Wednesday, july 27, 2016

CBN raises interest rate to boost naira, tackles inflation Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

T

o strengthen the naira and attract more investment into the country, the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday raised its benchmark interest rate (Monetary Policy Rate, MPR) by 200 basis points – from 12 per cent to

14 per cent.

It, however, retained both Cash Reserves Requirement (CRR) and liquidity ratio at 22.50 per

cent and 30.00 per cent respectively.

The CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed these at the end of the Mon-

etary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja.

The MPR is the interest rate at which the banking watchdog lends to commer-

World Bank raises crude oil forecast to $43 per barrel }2

cial banks, while the CRR is the proportion of banks’ total deposits held in cash balance with the CBN. Essentially, the implication of this development CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Ambassadorial nominees fail National Anthem test }7

/newtelegraph /newtelegraph

Vol. 3 No. 889

Saraki

Bells University pledges support for New Telegraph }5

Prof. Adeyemi

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

Zaria clash: Commission indicts Zakzaky, army }3

Zakzaky

N150

FG pulls out of Keshi's burial }45

Keshi

Budget padding:

Reps open can of worms

Committee chair inflated 2016 budget by N250bn Lawmaker allocated N250m project to favour wife Jibrin: Dogara, Lasun, principal officers are corrupt }2 N284bn N40bn N30bn N20bn N4.1bn N3bn N250m

= Cost of 2000 projects inserted by 10 committee chairmen

Buhari flags off new Abuja-Kaduna railway }4

= Allocated for principal officers of

the House of Representatives = Written personal requests of the

Speaker

= Cost of projects for Speaker Dogara

= Cost of projects committee chair

allocated to his constituency

= Amount inserted for film village

= Value of project allocated to

favour lawmaker’s wife

One of the coaches

L-R: Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika; Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and President Muhammadu Buhari, at the flag off of commercial service on the Abuja-Kaduna railway line...yesterday.

Soldiers, police battle militants in Lagos lThree killed, two injured in Yoruba-Hausa clash

}8 & 9

High heeled shoes increase cancer risk –Study }6

2

NEWS

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Budget padding: Reps open can of worms Philip Nyam Abuja

T

he leadership of the House of Representatives has opened up a can of worms on the padding of 2016 budget and corrupt practices in the parliament.

It accused the embattled former chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, of initially inflating the 2016 budget by N250 billion and diverting funds meant for lawmakers to the Hadejia-Jama’re River Basin Authority and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

A source in the leadership of the House also accused Jibrin of fraudulently allocating N250 million project to favour his wife in the budget.

This is even as the House has resolved to forward to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged corrupt deeds of Jibrin for investigation and possible

prosecution.

Jibrin is also to face the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to prove his allegations.

It was learnt that “Jibrin padded the budget with N250 million for the construction of a market to be sited in Argungu, Kebbi State.”

Jibrin’s wife, Adamu Augie, is from Argungu.

It was learnt that Jibrin allocated the amount for the construction of International Tourism Market in his wife’s town, Argungu.

The source alleged that the padded project was domiciled at the National Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

“This is the highest level of corruption, greed and crass insensitivity for the former chairman to allocate N250 million to his wife at a time members were struggling to get paltry sum of N30 million as their constituency projects.

“He was so mean that he denied us in the committee just N30 million, but had

the guts to allocate N250 million to his wife who is not a member of the House.

What has she contributed to have earned such a huge allocation?” a lawmaker charged.

Briefing the press yesterday in Abuja, chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, exonerated Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of any wrongdoing or complicity in all the allegations of budget padding and sundry corrupt practices levelled against them by Jibrin.

Namdas said apart from the N4.1 billion he whimsically allocated to his constituency in the budget, “Jibrin also inserted N3 billion in the budget for the establishment of film village in his constituency without the knowledge or consent of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Namdas clarified that Jibrin was relieved of his position for abuse of the budgetary process, lack of credibility, blackmail of

colleagues and heads of MDAs, and corrupt antecedents capable of bringing the institution of the parliament to disrepute.

He disclosed that: “The leadership was also in receipt of complaints about his activities as Chair of Finance Committee in the 7th Assembly, which had potential to embarrass the House. Investigations found that from 20112015, Hon Abdulmumin domiciled with HadejiaJama'are River Basin Authority and few other MDAs some of the allocations meant for his former Finance Committee members.

“He was alleged to have aided the use of front companies that collected funds without executing most of the projects. The projects have been compiled and will be referred to the antigraft agencies to establish why the projects were fully paid for and not executed, who collected the funds and why has Hon. Abdulmumin not raised any alarm about the non-execution of

Vice-Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Prof.

Jeremiah Ojediran (left), receiving a copy of New Telegraph from the the newspaper's Managing Editor, Business and Strategy, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, during a visit to the university in Otta, Ogun State… yesterday.

World Bank raises crude oil forecast to $43 per barrel

C

iting supply outages and robust demand in the second quarter, the World Bank yesterday raised its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to $43 per barrel from $41 per barrel.

The global lender, which made this known in a statement, noted that oil prices jumped 37 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 due to disruptions to supply, particularly wildfires in Canada and sabotage of oil infrastructure in Nigeria.

Just on Monday, Nigeria disclosed the likelihood of setting her oil benchmark for the 2017 budget at $42.50 per barrel, oil production of 2.2 million barrels per day, and target an exchange rate of N290 to the dollar.

Senator Udoma Udo Udoma disclosed this in Abuja during the commencement of consultations with civil society

groups on the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

The minister also said the administration was considering conservative oil benchmark prices of $42.5 for a barrel per day (bpd) for 2017, $45 bpd in 2018 and $50 bpd in 2019.

He said that the government was expecting oil production of 2.2 million, 2.3 million and 2.4 million barrels per day, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Meanwhile, the revised oil forecast by the World Bank appears in the lender’s latest Commodities Markets Outlook and takes into account a recent softening of demand and the recovery of some disrupted supply.

"We expect slightly higher oil prices for the second half of 2016 as oil market

oversupply diminishes," said John Baffes, Senior Economist and lead author of the Commodities Markets Outlook. "However, inventories remain very large and will take some time to be drawn down."

Despite the recovery of oil and many other commodity prices in the second quarter of 2016, most commodity indexes tracked by the World Bank are expected to decline this year.

This trend, according to World Bank, is due to persistently elevated supplies, and in the case of industrial commodities – which include energy, metals, and agricultural raw materials – weak growth prospects in emerging market and developing economies. However, most of the declines are projected to be smaller than expected in the April outlook.

According to the World

Bank, energy prices, which include oil, natural gas and coal, are due to fall 16.4 per cent in 2016, a more gradual decline than the 19.3 per cent drop anticipated in April. Non-energy commodities, such as metals and minerals, agriculture, and fertilizers, are expected to ease 3.7 per cent this year, a more moderate contraction than the 5.1 per cent retrenchment forecast in the previous outlook.

Similarly, metals prices are projected to fall 11 per cent in the coming year, a sharper decline than the 8.2 per cent drop forecast in April, reflecting weak demand prospects and new capacity coming on line. Also, agriculture prices are forecast to fall less than projected in April as a result of reduced harvests in South America and plateauing demand for biofuels.

the projects even now?”

According to Namdas, “Hon. Abdulmumin had initially inflated the budget by adding about N250 billion more to the total figure as submitted by Mr. President. This, the NASS leadership outrightly rejected as a form of financial recklessness and inability to appreciate the dwindling resources available to government necessitating that we act prudently.”

He alleged that: “Jibrin was in the habit of collating, warehousing and manipulating sensitive information to blackmail people sometimes apparently for pecuniary purposes. And

by the virtue of his position as Appropriations Chairman, he meets with very high and senior public officers at all levels.

“The Speaker and the leadership were inundated with complaints by heads of MDAs over harassment from the House Appropriations Chairman to engage in conduct and acts unbecoming of their offices.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

$46m

The total pay (including salary/ winnings & endorsements) of Lewis Hamilton (Racing) for 2016.

Source: Forbes.com

Jibrin: Dogara, Lasun, principal officers are corrupt ...sets 20 questions for Dogara Philip Nyam Abuja

I

n a spontaneous reaction to the allegations levelled against him by the leadership of the House and its decision to refer his case to the antigraft agency, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin insisted that the quartet of Speaker Yakubu Dogara; his deputy, Yussuff Lasun; chief whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and minority leader, Leo Ogor are corrupt and he stands by his allegations.

He challenged them to address the allegations he has raised and stop dwelling on his personality.

Consequently, Jibrin posed 20 questions for Dogara and his co-accused to answer. The questions include: “Why did you take the decision to fraudulently shortchange the House by taking away N40 billion out of the N100 billion allocated for constituency projects and distributing same to yourself and others without the approval of the House?

“Why did you approach the former house appropriation chairman with written personal requests and list of about N30 billion to be inserted into the 2016 budget and his inability to get that done caused a major rift between you all and him?

“Why did you insert wasteful projects for your various constituencies worth about N20 billion despite the former appropriation chairman’s professional advice against such?

“Why did you ignore his complaint to you that just about 10 standing committees of the House inserted over 2000 projects worth N284 billion?

“Why did you take away the appropriation committee secretariat on two

occasions where several insertions were made into the budget which created avoidable tension during the budget process?

“Why did you direct the former appropriation chair which he rejected to create a strange line item in the service wide vote to allow for a N20 billion insertion into the budget under the name of NASS, using a former Peoples Democratic party (PDP) senator and top politician?

“Why are you trying to scam members with a fraudulent arrangement to deduct monthly from money meant for members’ office running cost to fund a so-called mortgage arrangement?

“Why did you abuse your office in a conflict of interest and directed an agency to grant loans and a construction company to work on your Asokoro plot and arrange frequent private meetings with heads of MDAs? “Why did you allocate to yourselves the entire 20 per cent inputs reserved for the House after the harmonisation exercise?

“How much did you collect for rent of house and guests houses and how much did Hon. Herma Hembe steal from the money that caused the outburst of Lasun?

“Is it true that you left a huge mess and allegations of money laundering against you as chairman House Services both in the 6th and 7th House?

“Why have you refused to open up on the financial dealings and details of internal budget of the House to your colleagues, Hon. members?

“Why do you have problems with reconvening the House immediately to allow for an independent investigation on the allegations?”

NEWS

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Zaria clash: Commission indicts Zakzaky, army Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

T

he Justice Muhammed Lawal Garba Commission of Inquiry, which investigated the remote and immediate causes of the clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and soldiers last December, has blamed Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky for all the acts of the Shiites.

A copy of the report of the Commission of Inquiry, which New Telegraph saw yesterday, said that El Zakzaky refused to order his followers to allow access to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and his convoy, when IMN members blocked the road at the PZ junction in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The 295-page report, which has 15 chapters, reported that the Secretary to Kaduna State said that Governor Nasir El Rufai had personally telephoned El Zakzaky “to persuade him to prevail on his members to remove the road blockade to no avail.”

“Similarly, the testimony of the State Director of Department of State Services (DSS) indicated that he did contact a DSS officer

at Hussainiyya Baqiyatillah (the headquarters of the Shiites where the roadblock was mounted) to persuade the IMN to allow passage for the COAS convoy to no effect,” the commission noted.

The commission, which heard 102 memoranda and received 39 exhibits, stated that 87 witnesses testified before it and the army stated that senior officers attached to the COAS convoy risked their lives by going directly to plead with members of IMN to allow General Buratai access, without success.

“The refusal of the IMN leader to cooperate with appropriate authorities to direct his followers to grant access to the COAS, was unnecessary, inappropriate and confrontational in the circumstances.

“Considering the nature and organisational structure of IMN, where the leader has total control over the members, Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky should be personally held responsible for all acts of commission or omission of the entire membership of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in its clash with the Nigerian Army, for refusing to call his members to order when required to do so,” the report noted.

Lawmaker allocated N250m project to favour wife CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

“The leadership lunched an internal investigation into these allegations and was largely satisfied that action had to be taken to remove him, in the interest of the integrity of the House.

“One clear example is the insertion of funds for the so-called Muhammadu Buhari Film Village in his Constituency in Kano State without the consent or solicitation of Mr. President. This has brought both Mr. President and the government to disrepute.”

Expatiating further, Namdas revealed that “One of such is the numerous projects he claimed in a Channels TV interview in April 2016, to have sited in Mr. President's home town of Daura, Katsina State without Mr. President's solicitation or knowledge, in a desperate attempt to blackmail Mr. President as an answer and justification for allocation of N4.1 billion to his constituency when confronted by the interviewer.

“He did not stop there.

Hon Abdulmumin went about soliciting Honourable members to nominate projects for him to help them include in the budget. When called upon to defend his actions as

Appropriation Chairman, all he did was to be calling names of those members and the amount he helped include for them in the budget in an unsuccessful bid to silence them.”

Namdas added that: “It was also discovered that the former Chairman, Appropriation Committee discreetly and clandestinely allocated monies for projects that are not clearly defined in the budget for the purposes of exploiting the ambiguities for personal gains.”

Defending the actions of the speaker in tampering with the budget, Namdas stated that: “The legislature is therefore constitutionally incapable of padding the budget. The removal, introduction of projects or the amendment of Mr. President's estimates in the Appropriation Bill cannot and should never be construed as an act of corruption or impropriety because it is at the core of appropriation powers of the National Assembly as aptly enshrined in the 1999 Constitution."

The spokesman challenged Jibrin to “release the signed inputs of Mr. Speaker and not pieces of paper that bears no acknowledged authorship.”

The commission, which was inaugurated on January 26, reported that “IMN has been steadfast and deliberate in widespread and habitual acts of lawlessness and defiance to constituted authorities, including the refusal to recognise the legitimacy, authority and the constitution of the Nigerian state.”

According to the report, the clash, which occurred between soldiers and Shiites on Saturday, December 12 and Monday, December 14 in Zaria is one out of several of such clashes with constituted authorities, adding that they have continued “mainly due to weak and poor decisive/ proactive action and measures by appropriate constitutional authorities.”

The report recognised a “lack of political will at all levels of government to take proactive, appropriate and quick steps/ measures, including provision of proper and adequate equipment and training of law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force.”

The commission also noted that IMN has the

habit of erecting roadblocks at will and “claims are rife that El Zakzaky orders IMN’s ‘Hurras’ or guards to arrest local residents for alleged offences such as not giving way to his entourage, prosecuting the arrested persons in his court, pass and execute judgements against them, including death penalty.”

According to the report, appeals and complaints to traditional authorities, including the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and local Divisional Police Officers have consistently failed to curtail the unwanted imposition of Shiite’s laws on their neighbours.

“Instead of acting to arrest the situation, the response of both the state and federal governments is either to ignore the IMN members’ excess or try to court them for political reason,” the report said.

It added that it was only Col. Hameed Ali, who was then Military Administrator in Kaduna State, that arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated El Zakzaky.

The commission was told of how Governor

Muktar Ramalan Yero was forced down from his official car and made to trek on the orders of Zakzaky’s security outfit.

It noted that the lack of political will to implement past recommendations of Commissions of Inquiry has resulted to these incessant clashes.

The commission also faulted the Nigerian Army for “disproportionate use of force to deal with the situation.”

The report said that “shooting its way” through the blockade, which resulted in the killing of seven and injuring 10 members of IMN was uncalled for.

“The commission observed that the Nigerian Army had not followed its own rules of engagement and its actions would seem to be contrary to international standards, which must be strictly observed in carrying out such internal security operations,” the report stated.

In addition, the commission noted that the Nigerian Army was not forthcoming in the number of IMN casualties, although its memorandum revealed

3

that it lost one soldier, Corporal Dan Kaduna Yakubu.

“The commission’s findings are that a total of 349 persons lost their lives during the clashes. The commission could not ascertain whether out of the said 349 who lost their lives, the seven people who died at the road blockade were included in the 347 buried in a mass grave by Kaduna state government,” the report stated.

The commission also indicted the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 1st Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade for giving a verbal order to soldiers to undertake a cordon and search operation around El Zakzaky’s residence.

According to the report, the standard practice is for such an order to be given either by the president or COAS in writing, which was not done.

It was not clear whether the GOC obtained a written order from President Muhammadu Buhari or Buratai before giving the verbal order for the operation to commence.

L-R: British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arlwright; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Hon. Abubakar Bwari, during Arlwright's visit to the ministry.... yesterday

APC govs to intervene in N’Assembly crisis Anule Emmanuel Abuja

G

overnors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja where they resolved to wade into the crisis rocking the National Assembly.

The governors said there was the urgent need for

742m

The estimated total population of Europe in 2012.

Source: Un.org

71.75%

The percentage of the individuals using the internet in Bahamas in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

them to intervene in order to bring about stability in the polity.

The meeting, which started at about 2p.m., was also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The issues which the governors are likely to intervene in, are not unconnected to the crisis faced by Senate President Bukola Saraki over criminal charges of forgery and false declaration of assets levelled against him and the crisis in the House of Representatives over allegations of padding of the 2016 budget.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, said the nation needs a strong and vibrant National Assembly to be able to move faster with development.

Okorocha, who led the APC governors, said they also used the opportunity

to reassure Buhari that the APC governors were solidly behind him in his fight against corruption, against insurgents and all his laudable projects.

He said: "We are concerned about the incessant happenings in the National Assembly and we have taken it upon ourselves to look into the matter; the crisis at the National Assembly.

"We are going to look into the matter because we need a strong, vibrant National Assembly to make things move fast in the country."

The Imo governor also said the economy of the states have improved, saying their allocation was now getting close to what they used to get when oil was above $100 per barrel.

"There is a lot of improvement. You will recall that once upon a time, oil was selling above $100, what the states are getting now

is close to what they used to get when oil price was above $100 per barrel. This means this government is doing a lot, we are not yet there, but we are getting there.

"We appeal to Nigerians to be patient with this government because it means well about the welfare of our people.”

On criticism trailing the planned trip to Germany, which has been described as a jamboree, he replied: "There is nothing like jamboree trip. We are going to Germany because we cannot do everything here without exchanging ideas.

"Everything you do in your home, your business you share ideas. So, we want to see how they have done what they have done to succeed. It is the aspiration of Nigeria to be like other countries in the world."

4

NEWS

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari flags off new Abuja-Kaduna railway Anule Emmanuel and Caleb Onwe Abuja

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday flagged off the newly completed Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway line.

The president, while inaugurating the project, assured that his government

will ensure that all major capital cities in the country are linked by railway.

The flag off of the railway line signals the official commencement of train services (passengers and freight) on Nigeria’s first standard gauge rail line in Abuja.

The project's main terminal is located at Idu in Abuja.

Buhari, who took a

20-minute ride from the Idu terminal to Kubwa station also in the city, expressed delight at the takeoff of the project and recalled that it was conceived "by a previous administration.”

"I am pleased to complete and commission it," he said.

Buhari observed that between 1963 and early 1980s, Nigeria had a vibrant rail system, which

conveyed agricultural and livestock and solid mineral resources to Lagos and Port Harcourt seaports from where they were exported to other parts of the world.

He noted that it was his administration's vision and hope that "those good old days will soon be back with us and indeed in a more prosperous way with the restoration of rail

L-R: Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari (left) and National President, National Council of Women's Societies, Mrs. Gloria Laraba Shoda, during the induction of Mrs. Buhari as the Grand Patron of the women group in Abuja… yesterday

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

transport system which today’s occasion symbolises."

The president explained that the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge rail track commenced in 2009 and "happily, we are on the threshold of presenting to Nigerians a Standard Gauge Railway Train Service that will be safe, fast and reliable.”

According to him, the Abuja-Kaduna train service will provide the much-needed alternative transport link between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Kaduna State, a corridor which he observed, has a huge potential for industries, agricultural activities and a growing labour force.

Buhari praised the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his team for "putting great efforts" in the last few months to ensure the successful completion of the project under the present administration.

"Completion and commissioning of this project is indeed in keeping with

CBN raises interest rate to boost naira, tackles inflation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

is that by raising its rates, the apex bank, which is trying to cage inflation, is encouraging people to save by adding additional interest to their savings and luring investors to invest in the country. At the same time, it is also discouraging people from spending.

Faced with the choice to spur growth by cutting rates or tackle galloping inflation, five out of eight members of the monetary policy committee that attended the meeting opted forarateincrease,Emefiele told reporters.

The committee, according to the governor, noted that inflation had risen significantly, eroding real purchasing power of fixed income earners and dragging growth.

"The situation called for obvious tightening of the monetary policy stance.

The technical recession confronting the economy and the prospects of negative growth to year-end needed to be factored into the policy parameters.

"The arguments in favour of growth were anchored on the premise that the current inflationary episode was largely structural.

"Inparticular,members notedtheprominentroleof costfactorsarisingfromreform of the energy sector, leading to higher domestic fuel prices and electricity tariffs.

"Consequently, the current episode of inflation,

being largely non-monetary but largely structural, tightening at this point would only serve to worsen prospectsforgrowthrecovery," he said.

Emefiele, however, said that for the MPC’s decision toachievethemultipliereffect on the economy, the executive arm, which implements fiscal policies, must complementitsactionwith accelerated action on 2016 budget implementation.

"In addition, the implementation of the 2016 budget in the second quarter remains slower than expected," he said.

The governor admitted that Nigerians are going through phases of hardship, but expressed optimism of improvement in the economy in coming days, which will be driven by implementation of targeted policies.

Onthenewlyintroduced flexibleforexpolicyregime, Emefiele gave a pass mark.

“So far so good. It's been excellent work given that we had 16 months thinking through about the forex.

The result has been good with few actions we're not happy about, but there's room for lots of improvement," he said.

He said the process that produced the new flexible forexguidelinewasapainstaking one no one had yet faulted, noting, "in implementation, we have few ups and down, but we will get it right."

While the CBN hopes to see more foreign inflows,

Emefiele said the economy was unlikely to have rebounded in the second quarter after contracting in the first quarter.

Emefiele said the committee was still concerned about non-payment of salaries in some states and called for urgent action in thatdirectiontohelpstimulate aggregate demand.

He said the committee restated its commitment to take measures and deploy relevant instruments within its purview to complementfiscalpolicywitha view to restarting growth.

Emefiele also said Nigerian banks remained strong after the CBN replaced the management of Skye Bank when it failed to meet minimum capital ratios.

"No doubt, that there has been weakening in capital adequacy, liquidity and weakening in the NPL, but not to the extent that it should create panic or worry to any stakeholder in the Nigerianbankingindustry.

"So I seize this opportunity to say that the strategic health of the Nigerian financial system remains strong at this time. There is no need for anybody to begintopanicorworrythat any bank is in distress," he said.

He said that the apex bank would, however, not hesitate to sack any bank managing director or board that goes against the regulations of the banking system.

The CBN, last month,

discarded its 16-month-old dollar peg to let the naira trade freely and lure back foreign investors who fled both the equities and bond markets in the wake of the plunge in crude prices.

But the naira has since weakened and the supply of dollars has dried up, putting pressure on the banking watchdog to hike interest rates to attract investment.

Fund managers cautiously welcomed yesterday’s move, but said more was needed.

Chief Economist, Africa Global Research, Raiz Khanyesterdayapplauded CBN’sdecision,describing it “as a right step in a right direction.”

"The CBN raised its monetary policy rate by 200 bps to 14 per cent in line with our expectation.

Given the pledge to restore positive real interest rates gradually, we expect another 200 bps hike in the policy rate to 16 per cent at the September MPC meeting," Khan predicted.

"Given the cost-push natureof inflationinNigeria, which largely stems from the shortage of FX, we believe that this was the right thing to have done. Today’s (yesterday) monetary policy decision demonstrates a commitment to FX liberalisation, which alone will undo some of the bottlenecksthathavecontributed to inflation," she said.

Similarly, Kevin Daly, a member of the investment committeeatAberdeenAs-

setManagementinLondon told Reuters: "This is very positive, but they still have some way to go. We are not ready to go back yet, but it's starting to get more interesting."

The naira, which has been allowed to trade more freely over the past week, has touched record lows around N312 per dollar.

Koon Chow, EM Macro and FX strategist at UBP Asset Management, told Reuters the bigger-thanexpected hike was "a small step towards getting some credibility for the naira."

TheManagingDirector/ Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets ManagementLimited,Mr.Johnson Chukwu, was however disappointed.

Hesaid:“Iwasexpecting a reduction in the interest rate and not a contraction given that the economy is entering a recession and there is low liquidity in the system. The hike will not boosteconomicactivities.”

He disagreed with the viewthatthehikewasneededtoattractforeigninflows.

“I don’t think the hike will lead to an increase in foreign inflows. This is because there are two conditions that must be met before foreign investors will bring in investments. The first is that there has to be exchangeratestabilityand secondly, there must be a narrowing in the gap between the official and the parallel market exchange rates. For now, these conditions have not been met.”

our vision of bringing about the desired change to make life easier for the generality of Nigerians through the development and provision of the necessary social and physical infrastructure.

"In this regard, I wish to assure Nigerians that most state capitals and major commercial and production centres will be linked with railway system as a way of bringing about rapid socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of Nigerians and promoting social and regional integration.

"Furthermore, I wish to also reassure Nigerians that due attention will be placed on pursuing the 25-Year Strategic Railway Master Plan which is aimed at rehabilitating the existing 3,505km narrow gauge rail line and developing and constructing new standard gauge rail lines across the country.

"As we celebrate the symbolic return of rail service today, I wish to reiterate the commitment of this administration to pursue with greater vigour and determination rehabilitation and construction of other rail lines, including the major Lagos-Calabar and Kano-Lagos lines."

Amaechi also explained that the contract for the project was conceived by the Olusegun Obasanjo while the Goodluck Jonathan administration laid the tracks before the present administration provided the communication, lighting equipment, among others before inaugurating it.

He noted that the implementation of the project would impact on housing as people can live in Kaduna and come to work in Abuja, using the train.

The fare from Abuja to Kaduna for economy class is N500, while business class will cost between N800 and N1000.

The project was constructed by a Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC) at the cost of $1.457 billion.

The project, initiated by the previous administrations of both Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, is jointly financed by the Federal Government and the China Exim Bank.

4.51%

The capital importation percentage share of Production/Manufacturing of Nigeria in 2008.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

8

The total number of refugees in Chile assisted by UNHCR at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

News|NATIONAL

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

I rejected Obasanjo’s N50m bribe –Na’Allah Chukwu David Abuja

T

he Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South), yesterday hit

back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for saying that the National Assembly members were made up of a bunch of corrupt Nigerians.

Na’Allah, in a statement issued in Abuja,

Bells University pledges support for New Telegraph Mojeed Alabi

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he management of the Bells University of Technology (BELLSTECH), Ota, Ogun State, has commended the leadership of New Telegraph Newspapers for what it described as its consistency in sustaining its core values, and thereby, pledges support for the brand.

At a short meeting held yesterday between the two parties at the office of the institution’s outgoing ViceChancellor, Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, both the university and the media house agreed on the need to collaborate for mutual benefits.

Opening the discussion, the newspaper’s Managing Editor, Business and Strategy, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, congratulated Adeyemi for a successful tenure and welcomed his successor-designate, Prof.

Jeremiah Ojediran. He solicited for strong partnership between the university and

the newspaper, promising adequate coverage of her activities.

Responding, Adeyemi thanked New Telegraph for the support he received throughout his tenure. He said that the university has benefited immensely from media partnership, and urged his successor to sustain the relationship.

Also commenting, the university’s Registrar, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Gbadebo, thanked New Telegraph management for finding the university worthy of partnership, saying she was appreciative of both the editorial content of the paper and the compartment of its staff.

The new helmsman at the university, Prof. Ojediran, said his vision for the university was to get it ranked among the first 200 global institutions, saying such could only be achievable when adequate relationship is shared with the media.

RMAFC, NBET get new bosses Ebere Ameh Abuja

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resident Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the re-appointment of Engineer Elias Nwalem Mbam as Chairman for the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja and signed by the Director, Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi, Dr. Marilyn Amobi was also appointed as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET).

Mbam, who had ended his first tenure last November, is an Electrical Engineer and a former Finance Minister of State from Ebonyi State.

Born on September 2 1958 in Nwofe-Agbaje, Ebonyi State, Mbam attended Hartford State Technical College in the U.S. 1977 – 1979 for Associate Degree before moving back to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he bagged a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1984.

He became the Chairman of Ebonyi Board of Housing between 1996 and 1998 and served as Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transportation in Ebonyi State from 1999-2005.

stated that Obasanjo was the one who had corrupted the members of the apex parliament, by allegedly bribing them to vote in favour of his failed third term project.

He also claimed that he was the only lawmaker from Kebbi State at the time, who courageously rejected Obasanjo’s alleged offer of N50 million bribe per person, to support his tenure extension initiative.

The lawmaker served two terms in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, and was one of those who vehemently kicked against and frustrated the desperate move by Obasanjo to amend the constitution to extend tenure of president to three terms.

Kaduna

J

ustice David Wyoms of the Kaduna State High Court will rule on various applications that have been filed by both the prosecution and defence in one of the cases involving 81 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) who are standing trial for culpable

homicide, unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace, on September 26.

Arguing his motion yesterday, Barrister Dari Bayero, the Director of Public Prosecution, Kaduna State, informed the court that they had earlier filed a motion, seeking the order of court to permit their witnesses No 1-9 to give their testimony in private.

5,500

The total area (in sq. km) of water of Madagascar.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures. com

that time of collecting the sum of N50 million as an inducement to subvert the constitution and provide a constitutional framework for the third term ambition of President Obasanjo.

“I find this statement, if it is true, to be reckless and terrifying.

The implication of the statement is to say that the entire over 170 million Nigerians have not elected a single person with integrity among the 469 members of the National Assembly. This is definitely rhapsodic and does not conform to common sense and reason.”

39.02%

The percentage of expatriates’ football players of Spain in 20132014 season.

Source: Football-observatory.com

Oando’s fuel supply capacity exceeds 2bn litres Adeola Yusuf

O

ando Marketing Limited yesterday declared that its annual fuel distribution capacity in Nigeria has exceeded two billion litres.

The company, which said this in a statement, added that the new boost for its distribution capacity came from a state-of-the-art retail station, which it commissioned in Lagos.

“With a current fuels distribution capacity of over 2billion litres annually, Oando has retained its leading market share for fuels retailing and was poised to continuing to expand, leveraging its strong brand affinity, efficient distribution capacity and entrepreneurial heritage,” the company said, adding that the new station is “equipped to service over 2,000 cars per day.”

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, with ConsulGeneral of the United States in Nigeria, Mr John Gray, during a visit to the governor in Benin City… yesterday

Rivers rerun: IGP meets Wike, Amaechi ...22 AIGs, 29 CPs decorated

Our Correspondent

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conducive atmosphere for peaceful re-run election in Rivers State may soon be ushered in, as the Acting Inspector-General (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has held a peace meeting with the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and his

Shiites: Court to rule on September 26 Ibraheem Musa

Na’Allah said that he would resign and vacate the Senate, if the former president could come up with empirical evidence to prove that he (Na’Allah) was involved in any act of corruption as a member of the National Assembly.

His words: “If former President Obasanjo can come out with one proven record of corruption against me as a person, I promise to vacate my seat as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“For the records, I was the only member from Kebbi State who did not find it worthy at

5

The witnesses are Colonel A.K Ibrahim, Commander, I Division Internal Security; Colonel Sani K. Usman, Army Public Relations Officer; Colonel Mohammed Fago, Officer with the Records Office; Colonel Y. Ali; Lt. Colonel P. Kulawe Officer in charge of Operation Yaki; Nasiru Wowo, Soldier; Jiya Mahmud Liman, Soldier; Kanafa Suleiman, Soldier; and

predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

New Telegraph gathered from a highly placed source, that the IGP met with Wike and Amaechi in Abuja, yesterday.

The source, who spoke in confidence, said the peace meeting, which held at an undisclosed location, started after the inauguraASP Tanimu Jeremia a Ballistician.

Bayero informed the court that the witnesses are principal officers in charge of their units and formations in the Nigerian Army, adding that because of the role they played in the events leading to the charge, they received various threats to their lives.

For this reason, the Director of Public Prosecution urged the court to protect the witnesses.

tion of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway track, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wike and Amaechi, who is the Minister of Transportation, are seen as central figures in the politics of Rivers State.

“I can confirm to you that the Acting IG met with Governor Wike and the Transportation Minister, Amaechi, after the commissioning of the railway track today (yesterday).

“He entered into a peace meeting with both distinguished men. I think the essence of the meeting, was to enable the re-run election to hold in the state.

“You are aware that INEC has, again, postponed the exercise, which was scheduled to hold this Saturday or thereabouts,” the source hinted.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), in a statement last

night, said the essence of the meeting was to deliberate on the need to have a violence-free re-run election in the state.

“In a concerted effort to guarantee a violent-free and credible Re-run Senatorial/House of Representative elections in Rivers State, a crucial meeting to chart the path to peace in Rivers State before, during and after the Re-run elections in the State was held today, 26th July, 2016 between the InspectorGeneral of Police, Ag.IGP Ibrahim K. Idris and the Director-General of Department of State Services, Alh. Musa Daura.”

Also yesterday, Idris was said to have met with the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

New Telegraph could not confirm if the meeting was about the forthcoming governorship election in the state, and the need for adequate security.

6

News|NATIONAL

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP zoning committee recommends elections on all positions Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

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he zoning committee, set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it has decided to liberalise the political space in the forthcoming national convention to allow full participation of members.

The committee also recommended the creation of two deputy

chairmen (north and south) and for the six zonal National Vice Chairmen to be members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The committee, which submitted its report to the national caretaker committee yesterday, noted that all positions should be keenly contested for among the major zones they are zoned.

According to co-chairman of the zoning com-

mittee, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, the committee considered earlier zoning arrangements in the party since its inception, adding that it equally examined previous happenings in the party in respect of restrictions to equal participation of members.

Consequently, the committee recommended that the chairmanship of the party be reserved to the southern zones

“bearing in mind that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 was zoned to the northern zones as approved by the National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday, May 21, 2016.”

Other positions allotted to the south include Deputy National Chairman 1, National Treasurer, National Legal Adviser, National Youth Leader, National Organizing Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Sec-

retary, Deputy National Woman Leader, Deputy National Auditor and Deputy National Financial Secretary.

The north is however, expected produce Deputy National Chairman 2, National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, National Auditor, National Woman Leader, Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Deputy National

Youth Leader, Deputy National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Secretary.

Umahi stated that “the committee encouraged the party to adopt a pattern of zoning by switching positions from north to south.”

He added that the committee decried what it termed “the unsatisfactory practices with the party operations,” and called for a paradigm shift.

Jail term not solution to corruption, says Kukah Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

Guest Speaker, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah (left), with the Chairman, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policies (Isgpp), Prof. Akin Mabogunje, at the book reading event of Isgpp, in Ibadan … yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

High heeled shoes increase cancer risk Appolonia Adeyemi

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earing high heels on long-term basis has been found to be associated with cancer, a leading cancer expert in the United States (U.S) has said.

According to the Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Dr. David Agus, there may be a link between vertiginous foot-

wear and cancer.

