our millions of youths will be gainfully employed, in which peace and harmony will thrive, and in which the fear of God and love of neigbhour will flourish. I thank you for your tenacity, courage and patience over the years. I pray the good Lord to bless and keep you safely into the New Year. I wish you Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2015. I remain, Yours in the service of God and man,

ORJI UZOR KALU

GOVERNOR, ABIA STATE (1999-2007) Camp Neya, Igbere, Abia State

News

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Shettima disowns suspect, faults DSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North East, headed by the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki. Another presidential committee led by Ambassador Hassan Tukur had also entered into negotiations with the fake sect commanders. The suspects were also said to be the one the Federal Government negotiated with in the botched ceasefire deal allegedly brokered by Chadian President Idriss Derby. However, Shettima has disowned Khadi, whom the DSS identified as his aide, saying he inherited him from his predecessor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, before he sacked him four months ago. Other fake commanders paraded were: Abubakar Yusuf, Saleh Ibrahim, Abdullahi Saleh, Nurudeen Ibrahim, Mubarak Adamu and Mustapha Maidugu. Parading the suspects in Abuja, DSS Deputy Director of Public Relations, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, said the suspects falsely indicted Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, of sponsoring terrorism in the NorthEast. David had on August 29 alleged that Sheriff and Ihejirika were among the sponsors of Boko Haram. He had predicated his "findings" on "discussions with several field commanders of the sect, who allegedly expressed willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government." Ogar said the alleged indictment of Sheriff and Ihejirika was an orchestrated design by Davis and his cohorts, who she claimed, "are among several other local and international groups who are out to make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and fabricated stories." According to her, Aisha Wakil, who had claimed close ties with the sect leaders introduced some of the suspects to Shettima between 2011 and 2012 "as representatives who would negotiate a peaceful end to the crisis." Besides, the fake commanders were presented as the hooded sect members who appeared in videos presented by Davis, for which he claimed to have held talks with leaders of Boko Haram. They were also identified as those whose voices were heard on the Voice of America (VOA) and who "spoke extensively on the bogus Boko Haram ceasefire with the Federal Government." As a reward for their

infamous outings, they got cash ranging from N150, 000 to N4 million. Davis was also said to have facilitated Maidugu's getting an ad hoc job with UNICEF, which bordered on providing psychological support to victims of the Boko Haram insurgency." According to the secret service, Shettima's aide, who has known Davis since 2006, introduced Wakil to the former as a "credible link to top members of the Boko Haram." He was said to have made the following confessions: "That he and one General Ashafa went with Davis on a journey to a remote part of Marte Local Government Area, Borno State, on a false mission to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. "That he (governor's aide) deliberately conspired to blackmail and implicate Ali Modu Sheriff and one Mala Othman, former state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as sponsors of the Boko Haram sect. "That Davis single handedly conjured the indictment on Ihejirika based on allegations that the military under the former COAS was responsible for the several failed attempts by Davis to make contact with the presidency." However, the DSS also said the suspect denied "ever discussing with Davis that Ihejirika was a Boko Haram sponsor. He stressed that at no time during their interactions were such allegations made against Ihejirika and wondered why this should arise. "That he organised several meetings between the purported Boko Haram commanders and Davis in Abuja and was privy to a YouTube video, an interview on Voice of America (VOA) and he (Khadi) also used Davis’ camera to capture snapshots of Davis in a group photograph with some fake commanders of the sect." On their participation during the presidential committees' separate visits to Maiduguri, Ibrahim said: "That in 2013, he participated in a governmentsponsored dialogue with the Boko Haram sect and he was presented to the Ambassador Hassan Tukur and the Tanimu Turaki-led committees as a top member of the sect’s Shura Council, a claim which was false. "That he and a few other persons granted an interview to the VOA and spoke extensively on the bogus Boko Haram ceasefire with the Federal Government. "That Khadi paid him N300, 000 for his role in the mischievous media campaign." Saleh, another impostor,

was said to have confessed that in August 2013, Yusuf introduced him to Davis, Wakil, Khadi and the Turaki-led Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North-East. He confessed to have made N150,000 from fake dealings with Davis and the Turaki and Tukur committees. Also, Hassan said he participated in various meetings with the Turaki

committee, the VOA interview, featured in the YouTube video and was one of the hooded gang members in the group photograph with Davis. In view of the startling discoveries, the DSS noted that: "It is necessary to state here that Davis and his cohorts are among several other local and international groups who are out to make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and fabricated stories.

"These subversive campaigns are also aimed at permeating and shaping political discourse as well as challenge the integrity of our national security and stir discontent amongst Nigerians and our esteemed allies in the war against terror." However, responding to New Telegraph request to clarify the status of Khadi in his governor, Shettima in a text message yesterday said: "Junaid Idrissa Khadi was appointed by

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in 2010 as a special adviser and was retained at the formation of my team in 2011at the behest of Ali Sheriff. I dropped him along with other aides about four months ago. "The national director of the DSS is doing Ali Sheriff's bidding. Steve Davis actually worked for the Federal Government of Nigeria in the past. They are just denying him now for telling them probably some unpleasant truths."

L-R: Director, Regulatory Affairs, Airtel Nigeria, Osondu Nwokoro; Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and Secretary General-elect of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Mr. Houlin Zhao, at the just-concluded ITU World 2014 at Doha, Qatar...recently

Asian, European buyers shun Nigeria's oil CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

parameters as well as to some fiscal estimates in the MTEF. "I hereby forward copies of the revised 2015-2017 MTEF for the kind consideration of honourable members of the House of Representatives, and hope that it would be considered and approved expeditiously in order to bring the 2015 Federal Government of Nigeria Budget preparation process to quick closure,” the letter said. The president explained that the delay in the presentation of the 2015-2017 MTEF was due to the "extraordinary global circumstances that confronted us in the latter quarter of the 2014 fiscal year." According to him, the uncertainty surrounding the global price ofcrude oil and its continuous fall have occasioned delays in both the submission of a final MTEF and budget estimates. Jonathan urged the lawmakers to consider both of

these together in view of the nation’s national budget calendar. Although, House Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, had attempted to stop the House from allowing OkonjoIweala to lay the budget, Tambuwal ruled him out of order. Gbajabiamila, who had relied on the provision of Order 6, rule 1, argued that instead of receiving the minister today, the House should insist that the president appears himself to present the budget. But House Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, countered the minority leader, citing section 81 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the president to delegate the duty of presenting the budget to the legislature. Similarly, Hon. Aliyu Madaki (APC, Kano) faulted Ogor's presentation, arguing that receiving the budget will be an aberration since the House's tradition is to fix oil bench-

mark and approve MTEF before receiving the budget. In response, Tambuwal said:"It is not only a matter of privilege but a point of law to pass the MTEF before the budget. However, that won't stop us from meeting with the minister. What will happen is that we will consider the MTEF before receiving the budget.” The leadership of the House had earlier met behind closed doors with the minister to facilitate the presentation of the budget. New Telegraph gathered at the meeting, the minister was said to have explained that there was need for the amendments to some parameters of the MTEF in line with present realities. Also, Jonathan wrote the Senate yesterday asking to allow Okonjo-Iweala to lay the 2015 budget estimates before senators for their consideration and approval.

Also, Jonathan submitted for the consideration and approval of the Senate the 2015 budget proposal of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) as well as the 2015 budget proposal of the Universal Service Provision Fund. Meanwhile, there seems to be more trouble ahead for the economy as over 30 cargoes of January loading crude from the country was on yesterday abandoned by buyers. Asian and European demand for Nigeria and other West African cargoes has, according to Platts, been slow so far, exacerbated by high freight rates and the availability of cheaper sweet crudes in both regions. "The market is in disaster mode," the news agency said quoting a trader. "There is just no demand for these Nigerian grades at the moment. There is too much oil to choose from. Even the Azeri Light values are coming crashing down."

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Anule Emmanuel Abuja

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that Nigeria was not taken by surprise with the falling crude oil prices at the international market. The president while speaking at the launch of the Youth Employment in Agriculture Program (YEAP) and the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) at the presidential villa, Abuja explained that the Federal Government under his leadership foresaw the

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NATIONAL

Nigeria prepared for fallen oil prices, says President downturn in crude prices three years ago and has taken positive steps to absorb the trend. The price of Brent crude oil has fallen below $59 a barrel for the first time since May 2009. After dropping below $60, the Brent price then fell to $58.50 a barrel, before recovering slightly to $58.94. Oil prices have now nearly halved since June as

a result of waning demand and increased supplies. President Jonathan has said that the launch of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) three years ago was designed deliberately by government to diversify the country’s revenue base as a cushioning strategy. He noted that government’s massive food production efforts under the

ATA has yielded 21 million metric tonnes of food that have created a buffer to mitigate the impact of the oil price volatility on the nation’s economy. According to him, the initial goal of the ATA at its launch in 2011 was to add an extra 20 million metric tonnes of food to the country’s domestic food supply by 2015. The president boasted

that the target had been surpassed with the production of an additional one million metric tonnes by local farmers, resulting in the creation of three million farm jobs within the period. He described YEAP and FAFIN as landmark initiatives of his administration that would fasttrack the agricultural transformation process.

L-R: Director, Shipping Development, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], Captain Warredi Enisuoh; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Calistus Obi and Director General/CEO, Mr. Ziakede Akpobolukemi, at a world press conference on the activities of the agency in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

GECF appoints Alison-Madueke first female president Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) has appointed the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke as the first woman President of Ministerial meeting Forum. Alison-Madueke was recently elected as the first female President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). According to the statement from the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Ohi Alegbe, the appointment was announced earlier today in Doha, Qatar, at the ongoing 16th Ministerial Conference of the GECF. Alegbe said: “AlisonMadueke, who could not attend the meeting because of her involvement in the ongoing negotiations to end the oil workers’ strike was represented at the meeting by the Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Shuaibu A. Ahmed”.

France steps up efforts to check Boko Haram Reps reject planned rance has offered to Its operations have sions between its three for- gional powers to launch a increase in electricity tariff help coordinate a spilled over Nigeria’s bor- mer colonies and Nigeria. joint force of 2,800 soldiers Philip Nyam Abuja

he House of Representatives yesterday asked the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to halt its plan to increase electricity tariff across the country. This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC Kano). The House also mandated its committee on power to investigate the causes of persistent increase in electricity tariff and report back to the chamber in two weeks. It will be recalled that NERC had recently announced that a new increased electricity tariff plan would take effect from this month, which shows that consumers will now pay about twice of the current tariff. But Madaki in his motion noted that there has been erratic power supply by respective power companies in the country, saying the plan tariff

would bring more hardship to Nigerians. He said previous increases in electricity tariff plan did not yield any corresponding results, saying the projected estimates “to generate 4000 megawatts in 2008, 6000MW in 2009, 10,000MW in 2010 and 16,000MW in 2011 ended up in fiasco.” He said if the proposed increase in the electricity tariff was not stopped, “its multiple effects on the economy cannot be quantified.” The motion was unanimously adopted by majority of members at plenary as Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal referred it to the Committee on Power for further action. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday mandated its joint Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream) and Justice to within 30 days, investigate and unravel the oil companies allegedly aiding and abetting crude oil theft in Nigeria.

regional taskforce against Boko Haram, amid signs of mistrust among West African neighbours. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said yesterday at a forum in Dakar that his country would, besides rallying African countries to tackle the sect, provide about a dozen military advisers to join regional counterparts at a command centre in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, 60 km from the Nigerian border. Boko Haram has stepped up attacks across much of Nigeria’s north ahead of presidential election in February.

ders into Niger and Cameroun, as well as stirred fears that Chad could be dragged into the conflict. The leaders of the four countries agreed in Paris in May to flesh out a plan to share intelligence, coordinate action and monitor borders. But there appears to have been little tangible cooperation between Abuja and neighboring governments since. France has ruled out direct military intervention, saying Nigeria should take the lead, according to a report by Reuters. But Paris said it could play a role in easing ten-

“We’re at a forum in Dakar talking about the need for Africans to collectively take charge of their security and yet it’s not happening where there is urgency,” Le Drian said. “Everybody distrusts everybody. We have to get beyond that,” he told journalists without giving details. Paris fears Boko Haram could spread northward into the Sahel and beyond Cameroun into Central African Republic, where it had more than 5,000 French troops on peacekeeping and counter-terrorism missions. France will help re-

to tackle Boko Haram that was pledged in July, but has yet to see the light of day, Le Drian said. “They need organisational, structural, command and inter-operational help. France is offering to do that,” he said. Boko Haram is waging a five-year insurgency to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria. Regional analysts believed Nigeria’s neighbours suspect its army is infiltrated by Boko Haram and cannot be trusted if it crosses borders in hot pursuit of militants, which Abuja wants to do.

A’Court upholds N1.24bn tax assessment against Halliburton Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

he Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has upheld an additional $ 6,972,248 (about N1.24 billion) tax assessment against the Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited (HESNL). The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a

statement issued yesterday confirmed the court ruling. FIRS had raised an additional tax assessment against HESNL for year 1996 to 1999. Displeased with the decision of the FIRS, Halliburton filed a complaint at the defunct Body of Appeal Commissioner. The body upheld FIRS decision.

Dissatisfied with the outcome at the Body, HESNL approached the Federal High Court, Lagos which quashed the Body’s decision and ordered FIRS to refund the said amount to Halliburton. FIRS headed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the order of the High Court and the appellant court in its unanimous decision ruled that the

service was empowered by the law to assess the income not disclosed earlier. The additional assessment arose from contract transactions between Halliburton, West African Limited – a foreign/nonresident company incorporated in Cayman Islands – and its affiliate operating in Nigeria, under the entity called HESNL.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro ‘Herbalist demanded human skull to cure me of madness’ INSANITY A man says he bought a human skull for N12,500 to prepare ‘medicine’ to cure him of leprosy and madness

Shola Adefuwa

35-year-old man, Olorunto Dipe, who was arrested for dealing in human parts, has said that a herbalist asked him to get a human skull found in his possession for healing purposes. Dipe said the herbalist wanted to use the skull to heal him of madness and leprosy. The suspect was arrested by a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at Ajibawo, Atan-Ota, Ogun State on October 22, based on a tip-off. The team was led by Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP). Dipe also claimed that he bought the human skull for N12,500 from Cotonou in Republic of Benin. The suspect added that he was suffering from leprosy and partial madness and was asked to bring human skull for treatment by a herbalist he identified as Asiwaju. Dipe also claimed that he met Asiwaju at Atan in Ogun State. He said: “It was Asiwaju who asked me to bring a human skull. He said he would use it to help me. I went to Cotonou and bought it for N12,500. “I had not given it to him before I was caught by the police. Asiwaju promised to cure me with a human skull, but he did not succeed. It was a hospital that finally cured me.” After Dipe’s arrest, the

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

Expect God’s packages, Kumuyi tells Nigerians T

he General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has called on Nigerians to discard their fear about the New Year and the turbulent period of elections. Kumuyi said that God will pull the country through peacefully and successfully. This is contained in a statement issued by the church Secretary, Pastor U. J. J. Asemota, to announce the national 2014 December retreat and monthly revival programmes with the theme: “Lifted Up to Higher Ground’ and Enrichment through God’s Visitation.” The cleric assured Nigerians that God has a blueprint for the country which transient events such as elections and election seasons can never obliterate. Kumuyi urged the people to take advantage of the December programme to plug into God’s Divine Master Plan and appropriate the best God has over the years prepared for mankind. He said: “God has designed packages, through the annual

Kumuyi

camp meeting, because of the critical stage in the nation’s life so that as many as are willing might enjoy sacred divine direction and intervention in their lives even as God’s Saints collectively pray for God to yet again, weigh-in in the affairs of the nation.”

Ogunbiyi for burial Friday T

Dipe with the skull

he remains of Chief Adeyemi Olusegun Ogunbiyi will be committed to mother earth on Friday in Lagos. Burial service, according to a statement from the family, holds at 10am on Friday at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Dominion Sanctuary, 1, Vori Close, off ACME Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. Service of Songs/Christian Wake holds tomorrow at his residence, Temple of Peace, 3/5 Temple Avenue, New OkoOba, Agege, Lagos. The deceased was a former Aviation Commercial Man-

ager of the then National Oil, and pioneer Chairman, Lagos Pig Farmers Association of Nigeria. Ogunbiyi died on November 21, aged 74 years.

police arrested Asiwaju. He was, however, released after he claimed not to have known or seen Dipe before. Dipe, who is a farmer and a father of four, pleaded for mercy. He said: “I’m a foolish man

because when I was arrested, the person who asked me to get the human skull denied me. “If I’m released, I will not deal in human skulls again. Police should please forgive me. I won’t do it again.”

Amosun leads refuse collection team

overnor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, members of his cabinet and the Body of Permanent Secretaries have taken steps to clear refuse in major towns across the state. The new move is aimed at effectively managing waste disposal and collection in the state. Three gangs, each led by the state Head of Service (HOS), Mrs Modupe Adekunle, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof Ganiyu Olatunde, worked throughout Monday night in Abeokuta,

Ijebu Ode and Ota. The gang comprising commissioners, special advisers and permanent secretaries and members were provided with face masks, hand gloves, sanitiser, shovels, rakes, pay loaders, lorries and other implements needed to evacuate refuse from various centres in the three cities to the authorised dump sites. Briefing members during the 48th session of the Executive Council in Oke-Mosan

yesterday, Amosun said the reports reaching him indicated that refuse collection in some major towns in the state was becoming problematic. The governor explained that the influx of people from Lagos and other states to Ogun State due to the increased industrialisation of the state had led to high rate of refuse generation which required new approaches and strategies for dealing with it. He said: “We at the helm of

The late Ogunbiyi

affairs need to demonstrate leadership. We have to lead the initiative to give our state and our dear good people a safe and clean environment by personally getting involved in the maintenance of the environment. “When our people see commissioners, head of service, permanent secretaries and others clearing refuse, they will know how serious we are on enforcement of laws, rules and regulations concerning the environment.”

Metro News 11

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

NDLEA arrests five, seizes N6m Indian hemp

File picture of bags of cannabis

Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

ive suspected drug dealers have been arrested in Ebonyi State with 1.2 tonnes

of cannabis sativa otherwise known as Indian hemp worth N6 million. The suspects were arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during different operations.

The state NDLEA Commander, Mr Raph Igwenagu, told journalists in Abakaliki that there had been a sudden increase in arrest and seizure of hard drugs in the state in the past three weeks. He said: “This is an unusual development in a state like Ebonyi that is not a major consumer of hard drugs. The situation is indeed disturbing and dangerous.” Igwenagu described the rising trend in hard drugs peddling and consumption in Ebonyi State as dangerous, not just to the youth and parents but the government and the entire society. According to him, the five suspects arrested in connection with seizure are now helping the agency in its investigation. He added: “Although the suspects have accepted liabilities of the consignments,

as soon as our investigations are completed they would be charged to court. “This quantity of seizure is unprecedented not only in Ebonyi State but the entire South-East zone.” The commander therefore advised parents and guardians to always pay particular attention to their children and wards to ensure they are not lured into the use of hard drugs. Consumption of hard drugs, according to him, invariably poses danger to their health and prospects in life. Igwenagu noted that one of the seizures was made on the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway and from a suspect who was bringing the item to Abakaliki from Ondo State. Others, he said, were seized at Isiagu and Nkalagu in Ivo and Ishielu local government areas.

Empowerment will check crime, says Ashafa Muritala Ayinla

he lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, yesterday said his empowerment programme was part of efforts to check violent crime. Ashafa said this while distributing empowerment tools to some youths from Ikorodu, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki local government areas. The legislator, who attributed the high crime rate and unrest in parts of the state to the high rate of unemployment in the country, said crime and other social vices could be effectively curtailed if the youth were meaningfully engaged.

He described the gesture as his way of reducing crime in the state because, according to him, the youth only take to violence when they are jobless. Last week, Ashafa also empowered about 5,000 youths from Somolu and Kosofe local government areas. He promised to continue to cater for the interest of the youth in his developmental programmes. The legislator added that empowering his constituents was one of the major areas through which he catered for the welfare of the people who voted for him. He said: “The level of unemployment in Nigeria is increasing on a daily basis. It is high time we all contributed

Man escapes death in lone accident

The truck

Clement James Calabar

man escaped death yesterday when his truck heading for the United Cement Company

(UNICEM) factory in Mfamasong, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State rammed into a streetlight pole on IBB Way in Calabar. The truck, with registration number Lagos YR 965 FST, was

Some of the beneficiaries and the donated items

Ogbomoso honours Benjamin Adekunle

The late Adekunle

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

he late renowned civil war hero, Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle, popularly known as the “Black Scorpion” will be honoured tomorrow by his kinsmen under the auspices of the Ogbomoso Community Foundation (OCF). The posthumous honour and tributes with a public lecture will hold at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso. Adekunle died at 77 on September 13 and was given full military burial in Lagos where he lived most of his active life time. But the OCF Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Amusa Ladiran, said in a statement that the public lecture entitled; “Brigadier-General Benjamin Maja Adekunle: The Fearless Nigerian Hero,” would be delivered by Brigadier-General Godwin Alabi-Isama (rtd) while former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Adewusi, would be the chairman at the occasion.

our own quota in order to ameliorate the poverty situation. “At the heart of my empowerment scheme is the urgent need to diversify, strengthen and deepen the industry with

the largest employment-generating-opportunity in our economy, the informal sector. “I will continue to empower my people as long as I’m still alive.

coming from the Rabana end of Calabar metropolis when its front tyre “pulled out.” The driver, who gave his name simply as Enechi, said he was trying to manoeuvre a bend when the tyre disengaged from the vehicle, sending it across the other lane. He said: “I was coming from Rabana to go and load cement at UNICEM factory in Mfamasong when the front tyre pulled out. “I tried to control the vehicle but it was difficult. Since I had no option, I had to run into this streetlight pole and fortunately for me, there was no vehicle coming from the Eta Agbor end.” The accident caused a heavy traffic jam, forcing vehicles to move at snail speed on one lane. A traffic warden controlling the traffic refused to talk on the issue, claiming that he had no permission from his superiors.

Conductor kills driver, dumps body in well Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

olice in Abuja are trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding the gruesome death of a 65-year-old pickup van driver, Dayo Johnson. Johnson was allegedly murdered by his assistant, Mr Bashal Ali, last Friday at Shagari quarters, Dei-Dei in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A senior police officer at Zuba police station, who craved anonymity, confirmed the incident. He said: “On Friday afternoon, we got a distress call from a Good Samaritan that a young Hausa boy, Bashal Ali, who hails from Sokoto,

has murdered his boss at a remote part of Shagari quarters in Dei-Dei, dumped his body in a well and was preparing to flee with the victim’s vehicle. “We dispatched our team of crime officers to the venue and the story turned out to be real. From what we established, the suspect, Bashal Ali, was an Okada (commercial motorcycle) rider. He lived in an isolated place, an empty but fenced plot at Shagari quarters in Dei-Dei. But he confirmed that the victim, Dayo Johnson, the driver of the pick-up van, engaged him as his conductor. “They took a consignment to Kaduna that Friday and when they returned to Abuja, he lured the man to drop him off at his Dei-Dei house.

News

NATIONAL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

We’ll stop plane crashes, says Chidoka ACCIDENT FREE Aviation Minister moves to make aircraft accidents a thing of the past Clem Khena OGBENA

he Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said yesterday that his ministry would ensure that plane crashes in the country would be a thing of the past. The minister gave the

assurance in his office in Abuja, while receiving the report of the Ministerial Committee on Nigerian Aviation Industry Aircraft Accident Investigation Report Status, chaired by Captain Victor Iriobe. He also announced that overseas training for aviation staff in whatever capacity, would be stopped in preference for local training. According to Chidoka, a task team would be instituted to ensure that all the recommendations contained in the report were implemented to the letter. He stated: "So, what we

need to do immediately is to form a task team to look at all these recommendations immediately and identify the ones that can be implemented, and the ones that have medium terms implementation framework and continue to ensure that the recommendations are implemented immediately." Chidoka further added that the review of the status of implementation of the recommendation in question would be done quarterly, adding that the initial review of such implementation would be done in the first week of March, 2015, saying.

Court remands artisan for impersonating police Caleb Onwe ABUJA

Magistrate's Court, sitting at Wuse Abuja yesterday remanded a 43 year-old artisan, Segun Adeyemi for criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, impersonation, extortion, assault and theft. The charges are said to be contrary to Sections 97, 397, 179, 229 , 265 and 287 of the Penal

Code Laws. The accused and his accomplice were alleged to have impersonated operatives of the Special AntiRobbery Squad ( SARS) to intimidate, assault and extort the sum of N12,000 and a Blackberry Phone worth N25, 000 from the complainant. In an effort to get justice, the complainant, Mrs. Bidemi Abdulsalami, who appears not to have suspected her assailants

to be ' fake’ police operatives; petitioned the Inspector General of Police( IGP); apparently to bring to his notice the injustice she suffered from the invasion of her assailants. According to the Prosecutor, Inspector Andrew Aichenede, who presented this matter through first information Report; with reference number CR/64/14, the complainant’s petition prompted an immediate investigation,

Finally, remains of Nwobodo’s son buried Interest in Uwakwe Abugu ENUGU

inally, the body of Dr. Ifeanyi, first son of the former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, was yesterday committed to Mother Earth after the event was botched on December 5. His younger siblings had removed the body owing to a family feud. But on Tuesday, Nwobodo boycotted the burial ceremony in line with his earlier threat not to have anything to do

with it again, after the embarrassing failure to do it on the earlier date when when dignitaries and sympathizers thronged his Amaechi Awkunanaw country home in Enugu South local council area of the state. The corpse of late Ifeanyichukwu was buried in the compound of his (Chief Nwwobodo’s) late elder brother, John, just adjacent the compound of the former governor, a situation that resolved the issue of the burial site for the late medical doctor.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ACCESS CLASSIC SOCIAL CLUB

The general public is hereby notified that the above mentioned CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration in accordance with Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act LFN (cap 20). The Trustees are: 1. Owoseni Sulaimanu Babatunde - Chairman 2. Rufai Saburi - Secretary 3. Gbolagade Solomon 4. Agbota Tunde Sulaimon 5. Idowu Adeniji Korede 6. Ogundiran Mukaila Alao 7. Badmus Lateef 8. Raji Musibau Adisa 9. Shoaga Monsuru 10. Abolaji Nureni AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To foster friendship and brotherhood among members. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

royalty payment growing, says NBC boss Clem Khena OGBENA

he National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has disclosed that the various broadcasting establishments in Nigeria, both the private and public ones, are now eager to pay royalties to the Commission, adding that they are also speaking with one voice. The commission added that such willingness to pay royalties was a new positive development in the industry. The Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba, made the disclosure during an exclusive chat with New Telegraph, at the just concluded three-day 'Africast 2014 Abuja, Nigeria', organised by the Commission in Abuja. He added that the prompt payment of royalties would hasten the process of transition from analogue to the much desired digitization in the country.

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan; Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (aka D'BANJ); Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina and Special Adviser to the President on School Agricultural Programmes, Hajiya Baraka Sani, during the launching of Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) and fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria in Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Mimiko: South West won’t succumb to pressure Anule Emmanuel

overnor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has vowed that no amount of propaganda and pressure from any quarters will intimidate voters in the South West to abandoning their tradition of voting candidates during elections based on issues and ideology. The governor, who spoke to state house correspondents yesterday at the Presidential Villa Abuja, in reaction to the quest by the opposition

All Progressives Congress (APC) to pick a vice presidential candidate from the zone with the hope of securing its bloc vote, said people of the area are too enlightened to be carried away by insignificant considerations. Mimiko said that just like the 2011 election, the South West will again demonstrate that they are capable of voting along issues as its concern the interest of the people. he said: “Well, we are waiting for APC to get their candidate but there is no question about the

fact that in terms, and I am saying this with all sense of humility, of enlightenment, especially in appreciation of issues of politics, in terms of s long history of progressive political engagement, you give it to south west that they know their onions. “Don’t forget even in 2011 when Mr. President did not have any governor in the south west, he won in all the south west states apart from one. And I tell you, in the south west, we can sift issues from propaganda.”

Maritime workers may down tools today Sunday Ojeme

embers of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have vowed to begin a nationwide strike beginning from today following Federal Government’s refusal to meet their demands. The union had earlier notified the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and private terminal operators of the imminent

strike that is bound to cripple all port formations nationwide. According to the union, the strike is intended to force government to address the lingering issue of tally clerks/on-board security, minimum standard for dockworkers and NPA staff welfare matters, among others. Prior to the current decision by the union, the government had concluded plans to do away with the tally clerks/onboard security despite

their importance to port operations and national security. According to the union, the latest ultimatum to government to address the issues of the tally clerk/onboard security, among other pending issues, expired on Monday, December. A member of the union confirmed that the strike would commence today (Wednesday) after the President-General and some other leaders of the union would have come back from a foreign trip.

Court rules on Nnamani’s trial January 23 Akeem Nafiu

ustice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday deferred ruling on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) seeking to separate the trial of a former Governor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, from other defendants in a money laundering suit filed against him till January 23, 2015. The judge fixed the date after informing parties in the matter that the ruling, which was earlier fixed for yesterday, was not ready.

