9th November 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,366

MONDAY, 9 november, 2015

Tragedy: Bride, groom shot on wedding day —P35

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FG approves $2.4bn for Lagos Red Line rail project —P8

Nigeria announces major Lake Chad oil find December

—P10

8 killed, 30 injured in Taraba over tribunal judgment —P4

Buhari swears in INEC boss, commissioners today, ministers Wednesday —P36

Omiyale, next in line to Olubadan, dead, buried —P16

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Airtel, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, flanked by Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran (right) and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, at the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos, on Sunday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

FG to share ECA money to fund state capital projects, Fayose reveals —P36

Biafra: Thousands protest detention of their leader —P16

Monday, 9 November, 2015

PDP NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015 THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PDP RISES AGAIN WITH RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF INTRA-PARTY DEMOCRACY, YOUTH AND WOMEN INCLUSION AND RETURNING POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

1. The National Chairman of Party and other members of the National Executive Committee. 2. Former Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who are members of the party; 3. Present & Former Members of the National Assembly who are members of the Party. 4. Present & Former State Governors and Deputy Governors, who are member of the party 5. All Gubernatorial candidates of the Party at the 2015 General Elections who are members of the party. 6. Present and Former members of State House of Assembly who are members of the party; 7. Members of the Board of Trustees 8. Present & Former members of the Zonal Working Committee and State Working Committee comprising of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Organising Secretary, Women Leader and Youth Leader including those of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. 9. Present & Former Party Chairmen, Secretaries, Organising Secretaries of the LGAs. 10. One woman delegate from each Local Government Area who shall be below the age of 30 and is a graduate or equivalent.

11. One Youth delegate from each Local Government Area who shall be below the age of 30 and is a graduate or equivalent. 12. All present & former elected Local Government Council Chairmen who are members of the Party. 13. Former members of the National Working Committee who are still members of the Party. 14. Former Deputy Presidents of the Senate and former Deputy Speakers of the Houses of Representatives who are still in the Party. 15. Former Governors and Deputy Governors who are members of the Party. 16. Former Ministers, Presidential SSAs, SAs, Ambassadors /Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Chairmen of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Commissions or Extra Ministerial bodies who are Members of the Party. 17. Five member of the Party from each Senatorial District. 18. Former Council Chairmen & Councilors who are members of the Party. 19. Chairmen & Secretaries of the Party Chapters in Diaspora.

THEME:

PDP & THE SUSTENANCE OF DEMOCRATIC IDEALS IN NIGERIA VENUE:

DATE:

Thurs. November 12, 2015

ThisDay Dome, Kur Muhammed Avenue, Central Business District, Abuja

TIME:

9:00 am Prompt

GUEST OF HONOUR

Mallam Adamu Ciroma, OFR

CHAIRMAN OF THE OCCASION

Chief Alex Ekwueme, GCON

Pioneer National Chairman,PDP/BOT Chairman Former, Vice President Fed. Republic of Nigeria

SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOUR

General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR

GUESTS OF HONOUR

Former Military President, Fed. Republic of Nigeria

Sen. David B. Mark, GCON Chief Shuaib Oyedokun Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, CON Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia ANNOUNCER

High Chief Raymond A. A. Dokpesi, OFR

For & On Behalf Of The National Conference Organizing Committee

PDP... POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Monday, 9 November, 2015

news 8 killed, 30 injured in Taraba over tribunal judgment

ARELY 24 hours after the Taraba State election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja nullified the election of the state governor, Darius Ishaku, violence has erupted in Wukari area of the state. The tribunal had declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the April 11 election in the state, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, winner. Eight persons were reportedly killed, with more than 30 said to be injured when armed men suspected to be Jukun militia attacked residents of Wukari, on Saturday night. Alhaji Tanimu Danlele, a former vice chairman of Wukari Local Government Council, told NAN that, at least, eight people lost their lives and more than 30 others were injured in the crisis. A security source in Wukari told Sahara Reporters that supporters of Governor Ishaku and Senator Alhassan clashed throughout the night until the early hours of Sunday. Residents of the area, it was gathered, were terrified as they heard sporadic gunshots around 1:00a.m., while the attackers invaded quarters in the area, shooting and burning houses. “We were awakened by gunshots in our area and the attackers chanting ‘to hell with tribunal ruling, to hell with Aisha, we will kill you all,” one of the residents said. Reports also had it that the crisis started following celebrations and protests for and against the court ruling, delivered in favour of Aisha Alhassan. A resident of the town who spoke to Premium Times on phone, Kawu Musa, said the crisis broke out after some touts took advantage of the protests to unleash mayhem. He said some residents fled their homes to the bush for safety, adding that gunshots rented the air earlier in the day before the deployment of security agents to restore order. “They just started firing sporadically, chanting war songs and we have to flee,” Musa said. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Joseph Kwaji, confirmed the incident, saying soldiers and a detachment of police officers from the state command and other neighbouring divisions were promptly deployed in the town. He said law and order had been restored in the affected areas after the crisis sparked off by the verdict of tribunal. Kwaji confirmed to the

Monday, 9 November, 2015

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jalingo, on Sunday, that the crisis broke out in the early hours of Sunday. He said that though the police had not concluded their investigations, the crisis might not be unconnected with the ruling of the tribunal. “Yes there was crisis in

Wukari, but it is under control now. Security men have been deployed in the area and normalcy has returned to the town. “Investigation is ongoing but it is likely that the crisis is in connection with the verdict of the governorship election petition tribunal of Saturday,” he said.

The command’s image maker, who said that figures of casualty had not been ascertained by the police, warned the people not to take the laws into their hands. He said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Shaba Alkali, had moved to the area to ensure that peace was restored.

He warned that the command would come hard on any one bent on fomenting trouble in any part of the state over the verdict of the tribunal under any guise. The state chairman of APC, Alhaji Hassan Ardo, speaking on the development, said the party had written to the state police commissioner over the planned at-

tack in Wukari weeks ago. He called on the Army headquarters and the Federal Government to take action immediately and also investigate the killings in the area. The PDP and the Mr Ishaku have, however, indicated their intention to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Lagos lawmaker hails verdict, tasks womenfolk to rally around Al Hassan Bola Badmus - Lagos

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar (standing) receiving Adamawa State governor, Umar Bindow and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Taraba State, Senator A’isha Alhassan, during a courtesy visit by the state APC executives, at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja, on Sunday.

Lawyers disagree on Taraba’s judgment By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

THE verdict given by the Taraba State Elections Petition Tribunal on Saturday has generated mixed reactions from legal practitioners with conflicting views of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and its various interpretations. Section 140(1) (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act has since become a subject of contention among lawyers. While some argued that the tribunal erred and the judge goofed by not calling for a rerun election, others aligned themselves with the ruling of the tribunal, stating that it is apt that once a candidate has been found to be illegally nominated by his party, the person with the highest number of votes can be declared winner as a court had set this precedent. In 2011, Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had nullified Section 140(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 which provides that election tribunals cannot declare winners of elections on the ground that the Section was null and void and of no effect as it is inconsistent with the constitutional provisions which gives power to

courts to make declarative injunctions. Section 140 of the Act states that where an election tribunal or court nullifies an election on the ground that the person who obtained the highest vote was not qualified to contest or the election is marred by substantial irregularities or non compliance with provisions of the Act, the court shall not declare the person with the second highest votes as elected but shall order a fresh election. The Justice Musa Abubakar led tribunal had held that the governorship primaries purportedly conducted by the PDP in the state was done in violation of Section 78 (b) (1)(2) of the Electoral Act which guides parties nomination of governorship candidate. The tribunal held that contrary to the provisions of the section, PDP conducted the purported primaries at its national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja with no clear delegation from the local government areas in the state. It also sustained the testimonies of the Head of Election monitoring of Independent National Electoral Commission that the commission was not aware

of any primaries conducted by the party in line with the provision of the electoral act which produced Ishaku as the party’s flag bearer. Speaking on the constitutionality of the verdict, Mike Ozekhome, told the Nigerian Tribune that the Taraba tribunal judgment is a monumental disaster. “The entire judgement returning Senator Aisha Alhassan as the governor in place of Darius Dickson Ishaku is a monumental shame, a complete ruse and a total disaster bereft of any research or intellectual depth. To be sure, it is true that Section 87 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, provides that a political party seeking to nominate a candidate to represent it at an election must hold primaries. But, by virtue of Section 87 (9), anyone who complains that any of the provisions relating to nomination or selection of a candidate by a political party has not been complied with shall apply to the Federal High Court or the High Court of a state for redress. This, therefore, makes Darius’ alleged non qualification to contest the election, not being the product of any political party, in the absence of a

primaries, to be a pre election matter. “Even if we agree that such matter can be taken up as a post election matter at the tribunal, going by conflicting decisions of appellate courts, how can one excuse the final order made by the tribunal to the effect that the certificate of return be retrieved from Ishaku and given to Aishat who should be sworn in immediately? “By virtue of Section 140 (1) of the Electoral Act, if the tribunal determined that Ishaku was not validly elected on any ground, it could nullify the elections as it did. But, the correct order to make is not to declare Aisha the winner who must be sworn in. The correct judgment is to order the holding of a fresh election between Darius and Aisha. This is by virtue of Section 140 (2) of the Electoral Act. This section provides that “where an election tribunal nullifies an election on the ground that the person who obtained the highest votes at the election (Darius), was not qualified to contest the election, or that the election was marred by irregularities, or non compliance with the provisions of the ElecContinued on page 6

CHIEF Whip, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Rotimi Abiru, has hailed the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s verdict, which sacked the incumbent governor, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hajia Aisha Jumai Al Hassan, winner of the last April poll, calling on womenfolk to rally around her to ensure her success in office. Abiru, who is representing Shomolu Constituency 02, said this on Sunday in his reaction to the verdict, while congratulating the judiciary on what he described as “landmark judgement” and a clear indication that the rule of law had come to stay in Nigeria. The lawmaker said the verdict was a reminder to womenfolk in Nigeria in general and Taraba State in particular that this was the time for them to support Hajia Al Hassan “to enable her succeed as governor because her success in office will have significant meaning for the womenfolk in our nation.” Abiru congratulated Hajia Al Hassan for her emergence as the first female governor in Nigeria, just as he lauded “the APC for producing the first female governor in our country Nigeria.” “It is an indication that gender sentiment has no place in the party (APC) and it is a good development for Nigerian politics,” he said. The lawmaker, while urging women in general “to show more commitment in participating in politics in order to build a greater nation we all desire,” contended that the era of rigging, manipulation, impunity and social vices were over in the country.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

news

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Lawyers disagree on Taraba’s judgment Continued from page 4

toral Act, the election tribunal shall not declare the person with the second highest votes (Aishat), or any other person as elected, but shall order a fresh election. “The only time the tribunal shall order the swearing in of the challenger (Aishat) is provided for in Section 140(3) of the Electoral Act, and it is only when the governor in office (Darius), did not have a majority of the valid votes cast at the election. Section 140 (3) states that if the tribunal determines that a candidate who was returned as elected was not validly elected on the ground that he did not score a majority of the valid votes cast at the election, the election tribunal shall declare as elected the candidate who scored the highest number of valid votes cast at the election and satisfied the requirements of the Constitution and this Act. This is where Aisha could fit in, but the tribunal itself didn’t fault Ishaku as having the highest number of votes. It indeed dismissed Aisha’s allegations that the election was marred by over voting. The Court of Appeal will definitely set aside this trav-

esty of justice.” Also supporting this assertion is Shuaib Alaran, who said that, “I have not had the opportunity of reading the tribunal’s judgment in full, but from the media reports, I think I will disagree with the consequential order of the tribunal that since the sitting governor was not validly nominated by his party, the candidate who scored the second highest votes becomes the winner of the election. To my mind, I think the appropriate order of the tribunal should have been the one calling for a fresh election with the exclusion of the PDP. My reliance is on Section 140(2) and (3). By virtue of those provisions, where the tribunal finds that a candidate who won in an election was not validly nominated by his party, the proper order is to direct the INEC to conduct a fresh election. “The tribunal will only declare the person with the second highest votes winner, where it is established that the winner did not actually score the highest number of votes in the election. It could however be argued anyway that since the sitting governor did not participate in the election in the eyes of the law, consequent upon

his invalid nomination, he wouldn’t have been seen to have scored the highest number of votes in the election that he did not contest and therefore the proper order will be to declare the second highest scorer the winner. This is the beauty of interpretation in the legal profession. At any rate, we have to wait to hear from the higher courts for their own interpretation. Ugochukwu Osuagwu also believes the tribunal erred. He said, “If the ground for the annulment is that he was not validly nominated, it should be a pre election matter which the election tribunal has no jurisdiction over. The judgment must be wrong if that is the reason. But then he has a right of appeal and he remains governor if he files an appeal.” However, it was not all knocks for the tribunal as some lawyers expressed the belief that nothing can be build on a vacuum. Taoheed Asudemade said, “In law, you cannot place something on nothing. And if he is not legally nominated, his candidacy is not valid. The law will not recognise him as taking part in the election. He was not a candidate. So, the first runner up will be declared winner.”

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Lagosmetro Fire confab:

residents to Olatunde Dodondawa

BEFORE: This photo was published in Nigerian Tribune on September 29 inside Lagos Metro.

NOW: When relevant government agencies listen to the media: The present state of the LAGBUS Park at Tollgate after the publication. PHOTOS: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Lagos’ $2.4bn Red Line Rail project to see light of day Chukwuma Okparaocha

fter eight years of negotiation and uncertainty, the Federal Government has at last approved the construction of the $2.4 billion Lagos Red Line Rail Project. The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, made this known at the weekend in a chat with newsmen in Lagos. Mobereola said approving the right of way for the project had been a problem for years as the FG in the previous administration was foot-dragging in approving the right of way which belonged to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). Mobereola said it took Lagos four and half years to get approval for the project and another four years for discussion on the technicality of the project.

“It took us four and half years to get approval for the project. It took us another four years to get them to discuss the technicality of the project with us. The right of way has been approved and we are in full discussion with the bidders,” he said. On the Blue Line Light Rail project, the commissioner stated that the government would complete it by the end of 2016. He said Lagos was the only

state in the world to have embarked on such project without support from the FG, adding that such projects normally take around seven years to complete. The commissioner said it took Dubai, with all its resources, seven years to complete its rail project and in some other places, 22 years. “We are mindful of the problem of transportation in Lagos State. To-

wards the end of next years, something will happen. Our rail project is 27 km and we are doing it in phases. We are doing Mile 2 to CMS now and we will do Mile 2 to Okokomaiko later,” he said. Mobereola added that the first train, a 4-county, was purchased this year and that government would bring it on board to test-run the rail system from Mile 2 to CMS. He said his vision as com-

missioner for Transportation was to make public transportation safe, reliable, accessible and comfortable in such a way that people would leave their vehicles behind and take mass transit buses to and from their destinations. According to him, there was the need to develop mass transit transport scheme for the benefit of the teeming population of Lagos.

Bribery: Our officers under surveillance Chairman, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Task Force), SP Olubukola Abe, has vowed to charge to court any of his officers and paramilitary men who engage in illegal dealings with members of the public on any arrested environmental violators. Abe said, to this end, he has, since assuming office,

been on the close watch of activities of his police officers, including paramilitary men who on daily basis carried out enforcement on environmental offenders. He spoke on Thursday in his office while parading one Mr. Nuel Njoku of 6, Waidi Animashaun Street, Lucky Fibre, Ikorodu an indigene of Abia State who impersonated offi-

cial of Lagos State Taskforce, collecting N30,000 from one Mr. Friday Okonkwo of 11, Araromi Street, Ilasamaja, Lagos on his impounded motorcycle. Abe stated that the agency was created to arrest and prosecute environmental offenders and that he would not allow any shady deals among his men or touts.

In its determination to ensure safety of lives and property, the Lagos State government, through the Lagos State Fire Service organised a one-day workshop on fire safety and management to curb the tide of incessant fire outbreak being experienced in the state. Speaking at the event which took place at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium Alausa, Lagos State, at the weekend, the Director, Lagos Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, stated that the workshop was timely and in line with the policy thrust of the administration on safety advocacy as it covered tropical topics such as fire hazards identification and control, risk assessment and control, first aid, fire-fighting and evacuation techniques including fire drill. He described fire as one of the oldest tools of humans still used in homes, industrial productions thereby contributing immensely to the economic growth of the nation. He noted that contrary to common beliefs, fire outbreak and other related incidents are not divine, but are primarily caused by human factors and listed carelessness, recklessness, negligence and above all negative behaviours towards safety as contributory factors to fire our breaks. Fadipe disclosed that the state has accorded priority to fire prevention and di-

— Taskforce boss

He disclosed that if any arrest was made on motorcyclists plying restricted routes, street traders, private or commercial vehicles obstructing traffic, among others, the first thing the agency would do, was to investigate the circumstances that led to the arrest. According to him, if after investigation, if no one was found guilty, such suspect

would be set free, and if otherwise, the person would be charged to court. Abe advised members of the public to desist from engaging touts who pose as officials of the Agency, saying complaints on any illegal activities of his men should be reported directly to his office or through the agency’s contact mobile number.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Fadipe tells report sparks saster management as the fire service was undergoing aggressive transformation through human capacity building and appreciable number of modern firefighting equipment that enables them to respond swiftly to distress calls. “Safety doesn’t go on holiday, my men respond to distress calls at all time. As fire fighters, we work round the clock to prevent colossal loss of lives and properties. Lagosians should not hesitate to call any of our area offices to report any trace of spark,” he said. The Fire Service boss lamented the increase in numbers of avoidable fire

outbreaks which has become a source of concern to the government. It’s against this backdrop “that the directorate has embarked on sensitization campaigns to parks/ garages, markets hospitals and local government areas to educate them on how to prevent and manage fire outbreak” Fadipe said. He appealed to Lagosians to support his men while performing their duties and ensure that basic rules guiding the use of electrical appliances are strictly adhered to and checking of same after days’ work in order to prevent power surge which can lead to fire outbreak.

Overloaded Lagos State PSP vehicles litter waste all over the road on the way to dumpsites. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Musician poses as Air Force officer to intimidate policemen Ayomide Owoibi Odekanyin A 29-year-old entertainer, Dare Tijani, has been remanded in prison for impersonating an Air Force officer at the Iyana Ipaja police station. It was gathered that Ti-

jani, who resides at 17, Kajola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, wore the uniform of an Air Force officer to the police station in an attempt to intimidate the policemen on duty to release his band instruments that were seized. He allegedly bragged about his ability to disrupt

the activities at the station if his instruments were not released to him. He was also accused of threatening to mobilise fellow Air Force officials to attack the policemen, while shouting and breaching the public peace. The police while arraigning him in court, accused

him of claiming to be an Air Force officer, recruited in 2010 in Kaduna. After investigations, the Air Force authority had formally indicated that there was no record of the accused employment or dismissal. Tijani, however, pleaded not guilty and the Chief

speaking on his arrest, denied being a member of the gang but confessed that he was aware that one of the arrested suspects was an armed robber who operated in traffic. The Jigawa State-born suspect alleged that Joseph Edema was a member of the gang that had in the past been terrorising residents of Ikoyi. The suspect said, “I and Gambo Yunusa are innocent. We only sell second-hand goods at under bridge before government sent us away from the bridge. In the evening times, we do relax under a tree in the field. “But every evening, this boy (pointing to Joseph Edema) and his gang numbering about 15, usually converge here to meet. Some of them will even

come with traveller’s bag and school bags but I don’t know the content. We will just be looking at them from a far place.” Another suspect, Gambo also denied being a member of the gang but also admitted to knowing the bad boys, who were notorious for snatching handsets, bags and other valuables from motorists and passers-by in the area, adding that they were just victims of circumstance. RRS commander Olatunji Disu, an assistant commissioner of police, while speaking on the arrest, said “Following the complaints from members of public of incessant in-traffic robbery attacks around the axis; our men laid an ambush on them which led to the arrest of the suspects, while others managed to escape the

dragnet of the police. “When the policemen combed the area, different weapons were recovered from their hideouts.” The commander said that their operations to bring crime rate in the state to zero level will continue to yield positive results. “Policemen are complementing and re-launching a massive aggression to all criminal hideouts in the state. And these operations have since yielded positive results as many in-traffic robbers had been rounded up.” Disu also stated that “We will continue this onslaught until we achieve zero level of crime rates within the metropolis.” Some of the weapons recovered from them included four cutlasses, axes, and iron rods.

Magistrate, Mrs Bola Osunsanmi, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with

Bourdillion robbery gang rounded up Olalekan Olabulo Three suspected members of an armed robbery gang, whose members have been terrorising residents of Bourdillon area of Ikoyi in Lagos State, have been arrested by the police. The suspects were arrested by vigilant members of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who were on a surveillance patrol around Ikoyi and neighbouring communities. The RRS described the arrest of the suspects as part of the continued efforts of the security outfit to combat traffic robbery and other vices in all parts of the state. The arrested suspects include: Joseph Edem, Jamilu Musa, and Gambo Yunusa, who were all arrested on November 7, 2015. Jamilu Musa, while

The suspects

two sureties in like sum. Osunsanmi adjourned the case till November 23, for trial.

businessnews

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Huge credit losses drag down banks’ profit in Q3 Chima Nwokojji-Lagos

Fresh facts have emerged that some banks recorded huge (credit) impairment losses that hit hard on their quarter three (Q3) 2015 profits. This revelation became possible due to the statutory requirement of the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) which mandates banks to make full disclosures that reflect true value of all assets. Accountants describe “Impaired loans” as an accounting concept, which reflects cases in which it is uncertain that the creditor will not be able to collect the full amount that is specified in the loan agreement. Compared to 2014, an analysis of Deposit Money Banks’ (DMB’s) bottom lines across tiers showed that Q3 profitability was generally affected by higher impairment charges, with Stanbic IBTC recording the highest increase of 521.34 per cent. The lender’s credit Impairment Charges rose from N2.010 billion in Q3:2014 to N12.489 billion same period this year. Next to Stanbic IBTC is FBN Holdings which recorded a 247.8 per cent increase in credit Impairment Charges that caused a 9.73 per cent drag down on profit after tax to N50.217 billion from N55.627 billion recorded last year. Further analysis show that United Bank for Africa UBA recorded the 3rd highest increase of 129.9 per cent. Fidelity Bank recorded 107.59 per cent increase in credit impairment charges from N1.898 billion recorded in Q3 2014

to N3.940 billion in the period under review. In terms of Profit after Tax, STANBIC recorded 46.3 percent dip, Wema Bank (-39.0%) and Diamond Bank (-20.9%) were among lenders that incurred high year on year (Y-o-Y) decline while others in the Tier-2 category had marginal improve-

ment. Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi commenting on the bank’s performance said during the period up to Q3 2015, the challenging macro-economic headwinds which pervaded the business environment no doubt took

no longer fully recoverable. “This is done when the asset’s fair value or ability to generate cash falls,” says Jamil Khatri, global head of accounting advisory services, KPMG. “Impairment charge implies writing off of worthless goodwill,” he added. The banks levels of profitability worsened due to

From left, Director, Project Gaia International, USA, Mr Harry Stokes; Managing Director, Project Gaia Prospects Limited, Mr Joe Obueh; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Mr Bayo Ojulari; General Manager, External Relations, Shell, Mr Igo Weli; and General Manager, Production, Shell Nigeria, Mr David Martin, at the signing of a partnership agreement for a pilot study on the use of (M)Ethanol clean cookstoves at the SNEPCo office in Lagos, on Friday.

