3rd November 2015

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,362

TUESDAY, 3 november, 2015

Reps move to douse tension over committees' composition —P4

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We've uncovered over 1,000 fake lawyers —NBA —P5

n150

Customs names 6 DCGs, 8 ACGs in acting capacity —P2

Pension scam: How syndicate defrauded FG of N1.2bn —P2

•NYSC member got N23m pension •EFCC declares Maina wanted

Buhari, Jonathan meet in Aso Rock —P5

Trading in MTN shares suspended

—P11

Shelve dictatorial tendency, Yakasai tells Buhari —P14

From left, Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo; Comptroller General, Nigerian Custom Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ali (retd) and an Assistant Comptroller General, NCS, Mrs Grace Adeyemo, during a working visit of Customs' boss to NEPC, in Abuja, on Monday.

FG owes Egbin Power Plant N39bn —P11

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Pension scam: How syndicate defrauded FG of N1.2bn —Witness NYSC member got N23m pension Sunday Ejike -Abuja

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witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Roukayya Ibrahim, on Monday, told an Abuja High Court how four suspects allegedly ran a syndicate that defrauded the Federal Government of N1.2 billion in a pension scam.

The suspects, Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani Sulaiman,

Hajia Fatima Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon, are being tried over their alleged involvement in the pension scam.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, O. A. Atolagbe, the witness, an investigator with the EFCC and member of the pension fraud team, told the court that the fraud was uncovered in 2010.

“We received intelligence on the syndicate operating in Kaduna, being led

by Hajia Fatima Mazangari and we immediately commenced investigations,” she said.

The accused persons, according to her, used two companies – Xangee Technologies Limited and Century Construction Company Limited – to perpetrate the fraud.

She told the court that Xangee Technologies Limited, owned by Mazangari, was offered a biometric contract by a former Head of Servce

EFCC declares Maina wanted THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, declared Mr Abdulrsheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, wanted.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Maina was wanted for his role in the fraudulent biometric contracts through which himself and former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye and two others allegedly stole over N2 billion of pension funds.

Maina was, on July 21, 2015, charged alongside Oronsaye, Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton of Global Services Limited before a Federal High Court on a 24-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.

While Oronsaye and two others were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, Maina had been at large.

On July 21 when the court heard the bail applications of the accused persons, Maina, through his counsel, Esther Uzoma, told the court

that he was not at large, claiming that the EFCC had never invited him. Consequently, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, pleaded with the court to prevail on the accused's counsel to produce Maina in court, as the commisssion had no clues as to his whereabouts.

The commission implored anyone with information on Maina's whereabouts to contact any of its offices in Lagos, Abuja, Gombe, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu or report at the nearest police station.

There are 108 active erosion sites in Edo —Oshiomhole Banji Aluko -Benin City THERE are 108 erosion sites in Edo State, the state deputy governor, Pious Odubu, has disclosed.

The deputy governor stated this when the Senate Committee on Works, led by Senator Barnabas Gemade, paid a courtesy call on Governor Adams Oshiomhole, during inspection of some gully erosion sites in the state.

Odubu, who received the senators on behalf of Governor Oshiomhole, added that the state government was working on three of the erosion sites and had contingency plans for 10 of such sites.

Other members of the Senate committee who in-

spected the sites in Edo Central and South senatorial districts were Matthew Urhoghide, Clifford Ordia, Uche Ekwunife and Bassey Akpan.

The senators, who had visited erosion sites in Edo Central zone on their way to Benin City, at the weekend, on Monday, visited two other erosion sites in the Edo South zone, namely Okhokuo village in Ovia North East Local Government Area and another spot inside the University of Benin.

The senators expressed shock at the gully in Okhokuo, which is gradually dividing the community into two, and that of the University of Benin, which has cut off a road and threatening to consume nearby buildings.

Speaking, Senator Gemade said the Senate mandated the committee to undertake an on-the-spot assessment of the sites, following the consideration of the devastation of roads occasioned by gully erosion.

“It is really the gully erosion that is damaging and cutting off the roads. This is enormous problem in the country, especially in the south,” he said.

Reacting to a question on previous unproductive visits to the sites, he said, “we are not the ones who visited here before.

We, as a parliament, only call the attention of existing branch of government; we do not do any job ourselves. We will go and make our report.”

(HoS), Steve Oronsaye, to regularise names of pensioners on the pension payroll, but smuggled in names of fake pensioners (including his own name) and collected unearned pension.

“Investigations revealed that Xangee, an IT firm, was paid about N153 million for the biometric contract, but we found out that the process of awarding the contract did not follow due process, as there was no contract bidding, yet payment was made,” she said.

The second accused person, according to Roukayya, used three variants of his

name to open three different pension accounts, to which a total of about N24 million of pension payments at different times were paid; the money was afterwards withdrawn and handed over to Fatima.

“During investigations, it was also discovered that Saleh Yerima Tsojon who, at the time, was serving his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service in Calabar, was receiving pension payment which amounted to about N23 million,” she added.

The four accused persons are being prosecuted by the

EFCC on a 29-count charge bordering on conspiracy and collecting by false pretence.

They are alleged to have obtained N1.2 billion from the Federal Government, purporting same to be monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U. Adamu, Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Garba Musa, who were falsely held out as pensioners, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll.

The trial judge, Justice Abubakar Talba, fixed today for further hearing in the matter.

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015) PHOTOS: D'TOYIN

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Customs names 6 DCGs, 8 ACGs in acting capacity Saliu Gbadamosi -Abuja THE Comptroller-General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali (retd), has approved the appointment of six acting Deputy Comptroller-Generals of Customs in the ongoing re-organisation in the service.

The six officers, who are of the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General, will occupy the positions of DeputyComptrollers-General in acting capacity.

Those appointed are Idris Suleiman (Finance Administration and Technical Service); Iya Umar (Tariff and Trade); Dan Ugo (Enforcement Investigation and Inspection); Grace Adeyemo

(Excise, FTZ & Industrial Incentive); Austin Warikoru (Human Resource Development) and Paul Ukaigwe (Strategic Research and Policy).

Eight comptrollers were similarly announced to occupy the positions of Assistant Comptrollers-General created in the exercise.

They are Umar Sanusi (Headquarters); Funsho Adegoke (ICT); Mohammed Abbas (Board); Olatunji Aremu (Command & Staff College); Charles Edike (Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’); Abubakar Dangaladima (Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘B’); Azarema Abdulkadir (Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘C’) and Chidi

Augustine (Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘D’).

Seven officers were equally redeployed in the new exercise.

They are Adesina Odunmbaku (Finance and Technical Service); Robert Alu (Tariff and Trade); Ade Dosumu (Enforcement and Drugs); Monday Abueh (Excise & Industrial Incentive); Ahmed Mohammed (Human Resource Management); Patience Iferi (Strategic Research and Policy) and Comptroller Aminu Abba (Technical Services).

The changes, according to the statement by Wale Adeniyi, Public Relations Officer of the service, took immediate effect.

3 1. Clerics of Ode Remo with Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu.

2. Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran (right) and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu, receiving condolence letter from Mrs Farogbe Betsy from Abuja.

3. Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu, flanked by Mrs Bisi Okeowo Bolade and Miss Bolu Okeowo from Agape Christian Sisters.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

6 masquerades lead protest against merger of higher institutions in Osun Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

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HERE was mild drama in Esa-Oke, a community in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, when masquerades, numbering six, led protest by some residents of the town against rumoured plan to merge Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke with other colleges of education in the state.

The development, which created tension in the community precipitated fear, as terrified natives and residents scampered to safety on sighting the masquerades, who led the protest by the aggrieved indigenes of

Troops kill 4 Boko Haram members, clear camp in Borno school C hris Agbambu - Abuja

NIGERIAN troops again, killed four suspected Boko Haram insurgents, who were hiding in a primary school in Duwabafi village, Borno State.

The terrorists were said to have been killed in a gun duel with troops from the 243 Battalion, 5 Brigade Nigerian Army.

In a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, in Abuja, on Monday, two AK-47 rifles, four sizes of solar energy panels, several types of drugs and five motorcycles were also recovered for suspects.

“In continuation of the fight against Boko Haram sect, Nigerian troops from 243 Battalion, 5 Brigade Nigerian Army on fighting patrol encountered some suspected elements of Boko Haram terrorists holed up at a primary school in Duwabafi village, Borno State.

“There was heavy exchange of gunfire in which the patrol killed four suspected Boko Haram terrorists, recovered 2 AK-47 rifles, four various sizes of solar energy panels, several types of drugs and five motorcycles.

“The patrol has returned to base and further restrategising for more onslaught on all remaining vestiges of Boko Haram elements within the area,” the statement read.

the town.

Though the government had denied any plan to merge higher institutions in the state, many stakehold-

ers, including associations in the affected communities, had been registering their displeasure over the development.

About three weeks ago, there were speculations that the state government was tinkering with the idea of merging the two col-

leges of education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun, including the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke and the Osun State Polytechnic,

Some of the arms and ammunition recovered by the troops at the terrorists’ camp.

Reps move to douse tension over committees’ composition •As Dogara inaugurates committees next week J acob Segun Olatunji and K olawole D aniel - Abuja DIFFERENT camps in the House of Representatives have reportedly held series of meetings to stop the resignation move by some members who are aggrieved with the composition of committee positions by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that groups from the Speaker’s camp, House Leader’s camp and the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) camp in the House were meeting differently on ways to address the grievances of members who were not happy with sharing of the committees.

Particularly, the Speaker’s camp was said to be working round the clock to ensure that peace reigned in the House.

Sources in the know confided in Nigerian Tribune that some senior members of the House, who were not comfortable with fallout of the sharing of committees, where some members were rejecting their committees, were be-

hind the peace move across the different parties.

Only last week, three members resigned their appointments into the committee headship as announced by the Speaker.

They included Honourable Garba Datti-Muhammad, who rejected his appointment as chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals Development; Honourable Hassan Saleh, who rejected his appointment as the deputy chairman, Committee on Local Content and Honourable Sunday Adepoju, deputy chairman, House

Committee on Special Duties, who equally rejected his appointment.

This was just as Honourable Dogara was said to be putting finishing touches to inaugurating the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the 96 standing committees of the House next week.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, confirmed the development.

The lawmaker said “the leadership of the committees will be inaugurated next week, God willing.”

Iree, as part of the measures to reduce expenditures and overhead cost.

Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the protesters, mostly indigenes of the town, prevented lecturers and students of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke from gaining access to the campus, just as the masquerades in their regalia served as forerunners for the demonstrators.

The protesters contended that they would not relent in their efforts to prevail on the government to back down on such plan in the interest of socio-economic growth of the communities.

It will be recalled that residents of Iree, in Boripe Local Government Area of the state had, penultimate week, protested the alleged plan to merge Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY ), Iree with the higher institution in Esa-Oke. The protest was followed by the press conference organised by the alumni association of Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun.

National president of the association, Mr Ayobami Fakeye, cautioned that the state government should not toy with the idea of merging the college with any other institution, noting that the alumni perceived such move as retrogressive and antidevelopment, capable of plunging the state into more chaos than it was presently experiencing.

Speaking with journalists about the protest in Esa-Okeon Monday, the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran, said the protest was peaceful and staged to prevent Governor Rauf Aregbesola from embarking on his plan to merge the institution with another one.

Senate resumes Lamorde’s probe next week Taiwo Adisa - Abuja SENATE Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions is to resume the probe of the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, of allegations that he mismanaged the sum of N1 trillion, being proceeds recovered from some persons indicted by the commission.

Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who confirmed this on Monday, said the Senate Committee deferred the probe because of the

ministerial screening which ended last week.

Anyanwu, who spoke with newsmen at the National Assembly, said the committee would host Lamorde and all connected with the probe next week.

He stated that Lamorde had written the committee in August to demand a three-week delay, but added that the committee could not go ahead after the three weeks date because members of the committee had proceeded on recess.

He assured that once the ministerial screening had been put behind, the probe

would now resume.

One George Uboh had petitioned the Senate, alleging that the Lamorde mismanaged funds amounting to about N1 trillion while serving as Director of Operations of the EFCC in 2003 and also when he returned as chairman in 2012.

Uboh had in the petition alleged that Lamorde underemitted proceeds of properties seized by the commission from persons indicted for financial crimes between 2003 and 2007, when he served as Director of Operations and during his current tenure.

Though the probe had run into stormy waters on Monday, when the leadership of the Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fired a statement to call for a cessation of the hearing, claiming that the procedure was against Senate Rules, chairman of the committee said on Tuesday, that his members would go ahead with the probe.

The petitioner accused Lamorde of mismanaging proceeds of the seized funds from the former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun and the former governor of Bayelsa State the late

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Speaking on Monday, Anyanwu said the committee was ready to resume its probe.

Anyanwu said: “Next week, we are resuming probe of the chairman of EFCC, in line with that petition were were looking at. Lamorde could not appear before us the other time because he wrote to ask for three weeks, but by the time the three weeks lapsed, we were already on recess and when we resumed, the ministerial screening took all the time. I assure you that by next week, we will resume the investigation into that petition.”

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We’ve uncovered over 1,000 fake lawyers —NBA Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

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HE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Monday, said no fewer than 1,000 fake lawyers have been uncovered across the country.

This was disclosed by the third vice president of the NBA, Akintokunbo Oluwole, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during a special sitting of the NBA to mark the opening of the 2015/2016 legal year.

Oluwole said the quack lawyers were discovered after the inauguration of the association’s Stamp Policy, which was introduced to curb infiltration of quacks into the legal profession.

He noted that the issue of quacks had been a serious cankerworm, which had eaten deep into the fabrics of the legal profession, saying the issue must be addressed frontally.

Oluwole said: “So far, the NBA Stamp Policy has been able to revive the system and has increased the revenue stream of lawyers across the country.

“Most importantly, it has improved the authenticity of documents which are now being filed in court registries, since all legal documents must now bear the stamps of lawyers to be considered valid.”

He, however, sought for

the cooperation of all stakeholders in actualising the vision of restoring the integrity of the legal profession.

Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, also said the judiciary

in the state had been able to curb malpractices in the state judiciary.

He noted that dubious individuals had carved out personal stamps used in issuing illegal affidavits to

unsuspecting member of the public.

The chief judge, however, said affidavits could no longer be done by proxy, irrespective of the despondent status, saying a special seal

of oaths and peculiar serial are affixed to all affidavits, while hard and soft copies were archived.

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, also charged the judiciary not

Biafra on course —MASSOB Former President Goodluck Jonathan (left) being welcomed by President Muhammadu Buhari, during his visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on monday. PHOTO: NAN

Buhari, Jonathan meet in Aso Rock Leon Usigbe - Abuja FORMER president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, to confer with President Muhammadu Buhari.

He arrived at the president’s office around 2.00 p.m. and was received by Buhari.

Dressed in his trademark black Niger Delta attire with a hat, the former president was driven into the

premises in a black Mercedes Benz jeep, followed by a similar back-up car.

Their meeting lasted about 10 minutes, after which Buhari walked him back to his car.

Even though there was no

word on the purpose of the meeting, it was learnt that it might not be unconnected with Jonathan’s recent Commonwealth assignment as head of its Election Observer Mission in the just concluded Tanzania general election.

Stop Buhari from inaugurating ministers, group tasks court L eon Usigbe - Abuja A group under aegis of Youth Concerns Realisation Initiative (YCRI) has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to court, seeking to stop him from allocating portfolios to ministers-designate or swearing them in.

The group, upset that Buhari failed to nominate a single person who could be regarded as youth, decried his denying the class of Nigerians representation in the proposed Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The group announced at a press briefing addressed by its spokesperson, Blessing Luka, in Abuja, on Monday, that it has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja with President Buhari, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Character Commission as co-defendants.

Giving details of the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/ CS/773/2015, dated Friday, October 30, she said the

to compromise with any arm of government in the interest democracy and expressed satisfaction over the performance of the judiciary.

Mimiko described judiciary as a very critical part of democracy, saying any compromise on its part was a threat to the country’s democracy.

Speaking during a special thanksgiving service to mark the 2015 legal year, held at St. David’s Cathedral Ijomu, Akure, Right Reverend Simeon Borokini, charged judiciary to expedite action in the processing of judgment in the nation’s law courts.

group, which had earlier filed a suit to compel Buhari to appoint a youth into the cabinet, went back to court, seeking an injunction to restrain the president from swearing-in the new appointees.

She argued that as things stood at the moment, “the body language and the handwriting on the wall tell us that the government has

little or no interest in including the youth in governance.

“And what we are asking is that they should not be sworn in or assigned portfolios.”

According to the spokesperson, “this is the right of the youth. And as advocates for the youth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the best way we can be sure so we won’t take laws into our

hands is to approach the court, so it can help us interpret and that is exactly what we are doing.”

Meanwhile, ministerdesignate from Oyo State, Mr AbdulRaheem Adebayo Shittu, has expressed his determination to work with President Muhammadu Buhari in improving the lots of Nigerians.

Shittu, who gave the as-

surance at a grand reception held in his honour by the Universal Muslim Brotherhood (UMB), at its headquarters in Ibadan, also called for intensive prayers from Nigerians.

He decried the level of destruction and vandalisation of the nation’s resources by the ousted administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Defamation: Kalu slams N2bn suit against Sam Omatseye, Vintage Press B y Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare A former governor of Abia State and publisher of the Sun newpaper, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has filed a N2 billion defamation suit against renowned columnist, Sam Omatseye and the Vintage Press, publishers of The Nation Newspapers, over a writeup which he alleged is defamatory to his character.

In a Writ of Summons filed before the Lagos High

Court, Lagos Judicial division, on behalf of Kalu and The Sun Newspaper, the second claimant, former governor, in addition to the N2 billion general damages, was asking for a declaration of court that the article written by Omatseye and published by The Nation Newspaper on October 12, entitled: “Kalu for FIFA president” and contained in the Nation’s column styled “IN TOUCH” is defamatory to him.

He is also asking for a

declaration that the article written and published by the defendants at the back of The Nation Newspaper edition of October 19, entitled: “Shadows of a setting sun” and contained under the column called “Hard ball” is defamatory to him.

The former governor further asked for an unreserved apology to be published by the defendants in at least four editions of The Nation Newspapers under Omatseye’s column and on the website of the

Nation Newspapers, as well as an order of the court directing the defendants to remove the offensive publications from their website and other internet portals belonging to the defendants.

He finally asked for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, associates, servants or privies from further writing same or similar words that were defamatory to his character.

J ude Ossai - Enugu THE Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra,( MASSOB), on Monday, said the struggle for an independent state of Biafra is on course, just as it stated that the statement credited to a former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that the Biafran struggle had become an avenue to defraud unsuspecting members of the public was uncalled for.

Comrade Uchenna Madu, factional National Director of Information, MASSOB, said the Biafran struggle remained a genuine movement, despite the activities of a few bad eggs.

Madu said contrary to Obasanjo’s claims, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director Biafra Radio, was totally committed towards realising Biafra.

The MASSOB faction slammed Chief Raph Uwazurike, accusing him of sabotaging the struggle.

According to Madu, “after our monthly National Officers’ meeting at MASSOB headquarters, Freedom House, Okwe, we decided as follows: Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Biafran activists are fraudsters and General Gowon’s statement that Biafra is a closed issue, were all made because of their conviction on Ralph Uwazuruike’s betrayal and deviation on the Biafran struggle, because of his lust for wealth, compromising nature, open political romance and public association with Nigerian government during Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

NDLEA to appeal court judgment on re-opening drug baron’s bank account

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

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HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is set to appeal the judgment given by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, which ordered that a bank account containing the sum of N58, 500,000 belonging to an alleged drug baron be reopened.

The anti-drug agency had claimed that the said money in the bank account, belonging to Mr Chukwunwendu Ikejiakwu aka Blessed Ozubulu Ekwusigo is the proceeds of drug related business.

Justice Yunusa while ruling on an application of fundamental right filed

by Ikejiakwu against the NDLEA ordered the reopening of the account on

the ground that there is no Attorney General at the time of his ruling.

The NDLEA had earlier dragged Ikejiakwu before the court on a 13-count charge bordering on manufacturing and production of methamphetamine, as well as the exportation of narcotic drugs, including forming and operating a drug trafficking organisation.

The agency further froze his bank accounts and secured interim forfeiture on his traced assets.

However, while in prison custody, the defendant, arranged with his wife, Chizoba Christiana to open a bank account in the name of the wife’s younger sister, Ifeoma Chika Odili and collected five years rent on one of the buildings, which NDLEA had already gotten an interim forfeiture order.

The money was lodged in the new bank account and three days after the account was opened, the sister applied to the bank

asking to make Ikejiakwu’s wife a signatory to the account.

The agency, on hearing this, froze the account with the consent of the Attorney General through the Solicitor General but Ikejiakwu appealed to the court and got an order reopening the said account.

However, the NDLEA through its Chairman and Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade, has described the ruling as unacceptable and has vowed to appeal the ruling.

“The ruling is unacceptable and we are going on appeal. NDLEA will continue to fight tenaciously in preventing suspected members of drug trafficking organisations from enjoying proceeds of narcotic trade,” Giade stated.

Ikejiakwu is the Group Managing Director of Blessed Group of Companies and the NDLEA alleges that he hides under the cover of motorcycle parts business in running a drug cell that has international affiliation.

Why Fayemi lost Ekiti gov election —Ex-commissioner Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State and a former Commissioner in the Dr Kayode Fayemi’s administration in the state, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, has said explained why Former Governor Kayode Fayemi lost the last governorship election.

Afuye who is a one-time majority leader of the state’s House of Assembly, stated that the APC lost the election, “because people felt alienated despite ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi’s efforts to remodel Ekiti’s economy.”

Afuye while addressing newsmen in Ikere-Ekiti on Monday appealed for unity in the state’s chapter of the APC, saying the factions in the party and various groups therein are, “capable of robbing the party of victory in the 2018 governorship poll.”

He said: “Nobody can doubt the fact that Governor Fayemi worked so hard, but regrettably some of the members of his cabinet did not connect with the people and that brought the seeming alienation of the people.

“We all know and we can see that the person voted for, Governor Ayodele Fayose, is not a better alternative, but we cannot blame Ekiti people because they have the right to vote for whoever they think could represent their interest.”

From left: the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Victor Kiladejo; Ondo State Chief Judge, Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi; Governor Olusegun Mimiko; Archbishop of Ondo Ecclesiastical Province, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend George Olaosebikan; President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Folasade Aguda-Taiwo and the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, at the service marking the commencement of the 2015/2016 Legal Year of the state judiciary, at St. David’s Anglican Cathedral, Ijomu, Akure, on Monday.

Mimiko tasks judiciary over discharge of duty ONDO State Governor, Dr Olusegum Mimiko has advised the judiciary as a crucial element of democracy to be upright in the discharge of its duties.

Governor Mimiko gave

the advice on Monday during a special church service held at St David’s Anglican Cathedral, Akure to declare open the 2015/2016 Legal Year of the State judiciary.

Dr Mimiko, who noted that there was anxiety following the recent judgment of the Rivers State election tribunal, however submitted that the judiciary has lived up to its ex-

We won’t let you take Nigeria back to military era, Fayose’s aide tells Garba Shehu Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

THE Ekiti State government has reacted to a statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in which he was quoted to have warned Governor Ayodele Fayose to stop speaking on the running of the economy by the Federal Government, saying it was uncalled for.

A statement by Fayose’s assistant, on Monday, described the statement credited to the presidential aide as “a demonstration of military dictatorship mentality.”

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Public

Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who signed the statement, said it was “sad that the presidency could be warning a Nigerian, who is heading one of the country’s federating units on what to say and what not to say.”

Olayinka, who said he was sure that Garba Shehu must have spoken for himself, and not President Muhammadu Buhari, added that “Governor Fayose will continue to say the truth in the interest of Nigeria and its people because the Governor is not one of those that will go underground because of political persecution.”

He maintained that the country’s economy was in serious recession, adding

that; “the president himself attested to this when he said that the country was broke and this has also been corroborated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group financial report, indicating that the corporation incurred a total loss of N120.07 billion in the months of August and September.

“JP Morgan is also removing Nigeria from its Emerging Market Bond Index, a move which business analysts say would have far reaching implications for the country’s dwindling economy as investors could move their funds to competing countries, resulting in higher lending rates.

pectation.

He said, “Although there was anxiety about the recent judgment by the Rivers State election tribunal, but by and large, I think the judiciary has lived up to its billing.

“We only appeal to the judiciary to appreciate the fact that it is a critical part of democracy. If the judiciary compromises the legal arm of government, then democracy is spelt doom.”

Earlier in his sermon, the Bishop of Akure Diocese Anglican communion, Right Reverend Simeon Borokini charged the judiciary to ensure quick dispensation of justice with a view to decongesting prisons and avoiding incarceration of innocent persons.

Bishop Borokini, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his anti-corruption war, however urged him to avoid selective trial and prosecution.

He also urged lawyers to offer free services to the less privileged in the society.

Police arrest 4 suspected kidnappers in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

MEN of the Ondo State Police Command have apprehended four suspected kidnappers of a 53-yearold matron, Mrs Eralkhuemen Unulkiere, who is a member of staff of Rubber Estate Nigeria Limited in Araromi Obu, Odigbo council area of the state.

The four suspects; Tosin Adenikiju, Abiodun Olabowale, Omoniyi Akinsoyimi and Olatunji Igbekele have all confessed to the crime after the matron was rescued from their custody.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, the four suspects were arrested in the creeks by detectives who have been on the trail of the kidnappers for some days.

He said, “The suspects were nabbed through a well coordinated intelligence gathering and the woman was rescued last night unhurt and without any ransom paid.”

The PPRO said the anti kidnapping squad led by DSP Onabanjo Adekunle is on the trail of other members of the syndicate who are at large.

Ondo govt declares 4 pilgrims dead, 6 missing THE Ondo State government, on Monday, announced that four of the state’s pilgrims to the 2015 hajj have been confirmed dead, while six are still missing.

This was just as it called on the National Pilgrims Commission to ensure adequate measures are put in place to protect intending pilgrims.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade while speaking at a media briefing jointly addressed with his Women Affairs counterpart, Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu, in Akure, on Monday said the government commiserates with the families of the dead and also called on the people of the state to pray for the bereaved families for the fortitude to bear the losses.

The government also enjoined the people to pray for those who are still missing so that they can re-unite with their families in due course.

He said government is organising a special Jumat service in memory of the departed at the Akure central mosque on Friday.

news Be ambassadors of restoration, Dickson urges Bayelsa youths 7

Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa

G

OVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has called on youths of the state to see themselves as ambassadors of restoration by ensuring

that Bayelsa do not fall into wrong hands.

Dickson, who gave the charge during the commissioning of a Restoration Campaign Secretariat at Erepa Road, Yenizue-gene, in the state capital, built by the Niger Delta Peoples

Forum for Dickson 2016, called on the youths to take the message of restoration to every electoral unit of the state.

In his welcome remarks, Director-General of the forum, Ibarakumo Otobo, assured Governor Dick-

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

with visits to Agbura and Azikoro communities.

Spokespersons of both communities, who lauded the governor for the development projects in their communities and the state, assured the governor of their unalloyed support and commitment to his re-election.

Also, the communities’ spokespersons appealed for the construction of internal roads, the link road between Agbura and Swali, Azikoro/Onuebum/Okodi road, renovation of health centre and town hall at Azikoro, building of a mar-

ket at Agbura.

In his response, Governor Dickson enjoined the chiefs and people of both communities to reject the opposition at the polls, because they encourage violence, killings and cultism, adding that, “the state needs peace and development.”

The governor urged Bayelsans not to be intimidated on election day, as election is won through PVCs and not by thuggery and violence, stressing that the message should be taking to every community.

son of their total support for his second term bid to occupy the Creek Haven come 2016.

Meanwhile, Governor Dickson continued his sensitisation tour of communities in Epie/Atissa Kingdom of the state,

...doles out N100m to cooperatives Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has commenced the disbursement of soft loans totalling N100 million to Christian cooperative groups, just as

he assured workers of his commitment to the payment of their salaries.

Presenting the cheques to the cooperatives at an interactive meeting with Christian leaders in Yenagoa, Dickson explained that the

gesture was in fulfilment of an earlier promise to extend his administration’s poverty alleviation and economic empowerment programme to churches, and urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the revolv-

Kogi poll: Wada confident of defeating Audu Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja THE Kogi State governor and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the gubernatorial election in the state, Idris Wada, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election, Prince Abubakar Audu, not to bank on the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the last general election as the PDP would defeat any opposition party in the state.

Wada, who spoke through his Chief Communications Manager, Phrank Shaibu, on Monday, said the people of the state wondered why members of the APC were still basking in the euphoria of Buhari’s victory instead of strategising to face the governorship poll.

The governor expressed shock that the leaders and members of the APC were assuring themselves on defeating the PDP, when the party was in big mess following the confusion arising from its primaries which produced Audu as its flag bearer.

He said the PDP viewed the APC’s boast as a sub-

tle blackmail, but that the party takes solace in the fact that the people of Kogi State would never pitch

Ondo pushes for NDDC MD Taiwo Adisa - Abuja STAKEHOLDERS in the oil producing areas of Ondo State have commenced the push for the zoning of the position of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the state in the yet to be constituted board.

Sources in the state confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that the leaders from the oil producing areas have resolved to demand the position, which they claimed is due to the state at this stage.

A position paper prepared by leaders of the Ondo Oil

Producing Communities indicated that the zoning arrangement for the post of managing director favours the state following the dissolution of the board put in place by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The document indicated that since the chairmanship of the commission has always been picked in alphabetical order, while the position of managing director has been allotted according to production capacity, “the time to allow Ondo State to produce the Managing Director is now.”

Guber election: 22 to contest Kogi, 20 for Bayelsa —INEC Jacob Segun Olatunji -Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, announced that the governorship elections in Kogi

EACOED gets interim governing council A five-man Interim Governing Council was recently inaugurated by the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. The Interim Governing Council is headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola.

Members of the college management, led by the Provost, Dr Rasaki. Adefabi, were present to witness the inauguration ceremony.

The College’s Council

their tent with the opposition after their experience under Audu’s four years of misrule.

was one of the six Councils of state-owned tertiary institutions inaugurated, which according to Governor Ajimobi was to ensure the restoration of education to its past glory in the state.

While commending the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and her team for the passion exhibited so far for the growth of the sector, the governor charged all stakeholders to rise up to the task of complementing government’s effort of restoration, repositioning and transformation of the education sector.

and Bayelsa states, scheduled for November 21 and December 5, would be contested by a total of 42 candidates jostling for the two governorship seats.

This was contained in a release from the commission and made available to newsmen, in Abuja.

According to the statement, “the final list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and signed by the Acting Secretary to the Commission, U. F. Usman, shows that 22 candidates are to contest for the governorship seat in Kogi State alongside their deputies, while the governorship seat in Bayelsa State will be contested by 20 candidates with their deputies.”

ing funds to enable other Bayelsans to benefit.

Some of the benefitting cooperatives include Bayelsa Indigenous Ministers Fellowship Micro Project Cooperative Society (MPCS), N3million; Gold Chain MPCS – N3.5 million; Salvation Elders Farmers Cooperative Society Limited – N3 million; ECWA Family MPCS – N3.5million and Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Yenagoa branch, Agricultural Cooperation Society – N3.5million.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Idowu Adelola Serifat now ATIBA ADELOLA SERIFAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

8

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Lagosmetro Police smash Mushin toll collection gang Chukwuma Okparaocha

Flooded Molade Okoya Thomas Street, Victoria Island, after a heavy downpour. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Ketu, Iyana Oworo, 3rd Mainland Bridge are robbery hotspots —Police Olalekan Olabulo

T

he police in Lagos State are re-strategising on how to curb the rising spate of in-traffic robbery operations in many parts of the state, just as the state commissioner of police has directed area commanders and divisional police officers in the state to check the activities of traffic robbers.

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has also increased patrol surveillance around black spots, where traffic robbery has become rampant in recent times.

Traffic robbers took advantage of the heavy traffic situation around IyanaOworo on Monday to break into vehicles to cart away valuables.

Lagos Metro gathered that the armed robbers ordered their victims to wind down the windows of their vehicles and those who failed to comply with the order had their windows shattered by the robbers.

