5th October 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,341 MONDAY, 5 OCTOBER, 2015

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Nigerian Tribune

Emulate HID Awolowo to make heaven, Bishop Wale Oke tells Nigerians •Police strategise on security for burial —P37

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Jonathan to el-Rufai: Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Opeyemi (right), with Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, when the Corps Marshal visited the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos, on Sunday. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE.

You are a liar

•Says 'I never spent N64bn on Independence anniversaries' —P8

Plot to sack IGP thickens

•Southern AIG tipped as successor

—P3

We have clues on perpetrators of recent suicide bombing —Army —P4

Ministerial list: 'Wike, loyalists plotting against Amaechi' —P14 President Muhammadu Buhari sympathising with a victim of Saturday's bomb blast in Nyanya and Kuje, during a visit to the National Hospital, Abuja, on Sunday.

Kuje, Nyanya bomb attacks: Why we won't release corpses now —Hospital —P4,6 •7-month-old survivor loses mum •Govt will take full responsibility of victims' medical bills —Buhari

Saraki's opponents tip Akume, Gemade, Adamu for Senate President —P3

Monday, 5 October, 2015

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015)

PHOTOS: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

9 1. Reverend Tola Oyediran (left) with the Presiding Bishop, Christ Life Chruch, Bishop Wale Oke. 2. From left, Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Reverend Oyediran and Pastor (Mrs) Victoria Oke. 3. Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu and Princess Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya. 4. Boys Brigade performing. 5. Reverend Oyediran and Prince Bayo Adebowale. 6. From left, Mrs Toyin Fape, Right Reverend (Dr) Olusina Fape and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 7. From left, Reverend Akinyoola David, Mrs Toyin Fape and Right Reverend (Dr) Olu-

sina Fape. 8. From left, Vivian Aladegbegbami, Corps Commander Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem, Assistant Corps Marshal National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Hyginus Foumsowe, Assistant Corps Marshal, Zonal Commander Zone Z FRSC, Nsengbong Akpabio, Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Boboye Oyeyemi, Reverend Tola Oyediran and Sector Commander, FRSC, Ogun State, Adegoke Adetunji. 9. Reverend Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu with Abara Onagaki familyPapa Obafemi Awolowo’s family in Ilisan Remo. 10. Group photograph of Egbe Imole Christian Fellowship of Mama HID Awolowo’s residence with Reverend Oyediran and Bishop and Pastor (Mrs) Wale Oke.

news Plot to sack IGP thickens •Southern AIG tipped as successor 3

Lanre Adewole -Lagos

confirmed plot to exit the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, is on, Nigerian Tribune can reliably inform. Sources close to Arase confirmed their awareness of the plot. An Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) from the South is being packaged

Monday, 5 October, 2015

as his replacement. Multiple sources involved on both sides (pro and anti-Arase forces) also confirmed the thickening plot. The move to ease Arase out before his retirement next year was being coordinated by a leading figure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the southern part of the country.

His main ally is a retired top-cop who now is in custody of certain sacred traditional institution. Before the APC topnotcher jetted out of the country last week, he reportedly directed the projected replacement to see a tradition custodian who is expected to take him to a retired IGP from the North. The retired IGP is well re-

spected and reportedly close to President Muhammadu Buhari. A few weeks back, the camp of the proposed successor met in Lagos to review plans and strategies. The APC chieftain was said to be initially packaging a northerner who recently served as commissioner of police in a South-Western state before his elevation as AIG.

The move-over to the southerner was said to be occasioned by the reality that the North could not have the position again without widespread uproar. Checks at the presidency showed that the issue had been mentioned but nothing had been concluded. At influential quarters around the seat-of-power, those pushing for the said

AIG reportedly drew negative. A few years back, the said AIG ran into public storm over an alleged criminal conduct in a sector outside of the force, ultimately leading to his exit from a plum job. A court of law eventually cleared him of any wrongdoings and he has since bagged both professional and positional promotion.

Saraki's opponents tip Akume, Gemade, Adamu for Senate President Taiwo Adisa -Abuja INDICATIONS emerged on Sunday that opponents of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who have continued to plot his removal from office, have zeroed in on the North Central zone as the area that would produce the successor if they get him out of office. There had been contention in the camp of Saraki’s traducers all along, as the camp appeared divided on

the choice of Saraki’s possible successors from either the North Central or North East. While some ranking senators had argued that the emergence of Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, had foreclosed the choice of the post of Senate president emerging from the same zone, others argued that since Dogara was not occupying the seat of Senate President, the North

East could still produce the chairman of National Assembly. But at a meeting on Friday, sources close to the camp said it was resolved that the replacement for Saraki should come from the North Central, with a decision to narrow the choices to the trio of Senators George Akume, Barnabas Gemade and Abdullahi Adamu. The Senate Unity Forum (SUF), which is spear-

Don't submit to terrorists' blackmail, Atiku urges Nigerians JacobSegunOlatunji-Abuja FORMER vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerians not to despair and give in to terrorists' blackmail which Boko Haram’s has been using as tool for intimidating and forcing citizens to surrender. Reacting to the latest multiple bomb blasts in the suburbs of Abuja, the first since April 2014, the former vice president said it was clear that by targeting suburban Abuja, the Boko Haram terrorists wanted to persuade Nigerians to believe they were invincible, and thereby paralyse the country with fear and force it into submission. Atiku, however, urged Nigerians not to be deceived by such desperate tactics by the Boko Haram militants that primarily target non-combatants or innocent and defenceless civilians. According to the former vice president, “the Boko Haram terrorists have been militarily degraded by the new offensive strategy adopted by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which have sent the militants packing from towns and villages they previously captured and occupied.” He said the terrorists were bitter and frustrated that the Buhari administration was now taking the war to the enemy camp, which had forced them into disarray. Atiku explained that the massive territorial losses

suffered by the terrorists and the blockade of their weapons supply lines had significantly reduced their operational capabilities in terms of direct confrontation with the counter-terrorism forces. The former vice president said the obvious intention of the Boko Haram militants was to unleash their frustrations on innocent civilians, to whom they had easier access.

He added that by targeting civilians, the terrorists' main propaganda objective was to strike paralysing fear into the hearts of Nigerians, in order to turn public opinion against the government's genuine and robust efforts to neutralise them. The Turaki Adamawa said the Boko Haram bandits were offering a last ditch resistance in a desperate move to deceive Nigerians, that they were invincible.

FRSC to prosecute drivers over fog lights Olayinka Olukoya -Abeokuta THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said it will henceforth prosecute any driver who habitually use fog lights without need, especially during the night periods. Stating this was the Assistant Corps Commander in charge of Ijebu-Ode Unit, Isah Seidu, at an enlightenment campaign organised for shuttle drivers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. Seidu noted that use of fog lights, especially at nights, had continued to be one of the factors responsible for accidents on the highway. The unit commander explained that FRSC would embark on a 24-hour patrolling of major highways in the “ember months”

to ensure safety. “It is a common occurrence during the night to see drivers abusing the use of fog lights, which can cause the opposing driver to lose control. “The excuse drivers give for this blunder is that fog lights enable long vision and gives a sense of security against night ambushes. “However, this is very wrong as fog lights or ‘full’ headlights as is popularly called can distort the vision of oncoming drivers and pose the danger of crashes. “We will not entertain any excuses. If your head lamps are bad, have them fixed or replaced. “The use of fog lights unnecessarily will now be enforced and I tell you, violators risk being fined up to N3,000 or face jail terms if found guilty,” he said.

heading the plot, was said to have agreed that Saraki would be persuaded to leave office once he is indicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Another sources said the Senate president would also be persuaded to resign to pave the way for “political solution.” It was gathered that though the group was also banking on securing the required number to effect his impeachment on the floor, the fact that 84 senators stuck out their necks in support of the Senate president last week had become a hindrance. Another source, however, said with series of activities

that would be kicked off this week, following the decision to commence nationwide campaigns against the Senate president, the backing of senators could start waning. A group, Value and Integrity Group (VID), on Sunday, said it was set to commence a nationwide campaign against Saraki until he resigned from office. The group’s general secretary, Popoola Ajayi, said the “moral burden” on Saraki over the CCT trial should mandate him to throw in the towel, adding that he could still return to the Senate after the trial. “We are mounting a nationwide campaign against

his continued stay in office. There is the question of moral burden on him and the government cannot fight corruption with him as the leader of the National Assembly. “In other climes, it is usual for public office holders to leave their seats once accused of infractions. "It also happened in Nigeria in 2005 when Senator Adolphus Wabara was accused in the bribe for budget scandal, he read a speech on the floor of the Senate to intimate his colleagues that he wanted to go and clear his name. "We want that culture to continue and permeate the public service,” he said.

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

Kuje, Nyanya bomb attack: 7-month-old survivor in stable condition

•Why we won’t release corpses now —National Hospital •NLC, PDP, govs condemn the attack Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Clement Idoko and Christian Okeke - Abuja

IGERIAN Tribune, on Sunday, exclusively gathered that a seven-month-old baby, who survived the weekend’s bomb attack in Abuja, was in a very stable condition. This was as it gathered that a total of 17 victims remained at the trauma centre of National Hospital as at Sunday. According to the informa-

tion gathered, father of the baby whose name could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, had already been identified. It was learnt that he was at the National Hospital where he identified his baby and disclosed that the mother did not survive the blast. It was equally gathered that 12 bodies were deposited at the hospital’s morgue. Spokesperson of the hospital, Dr Tayo Haastrup, told the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview, that no additional patient was referred to the hospital from other hospitals.

We have clues on perpetrators of recent suicide bombing —Army THE Nigerian Army said on Sunday that it has clues about those involved in the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri. This was just as he said no amount of distractions would deter it from ending terrorism in Nigeria by December. Major-General Yushau Abubakar, the Theatre Commander, ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’, gave this assurance while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri. Abubakar was reacting to recent spate of suicide bombings by suspected insurgents in some parts of the country. He pointed out that the bombings were aimed at diverting the attention of the military from achieving its target in the ongoing antiterrorism war. “I want to assure all that for every second that passes, we get more committed to fighting the insurgents; we cannot be deterred. “We are doing as much as we could to ensure that we completely eradicate the insurgents as quickly as possible, because we are aware of the timeline within which to complete the task,” he said. He said that the military

had already gotten clues about those involved in the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri. “We searched the houses and certain items that we recovered at the vicinity, gave us some clues,” Abubakar said. He said although investigations had commenced on the clues, it would take time before reaching a conclusion. “Investigation on those that we suspect that are either participating or hiding, fueling or conniving with those who carried out those acts, is ongoing. “They will be exposed in due course,” Abubakar assured. He appealed to Nigerians to be security-conscious to avoid future occurrence. “The citizens need to know that security is their personal responsibility as individuals. “Any suspicious movement within the environment should be reported to security agents immediately,” he advised Abubakar said the military was working on a strategy that would enable individuals pass vital information to security agents without being noticed.

Army allays fear on Maiduguri explosion THE 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, on Sunday, said the early morning explosion in the out-skirts of Maiduguri emanated from routine testing of military equipment. Speaking to newsmen on

Sunday, spokesperson of the Division, Colonel Tukur Gusau, urged residents not to panic. “It is a routine test firing of our weapons to ensure that they are in a state of readiness,” he said.

He said the hospital was also not expecting other patients to be referred to it, but that the health facility which did not reject patients was willing to provide the best treatment it could to all patients. “Other hospitals that can’t cope usually transfer patients to us; we don’t reject patients,” he said. According to him, whereas those who lost their loved

ones in the incident had been besieging the hospital, seeking to identify the corpses, the hospital cannot release any corpse yet. Haastrup noted that the hospital was working with the police to carry out reinvestigation before the corpses were eventually released. He said: “We are not rushing to release the corpses. Confirmations have to be done.”

Nigerian Tribune confirmed from a source at the Federal Ministry of Health that the identification of the corpses involved morbid and forensic means. Meanwhile, commendations poured in for health practitioners at the various hospitals where the victims were taken to, for exhibiting high sense of professionalism by taking good care of the patients.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that inter-agency collaboration was excellent in the efforts to ensure that adequate medical attention was given to those who were injured. It was noticed that security checks were still uppermost at the National Hospital and the Asokoro General Hospital where the victims were being treated. continues pg6

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

Rivers APC threatens to expose PDP acting national chairman if...

APC political cheat —Wike Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

IVERS State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to stop disparaging former Governor Rotimi Amaechi to avoid been exposed. Chairman of the party in the state, Dr Davies Ikanya, gave the warning in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, in reaction to a reported attack by Secondus on Amaechi while receiving the report of the Senator Ike Ekweremaduled committee on how to reform and reposition the former ruling party for the 2019 general election, on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said the people of the state, by the ongoing state governorship election petition at the tribunal in Abuja

have exposed Rivers APC as a gang of desperate liars and political cheats. The governor, in another statement issued by his media aide, Simeon Nwakandu, on Sunday, claimed that the testimonies so far given at the tribunal was an indication that the people had seen through the lies of the party and had thus rejected it in the state. Ikanya, in his statement said, “We appreciate the agony of Prince Uche Secondus, one of the key architects of PDP’s loss of power after 16 years of misrule. “We also understand his frustration in his very difficult assignment of reinventing PDP, a party the death of which he and some other tin gods caused by frustrating Amaechi and other progressives who were the souls of PDP out of the party. It is a pity that PDP is yet to recover from the shock of the departure of Chibuike Amaechi from the party. “Even though we do not

Ife/Ijesa pensioners want Aregbesola to pay arrears from bailout By Ronke Sanya PENSIONERS from Osun State, Ife/ Ijesa chapter, have called on the state government to pay all arrears owed it from the bailout as directed by the Federal Government. The Secretary, Ife/Ijesa zone of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), Pastor J.A.T Aluko, disclosed this in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend. According to Pastor Aluko, “it would be out of place for Osun State government to disobey the Federal Government’s directives to pay all arrears owed their workers and pensioners at once from the bailout so as to sustain the ongoing democracy in the country.” Pastor Aluko further expressed sadness at the decision of the state government

which he said had turned its back on pensioners, who served the country meritoriously with their youthful strength. He said the NUP would not hesitate to confront the state government in litigation to enforce members’ rights under the constitution, adding that pensioners were, according to the constitution, meant to be paid first, every month, before other workers receive their salaries. The secretary, however, revealed that one Olatunde Ogunniyi, who claimed to represent NUP in a meeting with Osun State government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), where arrangements on how to pay the arrears was concluded was not a member of the executive of NUP either at state or unit level, stating that “Ogunniyi is on his own.”

intend to go into details of what Prince Uche Secondus and other inner caucus members did to force Amaechi out of the party, we will like to caution him to stop further disparaging of Amaechi as any further attack on Amaechi will force us to alert the world on who Prince Secondus truly is. We wish to warn him that enough is enough.” He said he wondered why Secondus, rather than concentrating on the recommendations of the Ekweremadu-committee and address the issues raised in the committee’s report on how to get back PDP on track, chose to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate Amaechi. Declaring that the former governor had no skeleton in his cupboard, Ikanya advised the PDP chieftain and the party to come to terms with the fact that Amaechi had left PDP for good. However, to buttress his assertion, Governor Wike said the testimonies by three senior security officers who coordinated security during the governorship election held in the state on April 11, 2015 that the poll went on peacefully, without any reported incident of violence, had proved that Rivers APC hired junior security operatives to lie at the tribunal. Assistant Commissioner of Police A. Kenneth, who served as Area Commander for Bori Zonal Police Command in charge of nine local government areas and Chief Superintendent of Police Uche Chukwuma who served as Divisional Police Officer for Ahoada East Local Government Area on the election testified that the exercise was peaceful and successful. Emmanuel Philips, the Rivers State Governorship Monitoring Team Commander of the Department of State Services (DSS) also corroborated the testimony at the tribunal that the election was free and peaceful.

One in 20 people live with HIV/AIDS —KWASACA Biola Azeez - Ilorin THE Project Manager, Kwara State Action Committee on AIDS (KWASACA), Dr Johnson Oyeniyi, has disclosed that a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) study showed that one in every 20 adults live with human immune virus (HIV/ AIDS), amounting to about 71 per cent globally. Speaking at a one-day

agenda on sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocacy, organised by the International Women Communication Centre, in Ilorin, recently, Dr Oyeniyi also said that the study revealed that about 78 million people had been infected with the HIV virus since the outbreak of the epidemic, saying that no fewer than 39 million had died of the disease worldwide.

The project manager, who said that the burden of the epidemic continued to vary among countries and regions, added that SubSaharan Africa remains most severely affected. “As at 2012, prevalence of HIV/AIDS was 4.4 per cent in Nigeria and about 58.6 per cent of infected persons are women. More women in the rural areas are affected than their urban counterparts.”

Nigerian Tribune

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Kuje, Nyanya bomb attack: 7-month-old survivor in stable condition continued from pg4

In some places in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), roadblocks were mounted as stop-and-search was officially re-introduced by the police. Roadblocks by the army also continued, especially at Nyanya-Abuja Expressway and at AYA Roundabout. From information gathered, there was still fear that there could be other suicide bombers who infiltrated the territory, but this was not confirmed from security sources. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the twin attacks on Kuje and Nyanya in Abuja as a devious façade to rubbish the victory of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the battle to rid the country of terrorism and all its residues before the global community. In a statement signed by the NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the congress said the terrorists wanted the world to believe that the country was not safe. He further described the attack as a condemnable act by decimated terrorists and called for communal vigilance by all residents. In a statement entitled: “These bombings must stop,” the NLC president urged all Nigerians to see the battle against terrorism as a collective battle and, therefore, urged every resident to make information about suspicious movements or behaviours in and around them available to relevant security agencies. He called on the government to order the immediate reinvestigation, arrest and prosecution of all those previously indicted of sponsoring terror gangs, especially Boko Haram and other such violent groups in any part of the country. The congress also called on the security agencies not to limit their intelligence or investigation to Boko Haram, as there have also been recent reports that some militant groups in the Niger Delta region planned to resume violent attacks against Nigerians and the Nigerian State as a corporate entity. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned Friday night’s bomb attacks in Nyanya and Kuje, satellite towns of Abuja, describing them as barbaric and cowardly. The party made the condemnation through a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja.

It stated that the party was shocked by the news of the gruesome attacks in the two

towns, which claimed the lives of several citizens. The party noted that the

senseless and wicked attacks came barely 24 hours after the nation celebrated

its 55th independence anniversary. The party reaffirmed its

An official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), screening some Nigerian returnees from Central African Republic in Yola, on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

support for the policies of the Muhammadu Buhariled administration aimed at ending insurgency. Also, governors elected on the platform of PDP have condemned, in strong terms, the recent bombings in Kuje and Nyanya. Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, who is also the Ondo State governor, Mr Olusegun Mimiko, described the attacks as cowardly, brutish and offensive to the collective well-being of all Nigerians. In a statement released on Sunday, in Abuja and signed by the coordinator of the forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu,, the PDP governors questioned whatever motive that could justify the killing of innocent Nigerians. The statement called on President Buhari and the security agencies to continue their efforts at bringing to justice those who continued to terrorise the nation.

...Govt will take full responsibility for victims’ medical bill —Buhari C lement Idoko - Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, visited victims of the blasts that rocked Kuje and Nyanya, suburbs in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who are receiving treatment at the National Hospital, to empathise with them. Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said Buhari took succour to survivors of Friday night’s bomb attacks, who were receiving treatment at National Hospital. Buhari, accompanied by Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and some top government officials, visited the intensive care unit, the paediatric unit and general wards of the National Hospital. On a visit to the survivors of the attack who are receiving treatment at the Trauma Centre of the National Hospital, President Buhari wished them full and speedy recovery. He reassured the survivors that the Federal Government would take full responsibility for settling their medical bills. He also directed his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, to settle N268,790.00 medical bill of a young girl in the paediatric ward of the hospital. The girl’s mother, Deborah Stephen, had broken into tears on sighting President Buhari. She told him that her daughter was shot by robbers, who raided their house

and that the family could not afford the medical bills. Expressing his appreciation for the president’s visit, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Dr Jafaru Momoh, said it would help the patients’ recovery by giving them a greater psychological sense of being valued and loved by their country. President Buhari had

earlier condemned, in the strongest terms, the latest terror attacks in Abuja, just as he condoled with the families of the dead and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. In a statement personally signed by him, President Muhammadu Buhari said “these cowardly attacks expose the real face of the planners and perpetrators

of these crimes. What quarrel do they have with the good people of Nyanya motor park? What issue do they have with innocent people in market places in Maiduguri, Yola and Kuje? “It is clear this battle is not ideological. It is between the forces of peace and order and the evil forces of murder and destruction. Security forces and other

local authorities have been instructed to maintain extra vigilance to forestall future attacks. “The Armed Forces have been empowered to crush what remains of Boko Haram. This government is determined to stamp out Boko Haram and all other terrorists of whatever persuasions and bring all sponsors to justice.”

NEMA receives 197 Nigerians from Central African Republic THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at the weekend, received 197 Nigerians who were displaced by the crises in Central African Republic (CAR), who have been taking refuge in the Republic of Cameroun under the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi, who received the returnees in Sahuda border post, near Mubi, in Adamawa State, said about two years ago, following the escalation of the crises in the CAR, the Federal Government, through NEMA, had evacuated its citizens through the airport, saying these could not be reached because they had crossed over to the Republic of Cameroun. He said under international charter which Nigeria was signatory, the Nigerians were free to decide when to return home, especially given the cover of the International Organisation, which had opened camps for them

in that country. According to him, as IOM was closing the camps and informed the Nigerian government of the development by transporting them to the border, NEMA was mandated to receive them there on behalf of the Federal Government. Sidi, who was represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, said the returnees were fully screened by the security agencies at the border

before being received by NEMA and even escorted to the reception point by the military and police. With logistic arrangement put in place by NEMA, they were immediately catered for and fully transported to their various homes across 12 states. He gave the breakdown of the returnees per state as follows: Adamawa (64), Bauchi (15), Kebbi (7), Sokoto (2), Gombe (16), Borno (40), Kano (13), Kaduna (1), Plateau (2), FCT (2), Yobe (29)

and Taraba (6). The IOM Chief of Mission of in the Republic of Cameroun, Mr Roger Charles Evina, who accompanied the returnees to Mubi, Adamawa State, appreciated the co-operation of the Federal Government through NEMA in the prompt reception of the citizens. He said the closure of the IOM camps had led to the returning of all persons living there to the various countries, including citizens of Nigeria, Mali, among others.

Osinbajo launches mobile schools in Borno IDP camps SCHOOL-AGE children of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in some parts of the North-East affected by the insurgency are back in school, as the Federal Government launched mobile containerised schools last week, in Maiduguri, Borno State. The 50-foot container is a mobile classroom, which

efficiently contains 35 students and is fully equipped with basic educational materials and furnishing, including solar panels for electricity powering lights and fans. The mobile classes are complete with chairs and tables, blackboard/whiteboard, a projector and a metal storage cabinet. Speaking at the launch,

held on Tuesday, at the Dalori Internally Displaced Camp in the Borno State capital, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recalled that the project was one of the many things that will come the way of the North-East, following his visit to Borno State in July, at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

US gives Nigeria $2.3bn to fight poverty From Clement Idoko and C hukwuma Okparaocha

HE United States of America is to assist Nigeria with $2.3 billion to fight extreme poverty in the country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo signed the support agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The $2.3 billion assistance will cover activities from 2015 through 2020, with

the objective of helping Nigeria reduce extreme poverty in a more stable, democratic society. Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, who made this known in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja, this would help the Federal Government to fight extreme poverty among Nigerians for the next five years. Osinbajo signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, while the USAID Head of Mission in Nigeria, Mr Michael Har-

vey, signed on behalf of the US government, during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The vice president noted that since President Mohammadu Buhari’s visit to the US, President Barack Obama in the White House, in July, Nigerian government had seen better cooperation from the US. He also noted that there had been great deal of interaction on how the present administration intended to implement its agenda, saying the interaction was because the US wanted the

government to succeed. Osinbajo said: “The issue of the extreme poverty of a vast majority of Nigerians is a very important issue for us, it is at the heart of our economic policy, at the centre of our agenda. You can’t have that vast number of poor people and don’t plan around that and for us, this is crucial, and absolutely important.” He also lauded the inclusion of the North-East among the areas of focus in the agreement, adding that there was a consensus in government to address the

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, exchanging pleasantries with Shawn Flatt (left), acting Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy. With them is USAID/Nigerian Mission Director, Michael Harvey, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

problem of out-of-school children and the observed drop in enrollment figures in parts of the nation. He pledged that the present administration would continue to lead a transparent and open government, clean-up the business environment and emphasise a bottom-up approach economic planning, adding that

Dogara sets to constitute House standing committees J acob Segun Olatunji and K olawole D aniel - Abuja LEADERSHIP of the House of Representatives under the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, is now set to constitute all the standing committees of the House in the eighth National Assembly. An informed source in the House revealed this to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, on Sunday. The source told the Nigerian Tribune that already, forms had been distributed to all the members of the green Chamber to indicate the committees they would like to serve. It was gathered that in the forms given to the members last week, they were expected to provide necessary information about themselves, including their educational qualifications,

N64bn claim on Independence anniversary: You are a liar, Jonathan tells el-Rufai T aiwo Adisa - Abuja FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has branded Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State a ‘liar’ for alleging that he spent N64 billion on October 1 celebrations between 2010 and 2015. The statement, etitled: “We never spent billions on independence anniversary— Jonathan,” was issued on behalf of the former president on Sunday, by Abubakar Sulaiman, the immediate past Minister/ Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission. Sulaiman said the Jonathan-led administration spent only N332.6 million for the celebration in five years — an average of N66 million per year. The Muhammadu Buhariled administration spent N70 million on the 55th independence anniversary on Thursday, in what was

described as a low-key celebration. Sulaiman said former President Olusegun Obasanjo was “perhaps” right in his assessment of el-Rufai as someone who has a penchant for lying, for unfair embellishment of stories and his inability to sustain loyalty for long. The statement read: “We were taken aback by the recent comment reportedly credited to His Excellency, Governor Nasir El-rufai, where he claimed that the immediate past president, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan-led administration spent N64 billion to cover the country’s independence anniversary’s spending in five years. “The breakdown, according to the governor, showed that N13 billion was spent in 2011, N15 billion in 2012 and N14 billion in 2013 and N22 billion allegedly spent in 2014.

“This tissue of lies was contained on his Facebook comment on Thursday. Ordinarily, we would have allowed this to go as just ranting of a favour seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians, who were abreast of happenings under the administration and also those who never did, we will like to set the records straight. “It is important to correct the misinformation, so that the unsuspecting public would not be misled. “For the record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending between 2012 and 2014 amounted to N332.6 million. We challenge the Office of the Government of the Federation (OSGF) to publish these details for the consumption of the public. “For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this event between 2012 and 2104 goes thus— 2012 (N107.6 million); 2013 (N45 million) and 2014 (N180

million). So, the question here is, where did the billions as claimed by el-Rufai emanate from? Even though that of 2010 and 2011 are not handy now, but it should be known that they all fall within the same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010 anniversary was a golden one, when the country marked her 50th year of independence. Even then, not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or expended . “Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the 2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it two events in one, hence, the N174,800,000.00 budget. We also want to add that the said award investiture could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled over and was utilised to organise

the fund was expected to stimulate inclusive economic growth, promote a healthier, more-educated population and help strengthen good governance. The USAID director said the agreement would provide a solid foundation for the two countries to partner to reduce inequalities across the country.

the investiture in 2014. “It is high time government functionaries desisted from abusing their immunity by destroying history and trading on lies just to gain cheap popularity or curry one favour or the other from certain quarters.”

professions and experiences, among others, which would enable the selection committee to know where the members would be assigned to. The source told the Nigerian Tribune that members were expected to fill the forms and return them this week for further administrative processing. “It is true, we have been given a form each to fill, detailing the necessary data about individual lawmaker. I think the committees will be constituted any time from now, so that we can hit the groung running,” the source declared. The House of Representatives in the eighth National Assembly has been operating with ad hoc committees since inauguration in June, this year . When contacted, chairman, ad hoc committee of the House in charge of Media and Publicity, Honourable Sani Zoro, confirmed the story, saying that the committees would be restructured in order to cover all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for proper oversight. Honourable Zoro assured that the selection committee under Dogara would do a thorough job and ensure balance, as well as be fair to all members, irrespective of their political affiliations.

‘NOUN graduates not eligible for NYSC’ N aza Okoli - Lagos PROVOST of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, Lagos State and former Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olu Akeusola, has said graduates of NOUN are not qualified to embark on the National Youth Service programme. Akeusola made this

known while speaking with Nigerian Tribune in his office recently. This came even as both the students and the management of NOUN have been making a case for the inclusion of NOUN graduates who are below 30 years of age in the scheme. He said: “You see, we have the tendency of misinterpreting concepts. NOUN isn’t meant for regular students. It is not meant for anybody that has just finished his secondary education.”

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Lagosmetro

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Fire guts shops and houses at Ikota Housing Estate, Ajah, Lagos on Sunday.

Boko Haram: Police create special unit,

to screen at malls, parks Olalekan Olabulo

S parts of the efforts to curtail the activities of members of Boko Haram group in Lagos State, the police have created a Tactical Operation Point (TOP). This was contained in a statement signed by the image maker in charge of the state police command, Joe Offor and made available to Lagos Metro. The police in the state enjoined residents of the state not to panic and that they should go about their legitimate businesses without any fear. The Lagos State police command also stated that the TOP would take the format of the banned road block but assured resident that the new operation is not just road block The police in the statement said, “Given the twin bomb

blasts that occurred at Kuje and Nyanya areas of FCT Abuja last night, and in line with the policing strategy of the leadership of Lagos State Police Command, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Police, CP Fatai Owoseni wishes to inform the res-

idents of Lagos not to panic and go about their normal business without any fear. “In the circumstances, measures have been emplaced to forestall the occurrence of such ugly incident here in Lagos. Among the measures include the creation of Tactical

Operation Point (TOP) in all entry points of the state. “Members of the public are by this release informed that such Tactical Operation Points should not be seen as the old fashioned/banned road blocks. “As far as the command

is concerned road blocks remain banned,” the police stressed. The Lagos State police also added that “Again members of the public maybe required to submit themselves to screening by bomb experts and bomb

detectors before they can be allowed to access any public place including motor parks and shopping malls. “Once again, the command wishes to assure logicians that there is no cause for alarm, please”. the police concluded.

