Wednesday, september 7, 2016

Telecoms contributes N1.58trn to GDP in Q2 – NBS lMerchandise trade grows by 49 % in 2nd Quarter Abdulwahab Isa and Kunle Azeez

N

igerian telecommunications industry

contributed N1.580 billion in real terms to gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2016.

The amount represents 9.8 per cent and an increase

of 1.0 per cent points relative to the previous quarter, according to the latest economy data released by

the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This is the largest contribution to GDP so far made from this sector in the rebased period.

It emphasises that growth in telecommunications has remained robust when compared to total GDP. Due to differing season-

'No FRSC official convicted in sokoto for stealing'

}6

al patterns, the contribution from telecommunications is usually the largest in the second quarter.

The total number of subscribers has increased rapidly over the past deCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Recession: Nigerians }3 abandon rice for noodles

/newtelegraph /newtelegraph

Vol. 3 No. 931

Some brands of noodles

Business mogul, Michael Ibru, dies at 86 }6

Ibru

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

Chibok: Police, Buhari supporters stop BBOG protest }2

Ezekwesili

N150

Contractors absconded with N35bn –Umahi }41

Umahi

Tension in Anambra, Delta as:

Traffickers, ritualists abduct 45 children

Pastor, 10 others held Police rescue 12 kids }2 Mudslide kills 24-year-old }8 housewife, 10 days after marriage

A corpse being evacuated by men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) at the scene of the mudslide at the Amara Olu Street, Mechanic Village, Agidingbi, Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Rage of flood in Lagos

Flooded Igando/LASU road, after a down pour in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTOS: TOBI EMMANUEL

Bishops to Buhari: Nigerians are suffering lWe'll be great again, says president lNigeria's future is bright –Osinbajo C-section babies, more likely to be obese –Study }5

}4 & 10

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Tension in Anambra, Delta as traffickers, ritualists abduct 45 children Dominic Adewole and Pamela Eboh

A

pastor, three women and five others have been arrested at Nkpor and Ogidi communities in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State for allegedly stealing 30 children.

This came as 15 children were abducted within four days in parts of Delta State.

Detectives from Asaba, the Delta State capital, picked up the pastor and other suspects in their various locations with the stolen children at Nkpor and Ogidi.

They were first detained at Ogidi Police Station before they were transferred to Asaba.

Mrs. Miracle Mbonu, whose 11-month-old son was stolen from her Eke Nkpor residence where he was left with his nine-yearold sister, said the abductor pretended to be her mother’s friend.

She said: “That day, a woman told my kids that I was her friend and that they should join her to look for me.

“She took them to New Parts Market. From there, she escaped with my son after deceiving my daughter that she wanted to buy something for my son.”

Also, another woman, who pleaded anonymity, said the culprits stole her son at Ogidi.

She appealed to the police to help her recover her son.

When contacted, the Ogidi Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Hassan Musa, said the case was being handled by the Delta State Police Command.

Meanwhile, suspected ritual killers and child traffickers, now on the prowl in Asaba and its environs, abducted over 15 children within four days.

The disappearance of five children within four days in Oko, Ibusa, Okpanam and Ogwashi-Uku, in Oshimili South, Oshimili

North and Aniocha South, has caused panic among parents and guardians.

One of the victims was a seven-year-old boy who was abducted at Umuomake at Okpanam in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.

The boy was allegedly abducted while playing in front of his parents’ compound by unknown persons suspected to be ritual killers.

About six hours after the boy was kidnapped, a nine-year-old boy went missing at the Inyanga Market in the same Okpanam, where the victim’s mother sells consumables.

The abductors were said to have posed as the victim’s mother’s customers before they asked the boy to go and buy biscuits.

“The mother, thereafter, became afraid after some minutes when her son did not return. She then raised the alarm, which attracted the attention of passersby,” a witness said.

The witness said the

disappearance of children in the last few days in the locality had become unexplainable.

She said: “Over five cases of missing children within four days are unbelievable.”

The alleged leader of the kidnap gang, Mrs. Abigael, aka Madam Cash, who was arrested in connection with the abduction, allegedly bribed the police with N2.5 million to be left off

Chibok: Police, Buhari supporters stop BBOG march on Aso Villa Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

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renewed effort by members of BringB a ck O u r G i rl s (BBOG) advocacy group, seeking the rescue of 218 missing Chibok girls, to march on the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday was thwarted.

Policemen preventing members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy group from marching on the presidential villa in Abuja… yesterday

Emergency powers: Ministers throw weight behind Buhari Wale Elegbede

T

he move to reflate the economy by President Muhammadu Buhari through a proposed executive bill to the National Assembly for emergency powers has been hailed by some serving ministers.

Speaking exclusively to New Telegraph, some of the ministers said they are in full support of the move as it will give a lifeline to the ailing economy, especially in shoring up the value of the naira, creating more jobs, boosting foreign reserves, reviving the manufacturing sector and improving power.

Sources in the Presidency had told New Telegraph that the administration’s economic team, headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has proposed a review

of some extant laws affecting the economy.

It was gathered that an executive bill titled: “Emergency Economic Stabilisation Bill 2016”, is to be presented to the National Assembly when the Senate and the House of Representatives resume from vacation in September.

According to the ministers, the only way out of the current economic recession in the country is to introduce radical reforms like the emergency powers.

While noting that the complaints and hardships in the country is not due to the inactivity of the present administration, they averred that most of the efforts of the present administration at reflating the economy had been slowed down by some extant laws of the land.

According to one of the ministers, “My ministry has not been able to make much impact since the signing of the budget into law because of bottlenecks and cumbersome processes.

“For example, we need to advertise any prospective contract in national newspapers and that spans for six weeks. From there, we start to work on technical and financial bids for the contract and that takes another week.

“I think that majority of the ministers support the move by the presidency because it is the best way to jump start the economy.

The ministers are part of the formulation of the economic team policies and we are throwing our weight behind this move.”

Another minister told New Telegraph that the

the hook.

But when contacted on the phone, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Celestina Kalu, denied the allegation.

She, however, said the police had rescued 12 children from Madam Cash.

Kalu said the command was currently battling with child stealing and trafficking.

According to her, investigation has been stepped up

to unravel the members of the trafficking syndicate.

The PPRO said a member of the trafficking network, a pastor (whose name was not disclosed), was arrested in Anambra State.

However, irate youths, on Monday night, destroyed Madam Cash’s shop at Umuaji Quarters, Asaba.

At press time, parents with cases of missing children from different communities in the state had besieged the state Police Command Headquarters, Asaba, with pictures and baptismal cards of their children to identify them.

proposal is critical because of the economic reality. “As at today, over N58 billion is trapped in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds. It is our belief that if the law is reviewed to allow states contribute 10 per cent instead of 50 per cent, states will be able to access the funds. This will impact positively on the economy,” the source said.

2.35%

The real quarterly GDP growth rate of Nigeria for Q2 2015.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

£5.1bn

The total cost of the new television deal of England which came into effect this season.

Source: Bbc.com

The combination of armed police officers and a group purportedly supporting President Muhammadu Buhari intercepted them at the Three Arms Zone.

The BBOG members, who took off from their traditional base, Unity Fountain at 9:43a.m., were stopped by a team of policemen led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), M.D. Garuba on the ground that the group did not have permission to carry out the protest.

Leader of the group and former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, said it was sad that security operatives could be used to stop what she called a peaceful protest.

Both Ezekwesili and the CSP were involved in a shouting match as the officer insisted that the protesters would not cross the human barricade put together by the security operatives.

Ezekwesili insisted that the group had never been associated with violence since it began the call for the girls’ rescue over two years ago.

"We applied for the necessary procedures to embark on this march and so we have been stopped.

We once again want to go; you would remember they stopped us earlier that we had no permission to engage on this march which we thought was false.

“We settled them. Why would you stop us today, you never stopped us and asked for any of these because you know as a civil movement that is underpinned by core value we will always provide you with these requests. Why are you stopping us today? They said we must produce what we submitted; we produced and the officer in charge said that now he had seen this, he would allow us to proceed with our march.

“And then a superior came from nowhere and

said he was taking over the assignment… It is now left to the public to decide what the action of government meant. They said they are working to rescue our girls, why then would a peaceful march of citizens that are as harmless as a dove matter to them?" she said.

But as they edged forward despite the police barricade, a group believe to be loyal to Mr. President and urging an end to the demonstration, blocked their path, saying the president is “a man of peace” whose effort to “move the nation forward” should not be disrupted.

The rival group had positioned its members at the Three Arms Zone when the BBOG members arrived there.

A spokesperson for the group, Idris King, described the BringBackOurGirls group as a scam, sponsored to undermine the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as "Oby Ezekwezili is a rabble rouser and an agent of shadow parties", "Boko Haram will soon be history, let's be patient and allow Baba work the work", and “Our beloved president will win the war, Chibok girls will return healthy,” the group said BBOG group should allow Buhari work for Nigerians.

“We are for peace. Buhari is a man of peace,” they chanted.

Addressing journalists, Jonathan Adegoke, one of the coordinators of the group, also noted that the Federal Government has been handling the issue of rescue of the abducted girls.

He stressed that the interest of the government is to ensure that the girls were rescued alive, saying, "The government is very consistent and very committed to ensure that the girls are back."

NEWS Extra

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Recession: Nigerians abandon rice for noodles I

3

Adekunle Salami

t is no longer news that Nigeria is in economic recession. Only last week, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, confirmed that Nigeria’s economy was in bad shape. She argued the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari was, however, not confused about the current situation.

Various indices reflect how bad the situation is to the ordinary Nigerians, especially as it has become difficult for people to have three meals in their respective homes.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in a report released last week, stated that the Consumer Price Index increased from 16.5 per cent in June to 17.1 per cent in July this year. A total of 79.9 million Nigerians are said to be jobless just as inflation hits an all-time high.

In every home, rice is the staple food that is being consumed almost on a daily basis, but the sharp rise in the cost of commodities as a result of high forex or scarcity of it has forced Nigerians to be looking for options.

A bag of rice, which sells for between N10,000 and N11,500, is now being sold for between N22,000 and N23,500. The effect cuts across down the line in terms of sales including the cooked rice being sold by food vendors. It is no longer easy to enter a restaurant with N100 to eat rice.

New Telegraph investigations have revealed that Nigerians are now embracing eating all kinds of noodles either as replacement for rice or to alternate the eating of rice in their homes.

Noodles come in different forms.

There is Indomitable, which sells for N1,800 a carton now, but used to be N1,500. It has 40 packs in a carton.

Indomie Onion is the same range and price. However, Hungryman and Belleful are the hot ones in the market now. They sell for N2,800 and N2,300 respectively per carton.

Hungryman has 24 parks in a carton while Belleful contains 16 packs. Superpack that sells for N2,400 a carton before is now N2,750 for one carton.

There are other ones like the Golden Penny Twist which used to sell for N2,900 is now N3,200, Indomie Onion sells for N1,700 from former price of N1,450 a carton while Minimie sells for N1,400 instead of N1,100.

Our correspondent observed that these big ones are the most sought-after in most homes. This is

Noodles

Various brands of noodles

because just one pack is enough for two adults. It is just between N150 and N170 per pack. One ‘derica’ or cup of rice is, however, N300 which is almost double that of one pack of Belleful.

A wholesaler of noodles at Old Ipaja Road in Agege, Funmi Olopade, said there had been a rise in the demand for various brands of the product generally.

She said: “I sell an average of four to five cartons a day, but in recent time, this has changed. There has been an increase. I now sell up to 15 cartons in one day because the retailers are rushing to buy the products.

There has been an increase of over 20 per cent on all the products.

“On a daily basis, my total sales was between N15,000 and N20,000, but now, I go home with N60,000 and above. Because of the rush, we pay more to get the goods and those buying from us are also paying more.”

At a major sales point in Ikeja where many of the wholesalers buy all kinds of noodles, there was a beehive of activities when our correspondent visited. Many of those who came to book for goods were complaining about increase in price.

Desmond Joseph is one of them.

He told our correspondent that there has been increase in price twice in

the last one week.

“In Nigeria, we like to take advantage of almost every situation. It is clear many people now buy noodles because rice is too expensive. But the question is: do we have to make noodles expensive too? I spend about N80,000 to N100,000 to buy my goods in every 10 days, but now I will need N150,000 to do the same thing and that is why people are complaining,” said Joseph, whose shop is at Ilupeju.

One of the attendants in Ikeja, Lucky, explained that it was the forces of demand and supply that led to the increase in prices of noodles.

“Nothing is deliberate. People are making more demands and in business such situation drives the price. It could be a temporary thing, but I can tell you noodles business is booming now because of people takes it as alternative to rice,” Lucky said.

It is also interesting to note that

more of the products are still being introduced. For example, Indomie vegetable is relatively new and it sells for N2,400 with 40 packs in one carton.

Our correspondent also observed that spaghetti is also another option for the average Nigerian now that the recession has affected the price of rice. Spaghetti sells for N3,200 with 20 packs in a carton.

Diya Adebayo, a civil servant, told our correspondent that on Sundays, rice was a regular meal in his home of one wife and two children. But in recent time the price of rice has forced the family to embrace noodles.

“This Sunday, we came back from church and my wife cooked just one Hungryman for herself and the kids.

I had to go out and that was the meal for the afternoon. The way it is, we cannot eat rice like before. One has to be wise with this recession since there is no increase in salaries,” Adebayo noted.

Some Hausa men who sell bread and tea by the roadside are also into the business of selling noodles and it is turning out big in recent time. This is because with only N60 to N100, one can buy enough as meal.

The economic recession is now affecting the ordinary Nigerians in their respective homes same way they have been battling to come to terms with the recent change in prices of fuel which also affected kerosene.

Mrs. Florence Lawson sells noodles in retail. She deals with the direct consumers, but her view on the development is more than just the preference for noodles as option to rice. She is looking at the broad picture of the recession in various homes.

“Price of kerosene is very high now. Fuel is also not easy and now rice is difficult to put on the table. If you eat rice three times in one week at home before, you have to reduce it because it will affect your purse. The option is up to every individual in their respective situation,” Lawson told New Telegraph.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bishops to Buhari: Nigerians are suffering

Anule Emmanuel Abuja

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rchbishops in the northern part of the country yesterday told President Muhammadu that Nigerians are suffering as a result of the economic recession.

The Archbishops, under the aegis of 19 Northern Pentecostal Bishops Forum, yesterday met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo where they urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps to alleviate the untold sufferings.

Chairman of the Forum, Archbishop John Praise Daniel, who spoke to State House Correspondents after the closed-door meeting with the vice president at the presiden-

tial villa, Abuja said they were also concerned about the many other problems confronting the country, including militancy in the Niger Delta and Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

He said: "We came from all over the north, we came to pay a courtesy call on the vice president. We came to congratulate him and thank the government for their efforts so far since they came in about a year ago, especially in stamping out the Boko Haram menace and in ensuring security all over the nation.

"Also talking to him on the need for the nation to work together in unity, to move on in peace. And the disturbing factor of the Fulani herdsmen to ensure that everything is done and to give our own advice on

how the government will go on well and foster unity, peace and progress."

According to Archbishop Praise, there was need for Nigerians to begin to think collectively as a nation in order to build a strong and united country.

"We are a united nation and nobody should be thinking individually, but collectively of making Nigeria great. And also let the government know that yes, we have agreed we are in recession, the people down there whom we led are suffering, there are cries all over the place and let the government know that whatever they can do to alleviate the sufferings.

"We thank God that the president promised he will look at the hunger Nigerians are going through and we do believe that because

the president is a man of integrity, he will follow up with his words to ensure that the sufferings of Nigerian masses is reduced and make sure that there is enough in the country if we have all the infrastructure working, things working.

"Agreed, we are suffering from the effect of misrule of past leadership.

All the same, we believe Nigeria is a great nation, and we can foster together with our genuineness, our commitment and our intellectual intelligence to move this nation forward.

"And they should not be afraid to look for economic experts, they should not stop to get who can help in our economic recovery to ensure everything goes on well so that this country can bounce back as a great

nation that we have always been, to ensure this country becomes that great nation we have always dreamt and talked about," he said.

In his remarks, Osinbajo told the delegation that even though the times were hard today, there was great hope that the country would prosper.

Osinbajo said: “This country has been badly governed. We are dealing, for instance, with the embezzlement of funds to the tune of $15 billion in one sector alone.”

On why the government always talked about the past, he said: “We have to, that is why we are here. We have not turned attention to the oil and gas sector, where the former Central Bank Governor (CBN) alleged that $20 billion was stolen. We must condemn

L-R: Former Edo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Louis Odion; Chairman, Banc & All (publishers of The Interview), Mr. Atilola Odudare; Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Managing Director/ Editor-In-Chief, The Interview, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene and Director, Banc & All, Mr. Lekan Abdul, during the first Public Annual Presentation Lecture by The Interview in Abuja.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

cade. At the end of 2005, there were 19.5 million subscribers, but by the end of 2015, there were over 151 million, which is equivalent to an increase of 13,149,809 every year.

However, growth has been declining more recently, possibly as a result of high market penetration, leaving less room for large expansion.

In June 2016, the end of the second quarter, there were 149.8 million subscribers compared with 148.7 million in June 2015, which represents an increase of 0.69 per cent.

The yearly increase in total subscriber numbers has been decreasing steadily for the past year. In June 2015, the year on year increase was 12.05 per cent.

However, after falling between January and April 2016, the number of subscribers began to increase again, and in June, the number was 0.71 per cent higher than at the end of the first quarter in March.

This increase is despite a sharp drop in Core Division Multiple Access (CDMA) subscribers. Be-

and stand up against this level of corruption. It is the single most important reason of the current state of the country. We can’t ignore it.”

The vice president called on religious leaders in the country to condemn corruption openly.

He said: “We can’t say because they are Christians or Muslims, we won’t condemn those involved in corruption. Our currency depreciated because we don't have the reserves to back it. At the height of the oil boom, there were no savings.”

In addition to the massive fall in oil prices, Osinbajo stated that the vandalism of pipelines has led to a worsening of the situation with the country losing about one million barrels of oil per day for up to six months now. “The vandalism has equally cut power supply short since gas pipelines were also destroyed,” he said.

He pointed out that the recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures released last week indicated clearly there is growth in agriculture and solid minerals.

According to him, “agriculture and solid minerals have witnessed improvements.”

The social investment programmes, according to the vice president, are on course, reassuring the nation “that very soon, the 500,000 jobs scheme will take off” alongside other schemes.

Telecoms contributes N1.58trn to GDP in Q2 –NBS

tween June 2015 and June 2016, the number fell from 2,105,981 to 454,092, a decrease of 78.44 per cent.

Although, CDMA remains the second most popular technology type, this decrease has meant that the GSM technology type has entrenched its position as the dominant provider of mobile subscriptions.

Subscriber data is broken into four sections, according to the technology type used.

The first two are for mobile technology, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and CDMA, while the latter two are fixed lines, either wireless or wired.

Mobile subscribers using GSM dominate, and accounted for 99.58 per cent of the total in June 2016, followed by CDMA with 0.30 per cent of the total, while fixed wired and wireless make up 0.08 per cent and 0.03 per cent respectively.

In June 2016, the total number of GSM subscribers was 149.17 million, an increase of over 2.69 mil-

lion or 1.84 per cent relative to June 2015.

In both percentage and absolute terms, the yearon-year increases in GSM subscriber number have been falling steadily over the past 12 months.

In March 2016, the yearon-year growth rate was 4.06 per cent, and in June 2015, the rate was 12.22 per cent.

The MTN subscribers rose from 57.04 million to 58.4 million between March and June 2016, and Etisalat subscribers rose from 21.87 million to 22.46 million over the same period.

Airtel ended the quarter with 31.97 million subscribers while Globacom had 36.32 million subscribers.

Meanwhile, the decision by the Federal Government to boost the country’s export profile has started paying off as it recorded slight improvement in export value at N3.942 billion in the second quarter of 2016.

The figure on Nigeria’s merchandise trade

obtained yesterday from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is 49.0 per cent more than the N2.645 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

The agency explained that the development arose from a rise of N725.6 billion or 63.3 per cent in the value of exports (largely due to exchange rate gains) combined with a rise of N570.8 billion or 38.1 per cent in the value of imports against that recorded in the preceding quarter.

“The current trade position brought the country’s negative trade balance to N196.5 billion during the period under review. This shows a N154.8 billion reduction in the country’s trade deficit over the previous quarter,” NBS said.

Using standard international trade classification and import from country of origin, Nigeria’s import trade stood at N2.069 billion at the end of Q2, 2016, showing an increase of 38.1 per cent from the value of N1.498 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

“As with exports, increase in import value can be traced to a decline in the value of the naira. The structure of Nigeria’s import trade by section was dominated by the imports of boilers, machinery and appliances, which accounted for 34.9 per cent of the total value of import in Q2, 2016,” NBS said.

Other commodities, which contributed noticeably to the value of import during the review period, were mineral products 15.8 per cent; vehicles, aircraft and parts thereof, vessels 14.7 per cent; products of chemical and allied industries 7.6 per cent, and base metals and articles of base metals 5.1 per cent.

Nigeria’s import trade by direction showed that the country imported goods mostly from China, which accounted for N493.5 billion or 23.9 per cent; The Netherlands, N285.7 billion or 13.8 per cent; United States, N199.0 billion or 9.6 per cent; India, N124.9 billion or 6.0 per cent; and the United Kingdom, N119.3

billion or 5.8 per cent of the total value of goods imported during the quarter.

Further analysis of Nigeria’s imports by continent revealed that the country consumed goods largely from Asia with import value of N886.1 billion or 42.8 per cent.

Nigeria also imported goods valued at N813.9 billion or 39.3 per cent from Europe and N255.3 billion or 12.3 per cent from America.

Import trade from Africa stood at N89.1 billion or 4.3 per cent while imports from the region of ECOWAS amounted to N20.8 billion.

4

The total number of open play goals scored by Ghana at Brazil 2014 World Cup. Source: Fifa.com

6%

The percentage of the population of men above 60 years of Haiti in 2012.

Source: Un.org

national | news

wednesday, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

5

Ribadu: Nigeria back on track C-section babies, more likely to be obese in anti-corruption war B Appolonia Adeyemi

Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

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ioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) , Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday applauded the efforts of the current leadership of the anti-graft agency, saying Nigeria appears to be coming back on track in the fight against corruption. The endorsement came just as the leadership of the EFCC disclosed that it had adopted strategies not just to combat corruption but to prevent the scourge and encourage foreign investments in Nigeria.

Ribadu, who spoke to newsmen on the sidelines of the Public Presentation and First Annual Lecture of The Interview magazine, said that while the agency may still have some challenges in the execution of its mandate, a lot of progress has been made under the leadership of Mr Ibrahim Magu in terms of the number of anti- corruption cases instituted as well as the recovery of

stolen assets.

"I will tell you, honestly, I think we are doing very well. We are almost getting back on track. If you see the volume of work taking place, you will also appreciate the fact that things are on the right track.

"Today, more than ever before, in our history, we have more cases that are being taken. We have more in terms of recoveries taking place, more than any time ever. You can simply say that maybe, there is no single anti-corruption organization in the world today that is doing the work that the EFCC is doing.

So that must be acknowledged and that must be understood. In short, I can tell you that I think that we are getting back on track and we are doing fairly well. It can only get better as we continue to go along that direction," Ribadu said.

The fight against corruption, he said, require an all- inclusive approach which encompasses the political will and a political leadership that is favourably disposed to fighting corruption.

"I mean political lead-

ership at the highest level.

Today, I think that there is no Nigerian who will ever doubt that the political leadership is extremely strong when it comes to fighting corruption; that is very important. It is probably the number one thing that is needed when you are going to wage a war against corruption," he said.

Apparently recognizing that the anti- corruption war was a team work that required physical people on the ground, Ribadu expressed delight that the current team at the EFCC, had demonstrated commitment to the original vision of the agency.

"I will talk of EFCC that I know. I will assure you that the leadership of the EFCC today is one that has the same spirit and belief in the vision of the EFCC right from the foundation and time the EFCC was established. It is a leadership that carries itself with integrity, a leadership that is strong, a leadership that is honest and a leadership that works with a lot of courage. You can see it in war that is going on," he said.

abies delivered by Caesarean section (C-section) are more likely to be obese children than those born naturally.

This is the findings of a study published in the journal ‘JAMA Paediatrics’.

Experts at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston in the United States (U.S) found children whose mothers underwent Caesarean section for their delivery were 15 per cent more likely to be obese by the time they were in their teens.

Similarly, the researchers found that increased risk may persist in the affected children through adulthood.

The use of C-sections to deliver babies is growing in Nigeria following some complications that make the procedure safer for both mothers and babies.

The huge of procuring C section however remain a challenge for families in poor settings.

C-section is the use of surgery to deliver one or more babies and it is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk.

Circumstances that

L-R: Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma; Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Kaduna State, Dr. Paul Manya Dogo; and Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs. Aisha Sadauki, at the inuaguration of the new-look Maternity Ward of the Yusuf Dan Tsofo Hospital, Kaduna under the MTN Foundation Maternal Ward Support Project… yesterday

Abuja

T

he Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has expressed concern over 'how various militant groups are springing up in the Niger Delta with each of them hiding under regional agitation to commit all manners of crimes and atrocities.’

The DHQ, in a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Brig.Gen. Rabe Abubakar, also frowned at the vacation notice the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) issued to people residing around areas where oil and

gas facilities are located.

While warning against secession and destabilisation threats, the DHQ reaffirmed its commitment to the security of lives and property in the country.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to alert the general public of the disturbing spate of how various militant groups are springing up in the Niger Delta with each of them hiding under regional agitation to commit all manners of crimes and atrocities.

'The latest being the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) that claimed responsibility for blowing up NNPC oil pipeline few days ago."

Recession: NLC, ASUU to hold joint conference Mojeed Alabi

I

n response to the biting effects of the dwindling fortunes of the national economy, the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is planning to hold a joint conference on the development with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

Revealing this yesterday at a symposium organised by the University of Lagos chapter of ASUU, the National President of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said it was imperative for workers to provide solutions to the seemingly intractable challenges facing the nation’s

socio-economic climate.

According to Ogunyemi, the union, will in no distant future, bring in experts and professionals to guide the country’s leadership on the proper ways to handle the country’s wobbling economy, saying the World Bank and IMFimposed policies cannot help Nigerians.

Earlier in his paper entitled, ‘30 Years of NeoLiberalism in Nigeria: Reform or Revolution’, Prof. Omotoye Olorode of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), AgoIwoye, had blamed the nation’s woes on capitalism it adopted as an economic system.

they would get through a natural birth.

Passing through the birth canal primes their immune system and helps prepare their metabolism for the rigours of life, scientists think.

The new study tracked more than 22,000 people from birth. The researchers examined the participants when they were aged between nine and 14, and found that those who had been born via Csection were 15 per cent more likely to be obese than those who underwent a natural birth.

They re-examined the participants again when they were aged between 20 and 28, and found that the impact persisted – although it had dropped to a 10 per cent difference.

The effect of C-section and natural births was even more stark within families, the researchers found.

189,517

The total number of active fixed wired/wireless lines of Nigeria in October 2015.

Source: Ncc.gov.ng

Recession: Buhari doesn’t need emergency powers –Agbakoba Wale Elegbede

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DHQ worries over increasing militant groups Emmanuel Onani

could warrant C-section may include obstructed labour, twin pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother, breech birth, problems with the placenta, umbilical cord or shape of the pelvis, and previous C-section.

Some C-sections are also performed upon request.

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that as C-section should be done based on medical need and in many cases they are lifesaving for the mother and baby.

Although in many cases, the operation is necessary to avoid complications, doctors are increasingly aware it may have a knock-on impact on the child later in life.

Experts think this is mainly because babies removed directly from the womb were never exposed to the beneficial bacteria

ormer President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari does not need emergency powers to jumpstart the economy from its current recession state.

Speaking yesterday during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, Agbakoba said the only way out of recession is a massive bounce of the economy with funds by the government.

He said: “I will appeal to the president not to consider this emergency power that is being proposed for a number of reasons. When we had this recessionary trend under former Presi-

dent Shehu Shagari, the Economic and Financial Stabilisation Act passed which is almost the same thing as this emergency bill, failed.

“So, the way out is not in an act but in policy. All the leakages in our policies simply require a strong president. There is only one way out of recession.

That is, a massive bounce of the economy.

“There is a conception by the policy makers that an emergency power for the president would mean that they can jump start the economy. That very notion is wrong. Those who have dealt with recession didn’t pass any law to say give me emergency power. But what you do is to identify the right policies, either fiscal, monetary and trade.

Crisis brews in Kebbi PDP over convention funds Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

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risis is brewing in the Kebbi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the state chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Bagudo, accused the former Acting chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed and Alhaji Ibrahim K. Aliyu of converting the sum of N15 million meant for the state delegates to the botched national conventions in Port Harcourt,

Rivers State to private use.

Bagudo, in a petition to the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, alleged that Kebbi delegates to the conventions were left stranded in Port Harcourt because the monies meant for them were denied them by the duo of Mohammed and Aliyu.

Mohammed, however, denied the allegation, and said the petitioner belonged to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction.

6

NEWS | national

wednesday, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business mogul, Michael Ibru, dies at 86 Mojeed Alabi, Dominic Adewole and Ola James

A

g b a r h a - O t o r, hometown of Olorogun Michael Ibru, wore mournful look yesterday as the death of the late business mogul filtered into the town yesterday.

He was said to have died in the early hours of yesterday in his Maryland home in the United States of America.

Scores of sympathizers had thronged the home of the Ibru even as many others visited Oviri-Olomu, his mother’s home community.

The patriarch of the Ibru family and Otota of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom, who was born on December 25, 1930, was said to have died yesterday at a medical centre in the United States. He was aged 86.

New Telegraph learnt that his wife, Madam Cecilia Ibru, was expecting him back to the country

FDI: FG to introduce visa on arrival –Osinbajo Caleb Onwe and Ruth Monday Abuja

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he Federal Government, in an attempt to foster more foreign investments in order to reflate the ailing economy, is set to introduce visa on arrival package that is aimed at removing all the unnecessary bottlenecks usually faced by prospective foreign investors in the process of visa procurement.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, made the disclosure in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at a formal public presentation and first annual lecture of the Interview Magazine with the theme: “why start-ups fail and strategies to save them”; organized by Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene and team.

Osibanjo, who stated that in one of his interactions with some international business partners and Diplomats, he was inundated with some startling revelations of the difficulties that are usually encountered by foreign investors while processing Nigerian visa.

The Vice President vowed that the present administration was committed to mustering the political will required in creating an enabling environment for both local business people and direct foreign investors to thrive in Nigeria.

This, he said, will be done through several strategies that government is already working out.

One of such strategies is the idea of allowing prospective foreign investors to come into the country, apply and get visa on arrival.

“We intent to introduce visa on arrival. Visa on arrival is one that is already in the regulations but that usually involves you applying ahead. But the visa on arrival which we are introducing is the one that once you arrive, you apply and get your visa on arrival”, he said.

“Our processes are too difficult, fraught with all manners of documents and there is a need for us to free up those process, if we must attract more foreign investments we must take a look at the processes of letting people into the country”, he added.

Why Ambode sacked 104 Taskforce officers

Muritala Ayinla

F

resh facts have emerged on why Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ordered the removal 104 police officers attached to the state Taskforce on Environment and Special Offence Unit for arresting and harassing several women who were going to a party last Friday.

Although, it could not be ascertained whether the officers acted based on instruction of the Taskforce’s second in Command, SP Taiwo Adeoluwa, it was learnt that the officers also demand-

ed N10,000 each from the women before they were released.

Many of the arrested women, New Telegraph learnt, were wives of the influential residents in the state, who recorded the unethical attitude of the police and posted it on facebook.

It was also learnt that the governor ordered that SP Taiwo be redeployed since he has spent years in the state taskforce.

Sources in the government's house, who confided in New Telegraph also disclosed that officers would be prosecuted.

after he was said to have recovered from an illness.

He was being expected back home when the family received the news yesterday.

Ibru, who was born to the family of Peter Ibru, a missionary, who also was a nursing superintendent at the Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital, Lagos, attended Igbobi College, Lagos and acquired a school certificate in 1951.

After secondary school, he joined the United African Company (UAC), as a management trainee.

Few years after joining the company, he left to start a partnership, called

Laibru.

The corporate entity was in partnership with an expatriate, Jimmy Large. After engaging in general trading with some success, in 1957, Michael Ibru discovered that the frozen fish market was a fertile market with the potential to deliver returns above the market rate.

Late Ibru established a partnership with a Taiwanese company, Osadjere Fishing Company, which provided Trawlers and other accessories for trading.

By the mid-1960s, trading fish had become the traditional money maker

for the Ibru organisation.

Also, he branched out fully into other areas of the economy and established a transportation company, called Rutam.

He also invested in palm oil production, tourism, brewery, timber and poultry.

Ibru had five wives and seventeen children, and the most prominent among the children being Olorogun Oskar Ibru, who

189,517

The total number of active fixed wired/wireless lines of Nigeria in October 2015.

Source: Ncc.gov.ng

heads Ibafon jetty, and Oboden Ibru, who was a key player in the now former Oceanic Bank.

He was described by his children as a pillar of strength, a visionary guiding hand, moulder of character and a true patriot without equal.

His mother, late Madam Janet Omotogor Ibru, who was a fish trader, traversed the creeks of the Niger Delta to transact business.

It would be recalled that the business mogul lost one of his younger brothers recently, Chief Felix Ibru, who was first executive governor of Delta State.

L-R: Engagement Manager, Mckinsey and Company, Oluwakemi Onabanjo; Insight Publicist, Digital Creative and Strategist, Kunle Koledoye; Convener, African Women Mentoring Network, Adepeju Jaiyeoba; Project Director, Hacey Health Initiative, Isaiah Owolabi and Executive Director, iFitness, Adebukola Ogunwale, during a mentoring session for young business and organization owners in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Boko Haram: Zenith Bank gives 50 more orphans scholarship Z

NAHCON: Nigerian pilgrims have moved from Medina to Makkah A

enith Bank Plc has offered scholarship to another set of 50 children orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency to celebrate the 50th birthday of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima, who is a former management staff of the Bank.

The total fees for tuition, text books, note books, school bags, uniforms and school shoes were all paid upfront by the Bank to take care of the next nine years of the orphans' education from the year 2016 when

they will begin pre-nursery school to the year, 2025 when they are expected to complete primary school.

Officials of Maiduguri main branch of the Zenith Bank handed over two bank drafts written in favour of Maiduguri Capital School to Malam Isa Gusau, spokesman to Shettima, who coordinated a 50th anniversary reception organized by a group of friends, family members and political associates of Governor Kashim Shettima.

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'No FRSC official convicted in Sokoto for stealing'

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said that none of its official was arrested nor convicted for any offence in Sokoto State contrary to a media report.

This followed a report carried on Tuesday September 6, 2016 by New Telegraph that 26 officials of the Commission were arrested and convicted for stealing in Sokoto State.

But in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday from the office of the Corps Marshal, the FRSC said it had carried out investigation and found out that none of its official was involved in any criminal activity.

The report had quoted the Sokoto State Home Affairs Commissioner, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida, as saying that some of the officials were convicted and were serving various jail terms while others were still being detained and investigated by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

In the statement issued

by Aliyu Baba, acting Sector Commander, the Commission said after visiting the Commissioner, he categorically denied the report.

"Commissioner of Home Affairs, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida, categori-

s Saudi authorities prepare to halt movement from Medina to Makkah today, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday said all Nigerian pilgrims were able to visit the second holy city.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in previous years, many pilgrims visited Medina after performing hajj rituals in Makkah.

A competent source at NAHCON told NAN in Me-

cally denied the report, that although he held a press conference at NUJ office where he discussed the achievement and problems of Sokoto Marshals, there was no way he would have commented on Federal agency which he has no control over," the commission said in the statement The issue of change of name was also discussed where he hinted that house of Assembly have concluded deliberations on the change of name and is now awaiting Governor’s assent. He equally

dina that more than 80 per cent of the inbound flights landed in Medina, while the remaining pilgrims who were taken to Jeddah Airport were transported by road to Medina.

According to the source, this was the first time the commission was able to achieve this.

The source said it was able to achieve this as the airline companies charged with transporting the pilgrims performed diligently.

assured that FRSC will be consulted on the training of their Marshals for effective performance.

The state commissioner, however, admitted that some Sokoto Marshals were convicted for criminal offences.

Head of Media Relations and Strategy of the FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, stated that efforts were on by the Sokoto State Traffic Management agency to change its name from Corps Marshal to avoid duplication. "We are also striving to train all state traffic agencies," he said.

national | news

wednesday, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG launches operation to tackle corruption at Lagos ports

he Federal Government has introduced Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Port Services Support Portal (PSSP) to fight corruption in the western ports in Lagos.

Already, stakeholders have identified corruption as the major problem facing port development in

the country.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said yesterday in Lagos that SOP and PSSP were designed to close the door on illegal activities and corruption and to increase transparency, accountability in order to make Nigerian ports users’ friendly.

The minister, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),

Suowari

Chukwuma

Bayo Akomolafe

T

Hadiza Usman, said the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had in 2013, noted that the pre-requisites for port effectiveness and efficiency in Nigeria were in short supply.

Amaechi said the corruption risk assessment project was an anti-corruption project focusing on strategies to reduce

CONFIRMATION/change OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as Akpoaraebi Ezekiel now wish to be known and addressed as Suowari Akpoaraebi Justina. All former documents remain valid.

First bank Plc and the general public please take note.

This is to confirm that Alioke Jehoshephat Chukwuma and Alioke Josephat Chukwuma refer to one and same person. Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Alioke Josephat Chukwuma. All former documents remain valid. First bank Plc and general public take note.

Oloko

DANGANA

I, formerly known and addressed as Dominic Yohana Andrew, now wish to be known and addressed as Dangana Yohana Dominic. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Shodiya Latifat Abeje, now wish to be known and addressed as Oloko Latifat Shodiya Abeje.

All documents bearing my former nameremain valid. The general public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

EHM MISSION NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and Allied matters Act. 2004.

The Trustees are: 1. Edward Harrison - Chairman 2. Lilian Marie Harrison - Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To help the youths and young adults to discover their God given gifts.

2. To help shift them from a mindset of victimization to a mindset of power and fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

3. To provoke in youths and young adults a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: O. I. Asemota Esq.

PUBLIC NOTICE

UNIQUE GREATMEN CLUB

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and Allied matters Act. 2004.