A source at Area H area command, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with Lagos Metro confirmed the Monday incident, but added that “we are re-strategising.”

The police source said “The area commander is meeting with officers and men of the

police stations around the area and they are mapping out strategies to combat traffic robbery around the axis.”

The police source, while speaking on the Monday robbery said, “We got the information late and by the time we got there, the armed robbers had already escaped

from the scene.”

In a related development, the police at RRS office in Alausa have increased patrol activities around Ketu, Iyana Oworo, Third Mainland Bridge and other black spots in the state.

A police source at RRS told Lagos Metro that “We have

increased our patrol activities around those places where traffic armed robbers operate.”

He continued that “We have arrested many of them in the past and we have stepped up efforts to completely reduce in-traffic robbery in the state.”

Businessman jailed 10 years for illicit drug deal Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A 38-year-old man, Chibueze Onedigbo, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for drug trafficking.

Onedigbo, a businessman, was charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Justice Musa Kurya, in his judgment, said that the sentence was in line with the sentencing guideline recently released for Federal High Court judges.

“I have considered all the above, and I am of the view that the prosecution has dis-

charged its burden of proof.

“I have listened to the plea for leniency by the accused, and have taken into consideration all that has been said.

“In any case, the court is duty bound to sentence the accused having found him guilty.

“Consequently, I hereby sentence the accused to 10 years imprisonment, from the day of this judgment.

“The drug exhibits in custody of the NDLEA are to be destroyed within 30 days, if there is no appeal against this judgment,” he said The convict was arraigned on August 29, 2013.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was granted bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum.

The prosecutor, Mr Linus Nor, had told the court that the convict was arrested on April 7, 2013, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

According to Nor, about 210 grammes of cocaine was recovered from the convict during the outward clearance of passengers on board a Qatar Airlines flight.

He said that the convict had concealed the drug substance in a black leather bag.

He told the court that

the convict was thereafter, handed over to the agency for prosecution.

A middle-aged man who specialised in erecting a fake toll gate and using it to extort money from motorist in Mushin area of Lagos has been arrested by the police.

The suspect identified as Hammed Afolabi, also popularly known as Aboki, was arrested at Kayode junction between Mushin and Onipanu areas of Lagos.

According to information made available by the police, Afolabi had assembled some men and erected a toll gate where he intimidated, threatened and extorted money from innocent people.

It was gathered that Afolabi worked with a group which collected between N200 and N500 from private car owners, while truck drivers paid between N1000 and N2,000.

Taxis and commuter bus drivers were forced to pay N100 or more while pedestrians were equally not off the hook as they were made to part with certain amount of money.

This had been on before the police arrested Afolabi while his accomplices escaped.

He was charged with extortion, intimidation and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Afolabi who denied the entire allegation pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned before the court.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Joy Ugbomoiko granted him bail in the sum of N20, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

He was remanded in prison custody pending when he would perfect his bail.

Blogger in prison over alleged Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A blogger, Desmond Ike-Chima, has been remanded in prison for allegedly writing a malicious story against the Managing Director of UBA, Phillips Oduoza.

Desmond’s travails started in March 2015, at Ojodu, when he allegedly

falsely published an article on the Internet titled “Randy UBA MD, Philips Oduoza in adultery mess, romances star actress Genevieve Nnaji.”

According to the police, the publication was for the purpose of causing annoyance, incontinence danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, en-

9

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

How I made impact on Lagos — Fashola Bola Badmus Former Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, has said that the achievements credited to him in his eight-year tenure in the state did not happen only by his making, but occurred because he was privileged to lead a dedicated team of men and women who devoted their lives to the same cause.

Fashola, who is a minister-designate, said this in his remark while receiving the Stephen J. Solarz Award at a dinner organised by the International Crisis Group at the Pier Sixty, New York, United States.

The former governor, while expressing gratitude for the award, said, “In our life’s entire journey, we encounter people, places and institutions. My life’s story hasn’t been any different. In that journey we meet people who lend a hand, we meet people who inspire, and we meet people who support.

“And all of what had happened during the eight years

that I was privileged to serve as governor did not happen

because of me. It happened only because I was privi-

leged to lead a dedicated team of men and women

who devoted their lives to the same cause.”

Yet another overloaded truck on a Lagos road. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Govt seals 33 pharmacies, medicine stores Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba The Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut no fewer than 33 alleged illegal pharmacies and patent medicine shops, seizing suspected fake drugs worth millions of naira in Ojo area of Lagos State.

This, it said, was a renewed effort to sanitise the drug distribution system and rid the state of the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs.

romance story mity, and needless anxiety to the victim.

However the blogger, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunnusa of a Federal High Court adjourned the case till November 6, for the hearing of the bail application.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga who made the disclosure on Monday, while reviewing the report of the recent raid in Lagos, explained that the exercise was coming on the heels of the war being waged against fake and expired drugs, as well as operators of illegal pharmacies by the state government.

Onanuga explained that the 33 outlets were sealed off for various offences contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Lagos State, adding that the task force has a renewed mandate to comb every nook and cranny of the state to and fish out illegal patent medicine shops and pharmacy operators.

“The closure is part of the government’s efforts at ridding the state of fake, substandard and illegal drugs’ operators and outlets as well as ensuring high drug

quality through sanitation and streamlining of drug distribution system in the state,” he said.

He noted that the sealing of fake pharmaceutical premises was in accordance with the provision of Chapter C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provision) Act of 1999,

Number 25, adding that the raid was necessitated by the persistent defiance of the government’s stipulated regulations on drug production, importation, manufacture, sales or display for sales, hawking, distribution, adulteration, and possession of drugs by illegal operators.

According to him, the shops were sealed off for of-

fences ranging from sales of drugs without license from the regulatory authority; to failure or refusal to relocate from a market area and adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and market place as stipulated by the law; and sales of counterfeit and fake drugs among others.

Fashola, while further paying tribute, said, “When we talk about security, I wasn’t a police man; I did not carry a gun, it was the policemen who really did the work.

And as leader of the team, I was privileged to have led such men and women who pursued a cause that really served to redefine the place we call home.”

He said thousands of men and women would come to New York to receive the award if it were possible, even as he acknowledged some of them who were in his entourage that made the numerous achievements by his administration possible.

The former governor, while congratulating the International Crisis Group for what he described as its remarkable work in the last two decades and also thanking the group for the honour done him with presentation of the Award, also paid a word of tribute to the memory of Stephen J. Solarz in whose memory the award was instituted.

“Let me also address a word of tribute to the memory of Stephen J. Solarz whose Award I am receiving tonight and to his widow whom I learnt is here. His work inspired and continues to inspire people across the world. Of course, I couldn’t be more delighted to receive my award from my Brother, Mo Ibrahim who has led the commitment to development of good governance and eradication of poverty on the African continent,” he said.

Ex-police PRO is new LASTMA boss Bola Badmus In a bid to revamp the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for improved performance and better relations with the public, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday approved the appointment of retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mr. Christian Akioja Olakpe as the new chief executive officer of the agency.

Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, disclosed this

in a statement, saying that the appointment of Olakpe

by Governor Ambode was in response to the consistent complaints by the public on the situation of traffic on the streets of Lagos.

The statement said Olakpe’s wealth of experience had played a great role in qualifying him for his new appointment.

Governor Ambode, it will be recalled, had approved the appointment of a new general manager for the authority, but the decision to appoint a seasoned former

AIG as the CEO of LASTMA was further said to have been necessitated owing to the fact that the impetus expected with the previous appointment was not fully actualised due to the docile nature of the headship of the agency.

The new appointee, Olakpe, is a graduate of Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. He joined the Nigeria Police in 1982 and traversed

various commands, including Bayelsa and Plateau states where he served as Commissioner of Police.

He was also the Deputy Commandant of the Police Academy, Kano and Commissioner of Police of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Lagos.

A member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians (IABT) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (ICAP), Olakpe rose to become AIG of Police before his retirement in 2014.

10

businessnews

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigeria’s economy is down —NEPC boss Gbola Subair-Abuja

R

ecent declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari’s in India that Nigeria is broke was further corroborated by the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo, who, on Monday, in Abuja, said the economy was getting worse due to inability of non-oil export sector to rescue the economy.

He said there was a tremendous downturn in the export earnings since 2013 when it reached a high record of $2.97 billion. Giving the figures, he said export earnings amounted to $2.7 billion in 2011, but dropped to $2.5 billion in 2012 while in 2014, there was a shortfall of 8.2 % to earn $2.7 billion.

Awolowo, while welcoming the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service, led by the Comptroller-General, Col. Hamid Ali (retd) to NEPC headquarters, said since the beginning of 2015, earnings in the sector had continuously nose-dived on quarterly basis.

Export, he said, was losing turn-over every year, the manufacturing sector was dying, and workers were being laid off with unemployment rate reaching an alarming rate while the global oil price was still receding.

However, the Executive Director said NEPC was well positioned to assist the country in the diversification of the economy by promoting government policies as anchored by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, especially the growth of SMES and collaboration with relevant agencies of government,

such as the Nigeria Customs Service.

The council, he added, would synergise with other agencies to increase export earnings through the Nigerian Strategic Export Products in which 13 strategic products would be developed to boost export

earnings while urging each state government to develop at least one exportable product to increase its contribution to the nation’s revenue.

In his own comment, the Comptroller-General said the Nigeria Customs Service would work with NEPC to create a strong

inadequacy of information on Nigerian exports.

Ali revealed that his visit to NEPC was part of his familiarisation tour of agencies relevant to the operations of the Customs Service, which he said cut across virtually every sector of the economy and the need to synergise with

other stakeholders in revenue generation drive.

He said: “My visit is to strengthen the existing synergy between the two organisations to make Nigeria grow, to have a Nigeria of our dream.”

Union Bank makes savings simple with ‘UnionKorrect’ Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

From left, Dr Eddy Agbo, Chairman/CEO Fyodor; Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, CEO, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria; Mr Herbert Wigwe, Chair, Nigeria Health Innovative Marketplace and GMD/CEO, Access Bank Plc; Dr Victoria Enwemadu, winner, 2015 Health Innovation Challenge and Mr Oluwasoga Temitope Oni, Co-Founder/CEO, MDaaS, at the health innovation and impact investment summit at the Civic Centre in Lagos, recently.

Fuel scarcity hits Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin •Over N250bn debt to marketers Tunde Dodondawa-Lagos

Following the inability of the Federal Government to pay the outstanding of N290 billion to marketers, fuel scarcity has resurfaced, as long queues were noticed in Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin and environs on Monday.

Investigations by the Ni-

gerian Tribune revealed that from Egbeda to LaExpressgos-Abeokuta way, fuel stations were not dispensing fuel, while motorists queued in anticipation that they would resume sales.

The situation was chaotic at the Conoil station at National Bus Stop, close to the local Airport, as long

NSE donates books to Ajasin varsity The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo Akungba-Akoko, State, Professor Francis Oyebade, has lauded the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for donating some books and other publications to the university.

The Benin Branch Manager of the NSE, Mr Sunday Idornigie, presented 60 publications, which cut across different fields of learning to the university.

Professor Oyebade, who received the books on behalf of the university, thanked the NSE for count-

platform to help the nation’s export sector in the area of training of exporters on what they needed to know about export goods, which export laws and processes to comply with and how to do legitimate business.

He said these were necessary because there was

Nigerian Tribune

ing it worthy of the gift.

He said: “We sincerely appreciate your donation.

The books and publications donated are assets to the university that will further deepen the transaction of knowledge in the university. The items will surely add great value to learning. As a university, we shall continue to play well our own role in ensuring a healthy relationship with your organisation.”

While presenting the books to the DVC earlier, Mr Idornigie had said that the gesture was part of the corporate social responsi-

bility of the organisation.

Mr Idornigie said NSE thought it wise to make the donation to Adekunle Ajasin University because it had enjoyed a good relationship with it over the years, especially in relation to students’ internship and excursion.

The NSE boss also expressed pleasure at the infrastructural development of the university.

He said: “AAUA is a place to be. The physical projects – both completed and ongoing - give impression of a university to beat at the fullness of time.”

queues of cars compounded the traffic situation, extending to Ikeja, along under the bridge.

On the Airport Road, none of the fuel stations opened for sales, while those engaging in black market operations returned to the road in their gallons to make brisk business out of the situation.

Besides, Mobil and Oando filling stations on the expressLagos-Ibadan way did also not dispense, while Capital Oil was the only retail station that dispensed but with long queues.

According to a source in the downstream sector who pleaded anonymity in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, the situation might take a turn for the worse in few days, saying for now, only the NNPC was importing because major marketers had been forced to down tools as a result of the huge subsidy debt.

“At my depot, we only

got about 10,000 metric tonnes last week and that was just about 400 trucks.

That cannot last us for this week, ditto for other depots that got last week. Unless the government fulfills its obligations to marketers, the situation will not get better,” he said.

It was reported that in Ilorin, Kwara State, most independent filling stations had no fuel on Monday, while the major marketers with fuel had long queues while motorists struggled to purchase fuel.

Also in Ibadan there were long queues at most filling stations.

Most of the filling stations visited by the Nigerian Tribune at Total Garden, Bashorun, Olorunda, Bodija, Ashi, Mokola roundabout, New Garage, among others, had long queues of vehicles and motorcycles.

It was gathered that prices ranged from N87 to N100 per litre from major marketers to independent filling stations.

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has launched a savings product, ‘UnionKorrect,’ which is aimed at helping its customers develop a savings culture.

The UnionKorrect also allows customers win extra cash up to N1 million in quarterly draws when they save.

This followed the recent unveiling of the bank’s new identity in its bid to make banking simpler and smarter both for customers and prospects.

Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos on Monday, the Head of Retail Banking, Union Bank, Mr. Carlos Wanderley, said the product is available at any Union Bank branch.

He explained that the UnionKorrect account would be opened as a subaccount linked to the current or savings account of a customer. All a customer need to do transfer N5,000 every month from his or her main account at Union Bank to the UnionKorrect account.

Wanderley explained: “When I came to Nigeria, One thing I noticed is that a lot of Nigerians use their savings account as a transaction account. So, at the end of the day, their monies do not stay in their account for the purpose of saving for the future as they want. And there are no incentives for such account holders.

“So, what we have done is to improve the ability for people to maximise their savings, and that is what the UnionKorrect account is all about. You save for a tenor of two or four years, enjoy interest on your savings and you stand a chance of winning a fantastic cash prize every quarter.

“So, at the end of the period, 300 people among 10,000 customers of Union Bank would be getting cash reward of between N100,000 and N1 million.

A customer can have as many UnionKorrect accounts as they wish.”

businessnews MTN shares halted pending announcement on N1.04trn fine 11

By Bode Adewumi With Agency Report

T

rading in MTN Group shares was halted by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Monday pending an announcement over a N1.04 trillion Nigerian fine.

The company’s bonds dropped for a third day, driving yields to a record.

The stock fell as much as 9.7 per cent before paring losses and was the biggest decliner on the benchmark FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index. Trading was halted with the stock 5.3 per cent down at 149.48 rand by 10:33 a.m. in Johannesburg. The securities have slid 22 per cent since MTN said it’s facing the fine on October 26, 2015.

MTN failed to convince the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to lower its penalty for failing to comply with an order to disconnect customers with unregistered SIM cards, CAJ News in Nigeria reported, citing a company official familiar with the talks.

MTN hasn’t agreed to the fine and continues to meet with Nigerian authorities to challenge it, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.

Investors “were expecting something to come out at the weekend and it hasn’t, and now the pressure is on because they’ve been told that they have to pay this fine by next week,” Rob Pietropaolo, a trader at Vunani Private Clients (Pty) Ltd., said by phone from Johannesburg.

“Because of their lack of

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

communication, investors are punishing the share and obviously running for safety.”

The JSE halted all trading in the stock, which

will resume once MTN has released a statement, the JSE said in an e-mailed statement. MTN will make a statement later on Monday, Nik Kershaw, head of

investor relations, said by phone.

Yields on the Johannesburg-based MTN’s $750 million of bonds due November 2024 rose by 10

The management of Egbin Power plant has decried the huge debt being owed by its customers and it stated that the N39billion debt is threatening its 1100megawatts (MW) power plants.

The company also blamed non-activation of Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) by the Federal Government as posing operational challenges within the system.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Monday to mark two years post-privatisation, the Chairman of Egbin Power Station, Mr. Kola Adesina, stated that the management has fulfilled all performance

MTN spokesman, Chris Maroleng, declined to comment on talks with regulators. MTN has been in negotiations with the government, Tony Ojobo, a spokesman for the Nigerian Communications Commission, said by phone from Abuja, the capital. MTN executives haven’t met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the NCC is in charge of talks with the company, his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said by phone from Abuja.

The issue is “not a presidential matter,” Femi Adesina, a spokesman for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said by phone.

NSE: Analyst optimistic as equity market dips by 0.14% Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

Centre, Kola Adesina, Board Chairman, Egbin Power Plc, flanked by Aigbe Olotu, Chief Finance Officer and Min Jae Park, Head Technical, both of Ikeja Electric during an interactive session on progress made at Egbin, the nation’s largest power plant which now generates 1,100MW post privatisation on Monday.

Stanbic IBTC, FRCN/NOTAP case for hearing tomorrow The suit instituted by Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos against the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) will come up for mention tomorrow.

The matter, which was scheduled for hearing on Monday, November 1, did not hold as the presiding judge was unavailable.

Stanbic IBTC is contesting the powers of FRCN to impose a fine of N1 billion on it, among other sanctions announced by the body over alleged misrepresentation of Stanbic

IBTC’s audited accounts for 2013 and 2014.

The Mahtani brothers, owners of the Churchgate conglomerate, who are minority shareholders in Stanbic IBTC, had through surrogates reportedly petitioned the regulatory agencies in the financial services industry, alleging misdeeds on the franchise

Egbin Power decries N39bn FG debt Olatunde Dodondawa and Shalom Akpabio - Lagos

basis points to 5.99 per cent as of 10:49 a.m. in London, an all-time high.

Rates on the notes have climbed 128 basis points over the past six days.

Nigerian Tribune

agreement entered into with the government upon acquisition of the plant in November 2013.

“At present, from November 2013 to date, Federal Government is owing Egbin plants N39 billion,” he said.

He disclosed that management is panning to double the plants’ capacity by additional 1,350MW to hit 2,670MW by 2019.

Adesina said the Egbin plants, prior to its privatisation, were in deplorable situation generating about 500MW. “The plant before then did not undergo any major overhaul, the six units were not functional, and in particular unit 6 was not working for 10 years. But to date, we have rehabilitated

all units and currently generating 1,100MW,” he said.

Apart from the total turn around, he also said management has significantly secured security of the facility to avert infringement by unauthorised persons.

“We now have in place new distributed control system of global standard, fire alarm detection system that was not in place earlier and have installed gas meter system to capture quantum of gas received.

“We have also improved on our operational performance, but government is still owing us for electricity generated” he lamented.

According to him, “no matter how keen you desire to transform your nation, the necessary impetus is lost when you don’t

pay for services rendered.

“Upon acquisition, the exchange rate was N158 to a dollar but now it is N199.5 to a dollar. You can see the huge differential and for a company that source tools abroad to keep the plant running and whose business plan upon acquisition is predicated on N158 to a dollar, it is impacting on us negatively.”

Adesina also criticised some institutional issues that have not been resolved which include regulatory and policy matters.

He noted that the business environment is unpredictable which affected the company’s ability to access fund from the N213 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention initiative.

fees to be paid to Standard Bank.

Standard Bank Group, the parent company of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, has said FRC exceeded its powers when it ruled that Stanbic IBTC had made material misstatements in its financial accounts.

Also, KPMG Professional Services, auditors to Stanbic IBTC, says it is standing by the financial statements of Stanbic IBTC. “We wish to state categorically that KPMG does not agree with the decision taken by the FRC, as it does not reflect the true position in this matter.

Our position is that the decision of the FRC is erroneous on its merits and the process that led to it is significantly flawed and not in compliance with the requirements of the FRC Act. “We reassure all our stakeholders - clients, regulators, vendors, etc that KPMG will take all necessary lawful steps to address this situation.”

Justice Buba of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, will preside over the case.

Equity market of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), on Monday, closed on a negative note, depreciating by 0.14 per cent, even as an analyst predicts a pick up.

The equity market closed at 29,136.85 basis point compared to the 0.8 per cent depreciation recorded on Friday.

Analysts had predicted that the Nigerian capital market would experience positive as the Federal Government is set to announce the portfolio of ministers, which they believe investors had been waiting for.

However, market turnover closed positive as volume increased by 20.05 per cent against the decline recorded on Friday, with United Bank of Africa Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and First Bank Nigeria Holding Plc active in increasing market turnover.

11 quoted companies made profit, with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc adding 51 kobo to its N23.09 kobo per share it opened trading with. First City Monument Bank Plc also gained 33 kobo to close at N2 per share, while Zenith Bank Plc closed at N17.90 kobo, adding 30 kobo to its N17.60 kobo per share it opened with.

On the other side, TransNationwide Express Plc led the laggards’ chart with a 7.89 per cent loss, leading other 23.

To begin a new trading week in the exchange, investors traded 308,122,057 shares worth N2.967 billion in 2,886 deals.

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business

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

daily summary (equities) for monday, 2 november, 2015

top 5 gainers

top 5 losers

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

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news

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Shelve dictatorial tendency, Yakasai tells Buhari Kola Oyelere-Kano

A

LHAJI Tanko Yakasai, former special adviser on National Assembly matter to former president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, has called on President Muhammad Buhari, to as a matter of urgency shelve his dictatorial tendency and embrace democratic way of life, saying that recent policy and non-policy actions of the new administration are catalogue of dictatorship.

This was just as he berated President Buhari’s statement while in India, where he said he would not lose sleep over criticisms that his fight against corruption is seen to be selective and one sided, a comment which Yakasai said was shocking and not expected from an elected president.

According to a statement tagged “Walking Back to Autocracy” signed on Monday by Alhaji Yakasai, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kano, said “it is unfortunate that the military background of General Muhammadu Buhari is already taking a front seat in his style of leadership at the expense of our long cherished democracy.”

Yakasai noted that, “Nigeria is not under military regime,” adding that, “with the 2015 presidential election concluded peacefully, the prevailing belief among a cross section of Nigerians and lovers of democracy across the globe was that the country was set for an enduring peace, justice and fairness in the hands of the new administration but sadly enough, that has not been the case.”

He disclosed that the arrest of former security adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki yield itself to speculations, viewed against the background that Colonel Dasuki was one of the military officers said to have arrested General Buhari, when his regime was toppled f rom power in 1085, and is been seen as a transfer of aggression.

Yakasai further noted that the travail the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was going through was because the leadership of the

All Progressives Congress (APC) is unhappy with his emergence as Senate President.

“The fact that Senator Saraki was not arraigned on this particular matter for a long stretch of eight years; until he was elected the Senate president against the wishes of the leadership of his party– APC has inspired a legitimate suspicion.

Operatives of the Directorate of State Service (DSS) raided the official residence of the Governor

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the death of the Emir of Borgu in Niger State, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro, had robbed Nigeria of a passionate advocate of peace, unity, religious tolerance and harmonious coexistence among the country’s complex ethnic diversities.

In the statement made available to newsmen by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President noted that the late Haliru Dantoro was one of the greatest traditional rulers “one could ever encounter, and he always came across as a leader preoccupied with the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.”

The Senate President, Dr Abubakar Saraki on

not only be done; but must be seen to have been done to all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliations.

“I also believe that the present administration would benefit a lot from the wise counsel of the Peace Initiative Committee made up of eminent Nigerians and headed by the former head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) to the effect that the present war against corruption should be guided by fairness and due process of the law,” he added.

From left, Retail Cluster Head, Lagos Island Zone of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs Cecilia Fale; Executive Director, Business Development, Mr Adam Nuru; one of the winners of N1million at the first draws of the ‘’FCMB Millionaire Promo Season 2’’, Mr Thompson Nkumaliyi; Deputy Director, Consumer Protection Council, Mr Joshua Nggada and the FCMB’s Regional Director, Lagos, Mrs Bukola Smith, during the presentation of cheque to the winner, in Lagos, on Monday.

Militants attack Itu market, kill 2 women Udeme Utip-Uyo

For the second time within the last six months, Itu main market, popularly known as T Junction market in Itu main town, Akwa Ibom State was recently attacked by suspected militants, who invaded the market through the Itu River.

Eyewitnesses at the T Junction informed Nigerian Tribune that the first attack was around May when the suspected militants who came in three engine boats blocked the roads from the Ibiono Ibom entrance to the market and Odu Itu entrance, while the third boat emp-

Atiku, Saraki, Mark, ACF mourn Emir of Borgu From Jacob Segun Olatunji, Ayodele Adesanmi, Taiwo Adisa and Muhammad Sabiu

of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanel and conducted a search on his abode in his absence that, on its own, is highly condemnable.

“No doubt, all these happening are already undermining a considerable share of the reservoir of goodwill and sympathy hitherto enjoyed by this administration and overwhelming feeling today is that Nigeria is on a walk to dictatorship, he said.”

“My appeal to General Buhari, therefore is that, at all times, justice must

Monday also expressed grief over the demise of the Emir, Alhaji Dantoro, Kitoro III describing him as a people-oriented traditional ruler, who fought for the interest of his people.

Saraki in a statement by his media office in Abuja, described the late Emir as a “quintessential traditional ruler,” who lived for the benefit of his people and the development of the country.

The immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has also expressed shock and sadness over the demise of the Emir, stating that the death of the respected Emir was a personal loss to him.

Senator Mark recalled how he struck a bond of friendship and brotherhood with the late Emir

when he was the military governor of Old Niger State between 1984 and 1985 and added that the late Emir left a positive legacy which he said would continue to guide the present future day leaders.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in a press statement issued in Kaduna and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim on Monday noted that the “late Emir Alhaji Dantoro combined tradition, modernity and devotion to the progress of his people in the areas of agriculture, education and socio-economic development and was well known for his patriotism, promotion of peaceful coexistence of Nigerians irrespective of their religion and ethnicity.”

tied its occupants, numbering eight to attack market women and scare men away, carting away food items and fuel from black marketers.

One of the motorcycle operators, Moses Philip, who witnessed both incidents, said the first attack was not bloody as no life was lost except for few people who sustained minor injuries in the course of trying to escape the scene.

Philip said the recent which took place on Saturday, during the main market day turned bloody as the militants came this time in two speed boats and shoot sporadically into the air.

“It was exactly like a war front, the gun shots were like I have never heard in my life, and even police don’t have such ammunitions. The hanged the bullets round their body just like we used to see in films.” Philip narrated.

According to him, the gun shots were not actually directed to persons but were shot into the air, but in the process, the market people especially the women got scared and in their attempt to run for their lives; some got seriously wounded even as two of the women were hit by stray bullets and died

instantly.

Another eye witness, who gave her name simply as Sarah, said she suspected that the mission of the gunmen were simply to loot food items and not to kill.

“That Saturday, wears worth millions of naira were looted, rice shops were looted and okada men were forced to load their boats with items from those shops.”

According to some boat operators at the waterfront, security has been porous around the area. They informed Nigerian Tribune that when the militants first attacked the area, few policemen were sent to parade the area and within few days, they stopped coming and when it happened this time, policemen and even Army from Ibawa cantonment came long after the gunmen had gone.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ms. Cordelia Nwawe who confirmed the incident said the state police command has sent men to combat crime of any kind on land adding that as long as the militants were operating on the waters, it was not their problem but whenever they come on land, the police will combat them.

We’ll prioritise Agric in 2016 budget —Jigawa govt Adamu Amadu-Dutse

AS part of his determination to avoid total reliance on Federal Government allocation, Governor Muhammadu Abubakar of Jigawa State said the Ministry of Agriculture would have large share in 2016 budget.

The governor made the disclosure on Monday while speaking to newsmen in Dutse, adding that “agricultural sector would be given emphasis in 2016 budget in order to improve the sector through the provision of modern farming equipment.”

Governor Abubakar explained that, “our plan is to revolutionalise and equip our large scale and peasant farmers with modern technology.”

The governor added that “we will ensure the provisions of affordable and accessible improve seedlings, fertilizer and other inputs such as tractors work bulls and necessary chemicals in every parts of the state.”

He maintained that in his recent trip to china a lot of modern inputs had been purchased as a sample, it will be tested and apply here to be sure is workble or not.”

AIG reads riot act to criminals in Rivers Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone 6, Calabar, Mr Baba Bolanta, has warned against criminality in the zone, particularly warning criminals to stay off Rivers State.

He gave the warning while briefing newsmen after his interface with stakeholders at the state police headquarters, Port Harcourt, on Monday.

Bolanta had, along with commanders of Air Force, Army and Navy in the state, earlier met with traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders, charging them to ensure zero-tolerance for crime during and after the yuletide.

“Zone Six Command is warning trouble makers to stay out of trouble. The zone will not overlook any infringement of the law.

“No crime is minor, as far as the zone is concerned. Criminals should, therefore, have a rethink as the long arm of the law will catch-up with them, as perpetrators will be made to face the law,” he said.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Ladoja will fail again at Appeal Court —APC

By Dare Adekanmbi

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has said that former governor Rashidi Ladoja will fail again at the appellate court if he dares to challenge the dismissal of his petition by the election petition tribunal.

In a statement by the party’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr Olawale Sadare, on Monday, APC described the decision to appeal the verdict of the tribunal as a “premeditated wild goose chase expected of a retiring political player.”

“A popular wise saying suggests that one should

quit the stage while the ovation is the loudest. But Ladoja over-stretched his luck in the politics of Oyo State. Former governor Ladoja did not see anything wrong in imposing himself on unsuspecting followers as a life political leader and we have succeeded in emancipating a good number of his followers.

“Accord Party and its governorship candidate did not lose the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial poll at the court but at the polling units where a vast population of informed voters nailed Accord’s political coffin.

“The watery argument from the Accord camp was that no election was held on

the said date, but this was punctured at the tribunal by most of Ladoja’s witnesses.

With eight good seats in the state House of Assembly, the opposition party unfortunately benefited from the same election and expected this to translate into victory for its gubernatorial candidate, even when the APC had led it with more than 10 seats and over 70,000 valid votes.

“Therefore, approaching the tribunal to upturn the mandate freely given the candidate of the APC is tantamount to seeking an open miracle with which one can turn a pit latrine into a well where potable water could be drawn.

“We can only wish Ladoja a long life at retirement notwithstanding his decision to further engage in shadow chasing over the last April election,” Sadare stated.

Biz woman drags Setraco to court over rent Oyo State Sector Commandant, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Y. K. Salami (right), unveiling the building of the Unit Command, RS11.32 Oluyole; with him are Assistant Corps Commander, Anno Oladayo-Odeleye; representative of the Baale of Tollgate, Ibadan, Mrs Monisola Adeniyi and an Assistant Corps Commander, Mrs M. T. Ishola, at the official commissioning of a four-room administrative complex, at the unit command, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Lagos people expect nothing short of excellence, Ambode tells appointees Bola Badmus - Lagos

LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday, inaugurated the newly appointed chairmen, executive secretaries and members of some boards and commissions of state agencies, with a charge to move the state forward.

He said that as public officials, the new appointees must have it at the back of their minds that they shouldered a great burden which called for high sense of responsibility and sacrifice, and therefore would require extra-ordinary efforts and commitment to the advancement of the state in particular and Nigeria in general.

Ambode, who said the appointees were selected after a painstaking exercise which took into cognizance their academic and professional qualifications as well as their capacities to give selfless service, admonished the appointees to deliver and add value to the quality of service in the state.

“To achieve a globally competitive economy that works 24 hours of the day and seven days of the week requires extra-ordinary efforts and commitment. This is what is required of you.

“I urge you to uphold the spirit of excellence for which our state is known by discharging your responsibilities excellently. Nothing short of excellence is acceptable to the people of Lagos State. I urge you to maintain your integrity and always be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law,” Governor Ambode said.

The agencies inaugurated include the Lagos State Health Service Commission, Lagos State Audit Service Commission, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Lagos State Judicial Service

Commission, Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board and Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board.