Port terminal: Our workers use bathroom slippers in

place of safety-boots — Labour leader Tola Adenubi INVESTIGATION has revealed that workers at the Five Star Logistics Terminal Limited, operators of the Tin-Can Island RoRo terminal, a facility it shares with the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML), go to work at the terminal wearing bathroom slippers. When Lagos Metro visited the terminal in company of officials of the dockwork-

ers branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), it was discovered that many of the workers working inside the terminal wear bathroom slippers to work while others wear shoes instead of safety boots which is generally required for port operation. Speaking to Lagos Metro, Mr. Adewale Adeyanju, President of the Dockworkers’ Branch of the MWUN, stated that the safety compliance at Fiver Star Logis-

tic Terminal Limited is pathetic. Adeyanju said, “Many of our members work inside Five Star Logistics wearing shoes and bathroom slippers to work. With some of the terminals surfaces very slippery due to oil spilling from heavy duty caterpillars and tractors moving inside the terminals, the tendency of industrial accidents leading to death is very high. “We have already lost two of our members in the last

two weeks. Samson Oheha and Pius Ifah are now late due to industrial accidents inside the Five Star Logistics Terminal. “Go to APM Terminal, you will see their workers moving around inside the terminals wearing safety boots and overall protective vest. That is what is happening in other terminals except the Five Star Logistics terminal. “We have written to the relevant government agencies about this, yet nothing

has been done. We believe they are waiting for us to picket the terminal before they commence action. But how many more workers would have died before that happens?” Efforts to get the Five Star Logistics Limited speak on the safety concerns at the terminal proved abortive as many of the staffs and top management personnel of the terminals shunned our correspondent when approached.

After 25 years, husband undertakes to stop beating 63-year-old wife Lanre Adewole A husband who has been beating his wife for 25 year has eventually agreed to stop beating the 63-yearold. He signed an undertaking with police, concurring to arrest and prosecution if he goes against his new marital

vow. Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) got involved before the truce was achieved. When the abused wife was asked to make a wish against him, she simply wished for a harmonious cohabitation.

According to a press statement from Mrs Titiola Viviour-Adeniyi, DSVRT Coordinator on Sunday said, “In line with the mandate of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration to stem the tide of all forms of abuse, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT)

has intervened in a case of domestic violence that had been perpetrated for over 25 years by a man on his wife.” The coordinator of the DSVRT added that the case was brought to fore when a relative of the victim spoke out to the media on the ordeal.

She said the team immediately proceeded to contact the victim, Mrs. Oridota Oladele, a 63-year-old and bread winner of her home, to enlighten her on her rights, support services at her disposal, and ascertain what she wanted out of the situation. “The Director of Citizens’ Rights, Mrs Omotilewa

Ibirogba, with other team members met with her, and she insisted that all she required was officials of government to talk to her husband to desist from acts of physical, psychological, emotional and verbal abuses which are all crimes contrary to the Prevention Against Domestic Violence Law, 2007.”

businessnews

Monday, 5 October, 2015

US business group to invest over N100bn in Kogi

OGI State is to receive investment worth over N100 billion from a USbased investment group, Annointed Holdings. Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Hajiya Zainab Suleiman Okino, disclosed this after a meeting between the delegation of Annointed Holding Group and the Kogi State government at the government house in Lokoja. The commissioner, who noted that the group of investors had a fruitful discussion with the state governor, Captain Idris Wada before presenting their areas of interest to members of the state executive council and syndicate group of experts, said the administration of Captain Idris Wada had made Kogi State attractive to local and foreign investors in his determination to transform the state. Speaking at the meeting between the investors and officials of the state government, Captain Idris Wada commended the delegation of investors for their interest and commitment to invest in key sectors of the state’s economy.

The governor assured that the state government would provide all necessary support required by the investors to facilitate the take-off of investment in their areas of interest. He urged members of the syndicate group and ex-

perts involved in exchange of ideas with Annointed Holding Group to set a clear path and assist with their expertise to enable the government and the investors to deliver on the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding in good

time. Addressing officials of the state government, the leader of the delegation, Mr Nduka Duke, said Annointed Holding planned to invest up to $700 million in mining, housing, agriculture and tourism

development. He commended Captain Wada for providing enabling environment for investment in the state, adding that the governor’s humane disposition and integrity provides further impetus for investors.

From left, Sales and Marketing Manager, Power Oil, Dufil Prima Foods, Samdip Gorasiya; winner, Mr Olamiwa Anifowose and Mr Pranam Acharya, during the Power Oil pay with calories 2.0 at City Mall, Ikeja, on Saturday. PHOTO: ALABA IGBAROOLA.

Emirates sweeps 2015 APEX passenger choice awards EMIRATES emerged as the biggest winner at the 2015 APEX Passenger Choice Awards held at the Oregon Convention Center Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, USA, on Monday. The airline clinched seven awards, topping all the categories it was nominated in. The honours included Best Overall Passenger Experience and Best in Region: Middle East for the sixth consecutive year. Emirates was also recognised for its on-board product offering and airport services, being awarded: Best In-Flight Entertainment User Interface,

Best In-Flight Connectivity and Communications, Best Cabin Ambience, Best Food and Beverage and Best Ground Experience. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer, said: “The customer is at the heart of everything we do. In the air and on the ground, at the frontline and behind the scenes, our dedicated staff work hard every day to deliver an exceptional travel experience. To be recognised by passengers is the best kind of recognition and we will strive to keep raising the bar. “Emirates continually

invests in delivering products based on the latest available technology and innovative cabin furniture as well as enhancing the services and product offering of our ground facilities. This is thanks to the unlimited support we receive from HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, and Sir Tim Clark, President of the airline.” Emirates operates the world’s largest fleets of the iconic A380 and popular Boeing 777s. These advanced and modern jets

are efficient to operate, and enable Emirates to install the latest onboard features such as: mobile phone services and free Wi-Fi for travellers to stay connected on the go, live TV including the latest sports tournaments, and an unmatched breadth of entertainment content via its ice in-flight entertainment system. Emirates’ trademark service is delivered by its team of international cabin crew who come from over 130 countries and speak over 60 languages; its dining experience features great

Olashore outlines fresh foreign exchange strategies THE Chief Executive Officer, Lead Capital Plc, Prince Abimbola Olashore, has advised Nigeria to work towards getting out of the present mono product trap by developing other potential sources of forex, having observed that due to imperfections and distortions within the Nigeria economy, demand for forex in relative terms appears to be more than in other countries. Noting this at a round table discussion recently held in Lagos, he x-rayed that the exchange rate management of Nigeria is similar to the policies of some countries such as

South Africa, Brazil, India, amongst others, but that the policy changes are more frequent in Nigeria than in those countries, which is amplified by the narrow source of Nigeria’s foreign exchange (crude oil sales proceeds), and faster developing manufacturing sector due to the ability to manufacture for exports. His presentation, which centered on ‘Foreign Exchange Challenge in the Economy, highlighted issues in the Nigerian economy to include the present structure of the forex market which is shaped by the historical source of government revenue other than

taxes and the constitutional requirement for a federation account, and that the large chunk of government revenue is earned in dollars and not allocated

monthly in the same currency, especially given the high forex component of states and MDA’s expenditure.

THE winner of the maiden edition of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year award will be announced on Monday, October 12, 2015, at a grand ceremony in Lagos. The overall winner of the award will emerge from the 10 finalists that were screened by the panel of judges last week. The 10, who slugged it out at the final lap, were winners from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Delta, Eb-

onyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States. The national winner will get N1 million and another N1 million to be paid into his account annually for five years. The runner-up will take N750,000, while the school that produces the national winner will also become a beneficiary of infrastructural development and projects worth N25 million. The panel of judges comprising eminent Nigerian

food inspired by the regions and countries it serves and a superb wine offering that includes some of the most exclusive vintages. On the ground, the airline has invested in its own global network of 38 Emirates Lounges, and chauffeur drive services, offering frequent flyers and premium customers a seamless Emirates experience. The Passenger Choice Awards, created by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), invites air travellers from around the world to rate their recent in-flight experiences. Passengers from over 200 countries voted for their favourite airlines in this year’s awards and voting took place over a two-month period from May to June.

Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year emerges Oct 12 academics and professionals was chaired by Professor Pat Utomi, Founder/CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership. Others include Mrs Mopelola Omoegun, Professor of Education, University of Lagos; Professor Thomas Ofuya, Vice Chancellor, Wellspring University and member, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities; as well as Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, Chairman, Editorial Board, ThisDay Newspapers.

Customs impounds N30m frozen poultry products in Sagamu Tola Adenubi-lagos

THE Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, recently impounded an articulated truck laden with 5,020cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products neatly concealed with 2016 packages of nestle bottled water with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N30,117,600. According to a statement signed by the units spokesman, Uche Ejesieme over the weekend, the Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Amade Abdul, disclosed that the Headquarters Special Assignment Team, led by Assistant Comptroller of Customs Shittu Abdulmaruf, and comprising Chief Superintendent of Customs Dahiru Shehu Usman and others, while on information patrol around the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway, intercepted an articulated 18 tyre truck carrying the contrabands. He stated that the vehicle was immediately brought down to the headquarters of the federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, where 100% examination was conducted and the contraband goods were discovered. He promised that the Unit would continue to degrade the capacity of smugglers however sophisticated they may be.

BlackBerry announces Q2 2016 results By Paul Omorogbe

BLACKBERRY, one of the world’s most popular smart phone device manufacturers, has released its Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter results. Highlights of the period included non-GAAP software and services revenue of $74 million, a 19 per cent increase over Q2 FY15 driven by 33 per cent growth in software licensing revenue; positive free cash flow of $100 million in the quarter; cash and investments balance of $3.35 billion at the end of the fiscal quarter, an increase of $37 million over Q1 FY16 after using $47 million on share repurchases. The company also confirmed plans to launch a flagship handheld device called BlackBerry PRIV that will run on the Android operating system with BlackBerry security.

businessnews

Monday, 5 October, 2015

‘Piracy, major threat to book business in Nigeria’ By Tunde Ogunesan

HAIRMAN, Board of Directors, University Press Plc, Dr Lalekan Are, has revealed that piracy remains a major threat to book business in Nigeria, just as he assures the shareholders that the coming year will be better than the outgoing year. Dr Are said this while presenting the chairman’s report to the shareholders at the 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan. At the AGM, the shareholders agreed that the sum of 20k dividend be paid on each share. The chairman alleged that the agency entrusted in checking piracy were not really doing the job at the pace it was expected, citing two cases of pirates apprehended by the company. According to Dr Are, “piracy is a very serious business. We will continue to strive to cushion the effect,” saying some government agencies even patronise pirated copies, adding that a particular government in the country once pirated the company’s book. In his report on the publishing industry, Are disclosed that the “publishing industry was hit by the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in July 2014. This affected the 2014/2015 academic calendar, as the government delayed resumption of primary and secondary schools till late September and early October in 2014. “The lost in revenue was not fully recouped as the selling season shortened. The season was not helped with the sharp drop in the price of crude oil. “Political activities took the centre stage in Nigeria within the last six months of the company’s financial

year. Purchases from the public sector reduced significantly. For companies like ours that have been benefiting from government patronage, this was a significant blow to both the top and the bottom lines. “The industry continued to battle with piracy, a major threat to the book business in Nigeria. This battle can only be won with the support of government and the public,

especially the people that patronise the pirated books. It is our hope that the wind of change blowing across the country will touch this area. “Our Company and other genuine publishers shall continue to deploy appropriate strategies and resources to save the industry from pirates who have continued to short-change investors, authors, employees and other stake-

holders.” However, the chairman hinted that the company is cautious and positive about the future. He said: “We are cautiously positive about the business outlook in 2015 despite the seeming challenges. I have no doubt that the strategies we have put in place after due consideration of our expectations of market scenarios in the coming year will be adequate to deliver better

Head, Brand Management, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr Toruka Osadunkwu; Head, Marketing and Brand Communication, UBA Plc, Mr Ikemefuna Mordi; representatives of National Lottery Commission, Mr Ogbonaya Onu, at the grand draw for UBA Remittance AWOOF promo to reward customers who received MoneyGram and Western Union money transfers through the bank, held in Lagos, on Friday.

20 UBA customers win all-expense-paid trip to Dubai, 60 win other prizes AS part of its commitment towards rewarding customer loyalty, Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa Plc has rewarded 80 of its customers in the first batch of the UBA Remittance Awoof Promo. The draws, which was well attended by customers of the bank, journalists and regulators from the National Lottery, is part of the bank’s efforts to reward loyalty, give back to

the society and impact the lives of individuals that carry out business with the bank. At the draws, which took place at the bank’s Head Office on Friday, 20 winners, 10 each of Western Union and MoneyGram, were drawn and will be enjoying a three-day all expenses paid trip to Dubai, sponsored by the bank. The winners emerged from customers and non-

customers that sent and received MoneyGram and Western Union money transfers at the bank within the period of January and August this year. The 10 winners for the Dubai Trip that received money through MoneyGram are Anyim Okorie of Lagos, Aneke Emeka of Enugu, Linda Dede of Sapele; Samuel Diei of Asaba, Olatokunbo Olaleye of Kano State; Harris Ad-

GTBank wins Best Bank Group award FOREMOST African financial institution; Guaranty Trust Bank plc has once again reaffirmed its position as a leading African financial institution after being named the Best Banking Group of 2015, Nigeria, by the World Finance Magazine, a publication reputable for providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and the global economy. Since 2007, World Finance has been celebrating

results.” On the company’s financial performance, Dr Are stated that “2014/2015 was a challenging year for the company, the revenue of the company reduced by 20 percent from N2.438bn in 2013/2014 to N1.728bn in 2014/2015. About 95 percent of this loss of revenue was caused by the sharp drop in sales to governments and their agencies.”

achievement, innovation and brilliance in its annual awards. The judging panel boasts over 230 years of financial and business journalism, supported by a research team that works round the clock to ensure our award winners are the most deserving in their sector. It is tailored to provide a comprehensive analysis of the very best in each market. According to Michael McCaw, the Group Managing Director of World Finance: “The Nigerian

banking industry has faced substantial headwinds in recent months. Despite this, there has been significant work carried out by financial institutions in an attempt to find solutions for growing revenue and providing customers with excellent services tailored to meet their diverse needs. One Bank that has recorded remarkable accomplishments in all of these areas, is Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. GTBank has managed to establish itself as a high flyer, sitting

at the very top of the banking industry in its native Nigeria.” Commenting on the award, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank said: “We are delighted to be recognized as the Best Banking Group of 2015. This award is a testament to the hard work and effort of every member of staff, management and Board of the Bank in building a strong financial institution reputable for innovation, good corporate governance standards, and excellence in service delivery.”

eniyi from Ife, Oluwatosan Nicol from Unilag, Abiodun Fakeye from Lagos Island, Ibisobia Hezekiah from Port Harcourt and Alofe Tope from Ibadan. From Western Union, the 10 winners are Omeregie Osadebamwen Peter from Benin, Benita Ojeh from Asaba, Richard Ojo from Iju, Ndidi Ojukwu from Port Harcourt, Ime Davis from Ikot Abasi and Osahon Idugboe of Ugbowo. Others are Ibrahim Sunusi from Kano, Oluwabukola Owoeye from Unilag, Alali Blessing from Port Harcourt, and Itunu Fakiyesi from Ogbomosho. Also a total of 60 customers won 20 rechargeable fans, 20 generating sets and 20 water dispensers. The 60 customers represented an equal number of Western Union and MoneyGram customers. One of the winners, Mr Ibrahim Salisu, a UBA customer from Kano expressed his joy and gratitude to the bank when he was informed of his winnings through the phone.

Nigerian Tribune

3rd African organic conference begins today By Femi Igbirogba

THE Association of Organic Agriculture of Nigeria (NOAN) has said that its international 3rd African Organic Conference will begin today in Lagos. The conference, on the theme, ‘Achieving Social and Economic Development through Ecological and Organic Agriculture alternatives’, targets farmers, researchers, trainers, academics, extension agents, policymakers, private sector operators, investors, among others in organic agricultural value chain. A statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune by the local organizing committee of the association, signed by Professor J. A. Omueti and Dr O. O. AdeOluwa, revealed over 300 participants are expected to grace the conference from over 35 countries. The conference will provide a valuable platform for appraising progress of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative underlying the decision of the African Heads of States and Governments on organic farming; exploring how organic agriculture can be optimized to significantly contribute to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture and Development Programme (CAADP) agenda and exhibition of organic produce and products to stimulate regional trade.

Chivas Regal launches

The Venture to inspire Nigeria’s social entrepreneurs CHIVAS Regal recently announced The Venture will be launching in Nigeria for the first time. This follows the global success of the first year of the competition, which saw over 1000 start-ups compete for a share of a $1 million fund. The Venture is part of the luxury Whisky new campaign tagged ‘Win The Right Way’ a global initiative celebrating those social entrepreneurs who run their businesses in a way that benefits society, not just shareholders, and is the latest in the brand’s campaign which will be launching in Nigeria. This is the second year of the global search but the first in Nigeria to support the most exciting social entrepreneurs around the world. With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture is open to any for-profit start-up that creates both financial value and a positive impact on the lives of others.

business

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER, 2015

Monday, 5 October, 2015

news Wike, loyalists plotting against Amaechi’s ministerial nomination, APC alleges 14

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Party has exhausted its basket of lies —Wike Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

IVERS State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to resist any move or plan to scuttle clearance of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the Senate for ministerial appointment. The party made the vow following an allegation that Governor Nyesom Wike and his loyalists in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had perfected plans to protest against the nomination of the former governor as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari. Reacting however, Governor Wike said the allegation was not only spurious, but also malicious, adding that APC had apparently exhausted its basket of lies and propaganda. The governor, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Sir Opunabo Inko-Taria, said he had no cause to orchestrate or plan any protest against the appointment of Amaechi as a minister. A source within the party said the governor’s loyalists and PDP members in the state planned to carry out the protest at the National Assembly this week. “We have reliable information that they have set aside N350 million to execute this invidious plot,” the source said. He also alleged that some PDP stalwarts also met with a group of senators from the party to “pay back Amaechi in his own coin”

for defecting from the party to APC. However, Rivers APC may also be putting in place measures to resist the alleged protest as the source said the party was mobilising its supporters against PDP. The state APC chairman, Dr Davies Ikanya was said to have

had admitted that he heard the rumours and that he had told his party members to be prepared. “The APC in Rivers State has borne with equanimity all the numerous attacks by PDP and its leadership against our leader and former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

A Kaduna-based nongovernmental organisation (NGO), under the aegis of Centrum Initiative for Development and Fundamental Rights Initiative (CEDRA) has rejected the nomination of Amina Mohammed as ministerial nominee for Kaduna State. This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna at the weekend and signed by the Board Chairman of CEDRA, Dr John Danfulani. Though the statement

Wike, in the statement issued by his media aide, Inko-Taria, said the allegation was, yet, another propaganda by APC and challenged its leadership to prove itself. “The allegation is not only spurious, but fatuous and malicious. Governor Wike has no cause to orchestrate a protest

against the appointment of Rotimi Amaechi. Let me restate for the umpteenth time that Governor Wike has no nexus with the appointment of Amaechi or otherwise. It is the right of an appointor to appoint anybody of his choice, provided such appointment is in sync with the relevant laws.”

in party activities or feature in any governmental programmes at all levels.” In a related development, a non-governmental group, Oke Ogun APC Youth Vanguards, Oyo State, also called on President Buhari to remove the name of the state nomineeMr Adebayo Shittu from the list, accusing him of anti-party activities. The group in a statement signed by its president and secretary, Abdulraman Oyefeso and Moses Adeola, respectively, and made available to Nigerian Tribune, made series of allegations against the choice of Shittu, stating

their reasons to reject his nomination. Oke Ogun APC Youth Vanguards which claimed it is made up of professional youths from Shittu’s Constituency alleged that the former attorney general of the state alleged that he “persistently engaged in anti- party activities such as court cases against the leadership of the APC in Oyo State in the last two years just to score cheap political points.” They also listed among other reasons that the former governorship aspirant under the platform of APC “has little or no electoral value in Oyo State.”

Oyo APC rejects Shittu as ministerial nominee By Tunde Ogunesan

THE All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to have a re-think on the choice of a former Attorney General of the state, Mr Adebayo Shittu, as the state’s nominee on the ministerial list. The party’s state Central Working Committee (CWC) after a meeting, at the weekend, issued a statement signed by the party’s state chairman and secretary, Chief Akin Oke and Honourable Mojeed Olaoya, respectively and titled ‘Marginalisation of Oyo State in political Appointments.’ The party through the statement addressed to President Buhari through the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, expressed its dissatisfaction with recent appointments made by the President, noting that despite its contribution, the state has been unjustly treated in the scheme of things. According to the tone of the statement, the party made particular reference to the choice of a former governorship aspirant from the state, Mr Adebayo Shittu, on the ministerial list sent to the Senate

President last Wednesday. “We like to appreciate the fact that going by the 2015 presidential election results, Oyo State performed creditably in terms of contribution of votes to the overall success of our party. “Surprisingly however, our performance has not been commensurately rewarded at the national level. For instance, Your Excellency, the current power matrix shows that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives hails from Osun State, while the currently appointed Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue is a Lagosian. At the senate and House of Representatives, no lawmaker from Oyo State heads any of the committees that had so far been constituted. In fact not even any of the visible party positions nationally despite the fact that Oyo State is the political capital of the south-west. “The recent media reports of the ministerial nominee from Oyo State in person of Barrister Adebayo Shittu have further compounded our political challenges this is due to his unacceptability and rejection by the vast majority of

Group rejects Amina Mohammed as Kaduna ministerial nominee Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna

“It is sad indeed as the former governor has done nothing to deserve such evil behaviour. We have decided as a party that we will no longer keep silent. We will match the PDP action for action and word for word”, the source quoted Ikanya to have said. However, Governor

agreed that it is the constitutional duty of the president to appoint and submit the list of the Ministerial nominees to the Senate, it noted that the political offices in Kaduna State have always been fairly shared among the three Senatorial Districts. The statement said, “we object to the Ministerial nominee representing Kaduna State in the person of Amina Mohammed. The objection is predicated on the fact that she is not an indigene of Kaduna State as provided in the Constitution but an indigene of Gombe State.

“The constitutional provisions, allows each state of the federation to have a Minister who must be an indigene of that state. “If the nomination of Amina Mohammed is allowed by the Senators, the state will be short-changed and this will be unconstitutional,” the statement read The statement then called on the three senators representing the state to use their good offices to reject the nomination of Amina Mohammed and direct that an indigene of Kaduna State be nominated and sent to the Senate for screening.

our people,” the statement read in part. The statement explained the reasons for the rejection of Shittu to include that, “He is not known to be a team player. Despite the fact that he and his cohorts were fully accommodated in the APC, he exhibited an uncooperative attitude in his relationship with the party and its leadership, which was uncalled for. It is curious to note that Mr Shittu refused bluntly to participate in all party activities including campaigns except on one occasion of the presidential rally in Ibadan. Till date he has refused to participate

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 5 October, 2015

INSIDE LAGOS

Monday, 5 October, 2015

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1. From left, Olori Raisikat Abiola Agbabiaka; the Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Kolawole Agbabiaka, the Asalu Osuro of Isolo, Alhaji Jamiu Sagunbi and Olori Kamilat Omogbolahan Agbabiaka during the sallah prayer at Asarudeen Grammar School Ground, Isolo, on Thursday. 2. From left, Mrs Ronke Solomon; Senator Ganiyu Solomon; Medical Director, Boyle Medical Centre, Dr Bode Oyewole and CEO, Dekunle, Mr Adekunle Jeje, during sallah celebration in Lagos, in Thurday. 3. Chief Executive Officer, Laurus Development Partners, Carlo Matta; Head West Africa, Corporate Solutions, Jone Lang LaSalle; Managing Director, Global Property & Facilities, Dr MKO Balogun and Executive Director, Commercial & New Market, Halogen Security Company Limited, Mr. Bosun Sosanya, during a plenary session at the Real Estate Unite Exhibition and Conference in Lagos on Wednesday. 4. From left, . Senior Brand Manager, Peak, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria

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Plc, Omolara Banjoko; Junior Brand Manager, Peak, Adetunji Quadri, and Senior Activation Manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Grace Onwubuemeli, during the Independence Day Family Fun Celebration with Peak Choco at New Apapa Amusement Park, Lagos, on Thursday. 5. From left, Marketing Director Nigerian Breweries Plc Franco Maria Maggi, presenting keys and vehicle documents to Francis Njoku, winner of a brand new Huyndai Elantra car at a raffle draw in the ongoing Gulder Ultimate Promo. With them is Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, also of Nigerian Breweries Plc, at the prize presentation ceremony at NB headquarters in Lagos recently. 6. From lefrt, Beverly Naya; Funlola Aofiyebi; Funmi Holder; Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional Director, AfricaMagic, West Africa; Segun Abiola-Williams and Ireti Doyle during the Tinsel Charity Ball held at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 5 October, 2015

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08055001747 or 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Nigeria’s independence and the future

HE seed of national awakening in Nigeria was sown during the First World War. Educated Nigerians, particularly

those in Lagos, followed the discussion of the article on self-determination for all peoples contained in the famous 14-point programme enunciated by

Varsities should focus more on practicals Have you ever wondered why countries like Japan, China, USA, and its like are making waves in the global economy? Its all because of their strong technological innovations. These countries know the importance of practise towards the overall development of a nation. This is why their educational system focus more on practise than theory. As a result, they produce graduates that can put into practise the knowledge they have acquired over the years. Therefore, if really Nigeria must build a country that will cultivate the habit of innovation, it must amend its educational curriculum so as to focus more on practise than theory. it is not just enough for the government to complain of the backwardness of the students towards technological innovation but solutions need to be made and executed immediately. The theoretical aspect of learning in our higher institutions can not be enough to equip Nigerian students concerning the huge task ahead as regards technological innovations. For our students to be able to compete effectively with students from great nations like Japan, USA, China and others, it must couple theory with practice. I believe that if theory should be coupled with practise, a better graduate will be produced in Nigeria. Conclusively, if this country must change the bad notion of our graduate being half baked, it must make amends to already existing educational curriculum. It is only when change is made in our educational system that we can talk of competing with other countries of the world in terms of technological innovations. Our education-

al system is seriously sick and needs to be re-structured. It is not just enough for students to recite pages of text books but putting the idea into practical term is very necessary. Therefore, the government as a matter of urgency should amend the university curriculum to focus more on practise than theory. It is only when this is done that we can dream of being like these word powers in terms of technological innovations. •Chinweokwu Ugwuanyi, UNN, Enugu State.

President Woodrow Wilson of the United States as a way of ending the war. Indeed, the 1914 amalgamation was just one great step forward in ensuring that Nigeria was put on the imperial chessboard of Britain. That explains why the amalgamation was done without consultation with the people concerned. This lack of consultation and in view of the problem (integration) associated with the amalgamation, a number of commentators have seen the amalgamation as more of fiscal than political unification. Before the attainment of independence, constitutional conferences were held both in Nigeria and Britain. The nationalists on their part had to engage in press war to drive home their demand, that is, independence for the country. However, by 1919, two Nigerians in Lagos were elected into the Lagos Col-

ony’s Legislative Council on very limited franchise based on property ownership. By 1923, this was extended to residents of Lagos and Calabar who elected representatives to a new Legislatiive Council. Although, this council’s jurisdiction was severely limited, the significant thing was that electoral politics began in 1923. There is no doubting the fact that all said and done, the 1940s and 1950s saw the Nigerian people, irrespective of group interest, varying religions inclinations etc. coming together and learning more about common factors that would enhance their struggle for independence. To this end, they acted with all vigour in this pursuit and even thought of themselves as Nigerians rather than Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos, Fulanis, Ibibios, etc. With the growing consciousness of freedom and

independence, especially within the United Nations, the 60s witnessed the granting of independence to many African countries. No doubt, party organisation and politics were the bedrock of political agitation,moreso,the resistance of the nationalists was also a contributory factor. In line with global happenings, Nigeria got her own independence on October 1,1960 through patient negotiation between Nigerian leaders and their colonial masters. With independence achieved, Nigeria became’a full federation of three regions,a federal capital and a member of world assembly of sovereign nations’. One remarkable thing about the independence is the fact that it has provided necessary impetus for social, economic and political development of the country. For the first time since the 1914 amalgamation, it

was after the 1960 independence that the country had a Nigerian ruler. Because of its wide and large market the new Nigerian leaders tried to take active part in the world economic affairs. As noted earlier, the attainment of independence made it possible for the country to be an active participant in world affairs. We have definitely come a long way as a nation, and it is high time we got our acts rights. We have wandered for so long without direction, particularly when the military held sway. Civillians have also not proved to be the ‘messiah’ but we should come together and work towards making Nigeria a great country. •Sunday Ogunkuade, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

On Falae’s kidnap KIDNAPPING is now a ‘business’ in Nigeria. There is a popular saying in Yorubaland that when a goat that is being pursued reaches a dead-end, it will turn around to face its attackers. First. we should forget if it is actually Fulani herdsmen who kidnapped Falae; the truth is that the society is reacting to the state which politicians have brought it into. There are no jobs for our youths and that is why there is a high crime rate in the country. Wealthy indiduals in the society are no longer safe. Apart from kidnapping people, there is a boom in baby factories, oil bunkering, armed robbery, 419, rape, incest, among other crimes. It is high time our government realises that the country will never be safe as long as the youth have nothing to do. I hope something can be done to save Nigeria as soon as possible. •Nelson Ekwale, UNIBEN, Edo State.

editorial

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

The imprisonment of Vivian Simeon-Michael

N June 2015, when she found a job as a maid, she felt probably relieved that finally, some kind of liberation had come from the well known anguish of unemployment and, therefore, poverty. But by September, three months on, she was on her way to jail, her joy cut short by a jail sentence. Twenty-year-old Vivian Simeon-Michael who recently pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of stealing preferred against her was expeditiously sentenced to two months imprisonment for stealing her employer’s underwear and tinsel valued at N295,000.00. The sentence was without an option of fine. Without attempting to review the judgment or justify stealing in any form, it would however appear as if the sentence was a little bit harsh. With no previous record, the accused may have been a first time offender and being a young woman, her two-month stint in prison may have a deleterious effect on her and therefore be counterproductive if she leaves the prison as a hardened criminal eventually. Both the speedy trial and judgment are so commendable that one would wish that the bigger thieves in the country’s socio-economic and political space would be made to go through such similarly expeditious treatment. Sadly, their cases usually linger unduly, making the country’s criminal justice system appear skewed in favour of the rich who have the financial muscle to delay or frustrate the justice system. Vivian Simeon-Michael may represent the horde of poor, defenceless and voiceless people but who could have been helped with a dose of sympathy and understanding from the larger society. Without such sympathy and fairness, the society may inadvertently be producing a resentful and angry class who will seek vendettas by other illegitimate means. Peradventure, Vivian’s case may have ensued from a sour relationship with a harsh and angry boss intent on teaching her a lesson. After all, having retrieved

her stolen property from the thief, her boss could have chosen to sack her instead of going further to prosecute her, thus sullying her records permanently by turning her into an ex-convict. Her unsavoury experience during incarceration is certain and it may be a forlorn hope to expect her to return as a reformed woman. In previous comments on similar matters, we have usually admonished that people hiring maids and other household staff be humane in their various interactions with these cadre of employees since they render personal services in order to get the best in terms of loyalty from them. This is to prevent any form of untoward criminality from happening to their children or wards whenever these vulnerable children are placed at the mercy of the household staff or under their watch. But Vivian had hardly spent two months before running afoul of her employer’s rules by stealing her underwear and tinsel and she was caught red-handed; so she definitely deserved to be sacked especially after the items were recovered from her. If every houseboy or maid who pilfered their master’s purse or filched from their mistress were to be sentenced to jail the country’s penitentiaries may not accommodate the errant felons. Their employers must have been tolerant, even indulgent enough to keep them in their jobs despite their various misdeeds. In some cases these maids and houseboys have eventually inherited some form of livelihood from their past employers as reward of loyalty not because they were flawless but because their employers were minded to accommodate their weaknesses. Obviously, Vivian’s employer was not cast in the mould of an indulgent or tolerant master. She demanded for her pound of flesh and she got it, at the expense of the larger society that has recruited a new hardened criminal in the making.