The Trustees are: 1. Onwe Moses Joseph 2. Okoro Chukwuma Joseph 3. Onu Samuel Aju 4. Nwachukwu Samuel Ogonna AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To maintain peace, unity and mutual understanding among the members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: ADEKOYA SAMUEL& CO Legal Practitioners & Consultant

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUFFIENT GRACE ASSEMBLY

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004.

The Trustees are: 1. Pastor Ameachi Solomon Peter 2. Precious Patrick 3. Ekpo Chidinma Charity 4. Uche Okechi Bright Future 5. Nwabke Igboke Titus 6. Uka Amaka Okafor

– General Overseer – Secretary – Treasurer

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To deliver the oppressed and heal the sick 2. To empower and impact men and women to spread the gospel 3. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and set captive free 4. To promote Christian love fellowship, respect and peaceful co-existence among members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

Sola-Odeseye

I, formerly known and addressed as Olaitan Hamidat Kareem, now wish to be knownand addressed as Olaitan Hamidat Sola-Odeseye.

All documents bearing my former nameremain valid. The general public please take note.

Banusomofatola

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Fatola Dorcas Adeyoola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Banusomofatola Dorcas Adeyoola. All former documents remain valid. BankS and general public take note.

Odumoray

I, formerly known and addressed as Adepetun Samuel Dickson, now wish to be known and addressed as Adepetun Samuel Odumoray. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

Obalishi

This is to confirm that Innocent Sunday Ozoemana and Obalishi Sunday Ozoemena refer to one and same person and my date of birth is wrongly written as 11th May 1981 Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Obalishi Sunday Ozoemena and my date of birth is 6th November 1981. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

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I, formerly know and address as Idrisu Mohammed Augie and wish to be know and called as Musa Mohammed Augie. All former document remain valid, general public should take note.

Okoligan

I, formerly known as Miss Onyeanuna Onyebuchi Precious now wish to be known as Mrs. Okoligan Onyebuchi Precious.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Oluwamuyiwa

corruption in the sector.

He said the only condition to make the ports support the nation’s economic growth was to make the ports corruption free.

The minister added; “The only necessary and sufficient conditions for the ports to effectively and efficiently support the Nigerian economy are that the port facilities deliver services in a friendly environment devoid of conflict

Ojubayo

I, formerly known and addressed as Ayankoya Oluwasola Ajebowale now wish to be know and addressed as Ayankoya Oluwasola Ojubayo.

All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public please take note.

Sakirat

I, formerly known and addressed as Sahkira Alake Kamorudeen, now wish to be known and addressed as Sakirat Titilayo Romoke. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank and general public take note.

Olatunji

I, formerly known and addressed as Mr. Ogundipe Oluwadamilare Ezekiel, now wish to be known and addressed as as Mr. Olatunji Oluwadamilare Ezekiel. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Bello

I, formerly know and address as Sirajo Bello Gorah now wish to be know and address as Sirajo Bello. All former document remain valid.

General public should take note.

Kalu

I, formerly known as miss Chioma Chiawa Rebecca now wish to be known as Mrs. Kalu Chioma Rebecca. All former document remain valid general public take note.

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I, formerly known as Egharevba Osaretin now wish to be known as Oluoma Osaretin. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

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Lucy

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Ayogoi

This is to confirm that Ayogoi Eniye with which my Ecobank/BVN was registered is the same person as Ayogoi Eniye Timipere .A. Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as Ayogoi Eniye Timipere .A. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank Plc, Diamond bank Plc and general public take note.

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I, formerly known and addressed as Eka Fammova Julius now wish to be known and addressed as Eka Fammova Eric. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

James

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I, formerly known and addressed as Opuwei Ekekiri Moses now wish to be known and addressed as Ekekiri Moses. All former documents remain valid. First bank Plc and the general public please take note.

of interest and corrupt practices.”

Also speaking, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA’s) Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Sekonte Davies, said the initiative of the SOP was to ensure a user friendly business environment in the ports.

Davies said the SOP would serve as a corruption prevention tool and

7

anyone who defaulted would be sanctioned.

He said: "Let me inform this gathering that the initiative of drafting, adopting and harmonising SOPs of port operations in Nigeria, seeks to enhance transparency and accountability to ensure we achieve a user friendly business environment in the ports and for greater economic activities.

Recession: FG pays lip service to economy, says Senator Chukwu David Abuja

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he senator representing Lagos West senatorial district, Solomon Adeola, yesterday joined other senators in expressing concern over the worsening state of the economy and the poor handling of the situation by the Federal Government.

In a statement made available to New Telegraph by his Adviser on Media, Mr. Kayode Odunaro, Adeola decried the lip service paid to the hardship in the country by federal and other levels of government.

The lawmaker, who is the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, said it was worrisome that governments at all levels were not treating the issue of recession with the urgency it required to ensure that its duration was not unduly prolonged.

He noted that failure to give the problem the urgency it required would continue to subject the citizens to untold suffering and might even result in the death of some citizens.

Accordingly, he called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to come up with urgent palliatives to cushion the effects of the recession on Nigerians.

While acknowledging that the current recession was global and not peculiar to Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senator said the difference was that not much was being done to assure the people that government was on top of the situation.

He observed that government had not been able to marshal implementable policies to address the plight of groups that were hardest hit by the continuing recession.

"I must say that one is yet to see any urgency in providing palliatives for the poor and the collapsing industries and other corporate bodies, leading to serious job losses and a growing sense of despair among the general population.

"Experience in the past shows that one of the most reliable ways to tackle recession is to spend money on the productive sector of the economy as well as putting money in the pockets of the poor,” he said.

Why aviation fuel is scarce, by airline Wole Shadare

T

he scarcity of aviation fuel in the country has been attributed to the diversion of Jet A1 in place of kerosene as aviation fuel is now cheaper than kerosene.

Aside the scarcity of Jet A1 occasioned by the difficulty in sourcing foreign exchange to import the commodity, most homes now uses aviation fuel in place of kerosene.

This disclosure was made by the Director, Flight Operations, FirstNation Airways, Captain Chimara Umediegwu, at a press briefing to intimate the media on the operations of the airlines, noting that the carrier would be back in operation before September 16, 2016.

A litre of aviation fuel

now goes for between N195 and N220 while a litre of kerosene goes for between N300 and N400.

Jet fuel is basically kerosene on steroids. Kerosene is sometimes used synonymously with jet fuel in some conversation.

The difference is that little chemical is added to bring out aviation fuel from kerosene.

Umediegwu, however, stated that the problem associated with scarcity of aviation fuel would soon be a thing of the past when government finalises work on the Kaduna Refinery that would be dedicated to solely the refining of aviation fuel.

Meanwhile, the management of FirstNation Airways has given insight into why it suspended its flight operations mid-last month.

8

wednesday, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

Mudslide kills 24-year-old housewife 10 days after marriage Camillus Nnaji, Muritala Ayinla and Taiwo Jimoh

T

en days after she got married, a 24-year-old housewife, Mrs. Faisa Muhammed, lost her life yesterday in a mudslide during downpour experienced across the Lagos metropolis.

The woman was said to be plaiting her hair in her apartment (a shanty) when the incident occurred about 10a.m.

The incident occurred at Kuranta by Amara Olu Street, Mechanic Village, Agidingbi.

Also, the flood accompanying the rain displaced scores of artisans, traders and occupants of shanties on Dosunmu Street in the area.

The South-West Public Relations Officer (PRO), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said on arrival, the rescue team discovered the buildings in the area were shanties.

He said it was not a planned residential area.

The acting General Manager, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Mr. Teslim Balogun (an engineer), said the downpour caused the mudslide.

According to him, some of the occupants built their shanties on the waterways.

He said: “The occupants of the shanties are not supposed to be in such an area because that area is a waterway. They have also contravened the environmental law of the state.

The occupants would be relo-

The scene of the incident

cated to a safer place.”

A resident of the area, who identified himself simply as Ahmed, said they were sleeping when they suddenly heard a loud noise from the shanty.

He said: “We rushed to the scene and discovered that one of the occupants had died when mud fell on the roof of their apartment. The victim’s husband, however, escaped unhurt.

“We all knew that the shanty is not habitable for us, but because of the economic hardship and the fight against terrorists in our home town in

City Briefs Man ‘rapes’ boy, 12 John Chikezie

A

30-year-old man, Chinedu Taseaobi, was arraigned yesterday before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for heinous assault and defilement of a 12year- old boy.

Taseaobi allegedly committed the offence on August 9 at 30, Badaru Street, Maza-Maza, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District.

According to the charge sheet, Taseaobi did unlawfully and indecently assault Kenneth Agbo, a 12-year-old child by inserting his penis into the boy’s anus and thereby committed an offence punishable under Sec-

Borno State made some of us to relocate to Lagos. Government should save us; we don’t have anywhere to go to.”

Another resident, Hassan Muhammed, said the deceased and her husband were inside their apartment when the incident occurred.

He said: “The death of the woman is very unfortunate.

The couple just packed into the shanty a week ago. She was making her hair when the mudslide hit their apartment.

“It was condition which brought us into the shanty. It is not a normal place for hu-

tion 135 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of assault.

The defence counsel, Olowa Akindele, thereafter, applied for a bail application on liberal terms.

The magistrate, B. O. Osunsanmi, however, granted Taseaobi bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sums.

The sureties must be working in reputable companies, who will show evidence of payment of tax.

Osunsanmi then adjourned the matter till November 24.

man being to live in.

“The majority of us living in the shanties were from Gwazor, one of the ravaged communities in Borno State. We all ran to Lagos, but we don’t have money to get a befitting accommodation. We are only managing ourselves here.”

A female resident of the area, Mrs. Saviour Obi, told our correspondent that she packed into the shanty after she and her family were evicted from their house at Lekki.

She said: “My husband and I were living comfortably at Lekki before he was arrested

and charged for an offence. It was poverty which made me to come into the community.

Government should assist us because we don’t have anywhere to go.”

The Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, has ordered the demolition of the shanties.

It was learnt that three persons were trapped by the mud but the rescue agencies were able to rescue two people, a male and a female.

The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Michael Akindele, confirmed incident occurred about 10a.m.

He said: “The agency received a distress call through the emergency toll free line 112/767 about 10:54a.m. today (yesterday) and we immediately swung into action.

“The agency’s Emergency Response Team and men of the Nigeria Police from Alausa Division, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) and NEMA, were on ground for the recovery operation.”

Akindele described the area as wetland and a buffer zone which, according to him, is not habitable for human settlement.

He added that government had told people living in floodprone areas and wetland to vacate such areas to avert loss of lives, especially during the raining season.

American businessman commits suicide in Lagos hotel

Camillus Nnaji

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57-year-old American, Mr. Charles Carlson, has reportedly committed suicide after he was hit by misfortune.

Carlson’s body was discovered yesterday in his hotel room at Lekki area of Lagos.

It was learnt that Carlson, who lodged at Ellyx Vile Hotel, 8 African Line, Lekki Phase 1, hanged himself with a rope in his room.

A reliable source disclosed that Carlson had lost great fortune in oil business recently.

The hotel Manager, Mr. Vincent Owunke, said the management had noticed that Carlson

did not come out to have his breakfast, while repeated calls put on his mobile telephone lines and intercom were also not picked.

They were prompted to call Carlson’s business partner. Subsequently, Carlson’s hotel room door was forced open, but he was found motionless. His body was on a rope close to the door.

The hotel invited detectives from Maroko Police Station, who evacuated the body to the mortuary Confirming Carlson’s death, state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, said the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had

ordered investigations into Carlson’s death.

The PPRO said the case had been transferred to the Homicide Section of State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Yaba.

She said: “Vincent Owunke, a manager with Ellyx Vile Hotel at No 8 African Line, Lekki Phase 1, came to the station and reported that one of the guests, Charles Carlson, an American aged 57 years, was noticed not to have come out for breakfast.

“Calls put to his mobile and intercom were not picked which prompted them to call his business partner.”

METRO

wednesday, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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herbalist, Tunde Banjo, and a Muslim cleric, Nurudeen Adeniyi, have been arrested by the police for allegedly killing a 16-year-old girl, Olayinka, at Ijebu-Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The police also arrested a 19-yearold man, Tobi Ogunkoya, who allegedly lured the teenager into the hands of both Banjo and Adeniyi.

It was learnt that policemen attached to Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo Divisions arrested the three suspects yesterday following frantic search for the late Olayinka.

Sources said the teenager was killed for ritual purposes as her breasts were severed by her suspected killers.

The acting state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrests, said Serifat Adebanjo reported Olayinka’s abduction to the police station in AgoIwoye.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the complainant identified Ogunkoya as a suspect in the abduction.

He added that acting on the information, the police stormed a house behind the Baale’s residence in Imosan community and apprehended Ogunkoya, who subsequently confessed that the teenager was in Banjo’s custody in Ijebu-Igbo.

Policemen later arrested Banjo and Adeniyi in Ijebu-Igbo and recovered two fresh human hearts as well as a life tortoise from the suspects.

The police spokesman told our correspondent that the herbalist confessed that after killing the girl,

Divorce Herbalist, Islamic cleric kill, court severe teenager’s breasts ‘My husband never

•Police recover two fresh human hearts bought pants for me’

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The suspects

her breasts and other vital organs were severed while her remains were thrown into Ogbere River in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.

He said: “The police have arrested Tunde Banjo, a herbalist, and Nurudeen Adeniyi, an alfa, in Ijebu-Igbo.

Banjo said they had killed the girl and her body dumped inside Ogbere River.

“The police are working to retrieve the corpse. Two human hearts and one life tortoise were also recovered from the suspects.”

Oyeyemi added that though the suspects were still in Ijebu-Igbo, they would soon be transferred to the Homicide Section of the state Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Father impregnates, murders daughter Sulaiman Salawudeen Ado-Ekiti

A Faweya (left) and Fayose

‘I print fake currency to fend for my family’ Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

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68-year-old man, Femi Faweya, yesterday said he ventured into printing fake currency because he was duped N200,000.

Faweya was paraded with his accomplice, Segun Fayose (42), at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, for procuring a currency printing machine with which he had duped many people.

Parading two men along with 39 others linked to various criminal activities like kidnapping, car-snatching, armed robbery, the Police Commissioner, Mr. Sam Adegbuyi, said that there would

9

be no resting place for criminals in the state.

Faweya, who claimed to be a former Grade 2 teacher, said he needed money to take care of his three children who were in the university.

The suspect said he got the machine Fayose and had been printing N500 and N1,000 notes with it in order to recoup the money he lost to fraudster.

He said: “I live at Ijokodo in Ibadan here. I used to photocopy the materials with a photocopy machine. I was introduced into the business three years ago by Bayo but he is late now. He duped me of N200,000 without doing anything for me. About two months ago, someone gave me a printer for the business.

50-year-old man, identified simply as Williams, allegedly impregnated his 14-year-old daughter and murdered her to cover the crime.

The incident occurred at Emure-Ekiti in Ise-OrunEmure Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

It was learnt that Williams, said to be a native of the local government, started to sleep with his daughter a few months ago and later impregnated her.

The incestuous relationship became public knowledge when the girl became pregnant.

A female resident of the community, who gave her name as Anike, alleged that when Williams realised the entire town was aware he was responsible for his daughter’s pregnancy; he lured her into his farm on Sunday where he forced her to drink poison. According to Anike, the girl died instantly.

She said: “We are sure Williams killed his pregnant daughter to cover his crime. The girl’s pregnancy was already becoming very conspicuous and everyone

knew that it was her father who slept with her.

“It took us a while before we were able to apprehend Williams and to take him to the Oba’s palace, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, who is a retired police commissioner.

“The monarch has since handed him over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) which has since taken up the matter.”

Another woman, who did not disclose her name, said the girl’s mother was no longer living with the alleged murderer. This, according to her, exposed the girl to abuse.

She said: “The mother of the girl had left the man for quite some time owing to a disagreement. She left with some of their children.

But the victim insisted she would stay back to be cooking for her father.”

The woman added that Williams was caught while digging the grave to bury the girl.

She said those who caught the man raised the alarm which attracted others to scene.

According to her, they dragged the man to Oba Adebayo’s palace from where he was transferred to the NSCDC for prosecution.

35-year-old housewife, Ngozi Nnaji, yesterday told a Mararaba Upper Area Court, Nasarawa State, that her husband from the inception of their marriage had never bought her pants.

Ngozi of Aso ‘B,’ Mararaba, urged the court to dissolve her 14-year-old marriage to her Emeka Ogugua, for alleged lack of care.

She told the court that her husband was not performing his responsibilities as a father to provide and cater for the family.

The petitioner, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said their marriage was blessed with three children.

She said: “Since the inception of the marriage the respondent has never bought me pants.’’

According to her, he is in the habit of beating me whenever we have misunderstanding.

She said: “I built the house we are leaving but whenever we have misunderstanding, he will threaten me and always tear my clothes.

“There is no longer peace or love between us as the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

“I am also pleading with the court to ask my husband to vacate the house I built, pay for my clothes he tore and also pay N13,500 which he owed me.”

The respondent, Ogugua, denied all the allegations made by his wife.

The presiding judge, Ibrahim Shekaru, adjourned the matter till September 23 for the petition to bring her witnesses to court.

10-year-old marriage ends over wife’s disrespect A

n Ado-Ekiti Customary Court yesterday dissolved a 10-year-old marriage between Kolawole Ademola and his wife, Olanike, for disrespect.

President of the court, Mr. Joseph Ogunsemi, dissolved the marriage on grounds of cursing, going out without husband’s consent and lack of respect from his wife.

Ogunsemi observed that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved the marriage.

He awarded custody of the first child to the husband, while the second and last children were awarded to the wife.

The president, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also ordered that the husband should pay N4,000 as monthly feeding allowance on each of the two children as well as be responsible for their education.

He granted access to both parties to see their children.

Ademola (37), a resident of Oke-Osun, Ikere-Ekiti, told the court that his wife was fond of cursing him without provocations.

He said there was a time he returned from a training school and found out that she had gone out leaving their three children, including a one-year-old, unattended for eight hours.

The petitioner said when she returned and he confronted her she claimed that she went to Ode-Omu, Osun, to join the Peace Corps without his prior notice.

He said she was fond of cursing him in public, and prayed the court to award custody of the first and second child, Oluwabunmi, eight year-old male and Olamide, five-yearold female, to him.

Ademola, however, said their third child, Aanuoluwa, who is only one-year-old, could be allowed to stay with her mother.

The 33-year-old respondent, Olanike, and resident of No 11, Olaoluwa, Ado-Ekiti, denied all the allegations, and accused her husband of abandoning her.

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POLITICS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari endorses Obaseki, says Nigeria’ll be great again Stories by Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

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resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured Nigerians that the country will definitely recover from her present economic challenges and urged all to come together irrespective of calling, race or religion to rebuild the nation.

This is as he said the nation through its armed forces has almost conquered the security challenges posed by the activities of members of the Boko Haram.

President Buhari stated these at the grand governorship campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, ahead of this weekend’s governorship election, in Edo State.

He recommended the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki

and his running mate, Hon. Philip Shaibu, to the people of the state for their votes because of the quality of their resounding credentials and personalities.

His word: “I congratulate Obaseki and I recommend him to you. He is a seasoned man, so that you will continue to grow in Edo State. You have a credible team; you better hold them tight and ensure that Obaseki succeeds.”

The President further extolled the virtues and performance of Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the outstanding diverse achievements in road construction, newly completed Central Hospital and several other testimonial projects executed during his seven and half years in office under the platform of the APC. He challenged the people, especially youths to be patriotic and remain commuted to the development of the nation as well as to shun the undue quest for

Edo DECIDES

greener pasture out of the country’s shores, pointing out that the nation has numerous human and material potentials for her growth and development more than what obtains in other parts of the world.

“I assure you that we are going to get out of our

economic doldrums, we are almost out of our institution problem and we are going to make Nigeria greater again. We are going to be very proud of our country once again, our size, our resources will not be for nothing.

We will continue to grow.

“I am pleased to be here and I am grateful and still grateful to Governor Oshiomhole for inviting me to identify with him in rehabilitating schools, build roads and hospitals. We have seen development more than what it used to be when Edo State was created out of the old Bendel State.”

Also speaking, APC

National Chairman, Chief John-Odigie Oyegun, charged the electorate and people of the state to show appreciate to the seven and half years of the Oshiomhole administration by voting massively for APC and its candidate, so that he would continue to provide the good work.

Governor Oshiomhole in his address described the rally as his happiest moment as it afforded him the opportunity to tell his story.

Obaseki in his remarks thanked the President for his inspiration and motivation which boosted him for the governorship race

and Governor Oshiomhole, who he described as “a magician,” while reiterating his pledge to create 200,000 jobs.

APC chieftains who graced the rally include Governors Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Lalung (Plateau) and Nasir elRufai (Kaduna); Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige; former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister of Power/Works/ Housing, Babatunde Fashola, among others.

President Muhammadu Buhari (middle); Edo State All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Godwin Obaseki (left); Governor Adams Oshiomole (right) and others, during the party's grand rally in Benin City …yesterday.

Police deploy additional 25,000 personnel,10 APCs Emmanuel Onani Abuja

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s part of measures to guarantee a violencefree gubernatorial election in Edo State this weekend, the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of 25,000 additional police personnel.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the deployment is aimed at guaranteeing maximum security before, during and after the election.

What is not clear, however, is whether the 25,000 policemen are expected to join the 23,000 earlier announced.

Awunah, who would have cleared the air, ignored several calls to his phone line.

Also deployed to coordinate security operations during the exercise, is a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), who will be assisted by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, as well as three Commissioners of Police.

The personnel are to be drawn from the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Units (CTU), the Anti bomb Squad (EOD), the Marine Police, Conventional policemen, the Armament Units, Personnel from Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and the Sniffer Dog

section.

The statement further disclosed that 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and 550 patrol vehicles, will be deployed for the purpose, even as helicopters are expected to provide aerial surveillance.

According to the statement, the IGP is expected to meet with candidates of all political parties participating in the election, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Election Observers, among other stakeholders.

This, the police noted, with a view to ensuring a credible outcome of the poll.

"As part of additional measures at guaranteeing a credible election which outcome will be generally acceptable, the IGP will convene a Peace Accord Meeting of all the political parties, candidates, INEC officials, Election Observers and other stakeholders before the date of the election in Benin City, Edo State. This meeting will focus on the overall desirability of peace during the election and adherence to the rules of the game.

"All Police Personnel and other complementing Sister Security Agencies are under strict instructions to be professionally polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their statutory duties. They are to provide adequate security for the electorates, INEC officials, electoral materials, election observers and all stakeholders throughout the period of the election," the police noted.

PDP drags Obaseki to court over qualification

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he Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, yesterday, approached the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, seeking to disqualify the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr. Godwin Obaseki from contesting the September 10 election.

The party accused Obaseki of false claims and providing false information on oath to the Indepedent National Elec-

tiral Commission (INEC).

Joined in the suit are Obaseki and INEC. The state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who revealed the court suit during a press conference, called on voters in the state not to waste their votes for the APC because the party has no candidate for the election.

Orbih said the party is asking the court for a declaration that Obaseki's statement that he graduated from the University

of Ibadan with a B.A in Classical Studies in 1976 made under oath in INEC form CF001 at Part B, paragraph C dated 11 July 2016, is false.

The PDP is also asking for a declaration disqualifying Obaseki from contesting the governorship election on ground that he submitted false information on oath to the INEC on Form CF001.

Orbih added that apart from misleading INEC with false information,

the fact that Obaseki failed to declare if he is a member of a secret society disqualifies him from contesting for the office of governor of Edo State.

He insisted that Obaseki has failed to fulfill the requirements of the constitution which in Section 182 (I) specifies the qualifications a person must have to contest the governorship of a state hence its call that the court should disqualify him from contesting this weekend's election.

Edo’ll be another Lagos with APC – Ambode Muritala Ayinla

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overnor Akinwunmi Ambode Lagos State has urged people of Edo State to troop out and vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in Saturday’s governorship election in the state, saying the state has the potential to be like Lagos if they vote for continuity.

Ambode, who spoke at the grand rally of the APC held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, said Edo, being the Heartbeat of the SouthSouth region, has all it takes to become another

Lagos, but the people must do their part by voting for Obaseki to build on the monumental success recorded in the last seven and half years by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

According to the Lagos governor, who is the chairman of APC National Campaign Council for Edo Governorship Election, without any controversy, Edo State under Governor Oshiomhole had witnessed the best developmental progress more than any other period in the last 17 years, saying that a vote for APC in the coming election would be another sure way to great-

er progress.

His words: “Governor Oshiomhole has laid the right foundation for progressive governance. He has been responsive, progressive and totally committed to the needs of the people. We in the APC have shown through our actions and campaigns that the only way forward is to vote for continuity of the successes. It is very clear that the continuity of APC government is the sure way to greater progress.”

“Lagosians voted for continuity last year and we are all witnesses to the progress we are recording in Lagos. We have been

voting for continuity since 1999 in Lagos and the results are very clear for everyone to see. Edo State can be another Lagos. The state has the potential to be great. It is in the heart of commerce and economic greatness.

“You all need Godwin Obaseki now. He will bring his financial expertise to turn Edo State around for the better. People ask me what is the secret of our progressive governance in Lagos and I tell them It is very simple, in the last 16 years till May 2015, we were in opposition whereby we had PDP at the centre and Lagos in APC.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NASS The politics of clerk's appointment

Politics

Interview Occupy Nigeria protest: My toughest moment as presidential spokesman – Abati

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Playing opposition role amidst crisis The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have decided to put its leadership crisis behind it and embrace its role as the main opposition party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), writes ONYEKACHI EZE

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as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rediscovered itself as the voice of the opposition, and is the party now ready to tackle the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as main opposition party, on some of its perceived pitfalls as the party in government? These are questions on the lips of most stakeholders as the party gradually regains its voice.

Since the anti-corruption agency swooped on some of its members on alleged corrupt practices, PDP has lost its voice.

Chief Olisa Metuh, who was until May 21, PDP's National Publicity Secretary, was among the party's chieftains arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged involvement in the disbursement of $2.1 billion arms fund by the Office of the former National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the 2015 PDP presidential campaign.

Metuh has not spoken against the ruling party or President Muhammadu Buhari's government after his nearly one month in detention. He is presently standing trial, and has offered to refund the N400 million that was said to have been paid to him by the former NSA, for his freedom.

Other members of the party like Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who had attempted to fill the gap left by Metuh, were also swooped by the anti-graft agency.

Fayose, though a sitting governor, had his personal account frozen by the EFCC, and is currently being investigated.

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Makarfi

Fani-Kayode, on his part, was a guest of the anti-corruption body for about 72 days in connection with the money said to have been paid into his account as Director, Media of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2015 elections.

Fayose and Fani-Kayode however, have refused to be cowed as they have continued to criticise some of the policies and programmes of the Federal Government.

Probably the fear of being arrested or investigated might have scared other PDP members from criticising the APC government of President Buhari administration.

The matter was made worse by the factionalisation of the party between Senator Ahmed Makarfiled National Caretaker Committee (NCC) and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff's remnant National Working Committee (NWC). This factionalisation further left PDP impotent and ineffective to react on national issues.

At an interaction with newsmen, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who was appointed spokesperson of the caretaker committee, said reporters preferred to take him on the crisis in the party rather than the state of the nation!

However, it has been observed that Adeyeye is quick to react on internal crisis in the party but seldomly issue a statement on national issues.

But Deji Adeyanju, Director, PDP New Media, is braving the odds. In the last couple of days, Adeyanju who was among the five aspirants who obtained the party's nomination form to vie for the National Publicity Secretary position in the August 17 botched national convention, has churned out a number of statements that have unsettled the ruling party.

Adeyanju saw the recent report of the National Bureau of Statistics

Adeyanju

Nobody is allowed to issue official statement or speak for and on behalf of the party except authorised by the party hierarchy

(NBS) on the state of the economy as an opportunity to tackle the APC on its maladministration.

The NBS, which confirmed that Nigerian economy has gone into full recession after posting negative growth in the first two quarters of 2016, said a total of 4.58 million Nigerians have lost their jobs since the APC formed the Federal Government.

The revelation provided an opportunity for PDP to latch out on the government in power, which had promised so much while campaigning for the office but is yet to raise the bar of governance more than one year in office.

Adeyanju, via the twitter handle, @PDPNigeria, called on President Buhari to resign since he has proven that he could not reverse the nation's economic misfortune.

“We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on @MBuhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians.”

PDP also pick holes on the two prong approach the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said the Federal Government would adopt to tackle the recession.

The minister in her series of tweet @Mrskemiadeosun immediately after the NBS officially declared the nation's economy distress, assured that the economy would soon rebound.

"I believe this economy will turn around in no distant time. I know people are concerned about recession…," she said in one of the tweets.

But PDP described the proposed measures as mere lip service as the APC government has proved since it took over the reins of power that it lacks financial discipline.

These criticisms brought APC out from its shell. Instead of attributing the problems it claimed

it inherited to the immediate past administration, the party widened its allegation on past PDP leaders, including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who has been hobnobbing with the APC since the party formed the government at the center.

APC National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni said in a statement: “For the umpteenth time, the PDP lacks the moral basis and credibility to comment or condemn the government on the economy after the mess it left behind. Instead, the PDP must apologise to Nigerians.

However, in a twist of event, the PDP on Monday announced the closure of @pdpNigeria, its official Twitter handle, over “frequent unauthorised tweets”.

The party in a statement by its head of publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, said it did not appoint Deji Adeyanju, as its new media director, describing the position as “alien” to it.

The party had shut down its official Twitter handle twice.

The statement read: “I am directed by the leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by H E Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, CON, to announce the immediate closure of the party’s official Twitter handle, @ pdpnigeria and re-launch of another handle for effective use and control.

The new handle is @officialpdpnig henceforth,” Nnorom said.

“Following these developments, the party hereby informs all its members, supporters, friends, the media and general public to ignore and disregard any tweet from the handle @pdpnigeria forthwith.

“Also, the PDP hereby states unequivocally that the position of director of new media is non-existent and alien to the PDP establishment manual, and has not appointed Prince Deji Adeyanju as the PDP director of new media.

The party also condemned “incessant and unauthorised” statements purportedly issued on its behalf, warning members to desist from acting without authorisation.

“In addition, the leadership has also frowned at the incessant and unauthorised statements that are being issued by some party members purported to have spoken for and on behalf of the party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” Nnorom said.

“For clarification, the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye is currently the chief spokesman and image-maker of our party in line with the PDP constitution. Consequently, nobody is allowed to issue official statement or speak for and on behalf of the party except authorised by the party hierarchy to do so."

Although its not clear yet how the party seeks to reinvent itself both within and outside its affair, one underlying fact, however, is that the party must put its house in order before taking up issues on the national front.

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POLITICS PLATFORM

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Okei-Odumakin: Anti-graft war must be across board Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin is the President of Women Arise for Change Initiative. She speaks, in this interview, on the seventh year remembrance of late human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the state of the nation.

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports How would you describe the demise of renowned lawyer and foremost human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, seven years ago?

It has been seven years that Nigeria lost her most priceless and principled defender of human rights and democratic values. Seven years after, we remember Gani for his doggedness and principled commitment to the defence of the down trodden. He taught us how to stand firm and demand for our rights.

His many scars were the testimony of the saying that the tree of freedom is watered by the blood of martyrs. Although Gani died without realising the Nigeria of his dream, there is no gain saying the fact that things would have been worse without his fights.

With Gani, we had a big canopy under which the oppressed, the marginalised and the abused took refuge. His absence has created a big gap, which challenges the rest of us daily. The greatest tribute that can be paid his memory is for many more Nigerians to rise to fill the void his departure has left in the struggle for a better Nigeria. He was a great defender of the masses. Gani left a yawning gap and the befitting remembrance we can give him is to continue to remember him as a dogged fighter.

Do you think Nigeria is missing Gani Fawehinmi at this crucial moment in the life of the nation?

Definitely! Our nation is at such time that Nigerians require men and women, who can speak the truth to the powers that be; men who could reawaken our national consciousness and continue the struggle for a truly democratic country, which we are yet to fully attain.

If Gani were to be alive today, he would have galvanised all of us to rescue those

Okei-Odumakin

5 Questions

who are being taken hostage.

Gani thought us not to antagonise too much but to organise. He ran a good race and we must all imbibe the virtues that he fought and died for. He fought for a true and just society, corrupt-free society, rule of law, discipline and peace of this country. We must all dedicate our lives to the struggle that Gani lived and died for so that his death will not be in vain.

What do you think Gani would have done if he is alive today?

Gani would have remained with the people on the street as always. Nothing but the death that eventually took him away could have prevented him from doing that. You will recall that at one crucial moment that we were engaged in a national protest in Lagos, Gani demanded to be brought to address the rally, and that he achieved while even in an ambulance. He is such a man whose passion for the people cannot be quantified.

Gani would have stood firm for the unemployed and the poor masses. Gani would have supported the war against corruption and ensured that corruption is fought across board. We support the fight against corruption but we believe that it must be fought within the ambit of the law. It must be fought within the ambit of the law. We must also fight the war against terror and it must be the priority of the government and all of us must support government in the war against terror.

What is your view on government’s declaration that Nigeria is in economic recession?

The recession is a reality that has come and we must now collectively look at ways of taking our country out of recession. While one expects the Federal Government to come out with immediately palliative measures, the time is now for us to agree on a sustainable way out of the economic imbalance and the truth is that there is no way out of recession except we restructure.

The present arrangement has exhausted its workability because it is based on a mono-product economy. And if we must diversify our economy, we must review the constitution and readdress the powers and responsibilities of the various organs of government. Our people must also realise that it is high time all of us unite to take Nigeria out of this present state because people that are united can never be defeated.

What is your take on the statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni that Nigerians voted the party to do the impossible?

The comment is quite unfortunate because if there are things to be done, there is a way someone can appeal to the conscience of the people and also live by examples. That is why I will throw my weight behind the question of security votes. All the security votes that were not accounted for can be rechanneled towards the welfare of the people. I believe all of us will continue to brace up as long as we also see sacrifice on the part of people concern.

NASS: The politics of PHILIP NYAM takes a look at the appointment of the new clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori and the challenges before him

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here is a popular maxim that it takes two to tango. This is true of the National Assembly, which is made up of the political and the bureaucratic arms. While senators and representatives elected by Nigerians operate from the two chambers, civil servants take charge of the administrative arm of the parliament. Since the return of democracy in 1999, both have been operating together but the troubling aspect of the synergy between the two is on the issue of corruption. No session of the National Assembly passes without an allegation of corruption oozing out from the parliament. It is however disturbing that most of these allegations often implicate or involve civil servants, who are supposed to be the landlords of the parliament.

Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori was named the acting clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) in April and confirmed substantive clerk on August 15. Expectedly, his appointment was also mired in controversy due to the high level of corruption that has permeated the system over the years. Conveying SaniOmolori’s appointment in a letter signed by the executive chairman of the National Assembly Commission, Dr Adamu Fika, the commission noted that the appointment was in recognition of his hard work, dedication to duty, responsible conduct as well as loyalty to the leadership of the National Assembly. “I have the pleasure to inform you that the National Assembly Service Commission has at it 443rd Meeting approved the confirmation of your appointment as Clerk to the National Assembly. “This appointment takes effect from Aug. 15, 2016.”, Fika had written.

Perhaps, because of the corruption in the system, the appointment of the clerk, which was meant to be a purely civil service matter became politicized and caused some ripples within the ranks of the bureaucracy. Attempts were made to circumvent the National Assembly Commission Act for political reasons, whereas the Act clearly stipulates that, the commission is not subjected to the direction of any authority or person in considering anybody for appointment. Section 6 (8) of the Act says, “In exercising its power to make appointments or exercise disciplinary control over persons, the Commission shall not be subjected to the direction or control of any authority or person.”

There is no gain saying that if not for today’s change agenda, this rule would have been manipulated and Sani-Omolori could not have been appointed. Of course, Dr. Fika needs to be commended for choos-

Saraki

ing to do the right thing than serve some particular interests. His action in standing for the rule of law is exemplary and it is hoped that the new clerk would also imbibe such in all his decisions and actions during his tenure, as well as ensure that the bureaucracy bought into the new order.

It is a common trend in most public institutions in the country whereby people are promoted over and above their superiors simply because they have links with someone at the top. It is one of the challenges that the new clerk will have to contend with. In the past, there have been complaints especially in the appointment of clerks of committees and other senior management positions. Since, it is accepted that "politics is a dirty game," the bureaucratic arm has also been unfortunately infected with the "dirt" from politicians they work with hence qualification, competence, hard work, and commitment have been relegated to the background in most cases.

It will be recalled that the commission had appointed Sani-Omolori, then clerk of the House of Representatives, to succeed Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, who was proceeding on retirement leave on May 14. The Commission announced that SaniOmolori would assume duties on May 13.

But in a shock move, the Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly, faulted the procedure adopted in choosing the new acting Clerk.

He argued in a letter to the chairman of National Assembly Service Commission, Fika, that Mr. Benedict Efeturi should have been considered for the position since he (Efeturi) is currently the deputy clerk of the National Assembly.

Those who sold this idea to the Senate president however, hid from him the fact that Sani-Omolori should have actually been the deputy clerk before Efeturi in the first place, by virtue of his seniority.

CROSSFIRE It must be crystal clear to all discerning minds that the president’s widelyacclaimed magical body language has lost its presumed aura and efficacy -Dino Melaye

The President is not to blame on the state of our economy today...

Not even a magician can turn around the economy within a period of one year -Abdulmumin Jubrin

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clerk's appointment

Fika

Sani-Omolori

The opposition to the appointment did not stop with the Senate president. It was so embarrassing that some commissioners from the commission also unbelievably joined the fray and took side with the Saraki against Fika. Meanwhile, these commissioners were part of the 403rd meeting of the commission held on November 21, 2014, where the appointment was ratified by them.

But Fika, a disciplined and thorough-bred bureaucrat in a memorandum, he submitted to the 404th meeting of the commission held on April 20, explained that Mr. Efeturi was not appointed to the position because he would proceed on retirement leave on August 2. He said in conformity with the convention and practices of the service, no officer who has less than six months to retire would act in higher office.