Nigeria announces major Lake Chad oil find Dec

igeria is “on the verge of a significant oil find” in the Lake Chad area of the northeast, NNPC Managing Director Ibe Kachikwu was quoted as saying, which is to be officially announced by December this year. He said this in a statement issued by the state oil company on Sunday.

Kachikwu, who is to be sworn in to President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet on Wednesday and is widely expected to become minister of state for petroleum, also said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is projecting revenues of $20 billion in 2016. Nigeria’s economy has been hammered by the sharp drop in global oil

NABG backs CBN on forex restrictions, defence of the naira Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), the Agribusiness sector operators’ platform, led by Mr Sani Dangote, has supported the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) foreign exchange restriction policy as well as the refusal of bank to devalue the naira as is being suggested by international finance institutions and multi-lateral agencies. The CBN in the past few months has been under pressure over the decision to ban sourcing of foreign exchange for the importation of 41 items for which Nigeria has comparative advantage as well as its resistance to international pressure for the devaluation of the nation’s currency.

its toll on the performance of the bank. “Though we were able to grow top-line earnings by three per cent, compared to the third quarter of 2014, our margins reduced slightly,” he said. Experts say that companies opt for impairment when the value of assets/ goodwill on their books is

The NABG chairman stressed that his group believed that the CBN forex policy, especially as it affects commodities like tomato puree, rice, palm oil and other agric produce, was the right step to save the nation’s economy from impending crisis and return it to the path of sustainable growth. Sani Dangote, who was part of the panel of discussant at the 4th EU-Nigeria business forum in Lagos said: “We commend the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for taking this bold step. We have companies who employ thousands of Nigerians, we have small farm holders who will produce for the country’s need. We cannot

do this overnight but it has to start from somewhere and if the federal government kills the incentive to start from the grass root level, you can never reach the level to be self sufficient.”

prices, because it relies on crude exports for around 70 per cent of government revenues. “There are signs from the latest 3D seismic studies that oil may be very close to being found now in Lake Chad,” Kachikwu was quoted as saying in a statement issued by NNPC spokesman Ohi Alegbe. “I am optimistic that by the end of the year we should be able to announce something major on this,” he said in a presentation in Lagos, according to the statement. Kachikwu was quoted as saying it would be important to pass the long-delayed Petroleum Industry Bill aimed at overhauling the oil sector, and to encourage investment in the country’s oil and

gas industry. “Kachikwu stated that the NNPC is projecting the inflow of $20bn in 2016 to enable the corporation to fund major projects,” said NNPC spokesman Alegbe. Portfolios have yet to be assigned to the 36 cabinet members chosen by Buhari, but analysts expect Kachikwu to report to the president, who will personally oversee the petroleum portfolio. “There are signs from the latest 3D seismic studies that oil may be very close to being found now in Lake Chad,” Kachikwu was quoted as saying in a statement issued by NNPC spokesman Ohi Alegbe.

NATCOMS drags NCC to court over N1.04trn fine on MTN By Bode Adewumi

Another twist has been added to the impasse between the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and MTN Nigeria, as the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMS), on Friday, filed a suit against the NCC as first respondent and MTN Nigeria as second respondent over the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on MTN

by NCC over the company’s purported failure to deactivate about 5.2 million SIM cards on its network. The lawyers, Mr Oluyinka Oyeniji and Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who are both incorporated trustees of NATCOM, are challenging NCC at the Federal High Court in Lagos, praying the court to stop NCC from further imposing fine on MTN. They also want the court to compel NCC to account for all the funds it collected from

telecoms operators in the past as fines, and to pay such to subscribers as compensation for poor service quality they had suffered in the past. According to the court document, both lawyers are calling for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the first respondent (NCC) from further imposing or exerting any fine in respect of registration of telephone subscribers on the second respondent (MTN).

constraining operating environment in 2015 in comparison to the corresponding period the year before. “The high exposure of Nigerian banks to the public sector and the Oil & Gas sector (which we estimate at 5.4% and 27.0% in H1:2015 respectively) led to a weakness in assets quality as the revenue profiles of government and indigenous downstream and upstream companies were impaired by the oil price crash,” analysts at an investment banking and research firm Afrinvest stated. It further stressed that the above situation led to higher non-performing loans and impairment charges affecting profitability of banks, especially for Tier-2 lenders. Following the streams of majorly unimpressive quarter three (Q3) 2015 results released by diverse key players on the Nigerian Bourse ranging from the Banking sector to the Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas sectors, investors’ sentiments have further waned.

SNEPCo promotes safer cooking methods Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has signed an agreement with Project Gaia Prospects Limited (PGPL) for the conduct of a pilot study on the use of Ethanol clean cookstoves, a cleaner and safer way of cooking. SNEPCo will provide 2,500 clean cookstoves and 15,000 canisters for distribution to households in Lagos while PGPL will ensure the supply of Ethanol fuel blended with methanol during the one-year study. The (M)Ethanol clean cookstoves project aims to reduce mortality associated with indoor air pollution by providing cleaner and healthier cooking alternative to kerosene, firewood and charcoal. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) estimates that household air pollution contributes to 70,000 premature deaths every year and affects 127 million people in Nigeria. “We’re pleased to promote a safer cooking system in Nigeria as part of efforts to encourage access to a better source of energy,” said Bayo Ojulari, SNEPCo Managing Director, at the signing ceremony recently.

businessnews

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Lagos International Trade Fair ... Lagos International Trade Fair ...

FG urged to release LITF village to LCCI Akin Adewakun & Gbemi Solajalagos

resident of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr Bassey Edem, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the Lagos International Trade Fair Village to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) for more effective use. He urged Lagos State government to intervene and impress on the Federal Government in releasing the Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) village on the Badagry Expressway to the LCCI for more effective use of the facility. Edem made this appeal at the weekend in Lagos at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair. While describing the Tafawa Belewa Square, venue of this year’s edition of the fair as a temporary trade fair site, he added that LCCI was left with no other alternative than to use the venue considering the sorry state of the trade fair complex in Badagry. He pointed out that hosting this year fair at three different designated centres had shown LCCI resilience, sustained ability and know-how in spite of the hurdles surrounding a successful conduct of such a fair. He stated: ‘The Lagos fair has grown over the years with pioneering initiatives being introduced into the fair yearly, attracting an avearge of 500,000 visitors from over 18 countries yearly with the Nigeria estimated population of 150 million confirming the fair as the hub of Nigeria’s economic and business activities.” According to him, NACCIMA as the voice of Nigerian business would always advocate the growth

of businesses and the enhancement of a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. The president of LCCI, Mr Remi Bello, said the theme of the fair, Enhancing Value Addition in the non-oil economy, was chosen to underscore the strategic importance of the non-oil sectors in the Nigerian economy in the face

of country’s over-dependence on the oil sector and the urgent need for economic diversification. He noted that in the face of dwindling international oil price and it’s attendant impact on the Nigerian economy, the non-oil sector remained the major driver of growth in Nigeria.

Tropical Naturals Limited, manufacturers of Dudu-Osun Black Soap, and other range of personal/skin care products like Dudu-Osun Moisturizing Lotion and Tropical Naturals Shea Butter, will be making a grand appearance at the ongoing Lagos International Trade fair. According to the Brand Manager, Mr Lamidi Kazeem, all hands are already on deck to make the experience a memorable one to all guests that will

jectives, the fair is staged to hold at three different venues, the Tafawa Belawa square, Muson centre and Freedom Park, Onikan, Lagos and the introduction of the new venue is to accommodate corporate exhibition, business-tobusiness meetings and the rapidly growing Nigeria’s creative industry,’ he added.

From left, Deputy Head, Channels Operations, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Lateef Aliyu; President, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club (LLTC), Mr Rotimi Edu and chairman, 2015 Quadrangular Games, Mr Bowo Olateru-Olagbegi, during a press conference organised by Sterling Bank on the 2015 Quadrangular Games of LLTC in Lagos, at the weekend.

Dangote Group storms fair, promises pocket-friendly prices AS part of strategies to grow market share and expand customer reach, companies under the Dangote Group have indicated their intention to storm the fair, while assuring customers of the availability of its products at pocketfriendly prices. Companies from the group that are exhibiting at the fair include Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Agrosacks, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (Dangote Salt), Dangote Rice Limited, Dangote Cement Plc, and Dansa Foods Limited, among others.

Some of the products to be displayed at the fair include Dangote sugar, Dangote salt, Danq (seasoning), tomato paste, various ranges of fruit juice and bottled water from Dansa Foods. Dangote Sugar will be offering customers different sizes of granulated sugar packs at the fair. A statement from the Corporate Communications Unit of Dangote Group said the fair had become a veritable venue for introducing new innovations to Dangote products and that visitors to the group pavilion at both

Dudu-Osun to grace fair By Paul Omorogbe

According to him, the Chamber had broadened the horizon and scope of its trade fair and investment opportunities for its exhibitors and visitors at the fair by holding it at three different venues – the Tafawa Balewa Square, Muson Centre and Freedom Park, Onikan. ‘In pursuing these ob-

be visiting the stand of the company during the fair. He said the brands are specially formulated and ideal for the entire family by providing all-time protection and nourishment for their precious skin. “At Tropical Naturals, we carefully select our natural ingredients for the wellbeing of the family and we harness the power of nature to satisfy the skin’s need. “With the number 1 African Black Soap and our new entrant body lotions, we keep the entire body

disease-free for generations to come.”

fairs would have the opportunity of buying products of these companies at reduced prices. A unique offering from the group in this year’s Lagos Trade Fair is the Dangote Combo pack. The pack contains products from the stable of different companies within the Group and is offered to participants at the fair at a reasonable discounted price. The statement indicated that, the economy pack which will contain household products like Dangote sugar packets, Salts, Dangote seasoning, Dansa Fruit juic products range would be combined in a pack at a giveaway price. The combo pack, it stated further, will offer participants at the fair an oppor-

tunity to purchase all consumable product range in Dangote Group in a single buy which demonstrates the company’s slogan of meeting peoples’ needs. Dangote Group is of the view that the trade fair is coming at an appropriate time which affords traders and dealers the opportunity to stock their shops for the fast approaching Christmas season while end consumers can also buy and stock for the season. Subsidiaries like Dansa Foods and NASCON will be hosting students on specific days. The studentvisitors to the stand will get special gifts like pens, pencils, erasers and notebooks.

Only one ATM working Only one Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is functioning at the ongoing 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was a long queue of customers waiting to withdraw at the only functioning ATM machine operated by Fidelity Bank on Saturday.

Mr Bolaji Adesegun, a visitor to the fair, complained about the absence of ATMs on the fair ground. “I have to walk outside the fair ground to make withdrawal when I noticed the long queue at the only functioning machine. “It is not convenient since I have to pay another N200 gate fee before I could enter the fair ground

again. “I appeal to other banks to hasten the quick connection of their ATMs on the fair ground and more exhibitors should provide POS machines at their stands to fast track sales.” Another visitor, Mrs Agnes Shokoya, said that she had to wait for more thirty minutes before she could withdraw from the ATM.

Nigerian Tribune

NNPC targets $20bn investment inflow in 2016 Olatunde Dodondawa-Lagos

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it is targeting $20 billion investment inflow in 2016 in an attempt to become a profit making corporation. The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, stated this at the Petroleum Club in Lagos at the weekend. He argued that in driving and developing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, certain key areas of urgent, intervention had been identified which include running production acreages with transparent and profitable partnerships to bridge capacity and funding gaps; encouraging investment inflow into Nigeria’s oil and gas industry; engagement with local communities and driving regulation to develop the sector income via encouragement of the fast-track PIB to clarify direction and encourage long-term investment in the industry. Providing specifics on the intervention targets, Dr. Kachikwu stated that the NNPC was projecting the inflow of $20 billion in 2016 to enable the corporation fund major projects and improve its bottom line going forward. He described 2016 as a crucial year for the NNPC as it is expected to transit from historic loss environment to profit making domain. In the area of engagement with host communities, Kachikwu stated that the years ahead NNPC as the senior partner in the various Joint Venture (JV) arrangements must take leadership in fostering a healthy and symbiotic host community engagement outlook which must focus in what he termed “What the communities want us to do for them and not what we want to do.” In a presentation at the Petroleum Club, Lagos, titled: “Ongoing Reforms in the Oil Industry: Impact of NNPC Reforms on the Nigerian Economy,” Dr. Kachikwu stated that the Corporation is injecting a lot of energy into the effort to ensure success in this regard. “There are signs from the latest 3D seismic studies that oil may well be very close to being found now in Lake Chad after very many years of trials.” “I think that this is very key. It is key both for the geographical balancing of oil production and it is also very key for the purpose of Refinery placement in the North in terms of access to crude.”

business

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

daily summary (equities) for FRIDAY, 6 november, 2015

top 5 gainers

top 5 losers

Monday, 9 November, 2015

MAJOR EVENTs OF 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF YEWA ANGLICAN DIOCESE AT ILARO YEWA, OGUN STATE

1. From left, Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle receiving Royal Ambassador Award from Bishop of Yewa, Rt Reverend Michael Oluwarohunbi during 25th anniversary of Yewa diocese thanksgiving service at All Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Church, Ilaro, Yewa, Ogun State. 2. From left, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle discussing with Onisaga of Isaga Orile, Oba Joseph Olusoji Tella and Omola of Imala, Oba (Apostle) Moses Adelani Olabode. 3. From right, Mr Deji Adeyemi, Rt Reverend Oluwarounbi, Oba Olugbenle, Otunba Dr S.A.J. Ibikunle, Chief (Mrs) Julianah Ibikunle and Bishop of Osun, Rt Reverend James Popoola during the launching of Yewa 25th anniversary book. 4. From right, wife of Bishop of Yewa Diocese, Mrs Grace Oluwarohunbi, wife of Bishop of Osun Diocese, Mrs Popoola and wife of Bishop of Ile-Oluji, Mrs Adekunle dancing during thanksgiving service. 5. From right, Rt Reverend (Professor) Dapo Asoju, Vice Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University,

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Oyo and Reverend Olufowora, ministering during carnival for Christ at Asade Agunloye Pavilion Empire, Ilaro. Bishop of Yewa Diocese, Rt Reverend Micheal Oluwarohunbi salute women from different Archdeaconries during women sports fiesta at Gateway Stadium, Ilaro. Bishop Oluwarohunbi presents trophy to one of the winner of Bishop Cup Football Competition and his wife, Mrs Grace, Chairman, Planning Committee, Chief M.A. Ogunyemi and Secretary, Planning Committee, Mr Olusegun Oluwale at Gateway Stadium, Ilaro. Bishop Oluwarohunbi present four keke Napep as empowerment to the youth in the Diocese of Yewa during the anniversary. From left, Chief (Mrs) Janet Mautin, Bishop Oluwarohunbi and his wife, Grace, Mr Olusegun Oluwale greeting member of youth during carnival for Christ at Asade Agunloye Pavilion Empire Ground, Ilaro. Student of Ipadeola Bolaji Model College, Ilaro, performing during thanksgiving service.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

16 news

Monday, 9 November, 2015

High Chief Omiyale, next in rank to Olubadan, dead, buried By Tunde Ogunesan

HE Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Sulaimon Adegboyega Alao Omiyale, is dead. Aged 91, he died Saturday evening at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. High Chief Omiyale, until his death, was the next in rank to the Olubadan of Ibadan. His remains was brought

to the Omiyale compound around 12 noon on Sunday amidst tears and wailing by members of his family, who apparently were ruing his inability to ascend the exalted position of Olubadan before his demise. As soon as members of his family, children and chiefs around sighted the white Nissan Pathfinder ambulance which brought the remains of the late Balogun into the compound, they could not control their

emotions, as they lamented his death more, because the family lost out in producing Olubadan in the compound. He was buried at the Ope Agbe Palace, Omiyale House, Oja’ba, Ibadan, on Sunday evening, during a brief funeral rites conducted by the Chief Imam of Ibadan, Sheikh AbdulGaniyy Abubakri Agbotomokekere. One of the descendants of the family, who is the

Baale Olomi village, Ibadan, Chief (Dr) Samuel Layode Oyewale, revealed that the late High Chief became Mogaji of the compound in 1967, describing his death as a great loss to the family, but said “there is nothing one can do to stop the will of God.” He informed that the late senior member of the Olubadan Advisory Council had been sick for a while, noting that they never expected he would not survive it.

The Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyy Abubakri Agbotomokekere, leading others to pray on the body of High Chief S. A. Omiyale, the Balogun Olubadan of Ibadanland, at Kobomoje area, Ibadan, on Sunday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

In his sermon, Chief Imam said death was a necessary penalty for every human, adding that only Allah could determine when and how anybody would die.

Biafran: Thousands protest, seek immediate release of leader From Suzy Oruya and Jude Ossai ABOUT 7,000 members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), at the weekend, stormed Awka, the Anambra State capital, in continuation of their protest which they commenced Friday morning, demanding the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, Director of Radio Biafra based in London and the actualisation of a sovereign state of Biafra. The protesters, who were in a convoy of more than 50 vehicles and on foot, marched through Nkpor, Ogidi, Abagana and Amawbia to Awka, singing war songs ang shouting: “on Biafra we stand,” No Biafra, no Nigeria.” Following a tip-off that they were on their way to Awka, the military, in collaboration with the police, blocked the way to Awka Prison yard and the police headquarters.

Youths set ablaze 5 trucks of beverage company in Edo Banji Aluko - Benin City ANGRY youths in Ekhiadolor, a suburb of Benin City, set ablaze five trucks belonging to a beverage company, following a road accident on the Benin-Lagos Expressway. The youth were apparently protesting the part played by a truck belonging to the company in the death of a driver of a Mercedez Benz car, who lost his life after driving into one of the stationed trucks of the company parked by the side of the road. The driver, identified as Iyare, was said to have been rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where he was pronounced dead. Angered by the accident, some youths in the area blamed the accident on indiscriminate parking of trucks by the company on the two sides of the road and set five of the trucks ablaze. Still not satisfied, the youth were said to have moved to the premises of the soft drinks giant just opposite the accident scene, but fled when they sighted

policemen. Some residents of the area said the crashed Mercedez Benz C-class was new and unnumbered and was running from Custom officials, who maintained a post at a spot close to the accident scene. A police source said “as the youth brought him (driver) out and discovered that he was almost

dead, the next thing was to besiege the company and set their property on fire. It took our intervention to prevent them from getting into the factory.” The accident caused gridlock on the ever-busy road, but some policemen and officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) arrived the scene to control traffic.

The Benin Toll Gate Unit Commander of the FRSC, Ameen Adewale, said the remains of the victim was deposited at the mortuary and efforts were being made to remove the damaged vehicle from the road. “We got a distress call at some minutes past nine, this (Sunday) morning, that a Mercedes Benz car ran into a well parked truck in

front of the beverage company. We have removed the dead body. “What we are doing now is to ensure traffic control; to make sure that nobody is trapped,” he said. A source in the company said the company would assess the situation and level of damage done to its property before any decision would be taken.

New Emir of Borgu emerges? Adelowo Oladipo - Minna ONE of the sons of the immediate past Emir of Borgu, in Borgu Emirate of Niger State may have been picked as successor of his father, Senator Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro III. According to reliable sources close to the palace in New Bussa, in Borgu Local Government Area of the state, said the kingmakers made their decision in New Bussa on Saturday. The sources close to the kingmakers, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend on

the condition of anonymity, said Mr Mohammed Sani Dantoro was unanimously selected to become the next emir of the kingdom. Mohammed Sani Dantoro’s name was said to have been sent to the chairman of the kingmaking body, the Baa-Karabonde, who has the final say on who becomes emir. According to the source, if the Baa-Karabonde approved of the choice of Mr Sani Dantoro, his name would be sent to the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, for approval. Dantoro is a New Bussa-

based private legal practitioner and businessman. It was further gathered that no fewer than 42 princes vied for the top position, with three of them being sons of the late emir, while Alhaji Ishyaku Jikantoro, who contested the position with the immediate past emir, was also said to have contested for the single slot. One of the emir’s sons whose name was given as Bello, allegedly stepped down for his brother, paving way for Sani Dantoro to have an easy sail to the coveted royal stool.

Some of the dignitaries present included a former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, High Chief (Senator) Lekan Balogun, among others.

Meanwhile, the eighth day Fidau prayer was held last week Thursday for the repose of the soul of the late emir, with the Niger State deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, being among prominent Nigerians in attendance. It will, however, be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, were among dignitaries that witnessed the burial of late Senator Dantoro at the emir’s palace in New Bussa.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the biafran group started the journey from Delta, Abia, Imo, Anambra and was headed for Enugu. Reacting, a chieftain of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said it was in continuation of the protest that started on Friday and it may end today or tomorrow. We don’t know when it will end; it is until we get directive from our headquarters.” Vehicles and other road users were held in a gridlock on Awka/Onitsha old road for more than five hours and business activities paralysed. Speaking on the protest which was peaceful, the IPOB chieftain said the members comprised of those who came from Enugu State to meet their Anambra brothers. Powerful said “on Friday, those in Anambra met with those in Delta State, while those in Aba and Abia states met those in Bayelsa and so, it is arranged with other states to ensure complete compliance with the protest. “The security men are disturbing us from carrying out the protest, but that will not hinder us from carrying out the protest.” Speaking on the protest the chairman of Fundamental Rights League International (FRLI), Comrade Mike Umezulike, said there was nothing wrong with the protest, as it was peaceful. He added that their agitation for a sovereign state of Bifra was no crime, but that they were asking for independence as other nations did. Comrade Umezulike reiterated that the Federal Government should look into their case, with a view to solving it, in accordance with international law as concerns independent nations. Also reacting, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Okechukwu Ali, confirmed the protest, saying no life was lost during the demonstration, as they started and ended it peacefully.