Governor Ambode also inaugurated the Chairman and Executive Secretaries of Lagos State Safety Commission; Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission; and the Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority respectively.

Dr Bayo Aderiye was appointed as Chairman of Health Service Commission, while the Audit Service Commission has Alhaji Abiodun Waliu Onibon as its chairman.

The Universal Basic Education Board has as its chairman, Dr Ganiu Sopeyin, while Mr Babatunde Rotinwa was appointed Chairman of Local Government Service Commission.

Mr Fouad Oki was appointed Executive Secretary of Lagos State Safety Commission, while Mr Joe Igbokwe is the new Executive Secretary of Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority.

Ahmed Kabir Abdullahi was also inaugurated as the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission.

Bailout: Kogi workers boycott office, appeal to Buhari, CBN over delay Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

THE organised labour in Kogi State on Monday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the delay in the release of the N50.8 billion bailout to the state government, just as the workers protested over the delay.

Apart from this, the workers denied the allegation by

the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the state government did not apply for the fund meant for the payment of the backlog of salaries, challenging the party to come up with evidences to back up its claim.

The chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Onuh Edoka, during a joint press conference organised with the Nigeria Union of Teach-

ers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Monday, said the workers were already working on an action plan that would not be disclosed if the apex bank continue to hold on to the state’s share of the bailout.

The NLC chairman lamented that many of the members of the union had died due to treatable ailments.

Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba

CONSTRUCTION giant, Setraco Nigeria Limited, has been dragged to court for allegedly owning a business woman rent arrears amounting to N3.9 million.

The business woman, Mrs Oteheri, has dragged the company to High Court sitting in Ughelli, Delta State, seeking the payment of arrears of rent of her building for the months of January, 2012 to May, 2015.

In a statement of claim prepared on her behalf by her solicitor, Mr T.C Ubini, the claimant in the suit No UHC/63/2015 sought the payment of N13.4 million as assessment of the damages allegedly caused to the property, a six-flat storey-building said to be situated at No. 40 Amekpa Street, Ughelli, Delta State.

The claimant explained that the company had taken possession of the property on June 1, 2005 after agreeing to lease it for two years for the sum of N1,728, 000.00 at the rate of N72,000.00 per month.

“The tenancy was reviewed upon wherein the defendants accepted paying the sum of N2,299,968 being payment for two years rent in advance at the rate of N95,832.00 and the defendant made payment of rent until January 2012 when the defendant informed the claimant that the tenancy will not be renewed.”

7 FUD students in police net over colleague’s death Adamu Amadu - Dutse

THE Jigawa State Police Command has arrested seven students of the Federal University, Dutse (FUD), in connection with the death of another student who lost his life after a scuffle with five others over a lady, Aisha Sale, of the Jigawa State Polytechnic Dutse.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdul Jinjiri, said there was a rift between the students over one of their girlfriends.

According to him, the police earlier received complaint from one Abdulmajib Ibrahim that five male students, including the deceased, attacked him over Aisha Sale.

The image maker added that when the police arrested Bashir Musa, it discovered that he had already been injured. The PPRO said that Musa was taken to the Police hospital where he later died as a result of injury he sustained during the fight.

Navy destroys 360,000 metric tonnes of crude oil in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

OPERATIVES of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS DELTA), Warri, have destroyed over 360,000 metric tonnes of crude oil in Delta.

The substance was stored in three wooden boats locally called “Cotonou boat” before they were impounded at Olokri creeks in Warri South Local Government Area of the state.

Commander, NNS Delta, Warri Naval Base, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, while briefing journalists on Monday, said the crude oil-laden boats were impounded at Olokri creek last Saturday.

He noted that the products, in each of the boats, equivalent of 12 trailer load, adding that they were subsequently set ablaze.

Commodore Mohammed revealed that it was gathered that illegal bunkers in the area are planning to relocate to other areas.

“We will not relent on our oars in ensuring that the Chief of Naval Staff’s zero tolerance on illegalities is upheld. We are going to crush them no matter where they go because the oil thieves are enemies of the nation’s economy,” he threatened.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Femi Ibirogba adefemi2007@yahoo.com 0811 695 4646

As NAFDAC moves to reverse EU’s ban on Nigeria’s food exports

By Femi Ibirogba

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fforts to restore the lost glory of agriculture as the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy face a major obstacle from the suspension order by the European Union (EU). In June this year, the EU placed a temporary ban on exports of some food products such as beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, meat, pea nuts and palm oil. Even cocoa, cashew nuts and some other food products were rejected in Japan, USA and other countries on the ground of poor quality.

Dr Jimoh Abubakar, Director (Special Duties) of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), while lamenting the consequences of the ban on the agricultural value chain development and the larger economy of Nigeria, said: “The temporary ban, which ends on 30, June 2016, may be extended by the European Union Commission if urgent and decisive actions are not taken by concerned government agencies.

“This is obviously bad news in the wake of declining foreign exchange earnings from oil and tells tale signs of economic recession. Political pundits have ascribed international food politics by Western powers trying to undermine Nigeria’s efforts to diversify her monolithic dependence on oil as source of foreign exchange earnings.”

Some quality control experts believe that

unscrupulous exporters of foods who circumvent quality control procedures put in place by NAFDAC, SON, and quarantine services contributed immensely to the avalanche of international rejections of foods exported from Nigeria to Europe and other countries. The international rejections were predicated on non-adherence to global standards, presence of contaminants (mycotoxins and pesticide residues) and poor packaging.

NAFDAC’s record showed that in the last two years, Nigerian food exported to EU suffered more than 50 rejections as a result of unacceptable level of pesticide contaminants, contrary to European food safety standard. It is estimated that Nigeria loses over $4billion annually from rejections of our non-oil exports at international markets. Poor quality and low standard of over 60 per cent of our exported food products have denied Nigeria’s inroad to the heavily untapped trillion-dollar food product markets in Europe, America and Asia. This apparently is a goldmine which bad agricultural policies and lack of strong political will have prevented Nigeria from exploring.

On steps being taken to reverse the trend, Dr Abubakar said “NAFDAC has risen to the challenge with the current move by its Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, to deploy cutting-edge technology as part of the Federal Government’s rescue package.

“Dr Orhii is spearheading the govern-

ment’s intervention with a robust plan of acquiring 100 mobile motorised laboratories that will traverse remote farms and produce markets centres all over the country. The one-stop multi-purpose mobile laboratories will be deployed to all the 36 states of the federation and FCT Abuja with special consideration for states with high volume of agricultural activities. The mobile laboratory testing will also encompass intensive training of farmers and produce marketers on food storage, packaging and other quality control issues,” he said.

Adeniji Lucas, a food processor and exporter of Vitamin A fortified garri and yam powder to the United Kingdom, said deployment of mobile laboratories alone might not produce the desired results. He advocated deployment of extension workers to educate farmers on appropriate use of herbicides and insecticides.

Abubakar added that apart from tackling headlong the problem of food contaminants, analysis of medicines and packaged water would also be undertaken by the mobile laboratories, which Chinese State Food and Drug Authority had already deployed to revolutionised its control and regulation of food and pharmaceutical products.

The proposed on-the-spot quality assessment and monitoring of value chain agricultural exports, he said, would boost quality of food consumed in Nigeria and also save us from the embarrassment of a permanent ban on our non-oil exports by a European Union and other countries next year.

He said NAFDAC had cause to be perturbed by scary and mind-boggling statistical data revealing Nigeria as net importer of food products where the nation even has comparative advantages.

It will be recalled that the former Minister

of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in 2012, revealed that Nigeria imported N356 billion worth of rice (N1billion daily), N271 billion sugar and spent N50 billion on importation of frozen fish when the country had capacity to produce and export N200 billion worth of frozen fish. Nigeria spends a whopping sum of N11.7 billion annually to import 65,809 tonnes of tomatoes and N168 billion worth of fruits while Nigeria naturally should be one of the largest producers of citrus.

This despicable and deplorable trend is what President Buhari has decided to reverse in order to restore production and export of value added agricultural products to its pristine position as number one foreign exchange earner to the nation before the discovery of oil in 1956. NAFDAC is equally conscious of the fact that President Buhari wants to use agriculture as a Trojan horse to jump start the economy.

The desired out-come and multiplier effect of Mr President’s renewed agricultural transformation and revitalisation are multi-dimensional. In addition to the reversal of Nigeria’s dependence on food imports, the twin problem of youth unemployment and mass poverty, as well as food insecurity would have been addressed. We cannot also gloss over the ultimate quantum leap in our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This is why all hands must be on deck to aggressively do whatever is required, including acquiring and deploying 100 mobile motorised laboratories to remote farm centres and produce markets in the 36 states of the Federation and FCT Abuja.

A stitch in time saves nine, as the clock of the one-year EU moratorium to address the issues of poor quality and standard confronting Nigeria’s non-oil exports is ticking.

agriculture WECARD: Nigeria, Cameroun, others evaluate aquaculture with rice and poultry project 17

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

By Femi Ibirogba

E

xperts on integrated aquaculture from Nigeria, Cameroon and Sierra Leone have said the World Bank-sponsored projects of the West & Central African Council for Agricultural Research & and Development (WECARD) have created long-lasting and life-transforming impacts on farming households in the participating countries.

The project focuses on development of viable and sustainable integrated aquaculture systems with agricultural production (rice and poultry) for resource poor farmers.

It involves cultivation of rice within earthen ponds using almost the same labour and other inputs, in addition to raising insect larvae and compost manure for sustainable, cost-effective and round the year farming.

These were itemised during a review of the project at Premier Hotel, Ibadan, Nigeria, last week. The project started in September 2012 and which duration is three years.

The purpose of the review, Professor Emmanuel Ajani of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, was to fast-track implementation of the project out-scaling to additional three countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic and Liberia based on the success recorded in the project, as mandated by the World Bank.

According to Professor Ajani, components of the project are technology development and adaptation; market access and capacity strengthening.

On the general impacts of the projects on farmers in Nigeria, Cameroun and Sierra Leone, Ajani said there had been improved income and well-being of rural farmers in the project areas.

“Regional benefits include improved techniques on integrated crop-aquaculture-livestock production systems up-scaled and out-scaled to countries of the West and Central Africa sub-region. The project covers three West and Central African countries (Nigeria, Cameroon and Sierra Leone) and main beneficiaries are 300 integrated rice-aquaculture cum livestock farmers out which 30 per cent are women and youths,” Ajani said.

Professor Bamidele Omitoyin, Head of Department, Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, which is the leading institution in the project, said technologies developed as a result of the project intervention include low cost and good quality feed developed by

UI’s model of integrated rice-fish-poultry farming.

University of Ibadan, Nigeria, which is a floating feed containing 3% fish meal utilisation and with a unique attribute of fast growing rate of fish, saying the technology was available for adoption and had 100 per cent adoption rate by farmers within the project areas.

Regional and national benefits of this floating fish feed, according to him, would include import substitution, youth and gender employment and participation of the private sector investors.

Another technology developed was for mass production of African catfish and Nile tilapia by University of Ibadan, which is fibre glass tank with features such as simple hatching facilities and efficient water utilisation.

Maggot production and waste utilisation developed by University of Ibadan, Buea University Cameroun and Njala University, Sierra Leone, is also simple and with

cheap structures, environment-friendly and available for adoption.

Improved smoking kilns for value addition have also been designed and produced by University of Ibadan and are available for adoption under the project.

The project has led to establishment of farmer demonstration plots in adopted villages; 22 demonstration plots established (12 in Nigeria, 6 Sierra Leone, 3 in Cameroon); training of farmers in each of the demonstration plots; over 850 farmers trained in Nigeria, out of 1000 farmers expected to be trained in the project document and training of 3,500 youths.

More fish farming associations are fully participating and 60 per cent of the trained farmers have indicated interest in the adoption of the technologies developed, Professor Bamidele said.

How to reduce negative effects of noise on chickens

By Ronnie Cons Chickens, like all vertebrates, are governed by a circadian rhythm that is controlled by the natural light/dark cycle of day and night.

As such, chickens mostly rest and are inactive at night, especially when it is dark.

Most of their feeding and activity is during the daylight hours, even though they also rest during the day.

Studies show that just as in humans, major abrupt changes to the day and night cycle of the chickens, such as waking up the chickens at night with loud noises, will lead to stressed and anxious chickens.

In addition, studies have shown that loud noises found near airports, rail road tracks or loud hydraulic or pneumatic equipment and machinery close to the chickens leads to lower egg production, stunted growth, higher blood pressure, stress and fatigue in the chickens.

One study showed that loud noise simulating noisy ventilation fans and operational machines found at slaughterhouses led to increased plasma corticosteroids, cholesterol and total protein. This study recommended the control of noise pollution near the chickens and chicks.

Other studies found noise levels above 85 decibels (dB) level leads to a decreased feed intake of between 15-25 per cent. Of course lower feed intake stunts chicken

growth- something the poultry farmer or processor does not want.

But all is not lost! Below are some tips and advice to reduce the noise level to an acceptable and healthier level, leading to happier and healthier chickens – both psychologically and physically.

1. First identify the sources of noise pollution equipment. Use a sound measuring tool if necessary.

2. Erect sound barrier secondary glazing in windows.

3. Establish your chicken farm in a quiet area - away from airports and industrial areas and rail yards.

4. Maintain your ventilation fans and feeding machines making sure they are not producing excess noise.

5. Try to buy machines that produce the least noise possible.

6. Avoid repairs and renovations with noisy equipment, especially during the rest and sleep hours of the chickens.

7. Muffle noisy equipment.

8. Investigate ‘Active noise control’ - a noise cancellation anti-noise system that produces sound waves of the same amplitude as the noise pollution but in opposite polarity causing a cancelling of the noise pollution.

9. Train employees to respect the sleep hours of the chickens - they should not be screaming out to each other around sleeping chickens.

In summary, we see that it’s all about simple common sense and respect. We need to respect the fact that chickens are living beings that need many of the same things that we need including a good night’s sleep and some peace and quiet during the day.

We just have to sensitise ourselves by imaging how we feel when we are woken up by rude people while we are asleep.

We feel grouchy the next day and are less productive in the office.

If we internalise this reality, we will treat the chickens with more respect which not only is the proper thing to do, but it is actual good business sense.

The results will be healthier, bigger chickens. Thus everybody gains by respecting the chickens’ needs not to be exposed to high levels of noise pollution - the poultry farmer, the processor and the chickens. *Ronnie Cons, Executive Vice President of C&C Packing Inc, Canada, wrote this piece in ThePoultrySite. com

18

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

LETTERS TO THE

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08078891826.

It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Rethinking the state of the Nigerian nation

M

Y daughter who is hopeful of securing admission into the university very soon has suddenly decided against applying into any Nigerian university.

As an average Nigerian man who cannot afford to send her to the United Kingdom or the United States for her tertiary education, I have been concerned of late on how

I would convince her to study in the country.

In fact, she does not seem to trust any Nigerian university again; gaining admission to the public universities is like a camel passing through the eye of the needle, while the private universities are now beyond the reach of the average middle-class family. Recently, Babcock University adjusted its tuition regime, and medical students will now have to

pay N3million per year, while Law students will pay N1.5million per year.

How many middle-class families can afford this?

Coming back to my daughter, she now wants to study in Ghana, or even Benin Republic.

How did we find ourselves in this mess? First, most companies in the country began relocation to Ghana due to the epileptic power supply which was eating deep into their

For the attention of Oyo NSCDC boss The fight against corruption, which the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has set for itself as an important agenda to accomplish is a welcome development in the history of this country.

Indication all over the country shows that a larger percentage of Nigerians applaud President Muhammadu Buhari’s quest to fight corruption to its roots, and they have, therefore, resolved to cooperate with him in this arduous task.

When we talk of corruption, most Nigerians focus only on those who embezzle public funds. But corruption, if well analysed, encompasses a wider scope and is in every sphere of our existence.

This piece is focused on those who earn salaries for the work they do not do, with special reference to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

I live somewhere in Apata axis of Ibadan, Oyo State, and I have been wondering for quite sometime now why some officers of the NSCDC, especially the married ones, attend duty at will, and at times, not more than five days in a month. I have come to realise that these married women officers sleep at home most days and/or flaunt themselves all around the vicinity they live, they have outgrown their weight that they ought to have been retired because their appearance shows they are no more relevant to the objectives of the Corps. This is the height of corruption

which must be checked and stopped forthwith.

At a stage, my mind started probing if the NSCDC Ibadan has a Commanding Officer or not; this is because there seems not to be checks and balances on duty attendance of officers.

I have no issue with any officer of the NSCDC which prompted this article; I am only a concerned Nigerian who wants corruption

wiped out of all fabrics of this country.

I am, therefore, calling on the Ministry of Interior, other relevant government agencies and the Commanding Officer of the NSCDC, Oyo State, to focus on attendance of these officers in their places of work.

•Israel Okuboyejo, Apata, lbadan.

profits as a result of running on diesel.

Now, some of our wealthy individuals no longer trust our country. They now keep their wealth in Ghana.

According to a recent report, it is learnt that over 85,000 Nigerian students are studying in Ghana.

We have lost so much to Ghana, whose citizens were dependent on us in the 1980s before we threw them all out.

A lot of things are wrong with our country, and we must all admit this.

Nigeria is like a man who has headache, stomach ache, swollen legs, ear pain, cough and different kinds of illnesses at the same time.

In this case, it is just so confusing to know which to attend to first.

Should our government face education first? Or health, bad roads, corruption, security? I am just confused on how and if we will ever get things right.

I am glad that President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to fix the country, but the situation is so bad that one wonders if he will be able to do anything in four years. Okay, if we give him another four years, how are we sure the person

coming after him will sustain his achievements? At the moment, the president needs prayers to perform well in office.

Nelson Ekwale, Benin, Edo State.

DPR, what is happening?

FOR some time now, filling stations across the country have been shutting their stations at specific times of the day, thereby making motorists think they have no fuel, then in the next hour, they start selling again.

I am not close to those in the petroleum sector, and do not really know what is happening. All I can say is that the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu, once said that there is adequate supply of petroleum.

I think it is important that Nigerians are told

what is actually happening, because marketers are already making people believe there is shortage of the product.

When we get this behind our minds, it will lead to disasters; some people will begin to hoard fuel at home, which could result in fire outbreaks.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) should come out and tell us what is really going on, while shutting down stations that have petroleum products but do not sell.

•Nugwa Silas, nuglorry2002@yahoo.com

Still on Gov Ajimobi’s victory FINALLY, the truth has been revealed, and we all know that the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, won the governorship election in the state.

I want to congratulate the governor for this second victory; however, it is an opportunity to rededicate his life to the service of people of the state.

There are many areas he needs to focus his attention on because time is going.

I also want to call on his challenger, Senator Rashid Ladoja of the Accord Party (AP) to accept defeat so that the governor can focus on his constitutional duty of administering the state.

Going to the Appeal Court will definitely have a negative impact on the state.

•Falude Adeyemi, skybizs2@yahoo. co.uk

19

editorial

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

The planned Ekiti/Osun elections probe

T

HE report that the Army Command has decided to institute a probe into the involvement of army personnel in the alleged rigging of the last gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states, if true, should help to unearth the truth concerning the elections and the allegation. There had been reports about the recording of the discussions among some notable personalities involved in the elections, particularly in Ekiti State, by one of the military operatives deployed there for the election.

The recording gave the impression that there were deliberate acts by some powers at that point to utilise the military for the purpose of manipulating the elections.

It was also reported during the Osun State election that some people were allegedly given military uniforms in order to pass them off as military operatives for the sole purpose of using the uniforms for nefarious activities to help sway the elections towards a particular political party. And given that the military is one institution that should be above the fray of politics, working only for national interest and not interested in any political party or leaning, the impression of using it for political ends in the two elections is one that should be erased and dealt with if true. There is also the imperative need to ensure that the name of the military is not dragged into politics as this would be very dangerous for the interest and survival of the institution.

In any case, the whole essence of democracy rests on the ability and capacity of the people to decide on and determine those to rule over them through elections.

This ability is compromised when elections are not allowed to reflect the true feelings of the people. This way democracy itself is endangered and development in the society is threatened, such that there is no ultimate advantage even to those who engage in acts that manipulate elections. It is therefore in the interest of all to work for the enthronement of genuine and real democracy where the votes of the people would not just count, but would be the only basis for installing and organising government.

This need is particularly important under the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari which has pledged to engineer Nigeria towards positive change in all ramifications. The government would definitely and necessarily not want the democratic progress and consolidation in Nigeria to be troubled under its watch and would thus be interested in ensuring that elections continue to be reflective of the true votes of the people. And one way of doing this is to bring and breed confidence into the electoral process by investigating any reported infraction in order to unearth the truth and deal with it in an open manner.

It is to be stated nonetheless that this responsibility also makes it important for the government to be open and transparent in such investigation in order not to attract accusations of a biased probe.

This is why it would be incumbent on the army command to not just talk about an investigation, but to also ensure that the investigation could stand the test of scrutiny without which the investigation itself would bring opprobrium on the military. It is not just a question of conducting investigation for its own stake as the investigation must also be credible in order for it to be the basis of national action to ensure that the military is not dragged in a partisan manner to electoral and political matters. Nigerians would be interested in the outcome of the planned probe and would expect that anybody indicted would be appropriately dealt with, not only to serve as deterrent, but to ensure that all are agreed on the need to put national institutions beyond political bickering to safeguard their functioning in the interest of the unity of the country.

We therefore support and salute the preparedness of the army authorities to conduct this important probe in order to lay the allegations to rest and come out with what actually transpired under those circumstances.

It is our hope that this intention to know the truth would work to the benefit of further insulating the military and other national institutions from partisan politics while consolidating democracy in the country.

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20

opinion

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

God will not come down

I

T is becoming inarguably irksome and disgusting the way we sit, fold our arms and exclaim ‘God will help us’ over the innumerable ills and adversities that have taken the nation hostage. For decades, submerged in incredible religiosity, we have continued to like mantra, chant those words, failing to see this harsh reality – they have become too much of a cliché to change our pathetic situation!

Harrowingly however, we have become too complacent and content with mediocrity; we never strive to pull the scales off our eyes so that we can awaken to the consciousness that this nation’s ship has, for over a long period, hit an iceberg.

With the breaking of every dawn, water of minus degree temperature is unequivocally submerging the lower deck and keeps spilling uncontrollably to the middle class areas, but who cares? So long the first class deck is not overrun, all is well but how long will the water hold?

The lives of the occupants of the third class deck are seemingly inconsequential and they can drown for what it’s worth, isn’t it? In their craftiness and in a bid to protect their own lives and property, occupants in the first class deck instruct the sailors in the control rooms to seal off the lower areas of the ship, dooming the third class dwellers to a horrifying stone cold death and we chant, ‘God will help us!’ No one raises an eyebrow, no one asks any questions, we simply say, ‘there is God o,’ the 21st century remix of the ancient ‘God will help us’ coined by by the nation’s incredibly hilarious first lady whose theatricalities, posterity will yet guffaw over.

The word corruption is spoken and we all disdainfully cast our glances at the huge old rock which provides shelter for the nation’s number one citizens and occupants of its highest pedestal. While we may be right to look in that direction with intense abhorrence, we must remind ourselves of the legend of the sanctimonious pirate that went to sea with a tablet on which Moses’ ten commandments were engraved only after he had unscrupulously stricken out ‘thou shalt not steal’. Perhaps, we are doling

out selective judgments!

Though we may not be committing any fatal errors by pointing our so called ‘holy’ and unsullied fingers at the pot bellied politicians who no longer have necks because they have been vacuumed in by several layers of unhealthy fat gained from illicit grubbing on the sumptuous national cake like ravenous maggots not to mention the indiscriminate sucking of the udder of the ‘oryel’ cow but do we point the same ‘holy’ fingers at the PHCN staff that brings a crazy bill to extort money from a struggling single mother while threatening to disconnect her electricity? No, we simply say ‘God will help us’ How about the secondary school teacher that prepares work books not included in school curriculum and makes it compulsory for students to purchase them or risk mass failure?

Do we call the police when the house next door is being invaded by robbers while we watch from across the street? No, that is actually a lot more complicated because even if we summon up the courage to call, what number is there to dial? A lecturer fails students massively because a hand out was not purchased. Who would protest the injustice? An expectant mother or her child or even

veracity with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08054680688 both are brutally murdered at the hands of health care providers due to the lackadaisical attitude with which human lives are handled nationwide and what do we say?

The little girl next door is raped and physically abused by her guardian, but what do we say?

The government worker reports to work devastatingly late, drops some bags and heads out to nowhere, people complain endlessly in the lobbies waiting to be attended to. They curse under their breaths, hiss, toss and turn in their seats but when the demi-god shows up, who says anything? Everyone scrambles to appeal to the worker just to accomplish their mission and get out. An unqualified person with an empty head is employed for a high powered job and earns six figures while the genius gets to do the menial chores and takes home peanuts because the dullard know people on the board. Promotion skips the hard worker but the layabout gets it twice in short succession and what do we say?

Injustice reigns supreme in the four cardinals. Nepotism strolls defiantly on the streets sans any scintilla of caution. In the end, we sum up all of these degenerative acts as ‘man knows man’ or better still, we call them networking.

Fellow Nigerians, God will not come down and help us. Our freedom is interred, dormant in our own hands, but we must activate it. Rosa Parks didn’t become “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement by waiting for God to help her. She sat on that bus! We cannot fight this individually; justice will only come by juxtaposition. I am certain that it would be infinite wisdom to take a cue from these words of Martin Niemöller, “First they came for the Socialists, I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me,” or be doomed!

Re: Guinea Conakry and Tinubu’s political prowess

By Desmond Afolayan

The acclaimed national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress was recently in Guinea where he was reportedly involved in influencing the outcome of the October 11 presidential election in favour of the 77-year-old incumbent President, Alpha Condé. In a statement by Sunday Dare, his media aide, Bola Tinubu is adulated for extending the frontiers of his illustrious political empire beyond Nigeria.

Tinubu’s forays into another African country to openly take sides in the highest level of their domestic politics should ordinarily be seen as the private business of a private citizen with no risk of negatively impacting on Nigeria’s foreign relations interests. It is, however, important to note that the former governor of Lagos State failed to appropriately draw the lines between acting in his own capacity and posturing that can suggest he was covertly acting on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari or the Nigerian state.

To start with, Dare offers us an insight into how Tinubu met his “friend and brother” President Condé in May this year at a meeting during his 5-day state visit to Nigeria for President Buhari’s inauguration. He went on to provide details of how “Tinubu in June 2015 visited Conakry, Guinea to further assess the country’s political terrain and the direction of the presidential campaigns” and how soon after, Tinubu moved into Conakry personally with his election strategy and planning team to work as an integral part of the president’s campaign team with barely 60 days to the election. What this means in sum is that President Condé came to Nigeria on a state visit and returned with a machinery that helped prosecute his re-election agenda.

The chest thumping by Tinubu’s media office necessitated disclosing that President Condé’s sensitive decision not to postpone the election in which he was a candidate was as a result of the fact that “Asiwaju Tinubu played a key role in advising the President to stick to the date, October 11. He reportedly provided context for the president by letting him into the experience Nigeria had during the last presidential

election.” It is worth mentioning that the seven opposition parties called for a postponement, citing alleged irregularities in the electoral roll, but their pleas were rejected by the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Cellou Dalein Diallo, the candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) also petitioned the Supreme Court of Guinea to have the election postponed, but it was rejected.

Not a few diplomatic watchers would wonder if President Buhari had an interest in returning his Guinean counterpart to office for a second term? Was Tinubu acting on behalf of the Nigerian President and the Nigerian state? I doubt. The actions and statements by Tinubu’s office, however, leave room for the possibility of mottled interpretations. This is against the backdrop of the diplomatic sacrilege that occurred two days to the May 29, 2015 handover date when visiting President Condé on arrival in Nigeria shunned former President Jonathan and the diplomatic courtesies usually extended to every visiting head of state and instead chose to be received by Tinubu – a private citizen – apparently on the instruction of President Buhari who was then on an unofficial visit to the United Kingdom.

In a country whose democracy is yet fragile and in an election that was just the country’s second free multiparty national election since it gained independence in 1958, the help any true friend of the people of Guinea should have offered

leading up to and during the election should have been in such critical areas as the advocacy for a peaceful and watchful conduct by the people, capacity building for state institutions like the electoral umpire and security agencies to perform their duties without fear or favour, and the advocacy for exemplary behaviour by the candidates and other key political operatives that will result in peaceful electoral outcomes.

Even if Tinubu absolutely had to support President Condé, conventional wisdom would have prescribed that he did so discretely without showing his hand.

In this complex era where Citizen Diplomacy is an increasingly important tool in advancing the interests of countries and where private citizens and corporations have been known to shape the texture of foreign relations a country has with others in more effective ways than diplomatic services can, it is important to keep an eye on the activities of our influential Nigerians on the global stage, especially those seen to be close to the president and the government of Nigeria – off course without impugning on legitimate individual liberties and interests. Nigeria cannot afford hostilities from other countries after an alternation of power in the future brings to office individuals and political interests who nurture resentment against Nigeria for being seen to have worked behind the scenes to help sitting presidents utilise the power of incumbency to perpetuate themselves in power. Perception is just as powerful as reality.

This calls for greater vigilance by active citizens and the media in spotlighting what goes on in the famed corridors of power during state visits as power brokers with ulterior motives can be inadvertently conferred sovereign legitimacy simply by appearing in the company of the president. At this rate, as “Tinubu seems to be about the business of installing presidents across Africa”, the Presidency needs to deploy the finest tact in ensuring that as Tinubu goes along his way in his mission, he is seen to be acting on his own.

•Afolayan writes from Brussels and can be reached on desmondafolayan@gmail.com

21

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015 Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

Sunday Ejike and Christian Okeke - Abuja

A

FTER about eight months that Justice O. A. Musa of an Abuja High Court delivered judgment in the suit filed by over 700 traders against a firm, All Purpose Shelters Limited (APSL), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and others, over allocation of shops at the N6.5 billion Wuye Ultra-modern Market, the warring factions in the dispute are yet to come to an amicable settlement.

The trial judge, while delivering his judgment, had said: “In the final analysis, I am of the considered opinion that the plaintiffs, in view of the evidence they had, have proved their case in part and for that reason, the plaintiff case succeeds in part and fails in part.

I so hold.”

Owing to the judgment, the APSL filed a motion before the court for interpretation of the judgment. The FCDA has also approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the propriety of the judgment as it was clear that with the judgement already delivered.

The controversy over who should be allocated shops in the market has not abated and has been attributed, largely, to the fact that the court did not make a specific order on the market.

Be that as it may, it was revealed how the firm that developed the market was given a list that contained 5, 605 names to be allocated shops in the market despite being given an approval by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to build only 1, 600 shops.

Speaking in Abuja, the public relation officer of the company, Tosin Adeyanju, disclosed that after winning the bid for the project, the administration gave the firm a proviso to sell the shops, upon completion, to traders on the list handed over to it and which contained 5, 605 subscribers who already had provisional allocation letters from the administration.

He said trouble, however, started when a group of 707 traders among the 5, 605 subscribers whose names were handed over to the firm came up with a request that they were entitled to the shops free and approached a court for an order of possession of the shops.

“Immediately after we won the bid, we moved swiftly to commence the construction by approaching three banks for loan to execute the project to which the banks responded positively after all documentations were verified and the C of O in the name of Abuja Investment Company was deposited as collateral for the loan and work began immediately.

However, the project has witnessed a lot of challenges which by grace of God we surmounted until this set of traders tried to politicize

Protesters in front of Wuye market

Wuye market: Search for solution continues

it,” he said.

According to him, a judgment given by the court on April 29, 2015 was misinterpreted by some of the aggrieved traders, who he said, broke into the shops and took

possession of the shops until security agents were drafted in.

He said: “The conduct of the plaintiffs has been very ridiculous.

The other three markets of Kaura, Garki and Mabushi went through

the same process and had concluded sales with the previous allottees and business activities have commenced since.