In his book, ‘A Short Guide To A Long Life’ — which lists the simple steps people should take to reduce their risk of cancer and long-term illness, Agus recommended avoiding high-heeled shoes and spending more time in comfortable shoes.

He argued that wearing uncomfortable shoes every day doesn’t just cause unnecessary pain — and damage joints — it actively triggers low-

Saraki wants NLNG to end gas flaring in Nigeria Chukwu David Abuja

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he President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday, advised the management and board of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), to work towards reducing the current 20 per cent of gas being flared in the country.

Saraki, who gave the advice when the outgoing Managing Director of the NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa, paid a visit to introduce the in-coming Managing Director, Tony Attah, to him, stated that by stopping gas flaring, activities of the gas com-

pany would be appreciated by Nigerians.

He also pledged the determination of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly to fostering business friendly laws to promote and make gas business lucrative in the country.

Reacting to the submission of the out-going MD, NLNG, that the NLNG had succeeded in reducing gas flaring in Nigeria from 60 per cent to 20 per cent, the President of the Senate said, “there is need to do more.

You have to work harder so you can further reduce the current status of gas flaring in Nigeria.”

level inflammation as the body struggles with being forced into an unnatural posture and gait.

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process. Whether it is puffiness around a splinter or swelling around a joint, the process is triggered when the body encounters harmful stimuli such as bacteria, injury or irritants.

According to a report on the mailonline, scientists now believe that

if low levels of inflammation were allowed to become chronic, the process could become highly destructive.

What happens is that the chemical messengers in the body trigger a lowgrade smouldering response which, without us noticing, damages tissues throughout the body.

Although the science is still unclear, it seems the same chemicals which were critical for the healing process can inadvertently cause damage — one example is that they appear to contribute to hardening of the arteries.

FHA, pilgrims’ commission congratulate Egbemode on NGE

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ore congratulatory messages have continued to pour in following the emergence of Mrs. Funke Egbemode, the Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph as the Acting President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

Specifically, the Federal Housing Authority and the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, in a separate congratulatory messages commended Egbemode for the well deserved appointment.

In a congratulatory message made available to the New Telegraph yesterday and signed by FHA’s Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Prof.

Mohammed Al-Amin, the

Authority said that Egbemode’s appointment as Acting President of NGE was well deserved because she has functioned in various capacities in the association’s hierarchy.

Al-Amin explained that Egbemode’s appointment also justified her enormous contributions to both the development of Nigerian journalism profession and national discourse.

His words: “Your appointment into the revered office did not come by happenstance as you had functioned in various capacities, both in the Standing Committee and the National Executive Committee of the Guild for the past decade.

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ishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, yesterday declared that jailing people who have purportedly stolen money from the government coffers could never be the solution to fighting corruption in Nigeria.

Speaking as a guest at the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) which organised a book reading club, according to the Executive Vice Chairman of the school, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, to revive the dying reading culture especially amongst the younger generation, Kukah said instead, “building strong institutions around corruption fight; workable and functional educational system which could liberate people from ignorance that corruption ruins a nation and above

-6.2%

The percentage by which the total number of NSE Oil/Gas Index of the NSE dropped from Jan. 2015 – Dec. 2015.

Source: Nigerian Stock Exchange

all, good governance/functional society” constitute the basis of corruption fight. To him, “after these have been provided, anybody who runs afoul of the law, should be made to pay dearly for it to serve as deterrent to others”.

The Bishop, in his book: ‘Witness to Justice; an outpouring of emotions during the Oputa Truth Commission”, chronicled how emotions ran high from different ethnic representatives and people who have suffered one form of injustice or another from past administrations and powerful individuals in the country during the military governments preceding the democratic administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.

“Corruption is a symptom of a sickness. We might deal with the corruption by jailing people but as long as the system allows people to steal, it will still remain with us.”

253.6m

The estimated total population of Eastern Europe in 1960.

Source: Un.org

UBA denies alleged involvement in Turkey coup bid Tony Chukwunyem

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he United Bank for Africa (UBA) has denied any role in the coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

In a statement by its Head of Communications, Charles Aigbe, UBA denied involvement in the failed coup plot, saying that speculations linking it with the coup attempt were patently false.

A Turkey-based newspaper, Yenisafak, had reported that some of those arrested in connection with the July 15, 2016 failed coup plot had told their interrogators that UBA Plc

and a United States Army General, John F. Campbell, arranged for the funding of the coup plot.

The newspaper alleged that the funds, in the region of $2 billion, were moved from the United States into UBA Plc from where they were funnelled to the coup plotters.

But denying the allegations, Aigbe, said, “UBA is aware of the on-going and spurious media speculation linking our institution to recent events in Turkey.

In light of this, we believe it is necessary to categorically state that UBA has no involvement in or connection to these accusations, which are clearly false.

News|NATIONAL

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Osinbajo to chair business Ambassadorial nominees fail National Anthem, Pledge in Senate Chukwu David environment council Amadi Nnamdi Abuja

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he Federal Government yesterday revealed its plan to institute a Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, which is targeted at helping entrepreneurs and investors.

This was even as the government announced that it has disbursed N426 million to 253 National Youth Service Corps members through its Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) domiciled and championed by the Bank of Industry (BoI).

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah stated this yesterday in Abuja at the International Conference on Entrepreneurship organised by Beta Sigma Fraternity, reiterating government’s commitment towards providing enabling environment for entrepreneurs.

The Minister hinted that the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council will be chaired by the Vice-President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo and that the council will work effectively with other established government agencies to identify all obstacles to doing business in Nigeria.

He further stated that the council is an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the President has just given the directive for it to be launched and that more details of the council and its activities will soon be made public.

Speaking further on the theme of the conference tagged: “Entrepreneurship; the driving wheel to sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria,” the Minister said “Nigeria is a land of entrepreneurs.

We can see this all around us in the energy of our people and the unceasing buzz of the business ideas.”

NDLEA to re-arraign South-African, Nigerian over cocaine trafficking Akeem Nafiu

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South-African woman, Lerato Lekganyane, who was caught with 1.21kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to transport the illicit substance out of Nigeria, will on August 4 be rearraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

She will be arraigned alongside her Nigerian accomplice, who has just been arrested by the NDLEA. The woman had earlier been arraigned by the agency and she had equally pleaded guilty to a count charge slammed on her. Consequently, Jus-

tice Kuewumi had fixed yesterday for review of the facts of the case and possible sentencing of the accused.

However, at yesterday’s proceedings, NDLEA lawyer, Mr. Augustine Nwagu, sought for an adjournment to allow for an amendment of the charge as a Nigerian accomplice of the woman has been arrested by the officers of the agency.

According to him, it is only an amendment to the charge that will ensure a smooth trial of the two accused.

He said: “My lord, I was informed this morning that the person that sponsored her for this trip has been arrested and they even brought him to court this morning but I told them that I could not file the charge now.”

get the correct wordings of the stanza.

Where he ought to say, “To defend her unity, and uphold her honour and glory, so help me God”, Isah said, “To defend her unity and integrity, so help me God”.

On her part, the nominee from Benue State, Mrs Ada Ndem, was asked to mention 12 states in Nigeria and their capitals but she told the lawmakers that the capital of Lagos was Lagos.

Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, in a swift reaction, described the media reports that the

nominees failed to recite the Anthem and the Pledge, as a misrepresentation of facts.

Enang, who led the nominees to the screening venue, in a statement he issued and circulated to journalists while the day’s exercise was coming to a close, insisted that they correctly recited the Anthem and the Pledge.

The statement reads: “our attention has been drawn to report by a section of the media that some Ambassadorial Nominees were unable to recite the National Anthem and Pledge while appearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening today.”

Oshiomhole canvasses review of national minimum wage law

vate sector where I come from; they had about 4, 000 workers and some were even bigger than that.

“So, the law simply looked at the informal sector characterised by people employing 20, 40, 50 less than 100 and the current minimum wage law allows for exemption enterprises that are employing less than 50.

Abuja

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he Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, yesterday commenced the screening of the 47 ambassadorial nominees forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.

The exercise however, witnessed a brief comic drama, as two of the nominees faltered in reciting the nation’s National Anthem and the National Pledge, while another one missed the capital of Lagos State.

Vivian Okeke, a nominee from Anambra State,

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do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday in Abuja called for a review of the new National Minimum Wage Law. The governor made the call at the International

ollowing the increase in domestic violence issues across the country, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Dr. Muiz Banire and Commissioner for Women Affairs in Lagos State, Hon. Lola Akande and other eminent personalities will speak on legal and other options open to victims and what should be changed in our legal system to hasten justice regarding domestic violence in Nigerian, as the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Association

of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), is set to address domestic violence during her annual week holding from July 31 to August 5.

In a statement issued yesterday, the chairperson of NAWOJ, Lagos Chapter, Mrs. Sekinah Lawal, said the purpose of the seminar is to enlighten Nigerians, empower and protect all, most especially the girl-child, not just as female media professionals but as mothers.

The week-long activities will begin on Sun-

Trade Union Congress Africa (ITUC-Africa) Regional Conference on Advancing Decent Work in Global Supply Chain in Africa.

He said: “I think there is need to revisit some of the assumptions that informed

the drafting of the Nigerian National Minimum Wage Law when it was enacted. I think it was at a time when big corporations dominated the economy.

“This is particularly true in the organised pri-

L-R: Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. E.J Quibato; National Director, Public Debt Management Unit, Angelica Paquete; Angola’s Minister of Finance, Amando Manuel; Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Director, International Economic Relations, Mr. Haruna Muhammed, during the visit of the Angolan delegation to Mrs Adeosun, in Abuja…yesterday

14.16%

The percentage by which the total equities market capitalization of the NSE dropped from Jan. 2015 – Dec. 2015) Source: Nigerian Stock Exchange

Domestic violence: Banire, Akande, others to speak at NAWOJ’s seminar

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who was the first to face the Senate screening Panel, while being nervous, faltered when she was asked to sing the National Anthem.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Monsurat Summonu, had asked Mrs Okeke to recite the National Anthem but she was stuck mid way.

During the recital, she mumbled the last stanza of the Anthem but Senator James Manager, a member of the committee, quickly assisted her to scale the hurdle.

Another nominee, Ibrahim Isah, from Niger State, in his attempt to recite the National Pledge, failed to

day, July 31, 2016 with a Thanksgiving service at the ArchBishop Vinning Memorial Church, Ikeja, followed by a 5km Fitness/ Sensitisation Walk from Ikeja Local Government to Lagos State House of Assembly Alausa, Ikeja, on August 3.

The seminar with the theme; “Ending Domestic Violence: A Task for All” will take place on August 4 at the Combo Hall of Lagos Television, Lateef Jakande Road, AgidingbiIkeja, Lagos.

Obasanjo to govs: Merge MDAs to reduce waste Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday urged state governors to scrap Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that are not viable and productive to the economy.

Obasanjo said in view of the current economic realities in the country, it is imperative for the governors to consider the merging of MDAs to reduce waste and cut cost of governance.

He spoke with reporters shortly after a closeddoor meeting with the Chairman, Joint Tax Board (JTB), Dr. Baba-

tunde Fowler and other members, who paid him a courtesy visit at his Presidential Hilltop Estate residence in Abeokuta.

According to the former president, states must adopt measures to stay afloat and overcome the present cash crunch.

He said state governments should improve on their Internally Revenue Generation efforts and invest whatever accrued from it into the provision of infrastructure.

Obasanjo recommended the merger of government establishments, especially those that should not continue to exist separately.

He said: “When times are hard, it is when the government needs more

internally generated revenue and it is also the time that those from whom the government would want to generate fund are hard to be able to get money.

“What do we have to do? They must continue to try as much as possible and increase what each state can generate in terms of internally generated revenue.

“But states must also embark on a number of things. One, reduce waste. Two, they have to look into becoming slimmer; government can do a lot by looking at their own establishments, where do they have to bring together institutions that don’t need to continue to exist separately.”

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wednesday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

Policeman wounded as militants invade Lagos community Taiwo Jimoh

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policeman is now desperately hanging on to life after he was shot during an encounter yesterday with militants who invaded Akesan community at Igando area of Lagos State.

The gunmen also reportedly abducted a commercial motorcyclist in the community.

Witnesses said the gunmen, numbering about eight, all dressed in white shirts and trousers. They invaded Akesan about 8a.m. and hired four motorcyclists popularly called Okada riders to take them to the creek in the community.

According to a resident, who pleaded anonymity, when the motorcyclists got to the creek, they left and went away but one of them said the gunmen must pay for his service.

Angered by his audacity, one of the gunmen slapped the mo-

torcyclist and ordered him to leave.

But other gunmen, who were already inside a speedboat, came down and ordered the motorcyclist to enter their boat.

However, some residents near the river saw what transpired between them and the motorcyclist and raised the alarm which attracted the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) members in the community.

The OPC members later confronted the gunmen.

One of the OPC members, Mr. Semiu Adedeji, said he and another member, Oluwo, were at Ewedogbon bus stop in the morning when they saw the gunwielding militants alight from a commercial bus.

According to him, they were eight and dressed in white clothes.

He said: “Immediately they came down, they called some motorcycle riders to take them

Policemen in the community. Inset: Recovered items

to the creek where one of their leaders built a house. When they got there, they refused to pay the riders. One of the motorcyclists, who wanted his money at all costs, threw a stone at them. But they ordered him to enter their speedboat.”

Adedeji added that when the gunmen noticed that some residents who lived close to the river saw what they were doing, they brought out their guns and started chasing them to the main road.

He said: “When they chased some of the residents to the bus stop, unfortunately some policemen from Igando Division who were on patrol of the area ran into the militants. The militants opened fire on the policemen.”

Adedeji said that when the gunmen had the upper hand, the policemen fled and abandoned their operational vehicle.

He added: “Immediately the gunmen pounced on the police vehicle and vandalised it. From where Oluwo and I sat, we came out and faced them with the assistance of one policeman who stood his ground and replied them fire for fire.

“When we observed that we couldn’t overpower them, some

City Briefs

Fire guts UCH Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

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ire yesterday razed the Accident and Emergency Ward section of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

The fire destroyed the multi-million naira building and equipment.

Witnesses said the fire began with an explosion, with patients running in different directions as a result of the commotion created by the explosion.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Deji Bobade, said that an electric spark caused

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

the fire and that the ward might be relocated to another building as a result of the damage caused by the inferno.

A witness, Mrs. Dolapo Haastrup, said she was waiting at the side of the building for a relative who was inside when the explosion occurred.

She said: “It was a loud one and I understand that it was a gas explosion. We all ran away and from where I was, I saw many patients being rushed out. Some were on crutches and even beds. Relatives had to brave the consequences to enter the building and save their loved ones who were either admitted or who came for treatment at the A&E ward. I cannot say if anyone was injured in the fire, but the building is destroyed”, she said.

of the policemen who ran away called for reinforcement. Officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), OPMESA and some officials of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Metro Patrol police were deployed there. The gunmen later escaped through the creek.”

Policemen, who stormed the area, according to other witnesses, later demolished the house of the leader of the militants.

The police, it was learnt, also recovered a speedboat engine, a gas cylinder, a generator, some machetes and a wooden cross from the building.

The police also deployed a helicopter to trace the gunmen.

It was also learnt that the gunmen had kidnapped a mother of two on Monday but set her free yesterday.

When our correspondent got to Akesan yesterday, some residents were moving out of the community in droves for fear of reprisal.

A resident, Mrs. Idowu Gabriel, said the people were afraid.

She said: “We cannot sleep because we don’t know if the militants would come back to attack us. That is why some residents

are moving out. Even those of us who are not relocating will not be able to sleep with our eyes closed.”

Another resident, who identified himself simply as John, said some of the people living in the coastal area were tired of the militants.

He said: “Our women cannot go to market anymore. We cannot take boats from our village at Agelete to other coastal communities. They are always on the sea robbing people of their money and goods. Even some women are being raped by these people. We want government’s intervention.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, denied that any policeman was injured in the encounter.

She said: “A group of people invaded Akesan area in the early hours of today (yesterday).

Our operatives positioned in strategic places in the community were alerted. They swiftly moved in and foiled the attack.

“Right now, normalcy has returned to the community. No single death was recorded.”

Teacher ‘sleeps’ with teenage student

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olice yesterday arraigned a 21-year-old teacher, Matthew Sodake, before an Ota Magistrates’ Court for allegedly having oral sex with a 14-year-old student.

The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing alleged charge of assault.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Chudu Gbesi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 12 about 8p.m. at Ambassador Star Comprehensive Secondary School, Answer, Ota in

Ogun State.

Gbesi, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), told the court that the accused, a teacher in the school, lured the 14-year-old student (name withheld) into one of the classrooms and had oral sex with her.

He said that the offence contravened Section 216 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun,2006.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Senior Magistrate,

Mr. S. O. Banwo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Banwo said that the sureties must be residents within the court’s jurisdiction and should be gainfully employed.

He also ordered the sureties to swear to an affidavit of means and show evidence of tax payment to Ogun State government.

The magistrate adjourned the case till August 12 for hearing.

METRO

wednesday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Three killed, two injured in YorubaHausa clash

Teenage mother sells 18-month-old baby for N300,000 Kenneth Ofoma ENUGU

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or allegedly selling her one year and six months’ old baby, Okike Ezinne (18) is now in the custody of police in Enugu State with her collaborators.

The teenage mother, who hails from Isu Mbaneze in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, sold her baby identified as Chisom Raphael.

Ezinne told the police that her bosom friend tricked her into selling her baby.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed Ezinne’s arrest, noted that the girl had the baby out of wedlock and decided to keep it.

He said that the suspect claimed that when things were no longer working smoothly for her while at home, her bosom friend, Promise Godwin (20), also from Isu Mbaneze Ohazara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, approached her to come to Enugu with the child with a promise that somebody was going to take care of Ezinne and Chisom Raphael.

“According to Ezinne, she later joined the friend in Enugu where she secured an accommodation at Coal Camp axis but later found out that the friend has abandoned her husband and was into commercial sex work at Four Corners Junction, Enugu, with her little baby probably to make ends meet.

“It was further revealed that sometime in the month of March 2016, Promise Godwin, perfected the purchase deal of little Chisom at the rate of N300,000 with 46-year-old Gloria Okafor from Uturu but married to now late Sunday Okafor of Umudi Lokpanta in Abia State whose major occupation is to get and sell babies to prospective buyers within Uturu, Lokpanta and its environs,” Amaraizu said.

The PPRO added that police discovered that Chisom was taken to Limca bus stop at Okigwe, Imo State on Enugu Port-Harcourt Expressway, Okigwe, where he was sold to Gloria Okafor for N300,000.

According to him, the money was given to the mother of Chisom in cash and they all came back to Enugu.

Idris

Camillus Nnaji

T

hree people were killed while two others were injured yesterday during a clash between Yoruba and Hausa at the White Sand area of Orile, Lagos State.

While some residents said that the clash, which left people scampering for safety, was between Hausa and Yoruba residents, others said it was between operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

One of the residents said there was a clash between Yoruba and Hausa on Monday, which culminated in the Hausa leader inviting operatives of the NCS yesterday, to assist them in the escalating clash.

When the Customs officials stormed the community in three trucks, in uni-

Ogun adopts boy chained by father

form, they were confronted by members of the OPC in the community.

There was an exchange of gun fire, leading to the death of the three people and the injuring of two persons.

The three dead were members of the community.

One of the injured is an official of the NCS, while the second is also a member of the community.

Recalling how the clash started, a resident said: “There was a clash between Hausa and Yoruba people on Monday. On Monday, a Yoruba man was robbed and stabbed in the eye by a Hausa man. The victim is called Ojo. The attack led to a fracas.

“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Badia Police Station, Mr. Kayode Ayeni, came on that Monday and arrested 10 Hausa people. Today, there was an

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

N

Abeokuta

ife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, and Ogun State governor’s wife, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, have taken steps to give succour to a nine-year-old boy, Korede Taiwo, who was allegedly chained and tortured for weeks by his father.

This came as the state government adopted the boy who was currently on admission at the Paediatric Unit of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.

The police have already arrested Korede’s father, Francis Taiwo, who is a pastor at the Celestial Church of Christ, Key of Joy Parish, Atan Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

Also, the boy’s stepmother, Mrs. Kehinde Taiwo, has been arrested.

Amosun’s wife, who visited the hospital yesterday, disclosed that Buhari’s wife had called her, out of compassion, to enquire about the condition of the boy.

Amosun was on the visit with the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olumide Ayeni.

She expressed satisfaction over the improving health of the child.

order that the area, where the Hausa and Yoruba reside, should be demolished.

The order was given by the Lagos State government and His Royal Highness, Ijora of Ijora Kingdom of Badia, Abdulfatai Aromire.

“The land belongs to Aromire. He supported the government’s order for demolition. He wanted everybody to leave. The place is notorious. Hausa and Yoruba live there. Last week SARS went there and arrested four people with ammunition. A week before that, Task Force, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and other policemen went there and arrested 86 suspects.

That was what led to the order for the place to be demolished.”

He said that as the government officials were demolishing the place, the leader of the Hausa community alerted his Customs friends on the phone. The Customs men came in three trucks and later engaged OPC men in a gun duel. It was in the process that the Customs’ bullets hit the victims. Three died. One of the deceased is a lotto operator, called TJ. Another person, Azeez Tajudeen, sustained bullet wound.

The resident added: “One of the Customs men sustained injuries. He was taken to Lagoon Hospital.”

The state Police Public

Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.

She said: “The community and the police were on joint operation of raiding ‘black spots’ within the community and arresting suspected criminals, while some Customs officers on convoy with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials had an encounter with some people in the area and fired some shots.

“Three people were hit by bullet as a result one death was recorded, while two others were still receiving treatment in the hospital.”

Badmos said the Customs officers were from Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A,’ Ikeja, Lagos.

When contacted, the FOU’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Uche Ejesieme, also confirmed that Customs operatives were on routine patrol in the area when they encountered road blocks mounted by area boys.

He said: “Incidentally, NEMA officials on duty in the area were being manhandled by the hoodlums.

Their cry for help led to the Customs officers’ intervention.

“In the course of rescue, the police also came to the scene. We did not go there for any matter but on normal patrol.”

Female warder smuggles alcohol into prison

Kunle Olayeni

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9

Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, with the rescued 9-yearold boy, Korede Taiwo

According to her, the state will take responsibility for his education and safety.

She said: “I will like to place on record, because it is very important that the mother of the nation (Aisha Buhari) has followed this case from the very onset, even before it was officially declared in the newspapers.

“She is passionate about this matter. Throughout yesterday, she interacted with me about the condition of the child and the action that has been taken. I think this is worthy of note that the wife of our President is compassionate about happenings in various states.

“I am happy to see him active and responding to treatment and with the way things are, he would soon be discharged from the hospital. The state government has taken full responsibility and would ensure his safety and his education.”

igeria Prisons Service (NPS) has dismissed a female warder, Mary Ikenye, Prisons Assistant 1, for smuggling alcoholic drinks into the Kirikiri Prison yard in Lagos State.

Her dismissal is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the NPS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Controller of Prisons, Francis Enobore.

Enobore, who cited the provisions of the Prisons Act which support her dismissal, said that her offence was considered as trafficking in the service.

He said Ikenye’s dismissal letter was signed on behalf of the Controller-General of Prisons by the officer in charge of discipline, DCP Agun Olatunji.

According to him, the female warder was found guilty of negative activities which

border on trafficking, an act that contravenes the enabling provisions of Sections 14 (i) (a) and Section 82 (n) of Prisons Act Cap P.29 LFN 2004 and punishable under Sections 14 (i) (g) and Section 83 of same Act. He said: “Trafficking, in prisons parlance, is the act of smuggling prohibited item(s) or unauthorised information into or out of the prison yard.

The offence is usually viewed seriously because of its potential threat to security.

“Cases of inmates making illegal phone calls from their cells, organising jail breaks, having access to weapons, escape, etc are all traced to trafficking sometimes perpetrated by staff and this has often been a source of embarrassment not only to the service but the nation at large.

“Such compromising acts, no doubt, do not augur well for the security of a custodial institution like the Prisons Service and also put the lives of innocent staff and inmates in serious danger.”

10

NEWS | south-west

10 teachers die monthly in Lagos, says Perm Sec

T

he Lagos State Teachers' Establishment and Pension Office (TEPO) yesterday raised the alarm over an average death of 10 teachers monthly in the state postprimary teaching service, describing it as worrisome.

TEPO Permanent Secretary, Mrs Sewanu Ayodele-Amosu made the disclosure at a Sensitisation Seminar and Capacity Building on Healthy Living for Post-Primary Teaching Staff of the state.

She said that apart from sudden collapse resulting in either temporary or permanent confinement in bed, the disturbing rate of deaths among teachers in the state called for concern.

According to her, in spite of the prevailing economic situation in the country, there is arguably scantiness of knowledge on healthy living. ``This is another contributory factor for this worrisome adverse health condition of the teachers. ``This health seminar will be held quarterly to educate teachers on the importance of healthy living and to provide support for those that have health challenges. ``This seminar is designed to effect real behavioural changes among staff of the post-primary teaching service and promote capacity for maintenance and sustainability of good and vibrant health,’’ she said.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adeb-

ule, said the state government would continue to pay adequate attention to the needs of teachers as it recognised their role to humanity.

Adebule said that the Ministry of Education was working with the Ministry of Health to issue Health Cards to teachers to enable them to access prompt medical care at the state’s health institutions. ``The health card will be part of the requirements for promotion as a way of motivating our teachers to go for regular health checks."

$3.2m

The total amount from endorsements of Henrik Stenson (Golf) for 2015.

Source: Forbes.com

wednesday, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fayose tackles INEC on Rivers, others’rerun elections Sulaiman Salawudeen Ado-Ekiti

E

kiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for "messing up democracy in Nigeria with its handling of elections under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government."

Describing the postponement of the Rivers State rerun election and an alleged manipulation of the Imo North Senatorial election as "another dangerous signal of what to come in 2019", the governor asked how an electoral body that failed to conduct elections conclusively in just one state would be able to conduct elections in the entire country in 2019.

The governor in a statement yesterday reiterated his fear that "democracy

L

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday said that plans are underway to make Badagry and Epe as tourists’ attraction with a view to jerking up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

This, the governor said an arrangement had been concluded to increase the state's IGR to N30bn and N50bn by 2017 and 2018 respectively, insisting that his administration would leave no stone unturned until it harnessed tourism potentials in the state.

Speaking after inspecting ongoing projects across Epe Local Government, Ambode said the state government would develop its tourists’ sites to global standard that would be compared to any tourist centres in the world.

He said: "The road will be dualised with about five meters of walkway

Sulaiman Salawudeen

E

Lagos to increase IGR to N50bn in 2017 in order to make it pedestrian friendly. The intention is to build a modern Marina that can compete with others worldwide.

We have already incorporated some of the world Marina design into the project.

"There might be some hotels and malls that will encourage 24-hour commercial activities. It will be mega terminal for water transportation.

“And the reason we embarked on the project simultaneously, we want to replicate what we have studied in Dubai Marina.

This is a stretch of two kilometers of real estate and tourist centre in Epe and Badagry.

"We believe that growing the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state by 2017 to N30 billion and in 2018 to N50 billion. We believe that these projects will lead to our dream of growing the IGR of Lagos.

"We believe that by the time we expand the tourist potentials of the state

especially Badagry and Epe, we will be able to get new investors into the state. They will be doing other things away from what we already have at the moment.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development Engineer Ganiyu Johnson, who took the

governor and his entourage through the projects, said the project would be completed in earnest.

"Exactly what we are doing here is what is ongoing in Badagry Marina.

We expect that the contractor hand over the first stage of the project next month August," Johnson said.

UNILAG begins pre-admission screening August 3 Mojeed Alabi

T

he management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has released guidelines for registration for the pre-admission screening exercise for the 2016/2017 academic calendar year.

In a statement issued yesterday by the university's Deputy Registrar (Information), Mr Toyin Adebule, the said online registration for the screening would hold between August 3 and 24.

It said only candidates

who made the university their first choice at the 2016 UTME and scored 200 and above were eligible for the screening.

The university said candidates must possess five credit passes at one sitting in relevant Ordinary Level subjects, including English language and mathematics.

It added that candidates who would not be 16 years of age by October 31 were not eligible for screening and need not apply while candidates with awaiting results are also encouraged to apply

states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2019 if it has not been able to conclude elections in Rivers State in four months.”

The governor said President Muhammadu Buhari should be worried that since he assumed office, all elections conducted by INEC had ended inconclusive, noting "it should be clear to him (the President) and members of his party that absence of free, fair and credible electoral process is a direct invitation to anarchy."

He said: "Nigerians had thought issues of violence, ballot snatching and electoral fraud had been put behind them only for it to be brought back frontally by the Buhari's government."

Ekiti earmarks N160m to complete water, road projects Ado-Ekiti

L-R: Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure, Engr.

Ganiyu Johnson; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; Project Manager, Craneburg Construction, Mr. Alex Nompelis and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Caster BadeAdebowale, during the Governor’s inspection of the ongoing construction of Epe-Ikorodu road, Lagos…yesterday

Muritala Ayinla

in Nigeria is being threatened by INEC and this should call for national and international reflection."

He said: "Lovers of democracy in Nigeria and the entire world should be worried that after conducting inconclusive elections in Rivers State in March this year, INEC postponed conclusion of the elections twice.

"INEC had on June 20 after a meeting with relevant stakeholders, fixed June 30 as new date for the conclusion of the poll.

"However, the electoral commission postponed the elections for the second time, claiming reports of violence, and one wonders how INEC will be able to conduct elections in 36

kiti State Government has set aside N160 million for the completion of scores of projects scattered across the state.

The projects scattered across communities in the 16 council areas of the state would be completed before the end of the year.

Already, Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday held a meeting with the community leaders and the management of the Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agenda (EKSCDA) in Ado-Ekiti with a view to carrying the communities along in the projects.

In a statement by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, at least two communities would benefit from the projects in each of the local government areas.

The projects included

water, electricity, health facilities, roads, culverts among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Fayose said the communities had to be involved because they were in the best position to know what they really needed, due to inflation the costs of some of the projects would be reviewed though.

The governor charged the community leaders to sensitise their people on the need to always wary of misinformation being churned out by the opposition.

According to him, the campaign of hatred against his person and administration was meant by the opposition to set the people against him, regretting that the state was being given the reputation of where ‘people pull others down.’

Fayose said: "The effect of this is that the state does not have many people at the top and we are losing."

Ondo commissioner resigns, joins guber race Babatope Okeowo Akure

D

ays after two commissioners including Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN quit their job, another commissioner yesterday resigned his appointment from Olusegun Mimikoled government in Ondo state.

He is Prince Bamiduro Dada, the Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Dada yesterday resigned his appointment and joined the long list of those jostling for the governorship ticket of the People's Democratic

Party (PDP) to contest the November 26 election.

Dada is the third commissioner who resigned his appointment in order to succeed Governor Olusegun Mimiko as Chief Sola Ebiseeni and Mr Eyitayo Jegede SAN had last week tendered their letters in order to contest the governorship election.

The PDP has fixed August 22 for the party's primaries and asked each of the aspirants to pay N16million for expression of interest and nomination forms.

In his letter, Dada thanked Gover nor Mimiko for the opportunity to serve the people of the state

11

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Edo Campaign of calumny takes centre stage

Politics

Interview PDP must be ready to challenge APC in 2019 – Bode George

12 14

Ripples as Ribadu returns to APC The return of former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he dumped for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, has triggered a supremacy battle in his home state – Adamawa, FELIX NWANERI reports

F

ormer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has joined the rank of Nigerian politicians in the back and forth movement given his return to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he abandoned for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in August 2014.

The defection of the former antigraft czar from the APC to the then ruling PDP to contest the Adamawa State governorship position in the 2015 general elections, however, turned a misadventure. He lost to the candidate of the APC of which he was one of its founding fathers.

Ribadu was trounced by Senator Jibrilla Bindow in a contest that turned out a three-horse race against the belief that it would be between the PDP and APC. Bindow polled 362,329 votes to defeat his closest rival, Engr. Marcus Gundiri of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who polled 181,806 votes. Surprisingly, Ribadu, who most bookmakers had tipped ahead of the poll, was a distant third with 98,917 votes.

Ribadu’s dismal performance in the poll, perhaps, explained why he was quick to concede defeat midway into the announcement of the result.

A statement he personally signed, read: “My dear people of Adamawa State, I greet you in the best form of greetings. I had dreamt of coming back home to lead our dear state to

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Ribadu

greater strides after years of underdevelopment. I started this journey in August last year and successfully got the mandate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to fly its flag for the April 11 (2015) gubernatorial election.

“I came into this race knowing fully well that political contests are two-way traffics – one either wins or loses. As a man of faith, I was also aware that leadership responsibility is a product of God’s anointment. In the course of this journey, I have seen genuine support and encouragement from the people of Adamawa State.

Several individuals from Adamawa and beyond contributed generously to keep the campaign going and many others devoted their time, energy and intellect to see to the success of this project. I sincerely appreciate this belief in my person and my ambition.

“The support I got from my party’s leadership and individual members from President Goodluck Jonathan down to the party agents in our polling units was overwhelming and gratifying. The party leader in the state, Barrister Bala James Ngilari and the state party chairman, Chief Joel Madaki led their lieutenants in making this journey memorable.

“I came into this race with lofty dreams and clear vision for our dear state, but the voice of the majority has not given me this chance. I take this in good faith. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the winner and pray that at the end of it all our dear state will witness the needed progress and development it so much desires.”

As Ribadu acknowledged, the Adamawa governorship contest was a difficult one, and signs that the journey would be tortuous for him, emanated right from the PDP primaries to determine who flies the party’s flag. Though he clinched the

Bindow

I left the APC in 2014 owing to fundamental disagreements ... with the ways the party in my state was run

Atiku

ticket, it was not after a tough battle that saw the national leadership of the party moving the primary election to Abuja.

The former EFCC boss defeated six other contestants, including the then governor of the state, Bala Ngilari by 688 to 26 votes. Awwal Tukur, son of a former national chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, got 24 votes; a former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Ahmed Modibbo had 30 votes; Marcus Gundiri, who ran for governor on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 elections, got 33 votes, while General Aliyu Kama (rtd) got three votes.

Though Ribadu won the primary election by landslide, prominent members of the state chapter of the party, who felt dissatisfied with his candidacy, covertly worked to sabotage his effort to be governor. The last straw was the defection of the likes of a former Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Jonathan Zwingina; a former Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Idi Hong and two serving senators – Bello Tukur and Ahmed Barata at the eve of the governorship election.

Zwingina, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said they decided to pitch their tent with the APC to support Bindow. “We are positive of the change going on now in the country; we believe in the candidacy of Bindow,” he said. Ironically, this was after they had traversed the state with Ribadu, canvassing for votes for the PDP. While Zwingina and Hong had earlier lost their respective bids to represent Adamawa Central and Southern districts on the PDP platform in the National Assembly election held on March 28, the decision to jump ship was reached after they met with the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, during his visit to

Yola to campaign for the APC. While many attributed Ribadu’s loss to the internal wrangling in Adamawa PDP, some however opined that the former anti-graft chief shot himself on the foot, when he dumped the APC for the PDP, a party he relentlessly criticized in the past.

