7th September 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,321 MONDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER, 2015

Looters' trial: EFCC, ICPC, Sagay committee meet —P3

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Flood kills nursing mother, corps member, 8 others in Adamawa, Anambra —P46

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Why we are bailing states out —CBN

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STOCK MARKET: TOP 5 GAINERS

TOP 5 LOSERS

—P11

FULL REPORT ON PAGE 12

NNPC begins move to recover $9.46bn owed Nigeria —P11

Olu of Warri:

Palace shut, church relocates service •Chiefs in closed-door meeting —P7

A/Ibom invasion, terrorism on democracy —PDP —P7

From left, the celebrant and General Overseer, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo; his wife, Peace; Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode and a former Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Sunday Ola Makinde, at the 70th birthday special thanksgiving service of Bishop Okonkwo, held at the TREM Headquaters, Gbagada, Lagos, on Sunday.

Adesina, Oteh’s appointments show I had world-class economic team —Jonathan —P37

el-Rufai recovers N24bn from 423 accounts —P42

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Monday, 7 September, 2015

news

Monday, 7 September, 2015

No rotation of Ooni stool in Ife custom —Osinkola ruling house Oluwole Ige -Osogbo

S battle to fill the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife gathers momentum, with the growing increase in the number of contestants, the Akui branch of Osinkola ruling house has described as unfounded and illegal, claims by some ruling houses that there is rotational arrangement in the process of enthroning a new monarch for the ancient town. The Osinkola ruling house contended that the contest to fill the stool is opened to all ruling houses, adding that those pushing for rotational arrangement only wanted to distort the history and custom of Ile-Ife. Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the spokesperson of the ruling house, Prince Oyebade Adeyemo, said “since the demise of Oba Okunade Sijuwade on July 28, 2015, there have been several statements credited to some so-called princes of Ile-Ife, claiming that it is now their turn to produce the next Ooni.” According to him, “what is most interesting about some of these personalities

is that they are not known to belong to the royal house of Ile-Ife. “Statements credited to some of them clearly show that they do not have any knowledge of the history, culture, custom and traditions of the ancient city, widely acclaimed as the ancestral home of all Yoruba speaking people worldwide and seat of Oduduwa, the progenitor of all royal dynasties in South-West Nigeria, including parts of Kogi, Kwara, Edo, Delta and Onitsha in Anambra State.” Giving historical details of the Ile-Ife customary law of succession to the stool of Ooni, Aderemi said “Ile-Ife history has it that several years ago, some historians put it at about 600 to 700 years, a certain prince of Ife, named Lajamisan, became Ooni of Ile-Ife. “Lajamisan had a son named Lajodogun (aka. Aladejuologunlo). Lajodogun succeeded his father as Ooni and gave birth to four children, namely Lafogido, Osinkola, Ogbooru and Owodo in that order. Owodo was a female and the others were males. “Lafogido, as the eldest

son, reigned as Ooni after Lajodogun. So also Osinkola and Ogbooru as his other male children. Since then, all the Ooni of Ife have been descendants of Ooni Lajodogun. For this reason, Ile-Ife, by virtue of custom and fact, indeed, has only one ruling house which is the house of Lajodogun. “His children reigned in their capacity as members of this one ruling house. The so-called division into four ruling houses, namely Lafogido, Osinkola, Ogboru and Giesi, is no more than recent 20th century administrative arrangement for the benefit of legislation and historians. “The fact of one ruling house being Ile-Ife custom is crystallised by the naming of Giesi as one of the ruling houses when, by all historical accounts, Giesi was a grandson of Ogboru. It is pertinent to briefly describe how Giesi became Ooni. “According to Ile-Ife history, Ogboru reigned for a long time, but there came a time when the chiefs as well as the people were not very happy with his rule. “The chiefs met and decided to depose him. Unlike

Looters’ trial: EFCC, ICPC, Sagay’s committee meet tomorrow Lanre Adewole -Lagos AS the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari moves to begin the trial of alleged looters of treasury in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, an interface of the coordinating anti-corruption bodies will hold tomorrow, Nigerian Tribune learnt on Sunday night. Preparatory to the take-off of the trial, the presidential committee on anti-corruption, headed by Professor Itse Sagay, will meet with the leadership of both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Sagay, in an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune, had mentioned the planned meeting, without being specific on dates. It was learnt last night that the said meeting could be in two days, starting with today for EFCC and tomorrow for ICPC. Another system source said the Sagay’s committee could meet with the leadership of both institutions same day tomorrow. There was a flurry of meetings at ICPC on Sunday, in preparation for the meeting with the Sagay’s committee on Tuesday.

Administrative, institutional and systemic issues to achieve major successes in the alleged looters’ trial, according to Nigerian Tribune sources, were listed to dominate the parley. A top source in ICPC confirmed the planned meeting, saying “yes, they (Sagay’s committee) are coming here tomorrow.” When contacted, Sagay neither confirmed nor denied the planned parley. According to him, “I am not confirming or denying a meeting with the anti-corruption agencies on Tuesday.” When asked if the Nigerian Tribune could speak with him on Tuesday, he said

“even if the meeting holds on Tuesday and it is official to speak about it, why not, you can call me. But I am not saying anything about it until then. Sagay had told the Nigerian Tribune in the interview that his committee might serve as a clearing house for looters’ cases, which the two bodies would handle. Top sources in the anticorruption agencies expressed reservation to the planned warehousing of cases and petitions by the advisory committee. The Code of Conduct Bureau leadership is also reportedly listed for visitation by the Sagay’s committee.

Presidency denies closure of Aso Villa chapel Clement Idoko -Abuja THE Presidency has denied rumours making the rounds that the Aso Villa Chapel has been closed down, describing such speculations as the handiwork of mischiefmakers. The speculations about the closure of the Aso Villa Chapel by President Muhammadu Buhari had been trending on social media since last week. But the presidency, on Sunday, shared photos from the church service to back

up its claim. Acting chaplain, Pastor Joseph Sheyi Malomo, who fielded questions from State House correspondents after the church service on Sunday, admitted that though there were some procedural issues last week Sunday, which needed to be sorted out, the presidency, at no time, ordered the closure of the chapel. The cleric appealed to Nigerians to ignore the rumour and focus rather on issues that would unite the country.

in the case of other Yoruba settlements, the deposition of the Ooni did not involve the taking of his life. When Ooni Ogboru was deposed, he headed for Ife Odan and established a new settlement and dynasty there. “Ooni Ogboru was reputed to be very powerful and was greatly feared. Soon after the new Ooni took over from him, he passed on. Thereafter, some six or so attempts were made to install an Ooni and, on each occasion, the candidate barely lasted the initiation period. “The Ife chiefs, therefore, went to Ife Odan to plead with the exiled Ogboru to return, since no one wanted to be Ooni again. Ogboru told the chiefs that he forgave them, but said he was not returning to Ile-Ife as Ooni. “Ogboru instructed them to contact his daughter, Moropo and her son, Giesi, who were asked by Ogboru to perform some rites in the palace in order to make the palace liveable for Giesi as Ooni. “This was how Giesi, the son of a princess, became an Ooni. In history, this is called ‘accidental’ or an ‘aberration.’ What this means is that Giesi only completed Ogboru’s term,” Adeyemo

asserted. He recalled that the predecessor of Oba Sijuwade, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, confirmed the Ife customary law of only one ruling house in his letter to the Resident, Oyo Province, dated July 28, 1930. “Oba Aderemi refers to other previous Ooni as his family and the other branches as families and branches and not houses. “Oba Aderemi does not refer to any of the families according to the names by which they are now recently known. Thus he refers to families that have produced Ooni in recent times as Akui, Agbedegbede, Otutu, Ilare family and Ogbonse – offshoot of Otutu. “Therefore, in 1930, when Ooni Aderemi was staking his claim to the throne and setting out the custom, regarding the selection of an Ooni, he made it abundantly clear that Ile-Ife customary law is that there is only one ruling house and that the various families are merely branches of that one ruling house. Any custom declared to the contrary is wrong, illegal, null and void,” he stated. Adeyemo observed that “the 1957 Declaration signed by the Minister of Justice

and Local Government divided the one ruling house into four and gave them names by which the existing family branches had never been known. “What is clear is that the 1957 Declaration and the 1980 Declaration which flowed from it, did not state the customary law of Ile-Ife as to succession to the Ooni stool at all." He added that “since there has been one ruling house in Ile-Ife, all being descendants of Lajamisan and Lajodogun, there has never been recourse to rotation, as each Ooni is selected from the pool of eligible princes who are descendants of Lajodogun. “Indeed, there are three branches of this eligible pool, but it does not constitute these branches into ruling houses. “In these branches, there are sub-branches. For example, what is now called the Osinkola branch has five sub-branches. Other branches have their own sub-branches too. If the recent administrative setup of ruling houses is to be carried to its logical conclusion, then each sub-branch is entitled to be called a ruling house as well,” Adeyemo concluded.

Monday, 7 September, 2015

5 news A/Ibom invasion, terrorism on democracy —PDP Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, declared that it would no longer tolerate the continued unlawful use of state apparatus of power by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to harass its elected officials at any level across the country. In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said the APC-led government, last Friday, crossed the line in unleashing the Department of State Services (DSS), now under the direct command of its member, Alhaji Lawal Daura, to invade and occupy the Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo, in violation of the constitutional immunity of the Government House. The party said the invasion and other flagrant abuse of power by the APCled Federal Government were clear recipes for constitutional crisis, civil unrest and avoidable anarchy in

the land, and called on Nigerians and the international community to take copious note of this. It pointed out that its investigations had shown that the DSS acted on the express orders from the APC Presidency, which had been in a desperate bid to destabilise and forcefully take over Akwa Ibom and other PDP states.

The statement read: “We have information that the DSS, acting on the instructions of the Presidency, occupied Akwa Ibom State Government House, ransacking guest houses for no just cause. “If such terror can be unleashed on a state government, one can only imagine the fate of regular citizens in continues pg7

Akpabio disowns twitter, Facebook accounts SENATE Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has disowned twitter and Facebook accounts opened on his behalf, advising those who are doing so to desist from such. This was just as he said he had not authorised anyone to open any Facebook or Twitter account on his behalf. He also charged Nigerians, particularly the political class, to desist from politicising disasters and tragedies, but urged them to work towards the unity and progress of the country without any political or ethnic colouration. Akpabio, who stated this

in a statement he personally signed, thanked God for his survival and said he remained grateful to Nigerians for their prayers and display of concern. The former governor specifically thanked President Muhamadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara; his successor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, his colleagues in the National Assembly and former president, Goodluck Jonathan, for their concern and expression of love when the accident occurred.

Monday, 7 September, 2015

news

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Navy commences mop up of illegal refineries in Rivers Sets ablaze tanks loaded with 145,000 litres stolen crude in Buguma Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

HE Nigerian Navy has commenced the mopping up of newly discovered several illegal refineries, which it said have combined capacity to produce thousands of petroleum products daily. Commodore Shuwa Mohammed, Commander NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, made this known shortly after taking newsmen on aerial and land surveillance of the newly discovered modular refineries in Rivers State, on Sunday. He said the mop up was aimed at ending colossal damages done to the environment by activities of oil thieves, who through acts of sabotage, punctured pipelines to obtain crude oil illegally. Several of such illegal refineries, hidden under thick shed of the mangrove forest, were sighted during the exercise, even with the environment already polluted. “The mop up, ordered by the Chief of Naval Staff, ViceAdmiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, is part of a series of operations lined up to end incessant crude oil thefts and pipeline vandalism in the state. “During our aerial surveillance recently, several new illegal refineries were sighted with their positions in Latitude and Longitude obtained prompting troops mobilisation. “In the course of our operation today (Sunday), an illegal refinery with 15 storage metallic tanks, loaded with 145,000 litres of stolen crude oil, was set ablaze in Buguma, Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State,” Mohammed said. Represented by Commander Chidi Ejiofor, the Pathfinder’s Base Operation Officer, Mohammed, said more than 50,000 litres of illegally refined diesel stored in 10 cooking tanks were also destroyed. He said a metallic badge and dump, which had capac-

ity to store thousands of petroleum products, were also destroyed during the raid. According to Mohammed, operators of the illegal refinery, who were more than 20, fled the scene on sighting advancing naval troop. “Ironically, while setting the refinery ablaze, four

out of the fleeing oil thieves came back and offered us a bribe of N600,000 to leave the refinery. “The four suspects were subsequently arrested and would be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for investigation and prosecu-

tion,” he said. Mohammed maintained that while there were renewed efforts by the naval high command to stop oil theft, sensitisation was key to ending oil theft, rather than destruction alone. He said there were about 33,000 creeks in the Niger

Delta, NNS Pathfinder was saddled with responsibility of securing not more than 1,000 of the creeks and waterways. “It is difficult to maintain 24-hour presence in all of these creeks and oil facilities, especially having in mind the shallowness of some of the

Olu of Warri: Palace shut, church relocates service Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri THE unconfirmed death of the Olu of Warri, the Ogiame, Atuwatse II, is beginning to elicit reactions from well-wishers. Although, yet to be confirmed by the palace chiefs, the rumour about the demise of the revered monarch had already taken over the social media. The Olu was said to have joined his ancestors on Friday. The influential Itsekiri king was said to have died in Reddington Hospital, Lagos. The Itsekiri traditional leader, a lawyer by profession, was coronated April 2, 1987. The Olu’s 28th coronation anniversary was commemorated by all Itsekiri sons and daughters recently. A reliable source, who declined identification, told the Nigerian Tribune that “it is true the Olu has passed on. He joined his ancestors on Friday, but you know, Itsekiri tradition abhors making such announcement until the palace chiefs make it officially known.” Another source said the monarch had been indisposed for sometime, hence his unavailability in public glare. Meanwhile, a prince told Nigerian Tribune that he was unaware of the rumoured death of the Olu. He added that if anything of such happened, the announcement would be made to the public by the appropriate authorities. He advised the media to

refrain from spreading spurious stories that have not been substantiated. Also, Four Square Gospel Church, where the Olu used to worship, on Sunday, relocated elsewhere for service. The worshippers were

relocated to the Church Convocation Centre, just a distance from the palace, while the two entrances to the palace were under lock and key. The service was presided over by the senior pastor of

the church, Reverend Sam Aboyeji, who did not give the reason for relocation. Nigerian Tribune observed that people were standing in groups around the Ekurede Itsekiri, where the palace is situated, dis-

the hands of this administration that has continued to show unparalleled disdain for constitutional order, with heinous penchant for oppression. “We have also been made aware of plans by the APC government to stage similar invasions and unlawful assaults on other PDP states, including Rivers, Delta,

Abia and Taraba, where electoral officers are already being hounded and harassed by the DSS, who are also directly interferring in the activities of the election tribunals, in furtherance of APC’s desperation to take over these states. “The PDP recalls similar action by the APC-controlled police, which in July, sealed up local councils in Rivers State and barred

cussing the uncertainties pervading the state of the monarch. Sources, however, said the chiefs were meeting with the family members, adding that they would clear the air at the appropriate time.

LP chieftain, Ajulo, knocks Buhari, Osinbajo over asset declaration Bola Badmus - Lagos AS reactions trail the public declaration of assets by both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the national secretary of the Labour Party, Mr Kayode Ajulo, on Sunday, described the published documents as “apparently fraudulent, not only to hoodwink Nigerians, but to further use same to cover serial violations of their covenant with Nigerians.” Ajulo, founder/chairman, Egalitarian Mission, Africa, said this in a release entitled: “Buhari’s asset declaration is fraudulently vague,” copy of which he made available to newsmen in Lagos. The LP chieftain, who declared that “for clarity, integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching,” contended that “asset declaration must be done in prescribed form with particulars to ensure clarity and certainty.” According to him, what was declared by the duo of Buhari and Osinbajo was vague, in bad faith and totally unacceptable, saying particulars and full description of the assets had to be given for proper

identification and verification. He also said the declaration was incomplete, as the spouses of the two politicians did not declare theirs, pointing out that the law provided that where any spouse of the declarant was not a civil or public servant, such spouse should make the declaration with the better half. Text of the release read: “Buhari team should go one step further by making their assets truly public with sincerity of purpose and it is pretty much simple. “Late President Umaru Yar’Adua once publicly declared his asset in prescribed form and same was

published to the satisfaction of all. President Buhari and company should take a cue from the late president. “Doing this, President Buhari would at least have fulfilled one of his campaign promises in a most decent and honest manner. “Nigerians want to trust their leaders; the trust must be earned. They should have nothing to hide and I have nothing personal against them, save that we should ensure that our word is our bond, giving no room for second-guessing. “When it comes to transparency, President Buhari should not be ordinary; these are extraordinary

caretaker committees lawfully appointed by the state government from taking charge of the councils. “We wish to restate that the PDP lost a general election and not a war. PDP states are not occupied territories, but part of the Nigerian nation; its members are not prisoners of war, but free citizens in a democratic state. “We invite Nigerians and

times in Nigeria. “The very first job of a leader is to inspire trust. Trust is the single most essential element to our ability to deliver extraordinary results in an enduring way. Trust is integral to building high performance, good and excellent governance, because it enables a nation to work as it should. It’s the first defense against dysfunction and the first step towards delivering better outcomes. “As we endeavour to improve on our leadership qualities, we are inspired by the thought leadership of others, who also revere building trust as a critical mission.”

...Buhari deceived Nigerians —Lawmaker Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos THE declaration of asset by President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to generate reactions with a Lagos lawmaker insisting that the president was economical with the truth with his declaration. Speaking in an interview with media men last week, the lawmaker representing

Ojo Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Akande, argued that the mere fact that President Buhari has several cars, houses and N30 Million in his bank account shows that he is not poor. “On asset declaration, I would say that President Buhari has not been fair to the people. He came out to tell Nigerians during the

A/Ibom invasion, terrorism on democracy —PDP continuesd from pg5

creeks which made it near impossible to patrol. “So, sensitisation and government partnership with communities will greatly help put to stop attacks on oil and gas installations which not only affect everyone but degrade the environment,” he said.

the international community to note that never in the history of our democracy have we witnessed such a divisive government, whose actions and constitutional violations have so polarised the polity along its fault lines, while undermining national unity and cohesion, a development that spells doom for our democracy, if left unchecked.

“Finally, we wish to state categorically that as citizens of this country, we can no longer continue to stomach such brazen attacks on our members and elected officials. “The PDP will, therefore, hold several leadership and stakeholders meetings to come up with its response to this barefaced assault on our democracy. Enough is enough!”

campaign that he is very poor and that he didn’t have much money. I would like to say that there is no serving or former president of Nigeria that is poor,” the lawmaker said. “He is looking at it from the monetary aspect, which is not the case. Weighing someone whether he is rich or poor depends on his or her asset. Somebody has several cars, has N30 Million in his bank account, can we say that such a person is poor, the answer is no. It is a political gimmick, he used it and he was successful with it and I give him kudos for that,” he further noted. When commenting on the perceived anomalies in the appointments made by the president so far, Hon. Akande said that President Buhari should correct the ‘anomalies’ and apply the principle of federal character in subsequent appointments.

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Lagosmetro

Lagos to impound trailers on restricted roads L Bola Badmus

AGOS State government has restated its determination to ensure strict enforcement of the Road Traffic Law 2012, restricting trailers and long vehicles from plying the metropolis between the hours of 6am to 9pm. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu, said this while speaking with newsmen. Whenu, who spoke against the background of fatal accident involving a container-laden trailer a few days ago, said the trailer contravened Section 2 (i) and 2 (ii)

of the Traffic Law. The permanent secretary said the state government would henceforth go tough on any trailer and long vehicle that contravened the law. According to him, henceforth vehicles that contravened the law will be impounded and made to pay the stipulated fine accordingly. Leaders of various transport unions and associa-

tions in the state, while reacting to the development, gave their support. They arrived at the decision at the weekend at a meeting with officials of the state government. Speaking at the meeting, Whenu clarified the state government’s position on the new directive, even as he said that LASTMA officials had not been withdrawn from performing their statutory responsibilities on the

road. According to him, the new directive will pay more emphasis on flawless flow of traffic, adding that traffic offenders would now be booked and expected to pay their fines within the stipulated period in line with the government’s covenant with Lagosians to make life easier for them. He solicited the co-operation and support of all transport operators in en-

suring the success of the initiative, which he described as laudable. Whenu urged them to warn their members not to see this act of humaneness by the state government as a sign of weakness by attacking LASTMA or any other enforcement agents, saying such act would be sanctioned in accordance with relevant provisions of the law. “The state government has

also directed that all commercial passenger vehicles should obey all traffic rules and regulations by stopping only at designated busstops, close bus doors while in motion among other provisions of the law,” Whenu said. The Chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Alhaji Musa Muhammed, in his response, welcomed the new initiative, just as

... To rid street of traders, hawkers Bola Badmus LAGOS State government said it is committed to ridding the state of street trading by fully enforcing the provisions of the law restricting the practice, saying that henceforth any street trader or hawker caught would be liable to pay N5,000 fine or three months imprisonment upon conviction. Section 10 of the law prescribes a N5,000 fine or three months imprisonment upon conviction. Chairman of the State Task Force on Environmental and Other Special Offences (Enforcement Unit), Olubukola Abe, gave the commitment while speaking with newsmen at Alausa, Ikeja. According to Abe, a Superintendent of Police, the new drive is to reduce the traffic congestion on the road, often caused by the activities of street traders and hawkers. He said that Section 1 of the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003, restricts street trading and hawking in the metropolis.

FACING BAN: Road side traders in action in Lagos. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Suspected cult member arrested for possession of dangerous Bidemi Olowofela A 20 year-old man, Rasheed Sulaimon, alias “Ilefo” was on Friday arraigned before an EbuteMetta Magistrate’s Court for harassing residents of Ebute-Metta. Rasheed, a fashion designer who resides at 101 Kanu Street, EbuteMetta, Lagos is facing a three-count charge

bordering on conspiracy, unlawful assembly and threatening violence. It was gathered that Rasheed belonged to the Aye cult group and was subsequently arrested by policemen Oyingbo when they were allegedly planning to disrupt activities in the area. Rasheed was arrested while some dangerous weapons were recovered

during the operation. The charges read: “That you, Rasheed Sulaimon and others at large on the 28th day of August 2015 at about 0600hrs at market street, EbuteMetta Lagos in the Lagos magisterial District did conspire along yourselves to commit felony to wit: threatening violence and thereby committed an offence punishable under

section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. “That you Rasheed Sulaimon and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district did unlawfully came out with bottles and cutlasses to intimidate and harass by causing fear and annoy the residents of Ebute-Metta and its en-

vironments and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 56(A) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. “That you Rasheed Sulaimon and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district did intend to manifest evil intention and thereby committed an of-

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole

08037863902 | olanreade@yahoo.com Police arrest two fake officers Olalekan Olabulo

‘YOU CAN’T CHEAT NATURE’: Man sleeps at bus stop along Oworo Road, Lagos.

My customer introduced me to ‘robbery profession’ —Traffic robber Olalekan Olabulo THE police in Lagos State have arrested a notorious member of a gang that specialized in picking pockets and robbing motorists of mobile phones and other valuable things around Mile 2 area of the state. The suspect was arrested a few days ago by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) , who responded to a distress call by a victim of the gang. The suspect, Michael Ubi,

weapons fence punishable by under Section 21(C) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The magistrate, Mrs Olajuwon granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000.00 with one surety in the like sum and hereby adjourned the case till October 20, 2015.

had allegedly successfully picked the sum of N28,000 from a passenger of a commercial bus around Mile 2 area. The victim, identified as Orji Ogbonnaya, had on noticing the missing money raised an alarm, leading to the arrest of the 23-year-old suspect. The victim told the police that the suspect sat next to him at the back seat of the commercial bus and stylishly dipped his hands into his pocket to remove the money. The victim explained that “I boarded a bus to Mile 2 from Oshodi. On getting to Toyota, the suspect came in as another passenger because we still had vacant seats inside the bus.” He continued that, “I did not have any inkling that he had a mission. I shifted a bit for him and he sat closer to me. When I noticed that he had removed the money from my pocket after I touched my thigh, I pretended as if nothing had happened. Then I was looking for where I could see

any police patrol vehicle to come to my rescue. “When we got to Mile 2, he wanted to alight from the bus and I held his trousers. Then I called the attention of RRS patrol team I saw around the area.” He also added that “Unknown to me, he had passed the money unto one of his gang members. But when the police surrounded us, we saw one man who just disembarked from the vehicle, dropping the money on the road and running away. “Policemen ran after him but he absconded. Immediately, the suspect was arrested and conveyed to the squad’s headquarters, where he confessed that he actually stole my money and passed it to his partner,” the victim narrated. He thanked the policemen for coming to his rescue, adding that the money had been handed over to him. The suspect, who until his arrest, lived at 19, Olutimeyin Street, Ipaja, Ayobo, made a confessional statement at the squad headquarters and added that

he was part of the robbery syndicate operating in Mile 2, Ajegunle and its environs. “I was selling second-hand clothes at popular Kantagowa market along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway. One of my customers introduced robbery profession to me,” the suspect said. He continued that “He taught me how to remove handsets and money from our victims without their knowledge. I intentionally

sat beside him in the bus because we always know our victims. This is not my first time I had committed such act. I have been in this profession for close to two years now.” The RRS commander while speaking on the arrest, reiterated that the Lagos State commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, is totally committed to free Lagos from any criminal acts.