As the chief accounting officer of the National Assembly, SaniOmolori, has the onerous responsibility of living far above board to set a standard for his subordinates to follow. The anti-corruption stance of the present administration should also be reflected in the civil service arm of the National Assembly. History has shown that the politicians who indulge in corrupt practices do so with the tacit connivance of the civil servants. No corruption allegation in the National Assembly is ever complete with-

out the mention of civil servant. A good example is the case of bribery involving a former chairman of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the probe of petroleum subsidy regime, Hon. FarouK Lawan, where the clerk of the committee was also arraigned for playing a complicity role.

It is a fact that there has never been a conscious effort at fighting corruption in the National Assembly, particularly in the bureaucracy.

The new clerk must champion this anti-corruption crusade to drive this message into the civil servants that civil service is a noble career and not a dirty game like politics.

Therefore, the civil servants must leave politicians with corruption and be concerned with how to build a just, responsible and responsive service. If the civil service is upright, it will whittle down the proclivity of politicians to be corrupt.

Sani-Omolori must ensure that the bureaucracy under his tutelage creates an enabling environment for the lawmakers to exercise their constitutional functions of lawmaking, oversight and constituency representation. The clerk should also ensure that the National Assembly of Nigeria embraces global best practices. His recent declaration that the parliament would collaborate with the ECOWAS Parliament is a welcome initiative and must be sustained and extended to other

countries and regional parliaments.

Initiating exchanges whereby staff of the Nigerian National Assembly could travel to other established parliaments and understudy their operations would be beneficial.

Although, the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) has been doing a lot trying to build capacity at the local government and state level, the clerk, being the chief administrative officer of the National Assembly would do well if he also bridge the gap between the national parliament and our local legislative houses. In other words, Sani-Omolori is expected to be a role model, hence he must lead a model parliamentary bureaucracy that could be emulated by the states and local government parliamentary houses.

Sani-Omolori must be aware that the stakes are very high, judging by the circumstances surrounding his appointment and the manner in which he came into office. There should be no business as usual. He must do his work transparently and responsibly. Most importantly, the new clerk must have it at the back of his hand that he is taking over a divided bureaucracy and must put in place measures to quickly reunite the work force especially at the management level and gain confidence of his immediate subordinates.

And for the new clerk to enjoy the loyalty and confidence of the staff, he should give priority attention to the welfare of the workers.

The era of management staff allegedly cornering allowances and entitlements meant for other staff must be looked into and everything due to the workers is paid promptly.

In other words, the National Assembly staff should be motivated to perform optimally and stay away from the tendency to engage in corrupt practices.

Alhaji Mohammed Ataba SaniOmolori is the Ciroma of Ebira land in Kogi State and was born June 7, 1961, in Okene, Kogi state.

He studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and graduated in 1982. He joined the service of the National Assembly in 1992. Before 1992, he had worked as legal officer at the Ajaokuta Steel Company and now defunct National Electric Power Authority. He was at the Royal Institute of Public Administration, London, where he took a course in Legislative Drafting in 1992.

He also attended Legal Drafting Courses at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in 1991 and the Public Law Centre, New Orleans, Luciana USA in June 2001.

POLITRICKS Different tunes by Ondo APC aspirants

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ast Saturday will always be a day to be remembered by politicians, especially members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The outcome of the party’s governorship primary in Ondo State was a surprise to many.

Prior to the APC primary in Sunshine State, a particular aspirant among the 25 in the race for the party’s ticket for the Alagbaka Government House was tipped by bookmakers as likely winner but it was shock for the pundits at the end of the exercise

when former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) emerged as the party flag bearer for November 26 election.

The outcome has divided the ranks of the aspirants and the party as well. While some are in support of the winner, having saw the process that produced him as credible, free, fair and transparent, others faulted the result, saying that they primary was marred by irregularities.

When silence is golden

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here is no doubt that the ongoing war against corruption by the Muhammadu Buhari administration has succeeded in cowing most politicians, especially members of the opposition political parties.

While some are currently held in detention for their respective roles in the immediate past administration, others have either escaped abroad or gone underground.

But, to some who are yet to be quizzed, the best option is to shun politicking for now

to avoid having the various anti-graft agencies beam their searchlights on them.

This has resulted to known vocal political leaders opting not to comment on national issues at least for now.

Politricks encountered one of them recently, and when asked to comment on the state of the nation, he pleaded to be left alone to avoid attracting the attention of either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

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POLITICAL NOTES

Sheriff’s visit to Obasanjo

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hen the leadership rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started, not a few saw it as the usual party bickering that will fade off after a while. But against all expectations, the rope of crisis within the former ruling party continues to lengthen. At two different times, the party’s proposed National Convention were stalled owing to the crisis and the fate of the party’s candidate in both the Edo and Ondo states are still hanging on the balance.

As it stands, it is not clear who the chairman of the party is between Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi.

Although both factions are in possession of court pronouncements from High Courts in Abuja and Port Harcourt, efforts aimed at reaching a truce between the camps even by the conscience of the party, the Board of Trustee (BoT), appears not scaling through. it is against this backdrop that last Saturday’s visit of Sheriff to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has raised eyebrows among many members of the party, given that Obasanjo has publicly denounced denunced the party.

Whilst the meeting was held behind closed-door for one hour, the quintessential Obasanjo told newsmen after the parley with his August visitor: “I have said to my brother that I wish him well with the dying baby they have put on his laps because PDP is comatose and he was of course not in PDP, he has never been in PDP until now. When I was in PDP, I tried and encouraged him to come and join PDP, he did not come. But the PDP they have given him now is a dying PDP, a dying baby. It needs to be in intensive care; otherwise, he will just be an undertaker.”

Capturing the visit in his own way, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, said the meeting is the “coming together of PDP enemies,” adding that “no genuine lover of the PDP will go to the house of a man who openly destroyed his membership card.

Sheriff can as well begin to sleep in Obasanjo’s house; it is good riddance to bad rubbish.”

The underlining question is what is the essence of the visit after Obasanjo had repeatedly washed his hands off the affairs of the PDP? Will the ‘dying’ child be revived after the visit or would life be snuffed out of the child? Will Sheriff ’s visit make Obasanjo to retrace his steps and come back to the PDP? Time will tell.

WALE ELEGBEDE

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POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

Since leaving office as the spokesman for former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati has maintained his reservations about discussing his time in the Presidency. But on the occasion of a recent book reading session in Lagos, he opened up to AHAOMA KANU on his experience in politics and more

You were at the book reading and signing session of This American Life Sef by author and columnist, Rudolph Okonkwo, and in the book, he narrated some stories about life of Nigerians in Diaspora juxtaposed with living in Nigeria, what reaction do you have about the book and the ideology behind it?

Well sitting down here I tried to read some part of the book and also listened to the various readings and I see that this is like a dialogue between home and Diaspora; an attempt by a Nigerian in Diaspora to give a reflection of what he has seen; what he has observed; what he has experienced about the American society. And you know in Nigeria, everyone wants to go the United States – a lot of young people want to go to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. So, reading parts of the book, I could see him trying to convey the kind of challenges that the man who goes to live in America in pursuit of the Golden Fleece or the American is likely to face. What he has offered is truthful; he doesn’t say don’t come to America but he says just be prepared. It is not as rosy on the other side as you probably think it is.

And I think that the manner in which he looks at the two cultures and creates a dialogue and a conversation around many of the codes along that line is very interested. But of course, he also writes well and that helps. So, even if you don’t agree with his perspective, you will enjoy the beauty of his prose. And it is not just about reflections on America, there are also short stories and this will be, I think his second major book. Before this, he has done Children of a retired God: Notes from an American Exile, which was essentially a collection of his articles. So, I think he should be encouraged to continue along this line, to continue to write and to continue to offer us these perspectives from the Diaspora and I think that this dialogue between Nigerians in Diaspora and Nigerians at home is far more enriched now in the context of advanced technology and globalisation, the democratisation of the communication space.

Talking about the advancement of the communication space, the social media has become a tool in the hands of young ones, and in Nigeria,

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Occupy Nigeria protest:

My toughest moment as presidential spokesman – Abati

Abati

most times you hear this cliché that Nigerians don’t read. How can the social media be used to enhance the reading culture of Nigerians?

I would not want to agree to that statement because the way it came about is prejudicial and is not about Nigeria. You know that old quote that if you want to hide something from an African, you put it in a book. So, that impression that Nigerians don’t read comes from there and it is a racially determined statement, so I would not put it like that. But I will say that there is a crisis with regards to the reading culture in Nigeria. One, from a traditional source because of the conflict between orality and literacy; you know the African culture is basically an oral culture than a literacy culture. So, you can say on that level, there is an issue. But the second issue is that not enough conscious effort has been made to promote reading and in the face of economic crisis, economic dispossession, even people who used to read in the past don’t want to read.

In the 70s, you had average families buying newspapers as many as five or seven, and it was a common thing for ordinary civil servants to buy copies; government departments also bought newspapers and homes had libraries.

When we had the Occupy Nigeria protests... It was like the opposition was ahead in imposing a certain prejudice on Nigerians

There were comics, there were novels; there was so much to read if you were interested. But with the crisis within the economy, you can’t even get the books; the various publishing houses have collapsed and all of these have eroded the reading culture. But I see of course that there are a number of civil societies and NGOs trying to promote the reading culture. In a cosmopolitan place like Lagos, we get events like this where people are invited to book readings and not a book launch and people discuss ideas. But that again is a restricted elitist kind of engagement, we would like to see a situation whereby the system itself will promote a culture of reading and that then takes me to the third level of it which is about the education system.

For you to promote reading and knowledge within the society, you need to strengthen the education system but unfortunately we have issues with our education system from the primary to the tertiary level. So, our message to government should be that at all levels a greater investment in education

of young people can save a nation because we are in a world of competition and because the battle of the future even of now is at the level of skills. And that is why countries are perpetually taking a second look at their education system and trying to improve and prepare for the future. And in a country where the average age of the young person is 19 years; where the demographics shows that Nigerians are predominantly young people, we can’t afford to produce a generation of young people who cannot compete in the future. But you can’t gain the skills and the knowledge if you don’t have the discipline to read.

The fourth point has to do with the value system, and unfortunately, we have a value system that has created the wrong kind of role models and the wrong kind of priorities. We have people who want wealth without work; we have people who don’t understand the principle of delayed gratification.

We have a now-now generation of Nigerians, who just want reward without any effort and that is a serious problem and I guess that in this regard, the family as the basic unit of society, religious groups and other groups in civil society and even the media can play a role to ensure the general re-orienta-

POLITICS \ INTERVIEW

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

tion of society that places a higher premium on values on efforts and achievements.

Don’t you think that things are changing with the coming of the social media?

What the social media offers is not a replacement for the culture of reading. Reading a book is a different kind of thing. I know that there is this argument about the likely dearth of authors, newspapers and the likely disappearance of reading as we know it in the age of audio books and the internet. But they are two different things as the internet represents the future in terms of communication but it also has its dangers because it offers a short cut, it offers a short hand and it has its negative effects. You now find a lot of young people who have now become victims in the culture of abbreviation and short-cut thinking that the internet provides and that cannot be the way forward. It should be a complementary thing and not become an alternative to the traditional rigorous mode of acquiring knowledge by sitting down and engaging in a serious scholarship full with the virtual interaction with a book.

Some of the conversations that were raised here dwells very much on the state of the country what is your take that after some years of into a democracy, we still have brain drain and Nigerians in Diaspora have not found it suitable to bring the knowledge they acquired abroad to develop the country?

One of the take aways from the conversation we had, in my view is the point that Nigerians in Diaspora are not necessarily happy to be outside Nigeria. In fact Rudolph Okonkwo used the expression that many of them are even frustrated and will prefer to be in Nigeria if the conditions here are friendly and welcoming enough. According to him, it doesn’t matter what you become in Diaspora, in the US, Europe, you would still be treated as if you are not at home even if you have the American passport; somehow you will be reminded that this is not your home. In his contribution, he said hence Nigerians in Diaspora try to create a semblance of home away from home. What does that tell us?

If indeed it is true that many Nigerians in Diaspora still have their hearts here and they have acquired education, experience and exposure, then the challenge for us at home particularly for government is to make this environment a liveable place. I used the word liveable advisedly in terms of an environment that is friendly; an environment that every Nigerian no matter the extraction, religious ethnic or geographical can fulfil his or her potential to the fullest, enjoy the benefits of citizenship and have a sense of belonging in his own fatherland or motherland as we say it. I think that is where the challenge lies and many Nigerians abroad will like to return home as it happened when there was a return to democracy in 1999.

Many Nigerians said then that now we have democratic rule in Nigeria I have no business staying outside the country and many came home to contribute to the process of development.

Some Nigerians are of the opinion that the present government has a

kind of discord with Nigerians and has rather choose to work through propaganda machinery that tends to take the people’s thoughts away from the present economic realities. What is your take on this issue against the backdrop of your recent article on the man who named his dog, Buhari?

I don’t want to discuss politics because of the subject. I wrote on it penultimateFriday and also have a follow up article. My main point is freedom, human rights, the freedom of choice and the freedom of expression. But since I wrote the article there has been other perspectives, which I have tried to reflect in the follow up piece because some people called from Abuja and said that what I did initially was a western perspective and that we should have a perspective from home and I tried to juggle the views. But the residue of it all is that people should be free and should have the confidence that they are living in an open society, where they do not have to look behind their shoulders because of the choices that they have made. The freedom of expression is very important and government and political leaders and agents of government should also have a sense of humour. If there is enough humour in a society, many of these pressures that we face will not be there.

Okonkwo has attacked you on several occasions and you were not even bothered and attended his book reading session. And obviously so many other people may have written about you not possibly in the positive, how do you maintain relationship with people outside of politics regardless of the choices you made?

I think that people should have a sense of humour. When it comes to intellectual work, the first principle is humility. You are trained to know that you don’t know it all and that at every viewpoint is positive. When you are engaged in intellectual pursuit, you don’t act as if your view is superior to that of other people because it is from the interplay of perspectives that knowledge is created and other people learn and quality contributions are made. So, I don’t go about carrying it on my head that this person criticized me therefore the person is not my friend.

of experience that I have had, not too many people have been that privileged. So, it is not a thing to talk about regrets, it is a thing to be grateful for because perhaps in 100 years not as many Nigerians will have the opportunity to even have that exposure. So, it is an opportunity I am grateful for.

I have not been writing frontline political writings as it could be misinterpreted as sour grapes

What is then the responsibility of the

What is next for you after your spell with politics, are there plans to return to journalism?

I never left journalism. Immediately I left Abuja I went straight to Saeed Business School in Oxford University to do a programme to refresh, having been in the midst of politicians for four years. Immediately I came back, The Guardian asked me to continue writing my columns and I have been writing them on Fridays and Sundays from more than a year now.

You don’t like talking about politics and your time in the Presidency, but I am inclined to ask if you have regrets ever going into the Presidency.

No! I have no regrets but rather it was good experience. If you are in the private sector, you probably will not know what goes on in the public sector. If you have the kind of ambidextrous experience that moving from one side to the other offers, in the long run, it is an advantage. I learnt a lot and it was an opportunity to learn and you can see that if you look back, the kind

How will the experience affect your writing?

It enriches my perspective and that is what is important. You can see that in some pieces I have done in recent times. I give you two quick examples; when everyone was complaining that President Muhammadu Buhari was travelling too often and should stay at home, I wrote a piece defending him. I wrote that he is the number one diplomat in the country and it is part of his job to engage the international community. And if there are things to address internationally, you can’t complain that he is travelling; a president cannot travel too much, it is part of his job. That is not the full summary of the article but that is the premise and I offered a defence.

If I didn’t go into government, I probably would have had a different perspective but if you ask me now 100 times, I will defend it because I was there and I know that presidents don’t go on tourist trips, it’s not a jamboree it is a lot of work because I was involved.

Also, recently when John Kerry visited Nigeria, I wrote a piece, John Kerry’s visit beyond the cover story, and if you read it, if I had not been in government, I probably would not have been able to write such a piece. Somebody who had not had my kind of experience will probably write a general copy just talking but I was there. I was involved in preparing briefs on international trips, foreign visits, diplomats coming to see the president. I was involved in interfacing with the Foreign Affairs ministry; I was involved in helping to edit their copies, working with diplomats, discussing with them and attending meetings, so I had an idea. I know what a president will face when he has an important visitor like that, so I can prepare a brief more or less to guide foreign affairs. If I had not been there, I would not have been able to write such a copy.

Abati

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Foreign Affairs minister as we see in the case of Kerry? Is the president supposed to be travelling so much when he has a Foreign Affairs minister?

It is not the same thing. Every minister is an appointee of the president. The president delegates authority but at the end of the day the buck stops at his table. If he so wishes, he can say he wants to be the minister of Internal Affairs and nobody can query him because we run an executive American styled government, so it is not enough to say that the minister of foreign affairs is there, it is not the same thing. The president is the number one diplomat and even when he sends ambassadors or emissaries, they are there as his agents and the highest level of government to government relations is the president of country A and that of country B sitting down together and exchanging views and it is serious business. People can complain on size of delegation; that’s not what I am talking about but they cannot say the president cannot do his job as the country’s number one diplomat.

Talking about your experience, we have had persons who served in government putting down their experience in a book. Are we expecting one from you and when?

Definitely, but when, I cannot say. But certainly the experience was so rich and the exposure was so useful that it would be a disservice not to one day sit down and reflect on it. But you know also that when you leave government, I don’t think it is a good idea to go quickly and rush to write because at the end of the day, you will discover certain gaps and so it probably helps to give some time for reflection and in the light of what has been happening in the last one and half years, there are new revelations coming out that could guide anyone who wants to write about the Goodluck Jonathan years.

But certainly I think that the kind of experience that we had should be documented and I will like to do it. Although when I was in office there were people on the social media, who were saying that one day, we know you are going to write a book, if you write we are not going to read it and will not buy it. I used to be amazed that a book that has not been written, people are already saying they will not read it.

How was it for you as one critical of government to occupy such a sensitive position in the Presidency?

I think it was a great learning opportunity and in the process I acquired additional skills and experience and also it was an office that offered me additional visibility and it was a very challenging work.

Looking back, it was a very tough job. I was dealing with very critical constituencies and it was a very political period with a very vibrant opposition that challenged every effort by that administration. It was like going to war and coming back from the war front and when you get back home, there will be memories and experiences CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

Fayose’s grazing bill of controversy TREASURES BOLA BOLAWOLE turnpot@gmail.com 0807-552-5533 (sms only)

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n Friday, May 20, 2016, assailants believed to be Fulani herdsmen attacked Oke-Ako in Ikole local government area of Ekiti state, leaving in their trail death, sorrow and tears. It was not the villagers’ first encounter with the marauders; previous efforts to attack the town had been thwarted with some of the aggressors arrested and handed over to the law enforcement agencies. The attack of May 20th was, therefore, reprisal attack against those who foiled the previous efforts. At this time, Fulani herdsmen’s atrocities had become nationwide; their impunity and violent dispositions had attracted attention even internationally, to the point that the herdsmen have been classified as the fourth most vicious terrorist group in the whole world.

PDP’s governor Peter Ayodele Fayose, a frontline critic of the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari, was in PortHarcourt for a meeting of his party when the attack took place. On his return to Ekiti, Oke-Ako, scene of the dastardly act, was his first port of call on Monday, 23rd May. He spit fire, so to say. He rallied the entire community and promised them the wherewithal to repel any such attacks in future.

He immediately provided the local hunters with cash and utility vehicle to give teeth to his backing. He also promised a law to clip the wings of the herdsmen. On Monday, August 29th, exactly three months after he had made the pledge, Fayose delivered as he signed the “Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti, 2016” bill into law.

Passed by the Ekiti State House of Assembly,

the law prohibits herdsmen to carry arms in the state. Anyone who flouts the law will be charged with terrorism. Grazing activities within the state would also be within a stipulated period of 7.00am to 6.00pm and at designated locations by the state government. Errant herdsman would have their cattle confiscated as well as be made to pay compensation to damages incurred by farmers and or others whose property may have been wilfully destroyed by the herdsmen’s activities. Offenders are also liable to six months’ imprisonment without an option of fine. Before Fayose signed the bill into law, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Kolawole Oluwawole, had read its provisions to an auspicious gathering of traditional rulers and chiefs from all over the state, who had been called in Fayose’s continuing efforts to deepen his grassroots support in Ekiti. It is intriguing to me as an observer of political happenings in Ekiti that the APC, which used to be the ruling party in the state, appears to have completely abandoned the field to Fayose. If the trend continues, what I have heard people refer to as “16 – 0”, which means PDP winning all 16 local governments without the APC winning one in the last governorship election, may repeat itself again in 2018. That, however, is discussion for another day.

As would be expected, the Ekiti grazing bill has been applauded as well as riled. Powerful and influential political as well as socio-cultural groups in the South have given kudos to the law.

Afenifere, Ohanaeze Youth Council, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Campaign for Democracy, and the Civil Liberties Organisation have, through their officials, backed the law. As would be expected, other organisations and groups from the North, such as the Arewa Consultative Forum, Jamu Nate Fulbe Association of Nigeria, and the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum have kicked against the law. Those in support believe the heinous activities of the herdsmen must be curbed; they even counsel other states ravaged by the herdsmen to take a cue from Fay-

It is heartening to note that the due process of public hearing was followed

ose. Those against the law argue that it violates the freedom of movement of the herdsmen and their right to pursue their business activities without let or hindrance. Both contenders have their strong and weak points.

It is heartening to note that the due process of public hearing was followed before the bill was arrived at and that all opposing views were canvassed. So, everyone had a say, including those not comfortable with the law as it eventually came out.

It is important that their views have been made well known to the appropriate quarters. Two of such views which I consider germane and which may have to be looked into in future include the one that says herdsmen caught with weapons will be treated as terrorists. Is this an over-kill? Maybe they should be tried for the possession of illegal arms; but we must not lose tract of the fact that the herdsmen, because of their atrocities, have been declared the fourth most vicious terrorist organisation the world over. This is where, I think, Ekiti got its justification from. I, however, reject the plea that herdsmen be allowed to carry light arms such as “dagas” and bows and arrows. These are vicious enough arms and must not be tolerated. The second area of disagreement is the ban on night travel by herd and herdsmen. Day travel will be cumbersome and disruptive of social and commercial activities. This may be so; but night travel had also provided cover for attack on communities. We may all decide to suffer some inconveniences to protect life and property until a solution is found to this problem.

Ultimately, what these areas of disagreement point us to is that the solution to this problem lies in having ranches for herd and herdsmen. They do not have to roam about; and they will be secure within the confines of their ranches. But can we blame Fayose for coming up with his own solution when the right thing is not being done and the Federal Government had also maintained criminal silence over the menace of the herdsmen while flexing muscles with pro-Biafran and Niger Delta militants? Is Fayose’s half bread, even if that is what it is, not better than none at all?

Still on Kogi election petition Shadrach Omeiza

O

n June 19, 2016 one Bimbo Adewole joined the debate on the outcome of the Kogi election petittion. I have read the offending piece over and over again and I couldn’t find a worthy enlightenment to update my knowledge with except a disturbing and befuddling aspersion the author laboured to cast on the Chairman of the Governorship Election Tribunal and its other members.

Some people may query why the response or rejoinder now? That is a legitimate question to ask by a curious and observing mind. Let me provide the answer before the question is asked.

Firstly, it beats my imagination that a Barrister will easily progress in an error without realizing its gravity and a find a reason to retract.

Secondly, the sanctity of the judiciary must be upheld and protected from any politically diluted individual. The era of insulting and slapping a judge without consequence must be annihilated in a hurry.

Thirdly, I owe it a duty as a colleague to correct wrong impressions and ugly insinuation about the Bar and the Bench.

And I waited for this long for the

judgment of the Court of Appeal to corroborate the legal positions I previously canvassed on many media platforms and the legal position was recently and largely corroborated by the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

I have previously responded to some legal issues raised by the author of the unfortunate piece thusly.

There is an ugly conspiracy being fomented by group of some persons, including some “learned colleagues” to poison the fountain of the well deserved victory of Governor Yahaya Bello at the Tribunal and by same token incite the minds of the unsuspecting public. Thus, it becomes imperative to set the record straight and disabuse the infested minds.

The greatest mistake of the Petitioners was their attempt to intertwine political sentiment and permutations with the letters and spirit of the law. These are inherently diametrically opposed to each other both in principle and in practice.

Three vital elements striped JamesFaleke and Idris Wada of the chances of appealable cases. These are vis avis: the locus standi, the legal status of the candidates and burden of proof before the Tribunal.

LOCUS STANDI: On the issue of locus standi, the Tribu-

nal authoritatively held that “Contrary to the contention of the Petitioner, the provisions of section 181 and 187 of the 1999 constitution to our mind do not enure to the Petitioner. As the Petitioner not having presented the petition as a deputy governor-elect within the provisions of section 181 of the constitution cannot be properly defined as a candidate within the meaning of section 137 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the election being inconclusive. See TAIWO .V. ADEGBORO (2011) SCM 159, AJAVI .v. ADEBIYI (2012) 1 (NWLR) (PT. 1310) 137, INEC .V. OGBADIBO LOCAL GOVERNMENT & ORS (2015) LPELRSC 309 (2014, ENYONG & ANOR .Y. EKPEYONG & 2 ORS (supra)”.

It baffles me that some lawyers relied heavily on the decisions of the Court of Appeal to fault the decision of the Tribunal which was firmly rooted in the judgment of the Supreme Court.

What is more surprising is that, being clouded with partisan inclination, they failed to acknowledged the fact that, it is not enough to bear the nomenclature of a “candidate”, the question is whether the person so called, is properly so called in the true sense and definition of it.

According to Black’s Law Dictionary, a candidate is “An individual seeking nomination, election, or appointment to an office, membership, award, or like

titer or status.” Let me pose this; did James Faleke seek to be nominated as a Governor of Kogi State before and during the elections? The answer is capital NO! So, Faleke is still not a candidate in the true and proper definition of it.

Therefore, he cannot claim to have locus standi.

The court held in the case of Senator Haruna Abubakar & Anor. Vs. INEC & Ors.(2004) 1 NWLR (Pt. 854), 207 at 232234, that “ A running mate for a governorship election is in the election by virtue of the provision of section 178 of the 1999 Constitution. He is an appendage of the main contestant for the governorship election….he is not the contestant” (the emphasis mine).

This is the position we believe must be held in the appellate Courts.

THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE CANDIDATES. The enabling law does not recognize independent status of a candidate in the election matter, especially in term of nominations and contesting for a political office. This position is in tandem with the age long case of Salomon Vs. Salomon (1896) UKHL 1. In the said Salomon case, the House of Lords affirmed the legal entity of a corporate body and as such an individual in the company.

•Omeiza wrote in from Lagos.

17

EDITORIAL

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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The Bosso bloodletting

I

n eve r y c iv i l i z e d d e mocr acy, the military are highly revered and honoured for their duties to their fatherlandand rightly so. This is because these service men put their lives on the line, ready to pay the supreme price for the protection of the ter ritorial inte g rity of their nations.

E ve n wh e n t h ey p r ov i d e suppor t to civil authorities i n p e r fo r m i n g i n t e r n a l s ecurity duties, their immense contributions in these regards are accorded extreme value by every sane mind. In such climes, the existence of robust and mutually rewarding civil/ military relations is the envy of all.

But this now seems rather elusive to us in Nig eria, at least if the observable frequent disturbing encounters between our military men and civilians in the country are anything to go by. The recent g ruesome killing of an ar my officer, eight soldiers, and two air men by ar med men, during a mop up operation in Bosso Local Gover nment Area of Niger State tells it all.

The troops from the 31 Artillery Brigade of 1 Division Nigerian Army, in conjunction with Nigeria Air Force detachment on Internal Security Operation (MESA) were attacked by the yet unidentified men.

They were making efforts to dislodge and recover illegal weapons, following covert surveillance and intelligence reports on the activities of some gun runners and armed bandits in Kopa, Dagma and Gagaw villages in the State.

It is shocking that the officer and men were swooped upon

from three locations by their ferocious attackers, while the former were approaching the location and deploying logistics for their lawful duties.

Re g r e t t a bl e , t h e h a rd e r they fought in line with military rules of engagement, the harder the officer and eight soldiers of the Nigerian Army and two airmen of the Nigeria Air Force fell in the line of national duty.

While one soldier is still missing and two of their colleagues seriously wounded a r e r e c u p e rat i n g i n t h e hospital, it is even worse to note that the suspected gun runners and ar med bandits burnt down the soldiers’ four operational ve h i c l e s a n d

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dents of that nature in recent past.

Interestingly, due to their high premium paid on life and services of their soldiers, many developed countries make sacrifices to save their service men held hostage; even resorting paying heavy ransom.

But reg rettably in our case, we not only exhibit ingratitude, but vile cruelty towards our soldiers. It is for these reasons and more that we condemn in

Soldiers on mop up operations of arms should have been preceded by advanced intelligence party

vandalized two others. They also car ted away four AK-47 rifles and one Fabrique Nationale (FN) rifle belonging to the deceased soldiers, even as the troops killed eight of the ar med bandits and arrested 57 others Some have argued that the community must have mistaken the soldiers for bandits, especially with the current level of abuse of military uniform by criminals and insurgents. But it stands to reason that such argument falls in the face of sound logic, especially when one considers the fact that that axis in Niger, Kogo and Nasarawa states have recorded inci-

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Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

strong terms, the sheer and brazen disregard for constituted authority and this macabre affront in this particular incident.

On the part of the military, the incident also bore eloquent testimony to the

failure of military intelligence.

It was expected that before embarking on such operations, an advanced party of intelligence operatives would have carried out covert operation to ensure the route was safe for the convoy.

Soldiers on mop up oper ations of ar ms should have been preceded by advanced intelligence party. It is unthinkable that the Nigerians Ar my which is re puted for producing top intellig ence of ficers could be caught so flat-footed in this manner.

This fur ther reinforces the need to address the paucity of Intellig ence content of mili-

tary operations in the country.

Also, having arrested over 47 suspects in connection with attacks, it is imperative for the army to heed the call of Niger State governor, Sani Bello for the ir release to the police for investigation and prosecution.

These criminals must be brought to face the full weight of the law to henceforth respect the dignity of life and serve as deterrence for anyone who might conceive any affront of this nature.

T he wor risome security situation in the country continues to degenerate, thereby tasking not just the ingenuity of the ar med forces but the Federal Government which is also g rappling with a topsyturvy economy.

At this time, we believe that the military should not reduce every security threat to outright attack. Dialogue is also a weapon which if well applied, could yield positive results.

It is not always fashionable to war war when jaw jaw is a credible and handy alter native.

Perhaps, the services of the Police and Civil Defence would have helped in the unfortunate incident since they are closer to the communities than the military and seem to have a better understanding of local bandits.

Above all, one cannot rule out the need for a panel of enquiry into the matter, even as we strongly recommend the need for better civil-military relations in the country in order for the populace to display better understanding and importance of symbiotic relations which must exist bet we e n them.

18

POLITICS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Enugu @ 25: Ugwuanyi’s anthem of unity Louis Amoke

T

he celebration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Enugu State, which took place on August 27 at the popular Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, may have come and gone, but the memories of the event will remain evergreen in the minds of the people of the state, especially those who were present at the occasion.

The silver jubilee which commenced with an inter-denominational church service was indeed a remarkable outing for the state, as it offered the people the opportunity to praise, exult and thank the Almighty God for the journey so far.

It also offered the governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwunayi a veritable platform to pay special tributes to the founding fathers of the state for their struggles and efforts towards the emancipation of the Wawa people from segregation and subjugation of all sorts.

The governor also appreciated the elders of the state who gathered in numbers at the venue of the event to identify and celebrate the silver jubilee of Enugu State.

These elders included: the former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani; the former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; the former military governor of old Anambra and Imo states, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (retd); former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo; former military administrator of Gombe State, Group Captain Joseph Orji (retd); former military governor of Imo State, Navy Commodore Anthony Oguguo (retd), and a host of others.

It is unfortunate to note that the silver jubilee was turned into a mood of mixed feelings following the sad incident of attack on Ndiagu Attakwu Akegbeugwu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, two days to the event.

Before delivering his address, Governor Ugwuanyi noted that it was “a solemn moment for the people of Enugu State as we recall the unfortunate events of last Thursday, August 25 which led to the death of a Catholic seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor and severe injuries to four other citizens of this State at Attakwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.”

We will continue to overcome our challenges and record success in all our endeavours

Ugwuanyi

The governor told the gathering that the ceremony would have been postponed in deference to the profound feelings of the people of the state, if the arrangement had not been concluded before the sad incident occurred.

He said the state government had, however, committed everything into the hands of God, assuring the people that his administration was “doing all that are necessary to ensure that justice is done in this matter.”

Ugwuanyi observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased Catholic seminarian and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured ones.

It was at this juncture, that the governor went into the business of his address. He first expressed gratitude to God for the grace and opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of Enugu State.

While recalling the unbridled excitement and sense of accomplishment with which the people of the state welcomed and celebrated the creation of the state on August 27, 1991, Ugwuanyi noted that the feat heralded a pleasant and much desired end to the long period of agitation by the founding fathers

for the creation of a state for the Wawa people of Igboland.

He acknowledged and celebrated the contributions of legends and giants of Nigeria history such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prof. Eyo Ita, Dr. Michael Okpara, Dr. Akanu Ibiam, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Ukpabi Asika, Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo and Chief C.C Onoh to the development of Enugu in their respective roles as premiers, administrators and governors of Eastern Region, East Central State and old Anambra State, adding that they were “all precursors to the present Enugu State”.

Gov. Ugwuanyi reassured the people that he will continue with the legacies of the founding fathers of the state to inspire it to greater heights, in spite of the daunting economic challenges.

The governor recalled his promise in his inaugural address on May 29, 2015, to work in accordance with the ideals and aspirations of the founding fathers of Enugu State to deploy the resources of the state for the common good in face of the severe economic downturn. He added that he has not only kept faith with his promises but also put in place

Abati: Why I've not been writing on frontline politics C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 5

that we will thank God for.

Of all your time in the Presidency, which moment will you say was the toughest?

I will say the deregulation of the downstream sector; you know that marked a turning point for the Jonathan administration in January 2012, when we had the Occupy Nigeria protests. And trying to explain something that was so very simple to the Nigeria public, something you think was simple and straight forward enough was a problem. It was like the opposition was ahead in imposing a certain prejudice on Nigerians then. Ironical-

ly a new administration has come in and did exactly the same thing and there were not any protests. You now begin to ask yourself: The same people, the same issue but in one instance it caused serious problems and resulted in long term loss of goodwill for one administration but with another administration the people just accepted it. I think it is something that we can interrogate at other levels.

So, it was tougher than the abduction of the Chibok girls, which attracted more international appeal?

Well, the Chibok girls issue was another turning point but the very first was the deregulation of the downstream

sector issue, which was what we called it officially but you call it removal of fuel subsidy.

There seems to be some pervasive silence on your part on how the Niger Delta crisis should be handled by the present administration in some of your recent writings. Are you avoiding the issue?

That is not true. Since I left office, I have written on the Niger Delta Avengers, I have written on the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). There is no topical issue that I have not treated but I have not been writing frontline political writings as it could be misinterpreted as sour grapes. You cannot be

spokesman for the immediate past president and immediately you leave office, you start criticising the people there; that would be sour grapes. On the Niger Delta crisis, I wrote that there was no point adopting violence or military repression as a strategy; that the issues of the basis of the renewed protests need to be addressed.

That is just my basic premise on that.

You wrote about your phones ceasing to ring when you left government, have they started ringing?

The first line in my recent article is that it seems that my phones are gradually beginning to play Lazarus.

the platform for greater successes.

He also appreciated the contributions of the former governors and administrators of Enugu State, namely: Col. Herbert Obi Eze, Chief Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Navy Captain Temi Ejoor, Col. Mike Torey, Col. Sule Ahman, Navy Captain Adewunmi Agbaje, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan I. Chime.

Ugwuanyi told the gathering that the state was celebrating “the goodness of God, peace, unity and shared prosperity".

In appreciation of all these, the governor announced the decision of his administration to reconstitute the Enugu State Elders' Council to provide "the necessary guidance and counsel to ensure the seamless development of Enugu State."

In a bid to further demonstrate his commitment to all-inclusive leadership, he equally disclosed plans to amend the state's pension laws to accommodate past civilian Governors of the old Anambra and Enugu states and their deputies in recognition of their contributions and services to the state.

On his vision to extend more dividends of democracy to the door steps of the rural dwellers, he reiterated the commitment of his administration to take development to the rural areas as part of its strategy to create new urban areas, boost socio-economic activities, create employment opportunities and reduce the pressure on Enugu metropolis.

Ugwuanyi, in line with his promises, also pledged to continue to pursue the diversification of the state’s economy through the full exploitation of the vast land resources of the state, particularly in the Nsukka and Greater Awgu areas, for agricultural production.

On the future of the youths, he said that his administration was laying a new foundation for the children as future leaders through extensive youth development policies and the enactment of relevant laws including the Enugu State Child Rights Act, which was recently passed into law by the State House of Assembly.

While ending his address, the governor said thus: "Ndi Enugu, we have committed Enugu State into the hands of God and with Him as our shepherd, we will continue to overcome our challenges and record success in all our endeavours.

“Be assured that the God who brought us here, the God who created Enugu State, will certainly take us to the Enugu State of our dreams in Jesus Name. Amen.

"On a final note, let me once again appreciate the unceasing prayers, support, goodwill and cooperation that we have been receiving from the good people of Enugu State – from the mountains of Udi and Awgu to the elevations of Nsukka and the farmlands of Nkanuland and from our people in the Diaspora. We are truly indebted to you all and I assure you that your sacrifices will never be in vain, in Jesus Name. Amen.”

From the foregoing, it is worthy of note that the ceremony which was nearly marred by the heinous act of the herdsmen, eventually turned out to be a remarkable experience for the people of the state, especially the elders who gathered in a warm atmosphere to celebrate and listen to the rhythm of the new anthem of peace, unity and progress as was initiated by their silver jubilee governor, Ugwuanyi. Enugu State is truly in the hands of God! •Amoke writes from Enugu

19

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Life in the city Menace of tricycles

The Mega City

Life in Mega City Casso road waits for relief

...EXCLUSIVE LAGOS MAGAZINE

21 23

A GSM vendor stand beside his wares at the Computer Village, Lagos

It is the hub of computer technology in Lagos and Nigeria. The Computer Village in Ikeja provides solutions to Information Technology issues. But to the unfortunate, the experience at the market could discourage some.