Ribadu was the presidential candidate of the ACN – one of APC’s legacy parties in the 2011 elections and was until his defection to the PDP in 2014, considered a prospective presidential candidate of the APC for the 2015 elections. But he was said to have been pressurised at the time by the national leadership of the PDP to dump APC to contest the governorship election though most of his political associates were shocked that he yielded to the demand given his view on some chieftains of the ruling party.

The former EFCC boss, however, justified his defection saying the APC was not better than the PDP in terms of the character of the people who constituted both parties. “In Nigeria, especially in politics, you can’t say that this is an exclusive party for the people who are thieves or this is for good people,” he said.

He also argued that his defection was not borne out of his desperation to realise his political ambition but was based on his patriotic zeal to serve the country and its people.

Despite the justification, some said his defection had more to do with his governorship ambition and the alleged failure of the APC to give him the expected support and compensate him for his “sacrifices” for the party.

Part of the sacrifices, it was pointed out, was his offer to step down in the 2011 presidential election for President Muhammadu Buhari, who was then the presidential CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

12

POLITICS PLATFORM

We'll free Abia from political buccaneers – Ezugwu Chief Willy Ezugwu is the Secretary General of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He speaks on the ongoing tussle for the governorship seat of Abia State and other electoral issues. Felix Nwaneri reports Your group, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) backed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), when it issued a Certificate of Return to Uche Ogah in the tussle for the Abia State governorship seat. Is the group satisfied with the way things stand at the moment now?

Yes, we commended INEC because for the first time, the commission obeyed court order but we are not satisfied that Uche Ogah is yet to be sworn in as the governor of Abia State. It will interest you to know that as it stands today, Abia State has no governor because Okezie Ikpeazu’s Certificate of Return, which is the basis for which he was sworn in as the governor of the state, has been withdrawn by the issuing body.

Without the Certificate of Return from INEC, you can’t be sworn in as governor or president. It then means that if you don’t have a Certificate of Return, your election is not valid and you can’t be sworn in. It also means that if INEC withdraws your Certificate of Return, you cannot legally hold the office you claim to have been elected to occupy. What I’m saying in effect is that Okezie Ikpeazu is no longer the governor of Abia State.

Ezugwu

But the judgment of the Federal High Court in Owerri has dismissed the tax evasion charges against the governor…

Do you remember that the individual who filed the matter in the Federal High Court in Owerri is not Ogah? Are you also not aware that the judgement of the Abuja Federal High Court has not been vacated by any superior court in the land? Justice Abang’s ruling is still valid and in fact, he affirmed his verdict recently by refusing to entertain an application for stay of execution filed by Ikpeazu and referred the parties to the Court of Appeal. So, until that judgement is vacated and the Certificate of Return issued to Ogah is withdrawn, he remains the Governor-elect of Abia State and until he is sworn in, Abia has no governor.

What does this impasse portend for the polity?

For the trial judge not to have entertained Ikpeazu’s stay of execution application implies that Ogah should

5 Questions be sworn in. I want to remind you of what happened when Peter Obi was illegally impeached by some lawmakers in the Anambra State House of Assembly. Obi stepped aside and went to court to overturn the illegality and was reinstated by the court. Also, Joshua Dariye as Plateau State governor was illegally removed but he also stepped aside and went to court. So, you don’t remain on the seat, when you have been legally removed by the court and use public funds to fight you political opponent. There is no other way to describe impunity. Ikpeazu is engaged in impunity and all well meaning sons and daughters of South-East, who believe in the rule of law, must ensure that he steps aside and pursue his legal battle against Ogah.

It is only in the South-East that this kind of impunity can be tolerated. People are watching us from all over the country, and indeed the whole world, and if we continue to allow this level of impunity, how can we complain when it happens in another zone. We must not stand aside and watch the ongoing rape of democracy in Abia State.

Your group threatened to forcefully swear in Ogah as governor if the relevant authorities fail to do so. Are you still going on with the plan?

I may not tell you what we are doing underground to ensure that Ikpeazu leaves the Abia State Government House in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court. But be sure that we are mobilising aggressively in all parts of the South-East. The south easterners you saw during our press conference are not individuals that will make empty threats. We have our hands on deck and it will surprise those who are behind the impunity in Abia State when we conclude our plans. I want to assure you that our move is legal and legitimate. Abia Sate must be freed from the hands of buccaneers in power who want to stand democratic principles on the head.

How would you assess the present management of INEC? It is now obvious that the inconclusiveness of some of the elections conducted by the commission in recent time was to ensure free, fair and credible polls. The current INEC chairman has proven that the days of electoral impunity is gone. The swiftness with which INEC obeyed the court order removing Ikpeazu and issued Certificate of return to Governor-elect, Ogah is an indication that better days are here with us as far as elections are concerned. Impunity, like cankerworms, has eaten up our democratic values in the past and INEC is dealing with this disease. So, I believe that the electoral body will maintain the level of successes it has recorded so far.

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Edo: Campaign of Ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, stakeholders are worried that campaign of calumny, rather than that of issues has taken the centre stage.

Cajetan Mmuta reports

A

head of the September 10, governorship election in Edo State, various political parties, gladiators and the 19 governorship candidates recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission are intensify their efforts to ensure that they have good outing during the election. The electorate are also ready to ensure that they use their votes to elect someone who will succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole. But if the activity of the political parties and their candidates are anything to go by, the situation in Edo State is a clear indication that the election is going to be keenly contested between the candidates eyeing Oshiomhole’s seat. It smacks of repetition that Oshiomhole has danced well as a good actor to the rhythmic tunes looking at the staccato of problems he met on ground in 2008 till date as governor of the Heart Beat state.

The testimonial evidences of what the ‘Comrade Governor’ proven courage, zeal, will, industry and commitment in government and governance has done to the social, political, economic and cultural lives of people of the state are better seen than imagined across the three senatorial districts of the state. These are glaring in the areas of capacity building of generation of new crop of fearless leaders, massive network of roads, rural electrification, urban renewal, construction and renovation of schools in what is today tagged as Oshiomhole’s red roof revolution aimed at restoring confidence in the once bastardized and dilapidated education system ad structures therein; right attitude to work coupled with far less corruption free environment, electoral sanity with the one man one vote mantra, provision of appreciable health facilities within the urban and rural areas, prompt and regular payment of monthly salaries in the state civil service as well as civil service reform; erosion control and bolstered hope for the future, amongst several other areas.

Indeed, rightly or wrongly, Governor Oshiomhole-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has demonstrated that with a conscientious determination, change is possible and that relief is also inevitable when the right chord is struck for a sonorous tune while a good and fast healing medical prescription is made to cure an ailment of deadly consequence.

The governor as a matter of certainty will in the next few months step aside for a new and fresh hand with ideas and

Oshiomhole

humane disposition to ascend to the number one seat at the Dennis Osadebay Avenue Government House in Benin City.

Without any iota of doubt, the seven and half years of Oshiomhole’s government has brought to the fore many great things the citizens can be happy for and in the process exposed a plethora of challenges posed by years of odium of insensitivity and rapacious exhibition of influence and power by past leaders whose actions almost brought the state to its knees. It is not out of place that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while in power also had made an inroad in the development indices of the state, though minimal given the resources available to both sides of the coin.

However, while the people wait anxiously for the obvious new dawn, much is being hoped for, expected and wished as a good offer from a luck would-be governorship candidate among the lots who have lined up for votes to be cast by the electorate. The faith of the next number one citizen in Edo State would be decided by the electorate on September 10 through the ballot. Sadly, there are thousands of impoverished jobless youths, elderly, less privileged, sick and helpless individuals and women who apart from being poor also constitute the chunk of the masses at the grassroots who invariably are the real owners of government. This reminder is germane given the permeating, persuasive and endless campaigns that are now taking their toll to the door steps of people at the hinterlands, wards, local government councils and senatorial districts of the state.

Much as the people need government of hope and change nearer to them, it must be instructive at this auspicious moment taking a cursory look or assessment of what is awaiting the prospective incoming successor to outgoing chief executive and the state itself, the present outpour of political vituperations in the name of political campaigns by the various organisations, especially, the ruling APC and the main opposition

CROSSFIRE My inability to admit into the budget almost N30 billion personal requests from Mr Speaker and the three other principal officers became an issue...

I will never support immunity -Abdulmumin Jibrin

His (Jubrin) removal was based on sundry acts of misconduct, incompetence, immaturity, total disregard for his colleagues and abuse of the budgetary process, among others -Abdulrazak Namdas

POLITICS PLATFORM

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

calumny takes centre stage

Obaseki

Ize-Iyamu

party, PDP, Accord Party (AP) and other political parties are not only diversionary but also unnecessary.

Although, it has been said that attack is the best form of defence but no one ever sets his house on fire and expects to return to it for possible safety.

Edo State remains one indivisible entity with a large mass of arable land waiting to be tilled to feed an estimated three million people and therefore the present political prospects and opportunity must be seen as one that affords itself for seasoned minds, ideas, ideals of men and women with vision and mission to overhaul, explore and exploit the huge potentials that abound within the 18 local government areas and three senatorial zones of the state in the oil rich South-South geo political zone of the country.

The words and actions of participating governorship candidates, their campaign organisations and party leaders, elders, members and followers are reminders of what are to come as the before, during and after the all important electoral process and must be reminded of the obvious consequence to and for the present and the future. There is at present serious disenchantment amongst most people that the same political rhetoric of yesteryears’ failed promises and programmes are being refined, defined and served to the almost weak ears of the people. The inundations are becoming tiring and empty.

The same political rhetoric of yesteryears’ failed promises and programmes are being refined, defined and served

While the campaign trains of the participating political parties move to the 192 wards, 18 local government areas and three senatorial districts, the candidates must in realistic terms have the courage to tell the people those things that are realizable, real and affordable as well as suitable for the owners of the government that is to take place and not to bamboozle them into believing that the heaven is immediately here when in actual sense the people are languishing in penury and suffering.

In addition, it needs be sounded aloud that the orgy of violent attacks, crises, attacks, unresolved murder cases and other worrisome but seeming holocaust or outrageous occurrences within the society today and directed at unsuspecting individuals, groups, families, communities and others as is presently happening in most states of the federation as well as the political environment, are the handwork of some elected and appointed political office holders. Such unholy promptings has further plunged the systems and the nation in untold bleakness and pose serious danger for future generation of leaders and go a step further to put a wedge to the expected harmonious relations between brothers, kinsmen and communities, groups and individuals. For instance, available documentaries and samples of speeches that have so far emanate from the campaign tours and venues in areas covered by some of the

active political parties, particularly APC and PDP, one is taken aback by the volleys of abuses, hate expressions, attacks on personalities and undue accusations of past and present, imagine, real, serious and funny expressions that come out from the colourful podiums and scintillating sound systems mounted by the political actors.

While some of these are expected to be carried with decorum, the political parties and their leaders and members must have it at the back of their minds that the future of tomorrow’s leaders, the youths and generations unborn are gradually being wiped away by the actions and speeches of today’s leaders. Hate campaigns are beginning to thrive on daily basis while violence laced with senseless wastage of lives, resources and properties now become a ritual in the hands of suspected cultists, political thugs and thirsty assassins who often times are paid peanuts to carry out the dastard acts at the relish of glass clicking and desperate politicians.

Nigerians and citizens must come to the realisation that democracy is indeed not growing but abused with reckless abandon even at the peril of the people. Today, almost each country of the world has a mind boggling fair share of terrorism acts and high level crimes that not only negatively impact on the psyche but also have adversely negated the value system and derailed peaceful coexistence. The truth must be said that political campaigns must dwell on realisable, sellable, achievable, acceptable developmental issues that must have positively affect on their lives and not semantics and cosmetic matters that not only stir headache but also give vent to cracks amongst them.

The masses cannot make meaningful contributions in the rebuilding processes even in face of buffeting hate, lies, accusations, malice and backwards references. Political patriots must draw from the actions of heroes past who sought and bring peace and not disaster to their generations, who silently rebuilt ruins of war with igniting more wars and bloodshed. Edo and her people cannot be sunk deep by those who find favour in whipping up sentiment. Edo people cannot afford this odious promptings now.

POLITRICKS Has Kashamu, Fayose reconciled? INEC and bug of inconclusiveness

H

as Governor Ayo Fayose and Senator Buruji Kashamu reconciled? That is question on the lips of many when both were seen on a national television last weekend. For several months, Fayose, the governor of Ekiti State and Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East were at loggerheads over Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership at zonal and national levels.

The two gladiators in South-West were close allies for some years before they

were torn apart by irreconciliable political diferrences. Perhaps, the last straw that broke the camel's back between the duo was the division over support for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as PDP's chairman.

But, trust politicians, no permanent enemy but permanent interest. Both PDP leaders were on hand to superintend over the reconciliation parley of PDP factions in three states of the South-West at Eko Hotels and Suites last weekend.

I

t seems that the bug of inconclusive elections has caught up with the new leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu.

From the governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa states, rerun elections in Rivers State to last weekend's re-run senatorial poll in Imo State, it has been tales of inconclusiveness. The respective elections not only ended on inconclusive notes but were characterised by poor logistics.

The question many have

asked over this development, is: Did the immediate past chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, left with the magic wand that saw the electoral umpire earned the confidence of many Nigerians and the international community?

But as one analysts observed, while Jega left a big shoe for his successor, the task before Yakubu is no mean one, but he has to rise to the occasion and deliver free and fair elections, as attention shifts to Edo and Ondo, which are next on line for governorship elections.

13

POLITICAL NOTES

Looming godfather, godson’s combat

P

olitics is a game of the brave, which explains why it has been variously defined as a war without bloodshed. It has rules but the terms of engagement can easily be busted without a corresponding punitive measure to the delinquent.

In the dictionary of politics, there are no such things as values and morals, only interests matter at every point in time.

It is against this backdrop that many are of the view that run-up to the forthcoming National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, is set to produce another round of intrigues and backstabbing that politics is known for. This time, a political godfather and his political protégée may be drawn in the same ring to a settle a political score.

With the zoning of the party’s chairmanship seat to the South, the surreptitious moves on who will take over the reins of leadership of the nation’s leading opposition party has commenced, especially in the South-West.

Whilst its an open secret that the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, who is regarded as the spine of the party in Lagos State, is interested in the position, it came as a rude shock to many when the name of the party’s governorship candidate at the 2015 elections, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, was flashed as one of the prospects for the party’s plum job.

Agbaje literarily rode on the back of George to emerge as the party’s candidate in Lagos State against the resistance of some forces within the party.

Although Agbaje lost the election, the imprint of George still struck at him.

While Agbaje has not confirmed or deny his interest, Political Notes gathered that the pharmacist turned politician is being pressurised into the race by some top echelon of the party including governors.

If the unfolding scenario turns out to be true, then an interesting political machination is in the offing. Will Agbaje accept the challenge to face his political godfather or wave the temptation aside? Is there an undercurrent move to tart the relationship between the duo? What will become of their followers in Lagos State? The answers to these posers surely reside in the belly of time.

WALE ELEGBEDE

14

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP must be ready to challenge APC in 2019 – Bode George Chief Olabode George is a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In this interview with GEOFFREY EKENNA, he speaks on the August 17 National Convention of the party and why the former ruling party must get it right The conflict in your party appears intractable. Will the forthcoming National Convention bring an end to the conflict?

Let me state very clearly that it is not an intractable conflict.

You know that when you have a massive organisation like ours that was in power and suddenly it lost power control, first there will be delayed shock. In the first few months, you will still be doing as if you are still there. We call it delayed shock. Later, you see a new group in power and you are empty.

It takes a lot of guts. It is not only in Nigeria. It takes a lot of guts, reorganisation, resillence, dedication and loyalty to that system for it to survive. It was a huge shock for us, having been in power for 16 years and suddenly you just hit the bottom; you tanked like the Americans would say. You have to do a lot of post mortem analysis and find out what you did wrong, how you can get back and in the meantime, those forces will be jumping.

The party that defeated you will be fighting to make sure that you don’t come back again. They will assist to decimate you. So, it requires a lot of people. Unfortunately, the former president who was the leader of the party, decided he wanted to have a sabbatical.

You are talking of an organisation without a head. You know the type of people that are jumping in. All types of leaders; all types of masquerades are jumping into the fray, singing different tunes. But I am happy that we have passed the eye of the storm. The party has an incredible resilience and we are gradually coming back. By the time we had the last convention, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif was brought in as the acting chairman and he wanted to contest at the convention for the post of chairmanship. Unfortunately for him, he has collected the form; he has appeared before the screening committee, which means he has ceased being the acting chairman.

He was on the bridge for election. He was a candidate. Somehow, there was a court order that there should not be an election into the posts of the chairman, secretary and auditor. So, in the wisdom of those who were at the convention, they decided to have a caretaker committee. And because

George

the convention is the supreme law of the party, they are allowed by the law to set up any law they wish to. And that was why a committee was set up to manage the party for 90 days; to prepare the party for another convention. That was all the authority that this committee has. There are about six of them, one from each geo-political zone.

Now, that is what they have been doing. Unfortunately, Sheriff came. That is the danger we have when you get people who are yet to understand the culture of your party, the norms, the dos and don’ts, the constitution, the grand norms of your party to come and be an acting chairman.

Everyone knew that PDP was struggling but the coming of Sheriff seemed to have busted the party in a way that it is now struggling to remain a party. Would you say the choice of Sheriff was a mistake?

Absolutely! That is exactly where I was going. When he came, they found out that he sold them a dummy. He said in the open that he was there to fill in the gap, finish the remaining tenure of Adamu Mu’Azu, stabilise the party and quietly go. He went on his own to say he was contesting, created a zoning committee that re-zoned the national chairmanship to the North-East, his zone in particular and retained the secretary in the South-West. That is no zoning.

Those of us who have spent time managing the party thought something was amiss.

When you talk about re-zoning,

We need somebody to stabilise the platform and deliver us...

This is not the time to bring a fresh leg

it means whatever has been in the North will come to the South and whatever had been in the South will go to the North. That was not what they did. The original concept of zoning was not lateral; like from South-East to the SouthSouth. It is North to South, South to North. And we had agreed. The National Executive Council (NEC) had approved the Senator Ike Ekweremadu report, which said in the next election, the presidential candidate will come from the North, which means that automatically, the national chairman will come from the South. That zoning committee didn’t do that.

Are you referring to the committee headed by the Akwa Ibom State governor?

Yes. The Akwa Ibom governor is also a new guy in the party. He didn’t know the culture of the party. People should have guided him right. They were not guided.

A night before the convention was another story. The truth came to the fore. A lot of things were discovered.

What were discovered?

I am not ready to go into that.

It’s another Pandora Box. But certain things that were inimical to the party were discovered. All the governors and stakeholders, who were there decided to set up a committee. That was why Sheriff came back and said he was the chairman. But he had gone on the channel, submitted his application, went for screening and

became a candidate. So, he has ceased to be chairman. It became messy and disheartening what has happened to the party.

Today, the caretaker committee went to court to justify the convention and the court said that Sheriff has ceased being the chairman and ordered the committee to plan another convention. That was the saving grace. Whatever Sheriff is doing is on his own.

Hopefully, new managers of the party would emerge on August 17.

Of course, before that, there would be zoning. All the positions in the North will come down South and vice versa. That is the next function of the committee – what goes where? Some of those who are going around with Sheriff have seen that there is no road and they are back to re-align.

My advice to Sheriff is that PDP is not owned by one individual and cannot be controlled by one individual; it is a party that came together and for the first time in this country, is completely detribalised and has no religious connotation.

It was during the administration of the late General sani Abacha that the process started. The people who started that move like Bola Ige, Alex Ekwueme, Sule Lamido, Adamu Ciroma and others could not have been in one political party.

Previous political settings in the country were tribalised. The common goal was that Abacha must not transmute to a civilian president. When he died was when the process of a political party started.

That is why it is so strong. There is no village in Nigeria that you don’t have PDP. Many people have said let us rebrand and we asked them: What are we rebranding? If we do that, we will end up like the All Progressives Congress (APC) and have strange bedfellows in the party. Tribulations will come but you must get up.

When you talk of former President Goodluck Jonathan being on sabbatical; how much of a disappointment is it to the leaders that somebody who used the party for a straight 16 years as a vehicle could just keep mute in the face of crisis now?

I don’t know really because that has to be personal. I was there the night, few days before handover, when he called us and told us that he wanted to thank all the leaders and wanted to go on sabbatical. A lot of people said ‘Mr. President, you cannot go on sabbatical. This is not a university. You should continue to manage the party until another presidential candidate emerges.’ That is because in our party, the president is the leader of the party. That is why it looks like a headless organisation now.

We don’t have the Villa anymore.

That would have been the Supreme Court, where everything would be settled.

The two presidents your party produced are no longer with you…

Yes, one has gone to another parCONTINUED ON PAGE 15

POLITICS

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

15

Ribadu's return unsettles Adamawa APC C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 1

candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in a botched alliance with ACN as well as his role in “wooing” some PDP governors to join the APC. The circumstances that warranted his dumping that APC, notwithstanding, Ribadu as a “smart” politician that he was, did not foreclose the possibility of a return. He was diplomatic with his choice of words during the bitter campaign between the PDP and APC in the course of the 2015 elections.

Some analysts even said when he lost the governorship poll that it was a matter of time that he found his way back to the APC as he surreptitiously left the window open for a possible return, when he promised not to taunt his former associates in the APC such as Chibuike Amaechi and Rabiu Kwankwanso (then governors of Rivers and Kano states) when he left the party.

“I will not embark on a needless animosity with my good friends, irrespective of political, religious, regional and ethnic affiliations,” he said, while reacting to an allegation that he issued a statement disparaging APC and its members, including Amaechi, Kwankwaso at the wake of his defection.

Ribadu explored that window last Friday, when he returned to the APC. In a statement announcing his return, he said: “Today I heeded the calls on me to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party of which I was a founding member.

I re-registered as a member of the APC last night through the party’s online portal. After that, the leadership of the party in my Bako ward of Yola South Local Government Area visited me in my Yola residence to welcome me back to their fold.

“This afternoon, I visited the Yola South secretariat of the party to present myself and submit to the leadership as a loyal party man.

My decision to return to the APC was triggered by my belief that all politics are local. Almost everyone around me and with whom we started my political journey believed the time had come for us to make sacrifices and make concessions. That is in addition to the unbelievable love that my friends in the APC have showered on me in the past months.

“They demonstrated in words and action that they wanted me back home. The intractable crises in the PDP also made it impossible for one to contribute to the necessary task of building a viable opposition platform for our country.

“I also did a deep and long reassessment of the circumstances that warranted my exit from the APC in the first place. I left the APC in 2014 owing to fundamental disagreements with the ways the chapter of the party in my state was run after it fell into some hands.

“Some colleagues and I tried hard to reposition the fold and save the then APC administration from an orchestrated impeachment plot.

We didn’t succeed. Events in the last 15 months have addressed many of the issues and healed some of the wounds. More so, with the genuine and sincere invitations I received since last year to retrace my steps into the party, I decided to return after consulting family and political associates at all levels.

“I would like to appreciate all those

Babachir

members of the party who privately and publicly prodded me to return to the party. My appreciation also goes to the leadership of our party, from my ward in Bako to the national leadership, for the enthusiasm they showed in having me back.”

The Adamwa State chapter of the APC had earlier written Ribadu on the need for his return to the party.

A letter dated June 22 and signed by the Acting State Secretary, Alhaji Saidu Naira, said: “Given your track records and progressives nature, we strongly belief APC is where you belong to. We are also mindful of the efforts and contributions you made during the merger without which the merger would have been difficult. To this end, we reaffirm our request for you to come home to APC and assist and contribute to the success of the APC government both at state and national level.”

In the meantime, Ribadu’s return to the APC has been greeted by mixed feelings. While some of the party’s chieftains, especially at the national level have described it as a welcome development, it has triggered another supremacy battle in home state.

Adamawa APC is fragmented into three groups: Governor Jibril Bindow group headed by former Vice Presi-

Nyako

We know the suffering we went through to win elections, so nobody can railroad us

dent Atiku Abubakar; former Governor Murtala Nyako group led by his son, Senator Abdul-Aziz Nyako and the Abuja/Buhari group led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Babachir.

While the Atiku/Bindow group has never hidden its opposition to Ribadu’s return to APC because it sees it as a trap in the race for 2019, the Nyako and Babachir groups have not shown any open resistance to it.

Ribadu is not known to belong to any of the groups but the fear of the Atiku/Bindo group is that the former EFCC boss may turn a game-changer in Adamawa politics, which the former vice president has absolute control of at the moment.

The Nyako group, which felt sidelined by Governor Bindow and the Babachir group, which wants to take control of the state in 2019, are said to be disposed to Ribadu’s comeback.

The calculation is that the former EFCC boss is likely to be used to stop Bindow in 2019. Members of the legacy parties- ACN, CPC and All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP) in the state, who feel alienated by the governor, are working tirelessly to unseat him in the next elections.

The various interest groups initially played down the cold war but it came to the fore recently, when Bin-

dow’s Chief of Staff, Abdurrahman Jimeta, reportedly wondered why the party should organise reception for “unreliable politicians,” who left for then ruling PDP at a critical time.

Jimeta was reacting to a claim that the Presidency had directed the Adamawa APC to organise a grand reception for Ribadu and Gundiri.

The SGF is said to have issued a letter conveying the directive.

Addressing party supporters during the flag-off of the construction of the 37- kilometer Kiri-Shelleng road, Jimeta said the plan to receive Ribadu was a waste of resources and unnecessary glorification of party deserters. He insisted that the returnees should follow the due process for registration, their statuses notwithstanding.

“No matter how big you are, you cannot intimidate us. There is a grand design to undermine us. We got a letter from Abuja, asking us to organise a rally to receive somebody at the Ribadu Square. Whoever wants to join the party should go and register at his ward. We cannot stop him because the party does not belong to anybody. When we won election, he was not in the APC, when we cast votes he was not in the APC. We no longer need anybody’s help; we know the suffering we went through to win elections, so nobody can railroad us,” he said.

But Ribadu and Gundiri (who is returning with him) have allayed the fear that they are back to the APC to hijack the party’s structure in Adamawa. Speaking during a reception at the state secretariat of the party in Yola, the duo said they did not return to the APC to hijack it from Governor Bindow. They promised to work with the governor and other chieftains of the party to move the state forward.

In his speech, Gundiri urged party supporters to disregard the rumour that he was returning to the party to actualise his ambition. He said he simply wanted to contribute more to the development of the party as a founding member.

While Ribadu’s return to the APC, perhaps, explains the reported recent protest by Atiku and Bindow to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, only time tell if the return of the anti-graft czar will pose any threat to the interest of the former vice president and his political god son, Bindow as the race to the 2019 elections gradually begins.

'PDP must be ready to challenge APC' C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 4

ty and one is still with us but said he needed a break. It has affected us because most of those agitators would have been calm one way or the other. I remember that night. It is a night I would not forget because a lot of appeal went to him that he has to stay because that’s what happens in America.

He must manage the party until a new candidate emerges. That is one of the reasons why it looks like a long time to settle down.

I thank God that some of the leaders, the founding fathers, have come out to settle it.

I have no doubt that we will sail through.

With the zoning arrangement, if the presidency goes to the North, the chairmanship will come to the South. The South-East has had it likewise the South-South. So, it means that it is the South-West will produce the chairmanship but there are pockets of disagreement in the zone, leaving the question of how you are

going to manage it.

There is no zone without pockets of disagreements. You know we have a saying that all of us cannot sleep and face the same direction. You will always have that but you can manage it. The constitution is there. Yes, there will be competition. The grassroots and stakeholders will debate and we will decide who is the best person for that position. It is like a full basket.

All position in the North is coming to the South and the South to the North. Which zone will produce what will be debated by the committee and we decide it for fairness, equity and balance.

This is where you are going to see the resilience, the managerial skill within the PDP. If we don’t get it right, we go to hell.

If we get it right, we will bounce back. Like you have mentioned, the South-East has had its turn. The South-South just left the presidency and has had a stint at the chairmanship. So, ideally, it is the South-West

that should go for the chairmanship. We have never had it. For equitable reasons, we should have it. We know ourselves in the South-West. This is the time, you need the experienced hands, you need your first eleven, you need people who are courageous, who know the party, who are committed, ready and strong to hold the party.

We are in a state of flux. We need somebody to stabilise the platform and deliver us. We need that kind of person. People will come and compete and show their track record. This is not the time to bring a fresh leg. It is going to be a lot of work.

We will sit around and get the right person.

We need to have a platform to challenge the government in 2019. If we don’t get it right this month, we are doomed. We have to forget our personal interests to look for somebody that has the nerves, the experience and know the nooks and crannies of the party. We need the best to survive now because we don’t have the Villa.

16

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

What is ‘juicy’ in National Assembly committees?

TREASURES BOLA BOLAWOLE turnpot@gmail.com 0807-552-5533 (sms only)

S

eparation of powers is the fulcrum of representative government, otherwise known as democracy. In a democracy, there are usually three arms of government, namely; the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. The three are independent and co-terminus: the end of each is to ensure good governance and that the people’s business is done. The process is called checks and balances by which each arm puts the other in check and keeps it within its constitutionallyassigned bounds.

According to Lord Acton, “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Therefore, none of the three is expected to wield absolute powers or become powerful enough to lord it over the others; least of all the citizenry, which is held by most political theorists as the Sovereign in a democracy.

Legislature makes the law; Executive executes it and undertakes the day-to-day running of government while Judiciary interprets the law as well as adjudicates where and when disputes arise between citizen and citizen; citizen and any of the three arms of government and or its officials; and between government and government. Amongst the three tiers of government; disputes can ensue vertically and horizontally. The Judiciary is supposed to resolve such disputes as well as make pronouncements on grey areas of the Constitution; taken to its elastic limit in what is called “judicial activism”, smart judges can technically make laws or expand the frontiers of known\existing laws with their pronouncements on, and interpretations of, the provisions of the law.

Many have held, and with justification, that

what qualifies a government as representative is the existence of the Legislature or Parliament. Whereas the President\Vice-president, Governors\ deputy governors; and Council chairmen\councillors are also elected by voters, it is the members of Parliament that are usually referred to as the “representatives” of the electorate. Ministers and Commissioners; presidential aides and such other coterie of state officials are usually appointed and not elected; and whereas they are also meant to serve the best interests of citizens, they are not those given the constitutional responsibility to act as “representatives” of the people. In fact, it is the presence or otherwise of Parliament that is the marked difference between military and civilian governments. In military governments, the Legislature is totally obliterated while the Judiciary is left virtually intact.

The top echelon of the Executive may be wiped off and replaced by military dictators; but the bureaucracy or what is called the Civil Service is allowed to run as the engine room of government activities. Parliament, thus, is generally seen as the locale of the Sovereign Powers of the state in a democracy. It is not the President that is the Sovereign.

Apart from making laws, Parliament performs oversight functions over the Executive.

One of the most important laws made by Parliament is the Appropriation Law, otherwise known as the “budget”. This is the law that states the expected finances of the State and how these are to be spent in any financial year.

Projects and services are identified and how much will be spent on them. Who spends what is also included in every budget.

The Executive prepares the budget and submits to the Legislature, whose duty it is to accept, review, modify or reject as the case may be. Where a budget is passed by Parliament and the president assents; it immediately becomes law but where he withholds his assent, Parliament has the option of either taking the document back to work on grey areas or override the president’s veto with two-thirds of its members voting “ayes”. Until a budget is

Apart from making laws, Parliament performs oversight functions over the Executive

passed by the Legislature and signed by the president, it remains mere estimate\proposal which does not have the force of law. Any Executive that spends money without appropriation by Parliament commits grievous offence which can earn serious sanction, including impeachment (that is, removal from office). In this wise, Parliament plays a role called “oversight”, in which it seeks to ensure that the budget is implemented by the Executive as passed. To achieve this, it divides its members into various committees to “oversee” the Executive. There are usually as many committees as there are activities of government.

In recent years, the number of committees has ballooned to please political interests.

Just as we have Ministries that are called Grade A, B, and C; we also have committees that are called “juicy”, “dry land” or “Siberia”.

Important Ministries are those that have very lucrative agencies and parastatals under them and whose budgets are always very big. They also have the MDAs that generate a lot of revenue for government. Ministers given charge over such MDAs are seen as “super” Ministers and are usually the envy of their peers. National Assembly Committees which have the task of oversight over such MDAs are called “juicy”.

Opportunities to award\collect big contracts, give out\take jobs, dole out\receive other favours and largesse and peddle influence are very high here. Recently, Senate President Bukola Saraki re-shuffled Senate Committees and gave “juicy” committees to some of his sworn political foes in an effort to placate them. Reports said it was in desperate efforts to find “political solution” to Senate leaders’ ongoing trial for corruption and forgery. We need not mention names but Senators so favoured were said to have been pleased with it. There is no other name for this game but corruption and, by law; both the giver and taker are guilty. So, Saraki’s travails may be political after all!

The on-going anti-graft war may also be victimization of political opponents! The EFCC a pawn and the Judiciary neither independent nor the last hope of the common man! May these not be true!

Give peace a chance in Rivers George Nwibe

S

ince Governor Nyesom Wike assumed office in Rivers State after defeating his opponents in the fiercely contested April 11, 2015 gubernatorial electoral contest in the annals of the oil-rich state, some highly placed members of the opposition in the state are yet to come to terms with that resounding electoral defeat. They have done everything humanly possible to reverse the huge loss. But it appears that every step they take does not really make any difference.

Not even their legal fireworks at the tribunal could unseat the ebullient and hard working governor, who came to office with the interest of Rivers people at heart. He has since demonstrated that he is a man of the people by his people-oriented programme and projects in many parts of the state. He has equally promised that no local government will be left out of his projects.

Any visitor to the state will confirm that the governor is working and delivering on his electoral promises. His one year in office has demonstrated that he will do more in his effort to further

grow the economy of the state. The people of the state are aware that he is living up to his electoral promises.

It would be recalled that during the rerun poll, the state witnessed as much violence as during the main poll simply because some people are hell bent on getting to power at all cost. Now that the suspended poll will be conducted this month, it is pertinent to appeal to all the stakeholders to allow peace to reign in the state.

Let our politicians stop seeing election as a do or die affair. They should see election as an exercise to be chosen to serve the people well. Election is supposed to be an enjoyable exercise and not one to be dreaded. It should not be reduced to a war where every imaginable weapon of violence is unleashed on the opponent.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies must ensure that the remaining poll is conducted and concluded peacefully. This is another litmus test for the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu.

Let there be a level playing ground for all the participants in the electoral contest. The state should not be set on fire because of some people’s political ambition. The security agencies must

ensure that the poll is free from violence and electoral infractions.

It should be free, fair and credible election. Politicians in the state should refrain from making inflammatory statements that can cause breach of peace. They should enjoin their followers to also embrace peace during the poll.