TWO fake policemen were recently arrested by the police in Lagos State around Mile 2 area during a routine stop and search exercise. The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who are working to restore sanity and curb crimes around Mile 2. The suspects were identified as Lawal Hakeem and Abiodun Ibraheem who claimed to be police officers when they were arrested. The RRS commander, Olatunji Disu, an assistant commissioner of police, confirmed that operatives of the unit while on a patrol duty sighted the two arrested suspects. Lagos Metro gathered that the suspects, who looked “suspicious”, had claimed to be police officers, while being questioned by the police. According to a police source, “The RRS operatives continued interrogations. After a while, one of them, Lawal Hakeem, showed his fake police identity card.” The source added that “The RRS men looked at the I.D card critically only to discover that it was fake.” On arrival at the RRS office, one of the suspects, Abiodun, confessed that he was not a police officer but an intimate friend to Lawal and added that he was only trying to settle a dispute between him (Hakeem) and a private car driver at the time of their arrest.

Okada rider docked for murder Damola Omilani A 21-year-old man, Nwaeboyi Onyebuchi, has been arraigned before an EbuteMetta Magistrate’s Court for knocking down one Wasiu which led to his death. Onyebuchi who resides at 10, Fatiregun street, EbuteMetta west is facing a fivecount charge of reckless driving, obstruction of public road, unable to produce driving license, and murder. The matter was reported

by the motorcycle patrol team led by Sergeant Adeniyi Afolayan attached to Iponri police station. It was gathered that the defendant was riding a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number LSD 764 QA towards Costain and knocked down the deceased whose head hit a culvert thereby leading to his death. The deceased was rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Ebutte-Meta, where he was rejected and subsequently

referred to LUTH, but unfortunately gave up the ghost. The defendant pleaded not guilty. The magistrate, Mrs Olajuwon admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000,00 with two sureties in the like sum and ordered that the case file should be forwarded to the DPP for legal advice. The case was adjourned till September 15, 2015 for mention.

businessnews

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Pension funds hit N5trn —PenCom boss By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

I R E C T O R GENERAL of National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, at the weekend, said pension funds in Nigeria had risen to over N5 trillion. Anohu-Amazu, who said this during a parley with journalists in Lagos, stated that, “As of the end of the month of June 2015, the fund was N4.936 trillion. I am sure by now it will be over N5 trillion.” The DG, who spoke at the unveiling of a new logo for the commission, said most of the pension funds was invested in Federal Government bond, adding that the commission took this position because the bonds were the safest in the country. Anohu-Amazu, who acknowledged that pension funds were deployed to the development of infrastructure in other countries, added that the commission was not averse to doing that to bridge the gap of infrastructure deficit in the country but it had to be sure that those seeking to borrow the funds were credible and had the capacity to refund the money on due date. According to her, “We have to be conscious of our primary assignment which is to make sure that pension funds were available to pensioners on demand. While we know that we need to support the development of infrastructure, we cannot do that to the detriment of our primary assignment. “However, whenever we find credible people who are willing to take the funds for investments, we shall release the funds.” The DG, who noted that non-remittance of deducted pensions was criminal, lamented that many employees were reluctant to report their defaulting employers to the commission. Anohu-Amazu said her commission had ensured

proper regulation of both pension funds administrators and pension funds

custodians in the country, adding that this was responsible for the sanity in

contributory pension management. “We ensure that the op-

From left, Managing Partner, Redmediaafrica, Mr Chude Jideonwo; Publisher, Tw Magazine, Adesuwa Onyenokwe; Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Abubakar Suleiman and Executive Director, Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy, Omowale Ogunrinde, during a press conference on Get Ready for Work in Lagos, on Friday.

AN expert in the power sector has expressed disagreement over claims that power supply has improved significantly in recent days. Speaking in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, the Managing Director, PowerCap Nigeria Limited, Biodun Ogunleye, asked for what was put in place or did differently to make the improvement possible.

sist on a threshold beyond which they cannot go and we strictly monitor this. That is why for over 10 years, there has not been a single scandal about contributory pension management in the country,” she said. Anohu-Amazu, who also used the opportunity to speak about the second edition of the World Pension Summit Africa jointly sponsored by PenCom and World Pension Summit of The Netherlands, said the theme of the summit would be ‘Building Sustainable Pension Systems in Africa.’ She added that the summit, which is a follow up on the maiden edition, would have a number of sub-themes such as Reform and Developments in African Pension Systems, Global Developments in Pension Systems, The Real Deal: Structuring Pension Investments for Sustainability and Expanding Investment Frontiers for Pension Funds.

Why we are bailing states out —CBN By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

CENTRAL Bank governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at the weekend, said the apex bank agreed to bail out states to enable them pay their workers’ salaries so as to stimulate the economy. Emefiele, who spoke in Lagos, said, “When workers are paid, the economy is stimulated because the workers will have money to pay for goods and services. This will have a ripple effect on the economy as it will initiate various economic activities.” The CBN governor added that the non-payment of workers’ salaries had crip-

pled the economy of the affected states, saying with the intervention of the banks that would change. Twenty-seven states are to get N338billion as loans to be repaid over 20 years at nine per cent interest. The loan is basically meant for the payment of outstanding workers’ salaries. The states also had their commercial debts converted to bonds to reduce their debt-service outflow and free up funds for meeting other obligations. Speaking on the challenge with the naira, the CBN boss said speculators precipitated the crisis with the value of the currency.

His words: “When the price of crude started sliding, money speculators expected that the CBN would depreciate the naira. So they started buying up dollar. This brought serious pressure on the naira as those who needed dollar for genuine businesses could not get it and we had to defend the naira with the reserves. Eventually, we had to depreciate naira by 22 per cent. Even now, some interests are still agitating for further depreciation of the naira.” Speaking on efforts to shore up the value of the currency, Emefiele said the CBN would do all that was

necessary to protect the currency from those who were poised to profit from its continuous depreciation. “That is why we had to come up with the list of items for which the CBN would not provide foreign exchange for their importation. Many of the items can be sourced locally but some people prefer to have them imported into the country. We are not banning the items but our position is that whoever wants to bring in any of those items has to source his foreign exchange on his own,” the governor said. He said importers of

Nigerian Airports repositioned to shape African aviation Shola Adekola-lagos

THE new terminals at Nigeria’s major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Enugu will make Nigeria

the hub of aviation in Africa, when they are completed in 2016. This was disclosed by the Managing Director/CEO of the Federal Airports Au-

thority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Saleh Dunoma at Panama, during the Annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition of the Airport Council In-

Expert debunks improved power supply claims Olatunde Dodondawa-Lagos

erators do not use pension funds for their day to day operations. We also in-

Nigerian Tribune

According to him, “what we are expressing now is an experimental thing, based on your own experience. For us to say power has improved, it would be nice for us to have effective measurement as to what amount of improvement. “Is it in terms of availability, quality or appropriateness of the supply to the consumers. I can’t see any new structure put in place to address or mitigate the cyclical drops and trends

we have historically experienced in the past.” He however advised the Federal Government to ensure diversification of energy source to promote sustainable improvement in power supply. “I am more of the view that we need to diversify how and where we get energy from. And it must be relevant to the need of the people that want to consume the supply. “Anytime you have a pe-

rennial power supply challenge like this, the only solution is for you not to solve it using one approach. “Embedded generation will give us quicker and cheaper access to additional capacity. It will also make for provision where anybody with access to N50-N100million can be a player and make things happen quickly. Based on this, I’m not of the view that grid supply is the only route,” he said.

ternational (ACI). Speaking as a panelist at the event, Dunoma said the completion of these terminals would stimulate robust traffic growth in passenger and cargo traffic. “These airports will improve passenger comfort, increase capacity and improve facilitation”, he said. He added that though the 7.2% increase for passenger traffic from the MINT countries (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) as contained in the 2014 ACI World Airport Traffic Report, was commendable, this figure would experience a steady rise.

commodities available in the country were the ones killing the economy. According to Emefiele, “In 2012, there was just one rice mill in Nigeria. The former minister of agriculture had a meeting with the CBN and banks to advance credit to those who wanted to invest in rice milling so that the country could become self sufficient in rice production and banks did. Now, there are many rice millers in the country but these rice importers are killing their businesses; they are also killing employment generation opportunities in the country. We cannot continue that way.” The CBN governor said all the measures taken by the apex bank were meant to save the currency and not to inflict pains on Nigerians. He assured that Nigerians with genuine needs for foreign currencies would have their needs met by the bank. “Payment for medical bills and school fees receive immediate attention once we get the request. We will ensure that nobody who has a genuine need for foreign exchange goes through unnecessary trouble,” he said. He also said that the CBN had no plan to run bureau de change operators out of business but added that they had to comply with the guidelines regulating their operation.

businessnews

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

19 million customers enroll on BVN platform —CBN By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

ITH two months to the expiration of the fresh deadline that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) set for the conclusion of the exercise, the number of bank customers that have so far enrolled on the Bank Verification Number (BVN) platform has risen to 19 million. The CBN Deputy Director, Banking and Payments System Department, Mr. Musa Jimoh, disclosed this at an interactive session with journalists during the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) Bi-Monthly Forum held in Lagos at the weekend. Mr. Jimoh urged bank customers who were yet to enroll on the BVN platform to endeavour to do so before the expiration of the October 31 deadline as there would be no further extension of the registration period for the exercise. According to him, customers who do not obtain their BVN at the expiration of the deadline may not be able to deposit into or make withdrawals from their accounts. He emphasized that there would be no hiding place for people who use multiple identities to perpetrate fraud in the industry after October 31

2015 when all bank customers are expected to have their BVN. The CBN top official pointed out that the BVN would also allow the industry to determine the actual number of bank customers in the country. As he put it, “There are various estimates of the total number of bank customers in the country. But some people have two or three accounts. However, with the BVN, we will be able to know how many bank customers we have in the industry.” It will be recalled that the CBN had extended the initial June 30 2015 deadline for the BVN registration by four months to October 31, 2015. The BVN, which is an initiative of the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee, was launched on February 14, 2014. It is a unique identifier for each bank customer across the financial industry, making it possible to build and track customer financial history and activity. This will allow banks access to more reliable informa-

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said it is approaching 30 local and foreign investors to raise N45billion for transmission infrastructure. Addressing journalists in an interview session, the Acting Managing Director, TCN, Dr Atiku Abubakar, stated that the company would engage 30 local and foreign investors to raise N45 billion which is to be used for an annual N15billion infrastructure upgrade needed to boost transmission networks within three years. Abubakar stated that such investment is needed to achieve the 8000MW in next three years. According to him, “The country will need to invest N15billion within two to three years to achieve 8,000MW. We have shortlisted them and now we are building the framework for repaying the investors. “We have identified 130 ongoing projects that have been stalled as a result of lack of funds and other challenges. We also identi-

ment, ‘Dipo Fatokun has said that the apex bank is taking strategic steps to ensure that the level of fraud arising from e-payment transactions are reduced to the barest minimum, Speaking during the Fi-

nance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) Bi-Monthly Forum held in Lagos at the weekend, he said the Payments System Vision 2020 launched in 2013, was meant to achieve

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

FIRS collaborates with audit firms, tax consultants to increase revenue Gbola Subair - Abuja THE newly appointed Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Ba-

TCN seeks N4.5bn to boost network infrastructure Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

tion that could inform decisions on customer loan and credit applications and other complex transactions. Meanwhile the CBN Director, Banking and Payments System Depart-

fied 30 projects that were critical.” Beyond waiting for the investors, he said the company was also looking inwards by talking to government and others to raise funds for the project execution. Moreover, Abubakar posited that privatisation of the TCN was likely going to be in the long term as discussions on this was not on the table for now. “We are making all efforts to ensure that funds are raised outside the appropriation of government; we have investors who are ready to come into the country to invest in our schemes.” Dilapidated and obsolete transmission infrastructure in Nigeria is largely responsible for limited transmission capacity which currently stands at less than 6000MW. A power solution expert, Biodun Ogunleye, told the Nigerian Tribune that investing in the national grid is outdated and advised the Federal Government to focus more on embedded generation.

batunde Fowler, has embarked on collaboration with audit firms, charted accountants, tax consultants and other professional service providers in order to ensure increase in revenue collection. At a meeting held in Abuja recently, Fowler pointed out that the collaboration between the professional service providers, States Board of Internal Revenue (SBIR) and FIRS would mark a turning point for taxation as well as reduce the reliance on oil for Nigeria. The meeting focused on the need to harmonise exchange of information across all the revenue authorities, as well as ensuring a synchronised auditing of all the various companies in the country. At the end of the deliberations, it was agreed that the information be shared with members of National Assembly, particularly on tax laws in collaboration with other professional bodies as well as relevant stakeholders. They also resolved that FIRS, State Revenue Boards and the various audit firms would carry out joint audits of the various companies to ensure accuracy of the exercise, enhance transparency and drive compliance. These audits would be completed within 30 days and would take cognisance of the various year ends and peak points of activities of

the various companies. He noted that audit and tax consultants were major stakeholders and that their input into tax administration and revenue generation was crucial would move the nation away from over-reli-

ance on oil revenue. Fowler also said the input from the stakeholders was necessary for the expansion of the tax net, information dissemination, building capacity of tax administration.

the re-organisation of the National Payments Governance Structure and encourage more people to embrace e-payment transactions. Fatokun, who was represented by the CBN Deputy Director, Banking and Payments System Department, Musa Jimoh, said the project identified agriculture, smart cities, health, transportation, hotels, entertainment, government flow, education and Consumer Bill Payment as well as direct debits as focus areas. However, Fatokun explained that the absence of a unique identifier in the banking industry has negative consequences on the growth of e-payments and that the need to resolve the challenge that prompted the CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee to launch the BVN project. “The BVN initiative is aimed at protecting bank customers and further strengthening the Nigerian banking system by uniquely identifying all bank customers and acts as a stop-gap, prior to the full implementation of the National Identity Card system,” he said. Also, the CBN mandated all Banks, Switches and Processors to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCIDSS) and subsequently conducted an oversight on compliance which showed that most banks had been certified.

NNPC in bid to recover $9.46bn owed Nigeria IN the first 100 days of President Buhari’s government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) has begun the process of recovering over $7 billion in over-deducted tax benefits from JV Partners on major capital projects. In a report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari by its new management detailing its successes so far, the Group Managing Director,GMD of NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu had commenced Performance Measurement & Benchmarking as well as Value for Money Review of NNPC and the JV Companies covering the period 2008 – 2013. A report indicated that this process may lead to further cost recovery. In addition, the report said that a reputable International Accounting Firm has been engaged by the NNPC to ascertain the exact amount due government on the Strategic Alliance Contracts entered by NPDC, where up to $2.46 billion of government money is to be recovered. It also revealed that con-

sequent upon an extensive investigation of the various toxic crude oil for refined products swap contracts, a total sum of $420 million has so far been reconciled in favour of NNPC and is now due for recovery from the legacy OPA/SWAP contracts. Out of the reconciled amount, the sum of $277 million has been recovered in lieu of products and the recovery effort is still ongoing, the source added. According to the report , the GMD of NNPC is committed to continued review of all existing contracts and addressing the ones that are not favourable to the Corporation. It was noted that significant cost reductions are also expected to ensure the Corporation remains profitable in the prevailing low crude oil price regime. He added that progress is being made toward bringing back the nation’s refineries to full production, noting that the management of the NNPC is working to ensure that this happens before the end of this year.

If this is completed, the report said, it is expected to achieve an annual savings of about $1billion worth of foreign exchange from fuel import substitution and additional total saving of over $500 million annually will be made from the petrochemical products of Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company. The report also disclosed that efforts at repositioning the NNPC have started yielding result on the nation’s economy. According to its content, gas supply to the power plants that had hitherto been handicapped by the supply of muchneeded gas, has improved significantly from about 630 to 861 million standard cubic feet per day, which has resulted in a more steady power supply being witnessed in the country. Indeed, the report revealed that gas supply for power and peak generation have in recent times reached a historical high of 876 million standard cubic feet per day and 4,782 Mega Watts respectively.

business

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR FRIDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER, 2015

news

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Save pharmaceutical industry, group tells Buhari By Sade Oguntola

HAIRMAN of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, PMGMAN, Okey Akpa has reiterated pleas for the adjustment in the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) on imported finished pharmaceutical products to save the pharmaceutical industry from imminent collapse. Akpa made the call in a press release to announce the 4th Nigeria Pharma Manufactures EXPO 2015 where over 120 exhibitors from countries such as France and Germany are being expected. It is to ensure stakeholders exchange information, products, services and ideas. Akpa, reiterating that self

sufficiency in essential medicines has national security implications, said redressing the anomaly in the CET was important to protect the local pharmaceutical manufactures and encourage industrialisation. According to him, “An import adjustment tax of 20 per cent on imported finished pharmaceutical products of HS Codes 3003 and 3004 should be imposed immediately as applied to other sectors where Nigeria has capacity as allowed by the CET. “In addition, under the national list within the CET, input into pharmaceutical manufacturing (raw materials, excipients and packaging) should be allowed to be imported at 0 per cent by bona fide pharmaceutical manufacturers.”

Akpa, remarking that self-sufficiency in essential medicines has a national security implication, stated that “our position remains

that Nigeria’s responsibility to minimise the effect of diseases on the economic, social and political stability of the country cannot be ab-

dicated to imported medicines.” “We have expectations that the Government under the leadership of President

Muhammadu Buhari will redress this anomaly expeditiously to avoid the collapse of the pharmaceutical industry.”

IN recognition of his exemplary leadership, immense contributions and passion for excellencedriven services to humanity in the area of education and youth empowerment, the pro-chancellor and chairman, Governing Council, Achievers University, Owo and House of Representatives member representing Owo/ Ose Federal constituency of Ondo State at the House of Representatives, Honourable Dr Bode

Ayorinde, has been adjudged the Ondo State personality of the year by Icon & Legend Incorporated. According to the CEO/ Publisher, Icon & Legend, Mr Omosehin Akinduro, the Icon & Legend Distinguished Leadership Award goes to outstanding personality, who, in the spirit of national transformation, has demonstrated uncommon character, passion and unalloyed commitment in service delivery and thereby rendering unquantifiable benefits to his home state and Nigeria. The theme for this year’s award lecture, according to him, is: “Youth Empowerment and Education in Nigeria and the Future Democracy,” to be delivered by Professor A. O. Popoola, an International and Comparative Public Law expert and current Dean of the Law Faculty, Obafemi Awolowo University. Dr Ayorinde, a man of intimidating and enviable pedigree, is an astute and experienced banker, jurist, accomplished educationist, dogged entrepreneur and

grassroots political Icon. Date and final details for his investiture, which comes up in October 2015, shall be announced soon. Icon&LegendIncorporated is the initiator of the national award platform: Nigeria Outstanding Jurist Award (NOJA), as well as the Icon & Legend Distinguished

Leadership Award series, which have been well received and successfully hosted since inception. Previous recipients of the Icon & Legend Awards were Justice B.A Adejumo, the NICN president and Justice F.O Aguda-Taiwo, president of the Ondo State Customary Court of Appeal.

Ayorinde emerges winner of Education and Youth Empowerment Leadership award

Academy honours 2 ambassadors

THE Advanced Media and Communications Academy (AMCA) will hold its maiden public symposium in honour of two distinguished Nigerian Ambassadors, Dr Yemi Farounbi and Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni. According to Mr Clement Ige, the two ambassadors are stakeholders in the newlyinaugurated Academy which has, as part of its major goals, the promotion and elevation of Nigeria’s Fourth Estate of the realm to a sustainable world standard through

public discourse and the training and re-training of media practitioners. The public symposium in honour of the two distinguished professionals will hold at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, by 2.00 p.m. with the former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi as guest speaker. The public symposium which has as its theme: ‘Our New Nigeria: The Role of Professionals in Government’, will attract

Nigerian Tribune

dignitaries and professionals from all walks of life. Ambassador Olukanni was a career diplomat for over 35 years, during which he was also Director of Public Communications and spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He retired as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ausralia few months ago. Dr Farounbi is one of the nation’s renowned media administrators and acknowledged professional bureaucrat who has just served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Phillippines.

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Monday, 7 September, 2015

PERSONALITIES AT THE RECEPTION ORGANISED BY THE KWARA STATE GOVERNMENT IN HONOUR OF THE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS (NURTW), ALHAJI NAJEEM USMAN YASIN, IN ILORIN AND OFFA, OVER THE WEEKEND

7 1. Kwara State governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed (right), welcoming the President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, to the Government House, Ilorin. 2. Alhaji Yasin and the SSG, Kwara State government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, appreciating each other. 3. Alhaji Najeem Yasin embracing the chairman, Offa Local Government Area, Honourable Waidi Segun Olanipekun, at the event. 4. A member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Saheed Popoola and Alhaji Yasin.

5. The Asiwaju of Offa, Chief Emmanuel Adesoye, discussing with Alhaji Yasin, during the visit of Yasin, during the visit of Yasin to Chief Adesoye in Offa. 6. Leader, Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Hassan Oyeleke (right) and a member of the House of Representatives in the state, Honourable Larinyoye Danladi Olayonu. 7. Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lagos State council, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede (left) and Oba Alatanda. 8. Onipe of Ipe, Oba Muftau (right), exchanging pleasantries with NURTW boss.

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Monday, 7 September, 2015

7 1. The Olafa of Offa, Oba Muftau Okikiola Gbadamosi, Esuwoye II, addressign the audience during the visit of the NURTW boss and his entourage to the palace. 2. Chief Imam of Offa, Sheikh Muyideen Salman and Alhaji Najeem Yasin at the event. 3. From right, Alhaja Maryam Jummai Yasin, Alhaji Najeem Yasin and Chief Imam of Offa, Sheikh Muyideen Salman. 4. From right, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, chairman, NURTW, Ondo State council, Chief Obayoriade Obadutele and Chairman, NURTW, Oyo State council, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (Fele).

5. From left, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, Sheikh Muyideen Salman and the General Secretary of Offa Development Union (ODU), Chief (Mrs) Wosilat Tinuke Macarthy. 6. Ogun State chairman of the NURTW, Alhaji Akeem Adeosun (Jango) and Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde. 7. Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (right), presenting a gift to Alhaji Yasin and the Chairman, NURTW, Kwara State council, Alhaji Yunusa Ore. 8. Alhaji Najeem Yasin, speaking at the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, while Governor Ahmed listening.

Monday, 7 September, 2015 Editor: Bayo Alade featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08055001747

features

el-Rufai’s move to reclaim govt land from speculators MUHAMMAD SABIU in Kaduna writes on the state government’s move to recover lands said to have been illegally acquired during past administrations in the state and how residents have reacted to this.