Emmanuel Uti reports

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CITY Editor

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Another side of Computer Village

T

he much awaited day for Victor Okeke to get a new battery for his Samsung's laptop finally came, after he had gathered a lot of money from labour jobs he had engaged in. With much eagerness, he headed towards Ikeja-Along, where Computer village: Lagos city technology market was situated. Having the assurance that he would get a good battery for his laptop, he smiled all through his way to the market.

However, the cloud turned dark for Victor as the day became a harvest of tears for him.

He searched his pockets over and over, yet he couldn't find his money or his wallet. That was when it dawned on him

There is usually no space for people to walk freely

that he had been robbed. Recalling how the incident happened, Victor, who sells bags at Ijaiye told New Telegraph that after he roamed about the market to get a new battery for N5,000 which he didn't see. He then thought of going home.

But while still contemplating whether he should go home or patiently check other shops before he would give up searching, a man who had noticed him came smiling, asking him if he wanted a laptop battery. “The man persuaded me, telling me to follow him to a shop he claimed was his.

He also assured me that I would see a battery of my taste.”

On getting there, his disappointment increased as he couldn't get a battery that would

fit in with his laptop in the man’s shop.

“It was at the point of payment after testing the battery that it dawned on me that my money had gone. Immediately, I ran back to the last shop I entered, to check if by chance I could see my money. But to my surprise, another person was there. And this person claimed to be the real owner of the shop and that he doesn't know what I was talking about neither did he see any money.

I just summoned courage to go home, but with a heavy heart.”

To many people that know the market well, Victor's experience is not new. It is an experience most first timers and even reguCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

20 LIFE/MEGA CITY

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

lar visitors are subjected to if they fail to be careful.

In fact, an average Lagosian must have heard several stories about the market validating the slogan “If Mugu fall, Guy-man must chop.”

Although several things go on in the market, it is a place where many Lagosians believe to be the home of technology.

Acclaimed as Nigeria's biggest technology market, it is a place where virtually everything relating to the repairs of ICT products can be found. Aside that, the buying and selling of products like memory cards, computers, phones, batteries, flash drives, cameras, chargers, printers, power banks and other technology accessories are found dominating the market.

In fact, for many Lagosians, it is believed that answers to frequently asked questions relating to ICT gadgets are also found in the market; hence, it is, to some extent, a solution market.

The number of numerous engineers in the market perhaps made it so. This made Yusuf Lateef, a former trader in the market to say that whatever cannot be repaired anywhere, when brought to the market, the answers will be found.

During one of our correspondent’s visit to the market, it was observed that the commercial activities in the market starts actively around 8 am, and by 12 pm, commercial activities would be at its peak till about 6 pm in the evening.

Also, the ever busy market is usually noisy and crowded from morning till evening as buyers, sellers, technicians, hawkers and others ceaselessly interact with one another.

Apart from that, it was noticed that most times, especially by the road, there is usually no space for people to walk freely.

This is a clear reason pick-pocketing is on the increase in the market. To even navigate the road is a problem due to the large population of people who are either engaging in commercial activities or seeking who to devour.

Again, the incessant noise in the market is one feature virtually everyone in the market can testify of. With the crowded state of the market, one would need to shout at someone close to him or her, if not, the physical noise will disrupt the communication process.

From the yelling of street traders drawing people's attention to themselves, to the sound from vehicles and many shop advertisement coupled with the constant noise emanating from the many generators in the market, there is bound to be noise within the market at all times.

However, New Telegraph observed that one major problem demeaning the market is the menace of piracy and substandard goods. Piracy is a menace many people have lost their money to.

In the name of buying products at unbelievable cheap prices, many uninformed people patronise the street traders, who are not legally permitted to sell.

Inside the Computer Village

Another side of Computer Village In the end, they get deceived and receive sub-standard products as reward for patronage.

To Nneka, who refused to give her second name, the market is crime infested. She narrated how a woman in her area at Alagbado was defrauded sometimes ago. She said: “It wasn't a joking matter. The woman was crying inconsolably, telling everyone she had been duped. She said when she got to computer village, she decided to go to a giant shop dealing with mainly phones, more because of the guarantee that she would be given on whatever she buys. But on her way, she decided to see the phones street traders displayed for sale. Perhaps, the appearance attracted her.”

“After she paid, she was told to run home with her new phone otherwise the police would tax her for buying such a good item for a cheaper price.

With happiness, she ran home”, Nneka said.

It was after she had tried to switch the phone on several times that she decided to check if the battery of the phone was good. To her surprise, after

Noise is a feature of the Computer Village

The street traders have made it hard for shop owners to make profit

opening the phone, she saw that fufu (cassava paste) had stocked the whole panel a phone is expected to have.

As it appears, the reason piracy thrives in the market is that the price of an original item is far different from the pirated ones and far more expensive.

For instance, when New Telegraph asked for the price of 32 gigabyte memory card from a shop, the correspondent was told that the price ranges from N5, 700 to N6,000.

However, when a street trader was asked, he said his price ranges from N800 to N1, 500.

Seemingly, the street traders’ mode of sales have even made it hard for shop owners whose dealings are legal to make profit.

Similarly, Sarah Sikiru, a student of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) told New Telegraph about her experience with the market's street traders. She said her friend bought an eight gigabite flash drive at the rate of N2,000 around Yaba, area of Lagos but she, trusting computer village where she would get anything at cheaper price, navigated her way to the market where she bought the flash drive for N500.

The following event was an outpour of emotions as she became saddened when she got back to school.

She said; “it was not up to the said gigabites, it was also refurbished. It nearly corrupted my system” Like Sarah, many have experienced such and lost whooping sums of money to the fraudsters.

The main problem of this market according to New Telegraph’s findings is that street traders have largely dominated the market.

They do not even pay tax.

While shop owners pay tax to the government, street traders pay theirs to hoodlums dominating the market.

However, findings showed that with the aim of making the market free from crimes and perpetrators of fraudulent activities, the state government has on many occasions promised to relocate the market to another place around Oke-Odo, area of Lagos.

In spite of the government promise to relocate the market, the legal traders in the market are still expecting the government to come to their aid as they keep their hopes high, waiting for a miracle to happen.

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

It is an advanced form of commercial motorcycle.

The mentality of the driver is not different.

While some Lagosians see tricycles as good, others lament the harrowing experience posed by this means of transportation.

MERIT MBAH reports

LIFE/IN THE CITY 21

Menace of tricycles

I

n trying to ease conveyance hassles, commercial tricycle popularly known as KEKE NAPEP/ MARWA was introduced in 2002. This scheme was launched by former President Olusegun Obansanjo on November 6, 2002.

Ever since, keke has become a cheap and alternative mode of transportation in Lagos State and other parts of the country. But in Lagos, it is booming with the restriction of commercial motorcycles from major roads.

After several years of the introduction of keke marwa, the common questions on the lip of an average Lagosian is, “has it become a blessing or a nightmare to passengers and other road users?”

Yes, they agreed that the tricycle has eased transportation in Lagos but sadly, it has been involved and have caused many accidents that leave in its wake several victims. Most times, these victims are left with various degrees of injuries ranging from open wounds to fractures and other road users with damaged cars.

When New Telegraph asked some drivers why they drive the way they do(recklessly), Kareem Gboyega, a 27-year-old driver said that, “this is Lagos and man must survive. There is no time to dull here if you must survive. This is where I get money for up keep and to fix other responsibilities.

So, I just try to beat time and meet with the speedy life style of Lagosians. Regarding accidents, it is only God who saves and not traffic lights or the rules guiding transportation in Lagos.”

According to Ayodele Shodipo, who has been in the driving business for four years, he has had an accident-free record so far.

“The only time I had accident was when I was using motorcycle okada for my business. No doubt, Keke is very safe but we are not reckless as people always put it.

We are just very fast people and that is why people prefer us to bus drivers. Again, Lagosians must know that Keke is for young boys while bus is for older men and you don’t expect young boys to behave or drive like the old ones,’’ he said.

Engr. John Chukwu, a commuter told New Telegraph that, “I use to wonder how these things move without losing balance.

They look so light and delicate and sometimes I felt a strong wind (those types that come after a rainstorm) could blow these little mobiles with its passengers off the road. That didn’t stop me from yearning though for the day I would take a ride in it. I eventually did take the ride, and what an unforgettable experience it was, with fresh breeze caressing my face and body, and the thrill

An accident involving a tricycles and a truck

A tricycle being taking away from accident scene

of being in a wonder on wheels.

Today, regrettably, I don’t view these small machines with as much awe as I used to any longer and no thanks to the drivers that handle them now.

These days, they have become a menace of some sorts on our roads. They are one of the leading causes of intra-city road accidents. They are everywhere but I urge the government to restrict their movements like it did to motorcycle and place a huge fine for defaulters because they have little or no regard for neither road traffic rules, nor other road users. I just feel they are suffering from identity crisis. They are still undecided as to whether they are okada riders or cab drivers. Considering that most of them ‘graduated’ from

They are one of the leading causes of intra-city road accidents

okada riding to their current status. I do sincerely hope that the concerned authorities do more in checking the excesses of these tricycle drivers on our roads and may the souls that have departed as a result of these wanton recklessness rest in peace.’’

Mr Joseph Ojeme, a civil servant, had a nasty experience, one he would not forget in a hurry. He narrated that he was on his way home one late evening because he closed late that day. To get home on time that day, he opted for the popular keke marwa.

“The driver looked like he was in his early twenties. On our way, in a bid to beat traffic, he took one way and on seeing the police, he turned without even watching and sped off while the police ran after him. I was scared

that the police might shoot or that the keke might crash, so I jumped down while he eventually smashed the keke onto a pole.

Consequently, he got his forehead broken while my right shoulder too got broken due to the way I landed on the ground. I also injured my leg and that landed me in the hospital. For some time, I could not go to work.’’

According to Mr Akindele Adeyemi, he got involved in a fatal accident with a keke marwa and a private car. “It was on the 3rd of March, 2016. Where I was trying to meet up for an appointment and the location was at Ikeja and I had to follow the Agege axis to get there; so on my way and in order to cut off traffic, I had to board the keke heading from U-turn to Agege and on our way, I think the driver was tipsy because he smelt local liquor but we all felt it wasn’t from him probably air pollution. During the journey, we noticed excessive speed from him and when we cautioned him, he argued that he was trying to make the destination on time, not concentrating at that point, there was a T-junction where he was to slow down and then a car coming from the other side of the road just bumped into us leaving me with a broken leg, a passenger died instantly, the pilot escaped and the other two seriously injured. Before we were attended to at the hospital, hours passed leaving us all in pain and the pilot nowhere to be found, a terrible experience but grateful to be alive at last,’’ he narrated.

For Olukoya Ogunsonya, a business woman, keke marwa has become a nightmare she would live with for the rest of her life. “Last month, I was robbed and when I shared my experience with people I heard it’s the new trend. I was going from Akoka to Fadeyi, I was the first in it. Later, two other people joined me. Five minutes into the journey, one of the passengers removed a knife and placed it beside me and told me to pull out all I had on me. I was thinking that it was a joke.

Then, the other person started slapping and hitting me, I was thinking the keke driver would find a means to help me, but he said “if I don’t co-operate they would for sure kill me. Immediately, I handed all I had on me including my cell phone to them.

They dropped me off the road and told me not to scream and they drove off.”

No doubt, there are many illside of the keke marwa apart from the recklessness A staff at the ministry of transportation told New Telegraph that the ministry was not ignorant of the happenings on its roads, but there are no set rules guiding just the keke people. According to the staff, the law provided covers all mobile road users, hence, the keke people are not exempted. “If any motorist defaults, the punishment attached to the crime is being served strictly. I also use this medium to plead to the keke driver to drive with caution,” the staff said.

22 LIFE/MEGA CITY

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ambode’s Helipad to the rescue

Ogunbamowo Elizabeth

W

hen on Thursday August 11, precisely, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode commissioned a helipad at the Lagos State University Teaching hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja, Lagosians were happy and full of hope that an end has come to their problems especially when it comes to medical emergencies in the state.

The governor said that the helipad would serve as touchdown for the helicopter/air ambulance that was provided to function as a rescuer whenever there was need for medical emergency in any part of the state especially in remote areas where roads are not motorable.

In his words: "Over the years, we have witnessed emergency situations which require timely movement of victims to appropriate medical facilities. Keeping in mind that every minute matters in securing the lives of people involved in these incidents, the usual movement by road is not the best option The Helipad on a hangar at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja, Lagos in such situations. Helicopters have therefore become an efficient and reliable option which can be only made possible with the availability of helipads within the hospital environment."

A staff of LASUTH, Femi Akinyede, explained further to New Telegraph that the helicopter would be used for emergencies, “and that is why they made the helipad in front of the surgical emergency ward. If you go down a little, you would see that medical emergency ward is not far from here. When the calls come in that anyone needs the helicopter, it would fly down to that place, get the patient and bring him here for treatment," he said.

While commending the effort of the state government to help save lives, he said the good The surgical emergency section at LUTH gesture has shown that the state government is sensitive about of commissioning, he said they emergency, they attend to you almost the wellbeing of the people it is were told that the helicopter immediately. With that helicopter, I leading. would be used for emergencies believe it would be easier to save But however, it seems the he- in this hospital. more lives." lipad is yet to serve its purpose “If it is used the way they Recounting his experience when for helicopter has not brought said it would be used, then more he had an emergency case, Salami emergency patient so far to the lives would be saved. But since said that if such a thing was in place emergency ward of LASUTH. the day of the commissionthen, it might have helped save the As at last week Thursday that ing till now, I've not seen it fly. life of someone he knows that needAkinyede spoke to New Tele- I don't really think the people ed medical attention who died on graph, he revealed that since the know about it. So, I don't think the way to the hospital due to Lagos traffic jam. Speaking on where the day of commissioning, he had anybody has called in yet denot seen the helicopter bring any manding for it but I believe that helicopter would land whenever it patient to the hospital nor has if someone had called, it would goes to get people from their homes, Mr. Salami advised the government the helicopter taken off from the have been used,” he said.

Only the helipad.

Mustapha Adeoye, a staff of to provide a centre point within local However, he believed that Ikeja Licensing office, Ministry governments where the helicopter rich can the helicopter should be at the of Transportation, said that he would land. afford the air Ministry of Health, Alausa Sec- had not seen the helicopter, not He said: " You know Lagos is a very retariat and that it has not been to talk of knowing its functions. big city and the way houses are built ambulance used because there isn't any He said that he had not even in some places, I wonder if helicopter awareness about it. seen it flying at all. “I pass here can land anywhere near them. What I would advise the government to do "Lagosians are not really every work day, two times daily. aware of that development yet I haven't seen any helicopter fly is that they should make available and as for where it would land here at all. If they have been uscentre points in local governments when it goes out on its rescue ing it, I would have been seeing or even somewhere not as far as LG mission, I believe the govern- it.” secretariat, where there would be Yinka Salami, an IT analyst ment is still doing something in space for helicopter landing." said, "It is a very good feat the respect of that" Professor Bayo Onajole, a Public To Olalekan Olasunkunmi, a governor embarked upon. I rehealth consultant, said that it is a business man at LASUTH, the ally commend him for that. It very crucial thing the government helipad is a good development. is an improvement on what is had done. Reacting to the possibility of the helicopter to perform its funcAccording to him, it is right step already obtainable here in LAin the right direction. On the day SUTH. Here, when you bring an tions, he said, "You see helicopter has

the opportunity of being able to land on school fields and any open space.

So, what will happen is that after the ambulance has passed through thick traffic, it can easily get to an open field where the helicopter can take off and it will shorten the time between the incidence and getting to the area of response. The only problem is how efficient it is and in terms of how easy it is to maintain the helicopter. The cost of maintaining the pilot and the helicopter is enormous and I don't know who is going to be paying for it except it’s only for the very rich."

Contrary to the hopes and expectations of these agitated Lagosians, an official at LASUTH, who craved anonymity, had revealed that the air ambulance was only meant for the influential in the society and that it would not be accessible by all and sundry.

He said, "There is a new building at LASUTH. It is called the CCU, near the surgical emergency ward where the helipad was commissioned. CCU is a public-private initiative which is very expensive. If you want to make use of the services, you would pay like one hundred and fifty thousand naira for the CCU. The very influential are really the ones in charge of the unit. It is an initiative put together by the influential and the government. The helipad came when the CCU came and the air ambulance is to supply the CCU so if the CCU is for the rich, then obviously, the helipad is not for everyone.

Although, they claimed that it's for the whole LASUTH but it's a lie. The air ambulance is to pick people from wherever and rush them down. It is faster than road ambulance because there's no traffic jam that would delay it when there are emergencies both surgical and the main medical emergencies and the only people that can afford the air ambulance are the rich people."

He also mentioned that since the day the helipad was commissioned, the air ambulance provided has not been used even though there have been emergencies between that time and now.

LIFE/IN THE CITY 23

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Emmanuel Uti

F

or the people of Caaso area, Alagbado, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, navigating the Suberu Oje road as they leave their houses for the day and returning home is a grievous pain they cannot wait to have a relieve from.

Virtually, every part of the long road of approximately five kilometres is impassable as innumerable numbers of pot holes are on the road.

Apparently, many of the pot holes are like a small gutter and frustratingly, drivers navigate the road in a zig-zag manner.

When New Telegraph toured the area last week, it was observed that in terms of infrastructural development, the condition of life in the area is very poor. The road is very dusty, from Lagos Abeokuta expressway to the last bus stop such that if one decides to take a bike, before getting to his destination, there would be dust all over the person.

As a result of the state of the road, private cars barely take the route, only few commercial drivers navigate through.

In the midst of this aggravating problem, residents of the area felt neglected. As such, they said they have been subjected to series of unending pains over the years. Many of them in the area claim taking alternative routes to go to their various destinations as they can no longer bear the burden of navigating the road.

According to a resident, who pleaded anonymity, whenever there was a downpour, the following event would turn out to be a harvest of tears for those in the area.

He stated that since the drainage in the area is not capable of ensuring the free flow of water without overflowing, virtually everyone that has experienced the situation would not pray for such again.

He said that when there is a 15 minute rain, the one sided drainage of about 10 feet in the area would filled to the brim, and even flow out to maintain a water level of about two feet on the road. According to him, whenever that happened, every activity in the area comes under suspension till the following day.

Describing the level of agony experienced in the area during the rainy season, a commercial driver in the area simply identified as Dickson, said that after a one hour rain, all activities come to a standstill as the road would be at least two feet high with water.

He said that the road is impassable because no commercial driver in the area would want to damage his vehicle knowing the difference between the road, drainage and pot holes would be a problem.

“After a heavy rainfall, the area becomes like a river. The water overflowing from the drainage makes the area impassable.

He said further that due to incessant flooding, coupled

Blocked drainage at Suberu Oje road off Lagos/Abeokuta Express Way

Casso road waits for relief with the bad road, every commercial driver in the area is bound to visit a mechanic shop at least once in two weeks for servicing.

He added that the large pot holes on the road and other challenges they face make their tricycles and motorcycles wear out easily.

Stating the reason for the bad road, Dickson, who said the road has been repaired about five times, linked the problem to the drainage system in the area. He said that whenever there was a down- Flooded street around Suberu Oje road pour, water from neighbouring communities and even distant ones like Agbado Crossing come together at Casso bus stop since there is a canal close by, but the drainage, even though 10 feet is too small to lead waters from many areas to a canal.

“Mind you, the drainage is only on one side of the road.

If there were two drainages, there would be nothing like flooding in the area at all,” he said.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Folaranmi Adeoye, also a resident, said that; “Life in A flooded premises general is bad for people in the area.”

He said that whenever it rained, all activities stop instantly because the flood that follows the rain compel people to end whatever they might be doing.

“There is usually restricted movement in the area. It is better to leave what you're doing than to struggle with the rain.

If not, the person is putting his or her life at stake. We have many experiences that will not let us continue whatever we may be doing when the rain starts.”

Pointing at a building while Another part of a submeged shop

telling us how bad the area can be when it rained, Folaranmi said that after rain falls, the inhabitants would leave their houses because the overflowing water enters their houses.

According to him, they'll wait outside till the water goes down itself.

Meanwhile, Folaranmi said that the road was repaired sometime in 2014, but since the then government refused to follow up by supervising the project, the road became worse in a year`s time.

He added that the contractors repaired the road shabbily.

Revealing to New Telegraph part of the problems the road has wrought, a regular visitor to the area, Adebayo Oyelakin, said that late 2015, the President of the community’s Youth Association drowned after he mistakenly fell into the drainage caused by a heavy downpour.

Another resident who gave his name as Bob, said that sometime in 2014, a woman fell into the drainage as she couldn't identify the difference between the road and drainage while it was raining heavily. The following day, her body was found floating in a nearby canal. He said also that two children drowned recently on their way to school after a heavy downpour.

Citing impending extinction of the Suberu Oje community, Bob said that it was high time the government came to ease their burden.

“We are waiting for the government to relieve us of this terrifying nightmare so that we can say we are beneficiaries of the state government.”

He added that if the government could help repair the road, it would ease the expressway of the traffic snarl that commuters experience around the area.

24 LIFE/MEGA CITY

F

or a paramilitary association that has seen over five decades of existence, it's not surprising to see its roots and structure spread across the country. But its roles are being limited by its limited recognition by government.

Although the Man 'O' War, which Motto is ‘build the man, build the community’, has a formidable structure with tentacles at the national, state, area and unit commands, the association, however seems to be playing second fiddle to other paramilitary bodies in terms of regularisation of its duties as a security outfit.

Whilst the leadership training arm of Man 'O' War, the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (C&LTC), is under the presidency, the paramilitary itself is still not recognized nor regularized as others who were in the same category like it before they were formally engaged by the government.

Man 'O' War, which membership cuts across all cadres of people, has some of its major functions as a paramilitary to include rescue and disaster management, complimenting the efforts of law enforcement agencies of government in traffic management, security of life and property, environment protection, general safety and crowd control, among others.

In line with keeping to its vision of sustaining the future of the service and catching them young, the Lagos State Command of Man 'O' War Nigeria, last week at the orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, held its 2016 Leadership Workshop Camping.

The programme, which attracted other formations of the Man 'O' War in the South West, also saw the presence of the State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who was represented as well as representatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others.

Setting the ball rolling, the Lagos State Commander of Man 'O' War, Mr. Charles Ogbonnaya, who spoke on the theme of camp meeting, "Building and Empowering a Successful Leader: Challenges and Prospects", said the gathering, which had 2,500 participants,

Man 'O' War pleads to join Lagos security

Men of the Man 'O' War on parade

has a twin task of retraining its officers and recruiting new intakes.

"The programme is scheduled to be able to train the head, build the mind and empower the mind because we realized in our scheme that to physically train the youths without engaging their hands is also to be unleashing menace on the society. No fewer than 942 youths applied for the training and registered but after a shortlist exercise through screening and training, we had 500 left be inducted."

Speaking on the efforts of the command to bring to bear its mission especially in the area of security in the state, Ogbonnaya said, "When the initial report started linking insurgency to Lagos, we were pre-emptive and proactive in our own approach, but don't forget that we are not a core full time security outfit.

"We wrote letters and reached out to the Police Commissioner in the state and the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, informing them that since our formation is grounded in all the

No part of the security arm of the state should be relegated

local governments and wards in the state, our members in the grassroots can help them gather the needed intelligence.

"Also, we have been monitoring the incidences of boat mishaps along the waterways in Lagos State. We have a functional sea-unit and based on the training we have received, we reached out to the Waterways Management Authority that they needed to give members of the Man 'O' War, who are also from the state, the permission to be safety officers in all the jetties and monitor activities there but unfortunately, we haven't got any feedback from them until the last boat mishap happened."

"I want you to know that most of the leaders of Man 'O' War in the state especially the senior officers level are all graduates and they are well-informed."

Pouring out the challenges facing the Man 'O' War in the state, the commandant said the non-ratification of its role in the security scheme of the state has been the major setback for the command.

He said: "The government has not ratified our participation in security scheme and we

have tried to let them realize that security is not an exclusive function of an institution but it's everybody's affair. So, no part of the security arm of Lagos State should be relegated to the background because some things may not be done around regular security officers but may done around our men and they will relay the information but if you are not mainstreaming them in the work, they won't be able to share those information.

"Government should revisit their approach on this subject matter. Lagos State government has done well by establishing a Safety Commission and we reason that since we have our men in all the 57 local governments in the state, we should be integrated into that commission so that we can be able provide the much needed manpower and intelligence to jump start it. We did it already for LASTMA and KAI by providing the initial support to service those institutions then," he said.

On his part, DSP Amos Oria, who represented the state Commissioner of Police, said the essence of giving support to the Man 'O' War is to ensure that the security consciousness of everyone is awakened considering the state of insecurity in the country.

"Considering the state of insecurity in the country, it becomes imperative that we must work in tandem to ensure that the situation improves and that is what we are trying to do here."

According to the DirectorGeneral of the Citizen and Leadership Training Centre, who was represented by Mr. Deji Aboge, the Man 'O' War has been playing its supportive role to security agencies quite well and its work is seen more than its personnel.

Clearly, the yearning for better roles and recognition for the Man 'O' War formation is not a misplaced attempt considering its network and connection to the grassroots, but whether the paramilitary possess the articulation to deliver at the optimal level is another kettle of fish.

QUOTE

OF THE WEEK

"Lagos has done very well.

If I have money to invest, I will invest it in Lagos, because it is attracting investment. Lagos has realised a long time ago that government cannot fund all its needs. And I just love what Lagos has done.The Lagos story is a story of what Nigeria can do with itself-transparency,consistency, regulations...," Emir of Kano,Muhammadu Sanusi at the 15th meeting of the Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development in Kano State

IN NUMBERS

The Federal Government has set aside N567.4 billion ($1.68 billion) for the upgrade and modernisation of the Kano-Kaduna segment of the Lagos-Kano rail line

SE PT .

Wale Elegbede

WEDNESday, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

25

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FCT

Business WHAT'S NEW Three oil firms gain N92bn in eight months

Quest for effective 2017 budget

Investor Uproar over proposed unclaimed dividend rule

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

EXCHANGE RATE

l Foreign Reserves – $25.390bn as at 1/9/2016

Economic downturn presents opportunities

Tony Chukwunyem

T 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

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N314.77 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N401 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N341

Source: CBN

L-R: Director, Finance and Investment, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) (Chartered), Mr. Festus Ogunmokun; Presidenta/Chairman of Council, Emeritus Prof. Munzali Jibrili and Registrar/Chief Executive, Mr. Tony Fadaka, at Institute’s press conference to announce the 2016 Annual National Conference on “Building a New Nigeria: Strategic Options and Policy Imperative,” in Lagos.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

PROSPECTS

Bayo Akomolafe

(Interbank as at Septemnber 2)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N420 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N540 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N466

p.26

Ayodele Aminu

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parallel Market September 2)

‘Aviation, catalyst for economic growth’

Deputy Editor (Business)

30

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE July 2016.................................17.3% June 2016...............................16.5% May 2016............................15.6%

p.26

The Business Desk

27

he report issued by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last week showing that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted for the second consecutive quarter and that the economy is now in recession may have caught some people unawares, but, perhaps, not bankers.

Responding to a question on what would be the impact of the recession on Wema Bank in a chat with journalists recently, the bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, said the lender had already taken steps in preparation for the tough times.

He said: “In a situation like this, you need to watch your costs like a hawk. The initiatives we are doing in the digital space are of necessity; the cost itself has to come down. In a regime where margins are tinning, the level of revenue is coming down; you need to find a way to trim your costs.

We challenged our staff to do more with less. We didn’t retrench staff, but we use them to take more responsibilities. We are using technology to drive what we are doing. With technology, physical involvements of individuals are being reduced.”

He, however, stressed that despite the recession, the bank would maintain its growth strategy, contending that there were opportunities for

Banks set to grapple with recession

those who prepared to seize them, even during a recession.

He said: “We want to maintain our growth strategy, even in the face of recession. When you say there is recession, what that means is that it opens up opportunities. If we focus strictly on managing problems, that means we did not see opportunities. Much as we say let’s manage cost, we are also looking at what is the opportunity. Today we have launched *945 as a product, which we believe will respond to some challenges. The cost of customer acquisition, if measured well, will be substantial. What we need is to invest in technology to acquire customers a lot cheaper than before.”

Financial analysts point out that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) had started taking conservative steps to prepare for the tough times even before the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, warned last September that the economy will slip into recession this year. For instance, they had adopted extensive cost cutting measures including laying off over 4,000 employees in the first four months of this year.

Furthermore, even before the announcement of the recession, which is expected to lead to an increase in Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), banks started providing for the rising number of NPLs that had been triggered by the slump in oil prices.

Indeed, according to the CBN’s Financial Stability Report for the second

N649.63 billion Being the volume of bank’s NonPerforming Loans (NPLs) as at 31st December, 2015

half of 2015, NPLs in the Nigerian banking system rose by 78.8 per cent year-on-year.

The CBN said NPLs rose to N649.63 billion as of 31st December, 2015, compared with N363.31 billion recorded at the end of December 2014.

“Although the NPL ratio remained within the prudential ceiling of 5.0 per cent, it trended closer to the upper limit. A few banks had NPL ratio above the regulatory maximum limit of 5.0 per cent; however this posed no significant risks to the industry,” the CBN said.

The apex bank attributed the rise in NPLs to the fall in oil prices, which resulted in huge impairments in oil and gas loans in the second half of last year.

“It is expected that credit risk will increase due to threats of further rise in NPLs in the oil and gas sector. The CBN will continue to require banks to strengthen their contingency plans and conduct regular stress tests to mitigate the impact of the crash in oil prices on their balance sheets,” the apex bank had said.

However, analysts argue that banks could be hurt by the fact that Nigeria was now officially in recession.

As an analyst pointed out, “the development could hurt banks because it will affect the country’s sovereign ratings, and this will, in turn, affect banks’ credit ratings. Of course, this will increase borrowing costs.”

26

BUSINESS |NEWS

CERTAINTY Federal Government saved about N1.4 trillion that would have been paid as subsidy to oil marketers

Chris Ugwu

S

hareholders of three top oil and gas companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) recorded a gain of about N91.905 billion in eight months (between January and August 2016) following the partial deregulation of downstream sector by the federal government.

Investors in these major oil firms quoted on the Exchange had reacted positively to the Federal Government’s removal of subsidy and increase in petroleum price from N86.50 to N145 per litre.

The stocks are Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Total Oil Nigeria Plc and Mobil Oil Plc. Investigation by New Telegraph showed that Seplat, which is quoted on both Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges and currently occupies the leading position in term of share price with N303.18 per share, led the top three league with a gain of N56.446 billion or 49.35 per cent to close at N170.825 on 31st August, This is against the opening balance of N114.379 billion at the beginning of trading last January.

Total Oil Nigeria Plc, which occupied the second position with N240 per share followed with a gain of N31.572 billion to close from N49.913 billion to N81.485 billion in August, indicating 63 per cent growth, while Mobil Oil Nigeria with a closing share price of N170.78 per share, trailed with a gain of N3.887 billion, up by 6.73 per cent to close at N61.582 billion from the opening balance of N57.695 billion last January.

Foreign and local investors have renewed interest in the oil and gas stocks, which was unprecedented in recent times.

Before the recent action by government, the sub-sector had witnessed persistent sell pressure, as the price of crude dropped following upset in the financial sector and on concern that measures the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) put in place to stem capital outflows would hinder their ability to sell holdings in the country.

Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Limited, Mr. Ambrose Omordion, attributed the growth in the local bourse to positive sentiments posted by oil and gas sector stocks due to hike in petrol price.

Omordion explained that many of the companies in the sector were into distribution and marketing of petroleum products with investors’ expectations that they would make higher margin.

He said: “It is positive news for both oil and banking sector because fuel importers will be able to cover more margins and repay their outstanding debt to banks.”

Analysts at ARM Securities

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Three oil firms gain N92bn in eight months Limited, reacting to the development, said that the move would provide stronger incentive for private investment in refining and distribution infrastructure.

“Under this competitive environment, players with scale advantages, good logistics network and crucially greater access to capital and FX like Total Nigeria are Mobil Oil Nigeria are our favoured picks among listed petroleum marketers,” the analysts noted.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government said recently that it had saved about N1.4 trillion that would have been paid as subsidy to oil marketers as a result of the successful deregulation of the downstream oil and

gas sector a few months ago.

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, disclosed this while speaking at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI 2016 Presidential Policy Dialogue Session, in Lagos.

He said that the Nigerian economy remained resilient despite the huge challenges and downside potentials.

Osibajo noted that most of the refineries in the country were expected to resume operation in full capacity before the end of 2017, having set a medium to long-term strategy in motion to overhaul and sort them out.

He explained that the successful deregulation of the downstream oil and gas sector

had resulted in conservation of budget resources and reduction in demand for foreign exchange.

The vice president said that the action has further reduced the need to import petrol, which was also being smuggled to the neighbouring countries due to previous price differentials.

Osibanjo said: “The immediate impact of deregulation was the availability of PMS throughout the country. This was achieved by the price of N145 per liter as against well in excess of N200 per liter that was being paid in most parts of the country prior to deregulation.

This action has also reduced daily demand for PMS from 1,600 trucks to 850 trucks per day. Of

course, the medium to long-term plan is to sort out the refineries; it is important for us to deal with refineries because, as many of us have well known, one of the largest foreign exchange cost for us is the importation of petroleum products and at the moment, most of our refineries are operating at sub-optimum and what we are able to refine is negligible compared to what is required on daily basis. So, aside waiting for the Dangote refinery, which is 50,000 to 60,000 barrels, we also intend to fix the existing refineries. Hopefully, we expect that by the end of 2017, most of the refineries will be functioning to some reasonable capacity.”

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, with Managing Director of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, Mr. Tony Attah, during a courtesy visit to the minister in Abuja.

‘Aviation, catalyst for economic growth’ DEVELOPMENT Nigeria has not yet tapped into the full potential of the aviation sector

Wole Shadare

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or any economy to grow, aviation is a crucial component that helps to speed up growth, as it cuts across spheres such as travel, tourism, agricultural production and distribution, trade and commerce, rural development, manufacturing, oil and the non-oil sector.

This was the view of former Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur, in Lagos.

Specifically, he said that the ripple effect and the value chain aviation creates is immeasurable.

He noted that Nigeria has not yet tapped into the full potential of this economic critical sector, especially with the large market that the country possesses.

Current statistics shows that the Nigerian market on its own is a market servicing over 600 million people in West and Central Africa; this is half of the continent, twice the United States and far greater than continental Europe. It is against this backdrop that the country is taking steps to rejig, revamp and re-strategise aviation to achieve maximum benefits.

This is coming at a time the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, highlighted some concern that had in the last two decades bedevilled the aviation sub-sector and government’s plan of action to address some of these challenges in the shortest time possible.

Among issues raised were security, infrastructure and a whole gamut of challenges that have been used as indexes to rate the country’s aviation low despite its market size.

Sirika, who gave a presentation on government’s activities in the subsector, highlighted some challenges, one of which is the absence of a national carrier, which had hindered the

country’s maximisation of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) and Open skies advantages.

According to Sirika, the lack of a national carrier has caused the country capital flights, lack of image and prestige and a lot of other issues bordering on the choice of an appropriate business model.

Sirika said that government needed to establish a national carrier in order to gain optional benefits from BASA, stating that the national carrier will be publicly owned and listed with institutional investors.

The Minister of State also said that once established, the carrier will form alliances with others to increase reach, flexibility and routes.

Closely knitted to the national carrier challenge is that of the lack of a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, something that is absent in the whole of West and Central Africa and has led to high maintenance cost of Nigerian airlines giving them night-

mares as that transaction is done in foreign exchange.

He said that government would create an enabling environment for the establishment of an MRO facility that will attract clientele from Africa and all over the world, adding that the facility will be encouraged to start manufacturing of aircraft spare parts with the intent of going into manufacturing for the long-term like Brazil and Ethiopia.

Because of the nature of aviation, a lot of transactions in the business are done with foreign currency, which is currently a challenge. Aircraft acquisition, purchase of spare parts, maintenance and training are also all paid for in foreign currency. However, Nigerian airlines sell their tickets in Naira and have to pay for the services enumerated above in forex.

Sirika’s said the ministry is working with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Budget and National Planning and Ministry of Finance to include airlines in priority list of foreign exchange allocation.

WEDNESDAY, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

fct business watch

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Quest for effective 2017 budget Groundwork for the 2017 budget has started in earnest, with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning reaching out to hitherto neglected critical stakeholders -members of CSOs and OPS -to guard against pitfall of the 2016 budget. ABDULWAHAB ISA reports

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very one is familiar with the glitch encountered in the 2016 budget. The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, in its determination to tackle fundamental economic challenges, proposed zero budgeting of N6.8 trillion. A maiden budget by a nascent government, it was applauded by all.

Weeks down the line, the National Assembly spotted grievous errors.

Some cabinet ministers disowned the budget presumably prepared by their ministries. Head of agencies and parastatals feigned ignorance of their budget at point of defence. Then crawled to the surface, the infamous cliche -’budget padding’.

Some eggheads at the Budget Office were quizzed; the few in commanding position were booted out. The budget office was rejigged and staff re-deployed.

The above scenarios accounted largely for the challenges the 2016 budget still grapple with today.

Of course, the slump in the major revenue source - oil and gas - currently experiencing dual difficulties both in home front and global stage, also poses major threat to the 2016 budget. Handlers of the 2016 budget allowed some indefensible gaps. This is the unanimous opinion of all.

Early start for 2017 budget A case of once beaten twice shy seems to be the basic guiding principle for the 2017 budget, which process has started in earnest. To avoid the 2016 pitfalls, egg heads saddled with the responsibility of budget preparation are already working. Leading the team is the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma. The minister had presented the 2017 budget time table before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) few months ago.

It moved a step further, giving glimpses of basic indices such as benchmark oil price for 2017 budget.

With crude oil price still oscillating at very low ebb at the international market, the Federal Government hinted that it would peg oil prices at $50 per barrel in the country’s appropriation bill in the next three years.

Udoma, who made this revelation in a chat with New Telegraph in Lagos, said the government had concluded plans to fix oil price at $50 per barrel in the upcoming budgets in the next three years

Minister for Budget and planning, Sen. Udo Udoma

whether crude oil price was above $50 per barrel or less at the international market.

According to the minister, the benchmark of the crude oil price projections became necessary in order to give the government a working clue of its expenditures in the upcoming appropriation bills.

He explained that the sudden drop in crude oil price at the international market was an eye opener for this present administration to look inward at revamping the economy.