The EFCC had in the application urged the court to separate Nnamani from other accused persons, so that his frequent medical trips abroad would no longer stall the trial of other accused persons. In the application which was brought pursuant to Section 155 of theCriminal Procedure Act, 2004, the EFCC is praying the court to allow the trial of Nnamani and his former aide, Sunday Onyekazur Anyaogu, to be conducted separately from the six companies charged along with them. The companies are

Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile (Nig) Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital (Renaissance University) and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School. The anti-graft agency argued that the application became necessary owing to the need for a speedy conclusion to be arrived at in respect of the assets and liabilities of the companies, which are corporate entities, as the said assets may become obsolete and seriously eroded if the companies were not separately tried.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014

Presidency

Ahmed: Why Buhari emerged APC presidential candidate

Defection

Court stays hearing on Tambuwal’s suit

Prediction

PDP primaries

14, 15

Uranta: Nigeria won’t break up in 2015

Triumph of Pwajok on the Plateau

Politics The current impeachment controversy in the Senate, in which there have been claims and counter-claims of plans by senators to remove President Goodluck Jonathan from office has been linked to grievances emanating from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries and the police invasion of the National Assembly. CHUKWU DAVID reports

Jonathan: The politics of impeachment

ecently, Nigerians have been watching with rapt attention the political drama in the Senate over a purported plot to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan by some members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and some supposedly disgruntled members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Initially, it was widely regarded as mere speculation as no senator owned up to the claim. There were also no evidences on ground to substantiate the rumour. This left so much curiosity in the minds of Nigerians, who felt that the touted impeachment design was nothing other than a contrived scheme by Jonathan’s enemies in the Upper Chamber, who would like to oust him from office if given the chance, for all kinds of reasons apart from national interest. However, some of the national dailies which first carried the report about two weeks ago, claimed that the senators muting the impeachment campaign were alleging non-implementation of budgets by Jonathan since 2011

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

Jonathan

to date; high level of corruption in his administration and “gross disregard” of the legislature as their basis. From investigations, it was established that, contrary to the speculation that senators were perfecting plans to impeach President Jonathan, most senators were not aware of any orchestrated plan in the offing. Most of the senators contacted denied having knowledge of, or being involved in the purported game plan. For instance, Senator Ganiyu Solomon (APC, Lagos West), who is the Minority Whip of the Senate told our correspondent that he never heard anything like that, neither did any senator contact him on such plot. His words: “Honestly, I have been in Lagos for quite some time but I have not heard anything like that, neither did anybody speak to me about it.” Similarly, Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) denied having knowledge of the speculated impeachment plot. “I don’t want to comment on what I don’t know anything about. I am not aware and nobody has met me on the issue you raised. But you can meet Abaribe because he is the spokesman of

Mark

The business of government is to curtail excesses, but this government has shown that it is incurably deficient in handling the situation in this country

the Senate,” he stated. In his reaction, Senator Joshua Dariye (PDP, Plateau Central) simply responded: “I don’t know anything about that; I am not aware of any such plot.” Senator Sha’aba Lafiagi (APC, Kwara North) joined others in denying knowledge of the rumoured impeachment move against the president. Another source, who spoke to New Telegraph on the condition of anonymity, posited that the impeachment report was orchestrated and planted in the media by a few senators who lost their return ticket to the Senate for 2015 in the just-concluded PDP ward congresses across the country. He said: “The so-called source claimed that out of the 63 Senators that signed the purported impeachment notice, eight were from the PDP, meaning that the remaining 55 senators were from the APC. Are we saying that the opposition is now having majority membership in the Senate? From what I know, APC has only about 38 members currently.” However, an APC senator from the North-East, who craved anonymity, told New Telegraph that it was one very aggrieved PDP member, who was trying to insti-

gate others to go into such ambition because he lost his bid to return to the Red Chamber in 2015. He also said that if other PDP members give attention to the plot, the opposition members would certainly join them, saying, “for now, we take it as a child’s play since it is only one man, who is not happy for his selfish interest that is making the move.” However, the speculation took another dimension when Senator Ibrahim Musa (APC Niger North) stated that there were moves by some members of the Senate to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. Musa said: “I think there is something like that but I don’t have the details.” The drama took another turn on December 2, when the issue began to metamorphose into a seeming reality as some senators engaged themselves in a verbal war over the speculated impeachment proposal. While some senators claimed responsibility for the move, others described it as absolute falsehood and a figment of the imagination of those who claimed to be embarking on such enterprise. On that day, while Senator Abdulkadir Jajere (APC, Yobe South) told journalists that plans had got to advanced stage to remove the president from office over alleged impeachable offences he committee since his election in 2011, Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu North) described Jajare’s claim as blatant falsehood. Senator Jajere said that the list of signatories, which was put at 63 a fortnight ago had increased to about 70 as at the time of the interview. His words: “I have signed the impeachment notice because there are impeachable offences against President Jonathan. You are my colleagues and being a journalist who had practised journalism for 27 years, I know these things are not new. “In 2011, this Senate approved N240 billion as subsidy fund but the same government spent N1.7 trillion, which is a clear breach of the constitution, clear breach of the Appropriation Act. The business of government is to curtail CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

Politics

WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ahmed: Why Buhari emerged APC presidential candidate Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed is one of the governors who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he speaks on the emergence of a presidential standard bearer of the opposition party, his second term ambition and governance in Kwara State. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports Were you expecting anything different from the result that was posted at the end of your party’s convention? No, because I have looked at APC as having come at a time that Nigeria needs to be rescued and the disposition of those who formed the APC has shown one clear thing: that we are all putting collective interest over and above self-interest. So, to that extent, I saw everybody’s disposition for a free and fair election. I knew that with the way things were going and with the kind of feelers that we were getting across the country, I knew we were going to end up in a free and fair election and I knew that people are very conscious of the problems that Nigeria is facing today and the most critical ones being insecurity and corruption. And truly, looking back into history, we judge people by what they have done. Of those people who came out to contest, former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari had the highest credential in the area of anticorruption and to a large extent in managing security. So, to a very large extent, I knew these would play a critical role in who was going to win and they were indeed critical. The emergence of Buhari is just in tandem with our mindset. The APC presidential primary election was predicted as a two horse

race between Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, but it turned the other way. What happened? Those predictions were not premised on anything one would say as empirical. They were largely suggestive, I would say, by the followers of each of the contenders and as it were, it was just a media perception. The reality on ground was that people came in and voted what their conscience directed them to do. In fact, even as governors, when we sat down to review the issue, it was largely about taking opinions from one another on the feelers on ground and this was what came out at the convention. Don’t you see Buhari as a gamble against President Goodluck Jonathan? We may not be taking a gamble to the extent that we allow critical issues that are bothering Nigerians to come to the fore because we are at the point where the issue of insecurity is getting to frightening dimensions. Unfortunately, the progress made by the current leadership has not suggested any serious sense of comfort for an average Nigerian. We are all witnesses to different bombings in various parts of the country. Insurgency is not new to Nigeria and we are all witnesses as to how it was handled in the past. We saw how it was handled

Ahmed

by Buhari and how he was able to manage the Chadians and we are all witnesses to his anticorruption fight which unfortunately was not allowed to stay. So, for us, we think Nigerians will vote according to their conscience and unfortunately, we think that the economy is not doing much as it should. Yes, there is growth but there is no development. The areas that have propelled the current growth that we are talking about are the service sectors but it is not touching the lives of the majority of Nigerians. Unfortunately, it has not been able to rejuvenate the middle class that the Olusegun Obasanjo administration attempted to bring back. So, the disappearance of the middle class has put much more pressure on the current system such that more Nigerians feel the pain of deprivation now, social deprivation, economic deprivation and se-

Buhari had the highest credential in the area of anticorruption and, to a large extent, in managing security

curity deprivation is truly felt now. I am sure that Nigerians will look at now that if we truly want to have a difference from the way things are going that we need to do it differently from the way we are doing it now. We try to judge people by antecedent. He (Buhari) has done it before, he can do it again. And why we feel convinced about his desire and capacity to do it, at his age, I don’t think he has any wealth he wants to accumulate now. He said it clearly that he doesn’t have money to give to anybody other than making himself available for service. What are the issues that will shape the emergence of Buhari’s running mate? One key issue that will shape it is where the person is coming from. If the president comes from the north, obviously the vice will come from the south. Also, capacity to support the

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NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014

president in set goals and targets will be a key area and this will largely be driven by the antecedents of the person who will be chosen. People who are bringing religion into the politics of Nigeria are those who stand to benefit from it. Not for balance of faith? Faith on its own does not play any role in Nigeria’s economic system. So, for us, religion should have no role in the multi-religious environment, religion should have no role in a multi-ethnic environment. What has brought us together has no religious implication. So, on no grounds should we look at religion as a basis for choice of those who will carry on our social contract to desirable levels that will suit the interest of Nigerians. How are you preparing to defend yourself given the president’s as-

sertion that the PDP would recover its stolen mandate from you? The political system in Kwara had been hinged on a structure which has allowed us to play an inclusive system. The structure is largely built on contributions from every nook and cranny of the state from the 16 local governments. The choice of who gets nominated, the way and manner in which people get nominated and most importantly in driving the need of the people into an encapsulated desire for growth and development. I want to let you know that as a state in Kwara, we have that structure in APC and that structure has always delivered. So, the next election is not going to be an exception because the same structure has delivered goods and services to the people, the same structure has allowed for inclusiveness, the same structure has allowed people who ordinarily would never have thought of ascending to levels of position, myself inclusive. So, this structure has allowed a democratised process of ascending into political offices. For us, this same structure is still at play and will continue to get itself running the affairs of Kwara and we are happy that the structure has a leadership in Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who has strengthened the inclusive process of arriving at decisions that are generally acceptable to the majority of the people. So, we are using that structure alongside with our developmental programmes which we have outlined, especially taking the most critical area of Nigeria’s problems today which is youth unemployment. We have recorded a lot of milestones in reducing youth unemployment. We have created programmes despite our lean resources to let youths see that they are the leaders of tomorrow and they require to be managed accordingly. That has led us to for instance, setting up one of the best international vocational centres. We have also supported the health system. We have not only raised infrastructure, we have also widened access through the community health insurance. I am happy to let you know that we received an award just recently in Paris, France of having one of the most successful community health insurance schemes in the world, not just in Africa or Nigeria because the award was designed to be looked at from a broad perspective, not just a Kwara perspective. So, with all these on ground and with our understanding of our peoples’ needs having been very close to them, we are truly positioned to carry on to the next level in terms of growth and development. So, for us, the 2015 election will usher us into a second term, God willing, to broaden what we have been doing since 2011 in terms of infrastructure, human capital development and the economy. So, you don’t see the president’s assertion as a threat? We have never seen them as a threat because it is all about platforms and ability to deliver goods and services to the people which we have demonstrated.

Those are just mere pronouncements. What really matters is the issue of being able to articulate resources and to meet the needs of the people which we are currently doing and which we hope to upscale, God willing in the second term.

the system from a collective inclusive process. People don’t know that that is where the success of our relationship is. He is not a dictator, he is an inclusive person and he has allowed everybody to make input into evolving the process that will be suitable to everybody and on account of that, I have also imbibed that system to drive governance in Kwara. So, rather than seeing differences we are seeing strength, we are seeing understanding in driving good governance, we are seeing understanding in delivering goods and services and we are seeing understanding in carrying everybody along as stakeholders in driving the process for the common good and that is where the secret of the success in Kwara politics lies.

When the president spoke about stolen mandate, did you feel like the bearer of a stolen mandate or as a thief? (Laughter) No, I didn’t feel that way. You need to understand that there are categories of people in politics. There are seasonal politicians who come in once every four years when elections are about to start and there are those of us who are regularly sitting down with the people. Those who felt that their mandate has been taken away are those who live in Abuja and are regularly feeding the presidency with what they want the presidency to hear, but those of us at home, we sit with the people day in day out, 365 days a year we are with them. So, when you talk about stolen mandate, I don’t know whose mandate has been stolen, but as far as I am concerned, we have the mandate of the people to deliver goods and services with respect to the resources that are available from them on an optimal level that will allow for inclusive processes. Can we have an insight into how you have been able to manage the successor–predecessor crisis in Kwara that you and Bukola Saraki have co-existed cordially? And is it good that the structure is established around a family? It is an inclusive process which allows for inputs from all stakeholders. It is not taken as a family affair as if restricted to a single family. The family is are Kwarans in 16 local governments. So, when we refer to the structure as a family thing, it is for stakeholders. Bukola Saraki is an exceptional leader who has defined his leadership through inclusiveness, through strategic and methodical design of how he wants to see everybody’s inputs galvanised into a working process for the common interest. To that extent, he has approached governance from the normal way you expect to see good business run. Strategically, you look at your strengths, your weaknesses, your opportunities and your threats. Also, in getting any system to run it has to be given an inclusive outlook. Governance can be successful anywhere in the world if you allow for inclusive process, if you allow for stakeholders’ input. It is the same structure that Bukola Saraki ran his eight-year government, which I was part and parcel of, and I was positioned as the Commissioner for Finance and got the understanding of how resources are collated and they are methodically and optimally allocated to areas of need. Having been well positioned in that administration, it was only sensible for me to use that process to develop an upscale of service delivery to the people. And that is exactly what we are doing. We have never driven the system from an individual’s angle, we have always driven

Those who felt that their mandate has been taken away are those who live in Abuja and are regularly feeding the presidency

Some say that the structure you are talking about is dead and buried. It cannot be dead and buried if it is still delivering goods and services. It cannot be dead and buried if it has one of the most successful electoral processes being carried on at the local government and state levels. Of course, if you see the way and manner our people have approached all electoral processes, you will see the discipline largely induced by leadership that encapsulates common interest into its strength. It cannot die because the interest is collective, the one that will die is the one that has individual interest. It dies because selfinterest overrides collective interest and that is the kind of thing you are seeing in PDP. What has brought them together cannot be harmonised into a congruence to drive them into a common goal. Self-interest of wanting that position of governorship is what brought them together and if they are not getting it, they have no option to not getting it. Unlike us where we have a compensatory programme within the structure and that is why you don’t see rancour and disagreements. You see the way and manner they have carried on their activities. The only slogan is that they are looking for freedom. Freedom from where? From who? You cannot be freer from a process that allows inclusiveness. Is political amity still possible between Bukola and Gbemi? Why not? In politics, you don’t overrule anything. Are you frightened by the nomination of Senator Simon Ajibola as your challenger by the PDP? No, I am not because Senator Ajibola has been made by this structure. Every success he has recorded has been on the platform of this structure from nomination to campaigns to also even getting to do things for the people have been by this structure. Now that he has moved out of the structure that has supported him and I am still in the structure, why should I be frightened? For example, the only major thing he has done for his people, which is the major road leading to his place, I personally did it for him as governor to make him enjoy a political mileage.

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WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Court stays hearing on Tambuwal’s suit l10 PDP, APC Reps defect Tunde Oyesina Philip Nyam Abuja

he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday stayed proceedings in the suit filed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, challenging the withdrawal of his security details. In the suit, Tambuwal is also seeking an order of the court to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from declaring his seat vacant. The decision to stay the proceedings was sequel to an application brought by members of Tambuwal’s constituency, Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State,

praying the court to stay proceedings in the suit. Their application for stay of proceedings was hinged on the grounds that they had filed notices of appeal against the ruling of the court which on December 1 disallowed them to be joined as co-defendants in the suit. One of the two applications seeking to be joined as parties in the suit was jointly filed on behalf of the people of Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency by chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Bala Konkani, and chairman of Tambuwal Local Government Area, Sambo Modo. The other application was filed in the name of the constituents by three members of the Sokoto

State House of Assembly, Abdussamad Dasuki, Suleiman Hantsi and Shuaibu Umar representing Tambuwal East, Tambuwal West and Kebbe constituencies respectively. The constituents are opposed to Tambuwal’s removal as Speaker and declaration of his seat vacant, arguing that removing him would deprive them of representation in the House of Representatives. In his short ruling, the trial judge, Justice A.R. Mohammed, held that it was a settled law that once an appeal had been lodged at the Court of Appeal, the lower court ought to cease its jurisdiction on the matter. “This court will have no option but to bow to the provisions of the con-

stitution. In view of the appeal against the ruling of this court delivered on December 1, 2014, and the motion for stay of proceedings, this matter is hereby adjourned sinedie to await the decision of the Court of Appeal on the appeal filed before it,” the court held. At the last adjourned date, counsel for the local government chairmen and that of the Sokoto State told the court that they had filed separate applications seeking leave to appeal against the court ruling based on mixed law and facts. Meanwhile, the outcome of the recently concluded primaries has started taking its toll on political parties as four members of the PDP in the House of Representatives yesterday defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Similarly, five APC members from Ogun State dumped the party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), while one PDP member left for the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). With the defection, the PDP still controls the majority with 175 seats, while the APC has 169. The Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party share the remaining 24 seats. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal read their letters of defection on the floor of the chambers at the resumed plenary yesterday. Those who left PDP for APC are Hon. Hassan Isa Mohammed (Bauchi), Ibrahim El-Sudi (Taraba), Jagaba Adams Jagaba (Kaduna), and Herman Hembe (Benue).

Fashola to Lagosians: Vote wisely for my successor Muritala Ayinla

L-R: National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, during a visit to Abubakar’s residence in Abuja, yesterday.

Jonathan’s eligibility: S’Court dismisses Ardo’s appeal Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the appeal brought by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Ardo, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal not to allow him to join in the appeal challenging President Goodluck Jonathan’s eligibility to re-contest in 2015. The dismissal was sequel to an oral application moved by counsel to Ardo, Dr. Amuda Kannike (SAN) seeking to withdraw the appeal. None of the parties objected to the application. In dismissing the appeal, the panel of seven justices led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Mahmud said the appellant has no business

joining in the appeal challenging Jonathan’s eligibility, as no law stopped him from participating in the just-concluded convention of the party. New Telegraph recalls that one Cyriacus Njoku had approached an Abuja High Court to stop Jonathan from re-contesting in 2015. The trial judge then, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, had dismissed the suit on ground that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it. Not satisfied, Njoku approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision of the lower court. It was at the appellate court that Ardo sought to be joined but was denied on ground that he did not show a reasonable interest that could have warranted his joinder.

Not satisfied, Ardo approached the Supreme Court to challenge the decision. When the matter came up yesterday, the CJN noted that the substantive appeal was still pending before the Court of Appeal and that what is before the apex court is an interlocutory appeal. The court further noted that Ardo is guilty of stalling substantive appeal, adding that the apex court has no power to sit over an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal. “You did not ask for leave to join rather you were asking for extension of time. The matter does not require many people to be joined as parties. Njoku’s interest can be used as every other person’s interest in the matter. “Nobody would have

even prevented you from contesting, if really you are serious with your claims that you are interested. “I cannot see the relevance of this appeal anymore, primary election has been concluded, you did not participate in the primaries, even if you want to contest it, you cannot, because you did not participate in it. “It is clear, you are delaying the substantive appeal. The decision of the Court of Appeal is correct,” the court noted. Reacting to the ruling, counsel to Jonathan, Okeaya-Inneh stated that the law is clear and the apex court had affirmed such. Also reacting, PDP legal adviser, Victor Kwon, said that the apex court had shown the appellant that his appeal is a waste of time.

Hon. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Adamawa) defected from PDP to the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). Those who dumped APC in Ogun State for SDP include Hon. Babatunde Ogunola, Adeyemi Adekunle, Olumide Babatunde Osoba, Abdul-Balogun Abiodun and Braimoh Bulunola Taofeek. There are indications that there may be more defections in the days ahead. Meanwhile, Speaker Tambuwal presided over the plenary yesterday without hitches as no motion was raised for him to step down. The lawmakers were also silent on the much anticipated impeachment notice against President Goodluck Jonathan.

head of the February 28, 2015 governorship election, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has appealed to Lagosians to vote wisely for a successor that will build on his achievements. He said Lagos State is too important to be left in the hands of those who want to experiment with it. Fashola, who unveiled a 13-year development plan for the state yesterday, said he was confident that the gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, will build on the strides of his administration, especially in the area of infrastructural development. The ceremony was graced by Ambode, whom Fashola described as the most experienced person to take over from him, having been part of his government before he resigned in 2012. Speaking while unveiling the plan, Fashola said that Lagos will become Africa’s model mega city and global economic and financial hub by 2025, if the plan is carefully implemented. He said: “Lagos is too important to be left in the hands of those who want to experiment with it. So, keep it safe. Who will implement the plan must be decided by you and you must choose wisely at the

general election. It is my hope that my successor will only continue where I stopped.” He added that some of the components of the plan were already being implemented by his administration, saying the next administration will be saddled with the responsibility of running with the vision and see to its complete implementation. He expressed optimism that Ambode’s contribution during his stint as Accountant General of the state from 2007 to 2012, puts him in a better position to carry on when he leaves office on May 29 next year. Attributing the success of his administration to the experience he had under his predecessor, Fashola said that being part of the Bola Tinubu administration helped him to start on a good footing. He said: “I can reveal to you today, one of the things that helped me most from the first day I took this job was that from the day I arrived office, I knew the Head of Service by name and by face, I knew all of the permanent secretaries who were going to work with me by name and by face, and I knew almost all the directors who were going to work with me by name and by face and I knew how this government works, because I was part of the team that made it work.”

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Tony Uranta, a human and environmental rights activist, is the Executive Secretary of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS). In this interview with WALE ELEGBEDE, he speaks on the security challenges in the country and the foreign conspiracy against Nigeria. Excerpts: What is your reaction to the continuous terrorists’ bombardment of Nigeria? I am very happy that you have used the word ‘terrorists’ rather than the word ‘insurgents’ as it is being very wrongly used by even army officers. You can understand from their expressions that they don’t understand the difference between insurgency and terrorism. An insurgency or an insurgent is a man who takes up arms to prove a point within a state, staying within a state, through his being discontent. You could now say that the Niger Delta situation could aptly be termed an insurgency. The Boko Haram are not insurgents. They are terrorists; terrorists who are part of a global terrorism circle that is being controlled as well by ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. You will notice that Boko Haram, just as Al-Shabab, Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, all fly the same flag. They all talk about the Islamic caliphate. An insurgency is not foreign controlled. But far beyond that, an insurgency does not try to obtain land. Boko Haram, ISIL, AL-Shabab’s intention right now, is to take over space, territories, and declare those territories, non-border Islamic Caliphate. The only border that keeps them all in their contiguous state is their ideology. Their ideology that says for example that, slavery is proper, the enslavement of women. This is to emphasise the fact that there is a totally new global phenomenon at play. And nowhere else in the world is that phenomenon called insurgency. Nigerians are very good at repeating like parrots. So, the moment a new word comes up, everybody says it, they say we have ‘insurgency.’ What we have is not insurgency. It is simply a mass murderous invasion of our space, by local and foreign terrorists, with intent on capturing territories, intent on massacring and depleting population that they believe is not in any way related to their belief. You see, The Sultan of Sokoto, very correctly said in his last statement, that the war must now be intensified. I wish

Uranta: Nigeria won’t break up in 2015 he had said that a year or two ago, when more Christians were being killed. In that statement, he said it’s because more Muslims are being killed now. This is not a war between Islam and the rest of the world or the rest of Nigeria. It is a war between certain radical fundamentalists that have Islam as their basis, and other parts of Nigeria. Therefore, like you see in Iran, Sunnis are killing Shiites in Iran; Shiites are killing Sunnis in Syria. The common derivative is that they are all fundamentalists who are committed to killing. Having established that, there is no insurgency ongoing in Nigeria. I will like that fact to be drummed into people’s ears, hearts and brains. It is your mindset that prepares you for what you are facing. You have to know your enemy. If you think your enemy is an insurgent, then your military is already incapacitated. That will make you believe that what President Goodluck Jonathan said in the beginning when he too was misled into thinking that what we have was an insurgency and that we cannot go and start killing our brothers. For me, no member of Boko Haram is my brother. Nobody that will put a baby down and stamp on the baby’s head can be my brother. Nobody that will slaughter babies and children can be my brother. So, I will not love that person or people as I love myself. I will resist the person because the person is a devil and is from the devil. That is the way each of us must see Boko Haram. There is no insurgency in Nigeria rather there is mass murderous terrorism. But how come the terrorists are still making inroads despite government’s commitment to stop it? First of all, let’s go into the issue of bombings. There is nowhere in the world where borders are porous especially as ours are, that you can control the influx of strangers. Some may be law abiding, but most will have criminal intents, because you need to have an attitude of law breaking before you start going into another country illegally. How are you going to control these people? Secondly, how are you going to discriminate or perceive that this woman in Hijab is not carrying a bomb? You cannot approach a woman in Hijab. You can’t stop her. And people should not make the mistake to think that these women are voluntarily suicide bombers. It was easy to target the Niger Delta militants because they had camps. You know where they are, and you can get your satellite to monitor them. Why is it difficult

was tongue lashed in Congress, tongue lashed in the British House of Commons. Britain has come in, how many months now, America has come in, why have they not found the girls? Why have all the countries that trooped to Nigeria for assistance suddenly become silent? Can we say there is a conspiracy? I don’t know. I am beginning to think, as friendly as I am to the Americans; I am beginning to suspect America. America has a very notorious record of arming two sides of a conflict. Nicaragua is very fresh in our mind. In fact, America armed Vietnam to some extent against its own self. I have record about this, and I will love the American Ambassador or anybody to sit down with me on TV, and I will bring out the record and let them dispute it. I will not be surprised if it is not part of a grand conspiracy to help destabilise or make sure Nigeria fails. Don’t forget that their prediction is around the corner. They said we will break up in 2015. America loves to be seen as intelligent. They do not have the facts about our break up.

Uranta

I will not be surprised if it is not part of a grand conspiracy to help destabilise or make sure Nigeria fails

to use the satellite to track the terrorists? They were not built by us, not manned by us. We are not that good yet. Is it we that cannot fix our electricity that can mount satellite? So, we can only use satellite to some extent. The Americans, French, British, et cetera that condemn Nigeria after Chibok girls were taken hostage said they were coming in to help. They all came in to Nigeria, flooded to Abuja and refused, right from the on-set to share military intelligence with us. The satellite of each of these nations are constantly tracking movements. So, America knows when Boko Haram is about to attack, they will not warn us. They know that Boko Haram is going to hit this house or that building but they do not even consider it worthwhile to warn our military. And people will now say it is not their duty. It is their duty. You know why? Our military has been badly armed in the last few years. Under the last presidents, even going back into the military regime, they very much underequipped our military. Soldiers don’t have modern weapons, latest training, and they don’t understand a lot of things. It was on this basis that Nigeria

Do you think Nigeria will break up with the various conspiracies against us? We won’t break up. But they will do all they can to see us break up, including saying to us, we will not arm you. If I am the Nigerian President, I will send the American Ambassador out of Nigeria. For them to have the temerity to say to us that for human rights abuses, they will not arm the Nigerian military which is facing a horde of not just human rights abusers, a horde of killers, a horde of beasts that are killing thousands of people in the villages, and they have been doing it consistently and America is turning blind eye. America does not consider it their right or duty to help us because, when that horde will start picking up American citizens and beheading them the way they are beheading Nigerians you will see the same America mounting global condemnation. At that time, you will hear America carrying out airstrikes. That level of hypocrisy must not be tolerated and cannot be tolerated by Nigerians. I don’t care if the Nigerian government reacts or doesn’t react. We the Nigerian people must take our destiny into our hands and say no to Obama and his conspiracy. We all had such high hopes on him but now that he is refusing to arm us in the face of our being endangered, I do not have any sympathies for him.

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Opinion Divorcing religion from politics Jide Ayobolu

eligion had always played a germane role in the lives of people in this part of the world, religion in its manifold dimensions is intrinsically woven around many aspects of the lives of the people. Indeed, Nigerians are very religious people, but the impact of religion on personal conducts and public superintendence is nothing to write home about. Corruption and other various societal ills permeate every facet of our national and private affairs. Corruption is ubiquitous, corruption in Nigeria is more or less an official policy of the country. It would be recalled that more than any other president, President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced religion into Nigerian politics on a massive scale in 1999. He built a Christian Worship Centre in Aso Rock Villa, where he worshipped from time to time, not only this, he completed the abandoned National Ecumenical Centre and also worshipped there too. Ordinarily, there is nothing bad about building a place of worship for genuine worship and communication with God. However, there is a fundamental problem when religion is used as façade to score cheap political point. Religion has been used as a smokescreen to hoodwink the unsuspecting prying eyes of the public. There is no doubt that religion should be divorced from politics, for some, politics has been aptly described as the authoritative allocation of resources and it has also been viewed as who gets what, when and how, while yet some others see politics as a class struggle between the haves and have-nots. People of all religions want good governance, they need the basic necessities of life, they want

development and the question is what has religion got to do with effective and efficient discharge of the constitutional responsibility of the government? Yes, in the past, in Latin America, the Church was involved in the struggle to halt dictatorship and provide the people with better life that was when the concept of liberation theology was in vogue. It is on record that President Goodluck Jonathan has carried religiosity to a very ridiculous extent. Not only does he now perform the Christian Holy Pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year, he also takes along with him key Christian religious leaders. He also worships in different Churches around the country and even sermonises, meanwhile, governance is in abeyance and the suffering in the country has reached an all-time high, this ugly development is even nose-diving further with torrential rapidity. It has been a case of suffering and smiling in the country. It is important to point out that, President Jon than’s sudden romance with the Church started not too long ago. While he was Deputy Governor and later Governor of Bayelsa State, he was just a nominal Christian. However, the forthcoming 2015 election has made it imperative to restrategize to get maximum Christian votes during the election. In fact, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) can no longer speak truth to power, it has become the religious arm of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). CAN members openly hobnob with the president and even get involved in scandalous arms deal. It is because of CAN’s reprehensible and dishonourable conduct that The Catholic Church pulled out the association. It is pleasing that the Conference of Catholic Bishops has always told the government the gospel truth,

no matter how bitter, but to CAN, President Jonathan can do no wrong. From all available evidences, can President Jonathan be said to be a genuine representative of the authentic Christian ideals? Has he fulfilled his electoral promises to the people? In the country today, there is apparent infrastructural deficits, the national economy is in tatters, the educational system is comatose, the health sector is worse than mere consulting clinics, roads are in a deplorable state of disrepair, the national currency has been devalued, poverty is too widespread, there is general blackout in the country and the so-called transformation agenda is indeed a recipe for disaster. Yet, both Christians, Muslims and animists suffer the same grotesque fate from the poor governance and woeful performance of the present administration. In spite of this, religion has been manipulated to preserve the vested class interests of the ruling elite. No wonder, Karl Marx aptly described religion as the opium of the masses. Now because Nigerians are very religious, they are very gullible and at times very ignorant. They swallow hook, line and sinker everything that their religious leaders tell them, because they think the clerics are God’s representative on earth, therefore, they are pious, upright and incorruptible. But what they fail to know, understand and appreciate is that, this is the end-time, many of these pastors have become lovers of themselves and the love of God in them has waxed cold. It is glaring that, at no other time in the annals of the country than now has Nigeria and Nigerians been more polarised along religious and ethnic lines. What CAN ought to have done is to be on the side of the people, tell the government the truth at all times, speak with boldness and power all the time.

Remembering Fela: United in fear, united in defeat of Ebola Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

e may not have taken time to draw a connection between the ‘fear’ Fela Kuti saw and talked so much about of Nigerians, and how the ‘fear’ led to a swift defeat of the dreaded Ebola disease in Nigeria. In some perspectives, Nigerians are a very bold people. A people very likely to do daring things ranging from heinous crimes, incomprehensible corruptive acts and such other stuffs capable of making headlines in world acclaimed crime journals. While the world may also be aware of Nigerians’ uncommon bravery, profound sporting prowess and an abundant array of talented citizens, but little or nothing is known about Nigerians’ uncommon overwhelming fear of death. Even as we admit that fear is a natural instinct peculiar to virtually all animals, fear is also a part of defense when it assumes a preliminary reaction that stimulates other actions toward attack or defense. However, Nigerians’ characteristic ‘fear’ has a uniqueness that leads to docility or outright escape without any manner of confrontation. This is the special kind of fear which the late music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti talked about in one of his songs when he said “My people self dey fear too much…” He (Fela) perceives Nigerians as a people protecting their lives

with the instrumentality of fear and escapism. A people who are in the habit of running helter skelter only because they find others running, regardless of not possessing a good reason to join in the fray. It is all about the ambivalence of a people who are bold enough and would stop at nothing to ensure that their continued existence is sustained materially and otherwise; and yet a people who would never risk confronting with their lives, those threats mounting against their determination to stay alive. Yes! It seems inexplicable, or if you like, uniquely uneasy to explain. Truly, this is what defines Nigerians as some of the world’s happiest citizens with abundant resources and a people calmly wallowing in deprivation and squalor: A people who are very aware of the root cause of their problems: A people who are also aware that the problems are catastrophically lifethreatening: A people who are very willing to sustain their lives, but not to the extent of risking their lives in order to protect their lives, or to keep existing. Frankly, this piece is not intended at denigrating the efforts of all, who went about spreading the information of the danger of Ebola virus and the means of prevention. It would surely not be appropriate to demystify the heroism in the characters that revealed themselves during the most pensive moments of the Ebola

fight. But essentially, I salute those who went ahead to test the level of the people’s fear of Ebola virus by spreading the information about the preventative nature of the vaunted salt-solution. However, if we do not agree that Nigerian’s unique ‘fear’ played a major role in quickly eradicating the Ebola scourge, then it is my prayer that the government which could not prevent the highly preposterous salt-solution from spreading widely to a fear-stricken people in need of desperate solutions, should therefore deploy the similar acclaimed matrix of eradicating Ebola to equally fight the other harmful elements of corruption, insurgency, armed robbery, mass unemployment, infrastructural absence and decay. Though this uncommon fear possessed by Nigerians may have worked positively in nipping the spread of Ebola in the bud, but it should no doubt be recognized as the most subjective factor that has kept Nigerians from facing head-on the problems which have now assumed terminal conditions. As in the case of Ebola virus, Nigerians did not scamper into the laboratory to dig out a possible cure to an ailment which has a potency of reoccurring or re-emerging through other instances which fear has prevented from fortifying. Yet again, we are escaping into the future highly unprepared. In any case, it would be interesting

to examine why Fela singled out Nigerians as a people with a special kind of fear. The late legendary Nigerian musician was not only popular as a result of his unique brand of highly percussive African rhythms. As a social critic whose medium was critical of the social ills and government’s lopsidedness, his messages were richly prophetic in foreshadowing the consequences of everybody’s actions as the summation of Nigeria’s ultimate destiny. As bleak as Fela’s messages portend, this placed him against the government of the day that would have preferred him to always display a pretentious patriotic garb instead of letting the entire world become aware of the ‘cracks on the wall’. However, his entire message was not always in full denial of the good that can be found in his people. While preferring to leap above the pretentious to directly charge those in government on the failings of their responsibilities, he kept encouraging the citizens on the need to look inward, be brave and to banish fear from the course of defining Nigeria’s destiny. Fela, apart from the spiritual essence which he manifested as an essential embodiment of his existence, the ability for his prophecies and messages to remain highly relevant and immutable, keep according him a special relevance even in death. • Ogbeide-Ihama wrote in from Benin City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

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Yultide and oil workers’ strike

n industrial relations, strike action is a legitimate weapon of collective bargaining and negotiation. When labour resorts to this option, it is usually an indication that other options of collective bargaining may have been exhausted or proven ineffective in arriving at a mutually-acceptable position on any issue in contention. The strike action declared from Monday by the National Union of Petroleum and Gas (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), fits perfectly into this category. A release issued by PENGASSAN said that the national executive council of the union was constrained to embark on the action after several efforts to resolve what it termed vexatious discrepancies with the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Allison Madueke failed consistently. According to the union, some of the vexatious issues include the attitude and response of concerned management and government agencies to burning national issues, oil and gas policy and institutional issues as well as cases of unfair labour practices. According to the communiqué, ‘the NEC made efforts to internally resolve

It must be acknowledged that while the issues raised by the union are germaine, it is noteworthy to note that altruism would have signified the union’s action if the ritual of fuel shortage every December was not the case in the past 10 years the grievances at the instance of of the Honourable Minister, Mrs Allison Madueke and other intervening agencies which the concerned managements severally frustrated’. Urging government to attend to all the reported issues in the industry as a matter of urgent national importance, the union stressed that this was imperative, especially to avoid a negative public backlash by the action. The powerful union said that in addition, it also deliberated on the state of the nation and other challenges confronting the labour movement and called on the Federal Government to moderate the continued

devaluation of the national currency, especially as its impact is already telling negatively on the real sector and other facets of the Nigerian economy. Arguing that the fall in the global oil prices prompted monetary policy makers to devalue the naira by 8.3 per cent or N13 from N155 per dollar to N168, for the first time, the union stressed that intervention was necessary since other indices like the Cash Reserve Ratio on private sector deposits was raised from 15 to 20 per cent while the CRR on public sector was unchanged at 75 per cent. It also noted that interest rates was raised by 100 per cent, thus precipitating further economic instability. It must be acknowledged that while the issues raised by the union are germaine, it is noteworthy to note that altruism would have signified the union’s action if the ritual of fuel shortage every December was not the case in the past 10 years. Rather, than validate its stated reasons of altruism, this ritual of yearly end-of-year hiccups in fuel supply effectively rubbish such claims. It is on record that in the past 10 years, confusion at filling stations arising from unpredictable fuel supply has become a fact of life in the country,

effectively rubbishing every claim of altruism by unions in the petroleum industry. As is always the case in every of such situations, Nigerians practically relocate their activities to filling stations during such situations, sleeping there and trying to make a meaning of their lives from such unlikely places. For a nation that, until recently, was the largest oil producer in Africa, this situation is not only scandalous but also an indication of unseriousness and how not to run a country effectively. It is not only a sad commentary on our way of doing things but also suggestive of the fact that we, as a people, have become so addicted to doing things less than tidily. What business does an oilproducing nation have importing fuel as we have been doing for several years running now? What economic reasons justify further hike in fuel pricing as contemplated by the government when the global oil price crash has forced down prices of petrol elsewhere except Nigeria? We urge the government to put its house in order and respond accordingly, instead of aggravating the prevailing economic misery which is what this unholy combination of adversarial economic policies amount to.