“All Purpose Shelter Limited had been ready to commence op-

eration for the past two years with over a thousand traders with same provisional offer letter already paid for the shops and keys collected “We should look at the professionalism and investment that has been put into this project and its multiplier effect in Wuye district when the market opens. Traders need to begin to start earning a living from their investment and few Nigerians should not frustrate the good intention of government “We should not politicise this business initiative that has been adjudged the best market in Abuja today with state-of-the art facilities. The developer has put the interest of common traders topmost in the development of the market “If we believe in local content as Nigerians, we must not allow some selfish Nigerians to discourage local investor like this in investing in their fatherland.”

CREW

1. Christian Okeke chidiabujatribune@yahoo.com 08030947856 2. Clement Idoko idokoajiga@yahoo.co.uk 08034412281 3. Kolawole Daniel kolawoledaniels@yahoo.co.uk 08030763782

Transactions going on in an Abuja market

Nation building: NLRC honours Tribune, others —pg22

Church should solve societal problems, help the poor —UK-based cleric —pg22

4. Collins Nnabuife chideraacollins@yahoo.com 08039521408 5. Adetola Bademosi gloriaadetola@gmail.com 08182214290 Abuja Xtra email & GSM: abujaxtra@gmail.com 0805450140

22

abujaextra

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nation building: NLRC honours Tribune, others Christian Okeke - Abuja

F

OR years now, the Nigerian Tribune has remained true to its primary task of contributing to national development, as it offers platform for promotion of good causes in the country.

Notably, the newspaper house has shared in the vision of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) which is saddled with the mandate of regulating the country’s lottery industry. And for the 10 years it has been in existence, the Nigerian Tribune has proved a reliable partner in the business of correcting the negative perception against the lottery industry and aligns with the current vision and doggedness of the commission’s current Director General, Adolphus Joe Ekpe, in achieving the four agenda of his administration which hinge on automating the monitoring and regulation processes of lottery, securing an enhanced salary package for our staff, moving into the commission’s own complex and becoming the highest revenue generating agency in the country.

It, however, came as a surprise when the commission selected the Nigerian Tribune for an award for its contributions to nation building. Specifically, the Nigerian Tribune was conferred with a media merit award as the most supportive print media organisation in the development of lottery industry in the country and like Ekpe said, it was indeed an honour to have been bestowed with the award.

The award, which was conferred on the foremost newspaper, came after the director general stated that the government agency had, over the years, noted with delight the immense support by the newspaper towards the development of the country’s lottery industry, especially by the newspaper’s Abuja Bureau.

Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr Jamila Shu’ara also affirmed that the newspaper house, in addition to other awardees, was carefully selected for the award.

The event was a mixture of glamour and humour as guests from all walks of life filled the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hotel to witness the award ceremony which was equally used to recognise outstanding staff of the commission, a former director in charge of regulatory and monitoring at the commission, but who died in active service as well as the consistent revenue contributors to national lottery trust fund. Other award

categories included most innovative promo lottery, best lottery brand, fastest growing lottery operator and lifetime achievers award.

The National Troupe and a musician, Dbanj were on hand to add colour to the event.

Ekpe, while speaking at the award ceremony to mark the 10th year of lottery regulation in the country, disclosed that the commission was able to weather the storm in what he described as its bumpy and rough journey to success.

He recalled that both lottery regulation

and the industry were not known and appreciated as at the time the commission was created in 2005.

The DG further disclosed that even after five years of existence, public perception of lottery remained negative and viewed as a venture for non-decent members of the society, necessitating the aggressive nationwide enlightenment, sensitisation and rebranding campaigns embarked upon by the commission.

According to him, the major milestones recorded by the NLRC in the past years included job creation and employment.

Assistant Editor with the Nigerian Tribune, Mr Christian Okeke(right), receiving the Most Supportive Print Media Award for the newspaper from the director, Inter Governmental Affairs, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Affairs, Dr Rufai Attahiru in Abuja. Photo by Bayoor Ewuoso.

Yuletide: More hawkers set to worsen Abuja’s environmental decay Christian Okeke - Abuja

Director General of National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Adolphus Joe Ekpe (5th left); Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Dr Jalima Shu’ara (6th left) and others cutting the cake to mark 10th year of lottery regulation in Nigeria by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) in Abuja recently. Photo by Bayoor Ewuoso.

Church should solve societal problems, help the poor —UK-based cleric Christian Okeke - Abuja UNITED Kingdom-based cleric, Reverend Wale Babatunde, has expressed dissatisfaction over what he described as non-chalant attitude of churches in the country to the challenges facing the nation and advocated that any church not solving problems be closed down.

He stated that the church in the country needed to focus on the poor if it was going to play its role effectively.

The cleric and senior pastor of World Harvest Christian Centre spoke in Abuja during a summit on the role of the church in transformation of Nigeria and argued that the presence of the church should bring unmis-

Ekpe hinted that from only one lottery operator, the commission, over the years, granted 20 licences to different indigenous firms to run the business of national lottery in the country.

“The cascading effect on employment can only be imagined when one considers how many Nigerians are employed directly by these operators and also those engaged as lottery agents and sub-agents across the country,” he said.

The DG noted that the commission had also been able to streamline and produce guidelines for the regulations of promotional lottery scheme to increase revenue generation.

He recalled the signing of memoranda of understanding between the commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to combat illegal lottery operations as well as the remittance of over N5 billion to the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) for the execution of good causes projects.

He said: “Our modest achievements in the past years are not an indication that we have arrived at the destination we want to take lottery to.

“Lottery is a viable source of revenue generation that can impact on the GDP significantly. Our vision is to be a trusted regulator of lotteries for good causes in national development “For the NLRC to realise its full potential, it has to enhance operations and take control of the market. This can be achieved only when lottery operations are automated to capture all transactions.

takable change and difference in the society.

“If there is no change, it means we are only shouting; if there are one million disciples and followers of Jesus, the country should not be the way it is,” he said.

The cleric lamented that the church was running away from problem which they should contribute to solving.

According to him, the definition of the church must be upgraded to make the church imbibe virtues of sacrifice and simplicity.

Babatunde challenged the church to stop blaming government for the problems in the country but to play its expected roles in providing solution.

He said: “Most of the problems are with pastors. Church is not about programmes; it is about the people, it is about solving problems.

The church is not called to stay in a building.

“If there is a problem the church in Nigeria has, it is the garbage we have swallowed from America in the area of distorted gospel of prosperity.

“Not many pastors will make heaven. The fact that they are pastoring big churches does not mean they know God “The church here in Nigeria is too rich.

Why do I have to change my cars regularly as a pastor? I watch them display their cars.

It is only children that display toys; it is about the number one game now

WITH the yuletide just less than two months away, environment status of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, is expected to take a turn for the worse as many hawkers are expected to flood the streets for brisk businesses.

Checks by Abuja Xtra revealed that the number of such hawkers always increases prior to the yuletide.

Many petty traders abandon outskirts of the territory and invade the city with their wares of different kinds.

They do not mind whether their activities contravene the laws or not as they show eagerness to make as much money they can make as possible.

Most times, it does not bother the street hawkers if the authorities confiscate their goods or not, as they develop new strategies of sustaining their trade on the streets.

Many residents told Abuja Xtra that the hawkers always overwhelm environmental officials with the security agents working with them whenever yuletide approaches.

They were of the opinion that the task and funds involved in keeping the city clean every day during the season were usually high and might not even be made available at this time.

The residents said they expected that such hawkers would invade Berger roundabout and Wuse market areas in coming days with their various wares.

The hawkers are also expected on all the busy routes, displaying and selling their products.

23

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

leadership &

management

with Sulaimon Olanrewaju

m:08055001708 e:lanresulaimon@yahoo.com t:@lanresulaimon

Quote Leadership

The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and we miss it but that we aim too low and reach it. — Michelangelo

How leaders drive organisational excellence

J

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

ohn Maxwell posits, and quite a number of other experts agree with him, that everything rises and falls on leadership. The import of this is that the leader is the driving force for whatever happens in an organization. It is what the leader encourages that flourishes in the organization; whatever he does not support falters.

Leaders shape and mould their organizations.

Continues on pg24

inside

26 25 business coach 26 Leaders’forum PAGE

The 60-second

PAGE

PAGE

Mitchell Elegbe, MD, Interswitch

24

25

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

leadership&management

leadership&management

business coach

Leaders and pursuit of organisational excellence Continues from pg23

Really, leaders produce organizations after their own kind. As a leader is, so is his organization. So, leaders are responsible for the growth of a culture of excellence in their organizations. Having a culture of excellence is non-negotiable for an organization that wants to last the distance because the market place has become so competitive that only organizations that stand out stand a chance of survival.

What is excellence?

Perhaps the place to start is defining excellence because, as it has been said, what cannot be defined cannot be found.

Excellence is exceeding set standards. In any human endeavour, there are set standards that separate success from failure; these are the irreducible minimum that can be tolerated from anyone or organization involved in any activity. Meeting the standard is nothing exceptional because it is expected. It is when the standards are exceeded that excellence is achieved.

Customers have expectations which are hinged on acceptable minimum standards.

However, to win customer loyalty requires exceeding their basic expectations. For as long as these expectations are met, the customers have no complaint. However, meeting the customer’s basic expectation is not a guarantee for repeat patronage. What never stops to ensure the return of the customer is exceeding his expectations. For as long as the customer knows that he will get more than his bargain, he never stops his patronage. In addition to that, he becomes an evangelist who shares the ‘good news’ of his expectation being exceeded with others. It is having customers who are evangelists that separate a thriving organization from a struggling one and it is for this reason that leaders always endeavour to put in place a structure that encourages a culture of excellence.

How leaders inculcate excellence There are a number of ways through which leaders develop a culture of excellence in their organizations. Here are some of them.

Give clear expectations The starting point of building a culture of excellence in teammates is by laying bare the expectations right from the outset. People can only achieve what is made known. To get the best from colleagues, there must not be any doubt about what the expectations are. So, leaders who want to drive excellence communicate their expectations; they never leave their people in doubt about what is expected of them.

In the book, One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard speaks of one minute goal setting in which the team leader engages each team member in a session to discuss and agree

on what his expectations are. Through this meeting, both the leader and the teammate are on the same page on what to expect.

Very often in many organizations, there is no correlation between what the subordinate assumes his function is and what his superior believes his duties are. This often leads to disappointment for the superior and frustration for the subordinate. Unless the expectation is properly communicated and allowed to be assimilated, its chance of being exceeded is very remote.

Those who excel are those who have no doubt about what is expected of them and strive to exceed the expectation.

Create hunger for something better than a pay Most people work to earn a living while very few work to make a life. Both get their pay but the latter get a little more; they build a legacy. In any human endeavour being common is very easy. It is common to come across common people in every sphere of life.

Being common is not an outcome of laziness; many hardworking people are still common.

What is required to be common is to make no attempt to go beyond the irreducible minimum. In spite of their innate ability, many people merely do enough to justify their pay; they make no effort to go beyond the call of duty. So, they are unexceptional and remain common. That is where leadership comes in. A leader has a responsibility to create a hunger for doing more than the basic in every one that comes his way. Every leader must encourage those he supervises to live and work for something beyond their wage.

While meeting expectations is the minimum, it is awkward to expect the best to go to the fellow who only contributes the minimum.

It is therefore important that every leader

Where convenience abides, excellence cannot exist. Where convenience is sought, excellence cannot be found. Making excuses is a way of seeking convenience.

Procrastination is a way of courting convenience.

Giving less than the best is embracing convenience.

THE 60-SECOND

Strategies to improve leadership effectiveness

By Peter Barron Stark

should endeavour to motivate all around him to strive for excellence.

Encourage a challenge of status quo The human race has experienced series of development because some people are never satisfied with the status quo, they keep challenging current accomplishments based on the belief that what has already been done can be made better. That is what moved the telephone from what Graham Bell invented to what we currently have. It is the same desire that got the computer reduced from the mainframe size to the pint size of a mo- Adeola Azeez, Deputy Country Head, Deutsche Bank Nigeria bile device. It is the same quest that made it possible for man to build automobiles, build aircraft, conquer the sea and travel to the moon. A hallmark of excellence is dissatisfaction with the status quo. Those who are consistently dissatisfied with the status quo always come up with new ideas and inventions.

To create a culture of excellence, a leader must encourage his teammates to challenge the status quo. Unless spurred by the leader, it takes a lot of courage for a subordinate to challenge what the organization has come to see as the standard.

So, the onus is on the leader to create an environment that will make it possible for anyone in the organization to question the standard practice with a view to evolving a better practice.

A question that should never cease from the lips of a leader is, “Is this the best we can do?” The answer drives the organization closer to the realm of excellence.

Model excellence The easiest way leaders reproduce their beliefs in their followers is by practising their beliefs. Followers do what they see their leaders model. Therefore, to encourage a culture of excellence, the leader must never consider convenience. Convenience is the albatross of excellence. Convenience always smothers excellence. Where convenience abides, exPeter Ashade, MD, Africa cellence cannot exist. Where convenience is Prudential Registrars Plc sought, excellence cannot be found. Making excuses is a way of seeking convenience. Procrastination is a way of courting convenience. pens when they are trained. Training develops Giving less than the best is embracing conve- capacity of individuals. It also opens them to what others are doing and challenges them to do nience. If excellence is the end, convenience the same or even surpass it. Leaders who want cannot be the means. A leader who wants to excellent performance have to invest in trainstimulate excellence in his teammates must ing and capacity building of their staff. eschew convenience.

Both to the leader and the followers, excelAppreciation lence is indubitably exacting but it is unarguThe average person is satisfied with avably rewarding. erage performance. Since what the leader desires is excellence, every trace of excelEmpower others lence should be appreciated by him. The It is only those who know new things that can do new things. Therefore, to make it easy leader should seize every opportunity to publicly acknowledge those who strive to for team members to go beyond what their be outstanding in their assignments. Apart current level of performance is will require from being a fillip for those already toetheir exposure to new things and that haping the path of excellence to continue, it also

Dr Fidelis Akhagboso Ayebae, MD/CEO Fidson

To be a great and effective leader, you need to be very clear on your vision, and what actions you need to take to turn your vision into a reality. And, like an organization or a team, to be an effective leader, you need to focus on the few key areas that will have the highest impact on turning your vision and goals into a reality.

Although this word is offensive to some, ultimately, we are talking about winning.

And, as any good coach will tell you, to win, you need to be willing to learn and then practice what you learn. The more you are willing to learn and the harder you are willing to practice, the more successful you will become at achieving your vision and goals.

Like an athlete in preparation to win the game, leaders need to constantly hone their craft to become more effective. Here are six ways to become even more effective in your leadership approach: 1.

Find great mentors: Who are the people you know or work with that are followed? The difference between leaders and managers is that leaders may or may not have a title but they always have people who are motivated to willingly follow them. Who are the great leaders who truly care about your success and have the guts to tell you the truth?

Clarify your leadership vi2. sion: If you were to die, what would you hope

people would say about you as a leader?

I would hope people would say I have a clear vision of a positive future; that I deeply care about and value our staff and our clients; I am grateful and generous; that I believe in people and the significant contribution they make to achieve our vision; that I have a strong desire to achieve our client’s goals and win; and last, that I did all this with a great sense of humor and didn’t take myself too seriously. Clarifying your vision will help you determine what areas you need to improve and what areas will require more practice.

Be committed: 3.

Every coach will tell you that hard work tops talent, anytime that talent doesn’t work hard. Every day, you will be faced with operational tasks that take your time and effort. Operational tasks are easy and give you instant gratification as you cross them off your list. Leadership activities almost always take more thought, can be frustrating because people are involved, and often don’t have immediate gratification. Great leaders are committed to staying focused on doing the right thing and accomplishing their leadership vision.

Build your Emotional 4.

Intelligence: Your IQ is all about how intelligent you are. Your Emotional Intelligence is all about opening your mouth, building strong relationships and achieving your goals. In the leadership business, it boils down to this: if we gave

your direct reports a choice, would they choose to follow you? A great example of this is when a leader leaves one organization and moves to another; pay attention to how many of his or her direct reports choose to follow. Another great test for emotional intelligence is whether or not your family, friends, boss, peers and direct reports feel comfortable telling you the truth about your leadership and communication style.

Treat people right: 5.

Everyone would agree that treating people right is important. What is discussed a lot less is that different people want to be treated differently. Some people need more praise and recognition; others want to produce results by working as a high performing team; still others tackle their daily job by getting stuff done and crossing stuff off their list. If that does not complicate things enough for leaders, some people want you to tell them exactly what you want them to do, and then just leave them alone. Figuring people out, and treating them like they want to be treated, will be a big part of a leader’s success.

Learn from your mistakes: I recently went to a retirement party for a client. At his party, the client made a strong point about mistakes and leadership when he said, “The best leaders are the best learners.” When you think about the ability to practice and learn, then mistakes aren’t really mistakes. You have only learned a new way that doesn’t work.

BOOK

By Peter Barron Stark

Yewande Zaccheaus, CEO, Eventful challenges those comfortable with the status quo to move out of their comfort zone and embrace excellence. Personal letters of commendation, public acknowledgement of their contributions as well as giving them mementos are some of the ways through which the leader communicates his appreciation to those who strive to stand out.

Last line Excellence is a journey whose destination keeps changing because as soon as a milestone is attained, it becomes dated and the next one becomes the new target. Therefore, to make excellence a culture means never resting on the oars. That is the trademark of great organizations.

This is a book about what makes some ideas more effective than others. It explains what it is that makes you notice them, understand them, care about them, remember them, and act on them. And the simple answer is: presentation. Spin is crucial. Of course, substance is important, too. But the message of this smart, lively book is that if your spin is bad, you’re nowhere.

As the authors say: “Good ideas often have a hard time succeeding in the world. Yet the ridiculous kidney heist tale keeps circulating, with no resources whatsoever to support it.”

Kidney heist tale? That’s right.

The authors, Chip and Dan Heath, brothers from California, tell us the story of a guy who goes into a bar in an unfamiliar city and orders a drink, after which an attractive woman approaches him and asks him if he’d like another. And that’s

the last thing he remembers, until he wakes up the next morning in a bathtub full of ice. He has a wound in his back with a tube sticking out.

He calls the emergency services.

The operator says, “Sir, don’t panic, but one of your kidneys has been harvested.”

Next, the authors give us an example of something unmemorable. I won’t quote it in full, but to give you an idea: “Comprehensive community building naturally lends itself to a return-on-investment rationale that can be modelled ...” We are asked to imagine what would happen if we closed the book and tried to tell someone about the kidney heist and the jargon. We’d be able to remember the heist. We’d have forgotten the jargon. The authors ask us: “Which sounds closer to the communications you encounter at work?”

This is a self-help book for ideas.

Like a diet book, it tells you to slim your ideas down. Simplicity is the key. Dan, an educational publisher,

studied teachers and what made them effective. Chip, a social science professor at Stanford, spent time researching the concept “How could a false idea displace a true one?” Both brothers were impressed by the concept of “stickiness”, as explained

by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point - some ideas stick in the mind, while others don’t. “We want to pay tribute to Gladwell for the word ‘stickiness’,” they say. “It stuck.”

26

tribunebusiness

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Tope Popoola is a Human Capital developement Consultant and Pastor. Please feel free to send questions, feedback comments on this column to

topheritage@yahoo.com or visit http//turbochargedforsuccess.blogspot.com

The power of ethical leadership - 1

When you get what you want in your struggle for self And the world makes you king for a day Just go to a mirror and look at yourself And see what THAT man has to say For it isn’t your father or mother or wife Whose judgment upon you must pass The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one staring back from the glass Some people may think you are a straight-shooting chum And call you a wonderful guy But the man in the glass says you are only a bum If you can’t look him straight in the eye He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest For he is with you clear up to the end And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life And get pats on your back as you pass But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you’ve cheated the man in the glass - THE MAN IN THE GLASS by Dale Wimbrow

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

- Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8-9 The CEO had been finding it difficult to sleep well for about three straight days. Events in the market over the last six months had given ample indication that it would be a struggle if not an impossibility - declaring any profit at the end of the financial year which was barely two months away. Sales figures had been

going south consistently for some time and had plummeted so fast in the last two months that it had raised serious concerns at every management meeting of Doit Nigeria Plc. The challenge had been compounded by the sudden devaluation of the Naira and the attendant fiscal policies of government. As if that was not enough, one of the company’s strongest competitors had literally gone on a binge trying to de-market Doit products. If the trend continued any further, it might mean having to prune down employee numbers among other areas of operations that would take a hit. Something had to be done - and very fast too!

But bleak as the situation was, it was not the cause of the CEO’s insomnia over the last three days.

At its last meeting, the management had given a go-ahead to recruit a new Sales Manager to champion a reinvigorated sales drive. He had to be a maverick go-getter and no expense was to be spared in hiring him or her if there was enough evidence that he or she could deliver. Something had to be done to re-inflate the bottom-line if the company was not to run into a crisis. An almost full warehouse without a market was obviously no walk in the park. Several applications had been received in response to the advert, out of which a panel had selected ten who were considered the peak of the pack. The CEO had scheduled a private interview with each of the ten and had further pruned the number to three. This was the dilemma. One of the three was a guy who had sterling credentials. He appeared to have every quality required to achieve the necessary targets.

From all indications, he was tailor-made for this assignment.

Yet the CEO felt a sense of unease within him about this candidate. How could someone be so right and somehow yet so wrong? It turned out that in the last chat he had with this ‘star’ candidate, the candidate had boasted that he had all necessary information about his current employers - the very company that had been giving Doit sleepless nights! He had volunteered to make all of it - marketing strategy, sales figures, key figures

who drove the de-marketing efforts as well as its projections over the next few years - available to Doit if employed. Initially, the CEO of Doit had felt elated, this would be the needed opportunity for Doit to get its sweet revenge. And that was the beginning of his dilemma. After mulling over it for some days, he decided to ask for the opinion of a senior member of the Board of Directors whom he considered a mentor in corporate circles.

His response?

“This is your opportunity. Grab that guy before someone else does. He has all the qualities you are looking for. Besides, his willingness to divulge information about your competitor is a bonus that will help you predict and incapacitate their every move. Isn’t that what you want? The corporate world is full of sharks and only the strongest survive. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and takes no prisoners. To succeed, you must know how to play the game. If you don’t do them in, they will do you in!”

As he returned and walked towards his office, he met the Operations Executive who, noticing his boss’ countenance asked what the trouble was. The CEO pulled him into his office and told him what had just happened in the Director’s office.

“With all due respect sir, I beg to disagree with that counsel.

True we might solve a problem in the interim but what happens on the long run? If this guy is willing to squeak on his current employers to give us an unfair advantage over them, what would he do to us in the future when he feels he needs to move to another organization or if his current employers decide to rehire him after a stint with us? What goes round comes around.

A destructive means can never produce a constructive end! The rat that wins the rat race still remains a rat at the end of the race. Remember THE MAN IN THE MIRROR, a poem you shared with us in one of our management retreats? What would he be saying to you?” ... to be continued Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!

Don’t bury it, adeptly bring it into play

Many people are stranded, marooned and left high and dry in life; not because there is nothing inside of them, but they are stuck in life because they are either unaware, badly informed and ignorant of what is in them or because they take lightly what they are carrying on the inside of them. What God has deposited inside of you, when discovered, developed and adeptly deployed is strong enough to connect you to the high places of the earth. What is in you, when discovered, developed and skillfully deployed will definitely cause you to walk in the midst of the aristocrat and peer of the realm of your day.

Your course of study and your place of learning are not superior to what God has deposited on the inside of you. The beauty of education is when it ends up sharpening your talent. What happens on the condition that you are to be a musician, but you end up going to school to study engineering? This is what makes most Africans on this continent to struggle in life. This is what makes Nigerians to be struggling fiscally. This is what makes people to be as fishes outside of water. You know that a fish outside of water cannot function at its best. This is why the African man is leading an average life. This is why many people are performing too far below their potential. And there is no how you can operate at your best if you are yet to discover your talent and maximize it to the fullest.

Two years ago, I was invited to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State—to train some final year students on how to discover, develop and skillfully deploy their talents in the market-place. My experience with them during the interactive session spurred me to write a bestselling book I chose to call: “THE 3DS OF TALENT.” The book spotlights how to discover, develop and adeptly deploy your talent for economic empowerment. That day, about 95% of those who were under the sound of my voice did not know how to discover their talent! This was mind blowing to me.

As if that was not enough, I listened to a show on a radio

station while driving home from office. It was a phone-in program. To my chagrin, about 99% of those who called in did not know how to discover their talents, let alone develop and deploy them. This is so tragic. No wonder we are where we are as a people. The inability of our people to discover their talents is one of the major reasons many Nigerians are struggling to survive financially on a daily basis.

When you choose a course on campus that is not in line with your area of gifting, you will struggle with it. This is the reason many people do not practice what they go to school to study.

This is why I enjoy going to our secondary schools to educate our young-blood on how to discover their talents very early in life. I do show them the easiest way to discover their talents and the result has been so amazing. In synopsis, I am going to lay it bare here.

Life becomes unexciting, boring and mind-numbing when you are living without maximizing your talent. Nobody can operate at his or her best until his or her talent has been discovered. How many of us in Nigeria are operating at our best? The problem is that only a few people have been able to discover their talents. When you discover your talent, life ceases to be dreary and starts to be interesting. You cannot be enjoying your life and want to commit suicide. It is when life becomes boring that people always want to take their life.

Also, if you try to be something just because someone else makes it look easy, you could be going outside your natural talent and not perform to be the best you could be at where you fit best. Doing what comes natural does not only allow you to develop quicker and better, but it is fun, enjoyable and you seem to forget about time when you are at your best. You will just be like a fish inside of water.

How do you discover your talent? One, people around you usually know what your talent is, even when you don’t. If you think about it, people have likely been telling you that you are

good at something for a long time. You just weren’t listening.

Right? Now is the time to listen. Two, are there things that you find really easy or obvious to do, while others may struggle or muddle their way through? What is it that you like to do most when you have free time? If you are drawn toward it, it is a natural talent. As well, is there a specific subject that you just love to talk about often to the point that your friends want to shoot you? Consider the subject, perhaps it may be one of your hidden talents or it is connected to one.

My center of attention today is those who have discovered their talents, but instead of developing and deploying them, they have buried, covered, hidden and masked them over the years. They want to become affluent and exert huge, titanic and massive influence without adeptly bringing their talents into play. Many people pray amiss each time they ask God to exalt them without them making use of their God-given talents. If you have buried your talent, today, I have come to encourage, persuade and push you to bring your talent to light. Why is this so important? It is because your voice is connected to your talent. When you bury and conceal your talent, you’d become voiceless. The reason you have been voiceless over the years is because you have refused to unearth your talent and maximize it to the fullest.

Before I finish, when you mask and cover your talent, you are unknowingly covering and burying your wealth. The reason many people are poor is because they have buried their talents.

Those who are skillfully making use of their talents are smiling to the bank, almost every day. Those who bury their talents will always be servants of those who are daily developing and adeptly deploying theirs. Your leadership begins the day you discover, consistently develop and adeptly deploy their talents.

If you too have buried yours, go and unearth it! Develop it daily.

And make use of it skillfully for your own economic empowerment.

27

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

property

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Gbemi Solaja

m:07065220616 e:gbemisolaja@gmail.com

Infrastructure, biggest challenge in real estate —Owomoyela Adewale Oluwamomi Owomoyela is the Executive Director, IPC Homes Limited, an international real estate company. In this interview, he brings to the fore, wealth of experience gained in other real estate environment, and with a sharp comparison, suggests possible solutions to the challenges in the housing sector. GBEMI SOLAJA brings excerpts:

D

o you think the government is doing enough in tackling the housing challenges in the country?

Looking at the housing challenge in the country, we honestly cannot say that we are doing all that we can to ensure that the challenges are surmounted. I personally believe that the main point of government trying to make mortgage accessible to a larger number of people is very nice, but it is just not adequate with one single strategy when dealing with housing because there are problems in society that you can face.

Housing in Nigeria has to be tackled with multiplicity of solutions; some from the government, partnerships between government and the private sector, and others purely from the initiative of the private sector. There would be much more progress if we have a very nice blend of solutions. But with the way we are going, the housing challenges may not be solved in reasonable time.

There are exploits going towards mortgage, but it is not enough.

For instance if you have a job in some countries abroad, virtually any job can give you access to a mortgage. But there is no such thing in Nigeria. The National Housing Fund (NHF) may be available to people who have regular and very good jobs, but have we thought about the barber on the street who makes money per day or weekly, based on the customer that comes in. such person in the technical sense can access NHF, but in reality, can never have access to it. Yet he needs a place to stay. So how do you package a housing solution to take care of such person? This goes beyond what the government is doing, you have to look at his needs and the way he makes money to structure a solution that fits his circumstance perfectly. If we don’t approach it that way, we can’t solve this problem. The way the government is looking at housing solutions will never solve these problems.

What are the challenges faced as a real estate developer in Nigeria?

The government is the first. In law of contract, there is a concept called ‘consensus ad idem,’ which is meeting of minds. Many times, there is no meeting of minds between the government and players in the industry, so you don’t necessarily see the cooperation that should be there.

Government has the intention that housing should be affordable, but the necessary partnerships are not well cemented. The synergies are not well structured so we are

not seeing positive results. The second part of it is the very high cost of infrastructure and it goes back to the private-public partnership, there are areas that what is just needed is a major road. In Abuja, for example, you have a street like Zone 5 that has been tarred and already being resurfaced, now there are entire areas where all that is needed is just one single tarred road where access to that area makes it easier for people to build their houses so infrastructure is key.

It is major for any real estate company; it is a very difficult challenge to surmount.

The title is the third; a lot of states don’t have well demarcated land use strategy or system. I worry about what we do, we build houses everywhere. In the UK, it’s is not like that. Go around the country, the places where we have houses end in a particular place and you start seeing farm lands from there. We don’t have a lot of that in the expanding cities that we have all over the country. It is a big challenge. There is no proper planning even though we have urban and regional planning departments in all the states, but they are almost nonexistent.

I also believe we have been taking a lot more on land space. A city like Ibadan for example, keeps growing, but essentially, you will hardly ever see a 10-storey building that is residential. You won’t find it in Ibadan. So we are not making very good use of our land.

What incentives do you think the government needs to introduce to facilitate real estate business?

Infrastructure is the biggest challenge, and not finance. A lot of people think it is finance. For instance, there is a part of Ogun State that is just being developed. It is a huge real estate development and it is around Sagamu/Ibadan interchange. All that is required for that place to develop

We need a system where everybody that is involved in the building space has required qualification.

Owomoyela, Executive Director, IPC Homes Limited very fast is for a resident of that place to access Lagos and all that is needed is a train that takes anyone from there to Obalende or so in about 30 minutes. If we can have that, this new city blows up. All we need is infrastructure.

We now need financing where real estate companies want to embark on projects that are complex or expensive. Then again, government needs to get serious about social housing. Some people cannot just afford to get housing. They need some kind of assistance. The NHF is very good, but knowledge and getting the information to people as it should be is important because a lot of people don’t even know that every Nigerian can access NHF and for those who have tried, it takes painfully long period of time. In the US for example, it doesn’t take more than three weeks to buy a property with a mortgage.

Here, to access NHF, it may take more that 18 months. And again a lot of these building materials are just too imported. Virtually everything is imported, so it does not help our economy generally at the macro and at micro level; it does not help communities that could have been made stronger economically if these materials that we have locally can be harnessed.

Do you think the real estate sector is backed by policies that can make it thrive?

We really do not need any law or reforms; what we need is enforcement. One of the challenges in the building sector is getting quality artisans and we have a skeletal provision for all these things. There are vocational schools that are being run across Nigeria that can turn out quality artisans, for instance bricklaying. Virtually anywhere else in the world, you need to go to a school to learn bricklaying before you go out there and get involved in laying of blocks. In Nigeria, there is nothing like that, a young man just gets up and start watching an old bricklayer and after a while, he just believes that he is old enough to start laying bricks.

We should have vocational school systems

where anybody that is going to do anything must pass through. In Dubai, for example, if you want to roast corn by the road side, you must operate under a licence. You don’t just go into a bush, gather corn and start roasting.

So we need a system where everybody that is involved in the building space has required qualification, because that is why we have incessant cases of building collapse.

We need to professionalise every single aspect in this industry.

What solutions would you suggest to these problems?