It is in this light that the recent alarm raised by Wike over some alleged plot to reverse the gains made by the state in the promotion of security of lives by reposting to the state some alleged compromised policemen is worrisome.

In other words, Wike is alluding that some policemen are being sent to the state to foment trouble during the forthcoming poll.

Good enough, the governor has tabled the issue before the acting InspectorGeneral of Police, Ibrahim Idris and intimated him of these officers sent to the state to cause maximum confusion during the concluding election. This alarm should not be treated with levity or swept under the carpet in the usual Nigerian style.

Let the police boss, therefore, look into the allegation and do the needful to avoid another wave of violence in the coming poll in the state. The state is witnessing a rebirth in terms of in-

frastructural renewal and economic development that will further develop tourism in it.

Some of the projects that Governor Wike flagged-off that have made great impact in the state include the operation zero-potholes programme, empowerement of less privileged people, urban and rural water supply schemes, and improvement of security of lives and property in the state.

The operation zero-potholes programme has been deployed effectively to rehabilitate some roads in Port Harcourt and adjoining towns. The project ably executed by Julius Berger and Chinese construction firm is reported to have completed not less than 120 kilometres of roads in the state.

These roads cut across Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Eleme, Etche, Oyigbo, and Akuku-Toru local government areas. Besides, the governor is also fixing street lights that are no longer functional in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

It should also be noted that Wike is not restricting his road rehabilitation programme to only state roads. Some federal government roads have also benefitted from the exercise.

• Nwibe wrote in from Port Harcourt.

17

EDITORIAL

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Killing in the guise of religion

he gruesome murder of 42-year-old assistant pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mrs. Eunice Elijah, in Abuja recently, is one killing too many. The mother of seven was callously butchered at dawn in the most offensive manner merely because she was preaching in no less a place like Kubwa, within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the nation’s seat of power.

The gory murder of this evangelist is not only shocking, it is condemnable in strongest terms. One could imagine the pain she went through reeling on the floor in the hands of her assailants who inflicted machete cuts on her, slicing off her breasts and head in such wee hours.

We cannot but commend the efforts made by wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo and the pacific posture of the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, which calmed frayed nerves. In itself, the forgiving spirit he exhibited in this particular instance is not only noble but symptomatic of true Christianity and it is worthy of emulation.

However, we are seriously perturbed by the g rowing

level of religious intolerance and frequent callous killings in the name of God in the country. In June this year, a woman, Mrs. Bridget Agbahime, was murdered in Kano for alleged act of blasphemy. The murder, which happened at about 5.00pm, took place at Kofar Wambai Market in the state capital.

Mrs. Agbahime was said to have been involved in an argument with another person within the market when she was hacked to death by a mob. Her body was deposited at the Murtala Mohamed Specialist Hospital and shortly thereafter, the state’s police Commissioner, Alhaji Maigari Dikko, said some suspects led by one Alhaji Dauda were arrested.

The incident attracted the anger of Kano State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Ransom Bello, who expressed deep sadness over the reported nature of her death.

Besides various acts of homicides and shocking executions bothering on religious intolerance and bigotry in Northern Nigeria in recent times, many still remember the beheading in

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1995 of Gideon Akaluka in Kano. Later, one Christiana Oluwasesin was allegedly lynched by secondary school students in Gombe State in 2007. Christiana, an examination invigilator, was accused of desecrating the Qur’an.

The students she was in-

No one can fight for God

vigilating were cheating in an examination by copying from the Qur’an which she

snatched from them. In a similar manner, one Grace Ushang was raped and murdered in 2009 in Maiduguri for wearing trousers issued to her as a member of the National Youths Service Corps.

One beauty of the contemporary human society is respect for fundamental human rights, including right to life and freedom of religion. Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution as amended recognises right to life, while Section 38 recognises right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right to express such faith either alone or with others.

Section 45 talks about Restriction on and Derogation from Fundamental Hu-

man Rights, any redress in such case cannot be carried out through mob action, but through court of law.

Anything to the contrary amounts to invitation to anarchy and animalistic lifestyle.

Besides, we want to put on record that the level of bloodshed in the nation in recent times, either in the name of God or any other cause diminishes humanity and it is most unacceptable.

No one can fight for God, who in his wisdom permits both righteous and unrighteous to cohabit peacefully until Judgement Day. It is also imperative for law enforcement agents to rise to the situation by bringing perpetrators of this recent murder, and others criminal activities to book as a way of sending strong warnings to others and stem this culture of impunity. Religious leaders should also consistently target the minds of their followers by preaching the virtues of peaceful coexistence.

The murdered evangelist has been led to rest and the Federal Government must sit-up to face the task of dousing tension created by such senseless killings. We do not pray for a religious war.

18 FEATURES

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Hepatitis B scourge: A call for action

Various stages of liver damage caused by Hepatitis B

Rotimi Bello

L

osing a dear younger brother to the viral hepatitis B few years ago made any news or write-up about hepatitis B to always fascinate and attract my attention. Thus, reading the World Health Organization (WHO) findings and submission in the Daily Telegraph of July 11th, 2016, page 7 that “viral hepatitis is one of the leading killers across the globe� compelled me to add my voice to the call for action to stem the scourge of this silent deadly disease which is claiming more life than HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis according to WHO data made available. In its report (WHO), it is estimated that 400 million people are living with hepatitis B or C worldwide. It is obvious that millions of people are not captured in this data. This is to say that the figure could be twice this number if many people voluntarily surrender themselves to hepatitis B screening.

Viral hepatitis according to Wikipedia is the liver inflammation due to viral infection. It may present in acute (recent infection, relatively rapid onset) or chronic forms. This disease may be contracted from various causes both infectious (i.e. viral bacterial, fungal and parasitic organisms) and non-infectious (e.g. alcohol, drugs, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases).

Scientists have identified five forms of hepatitis called hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Other unsubstantiated causes of hepatitis according researchers are hepatitis F virus (HFV) and GB virus C. Of all the aforementioned forms of hepatitis, the most deadly are hepatitis B and C with incubation period of 45-160 days HBV and 15-150 days HCV. Clinical analysis shows that 5-10% of patients infected with HBV and 70% of HCV patients experienced chronicity respectively.

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from mild illness to serious disease such as liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even death. There are three injections lifetime protection vaccines for hepatitis B, which is said to be most deadly of all the vi-

PHOTOS: www.slideshare.net

ral hepatitis. Most victims hardly notice except at the terminal point of death. In other to create awareness World Health Organization has declared 28/7/ of every year as World Hepatitis Day. Research analyses have shown that substantial numbers of hepatitis B career are from sub-Sahara Africa and Asia. Many innocent citizens are dying of this ailment because of lack of awareness and unsustainable health education promotion. We cannot eradicate or prevent the spread of a disease among the teeming population without orchestrated campaign; continuous sustainable awareness creation and enlightenment. This must be registered in the people conscious and sub-conscious realm, the way a sustainable campaign was maintained to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.

The viral hepatitis B is almost at zero level in both Europe and U.S. This necessitated zero allocation from the Western world to most health related NGOs who could have created maximum awareness about this deadly disease in Africa.

On daily basis, people are dying of hepatitis B despite the existence of vaccines and treatment. One of the evergreen cases that came to mind was the late discovery of hepatitis B virus by my younger brother (Abdullateef Bello) few months before his demise that he had a chronic hepatitis B, which had reached the terminal stage. Ignorance is another killing disease in Africa. The young man in question had resulted to self-treatment of fever and malaria without consulting physician. By the time we realized the enormity of the sickness, he had presented symptom of acute hepatitis, which is jaundice (yellow colour in the skin and the eyes).

The non-availability of specialist doctors in this field is another bane of this viral disease. Imagine a patient who went to a teaching hospital for treatment and medication and was given three months appointment visitation to see the specialist. Prior to the schedule appointment date he had passed on.

Three months after his demise I received a phone call from Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital that he should come for his appointment. I told the

Hepatitis B vaccine

PHOTO: medlineplus.gov

Yellowing of the skin and dark urine are some of the symptoms of Hepatitis-B

PHOTO: www.newhealthguide.org

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from mild illness to serious disease such as liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even death

doctor that his patient was late. He was shocked by my response, he console me and cut the phone. This is just one out of the thousands cases of viral hepatitis B victim.

On a serious note, much has not be done by the Federal Ministry of Health to sensitize members of the public and otherwise illiterate, semiilliterate and literate citizenry to go for status check and screening.

Available evidence from the hepatitis patients shows that management and treatment of HBV is cumbersome and expensive. Treatment and consultation is quite expensive and may not be affordable to people of lesser income. A patient is expected to go through series of liver functioning test (LFT) and full blood count (FBC) at every stages of the treatment, which are expensive. A branded Trufada Tenofovir Disoproxil 30 tablet is thirty thousand naira (#30,000) per month or unbranded one, which goes for four thousand five hundred naira (#4,500).

According to specialist, a patient will be on this for the minimum of three years depends on the chronicity of the condition of the patient.

Quantification of viral load to determine the amount of viral load in the body will be done from time to time before the final stage of application of interferon injection to bring the viral hepatitis B to barest minimum. Series of test will be conducted before and during the process of interferon injection administration to observe patient reaction to the injection administration.

With administrative charges from the physician Pegasyinterferon injection may not be less than thirty two thousand naira (#32,000) per week, and is expected to run for 48 weeks. Besides, patient will be taken branded Trufada or unbranded one to compliment the interferon injection to combat this scourge simultaneously. This and many more made the treatment of viral hepatitis B out of the reach of average common man in the country.

At this juncture, serious intervention is required from the Federal Government, Federal Ministry of Health, International Donor Agencies, State and Local Governments to curb the spread of this deadly disease. Sustainable health promotion education is needed to sensitize ignorant member of the public about the hazardous nature of the disease.

The branded Trufada Tenofovir Disoproxil and interferon injection should be subsidized by the Federal Government the way the HIV/ AIDS and Tuberculosis treatment are being effectively managed and controlled. People should be encouraged and assisted to go for status test screening through continuous advertisement and jingles in the print and electronic media. Finally, Diagnostic Centre should be well equipped in the public hospital to carry out subsidies series of test for the patient seeking for treatment.

Bello lives in Abuja and could be reached through rotimibello_69@yahoo.com

19

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Life in the city Odumodu: Lagos leads, others follow

The Mega City

Life in Mega City Honing their skills for sea faring

...EXCLUSIVE LAGOS MAGAZINE

21 23

LIRS officials sealing off an office over tax evasion

In line with the announcement by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) that it would extend tax payment obligations to three categories in the informal sector, the stage is now set for the implementation of the policy. However, this development hasn’t gone down well with many Lagosians, especially those affected. SANDRA DICKSON-OYETAYO reports

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CITY Editor

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Lamentations over impending tax

“A

re you serious about what you are saying,” Damilola Ajayi, a small business owner on Obafemi Awolowo road, Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, asked incredulously when this reporter sought her opinion on the imminent implementation of the extension of tax payment to small business owners like her and on her shop assistant –domestic help. Ajayi’s lips quivered, as she glanced ruefully in the direction of the 15-year-old girl that had been assisting for the past four years, muttering, “How much does she even earn that she would now have to pay tax from it?” As the information further sank in, she retorted, “I really don’t know what to say but what has been the contribution of government to these people's lives since they were born. They have been struggling on their own without any government support. Are they enjoying water, electricity, free healthcare, good road, accommodation? No. So, why does the government want to reap from where they didn't sow? Does the government

Give them their right first after which government can demand for tax

think it's easy to be a labourer, a shop attendant or an apprentice in a vocation? Give them their right first after which government can demand for tax,” she said.

Reminded that she would also now need to pay tax, her face broke into a grimace, as she literally sank further into her seat.

A boutique owner, Mrs. Chidinmma Agu, who has two young girls from neighbouring country- Cotonou to assist in her shop and to help with domestic works, described the new policy as ‘wicked’.

“Instead of the government to focus on the rich, they continue to make life miserable for the masses. These girls are the ones feeding their parents back home; it's also from the money they make here that their parents send their younger ones to school. Why would they be paying tax, how much are they earning?”

She further lamented how bad she feels that the government is not putting the masses into consideration when deliberating on such policies.

In the opinion of a lawyer, who preferred anonymity, he wondered how the government intended to implement this policy.

“Most housemaids are got through personal arrangements and not through an established recruitment process. How do they intend to collect this tax? Obviously, this government does not know what it was elected into office for.

How do you make this category of people pay taxes when there is no established social security policy which would provide them with a unique reference number?”

The middle-aged lawyer, a father of three, with a housemaid that has been living with his family for about five years, said further, “Instead of the government to pay the N5, 000 they promised, they want to tax and further impoverish the poorest of the poor. Some housemaids that collect as low as N10, 000 will now pay tax to a government that will further enrich themselves to the detriment of its citizens.

This cannot be acceptable.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

20 LIFE/MEGA CITY Oluwatosin Adepoju

T

he keep Lagos clean culture is gradually becoming a thing of the past.

Over the years, various administration of Lagos State has made moves through relevant agencies to enforce the practice of keeping the state and its environs clean. This is in order to reduce the rate of environmental pollution and degradation, which may be detrimental to the people’s health. However, the culture imbibed by residents got strict adherence due to availability and presence of agencies like Kick Against Indiscipline officials (KAI) who help to maintain sanity of the people in promoting cleanliness in the environment.

It became necessary for Lagosians to mind the unruly act of dropping dirt along the road or on the streets of Lagos State. Also, it was frowned at when Lagosians patronise street hawkers, especially on the highway traffic jam, where commuters and motorists relieve dehydration and appetite at the expense of a clean environment.

Although there were officials like Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, on the roads, who clean dirt often and get rid of stench, this is not a justification for the uncultured act of disposing Gala wraps, water sachets, soft drink cans and the likes on the roads nonchalantly.

While the slogan ‘Keep Lagos clean’ was still in reign, an average Lagosian walks on the road with the consciousness of being nabbed if caught violating the rules. This fact also made most commercial bus drivers and taxi drivers to hang waste bins in their buses and taxies to avoid being caught in case passenger throws dirt out through the vehicle door or window while in motion on the road.

Furthermore, it became a concern for people who get pressed at the bus-stops and along the roads to avoid urinating by the roadsides. With this, Lagosians took caution to avoid being nabbed by the KAI officials as they pay fines reluctantly.

The result was worthy of note as Lagos glittered both during the day and at night. It was super clean!

However, it seems the officials in charge of enforcing the policy of keeping the environment clean by arresting trespassers who throw dirt on roads, defecate or urinate at the roadside are now engrossed with other duties.

The most evident of the duties is the act of arresting roadside traders across the state, and especially nabbing of trespassers who ignore the use of pedestrian bridges as they cross Lagos highways.

In affirmation to this issue, Mr. Saheed Kabir, a resident of Lagos for many years, said that the issue of being nabbed by the KAI officials at the height of the ‘Keep Lagos Clean’ culture seems to have been a thing of the past.

He said that, while the practice was still very much in place, Lagosians took to it and the fear of being nabbed made people desist from littering the environment with dirt, urine or defacing the streets with posters. He added that sometimes back if the KAI

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Forgotten clean culture

A clean open field

officials sighted any passenger throwing dirt out of the bus or taxi, they would patiently trail the bus to arrest the trespasser and sometimes implicate the drivers.

But now, KAI officials, he noted, seem to be keen on arresting trespassers who cross roads rather than using the pedestrian bridges.

Mr. Akinade Julius, another Lagos resident, said that he has never dared to violate Lagos State laws. Even when there are no law enforcing officials around, “I have never tried it since I have been in Lagos. Each time I eat anything in the bus, I always look for a bin basket in the bus so that I don’t fall a victim,” he said.

Moreover, he added that it is only the masses in the city that violate rules. Akinade claimed that it is rare to see close relatives of influential people in the state violating rules and being nabbed by the official. He urged Lagosians to cultivate the habit of keeping to rules restraining them from littering the environment and crossing the roads without using the pedestrian bridges. “All these rules are meant for the welfare of every one of us, because there are dangers attached to those practices,” he said.

Contrary to this act of imbibing the clean Lagos culture, most Lagosians now act indifferently towards the healthy state of the environment. On a sunny afternoon, along the Oshodi expressway towards Cappa junction , a young man was seen facing the fence as he patiently dispose the liquid off his system while another young man by his left hand side was seen squatting down to defecate.

This act seems to be the norm of many Lagosians, since there are no enforcement officials at hand. Some even go to an extent of excreting along the drainage parts in Lagos or even confidently in front of lock up shops along

Imbibing the clean culture

Some even go to an extent of excreting along the drainage parts

Observing the monthly environmental sanitation

the roads at night. Thereafter, the shop owners return the next day to find excreta on piece of carton or even on bare ground.

In a chat with Chijoke John, whose boss owns a boutique along the Abule-Egba expressway, he said that it has become a norm for them to clean up excreta and dirt from the drainage system in front of his shop. He said that “sometimes we get to our shop to see that some of those hoodlums who have no homes and some-

times sleep in front of our shops have defecated and thrown it into the drainage system, and we can do nothing about it.”

He added that often times, the environment is stench filled and truly New Telegraph confirmed the stench in the environment.

He said that it’s only on Thursdays during the usual market sanitation exercise that they get to see excreta tightened in nylons in the drainage and also other dirt heaped therein.

LIFE/IN THE CITY 21

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

THE PEOPLE’S VOICE

Odumodu: Lagos leads, others follow John Odumodu: Auditor At LIRS, Alausa, Ikeja agos has always been my home. I have been living in Lagos since 1980. Lagos is pretty much the capital city of everything positive you can think of in West Africa and even in Africa. It is a sprawling city that is continually expanding in population and character and development. Lagos can best be described as the financial/commercial capital of West Africa. The state is the most resourceful, single trading market in Africa with the highest concentration of people. Lagos can best be described

“L

as a mini Nigeria. Lagos leads while others follow.

“I can never consider living outside Lagos for the singular fact that it cannot be the same. There is this saying that if it is not Lagos, then it is not happening. I can’t function anywhere other than Lagos because it is full of opportunities and this made it an interesting place to reside. Lagos is a unique place, opportunities are boundless, and the melting pot of Nigeria. This is where it is happening! It is the centre nerve of the country. My reflection of Lagos when I first came in has not changed much especially, in terms of expecta-

tions and opportunities. Rather, it has been enhanced. In other words, my expectations in Lagos has been met relatively and much more. When it comes to accelerated developmental strides, cleaner and safer environment, it has all been met and being improved on daily. The Lagos of my dream is a place where things happen, where business thrive, where there is safety of lives and properties, where criminal activities is in the barest minimal. Lagos should be allowed to run autonomously in Nigeria so that its full potential can manifest. I can only compare Lagos to New York City in the United State of America.”

Odumodu

Everything is offered here – Ogunsuyi Temidayo A. Ogunsuyi Business woman relocated per manently to Lagos less than six months ago, even though I have been a regular visitor of the state since 1992. I decided to move into Lagos because of the hundreds if not thousands of developments that have taken place recently.

The state keeps evolving and leading other states with wide margin. Even though life in Lagos could be relatively challenging especially for low income earners like me, you find endless opportunities. No matter whom you are, lazy or hardworking, strong or weak, opportunities abound here for one to thrive.

One only needs to make an effort and start something, it will surely be a success.

I

Mba

‘It's a city for everyone’ Chinedu Mba (School Teacher) agos has been my home since 1997 when I came to visit my uncle after waiting for JAMB to give me admission for four years and I haven't looked back ever since then.

The beautiful thing about Lagos is that the city, no matter your status, religion, tribe and ideology, welcomes you with open doors. All one needs is determination to make it and the dream will come to reality.

I wouldn’t think of living outside Lagos.

The city of Lagos has this craziness and rascality that I am well adapted to and I don't think any other states in Nigeria possess such qualities.

Here in Lagos, I can easily find a place or location that accommodates my level of income plus my style of living. Lagos is for everyone. There are schools for the rich and poor, as well as public health facilities that

L

are always open for low income earners. The beauty of this state is that it does not discriminate against anyone. It is perhaps the easiest place to live in on earth contrary to what people say.

My reflection when I first came into Lagos was that I thought I could make quick money and become rich so fast, because I was told that Lagos had all it takes to get rich quickly. Shortly after, reality that hit me right on the face, after some years of hard struggle, I was and of course still is, that I might be able to eke out a means of survival but might not necessarily be rich. So, I sure can live a simple life in Lagos. I am comfortable with that. And with the facilities put in the place by the government of the day, I can’t have it anywhere else than Lagos. But I have my expectations; I would like Lagos to be a city where the rich can easily mingle with the poor.

Ogunsuyi

But when you are strong and a goal ¬getter, not even the sky can limit you in Lagos

State. I don’t think I can live outside Lagos again. Lagos is a city that gives you all, especially if one is determined and focused. Then, one will thrive here. There is now clear evidence of development in Lagos compared to the 90s when I used to visit.

There are street lights everywhere now. Oshodi has been cleared up, Molue buses that used to cause chaos on the road have been phased out and replaced with modern and sophisticated air conditioned buses called BRT. The activities of touts commonly called agberos have been stemmed down.

The rate at which peoples’ bag are snatched have been drastically reduced. The new Lagos is really moving on greatly and we thank the government for transforming the state since the last 17 years.

The state is unique, says Ogunbiyi Tinuke Ogunbiyi – Caterer was born in Lagos and haven't lived anywhere else since my 39years of existence on earth. Lagos State is one, if not the busiest city in Nigeria, and one of the most populated cities in Africa with an estimated 18 million living and earning a living in Lagos. So, opportunities abound in the city and it's very welcoming and friendly because it harbours all.

I can't ever imagine myself living anywhere else than Lagos. Going elsewhere to live would be like going back to the dark days. Part of the reasons I can't live outside Lagos is because of constant developmental projects being embarked on in the state.

Accessibility to major places like the airport in terms of business and social life is another factor and mainly because Lagos is the nerve centre of Nigeria. Everything good that happens in Nigeria begins from Lagos. All the superstars and celebrities are here, banks

I

Ogunbiyi

headquarters are situated here, the beautiful beaches, parks and gardens and other tourists’ attractions. Lagos is simply the state to beat Even though I was born in Lagos, I can say so far, there is major overhaul in the infrastructure system of the state; roads are being constructed, health care centres, shopping malls and recreational parks, security, pedestrian bridges, street lights and so on. Most noticeable is that Lagos is now generally more habitable than what we had before.

Lagos of my dream will be a state where traffic gridlock is a forgone issue, security of lives and properties are guaranteed, constant electricity supply, high and quality education for children, helping the poor and the needy, health facilities, access to loan at a minimal rate of interest, jobs opportunities.

I can’t compare Lagos to any city in the world. There is this uniqueness in the city called Lagos.”

22 LIFE/MEGA CITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Similarly, Ibrahim Ambali, a technician in Ogba, Lagos, said, “They want to be chasing common artisans that are barely able to make ends meet and leave those stealing our money who are paying nothing for it. This is a total lack of focus and direction.

The government should instead tax the rich more and let poor people like us sleep well without the fear of being chased up and down by the tax people.”

Ambali revealed that it would be a misplaced priority if the policy were implemented because “We pay different levies to our association. We pay monthly to the ‘town council’. All of these from the little we earn. Governor Ambode should have a rethink.”

On the other hand, Madam Susan, a government worker, says it's a welcome development. She claims to have an 18-year-old domestic servant earning N10, 000 monthly. “They should be taxed; anybody who earns an income must commit a small part of it to the government for the development of the state. It’s just like when you are asked to pay your tithe in church. I support it wholeheartedly and I am even willing to help my maid fulfil her obligation to the government because she is working,” she said.

Last year March, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, announced that it had commenced a process to extend tax payment obligation to domestic workers and artisans in the state.

“We have identified three categories of tax payers in the informal sector. These are market men and women; artisans – micro, small and medium scale enterprises – and household domestic staff.”

This new policy, Ogunsanwo said, is a consequence of the declining national revenue as a result of the fall in the global prices of oil and the need for government to provide and maintain basic infrastructure. He also said the LIRS would tap other sources such as consumption tax from hotel occupancy, withholding tax on contracts, rent and royalties to boost Internally Generated Revenue.

To this end, he disclosed that the government had commenced the process of overhauling its informal sector operations with a view to easing voluntary compliance by tax payers.

He added that the state had approved the upgrading of the informal sector operations to a full directorate.

In a chat with New Telegraph, Mrs. Monsurat Amusa, head corporate affairs, LIRS, allayed the fears of Lagosians. She emphasized that the new tax regime is so insignificant that the payers won’t even feel they are paying anything.

“What we are talking about here is just one per cent of whatever they are earning, and those we have contacted, their bosses or whoever they serve are willing to pay for them so there isn’t anything major,” she assured.

While refuting the view that it was a new law, she said, “It is a federal law, which has been in existence since the creation of other laws. It simply states

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Lamentations over impending tax

that anybody who earns an income should pay tax. We have commenced the process of overhauling the informal sector operations with a view to easing voluntary compliance.”

Meanwhile, she said that the execution of this development would not kick off until everyone in the sector is properly enlightened.

“We are doing a lot of enlightenment and sensitisation programs to sensitise the informal sector for ease of compliance.

We are going to have stakeholder conference with the artisans and others in the informal sector that we have not already covered. That is why we are delaying a little; the execution would not take place till the enlightenment campaign has gone round.”

Adducing further reasons for the new tax policy, the Commis-

Ogunsanwo

The government should tax the rich more and let poor people sleep well

sioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, said the state generated about N24.5bn from IGR in January. According to Akinkunmi, the LIRS contributed 79 per cent to the state’s IGR in 2015, which equates to 56 per cent of the state’s total revenue, including federal transfers, adding that revenue is expected to continue on an upward swing, driven by strong tax collection.

On his part, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said in view of the extreme financial downturn, there was the strong need for government to ramp up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) while stressing that the state would spare nothing in enforcing the laws regulating tax payment.

He said the administration of Governor Ambode had put in place

Ambode

necessary measures to end the era of tax evasion and avoidance in the state, adding that offenders would be aggressively pursued in line with the provisions of the law.

The Commissioner, who disclosed that the Ministry of Justice had established a Rapid Tax Prosecution Unit to aid the LIRS in its drive to collect taxes, added that the unit would work closely with the Revenue Court which the Chief Judge of Lagos State recently agreed to set up.

He said: “Prosecution and jail term for defaulting tax payers will be a tool that we will be actively using to ensure full compliance. Tax officers, I understand, will be very aggressive in their collection of taxes and the public is hereby advised to cooperate with them because obstruction of these tax officers in their lawful duty can and will lead to prosecution,” Kazeem said.

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Flora Onwudiwe

T

he Nigerian Navy has given requisite training to 70 young Naval Personnel. This is to enable them participate in the maritime operations and entire maritime space for the offshore asset in their various waters for commerce and economic activities to thrive within the maritime area.

At the joint graduation ceremony of the Officers Long Course (OLC) 25 and Sub Technical Course (STC); about 46 officers were designed for the Lieutenant Commanders, Lieutenants and Sub- Lieutenants held at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra, Navy base, Apapa during the graduating lectures themed; Surveillance Technology and Maritime Security and the routine Officers.

The 12 month training that began in August 2015 and ended in July 2016 focused on water warfare, under water warfare, navigation and direction, communication and information technology. Also, the officers were introduced to language and contemporary courses including; French language, maritime law and security as well as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Other areas that the officers were taught included; advance unit security officers course, cyber security, health safety and environment, leadership management and conflict management, amongst others.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), NAVTRAC, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, said that, “We have given them the requisite training to be able to provide protection for national asset, to be able to fight at sea.

So, these boys have been given that requisite knowledge, capacity and competence, confidence that is required of a professional naval officer. To be able to operate seamlessly both locally and Internationally, so that Nigeria as a country and as citizens will be very proud that they have a navy that can hold their own with young officers personnel ,well trained , motivated and well led by the Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS), Vice-Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas.”

Elatedly, the Admiral also said that, the modern day naval operations have become more complex and that navies around the world are becoming even more sophisticated. Hence, it becomes necessary to ensure dynamism in order to keep pace with modern day challenges and realities of naval operations.

The Commandant NNS Quorra, Commodore Francis Isaac, said that, “the young officers were now better equipped and have acquired necessary knowledge and skills to see them through in the discharge of their duty as well as taken up leadership roles in the field.”

On the challenges confronting the NNS Quorra, he said, “I know quite well that NNS Quorra is confronted with various challenges, let me assure you that both the CNS and FOC are working hard to ensure improvement in infrastructures , learning environment and welfare, these are evident from the on-going renovations and acquisitions of

LIFE/IN THE CITY 23

Honing their skills for sea faring

Naval personnel in training

some training aids.”

The training Captain NNS Quorra , who gave the course highlight of the conduct of OLC and STC, Navy Captain Livingstone Izu said that 26 officers were selected for the OLC at

the beginning of the course but one officer was released for pilot Course at the International Aviation School, Ilorin.

However, the officers were presented with awards sponsored by the FOCs of the Central Naval

Command, (CNC) Eastern Naval Command,(ENC) Western Naval Command (WNC), including the FOC NAVTRAC and the late Rear Admiral O. Omotehinwa’s family. These were the first beneficiaries of the Naval Training

Command (NAVTRAC) recently reviewed and up graded professional course curricula of all the training schools under the Command in order to meet the Nigerian Navy operational requirements.

Rotary screens 260 women for cancer

Muritala Ayinla

W

orried by the increasing death rate resulting from cancer related issues among women, the Rotary Club of Omole Golden has conducted free breast and cervical cancer screening exercise for 260 women including school girls in Ifako-Ijaiye, a suburb of Lagos.

The humanitarian group, which blamed the high casualty rate of diseases on late detection and lack of wherewithal of most victims to undergo screening, appealed to most public spirited organisations to embark on free health screening for the downtrodden in order to reduce needless deaths.

Speaking shortly before commencment the health screening exercise at the Ifako-Ijaiye Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), President of the Club, Rotarian Titilayo Sunmonu, described cancer as pandemic which is on the rise especially in developing and low income countries because of late detection and lack of access to healthcare services for prevention, curative treatment or palliative care.

Sunmonu, who said that over one million women worldwide are estimated to be living with cervical cancer, said same prevalence pattern is being recorded in breast cancer especially in developing countries.

Expressing optimism that the screening would greatly improve access to healthcare for the less privileged women in the community, she added that screening would also enable the beneficiaries to know their health status.

Commending FBN Insurance for partnering with the Rotary Club of Omole Golden in promoting access to this critical area of women, Sunmonu said women healthcare are often neglected by the society.

In her awareness talk, the Deputy Medical Director of Lagos State General Hospital, Ifako-Ijaiye Dr (Mrs) Mercy Kuti, urged women to approach a qualified medical doctor for the right diagnosis and treatment, urging them not to hide their status like a sore thumb.

She advised the women not to

regard these pandemic especially breast cancer as an enemy’s arrow.

According to the health officer, the prevalence of breast and cervical cancers aren’t high in most African countries until recently when “our lifestyles began to change and we began to copy everything western, including their food and drinks”.

Hence, she urged women to report to the hospital anytime they observe a lump in any part of their breasts, when post lactating women notice a reddish or greenish discharge from their breasts, or when the skin turns reddish or starts peeling, or the nipples sunk inside instead of being out, " Women above 40 should approach a doctor when they start seeing blood after an intercourse, experiencing excess

virginal discharge, or noticing a smelly and foul smelling discharge from their private parts.” On cervical cancer, which according to her is more prevalent in women with more than one sexual partners or women, or those who started sexual relationship early, Dr Kuti said those girls under the age could have this cancer in their system.

On her part, FBN Sales Retail Manager Mrs. Ngozi Umechurumba, said the Insurance Company was happy to be partnering in this very vital aspect of healthcare to the womenfolk. She said bringing breast and cervical cancer awareness and screening to the grassroots women would go a long way in reducing the mortality prevalence in the state.

L-R: Former Executive Secretary Ifako-Ijaiye Local Govt., Mr. Olurotimi Adeleye; President Rotary Club of Omole Golden Titi Sunmonu, Dr. (Mrs.) Erivea Kuti; Mrs. Umechuruba; FBN Insurance Sales Manager, Obiajulu Osanyande, and Dr. Omowunmi Bakare

24 LIFE/MEGA CITY

WEDNESday, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Oluwatosin Adepoju

T

Portion of Aboru roads

Aboru weeps over poor roads activities as cyclists do not go smooth whenever it rained in the environment and that the government should kindly come to the rescue of the inhabitants of the environment.

Another motorcyclist who sought anonymity said that there was no specific good road in the entire area as it becomes obvious when it rained. “Except for the on-going road and drainage construction along the Victor Fagbemi road to Agbelekale area which we hope that after the completion, this place will also be remembered, there is no other area that is good here.”

Chinedu Oparaji, another motorcycle rider, described the experiences of the poor condition of the roads as terrible!

“The roads becomes slippery and terribly muddy as soon as it rained and we have to convey passengers to various locations within the Aboru community.

Our passengers are always scared of being drown in mud

They warn us to be careful while riding along the roads during rainy times

Aboru community road

as they warn us to be careful while riding along the roads in rainy times.”

Gloria Nwibo, a resident of the area, said that the area seems to have started experiencing intervention since the commencement of the drainage system along the Ejalonibu lane, leading to Victor Fagbemi

Street, where road construction is currently on-going. She added that, although the drainage system is being constructed, the road still becomes muddy and rough each time it rained, but hopefully the situation would be curbed as she craved the hasty completion of the ongoing construction.

QUOTE

OF THE WEEK

"Out of every 10 malaria victims in the world, nine are from Africa. That means it has become a giant, a monster that could likely stop development in Africa if not checked, So, that is why the World Health Organisation (WHO) is fighting harder to eradicate it and really supporting us to fight it," said Dr. Yinka Osho, from GSK PHARMA at an event organised by the Lagos State Medicine Dealers Association (LSMDA) to commemorate the World Malaria Day.

IN NUMBERS JU LY

he poor condition of roads in Aboru, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State has continued to evoke feelings of concern from the people as the rainy season emerges.

But so far, residents and commuters have been coping with their usual experiences in using the roads, especially as it is bound to rain more this period. As a matter of fact, the expressions of people showed that there seemed to have been little or no intervention on roads as the people have no other choice than to keep up with maneuvering their way each time it rains.

During a tour of the environment, New Telegraph observed that along the Pipeline Street, leading to the inner part of the Aboru area, down to the canal, there were series of pot holes and brooks surrounded by mud, some were even filled with dirt. Commuters were often warned by close residents or co-commuters not to ply some parts of the road, having known the depth of the water filled spots.

This is in order to avoid obstruction in movement. It was also observed that at the pipeline junction were street urchins who mounted the junction to collect tokens from commuters and private car owners plying through the junction. According to a motorcycle rider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the junction, having been rough and impassable for commuters after the rain was filled with sands by the street boys who now choose to collect tokens from passers-by as compensation.