INSIDE LAGOS

Monday, 9 November, 2015

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1. From left, Assistant CSR Manager, Airtel, Chioma Okolie; Regional Operations Director, Airtel, Lagos Region, Oladokun Oye; member, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), Abu Dorcas; Vice President, Licensing, Compliance and Carrier Relations, Airtel, Sola Adeyemi, with a student of Oremeji Primary School II demonstrating how to brush teeth during the Airtel-Unilever Oral Health Hygiene programme in Lagos, on Thursday. 2. Mr. John Nejoh, Executive Director; Mr. Alfred Okoigun, Group Managing Director; Chief Joseph Akpieyi, Board Chairman and Dennis Ayisire, Secretary, all of ARCO GROUP during the ARCO 33rd Annual General Meeting at Eko Hotel and Suite, VI, Lagos, recently. 3. From left, Best Dressed Female, Miss Chidinma Odemina; wife of the Managing Director, Daroc Nigeria Limited, Mrs Jumoke Hayat and the Best Dressed Male, Mr. Ikenna Nwachuckwu, during the presentation of prize to the best dressed couple at the Denim Launch Party in Lagos, recently.

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4. Head Public Relations and Event, Dufil Prima Food, Tope Ashiwaju and Sony Dorai, Marketing Manager and Head, Indomie Fan Club presenting a Dubai ticket to Dein-Dumo Anaye winner of Indomie Tazomania Promo, during the presentation ceremony held at Dufil Head Office, Surulere, Lagos. 5. From left, Chief Executive Officer, Cotosearch.com Limited and Executive Director; Foundation for Development and Environment, Professor Johnson Bade Falade, Secretary-General, United Cities and Local Governments in Africa (UCLG-A), Mr. Jean-Pierre Elang Mbassi and representative of Space for Change, Ndutim Obong, Enang during a press conference on Afrocities 7 organized by United Cities and Local Governments in Africa held at Protea Hotel in Lagos, on Friday. 6. From left, Sales Director,FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Mr Wale Arikawe; Mike Onyemachara, Managing Director, WAMCO; Rahul Cdaco, Henry Nwosu and Corporate Affairs Director, Ore Famurewa, during the clossing ceremony of Wamco cup 2015 at Agege Stadium, on Saturday.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 9 November, 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.

Economy: Attention, President Buhari

want to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to stop saying negative things about the state of the Nigerian economy, as it sends wrong signals to the international community. Last week, the president was in India, where he told international journalists that Nigeria was broke. Apart from the fact that this is likely to make international investors thread with caution if they want to invest in Nigeria, it will also make it look as if our case is beyond redemption. Again, coming to the religious aspect, what we say to ourselves matter a lot; that is why you find Christians saying: ‘I am strong,’ or ‘I am rich’ even when they mean the opposite. Words are powerful, and whatever we say will likely come to pass. It has a subconscious energy that

propels it. If the president, therefore, keeps talking negative about the country, then things are not likely to improve soon. Then we will need more fasting and prayer to overcome the negativity which has been pronounced on the country. Nigerians voted for Buhari to effect a change; we all know that things are bad, but we don’t want to be reminded of the problem. The president should now bear the majority of the problem of the country. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, the president should simply talk more about what he is doing towards addressing the situation. This will go a long way in reassuring Nigerians, and the international community that we have the right person in position of authority. It is a good thing that the

president has appointed his ministers; this will, therefore, give him the opportunity to work with more experienced people in the field of finance. Finally, I want President

Buhari to look at the good things former President Goodluck Jonathan did in office, with a view to adopting it. A good example is the YouWin project, where

youths are empowered financially to set up their businesses. Nigeria only needs a thriving employment sector for things to work. If we have one million new busi-

nesses, do we know how much government will realise as tax? •Dr Taju Alalade, Ilorin.

We need workable poverty alleviation programme I want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to initiate a workable poverty alleviation programme, as a matter of urgency, to cushion the effect of the harsh economy on unemployed people in the country. There is no exaggeration in the fact that a larger percentage of Nigerians are crossing below the poverty line on a daily basis, and there is no help in sight for these people. Similarly, more Nigerians are now going more hungry than ever before, since they don’t have any

means of livelihood. It is so painful that so much poverty is in a land flowing with ‘milk and honey.’ I wish that God could open the inner eyes of the president to see that a huge number of his fellow citizens are languishing in abject poverty. Therefore, there is a need for the president to come up with an effective poverty alleviation programme to cushion the suffering of Nigerians. I hope the president can come up with a programme that will be implemented at the local

government level. With this, more people will get to benefit. Those in charge should also have a day when they will give their stewardship, so that the people can know how much they have collected, and what they have been able to do with it. This will go a long way in curbing corruption; this is important so that politicians don’t get to

see the project as another avenue for them to make more money. Although we are barely six months into this new administration, a blueprint on how to tackle poverty will be a welcome development at this point in time. Taiwo I. Balogun, 31, Adventist Church Street, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.

On Ilorin-Jebba Road I want to call on the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Ilorin-Jebba Road. This road, which links Kwara with Niger State, is in such a terrible state. I think the process of rehabilitation had started sometime ago, but today, work has stopped completely. The last time I travelled on the road to Mokwa in Niger State, a co-passenger almost developed asthma attack as a result of the dust. Many trailers also lose their bearing, daily spilling their con-

tents on the road. I hope something can be done soon. Work had begun on the road during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but as soon as a new government was elected, the work stopped. I don’t want a situation whereby the people will regret voting for a government that stopped work on this road, and as a result, I am calling on the government to do something urgently. Ahmed Yaro, yaroahmed@gmail. com

Kudos, NDDC MD The giant strides of the present Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Bassey Dan Abia, are an eloquent testimony that deserves thunderous applause for bringing infrastructural development to the Niger Delta states. In recent time, I have had cause to travel from Ibadan to Akwa Ibom State and I saw the quintessence of the NDDC development projects along the route; road construction, solarpowered borehole water schemes and at the University of Uyo, Doctors’ Lodge, built by the NDDC, which has earned the pres-

ent managing director the tag of a man of action par excellence. The people of Niger Delta states, over the years, have been subjected to socio-political and economic degeneration and it is with pride we say that rays of light have come from the present MD. Abia is formidable in action and epoch-making and this has earned him unfathomable depth of affection by the people of Niger Delta states and to say the least, I am flabbergasted by this unprecedented feat. •George Assam, Ibadan.

editorial Agenda for the new INEC chairman

Monday, 9 November, 2015

N 29 October, 2015, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The National Council of State had earlier approved his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as successor to Professor Attahiru Jega, who concluded his five-year tenure on June 30. Obviously, Yakubu is taking over the leadership of INEC at a very crucial period in the life of the organisation. The 2015 elections and their aftermaths portray an organisation that is beginning to find its rhythm after many years of trying. Since 1999 when INEC conducted the general election that ushered in the Fourth Republic, its record had been dismal until 2011 when it conducted the general election under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega. Indeed, each election had been worse than the preceding one, with the 2007 general election noted as the worst ever. The commission failed to produce a disaggregated result of the presidential elections of that year. The elections were so poorly conducted that late President Umaru Yar’Adua, the prime beneficiary of that election, admitted that they were fraudulent. For the first time in the Fourth Republic the Electoral Act 2010 has been used to conduct two consecutive general elections. Previously, each general election was preceded by a new Electoral Act. Substantial amendment of the constitution was effected to facilitate and strengthen the conduct of the 2011 elections. Beyond the improvements in the provisions of the law, Professor Jega introduced a lot of innovations in election management to improve the integrity of elections. Indeed on arrival at the scene, he realised that the available voters’ register was dubious and unreliable. He had to conduct a fresh registration exercise, with biometric data. A temporary voter card was used for the 2011 elections. This was upgraded to a permanent voter card for the 2015 elections. The number of voters per polling unit was streamlined, making the management of elections at the poling unit easy. Election results are announced at the polling unit making it easy for interested parties to conduct their individual vote tally while they await the official results. Voting and counting of votes have become very transparent and easy to follow, further increasing the credibility of elections. The 2015 elections also witnessed challenges associated with logistics and the technology used for the elections.

Nigerian Tribune

The production and distribution of PVCs were not done on time. Several individuals could not get the PVCs. During the elections, card readers malfunctioned and people had to vote only after manual verification. There were also cases of late arrival of voting materials. In some locations, voting had to extend far into the night. In others, voting extended till the following day. These are issues that Yakubu must address, even as he warms up for the conduct of the gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states on 21 November 2015 and 5 December, 2015 respectively. There are, indeed, significant reforms required at various levels of electoral administration to facilitate future elections. Furthermore, contradicting pronouncements on cases at election petition tribunals threw up some challenges. In Ebonyi State, the election tribunal said INEC guidelines were ‘mere instructions,’ but in Rivers State, the tribunal claimed INEC guidelines were in consonance with the Electoral Act. Such disparity in election petition tribunal judgments as regards the authority of INEC to conduct elections must be addressed by Yakubu. Also, in time past, some candidates had been rigged into office through the connivance of INEC officials. It is not enough to punish the candidate who benefited from such rigged election, conniving INEC officials too should be punished by being shown the way out of the system. The commission under Jega proposed several amendments to the constitution and the Electoral Act to improve on election administration when the Seventh National Assembly commenced the process of constitutional amendment. But the amendment process was not concluded before the retirement of that Assembly. Similarly, Jega had proposed the creation of an additional 30,000 polling units before the 2015 elections. The proposal was mired in controversy over the North-South distribution of the polling units and it had to be abandoned. Besides, the current structure of constituencies was created to usher in the Fourth Republic in 1999. Sixteen years after, with significant demographic changes, the time is ripe for re-delineation and delimitation of constituencies. Under Professor Maurice Iwu, the effort to carry out this exercise fell through after significant pubic funds were invested in it. Yakubu must revisit the problem and carry out an acceptable and meaningful delineation and reorganisation of polling units. This must be done with the aid of professionals in an unbiased manner that will be seen to be fair to all by Nigerians.

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opinion

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Lasisi Olagunju

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

ight years ago they were confidants. They ate together, laughed together, cried together. The pain of one was the pain of the other and the joy of one was the joy of the other. They jointly celebrated. They jointly defended the state against EFCC invasions. They were “like lightning and thunder, inseparable.” All those disappeared, melted away when power entered their lives. Now, along this very narrow corridor, they meet. One takes a furtive glance at the other and pretends he does not exist. He made to pass him... Amaechi: Bros, so you don’t know how to greet again? Wike: Shouldn’t I have said that? You who saw me from afar and threw away your face as if no one is here. If you can’t acknowledge my sheer size, at least, my position should have been respected... Amaechi: Your position? What position? Governor? Mchewwww. (Looks aside) As if he is the first to be governor. He has forgotten I was there for eight years...an upstart empowered by us. Wike: Eight years, and so what? I hope you are not getting carried away by your social media worshippers who call you ‘Jagaban’ of Niger Delta; Commander of South South politics? You have forgotten that goats follow only the one with fresh palm fronds and no one makes way for the rider of the horse of yesterday. You even hissed at the governor of your state. If it were under the military, you know what the wages of that sin would have been? Amaechi: You are not my governor. Have you forgotten what the tribunal said? If you like kontinuu to insult me, strutting all around like a peacock. We will soon organise a reception to welcome you back home so you can resume the only title you merit — husband of your wife... Wike: Is that the assurance you got from your witches and wizards? They have lost their vision. You will be disappointed. Amaechi: Meanwhile, sorry o. I can see you now know how painful it could be to be without a powerful mum

Amaechi meets Wike

to run to every five minutes. Those guys really spoilt you while their power lasted. How are you going to cope now? Now that Mummy and Daddy are no longer in the Villa, who do you report me to now? Villaless governor. Dia Ris Godu ooo... Wike: I know you have no respect for elders. And I am not surprised; even the one who created your political relevance, how did you treat him? That is why we are making you an Abuja politician. Just remain there with your insults. Amaechi: You know what it means to be minister under a saintly General? Wike: Minister? So, you are this excited because a Fulani man wants to make you the new Orubebe? Ok o....I thought you were so blessed with a very huge sense of self-worth. What has gotten into you? I can’t believe my Rotimi is falling head over heels because he is going to do what small men already did. Amaechi: Look, Chief of Staff... Wike: Who is your Chief of Staff? Continue eating to-

day’s pounded yam with last year’s bushmeat. I moved on to higher grounds when you felt threatened by my clout. You thought Abuja would pluck my beautiful feathers but I came back a peacock — king of birds... Amaechi: Peacock indeed. A songless bird beautified with our plumage is now flaunting its feathers in our face. No wonder you roll, stroll and strut the streets as if you are the first to be governor here.... Wike: I may not be the first to be governor here but I am the first to demystify a sitting governor in Rivers State. You couldn’t install your protege and so the whole world won’t know peace, abi? Abeegi. I cowed you and you won’t stop smarting from the well deserved humiliation. I will... Amaechi: Now, listen! You know the meaning of living on borrowed time? If you don’t, I promise I will show you the meaning soon...very soon. Wike: When are you returning our money? Amaechi: Which money? Did I sign any cheque? Abegi...say something else joor. Wike: And the other time you said you never took or gave a bribe in your life, Rotimi. It is me Nyesom talking o...Can you swear by your third leg that you meant what you said? Amaechi: I’m a Christian. You are the native doctor who can swear by Egbesu gods...if you like go to Benin or Ile Ife to swear by their 201 gods...me, na only one God I am looking up to... Wike: That reminds me of the rivers we crossed before we could take power here...Now, look into my eyes....say those words again.... Rotimi looks at Nyesom. His lips about to say something but, at that moment, a pilot strolled in to tell one of them his jet was ready. The other sends for his own pilot to ask when his own flight will be set...They cast one last, long look at each other...Former friends...tomorrow is another day. It is a dream!

A nation in a hurry to enjoy By Folu Oyeleye

What do I say about knowledge? What do I say about education? What do I say about attitude? It was our juvenile learning: “Slow and steady wins the race.” The Bible teaches us that ‘long suffering’ is a fruit of the spirit. Yoruba adage says ‘Ojo kan kolaa gun k’orun’ meaning: It’s not the day you start growing that you reach the sky. Late Dr Tai Solarin, in one of his words of encouragement to me sent the words of Elizabeth Browning: “Great things are done with a great purpose, great effort by great mind with persistent patience.” Chairman Mao in his revolutionary effort, closed down universities in China for many years in order to make China’s universities producers of men of change and not just mere certificate holders. After the tragedy of the Second World War, Japan closed her borders to foreign products. Here in Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in his wisdom as a trained economist, principled social welfarist, built the foundation of South Western Nigeria economy through factors of production. Building economic foundation through factors of production is laying the foundation for industrial growth and economic emancipation. Factors of production are labour, land, capital and entrepreneurship. Land means all the natural resources, labour means manpower, capital means means of exploration, means of production, entrepreneurship means management of resources. Chief ObafemiAwolowo was a great manager of resources, a gift to the Yoruba race. Chief Obafemi Awolowo created farm settlements in order to manage natural resources, he paid highest wages in the country in order to get the best from workers, he enforced tax to raise capital and he introduced free and compulsory education in order to build entrepreneurship. If the military had not intervened in our politics, if Awoism had continued in South Western Nigeria, South Western Nigeria would have been an industrial nation by now. We lost focus, economic emancipation and social egalitarianism through mismanagement of the economy at the advent of the oil boom. We went flamboyant with our fiscal policy, making naira stronger than dollar, equivalent to pound sterling, thereby attracting economic poachers called investors. Nigeria became a land where everything was lucratively marketable.

The economic policy was fatally squandermaniac, very productively loathsome, but import-friendly. Attitude they say, stays strong, difficult to change. Nigerians inculcated the spirit of ostentation, indolence, hedonism, ‘Ise kekere, owo repete’ little work, much money. Economic recession of the 1980s that depressed the oil price to a unit indices should have taught us a lesson. It was an era of turn around in fortune. Corpses of victims of hunger littered the streets, luxury riders turned their cars into cabs. Tokunbos (foreign borns) remembered their privileges of dual citizenship and ‘dialogued with their legs’. Nigerians trooped out through the deserts and Nigeria became a hell of a nation to live in. Structural Adjustment Programme that would have been a catalyst of growth had its potency punctured by reckless spending and unresourceful politically transitional projects. One would have thought Nigerians had learnt their lessons through the recessions of the 80s, one would have thought if the opportunity of the 80s had come again, Nigerian economy would have been better managed. Nigerian economic policy would have been directed towards regenerative production. However, the opportunity came again. General Abdusalami’s 1999 budget was based on nine dollars of oil per barrel. Before the end of the year 1999, the oil price moved up to 40 dollars. It continued to rise, rise and rise till it rose to 120 dollars per barrel. My dear compatriots, what have we got to show for it? What is on the ground to identify with the years of resurgent oil boom? Would I be wrong to declare it ‘flagrant wastage of reincarnated oil boom?’ I have gone on odyssey of thought, I have browsed electronic

and print media, and I’ve not been able to get result on any nation that was helped to develop by another nation. That is why I am so highly aghast by these fourth republic leaders, sorry,‘rulers’ adoption of appeal for foreign investment. I don’t know the public relations officers of sugar for the ants’ siege. There is no sentiment in business, vultures will find their ways to the abattoir. The amount that has been spent, from 1999 till date, by the rulers, on appeal for foreign investment is enough to industrialise the nation. For God’ sake, why are we in a hurry to enjoy rather than develop. I am concerned. Iam concerned about the level of unemployment in Nigeria. I am concerned about the level of underemployment in Nigeria. I am concerned about the effects of unemployment in Nigeria. I am concerned about my friends and colleagues in the diaspora who are waiting in vain for the conducive period to return home. Yes, the rulers do not care. They only care about themselves, they only care about today. Should we ascribe this to ignorance, mediocrity or sheer wickedness? There are many forms of international enslavement in the world today. At one point or the other, the rising nations fight seriously for their freedom. In the 80s, Brazil was enmeshed in international debt. Brazil’s debt became a yoke of threat and encumbrance. When it got to the climax of embarrassment, Brazil retorted and declared she was not going to pay any debt any longer. Brazil dammed the international economy. She was not paying debt and not getting another loan. Consequently, Brazil’s creditors appealed for debt payment reschedule. Thus, Brazil looked inwards and doggedly recovered economically. Today, Nigeria borrow to pay salaries. What a shame. My dear compatriots, information reveals that we have more than 100million handsets in this country, we have more than one million laptops and other communication gadgets. What does it take to manufacture these products? Why are we in a haste to enjoy and not to develop? Why did Obasanjo license the G.S.M. service providers and not insist on phone production in the country? Imagine how many jobs the communication industry would have given to the country. Imagine how stronger our naira would be. •Oyeleye lives in Ibadan.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor

tribune

business

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Will Nigeria resolve fuel subsidy crisis? The sudden emergence of long queues at filling stations across the country last week again brought to the fore the question: ‘How sustainable is fuel subsidy scheme in Nigeria?’ In this report, ‘TUNDE DODONDAWA examines the sustainability of fuel subsidy scheme in the face of present economic realities in Nigeria.

igeria is the only major crude oil producer (producing above 1 million barrels per day) in the world and still relies on importation of refined petroleum products. Fuel subsidy is a government programme established to reduce how much Nigerians have to pay for petroleum products and to protect the citizens from crude oil volatility on the international crude market. There have been calls for sustenance of fuel subsidy which may be inconsistent with the economic reality of the nation. In Nigeria, the government regulates prices of premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol and kerosene. Other products like Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have been deregulated. It is important to state at this point that Nigerians have not experienced scarcity of these deregulated products because market forces determine the price and competition among operators makes the prices very competitive. Every government in the world has a moral responsibility to provide social services to the citizens, and these social services may include provision of basic amenities like good health care system, good road infrastructures, adequate and affordable power supply and others. However, when the government misplaces its priority, it comes at a huge cost to the citizens as Nigerians are experiencing huge gap in infrastructural development across the country. According to the Average Platts’ Prices for November 5, 2015, published on the pricing templates of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Nigeria subsidizes petrol with N16.36 per litre while it subsidizes kerosene with N56.04 per litre. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had stated that Nigeria consumes 30 million litres of petrol daily and 20 million litres of kerosene daily. By implication, it means the government spends N490.8 million daily on petrol subsidy while it spends N1.144 billion daily on kerosene subsidy. The summation of the above figures revealed that N1.121billion is spent daily to subsidise the two commodities by a government that struggles to pay its workers’ salaries. Instead of spending an average of N584billion (N1.6 billion*365) annually as fuel subsidy, the government should

President Buhari

“The biggest hole in the finances of the government in the country today is related to subsidy payments. There are two components of this. The first is the actual subsidy.... The second is the corruption inherent in the fuel subsidy regime. channel the fund to finance construction of good road infrastructure, considering poor state of road networks across the country and improve other amenities that are lacking. Forces behind non-removal of fuel subsidy The organised labour, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural

Gas Workers (NUPENG) have told President Buhari not to remove subsidy from the petroleum products. They warned that they would resist any such policy from the government. The National President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, stated that subsidy removal would not work out and that any abrupt policy would lead to serious unrest. “It is not going to be tenable with the labour and Nigerian masses. If they want to remove subsidy abruptly, there will be serious unrest. What the government should do is to set up a panel for forensic audit of the oil subsidy, and not to allow ‘few criminals’ to hold the country to ransom.” He said removing subsidy would amount to punishing Nigerians because of the activities of few cabals within the oil and gas sector, adding that even if the government finally decides to withdraw the subsidy, there must be an agreement and the palliative put in place to cushion the effects on the workers in the sector. NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said it would be ill advice to the president to remove subsidy. “I also hope that it is not these same cabals that have held all of us to ransom that are bringing these recommendations, because those cabals have also been responsible for sponsoring people to elective positions. “Whatever you do to increase the price, it will be at a cost to ordinary Nigerians. Many Nigerians today cannot have three

square meals at their tables; it will be additional hardship on them if the essence of removing subsidy is to increase the price. “But if on the contrary, removing subsidy will not increase the price, I think we will be in for it. But the major point is that we will not support any policy that will further make Nigerians suffer for it.” Another stakeholder who preferred anonymity explained that the issue of fuel subsidy had a lot of implications, especially economic implication, as all businesses being small enterprises were being driven by individuals through their own personal efforts because the national grid was not functioning effectively. “Therefore, once you increase the price of petroleum product through a process of deregulation, you are allowing marketers to determine prices at their whims and caprices. “This happened last week when they decided on their own to hold all of us to ransom, by hoarding petroleum products and refusing to load products. We have seen the consequences on the economy of our country even on our national security. “Last week, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) closed down the depots of Total Nigeria Plc, Dee Jones Limited and Eterna Oil Plc in Ibafon area of Lagos for hoarding over 46 million litres of petrol. While Total and Eterna Oil were hoarding 13.6 million litres each, Dee Jones was hoarding about 19.5 million litres of petrol. This volume should ordinarily serve the entire country for about two days. “I think the government should address the inherent corruption in the system. You must do the first thing first. We are not saying you cannot look at the issue of deregulation, but first, let us look at the issue of inherent corruption which has been established. “It is obvious that the issue of corruption in the oil and gas sector has been established from the last episode of 2012 where the government unilaterally tried to withdraw the subsidy or what they termed as partial withdrawal of subsidy which is also a flute. “What we experienced last week was gang up by marketers to protest nonpayment of almost N500 billion subsidies, according to them.” He stated further that “Another thing Nigerians should know is that President Buhari has an ideology that conforms to socialism and communism ideologies. It will be difficult to persuade him to remove subsidy. I think he will focus more on fixing the refineries and perhaps build modular refineries than deregulate the downstream sector.” Parties calling for subsidy removal Continues pg22

tribunebusiness As Nigerians consider subsidy removal amid fuel crisis 22

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Continued from pg21

The National Vice-President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr Billy Harry, supported the scrapping of subsidy on petroleum products, saying subsidy had failed to benefit ordinary Nigerians over the years. Also, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr Muda Yusuf, had stated in a statement that “The biggest hole in the finances of the government in the country today is related to subsidy payments. There are two components of this. The first is the actual subsidy, which is the differential between the pump price and the landing and other costs of fuel. The second (and more disturbing component) is the corruption inherent in the fuel subsidy regime. “For several years, the economy suffered severe bleeding from this phenomenon. The truth is that it is not sustainable. It is in the overall interest of the economy and citizens for it to be discontinued.” Furthermore, Muda said: “The budget provision for petrol subsidy in 2014 was N971.14 billion, while the figure for kerosene subsidy was not disclosed. In the 2015 draft budget from the executive, the provision for petrol subsidy was N200 billion, while that of kerosene was N91.03 billion. Evidently, the number is much more than this even before the first half of the year. “One of the critical elements of the oil and gas sector reform, particularly the downstream sector, is the complete deregulation of the sector. This will create a number of advantages for the economy. “It will free resources for investment in critical infrastructures such as power, roads, the rail systems, health sector, education sector etc. The deficiency in all of these infrastructure areas is phenomenal. Fixing infrastructure will greatly improve productivity and efficiency in the economy and impact positively on the welfare of the people. “It will boost private investment in the downstream oil sector especially in petroleum product refining. This will ultimately reduce importation of petroleum products and ease the pressure on the foreign exchange market as well as foreign reserves. “It will eliminate the rampant patronage, rent seeking activities and corruption that currently characterise the downstream oil sector. It will create more jobs for the teeming youths of the country in the downstream oil sector as investment in the sector improves. “It is desirable for a clear policy pronouncement to be made in order to give a clear direction to investors. There is still so much policy uncertainty with regard to the downstream oil sector and this is creating lots of problems for investors.” A research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Dr Godwin Ichimi, disclosed that fuel subsidy was not economically sustainable, especially with the activities of a ‘callous cartel.’