OMETIME in July this year, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, said at a public function that in keeping to his campaign promises, the state government would uplift the standard of education in the state. He also added that “very soon we are going to start the process of land recovery belonging to government schools and hospitals in order to achieve our objective.” Thus, the following week, the Acting General Manager of Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), Saratu Hassan issued a circular and pasted it on buildings considered to have contravened the existing town planning laws of both state and federal. The circular read in part: “The board has observed that you are developing/have developed a piece of land without the necessary legal requirements of authentic evidence of

ownership and planning permission. This is a contravention of Section 30 sub-section 2 of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law.” The circular also went further to state that “in the event you got the necessary permission due to over-riding public interest, your planning permission is hereby revoked and your building earmarked for demolition.” A 21-day ultimatum was therefore given to allow defaulters to vacate or remove all ‘illegal’ structures. Indeed, this circular did not go down well with some elite who saw the action as retrogressive. A senator representing Kaduna Central, Comrade Shehu Sani told newsmen in an interview that the governor’s action was anti-people, contending that “he should retrace his steps and do the right thing.” However, some youths hailed the boldness of the governor. According to a youth leader,

Shehu Black, the governor’s action was long overdue and a welcome development. Interestingly, on the eve of the deadline, the governor declared in unequivocal terms that what his administration intended to do was to recover all land belonging to government and not to embark on demolition as it has been presumed. The governor who spoke through his media aide, Mr Samuel Aruwan, argued that “the land recovery was necessary because if individuals were allowed to continue to build on these lands, we may one day wake up to see that they have gone into extinction.” He cited the example of Alhudahuda College, Zaria which was established over 100 years ago, but developers have taken over the school by erecting houses on the school land. El-Rufai further disclosed that “if we allow this to continue, our children will not

LEA Primary School on Maiduguri road surrounded by beer sellers.

even find a place to acquire education. He pledged his government’s readiness to uplift the standard of education by renovating the schools and providing free education from primary one to junior secondary school. He added that this would not be achievable without the support and understanding of the 8million people of the state. On August 6, 2015, KASUPDA officials stormed the ancient city of Zaria which is also the town of the governor to start the land recovery exercise. It was gathered that the KASUPDA officials defied the early morning rain and went to the famous Alhudahuda College, Zaria. This school has produced eminent personalities like the former vice president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, as well as the paramount ruler of Zazzau emirate, Alhaji Shehu Idris. The exercise was received with mixed feelings. A housewife and mother of two, who gave her name as Maryam remarked that “We saw some men with bulldozers pulling down our house; they didn’t give us time to remove our properties.” When reporters asked her whether they were given any quit notice and if they were not aware their house was inside a school land, she responded that the residents received the notice but, “We thought the government was joking.” She also affirmed that they got their house from a land speculator who convinced her husband to buy the house. She was almost shedding tears while narrating their ordeal, maintaining that the house was their only asset and now it was gone. Another respondent who pleaded for anonymity remarked that though he does not feel bad about the whole exercise, nonethecontinues pg17

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Monday, 7 September, 2015

‘We’re not going back on this exercise’ continued from pg16

less, he frowned at the timing of their ejection. “How can you tell people to pack out during this raining season?” he asked rhetorically. Nigerian Tribune’s findings also showed that on the first day of the land recovery exercise about 36 houses were affected in the college premises. When the news filtered around that the state government had started the exercise, people out of fear started removing their structures even before the government officials stormed their premises. For instance, at LEA Primary School, Maiduguri Road, Kaduna where beer sellers erected shops around the school fence, most of them had started removing their structures. A shop owner who gave her name as Madam Charity said, “El-Rufai has killed Obalende (referring to the street).” Buttressing her point, she disclosed that “this is street is called Obalende (named after a suburb in Lagos) because for over 30 years this place has flourished and carved a niche for itself as one of the hottest cool spots in Kaduna metropolis.” She argued that people come from far and near to rest all through the day and night, pointing out that “people come here to drink and to go after women of easy virtue.” According to her, even the security operatives were aware of their activities, when she said, “We settled (bribed) them. That is the reason you see them providing security for us till daybreak.” When Nigerian Tribune visited the street it was like a graveyard as most of the structures have been removed. The story was also the same when Nigerian Tribune visited Constitution Road in Kaduna. There was so much anxiety and suspense over the land recovery exercise because of the number of high profile buildings erected on the street. A manager overseeing one of the threestar hotels who pleaded for anonymity remarked that they had started fasting and praying in order to make the governor have a rethink on the planned exercise. Apart from the hotels, findings also revealed that gigantic electronic shops and warehouses were also marked for demolition. Interestingly, it was at the famous Rimi College, Kaduna that a house owner, who simply introduced himself as a retired NNPC staff, betrayed emotions and cried like a baby. He told reporters that he was persuaded to buy the land for N25million and he spent N40million to build the edifice. Findings gathered that many rich individuals and even some organisations have built mansions and offices on the vast piece of land belonging to the school. Examples of such offices were the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kaduna State Teachers Service Board (KTSB) and so on. At the twilight of the land recovery exercise, members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Market Association, New Panteka Old Students, Association for Skill Acquisition, as well as GSM mobile phone sellers barricaded Ahmadu Bello Way, Ali Akilu Road, Muhammadu Buhari Way, as well as Constitution Road. Thereafter, they stormed the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House entrance gate to register their support and encourage Governor Elrufai to go ahead with the exercise. The youths carried placards with differ-

A structure where occupants had removed their belongings.

On the first day of the land recovery exercise about 36 houses were affected in the college premises... people out of fear started removing their structures

Buildings allegedly built on government land also billed for demolition.

ent inscriptions such as “Don’t be afraid of anybody,” “Just continue with the demolition exercise,” “We are strongly behind you, recover our stolen land from greedy politicians,” “ El-Rufai save the future of children and get back our school lands from the rich.” They urged El-Rufai to demolish any house or structure erected within any school premises or compound. The spokesman of the youth groups, Comrade Abdullahi Ladan, said the reason they came out en masse to support the governor was informed by the conviction that he was doing a good work by recovering public hospitals and school lands acquired by the rich and powerful in the society. He also assured the governor that the youths have agreed to give him the necessary backing to demolish and rebuild structures suitable for learning. His words: “We are begging you not to be discouraged by the threats from some quarters and those in the corridors of power; just do the right thing for the sake of posterity,” he said. Representative of NURTW, Alhaji Aliyu Banga, said he had surrendered his Certificate of Occupancy(C of O), to the governor for demolition if it falls within the purview of illegal buildings. According to him, “I have surrendered my C of O. If it warrants demolition, government should go ahead and do so,” he told the governor and the crowd that had gathered. Responding , Governor El-Rufai who had to mount a police armored tank at the entrance gate of the Government House to address the mammoth crowd, assured the youth of his commitment to develop and make Kaduna a model state that would attract investors and sustainable development. He, however, emphasised that in doing so, his administration would try to right the wrongs and blunders committed by previous governments in the state. The governor said: “We are not going back on recovering of all lands belonging to the state government, no matter who now owns them,” he stated. El-Rufai also disclosed that he received some petitions against some state government workers who were assigned to do the recovery exercise but were indulging in a vendetta by pulling down structures that have not violated any law. He vowed to punish those involved.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 7 September, 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.

In support of Buhari’s special court

F President Muhammadu Buhari would lay a precedence for the abolition of corruption in Nigeria, why not support him to achieve it. I forsee no problem in setting up special courts for corruption cases by the president. Setting up the special court for corruption cases is a good idea and it will go a long way in wiping out some corrupt practices, if not all in our society. It is a stigma to every Nigerian travelling abroad to be addressed as a swindler.

If by setting up Rent Tribunal, Electoral Tribunal, Industrial High Court and Customary Court do not create any hue and cry and/ or affect the operation of the various common law courts established before them, I see no reason why setting up of a special court to try corruption cases should create any problem for us. What I foresee is that it will just reduce the loads for the common courts. The Special Corruption Court will be meant to try corruption cases alone and nothing more, that is, their appropriate ju-

Towards reducing abuse of teenagers in Nigeria ABUSE of teenagers is an unwanted situation whereby teenagers are deprived access to some of their basic human rights, either by the parents, family or by known and unknown people in the society. The rate at which teenagers are being abused in the country is on the increase, and there must be collective efforts by government and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) towards finding lasting solutions to the problem. Teenagers of today also have vital roles to play by reporting to the appropriate authorities anybody who tries to infringe on their rights. Ways in which teenagers are being abused include raping, child trafficking, compulsory introduction to, and usage of hard drugs, among others. Cases of rape are reported almost every day to the appropriate authority, but no meaningful sanctions or punishments are being given to the perpetrators of these inhuman acts. The law against those who abuse other people are already in place, but there must be the will by the judiciary to mete out appropriate punishments to abusers. I hope that very soon, cases of abuse of teenag-

ers will be reduced to the barest minimum, if not completely eradicated in the country. •Otubela Oluwaseun, International Institute of Journalism (IIJ).

risdiction will only be for trying corruption cases. Shortage of judges should not be a barrier to this special court. Experienced lawyers can be recruited and trained as judges as it is done in some countries. There are many qualified, bold and experienced lawyers on ground who are ready to work assiduously with little or no supervision at all if invited for the job. Some are even willing to do the job pro bono because of their concern and feeling for our dear country in respect of waging war against corruption. My humble suggestion is to let the public and National Assembly be part of this clarion call on the establishment of the Special Court to try corruption cases in order to deal with corruption in our dear nation. We should support President Buhari on this crusade. Corruption is the major problem we are having in

Nigeria; funds meant for developmental projects that would benefit the people have been stolen by those in positions of authority.

If we do nothing to tackle corruption, then it will definitely ruin our country. It is, therefore, a good thing that we have a president who is out to

fight corruption. •Barrister Olalekan Banjo, New Ife Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

NIMET warning on flood: Appeal to Ibadan residents REFUSE receptacles in some streets in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are again overflowing. A situation that had earlier seen to the destruction of some of them, as residents incinerated trash in and around the receptacles which in turn led to their removal by the government. An action that some had alledged, led to a return of indiscriminate refuse dumping. At inception, the programme of keeping the streets of Ibadan clean recorded a huge success. What then went wrong, one may ask? Obviously, a continuous

cleaning of the streets which saw a change in the appellation ‘the dirtiest city in West Africa,’ will see to an improvement in the lives of the people with the government’s agenda of urban renewal and beautification. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse has, however, taken a new turn. At a ‘dump’ opposite the Bodija Market, disposal of waste is majorly done at night and early in the morning by traders and residents for the fear of being caught by enforcement agents. The Kudeti and Ogunpa rivers at the

Bode axis still remains a dump for residents and market women. The median strip of roads, the collection point for dirt cleared from the road, has become dump for traders close to the road. Residents, market women, and organisations however, should understand that they would only be doing themselves a lot of good if their environment is kept clean at all times. In its effort to salvage the situation, the government had set aside every Thursday and last Saturday of every month between the hours of 7:00am-10:00am and 7:00am-9:00am respectively for environmental sanitation, but this has not really contained the menace. Another season of continuous rain is here, not forgetting the 2011 flood in Ibadan and its diverse effect, especially cholera outbreak, an epidemic trait that could be linked with indiscriminate refuse dumping and the recent warning from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), to states susceptible to flood this year, though exclusive of Oyo State, should be considered. Residents should actively involve themselves in environmental sanitation during days and hours set aside by the government as it is their health and environment that is in danger of hazards and they ensure a proper disposal points other than gutters and flowing rivers or canals, before another flood. •Fashakin Oluyomi Abraham, Adekunle Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko, Ondo State.

editorial

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

RMAFC and the impending pay cut

HE Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr Elias Mbam, recently announced that his commission was working on a comprehensive review of the salaries and allowances for political office holders in the wake of complaints by many Nigerians that political office holders are earning outrageous salaries not in tune with the social reality of the country and the living conditions of most Nigerians. Mr Mbam was very emphatic, after a meeting with the president, that the political office holders would have less pay at the end of the review, given that the country is currently experiencing economic problems due to continuous decline in oil prices. He was of the opinion that the constitution permits the commission to appropriately review the remuneration of political office holders and that it would not shirk this responsibility by allowing them to continue to enjoy the current level of remuneration. The current level of remuneration was whimsically determined by the RMAFC in the first place and there is nothing to suggest that the commission would have embarked on this review if there was no strident and persistent agitation against the subsisting level of remuneration. Indeed, it is important to note that the commission did not have within the structure of its recommendation on the remuneration for political office holders the provision for continuous adjustment relative to the economic realities of the country. Rather, the chairman of RMAFC talks about the commission having arrived at its earlier recommendations on the basis of some nebulous yardsticks that are not known to Nigerians and, therefore, not easy to discuss. It would have been expected that RMAFC would run a very technical and easily discernible template in which experts would help determine the remuneration of political office holders in relation to the basic indices of the Nigerian economy. It is obvious that the current level of remuneration is more of an allocation by the RMAFC from the quantum of oil revenue available to the country such that the pressure was on the commission to do a review in the light of the current dwindling oil revenue, only that this is not the way things should be done. Political office holders ought not to be paid outside

of the same parameters for determining the salaries of other government workers. And it should not take agitations by Nigerians before the RMAFC realises that it has to come up with reasonable remuneration for them, which would not be out of sync with the social reality of the country. We expect the RMAFC to use the opportunity of the current review to come up with comprehensive remuneration package that would be accessible for all Nigerians. For instance, the idea of having a remuneration that nobody knows or is sure about its real quantum for National Assembly members is an anathema in the context of democracy that the country practises. All political office holders are servants of the Nigerian people as they could not be in such offices without the votes of the people and it should be considered normal that their remunerations would be known by those who voted them into the offices. It follows, therefore, that we do not see the logic in having two separate commissions determining the remunerations for other public servants and the political office holders since all of them work for and serve the same government. The fact that the Salaries and Wages Commission recommends remuneration for all public servants does not mean that there are no differences in remuneration across departments and agencies, such that the same commission should have been saddled with recommending the remunerations even for political office holders as it would then be able to have open parameters for arriving at the remunerations for all the different categories of government workers. Indeed, given that the current government is interested in streamlining its processes, we recommend that it looks at the possibility of collapsing the RMAFC and the Salaries and Wages Commission or removing the recommendation on remuneration for political office holders from the purview of the RMAFC as this is a function that could well be performed by the Salaries and Wages Commission. In the end, the impending pay cut for political office holders should not be approached as an ad hoc exercise, but should signal the need to have a more open and expert-driven approach for determining the remunerations for all categories of workers in the country.

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opinion

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Lasisi Olagunju

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

HERE was this eerie photograph of the corpse of a three-year-old boy washed up on the shoreline of a beach in Turkey last Wednesday. There was another photograph of a policeman ‘gently’ recovering the boy’s body and that of his brother who drowned as their family tried to make their way from war-ravaged Syria to the Greek island of Kos that Wednesday. Many of such deaths occur everyday assailing our sensibility while the powerful and the possessed unleash terror on humanity everywhere. We live in a wicked world where the homeless is displaced even in the heart of those with the means to help. I wish our big men and women can stop seeing opportunity for personal enrichment in disasters. I wish they could read the story of Egyptian telecoms tycoon, Naguib Sawiris, who, last week, offered to buy an island to settle and house millions of refugees fleeing Syria and other conflitcs. He said: “Greece or Italy, sell me an island I’ll call its independence and host migrants and provide jobs for them, building their new country.” That is one excellent example. Of course, there is the opposite. And I plead you read this: “Many homeless people roam our streets today—not because they want to—but because they have no choice. Not everybody is given a privileged life. Some are not even given the chance to get a good education, all the more a decent job to survive the hardships of life. “Every man has a story. Some of them might even keep their stories to themselves, but let us not judge them for what we see on the surface. Many homeless people are considered a nuisance, especially by those who are not directly concerned. When some of us see a homeless person dressed as this person in the video, our usual initial reaction is to move away. They are people too, they just don’t have the means to feed and support themselves at the moment.” The above statement is a direct quote of one of the 796,198 comments I met on a chilling video trending online early last week. This wealthy shop owner opened his door from inside to behold a stinking, homeless man sleeping at his doorstep. Disgusted, he poured cold water on the poor man and, terrified from sleep, the man ran away. But he came back and was found there the following day, and the next,

‘It made me cry....’

and the next and got the same treatment repeatedly from the disgusted shop owner - to the shock of his neighbors. Then, one morning, the big man opened his door as usual and discovered with bewilderment that his regular, unwanted sentry was not there. Where is he? He made to look for him around. “He is long gone,” one of the neighbours told the distraught trader. Surprised and curious to probe further, the man looked up and remembered, that the corridor was covered with a CCTV camera. He proceeded to do a review of the recordings. Crestfallen, he beheld how wicked he had been to the poor, homeless man. But that was not the only thing he saw. He soon got shell-shocked to see the dreadful nights the homeless man fought burglars on his behalf. Then, that last night, masked armed robbers came for his wares and the homeless man he had spent days beating, maltreating and shooing off his doorstep rose for him, fought the two robbers gallantly and got fatally stabbed. The trader wept. He had been wicked to his benefactor! It happens everywhere. The man you are trying to rescue could really see you as his tormentor. That is why in our peculiar situation, good men are portrayed as devils and satan is canonised. Someone said we should be worried about the chasm between public image of our public figures and the real persons behind the perception. Any society that lacks the wisdom to identify and distinguish

between the messiah and the anti-God is a society of anything goes. Its salvation will always suffer postponement. Fela sang of “You be thief/ I no be thief...” We need to develop a system that limits the range of lies from and accusations in and against our high places. Can you watch that video and read the almost one million comments it has attracted from across the world? The video is available on YouTube. The borderlessness of the comments, you will observe, confirm the uniformity of humanity. It shows that ultimately, goodness and its opposite have no nationality. They are universal. “That was terrible and it made me cry but I guess the world is a pretty terrible place and the truly nice and kind people are misunderstood,” one of the commenters wrote, just as another (an immigrant somewhere, obviously) reminded us that the stranger we are maltreating should be understood within the context of his divine purpose: “It reminds of the life of an immigrant. They call us trespassers without knowing us, without knowing what we stand for, but if they only knew and stopped being ignorant to who we are, they would see how hard we work these lands, and how loyal we are to this land, willing to fight hard to keep these lands growing, to feed generations to come. Instead they criminalise us and want us sent away.” The video speaks too to our men of power. When you commercialise terrorism by seeing business in military campaign against Boko Haram; when you steal food meant for the poor, displaced children and women; when you feel nonchallant about the corpses of one year, two year olds washed ashore in Syria or picked up in an IDP camp in Yobe, you tell humanity that you are not human. Even beasts feel for their kind. When you are a leader, governor or president and hunger defines your tenure, then you are that merchant of hatred, of pride, greed and destruction. When you blow your siren, speed and splash dirty water on the hapless woman and her kids hawking miserable fruits by the roadside, does it ever occur to you that these people are human beings too with stories to tell? How about you? Can you remember the last time you felt like not picking your calls because you assumed the person calling needed your help? How did you feel when it turned out that the caller was actually a helper of your destiny?

Deconstructing the stomach infrastructure concept By Richard Udeh

WHILE growing up and living with my parents at CoalCamp, Ogbete in Enugu, now nicknamed Coal-City, which was the capital of the defunct Eastern region and later old Anambra State, we used to wake up daily as early as 5.00 am to fetch water from a distant stream so we could have our bath and prepare for school. To fetch drinkable water, we queued up at the residence of a woman known as Madam 2 kobo at Ogbunike Street, at the extreme end of Coal-Camp. We stood for long hours and practically fought, sometimes, to have our buckets filled after paying two kobo from which her name was derived. There were also instances when the stream dried up and the tap water in the house of Madam 2 kobo stopped flowing. We were forced to fetch from any pool of stagnant water after stirring and removing the collection of algae floating on it. In some cases, there were traces of human excreta all around the water, as we perceived its unbearable stench. The government of that time sounded responsible only on television where they showed constantly in a single moment few persons who bought items tagged essential commodities from the National Supply, an agency of government. I still remember having gone to National Supply office as early as 6.am during our holiday with my elder brother, Edwin, to buy rice, milk, tea, and beverage etc, which the government said was essential commodities and sold at reduced prices only through the agency. We fought hard for several days without buying any of the items, not even one. When Henry Clay, an American statesman (1777-1852) said: ”Sir, I would rather be right than be president,” he meant that it is more honourable to be a commoner with the right character than assume a leadership position based on, and sustained by lies. Our leaders have told us many lies in the name of politics and cheated us greatly

in the distribution of the common wealth. After several distorted republics and self-motivated military regimes, always beginning with mouth-watering promises, Nigerians seem to have learnt nothing. The masses, though usually vulnerable in every society, still hold the responsibility of choosing their leaders. No society, whether autocratic or democratic, is divorced from its leaders. As a matter of fact, every society is a reflection of its leaders. The politicians cannot just seize power, they need the consent of the masses. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) rightly observed: “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent.” The bad side of democracy is that it is assumed that the masses have the capacity to make the right choice. If peradventure they choose wrongly, which is the case sometimes, it impacts negatively on their lives and the general economy. The masses are not in any way exonerated from the consequences of being misled. By voting in politicians with negative antecedents, we are simply mortgaging our future and clearing the ground to sink the ship called Nigeria that has sailed for over a 100 years. Democracy, ac-

cording to James Russell Lowell, “Gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.” African nations, Nigeria inclusive, have suffered terrible setback over the years as a result of bad and visionless leadership. Truly, we have been our own oppressors; yes the masses, the people, and the electorate. We must watch out for politicians who are capable of formulating and implementing policies that can create enabling environment for food production, job creation and global trade. Such ones must have proven track record of ability to build physical infrastructures such as roads, schools, hospitals through policies that will be entrenched in the very fabric of our nation. In addition the policies must be such that facilitate quality health care, sound practical education, uninterrupted power supply, gender equality, social justice and fairness in the distribution of our common wealth. The well-articulated infrastructure, when built, naturally results in high living standard. The twist is the recurring reverts to the old method in which we sell our vote in the same old way of collecting food in advance. A governor who, for instance, distributes bags of rice to the public but would rather have the state judiciary paralysed for whatever reason is unfit for the noble task of governance. He should quit without much ado. Stomach infrastructure is some kind of ploy used by some politicians to sweep off the residual sense of judgment from unsuspecting masses while continuously holding them down. It is one of a defeatist agenda, shamefully displaying the foolishness of the people. It is not the route to electing honest leaders with the capacity to transform Nigeria. •Udeh lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria.

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor

tribune

business

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

As CBN’s directive on COT upsets bankers’ revenue plan B Chima Nwkoji- Lagos

ANKERS as they are known today are those who conduct the business of banking; who take deposits and control traffic in money, bills of exchange and other financial instruments. They take money from where it is surplus and lend to areas where it is in short supply. In 1899, the United States Supreme Court (Austen) described a banker as “a trader who buys money, or money and debts, by creating other debts. It further explained that, “The first business of a banker is not to lend money to others, but to collect money from others. This means that banks have to collect money first before they can move on to other responsibilities. “A banker (is) a dealer in capital, or, more properly, a dealer in money. He is an intermediate party between the borrower and the lender. He borrows of one party and lends to another,” the court further described. An anonymous comedian described bankers as “people that help you with problems you would not have had without them.” Another said “a banker gives you umbrella when there is sunshine and takes it when it is raining.” Of recent, stakeholders have been concerned about too much regulation of activities of bankers in Nigeria, such that there are doubts if bankers are really doing what they should be doing and are as satisfied with their jobs today as in the past or just working,” suffering and smiling.”

Some regulatory directives Specifically, the apex bank, not too long ago, directed all banks to reduce Commission on Turnover (COT) from its rate of N3 (per N1000) to N2 by 2014, N1 by 2015 and banks are not expected to charge for COT on current account transactions by 2016. Banking experts describe COT as a charge levied on customer withdrawals by their banks. COT charges are calculated at the end of every month applying the percentage on a customer’s aggregate withdrawals from the first day of the month to the last day of the month. The COT is a guaranteed income, and as such, is a very important source of bank revenue since customers mostly make withdrawals on their deposits. This gives the banks a two-way source of revenue as they charge interest on customer deposits lent to other people and consequently charge on amount withdrawn by the customers themselves. Bankers are concerned that reducing this to zero will rub

CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele

Available records show that 15 quoted banks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) paid N145.5 billion as banking sector resolution cost, otherwise called sinking fund, into the coffers of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2014. them off this two-way revenue source. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria has

barred commercial banks from holding any part of their funds in United State dollars

as it steps up efforts to reduce pressure on the naira. Consequently, authorised dealers were asked to maintain zero per cent of their shareholders’ fund as foreign exchange trading position at the close of each business day. “Any infraction of the requirement of this circular, in any way whatsoever, will attract appropriate sanctions, which may include suspension from the foreign exchange market,” the apex bank had warned. The CBN also barred commercial banks (authorised dealers) from selling its interventions funds in the interbank market to authorised buyers such as Bureaux de Change and hotels. Banks also make money trading in foreign currencies. But the regulator insists that the measures are meant to strengthen the naira as well as to sanitise the operations of the forex market. Other directives are that funds purchased through its interventions at the interbank market should be utilised within two working days of delivery, at a rate not more than 10 kobo above the purchase rate. Also, available records show that 15 quoted banks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) paid N145.5 billion as banking sector resolution cost, otherwise called sinking fund, into the coffers of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2014. Investigations showed that 15 listed banks on the Nigerian bourse recorded total assets of N29.107 trillion during the 2014 financial year. Each bank in Nigeria must pay 0.5 per cent, which an increased from 0.03 per cent in 2013, as one of regulatory induced costs which AMCON mandated banks to pay out of their total assets on yearly basis. Sinking fund was set up to assist the AMCON to meet its goals and ensure that government will not bear the cost of financial crisis in future However, on the sinking fund, Managing Director, Skye Bank Nigeria Plc Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, spoke for the banks. According to him, it is a collective decision (of the Bankers’ Committee), it was agreed between the banks and the central bank. “But the area of contention is when should be the effective date for raising it from 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The effective date was supposed to be (at the end of financial year) 2014, but CBN in its own wisdom decided to apply it 2013. It’s not that banks are disagreeing. We have agreed that we are going to bear this cost, but it should take effect from 2014. For instance, this year, we have started making provisions of 0.5 per cent, so it’s not going to come as a surprise when the debit comes. We have factored it into the cost of operations.” Continues pg 33

tribunebusiness

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Dangote: The making of African multinational By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

ERHAPS more than any other African company, Dangote Group is proving that African conglomerates can rival any multinational not just in expansion but also in adherence to the highest level of quality, delivering top of the range products and improving the quality of lives of people in its markets. The Group has been extending its frontiers to many African countries with a view to fast-tracking economic integration and availing them of high quality cement products to facilitate cost-effective construction without bothering about the pains and pangs of building collapse. To underscore its commitment to its objective of accelerating Africa’s economic growth, the company in recent weeks carried out three significant activities. First was the commissioning of its cement plant in Zambia, which had Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in attendance. The second was the signing of a $4.34 billion contract with Sinoma International Engineering Company Limited, a Chinese construction giant, for the construction of 11 new cement plants in 10 African countries and Nepal in Asia, while the third was the commissioning of its cement plant in Cameroun. The commissioning of the Cameroun plant was witnessed by the cream of the Nigerian society, including Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Chief Segun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State; Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos; and Mr. Femi Otedola, chairman Zenon Oil, among others. Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, in his speech at the event, described the plant as “our largest Greenfield project in a neighbouring country with which we not only share a boundary but also a long history of brotherly relationship dating from our colonial days. Owing to the rich culture and history that we share, we have a better understanding of Cameroun.” He disclosed that due to the warm welcome given to Dangote Cement, the company had decided to begin work on the second phase of the plant, which would see the doubling of its capacity from the current 1.5 mmtpa to 3.0 mmtpa. According to him, “Our desire to increase our investment with the Phase II project is based on not only the fast growth rate of the Cameroonian economy but also due to the warm welcome extended to us and the enabling environment created by the government of Cameroun. “Our choice of Cameroun for this multimillion dollar investment is quite strategic. Cameroun is the largest economy in Central Africa and is well endowed with abundant natural resources. The country also enjoys political stability, adequate security and growing infrastructural development. In addition, President Biya has created an enabling environment that has continued to attract investors both from within and outside the African continent.” The President of Cameroun, Paul Biya, while commending Dangote, praised his deep insight and massive investments in cement manufacturing across Africa.