Speaking with New Telegraph, a resident and motorcycle rider, Mr. Shola Sanni, said that the poor condition of roads in the area isn’t new as he has got used to it- about 15 years. He added that the condition got worse each time it rained and the road became muddy and rough as there was poor drainage system which could help absorb water resulting in brooks and muddy parts of the road. According to Sanni, he heard from a government source sometime ago that the road could not be tarred due to the fact that it’s a pipeline. He said that their

Lagos State targets N50b IGR, N1tr budget by 2018

25

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FCT Business Watch

Business What's new Fixed income, currency markets record N9.36trn deals

Recession: Re-constructing Nigeria’s economy

Money Insider loans: Old problem rears its head again

27 28

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE May 2016...............................15.6% April 2016............................13.7% March 2016..............................12.8%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parallel Market as at July 22)

(Interbank as at July 8)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N377 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N500 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N409

l Foreign Reserves – $26.347bn as at 21/7/2016

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N310 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N386 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N322

Source: CBN

p.26

Nigeria, Ivory Coast rice imports drop

by N50.1bn p.26

L-R: Vice President, Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Samuel Kolawole; President, Nat Ofo and Registrar/CEO, Nkechi Onyenso, during the Institute’s press conference to announce its 50th anniversary in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

SKILL CAP The agency is focusing on human capital development to encourage local IT production and patronage

Kunle Azeez

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Taiwo Hassan

Industry, Agric & Brands Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

O

ganisations in the public and private sectors spend an average of $2 billion (about N598 billion) to import Information Technology hardware into the country annually, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said.

Acting Director General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, disclosed this to New Telegraph on the sideline of this year’s national conference on IT and national security organised by the Nigeria Computer Society, in Abuja.

He noted that while the penchant to import IT products and services from abroad has continued to grow, the development has resulted in lack of patronage for hardware manufacturers licensed by government to produce IT in Nigeria.

“The total percentage of local hardware contributed to the total IT consumption in Nigeria annually is just about seven per cent, while the remaining 93 per cent is contributed by foreign technology firm. As such, $2 billion is spent annually to import hardware into this country,” he said.

Olatunji explained that over the

Nigeria spends N598bn importing hardware yearly, says NITDA years, Nigeria, unlike other countries that have had to leverage technology as a way of diversifying their economy, has been a mono economy, relying on oil for over 70 per cent on its foreign exchange earnings.

He lamented that Nigeria currently has between six to seven computer assembly plans to serve a population of over 180 million, yet, there is no patronage. Olatunji said: “What we need to do lies in the area of more awareness creation and standardisation.

“One of the problems that has led us as a nation into the current economy recession is our overdependence on oil. However, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) presents a veritable alternative to oil.

“Other countries such as Singapore, Indian and Malaysia and so on, have been able to leverage technology to leapfrog their economy, creating a lot of local original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), giving them incentives and making them learn from their mistakes and improve upon them before becoming national and global brands and that is why we believe the ICT is the way to go,” he said.

However, Olatunji said in an economic recession such as the one Nigeria is currently in, the need to develop human capital was essen-

N2.8 billion Being the amount lost yearly on importation of ICT hardware and services

tial, stressing that NITDA, in its capacity, has focused on deepening human capital investment.

“Already, NITDA and the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, have been holding discussions with the OEMs to ensure that they are better positioned in terms of production quality and perception by looking at what their problems are and designing appropriate policies to resolve their problems.

“Also, to bridge the skill gap towards diversifying the economy through technological development, NITDA has created two initiatives: Office for Nigeria Content in ICT (ONC) and the Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE),” he said.

According to Olatunji, there are some 21 IT innovation hubs scattered across the country trying to develop ideas and products in the ICT sector, but lamented that they have been found to be faced with a trilemma of lack of proper coordination, funding, efficiency, all of which are affecting their performances.

He said that NITDA was in discussion with government at all levels, especially at the federal level, to make sure that expenditure in CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

26

BUSINESS |news

COMMENDABLE Naira-settled OTC FX Futures product was introduced into the Nigerian FX market with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the pioneer seller

Chris Ugwu

T

urnover of transactions executed in the Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) markets for the month of June 2016 amounted to N9.36 trillion, an increase of 26 per cent (N1.93 trillion) over the value recorded in May, but a decline of 3.26 per cent (N0.32 trillion) YoY. A document obtained from FMDQ OTC Plc, an OTC securities exchange and self-regulatory organisation by New Telegraph showed that, activities in the Treasury bills (T.bills) market remained dominant, accounting for 38.14 per cent (May – 43.80 per cent) of total turnover, while Secured Money Market (Repurchase Agreements (Repos)/Buy-Backs) came second place, accounting for 26.5 per cent (May – 31.16 per cent).

Total Foreign Exchange (FX) market transactions gulped 26.07 per cent (May – 13.30 per cent), while FGN2 bonds and Unsecured Placements/Takings accounted for 4.85 per cent (May – 9.28 per cent), and 4.34 per cent (May – 2.41 per cent) of the total turnover respectively.

Fixed income, currency markets record N9.36trn deals Milestones were recorded in the FX market, as the CBN took steps to restructure the market.

The apex bank released revised guidelines for the FX market, effectively liberalising the market, and appointed Foreign Exchange Primary Dealers (FXPDs).

Furthermore, the CBN cleared the backlog of transactions in the market via a onetime Special Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) auction. Accumulated backlog totalling $4.02 billion, was cleared with $0.53 billion (13.24 per cent) settled spot and the remaining 86.76 per cent ($3.49 billion) spread over one to three months forward contracts.

On June 27, naira-settled OTC FX Futures product was also introduced into the Nigerian FX market with the CBN as the pioneer seller. The CBN offered 12 consecutive monthly contracts with initial notional amounts of $1.00 billion each.

OTC FX Futures Contracts totalling $38.80 million were executed by the end of the month.

Transactions in the FX market settled at $7.51 billion, an increase of 83.82 per cent ($3.43 billion) compared with the value recorded in May. YoY turnover in the FX market declined by 24.28 per cent ($2.41 billion).

Member-Member trades settled at $0.90 billion in June (May – $0.62 billion), accounting for 11.96 per cent of turnover in the FX market. Member-Client trades surged by 90.50 per cent to settle at $6.62 billion.

The exchange rate at the

Nigeria spends N598bn importing hardware yearly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

the public sector is directed at patronising locally-developed IT products and services.

“We have, indeed, called on ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that it may soon get to a level that we have to start criminalising patronage foreign ICT products and services in exercising their procurements activities, especially in areas where there are local alternatives that could deliver the same functions as the foreign counterparts,” he added.

Other areas listed by the NITDA DG, where the agency is working towards leveraging technology for as a springboard for economic development is by training less-privileged people by empowering them with IT knowledge and tools; driving the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) market worth N300 billion in Nigeria as well as the Graduate Internship Programme (GIP), being run in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to encourage IT startup development.

Aside existing 21 IT innovation hubs in the country, NITDA said it was working with the office of the Vice President, to create additional 12 innovation centres across the country with two each in the six geo-

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

political zones.

While he said this would be run on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, Olatunji maintained that the government will incentivise the scheme.

One area, through which NITDA is promoting capacity building, is in the area of giving scholarship in areas of ICTrelated capacity building.

“Over 300 Nigerians have benefited from NITDA Scholarship programme. To scale up capacity building in the ICT field, we have increased the number of beneficiaries of our scholarship programmes. Currently, we are now targeting 111 candidates for Masters programme, with three per state, while 37 will benefit from our PhD programme, each from the 36 states of the federation and federal capital territory, Abuja.

“Overall expectation is that in the next four years, we wan to create about 10,000 jobs that will provide part of the critical mass of capacity needed to really turn around the fortunes of Nigerian economy to a point that we are able to reduce dependence on oil revenue and reduce capital flight in the country through increased local production of ICT products and services backed with robust patronage,” he added.

CBN window was officially closed on June 20, making the inter-bank exchange rate the official rate. The inter-bank rate depreciated by 29.73 per cent to close the month at $/N282.97 whilst the parallel market traded at $/N345.00 during the course of the month.

Turnover in the Fixed Income market settled at N4.02 trillion; 2.05 per cent (N0.08 trillion) above the previous month’s value, with transactions in the T.bills market accounting for 88.71 per cent (May – 82.51 per cent) of the turnover.

Outstanding T.bills closed the month at N5.28 trillion (May – N5.42 trillion) whilst outstanding FGN bonds increased 1.73

per cent (N112.00 billion) to close at N6.57 trillion.

Trading intensity in the Fixed Income market settled at 1.24 and 0.07 for T.bills and FGN bonds respectively, with maturities between 1million to 3million being the most actively traded (N1.27 trillion) in the review period.

The yield curve closed the month on an upward slope.

Yields increased on all tenors, save the 1million, which recorded a decline. Spread between the 10 year and three months yields settled at 4.63 per cent down from the 4.91 per cent recorded in the previous month, indicating a slight flattening of the curve.

It is, however, expected that the market will receive further boost, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given a directive that all foreign exchange trades (forex) by Authorised Dealers (banks) and Companies in the Nigerian forex market must be executed through the platform provided by the Financial Market Dealers Quotes (FMDQ)-advised forex trading, with effect from August 1, 2016.

The apex bank, which gave this directive recently in a circular signed by Dr. Alvan Ikoku to all authorised dealers, wants all authorised dealers and corporate institutions operating in the Nigerian forex market to ensure compliance.

L-R: Managing Director, ENGEE PET Limited, Mr. Narendra Chulani; Ogun State Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Leke Adewolu; Director, ENGEE PET Limited, Mr. Taslim Animashaun and Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, during a breakfast meeting with Governor Ibikunle Amosun and members of the private sector, at Government House, Oke Igbein, Abeokuta, recently.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast rice imports drop by N50.1bn DECLINE Rice importation may further drop in 2017 if the Federal Government’s policy persists Bayo Akomolafe

I

mportation of rice from the United States by two West African countries, Nigeria and Ivory Coast has dropped by 400,000 metric tons in the last six months.

The commodity is valued at N50.1billion ($167 million) as global price of the commodity hit 417.59 per metric ton.

According to the Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service report, while Nigeria imports dropped by 300,000 tons due to government policy to limit the commodity importation, Ivory Coast imports declined by 100,000 tons between Janu-

ary and June, 2016 on prospects for a larger crop.

Nigeria, the world’s second largest rice import market, accounts for the largest share of the decline in the global rice trade since the beginning of the year.

Nigeria, the largest grower of rice in West Africa region, is projected to harvest 2.7 million tons of rice in 2016/17, according to USDA. Also, Cote d’Ivoire’s 2016/17 production is projected to increase six per cent to 1.95 million tons.

The USDA report revealed that foreign rice consumption is expected to decline in 2016/17 in China and Nigeria.

It noted imports by Nigeria would fall 17 per cent in 2016, due to the recent increase in import tariffs, declining oil revenues, and foreign exchange restrictions.

Also, it said that Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, the EU, Nepal and Sri Lanka were expected to reduce rice imports this year.

It said: “In Nigeria, there is weaker parboiled trade as national policies restrict imports.

In 2014, global exports of parboiled rice surged, but have declined every year in response to developments in Nigeria.

“The large majority of Nigeria’s rice imports are parboiled.

This country is the second largest importer of rice and the top parboiled rice importer, accounting for around 40 percent of parboiled trade.”

It would recall that in 2015, the Federal Government prohibited the use of foreign exchange to purchase rice and maintained a high import tariff, causing imports to plunge.

Parboiled rice is processed to preserve nutrients and results in more separate grains when cooked. It typically accounts for less than 20 per cent of all exported rice. Thailand and India are the major exporters, whereas the United States and Brazil ship smaller quantities.”

Global rice trade is projected to decline for the third consecutive year in 2017, with both India and Thailand exporting less rice. In contrast, Argentina, Australia and the United States are expected to increase exports in 2017.

WEDNESDAY, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

fct business watch

That Nigeria’s economy is in full-blown recession is not news to Nigerian economists.

The issue is how the economy can be lifted, writes ABDULWAHAB ISA

Recession: Re-constructing Nigeria’s economy

I

t wasn’t entirely a surprise to Nigerians, when in public glare, last week, top government officials admitted that economy is troubled by recession.

The problem of the economy had long been diagnosed and foretold by the nation’s economists.

In the heat of the presidential campaign of 2015, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, with benefit of hindsight on economy, said, “Whoever wins 2015 will never find it easy. Over N30 trillion is mismanaged or unaccounted for.”

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, also raised similar alarm about the economy sliding to a bottomless pit.

Likewise, respected Nigerian World Bank amazon, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, handed similar warming about the economy being in the red. Iweala told Nigerians to prepare for tougher economy in 2016 and beyond. She said, the economy had been bled to near empty . Frequent friction between Dr. Iweala and states’ governors had its root on “let’s be prudent and prioritise spending”, a truth the governors hated to hear.

Belated confession To conclude that Nigerians are passing through their most difficult phase of life occasioned by the drought in revenue and mismanagement of resources by those entrusted with managing public finances is an understatement. One needs to listen to the complain by Nigerians to appreciate the depth of poverty afflicting a nation hugely blessed with economic resources.

It took government over a year to openly admit that the economy is in full recession. Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, first made it known while interacting with members of upper chamber of National Assembly. This was followed by the announcement by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who broke the depressing news last week to Senators at a plenary.

But long before now, the International Monetary Fund( IMF) had given its verdict on Nigeria’s economy heading southwards.

The Fund, without mincing words, said Nigeria’s economy may contract by 1.8 per cent this year.

Corroborating the obvious but belated news, Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, admitted recession is here with us.

Adeosun said: ”Is Nigeria in recession? Technically. If you go into two quarters of negative growth, technically, we are in recession. But I don’t think we should dwell on definitions. I think we should really dwell on

27

Adeosun

where we are going. I think if we are in recession, what I will like to say is we are going to come out of it and it would be a very short one because the policies that we have would ensure that we don’t go below where we need to go and I think with what we are doing, we would begin to turn the corner, I believe, by Quarter Three.”

She added: “We are not the only country in recession; many countries are doing far worse than us.

But for Nigeria, what Nigerians want to know is ‘how’s that going to affect me’ and I want to assure everybody that what we are doing is going to work and it’s going to turn this economy around.”

She insisted that despite the downturn, Nigeria’s economy remained the biggest in Africa and would continue to be so.

She said the Federal Government had released N247.9 billion in the last two months for capital expenditure, pledging that another N60 billion would be released for capital vote in the next few weeks and that N74 billion went to the Works Ministry. All the releases, Adeosun said, had been fully cash-backed.

As a way of assuaging the fears of Nigerians, the finance minister said, “We are not the only country in recession; many countries are doing far worse than us.

But for Nigeria, what Nigerians want to know is ‘how’s that going to affect me’ and I want to assure everybody that what we are doing is going to work and it’s going to turn this economy around.”

Shrugging off critical views The government said views, disposition frequently expressed by external bodies such as the IMF don’t always reflect the reality on ground .

“I am not too worried about the IMF projection. I will tell you why because the IMF job and function is global economic surveillance.

They equally issued a negative report on Britain as a result of Brexit,” the finance minister said, adding, “I don’t think we should panic every time IMF

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma

To achieve recovery, government must put in place the right policies and implement them fast

speaks. I think we need to be confident around what we are doing and where we are going. I remain extremely confident, as I said, around Nigeria. IMF has given their projections, which is, we may continue into negative territory and I am not sure what we have seen suggests that.”

On what was inherited from the immediate past administration, Adeosun said: “I inherited very little by way of reserves.

“I inherited significant debt, contractor debt. Cash calls of $5 billion dollars outstanding to the oil companies. I equally mentioned the fact that many of the contractors, even though we have paid them N107 billion, find it very difficult to work because they are owed and some of them have not been paid since 2012.

Their claims are over N390 billion. So, I didn’t inherit reserves that are positive; I inherited reserves that tend to be more negative than positive because the economy is actually in very good hands and we are doing absolutely our best to get through this difficult period and I explained how we are doing that; we have been extremely disciplined around our spending. We are investing in essential infrastructure; we have released N74 billion to Works in two months compared to N19 billion for the whole of last year. We are doing everything possible to avert and to manage the situation, which we didn’t create, unfortunately, but which we inherited and we as a nation, we must all get out of,” she said.

Tips for nation in economic recess Nigerian economists, in appraising the economy amid recession, are unanimous in their submissions that the present condition of recess is not a hopeless situation. They are of view that , the economy can be rescued if the right mix of policies are adopted.

Speaking in an interview with New Telegraph, Developmental Economist, Odilim En-

wegbara, advised: “There’s need to increase system liquidity. Increasing the purchasing power of the millions of economically excluded citizens will trigger demand for locally made goods like food. This will grow the economy out of recession. Also, high tariff import duties will reduce the economy’s import-dependency, which will galvanize the local economy. Massive fiscal stimulus package, involving infrastructure investment will reduce the recessionary pressure.”

The Director-General, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, said: “The economy is in a recession.

What we need now is a robust fiscal policy. Government has to spend –pour more money into the economy – not just on capital projects.”

He advised that salaries owed workers by states should be paid so that people could have money to buy goods and services.

“The recession is a special type. It has effects on both the supply and demand sides. So, the way to solve that is massive government capital and recurrent expenditure. Monetary policy will not be effective. The dilemma that they have is where to get the revenue. I am sure they are borrowing to finance the expenditure because oil revenue is not increasing at the rate they want.

How fast they can begin to implement the fiscal policy is crucial. If government fails to act and the recession persists, and becomes a depression, then we are in a big mess. Now, we need massive fiscal stimulus into the economy, and we have to do that like yesterday,” Ekpo said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said: “We are already in recession. All the time you have a deficit budget, you are borrowing; you are expanding activities. The way to be out of a recession is to spend your way out of it. So, that is what they are doing. They are doing all the things that need to be done.”

A former President of the Nigerian Economic Society, Prof.

Akin Iwayemi, said to achieve recovery, government must put in place the right policies and implement them fast.

“It doesn’t seem to me now that we are taking the right polices,” he said, stressing the need to tackle insecurity, energy crisis and militancy, and take concrete steps to diversify the economy away from oil,” he added.

Conclusion Hope for the economy to rebound is not lost. This will only happen if government is sincerely committed to implementing policies it lined up to re-jig the economy. To neglect doing the needful is to breed a nation of malnourished citizens.

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BUSINESS |MONEY

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ith lenders generally reporting higher levels of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in their 2015 and 2016 first quarter results and global ratings agencies, including Fitch and Moody’s, downgrading the credit ratings of several large Nigerian banks because of rising NPLs, the issue has clearly been a growing concern for both industry watchers and operators in recent times.

Only last week, the country’s biggest lender by assets, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, published an advertorial in national dailies announcing that its quarterly publication of the delinquent debtors on its books is scheduled for next month, urging the debtors to pay up.

First Bank stated: “In line with the Central Bank of Nigeria directive, our quarter 3, 2016, publication of delinquent debtors on our books… is scheduled for August, 2016. Please be informed that the publication will include the names of the directors, subsidiaries, persons and entities related to the delinquent debtors.”

The Bankers’ Committee decided in 2014 that banks will regularly publish the names of their delinquent debtors in national newspapers as a way of ‘naming and shaming’ the debtors to repay the funds borrowed from these financial institutions. Despite this measure, however, the volume of NPLs in the industry has been rising in the last few years Indeed, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), in its 2015 annual report released a few weeks ago, revealed that banks’ bad loans increased by 82.87 per cent to hit N648.89billion in 2015 compared with the N354.84billion recorded for 2014.

Similarly, the CBN had stated in its Financial Stability Report (FSR), released before the NDIC annual report that NPLs in the banking system rose sharply by 78 per cent year-on-year to N649.63 billion in 2015.

Until recently, the CBN and most analysts blamed the rising NPLs on weak economic conditions occasioned by the slump in oil prices.

Specifically, at one of the Bankers’ Committee held in Lagos during, which the issue was discussed, the Director of Banking Supervision, CBN, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, attributed the problem to the economic downturn.

She said, “If people are not being paid their salaries and are thus unable to pay their loans, it is not unexpected. If corporate bodies are not doing well as they used to and are not able to pay their loans, it is not surprising that non-performing loans are rising. The average figure of five per cent non-performing loan is not out of this world.”

NDIC’s concern However, a few days ago, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, hinted at another likely cause of rising NPLs in the banking industry, when he expressed concern over what he said was the increasing incidents of non-performing insider loans in various banks and its consequence on the stability of the nation’s banking system.

Alhaji Ibrahim, who stated this while receiving the newly elected President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Insider loans: Old problem rears its head again

Recent threats by banks to publish the names of delinquent debtors, including those of some of their directors, indicate that the problem of non-performing insider loans still constitutes a grave danger to the health of the banking industry despite measures introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis, to check it. Tony Chukwunyem reports

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Managing Director, NDIC, Umaru Ibrahim

Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Professor Segun Ajibola and some of his executive members in Abuja, said that the problem posed credibility questions, which were capable of eroding public confidence in the banking system. He called for strict compliance with the existing code of conduct and a review of the existing laws and regulations to provide stiffer penalties for directors who take advantage of their positions and failed to pay back their loans.

Insider loans at SIB While the NDIC chief executive did not provide details of the exact volume of non-performing insider loans in the industry, his remarks came against the background of speculations that the CBN had appointed a new board and management for Skye Bank because some of the lender’s former board members severely hurt the financial institution by obtaining huge loans - much of which became bad.

According to reports, Skye Bank’s erstwhile chairman and shareholder, Mr. Tunde Ayeni and another Director/shareholder, Dr. Festus Fadeyi, had borrowed heavily from the bank and at the time of their exit were allegedly indebted to the lender to the tune of N30 billion and N98 billion respectively.

Early this month, the CBN had intervened in Skye Bank, citing the need to prevent the lender’s weakening prudential ratios from deteriorating any further. The Systemically Important Bank (SIB) reportedly had a NPL book of N700 billion and its situation was worsened by poor liquidity triggered mainly by the Federal Government’s full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

A top official of a Tier 1 lender, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told New Telegraph that non-performing insider-loans was a major reason for the huge volume of NPLs

It could take some time yet before the regulatory authorities will be able to effectively curb bad loans.

in the industry.

He said: “If a proper investigation is carried out, it will be discovered that most of the bad debts in the industry are actually non performing insider loans. The Directors just decide among themselves to give these loans to their companies and friends.

The CBN is aware of this but it is like they don’t have the capacity to stop the practice until the loans become bad and can no longer be hidden.”

Interestingly, in a circular issued to banks in 2013, the regulator had noted that lenders were not reporting credit facilities of N1 million and above availed to their Board members and staff in line with the Credit Risk Management System (CRMS).

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, who signed the circular, explained that the CRMS is a Central Database for credit information on borrowers, established by the CBN Act No. 24 of 1991 (Sections 28 and 52) as amended, which made it mandatory for all banks to render returns in respect of all credit facilities of N1 million and above.

She emphasised that sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the Prudential Guideline for Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) of July 2010, does not preclude banks in the country from reporting credit facilities availed to its board members and staff in the CRMS. She advised banks to report such loans, stressing that lenders were required to report all credit facilities (principal plus interest) of N1 million and above availed to their board members and staff in the CRMS as well as regularly update these credit facilities on monthly basis.

Corporate governance as panacea Although she warned that any observed breach will attract severe sanctions, analysts point out that the apex bank does not seem to be keen on strictly enforcing provisions for reporting insider-loans in the bank-

ing industry.

Commenting on the issue in a chat with New Telegraph, a legal practitioner, Mr. Patrick Halim, said: “The Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) as well as the CBN Code of Corporate Governance contain key provisions on the requirement for disclosing insider related credit. For instance, Section 17 of BOFIA provides for full disclosure by Directors and Managers of their interest in loans, credits and advances and mandates the Company Secretary to read such disclosures at board meetings as well as record it in the minute book.

“Also, the CBN Code of Corporate Governance provides that any Director whose facility or that of his/her related interests remains non-performing for more than one year should cease to be on the board of the Bank and could be blacklisted from sitting on the board of any other bank.”

Besides, he noted that in addition to complying with Code provisions, some banks in the country have adopted measures to prevent directors from taking huge loans that would be allowed to become bad.

He noted: “A few years ago one of the leading banks in this country decided that shares held by any of its debtor-directors should be sold to recover their bad debts along with the collateral pledged for the loan. Of course, with such a tough stance, Directors of this bank ensure that their loans don’t go bad.”

However, a management consultant, Mr. Ndubisi Agu, traced the recurring issue of NPLs in the Nigerian banking industry to the breakdown of corporate governance. He argued that although the CBN released its Code of Corporate governance for the industry in 2014, most banks were yet to adopt it.

He advised the CBN to ensure that the corporate governance code is fully adopted by operators in order to avert another financial crisis.

He said: “From the way things are going, banks are likely going to exceed the five per cent limit on non-performing loans. This could destabilise the system given that that Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has foreclosed the possibility of further purchase of bad loans. It is up to the CBN to ensure that we don’t have a financial crisis at this difficult time otherwise there would be no hope for the economy. It (CBN) has to sanction any bank that flouts its rules on insider lending.”

Conclusion But as a banking industry source noted, most bank directors are highly connected politically, and with the country still facing challenges in enforcing the law, it could take some time yet before the regulatory authorities will be able to effectively curb bad loans.

BUSINESS |MONEY

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Remittances: BDC operators fret over limited inflows Anxiety Patronage of money transfer firms has dropped Tony Chukwunyem

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arely 48 hours after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks to sell to them remittances via international money transfer firms, Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators have said they are concerned that the inflows might be inadequate for their requirements.

In separate chats with New Telegraph at the weekend, the BDC operators said that while they were pleased with the CBN’s decision,

they were worried that the foreign exchange that the banks would make available as a result of the measure will be a lot less than the $30,000 dollars per week that they used to get from the apex bank.

A Lagos-based operator, who asked not to be named, said: “We are happy that the CBN eventually gave us this opportunity. But our concern now is that the inflows we will get from the banks will be very limited.”

According to him, the number of people living outside the country who remit funds back home through international money transfer firms has fallen significantly since the gap between the official and parallel markets’ exchange rates started to widen.

He said: “The naira to dollar exchange rate at the parallel market today is about N377/dollar compared with below N330 at the interbank market. In fact, before the CBN introduced the new flexible exchange rate policy, the gap used to be wider. So, a lot of people have since stopped remitting funds through international money transfer firms, which pay in naira at the official exchange rate.”

Until it ended the sales last January, citing dwindling external reserves and accusing BDCs of unprofessional and unethical activities, the CBN used to sell $30,000 weekly to operators.

The decision to end the dollar sales led to many BDCs closing shop. But following series of negotiations with the Association of Bureaux

De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the apex bank last Friday issued a circular directing agent banks to approve international money transfer operators to sell foreign currency accruing from inward money remittances to licenced BDC operators.

According to the CBN, the move is part of efforts to ensure the stability of the naira exchange rate and also to encourage all critical stakeholders to participate in the foreign exchange market.

It said that all international money transfer operators would be required to remit foreign currency to agent banks for disbursement in naira to beneficiaries.

The regulator also stated that proceeds from the international money transfer sold

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to the BDC operators should be retailed to end users in compliance with the provisions of anti-money laundering laws, adding that the process should be in observance of appropriate Know Your Customer (KYC) principles, including the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN).

The circular said: “Furthermore, authorised dealers and BDCs are required to render returns of the operation daily and monthly to the Director, Trade and Exchange, CBN via e-FASS application, in accordance with extant regulation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, failure by any authorised dealers and BDC operators to render returns as and when due shall attract appropriate sanctions, including withdrawal of dealership’’.

UN trade confab agrees new framework

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L-R: Superior Packaging Consultants, Mr. Tunji Adegboye; Mrs. Sola Somade, Regional Coordinator (South West), Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Babatunde Faleke; Representative of National Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), Mr. Godwin Akwa and Lead Consultant, Packaging Resources, Mrs. Kofo Ojelabi, at an Export Packaging Clinic in Lagos

‘Afreximbank boosts African firms with $15bn yearly’

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ith the over $15 billion provided annually to African businesses, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is achieving its mandate of financing, promoting and expanding intra and extra-African trade, participants have been told in Mahe, Seychelles, at the opening of activities marking the 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders of the bank.

Vice President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, said during the opening of three days of seminars and meeting of the Advisory Group on Trade Finance and Export Development in Africa, that Afreximbank’s services were reaching beneficiaries from all sectors of the African economy, varying in size from small and medium enterprises to large conglomerates.

According to Mr Faure, the seminar theme of “Intra-African Trade and the Blue Economy as Catalysts for Economic Transformation” highlights the importance that governments have placed on intra-African trade as well as the

call by the United Nations for the conservation and sustainable development of the Blue Economy.

He said that the potential for trade in Africa was vast but that the Blue Economy should not just be for providing cheap raw materials to more industrialised countries. It should also boost the local production of value-added goods and services.

Afreximbank’s Executive VicePresident for Corporate Governance and Legal Services, Dr George Elombi, said that the Blue Economy could serve as an important channel for diversifying the African economy and could be a key pillar for national economic growth and sustainable development.

Auxiliary industries associated with the Blue Economy offered opportunities to boost Africa’s intraregional trade, he continued.

Elombi argued that Africa should be the world’s next frontier for industrialisation, especially with the ongoing process of delocalisation and manufacturing

outsourcing in China. In his view, Africa must resolutely address the challenges of industrialisation in order to facilitate the continent’s integration into global value chains.

In a plenary presentation, a former Under-secretary-General of the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, reiterated the importance of pursuing economic integration in Africa in order to achieve economic development.

He said that through integration, Africa would achieve the creation of larger markets, noting that with their relative small size, many African countries were just too small to be able to stand as viable markets on their own.

In introducing the seminars, Afreximbank Chief Economist, Dr Hipolyte Fofack, said that they had been planned to provide opportunity for reflection on the challenges facing African economies in a context of increased global volatility and weakening global growth and to explore options for taking full advantage of opportunities.

he United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) wrapped up its fourteenth quadrennial conference in Nairobi, Kenya last weekend, by reaching an agreement on a framework that will guide the body’s work over the next four years.

The new four-year framework will largely focus on ensuring broad achievement of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has been dubbed the ‘Nairobi consensus’.

“I’m delighted that our 194 member States have been able to reach this consensus, giving a central role to UNCTAD in delivering the sustainable development goals,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said after negotiators adopted the consensus outcome document and Political Declaration.

“With this document, we can get on with the business of cutting edge analysis, building political consensus, and providing the necessary technical assistance that will make globalisation and trade work for billions of people in the global south,” he added.

UNCTAD14 President Amina Mohamed, told the negotiators, “It’s a good day for Kenya, a good day for UNCTAD, and a big win for multilateralism.”

Prepared under the responsibility of the Kenyan Government, the political declaration, known by its Swahili translation, the Azimio, represents a broad expression of the social and economic state of the world.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the presence of Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Vice-President of Uganda, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, opened the conference last Sunday.

More than 5,000 delegates from 149 countries also attended the conference, which took place, as analysts remain gloomy about the outlook for the world economy. In the global north, many people have grown skeptical about the benefits of globalisation, while poverty and inequality remain pervasive in the south.

The conference saw concrete progress including the launch of a new e-trade initiative, the first UN statistical report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators, the launch of a multidonor trust fund on trade and productive capacity, and the commitment of more than 90 countries for a roadmap on fisheries subsidies.

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BUSINESS | Investor

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Weak naira, poor H1 results dampen investors’ appetite

The share prices of stocks quoted on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has continued to move southward following the release of unimpressive half year results and continuous depreciation of naira.

Chris Ugwu reports

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rading on equities had at the tail end of half year sustained bullish rally, as traders and investors took advantages of the new economic policy measures by the Federal Government to take position on stocks, which were already undervalued.

The market had also reacted positively to the Federal Government’s removal of subsidy and increase in petroleum price from N86.50 to N145 per liter.

Also, the bullish activities were motivated by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) clarification on its flexible foreign exchange policy, which reduced uncertainty in the financial markets.

However, investors who were making inroad back to the equities market following intervention by the government to give the economy clear direction and finding a lasting solution to the crashing naira have made a retreat, as the intervention seemed not enough to have save the local currency.

Other militating factors such as drop in the crude oil price, depressed consumer purchasing power and expected weak corporate earnings, have also further kept investors at bay from the local bourse.

As a result of the weak macroeconomic environment, investors seem not to be willing to stake their funds on equities listed at the Exchange thereby leading to current free fall of prices of stocks.

State of the market Available data to New Telegraph showed that activities on the floor of the NSE between June 30 and July 22, 2016 showed that market capitalisation of the equities fell by N666 billion, translating to 6.55 per cent loss from N10.165 trillion it closed the half year ended June 30, 2016 to N9.499 trillion as at July 22.

Further check on some stocks across board also revealed that the prices of stocks quoted on the Exchange that had been beaten down were further depressed, as investors continued to be wary of taking investment positions.

For instance, during the period under review, Diamond Bank’s stock price dropped by 29.33 per cent or 66 kobo to N1.59 per share as at July 22 from N2.25 it closed at June 30. Access Bank

Trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange

Plc’s stock price declined by 10.26 per cent or 59 kobo, to close at N5.16 per share from N5.75 during the same period.

Also, GTB Plc’s share price dipped by 9.58 per cent or N2.23, from N23.26 to N21.03 per share during the period under review.

In the same vein, PZ Cussons Plc fell by 10.43 per cent or N2.4 to close at N20.60 per share from N23.00 per share in June 30.

Guinness Nigeria Plc lost N12.77 or 11.68 per cent to close at N96.48 per share as against N109.25 per share during the period under review, while Oando also shed N1.38 per share or 21.23 per cent from N6.50 to N5.12 per share among others.

Militating factors Despite the new policies, the current weak results of some quoted firms for the half year have driven away investors, especially institutional and foreign ones who majorly determine the movement of the local bourse.

Financial analysts, who are predicting lower profits in the second quarter of this year, attributed the development to lower national imports due to foreign exchange challenges, lull in economic activities and slow implementation of the 2016 budget, among others.

The Managing Director, Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said banks would make higher provisions for bad loans in their second quarter results due to the lull in economy, slow implementation of the budget and reduction in their income lines and profits.

He noted that banks’ income lines have reduced due to the foreign exchange challenges in the country, adding that many banks cannot engage in trade finance, as they should have done due to scarcity of forex.

Besides, he noted that lending that should go to the Federal Government contractors could not happen due to the late passage and implementation of the budget.

Dominance of the market by foreign investor is one of the reasons why our market is the way it is

“And more importantly, they will experience higher provisions for bad loans due to the lull in economic activities,” he said.

According to analysts at ARM Research, “over the rest of first half 2016, whilst oil prices show signs of finding a bottom, current foreign exchange market illiquidity should continue to stymie foreign interest on the domestic bourse.”

Thus, they advised that domestic investor considerations should play a pivotal role in charting equity market outlook in the second quarter (Q2), 2016, noting that the recent twist in monetary policy and resultant rise in interest rates raises the hurdles for quoted companies while driving heightened domestic investor sensitivity to stock fundamentals. On balance, they see lagged economic policy response to the tepid economic landscape as driving a bearish market outlook in the Q2, 2016.