Kachikwu, NNPC GMD According to him, “in the analysis of fuel subsidy removal, the question that should be asked is how will the removal impact the average Nigerian and what will be the benefit to Nigerians,” he said. Hidden agenda? According to Harry, who is also the chairman, National Oil and Gas Trade Group, the subsidy regime had served as a hidden agenda by some unscrupulous individuals to further enrich themselves. “Let us clearly define what the petroleum product in Nigeria should be, how much it should be sold, refined and how much it should be sold to the ordinary Nigerians on the streets. Now, this will clearly define where we are. “If you look at the last few years, we have bought petrol for as high as N250 per litre, and you wonder, who are the people causing this? The President and his team in the Presidential Villa have a Total filling station that is packed with petrol for them at no price. There is just no benefit for the ordinary Nigerian. “In the period of scarcity, it is the ordinary Nigerian that

suffers and this is, therefore, draining scarce resources that ordinarily should be put into growing the economy in the small and micro businesses. “Think about it, if you needed 1,000 litres to run your light in say for one month and you have already bought fuel for say N250 per litre, that means you have spent N250000 which could have already bought some little machines, make a bakery or do something that could make an impact in the economy by feeding Nigerians and also creating wealth and employment,” he said. He further called for transparency in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, stating that the country should consider extending the subsidy programme in the agriculture sector to the oil and gas sector and other sectors of the economy. “There is no need for subsidy to stay; it should be removed. Let petroleum marketers import products genuinely or go into refining agreement with the Federal Government with clearly defined transparent cost of crude oil sold, transportation and logistics for refining and actual landing price that will be affordable by Nigerians. “I am not saying that they should regulate the price but I am saying that the process by which crude oil is exported or sold or refined or product imported should be put on a very clear platter of transparency.” According to a Financial Analyst and the Chief Executive Officer, Highcap Securities Limited, Mr David Adonri, “The amount of money used by the Federal Government for fuel subsidy every year is almost equal to amount borrowed. “Removal of the subsidy will materially reduce borrowing and could lead to fiscal consolidation. As a result, interest rate will decline, leading to boom in the productive economy. Any consumption subsidy at this stage of development is bad economic policy.” It may be concluded Nigerians will continue to be divided on the removal or non-removal of fuel subsidy. This is because marketers have also been calling for subsidy removal, yet, they are the major beneficiaries due to leakages and corruption in the system. However, the government should do more in formulating a policy that permanently block leakages along the value chain, ensure availability of products at all times and make the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) commercially viable and begin to compete with its counterparts across the globe.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

+ entrepreneurship

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

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

21 SMBs get N15m funding from Shell By Ruth Olurounbi

wenty-one small business owners, who participated in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)’s LiveWire Entrepreneurship programme, re-

cently, have received N15 million grant start their respective businesses. Igo Weli, SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations made this known at the 2015 Graduation and Award Ceremony for 21 beneficiaries of its sponsored LiveWIRE

programme, held in Port Harcourt, last week. According to Weli, about 14,000 candidates in Niger Delta applied for the 2015 LiveWIRE programme out of which 150 youths were selected after a rigorous screening exercise. “LiveWIRE is a programme designed to provide opportunities for young people in our host communities to realise their potential through creation and development of their own businesses. “The programme gives youth access to entrepreneurial training, business development services as well as start-up capital for youth-owned businesses,” he said.

Osagie Okunbor, SPDC Managing Director and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria

Ifie Sekibo, MD, Keystone Bank

Keystone Bank commits to female entrepreneurs’ empowerment Chima Nwokoji – Lagos The Divisional Head, Product and Marketing Support, Keystone Bank, Temitayo Olutoye, has reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs. This she said, was the strategic reason for creating a special product known as the ‘Pink Network’ and for organising training sessions for the entrepreneurs. On the benefits of the Pink Account, she said: “This account is about financial inclusion and making it possible for women to express themselves. It is also a simple account that speaks to the need of every woman. It is about speaking to the needs of women and bringing us together and letting us express ourselves.” She also urged participants at the last training to take advantage of its e-commerce platform as well as the other benefits offered by this account to ease and encourage female entrepreneurs.

She added that “We also have mentors on the platform and those interested in shopping can go to the market place. Also, those interested in life materials can go to the resource centre. It is a unique platform and it is part of what the brand stands for. For us, it’s about passion, convenience and reliability.” She further added that benefits of opening a Pink Account included access to 60 per cent of the N220 billion CBN Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises Fund (SMEDF) set aside for women entrepreneurs, discounts from partner stores/businesses on purchases or services, digital marketing (sales of goods and services) and Networking on “The Pink Network.” Others are free SME tool kits from Enterprise Development Centre for Capacity Building, Zero Commission on Turnut (COT) and an annual gift cards of N50,000.00 on qualifying annual average balance.

7 ways desperate discounting can ruin your business By Oluwatomi Orioke Sometime last week, a young man came to the hotel asking to pay N4,000 for a N9,500 room. He said he knew someone that once enjoyed that much discount from our hotel. He was right. I gave that much when the business was at its lowest point. Those days, I gave desperate discounts. I still pay for it. A discount should make a customer buy more than he would ordinarily, therefore paying you more. Discounts can be given for loyalty, payment punctuality and the number of good clients they have referred to you. Anything short of this is desperate discounting. To be really effective, discounts require some sort of scarcity. Whether that scarcity is the amount of time the discount is available, the number of discounted goods/services/subscriptions available, etc. it needs to be there.

If you don’t put some bookends on the offer, it looks like you’re just discounting your product for no reason (or, several reasons like your product sucks, you don’t value it, you’re desperate, you don’t know how to market your product etc). Desperate discounting eats up and at end destroys businesses. You wonder how? 1. If you offer lower prices you have to make up for the shortfall by working harder than your competitors to make the same amount of money. You over work and then become a lot less effective. 2. Providing services at a lower cost can be the start of an ugly cycle – to cover the cash shortfall other quick hits are needed, which is the start of a dark, downward spiral that forces you to keep prices low and before you know it you’re in a hole too deep to get out of. 3. Spoils your brand. Majority of people have a ‘You get

what you pay for’ psychology, so if they see a cheap offer, they immediately perceive it as lower quality. This can significantly devalue your services. This is bad for your reputation as it positions your business as ‘cheap’ rather than representing quality. 4. Wrong clientele. If your products are seen as cheap they will attract the wrong kind of client – bargain hunters. These are the bottom dwellers of the consumer pool. They are demanding and definitely not loyal because they are all over the place looking to get the cheapest prices. 5. A low or discounted price implies you have a lack of faith in your own product or service – particularly if it is ‘high-end’ – and if you don’t believe in your product, why should anyone else? Orioke, a banker turned entrepreneur, sent this in from Abuja. Continues next week

Monday, 9 November, 2015

moneymarket

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

Leadership conference: Access Bank to assemble past presidents, world-class CEOs Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

ccess Bank Plc has expressed its readiness to hold the 2015 International Leadership Conference with past presidents, global leaders from the world of Technology, Innovation, Business and Politics billed to attend. The full service commercial bank with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria and with operations across Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK, said ‘the Access Conference’ will hold on 10 December 2015. Speaking at a press briefing at the Bank’s head office in Lagos, Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, Victor Etuokwu said life-changing innovations popping up in unexpected places around the globe with breakthrough developments in sectors such as nanotech, biotech, artificial intelligence, robotics and more, will affect every sector of the global economy in such a way that businesses will have nowhere to hide. According to him, innovation means BIG change and even BIGGER opportunities for those who decide to be part of it. “As we are all experiencing it, innovation is moving at a speed that’s never been witnessed. With 2 billion internet users worldwide and 50 billion connected devices by 2020, innovative technology is definitely the defining trend for today’s business,” he noted. According to the Bank, senior representatives

Government Securities Auction Date

10/21/2015

Security Type

NTB

Tenor 91 Auction No

21-10-2015-91 Day

Auction

Primary Market

Maturity Date

1/21/2016

Total Subscription

78334.95

Total Successful

36786.99

Range Bid

6.9000 - 12.5000

Successful Bid Rates

6.9000 - 8.4990

Description Issue True Yield

8.683

Amount Offered (mn)

36786.99

NITTY Rate (%) 2.4583 3.6271 4.5505 6.2002 7.3130 7.5633

In a call to arms for Nigerian businesses, former US President George W. Bush spoke on the need for a strong entrepreneurial culture in the fight against poverty. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Leading in a transformational world – the imperative of innovation’. Inspirational leaders from the global private and public sectors will be discussing the major themes facing Africa, the world economy and the social transformation created by changing technology, the noted. The event will be moder-

ated by several renowned speakers including JoséMaria Figueres, former President of Costa Rica and now a leading campaigner on environmental issues. We also expect the presence of other global leaders including past Presidents and Prime Ministers as witnessed during the inaugural conference in 2013. Also, keynote speaker and Access Bank Chief Executive, Herbert Wigwe, said: “I am delighted to welcome such a distinguished line-up of individuals to the Access Conference 2015. We founded the event in recognition that Africa must now play a central role in the global debates that matter to its citizens. Whether it is technology, entrepreneurship or the impact of financial regulation on growth, the future direction of the world is increasingly being played out in this continent. This conference will be a fantastic opportunity for a meeting of minds, sharing of knowledge, and the beginning of an understanding that can enhance the wellbeing and happiness of Africa’s people.” Other speakers scheduled to be present at the conference include. Hans Rosling (Professor of Global Health, Sweden’s Karolinka Institute), Mariana Mazzucato (Professor in Economics, University of Sussex), Chinedu Echeruo (Founder and CEO Gigameet.com) Narayana Murthy (Founder of Infosys) and many more.

CBN Exchange Rates as at 11/6/2015 Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING EURO SWISS FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL DANISH KRONA SDR

Buying(NGN) 196 296.4892

Central(NGN) 196.5 297.2456

Selling(NGN) 197 298.0019

213.2284 196.7674 1.6075 0.306 271.7465 30.8492

213.7724 197.2694 1.6116 0.316 272.4398 30.9284

214.3163 197.7713 1.6157 0.326 273.133 31.0075

52.2625 28.5793 271.9304

52.3958 28.6523 272.6241

52.5291 28.7252 273.3178

FGN Bonds

Rate 8.499

Tenor 1M 2M 3M 6M 9M 12M

Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank CEO from around the world including Ben Bernanke (Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Central Bank of the USA), Chris Hughes (Facebook CoFounder), Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder) and Tony Fernandes (Air Asia Founder and CEO) are being expected. The inaugural conference held in 2013 assembled an array of prominent global leaders, such as former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and John Kuffour, who discussed the importance of sustainable leadership as a means to bring about change in society.

Change (%) 0.35 ▲ 0.87 ▲ 0.62 ▲ -0.31 ▼ -0.34 ▼ -0.22 ▼

Nigerian Tribune

Date of Auction 10/14/2015 10/14/2015 9/16/2015 Security Type FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds Tenor Maturing On 5 Year 10 Year 5 Year 2/13/2020 3/14/2024 2/13/2020 2/13/2020 3/14/2024 2/13/2020 Amount Offered (N mn) 40 40 40 Subscriptions (N mn) 102.71 82.17 67.10 Tot. Successful (N mn) 40.00 40.00 20.00 Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates 12.0000 - 16.0000 12.0000 - 16.5000 13.5000 - 20.0000 Successful Bid Rates 12.0000 - 13.1110 12.0000 - 13.8700 13.5000 - 15.9500 Marginal Rate 13.111 13.87 15.95

9/16/2015 FGN Bonds 20 Year 7/18/2034 7/18/2034 30 54.11 25.00 14.5000 - 20.0000 14.5000 - 15.9700 15.97

weeklyreview Money Market Review Activities in the money market last week were in line with trend that has been noticed for the past month as the market has remained awash with liquidity. The current robust levels of liquidity in the system have resulted in money market rates reaching year low levels. On Monday, with system liquidity in excess of N900billion money market rates - Open Buy Back (OBB) rate and the Overnight rate (O/N) - settled at 0.6per cent and 1.0per cent respectively, touching yet another year low. Contrary to the expectation of contraction in available liquidity on Tuesday ahead of provision for the central bank’s Foreign Exchange (FX ) intervention scheduled to take place on Thursday, liquidity levels remained in excess of N900billion while money market rates appreciated marginally to 0.8 per cent (OBB) and 1.1 per cent (O/N). Analysts at Afrinvest West Africa Limited said system liquidity however contracted to about N500billion on Wednesday. This was attributed to the T-bills auction worth about N123.0billion carried out on the same day. Nonetheless, money markets rates remained relatively unchanged at 0.7per cent (OBB) and 1.1 per cent (O/N). On Thursday liquidity level remained around the N500.0billion mark as rates inched higher 8basis points (bps) apiece to 0.7 per cent for the OBB rate and 1.2 per cent for the O/N rate. Dealers said liquidity level rose to N514.1billion at the close of the week, consequent on T-bills worth N123.0billion that matured into the system the previous day. Resultantly, the OBB and the O/N rate closed for the week at 0.6 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively, which signifies a 3.4per cent and 3.5 per cent fall in average rates week on week (w-o-w). Dealers at Afrinvest said that on the back of robust system liquidity, the T-bills market enjoyed a bullish week. At the start of the week, investors buying interest was centered on short to medium tenured instruments however, through the week, interest shifted towards the medium to long tenured instruments. Consequently, average T-bills rate fell 284bps w-o-w to 5.3per cent W-o-W. Foreign Exchange Market Review In line with the recent trend that has been noticed in the Forex market, the Naira appreciated 2kobo on Monday to N199.08/ US$1.00 at the interbank market and this was maintained till Thursday when the Naira depreciated 2kobo to N199.10/US$1.00. Similarly, the Apex Bank’s intervention rate also followed the same trend as it appreciated 2kobo to N196.98/US$1.00 on Monday and depreciated by the same amount to N197.00/US$1.00 on Thursday. “We believe this is just an administrative measure that has been implemented by the CBN ahead of the Official FX intervention which took place on Thursday,” Afrinvest stated in a note to investors. The value of the currency by ensuring that genuine demand are met. Bond Market Review and Outlook Consequent on the large volumes of liquidity that have flooded the system, investors have remained bullish on the fixed income market as seen in interest trading bond instruments. Dealers said the large volumes seen at the start of the week was further enhanced by the FX refund and the FAAC allocation which hit the system late last week. The bond market opened for the week bullish as yields decreased by an average of 17bps at the close of trade with investor’s interest centered on the JUN 2019, FEB 2020 and MAR 2024 mid-tenored instruments. On Tuesday, this bullish run was sustained as average yield across all instruments further fell 11bps even as the Debt Management Office (DMO) bond auction calendar showed a reduction of about N30 billion from the previous bond auction.

moneymarket

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

UBA Foundation’s Essay Competition closes November 13, 2015 Senior secondary school students in Nigeria have 4 days more to enter the national essay competition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Foundation which closes November 13, 2015. UBA Foundation, which is the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa, has announced that the closing date for the entries will not be extended. Ijeoma Aso, the Managing Director/CEO of UBA Foundation, says the response to the essay competition from students has been impressive. She urged other students yet to submit their essays, to finalize it and submit, so as to stand the chance of winning any of the fantastic prizes on offer. Entries for the essay competition opened on September 30, 2015 and will close on November 13, 2015. The essay topic for this year is “What matters most to you in life and why.” The first prize for the Competition according to the foundation is a N1 million educational grant for the winner to study in any African university of his or her choice. The second and third prizes are N750, 000 and N500, 000 educational grants respectively. Ms Aso explained that the competition is part of the Foundation’s initiative to promote creative and analytical thinking in se-

nior secondary students in Nigeria and is a follow up on the Foundation’s Read Africa initiative, which promotes reading culture among students through the reading and free distribution of Africa literary classics in secondary schools. The national essay competition is also held in Ghana and Senegal. It said entries received for the competition will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges made up of professors from reputable Nigerian Universities, who will then shortlist 12 best essays for further assessment. A second round of the competition will involve the 12 finalist who will write a second supervised essay from which three best essays will be selected. “Three best essays will be selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the first round of the competition.” Said Ms Aso, The top three winners of the competition win educational grants to study in any African university of their choice. As the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the UBA Group, UBA Foundation is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which UBA operates, focusing on development in the areas of Environment, Education, Economic Empowerment and Special Projects.

From left: Chidinma Lawanson, Head, MSME and Agency Banking, Diamond Bank Plc; Ayoola Yusuf, Prize Winner; Hauwa Abdullahi, Prize Winner; and Ebere Nwaolikpe, Assistant Marketing Manager, Western Union, ECOWAS Region, at the Back To School WESTERN UNION prize presentation ceremony, held in Lagos recently.

BVN: Naira drops on increased dollar demand at parallel market ...As registration continues

he reluctance of customers to provide their Bank Verification Number (BVN) for Foreign Exchange (FX) transactions due to fears of their accounts being used for mischievous activities, has led to the increased demand for dollars at the Parallel market which further resulted in a further depreciation of the naira.

Robust liquidity to remain unaffected despite OMO maturities

he high levels of liquidity exceeding N900billion, are expected to remain robust with low rates, even as an Open Market OPeration (OMO) maturity worth N70billion is expected to hit the system on Thursday (12th November, 2015). In the same manner, Nigeria plans to raise N50 billion worth of local currency denominated bonds maturing in February 2020 and March 2024 on November 11, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said.

The DMO said it will issue N30 billion worth in the 2020 paper and N20 billion worth in the 2024 debt, using the Dutch Auction System. Meanwhile, the Federal Government raised N122.95 billion on Treasury bills with maturities from three months to a year at an auction on Wednesday, with yields lower than previous auctions. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stated that the result of the auction showed that the bank sold N45.17 billion worth of

three-month paper at 5.82 per cent compared with 8.49 per cent at the October 21 auction. It also sold N23.43 billion worth of six-month debt at 7.98 per cent, down from 10.15 per cent previously, and N54.35 billion of oneyear paper sold at 9.48 per cent, the auction results showed. The drop in yields was reflective of trends in the secondary market, where returns had fallen to 3.61 per cent, 7.22 per cent and 8.20 per cent for threemonth, six-month and one-year debt each.

At the parallel market there was increased activity as the Naira depreciated N3.00 from N227.00/US$1.00 on Monday to about N230.00/US$1.00 on Thursday dealers said. This was broadly driven by the fact that the Central Bank of. Nigeria (CBN) mandated all Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and Commercial banks to provide customers’ BVN in order to execute any Forex transactions. In response to the above, the Apex bank released a press statement to clarify that there are no attendant risks in revealing the BVN as it will help in confirmation of the identity of the customer, as well as bolster fraud prevention and ultimately lead to protection of the customers transactions. On a broader scale, “the implementation of the BVN as a condition for Forex is expected to reduce speculative attacks on the Naira/$US FX rate, curb illicit transfer of funds and ultimately stabilize the value of the currency by ensuring that genuine demand are met,” CBN had stated. Meanwhile, Nigerian

Tribune investigation around Oshodi area of Lagos State Friday showed that many customers were stuck in banking halls,with long queues as they either enroll for BVN , while others are just filling their forms to link their accounts. According to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), about 14.4 million accounts have only been linked among over 50 million active accounts in the industry. CBN had estimated that given the assessed tradition of multiple accounts holding by an average Nigerian, which was estimated at two or three per account holder, there could be a little over 50 million active accounts that possibly have been involved in the BVN project. A statement from CBN, signed by the Director Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu read: “While it can be said that some substantial efforts have been made in terms of enrollment and successes recorded, what is left therefore, is for the remaining account holders to get their accounts linked to BVN. “The point needs to be

stressed here that it is not enough to just enroll for BVN. The process is duly concluded only when all accounts owned by bank customers are linked to their respective BVNs.” NIBSS spokesperson, Lilian Phido, said her agency, which hosts the platform for the project, is not to blame and has no answer to that, as the platform has been tested and ready for capturing of information and responding where necessary. “The customers should go back to their respective banks to sort it out. The linking is done at the bank. Once they contact the platform, you can be sure that it will be linked and the customers would have unhindered access to their accounts. Similarly, many Nigerians in the Diaspora are still not sure of their fate in relation to the exercise as they continue to search and wait for identifiable and nearest centre to obtain the unique code. NIBBS had estimated that about 12,000 Nigerians in Diaspora have so far taken advantage of the BVN registration centres created outside the country.