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opinion

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Lasisi Olagunju Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

ast Thursday was October 1. Apart from the closeup smiles of President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki, can you really remember any other event of significance of the day? The appalling low is the picture of today’s Nigeria. The country’s first generation of leaders battled to give Nigeria that date as Independence Day. They would be alarmed at the lack of space for history in our national consciousness. Even governors degraded the date in their states. Some said, officially that there was nothing to celebrate. They would rather venerate May 29, a date on which the ordinary Nigerian had his oppressors exchange batons. You know the story of October 1 and Nigeria. Can you remember that of May 29, which has been made to suppliant Nigeria’s day of freedom? If there are issues of togetherness today, May 29 kickstarted the woes of Nigeria. Check that date in 1966. If innocent blood continues to flow in northern Nigeria, is the root not right there in the wombs of May 29, 1966? Was it not on that day that 30,000 human beings were slaughtered in the north, setting the stage for the subsequent 30-month civil war? But Nigeria has chosen that date, instead of the customary positive October 1, as our Democracy Day. What really is in a date? Are you satisfied with the life you’ve been living under the shadows of May 29 and its Angels? I feel like asking what actually was going on in the minds of General Abdulsalami Abubakar and his men when they picked May 29, 1999 as the military’s exit date from the governance of Nigeria: What significance recommended that date to the military apart from the debit it posted in 1966 to the balance sheet of our national unity? Governors ignored October 1 last week. We were all asked to stay at home, like some war-ravaged community of the afflicted. And did our kids miss anything by not celebrating October 1, 2015? We used to look forward to the pomp of October 1. As school kids, we would practise march past, compete in-house for space to represent our schools at the

Nigeria, May 29 and October 1

main Independence anniversary event. For school kids, it was a date you looked forward to to celebrate the togetherness of our nation. At our school level, we used it as our day of freedom. It used to be the most important day in our country. It was a date that reminded us that the nation once had leaders who wrenched our collective destiny from the vice grip of foreign predators and destroyers. But October 1 is no more. The military killed its beauty and its essence. Even the only activity the Federal Government used to give the date, Guard of Honour, has been subjected to the exclusivity of the Presidential Villa and to the whim of whatever recluse inhabits the hole. You have to be really powerful and a member of the club of our rulers to witness and be part of the celebrations. That is the new Nigeria. What is it really with Nigeria? We are never clear

about the sanctity and sacredness of anything. There is nothing we cannot shift. We shift values and redefine beauty. The way we have degraded our Independence Day is exactly the way we have taken down everything good in our history. And things are getting worse. They are not getting better. There cannot be redemption where the flow of the national stream is focused on the arid. The desert takes, so says Ayi Kwei Armah. The desert does not give, it takes, it sucks vitality from the fecundity of the forest. We have poisoned everywhere and everything. And we think we can build survival on our current mound of waste and wishful forgetfulness. No. I spoke about the closeup smiles (or was it laughter) we all saw between Buhari and Saraki at the October 1 event in the Villa. I tried to read that photo just as you did. What did I see? Or maybe I should ask you what you saw? Can you look again at that photo? Hausa-Fulani Buhari said something into the ears of the Yoruba-Fulani man from Ilorin and Sai Bukky laughed from the bottom of his heart! What did the president tell this man who was in his first open interaction with Buhari since the combustible elections into their respective offices? If you take Nigeria so seriously as to take sides in the war of thrones going on across mafia camps in the country, when you read that October 1 photo correctly and very well, you will sit back and reassess your own mental balance. When you read the faces and the lips, and the smiles and you notice their uniform, deliberate, flowing white babanriga, you should know that something is happening as usual. Whatever is happening or will happen, if I were you, I would know it won’t put food on my table nor will it make your unwilling governor pay your unpaid salaries. If I were you, I would learn to mind my business and seek deliverance from the ignorance of the moment. If I were you, I would put May 29 and April 1 on the same pedestal. They smell just the same.

Buhari: Converted or convoluted democrat? (2) By Bola Bolawole (Continued from last Friday) Against a Jonathan government seen to be very lax in tackling run-away corruption and impunity, Buhari, with his military-era image of a no-nonsense leader coupled with his reputation for frugal or near-ascetic living, became hot cake. These were the deciding factors in the last election; perhaps, more than political parties, party manifestoes, and campaigns. Fear of what could become of Nigeria in another four years of the same shenanigans under Jonathan drove many into Buhari’s arms. Confronted with Buhari’s inglorious past and the grim prospects of a likely capsizing of the ship of State if Jonathan’s tenure was renewed, the citizens considered the former the lesser of two evils and embraced it. This choice, understandable as it is, has its complications – and which is what this intervention is all about. The messianic toga bestowed on Buhari, and which he has gleefully accepted and exuberantly donned, will be problematic if nothing is quickly done about it. Wherever it took firm roots, the cult of the omnipotent leader was a disaster waiting to happen. Where leaders see themselves as messiah; where they appropriate all the wisdom unto themselves; where they alone know all the answers and have all the solutions; where, in their reckoning, no one else is capable and competent; where everything grounds to a halt when they are not around; and when the nation goes to sleep each time the leader goes to bed, then, the nation is done for! When the people see their leader as messiah, three things happen. One: they abdicate their civic duties and responsibilities and go to sleep. This is

a sure recipe for dictatorship. Two: they have unreasonably high expectations as they expect the leader to simply wave a magic wand for decade-old, deeply-ingrained problems to simply vamoose into thin air. Three: they are impatient and unrealistic with their demands. We have seen all of these already at play with the exasperation of the citizenry with Buhari so early in the life of his administration. Witness the controversies that trailed what was promised and what was not in Buhari’s first 100 days in office. We have also witnessed early signs of creeping fascism. The delusion that messianic leaders suffer gravitate them inexorably in the direction of dictatorial tendencies; especially so in societies such as ours where institutions are weak and checks and balances exist more in theory than in practice. We can now see the point that the United States president, Barak Obama was making when he counselled Nigeria to build strong institutions and not strong personalities. Strong personalities in the absence of strong institutions breed abuse and lead to the tyranny of power. The Nigerian president is touted as perhaps the most powerful in the entire universe; used recklessly and without assured control, his immense power, which has equal capacity to build as well as destroy, will lean more in the direction of the latter. Knowing this, we must resolve to ensure that Buhari, indeed every Nigerian leader from now going forward, deploys the awesome arsenal at his disposal to build and not burn the country. To achieve this, I suggest the following: One, no leader should see himself, act or be seen as a messiah because none is and none will ever be. We are all humans and infallible. None is the sole repository of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; but together, rubbing minds and giving

everyone his due, we will move this nation in the right direction. Two: the principles of checks and balances and separation of powers amongst the three arms of government i.e. the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, must be respected in theory as well as in practice. Three: our federalism, including the principles of federal character and fiscal federalism, must be respected without sacrificing merit. Four: constitutional democracy frowns at the imposition of military-style sole administratorship at federal, state, and council levels at the detriment of constitutionally-prescribed organs and or regular elections. Five: Leaders at all levels must see themselves as servants and not lords. Every leader is elected\appointed to serve and not lord it over the people. This they should do diligently and at reasonable cost to the common purse. Six: the rule of law, as opposed to arbitrariness or rule of the thumb, must be enthroned. Public lynching of any sort is anathema to the rule of civilised conduct. Finally, leaders must be fair to all without discrimination on any account, be it race, creed, social status or political affiliation. The golden rule here must be to do other others what we wish they do unto us. A one-time minister of the Federal Republic was fond of telling this writer that governance is like the game of tennis: When it is the turn of Player A to serve, Player B is at the receiving end. Soon, however, it becomes the turn of Player B to serve and Player A is at the receiving end. If leaders take this to heart while in power, they will least behave like Almighty God who alone is infallible and whose tenure has no end. •Bolawole, a former newspaper editor, writes via turnpot@gmail.com.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor

tribune

business

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

From free to highly regulated banking Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

HANGE in all human endeavours is the only permanent and constant thing. This is a universally accepted truth of all ages and holds true for the Nigerian state and its component sectors. At 55 (October 1, 2015), Nigeria is reputed to have experimented with diverse forms of military dictatorship as well as variants of democracy. In the same way, Nigeria has tinkered with a legion of economic policies, perhaps as political power changes hands, in its search for the much needed economic growth and development. Part of the changes that have taken place in Nigeria in the past 55 years (1960-2015), are the transformations in its key economic sectors; some leading to desired results and others evidently misfired. For instance, while some chequrerd developments in the financial services sector, especially the banking sub-sector, have turned out to be good, some cannot be said of the counterproductive effect of others. Whichever way, however, there have been changes and the facts are there for all to see and judge. Looking back The history of banking in Nigeria commenced from 1892. Its offshoot was the establishment of the foundation banks, the African Banking Corporation and the Bank of British West Africa. Barclays Bank, Dominion Colonial Overseas (DCO) was established in 1917, and metamorphosed into Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. It culminated to the first attempt at an indigenous bank in Nigeria in 1929. In a bid to end discrimination and monopoly of foreign banks in Nigeria, a group of patriots and visionaries came up with the idea of setting up banks of their own. The Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) later merged with Standard Bank Limited and transformed into what is now known as First Bank of Nigeria Plc. So, the history of mergers and acquisitions as being witnessed today in the banking landscape did not start today. Further from this, out of four banks established between 1945 and 1947, only two, Agbonmagbe which later became Wema Bank and African Continental Bank (ACB) which was among banks acquired by Spring Bank (later nationalized and became Enterprise Bank), remained in business till it was acquired a few months ago by Heritage Bank. The Nigerian banking industry has evolved rapidly over time. Records have it that between 1929 and 1960, not less than 24 indigenous banks went under. There was the era of free baking (1892-1951) when there was complete absence of laws governing the establishment and running of banks. Consequently, many banks failed during the period because of problems of inadequate capital, fraudulent practices and bad management. In 1952 several Nigerian members of the federal House of Assembly

Emefiele, CBN gov called for the establishment of a central bank to regulate banking and facilitate economic development. Although the motion was defeated, the colonial administration appointed a Bank of England official, Mr J. L. Fisher, to embark on a study and give advice on the issue. He advised against a central bank, questioning such a bank’s effectiveness in an undeveloped capital market. Incidentally, the Nigerian independence was unfortunately predated by a history of bank failure. Thus, the rapid rate of bank failure led to the regulation of the banking system in 1952. In 1957, the Colonial Office sponsored another study that resulted in the establishment of a Nigerian central bank and the introduction of a Nigerian currency. The Central Bank Act, 1958 (as amended) constituted the legal framework within which the CBN was formed, operated and regulated banks. With the establishment of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 1958, the sector passed through an era of consolidated growth . The first 10 years after independence witnessed the CBN at work, initiating, executing and monitoring monetary and banking policies. The Banking Decree 1969 (as amended), served as a new framework within which the CBN regulated banking within this period. Later on, the financial system was comprehensively reviewed in 1979. The review called for an increase in banking supervision and regulation to encourage specialisation of financial institutions. However, following the collapse of the

international oil market in mid-1981, the Nigerian economy, which was mainly oil- dependent, began to nose- dive with negative consequences for the financial system. After passing through difficulties, there was a reform of the banking system in 1986. In 1988, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), was established through Decree No 22 of 1988 to safeguard customer deposits and promote banking stability. Changing face of banking Looking at the changing face of banking, mention must be made about the government initiatives that had remarkable impact on the banking sector in the country . Foremost among the initiatives was the Indegenizayion Act, otherwise known as the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Act, 1977. The primary aim of this Act was to Nigerianize company boards in the country, as virtually all major organizations, banks inclusive, were exclusive preserve of expatriates. Thus, with the take off of the policy, more Nigerians ascended to top management positions of banks and exercised control at the board level. This opportunity encouraged private Nigerian enterpreneurs to enter into joint ventures with foreign banks to establish banks in which they held important positions on the board. Banks that emanated through such ventures include Societe Generale Bank Nigeria limited, Nigerian American Merchant Bank and

Bank for Credit and Commerce International (later African International Bank Ltd.), all defunct. Indeed, in 1983, the first wholly indigenous bank privately owned and run by Nigerians was established, namely First City Merchant Bank (known today as First City Monumental Bank (FCMB). Before 1986, no government policy had such a penetrating impact on the nation’s banking sector as deregulation, which was the main thrust of the then Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). Still evolving with lots of mergers and acquisitions, the banking system moved through the Structural Adjustment Programme era, the liberalization of the financial services sector in 1986 up till the 2005 N25 billion consolidation that reduced the number of banks in Nigeria. They were 89 banks operating in the country, but dropped to 24, following a CBN mandated recapitalization exercise in 2005. This was followed by the sack of five influential bank chief executive officers in 2009. The banking sector witnessed strong government intervention in the form of bail out that culminated to serious reforms which shook the industry to the foundation between 2009 and 2013. Rots in the system discovered through a joint CBN/NDIC target examination led to another reform in Nigeria’s banking space that not only served as a springboard to the establishment of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), but also a lot of other changes. The 10-year tenor for bank CEOs was introduced; universal banking was abolished and banks are now categorized according to regional, national and international banks tied to capital base. The ‘bad bank’ (AMCON), which pioneer Managing Director Mr. Mustapher ChikeObi was sacked last month by President Mohammadu is billed to live for 10 years. It became a reference point in the history of banking crisis and its resolution in Africa. AMCON, in its mission to save the banking sector, soaked up toxic assets and acquired three ‘Bridge Banks,’ two of which have already been sold. Now, there are divided opinions among experts, with some groups arguing that the aftermath of the reforms had been over-regulation of the sector, while a good number of industry watchers believed that the core benefit of the latest reform, is the emergence of real banking. Yet, there are concerns that with the 190.5 per cent rise in other liabilities as at 2013, the CBN may not have the capacity to engage in another bail-out of any bank that falls into the mistakes of the past, unless the CBN had to print money to do that, which will have consequences on price stability. This is probably why the NDIC has stepped up its deposit insurance role, as well as seeking more banking regulatory powers. Available records show that from N2.1 trillion in December 2009 to N6.1 trillion in November 2013, the CBN’s other liabilities Continues pg22

tribunebusiness Evolution of banking industry in Nigeria 22

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Continued from pg21

rose 190.5 per cent, traceable to the acquisition of AMCON’s debt. Banking environment today, 2010 till date Analysts are convinced that Nigerian banking environment today is faced with a lot of challenges , both on the regulators’ side and the regulated. Nigeria’s economic growth for the second quarter of this year saw a decline to 2.3 percent from 6.5 percent attained last year, showing that the economy, which was once a beacon of growth on the continent, was undergoing a slowdown. This has increased the work of bankers due to what can be explained by the phrase; “You can’t eat your cake and have it”. In using external reserve to defend the Naira, Nigeria has to choose between having independent monetary policy (aka the ability to set interest rates), having fixed exchange rates, and having free capital flows (i.e. free movement of money into or out of a country for trade, investment, or other business purposes). It is clearly expressed as a tradeoff between interest rate, exchange rate and inflation rate and known in economics as the “impossible trinity.” While CBN, is sweating it out to manage these with a lot of administrative measures, the banks are complaining of over regulation. Added to this is the Federal Government’ s Treasury Single Account (TSA) directive. Though there are reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and several other agencies may be exempt from the TSA policy, the banks are complaining that the policy has dried up liquidity in the system. This prompted the CBN to reduce the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) from 31 per cent to 25 per cent. Before this time, the CBN in 2010, directed that all banks should adopt the Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN) scheme. The NUBAN is a 10-digit Bank Account Number format, with the following structure: 999999999 – Account Serial Number 9 – A Check Digit constructed to support a modulus check, which enables the presenting bank to perform checks. The Central Bank of Nigeria fixed the transition period for compliance on May 31, 2012. Every bank was required to create and maintain a NUBAN code for every customer account (current, savings, etc) in its customer records database, and the NUBAN code should be the only Account Number to be used at all interfaces with a bank customer. This is the practice in advanced economies. Account numbers have to be uniform. It makes payment processing and other transaction operations easier. Especially in these days of online and over-the-phone transactions. In the UK, all account numbers are 8-digit numbers. And, no exceptions - big or small financial institutions Moving from this, a major event took place in the leadership at the apex regulatory institution early last year. It was the suspension of a CBN governor at the tail end of his first tenor, by President Goodluck Jonathan. Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, (now the Emir of Kano) pioneered a new face of banking hinged on the meeting point between banking and technology. He was passionate about moving Nigerian economy from cash-based to a ‘cash-less’ economy, using electronic payment channels. His suspension and tenure end got analysts talking . They were worried that CBN had been characterized by a single-tenure syndrome and rightly so. The suspension also called to question, the autonomy of the apex financial institution .The most recent appointment of a new governor to lead the Central Bank of Nigeria from June 2014 to June 2019 brings the number of persons so appointed since 29 May, 1999 to four. Joseph Sanusi (1999-2004) and Charles Soludo (2004-2009) had been appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, while Lamido Sanusi (2009-2014) was nominated by President Umar Yar’adua and confirmed by the Senate. President Goodluck Jonathan later nominated Godwin Emefiele for the 2014-2019 tenure. The current CBN governor promised to focus on developmental banking, which experts view as a good idea but may be too ambitious for the apex bank. In his maiden address, Emefiele said, “we need to do more to cater for existing job seekers, as well as for new entrants into the labour market. “In order to realise the CBN’s vision, therefore, I believe we must start with championing policies that promote the sustainability of our hard-earned macroeconomic stability.” Unlike in 2013, whereby the CBN paid greater attention to driving its financial inclusion strategy, the focus last year, especially since the second half of the year, was largely how to shield the banking sector from exogenous shocks in view of developments in the global oil markets.

Abraham Nwankwo, DMO DG After his confirmation by the Senate in March, the current CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele assumed office in the first week of June. Emefiele, who until his appointment was the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Zenith Bank Plc, vowed to make macroeconomic stability his watchword. He has continued to pursue policies that would support the growth of the Nigerian economy. Nigerian banks officially reported Basel II/III ratios for the first time with their financial year (FY) 2014 results. Based on management feedback, most banks’ capital adequacy ratios (CAR) showed a drop of 100-400 basis points (bpts), versus the 400-600 bpts reported by the Kenyan banks. The deadline given for Primary Mortgage Institutions ( PMIs) to recapitalize and to meet the conditions for selection as national primary mortgage banks was set at December 31, 2013. By the first quarter of 2014, a total of 40 mortgage institutions in Nigeria survived. The CBN granted new licenses to seven firms that applied to be selected as national mortgage institutions in the country. The new licensees were among about 82 PMIs, that sought approval for operational licenses under the reformed consolidation programme initiated by the CBN. Amidst the report that certain bureau de change (BDC) operators may have been wiring funds to the various terrorist cells in the country, in addition to the depletion which their insatiable demand for forex is causing the nation’s foreign exchange account, the apex bank reviewed the minimum capital requirement for the operation of BDCs in Nigeria from N10 million to N35 million.The mandatory cautionary deposit was also reviewed to N35 million and to be deposited in a non-interest yielding account in the CBN, upon the grant of Approval-in-Principle. The CBN in August 15, 2014 launched the first international outbound money transfer channel. This allows transfer of funds overseas from Nigeria using the Naira currency instead of the dollar or other foreign exchange denominations. By this initiative, for instance, a person in Nigeria can send naira to someone in Germany and the recipient gets Dutch Mark equivalent. A person can send money to China and the recipient gets Chinese Yuan/Renminbi, while a recipient in the United States of America gets dollar and so on. The Central Bank of Nigeria on Wednesday, 13th August 2014 issued a circular to all Nigerian banks to re-introduce fee on “Remote-on-us” ATM Cash withdrawal transactions. Effective from the 1st of September 2014, ATM users began to pay a flat fee of N65 for every withdrawal made from other banks’ ATMs. This however only applies from the 4th withdrawal in a month to the cardholder, thereby making the first three withdrawals from other banks free. Following the review of comments from the industry on the existing Guidance Notes and the Reporting Template on the implementation of Basel II in Nigerian Banking Industry,

Nigerian Tribune

the CBN issued Revised Guidance Notes on Regulatory Capital, Credit Risk, Market Risk, Operational Risk, Pillar 3 Disclosure Requirement and a new Reporting Template for the monthly submission of Capital Adequacy Ratio. These Revised Documents are now available on the CBN’s website. The Central Bank of Nigeria, as part of the efforts to unlock the potential of the real sector to engender output growth, value added productivity and job creation has established a N300 billion Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF). The Facility will be used to support large enterprises for startups and expansion of financing needs of N500 million up to a maximum of N10.0 billion. Early August 2015, the Central Bank of Nigeria banned the payment of cash into domiciliary accounts in the country. In June 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria, while announcing the take-off of the third and final phase of the cashless policy, said charges on withdrawals for both individual and corporate account holders would be suspended in 30 states of the federation till July 1, 2015. But early August, the apex bank in agreement with the Bankers Committee on put on hold the enforcement of cashless policy charges exercise nationwide. Commenting on the latest TSA policy measure in the industry, analysts at Rennaisance Capital (Rencap) Explained that banks with more Naira than Foreign Exchange (FX) deposits should be proportionately bigger beneficiaries from CBN’s CRR ease. They cited Fidelity, Diamond, First Bank of Nigeria Holdings and Skye as tops, but FCMB, Zenith and GTBank are not that far behind. “N570billion is the latest figure we have for federal FX deposits in the banking system pre TSA. The net Naira TSA debit was N238 billion. Twenty-five percent CRR should release about N780 billion to the banking system, which we read to mean federal FX TSA withdrawals was N542 billion. Moving from the regulator to the regulated, an international investment bank and private equity firm, Renaissance Capital (RenCap), took an independent assessment of Nigeria’s banking space today. “We would like to see Nigerian banks deliver returns comparable with those of their Sub-Saharan (SSA) peers, but we believe the operating and regulatory environment in Nigeria is significantly tougher than in other key SSA markets. “Sector earnings have been broadly resilient, but some banks stand out, and these are our top picks in the space: Zenith, Access, Stanbic and FCMB,” RenCap stated. It said a simple comparison of key banking regulations, such as capitalisation ratios, net open position limits, cash reserve ratios and liquidity ratios suggested Nigerian banks operate in a relatively tough operational and regulatory environment. “We conclude that Nigerian banks’ profitability is largely a function of macro stability, and any significant improvement in sector earnings is likely to be driven by a loosening of monetary policy,” the company said in a report. Future of banking Looking beyond 2015, the Chairman of the Lafferty Group, a London based expert in the areas of retail banking, Mr. Michael Lafferty said retail banking is the future of banking. “Nigeria is now well- placed for the take- off of transparent consumer lending. come out of your executive suites in those skyscraper buildings and mix with the people- for they are the future of this great country,” he stated while delivering the 2015 annual lecture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. In the financial system, some banks have become the toast of investors and the banking public. The banks include Access Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Diamond Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Skye Bank Plc. Others are United Bank for Africa Plc, Union Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Stanbic IBTC Bank, not forgetting the new entrant, Heritage Bank Nigeria Limited. These are expected to shape the face of the banking sector in the nearest future. RenCap further estimates that while all banks’ RoEs would benefit from an easing in the cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) (which happened as early as 2H15), tier 2 banks will be the most significant beneficiaries, at the margin, based on certain assumptions. Whole some banks are raising tier 2 capital (mostly naira), cutting dividend payout ratios and slowing credit growth, RenCap from an independent assessment perspective estimated that credit growth could slow from to 10-15 per cent in 2015 from 20 per cent .