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Arts

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Book Review

Nollywood: Generic development, portrayal of politics

arclays Ayakoroma’s “Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected Genres” has provided respite to researchers on Nigerian cinema, film history, theory, criticism and the culture of film scholarship in Nigeria. The 365-page book achieves this by virtually dwelling on diverse aspects of theoretical tradition, taxonomy and critical establishment of film, with focus Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. In his Forward to the book Femi Shaka, a Professor of film studies in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, validates this point when he writes that: “the fascinating aspect of the work exploits the theories of film genres as a framework for the analysis of the genres in the Nigerian film industry. Film scholarship, like the older art disciplines like literary studies, mass communication, theatre arts, fine arts, genre studies, and so on, is replete with critical models for textual analysis. They range from genre criticism, to auteurism, to psychoanalytic criticism, to postcolonial discourse and criticism, feminist criticism, structuralism, post- structuralism, deconstruction, modernism, post-modernism and so on” (p.12). He further observed that this book with five parts is out to help other books like Jonathan Haynes’ anthology, “Nigerian Video Films”, Mathias Krings and Onookome Okome’s anthology, “Global Nollywood: Transnational Dimensions of an African Video Film Industry”, Abdallah Uba Adamu’s “Passage from India-Transnational Media Flows and African Cinema: The Video Film in Northern Nigeria” and Innocent Ebere Uwah’s “The Rhetoric of Culture in Nollywood” to define film studies and its industry whose UNESCO rating is the third largest film culture in the world. To justify this, the author in his introduction, traces how the introduction of television in Nigeria in 1959 offered Nigerians the opportunity to share in various televised experiences. He mentioned drama on television, which was an era of soap opera, as an example of such experience. Part one of the book captures

TONY OKUYEME tony.okuyeme@ newtelegraphonline.com

Title: Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected Genres Author: Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma Year of publication: 2014 Publisher: Kraft Book Limited, Ibadan Pages: 365 Reviewer: Nwagbo Obi (obinwagbopat@yahoo.com)

The book points out that more efforts should be put in place on the generic development in the contemporary Nigerian film industry, Nollywood

the background of Nollywood as a contemporary Nigerian film industry by first examining the historical milieu of film in Nigeria. Thomas Armat perfected projector in 1885 but it was 18 years after, which was in 1903, that Nigeria came in contact with film when Edwin Porter produced the first feature film, “The Great Train Robbery”. The Church and colonial government

took interest in film as a medium of communication; hence they used it to achieve their goals. Afterwards, towards 1945, Nigerians like Hubert Ogunde produce indigenous films. Cinema was introduced thereafter and government showed interest in the production of documentary genres. This part noted 1970 to 1985 as the glorious years of cinema in Nigeria and this was when the cinema convention thrived in Nigeria. This era produced filmmakers such as Francis Oladele, Wole Soyinka, Sanya Dosunmu, Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, Jab Adu, Hubert Ogunde, Jimi Odumosu, Ladi Ladebo, Adeyemi Folayan, Moses Olaiya, Sule Umar, Afolabi Adeasanya, Sadiq Balewa, USA Galadima, Brendan Shehu and Lola Fani-Kayode. Cinema industry did not last for a long time and only a few films were made. The cinema industry declined because it was under the colonial government, the theatres were in deplorable condition, television affected it, introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) by Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida-led Military Government in fulfillment of the conditions for International Monetary Fund (IMF). This part further dwells on the birth of television in Nigeria, discussing it from the point of view of when local television came on board, the soap opera as a precursor of video films, “Mirror in the Sun” as pacesetter and what happened after “Mirror in the Sun”. This was when

the Nigerian Soap opera suffered hiccup as a result of foreign soap operas, sponsorship, and attitude of NTA Management, introduction of SAP and the rise of video films. The experimentation of video format arose because of the collapse of the cinema industry. The Yoruba traveling theatre had the opportunity of recording their stage performances. Subsequently, some Igbo electronic dealers like Kenneth Nnebue started the production of films in Yoruba before he came out with “Living in Bondage”. This brought about exodus of stars from TV medium to the emergent industry. Some of these Television-trained producer/directors are Chris Obi-Rapu, Chika Onu, Zeb Ejiro, Amaka Igwe, Ndubuisi Okoh, Andy Amenechi, Tade Ogidan, Fred Amata, Chico Ejiro, Tunji Bamisigbin, and Bolaji Dawodu. Other issues extensively discussed in this part include, the context of production in Nollywood, the issue of censorship in Nollywood, the marketing approach in Nollywood and piracy in Nollywood. Part two focuses on studies in genres in Nollywood. In order to realize its aim of how genre has been applied in Nigeria film industry. The genres in Nollywood are described as integral aspect of film movement in a given industry. The author goes ahead to do an analysis of generic developmental trends in Nollywood, the parts or sequel syndrome, simultaneity or back-to-back productions, evolution of an iconography, scriptwriters and plagiarism, stereotyping and type casting, women as sex symbols, guild system, remuneration of artistes, rise of artistes, rise of film directors, censorship, national and international market, alternative film market, piracy in the industry, lack of institutional support, revenue generation for broadcast and advertising industries, co-productions, film awards among others, are the issues thoroughly explained. In part three, the author, focuses on epic and historical films in the reconstruction of the Nigerian past in Nollywood with a critical reading of two films; “Igodo” and “Egg of Life”. Before the cultural analysis of these films, the author discusses the nature of history as it relates to films, then film as history, the nature of the epic film, historical reconstruction through epic and historical films in addition to the development of the epic genre films in Nollywood. He pos-

its that “Igodo” as an epic makes the point that there is need to tell story to the younger generation to provide moral lessons to the modern generation, while “Egg of Life” takes a form of folktale in the mode “Tales by Moonlight” to portray how people determine how they want to live in this world. The author concludes that these films show the use of oral tradition in the reconstruction of people’s history. Part four looks at failure of policing system and the emergence of vigilante genre films in Nollywood with a critical reading of the “Issakaba Series”. It looks at the rise of criminal activities in Nigeria, brutality and disregard for human life, cultism and ritual practices, armed robbery, policing and the Nigeria Police, rights abuses and ineptitude, the rise of vigilantism in Nigeria. In reading the “Issakaba Series”, the author makes it clear that the title “Issakaba” is a parody of “Bakassi Boys”, in the sense that if the last letter, “a” is removed from the title and it is read in the reverse order, what we have is “Bakassi.” So, Issakaba is a film on poetic justice inspired by the phenomenon of vigilantism, which became the order of the day in Nigeria. In the film, Ebube and his boys played a messianic role. “Issakaba” has I, 2, 3 and 4 in the series. In part five, the author examines the portrayal of politics and the political process in Nollywood using a critical reading of the films “The Senator” and “Masterstroke”. The political context of the films leads to a critical reading of “The Senator”, a twopart film produced and directed by Teco Benson for TFP Productions, which portrays the innate desire and smart approach of a young boy Larry to actualize his lifelong ambition of becoming a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Masterstroke” is also a two-part film produced by Rob Emeka Eze and Emem Isong, directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen. The film has a philosophical theme that admonishes against politics as a do-or-die affair with emphasis that politics should be engaged in for the purpose of service. The use of pictures in the book is quite commendable, as they really tell stories that stand the book out as an album of a sort for Nigerian cinema, documentary, TV, Nollywood and the entire film industry. The book points out that more efforts should be put in place on the generic development in the contemporary Nigerian film industry, Nollywood.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

AfDB approves $500m for Development Bank of Nigeria

The Investor

Maritime

Recapitalisation and stock market woes

Nigeria spends $6bn yearly on vehicle importation

FCT Watch

Business What's news

Cement price rises by 33.3% to N1,800 Barely two months after Dangote Cement Plc announced a major slash in the price of cement, residents and homebuilders received the shock of their lives last Monday when they discovered that the price of product had increased to N1,800 per bag.

Shareholders lose N703bn in banks, insurance firms GLOOMY Sustained bear run depletes financial stocks

p.22

Chris Ugwu

Enugu, Accra, Kigali among 100 resilient cities

Enugu, Accra, Kigali and Arusa, a city in Northern Tanzania, have been listed among African countries to join the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC).

p.22

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

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Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

nvestors in Nigeria’s capital market lost N703.253 billion in banking and insurance firms following the depression that had persisted on the local bourse. Checks by New Telegraph showed that the banking subsector recorded a loss of N700 billion or 32 per cent to close at N2.161 trillion in market capitalisation on December 15, as against N2.861 trillion at the close of business on July 31, 2014. Also, the insurance sub-sector slipped by 2.11 per cent or N3.253 billion year to date, to close at N154.168 billion from N157.421 billion at the end of July. Meanwhile, market analysts believed that despite the general lull in the stock market, the run in banking sector might not be unconnected with recent reports that Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) have began to offload some of the shares it acquired from the non-performing loans of banks and other companies preparatory to the corporation’s redemption of its N976 billion bonds last October. Some developments in the domestic and global economy are also causing bank stocks to lose their attraction. The fall in global oil prices had prompted monetary policy makers to devalue the naira by 8.3 per cent or N13, from N155 per dollar to N168, for the first

time in three years. Among other measures, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) on private sector deposits was raised to 20 per cent from 15 per cent previously, while the CRR on public sector was un-

changed at 75 per cent. Interest rate was also raised by 100 basis points, the first change in two years. Fitch Ratings, a global ratings agency, had, last October, said that actions aimed at pro-

tecting the economy and the banking system by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would make the profits of banks in the country to decline in 2015. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

L-R: Executive Director, Corporate Banking Group, FirstBank, Adetokunbo Abiru; Managing Director/Chief Executive, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane; Group Executive, Institutional Banking Group, FirstBank, Bashirat Odunewu and Chief Treasurer, FirstBank, Ini Ebong, at the FirstBank Business breakfast meeting in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Vehicle importers abandon roro port, move to Cotonou Port Bayo Akomolafe

mporters are now using the Cotonou Port to import various vehicles into the country because of government’s auto policy. It was learnt that Nigeria Customs Service clears an average of 1,000 vehicle weekly

at the Idiroko border command under the Vehicle Import Transit Scheme (VITS). Before the introduction of the new auto policy, importers paid 20 per cent duty and two per cent levy on new cars. But now they pay 35 per cent duty and another 35 per cent levy, bringing the total

tariff to 70 per cent. The Controller of Ogun State Command, Comptroller Mamudu Haruna, said since the launch of the scheme at Idiroko, the command had recorded an increase in the numCONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE November 2014........................7.9% October 2014............................8.1% September 2014.....................8.3%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Dec. 12)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N189 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N293 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N232

l Foreign Reserves – $35.74bn as at 12/12/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Dec. 12)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N169 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N264.50 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N210.31

Business | News

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Cement price rises by 33.3% to N1,800 SUPERFLUOUS Home builders to pay more Dayo Ayeyemi

arely two months after Dangote Cement Plc announced a major slash in the price of cement, residents and homebuilders received the shock of their lives last Monday when they discovered that the price of the product had in-

creased to N1,800 per bag. This indicates a rise of 33.33 per cent of N450 over the N1, 350 per bag that prevailed. When interrogated, cement dealers alleged that the factory price of the product was jacked up to N1,500, adding that they had no option than to increase the price. But when New Telegraph contacted the spokesperson of Dangote Group, Mr Tony Chiejina, he denied that the company has increased the price of the product. Chiejina said that if the

company intends to increase the price of its cement, it would make it public, just the way it announced the slash in price of the product some weeks ago. Dangote Cement had, late October, announced a drastic reduction of the prices of its cement. The new price regime

announced by the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (GMD/ CEO) of Dangote Cement, Mr Devakumar Edwin, pegged the Dangote 32.5 cement grade at N1,000 per 50 kg bag, while the higher 42.5 grade sold for N1,150 per bag. He, however, said that

the new prices were exclusive of the Value Added Tax (VAT) representing about 40 per cent discount on the prevailing market price of the product currently sold for N1,700 then, irrespective of the grade, across the country. Edwin, in a statement,

said that the move was in line with the company’s commitment to the nation’s dire need for the development of infrastructure and to boost the federal and state government’s ongoing effort to reduce the near 20 million housing deficit in Africa’s largest economy.

Shareholders lose N703bn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

While it noted that the banks were performing well in the face of the challenges, some market operators opined that drops in profit often lead to negative reactions from investors. According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr Johnson Chukwu, a drop in profit would indeed lead to a reduction in investors’ appetite for bank stocks. He noted that the probability of decline in profit was just one of the adverse factors affecting the market price of banking and other stocks. “More compelling factors such as sell down by foreign portfolio investors, threat of naira devaluation, likelihood of

further hike in interest rates and political uncertainly combined have exerted more downward pressure on equity prices than even the risk of decline in profitability,” he said. Speaking on the challenges of insurance subsector to New Telegraph, the Managing Director, Crane Securities Limited, Mr Mike Eze, said that some of the insurance companies were not helping matters, as they are most visible among companies that are often sanctioned for breaching post-listing requirements. He linked the inability of the sub-sector to rise above the nominal level to crisis of confidence. Eze noted that a few ones that raised high expectation for good results ended up posting negative financial results.

Vehicle importers move to Cotonou Port CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

ber of vehicles cleared through the border on which import duties were collected. He explained that between November, 2013 and December 2014, the command collected N6.5 billion, representing an increase of N1.1 billion over the N5.4 billion collected in the same period of 2013. Haruna said that the command recorded 1,482 seizures including 65 trucks of smuggled rice, vehicles, frozen products and motor cycles with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.6 billion in the period under review. This was against 1,226 seizures recorded in 2013 with DPV of N1.1 billion. He noted that the scheme accounted for the increased revenue generation of the command, as importers now come forward to make duty payment instead of

risking seizures of their goods. Haruna, however, said that the command was contending with the challenge of some unscrupulous importers who divert goods through unapproved routes. He added that Customs headquarters had provided five additional Hilux patrol vehicles to tackle the menace of the smugglers using illegal routes to bring contraband into the country. “The scheme has assisted so much in getting revenue and a lot of people now come and pay their duty. In a week we have up to a 1,000 vehicles. We have challenges but we are fighting it,” he admitted. Haruna warned that importers who have their goods seized for failing to pay appropriate duty would have such goods forfeited to the Federal Government.

L-R: Director, Credit Direct Limited, Mr John Udofia; Director, Mrs Yemisi Edu; Managing Director, Mr Akinwande Ademosu; Director, Mr Shiba Ghosh and Representative, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Akojenu Adeyinka, at the commissioning of four mobile offices of Credit Direct Limited (CDL) in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Enugu, Accra, Kigali among 100 resilient cities FLEXIBILITY These cities have systems to survive, adapt, and grow Dayo Ayeyemi

nugu, Accra, Kigali and Arusa, a city in Northern Tanzania, have been listed among African countries to join the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). Resilient cities are cities that have demonstrated a commitment to building their own capacities to navigate the shocks and stresses of an increasingly complex 21st century. A report from Ventures Africa said these four cities were selected with 31 others globally to benefit from the support of 100RC, which is being pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, as they work towards becoming more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges faced by cities globally.

100RC said: “During our first 18 months, we’ve seen our first cohort of cities mature, appoint chief resilience officers and embark on their own resilience strategy processes. No doubt, this momentum contributed to the immense response we saw to the second round of the 100 Resilient Cities.” It noted that the challenge has been enormous, with 331 exceptional applications from cities around the world, submitted in seven languages. The statement pointed out that the four African cities showed enough commitment to resilience and will now enjoy financial and logistical guidance for establishing an innovative new position in city government. These include chief resilience officer, who will lead the city’s resilience efforts; expert support for development of a robust resilience strategy; access to solutions, service providers, and partners from the private, public and nongovenmental organisation (NGO) sectors who can help

them develop and implement their resilience strategies and membership of a global network of member cities who can learn from and help each other. Stating that selection process, 100RC disclosed that each city was asked to present a clear and compelling description of their major resilience challenges and how they are approaching and planning for resilience to decrease vulnerabilities coupled with the plan to partner with the organisation. 100RC said: “After exhausting review of the applications, a panel of esteemed judges, including African Develoment Bank President, Donald Kaberuka, President and CEO of the Asia Society, Josette Sheeran, and former President of Costa Rica, José María Figueres, recommended the next set of 35 member cities.” Accra, Enugu, Kigali and Arusha will join Dakar, capital of Senegal and Durban, South Africa, the two African cities that were selected in the first round.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

FCT Business Watch

FG attracts over $7bn FDI – Douglas Yusuf Shuaib Abuja

pecial Adviser to the President on Research Documentation and Strategy, Oronto Douglas, has said that Nigeria ranked top in destination for investment in Africa, attracting over $7 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He said that the improvement in the economy has trickled down the ladder, creating a multiplier effect in job creation. He said: “In 2013, 1.6 million jobs were created directly and indirectly as a result of Federal

Government’s initiative, just as there is relative stability in the exchange rate.” He also said that any close observer will be amazed at the number of tangible achievements that the present administration has recorded despite the instability caused by the unprecedented internal security challenges that has impeded project delivery in some areas. Douglas said recently in Abuja that key government programmes, which focused on direct job creation such community services scheme (Sure-P) has engaged 320,000 youths in labour intensive work such as construction and rehabilitation of social

and economic infrastructure, adding that about 120,000 have been employed so far. He said that the graduate internship scheme (Sure-P) aims to attach 50,000 graduates to competent firms to enhance their skill development towards employability, adding that about 4,000 graduates have been mobilised so far. “YOUWIN Business plan competition has successfully run two of its three cycles and is now in its third cycle with 2,400 winners selected and 26,000 jobs directly created in different sectors of the economy,” he said, adding that at least 80,000 more jobs would be created in 2015.

AfDB approves $500m for Development Bank of Nigeria Godson Ikoro

he Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group have unanimously approved a financial package of US$500 million to support the establishment of the Development Bank of Nigeria PLC (DBN). In a statement, ADB said the financial package consists of loans of US $450 million and an equity investment in the DBN of US $50 million. The funds from the AfDB Group will be used to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) operating in various sectors of the Nigerian economy. The DBN is being established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in close partnership with international development financial institutions such as the AfDB Group, the World Bank, KfW of Germany and the French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The Project Team Leader, Sofiane Sekioua, said, “Recognising the limitations of the existing development finance institutions (DFIs) in Nigeria, the FGN has decided to establish a DFI,

which will be better regulated and more clearly aligned with development priorities. “Furthermore, to ensure sustainable impact and scale, the mandate, governance and operations of the DBN will be grounded in internationally recognised good practice principles. In fact, the structure and operational design of the DBN have been informed by global experience and the designs of successful DFIs from across the world and have taken into account all the factors that led to the underperformance of the existing DFIs in Nigeria.” In presenting the project to the Board, Stefan Nalletamby, Director of the Financial Sector Development Department at the AfDB Group, said: “The MSME sector is critical to the development of the Nigerian economy as it possesses great potential for employment generation and output diversification. MSMEs in Nigeria cover the entire range of economic activity; nevertheless, there has been gross under-performance of these enterprises and this has undermined their contribution to economic growth.”

National summit on economy, brain drain opens today in Abuja L-R: Chairman, Advisory Board, Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology, Prof. Efiong Etuk; Zonal Manager North, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Muyhideem Imam; Business Development Manager, Abuja, Mrs. Bukola Adelodun and Regional Protocol and Administration Manager, Mr. Yusuf Afeez, during the African product forum in Abuja.

Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

esidents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have started bearing the brunt of the nationwide strike embarked upon by Nigerian oil workers’ unions – Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). The oil workers served strike notice last Sunday to commence a nationwide strike last Monday to protest the “inability of the Federal Government to carry out turnaround maintenance of the nation’s four refineries and reduce pump prices of petrol in line with the fall in global prices of crude oil.” The workers are also protesting the termination of the appointment of national officers of two unions “without justifi-

Oil workers’ strike slows commercial activities in FCT cation.” They also demanded that government put in place alternative strategies to stop pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, convene an industry stakeholders’ forum on the PIB status and falling crude oil prices and address the on-going high rate divestment in the industry and its attendant job losses. In areas like Zuba, Kubwa and Dutse, among others, there has been panic buying by residents, leading to rowdy situations at most fuel stations. Also, commercial transport operators have jacked up fares, claiming that it is the only way to compensate for time lost in sourcing fuel. Many commuters are stranded at various bus stops as vehicles are held up in long queues

at fillings stations that have the commodity to dispense. The unions, in their strike notice, said that their members had been fully mobilised, adding that the strike would not be suspended until there was a strong commitment from government and managements/operators of affected oil companies on the issues. They said in a joint statement on Sunday by PENGASSAN’s Media and Information Officer, Babatunde Oke, that the strike would affect all oil and gas operations in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. The over 40 per cent decline in the price of crude oil is expected to have brought about a reduction in the pump prices of petroleum products in the country, as seen in other countries around the world.

Kenneth Tyohemba

national summit to explore how Nigeria and other African countries can turn economic misfortunes caused by brain drain to brain gain opens today in Abuja. The two-day summit is being organised by the North American Graduates Alumni Association, Nigeria (NAGAAN). It has as its theme “Africa Arise and Shine” with “Navigating the future of Africa’s socioeconomic transformation through reversal of her brain drain to brain gain” as sub-theme. Senior Coordinator, Ernesto Chukwukamma, said that participants at the summit will be drawn from the presidency, the diplomatic community, United Nations Agencies in Nigeria, state and local government officials as well as civil society organisations and other non-governmental organisations.

Chukwukamma stated that the national summit on brain gain is being convened in order for African countries to develop a common approach to the problem of brain drain and how to convert the problem to gain, especially in view of dwindling oil prices in the international market and the emerging information society. He regretted that the lure of greener pastures abroad through the annual offer of H1-B visas popularly known as green card lotteries to Africans with extra-ordinary ability, coupled with lack of enabling environment, has led to Africa’s best brains to emigrate abroad. According to him, participants will, at the end of the summit, deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the need to reverse brain drain to brain gain and its implications on the future of Africa’s growth and development.

Business | The Investor

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Recapitalisation and stock market woes Chris Ugwu

y the end of this month, the Nigerian capital market would be presented with the names of stockbroking firms that met the recapitalisation deadline, while others incapable of meeting up may be sanctioned. The new order, which is expected to begin from January 1 2015, has continued to generate controversies in the investment community, more especially going by the current state of the nation’s capital market. While some believe that the initiative was necessary to enable the stock market compete with her global counterparts, others felt otherwise, noting that recapitalisation is being speedily pursued so as to deny some operators the right to key into demutualisation process currently on the front burner. Nonetheless, Exchanges all over the world including the Nigerian boss, expects minimum standards for operators who wish to maintain operating certificate, hence they must ensure that they meet the minimum capital requirements and also comply with all operational requirements. Why recapitalisation? Various recapitalisation attempts had been made in the past but they have met brick wall. In 2008, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) directed the firms to increase their capital base from N20million to N1billion. Regulatory bodies believed that the firms would be able to meet the stipulated financial requirements. The issue generated lots controversies in the market, pitching operators against the regulators with the former saying that the proposed capital was too outrageous. However, given the ongoing transformation in the capital market with increased volume of transactions, the board of SEC recently in pursuant to section 313(6) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007, approved the new minimum capital requirements for all categories of capital market operators. The new capital Following the amendments, the capital requirement for broker/dealer was increased from N70 million to N300million. For broker only, the capital obligation was raised from N40 million to N200 million; while for dealer, it was increased from N30 million to N100 million.The minimum capital requirement for Issuing House also been moved up from N150million to N200 million; while that of underwriter went up from N100 million to N200 million. For a registrar in the Nigerian capital market, the minimum capital obligation rose to N150 million from N50 million; while for those in trustees business, the capital was raised to N300million, from N40 million. Furthermore, the minimum capital requirement for rating agency was increased from N20million to N150 million; while

Onyema

the capital obligation for corporate investment adviser remained unchanged at N5 million. From an initial capital requirement of N500, 000, every individual investment adviser is expected to have at least N2 million as capital; while fund/portfolio manager’s minimum capital requirement was moved up from N20 million to N150 million. These developments have received a public outcry, as most operators faulted the move, suggesting that the stock broking firms’ minimum capital should be determined by the level of business they want to do. But the regulators have remained irrevocable in their resolve to ensure that operators meet the requirements as many of them are currently inactive. Current developments Massive sell-offs have characterised the local bourse in recent times, as there are concerns among market watchers that transactions in equities might not rally back in the 2014 in line with expectations by market analysts. This is because transactions on Exchange continued to skew downward, as the market, which opened the trading year high at 41,329.19 index points and N13.226 trillion in capitalisation at the beginning of trading on 2nd of January 2014, closed last Friday (12th December) at 30,763.38 index points and N10.156 trillion in capitalization. Hence, the local bourse has earned a year to date loss of about 10,565.81 points or 34.3 per cent and N3.070 trillion in cap. The low sentiment in the market was aggravated by the upset in the financial market arising from drop in oil prices, devaluation of the naira, insecurities, build up to 2015 elections and the recapitalisation fever among others. Some of these factors especially the fall in the prices of oil at the global market, sent a shock wave to both local and foreign investors and created uncertainty in the investment environment.

Aruma

This led to a retreat by bargain hunters. Even earnings posted by some quoted companies with promises of dividend pay-out could not rescue the stock market, as sell pressure continued unabated, raising concerns that the projection of the Exchange to grow market capitalisation in 2016 to $1trillion (N150 trillion) might be a forlorn hope.

Some experts believe that the recapitalisation directive started the first major capital market crash even before the spill-over effect from Europe and America in 2008, as operators tried hard through different means to meet up the capital requirement

Recapitalisation crisis The issue of raising working capital to a new minimum for the operators of the Nigerian capital market has been of a great concern to the market regulators, operators and other stakeholders. While other sectors of the financial system such as banks and insurance firms have recapitalized in recent times. The last recapitalisation exercise carried out by SEC was in 2004. Attempts have been made since the last exercise in 2008 but they have met brick wall. Some experts believed that the recapitalisation directive started the first major capital market crash even before the spillover effect from Europe and America in 2008, as operators tried hard through different means to meet up the capital requirement. The fallout was a run on the accounts of shareholders in different stockbroking companies, because they did not know the company that would survive the recapitalisation policy. Consequently, shareholders were given orders to their stockbrokers to sell at any price so as to recoup their investment before the dateline. Some operators believed the recapitalisation directive in spite of other factors, sparked up share dumping by market speculators. According to a senior broker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “The stock market is witnessing the trend in 2007 that led to the crash of the market. For trading to go on for days and weeks consecutively towards the negative direction is a pointer that the market may crash if ad-

equate measures are not taken. This is because shareholders are apprehensive about dumping their shares due to the recapitalisation exercise and fear of not knowing which stock broking firm that may survive, as the recapitalisation deadline is about three months away”. He said the market has been dropping to unprecedented level due to the recapitalisation fever that has engulfed the market, as December 31 deadline given by SEC for market operators approaches. “Both foreign and local investors have been dumping their shares, causing the AllShare Index and market capitalisation to continue to nose-dive at unprecedented level. At the time of filing this report, the market, which had reached N14trillion mark in the first half of this year, dropped to all time low of N10 trillion within a short space of time. All efforts by the Association of Stock broking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) to get the leadership of the apex regulator to a round table to determine the way forward for the stock market proved abortive. Regulator’s stance However, the SEC had reinstated its resolve to go ahead with the new capital requirements for market operators. Its Director General, Ms. Arunma Oteh, recently said the commission is determined to ensure that market operators meet the new capital requirements at the stipulated date. The SEC DG, who said this while addressing journalists at the Third Quarter Capital Market Committee (CMC) Press Briefing recently in Lagos, noted that the initiative had become necessary if the stock market must be made to operate in line with what is obtained globally. Oteh explained that the recapitalisation attempts have been made since the last exercise but they have met brick wall. She added that the failure contributed to the crisis in the market between 2008 and 2009. She said: “Based on the report with the implementation team, we are satisfied that efforts are being made by the operators to meet the new capital requirements. Different trade groups has engaged with us and agreed that raising the standards is necessary for the development of the market. “Our judgment is that we have done what is necessary. We will expect that all market operators will meet the requirements on December 31, 2014.” Conclusion Although, the future of the local bourse is still cloudy due to several factors that have led to low investor confidence, there is a need for stockbrokers and the authorities at the SEC and the NSE to engage in a healthy dialogue to resolve key market issues with a view to ensuring that market operators and regulators reach workable modalities for implementation of the policies.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

The Mega City ...EXCLUSIVE LAGOS MAGAZINE

IN NUMBERS 363 Roads- Ajeromi/Ifelodun

Traffic Lights-2013

Nigerian/Seme border Entrance

LIFE IN THE CITY BRT: Standing and sweating

MY CITY MY WORLD No dull moment in Eko

The Nigerian border with Benin Republic is like a slave in partial freedom from his master, reports EZURIKE UGOCHUKWU

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CO-ORDINATOR

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

Intelligence Traffic Lights-2013

Seme: Home of extortion, racketeering T

he journey that Wednesday morning in a Toyota Preview Space Wagon bus from Mile 2 motor park to the much talked about border town of Seme, the boundary between Nigeria and her neighbouring Benin Republic was not without those hitches inherent with Nigerian roads, especially Lagos. Although, the vehicle was moving against traffic, the journey was not devoid of intermittent traffic jam. At every point, the driver tries to manoeuvre potholes and jagged edges of the tarred road. Commercial Motorcycle riders, who have made the deadly pledge of plying of the opposite direction on a highway a routine, would always tempt the saner side of the traffic by their insane attitude. At Church-gate, after Agbara, men of the Nigerian Immigration stopped the vehicle. After greetings, they took three young men across the road where their vehicle was parked. The young men, who were Nigerians were intimidated. One of them was made to cough out N2,000 before they were allowed back to come and continue with their journey. According to the driver, that is what he and other drivers experience on daily basis. “This is just a peep into the level of extortion Nigerians suffer in the

hands of their own security men; in their own father land”, he said. As the vehicle accelerated through the ancient town of Badagry, to the boundary, passengers were swathed in the scorching and breezy weather, akin to a beach. Apart from the three pillars of about 20 feet each that have a unique curved iron on top of them that could likely assure you that this is Seme boarder, nothing else. From over 50 metres before the pillars, you are greeted by heaps of refuse littered around all corners of the highway as if border towns are never supervised by a state or local government. Even after you have crossed over the pillars farther in, there is no sign or symbol to mark out the territory of Nigeria from Benin, even as the law enforcement agents of the two countries hoard together. From the men of the Nigerian Immigration Services to the Nigerian Anti-Bomb Squad, NDLEA, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), NAFDAC and Port Health Services, the list is endless. They clutch clubs in their hands, running after and extorting motorists, commercial motorcyclists, Ijeka (the tricycle passenger Vespa), truck pushers and pedestrians.