From left, Camerounian Minister of Labour, Gregoire Owona; Prime Minister Philemon Yang cutting the tape, President Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, at the commissioning of Dangote Cement Plant in Cameroun, recently.

Unlike many other multinationals, Dangote Group has committed itself to growing the economy of the countries where it has its operations while also developing the people and their technology. Biya, who was represented at the event by the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, also laid the foundation stone for 200m jetty in Base Elf area, Port Autonome De Douala. President Biya praised Dangote for his willingness to play a significant role in the growth of the Cameroonian economy, saying investment by the Group was consistent with his government’s policy of inviting leading companies to grow the Cameroonian gross domestic product. According to him, the new cement grinding plant and jetty were clear indications that Cameroun was open and welcome to investments from Nigeria and Africa adding that as a liberal economy, the country would support investments from the private sector. In her remark, Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroun, Hadiza Mustapha, said the investment by Dangote Group would strengthen the existing relationship between the two countries. She added that Nigerian investments in Cameroun were doing very well and called for more business relationships between the two countries. Investment in technology Unlike many other multinationals, Dangote Group has committed itself to growing the economy of the countries where it has its operations while also developing the people and their technology. Hence, the Group has invested in technology to make pozzolan, which is in abundant sup-

ply in the country, the major raw material for cement production in the country. This serves two purposes; it ensures that Dangote is not in danger of running out of supply of the critical raw material, while technology is also transferred to citizens of the country. As explained by an official of Dangote “This is not only good for us as a company, it is also good for the country as a whole because through our investment in research concerning this material, it has been found out that it is more useful than it had hitherto been assumed.” He added, “We are involved in mining, we do not rely on third parties. Mines at Tombel have been opened up and it is under exploitation. The mines at Batoke would soon become operational. Exploration licence for Foumban deposit has also been secured. EIA and other activities for securing mining lease are being processed. All of these improve not just our activities as a company but the country’s economy as a whole.” Ensuring sustainable environment One of the major tasks Dangote Group has assigned itself is that of ensuring that the environment is sustainable by tackling the issue of environmental pollution. Nigerian Tribune found out that one of the major concerns of Cameroonians about locating the plant in the industrial city of Douala was the issue of environmental pollution. A Dangote Cement official told Nige-

rian Tribune, “I don’t really blame the people for that. This was due to what they had experienced with other plants in the country. Before we got here, the experience they had was that cement manufacturing would lead to environmental pollution, but we set out to correct that by deploying the latest dust recovery technology. I can assure you that in this plant, dust generation is almost zero and that means the concerns of the people about environmental pollution has been effectively addressed. This is one of the reasons Cameroonians are warming up to the company.” Speaking about the impact of the plant on cement supply in the country, he said the products of the company were in high demand in Cameroun. According to him, “The demand is growing everyday because of the infrastructural development efforts of the government. We will take advantage of the ban on cement importation here in Cameroun. We have a structured distributorship system in place. Our route to market is very clear and defined. We are building a jetty so that we are not held down by congestion at the ports. “We are set to achieve stability of operations, pursue aggressive market penetration and consolidation through appropriate above the line and below the line activities. One hundred and seventy distributors were selected after the interview process, 85 distributors will start, while the number will gradually increase with increasing production.” He added that Cameroun had an annual cement utilization growth rate of eight per cent, saying the company planned to work on this to increase its capacity. “With the growth rate at eight per cent, and a local production of 2.9m MTPA, we are already looking at export potential in Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Togo, neighbouring countries that depend on Cameroon for their supply of cement.”

Monday, 7 September, 2015

+ entrepreneurship

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

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

BOOK OF THE WEEK

SMEs benefit as MainOne partners Microsoft S By Ruth Olurounbi

MALL business operators in Nigeria now have another reason to smile as MainOne’s Tier III Data Center subsidiary, MDX-I, last week announced the launch of its new cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service solution, which is built on enterprise grade infrastructure and provides flexible, stable, highly available and fully secure private networking/compute environment. By uniquely combining expertise in familiar technologies, customer requirements, and geographic specialization, MDX-i Cloud Services deliver a Cloud Platform customized to the specific needs of its customers, MainOne said.

Continues on pg25

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Empowerment is not the things you do to or for people, it’s the impediments you take away, leaving space for folks to empower themselves – Terry Neill

‘We save our clients enormous cost of cybercrime’

Monday, 7 September, 2015

+ entrepreneurship SMEs benefit as MainOne partners Microsoft Continues from pg23

Book of the week: The Internet is taking over the world with more e-commerce businesses opening than ever before. Scott Fox focuses his words on how to combine outsourcing and automated online marketing to build monthly cashflow online. He thoroughly teaches you how to build an online business by going over all the tools that are available to you. It’s the perfect book to learn more about online business and how to utilize the software that’s been available to you since you were a baby. The book explains how to combine outsourcing, software, and automated online marketing to build recurring revenues, all while working less and making fewer of the lifestyle compromises that corporate “success” requires. Readers will learn how to: find a lucrative niche on the Internet that matches their interests and skills; choose an online business model: fromblogs, noozles, and online communities to digital delivery, online services, affiliate marketing-even physical products; position themselves as a experts; build their audience; design the lifestyle they want; and balance passion and profits to realize their personal definition of success.

We save our clients enormous cost of cybercrime

—Adebayo, Tecruach CEO

The Nigerian Inter-bank Settlements Systems (NIBSS), last year, reported that between the years 2000 and 2013, Nigerian banks lost an estimated N159 billion to electronic frauds and cybercrimes. With 2015 being the year predicted to witness an increased cyber security issues, despite the eventual passage of the Cyber Crime bill into law, the need for increased private sector support to curb the growing menace has become more imperative than ever. Thus, Deji Adebayo, CEO, Tecruach, has formed a unique partnership with an international cyber security service provider, Cyber Sixgill, as the sole African partner to “effectively resolve challenges emanating from the cyber security issues,” he told RUTH OLUROUNBI in this interview.

s a player in cyber security business, how big a threat is cybercrime to African business and what is the cost of leaving the threat unchecked? The costs are enormous, with the advancement in technology, which invariable makes life smooth and easy to manage. Technology has also invited some parlous persons who will stop at nothing to cause harms to their victims.Cyber threat is huge now globally, and victims could be; individuals, businesses, even the government. All these harms are perpetuated by cyber attackers, who use methods like; phishing, fake mobile application, fake websites, etc, and most often it ends up in fraud. A recent report by the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) states that about 89 per cent of every fraud attempts are successful, showing that fraud with automated teller machines (ATMs) are the highest, while other channels like; internet banking, POS, web, mobile, ecommerce, also are at high risk of cyber attacks. You’re recently back from Israel, where you inked partnership with Cyber Sixgill, a cyber-security company which helps businesses curb

cyber-threats, correct? Yes. According to a Toronto University report, in 2012 alone, cyber-attacks/ cybercrimes cost Nigeria N2 trillion ($13 billion). As the official African partner with Cyber Sixgill, how do you hope these figures can be significantly lowered? We hope to work with financial establishments, bank, e-commerce and e-payment companies to resolve these challenges. We have a clone system that detects if an activity on the web is fraud or not, as I have rightly stated most of these frauds are done via the internet, because in recent times, this is where most financial transactions take place. For an organization that wants meet customers satisfaction, they need to keep up with technology which is constantly evolving. By integrating our clone system into the financial service company’s system, we stop any suspected activity. We operate in the Dark Web, where these perpetuators do operate and stop their harm causing activities. Let’s talk a little bit about you. As an Economist, why did you choose the entrepreneurial route, instead of say,

working with financial organisations or government? I always desired to be an entrepreneur right from my young age, I was always buying and selling things making money no matter how little it was, and it gave me joy. I didn’t see myself work in an organization for long, though I worked in some establishments, I wasn’t fulfilled and I had to leave. Being an entrepreneur is challenging and makes you to actually think outside the box, so you will remain relevant in the business ecosystem, and it is a pleasant feelings when you see your establishment growing and making impact; you employ and put smile on people’s faces by reducing the unemployment rate in the market. Why is cyber security something you’re passionate about? With the introduction of the cashless system by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), this policy came in with lots of challenges in the financial establishments in the area of cyber security; of course it made transactions easier, faster and huge transactions can be done in a split second. I realized that cyber threats areon the rise, and giving solutions to these challenges will be meaningful.

Now this is where it gets interesting: small business operators who use the new solution will have access to a range of unbundled cloud resources, such as enterprise storage, CPU, RAM and bandwidth, which can be purchased and provisioned on a utility basis. This new solution, the first of its Cloud offerings, was launched in partnership with Microsoft, leading global provider of Cloud Services. With this launch, MDX-I is better positioned to meet the IaaS needs for companies deploying private, public or hybrid clouds from its in-country 600 racks, Tier III Data Center, and it ensures their quick and agile provision of infrastructure as required, improving their time-to-market and delivering on-demand applications and services to markets, industry watchers say. Speaking at the product launch, MDX -I’s Business Development Executive, Rob Lever, said: “Businesses are beginning to embrace Cloud services because it promises increased agility and scalability, in addition to savings in OPEX and CAPEX. Our hybrid IaaS platform also mitigates complexity, interoperability, and security concerns of our customers and provides them the benefit of our infrastructure without having to incur the substantial costs associated with having such resources and related expertise in-house.” Meaning that users of the new cloud platform will enjoy a more scalable, always available and cost effective alternative to its dedicated hosting business and includes managed vir-

tual data centers, virtual private servers, private clouds, virtual LANs, cloud hosting and shared hosting platforms, which still assures customers of same four-nines availability of the latter. Kabelo Makwane, Microsoft Nigeria’s Managing Director also added that: “The Cloud OS Network is a worldwide group of select service providers that partner closely with Microsoft to offer customers hybrid cloud and Azure-enabled solutions. Uniquely combining expertise in Microsoft technology, customer requirements, and geographic specialization, Cloud OS network members deliver the Microsoft Cloud Platform customized to your specific needs.” Christian Landmark, the CEO of PCL Mobisafe, the pilot customer of the Cloud offering, endorsed the solution, expressing the company;s confidence in the performance levels and reliability of the solution, “We chose MainOne as our Cloud Provider because of their excellent reputation for quality and support in the telecoms sector. We are impressed by their technical expertise and willingness to go the extra mile in their provision of what is a fairly complex platform”. In alignment with industry trends, MDX-I will offer a set of integrated IT solutions, starting with IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), AaaS (Application as a Service) and BaaS (Backup as a Service) layers, among others.

Microsoft promotes Africa’s innovators through DEMO Africa 2015 Microsoft, under the 4Afrika Initiative, has confirmed its support for the upcoming DEMO Africa event in Lagos, Nigeria. This is the fourth time that the software giant has pledged support to the pan-African event, which provides a platform for start-ups to showcase their solutions and engage investors. This year, DEMO Africa introduces knowledge streams to delve into critical topics including Business Modelling, Scaling Businesses, Creating an Unfair Advantage, and Raising Capital, as 30 disruptive technology products are expected to be launched in 12 categories including Finance and Banking, Education, Transport and Logistics, Retail, Communication and Media, and Entertainment. The move by Microsoft has been seen as a show of confidence in the growing startup technology scene across Africa. Amrote Abdella, Director of Startup Engagement and Partnerships, 4Africa Initiatives at Microsoft, stressing the importance of partnership to build an innovative ecosystem in Africa, said: “By supporting the growth of startups with disruptive innovations that solve major challenges in Africa today, we are laying the foundation for the creation of globally competitiveness businesses. It opens up the opportunity to partner with various stakeholders across sectors, and at Microsoft we believe

in joining forces to create a bigger and more sustainable impact.” Harry Hare, Executive Producer of DEMO Africa, who welcomed the support, echoed Abdella’s call for stakeholder support for technology and entrepreneurship in Africa, saying that: “It is actions by different players that will see technology entrepreneurship effectively bringing sustainability to entrepreneurship across Africa.” The DEMO Africa event is scheduled to take place in the week of this September, with top industry players including Fola Adeola, the Founder and Chairman of FATE Foundation, and the Founder and Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, confirming their participation. The week-long event to be hosted at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos Nigeria, is expected to attract over 500 guests including investors, IT buyers, IT consumers and media. Other notable activities at the 2015 DEMO Africa event include an investor roundtable forum and the LIONS@ FRICA Summit, with the uptake of Africa-generated technology being expected to dominate the conversations. The event will be co-hosted by DEMO Africa, the Nigerian Ministry of Communication Technology and the National Information Technology Agency-Nigeria, in collaboration with LIONS@FRICA and VC4Africa.

SME Empowerment Challenge enters voting phase Closes September 14 By Ruth Olurounbi THE online campaign phase for the SME Empowerment Challenge for East and West African innovators has officially started and will close on September 17at www.innovatingjustice.com. The challenge, developed by HiiL Innovating Justice, in partnership with the Global Agenda Council on Justice and the Ford Foundation, is geared towards finding and strengthening new initiatives that can empower startups and

SMEs - specifically, innovations that address regulatory hurdles and bureaucratic red tape faced by youth-led startups in East and West Africa. The SME Empowerment Challenge is part of the upcoming Innovating Justice Boot Camp in Lagos, scheduled for October 28 and the 6th Annual Innovating Justice Forum scheduled for December 3 and 4, 2015 in The Hague, Netherlands, where the finalists will compete for seed investments of a total of $70,000, acceleration support and access to funding, networks and

expert advice. Representatives from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Ghana are part of the 21 innovations from across East and West Africa have been shortlisted for the challenge. Wilfried De Wever, Head of Innovating Justice Innovator, speaking on the challenge, said: “Investing in the business climate from the bottom-up not only increases the sustainability of the flow of capital to the continent, it also contributes to the improvement of the daily lives of the people across Africa.”

moneymarket

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

Buhari’s 100 days: Foreign reserves rise by $2.0bn

ESPITE low global oil prices, Nigeria’s external reserves have appreciated by 6.3 per cent within the first 100 days of the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari. The foreign exchange (FX) reserves, which rose to US$31.3 billion as of September 2 from June 1, 2015, was traceable to the reduced oil revenue leakages, as well as the demand management policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to constrain FX outflow. Consequently, the exchange rate at the interbank has remained stable at N199.00/US$1 although the parallel market rates still trade at higher volatile bands. Analysts took stock of other development in the past 100 days and said creeping inflation, 9.2 per cent for July has, character-

Primary Market Primary Market Date of Auction Security Type Tenor Maturing on 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 Rate (%) Change (%) 9.6250 0.38 15.2645 -0.32 16.3719 -0.24 18.1109 0.10

NITTY September 4, 2015 Tenor 1M 2M 3M 6M 9M 12M

Rate (%) 13.5677 13.9802 14.1815 15.6248 15.6933 16.1487

Change (%) -0.46 -0.50 -0.42 0.16 0.22 0.06

Government Securities Auction Date

9/2/2015

Security Type

OMO

From left, Head, E-Channels, Skye Bank Plc, Mr Akinwale Ojo; Deputy Managing Director, Chams Mobile, Mr Gavin Young and Director, Business Relations, Chams Mobile, Mr Ifeoluwa Oluyemi, at the unveiling of Virtual Visa Card in Lagos, recently. Photo: Sylvester Okoruwa.

ised the general price level in the past few months on the back of the exchange rate devaluation and the ban of some consumer items from accessing FX at

9/2/2015 NTB 91 12/3/2015 17850.15 18,202.50 17,850.15 17,850.15 9.0000 - 14.0000 9.000010.0000 10 10.2557

NIBOR. September 4, 2015 Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 7 September 2015

Tenor

Auction No

30/09/2015-91 Day

Auction

Primary Market

Maturity Date

12/3/2015

Total Subscription

18202.5

Total Successful

17850.15

Range Bid

9.0000 - 14.0000

Successful Bid Rates

9.0000 - 10.5000

Description

Issue

Rate

True Yield

10.2557

Amount Offered (mn)

17850.15

9/2/2015 NTB 182 3/3/2016 50000 58,379.13 50,000.00 50,000.00 12.0000 15.2900 12.000013.5000 13.5 14.4743

the interbank. They said investors in the financial markets have remained on the sideline as a result of lack of fiscal policy direction from the Presi-

9/2/2015 NTB 364 9/1/2016 105000 207,982.90 105,000.00 105,000.00 12.5000 - 17.2490 12.500014.6900 14.69 17.2114

8/19/2015 NTB 91 11/19/2015 32436.51 33,550.22 32,436.51 32,436.51 9.0000 14.3000 9.0000 10.0000 10 10.2557

CBN Bills Date of Auction 5/15/2003 2/25/2002 11/26/2001 Security Type CBN CBN CBN Certificate Certificate Certificate Tenor 91 180 180 Maturing On 11/13/2003 2/20/2003 11/21/2002 Amount Offered (N mn) 82227 15000 5000 Subscriptions (N mn) 37767 4161 2740 Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) 17019 4161 2740 Range of Bid Rates Successful Bid Rates Marginal Rate 0 20.5 20.5

dent, coupled with exchange rate uncertainty. The Nigerian equities market lost 14.0 per cent since June till date, while the bonds market (as measured by FMDQ index) shed 3.0 per cent in the same period. Also, “the directive for the full implementation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is a move that will ensure transparency and improve fiscal revenue inflow amidst the falling global oil prices. “As widely believed, the body language of the President seems to be positive for power supply as significant improvement is being noticed across the country. Electricity gener-

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

19.5

CBN Rates as at 9/5/2015 Currency Buying(NGN) Central(NGN) Selling(NGN) US DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 POUNDS STERLING 298.5472 299.3088 300.0704 EURO 218.5596 219.1172 219.6747 SWISS FRANC 201.1494 201.6626 202.1757 YEN 1.6454 1.6496 1.6538 CFA 0.3164 0.3264 0.3364 WAUA 274.6791 275.3798 276.0805 YUAN/RENMINBI 30.8317 30.9108 30.9899 RIYAL 52.236 52.3693 52.5025 DANISH KRONA 29.2874 29.3621 29.4368

Maturity Date Discount

Bid Yield

Change %

ation peaked at 4,600MW in late August (relative to less 3,500MW before his assumption of office) traceable to the radical decline in cases of gas pipeline vandalism nationwide. Nonetheless, power generation remains below optimum level given the installed capacity of approximately 10,000MW,” analysts said. In terms of security, the Buhari-led administration scored some quick wins in mobilising a multi-national effort to combat insurgency in the North-East Nigeria. The kick-off of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNTJF) in July and appointment of new military chiefs appear to be achieving the desired result.

Open Market Operations Date of Auction 8/3/2015 7/31/2015 7/31/2015 7/30/2015 Security Type OMO OMO OMO OMO Tenor 346 DAY 153 DAY 286 DAY 301 Maturing On 7/14/2016 12/31/2015 5/12/2016 5/26/2016 Subscriptions (N mn) 40188.81 27380.56 32030.77 83816.52 Tot. Successful (N mn) 33,657.01 27,380.56 32,030.77 83,816.52 Net Sales (N mn) 33,657.01 27,380.56 32,030.77 18,851.64 14.2500 13.7000 14.0000 13.7000 Range of Bid Rates 14.0000 - 13.5000 - 13.7000 - 13.7000 Successful Bid Rates 14.0000 - 13.5000 - 13.7000 - 13.7000 - 14.0000 13.7000 14.0000 13.7000 Marginal Rate 14 13.7 14 13.7 True Yield 16.1423 14.5347 15.725 15.4449 FGN Bonds Date of Auction 7/15/2015 7/15/2015 6/17/2015 6/17/2015 Security Type FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds Tenor 5 Year 20 Year 5 Year 20 Year Maturing On 2/13/2020 2/13/2020 7/18/2034 7/18/2034 2/13/2020 2/13/2020 7/18/2034 7/18/2034 Amount Offered (N mn) 40 25 40 25 Subscriptions (N mn) 77.07 42.48 50.55 44.01 Tot. Successful (N mn) 28.00 16.00 40.00 25.00 Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates 12.0000 - 14.3000 - 13.0000 - 13.4945 16.7450 17.0000 14.8990 15.9000 Successful Bid Rates 12.0000- 14.3000 - 13.0000 - 13.4945 15.2890 15.2990 14.4290 14.2490 Marginal Rate 15.289 15.299 14.429 14.249

Discount

Offer Yield

Change %

03-Dec-15 11.13 11.44 0.13 10.88 11.18 0.13 03-Mar-16 14.28 15.37 0.00 14.03 15.08 0.00 04-Aug-16 13.92 15.96 -0.01 13.67 15.64 -0.01

weeklyreview Money Market Review High level of liquidity in the banking system, buoyed by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation which hit the system last Thursday kept the money market rates lower last week . Financial system liquidity rose to N250.3 billion on Monday from N207.2 billion Friday before last. Nigeria Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) on average, moderated 1.2 per cent to 15.4 pet cent on Monday, although both the Overnight (O/N) and secured Open Buy Back (OBB) rates rose slightly by 17 basis points ( bps) and 42bps to 8.5 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively, attributable to the Open Market Operation (OMO) auction floated by the CBN on Monday. Traders at Afrinvest West Africa Limited said the OMO floated on Monday and the subsequent one on Tuesday however received no bids, despite the prevailing high liquidity in the market. “We believe this reflects the preference of dealers for more liquid and higher-yielding instruments in the light of the ongoing Treasury Single Account (TSA) implementation which has restricted financial system liquidity to an extent,” Afrinvest said in a note to investors. Rates rose to week highs on Wednesday as liquidity was moderately tightened due to the naira provisions by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) made 48 hours before the currency auction scheduled for Friday. The OBB and O/N consequently rose to 10.2 per cent and 9.8 per cent at market close on Wednesday. A total of N172.9 billion of T-bills which matured on Thursday were rolled over via 91 days, 182 days and 364 days tenured bills issued at marginal rates of 10.0 per cent, 13.5 per cent and 14.7 per cent respectively. An additional N114.9 billion of OMO bills further matured into the system, boosting liquidity in the market on Thursday. CBN Clearing Rates of September 4, 2015

Bid Spot($/N) 196.00

Offer Change (%) 197.00 0.00

NIFEX September 4, 2015 Bid Offer Change (%) Spot($/N) 199.0000 199.1000 0.00

moneymarket Banks unable to find buyers for foreclosed properties 27

RESH facts emerged over the weekend that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), which re-

Monday, 7 September 2015

cently published names of debtors, are unable to find buyers for foreclosed properties earlier offered for sale.