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 5 October, 2015

+ entrepreneurship

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

m:0811 695 4637 e:ruth.olurounbi@tribuneonlineng.com t:@Olurounbi

INSIDE

How to start a conversation with strangers at a networking event

How a pharmacist invented Pepsi

‘We digitally take people to the market, and the market to them’

Pius and Ayo nursed the dream of meeting people’s housing needs for many years. In 2014, that dream was realized and a year after, the dream is flying high gaining international repute, RONKE SANYA in this interview brings to fore how the CEO’s of Cribpark made their dream become a reality

hat brought about the vision of online sales of building materials? My cofounder and I had always discussed mass housing years before starting Cribpark. At some point it seemed our dream was big and we had to start small so we thought of focusing on solving the existing problems of an average home builder. The problems we realized were; despite 100,000 homes being constructed annually and Nigeria having over 37million households there wasn’t a specific hous-

ing online platform for community, commerce and content. So we launched Cribpark in 2014 and started as a blog, by August 2014 we evolved into an ecommerce platform for home items and services, and in June 2015 we became a marketplace for building materials. Why building materials, why not fashion, phones? My Co-founder Ayo Oladapo and I have 16 years combined experience in the home construction

business. Growing up I was surrounded with civil engineers. My dad is a civil engineer, his older brother and his younger brother too. Ever since I thought of having a life career it had always been about building homes in a new way. I studied civil engineering in school, worked with design and construction firms before joining Alcatel-Lucent where I worked in civil works related departments. Continues on pg25

+ entrepreneurship Monday, 5 October, 2015

‘Our journey, fraught with challenges, yet interesting’

How to start a conversation with strangers at a networking event By Jacqueline Whitmore One of the best ways for entrepreneurs to socialize with colleagues, customers and potential clients is at networking events. Corporate gatherings, conferences, happy hours and cocktail parties provide an opportunity for you to meet new people and reconnect with old acquaintances. However, if you have difficulty mingling in a room full of strangers, connecting with other professionals can be a difficult and uncomfortable process. Regardless of how you feel, networking is undeniably an effective way to meet people who can provide new opportunities and help you grow your business. Many entrepreneurs regularly attend networking events, but few study or practice effective networking. The more practiced you become at starting conversations with strangers, the less anxious you’ll be. Your confidence will attract others and help you become much more than just another business card. To become a master mingler, employ these tips at the next networking event you attend. Hone your public speaking skills. Conversations require just as much speaking ability as a presentation. Practice your skills whenever you can. Take a public speaking class or join a Toastmasters club in your area. When you feel prepared, give presentations at industry meetings or offer to give a guest lecture at a local community college or university. Start with a handshake. The type of handshake you extend to a stranger speaks volumes about you and your intentions. When you approach someone new at a networking event, start your conversation with a firm handshake. As you greet the individual, make eye contact, smile, extend your hand and introduce yourself. This nonverbal communica-

tion will help you build rapport before you even say a word. Win the name game. Remembering names is an essential skill in conversations. When others hear you say their name, it makes them feel more connected to you. If you’ve just met someone for the first time, use his name frequently in conversation. When you forget a name, simply extend your hand and say your own name. The other person will most likely introduce himself in return. Show interest. Many entrepreneurs use a popular but ineffective approach while networking. Instead of building relationships, they collect and hand out as many business cards as they can. To form professional connections, approach new acquaintances with a genuine interest in their businesses, opinions and hobbies. When you initiate the conversation, ask open-ended questions to show your sincerity. Ask a connector for help. A personal introduction is a winning strategy to start conversations at networking events. If you’re a first-timer at an event and nervous, ask the host or an influential contact to introduce you to others. Most people will gladly introduce you to other entrepreneurs in the room. Give a sincere compliment. Everyone is happy to receive a compliment, even from a new connection. Use what you know about the person to choose the best accolade. It’s advisable to compliment someone on his or her business accomplishments or talents. Compliment a physical attribute only when you don’t have anything else to go on. You could say something like, “You look very sharp in that blazer.” Culled from entrepreneur.com

Continues from pg23

My cofounder was my course-mate in school and we graduated together, he worked with specialist construction companies involved in large scale construction and we always discussed how we could change the way of construction. We were both ICT savvy and had seen the importance of technology in every phase of life. So it was easy for us to think about building materials because we had experience, exposure, and had the passion to do something different. What does Cribpark mean? Cribpark is Nigeria’s first online housing marketplace which connects buyers and sellers of housing products. On Cribpark our customers buy building materials, sanitary wares/fittings, and furniture/home decoration. We take people to the market, and the market to the people, all on their digital devices. We wanted to be an online company and so we were looking for a name that was available online and on social media. For several days we were trying different combinations and at a point it seemed all possible names had been used. So we had to be creative, we imagined that since “Crib” is a slang for house while “park” means an area devoted to a specific purpose, so Cribpark means a place devoted to house items. Didn’t you at any point think it won’t work, selling building materials online, didn’t you think Nigerians might not embrace it? Thoughts of giving up are hardly far away from an entrepreneur’s thoughts when expectations go south. But I usually remember a quote a friend once told me, “courage is not the absence of fear”. When we launched as ecommerce in August, we were focused on home items and services. However things didn’t pick up as planned and we faced months of slow growth. Eventually we had to look at our value proposition and identify the core needs of our customers. At this point we evolved into an ecommerce marketplace and focused mainly on building materials. Despite the fact we knew it was a right decision, it was hard taking off the nice looking furniture items on our website and replacing it with blocks, cement, sand and the likes. We had the chairman of Millicom, Cristina Stenbeck visit us at our office in Kigali, Rwanda and when we told her our new direction she was impressed and agreed we had the right strategy for the market. It was a huge validation seeing someone who had invested over $2 billion in ecommerce validate our model but we still had to clear the last hurdle – get people to buy online. We offered people more competitive prices, free

delivery, pay-on-delivery, free consultation and product guaranty. The decision paid off. Our sales in June this year alone was four times what we made in our first six months and our July sales was four times what we made in June. Sales have been good since then. Share with us your challenges while starting up and how were you able to overcome them. Some of the peculiar challenges is getting top talent. Top talent are easily poached by the bigger companies like Jumia and Konga. In our case, it was important for us to show our team members the value of what we were building and an opportunity for them to be a part of the success story. Showing people the big picture made them believe in us, and interestingly we have had people from Jumia join us even though they had a more comfortable job. Getting people to trust the platform was also an interesting one. Scam is real, and a lot of people have been victims. Even people who don’t buy online have been cheated by sellers they thought they could be trusted. Knowing this reality made us treat our customers with more attention right from the moment they order online or call us. We emphasise our product offering, quality guaranty, payment-on-delivery options among other things. This gave our users more confidence to try us out The major challenge of any young entrepreneur is startup capital, how were you able to handle this? We started by raising funds ourselves since we had both worked and had some savings before staring Cribpark fully. However it didn’t take long to exhaust the money. During this time we also had to do some extra part-time work like web-design, building design, site supervision to sustain ourselves and the vision. Then overtime we had to borrow from friends and family. The truth about raising funds from friends and family is that you eventually run out of people to borrow from. Eventually we got funded by the Think Incubator, an accelerator funded by Millicom and managed by Tigo Rwanda. We received $15,000 among other resources and moved to Kigali where we would spend our next six months. When we came back to Nigeria in May we raised some money so we could launch and run the business while we went through an investment round from investors who have shown interest. What was your starting capital? We actually started, but without a capital. I and my cofounder planned on leaving our companies

We understand we are a startup and each member apart from his/her core competence needs to wear many hats for us to survive. This has allowed us to run on a much lesser cost while still achieving a lot.

by December 2013 so we could focus on Cribpark fully in 2014. We really did not have a startup capital. I’m aware it’s a group innovation, how do you guys share responsibilities? We are an ideal lean startup. The interesting thing about our group is that there are lots of talented team members who have multiple competencies. From marketing, sales, branding, web development and more we have always done it ourselves and the result has been impressive. As the CEO I look at

people’s competencies and match it up to the needs. Overtime needs come for us to do a task that we do not have a skill-set for and do not have the funds to hire a professional. In such situations I usually look out for those who show interest in taking the role or match the role to a team member who has a related skill. We understand we are a startup and each member apart from his/ her core competence needs to wear many hats for us to survive. This has allowed us to run on a much lesser cost while still achieving a lot. For the team members, over time handling a lot of related and different tasks have made us better individually, more exposed and experienced, with more self-confidence. How does it feel being the first online housing marketplace? It is a sense of responsibility. When we started some found us impossible, at a point it was so easy to pitch to investors but you could sense they were still shocked at the possibility of people buying online. Eventually we went ahead and proved the model. It wouldn’t take long for as many startups to copy our model and explore more options. So for now we are our own critic, and we focus on innovation. Being the first has a lot of pressure, but we prefer this kind of pressure where others have to look up to us rather than playing catchup.

Where do you get your materials which you display for sale on your website. We visit all our sellers before placing their products on Cribpark because we feel ensuring quality starts with the vendor acquisition process. Some of them come from people team members have worked with directly over time, referrals from friends in the industry who have used vendors they found to be honest, and also some vendors contact us directly to indicate interest in displaying on our platform. We normally visit such vendors to assess them and check out for recommendations they have from clients who have worked with them. How does it feel like having

a lot of achievements to your credit, even at international level? You were selected in 2014 for DEMO Africa and was one of the 40 most innovative tech startups in Africa and many others. How were you able to achieve all these within less than two years of your start up? Housing is a major challenge and it has a large addressable market. We have a lot of experience in the industry, and have a tech staff that has worked with the best ecommerce companies in Nigeria. Apart from Demo Africa, we were selected into Millicom’s 1st incubator in Africa along with a team from Egypt and

Rwanda. We were selected into the facing the gorillas in East Africa more like a shark tank programme except that you are torn between a very large audience and a team of investors. We were also nominated to represent Nigeria at the Dubai world trade centre GITEX expo, where we will be among other startups demonstrating innovation coming from Nigeria. How do you handle competitors? We focus on our unique advantage. When we started it was a Greenfield and overtime we have found companies doing what we are doing. We focus on what we do best, and find a way

of doing it better. We look for ways of delivering the best prices to our customers and we provide value added services like free consultation. Also, it is a relationship based business so we see ourselves as partner to our clients. We look for ways of offering them better prices which lowers their cost of construction while still ensuring there is no loss in quality. We offer a faster response time. Sometimes our clients have given us a three-hour notice to deliver items like sand and we it have delivered. We are always honest with them, when prices change and go lower we are always the first to let them know so they can benefit from it.

Did You Know That... Pepsi Cola, now known as PepsiCo was invented by American pharmacist?

By Ruth Olurounbi

is name was Caleb Davis Bradham. He was born in Chinquapin, North Carolina, on May 27, 1867. Bradham’s initial dream was to become a doctor, so much so that after he graduated from the University of North Carolina, he enrolled to become a doctor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Bradham had to drop out of school due to family crisis. The crisis saw his return to North Carolina, where taught a school for a short period of time before opening a drug store on the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets in downtown New Bern, named Bradham’s Drug Store, where Pepsi-Cola was invented. Initially, while studying at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Bradham worked parttime as a pharmacy apprentice at a local drug store. This experience, naturally led to him opening a drug store, not to mention the fact that he was a certified pharmacist.

In 1893, “Brad’s Drink,” made from a mix of sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, nutmeg, and other natural additives, was introduced to the world and became an overnight sensation. On August 28, 1898, Bradham renamed his drink “Pepsi-Cola,” on the belief that drink was more than refreshment but a “healthy” cola, which aided in digestion, getting its roots from the word dyspepsia, meaning indigestion. Pepsistore.com had it that in late 1902, the Pepsi-Cola Company was formed due to the rising popularity and demand for the Pepsi-Cola Syrup with none other than Caleb Bradham as the first president. “The business began to grow, and on June 16, 1903, “Pepsi-Cola” became an official trademark. By 1904, the Pepsi-Cola Syrup sales reached almost 20,000 gallons. As demand for the drink continued to rise, Bradham decided it was time to offer Pepsi-Cola in bottles. By 1910 there were 240 franchises in 24 states and that year the Pepsi-Cola Company

held their first Bottler Convention in New Bern,” the website recorded. In 1965, Pepsi-Cola merged with Frito-Lay. Frito-Lay Inc (formed by the 1961 merger of the Frito Company and the H. W. Lay Company) were individually founded by Elmer Doolin in 1932, and Herman W. Lay, also in 1932. The Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay merger saw Herman Lay, former chairman and CEO of Frito-Lay, emerging the chairman of the board of directors of the new company, and Donald M. Kendall, former president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola, the president and chief executive officer. The merger birthed a new name, PepsiCo Inc, known simply as “Pepsi” in Nigeria. Due to the merger, the new company reported sales of $510 million and had 19,000 employees, according to PepsiCo Inc. Currently, PepsiCo, a food and beverage company is a global brand which offers products to over 200 countries and territories, with about 22 “iconic, billion-dollar brands.”

Monday, 5 October, 2015

moneymarket

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

There is liquidity in banking system —CBN There is no FC liquidity —Fitch

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), want investors and the general public to believe that there enough cash balances (liquidity) in the banking system, but Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency has insisted that there is no Foreign Currency (FC) liquidity in the system. “Nigerian banks’ foreign currency liquidity remains tight despite cutting reserve requirements to 25 per cent,” the agency said. Specifically, CBN’s Monetary Policy Director Mr Moses Tule, had last week explained that the bank’s recent decision to cut the cash reserve ratio to 25 per cent from 31 per cent had injected N300 billion ($1.51 billion) into the financial system. But Fitch rating agency seem not satisfied with the development, insisting that this will not add liquidity to the Nigerian banking system because the reduction will not lead to additional foreign currency (FC). Prior to the move, liquidity on the interbank market had dried up after commercial banks were ordered to move government revenue to a single account at the central bank, as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive. JP Morgan’s decision to remove Nigeria from its influential emerging markets bond index (GBI-EM), which means investment funds tracking the index will sell Nigerian bonds, added to upward pressure on national borrowing costs. So, in a statement last week, the rating agency said that substantial government-related foreign currency deposits are not included in the reserve requirements; adding that

Inflation Rates (Per cent) Month January All Items (Year on Change) 8.20 8.10 All Items (12 Months Avg. Change) Food (Year on Change)/1 9.20 9.40 9.50 Food (12 Months Avg. Change)/1 All Items Less Farm Produce 6.80 (Year on Change)/2 6.90 All Items Less Farm Produce (12 Months Avg. Change)/2 All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy 7.10 (Year on Change)/3 All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy 7.10 (12 Months Avg. Change)/3

February March 8.40 8.50 8.10 8.20 9.40 9.50 9.50 7.00 7.50 6.90

6.90

7.10

7.50

7.10

NITTY Oct 2, 2015 Tenor 1M 2M 3M 6M 9M 12M

Rate (%) 7.4929 8.7156 10.8086 12.3632 12.8671 14.6059

Change (%) -0.73 ▼ -1.49 ▼ -0.14 ▼ -1.04 ▼ -1.18 ▼ -0.03 ▼

such foreign currency deposits have already been withdrawn from the system after the government ordered all public-sector deposits to be moved from commercial banks into the centralised Treasury Single Account (TSA) earlier last month. With the objective of easing the liquidity pressure and stimulating new lending to further economic growth, Nigeria’s Monetary

“Lower reserve requirements will not offset the tighter FC liquidity at Nigeria’s banks. A currency split of public-sector deposits is not disclosed but in our opinion, FC deposits are substantial, held up by oil-related deposits. The centralising of public-sector and government-related FC deposits at the TSA has made it increasingly difficult for commercial banks to meet customer demand for FC.”

Committee reduced mandatory reserve requirements on all local-currency (LC) deposits to 25 per cent from 31 per cent. This is meant to provide some additional LC liquidity into the banking system, but around N1.2 trillion naira (6.5 billion US dollars) of deposits were said to have been sucked out of the banks in September, reflecting transfers to the TSA. The Fitch report said,

Oscar Onyeama, DG, NSE

CBN Exchange Rates 2/10/2015 Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING EURO SWISS FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL

Buying(NGN) 195.95 297.0602 218.6018 200.1532 1.6287 0.3141 273.7638 30.8273 52.2464

Central(NGN) 196.45 297.8182 219.1596 200.6639 1.6329 0.3241 274.4623 30.9064 52.3797

Selling(NGN) 196.95 298.5762 219.7174 201.1747 1.637 0.3341 275.1609 30.9855 52.513

DANISH KRONA SDR

29.2974 274.5064

29.3722 275.2068

29.4469 275.9073

FGN Bonds Date of Auction 8/12/2015 8/12/2015 7/15/2015 7/15/2015 FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds Security Type Tenor 5 Year 20 Year 5 Year 20 Year Maturing On 8/13/2020 7/18/2034 2/13/2020 7/18/2034 8/13/2020 7/18/2034 2/13/2020 7/18/2034 Amount Offered (N mn) 40 30 40 25 88.33 65.16 77.07 42.48 Subscriptions (N mn) 40.00 30.00 28.00 16.00 Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates 12.0000 - 16.5000 14.0000 - 17.2000 12.0000 - 16.7450 14.3000 - 17.0000 Successful Bid Rates 12.0000 - 15.3890 14.0000 - 15.1990 12.0000 - 15.2890 14.3000 - 15.2990 Marginal Rate 15.389 15.199 15.289 15.299

CBN Bills Date of Auction Security Type Tenor Maturing On 11/13/2003 2/20/2003 11/21/2002 9/19/2002 Amount Offered (N mn) Subscriptions (N mn) Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates Successful Bid Rates Marginal Rate True Yield

Nigerian Tribune

5/15/2003 CBN Certificate 91 91 180 180 180 17019 82227 37767

2/25/2002 CBN Certificate 180 2/20/2003 15000 4161

11/26/2001 CBN Certificate 180 11/21/2002 5000 2740

9/24/2001 CBN Certificate 180 9/19/2002 1155 1155

4161 15000 4161

2740 5000 2740

1155 1155

17019

4161

2740

20.5

19.5

weeklyreview Money Market Review /Outlook The Nigerian Banking system credit opened at N189billion on Friday before the inflow from matured Open Market Operation (OMO) hit the system, lifting the sector’s total cash balance with the central bank to N386billion traders said. A total of N197billion ($989.9m) in matured Open Market Operation bills was retired on Friday while the CBN did not issue fresh bills to mop up funds in a bid to keep borrowing costs low. Yields on the benchmark 10-year bond, one of those to be delisted from the influential index, rose to 15.12 per cent, from 14.74 per cent last week. The most liquid three-year bond traded at 14.76 per cent while the one-year Treasury bill was quoted at 13.84 per cent on Friday. The Debt Management Office said it would re-introduce the benchmark 10-year bond in its fourth quarter debt sale, after not issuing them in the previous quarter. The secured open buy back–the rate at which lenders can borrow from the interbank market using treasury bills as collateral fell to three per cent on Friday, 10 percentage points below the CBN’s benchmark interest rate of 13 per cent The Nigerian overnight lending rate halved to three per cent on Friday to a three-month low after the Central Bank of Nigeria injected liquidity into the banking system by paying off Treasury bills, traders said. Reuters reported that traders expected another N300billion ($1.5bn) coming into the financial system after the central bank cut banks’ cash reserve ratio to 25 per cent from 31 per cent week before last. Liquidity had dried up on the interbank market three weeks ago after the Federal Government ordered banks to move government deposits into a Treasury Single Account at the CBN in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft drive. “Treasury bill yields are lower than bonds at the short-end hence locals are piling into bonds,” said one trader at a Nigerian commercial bank. Domestic pension fund managers have been buying shortterm bonds at higher yields as foreign buyers left the market after JP Morgan moved to evict Nigeria from a key emerging markets index. Foreign Exchange Market The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week adjusted its exchange rate peg to N196.95/dollar from the N197 set since July, traders said, quoting a broadcast from the regulator. This is the sixth adjustment since the central bank introduced tight controls on the foreign exchange market in February. The Naira, however, appreciated on the parallel market on Wednesday prior to the independence day anniversary. It traded at N222 to the dollar, better than N224.50 a dollar on Tuesday. The CBN injected $80 million into the bureau de change market, just as naira also closed firmer at the new rate of N196.50 to the dollar at the official interbank market compared with N197 per dollar rate the previous day. Data for the month of September obtained from the apex bank’s website show that there has been a fall in Nigeria’s foreign reserves. Foreign exchange reserves fell by 3.14 per cent to $30.48 billion by September 23 from $31.47 billion a month ago. In August, the CBN indicated that foreign exchange reserves rose by $350 million to 31.43 billion. The reserves increase crossed $30 billion in July, rising by 5.6 per cent from 29.03 billion in June to N30.69 billion. Meanwhile, as Nigeria celebrated her 55 years Independence anniversary on Thursday, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) urged the Federal Government to immediately return the Arabic Ajami script removed from the nation’s naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Bond market review The bond market last week recorded drop in yields on Nigerian bonds across the board. There are anticipations in the market of increased liquidity in the banking system from retired Treasury bills and refunds from cash reserve requirements (CRR). “Pension funds and banks are expected to rev up buying of fixed income assets next week because of the increase in available cash in the system,” one dealer said. United States investment bank JP Morgan removed half of the Nigerian bonds listed on its emerging markets bond index (GBI-EM) on Wednesday, but dealers said the market had priced in the impact prior to the move. Yields on the benchmark 2024 paper rose to 15.12 percent on Friday from 14.74 per cent week before last, while the longest tenor paper rose to 15.04 per cent against 14.97 per cent.

moneymarket

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Domestic investors to soak up N127.07 worth of T-Bills by October 7 Stories by Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

total of N127.07 billion worth of Treasury Bills (T-Bills) are expected to be bought by local investors, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plans to raise the instruments with maturities of three months to one year at an auction on October 7. The success of this auction according to traders would confirm assurances by the CBN that the Nigerian banking system had enough liquidity to take up what foreign investors might sell after JP Morgan removed Nigeria from its bond index. It said it will issue new 91-day paper worth N25.40 billion, N33.49 billion in 182-day bills and N68.18 billion in one-year debt, using the Dutch Auction System. Results of the auction are expected to be released the following day. Nigeria issues treasury bills twicemonthly to fund the government budget deficit and manage liquidity in the

banking system. Analysts believe that the recent government borrowing has become neces-

sary because its revenue is dropping; even as they argued that the government should have invested the

money that earlier accrued to the excess crude account instead of spending it. The Federal Government

Mr Segun Agbaje, GTB GMD

had raised N100.88 billion in treasury bills with maturities between three months and one year at an auction on September 23. Traders revealed that as the CBN adjusted monetary policy released about N767.4 billion into the credit market on Friday, interbank interest rates crashed from this month’s high of 50 percent to about 6.5 per cent. Also, yields on government bonds came down to 14.9 per cent from 15.2 per cent. The CBN had in June said it plans to borrow about N872.96billion in new Treasury bills issues between June 18 and September 3. Data released by the CBN had shown that it would auction N215.12 billion worth of the three-month paper, N238.5billion in the six-month debt and N419.34 billion worth in the one-year paper. The total debt proposed for the third quarter is 12.3 per cent short of the N995.5 billion raised in the second quarter of the year.

GTB’s corporate governance structure gets global recognition Good corporate governance structure at Guaranty Trust Bank plc has earned the bank global recognition, as it has received an award in recognition for this. The bank received the award during the 2015 African Business Awards held on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.

Launched in 2008 by African Business magazine, the African Business Awards has become the deﬁnitive business awards in Africa, recognising leadership and excellence on the continent. The objective of the Awards according to the organisers, is to highlight a successful and vibrant Africa that is open to lo-

cal, regional and global business ventures. Now in its seventh year, the African Business Awards has grown into a platform that celebrates excellence in African business by recognising the individuals and companies that are driving Africa’s rapidly transforming economy and creating new economic opportunities for citizens and com-

munities all over the continent. According to Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher & Managing Director of IC Publications: “We are proud of all our winners, their work and accomplishments in various sectors show what can be achieved on the African continent with hard work and single minded determination. In winning

First Bank CEO roundtable raises concern over youth crisis At the just-concluded Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Roundtable on Sustainability, top CEOs and executives of leading companies raised concern about the crisis of ever-rising youth population, without commensurate jobs and education. Put together by First Bank Nigeria Plc, participants at the forum which also included civil society actors and public sector leaders offered insightful perspectives on empowering the youth through skills training and education for the world of productive work as solution. They shared strategies and prospects for boosting

formal employment and self-employment opportunities for youths in Nigeria’s changing economy. “Clearly, there is work to be done by Nigerian businesses to formulate successful strategies and execute them collaboratively. This is an ongoing process which we were happy to facilitate. The youth bulge crisis in Nigeria should get everyone worried,” the participants agreed. Available records show that 40.9 per cent of Nigeria’s 170 million population is estimated to be 14 years and below, and 70 per cent below 30 years. There are currently 20 and 10 million children in primary

and secondary schools respectively in Nigeria. Roughly 1.8 million sit for the West African Examination Council exams yearly for only 250, 000 university slots. As a way of engaging the youth population, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank Nigeria Plc, Mr Bisi Anasanya advised that there is need to develop the Micro-Small and Medium scale Enterprises (MSME) sector such that when people have the ideas, they have access to every other thing they would need to actualise their dreams. “Banks should be encouraged to give a certain num-

ber of their portfolio to the sector and in that segment they should relax the risk assessment of that sector in such a manner that you don’t subject them to the same test you subject a more established institution,” he advised. In a Communiqué at the end of the forum titled: “Leading by Empowering: Youth, Skills Training and Unemployment in Changing Economy,” the participants wants all hands on deck in an effort to build a better society. They agreed with the World business Council for Sustainable Development that “Business cannot succeed in societies that fail.”

this year’s award, GTBank stands out in Africa and the rest of the world as a benchmark for good corporate governance, business ethics and adherence to international best practices.” Commenting on the award, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank said: “We operate in challenging business environments, but we believe that our stakeholders should be better off for partnering with us.” Thus, we set high goals and benchmark ourselves against global standards which influence our service culture and product offerings, thereby enabling us to remain relevant to our customers while adding value to all stakeholders. For us, winning this award is an attestation of the hard work and dedication of our staff, management and Board towards conducting business in a manner that typifies our adherence to global best practices. It also is an indication that our business model, systems and management are recognized globally as a benchmark for good corporate governance.”

Nigerian Tribune

Sterling Bank lists reasons for celebrating customer service week The Group Head, Strategy and Communications of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Shina Atilola has given reasons why the bank is taking part in the customer service week, stressing that the customers of the bank who have remained loyal to the brand over the years deserve recognition and celebration. “Customers are the reasons for our continued existence and they have been part of our success story thus far. As a responsible and customer sensitive financial institution, we are poised to continue to appreciate them from time to time through quality product offering and services. The Customer Service Week provides the right platform to achieve this,” he stated. The Customer Service Week, held annually during the first full week of October, is a global event which celebrates and recognises the loyalty of every organization’s customers as well as staff who render excellent service. The week is set aside to boost staff morale and encourage team work, while rewarding customers. Theme for this year’s celebration is “Every day Heroes.” This according to Mr Atilola was chosen to further reinforce this assertion by celebrating both customers and staff in a unique way. In Nigeria, numerous companies and organisations participate by giving back to their customers every day of the week. This reminds customers of the organisations’ commitment to customer satisfaction. As part of the plans, the Bank has introduced what it called the Sterling Heroes Campaign, aimed at appreciating the uniqueness of its customers and celebrating the stories. Similarly, a “Sterling Cares” Campaign in partnership with Genesis Deluxe Cinemas who provided members of the public free movie tickets was flagged off on Independence Day in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu. His words: “This heroes campaign would entail staff nominating customers who have inspiring stories and deserve to be celebrated. The top 10 customers as voted by staff would be celebrated every day of the Customer Service Week and awarded gifts.”

Monday, 5 October, 2015

capitalmarket

anchor Olatunde Dodondawa

m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

Market capitalisation appreciates by 0.15% Stories By Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

nvestors in the Nigerian capital market have every reason to smile as market performance indicators went north for a second week consecutively. After a four-day trading on the floor of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 0.15 per cent to close at 30,588.41 basis points and N10.513 trillion respectively. Similarly, all the indices finished higher during the week with the exception of the NSE Premium, NSE 30, NSE Banking, NSE Insurance and NSE Pension Indices that shed 0.80 per cent, 0.08 per cent, 1.77 per cent, 0.62 per cent and 0.15 per cent respectively, while the NSE ASeM Index closed flat. Meanwhile, it was another brief trading week, as the Federal Government of Nigeria declared Thursday, October 1st as a public holiday to mark the 55th independence anniversary. After trading on Friday, an average turnover of 1.666 billion shares worth N14.057 billion in 14,003 deals were traded during the week by investors on the floor of the exchange, in contrast to a total of 850.095 million shares valued at N9.060 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 9,414 deals. Hence, 31 equities appreciated in price, lower than 29 equities of the preceding week; 38 equities depreciated in price, higher than 36 equities of the preceding week, while 121 equities remained unchanged, higher than 125 equities recorded in the preceding week. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.376 billion shares valued at N7.823 billion traded in 7,435 deals; thus contributing 82.57 per cent and 55.65 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The ICT Industry followed with a turnover of 91.924 million shares worth N121.429 million in 49 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with 67.786 million shares worth N2.457 billion in 2,844 deals. Trading in the Top Three Equities namely: Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Access Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc (measured by volume), accounted for 775.890 million shares worth N1.925 billion in 1,380 deals, contributing 46.56 per cent and 13.69 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Leading the gainers’ table was Honeywell Flourmills Plc which gained N0.60 to close at N2.90; others were Vono Products Plc

which gained N0.14 to close at N0.99; University Press Plc gained N0.53 to close at N5.73; E-transact International Plc gained N0.25 to close at N3.00; Forte Oil Plc gained N19.81 to close at N259.80; Vitafoam Nigeria Plc gained N0.35 to close at N5.90; UAC of Nigeria Plc gained N1.70 to close at N31.70; Berger Paints Nigeria Plc gained N0.49 to close at N10.42; Eterna Plc gained at N0.09 to close at N1.93 while UACN Property Development Company Plc gained N0.38 to close at N8.17 per share.

Topping the losers’ table was Evans Medical Plc which lost N0.12 to close at N0.67; Portland Paints and Products Nigeria Plc was next with a loss of N0.41 to close at N3.90; Julius Berger Nigeria Plc lost N4.07 to close at N40; Zenith International Bank Plc N1.65 to close at N16.46; Costain (West Africa) Plc lost N0.04 to close at N0.56; Trans Nationwide Express Plc lost N0.07 to close at N1.12; Dangote Flourmills Plc lost N0.14 to close at N2.70; Pfizer Products Plc lost N0.05 to close at N0.97;

SCOA Nigeria Plc lost N0.21 to close at N4.16 while Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc lost N0.16 to close at N3.21 Also traded during the week were a total of 1,815 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N456,625.67 executed in 14 deals compared with a total of 11,454 units valued at N449,180.74 transacted last week in 13 deals. A total of 440 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N455,481.75 were traded this week in 1 deal. Last week, no bond trade was recorded.

From left, Mr Oladipo Aina; Alhaji Umoru Kwairanga; Mr Oluwole Abegunde; Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President, National Council, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; and Mr Dunama Balami, all members of the National Council of NSE, celebrating Nigeria at 55.

How preference for debt erodes company’s profitability A corporate entity usually referred to as a firm is majorly financed by either equity alone or equity plus debt. Equity refers to ownership interest in a firm in the form of common stock or preferred stocks. The owners of the firm contribute capital which is represented by shares and the amount a shareholder contributes is represented by the units of shares held. The shareholders have the right to share part of the profit in the form of dividend. On the other hand, debt is also another major source of raising capital for a firm. By definition, debt is an amount owed (by a firm, individual or government) to a person or organisation for funds borrowed. Debt can be represented by a loan note, bond, mortgage or other form stating repayment terms and if applicable, interest equivalent. The key factor here is interest payable on debt and rate of interest in the economy. Many companies struggle to make a choice between raising fresh capital by issuing new shares to shareholders or applying for a loan which will

attract interest. Interest rates in Nigeria is considered to be one of the highest in the world because while other countries work towards single digit interest rates, Nigeria’s official rate is 13 per cent while in practical terms, commercial banks lend at between 25-30 per cent interest rates per annum. For instance, an analysis of the financial statement of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc for the year ended 31 March, 2015, showed a debt:equity ratio of 70:30 which means the company was financed by 70 per cent debt and 30 per cent equity as against industry standard of ratio 50:50. Total capital for the year 2014 was N63,830,440,000 (Shareholders’ fund N20,605,248,000 + Debt N43,225,192,000) as against N67,943,444,000 (Shareholders’ fund N20,315,834,000 + Debt N47,627,610,000) capital formation in 2015. It also represented an increase in debt:equity ratio when compared with 2014 financial year which had debt:equity ratio of 68:32. By financing the company activ-

Nigerian Tribune

ities with such a capital structure, it means the management of the company chose to expose the company to high volatile interest rate which has dipped significantly into the profit of the company. Profit for the year 2015 was given as N1,120,267,000 as against N3,351,564,000 in 2014. The cost of financing the debt, according to the financial statement was N1,231,206,000 which was higher than the total profit for the year which stood at N1,120,267,000 and out of which shareholders may have a share ad dividend. In 2014 when the company’s exposure to debt was slightly lower, the company declared N3,351,564,000 as profit besides the N1,887,038,000 declared as finance cost. Unfortunately though, the company did not provide details of constitutes its finance cost in the financial report under review. By implication, while using N1. 2billion to pay interest to lenders, only N396,509,883 was paid out as dividend to shareholders at N0.05k per share (5k per share).