I personally believe that if something is not affordable, the intention is that it is going to be for a select few. It can never be the intention of some manufacturers of some products to be cheap and common for all. So for real estate to be available and common, affordability is key.

The most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard is that of the government of a state in the Southwest intending to build some houses that they would sell for 20 million. It is ridiculous. Our processes are not sensitive to people on the lower end of the ladder; there are no simplified ways which someone that owns a land and wants to get a certificate of occupancy can go through, because he is a poor person. It is important that he should pay cheaper, though may take a longer route, but let it just be cheaper for this one than it is for the one with the multibillion naira property.

There is need to segment areas, and know which area pays a particular amount and which group pays a particular amount and so on. Abuja tried to do something like that.

We need to have such systems in our government agencies that are sensitive towards the poor, so that they can access it at their level, while the standard rate should be paid by the middle income and high income earners, because if these processes are not sensitive to the common people, there is really no way it is going to be affordable for them.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

brands& marketing

anchor Akin Adewakun

m:08054683584 e:akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk

From left, Janet Udogu, Editor-in-Chief, Billboard World Magazine, Mrs Maureen Umanah; Editorial Consultant, Quaye Tawiah and another member of the Billboard World Magazine team, at the Press Conference on 2015 Brand As King Awards, held in Lagos, recently.

BAK 2015: Vote for greener, excellent

outdoor environment Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

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erhaps one major point BillBoard World Magazine, organisers of the Brands As King (BAK) Awards, has never failed to mention at any public forum is the motivating factor behind the idea that informed the award.

For instance, at a recent press briefing aimed at intimating the press and, by extension, the general public of the shade and shape of this year’s edition of the award, the Publisher of Billboard World Magazine and the chief organiser of the award, Mrs Maureen Umanah, explained that the time had come for individuals and corporate organisations that have carved a niche for themselves, within the nation’s marketing communications space, especially the outdoor advertising sub-sector, to be recognised and celebrated.

Umanah, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Executive Options, a Lagos-based flourishing outdoor advertising firm, stated that besides the self-imposed task of ensuring that excellence and merits are celebrated in the industry, the organisers would also use the opportunity of this year’s edition of the reward system, to fight the environmental course.

While urging the relevant authorities to imbibe the culture of nurturing, protecting and sustaining the environment from dreaded global warming and its effects, the wife of the former Akwa Ibom

State Information Commissioner, explained that as a socially-responsible organisation, the organisers of the awards had decided to weave the thematic thrust of this year’s edition of the award round the ‘Out-of-Home Media, As a Veritable Tool in Aesthetics and Environmental Sustainability,’ as a way of making a case for the environment.

“We are looking at outdoor advertising as a veritable tool to propagate this message, and that actually informed our decision to dedicate the theme of this year’s edition on ‘Out-of-Home Media, As a Veritable Tool in Aesthetics and Environmental Sustainability,” she stated.

Interestingly, for stakeholders in the industry, this is more than soothing, since it is believed that being an award that has acquired an international status, such message will reverberate across the globe.

Besides, it is believed that the reward system would again present the country the opportunity to attract attention from around the globe, by adding her voice to this topical issue of global warming.

For instance, over the years, the organisers of the awards had never, at any time, hidden their intention of making a global brand of the BAK Award, and the first real attempt at achieving this was the hosting of the 2013 edition of the award in far away Accra, Ghana, with dignitaries from both countries gracing the event.

And, two years after, memories

of the event and its impacts across the West African borders have continued to echo in the minds of stakeholders, since it has opened up the possibilities of some of the nation’s neighbours, taking a cue from some of the exploits so far recorded in the nation’s outdoor space and replicating them in their various domains.

Besides the international acclaim the award is getting of late,

Nigerian Tribune

the local recognition it has also continued to garner, especially from the regulatory agencies in the industry, has also gone a long way in bolstering the resolve of the organisers to continue to reward creativity in the sector.

During a recent courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Mr Udeme Ufot, by the Billboard World Magazine team,

the APCON boss had commended the team for deeming it fit to reward excellence and creativity in the industry, noting that such award had become imperative to further enhance the clout of the industry.

“In other climes, industry such as ours thrives on genuine reward system such as the BAK Award, and that is why we would do all within our powers to support the award,” the APCON boss had said.

Besides the apex regulatory agency’s endorsement, its primary constituency, the Outdoor Advertisers Association of Nigeria (OAAN), seems to have suddenly developed a soft spot for the award too. The presence of the top officials of the association at the last edition in Ghana, was seen by many as a positive development for the industry, considering the fact that the association had been one of the staunchest critics of the awards at its formative stage.

And as the industry waits for the next individuals and corporate organisations that will be celebrated for carving a niche for themselves in the industry, organisers of the award are quick to add that this year’s edition is not without its uniqueness. It has decided to up the ante for ‘The Brand Writer of the Year,’ the only category that goes with a cash reward. Instead of the N50,000 cash prize winners in this category had been enjoying in the past, a cash prize of N100,000, she says, awaits the winner of this year’s edition.

Umanah sees BAK as a self-imposed task, designed to contribute her own quota to the development of outdoor advertising business in Nigeria, and not necessarily set up for profit making.

35 tertiary institutions vie for NIMN Best Marketing Students Awards A total of 67 students from the nation’s 35 tertiary institutions have signified their intention to contest for this year’s Best Marketing Students’ Awards of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), which would see a total of five winners emerge at the end of the competition.

The awards, sponsored by Unilever, according to the institute, requires 35 tertiary institutions to forward names of the best two students in their marketing departments, after which the candidates would be required to undergo different screenings and tests before the winners will be declared on November 24, the date of the award.

The institute’s Registrar, Mr Sydney Ogodo, described this year’s award as a continuation of the tradition set up in 2007 by the institute to re-position the practice and harness marketing poten-

tial from the cradle, the nation’s tertiary institutions.

While expressing the institute’s commitment to upholding quality in the practice, the institute’s Registrar, however, expressed the institute’s resolve at ensuring that the best five marketing talents from the nation’s tertiary institutions are celebrated.

Meanwhile, the institute has stated that its recently inaugurated polling research unit, set up to monitor build-up activities to the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa State had recorded significant in-roads in the task of sourcing for information concerning the polls and making results of such findings available to the public.

Explaining the rationale behind the setting up of the research unit within its Training and Consultancy Committee, the institute’s president, Ganiyu Koledoye,

stated that besides providing useful information for consumers and brands custodians, it would also go a long way in enhancing the bottom-line of the institute.

“It is part of the strategic re-positioning the institute has embarked upon. Opinion polls are used worldwide. Our involvement in this area is informed by the fact that as marketing practitioners, we are best placed to undergo this task because marketing is about research and providing consumer insight. We believe we are more competent as marketers in this area,” he stated.

While assuring that the institute would soon make the details of the findings of the research unit available to the public, he, however, refuted any insinuation that the institute is veering into politics, noting that the polling research unit is about venturing into the views of consumers.

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brands&marketing

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Why we put in place Dulux Paints Academy —CAP Plc MD

From left, Sales Manager, West Africa Region, TE Connectivity, Sulaimon Lawal; Director General, National Power Training Institute Nigeria (NAPTIN), Dr Reuben Okeke (FNSE) and Director of Sales, EMEA Emerging Markets, TE Connectivity, Ronnie Fotheringham at the TE Connectivity/NAPTIN Partnership Launch held in Abuja, recently.

Forex Rally extends operations to Nigerian market Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

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orex Rally, an international forex brokerage company has announced the official launch of its operations in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to the company, besides providing an array of free educational resources to empower traders with access to global forex industry expertise through local experience, it has also introduced the first ever Nigerian Forex Championship which, it says, will be the most lucrative in its offering of attractive prizes and educa-

tional to participants.

The competition, designed to encourage local traders to achieve their financial goals, will provide traders the opportunity to win one of the 30 prizes from a fund worth over $100,000, between November and next year January, with the star winner getting a grand prize of luxurious Toyota Hilux.

Declared the Best New Comer Broker in the Region at the Lagos Forex Expo 2015, Forex Rally is already paving the way in Lagos by making forex and its training accessible through analysis, books, seminars,

webinars and much more. Coinciding with the launch of the offices in Nigeria was the release of Financial Freedom a book by Razvan Mihai Certified Financial Technician and Forex Rally’s educational partner.

“Nigeria’s capital markets have a meagre penetration within the general public and knowledge of trading is low in the country. Therefore, we have a clear mandate to advance financial education to the highest level by inviting accomplished trading experts to Nigeria to share their expertise with local traders,” says Forex Rally Educational Partner in Nigeria, Razvan Mihai.

Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc. (UACN), manufacturers of Dulux paints, has explained that the decision to come up with its annual Dulux Paints Academy was informed by the need to give back to the society by empowering the nation’s youths to become highly skilled professional painters.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the 2015 Dulux Painters Academy held recently, in Lagos, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Omolara Elemide, described the academy as an intensive, practical training for youth with a minimum of Senior School Certificate.

She described the initiative as one of the several ways through which CAP Plc gives back to the society, noting that empowering the youths to be self reliant as professional painters would help reduce unemployment rate in the country.

Elemide, also disclosed that the training covered modules such as Paint Technology and Application, Quantification, Colour Psychology, Common Paint Problems and Solutions, Professional Ethics, Entrepreneurial and Communication skills, with the trainees having a three-week field attachment with already established professional painters.

“The Dulux Painters Academy by CAP Plc offers a rare opportunity for young people who desire to earn a living through painting to learn the craft during the eight-week intensive apprenticeship programme and paint their way to a better life,” she said.

While presenting certificates, painting tools and accessories to successful beneficiaries of the initiative, the CAPL boss assured that the company would continue to support them in their career as professional painters, while also expressing the company’s immense gratitude to Oando Marketing Nigeria Plc. for partnering with it on the initiative by nominating candidates from their host community for the academy.

Union Bank refreshes brand identity, reiterates commitment to quality service delivery Union Bank Plc has described the launch of its new identity as one of the bank’s ways of delivering on its promise to make banking simpler and further delight its customers.

The bank had, recently, unveiled a new brand identity at a spectacular launch event in Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

According to the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Emeka Emuwa, the launch of the refreshed identity signals a new phase in the bank’s transformation, as it sets its sights on attracting a new base of customers, while remaining focused on providing simple and smart banking solutions to all its customers.

Describing the refreshed brand as in tune with the bank’s strategic ambition to become a highly respected provider of quality financial services in Nigeria, the bank’s chief executive, however, expressed the bank’s commitment to leverage on its heritage of being a trusted name in the country as it plies its trade in the rapidly changing market place.

Also speaking on the new identity, bank’s Chairman, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, assured customers of the bank’s determination to succeed as it embarks on a new phase with a refreshed brand identity.

The highlight of the brand launch event was the unveiling of a massive replica of Union Bank’s iconic white stallion in its new form and Union Bank’s new logo.

Speaking on the new identity, Head, Corporate Affairs and Corporate Communications, Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem described the new identity as paying homage to its past as one of the longest standing financial institutions in Nigeria, while also carrying with it a proposition for the future.

“In developing the new identity, remaining true to our brand proposition of simplicity

was foremost in our minds. Our iconic white stallion, which represents strength and passion, is now in motion, cantering forward with energy and dynamism.

“We have introduced a modern typeface and updated our colour to a fresher and more vibrant blue. Finally, we have included patterns to infuse a contemporary feel to the overall identity,” she concluded.

Since 2012, the bank had begun a rebuilding process by redefining its business model, rebuilding its technology and physical infrastructure and re-engineering its work force.

During this time, Union Bank has rolled out a new banking platform, Oracle FlexcubeUBS 12.0, and launched Smarter Banking Centres targeted at the technology savvy customers looking for convenient banking service.

Ex-Super Eagles stars named Startimes ambassadors

By Shehu Bello - Lagos Nigeria’s most decorated footballer and former Captain of the nation’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, Mr Kanu Nkwankwo and ex-international, Jonathan Akpoborie, have been unveiled by Startimes as the Pay TV brand new ambassadors.

Unveiling the two football legends recently in Lagos, the Director NTA-Startimes, Mr Maxwell Loko, stated that the two exfootballers will propagate the essence of the Startimes brand as the face of the brand.

“Kanu is a role model and a great ambassador of the country. He is well recognised and positively celebrated by many, same as Jonathan. We wanted people who would become a face and we simply went for them as we see both of them as passionate Nigerians,

whose qualities and characteristics are in sync with those of the Startimes brand.

“From now, anywhere you see Startimes, you will be seeing both of them as the face of the brand before the Nigerian people.

They are officially the face of Startimes in Africa and they will also be at our studio doing analysis and commentaries on matches,” he stated.

The Public Relations Manager of Startimes, Mr Israel Bolaji, said the two ex-internationals, would be a platform for the brand to further connect and bond with Nigerians, especially its subscribers.

“We are engaging both of them so as to connect with our teeming subscribers. In the 21st century, it is really about consumers and what they desire. I am very confident that Nigerians love sports, they love great entertainment and the personality of Kanu, effectively fill

that space, since he is a character whose personality goes beyond sports where he left an indelible mark.

“Kanu is a super star, a source of inspiration to many young people in the society, same with Jonathan. So, the idea behind this is using these great men to bond with our teeming audience,” he said.

Expressing his delight at the development, Kanu in an interview with newsmen, described Startimes as a brand that puts smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

‘Kanu is people’s brand and today, I am proud to be the face of a brand that is putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians. You all know this is what Kanu stands for, and interestingly, projecting the image of Nigeria is what Startimes is presently doing. The more reason I am joining them to spread the message of Startimes,” he said.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

infotech

anchor Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

15,000 girls and women on digital literacy in the last six months to one year. It is an ongoing programme. We will continue that and recently, we started a Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) campaign to make it possible for SMEs to have access to technology and it is interesting. Within two months, we had an uptake of over 50,000 people who own small and medium businesses actually buying devices so that they can do a lot of things with Internet.

Mr. Gordon Graylish is the Vice President and General Manager, Government and World Ahead, Intel Corporation, the global computer chip maker and technology solutions provider. In this interview with journalists, he speaks on his company’s activities aimed at accelerating digital transformation in Nigeria among others. Excerpts:

Y

OUR participated in this year’s ITU Telecom World which held in Budapest, Hungary. For how long have you been attending the conference and the purpose for your participation?

We have been participating in the ITU Telecom World in the last 15 years because we shared the view that ICT and connectivity is critical to development and that if you are not connected, your ability to participate in the modern economy is compromised. So, we have worked with ITU and extended connectivity now for many years. That work has shifted in the last couple of years to really start thinking more about how people use connectivity.

You talked about small businesses earlier on and we understand that at this year’s event, ITU also organised an innovation competition for small businesses. Can you tell us your involvement in this initiative?

We have been involved in this initiative from the beginning. This is to enable young people to innovate. What we found out is that they do very special things and these are young individuals that you would never have thought could develop innovative solutions. So, this issue of entrepreneurship and innovation in the end is going to mean success for a lot of countries, because 20 years from now, many of yesterday’s jobs would be outdated.

In Nigeria, there will be self-driven cars because it just makes sense if you can do it, you would do it. We have to create the new generation of jobs; we have to create the innovation jobs, the jobs that are connected. So, by holding contest such as the Innovations Competition for young innovators, we highlight the support young businesses. It is just the innovation; they get support such as systems, the money that takes their development t the next level. As an example, I was in class during this ITU conference to see the young innovators and I met them learning time management. They were learning budgeting and other basic things that you need to succeed in the world of technology. So, our view is that we have to support this initiative and grow those innovators in our society.

What has been the success of your advocacy for governments around the world to get fully involved in investing in technology?

First, it is long-term. Within the Nigerian Communications Commission in Nigeria, we have a programme in school.

There are 300,000 computers and we train teachers and help them develop curriculum. Those schools are receiving 30

Nigerian Tribune

We’re working with govt, agencies to develop ICT in Nigeria — Intel boss per cent better education than schools without these technologies. We know they will develop tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and inventors. That has been going on all along.

You now have a new government in Nigeria.

From the very beginning, the government has said ‘Digital Nigeria’ is important and already they have reached out to us and other countries to say ‘how can we help’ in agriculture, education, health, education and o son. We use technology to help lift up Nigeria and makes Nigeria strong. Already, we have started seeing a more strong impetus to move ahead on the official agenda and we are working to support government on this.

What is Intel doing in Nigeria in the area of digital literacy?

We have done a couple of things in Nige-

ria, for example, we have the ‘She will connect’ programme, where we have trained

We know the right policy, we have the right policy.

I think where we need to work a little much harder is in the implementation and the commitment that we need to really see that those policies are actually being implemented.

Nigerian government today emphasises the need for local contents and this is a policy. In what areas has Intel complied with this policy direction of the government?

On the local contents policy, I would say we are 100 per cent compliant in the sense that we do not work in isolation. We work more with the local partners. We develop the local ecosystem. The local guys who are manufacturing and assembling devices are the guys we work with and we have 100 per cent local content inclusion in what we do.

Again, when you look at the way we conduct our training programmes, those who are actually scaling the training programmes in Nigeria are not Intel staff. They are teachers and local instructors who understand the terrain, who understand how to deliver these programmes.

Again, when you look at local manufacturing, we support all the local original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure that the right kind of contents go into their products and the right kind of inputs and we support them not only from the input side but also from the manufacturing side. From wherever it is that they source their systems, we make sure that we support them to ensure they have the capability to develop some of these products locally. So, for us, we are ahead of the call when you talk of the local contents because we have been doing that.

What gap have you noticed in the Nigeria’s march to digital transformation which you think government needs to improve on?

For Nigeria and you know, we don’t have a problem with the policy. We know the right policy, we have the right policy. I think where we need to work a little much harder is in the implementation and the commitment that we need to really see that those policies are actually being implemented. There has been a great deal of support from the government now. We have been speaking with the government in the last four months and we have seen that there is a new zeal on the part of the government to implement these policies and to constantly measure progress and compliance to ensure that we are not just carrying out these programmes.

There is this phobia among SMEs to embrace digital platforms to run their businesses as a result of the rampant cases of cyber insecurity. How do you think we can conquer this considering that SME is a critical segment of the nation’s economic growth?

The best way to convince people is to have an experience. What we have seen very clearly is just that for adopting technology, SMEs get perfect, faster and more efficient.

We have seen this result in 50 to 60 counContinues on pg31

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infotech

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Ntel promises robust telecoms services on 4G network Stories By Bode Adewumi

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ATCOMS Consortium, the company that bought the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL/MTEL) now trading under the name Ntel, has announced plans of its nationwide commercial rollout in phases with extensive plan to target data market.

The company made the announcement in Lagos towards the end of last week, where its management team led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kamar Abass, told journalists that its focus will be on robust broadband services.

Ntel has thus become the fifth and the newest telecoms operator in Nigeria.

The company explained that it will launch in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt in November this year, as its first phase rollout, before extending its telecommunications services to other states, towns and villages across the country.

Abass said in its first phase, Ntel would launch international bandwidth services over SAT-3 and a 4G mobile network covering Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

According to him, Ntel would be offering three portfolio of telecoms services in the areas of Business Mobile Network International, Voice Termination International Bandwidth Delivery and the Metro Bandwidth Fixed Services.

All these services would be launched on the Ntel 4G LTE Mobile service, which offer high speed data, high-definition voice and video.

“The first phase network will begin by deploying up to 800 sites, and later increase to 2,000 sites,” Abass said.

Mr Nik Ogbulie, Publisher, BusinessWeek; Mr Tokunbo Adedoja, Editor, Sunday Thisday, Mr Kamar Abass, Chief Executive Officer, Ntel, Mrs Funke Egbemode, Managing Director, New Telegraph and Mr Eric Osagie, Managing Director, The Sun Newspapers during an interactive session with senior journalists organised by Ntel in Lagos, last week.

He said Ntel had revived the old NITEL SAT 3 that carries broadband capacities from Europe to Lagos, connecting South Africa and Far East African countries, and would build the NTEL telecoms service on SAT3.

Speaking on the benefits of SAT 3, Abass said: “SAT-3 partnerships enable direct exchange of international traffic, known as IDD, with

35 partners. Since July 2015, Ntel has delivered 10 million IDD minutes to Nigeria.

“With the SAT-3/WASC, Ntel provides connectivity from Lagos to Sesimbra, Portugal and Lagos towards Capetown and countries in between. NTEL also provides international bandwidth/IP connectivity to carriers and major corporates between Nigeria and

Why we are investing $1bn in Set Top Box manufacturing — MCI Chairman MEDIA Concepts International (MCI), a Set Top Box (STB) manufacturer licenced by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said it decided to go into local production of STBs for digital broadcasting viewing in other to create jobs, fast track digital switchover and bridge the digital divide in the country.

MCI has thus partnered with the

world’s number three set top box manufacturer from South Korea, KAON to commence the building of a massive N197 billion ($1bn) manufacturing plant in Abule Egba, Lagos to address one of the most important aspects of digital migration.

MCI is one of the 13 indigenous companies licenced by the NBC for the manufacturing of STBs in the

ITU assembly endorses IMT process for timely development of 5G mobile THE Radiocommunication Assembly last week endorsed a Resolution that establishes the roadmap for the development of 5G mobile and the term that will apply to it: “IMT-2020”. The overall “Vision” for 5G systems, along with the goals, process and timeline for its development, is now in place.

The detailed technical performance requirements for the radio systems to support 5G will be developed, in close collaboration with industry and national and regional standards organisations, following the stringent timelines defined by ITU. “The new ITU-R Resolution sets the stage for the future development of 5G mobile technologies,” said ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao.

“The vision for IMT-2020 and beyond opens the doors to innovation that will determine how we communicate in the future, meeting the trend towards high data traffic in the Age of the Internet of Things,” said Mr François Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.

Mobile communication has seen revolutionary developments and

international destinations.

“With over 1,100km of ducts and over 4,000km of fibre route in almost all states in Nigeria, Ntel is enabled to offer fibre capacity services to all Nigerians,” he said.

In future, Abass said Ntel will provide fixed network services to homes and businesses where extant infrastructure can be leveraged at minimal cost.

growth in recent years. New demands, including applications requiring very high data rate communications, many more devices with diverse service requirements, better quality of user experience (QoE) and better affordability, will require an increasing number of innovative solutions.

Low latency and high reliability communication, eliciting instantaneous response at a single click, is perceived as an enabler for the future development of new applica-

tions in healthcare, safety, business, entertainment, and other sectors.

Future wireless systems envisage machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and the Internet of Things with applications for enhanced mobile cloud services, emergency and disaster response, real-time traffic control optimization and driverless cars using vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-road infrastructure communication, along with efficient industrial communications and smart grids.

country. The STBs will be used to convert analogue television sets to show digital channels at the homes of millions of Nigerians. The construction of the manufacturing plant will begin in January 2016 and will be completed by the end of December with manufacturing activities taking off thereafter will kick off.

It is envisaged that the STB plant will employ over 1000 technical staff that will be trained on local assembly in the first instance and full manufacturing of set top boxes locally. Nigeria’s digital switchover (DSO) driven by the private sector will lead to production of set-top boxes and viewing of digital channels by TV viewers in line with the directive of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Last week, Media Concepts International (MCI) and South Korean firm, KAON, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a N197 billion ($1bn) Set Top Box (STB) manufacturing plant, the first by

Nigerian Tribune

Facebook expands smartphone alerts to news, weather FACEBOOK, making a bigger push to deliver personalised information to its members, said last week it was expanding its mobile alerts to include sports scores, weather updates and local news updates.

Until now, the huge social network’s alerts to smartphone users had been focused around postings by friends, birthdays and upcoming events.

Facebook’s expanded alerts will now also include community news and events, storm warnings and other weather information, and suggestions for television programs or nearby movies.

“We’ve heard feedback that people wanted to add important information that they can easily see, all in one place,” said Facebook product manager, Mr Keith Peiris.

Ericsson applies 5G concept for higher speed on LTE smartphones WHILE standards for 5G are yet to be established, it is clear that the technology will employ ultra lean design improving the signalling schemes both to save energy and to enable the dense builds required by the expected new 5G spectrum.

Ericsson says that its proprietary Lean Carrier innovation is first to address intercell signalling interference, introducing lean design concepts to 4G LTE to improve data speed and app coverage for users while on the road to 5G. Ericsson Lean Carrier is running live in thousands of cells in SK Telecom’s (SKT) network, where Ericsson and SK Telecom have now deployed Ericsson Lean Carrier in urban, suburban and rural areas. In a large-scale deployment, users can enjoy up to a 50 percent increase in downlink data speed with a network average increase of about 10 percent.

Mr Park Jin-hyo, Senior Vice President and Head of Network R&D Centre, SK Telecom, said: “Through this technology, commercialisation on LTE base stations, we can expect to enhance the performance at cell edge area and user experience. In the future, SK Telecom will continue to adapt new technologies on LTE to support network evolution.”

We’re working with govt, agencies to develop ICT in Nigeria — Intel boss Continues from pg30

tries. Now, around the world, there are concerns around cyber security but the truth is that, there are also good solutions that minimise this and most of these solutions don’t event cost money; they are free just from a robust security, firewalls and one you have put all of these in place, the reward you will get is enormous.

Forget about technology, just ask a SME owner, ‘would you be more successful if you have information

regarding the best place to sell your products and where is made possible by technology?’ How is buying at the highest price and who is buying at the lowest price?

Will that help you as an SME owner? How, on earth, could you say ‘No’? So, technology allows you the opportunity of being able to sell on a wider area.

In Nigeria, broadband penetration is one specific area that the government is championing in order to unlock the po-

tential of a knowledge-based economy. What role is Intel playing in this direction?

We are playing a vital role in the march to achieving ubiquitous broadband system in Nigeria. We are working with various government agencies as well as the Ministry of Communications Technology. We have been engaging with the ministry in the last four years but now, there is renewed vigour in engaging and that is why for now, we are discussing with the Nigerian Communications Commission

(NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). As you know, they have the mandate to drive access to broadband across the country. We are talking to Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), which is the manager of the Nigerian satellite system and whose mandate is also to extend household penetration and connectivity across the country and we are already discussion some very good programmes that will really begin to impact the economy in the next few months.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

The raging feud over committee headship ISSUES relating to the sharing of position in the Standing Committees in the House of Representatives is still generating ripples.

KOLAWOLE DANIEL scoops on the ongoing power play over the matter.

W

ERE it was when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had an unarguable dominance in the House of Representatives; the current rumbling over the sharing of positions in the Standing Committee of the House would have been dubbed a family dispute. The configuration has since changed after the conduct of the 2015 elections, as the PDP now occupies the status of the main opposition. However, the current cold wra among the members of the house goes beyond party lines, despite the fact that the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) controls majority in the House. Some members and caucuses in the House are kicking over what they perceive as unfair distribution of the positions of chairmen and deputies of the Standing Committees in the 390 members of the House.

Apparently, he Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara is going through what looks like a tough time over the issue. This is in spite of what insiders claimed was the painstaking efforts he made to come up with the list of 191 members that made up the heads and deputies of the 95 standing committees in the House, as he is yet to name the head of Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Sources told Nigerian Tribune that Dogara indeed had to travel to London to fine tune the list of names of lawmakers that eventually emerged. He was said to have taken the option of travelling abroad because of intense lobbying by House members who were not only wished to be favoured but preferred certain committees. At a stage, Dongara was reportedly miffed when such pressure came from a principal officer of the House and stalwart of the APC. The cold war is hinged on two grounds.

One of them is the number of headship of the committees conceded to the PDP, whereas the situation was different when the PDP formed the majority in the House for 16 years.. The other basis for disagreement is the belief in some quarters that some caucuses benefitted more than the others in terms of the number of choice committees. From the 95 committee chairmen and their deputies announced by the Speaker, the APC had 48, while the PDP got 45. Of the deputy chairmen, the APC got 55 and the PDP had 39. A further analysis showed that of the 48 APC chairmen, a total of 26 of them are said to be loyalists of the House leader, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and of the 54 deputy chairmen, at least 29 are his supporters.

Going by the sharing formula adopted

Dogara for the exercise, the North Central comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau and Federal Capital Territory have 17 chairmanship positions and 16 vice chairmen. The North Eas, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Bornu, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, produced 13 chairmanship positions and 10 deputies. The North West, which had Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, got19 chairmanship slots and 30 deputy chairmen.

The South East, comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states also has its fair share of 16 committees chairmen, as well as 8 deputy chairmen slot. The SouthSouth,, comprising Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa,

Gbajabiamila Cross Rivers, Delta, Edo and Rivers states, have 14 chairmanship slots and 17 deputy chairmen, while the South West, comprising Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states got just 16 chairmanship positions and 14 deputy chairmen.

Since the announcement, loyalists of Honourable Gbajabiamila have reportedly held series of consultations and meetings on how to redress what they perceive as an act of injustice against them.

It was learnt that at one of such meetings held in the office of a female lawmaker from the zone, they agreed that all South-West lawmakers should reject their appointments into the committees to register their displeasure to the leadership

At one of such meetings held in the office of a female lawmaker from the zone, they agreed that all SouthWest lawmakers of APC extraction should reject their appointments into the committees to register their displeasure to the leadership of the House.

of the House. Thus, three APC members said to be loyal to Honourable Gbajabiamila, reportedly resigned their appointments while the Speaker was in far away Israel. They included Honourable Garba Datti-Muhammad, who rejected his appointment as the Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals Development; Honourable Hassan Saleh, who also rejected the position of deputy chairman, Committee on Local Content and Honourable Sunday Adepoju, deputy chairman, House Committee on Special Duties, who equally rejected his appointment.

But, the action of lawmakers did not go down well with the new chairman, House Committee on Housing, Honourable Mustapha Bala Dawaki. He claimed that any member of the House who rejected his appointment to chair any committee is not out to serve the nation. He said the primary motive of any member should be to serve the nation, not their personal interest. According to him, it is wrong to assume that any committee is useless, just as he said it was not the right of any member to chair specific committees. He said the leadership of the House reserved the right to place members into committees. According to him, “Mr Speaker wants this Assembly to work and pass a record number of bills. Members must sit up and do the right thing. It will no longer be business as usual.�

33 politics&policy

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

How Osun bailout fund was managed —Ex-commissioner Honourable Sunday Akere was the Commissioner of Information and Strategy in the first term of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, of Osun State. In this interview with TUNDE BUSARI, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart speaks on the face-off between the state workforce and the government and other issues.

save their students the agony of watching their colleagues leaving them behind. We told them to consider the future of the students under them. In the past two weeks, the governing councils of the institutions have instructed the work to resume. Since last week, work has started in the four institutions. Those ready to work are back.

The non-academic staff has also called off their strike. We are telling others outside to return to work.

T

HERE is a claim that the Osun State government is shortchanging its workers despite the financial bailout from the Federal Government. How do you explain this?

It is unfortunate that a lot of noise is being made in respect of payment of salary in Osun because in terms of states owing a backlog of salaries, Osun is not the worst.

Several other states are worst and there is little or no noise about it. But the situation is understandable because of the fact that the Osun State governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) happens to be the albatross of the misfortune of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), both at the state and national levels in the elections held in March and April this year. The August 9, 2014 election in Osun really spelt doom for the party. It signalled the end of dominance of the party at the federal level.

It was the agitation and outspokenness of Aregbesola that moved the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to initiate the idea of supporting the states with a bailout fund. It is in three parts. Everybody knows that the bailout covers the arrears of June ending. The government of Aregbesola entered a Memorandum of Understanding with workers in the state on how the fund was to be disbursed. We have done the first part. The government has paid till May ending in full. Local government workers also have been paid till June in full. There was no provision for payment of pension in the fund but the governor graciously acceded to the request and paid half of outstanding pension for December 2014 and also January, February and March pension. April will soon be paid. There is no hide-and-seek game between the government and the organised labour. We lay our cards on the table for all to see. Both sides are satisfied that nothing is hidden. And labour leaders can clarify what I have said regarding compliance to the terms of agreement. I can even get you a copy of the MOU we signed with labour for the sake of clarification.

But, the government is being accused of desperate moves to shore up Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at the expense of the people of the state?

There is no desperation in our increasing the IGR. Everybody knows what accrued from the Federation Account since July 2013 is not sufficient to pay salary.