Findings from a few estate agents revealed that due to economic slowdown with its accompanying pressure on income

Fidelity Bank rebrands 5th time for service excellence FIDELITY Bank Nigeria Plc has changed its brand identity, promising stakeholders greater value and service excellence. At the rebranding ceremony held in Lagos week end, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nnamdi Okonkwo, said the rebranding involved improving service delivery systems with reorientation of over 6, 300 staffers culture wise, performance wise and service wise. According to him, the new image of the bank comes with a tough job for Fidelity team of young and vibrant staffers. The new square-shaped logo comes with a deep blue colour and a light green separated in-between by white cylindrical line. Okonkwo said the blue colour captured the rich solid background of the bank, which holds dear its conservative past that inspired the future. Green colour, he said, symbolised fertility, growth, and progress into the future, while the white line in the middle in-between blue and green colours stood for safety, and purity as a guiding light. “Our new brand identity therefore signifies the vibrancy and the energy with which we will conquer new frontiers. It speaks of our upward trajectory, the journey through our conservative past to our progressive future,” Okonkwo explained. Fidelity Bank Plc now wears a new look, the fifth time the tier-two deposit money bank has rebranded since it began operations in 1988 as Fidelity Union Merchant Bank Limited. It converted to a commercial bank in 1999, following the issuance of a commercial banking license by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). That same year the bank rebranded to Fidelity Bank Plc. It rebranded after it became a universal bank in February 2001, with a license to offer the entire spectrum of commercial, consumer, corporate and investment banking services. The current enlarged Fidelity Bank is the result of

the merger with the former FSB International Bank Plc and Manny Bank Plc (under the Fidelity brand name) in December 2005. Today the Bank ranks amongst the top ten in the industry with a capital adequacy ratio of 22.3 percent, above 15 percent regulatory benchmark for tier two banks. With this CAR, the bank’s management said it is quite in good stead to withstand any turbulence in the industry and meet finance challenges from its large pool of customers spread in all the 36 states as well as major cities and com-

mercial centers. The difference between the latest rebranding is that it comes with all encompassing business model with infinite possibilities for all stakeholders, unlike the past rebranding efforts. Thus, behind the new logo that symbolizes the infinite possibilities in rebranded Fidelity Bank lies an internal retooling that promises new customer service experience, impressive returns to stakeholders and synergies to launch into a tier one bank in the next few years, perhaps in five years.

of households and corporates, most of the properties displayed for sale were either priced too low or not priced at all. Bankers have presented the banking sector in Nigeria as been bedeviled with bad debtors. Not just bad debtors as in other climes, but debtors who obtain credits with absolutely no intention of repayment. They accused debtors of manipulating the system and mustering every socio-cultural, legal, religious and economic power base to evade repayment. Hence, properties used as collateral by these borrowers were given out to agents to find buyers since the beginning of July. The Nigerian Tribune checks reveal that among the properties up for sale were a five-bedroom detached house located in Magodo, Lagos, and of-

fered for N105 million; a hotel in Osogbo, Osun State worth N241 million; a two-wing duplex in Lekki Phase 1, N150 million; a storey building in Garki, Abuja, N172 million; a storey building in Ibadan, Oyo State, N30 million and a commercial/ residential property in Ilorin, Kwara State, N70 million, among others. “For example, I have lists from two of the banks that I am working on already, but the problem is that the market is

As CBN plans to auction N814.78bn EXPECTATIONS are high that the effect of last week’s high liquidity in the banking system, caused by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC)

Emefiele, Nnaji to lead discussion on financial sector blueprint Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), slated to hold from 8 to 9 September 2015, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Financial Services Industry, Agenda for a New Nigeria” with sub-themes to address specific critical issues in the economy such as “the imperative for National Rebirth for Economic Development: The Role of Nigerian Financial Services Sector; The Financial Services Sector and Security Challenges in Nigeria; Financing Infrastructural Development in the New era; and The Financial Services Sector

and the Challenge of Corruption in Nigeria.” The annual banking and finance conference is designed to provide a platform for policy makers, key regulators and operators in the Financial Services Industry to share experience and exchange ideas on relevant contemporary issues affecting the Financial Services Sector. Top on the list of high profile and seasoned experts drawn from the key sectors who will examine issues at the conference include Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Agriculture and

slow. Some of the banks had already offered the property for sale before the lists of debtors were published,” an agent said. Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, Mr Bismarck Rewane, had earlier predicted that real estate activities would rebound, just as residential and commercial vacancy factor were also expected to rise in Victoria Island and Ikoyi this second half of the year.

Rates to trade low on N101.5bn OMO bills maturity

From left, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, Chairman, Mr Christopher Eze; Executive Director, Shared Services and longest serving female staff of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Chijioke Ogochukwu and the longest serving male staff of the bank, Mr Peter Maison at the unveiling of Fidelity Bank Plc new brand logo identity held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, recently . Photo; Sylvester Okoruwa.

IN a bid to support the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in restoring investors and public confidence in the Nigerian State, Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other top professionals, including Professor Barth Nnaji, Chief Executive Officer, Geometric Power/former Minister of Power, will gather in Abuja to brainstorm on a realistic blueprint for the finance sector. The forum, which is an agenda setting event, is coming under the auspices of the 9th Annual Banking and Finance Conference organised by the Chartered

Nigerian Tribune

Rural Development; Mr Solomon Arase, Inspector General of Police; Ekpo Nta, Chairman, ICPC; Dr Ona Ekhomu, President, Association of industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON); Mr Mansur Ahmed, Former DG, Infrastructure Commission; Mr Andrew Ali, President/CEO, African Finance Corporation; Mr Soji Apampa, Executive Director, The Convention on Business Integrity; Dr Doyin Salami, member, Monetary Policy Committee, CBN and Faculty Member, LBS; Mr Kunle Onyinloye, Managing Director/ CE, The Infrastructure Bank Plc, among others

allocation will spill into the week to keep rates low, as Open Market Operation (OMO) bills worth N101.5 billion mature this week. Investment bankers expected that baring any OMO auctions this week, money market rates would trade within single digits the anticipated maturity of OMO bills from two tenors hit the money market. Treasury bills market was bullish last week as the money market was liquid. Average yield across tenors declined progressively in the week up until Thursday when it spiked marginally as investors sold-down to take position in the Thursday Primary Market Auction (PMA). Average yield closed at 15.7 per cent on Friday, 0.1 per cent increase relative to last week’s close of 15.6 per cent. However, in the absence of a review in the foreign exchange rate, which the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) was committed in defending, the Foreign Exchange (FX ) risk perception of the Nigerian market will remain high, and hence yields will continue to trend at the present high levels. Meanwhile, CBN has said it planned to auction N814.78 billion in Treasury bills between September 17 to December 3. According to the bank’s data on Friday, it would auction N215.14 billion worth of the 3-month paper, N193.64 billion in the 6-month debt and N406 billion worth of 1-year paper. It said the total debt proposed for the fourth quarter would be 6.66 per cent short of the N872.96 billion raised earlier in the year.

Monday, 7 September, 2015

capitalmarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Olatunde Dodondawa

m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

Investors gain N239bn despite bearish trends

Dangote slashes cement price to expand market share

INVESTORS on the Nigerian capital market gained N239 billion after five day trading despite lull in the market. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) all-share index and market capitalisation appreciated by 2.42 per cent to close on Friday at 29,511.08 and N10.148 trillion respectively as against 28,814.62 and N9.909 trillion it ended the previous week. Similarly, all the Indices rose during the week with the exception of the newly floated NSE Premium Index, NSE Oil/Gas Index, NSE Lotus II and NSE Industrial Goods Index by 0.95 per cent, 2.22 per cent, 0.31 per cent and 1.84 per cent respectively. A turnover of 2.440 billion shares worth N21.071 billion in 22,736 deals were traded last week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 2.051 billion shares valued at N17.869 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 21,762 deals. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 2.027 billion shares valued at N14.261 billion traded in 12,944 deals, thus contributing 83.09 per cent and 67.68 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Natural Resources Industry followed with a turnover of 133.889 million shares worth N67.005 million in 16 deals. The third place was occupied by the Conglomerates Industry with 96.469 million shares worth N589.284 million in 1,238 deals. Trading in the top three equities were Access Bank Plc.; Zenith International Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc (measured by volume) and they accounted for 1.297 billion shares worth N10.047 billion in 4,732 deals, contributing 53.18 per cent and 47.68 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. A total of 57 equities appreciated in price during the week under review, higher than 13 equities of the preceding week; 20 equities depreciated in price, lower than 65 equities of the preceding week, while 113 equities remained unchanged, higher than 112 equities recorded in the preceding week. Leading the top 10 gainers included Ikeja Hotel Plc, which

DANGOTE Cement Plc, Africa’s largest producer of the building material, has slashed cement price in an attempt to boost cement consumption, expand market share and compete with imports. The price, cut to its 3X cement brand by N6,000 ($30.23) per metric ton, will still allow Dangote to achieve strong returns, Chief Executive Officer, Onne van der Weijde, said in a statement. The company said it also hoped the lower prices would help increase export sales to neighboring countries. Dangote Cement is seeking to grow sales and protect market share in Nigeria, while rapidly expanding elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. The company has grappled with fuel shortages in its home market this year that had hurt demand, and in December it raised prices to protect profit margins amid a devaluing local currency. “We hope that reducing the cost of cement will help to stimulate building work across Nigeria at a time when the economy is in need of a boost. We believe our cost-saving initiatives and new pricing strategy will help to support the naira by reducing unnecessary imports and by enabling us to generate valuable foreign exchange earnings,” Van der Weijde said. About 42 per cent of Dangote’s cement sales by volume were sold outside of Nigeria in July, the company said in the statement, compared with 22 per cent in the first six months of the year, and just eight per cent in 2014. Before the price increase in December, Dangote had reduced the cost of cement in November, causing a more than 20 per cent slump in the market. Dangote Cement shares have fallen 13 per cent this year to N174 compared to the 14 per cent drop of the Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index. Meanwhile, Dangote had advised that Africans should drive foreign investment in Africa, stressing that there should be a departure from the past when Africans waited for foreigners to come and invest on the continent. During the recent inauguration of another cement plant in Cameroon, he pledged to increase his investment in the country by speeding up work on the second phase of the plant, which will see the doubling of its capacity from the current 1.5 million mtpa to 3.0 million mtpa.

Stories By Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

gained N0.72 to close at N3.43 per share; Trans Express gained N0.21 to close at N1.07; STANBIC IBTC gained N4.49 to close at N23.20; Okomu Oil gained N4.15 to close at N23.75; UBA gained N0.65 to close at N3.81; Diamond Bank gained N0.54 to close at N3.57; Vono foam Plc gained N0.16 to close at N1.06;

TransCorp Plc gained N0.33 to close at N2.44; PZ gained N3.37 to close at N2.44, while Cutix gained N0.20 to close at N1.55. However, on the losers side, Neimeth led the chart by losing N0.21 to close at N1.02; E-Transact lost N0.37 to close at N2.34; Conoil, N3.23 to close at N30.05; Cadbury Plc lost N2.77 to close

at N25.79; Computer Warehouse Plc lost N0.28 to close at N2.67; Dangote Sugar Refinery lost N0.64 to close at N6.62; Seplat Plc lost N18.66 to close at N226.03; Forte Oil lost N14.90 to close at N234.99; Beta Glass lost N2.15 to close at N40.85, while Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc lost N0.52 to close at N9.95.

From left, Mr Tunji Kazeem, Head, Enterprise Risk Management, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; Mr Emmanuel Nnorom, President/CEO, Transcorp Plc and Mrs Dupe Olusola, Managing Director/CEO, Teragro Commodities Ltd, at the closing gong ceremony of the exchange, recently.

FRC may probe STANBIC IBTC over unapproved transactions THERE are indications that StanbicIBtC may be probed by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) over unapproved transactions. The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jim Obazee, stated in Abuja that some stakeholders had petitioned the FRC over unauthorised transactions by the bank on behalf of its clients. He stated this after having a session with the Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Mr Dan-Azumi Ibrahim. Obazee said some stakeholders had written to his organisation drawing the attention of regulatory authorities to some unapproved transactions conducted by the bank with its foreign technical partners. According to Obazee, “The petition from the stakeholders of Stanbic IBTC is on issues relating to Stanbic IBTC and the way

they have been accruing some fund in their account. And if you acrrue money in your account, well, there is nothing wrong with accrued monies, but it must be disclosed properly. “They said the accruals were requiring NOTAP approvals before they can make those payments. But the petitioner is saying that there is no need making those accruals because IBTC has not been able to secure NOTAP approval. The petition kept coming and then we invited Stanbic IBC to hear their side in the matter. After listening to their side of the story, we believe that the petitioners have a good case.” Consequently, FRC boss said the next step was to look at the agencies that were duly involved. “NOTAP itself, which will give the approval, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regulator and Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) were asking for general mandate for the treatment of third party

transactions, which we were against because that will not be in line with related party transactions accounting standards. “We are here to also find out if NOTAOP approved any of these payments, such as historical fees. We are looking at transactions from 2011 to date. Did they get approval for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 fees? So, why are they keeping these monies? The other party that is part of this entanglement is SEC. “We intend to immediately put a call to them to stand down on whatever rights issue request that Stanbic IBTC is making in a hurry. Our job as government agencies is to protect investors and other stakeholder’s interest. Government is also involved in this matter because if you are taking out some money out of profit before tax, and you are warehousing it for a number of years, you are actually defrauding the Federal Government.”

Monday, 7 September, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

I will lead rebellion against Buhari if… —Kokori

Chief Frank Ovie-Kokori is a septuagenarian and former secretary general of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), who fought the late maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha, almost to a standstill. In this exclusively with EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, at his country home of Ovu in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, speaks on the political development in the country. Excerpts:

T’S already 100 days President Mohammadu Buhari assumed office. How would you rate him so far? In the 100 days, Buhari has been doing well. People should not push him too fast so that he is not stampeded. And the man has jocularly said, when he met President Barrack Obama, that people are calling him “Baba go slow.” He is going slow and steady and that’s what we want. We don’t want a situation where he will be rushing decisions. Hundred days after 16 years of rot and over 20 years of military rot, what do we think? Nigerians are impatient; they should wait and see what this man will do. He has promised us change and what is change? The greatest problem we have in this country, that is, Boko Haram insurgency, is a child of corruption - massive corruption. If the country was properly governed, there should have been no Boko Haram. The Niger Delta militancy is a child of corruption. They saw wealth passing through their fingers and they saw people living lavish lives that the sheiks in the Arab world cannot be living, while they are in extreme poverty, living below the poverty line. About 80 per cent of Nigerians are living under $2

per day. The Nigerian elite graduated from using Rolls Royce to having helipads and private jets in their domains. So, it became so bad and there was no accommodation. This is why people now struggle to become governors, as well as governors’ friends. Government became the biggest business in our country. We saw presidents sharing the largesse and if you don’t belong to that group, your own portion is poverty and misery. That is the problem. We are happy that the fight against corruption in this country will not be deterred and we know our president. He won’t be deterred. In the Niger Delta, it was an uphill task for those of us who are in the APC. They regarded us as traitors. A good friend is better than an evil brother. This was why some of us fought against the tide. Buhari came to clear the rot that has been there for many years, so people should give him more time. For me, 100 days is too small to assess any leader. If it were to be PDP, okay, but when you say “change” and everything changed - the whole government officials, the ministries, everybody, the style of their working for the past 16 years has to change. And this is what is causing a lot of delay in filling up most of the positions al-

ready. But the man is going slow and steady and we have started seeing some of the results. By six months, we must have seen the template and where he is going. After six months, we will know what is happening. Fortunately, I’m part of the APC family in Delta State. I’m a nationalist and a patriot. So, being a party member does not mean I will support the party blindly because of my own training as an activist and labour leader - a tested one for that matter; a prisoner of conscience. So, watch the government and if Buhari is going astray, we will be able to give good advice to him because some of us talk truth to power since there is nothing for us to lose again. What advice would you give Buhari concerning the lopsided appointments he has made so far and for which he has been accused of jettisoning the federal character principle? There is no federal character in appointing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and military chiefs. These ones follow merit and trust. So, in picking your chief of staff in your government, you can even pick your son. It has to do with the

person you trust. So, those so far appointed are his personal staff. You can’t therefore say he should go and pick an army chief that he can’t trust to become the head of the military or the air force. Are you then saying there are no people that can be trusted with those positions in the southern part of the country? Maybe that is his choice. So, he appoints them and remember too when Dr Goodluck Jonathan was there, he appointed most of his Service Chiefs from the Southern part of Nigeria. For instance, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Chief of Staff were all from the southern part throughout. So, there is nothing you can do about that. They have assured some of us there are certain appointments you must share - that must follow the federal character spirit. Those ones will be done and there is no way he can escape from them. Just give him time and let him do what he wants to do. The biggest problem we have today is corruption and Nigeria was actually almost bankrupt before Buhari took over. We need some of these monies back. It became so bad that you cannot even convict a big thief like most of all the suspected bank chiefs since 2010. There cases are still in court and some of them are being discharged now after the whole thing Sanusi Lamido did with the Central Bank. Jonathan could not even convict them. No governor has been convicted. So, the whole country has been wallowing continues pg31

30 politicscommentary

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Audu: A joke taken too far?

Audu By Bilal Kareem

HE build-up to the Kogi State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries was an interesting one. There were 28 candidates; most of them good men (and a woman) and made in their own right. During the electioneering campaign, former governor, Abubakar Audu and now candidate of the party, in his characteristic imperial posture, had described them as non-starters and ‘small boys’ born only yesterday, and that none of them could stand up to him or equal his credentials. That was when a journalist asked for his views about other aspirants. It turned out to be true. On Sunday 29 September, 2015, Audu trounced 27 other aspirants to emerge the party’s standard bearer. The description above is one condescending trait of the ex-governor, who had failed in his two previous bids to come back to complete his conquest of Kogi. Now, the party (or should I say the delegates) have chosen Audu. APC is a party after my heart. Although I am not a politician, from the sideline I had watched the party evolved. Like many other Nigerians, I did not give their

merger concept a good chance of success. I thought it was another fluke, in the manner of previous failed alliances among political parties. However the three major parties – Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) pulled it through and soon formed the APC. Yet, skepticism continued to trail the emergence of the party. A lot of people, and that includes my humble self, had thought their presidential primaries would be their Waterloo. Again, that came to pass. This was followed by General Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as the standard bearer of the party in the 2015 presidential election, which excited all and sundry. It was indeed the

game changer. The rest is now history. The Buhari tsunami also manifested in hitherto PDP states falling to the APC. Nigerians wanted change, they desired it, they deserved it and they worked to make it happen. With their conduct since emerging as the ruling party, I’m beginning to have doubts. But it’s too early in the day to judge them. With Audu’s emergence, is it plausible to say the party is on course in Kogi? To start with, Audu does not represent change on which the party’s populism rests. Audu does not believe in democratic ethos; forget his recent recourse to the electoral process to emerge. He was an imperial governor, an autocrat who coveted power and does not brook criticisms. It is only those who kow-towed

In modern day democratic structure, governance is a collective endeavour. How will Audu function in a new dispensation that places premium on discourse and dialogue, as against his dictatorial tendencies?

to him, or ‘worship’ him or even treated him like an emperor that got the best out of him. This was Audu as governor. Has he changed? I’m not too sure. At this stage in the life of the state, when the people are crying for equity, fairness and justice, Audu is the wrong person to emerge because he does not represent any of those qualities. Kogi is a multi-ethnic state. Each group is different as it comes. But to the best of my little knowledge of the state, none of the three major ethnic stocks’ traditional /cultural ethos is hanged on monarchical autocracy. But with Audu, who sees himself as the Lord of the Manor and conqueror of Kogi, the rest of the state are vassals, while the people are his subjects. In modern day democratic structure, governance is a collective endeavour. How will Audu function in a new dispensation that places premium on discourse and dialogue as against his dictatorial tendencies? But, all these may pale into insignificance, if he has truly changed as his supporters would have us believe, that is if people actually do change. On the other hand, can we really discountenance his past ills as governor? Do we really have short memory as people insinuate? How can APC, the party after our hearts, descend so low to choose a man whose past records linger in our subconscious as its candidate? In all these katakata, President Buhari has remained quite uhmm. I dare say that this silence could cost the party a lot. The president was silent, when so-called party members messed up the National Assembly’s choice of principal officers. The party is still licking its wounds. Now, Kogi has happened. Which state is next? Audu’s case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his four-year tenure in the past is ongoing. The amount allegedly involved is put at over N10billion. I won’t dwell much on that because he has not been pronounced guilty by any court of law. We cannot forget the memory of the unsuitable environment journalists worked in when Audu was governor nor can we discountenance the acid attack on one of the promising journalists from the state reporting for The Guardian then. Nothing has been proven against the exgovernor though. We cannot forget in a hurry Audu’s open altercation with leaders of the Kogi nor his mistreatment of civil servants and teachers who he infamously described as ‘dead woods.’ Common, Kogi deserves more than this! After Audu was announced as the APC candidate, a discussion group I belong to went into frenzy. One of the commentators said: “The whole world is laughing at Kogi if Audu is the best the APC can produce in a state composed of talented people.” This is a wrong assumption. The blame for the choice of Audu as the governorship candidate of the state should be placed squarely on the APC leadership, which is not circumspect, and unfortunately could not manage the bull in a China shop that Audu is. Come to think of it, has the party just frittered away an imminent victory to a dying PDP? •Kareem writes from Abuja

politics&policy continued from pg29

in poverty because of looters, and where do they siphon this money to? They can go and put them in coded accounts abroad. The day they die, that’s the end. As regards Buhari’s fight against corruption, do you think he is going about it the right way, given the comments of some rights activists who commended the scientific way Jonathan fought graft? Obviously, Buhari is going about it the right way. To me, I reckon more with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Dr Ransome Kuti as strong and committed nationalists in this country with people like us backing them, using the labour movement. They were rights activists, who did well during the June 12 struggle. We were using the oil workers to give them a backing and everything. Nigerians are in unison with any leader who can fight corruption to a standstill, and Buhari knows the load he is carrying on his head and shoulders. He knows that if he deviates, it will be dangerous. The honeymoon he is enjoying is that Nigerians still feel he can’t do it. He can fight corruption. He can remove Boko Haram. So, the day he stumbles, you will see how people will descend on him. But all wise people know now that we have to give him some time. Yes, we know some of the appointments he is making. But look at the way he got the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The NNPC is the honey pot of this country. Are you surprised about the revelations about how the NNPC had been managed before now? Why should I be surprised? I know it’s a rotten place and I know that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was covering up for them and Jonathan too. That is the honey pot of the government for the PDP and if any election is coming, they just go there and collect money and go for campaigns. Nobody shuts the door against them. They collect dollars; they collect everything. So, it has been a rotten place and there was no accountability in the oil sector. Do you think Buhari’s steps so far will be able to sanitise the sector? Obviously, he will. There is no sector that can’t be sanitised. There is no country a good leader cannot put on course. It depends on the leadership. When you have a leader who does not sanction thieves and looters, you think that country will get up? Unlike in civilised countries, Nigerian governments do not ask its citizens where they get their money from. So, how do you think Buhari can address that in Nigeria? Buhari has said it. If you say you are fighting corruption, people will say just start from 2015. When he took over, it can’t start from 2015. Some of us have made statements like that. So, where do you want him to start the probe from? Let him start from where he has said. For instance, he said he is starting from 2011; he has shifted it to 2007 again for NNPC and some other areas. You see, people are sending him information everyday through the Itse Sagay Committee. The EFCC, ICPC, DSS and a lot of Nigerians are sending information to these bodies for probe. So, we just need a strong man like Buhari to do it. If you are corrupt as head of state, you cannot fight corruption. So, he has the advantage. If I’m in government, I can fight corruption

Monday, 7 September, 2015

‘The President should not discard national conference report wholesale’

Kokori because you can’t blackmail me. Some PDP leaders are accusing Buhari of double standard in his anticorruption crusade. What’s your take on this? It’s not double standard. For 16 years, it was PDP that was in government at the centre. So, who again in APC or DPP or whichever party has made so much money? So, if they have so much money, let them petition and send them to the anti-corruption bodies, which will monitor and call them for investigation. Nobody is a sacred cow. There was no accountability with PDP. They are just trying to cause confusion and to stampede Buhari and blackmail him. Fortunately, he is a man you can’t blackmail because there is nothing he has. He has no mansion anywhere. That was what they used to blackmail Professor Humphrey Nwosu who bungled the June 12 presidential election.