UBA rewards 20 customers with all-expense paid Dubai trip As part of its commitment towards rewarding customers’ loyalty, the Pan-African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has rewarded 80 of its customers in the first batch of the UBA Remittance Awoof Promo. In a statement by the bank, the draw was part of the bank’s efforts to reward loyalty; give back to the society and impact the lives of individuals that carry out businesses with the bank. At the draws which took place at the bank’s Head Office in Lagos, 20 winners, 10 each of Western Union and MoneyGram, were drawn and will be enjoying a 3-day all expenses paid trip to Dubai, sponsored by the bank. “The winners emerged from customers and non-customers that sent and received MoneyGram and Western Union money transfers at the bank within the period of January and August this year. “The 10 winners for the Dubai trip that received money through MoneyGram are; Anyim Okorie of Lagos, Aneke Emeka of Enugu, Linda Dede of Sapele; Samuel Diei of Asaba, Olatokunbo Olaleye of Kano State; Harris Adeniyi from Ife, Oluwatosan Nicol from the University of Lagos(Unilag), Abiodun Fakeye from Lagos Island, Ibisobia Hezekiah from Port Harcourt, and Alofe Tope from Ibadan. “From Western Union, the 10 winners are; Omeregie Osadebamwen Peter from Benin, Benita Ojeh from Asaba, Richard Ojo from Iju, Ndidi Ojukwu from Port Harcourt, Ime Davis from Ikot Abasi, and Osahon Idugboe of Ugbowo. Others are Ibrahim Sunusi from Kano, Oluwabukola Owoeye from Unilag, Alali Blessing from Port Harcourt, and Itunu Fakiyesi from Ogbomosho. Also a total of 60 customers won 20 rechargeable fans, 20 generating sets, and 20 water dispensers. The 60 customers represented an equal number of Western Union and MoneyGram customers. One of the winners, Mr Ibrahim Salisu, a UBA customer from Kano, expressed his joy and gratitude to the bank when he was informed of his winnings through the phone. “I am very happy at this opportunity, I still do not know what to say, but I am very grateful to UBA,” he said. Ikemefuna Mordi, Head of Marketing and Brand Communication, expressed his appreciation to customers for their loyalty and trust in the bank, adding that the Awoof Promo was carried out to add value to customers, who continued to do business with the bank.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

labour

When NUPENG visited IDP camp, donated relief materials, N1m Stories by Soji-Eze Fagbemi -Abuja

S part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its President, Comrade Igwe Achese, visited the camp of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Abuja with a donation of relief materials and N1 million cash donation. The union visited the IDP camp located behind the Games Village, Abuja. Apart from the N1 million presented, the union also donated insecticides, blankets and food items such as rice and noodles for the upkeep of the affected people. Comrade Achese, who presented the relief materials, lamented the poor condition of the Internally Displaced Persons and called on the government to provide a conducive environment for them. He tasked the Federal Government to devote more resources for the welfare of the displaced persons, who are scattered all over the country. Recent reports estimated that over 1.5 million people have fled to other parts of the country as a result of attacks by the Boko Haram sect in the North East states. Though the NUPENG President applauded the efforts of the military in curtailing the menace of the sect, describing it as quite commendable, he pointed out that more needed to be done to ameliorate the suffering of the victims. Comrade Achese said: “We want to call on the government to be alive to its responsibility of taking care of these IDPs. This is least expected of our country which is the biggest country in Africa and the sixth largest producer of hydrocarbon, that also had all the wealth it takes to make this environment conducive for these displaced citizens. “It is so sad; there no light, no water and no security. We are talking of the insecurity crisis in the North East and North West and where we also kept them is not safe. We will continue to call on the government; we will not fail to fight on this issue with them to see that

all necessary infrastructure needed in the camp are provided for them.” According to him, the donation was in fulfillment of NUPENG Corporate Social Responsibility to victims of insurgencies in the country; adding, “we have come to

express our love and show our concern to the IDPs, who as a result of the insecurity challenges we are facing today are being displaced internally in their own country, Nigeria and in their community. “It is shocking, sad and

painful that for the past four years that we have been fighting these issues of insurgency and bringing people out of their communities to safeguard them, you are also putting them in a vulnerable environment where anything can happen to

them at anytime. “You can imagine where the school children are learning, they are learning in an open atmosphere. It means, if it rains today, it will be difficult for these children to sit down and learn.”

NUPENG President Comrade Igwe Achese, led the leadership of the union on a visit to the IDP camp in Abuja, where they donated some relief materials and N1 million cash. PHOTO: SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI.

The Secretary of the camp, Enoch Yohana, while receiving the NUPENG team, said the environment in the camp was not conducive for them. He added that some of them were graduates who were rendered homeless as a result of the Boko Haram attacks in Gwazo, Borno State. Regretting that the government had failed them in terms of their welfare, he expressed appreciation for the kind gesture from NUPENG. He promised that the money donated by the union would be judiciously used to improve on the welfare of the displaced victims. Yohana said: “We are appreciative that people at the top hierarchy of society have come here today to identify with us. Despite our sufferings we have resorted to makeshift schools under the trees but of course you know that cannot be said to be comfortable for learning. “We crave the day that we would all go back to our respective homes and re-unite with our families. Hence we implore the government to redouble efforts at putting a stop to the insurgent crisis in the country.”

Labour ministry commends retirees over national development THE Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has acknowledged and commended the immense contributions of retirees and the elderly to national development. In a message at the cele-

bration of the 25th International Day of the Older Persons, the ministry called on all Nigerians to cultivate the habit of celebrating the International Day for Older Persons with senior citizens in their family and environ-

ment through telephone conversation or visitation. The 25th International Day of the older persons which held on October 1, 2015, was with the theme, ‘Sustainability and age inclusiveness in the urban

environment.’ The Director of Social Security & Cooperative Development Department, Ministry of Labour, Mrs Mojisola Sonubi, who presented the message, said in view of the immense con-

FG signs MoU with IFAN THE Federal Government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the ageing, under the auspices of International Federation on Ageing Nigeria (IFAN). While signing the MoU, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh, called for the social inclusion and empowerment of the Nigerian senior citizens in the scheme of nation building. Illoh painted a gory picture of how poorly some of the elderly are being treated in the country; even by their own children

and described this as worrisome. According to the permanent secretary, the elderly are sometimes being abandoned and left to their fate, adding that there is the urgent need for the government to move in swiftly and address this ugly trend headlong. To this end, he said: “The government is redoubling its efforts to adopt several strategies in terms of identification of elders for voluntary works, transmission of their experiences and knowledge to younger ones, the issue of assistance to families in terms

of family responsibilities are of paramount importance.” In a statement signed by the Deputy Director (Press) in the ministry, Prince Samuel Olowookere, the permanent secretary also called for increasing participation of the elderly in the labour force because they still constitute part of the active labour force of the country. He explained that the MoU the ministry signed with IFAN focused on three critical areas of the Elderly Empowerment Scheme, National Productivity Audit and the Elderly

Social Response Initiative. Illoh pointed out that these critical areas would place, in particular, emphasis on information, education, promotion of policies, programmes and international best practices with the overall aim of improving the quality of lives of the elderly persons in terms of their own lives, the community and the nation. He stated that the signing of the MoU underscored the government’s commitment to the public private partnership which is important to the development of social security in the country.

tributions of the elderly to the development of human society, the General Assembly of the United Nations had designated October 1 of every year as International Day for the Elderly Persons. According to the Director, the International Day of the Older Persons was observed for the first time throughout the world on October 1, 1991 and ever since then many countries and organizations celebrate it every year. She said: “To this end, the International Federation on Ageing, Nigeria chapter is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to mark the International Day for the Elderly on 1st October, 2015. The objective of the celebration is to raise awareness on the impact of an ageing population and the need to ensure that people grow old with dignity and continue to participate in the society as citizens with full rights.”

labour

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Half of world’s older persons lack quality long-term care —ILO

Bobboi Kaigama, TUC President Ayuba Wabba, NUC president

TUC presents position on justice bill to Rivers Assembly Stories by Soji-Eze Fagbemi -Abuja

HE criminal justice system in Rivers State has been more of a problem than solution, and had become an instrument of oppression, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Rivers State chapter, has said. In its position paper to the Rivers State House of Assembly on the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Bill, the congress, therefore, said the bill was a welcome development. “The ACJ Act 2015, which is now being presented as a bill for the purpose of domestication in Rivers State, is a significant improvement on the extant laws on criminal justice administration in Rivers State. It is therefore a welcome development,” the TUC said in its position paper. The TUC, Rivers State chapter had written the chairman and members of theAd-hoc Committee on Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, on the position of the union to the public hearing by the Rivers State House of Assembly. In the paper, signed by the Chairman of the congress in Rivers State, Comrade Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, the TUC said the public confidence in the state justice delivery

system had waned to such a level that people now resort to self help. It said: “The criminal justice system in Rivers State has been more of a problem than solution. In fact it had become an instrument of oppression as some persons rely on the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system to commit heinous crimes with impunity knowing that they will never be brought to justice. “Consequently, public confidence in the justice delivery system had waned considerably to such a level that a great number of people now resort to self help.” Though, the congress described the bill as laudable, it said, “nevertheless, we must state that the bill has its own issues which will need to be addressed to ensure that its laudable objectives are realised. “Moreover, the effective implementation of the bill will require determination and a huge step change in the culture of the institutions with responsibilities for criminal justice administration and delivery.” The congress commended the Rivers State House of Assembly for progressing with the domestication of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. It explained that Lagos State blazed the trail by passing the law in 2007, some 8 years even before the Federal Government

passed it into law in Nigeria. The union said: “We however would like to appeal to the Rivers State House of Assembly to ensure that critical stakeholders like TUC are effectively carried along in the legislative pro-

cess. “A situation where we are given a 285 page document 2 to 3 working days before the public hearing is certainly unfair and may send wrong signals to the society that the 8th Rivers State House of Assembly may

have made up its mind on what to pass into law and it merely organising or even simulating public hearing to fulfil all righteousness. We earnestly hope that our concerns would be adequately considered in the Law.”

Ajasin varsity work-study scheme beneficiaries receive stipend STUDENTS and staff members of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, have commended the management for creating an avenue for students to work and earn while on their studies. It will be recalled that no fewer than 193 students of the university who participated in the institution’s 2014/2015 academic session Student Work-Study Scheme (SWSS) received their stipend recently. A cross-section of the beneficiaries, who spoke after receiving their stipend, commended the university management for putting the Scheme in place. Folashade Fadimilehin, a 300-Level student of English Education, said, “The money I received here today will go a long way in paying some of my domestic bills. I am sure some of us will use the money for school fees. It is a very good programme. I want to thank the Ondo

State government and the university management for the programme.” Constance Chidinma, a 300-Level student of Political Science, said, “This programme is really helping me in my academic pursuit, especially now that I just lost my dad. I want to use this medium to appreciate the University Management for the wonderful programme. I pray that God will give Management the ability to continue the programme.” Another beneficiary, Emmanuel Akore, a 400-Level student of Health Education, said, “I really thank God for the programme. It’s really helping us (students) and giving relief to our parents to train us in the university. I don’t know what to say again other than to appreciate the Management for this remarkable support for us.” Oreoluwa Ogunbiyi is a 300-level student of Political Science. She said,

“This is a very laudable programme that helps the less-privileged among us. We are happy about it and we want the programme to continue.” For Olufunmi Adeyanju, a 300-Level student of History and International Studies, apart from the monetary benefit of the Scheme, she also garnered work experience. She said, “When I got the message that our allowance was ready, I was surprised. In fact, it really meets me at the point of my needs because a few minutes before I got the money, I was broke. I want to sincerely thank every brain behind this programme because aside from this money, I also acquired some work skills while on the programme.” The SWSS, which took off in July 2010, allows willing students to work for two hours daily and receive stipend to support themselves financially while studying in the University.

MORE than half of the global population aged 65 and above, representing 300 million people, is excluded from urgently needed longterm care (LTC), says the International Labour Organisation (ILO). A new ILO study reveals a global shortfall of 13.6 million care workers undermining the delivery of quality services to more than half of the world’s older persons. The new study, LTC protection for older persons: A review of coverage deficits in 46 countries which covers 80 per cent of the world population aged 65 and over; finds extreme deficits in social protection for older persons in need of long-term care due to a lack of 13.6 million LTC workers worldwide. In Africa, which lacks 1.5 million LTC workers, more than 90 per cent of older persons do not receive long-term care services when in need. The most important deficit in absolute numbers is observed in Asia and the Pacific, where there is a shortage of 8.2 million LTC workers; meaning 65 per cent of the older population is excluded from access to long-term care. Filling these gaps would result in a great number of jobs created, the ILO said. “We face these shortfalls despite the fact that the bulk of care – up to 80 per cent of LTC work – is provided by unpaid female family members of older persons. Their numbers exceed by far the numbers of formal LTC workers in all countries,” explains Xenia Scheil-Adlung, ILO Health Policy Coordinator and author of the study. According to the ILO expert, the situation is aggravated by a complete lack of LTC coverage in most social protection schemes. Only 5.6 per cent of the global population lives in countries that provide universal LTC coverage. While more than 48 per cent of the world’s population is not protected by national LTC legislation, another 46.3 per cent are, to a large extent, excluded from LTC coverage due to narrow regulations that limit benefits only to the poorest. The latter forces many persons aged 65 and over to pay out of their pockets for LTC services.

politics&policy

Monday, 5 October, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

Mr Victor Enahoro is one of the children of late Pa Anthony Enahoro, the man who moved the motion for Nigeria’s Independence. In this interview with DARE ADEKANMBI, he points out the errors committed by the founding fathers who fought for the freedom from British rule, looks at the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, relives his experience during the NADECO struggle, among other issues. Excerpts:

Where our founding fathers got it wrong —Enahoro

OU father’s name has gone into history book as the man who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence. Do you think he and other nationalists who agitated for independence were right in sending the colonialists away, given the manner independence has been managed 55 years after it was won? It is twofold when you look at it. On one hand, we said yes, we should have gotten independence anyway because nobody wants to be under servitude to anybody. So, independence was worthwhile. On the other hand, we ask questions about how the leaders have managed independence. The unfortunate thing is that those who agitated for independence miscalculated a whole lot because even the man that moved the motion always said that the consensus was to ‘get rid’ of the white people. After ‘getting rid’ of them, they never figured out what to do. And amongst them, there were progressives. The progressives were not able to take the federal power since independence. The first election was manipulated by the British to bring a concoction of people to rule us. This is the first time the progressives have taken over power in Nigeria. It took almost 60 years for them to realise that. So, yes, we should have got independence. But on the other hand, what has happened? The military years derailed us a whole lot. There is still an argument that why did we wait to build up like South Africa and all that for years before that. But, yes we needed independence because we would not be servants to anybody. Creativity and sensitivity have nothing to do with colour. To me, why would the colonialists think, because of their colour, they could rule other people? It is wrong to have the mindset that, because you are of this colour, you are cleverer than somebody. But Arthur Gobineau philosophised that Caucasians are superior in intelligence and that this is why the West would continue to be in the driver’s seat of technological advancement. Well, I will say what an idiot! We all went to school abroad at young age. We have always seen Black people getting A’s and white people getting A’s too. We have seen black people getting F’s and white people getting F’s. So, that defeats such mindset

Enahoro and to me, I’ll just say he is an idiot to think that because they are from a particular race, therefore they have a superiority effect to people from other races. That seems to me as he is in dark ages. Some scholars have looked at the unpleasant tale of governance in Africa and they tend to concur with Gobineau. Governance in post-independence Africa has not been to the benefit of the citizens but for the tiny political class. Development in Africa is being inhibited by western nations. This is because they in the first place created the mess we are in. They said they came and discovered Africa, but Africa had been in existence before they arrived. So, that myth is thrown out of the window. A good example is the way the border of Nigeria and Benin Republic came

into place. Thank God for dad being in exile. I got to spend six years with him on different stories and things that he did not want to actually write about because if he wrote about them, it would make a lot of people look bad. So, to him, he would let go and most of the things he would say would be against dead people and they would say why was he saying them then? The border between Nigeria and Benin came about when the British protectorate person who was here said, ‘let us meet somewhere to see where the line demarcates.’ And they both met there at night and asked where should the border be and he said how about here. And the white people just played on Africans’ intelligence. Why will there be Yoruba in Nigeria and Yoruba in Benin? Why should there be Igbo in Nigeria and Igbo in Cameroun? Why should there be Fulani in Northern Nigeria and Fulani in Niger Republic? Was the white man’s

I think as a president, your priority should be; I am going to be here for at least four years. In four years, I will make sure out of 150 million Nigerians, 50 million of them are millionaires.

usiness for coming to divide? So, it was playing to their interest and it still continues to play today. Africa is the only continent where they just came and did whatever they felt like and got away with it. As we speak, there are still stolen artifacts from all over Africa in Western countries. And the biggest mistake that continues to be made is that they see Africa as a combination of tribes. Nigeria, for example, is not made up of tribes; it is made up of nations, big nations. The Yoruba are bigger than about 45 members of the United Nations. It is the same with the Igbo, Hausa or even Edo. You don’t call the French tribes; you call them a nation. You don’t call the Germans tribes. So, how dare they say Nigeria is made up of tribes? Nigeria is a country made of nations that are bigger than the Swiss or even Germany and they turn around and call us tribes. No, we are a country of nations. It is even playing now in our political scene. All those years of military rule is tantamount to years of war. Look at Iraq and the rest. When you come out of a war in a country made up of diverse people, the very first thing you do is have an understanding among the people and how we are going to live with ourselves which is where the constitutional conference comes in. it was done in Iraq after its civil war. After we’ve done the conference, we now decide this is how we are going to live. Let’s do a constitution for the people. In doing that, you bring about the smartest constitutional lawyers that you have in the country and you tell them let’s do at least two constitutions, that is, the left wing constitution and the right wing constitution. And if you want to be a little creative, you put one in between, like a socialist cum capitalist system. And then you put it to a referendum before you can then put a stamp we the people. Abdulsalam cannot just give us a constitution and say we the people. That is wrong. That is the first basis. Now, political parties are created, it is not different between one or the other. In fairness, people have always been knocking General Ibrahim Babangida during his military years, Obasanjo said the military has messed up Nigeria. what an irony from a General. But they are good military men. Buhari is a very good and disciplined military man, that he might be one of the few there. I still believe, we missed a good part during those years. The best person to lift Nigeria out of those military rule is Buhari and he would have been great for Nigeria in 1999. The morality will have been set because of the principled man that he is. He is about 16 years late now but he still has a great task in his hand and we are confident that he can do it. That should have been the transition. He would have been able to do it. The military years ending, bring a disciplined man. I understand he is a military man but I like Buhari. Before you even go continues I pg32

politics&policy

Monday, 5 October, 2015

‘Nigeria’s biggest resource is not crude oil’ that has never been heard. The case is still in Abuja. The judges ran away, they refused to hear it. I think the lawsuit was pursued by him, Professor Wole Soyinka and the rest, challenging the document, saying that the constitution we are practising is illegal because the military are not equipped to draft a constitution. Let the constitutional lawyers do that and let a referendum authorise the use of “we the people.” 12 or 15 men cannot sit on the table, bring whatever they feel like or draw something out there and put “we the people.” That was why Chief Enahoro never participated in the system because he believed it was an illegal constitution. But, be as it may, first of all, we are still finding today that there are still many loopholes in the constitution. Why would you allow loopholes? Right in the beginning when there were some governors that will lose an election, you call for another election and while you’re running the election, he’s still there as governor. Now, if a man could cheat when he was not governor, what will he do when he is a governor during an election? The people, even I and most of my friends had funny talks with the old man (Pa Enahoro). Do you actually expect the people that benefit more from there to change it? You’re almost in essence telling them to fire themselves. So, with what we have now to play with, if you’ve contentious people, yes, they might be able to change it in the long run. But it’s still going to be difficult because both parties have the good and bad in them.

continued pg31

into civilian rule four years later or so on, that would have been a good thing. Babangida, in fairness to him, his try at civilian rule, a left wing or the right wing is what we needed. But today, what will you call the left wing or the right wing. Am I necessary a progressive because I dumped my party, I’m fighting with my people, I crossover and I am now a progressive? I don’t think so. None of the parties are based on ideologies. So, that is one big mistake that we are making. Secondly, the system, in fairness to Papa (Enahoro) as crazy as he sounded to most people, he always said the reconstruction and reformation he always spoke about was the system. I’m finding the fact that they knew what they were doing when they opted for a parliamentary type of government because they knew we were a nation, to live together is give and take, we have to negotiate. Under the presidential system, even America after 300 years of practising it, are still having problems with it. A developing country for goodness sake has no business with executive presidency. It is just too wasteful. It lives too much room for nonsense. We are finding that out now. Until we go with ideologybased parties, it’s only a waste of time. We are still going to be in this type of mess until we base parties on ideologies. There are some progressives in PDP. Not everybody in APC is a progressive. So, there goes my point. After 16 years of uninterrupted civil administration, how would you assess the journey so far? Thank God Buhari came in because of the way Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s administration ran the government. The way most black people have run government has given that notion that the blacks do not know what they are doing. That is because we have never chosen the best to represent us. We have only chosen a convenient person, someone we can manipulate, at least to do what we want. That has always been the problem. Why can’t the best man be put in the right place? I’m against the federal character nonsense. If all the best people you can put in positions are all from Katsina State, for goodness sake, put them there. Why should I care where you are from? When I now start thinking about federal character, that means you are not thinking of Nigeria first. You are thinking of it outside the box first and taking Nigeria second because if you take yourself as a Nigerian first, why should I care where you’re from? But won’t that affect the sensibilities of people from other ethnic groups? What sensibilities for goodness sake? It is the outcome that you want. Are you telling me if the worst man from this part is a thief, and the best man from this part is a good man, just because of federal character, you will take that person that is a thief just because he is from this part of the country? It is about time we started getting our acts together. That federal character thing should not be overplayed. It’s overplayed. One of the best times America had was Clinton and Al Gore. They came from a state right from next to each other. The North-East Americans did not shout why these two Southerners are ruling us. Personally, I don’t care whether the president is from Katsina and the vice president is also from Katsina. As long as there’s light, there’s water, there’s no robbery, there’s money, you raise the level of living of the people. The big point

continued from pg33

Enahoro

If a man could cheat when he was not governor, what will he do when he is a governor during an election? we should be making, especially if you’re running the affairs of Africans for example as the president or the people running the establishment, should not be saying we are going to do this, we are going to do that. We should play that down. A country of 150 million people, I think as a president, your priority should be, I am going to be here for at least four years. In four years, I will make sure out of 150 million Nigerians, 50 million Nigerians are millionaires, I’ve raised their standard of living. Can you imagine if 50 million Nigerians are millionaires? That’s more than the population of South Africa that people cry about. Then you finally have the work. So you then move into manufacturing, in which we can actually consume because we have the market. China is proving that you don’t need the outside world to do things. We’ve never understood or biggest potential and resource is 150 million people not oil or solid minerals. It is 175 million people. And until you tap and utilise that, then people will say you are just breathing and taking up space. Mixed reactions have trailed Buhari’s government so far. Some say he didn’t know he would win and so did not prepare for governance, while others have said he has done so much. What is your take? I disagree with anybody that says Buhari has not done anything. That will be totally unfair. In the first place, you cannot clean out the rot that has been created by the PDP in four years. It would have been a differ-

ent ball game if President Buhari was voted in as a Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) candidate. Buhari came in with an amalgamation of different parties, so different interests had to be played into. How can you say the man hasn’t done anything? The refineries that have not worked since 1999 are working in less than three months that he took over. The single account, funny enough, that is what the constitution says. But other presidents have not even done it. So, you see, the administration is doing things and it’s going to take time. And with the ministers, for goodness sake, he has shown that we don’t need them. The permanent secretaries are running government. Now if you were actually going to talk as a good citizen, see what all the last ministers did; they robbed the banks. Most of the people that we hear that did a lot of things were the ministers. Why don’t we say run government without ministers if they are the ones that did the most damage under the past 16 years. Most of those ministers were worse than the presidents they ran under. Some of them were just running like a one-man riot squad on their own. Some were quasipresidents in their own right. They will spoil the economy that matters. But he will be acting in breach of the constitution if he doesn’t appoint ministers because it is constitutional. When you come to the constitution, I still tell you, whether you know or not, there is still a law suit against the legality of the 1999 Constitution by late Chief Anthony Enahoro

When was the suit instituted? It was under late President Umaru Yar’Adua. The suit is still there. It was never heard, it was just delayed. Many times they’ll go to Abuja, they’ll call a date for the suit. The judge comes down to greet him, then the judge leaves because of running stomach or something. But Papa knew nothing would come out of it. It was just to test the system because it was even funny that not everybody in NADECO was pro-democracy. The last group of people in NADECO remained because Sani Abacha did not give them a case. You can count a handful of people in NADECO that were really for the fight and for the cause. Half of them, if Abacha had called them and given them appointments, they would have probably ditched NADECO. The issue is that most of the people we have now, look at the civilian years that were supposed to have brought democracy, they made Abacha look like a Boy’s Scout. The Abacha that most people fought, some people made him look so good. What has been going on over the years has been absurd such that people ask if we are better than the military years. Maybe to the layman, it is true. There are a lot of good military men. Buhari is one of them. Do you think Buhari can bring about the needed change, structural change that Nigerians desire? Buhari is head of a system and a line of thinking. Not just Buhari. Buhari himself, by his coming, a lot of things have changed, just because you know the type of person he is. Buhari has declared his assets and from what he declared, you will know he is a good leader. He has been a head of state, minister and held several other positions. But his assets are less than what a typical local government chairman has in the country. With Buhari in government, the outside world is beginning to respect us. Nigerians have now shown that they can remove any president who doesn’t perform. That would not have happened in the past.

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The challenge before Buhari By Emma Agu

F President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort is not being appreciated, he has himself and his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) to blame. Indications that the Buhari presidency could run into the crisis of expectation was evident as his party and, at times, the then candidate Buhari had used every opportunity to rubbish former President Goodluck Jonathan who, in spite of his shortcomings, was definitely pushing some very noteworthy policies and projects. Take a look at the improved power supply, the enhanced food security and improvement in public transport especially the railways, then you see clearly the footprints of the man who started life without a shoe! Determined to capture power at the centre at all cost, APC spin doctors whipped Nigerians into a hysteria; that all their problems would be swept away as soon as Jonathan was sent back to Otueke, a village in Bayelsa State of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region whose people produce the bulk of the nation’s wealth. Buhari was positioned as the miracle worker who was coming to save Nigeria and Nigerians from what was and is still being labeled as PDP misrule. Yet, the APC conveniently ignored the evidence that Nigeria was simply part of the global economic crisis and that Nigeria’s plight has been exacerbated by its slavish incorporation into the dependency angle of globalization to the point that when America and Europe sneeze, our economy instantly develops pneumonia. It was therefore only a matter of time for the chicken to come home to roost. Buhari won. But money has been in short supply. In these matters, there is no quick fix. And so, the economy is being asphyxiated into a state of paralysis; the high hopes of a sudden turnaround are fading into despair and the cocky exuberance of party faithfuls is turning into tongue-in-cheek rationalisations and the search for scapegoats. Buhari’s messianic aura has fast evaporated. But that is not to suggest that he has failed. To write off the President, any President for that matter, after only four months is uncharitable in the extreme; it is certainly too early in the day to write off a President who is only in the first year of his first term of four years. At any rate, his bold strides in combating terror have started to yield positive results and the fact that internally displaced persons (IDPs) are being rehabilitated in their homes is not only reassuring but commendable. If one is to rate Buhari by his foreign travels driven by the need to foster a global coalition against terror and hunger, he will score very high. His aggressive foreign policy posture has seen Nigeria return to the centre stage of world affairs. No week passes without these beautiful photographs of our President standing toe to toe and head to head with foreign heads of state and dignitaries. It’s such a surreal feeling when you come to think about it. But you are also left wondering whether these visits and meetings will provide solutions to the myriad problems of Nigeria: the growing disenchantment of voters with perceived and actual governmental inertia; the sense of marginalisation fuelling instability, the lengthening unemployment queues as the harsh economic environment takes its toll on the private sector and the growing feeling of alienation by critical segments in the coalition that forced President Jonathan out of Aso Rock Villa.

Buhari Take for instance the campaign against corruption which Buhari has so trumpeted abroad that it will be a miracle if western nations do not begin to treat every public functionary as a fraudster until he or she proves his or her innocence. This is in spite of the obvious contradiction between what the West preaches and the reality. Or have western nations ceased to be the receptacles for all stolen monies from the developing world? Are we to believe that following the President’s grand stand performance in the United States, the country will no longer provide a sanctuary for stolen public funds from Nigeria? I doubt that. And no other western nation will do that. What that implies is that the anti-graft war must be prosecuted at home. But for it to succeed, it has to be transparent, holistic and pragmatic. Let’s face it: the putrid stench of corruption and its devastating effect on the people stinks to high heavens. As everyone will agree, corruption in Nige-

ria defies party and geopolitical boundaries; it defies time and space, age and gender. The challenge, therefore, is for Buhari to prosecute this war in an even-handed manner devoid of unnecessary drama and vendetta. Unfortunately, from the way it is being prosecuted, the impression looms large that PDP stalwarts and opponents of the present administration are the real targets of the campaign. Those who hold this view are quick to point out that the first person to be arraigned was Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former national security adviser to President Jonathan on charges of being in possession of arms and ammunition. Sambo was ADC to Ibrahim Babangida, who deposed Buhari in 1985. This has been followed by the arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki for alleged false declaration of assets. The argument that the campaign has to start somewhere does no credit to the injury this skewed prosecu-

Perhaps, Buhari can call for a truth commission along the South African version; a pathway to personal remorse and restitution and a gateway to national reconciliation and rehabilitation. That is what Nigeria needs urgently

tion does to the integrity of the war. But why must it start with predictable targets? If President Buhari has kept Nigerians waiting for all of four months without ministers, who says that Nigerians will impeach him if he asks for a little more time to do a comprehensive job compiling the list of corrupt public office holders who litter the country with mindless impunity? The other challenge before Buhari is to strive to create an inclusive administration that unites, rather than divide Nigeria. Memories may be very short; but it will amount to a strange case of amnesia if we forget so quickly that one of the arguments against Jonathan was that his utterances and actions were polarising the country. If he indeed did that, then Buhari’s utterances and actions could leave us with no country in the end. When, in defence of skewed appointments, his aides make the rather interesting rationalisation that certain strategic positions dictate choosing those the President would trust, they inadvertently portray him as somebody whose span of friendship and collaboration lacks national spread. If that is the case, there is the genuine fear that his policies and actions will continue to be dictated by narrow considerations that could fuel centrifugal forces of destabilisation. Even private organisations do go out of their way to accord recognition to diversity. So, if the President’s kitchen cabinet is dominated by people from just one part of the country, how does he guard against tipping the balance dangerously by hawks among them? If the truth must be told, whether by accident or by design, the utterances of the APC spokespersons and the actions of Buhari are fuelling hate, anger and despair. To borrow the language of politicians, they appear to be over-heating the polity. Candidly, he needs to do something quickly to restore confidence that he is the President of all and not just those who voted him into power. The invitation for him to rise beyond extreme partisanship and wear the garment of statesmanship is founded on very solid grounds. For one, he was among those who fought to keep Nigeria together; for another the elections are over, this is the time for governance. Thirdly, it will not augur well for peaceful transition in the future if the impression is conveyed that President Jonathan was foolish by handing over power without a fight. Like other losers before him, he could have headed for the tribunal to frustrate the president-elect; he could have scuttled the elections mid-way and it wouldn’t have been the first time in the country. Those, who suggest that he had no option than to have handed over power peacefully, are either being naïve, ignorant or hypocritical. He had options, including the worst case scenario of behaving like Saddam Hussein of Iraq or Mouamar Gaddafi of Libya; he could have decided to die while taking Nigeria down with him. Perhaps, Buhari can call for a truth commission along the South African version; a pathway to personal remorse and restitution and a gateway to national reconciliation and rehabilitation. That is what Nigeria needs urgently; that is the challenge before President Buhari. He can do it; and he should do it so that our children do not grow up encumbered by the present climate of suspicion, anger and frustration. •Agu, a renowned journalist, writes from Lagos.