The situation at the border is so bewildering on why Nigerian government could have surrendered her sovereignty to Benin Republic. The unanswered question is, could it be that Nigeria does not have land space to build its border post or; that somebody somewhere is benefitting from this unpredictable situation? An Immigration officer who spoke anonymously could not hide his resentment.“You can see us working outside our territory when we ought to be in a conducive duty post with better shelter. We are not allowed to use arms- only the Beninese do because the land we operate in is theirs.” He further said: “Few months ago, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, paid an unscheduled visit to this place and expressed shock over this situation. Nothing has happened and we are still waiting to see the outcome of that outpoured empathy.” Another officer of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) said they are daily currying the favour of the Beninoise security even when they regularly receive report of extortion and intimidation of Nigerians in CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Life | In The City

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Tolu Schools Complex

A transformation to behold Change, unarguably, is the only thing that is constant in life. This aptly defines the positive transformation that has enraptured Tolu Schools Complex, a vast expanse of land which holds a novelty on the world education landscape: a location where about 40 schools are located. ELIJAH SAMUEL reports

ut of necessity, Tolu Schools Complex was established to cater for the almost stranded teeming pupils of the Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government area. Most of those pupils actually went through agony to have secondary school education in other areas outside their locality. It wasn’t their fault: their population far outweighed the available facilities. But much of the time, over a decade ago, the school complex often erupted in unsavoury developments, which always halted the civility and peace of the Olodi-Apapa where it is situated. Through these, several lives had been lost and destinies wasted. Today, Tolu Schools Complex virtually radiates a manner of serenity and friendliness. At New Telegraph’s recent visit, coincidentally during the long break, a sense of good neighbourliness and learning in an environment that is secured radiates the complex. Although the schools are distinctively demarcated with fences, that will not restrain the students from intermingling, as they move freely from one point of their various schools to other points within other school compounds, all within the school complex A JSS 3 student of one of the high schools during interaction with New Telegraph exhibited great excitement about their environment and the quality of teaching. “The environment is very peaceful and I’m very much satisfied with the quality of teach-

ing that our teachers are giving. “I don’t live in this locality, but my mum decided to bring me to this school because of the peaceful environment that the complex has,” he said. Hon. Kamar Ayinde Bayewu, the former chairman of the Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area, from his privileged position, gave an insight into the motive of establishing such an unprecedented complex and the possible factors responsible for the serenity and peace that have now pervaded the area, which was the hotbed of skirmishes and cult-like conflagrations that were the hallmark of Tolu Schools Complex in the time past. “The first thing that was the motive for localizing and setting up that place was the population. Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government’s population is high and the landmass is small. That place used to be a reclaimed land from the water. Because of the high population, we have the highest number of primary schools in the federation. By this, our students had to attend secondary schools in other areas outside the local government because there were no adequate schools to cater for our pupils,” Bayewu revealed. He continued: “Because of the non-availability of land, an effort was then made to reclaim some land from the waters. It was thereafter decided that the reclaimed land should be devoted for the building of secondary schools, which were the pressing needs of the people at

Some of the schools within the complex

you’ll see a reflection of new Ajegunle in Tolu Schools Complex, where you have young people from different backgrounds coexisting in an atmosphere that show love, faith and harmony in their diversity.

that time. That was how the concentration of secondary schools in that location came about, so that students from all primary schools now have opportunity and convenience for secondary school education within the local government area.” Citing the benefit and wisdom of that decision to localize multiple schools in a location, Bayewu proffered a further development of the place as a tourist attraction. He said: “That place can actually be turned into a tourist centre. We have nursery, primary and secondary schools there; now, who says that we cannot complement the place with a college of education. “We could build a tourist attraction around the area because the complex is surrounded with water, which runs between the place and the Tin-Can Island ports. Although this is a downtown part of the state, but it can be upped by the provision of attractive tourist facilities, which will bring people to the area. There is nowhere in the world where you have the kind of concentration of schools like we have, so something needs to

be done.” According to Bayewu, the attained peace and harmony among the local government residents is somewhat a factor in the emergence of the peaceful atmosphere of Tolu Schools Complex. “When people come to Ajegunle, they will discover a new Ajegunle that is different from what they used to know and hear about Ajegunle. The same way, you’ll see a reflection of new Ajegunle in Tolu Schools Complex, where you have young people from different backgrounds coexisting in an atmosphere that show love, faith and harmony in their diversity. That is Ajegunle spirit in them. “When the landlords and other residents are brought together in a place in order to fashion a way to forestall violent eruptions and create the conducive atmosphere for peaceful coexistence, the consciousness and sense of responsibility will be engendered in every member of the community to nip in the bud chaotic tendencies. And that’s what has permeated across to Tolu complex that we are talking about,” Bayewu averred.

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

A home of extortion, racketeering

On going Ecowas Building Seme CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 25

their hands. “Look, even the ECOWAS building that ought to have been by the boundary is entirely in their territory. They are our landlords. One does not challenge his god to a fight. They have gun and our men do not have. What do you expect?” He bemoaned. Our reporter’s effort to cross over to Benin territory was successful though not without intimidation and extortion. At a check point, while coming back, instead of collecting N200 and N100 others were collecting, the very chubby and stern looking man had three other Nigerians held in the thatched office post. Our reporter was the fourth of the detainees. As the man insisted and searched the men, he discovered some amount ranging from N10, 000 to N3, 000 in their possession. He insisted on collecting N2, 000 each from us, else, he will lock us up for illegal entry. It took the intervention of one Okada man that carried two of the men before the security man could accept N1, 000 each from the men. That is the ordeal of many Nigerians on daily basis in the hands of the Beninese Security. It was even observed that you could bring more misery to yourself by trying to settle them in Benin CFA currency. The border area has convergence of people from different African countries carrying out many business activities in the area. There are people from Ghana, Northern Benin, Burkina-Faso, Chad, Niger, Togo and others. They carry out several businesses here, chiefly smuggling according to Mr. Bamidele Sammy, who said he has been in the border for four days since he was deported from Libya via Niger Republic to Seme border. He said: “I have seen a lot since I came down here. All these women you see selling one thing or the other are just do-

ing it and waiting for the night. They are tigers (smugglers) at night. That is the lucrative business here. They do it in connivance with the law enforcement agents. Here is not all that safe at nights especially the Benin side of the border, if you are a Nigerian. They have the presumption that every Nigerian is rich.” He added also: “Other young men here work for the security men as Kelebes (money collectors) who sniff-out anybody, who tries to evade paying his or her way through at the security posts. At nights, majority of them turn fulltime smugglers.” Bamidele stated further that the Vespa tricycles are used to move smuggled goods and owners at night. For the commercial motorcyclists (okada) that often complain of low patronage/ earning occasioned by too many cyclists in the area since Okada was banned in Lagos cities, conveying smuggled goods at night has become a better stream of income. Also effective are ablebodied men that carry loads on their heads. He asserted that the goods being smuggled are mainly rice, frozen chicken and second hand clothing (okirika). Mr. Sab Tony Eke, a clearing agent, attributed high import duty as one of the reasons most people indulge in smuggling. “Before a lorry brings goods to this Atlas tarmac, after which it will be trans-loaded to another Nigerian lorry to its destination, the importer has spent not less than N2.3m on duty and transportation. How much will the importer sale after all the expenses? It is the poor Nigerian final consumers that bear it all.” Eke cried, adding, “look around and see how scanty this tarmac is. Other years, you will not see space here. There would have been so many goods imported for Christmas. There is no money again. Businesses are not gainful anymore. Nobody is prepar-

All these women you see selling one thing or the other are just doing it and waiting for the night. They are tigers (smugglers) at night. That is the lucrative business here.

Border security posts

ing for Christmas now. The government should reduce the import duty being charged.” Eke is not alone in this appeal. Mr. Oscar Moses, a clearing agent, also maintained that lorries are most often loaded above the agreed 14.5feet height by agents to cushion the effect of high duty and transportation borne by importers. He, however, regretted that this has often resulted in lorries falling on the way. He said, “Our delivery here is fast, though we often encounter intimidations in the hands of their law enforcement agents. But we worry less about it. Only that things are no longer moving like before. In the other hand, incessant change in Custom leadership affects our business. A comptroller comes today, introduces new policy, within a twinkle of an eye, he is removed and the new one will not continue with his policies. This affects us in no small measure.” Moses said that so far, the scanning machine and other security measures are helping to fast-track operations at the border. He pleaded further for the completion of the harbour at Badagry as that could go a long way to reducing their sufferings, risks and maltreatments. A taxi driver, Mr. Prosper Ashazobor, advised the law enforcement agents to take their work seriously in the best inter-

est of the country, rather than looking for bribe, which according to him, is cursed. His words: “They receive salary every month; why are they not content with that? I believe the arms and ammunitions in the country today were concealed in goods at nights and smuggled into the country before their watchful eyes. God will judge them accordingly.” A driver said that driving job has become less attractive primarily due to- harassments, delays, extortion and intimidation they receive from the law enforcement agents. One other business that trives in the border is currency exchange according to Ismali Mahmud. He believes many people come in there daily to change their money for business purposes. “People mostly come here to change naira to CEFA. They do it because our rate is always better than that of banks. Today, we are changing N350, 000 for Cf1, 000,0000. It could go up or down tomorrow”, he said. When contacted for comments on the activities of his officers within the border area, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs, Seme border, Mr. E. Olottah, said, he could only comments when approved by the Comptroller. He said that the Comptroller is out of the country at the moment.

Life | Local Government Watch

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bayewu: Autonomy’ll save LGs Hon. Kamar Ayinde Bayewu, a two-term chairman, Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government, in this interview, bares his mind on factors hindering local governments from complementing state government’s strides in the mega city project. He listed issues such as multiple taxation and local government autonomy as some of them, in a chat with ELIJAH SAMUEL Do you think the local governments are doing enough to complement the state government strides towards the attainment of mega city? I wish to take you to schedule of the constitution of Nigeria to know what that section says about the functions of a local government. When you get there, you correspondingly look at the resources that are available to execute the local government functions as spelt out in the constitution. Are the resources adequate to take care some of the functions that we are talking about? If you say schools, roads and primary health centres are supposed to be provided by the local governments, and those things are there; are they doing it in line with the resources available or not? At the local government level, some people would come and complain that they have not had electricity supply for some time in their area. These are the things the people look at, but infrastructure is not what really makes our people. The primary things that make the people are health, education, shelter and security. Now, in terms of building roads, houses and some of these things, will you say the local government has the resources to execute them? Before you criticise any local government, look at what is coming or available to that local government. Within the funds they are given; they pay teachers, they are not empowered to employ. The teachers are being employed by another body entirely, which doesn’t consider the number viz-a-viz resources, but the local government must pay the moment we have the teachers, pay their pensions and other allowances. Those are first line charge on the local government. Now, you look at local government staff: the local government does not recruit or have the power to determine the number of its staff. Yet, the people will be paid directly from the local government’s purse. Concerning the environment and refuse collection which is part of the duties of the local government, this is going to be funded with the funds generated by the local government from the people. But are the people really paying to the local government to enable them perform this duty? In Lagos State, we decided that we should decentralise it and have an authority called LAWMA, which will do the work and we’ll pay as a local government. That’s another first line charge for the local government. I can conveniently tell you

that out of the federation account that comes to the local government, 60 per cent of that goes into the settlement of first line charges. How much will be left to take care of these infrastructure that are expected of a local government? People have failed to sit down and review if what is being given to local government is really enough to do its statutory functions. The local government does not have the power to do the kind of borrowing that the state can do in terms of development. But because external and local financial agencies have confidence in the state, they bring funds together and give to state government to use for development, so that when its statutory allocation comes, they can get their money back. Look at the pension funds that are being deducted from the state. This is being given to some financial agencies to keep. Instead, we can generate and bring the funds to the state to use for development of certain infrastructure, and later taken back from the federation accounts. By this, corruption would have been taken care of, because that fund would have to be deducted directly towards what has been achieved. This is one of the advantages of the local government autonomy that is being clamoured for. It will enhance the confidence of the financial agencies in the local government. What’s your take on local government autonomy? It is good if it is full autonomy, in the sense that I can hire and fire, and determine the number of my staff. Under it, there is nothing like unified local government system; there is nothing like local government commission. There must be administrative autonomy and financial autonomy. I’m not saying that there should not be regulations but let that which is coming, come directly to the local government. And the local government will in turn give certain percentage of the income generated to the state or Federal Government as may be agreed. The kind of structure that we have in the United States, where we have the cities, counties, states and the Federal Government is good. The cities and counties generate their funds: the income tax and the property tax are generated by the local government. All the taxes are coming to the local government. The state, local and Federal taxes are distinct to the extent that

Bayewu

There must be administrative and financial autonomy.

even if a body is collecting it, you already know the percentage that is going to each of the tiers. So, autonomy without financial and administrative autonomy will attract more problems for us. As at today in Lagos, as our money is coming, all these deductions will be made: teachers’ salary, staff salary, pension, refuse collection, which we all agreed. After these, the rest is paid to the local government which now pays its non-pensionable staff. At the end, how much is left for projects? Is this responsible for the tales and sights of abandonment that is pervasive across the local governments in the state? The people are far away from the government and do not want to get involved and be informed. I used to convey a stakeholders meeting where we tell the people, ‘this is how we are, this is what we are doing, this is what we can do.’ But what the people are interested in is to say, ‘ah! This is so much that has come in and nothing has been done. ’ What are the channels that these funds are going into? As at today in Ajeromi/Ifelodun for example, I have over 363 roads. How many of these roads are tarred? What’s the length of these roads? How much does it cost to tar a hundred metres of road? To tar a hundred meters of road successfully today in Nigeria, you need nothing less than N50 million at the local rate. What people fail to do is to understand how much is the total income available to a particular local government, and the cost to execute certain projects like roads. When you are able to know all that, then you can say they have money and refused to spend. But we all just believe and say that there is a lot of corruption in the local

government system. But I do not doubt the fact that some people live ostentatious life that is not corresponding to their position in one way or the other. Considering the factors militating against effective performance of local government, what do you think should be done? Collective responsibility is needed. That is, everybody must be involved. Have we not forgotten about our community services? We have left everything to the government. I know in some housing estates, the people built and maintain their roads. In those days, people built schools and handed over to the government, so that the government can provide the teachers and other logistics. The government cannot do it alone: It cannot build the number of houses, schools and hospitals that we require. In ideal societies, private sector comes in to complement the effort of the government. But we have seen the private sector coming in and the people rejected them. Look at what is happening on Lekki Road. We must not leave everything to the government. That’s why we say democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Again, it is only here that the low-income people are paying more taxes than the higher ones. The people are faithful but what about the higher ones? They are not. There is no sane environment that does not live on taxes. In all of these, the people often suffer under the burden of multiple taxation in the course of doing business. Double taxation is only when you are taxed on the same thing by different arms of government. For instance, double taxation is if after you’ve been taxed CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

BRT: Standing and sweating Ezekiel Adesawe

he Lagos State Bus Rapid Transit buses (BRT) have over the years become commuters’ first choice of public transport. But recently, commuters go through unpleasant circumstances at the bus-stops and also in the hands of some ticketers before boarding buses to their destinations. Suffice to note that BRT buses are patronized more than other commercial buses because passengers will be saving travel time, travelling cheaper, and also feel safer on the road; hence the rate of usage has remarkably increased. With this situation, commuters now have to wait longer on queues at the Bus-stop before they get buses to convey them to their destinations, even as they face the issue of getting accurate fare prices to buy tickets while some are allegedly harassed by ticketers. Speaking with some of the passengers on their ordeals of boarding BRT buses to their destination, some disclosed to New Telegraph that they wait for about two hours at the bus stop before they get buses to where they are going, which by implication, makes them late for appointments. New Telegraph met Mrs. Love Ogoegbunam at the busstop, where she was waiting for a bus to meet up with an appointment at Iyana Ipaja, a sub urban area in Lagos. She revealed that she has been at the bus-stop waiting for about two hours to get a bus to Iyana Ipaja, but there was no bus to take her and other passengers on the queue to their destinations. Also, Mr. Victor Joseph, a regular user of the BRT buses at the Oshodi axis, described the situation where passengers wait on a long queue before boarding buses as unpredictable, disappointing and frustrating. He said: “I have been using this road for quite some time now, and with the BRT buses, it could be unpredictable. Sometimes, you come in here and in two minutes, you are gone, if there are buses on

ground. But as it is today, there are just a few buses here, meaning that some of us have been here for more than 40 minutes. For instance, I have an appointment by 2pm today. As it is now, I am not sure I will leave here on time for my appointment. “But at times, it could be disappointing and frustrating to run late for an appointment. Having more buses will help but I don’t see that as the solution. There are times that you have enough BRT buses on ground, and at times nothing due to traffic or human errors”, he added However, despite the ordeals that most passengers face at the bus stops before boarding buses to their destinations, many still join the long queues to wait for BRT buses even when there is none on ground. According to some of the passengers, they believe that because BRT buses are more comfortable and safer. They prefer them to other commercial buses. One of the passengers, who spoke to New Telegraph, Mr. Adekunle Raji, said, “I prefer BRT to other public transport because it is safer and comfortable. The truth is that you can enter BRT buses with millions of naira and you will not be scared but it is unlikely for other public transport” According to Adebowale Adekunle, an assistant field officer of LAGBUS, the official service provider of the BRT buses, users of the BRT buses wait for long on the queue because of the traffic situation in the state. He said: “In Lagos, we have traffic problem. To make it clearer, we have peak and less peak periods. During less peak periods, we do have enough buses on ground but during peak periods, where there is traffic, our buses get stuck in the traffic and they cannot fly.” Meanwhile, according to Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), over 400 million passengers has been carried in the last five years, average daily ridership is 180,000 passengers, average load factor of 800 passengers carried per bus daily, average daily trip per day is 5, average waiting time is 15 minutes.

PHOTO: www. thetidenewsonline.com

Long wait for BRT, LAGBUS

It will also be recalled that the BRT buses were in 2008, launched under the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit System, also known as Lagos BRT with the aim of delivering a transport system that will meet the needs of local users, while improving citizens’ quality of life, economic efficiency, and safety. It was the brainchild of the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to improve mobility and transport affordability in the city of Lagos through

Autonomy’ll save LGs CONTINUED FRO M PAG E 28

on a building by the state, the local government also taxes you. It is not a situation where you have a shop in which sell alcohol and pepper-soup. Know that you must obtain a shoppermit, you have to take license fee to sell alcohol, and you also obtain what we call food and beverages permit. All these are issued by the local government on a one-off basis in a year: it is not a daily thing. If you operate all these in a shop, it is statutory that you pay. It is not multiple taxation and it is not in any way, a burden on the people. In law, we must understand that some commodities are taxed in order to encourage

and discourage them in some ways. It is a matter of choice; whatever you decide to sell but you are expected to get a shoppermit if you choose to operate in a shop. If you were on the seat to run the state, how would you have gone about the mega city project? The mega city should leave the city as it is right now and go into the hinterlands. Governor Babatunde Fashola has really tried in attracting the focus of the world to our state in areas like Ikeja, Victoria Island, Surulere etc. I expect the new governor that is coming to complement this by going into the hinterlands

and commencing the development of those areas in a way that the rural-urban drift will be greatly discouraged. Some people in Britain have not seen the London city for many years because all that they need to be comfortable are provided for in their localities. So, if we have development and business generations that will keep people in the hinterlands and their localities, we will have less pressure in the cities. When that is achieved, the cities can be left for administrative purposes while the businesses are taken into the hinterlands. Again, the local governments must be complementary.

Hon. Bayewu

PHOTO: www.punchng.com

regulatory reform and facilitation of person movement on major corridors through a combination of traffic management and implementation of a high quality, high performance bus rapid transit system. Also, in 2013, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority LAMATA, in collaboration with the operator of Bus Rapid Transit BRT, launched 50 new buses to support the existing fleet of BRT buses.

Life | In The City

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Epe: Fish basket of Lagos Oluwatosin Omoniyi

iven the right support, the fish market in Epe, one of the five divisions of Lagos State, could serve as West Africa’s major fish market. Already, the women who are the main dealers in the business are up and doing; they have the zeal and right attitude to the business. But as it is, they do not sell for the worth of the fish but more for survival. The common song in the mouths of most of the women is the lack of government support. According to them, no electricity supply to preserve their fishes, no enough capital to start and sustain the business. The women alleged that the tax levied upon them is heavier than the support they get from their local council. They lament lack of fishing equipment, proper built shops where they can stay during rain and hot weather. They chorused that the lock-up shops built by government years back have been destroyed by hoodlums, who come from the seaside to steal their goods and fish. Shade Akodu, a fish seller, said she had been in business for past 20 years and yet nothing to show for it. “Apart from sponsoring my children up to tertiary institution, I cannot boast of a roof over my head or boast of a bicycle to move about. Olasunkanmi Lasisi, has been in the fish business for 40 years going. “The only thing I can boast with this business is that I have successfully trained four children in school,” she said. Lasisi explained that after spending 15 years as apprentice, she started raising funds by being an intermediary between buyers and sellers for five years. She explained that there is no much profit in being an intermediary. At times, she said she could earn N200 or N500 for the day. “Don’t forget that I have needs, particularly domestic needs, I feed my children and husband in it. So how do I save enough for my business,” she said. Eventually, she got a soft loan from a micro finance and she started the business. Temitope Anifowoshe, a graduate of Lagos State University, LASU, resorted to the fish business after searching for government job in the city and wasn’t successful. “At least, I can keep body and soul together and I am not begging or prostituting for money, then this business is okay for me until God gives me a befitting job,” she said. Anifowoshe deals on the Obokun brand of fish. Six sizable pieces of Obokun fish cost N6,000 and that is at the retail market. According to Anifowoshe, if it were to be at Eti-osa by 7am, it would cost N2,500 for the six pieces usually sold in basket. She explained that fish usually gets expensive whenever the water surge is high. She said the available fishing net can hardly get down the ocean. “Whenever there is ocean surge, we always wait for it to get down, then you

see fish abound everywhere and we make maximum profit. Reason, we have been yearning for government investment. The politicians too should contribute to our development. They should not be asking for our votes,” she said. But the main challenges Anifowoshe and every other woman in the fish market are facing are the security, lack of electricity and government support. “Armed robbers disturb us often in this place. As you can see, no gate at the front and the back of this market. No light to preserve our fishes, there is also no quality fishing equipment to go about our businesses. We want to know what they use our tax collection for. They are not developing our business and environment for us. We need government support financially, fishing equipment and in infrastructure wise,” the women chorus. How they operate As early as 4am, the women are already by Eti-osa, the seaside to wait for the main fishermen coming from the waterside village to supply fish to them. Those ones arrive exactly by 7am to supply them and by 9.30am, the first phase of the fish transaction between the fishermen and the fish sellers would have ended. Then, by 11.30, second phase of the fish transaction would have also ended. It is the retail market that follows suit. At the retail timing in the market, the fishes are a bit expensive. According to Lasisi, she deals with Chininose, Baracuda and Red Snapper, brands of fish. One sizeable of Chininose goes for N8,000, Baracuta goes for N6,000 while a huge Red Snapper(as big as a human being) cost between N60,000 and N70,000, all depending on the size. Akodu, who deals with a brand of fish called Wesafu said it cost N7,000. It’s an interesting market. When New Telegraph visited, the market exuded the aura of peace and passive business women. There are different sections inside the market. There is the smoking area, where they smoked the fishes, there is the retail side. A large portion of the market close to the seaside is dedicated to the women who kill and clean the fishes for buyers. They also cut into pieces there. While some women were seen at the entrance haggling for customers, some were busy with their intermediary roles, others were busy killing and cleaning. But a lot of the women were seen sitting down idle, watching other busy women. Some put their palms on their chin lost in deep thought. Shakirat Amodu, a fish seller who was lost in thought when New Telegraph approached her said she is just wondering to do to generate the needed fund for her business, “and I don’t want to take the risk of borrowing money. I don’t want the bank loans because they are thieves in dis-

Preserving and selling fishes by the sea side

The fish business alone can feed the entire community of Epe but without the necessary assistance, it will mainly base on survival

Women cutting and cleaning fishes

guise. They always have hidden charges that enslave borrowers of their money,” she said. It is indeed an interesting and lucrative business, only if the women could get the required help they needed and if government could take the market to an enviable and world fish International market. According to Joke Osanyipeju, a civil servant, that is a goldmine to the Lagos State government and to the nation. She added that if only government can raise the standard of the market, “I bet it, it will be like Apapa port terminal that is raking in billions for the government on daily basis. The fish business alone can feed the entire community of Epe but without the necessary assistance, it will mainly base on survival,” she said. Bola Adeyemi, the caretaker of the local council told New Telegraph that the fish mar-

ket is the pride of the people and Epe generally; as such there are plans to develop the market. “We are not resting on our oars yet. We intend to make it a tourist Centre whereby tourist can come and enjoy the natural breeze of EPe and home taste of our fish,” he said. Oba Sefiu Olatunji Adewale, Olu Epe of Epe said the fish market needs modernisation and enlargement. “I agree that the market should be upgraded to modern way. I sincerely beg the statement government to help modernise the market place and everything about the business for our women, I believe it will boost the economy of Epe,” he said. Every effort to get the ministry of agriculture proves abortive. Their office inside the fish market was under lock and key. Phone calls to them was not getting through.

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Unilag Alumni honour Opeifa, Tunji Bello Muritala Ayinla

L-R: Director, Academic Planning, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, presenting the Distinguished Achievers’ Award to the Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa during the 2014 End of Year Re-union Dinner and Awards Ceremony. With them is Dr. Ayodele Ogunleye, Chairman, University of Lagos Alumni Association, Lagos Branch.

award to you, once you have arrived. They actually take their time to measure your contributions to the society. When the university is convinced about your contribution, they bestow it to you. “It is not just an award you get because you have got an appointment. That is why I give this award a lot of respect in the midst of so many awards. Award coming from your Alma matter is so special one, especially when your Alma Mater is University of Lagos”. Speaking on the infrastructural development in the university, Opeifa said though the university had done a great job in the area infrastructural development, more hands still needed to be on the deck to improve on the facilities available in the institution. He, however, promised to contribute to the university, especially the university‘s College of Medicine, where he said he had his greatest research and Development experience before he travelled abroad for further studies. Also speaking, Bello described the honour bestowed on him as a significant milestone, even as he pledged to continue to contribute his best to the society and the university community. “I feel great to be honoured by my Alma Matter. This is my second Alma Mater; my first is the University of Ibadan. I

was honoured by the University of Ibadan in 2011 and to be honoured by the universities you attended, it shows that one’s contributions to the society are reckoned with. It will impress you to do more for not only to the university but also for the society. There are other things one can still do for the university, the younger ones, the undergraduates and the indigent students. Everyone must come around the university in ensuring that they continue to turnout more productive graduates. Other dignitaries honoured at the event were Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo; Managing Director, Phardom Group of Companies, Mr Ephraim Akparawa Inyang; Chairman Estymol Group of Companies, Engr Anthony Ogbuigwe; Chairman Olumuyiwa Aduroja &Co, Mr Olumuyiwa Aduroja, SAN; Managing Director, Memorable & Services, Mr Abiodun Ajayi; MD AEK Design, Arc. Abieyuwa, Sanyaolu; Dean School of Post Graduate Studies, Unilag, Professor Obinnaya Chukwu. Others were: Managing Director Delog Nigeria Limited, Mr Oludele Ogundimu; MD of Trans Atlantic Shipping Agency, Dr Uche Ohafia; Barrister Temitope Adebutu of Kensington Adebunkuola Foundations, among others.

Fashola approves bursary for 2, 352 ...As Adefulire charges students on moral values Muritala Ayinla

o fewer than 2, 352 indigent students in Lagos were given N97, 315, 000 as bursary for the year 2013/2014 academic session by the Lagos State government. That was even as the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire urged students to shun negative tendencies that could dent the image of their parents

My City, My World Lagos has changed tremendously

ast Thursday was a memorable day for the three Commissioners in Lagos State as the University of Lagos Alumni Association honoured them for distinguishing themselves in public service. They are Commissioner for Transpiration, Comrade Kayode Opeifa; his counterparts in the Ministries of the Environment and Education, Mr Tunji Bello and Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye respectively. They were among the 43 eminent personalities adjudged by the association to have contributed immensely to the society, among the university of Lagos alumni. The event was the 2014 End-ofthe-Year Re-Union Dinner organised by distinguished Nigerians, who graduated from the University of Lagos. As early as 4:45pm, some of the awardees and other dignitaries from all walks of life began to throng into the well-lit expansive Multipurpose Hall A of the university. Some arrived with their spouses, others with friends and well-wishers. The hall was adorned with red and white fabrics within which glittering lights flickered to the admiration of many dignitaries. Speaking at the colourful event, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Bello, commended the awardees, majority of whom were captains of industries, academics and legal luminaries, urging them to remain good ambassadors of the university. The Vice Chancellor charged the university alumni to always assist their Alma Mater in the area of physical and infrastructural development of the school, in addition to their interest in the academic progress of the university. Speaking on the award, Opeifa commended the university Alumni Association for finding him worthy of the award. He said: “It is something good, something not sought out for but one was located among thousands of alumni of the University of Lagos. It is really commendable. I have been here many times with some of my colleagues who had been given award. I cherished the fact that Unilag doesn’t just give

and that of the state. Adefulire, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Women and Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Morenikeji Sobajo, gave the charge at the presentation of bursary award to 2013/14 set of Lagos State indigenes in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria held at the Government College, Agege, Ipaja Road.

According to her, the state government understands the pivotal role education plays in defining the socio-political development of today and the growth and advancement of the state, thus, the avowed commitment and reassurance that their education remains one of the top priorities that cannot be negotiated. She said: “The provision of qualitative education remains our focus

particularly in the realization of the 10-point agenda of our administration, whether in the primary, post-primary schools and tertiary institutions.” The Deputy Governor, therefore, implored the beneficiaries to make best use of the fund, stating that what the government did was to assist them achieve their goals of pursuing higher education, earn a degree and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge in order to be able to attain their aspiration and ambitions in life.

hola Shomade, packaging consultant, has lived all her life in Lagos, as such she can’t imagine living outside the State. Even though, she has travelled wide and far, she said no place like home. “Even with the shortcomings of Lagos State government, no place like Lagos,” she said. Though, there is still a lot of things to be done in the State, mostly in terms of discipline, Shomade believes it has to do more with orientation from home, “Government can’t do it, they can’t change the way we think. Proper orientation starts from home, I believe,” she added. Part of the indiscipline acts, she pointed out are the people selling items by the road side which she regarded as indiscipline. She explained that most Lagosians are well travelled and as a matter of fact, they long to see New York of America and London in Lagos but they are not ready to abide by the rule and regulations governing the entire smooth and enviable environment. However, Shomade also noted the beautiful aspect of Lagos. She said in the last couple of years, Lagos State has witnessed tremendous positive changes. According to her, it has cleaner environment, well light-street mostly at night. She added that there is improvement in the transportation system (BRT) which has made movement easier. In the area of awareness campaign, “Lagos State government is great with information dissemination,” she said. Lagos State awareness campaign, she explained is very sound, she said, anytime the State Government has a programme, they make sure they carry the people along. Traffic, she noted has also improved greatly in the State, especially with the traffic information, “anytime I’m in my car, I am permanently on 96.1 FM, it is a live traffic information radio programme. It guides and aid smooth driving for me in the State. You will agree with me that there are lots of new things in Lagos,” she said.