The minister noted that the effect of the drop in oil price was the jigsaw of recent happenings in the country and her economy, adding that his ministry was well prepared for budget challenges ahead.

“We know that oil price will continue to go below for sometime.

Our projections right now, would be anything much higher than $50 per barrel in the next two or three years. Even if it goes higher than that, we will still maintain the modest price ($50 per barrel) benchmark in our oil price projections,” he said.

The minister is also carrying along Permanent secretaries in ministries, head of parastatals and agencies of government in the new approach to putting the budget in place.

The ministry, two weeks ago, organised a sensitisation workshop for permanent secretaries of federal ministries; heads/chief executives of agencies of government; directors and top officers of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on template for designing the Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS 2017-2019), the foundation for the 2017 budget.

Udoma hinted top government officials that 14 selected ministries, whose personnel will be assisted to develop and document their MTSS by experts, had been selected in the pilot stage.

The ministries tagged 14 heavy spending ministries include, Transport; Power, Works and Housing; Interior; Water Resources, and Solid Minerals Development. Others are Health; Agriculture and Rural Development;

Adeosun, Finance Minister

It will be too early to make a definite pronouncement about 2017 budget when 2016 fiscal year still subsists

Niger Delta Affairs and NDDC; Education; Defence; Federal Capital Territory; Environment; Science and Technology and Communication Technology.

Addressing participants at the workshop, which took place at the conference auditorium of the Ministry of Finance, Udoma underscored the relevance of the workshop with the theme – ‘addressing the approach to developing the medium term strategies and plan’.

“It’s clear that the task of developing MTSS is not an easy one, and MDAs will require technical advice and support to effectively accomplish the exercise. It’s in this context that the Ministry of Budget and National Planning is being assisted by the DFID to provide technical support for building the capacity of officials towards realising this important objective.

“In addition, sector experts from Ministry of Budget and National Planning will be deployed to support the MDAs during the MTSS preparation process,” he said.

Udoma said that the MTSS (2017-2019) of the selected ministries and agencies would serve as basis for their 2017 budget proposal.

In addition, he said the document would serve as credible input into the development of the 2017-2020 medium term plan currently being developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Consultation with stakeholders Unlike 2016 budget with inputs strictly limited to appointees of the government, the government seemed to have learnt lesson from previous mistake of limiting inputs and consultations to technocrats. It began earnest consultation with members of private sector of the economy and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The consultation had, thus far, held in Abuja and Lagos.

At the Abuja 2017 budget consultative forum with Civil Society Groups and organised private sector on the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework

(MEFT), Udoma gave assurance to stakeholders that the (MEFT) will be ready for submission to the National Assembly by October.

He gave insights into means of funding the budget, stating that recovered looted funds would be used in funding part of the 2017 budget.

“A significant increase in nonoil revenue receipts is projected due to a gradually recovering domestic economy and government’s expected improvement in Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tax collection efforts.

Company Income Tax is projected to increase from N1.79 trillion in 2016 to over N1.86 trillion in 2017 and beyond while Value Added Tax (VAT) collections is to increase by about 42.4 per cent in 2017. “Operating surpluses projection have been moderated downwards for 2017 and thereafter a modest growth,” he said.

The Lagos version also drew plausible attendance from CSOs and members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS). It was a frank exchange of views on how best to craft efficient budget.

CSOs laud consultations Lead Director, Civil Society Group, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyepere, said the government should learn and build on the mistakes of the 2016 budget.

“We should draw lessons from the mistakes of the last budget.

We have all seen that the revenue projections for 2016 were over optimistic. This is why we are finding it difficult to get money to fund the budget, especially the capital expenditure.

“In 2017 onwards, we should be more empirical in our revenue forecast. Let it be more realistic so that there won’t be a deviation of more than minus or plus five per cent. This is because if we have more money, we can do supplementary budgets rather than have an overly optimistic revenue projection and, at the end of the day, we are not able to fund our budget,” he said.

In his contribution, Governance Programme Manager, Actionaid Nigeria, Mr. Obo Effanga, reminded government of the limited time it had to fulfill promises.

“This administration is a four-year period and one year has gone already and even the government had admitted that the last year would be given to politics. So effectively, they have just two years left. And we are preparing the budget for one of the two years remaining. So, if we don’t make sure that this works very well, it means that we can only look up to 2018,” he said.

Conclusion It will be too early to make a definite pronouncement about 2017 budget when 2016 fiscal year still subsists. However, the Ministry of Budget and National Planning is laying good foundation for better 2017 budget.

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BUSINESS |MONEY

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t its 3rd national credit reporting conference held in Lagos a fortnight ago, the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria (CBAN) was clearly in a celebratory mood. Apart from the fact that the event was also a celebration of: “25 years of Credit Reporting in Nigeria,” the assessment of the industry’s progress by operators, regulators and stakeholders who were present, was generally positive.

Specifically, in his address at the conference, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who was represented by the Branch Controller, CBN, Lagos, Mr. James Iyari, revealed that the total number of borrowers registered by Credit Bureaus in the country increased to 33, 456, 922 as at 30th June 2016, compared with 18,640,000 recorded four years earlier. He pointed out that in December 2010, the number of borrowers registered by the Credit Bureaus stood at a mere 78, 189.

The CBN boss, who commended the Credit bureau operators for recording such a significant increase in the number of registered borrowers in less than seven years, however, charged them not to rest on their oars, as there was still a lot of work to do to ensure that the country has a robust credit reporting system.

Indeed, the general consensus at the conference seemed to be that despite the successes they have recorded, the three Credit Bureaus currently operating in the country- CRC Credit Bureau Limited, XDS Credit Bureau and CR Services Credit Bureau- still face a lot of challenges in trying to reduce the huge number (about 35million) Nigerians who lack access to financial services.

According to a report by CRC’s Credit Watch, credit data as at June 30, 2014 showed that about three million individuals and a little above 350,000 corporate organisations had applied for loans in the country. It, however, said that 86 per cent of all loans during the period were granted to corporate organisations.

The failure of most Nigerians especially operators of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to access credit from financial institutions has generally been attributed to the difficulties that lenders face in obtaining convincing credit information on prospective borrowers. As a result, incidents of borrowers taking off and refusing to repay their loans were rife.

Emergence of Credit bureaus in Nigeria It was as part of efforts to address the issue that the CBN established the Credit Risk Management System (CRMS) or Credit Bureau in the early 1990s. The initial Act empowered the CBN to obtain from all banks, returns on all credits with a minimum outstanding balance of N100,000.00 (now N1million and above of principal and interest), for compilation and dissemination by way of status report to any interest-

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Credit Bureaus record progress despite ID verification challenges Credit Bureaus in the country are reporting increases in the number of registered borrowers despite contending with identity verification issues. TONY CHUKWUNYEM writes

Emefiele

ed party (i.e. operators or regulators). It also made it mandatory for all financial institutions to render returns to the CRMS in respect of all their customers with aggregate outstanding debit balance of N1million and above.

However, following the expansion of the financial sector, the CBN, in 2008, released guidelines for the operation of private Credit Bureaus in the country. It subsequently licensed three of these firms in 2009.

Credit bureaus are institutions that collect information on a borrower’s credit history, compile information on the borrower and use the information to prepare a comprehensive credit report that is sold to the creditors.

The World Bank stated, in one of its reports, that Credit Bureaus are critical to the expansion of credit, adding that the use of Credit Bureaus’ reports increases the quality of credit decisions, lowers operational costs and provides significant risk mitigation by minimising default rates and fraud.

In fact, because of the importance of Credit Bureaus to an economy, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, provided (and continues to provide) vital technical support in the emergence of the bureaus in Nigeria and other developing countries.

Bolstering credit reporting Significantly, the close collaboration between the IFC and the CBN has resulted in the latter regularly introducing policies to strengthen the credit reporting system in Nigeria.

For instance, on November 14, 2013, the CBN revised guidelines for the licensing, operations and regulation of Credit Bureau

CBAN President, Mrs. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun

Analysts believe that the country’s lack of a central national database will continue to hinder Credit Bureaus

and credit bureau-related transactions in Nigeria. The fresh guidelines required all Credit Bureaus and end-users to establish readily accessible processes and procedures, supported by a complaint resolution unit to handle all complaints or disputes in respect of its data or operations.

It also required Credit Bureaus to render monthly returns on all disputes and complaints to the CBN, in a format approved by the apex bank.

Furthermore, the regulator has made it mandatory for all banks to obtain credit reports from at least two credit bureaus before granting any facility to their customers whilst quarterly portfolio checks must also be carried out to enable them determine borrowers’ current exposure to the financial system.

Aside from measures introduced by the CBN, Credit Bureaus, on their part, have developed strategies such as the adoption of alternative data like utility bills that would help them create a veritable substitute for financial records of MSMEs. Perhaps evidence of the progress that the sub sector has made can be seen from the fact that Credit Bureaus have moved from collecting data from only banks to collecting data from non-banking institutions including cooperative societies.

BVN, National Credit Registry Financial analysts, however, believe that Credit Bureaus will record more significant progress especially in the area of data quality and reporting when customers’ Bank Verification Number (BVN) details are made available to them. Launched by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee in February 2014, the BVN was designed to ensure that every customer

in the Nigerian banking system has a unique identification number (BVN) that can be verified across all banks in Nigeria.

Similarly, optimism is growing in financial circles that business is set to boom for Credit Bureaus following the take-off of the National Collateral Registry (NCR).

An initiative of the CBN, developed with the support of IFC, the NCR allows low-income earners and small-scale entrepreneurs to secure loans against movable assets.

Speaking at the Kaduna Interactive Forum on the NCR and Credit Reporting System last week, the NCR Registrar, Mr. Mainasara Muhammad said the collateral registry will help bridge the MSME finance gap that has been estimated to about $62 billion.

In his words: “There are about 37 million micro, small, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs), many of whom are struggling to gain access to the capital they need to grow because of they lack collateral such as land and buildings that bank usually request for. This collateral gap between the bank and MSMEs has led to a finance gap of about 62 billion dollars.”

Also speaking at the event, IFC Country Manager for Nigeria, Eme Essien Lore, said: “Nigeria is the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa and a focus country for the Universal Financial Access by 2020 initiative. This is why we are supporting the Central Bank Nigeria and other stakeholders in initiating the Collateral Registry as well as strengthening the Credit Reporting System. It has previously been implemented in other countries with amazing outcomes. For instance in Ghana, the collateral registry has facilitated $1.3 billion in financing for the small-scale business sector since it was established in 2010, and $12 billion in total financing for the business sector using movable assets as collateral. We are very excited that a registry is now also in place in Nigeria.”

Conclusion But as promising as prospects for the sub-sector may seem, analysts believe that the country’s lack of a central national database will continue to hinder Credit Bureaus.

According to a senior bank official, who did not want to be identified: “A national data base is a necessity for all countries that have flourishing Credit Bureaus. No matter the safeguards we put in place here, without a national database, a delinquent debtor can leave Lagos and relocate to Sokoto, for instance, where he will assume a new identity and perpetrate another fraud. Yes, the BVN can help to check this problem, but the way these people operate, they can only be effectively traced if we had a national database.”

BUSINESS |MONEY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

De-marketing rears its ugly head in banking industry CONCERN Analysts call for stiff penalties for offenders

Stories: Tony Chukwunyem

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here are indications that the tough business environment may have led to the re-emergence of de-marketing in the banking industry, as allegations are currently making the rounds that some banks are distressed and would soon be taken over by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

De-marketing is a term used in the Nigerian banking industry to describe competitors trying to damage the reputation of their peers in the eyes of bank customers, as the battle

for deposits in this era of Treasury Single Account (TSA) gets fiercer.

The expression is commonly used during periods of crisis in the banking industry especially either in the wake of CBN intervention in a bank or during periods of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A).

Specifically, the origin of the term’s usage in these parts can be traced to early 2006 when there was a lot of speculation about banks that failed to meet the CBN’s December 2005 recapitalisation deadline and also in 2008/2009 when the global financial crisis sparked a banking crisis in Nigeria with several lenders unable to meet their obligations to depositors.

New Telegraph’s findings reveal that the current wave of allegations of bank distress was initially triggered by the CBN’s intervention in Skye Bank in early July, which saw the apex bank appointing a new board and management for the bank.

Although in announcing the new Skye Bank team, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had stressed that the lender and was healthy and that the apex bank

had acted to prevent its prudential ratios from deteriorating to a level where it would no longer be able to meet its obligations, there were speculations that the regulator was set to intervene in two or three other banks.

In fact, the CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, seemed to have further fuelled the speculations when she told Channels Television : “We have our eyes on one or two other banks right now but they are not in a state of distress. We have our eyes on all banks”.

To calm depositors’ fears at the time, the CBN then issued statement emphasising that banks in the country were healthy.

According to the statement: “The attention of the CBN has been drawn to malicious rumours and unfounded speculations that some banks in the country may have gone or may be going distressed. The CBN wishes to reiterate in the strongest terms that these rumours and speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual health of the individual banks and, indeed, the entire industry.”

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However, a few weeks after it issued the statement and just when it appeared that confidence was returning to the industry in the aftermath of its intervention in Skye Bank, the CBN barred nine banks from the forex market on the grounds that that failed to remit $2.3billion Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) funds in line with the TSA policy.

Although the affected banks strongly denied the allegation, saying they never hid the NNPC and that several meetings had been held with the CBN to work out how and when the funds would be remitted, the development provided fresh ammunition for their competitors to resume their de-marketing campaign.

Mainly Tier 2 banks appeared to have been the main targets of this campaign.

The analysts called on the CBN to take stern measures against anyone or financial institution caught de-marketing a bank.

It will be recalled that in a circular issued in 2006, the CBN warned that any bank official involved in de-marketing will be dismissed and blacklisted for unethical and unprofessional behaviour, while the MD/CEO of the employee’s bank will be issued a letter of warning by the Governor of the CBN, which will be made public.

Also in another circular issued in 2008, the CBN threatened to impose N10 million fine on any bank involved in de-marketing.

ECOWAS, China Devt Bank pledge greater cooperation

T L-R: Executive Secretary, Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria (CBAN), Onome Ako; Registrar, National Collateral Registry, CBN, Mainasara Muhammad; Nigeria Infrastructure Project Manager, IFC/World Bank, Ubong Awah and Administrator, National Collateral Registry, CBN, Offiong Ekpeyong, during the one-day capacity building for MSMEs and financial institutions on the Credit Reporting System and National Collateral Registry held in Kaduna.

Expert warns against risk aversion in global banking

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he head of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) in sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Hugo Smit, has warned that the practice whereby banks around the world are reviewing and rationalising their correspondent banking relationships in a process known as derisking could have adverse effects for affected countries.

In a note obtained by New Telegraph, Smit noted that derisking was being driven primarily by concern about the regulatory pressures to fight money laundering and terrorist financing as well the cost of maintaining multiple relationships.

“Research published by the World Bank in November 2015 — in its report, Withdrawal from Correspondent Banking — found more than half of the banks surveyed reported a moderate or significant decline in their correspondent banking relationships in Africa. Meanwhile, data from global financial messaging co-operative SWIFT show many countries in Africa have experienced a reduction in their foreign counterparties – in other words, the foreign banks with which African banks transact overseas,” he stated.

He disclosed that South Africa, for example, lost more than 10 per cent

of its foreign counterparties between 2013 and 2015. In Angola the decline was even steeper, with the number of foreign counterparties dropping by 37 per cent in two years.

He pointed out that even while Nigeria’s international banking network has had limited derisking, its local banks have at the same time been cutting their own relationships with other African banks, financial services providers or counterparties perceived to be more risky.

According to him:“Derisking can have significant consequences for the affected countries. Cross-border trade may be significantly impeded if countries are cut off from the global financial system. Products and services such as international wire transfers, cash management services and trade finance may become difficult to access.”

In addition, he stated that for individual banks, the prospect of being derisked presents a number of challenges, which include challenges in finding alternative banking partners.

He noted: “Securing new relationships takes time and money — and banks may find that any new arrangements are based on less favourable terms and conditions. Banking cus-

tomers may also be adversely affected.

Without access to correspondent banking services, businesses and individuals may be unable to import goods from overseas.

“In turn, problems with the supply chain could push some businesses into distress and lead to greater levels of unemployment. In some cases, consumers may be unable to send remittances to family members overseas.”

The SWIFT official noted that reduced access to traditional banking channels may force people to find other ways of making and receiving payments, such as using informal money services or physically transporting cash across borders.

He however, added that these unregulated channels, may bring additional risks and leave people more vulnerable to criminal activity, pointing out that a shift away from traditional channels could even create additional opportunities for money laundering and terrorist financing activities to thrive.

“Derisking could also have a negative impact on financial inclusion rates. Typically it is the smaller, local banks that are derisked. Therefore derisking could adversely affect the services available to the poorest in society,” Smit stated.

he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the China Development Bank (CDB) are to enhance their cooperation towards yielding mutual dividends in the development of transport and maritime infrastructure, energy, agriculture and health.

Conferring with a delegation from the CDB at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, the ECOWAS Commission’s President, Marcel de Souza, said West Africa currently enjoyed just about 12 per cent of inter community trade.

Road, rail, air and sea infrastructure were, therefore, needed to fast track economic cooperation in the Region, he said.

A communiqué issued in Abuja, said Mr de Souza cited the 1,028 kilometres LagosAbidjan Road project, linking five of the region’s 12 coastal countries, in soliciting the help of the CBD for the 15 million-dollar feasibility studies being carried out.

The total cost of the project is put at 80 billion dollars, with the second phase of the project tagged ‘Abidjan-Dakar’ covering 3,260 kilometres with a feasibility studies bill of $25 million and a total cost of $25 billion.

The ECOWAS President also urged the Chinese to support the Region’s energy drive and stressed the urgent need for the massive production of rice, a staple in the Region, instead of the current heavy dependence on importation of the product.

In the same vein, the President sought support for the plan to establish six hospitals of reference to help in the continuous arrest, (post Ebola and Zika viruses) of other diseases such as Lassa fever, and cholera, which ravaged the area.

Mr de Souza also lauded the CBD for taking into account the Region’s ‘action needs’, which represented the kind of steps that should be taken to get closer to the population of the Region.

He cited the cooperation with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for the support of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) as well as infrastructure and appealed that the prospective loans be granted on soft conditions.

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BUSINESS | INVESTOR

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Uproar over proposed unclaimed dividend rule

Shareholders have opposed the proposed rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that unclaimed dividend by shareholders 12 years after the date of declaration be transferred into the Nigerian Capital Market Development Fund (NCMDF). CHRIS UGWU reports

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inding lasting solution to the problem of unclaimed dividend in Nigeria has remained a thorny issue that seems to have defied solutions despite the aggressive drive of the stock market regulators at ensuring that dividend payout by companies are received by investors promptly.

Due to the challenges by the inability to stem the ugly tide, investors’ returns on investment have continued to accumulate year-on-year without being claimed.

It is obvious that the clamour to find answer to the ugly trend is already at alarming rate. Institutional and corporate agencies, shareholders, associations, individuals and other government agencies had at one time or the other called for research and study that would assess the problems and proffer solution to this ever increasing rate of unclaimed dividend.

The e-dividend system of payment, which was the most recent introduced by the SEC in a bid to address the delay associated with the verification of proceeds of public offers as well as delay encountered by investors in getting returns on their investments has not recorded appreciable impact to help in war against this menace. At the last count, only 6000 investors had complied with the e-system contrary to expectation of the SEC that the renewed campaign on e-dividend would have raked in between 500,000 and one million compliance from investors.

According to experts, the ugly trend might be sustained unless all stakeholders step up awareness campaign and other farreaching measures are initiated to urgently address the numerous challenges confronting the process of dividend payment and collection.

Current value of unclaimed dividend Contrary to expectations that efforts of regulators and other stakeholders will lead to a significant reduction in unclaimed dividends, the investors’ return on investment have continued to rise year-on-year without being claimed.

Trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange

Investigation by this newspaper revealed the value of the unclaimed dividends had increased to about N90 billion as at the first quarter of 2016.

A senior staff of the SEC on the condition of anonymity told our correspondent that various efforts were being implemented to bring down the value, which according to him, has been of great concern to market regulators and investors.

He expressed disappointment that the e-dividend system of payment, which was introduced by the SEC and adjudged to be more acceptable in an efforts to address the delays associated with the verification of proceeds of public offers as well as delay encountered by investors in getting returns on their investments has not fully curb the trend.

12 years unclaimed dividend rule In a bid to reduce or eliminate the increasing incidence of unclaimed dividend, and pursuant to the provisions of Section 313(1) (n) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007, the Commission had recently proposed rule on application of 12 years and above unclaimed dividends.

SEC in a circular obtained by New Telegraph, proposed that companies and registrars in custody of dividends, which remain unclaimed by shareholders 12 years after the date of declaration or subsequently attain the 12 years threshold shall upon the coming into effect of this rule transfer such monies into the Nigerian Capital Market Development Fund (NCMDF).

The Commission added that all companies and registrars shall not later than 30 days after the end of every calendar year forward to the Commission a report of unclaimed dividends in their custody, which shall specify compliance with Sub Rule (1) of this Rule.

According to SEC, companies shall also disclose details of compliance with this rule in their annual reports.

The Commission, however, urged all comments and input should be forwarded to the Secretariat, Rules Committee of the

Commission or through the DG, SEC, not later than two weeks from the date of publication.

If the proposed rule is passed, it would amount to a case of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul

Shareholders’ dissenting voice Some shareholders have objected to the proposed rule contending that it was an indirect way by the government to control the fund and that as a private sector problem, it should be resolved by the private sector.

They insisted that any fund that the government initiates or is in anyway involved in would be mismanaged.

Reacting to the development, a shareholder activist and cofounder of Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), Alhaji Gbadebo Olatokunbo, in an exclusive chat with this newspaper, said the rule will hit the brick wall. He added that if the proposed rule is passed, it would amount to a case of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, as shareholders may lose the monies within a shorter period of time than 12 years, which was the length of time allowed before the dividend becomes status barred.

Olatokunbo noted that the proposed rule was a surprise to him after his recent accolades to the proactiveness of SEC on unclaimed dividend matters.

He said: “Really, one continues to wonder on this movement in circle on what to do with the huge amount in unclaimed dividends, despite the known facts that the rules were already established on it.

“It is also a surprise that the regulatory agencies that supposed to cater for the investing public and their investments, were the same organs that were always in vanguard of destroying the space to breath and develop.

“I respectfully wish to ask the following questions on which l intend to base shareholders’ objection to the proposal: Who owns the companies, is it the investors or SEC? What are the free services rendered by the regulatory agencies to the companies? Is the proposed rule on unclaimed-dividend an incentive to investors or disincentive? Do the shareholders/investors share from the profit of the regulatory agencies?

Whose baby is “Nigerian Capital Market Development Fund” (NCMDF)? Who is supposed to fund/ cater/nurse NCMDF? “It is hoped that, if sincere deep reflection on the above questions with the intention of honest reaction by SEC, would be contemplated, then the indication to SEC, would be that the so called new proposal on Unclaimed Dividends might be called; ‘Regulatory Recklessness or Radicalism and Impunity’ which is the grand-mother of corruption.

“We hereby wish to advice SEC and her co-travellers to focus more on solving the issues surrounding unclaimed-dividend, than looking for them to start once again on how to acquire what does not belong to them under the guise of regulations.

“Unclaimed dividends belong to shareholders, who were the owners of companies and it will go back to the companies after 12 years, which is legitimate.

“We call on the Federal Government to urgently call the regulatory agencies to order, before they add more damage to our already sick economy.”

President, Constance Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Mallam Mikail, said there was need for SEC to educate the shareholders on what the development fund is meant for, who are going to manage the fund and the beneficiaries of the fund, whether companies, shareholders or the government.

“SEC is suppose to know that introducing the development fund is not going to boost investors’ confidence because it has not given us details about the management of the fund. They should have allowed the fund to be given back to companies and initiate policies that enable shareholders to claim their dividend any time.

“It is a ploy to divert the money to government coffers and we are not going to accept it. What they need to do now is to increase more awareness on the use of e-dividend and allow the money go back to the companies to help them in turnaround, especially now that the economy is in recession,” Mikail said.

President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie, said: “We can only support the rule if I’m convinced that shareholders are part of the management of the fund. The fund should be free from government interest. If it is tailored towards development of capital market, we will support it.”

Conclusion While the entire capital market may require some reforms in order to make it more efficient and responsive to the capital formation needs of the country, caution must be taken to ensure such reforms at this stage of the development of the market do not negatively affect shareholders and consequently discourage them from investing in equities, which is the major cheap longterm source of capital available to companies in the market place today.

WEDNESDAY, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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maritime

A vessel rescued by Nigerian Navy from pirates on Nigerian waters

Why vessel protection gulps 56% of expenditure Tanker owners are now spending huge amount of money to protect shippers’ cargoes in the Gulf of Guinea compared to what they spend in Asia.

BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

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espite a code of conduct adopted three years ago in Yaounde, Cameroon, to tackle piracy in Gulf of Guinea, shipping lines are still experiencing difficult times in the region.

A protected anchorage running up to 250 miles offshore in the Gulf of Guinea covered by security guards from coastal countries still pose greater challenges to ship owners.

The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko), one of the largest groups in the shipping industry, with 210 full members and 268 associate members holding a registered f leet of over 3,600 tankers of over 312 million dead weight (dwt), said that the amount being spent to fight piracy was on the increase.

Challenges The group complained that around eight per cent of the total economic cost of tackling piracy in the Western Indian Ocean was spent in 2014 alone, They noted that close to $175 million was spent on insurance and labour within the period.

The ship owners added that 56 per cent of the expenditure, amounting to $1.2 billion, had been spent on industry employed vessel protection measures such as armed guards, security equipment, increasing speed and re-routing of ships.

They also noted that a new group called Niger Delta Avengers had made insurance premi-

ums to go up.

According to Intertanko, “region around Nigeria is a war zone and tankers lifting cargoes or passing from nearby waters have to pay a higher premium.”

They explained that despite the resources committed to protect the ships, cargoes and the crew, sea robbery incidents in Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana and other countries in the Gulf of Guinea had pushed up insurance premiums for ships sailing in the region.

The ship owners said that the Maritime Trade and Information Sharing Centre (MTISC), which could have assisted them had been closed down last June due to political differences and lack of information sharing among some countries in the region.

Gulf of Guinea Also, the group noted that global piracy had shifted from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Guinea with a surge of attacks in West African countries.

Intertanko’s regional manager, Mr. Tim Wilkins, said at an international shipping seminar in Singapore that curbing piracy in Gulf of Aden was a success story but that the problem was not going away in Nigeria and other countries in the region.

Wilkins said that some of the robbers were more aggressive in the use of firepower, quickly deploying semi-automatic weapons in a well coordinated manner.

He noted that the restrictions

$1.2 billion, had been spent on industry employed vessel protection measures

on the use of private armed guards on board ships passing through the Gulf of Guinea had strategically limited ship owners’ ability to tackle the menace of sea robbers.

Wilkins noted: “Unlike the Gulf of Aden where private armed guards were widely available and worked successfully, the situation is different in the Gulf of Guinea where such personnel can only be hired from the coastal states in the region.”

However, he said that new initiatives were being considered to turn around the situation.

Information leakages The ship owners noted that some of the private security personnel employed from the coastal countries had been leaking information to criminal elements.

Already, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) report revealed that the Gulf of Guinea accounted for seven of the world’s 10 kidnapping incidents on sea during the first half of 2016, while many assaults were unreported.

Insurance premiums Wilkins said that there were no specific statistics on the recent increase in insurance premiums for ships passing through the Gulf of Guinea, noting they varied on a weekly and case-by-case basis depending on the threat perception and its assessment by the underwriters.

According to an international piracy watchdog, Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) report, the number of piracy and armed

robbery cases against ships in Asia, including both actual and attempted, were estimated at 47 in seven months, from January to July this year compared with more than a decade high of 203 last year and 187 in 2014.

It was learnt that ReCAAP had made siphoning and theft of oil less lucrative for sales in the black market.

The watchdog noted that arrests of perpetrators of such crimes and better patrolling of the Strait of Malacca by countries such as Indonesia had served as deterrent.

However, in the Gulf of Guinea, IMB’s director, Pottengal Mukundan, said in a statement in July that rather than oil tankers being hijacked for their cargo, there was an increasing number of incidents of crew being kidnapped for ransom.

But ReCAAP data explained that between March and July this year, there were six incidents related to abduction of crew across eastern Sabah.

The data revealed that out of a total of 33 crew members abducted, 15 were still being held hostage.

Also, IMB said that of the 44 crew captured for ransom in the first half of 2016, 24 of them were in Nigeria.

Executive Director, ReCAAP, Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, said that poverty-alleviation and employment generation could be the long-term solutions to tackle sea-robbery and piracy.

Conclusion Reporting piracy incidents to Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) will quicken flow of information and limit the huge amount spent on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

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business \ maritime

DEVELOPMENT

A lot of transformation has taken place in the ports due to cutting edge technology and quantum investments sunk into the infrastructure Stories Bayo Akomolafe

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espite the huge investments at the ports, shippers, importers and exporters are experiencing stress and hardship at the Nigerian ports.

The President, Shippers’ Association Lagos State, Rev. Jonathan Nicol, disclosed this in Lagos.

He said this while delivering a paper titled: ‘Shippers’ Perspective on the decade of Nigerian ports concession,’ at a summit organised

by Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) at its International Press Centre in Apapa.

He explained that a lot of things had changed negatively to the detriment of Federal Government and the people.

Nicol noted that revenue to the Federal Government had depleted, while the space for development of ship building yards was nowhere to be found.

According to him, there are quantum loss of cargo to other African ports, uncontrolled increment of charges and corruption in the country’s seaports.

He added: “We have not yet dispensed with all these vices that prompted Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to sell their assets to private partners.

“Our port environment as at now is a disaster. The port development without an access road is a failure.

“Our port is the dirtiest in the sub-region of West Africa. Shippers score the terminal operators low. We are now experiencing poverty as never before at our domain of operations.”

The president appealed to concessionaires to accept the port economic regulator appointed by the Federal Government and work in accordance with international best practices.

Also, he advised the terminal operators to bring down cost of operational charges and work towards revamping the port system, noting that more cargoes were being lost to other Africa Ports.

WEDNESDAY, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Shippers, importers lament hardship at ports

The president said: “We cannot compare any Nigerian ports to Colombo Port, Sri Lanka.

Their ports authority is into private partnership but government has 25 per cent of the equity in all their ports. They have more equipment than the workers in their ports.

“They are so ahead that even their customs

office and operations are outside the ports.

Sri Lanka has seven ports within their jurisdiction operating mainly as a transit port.

“These ports are handling between five and seven million Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) in a year. They have a firm building service boats and lighter vessels

free to support the Sri Lankan Government.”

Also speaking, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello, said that the desire by the Federal Government to implement reforms in the Nigerian maritime sector was being resisted by some seaport terminal operators.

Bello bemoaned the attitude of some seaport terminal operators to the change mantra of the Federal Government.

He explained that port concessionaires, shipping companies and others had shown enough courage to invest in Nigeria but had the option to move elsewhere.

He stressed the need

for the private sector to behave responsibly.

Below noted: “There are a lot of sharp practices going on inside the ports like not positioning the containers when it is time to do so and rent seeking activities.

“We have found out that some terminal operators are very far ahead than others.

L-R: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Lead Consultant, Mr. Brian Cranmer, at a five-day training jointly organised by IMO and NIMASA on International Ship and Port facility Security (ISPS) code compliance, in Lagos.

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he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has said that two phases of examination of cargoes will be conducted in all the terminals operating under its command from this week.

The Controller of the command, Comptroller Yusuf Bashar, disclosed this when he met with stakeholders and executives of freight forwarding associations at the command in Lagos.

The meeting, which was convened at the instance of the area controller, according to a statement, was aimed at identifying grey areas that could hinder the concept of trade facilitation and promotion of international trade, with a view to proffering solutions.

He noted that trade

N

igerian Por ts Authority (NPA) has said that the tariffs charged at ports would be review upward and downward in order to encourage competition and more ship traffic to the seaports.

Managing Director of the authority, Hadiza Usman, said at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos that government could not afford

Customs to conduct double examination on cargoes facilitation could be achieved in an atmosphere of honest declaration, which would ultimately allow for a seamless flow of documentation in the system.

In a statement by the command’s spokesman, Uche Ejesieme, the controller said that trade facilitation could be achieved in an atmosphere of honest declaration and seamless flow of documentation in the system.

Bashar stressed the need for customs agents to take advantage of the full automation of customs’ processes and procedures for the advancement of their transactions.

The controller charged them to be compliant in all ramifications to avoid delays in the clearance of goods at the ports.

He noted that NCS had what it takes in terms of advanced technology to monitor transactions and ensure that revenue leakages are blocked.

The controller also handed over a 40 feet container of suspected expired medical devices to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

He also handed over two smugglers to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for forgery of SON Conformity Assessment Programme

(SONCAP) document.

Bashar promised to promote the Customs Comptroller General’s inter-agency collaboration and synergy agenda at the command.

Meanwhile, the service has generated N26.2 billion in the last one month.

Bashar explained the amount generated was due to the operational reforms and policies of the service.

He noted that the command had created necessary awareness to enable stakeholders comply with the Federal Government’s fiscal policies on terms of trade at the port.

Also, the controller said that the full auto-

NPA to review port tariffs to let the nation’s traffic be taken away by the neighbouring ports.

To this end, she said that the management of the authority would ensure operational efficiency in all the ports in order to attract more business into the country.

Usman added that NPA would prioritise

port community system through the single window.

Also, the managing director said that the issue of security at the water front would be addressed.

Usman said: “Our vision is transparency and efficiency; we will demystify our operations. There will be no

subjectivity as we implement our policies and we will ensure that there is clean financial process.”

She added that NPA would work with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on standards to boost

mation and computerisation of Customs processes and procedures had helped in enhancing the general performance of the Service, coupled with his insistence that due diligence must be followed in all transactions.

He stated further that the Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (CCCIS) is a way of further enhancing and perfecting operational processes at the Ports. The Controller stressed that all these measures were put in place to curb sharp practices and for the purpose of re-engineering the entire operational and data system for the actualization of desired results. exports at port.

Usman also assured the stakeholders that there would be more capital spending on infrastructure.

She stressed the need to link the port with rail lines in order to fast track cargo movement from the port to the hinterland.

“We would work faster on port access roads rehabilitation”, she said

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WEDNESDAY, september 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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NIMASA moves to implement ISPS Code TRANSFORMATION Agency’s repositioning initiative would be beneficial to the entire maritime sector Bayo Akomolafe

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he Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is to embark on full implementation and enforcement of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) code at the nation’s ports.

The Director General of the agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, stated this in Lagos.

He spoke at the opening ceremony of a five-day train-

ing programme facilitated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in conjunction with NIMASA on ISPS code compliance.

Peterside in a statement by the agency explained that skilled, efficient and talented workers were critical to the growth of the maritime sector.

The director general said that the agency would continue to equip its staff with new knowledge, skills and technologies necessary to ensure compliance with the ISPS Code.

Also, Peterside stated during the training programme tagged: “Train the trainer”, that a good security in the maritime industry required careful planning and stringent implementation.

He said that the agency was

very committed to improving the fortunes of Nigeria by creating an enabling environment for a business friendly and secure environment for stakeholders in the industry and the country at large.

The director general acknowledged the International Co-operation Unit of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

He said that the training was predicated on the premise that a fact-finding team was in Nigerian earlier in the year to conduct a needs assessment where a number of gaps were identified.

Meanwhile, the director general has said that the agency would soon become a world class, high performance agency.

Peterside disclosed this in Lagos during the Management

Performance Review (MPR) of the agency.

He explained that the agency’s repositioning initiative would be beneficial to the entire maritime sector when concluded.

Peterside said that MPR was an avenue to assess the progress being made by NIMASA vis-avis its reform, restructuring and repositioning drive to ensure that the agency’s mandate was achieved.

The director general noted that there was no organisation that could grow without innovation, stressing that MPR afforded the agency a rare opportunity to assess its journey so far.

He recalled: “When I joined you in NIMASA, we sat down and agreed to build a world

class high performance organisation.

“In subscribing to that, we set out to craft a Medium Term Strategic (MTS) plan, which would be our roadmap. We have already started the critical elements of the things we agreed that are necessary to build a world class maritime organisation.

“One is the automation of our processes, and to fast track this, we set up a special taskforce. It is our vision that

by October, NIMASA would be fully automated.”

Peterside said that the dream of NIMASA was to be recognised as the foremost maritime regulatory agency in Africa that is the pride of the continent.

Customs generate N34.9bn revenue at Lagos Port

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he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area 1 Command, has generated N34.9 billion at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, in the month of August 2016.

The amount, which is the highest collection of monthly revenue since the beginning of the year, is also the highest monthly generated revenue by any customs command in the country in the last 10 years, according to the command’s spokesman, Emmanuel Ekpa.

He said the figure is about N8 billion higher than the N27 billion collected in July 2016.

He said that 16 containers were seized by the command for false declaration.

Ekpa attributed the recent figure to increased supervision, closer monitoring and regular outreach to importers and agents on the need to comply while issuing demand notices for infractions when under-declaration is detected.

He noted that the Controller of the command, Willy Egbudin, had been paying surprise visits to various units and terminals to ensure that officers remain at their duty posts during specified work hours.

Ekpa said: “A remarkable feature of this is that it was made at a time the ports were said to be having low volume of trade and shipping companies reported to be leaving the country in the face of some trade restrictions and high exchange rate regime.

“Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Willy Egbudin, has persistently urged officers of the command to continually work to redouble their efforts in maximum revenue collection, speed in legitimate trade facilitation and uncompromising enforcement of all customs laws.”

Empty Lilypond Container terminal at Ijora, Lagos

Tony Anichebe Uyo

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kwa Ibom State G over n ment has concluded plans to open up the Oron-Calabar route and other unveiled water channels to boost maritime transportation in the state.

The move is aimed at providing travelers with a better alternative and best services that meet standard practice in water transportation as obtained the world over.

Speaking with New Telegraph, the state Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Godwin Ntukudeh, said that the maritime sector was a very vast area that could accommodate big time maritime business transactions and trade activities besides being used as routes.

Ntukudeh stressed that the state had the longest coastline in the country, occupying 129 kilometers stretch of coastline, which positions the state strategically as an economic hub within the gulf of guinea.

Akwa Ibom to develop marine transport He said: “We have concluded arrangement to open up the Oron-Calabar route. We are also working earnestly to introduce the new line.