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How Awo launched my book with N200 —Wale Omole In this interview, the founder of T&S Hospital, Lagos and national coordinator of National Problems and Solutions (NPS), Dr Wale Omole, speaks on the series of opportunities he had with the Awolowo family while growing up. SEUN FESUGA brings excerpts:

that Chief Awolowo said: ‘’You can print it in leaflets and distribute to the people. I always see the activities of you Ex-students of Tai Solarin in the papers calling for his release. Is it because he was your principal? Tai Solarin is not my only son in detention. Jakande, Onabanjo, Ambros Alli and others are there. Go and campaign for the release of all. Not only Solarin.’’ I could only answer ‘ Yes sir’. Before I left, Chief Awolowo said: “Do you know I envy you?’’ Before I finished saying ‘ha,’Papa went further: ‘’You don’t ask me why? ‘’ I said ‘I was going to ask sir.’ He said: ‘I envy you because you are still young! If I have your age at my disposal, I would move mountains.” Then, I prostrated, thanked him and left. I was in Yola for my NYSC in 1987, when the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo was announced. To me, it was not true. From day one as a little boy, I never saw Awolowo as a human being, rather as a god. How could anyone now say a god died? Many people believed Awolowo would live forever! In 1986, my second book entitled, Accidents on Our Roads - causes and Prevention was ready to be launched, I humbly invited Chief Awolowo to the book occasion held at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( LUTH) Idi-Araba, Lagos. He honoured me by sending someone with a cheque of N200 to represent him.

HAT are those vital details you can still recollect in your first encounter with the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his family? My grandmother was the first person to tell me about Chief Awolowo in the early the 60s, way back in Ipetu Ile in Ijesaland of the present Osun State. That memory was in me until I met Chief Obafemi Awolowo on several occasions. My grandmother probably saw a glimpse of Chief Awolowo during his many political campaign tours in Ilesa land. To her, Awolowo was god. To many other Nigerians, Awolowo was god. Truly, events have proved that Awolowo was an irreplaceable god to the Yoruba. Minus the education and civilisation of today, every Yoruba home would have made idols of Awo to be worshipping; to immortalise him like the Sango, Ogun, Oshun, Obatala and several other great ancient Yoruba leaders, who achieved so much for their people. I was a Form 3 student in 1976, when Chief Awolowo visited Mayflower School, Ikenne, during its 20th anniversary celebration. He was invited by Dr Tai Solarin, the founder and the principal of the school. I remember he shook hands with more than 100 of us. It was as if our hands had been consecrated or anointed. For days, we avoided our right hands touching anything. Those who were not able to have Awolowo’s handshake among the students were quite envious. There were over a thousand students wanting to have his handshake. That was my first encounter with the Great, quintessential Awo. So, those were the two chances you had meeting Awo, given his phenomenal exploits in the nation’s political space? No, I had several other encounters with the Awolowo family. In the days of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN), when the notable social critics like Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr Tai Solarin, Afro beat King, Fela Anikulapo, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti and others were on rampage, fighting the administration of former President Shehu Shagari for allegations of economic and financial mismanagement, some unknown members of NPN threatened Professor Ayodele Awojobi that they were going to assassinate him or in the alternative they would abduct his son studying in the UNILAG and severe off one of his two ears. That made Awojobi to change his hideouts regularly. One of his hiding places was Tai Solarin’s country home in Ikenne. So, one day he visited Chief Awolowo’s house in Ikenne and he was told that Chief Awolowo was in his Apapa home in Lagos. So he wanted to go to Lagos to see him. I was spending my vacation with Dr Tai Solarin then. Prof. Awojobi now invited me to go with him to Lagos. I was afraid because I knew his assassins were after his life. In fact there was a day some people chased

Omole

Mama HID Awolowo’s memory was fantastic till the end. She was old in the body but young in the brain.

him from Ilisan to Dr Tai Solarin’s home in Ikenne. Luckily Tai was not around. Awojobi was smart to tell those of us he met at home what to say to the people who were after him while he quickly sent away his driver and hid himself in Tai Solarin’s library before those people came. They acually came and we lied that he and his driver drove off immediately we told him that Uncle Tai was not at home. Those people believed us and left. To go with him to Lagos was objectionable to me especially when I knew some people were in the lurk waiting for him. I was afraid. My mentor, Dr Tai Solarin interjected and said, ‘’My boy please go with him. Don’t be afraid”. In 1984 during Buhari and Idiagbon’s military regime, several politicians and public office holders were clamped into detention for various reasons. Dr Tai Solarin was detained for 17 months. Because he was not a political office holder before the coup that ushered in Gen. Buhari, many of us his stu-

dents and several of his admirers formed a group led by Dr Bola Olaosebikan (former Kwara State Health Commissioner under Gov Bukola Saraki) campaigning and appealing to the government for his release. During this time I visited Chief Awolowo two times with a letter. I met him in Soponolu Hall in his home at Ikenne. It was in that hall I delivered my messages to Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He permitted me to sit down talking. He welcomed me very well. I sat on the edge of a comfortable sofa. As a sign of respect I couldn’t sit comfortably or rest my back as my grand mother’s description of Awo came to my memory. I was having an encounter with god! It was a rare opportunity. On one of the two visits he asked me, ‘’What part are you in your university?’ I told him I was in Part IV. He said, ‘’If I tell you to go and write a strong article against those braggarts, would you not be afraid to do so? You may not want them to rusticate you.” ‘I said if it is too strong the press may not publish it sir’. Before I finished saying

During your visits to Ikenne, did you not come in constact with Mama HID? As a young man, I also had an encounter with Mrs Soyode and Mama HID Awolowo. While teaching as an auxillary teacher in Ikenne Community High School, with Mrs Sheila Solarin, as the principal of the school, Dr Mathew Ogayemi and I on many occasions were sent to present fruits like very big pineapple harvested from the school farm to Mama Awolowo. Several years later when I relocated to live and run my hospital (Tai Solarin Hospital) in Apapa, my house was a stone’s throw to Chief Awolowo’s residence in the GRA. She was loved by all. She was particularly fond of me. Several times she invited me to her home and to Awolowo functions. After each ceremony, she would invite me to her home to pick up my reserved souvenirs. I have quite a number of such with Awolowo’s photographs in my house today. In 1994, I approached Mama HID Awolowo, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Chief Olu Onagoruwa to write the forward to my third book entitled, Tai Solarin’s Footprints. I expected only one of them to respond. But , alas, the three wrote the forward. So, I published all. Dr Fredrick Fasehun reviewed the book and the launching was chaired by Chief Bola Ige. I also went with Dr Tai Solarin to Awolowo’s house every 26th of December for Awolowo’s annual wedding celebrations, where as a young boy, I had opportunities to meet with eminent Second Republic politicians like Chief Ige, Professor Ambros Alli, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Chief Josiah Olawoyin, Papa Abraham Adesanya, Chief Babatope and so on. Mama HID Awolowo’s memory was fantastic till the end. She was old in the body but young in the brain. I did not expect her to remember me, when Auntie Corin Solarin and I visited Mama during Mrs Sheila Solarin’s funeral ceremonies. Immediately I was introduced, she recalled my name and thanked me for my activities on Solarin.

Monday, 5 October, 2015 Editor: Bayo Alade featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0805 500 1747

features

I almost gave up as VC —Professor Adewole

December 1, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole will be signing off as the vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, having completed a meritorious five-year tenure as chief executive of the premier university. In this interview, he shares with LAOLU HAROLDS some of his experiences, achievements and challenges in office. Excerpts:

O you feel fulfilled first as an academic, then as an administrator? The answer to your question is a straightforward ‘Yes’. As an academic, it is my pleasure that at the recent ranking by the Journals Consortium, the University of Ibadan was ranked first in Nigeria and 8th in Africa. Essentially, what Journals Consortium did was to look at research output from universities. That, to me, is a significant achievement for us as an institution. As administrator, with what we’ve been able to put in place in terms of strengthening the governing structure in the university, promoting bonding between Senate and Council, creating a peaceful environment and fostering an atmosphere of cooperation between major stakeholders, I think I’m fulfilled. And also, with the smooth and hitch-free manner through which my successor emerged, I think anyone in my position would feel fulfilled. Talking about ranking (it’s good you’re not a vice chancellor that discredits rankings), Webometrics has become popular with Nigerian institutions. Last year, the University of Ibadan was ranked 3rd in Nigeria and 35th in Africa. This year, it is 62nd in Nigeria and 438th in Africa. What do you think went wrong? In July, we were 1st in Nigeria and 11th in Africa; but the UI website, particularly the Postgraduate School website, was contaminated in August. Whoever did it we wouldn’t know, but we are investigating. So, when they revised the website in August, (Webometrics) gave us zero on ‘Impact’, because there were a lot of interference and some non-academicsrelated activities which we traced. We even contacted the SSS, and we’ve been able to trace it to our Postgraduate School. So, that affected us in August, but we are putting it right; we’re asking them to dismantle the PG School website, re-package it and change one or two people there. Are there certain things that you promised during your campaign that you have not been able to achieve? Well, the only thing I promised which I did not really deliver on (but by some divine interference we are almost delivering) is regular electricity. I promised that I would deliver regular electricity within six months. One, I underestimated what it would take to put in place a credible system that would generate electricity in UI 24 hours a day. But we are almost there. We’re still working. I intend to hand over a stable system that will deliver 24 hours electricity to my successor. We’re looking at the distribution system in UI.

them to go and remove it and we used it as part of the expansion process. That saved us a lot of money. So, we’re increasing three rings to six, and with cooperation from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, we’re sure that we’ll almost produce between 20 and 24 hours of electricity a day to our people. We have four generators; we can generate, but we must be able to distribute. When you came on board, you had what you called the ‘Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Plan’, the pillars of which were staff welfare, infrastructure overhaul, academic development and governance. How far have you gone in meeting those goals that you set for yourself? Apart from putting in place the strategic plan, I had a monitoring committee reporting directly to me, and on a monthly basis we kept on evaluating ourselves. I must say that at a public forum in UI, the students gave me Second Class Upper, the staff gave me First Class. That, to me, is not bad for a vice chancellor. So, I think we have done well. We’ve surpassed what we planned to achieve. By way of advice, what will you be telling the new vice chancellor to do? I will tell the new VC to complete all ongoing projects, concentrate on IT because there are certain things we have been unable to do; to concentrate on IT (the university must be IT-driven), and improve the laboratories. Prof Adewole

It’s actually based on a pattern of rings. There were three rings; as of today we’re increasing it to six. I just had a meeting with the technical group. I met three as vice chancellor; I’ve increased it to six. We also had some delay; we wanted to buy cable directly from manufacturers, with the condition that we’ll also set up a quality control laboratory in UI. The Bureau of Public Procurement said no, we should advertise and buy locally. We complied, 11 companies bidded, all of them were disqualified. We then wrote back to Bureau of Public Procurement giving them three options: one, that they should still waive

the conditions and allow us to buy direct; two, waive the conditionalities for the screening so that we can just pick one of the 12 or readvertise. I told them re-advertising would further delay by at least three months. And they wrote to say you can go ahead and buy. Unfortunately for us, when they then gave the permission for us to buy, the exchange rate became unfavourable because we’ve lost almost a year. And by another divine intervention, we discovered that in the past, UI was to supply electricity to The Polytechnic Ibadan and we have 155 mm armoured cable laid between UI and The Polytechnic. I asked

But we are almost there. We’re still working. I intend to hand over a stable system that will deliver 24 hours electricity to my successor

Can you mention some of these ‘ongoing projects’ you talked about? We embarked on an ambitious infrastructural upgrade of the university. We are working on water and electricity; we are building the first water treatment plant in UI since 1996 to double the water supply. It’s almost ready, but you never can predict. The delivery time has been put for October; but if by any reason it could not be completed, I would expect my successor to complete it. We are working on the upgrade of electrical system or electricity distribution system. I will plead with him to complete it. We have quite a lot of other projects – laboratories, classrooms, offices – which may not be completed by the time I will be handing over. I would plead with him to ensure they are completed. We practically we have funds for all of them he won’t have problem of looking for money to complete them. All he needs is the goodwill, the drive to get them completed. And it’s to his credit, because he’ll be the one to commission them. University of Ibadan is said to be Continues on pg 36

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

‘University is the hotbed of politics’ resources where we ought to put them. Where should our emphasis be? I was fortunate or unfortunate to participate in the JAMB, and I visited 16 secondary schools and I told myself they needed rehabilitation, and yet secondary education is under the state government. Primary is supposed to be under local government, but many of these organs are not empowered. Federal government is in charge of the tertiary institutions, but we are also not funding tertiary institutions properly. We have this unwritten policy of facilitating the establishment of private universities, hoping that that would solve our problems; it will not. I think we need to have a renewed focus on implementing our policies and funding education properly. We must see education not as item of expenditure; we need to change focus and have clear-cut marker of success rather than use money as a marker of our progress. We need to see education clearly as the only weapon for national development. Israel today is feeding on education; a lot of investment in research and development, and it’s paying off.

Continued from pg 35

evolving as a centre for postgraduate studies… It’s not evolving; it is a research-intensive postgraduate university, and the only one in this country. As far back as 1972, the federal government designated UI as a postgraduate institution, and we are the only one in this country that is so endowed. We have about 1,750 academic staff, over 60% have Ph.D, a lot of them are retired but still engaged in teaching postgraduates. We have over 400 professors. No university in Nigeria has this enriched matrix of human resource. We have one of the largest postgraduate programmes in Africa. We produce about 3,000 Masters every year and 300 Ph.Ds. So, we are actually serving as a factory to produce the human resource need of the other universities. Not long ago, you projected that the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre would be producing an average of 100,000 graduates every year. How soon do you think this is feasible? We think we can be there in the next five years. Moving to 100,000 is a projection; we could even do more, because with distance learning, you are actually not doing the face-to-face teaching; you are using the media to reach a vast number of people who seek education. So, we can do more. Currently, we have about 16,000. We suffered some setback simply because NUC decided to put in some blocks on our path requesting for improvement in the teaching and learning mode, and we’ve complied with that. We’ve been able to produce quite a number of teaching and learning materials which became mandatory following the intervention of the NUC. In fact, at a point in time last year, they stopped any university from organising a DLC; and following the revision, they lifted the ban on Ibadan, and I think we’re one of the few that as of today are authorised to run the DLC programme. Over these past five years, are there things that you think that, given another opportunity, you would do differently? It’s normal. Some I will not want to openly disclose, but in the course of my five years, I made some appointments I would never have made; if I had cause to do them again, I won’t make those appointments. I took some decisions that, if I have to go through all over again I would never have done. There were those things, but I would like to leave them in my memoirs. I am writing my memoirs for whoever seeks to become a vice chancellor or whoever is functioning as vice chancellor, to read. I had my blue moments as vice chancellor that I almost gave up. When I read the biography (well, actually it will qualify for an autobiography) of Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo who was the vice chancellor University of Ibadan, the longest-serving vice chancellor, entitled In the Saddle and Water Must Flow Uphill by Roger Makanjuola, I derive a lot of strength. So, I’m also writing my memoirs, because if they could face those challenges, then nothing has changed. I told myself ‘Come on, you are not facing something worse than what they faced’. Roger Makanjuola was almost killed. So, I’m writing my memoirs and I’ll put some of those things there.

Prof Adewole

In any position of leadership, once it has to do with power, there is need for some politics. To what extent did you have to play politics as vice chancellor? (Chuckles) Well, there was a book given to me just about six months ago. How I wish I had the opportunity of reading it at the beginning of my tenure! I’m going to give my successor a brand new copy; it is entitled ‘Profile in Leadership’. It is a story of extraordinary six American university presidents. And Woodrow Wilson who was president of Princeton and later became the president of United States, said: “Since I left the university, I’ve learnt no other politics.” The university is the hotbed of politics, but people want to dissociate themselves from the politics – which

The university is the hotbed of politics, but people want to dissociate themselves from the politics – which is false. The university is the only place where everyone is literate.

is false. The university is the only place where everyone is literate. The university is the only place where dissent is the order of the day, and the university is a place where as a leader you must reconcile all the differences and take a decision. So, politics is in the fabric of the university. Politics will be involved in the allocation of resources, citing of infrastructure and certain decisions you have to take. And I can assure you that I was lucky (I’m still lucky) having the right people around me to assist me to take decisions. Would you say in your long years of service in the university that politics has ever worked against you? Oh, it worked against me in 2005. I wanted to be vice chancellor and they told me ‘sorry, don’t waste your time; it’s not the turn of the College of Medicine’. That’s politics. There’s an unwritten ‘zoning formula’ in UI. In the last 25 years, the vice chancellorship has rotated between the College of Medicine and the main campus. It’s not written anywhere, but it’s deeply supported by some people, many of them faceless, but it’s there. In fact, when I wanted to run in 2005, I visited one of the respected professors in the community who said ‘don’t waste your time; it’s not the turn of the College of Medicine’. The current national policy on education was launched in 1975. This is 2015. Do you think this has been affecting us as a nation? I’m not sure the problem of the country is in the area of policies; we have too many of them. Where we suffer is implementing those policies. I think what we need to do is to look at the policies (don’t even try new ones), and have a blueprint for implementation. Also we are not putting

Failure in public examinations is increasing. Where will you locate the problem, because these products are coming to the university? All over – right from home (you know parents are the first teachers), then the teachers and then the society. We are all guilty, and we should all take responsibility for the failure. Some years ago I visited a secondary school, there were no windows. When I was in secondary school, we had windows and electricity. What do you do when a school has no windows, no roof? So, all of us must be involved and parents must also shoulder responsibilities. There is this false impression that government alone must carry the card; we must all take part. It is what we put in that we are going to get. A lot of people have observed that you have this ‘talent’ for politics. Have you considered going someday into party politics? It’s a complex story. One, I do not have the resources and politics in Nigeria is so expensive, and not everyone will be in the position of our current president. I think what our current president lacks in terms of resources he has in abundance in terms of reputation and goodwill. You must have one of it in abundance. People looked for him and fought for him. The downtrodden masses saw in him a salvation image, and they supported him. I’ve not seen myself as that hero. I was in Kano two years ago for the Durbar. Immediately the Durbar was over they carried Mr President shoulder-high when he was not even the president; and for 30 minutes we couldn’t get up at the venue. So, what he lacks in terms of resources, he has in terms of goodwill. I don’t have the resources to go into politics. But we must also separate politics from leadership. If I’m offered a position – ambassador, a board chairmanship or even as a member of a task force to draw up policy documents, I’ll do it. That, to me, is still leadership. What is next for you now after your tenure? I want to rest; the rest I leave to God. I am someone that is full of energy and ideas. I will be ready to participate in the process of moving this country forward.

37 HIDAWOLOWO (1915-2015)

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Emulate HID Awolowo to make heaven , Bishop Wale Oke tells Nigerians •FRSC boss, others eulogise Yeye Oodua By Saheed Salawu

ishop Francis Wale Oke of the Christ Life Bible Church, a.k.a. Sword of the Spirit Ministry and Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Sunday, joined the array of eminent Nigerians that have visited the Ikenne, Ogun State home of the Awolowos in respect of the death of Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo. Bishop Wale Oke said that everyone who is desirous of going to Heaven must live a godly life as Mama Awolowo did. In spite of power, riches or fame, without Christ, Bishop Wale Oke submitted, heaven is impossible. The cleric, who described his visit as congratulatory rather than condolence because Mama lived a full, richly Christian life, expressed confidence that Mama Awolowo had not died, but only moved to a better place than this world – “the Land of Glory.” He said, “When I learnt of Mama’s demise, I was convinced that Mama had gone to glory, because believers don’t die, they take their exit to the Land of Glory.” The man of God, who expressed his belief that Mama was already resting in the bosom of the Lord, relived a 1991 experience that underlined Mama’s deep, unflinching love for Christ. According to him, Mama exhibited her distinguished Christian life in the manner she deliberately and purposefully renewed her commitment to Christ during a five-day all-Remo crusade organised by his church. He shared how, on a particular night during the crusade, while he was preaching salvation, Mama, in her own handwriting, committed her life, again, to Christ and then forwarded the “decision slip,” in which Mama expressly stated that she wanted to go to Heaven, to him. “Mama lived a full life. Mama lived a glorious life. Mama fulfilled her destiny and has left a permanent mark on the sands of time. So, I congratulate the family on the glorious home-going of Mama, because not only did Mama live a godly life, she gave her life to Christ, received Christ as her Lord and Saviour and was filled with the Holy Spirit. “At least, I knew that during

a crusade that we did in 1991, and she had lived a consistent godly and Christian life ever since. “Mama is in Heaven because if anybody believes in Christ, he will not see death, he will go to Heaven; he has passed from death to life,” he said. He admonished Nigerians to follow the example of Mama HID Awolowo and dedicate their lives to God. “Let’s shun every crime, every corruption and every evil and let’s live a godly and glorious life like Mama did, and it shall be well with us,” Bishop Wale Oke added. Mr Oyeyemi said that Mama Awolowo lived a good life and described her as a legacy for this generation and

those yet unborn. “She has lived a good life, a Christian life, and she has touched so many lives. So, it behoves us to emulate her and live a good life,” Oyeyemi said. The FRSC boss, who came in company with Commander, Zone 2, Mr Nsenbong Akpabio, an Assistant Corps Marshal; Assistant Corps Marsahal, National Vehicle Identification Scheme, Lagos, Mr Hyginus Foumsow; Corps Commander/Head, Media Relations, Mr Bisi Kazeem and Ogun State Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, said the fact that people from all walks of life have been saying things devoid of negativity about Mama showed that her 99 years

on earth were a testament to her godliness and fulfilment. Also, a media consultant, Mr Ayo Akinyemi, who visited the Awolowos, on Sunday, with his wife, Ronke, said that Mama HID Awolowo lived a life of service to God and humanity. “We had the rare privilege of close association with Mama in the years I worked in the Nigerian Tribune. “With us, she left a memory of love and care for others. My wife cherished the affectionate love Mama had for Papa and the unwavering support she gave Papa in the days of travails and success as a political leader of international re-

pute. “One cannot exhaust the virtues of Mama. We thank God for her life. May her soul rest in peace in the bosom of the Creator,” Akinyemi said. Bishop Olusina Fape led a prayer after the choir of the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, led by Mr Yinka Awoyomi, sang hymns in honour of Mama Awolowo. Sir (Prince) Mabayoje Samuel Oremosu led a delegation from the Nogalu Abara family from Ilisan-Remo to the residence of the Awolowos, just as Mr Adeleke Adebayo led a band of the Boys Brigade, Remo Battalion Council, to pay respects to Mama.

Police strategise on security for her burial •Others commend her

By BOLA BADMUS, Olayinka Olukoya and GBEMI SOLAJA

DETERMINED to ensure adequate security network for the burial activities of the co-founder/chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Chief Hannah Dideolu Awolowo, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has directed Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Bala Hassan, to chair security committee. Nigerian Tribune recalled that Arase, during his condolence visit to the Awolowos in Ikenne, had promised adequate security before, during and after the burial programmes of the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty. The IG also ordered that other relevant stakeholders in the provision of adequate security should be included in the arrangement. According to a statement obtained by the Nigerian Tribune through the office of the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, other members of the committee included Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Abdulmajid Ali; a consultant on security matters to the Ogun State Government, CP Olayinka Balogun (rtd); senior police officers, some members of the Awolowo family, security agencies in the state. Adejobi said the AIG had since met with the security sub-committee last Friday, in Abeokuta. The PPRO also said that

Hassan had visited the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos and Ikenne town in general to have on-the-spot-assessment of the environment towards adequate deployment of security operatives before, during and after the burial. The committee is expected to meet today to concretise the security arrangement. Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Ojo Federal Constituency in the lower legislative chamber, Honourable Tajudeen Obasa, has commiserated with the governor and people of Ogun State on the demise of Mama HID Awolowo, just as he stated that Mama championed good governance. Obasa extended his deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, while also urging the family to be comforted with her legacies. The lawmaker appreciated the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty for her courage and steadfastness in standing with the Sage during the political crisis of the First Republic. “Death is inevitable; Mama was a righteous person, God purposely created her for the

world. Nigeria and Nigerians will surely miss her,” he said The lawmaker, however, called on the Federal Government and the Ogun State government to do the needful by honouring her for her worthy contributions toward nation building. Otunba Jide Oshinubi a.k.a Sokoyokoto, also recalled how the late Yeye Oodu’a came to his rescue through the late Publisher, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Evangelist Oluwole Awolowo. Oshinubi said this while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune at his residence in Lagos, describing the late Yeye Oodu’a as a good woman and mother who wished good for all. According to Oshinubi, who is an intimate and bosom friend of late Evangelist Awolowo, “Mama was instrumental to how my late friend, Oluwole assisted me, at a time I was facing some economic challenges,” even as he recalled the encounter. “I had gone to Ikenne on this day as usual to visit Mama and my friend, Wole. On getting there, I went

straight to greet Mama first and there as usual of her, she inquired about my well-being. I told her I was having some difficult times. She asked what my friend, Wole was doing to help me out of it and I replied that he was yet to do something. “Immediately, Mama called him and said, ‘Wole, you need to help Jide out of his predicament because he is a good friend.’ That was how Wole took my matter to Abuja with the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar who gave me a note to the then Director-General of the Nigeria Customs Service. “It was the help that came through this note that put me back on financial footing and social relevance till today. I cannot forget the role God used Mama to play in my life. She was a good woman. May the Lord grant her eternal rest,” he said. While saying that the vacuum left by the matriarch would be difficult to fill, Oshinubi enjoined Nigerian women to emulate her in order to build a modern Nigeria.

Oodua group wants state burial for HID THE South-West states have been urged to give the late HID Awolowo a state burial. The Oodua Liberation Movement (OLM) said the states should not wait for the Federal Government before taking this decision. The group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Gbenga

Awosode, also described the death of the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty as a victorious omen for the Awolowo family and the entire Yoruba nation. In a statement issued by the Pan-Yoruba group on Tuesday said that HID Awolowo lived almost up to 100 years surviving all the political adversaries of

herself and her husband. “To be almost 100 years is no joke. HID kept faith with her husband, who died in 1987 at the ripe age of 78. That HID could survive this long is a sign of the fact that her husband stood and fought for the greatest good of the highest number with old age and a prosperous life as a reward.”

Ajimobi advocates literacy through radio programmes OYO State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has advocated an improvement on literacy through radio programmes to reduce the level of illiteracy in the state. Governor Ajimobi stated this while receiving the representatives and officials of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the Governor’s Office recently. The governor explained that majority of the adults within the society who may be ashamed of attending regular classes would prefer education through radio. He said the state government would be willing to provide the necessary incentives and logistics to ensure mass literacy, stressing that “education is the foundation of any development.” Governor Ajimobi also suggested the inclusion of vocational training and skills acquisition in the mass literacy programme to empower the beneficiaries and also improve on the literacy level. In his earlier remarks, the United Nations Representative, Mr John Edeh, emphasised the need for government at all levels to support adult and youth education.

Helpline Foundation bags award on humanitarian services Christian Okeke - Abuja

AN Abuja-based nongovernmental organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, has bagged an award of excellence in recognition of its services to humanity especially for the less privileged in the society. The award came after it was identified as one of the leading non governmental organisations that focused on empowering the less privileged in the society to attain their God-given goals and aspirations. Presenting the award in Abuja, president of Non Indigene Ethnic Parliament, Prince Raph Clement, said the foundation had assisted indigent students across different ethnic groups to obtain basic education through awards of scholarship. Responding, the president of Helpline Foundation, Mrs Jumai Ahmadu, expressed gratitude for the recognition, even as she promised to do more in the education of less privileged children who are orphaned by HIV/Aids.