No dull moment in Eko

or Tayo Ibrahim, a business tycoon, it is all about business in Lagos. She said there is business and success in Lagos but mainly for the hard working ones. Ibrahim who has been living and doing business in Lagos for 30 years going said she can’t just count her blessings in Lagos. What thrills her mostly is the Ibrahim social life style of the State. “There is no dull moment here in Lagos. With the Social level in this State, there is no room for depression at all,” she said. According to her, she looks forward to every weekend in Lagos where she catches her fun, “I like partying a lot,” she added. But there are some snags in the State, she pointed out to the traffic which she described as chaotic especially during this festive season. She also noted the expensive standard of living and feeding. “Lagos is over populated and food-stuffs are getting costly by the day,” she said. Ibrahim said because of the richness of the State, people flock into Lagos, “after all, it is a city that is free for all and there are people from all over the world represented here,” she said. But she quip that the State is lucky to have proactive leaders at the helm of affairs of the State. Reason, she said the State is known for excellence. “We have proactive and sensitive leaders in the State,” she added. However, that is not to say she consider living outside Lagos, “even for the millions of this world, I wouldn’t imagine it because there is the environmental and spiritual attachment to the State for me,” she added.

The Mega City

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

UPCOMING EVENTS

#ENGY Launch & Symposium

Organiser: Shecrownlita Scribbles Date: December 23, 2014, 12:00 PM -6:00 PM Venue: Social Place, 33 Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos

HUB Xmas Party: Christmas Came Early!

Organiser: Co-Creation Hub Nigeria Date: December 19, 2014, 6:00 PM -8:00 PM Venue: Co-Creation Hub Nigeria, 294 Herbert Macaulay Road Lagos

RIMA Foundation Knowledge Network Quarterly Training

Organiser: RIMA & The Institute of Information Management Date: December 20, 2014, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Venue: RIMA Centre, SAIM Hse. 35 Association Av, Ilupeju Lagos

National Youth Empowerment Summit

Organiser: Flash Art- Entertainment Date: December 17, 2014, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Venue: The Arts Theater University Of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos

Lagos State Boat & Boating Safety Campaign

Organiser: Lagos State Safety Comm. with Arktrust Resources Ltd Date: December 16, 2014, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Venue: Tarzan Jetty by Oriental Hotel, Lekki-Epe Expressway

The Power of Networking

Organiser: Young Adult Professionals & Entrepreneurs (YAP&E) Date: December 18, 2014, 6:00 PM- 10:00 PM Venue: Spice Route, 36 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos

MEGA CITY EVENTS GOV FASHOLA AT STATE RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF HON. JUSTICE AYOTUNDE PHILLIPS (RTD) AND HON. JUSTICE FUNMILAYO ATILADE

L-R: Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips rtd; Gov.Fashola, SAN with the former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Funmilayo Atilade, at the reception held in their honour at the City Hall, Lagos.

2ND ANNIVERSARY OF LKA VLISCO FABRICS

L-R: Sales officer, LKA Vlisco Fabrics, Bridget Ijeh, Managing Director, Bredd Peace Ltd, Mfon Utuk and Managing Director, Emmarble Concepts ltd, Prof. Uduak Ita, at the 2nd anniversary, held at Ajao Road, Ikeja in Lagos.

L-R: Group Managing Director, Leadership Newspapers, Azubuike Ishiekwene, Managing Director, Cleanserve Energy, Lekan Abdul and Managing Director, LKA Vlisco Fabrics, Ayokunmi Abdul, at the event.

WEDDING CEREMONY OF ESOHE BUSOLA ISIBOR AND ELVIS EROMOSE AHIOR

The newly wedded couple, Esohe Busola and Elvis Eromose Ahior, at their wedding reception, held at the NAN Media Centre, Iganmu, Lagos.

L-R: The groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, Ebehi Ahior; father of the groom, Engr. Godwin Ebose Ahior and his wife, at the event.

Business | Money

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Godson Ikoro

he speedy implementation of mobile money and agent banking services will not only deepen, but also sustain the cashless policy in the Nigerian economy. This is because both the mobile money operation and agency banking are focused on the rural areas where third parties render financial services to the people instead of the traditional/conventional bank. Mobile money is simply the provision of electronic payments services through mobile telephony. On the other hand, agent banking, according to Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFIA), is the provision of banking services by a third party agent to customers on behalf of a licensed and prudentially regulated financial institution. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) defined agent banking as the provision of financial services to customers by a third party. The agent banking model, which was first introduced into the country by Sterling Bank Plc, has a bank and the agent, which takes money on behalf of a licensed deposit taking institution and/or mobile money operator or principal. Both the mobile money operator and the agent banking are likened to the traditional daily contribution practice, also known as ajo in the rural areas. Ordinarily, the collector, known as alajo, goes about to meet small savers who make daily savings. He carries a big bag and register where he records all those who save money with him. He also gives small loans to those who desire to mitigate the cash flow problems. The period/tenure of the loan will determine the rate of interest. The alajo banks all the money he collected at his convenience, but ensures that all contributors who need money get it. He banks the money in his name but it belongs to the contributors. The agent banking and mobile money functions in the same manner except that they have applied technology in their operations. As provided in the guidelines for the regulation of agent banking in Nigeria, the principal shall, at all time, be licensed deposit-taking financial institution and or mobile money operator (MMO). The agent is an entity engaged by a financial institution to provide specific financial services on its behalf, using the agents’ premises. In other words, the agent is like the popular recharge card seller who operates at a market square as an agent of a bank. She receives daily savings of petty traders in the market on behalf of the bank and assists the local people to open account with the bank as the principal. But mobile payments, according to Deputy Director of Bank Examination Department, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr M. Y. Umar, is the provision of financial services via mobile phone or other IT– enabled delivery mechanisms

Understanding dynamics of mobile money, agent banking

CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele

MD, Sterling Bank, Yemi Adeola

such as point of sale (POS) and often using a third party agent as well. This is also known as the non-bank model of agent banking and is also called emoney model in some areas. It is an agency arrangement where only a bank may act as principal in forming agent banking relationship. The mobile money framework identifies the roles of every participant in the mobile money operation in Nigeria. Roles of mobile money operator The MMOS issues, stores and processes e-money, which is kept in subscriber’s wallet. The mobile money operator also recruits and manages agents. The operator, as the owner of the brand, ensures that those he is hiring as agents are qualified and credible people who will not abscond with client’s money. The mobile money operators deploy, operate and manage risks associated with technology for providing the mobile money services and sends returns to the CBN. The role of the deposit money banks in the mobile operator is to manage the pool fund of subscribers. A typical agent is like a recharge card dealer, which very person in the community knows as a person of integrity and when he or she became a mobile money gent, people could go to request that the recharge card dealer use their phones to transfer money to their wards. Others receive cash directly. The recharge card dealer also becomes the agent of a frontline bank in the country and now has become the hub of financial services to the rural dwellers, which do not have access to any bank, as there was none. The recharge card dealer collects from those who want to transfer money and opens accounts on behalf of those who seek to save money in her bank. According to Head, Payment System Policy and Oversight Division, CBN, Mr Musa Itopa Jimoh, the apex bank is looking at

how to bring in the telecommunication companies to help build agent outlets. And once this is done, it will not be exclusive to each company, all banks, and mobile money operators, which means regardless of whichever money you are holding, whether Paga or Stanbic IBTC money, you can go to any agent where you see the CBN logo for transaction.

Agent banking will aid the collection of savings for investments. Also, money, which used to be kept at home would be pulled into the banking system.

Mobile money agents According to Jimoh, every agent is going to be identified by a CBN logo and wherever you see it, you can walk in to cash in or out. He said that the only condition that qualifies one as an agent is to have been in the business of selling and paying out money for at least 12 months with evidence like records and audit. Daily limit “We want to be sure that you know how to handle cash, receive and pay out cash and manage your money, ” he explained. Given the spate of armed robbery and the safety of mobile money agents who are not secured like the banks, Jimoh said that feedback coming to CBN is to the effect that the N100, 000 daily limits may not be enough for the agent. He however, said there is something called rebalancing, which is where the super agents come in. The model of mobile money model comprises the SuperAgent or Principal. The agent and sub-agent relationship is such that the super-agent is at the centre and once the agent hits the daily target of over N100, 000, he sends a message to the super-agent who arranges to evacuate the money and sends it to a bank. The super-agent can keep a daily limit of one million naira at any point in time. The risks of transactions are on the super-agent, or the brand. And it is the business of the mobile money operator

to determine what cash limit a sub-agent, agent or super-agent will keep based on its weighing of the risk around the outlet. The operator can say that a post office, with all the security structure, can keep N1, 000,000. A recharge card distributor can keep N500,000 or N100,000 and the popular centre at the village square, can keep N50,000 or less as the case may be, to curtail risk, theft and burglary. The current framework stipulates that for the unbanked people in the rural area, they require the least Know-YourCustomer (KYC). All they need to use for transaction on mobile money is their phone number and name while the daily transaction limit ranges from N3,000 to N30,000. The semi-banked require partial KYC, which entails that they refer to the CBN manual and Money Laundering Prohibition Act. The operator is expected to carry out transactions ranging from N10,000 to N100,000, while the fully banked requires full KYC and the circular on the three-tiered KYC and can carry out transactions worth between N100,000 and one million naira. It is also essential to note that consumers also have rights and responsibilities to ease enrolment, ease use, privacy, trust and security of transactions. Consumers are also enjoined to protect their PIN and proper confirmation of transaction details and recipient’s phone numbers. They are required to report any fraud cases, errors and complaints to the consumer protection department. Advantages The benefits of both mobile money and agent banking cannot be over emphasised as it will promote financial inclusion. By the time the business centre in the village assists consumers to transfer money to their wards in schools, the number of people who are not getting financial services will reduce. It will aid the collection of savings for investments. Also, through agent banking, money, which used to be kept at home would be pulled into the banking system. Through MMOs and ABs financial services, irrespective of location, literacy or financial capabilities will be available to all the nooks and crannies of the nation. There will be no need for bricks and mortar branches of banks. It will, to a great extent, promote the cashless policy implementation in the economy and, above all, it will aid in obtaining data for national purposes. Conclusion The effective service delivery by agents of mobile money and agency banking will facilitate financial intermediation and velocity of money to new heights.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

34 Customs revenue drops in Tincan Port, records N22.3bn p.35 The Federal Government’s auto policy has led to a 20 per cent drop in the importation of vehicles into Nigeria between January and November. Already, vehicle assembly plants in South Africa are strategising to take advantage of the new policy, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

Maritime

Shipping: Council endorses removal of red tape p.36

Nigeria spends $6bn yearly on vehicle importation l Imports drop by 20%

igeria is spending not less than $6 billion annually in importing vehicles. The emergence of new auto policy has drastically reduced the amount of money Nigeria is spending on imported vehicles since January. It was learnt that the country spends $6 billion annually to ferry both used and new vehicles into the country According to the Minister of Trade and Investments, Olusegun Aganga, some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had also dropped 30 per cent. Also, South Africa’s National Association of Automobile Manufacturers’ Director, Mr Nico Vermeulen, has said that vehicle exports by some South Africanbased manufacturers to Nigeria was affected by the introduction of duties on new car imports. He however, said it was difficult to quantify the impact. Aganga added that global brands including Nissan and Peugeot, among others, were driving partnerships and capacity expansion in the country’s auto sector, adding that with the current fall of oil price, it had become imperative that Nigeria should not continue to import what could be produced here locally. The minister said that Nigeria had joined the league of global car manufacturers, saying that the vehicles produced by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, in Nnewi, Anambra State, were made up of about 70 per cent locally sourced contents. Customs duties Before now, Customs duties paid for the categories of vehicle include: Cars 30 per cent, bus 15 per cent, trucks 30 per cent and completely knocked down vehicles, five per cent. Other taxes are the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS), one per cent, National Automotive Council, two per cent, VAT five per cent and ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme. Those who formerly paid 20 per cent duty and two per cent levy on new cars now pay 35 per cent duty and another 35 per cent

Imported vehicles at the Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML), Tincan Island Port, Lagos

levy, bringing the total tariff to 70 per cent. Because of this, the Vice President of Operations at General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Mr Ian Nicholls, explained that the new regulations and higher vehicle import duties in Nigeria had made automotive companies to shift their attention to Nigeria by establishing assembly plants in order to compete effectively. South Africa’s strategy Nicholls noted that vehicle manufacturers with production facilities in South Africa are considering establishing an assembly plant in Nigeria. The Vice President stressed that General Motors would have to rethink its plans in Nigeria. “We have to look, along with our distributors there, what the opportunities are to do something locally. But we haven’t made a decision to do something in Nigeria.” Also, the former South African minister of trade and industry and of public enterprises, Alec Erwin, was a technical adviser to the Nigeria Automotive Council and had contributed to the creation of the strategic framework for the development of the Nigeria Automotive Indus-

try Development Plan (NAIDP). Nicholls said that Nigeria’s automotive plan defined what semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly must comprise, which means that it was not a case of merely taking the “wheels off and that’s it.”

If you control the used car and grey import market, you could have a significant industry in Nigeria, so it is something you just can’t ignore

The challenge But he said that the biggest challenge in Nigeria was that the country did not have any existing automotive component supplier base. “The challenge is going to be how you set up an SKD assembly facility that makes financial sense without any local value added, except labour. By its very nature, SKD just adds on to the cost of a vehicle,” he said. Nicholls stressed that Nigeria has a population of about 160 million people and a new car market of about 50,000 units a year, but the market for used cars and grey vehicle imports was about 450,000 units a year. “If you control the used car and grey import market, you could have a significant industry in Nigeria, so it is something you just can’t ignore,” he said. Competition Nigeria emerged last year as

a potential competitor to South Africa for foreign direct investment by global multinational vehicle manufacturers when the Renault-Nissan alliance and West African conglomerate, Stallion Group, announced their intention to jointly launch vehicle assembly in Nigeria and indicated there was potential to develop the plant into a major manufacturing hub for Nissan in Africa. Also, a maritime economist and Executive Director of ABN Consults, Mr Harrison Agada, noted that there was a huge gap between demand and local capacity. He explained that local production capacity of automobiles by all the assembly plants in the country today stands at a pathetic 45,000 units per annum while demand stands at 800,000 units per annum. However, Nissan South Africa’s managing director, Mike Whitfield, who is responsible for the sub-Saharan Africa region, including South Africa and Nigeria, stressed last year that it did not pose any threat to the domestic motor industry and was an opportunity for co-operation and complementation.

Business | Maritime

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Customs revenue drops in Tincan Port, record N22.3bn

LOSS Customs loses N4.8bn revenue to forces of demand and supply Bayo Akomolafe

igeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated N22.3 billion revenue in November from the Tin-Can Island Port. But the amount is less than the N27.1 billion collected in October. A breakdown of the revenue revealed that in November, the command generated N18.1 billion into the Federation Account and N4.1 billion into the non-Federation Account. Import duty fetched N13.2

billion, fees N52.2 million, Common External Tariffs (CET) N785 million, while N4 billion was collected as five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT). The command also collected N930.8 million on seven per cent surcharge, one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) fetched N974.8 million while it recorded N573.3.2 million on ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). Other revenues are: Sugar (N78.6 million), rice (N813.1 million), brown rice (N150,277),

wheat flour (N451,343), wheat grain (N474.6 million) and iron (N2.5 million). Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Chris Osunkwo, attributed the decrease to the forces of demand and supply. He said: “The command generated approximately N27.1 billion in October whereas in November, we had N22.3 billion. “Many factors are responsible for the difference, particularly the forces of demand and supply.

“When you try to find out from the traders, they tell you that trading activities are at their lowest ebb because they observed that the people’s purchasing power has dropped and, as such, their warehouses are still filled up. “You will have to sell and realise money to be able to come and clear or import fresh ones. The level of compliance is gradually improving because we just celebrated the first anniversary of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report. “PAAR just clocked one on

December 1 and, among the things PAAR is here to achieve, is to make the trading public become more compliant. “If you are honest, you give appropriate and accurate information without trying to cut corners, definitely, you will have everything going for you.” He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, for “taking the service to the next level.” Osunkwo said that the comptroller-general worked tirelessly to make the service the pride of the nation.

Maritime academy: Cadets sit on floor for lectures Bayo Akomolafe

hirty-five years after its establishment, cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, still sit on the floor to receive lectures. They are mainly those in the first year of ordinary national diploma. The academy, which was established by the Federal Government in 1979, is still struggling to achieve adequate training for seafarers due to inadequate funding by the government that established it. MAN lacks training vessels for the mandatory sea time training, which qualifies a cadet to receive certificate of competency that will permit them to work on-board seagoing vessels. Already, the academy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with

the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for affiliation to the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden, and for the provision of sea time experience to a backlog of over 5,000 cadets. WMU is owned by the IMO. Its Rector, Mr. Joshua Okpo, said: “Hopefully, we should be able to put 250 cadets, 100 of them deck officers and 150 of them engineers, to have their sea time experience for 12 months to enable them acquire their certificates of competency. It will cost us 100 euros per cadet per day which amounts to 8.6 million euros per year.” The academy’s funding is derived from five per cent of the annual budget of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which is responsible for seafarers’ standards and certification in the country.

Sitting L-R Special Adviser to the Group Executive Vice Chairman, Sifax Group, Ezekiel Ajewole; Executive Director, Administration and Human Resources, Dr. Phil Ofulue; Director General, Djibouti Consulate, Folake Rojas and General Manager, Legal and claims, Olusunde Tunji, at the long service award for the staff of Sifax Group, in Lagos.

Lagos dredging firm trains master mariners

he Lagos Channel Management (LCM), a joint venture company between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Landfall Towage and Transport Services, has assisted Nigeria to train three new master mariners, after several years in limbo. The master mariners, who got their Certificate of Competence (CoC) last month, may become the first batch of youths to be enrolled in a nation’s professional body, whose majority of memberships range from 60 years and above. It will enable the mariners to handle vessels not above 500 gross tonnage, including tugs. Investigations revealed that the young master mariners, Charles Babatunde Olorunkunle, Victor Enebeli and Ezekiel Dare Owope, were trained and certificated in Ghana, a country which is not only on the International Maritime Organisation’s White List, but also enjoys higher credibility than Nigeria. The Managing Director,

Mr. Danny Fuchs, said that the company started its pilot scheme with 40 Nigerian youths and sponsored them to Ghana, with special emphasis on discipline, commitment and good behaviour. He said: “Our main purpose is for tugs, but now, they can also upgrade themselves to handle any ships in the world. “We started with 40 cadets, consisting of 20 engines and 20 decks. We presently have 15 certificated, consisting of seven decks and eight engines. “We are fulfilling our assignments now: to take people off the streets and turn them into Engineers and Master Mariners. LCM is also leaving no stones unturned, in its bid to assist the engineers who presently hold their CoC as third engineers to further upgrade to second, so as to enable them handle higher capacity engines. “They know from inception that they are free, on the completion of their courses, to stay with us or to

go and work in any part of the world. We did not allow them to sign any papers. Only a promise to be good ambassadors of the country, wherever they go,” he concluded, adding that the youths also had their mandatory sea-time experience in Nigeria under Landfall’s strict supervision. It would be noted that government’s attempt at producing certificated seafarers through the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, has been a remarkable failure, as a result of its inability to provide the required training vessel to enable the cadets acquire the mandatory sea time experience. Government also failed to provide an enabling policy as done in other climes that would compel foreign ship owners to do so. Consequently, most graduates of the academy, despite their impeccable academic records, have remained jobless, being perceived as half-baked, because of their lack of mandatory sea time experience.

2015: Customs place officers on alert

s preparation for the 2015 general elections gets to fever pitch, Controller, Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mamudu Haruna, has beefed up security along the Idiroko border as well as at other approved and unapproved routes to curtail the smuggling of illegal arms and ammunition into the country. Haruna explained that the command had collaborated with other security agencies and had put all measures in place to ensure that the 2015 election was not marred by smuggled arms. He added: “All security agencies have been put on alert to ensure that arms and ammunition are not smuggled into the country through these possible areas. We have made it a point of responsibility to ensure that the borders are patrolled 24 hours. “When arms and ammunition are smuggled into the country, it doesn’t become a customs issue anymore. It becomes both the police and army issue because we are aware of what is happening with insurgency in the North East.” Meanwhile, the Customs

boss, while giving account of his stewardship, noted that the command collected N6.5 billion in revenue between November 2013 and December 2014. Also, he said that the command recorded 1,482 seizures, including 65 trucks of smuggled rice, vehicles, frozen products and motor cycles with duty paid value (DPV) of N1.6 billion in the period under review as against 1,226 seizures recorded in 2013 which DPV stood at N1.1 billion. Haruna stressed that the feat recorded was made possible due to the reforms made by the Comptroller General on ECOWAS protocol on transit goods. The comptroller explained that this had led to an increase in imported vehicles on which import duties were collected. Haruna added: “Any vehicle that enters through the bush or decide to follow an unapproved route instead of following the normal procedure to pay the appropriate duty will be arrested and once we arrest them, we are going to prosecute them and if they abandon the vehicle, the vehicle is completely gone because we will not accept it if they come back to pay duty.”

Business | Maritime

Customs boss battles DCGs, ACGs

he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it would no longer be business as usual for its top management officials who do not observe office ethics and protocols. Its Comptroller-General, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi has already issued a memo in this regard to all deputy comptroller-generals, all assistant comptrollergenerals and legal adviser, who are members of the Customs management team. The memo, which was dated 1st August, 2014 with reference number NCS/ADM/ MGT/015/S.21/C/VOL.9, was titled: Circular no. 13/2014 channelling of correspondence to the office of the comptroller-general and attitude to work. Abdullahi said: “It has been observed with great concern that management staff are in the habit of reporting late for duties. This is not a good example to officers and men of the service and must therefore stop forthwith. It is expected that all management staff should be in their various offices by 0830hours and remain till 1630hours. This way, we will be models to officers and men under our watch.”

Dry bulk shipping to hit 790m dead weight by 2015

hipping consultancy, Drewry, has declared in its Dry Bulk forecast that the dry bulk shipping would reach 790 million dead weight (dwt) by the end of 2015. It noted that dry bulk shipping would grow at five per cent yearly from next year. The firm noted that dry bulk shipping is expected to continue its recovery due to the declining excess capacity, increasing iron ore shipments and rising grain trade. It said that dry bulk market would rebounded in the third quarter and thrived on strong demand for iron ore from China and high production in Brazil. China’s hunger for imported ore led to a 25 per cent increase in the Baltic Dry Index during the third quarter.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Shipping: Council endorses removal of red tape

he Baltic and Inter national Maritime Council (BIMCO) has supported the removal of red tape in shipping. Already, the council has presented its position to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, following the report from the Ad Hoc Steering Group for Reducing Administrative Requirements (SG-RAR) set up by the IMO in 2012.

The report contains their findings and conclusions on the best ways to lessen administrative burdens associated with mandatory IMO conventions and codes. It also contains the results and analysis of the first-ever public consultation undertaken by the IMO between May and November, 2013. Key findings of the report for reducing red tape include calls for: Electronic certificates and similar documents

to have equal weight as original paper certificates; an electronic “single window” infor mation exchange system should be introduced to fulfil multiple reporting requirements; ship owners, administrations, classification societies and commercial parties, among others, to accept electronic or software solutions as a suitable replacement for paper documentation; identifying and reducing

possible administrative burdens before approving new or existing IMO regulations. BIMCO said it is fully supporting the report and its thirteen recommendations, ahead of its presentation at the 113th session of the IMO Council (C 113). BIMCO’s Deputy Secretary General, Lars Robert Pedersen, said: “If the recommendations of this report are put into practice, they will establish an enhanced

and modern platform for simplifying the daily work on-board ships as well as ashore. Shipping needs to be able to use the latest technology for its reporting and recognition of electronic certificates ought to be a prerequisite in this day and age. BIMCO, therefore, urges the IMO Council to take firm decisions on the basis of the recommendations and remove unnecessary administrative burdens.”

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Photo | News

Pastor Segun Tomoloju of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries eight and his wife, Folake, at the Church’s married couples programme on oneness in marriage in Akute, Ogun State. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

L-R: Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim; Chairman, Dr Hassan Adamu; former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Muktar; Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda and Executive Director, Corporate Services, NDIC, Mrs Lola AbiolaEdewor, at the NDIC’s 25th Anniversary Dinner in Abuja.

L-R: Registrar, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Dr. Modupe Ajayi; Vice- Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Professor Tolulope Akinbogun and Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Academic, Professor Adedayo Fasakin, during the Interdenominational Service commemorating the 25th and 26th Convocation of the University in Akure, Ondo State.

L-R: Anambra State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Ben Dikuro; Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Jubrin Fagge and Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hosea Karma, during the decoration ceremony of some soldiers at the Artillery Regiment in Onitsha.

L-R: Abia State Commissioner for Information, A.B.C Agbazuere; Deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and former INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, displaying the special publication by Champion Newspaper entitled ‘A Market Leader’ during the 25 years Anniversary/annual lecture of Champion Newspaper in Owerri, Imo State.

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola (left), receiving an award of ICT Infrastructure Governor of the Year from the former Personal Secretary of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Odia Ofeimun, during the Africa Digital Forum and Awards in Lagos.

L-R: Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Dele Layiwola; Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Ayo Olukotun and Mallam Muhammed Haruna, during a training workshop for journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State.

L-R: Onwa Ndigbo, Amuwo-Odofin, Chief Augustine Ojukwu; Chief Imam of Soba Central Mosque, Alhaji Shewu Lawal; Alado of Ado Land, Oba Lateef Olayinka Ado and Chairman, Landlords/Residents Association of Soba, Otunba Gani Adams, at the association’s end of the year party/annual general meeting in Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Leisure Arcade NUTS

NTPuzzle

By Kaycee

White House Dinner

MAMA LASISI

By Aliu Eroje

MOYIN & FRIENDS

By Ayo Oyerinde

SUDOKU - Answer to No 14

SUDOKU - No 15

7 2

3 1

8 9

2 5

8 7

8 2

How to play

Sudoku

ALIU EROJE

CHIEF CARTOONIST aliu.eroje@newtelegraphonline.com

The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9. A cell is the smallest block in the game. A row , column and region consists of 9 cells and the whole game consists of 81 cells. A region has thicker lines surrounding it. This simply makes it easier to play the game.

Group Guards Guest Invite Ladies Line Meal Meet Music Notable Pass Photo President Press Private Proud Rare Room Seats Security Select Service Special Talk Tie Toast Tuxedo Arrive Fanfare Course First Lady Dine Food Discuss Formal Dress Grace Drink Grand Toast Elegant Greet Tuxedo

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NTJokes HARDWORKING BOB Bob works hard at the office but spends two nights each week bowling, and plays golf every Saturday. His wife thinks he’s pushing himself too hard, so for his birthday she takes him to a local strip club. The doorman at the club greets them and says, ‘Hey, Bob! How ya doin?’ His wife is puzzled and asks if he’s been to this club before. ‘Oh no,’ says Bob. ‘He’s in my bowling league. When they are seated, a waitress asks Bob if he’d like his usual and brings over a Budweiser. His wife is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and says, ‘How did she know that you drink Budweiser?’ ‘I recognize her, she’s the waitress from the golf club. I always have a Bud at the end of the 1st nine, honey.’ A stripper then comes over to their table, throws her arms around Bob, starts to rub herself all over him and says, ‘Hi Bobby. Want your usual table dance, big boy?’ Bob’s wife, now furious, grabs her purse and storms out of the club. Bob follows and spots her getting into a cab. Before she can slam the door, he jumps in beside her. Bob tries desperately to explain how the stripper must have mistaken him for someone else, but his wife is having none of it. She is screaming at him at the top of her lungs, calling him every 4 letter word in the book. The cabby turns around and says, ‘Geez Bob, you picked up a real bitch this time.’ BOB’s funeral will be on Friday.

40 Politics

WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Triumph of Pwajok on the Plateau MUSA PAN writes on the fallout of the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, which Senator Gyang Pwajok, won

he emergence of the senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Gyang Nyam Pwajok, as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State was mostly as a result of the failure of other PDP aspirants and stakeholders from the Southern and Central zones of the state to present a consensus candidate. This gave Pwajok the edge over other aspirants to win the PDP ticket ahead of the 2015 governorship election, pitching him against other parties, especially the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly during the administration of Joshua Dariye, Hon. Simon Lalong, who hails from the Southern senatorial zone of the state. Pwajok’s victory was largely linked to the backing he enjoyed from Governor Jonah Jang, Senator Joshua Dariye, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, Hon. Beni Lar, as well as Hon. Zainab Dogo and Hon. Johnbull Shekarau who all emerged as flag bearers of PDP for the legislative seats. Pwajok won the governorship primaries with a total of 435 votes to defeat the Plateau state deputy governor, Ambassador Ignatius Longjan who came second with 163 votes, while Senator Victor Lar scored 109 votes. It would be recalled that some PDP stalwarts under the Justice Equity group protested at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, rejecting Pwajok. Also at the Rwang Pam Stadium, venue of the primaries, the group kicked against labelling of the ballot boxes. The agents of some of the aspirants had raised alarm that labels bearing each local government’s name be removed from the ballot boxes to avoid any threat to the delegates after the election. This development was overwhelmingly supported by most aspirants opposing the candidature of Pwajok. Chairman of the electoral panel for Plateau State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ohoma, immediately addressed the issue by ordering the removal of the labels. But that was not enough to douse the tension, as another strong disagreement came up within the aspirants themselves, when some called for the cancellation of the election. They explained that instead of 17 ballot boxes, there should only be one for all the local government delegates. The chairman also agreed to their submission, but by the time the election proper commenced, most of the aspirants out of the fear that they would lose disappeared from the venue.

Pwajok

An aspirant and former governor of the state, Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, who got only one vote sneaked out of the venue unannounced. The omplaints that trailed the primary election before the commencement of voting led Pwajok to condemn the attitude of some of the aspirants, saying that they were trying to create room for problems when there was none. He said the electoral chairman had the right to dictate the rules of the game and expressed shock that the other contestants were being mischievous. While announcing the results, Ohoma said of the total 818 accredited delegates, 794 voted while five votes were invalid. He commended the delegates and supporters of the party for conducting themselves peacefully and maturely during the exercise and urged them to do same during the general election. According to Ohoma, the voting was done by open secret ballot system with each aspirant nominating one agent to represent him, and that the ballot boxes were made conspicuous and monitored by all local government delegates. Also, the senator representing Plateau Central and former governor of the state, Dariye adjudged the election as peaceful, calling on those who lost to support the party during the general election. Other aspirants who contested were the former Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. John Clark Dabwan, who scored seven votes; former state chairman of PDP, Dr. Haruna Dabin (16); Senator Lar (109); Bitrus Bako Nabasu (10), chairman of Shendam local government area, Hon. Kemi Nshe (13), Apostle Chris Gyang Bature (five) and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sonny Tyoden (seven). John Alkali got three votes, former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioner of Gombe State; Mr. Godfrey Miri scored four votes while Engr. Jimmy Cheto, a veteran of governorship elections in the state could not get

Jang

An aspirant and former governor of the state, Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, who got only one vote sneaked out of the venue unannounced

any vote. Former governor of the state, Tapgun also got one vote, Dr. Joseph Golwa secured two votes, Hon. Nandom Pyenap got one vote, and the former Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Prof. Longmas Wakmuk also did not get any vote. In his acceptance speech, Pwajok said his victory was dedicated to God and the people of the state. He extended olive branch to other aspirants who lost in the contest, urging them to work with him to win the general election, saying there were no losers or winner. He described his victory as the will of God and also appreciated all the delegates for having confidence in him while he promised not to fail the state. “I want to thank the governor who has established a standard for us, especially the younger generation. We are not too bothered about the next elections, but we are concerned about the next generation,” he said. Meanwhile New Telegraph reliably gathered that there are plans by members of the party opposed to the emergence of Senator Pwajok as flag bearer of the party to decamp to the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP). A member of the Equity and Justice Forum, who pleaded anonymity, said the plan to decamp had been completed, but that the forum was perturbed by the fact that even the national leader of the DPP, Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd) had since decamped to PDP, where he won the Southern Zone senatorial ticket Another issue causing concern for the group, according to the source, is that since the DPP’s stronghold is in Langtang which the Taroh people dominate, there is the tendency to manipulate it to favour a Taroh man as the flag bearer against the preferred deputy governor, Longjan. This development, according to sources, has made the group to shift its radar to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which although has more strength in the Northern Zone, is controlled by Ambassador Chris Musa Giwa who is also of the same tribe with

Governor Jang. Investigations revealed that the aggrieved members of the group did not consider the option of the All progressives Congress (APC) because the opposition party already has its governorship candidate. It would be recalled that the group as part of its strategies to stop Pwajok from contesting the PDP primaries had taken the issue to court. But the Federal High Court sitting in Jos struck out the suit filed by nine members of the PDP against the party and INEC, seeking an injunction to restraint the party from violating, or undermining the principle of power shift and power sharing as the policy of rotation and zoning of public offices enshrined in its constitution in relation to the governorship election in the state. However, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court in his judgement said the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the case since they have not established any cause of action. Allagoa held that since the act leading to the complaint had not been carried out, the suit was at best in the realm of speculation, adding that the plaintiffs must show sufficient causes to seek redress. Earlier, another group, Plateau Youth Patriotic Front at a press conference addressed in Jos by Hon. Leo Sage Demsak, said they were worried by actions of some selfish individuals and groups who were calling for the cancellation of the primaries. “The truth remains that Plateau State is bigger than the ambition of any group or individuals and any attempt to jeopardise the future of the state is to seek the wrath of the people,” the group said. With the conclusion of the PDP primaries in the state, all eyes are now on Pwajok who many believe will serve as a unifying factor because he is seen by many as a bridge between the old brigade and the new generation because of his youthful disposition, intellect and achievements as former Chief of Staff to the governor, including his stint at the National Assembly.