The government used to receive an average of N4.3 billion. But, it has dropped to N2.7 billion. In April this year, it was N464 million. The understanding with labour is that we are not going to borrow again to pay salary. We agreed that whatever comes

Akere from Abuja would be added with whatever we can raise internally. It is even the leadership of labour that insisted that every avenue is tapped to make IGR. If an adult is asked to pay N1,500, I don’t think that is too much, talk less of being tagged desperation. Even the lowest paid civil servant pays N3, 500. Don’t forget all the facilities these people are enjoying. Payment of tax is what they should gladly do in return to show that they are citizens who truly want the state to develop.

Lecturers in state polytechnics are accusing the government of insensitivity to their welfare. Why is the situation so?

Sometime last year, the lecturers in the polytechnics and colleges of education started an agitation, asking government to increase the retirement age to 65 years like what obtains at Federal Government-con-

trolled institutions. It took us a long time during which they intimidated the government. The state Executive Council deliberated on it and the state House of Assembly passed it as a law. After this had been done, they came up with another agitation telling us that the state should allow them to opt out of pension scheme. We told them that we met the compulsory pension scheme on ground. The Argebesola administration met it as a policy, which all levels of workers in the state pay it. We said under which condition should we allow you to opt out? There is a law which set up this scheme. If you know you are not comfortable with it, you challenge it at the court of law. This is what we told them to do. They were at home for about nine months and we appealed to them to consider the plight of their students, some of whom should be in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) now. We asked them to return to class to

It is believed that going into government is going to steal money…If the demand is higher than supply, a public office holder is tempted to do what he should not do.

It appears work has stopped on some projects in the state, especially the Gbongan-Akoda-Osogbo road.

Have the Nigerians seen the end of those projects?

It is not that work is no more going on the projects. Work is still going on in schools under construction. Where we slowed down a bit is the construction of roads. We are only assessing the federal road we are handling with a view to getting a refund.

Graciously, we have a listening government at the centre now. It has shown genuine concern, and by the time we finish that and get the refund, we will return to work and complete the projects. We have done the assessment of the stage of work done on the Gbongan-Akoda-Osogbo as well as the Osogbo-Ikirun-Kwara State road as directed by the Federal Government. We have made our recommendation to the Federal Government. We have heard in the past weeks that Federal Government has promised to release a sum of N537 Billion to states handling Federal Government projects, among of which is Osun. So, when the fund is released, we are one of the beneficiaries, and this will make a difference and the job will be completed.

About two weeks ago, the government signed an agreement with the construction company handling the Moshood Abiola International Airport to complete the project within eight months. We are only sorting out the issue of salary arrears so that people will not accuse us of diverting the bailout fund into the airport project. I am assuring the people of Osun that there is no project initiated by the governor that will not be complete before the end of his term.

Is this controversy not robbing the governor of the popularity he enjoyed in his first term?

The government of Aregbesola is still popular and acceptable to the people as it used to be. The politics of Osun is like the politics of the entire nation. Osun people still appreciate him at public functions, especially at mosques and other places where they show their love to him. The only problem is the opposition, who are out to confuse the public with propaganda. For instance, we have not received the bailout fund before they went to town and said Aregbesola had collected and fixed the fund. The election had been won and lost. The loser went to the tribunal, Appeal Court and the Supreme Court. He lost all. The best thing for the loser is to accept the verdict in good faith and allow the winner to concentrate on the business of governance instead of causing distraction and confusing the public. But, I am happy the people of Osun cannot be deceived. So, they understand their blackmail better. In Osun, there is nothing hidden in the way the government is being run. That is the basis of our confidence to engage them when they come up with their blackmail.

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commentary

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Ooni stool and the Yoruba nation

By Femi Kehinde

I

LE-IFE, as a religious and cultural matrix of the Yoruba and its cradle, has a unique importance in its history.

Many, if not all Oba in Yoruba land, left Ile-Ife for their various settlements.

The recent nomination, of Ooni elect – Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, a 40- year old Real Estate magnate and Prince from the Geisi Ruling House of Ile-Ife did not come easy. He became the 51stOOni of Ife after fulfillment of all processes for the exalted stool. He had even contested the stool with over 20 contenders, including his forty eight year old brother -Adetunji. Before Ogunwusi’s appointment, the last descendant of Geisi Ruling House, that occupied the position, was OoniDerinOlogbenla, who reigned from 1880-1894. Ologbenla, was succeeded by Oba AdenekanOlubuseI, from the Ogbooru Ruling House, who also was on the throne between 1894-1910, whilst the Lafogido Ruling House, produced its successor, Oba Ademiluyi Ajagun, who reigned from 1910-1930. Oba Titus Martins Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi, from Osinkola Ruling House, succeeded Oba Ademiluyi Ajagun, and reigned between1930-1980. Oba Okunade Sijuwade II, who succeeded Adesoji Aderemi, was also on the throne from December 6, 1930July 25, 2015.

It is interesting to note, that when Ooni Adenekan Olubuse I, died in 1910, he was succeeded, by Prince Adekola, from the Osinkola Ruling House, who only reigned, as Ooni Elect in the Ipebi for two months.

He did not come out of the Ipebi (the traditional period of seclusion, tutelage, and performance of traditional rites). He was quickly succeeded by Ooni Ademiluyi Ajagun (1910-1930), from the Lafogido Ruling House and thereafter, AdesojiAderemi (1930-1980) from the Osinkola Ruling House.

Principally, since the reign of Lajamisan as the Ooni of Ife, the crown has remained in his family through his son, Lajodogun.

Lajodogun begat three sons, who succeeded him, one after the other. They were- Lafogido, Osinkola and Ogbooru. The Geisi Ruling House is an adjunct of the Ogbooru Ruling House.

Ooni Ogbooru, after reigning for 70 years, was deposed and he left for IfeOdan, where he settled with his family and followers.Six Princes of other dynasties, were appointed successfully within a year and all died uncrowned, without completing coronation ceremony. The throne was therefore boycotted. They had to resort to Ifa consultation and they were instructed to recall King Ogbooru-the deposed Ooni. All efforts to recall him failed, the old man bluntly refused to return. They approached Moropo, his eldest and beloved daughter, to beg him to return and she succeeded in gaining her father’s ears, but instead of returning at his old age, he agreed to bless Geisi- Moropo’s son as his successor, if the Chiefs of Ife would accept him. The chiefs were glad to hear the news and they accepted him. Geisi was blessed, by his maternal Grand Father and was instructed to remove certain things, at certain places in the palace and the gate, before his proclamation. After carrying out the instruction, he presented himself and was proclaimed king and successor of his deposed grandfather. He had a successful reign.

This was how Ife Ruling House, have the present four branches of the ruling fam-

Ooni Enitan

It is justifiable expectations that the new Yoruba monarch and potentate, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will lift up higher, that noble touch, carried by Adesoji and Okunade, for an uninterrupted period of 85 years. It will also justify their long-cherished dreams of a worthy successor, because, success, without a worthy successor is unsuccessful.

ily i)Lafogido(ii)Osinkola(iii)Ogbooru and (iv)Geisi.

The Lafogido branch had produced:-Lafogido, Dejinle, OlojoAgbele, AkinmoyereOdunle, Wunmonije, AdegunleAbeweela and AdemiluyiAjagun.

The Osinkola branch had also produced:Osinkola, Aribiwosi, OjigidirinLambuwa, Adekola(who died in Ipebi within 2 Months) and AdesojiAderemiAtobatele.

The Ogbooru branch had produced:-Ogbooru, Gbanlare, AdenekanOlubuse and SijuwadeOlubuse (immediate past Ooni).

The Geisi Ruling House had produced:Geisi, Agbedegbede, Gbogbajo (Ajila), DegbinKumbusu, Orayigba (Ojaja), DerinOlogbenla.

The Geisi Ruling House has also now, produced the Ooni elect,OoniAdeyeyeEnit anOgunwusi.

It is an interesting historical coincidence, that the two previous Ife monarchs and the new monarch-Enitan Ogunwusi, were destined for the Royal Stool of IleIfe, right from birth. On the day of Adesoji’s birth on the 15TH November 1889,

his father, Prince Gbadebo Osundeyi, had just arrived from a war expedition and as a gifted seer, Prince Osundeyi, carried the baby unto his lap, gazed intently at his face and was happy with what he saw. He instructed Adekunbi-(Adesoji’s mother), to search for red beads, which they presented to this special baby, pronouncing him an Ooni, who is however, an ancestor Ooni who had come back through their family. Prince Osundeyi, named this unusual baby, Tadeniawo Ayinla Aderemi who took his first footsteps at seven months and started walking.

As a restless spirit, everything about Aderemi was quick and fast. He started schooling in Jan 1900 at the St. Philips School, Iyekere Ile-Ife. He left School in 1906, became a Pupil Teacher in 1907 and immediately registered with an overseas correspondent school for private tuition, backed up by private lessons with the Late Bishop A.B. Akinyele, from whom he paid regular visits in Ibadan.

As an interesting corollary: Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade II, was born on

the 1st January 1930 to Prince AderetiOlubuse and grandson of Oba Adenekan Sijuwade Olubuse I, who was the first Ooni ever to travel out of his dormain.

At the invitation of the colonial governor, Oba Adenekan, visited Lagos in 1903m to give his ruling whether the Oba Elepe of Epe, was entitled to wear a beaded crown.

From his early days, his name was not complete without the addition of Prince.

He had a regal look that conjured the image of “Ooni Lola” (future king). Prince Okunade Sijuwade (as he was then called) started his elementary education at Igbehin School Abeokuta, owned by the C.M.S Mission and later proceeded to Abeokuta Grammar School under the tutelage of famous Reverend Ransome Kuti between 1944-1947. Whilst in Abeokuta Grammar School, his Principal, Reverend Ransome Kuti, wanted to flog the young Sijuwade, for some misdemeanor. As the Principal raised his whip, the young Prince dared the famous disciplinarian, not to hit a ‘KING”. Anyway, this rebuff did not stop the famous disciplinarian from hitting the ‘king”. However, the young Prince had made his point.

For a short while in Oduduwa College, he was always mistaken for a school teacher but deliberately, he did not correct the impression because he was always impeccably dressed. Okunade Sijuwade will be remembered by many of his classmates, who usually referred to him as “Mayor,” and also, as a particularly diligent student and quite mature, for his age and as someone, who had unlike many of his colleagues, at school, been familiar with the cosmopolitan life in Lagos at that time , the centre of good life in Nigeria.

As a strange coincidence, the early life and circumstance of birth of the new Ooni of Ife, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was also full of mysteries. He was born in 1974 to Prince Ropo Ogunwusi, a Radio and Televison anchor at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, Ibadan (BCOS) and late Magaret Wuraola Ogunwusi from Ile-Opa Family compound, Ile-Ife. Enitan’s birth and circumstance of birth, had been predicted by a prophet who told his fatherRopo, that he would become a famous and a distinguished personality from birth and will be a distinguished leader. He will be born, as the Seer further predicted, at exactly 1pm and that everything about his life will be quick and fast. He was born at exactly 1pm, on the 17th of October 1974 and was instantly named “Enitan” by his father and Adeyeye by his Grand Father. Like the Seer predicted, everything about him was quick and fast. He had his first child at the age of 19 years and grew into early maturity.

Adesojiand Okunade, dominated the land scape of the Yoruba nation, for an uninterrupted period of 85 years. They were modernists, trail blazers, path finders, role models and proselytisers of the Yoruba tradition, culture, norms and mores.

It is justifiable expectations that the new Yoruba monarch and potentate, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will lift up higher, that noble touch, carried by Adesoji and Okunade, for an uninterrupted period of 85 years. It will also justify their long-cherished dreams of a worthy successor, because, success, without a worthy successor is unsuccessful.

•Kehinde, a former member, House of Representatives, is an Ibadanbased legal practitioner

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

tribunelaw

For enquiries, Lanre Adewole - 0811 695 4647 olanreade@yahoo.com

Cyber Crime Act 2015: The game is not up for internet crime perpetrators

The enactment of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 gave hope to many that the end of cybercrime is in sight and Nigeria will be dropped from the list of highest fraudulent countries where it is presently enjoying great notorieity. But this seems not to be the case as many express doubt that the acclaimed Act can perform the expected miracle for Nigeria. Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare reports.

T

he world now is a global village, solely driven by information technology. It has become an e-world where every sector is powered by the internet; this has led to the collapse of borders or boundaries and consequently made life easier. Today, virtually all forms of businesses are conducted via the web; examinations, official and personal communication, banking, shopping, emails, web visits, online games, payments and even meetings. Indeed, the world now moves at an e-speed that makes everything instantaneous and keeps relationships alive via various forms of communication channels.

Nigeria has been rated as one of the countries with high use of information technology as well as a band wagon craze for technological appliances and considering the huge population, it became very active in the cyberspace. As laudable and comfortable as the information technology driven society of today is, there is a catch. It is frequently said that everything good has a demerit. The price for this e-world that evolves daily is the rise in crime and fraudulent activities all over the world. The internet is now the most viable tool for perpetration of various types of criminal offences as fraudsters have taken advantage of cyberspace vulnerability to commit crime.

The African continent especially Nigeria, has become a breeding ground for more of these crimes which are committed across borders. Law enforcement agencies and anti graft organizations across the country are kept busy daily trying to curb the wings of teeming Nigerians that have capitalized on the vulnerable nature of cyber space to defraud people. In fact, cases of internet fraud of diverse types flood high courts across the country especially in Lagos state. But little was achieved as there were virtually no laws that capture cyber-crime or prescribe punishment on offenders. Those that were caught were usually charged under the criminal code of obtaining by false pretence.

The fact that things are getting out of hand was recently reiterated by a computer crime and cyber survey which rated Nigeria as the most internet fraudulent country in Africa and ranked the country third among others identified with cyber fraud and computer crimes in the world.

There is however the hope that this will soon become a thing of the past in Nigeria as the 7th National Assembly in its twilight on May 5, this year, hearkened to the call of stakeholders and passed the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 into Law. The 43-page draft law, known as the Cybercrime Bill, before then, had been debated and proposed in diverse formats for over a decade in a bid to create legal frameworks that bring Nigerian laws into line with international standards for prosecuting a variety of offences, from ATM card skimming and identity theft, to child pornography and stalking among other

Student at Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN). internet crimes.

Before the bill was passed, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had stated that the very important bill not only seeks to fight corruption but will also boost the image of the country. According to him, perceptions are of utmost importance to the country which has been associated with various infamous vices like ‘419’, email scam, poor legal protections around intellectual and physical property which are often cited as critical problem areas for foreign investors, adding that the US state Department in its recent Investment Climate Statement on the country, said, “Much of Nigeria’s market potential remains unrealized because of significant impediments to investment that include an inefficient property registration system, non-comprehensive intellectual property protections and enforcement, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption.”

The cyber law prescribes seven years imprisonment, or a seven million Nigerian naira fine (about $350,000) as punishment for data theft and online fraud, as a sign to overseas investors that it’s on the case. The law increases the punishment to 14 years in prison for online crimes that result in physical harm, and life imprisonment for crimes that lead to death. Hacking attacks aimed at national infrastructure are punishable by at least 10 years.

The Cyber law is expected to prevent or reduce large scale damage from cybercriminal activities by protecting information access, privacy, communications,

intellectual property (IP) and freedom of speech related to the use of the Internet, websites, email, computers, cell phones, both software and hardware like data storage devices.

Acts which make a person liable under the act include; unauthorized access to computer, electronic or ancillary devices, access with intent to commit an offence, unauthorized modification of the contents of any computer, illegal communication using electronic messages, illegal interception, data interference, system interference, denial of service, email bombing, misuse of devices, computer identity theft and impersonation, attempted conspiracy and abetment, computer vandalism, computer trespass, soliciting a minor for unlawful sexual purpose via computer, computer contamination, cyber squatting, service provider duties, records retention by service providers, intellectual property, Computer offences against minors, cyber terrorism and other sexual offences among others.

In spite of the cyber law, using the words of Oginga Odinga, the first Vice President of Kenya, it is not yet uhuru for internet crimes in Nigeria. Many believe the end is nowhere in sight and gave many reasons for their belief. The first reason adduced is that cyber laws vary by jurisdiction and country which consequently makes its enforcement challenging and restitution though ranges from fines to imprisonment can rarely serve as deterrent.

Example is given of a fraudulent email from Nigeria which gets a victim in another part of the continent or even other continents. Though it violates the territ-

orial laws of Nigeria, it will also violate the law of the territorial boundaries of the victim. Consequently, if care is not taken, the offender does not get the equivalent punishment or even gets away on a technicality highlighting steps taken by investigators to get evidence on the digital evidence trails.

To curb this, there is an urgent need according to legal practitioners and cyber experts, for the harmonization of laws, and the harmonization of law enforcement practices to provide a clearer framework for any effective national Anti-Cybercrime effort.

Another point raised is the fact that some of the provisions fail to give consideration to practitioners that may contravene some aspects of the law in the course of their daily routine, citing example of Email Bombing which attracts a fine of not less than N500, 000 or imprisonment to a term not less than two years or both upon conviction, it is however noted that the law fails to accommodate that legitimate Email marketing which may produce the same effect of mail bomb to a single System.

Stakeholders while speaking on the report of a global computer crime and security survey which put Nigeria at the top of the list of countries with the highest internet crimes recently also called attention to the fact that there is a need to take drastic steps to achieve success in the fight against cyber crimes. The stakeholders’ who are professionals in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria came together at the Heinrich Continues pg36

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lawnews

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Cyber Crime Act 2015: The game is not up for internet crime perpetrators Continues pg34

Boll Foundation (HBF) Conference Hall to discuss how to facilitate information security, reduce security breaches and highlight steps to contain cyber crime in Africa.

A more worrisome scenario was enacted by the Chief Executive Officer of a Lagos based company, Computer Audit and Security Associates Ltd, Dr. Martins Ikpehai, when he stated that the third world war may be fought on the computer considering how different attacks were being launched through the internet. He expressed his worry over how terrorists have been distorting information on the internet, adding that the internet has recently become an instrument of terrorism.

Ikpehai stressed further that with the way terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda have been taking advantages of internet facilities to launch attacks and invectives, that the war can be fought on the internet is not farfetched. He consequently called for concerted efforts among stakeholders, civil society groups, corporate bodies and government institutions to join forces together to rid the continent of the imminent terrorist attacks through the use of information technology.

An internet guru, consultant and African social entrepreneur in ICT development (ICT4D), Gbenga Sesan, who is also the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), made a thorough assessment of the Nigeria cyber law recently and noted that there were a lot of loopholes across various sections of the act. He raised twelve most obvious hang-ups that need to be addressed before the law can be applied effectively.

According to him, Section 3 of the act gives limitless powers to the President by stating that the National Security Adviser to the President should decide what is defined as critical natural infrastructures. He added that there is also the issue of redundant registrations in Section 7 where it is stated that cyber cafes must register with computer professionals’ registration council of Nigeria in addition to existing NCC requirement while Section 17 sub section 2 of the act is burdened with what he termed technical and fuzzy grammar, listing “solid and liquid” means dangerous materials can be

transported with electronic signature.

Also, he noted further that Section 21 gave no explicit explanation of what a threat entails when it stated that if citizens fail to report what poses a cyber threat, they pay fines and their internet access gets cut off. The definition of a threat is very vague, what poses a threat for citizens to report? Section 23, sub section 2 on its part is said be a blackmail enabler. It states that unsolicited nudes will attract a year jail term or N250, 000; this is described as a fine loophole for political blackmail Section 24 of the Act is on cyber stalking and the provisions are already being exploited according to the ICT guru, as you don’t speak ill of the dead, this section makes provisions for punishment of those whose actions are considered slander towards any individual, even if the person is dead. Since slander involves living people who need to defend their names, the law is strange. Section 25 prescribes a two-year jail term or N5m fine for cyber squatting but no provision is made for cases involving similar brands or identities while the hang up in Section 26 sub section 2 dwells on the vagueness of how law enforcement agents can go since torture is listed as a crime against humanity and gets N10m fine or five years imprisonment. The question it raises is whether this applies to DSS too?

The Section which not only interest but also affect Nigerians more at this period is Section 26 as its provision if not amended will see many Nigerians in prison custody, this section states that anyone found liable of dangerous speech on internet runs the risk of five years imprisonment or N10m fine. This will definitely restrict the trend of public discourse especially activities of many bloggers and peoples’ comment to online stories, there will indeed be a need for more jail facilities based on this section alone if this act is not reworked.

Section 43(d) also has a downside as it fails to include the Ministry of Communication Technology in the list of cyber

Money lending activities and the law MR. John is a family friend who resides in Lagos. He was on a business trip to Abuja and decided to visit pay me a visit in my office some days ago. It was not supposed to be a business visit. Rather, we were supposed to have lunch together and use the opportunity to discuss personal matter.

However, it turned out that I had to provide pro bono legal advice for him because he sought my advice on what he could do to recoup a loan of N2, 000,000 which he gave to one of his business associates to revive his ailing business. His business associate had refused to refund the loan after two years, even though the initial tenor for the loan was six months. They agreed that his business associate would pay 25% per month as interest on the loan and this was documented in a signed agreement.

Already, Mr. John has contacted a lawyer in Lagos who has filed an action for recovery of the loan and the accrued interest on same as agreed, after all entreaties failed .Mr. John’s friend certainly has contacted another lawyer who has filed a defence to the case. The gist of the defence was that the court should declare the whole agreement between Mr. John and his business associate illegal because Mr. John not being a licensed money lender was not entitled in law to charge any interest on the loan!

It was clear that my friend only wanted

a second opinion. Our discussion today was inspired by my reaction to my friend’s story.

Generally speaking, it is a core principle of law of contract that the law expects parties to an agreement freely entered by them to honour the terms of such an agreement. Hence, courts do not engage in re-writing agreements for parties that come before them for adjudication. The Courts are only expected to interpret the content of the agreement between parties according to the law.

Suffice it to say that the law equally recognizes some factors that can vitiate an agreement. Some of these factors include plea of duress or undue influence and frustration. The law equally affords some statutory defences which, if raised by a party and if upheld by the courts, is capable of vitiating an agreement.

One of such statutory provision usually relied upon as a defence is the Money Lenders’ Law. This law makes it mandatory for anyone who is primarily into money lending business and is not a bank, to obtain a licence as a money lender.

Obviously, the intention of the law is to regulate the activities of money lenders.

Unfortunately, those who are unable to refund even friendly loans resort to this law in arguing that the courts should declare such agreements illegal and unenforceable against them.

In a country where it is difficult for people to raise capital to start a business

Security Council’s highlighted. In the list of government ministries that are automatically members of the cybercrime council, the ministry is skipped while its agencies, NCC and NITDA were listed.

This is odd considering cyber crime is an ICT enabled offence. Also, Section 38 and 40 has issues of privacy, this section stipulates that service providers must release data to security agencies without demanding for a court warrant, no one seems to remember each individual’s right to privacy and section 44 indicates that the masses are still paying for national cyber security fund on all electronic transactions by telcos, IOSPs, financial/ insurance firms and NSE. Though the Cyber Crime Act 2015 is a welcome development, having come a long way from the initial draft considering the dangerous provisions that slipped through but there obviously remain too many holes that will make it unacceptable and give excuse to perpetrators to find ways of committing crime and evading punishment.

Gbenga Sesan further agreed that, “clearly some dangerous provisions in earlier versions of the bill were taken out but some made it through and will threaten internet freedom”. He added that in spite of all its shortcomings, the cyber crime act is perfect in the eyes of the law and can be applied like any other approved piece of legislation, explaining that it can be a deterrent as there are provisions that punish criminal acts.

With the cyber crime Act in existence however, each citizen will have to protect himself and data as the act makes no outright provision for such. According to Sesan, “it can be argued that protection of privacy is not the primary mission of the act as parts of it actually comes close to disrespecting the privacy rights of citizens and leaves loopholes for abuse” For now, Nigerians will have to make do with the act and its provisions because the numerous loopholes can only be blocked through an amendment which will be another lengthy legislative process of turning a bill into an act, a process that isn’t on the horizon in the nearest future.

Standing ovation for 26-yr-old law graduate 26-year-old Fatima Bombom Sani was recently given a standing ovation by the creme de la creme of the Law community when she broke existing records in the Nigeria Law School by bagging nine separate awards compared to existing record of seven awards ever received at any Call to the Bar of the Nigerian Law School.

Fatima, in addition to getting nine awards also made a first class. And for this, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, other members of the Body of Benchers (BOB), the Council of Legal Education (CLE), other dignitaries and the new wigs (her colleagues just called to Bar); all stood up to hail and honour her.

The standing ovation by such an august gathering was said to be first of its kind in the h istory of the Nigerian Law School and call to the Bar ceremonies.

Her awards include the “Best Student

of the Year (1st Prize)’’ donated by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola , Dr. Taslim Elias and Justice Atanda Fatayi-Williams; the “Council of Education Star Award’’; Corporate Law Practice donated by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN; Best Overall Female Student of the year award donated by National Association of Women Judges; and Best Female Student in Criminal Litigation award donated by Mrs. Oluwatoyin Doherty.

Others are Best Student in Civil and Criminal Litigation award donated by Chief JoeKyari Gadzama SAN; and the prize for 1st Class Students donated by the Director General of the Nigerian Law School (NLS).

Fatima, an indigene of Adavi-Ege in Adavi Local government area of Kogi State was born to the family of Mr and Mrs Abel A. Sani 26 years ago, she attended the University of Abuja where she had her LLB with Second Class (Upper).

legal clinic

By Olatunde Femi Abegunde Esq.ACOArb

m: +234-0803 967 7683; +234-0809 401 7911 e: pinnacle.chambers@yahoo.com, femabed2007@gmail.com f: Olatunde Abegunde & Associates-Pinnacle Chambers

or expand an existing one, people who give out money as loans to people, even at an interest, must be commended. It is no excuse to renege on a contractual obligation on the pretext that the interest is high so long as a party willingly and freely entered into it. The facts in the recent Supreme Court case of CHIDOKA V FIRST CITY FINANCE CO. LTD (2013) All FWLR (PART 659)1024 is the highest judicial attitude to reliance on the provisions of Money Lenders Laws to avoid the fulfillment of contractual obligations.

In that case, the Appellants took a loan from the Respondent at an interest rate of 132% per annum.They defaulted in repaying the loan and the interest and sought to rely on the Money Lenders Law in urging the court to declare the transaction as illegal. The Supreme Court, adopting the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal (Kaduna Division) in ALHAJI ABDULLAHI IBRAHIM V MALLAM ZANGINA ABUBAKAR BAKORI Suit No. CA/K/292/2066 held that the Court would not allow the Appellants, after col-

lecting money from the respondent to do business, to now turn around to plead the Money Lenders law in order to escape the refund of the loan.

This Supreme Court decision, apart from reiterating its earlier position on the same point, equally made the point that the Money Lender Law was intended to apply only to persons who are really carrying on the business of money lending and not to persons who, like my friend, Mr.John, lend money as incidental to business or to a few friends who are in need.

I appeal to people who take loans from business associates to refund the loans and if for any reason you are unable to so do within the time agreed upon, to seek for understanding from those they took the loan from. It is unfair to bring this kind of legal argument when you have derived benefit from obtaining the loan.

Do not reduce the chances of others getting a raise from people around them because of the bitter lessons from this kind of defence!

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features

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 081 118 450 48

features

Ahead burial date, HID’s residence wears new look

PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

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ESS than one month to the burial of Chief Dr (Mrs) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, preparations are in top gear to faithfully give

the “jewel of inestimable value” of the sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a burial that captures the exact description the former Premier of Western region told the world of his wife.

Since that Saturday afternoon, Septem-

ber 19, when HID breathed her last in this world, the No 6 Yeye Odua HID Awolowo home in Ikenne had become a Mecca of sort to different class of people throughout the world. From the political class to the religious circle, traditional and even family lines, the late HID Awolowo has continually received rich lines of praises.

The compound of Awolowos’ is currently wearing a new look to receive the matriarch of the dynasty on November 16 before being finally laid to rest beside her husband of 57 years inside the Awo mausoleum in the same compound. From the main gate through the flower lines, buildings and other features in the compound, final touches are being put on structures, getting everything ready with paintings, electrical repairs and installations for better illumination.

No doubt, Ikenne is wearing a new look, even beyond the Awolowo home. The road linking Sagamu to Ikenne through Gateway Stadium has for some days now being worked on by workers of Ogun State

Road Maintenance Agency (OGROMMA) and the road that leads to the Awolowo compound in Ikenne.

As the date draws nearer, even an earlier visitor to the Awolowo residence will know that change has indeed come around towards giving Mama HID Awolowo a befitting burial on November 25.

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features

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Mgbala Agwa:

Death, destruction trail leadership tussle Joe Nwachukwu -Owerri

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HE Mgbala Agwa community in the Oguta council area of Imo State undoubtedly is a place of pride.

Apart from the presence of crude oil, the community has emerged as a food basket in the heart of the east, producing agricultural products as cassava, yam, cocoyam, oil palm, melon, okra and pepper in commercial quantities and taking same to major urban centres in the country.

However, the community which parades a number of prominent individuals in all fields of human endeavour is currently engulfed in a protracted kingship tussle that has claimed the lives of three indigenes.

The agonising parents of the victims who gave graphic details of the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of their sons tearfully accused some indigenes of the community loyal to the traditional ruler of being responsible for the dastardly act. They also entreated the Imo State government to obtain justice and to bring the culprits to book.

According to the complainants, trouble began when the Imo State government allegedly imposed Blaise Uba on the community as its traditional ruler contrary to the wish of the indigenes who had unanimously adopted another candidate for the stool.

Leading the complainants, Theophlius Nnodim, a farmer and father of ten whose son, Sunday, was murdered inside his house alleged that Sunday met his death because of his blunt refusal to support the ambition of Ubah who competed with both Kenneth Attah and Reginald Akaraka for the exalted office.

According to him, “When my son, Sunday refused to support Blaise Uba in his ambition to become our traditional ruler, Blaise threatened to kill him, but we did not take him seriously. However, one day while we were having dinner, we suddenly heard a loud noise and in an attempt to understand what was going on, we heard gunshots fired by the brother of Blaise Uba and we ran away. Unfortunately, Sunday was hit by a bullet and died instantly.”

The situation, he said, attracted a large crowd who denounced the incident until the arrival of the police from Oguta who directed that the corpse be deposited in the mortuary.

“For now, the remains of my son, Sunday is at New gateway mortuary and embalmment services,” he said.

The embattled Nnodim alleged that the relentless effort of one of his brothers, Obinna Jumbo to assist the family in obtaining justice is being frustrated by the Imo State government and the state police command who according to him, branded the said Obinna as an armed robber.

Nnodim stated that while Obinna is still languishing in jail, Blaise who was arrested by the police along with one of the sus-

The late Ndukaku Egbuluwa

pects was released only few minutes after arrest.

According to him, on October 16, 2015 a team of policemen from the department force headquarters, Abuja, arrived Owerri on the orders of the Commissioner of Police for the release and transfer of Obinna and one Monday Nnanna.

He also added that the Imo State police command reluctantly referred Obinna and Monday to ASP Abbas of the force CID Abuja, adding that on October 19, the same duo of Obinna and Monday Nnanna were asked to report at force CID Abuja

When my son, Sunday refused to support Blaise Uba in his ambition to become our traditional ruler, Blaise threatened to kill him, but we did not take him seriously.

The late Sunday Nnodim

which they did and returned to Owerri the next day.

Nnodim therefore pleaded with the inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to ensure that those responsible for the death of his son do not escape the full weight of the law.

He is not alone in this plea. Rachael Onanwa, a widow whose son Ekele was hacked to death on May 17, 2014 is also pointing accusing fingers to same group of people that allegedly killed his son. She said that the family was shocked when news of the death of Ekele who had just left the house for his place of business filtered in.

She said that shortly after Ekele was shot, he was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention but gave up the ghost on the way to the hospital.

She said that the police having arrived at the scene of the incident directed that the corpse be taken to the mortuary and the family equally headed to the same mortuary where the remains of Sunday Nnodim was kept.

Also, Chidimma Egbulunwa whose son Ndukaku Egbuluwa was dispatched to the great beyond allegedly by the same group of boys on January 10, 2014 is equally making the same plea to the IGP. According to her, the trauma and agony of the family has been compounded by the fact that the whereabouts of the body of the late Ndukaku is yet unknown.