I think that is why Professor Attahiru Jega was able to handle them properly. Maybe they could not trace anything to him. Do you think the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has lived up to its mandate as an interventionist agency? NDDC is another conduit pipe. Actually, it was created by government to alleviate the suffering of the people of the Niger Delta, being an oil-producing area. But it has been used to siphon money by contractors and friends of PDP. They give them contracts and they share the money, and that is why we are suffering in the region. The NDDC is another nest of corruption. There should be a thorough forensic audit of those places like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NDDC, PHCN, NNPC, NIMASA, PDDF, and so on. They should look thoroughly into their books. Nigeria has money. It can’t be broke,

If after about a year or six months, we see the way the whole thing is going, obviously we will rise against him. There is no question of friendship on that one or closeness or party affiliation.

no matter how low the oil market goes. Things will normalise when monies stashed away in foreign countries are brought back. Then, we will have industries, generate electricity and solve our unemployment problems. Jonathan, last year, convened a national conference. What do you think Buhari should do with the report of the conference? Actually, the way Jonathan went about it was tainted with politics. In order words, he was there since 2010 and did not bring it out, just like how Obasanjo conceived his own national conference. It was when he wanted some advantages to do a third term that he brought it out at the tail end of his second term. He should have brought it out then and implemented the report himself. But he did not. Why are they scared of a Sovereign National Conference? So, they just used it to divert the attention of Nigerians. There are a lot of good recommendations in it though. It was good for Jonathan that he picked credible Nigerians for the confab, people like Femi Falana (SAN), but those people were dwarfed and their voices drowned by the majority of people who were already feeding fat from the crumbs of the PDP government all the years. There are some good recommendations in the report that could be reviewed by a technical team set up by Buhari to separate the chaff from the grain. The amnesty programme issue came up at the outset of the Buhari administration as former militants were alleging neglect and insinuating earlier that Buhari may not continue with the programme. What’s your take? I think Buhari has appeased them by appointing somebody from the area. But you know, the man has just come into power, and they’ve have promised to pay the backlog of the allowances and scholarships which they are doing. And I know too that among the militants, a lot of them have approved Buhari because they know most of them were short-changed by the big ones like Tompolo and Asari Dokubo. These are the big ones that were favoured by the tehn authorities. You now see them moving with heavy security convoy. They can’t just move the way I move around. Most of them are afraid. Who are they afraid of? They are afraid of militants they have short-changed. So, they should give Buhari a chance. I was happy when Chief E.K. Clark commended Buhari for listening to the voice of the people. But, they should do a forensic audit of the amnesty office, which is another honey pot where billions were stashed away. The real Itsekiris and Ijaws, who are the actual inhabitants of deep creeks, are still wallowing in abject poverty. But, their leaders exploited them and made so much money from oil companies and the Federal Government. Obviously, people are disgruntled in this area, but they should allow Buhari to stay. He has not done anything to warrant people saying he is one-sided. People, who are saying so, are just parochial. They want Buhari to fail so that they can now go back to their old habit of stealing money without accountability. I’m not supporting Buhari that he should neglect our people. Because, after some time, if he does it, I will even lead the fight against him. If after about a year or six months, we see the way the whole thing is going. obviously we will rise against him. There is no question of friendship on that one or closeness or party affiliation. You must govern Nigeria in justice and equity and that is what he swore with the Quran to do and I pray he does it, and I’m sure he will do it.

politicscommentary

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Why PDP needs Bala as chairman By Ibrahim Biu

ITH the official recognition of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) candidates that will contest for the seat of the party’s national Chairman, it is now clear that there is need for the party to ensure that it chooses the right person for the post. The time has come for the party to take a decisive decision on this issue quickly. The National Working Committee of the PDP will expire in March next year, the and party is fighting a serious battle of survival, especially with the large number of its members that has defected to APC since the new government came in. One of my colleague described the PDP as a headless body and that it needs a tough leader to restore its lost glory. The question on the lips of many people is-who is that leader that can re-awaken and revive the PDP? Already there about seven or eight contestants for the chairmanship position. They include the immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; Prince Uche Secondus (PDP acting national chairman); Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, (PDP Zonal vice chairman, Dr. Peter Odili, Alhaji Mohammed Wakil, (former Minister of State for Power), Alhaji Idris Umar, (former Transport Minister), and other political heavyweights from other zones are likely to join the race in line with democracy. Apart from the fact that the party’s fortune is at its lowest ebb, there is distinct disharmony among its member at all levels. Moreover, there is an overriding need to get a dynamic and proactive leader that can unite the members and enable the PDP to present a formidable opposition to the APC. Another important reason the party needs a first-class leader is for the purpose of ensuring that the PDP plays a crucial role in the 2019 election that is not too far from now. So, it really needs a strong leader to do a lot of work for its members all over the country. With his track record of achievements at both the National Assembly where Bala was a leading senator from Bauchi South to his five years tenure of office at the FCTA as its longest serving minister, he has no doubt garnered the experience needed not only manage the party as at now but to even propel it to greater heights in the years ahead. The party needs a leader with Bala’s Midas touch and a calm approach to issues and not the present antagonist and harsh manner of campaign of calumny which led the party to lose the 2015 elections in many states and at the federal level. This writer has noted that even several months after Senator Bala A. Mohammed left office successfully as FCT minister, a few critics (or do I call them dissidents) still haul insults at him. Though Bala is not a saint, many people will certainly not agree with the desperate attempt by his opponent’s and perceived enemies to disparage him. Some of my senior colleagues have asserted that politics could taint noble people. So, I believe that similar thing is happening to Bala after serving meritoriously FCT Minister (from 2/10/2010 to 29/5/15). His impeccable record speaks volume about his efforts and contribu-

Senator Bala Muhammed

tions to the development of not only Abuja but the whole nation. He has really done his best towards delivering services to the people as required of him. He has also supported worthy causes during the period under review. This writer is of the view that at a tender age, when his peers were still seeking relevance Bala, had surprised even his critics by the far – reaching reforms

he successfully introduced at the FCTA through his dogged determination and commitment to what he believed was needed to uplift the FCT and put it on a very strong foundation for development as envisaged by those who conceived Abuja many years ago. When projects like the land swap and the FCT revenue board eventually take off, FCTA will be generating billions of Naira to take care

He deserves to be given the PDP chairmanship position ,because it has been zoned to his area: North eastern part of the country and his colleagues, including those who even want to be the chairman of the PDP, have now indicated that Bala should be given that position.

of its problems annually. Despite several constraints and challenges Bala, as one of my senior colleagues recently told said, had bestre the FCT, like an elephant, dishing out services and good will to the people. The achievements made by Bala are verifiable and are on the ground. He is a complete gentleman; humble, calm in his approach; very receptive, level-headed and above all, a de-tribalised Nigerian. He is also loyal to a fault. Before his memorable stint at the FCTA, Bala had an unblemished record in the federal civil service, where he rose to the enviable position of a substantive director and later went through the drudgery of grass-root politics to etch his name as a senator apart, from his appointment to the enviable position of Secretary of the Northern Senators Forum for many years. Bala had during his stay at the FCT introduced and implemented far reaching programmes like land-reforms, landswap initiative, provision of critical infrastructure, restructuring of the FCT civil servants for optimum performance and protecting the Abuja master plan from the onslaught of illegal developers, among many other achievements, recorded by his team. As far as are is concerned, nobody can deny that Bala’s role in the development of the FCT within last five years has not become the reference point for others. This was simply because he had guts to do what many FCT ministers before him were unable to do. intellect and huge contribution to the development of Abuja is widely acknowledged, especially to the actualisation of the Jonathan Transformation Agenda. He did this quietly without making much noise like his predecessors. He was only concerned with making Abuja a great city where things actually worked. It is because of these facts that one is of the view that Senator Bala is the kind of leader to be given the post of the PDP national chairman. Apart from what Bala has succeeded in achieving at the FCT, he has become a bridge builder of sort, because he has followers across the country and he is respected. Bala is also a leader who is trusted and accepted by many prominent politicians, including his peers and people who have occupied ministerial positions like him. Moreover, he deserves to be given the PDP chairmanship position because it has been zoned to his area. North eastern part of the country and his colleagues, including those who even want to be the chairman of the PDP, have now indicated that Bala should be given that position. I therefore feel that allowing Bala to be the chairman of the PDP will be of advantage to the party, as he will be able to properly reposition it and bring back those who have decamped. This is because he is a strategist and will surely use his huge experience and contacts to woo those who have left the PDP. In other words, he will make the party a much more vibrant one and ready for the 2019 elections when probably another popular politician from the Northern part of the country will seek for the Presidency after President Buhari’s tenure. Biu sent in this from Abuja.

tribunebusiness

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Yemi Osinbajo

Nigerian Tribune

Skye Bank Nigeria MD, Timothy Oguntayo

Confusion as CBN insists on phasing out COT Continued from pg 21

In an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune, a senior lecturer at the Pan African University, Lagos Business School, Mr Akinola Owolabi said there are two perspectives to this issue of bank regulation. On the one hand is the bankers and on the other, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). To him, the CBN is doing its best to ensure that bankers do banking as it is practiced globally. “Over the years, our bankers have taken advantage of some of these lapses that CBN is trying to correct. The only thing I think they should be asking for is that CBN should be giving them a period of time, rather than coming up with directives abruptly,” Owolabi stated. He said when the regulator takes decisions abruptly, it dislocates banks’ budget and plans for the year and this has serious effects on the economy as a whole. “But for me, what CBN is doing is a kind of listening to the yearlings of the public. Because the kind of commission, armchair banking creates dislocation to the whole of economy. The COT is very high. It is only the big customers that even insist that they will have a zero COT which am not sure that is what applies in other climes, but if that comes around fine. “It is part of the responsibility of CBN anyway. The apex bank is the regulator that also monitors and acts as the voice and face of Nigerians in the banking space. If CBN does anything that will on the long run benefit the generality of the nation, why not. It is a good thing, but whether it will have the moral power to sustain it is a different thing entirely. “Banks shouldn’t see tight regulation as a problem but as a challenge which they should turn into opportunity, to go back and get more involved with financial intermediation and help businesses more. Some of them are already doing this anyway, giving financial and advisory services to the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). In the long run, they will be able to create a win win situation,” the senior tutor emphasized. To the Managing Director/Chief Execu-

tive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane though most of the policies are good, the timing and frequent changes are worrisome and the “net punitive CBN regulations continues to weigh on the economy and the exchange rate.” But Owolabi argues further that one of the problems in the economy is that there are very short term sources of funding. According to him, because of the fact that the banks get income from other avenues like using government money to trade, they did not take a serious look into getting involved on long term funding. “It is the long-term funding of the real sector that usually have overall positive impact on the economy. Now that the chips are down, I think bankers should tighten their belt and become innovative. And those things they are complaining about will be a blessing in disguise. The chairman of London-based Lafferty Group, Mr Michael Lafferty, still believes Nigerian bankers are happy. At the 2015 annual lecture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), he said financial ratios of the banks are particularly good. He said though share prices of the banks were trading below peers, they ranked well in the world in terms of their overall quality. This is in line with the assurance given by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) that financial institutions in the

country were healthy and depositors’ investments safe and guaranteed within the banking industry, even as equities still close on a negative. It has been estimated that over N4.2 trillion of banking sector funds may have been quarantined due to the implementation of the 31 per cent harmonised Cash Reserve Requirements (CRR) and the directive of the presidency to all federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to pay all funds generated into Treasury Single Account (TSA) domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The TSA, as defined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is a unified structure of government bank accounts through which it transacts all its receipts and payments. The Federal Government, in collaboration with CBN and other key stakeholders, introduced the initiative as part of its key economic reforms, which commenced in 2004 through the IMF/World Bank Assisted Programme. TSA commenced with e-Payment segment in 2012 while the e-collection segment commenced in 2015. Some bankers most of whom mid-level executives who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were being stripped of funds they ought to trade with and this was affecting profitability, while others believed they were happy with their jobs even though most benefits that accrued to bankers in those days like low interest car loan, up-

Over N4.2 trillion of banking sector funds may have been quarantied due to the implementation of the 31 per cent harmonised Cash Reserve Requirements (CRR) and the directive of the presidency to all federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to pay all funds generated into Treasury Single Account (TSA) domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

front payment and a lot of other allowances were no more there. To an economist and former banker, Mr Jude Onwuka, CBN policies rolled out were geared towards enhancing local capacity, create employment and wealth. He said the question Nigerians should ask is ‘why did it take so long to have such policy as forex restriction on items?’ He believed that CBN should be commended for this laudable initiative and patriotism, rather than being criticised by the fifth columnists in the economy with their foreign cronies. “Their ploy in engaging the services of ‘attack dogs’ on every policy of our national heritage will not work, though not without the connivance of enemies within, I urge the CBN management to forge ahead and be resolute as history will adjudge them rightly,” Onwuka stated. Yet, head of Nigeria’s biggest lender, FirstBank Nigeria Plc, Bisi Onasanya, did not see it the way Onwuka and others saw the latest regulations. He, indeed, knowing where the shoe pinches most, called on the Central Bank to ease regulations, saying it was hurting profit and causing some foreign investors to shun the Africa’s largest economy. According to him, a rule forcing banks to place 31 per cent of deposits with the regulator needs to be changed. The requirement should be lowered or the CBN should pay interest on the funds, he said. “The existing cash reserve regime is not helpful,” Onasanya said on Thursday in an interview during a Bloomberg conference at the NSE in Lagos. “First Bank has close to N650 billion ($3.3 billion) sterilized at the central bank at zero percent interest. These are funds we pay interest on. So you can imagine the impact this has on our revenuegenerating capabilities and our ability to fund loan obligations. “If the central bank must keep that level, which I feel is very high. It should be complemented with some cushioning effects,” Onasanya said. “The Central Bank should consider remunerating, even at the average cost of funds, for banks to be able to meet their funding costs.”

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

labour

Labour ministry intervenes in NTDC crisis Workers insist on Mbanefo’s removal Soji-Eze Fagbemi- Abuja

HE Ministry of Labour and Productivity has intervened in the crisis rocking the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), as the workers, under the auspices of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) insist on the removal of the Director-General, Sally Mbanefo. At a reconciliatory meeting called at the instance of the Ministry of Labour, Mrs Mbanefo was given till September 21, 2015 to comply with the two agreements earlier reached and signed with the union, while the workers were also directed to stop any form of strike action as the reconciliation process continues. The conciliation meeting was held between the Director -General and Management of the NTDC, and the leadership of AUPCTRE over the ongoing unrest among the workers of NTDC. A communique issued after the meeting, which was signed by the Director, Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations Department in the ministry, Mrs C. C. Dike, read: “In addition to the terms of the previous agreement, the meeting further agreed on the following: “Provisions of Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP T8, LFN 2004: AUPCTRE and the Management of NTDC shall observe all provisions of the Labour Law under reference and shall not embark on any strike or lock-out while conciliation is on going by the Federal Ministry of labour & Productivity “Monitoring: The meeting shall reconvene at the Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity on September 21, 2015 to assess progress made on the implementation of the various conclusions reached at this meeting.” Mrs Dike pointed out that the two agreements previously reached

Sally Mbanefo between the disputing parties dated November 19, 2014 and March 2, 2015 respectively guided the dialogue, adding that having heard from both parties on the issues in disputes emanating from the two agreements, the meeting took a far reaching decision to resolve the crisis. The agreement also stated that no any worker who participated in the strike should be victimized as adopted from the agreement of March 2, 2015. The trade union was also advised

to ensure that due processes were followed in any anticipated expression of dissatisfaction with a workplace policies and or practices. The communique stated further: “Likewise, based on the presentation by the in-house trade union (AUPCTRE branch) in NTDC, the Director-General was asked to ensure information flow and communication between her Office and the workers of NTDC. “Thereafter, the issues stated out in the last agreement dated March 2, 2015 were reviewed seriatim to

determine the extent of compliance and or breach by the management of NTDC.” Some of the issues in contention are: training, re-organisation of department, review of employment, underfunding of zonal offices, use of consultants, and job description and performance of statutory functions. However, when the Nigerian Tribune spoke with the workers, they insisted on the removal of the Director-General, and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act on this urgently if “his government wants to tap into the potentials in the Tourism sector as a means of diversifying Nigerian economy.” The Secretary of AUPCTRE, Comrade Dankano Chise kunama, said the Director-General had run the place aground as nothing remained working. He added that even though the Ministry of Labour had intervened and given the Director-General till September 21 within which to implement the agreement, they were very sure she would not abide by the agreement. The union scribe stated that she had failed to implement the two earlier agreements signed with her, including the one signed after the intervention of the Department of State Security. On their demand, Comrade Kunama said: “We want her removal. She is killing the tourism sector. Except the government is not serious with tourism, but if the government wants to tap into the potential of tourism to diversify Nigeria economy, they have to remove her and bring in a professional that has a vision for the sector. “She has destroyed the system from what it used to be. She has destroyed all the structures put in place by her predecessor. Just look at the physical structure here, it was put in place by somebody. Now if you enter our hall, it is

Fayose stretched discipline rope to the limit over lateness —Issa Aremu THE General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers, Comrade Issa Aremu, has accused the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, of high handedness in his disciplinary measure to the civil servants who came late to work in the state. Though, the labour leader stated that Fayose was right to decry late coming among the workers, he stretched discipline rope to the limit. Comrade Aremu said in his re-

mark at the reception for the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlose Trejososa, that the rules of discipline do not include working women wailing at the feet of an imperial governor dishing out incoherent verbal queries. The labour leader said: “Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, was right to decry late coming among the workers of the state. The motto of Nigeria Labour Congress reads; labour creates wealth. Workers cannot create wealth if

we are not at work on time and add value at work. Trade unions should champion the cause of productivity if our jobs and incomes would be guaranteed. “However, Governor Fayose stretched discipline rope to the limit when in public glare he allowed workers wail at his feet as a colonial employer deriving pleasure at labour humiliation. “This is unacceptable to the labour movement. Nigeria labour law spells out how to discipline late

comers, including dismissal if late coming is addictive. The rules of discipline do not include working women wailing at the feet of an imperial governor dishing out incoherent verbal queries. “Good corporate governance in the world of work calls for good conduct on the part of both the employees and employers. The Ekiti exhibited governorship grandstanding is strange to the labour market rules with respect to decent work which Nigeria within ILO subscribes to.”

leaking. See the entrance, see how dilapidated it is. Look at the water fountain, for two years now, it has not been working. The borehole that has been serving the offices has been shut down. Staff pays N20 outside the premises to use toilet, see how deteriorating the situation has been.” Comrade Kunama said the workers in protest have decided to boycott offices and work, and prefer to sit at the Village Hall within the premises every morning since there was virtually nothing to do again in NTDC. He said: “NTDC mandate is to promote Nigeria in the international market. Since she came, she has killed those fares, she has not been going to Berlin, WTN London, Dubai, Spain and all these places, the target markets we have been going. Right now, if we will go back, we have to pay all our dues over these times because we were affiliated to UNWTO, before, we would pay for the year we want to participate. “Our domestic tourism which we want to promote within the country, such as Osun-Osogbo, Yam festival in Anambra, Argungu Fish festival, we didn’t go. Previously, we went there to market and to take statistics of tourists and how much that festival is contributing to the economy of Nigeria. “She signed MoU with different organisations ABC, Vigo, but we are not seeing the profit. At the International Airports, the companies are there using our desk and our ID card to make money. Is that not fraud, NTDC staff are not well taken care off but you are now giving an ID card to private organisation that is making money in our name to their own coffers. So these are some of the agitations.” All efforts to locate the spokesperson or any management staff was not successful, as there was no any staff in the offices. However, when Nigerian Tribune met the Director of Administration Mr Boniface Eboka, also sitting near the entrance of the NTDC building to react to the protest, he declined to comment, saying, “you know I am a public servant and I am not permitted to speak.” However, in respect of the meeting with the Ministry of Labour and the agreement signed after, the workers have given ultimatum till September 21, within which the Director-General should implement the agreements. To this end, they called off their daily protest and resolved to resume at their offices.

labour

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Board dissolution: NMA begs Buhari to exclude MDCN

HE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to exclude the Board of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) from the general proclamation dissolving all Boards and Councils of Federal Government parastatals and agencies. The association said the MDCN, the regulatory

body for the medical and dental profession, should be exempted just as have been done for the Governing Councils of Universities and the Council for Legal Education. In a statement issued at the weekend by the NMA and signed by its President, Dr Kayode Obembe and the Secretary General, Dr Adewunmi Alayaki, the association stated that frequent dissolution of the council

had been responsible for instability in the medical education, practice and discipline in Nigeria. The statement read: “Should it be that the MDCN was affected by the proclamation, we most humbly request, in the interest of the Nigerian public and the fate of medical practice in this country, that it be excluded or exempted just as have been

done for the Governing Councils of Universities and the Council for Legal Education. “The frequent, but unfortunate, dissolution of the council in the last two decades has been one of the major reasons for the unsavoury developments and instability in medical education, practice and discipline in Nigeria. “It has given opportunit-

ies to persons outside the medical and dental professions to take certain critical decisions exclusively reserved for members of the professions, and which they have no competence whatsoever to take. “The consequences have been devastating and detrimental to both the professions and society - sub-standard medical and dental schools and

Illoh seeks re-classification of Ministry of Labour and Productivity TOWARDS strengthening the Ministry of Labour and Productivity for optimal performance, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Clement Illoh, has canvassed for the re-classification of the ministry from social category to economic and security category. Dr Illoh made the request while briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the ministry and the opportunities such re-classification would bring to the survival, growth and development of the country. The permanent secretary said: “The need to place this ministry within the economic and security category with appropriate funding of its activities cannot be over-emphasised as ministries of labour all over the world are keys to national survival, growth

and development. It is the nation’s human capital resources that are responsible for the attainments of these critical objectives. Dr Illoh assured Mr President that the ministry would continue to deploy tested and globally accepted strategies involving social dialogue, rule of law, due process, accountability, transparency and tact in a corruption-free environment in making its contribution to the process of national growth and development. Speaking further, the permanent secretary affirmed his commitments to re-positioning the Ministry of Labour and Productivity for employment generation, enhanced national productivity, industrial relations harmony and social security protection for all Nigerians.

President Buhari

Extend war against corruption to LGs —NULGE charges Buhari •Wants state/LG joint account probe THE National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing anti-corruption war to the local government administration. Specifically, the union urged President Buhari to probe the mismanagement of the State Local Government Joint Account, and bring to book all the governors found to have corruptly enrich themselves through the local government statutory allocations. Speaking on the outcome of the union National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, NULGE President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, said all the former

governors and local government chairmen involved in the abuse and misappropriation of the State Local Government Joint Account must be made to return what they have stolen. Comrade Khaleel said the union had resolved to throw its weight in support of the fight against official graft in the country. He pointed out that the union has also resolved to mobilize its members across the 774 local councils in Nigeria to Abuja to participate in the forthcoming anti-corruption rally to be convened by the Nigeria Labour Congress on September 10. While commending the ongoing efforts on corrup-

tion at the federal level, Comrade Khaleel emphasised that such efforts would have the desired impact if extended to the other tiers of governments; the state and local government. He said: “We hope and pray that President Buhari will also take the fight against corruption to the grassroots level, looking into all the issues surrounding the local government operations, particularly the operation of state and local government joint account, which has been bastardised by many state governments. “The money that has been hijacked completely over the years by state governors should also be of great con-

cern to Mr President and his government. As a union operating at the grassroots level, we are ready to avail the new administration first hand information that will enable it unearth some of the sharp practices that take place there.” Comrade Khaleel said the union had also resolved to re-strategise with a view to pursuing the issue of local government autonomy with the new government. To this end, he disclosed that the union had agreed to have a retreat which would bring all relevant people together to come up with suggestions on the best form of local government administration desirable for the

country. He added: “On the issue of local government autonomy, we have agreed to re-strategise with a view to articulating our position before the Mr president for us to have a functional, more reasonable and result oriented third ties of government. “On that note the NEC in session resolved that a national retreat should also be organised where intellectuals will be drawn from the academia, civil society organisation, other sisters trade unions would be able to discuss dispassionately on the best form of local government administration desirable for the country.”

programmes were granted accreditations, thus, producing incompetent practitioners; curricula for education remained un-reviewed and updated for decades; codes of ethics remained obsolete and could not meet the challenges of time; practitioners engaged in unethical conducts without trials and sanctions as the dissolution of council is akin to the closure of courts for the trial of erring practitioners.” The association pointed out that whenever there is no council, all cases before the council’s investigating panels and tribunal are suspended and new cases cannot be attended to. It added: “The NMA sincerely appreciates that we are in a political era, where politicians who worked hard to bring a particular government to power will need to be given opportunities to serve the nation and actualize the promises of their party. However, certain institutions such as the MDCN which are professional regulatory bodies need to be shielded from political influences, as the enabling Act did not provide for any politician to be a member of Council.” The NMA recalled that in the dispute between the association and the Federal government in 2013, the re-establishment of the Governing Council of the MDCN was the number one demand of the NMA. “It is an established fact that President Buhari is that clean broom that would rid the Nigerian nation of all manner of impunity, corruption and other unwholesome practices. It is in sharing this vision that we make this appeal so that order would prevail and strict compliance to the Codes of Ethics achieved. We are therefore, praying Mr President to make a proclamation exempting the MDCN from the blanket dissolution of Boards and Councils,” the association said. It further reiterated their unflinching support to the President Buhari-led administration in its determined effort to rid the society of corruption. The association, however, urged that the search-light of change be extended to the health and educational systems with a view to activating the needed changes and developments in these sectors.