38 news

Monday, 5 October, 2015 CHANGE OF NAME

FG’ll state its position on Volkswagen scandal this week —Odumodu

HE Federal Government will state its position on the Volkswagen (VW) emission scandal this week, Dr Joseph Odumodu, the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has said. Odumodu, who made the statement on Sunday in Abuja in a text message to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the relevant government agencies were “working out something.’’ NAN had asked the SON’s helmsman why the Federal Government was silent on the matter and whether the country was not at risk. He said: “we are at risk and working out something, but it involves more than one agency. Next week, you will be notified of our position, but currently, the standard emission in Nigeria is at

the very basic level, while Nigeria is at level two, Europe for example is at level six,’’ Odumodu told NAN. NAN recalls that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had recently discovered that some Volkswagen diesel engine cars on sale in that country had devices that could cheat emission tests. The EPA’s findings cover 482,000 cars in the U.S. alone, including VW brands such as Audi A3, Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat. The German car giant had since owned up to the malpractice, admitting that about 11 million of its cars worldwide were fitted with the technology dubbed “defeat device’’. Many countries, including South Africa, had reacted to the scandal by carrying out investigations to test the legitimacy of VW’s emissions claims.

Oyo NUT congratulates teachers on World Teachers’ Day By Olawale Akinselure

TEACHERS in public primary and secondary schools in Oyo State will today converge on Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan to commemorate the 2015 World Teachers’ Day. The event with the theme, ‘Empowering Teachers’ Building Sustainable Societies’ will feature speeches to highlight teaching as the World most important profession and clamour for improved welfare of its practitioners. The World Teachers’ Day is set aside annually by the International Labour Organisation ILO/UNESCO to commemorate the signing of an all-important document of “ILO/UNES-

CO Recommendation Concerning the status of Teachers” adopted by the Ministers of Education of Nations under United Nations Organisation (UNO) on October 5, 1966. As contained in the release signed by State Secretary, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Waheed Olojede, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, of Oyo State is expected to lead other government functionaries and stakeholders in the education sector to the occasion. The union while congratulating teachers in the state called on government and stakeholders in the education sector to show improved commitment to the welfare of teachers.

Book on Police’s image for public presentation A Book titled ‘Imaging the Nigeria Police: A public perception,’ written by three authors with the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sybil Olufunmilayo Akinfenwa being the focal point has been scheduled for public presentation on Tuesday. The event, which would be chaired by Chief Afe Babalola and the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase playing the role of chief host would take place inside Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. The governor of Oyo

State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi according to a release issued by Bayo Busari, one of the authors of the book would be the special guest of Honour as Chief Kola Daisi and Alhaja Sarat Adesina, a former governor’s wife in Oyo State would be attending the event as father of the day and mother of the day respectively, while Chief Adejare Adegoke would be the chief launcher. Professor Oyesoji Aremu of the Guardian and Counseling Department, University of Ibadan would review the book.

I, formerly Miss Bolaji Olabisi Opeyemi now MRS MORAKINYO OLABISI OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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news

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Ogun model schools, a misplaced priority —NUT

Unions give NCAA mgt ultimatum over promotion

Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

THE Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), in Ogun State, has described the construction of 28 model schools across the state by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led government as absolute misplaced priority. The body noted that the fund provided for the construction of the schools, which were yet to take off, should have been expended on the upgrading of existing schools in the state. This was disclosed by the state chairman of the union, Comrade Dare Ilekoya, while speaking with newsmen on the 2015 World Teachers Day celebration, which holds today, on the theme: “Empowering Teachers: Building a sustainable society.” Ilekoya, who doubles as the vice-chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress said, he believed that the policy was ill-advised, maintaining that the schools were constructed at the expense of the existing ones. He said, “I want to believe that there has been a wrong advice from somewhere to the government.”

Shola Adekola - Lagos

Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (left), addressing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) representative, Mr John Edeh and the South-West zonal coordinator of National Commission for Mass Education, Mrs Ronke Oyetunji, during a courtesy visit to him in his office, recently.

Cholera claims over 30 in Jigawa Adamu Amadu - Dutse

O fewer than 30 people died following a cholera outbreak in Hara and Kafinjiba villages in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Reports from the state indicated that the epidemic was as a result of contaminations of the two villages’drinking water

caused by recent floods in the area. During Nigerian Tribune’s visit to the affected areas, it was discovered that most of the villagers were in their farms harvesting, but those met in the villages said in the history of the villages, they had never witnessed such disaster. Malam Muhammed Tukur of Kafinjiba village

said “in fact, we cannot say the exact cause of it, being Muslims we all took it as an act of God, but many people died as a result.” Tukur explained that “between this village (Hara) and Kafinjiba, 30 lives have been lost, and the majority are 15 years and below, including infants both males and females.” Also, Umaru Dan Alhaji noted that “the disease may

Teachers’ remuneration abysmally low —NTI DG Clement Idoko - Abuja

THE Director-General of National Teachers Institute (NTI), Dr Aminu Ladan Sharehu, has lamented that part of the problems with the declining quality of education in Nigeria is the

abysmally low remuneration of teachers, especially at basic education level. Sharehu spoke at the weekend, in Abuja, in a paper he presented at a symposium organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, as part of activities

to mark the 2015 World Teachers’ Day holding today. He said take home pay of teachers is so low especially when compared to other professionals like nurses, doctors, lawyers among others, in spite of the im-

Falae: Afenifere’s comment reckless —ACF Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said the recent comment credited to Afenifere that the South West will be forced to defend themselves over the kidnap of Chief Olu Falae, by alleged Fulani herdsmen, as reckless and unbecoming of the Yoruba socio-cultural group. This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna, at the weekend and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim. “ACF finds the statement absurd and embarrassing for a highly respected Afenifere group to criminalise an entire region, tribe or race because a crime was committed by suspected individuals from that race.” According to ACF, in 2000 when the Odu’a People’s

Nigerian Tribune

Congress (OPC) unleashed terror on the Hausas in Lagos, “ACF never blamed it on the Yoruba.” The statement described the comment credited to Afenifere as reckless and unbecoming, noting “that for the group to brand a whole region as criminals negates the spirit of oneness binding Nigerians.” The statement read in part, “Arewa Consultative Forum is embarrassed and disappointed with the communiqué issued by the respected pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, after its meeting of September 29, 2015 in Akure, at the residence of its leader, Pa Rueben Fasonranti, calling on the Federal Government, to abolish nomadic cattle rearing to stop alleged criminal activities by herdsmen.” “This statement was issued after the kidnap of a former

Secretary to the Government of the Federation and elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, by some persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.” The communiqué went further to warn that if the Federal Government failed to stop Fulani herdsmen from attacking Yoruba people, it may result in a situation where the South-west people would have to defend themselves. ACF maintained, “Nigeria has over 250 tribes and Yoruba is just one of them. For it to threaten other tribes just because of an alleged crime of some suspected herdsmen is unnecessary. “ACF therefore appeals to Afenifere and all other socio-cultural organisations and individuals to always exercise some restrain and show maturity in reacting to situations in view of the complexity of our country.”

portance of a teacher in achieving quality education in the country. He said: “In fact their pay is so low that most teachers can barely put food on their tables by the time they pay their children’s school fees, utility and medical bills. Yet they are expected to perform wonders in training the children under their tutelage. “It is quite absurd that under this unpalatable conditions they are expected to produce those that will grow up to become leaders of tomorrow. They are expected to perform wonders in bare classrooms as they are derogatorily compared with teachers in other countries or teachers of the past,” he said. Represented by the Director, Academic, NTI, Dr Hafsat Kontagora, the NTI DG, called on the employers of teachers in the country to strongly consider teachers’ salary and other remunerations to be at par with their counterparts, including fringe benefits like allowances, retraining and regular capacity building, payment of arrears, bonus, good working environment, and general welfare of teachers.

be caused by contamination of our drinking water. Our major source of drinking water in this village is local open wells, there was a flood and stagnant water flooded most of our well being open and locally constructed which made it easy for anything from outside to drop inside.” According to him, “apart from diarrhea and vomiting (cholera), there was also serious fever which also claimed some lives, the death is more of children, the adults were very few, about five people,” but the children were more in number, I can’t say the specific number but they are many.” One Malam Ibrahim Hara said, “The problem started about three weeks ago, with serious fever and five to six people in a household, both young and old, were affected at the same time.” “So, in 10 to 14 days that the diarrhea and vomiting (cholera) broke out and which became worsened last week, so many people have died en mass,” Hara emphasised. When contacted on phone, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Magaji Uba denied the outbreak, saying “as far as the ministry is concerned there is no such problem in the state, because we have a surveillance team in the ministry which work is to report such cases and send experts to ascertain the problem for action.” “But there has been no report to that regard, not to talk of confirmation of cholera. You see one cannot conclude on any disease unless it was sampled and confirmed by expert,” Alhaji Uba added.

THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the aviation unions may soon clash over promotion of workers in the regulatory agency. Following this, the unions have issued a two-weekultimatum to the NCAA management to effect promotion of the workers in-line with their terms of engagements or face its wrath. The unions, led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), accused NCAA management of dillydallying with the promotion of its members, which was due since January 2015. Speaking, the GeneralSecretary, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye, declared that the unions, in agreement with the workers, may in less than two weeks ground activities in the agency over what he called “nonchalant attitude of the management” over the issue.

NDDC inaugurates Niger Delta coastal road Udeme Utip - Uyo

DETERMINED to effectively interpret the vision and mission of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Managing Director (MD)\Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sir Bassey Dan Abia, has pledged to take developments closer to the people of the region. He spoke on the matter at the weekend, when he commissioned one of the major coastal roads in Niger Delta, which stretches from Ibeno to Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, with the longest bridge spanning across about 2.3 kilometres. The NDDC CEO, who also inspected ongoing work on the long stretch of road covering Etebi in Esit Eket Local Government Area and Urue Ofong Oruko Local Government Area in Oron axis, assured of more infrastructural revolution in the region, even as he tasked BASSE Engineering Ltd, the major contractor, to speed up work on the road with a view to easing transport challenges faced by the people.

news

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Udom awards contract for roads construction in Ika LGA

ESIDENTS of Urua Inyang and Ikot Uko in Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are in for a better deal as the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, awards contract for the construction of the road linking the two communities with Azumini, a border community of Abia State. The Governor said the project would begin in earnest next year. Governor Emmanuel announced this at Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Urua Inyang in Ika Local Government Area, during the funeral service of Madam Lucy Philip Enyeama, mother of the Akwa Ibomborn living soccer legend, Vincent Enyeama. The Governor noted that the road, when constructed, would facilitate the industrialisation drive of his administration as people of the area, being predominantly farmers, would find it easy to transport their produce to appropriate market and create wealth for sustainable economy.

He added that the gesture was in fulfilment of the divine mandate agreement he had entered into with the people of the state, during his election campaigns for

superior performance. He reiterated his commitment to meaningfully engage youths in productive ventures by providing platforms for them to

showcase their talents. Governor Emmanuel commended the parents of the international footballer Vincent Enyeama for inculcating in him the virtue of hard

work and discipline, which he said, had added to his talent to bring him to the limelight in the soccer arena. He, therefore, called on parents to help build sound

moral values in their children for the state to produce more stars in keeping with the philosophy of greatness as enshrined in Dakkada.

ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has promised not to relent in his efforts at reciprocating the love for the people

of the state with hardwork and total commitment to their welfare. Governor Mimiko stated this on Sunday, during a

thanksgiving service held at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, in Akure. The thanksgiving service was attended by wife of

the Governor, Mrs Kemi Mimiko, former Governor of Benue State, Mr Gabriel Suswan and other top government officials, who joined the Ondo State Governor to appreciate God. Governor Mimiko, who turned 61 on Saturday, noted that the people of the state, had stood by him throughout his political career, adding that the only way to pay them back is to add values to their lives . He expressed delight at the cooperation and support enjoyed from members of his cabinet, even as he expressed gratitude to men of God who have been standing in the gap for his administration. In his sermon, the Chaplain of the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Pastor Waleola Akinfiresoye, charged public office hold-

ers to always empower their people, saying they might incur the wrath of God, should they fail. Pastor Akinfiresoye advised Mimiko to always seek the wisdom of God and not to rely solely on the advice of men, who he said, could be sycophantic and misleading. According to him, for anyone to succeed in life, the presence of God was needed, saying many leaders failed because they used flesh as their foundation. Meanwhile, the Ondo State government mentioned at the weekend, that a modern factory that would utilise and process premium quality cocoa beans produced in the state, would begin production of chocolate bars by April next year.

Mimiko restates commitment to welfare Nigeria yet to attain its potentials —Lekan Balogun By Tunde Ogunesan

SENATOR Lekan Balogun has disclosed that Nigeria is yet to reach its potentials, despite 55 years of independence as a sovereign state. Balogun stated this on Sunday, at the maiden AliIwo Day celebrated in the ancient family compound near Agodi-Gate , Ibadan, in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State. He said further that there were signs that Nigeria would get to its expected height, noting that “the journey has been very slow, but, we will surely get there.

Nigeria is potentially a very great country and she will certainly be great, the signs are there already.” The Osi-Olubadan also advised those criticising the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, especially on his alleged late composition of cabinet , to exercise patience with him. According to him, “all that’s well will end well, let’s be patient with him and pray along for him and his team whenever the cabinet is composed so that this country can move forward.” Speaking on the significance of the Ali-Iwo Day,

Balogun, who hails from the Ali-Iwo dynasty, described the programme as a way of remembering their ancestor in the compound, who he said, was born over 200 years and lived a noble and courageous life which till date, remained a source of pride to the sons and daughters of the royal lineage. In attendance at the programme were prominent Ibadan High Chiefs including Osi-Balogun, Asipa Balogun, Ekerin Olubadan and Ekerin Balogun, Owolabi Olakulehin, Femi Olaifa, Eddy Oyewole Foko and Tajudeen Ajibola, among others.

Garlands for the Deputy Speaker at 55 By Wole Oladimeji THE current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 8th National Assembly, Hon. Yussuf Sulaimon Lasun needs no introduction. He clocked 55 on Sunday, October 4, 2015. He was born three days after Nigeria’s independence, precisely on October 4, 1960 in Ilobu town in present day Osun State, South-West Nigeria. The circumstances of his birth within the first week of Nigeria’s independence from the shackles of colonialism and slavery, is underscored today by his role and place in the country’s democratic governance. Although he was born like any other child of his generation, unknown to his parents and peers, Hon. Lasun will grow up to deepen the country’s political freedom by emerging as one of the arrowheads and champions of a truly independent Nigerian legislature 55 years later. The numeric figure five is a symbol of grace and now that our dear country and the deputy speaker have both attained the age of double five, it simply means double grace for both now and in the future to come. Coincidentally, Hon. Lasun is currently serving his second term in the Lower House representing the good people of Irepodun/Olorunda/Orolu/Osogbo federal constituency of Osun State. The Deputy Speaker attended Ansar-ud-deen Primary School, Ilobu, Osun State between 1967 and 1969; and then Local Authority Primary School also in Ilobu between 1970 and 1972. Between 1973 and 1975, Hon. Lasun as he is fondly called attended AUD Modern School. He thereafter had his secondary education at Community High School between 1975 and 1979 where he was a government scholar throughout. In 1979, he had a Division One grade from his school which was a feat then as the grading then was of a higher quality than what obtains today. Not born with a silver and spoon in his mouth, his growing up was very challenging, but he weathered the storm and against all odds, Hon. Lasun who at the time many of his peers were taking to farming, decided to pursue an academic career and obtained his Primary School Living Certificate in 1970. His Secondary education was remarkable, and because he was a brilliant student, the then Oyo State Government gave him a Scholarship to study between 1977 and 1979. Despite the good grade, there was, however, a hitch as

nobody knew what happened that particular year. He was part of the second set of candidates to write the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board and his result was not released. He therefore went back to his old secondary school as a school certificate holder to teach Mathematics. That was the level of recognition the school accorded him. After sometime, he left there and attended the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo, where he met a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi between 1980 and 1981. Precisely on December 12, 1981, he got admission to the University of Ibadan to study Food Science and Technology instead of Mechanical Engineering he applied for. He was in the University of Ibadan between December 12, 1981 and sometime in February 1983. Hon. Lasun later went to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University after transferring his studentship there and he graduated in 1987 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The deputy speaker longed for politics and he contested for the House of Representatives seat in 2007 but lost under shady circumstances. He was in court for three years and eight months to reclaim his mandate. He was, however, unperturbed. Being a dogged fighter and a grassroots politician, in 2011, he contested again and that was when he had his first term and in 2015 he won a second term in office as a House of Representatives member.

It is on record that prior to this time, he started politics in 1983 and in 1999 he became the Publicity Secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in his home state. He was one of the very few people, the inner caucus that installed the governor then. Before his present and higher calling in the temple of the Nigerian politics, he had served in the House of Reps Standing Committee of Appropriation. He was also the deputy chairman of House Committee on Water Resources, and has also served on the Committees of Public Matters; Population; Science and Technology. On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, he was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives on the same ticket with the people’s speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. It is therefore right and timely to give 55 garlands to the deputy speaker and the Ikoloba of Ilobu traditional council. Lasun, a loyal party man is a firm believer in the independence of the legislature as an arm of government. Though his emergence ruffled some feathers, his people quickly saw wisdom in his political calculation and they embraced him. He is today seen by many as a hero of the 8th Assembly. Because of the role he played to emerge as Deputy Speaker, today, the South west zone can pride itself as a major stakeholder in the House. The zone has now produced both the Deputy Speaker and the Majority Leader. As Deputy Speaker, Lasun has been an able lieutenant to Hon. Dogara. He has not only been loyal, he has also given the speaker the necessary support to face the daunting task of piloting the affairs of the House. Back at home, he is well respected not only in his state (Osun), his humane disposition and his passion for the well-being of the people of the South west in general has endeared him to the people of the South-West geo-political zone. His people in Ilobu see him as the face of change that is reshaping the entire landscape of Nigeria. No wonder an elated member of his town development union told him in clear terms that they are solidly behind him. They said that their community has never got to this enviable level in their chequered political history. They described him as the true son of the soil. This is why this man of uncommon destiny deserves 55 gbosas as he celebrates another milestone. •Oladimeji is the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker.

news Wada to improve Kogi revenue base through tourism 41

Stories by Yinka OladoyinboLokoja

ORRIED by the need to increase the revenue base of the state, the Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada, has said efforts would be made to tap the tourism potentials of the state for economic development. According to him, government already formulated policies and initiated programmes that could make the state attractive to tourists all over the world. Speaking at a programme packaged to mark the 2015 edition of the World Tourism Day, the governor expressed the readiness of his administration to provide the enabling environment for the sector to blossom in the state. Wada noted that such would meet the needs of tourists and also provide job opportunities directly

IPMAN lauds FG over fuel supply THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Kogi State chapter, has commended the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring availability of petroleum products across the country. The state chairman of IPMAN, Mr. Joel Olufemi, who said this when he spoke with newsmen in Lokoja, stated that contrary to the long queue that used to characterise filling stations in the country before and during public holidays, motorists now enjoy uninterrupted supply of fuel. Olufemi explained that the Federal Government had ensured that petroleum products were available in abundance, and noted that had made it easier for motorists to buy without stress. He pointed out that during the Eid-el-kabir holidays, there was enough fuel for motorists travelling across the state. Olufemi, however, debunked the allegation that officers of the Weight and Measurement Department and those of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce collected bribe from members of the association. He said such allegation was baseless, untrue and figment of imagination of those behind it, adding that no official from the ministry, at any time, visited any filling station to extort money.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

and indirectly for the citizens of the state. He said the 2015 celebration, tagged “Millions of tourists, millions of opportunities,” underscored the potentials of tourism to promote opportunities through millions of tourists that travel and visit desti-

nations across the globe. The governor explained that the present administration in the state realised the key role that tourism played in economic growth and sustainable development, adding that this made it give tremendous support to the sector.

He, therefore, enjoined all the stakeholders in the industry within and outside the state to join hands with the government to transform the tourism landscape of the state. The state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Kolawole Olowomoran,

said many historical monuments had been renovated and restored by the present administration. He added that the Confluence Beach Hotel and Kogi Hotels were being remodeled and expanded to further improve the tourism potentials of the state.

President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina (left) and the Secretary General, United Nations (UN), Ban ki-Moon, at the UN General Assembly Summit, recently.

Audu denies planned retrenchment of workers THE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has debunked the allegation that he would retrench the state workers if re-elected as governor in the forthcoming election. Apart from this, he said he was committed to power rotation as being agitated for by the people of the Kogi West and Kogi Central senatorial districts of the state. He also promised the peo-

ple of Kogi West senatorial district that his administration would establish a college of medicine in Kabba, Kabba/Bunnu Local Government Area. The former governor stated this in Kabba town, headquarters of the local government, during the inauguration of his campaign. According to him, he had been inundated with the allegation that his adminis-

tration would not be beneficial to the civil servants in the state, as he was accused of planning to reduce the workforce. Audu, however, stated that instead, it was the present administration that had concluded plans to lay off some workers because of its inability to pay workers salary as at when due. He said when he was the governor between 1999 and 2003 he had a good work-

I am sure of victory at tribunal, Melaiye boasts THE Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaiye, on Saturday said he was sure of victory at the ongoing legal battle over the senatorial seat. The senator said this in Ijumu, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State at the annual celebration of Ijumu Cultural Day. Melaiye, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, and his supporters caused a stir at the ceremony as they sang victory songs over a pending petition before the National Assembly and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal. A former senator from the district, Smart Adeyemi had challenged the declaration of Melaiye as the win-

ner of the March 28 National Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Adeyemi contended that the election was fraught with irregularities and that Melaiye did not actually participate in the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary before emerging as the candidate of the party. The Justice Akon Ikpeme led tribunal had fixed next Saturday, October 10 for judgment over the petition. However, Melaiye expressed confidence that he would win the legal battle to be decided in six days time. The senator condemned those that dragged him before the Tribunal, and added that nothing could stop him from completing his

four-year-term as a Senator. Complementing his speech with a song which says “Eni ti o baun reti ati sun akan, a pe leti omi” which literally means that “whosoever that is expecting the time a crab will go to bed, will stay indefinitely at the river bank”, Melaiye said it amounted to waste of time and resources for those who took him to the tribunal as he was sure of victory. The lawmaker, however, expressed his commitment to the development of the communities in the district he was representing. He also commended the traditional ruler, Olujumu, for organising the programme and urged the people to join him in developing the town.

ing relationship with the workers and he did not retrench any of them, saying the allegation was a calculated attempt to rubbish him before the workers. The APC candidate, however, assured that if elected as governor on November 21, he would spread development across the three senatorial districts of the state. He explained that in his second coming as governor he was able to construct the Kabba township road, upgraded the hospital in the town and provided potable water for the people. Speaking on power rotation, Audu said this would not be achieved by fighting and by causing crisis, saying it could only be made to happen through dialogue. According to him, the people of Igala, Okun and Ebira had been living together for over 75 years, adding that he would be ready to spearhead the processes that would lead to power shift after his tenure. He added that he had designed a youth empowerment programme that would make the youth of the state gainfully engaged while he collaborated with the authorities of Obajana cement factory.

Nigerian Tribune

Group advocates support for Wada THE people of Kogi State have been charged to vote for the state governor, Captain Idris Wada in the forthcoming governorship election to ensure the continuity of good governance in the state. The state coordinator of the Wada/Awoniyi Victory 2015 Awareness Group, Gbadebo Stephen, said this in Lokoja, the state capital, while he addressed residents of the town over the November 21 election. He said the people should consider some of the developmental projects initiated and executed by the governor when choosing the candidate during the poll. According to him, the present administration had commenced the reconstruction of the Lokoja Township Stadium to quality standard, construction of the diagnosis centre, construction of the 500 housing estate. Stephen further said that the present government had embarked on erosion control, embankment of River Niger, expansion of greater water works production, payment of gratuity and youth empowerment programmes. Speaking on Awoniyi, the coordinator said the deputy governor had always been loyal to his boss, adding that the people of Okun extraction had resolved to support him.

Group canvasses support for Audu THE Movement for Democracy and Good Governance in Kogi State has pledged to work for the victory of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming governorship election in the state, Abubakar Audu. The group in a communiqué, after its meeting in Lokoja, the state capital, commended the conduct of the governorship primary election of the APC that produced Audu as the candidate. According to the communiqué signed by the chairman, Jibril Yusuf and the secretary, Rajan Suleiman, the forum resolved to install an APC led administration in the state to join the league of progressive governments in the North Central zone of the country. The communiqué read, “That the forum observed the abysmal performance of the successive PDP led governments that left the state prostrate for the past 12 years.”

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Doctors without borders withdraws from Kunduz

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

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Taliban claims recapture of Kunduz in Afghan

HE Taliban has reportedly regained control of the northern city of Kunduz, after days of intense fighting against Afghan troops backed by US air strikes, according to Al Jazeera. Earlier on Sunday, government forces, which have been trying to take control of the city, said they had made gains, but those appear to have been short-lived. Al Jazeera’s correspon-

France floods: 16 dead on Riviera after storms VIOLENT storms and flooding have hit southeastern France, killing at least 16 people with three more missing, officials say. Three elderly people drowned when their retirement home near the city of Antibes was inundated with floodwater. Others died trapped in their cars in tunnels and underground car parks as the waters rose. French President Francois Hollande announced a state of “natural disaster” in the affected region. He thanked rescuers and expressed the “solidarity of the nation”. Mr Hollande offered condolences as he visited the retirement home in the town of Biot and urged residents in the region to remain cautious, saying: “It’s not over.”

dent, reporting from Puli Khumri just south of Kunduz, said that at around 1200 GMT, Taliban fighters launched counter-attacks, driving back government forces from the areas, where they had earlier made gains. “It is a very fragile situation. Afghan security officials are telling us that they are suffering from lack of leadership and coordination,” he said. Even with the deployment of 7,000 troops, our correspondent said, the government is still unable to retake the strategic city.

Afghan soldiers PHOTO: MSF HANDOUT

“They are also telling us, that they are moving slowly, because they claim the Taliban fighters are hiding in residential areas. They said, they

want to avoid civilian casualties, so they have to do doorto-door search.” A Kunduz resident, who just escaped the city to Puli

Khumri, also confirmed to Al Jazeera that Taliban fighters have taken over civilians homes, and have refused to let residents leave.

Demonstrators march to save rhinos, elephants DEMONSTRATORS in Nairobi, Johannesburg and London held marches on Saturday, demanding a halt to poaching of elephants and rhinos. In Johannesburg, a vehicle carrying a rhino sculpture led anti-poaching marchers

that sell rhino horn and elephant ivory for high prices, particularly in parts of Asia. The loosely knit coalition of conservationists also planned events in the United States this weekend. Organisers say more than 35,000 elephants are being killed every year so their tusks can be carved

while in London activists in elephant costumes called for an end to the ivory trade. The demonstrations were part of what organisers called a “global march’’ for rhinos and elephants, whose populations have been severely reduced by criminal networks

into ivory trinkets. A rhino is slaughtered once every 8 hours for its horn. According to the organisers, the only hope for survival of these animals lies in an immediate end to the ivory and rhino horn trade both “legal” and “illegal”, so they can have the chance to recover from decades of mass slaughter.

A medical aid group said Sunday it has pulled staff from Kunduz where a suspected U.S. airstrike on its hospital there killed at least 19 people, including three children, and denied reports that Taliban fighters were firing at Afghan and NATO forces from the hospital. “All critical patients have been referred to other health facilities and no MSF staff are working in our hospital,” said Kate Stegeman, the communications manager for Doctors Without Borders, using the French acronym for the organization. Polly Markandya, a Doctors Without Borders representative in London, said staff and patients had been relocated to two other facilities in Kabul and another location two hours away from the city. MSF has said the airstrike, probably carried out by U.S.led coalition forces, killed 12 staff and seven patients on Saturday in its hospital, leaving 37 wounded. MSF described the attack as “sustained bombing” that continued for more than “30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed” of the airstrikes.

Wind gusts to add to east coast weather warnings FLOODING from days of record-setting rain along the heavily populated East Coast washed out bridges and homes and forecasters warned wind gusts topping 35 mph could down trees and power lines across the Carolinas and Virginia in coming hours.

Demonstrators on the streets of Nairobi, participating in a global march to support wildlife elephants and rhinos. PHOTO: AP

South Carolina on Sunday, struggled with flooding streets in the cities of Columbia and Charleston. Television footage showed people needed to be rescued from deep water in Columbia, while in Charleston cars stranded and immersed in water al-

most up to the roof. Vast swaths of U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic states were grappling with heavy rains and flooding from a weather system that is separate from Hurricane Joaquin, which is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. coastline.

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Oregon gunman committed suicide, officials say AUTHORITIES in Oregon said on Saturday that the gunman who killed nine people and wounded nine others at a community college committed suicide after a brief shootout with police. The medical examiner came to that conclusion after examining the body of Christopher Harper Mercer, 26, who died following the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg on Thursday.

Officials also told journalists on Saturday that they had found another gun owned by the shooter, bringing the number of weapons seized to 14. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said a “large and complex” investigation of the shootings was underway, with police interviewing hundreds of witnesses and neighbors and perform-

ing scientific tests on pieces of evidence. Mercer left a hate-filled note at the scene of the shootings, which according to news reports said he “felt the world was against him.” He wrote that he was “in a bad way” and did not have a girlfriend, adding that he “had no life.”

Hannah Miles, center, is reunited with her sister Hailey Miles, left, and father Gary Miles, right, after a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. PHOTO: AP

Russia intensifies Syria airstrikes

Russia is intensifying its airstrikes in Syria, which it says have “considerably reduced” the combat potential of militants. The Russian air force began strikes in Syria on Wednesday. In the past 24 hours, it has carried out 20 flights targeting 10 ISIS positions in Idlib province, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in a

statement Sunday. Since 2011, Syria has been torn apart by a brutal civil war that has seen the rise of extremist groups including ISIS. Moscow supports the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and says it is targeting ISIS, al Nusra and “other terrorist groups.”