Monday, 9 November, 2015

capitalmarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba

m:08057336640 e:kehinde_07@yahoo.com

SEC, DMO reinforce collaboration on development of bond market

From left, Ms Bennedikter Molokwu, Director, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc; Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Business Development, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr Abdullahi Sule, Acting Group Managing Director, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc; Mrs Chioma Madubuko, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc and Mr Mansur Ahmed, Group Executive Director, Stakeholder Management and Corporate Communication, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, at the closing gong ceremony at the NSE.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Debt Management Office, Nigeria (DMO) assures greater collaboration to ensure that funds raised by the State Governments from the Capital Market are properly utilised. Director-General of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo, gave the assurance when the Director-General of DMO, Dr Abraham Nwankwo, visited him in his office. Gwarzo said the utilisation of funds raised from the market was very important hence the Commission has taken monitoring of the utilisation of issue proceeds to the highest level. According to him, “The public seems to think that money is not

NSE turnover appreciates with N2.614bn Stories By Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba -Lagos

nvestors on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) made a turnover of 1.949 billion shares worth N17.336 billion in 15,762 deals, last week, in contrast to a total of 1.358 billion shares valued at N14.722 billion that exchanged hands in 14,772 deals in the preceding week, representing a 15.08 per cent appreciation in investors’ stakes. The Financial Services Industry measured by volume led the activity chart with 1.714 billion shares valued at N10.770 billion traded in 9,378 deals, thus contributing 87.93 per cent and 62.13 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with a turnover of 73.433 million shares worth N173.733 million in 908 deals. The third place was occupied by the Oil and Gas Industry with 62.711 million shares worth N2.702 billion in 1,688 deals. Access Bank Plc, Zenith International Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc., all under the Financial Sector, led the activity chart (measured by volume), accounting for 1.276 billion shares worth N8.340 billion in 2,782 deals, contributing 65.45 per cent and 48.11 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value re-

spectively. The NSE All-Share Index (ASI) depreciated 0.01 per cent, while market capitalisation appreciated 0.02 per cent to close the week at 29,175.35 and N10.029 trillion respectively. Similarly, all other Indices finished lower

during the week with exception of NSE Premium, NSE 30, NSE Insurance, NSE Oil/Gas, and NSE Pension indices, while NSE ASeM Index closed flat. The week closed positively for most quoted companies as 24 equities appreciated in price,

higher than 12 equities of the preceding week. 43 equities depreciated in price, lower than 51 equities of the preceding week, while 123 equities remained unchanged, lower than 127 equities recorded in the preceding week.

Dangote Sugar reiterates commitment to shareholders Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to giving shareholders due information about the development in the company. The Acting Group Managing Director, Mr Abdullahi Sule, during a visit to the Nigerian Stock Exchange explained that the reason for the management’s visit to the exchange was to pass information on the activities of the company as information is key. He explained that the company, recently, had been obtained the food safety management systems certification (NIS ISO 22000:2005) issued by the standards regulatory body, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), while noting that the refinery was currently working towards the achievement of Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000,), a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognised scheme, which when achieved would lead to further expansion. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc in its third quarter report, ended Sep-

tember 30, 2015, made a profit before tax of N14.22 billion indicating a 1.8 per cent increase on the N13.97 billion it reported in the same period of 2014.

The financial statements for the period revealed that the company’s profit after tax at N9.34 billion was two per cent higher than the N9.15 billion it posted a year earlier.

Seplat increases share capital by 10,134,248 Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc has increased its issued share capital on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) by an additional 10,134,248 ordinary shares. Seplat made the announcement to the NSE at the weekend in accordance with Rule 12.4 of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Amended Listing Rules and Rule 5.6.1A of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules. With the listing of these additional shares, Seplat’s capital now consists of 563,444,561 ordinary shares of N0.50k each, all with voting rights. The company notified its share-

holders that with the increase in its share capital, the figure of 563,444,561 may be used as the denominator for the calculations by which they would determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in Seplat under the NSE Rules and the Financial Conduct Authority’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules. Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc is an indigenous Nigerian oil and gas exploration and production company with a strategic focus on Nigeria, listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

well utilised but I want to assure you that at SEC, utilisation is very key and our inspection is at a very high level. What we have done is to create a committee rather than allow a particular Division to do that and the membership of the committee is drawn from various departments to leverage on different experiences. “For the states that have come to the market, already one or two states have been visited and we have already restructured the inspection teams now. Instead of having only one team, we now have three teams and we gave them the mandate that from now till December, all those states have to be inspected. We have the previous inspections reports and anytime you need them, we can share with you so that you too can have the information. Gwarzo restated the commitment of the Commission in implementing the 10 Year Master Plan one of whose key objectives is to revive and transform the Bond Market. “The Bond market at the national level seems to be doing well, a few years ago when the Corporate bond market was a little bit very active and the FGN Bond was not too active, we were in the vanguard of propagating that government should come in, now government has become very dominant and some of us are thinking that maybe it is crowding out the corporate. In terms of waivers, Gwarzo solicited the support and co-operation of DMO as he expressed the need to be carried along in order to be on the same page. “we want to be carried along, we want the market to see us as one, we don’t want a situation whereby certain waivers are given by DMO and those waivers are not in line with our laws, by the time we co-ordinate very well, some of these things will be smoothened out” he added. Speaking earlier, the DG DMO Nwankwo, said one of the purposes of the visit is the need to relate and work closely from time to time to achieve set goals and assured the SEC of DMO’s support to maintain a good relationship. “I think that is an area we need to work very closely on given the emerging realities. As you are aware of recent, states are under tremendous financial stress and in respect of their bank loans, you are aware of the initiatives government approved for us to take to reduce the pressure of bank loans on them.”

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

labour

NLC, NULGE insist on LG autonomy Stories by Soji-Eze Fagbemi

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have vowed to canvass for local government autonomy and liberate the local government system in Nigeria from the grip of state governors. The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, gave this position at a round table discussion on Local Government Autonomy, organised by NULGE in Abuja. Comrade Wabba enjoined NULGE to be steadfast and continue the struggle, as the NLC will fully support the union, adding that local governments in Nigeria must be liberated. “I want to assure you that NLC will fully support and canvass for local government autonomy. Local government must be allowed to use their funds. I want to urge you to continue the struggle. The local government must be liberated. “The issue of joint account should also be looked into. I don’t believe the joint account has served the purpose for which it was intended for. If we all believe that the majority of our people live in local government areas, then that is where development is needed most. “I am also happy that the current National Assembly, with some of their utterances and dispositions, we can also say we can have an ally in the area of strengthening local government administration and also canvassing for autonomy for local government,” he said.

According to him, what NULGE started was an initiative that would bring development closer to the people, adding that “in the old good days when our local government system was very functional and effective, the issue of security, agriculture, provision of jobs for the teeming youth were actually being addressed at that time. Therefore, we must return to the basis if we want to address the challenge in our economy, our polity or even in our social life.” He regretted that unemployment in Nigeria was assuming an alarming proportion, but the NLC president believes that through an

effective local government system, the agricultural sector can be reinvigorated. The NULGE President, Comrade Khaleel, said in its presentation that the autonomy for local government system is not negotiable and called for support from all stakeholders to ensure that local government is free. According to him, stronger financial autonomy for local government would help strengthen its activities; adding that the union was working to ensure that the constitutional reforms of local government was formulated and updated.

This, he said, had prompted a need to engage the Federal Government to ensure a democratic government at local government level that would address the yearning of the majority of people living in local government in the country. On the imprtance of the round table discusion, Comrade Khaleel said: “The survival of local government as a system in Nigeria lies in today’s round table exercise. We need to produce a rich policy document that would engage government and other interested party in making local government more stronger in our country.

NLC President, Dr Ayuba Wabba

PENGASSAN backs Buhari’s reforms, reorganisation in oil and gas industry The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed full support for the ongoing reforms by President Muhammadu Buhari in the oil and gas industry as well as the reorganisation in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under its new leadership. PENGASSAN President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, who spoke at the 4th Triennial Delegates’ Conference of PENGASSAN, NNPC Corporate Headquarter branch, held in Abuja, said the association fully identify with the ongoing reforms of the industry, in as long as the reform, is along the global best practices and the “change mantra” in the country. He said: “We commend Mr. President’s efforts at sanitizing the nation’s oil and gas industry; and we appreciate the new leadership of the NNPC under the leadership of Dr. Emmanusl Ibe

Kachikwu and his management team for re-organizing/re-engineering of the various arms of the corporation to enable them function effectively and maximally towards global competitiveness.” According to him: “The ongoing reforms in the industry have been impacting on us as individuals and as association and for us to be relevant, we need to be more pragmatic and more participatory in the process that will culminate into the growth of the industry. “We are aware of the focus on the Nigerian oil and gas sector, and the requirement of the global best practices to achieve a turning point in the history of Nigeria towards the change mantra in the country. We identify with the ongoing reforms of the industry àlong the line of the global best practices.” The PENGASSAN president lamented crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism which he

said had become major dents to national and business integrity; regretting that these criminal incidences are major cause of incessant shut-in production, force majeure, massive divestment, environmental degradation and unbearable cost of maintenance and repaired. He pointed out that apart from causing unimaginable economic and revenue losses to Federation Account, they continue to build up weaning confidence in industry’s operators and players, refineries’ operational and functional effectiveness are truncated by pipeline sabotage. Comrade Johnson commended the efforts of the present government and the military to curtail the menace, but added that the country requires sustained multi-faceted measures to arrest and ultimately reverse the ugly trend. To this end, he said the association called for a review of pipeline installation techniques and

the maintenance policy, regular survellance by core experts to evaluate pipeline integrity and proffer necessary action, well-coordinated security network and review of enabling legal instruments for sanctioning violators or defaulters. On the resolve of the government to unbundle the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), and represent it to National Assembly, he appealed to both the Exeutive and Legislative arms of government to work together to give priority to the passage of the Bill. He also advocated all stakeholders’ summit to ensure that various stakeholders’ inputs are represented in the bill and the national interest is well protected. The themes of the 4th Delegate’s Conference are: “The need for healthy workforce in NNPC;” and “The meddlesome ness of government in state owned institutions: The case of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).”

“It is high time we came up with positive approaches towards contributing to the success of local government in Nigeria. I believe Nigerians are aware of our system, regarding the involment of state government and we believe that this is the right time for us to strategise to bring out policy that would build the local government. “It is our mission to strategise and ensure that our long time struggle and aspiration will make local government stronger, more viable, more disciplined and more democratic,” he said.

RTEAN assures of improved transport services The newly elected Chairman of the Oyo State branch of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Adeyemo Kehinde, has assured residents of the state of improved transport services. He also assured the state government of the association’s continued support in its quest to provide quality transport services to the citizens. Speaking during his inauguration in Abuja, Kehinde said with his election as chairman of the association, he would continue to improve on the welfare of members of the association in the state. He said the association was working on establishing more motor parks in the state, especially in the state capital, Ibadan, to ease transport challenges being faced by residents. “We are expecting maximum cooperation from the state government. We have been having good relationship since Governor Ajimobi came into power. He has really tried for RTEAN Oyo branch. Formally, we did not operate in the state capital. We were only operating outside Ibadan. But since the inception of the administration of governor Ajimobi, he has given RTEAN maximum support. We have three parks currently in Ibadan. We are aspiring to set up more.” He assured the state government that there will be no rancor between members of the association and officials of the state government. Speaking earlier, National President of RTEAN, Chief Musa Shehu Iswele, admonished the newly elected executives to abide by the constitution of the association and urged them to conduct themselves in peaceful manners. He said members of RTEAN are responsible Nigerians and have contributed immensely to the economic growth of the country.

labour

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Labour Perm Sec warns on consequences of incessant strikes Stories by Soji-Eze Fagbemi

he Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh, has expressed deep concern on the preponderance of strike actions, especially within critical sectors of the economy like the health sector. Incessant strikes, according to him, have the potential of truncating the attainment of the national goals and aspirations. Dr Illoh said this in Abuja at the formal presentation of the report of the fact-finding committee into the industrial crisis that paralysed activities at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri for the substantial part of 2014 and first quarter of 2015. He stated that if various actors in industrial disputes would embrace social dialogue in resolving their differences, the developmental agenda of government would be realised, adding that all management and union officials should see social dialogue as an indispensable tool in the resolution of disputes and do well to also bargain in good faith. He said: “The penchant to resort to strikes and disruption of work processes remains inimical to the overall development of the country and more importantly and in the case of Federal Medical Centre Owerri (FMCO) jeopardise the lives of Nigerians who need the services of the centre in order to stay alive.” Giving the background of the crisis that rocked the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri as a result of the strike action embarked upon by the health workers, he explained that the committee was set up in response to a letter from the Presidency by the three Joint-House Unions of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANMM). Dr Illoh further explained that what precipitated the industrial action was the alleged introduction of Public Private Partnership (PPP) by the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Dr Angela Uwakwem and allegations of gross financial misconduct and highhandedness against her. He stressed that towards the resolution of the industrial crisis, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity in performing its statutory conciliatory role in an unbiased, balanced and proactive approach aimed at achieving and maintaining industrial peace and harmony set up a fact-finding Committee to resolve the crisis. He added that the committee made far reaching recommendations which he believes would restore and promote industrial peace and harmony. Dr.Illoh pointed out that the committee relentlessly worked on a number of terms of reference which were aimed at unravelling the remote and immediate causes of the industrial crisis and made recommendations that would facilitate the restoration of peace and harmony as well as health care services at the centre. He said: “As part of our statutory duties, we are going to do the monitoring of the implementation of the report of the recommendations to see how far the issue of sustenance and promotion of industrial peace which is critical at this stage of our nation’s development. We will monitor and probably set up a tripartite monitoring committee that will monitor the progress.” In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute noted that the report of the Fact-finding Committee is the best thing

that has happened to the health sector. In his words: “We are going to do the needful to make sure that actions are taken based on the recommendations of the report that we are going to do believing that we are doing so in the best interest of the nation.” While calling on care givers to be responsible and accountable to the people to justify the salaries they earn, he condemned in strong terms the incessant strikes embark by health workers which he described as

detrimental to the progress of the nation. He said: “Those of us who are fortunate to find ourselves on the payroll of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be responsible by being accountable for the job we undertake; which is why we are earning salaries from the tax payers money and so if our primary responsibility is to give care, then the patients that we are to care for should be paramount and must be considered even in the time of anger.” In his presentation speech, the Chairman

of the Committee, Mr Nyamali John Audu appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to as a matter of urgency start the implementation of the recommendations of the committee to avoid further disruption of the activities at the Medical Centre. He warned that unionism is not a license to impunity, adding that there are statutory provisions in the extant Labour Law that guides the relationship between unions and management on how to manage and resolve industrial disputes.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh (right), presenting the report of the fact-finding committee into the industrial crisis that paralysed activities at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute.

TUC, CCESSA lament sack of workers in construction industry It has become apparent that more and more Nigerian workers will soon lose their jobs in the construction industry, even as it was revealed that over 65, 000 construction workers had lost their jobs in the last six months. Indication that many will lose their jobs in the next few months emerged at the 10th Trienniel Delegates Conference of Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) in Abuja, where the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, Detlev Lubasach, declared that there must be staff reduction due to inability to meet their obligations to staff and sub-contractors. In a swift reaction to this development, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and the President of CCESSA, Comrade Augustine Etafo, lamented the loss of jobs in the industry and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the interest of the industry and Nigerian workers. In his address, Lubasach lamented the non-payment for ongoing and already completed jobs in the country by the government. He said: “Our industry is in dire needs, occasioned by non-payment for ongoing and already completed jobs. As you all know, the construction industry is majorly engaged by the government, federal, state and local, with little patronage from corporate entities and private individuals. “In view of this, any distortion in the income equilibrium of our major clients will definitely affect the income and cash flow of the construction companies. As a consequence of this, construction companies are unable to sustain the existing structures in terms of meeting their obligations to staff and sub-contractors. “lt therefore became imminent that there must be staff reduction as well as other cost saving measures. It is only to keep the in-

dustry afloat currently, most companies are working far below their capacity, which is neither healthy for the Industry nor for the country. “In such a very difficult situation, you will agree with me that all hands must be on deck to salvage our industry. At this juncture, I need to commend CCESSA, both the members and executive for the understanding. This understanding must be extended to the current NJIC negotiations. “This is the time for the senior staff, both in the association and as individuals, being critical stakeholders, to demonstrate full knowledge and appreciation of the challenges we are presently facing, and those that still lie ahead.” However, Comrade Kaigama said president Buhari should not only go after corrupt individuals, but provide jobs for Nigerians; adding that the President should ensure provision of jobs, protection of workers and social security for all Nigerians. He said: “President Buhari should know that the change mantra should not be limited to going after corrupt individuals only, but also providing jobs and protecting workers, providing social security and then we will know change has come. “We are prepared to support the government to ensure that we have good governance, to ensure that our members retain their decent jobs, to ensure that Mr President moves to fight corruption, and to also ensure he fights insurgency.” He frowned at the inability of the government to pay construction companies, and added that government should ensure that all construction works followed due process and to all works that followed due process, payment should be affected accordingly. On the issue of casualisation in the construction industry, Comrade Kaigama TUC expressed worries at the situation where em-

ployees in the industry are not respected. “This is a sector where you have the highest number of casualisation. If there is any industry that has no respect for employees it is the construction industry,” he added. Comrade Etafo, CCESSA President said the construction industry which is one of the leading employment providers in the country should be bailed out of its present predicament by paying the money owed to the contractors, who are the employers of labour, as one of the way forward from the unemployment problems. The CCESA president said the present administration must also put in place a more attractive business environment for the organised private sector to partner in the provision and expansion of infrastructure at all levels to enable it rise to the occasion and drive the process of employment generation. Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh, commended the immense contributions of the construction industry to the economic development of the country. He confirmed that the Federal Government was aware of the myriad of challenges confronting the construction industry which include decent work challenges, low income challenges associated with freedom of association and fundamental human right at work as well as issue of social protection. Dr Illoh pointed out that the present administration has a new focus and poised to address the challenges bedeviling the industry; adding that the Ministry of labour and productivity will leave no stone unturned in alleviating the challenges. The permanent secretary expressed delight over the insignificant number of strike actions recorded in the construction industry which was as a result of the effective development of social dialogue as an instrument of settling disputes.

Monday, 9 November, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

From left, Chief Falae, Chief Adebanjo, Pa Fasoranti and Governor Mimiko

The politics of Afenifere

The resignation of the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti elicited frenzied activities culmination in an emergency meeting of the foremost Yoruba organisation. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, writes on some emerging developments on the matter.

T is 64 years old. Formed in 1951, the pan-Yoruba organisation, Afenifere has served as the real unifying factor for all the sons and daughters of the Yoruba nation since the pre-independence era of Nigeria. Led by the sage and Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the body has defined the focus, direction and entire agenda of the Yoruba race within the context of the Nigerian federation. Like any major organisation with welldefined structure and goal, Afenifere has had its glorious moments and occasional challenges. Conscious of the onerous task before them, the leaders have consistently sustained the cardinal principles, aims and objectives of the organisation. They have never allowed seeming challenges to overcome them or derail in the overall goal of Afenifere in promoting the cause of the Yoruba in all ramifications for almost six decades. The influence of the ogrganisation is beyond the confines of the Yoruba nation. Other ethnic groups see ot as the conscience of the race, thus they use its activities to gauge the pulse of the Yoruba nation on crucial national issues. It no surprise

that such bodies like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to name just two revered its leaders and attach great importance to the position of Afenifere on matters of national importance and urgency. Recent challenges Members of the organisation were caught unawares and jolted when the leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, announced that he was voluntarily resigning from his exalted post. Fasoranti became the leader of the Afenifere about 10 years ago after the death of Abraham Adesanya. He premised his resignation on old age. Besides, he decried perceived erosion of the common focus and

goals of the organisation, which he claimed made it difficult for members of the group to work in unity. In his letter of resignation, Fasoranti gave a chronological of the birth of the organization, its leadership, and other issues surrounding the Afenifere, especially during the last general election in the country. His letter was addressed to the Secretary General of Afenifere, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, as well as other eminent persons in the foremost Yoruba group, including Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Supo Sonibare and all state chairmen of Afenifere, Fasoranti gave a brief history of the group from its formation in 1951 under the leadership of

The leaders took a painstaking look at all issues triggered by the resignation. All the leaders spoke frankly and without equivocation.

Chief Awolowo. The letter read: “Our organisation, Afenifere was formed in 1951 under the leadership of our leader; Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The organisation was formed to serve as an umbrella to be used to actualize the dream of a great nation and the Yoruba race. “Over the years, Yorubas have tried to focus on a common goal. Chief Awolowo tried to ensure the oneness of our people with a lot of efforts notwithstanding the challenges he faced in the process. Unfortunately, he passed on without actualising this dream. “I joined Afenifere from inception with the following leaders of our race, Pa Onasanya, Alhaji Ganiyu Daodu, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Sam Sonibare, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire, and so on. “The mantle of leadership fell on late Pa Adekunle Ajasin and subsequently Pa Adesanya and then my humble self. As events have been unfolding in the past few years, the focus and goals of the founding fathers of our great organization ‘Afenifere’ were gradually eroded. “This therefore made it Herculean task for our members to work in unity. Several efforts were made to ensure the actualisation of the Afenifere goals, but it appeared that we have not succeeded in achieving continues on pg34

politics

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Dogara’s action capable of destroying APC —Odeneye

Honourable Kehinde Odeneye is representing Ijebu Central Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, he bares his mind on the recent formation of committees in the Green Chamber and what Nigerians will benefit from President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

HAT do you think about the ministers that were recently screened by the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly? To the best of my knowledge, President Buhari has picked the best people he believes can do the job for him and I am very happy that we have moved on from that phase now. To me, the list is satisfactory and I equally have a very strong believe that these ministers will perform and deliver on their responsibilities effectively. The President has made it clear that he wants to return the country to the path of success and restore its lost glory. So we all need to support him and pray that he gets things done perfectly. Opinions are divided over the likelihood that some of the ministers may be without portfolios because of lack of funds. What does this mean to you? For the President to have said that some of ministers would be without portfolios, I want to believe he knows what he’s saying and what he wants. It should also be made clear that it is possible that the President would not have necessarily appointed ministers if not for the provision of the constitution that makes it mandatory for the president to have thirty six ministers. Let me also note that the president had said that ministries would be reduced and I think that is going to come up by the time he announces the portfolios for the ministers. If the President had said there is no much funds to take care of these political positions, I want to agree to a large extent and suggest that we should all agree with the President. By the time things improve in the country, he will be able to assign portfolios to them. The ministers may not be given portfolios, but they will definitely have something to do with the President. The fact is that whether they are assigned portfolios or not, they are ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Some people have criticised the president that his government lacks economic direction, Do you think they were fair in their criticism of the presidency? I don’t agree with that. A lot of people expected the president to act without minding the situation on ground. Those who are criticising the President have not taken their time study the situation that the president met on ground. What the President is doing is to ensure that he gives the best to Nigerians, especially in a very critical period of this in our nation’s history. A lot of people have suggested the devaluation of naira as the way out, but the presidency has said that there won’t be further devaluation of the naira. To me, devaluation of the naira will come with a lot of economic problems and we may not be able to get out of it in time. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also supported the decision of the President and I think that’s the way forward. It is not that the Presidency does not have economic direction, but it is putting all measure in place to give the people what they really deserve in terms of policy and governance. President Buhari has consistently

North East Federal Constituency. To me, it doesn’t matter whether you are a member of APC, PDP or SDP or even LP, I made sure that I spread my empowerment programme to everybody.