“Our base case was for a weak macroeconomic landscape on account of the oil price shocks to combine with current foreign exchange restrictions to temper foreign participation in Nigerian equities, leaving domestic considerations to exert greater influence on market outlook,” they noted.

Since the intervention of the CBN has been unable to save the local currency from further depreciation at the parallel market, the naira has continued to skew downwards despite expectations that the policy, which removed the currency price ceiling to allow a free float would bring relief to the economy and attract investors back to the equities market.

Need to increase domestic investors Following the current state of the market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently expressed its determination to raise the participation of retail investors in the Nigerian Capital market, stressing that that was one of

the critical ways of deepening the market.

Gwarzo stressed that the dominance of the market by foreign investors was one of the reasons why the market is not as deep as it ought to be.

He said: “Our intention is to ensure that we raise the level of participation of retail investors in the market, that is the only way we can maintain the strength of the market. Dominance of the market by foreign investor is one of the reasons why our market is the way it is. Although it is the pattern of the market, but this dominance is a major factor because they are the ones that come in and come out. We need to upscale the participation of the retail investors in the market and that is why we are addressing some of their concerns.

“Anyone you meet today and tell him to come back, the issue of unclaimed dividends is always a major problem.”

In order to achieve this, the DG disclosed that the Commission had embarked on various initiatives such as recapitalisation, e-dividend registration, the Direct Cash Settlement as a direct benefit to investors from the e-dividend registration, adding that when they register for e-dividend, anytime their shares are sold, they would get the proceeds directly in their bank accounts among others.

He said: “We are urging Nigerians to go and register to get their dividends electronically.

Once we get through with the e-dividend thing, we will be able to deal with other issues in the market. The entire market has commenced Direct Cash Settlement. The era when shares will be sold and the proceeds will be given to the broker who will then pay the client is over. What is obtainable now is that once the shares of an individual are sold, the proceed is paid directly into his bank account. With this, once the client has authorised the broker and provided all his details, the proceeds will be paid into the client’s account.”

Gwarzo said that every year the Commission comes up with various initiatives from the Master Plan and have been implementing them.

He added: “All the initiatives we came up with last year, we have implemented them. This year we also came up with certain initiatives and one of them is the need for all arms of the government to buy into the Capital Market Master Plan. It is only in Nigeria that we have not been given the kind of attention that the capital market deserves.

The capital market is the one that defines the state of the economy.

Conclusion International investors only come into any market to make money and when there is any shock, they would simply exit, which creates a lot of problems for market recovery. Hence, it is important for the regulators to sustain any policy that would deepen domestic investors’ participation.

WEDNESDAY, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

International oil companies (IOCs) have continued to flout Nigeria’s Cabotage law as well as shun payment of statutory levies to government three years after the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) rolled out Sea Protection Levy (SPL) for local and foreign ships. BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

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n 2013, the apex maritime regulator, NIMASA, stressed the need to curb indiscriminate discharge of ship wastes on Nigeria.To sustantiate this, it subsequently said that Nigerian flagged vessels must pay Sea Protection Levy (SPL).

It noted that local shipping lines would pay in naira while foreign liners must pay their levy in dollars.

However, since the pronouncement, some of the oil companies operating on Nigerian waters have disregarded the order.

Miffed by this, the agency, last week, said that it would no longer tolerate the IOCs’s contempt for Cabotage and environmental laws in the country.

It stated that the era of some of the IOCs carrying out their businesses in violation of Nigeria’s laws, especially as regards Cabotage and the environment was over.

In line with the directive, the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has already held a meeting with representatives of the IOCs in Lagos, warning the oil companies to be mindful of all existing laws and regulations in the discharge of their duties as applicable.

He noted that sanctions would be meted out to erring companies.

Peterside stressed that NIMASA would no longer fold its arms and watch the oil companies damage the marine environment, saying environmental pollution was life threatening.

Offence He listed the offences of IOCs to include flouting of Cabotage law, unhealthy oil exploration activities, none payment of statutory levies due to the government and inadequate information sharing.

Peterside said that a situation where the IOCs engaged foreign vessels for jobs that Nigerian operators with adequate capacity and equipment could do would no longer be tolerated.

He noted that this had been a major bane in the development

maritime

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi

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NIMASA DG, Dakuku Petersise

NIMASA frets as IOCs disregard cabotage law, statutory levies of Nigeria’s shipping industry.

The director general said: “You must give us ample notice of vessel requirements so that we can engage indigenous operators who have the capacity to do the job instead of giving it to foreign operators.

“The spirit of the Cabotage Act is not to generate revenue in terms of waivers but to build the requisite capacity for indigenous players, which will in the long run generate wealth and create employment for Nigeria’s teeming population.”

He noted that the disputes on the payment of Cabotage levies on Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) facilities and other offshore platforms were unnecessary.

The director general said that FPSOs and other offshore platforms were also Cabotage vessels subjected to the agency’s regulation and payment of statutory levies.

Peterside added: “Whether you are into shipping or shipping related business, NIMASA has a role to play in ensuring that the business is done seamlessly without security risk and not at the detriment of the Nigerian state.

“Therefore, there is the need for you to cooperate with NIMASA especially in the area of information sharing.”

Levies The SPL was introduced for oil companies with loading and receiving bouys, oil rigs and pipelines.

The agency explained that

Any default of payment of the SPL by any shipping company may lead to its ship being detained

flagged vessels from 100-1000 metric tons would pay N500 per Gross Tonnage (GT).

While those from 100110,000GT will pay N350, those with 10001-100,000 metric tons will pay N300 per GT and those from 100,000 and above metric tons 250 per GT. It added: “Foreign flagged vessels are to pay in dollars and the payment schedule is as follows: those from 100-1000 metric tons will pay $0.1 per GT, those from 1001-10000metric tons will pay $0.15, per GT, those from 10001-100,000metric tons will pay $0.2per GT and those from 100,000metric tons and above will pay $0.3 per GT. Also, the agency put the rate payable per annum for offshore oil installations by oil companies at N15 million, while oil wells for exploration will attract N10 million per annum from first day of April every year.

It added that pipelines would attract N1, 500 per cubic metre of pipeline volume from high water mark to termination point offshore.

Penalty The agency further warned that any default of payment of the SPL by any shipping company may lead to its ship being detained by the agency at any port or jetty until the levy is paid.

The agency said, “There is need for us to enhance sustainable development of the nation’s maritime environment management system by putting in place a self-funding

mechanism that preserves and protects it against degradation and destruction of the ecosystem with attendants economic implications from oil pollution.’’

It would be recalled that the Federal Government recently ratified the Marine Pollution Convention, which is the major instrument of the International Maritime Agency (IMO) on the prevention of pollution of the marine environment.

The convention was domesticated into the national law in June 2012 through the gazette of the Marine Environment Management Re gulations among, which was the SPL and Merchant Shipping Regulations.

The agency’s Director of Labour Services, Juliana Gunwa, had explained three years ago that NIMASA introduced the marine environment levy in response to indiscriminate discharge of ship-generated wastes in line with IMO International Convention of the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

Gunwa said that minimal and haphazard monitoring of polluters within the nation’s territorial waters, if continued unchecked, would affect socio-economic conditions of Nigerians adversely.

Conclusion From the foregoing, it is clear that there is need for shipping lines and other key stakeholders to cooperate with NIMASA in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.

32

business \ maritime

WEDNESDAY, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NPA loses 75% of towage revenue to private firm SHORTAGE

The company to which towage was outsourced had been cheating the Federal Government despite using NPA infrastructure and manpower

$920 to NPA. President of the union, Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni, explained that only Warri and Calabar ports were being handled by the authority.

He lamented that the union had, in the last one year, battled the management of the authority under Alhaji Habib Abdullahi to in-

crease the towage price but that the former management refused.

He explained that a towage service charge was $3,620 globally; stressing that the company to which towage was outsourced had been using NPA’s infrastructure and manpower.

Adegbeyemi noted that the company charged the global standard rate but

paid only $920 to NPA. He said: “We asked them to increase the towage price in Warri and Calabar zone, but they have refused, we have been on it for the past one year, they want to outsource it to some people so that by the time they leave NPA, they would still be sucking NPA’s breast.”

He commended the

Federal Government for appointing the first female managing director of the authority.

Adegbeyeni urged the managing director to submit herself for learning and yield to advice from the right quarters since she had no experience of the maritime industry.

Highlighting some of the challenges confront-

ing NPA, the president stressed the need for immediate recruitment of more staff into the agency, as it is currently short-staffed.

Also, Adegbeyeni noted that terminal operators’ activities were not properly monitored by the authority, noting that dilapidated infrastructure were not replaced.

Bayo Akomolafe

T

he Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been losing billions of naira yearly to a private company engaged for towage services in Lagos and Port Harcourt areas.

It was learnt that the provision of towage services, which is a core function of the authority, had been outsourced to a private company.

According to NPA’s Senior Staff Association of Communication Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC), pilot quarters and tug boats procured by NPA were given to a third party to run towage services.

The union also alleged that while the private company was generating $3,600, it only paid peanuts of

Containers stacked for clearance at Tincan Port, Lagos

Why there’s low manpower in maritime, by CISN

‘Fraudsters clear containers illegally through DTI cafes’

T

O

he Certified Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (CISN) has linked the dearth of maritime manpower in the country to inadequate training institutions offering nautical and seafaring-related programmes in Nigeria.

The Rector of the institute, Prof. Alex Okwuashi, said that CISN was ready to partner with the government to train the manpower needed in the industry.

He advised the Federal Government to stop foreign training programmes of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), saying that the programme was a drain pipe.

In a statement in Lagos, the the rector, the monies spent over the years on seafarers training were wasted funds, due to lack of ships for sea time after the training.

Okwuashi called for support from the government to transfer

some Joint Admission Matriculation Board’s students and cadets from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, to CISN for training.

He stressed the need for the government to encourage private maritime training institutions by giving grants, provisions of specific learning facilities and provision of integrated sea training vessels in order to complement the efforts of MAN, Oron.

He said: “A cursory look at Nigeria investment parameters reveals lack of maritime domain awareness, nearly all the so-called shipping companies today are clearing and forwarding agencies, only very few are really involved in shipping and ports agency services. This is why performance of shipping companies are quite abysmal.

“Unemployment and high rates of attrition in the maritime is mainly as a result of poor market share, dominance

of shipping by foreign interests who earn nearly all proceeds from various shipping/port operations, dwindling maritime businesses for indigenous companies, poor salaries, and associated incentives.”

Okwuashi also advised that the government must help salvage the maritime sector now and not listen to advice from some quarters that it should not be involved in the floating of a national carrier due to investment errors of NNSL during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime.

According to him, absence of national carrier and indigenous fleet for sea trainings and attachments for seafarers and a number of other factors were largely responsible for the dearth of seafarers.

“The rector said that government should deemphasise negatively skewed approach to sponsorship and support to only its own facilities” he advised.

fficials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have said that some unscrupulous people have used the commercially-run Direct Trade Input (DTI) cafes it established to facilitate cargo clearance illegally.

Speaking at the secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Lagos, Customs Coordinator in Zone A, Charles Edike, an assistant comptroller-general, explained that when he was the Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, 10 containers were fraudulently cleared and released from the port through the commercial DTIs. In a statement, he noted that there had been complaints from Customs agents that their licences were being used indiscriminately to release cargoes, without due process and without their knowledge.

Edike said that the fraudulent act prompted the NCS management to shut down all commercial DTI cafes in the country.

Edike, who spoke while flagging off the training of customs agents in the application of new data capture process, gave assurance to the association that

the new initiative would bring sanity to DTI cafe operations.

He noted that no other person would have access to their passwords.

The coordinator said that private DTIs, which had been approved by Customs, would play a major role in blocking revenue loopholes.

He added that it would curb security challenges, reduce cost and time of doing business at the ports.

Edike said: “The training will help them to understand the system. It will help them to capture data. It will help them not to make errors in data capture.

“Once they understand all of these, it makes our job easier because they are now aware of what to do and what not to do.

“That also means that the time and cost of doing business in our ports will be reduced. Of course, that is also good for the economy.

It means trade will be facilitated.

It also means there will be less interaction between officers and the agents.”

The coordinator stressed that customs agents could stay in their offices, make their declarations and have their containers released.

He charged the agents to make integrity and honest declarations their watchwords.

business \ maritime

WEDNESDAY, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

33

NIMASA to certify naval officers, ratings ENDORSEMENT Naval officers seek certification to make them useful after retirement

O

fficers and Ratings of the Nigerian Navy are now to be certified by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

Director General of the agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, disclosed this when the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, led a delegation to the agency’s head office in Lagos.

A statement from the agency quoted the director general as saying that training was pivotal to the development of an excellent officer.

He gave assurance to the FOC that the agency would immediately commence the process of certifying the officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy, who have satisfied all the requirements.

Peterside said: “If we must achieve our shared objective of securing our maritime sector, synergy is key and as the Regional Coordinator for Search and Rescue in West and Central

Customs generate N208m in Kano

T

he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states command, said that about N208 million was collected by the command as internally generated revenue in June.

Its Area Controller, Alhaji Sani Madugu, in a statement, said in Sokoto that about N83 million was realised in June 2015 as revenue.

Madugu added that security measures had been adopted to ensure that Customs duties were paid on all goods coming into the country from the command’s area of jurisdiction.

He solicited the support of traditional rulers in border communities to sensitise their people on the need to complement the effort of officers deployed by offering intelligence reports on movement of smugglers.

He said: “We are battle ready to prevent and confront any person or group of people engaged in smuggling activities.”

Africa, we have to ensure that our training conforms to the needs of protecting our maritime space.

Already, Mohammed had called on NIMASA to certify officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy trained by NAVTRAC to enable them become useful to the maritime industry even after retirement from the navy.

The FOC reeled out areas of cooperation between NIMASA and the Flag Command to include training in search and rescue operations and Global Maritime Distress and Safety

System (GMDSS).

He said that the navy had dedicated ships and simulators among other relevant training equipment, which NIMASA staff could take advantage of.

He said: “We will need to synergise with NIMASA in some specific training such as Search and Rescue type training, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) training and other relevant trainings, which would make officers competent and rise to the challenges that can be faced during the course of

working at sea now and after retirement.”

Mohammed stressed the need for the two agencies to foster a closer working relationship and understanding for the benefit of securing the Nigerian maritime domain.

Meanwhile, Petrside has called on the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai, to tackle maritime crimes on Nigerian waters.

He made the plea when he hosted the flag officer in his office in Lagos.

The DG decried the rise in

piracy activities in the early part of this year and called for strategic initiatives and synergy among stakeholders to arrest the trend.

He noted: “The operations report available to us is nothing to cheer about. While there is a drop in the number of vessels calling our ports, there seem to be a comparative increase in piracy activities.

“This means that operationally, both NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy must step up our game in order to guarantee continuous prosperity of Nigeria’s economy.”

A vessel discharging petroleum product at Folawiyo Jetty in Apapa

Shippers’ Council partners NUC on maritime law

T

he Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have resolved to collaborate on the introduction of maritime law as a course of study in Nigerian universities.

The agreement according to a statement, was reached in

Abuja during a courtesy visit by the council’s Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, to the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie.

Bello noted that the dearth of legal practitioners and judges who are knowledgeable in maritime law had continued to hinder the adjudication of

maritime cases in the country.

He noted that the Chief Justice of Nigeria had directed the council to collaborate with NUC to introduce the basics of maritime law in the curricular of faculties of law in Nigerian universities.

Bello added that other justices of the Supreme Court had

Commodities expected at Lagos Port this week Ships

Terminal

Tonnage

Commodity

Date

MOL Desert

APMT

300FCL

Containers

25-7-2016

MSK Cunene

APMT

712FCL

Containers

25-7-2016

MSK cape Coast

APMT

939 FCL

Containers

25-7-2016

Vuitra Naree

ENL

27,500 tons

Fertiliser

25-7- 2016

MOL Delight

APMT

300 FCL

Containers

25-7-2016

Desert Moon

ABTL

11, 758 tons

Wheat

26-7-2016

Unifortuna

APMT

475FCL

Containers

26-7 2016

Qiun Song

ENL

6, 956 tons

G/Cargo

26-7-2016

Azury Bay

ENL

1,396 tons

Steel

26-7-2016

Solstice N

APMT

500 FCL

Containers

28-7-2016

MSK Cairo

APMT

1,090 FCL

Containers

28-7-2016

MSK Patras

APMT

500 FCL

Containers

28-7-2016

also requested the council to do the same.

He explained: “This, according to their lordships, is because until recently, maritime law was not taught in our universities both at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

“As a result of this, our judges who are called to dispense justice on complex maritime issues find it extremely tasking to dispose of such matters expeditiously.”

He said that some justices of the Supreme Court and those of the Court of Appeal had in the past admitted that they had no prior contact with admiralty law until after participating in the maritime seminar for judges.

Bello stressed the importance of the maritime sector to the development of national economy, saying that the sector had created employment and contributed a lot to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said that if properly harnessed, the sector was a veritable source of economic sustenance and diversification.

Bello said that most countries derived 90 per cent of their revenue from the sector.

On his part, Okojie said that NUC and the council would set up a committee to work out the modalities as fast as possible.

34

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Literature

Arts

Subliminal dislocation o f human construct

36

In Transition, Jegede interrogates plight of IDPs

Generation What. (Selfie) Graphite on Paper

Tony Okuyeme

F

ive years after his last solo exhibition titled Peregrinations, renowned artist and art historian, Prof.

Dele Jegede returned to the exhibition scene in Nigeria with another solo show at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The week-long exhibition, which ended last Saturday, is titled Transition, and it offers insight into creative and aesthetic engagement of the artist.

While Peregrinations highlighted “some of the key happenings in the country in the intervening 20 years of his absence”, the body of work in this new solo exhibition, also, as he notes, “attempts to disrupt the canonical imbalance in the historicisation of texts by privileging the Black perspective.”

Indeed, it was a gathering of the ‘who is who’ in the Nigerian visual art and culture sectors, including scholars, artists, critics, art aficionados among others, as they savour and engage the array of paintings and drawings on display.

In his statement, Jegede notes that as an artist, he drenches “acerbic issues in palatable coats of humour for public consumption, often at the expense of the powerful. As a teacher, I relished motivating my students to remain intensely committed to the pursuit

TONY OKUYEME ARTS EDITOR

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Jegede

of knowledge, be respectful of the essence of divergency even as they sought to embrace critical thinking and contribute to the construction of knowledge. As a painter, I employ a variety of media to inveigh against economic constructs and political shenanigans that wreak unimaginable havoc on unsuspecting publics while perpetuating the subaltern condition of the underclass. My work attempts to rupture the boundaries that are installed in the way that we construct and affirm selfhood-in-the way that we re-construct nationhood. Above all, I work primarily to express my individuality. It is conceivable that my work may touch a nerve or two, provoke a reaction, or stimulate aesthetic cognizance. That will be a plus.”

Prof. Emeritus of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, Jegede has over four decades of experience as artist, art historian, painter, cartoonist, art critic, curator, and art administrator. After a first-class honours degree in studio art from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, he obtained his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S.A where he studied under Prof. Roy Sieber.

The works on display could be divided into two thematic engagements - Celestial Aesthetics and ‘Internally Displaced Persons. Some of the paintings and drawings include: Generation What: (Selfie), IDP-Internally Displaced Persons 1, 2, 3, Tears for Chibok, Celestial Promise, Celestial Aesthetics series, BH (Guns & Roses), Rofo Rofo Fight: Internally Displaced Politicians, Internally Displaced Police (Rofo Rofo Fight).

Ola Oloidi, Emeritus Prof. of Art History and Art Criticism, describes Jegede as the “assertive, unrepentant, mannered and self-willed artist-cum-art historian, who, for over four decades, has been devoting his creative expressions to the course of humanity beginning with his indicting, razor-sharp cartoons of the 80s

Internally Dispalced Person (IDP) 3, charcoal/graphite on paper

I employ a variety of media to inveigh against economic constructs and political shenanigans

and 90s. That is, historically, from his professionally formative period, he has had that combustive predilection for lampooning social ills in the society with authoritative pictorial energy and creative apparatuses. He has never relaxed in his aggressive determination to help mend the society’s tattered garment with raptness and a visually creative instrument. Thus, Jegede, as society’s chief clinician, has been known for his premeditated cerebral urges to defend, especially, the Nigerian state.”

Jegede’s current exhibition titled Transitions, Oloidi further notes, is, “without any surprise, the legitimization or affirmation of this long-fought and continuous visual ideological war in Nigeria.

“The artist has used this exhibition to imply and symbolize what he sees as ‘Celestial Aesthetics’

and Internally Displaced Persons.

“I must comment on two paintings in this exhibition for their vividly conceptual tidings, which are also liable to different interpretations. One is ‘Internally Displaced People 1’, which features a giant male carrying a gigantic and oppressing load that appears to make his extra-large body diminutive under his load or public property, as symbolized by a Nigerian flag.

The well-packed load, possibly bundles of Naira, is being carried with fear, discomfort, but with impunity. Another work, ‘BH: Bring Back Our Girls a well patterned figured painting of a woman with a red cloth wrapped around her head, shows introspection and hope for a situation that is progressively in search of solution. She

Continued on Page 35

ART

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS In Abuja, evening with Obima author of The Fishermen

C

higozie Obioma, Booker Prize shortlisted author of The Fisher men will hold reading and question and answer session with literary community in Abuja.

The event, which includes Book signing, holds at Salamander Café, Wuse 2, Abuja, on Saturday, 6th August, 2016.

Obioma is a Nigerian author of multiple award-winning debut, The Fishermen, which has been translated into over 20 languages. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has been called, in a New York Times book review, “the heir to Chinua Achebe.” In 2015, he was named one of “100 Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine.

35

Religious tolerance: Ayakoroma advocates use of genre films

T

he Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, has said Nollywood has the capacity to play a critical role in ensuring religious tolerance in Nigeria.

He stated this in a paper he presented at the just concluded 2016 Annual Conference of the African Theatre Association (AfTA), which was hosted by Nigeria at the University of Abuja Main Campus, Abuja-FCT, on the theme, “Paradigm Shifts in African Theatre and Performance”.

Ayakoroma, in the paper, entitled, “Reinventing Nollywood Christian Genre Films as Media for Inculcating Moral Values in Nigeria: A Critical Reading of Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s ‘Private Sin’”, posited that the Christian genre films have the full capacity to spread the word of God and preach religious tolerance.

“Nollywood producers can use Christian genre films to really preach religious tolerance. You know we are having various issues in this country, especially that of religion. As far as religion is concerned, there is religious intolerance and this is where Nollywood can come in to play a critical role to ensure that we tolerate each other.”

“The Christian genre film is all about preaching the word of God. Before the advent of Nollywood, Mike Bamiloye and his Mount Zion Films really did a lot about Christian drama; but unfortunately, the video films did not make much impact because the productions depended on the congregation and these were persons who, majorly, are not trained theatre artists and there is no way they would give the best.

“Helen Ukpabio also suffered the same fate. Her breakthrough only came when she decided to partner Teco Benson in her film, titled, The Price. The success of this film actually opened the floodgates of Christian genre films. And we began to see the catch-phrase, ‘To Go Be The Glory’,” he said.

Ayakoroma, who is also a Vis-

Ayakoroma

iting Associate Professor with the Department of Theatre and Cultural Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), maintained that the Christian genre films can also play roles in inculcating moral values in the citizenry by encouraging hard work, curbing excessive love for money, knowing that a prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian, and realising that true repentance is an essential part in Christian living.

Also, the President of African Theatre Association (AfTA), Professor Sam Kasule, has called on theatre scholars in Africa to find new ideas and form new relationships and networks with the view of breaking barriers that exist among them.

Kasule, who spoke during the opening of AfTA 2016 on the theme, “Paradigm Shifts in African Theatre and Performance”, said there is need for practitioners to reflect on interconnectedness and clear the misconception that theatre is not just about acting in a dramatic sense.

His words: “While many think about theatre as just acting, the performances I have seen today is

our truth, which shows that theatre is not just about acting in a dramatic sense but also dancing and singing and movement.”

According to him, the conference is not just a big opportunity to get together and discuss what went wrong in the diverse areas of African theatre, but also about talking, finding new ideas and to remember that nothing replaces the formation of new links between human beings.

He added that it is always good for people to meet because nothing can replace human beings talking to each other and forming relationships.

The AfTA President, while reiterating that the Association was formed to offer a sense of direction for the future of African Theatre, said it is imperative to outline its strengths and weaknesses as well as define African theatre performance with a specific form of identity and theoretical conception.

He noted that if the rich work that has evolved since inception of AfTA must be preserved, attention must also be given to contemporary and past stage performing practices.

Falana Uncover’d Pop-Up Concert series holds IDPs, Celestial Aesthetics on Jegede’s canvas F

alana Uncover’d is a Pop-Up Concert Series that invites audiences to explore the stories, style and sounds of Falana live in concert. Every month, in different vibrant spaces across Lagos, Nigeria, Falana will share pieces of her story and new music with her audiences.

It holds this Saturday at Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Yaba, Lagos.

Falana is a Nigerian-Canadian vocalist, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist. While still in the process of exploring her artistic voice, Falana decided to travel to Havana, Cuba. It was in Cuba where she would spend a year, performing, developing and eventually recording her debut EP “Things Fall Together”. Her music is a refreshing blend of soul, jazz, afrobeat stylings and sounds.

Continued from page 34 goes into the future with confidence but with the fear of the unknown.”

According to the erudite scholar, Jegede has addressed the pain of humanity that is furrowed with seemingly intractable problems that not natural but self-inflicted or self-manufactured.

He added that Jegede’s paintings “have

Rofo-Rofo Flight: Internally Displaced Politicians, Acrylic on Canvas

emboweled anti-humanistic social organs in their dangerously segmented categories, exposition for extermination their magnetic and destructive tentacles of pain, poverty and moral pollution.

“One thing should also be noted in this exhibition. There is a clear attempt

by Dele Jegede to make himself distant from stylistic eclecticism, parasitism, or other stylistic ‘ism’ which have, no doubt, exotically bejeweled the professionalism of many notable African artists.”

Also, another scholar, Aderonke Adesola Adesanya, a Prof. of Art History, notes that personal trauma and a demonstrated burden for his beloved nation coalesce in the current body of work that Jegede gifts to the world.

She states: “His art offers him the channel to vent, chastise, and sound a knell about the state of the Nigerian nation.”

Head of Directing, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale University,

U.S.A., Prof. Segun Ojewuyi, describes the solo exhibition Transition is a ’gumbo’ of artistic feast that “teases the palate, teaching our taste buds to love a song, caress a dance and learn the melodious fluidity of colour all over again. It is at first, a howling release of life’s turpitudes, then a searing unease with political ineptitudes and finally, an elevated choric swell of celestial fortitudes. He scolds, he counsels, and he celebrates. Even as he wades into through the abyss of incontinent hysteria here on earth, his art and his mind have come to break new notes of consternation and joyous comprehension.

These paintings in acrylic on canvas, Ojewuyi posits, “sing in melodies of celestial commune with infinity.

‘Aisha’ is a haunting voyage, a kind of omen, a dark, brutal omen that leads without hesitation to the damaged psyche of Nigeria’s decaying collective humanity – the Chibok girls.”

36

LITERATURE

Subliminal dislocation of human construct

T

he Story of Anna P as Told by Herself, Penny Busetto, perhaps unknowingly touches on the very core of man’s humanity. Although, she sets this fictive work on course with a female protagonist, there are copious layers of what constitute the mould of all men.

She demonstrates an understanding of the living, the dead and the unborn. Life according to deep researches and knowledge divides junctures of phenomenal experiences in three major parts viz: Morning, Afternoon and Night. This, though arguably, causes one to reason that her work, with its three-notable parts takes from the fore-stated.

The Story of Anna P as Told by Herself unveils its contents thus: Book of the Present, Book of Memory and Book of the Future.

Anna P’s existence on a cold and sparsely occupied rocky top by the sea spells a situation, which suggests that one may be in hiding from something or that life and its attendant challenges have pushed one to the precipice. The ‘Cruel Island’ as one may choose to call it is devoid of love and warmth which, perhaps, could have propped up Anna’s intention to stay, even if ‘temporary yet lengthy’.

The pervasive monotony of her life is heightened by the temporariness of her teaching job. It may be hopeful to be employed on a temporary basis at the outset, but when days crawl into weeks; and months roll into another and before long, bang!; two decades stuck in one’s throat. The reality that it has been 20 of loveless boredom, professional inconsideration and a past full of dark and dank properties like chemical mixtures in a laboratory causes, still agitations.

In the preface, she notes: “The local school needed an English teacher and I was asked to stand in until the ministry in Rome appointed someone. But that was twenty years ago. I have lived all these years in uncertainty, knowing only that any day the real teacher may arrive.

If work is void of reprieve, her home equally defies the thought about charity beginning from there; with the conditions given by Signora Bruna (her landlady), which further entrenches her loneliness and gloom.

On page 5, the rules unfold thus: No television or radio / No noise after 8pm and before 7am / One hot bath a week. One cold shower a day / Rent to be paid strictly one month in advance on the first day of the month. Thirty days notice required.

Symbolically, one’s shelter should at least represent peace, but being mindful of the various regulations ordinarily replaces cheer with jeer as if her life were replete with errors.

Despite her aloneness and loneliness, she demonstrates the quality of an impermeable fabric, even when water is poured over its surface. She lives in the house and daily for two decades and counting, teaches Eng-

Book Title:

The Story of Anna P as Told by Herself Author: Penny Busetto Genre: Prose Fiction Pagination: 155 Publisher: Jacana Media Year of publication: 2014 Reviewer:

Adeniyi Taiwo Kunnu

lish at the local primary school in Ponza.

It is said that a silver lining crosses the sky no matter how dark, and this is definitely the case with Anna, who finds consolation in the resilient association with Ugo, her pupil. He perhaps, through innate perception realises the synonyms of their problems and as such, the attraction to his teacher. While Ugo’s uncle and aunt makes a mess of the child’s life at home, Leonardo and Matteo, his fellow pupils bully the normalcy out of his already miserable childhood.

An unsettling happening however occurs in ‘The Present’ when, as she makes to leave school for home on one

Book stand

of her routines. Signor Capi, the principal hands her a letter from Ispetorre Lupo, requesting that she makes an appearance at polizia di stato, Questura di Roma. The tentacles of the present may have dug up the past she very so often forgets or that she is willing never to remember. Why would the police be looking for her? What could they possibly be looking for?

These are not mere rhetoric because Her Memory, which is her past, becomes a subject in the bull’s eye.

Recollection of abusive experiences make up the composition of Anna’s past. As against what was initially believed that she hails from England, the retrospections in South Africa, her original homeland makes the taste buds feel tingly and the mien rattled due to numerous unsavoury details. The first of her downward spiral started, yet again, at home. A young Anna became deflowered by her father, who later got pushed to his death by her, having drunk himself stuporous, relentlessly abusing without the least remorse.

The line of abuse continued when a cousin named Luke stayed at their home while in the university. He took advantage of her love for books; thus opening her up to the many ills which later characterize her life. She falls further into severe depression and mental problems, owing to her father’s death, keeping hush and suffering an implosion from the weight of the repeated abuse suffered and her father’s death by her hands.

On page 20, the author writes, enters Anna P’s mind: “For a long time nobody notices.

You can get by on nods and shakes of the head…. She can of course understand and thoughts still course through her brain using words. It isn’t that she has lost the ability. It is just that language as communication has become impossible, too painful, too dangerous…. She just knows that she feels unsafe and ashamed, so she withdraws to a place deep inside herself.”

What we are reading

Recently, I found myself going back to some of the books that I read as a young person. One of them is Madmen and Specialist, a play by Prof. Wole Soyinka. It is a book that painted gloomy picture of Nigeria; in fact at the end of that play, everything went up in flames.

And that was symbolic. Quite a number of people, including myself, felt that perhaps the ‘next generation’ will be better. But things have not been better.

So, as I read the book again, I felt how prophetic

The Sisters Brothers is a novel by Patrick DeWitt. It is a remarkable work in the comic tradition. The book is remarkable in many respects but especially so because it manages to keep a brisk pace while inserting philosophical milestones along the way. The author has a new book available and I have already placed an order for it. I can’t recommend the book enough.

TONY OKUYEME ARTS EDITOR

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju

Tade Ipadeola

POETRIP

The Future Oladipo Kehinde The past becomes history The future becomes present I am happy now I choose to be happy now I live in now I hold on to now Nothing is mine I can only be happy If I make you happy Let’s make the sun and the moon count Nothing is mine Everything will be fine It will pass Human kindness is happiness.

BUSINESS | MONEY LINE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fidelity wins Best Green RenCap lauds narrowing Partner 2015 Award interbank, parallel rates’ gap F POSITIVE

Gap between interbank and parallel markets has reduced to 20 per cent

Tony Chukwunyem

T

he narrowing gap between the interbank and parallel markets’ rates is an indication that Nigeria is headed in the right direction, Renaissance Capital (RenCap) has said.

In a note made available to New Telegraph, RenCap’s

Global Chief Economist, Charlie Robertson, said that the narrowing gap between the interbank and parallel markets’ rates meant that Nigeria was now in a stronger position than other commodity dependent countries such as Angola and Egypt.

He said, “Nigeria is getting it right .. the gap between the official rate and the parallel rate is down from an uninvestable 80per cent to 20per cent.

By contrast, Egypt with its recent measures to squeeze liquidity provided to Bureau de Changes (BDCs), is echoing what Nigeria did a few months ago and is currently heading in the wrong direction. Angola is in a strange world of its own

– with a differential of over 70 per cent.”

Continuing, the investment firm said, “As we keep telling investors – have a look at Nigeria – they are clearly much closer to a clearing rate for the currency (our Real Effective Exchange Rate 20 year fair value estimate is 315-320/$)”.

It will be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) implementation of the flexible exchange rate policy on June 20, led to the naira falling by 40 per cent to the dollar on the interbank market from N199 to N280 to the green back.

On the parallel market, the naira yesterday exchanged at N374 to the dollar.

idelity Bank Plc has been adjudged the “Best Green Partner 2015” by the Lagos State Government at the recently concluded 2016 Tree Planting Day. The organisers of the event said that Fidelity Bank was given the award in recognition of the Bank’s outstanding contributions towards the protection and improvement of the environment.

Specifically, they said that the Bank which is the first Nigerian financial institution to win the award showed relentless support for initiatives aimed at identifying and promoting the preservation, protection and beautification of the environment.

Speaking at the event held at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Camp in Lagos, Managing Director/Chief

Forex: Why CBN accommodated BDCs, by Emefiele Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that the new role given to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators the forex market will enthrone price moderation between the parallel and interbank segment of the forex market.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who stated this yesterday, stressed that with the new policy, the CBN was not allocating forex to BDCs. He explained that , in January when CBN took the decision to stop selling dollars to BDCs from the foreign reserves , it was to compel them to source their forex from autonomous sources .

transfer operators to sell foreign currency accruing from inward money remittances to licenced Bureau De Change operators (BDCs).