“We intend to introduce a line from Le Meridian Hotel/Nwaniba axis to Tinapa in Cala-

bar for executive travels.

“It could also mean that those who would come in from Tinapa can come in to play golf there and then return, because of the types of boats we are considering for the route to give such executive treats.

“But what we will also do is to ensure that the Oron axis to Calabar and to the Gulf of Guinea is also re-activated and made possible.

“We are considering that very seriously, and we believe that with the investor that we have

Stakeholders differ on Customs CG’s performance

O

pinions of maritime stakeholders have differed following the poll conducted by Nigeria’s leading maritime firm, Ships & Ports Communication Limited, on twitter to ascertain the views of people on the achievement of the Customs Comptroller-General, Hammed Ali, after one year in office.

While some of them said that the Customs boss had tried his best, others rated his performance as poor.

Of the 81 people that responded to the poll, 44 per cent rated Ali’s performance poor; 17 per cent rated him fair; 30 per cent scored him good, while nine per cent said his performance

was excellent.

Giving the cacophony of voices that greeted his appointment by President Muhammed Buhari, Ships & Ports, the voice of the maritime industry, went to town to gauge people’s opinion a year after and to hear their suggestions on whether there are areas of improvement.

President, Nigerian Association of Stevedoring Companies, Bolaji Sunmola, said that as far as he was concerned, Ali’s tenure had not made any significant impact on Customs operations so far.

He said: “Everything is still as going as usual.

I read in the newspaper recently about the flying of containers from Tin

Can and I wondered if that is still happening that some containers go out at night without the owners paying their duties. I have not seen the impact of the ‘Iron man’ there.”

Director-General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Ify Anazonwu-Akerele, said: “I think he is working, he seems a bit fearless stepping on toes but you have to step on toes really if you want to get something done.

“Generally, he has met a bad situation because importation has dropped, Customs revenue has dropped, he is facing a very uphill task but a no-nonsense approach is what we see.

There is a bit of sanity in that area.”

found, everything being equal and when the governor is through with his appraisal, we will commence the take-off of operations. We have been able to activate series of activities.”

The commissioner explained that the government was reinjecting life back to the dormant beaches, which were scattered across the state as economic activities are to be stepped up in such areas.

He noted that the state had embarked on reactivating series of activities at the dormant beaches at Ibeno, Itu, Ibiono Ibom, Oron, Uruan and Eastern Obolo.

Ntukudeh stressed that the government was engaging the private sector in the Nwaniba water ways transport development initiative.

He also added that the state’s Ministry of Transport had identified the maritime sector as a gold mine that needed to be properly harnessed with the involvement of stakeholders in order to boost the revenue profile of the state.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Literature

Arts

Socio-cultural, political developments of contemporary

Society for Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) performing at the 2014 edition of MUSON festival

MUSON Festival at 20: Feast of music, dance, drama, creativity Tony Okuyeme

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head of the 20th anniversary of the MUSON Festival of the Arts scheduled to hold in October this year, the organisers of the yearly event, have unveiled series of activities that will make this year’s edition a bumper package.

This year’s festival programme includes traditional MUSON Festival favourites: My Kind of Music, featuring Banke Ademola, Ifeoma Fafunwa, Benson Idonije and Yemisi Shyllon; Chevron Festival Drama: The Wives Revolt – by J. P. Clark; Total Festival Opera: The Bartered Bride by Bedrich Smetana; MUSON Day Concert; Musiquest/Youth Concert; Jazz Night; and Classical Concert featuring MUSON Orchestra conducted

TONY OKUYEME ARTS EDITOR

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

by

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cal music should feel at home and find something of interest in the Festival. For in the final analysis, MUSON exists as a heritage for all Nigerians. It has become a reality through the cooperation and contributions (in cash or in kind) of a large number of Nigerians and Nigerian companies, ably led and inspired by my two distinguished predecessors Chief Ayo Rosiji and Mr. Akintola Williams.

“The events featured in the first festival were: two Piano Recitals; a Children’s Concert; an Art Exhibition; Drama Presentations; African and Classical Music Appreciation Lectures; Nigerian Traditional Music and Dance; and two Concerts by MUSON Artistes and Choir. Each successive festival has adopted basically the same format, but with variations, depending on available material. The formation of the MUSON Symphony Orchestra has introduced a new dimension and we look forward to their concert under the baton of our visiting maestro Michael Vollhardt,” Mbanefo said.

He also noted that MUSON was in financial straits and it needed funds urgently to enable it to carry out many of its activities.

He blamed the situation on the lack of appreciation for cultural productions among the Nigerian elite and the present downturn in the economy.

He said: “A festival of this nature cannot take place without considerable contributions and hard work by a large number of people – the organisers, financial contributors, performers and artistes, as well as the management team of MUSON.” Mbanefo appealed for financial support from well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations and stakeholders in the arts and culture sector.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Chairman, 20th MUSON Festival Planning Committee, Kitoyi Ibare-Akinsan, also noted that the scope of the festival have, over the years, included classical music, jazz, drama, poetry, visual arts exhibition, Nigerian youth talent competition and concert, Nigerian traditional music and dance and choral music and opera. However the scope and content of each year’s festival has ebbed and flowed with the quantum of funds available for staging it.

marks a celebration of the fact that Walter-Michael Vollhardt. the ‘MUSON Concept’ has taken Announcing the programme for firm root. From an idea some this year’s festival at a press brieffourteen years ago of a modest Soing in Lagos, the Vice-Chairman ciety set up to organise concerts, it of MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, has grown into a centre of musical Mr. Louis Mbanefo SAN, noted that excellence, a rallying-point for the the annual festival has become the realization of artistic dreams and major item in the MUSON calendar. a socio-cultural venue.”

The idea of He recalled that in the same way He added that whilst the main that the founders of MUSON never focus of the Society is on the proa full-scale dreamt that their modest aspiramotion of the enjoyment and unfestival tions to create an avenue for the derstanding of classical music, enjoyment of classical music would any activity which would tend to continued to blossom into a highly successful orpromote the Society itself must germinate and be a necessary concomitant. ganisation, he also never dreamt that the experiment of staging a “That is the rationale for the blossomed festival in 1997 (during my Chairinclusion within our programme manship of MUSON) would lead to of a wide range of events from 20 consecutive years of highly sucdrama presentation and art excessful Festivals. hibition to traditional music and According to him, “In January dance. Even those who profess 1996, we held a ‘Mini Festival’ in the no particular affinity with classiMUSON Centre. That was the name we gave to a fixture of three consecutive nights of varied concerts given by first-class performers from the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow.

“The idea of a full-scale festival continued to germinate and blossomed into a plan to hold a one -week festival which would coincide not only with the third anniversary of the MUSON Centre, but also with the 80th birthday of our first Chairman, and now Patron, Chief Ayo Rosiji. Both events fall on the 24th February 1997.

“This first MUSON festival also L-R: Efe Paul Azino, GM of MUSON, Gboyega Banjo, Ibare-Akinsan, Mrs Yetunde Francesca Emanuel and Mbanefo at the conference

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEWS Experts ponder on role of drama, theatre in literacy development Tony Okuyeme

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his year marks the 50th anniversary of the International Literacy Day which was first observed in September 8, 1966 and has since been designated

by UNESCO, as a day by member states of UNESCO to commemorate the day, with a view to promoting literacy for all.

Abuja based theatre outfit, Arojah Royal Theatre and Creative Arts and Visual Imagery Centre (CAVIC) will join the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s International Literacy Day, with focus on the role of drama/theatre in literacy development.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Literacy Day and a big event is scheduled to hold in Paris to celebrate this milestone. However, for us in Nigeria, with a literacy rate of just a little above 50%, the focus is not to celebrate but to engage with ourselves with a view to enhancing literacy rate in Nigeria,” artistic director of Arojah Royal Theatre and convener of the Literacy Day Interactive session, Om’Óba Jerry Adesewo stated.

He added, “Since we know that government cannot do it all, as professionals in our own field, we are looking at how we can contribute to the development of literacy in Nigeria.

“So, come Thursday September 8, theatre practitioners in Abuja and other professionals from the art community and education sector will gather at CAVIC to examine the important role of drama/theatre in the development of literacy in Nigeria, with a view to integrating this into their activities and projects.”

Expected at the interaction are a former National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Professor Jerry Agada; Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma; and Mrs. Mosunsola Nkanga, of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP); National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Mallam Denja Abdullahi; the National Vice President of Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN), Mrs. Irene Mbanefo and a host of others.

Changing Times, Oshinowo’s solo exhibition holds in Lagos

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solo exhibition of works by celebrated artist, Kolade Oshinowo holds opens on Saturday, September 17, at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exhibition titled Changing Times, runs till Tuesday September 27, and features recent works by the artist.

The master painter and portraitist has over the years consistently produced engaging works drawing the viewer in as a participant rather than an admirer.

His paintings engage the world around him; communicating that indeed “art is life”.

The artist has participated in various art competitions in which he won prizes. Oshinowo is a teacher who had lots of art students pass through his wealth of experience.

Tributes as literary icon, Okpewho dies at 74

He’s among our brightest, best writers in literary criticism – Ofeimun Tony Okuyeme

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otable scholar of oral literature and awardwinning novelist, Isidore Okpewho, has passed on. He died at 74.

A prolific author, co-author and editor of about 14 books, dozens of articles and a seminal booklet, ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Scholar’, Prof. Okpewho died peacefully at a hospital in Binghamton, a town in Upstate New York where he had lived and taught since 1991.

Okpewho’s teaching career spanned the University of New York at Buffalo (1974-76), University of Ibadan (1976-90), Harvard University (1990-91), and State University of New York at Binghamton.

Canada-based Nigerian writer and professor in Carleton University, Nduka Otiono, quoting family sources, stated that the distinguished Professor at State University of New York, Binghamton, passed away Isadora Okpewho on September 4, 2016, surrounded by family members.

Although he battled a particular illness recently, the scholar and humanist demonstrated exceptional capacity in dealing with his challenging health conditions.

Two years ago, his last book to which he had long committed his intellectual resources, Blood on the Tides: The Ozidi Saga and Oral Epic Narratology, was published by the University of Rochester Press.

Born on November 9, 1941 in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria, Okpewho grew up in Asaba, his maternal hometown, where he attended St. Patrick’s College, Asaba. He proceeded to the University College, Ibadan, for his university education. He graduated with a First Class Honours in Classics, and moved on to launch a glorious career: first in publishing at Longman Publishers, and then as an academic after obtaining his PhD from the University of Denver, USA. He crowned his certification with a D.Litt from University of London.

With his two earliest seminal academic monographs, The Epic in Africa: Toward a Poetics of the Oral Performance (1979) and Myth in Africa: A Study of Its Aesthetic and Cultural Relevance (1983), Okpewho quickly established his reputation as a first-rate scholar and pioneer of Oral Literature in Africa. For his distinctive and prolific output he was honoured with a string of international academic and non-academic awards that included the Nigerian National Order of

He is among our brightest and best writers in literary criticism and creative writing

ART

35

Merit (NNOM), in Humanities for the year 2010.

As a writer noted, “Recognition for Professor Okpewho’s work has come with some of the most prestigious fellowships in the humanities: from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (1982), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1982), Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford (1988), the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard (1990), National Humanities Center in North Carolina (1997), and the Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2003).

He was also elected Folklore Fellow International by the Finnish Academy of the Sciences in Helsinki (1993).”

Prof. Okpewho also served as President of the International Society for the Oral Literatures of Africa (ISOLA).

For his creative writing work, Okpewho won the 1976 African Arts Prize for Literature and 1993 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book Africa.

His four novels, The Victims, 1970; The Last Duty, 1976; Tides, 1993; and Call Me By My Rightful Name, 2004, are widely studied in Africa and other parts of the world, and some of them translated into major world languages. His non-fiction works include “The Epic in Africa: Toward a Poetics of the Oral Performance”, Columbia University Press, 1979; “Myth in Africa: A Study of Its Aesthetic and Cultural Relevance”, CUP Archive 1983; “African Oral Literature: Backgrounds, Character, and Continuity”, 1992. Once Upon a Kingdom: Myth, Hegemony, and Identity, 1998.

“We will miss his charming presence, warm-heartedness, and wise guidance,” said a member of the family last night in Binghamton, New York.

“But we are consoled by the great life he lived, the many lives he touched beyond the nuclear family, and the remarkable intellectual legacy he left behind.”

Reacting to the demise of the literary icon, renowned dramatist and critic, Prof. Femi Osofisan described the late Isadora Okpewho as an outstanding scholar.

He said: “It is a tragic news. We have lost an outstanding scholar and great writer. May his soul rest in peace.”

Also, former director general of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) and currently the Dean, Student Affairs, University of Lagos, Prof. Tunde Babawale expressed shock at the news, saying, “It is a great loss to oral literature in Africa and the academia at large. May his soul rest in peace.”

Poet, critic and author, Odia Ofeimun in his reaction said: “Isadora Okpewho is among our brightest and best writers in literary criticism and creative writing. He is among the best few in Africa. May his soul rest in peace.”

Celebrated playwright, actor and theatre director, Prof. Ahmed Yerima described the news as tragic, noting that “the death of Isadore Okpewho marks another fall of an icon of the early scholars of African literature. He gave African oral literature face, depth and content. He was an articulate deep thinker for oral African literature.”

Prof. Okpewho is survived by his wife, Mrs. Obiageli Okpewho; his children: Ediru, Ugo, Afigo, and Onome, as well as members of his extended family. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family in the coming days.

He won the 1976 African Arts Prize for Literature, and 1993 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Best Book Africa.

Okpewho was born in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. He graduated from the University of London, and from the University of Denver with a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, and from the University of London with a D.Lit. in the Humanities. He taught at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York from 1974 to 1976, University of Ibadan from 1976 to 1990, Harvard University from 1990 to 1991, and Binghamton University.

He was a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 1982, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 1982, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in 1988, the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute in 1990, National Humanities Center in 1997, and 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship.

36

LITERATURE

Socio-cultural, political developments of contemporary Nigerian film industry

B

arclays Ayakoroma’s “Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected Genres” has provided respite to researchers on Nigerian cinema, film history, theory, criticism and the culture of film scholarship in Nigeria.

The 365-page book achieves this by virtually dwelling on diverse aspects of theoretical tradition, taxonomy and critical establishment of film, with focus Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. In his Forward to the book Femi Shaka, a Professor of film studies in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, validates this point when he writes that “the fascinating aspect of the work exploits the theories of film genres as a framework for the analysis of the genres in the Nigerian film industry. Film scholarship, like the older art disciplines like literary studies, mass communication, theatre arts, fine arts, genre studies, and so on, is replete with critical models for textual analysis.

They range from genre criticism, to auteurism, to psychoanalytic criticism, to postcolonial discourse and criticism, feminist criticism, structuralism, post- structuralism, deconstruction, modernism, postmodernism and so on” (p.12).

He further observed that this book with five parts is out to help other books like Jonathan Haynes’ anthology, “Nigerian Video Films”, Mathias Krings and Onookome Okome’s anthology, “Global Nollywood: Transnational Dimensions of an African Video Film Industry”, Abdallah Uba Adamu’s “Passage from India-Transnational Media Flows and African Cinema: The Video Film in Northern Nigeria” and Innocent Ebere Uwah’s “The Rhetoric of Culture in Nollywood” to define film studies and its industry whose UNESCO rating is the third largest film culture in the world. To justify this, the author in his introduction, traces how the introduction of television in Nigeria in 1959 offered Nigerians the opportunity to share in various televised experiences.

Part one of the book captures the background of Nollywood as a contemporary Nigerian film industry by first examining the historical milieu of film in Nigeria. Thomas Armat perfected projector in 1885 but it was 18 years after, which was in 1903, that Nigeria came in contact with film when Edwin Porter produced the first feature film, “The Great Train Robbery”. The Church and colonial government took interest in film as a medium of communication; hence they used it to achieve their goals.

Afterwards, towards 1945, Nigerians like Hubert Ogunde produce indigenous films. Cinema was introduced

Title: Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected

Genres Author: Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma Year of publication: 2014 Publisher: Kraft Book Limited

Place of publication Ibadan Pages: 365 Reviewer: Nwagbo Obi

thereafter and government showed interest in the production of documentary genres. This part noted 1970 to 1985 as the glorious years of cinema in Nigeria and this was when the cinema convention thrived in Nigeria. This part further dwells on the birth of television in Nigeria, discussing it from the point of view of when local television came on board, the soap opera as a precursor of video films, “Mirror in the Sun” as pacesetter and what happened after “Mirror in the Sun”.

Part two focuses on studies in genres in Nollywood. The author analyzes the generic developmental trends in Nollywood, the parts or sequel syndrome, si-

Book stand

multaneity or back-to-back productions, evolution of an iconography, scriptwriters and plagiarism, stereotyping and type casting, women as sex symbols, guild system, remuneration of artistes, rise of artistes, rise of film directors, censorship, national and international market, alternative film market, piracy in the industry, and lack of institutional support, film awards among others.

In part three, the author, focuses on epic and historical films in the reconstruction of the Nigerian past in Nollywood with a critical reading of two films: “Igodo” and “Egg of Life”. Before the cultural analysis of these films, the author discusses the nature of history as it relates to films, then film as history, the nature of the epic film, historical reconstruction through epic and historical films in addition to the development of the epic genre films in Nollywood.

The author concludes that these films show the use of oral tradition in the reconstruction of people’s history.

Part four looks at failure of policing system and the emergence of vigilante genre films in Nollywood with a critical reading of the “Issakaba Series”. It looks at the rise of criminal activities in Nigeria, brutality and disregard for human life, cultism and ritual practices, armed robbery, policing and the Nigeria Police, rights abuses and ineptitude, the rise of vigilantism in Nigeria.

In part five, the author examines the portrayal of politics and the political process in Nollywood.

The use of pictures in the book is quite commendable, as they really tell stories that stand the book out as an album of sort for Nigerian cinema, documentary, TV, Nollywood and the entire film industry. The book points out that more efforts should be put in place on the generic development in the contemporary Nigerian film industry, Nollywood.

NWAGBO OBI is of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)

What we are reading

POETRIP The Wind Letter Oladipo Kehinde

A Case of Two Cities by Qiu Xiaolong, a Chinese detective writer. The book was so pertinent because it deals with investigations of high level corruption among communist party members in the communist government. It is a fantastic novel, but it teaches so much about what investigating high ups in the political systems means.

I have just finished reading The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. It’s a novel, 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

TONY OKUYEME ARTS EDITOR

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Prof. Kole Omotosho

Tade Ipadeola

The wind letter the voice of my songs to the chambers of my ears My head is sweet with the rhythm of the twin drum I am the bird that sing to the ears of time The words of my mouth ease the burden of the mountain I sing for the upland sun The wind letter the voice of my songs to the chambers of my ears I am the colour of a waking day that Heralds the rainbow after the rain I am the songs of harvest on the farmer’s lips The fruits of my lips is ripe with time I sing for the river that quench the memory of thirst I sing for the upland moon the mother of starry stars and dream The wind letter the voice of my songs to the chambers of your ears I sing for you a love song from the garden of my heart

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

RISING Devaluation has not boosted access to forex

BUSINESS | MONEY LINE

Firms plan price hikes as forex scarcity bites Inflation may hit 18% by end of 2016

Tony Chukwunyem

M

ost Nigerian companies are planning to increase the prices of their products to counteract the impact of naira devaluation on cost of goods and higher inflation, international financial advisory firm, Renaissance Capital (RenCap) has said.

In a note obtained by New Telegraph, RenCap said that from meetings with listed and unlisted companies, product price checks and 1H16 results, it found that most of them were still having problems accessing forex despite the liberalisation of the interbank forex market in June.

The firm stated: “Most companies said they intend to increase product prices by 1020per cent in 2H16 to offset the impact of naira devaluation on imported Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and higher inflation.

They have not seen an improvement in FX availability in the interbank market since the devaluation in June 2016, which has resulted in capex deferral and rising FX-related trade payables.”

RenCap said: “We do not think this (price hike) will be enough to offset the negative impact of the naira devaluation on imported costs and generally higher inflation; however, management feedback is that this

is likely the maximum range consumers can absorb without a significant negative impact on volumes.”

COGS are the direct costs attributable to the production of the goods sold by a company.

This amount includes the cost of the materials used in creating the goods along with the direct labour costs used to produce the good.

RenCap further disclosed that its meetings with the companies also revealed that access to FX in the interbank market has become: “More challenging since the devaluation of the naira in June 2016 although some companies have increased the number of banks they use or ramped up exports in order to diversify sources of FX. Companies are therefore taking longer to pay international suppliers, as evidenced by higher trade payables days (including to offshore parent companies), and deferring capex other than stay-

in-business capex.”

The advisory firm, however, stated that despite its prediction that consumer companies will increase product selling prices, it was uncertain about the impact of such a move on sales.

“Our view remains that staple products at traditionally low pricing points will fare relatively better than discretionary products should companies, on average, adopt a strategy of blanket price increases,” the firm stated.

Meanwhile, analysts at FBN Quest have predicted that continuing exchange rate volatility is likely to push inflation to 18 per cent by the end of the year.

In a note made available to this newspaper, the experts said: “Until the exchange rate stabilises, inflation is likely to trend higher. We see inflation accelerating to 18.0per cent y/y at end- year.”

The analysts pointed out that the latest inflation report from

FG to raise N120bn from local debt market

T

he Federal Government plans to raise N120 billion in local-currency denominated bonds at an auction on September 14, the Debt Management Office (DMO) announced yesterday.

The DMO said it will raise N40 billion each from debt maturing

in 2021, 2026 and 2036, using the Dutch auction system.

All the bonds are reopenings of previously issued debt.

The Federal Government has estimated it will borrow around N900 billion from the local debt market this year to fund a budget deficit projected at N2.2 trillion.

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

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 17.13 14 10.77 US$46.35 US$25,363,430,087

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 July, 2016 07/07/2016 Mar 2015 6/9/2016 2/9/2016

Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 104.65 114.59 111.96 120.58 109.60 100.54 83.82 97.56

1.07 3.24 3.87 5.82 7.95 9.81 14.31 18.29

NIBOR

Rate (%) 4.4583 9.1071 11.0102 12.3790

Bid Yield 10.38 10.55 11.60 11.44 12.27 12.40 12.44 12.49

Change (%) -2.50 ▼ -0.74 ▼ -0.65 ▼ -0.68 ▼

Change (%) -0.02 ▼ -0.01 ▼ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ -0.07 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -0.03 ▼ 0.02 ▲

Price 104.80 114.89 112.26 120.88 109.90 100.84 84.12 97.86

Tenor (Months)

Change (%) -0.02 ▼ -0.01 ▼ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ -0.07 ▼ -0.08 ▼ -0.03 ▼ 0.02 ▲

NITTY

Rate (%) 6.9949 7.2368 8.0819 9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Offer Yield 10.24 10.45 11.51 11.38 12.22 12.34 12.39 12.44

Change (%) 1.12 ▲ -0.27 ▼ -0.17 ▼ -0.11 ▼ 0.03 ▲ 0.42 ▲

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) 30-Jun-16 7.92 7.67 7.82 -0.51 ▼ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 3.83 8.08 -0.51 ▼ 6-Oct-16 8.59 8.34 8.71 -0.31 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 4.33 8.99 -0.31 ▼ 16-Mar-17 9.36 10.28 -0.07 ▼ 9.11 9.98 -0.07 ▼

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.14

FX

Offer 199.24

Change (%) 0.57 ▲

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

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

196.00

197.00

the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed there was a sixth successive acceleration in the headline rate, to 17.1per cent y/y in July from 16.5per cent the previous month.

Significantly, the analysts said: “The fx sourcing challenges have been the primary driver behind the surge in inflation this year and outweighed the impact of squeezed household consumption, which would normally have led to a moderation in inflation.”

They, however, noted that m/m increases in inflation have slowed over the past two months.

The analysts further noted that in July the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hiked the benchmark interest rate by 200bps to 14 per cent to attract foreign investors and thereby boost fx liquidity.

“So far this ploy has had only limited success, so one temptation will be to hike again at its next meeting,” the experts said.

Nigeria’s trade deficit narrowed in Q2

N

igeria’s trade deficit narrowed in the second quarter boosted by a currency float in June lifting exports, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced yesterday. Significantly, the rise was not enough to help the economy avoid a recession.

The economy entered a recession in the second quarter, after persistent low oil prices hammered vital public finances and the naira, prompting foreign investors to flee bond and equities markets, which caused chronic dollar shortages.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) floated the currency in June to ease dollar shortages and preserve its dwindling reserves.

It allowed the naira to tumble 30 per cent on the day of the float from its 16-month pegged rate of 197 per dollar.

The currency move helped Nigeria’s trade balance gain some ground to stand at minus N196.5 billion in the second quarter, the NBS said from minus N351.3 billion in the first quarter.

“The improvement in export value is largely due to the depreciation in the value of the

naira,” it said in a statement.

“This development arose from a rise of 63.3 per cent in the value of exports largely due to exchange rate gains combined with a rise of 38.1 per cent in the value of imports against the levels recorded in the preceding quarter.”

The naira has since lost 16 per cent since June on a lack of hard currency liquidity and as foreign investors stay on the sidelines, leaving the CBN as the main supplier of dollars.

Total trade between April and June stood at N3.94 trillion, up 49 per cent from the three months to March. The NBS said exports were dominated by crude oil, which contributed 79.7 per cent of total exports of N1.87 billion.

Imports rose 38.1 per cent in the second quarter to N2.07 billion.

The bulk of the imports were machinery and appliances, vehicles and aircraft parts and petroleum products. They came mostly from China, Netherlands, United States and India.

Intra African imports accounted for 4.3 per cent of the total.

‘Innovative financing key to transforming Africa’s agriculture’

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

37

0.00 ↔

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) -1.75 ▼ -2.08 ▼

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

I

nnovative financing is crucial for agricultural transformation, wealth creation and long-term prosperity in Africa, according to this year’s Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR), launched yesterday in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is one the authors of the report, which focuses on progress toward Agricultural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa. It says despite annual public investments in agriculture having risen across Africa, from $186.4 million per country between 1995 to 2003 to $219.6 million between 2008 to 2014, only 13 African countries have honoured their pledge to invest at least 10 per cent of public funds in agriculture as foreseen under the Maputo Declaration of 2003.

“If all (countries) that have pledged could make good on their promise, public funding for agriculture across Africa would rise from $12 billion (the amount allocated in 2014)

to $40 billion,” notes the publication, unveiled at the ongoing African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF).

Inadequate financing for agriculture has been cited as a major impediment to smallholder farmers, their organisations, as well as small and medium agro-enterprises, which lack access to basic financial services.

The report calls on African governments to urgently step up partnerships with various actors in order to grow agricultural finance, at the same time creating an enabling environment to foster innovation to the benefit of the smallholder farmer.

The AfDB is one of the main players in agricultural financing on the continent.

Between 1967 and 2014, it approved loans and grants to African member countries with commitments amounting to $100.68 billion, of which agriculture and rural development accounted for 12.4 per cent ($12.45 billion).

38

BUSINESS |FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

6-Sep-16

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

Bonds

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

Description 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 14.50 15-JUL-2021 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036

Price

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

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

15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 14.50 16.39 14.20 12.50 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.15 12.4000

480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 606.43 179.59 605.31 719.99 391.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 250.00

27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 15-Jul-21 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 22-Jan-26 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34 18-Mar-36

0.64 0.89 0.98 1.73 2.81 3.13 3.43 4.85 5.39 7.52 9.38 12.23 12.71 13.20 13.87 17.86 19.53

19.86 20.62 20.91 18.44 14.74 14.87 15.02 14.88 14.83 14.95 15.28 15.19 15.18 15.16 15.14 15.02 15.24

19.60 20.42 20.72 18.32 14.68 14.73 14.90 14.79 14.75 14.88 15.21 15.14 15.12 15.09 15.07 14.96 15.19

97.19 91.60 90.17 88.90 102.74 80.83 101.34 98.66 105.60 96.66 86.34 98.88 84.99 62.40 70.49 82.29 82.40

97.34 91.75 90.32 89.05 102.89 81.13 101.64 98.96 105.90 96.96 86.64 99.18 85.29 62.70 70.79 82.59 82.70

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

6,330.16

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

5,708.22

Rating/Agency

Agency Bonds Nil

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Description

Issuer

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

FMBN

6285.155565

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

03-Apr-12

17.25

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

0.90

03-Apr-17

0.27

2.94

18.75

99.58

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

0.62 0.57 1.32 1.13 1.14 1.33 1.33 1.51 1.72 3.21 1.79 4.22 4.32 2.55 2.57 3.13 3.34 3.36 3.31 6.46 3.45

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

20.79 25.37 22.25 21.50 21.46 23.65 23.37 23.02 20.50 16.91 19.25 16.24 18.69 18.24 16.67 16.39 18.96 15.96 17.46 16.63 18.03

93.99 94.11 90.93 93.05 93.01 90.33 90.04 91.07 93.33 94.13 93.62 91.79 89.30 92.90 96.70 97.91 94.37 101.29 100.05 101.26 97.48

0.90

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

0.90

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

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

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

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

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

57.00 11.33 25.00 23.44 4.22 9.45 7.01 18.70 12.55 80.00 20.55 87.50 5.00 3.74 3.76 14.37 4.17 4.30 27.10 3.00 7.34

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

429.51 402.38

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

NAHCO FSDH ***LCRM UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA#{r} #

*TOWER # *TOWER UBA *LA CASERA # *CHELLARAMS *DANA#{r} *FCMB NAHCO *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC *FCMB UBA FIDELITY *TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC *NMRC

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

29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12

13.00 14.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50 13.00 18.00

15.00 5.53 112.22 116.70 66.49 20.00 0.36

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

0.06 0.13 0.25 0.62 0.83 1.06 0.75

1.00 1.34 1.00 3.55 5.25 1.88 1.88

17.60 17.48 16.50 23.34 25.70 22.60 22.06

99.65 99.46 99.72 96.18 93.37 91.29 98.07

09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11

16.00 18.00

3.60 1.82

09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18

0.84 1.01

3.15 6.35

23.62 27.27

94.61 92.67

09-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14

16.00 14.00 15.75 18.00 16.00

0.50 35.00 1.50 0.23 4.50

09-Sep-18 30-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19

1.01 2.06 1.12 1.45 1.32

1.00 1.17 4.42 6.11 3.28

21.92 18.46 24.98 25.52 23.14

95.09 92.58 91.76 91.56 92.62

06-Nov-15 14-Nov-13 04-Dec-15

15.00 15.25 15.50

20.87 2.05 9.76

06-Nov-20 14-Nov-20 04-Dec-20

2.17 4.19 2.69

4.47 1.00 3.55

21.42 15.94 18.99

89.90 97.87 93.07

20-Nov-14 30-Dec-14

14.25 16.45

26.00 30.50

20-Nov-21 30-Dec-21

5.20 5.31

2.51 1.00

17.37 15.85

89.53 102.03

13-May-15 26-Oct-15 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-14 29-Jul-15

16.48 16.00 16.29 13.25 14.90

30.00 10.00 0.10 15.44 7.86

13-May-22 26-Oct-22 30-Sep-24 30-Sep-24 29-Jul-30

5.68 3.85 8.06 8.06 9.24

1.00 2.77 1.00 1.00 1.00

15.85 17.75 16.05 16.05 16.24

102.24 95.42 101.04 87.55 94.02

10-Oct-20

2.31

3.37

19.83

91.21

536.02

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

514.48

Sukuk *OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.43

1.00

17.77

90.77

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

*AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

2.66

1.00

14.11

93.96

Bid Price

Offer Price

BBB-/Agusto

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

14.75

9.02

9.02 8.23

Supranational Bond

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 23.06 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($’mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.25

6.01

101.89

102.80

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.57

4.14

100.97

101.73

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.44

6.29

99.64

100.47

100.26

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,512.49

Corporate Eurobonds B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.93

6.93

100.26

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

22.20

20.38

79.53

81.64

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.00

6.00

100.00

100.00

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.75

7.75

96.50

96.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

22.59

22.59

73.03

73.03

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

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

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

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

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

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

14.05 14.59 15.84

13.39 14.23 15.84

82.51 81.57 73.50

84.26 82.66 73.50

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.23

11.76

84.88

86.63

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

3,150.00 2,734.80 Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Yield @ Issue (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

DTM

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Discount Rate (%)

18-Apr-16

11.00

16.80

18-Oct-16

42

2.03

18.29

17.92

Commercial Papers A-/Agusto

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PLC

UPDC CP 18-OCT-16

16.80

**TREASURY BILLS^ DTM 16 30 37 44 51 58 72 86

FIXINGS Maturity 22-Sep-16 6-Oct-16 13-Oct-16 20-Oct-16 27-Oct-16 3-Nov-16 17-Nov-16 1-Dec-16

Bid Discount (%) 15.64 15.73 15.55 15.46 14.63 13.21 14.29 14.60

Offer Discount (%) 15.39 15.48 15.30 15.21 14.38 12.96 14.04 14.35

Bid Yield (%) 15.75 15.94 15.79 15.75 14.93 13.49 14.70 15.12

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 27.3750 19.5770 19.6642 22.2070

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

27.33

Tenor

Closing Rate ($/N)

O/N

29.08

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

314.92 305.50 306.50 307.50 310.50 311.00

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 31.17 25.83

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

Bonds

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

APATHY Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION transactions decreased Issuer Rating/Agency by 44.48 Agency Bonds per cent from TOTAL OUTSTANDING N79.76 billionVALUE in June 2016 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION to N44.28 billion in July Sub-National Bonds TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Nil

FMBN

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

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

Stories: Chris Ugwu

D

ue to the low sentiment that had pervaded investments, total transactions at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) decreased by 42.13 per cent from N155.85 billion reTOTAL OUTSTANDING corded in June VALUE 2016 to N90.19 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION billion (about $0.29 billion) in Corporate Bonds July 2016.

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO A-/Agusto; A-/GCR FSDH Also, total deals from Nil ***LCRM Nil January to July 2016 fell by Nil A/GCR 44.38 per cent from UBA N1,284.82 BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING Nil billion recorded within the *DANA A-/DataPro†; CCC/GCR *TOWER same period N714.60 AAA/DataPro†; B/GCR in 2015 to *TOWER A+/Agusto; A/GCR UBA billion in 2016.

Bbb+/Agusto†; BBB+/GCR† *LA CASERA BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR Domestic investors slightly *CHELLARAMS #{r}

# #

#

Nil A-/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR Bbb/Agusto; A-/GCR BBB/GCR A/GCR BBB/GCR Bbb/Agusto; A-/GCR A/GCR A/GCR AAA/GCR

*DANA#{r} *FCMB NAHCO

Description 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 14.50 15-JUL-2021 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-2026 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036

outperformed their foreign counterparts by about 1.8 per Description cent. Domestic transactions decreased by 39.66 per cent 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 from N76.08 billion in June 2016 to N45.91 billion in July 2016.

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 On monthly 13.75 a BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 basis, the 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 Exchange polls trading figures 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 from14.00 major custodians and 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 market operators on their FPI. 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 FPI decreased 15.50transactions GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 by 44.48 per cent from N79.76 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 billion in June 2016 to N44.28 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 billion in July 2016.

15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 15.50 BAUCHI 9-DEC-2021 According to reports, 16.50 OYO 16-FEB-2022 16.50 BENUE 27-FEB-2022 monthly foreign inflows 17.50 PLATEAU 30-MAR-2022 slightly outpaced outflows, 17.00 KOGI II 31-MAR-2022 17.00 CROSS RIVER 27-MAY-2022 as foreign inflows decreased by 44.82 per cent from N42.46 billion in June to N23.43 billion 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 in July 2016.

Foreign outflows 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 also 0.00/16.50 decreased by 44.10 per cent LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 from13.00 N37.30 billion to N20.85 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 billion within the same period.

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 InMPR+7.00 comparison to the same MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA period inII 30-SEP-2018 2015, total FPI 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 transactions decreased by MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 DANA II 1-APR-2019 54.9916.00 per cent from N696.46 15.00 FCMB 6-NOV-2020

T

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

he Nigerian equity market yesterday tumbled TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION for the third consecutive trading day, as sell presSukuk BBB-/Agusto *OSUN sure was unabated, producing TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 25 losers and 10 gainers.

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Key market indicators, Supranational Bond the NSE ASI and IFC market AAA/S&P Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P capitalisation, each *AfDB declined TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE by 0.73 per cent as there were TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION more than two declining Issuer stocksRating/Agency for every one, which FGN Eurobonds advanced in value.

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P Consequently, the AllBB-/Fitch; FGN Share Index dipped 203.31 BB-/S&P BB-/Fitch; basis points or 0.73 per BB-/S&P TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE cent to close at 27,503.81 as TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION against 27,707.12 recorded the Corporate Eurobonds previous day while the market B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC B/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC capitalisation of FIDELITY equities B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC depreciated

by N70 billion or B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC B/Fitch;per B/S&Pcent to N9.447 DIAMOND BANK PLC 0.73 trillion B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC B-/Fitch; B/S&P from N9.517 trillion.ACCESS BANK PLC II B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD Meanwhile, a turnover B-/S&P ECOBANK NIG. LTD TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE of 176.7 million shares TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION exchanged in 3,682 deals was recorded in the day’s trading.

Rating/Agency Issuer The banking sub-sector Commercial Papers A-/Agusto

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

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

15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 14.50 16.39 14.20 12.50 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.15 12.4000

480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 606.43 179.59 605.31 719.99 391.02 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 1075.92 250.00

27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 15-Jul-21 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 22-Jan-26 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34 18-Mar-36

0.64 0.89 0.98 1.73 2.81 3.13 3.43 4.85 5.39 7.52 9.38 12.23 12.71 13.20 13.87 17.86 19.53

19.86 20.62 20.91 18.44 14.74 14.87 15.02 14.88 14.83 14.95 15.28 15.19 15.18 15.16 15.14 15.02 15.24

19.60 20.42 20.72 18.32 14.68 14.73 14.90 14.79 14.75 14.88 15.21 15.14 15.12 15.09 15.07 14.96 15.19

97.19 91.60 90.17 88.90 102.74 80.83 101.34 98.66 105.60 96.66 86.34 98.88 84.99 62.40 70.49 82.29 82.40

97.34 91.75 90.32 89.05 102.89 81.13 101.64 98.96 105.90 96.96 86.64 99.18 85.29 62.70 70.79 82.59 82.70

BUSINESS |FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

39

Total deals at NSE down by 42% in July

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 15.50 TRANSCORP 4-DEC-2020 14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021 16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 16.48 FIDELITY 13-MAY-2022 16.00 TRANSCORP 26-OCT-2022 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 14.90 NMRC 29-JUL-2030

Stock market fall for third day TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Price

Issue Date

6,330.16

6285.155565

5,708.22 billion to N313.49, whilst the total domestic transactions Issue Date Coupon (%) decreased by 31.83 per cent from N588.3603-Apr-12 billion to N401.10 17.25 billion.