Politics 41

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014

2015: Jonathan’s candidature, reward for stability Uche Ugboajah

t was an emphatic “Yes” that the Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, received in the early hours of Thursday, December 11, 2014, from more than the required two-thirds of the delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had gathered at the Eagle Square Abuja, to ratify his candidature as PDP’s flag bearer in the February 14, 2015 presidential election. Free from the adversarial politics and rancorous spirits all too evident across the channel in the opposition party’s convention in Lagos, delegates of the ruling PDP were indeed in convivial mood – with hugs, laughter and backslaps as they voted and confirmed President Jonathan as their presidential candidate in the forthcoming general election. Just like all good stories, the matter that started with an overwhelming endorsement of President Jonathan by virtually all the major organs of the PDP as the party’s flag bearer in 2015, ended on a joyous note. The peaceful and successful PDP convention speaks eloquently to how much the ruling party has learnt, and how deep the values of presidential democracy have taken roots in the land. It also gives a dizzying hint of how the personal charm of President Jonathan have galvanised a party that a few months ago was virtually written off as imploding and on the precipice. The ruling PDP has once again shown its tenacity and unbelievable ability to bounce back as a united and truly national party. Make no mistakes about this; the emergence of President Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate without the usual bad blood that follows the morning after the primaries has been a blessing for the PDP. Swiftly naming the president’s running mate has also put to bed another potentially knotty problem. There have been some reports of scheming to drop Vice President, Namadi Sambo, for a new running mate. By announcing that he will run again with his ever loyal deputy, Sambo, in 2015, Jonathan has shown again that he is a man that believes in, and rewards loyalty. All said, the Nigerian people clearly are going to be the biggest beneficiaries of the emergence of Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate in the 2015 general election. Historically, the major problems associated with transition periods in Africa and the rest of the developing world is the lack of continuity and problems of instability. As new administrations come to power, there is always the certainty of abandoning previous policies and projects initiated by the past government. This always comes at a very huge national cost. But thankfully, with Jonathan’s name on the ballot in 2015, the task before the electorate is going to be a simple one of

choosing between stability and uncertainty. A Jonathan and PDP’s victory will mean that there will be no major policy reversals and that new initiatives can build on the foundations that have been laid in areas of success. This is the advantage of continuity and stability. It will be unlikely that the Nigerian voter who has seen several thousand of kilometres of roads tarred in the past three years under Jonathan would cast a vote for the reversal of this good fortune and return to the days when our roads were highways to the land of no return. Several sectors will benefit from this. For example, the problem of the power sector had proved intractable over the years with past leaders almost concluding that it is insurmountable. Yet in the past three years, Jonathan has shown that all that is needed is the political will to tackle the fundamental problems like the structure of the industry. By taking the dreaded decision of unbundling Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and liberalising the sector, the president has attracted the much-needed investments in the power sector. With the entrance of private participation in the generation and distribution of electricity in the country, what Jonathan has just done is to lay the perfect foundation for the long term and permanent resolution of the energy crisis in the country. It will be detrimental to Nigeria’s development to take a chance with this quantum leap. President Jonathan’s commitment to solving the problems of electricity generation and distribution in the country is a debt he knows he owes the ordinary people with whom he shares great affinity. He understands that improved power means greater capacity utilisation for big and cottage industries, greater surplus values and consequently greater employment for the teeming youths who put him in power in the first instance. That understanding explains why he is pursuing the power sector reforms with zeal in the interest of the people. Another area in which Nigerians will benefit from continuity and stability when President Jonathan is re-elected is the diversification of the economy through agriculture. For so long, past governments, both military and civilian, have been paying lip-service to the problem of the mono-cultural economy of Nigeria as a cheap deliverer of crude oil to the developed world. Apart from the laudable commitment of this government to the policy of saving for the ‘rainy day’, Jonathan has embarked on an irreversible policy of transforming agriculture from the subsistence drudgery it has been over the years to a profitable business engendering food security and farmer prosperity. Today, Nigeria is set to transform from being the biggest importer of rice in West Africa to the biggest exporter of

Jonathan

the commodity in Africa. Even private individuals and groups are publicly testifying to the quiet revolution on-going in the agriculture sector under Jonathan. For instance, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) in a publication in ThisDay of November 1, 2012 at page 37 wrote thus: “For the first time in many years of policy summersaults, the Federal Government has established a well-thought-through Agricultural Policy framework with clear implementable strategies and action plans canvassed and agreed with all the state governments of the Federation. There is indeed a national mobilisation and commitment to uplift agriculture, particularly Rice and Cassava in order to achieve self-sufficiency by 2015. “This is a laudable initiative by the Jonathan administration which has secured the buy-in support of International Agencies (World Bank, IFAD, FAO, JICA, USAID, DFID) all primed to achieve well-defined targets in the nation’s drive to ensure food security, address poverty, youth unemployment and create a new source of foreign exchange earnings through the export of agricultural produce. Agriculture has become our new hope for survival and prosperity in a world that is becoming most unstable, burdened by national debt overhang and massive unemployment.” The emergence of the former military dictator, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the APC presidential candidate, has placed human rights and civil liberties as a major issue in the choice of a leader, given the General’s unrepentant record of severe and deadly breaches of human rights during his mil-

The choice before Nigeria is a choice between yesterday and tomorrow, a choice between advancing or reversing. Its position is: we must not hire yesterday’s man to resolve tomorrow’s problems

itary regime. Nigeria has made significant progress in the area of free speech and personal liberties since, and the thought of another Buhari presidency is already sending chills and shivers down the spines of citizens, civil liberties organisations and the human rights community in general. For many Nigerians, Jonathan has been most tolerant of criticisms and opposing ideas; in fact, he has continued to encourage citizens to speak out as part of their inalienable rights under the constitution by assuring them that under his watch, no one will be sent to jail, exiled or murdered for expressing his/her opinions as has been witnessed in Nigeria previously. It is understandable that many citizens connect to their government at the level of the provision of physical amenities. Thus, many still define democracy dividends in terms of infrastructure development. Yet the true essence of democracy is in the liberty for the citizen to be the best that his or her talents incline him or her. This is the trump card in the hands of President Jonathan because no other president before him has guaranteed the democratic rights of the people the way he has done in the past three years. The PDP argues that the choice before Nigeria is a choice between yesterday and tomorrow, a choice between advancing or reversing. Its position is: we must not hire yesterday’s man to resolve tomorrow’s problems. That will not be salutary to the narrative of stability which Jonathan’s candidature offers. •Ugboajah, a political scientist, sent this piece from Abuja.

42 Politics

WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Senators disagree over impeachment plot C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

excesses, but this government has shown that it is incurably deficient in handling the situation in this country. “As at last week, 63 of us have signed up for the impeachment. I can confirm to you that we have 63 signatures, two people called me and told me that they want to sign. One of them is an APC senator who was away doing campaign because he is contesting the governorship election of his state. “As of today, the required signatures to initiate the impeachment notice has been obtained. “We need only one-third, which we already have, to initiate the process. It is just a matter of one day sitting. We will just push it before the two chambers.” But infuriated by what he considered as absolute falsehood, Senator Eze said that the purported list of signatories was non-existent. “Put me on record, Senator Jajere is a blatant liar for saying that 63 or 70 senators have signed his alleged impeachment list against President Jonathan. The said list is non-existent in the Senate and why didn’t you tell him to show you the list on which he said he is number four and in particular, ask him who is number 65 there? “Yes, there are some political opponents of the president in the Senate or even disgruntled ones but the fact is that even if they want to make such move, they cannot even get up to 10 and where are they even going to table such rubbish. We are waiting for them anyway. “Even the reason reportedly cited by the senator for the socalled impeachment move, stands logic on its head because how can you be bringing non-existing offences of 2011 as impeachment offences in 2014. Where were they in 2011 when the alleged offences were committed by the president and don’t they even know that three other appropriation bills had been passed by the Senate after the 2011 one? “Let me put it to him and his other people that if they think they can intimidate the president or PDP out of power, they are just day-dreaming because the man will contest the 2015 election and going by realities on ground, he will win. So, the earlier they realise this, the better for them.” Eze, however, appealed to politicians to be very cautious in their conducts and utterances ahead of the 2015 elections so as not to overheat the polity beyond manageable proportion. Similarly, Senator Yau Sahabi (APC Zamfara North) said that he was not aware of the impeachment plot, arguing that initiating such process was not necessary because it would only amount to waste of energy and overheating the polity. “Maybe some people are doing it underground but nobody has contacted me on the issue. For now, it is a rumour. The process is cumbersome even though there is need for that, how are we going to finish it? It is not only a distraction but also a waste of resources

Abaribe

and energy,” he said. Also reacting to the issue, Senator Olusola Adeyeye (APC Osun Central), in an interview with New Telegraph, acknowledged that he was aware of such move but that he was still studying the allegations levelled against Jonathan, and would act in the best interest of the country, when decision would be taken on it by the Senate. His words: “The position of the matter is that truly there are members of both parties in both chambers of the National Assembly, who would like the president to be impeached. They have argued that there are numerous grounds for impeachment. They are putting together their papers for that purpose. I can tell you honestly that one of them has allowed me to read a comprehensive write up, arguing for a case for impeachment of Mr. President. “In any fair society, there must be fair hearing. I believe that if those papers are circulated to members, those who read them may believe that indeed there are enough grounds for impeachment. Some may be acting with ulterior motives, but you must take those allegations on their face value, examine them, investigate them and make up your mind. I know that there will also be some who would say, we are too close to the election of 2015; so, why should anyone rock the boat so late in the calendar and for that reason may say, let’s just not go that direction. “As for me, I am waiting. When the formal documents are tabled, I will read them diligently and act in good conscience, and I will do that which I believe to be in the best interest of the country.” In the midst of this seeming confusion, political analysts have attributed the impeachment brouhaha to the grievances provoked by the PDP ward congresses and primaries, in which the senators lamented that the state governors hijacked party structures in the states to the disadvantage of the lawmakers. This was why the legislators, immediately after the congress embarked on a “no work protest” to express their grievances to President Jonathan, who they accused of surrendering the party structures to the state governors.

Jajere

Jajere is a story teller. We are waiting for him and his other signatories who are more of spirits than human beings in the Senate

Adeyeye

The aggrieved politicians threatened to shut down the government by frustrating all executive bills that were pending in the Senate until Jonathan and the party leadership intervened to look into the matter in order to salvage their political future. They also implemented this threat because for two consecutive days they did not consider any item on the Order Paper. Not willing to allow the matter degenerate and overheat the system, the president of the Senate, David Mark quickly intervened and assured the aggrieved legislators that he would do everything within his powers to resolve the crisis. He also gave assurance that he would do his best to protect and defend the legislature from external influences. In fulfilment of his promise, Mark, who was worried about the impending consequences of the rift between his colleagues and the PDP on one hand and the Presidency on the other hand, on the future political career of the senators, coupled with the threats by the angry lawmakers to frustrate government activities, led the senators to a meeting with Jonathan and the party leadership to broker peace in the Aso Rock Villa. At the end of the meeting, though there was no official statement on how it went, speculations emerged in the media that a senator, who was in attendance at the meeting said that Jonathan seriously considered the complaints of the politicians and assured them that he would work in conjunction with the leadership of the party and other stakeholders to find a lasting solution to their grievances. It was further speculated that Jonathan promised that the party would provide a level playing ground for all those who are willing to return to the Senate to participate in the election and perhaps facilitate their victory by ensuring that governors did not impose candidates in their states. While this horse trading and

other intra-party conflicts were going on, it became obvious to some senators that the president could do little or nothing to grant them automatic tickets because the state governors were also on his neck to allow them continue to dominate the party structures and determine who gets what in the state and even at the centre. It is these senators who were losing hope getting their return tickets that were alleged to be behind the current impeachment moves reportedly being plotted as a blackmail to stampede Jonathan into considering automatic tickets for them. This strategy however, appears not to be yielding the desired result because despite the media reports, neither Jonathan nor his aides have made any statement on the matter. The outcome of the PDP primaries has shown that about 57 senators lost their tickets to return in 2015. Another school of thought also has it that the speculated impeachment was orchestrated by the APC senators and few PDP members, who were in solidarity with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, over the recent invasion of the National Assembly by security operatives. The House might be on a vendetta mission against Jonathan because members and some Nigerians believe that it was the president that sent the police and others to do what they did that day. In the Senate, apart from those who are aggrieved over selfish political interests such as getting return ticket to the Red Chamber in 2015, analysts are of the opinion that the lawmakers do not have any valid point to begin to raise impeachment notice against the president. Nigerians are waiting eagerly and patiently to see the end of this drama. Already, Senator Jajere has noted that those behind the impeachment plot would table their notice to the Senate on December 16, when the Chamber resumes plenary. Whether or not they will accomplish this herculean task will be made known as events continue to unfold in the Senate.

Politics 43

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 17, 2014

2015 presidency: Odds against Buhari Abba Adakole

oing by the last birthday celebration of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, he was 90 years old, and the second oldest serving head of state in the world, closely following President Shimon Peres of Israel. If serving presidents can be as old as that, it would not be valid to say that at 72, General Muhammadu Buhari is too old to aspire to be president of Nigeria. The point, though, is

that when Mugabe first became Head of State in 1980, he was a “young man” of 56 years old. In modern times, and with advances in the medical sciences, the assumption that younger people are physically and mentally stronger than older people no longer holds. It follows that the correlation between age and effective leadership has no validity. Indeed, neither the supporters nor opponents of Buhari are concerned with the science or logic of the matter. It is all

political, which explains why the bulk of Buhari’s supporters, especially in the North, are rabid and fanatical youths. For the opponents, men of Buhari’s age, whether strong or weak, should quit the scene for the younger ones, period. Whichever way, the plain truth is that age is not on Buhari’s side. In moving towards 2015, it would be wrong to say that age is Buhari’s heaviest baggage. To be an effective leader in a society as complex

such as Nigeria, the man or woman must be of a strong political will and be prepared always to act and take personal responsibility for his actions. It is on this score that General Buhari is lacking in what it takes to be the president of this country. The facts in support of the evidence against Buhari are numerous and can be drawn from the General’s records of public service. As military head of state (1984-85), General Buhari exhibited all the traits of a weak leader,

who had little or no control of his regime and for whom decisions were taken and actions executed. For the entire period, Buhari ceded much of the powers of government to his deputy, Major General Tunde Idiagbon, who was known to be the defacto leader of the regime. The main achievement of that government, namely the effective enforcement of discipline through the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) was generally acknowledged to be the handiwork of General

Idiagbon and credited to General Buhari, only by virtue of his being the official head of state. In fact, it was General Idiagbon who personified nearly everything associated with the Buhari regime. In a similar vein, when Buhari was appointed by General Sani Abacha, as Executive Chairman of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) (19941999), he did not take personal charge of much of what happened throughout the period. Instead, he ceded his authority to a firm of consultants, Afri–Projects Consortium (APC), a firm owned by his relative. APC was given exclusive powers to initiate projects, assess and approve their probable costs, execute the projects, assess the quality of execution, all without any higher supervision. After Buhari’s stint at the PTF, the general impression that he has never been involved in any corrupt deals collapsed. The Management Audit that investigated the affairs of the Fund revealed that over N181 billion was released to it and that most of the projects were awarded to Northern contractors, at the expense of contractors from the South. More damaging to the image of Buhari, it was found that APC overcharged PTF to the tune of N2 billion. Even if General Buhari were not personally involved in any of the fraudulent deals, the fact that they were all perpetrated under his watch should be enough to disqualify him from holding any public trust. Once again, General Buhari’s lack of capacity to take responsibility was amply demonstrated when, after his election as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he couldn’t immediately choose a running mate. The information was that in his characteristic manner, Buhari ceded the responsibility for choosing a running mate to another national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The cause of Buhari’s prolonged delay in announcing his running mate was the same that led to the change of venue of the convention that produced him as the APC presidential candidate. The decision to take the venue to Lagos was Tinubu’s and Buhari had no choice but to comply. That is the extent of the lack of political will of the APC presidential candidate. •Adakole writes from Abuja

Business | Money Line

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fitch forecasts slow growth for Nigeria in 2015 LOSS

Nigeria won’t benefit from the 44% oil price fall

oremost rating agency - Fitch Ratings Ltd, expects growth in Nigeria and Angola, the only subSaharan African members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to slow next year because of weaker crude prices. Fitch’s 2015 growth projection for Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and oil producer, was revised down to 5.2 percent from 6.4 percent, Carmen Altenkirch and Richard Fox, Londonbased sovereign analysts at the ratings company, said in a statement yesterday. Standard Chartered Bank made similar projection last weekend. The lender in a report, said lower oil prices, the challenge of managing a more volatile currency, and an increasingly violent insurgency in the country’s north, will weaken Nigeria’s economic growth in 2015.

The Coordinating Minister had also corroborated these forecasts, saying that the monetary tightening embarked upon by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will shrink growth to around 5.3 per cent. According to Fitch, Nigeria along with Angola and Gabon,

will also suffer from worsening current account and fiscal balances. Nigeria, which derives 70 percent of government revenue from oil, have proposed spending cuts and devalued the naira last month amid declining foreign reserves. The

Overnight interbank lending rate hits record high

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened on the interbank market yesterday to prop-up the naira, but the local unit still closed down 1 percent owing to strong dollar demand, traders said. The local currency closed at N180.50 to the dollar, compared with N178.70 a dollar on the previous day. Dealers said dollar demand remains strong from offshore funds selling down their equity holdings. “The amount of dollars sold by the central bank was not sufficient to support the naira,” one dealer said. The local currency is

seen trading around the N180 level until the end of the year, baring any major measure by the apex bank, dealers said. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s interbank overnight lending rate spiked further by 20 percentage points yesterday to 80 percent following drop in liquidity on large naira cash withdrawal by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). “The NNPC withdrew more cash from the system today (yesterday), hitting hard on some banks, which have to resort to borrowing heavily from other banks to cover their position,” one dealer said. NNPC last week sold about $300 million to some

As at N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

2015 from 4.5 percent this year, Altenkirch and Fox said. “Most sub-Saharan African countries are significant oil importers,” they said. “Oil makes up around 20 percent of the import bill in Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Seychelles and Ethiopia.”

Naira closes down 1% despite CBN intervention

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

naira has depreciated 9.4 percent against dollar this quarter, the worst performance in Africa after Malawi’s kwacha. Other countries in sub-Saharan Africa will benefit from the 44 percent plunge in oil prices this year, boosting the region’s growth to 5 percent in

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

lenders as part of its usual month-end dollar sales and put the naira proceeds into its account with the CBN. The cost of borrowing among banks has oscillated between a high of 70 percent

and a low of 14 percent since last month, when the banking watchdog hiked the cash reserve requirement (CRR) on private sector deposits with commercial lenders to 20 percent from 15 percent.

Nigeria, others lose $1trn in ‘dirty money’

eveloping countries including Nigeria are losing nearly $1 trillion to crime and corruption, with the disappearance of dirty money hitting some of the world’s poorest regions hardest, a new report has found. Sub-Saharan Africa according to Bloomberg News, suffered the biggest loss as a share of its economy, with the disappearance of dirty money averaging 5.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nigeria and South Africa were among the top 12 nations with the largest volumes of illicit outflows. A record $991 billion in unrecorded funds left 151 developing and emerging economies in 2012, up nearly 5 percent from a year earlier, a US-based watchdog that exposes financial corruption said on Monday. Global Financial Integrity (GFI) found that, between 2003 and 2012, the estimated amount of illicit funds shifted

from developing countries totalled $6.6 trillion and rose at an inflation-adjusted 9.4 percent a year - roughly double global GDP growth. This is a trillion dollars that could have contributed to inclusive economic growth, legitimate private-sector job creation, and sound public budgets GFI President Raymond Baker said the estimated losses were conservative but were still more than 10 times the total amount of foreign aid these countries received. He called the growth rate “alarming”, having surged from about $297 billion in 2003. “Illicit financial flows are the most damaging economic problem plaguing the world’s developing and emerging economies,” Baker said in a statement. “It is simply impossible to achieve sustainable global development unless world leaders agree to address this issue head-on.”

UBA Capital halts Africa expansion on Ebola concerns

BA Capital Plc, a Nigerian investment bank and asset manager, will halt its African expansion on concern about the spread of the continent’s worst outbreak of Ebola. The company’s shareholders voted on Monday to stop its regional expansion and to transfer N402 million ($2.2 million) of proceeds from a rights offer into Nigerian infrastructure projects and working capital instead. UBA Capital also changed its name to United Capital Plc. “Events of the past one year in affected countries were not foreseen during expansion and fundraising plans,” Chairman Chika Mordi told reporters in Lagos, where the company is based. The deadly disease has ravaged Guinea, Liberia and

Sierra Leone in West Africa and has continued virtually unabated, with about 18,460 cases diagnosed and 6,840 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Last month, Dangote Cement Plc (DANGCEM), Nigeria’s biggest company, said it delayed a project in Sierra Leone until the crisis abates, while SIC Insurance Co., Ghana’s second-largest insurer, said the company probably won’t revive plans “anytime soon” to open offices in Liberia and Sierra Leone. “Companies are moving away from the countries hit by Ebola, so we can’t be going there at this time,” said Boniface Okezie, the national coordinator of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, which holds a minority state in the company.

Business | Financial Market News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

16-Dec-14

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description 4.00 23-APR-2015 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 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)

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

4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

535.00 573.89 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 396.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 150.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,730.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,379.41

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

0.35 1.67 2.36 2.61 2.71 3.45 4.53 4.85 7.12 9.24 13.95 14.43 14.93 15.60 19.59

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

13.61 15.36 15.33 15.38 15.37 15.30 15.20 15.24 15.41 14.25 13.48 13.46 13.44 14.07 14.64

13.15 15.26 15.25 15.30 15.30 15.18 15.10 15.13 15.34 14.19 13.43 13.41 13.38 14.01 14.59

96.75 96.65 99.50 88.42 87.03 87.98 102.55 72.42 104.10 99.70 109.45 93.86 68.48 74.50 84.00

96.90 96.80 99.65 88.57 87.18 88.28 102.85 72.72 104.40 100.00 109.75 94.16 68.78 74.80 84.30

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 3.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.44 1.17 1.98 2.34 2.55

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

15.40 17.28 17.44 16.41 16.39

93.66 100.05 97.69 94.87 91.77

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

322.97

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

307.36

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.71

4.44

17.73

96.61

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.55

3.23

15.66

99.49

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.83

4.46

18.41

96.22

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

0.84

3.48

17.46

98.42

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.34

5.59

21.00

80.39

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.39

1.00

16.23

96.83

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.04

1.79

17.13

92.79

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.22

1.80

17.22

94.54

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.80

1.00

16.27

93.69

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.41

1.00

16.40

96.48

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.42

4.78

20.18

89.09

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.60

1.00

16.38

96.33

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*GOMBE

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019

02-Oct-12

15.50

16.23

02-Oct-19

2.85

1.00

16.36

98.34

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

22-Nov-12

14.50

80.00

22-Nov-19

4.93

1.00

16.25

94.18

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

12-Dec-12

14.75

26.62

12-Dec-19

2.91

2.74

18.09

92.92

A/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.37

1.00

16.31

96.19

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.95

1.00

16.37

89.32

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

6.04

1.94

17.32

91.49

A/Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.78

31-Dec-20

3.52

1.44

16.73

94.37

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.79

06-Jan-21

3.56

1.95

17.24

94.40

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

468.62 431.46

Corporate Bonds Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR

GTB NGC

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.01

5.21

22.70

99.94

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.04

8.71

25.78

99.56

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.43

4.88

17.77

96.96

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.34

09-Dec-15

0.74

1.00

14.45

98.45

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.58

2.63

15.24

99.46

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.79

1.00

16.40

94.86 96.08

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.86

1.34

16.75

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.79

1.00

16.36

92.64

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.81

1.88

17.28

101.94

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.81

3.48

18.88

96.08

A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.90

09-Sep-18

1.98

5.20

20.64

96.25

AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.80

09-Sep-18

1.98

5.06

20.50

101.85

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.77

1.35

16.62

92.80

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

2.09

2.29

17.72

97.00

BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.17

6.11

21.54

92.74

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.04

2.16

17.50

96.71

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.91

2.76

18.13

89.78

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.79

1.00

14.50

86.71

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.79

1.00

14.50

93.51

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

139.80

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

132.75

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.16

1.00

16.33

85.30

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.38

1.00

16.22

85.29

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.28

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

7.59

7.27

95.96

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.53

6.07

95.58

96.99

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.75

7.53

91.49

92.79

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

1,415.15

97.46

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

8.32

103.30

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.73

103.75

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.47

99.48

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

10.94

10.44

88.73

90.01

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.75

6.91

94.22

96.93

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

9.66

102.00

102.00 95.50

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.48

95.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

12.61

12.02

87.19

89.00

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

8.52

98.00

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

10.73

82.25

9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

10.87

10.62

92.63

93.75

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

10.15

89.00

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

9.54

9.09

95.25

97.38

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,760.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,531.96

**Treasury Bills DTM 9 16 23 30 37 44 51 58

FIXINGS Maturity 25-Dec-14 1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15

Bid Discount (%) 11.00 17.30 20.00 15.85 13.81 14.80 14.95 14.45

Offer Discount (%) 10.75 17.05 19.75 15.60 13.56 14.55 14.70 14.20

Bid Yield (%) 11.03 17.43 20.26 16.06 14.01 15.07 15.27 14.79

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 63.4583 17.3733 17.2427 17.8334

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

72.33

O/N

75.92

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 63.00 26.90

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

180.60 181.03 181.31 181.98 183.21 184.43

180.70 181.13 181.45 182.42 184.17 185.87

A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.71

4.44

17.73

96.61

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.55

3.23

15.66

99.49

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.83

4.46

18.41

96.22

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

0.84

3.48

17.46

98.42

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.34

5.59

21.00

80.39

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.39

1.00

16.23

96.83

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.04

1.79

17.13

92.79

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.22

1.80

17.22

94.54

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.80

1.00

16.27

93.69

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.41

1.00

16.40

96.48

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.60

1.00

16.38

96.33

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*GOMBE

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019

02-Oct-12

15.50

16.23

02-Oct-19

2.85

1.00

16.36

98.34

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

22-Nov-12

14.50

80.00

22-Nov-19

4.93

1.00

16.25

94.18

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

FREE-FALL A/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

12-Dec-12

14.75

26.62

12-Dec-19

2.91

2.74

18.09

92.92

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.37

1.00

16.31

96.19

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.95

1.00

16.37

89.32

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

6.04

1.94

17.32

91.49

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.78

31-Dec-20

3.52

1.44

16.73

94.37

Business | Financial Market News

Stock market down by N232bn

*OSUN

Investors’ confidence KOGI A/Agusto *EKITI continue to weaken A-/GCR *NASARAWA

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

06-Jan-14 corded the previous day, over of 261 million TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE while the market capital- shares worth N3.2 bilTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION isation of equities deprelion in 4,108 deals were Stories Chris Ugwu ciated by N232 billion or recorded yesterday. Corporateby Bonds 2.35 per cent, as market Just as in the18-Dec-09 previ13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 Aa/Agusto GTB µ he Nigerian sentiment17.00 remained in ous day, the banking subNGC 31-DEC-2014 01-Apr-10 NGCeqNil 10.00route. UPDC 17-AUG-2015 17-Aug-10 yes- the negative sector of the financial Bbb-/Agustouity market *UPDC 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 A-/Agusto terday continued 09-Dec-10 *FLOURMILLS services sector was the An analyst at Chapel 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 BB+/GCR 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMSHill Denham to suffer losses Securities most active (measured 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 29-Sep-11 NAHCO across the board, as the Limited Mr. Tajudeen by turnover volume); 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agusto 25-Oct-13 FSDH shares Ibrahim 13.00 said: “What with 130 million 30-Sep-10 All Share index further UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR UBA worth N1.3 billion exdropped by 2.35 per cent we’re seeing in the mar18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 *C & I LEASING toNil 29,789.59 - the lowest ket is largely reflective of changed by investors MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 09-Apr-11in *DANA#{r} MPR+7.00 09-Sep-11 A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR 15, 2013. *TOWER# since January what we’ve seenTOWER with9-SEP-2018 oil 1,683 deals. TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER# prices andMPR+5.25 the naira. The gauge has dropped Volume in the banking 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 A/GCR 22-Sep-11 UBA Fundamentally , many sub-sector was largely 28A/Agusto; per cent this quarter, 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 *LA CASERA driven by activities in the worst performance of the listed companies # MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-12 BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS the shares of GTB and inNilAfrica. are still strong. It’s just 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 *DANA#{r} Consequently , the All- that investors’ 15.25 NAHCO IIconfi14-NOV-2020 Zenith Bank Plc. 14-Nov-13 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO Share 702.71IBTC dence is weak because of IA 30-SEP-2024 Also, other 30-Sep-14 finan182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC A/GCR Index dippedSTANBIC 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024cial services sub 30-Sep-14 A/GCR points or 2.35 STANBIC basis perIBTC the outlook for oil prices sector, TOTAL VALUE cent toOUTSTANDING close at 9,789.59 and the currency.” boosted by activity in asTOTAL against 30,492.30 reMeanwhile, a turn- the shares of FBNH Plc, MARKET CAPITALISATION

06-Jan-21 3.56 a loss1.95 Plc followed with of 9.41per cent to close at 77 kobo. UBA Capital Plc, UBN and Seplat Pe-

15.00 with a turnover 4.79 followed 468.62valof 73.8 million shares 431.46 in ued at N615.6 million 801 deals. The gain13.50number of 13.17 ers was 17.00 nine, while 2.00 de10.00closed at 34. 3.61 cliners 12.00 9.34 the eTransact Plc led 14.00 0.60 gainers’ table with 4.87 13.00 15.00 per cent to close at N2.80 14.25 5.53 per share, while Air Ser13.00 20.00 vice 18.00 Plc followed0.64with a gain 16.00 of 4.65 per 6.30 cent 18.00 at N1.80.2.90Omo t close 16.00 Plc trailed 0.80with Savings 14.00 35.00 a growth of 73 kobo to 15.75 2.40 close17.00 at N4.29 per 0.41 share. On hand, 16.00the other 4.50 Red Star Plc led 15.25 Express 2.05 the price losers’0.10 table, 11.93 13.25 15.44cent dropping 9.75 per 139.80per to close at N3.61 share, while NPF MFB 132.75

Mansard to acquire Penman Pensions IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

ansard Insurance Plc has concluded plans Rating/Agency Issuer to acquire 60 per cent of the issued and paid FGN Eurobonds up share capital of a Pension BB-/Fitch;Administrator B+/S&P Fund (PFA) known BB-/Fitch; as Penman Pensions FGN BB-/S&P Limited. BB-/Fitch; The company in a notice BB-/S&P toTOTAL Nigerian Stock Exchange OUTSTANDING VALUE (NSE), said it intends to run TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION and operate the PFA as its subsidiary in the Pension Corporate Eurobonds Industry . B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I Mansard it PLC is Iin B+/Fitch; B+/S&P said that GTBANK the process of completing the B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC transaction and has obtained B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC regulatory from B+/Fitch; B+/S&P approvals GTBANK PLC the Pension Commission, B/Fitch AFREN PLC IIthe B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC National Insurance CommisB/Fitch;and B/S&P the Securities DIAMOND BANK sion andPLC B-/Fitch; B/S&P Commission FIRST BANK PLC Exchange (SEC). B-/Fitch; B/S&P PLC III to It also noted thatAFREN further B-/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC II its market bulletinACCESS of 28 NoB-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD vember 2014 on acquisition of ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

14-Aug-14

Outstanding Value ($mm)

500.00 500.00 500.00

1,500.00 1,415.15

450.00 500.00 350.00 300.00 400.00 300.00 500.00 200.00 300.00 360.00 400.00 450.00

22.70

99.94

25.78

99.56

17-Aug-15

0.43

4.88

17.77

96.96

09-Dec-15

0.74

1.00

14.45

98.45

06-Jan-16

0.58

2.63

15.24

99.46

29-Sep-16

1.79

1.00

16.40

94.86

25-Oct-16

1.86

1.34

16.75

96.08

250.00

9.54

9.09

95.25

97.38

14-Aug-21

4,760.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

5.21

8.71

12.95

8.75

0.01

0.04

n a bid to strengthen Serengeti Capital92.64 - Seren2.79 1.00 16.36 capacity to1.81execute1.88 geti Asset 30-Nov-17 17.28 Management 101.94 transactions World Securities. 09-Apr-18 1.81 within3.48 and New 18.88 96.08 09-Sep-18 1.98 invest-5.20 the sub-regional The20.64 pact also 96.25 covered 09-Sep-18 20.50 101.85 ment market, 1.98 Afrinvest5.06 all areas of mutual inter22-Sep-18 16.62 92.80 (West Africa)3.77Limited1.35 est such as investment 18-Oct-18 2.09 2.29 17.72 97.00 asset managehas formed synergy with6.11 banking, 17-Feb-19 2.17 21.54 92.74 Serengeti Capital Limited ment, brokerage and in01-Apr-19 3.04 2.16 17.50 96.71 of14-Nov-20 Ghana. 5.91 2.76 vestment 18.13research. 89.78 Afrinvest- one The14.50 Managing86.71 Direc30-Sep-24 9.79of Nige-1.00 30-Sep-24 9.79 93.51 ria’s leading wealth advi-1.00 tor and14.50 Chief Executive sory firms, said in a state- Officer of Afrinvest, Ike ment, that under the new Chioke, described the collaboration, it would act partnership as a positive as a Nigerian partner for development for both com11-Feb-18 3.16 1.00 85.30 Serengeti. panies.16.33 01-Feb-21 4.38 1.00 16.22 85.29 “The partnership with The company would also be responsible for Serengeti portends huge the origination, general potential for clients and coordination, manage- investors of both firms, Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price and we will leverage on ment and implementation of any transactions Prices our& combined experience Yields for Serengeti in Nigeria, and deep insight of the 28-Jan-21 7.27 Nigerian 95.96 and Ghanaian 97.46 and vice versa. 7.59 financial markets to our The partnership has 12-Jul-18 6.53 6.07 95.58 96.99 been described as in line clients’ benefit.” 12-Jul-23 7.75 91.49the Managing 92.79 with the Nigerian Stock7.53 Also, Exchange (NSE) and West Partner at Serengeti African Capital Market Capital Partners, FranIntegration Association’s cis Kalitsi, said: “We, at objectives to harmonise Serengeti, are pleased to and regulate investment 01-Feb-16 8.32 8.32 enter into 103.30 a business 103.30 rebanking and securities lationship with Afrinvest 19-May-16 4.73 4.73 103.75 103.75 trading activities in the7.47 and subsidiary firms. 25-Jul-17 7.47 99.48 99.48 “We88.73 are confident sub-continent. 02-May-18 10.94 10.44 90.01 that The business 08-Nov-18 7.75relation-6.91 with our 94.22rich experience 96.93 ship included 9.66 principal9.66 and track of excel08-Apr-19 102.00record 102.00 22-Apr-19 95.50 subsidiaries of7.48 Afrinvest7.48 lence within our95.50 respec21-May-19Africa) 12.61 87.19 (West Limited 12.02 - tive markets, the 89.00 partner07-Aug-20 98.00 offer 98.00 Afrinvest Asset8.52Manage-8.52 ship will greater 09-Dec-20 82.25 82.25 our for ment Limited 10.73 and Afrin-10.73 opportunities 24-Jun-21 10.87 92.63 93.75 clients and vest Securities Limited, as10.62 individual 23-Jul-21 10.15 89.00 89.00 well as key subsidiaries of10.15 investors.”