The circular signed by the Acting Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Mr W.D. Gotring, is part of efforts to ensure the stability of the naira exchange rate.

It also said that, the decision was to encourage all critical stakeholders to participate in the foreign exchange market.

The circular said that all international money transfer operators would be required to remit foreign currency to agent banks for disbursement in naira to beneficiaries.

It emphasised that proceeds from the international money transfer sold to the BDC operators should be retailed to end users in compliance with the provisions of anti-money laundering laws.

Price 105.11 114.86 112.40 120.80 109.65 100.54 84.21 98.39

IMF seeks broad-based policy effort to reinvigorate growth

As at N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 15.6 14 10.77 US$44.24 US$26,321,577,251

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 May, 2016 28/03/2016 Mar 2015 26/7/2016 22/7/2016

Source:CBN

Description 15.10 27-APR-2017 16.00 29-JUN-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 12.50 22-JAN-2026 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 104.96 114.56 112.10 120.50 109.35 100.24 83.91 98.09

1.08 3.25 3.87 5.83 7.95 9.81 14.31 18.30

NIBOR

Rate (%) 15.0000 10.6864 12.4601 13.8466

Bid Yield 10.09 10.57 11.56 11.46 12.32 12.45 12.43 12.41

Change (%) 2.17 ▲ 0.20 ▲ 0.24 ▲ 0.22 ▲

Change (%) 0.04 ▲ 0.00 ↔ 0.25 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.08 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.04 ▲

Tenor (Months)

Offer Yield 9.95 10.47 11.47 11.40 12.26 12.40 12.38 12.37

NITTY

Rate (%) 5.4817 7.3699 7.8938 9.2453 9.3846 10.0913

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Change (%) 0.04 ▲ 0.00 ↔ 0.25 ▲ -0.07 ▼ 0.08 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.04 ▲ 0.04 ▲ Change (%) 0.25 ▲ 0.06 ▲ 0.29 ▲ 0.60 ▲ 0.45 ▲ -0.44 ▼

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) Change (%) 7.90 8.06 0.26 ▲ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 12.67 0.00 ↔ 30-Jun-16 8.15 8.32 0.26 ▲ 22-Sep-16 8.71 8.46 8.82 0.46 ▲ Overnight (O/N) 13.75 0.42 ▲ 9.10 0.46 ▲ 9.06 9.92 0.00 ↔ 16-Mar-17 9.31 10.22 0.00 ↔

Spot($/N)

Bid 198.45

FX

Offer 198.55

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

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

196.00

197.00

0.00 ↔

Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to support the State’s laudable greening policy as it aligns strongly with the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focus on conservation and environmental protection.

“Fidelity Bank works in collaboration with public institutions – state and local governments – to create and maintain green parks in chosen locations.

The beautification of the Falomo Roundabout in Lagos State, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, is a typical example of what the Bank seeks to achieve in this area,” he said.

While promising to work with the State to create and maintain green parks in chosen locations Okonkwo noted that the Bank has successfully executed several beautification projects across the country. Some of these projects include Onikan, Milverton, Dopemu and Matori Roundabouts in Lagos State; RSUT in Rivers State, Rangers Avenue junction in Enugu State, Mbaise Road in Owerri, Imo State, Abia Towers in Umuahia, KrikaSama Roundabout in Maiduguri, Borno State amongst others.

He also disclosed that the Bank supports environmental advocacy groups like the Nigeria Conservative Foundation (NCF) in their advocacy programmes, one of which is the annual “Walk For Nature”, an annual event designed to create awareness about nature conservation and good environmental practices.

“We also undertake green initiatives that assist the environment. In this regard, we have become the first, and perhaps, the only Bank in Nigeria that dispenses cash with recycled biodegradable cash bags instead of polyethylene bags used by others, which is destructive to the ecosystem.”

According to the CBN Governor, when the CBN stopped selling dollars to BDCs the move was not meant to impact their sources of income. He said BDCs will play a role in diaspora fund which he said was huge and the fund could flow through the BDCs’ channel.

The CBN on Friday through a circular directed agent banks to approved international money

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

37

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

T

he Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms. Christine Lagarde, has called for a broad-based policy effort to reinvigorate growth.

She made the call at the conclusion of the Group of 20 (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Chengdu, China.

The IMF boss said, “We met at a time of political uncertainty from the Brexit vote, and continued financial market volatility. Lackluster growth of the post-crisis era continues, with weak demand in advanced economies and difficult transitions to a selfsustained growth model in many emerging markets. As a result, global growth has been revised downward slightly for both 2016 and 2017.

“Our discussions were taking place in a spirit of cooperation and willingness to

tackle difficult issues. There was a consensus around the table that more needs to be done to share the benefits of growth and economic openness broadly within and among countries.

She said the Fund welcomed the determination of G20 members to use all policy tools - monetary, fiscal and structural - individually and collectively to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

“Structural reforms are particularly critical, as recent IMF work shows that well-designed structural reforms can lift both short- and long-term growth and make it more inclusive. Further trade liberalisation is also crucial to bolster productivity and global growth, while taking steps to ensure the gains from trade are shared widely,” she added.

38

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

WEDNESDAY, JUly 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS |FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

39

Stock market halts six days losing streak UPBEAT NSE ASI rises by N108bn on renewed bargain hunting

Stories: Chris Ugwu

L

ocal equities rebounded on resumed bargain hunting activities asoverall performance measures, NSE ASI and market capitalisation, revved by 1.14 per cent each, halting six days losing streak.

Consequently, the AllShare Index gained 315.12 basis points or 1.14 per cent to

close at 27,945.02 basis points as against 27,629.90 recorded the previous day, while the market capitalisation of equities appreciated by N108 billion or 1.14 per cent to close at N9.597 trillion from N9.489 trillion.

Meanwhile, a turnover of 286.7 million shares exchanged in 4,316 deals was recorded in the day’s trading.

Banking subsector of the financial services sector was the most active (measured by turnover volume) with 160.7 million shares exchanged by investors in 1,254 deals.

Volume in the subsector was largely driven by activities in the shares of UBA Plc and Access Bank Plc. Premium subsector boosted by activities in the

shares of FBNH Plc and Zenith Bank Plc followed with a turnover of 53.6 million shares in 831 deals.

The number of gainers at the close of trading session was 24 while decliners closed at 14.

Oando Plc led the gainers’

T

in a Mobile-First Cloud-First World by Microsoft, What to Do When You Get Hacked and Transforming Data Protection with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

According to Bajomo, the forum was designed to deepen awareness on information security, cyber threat and the crucial role that effective information security systems play in ensuring that firms continue to provide reliable and secure services that endear customer confidence and patronage, whilst leveraging technology to grow their profitability.

“The incidences of hacking attacks are on the rise and the need to secure and maintain information integrity has never been greater. Businesses need to take proactive measures to prevent theft and misuse of information, damage to intellectual property and loss of value as a result of breaches.

Capital market players must be up to speed with the techniques employed by hackers as well as processes for adequate

losers’ table, dropping 5.56 per cent to close at N1.70 per share. Seplat Petroleum Development Plc followed with five per cent to close at N297.83 per share, while Seven UP Plc trailed with a loss of 4.59 per cent to close at N134.00 per share.

FBNH reports N36bn Q22016 PAT

F

BN Holdings Plc has posted a profit after tax of N35.855 billion compared to N40.061 billion recorded a year earlier, representing a decline of 10.49 per cent.

The institution also recorded a Profit before tax of N45.886 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016 as against N52.086 billion recorded in 2015.

NSE tasks stakeholders on cyber security he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has reiterated the need for the capital market stakeholders and other business leaders in the country to ensure that they protect valuable intellectual property and business information in digital form against theft and misuse.

Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Mr. Ade Bajomo made this call at the third Nigerian Capital Market Information Security Forum (NCMISF) tagged ‘What to do when you are hacked’.

He said that cyber security was an increasingly critical management issue, which must be addressed frontally.

“This biannual event provided a platform for stakeholders and thought leaders in the information security space to share knowledge on Information Security best practices and cyber breaches in Nigeria and the world at large,” he said.

Some of the topics discussed at the forum include Security

table with 10.12 per cent to close at N6.20 per share, while ETI Plc followed with a gain of 8.39 per cent to close at N13.43 per share. Access Bank Plc added 7.55 per cent to close at N5.70 per share.

On the other hand, Air Service Plc led the price

business continuity and disaster recovery,” he said.

Bajomo also counselled, “to make hacking attacks less expensive, business owners should constantly embark on staff training, introduce right technology and processes as well as ensure round the clock IT infrastructures system surveillance”.

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the NSE, Mrs. Favour Femi-Oyewole, who made a presentation on Information Classification Guidelines for Effective and Secure Communications, noted, “many organisations protect, manage and store their information the same way regardless of its importance.

Without classification everyone treats the same piece of information differently, which could have major consequences. From the time information is created until it is destroyed, it should be labelled with a classification designation to ensure it is protected, stored and managed appropriately”.

Similarly, gross earnings decreased by 1.2 per cent yearon-year to N267.9 billion from N271.3 billion reported in June 2015.

Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director UK Eke, said: “FBNHoldings’performance has remained resilient in the challenging macroeconomic and business environment, further exacerbated by the devaluation of the Naira and by the persistent rise in inflation.

“The Group returned gross earnings of N267.9 billion and profit before tax of N45.9 billion; a reflection of the strength of our underlying business, improving cost control as well as optimisation of revenue generating opportunities. Focus remains on organic earnings generation, divestment of non-core assets, in addition to balance sheet efficiency to further enhance capital.

“We remain focused on leveraging the strength of our diversified business model by exploiting synergy opportunities and crossselling across our commercial banking, merchant banking & asset management as well as our insurance businesses towards creating sustainable value for our stakeholders.”

He noted that total assets increased by 15.3 per cent yearto-date to N4.8 trillion (Dec 2015: N4.2 billion); which according to him, was essentially driven by growth in loans to banks and customers by 87.8 per cent and 16.2 per cent to N724 million and N2.1 trillion respectively (Dec

2015: N385.8 million and N1.82 trillion).

Eke added that total interest earning assets grew by 19.6 per cent y-t-d to N3.8 trillion from N3.2 trillion, representing 79.2 per cent of total assets (Dec 2015:76.3 per cent). While total customer deposits rose by 4.2 per cent y-t-d to N3.1 trillion (Dec 2015: N2.97 trillion).

He added: “We sustained effort in achieving an appropriate deposit mix at the right price. Underscoring this, the proportion of term deposits to total deposits remained stable but at a lower average cost. Lowcost deposits now represent 67.5 per cent of the Group’s total deposits from 67.3 per cent as at December 2015. The deposit book remains well diversified with stable core deposits (deposits retained in excess of 2 years on a behavioural basis) in FirstBank (Nigeria) at 52 per cent providing high quality funding.

“Further more, retail deposits In FirstBank (Nigeria) now represent 71.2 per cent of total deposits (Dec 2015: 67.7 per cent), with corporate and commercial banking deposits representing 15.0 per cent of total deposits (Dec 2015: 20.1 per cent). Public sector deposits now account for 11.9 per cent from 10.4 per cent while foreign currency (FCY) deposits represent 19.8 per cent of the total (Dec 2015: 17.8 per cent). We expect deposit growth to improve given the monetary policy stance of the Central Bank, which is more supportive to our deposit drive,” Eke noted.

40

News|south-EAST

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ex-Commissioner commends IPMAN’s efforts at ending fuel scarcity Steve Uzoechi

OWERRI

L-R: Former National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh; Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Chief Tony Nnacheta; Governor Willie Obiano and his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke at a media briefing in Lagos....

T

he plan by members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to build new refineries has been described as a major step towards ending the perennial scarcity of petroleum products in the country.

A former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Imo State, Nze Elvis Agukwe, who commended the move in a statement yesterday, said IPMAN under the leadership of Chief Lawson Obasi, will by this move, stabilize the distribution of products and end scarcity.

Agukwe while speaking in his capacity as President of South East Renaissance Group regretted that the previous crisis that dogged IPMAN had prevented it from playing its expected role. He however expressed confidence that the new leadership under Obasi will impact the region.

I remain Abia gov, Ikpeazu tells Appeal Court

Tunde Oyesina Abuja

A

strong argument ensued yesterday at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, between Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and Dr. Samson Ogah, on

MASSOB vows to continue its struggle for Igbo Uchenna Inya ABAKALIKI

T

he Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra(MASSOB), has vowed not to relent in its struggle for the emancipation of the Igbo.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abakaliki by its leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, MASSOB lamented the continued marginalization and persecution of some of its leaders by the government.

The group said “no amount of political, economical and religious persecutions of Ndigbo and anti Igbo policies of Buhari’s government will derail, deter, frustrate or shortchange the domineering nature or economic prowess of Biafrans”.

The statement reads in part: “MASSOB declares that any person or group of people that hates Ndigbo as a result of religious beliefs, tribal or ethnic sentiments, personal envy or tutorial orientation will constantly experience unfulfillment, unprogressiveness and backwardness. Biafrans are direct legitimate descendants of Abraham. God of Abraham ( Chukwu Okike Abiama) always bless friends of Biafrans and course our enemies.“MASSOB wish to inform President Muhammadu Buhari that all his political, economical and religious persecutions of Ndigbo and anti Igbo policies of his government will never derail, deter, frustrate or shortchange the domineering nature or economical prowess of Biafrans.

who between the duo is the substantive Governor of Abia State.

While Ikpeazu is laying claim to the office, Ogah is objecting to the claim on ground that the Federal High Court had sacked him. Both parties are members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). The court however ordered that parties should remain as they were before coming to court.

Ikpeazu had through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which sacked him from office. Aside the main appeal, he had also filed another application seeking to set aside the enrollment order signed

by Justice Okon Abang on the said judgement.

However, Dr. Samson Ogah, in his response to the appeal, had through his counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) filed a motion seeking to stop Ikpeazu from further parading himself as the governor of the state on ground that the Federal High Court has sacked him.

The full panel of the

Appeal Court led by Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju, however, ordered parties to withdraw their various applications and attend to the main appeal.

These applications are those seeking to set aside the enrolment order which sacked Ikpeazu and the one seeking to stop Ikpeazu from parading himself as the governor of the state.

Both Olanipekun and Izinyon however agreed that their respective applications will abide by the judgement in the main appeal.

However in order to set the record straight and avoid confusion, the court asked Izinyon, who the de-facto occupier of the office of the governor is?

Izinyon, in his response, disclosed that he could not say that Ikpeazu is the governor because he is still having a motion pending and that making a categorical statement will mean that the court is staying the execution of the lower court judgement.

Olanipekun, while responding, submitted that it is a known fact that Ikpeazu is presently occupying the seat of the

Governor and that such is not in dispute.

Izinyon, however, interjected that it cannot be concluded that Ikpeazu is the Governor.

The court also asked the two counsel to give an undertaken that no action will be taking by both parties pending the determination of the appeal.

Izinyon however stood his ground that he was not ready to give an undertaking, based on the antecedent of the appellant who had gone to Abia State to get an order stopping the swearing-in of Ogah. He also prayed the court to leave the matter as it is, as both counsel had agreed that their motions will abide by the outcome of the appeal.

In a short ruling, Justice Ogunwumiju, while declaring that the court is not giving an order for stay of execution, ordered that parties should remain as they were before coming to court pending when the various complaints brought by the parties will be resolved.

She said the decision of the court was for parties to “remain as they were” and should not be

misconstrued as meaning that the appellate court had issued a stay of execution order.

The court later adjourned till August 9 for the hearing of all the appeals.

Earlier on, the court had fixed August 4 for hearing of an application brought by the standard bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Oti, seeking to be joined as a party in the appeal.

Oti, through his counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN) had brought an application seeking the leave of the court to be joined as a party in the appeal. The court, however, directed all parties in the suit to file written addresses. Three days was given to the applicant to file his written address, the respondents were also given three days to reply while the applicant had two days to file a reply if any.

Other appeals filed by PDP, INEC and one, Sir Friday Nwosu, were all subsequently adjourned till August 9 for hearing.

The court while promising to hear and dispense off the appeal within the shortest possible time said the provisions of law will strictly be adhered to.

It will be recalled that Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court had sacked Ikpeazu from office on the ground that he did not fulfill the provision of the law as to the submission of his tax clearance form before contesting in the PDP primaries.

The judge consequently ordered INEC to present certificate of return to Ogah, who had the second highest votes in the primary election.

Ikpeazu later approached the court of appeal seeking to stop the enforcement of the judgment while INEC had in obedience to court’s judgement issued certificate of return to Ogah.

Against this backdrop, Ikpeazu approached an High Court in Abia where he got an order stopping the swearing in of Ogah as the Governor of the state.

APC‘ll take over Anambra in 2018 – Ngige One feared dead, others injured in auto crash involving Pamela Eboh Awka

T

he Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the affairs of Anambra State in 2018 in order to continue with the good programmes he started during his 34 months in office as Governor.

He made this disclosure at the weekend while addressing newsmen at his

country home, Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state after holding meeting with APC officials in all the 326 political wards in the state.

At the occasion, Dr. Ngige reminded the officials that they were the engine room of the party and as such they must ensure the growth of the party in their areas.

While harping on the importance of party loyalty, he said a situation whereby some of the officials collected money for electioneering, only to go home

to sleep on the day of the election, as many of them did during the last general elections, was not in the best interest of the party.

He said, “APC will be in serious contention for the office of governor next year because we are determined to take over the Government House. However, it is too early to begin to talk about whether one will contest or not since, by the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, the governorship election will take place perhaps, in December next year.”

ABSU students Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

A

T least, one person is feared dead as the vehicle in which 13 medical students of the Abia State University Uturu ( ABSU) were traveling on Monday night involved in a ghastly motor accident.

While one person was said to have died on the spot, others who received various degrees of inju-

ries are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.

The students were said to be returning from the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba, when the incident occurred at Umueka junction on the Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway.

They were said to have gone to collect their academic gowns for induction as Medical doctors scheduled for Thursday at the university main

campus at Uturu.

One of them, who came to Aba in a bus, was said to have offered free ride to his colleagues, who were returning to Umuahia after collecting the gowns.

According to the Head Media and Public Relations of the institution, Mr. Acho Elendu, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, the driver of the bus was trying to overtake a trailer on the expressway when the accident occurred.

wednesday, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

VC: New post-UTME policy will destroy tertiary institutions

Gabriel Efeduku UGHELLI

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he Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Prof. Victor Peretemode, yesterday slammed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) for scrapping the post–Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (P-UTME).

He said that scrapping of the post-UTME will destroy tertiary institution in the country, adding that it will encourage laziness among students.

Peretemode also said JAMB was confused and was creating more chaos in the admission process.

According to him, neither the Minister of Education nor JAMB has the right to determine admission processes in the universities.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that under the Nigerian constitution, the senate of any university is the highest law making body that is saddled with the responsibility of admitting students.

Speaking to our correspondent recently in his

office on the full accreditation of three major Engineering programmes for DELSU by the NUC, Prof.

Peretomode said: “I think JAMB is confused and it wants to create more chaos or is creating chaos in the admission process and what it is established to do.

“The university has been established by law and it is the senate of any university that is saddled with the responsibility of admitting students. That is law and not a proclamation or an executive action. The law says that the senate is the highest academic policy making body to admit

students, and in admitting students, it also screens students before admission and also charge fees.

“According to the 1999 Constitution as amended, higher education is in the concurrent list. So, whoever is in charge of JAMB and the Minister of Education cannot just wakeup overnight and make decisions, and forced them through the throat of all vice-chancellors of universities.

“We are the ones that admit and we know the kind of students we want to admit. And for us to know the kind of stu-

dents we admit we should be allowed to screen the students. So for JAMB to come and say they have scrapped post UTME, it does not make sense.”

He added that this year’s JAMB “is one of the worst ever to be conducted in the history of Nigeria.

If you could remember, JAMB just added 40 marks to the scores of students.

We know where they are headed. What is going to happen is this; rich parents will be going to JAMB to fix students’ scores like what used to be obtained in the past because there was no post UTME.

south-south | news

Bayelsa guber race: Tribunal upholds Dickson’s election Tunde Oyesina Abuja

T

he Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, upheld the election of Governor Seriake Dickson.

The tribunal, however, dismissed the petition brought by the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate in the election, Timipre Sylva, challenging the victory of Dickson.

In a judgment that lasted for over four hours, the tribunal held that the December 6, 2015 election held in Southern Ijaw Local January 9, 2016 was lawful and valid in law.

A cross-section of the residents of Oghara protesting an alleged land claim by the Nigerian Navy in Delta …yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Delta indigenes protest against navy, block Warri-Benin highway Ola James WARRI

S

cores of Oghara indigenes in Delta State yesterday blocked the Warri-Sapele highway protesting against what they described as forceful and illegal acquisition of their land by the Nigerian Navy Logistic Command, Oghara, Delta State.

The protesters comprising youths and the aged came as early as 8am and blocked the expressway for hours, thus preventing free flow of

traffic.

The ex-Govenor James Ibori kinsmen alleged that the navy through their military might, forcefully occupied the land, measuring 600 X 600 hectares, stressing that series of representations made to the navy for a peaceful settlement or payment of compensation to the land owners failed.

Consequently, they demanded that the military men should vacate their land, which they intend to build upon and use as farm lands and various

PDP crisis worsens in Delta Dominic Adewole ASABA

A

political pressure group in the Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Save PDP Group (SPG), yesterday threatened to take a firm decision against the party before 2019, if the imposition crisis in Isoko land persists.

The group, operating from Isoko South, a catchment area of the Governor, advised him to urgently investigate the imposition of candidates during the

recently conducted wards and local government party election, which returned some persons with impunity.

Also, the elders, leaders and stakeholders, in the group, warned the Governor to desist from fraternising with some disgruntled politicians whose antecedents have fanned embers of discord in the council area.

Arising from an enlarged meeting of the group in Oleh, the group distanced itself from the results of the council and ward congresses held recently across the state.

other businesses.

“In 2006 when the Nigerian navy requested land for the construction of a barrack, a piece of land in the community which was initially meant for the Nigerian Mobile Force was traded to them and the police was relocated to Ogharefe. But the navy have illegally acquired all lands and added more piece of land to the one allocated to them,” said the community in their statement which was read by Chief Stephen Egbivwre.

The embittered Ogha-

ra community members therefore pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to call the navy to order to ensure the continued sustenance of peace between them and the navy.

Reacting, the Flag Officer Commanding the Logistic Command, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Begroy Iben-Enwo, said the navy is always at peace with the community, insisting that there was no intention of illegal acquisition of the land in dispute.

He explained that

Bayelsa got N3.5bn federal allocation in July – Commissioner Chris Ejim YENGOA

C

ontrary to insinuations, Bayelsa State government received N3.5 billion from the federal allocation for the month of July, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, said on Tuesday.

He was reacting to what the government described as different figures being peddled

by "uninformed persons within and outside Bayelsa State", regarding the allocation received from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of July, 2016.

The Commissioner, in a Government House statement issued in Yenagoa, said Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, "has directed the payment of June salaries in addition to outstanding January 2016 arrears including that of pensioners."

41

when the land in dispute was given to the navy, measuring 30 hectares, a representation was made to the Delta State government for additional land to build other things, and additional 234 hectares of land was approved.

According to him, certificate of occupancy was subsequently issued sometimes last year to authenticate the Navy ownership of the land.

The tribunal further held that from evidence adduced before it, the election of December 6, 2015 was inconclusive and was rightfully rescheduled by INEC through the REC. It further held that contrary to the position of the petitioner, election took place in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Sylva, however said that he would appeal the judgment.

Sylva, who spoke through one of his counsel, Felix Okorotie, immediately after the judgment, described it as a miscarriage of justice In his own reaction, Media Adviser to Sylva, Doifie Buokoribo, accused the tribunal Justices of bias as he expressed optimism that the judgment would be overturned by the higher courts.

"We tested their judgment before up to the Supreme Court and we won.

This very one cannot be an exception", he stated.

In the judgement, the three man tribunal led by Justice Kazeem Alogba held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations of violence and noncompliance to the provisions of the Electoral Act. On the allegations of non-voting and snatching of electoral materials by thugs of the PDP, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed woefully to substantiate the allegations.

According to the Tribunal, "allegations of acts of criminality, violence and snatching of ballot boxes, the onus of prove lies on the shoulders of the petitioners to prove beyond all reasonable doubt.

$220m

The net worth of Robert Downey Jr. in 2016.

Source: Fropky.com

Rivers APC: PDP violence caused rerun postponement Emmanuel Masha PORT HARCOURT

T

he Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the July 30 rerun election due to the violence by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party's Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, who made the allegation in a statement, said the postponement came as a surprise to the party, noting that the party’s candidates would continue to campaign until INEC fixes

a new date.

The statement reads: “We received the news of the postponement of the July 30 rerun election in Rivers State with mixed feelings. Our instinctive response is that of huge disappointment considering that it will further deny the people parliamentary representations at both the national and state levels, while the pressure on our candidates to sustain their campaigns continues apace.

“We blame the postponement on the sustained violence and killings orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State."

42

NEWS | north

J

os Electricity Distribution Plc. (JED), yesterday said it disconnected the Bauchi state government from its facilities because the government was owing it N1.6billion.

Its Business Manager, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed said the company had no option than to disconnect the state from its facilities for the N1.6 billion debt.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the company had in the last three weeks disconnected electricity from facilities belonging to the state, including water plants as residents had resorted to stream and rain water to for both domestic and commercial purposes.

Mohammed said this in Bauchi during an interview with the News

DISCO disconnects Bauchi govt of N1.6bn deb

Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that of the amount, Gubi Dam Treatment Plant owed the company N20 million.

Mohammed said: “Government's monthly bill is N60 million and they only pay us N30 million monthly leaving the balance of N30 million.

"The bill has accumulated since 2007 and several meetings with the Accountant-General, Commissioner for Finance, Chief of Staff to the governor and the governor himself were to no avail.

"Management of the company finally decided to

disconnect all state government establishments and that is why there is no water for the past two weeks.

"The company is not going to reconnect the affected establishments until the debt is paid.

"Inadequate finance had hindered the performance of the organization to supply electricity while

consumers have refused to pay.

"The money realised from revenue is not enough to pay workers' salaries, therefore, we want to reach an acceptable agreement with the government before we reconnect the establishments."

Mr Aminu Gital, General Manager, State Water

Board, confirmed the indebtedness but declined to elaborate on the debt profile.

"All our plants are in good condition but all have been disconnected from the national grid by the electricity company and it is not economical to run them on generators," he added.

CONFIRMATION/change OF NAME Adeyemo: I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluronbi Abosede, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adeyemo Abosede Deborah. All former documents remain valid. JABU, WAEC, IGBAJO POLY, ACCA and general public take note.

Usman

Andrew

I, formerly known and addressed as Sunmonu Mutau Tunde, now wish to be known and addressed as Usman Olatunde Abiodun. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Don Esemabe Gabriel now wish to be known and addressed as Andrew Paul. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Onwe

Asuquo

I, formerly known and addressed as Juliana Njom Onwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Juliana Nwajom Onwe. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

Imomotim

This is to confirm that the names Imomotim Phillip and Duru Iwo-Ama Ifiemi refer to one and same person who now wish to be known and addressed as Imomotim Phillip. All documents bearing the name above remain valid. General public take note.

Owota

I, formally known, called and addressed as John Okon Bassey now wish to be known, called and addressed as Richard Bassey Asuquo. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public should please take note.

Ozoko

I, formerly known and addressed as Ojukwu Paul, now wish to be known and addressed as Ozoko Paul. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public please take note.

Alabi

I, formerly known and addressed as Kwasi Pere-Ebi, now wish to be known and addressed as Pere-Ebi Francis Owota. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Alabi Olufunmilade Ademilola Omeiza, now wish to be known and addressed as Alabi Oluwafunmilade Kelvin Ademilola Omeiza. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Israel

Ebike-Iniye

I, Aladetohun Adeola Johnson is the same person as Israel Aladetohun Adeola Johnson. All former documents remain valid.

Banks, Schools and the general public should take note.

Ogisi

This is to confirm that the bearer of these names Ogisi Godwin, Ogisi Godwin N, Ogisi G. N, Godwin Enepu Ogisi and Ogisi Godwin Nats refer to one and the same person. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as Ogisi Godwin Nats. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

Omale

I, formerly known and addressed as Moses Ikiemoyimi Albert now wish to be known and addressed as Moses Jeremiah Ebike-Iniye.

All former documents remain valid.

Access bank Plc and the general public should please take note.

Sotonye

I, formerly known and addressed as Fiseye Justice B. and Super Alawari now wish to be known and addressed as Fiseye Kenny Sotonye. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc, UBA Plc, First bank Plc and the general public should please take note.

Shobukonla

I, formerly known and addressed as Igbonfa Timi Christopher now wish to be known and addressed as Omale Timi. All former documents remain valid. Zenith bank Plc and the general public should please take note.

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Anyanwu

Inamuna

I, formerly known and addressed as Uzomu Kenneth now wish to be known and addressed as Kenneth Anyanwu. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Ndubuwa

I, formerly known and addressed as Okiyi Henry Chinonso now wish to be known and addressed as Ndubuwa Chinonso Hope. All former documents remain valid.

GTBank Plc and the general public should please take note.

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All documents bearing the above names remain valid. First bank Plc and the general public should please take note.

Sam-Asila

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Rachael Oguche Stephen now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rachael Imaerele Sam-Asila. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal (middle), with others, during their visit to the state’s old burnt market in Sokoto…yesterday

wednesday, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Kogi Hajj Commission screens 916 intending pilgrims Zacchaeus Ozovehe Lokoja

T

he Kogi state Hajj commission yesterday commenced the screening of 916 intending pilgrims with a charge to conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of the Saudi authorities.

Speaking at the commencement of the screening in Okene, the chairman of the commission, Alhaji Sadiq Muhammad Rabiu, urged all intending pilgrims to be of good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria.

According to him, the screening was to ascertain the readiness of those who would perform the pilgrimage including their travelling documents, status as Muslims and their health.

Rabiu said: "We want to be sure that those who want to perform the Hajj have completed their payments, they are good Muslims and to be sure that they are in good health.

Kwara gov asks council chairmen to pay workers' July salary Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

K

wara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has

directed chairmen of local government areas in the state to commence immediate payment of July salaries in full to their employees due to increase in their earnings from the

2,000 Bauchi health workers abscondfrom servicesecretariat.

–Commissioner Nankpah Bwakan Bauchi

B

auchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Halima Mukkadas yesterday disclosed that 2,000 of the 4,000 health workers trained by the state government have absconded.

She stated this while presenting the state's 2015 Health Budget scorecard at a one-day Journalist Roundtable held at the Bauchi State Nigeria Union of Journalists’

According to her, "the 4,000 that were sponsored by the government were given automatic employment after the training but unfortunately 2,000 of them absconded without serving their bond with the state government."

Mukkadas disclosed that the state was among the six states in the North East that would benefit from the $125m Word Bank Health Credit facility over a period of five years.

Ahmed sets up committee to probe teachers’recruitment Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

K

wara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved a five-man Administrative Panel of Enquiry to look into an alleged irregular mass recruitment in the State Teaching Service Commission.

The move according to a statement in Ilorin signed by the Secretary to the State Government,

Alhaji Isiaka Gold was sequel to the discovery of alleged irregular recruitment during the recent state-wide staff verification exercise embarked upon in the last couple of months.

The statement explained that the said recruitment was conducted outside the laid down procedures for recruitment into the service which provides for a systematic staff replacement process.

federation account.

Ahmed, according to a Government House statement gave the directive at an interactive session with local government chairmen, leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) and other members of the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC).

He also assured the chairmen that his administration will partner with them with a view to clearing the backlog of salaries owed the workers.

The governor promised that the state would be ready to augment local governments earnings from the federation account for July with the sum of N160m so that the

council would pay the July salaries of teachers and other workers in full.

Ahmed, however, emphasized that the councils should ensure "that you pay salaries to verified workers".

The governor urged the local government chairmen to embrace a culture of transparency by holding monthly meetings with stakeholders in their local governments before allocation and disbursement of funds were made.

The Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Abdulateef Okandeji had earlier in his remark, sought the state government’s intervention to the tune of N160m for the councils to be better positioned to pay July salaries of workers.

Cleric to Buhari: Invest looted funds in agric Musa Pam Jos

A

n Islamic cleric and chairman Ulama'u Council of Jama'atu Izalatil Bid'ah Wa'ikamatis Sunnah, Sheik Sani Yahya Jingir has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to provide fertiliser to farmers in order to boost farming output in the country against next year.

The Islamic Cleric stated this at the opening ceremony of the 20th

Anuwal National Qur'ani Competition of the group held at JIBWIS Science Secondary School Jos. Jingir urged the federal government to utilise the recovered looted fund to provide the necessary needs for Nigerians so as to cushion the current economic hardship in the country.

According to Jingir, if government provided enough fertiliser, farmers would indeed supply adequate farm produce with a view to reducing food scarcity in the country.

north | news

wednesday, july 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bama IDPs protest dearth of food, drugs in camp Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

I

nternally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking refuge in Bama IDPs’ Camp, yesterday protested the poor feeding system in the camp.

The IDPs staged the protest when members of the House Representatives paid a fact-finding visit to the camp in Bama, the headquarters of Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

The IDPs started by chanting ‘Karya ne,’ meaning it is a lie, when one of the camp officials said that each person would go home with a bag of 50kg rice, a bag of Semovita, a carton of Spaghetti and a packet of Maggi, every two weeks.

An IDP in the camp, Yaganna Ibrahim said “since morning, we have not eaten, even as the scarce foodstuffs were only given to those who have cards. We also face the problem of water and drugs, but thank God the government has ad-

dressed the problem of water, but we still need more boreholes and toilet facilities.

The IDPs argued that a bag of 50kg rice, a bag of semovita, a carton of spaghetti, a package of maggi and a gallon of cooking oil, were usually shared

among 25 individuals every fortnight, which were inadequate.

Another IDP, Mallam Fannami Bulama, said the IDPs were given a bag of rice and semovita each, with a carton of spaghetti, a packet of maggi and a gallon of cooking oil each

for a family of 25 people and called on government to address the issue.

A security source from the camp told our correspondent that NEMA or SEMA authorities should not be blamed as the food items were under the control of the military

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (Idps), Rep. Sani Zoro, carrying a baby during his visit to Bama Idps' Camp in Borno …yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Appeal Court reserves judgement in Wada, Faleke case Tunde Oyesina Abuja

T

he Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, yesterday reserved judgement in the different appeals filed by the running mate of the late governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Audu Abubakar, James Faleke and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Idris Wada. Both appeals were against the decision of the governorship tribunal which upheld the election of Yahaya Bello.

The full panel of the court led by Justice Jummai Sanky, reserved the judgement after hearing submissions from parties involved in the matter.

In his argument, Faleke

through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, urged the court to set aside the decision of the tribunal and invalidate the election of Yahaya Bello on the grounds that Bello was not properly nominated.

He further submitted that Bello did not undergo all the electioneering processes as required by law before his emergence as the party's candidate in the re-run election.