However in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Blaise Uba dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting that it was

The late Ekene Onanwa

the handwork of those who did not mean well for his community.

He attributed the crises rocking the community to the activities of the former president general in the community who he said rejected a caretaker committee put in place by the state government.

Uba said that he emerged as the traditional ruler of his community after defeating seven other contestants for the throne in a transparent election conducted by the state government with a staff of office and certificate of recognition issued to him.

According to him, while one of the victims, Egbuluwa lost his life in a fierce encounter with the police when the Ezeship tussle had not erupted, Sunday Nnodim died while fidgeting with a pistol he intended to use to wreck havoc in the community.

Following the mayhem that enveloped the community, he said that 16 suspects were arrested, interrogated and later released while six were handed over to the police and the Department of State Security (DSS) for further interrogation.

Uba who had since fled his community to Owerri for security reasons regretted that properties of some innocent indigenes of the community suspected to be loyal to him had been reduced to ruins by some disgruntled elements.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the State, Andrew Enwerem (DSP) admitted knowledge of the protracted tussle in the community but assured that the matter is being handled by the Force CID in Abuja.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Court to decide Dasuki, FG’s application today Sunday Ejike-Abuja

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Federal High Court, Abuja, will today decide whether to release the travel document of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) and the application by the Federal Government seeking a secret trial of the former NSA. Dasuki is standing trial for criminal offences bordering on unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering slammed against him.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, counsel to the former NSA, Joseph B. Daudu (SAN), prayed the court to order the release of Dasuki’s International Passport and permission to enable him travel abroad to treat an un-disclosed ailment.

In the application seek-

ing court’s permission to travel abroad for medical attention, Dasuki, through his counsel, told the court that he is suffering from a sickness that requires urgent attention of his doctors abroad.

Daudu urged the trial Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, to grant the application and order the release of his client’s travel document which had been in custody of the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court.

Daudu assured the court that Dasuki will return to the country to face his trial after the treatment and will also deposit the travel document back to

the Chief Registrar of the court, just as he reminded that the accused person is presumed innocent in the criminal charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.

In a strong opposition to the application, counsel to the Federal Government, Mohammed Diri, submitted that sickness being suffered by the accused person is the type that can be treated successfully at the National Hospital in Abuja.

Diri, who is leading the prosecution team, told the court that the three weeks period being sought by the accused person to enable him access medical atten-

tion abroad was a plot to delay his trial for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering.

The prosecution claimed that Dasuki is being investigated for another money laundering and that he may escape if allowed to travel out of the country.

According to him, the travelling document of the former NSA was the only condition for granting him bail and that if released to him, he (Dasuki) may run away since he has no surety.

Justice Ademola, after hearing arguments from both parties in the matter, adjourned till today, to decide whether to grant Da-

suki’s request or not and to also decide the Federal Government’s application for secret trial of the former NSA. It will be recalled that the Federal Government filed fresh charges against the former NSA, which now include alleged retention of funds which formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act contrary to section 15 (2)(d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

Dasuki pleaded not guilty to the fresh five-count charge as against the earlier one count charge and was admitted to bail in the previous term by the trial judge.

Dickson, ex-militants hold peace talks in N/ Delta creeks Taiwo Adisa - Abuja GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has commenced what his associates called strategic peace building efforts in the creeks of Niger Delta, following the kick-off of his non-conflict engagements with ex-militants in the area.

Sources close to the governor told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, in Abuja, that Governor Dickson had been meeting with many of the ex-militants and agitators to stress the need for them to embrace peace and to always seek non-violent ways of resolving their agitations.

It was gathered that the governor has, in recent weeks, been holding strategic meetings with the exmilitants on the best measures of conflict resolution mechanisms to adopt in addressing perceived grievances.

Sources close to a recent meeting in Delta State said that the governor has held such meetings in the six coaster states with Ijaw population, adding that he (the governor) emphasised the need for Ijaw unity within the context of national unity.

“The governor, who has been having clandestine meetings across the six Ijaw states, was in Delta at the weekend. He has been meeting with the exmilitants and at the Delta meeting, he told them to work for Nigeria’s unity.

And that they should see Nigeria’s unity and stability in the Ijaw national interest,” the source said.

From left, former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd); his counsel, Ahmed Raji and Joseph Daudu, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Ayingba residents throng Glo’s Laffta Fest Globacom’s blockbuster comedy show, Laffta Fest, which is currently touring major cities in Nigeria, berthed in the university town of Anyigba last Thursday, after another successful show in Egbeda, Lagos. Unprecedented multitudes of Glo subscribers in Anyigba thronged the Kogi State University stadium, venue of the event.

The show was anchored

by top comedian and Globacom brand ambassador, Basketmouth. He treated the audience to a quick series of rib-cracking jokes before calling on stage students aspiring to be music stars.

Students who stepped out included OC Green, Jeezzy and Mareez, who all made a good show of themselves. Their captivating performances earned them gift items from Glo-

bacom.

Talented comedian, Osama opened the day’s performance and kept his audience laughing uncontrollably throughout his time on stage. As Osama stepped down, the duo of Still Ringing kept the laughter going with a very impressive performance.

I go Dye, Acapella and Klint D Drunk took the show to a higher level with

Crisis rocking Assemblies of God Church’ll be over soon —District head Bola Badmus-Lagos

GENERAL Superintendent, Assemblies of God Church, Badagry District, Reverend (Dr) Henry Ogbonnaya, has noted that the leadership crisis currently rocking the church is not unexpected for a congregation that has been on for 75 years, but quickly said it was being taken care of.

Ogbonnaya gave this assurance while briefing newsmen on preparations for the convention of the church, tagged “Ebenezer,” scheduled to start on

Thursday, November 5 and end on Sunday, November 8, 2015.

The convention, according to him, will hold in the mornings and evenings at the Evangel College, Okokomaiko, Lagos.

The General Superintendent, who pointed out that it was no small task for a church to have subsisted for 75 years without facing some difficulties, however, declared that, the challenge was being addressed with a way of finding solution to the leadership crisis soon.

Speaking on the planned

convention, Dr Ogbonnaya said it was put together in line with the resolve of the church not to leave citizen’s empowerment to government alone.

The General Superintendent said the church district would through the programme, which he described as “Mother of all Conventions” enhance the social and spiritual status of Nigerians, contending that it was the belief of the Assemblies of God Church that, “empowering the citizenry should not be left in the hands of the government alone.”

expert performances. I Go Dye in one of his jokes, admonished students to eschew cultism and violence as it will only lead to destruction. He joked about so called cultists who claim to be brave but scamper to safety when crises arise because they don’t wish to lose their lives.

Mavin Records act, Reekado Banks, opened the musical part of the show with a wonderful performance, followed by Burna Boy whose appearance on stage sent the audience wild.

Many in the audience who spoke with newsmen commended Globacom for bringing the concert to Anyigba in spite of its remote location.

A 300 level student of Banking and Finance, Faith Egbunu, couldn’t hide her joy and pleasure.

She expressed gratitude to Globacom in an emotion laden voice. “I can’t believe this is real. We’ve never had such a show in this school since I got admission and seeing these stars in Anyigba is like a dream to me. Kudos to Globacom,” she said.

Synagogue: Court adjourns till Nov 9 Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin Lagos FOLLOWING the absence of the trial judge, a human rights suit filed by a structural engineer, who constructed the six-storey building that collapsed within the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, killing over 100 people, has been adjourned till November 9.

Akinbela Fatiregun, in the suit, is seeking enforcement of his rights.

The suit, which was earlier fixed for ruling on a preliminary objection, was adjourned, following the absence of Justice Ibrahim Buba.

The court registrar announced to counsels that the court would not be sitting for the day.

No reason was given for the adjournment.

It will be recalled that the building which collapsed was a guest house within the premises of SCOAN. Following the collapse, the Lagos State government set up a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of death.

The inquest, presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, in its verdict, indicted the church for criminal negligence and recommended that it be prosecuted.

Stakeholders call for driver’s attitudinal change Alphonsus Agborh-Asaba

THE need for attitudinal change by motorists towards reducing crashes on the road has been stressed.

Stakeholders at a one day retreat and capacity building workshop organised by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), in Delta State, agreed that attitudinal change on road use should be the mandate.

The participants also were of the view that the message on such a change should be collective and not left in the hands of government alone.

In a communiqué at the end of the retreat, the participants advised motorists to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol while their sales at motor park should be prohibited.

Other issues raised in the communiqué include grassroots advocacy visit to traditional rulers and churches to intensity campaign on danger of drugs and all stakeholders to be involved in traffic management among others.

news Goje forged assembly’s resolution to collect N5bn loan —Witness

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witness, in the ongoing trial of a former governor of Gombe State and serving senator, Danjuma Goje, Shehu Mohammed Atiku, has told a Federal High Court in Gombe that the ex-governor forged the Resolution of the House and collected N5billion (five billion naira) facility from Access Bank.

“My Lord, the said resolution did not emanate from the Gombe State House of Assembly and I was not a signatory to it,” said Atiku, a former Clerk of the Gombe State House of Assembly and one of the three witnesses called by prosecuting counsel, Wahab Shitu.

Atiku, while testifying told the court that, “as the Administrative Officer of the House, I chaired management committee of the

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

House, kept the record of House proceedings and maintained its records.”

However, the court had to cut short the proceeding and adjourn for further hearing owing to the fracas that ensued as suspected political thugs invaded the court premises and disrupted the proceedings.

The thugs also launched attack on the accused persons and others outside the court premises during which the second accused person, Aliyu El-Nafarty and one other person were seriously wounded.

In the melee, vehicles were vandalised including that of the defence coun-

sel, Paul Erokoro, SAN. The attack forced the presiding judge, Justice B. O. Quadri, to adjourn to November 25, 2015.

Justice Quadir condemned the attack and directed both counsel to do a report on what happened which he promised to forward to the Chief Judge,

Federal High Court for necessary action.

Goje, alongside four other accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and embezzlement of funds belonging to the state government.

Gunmen abducts NGC staff in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

Unknown gunmen have abducted a staff of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), identified as Mr Emeka Eziako.

He was abducted over the weekend, at an area popularly called Post Office roundabout in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

An eyewitness, who is a newspapers vendor at the scene of the incident, told journalists that the victim was abducted after he had purchased some compact discs (CDs) at a record store by the roundabout.

He said the victim was whisked away in his Toyota car to an unknown destination by his abductors.

The abduction came just three days after the kidnap of an Ughelli-based businessman, Mr Adetona Olayimika, while returning home from work.

Olayimika’s abductors are asking his family members to cough up N8 million for his release.

Meanwhile, the management of NGC could not be reached for comments as of press time, but a senior police officer at the Ughelli ‘A’ Division police station, who craved anonymity, said the case was formally reported on Monday morning at the station.

From left, Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Esther Uduehi; Senator Patrick Osakwe and a former deputy governor, Chief Benjamin Elue, during the governor’s meeting with elders and leaders of Delta North extraction, at the Government House, Asaba.

Delta steel company bounces back 14 months time —Okowa Alphonsus Agborh – Asaba

THE Delta State government has rekindled the hope of job seekers that the multi-billion naira Delta Steel Company, Aladja near Warri would commence full operations in 14 months’ time.

According to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, when the

steel company becomes fully operational, it would add value to his administration’s commitment to job creation for Deltans and other Nigerians.

The governor, who dropped the hint on Monday, while addressing leaders and elders of Delta

North senatorial district (Anioma nation) that paid him a solidarity visit at Government House, Asaba, disclosed that he had a fruitful discussion with the new owners of the company on the revamping of the steel company during the recent India/Africa Business sum-

INC sacks national leaders, 10 others Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

The leader of the National Representative Council (NRC) of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Francis Sikoki and his deputy, Mr Ezekiel Karibo, have been relieved of their positions.

According to a statement made available to Nigerian Tribune on Monday, Sikoki, Karibo and nine others were removed from office by the NRC of the congress, over the weekend.

The other affected nine officers were Charles Ambaiowei (vice president); Sir Theo Ezonfade (national secretary who was

on suspension); High Chief Williams Mkpah (national assistant secretary); Lady Meg Agidee (national financial secretary) and Pastor Victor Burubo (national publicity secretary).

Others included Amagbe Kentebe (national organising secretary); Chief V. B. Bamuza-Mutu (national legal adviser); Chief Phillip Agu (national auditor) and Lady Ebiere Gold (national Welfare secretary).

In the statement, signed

by Dr Bibobra Orubebe and Mr Miebaka Tamunomiebi, national secretary and national publicity secretary, respectively, the affected

officers were sacked for failing to meet the conditions for membership of the INC, as stipulated in Article 6(v) of its Constitution (2009).

The Article stated that “An ordinary member of congress, under the provisions of the preceding paragraphs of this article, who has paid the membership fee and annual subscription as may be prescribed from time to time, shall qualify as a participating member of congress and may take part in all activities of congress, including holding an elective office unless otherwise disqualified under the provisions of this Constitution.”

mit he attended with President Muhammadu Buhari in India.

“In our visit to India, I met with one of the companies that recently, took over the Delta Steel complex, Aladja and I thank God because they are serious minded and committed to reviving the company and I believe that in another 12 to 14 months, the DSC will come alive again with many other companies in the state,” he said.

He stated further, “DSC is our pride and I believe that when that company comes alive, it will employ people from all parts of Delta State and beyond.”

The governor also talked about the need for Deltans to be security conscious, especially, on the issue of Fulani herdsmen and host communities, noting “there are challenges with cattle rearers and I believe that there are ways of tackling these challenges, I want to plead that patience be exercised and the process must be engaged with intelligence.”

Cleric charges Christians to trust God

By Tolu Olamiriki

THE Bishop of Oyo Diocese, (Anglican Communion), Oyo State, Right Reverend (Dr) W. Aladekugbe, has charged Christian faithful to always trust God in all their daily activities.

Bishop Aladekugbe made the submission at a sermon delivered during the 2015 Jesus Festival programme, organised by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ibadan Diocese, in Ibadan, with the theme: “I shall not want,” at the weekend.

While stressing the need to have a viable relationship with God, the cleric averred the need for Christian faithful to have inspirational knowledge of God, adding that if this is done, the needs of individuals are assured.

“God always provide for His people and visit them with good things of life.

God, as a shepherd, care for his people and provide succour to them,” he said.

Also, the Chancellor, Ibadan Diocese, Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwunmiju, at the occasion, thanked God for giving the Bishop of the diocese, Most Reverend Joseph Akinfenwa, the vision to embark on the programme, which commenced 10 years ago.

‘Appointment of LG caretaker committee unconstitutional’ Alphonsus Agborh – Asaba

THE National Industrial Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State capital, has dismissed the suit filed by the immediate past caretaker committee members of the 25 Local Government Councils in Delta State, seeking the declaration that the non-payment of their entitlements as political appointees upon severance is illegal and unconstitutional.

Justice Waziri Abali, while ruling in favour of the state counsel, Mr Thomas Anigara’s submission that represented Delta State government in the matter, said caretaker committee members are not known to law.

Justice Abali maintained that the state counsel was right when he submitted that section 7 sub section one of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that “the system of Local Government by democratically elected Local Government counsel is under this constitution guaranteed.

news No work, no pay, Oshiomhole tells judicial workers 41

Saliu Gbadamosi - Bauchi

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DO State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said the government will not use the taxes of workers to pay those who chose to stay at home for months on a strike that is ill-informed.

Speaking at the 2015/2016 Legal Year of the State Judiciary, the Governor said the law is clear that a worker who embarks on a strike will forfeit his wage.

It will be recalled that workers under the aegis

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state, had embarked on a seven-month strike action to press home their demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary.

The Governor, who said the state is proud of her judicial arm said: “we in the executive in Edo State have utmost respect for the judicial arm on account of the courage and hard work that you have displayed.”

He, however, noted that “Under Convention 98 of the ILO, it states clearly that

you have a right to go on strike, otherwise, it is slave labour but the Trade Union Act is very clear that notwithstanding any reason, if you embark on a strike, you forfeit your wages.

“That is the law, that is the convention and this convention has been domesticated in our labour laws, and I ask you to look at all the provisions taken together in the various Trade Dispute Acts and Amendment Act, you not only forfeit your wages, you forfeit your seniority and you can be dismissed

summarily.

“This is the law and the business of the court is to interpret the law without fear even if the litigant is an officer of the court. The court is not a respecter of its own employees, so it must dispense justice even if it doesn’t favour the officers of the High Court and that is what we have taken note to do.

“I ask my Lord privately when he was pushing for this case and I put it here.

At what point does it become acceptable that we

resort to illegal tools in pursuance of legal ends? Can you seek legal ends resorting to illegal means? That is resorting to self-help and if other groups resort to selfhelp, the first casualty will be the judiciary.

Survival of the fittest, everybody will go for cutlass.

“So I ask that JUSUN must run the union within the provisions of the Trade Union Act and within the provisions of the Trade Dispute Acts and if they exceed those boundaries, there are consequences.”

LG workers begin strike in Nasarawa over unpaid salary Ademola Adegbite - Lafia JOINT Union of Local Government Employees (JULGE), on Monday, embarked on a threeday warning strike over non- payment of their two months old salary by the state government.

The president of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Abdullahi Adeka disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia, the state capital.

He explained that the union had appealed to the state government on several occasions, through many channels, to pay its workers’ outstanding salaries, to avoid strike but that all efforts were not successful, saying the situation had brought untold hardship to its workers.

According to him, “the strike was necessitated due to the inability of the state government to pay us our August and September salaries. Apart from the salaries of that two months, workers at the local government level in the state were given half pay in the last four months.

From left, Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Chiedu Mafiana; Executive Secretary, NUC, Professor Julius Okojie and the Director, Office of the Executive Secretary, NUC, Mrs Constance Goddy-Nnadi, at a capacity development for M.B.B.S academic staff in Nigerian universities, in Abuja, on Monday. Photo: NAN

Court restrains English firm from working on Nigeria’s oil blocks Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare JUSTICE Obafemi Adamson of a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square has granted an order of Interlocutory Mareva injunction restraining an English public company operating in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector, Afren Plc and any of its agents from further undertaking any project on some oil blocks in Nigeria.

Afren Plc is retrained

from Ebok oil field, Okwok oil field, Okoro and Setu oil, oil mining lease OML 26, oil mining lease OML 113, and Oil prospecting Lease OPL 310, all under the purview of Earl Act Global Associated Company limited.

The Court also restrained Afren from further steps to seek any relevant regulatory or government authority in Nigeria in respect of the oil fields pending the determination of the suit

Justice Adamson in his ruling, stated that Afren is restrained from dealing with any of its assets in Nigeria or taking any steps or further steps to register or seek the consent of any government authority regarding any disposition, transfer or dissipation of the said assets pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit filed by EarlAct, a Nigerian investor.

He also restrained the company’s Administrators

Hard times ahead, Benue gov advises workers Johnson Babajide - Makurdi BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom has warned workers in the state not to be extravagant with the recently released bailout to pay the backlog of salaries, stating that harder times are coming.

Ortom explained that given the reduction in monthly allocation from the Federal Government, the state would

not be able to meet its obligations and as such warned that, “let the beneficiaries of the bailout funds be prudent.”

While giving the monthly allocation from the Federal Government to the state to justify its warning to workers, Ortom said: “in August we received N3.4 billion, September N2.6 billion while October allocation dropped to N2 billion and our wage bill with

pension allowance, overhead cost etc, stands at N3.8 billion monthly,” adding, “so how do we cope, unless we look inward.”

He noted that the bailout fund was not a grant but a loan to be paid back over a period of 20 years, stressing the need for workers in Nigeria to be prepared for the challenges ahead.

“I want those who are ben-

eficiaries of the N28 billion bailout fund to know that it is only a loan and not a grant.

“I did not borrow money to pay salaries from May 29 till date. I borrowed money to pay salary arrears. That is why I set up a judicial panel of inquiry to verify government assets.

People have gone to court and the process is before the court, we have made our arguments and waiting for judgment.”

(Messrs Alix Partners) and the Blackstone Group from the same steps and ordered the claimant to file a written undertaking within seven days of granting the restraining order, to compensate the defendant in damages if it is found that the restraining order ought not to have been granted or that same was obtained by fraud or misrepresented.

Justice Adamson, after the ruling, adjourned the matter till November 26, 2015 for continuation of proceedings.

It will be recalled that in July this year, Afren Plc, announced the suspension of its shares on the London Stock Exchange, due to what its management described as “material uncertainty” over its financial position.

The London-based oil firm, with its entire production revenue emanating from Nigeria, further refused to disclose its financial information to the public,on grounds of “significant uncertainty”.

Embrace Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, Salami tells Nigerians CHAIRMAN, ODS Global Investment and Farms, Alhaji Olaniyi Salami, has appealed to Nigerians to embrace the anti-corruption crusade of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to move the country forward positively.

Alhaji Salami made this appeal while addressing some young farmers who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Marbella House headquarters of the company, Ring Road, Ibadan.

“It has become necessary for every citizen of this country to rally round the president in his crusade to rid the country of corruption, indiscipline and impunity that have eaten deep into the fabric of our national life,” he remarked.

Alhaji Salami, who commended the president and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo for declaring their assets publicly, also urged all elected officials to emulate this good step by the duo to encourage accountability and transparency in the eyes of the public.

Nonageriarian advises children A nonageriarian, Pa Timothy Alade Oyedeji has advised children to be obedient, hardworking and honest.

Speaking after the Children’s Day celebration at the Seventh Day Celebration, held at the SeventhDay Adventist Church, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, where he was the special guest, Pa Oyedeji stressed the need for adults to mentor the younger ones in the way of God. A lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr Ezekiel Adelere Adeniran described Pa Oyedeji as a patriarch who had touched many lives.

The event featured various children’s presentations, songs and hymns. In his sermon entitled “A Little Kindness” by Master Bolu Oyinloye and Miss Tunrayo Folayan, they stated that everyone would be judged by simple act of kindness.

Dignitaries from all walks of life attended the occasion including, Elder Adelani Akintunde, Professor and Mrs Olarinde Akinboye, Professor Johnson Oladiran, Chief Kanmi Fadeke, Elder Dapo Afilaka, Dr and Mrs Adebayo Saba, Mr and Mrs Tunde Ogunmokun, among others.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Africans have higher rate of cancer burden —WHO expert

By Tunde Ogunesan

A

FRICANS have been described as a people with higher risk of cancer burden due to their lifestyles.

This disclosure was made on Monday by the head, section of environment and radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Joachim Schuz, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, at the third national conference on Environmental Health SciencesIbadan 2015, themed: “Environment and Health in a Changing World”, held at the CESSEV suites, Awolowo Avenue, Bodija Estate, Ibadan.

Dr Schuz in his paper presentation entitled: “Industrial Environment and Health Hazards” said “cancer burden is one of the major killers in the sub-Saharan Africa but with the increase in life expectancy, this would change in the future. “Cancer burden will eventually be checked.

Cancer unlike virus, is a result of decay of many years, so you have to start the prevention early to take care and to avoid destruction. This is the message.

“Africa traditionally has high cancer burden due to infections and in addition to this, they live an average lifestyle that causes cancer, especially in smoking, drinking, obesity and other health hazards. These, among others, are all established in that direction.

“If you have cancer at age 40 or 50 maybe as a result of your lifestyle or exposures that you encountered in the

early age that made the cancer to develop over a period of 10 to 20 years, so you are now at the level that you can implement a lot of preventive measures to avoid the cancer burden for the future.

“You have to think of pre-

vention today, otherwise it will become a major killer in this country in the future.

Reduce the risk factors, many occupations like construction workers risk lung cancer, this type can be taken care of at the early state if you provide

enough preventive tools so that the cancer does not occur at all. Nigeria has to decide about the disease that is really affecting them now, else it is going to be a major killer disease in the country.”

Meanwhile, the Head of

From left, Mr Emmanuel Duru, Mrs Kehinde Olukole, Mrs Taiwo Duru, Pastor Dolapo Adelakun, Mrs Adunni Oduola, children of the late Madam Abeje Odu, after funeral rites, at the weekend.

Tambuwal, Okowa, others advocate more support for NYSC Adetola Bademosi and Alphonsus Agborh FOR the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to sustain its relevance in the country, all hands must be on deck to achieve this and should not be left for the government alone, the Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal has stated The NYSC programme

started in 1973 with 2,364 participating graduates from just six participating universities. Currently, the number of participating graduates are about 250,000 annually.

Tambuwal, who stated this on Monday, at the Award/Fundraising Dinner organised by the NYSC Support Foundation in Abuja, noted that with the growing number of participating

graduates, it was obvious that there would be challenges needed to be addressed to keep the main objective of establishing the scheme.

The governor represented

by Honourable Kamil Mudashiru, explained that although the leadership of the NYSC had achieved a lot since coming to existence, there is the need for more support for its sustainability.Also speak-

Liposuction, effective means to lose weight —Expert

By Gabriel Oshokha COSMETIC Surgery expert in Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, Dr Kuldeep Singh, has asserted that weight loss through liposuction is site specific, noting that while liposuction involves removing fat from the body, it is designed to remove fat from trouble spots.

Dr Singh said that for a person near ideal weight, with excess fat in a specific area, liposuction may work well, saying the procedure is most helpful to someone who is healthy and wanting a slight change in body shape.

He maintained that liposuction is only a cosmetic surgery and not a substitute for proper diet and exercise essential for the body, stressing that even after liposuction surgery, a good exercise regime to

the Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Ibadan, Professor Mynepalli Scridhar, however, noted that life expectancy in Nigeria has greatly improve from 37.18 years in 1960 to over 52.50 years in 2013.

maintain weight at a stable point is very important.

According to Dr Singh, cosmetic surgery is the surgery of appearance-the looks, noting that it is elective and focuses on the aesthetics of beauty.

He said that less invasive procedures such as Botox, laser treatments and dermal fillers could give men a

rejuvenating and naturally youthful appearance without any downtime and at relatively low costs. These procedures along with liposuction, according to him, are the most popular cosmetic surgery treatment for men.

Reacting to speculations that Botox treatment freezes one’s face, Dr Singh insisted that treatment per-

formed by an experienced person will make the face look relax without affecting expression. He debunked the assumption that Botox can cause droopy eyelids and affirmed that if the Botox treatment is managed by properly trained professional, the risk of suffering from droopy eyelids is lower than two per cent.

ing, former Minister of Education, Dr Abba Ruma among other speakers on the occasion emphasised the need for external interventions for sustainance of the scheme.

In a related development, the Delta State government has expressed commitment to deploying resources towards strengthening the NYSC and enhancing its capacity to enable corps members to maximise their creative and innate potential for the accelerated development of the nation.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who made the commitment at the weekend in Issele-Uku, at the opening ceremony and swearing in of the 2015 batch “B” stream one members deployed to the state, however, charged them to conduct themselves with single minded dedication and vigour, in order to make a huge success of their service year.

Inject fresh hands into governance, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji tells Buhari NIGERIA’S President Muhammadu Buhari has been admonished to appoint fresh hands into his government in order not to negate his change mantra, with the view of achieving his aim of transforming the country to a desired nation.

The call was made by Satguru Maharaj Ji, the living perfect master in a press

release made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to him, previous administrations made ministerial appointment a bazaar to the inevitable detriment of Nigerians, adding that junkies, hoodlums and mediocres became heads of vital government institutions.

He noted that the list

of ministerial nominees recently submitted to the Senate by President Buhari was loaded with names synonymous with pillage and degradation in high government offices for several years.

“There is no gaingsaying the fact that the antics of the self-governing members of Nigeria’s non-nationalistic political class

blend with jalopy state of our fledging democracy.

“Money is clearly the soul and conscience of Nigeria’s politics,” the release added.

He advised the president not to be tied to the parochial demands of the political contractors who racketeered the electoral success of the party that brought him to power.

Ajimobi’s victory’ll usher in rare transformation —NLC

By Wale Akinselure ENCOMIUMS continue as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Oyo State chapter has expressed assurance that the recent victory of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, at the elections petition tribunal, would set the tone for good governance and uncommon transformation in the state.

The union described the validation of Ajimobi’s victory at the April 11 polls as an affirmation of the will of God and the people’s wishes.

In the message signed

by State Chairman, NLC, Comrade Waheed Olojede, the union, especially saluted Ajimobi decision to utilize the bailout fund to clear four months arrears of workers’ salaries.

This was regarded as a reassurance of commitment of the state government to the welfare of workers as well as better days ahead.

Furthermore, the NLC avowed its support for government’s vision to ensure socio-economic development of the state.

Varsity lecturers look up to Buhari for implementation of ASUU demands - Don Christian Okeke - Abuja A don, Professor Ngozi Nwosu, has said that lecturers in the country’s higher institutions of learning are looking up to President Muhammadu Buhari to pay listening ear to demands by the lecturers, contrary to what obtained in the past.

Professor Nwosu expressed optimism that the present administration would deliver on its promises on the education sector by appointing a seasoned educationist as minister of education.

The don spoke on the sidelines of philosophy of education association of Nigeria 35th annual national conference and lamented the country’s deteriorating education system, as well as the cases of incessant strike action culminating in loss of years by students in schools.

She observed that the abnormalities in public university system gave birth to a generation of private universities across the country.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Iyalode: Ijebu-Ode market sellers petition Awujale

T

he crisis over the authentic Iyaloja of Oba Adetona Market in IjebuOde is still brewing as market men and women under the umbrella of Market Sellers have written a petition to the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona ove the matter.

The Market Sellers are of the view that even before the death of the immediate past Iyaloja, Alhaja Sadia Elewuju, one Alhaja Wuraola Kuforiji, had been parading herself as the Iyaloja contrary to the dierective of the Awujale, who

ordered that for peace to reign, none of the parties involved should parade herself as Iyaloja until the case was decided.

A letter which emanated from the office of the Awujale dated May 26, 2003, signed by F.A Olusoga for Secretary to the Awujale and addressed to Alhaja Kuforiji said: “report reaching Awujale palace inform us that you havearrogated to yourself the title of Iyaloja of Oba Adetona Market as against the resolution of the palace at the meeting held on Wednesday, 29 October,

Christianna Foundation donates library, books to school in Ona-Ara

By Tunde Adegbola

A non-government organisation, Christianna Foundation, has donated a library complex and books to Community High School, Sawia, in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The foundation was established in 2012 with the aim of giving support to schools and underprivileged children in Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration of the library complex, the founder of the foundation, Mrs Omonike Akinjide, who was represented by Mr John Okeleye, said the group was established in Nigeria having realised that schools in the country lacked basic equipment with some children sitting on bare floor, while teachers lacked necessary teaching aids.

She added that apart from establishing and stocking the library with

books, the foundation will employ additional teachers for the school as well as give annual prizes to the best students in English and Mathematics.

Representatives of the Local Inspector of Education, the Ministry of Education, community leaders, the Parents/Teachers Association, including students and the school principal, Mrs H.F. Akinlade, paid glowing tributes to the founder of Christianna Foundation at the event.

They all expressed gratitude to the donor for her effort in making it possible for the school to have a functional library.

2003 which upheld that neither you nor Alhaja Olusola Balogun should call yourself Iyaloja until further notice.

“I am thus directed to warn you seriouly to desist from calling yourself Iyaloja as you will be held responsible for any problem caused by this pronouncement. Please be warned.”

The Market Sellers in the petition to the Awujale dated 13 October 2015 therefore stated: “Your Majesty, we beseech you to stop Alhaja Kuforiji from parading herself as Iyaloja of Oba Adetona Market pending the time your majesty

will appoint the Iyaloja of Oba Adetona Market in Oke-Aje and help us to stop a certain man who comes to Oke-Aje Market to foment trouble, so that peace will reign in the market.”

The traders also alleged that the man mentioned in the petition is Alhaja Kuforiji’s crony, who uses tax collecters to harass the traders. They, therefore, called on the Awujale to call the duo involved to order, noting that the situation had not changed since the warning from the palace through the letter written in 2003.

In her reaction, Alhaja

The President, Offa Descendant Union (ODU), Alhaji Usman Yasin, has charged members of the union to continue work in unity so as to make Offa community a better place to live.