Highlights of the domestic composition19-Apr-10 of transactions on 10.00 30-Jun-10 13.75 the Exchange between January 31-Dec-10 14.00 and July 2016 showed that the 30-Sep-11 14.00 04-Oct-11 14.00 institutional composition of 09-Dec-11 14.50 14.00 the domestic12-Dec-13 market decreased 14-Feb-12 15.50 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14 09-Dec-14 17-Feb-15 27-Feb-15 30-Mar-15 01-Apr-15 27-May-15

by 36.09 per cent from N39.04 billion June to Avg. N24.95 Outstanding in Life/TTM Maturity Date (Yrs) Value (₦’bn) billion.

The retail composition decreased by 43.41 per cent from 0.90 03-Apr-17 0.27 0.90 billion in June to N20.96 N37.04 0.90 billion. Institutional investors marginally outperformed 57.00 19-Apr-17 0.62 11.33 30-Jun-17 0.57 their retail counterparts in the 25.00 31-Dec-17 1.32 period 23.44 under review.

30-Sep-18 1.13 4.22 04-Oct-18 1.14 In 2013, there was a major 9.45 09-Dec-18 1.33 7.01 12-Dec-18 1.33 rebound in 14-Feb-19 the domestic 18.70 1.51

15.50 14.50 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00 15.50 16.50 16.50 17.50 17.00 17.00

12.55 80.00 20.55 87.50 5.00 3.74 3.76 14.37 4.17 4.30 27.10 3.00 7.34

1.72 3.21 1.79 4.22 4.32 2.55 2.57 3.13 3.34 3.36 3.31 6.46 3.45

2.02 2.01 1.00 1.30 3.76 2.53 1.00 1.52 4.01 1.00 2.52 1.79 3.04

20.50 16.91 19.25 16.24 18.69 18.24 16.67 16.39 18.96 15.96 17.46 16.63 18.03

93.33 94.13 93.62 91.79 89.30 92.90 96.70 97.91 94.37 101.29 100.05 101.26 97.48

‘Nigeria needs sustainable economic growth’

A

s Delta state seeks to diversify its economy, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has disclosed that the agricultural sector would engender growth, stimulate the29-Sep-11 economy and cre13.00 25-Oct-13 14.25 ate employment for the people 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 of the state. 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50 30-Sep-10 He said30-Nov-12 this when13.00 he 18.00 09-Apr-11 16.00 received on a courtesy call, the 09-Sep-11 18.00 management team of Union 09-Sep-11 16.00 30-Sep-11 14.00 Dicon Salt Plc and GEA Group, 18-Oct-13 15.75 17-Feb-12Mordi, MD 18.00 of led by Mr. Chuka 01-Apr-14 16.00 Union Dicon Salt Plc, and 06-Nov-15 15.00Dr. 14-Nov-13 15.25 Anthony Osunde and Alvaro 04-Dec-15 15.50 20-Nov-14 14.25 Martinez, Head of Europe , 30-Dec-14 16.45 16.48 Middle East,13-May-15 & Africa in Asaba.

26-Oct-15 16.00 According 30-Sep-14 to a statement 16.29 30-Sep-14 13.25 obtained yesterday from NSE’s 29-Jul-15 14.90 website, Okowa said the nation needed to diversify its economy from oil dependence so as to

of the financial services sector was the most active (measured by tur nover volume) with 125.2 million shares exchanged by investors 10-Oct-13 14.75 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 in 1,863 deals.

Volume in the sub sector was10.20largely driven by IFC 11-FEB-2018 11-Feb-13 10.20 activities in the shares of 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 10-Jul-14 11.25 he Nigerian Stock ExGTB Plc and ETI Plc. change (NSE) has anAlso, other financial nounced the commenceDescription Date (%) institutions sub-sector of ment of its Issue 2016 editionCoupon of the the financial services sector, NSE Essay Competition for 6.75 JAN 28, 6.75 boosted by activities in2021the students in 07-Oct-11 Senior Secondary shares of FCMB Plc and Schools in all 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 5.13 states of the fedUnited Capital Plc followed 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 6.38 eration. with a turnover of 17.7million The topic for this year’s shares traded in 266 deals. edition is “What is the biggest Shares of UACN Plc led the obstacle to saving and investing 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 25-Jul-12 7.25 gainers chart, appreciating by money and 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 09-May-13 how can 6.88The 6.00 NOV 2018 08-Nov-13 6.00 4.88 per cent to close at 08, N21.50 Nigerian Stock Exchange help”.

6.25 APR 22, 2019 22-Apr-14 6.25 per share. May &8.75Baker Plc May 21, 2019 21-May-14 8.75 In a statement made 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 07-Aug-13 8.25 followed with a gain of 2.35 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 available to 24-Jun-14 newsmen, to 9.25 enter 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 23-Jul-14 8.00 per cent to close8.75 atAUG8714, 2021 kobo the competition, which opened 14-Aug-14 8.75 per share respectively, while on Thursday, September 1, 2016, Eterna Oil Plc gained 2.19 and closes on Friday, October 14, per cent to close atDescription N2.80 per 2016, participants are required Issue Date Yield @ Issue (%) share. to email their typewritten

UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PLC

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21 09-Dec-21 16-Feb-22 27-Feb-22 30-Mar-22 31-Mar-22 27-May-22

component, which led to an almost equal Valuation split in foreign Modelled Price Yield (%) vs. domestic transactions.

This dropped in 201499.58where 2.94 18.75 FPI outperformed domestic transactions.

In 2015, FPI dropped 1.00 20.79 93.99 5.71 25.37 94.11 compared to 2014. However, 2.39 22.25 90.93 it1.00 slightly outperformed 21.50 93.05 1.00 21.46 93.01 domestic transactions in the 3.82 23.65 90.33 3.56 23.37 90.04 same period.

3.82 23.02 91.07

# Risk Premium (%)

drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth, create jobs for the youths and put an end to the current economic challenges 429.51 faced by the nation.

402.38 He said: “We are happy that15.00 you are 29-Sep-16 investing in0.06 the 5.53 25-Oct-16 0.13 112.22 08-Dec-16 0.25 state, this your 10,000 hectares 116.70 19-Apr-17 0.62 06-Jul-17 0.83 of 66.49 cassava production will 20.00 30-Sep-17 1.06 0.36 0.75 generate jobs30-Nov-17 and economic 3.60 09-Apr-18 0.84 activities in the communities.

1.82 09-Sep-18 1.01 0.50 “This is in09-Sep-18 line with1.01 our 35.00 30-Sep-18 2.06 1.50 18-Oct-18 1.12 SMART agenda, as we believe 0.23 17-Feb-19 1.45 1.32 that4.50 we should01-Apr-19 not just produce 20.87 06-Nov-20 2.17 cash2.05crops but also process 14-Nov-20 4.19 it 9.76 04-Dec-20 2.69 to get added value.

This will 26.00 20-Nov-21 5.20 30.50 30-Dec-21 stimulate growth, and 5.31the 30.00 13-May-22 5.68 small holders in the 10.00scale farm 26-Oct-22 3.85 0.10 30-Sep-24 areas will benefit from this 8.06 your 15.44 30-Sep-24 8.06 7.86 29-Jul-30 9.24 project”.

536.02 “We are interested in 514.48 growing the agriculture sector in terms of growing wealth for 9.02 10-Oct-20 2.31

our people, our over dependence on oil has had its challenges, and we need to return to agriculture and agro- business to stimulate the economy and enable an inclusive and sustainable 1.00 growth for17.60 our people.”99.65 1.34 17.48 99.46 1.00 16.50 99.72 Okowa gave assurance to 3.55 23.34 96.18 5.25 25.70 93.37 of an investors of the provision 1.88 22.60 91.29 1.88 22.06 98.07 enabling environment for their 3.15 23.62 94.61 investments and 6.35 27.27 in the state 92.67 1.00 21.92 95.09 commended Union Dicon and 1.17 18.46 92.58 4.42 24.98 91.76 its partners for their investment 6.11 25.52 91.56 23.14 92.62 in3.28the project.

4.47 21.42 89.90 “l believe this Bio1.00He said: 15.94 97.87 3.55 18.99 93.07 Ethanol and industrial starch 2.51 17.37 89.53 1.00 15.85 102.03 will processing facility project 1.00 15.85 102.24 transform Delta State95.42 into an 2.77 17.75 1.00 16.05 101.04 industrial hub for Africa and 1.00 16.05 87.55 1.00 16.24 stimulate economic 94.02 growth.

We are happy to partner with you in this value added cassava production project” 91.21 3.37 19.83

Financial literacy: NSE opens 2016 essay contest

T

UPDC CP 18-OCT-16

18-Apr-16

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

9.02 8.23

12.00

11-Feb-18

1.43

entries, which should not 12.95 01-Feb-21 2.66 be 24.95than 1,000 words to the more 23.06 Exchange.

Outstanding Value Maturity competition, Date Bid Yield (%) “This year’s ($’mm) which is sponsored by Access 500.00 Rand Merchant 28-Jan-21 6.25 Bank, Bank, 12-Jul-18 and500.00Dangote Foundation, 4.57 will500.00 see the top three winners 12-Jul-23 6.44 presented with equity 1,500.00 1,512.49 investments, University scholarship funds and personal 350.00 25-Jul-17 6.93 Laptops/tablets at the Awards 300.00 02-May-18 22.20 400.00 08-Nov-18 6.00 ceremony in November 2016.

500.00 22-Apr-19 7.75 They will also be honoured22.59 with 200.00 21-May-19 300.00 07-Aug-20 a Closing Gong ceremony14.05 . The 400.00 24-Jun-21 14.59 450.00 23-Jul-21 15.84 schools of the top three winners 250.00 14-Aug-21 12.23 will also be presented with 3,150.00 2,734.80 trophies, Desktop Computers and Printers”.

Outstanding DTM Maturity Date Value (₦’bn) According to Mr. Bola

11.00

16.80

18-Oct-16

42

1.00

17.77

2.03

18.29

90.77

Adeeko, Head, Corporate 1.00 14.11 93.96 Services Division, NSE, improving financial literacy Offer (%) Bid Price to the Offer Price isYield important future of Prices & Yields Nigeria.

6.01 101.89 the NSE 102.80 “Through Essay Competition, 4.14 100.97 we are promoting 101.73 financial literacy among young 99.64 6.29 100.47 Nigerians, by encouraging them to learn how good financial decisions can better 6.93 100.26 their lives now and100.26 in the 20.38 79.53 81.64 6.00 100.00ultimately 100.00grow future, and 7.75 96.50 96.50 the 22.59 economy 73.03. The competition 73.03 13.39 82.51 84.26 serves as an essential platform 14.23 81.57 82.66 73.50 to15.84 get the 73.50 perspectives of our 11.76 84.88 86.63 young ones on key challenges relating to financial literacy Risk inclusion in Nigeria,” and Valuation Discount Rate (%) Premium Yield (%) Adeeko said. (%) #

17.92

6-Sep-16

16.80

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute professional, financial or **TREASURY BILLS^ FIXINGS Money Market Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) NIBOR performance or16 fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the15.39 results of any action15.75 taken on the basis of the Information.

22-Sep-16 15.64 OBB 27.33 Tenor Closing Rate ($/N) 30 37 44 51 58 72 86 Rating/Agency 93 100 114 121 135 149 163 170 177 184 191 198 205 212 219 226 240 247 268 282 296 303 310 317 OUTSTANDING VALUE 324 331 CAPITALISATION MARKET 338 345 352 Rating/Agency 359

FGN Bonds

TOTAL TOTAL

6-Oct-16 13-Oct-16 20-Oct-16 27-Oct-16 3-Nov-16 17-Nov-16 Issuer 1-Dec-16 8-Dec-16 15-Dec-16 29-Dec-16 5-Jan-17 19-Jan-17 2-Feb-17 16-Feb-17 23-Feb-17 2-Mar-17 9-Mar-17 16-Mar-17 23-Mar-17 30-Mar-17 6-Apr-17 13-Apr-17 20-Apr-17 4-May-17 11-May-17 1-Jun-17 15-Jun-17 29-Jun-17 6-Jul-17 13-Jul-17 20-Jul-17 27-Jul-17 3-Aug-17 10-Aug-17 17-Aug-17 24-Aug-17 Issuer 31-Aug-17

15.73 15.55 15.46 14.63 13.21 14.29 Description 14.60 14.54 15.10 27-APR-2017 14.47 15.46 9.85 27-JUL-2017 15.95 9.35 31-AUG-2017 15.37 10.70 30-MAY-2018 17.12 17.05 ^16.00 29-JUN-201917.35 7.00 23-OCT-2019 17.28 ^15.54 13-FEB-202017.82 17.90 14.50 15-JUL-2021 17.96 ^16.39 27-JAN-202218.01 17.28 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 ^12.50 22-JAN-202618.00 15.17 15.00 28-NOV-2028 17.56 12.49 22-MAY-2029 16.49 8.50 20-NOV-2029 17.90 16.94 ^10.00 23-JUL-203017.88 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 17.77 ^12.40 18-MAR-2036 17.50 17.41 17.41 17.87 18.25 18.28 18.29 18.13

Description

15.48 15.30 15.21 14.38 12.96 14.04 14.35 Issue Date 14.29 14.22 27-Apr-12 15.21 27-Jul-07 15.70 15.12 31-Aug-07 16.87 30-May-08 16.80 29-Jun-12 17.10 23-Oct-09 17.03 17.57 13-Feb-15 17.65 13-Jul-16 17.71 27-Jan-12 17.76 17.03 14-Mar-14 17.75 22-Jan-16 14.92 28-Nov-08 17.31 16.24 22-May-09 17.65 20-Nov-09 16.69 23-Jul-10 17.63 18-Jul-14 17.52 18-Mar-16 17.25 17.16 17.16 17.62 18.00 18.03 18.04 17.88

15.94

15.79 Bonds

15.75 14.93 13.49 14.70 15.12(%) Coupon 15.09 15.07 15.10 16.24 9.85 16.84 16.29 9.35 18.40 10.70 18.45 16.00 18.88 7.00 18.86 19.58 15.54 19.75 14.50 19.89 16.39 20.04 19.21 14.20 20.18 12.50 16.74 15.00 19.86 18.56 12.49 20.60 8.50 19.49 10.00 20.91 12.15 20.84 12.4000 20.55 20.51 20.60 21.33 21.96 22.10 22.20 Issue Date 22.07

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Rate (%) 27.3750 19.5770 19.6642 22.2070

O/N

Maturity Date NITTY

480.13 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 15.1370 2M 15.3589 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 15.8173 300.00 30-May-18 6M 18.6838 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 20.0276 233.90 23-Oct-19 12M 21.8926 606.43 13-Feb-20 179.59 15-Jul-21 NIFEX 605.31 27-Jan-22 Current Price ($/N) 719.99 14-Mar-24 NIFEX Rate 327.7500 391.02 22-Jan-26 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 1075.92 18-Jul-34 250.00 18-Mar-36

Tenor Call

29.08

REPO

TTM1M (Yrs) 3M 6M

Rate (%) 31.17

25.83 (%) Bid Yield 26.33

26.83 0.64 19.86 19.60 0.89 20.62 20.42 NOTE: 0.98 20.91 20.72 :Benchmarks 1.73 18.44 18.32 * :Amortising Bond 2.81 Bond 14.74 14.68 µ :Convertible 14.73 AMCON: 3.13 Asset Management14.87 Corporation of Nigeria FGN: Federal Nigeria 3.43 Government of15.02 14.90 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 4.85 14.88 14.79 IFC: International Finance Corporation 5.39 Contractors Receivables 14.83 14.75 LCRM: Local Management NAHCO: 7.52 Nigerian Aviation Handling 14.95 Company14.88 O/N: Overnight 9.38 15.28 15.21 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 12.23 Africa Portland 15.19 15.14 WAPCO:West Cement Company 12.71 15.18 15.12 13.20 15.16 15.09 13.87 15.14 15.07 17.86 15.02 14.96 19.53 15.24 15.19

6,330.16

Agency Bonds #

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

FMBN

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017

03-Apr-12

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

Modified Duration Buckets

LAGOS <3 *BAYELSA 3<5 EDO >5 *DELTA Market *NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

Porfolio Market Value (₦’bn)

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 959.22 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 1,335.15 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 1,302.36 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 3,596.74 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

Total Outstanding Volume (₦’bn)

957.73 1,325.30 1,667.49 3,950.52

Weighting by Outstanding Volume

19-Apr-10 24.24 30-Jun-10 33.55 31-Dec-10 42.21 30-Sep-11 100.00 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

Price

97.19 97.34 91.60 91.75 90.17 90.32 NA :Not Applicable 88.90 89.05 ^ : Market Prices 102.74Rate Bond 102.89 # : Floating 80.83 coupon bonds 81.13 ***: Deferred DTM: 101.34 Days-To-Maturity 101.64 TTM: Term-To-Maturity 98.66 98.96 ‡ : Bond rating under review 105.60 105.90 †: Bond rating expired N/A :Not Available 96.66 96.96 {r} :Issuer in receivership 86.34 86.64 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 98.88 Bank for Africa 99.18 UBA: United 84.99 85.29 62.40 62.70 70.49 70.79 82.29 82.59 82.40 82.70

6285.155565

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (₦’bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

0.90

03-Apr-17

0.27

2.94

18.75

99.58

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration

Implied Yield

Implied Portfolio Price

INDEX

YTD Return (%)

17.25

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Bid Price

314.92 305.50 Price 306.50 307.50 310.50 311.00Offer 312.00 314.00

5,708.22

*for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the TTM

**Exclusive of non-trading t.bills Nil

Spot 7D 14D 1M Offer2M Yield 3M (%) 6M 1Y

Weighting by Mkt Value

10.00 13.75 26.67 14.00 37.12 36.21 14.00 100.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

0.90 0.90

Bucket Weighting

57.00 11.33 25.00 23.44 4.22 9.45 7.01 18.70 12.55 80.00 20.55 87.50 5.00 3.74 3.76

0.24 0.34 0.42 1.00

19-Apr-17 12.99 30-Jun-17 28.85 31-Dec-17 58.16 30-Sep-18 100.00 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.62 15.61 0.57 14.90 1.32 15.06 1.13 15.08 1.14 1.33 1.33 1.51 1.72 3.21 1.79 4.22 4.32 2.55 2.57

1.00 133.3687 5.71 147.3173 2.39 108.2936 1.00 127.4640 1.00 3.82 3.56 3.82 2.02 2.01 1.00 1.30 3.76 2.53 1.00

20.79 1,213.35 25.37 1,277.15 22.25 1,305.59 21.50 1,213.79 21.46 23.65 23.37 23.02 20.50 16.91 19.25 16.24 18.69 18.24 16.67

93.99 94.11 9.5227 90.93 26.1296 29.6494 93.05 15.0312 93.01 90.33 90.04 91.07 93.33 94.13 93.62 91.79 89.30 92.90 96.70

40 News|south-west Abraham makes detour, rejects Ondo APC’s results Babatope Okeowo Akure

T

he gale of rejection of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) governorship primary election which produced a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu as the party’s candidate for the Ondo state election fixed for November 26 peaked yesterday.

Akeredolu’s close rival in the Saturday’s primary election, Dr Segun Abraham has rejected the result and asked for its outright cancellation.

His rejection came barely two days after he conceded defeat having accepted the outcome of the governorship primary election and promised to work for the victory of the party.

Abraham through the Director General of the O’Abraham Campaign Organization, Prince Olu Adegboro described the election as nothing but a fraud.

Already, Chief Olusola Oke and some leaders of

the party had appealed the outcome of the election and asked for its cancellation.

Abraham in a statement signed by Adegboro and entitled “That Our Democracy May Endure”, stated that the outcome of the election was “unacceptable”, considering the plethora of staggering facts of anomalies that had since emerged to the demerit of the exercise.

Abraham said: “It is no longer news that as a true democrat, imbued with the best spirit of sportsmanship, I congratulated Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, who purportedly emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 3 gubernatorial primary election in Ondo State in the face of palpable disbelief and surprise on the outcome of the primary election by my numerous supporters.

“The news however is that, sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised.”

Lekki Trade Zone: Why govt must implement MoU with host communities, by SERAC Temitope Ogunbanke

A

group, the Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC), yesterday urged Lagos State government and the Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited (LWIL) to effectively remedy flagrant breaches of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they signed with Lekki Coastal Area Development Association (Resettlement Committee) over Lekki Free Trade Zone.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday on behalf of the Lekki Coastal Area Development Association (Resettlement Committee), the Executive Director of SERAC, Dr. Felix Morka, said they will not hesitate to seek legal recourse to secure full and effective remedy for them and their future generations should the state government and LWIL fail to fulfill the MoU terms.

According to Morka,

there was no basis for the Lagos state and the Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited to continue to unreasonably withhold performance on their obligations under the MoU since the community reserved all rights to seek and secure the return of their ancestral lands comprising the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

He said: “Nearly 10 years after the execution of the MoU, the Lagos State government and the LWIL have utterly failed and neglected to perform their obligation under the MoU despite persistent appeal and demand of the host communities. They have continued to default on their obligation to grant 750 hectares of resettlement land to the host communities as agreed under the MoU. “The government and the LWIL have also failed and neglected to perform other important terms of the MoU.”

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Recession: Ondo distributes N219m loan to traders, artisans Babatope Okeowo Akure

D

etermined to cushion effects of the nation’s economic recession, the Ondo State government yesterday distributed about N219 million to artisans and traders with a view to lifting their businesses.

The fund, according to the Chairman of Micro Credit Agency, Mrs Banke Sutton was part of a N2 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan set aside to help Small and Medium Scale businesses.

However, Governor Olusegun Mimiko tasked the over 5, 000 beneficiaries on the judicious use of the fund for the development of their businesses.

Speaking during the third batch of the loan disbursement and presen-

Abeokuta

O

gun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), has urged the state government to discontinue its Homeowners Charter programme.

The body however declared that the programme had not only outlived its usefulness but had also encouraged shanties and

slums which may be very costly to correct.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun had in December 2013, launched the scheme to allow property owners in the state to obtain building plan approval, certificates of occupancy and other title documents at huge discount.

But speaking at the opening of a week-long exhibition in Abeokuta to mark NITP’s 50th anniversary, the state chairman of the association, Francis Oyekunle

their socio-economic conditions but what is lacking in them is availability of fund, a critical factor of production.

“In January 2015, the state government flaggedoff the Micro-Enterprises Scheme and a total of N481.

102m was disbursed to market women, artisans and cooperative societies.”

According to her, MSMEDF was to complement the various loan scheme put in place by the governor to ensure that about15, 520 market women benefit from the N485.2m earmarked for Special Market Women Improvement Loan and Empowerment Scheme (SMILES) benefitted.

Others are Special Transformative Artisans Repositioning Scheme (STARS) of N525m, N77m Yam-Farmers Empower-

ment Scheme (YES) for 1,584 beneficiaries, interest free N22.5m Windows Resettlement and Empowerment Loan Scheme (WIRES) for widows whose husbands died in service.

Sutton noted that N85m for Special Intervention Programme Scheme (SIPS), while Agbebiye Repositioning Loan and Empowerment Scheme (ARLES), Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Mission Home Birth Attendants (MHBAs) and Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Board (OSPHCDB) got N45m.

The chairman disclosed that the N2billion CBN fund, which was divided into two tranches: N1b for Micro-Enterprises (ME) and N1b for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME), would alleviate poverty in the state.

L-R: Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Isaac Ishola; Business Executive, South-West, Sterling Bank, Mrs. Temiwunmi Tope-Banjoko; State Deputy Governor, Chief Alake Adeyemo; and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli, during the bank’s presentation of uniforms to street sweepers in the employ of the state government, in Ibadan... yesterday

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

T

he Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) yesterday, said it will spend N927million to conduct elections into the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state.

The commission also said all measures had been put in place to ensure the elections slated for October 8 hold without hitches.

The OGSIEC Chairman, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, disclosed the amount budgeted for the poll while playing host to members

Town planners to Ogun: Discontinue Homeowners’ charter Kunle Olayeni

tation of cheques to beneficiaries under the CBN/ ODSG Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF), Mimiko described it as a fulfillment of one of the promises made from the inception of the administration from 2009 to banish poverty and create wealth in all ramifications.”

The governor noted that the scheme was initiated to encourage those who had no collateral to obtain loans from commercial banks, urging beneficiaries to ensure a repayment of the loan.

To Sutton, the scheme had been an effective strategy for human development, explaining that the two batches disbursed earlier were successful.

She said: “The assumption is that the poor people know what to do to improve

said the homeowners’ charter had existed beyond its stipulated period.

The exhibition was declared open by Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Chief Adebola Adeife.

Oyekunle said: “The homeowners’ charter programme of the state government which was regarded at its inception as an intervention programme has now existed much beyond its stipulated period.”

Ogun to spend N927m on LG elections of the Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Special Duties led by Hon. Viwanu Ojo, who were on oversight tour of the agency.

Ogunfemi explained that as part of build-up to the elections, a stakeholders’ forum had been held across the three senato-

3,320kg

The quantity of cocaine allegedly found on a traveller at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos recently.

Source: New Telegraph

rial districts of the state to sensitise the electorate, insisting that the agency would continue to partner relevant stakeholders, including the security agencies to ensure the success of the election.

She said the commission would allow the use of Permanent Voters Cards

80

The sex ratio of men to 100 women in the 60+ age group of Germany in 2012.

Source: Un.org

(PVCs) but would not use card readers for the poll.

In his remarks, Ojo expressed satisfaction with the commission’s activities towards conducting free and fair exercise.

The lawmaker urged OGSIEC to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make sure all eligible voters who were yet to collect their PVCs had access, assuring that the House would assist the electoral body to achieve its objectives in the coming elections.

Hajj: Group tasks pilgrims on stoning ritual tips Muritala Ayinla

T

o avert tragedies during the stoning ritual in Saudi Arabia, Independent Hajj Reporters, a civil society organisation, has advised pilgrims to comply with new modalities adopted

by Saudi Hajj Ministry for the ritual in jamarat.

This was even as the Lagos State Amirul Hajj, Dr Abdulhakeem Abd-

ullateef said that the state’s pilgrims would commence movement of pilgrims from Muna by Friday ahead of the Arafat day.

The group, in a statement released in Makkah, Saudi Arabia by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed appealed to Nigerian pilgrims to comply with the new guidelines issued by Saudi Hajj Ministry for

the stoning of jamarat.

It was gathered that during a meeting with Nigerian officials and other African countries in Mina on Monday, the Saudi Arabia Hajj Ministry official, Sheikh Mohammed, said arrangements had been concluded to assign guides who would lead a cluster of 250 pilgrims at a time to the jamarat and back.

News|south-east

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Umahi: Contractors escaped with Ebonyi’s N35bn Uchenna Inya ABAKALIKI

E

bonyi State Gover nor, Chief Dave Umahi, has alleged that 95 per cent of contractors that worked for past administration in the state have absconded with over N35 billion funds given to them for execution of various projects.

He made the allegation at the Exco Chambers, Government House, Abakaliki during a thank

you-visit to him by Management of Federal University (FUNAI), Ebonyi state.

“Our experience is that 95 per cent of contractors in the past administration are with our funds, total funds with the contractors is not less than N35 billion and when we came in, they all ran away. We said, okay come, let us do joint measurement. How can you owe us and refuse to go to site. Let us do joint measurement because we don’t move about with

police. So what is the fear?,” Umahi said.

“We have now decided in our administration that you will be paid based on kilometer of road executed and I think it is the same policy adopted by the Federal Government. The contractors we brought to finish the remaining 5km FUNAI road tried to do phony thing, we discovered at such that they are all 419. You hardly see sincere people now, they are just going up and

down making efforts to steal the little one we have and we won’t allow that. We have revoked the contract”, he further said.

The governor further revealed that the state government decided to embark on construction of the FUNAI road with concrete in order to ensure its durability.

“The FUNAI is there for us not as federal people. We are poised to doing more for the University’’, he said.

41

Enugu sets up security committee over herdmen’s attack Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

E

nugu State Government has set up a security committee to stem the tide of incessant attacks by fulani herdsmen across the 17 local government areas of the state.

The committee which members were drawn from the State Security Council was chaired by Brigadier General Fred Eze (Rtd).

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi while inuagurating the committee at Government House, Enugu revealed that it will be constituted in each local government council and political ward in the state.

He also rated the state as

one of the most secure and peaceful states in the country.

He emphasized that the State capital, Enugu, will continue to enjoy a pride of place as the first and only city in the country to be listed among the one hundred most resilient cities of the world.

The governor said the constitution of the committee was necessitated by the desire of his administration to consolidate on enviable status of the state through the continued maintenance of a high level of security and the elimination and prevention of circumstances and incidents that threaten peace and security of lives and properties in the state.

Consumers protest epileptic power supply, extortion Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right), with his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brigadier General Fred Eze (Rtd), shortly after his inauguration in Government House, Enugu…yesterday.

Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

T

he Leadership of pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has insisted that the group was intact and not balkanised. IPOB in a statement signed by its spokesmen, Emma Mmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, said the story about cracks in its fold was a fabricated lie, an imagination of the Presidency as well as the Department of State Services (DSS) to entertain the world and take away their mind from the reality about Biafra agitation.

‘Presidency, DSS entertaining Nigerians with IPOB splinter groups’story’ The group said it was worried that instead of tackling hunger and starvation prevalent in the land, presidency has been chasing shadows by telling Nigerians that IPOB had broken into factions when it was not true.

The statement reads: “We have it on good authority that the decision to use the DSS to entertain Nigerians on purported factionalization of the great IPOB was taken at the Presidency in order to entertain starving citizens and take their

minds away from the killing excruciating poverty ravaging the land.

“The writers of the comedy of splinter groups in the indomitable IPOB know that their childish storyline is not believable, but only went ahead to amuse the world for three reasons: “One, they wrote a request for approval of a huge imprest to create imaginary splinter groups so that they could make some money for themselves.

Times are so hard that the

security operatives are at a loss as to how to pay school fees and feed their families at this period of great hunger in the land. For them, the purported factionalization, would translate to monies being released to them to work with.

“Secondly, they need to prove that they are working hard along the lines of Mr. President’s mindset.”

It would also give the public the impression that the security outfit is busy doing something to weaken the Biafra project.

Herdsmen’s attack: We’re sad on Buhari’s silence –PFN Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

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nugu State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Dr. Goddy Madu, has described herdsmen who are attacking communities in the country as “Boko Haram in disguise and agents of Islamization.”

In a statement yesterday, Madu said “the recent attack on Attakwu commu-

nity of Enugu State is what we can no longer condone in any way. It was deadly and unprovoked attack on a peace loving community and this happened while we are yet to recover from the massacre at Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Council Area.

“We are not happy over the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over these attacks. He should make a strong statement to stop these useless and wicked attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

“He is busy sending soldiers after Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers and the rest, with the exception of Fulani herdsmen who now terrorize good citizens of Nigeria without recourse.”

The cleric also called on south-east communities to initiate steps towards defending themselves saying they should not fold their hands and watch the herdsmen destroy their villages.

“Our people should be security conscious and protect their churches and

villages from these wicked people who kill and suck blood of innocent citizens of Nigeria”, he said.

In a similar development, Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State Chapter, Rev. Dr. Jospeh Ajujungwa, has called on the Enugu State House of Assembly and other South-East States to immediately enact laws that would put an end to the deadly activities of herdsmen.

Okegwo kenechukwu Onitsha

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bout two thousand electricity consumers from Nluani Ububa Nkpor Community, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday protested against epileptic power supply, estimated billing and extortion by the officials of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The consumers while handing over their petition against EEDC to the Network Manager, Engr.

Linus Amalam, through their Chairman, Mr. Eze Ugochukwu, reiterated that efforts made in the past by them to rectify the situation has proved abortive.

One of such efforts, according to them was when they procured a 500kva transformer in 1998 through self-help to serve nine streets, Anambra

State School of Nursing/ Midwifery and Our Lady’s Industrial Estate, School and Church.

“We shall not tolerate further intimidation, disconnection of power lines, estimated billing and incessant extortion of unauthorized money from consumers”, they said.

They carry placards with inscriptions such as “EEDC we need prepaid metre”, “we say no to 419 power supply”, “EEDC, enough of this estimated billing”, “we are tired of epileptic power supply and “sack bad eggs in your establishment”.

In his response on behalf of EEDC, Mr. Amalam, while commending the protesters for not being violent said he is on transfer to the Ogidi Business Unit and that throughout his two months stay in the place, he has not seen such a large crowd of protesters before.

Communities seek use of constituency fund for infrastructure Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

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ommunities in Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency have called on their representative at the House of Representatives, Hon Uko Nkole, to assist them in the area of infrastructural development to ease their sufferings.

The president general of each of the communities while narrating their plight to Hon. Nkole at a Town hall meeting held at Ohafia Local Government Area Headquarters, Ebem, said they needed urgent infrastructural attention in roads and rural electricity.

They also drew the attention of the Representative to the problem of unemployment amongst other

pressing needs.

The people also asked the federal legislator to ensure that the constituency project funds were optimized to tackle the challenges facing their locality saying that they had suffered for a long time and needed to be relived as the stress was becoming unbearable.

Responding to the issues, Hon Nkole said that the town hall meeting was a platform put in place for people to interact and discuss on critical infrastructures that would enhance economic development.

He revealed that projects worth N150million was earmarked for each lawmakers to nominate within the constituencies in the 2016 budget that was yet to be executed.

42 News|south-South

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ijaw youths condemn deployment of troops to Niger Delta

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jaw Youths from the nine states of the Niger Delta region yesterday condemned deployment of troops to the region under the guise of Operation Crocodile Smile, describing the ongoing military action as a revenge against the deeds of former President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the North East region.

The Ijaw Youths, under the aegis of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) worldwide, said though the Federal Government had the right to deploy troops to protect oil facilities in the region, the ongoing deployment

of troops was a ploy by the President Buhari led federal government to take its pound of flesh for the security operation carried out under the administration of former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in the North East region.

The President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, while speaking in warri alleged that the federal government has a sinister motive for the deployment of military troops to the Niger Delta region.

Eradiri stressed that the deployment of military

personnel in the guise of ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ was a sinister agenda on the part of government to take revenge on Niger Delta region for what former President Jonathan did to the Boko Haram sect in the North East during his reign as president.

According to him, “the scale with which the military was being deployed and the heavy movement of weapons was not only irresponsible but a declaration of war on the region. He also frowned at the brazen muteness on the government in addressing the Niger Delta

issues through dialogue, emphasising that the government was never serious for the alleged dialogue, while noting that it’s only Niger Deltans that were clamoring and arguing for negotiation.

On the issue of who should lead the Niger Delta team to dialogue with the federal government, Eradiri noted that he speaks only for the Ijaws and not for the entire region, pointing out that the Niger Delta have leaders and that should the government be ready to dialogue every ethnic group will nominate its representatives.

Tension in Delta community over election Ola James Warri

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ension is brewing in Ekuigbo community, Ughelli North Council Lrea of Delta State over election process for 19 executive positions to represent the community for the next three years.

The election earlier slated for last Saturday was held amidst calls by the oldest man of

the community, Pa Ilori Akunurien on the need to postpone the election until all issues trailing the delegate list and petitions were concluded to forestall likely breakdown of law and order in the community.

Though the electoral committee declared winners for the various positions, a group of contestants, boycotted the election declaring it as a sham that would not

stand the test of time, and vowed to undo the “wrong” done to them.

Speaking on behalf of the contestants that boycotted the election, a candidate for the position of youth chairman, Eka Oghenemere, accused members of the electoral committee of bias in favour of some candidates who had no prerequisite qualifications to run for the respective offices.

Appealing to his supporters to stay calm, Oghenemere said: “As a result of the issues trailing the delegate list and other pending petitions, Pa Akunurien who has the final say in the community, called for the postponement of the election, yet in flagrant disregard, the electoral committee went ahead to conduct a sham under the guise of a supposed election.”

President Muhammadu Buhari; Crown Prince of Benin City, HRH Edaiken N’Uselu; and others, at the Palace shortly before attending Edo State APC Gubernatorial Grand Finale Campaign Rally in Benin City Edo State …yesterday

Dickson lauds Air Force’s investment in Niger Delta Chris Ejim YENAGOA

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ayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has commended the Nigerian Air Force for making strategic investments aimed at improving the welfare and professionalism of its personnel in the state.

Governor Dickson gave the commendation at the commissioning ceremony of eight of its projects embarked upon by the Air Force at the Mobility Command, Yenagoa.

The projects are, 235 Base Service Wing Complex, Medical Centre, Provost Squadron, Officers’ quarters, Joint Airmen Mess, CAWO/RSM residential complex, Airmen

Bodies of two drown soldiers recovered in Bayelsa Chris Ejim YENAGOA

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he Nigerian Army has confirmed death of four soldiers in a boat mishap within Bayelsa waterways, saying that the remains of the four soldiers were yet to be found, but residents say two bodies have so far been salvaged.

Four soldiers drown during the ongoing military training exercise codenamed “Operation Crocodile Smile” after their boat capsized along Brass Water Front, Brass Local Government Area of the state.

Acting spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Col. Sani Usman, who confirmed it yesterday in Yenagoa, said that four soldiers died in the incident, but their remains were yet to be accounted for as search was underway.

“I can confirm to you that

Chris Ejim

peratives of the AntiStakeholders to FG: Call militants to order O Vice Unit of the Bayelsa group, Environmental The stakeholders in a the three communities, worsen the economic hard- Police Command have arA Health and Commu- release signed by Comrade Iwrekan, Otor-Udu and ship of the people because rested an alleged cultist, Fela over an alleged involvement nications Initiative (EHCI) Ogheneovo Otobrise and Otu-Jeremi in Delta State, Egbanki Onovughe, stated that any attempt to breach the prevailing peace and security of the area through fraudulent propaganda would no longer be tolerated.

They urged security agencies to call the militant agitators to order and restrain their antics forthwith.