Monday, 7 September, 2015

37 news

Monday, 7 September, 2015 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Adesina, Oteh’s appointments show I had world-class economic team —Jonathan

I, formerly Miss Olatundun Khadijat Kikelomo now MRS. JIMOH KHADIJAT KIKELOMO. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State and general public take note.

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FORMER president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has said the appointments of Dr Akinwumi Adesina as president of African Development Bank (AfDB) and Ms Arunma Oteh as treasurer/ vice president of the World Bank demonstrated that he had a good economic team. The submission was contained in separate letters of congratulations to both Dr Adesina and Ms Oteh. Adesina is the immediate former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, while Ms Oteh is the Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) In his letter to Adesina, Jonathan said “given your exemplary record of performance, while serving as Minister for Agriculture and

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Rural Development in my cabinet, I have no doubt that you will deploy your energy and the bank’s resources to ensure that Africa experiences a new era of accelerated development.” Also writing to Ms Oteh, the former president said “I am delighted that you are going to your new job, fresh from the experience of having led the recovery and growth initiatives of the Nigerian bourse in the wake of the decline occasioned by recent global economic recession and financial crisis. “I am convinced that the experience you gathered as Director-General of SEC gave you deep insights on how to tackle the peculiar challenges of a developing nation.”

‘FG gives states N37bn grant annually to boost basic education’ Clement Idoko - Abuja EXECUTIVE Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Suleiman Dikko, has disclosed that the Federal Government, each year, allocates N1 billion as matching grant to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, to boost the development of basic education in Nigeria. He also said that state governments should be held responsible for the general decline in basic education in Nigeria, leading to poor performance of students in

public examinations. Dikko, who spoke at the weekend, in Abuja, at a meeting with the Executives of Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN), said a total of about N37 billion was allocated to the states annually to improve infrastructure in schools. He, however, said UBEC as an intervention agency had little to do in terms of ensuring that quality and standard were maintained primary and secondary schools in the country, as people were made to believe.

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Monday, 7 September, 2015

news Children, family organise Fidau for Alhaja Jobi-Fele 42

AMILY and friends gathered yesterday at the Lagos residence of the JobiFele family to organise the eighth-day fidau in honour of the late matriarch of the family, Alhaja Nosifat Anike Jobi-Fele. Alhaja Nofisat was a wife of the late Otunba Mohammed Jobi-Fele, a foremost industrialist. Alhaja died on August 30, at the age of

Monday, 7 September, 2015

69. Speaking at the event, the cleric to the family, Imam Ismaheal Idris, charged the children to be thankful to God because the Quran encourages all Muslim faithful to be thankful in all situations. Idris also charged the children and guests at the event to emulate the deceased, who, according

to him, used all her Godgiven endowments to serve God and humanity. He noted that, “it is those who served Allah wholeheartedly with their resources that will find peace and favour in His sight after death.” “Our mother served Almighty Allah faithfully with all her God-given resources just like her late

husband, Otunba Mohammed Jobi-Fele. Her name was synonymous with good works in the Islamic circle in the country, especially in Lagos State and within the fold of the NASFAT family. “When the news of her death was broken to me, there was a person with me on that day. Immediately I mentioned her name, the

From left, Dapo, Rotimi, Abiola, Mopelola and Ronke, all children of the late Alhaja Nosifat Anike Jobi-Fele, during the eighth-day fidau in honour of the late matriarch, in Lagos, on Sunday.

person said he knew her as a devout member of the NASFAT family. This statement was an attestation to the fact that our late mother served God faithfully. In the world today, some wealthy people do not have time for God. They are pre-occupied with mundane issues, like business and social life. But the Jobi-Fele family is different. Our late father, Otunba Mohammed JobiFele, while alive, used all his God-given resources to serve God and humanity. The same goes for our late mother, Nofisat.” He, therefore, charged the children to follow the footsteps of their parents. Dignitaries at the event included Professor Dupe Adelabu, former deputy governor of Ekiti State; Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Dr Olumide Ologun, Managing-Director, WEMA Board; Chief Bisi Ogunjobi and Chief (Mrs) Rufus Giwa.

Financial autonomy for judiciary: JUSUN wants Buhari to probe Oshiomhole, others Soji-Eze Fagbemi - Abuja

Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (right) and others at the event.

el-Rufai recovers N24bn from 423 accounts Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna GOVERNOR Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State said that his administration had recovered N24 billion from 423 accounts operated by his predecessor. He made this known in a town hall meeting in Kafanchan, on Saturday. Represented by his deputy, Bala Barnabas Bantex, he said the adoption of a single account by the state

government brought about the recovery of the huge amount of money. According to him, “we will not relent until we have the actual number of our civil servants. Not only do we have ghost workers, we also have ghost schools in the state.” The governor reiterated his government’s resolve to protect the integrity of public institutions and to reclaim public lands en-

croached on. He said the impunity that led to some personalities to conclude that public lands are for private use “is being corrected.” “If the land the late Northern Premier provided for Ahmadu Bello University had been encroached, ABU won’t have expanded with so much space,” he said. He said the government had commenced recruit-

ment of teachers in core subjects such as Mathematics, English, sciences and information technology. “The state government will soon embark on comprehensive repair of schools,” he said. Earlier, Special Adviser on Political Matter, Dr Uba Sani, said the governor would continue to do what is right for the people of the state.

THE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other state governors who have deliberately refused to grant financial autonomy of the judiciary and obey the court judgement on the issue. Rising from its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held in Abuja, at the weekend, the union said the action of Oshiomhole and the other governors in his category amounted to an impeachable offence, adding that the governors were acting in breach of the constitution of the country. However, JUSUN commended the governors of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Jigawa State Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar; Katsina State, Honourable Aminu Bello Masari and Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, for upholding the tenets of the constitution and granting local government autonomy.

Nigerian Tribune

Audu’ll lead Kogi to greater heights —Concerned Citizen

A group, Kogi Concerned Citizen, has restated its confidence in the ability of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, to bring about unprecedented development if elected. The group, speaking through its Director General, Hajiya Maryam Ibrahim, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, said it was confident that Audu would fix the infrastructural gap in the state, just as it congratulated the APC flag-bearer for his emergence as the party candidate. On the APC primary in the state, the group said “Once again, the APC has lived up to its progressive reputation and the future of elections in Nigeria can be mirrored through that faultless exercise. “Prince Abubakar Audu’s emergence amidst the stiff oppositions is a statement of preference by Kogities. As a group that came out to look for him to rescue the state, we are not unaware of the infrastructure deficit that has enveloped the state in recent years. We are also mindful of the fact that development can not be treated as distinct from infrastructure.”

Ex-CP calls for recruitment of graduates into police force A former Commissioner of Police, Yomi Onashile (retd), has urged the Federal Government to recruit graduates who are competent, trainable and lack questionable character into the Nigeria Police Force. He stated this during the monthly get-together party for senior citizen members at the senior citizens club, Total Garden-UCH road, Ibadan, Oyo State. Onashile, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Senior Citizens Club, charged the Federal Government to recruit qualified, trainable graduates into the police force which according to him would fish out bad eggs in the system. “I want to believe that most of our police officers are not well educated. They get intimidated by high and mighty in the society because of their level of education. “I think it is high time we recruit graduates from higher institutions of learning. With this caliber of people; training will be easy which would also help in reducing corruption as their level of education will make them not to be corrupt.”

43 news

Monday, 7 September, 2015

We never agreed with govt on salary cut —Oyo NLC By Olawale Akinselure

HE Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State Chapter, has cautioned against the notion making the round that the union had entered into an agreement with the state government on a cut in the salaries of the state’s civil servants. This clarification, Chairman, NLC Oyo State, Mr Waheed Olojede, stemmed from the impression created

by the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, while featuring on a radio programme, at the weekend. According to him, Ajimobi, had on the programme, mentioned that the issue of a cut in the salary of workers was one of the issues discussed at the last meeting held with the NLC. Olojede said that the issue discussed at the meeting were the payment of the balance of outstanding April salary to officers on

Grade Level 13 and above, and, that the bailout allotted to the state be used to clear outstanding May, June, July and August salary arrears and pensions. Olojede noted that it would be inconceivable for the labour union to discuss a cut in salaries when the current minimum wage was due for a review. He added that the government’s restructuring had nothing to do with a reduction in salaries but in the

number of ministries. “During Saturday’s radio programme which featured Governor Abiola Ajimobi, I received several phone calls from workers and stakeholders asking when we entered into an agreement with government for a cut in salaries. We never agreed with government on a cut in salary.” “We met with the governor last Monday, but the issue we discussed were the issue of the payment

From left, Provost, Very Reverend Alfred Adedayo; Vice Chairman, 10th Anniversary of the Inauguration of the Diocese of Ijebu North, Chief Dina; Bishop, Diocese of Ijebu North/Chief Host, Reverend (Dr) Solomon Gbetogo Kuponu; his wife, Victoria and the Deputy Registrar 1, Mr Rotimi Fabanwo, at a press briefing, held at Pa Michael Adenuga Memorial Anglican Church, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, on Sunday.

Nigeria will continue to rot, unless —Ajasin By Aderibigbe Adedoyin A public analyst, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin has warned that the rot in Nigeria will continue unabated until all Nigerian particularly the elite stand their ground to resist the selfishness of the unrepentant elements. Mr. Ajasin, who was the guest speaker at a one day seminar which held at Bodija with the theme: “Vanguard for a new Hegemony in Nigeria”,made the observation, noting that the rot in Nigeria was presently escalating. “The rot in our society is beyond imagination, but we all contributed to this rot, and have duly suffered the consequences together. A situation where all of us with our differences and diversities suffer the same problems facing same enemies drives us to mutual and concerted efforts to finding lasting solutions,” he stated, adding that if we could all be united then we could overcome the common enemy He stressed that if Nigeria could remove individualism that is one man for himself, from our system, the problem we face will be half solved noting that individualism “is a foundational, cancerous and chronic dis-

ease with a chain of symptoms namely, selfishness, greed, compromise and lastly corruption.” Ajasin lamented the fact that every Nigerian always does things with the mind set of “What is in it for me?” and urged that things should be seen collectively as a country and not as individuals. Speaking in the same vein, the organizer, Mr Ademola Adedimeji, lauded the Buhari led administration as a government willing to serve the people especially in the area of opening a single government coffer where all federal revenue will be remitted for the purpose of keen monitoring by the government and the people as a country. He however bemoaned the fact that Buhari is working

in isolation, which may be detrimental to the growth of Nigeria as a country emphasizing that every Nigerian, the President just as the truck pusher, is equally important. “Men need to understand that the rich is made rich, so he could take care of the poor. The poor needs to understand that, all situations and conditions are all platforms to display the impartations of the peak of all values. And that man performs his role in life and in all activities, to fill all vacuums and space. In this is the peace and tranquility we all crave,” he stated. Adedimeji buttressed Chief Ajasin’s statement, stating that the Ideals and Principle of Individualism (IPI) distracts a person from the primary purpose of life

and living and also bring about compromise on ideals of good governance and therefore should be relegated to the backseat, stressing that everyone should accept the Ideals and Principles of Collectivism (IPC) to build a better and glorious Nigeria. “The major source of the problems being encountered in the country and even all over the world is the idaels and principles if individualism (IPI). This is the main reason why nothing works in Nigeria, the reason some people coined the word- ‘the Nigeria factor’… “The uniqueness of individuals, symbolized in the fingerprints, unique to everyone. Each person thus bringing their unique endowments to the table, to pursue and ensure the collective goal,” Adedimeji said.

Chibok Girls: Buhari’ll bring them back alive, Rep assures Bola Badmus - Lagos MEMBER, House of Representatives, Honourable Olajide Jimoh, representing Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency of Lagos State, has assured of return of Chibok Girls that were kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect over 500 days ago, saying President Muhammadu Buhari and the security

agencies were working out strategies to ensure just that. Honourable Jimoh, who was immediate past chairman, Yaba Council Development Authority (LCDA), gave the assurance at the weekend during the ‘Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) Campaign’ held at Marina, Lagos. The lawmaker said President Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies

were working out strategies for the release of the girls, asserting that he was very sure that the Bring Back Our Girls Group and the masses would applaud the President when finally the girls were returned. “The new tactics and approach by the President and the new Chief of Defence Staff’s effort would yield positive result,” he said

of the balance of the April salary to officers on GL13 and above. We urged him that once the bailout was released, it should be used to clear all outstanding arrears and pensions for May, June, July and August. It would not be proper for any labour union to talk about cut in salaries as we will continue to agitate for increase in wages.” “In fact, the wage law says that agitation for increase in minimum wage should commence after five years, and the current law was made in 2011. How can we talk about a cut in salary when the current minimum wage is not a living wage enough for workers to have their three square meals?” “And, the restructuring has to do with reducing the number of ministries. It has nothing to do with cut in salaries. The position of labour about the restructuring is that under no circumstance should the restructuring lead to the retrenchment of any worker.”

Ekiti education summit on primary, secondary education holds tomorrow Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Ekiti State government is set to hold a summit on the state’s primary and secondary education sector which it said “is aimed at putting a stop to the decadence and the setback noticed in the sector.” As a prelude to the summit, a pre-summit meeting was held last week in which Governor Ayodele Fayose, his deputy, Dr Kolapo Olushola and the chairman of the summit and the Oluyin of Iyin, Oba Ademola Ajakaye, all explained to various stakeholders in the sector the need for the parley. The governor and Oba Ajakaye, in recognition of the roles of religious bodies to the development of the sector, also paid a visit to the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Bishop Felix Ajakaye. Bishop Ajakaye had promised to be part of the summit and expressed his support for any effort at improving education in the state, just as he also advised that the resolutions at the summit be implemented. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said on Sunday, that all arrangements had been made for a successful event, saying “Governor Ayo Fayose is familiar with taking such a step, as he organised a similar event during his first term in office.”

456 cattle rustled in Plateau —MACBAN Isaac Shobayo - Jos MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has disclosed that 456 cattle belonging to two of its members were rustled by Tarok youths of Langtang south local government area of Plateau State. MACBAN President for North Central, Alhaji Danladi Chiroma who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Jos said the rustlers, based on the investigations by the association had crossed over to Ibbi local government area of Taraba State to rustle the cattle and in the process killed one of the herders. According to him, after concerted efforts by security agents from Taraba and Operation Safe Haven in Plateau, Tarok youths from Langtang South had returned 24 cattle out of the 456, an action he described as unacceptable. He said “returning 24 cattle when you have stolen 456 is unacceptable and we will not let this go.” The Ponzhi Tarok, Domkat Bali and the Senator representing Plateau South, Gen. Jerimiah Useni cannot pretend not to know what is happening, they must take responsibility for the actions of their people and ensure that those cattle are returned. “For over 10 years now, no Fulani man is allowed into their communities so why should they now cross over to our communities to steal our cattle?”

Anniversary THE Diocese of Ijebu North (Anglican Communion) commenced its 10th Year Anniversary on Saturday, 5 September, 2015 with a press conference organised to mark the 10th Consecration of the Right Reverend (Dr.) Solomon Gbetogo Kuponu as Bishop of Ijebu North and 10th Commemoration of the Inauguration of the Diocese of Ijebu North which will end on Sunday, 20th September. The theme of the programme is “THIS GOD IS OUR GOD”. Diocesan Bishop/Chief Host, Reverend Kuponu said the two week programme would feature crusade, seminar, award ceremony, book launch, fund raising, music festival/cultural night, football match, dedication of Church of Transfiguration, thanksgiving, among others.

44 news

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Ondo Caring Heart scheme designed to fight poverty —Mimiko

NDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has revealed that the motive behind the Caring Heart programme of his government is to fight poverty, even as he urged the President Muhammadu Buhari - led Federal Government to come up with a clearly defined economic

Jigawa deputy gov escapes death as boat capsizes

policy that will not put Nigerians in confusion. He advised the Federal Government to pursue its privatisation policy with genuine interest to promote the interest of the masses and not the one that will promote monopoly at the detriment of poor masses. Governor Mimiko made the submissions at the weekend, in Akure, during the 6th Gani Fawehinmi annual memorial lecture. The event, which held at the state Cultural Centre, Akure, attracted human

rights activists from across the country, including the former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa , the chairman ,National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Tanko Yinusa and the chairman of Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation, Ayodele Akele ,among others. The governor, while charging the President Buhari-led government to come out with a clearly defined economic policy that will not put Nigerians in confusion, noted that the

essence of his administration in Ondo State is to fight poverty through its Caring Heart programmes of qualitative education, healthcare, urban renewal and equality. Dr Mimiko noted that Chief Fawehinmi had left behind an indelible legacy for generations, adding that his core essence was to uphold human rights, liberate the masses and use the instrumentality of power to lift them from poverty. He said that his administration had embarked on programmes aimed at lib-

erating the people from poverty by giving equal access to the children and wives of both the rich and the poor. “The children of both the privileged and the less privileged now learn under the same roof in our mega school. People now move their wards from private primary schools to our public mega schools. The wives of the privileged in the state lie side by side in the same ward with wives of the poor masses because they cannot get such better service elsewhere”.

Adamu Amadu - Dutse DEPUTY Governor of Jigawa State, Ibrahim Hadejia, over the weekend, narrowly escaped death when a boat in which he was travelling with other state officials capsized at Marma Village in Guri town , Guri Local Lovernment Area of the state. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the deputy governor was accompanied by some members of the national and state assemblies and other top government officials as well as his media crew in the state to the area. An eye witness, who gave his name as Malam Umari Guri, said the deputy governor, was in the local government area to inaugurate clearing of typergrass which over flodded River Hadejia. He added that “after the inauguration of the typergrass, the deputy governor, members of the national and state assemblies, the local government chairman as well as some All Progressives Congress(APC) chieftains, were all on board to demonstrate clearing of the typergrass”. According Umari Guri, “it was when they were travelling on the the river that they were rescued by local fishermen in the area when the boat capsized “We were scared because most of them were shouting for help while the local fishermen and others assisted them,” he said. When contacted, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Birniwa/Guri/Kirikasamma federal constituency, Dr Hassan Fulata ,who was part of the entourage, said “it happened but it was very minor Also, contacted, the chairman of Guri Local Government Area, Alhaji Haruna Dauda, confirmed it, but said that it was not council project but that of the Federal Government and state government.

From left, Oyo State deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Presiding Bishop, Christ Life Church, Bishop Wale Oke; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo, at the Ibadan Airport, on arrival of the vice president for the 2015 Holy Ghost Convention, of Christ Life Church, on Sunday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

Saraki faults forensic report by PDP Biola Azeez - Ilorin THE counsel for senate president, who is also the senator representing Kwara central senatorial district in the Legislative Houses election petition tribunal, Yusuf Olaolu Ali, has prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP ) candidate, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, over alleged faulty forensic report presented. It will be recalled that the election petition tribunal had earlier admitted a forensic report in evidence against Senator Bukola Saraki in the petition filed by the PDP candidate for Kwara central senatorial election, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq. The counsel to Senator Saraki, Yusuf Ali, had observed that the report was dated March 28, 2014; a year before the contested poll was conducted. Ali told Justice Josiah Majebi-led three man legislative houses election petition tribunal that “the date shows the document was prepared in anticipation of the election.” Saraki’s counsel, who also told the tribunal that the document was not ad-

dressed nor signed, described it as “incurable afflictions.” Ali, therefore, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition. Four volumes of report of forensic analysis carried on electoral materials used in four local governments in Kwara central had been marked as ‘Exhibits P4’. But A.O. Oladoke, who spoke for the petitioner’s

lead counsel, Francis Obumse, attributed it to “typographical error.” The PDP candidate is challenging Saraki’s victory on the election conducted on March 28, claiming that he had majority votes and he should be declared winner. During the tribunal sitting at the weekend, counsels to the parties had adopted their final written address-

es. Counsels to the second and third respondent, Abdulwahab Bamidele and Alarape Salman (SAN), also agreed with Ali’s submission, asking the court to dismiss the petition. However, the chairman of the tribunal told the counsels that judgement would be communicated to them shortly.

Tension in Ovia S/West LG over suspension of council boss Banji Aluko - Benin City STARTING from today (Monday), all seems set for a battle for the control of Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, following the suspension ,on Thursday, of the council chairman, Morrison Ogunrobo and his secretary, Oyomire Idahosa. While speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, at the weekend, the council chairman, who was elected in 2012 under the platform of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), described his suspension as illegal , remarking that he would resume duty today.

Ogunrobo, who said that only the Edo State House of Assembly, has the power to suspend him, added that the action was connected to the perception of the lawmakers that he was not supporting their preferred governorship aspirant ahead of Edo State governorship election next year. However, the nine out of the 10 lawmakers, who suspended him over allegation bordering on grafts, said that the council chairman remained suspended and that any attempt by Ogunrobo to retain the control of the council secretariat will be neutralised. This is coming just as the two camps accused each

other of inviting security operatives, including soldiers and policemen to the council secretariat at Iguobazuwa. The lawmakers’ camp ,particularly accused Ogunorobo of bringing soldiers and policemen to the council headquarters while Ogunrobo told journalists that the lawmakers were sponsored to orchestrate his removal. Leader of the house, Honourable Cletus Atigbi ,stated that through video and documentary evidence, including the admittance of the council chairman and his secretary, a case of fraud was established against Mr Ogunrobo.

Army arrests suspected cattle rustler, recovers 97 cows in Niger Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba THE 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna, Niger State, on Saturday, said that it has arrested a suspected cattle rustler and recovered 97 cows and 41 sheep, at Sarkin Pawa in Munya Local Government Area of the state.. Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the Nigerian Army, Captain Agwu Njideka , said this to newsmen in Minna. Agwu said, a total of 97 cows and 41 sheep were recovered during the operation by the soldiers. Some of the rustlers ran away on sighting the soldiers. She said that the suspect, Abubakar Hassan, was arrested last Thursday, in an operation led by Lt. Colonel Adamu Yakubu, the Commanding Officer, 313 Artillery Regiment, Minna. Agwu said that the army authority had handed the suspect and the livestock to the local government chairman in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer(DPO), Sarkin Pawa division of the Niger State Police Command, in conjunction with the council secretary and the village Head of Zazzaga community in the area.

Expert charges surveyors on professionalism By Nurudeen Alimi A group of professional surveyors, Surveyors Vanguard (SV), on Thursday organised a seminar tagged “Professionalism and business with a charge to be thorough and professional in their activities. Speaking on the topic: “Practicing surveying as a business,” at the maiden annual seminar in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Surveyor Oluseye Dabiri, urged the practitioners to ensure diversification of the profession, marry professionalism with commercialism and move to the next level and see themselves as one. “Diversification and viable growth of any business of surveying can only be attained when we see each other as partners in progress. We need to search our conscience and be an agent of change from within, not by finding faults in others. Dabiri, who called for a formidable capacity building in the profession, noted that good patronage from customers will make their businesses grow quickly. “To build any formidable and working capacity in the Nigerian survey business; we must work from whole to parts. Business thrives when there are bumper returns on the investments called capital base and good patronage.”

Monday, 7 September, 2015

Pregnant woman, due to give birth today, 6 others killed in Spanish car rally

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Migrant crisis: Activist convoy drives to Hungary

HE refugee crisis deepened on Sunday as thousands of migrants continued to try and make their way into European countries. Hundreds of migrants slept on the railway tracks on the border of Greece and Macedonia last night as their desperate bid to flee their war-torn homes crept into another day, MailOnline reported. Many had bare feet and were wearing the clothes they left in as they huddled together on the sharp stones that jutted out from between the tracks. Their conditions emerged as a convoy of 140 cars departed from Vienna as part of an aid mission started by residents. Austrians today spoke of their plans to bring refugee families stuck in Hungary to their homes, with police forced to warn citizens they could end up violating laws on human trafficking. They had fled to Budapest earlier this week but were refused asylum and told they were not allowed to board trains to the west. The Hungarian authorities reversed their stance on Thursday, with ‘special’ trains laid on for the migrants after some resorted to marching the 110-miles to the Austrian border. Dozens of exhausted families arrived in Frankfurt in the early hours of

this morning after fleeing war-torn Middle Eastern countries. The refugees were met by volunteers who had made up bags of groceries and collected soft drinks for them, while signs reading ‘Welcome in Frankfurt’ were scattered around the station. Well-wishers also ensured the exhausted men and women were kept warm by providing blankets and scarves as well as soft toys

for young children who had undertaken the gruelling journey. One man, an Egyptian, who gave his name as Mustafa and said he had been living in Frankfurt for 20 years, was carrying an Arabic-language cardboard sign stating: ‘Warm welcome.’ Lara Sabbagh, a volunteer for an organisation called Kleeblatt based near Frankfurt, acted as a translator for some of the Syrian refugees.

Hundreds of migrants slept on the railway tracks on the border of Greece and Macedonia on Sunday, as they continued their desperate bid to flee their war-torn homes. PHOTO: REUTERS.