Alhaji Yasin gave the charge recently when the union was celebrating its 80th anniversary in Offa.

The ceremony, which was organised by the national headquarters of the union was attended by members of the union both at home and in the Diaspora Yasin, who was represented by the SecretaryGeneral of the union, Chief (Mrs) Wosilat Atinuke Macarthy, said the union was formed in Lagos in 1935 by 24 members.

a letter with Ref No C11/ IOLG.1/VI/217.

Since that time, I have been performing my duty as the head of the market.”

She added that even during the life time of Iyaloja of Ijebuland, Chief (Mrs) Sadiat Elewuju, she was recognised in any gathering as Iyaloja of Oba S.K Adetona Market and there was no dispute on it, including our royal father, Oba Adetona.

She called on her rivals to join hand with her to develop the market, noting that she did not use anybody to harass other traders in the market.

Members of Rumuogba community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State being screened for blood pressure, during the 2015 Healthy Living Awareness Campaign organised by Total, recently. PHOTO: DAPO FALADE

Police charge stakeholders to be security conscious IN order to ensure the security of life and property, the Gateway Trailer Park Police Station has organised a security town hall meeting with stakeholders in the community at the

Gateway Trailer Park Police Station, Ogere-Remo, Ogun State.

The officer incharge of the Trailer Park, Deputy Superintendent of Police Omiwole Paul, in his

welcome address, stated that the meeting came up at the instance of the Inspector General of Police, who directed police formations to employ proactive measures through ed-

Offa Descendants Union marks 80th anniversary

By Gbenga Olumide

Wuraola Kuforiji said: “I was installed as the Iyaloja of Oke-Aje Market in Ijebu-Ode with the nomination and support of the market men and women due to my activities and contribution towards the development of the market since inception; even when the founder, Baba Imoru was still alive.

“With these recommendations the former Chairman of the Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State, Alhaji M.O.T. Olatokunbo, installed me as the Iyaloja of OkeAje Market officially on March 1, 2002 through

He said the union had achieved a lot, especially in the area of infrastructural development and the preservation of Offa people cultural heritage.

While enumerating some achievements of the union since its inception, Yasin said the union was involved in the struggle that led to the elevation of Olofa of Offa to a First Class traditional ruler in 1981, during the administration of Governor Adamu Attah.

Also, the union was not left out in the area of education, as it established the first community secondary school in the then Northern region, Offa Grammar School in 1943 and later established Offa Community

Girls School in 1955.

According to him, “Aside this, our union also built a standard general hospital in 1946

and was later upgraded to a specialist hospital, while the union is still buying equipment to the hospital.”

ucation and sensitisation of the people on security consciousess and how to properly disseminate information that could be vital for the success of security agencies.

Omiwole charged communities who have engaged private security agencies for their communities to check up on them periodically to ensure they are actually doing the job of securing lives and properties, add-

Itsekiris disrupt DESOPADEC activities ebenezer adurokiya-warri

Angry Itsekiris have disrupted activities of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas’ Commission (DESOPADEC), following the expiration of a sevenday ultimatum over marginalisation.

The Itsekiri people, under the aegis of a group, had earlier threatened to disrupt activities at the interventionist’s office if their demands were not met after seven days.

Special Assistant on Media to the Managing Director of DESOPADEC, Dr Prince Orhomonokpaye, has condemned the disruption of activities at the commission.

He stated that the management board was just two-month-old and needed time to settle down to solve issues on ground and to ensure that all oil-producing communities benefit positively from the commission.

He urged the warring Itsekiri faction to sheathe

their swords and embrace peace to engender even development instead of instigating crisis in the state.

The media aide also appealed to the Itsekiri Leaders of Thoughts to call their sons and daughters to order.

Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Alkali, said his men were on top of the issue, adding that the office of DESOPADEC had beeny reopened, while some hoodlums had also been arrested.

ing that members of the public should abstain from using the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) during weekends as unscrupulous members of the community now rob customers of their ATM card knowing full well that calling account officers during weekends to close their accounts is impossible.

In his contribution, the Area Commander, Sagamu, represented by the Divisional Police Officer (Ogere), CSP Gbola Adigun, noted that “securing our environment is a joint effort which requires all hands coming together to ensure absolute safety of life and property.”

The commander, OP MESA, Ogere-Remo, Lieutenant Al Hassan, also hinted that security is a joint effort, adding that recent bombings in Maiduguri happened as a result of the negligence of the community.

He, thus, advised the people living in the area to ensure that they know themselves,” stressing that anybody who has a staff working for him should give such staff an identity card.

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Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Russian airline rules out technical fault in Sinai plane crash • Remains of 144 victims found

T

he Russian airliner that broke apart in mid-flight over the Sinai peninsula was not caused by any malfunction or pilot error, the airline said on Monday, deepening the mystery over the disaster but leaving open probes into some kind

of plot or attack.

Meanwhile, an emergency ministry plane with the remains of 144 victims of the crash arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city.

Two white trucks ferried the remains of the passen-

gers of Kogalmyavia Flight 9268 from the tarmac to a city crematorium for identification by relatives.

The government of St. Petersburg extended an official period of mourning through Monday, and makeshift memorials have appeared at the

city’s main Pulkovo airport.

In Russia, the crash is being called the deadliest aviation disaster in the country’s history.

The latest statements in Moscow gave no indications of the direction of the investigations into Satur-

South Korea, Japan leaders meet for first time in years South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have held their first formal bilateral talks since both leaders took office, seeking to move beyond a bitter wartime history that has plagued ties between two of Washington’s key Asian allies.

The meeting on Monday morning is a diplomatic breakthrough for Abe, who has sought talks with Park amid a push by the United States for Japan and South Korea to improve relations in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Abe took office in late 2012 and Park in early 2013. Officials said there were no plans for a joint press conference following the discussions, which began around 10am (01:00 GMT) in Seoul.

Scene of the Russian passenger jet that crashed in Egypt on Saturday, where all the 224 people on board died. PHOTO: REUTERS.

Vatican arrests 2 people in latest probe of leaked documents A monsignor and a woman who had served on a financial reform commission set up by Pope Francis have been arrested in the probe of yet another leak of confidential information and documents, the Vatican said on Monday.

A statement from the Holy See’s press office said that Vatican prosecutors on Monday upheld the arrests of the two, who had been interrogated over the weekend.

It identified the woman as Francesca Chaouqui and the

Troops at the scene of the incident which took place at the Jalameh checkpoint near Jenin.

PHOTO: AP.

monsignor as the Rev. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda.

The monsignor is still a Vatican employee while Chaouqui had served on a commission that had been set up by Pope Francis in 2013 as part of his drive to reform the Holy See’s finances. Vallejo Balda had also served on the commission, now defunct, The Associated Press said.

A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, said Vallejo Balda was being held in a jail cell in Vatican City.

Chaouqui was allowed to go

free because she cooperated in the probe, the Vatican said.

“In the context of judicial police investigations carried out by the Vatican gendarmerie, or police force, and begun several months ago because of the removal and lead of confidential information and documents, on Saturday and Sunday (the) two persons were summoned to be interrogated on the basis of elements and evidence that had been gathered,” the Vatican statement said.

day’s crash that killed all 224 aboard. But Alexander Smirnov, deputy general director of the airline, insisted the tragedy could only be the result of some “mechanical impact on the aircraft.”

Dmitri Peskov, the personal spokesman to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to The Washington Post, said that an act of terrorism had not been ruled out, but urged patience until the investigation presents its results.

Putin called the crash an “enormous tragedy.”

“The plane was in excellent condition,” Smirnov told the news conference. “We rule out a technical fault and any mistake by the crew.”

Smirnov said the crash could not have occurred because of either a fuel problem or engine failure, as neither would lead to the plane breaking up in midair. He declined to elaborate on the theory of an “impact.”

The statement, could further draw attention to claims by the Islamic State-linked faction in the Sinai that it brought down the Metrojet Airbus 321-200 an assertion quickly dismissed by Russian officials but leading some international carriers to reroute flights away from the Sinai.

Some defense experts also have raised strong doubts over whether the Islamic State would have missile systems capable to hitting an airliner at 31,000 feet.

otherNEWS

Deadly cyclone kills 2 in Yemeni waters

A powerful cyclone has already started wreaking havoc in Yemeni waters, killing at least two people and injuring nine others on the island of Socotra as it tracks steadily towards the country’s coastline.

Cyclone Chapala, which has formed in the Arabian Sea, destroyed more than 100 homes on the island on Sunday, as it also uprooted trees and sank fishing boats, sources told Al Jazeera.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) reports that Chapala is expected to make landfall at about 06:00 GMT on Tuesday morning.

The JTWC reported that the storm system was tracking a path that would take it close to the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, which has a population of about 300,000 people.

“The cyclone is the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of 195 km/h, gusting 240 km/h,” Al Jazeera’s meteorologist Steff Gaulter explained.

By the time it makes a landfall, however, Chapala is expected to weaken to the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane.

“But while the winds are easing, the rain and storm surge will still cause a major problem for the coast of Yemen,” Gaulter said.

Palestinian shot dead after alleged checkpoint stabbing A Palestinian man has been shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly trying to stab a soldier at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities have said.

The shooting, which took place on Monday at the Jalameh checkpoint near the city of Jenin, according to Al Jazeera has also

been confirmed by the Palestinian Health ministry.

Israeli police said a second Palestinian was arrested in the alleged attack.

Since October 1, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 73 Palestinians - including unarmed protesters, bystanders and attack-

ers - across Israel, the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

Nine Israelis have died in stabbing or shooting incidents in the same period.

The latest killing comes a day after Israeli soldiers shot dead a

Palestinian who they alleged had earlier attempted to attack them in the Beit Einun village near Hebron.

Earlier this week, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in one day, including an eight-month-old baby who suffocated from tear gas inhalation.

Erdogan hails Turkey’s AK party poll win as ‘vote for stability’ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hailed his party’s election victory as a vote for “unity and integrity” after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) took back a majority in parliament.

With almost all of the ballots counted on Monday, Erdogan’s

party won 49.4 per cent of the vote - enough for a majority with 317 seats.

The main opposition CHP won about 25 per cent of the vote (134 seats), while the nationalist MHP party secured almost 12 percent, 40 seats.

The pro-Kurdish HDP party

has claimed 10.8 percent to get 59 seats.

In a statement after his party’s win, Erdogan said the result “delivered an important message” to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party that “oppression and bloodshed cannot coexist with democracy.

“Our people clearly showed in the November 1 elections that they prefer action and development to controversy,” 61-yearold Erdogan said.

Voters “have given proof of their strong desire for the unity and integrity” of Turkey, he added.

President Erdogan celebrating his victory with party supporters.

PHOTO: REUTERS.

45

foreig naffairs

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

UN condemns deadly Al Shabab hotel attack The United Nations Security Council has condemned Sunday’s attack by Somali militant group al-Shabab on a Mogadishu hotel. The attack left at least 12 people dead, including the owner of the hotel, a military commander and two lawmakers.

The council praised the response by Somalia’s army, which killed all of the attackers, saying “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” is one of the most serious threats to global peace.

“The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to support Somalia’s transition to greater peace and stability.

They underlined that neither this, nor any other terrorist attack would weaken that determination.”

Authorities said militants set off a car bomb Sunday morning at the entrance

of the Sahafi Hotel. Gunmen then stormed the site, which is popular with government officials and business executives.

Somali Security Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed told VOA the attackers were wearing Burundian military uniforms. Burundi is one of the countries with troops in AMISOM, the African Union mission in Somalia.

“One attacker hit the front gate of the hotel from his car and then five other alShabab insurgents followed.

They were carrying AK-47s and hand grenades,” Mohamed said.

Among those killed was General Abdikarim Yusuf Dhagabadan, a former army commander who led the offensive that forced al-Shabab to retreat from Mogadishu in August 2011.

Obama unveils plan to help prisoners reenter society United States President Barack Obama took steps Monday to ease the path of inmates being released from prisons across the country to find new jobs and subsidised housing.

According to VOA, Obama planned to visit a residential drug-treatment centre in Newark, New Jersey, to focus on efforts to help those who have completed sentences for criminal offenses to rejoin the outside world.

The United States recently decided to release 6,000 federal prisoners earlier than expected, reducing their penalties for drug offenses, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been advocating other reforms.

“We can help those who have served their time and earned a second chance get the support they need to become productive members of society,” Obama said in his

weekly video and radio address Saturday. “Everyone has a role to play, from businesses that are hiring ex-offenders to philanthropies that are supporting education and training programmes.”

On Monday afternoon, Obama was scheduled to tour Integrity House, a residential treatment facility in Newark, and meet with Mayor Ras Baraka and U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat. Later, he’s expected to convene a roundtable discussion and make a statement at the Centre for Law and Justice at Rutgers University’s Newark campus.

“Advancing policies and programmes that enable these men and women to put their lives back on track and earn their second chance promotes not only justice and fairness, but also public safety,” the White House said.

Pupils in a typical China’s primary school.

PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES.

Kidnapped UN workers released

by South Sudan rebels

R

ebel fighters in South Sudan have released 13 United Nations workers who were held hostage for a week, the United Nations has said.

Around 100 rebel fighters, who have been battling the government for almost two years, seized 31 members of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) last week.

While 18 Bangladeshi peacekeepers were freed soon after their capture, Al Jazeera said the 13 remaining UN workers, all South Sudanese nationals were released by the rebels on Sunday, UNMISS said on Monday.

The UN had last week said that only 12 were still being held. However, it said 13 were released on Sunday.

The rebels had captured the men after seizing a UN barge carrying fuel along the Nile River.

While the barge was also given back, the UN said that rebels had stolen the 55,000 litres of fuel it was carrying, as well as communications equipment, an inflatable boat and seven weapons.

UN chief in South Sudan Ellen Margrethe Loj said she

Some of the 12,500 peacekeepers deployed in South Sudan, which has been wracked by conflict since December 2013.

PHOTO: EPA. was “relieved by the safe release of all UN personnel.”

She had previously warned that the kidnap “may constitute a war crime”.

Some 12,500 peacekeepers are deployed in South Sudan, which has been wracked by conflict since late 2013.

A political row between South Sudan’s President

Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar erupted into violence in December 2013.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and UN-backed experts have warned of the “concrete risk of famine” before the end of the year, if fighting continues and aid does not reach the hardest hit areas.

Both sides are accused

of having perpetrated ethnic massacres, as well as recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to “cleanse” areas of their opponents.

Some 3.9 million people are in crisis - a third of the country’s population - a massive 80 per cent rise compared to the same period last year, the UN said.

UN: Record 218,000 refugees arrived Europe in October More than 218,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in October, a monthly record and nearly the same number as in the whole of 2014, the United Nations said.

“Last month was a record month for arrivals,” UN refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards told AFP news agency on Monday, pointing out that “arrivals in October parallelled the entire 2014.”

In October, 218,394 peo-

ple made the perilous crossing - all but 8,000 of them landing in Greece - compared to 219,000 arrivals during all of last year, UN figures showed.

The soaring numbers of arrivals last month brought to over 744,000 the number of people who have made the journey so far this year.

The October figures show that despite the increasingly harrowing conditions at sea at the onset of winter, refugees from Syria

and other troublespots continue to pile into boats heading west, fearing that Europe is about to close its borders.

Among the more than 600,000 refugees who have crossed to Greece since the beginning of the year, 94 percent come from the world’s top 10 refugeeproducing countries.

The ballooning number of crossings has had dire consequences, with the numbers of deaths piling

up by the day.

Some 3,440 people have died or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, according to UNHCR numbers last week.

The figures do not take into account the latest tragedy, with at least 15 refugees, including six children, drowning off Greece on Sunday when two boats making the hazardous crossing from Turkey capsized.

otherNEWS Kids get violent: China’s school bullying epidemic School pupils in China have recently gone violent in what has grown to what can be described as “school bullying epidemic.”

In a narration given by CNN: Liu Lizhu was not aware her shy, 15-year-old son had been bullied at school until he end-

ed up in hospital with a ruptured spleen.

On June 8, the night before his high school entrance exams, her son Huang Tanghong was beaten up by three bullies at his school in southeastern China’s Fujian Province, who had routinely

abused him in the past few years, his family members told CNN. He lay curled up on the floor when the battering was over. He was too afraid to tell his parents and kept silent, his mother Liu later said.

The next day, he was in such acute pain that he was taken to hospital in the middle of an exam and doctors performed surgery. It was only then his classmates told Liu, a migrant worker who was working in another city, that he’d been bullied.

First China-made passenger jet leaves production line The first plane produced by a Chinese government initiative to compete in the market for large passenger jetliners has been unveiled in Shanghai.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) showed off its twin-engine C919 in a ceremony on Monday attended by some 4,000 government officials and other guests at

a hangar near the Pudong International Airport.

China’s aviation market is growing fast but relies on Boeing and Airbus aircraft, Al Jazeera said.

The ruling Communist Party wants to claw back some of the commercial benefits that flow to foreign suppliers.

For China, the plane represents

at least seven years of efforts in a state-mandated drive to reduce dependence on European consortium Airbus and Boeing of the United States, and even compete against them.

“China’s air transport industry cannot completely rely on imports. A great nation must have its own large commercial aircraft,” the country’s civil aviation

chief Li Jiaxiang told an audience of government and industry officials.

A small truck towed the 39-metre long plane - painted white with a green tail - out of a cavernous building decorated with an enormous Chinese flag into the sunlight as project workers marched alongside, an AFP news agency journalist saw.

Comac says it has already received orders from 21 customers for a total of 517 aircraft.

PHOTO: CHINA DAILY/ REUTERS.

46

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

U-17 World Cup:

Gov Ugwuanyi turns Enugu Sports Club president

Amuneke hails Buhari after 3-0 humiliation of Brazil Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has given kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari after his wards humiliated the A Selecao of Brazil 3-0 in Sunday’s quarter-final match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Vina del Mar. The four-time world champions nailed the Brazilians through goals from Victor Osimhen (who is leading the scorers’ chart with eight goals) as well as midfielder Kingsley Michael and Udochukwu Anumudu.

Amuneke said Nigeria under Buhari has witnessed a transformation.

“Today’s victory represents change (for our country) in the sense that many who doubted us will see that hard work,

merit and truth are nonnegotiable in this team.

“Personally, I give kudos to President Buhari for introducing changes in our country; and if all of us can embrace those changes, we can confidently say that everybody irrespective of where they come from can be given an equal opportunity to play for the country,” the 1994 African Footballer of the Year told thenff.com.

Amuneke stated that his team’s victory over Brazil was unique to him.

“Today is one of my happiest days because there were so many who doubted our abilities since we started this journey. But I’m grateful to God for making this (victory) possible for us. We have qualified for the semi finals against all odds.”

Osimhen

NB Plc boosts chess players with N3.3m prize money The 38th annual Nigerian Breweries International Open Chess Championship received a major boost on Monday, following the massive increase in the prize monies in all the categories.

The tourney will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos from November 9 to 15.

At a press conference held in Lagos, the Managing Director, NB Plc, Mr Nicolaas Vervelde, who was represented by the Corporate Media/Brand Public Relations Manager, Mr Edem Vindah disclosed that the total prize money in all the categories of play would be N3,390,000 as against the N2.5m that was spent last year.

“We are pleased with the level of organisation of the championship over the years and delighted to raise the level of the event. For us in the Nigerian Breweries Plc, this sponsorship remains a key element of our youth empowerment and talent development initiatives. It

is a further demonstration of our dedication to being a responsible corporate citizen committed to winning Nigeria,” he stated.

In the new arrangement, the star prize winner in the Masters category will

take home N1million as against N400,000 of the last edition, while the runner up would be rewarded with N500,000 as against N150, 000.

The third and fourth placed winners will win N250,000 and

N100,000 respectively.

He stated that the winners in the Open and Ladies section will bag N250,000 and N100,000 respectively.

The are considerable increase in the prizes for all

winners and participants in all the categories of play namely; Masters with elo ratings of 2000+, Open (elo 1800-2000), Amateur Ladies (elo 1800), Amateur Men (elo under 1800) and under 14 Boys and Girls.

Ifeanyi Governor Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has said that his inauguration as the president of Enugu Sports Club would further spur him into more result-oriented actions that would shore up sustainable socio-economic well-being of the state.

Ugwuanyi made the remarks after his investiture in Enugu, just as he assured that his administration would give support to the club.

He called on the wealthy members of the club and others to key into its programmes and projects to let the elite club make its desired contributions to society.

The chairman of the club, Barrister Obum Arum thanked the governor for appointing some of the club’s members into positions of authority in the state.

He noted that elections and appointment of their members into positions is a veritable factor thatwould ensure cooperation that could translate to rapid development of the state.

Also, at the event, a philanthropist, Chief Arthur Eze donated N25million to the club, which he describes as a unifying instrument for the Igbo race.

FCT Principals Cup: FOSLA Academy,

GSS Yangoji clash today in final Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja THIS year’s edition of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Principals’ Cup competition will reach its climax today as FOSLA Academy, Karshi and Government Secondary School, Yangoji, clash in the final match billed for the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Abuja, GSS Yangoji, defeated Government Secondary School, Zuba, 4-1 in the semifinal, while FOSLA Academy drubbed Model Secondary School, Maitama, 6-1.

Government Secondary School, Zuba and Model Secondary School, Maitama

will clash in the third place match to precede the final.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Engineer John Chukwu, is expected to be the special guest of honour at the event.

All zonal champions, including Government Day Secondary, Gwagwalada, (Kuje zone); Government Secondary School, Zuba, (Gwagwalada zone); Government Secondary School, Yangoji, (Kwali zone); Model Secondary School, Maitama, (Tudunwada zone) and FOSLA Academy (Karshi zone), would be awarded with trophies for their efforts.

From left, Secretary-General, Nigeria Chess Federation, Mrs Bidemi Ganiyu-Opolo; Director of Media and Communications, Nigeria Chess Federation, Mr Femi Solaja receiving the championship trophy from the Corporate Media/ Brands Public Relations Manager, Mr Edem Vindah, and Public Affairs Manager, Mr Thompson Owoka both of the Nigeria Breweries Plc, at a press Conference to herald the forthcoming Nigeria Breweries Plc 38th International Open Chess Championship held at NB Plc Head Office in Lagos on Monday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

47 tribunesport

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

Nigerian younsgters storm Morocco for U-14 Tennis Masters

Enyeama Musa

2015 Glo-CAF Awards: Musa,

Enyeama out of Top 10

T

HE hope of a Nigerian player to win the 2015 African Footballer of the Year award has been dashed as neither Ahmed Musa nor Vincent Enyeama made the top 10 list released on Monday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo.

Musa, who has been propelling CSKA of Moscow in the UEFA Champions League was missing from the list of 10 nominees for the prestigious award as well as goalkeeper Enyeama, who a few weeks ago called it quits with international football.

The Top 10 nominees for the 2015 African Player of the Year as well as the 2015 African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) in the Glo-CAF Awards were announced on Monday.

The players were shortlisted from 37 players who earlier were nominated for the African Player of the Year, and 20 players who made the list for the Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category.

The top 10 nominees include Andre Ayew of Ghana and Swansea FC, Yacine Brahimi of Algeria and FC Porto of Portugal, Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City of England, Mohamed Salah of Egypt and AS Roma of Italy, Aymen Abdennor of Tunisia and FC Valence of Spain, Modather Al Tayeb of Sudan and Al Hilal FC OF Sudan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borrussia Dortmund of Germany and Sadio Mane of Senegal and Southampton of England.

Others are Serge Aurier of Cote

LMC fines Sunshine, Sharks Sharks FC and Sunshine Stars have been sanctioned by the League Management Company (LMC) following separate incidents in Lafia and Akure that led to disruption of their respective Match Day 36 fixtures last Sunday.

The LMC fined Sharks N3million and Sunshine Stars N5million with further sanctions that also included Stadium ban and banishment to neutral venue for Sunshine Stars.

For pitch invasion by the supporters club of Sunshine Stars in their match against Lobi Stars in Akure, the supporters have been banned for the rest of the 2014/15 Glo Premer League for persistent disorderly behavior having been previously warned about such behaviour in the Match Day 29 fixture against Nasarawa United.

Sunshine Stars have also been banished to Lagos for their next three home matches, while the disrupted match against Lobi

Stars will be concluded in Abuja on November 11. Sunshine will thus play their rescheduled Match Day 34 fixture against Rangers and match day 38 fixture against Enyimba at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

The Akure Club has further been ordered to pay the sum of N250,000 to the match referee who was assaulted by the fans and another N250,000 to the cameraman of Lobi Stars FC who was also assaulted.

Sharks was sanctioned for the disruption by its players of Match Day 36 fixture in Lafia against Nasarawa United. Sharks players had refused to continue the match after the Referee awarded a penalty to Nasarawa United and was thus fined N3million, ducked three points from the total points won in the season, while the three points and three goals for the abandoned game has been awarded to Nasarawa United.

d’Ivoire and Paris St Germain of France, Sofiane Feghouli of Algeria and FC Valence.

In the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category, the 10 shortlisted players are Abdeladim Khadrouf of Morocco, Baghdad Bounedjah of Algeria and Etoile Sportive Sahel of Tunisia, Felipe Ovono of Equatorial Guinea and Orlando Pirates of South Africa, Kermit Erasmus of South Africa and Orlando Pirates, Mbwana Aly Samatta of Tanzania and TP Mazembe of Congo DR,

Mohamed Meftah of Algeria and USM Alger of Algeria, Modather Al Tayeb of Sudan and Al Hilal, Robert Kidiaba Muteba of Congo DR and TP Mazembe, Robert Assale of Cote d’ Ivoire and Sewe Sports and Zinnedine Ferhat of Algeria and USM Alger.

The list of Top Five nominees will be released by CAF in the coming weeks.

The winners will be decided by votes from the head coaches and technical directors of the national associations affiliated to CAF.

Nigeria will slug it out with seven other African countries as the best junior tennis players across the continent converge on Rabat, Morocco for the Africa U-14 Junior Tennis Masters.

Rising sensation, Oyinlomo Quadri and Micheal Oshewa will lead Nigeria’s challenge at the five-day event which will feature players from Morocco, Algeria Tunisia, Burundi, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.

The draw for the event holds today.

Nigeria’s coach, Mohammed Ubale and Oshewa, left Lagos in the early hours of Monday to team up with Quadri, who is on a yearlong ITF scholarship in Morocco.

Quadri, 13, has been one of the most consistent junior players in Africa a fact highlighted by her dominance of the West and Central African Circuits. The same could be said of Oshewa, 13, whose remarkable performance at the ITF Circuit in Nairobi, Kenya and the African Junior Tennis Championship in Tunisia this year surprised many.

“We stand a very good chance because the two players have been on top of their throughout the year. Oshewa has been under my watch and he is set to go and Oyin’s game must have appreciated since she moved to Morocco last month and I believe she will be under no pressure; she should feel at home,” Ubale said.

Di Maria will get warm welcome — Marcelo

Marcelo believes former Real Madrid team-mate, Angel Di Maria will be given a good reception when he returns to the Santiago Bernabeu with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League tonight.

Di Maria spent four years alongside Marcelo in the Spanish capital, helping Madrid to capture their 10th European Cup, while also winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey twice during his time at the club.

The pair will come face to face tonight when Di Maria returns for the first time since leaving for Manchester United in 2014, be-

Tonight UEFA Champions League fixtures Astana vs Atletico Madrid Benfica vs Galatasaray B. M’gladbach vs Juventus Man Utd vs CSKA Moskva PSV Eindhoven vs VfL Wolfsburg Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain Sevilla vs Manchester City S/Donetsk vs Malmo FF

Di-Maria

fore joining the French champions last summer.

“I think Di Maria will get a good reception,” Marcelo said on Monday.

“It was great to play with him.

Di Maria is a great player and a great friend. I wish him the best.

But we should not just concentrate on one PSG player – we must think about their whole team.

“I expect a very tough game.

PSG is a team with high-quality

players, I expect a tough match.”

Madrid and PSG are level on seven points at the top of Group A and drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture last month.

A victory for either side could go a long way to deciding who progresses as group winners, with Marcelo aware of the importance the fixture holds.

“It’s going to be a key match. All of the players want to play, it’s like a final. We will play it with plenty of enthusiasm,” he added.

SIDELINES

no 16,362

Tuesday, 3 November, 2015

U-17 World Cup:

Brazil demolition, a boost for Eaglets —Amuneke By mojisola adewunmi

HEAD Coach of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, Emmanuel Amuneke has said the team’s victory over A Selecao of Brazil in the quarter-final of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, is a boost for his wards in their quest to win the championship.

The reigning world champions had on Sunday night at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina Del Mar, hammered the Brazilians 3-0 through goals from Victor Osimhen, Michael Kingsley and Udochukwu Anumudu to move to the semi-final of the biennial cadet championship which was introduced in 1985 in China.

Amuneke acknowledged that the Selecao gave them a match especially during the opening minutes, just as he lauded his wards for being able to rise up to the occasion.

“It’s not like we scored three goals and that was it. Before that, our opponents had 15 very good minutes, when they moved the ball around as we knew they could. You have to give credit to my kids, who were tranquil and kept their cool to deal with the pressure from the Brazilians and then scored at the right time.

“For them (Eaglets), to beat Brazil is a big confidence boost. We still have a long way to the title, though,” said Amuneke who was instrumental in the triumph of Nigeria’s Dream Team at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics over Argentina.

His counterpart from Brazil, Carlos Amadeu blamed the defeat on his wards’ inability to maximise their scoring chances saying the Nigerians were not better in terms of tactical ability.

“We knew it was important for us to make the most of our opportunities, especially if we dominated the game at some point, but we didn’t.

Their goals were scored in only five minutes because of specific chances, not because we were not balanced.

“We would like to have put Nigeria behind on the scoreboard, but we failed to score. For these kids, everything that has happened here is part of their learning process,” Carlos said.

Amuneke

n150

Last Friday, the Lagos State government shut down some worship centres over poor waste management. Imagine! Didn’t the churches remember that cleanliness is next to Godliness?

Chelsea playing to save Mourinho —Mikel

By Ganiyu Salman

N

IGERIAN international, John Obi Mikel says he and his team-mates at Chelsea are working round the clock to save their manager, Jose Mourinho from humiliation.

This came on the heels of the media reports that the Portuguese has been issued a two-game ultimatum to improve the lots of the Blues or get out of Stamford Bridge.

The Blues only last weekend suffered their third home defeat in the English Premier League this season following a 1-3 loss to Liverpool, after the 1-2 loss to Crystal Palace on August 29 and 1-3 to Southampton on October 3.

Mikel who played for 70 minutes against Liverpool said on the Blues website that Mourinho remains the only man who can fix the problems with the EPL defending champions.

“The goals and the wins are not coming, but you can see we are playing for the manager and we are right behind him. There is no doubt about it. If anyone can turn this around, I definitely think he (Mourinho) is the one.

“Last year, we were champions and won two trophies. Jose knows this club more than any other manager and he is the most successful manager in this club’s history.

“If you say to the players that we are not giving 100 per cent then there is a doubt – but we are giving 100 per cent, we are playing for the manager and we are right behind him,” insisted Mikel who lamented that his team should have been two or three goals up in the first half against the Reds.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner acknowledged that the Blues have been battling with luck in recent times, just as he said the home loss to Liverpool was not a surprise after all.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult

game but we started well and it was a good performance.

“We got the goal and if we went into the break 1-0 up it would have been much easier, but the referee played two minutes and 30 seconds (stoppage time) and if we’d played the exact minutes we would have gone in at 1-0.

“Then the referee gave me a yellow card for my first foul and just after that Lucas committed a foul – for me and for everyone else it should have been a (second) yellow card.

“Everyone can see how much hard work we are putting in and we are playing well, but the results are not coming for us,” Mikel said.

“Every shot is a goal, every deflection a goal.

We just need a bit of that luck that we don’t have at the minute. But you can see the team is giving it everything, we’re working very hard,” Mikel who is among the players invited

by Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Swaziland this month lamented.

Mikel

Mourinho

2015 Glo-CAF awards:

>>Page 47

Musa, Enyeama miss Top 10

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. Telephone: 08165728976; 08073598322. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 3/11/2015.