They noted that a detailed report released by Environmental Health and Communications Initiative(EHCI), a nongovernmental organisation which carried out an extensive study of how incessant militant agitations by the so-called NPDC against operating companies in

which host the Utorogu Gas plant Phase 2, (also known as Utorogu NAG 2), shows that the activities of NPDC is greatly endangering the existing economic lives of the peoples and threatening to constitute grave security challenges in the Western Niger Delta. The Group and Stakeholders at the weekend urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s-led federal government to immediately take a drastic step by calling the militant group led by one Gemre to order, “because any attempt to jeopardise the operations of the existing companies in the area, would further

these companies like Lee Engineering are the ones helping to build and maintain the stability and economic wellbeing of the communities as at today.”

1,506.6m The estimated total population of Eastern Asia in 2000.

Source: Un.org

126m

The combined total followers of NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL players in 2016.

Source: Goal.com

there was a mishap yesterday involving death of four soldiers. On whether their bodies have been recovered, search is underway and we are yet to get detail on that,” he said.

A Resident in the area, Mr. Jonah Kennedy, however, said that two out of the four bodies have been recovered as at Tuesday evening by local divers.

“I learnt that the community youths, soldiers and other local divers are on search to see that those bodies are recovered. This evening, we heard that two of them have been found,” Kennedy said.

Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa, Mr. Lloyd Sese, described the incident as unfortunate, urging the federal and state governments to improve emergency response along waterways in the state.”

Police arrest man for killing corps member in Bayelsa YENAGOA

and stakeholders in the Niger Delta Communities hosting the multi-billionaire Utorogu Gas Plant in Ughelli South of Delta State have called on the Federal Government to urgently come to the support of both the few operating companies in the communities like Lee Engineering & Construction Company and the host communities by calling to order the militant activities of a group, which goes by the name Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), terrorising the area and endangering the existing means of livelihood of the locals.

quarters and Commander’s residence.

Speaking shortly before the commissioning, Governor Dickson expressed surprise at the level of achievements the command has recorded within a short period of its establishment.

He called on all tiers of the government, including the National Assembly, to continue to support the nation’s security agencies to effectively perform their role of securing lives and property.

The Governor also expressed his administration’s preparedness to partner with the Nigerian Air Force to establish educational facilities and other critical infrastructure, and assured that, the government would provide additional land for the purpose.

in the June killing of a Corps member, James Onuh, in Obele, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The suspected killer was also accused of alleged involvement in killing in another part of the state capital.

While a version of his arrested claimed that he was lured out of his hide out by men of the anti-vice unit of the Police, others claimed he was arrested after investigation into a new cult killing indicted him having confessed to the alleged killing of the Corps member in June.

When contacted on the

development, the spokesman of the State Police Command, Asimin Butwat, said the matter is undergoing further investigation, saying “though I cannot yet confirm the details, Fela was the one who killed the corper.”

It will be recalled that a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, James Onuh, serving with Bayelsa State Ministry of Works, was in June killed by gunmen in Obele, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital.

Onuh, a civil engineering graduate of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, died when gunmen suspected to be cultists, accosted him close to his residence, and shot him at close range.

He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, which workers are on strike, where he gave up the ghost.

News|north

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Reprieve as Bindow donates N2.5m for treatment of kidney patient Ibrahim Abdul Yola

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damawa State Governor, Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow, yesterday visited the victim of a fake doctor, Isa Hamma, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola.

Hamma lost both kidneys at a private hospital in Jimeta as a doctor, who operated on him, mistook the kidneys for tumour. The patient has been surviving on dialysis up till now.

Yesterday, the governor approved the sum of N2.5 million to facilitate kidney transplant for the patient.

Also, the governor promised to personally donate another N2.5 million for the transplant, just as a 28-yearold man, Muhammad Sani, pledged to donate one of his kidneys to Hamma.

Confirming the donation yesterday, FMC spokesman, Adamu Dodo, said Sani, who promised to donate his kidney to the patient, had never met the patient before but heard about him over the media.

He is educated and is faring well; he is donating his kidney to a complete stranger, without any benefit.

Earlier, an investigation panel set up by the state government to look into

the allegation of illegal removal of the patient’s kidney, had submitted its report.

Chairman of the panel, Dr. Pius Tizhe, while submitting the report to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Fatima Atiku in Yola, said the committee had done a thorough job.

Dr. Hassan Yakubu of Jimeta Clinic was alleged to have conducted a surgery on Hamman, a 24-yearold herdsman from Fufore Local Government Area of the state.

The doctor was accused of removing Hamman’s kidney after which the

patient was referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, for another treatment.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday continued to protest against the prolonged detention Yakubu, who was arrested in Adamawa State, for allegedly removing the kidney of a patient in his clinic.

NMA while frowning at the arrest of the doctor after the police had arraigned him last week, wanted the police to release the doctor since the offence was bailable.

The police had arrested

Yakubu and some nurses at Jimeta Clinic to help with its investigation into the alleged offence.

Relations of the patient had reported the incident to the police after authorities of the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, where the patient had been placed on dialysis, claiming that they were told by officials of the hospital that Hamma’s kidney had been removed.

Chairman of the Adamawa State chapter of the NMA, Dr. Adiel Apagu, said the police ought to have released the doctor since the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) had

waded into the matter.

He said the MDCN, the regulatory body for medical practice in the country, was better placed to handle the matter.

Apagu said the case involving the doctor was a matter that, if not amicably resolved, could lead to a breakdown of the health care system in the state.

He said: “As I am talking to you, the police have taken him to an undisclosed location. They have to release him, because if they don’t, they are looking for trouble.”

However, police spokesperson in the state, Othman Abubakar, said the doctor was still under police detention.

He said the police had a court order allowing it to detain the doctor longer, so as to conclude its investigation into the offence.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs Fatima Nana Mede; wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Hajiya Binta Bello, during the of launching of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Abuja… yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Lalong: Buhari not responsible for economic hardship Plateau confirms 10 cases of Lassa fever Musa Pam Jos

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lateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari was not responsible for the current hardship and economic recession being experienced in the country.

He called on Nigerians to exercise patience, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Buhari was doing its best

to alleviate the hardship in the country.

Lalong spoke at the Government House, Jos, while swearing four Special Advisers.

He said: “President Buhari is not responsible for the current economic challenges we are facing today, but as a responsible government, we will fix the situation.”

According to him the present economic predicament was caused by maladministration of the past.

“May I use this op-

portunity to plead with our people to continue to keep an abiding faith in our government; the times are no doubt hard, and the reality of the adjustments we have to make are not doubt tasking. We are not responsible for the challenges we are facing now, but as a responsible government, we are committed to fixing it. This, however, demands patience, because for every seed planted, there is a waiting gestation period before the harvest,” Lalong said.

12,179 northern schools to benefit from GPE’s $100m grant Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

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s part of efforts to enhance quality and standard of education in the northern part of the country, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has supported 12, 179 schools in the region with a $100 million grant.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who disclosed this in

Abuja yesterday at the maiden meeting of the national steering committee of Nigerian Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP), said the grant would cover five northern states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Sokoto states.

According to him, NIPEP was targeted at promoting school effectiveness, ensuring improved learning outcomes, increasing access to basic

education for children who were currently out of school, particularly girls and strengthening the ability of the managers to plan and manage the system well.

Adamu said the project was designed to benefit the girl-child at the basic level in public schools, integrated Islamiyya schools and female teachers in the five states in the area of professional teacher development training.

Musa Pam Jos

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lateau State government yesterday confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever in the state, saying no fewer than 10 suspected cases of the disease had been recorded in the state, including the case of a student of the University of Jos. Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Kunden Kamshak, while addressing journalists yesterday, said 10 suspected cases of the disease were recorded so far in the state while two of the suspected

persons had tested positive to the disease and one of them was a student of the University of Jos. According to him, seven people had been screened, including a Fulani woman from Riyom Local Government of the state while three other suspected cases were discovered yesterday.

Kamshak said the suspected cases were been handled at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

He added that the state government had risen to the challenge by deploying health workers across the state to sensitise citizens of the state on symptoms and

Ortom mediates in Akume, Jev’s feud Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

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enue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has mediated in an intractable political faceoff between a former governor of the state, Senator George Akume and a member of the House of Representatives representing Buruku constituency, Hon. Emmanuel Orker Jev. The disagreement between the two was over who would emerge senator for Benue North-East ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The meeting to settle the rift between the two politicians who hailed from the same political bloc, New Telegraph gathered, took place in the Makurdi residence of Akume and was held behind closed-doors for over four hours.

It was gathered that Jev, who was taking his final shot at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly, was reportedly eyeing Akume’s seat at the poll, a position Akume, who was said to be also interested in his fourth missionary journey was supported by majority of the people in the senatorial district.

Akume, New Telegraph gathered, is currently enjoying his third term in the National Assembly and was said to be working against Jev’s political calculation as he was said to be grooming Ortom’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sekav Iortyom to wear Jev’s shoes in 2019.

preventive measures of the disease.

Lassa fever is transmitted through urine and excreta of a rat the serves as a reservoir for the Lassa virus and this rodent is usually attracted to dirty and filthy environments.

“We have commenced aggressive sensitisation and awareness campaign in the state, the campaign is aimed at enlightening the people on how to prevent the disease and ensure that the menace was nipped in the bud.

He cautioned citizens of the state to always keep their environments clean and keep their food safe from rodents.”

Niger pays civil servants 30% slashed salary DanAtoriandIbraheem Musa

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n fulfillment of the agreement reached with organised labour in the state, the Niger State government has paid the 30 per cent slashed from the June salaries of all public and civil servants in the state.

Commissioner for Finance, Ibrahim Balarabe, yesterday said the state government effected the pay-

ment of the slashed salaries on Monday in keeping faith with the agreement reached with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

He said government’s decision to slash the salaries of workers in June was a bitter pill to swallow, but that the action was taken in the best interest of the state, following a sharp fall in the revenue of the state which forced it to resort to overdraft to augment workers’ salaries.

43

He said: “Since January this year, government had to secure overdraft to augment workers’ salaries and by June the state has incurred N3 billion facilities, a development that was inimical to the growth of the state.

“Government realised that by the end of the year, the state would have incurred over N10 billion to augment salaries alone while developmental activities would have been grounded.

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WORLD \ NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

88 retired Generals, Admirals endorse Trump

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onald Trump has been endorsed by 88 former military leaders in an open letter, according to his campaign.

The group of retired generals and admirals declared the Republican nominee "has the temperament to be commanderin-chief". Mr. Trump, who has highlighted veterans' issues during his campaign, called their support "a great honour".

He has meanwhile been dismissing claims of impropriety over a political donation to a Florida official.

The Washington Post reported two days ago that in 2013 Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had been considering fraud charges against Trump University. But she dropped the investigation after a $25,000 (ÂŁ18,600) contribution to her political campaign from the Donald J Trump Foundation.

Mr. Trump was fined because he did not disclose the contribution to the US tax authorities.

The letter released yesterday by his campaign was signed by four 4 star generals. The former top brass stated they believe

Mr. Trump is "more trusted to be commander-in-chief than (Democratic nominee) Hillary Clinton".

"We believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world," they added. Both Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton will take part back to back in a national security forum today.

The forum, to be hosted by

the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, will include questions from an audience of military service members.

Also, yesterday, Mrs. Clinton released a campaign ad featuring veterans who are critical of Mr. Trump. Her ad includes a clip of Mr. Trump from July 2015 casting doubt on leading Republican John McCain's war hero credentials. Arizona Senator McCain was tortured for more than five years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese.

Despite making support for the military a signature issue in

his campaign, Mr. Trump has at various times drawn criticism from military members.

Most notably, he was involved in a recent spat with family members of a Muslim American soldier killed during the Iraq War. Mr. Trump, who has not served in the military, also created a stir last month when he accepted a veteran's gift of a Purple Heart. "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart," he said of the medal, which is awarded to soldiers wounded in war.

"This was much easier."

Swedish Nobel judges fired in Karolinska medical scandal

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wo judges have been asked to leave a panel that picks the Nobel prize for medicine in a scandal surrounding a disgraced Italian transplant surgeon.

The decision to drop Harriet Wallberg and Anders Hamsten came after the Swedish government sacked the entire board of the prestigious Karolinska Institute, where the scientist worked.

Paolo Macchiarini was seen as a leading specialist on windpipe transplants.

But two of his patients died and he was accused of falsifying his work record. Dr Mac-

chiarini denies all the charges against him.

The two judges who lost their positions on the Nobel panel have both served as heads of the Karolinska Institute, and were among several individuals suspected of ignoring warnings about the Italian windpipe scientist.

The case has come as a severe blow to the institute. In a report on the case two days ago, a former Swedish judge said he had "never seen such negative references" and questioned why the surgeon had been initially hired and then had his contract extended.

Black Lives Matter protest disrupts London airport

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suspected suicide car bomber rammed the gates of the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek yesterday, killing the attacker and wounding at least three other people, officials said. Officials from both countries described the assault as a terrorist act, and Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev ordered the government to take extra counter terrorism measures in the capital and regions, his office said in statement.

China condemned the attack and urged Kyrgyz authorities to "quickly investigate and determine the real

situation behind the incident.

"China is deeply shocked by this and strongly condemns this violent and extreme act," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing in Beijing.

The ministry later said China would "resolutely strike against all forms of terrorism" and protect the safety of its people and government organizations overseas A Kyrgyz Interior Ministry spokesman said the car exploded inside the compound. Police cordoned off the embassy and adjacent area, and the GKNB state security service were investigating the bombing that occurred at about 10:00 a.m. (0400 GMT).

Hurricane Newton makes landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast

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urricane Newton has made landfall in western Mexico near the popular tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas.

The US National Hurricane Center said hurricane force winds were spreading over Baja California Sur. The Center registered maximum sustained winds of 150km/h (90mph). Forecasters earlier predicted torrential rains and possible flash flooding and the Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for mainland Mexico from Guaymas to Bahia Kino.

The same weather system triggered more than thirty mudslides in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Dozens of people

had to be airlifted from a rain swamped housing complex in Acapulco.

Late two days ago, overcast skies in the Los Cabos municipality gave way to heavy rain and the wind was building in strength. Twelve shelters opened and motorists queued to fill their cars with fuel ahead of the hurricane's arrival. Newton reached hurricane strength over the Pacific two days ago.

Over the weekend, the US state of Florida was battered

by Hurricane Hermine, before it weakened to a post tropical storm and drifted off the US east coast.

Trump campaigning

Niger bans export of donkeys

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iger has banned the export of donkeys, warning that a three-fold increase in trade, mainly to Asian countries, is threatening its donkey population.

"If the export continues the animals will be decimated," a government official has told the BBC. China imports many donkey hides, using the gelatin in medicinal tonics, aphrodisiacs and anti-ageing creams. In August, neighbouring Burkina Faso banned the export of donkey skins on similar grounds.

"About 80,000 donkeys have been exported so far this year compared to 27,000 last year," Atte Issa, at Niger's livestock ministry, said. The government has also banned the slaughter of any donkeys within Niger.

The BBC's Baro Arzika in Niger's capital, Niamey, says the trade in donkeys has become so profitable that livestock sellers are abandoning other animals for the donkey trade. A donkey now costs between $100 (ÂŁ75) and $145, when it used to cost about $34. A similar price hike in donkey skin was witnessed in Burkina Faso where the animal's hide rose from about $4 (ÂŁ3) a few years ago to $50. In both countries donkeys are commonly used to transport goods, though some communities eat their meat.

The ban was issued through a joint decree by Niger's ministries of farming, finance and internal affairs and trade.

Gelatin made from donkey skin is highly prized in China as a medicinal tonic, thought to nourish the blood, boost the im-

mune system and act as a general pick me up. It is sometimes referred to as one of the "three nourishing treasures" (zi bu san bao), along with ginseng and the antlers of young deer.

The most famous donkey gelatin is produced in Dong'e County in north-eastern Shandong Province, where it is traditionally made with the local well water.

Donkey gelatin is sometimes mixed with walnuts, goji berries and other tonic foods and sold in dark, gummy slabs that can be eaten as a snack.

Health and longevity is a Chinese national obsession, and tonic foods like this are often lavishly packaged and presented as expensive gifts. Aside from gelatin, donkey meat is a delicacy in some Chinese regions, especially in the north of the country.

Philippines scramble to soothe tensions after Obama slur

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ew Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte sought to defuse a row with the United States yesterday, voicing regret for calling President Barack Obama a "son of a bitch", a comment that prompted Washington to call off a bilateral meeting.

The tiff between the two allies overshadowed the opening of a summit of East and Southeast Asian nations in Vientiane, Laos.

It also soured Obama's last swing as president through a region he has tried to make a focus of US foreign policy, a strategy widely seen as a response to China's eco-

nomic and military muscle flexing. Diplomats say strains with longtime ally the Philippines could compound Washington's difficulties in forging a united front with Southeast Asian partners on the geostrategic jostle with Beijing over the South China Sea. Duterte has bristled repeatedly at criticism over his "war on drugs", which has killed about 2,400 people since he took office two months ago, and two days ago said it would be "rude" for Obama to raise the question of human rights when they met.

Such a conversation, Duterte told reporters, would prompt him to curse at Obama, using a Filipino phrase "putang ina" which can mean "son of a bitch" or "son of a whore".

He has previously used the epithet against Pope Francis, although he later apologized, and the US ambassador to the Philippines. After Washington called off yesterday bilateral meeting between Obama and Duterte in response to his latest comment, the Philippines issued two statements expressing regret and also briefed reporters.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

2016 Paralympics begins today in Rio

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he 2016 Paralympics will kick off in Rio de Janeiro today with thousands of athletes from around the world taking part in the Games.

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will be held from 7 to 18 September with the opening ceremony at the Maracana stadium on Wednesday

Sport

7 September.

The opening ceremony will include the live creation of a work of art by ceremony director and renowned Brazilian artist Vik Muniz.

Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries will be competing in more than 500 medal

events in 22 different sports.

Brazil will be the first South American city to hold the Paralympic Games, having won the bid in 2009. The Paralympic torch relay which began on the 1 September, visited five cities – Brasilia, Belem, Natal, Joinville and Sao Paulo across the country’s five regions.

EXCLUSIVE! Russia 2018:

Rohr chases ticket with 30 players Says no room for benchwarmers

Ajibade Olusesan

S

uper Eagles manager Gernot Rohr has put together a robust plan to pick a ticket for the Russia 2018 World Cup which includes prosecuting the qualifiers with a list of 30 players.

A source in the Nigeria Football Federation told our correspondent that the German coach had a marathon meeting with the Technical Committee of the NFF where he divulged his plans and said he wanted to use a compact list of 30 players for the qualifiers.

The coach, according to our source, acknowledged that Nigeria has so many good players across the world but it could be counterproductive if he does not work with a manageable number of stars.

“He has pencilled down 30 names already to prosecute the qualifiers,” the source who is also an influential member of the team told New Telegraph.

“He now has idea of players he wants to use and Coach Salisu Yusuf has worked very well with him to draw up the list. The technical committee

Rohr

Victor Moses (right) in action against Tanzania in Uyo

has looked at it and seemed impressed.

The core of the team was invited for the Tanzania game and virtually all of the players reacted well in camp except one or two, and we are expecting players like Oghene Etebo and Alex iwobi to get involved too. No one will come in except players who forced their way into the list with outstanding performances for their clubs.”

The coach himself acknowledged that he needed the best players for the qualifiers and was working on returning confidence into the team after the AFCON 2017 debacle “We will need all our best players to be at their very best. We had a good list for the Tanzania match but a couple of players were injured and we will like to look at those ones as well. The focus is to strengthen the spine of the team and ensure they can beat any team. The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but when results start

to come, the confidence will return,” the German said.

“I have a very good feeling about this job and the people I have to work with. I am also happy that the first week went very well because the players were able to quickly imbibe our philosophy. We need to have solidarity all round. The technical committee members have also been great. Certainly, the National Technical Director also has a role to play. The ambience is impressive.”

Meanwhile, the coach does not have problem with accommodation in the country as the NFF has already secured a flat for him in Abuja.

Our source said that “Rohr is so excited about this job. He was supposed to travel to France to meet with his family after the Tanzania match but he said he could cancel the trip and stay put in Nigeria if the Abuja residence is okay for him. He is ready to stay here and earn his pay.”

T’Tennis: Quadri now 25th in world rankings 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

Toriola also moves up, Assar drops

Emmanuel Tobi

N

igeria and African table tennis champion, Aruna Quadri, on Tuesday set another continental record after leaping to 25th in the September rankings released by the International Table Tennis Federation.

Only last month, Quadri set a record as the first African to reach the Olympic Games quarterfinal stage in Rio as well as the first to make the top 30 in the world.

The 28-year-old who was one of the stars at the Rio

Olympic Games, gained152 points from his performance in Brazil to place 25th in the world.

From 2305 points he had in the August rankings, Quadri now has 2457points to become the first player in Africa to be rated in the top 25 in the world.

Apart from rising to 25, Quadri in the latest rankings was also listed among the most active players in the world based on his rise from 40th in August to 25th in September.

Also, a member of the ITTF ‘7’ Club, Nigeria’s Segun Toriola was rewarded for his efforts in Rio as

Quadri

the seventh time Olympian moved from 120 to 106 in the rankings, while Egypt’s Omar Assar remains the continent’s number two. The Egyptian who was edged

out in the second round of the Rio Olympic Games by Ukraine’s Lei Kou dropped from 55 to 56 in the world.

Despite dropping to 118 from 110, Egypt’s Dina Meshref remains the top ranked African female player, while Nigeria’s duo of Edem Offiong and Olufunke Oshonaike were not lucky with Offiong dropping from 120 to 129 while Oshonaike dropped from 241 to 251.

In the latest rankings, Olympic and World Champion, China’s Ma Long, held on to the zenith as the Asian star and his compatriot Shiwen Liu remain number one ranked male and female players in the world.

46

SPORT NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ikpeba: Rohr needs match winners Ifeanyi Anyaka

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x-inter national Victor Ikpeba has said that Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, needs match winners in the team in order to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Ikpeba in a live television programme monitored

by New Telegraph on Tuesday urged the coach to pick players that will bring the team success, stating that it will bring in competition into and will reduce work load on him.

“We need players that can come in and change the game. The new spirit of the Super Eagles is that the coach will create competition and that is important for him to get good result.

“If we have the likes of Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Sodiq Umar; the

Nigerian defender, Leon Balogun (middle) battling for the ball with a Tanzanian player

Lagos opens database for rugby coaches L

agos State Rugby Association has commenced registration of coaches in the state in a bid to have a comprehensive database.

According to the Chairman of Lagos State Rugby Football Association, Kofo Coker, the exercise will enable the association know the number of rugby coaches in the state, organise training, workshops and seminars for registered officials, work with them in its developmental programmes, assist in ensuring that only tacticians registered with the

association are employed and allowed to coach in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Coker enjoined all rugby coaches in the state to take advantage of this unique opportunity and get registered with the association.

Coker stated that the registration forms were available at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba and on the Lagos State Sports Commission website (www.lagossports.ng)

First Bank intensify preparation for ACCW Zone-3 Ikenna Amadi

N

igeria wo m e n basketball league champions, First Bank Basketball Club, have begun preparations for the 2016 Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifiers billed for October 21 to 31 in Lome, Togo.

T he competition is meant for champions and runners-up from each of the eight countries (Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Niger) that made up the zone.

The clubs includes Nigeria men league champions and run-

ners-up – Kano Pillars Basketball Club and Nigeria Customs Basketball Club and it women champions and runners-up – First Bank basketball club and Dolphins basketball club.

First Bank otherwise known as The Elephant Girls are setting a target of making positive statement at the zonal qualifiers and go further to compete favourably at the finals fixed for November in Mozambique.

The club coached

by Peter Ahmedu with assistance from Christopher Okoh remain

a reference point in terms of success in Nigerian basketball with two African titles in 2003 (Mozambique) and 2009 (Benin) and several silver and bronze medals.

And in order to achieve its set goal at the continental stage this year the club has since resumed training long before the venue for the Zone-3 qualifiers was announced and had not only double its preparation by increasing the hours of practice but looking to to be stronger ahead of next month’s zonal eliminatory session.

young lad who scored four goals at the 2016 Olympics, then we will have competition in the team and it makes life easy for the coach,” the former Nigerian forward said.

“The game against Tanzania served as an eye opener for the coach to know the player’s he will pick in their next month game

Ikpeba

Goal Nigeria, University of Sussex launch Atlanta ‘96 e-book

F

ootball website Goal. com Nigeria and the University of Sussex will on Thursday, September 8, 2016, launch an e-book in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Nigeria’s victory in the men’s football event of the 1996 Olympic Games.

The e-book with title, ‘Nigeria’s Olympics: Sports and National Development’ is a collection of essays from the #WritingGamesNG essay com-

petition that took place in August and is co-edited

by Lolade Adewuyi and Tosin Adebisi.

“We see this e-book as an important contribution to Nigerian sports and scholarship that needs to be encouraged in our country as a reminder of its important football heroes,” the editors said.

The competition, launched by Goal.com Nigeria and the University of Sussex, was open to fi-

he Nigeria Football Federation has announced the semi-finals of this year’s Federation Cup will be staged in Kaduna and Ibadan later this month.

The first semi-final will be at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in in Kaduna between giant killers Crown FC and FC IfeanyiUbah on September 18, while the second semi-final is at the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan between Enyimba and Nasarawa United, which will

be played on September 21.

The winners of the semi-finals will clash in the final at a venue yet to be announced even though Lagos, which has hosted the past four finals, may likely host the cup final again.

The winners of the cup competition will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup. The women’s Federation Cup semifinals will be in Enugu.

nal year students in higher institutions and serving NYSC corps members across the country.

The winner was given an all-expenses paid trip to attend the 2016 Writivism Festival in Kampala, Uganda, a foremost gathering of writers in Africa.

At Thursday’s ceremony, the winner, as well as finalists of the essay competition will be awarded prizes and certificates.

$390,000 : Siasia, Mikel yet to cash Japanese’ gift Adeolu Johnson ABUJA

T

he $390,000 gift to DNigeria U-23 team from Japanese surgeon, Katsuya Takasu, has not been cashed by Coach Samson Siasia and captain Mikel Obi contrary to reports making rounds that the money had been.

The cheques were written in the names of Siasia ($200,000) and Mikel ($190, 000) respectively since it could not be done on individual basis.

And Obi had promised to settle the concerned individuals during the Super Eagles and Tafia Stars of Tanzania dead-rubber Africa Nations Cup qualifier in Uyo,

Kaduna, Ibadan to host Federation Cup semifinals

T

against Zambia in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Some of our players like Ighalo and Onazi were not at their best at the weekend, they need to better their games and sit up if they want the coach to pick them in the game against Zambia.”

Ikpeba further said the team must score goals if they must qualify for the World Cup. “I would have wanted more goals from the boys but the team lacked the spirit of scoring more goals against Tanzania at the weekend. We need to get our goal scoring spirit back to finish those chances when we play the likes of Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. If we start scoring early in our game, we will make life difficult for these teams,” he remarked.

Takasu (left) and Mikel

Akwa Ibom State.

But a member of the team who was looking forward to it disclosed that the process of clearing both cheques was cumbersome.

“We are still waiting to be paid since Coach Siasia said the process of getting through international banking system is difficult.

“What we have been paid is only our camp allowances before and during the Games. As I am talking to you now, we are still waiting for that money,” he said.

The money had on announcement generated controversary as former International, Peterside Idah alleged that the Nigeria Football Federation wanted to intercept the cheques, although the football house denied it.

The NFF said what it wanted to do was to conduct an integrity test of the background of the gift.

The Japanese we learnt later complained about the move by the NFF to conduct the integrity checks claiming he only did as foundation.

Meanwhile, the U-23 team handler is already shopping for a job abroad since the expiration of his contract with the NFF. Siasia is only waiting to collect his outstanding salaries before announcing his next move.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

S

Recession and strong institutions

trong countries, with strong institutions, a resilient population and courageous people are known in moments of great national crisis and challenges. It is not enough to boast that a country is a giant and the strongest economy in Africa and such a country cannot rise up and face the challenges of recession caused by global oil crisis and the irresponsibility of the political elite. In times of great challenges, the institutions of government must work creatively and symbiotically for the good of the people and the nation and the two key institutions in this regard are the Executive and the Legislature at the national and state levels.

Unfortunately, the relationship between the two critical institutions that are supposed to work assiduously and get Nigeria out of the woods is frosty and confusing. The nation must therefore find the means and ways of managing the challenges between these institutions if the present economic and social challenges facing the nation will be addressed.

It must be emphasized that the framers of the Nigerian Constitution did not make any branch or organ of government superior to the other.

Rather, they made the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the supreme document and insisted that every individual, group and organization must be subject to its provisions and dictates.

It is also instructive to point out that part 11 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lists the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Powers in the Constitution as the “Powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. The powers are not that of any of the organs of government but rather the powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Furthermore, section 14(2(b) of the Constitution makes it clear that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” At the heart of the conflict, friction and challenge between the Executive and the Legislature relates to the powers of the different branches, the extent of the powers and the limits of the powers. Some of the challenges also relates to the refusal of the branches at one time or the other to remain within the confines and ambit of their constitutional roles.

There is no doubt that the Legislature is an important organ of the government. It is the tribune of the people and section 4 of the Constitution domiciles and vests the Legislative Powers of the Federation in the National Assembly made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives and that of the State in the House of Assembly of the State and this power is to be exercised for the benefit of the generality of the members of the State. This gives them the power to make Laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation and the States Section 81(1) and 121(1) of the Constitution gives the President and the Governor of a State the power to prepare and lay before the National Assembly and the House of Assembly at any time before the commencement of each financial year estimates of the revenue and expenditure of the State for the next following financial year.

Section 88(1) and 128(1) of the Constitution also gives the National Assembly and the House of Assembly

Hard Choices FESTUS OKOYE festokoye2003@yahoo.com 0805-448-0565 (sms only)

President Muhammadu Buhari

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun

ers and a host of other appointees and the power of impeachment.

On the other hand, section 5 of the Constitution vests Executive powers of the Federation and the States in the President and the Governors which extends to the execution and maintenance of the Constitution, all Laws made by the National and State Assemblies and to all matters with respect to which they are empowered to make laws.

Tension, misunderstanding and distrust will continue to exist between the Executive and the Legislature as long as some surrogates and harbingers of confusion insist on having a pliant and surrogate Legislature with little or no independence and credibility. Tension and conflict will continue to exist so long as some members of the legislature regard oversight as making sure that they guarantee jobs for their brothers, sisters and cronies in agencies where they oversea.

Moreover, project conception and execution lies with the Executive arm of the government. It is not the function of the Legislature and Legislators to award contracts and see to the execution of such contracts. However, the Executive Branch of the Government must appreciate and understand that in the peculiar circumstances of our democracy, the number of Motions moved by a member of the House and the number of Bills sponsored are immaterial in the politics of election and re-election. It is the number of bore holes, culverts, schools and “other empowerment” projects attracted and or executed by members of the Legislature that sometimes guarantees reelection. It is important to continuously educate the Nigerian public on the core functions of the legislature and gradually wean the legislature and the Nigerian public from the trap of constituency projects. Both arms of the government must show some understanding in this regard.

Sometimes decisions of the Legislature and the Executive are communicated poorly. Sometimes decisions are

the power to conduct investigation over any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws.

They are also vested with the power to confirm the appointment of Ministers, Special Advisers, Commission-

Framers of the Nigerian Constitution did not make any branch or organ of government superior to the other

47

communicated in an opaque manner and the receivers are left to decode the real content of the message. It is important for both arms of government to communicate and communicate well. It is also important for both arms of government to clarify decisions and resolve grey areas rather than rely on rumours and rumour mongers.

There are individuals whose main business is stoking conflict between the Executive and the Legislature.

Some of them owe their relevance to the quantum of gossip they are able to generate and pretend to resolve.

Avoiding and decoding these individuals and their antics is crucial in maintaining cordial Executive and Legislative harmony. Trust and abiding faith in the mandate of the people is crucial in managing Legislative and Executive relations.

Impeachment is a serious legislative business and should not be used and or bandied around at will. The members of the National and State Assemblies will be taken seriously if issues that are minor and can be easily resolved are resolved amicably while the weapon of impeachment is reserved and used exclusively for impeachable offences. Misusing the power of impeachment creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety and invariably a wide gulf develops and it becomes difficult to manage.

Sometimes the misuse of the power of impeachment sees some Legislative Houses operating from outside jurisdiction. Tolerance and moderation in the use of executive and legislative powers should be the watchword.

It is important for legislative and executive harmony that the executive treats members of the legislature as representatives of their people. The Executive must not create a cabal of untouchables or favourites that are given money and forced to spy on others that are not favoured. It is also important that members of the legislature do not constitute themselves as spies against other members just to curry favour from members of the executive.

The Nigerian people must also be made to understand that it is the core function of the Executive arm of Government to prepare or cause to be prepared and laid before the National and State Assembly estimates of the revenue and expenditure of the State for the next financial year. This means that the power to appropriate funds resides with the Legislature. The Legislature can tamper with the budget estimates and they can increase and or decrease the budget estimates.

It must be emphasized that disagreements between the Executive and the Legislature based on ideological and policy differences are healthy for the State and better progress can be made when same is resolved in the overall interest of the people of the State. However, when disagreements are based on ego, control, opportunism and “sharing formula “and the state and its citizens are held to ransom, it becomes destructive and counterproductive.

It is my view the Executive and the Legislature can adhere to their various constitutional and legislative roles and still work together on the basis of mutual trust, service to the people and adherence to constitutionalism and the rule of law. It is only by so doing that there will be synergy in service delivery and the people will be happy with government.

Sanctity of Truth

Bola Bolawole Fayose’s grazing bill of controversy

}16

Festus Okoye Recession and strong institutions

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

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N150

Public arena T he column you write

INEC, inconclusive polls and 2019 Suleiman Uba Gaya

D

emocracy would perhaps lose its defining egalitarianism if it foreclosed the free expression of viewpoints by its adherents - including often illogical perspectives by forces that seek to misinform, diminish and divide. Against this backdrop, we should appreciate public communicators who have achieved that delicate, firm balance between researched opinion that informs and leverages society and humdrum commentary that diminishes and stunts.

The unfolding debate over assessment of the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, especially with regards to the so-called ‘inconclusive polls’ represents an arena where a lot of positions that lack rigorous, objective thinking have taken centre stage. Given that perception is reality, this situation is hugely worrying and needs to be dealt with immediately to clear the often contrived fog foisted on public perception.

Curiously, many commentators on elections either do not know, or choose to ignore the key fact that conduct of election is a closely structured exercise. The often contrived failure to conform to due process and rules of engagement will result in a verdict of inconclusiveness by the electoral umpire or in nullification of the poll by the election petitions tribunals down the line.

Currently, two major pieces of legislation guide the conduct of elections in Nigeria. They are the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended as well as the Electoral Act 2010, as amended. In addition, Section 153 of the Electoral Act empowers INEC to also issue regulations, guidelines and manuals for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Act. Thus, the Commission periodically publishes Election Guidelines, Codes of Conduct for Political Parties, Accredited Observers, Journalists, etc. It also developed Political Party Finance Manual and Handbook.

The necessity for declaration of inconclusive polls stems from the need to account for results from every polling unit during an election exercise. INEC itself brought more clarity to this issue recently when its Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, visited a Lagos-based newspaper. “The constitution of this country provides condition for making return in an election,” he said. “If that threshold is not met, can INEC make a declaration?

We can’t, under the law, and if you do so the court will nullify the election.” When I first saw the headline of this article, however, I didn’t exactly have the clarity.

The headline, “INEC can’t guarantee conclusive elections in 2019 –Chairman”, got my iris dilated. But when I read Yakubu’s direct quotes inside the story, I was relieved. This, in my humble opinion, brought to the fore the excrescency of interpretative journalism, where interpretation provides the theme and the facts illustrate it; where the theme is primary

Abubakar Malami, Attorney -General of the Federation

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC boss

would likely reincarnate in Edo State.

The politicians are already raising the political temperature to feverish proportions. I will be surprised if the winner is decided at first ballot count. I will not bore you with section 26. The spirit and letter of that act suggest that safety and security should not be sacrificed on the altar of conclusive elections.

All said, why does it appear elections are increasingly becoming inconclusive at first count? I want to suspect that there are more off-season polls now than ever before. Annulment of election naturally steers them away from general election.

In addition, our polls are now credible and thus more competitive. “What I want Nigerians to understand is that our democracy is maturing,” Yakubu had explained. “If it matures, it cannot be the way we used to do things before.

The mindset would have to change.

Days were long gone when politicians do everything they can to be declared winners, knowing that the case would end up in court.”

However, INEC would need to speed up some of its proposed reforms, such as amendments to its guidelines. This includes removal of the eight million uncollected Permanent Voter Cards. It also includes vigorous prosecution of electoral offenders and initiating further enactments to stem electoral violence.

While I respect the rights of others to hold opinions that do not resonate with mine as expressed here, it would appear some are on a mischief trip. Since the emergence of Yakubu, it seems some have made throwing flaks at him as their mission in life. It’s not the aim of this piece to obliterate any happiness they cling to by so doing. Except to give illumination, as I see it, to the straightminded.

• Gaya is the Vice President (North) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

HIGH CHIEF

NIGERIA NEEDS LAGOS THAN NIGER DELTA –Sanusi Justice Mahmud Mohammed, CJN

Adams Oshiomhole, Edo governor

and the facts are secondary.

I couldn’t agree any less with the INEC boss when he said, “The most difficult election for the commission to conduct are off-season elections, because the attention of everybody focuses on a particular constituency and the political actors and gladiators and their antics have time to mobilise nationwide to descend on a particular constituency, which made the conclusion of such elections very difficult.”

That was manifested in Bayelsa. That was what we also saw in Rivers. That was why seven (7) people were killed in Rivers elections last year, including a Youth Corper and two soldiers. That accounted for the reported deaths of 14 people in

Bayelsa election last year, including three soldiers and four policemen. All political eyes were fixated on the states in their respective election dates. The political parties and their stalwarts had their attention and resources directed to a those areas. It was a do or die affair!

Will it be fair, therefore, to compare the outcome of the elections in these states with that of a general election?

Just imagine if the death ratio is taken to the general election. Assuming the spate of deaths is mirrored across the states in a general poll. In arithmetic progression, that would be almost 400 victims, including 108 soldiers. Would you call that an election or a war?

The Rivers and Bayelsa experience

- Yes, who won't need the state of Excellence?

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