Honourable Kehinde Odeneye

First time in the history of Nigeria’s legislature... that committees would be shared equally between the ruling party and the opposition party.

maintained that the country is broke but some eminent Nigerians have cautioned him against such pronouncement. What is your own assessment of Nigeria’s economy? If the President said the country is broke, I believe he has his facts to back up the claim. One thing I know about this new government is that it isn’t going to be business as usual. The era when money was being thrown around without proper accountability is over. This has nothing to do with whether the President will not release money, but he wants to make sure money spent is duly accounted for. And, let me also tell you that he will fund the national budget appropriately and there won’t be room for wastages. I strongly believe that by the recoveries that will be made from the looters; there will be sufficient money in the economy that will be spent adequately and for the betterment of the citizens. You are said to be the first federal lawmaker that would be returned to the Green Chamber for a second term in the history of Ogun East Senatorial District. How did you pull that through?

I think it is just God. Apart from that, I am the only APC lawmaker from Ogun East Senatorial District in the House of Representatives. The Senator is a PDP member and even the man representing Remo is a PDP member as well. The one representing Ijebu East is also a PDP member. Aside the history of the first federal lawmaker that is returning to the House of Representatives in the history of representation in Ogun East Senatorial District for the second term, I am the only APC National Assembly member that was voted for a second term. Two things actually worked for me. The number one thing is that being a member of APC actually contributed largely to my victory at the poll. Secondly, my stewardship to my people was unparallel. The kind of empowerment programme and infrastructural developments that I brought to my constituency prepared the ground for me. A lot of people said that what I did could not be compared to what any other representatives and even the senators did while serving their people. I should also say that I did not limit my empowerment programme to APC members alone; it cuts across everybody, regardless of political affiliation in the constituency-Ijebu Ode, Odogbolu and Ijebu

A fresh crisis appears to be brewing in the House of Representatives over the recent constitution of Committees by the Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara. As a second term member, what’s your view about this development? To say that I was shocked would actually sound like an understatement. I am very disappointed in the leadership of Yakubu Dogara with the way and manner he constituted the committees in the House of Reps. I am not saying this because I was not given a chairmanship position, but this is the first time in the history of Nigeria’s legislature, not even in Nigeria alone but all over the world that committees would be shared equally between the ruling party and the opposition party. It really beats my understanding. I don’t seem to understand why the Speaker would do such injustice to his own party members. I still find it hard to understand why he would concede too many positions to members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It has never happened before that opposition party will get as much appointments of committee chairmen and vice chairmen, not only that, they also filled those important committee that will assist in the economic direction of the president who is also a member of APC. Members of APC are still trying to understand the rationale behind such formation. So, my view is clear, I am not happy with this development as an APC member and this has started to manifest with some of the members rejecting their appointments. It is believed that the leadership crisis that rocked the House some months back had been laid to rest with the emergence of Femi Gbajabiamila as the majority leader, will this new tussle not set the House back? I had said in one of my interviews that the selection of Gbajabiamila as the Majority leader would not solve the problem of the House. What is playing out now is indicative of the fact that the problem which many people thought had been laid to rest was never over. The action of the Speaker is not just a slap to us as members of APC but one that is capable of destroying the party. It is high time the leadership of the party rose up to check this anomaly for the sake of Nigerians and the party. I am not a pessimist, but a realist. We should be able to call a spade a spade. It was even more shocking that the Speaker was a member of the House when opposition parties were given two or three committees in this same House. And, one would want to ask the Speaker which party he actually belongs to with his body language, because if he truly belongs to APC, he would not have treated its members like that. A good leader shouldn’t take actions or decisions that are vindictive. That’s exactly what the speaker has done. The fact remains that the South-West and has been short-changed with this development in the House of Representatives.

33 politics&policy

Monday, 9 November, 2015

HONOURABLE Oluwole Oke is the new chairman of the Committee on Public Procurement of the House of Representatives. In this interview with In this interview with Senior Deputy Editor, JACOB SEGUN OLATUNjI, he gives an insight how his committee will operate vis a vis its functions. Excerpts:

HAT will be your analysis of the composition of the Standing Committees of the House? We are 360 members in the House and there are 95 Standing Committees. The committees cannot go round everybody; even if you decide to choose chairmen and deputies, you will still have some people left behind. So, basically the committees cannot go round and Mr Speaker has discharged his responsibility and it is his prerogative to do so; to constitute the leadership and membership of the various committees of the parliament and that is line with the rules of the House. My appeal is to those who got the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of the House respectively to be magnanimous and accommodate those who didn’t get. Their duty is to support their leadership is to use that position to support the leadership and also discharge their duties as captured in the Standing rules of the House. Every committee is saddled with the responsibility which is written down in black and white and they are contained in the rules, when you look at Order 18 of the House, you will see the list of all the committees and are captured in the rules of the House. So, I appeal to those people who didn’t get to remain calm. The primary assignment of a lawmaker is to come to the parliament and represent his people being a chairman committee is secondary. Some of the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are equally accusing the Speaker of giving the members of the PDP some committee chairmen and deputy chairmen as a compensation for supporting him to become the Speaker despite the fact that the PDP is in the Minority. What is your take on this? First of all, whether APC or PDP, we are all Nigerians. Secondly, PDP had 147 members in the House, and don’t forget that during the struggle for Mr Speaker to emerge, the entire PDP members voted for him, Mr Speaker only got about 38 votes from the APC to emerge. So, if you remove the 147 votes that he got from the PDP would he have been Speaker? So, it is also a way of telling the PDP members that I appreciate you for standing by me and we are talking about power; you have to be very assertive and constructive. You have to be pragmatic. In fact, the Speaker has been very magnanimous to have given the APC members the number of committees he has given to them, Some PDP members are not even happy that he has given the APC that number he has given to them. On what basis and on what parameters did he do so? How can he give APC members 50 committees when they contributed 38 votes to his emergence. In fact, he should have limited the number of committees to that 38, that is the issue. In fact, they should thank the PDP that what happened in the Senate did not happen to us. They should thank us that we conceded the deputy Speaker of the House to them. What if we had taken the deputy Speaker, or you think the PDP cannot muzzle and get 38 votes from the APC? We are Nigerians. It was possible for the PDP to have mustered

Oke

Speaker magnanimous to APC members —Oke the energy and power and whatever it takes to emerge the deputy Speaker of the House. So, nobody should blame Mr Speaker; the gentle man is magnanimous. Don’t you think the current schism could further divide the House? Like I said, as we are beginning to take off now, it is like an aeroplane taking off. You know when it kicks its’ engine, there will be some turbulence but at the end of the day, the plane will stabilise while in the air. So, there won’t be any problem. We will stabilise sooner than later. As the chairman of the House Committee on Public Procurement , what do you think are its functions? The House Committee on Public Procurement is captured on Order 193 on page 142 of the House rules and it states clearly that there shall be a Committee on Public Procurement that shall constitute of not less than 25 members and not more than 30 members appointed. The committee ‘s jurisdiction covers oversight of implementation of the Public Procurement Act, oversight the budget monitoring and price

intelligence unit, monitor the implementation of all capital project in the appropriation ACT, ensure that all procurement carried out by all the Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals (MDAs) on behalf of the Federal Government comply with the Public Procurement ACT, ensure that all MDAs, Corporate bodies, Armed and Para-military Agencies and all entities set up by the constitution or act of National Assembly observe the process of accountability and transparency in the procurement of goods and services. When you look at the responsibilities saddled with this committee, they are enormous. It is the mother of all committees. It is a Committee whose activities cover the entire operation of the Federal Government. How do you intend to discharge the responsibilities? Well, the first thing to do is to get the list of various members of this Committee, get to know the clerk of the Committee, then inaugurate the Committee and after that, you draw up a plan, review all the procurement that had been done, are they in tandem with the public procurement act. Let me remind

How can he give APC members 50 committees when they contributed 38 votes to his emergence?

you that procurement is one of the conduit pipe that most corruption leakages have taken. Procurement as a function is one of the conduit pipes that public officials have perpetrated corruption through over invoicing, inflation of contracts, non execution of contracts, Mr president had laid more emphasis on revenue generating agencies, but in my opinion, the procurement road should be mounted hard , the extant laws of procurement should be complied with and the committee will support all the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the parliament of the House in ensuring that all loop holes and leakages are blocked under the procurement Act. It is a very serious assignment, it is tasking but we are prepared to do the job, it is very important assignment and activity of our life. The days of one Director or Permanent Secretary or one Minister having companies in their portfolio or drawer and be awarding Contracts for themselves are gone forever. With this assignment, we must all vote for equity with clean hands. We will support Buhari to block all leakages in all parastatals. Now that the that the Standing Committees of the House have been constituted what should Nigerians be expecting from the law makers? With the constitution of the Committees, inauguration will come up, thereafter you will see the 8th Assembly in action, you will see us in full swing. We are for serious business of law making which is our constitutional responsibility of coming into the National Assembly.

politics&policy

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Rebranding the pan-Yoruba organisation continued from pg31

this. This is basically due to reasons best known to our members individually. “Considering my age, efforts and selfless dedication to my country, my state (Ondo), my political parties, my past leaders and my members in Afenifere both in Nigeria and in Diaspora, I hereby wish to inform you all that I have decided to step aside as leader of our great organization, Afenifere.” The resignation of the octogenarian did not only come as a shock and surprise to many members of the Afenifere family but also showed all might not be well in the house of the foremost Yoruba organisation. Consequently, leadership of the group quickly convened a meeting to appropriately act on the letter and the attendant issues, given the prime place of Afenifere in the South-West and indeed the country. Though jolted by the resignation, the Secretary General of the group, Arogbofa said there was nothing extra ordinary in the action of their leader, as it was not the first any of the leaders would be stepping aside. But, he ruled out disloyalty for the action. His words: “The Afenifere has so far had four leaders: from Pa Obafemi Awolowo to late Pa Adekunle Ajasin to Pa Abraham Adesanya and Pa Reuben Fasoranti. So, the stepping aside of Pa Fasoranti has precedent. Others also stepped aside because of old age.” It should be noted that the issue of party politics had tried to divide the organization in the past. While some elements said it should be a sicio-cultural orn=ganisation, others insisted that it could not completely divorced from party politics because of the collective interest of the Yoruba race. It was in the midst of the controversy that a splinter group called Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) emerged. Speaking to our correspondent, a top shot of 64-year-old Afenifere, insinuated that the initial action of Fasoranti to might have been informed by activities of a few individuals in the gradual buildup to the 2019 general election. The source alleged that a few members of the group were romancing with some notable politicians ostensibly to use Afenifere as a platform to raise a third force ahead of the 2019 election. Apparently declaring that the action was antithetical to the Afenifere ideals, he noted the body was formed to serve as an umbrella to be used in actualising the dream of a great nation and the Yoruba race. According to him, ARG, which was formed and sponsored by a section of the political class in the South-West in 2008, was meant to primarily destabilise and destroy the ‘real’ Afenifere. He saluted leaders of the Afenifere including , Pa Fasoranti, Chief Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Sonibare, Arogbofa, among others who have remained focused and resolute in keeping the flag of the group flying. Further analysing the matters surrounding the resignation of Fasoranti, the highlevel also spoke on the allegations of disloyalty contained in the said letter. He alleged that the action of the Afenifere leader should be seen beyond the issue of age given as an excuse by the octogenarian for stepping aside. He explained that Fasoranti even though will soon turn 90, remains the strong pillar and unifying force to the group. He said Fasoranti was not happy that some of Afenifere leaders no longer honour invitation to attend the groups meeting in Akure. However, it was learnt that leading lights in Afenifere Chief Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun

Ajayi

Odumakin

With the bold steps taken by the group to nip in the bud the controversy triggered by Pa Fasoranti’s resignation, most observers say the leadership of Afenifere has again exhibited maturity and placed itself above board that even in the face of crisis, the group will always remain united and uphold the ideals of the founders.

Ajayi, Chief Falae among other s to continue to provide the necessary leadership to the group. But the octogenarian reportedly came under pressure from his children to step aside. Pa Fasoranti reportedly also drew the attention of the leaders to the issuance of statements on behalf of the group by some members without clearance from him, just as some raised the issue of the last general election and the stance of Afenifere, especially the decision of the group to support the second term ambition of former President Goodluck Jonathan. But it was gathered the support was predicated on the belief that the former President would implement the report of the National Conference, if he was re-elected. Of course, Fasoranti maintained, in his letter, that the issue of adoption of the National Confab report had always been the focus and goal of Afenifere even before the National Confab was set up. He stated: “The support of a leader, who promised to implement this report was therefore not a mistake and inevitable despite all public insinuations.” Akure meeting The leadership of the group converged on Akure, Ondo State capital, the country home of Fasoranti last Wednesday for the emergency meeting amid speculation that new leader of the group might emerge at the end of the session. The leaders took

a painstaking look at all issues triggered by the resignation. All the leaders spoke frankly and without equivocation, the leadership unanimously rejected the resignation of their chairman and prevailed on him to continue to steer the ship of the Afenifere. On his part, Fasoranti rescinded his earlier decision after the leaders at the meeting promised to always support him in repositioning the group in a bid to achieve its set vision and goals. Notable leaders of the Yoruba nation at the meeting included the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Chief Adebanjo, Chief Falae, Chief Sonibare, Chief Arogbofa, Chief Korede Duyile, among other 23 leaders from across the South-West, who passed vote of confidence on Fasoranti. The Afenifere spokesperson, Mr Yinka Odumakin, gave a vivid account of the decisions of the leaders at the closed-door meeting. He read the communique of the meeting which states: “The meeting resolved to urge him to continue as the leader of Afenifere and Baba (Fasoranti) has agreed to withdraw his resignation letter and continue as our leader; the good news is that Baba has withdrawn his decision to step aside. The meeting also appreciated the selfless, dedicated and exemplary leadership Chief Reuben Fasoranti had given to the group since he became the acting leader in 2004 and later the leader of the group.

“We took cognisance that he took leadership at the most challenging period of the organisation and the country inspite of his old age, he has discharged his duties creditably well and has been a stabilising force. ”The meeting therefore unanimously resolved to reject his offer to step aside as leader and pleaded with him to tarry on and carry on his great responsibilities as leader of Afenifere and to ensure that the orderly succession of Afenifere is not disrupted under him “We are glad to inform you that after listening to the whole meeting, Chief Fasoranti graciously accepted and withdraw the offer of resignation and to continue his leadership of the group and also to see us through the moment ahead in terms of all the plans of re-organisation, re-invigoration, mobilisation and re- launch of Afenifere in Yoruba land, Nigeria and in the Diaspora.” Odumakin however cleared the air over the alleged disunity within the group, saying that there was no crack in the Afenifere’ family. He added that the leadership of the group would continue to uphold the ideals of the founding fathers of the association. “We want to state that there is no crack in Afenifere and the Hhouse of Oduduwa, no crack; we remain committed to the great ideals of our founding fathers and we are forging ahead,” Odumakin stressed. Fasoranti, while confirming his letter of resignation, expressed his decision to abide with the resolution of the leadership of Afenifere and his desire to move the race forward in consonance with the objective of the founding fathers of the group. With the bold steps taken by the group to nip in the bud the controversy triggered by Pa Fasoranti’s resignation, most observers say the leadership of Afenifere has again exhibited maturity and placed itself above board that even in the face of crisis, the group will always remain united and uphold the ideals of the founders.

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Monday, 9 November, 2015

Bride, groom shot on wedding day Ademola Adegbite-Lafia

man whose identity remained unknown, on Saturday evening, went berserk and fired several shots at newly wedded couple during reception in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Eyewitnesses told Nigerian Tribune that the incident which happened at Kugbaru community at the reception after church service left several other guests wounded and they were currently receiv-

ing treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area. Conflicting reports, however, said that the bride and bridegroom died before reaching the hospital, while another witness said the couple, alongside other victims were still in the hospital, responding to the treatment. It was learnt further

that the suspect, who made sudden appearance when the new couple was dancing, started shooting sporadically to scare the well wishers before firing several shots on the victims. According to one of the witnesses, “after achieving his inhuman acts, he was trying to escape before the angry youths

within the area descended on him. He was almost killed before the arrival of the policemen who rescued him and took him to the station.” When contacted on phone in Lafia, the state capital, on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ismaila Numan, an Assistant Superintendent of Police

(ASP), confirmed the incident, saying the suspect has since been arrested, while investigation was ongoing. The PPRO, who declined comment on the identity of the suspect, then added that the couple and one other victim were shot during the reception and they were all responding to the treatment.

Lawyer petitions IG over murder of youth corps member By ’Ronke Sanya

A law firm, Oluwaseun Ajoba and co has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Police Headquarters Abuja on what it described as poor level of investigation by Police into the death of a corps member, Omolola Abogunrin, which occurred at Apata area of Ibadan, Oyo State recently. The solicitors who represent the mother of the late corps member, Evangelist Falese Abogunrin in the petition also accused the police of releasing the accused persons while police investigations were in progress, adding that the crime scene, which would have shown evidence of strangulation of the victim was later cleared by agents of the accused persons. The petition further alleged that the vital evidence which would have helped the police to arrive at good justice have been tampered with. According to the counsel of the deceased’s mother, Ajoba, the hasty conclusion to release the accused persons on bail led to the petition as the complainant suspected sharp practice by the police. Ajoba added that the crime scene shown to the police was not the exact place that the crime took place, adding that there was no evidence of strangulation of the victim with the accused persons as the body was merely dumped into the bush shown to the police. Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, Abogunrin said the police also failed to hold as important her statement that late Omolola one time called her to settle a major dispute between her and one of the released suspects some days to her wedding ceremony.

Director General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii (right), receiving the keys to the vehicles donated by NLNG to the agency, from the company’s MD/CEO, Mr Babs Omotowa, in Abuja, recently.

Gunmen kill LP House of Assembly candidate days to tribunal judgment Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri

UNKNOWN gunmen have killed a House of Assembly Labour Party (LP) candidate in the last general election, Mr Akpobome Bright Obodo at Orhunwhorhun, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State at about 7.00p.m on Saturday. It was gathered that the gunmen also injured an unidentified person during the incident. The assailants were said to have trailed their victim with a Jetta car, but escaped with his Toyota Camry, while they abandoned their vehicle at the scene. Mr Obodo was Labour Party candidate for Warri South Constituency I in the last general elections and was challenging his defeat by Mr Dennis Omovie, who was earlier declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at House of Assembly Tribunal sitting, in Asaba. Rumour has been rife that the judgment to be delivered at the House of Assembly Election Tribunal in Delta State today

(Monday) would be in his favour. An eyewitness speaking with Nigerian Tribune said, “The sound of gun shots in the area made us come out to find out what and who exactly had been shot. Then, we saw the gunmen driving in Obodo’s car and shooting sporadically to the point of injuring a resident in the area who has since been hospi-

talised. “We later found Obodo lying dead in the pool of his own blood after the gunmen had gone and his corpse has been deposited in the mortuary since Saturday night.” Meanwhile, the LP candidate was said to have earlier lodged a compliant at various police stations within Warri on threats he had received from un-

known faces. Youths loyal to the deceased in the area were said to have gone on the rampage, engaging their People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts in sporadic shootouts. The Police Public Relations Officer in Delta State, DSP Celestina Kalu, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

Robbers kill 2, cart away computer donated to school by govt Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

Suspected armed robbers on Sunday morning invaded Olofin Grammar School, Idanre in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State killing two night-guards and carted away new sets of computers recently donated by the state government for the school. According to a source, the hoodlums who were numbering eight stormed the school premises around 2:00 a.m. and carried out the attack unhindered despite the fact that the school is located few me-

tres from a police station in the town. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the remains of the two night guards had been deposited at the State Hospital, Idanre while men of the state place command have swung into action to bring the perpetrators to book. Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the State, Mr Femi Joseph said the command had commenced investigation with assurance that the hoodlums will soon be apprehended. Joseph said, “I can con-

firm that there was a robbery incident in the school and we have started the investigation, we will certainly arrest the hoodlums.” In his reaction, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Mr Jide Adejuyigbe described the incident as unfortunate and said adequate measures will be put in place to guide against future occurrence in all the schools across the state. The commissioner said, “it is like armed robbers are laying siege on all our schools in Ondo State, this is a security challenge and we will definitely do something about it.”

Fulfil your promises, lawmaker urges politicians A member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Segun Olaleye has urged politicians across the country to fulfill their promises to electorates. Olaleye stated this while presenting half a million naira cash gift to his All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists at the weekend. He said it is expected of all politicians to maintain sincerity with the electorates because they made politicians, adding that he had made it a duty to be committed to human development and productivity in the state. He solicited support for the present administration in the state, saying Governor Abiola Ajimobi is working tirelessly to fix the state back to its past glory. The lawmaker also admonished electorates to be loyal to their leaders. “I made a pledge during my primaries and I think it is reasonable for me to fulfill my promises. Despite the fact that I have worked tirelessly for my people during the last dispensation, I promised them, and I must fulfill my promises because they stood by me,” he said.

Lead City university celebrates 10th anniversary, 8th convocation AS Lead City University celebrates a decade of knowledge for self-reliance; 2005-2015, several events have been planned to climax it with the eighth convocation ceremony of the university which has been scheduled for December 10. The various events which spanned for a month was commenced with a road show for the students last week which aims at sensitising the Ibadan community of the coming events. The 10th anniversary and eighth convocation lecture will be delivered by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde on November 9. November 12 is dedicated for community service, an event designed to afford the institution an opportunity of performing her social responsibility in form of community service. An intra-University has also been slated for November 9-11 and a commemorative novelty match between teaching and non-teaching staff of the University slated for November 13.