But the U.S-backed coalition against ISIS -- comprising the United States, Britain, Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, accuses Russia of attacking civilians and Syrian groups opposing alAssad. British Prime Minister David Cameron, in an interview with the BBC on Sunday,

said most of the strikes appeared to have targeted areas not under ISIS control. “What is happening is that they are backing the butcher Assad, which is a terrible mistake for them and for the world. It’s going to make the region more unstable, it will lead to further radicalisation and increase terrorism,” he said.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

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Monarch counsels colleagues against venturing into business olayinka olukoya-abeokuta

he Dagburewe of Idowa in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Yinusa Oladele Adekoya, has advised traditional rulers against venturing into business. He gave the advice at a press conference to herald activities marking the inauguration of his modern palace complex and his 80th birthday in Idowa, on Tuesday. Oba Adekoya disclosed to newsmen that he had not operated any business venture since leaving public service 22 years ago. The monarch said traditional rulers should rather focus on the economic and political development of their subjects. “I have never been in business, but I have admirers and well-wishers. They often assist me each time I call on them for help. “Traditional rulership is for you (ruler) to promote the cause of your community’s development politically and economically,”

he said. The traditional ruler further said he had, since becoming a traditional

ruler, facilitated the construction of a modern and standard police station in the area.

He added that he had also ensured the upgrade of the community’s primary health centre into a

General Hospital. Narrating his ordeal before ascending the throne, Oba Adekoya said

The collapsed bridge at Yawiri-Akobo in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State. PHOTO: OLARONKE JAIYEOLA

We are cut off, Idi-Isin/Papa-Akobo residents appeal to Oyo govt by olaronke jaiyeola

Residents of Idi-Isin-/ Papa off Yawiri-Akobo, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, have cried out to the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to come to their aid as regards the bridge linking about 13 communities which make up the zone, which has caved in. Speaking with Community News, chairman of the community, Pastor Soji Adeagbo, said “seven letters had been written to the state government at different times, with three of those to the current one about the bridge, which had now become a death trap, but we don’t know if any of them got to the governor’s table, considering the bureaucracy associated with the civil service.” He stated that before the final caving in of the

bridge, through communal efforts, about N1.2 million was raised and spent on latrite for the filling of the bridge, but before the last tipper load of latrite could be poured, a downpour had eroded the already filled part, leaving the bridge in a more deplorable state. Adeagbo, recalling how they have also written/ notified the chairman of Lagelu Local Government Area and the lawmaker representing the constituency, Mr Temitope Olatoye, expressed disappointment at the way the issue was being treated with kids gloves. He, therefore, called for concerted efforts on the part of the state government to help reconstruct the bridge, alleviate the people’s suffering, especially now that there are heavy rains, so that resi-

dents of the area will not be cut off from other parts of Ibadan. Corroborating Adeagbo’s claim, another resident of one of the communities, Elder Ezekiel Adegboye, said “as a people, we have

tried; though self effort is still ongoing, as we have bought load of granite and stones, government should please, complement this effort by coming to our aid.” Also, Alfa Musiba Yinu-

sa, another resident, urged the state government to help out, saying “we have received promise upon promise. Our cars and our lives are at greater risk now than ever. We are in need of help urgently.”

the 11 years legal tussle with his competitor was one of the biggest challenges he had faced in his eighty years on earth. “I didn’t come to the throne on a platter of gold, I went through the court. Two of us contested and I won. “But my opponent was not satisfied. He went to the Appeal Court and I won there. He then proceeded to the Supreme Court and I won again. We were on that for about 11 years,” he said. Commenting on the palace project, the monarch said the edifice was worth over a million naira. He added that his efforts at funding the project had been another hurdle he had since been facing. He, however, said that he had been enjoying the cooperation of his subjects and monarchs of neighbouring communities. He said, “Obas here don’t do things in isolation. My association with about 16 monarchs in my local government is superb and heartwarming”. The community, according to the monarch, was founded in 1540, after being carved out from Ijebu-Ode. The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is expected to commission the palace on Saturday, 31 October, 2015 to be assisted by the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Kayode Adetona.

Inculcate good values in youths, religious leaders told Biola Azeez-Ilorin

Kwara State governor, Dr Abdufatah Ahmed, has called on religious leaders to inculcate the values of peaceful coexistence, respect, kindness, diligence and brotherhood in youths in order to make them productive and relevant in nation building. Speaking at the opening of Oke-Ode Central Mosque in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, Governor Ahmed also charged

political leaders not to use youths for political violence “and other unsavoury acts as doing so can be likened to riding on the back of the proverbial tiger”. He reiterated that youths as future leaders must be nurtured, guided and moulded for leadership role. The governor stressed that religion must be insulated from being used as political weapon especially with insurgency in the country.

He said Muslims and people of goodwill must rise to condemn the acts of some suspected miscreants, who defile the place of worship in Ilorin, the state capital. “We must all rise against this anomaly which has no place in any religion. While our laws allow peaceful protest, we must, in the interest of peace and sanctity of our faiths, condemn such behaviour to prevent recurrence and demon-

strate that we do not stand for such conduct”, the governor added. The Elesha of Oke-Ode, Oba Abdulkadir Adelodun, in his remarks, appreciated the infrastructural and entrepreneurship development initiatives of the state government. According to the traditional ruler, such efforts by the Abdulfatah Ahmed administration had placed Kwara State in better stead for development.

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

Floods have washed snakes into my community —Reps member cries out The massive flooding in Plateau State have washed snakes from far distances into farms and residence in Pankshin/Kanke/Kannam Federal Constituency, according to HonourableTimothy Golu. Golu, who represents the area in the House of Representatives, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos on Sunday that “all manner of snakes” had taken over his constituency. “The floods have brought snakes into my constituency. They move around openly and snake bites have become very common there. “As the water pushed them, some snakes climbed trees; others entered holes while some just held unto any straw . All of them later descended into residences and farms where they have been wreaking havoc,” he said. He said the commonest species were black mamba and carpet viper. He said that the people used to travel to a snake clinic in Zamko, in Langtang Local Government Area, but there were no more drugs in the facility. “The drugs are very expensive and purchasing them has been difficult for the proprietor of the clinic because it was always difficult or impossible for the patients to pay,” he said. Golu advised the federal and state governments to take over the production of local drugs to help the rural populace that had been the victims of the menace. He said that farmers were being advised to use hand gloves and rain boots

in the farm to minimise the effect of such bites, but lamented that many hardly heed the counsel. Golu asked the Federal Government to resuscitate the production of anti-snake venom, so as to ensure massive quantities that would be accessible and available to the people. “The best step will be to get the snakes’ poison from the affected areas, so that the anti-snake venom will work effectively,” he said. Golu claimed that 26 states were at the risk of snake bites, and called for concerted efforts to rid the society of the reptiles.

From right, the Secretary, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Chief Joshua Ayodele; the Owa of Iludun, Oba J. K. Akinola; the Oniye of Iye-Ekiti, Oba J. A. Adeleye-Oni and the Director of JDPI in Ekiti Diocese, Reverend Fr. Raphael Aborisade, during the interactive meeting organised by JDPI at IyeEkiti, recently. Photo: Sam Nwaoko.

‘There must be written agreement between communities, elected officials’ sam nwaoko-ado-ekiti

he Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, recently brought together community leaders, elected

government officials and members of the public at an interactive meeting in which it was agreed, among other things that politicians should be made to sign contracts with the people during campaigns. The JDPI had proposed

Foundation gives bursary to students biola azeez and feyikemi omoloye-ilorin

Scholarship worth N1 million has been given to beneficiaries at the 13th edition of Adesiyun Olafimihan Foundation Bursary Award in Offa, Kwara State. The programme, which took place at the Offa residence of the founder of the foundation, the late Chief (Mrs) Felicia Adeola

Adesiyun, had successful candidates drawn from secondary and tertiary institutions across the country. Speaking at the event, a community women leader in Offa, Chief (Mrs.) Victoria Ogunwole, praised the founder of the foundation for initiating the scheme which she said had gone a long way in assisting indigent students.

Community threatens to sack varsity for non-payment of compensation Ikwo, the host community of the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, in Ebonyi State, has threatened to shut down the institution for alleged failure by the government to compensate the land owners. The chairman of the governing council of the university, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, disclosed this in Abakaliki on Tuesday when he led the board members to visit Governor Dave Umahi. He said the 439 hectares of land where the university is located was

at the meeting at Iye-Ekiti, headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State that members of the various communities and their leaders had the right to demand for good governance from their elected officials

acquired by the state government in 2010, surveyed and the documents handed over to the institution. “The land owners are living together with the students in the university which is unhealthy for academic activities. “We are appealing that government should expedite action in compensating the land owners to further solidify the relationship between our young university and the landlords, and to enable them to vacate the prem-

ises,’’ he said. Responding, Umahi promised to dialogue with the host community to resolve the matter. He directed the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Sunday Inyima, to visit the university and get the details of the land acquired by the government in order to compensate the owners. “The compensation will be gradual as government has no money to pay the land owners at once,” he said

She also commended the children of the founder for sustaining the programme after the demise of the founder. Ogunwole called on wealthy individuals and groups in Offa to emulate the good gesture. In his remarks, the secretary of the foundation, Professor Adeyinka Adesiyun, said the scheme, which started 13 years ago, had gulped more than N10 million since inception, adding that the bursary increased yearly due to the economic situation in the country. Two members of the board of the foundation, Chief Moses Adekunle Adesiyun, the Fiwajoye of Offa and Engineer Ademola Adesiyun of the University of Ilorin, advised parents and guardians to monitor their children, while imploring the beneficiaries not to misuse the bursary. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Oyindamola Adeyemo of the Mass Communication Department, Kwara State University, Malete, thanked the foundation for its magnanimity and pledged to utilise the fund wisely.

The Oniye of Iye-Ekiti, who doubles as the chairman of Ilejemeje Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba J. A. Adeleye-Oni; the Owa of Iludun-Ekiti, Oba J. K. Akinola and the Secretary of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Chief Ayodele Joshua, who represented the council, all made presentations at the meeting and commended the JDPI for the enlightenment session. Director of JDPI in the diocese, Reverend Father Raphael Aborisade, in his address said that the JDPI organised the forum to facilitate a meeting between the people and those in government as a way of strengthening governance. He said the meeting was meant to educate the people on their rights and how to seek and protect those rights from the government, saying “our role is to create awareness among the people on their rights from their elected officials.” An assistant director in Ekiti JDPI, Reverend Father Emmanuel Akingbade, in a keynote speech, proposed that politicians should enter into a contract agreement in which their promises would be written down, which would be presented as a scorecard when they might have won elections. “Secondly, there should be periodic town hall meetings/interface between the elected people and the public and, thirdly, politicians should have a constituency/situation office which the people can easily assess

for their suggestions, views or complaints,” Akingbade said. He noted that “our observation is that elected representatives of the people tend to lean more towards their political parties and its members and supporters rather than seeing themselves more as representatives of the generality of the people.” Community leaders from Iludun, Eda-Oniyo, Ijesamodu, Ewu, Ipere, Ijaro and Iye, the seven communities that make up Ilejemeje were represented at the meeting held at the palace of the Oniye. In their speeches, Oba Adeleye-Oni agreed with the proposals of the JDPI, while Oba Akinola, who commended the JDPI for the enlightenment meeting, called for people’s understanding of their rightful demands from their representatives in government. Oba Akinola regretted that apart from asking for personal favours, people’s “demands are too much and so much that some of the politicians are wary of coming home in some cases.” The Secretary of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Chief Ayodele, who commended the JDPI and the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, charged the electorate to “modify our style of seeking help and gratis from government officials so that the moral burden would further be on them and place them on the spot for proper assessment and evaluation.”

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Monday, 5 October, 2015

Sudden flooding from River Niger imminent, lawmaker warns Delta residents Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba

ELTA State residents living along the bank of River Niger and other low lying flood prone areas of the state, have been advised to move to higher grounds to avert casualties associated with sudden flooding. Deputy Speaker of Delta State Assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi in a statement, at the weekend, said the advice became necessary in view of high water level reported by his special monitoring team in parts of the state. According to Honourable Osanebi, some communities along River Niger like Adiai, Onyah, Utchi, Obeche and Aballa-Oshimili in Ndokwa East Local Government Area and Asaba area in Oshimili South were under severe threat of flooding and coastal ero-

ACU will begin medical school soon —VC By Oluyomi Fashakin THE new Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, Professor Dapo Asaju, has assured that the university’s medical school will begin soon. Professor Asaju, who made the disclosure during welcome service held in his honour, at the university chapel on Friday, urged a Chief Medical Director friend, who was in attendance, to begin work on the project immediately. The new VC, accompanied by his wife, said he had been offered the same position five years ago but turned it down, adding that he would do his best in moving the university forward. “I knew nothing, saw nothing and heard nothing,” he said, adding that he would call a meeting to generate ideas on how to move the university forward. The Bishop of Crowther Diocese, Reverend Kemi Oduntan, in his sermon, while admonishing the new VC to build on the existing achievements of the immediate-past VC, urged him to use King Solomon’s wisdom. The ceremony was rounded off by a special prayer in the new VC’s office.

sion. The monitoring team had reported total flooding of Adiai and imminent fooding of Aika, Umuoshele, Diakpulu in Aballa-Oshi-

mili, as well as Obeche, Utchi, Utuoku and Ase, among others. While recalling the sad incident of the death of a traditional ruler, the

Agadagba of Adiai kingdom in Ndokwa east HRH. Enueshike, in the 2012 flood disaster, the lawmaker enjoined all local government chairmen

in the state, to closely monitor the flooding of their localities and sensitise the people in order to prevent any casualty in 2015.

From left, Vice Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, Professor Dapo Asaju; Pro-Chancellor, Chief Wole Olanipekun and the institution's Registrar, Dr (Mrs) Josephine Oyebanji, at a welcome service held in honour of the VC, at the university's chapel, Oyo, on Friday.

AWDROP to implement borehole drilling code of practice By Tunde Ogunesan NATIONAL President of the Association of Water-well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP) Mr Michael Ale, has declared that the association has concluded plans to implement code of practice for drilling of boreholes in the country. Ale made this known during a tour of operators of borehole drilling equipment in Oyo State by the AWDROP task force, recently. According to him, lack of adequate mechanisms to coordinate activities of borehole drilling in Nigeria,

through non-implementation of regulatory instrument, had greatly encouraged uncoordinated pricing and use of substandard materials at the disadvantage of unsuspecting ignorant customers. He stated further that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources with the assistance of many stakeholders including the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), had put up code of practice for borehole drilling in Nigeria, adding that this document remained valid guiding code for any operator of drilling company in Nigeria.

According to him, "there is a reason to emphasise the need to implement this practice to avoid unnecessary waste of scarce resources over several moribund boreholes lingering the country. Several government borehole projects have failed because of weak supervision and non-implementation of the code of practice by the contracting agent. "Implementation of code of practice for all borehole operators is important for sustainable quality water provision in Nigeria. Hence, the need to partner with all stakeholders involved in

Benue NLC crisis will be over soon —NLC boss Johnson Babajide - Makurdi THERE are strong indications that the lingering crisis between the new Benue State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Godwin Anya and his predecessor, Comrade Simon Anchave will soon be resolved. The turmoil stemmed from the crisis that bedeviled the change of leadership a few months ago, leading to refusal of the former chairman to hand

over workers' secretariat to the new executives. The new chairman told the Nigerian Tribune in an interview that he had not been able to function fully as Mr Anchave had refused to do proper handing over of the secretariat to him because there were complaints against his election. The new chairman said discussions, however, had started between them on the possibility of handing over the key to the secretariat to him, regretting

that the secretariat had been under lock and key since they assumed office four months ago. While expressing optimism about early settlement of the crisis, Anya said, “elections were conducted, I was declared winner and sworn in same day, but no hand over till now. "We have started talking, process of handing over has started but he has travelled, I know that the matter will soon be resolved," Anya stated.

drilling practices to imbibe the culture and practice of good design and safety during operation. "All boreholes being contracted out by the development partners and government alike will henceforth be monitored by AWDROP task force on Code Of Practice for efficient and effective supervision, as borehole is not only about drilling or contracting but design to good safety and health impact and proper handing over," he stressed. Ale further emphasised that several borehole projects by the development partners and government alike had failed in the past, adding with the implementation of this document, however, borehole projects were set to come alive again. In view of this, two brand new buses had been donated by the association to strengthen the national task force as ratified by the National Council of Water esources, during the last council meeting in Kaduna. During the sensitisation tour by the AWDROP task force, drillers were advised on the necessary standard that must be maintained as speculated by the Code of Practice, a document by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

Delta dep Speaker calls for review of NYSC Act Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba

Deputy speaker of the Delta State Assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi, has advocated a review of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act to encourage total absorption and integration of corps members as full citizens of the areas of their primary assignment if they choose to live in any part of the country other than their states of origin. Osanebi the youngest legislator in the House gave the advice while speaking on the nationhood at 55 in Asaba, stressing that youths should see themselves as Nigerians by breaking all barriers created by tribe, religion or political cleavages. According to him, they should rekindle the spirit of the founding fathers of our nation through scientific, political and economic innovations that would place the country among developed nations of the world. He said after a sober reflection as a youth, he came to the conclusion that the founding fathers of Nigeria had done their best, leaving the rest to the youth to take the country’s destiny in their own hands.

NCAA unveils Nigeria's safety policy statement Shola Adekola - Lagos DIRECTOR-GENERAL of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman, said NCAA has unveiled Nigeria’s State Safety Policy Statement. Captain Usman, who disclosed this in a statement, said this was done in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19 on Safety Management, adopted by the ICAO Council on February 25, 2013 and became effective on November 14, 2013. The policy statement is expected to provide guidance to all stakeholders to ensure improvement in safety management and practices including safety reporting within the civil aviation industry. The chapter 3 of the Annex requires each contracting state to establish a State Safety Programme (SSP) for the management of safety in that state. This according to the annex, shall be done in order to achieve an Acceptable Level of Safety Performance (ALoSP) in civil aviation.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Liverpool sack Rodgers

Bayelsa Utd forces 3SC to goalless draw By Olawale Olaniyan BAYELSA United on Sunday forced Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan to a goalless draw in week 32 of Globacom Premier League played at Lekan Salami Stadium Complex, Ibadan. This will be the second home draw for Coach Gbenga Ogunbote since he joined the Oluyole Warriors. Bayelsa fought hard to earn a point despite lots of scoring chances created by 3SC’s Nojeem Olukokun, Sunday Adetunji and Sibi Gwar who made his debut for the Oluyole side. Speaking after the match, former 3SC player, Gabriel Adeboye who joined Bayelsa United during the mid-season transfer window said they really deserve to earn a point against his former team.

Klopp lined up as replacement

He said “We really trained hard for this point here in Ibadan and we thank God for crowning our effort with success. “3SC was my former team and earning this point against them was nothing but joy for me and I still believe anything can still happen before the end of the season because we are really in good spirit.” In his reaction, Coach Gbenga Ogunbote, blamed his players for wasting most of their scoring chances, saying, it was a set back for them but expressed optimism that they would deliver in their remaining matches. 3SC’s next game is against Enyimba in Aba o n Sunday.

Ahmed Musa tops scorers’ chart in Russia

IGERIA international, Ahmed Musa has shot to the top of the race for the Russian Premier League top scorer after he scored on Sunday in CSKA Moscow’s 2-0 win at Dynamo. Musa has now netted six goals to be the leading scorer in Russian Premier League alongside Brazilian forward Hulk, who features for Zenit St.Petersburg. An elated Musa, who scored the second goal in the 77th minute of the derby against Dynamo on Sunday, told AfricanFootball.com the victory will boost the team’s confidence as they aim to reclaim the championship. “I am happy with the victory at Dynamo

Musa

and getting a goal in the game is good for me as well,” he told AfricanFootball. com. “It was not an easy game being a derby, but we worked hard to get the victory which we wanted. “We have now won two derbies at away this season (first was at Spartak Moscow) and that’s good for our confidence as we target to win the league. “I am not being carried away with my goals, I will keep working hard to score more.”

Kayode dedicates goal to unborn baby

Sprite Triple Slam thrills UNICAL students with Basketball By Niyi Alebiosu THE University of Calabar Multipurpose Hall last weekend played host to a show of basketball skills, cool rap lyrics and talented dance moves at the much anticipated 2015 edition of the Sprite Triple Slam(STS) activations. The event reaffirms the commitment of Sprite, to promote basketball and hiphop in Nigeria. The audience who filled the Multipurpose Hall of the University of Calabar

for the Sprite Triple Slam enjoyed a display of sublime basketball skills, rap, and freestyle dance performances from students. Speaking at the event, Senior Brand Manager, Flavours, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Toyin Nnodi,reaffirmed that Sprite is committed to ensuring its consumers express themselves and bring to life their true key passions. According to Nnodi, Sprite Triple Slam offers Nigerian teens and youths the platform to express themselves in

LIVERPOOL have announced that Brendan Rodgers has been relived of his duties following a poor start to the 2015-16 season. The Reds were held 1-1 at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby today, three days after being held by lowly Swiss Super League opponents Sion in the UEFA Europa League. Having finished second during the 2013-14 season, arguably missing out on the title due to Steven Gerrard’s slip versus Chelsea, Liverpool ended up dropping to a sixth-place finish last season. Sunday’s result leaves Liverpool in 10th after eight games, admittedly only three points off the Champions League places. Brendan Rodgers had been given a few hundred million to rebuild Liverpool over the past couple of seasons but both fans and owners were not impressed over the past 12 months or so. Bosnian newspaper Pravda are this evening claiming that the Reds have already agreed a three-year deal with Borussia Dortmund legend Jürgen Klopp. Klopp had been strongly linked with a move to Anfield in the summer and this report has some legs as it was published before today’s draw, claiming that the German manager would replace Rodgers afterwards. The newspaper is certainly correct on it being Rodgers’ final game and now we may need to wait only hours or days to find out if they are correct in their reports stating that Jürgen Klopp will become the new Liverpool manager.

any of their key three passion points of Basketball, Music and Dance. She said, “Sprite respects youths and recognizes that Nigerians have great talent and adopt the hip-hop culture early in life. Hip-hop has been a key component of the brand’s essence for many decades. Through the Sprite Triple Slam activation, Sprite remains committed to supporting Basketball, Music and Dance. We are focused on sparking up the creativity in young people, which is a key attribute of the Sprite brand.”

OLANREWAJU Kayode has told AfricanFootball.com his goal for Austria Wien in a 2-1 win over hosts Rheindoare Altach is specially for his unborn child. The former Maccabi Netanya of Israel striker scored in the 43rd minute to draw Austria Wien level. Austria Wien are second on the league table with 21 points from 11 games. “I am happy to get the goal and the victory for the team is the ultimate,” he told AfricanFootball.com. “The goal is for my unborn child and that was the reason for my celebration, I am expecting my second child.” He also said it would be great to finish the season as top scorer, team success will be the priority. “I have scored five goals this season and ending up as top scorer will be good but that’s not my priority. I just want to keep doing my best to help my team achieve success in the league,” he said.

Monday, 5 October, 2015

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015)

PHOTOS: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

10 1. From left, Mrs Toyin Fape, Right Reverend (Dr) Olusina Fape, Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Reverend Tola Oyediran and Prince Bayo Adebola. 2. Choir Leader of Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Mr Yinka Awoyomi (right), presenting letter of condolence to Reverend Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 3. Mr and Mrs Ayo Akinyemi signing the condolence register. 4. Dr Giwa Temidayo signing the condolence register. 5. From left, Mrs Fape, Bishop Fape, Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu, Bishop Wale Oke, Reverend Oyediran, Bishop and Mrs Wale Oke and others. 6. Cross section of Bishop Wale Okeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entourage.

7. From left, Corps Commander, Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem; Assisant Corps Marshal, National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS), Lagos, Hyginus Foumsowe and the Assistant Corps Marshal, Zonal Commander, Zone Z, FRSC, Nsengbong Akpabio. 8. From left, Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu, Reverend Oyediran, Corps Marshal Boboye and Bisi Kazeem. 9. The Boys Brigade Nigeria, Remo Batallion Council, led by Venerable G.K.O. Omolehinju in a group photograph with Reverend Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 10. Cross section of Choir of Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne.

SIDELINES

NO 16,341

N150

MONDAY, 5 OCTOBER, 2015

A professor asked his students to punctuate a bland script; a woman without her man is nothing. The male students wrote: A woman without her man, is nothing. The female students wrote A woman: without her, man is nothing. Both groups must have successfully discombobulated their teacher. It is no doubt a hard nut to crack trying to figure out who is right.

“

HERE is a bombshell here,” she said, “I don’t want to raid your nerves this evening; or what time is it now over there?” “Why? It is about 8pm here now. But what’s the bombshell, TL? Speak. Raid my nerves. I can take it.” “OK. This is the bombshell news. Mrs. Awolowo has just passed on. She has just died.” TL added the last sentence when I didn’t utter a word. She thought I didn’t hear exactly what she announced to me when I didn’t utter a word in reply. “No! It can’t be true! Was she sick? What happened?” The manner I said this gave me away to my hosts in Malawi where I was when this bombing run got to me. “May God kindly rest her soul!” The line terminated as I uttered the words. It never returned. “We have just lost an extraordinary woman back home.” This was to my hosts in the Republic of Malawi. The time was reading 8.05pm Malawi time that Saturday, September 19, 2015. Before I unceremoniously left them that evening, I briefly gave them a brief bio-note of Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, Nigeria’s exceptionally extraordinary personage – an exceptionally extraordinary woman, wife, mother and matriarch. When I was through with my brief tale about the one and only HID Awolowo that the hexed September of this year took from us, they agreed with me without question that she was a woman who was more than a woman, a wife who was more than a wife, a matriarch who was more than a matriarch – and in fact a personage who was more than a personage. As I took my leave of them that joyless evening, I asked them if one like her had ever been known in their land. Their response did not live long enough in my imagination that evening. But I still remember vividly their look of admiration for HID, her beloved husband who pre-deceased her, her children and family, and this father-land and motherland called Nigeria. Now, as the condolence messages pour in, as condolence visitors pour into the Ikenne home of the positively unusual personage, I cannot help but think that she should

in&out with Tony Afejuku

08055213059

HID Awolowo: An exceptionally extraordinary personage have contested for the highest office in the land. Even if she did not win, her beloved husband who was sinned against by his many detractors that made it impossible for him to win elections for our highest office, would have turned in admiration for her in his grave – if his jewel of jewels had consented to do as some of us had privately wished. But one big joy is that until she had one foot in the grave where she will soon be permanently resting in line with the fate of all mortals, she played her role well and well – indeed more than well and well – as a political organiser and mobiliser. Her Ikenne home was a Mecca for many political fortune seekers and for many tourists who wanted to catch a glimpse of what many of us call the Awolowo phenomenon. That HID lived long enough to attain the years of almost one hundred may be seen by many as an impossible mystery that will remain a mystery. Many mystagogues will share this sentiment. Look back, play back the years of HID’s shimmering thoughts on losing a son, husband, another son and then a daughter: where did she muster the courage to live as she did despite her anxieties, pains and sorrows? How did she still go on to mother her children and grand-children and keep them together as a solidly united family where none of them

How many Nigerian women are like her? whimpered or whined publicly on account of this or that which is the stock in trade of many Nigerian top, middle and low families? The answers to these questions may remain perpetually in the realm of mystery. But I wish to relate them to her extraordinary temperament, her exceptionally extraordinary temperament (and stout will) which cannot but give her a place, her due prime place, in the pantheon of immortals where her husband who has been waiting for her, is as well. How many Nigerian women are like her? How many African women are like her? How many women in this world are like her? Play me a panorama of women the world over, and then point out to me one or two of three or four or five or whatever number of them saw or passed through what HID saw or passed through. I can go on and on, but why should I? What she is, and has been is well known and more than well known to those who know

her intimately and more than intimately. All the tributes to her that I have read so far agree that she is more than a supreme parsonage who qualifies to be known eternally as the mother and matriarch of our nation. When she enters her immortal grave, we must remember to engrave this there in a prime design. HID more than deserves any enlargement we give her. Who says this is not true, does not and will never know what is true. As I am ending this enterprise that is clearly more than a sincere and worthy one, I can see transparently that HID has gone far beyond the earthly “path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen… The proud beasts have not trodden…; the lion has not passed over…. (Job 28 vs 7-8) Where HID is now is that place beyond all preys and beasts where “the perfection of beauty” prevails forever and forever and forever. But Tayo Lewis, a professional granddaughter of HID, says, as I am rounding off this writing, that I should not forget to end by referring my readers to Proverbs 31 that captures the full essence and qualities of HID Awolowo as an exceptionally extraordinary Nigerian personage indeed. I am in perfect agreement with TL - Dr. (Mrs.) Tayo Lewis.

Chelsea board holds emergency meeting over Mourinho •Says he is not afraid of sack

Mourinho

CHELSEA’S board met last night in the wake of defeat to Southampton. The Mail on Sunday says Jose Mourinho feared he would be sacked after Chelsea slipped to their sixth defeat of the season and even appeared to challenge Roman Abramovich to sack him after the game. Instead he has been given a stay of execution and has been given the support of the board as they attempt to turn their season around. Despite Abramovich being furious at Chelsea’s current form,

there is no immediate danger of Mourinho losing his job. Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Mourinho admitted that he risked the sack after a 3-1 home defeat by Southampton on Saturday left the Premier League champions 10 points off the pace. “If the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me, because I am not running away,” Mourinho told Sky Sports in an extraordinary post-match interview at Stamford Bridge. “It is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if the club

sacks me, they sack the best manager this club had and the message is bad results and the manager is guilty. “This is a moment for people to assume their responsibilities. I assume my responsibility and the players should assume theirs too. “There are other people at the club who should assume their responsibilities and stick together.” Having fallen behind to a 10thminute Willian free-kick, Southampton hit back through Steven Davis, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle to condemn Chelsea to their fourth defeat of the campaign.

RESULTS

Globacom Premier League

Dolphins El-Kanemi Wikki Shooting Stars Nasarawa Utd Kwara Utd Giwa FC Heartland Abia Warriors Wolves

0 2 1 0 1 2 0 2 3 3

FC Ifeanyiubah Sharks FC Taraba Bayelsa Utd Lobi Stars Akwa Utd Kano Pillars Enyimba Rangers Sunshine Stars

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0

Everton Arsenal Swansea

1 3 2

Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham

1 0 2

English Premiership

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. Ag. EDITOR: TINU AYANNIYI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 05/10/2015.