He therefore urged the court to allow the appeal and declare Faleke as the proper person for the governorship seat.

In his submission, counsel to INEC, Ahmed Raji, SAN, asked the court to uphold the election of Yahaya Bello on the ground that he was properly nominated by the APC as a replacement for Abubakar Audu,

Kogi speaker resigns as Imam Ahmed takes over

Zacchaeus Ozovehe Lokoja

R

espite may have come the way of the Kogi State House of Assembly as the embattled Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal, yesterday voluntarily turned in his letter of resignation on the floor of the House.

In his place, a member representing Lokoja I constituency, Hon. Umar Ahmed, was unanimously elected as the new speaker to ensure a smooth legisla-

tive business in the house.

Reading the resignation letter on the floor of the hallowed chamber, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ali Akuh, said Lawal’s decision to resign was in the best interest of the state.

The letter reads in part; "It is in total submission to the will of Almighty Allah and in the overall interest of the good people of Kogi State that I, Rt. Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal, tender my resignation letter today, 26th July, 2016 as the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly.

who passed away during the election.

Arguing in the same vein, counsel to Bello, J. B. Daudu, SAN, insisted that the issue of nomination of candidates for election was the sole responsibility of a political party.

He further submitted that Governor Bello having been nominated by the APC in compliance with the existing law and authority of the party, remained the candidate of his party in the election.

He, however, urged the court to dismiss all the appeals against his client and uphold the decision of the tribunal, which had earlier held that Bello was properly nominated.

After listening to all

the parties, the court said that it will communicate the judgement date to the parties.

At the tribunal, both appellants had in different petitions prayed the tribunal to nullify the election of Bello.

Faleke had argued that being the running mate of late Audu and such he should under the law be the one to take the place of late Audu.

Similarly, Wada is also challenging the emergence of Bello as the APC candidate.

He therefore urged the court to nullify the candidature of Bello and declare him winner of the election, having scored the second highest votes.

authorities and that they give the food items out at the time they want and also determine the quantities they give.

It will be recalled that 20 to 30 people were said to be dying daily at the Bama IDPs’ camp as a result of malnutrition, a situation that attracted global attention.

Earlier, while welcoming the House Committee, the Brigade Commander, 21 Brigade Bama, Col. Adamu Laka, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Col. Ezra Barkis, said there were 24,793 IDPs in the Bama camp and that on daily basis, when they went on operations they recue more, mostly women and children.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Sani Zoro, who is also representing Gumel, Gagarawa, Maigatari and Sule Tankwarkwar Federal Constituency, assured the IDPs that they will report their findings on the floor of the House with a view to addressing them.

He said as a representative of the people, they will make sure all the issues of food supply, sanitation, water and medication are addressed, assuring that the Federal Government was determined to reconstruct their communities for them to go back home.

3,025

The number of deaths (per 100,000) due to Alzheimer’s Disease in Washington State in 2010.

Source: Alz.org

$21.2m

The total pay (including salary/ winnings & endorsements) of Henrik Stenson (Golf) for 2015.

Source: Forbes.com

Birnin Kebbi

K

ebbi State Government and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have commenced a two-day workshop on the review of the 2016 state government annual work plan.

Speaking on behalf of the Kebbi State Governor at the workshop, Commissioner for Education, Mohammed Magawat Aleiro, said the Kebbi State government was ready to partner with UNICEF and any other donor agency.

He urged participants

at the workshop to take advantage of work plan review and the recommendations to improve the lives of the women and the children in the state.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Zailani Mohammed, said the state was constrained to start looking inwardly and aggressively for funding to help support the current drive for diversification of the economy. "We are very much inclined to appreciate immensely, the continued positive intervention

by UNICEF and other donor agencies," he said.

Sultan to deliver lecture on peace, development in US Umar Abdullahi Sokoto

S

ultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, will on Tuesday next week, deliver a lecture entitled; “Peace and Development Initiatives: Challenges and Prospects,” in the United States.

The Sultan will be the guest lecturer at the prestigious Wilson Centre, Washington DC. The lecture is scheduled to come up by 2pm United States’ time and 7pm Nigerian time.

This was contained in a statement signed by the immediate past Information Commissioner in Sokoto State and Kogunan Sokoto, Malam Danladi Bako.

The statement said the Sultan will be accompanied by the Galadiman Gari, Alhaji Aliyu Attahiru, Sarkin Fadan Sokoto, Alhaji Kabiru Tafida and Malam Danladi Bako, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State government yesterday assured the people that all markets in the state would be modernised to avoid incidences of fire as recorded in the state in recent months.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal stated this on Monday while speaking at the scene of the latest fire incident at Sokoto's Old Market. Tambuwal said having modern structures in the markets would ensure that proper safety procedures were put in place.

He said government will enforce safety measures in all public places in order to ensure protection of lives and property.

Suspected radioactive substance kills scores in Adamawa Ibrahim Abdul Yola

Kebbi, UNICEF to hold two-day A workshop on review work plan Abuakar Abdul

43

suspected radioactive substances believed to be huge deposits of Uranium has killed scores of people in the northern part of Adamawa State.

A geoscientist, Mr. Dlama Zira, with the Adamawa State Ministry of Solid Minerals, who confirmed the incident, said five communities in Michika Local Government Area of the state were under threat of total extinction due to the radiation infection and denudation agent.

He listed the affected communities as Garta, Futubou, Himike,Sina-Kwande Nkala and Ghumthi, all in Michika area.

Zira, who is director of geology in the ministry and general manager of

the mining company, said the villagers over the years believed that it was evil spirits that were terrorising them.

“The people of the affected communities for many years sacrificed hundreds of goats to appease the deity, seeking for protection from the evil spirit that is causing unidentified illness and sudden death in the communities.

“Unknown to them, they were sitting on and drinking water from huge uranium deposit, which was identified by radiation experts as the cause of illness and rampart deaths among them.

The director, who is also an indigene of the local government, said presently he was affected and suffering from radiation illness infected during several field outings.

44

WORLD \ NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

France church attack: Priest killed by two‘IS soldiers’

A

n 84-year-old priest was killed and four other people taken hostage by two armed men who stormed his church in a suburb of Rouen in northern France.

The two attackers, who said they were from the so-called Islamic State (IS), slit Fr Jacques Hamel’s throat during a morning Mass, officials say.

Police later surrounded the church, in St-Etienne-du-Rou-

vray, and shot dead both hostagetakers. One of the hostages is in a critical condition in hospital.

President Francois Hollande, visiting the scene, said the attackers had committed a “cowardly assassination” and France would fight IS “by all means”. Pope Francis decried the “pain and horror of this absurd violence”.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May branded the attack “sickening” and offered her condolences

to the people of France. One attacker is reported to have been known to French police, and had tried to enter Syria last year.

Police special forces raided a house in Saint-Etienne-duRovray in the aftermath of the attack, and French prosecutors earlier said one person had been arrested.

The attack happened during morning Mass at the historic church, situated in a quiet square

of St-Etienne-du-Rouvray. A nun, who identified herself as Sister Danielle, said she was in the church at the time.

“They forced [Fr Hamel] to his knees. He wanted to defend himself, and that’s when the tragedy happened,” she told French media. “They recorded themselves.

They did a sort of sermon around the altar, in Arabic. It’s a horror”.

She said she managed to flee as they were preparing to kill him.

Elite police units, specialised in hostage-taking, surrounded the church.

President Hollande said the attackers claimed to be from the self-styled IS before they were killed by police as they came out of the church. Three of the hostages were freed unharmed, but one remains in a critical condition, said French interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henri Brandet.

South Sudan’s president replaces vice president

S

outh Sudan President Salva Kiir replaced his vice president and rival Riek Machar, a move that could potentially undermine last year’s peace deal and reignite war in Africa’s youngest nation.

Machar was sworn in as first vice president only last April, eight months after a peace agreement that ended two years of fighting that broke out the last time that Kiir sacked him as his deputy in 2013.

But the rivalry between the two men led to violence in the capital Juba early this month as forces from both sides battled each other with tanks, helicopters and other heavy weapons.

Machar, from the minority Nuer ethnic group, left Juba with his troops, saying he would only return when an international body had to set up a buffer force between his fighters and those supporting Kiir, leader of the dominant Dinka group.

Kiir issued an ultimatum last week, saying Machar had 48 hours to contact him and return to Juba to salvage last year’s

peace deal, or face replacement.

He made good on that threat on Monday when he issued a decree “for the appointment of the first vice president of the republic of South Sudan”, naming General Tabal Deng Gai to the post.

A former minister of mining, Deng Gai was a chief negotiator on behalf of Machar’s SPLMIO group in the talks that led to last year’s deal. But last week, he broke ranks with Machar and backed Kiir’s ultimatum to him.

South Sudan’s politics has long been plagued by splits and rivalries as leaders switch allegiances in a struggle for power and influence in the oil-producing nation, which only emerged from Sudan five years ago.

Its last war, which started after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in 2013, killed more than 10,000 people and displaced over 2 million, many of whom fled to neighbouring countries.

The most recent fighting in Juba has forced 26,000 people to flee to neighbouring Uganda, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

Serbia, Croatia trade protest notes over rehabilitation of Catholic cardinal

S

erbia and Croatia, ex-Yugoslav neighbors and wartime foes from the 1990s, traded protests yesterday over a Croatian move to rehabilitate a World War Two Catholic cleric whom Serbia still views as a war criminal.

The two Balkan powers now have even diplomatic ties, but the row over Alojzije Stepinac threatened to re-awaken regional tensions which lie below the surface. Stepinac, an archbishop and cardinal, was jailed in 1946 by the then Yugoslav Communist regime for collaborating with Italian and Nazi German occupiers and the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).

In 1997 he was beatified by the Catholic Church and declared a martyr by Pope John Paul II in 1998. Last week, a court in Croatia, a European Union member, annulled the verdict against St-

epinac, who died in 1960, arguing that the 1946 trial had violated the principles of criminal law.

Around 1.2 million people, including 580,000 civilians were killed in Yugoslavia during World War Two, most of them

by Nazi-allied forces. The World War Two grievances played a key role in the fomenting of conflicts in 1990s and regional tensions still persist.

Top officials in Serbia, a EU candidate, including President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister-designate Aleksandar Vucic criticized the ruling, saying Stepinac played a pivotal role in the killing of hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and anti-fascists between 1941 and 1945.

Yesterday, Croatia’s centerright outgoing government sent a protest note to Belgrade saying such a rhetoric fueled intolerance between the two nations.

London City offices evacuated

H

undreds of workers in the City of London have been forced to evacuate their offices following a major gas leak in London Wall.

London Fire Brigade is advising people to avoid the area, and

London Wall is shut between Wood Street and Blomfield Street. Fire crews were called to a coffee shop cellar shortly before 16:00 BST. A 25m cordon has been put in place and firefighters remain on standby.

Journalists gather in front of the home of a man who went on a deadly attack at a facility for the disabled near the facility in Sagamihara Kanagawa prefecture, Japan yesterday

Knife attacker in Japan kills 19 disabled in their sleep

A

knife-wielding man broke into a facility for the disabled in a small town near Tokyo early yesterday and killed 19 patients as they slept, authorities said, Japan’s worst mass killing since World War Two. At least 25 other residents were wounded in the attack at the Tsukui Yamayuri-En facility for mentally and physically disabled in Sagamihara town, about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Tokyo. “This is a very heart-wrenching and shocking incident in which many innocent people became victims,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference in Tokyo.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later told a gathering in Tokyo:

“The lives of many innocent people were taken away and I am greatly shocked. We will make every effort to discover the facts and prevent a reoccurance.”

The suspect was a 26-yearold former employee of the facility who gave himself up to police. The man, Satoshi Uematsu, said in letters he wrote in February that he could “obliterate 470 disabled people”, Kyodo news agency reported. He said he would kill 260 severely disabled people at two areas in the facility during a night shift, and would not hurt employees.

“My goal is a world in which the severely disabled can be euthanized, with their guardians’ consent, if they

are unable to live at home and be active in society,” Uematsu wrote in the two letters given to the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Kyodo reported.

Uematsu was committed to hospital after he expressed a “willingness to kill severely disabled people”, an official in Sagamihara told Reuters. He was freed on March 2 after a doctor deemed he had improved, the official said. Uematsu lived near the facility, and a neighbor described him as a polite, young man who always greeted him with a smile.

“It would be easier to understand if there had been a warning but there were no signs,” said Akihiro Hasegawa, 73. “We didn’t know the darkness of his heart.”

Malawian arrested for having sex with children

A

n HIV-positive Malawian man, who says he is paid to have sex with children as part of initiation rites, has been arrested on the president’s orders. Eric Aniva, a sex worker known in Malawi as a “hyena”, was the subject of a BBC feature last week.

He told the BBC that he did not mention his HIV status to those who hire him. President Peter Mutharika said the police should investigate and charge him over the cases of defilement he had seemingly confessed to. The BBC’s Ed Butler, who covered the story about Malawi’s sexual “cleans-

ing practices”, says in some remote southern regions of the country it is traditional for girls to be made to have sex with a man after their first menstruation. Some of the girls are as young as 12 years old, he reported.

What is known as a “hyena” in Malawi culture is usually a man who has sex with widows or married women who cannot fall pregnant. “While we must promote positive cultural values and positive socialisation of our children, the president says harmful cultural and traditional practices cannot be accepted in this country,” presidential spokesman Mgeme Kalilani

said in a statement. Mr. Aniva would “further be investigated for exposing the young girls to contracting HIV and further be charged accordingly”, he said.

The president had also ordered all men and parents involved to be investigated, Mr Kalilani said. “All people involved in this malpractice should be held accountable for subjecting their children and women to this despicable evil,” the statement said.

“These horrific practices although done by a few also tarnish the image of the whole nation of Malawi internationally and bring shame to us all.”

45

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Sport

Sport News Moses vows to impress Conte

46

Did you know?

That the 1936 Berlin Olympics (also known as the ‘Nazi’ Olympics) was the first Olympic Games to ever be televised.

International Lyon reject Arsenal’s £29m bid for Lacazette

47

EAGLES COACH

NFF battles against odds as manager emerges Thursday Ajibade Olusesan

N

igeria Football Federation chieftains are not oblivious of the antics of detractors and have vowed to get it right this time as they set to name new Super Eagles Manager on Thursday.

Chairman Technical Committee of the federation, Chris Green, told New Telegraph that the NFF would name a permanent coach for the Eagles tomorrow (Thursday) and would ensure the process was thorough this time.

The federation came under heavy criticism when Frenchman Paul Le Guen rejected the offer to manage Eagles, less than 24 hours after the NFF announced him as the team’s new coach.

Green said that as a committee, they had taken further mandate by going ahead to and negotiate with prospective coaches before making a recommendation to the NFF board.

“We are working frantically and I can assure you that by Wednesday we are going to come up with a recommendation to the board and probably on Thursday, they are going to make the announcement,” Green said.

“We have a further mandate now, which has made our job more interesting, we are not only to scrutinise CVs of prospective candidates, but

Green: We’ll get it right even with further mandate

Egypt’s Marwan Mohsen (right) watches on as Nigeria’s Victor Moses (centre) heads the ball

can also negotiate and discuss terms with them. We are discussing about those things that Le Guen rejected and will make recommendations appropriately so that we can avoid the mistakes that we made the other time.”

However, Green was not categorical

in his response when asked whether the committee would come up with recommendations for one candidate or more. He said that they were considering many options including naming just a candidate.

“Recommending more than a candi-

date is an option we are considering, but we have to be thorough in our approach this time. This is Nigeria, we have to be careful because of mischief makers who are waiting and working to ensure we fail in this exercise,” he said.

FG pulls out of Keshi’s burial

…as Big Boss begins final journey in Benin The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Sport Editor

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

F

inal burial rites for legendary late Nigerian Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi, will start in Benin City, Edo State on Thursday even as funds have hampered plans by the Federal Government to give him a heroic funeral.

It was a rude shock however on Tuesday as confirmation came that the ministry of sports had pulled out of the plans to give the football legend a ‘heroic burial’ The Federal Government has now said it will play its own part for the late soccer icon after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games because of a combination of factors.

“We don’t want a haphazard burial for such a great patriot, that is why the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said the Federal Government will play its own part after the Olympics,” said a top ministry of-

ficial. “we will unveil details after the games,” the source added.

The Keshi family is however going ahead with the burial plans beginning with a Church Service on Thursday, July 28 at St’ Paul Catholic Church, Benin City by 9am. After that, the late

Late Keshi

‘Big Boss’ as Keshi was fondly called in his playing and coaching days will be moved to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, where a novelty match, organised by his former teammates led by Austin Eguavoen, will take place in his honour, followed by lying-in- state for his numerous admirers to pay their last respect.

After that the body moves to Asaba, the Delta State capital, for another lying-in-state at the Stadium named after him by former Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Nnebisi Road.

From Asaba, the body will leave for Illah, his home town. First point of call is the St’ John, The Evangelist Catholic Church for a requiem mass. Next will be his home in Illah, for internment.

It is expected that there will be heavy presence of officials of the Edo and Delta State governments at this events heralding the glorious exit of a man who brought glory not only to the two states but the entire Nigerian nation and indeed Africa.

46

SPORT NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Moses vows to impress Conte Emmanuel Tobi

S

uper Eagles and Chelsea winger, Victor Moses, has vowed to work harder to impress new Chelsea coach, Antonio Conto.

Moses is enjoying preseason with Chelsea and has started both preseason fixtures so far in Austria under Conte.

The 25-year-old has

impressed with a series of good runs from out wide to beat his opponents, as well as impressive deliveries in the Italian’s 4-4-2 system.

“I came back to start my pre-season early with the group of players who had been on loan last season,” the former West Ham and Stoke loanee told Chelsea’s official website. “I just want to enjoy my football.”

Moses’ next opportu-

nity comes on Thursday against Liverpool and he hopes to continue providing Chelsea with width and an ability to run at full-backs.

“As a winger, you want to get at defenders and make it hard for them.

Instead of them going forwards, they have to defend against you.”

“With a new manager, I want to show my talent and that I am willing to play for the team.”

Ujiri basketball camps in six countries Emmanuel Tobi

M

asai Ujiri, General Manager of the Toronto Raptors, on Tuesday announced that Giants of Africa will be conducting camps in six countries across Africa this summer.

Ujiri who is also the founder of Giants of Africa said the programme would expand camps from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda to also include Botswana and Senegal basketball camps.

The train will begin from Senegal on August 7 – 9 before storming Ghana from August 12 to 14.

He added that the Nigeria edition would takeplace from August 16 - 18, Kenya from August 19 - 22, Rwanda from August 23 - 25, and Botswana from August 26 - 29.

Each summer, Giants of Africa brings top international coaches to the continent to host basketball camps designed to help young African players develop athletically, establish life goals and to refine their fundamental knowledge of the game.

“Encouraging the dreams of African youth is at the core of what we strive to achieve with Giants of Africa,” said Ujiri.

“We believe supporting the infrastructure of basketball in Africa via coaches, facilities and camps is imperative to create opportunities for African youth to play and develop both on and off the court. We are thrilled to be extending our reach to six African countries this year.”

Moses (right)

Soldiers’ll represent Nigeria in future Olympics –GOC Nankpah Bwakan, BAUCHI

T

he Acting General Officer Commanding of Third Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General E.N Njoku, has expressed optimism that his soldiers can represent the country in future international Olympics and win medals for the country.

He made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 2016 inter-brigade sports competition organized by the division held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.

He said: “Inter-brigade sports competition is an annual event designed to

inculcate sporting talent in our officers.

But for the past three years, the division was unable to organise the event because special attentions and energy was given to the fight against insurgents in the North East.

“But thank God, we have now over powered the terrorists and our soldiers can now engage in sports and games at their leisure times,” he said.

Njoku further charged soldiers in the country to be committed to national service and to always place the needs of others above their personal interests with a view to keeping the nation peaceful and safe.

SWAN CUP

New Telegraph Strikers continue unbeaten run

Play goalless draw with Radio Nigeria

N

igeria’s most authoritative newspapers, New Telegraphs’ team, continued their unbeaten run at the ongoing Lagos SWAN Cup on Tuesday as they were forced to a goalless draw by Radio Nigeria at the National Stadium, Surulere.

The NT Strikers, having defeated SuperSports 3-0 in their first match on Monday, displayed good artist-

ry with the ball and created many scoring chances against the Radio Boys who resorted to playing a very physical game.

The coach Emmanuel Tobi-tutored side has vowed to win their two last group matches against News Agency of Nigeria and Voice of Nigeria billed for Wednesday at the Legacy Pitch of the Lagos National Stadium.

Garba welcomes Ugbade to Eaglets

G

olden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Manu Garba (OON) has described the arrival of Coach Nduka Ugbade to the U-17 national camp in Abuja on Sunday as a good addition that would bolster the team’s quest for a ticket to the next Africa U-17 Cup of Nations to be held in Madagascar next year.

Enefiok Udo-Obong (left) during GTBank annual orange walk

Ugbade was FIFA U-16 World Cup-winning captain in 1985 and Garba’s assistant when Nigeria won her fourth FIFA U-17 World in 2013 in the UAE, and when the Flying Eagles won a record seventh Africa U-20 title in Senegal in 2015. The former Super Eagle was re-appointed into the country’s cadet

side last week by the board of Nigeria Football Federation.

Garba, while introducing Ugbade at the team Monday’s morning training session at the NFF\FIFA Goal Project pitch, said the former Nigerian international would bring his wealth of experience to bear on the team.

“I’m happy to introduce coach (Nduka) Ugbade. We have worked together both with Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles and for some of you who don’t know him, he was the captain when Nigeria won the Kodak U-16 World Cup in China in 1985,” explained Garba. “As I have repeatedly said, you have to listen to us and we are one big family here; and we want you to listen because you have so much to lear n from him (Ugbade).”

New Telegraph Strikers in action against Radio Nigeria ... yesterday

Falayajo targets promotion with Durban FC Charles Ogundiya

N

ewly-signed Durban FC Nigeria midfielder, Omotayo Falayajo, has promised to lead his club to the South Africa PSL title at the end of the season.

The former Orlando Pirates star said the club had what it takes to play in the top flight, while adding that the presence of former South Africa national team coach, Cleve Barker, would serve as a motivating factor to achieve promotion at the end of the season.

“I love challenges and fighting for promotion will be another one for me,” the Agege, Lagos born player said.

“I want to repay the trust Barker

has in me by bringing me into the fold and hopefully at the end of the season we will be able to achieve promotion.

“We have the players and the technical crew to achieve promotion and hopefully when the season start in September, the results will favour us.”

Falayajo joined Durban FC on a year deal from Magareng Young Stars making him the second Nigerian from the team to sign for a bigger club after Olajide Taiwo joined newly-promoted Baroka FC. The two players have been revelation since moving to South Africa few years ago with Falayajo already featured for Super Sports FC and Orlando Pirates in the past.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

INTERNATIONAL

Lyon reject Arsenal’s £29m bid for Lacazette A

Higuain completes £75.3m move to Juventus

As Gunners lose Mertesacker for five months

L

yon have confirmed that they have turned down a £35m (£29.3m) bid from Arsenal for striker Alexandre Lacazette.

The Gunners have been linked with the Frenchman for some time, but at the weekend, Lyon boss Bruno Genesio was adamant that his player will stay put.

Genesio’s comments were made following reports that the Premier League club had tabled a £30m offer for Lacazette.

On Tuesday, Lyon released a statement via social media confirming Arsenal’s interest, and stated that the bid has been knocked back as the Ligue 1 club deem their striker irreplaceable.

Arsenal’s only signing of the summer so far is Granit Xhaka, who joined from Borussia Monchengladbach for a fee in the region of £30m.

Meanwhile, the Gunners’ defender Per Mertesacker could reportedly be sidelined for the next five months with a knee injury.

The German defender suffered the blow during a pre-season friendly against Lens on Friday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

According to Sky Sports News, the defender, who has been widely tipped to take the Arsenal captaincy following Mikel Arteta’s exit, may not be fit to feature for the Gunners until December.

rgentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has reportedly sealed a move from Napoli to Serie A rivals Juventus on a four-year contract, with the club’s announcement of the transfer said to be taking place on Tuesday.

According to Sky Sports News, the 28-year-old underwent a medical in Spain last week and has moved to the Italian champions for a fee said to be in

the region of £75.3m, enough to trigger his release clause.

Higuain, who reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, joined Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013 and had two years remaining on his contract in Naples.

He ended the 2015-16 season as the top scorer in Serie A with 36 goals and scored 91 times in 146 appearances for the Partenopei.

P

Lacazette (left)

aul Pogba’s move from Juventus to Manchester United is stalling over a stand-off regarding who pays his agent’s fee, according to reports.

The France midfielder is understood to be in advanced talks with United about a return to Old Trafford, four years after he left Manchester to play in Serie A. While agreement on his personal terms has been reached, neither club seems willing to pay the £20m (£16.8m) fee Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola wants for brokering the deal, according to Sky Sport Italia.

New Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho has already signed three players this summer - Eric

Olympics

…as NOC kicks

helsea midfielder Mikel Obi has been named Captain of Team Nigeria to the 2016 Olympic Games scheduled to take place between August 5 and 21 in Rio, Brazil even as the Nigeria Olympic Committee has accused the ministry of sports of usurping its functions.

According to a release signed by Nneka Anibezie, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, Mikel was chosen because he would be a role model to many of the athletes.

A top NOC official was however pained that the ministry did not carry the body along.

“This came as a surprise because the athletes have been handed over to the NOC and we are supposed to determine who captains Team Nigeria. This is absurd,” the official said.

Mikel, one of the three over-aged players invited to the national U-23 football

team is making his first appearance at the Olympic Games.

Table tennis superstar Funke Oshonaike is the assistant captain of Team Nigeria. This will be Oshonaike’s sixth appearance at the Olympics. She debuted at Atlanta ‘96.

The U-23 Eagles is expected to depart for Rio from Atlanta USA on July 29, 2016. Other athletes will leave Nigeria also same day.

Mikel and Oshonaike were chosen because of their consistency, patriotism and dedication to national assignments.

The Chef-de-mission, Christian Ohaa, said: “Mikel is a young, patriotic footballer of international status and we believe he will be a role model to the upcoming athletes while Oshonaike is experienced and is one of the oldest athletes in the team.

We believe that their combined efforts will bring goodwill to Team Nigeria and project the county’s image positively to the world”

But a new study has calculated that only three to 37 people will bring the mosquito-borne disease back to their countries - in a worstcase scenario.

The scientists behind the research insist this should quell fears about the disease’s spread.

It is released hours after another study saying more than 1.6 million pregnant women are at risk of getting Zika

Pogba

9

Ogunlewe applauds Essex HPU Charles Ogundiya

N

Mikel

Risk of catching Zika virus negligible he risk of sports stars or fans catching the Zika virus during the Rio Olympics is negligible, a study shows.

Dozens of athletes - including every high profile golfer - is boycotting Rio because of the virus.

And even attendees are skipping the games - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are just a few of the many high profile figures deciding not to attend.

Bailly from Villarreal, free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Days to Go

Mikel, Osonaike lead Team Nigeria

T

Higuain

Agent’s fees stall Pogba’s Man United move

Countdown to

C

47

- with Rio de Janeiro one of the most at-risk cities.

This is out of the tens of thousands of athletes, spectators, media and vendors who will descend on Brazil for the 16-day extravaganza.

The findings support the World Health Organisation’s view that the Olympics will not play a significant role in the international spread of Zika.

ational champions in men’s 100m, Adeseye Ogunlewe, has praised the support of University of Essex Human Performance Unit for the supports he received towards achieving his goal of qualifying for the Rio Olympic Games.

Ogunlewe won a place at the Rio Olympics after winning the Nigerian 100m trials in Sapele, Delta State, with a new Personal Best and Olympics qualifying time of 10.12secs.

“The university has helped a lot,” the athlete who recently completed a degree in Law and Politics at the School of Law of the university said.

“I can say without the team in the Human Performance Unit I wouldn’t be where I am today. They have done a lot for me. For example, advice and support around nutrition, strength and conditioning plus general lifestyle.”

He further highlighted the support from across the HPU including Manager Chris McManus, Performance Sport Manager, Susy Davies, Sport Performance Coach, Justin Mills, and sport scientist, Kelly Murray alongside Director of Sports, Dr. Dave Parry.

Dr. Parry, who oversees the sports scholarship programme added: “Ade (Ogunlewe) arrived at the University fairly new to athletics and ran 10.8secs in his first year.

“Since then we have supported him through our sports scholarship programme every year. His progress has been exceptional and to qualify for one of the premier events at the Olympics is a tremendous achievement.”

NEWS 48On Marble

When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken.

Sanctity of Truth

Bola Bolawole What is ‘juicy’ in National Assembly committees?

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

– Benjamin Disraeli

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016

H

}16

N150

Zero hour in NBA election

onestly, I do not envy anybody that wants to be the President of the Nigerian Bar Association at this point in time. I do not envy any individual that will abandon his practice and crisscross the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja visiting the numerous branches of the Association in each state.

I do not envy the candidate that will visit the branches of the Association by road, sea and air. I do not envy the candidate that will schedule meetings and address lawyers at the “dead of night” when “normal” individuals are asleep. I do not envy the candidate that will contend with universal suffrage where every lawyer has a voice, a choice and a vote. But that is the reality of the Nigerian Bar Association election that will take place between the 30th and 31st July 2016.

The candidates in the election no doubt are campaigning and campaigning hard.

The candidates have made promises to the teeming lawyers scattered in different parts of the country. But the reality is that there is a huge wall of difference between campaign promises and the concrete issues facing the legal profession and the country.

A Presidential candidate that has not articulated his program of action before the election will grope in the dark for the next one year and will only realize that planning is central to deliverables. For me, there are basically 10 challenges that the new President of the Nigerian Bar Association must face and confront on assumption of office. Some of the challenges are internal to the association while others are external and or ancillary to the existence of the association.

The challenge of consolidation The current leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association led by Augustine Alegeh, SAN has done so much in terms of protecting the forth of the association from quacks. The stamp and seal policy of the association is a great innovation that must be sustained and improved upon.

The new leadership must design sanctions against lawyers that willingly and knowingly give out their stamps to those not qualified to use it. There must also be monitoring teams that will carry random checks on stamps affixed in the courts, the Corporate Affairs Commission and the land registries.

The challenge of universal suffrage and electronic voting The Nigerian Bar Association must continue to maintain its leadership position among professional groups and associations. The introduction of universal suffrage has given each lawyer a voice, a choice and a vote. Universal suffrage has extinguished the old method of clustering delegates in one place and empowering a few delegates to make tainted choice on behalf of all Nigerian lawyers. We must have collective ownership of our association and collectively own up to the mistakes and choices we make. This demands that the various branches of the association must have a biometric register of their members containing all the biometric data of each member. This will ease verification and accreditation of members and enhance the use of elec-

Hard Choices FESTUS OKOYE festokoye2003@yahoo.com 0805-448-0565 (sms only) must give way to creativity and innovation in the struggle for survival.

The challenge of size and relevance Some of the branches of the Bar Association are still unmanageable due to their size. Some are also two small and can hardly carry out any meaningful programme. There may be the need to create additional branches to reduce them to manageable sizes. There are also some existing branches that can hardly boast of twenty members and are therefore not viable. The new President will face the challenge of returning such branches to their main branch. My take is that we must strengthen the existing branches and make them very formidable. A moratorium should also be placed on the creation of additional branches except in very exceptional circumstances.

NBA president, Augustine Alegeh

tronic gadgets for voting. The new leadership of the Association must continue to improve on this new innovation and show to the Nigerian people that we have the capacity to transit from an analogue process of voting to a digital process.

The challenge of the young lawyer Plain rhetoric and empty campaign promises will not solve the huge challenge facing the younger members of our profession. Some of the younger members are really living from hand to mouth.

Some senior members of the Bar are also finding it difficult to make ends meet due to the economic difficulties and challenges facing the country. The new President of the Bar Association must retrieve jobs meant for legal practitioners from the hands of quacks. The new President must develop creative avenues of expanding and diversifying opportunities for young lawyers. There are huge opportunities in Entertainment Law, Sports Law, Telecommunications Law, Media Law and Human Rights Law. The old order of clustering in the Courts for briefs that do not exist

The new President must develop creative avenues of expanding and diversifying opportunities for young lawyers

The challenge of pupilage The new President of the Bar Association must lead the way in the reintroduction of pupilage in the legal profession. It is important that the new wig understudy their seniors in a law firm before branching out to set up their own practice. Rather than the initial five year period, the period of understudy can be reduced to two years. The young lawyer must learn how offices are organized. The young lawyer must learn how clients are handled and treated. The young lawyer must be mentored and put in the right frame of mind to branch out into private legal practice.

The Bar must cleanse itself There is some consensus that the Nigerian people are unhappy with some members of our profession. As it is, this has resulted in collective profiling of almost all legal practitioners. The members of our profession are presented as accomplices that have connived with some members of the political elite to fritter away the commonwealth of the people. The new leadership of the Bar Association must declare zero tolerance for professional misconduct. It must no longer be business as usual. We must regain the confidence of the Nigerian people and show the bad eggs the way out of the profession.

The independence of the judiciary The new President and the National Executive Committee of the Bar Association must at all times stand with the judiciary in the protection of their independence.

The Bar Association must remain engaged with the processes and procedures for the appointment of Judges and Magistrates. The Bar Association must never allow the erosion of the independence of the Judiciary. The Bar Association must insist that Court Orders must be obeyed as that is the essence of constitutional democracy. They Bar must also insist that Judges that abuse their oath of office must be shown the way out. The Judiciary is the

guardian of our constitution and liberties and must remain as such.

Constitutional and electoral reforms The Bar Association must lead the quest for constitutional and electoral reforms. While it is not right to engage in endless constitutional and electoral design, it is important for the Bar Association to identify the fundamentals in our constitutional and electoral framework and propose workable solutions to them. Our constitution and electoral laws must remain dynamic and responsive to the changing situations and dynamics of the country.

Who will speak for the people?

The Bar must remain the bastion of the rule of law and due process. The Bar Association must at all times speak for the people. Speaking for the Nigerian people is not an object of charity; it is part of our mandate. We must take an interest in the economic policies of the government and insist that they must be pro-poor. We must insist that the government must respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and stop the privatization of the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy.

The challenge of good governance The new leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association must take more than a passing interest in what happens in the various Local Governments in the country. Some of the Local Governments have been kidnapped by the Governors and can no longer perform their constitutional and statutory duties. Some of the Governors are also very reckless and have brought untold hardship on the working class in their jurisdictions. The Bar Association must empower the branches and insist that they monitor the governance index in their various states.

I am convinced that AB Mahmoud, SAN has the character, courage, the charisma, the presence of mind and the integrity to lead the Nigerian Bar Association in the next two years.

HIGH CHIEF

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEN OF THIEVES –Obasanjo

- But were they not saints during your tenure?

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 Hotlines: (Lagos 0902 928 1425), (Abuja 0805 5118488) Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: AYODELE OJO.