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Monday, 9 November, 2015

Buhari swears in INEC boss, commissioners today ... Ministers Wednesday

Leon Usigbe - Abuja

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will, today, swear in Professor Mahmud Yakubu as new chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a ceremony scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The president will also

swear in Mrs Amina Zakari, Mr Solomon Adedeji Soyebi, Professor Antonia Taiye Okoosi-Simbine, Dr Muhammed Mustafa Lecky and Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo as national commissioners of the commission. The swearing-in followed the confirmation of their nominations by the Senate. Also on Wednesday, President Buhari will in-

augurate his cabinet, barely six months after he was sworn in to office. He is to preside over the first ever meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) immediately after swearing-in the 36-member council. Senate President, Bukola Saraki, last week, submitted a list of the last batch of the ministerial nominees cleared by the Senate to the

president. Buhari has said that in view of the precarious state of the nation’s economy, many of the ministers would not be in substantive capacities and so would be without portfolios, though they would sit in council. The swearing-in of the ministers would signal the actual take-off of the Buhari administration, which had relied on permanent

secretaries of ministries for the day-to-day running of the Federal Government up till now. A statement issued in Abuja by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, said before the commencement of the inaugural session of the council, the ministersdesignate will take their oaths of office in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa. The swearing-in ceremony, he said, would begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and the ministersdesignate are expected to be seated in the Council Chambers by 9:30 a.m. It said each minister-designate can only be accompanied to the ceremony by a maximum of two guests.

My expulsion from APC unconstitutional —Oyo ex-commissioner By Saheed Salawu Members of staff of African Newspappers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, born in the month of November, cutting their birthday cake at the company’s board room, Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan. PHOTO YEMI FUNSO-OKE

FG to share ECA to fund states’ capital projects, Fayose says Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

overnor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said that the Federal Government may soon disburse what he said was “the over $2 billion remaining in the Excess Crude Oil Account (ECA)” to state governments for them to be able to fund capital projects in their states. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said Governor Fayose disclosed this while featuring on a radio/television programme tagged “Meet Your Governor” in Ado-Ekiti, at the weekend. The governor was quoted to have said that the step would be taken for the state governments to be able to embark or complete some capital projects. The governor added that Ekiti could get about N10 billion from the fund. “Nothing is no longer going into the Excess Crude Oil Account because oil is selling lower than the envisaged price in the international market. That has badly affected all of us. The 2015 Budget in Ekiti was predicated on oil selling at $65 a barrel, but it sells for

over $40 now. “That has left our budget performing only in the area of Recurrent Expenditure. You know that I call a spade a spade. Ekiti is expecting about N10 billion when the ECA fund is shared. When it comes, I will tell everybody. I don’t hide things. “The capital projects that we have embarked upon since we came on board are being executed because we are prudent, transparent and

open, and also because we are leveraging on goodwill with corporate bodies,” he said. Given the tough economic climate in the country, Fayose said there was no way people could dodge paying taxes, rates and levies, adding that government would be crippled without finances. He implored butchers to stop protesting the N1000 levy imposed on them on the slaughtering of a cow,

warning that anybody caught killing cow in an unauthorised place would be fined N50,000. “It was during my first tenure that we built the abattoir and the place is not maintained. We have to maintain the facility for hygienic purposes, provide where cattle are kept, provide water and yet they are complaining. The additional cost will be spread to others,” he stated.

Kano’s large population, great challenge to NIS —Ganduje Kola Oyelere - Kano KANO State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has noted that the commercial position of Kano city, coupled with the daily influx of people from several parts of West Africa, is a great challenge to the Nigeria Immigration Service. Ganduje, who made the statement over the weekend, while receiving the Comptroller of the state command of the service, CIS Sadik Baba Shehuri in his office, lamented that the multiplicity of people in the state has made it vulner-

able to security challenges. For instance, he highlighted that in recent times, most of the people arrested in the state for alleged cattle rustling were identified as people from West African countries who connive with unscrupulous local Fulani. He was also of the view that with the Nigerian Army’s renewed effort to tackle insurgency, Kano, in view of its high population and ethnic diversity, may attract some insurgents, urging the Nigeria Immigration Service to be up and doing in terms of its responsibilities to keep the

state safe. Governor Ganduje, who charged security agencies in the state to cultivate strong coordination of their activities, to make the state safe at all times, donated a brand new 18 –seater bus to the state command of Nigeria Immigration Service to ease its logistical problems. Earlier, the NIS Comptroller, Mr Sadik Baba Shehuri, told the governor that in collaboration with other security agencies, the Immigration Service has evolved new strategies to monitor movement of people to and out of the state.

A former Commissioner for Environment in Oyo State, Mr Lawrence Adewale, has described his expulsion from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as unconstitutional, null and void. He described an announcement that he, alongside a former Majority Leader of the seventh state House of Assembly, Honourable Oyeniyi Oyeniran, had ceased to be members of the party as not only unwarranted but also an infringement on his fundamental human right. Adewale and Oyeniyi were said to have been informed of their expulsion via a letter dated October 29, 2015, signed by the state secretary, Honourable Mojeed Olaoya. The expulsion was said to have been based on the recommendations of disciplinary committees which found them guilty of gross indiscipline, anti-party activities and abuse of privilege. But Adewale, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Sunday, attributed what he called an attempt to expel him from the party to his insistence to seek legal redress to retrieve his “stolen mandate” and wondered how such a move could constitute an offence.

Nigerian Tribune

Child training most challenging —Ishola By Oluyomi Fashakin THE Chancellor, International School of Chaplaincy and Theo-Missionlogical Development (INSOCATMID), Reverend Moses A. Ishola, has described child upbringing in the present society as too vulnerable to control. He said this during the Sixth Chaplains’ Commissioning, Convocation, Passing out Parade and Promotion exercise, at Parliament building premises, Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan, on Saturday. Reverend Ishola, who is also Chaplain Commandant General, Frontier Global Initiative, lamented the absence of specific monitoring of youths exposure to the internet. He noted that “the crisis in nations today; political scene, corruption and terrorist assignments are results of moral decadence within the family.” He, however, said that with enlightenment of the people, there will be little or no problem in the country. The Registrar, who also bagged a Doctorate in Chaplaincy and Theology (double major), Dr T.O. Emmanuel, thanked God for the completion of the programme. Another graduate of Advance Diploma in Theology, Pastor Oludare Mathew, recounted his challenges to bother on finances, concluding that “the programme was lovely.”

NEMA donates relief materials to Benue flood victims Chris Agbambu - Abuja THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at the weekend, delivered relief materials to Benue State governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, for onward distribution to more than 32, 000 persons affected by the recent flood that devastated communities in nine local government areas of the state. The items were presented to the governor by the Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr Eugene Udemezue Ezeh. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Sidi expressed satisfaction with the positive response by most states government to the flood-warning alerts issued by the relevant government agencies.

news

Monday, 9 November, 2015

S/Court to rule on Britania-U, Chevron oil block dispute Jan 29

Mimiko to award outstanding students tomorrow hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

Sunday Ejike-Abuja

THE Supreme Court has fixed January 29, 2016 for judgment in the dispute between Chevron and Britania-U, which arose following the failure of the former to transfer ownership of some oil blocks to the latter, having successfully out-bided other oil firms during the bidding exercise. Counsel to the contending parties confirmed that judgment has been fixed for the said date following the adoption of their briefs of argument on the appeal before the apex court. While adopting his brief of argument, counsel to the appellant, Britania-U, Mr Rickey Tarfa, supported by Abiodun Owonikoko submitted that the appeal before it was in respect of the judgment of the Court of Appeal of June 20, 2014, which vacated the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division for the maintenance of status quo with regards to the oil blocks. Accordingly, Tarfa prayed the court to grant the motion for mandatory restorative order to revert parties to status quo before the appeal was lodged. Seplat’s counsel, Mr Damian Dodo while adopting his respondent’s brief filed on March 24, 2015, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal, which he submitted was an interlocutory appeal. Counsel for the third and fifth respondents, Mr A. V Etuwewe told the court that his clients filed their reply brief of argument on March 3, 2015 but deemed properly filed on March 23, 2015.

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, returning a little boy, David, to his mother, Mrs Bosede Oretuyi, after paying his hospital bills at one of the private hospitals in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday.

Navy hands over 15 oil thief suspects, 6 vessels to NSCDC Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

EOPLE suspected to be oil thief suspects numbering 15 and six vessels have been handed over to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives by the Nigerian Navy for prosecution. Executive Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Captain Olusegun Soyemi, made the disclosure while handing over the suspects in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday. The naval officer said the suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal bunkering, adding that one of the suspects was arrested while discretely discharging about

108,000 litres of diesel from a large wooden boat into five vessels without licence. “On October 20, we got intelligence report about an ongoing illegal bunkering activity at a private jetty, situated opposite the busy Slaughter Market around Trans-Woji area in Port Harcourt. Our troops, on arrival at the jetty, accosted five vessels and a large wooden boat loading products suspected to be stolen diesel. “The vessels, MV Denis, MV Faith, MV Lum VII, MV Eliora, and FP Comfort had no approval from naval headquarters for the transaction”, he said. Captain Soyemi said the

THE Ogun State government, last Thursday, demolished a multi-million naira building belonging to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), situated with the Olusegun Obasanjo Hilltop Estate, in Abeokuta. The building,which was at the roofing stage before demolition, was to serve as the church area headquarters. According to the Nigerian Tribune findings, the church which had been under

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and no single naval approval in all of its operations. While examining the vessel, we discovered that the cargo tanks had been emptied and cleaned with hoses connected to the cargo tanks indicating its readiness to load petroleum products”, he said. Head of NSCDC antivandal Unit, Rivers State Command, Assistant Commander Steven Morgan, who received the suspects and seized vessels, said through forensic investigation would be carried out. He also assured that the suspects would be arraigned in court without any delay, if they were found guilty after the investigation.

Dogara to formally inaugurate House standing committees today Jacob Segun Olatunji And Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

THE Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara will today formally inaugurate the 96 Standing Commit-

tees of the House on October 29. The formal inauguration of the committees will be done at a Special session to hold inside the chamber of the House. A key note address will

Ogun govt demolishes multi-million naira RCCG building, says it has no approval Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

prime suspect, who doubled as a middleman for two companies fingered in the case, had provided useful information during preliminary investigations. He said that owners of the vessels were subsequently invited for questioning and had tended their statements, noting that the owners would further be investigated by the NSCDC. Soyemi also handed over a 3,000 metric tonne ship and its 14 crew members which allegedly stood by to steal crude oil from a major pipeline in the state. “We discovered the vessel, which had been in operation since 2007, had no certificate of registry and clearance from the

construction since 2013, was pulled down on the basis that the building negated the estate design, which was purely for residential purpose. Some members of the church, however, alleged that the church building was destroyed because of the strained relationship between the pastor-in-charge, Pastor Remmy Hazzan and the state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Hazzan, who was a twoterm member of the state Assembly, is said to be one of the critics of the Amosun

government. The church members who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered why Amosun destroyed such a magnificent building when he (Amosun) was accused of building a private residential building within the Ibara Government Reservation Area, whose structure equally contradicted estate design. Nigerian Tribune gathered further that the highest body of the church had directed its pastors not to speak with the press on the development.

be presented by Honourable Chibudum Nwuche on “the role of committees in a presidential system of government.” Disagreement had trailed the announcement of the standing committees with some members resigning their appointment when the Speaker was in Israel for spiritual obligation. Upon returning to the country, the speaker held a strategic meeting with appointed chairmen and vice chairmen to douse the resignation tension and also impress it on them to work for the good of eighth Assembly of the House. Another controversy was later recorded when the House Leader, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila in correspondence to the Speaker accused him of breaching provisions of the House Rules. Order 7 Rule 10 in the composi-

tion of the standing committees but the Speaker’s camp punctured the claim through two memos which showed that the appointment of committee heads was jointly done by the leadership of the House comprising all principal officers at a scheduled meeting. The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun it was learnt also waded into the perceived crisis occasioned by alleged non consultation with House principal officers by the Speaker before the announcement of committees. The APC National Chairman had met separately with dramatis personae in the whole drama; Honourable Dogara, his Deputy, Honourable Lasun Yussuf and House Majority Leader, Honourable Gbajabiamila.

ONDO State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko will on Tuesday present award to deserving pupils and students, who have distinguished themselves in various examinations and academic competitions, within and outside the state. This was disclosed by the state commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, who said the gesture was designed to appreciate students who have been exceptional in their various examinations. Akinmade also said the gesture is to celebrate excellent academic performance in the state education system with a view to encouraging the awardees to continue to work and also spur other pupils and students to strive for academic excellence. The commissioner stated in the statement made available to Nigerian Tribune that pupils, who made the first, second and third positions in the Common Entrance Examinations conducted by the state’s Ministry of Education will be honoured.

NAPPS appoints new executives By Kehinde Adio

NATIONAL Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Oyo State chapter, Ibadan Zonal office, has elected new executive officers to manage the affairs of the association. According to a press release made available to Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, the elections of the new officers took place recently among all the private schools in the 11 local government areas in Ibadan land, and at the end of the exercise, the Proprietor of Atorise Comprehensive College, Olorunda Abaa, Chief Abidemi Olagoke emerged the new chairman of the association with Mr Tokunbo Adekanbi, as Vice Chairman. The new chairman pledged that his team would ensure that the vision and mission of the association are met and sustained while he appealed to all members of the association to contribute their quota to the development of the private school in the state. He said added that his administration will run an open door policy to give members of the association the opportunity to participate in the dayto day running of the body.

news

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Taraba guber petition verdict: PDP paying price of impunity —APC Bola Badmus - Lagos

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) said the judgment of the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, delivered on Saturday, is the clearest

indication that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has started harvesting what it sowed in its years of impunity and recklessness, hence should blame itself for whatever tragedy now befalling it. The party, in a statement

issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the PDP had always been a party of anything goes, hence it was a matter of time for it to come to grief, first by tumbling from the pinnacle of

power and now by losing, incrementally, whatever remained of its crumbled empire. According to APC, the PDP is only trifling by attributing the judgment to a supposed manipulation from the presidency, declaring that,

Tribunal verdict a judicial recklessness —Right group Bola Badmus - Lagos

A group, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), on Sunday took a swipe at the judges that sat on the Taraba Governorship Election Petition on their ruling that sacked Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The group accused the judges that declared Hajia Aisha Jumai Al Hassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the last governorship election of

bias. According to the group, the tribunal headed by Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, in delivering its verdict, went beyond its jurisdiction and gave the petitioner what she did not request for to favour her and the APC. The CHRSJ Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, pointing out the tribunal’s ruling had put the integrity of the judiciary in

Women groups commend tribunal Christian Okeke - Abuja

COALITION of women groups under the aegis of Women of Grace and Agape Sisters, in collaboration with FCT Women Empowerment Initiative, on Sunday, commended the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for declaring Senator Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the April 11 governorship election in the state. Speaking in Abuja, spokesperson of the coali-

Tribunal’s verdict a watershed —APC national women leader Bola Badmus - Lagos

NATIONAL Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hajia Ramatu Aliyu, on Sunday, called on Nigerian women to support the ruling of the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which declared Senator Aisha AlHassan as the duly elected governor of Taraba State, describing the verdict as a watershed. The APC National Women Leader made the call in her reaction to the tribunal’s ruling, saying that the judiciary displayed boldness and unfettered commitment to the sacred principles of honour, good conscience and truth in handing down the verdict. According to her, the verdict was a clear affirmation that no matter how long it takes, never will the verdict of the people during elections be manipulated against their popular choice.

tion, Mrs Rachel Okpe, described the judgment as democracy in action, and expressed optimism that the state will end up producing the country’s first democratically elected female governor. Okpe expressed confidence that the judgment will be upheld at the appellate court based on what she described as glaring violation of the Electoral Act by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during its primaries.

doubt as the last hope of commoners. He said that one sided ruling would not stand the test of time in the nation’s democratic process, describing the judgment as “unlawful, illegal, anathema, antimasses, unconstitutional and invitation to chaos in all ramifications from the masses of the state.” Sulaiman said the CHRSJ would inform all its members across the country to be prepared for nationwide peaceful protest to safeguard the hard-earned nation’s democracy against undemocratic nature of the present APC-led adminis-

tration. According to him, this is to avert what he called “impeding political crisis that might occur as a result of judicial collaboration with executive arm of government to subvert the will and wishes of the people in a democracy.” The CHRSJ boss, Comrade Sulaiman declared that “this is another judicial recklessness of highest order,” calling on democrats in the country to join hands together to save the current democratic experiment from the hands of those who were set to manipulate the judiciary to satisfy their selfish political desire. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adeosun Samuel Oluwafemi, am the same person as Fakulude Femi Samuel. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as FAKULUDE FEMI SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank, Agodi and general public take note.

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“President Muhammadu Buhari as well as his party, the APC, are strong believers in the rule of law, as against the rule of impunity, hence will never manipulate the judiciary for whatever reason. “PDP should leave the judiciary, the presidency and the APC alone and accept responsibility for its actions. From the judgment of the tribunal, it is clear that the impunity of the PDP cost it the election. “Not only did the party breach Section 78 (b) (1) (2) of the Electoral Act concerning the organisation of party primaries, it was not even deemed to have participated in the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Taraba State in the eyes of the law. “Apart from not complying with the Electoral Act, the election of the PDP candidate, Mr Darius Ishaku, in the purported primaries in Abuja was done after the stipulated time for party primaries had elapsed, ac-

cording to the tribunal. It is thus clear that the election result in Taraba was not annulled for any other reason, but the impunity and recklessness that permeated the life and times of the cadaverous PDP. “It is noteworthy that this is not the first time the court is ruling against PDP’s impunity of violating its own constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act with regards to ensuring internal democracy in the conduct of primaries. “The first landmark judgment came from the Supreme Court when it ruled against PDP’s impunity in 2007 and ordered that Rotimi Amaechi be installed as Governor of Rivers instead of Celestine Omehia who was illegally imposed. “Secondly, the Supreme Court had also ruled against PDP in the case of Ifeanyi Ararume when the party took his mandate as validly elected governorship candidate and handed it over to another aspirant.

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39 THIS BOX IS FOR SALE CHANGE OF NAME

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Monday, 9 November, 2015 CHANGE OF NAME

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THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

Monday, 9 November, 2015

bayelsa/kogi2015

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Dickson’s victory certain —Haliru Mohammed Bola Badmus - Lagos

he chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, has said that the party has significantly uplift the well -being of the people of Bayelsa State and won their confidence since 1999 to deserve the re-election of Governor Seriake Dickson in the forthcoming governorship poll holding on December 5. The PDP chieftain said this, while addressing the National Campaign Committee on Bayelsa State 2015 governorship election, which is under his chairmanship. Other members include, the former deputy speaker, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha (deputy chairman), Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Honourable Leo Ogor, PDP national auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, Professor A.B.C Nwosu, Chief Alegho Dokpesi, and former Minister of State for Works, Chief Dayo Adeyeye, among others. He assured that the party would leave no stone unturned in its determination to maintain its hold in the strategic South-South State, expressing satisfaction that as the election gradually draws near, reports reaching the party hierarchy indicated that the people of Bayelsa State were pleased with the people-oriented policies and programmess of PDP in the state. Dr Mohammed made this known in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Emeka Nwankpa, saying the committee was constituted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), to ensure that PDP wins the election convincingly. “It bears no repeating that

our party means business in this election, hence, the setting up of this high-powered committee to lead party faithful to Yenagoa and ensure that the flag of of our great party continues to fly in the Bayelsa State Government House come December 5. Our mission, therefore, is very clear and the message is unambiguous: Go to Yenagoa and make

Kogi State deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi, has described as satanic and anti -people, efforts by some politicians in and outside the state to block the release of the bailout fund to the state He said it was sad that people who desire to govern the state would do things that were inimical to its workers. Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, Awoniyi said the bailout fund to states was a unique window by President Muhammadu Buhari, for state to access the loan at nine per cent interest with a 20 -year repayment period.

holders to reposition the party ahead of the general election in 2019. Dr Mohammed admonished members of PDP na-

Kogi State government, on Sunday, attributed its inability to meet all the legitimate expectations of the people of

the state to the lean resources available to it. Apart from this, it noted that about 127 per cent of the revenue accruing to it is being used to pay salaries of work-

Those that attended included the state governor, Idris Wada, who was represented by his deputy, who is also the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yomi Awoniyi, the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) candidate, Phillips Koleola, the National Conscience Party (NCP) candidate, Ibrahim Dangana, the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Enezi Ozigi,

and the candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Godwin Hussein. The project coordinator, Rev Father Leonard Odomeja , said the debate was a move to make the contestants interface with the electorate. He said 19 out of the 22 candidates were contacted for the debate, adding that the people acknowledged the invitation but didn’t know why they were absent. According to him, the

debate was an attempt to make the candidates answerable to the people as it afforded them the opportunity of informing the electorate about their manifesto and programmes. He stated that for those that had been in government before or currently in government, the debate would be a feedback mechanism as it gave them the opportunity of telling the people what they had been able to do.

Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

Audu, Salawu, 15 others shun governorship debate Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja Some candidates of the major political parties participating in the governorship election in Kogi State, including that of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Prince Abubakar Audu, his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Phillips Salawu, the All Grand Peoples Alliance, on Sunday, shunned a governorship debate organised by a coalition in the state. Out of the 22 political parties participating in the election, only four attended the debate organised by the Coalition for Popular Participation and Credible Election in Kogi State (CoPPCEK). The coalition consist of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JDPC), Lokoja and Idah, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Kogi State Council of Ulama and the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Kogi State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

I'm the best candidate —Audu Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu, on Sunday, said he was the most qualified person to solve the problems facing the state. He said having been around for sometime now, he is the most experienced of the people seeking to govern the state.

Audu said this at Ofu and Olamaboro Local Government areas of the state during his campaign towards the November 21 governorship election. According to him, this is the right time for the people of the state to have a sense of belonging and enjoy the dividends of democracy, lamenting that this might not be possible with the current crops of

Be neutral, lawmaker tells Buhari Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

Ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State, President Muhammadu Buhari ,has been implored to be neutral and not to take sides and keep to his faith. The Independent National Electoral Com-

He, however, lamented that the efforts were being delayed for workers to get their legitimate entitlements by some selfish politicians that were toying with the lives of the potential beneficiaries of the fund. He stated that the state government had met the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) conditions, which include, names of beneficiaries of the amount requested for, the Bank Verification Number (BVN) of all beneficiaries, and amount due to each worker, lamenting a situation where some politicians thought the money would be used for election. The deputy governor, who noted that many of

tionwide to rise up to the challenge of promoting and defending the interests of the party always, urging them to remain vigilant always.