24.95 21.28

Assur Africa Holding Limited Its pre- tax profit equally (AAH), it has notified the Ex- fell to N993 billion down 52 Date Coupon (%) change that the Description process of per centIssue from N2, 061 billion transferring the ownership in the same period last year. of Assur Africa Holding LimGross premium however, 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 07-Oct-11 6.75 to by 27 per cent ited (AAH) to AXA was com- increased pleted on 8 December 2014. N9.611 billion during the six 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 5.13 “In view of the acquisition months to June 30 from N7.547 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 6.38 the of AAH, the beneficial own- billion recorded during ership of the 77 per cent of comparable period of 2013. Mandard’s shares (the majorMansard had recorded a 48 ity shareholder) has changed per cent increase in its profit to AXA while the legal own- after tax for the full year ended December ership of the shares 11.50 FEB will 01, 2016not 01-Feb-1131, 2012. 11.50 change,” it noted. The results showed7.50that 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 19-May-11 its profit, which stood at Mansard Insurance 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 Plc 25-Jul-12 7.25 had posted a 566.88per N930million at the end of 2011, MAY cent 09, 2018 de09-May-13 6.88 cline in post tax6.00 profits rose by 48 per cent or N45milNOV 08,for 2018 the 08-Nov-13 6.00 half year ended10.25 June 2014. lion to close at N1.38billion APR 30, 08, 2019 08-Apr-12 10.25 in 6.25 in APR 22, 6.25 The company a 2019 filing the year 22-Apr-14 under consideration. 8.75 May 21, 2019 its 21-May-14 its premium 8.75 with the Exchange, said Similarly, 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 de8.25cent half-year net earnings revenue07-Aug-13 rose by 24.4 per 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 09-Dec-13 6.63 at creased from N1.842 billion in or N2.44billion to close 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 24-Jun-14 2013 to N814 million, account- N12.44billion in 2012, up9.25from 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 ing for a drop of 56 per cent. N10bn a 23-Jul-14 year earlier. 8.00

18-Dec-14

31-Dec-14

30-Sep-17

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

17.24 94.40 by 5 troleum depreciated per cent each to close at N1.52, N7.22 and N280.25 respectively.

Afrinvest partners Serengeti on business expansion

Supranational Bond

AAA/S&P

B-/S&P

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH 2.42 4.78 20.18 89.09

16-Dec-14

4,531.96

The DQL contains securities and instruments in the Money financialMarket market (the “Information”). The Information does not **Treasury Bills data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income FIXINGS Foreign Exchange Forwards) constitute professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or (Spot up to &date. We do not DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) guarantee the completeness, performance or fitness for a particular the Information, neither do NIBOR we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information. 9 accuracy, timeliness, 25-Dec-14 11.00 10.75 purpose of any of11.03 FGN

16 23 Bonds30 37 44 Rating/Agency 51 58 65 72 79 86 100 107 114 121 NA 128 135 142 149 233 261 352

1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 Issuer 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 12-Mar-15 26-Mar-15 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 NA 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 6-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 3-Dec-15

17.30 20.00 15.85 13.81 14.80 Description 14.95 14.45 4.00 23-APR-2015 14.40 13.05 16-AUG-2016 12.87 15.10 27-APR-2017 13.20 14.05 9.85 27-JUL-2017 14.10 9.35 31-AUG-2017 14.25 10.70 30-MAY-2018 13.95 16.00 29-JUN-2019 14.10 7.00 23-OCT-2019 14.25 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.10 14.20 14-MAR-2024 12.65 15.00 28-NOV-2028 11.09 12.49 22-MAY-2029 11.84 8.50 20-NOV-2029 14.00 10.00 23-JUL-2030 13.35 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

17.05 19.75 15.60 13.56 14.55 Issue 14.70Date 14.20 23-Apr-10 14.15 16-Aug-13 12.62 27-Apr-12 12.95 13.80 27-Jul-07 13.85 31-Aug-07 14.00 30-May-08 13.70 29-Jun-12 13.85 23-Oct-09 14.00 27-Jan-12 13.85 14-Mar-14 12.40 28-Nov-08 10.84 22-May-09 11.59 20-Nov-09 13.75 23-Jul-10 13.10 18-Jul-14

17.43 20.26 16.06 14.01 15.07 Coupon 15.27 (%) 14.79 4.00 14.78 13.05 13.21 15.10 13.59 14.53 9.85 14.67 9.35 14.87 10.70 14.59 16.00 14.79 7.00 15.00 16.39 14.88 14.20 13.30 15.00 11.62 12.49 12.81 8.50 15.56 10.00 15.32 12.1493

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M Outstanding Value

Bonds

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

(N'bn)

OBB

Rate (%) 63.4583 17.3733 17.2427 17.8334

Maturity Date

535.00 23-Apr-15 NITTY 573.89 16-Aug-16 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 1M 14.2759 20.00 27-Jul-17 2M 14.4689 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 14.6409 300.00 30-May-18 6M 14.8300 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 15.0878 233.90 23-Oct-19 15.4808 12M 600.00 27-Jan-22 396.68 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 NIFEX 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 20-Nov-29 Current Price ($/N) 23-Jul-30 BID($/N) 591.57 180.2500 150.00 18-Jul-34 OFFER ($/N) 180.3500

4,730.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION *for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

72.33

Tenor

Spot O/N 75.92 7D 14D REPO Tenor Rate (%) 1M Offer Yield TTM Bid63.00 Yield (%) Call(Yrs) 2M (%) 1M 26.90 3M 0.35 13.61 13.15 3M 27.36 6M 1.67 15.36 15.26 6M 28.73 1Y 2.36 15.33 15.25 2.61 15.38 15.30 NOTE: 2.71 15.37 15.30 :Benchmarks 3.45 15.30 15.18 * :Amortising Bond 4.53 15.20 15.10 µ :Convertible 4.85Bond 15.24 15.13 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 7.12 15.41 15.34 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 9.24 14.25 14.19 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 13.95 13.48 13.43 IFC: International Finance Corporation 14.43 13.46 13.41 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 14.93 13.44 13.38 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 15.60 14.07 14.01 O/N: Overnight 19.59 14.64 Company 14.59 UPDC: UAC Property Development

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

180.60 180.70 181.03 Price 181.13 181.31 181.45 181.98 182.42 Bid Price Offer 183.21 184.17Price 184.43 185.87 96.75 96.90 188.63 191.49 96.65 96.80 197.60 202.97 99.50 99.65 88.42 88.57 87.03 87.18 NA :Not 87.98 Applicable 88.28 # :Floating Rate Bond 102.55 102.85 ***: Deferred 72.42coupon bonds 72.72 104.10 104.40 †: Bond rating expired 99.70 100.00 N/A :Not Available 109.45 109.75 {r} :Issuer in receivership 93.86 94.16 68.48 68.78 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 74.50Bank for Africa 74.80 UBA: United 84.00 84.30

WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

4,379.41

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

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM Buckets Modified Duration

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 Total Outstanding 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 Porfolio Market Value(Bn) 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 Volume(Bn)

24-May-12FMDQ FGN0.00 BOND 03-Apr-12 17.25 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 Weighting by Weighting by Mkt 20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 Outstanding Vol Value 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50

INDEX24.56

3.00 112.22 Bucket116.70 Weighting 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 % Exposure_ 20-Apr-17 Mod_Duration 06-Jul-17

0.44 1.17 1.98 2.34 Implied Yield 2.55

2.63 2.27 2.00 Implied 1.00 Portfolio Price 1.00

15.40 17.28 17.44 16.41 INDEX 16.39

93.66 100.05 97.69 YTD Return 94.87 (%) 91.77

1,365.45

1,377.98

44.22

46.25

322.970.44

23.21

15.29

116.4646

1,106.18

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION3<5

1,020.09

996.68

31.98

34.55

36.84

14.90

120.9411

1,024.08

2.4083

566.72

741.57

23.80

19.20

307.360.32

39.95

14.20

89.0364

1,040.99

4.0992

2,952.26

3,116.23

14.71

111.3692

1,063.48

Sub-National Bonds

Market

100.00

0.24

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

A/Agusto

1.00

100.00

31-Aug-15

0.71

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.55

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.83

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

A+/Agusto

KADUNA

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

A+/Agusto

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

4.44

10.6176

6.3479

17.73

96.61

3.23

15.66

99.49

4.46

18.41

96.22

0.84

3.48

17.46

98.42

19-Apr-17

2.34

5.59

21.00

80.39

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.39

1.00

16.23

96.83

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.04

1.79

17.13

92.79

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.22

1.80

17.22

94.54

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.80

1.00

16.27

93.69

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

News 47

SOUTH-WEST

Folarin woos aggrieved Oyo PDP members Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

L-R: The new APC governorship running mate in the 2015 election, Mrs.Yetunde Onanuga, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogun State chapter, Alhaji Roqueeb Adeniji and Governor Ibikunle Amosun, at a meeting of APC stakeholders in Abeokuta...yesterday.

17%

The percentage of population of men in Georgia above 60 years in 2012. Source: Un.org

The sex ratio of men to 100 women in the 60+ age group in Channel Islands in 2010. Source: Un.org

52.4%

The percentage of households with a computer in Europe in 2005. Source: Itu.int

Fashola’s aides jostle for Ambode’s deputy Muritala Ayinla

s the search for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode’s running mate begins, no fewer than five aides of Governor Babatunde Fashola are jostling to become the next deputy governor, New Telegraph

has learnt. It was gathered that some of them have been automatically disqualified on the basis of religious leanings while others who are favoured by the political permutations and calculations are seriously lobbying to succeed Princess Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire as running mate to the APC’s governorship candidate.

According to the findings, those scheming for the deputy governor’s seat, are the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Oluranti Adebule; the state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, his counterparts in the Transportation and Justice, ministries, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, and Mr Ade Ipaye respectively.

Ambode had emerged as the APC’s flag bearer for next year’s governorship election after a fiercely fought primaries against about 10 other aspirants, some of whom are still aggrieved about the process of exercise. The battle line for the soul the of Lagos is finally drawn, as the APC’s torch bearer, in the eyes of political pundits, is expected to face a stiff test against the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who picked a formidable candidate, in the person of Mr. Jimi Agbaje.

Amosun dumps deputy, picks new running mate Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

gun State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2015 governorship election, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday picked a Director of Finance and Administration in the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, as his running mate. The choice of Ona-

nuga, 54, followed the defection of the incumbent Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following an alleged high marginalisation against the governor. New Telegraph gathered that the decision to replace Adesegun, had put paid to the moves to reconcile Amosun and loyalists of ex-Governor Olusegun Osoba who joined the SDP recently. At a stakeholders’

meeting in Abeokuta, which was attended by Amosun and his cabinet members, the state APC chairman, Alhaji Roqeeb Adeniji unveiled the governor’s running mate to a rousing reception. If elected into office next year, Onanuga, who hails from Aparaki in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state, will be the second female deputy governor produced by the state since its creation in 1976.

10,020

The number of refugees in Georgia at the beginning of 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

Onanuga, holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. In his remarks, Amosun, said the choice of his running mate was to give a sense of belonging to all sections of the state and forestall marginalisation.

yo State governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Teslim Folarin, yesterday extended his Olive branch to aggrieved members of the party to support him in the quest to win the 2015 election. Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the former Senate Leader also called on leaders of the party in the state to support and join him in returning the party to number one position by winning the governorship election. He enjoined his cocontestants to respect the democratic decision of the party members who voted freely and resoundingly for his emergence in the primary that held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado, Ibadan.

Cleric blames Nigeria’s woes on disobedience Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

cleric, Pastor Jacob Asubiojo, of the Deeper Life Bible Christian Church, Ekiti State, has said Nigeria is not making the desired progress because of lack of God-fearing leaders. Asubiojo, who is the State Overseer of the church, said yesterday in Ado-Ekiti that it was because Nigerian leaders were not God-fearing that they were unable to impact positively on others. He spoke while addressing the press during the visit of the church’s General Superintendent, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, to Ekiti State on a three-day crusade tagged: ‘Extraordinary encounter with God of miracles.’ Asubiojo also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that fair play and objectivity count in the conduct of the 2015 gen-

eral elections. According to him, allowing the people’s will to prevail during the polls would save the country a lot of trouble. In spite of the level of insecurity in the nation, Asubiojo predicted that peace would soon reign in the country, urging citizens to embrace prayers as the most veritable weapon against all forms of socio-economic and political problems confronting the nation. Asubiojo said the revival, which would hold from December 24 to 26, 2014, was primarily aimed at ensuring that Nigerians return to the path of God, to overcome the litany of calamities, commotion and crises threatening the existence of the country. He also advised the people to de-emphasise religion in electing people into positions of authority, saying that what the country needed were God-fearing leaders who could bring succour to the people.

Fayose to APC: Don’t trivalise serious issues with politics Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

he row generated by the presentation of the 2015 budget estimates to the House of Assembly by the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, continued on yesterday

as the Governor told the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), to stop trivialising serious issues like the budget presentation in the name of playing politics. Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, also advised the All

Progressives Congress (APC) to stop being busy bodies and desist from its campaign of calumny against the administration. Adelusi, said the claim by the APC that Governor Fayose presentation of the 2015 Budget to the House of Assembly was an illegal and unconstitutional

process was frivolous. The CPS, noted the statement credited to the APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr Taiwo Olatubosun, was not only mischievous but misleading. He said, “I wonder why the Ekiti APC is still talking after recklessly grounding the state, the

last APC-led government was an aberration which Ekiti people never prayed for again. “They are shameless sort of people, otherwise they supposed to bury their heads in shame for mortgaging the future of Ekiti people particularly, the generation unborn. Still, they

engage in propaganda to deceive gullible minds. “It is amusing that the APC described the presentation of the budget as illegal, let them tell the whole world what is illegal in that. The APC lawmakers, who have voluntarily left their official jobs undone, have gone to court.

News

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH — EAST

Youths vow to resist Orji’s plans to rig polls FAMILY

Attempts by Abia governor to turn the state into a family pie draw attention

head of the 2015 general elections, Abia youths under the auspices of Abia Renewal Movement(ARM), yesterday declared that they would resist any

1.96m

attempt by Governor Theordore Orji to manipulate elections in the state in favour of his surrogates. The state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was alleged to have colluded with the governor to manipulate the outcome of all the party’s stage managed primaries in favour of the first family. Secretary-General of the group, Mazi Kelechi Ubani, who spoke

The number of people that died due to infectious diarrhoeas in 2001. Source: Unesco.org

to our correspondent in Umuahia after a special executive council meeting, stated that Abia State deserves a real change, which can only be achieved if credible people are elected into leadership positions. He said::" As you are all aware, our state has been in bondage for the past seven years. The socalled Abia elders like Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Prof. Anya O. Anya, Chief Joe Irukwu, Chief

750m

The number of individuals using the internet in developed countries in 2008. Source: Itu.int

Tony Ukasanya, Eze Laz Onwuneme, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, Sen. Adolphus Wabara etc who are sharing the tax payer's money with the governor will cease to do so in 2015. "We will continue to mobilise aggressively to ensure that what happened during the last elections will not repeat itself. We have heard the Governor's son, Chinedu alias Ikuku, boasting that his family will

14%

The percentage of population of men above 60 years of Belarus in 2012. Source: Un.org

rule Abia directly or indirectly for 25 years. Based on this note, we have to wake up to the clarion call to free our people and promote good governance," he added. Ubani emphasized that the use of the army and police to intimidate the electorate will no longer be tolerated in the state as the youths will resist vehemently this infringement un-

APGA Senatorial candidate dies one week after emergence Steve Uzoechi and Johnchuks Onuanyim

Family members of the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, at the burial of his Son, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo at Amechi Community, Enugu State …yesterday

Outrage trails impeached chairman's Elechi: No regrets losing failure to pay land donors supporters to opposition Uwakwe Abugu ENUGU

he impeachment of the Chairman of the Igbo Eze North local council area of Enugu State, Mr. Bonaventure Onuh, assumed another dimension, as outrage trailed the failure of the ex-Chairman to pay the sum of N70 million compensation to donors of land for the New Eke Ozzi Market built in the council headquarters. The sum, according to investigation, was appropriated in the current year budget as Councilors of the local government accused the former chairman of failing to execute the budget but rather preferred not to account for over N1.7 billion alleged revenue. However, the impeached Chair man joined the rest of 16 local

government Chairmen as Governor Sullivan Chime presented the 2015 budget appropriation to the state House of Assembly in Enugu, making constituents from the area question his presence within the area allocated to the area during the presentation. Onuh, was sacked from office on Monday, after being served impeachment notice last month by 16 of the 20 councilors in the local government over alleged N1.75 billon budget scam. Nineteen Councilors, had adopted the report of a five-man impeachment panel that investigated allegations of misconduct leveled against the chairman and impeached him, just as the new leader of the legislative council, Hon. Onyekachi Fidelis Itodo, assumed office as the acting Chairman of the local government council.

Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

overnor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, yesterday said he regrets nothing over the loss of his supporters and loyalists to opposition political parties in the state. It could be recalled that Elechi, recently lost over one million supporters and loyalists to Labour Party(LP) and other opposition political parties in the state, following the crisis that rocked the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, in the state. Elechi, who stated this while addressing the people of Ebonyi State, however, pleaded that the electorate in the state should vote for President Goodluck Jonathan, in the presidential election irrespective of the political parties they belong to. He noted, that despite the trying moment of the

ruling PDP in the state, he as the leader of the party in the state, will remain steadfast in ensuring that the interest of the PDP is protected in all electoral contests while assuring that the image of the party would be restored to its deserving place in no distant time. The governor, stated that anybody who beats a child cannot stop the child from crying, so he cannot stop any of his supporters and loyalists who are aggrieved by the happenings in state chapter of PDP from defecting to opposition political parties.

like the last elections. "All we want is a free, fair and credible election in the state. We use this medium to appeal to Mr. President to give all political aspirants irrespective of party affiliation a level playing field”. The group called on Nigerians to come out en masse to vote for people of their choice in the general elections.

he All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senatorial candidate for Imo West, Hon. Eudora Igwe, who was member representing Ideato North state Constituency, in the Imo State House of Assembly has been declared dead barely one week after her emergence as the party’s flag bearer. The shocking news of her death had been sketchy on Monday, until yesterday when her colleagues at the Imo State House of Assembly adjourned plenary as a mark of respect. Following the adjournment, all the lawmakers, moved from the Assembly complex to their late colleague’s residence at Egbeada Housing Estate

to commiserate with the family. Leading the lawmakers, the Speaker, Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu, who expressed shock over the death of Igwe, urged the family to take heart over the loss. He noted that the family should be consoled by the fact that late lawmaker lived a fulfilled life committed to impacting the lives of people in the society. Late Eudora Igwe, who was a Lawyer, was also a former council chairman for Ideato North Council area. Meanwhile, the National leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has expressed shock over the death of Hon. Eudora Igwe, the party's Senatorial candidate in Orlu Senatorial District of Imo State.

Protesters take over Imo PDP secretariat Steve Uzoechi

OWERRI

ver 1,000 protesting members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the second day running yesterday occupied the entrance to the Imo state secretariat of the party in Owerri, to press home their demand for a review of the outcome of the December 8, 2014 governorship primaries. The protesters, who said the primaries were anything but credible, unanimously lamented the inconsistencies in the

result of the exercise, alleging that figures were concorted to favour a particular aspirant thus depriving Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of victory, the second time in eight years.’ One Benneth Ozioma Ufomadu from Ezinihitte Mbaise, leader of the protesters alleged that Araraume was coasting home to victory before the exercise was manipulated. He said, “There is no better way of relinquishing the state to APC than endorsing the illegality that transpired at the primaries."

Uba, Okonkwo, Emeka may emerge Anambra PDP candidates Wale Elegbede

he fate of aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aspirants, who participated in the party’s primary election in Anambra State recently, is expected to be determined by

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). A source in the Commission yesterday said that Senator Annie Okonkwo (Anambra Central), Chris Uba (Anambra South) and John Emeka may repre-

sent the party in the 2015 general elections. It would be recalled that a gale of parallel elections rocked the PDP National Assembly primary elections in the state with different aspirants declaring victory for themselves.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

AUTONOMY

Local government employees demand autonomy in the people's interest Emmanuel Masha PORT HARCOURT

undreds of members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) yesterday stormed the old Government House auditorium, Port Harcourt, where the members of the Rivers

News 49

SOUTH - SOUTH

NULGE storms Rivers Assembly State House of Assembly currently meet, to protest against the Assembly’s veto of local government autonomy. The protesters arrived at the venue from the 23 local government areas shortly after the House had voted against local government autonomy, urging the lawmakers to respect the position of the National Assembly on the matter. While singing solidarity songs that echoed within and outside the premises, they said local governments were closer

to the people, and should be given the necessary recognition and power to impact the people. NULGE Deputy President, Madigi Dickson, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said local government autonomy was all about the people. “We are here to request that the law should be passed in the interest of the people,” he said, adding that the people were ready to go the whole hog in protest against the stance of the lawmakers. Addressing the protest-

ers, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Hon. Leyii Kwanee, said he was asked to calm them down by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemabama Amachree, saying that he would convey their complaints to the House. He said: “At every stratum, there is trouble… We are at the middle of passing the Local Government Autonomy bill… We see this occasion as unique.” Also commenting, the Leader of the House, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, said the House voted against local government autonomy,

because the amendment would lead to a situation where the salaries of teachers and health workers may not be paid. He added: “For a long time now, because of the efforts of the Rivers State government, we have not been having cases of salaries of teachers and health workers not being paid,” he said. Lloyd said the local government system should be strengthened, noting that it was not yet time for local governments to enjoy such autonomy.

A’Ibom to refund pension contributions Tony Anichebe UYO

he Akwa Ibom State government yesterday said arrangements are being finalised to commence the refund of the 7.5 per cent pension contribution to all contributors in line with the directive of the state House of Assembly. The state Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Cecilia Udossien, made this known when she received the new leadership of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, who paid her a visit yesterday. Udoessien told the Tina Essien-led delegation that her committee was working assiduously and diligently to ensure that only genuine contributors get the refund.

Consulate General, United States of America, Mr. JeffreyHawkins (left), with Rivers PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike, during a courtesy visit to the candidate in Port Harcourt …yesterday

Fuel scarcity hits Edo Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

ith nine days to Christmas, heavy queues surfaced at various petrol stations in Benin City, the Edo State capital yesterday as fear grips residents of the city of another shortage of petroleum products in the state. The situation was made worse as hordes of vehicles filed at the mega station of the Nigeria

National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) located on Sapele Road as early as 6.15am yesterday to the bewilderment of many that the essential product was unavailable again. The station was under lock and key to motorists as officials of the stations refused comment on the situation. It was gathered that petroleum products were being awaited from the Benin Depot of NNPC on Ikpoba Hill along the busy Benin-Onitsha Expressway.

APC slams Wike Emmanuel Masha PORT HARCOURT

he Rivers State chapter of the All Pro g ressives Congress (APC) yesterday slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2015 general election, Nyesom Wike, for participating in the pri-

maries despite the resolve of the 16 aggrieved aspirants of the party not to participate in the primaries. APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, who stated this in a statement, said Wike was afraid of competing with the aspirants, noting that had they participated in the primaries, he would have been defeated.

Group tasks oil firms, NDDC Tony Anichebe UYO

he Akwa Ibom Trust Youth Forum has called on oil companies operating in the state to rise up to the occasion and ensure that they obey the stipulations of the Local Content Act. A communiqué issued at the end of a two-day National Youth Conference hosted in Uyo, and signed by its Coordinators, Mr. Udowo Fineface, Friday Eto, among others, charged the oil companies to live up to their social corporate responsibilities. The statement, which was made available to newsmen yesterday, said such development, if followed, would bring even development to host communities in the state. They regretted that local government areas in the state like Ibeno, IKot Abasi, Mbo, among others, still do not wear the look of modern towns even with the presence of multinational corporations in the area. They argued that areas earlier men tioned are meant to wear an inter national look, saying that it has contributed immensely to the country’s economic development.

JTF arrests cult leader in Rivers Okowa inaugurates 71-man committee Chris Ejim YENAGOA

peratives of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) code named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’ yesterday confirmed the arrest of the leader of a notorious cult group in Rivers State, Mr. Solomon Owhondah, over alleged involvement in the series of killings and destruction of property worth millions of naira during a community crisis in Ibaa community of Emoha Local Government of Rivers State. Also in the custody of

the JTF are eight members of various cult groups involved in the crisis. They were reported to have voluntarily surrendered themselves to the JTF after being declared wanted over their roles in the crisis. The authorities of the JTF confirmed in a statement issued yesterday and signed by the Head of Joint Media Campaign Centre, Colonel Mustapha Anka, that ‘the cult leader, Owhondah, who was the brain behind the serial killings and destructions during the community crisis has been arrested by the troops."

Ex-militant demands N100m for defamation Chris Ejim YENAGOA

n ex-militant leader and the National President of Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, Reuben Wilson, has demanded N100 million from some ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta for what he described

as damages to his reputation as a result of a libelous publication against him. He has also demanded a written apology and a retraction of the story that was published in a national daily on December 3, 2014 and four other national dailies and local newspapers circulating in the Niger Delta.

Dominic Adewole ASABA

he Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday inaugurated a 71-man campaign council to prosecute the electioneering drive of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa beats 24 other aspirants during the party’s governorship pri-

mary election last week to emerge as the party’s flag bearer. The inauguration of the council was to ensure that the party wins at all cost next year. Besides, coordinating for Okowa, the council was saddled with the responsibility of campaigning for other elective positions and the presidential bid of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

'Leave Jonathan out of Delta politics' Joe Obende WARRI

ouths of Ijaw extraction have called on the Urhobo nation to leave President Goodluck Jonathan out of the politics of Delta State as he had no hand in the victory of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who won the PDP gubernatorial primaries a week ago. The Ijaw youths, who spoke under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth

Council (IYC) through a signed statement by their spokesperson, Eric Omare, in Warri, chided those accusing the President of masterminding Okowa’s victory through his Ijaw kinsmen in Delta State and the threat of protest vote against him in the 2015 presidential election. IYC said it was constrained to react so as to correct some wrong impressions and set the records straight.

News

WORLD | News

Court extends injunction restraining Ayogu Eze

n Enugu State high court presided over by Justice R. O. Odugu, has extended the order it earlier granted restraining a gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Senator Ayogu Eze, from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the party. Justice Odugu, who granted the application by the plaintiff/applicant, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is the state governorship candidate recognised by the party, adjourned the case to December 22, for further hearing. The order also re-

strained the PDP from recognising or submitting any name other than that of Ugwuanyi as the PDP governorship candidate for the state. At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the plaintiff/ applicant through his counsel, Mr. Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje, brought a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction against the defendants. Onyekwuluje told the court that he had served all the processes to the 2nd defendant (PDP), but had not been able to serve the 1st defendant, Ayogu-Eze and went ahead to move a motion for substituted service of the Writ of Summons

and all other processes in the suit on the 1st defendant by substituted means. The court, however, granted the application that the processes be served on the 1st defendant by pasting same on the front entrance gate of his residence at No. 1 Ayogu Eze Close, Independence Layout, Enugu. The 2nd defendant’s counsel, P.H. Kylek, informed the court that he had filed a Memorandum of Appearance in the matter and asked for an adjournment to enable him file other processes in response to the processes filed by the plaintiff/applicant.

IGP okays promotion of junior officers with degrees Emmanuel Onani Abuja

he Inspector General of Police (IGP), M r. S u l e i m a n Abba, has given approval for the elevation of junior officers and the rank and file, who are Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, to the senior officer cadre. A statement signed yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Acting Commissioner of Police, said the development was consistent with the IGP’s resolve to boost the morale of personnel. According to the state-

ment, circulars have been sent to all Police Commands and Formations, directing them to compile names of all serving inspectors and the rank and file, with degrees, HNDs, Ordinary National Diplomas (ONDs), as well as holders of National Certificate of Education (NCE), for necessary action. The instrument of delegation empowers the IGP to appoint police constables as well as promote personnel to the rank of inspector. The statement reads: “In line with his resolve to further boost the morale of Police workforce, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Suleiman

Abba, has given approval for the consideration of Inspectors, Rank and File with University and other Tertiary education certificates for elevation to the Senior Officer cadre. “The circular to this effect was issued Monday 15th December, 2014 wherein Commands and Formations across the country were directed to compile and forward the names of all serving Inspectors and Rank and File with Higher Certificates such as University degrees, HND, OND and NCE for necessary processing. “The IGP re-emphasized his commitment to improving the welfare of all Police personnel.”