Pope tells every parish to house a refugee family POPE Francis has announced that the Vatican will offer shelter to two families of refugees who are ‘fleeing death’ from war or hunger. The pontiff made his humanitarian promise on Sunday as he called on Catholic parishes, convents and monasteries across Europe to follow suit. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square applauded as Pope

The Vatican will offer shelter to two families of refugees, the Pope said on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP.

Francis, himself the grandson of Italian emigrants to Argentina, urged each parish to take in at least one family. “Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeting death by war and by hunger, and who are on a path toward a hope for life, the Gospel calls us to be neighbors to the smallest and most abandoned, to give them concrete hope,’ Pope Francis said. It’s not enough to say “Have courage, hang in there,” he added. “May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family, starting with my diocese of Rome.” According to MailOnline, he also asked bishops throughout Europe to have their dioceses take up his

call to ‘express the Gospel in concrete terms and take in a family of refugees.’ The Vatican is a tiny citystate and some of its citizens, including families with children, live in apartments

inside its ancient walls. It has two parish churches, including St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis said two of the Vatican’s parishes will welcome two refugee families, but did not give details.

A heavily-pregnant woman killed in Spain’s worst-ever rally accident was due to give birth today. Ana Cayazzo and partner Miguel Caridad, both in their 20s, died instantly when they were struck by one of the race cars as it lost control on a bend. Poignant pictures - posted by Miguel on his Facebook page before Saturday’s tragedy near La Coruña in Galicia, north-west Spain show him tenderly patting his girlfriend’s belly. Town hall officials in Cambre, the neighbouring town to Carral where the accident happened, told a local paper Ana was nine months pregnant and due to give birth today. Miguel, a keen motor racing fan, is understood to have persuaded her to watch the rally a short drive from their home. Tragedy struck just before 8pm when Sergio Tabeayo Sande, who comes from Carral, lost control of his Peugeot 206 XS on a bend and smashed into a 20-strong crowd of spectators.

Queen set to become Britain’s longest serving monarch

WHEN she was just 21 the then Princess Elizabeth made the people of the Commonwealth of Nations a solemn promise. “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we belong.” None who heard her words could have known she would go on to become the longestreigning monarch in British history. Yet on September 9, 2015,

that is her momentous achievement when she overtakes the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, having been on the throne for 63 years,

seven months and two days. Duty and patriotism have been themes of her life and now and nearly 90, the Queen has a huge experience of world and foreign affairs. The Queen makes her way back to Windsor Castle in full regalia following the Garter Ceremony held earlier this year. PHOTO: PA.

otherNEWS

Man locks wife, son in iron cage for 2 years

Oviedo is pictured above being escorted by Argentinian policemen in the city of Mar del Plata. PHOTO: AFP.

AN Argentinian father allegedly locked up his adult autistic son alongside his wife in an iron cage in his house. Eduardo Oviedo, 66, has been accused of incarcerating his son, 32, and 61-yearold wife, who is also said to have mental health issues. According to a local prosecutor in the city of Mar del Plata, the prison cell had a dirt floor and was covered in rubble and

Medivac Plane with 7 on board disappears west of Senegal

A medical evacuation plane with seven people on board, including a French patient, disappeared west of Senegal during a flight from Burkina Faso to Dakar, the Senegalese civil aviation authority said. The private Senegalair plane from Ouagadougou disappeared from radar screens at 7:08 p.m. (1908 GMT) on Sat-

urday 118 kilometres (74 miles) west of the Senegalese capital, it said in a statement. Senegal’s armed forces were conducting a search, the statement added. The plane was carrying three crew members and medical staff, including a doctor and two nurses.

bricks. The two were allegedly locked inside the cage during the daytime for at least two years. The rest of the time they were said to be kept in an equally filthy room in Oviedo’s home. The Spanish-language La Nación newspaper reported that Oviedo even forced his son to eat animal food and drink fuel, which police found in the cage with him.

It reported the caging regime had been going for six years. Oviedo, who appeared in court Saturday but declined to make a statement, has reportedly been charged with enslavement over the alleged incarceration. Prosecutor Alejandro Pellegrini said police acted after two of Oviedo’s other children told authorities about his treatment of their brother and the woman.

Al Shabaab militants re-take Somali town from African Union AL Shabaab took control of a populous town in central Somalia on Sunday after African Union forces left the area - the third town the Islamist insurgents have seized since Friday, militants and local officials said. The group, which seeks to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islamic law, has remained a

potent threat in the Horn of Africa country after it was forced from the capital Mogadishu in 2011. The African Union peacekeeping force, AMISOM, withdrew from Buqda on Saturday night, less than a month after taking control of the town, an economic centre of the Hiran region, from al Shabaab.

communitynews

Monday, 7 September, 2015

New Alasa of Ilasa-Ekiti for installation today

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III (fourth right); the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education, Professor Rashid Aderinoye (left) and other senior staff of the commission, during their visit to the Sultan to intimate him on the development of nomadic education in Sokoto communities. PHOTO: KEHINDE ADIO

THE Alasa-elect, Prince Ajayi Oluwasesan Omolagba of Odanaogun Ruling House, will be given the Staff of Office today following his selection by the town’s kingmakers and subsequent approval by the state government. According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the ratification of the Alasaelect was done during the meeting of the State Executive Council presided over by the deputy governor, Dr Kolapo Olusola. The new monarch will occupy the stool of the Alasa of Ilasa-Ekiti which has been vacant since October 1, 2012.

Uneasy calm in Ijoko over news of monarch’s demise Tola adenubi-lagos

HERE is uneasy calm in the sleepy town of Ijoko, Ogun State over rumours that the Onijoko of Ijoko in Egbaland, Oba Kolapo Ilufemiloye I, has joined his ancestors. This is even as non-natives who live in the town have adopted a cautious approach to their movements within the town over the claim that seven human heads are needed to accompany the late monarch to the great beyond. According to impeccable sources, Oba Ilufemiloye died about two weeks ago. But, according to Yoruba tradition, the announcement of the death of a monarch is not made until all traditional rites had been performed. Community News learnt that among the rites expected to be performed is the burying of seven human heads along with the corpse. This, Community News gathered, is to ensure the traditional ruler is escorted to the great beyond amid pomp and pageantry. Community News further learnt in view of this, non-natives in the town have stopped hanging out at odd hours. Many of them now ensure their wards retire to their respective homes before 9

p.m. In a related development, some residents have expressed the hope that the death of the monarch will bring to an end the obaship crisis that had rocked the town in recent years.

“We hope that the death of one of the warring monarchs brings an end to the obaship crisis that had rocked this town for some time now. “You know, two people have been claiming Obaship status in this town

for the past five years, so, if the death of one of them is true, then we hope government will wade in and establish a lasting authority once and for all,” a resident said. It will be recalled that Oba Kolapo Ilufemi-

loye 1, the Onijoko of Ijoko in Egbaland and Oba AbudulFatai Alani Matanmi, the Onijoko of Ijoko, Ota had been engaged in face-off over who is the rightful king of Ijoko land.

Flood kills nursing mother, corps member, 8 others in Adamawa, Anambra Suzy Oruwa-Onitsha with agency report

A nursing mother and her child were, on Sunday, confirmed dead following the devastating flood that washed away houses and farmlands in Shuwari, Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Mr Haruna Furo, Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who confirmed the incident, said the woman and her baby lost their lives when their house collapsed on them. Furo, who spoke shortly after assessing the level of damage, confirmed that two other children between ages seven and 10 also lost their lives in Mubi South Local Government Area. He said they were found dead near a river in Mubi following the downpour, adding that

the agency had received a report of loss of four lives. “Two of the deaths were confirmed in Mubi North Local Government Area, while the other two happened in Mubi South. “The deaths were as a result of last week’s downpour that submerged many communities in the area,” Furo said. He said the four reported deaths in Mubi brought the figure to five, stressing that one life was lost in Demsa Area before now. Furo also said that thousands of domestic animals died, while hectares of farmlands were submerged. He said that the agency had donated relief materials to some of the affected victims, adding that the agency had contacted the National Emergency Management

Agency (NEMA) and a few non-governmental organisations for more assistance. Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Isa Ahmadu, who received the SEMA team in his palace, decried the loss of lives and property to flooding, and appealed for the intervention of the Federal Government. In a related development, a youth corps member with six others, including roadside traders were, on Saturday, feared dead during a torrential rain as they plunged into a deep Sakamori gutter and were swept away by a rampaging flood. Community News learnt that the incident happened around 7 p.m. at the Upper Iweka Flyover by Ezeiweka Road Junction, on OnitshaOwerri Road, Onitsha, Anambra State. Eyewitness stated that the victims were on top of

the gutter when the makeshift plank on the gutter suddenly broke and they all plunged into the gutter. As of the time of filing this report, the corpses of the victims had neither beem traced nor know their identities. A source disclosed that the traders, especially cloth sellers had for a long time converted the top of the Sakamori into a market as a result of their inability to pay for shop. Reacting to the incident, the Police Area Commander of Onitsha, Mr. Philip Ezekiel, told newsmen that he was not yet aware of the incident. Speaking with Community News on phone, the Divisional Police Officer at Awada, Mr. Joseph Dimale, said he was not aware of the incident, adding that he would soon find out the true position of the incident.

Speaking on the development, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kolapo Kolade, said other far reaching decisions taken at the meeting, included the approval of Prince Adetiba Jimoh Oluwagbemiga of Ogbalegbojuotupe Ruling House as Ajagun of Ilumoba-Ekiti . According to Kolade, the necessary traditional rites and legal procedures were critically considered and followed before the approval. The statement added that the approval of the appointment of the new monarchs was in line with the decision of the Governor Ayo Fayose-led administration not to allow vacancy in the thrones in the towns and communities. Also, Ekiti State will soon enact a law that will prescribe life jail term for anybody found guilty of kidnapping, while another law will review the tenure of local government chairmen in the state. According to the Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, the proposed law on abduction would help stem the tide of kidnapping that had rocked the state for sometime now. Furthermore, all moveable properties used by the abductors for their operations would be confiscated by the state government. Ajayi said the state government considered the act of kidnapping, as a serious social menace which must be discouraged and curtailed with a stern penalty that would serve as deterrent to perpetrators and their collaborators. He also disclosed that government had also decided to review the tenure of local government chairmen from three years to two, to enhance effective participatory governance at the grassroots, while the establishment of the Office of Public Defenders was also considered to enable the indigent with criminal cases have access to fair hearing by providing legal representation for them. According to the Attorney-General, the bills had been prepared and would soon be sent to the Ekiti State House of Assembly for deliberation and passage into laws.

47 tribunesport

Monday, 7 September, 2015

2015 AAG:

Can Nigeria reclaim Africa’s title in Brazzaville? N By Ganiyu Salman

IGERIA will once again attempt to rule the continent at the 11th All Africa Games which kicked off at the weekend in Congo Brazzaville. The competition which was first staged from July 18 to 25, 1965 also in Brazzaville, has become Africa’s version of the Olympic Games in terms of glamour and status. After the 1925 proposed maiden All Africa Games in Algeria by Frenchman and president of the then International Olympic Committee (IOC), Baron Pierre de Coubertin failed to materialise, another attempt to start the Games in 1929 in Alexandria, Egypt was aborted by colonial insurgence as the colonisers feared the competition might serve as a platform to unite Africa, and help Africans secure freedom from their colonial status. The introduction of sub-regional games in West Africa in the early 1960s eventually paved the way for the much awaited All Africa Games to become a reality in 1965 which was attended by 2,500 athletes from 29 countries. The then IOC president, Avery Brundage also attended the inaugural Games as the IOC’s chief observer. The 1965 Games were declared open by the then president of the Republic of the Congo, Alphonse Massamba Debat, while Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, the winner of marathon at the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games was honoured at the event. Only 10 sports were competed for by male athletes at the Games, while women featured in only two sports -athletics and basketball. Egypt topped the medals table with 17 gold, 10 silver and three bronze medals, as Nigeria followed with nine gold, seven silver and five bronze medals, while Kenya finished third with eight gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals. One of Nigeria’s heroes at Brazzaville ‘65 was Samuel Igun who won two gold medals in athletics. Nigeria has attended all the AAG editions till date and had only emerged victorious at the eighth edition held in Abuja in 2003. The second edition of AAG was staged in Lagos from January 7 to 18, 1973 which was also won by Egypt with 25 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals, as the hosts finished second with 18 gold, 25 silver and 20 bronze medals, while Kenya again came third with nine gold, nine silver and 10 bronze medals. Though Nigeria failed to win the championships, there were a number of athletes who came to the limelight through the Games. The heroines of the Games were Modupe Osikoya who won three gold medals in 100m hurdles, high jump and long jump; Ethel Jacks, three gold medals in table tennis women’s singles, women’s doubles (with Modupe Beyioku) and mixed doubles (with Lateef Sumola). Arguably, the highlight of the second AAG was no doubt the victory of Nigeria’s senior soccer team which won the gold at the expense of Guinea in the final. For the first time, North Africa staged the continental showpiece as Algeria hosted

Esther Oyema

Edith Agu the third All Africa Games between January 13 and 28, 1978. Interestingly, Tunisia emerged new Africa’s champion with 29 gold, 15 silver and 25 bronze medals, while Nigeria maintained her traditional second spot with 22 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze medals, while the hosts, Algeria finished third with 21 gold, 19 silver and 26 bronze medals ahead of Kenya which had 11 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals. Osikoya retained her long jump and high jump titles in Algiers while Nigeria clinched all the table tennis titles except the mixed doubles won by Togo. The highlight of Nigeria’s achievement at Algiers ‘78 was no doubt the victory of Kasali Lasisi, a coach/player from Kwara State. Kasali defeated the then world’s number one seed, Liang-Cho-Long of China in a preparatory game before his triumph in Algiers. At the fourth edition of the Games held from August 1 to 12, 1987 in Nairobi, Kenya, Egypt reclaimed its leadership position on the continent with 47 gold, 28 silver and 26 bronze medals, as Nigeria as usual followed with 33 gold, 31 silver and 38 bronze medals, while Tunisia finished third with 24 gold, 16 silver and 17 bronze medals. Nigeria also dominated the table tennis through the exploits of Atanda Musa and Iyabo Akanmu, among others, while Chidi Imo, Innocent Egbunike, Maria Usifo and Falilat Ogunkoya reigned in the athletics event. North Africa for the second time hosted the Games as the fifth AAG was held in Cairo,

Egypt from September 20 to October 1, 1991. Nigeria featured in 15 of the 18 sports staged by the hosts. Egypt again came out tops with 90 gold, 53 silver and 52 bronze medals as Nigeria held on to its traditional spot with 43 gold, 54 silver and 43 bronze medals, while Algeria placed third with 29 gold, 36 silver and 34 bronze medals. At the sixth AAG held in Harare, Zimbabwe, from September 13 to 23, 1995, a new champion emerged on the continent as South Africa on its debut, amassed 64 gold, 51 silver and 39 bronze medals to displace Egypt which finished with 61 gold, 43 silver and 50 bronze medals, while Nigeria this time settled for the third spot having finished with 36 gold, 31 silver and 40 bronze medals. South Africa hosted the seventh edition in Johannesburg between September 9 and 19, 1999 and retained the title it won in Zimbabwe after finishing with 71 gold, 64 silver and 49 bronze medals. This time, Nigeria returned to its second position with 64 gold, 28 silver and 37 bronze medals as Egypt placed third with 53 gold, 60 silver and 45 bronze medals. For the second time, Nigeria hosted the AAG as the eighth edition was held in Abuja from October 4 to 18, 2003 and it marked a turning point in the history of sports in Nigeria. Reason: Nigeria eventually emerged Africa’s best after it amassed 85 gold, 90 silver and 56 bronze medals ahead of Egypt which finished with 81 gold, 66 silver and 71 bronze medals,

while South Africa placed third with 63 gold, 59 silver and 52 bronze medals. Perhaps, Nigeria’s victory was aided by the sterling performance of its special sports athletes who accounted for 22 gold medals as weightlifting had 14 gold medals while athletics had 13 gold medals. Unarguably, the most successful athlete at Abuja 2003 was Funke Oshonaike who clinched four gold medals at the Games. The ping ponger triumped in the women’singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and women’s team, while weightlifter Akwa Etineabasi also became a hero at the Games after winning three gold medals in the men’s 62kg. Also, Mary Onyali was one of the heroines of the Games with her three gold medals in 100m, 200m and 4x100m. Nigeria slipped to the fourth position at the ninth edition staged in Algeria in 2007 having amassed 50 gold, 55 silver and 54 bronze medals, as Egypt finished tops with 74 gold, 62 silver and 62 bronze medals ahead of the hosts, Algeria which had 70 gold, 58 silver and 76 bronze medals, while South Africa placed third with 61 gold, 66 silver and 53 bronze medals. South Africa reclaimed African title at the 10th edition of AAG held in Maputo, Mozambique with 61 gold, 55 silver and 41 bronze medals. Egypt garnered 32 gold, 14 silver and 22 bronze medals to push Nigeria to the third position with 31 gold, 28 silver and 39 bronze medals. The question is, how prepared is Nigeria to rule the continent again at the 11th All Africa Games in Brazzaville? Team Nigeria to Brazzaville 2015 is made up of 201 male and 178 female athletes and will feature in 20 sports which are badminton, gymnastics, volleyball, beach volleyball, athletics, boxing, basketball, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, para-athletics, para-powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. Nigeria’s strengths include special sports especially para-powerlifting, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, table tennis, boxing, taekwondo. In boxing, no fewer than four gold medals are being expected from Efeteobor Apochi, Efe Ajagba, Kehinde Obareh and Edith Ogoke-Agu, while the powerlifting team boasts world record holders like Esther Oyema, Yakubu Adesokan, Ben Nsini and Commonwealth Games champion, Loveline Obiji, among others. Also, Edem Offiong is going to Brazzaville to defend her women’s singles title in table tennis as Doreen Amata is set to defend her high jump title which she has been in her possession since Algiers 2007. Stakeholders expressed confidence that the athletics team would make up for the Beijing 2015 IAAF flop in Brazzaville though, star sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, according to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) scribe, Olumide Bamiduro has opted out of the quadrennial Games. “I believe our athletes will live up to expectation in Congo, we are going to top the athletics medals chart because we have the materials. What happened in Beijing is a lesson and I don’t see our athletes being stopped in Africa. This is a lesser competition compared to the world championships and I’m confident that we have what it takes to beat others in Africa,” Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara told Tribunesport by phone.

SIDELINES

NO 16,321

N150

MONDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER, 2015

UDDENLY my imagination came to life. It titillated itself as it realised that I would make the journey after all to that part of the dense thickets of the Niger Delta. Should I journey incognito to one heart of the mangrove country? Of course this was not going to be my first trip to that part of the dense coast of Nigeria. I have always called the stretch of the coast of the Niger Delta the harshest place of the harshest weather in Nigeria. And I was going there again in July, one month of harsh rains and tornado storms that combine with oil-men of the multinationals and thieves in government to decimate the people – the locals and masses of sufferers. I was going there again – after a pretty stretch of long time. But this time I was not going incognito as I did in times and times past, in imperfect times and times past. And my brother was full of fear. Perhaps I should say he was full of legendary fear – if I must say so. “Hello! Bros Tony, can you hear me? What did you just say? I nor hear you well. Wetin you dey go do there this night? Wetin dey do you sef, bros?” The line went off temporarily. I tried to analyse his fear which was really not unreal, at least on account of what the majority of readers of this column know already about my being at daggers drawn with the many irritants of Bayelsa. As I did my analysis, I was calm, cool and collected. My female companion, not a damsel or nymph of mine, but a cojourneyer, did not know what was going on as I attempted to navigate the steaming fear in the writhing mind of my brother. In any case, when he called again I simply told him not to let his mind writhe in fire, and that I would not open my flanks. Or did he not know we were also blizzards of the creeks? Am I not equally a creek-lord – especially of peace? “OK. But call me sha when you land. I nor go sleep until I hear your voice again.” It was nearing very-late evening when the public bus we travelled in arrived Yenagoa. But before then between the landscape of

With the reported invasion of A’Ibom Government House by DSS operatives, it is obvious that leaders fail to learn from history. Today’s leaders need to reflect on the plight of Marylyn Ogar and others.

in&out with Tony Afejuku

08055213059

A journey to isolate Bayelsa (1) Ughelli in Delta State and the dense jungle of Ijaw territory I was unusually carried away by what I was seeing, and which my sight seemed to be enjoying as well – even though everything bore the typical old landmarks of our tropical rainforest. And my mind went to N. Scott Momaday’s “There are green belts along the rivers and creeks, linear groves of hickory and pecan, willow and witch hazel.” Truly, Momaday’s “The Way to Rainy Mountain, “a very superb kind of travel essay, was on my mind as I was making the very-late evening journey to the belly of the interior mangrove of Bayelsa. When I eventually reached Yenagoa, I seemed to have lost my sense of proportion, so to speak, and also that of admiration. For one thing, the entrance to Yenagoa from Gbaran-Igbogene Road was not it at all. To call it a bad road is an understatement. All the money of the people of the oil-rich mangrove, where is it ending? Suddenly, all my affettuoso sensibilities departed from me. They simply vanished into the brooding clouds and environment in a land of wealth. And I remembered president, no, ex-president Jonathan. What a president he was! What an Ijaw president he was! But now I realised how mistaken I was, we were, to call him what we called him. But I am

When I eventually reached Yenagoa, I seemed to have lost my sense of proportion. jumping the gun. Or I should rather say that the gun is jumping me. I told my Ijaw hosts who detest the socalled militants from head to toe and from toe to head that their country will qualify to be called a jungle forever and forever if the national wealth they have in abundance is not used properly to change their clouds and their lives. Along or better said, off the Melford Okilo Road, the most popular road in Yenagoa, you could see several bridges called monkey-bridges leading to roadless and street-less houses and homes that immensely compare with the best ones anywhere. By the way, monkey-bridges are

tiny “lanes,” for want of a better term, of tiny sticks or stilts the people make in order to get to their houses with no link-roads. Of course in the majority of places they are surrounded by swamps – in fact, you are not wrong to call them swamp houses or swamp homes. And the revolting swamp smell can make good blood bad blood! I am talking of Yenagoa of a civilised, modern world of now un-hollow people now made hollow by hollow leaders who preach the needful – the horrible word invented by stellar-less Stella – transformation agenda that transforms the masses further and further into the culture of penury and pauperisation. Hell! Bayelsa is a jungle. But my Ijaw hosts, good, nice, cheerful, gracious lads of immense wealth, will have none of my sharp tongue. Perhaps if I was not their acclaimed guest, they would have unleashed venom on me. No. They are decent gentlemen, one a gentleman officer of the Nigerian Air Force, who was on a brief home-visit from his North-base, and the other, a high ranking state government official who knows his onions thoroughly and also knows in-toto the immense length and breadth of the mangrove interior of Bayelsa like memory inside his skin.

Panic in Team Nigeria’s camp over Aruna Quadri’s ill health THERE is panic in Team Nigeria’s camp at the ongoing All Africa Games in Congo Brazaville over the state of health of Nigeria’s medal hopeful in the table tennis event, Aruna Quadri. Tribunesport gathered from a reliable source that the ITTF Star Table

RESULTS

Globacom Premier League

Giwa FC

1 Enyimba

FC Ifeanyi Ubah 2 FC Taraba

0 0

Nasarawa Utd

1 Warri Wolves 1

Kwara Utd

1 Abia Warriors 0

3SC

2 Sunshine Stars 1

El-Kanemi

2 Lobi Stars

Wikki

3 Akwa Utd

Heartland

2 Rangers

Sharks Dolphins

Today’s Fixtures vs

Kano Pillars

Bayelsa Utd

Tennis player of the year who arrived Quadri is doing,” he said. The source who vehemently pleaded Congo aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight on Friday was said to have been for anonymity said: “everyone is apprehensive about him simply hospitalised same day. He was said to be suffering from because he is the African champion high degree fever which kept him in an and a gold medal hopeful, but he undisclosed hospital for two days but has has been struggling to gain fitness personally. He just came out of been discharged on Sunday afternoon. The medical team of the contingent hospital this afternoon but we according to the source in collaboration hope he will be fit enough for with doctors at the hospital where he the game on Tuesday,” he was admitted have been battling to told Tribunesport. None of the National ensure that he is in good state of health Commission ahead of the commencement of table Sport officials were tennis event tomorrow. to “The president of the Nigeria Table willing Tennis Federation, Engineer Waheed comment on the Enitan Oshodi, is worried about the state matter. of Quadri’s h e a l t h 11th ALL AFRICA GAMES because he SEPT. 4 - 19, 2015 was calling Niyi Alebiosu virtually e v e r y minute to know how

reporting

Aruna

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. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 7/9/2015.