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Outrage as terrorists kill 141 pupils in Pakistani school

group of Taliban gunmen attacked a school in Northern Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 145 people, most of them students under the age of 15. More than 180 others were injured. Though Police say the siege, which lasted about eight hours, is now over, with all of the terrorists dead. Other officials said four of the attackers blew themselves up in suicide attacks, though there may have been as many as nine attackers. The Army Public School is a military-run primary school for the children of army members in Peshawar, in the northern part of the country, near the border with Afghanistan. Pakistani Taliban sources claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for an ongoing government offensive against them in the region of North Waziristan. The incident however sparked global outrage with world leaders reacting against the terror act. In a statement released by the White House, US President Barack Obama said “by targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once

again shown their depravity,” promising that the United States would stand by Pakistan in its struggle against violent extremism. Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was herself shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012, said she was “heartbroken” by “the senseless and coldblooded” killing. “Innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this, I, along with millions of others around the world, mourn these children, my brothers and sisters but we will never be defeated.” Malala said in a statement. Her co-winner, India’s Kailash Satyarthi, told network NDTV that “I beg the Taliban, take me and leave these children.” Also, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was “an act of horror and rank cowardice to attack defenseless children while they learn”. “No cause can justify such brutality. No grievance can excuse such horror,” he said at the start of a UN Security Council meeting. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the “cowardly terrorist attack” in a tweet, saying it was “a senseless act of unspeakable brutality”. “The Taliban have sunk

to an all-time depth with this attack,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ra’ad Al Hussein Zeid, adding it was “utterly despicable and incomprehensibly vicious”. The assault was “one of the most shocking Taliban attacks in recent memory”, said rights group Amnesty International. “This unconscionable Taliban attack is a grave reminder that civilians in northwest Pakistan desperately need effective protection from militant groups,” said David Griffiths, deputy director for Asia-Pacific. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said “the slaughter of children in Peshawar is a crime against humanity”. “What happened today reminds all of us how strong the threat posed by the Taliban still is and how fragile and dangerous the situation in the region remains,” said European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Witnesses say as many as six men scaled the fence of the school and began opening fire on students. Many students were reportedly killed by a suicide bomb in the school courtyard. The attackers then went room to room, shooting indiscriminately at children and teachers.

Jonathan congratulates Buhari at 72

resident Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 general elections, General Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of his 72nd birthday anniversary. The former Head of State clocks 72 years today.

Jonathan in a congratulatory letter addressed to Buhari, prayed that God Almighty should grant him many more years of good health and personal fulfilment. He wrote: “As you mark your 72nd birthday anniversary, I write, on behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to extend

warm felicitations to you. “I join your family, friends, and well-wishers to thank God for your life and to pray that He continues to guide, guard and prosper you even as He blesses you with many more years of abounding health and personal fulfilment.” The President wished Buhari a very happy birthday.

Yobe reviews curfew in Damaturu Hassan Jirgi DAMATURU

obe State government yesterday approved a review of the 6.00pm to 8.00am curfew earlier imposed on Damaturu, the state capital; a day after a serious attack was mounted by suspected Boko

Haram members on the city, to between 8.00pm and 7.00am daily. A statement by the governor’s spokesman, Abdullahi Bego, said the review took effect from yesterday. According to the statement, the review followed consultations between the state gov-

ernor and heads of law enforcement agencies in the state. The gover nment urged the residents to continue to cooperate with the security agencies, remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security posts nearest to them.

Hospital security guards carrying a student injured in the shootout at a school under attack by Taliban gunmen in Peshawar, Pakistan yesterday.

Kenya shuts 510 NGOs over ‘terrorism financing’

enya yesterday closed over 500 non-governmental organisations, including 15 for alleged fundraising for terrorism, as part of a security crackdown following repeated attacks. The government’s nongovernmental organisation (NGO) coordination board said in a statement it had “de-registered 510 organisations for noncompliance with the

law”, with some using their charitable status as a front for raising cash for terrorism. “Some NGOs have been and continue to be used for criminal activities, including as conduits of terrorism financing in Kenya and in the Horn of Africa,” the statement read, which did not specify the names of such groups. From the names of 510 listed, many appeared to be aid agencies and charities, with many closed for

failing to provide financial audit returns. Several appeared to be Christian organisations, orphanages, or organisations working in health and development. “The board has with immediate effect de-registered these organisations, frozen their bank accounts and forwarded information on them to relevant government security agencies for immediate action,” it said.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Sports News

International Sport

Siasia denies rift with Manu over Iheanacho

Thierry Henry: Moments that defined a genius

Suarez could cost Barca £200m in total

Sport

Did you know? That Sheffield Utd’s Brian Deane scored the first goal in the history of the English Premiership

Nigerian tennis on the rise –Kienka

Ajibade Olusesan

ennis coach, Godwin Kienka, has told New Telegraph that the game is on the rise again after years of underdevelopment. He said that Nigerians had been year ning for a

new direction in the development of the game in the country and now the dividends of painstaking efforts had started to manifest with the performance of young tennis players in the country. He said he was happy to be part of a drive to catch talents at a very young age

and develop them into super stars. “I can tell you that tennis in this country is growing. We have always believed that if we must take tennis to the level that we desire then development of our talent at the junior level should drive that process. We have to catch them

very young and give them the right nurturing; it is a process that will rise to the level of ATP rankings. And I am happy we are getting there because these young players are now doing very well, they are giving the socalled senior players a run for their money in championships. The other day I was

at the Dala Hard Court tournament and the kind of tennis I saw was unbelievable. The winner of last Governor’s Cup, Moses Michael, just graduated from junior category about a year ago, the second-ranked female player, Sarah Adejoke, also graduated from the junior cadre,” he said.

GO NOW, AMODU TELLS KESHI lNFF STILL DISCUSSING – PINNICK

Comfort Chukwu

Abuja

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Deputy Editor, Sports

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sports Correspondent

he Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Shaibu Amodu, has advised Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, to avoid being disgraced out of office by officially resigning from his position. Reports are rife that the coach is positioning himself to remain the national team gaffer despite failing to qualify the team for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup. He is believed to be enjoying the backing of the Presidency.

But Amodu told jour nalists in Abuja that the honourable thing for the coach to do was to walk away after the Nations Cup debacle. “Ste phen Keshi alone will decide if he has a reputation or not. If he has a reputation he will walk out of the job, if he does not have, he can stay. “We will be setting a bad precedent if we keep Keshi, because when Samson Siasia failed we went on air to tell the whole country that he has failed, that he should go. President Goodluck Jonathan could not save him, so if we

We will be setting a bad precedent if we keep Keshi, because when Samson Siasia failed we came on air to tell the whole country that he has failed, that he should go

want to stand on those standards what is good for one coach is good for another. But you must know that this is my personal opinion. “If as at the time I was asked to oversee the two remaining AFCON qualifying matches I decided to go ahead, I would have been assumed to have failed. So, Keshi alone should decide whether he has a reputation or not,” he said. Keshi who has also managed Togo and Mali national teams has been linked with several teams including the next AFCON h o s t s, E q u at o r i a l Guinea, after the AFCON flop but he has

denied the reports suggesting that he still has his eyes on the Eagles job. Meanwhile, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, has said that the federation is still negotiating with the coach on a new contract. He said that the two parties were yet to reach agreement on some issues including those that would form the backroom staff. According to him “We even spoke with him yesterday (Monday). Agreement is not something you rush; both sides have to agree on certain ter ms. We are also looking at who can work amicably with others.”

SPORT

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Siasia denies rift with Manu over Iheanacho Emmanuel Tobi

-23 national team coach, Samson Siasia, has denied having any rift with Flying Eagles’ coach, Manu Garba, over the invitation of Manchester City midfielder, Kelechi Iheanacho and other youngsters to the U-23 team. Siasia maintained that the players invited need to play for the Flying Eagles to gather experience for the task ahead with the U-23. “Why would I fight over Iheanacho and other players with coach Manu when both of us can easily use them for the betterment of the nation? There is no basis for a clash of interest as the players can’t be in action for both teams at the same time,” he noted. “When Coach Manu is using them for his games, it’s not possible for them to be available for me. Besides my plans for these players are basically for the Olympics and as such they would have finished

playing the U-20 World Cup before our competition will come up, so there is just no way we would be fighting over them” He added: “Besides the experience they will gar ner while playing at the U-20 World Cup will come in handy when we will need their services, so it is to our benefit if they are active with the Flying Eagles.”

Iheanacho

My goals will come soon -Ideye

igeria striker Brown Ideye has admitted he has struggled to adapt at West Bromwich Albion, but revealed he has made a goal promise to his son. West Brom’s £10 million buy has failed to score in the Premier League and has netted just once since his record summer move from Dynamo Kiev. Ideye has struggled for form and fitness, making just three league starts this season, but played all of West Brom’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday. “The gaffer (Alan Irvine) said he wanted me to work hard and at times it has been difficult for me to adapt to

the system the team plays. “I have to adjust to what I have to do when the team is playing, but right now I think I’m there and I am just working hard now. “I am getting closer to my best. I have had a lot of things to deal with so I just have to be focused and take it one game at a time.” The Nigeria international’s fouryear-old son, Brown Junior, watched the derby win at The Hawthorns and Ideye has vowed to score against QPR for him. “He always wanted to see the dressing rooms so I had to take him in to see it,” he said.

Basketball Flakes

FIBA ACCM: Mark Mentors crash out N igeria’s sole representative at the on-going FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Men, Mark Mentors, on Tuesday crashed out of the championship following a 69-66 loss to DR Congo’s Mazembe. Both sides headed into Tuesday’s game requiring a win in order to progress to the quarterfinals of the championship in Tunisia. And it was Mazembe, in search of their first win of the tour nament, which started out the stronger, as they raced into 25-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. Stanley Gumut however came off the bench to inspire the Nigerian Premier League side in the second period, grabbing 13 points and five rebounds as the first half came to a close with Mentors trailing Mazembe by 10 points with the scoreboard

reading 44-34 in favour of the Congolese. Gumut finished the game with 18 points with half of those points coming from beyond the arc. Nigerian national team star, Ejike Ugboaja, then sparked to life in the third quarter by dominating the low post as the Nigerian side further cut the deficit to three points at the end of the quarter with

Mazembe ahead 56-53. Ugboaja, who eventually fouled out after picking up his fifth personal foul, finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Inspite of their effort, coach Peter Ahmedu’s stars were unable to further reduce the deficit as the Congolese held on to win by three points and progress to the tournament’s last eight.

nal Four appearances in 2009 and 2010. She then went on to have a career in the WNBA and was selected as the fourth pick in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. She spent her next season with the Tulsa Shock, then went on to play in Europe for the next few years. Though she had never coached before, Olajuwon definitely had an interest. “I was very interested in coaching after playing.

n a bid to promote and improve the quality and level of all football aspects in Africa, especially at club level where clubs must be licensed to participate, CAF on Monday appointed instructors to help drive the criteria that will ensure that clubs have appropriate infrastructure, knowledge and application in respect of management and organisation. In Nigeria, the continental football ruling body has picked Paul Bassey, Bolaji Ojo Oba, Dominic Oneya, Samson Adamu and Solomon Ogba as instructors for Competitions and Stadia Management. For Youth and Grassroots, CAF has put forward Amodu Shaibu, while Amanze Uchegbulam has been nominated as an instructor on Administration, Legal and Finances.

NFF warns Enyimba,others over late registration he Nigeria Football Federation has warned T clubs representing the country in continental competitions next year that they would bear

all sanctions imposed by the Confederation of African Football for their own late registration for those competitions. In a letter sent to the four clubs (Kano Pillars FC and Enyimba FC in the CAF Champions League, and Warri Wolves FC and Dolphins FC in the CAF Confederation Cup) on Monday, the NFF stated categorically: “The NFF seriously warns that your club should be ready to face any sanction the organiser will give erring clubs.” While reminding the four clubs that other clubs representing other countries in next year’s club competitions have already finished the registration process, the NFF gave the four clubs until Wednesday, 17th December, 2014 to submit their players’ details or face the prospect of disqualification.

with Ifeanyi Ibeh 08054175662

Mark Mentors BC

uke University says forward Semi Ojeleye is leaving the school’s basketball programme. Officials of the North Carolina, USA-based private research university said that Ojeleye re-

Olajuwon relishes new role

bi Olajuwon, daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, is relishing her new role as assistant coach of the women’s basketball team of California State University, Fullerton, USA. She played for the University of Oklahoma for four seasons, where she helped the team win two Big 12 Conference Championships in 2007 and 2009, as well as making two Fi-

Bassey,Ojo-Oba,Ogba for CAF assignments

It’s a natural transition for players to be closely affiliated around the sport,” Olajuwon said. Olajuwon had not been far removed from playing before accepting her new position at CSUF. And she feels her recent playing experience will be an advantage when interacting with her team. “Playing collegiate basketball makes you very close to your players,” Olajuwon said.

Ojeleye to leave Duke ceived a full release and is expected to transfer to another Division I school. The 6-foot-8 Ojeleye, who was born in the United States to Nigerian parents, averaged three points and 2.3 rebounds in six games for the second-ranked Blue Devils, who are unbeaten this

Ojeleye

season. Meanwhile, the Kansas and Missouri men’s basketball teams have already expressed interest in Ojeleye, according to his former coach. “Too many to count,” Matt Suther said when asked how many schools had contacted him and Ojeleye. “Hearing from a ton of schools all over the country.” Suther said Kansas and Missouri were among the prominent regional basketball programmes to call. Ojeleye’s older brother, Victor, played at Kansas State, but Suther said they had not contacted Ojeleye’s camp.

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Suarez could cost Barca £200m in total

uis Suarez will cost Barcelona £200million in total, according to a new

study. Suarez quit Liverpool for Barca this summer after a protracted transfer saga. Liverpool are thought to have received £75m for the Uruguayan striker, making him the third-most expensive player of all time. But Barca have claimed Suarez only cost £65m. However, new research from Goal.com suggests the

signing of the 27-year-old could eventually cost the Spanish giants £200m. The study takes into account more than just transfer values, including signing-on fees, agent fees, wages and other costs to reach a total figure for how much players truly cost their clubs. Suare z to Barcelona tops the chart at £200m, just ahead of Manchester United’s £191m signing of Angel Di Maria. James Ro d r i g u e z ’s

switch to Real Madrid is set to cost £134m in total, with Arsenal’s capture of Alexis Sanchez standing at £114m. Luke Shaw’s figure sits at £104m for Manchester United, while Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas will set Chelsea back £103m and £100m respectively. Juan Mata’s move to Manchester United, David Luiz’s Chelsea exit to Paris Saint-Ger main and Eliaquim Mangala’s Manchester City deal round off the top 10 for 2014.

McIlroy named Euro Tour Golfer of the Year

Suarez

Match-fixing: My hands are clean – Herrera

anchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has denied any involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Spain. Herrera is accused with a group of other players of paying another team to deliberately lose a match three years ago while at Real Zaragoza. Herrera has strongly denied any involvement, writing on his Facebook page: “I have never had, and will never have anything to do with manipulating match results. However if I am called to testify in

any judicial hearing I’ll be happy to attend as my conscience is totally clear. I love football, and I believe in fair play on and off the pitch.” An investigation carried out by the anti-corruption prosecutors’ office alleges that 965,000 euros £768,000 - was paid in cash by thethen Real Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre and nine of his players, including Herrera, with their club’s consent, to the Levante players ahead of their La Liga game in the 2010-11 campaign.

ory McIlroy has added another prestigious award to his fast-growing collection after being named Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year for 2014. McIlroy was named European Tour Golfer of the Month in May, July and August, and he was a unanimous choice for the yearly award by a panel comprising members of the Association of Golf Writers and commentators from television and radio. “To be named the Eu-

McIlroy

ropean Tour’s Golfer of the Year for a second time is a huge honour and one I am extremely proud of,” said McIlroy, the youngest player in history to win the

accolade twice. “If I had won any one of those four titles it would have been a good year, but to win all four, to win The Race to Dubai, and to be part of another fantastic European victory in The Ryder Cup, means it is a great one. “This award is a very nice way to round off the year. The European Tour has always been good to me, so it is always special to be recognised in this way. Hopefully I can have more years like this one and win the award again.”

Thierry Henry: Moments that defined a genius from nowhere, as well as helping Arsenal to a 1-0 victory over their bitter title rivals of the era.

Henry

After Thierry Henry ended his glittering career on Tuesday, Soccerway.com look back at the peak of his playing days as Arsenal’s lethal front man. That volley against Manchester United - October 1, 2000 Still one of the Premier League’s most iconic strikes. Gilles Grimandi rolled the ball into the feet of Henry, who - with Denis Irwin tight at his back - flicked it up and swivelled in one movement before arcing a wondrous volley beyond a helpless Fabien Barthez. The goal introduced Henry’s ability to create moments of magic

Tearing Tottenham apart - November 16, 2002 Henry never lost a game against Arsenal’s bitter north-London neighbours, winning six of his 10 matches against Tottenham, also managing five goals. His greatest came in a comprehensive 3-0 Highbury victory, picking the ball up inside his own half before surging through midfield where Matthew Etherington was powerless to halt the Frenchman’s momentum - turning Stephen Carr inside out and whipping a low leftfooted shot past Kasey Keller. Inspiring an Inter demolition November 25, 2003 Though silverware on the European stage eluded Henry through his time at Arsenal, he still managed to rack up a number of career highlights in UEFA Champions League action. The first came at San Siro as an Inter side containing stars like Fabio Cannavaro, Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi were torn

to shreds by Henry’s direct pace. The striker netted two sublime efforts as well as creating those scored by Freddie Ljungberg and Edu in a memorable 5-1 thrashing of the Italian giants.

Keeps the unbeaten dream alive - April 9, 2004 Arsenal’s stunning 200304 campaign had hit a rocky patch as Liverpool visited Highbury in April with Arsene Wenger’s side having suffered consecutive defeats to eliminate them from the FA Cup and Champions League, while the Merseysiders went 2-1 up at the break to threaten an end to their unbeaten league run. Henry had other ideas, though. After Robert Pires equalised, Arsenal’s talisman received the ball 60 yards from goal, leaving Dietmar Hamann and Jamie Carragher floored as he slalomed towards the target before clipping a trademark right-footed finish past Jerzy Dudek. Henry raced clear late on to complete his hat trick and inspire Arsenal to end the season as undefeated champions of England.

History beckons with cheeky backheel - October 2, 2004 Arsenal’s unbeaten run ran deep into the following campaign, and they made it 48 games without defeat with a 4-0 thrashing of Charlton, which showcased a cheeky Henry goal - inside the penalty area, facing away from goal, the striker firmly back-heeling through the legs of his covering defender and past the goalkeeper. Equals Wright with Prague perfection - October 18, 2005 It would barely have been befitting of the man had Henry not moved to the top of Arsenal’s goalscoring chart in style. The moment arrived in a Champions League match at Sparta Prague as Henry plucked a high ball out of the air before turning and dispatching an effort with the outside of his right boot that curled from outside the far post and back around into the net - moving Henry level with Ian Wright’s tally of 185. Henry took top spot for his own later in the same

game, with his record unlikely to be broken for many years to come. Bernabeu brilliance sees off Real Madrid - February 21, 2006 Another inspirational performance on the continent came later in the same season’s Champions League as Arsenal faced a daunting last-16 meeting with Real Madrid with a threadbare squad affected by injury. With a 17-year-old Theo Walcott - at the time in many eyes, Henry’s successor up front - watching on from the bench, Henry once again displayed his incredible dribbling power, shrugging off four challenges before slotting beyond Iker Casillas to seal a 1-0 success - the first for an English side at the home of the Madrid giants. Hat-trick on Highbury farewell - May 7, 2006 Nobody has scored more goals on one Premier League ground than Henry at Highbury, and - by now Arsenal captain - he supplied the old stadium with a fitting send-off in its final game against Wigan Athletic.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

News 55

NORTH

Saraki: Count me out of moves to impeach Mark Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday washed off his hands from any plan to impeach Senate President, David Mark. Saraki, who had been speculated in a section of the media as a possible beneficiary of the impeachment plan, said in

a statement by his media aide, Bamikole Omisore, that he would not support the move. According to the former Kwara State governor, the aggrieved senators, who allegedly now want to remove Mark because they failed to get their constituents’ nod to come back to the Senate, had turned deaf ears to flagrant anti-democratic acts by the senate leadership, because they thought they would win return tickets.

The sex ratio of women to 100 men (international migrants) in Fiji in 2010. Source: Un.org

He counselled senators who lost the return ticket to accept their fate instead of sponsoring impeachment moves against Mark. Text of the statement reads: “The attention of the Office of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has been drawn to a publication made in some national dailies, wherein it was stated that about 49 senators who lost out in their return bid to the senate had planned to remove

10,400

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of American Samoa in 2010. Source: Itu.int

Senator David Mark and replace him with either Senators Bukola Saraki or George Akume. “We would like to state categorically and unequivocally that Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the senator representing Kwara Central senatorial district of Kwara State has no knowledge of these developments, and is not a part of any plan by any individual, or group of senators, or political caucus, that has to do with the said

164

The number of deaths from probable cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone as at October 19, 2014. Source: Who.int

publication in the aforementioned dailies; and he will not be a party to such for any reason whatsoever. “Sequel to this, it is our candid opinion and belief that any Senator that has lost his bid to return to the senate should lay on his bed as he or she has found it, and not resort to the sponsorship of canard and divisive ideas and information. Hence, individual senators must bear their respective crosses.”

30%

The projected percentage increase of Americans above 65 years with Alzheimer’s in Indiana State in 2014-2025. Source: Alz.org

Chairman, Taxi Section, of the Kawo Motor Park, Mr Adamu Indah (right), immunising a child at the launch of Transit Immunisation in Kaduna.

Group sues PDP, INEC, Shinkafi over primaries Idris Salisu Gusau

he Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPACN), Zamfara State chapter, has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi to the Federal High Court

in Gusau, challenging them over the unlawful conduct of governorship primaries in the state. IPACN is made up of 11 political parties led by Alhaji Musa Mai Mai as chairman. The plaintiff in the suit dated December 15, 2014, through its counsel, Pwahomdi M. Lasco, asked the court to ascertain whether, given the provisions of section 178

sub-section 1 and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the provisions of section 30 sub-section 1 of the Electoral Act 2010, has legalised the competence to nominate a candidate for the governorship elections outside the period set out by the timetable schedule of activities for general election slated for 2015 as stipulated by INEC pow-

ers conferred on it by the Electoral Act, 2010. Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi won the highest votes at the PDP governorship primaries held on December 12, 2014, to select candidate for the 2015 election, a date IPACN challenged as against the scheduled date by both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC.

Borno gets new solicitor-general Kwara to get IPP next year Ahmed Miringa MAIDUGURI

new solicitor-general has been appointed for Borno State, he is Mr. Simon Malgwi. He took over the leadership of the Ministry of Justice yesterday, when he succeeded Mallam Fannami, who was redeployed to another ministry. Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Malgwi commended Governor

Kashim Shettima, for providing car loans to officers in the ministry. He confirmed that Governor Shettima has since approved N41 million for the ministry as car loans to officers, saying that 20 law officers of the ministry have already benefited from the loan. He added that by the grace of God, his tenure will witness improved welfare of staff of the ministry.

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

wara State governor, Alhaji AbdulFattah Ahmed, yesterday said his administration is set to establish an Independent Power Project (IPP) in the northern senatorial district of the state. The governor gave the pledge at the flag off of the 32.8km IleshaBaruba-Gwanara road

project in Baruten Local Government. According to him, the power plant, which would be built next year, is expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity and will “power industrial clusters and essential services, thus freeing up energy for homes and business in a manner that enhances the welfare of our people and stimulates job creation.”

Lawani denies defection to APC Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

enue State Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, yesterday dispelled rumours of his defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it was not true. Lawani, 67, who lost out in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries on December 8 to 42-yearold ex-Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Terhemen Tarzoor, was reported to be perfecting plans to ditch the PDP for the APC to give the PDP a run for their money. But in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ejembi Ogwuche, the deputy governor denied making such a move. He said as a loyal party man, he has no intention of dumping the PDP as being speculated in some quarters, adding that he has put the event and the outcome of the party’s primaries behind him for the overall interest of the state and the party. He thanked the people of the state, the delegates and the party for their overwhelming support for him during the exercise, urging them not to relent in their support for the party despite the outcome of the primaries. Lawani said he will continue to justify the confidence reposed in him by always providing the necessary leadership in the state.

Kwara Assembly confirms chief judge Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed the appointment of Justice Sulaiman Kawu as the new Chief Judge of the state. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had earlier nominated Kawu for screening and confirmation by the House, following the retirement of Justice Ayinla Bamigbola, as the chief judge of the state on December 12, 2014. In his letter to the House dated December 10, 2014, the governor explained that Justice Kawu had been recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for the appointment. He said Justice Kawu’s name was nominated for screening and confirmation in line with section 271 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The screening of the

new Chief Judge lasted less than 15 minutes as the Majority Leader of the House; Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulganiyu, moved a motion that he should take a bow and leave the floor of the House. He said this was necessary in view of his track record in the administration of justice. The motion was seconded by the Chairman, House Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Public Services and Judiciary, Hon. Kamaldeen Fagbemi. The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Razak Atunwa, who announced the confirmation, directed the Clerk of the house, Mr. Oyetunde Oyeniyi, to inform the governor of the confirmation of his nominee. The new Chief Judge, who was a magistrate between 1984 and 1994, had been serving as a high court judge in the state judiciary since 1994.

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble

World Record

The wisest word man reaches is the humblest he can speak.

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Akio Morita: Inventor of the personal stereo (1979)

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

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Insurgency and out of school children

ow come they keep multiplying and increasing by the day? How many are they? Who are these insurgents? Are they Nigerians? From where are they being recruited? Who indoctrinates them? Can the tendency they represent be defeated militarily? Is it possible to degrade the tendency and or tackle their underlying grievances? In other words, can the source(s) of their recruitment be blocked and their energies channeled to a different direction? These issues are germane for today and in a post insurgency period. It may sound pedestrian and pedantic to begin a post insurgency discourse when the insurgents are occupying villages, towns and even attempting to take over a state capital. It may sound unreasonable to talk of post military defeat of the insurgents when thousands of Nigerians are refugees in Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic. It may sound out of place considering the facts that thousand of Nigerians are internally displaced and are taking refuge in households in different parts of the country and camps set up by state governments and aid agencies. It may sound unreasonable to the hundreds of orphans roaming the streets having lost their loved ones in a war they hardly understand. On these issues, I plead for your understanding and I will explain. When insurgency was incubating and terrorism taking root in some other jurisdictions, we simply refused to respond, plan or confront it. We simply waved the hand and claimed that the Nigerian people love life and no Nigerian will engage in the art of suicide bombing. We claimed that terrorism is against our culture, customs and traditions and that it will be useless investigating and or putting remedial measures to address the challenge. This mistake or negligence or ignorance has defined the war against insurgency and terror in the country. This is why the fight has been mostly reactive. It is reactive in the sense that we had the opportunity to nip it in the bud at the incubation stage but failed. We had the opportunity to degrade the capability of the insurgents but failed. The leadership of the insurgents or their spiritual masters did not indoctrinate their followers overnight. Whatever form of indoctrination they got must have taken place over a period of time and some of the insurgents must have been attracted to it. What did we do and what form of intelligence did we gather relating to this doctrine that has come to haunt the entire nation? The insurgents did not set up camps overnight. The setting up of camps in different locations must have been planned and systematic. The insurgents did not get funds to procure arms and procured arms over night. These things must have taken place over a period of time. They must have identified sources of funding and avenues and routes of arms supplies. These things happened and through acts of omission or commission we refused to pay attention or even assisted them in their activities. Now, we have this problem and the

Hard Choices FESTUS OKOYE

festokoye2003@yahoo.com 08054480565 (sms only)

Abducted Chibok girls

challenge of insurgency. The military are recording successes and reverses. The insurgents have taken over villages, towns and local governments and killed thousands of Nigerians. They have left hundreds without husbands, left hundreds without wives. They have orphaned so many and sent thousands scampering to other countries. Villages, towns and local governments have been ruined. It is a national and international tragedy and we are still on it. However, I have lost count of the number of insurgents killed since this insurrection started. They are in their thousands if we believe the dispatches from the military. But their numbers keep increasing by the day despite the huge casualties recorded. What then is going on? I am also at a loss as to why insurgent activities are very intense in Borno and Yobe States. Will the military defeat their ideology and the issues that gave rise to them? These are pertinent issues which Nigerians must find answers to. But a look at some of the available statistics and dimensions of out of school children in some of the States with high volatility in insurgency activities will show clearly that we deliberately incubated the ingredients of insurgency and pretended that all is well. The point therefore is that even if the insurgents are defeated by the military, we must still deal with some of the underlying issues of poverty, lack of education and the rapacious activities of the ruling elite that incubated them. In a Nigeria Country Study conducted by UNICEF in 2010 they made startling revelations about our educational system and the number of out of school children in Nigeria and in the various

States of the Federation. In the preface to the study they stated that “Recent estimates show that the sub-Saharan Africa region accounts for 52% of the global out-of-school children. 22% of primary school age children in sub-Saharan African were out-of-school. Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data for 2008 in fact show that some 7.3 million children of primary school age were out of school.” When the junior secondary school component is taken into account, the out of school children (OOSC) problem becomes even larger, with wide regional, geographical and gender disparities across the country. Even when enrolled, hundreds of children (especially girls) are not showing up for class. Although girls’ primary school attendance has generally been improving, this has not been the case for girls from the poorest households. So many children drop out of primary school that the expected Junior Secondary School (JSS) enrolment rate is very low. Thus, Nigeria’s major challenges are low attendance, low completion rates and gender as well as regional/geographical disparities.” The same study looked at regional and state disparities of out of school children. The study found out that the North East and the North West have a very bad record of out of school children. For Borno State the total population of Primary Age Children stood at 788,615 and out of this number 578,746 representing 73.4% are out of school. The total population of children of primary school age in Yobe stood at 449, 849 and out of this number 283,482 representing 63.5% are out of school. For Bauchi State the total population of primary age children stood at 913,

920 and the number of out of school children stood at 531,691 representing 58.2% while the total population of primary age children in Adamawa State stood at 579,536 and the number of out of school children stood at 190,764 representing 32.9%. The percentage of out of school children in Gombe and Taraba States stood at 38.6 and 31.9% respectively. Zamfara State which is in the North West Zone, the total population of primary age children stood at 633,545 and out of this number 482,739 representing 76.2% is out of school. This figure is closely followed by Kebbi State with 69.1% of out of school children and Sokoto with 65.3%. These figures are in sharp contrast with the percentage of out of school children in other states. Kogi has 8.6% out of school children, Kaduna 23.2%, Imo 4.8%, Ebonyi 18%, Rivers 12.6%, Edo 6.9%, Oyo 20.3% and Ekiti State 2.9%. The point here is that when you have close to 70% of your population of primary school age and they are at home or living in dangerous circumstances, you are invariably incubating vulnerable persons that are susceptible to unprocessed ideologies. These classes of persons are therefore ready tools and materials for insurgents to indoctrinate. Some of them live on the streets. Some of them beg from morning till night. Some of them are doing menial jobs and have little or no education. Moreover, the education some of them have cannot get them any form of job. And some of them are angry and envious of those that have gone to school. Hence, any ideology that locates the cause of their poverty and challenge at the door step of western education appeals to some of them. They are therefore easy to recruit and or recruit themselves to fight the locus of their oppression. So, while we plot strategies and tactics to defeat the insurgents militarily, we must also plot strategies and tactics of getting our children to school or back to school. This is because; poverty and lack of education are the twin incubators of social discontent. Let me also say that the Northern political establishment must accept some form of responsibility for the insurgent activities in the North East and North West of Nigeria. Some of them that have assumed the moral high ground and glibly talk of lack of action in military defeat of insurgency are only playing the ostrich. Some of them that have been at the helm of affairs for a long time refused to address the issues of poverty and access to education. They lived big and had little or no empathy for the poor and the vulnerable. They allowed an obnoxious income and educational disparity that has over the years incubated insurgency and other social vices. Those entrusted with public trust to provide for the welfare and security of the people should not see their venture as a work of optional charity. It is in the collective interest of all that our children are in school. Out of school children are a time bomb and Nigerians are tired of excuses on why things cannot get better. Let us redesign our educational system, send and keep our children in school.

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.