Why people’s expectations are not fully met —Kogi govt

mission (INEC) ,has also been admonished to conduct a free and fair election that everybody would applaud. A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Sunday Karimi, who made this known on Sunday, urged President Buhari, to reiterate again

Bailout: Continued delay satanic —Kogi dep gov Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

He urged members of the committee to see the assignment as a call to duty and in furtherance of the ongoing moves by stake-

sure that our great party wins this election fair,” he said The PDP BoT boss said the committee would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the party won the forthcoming election in a manner that was clear and unequivocal based on the overwhelming support of the peace-loving people of Bayelsa State.

the workers voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the last presidential election, also described as sad efforts to delay what is due to the state and the workers. Awoniyi said the people of the state would see a renewed vigour on the part of the Idris Wada-led administration if re-elected in the completion of all ongoing projects and the commencement of new ones. The ongoing governorship campaign, Awoniyi explained, was more of a needs assessment, as it had enabled the governor to have a better understanding of the needs of the people, appealing to them to vote for the PDP.

his believe that he belongs to nobody but belonged to everybody. The two-term House of Representative member said that he had known President Buhari for long to be a transparent and truthful leader of the nation, believing that “ on the basis of this, he should not allow himself to be dragged into politics of winning at all cost, in fact, he should be neutral as the father of the nation”

leadership in the state. The former governor stated that the APC represents development and was poised to replicate this at the 21 local government areas of the state. Speaking at Ofu, Audu urged the people not to entertain fear any longer, as his blueprints that would turn things around in the state was ready and waiting to be implemented to transform the state once voted into power on November 21. He said, “Today in the civil service, you are hearing of percentage payment, promotion without cash backing and non-payment of salary, it is very disheartening. I assure workers of full pay and no retrenchment, including payment of all their arrears, if I am voted.” Condemning the deplorable state of many feeder and main link roads in Ofu and Olamaboro, he assured the people of the areas of quick intervention, if he wins the election.

ers, lamenting that this had negatively affected the development of other sectors. The state deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi, said this while appraising the administration of Capt Idris Wada, in the last three and a half years While noting that aside the cost of running government, educational and health institutions, government, he added, was also committed to the payment of counterpart fund to national and international agencies and organisations with the aim of further developing the state. According to him, government had also invested heavily on peace and security, describing it as a priceless but costliest item that people did not take note of. Awoniyi explained that Kogi State is bounded by nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a development that makes the state vulnerable to security challenges, saying that Wada’s prudent management of resources had made the state one of the most relatively peaceful in the country. The deputy governor said the efforts to complete all inherited projects and commence new ones across the state had been the hallmark of the current administration in the state. Awoniyi listed the re-development of Kogi Hotels, the establishment of a bus station terminal in Felele, the ongoing construction of the major arterial road in Lokoja with good drainage, street light and sidewalks and the ongoing Otokiti – Ganaja bye pass, to reduce congestion in the metropolis as some of the efforts of government to improve infrastructure. He, therefore, appealed to the electorate ahead of the November 21 governorship election, adding that another opportunity would enable Wada consolidate on the good works he had started.

PDP raises the alarm over destruction of billboards in Bayelsa By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare The Restoration Campaign Organisaation has raised the alarm over destruction of its campaign billboards and pole fliers in Bayelsa State by touts suspected to be members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and has called for timely intervention by security agencies. The campaign organisation in a release signed by its Director of Publicity, Jonathan Obuebite and made available to newsmen over the weekend, said the

call became imperative so as to avoid political clash in the state, describing the development as disheartening and uncalled for. According to the release, most of the billboards erected by the ruling party in the state have been defaced while many were out rightly damaged by people identified as APC faithful. "Over 70 per cent of our billboards in some communities in the state, to be precise, Kpansia, Agudama, Ovom and Igbogene have been defaced by the sus-

pected members of APC. "It will be recalled that during the week, suspected members of the opposition party attacked the convoy of the state governor, Seriake Dickson, during his community to community campaign tour in Swali, Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. "This development lend credence to our position that APC is not ready for the contest, rather, its members are looking for means to provoke us, so that there will be crisis in the state."

44 news

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Court orders Sunny Odogwu to repay N26.2bn loan to Diamond Bank Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos

USTICE Saliu Salisu of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has ordered a businessman, Chief Sunny Odogwu and his two companies: Robert Dyson & Diket Limited, and SIO Properties

‘Rehabilitation education makes vulnerable people self-sufficient

Limited to pay N26.2 billion to Diamond Bank Plc for failing to repay a loan obtained from the bank eight years ago. The judge also granted Diamond Bank’s reliefs seeking foreclose and selling of Luxury Collection Hotels and Apartments, formerly Le Meridian Grand Tower, located on 31-35, Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos, belonging to Odogwu. It will be recalled that the plaintiff, (Diamond Bank Plc) had in a suit filed before the court by its lawyer, Oluwakemi Balogun, urged the court to compel Odogwu and his companies to pay

N26,229,943,035.22, they obtained from the bank to construct the above-named hotel in Lagos. Also joined as co-defendants in the debt recovery suit are the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), The Registrar of Title, Federal Land Registry and Leadway Trustees Limited as fourth, fifth and sixth defendants, respectively. The plaintiff in an affidavit in support of the suit sworn to by Fanen Shambe, the bank’s Relationship Manager, averred that sometime in 2007, SIO Properties Limited and Chief Odogwu, on behalf of Robert Dyson

& Diket Limited Company, approached the bank and required huge finance to be applied and disbursed as at when due for their project called Luxury Collection Hotels and Apartments, formerly Le Meridian Grand Tower, to be constructed at 31-35, Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the name of SOI Properties Limited of which Chief Odogwu is the chairman and beneficial majority owner. The deponent also asserted that Chief Odogwu, convened through the SIO Properties Limited to execute third party legal mortgage in favour of Diamond

Bank Plc, over the said property as a security for the facility availed them by the bank, adding that SIO Properties Limited, by a letter and a board resolution affirmed the said covenant to the bank. Shambe stated further that it was upon a duly executed agreement that the bank granted the Chief Odogwu and the two companies the loan in form of a bridge finance to the said N26, 229,943,035.22. He added that he believed that the defendants are insolvent, otherwise bankrupt and unable to meet their financial obligation.

By Kehinde Adio WORRIED by the increasing numbers of people with special needs on Nigerian streets, begging for alms, experts in special education in the country, have appealed to Nigerian government at all levels to invest more in rehabilitation education of such people in the society. The experts made the appeal at the biennial conference organised by School of Special Education, Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, held recently. According to them, the development would go a long way to take beggars off the streets in the country. The dean of the school, Alhaji Dauda Adediran, in his welcome address, stated that the need to empower vulnerable youths and adults in the society, could not be overemphasised in the ongoing economic and social change policy process of the government, stressing that people with special needs must not be neglected. “This year’s conference was focused on the need to create options or provide opportunities for persons with special needs to have a share in the ongoing government youths and adults economic empowerment process. In view of this, rehabilitation of this vulnerable people in Nigeria has become inevitable going by the intolerable nuisance they are constituting in the society,” he said.

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola (first in line); Speaker, House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam (left) and others, during the inspection of the ongoing construction of the Osun Assembly pavilion, at the House of Assembly Complex, Osogbo, at the weekend.

Nothing will stall completion of our projects —Aregbesola Oluwole Ige - Osogbo Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, at the weekend, said nothing would stall the completion of any project, including the mega schools embarked on by his administration. The governor, who gave the assurance during an unscheduled inspection tour of the ongoing construction sites of Ilesa High School, also directed all the contractors of the ultra-modern schools across the state, to accelerate work in their var-

ious sites. Aregbesola noted that it would be unfortunate and regrettable if the contractors handling school projects failed to complete and handover the schools to the state within the agreed period. He added that schools under construction were financed with the Sukuk bond, saying there was no justification for the contractors not to accelerate work pace. The governor, who had earlier also visited Commu-

nity Elementary/Middle School, Dada Estate; Osogbo High School; Ataoja School of Science; Osogbo and New Model High school in Ede, cautioned contractors against slow pace of work, noting that despite the financial meltdown, his administration was poised to fulfill its electioneering promises. While charging the contractors to keep the contractual agreement with the state government by using the recommended materials for the school building proj-

ects, Aregbesola contended that government would not shift ground on the set requirement for the projects. The governor frowned on the contractors handling Osogbo and Ilesa High schools, lamenting that the pace of work by the contractors was too slow, as most of the expected works at the sites, were not encouraging. On Osogbo High School, he said, “what I met here today was not impressive at all and I am disappointed at the snail pace of work on this site.”

Industrial Court threatens to commit ASUU president to prison if... Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba THE National Industrial Court sitting in Enugu has threatened to commit the national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr

Nasir Fagge to prison for disobedience of court order by not allowing the chairman of the Delta University, Abraka, Professor Abel Diakparomre to function in office. Professor Abel Diakparomre, had on behalf of the

chapter, dragged Dr Fagge and the national body of the union to court for not recognising him as the duly elected chairman of the chapter. The court, had in the suit No. NICN/ABJ/44/2014, restrained Fagge and ASUU from conducting a bye-elec-

tion into the chairmanship position of ASUU chapter, Delta State University Abraka or appointing anybody in acting capacity. In the order of interim injunction given by president of the National Industrial Court, Justice B. A Adejumo

and renewed by the Presiding Judge of the Industrial Court, Justice Auwal Ibrahim, the court said Fagge would be guilty of contempt of court and shall be liable to be sent to prison unless he obeyed the orders of the court.

Nigerian muslim women hold national confab Shola Adekola - Lagos DEPUTY governor of Lagos State, Dr Mrs Idiat Oluranti Adebule is expected to lead other muslim women across the country to the eighth biennial national conference of the Criterion (an association of Muslim women in business and other professions) coming up in Abuja, between November 18 and 21, 2015. In a statement jointly signed by the National Amirah and the National Public Relations Officer of the association, Dr Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi and Hajia Shakirat Abdulmajeed, respectively, the association explained that Dr Adebule would be the special guest of honour at the conference themed: ‘Challenges of Globalisation on Muslims’ Dr Abdulbaqi said, the choice of the theme was informed by the fact that the linkage of the world via information and communication technology and its spiral effect on all citizens of the world, called for a concerted effort to attain a knowledge of reality through common reflection and action, in order to make informed contributions towards self and global development.

Jigawa introduces bio-metric attendance register machine Adamu Amadu - Dutse JIGAWA State governor, Muhammad Abubakar Badaru, has announced his administration’s intention to introduce biometric machine to check late coming and absenteeism among the state civil servants, with a view to enhancing productivity and punctuality in the state civil service. The governor, who made the disclosure recently at public function, at the Government House in Duste, said the present administration would not condone late coming and absenteeism from any worker at whatever level. Alhaji Badaru Abubakar explained that salaries and other workers welfare would promptly be maintained for civil service in the state, noting that “so we will not tolarate any habit of truancy in a place of work.”

Monday, 9 November, 2015

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Queen, Cameron honour Britain’s war dead

he Queen has led tributes to the United Kingdom’s war dead at the annual Remembrance Sunday service in central London. The monarch, Prime Minister David Cameron and the other main political party leaders all laid wreaths. According to BBC, thousands gathered at the Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall for a two-minute silence to honour those killed in World Wars One and Two and later conflicts. Events have also taken place around the UK, including in Edinburgh, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon laid a wreath. This year’s service at the Cenotaph was shorter than in previous years, in an effort to reduce the amount of time war veterans are made to stand. However, plans to make political leaders lay wreaths together in order to save time were dropped after some politicians argued they were being overlooked.

The Queen was joined by royals including the Duke of York, Prince William and Prince Harry at the wreathlaying ceremony. Mr Cameron was the first politician to step forward, followed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Previous prime ministers John Major, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair also paid their respects, along with religious ministers, military leaders and dignitaries from around the Commonwealth. In the crowd, a young girl dressed in red applauded. By the Cenotaph, a veteran in a wheelchair wearing medals and with a blanket, saluted. They were just two of the many participants who had gathered before a structure which was meant to have been temporary when it was first constructed in 1919. The wood and plaster of the original has been replaced by this permanent Portland stone memorial. It’s where monarchs have come, each year, to lead the

nation’s tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for the UK’s involvement in conflicts from World War One to Afghanistan. The ceremony, which has

changed little down the decades, was slightly shorter. This was in recognition of the advancing ages of the Queen, Prince Philip and many of the veterans.

Politicians including Jeremy Corbyn (centre) and Prime Minister David Cameron (right) are pictured with wreaths at the Whitehall service. PHOTO: THE PICTURE LIB LTD

Myanmar polls close as citizens vote in freest elections in decades

Silence: The Queen laid a wreath of poppies at the base of the Cenotaph in central London as she led a national act of remembrance. PHOTO: GOFFPHOTOS.COM

Obama, Netanyahu meet today, seek to move past clash over Iran

President Obama (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during their last meeting in Jerusalem.

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek to move beyond the nasty public clash over the Iran nuclear deal and restore a more transactional approach to the United States-Israeli relationship, including delicate conversa-

tions about possible expansion of military aid when they meet in Washington today (Monday). Though they have sharply differing views on how to handle the current geopolitics of the Middle East and a history of sour relations, The Washington

Post said Obama and Netanyahu both are looking to set a course for the last year of the Obama presidency, which will also represent another critical period for Israeli security. The leaders plan to discuss how to counter Iranian aid to Hezbol-

lah and Hamas; the Russian and Iranian efforts to prop up Syrian President Bashar ¬al-Assad; and steps that might demonstrate Netanyahu’s commitment to a twostate solution even in the absence of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

otherNEWS

US expresses growing confidence bomb downed Russian plane The United States appears to be increasingly confident that a terrorist bomb brought down the Russian passenger jet that broke apart over Egypt, CNN reported on Sunday. The growing belief was indicated by several senior U.S. officials in the intelligence, military and

Some of the 215 civilians abducted in February 2015 were elderly women. PHOTO: ASSYRIAN NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS/AL JAZEERA

national security community who spoke to CNN on Saturday. One official said it was “99.9 per cent certain,” another said it was “likely.” The remarks are stronger than those made by President Barack Obama on Thursday when he said

there was “a possibility” a bomb was on Metrojet Flight 9268, which disintegrated over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, killing all 224 people aboard. The view also contrasts with the cautious stance taken by Egyptian officials, who are in charge

of the main investigation into the air crash and insist that no conclusion has been reached yet. “All the scenarios are out on the table,” Ayman al-Muqaddam, the head of the investigation, told reporters Saturday. “We don’t know what happened exactly.”

U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter. PHOTO: AP.

Myanmar citizens voted on Sunday in a landmark election as the party of veteran democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi, seeks a bigger role in the political process. Billed as the freest elections in the country in a quarter-century, CNN said a majority of parliament seats for Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, would weaken the military’s grip. In Yangon, the country’s largest city, people lined up at polling stations before sunrise. The long wait was a cause for concern for Aung Kyaw San, an election observer for the National Youth Congress, a civil society group. “It isn’t right for someone to have to wait more than one hour in line to vote,” he said. Hlaing Myint, a sales manager, waited for five hours, but said it was worth it. “This is the only way to change things,” he said. He said the new government’s focus should be on improving education, health care and economic growth. “And we need law and order,” he added.

Islamic State frees 37 Assyrian Christians in Syria The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has released 37 Assyrian Christians from the towns of Tal Shiram and Tal Jazira, according to a monitoring group. The Assyrian Human

Rights Network, which has been monitoring the negotiations since the 215 civilians were abducted by ISIL in February, said on Saturday that 37 Assyrians have been released and are in good health and shape.

Al Jazeera said the abductions were reported after ISIL fighters seized two Assyrian villages from Kurdish forces along the Khabur River in the province of Hasakah in February 2015. “Most of the Assyrians

released are of old age. They have arrived to Tal Tamer on a bus and were welcomed by the priest of the Saints Church in Tal Tamer in Hasakah province,” the Assyrian Human Rights Network said in its report.

Votes are counted in an unfinished building being used as a polling station in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP.

46 tribunesport

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

A rugby action recorded recently

Black Stallions lands in South Africa for Olympic qualifiers

By Ahmed Pele

By Niyi Alebiosu The Nigeria Rugby Senior National team also know as the Black Stallions has arrived Johannesburg, South Africa for the Rio 2016 Olympics qualifiers. 7 home based players and 4 officials departed Lagos aboard a Kenyan Airways. The delegation was led by President of the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation, Edward Pam Fom alongside the Vice President, Fasimoye Olatunji, Bandele Coker (Technical Adviser) and Bukola Bojuwoye (Team Doctor) as part of the delegation. Meanwhile, Head coach, Fabian Juries and all invited foreign players will join the team today for the 5 days training ahead of the qualifiers which get underway on 14th &15th of November 2015. Speaking with Tribunesport after their last training session on Saturday, the Technical Director of the Federation, Tunji Fasimoye revealed his optimism that the team will do well and might probably surprise the World. He thanked CMB Building Maintenance & Inv Co. Ltd for their unflinching support in making sure that funds were provided for the federation to facilitate their trip. In his words, Fasimoye said, “Special kudos must go to Kelechi Mbagwu, Chairman, CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Company Limited for his support.” “We went to Zambia for the Cup 1C and Togo for the pre-Olympics qualifiers earlier this year with little or no support from the National Sports Commission, CMB came to our rescue and provided the necessary financial backing to make it possible”.

Nigerian wins World Scrabble championship

Sprite Triple Slam storms Rivers State

36-year-old Nigerian man, Wellington Jighere, has taken out the World Scrabble Championship held in Perth. About 450 Scrabble players came from around the world to compete in the tournament that has seen its first African player crowned the world champion. Jighere took on dark horse Lewis Mackay, 30, from Cambridge, England, in the final round of the competition after many heated rounds of competition. Jighere’s good luck charm was a cowboy hat that he wore as he played and won the final game with 448 points to Mackay’s 426. Gainlier, avouched and guiro were among the words used in the

final game. The highest-placed Australians were Craig Beevers, who came in ninth, Russell Honeybun in 31st place and Daniel Piechnick in 55th

place. The current world number one is New Zealand player Nigel Richards who placed eighth in the competition.

Jighere (left) taking on an opponent during the championship.

Students of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) over the weekend got an opportunity to be part of the exciting Sprite Triple Slam campus activation. The activation, which is a unique and an exciting platform that combines the three exciting elements of Basketball, Music and Dance, drew a massive number of students who participated actively in the event. Speaking at the event, Senior Brand Manager, Flavours, CocaCola Nigeria Limited, Toyin Nnodi, expressed delight at the impressive turnout of students, , and noted that this was driven by the Sprite brand’s ability to truly connect with Nigerian teens. Nnodi said, “The last few weeks have been a truly interesting experience as we’ve travelled round the country to different Nigerian campuses. We’ve been to five Universities thus far and the Sprite Triple Slam train is now here in Port Harcourt to give campus students the opportunity to enjoy the same unique experience and connect with brand Sprite. Beside the high level of engagement and excitement we’ve seen here today, I’m impressed by the great show of skill, dexterity and talent Port Harcourt students have shown here today. Commending Sprite for bringing the activation to their campus, the students remarked that the memories from the Sprite Triple Slam event will linger for a very long time as it was the most creative show they have had in a long time. “Dance is one way I express myself”, remarked 23-year-old Gbarane Baggha Mercy, who had the audience applauding her costume and dance performance as she stepped on stage for her performance.. “I appreciate Sprite for giving me yet another opportunity to do what I love doing best.”

I’m a staunch supporter of Enugu Rangers —NYSC DG By Nurudeen Alimi

Olawumi

DESPITE the love for foreign football clubs by soccer-loving Nigerians, The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brogadier General Johnson Olawumi, has said he remains a staunch supporter of Rangers Football Club of Enugu. The NYSC boss, while speaking with Tribunesport in Sagamu during his visit to the NYSC camp last week informed that he grew up supporting the club when he was living in Akure. “I used to travel from Akure to Enugu to watch Rangers play, that

is to tell you how much I love the club and this can not be unconnected with the fact that they play good football. If you are someone who appreciates good football, there is no way you will not love Rangers Football Club. “Beyond that, we must have confidence in anything about our country. The way some people follow Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and host of other foreign clubs, I follow Rangers with the same passion here to the extent that each time Rangers wins it affect my mood positively as I am always happy upon hearing the news”.

Olawumi, however, advised football fans to try as much as possible to have confidence in indigenous football clubs, saying:”What I am trying to coney is that whatever that is giving the fans of those European clubs joy and happiness can be reciprocated here. “We too can make ourselves happy by giving our own football clubs the neccessary support they needed. If those out there did not support their teams very well, I am very sure that nobody will be chanting the names of Liverpool Real Madrid and the likes today. By and large, We must be proud of our country and whatever that comes out of it”. He posited.

tribunesport

Monday, 9 November, 2015

Chelsea players drum up support for Mourinho C helsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic says manager Jose Mourinho has the players’ support and is the right man to revive their fortunes. The Blues lost 0-1 at Stoke City on Saturday, a third straight Premier League defeat and are 16th on the Premier League table. Mourinho, 52, missed the game as he served a onematch stadium ban. “We are behind the manager - you can see that from our performances,” said exStoke player Begovic. “We think he is the right man and someone we work hard for. His spirit and his presence is always there. We wanted to get a result for him.” Reigning champions Chelsea are just three points above the relegation zone after losing seven of their 12 league games. Chelsea started last season brilliantly and had scored 30 goals after 12 league games. Twelve months on, they have struck the net a mere 16 times after the same number of matches. According to former England striker Alan Shearer, it is their failings in front of goal which are damaging them. “Stoke were brilliant but a

massive problem for Chelsea is scoring goals,” he said on Match of the Day. “There were not enough questions being asked of the Stoke back four and they were very, very comfortable. “There was not enough

running from Chelsea people were going towards the ball rather than in behind. It was far too easy for Stoke to defend. That all changed when Loic Remy came on but before that it was just too easy for Stoke to defend against.”

Fulham sacks manager after Birmingham defeat Fulham have sacked manager Kit Symons after Saturday’s 5-2 home defeat

Mourinho

by Birmingham left the club 12th in the Championship table. Symons, 44, took charge in October 2014 after the departure of Felix Magath and leaves the club eight points short of the play-off places. Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said: “It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our manager and our players.” A search for a new man-

ager has begun. With Championship clubs now on an international break, Fulham’s next game is at MK Dons on Saturday, 21 November. Symons won 22 of his 64 games in charge of the Cottagers and steered the club to a 17th-placed finish last season. He is the seventh manager to leave his job in the Championship since the start of the season.

Symons

TP Mazembe wins 2015 CAF Champions League trophy TP Mazembe claimed glory at the 2015 CAF Champions League on Sunday, after sealing a 4-1 aggregate victory over a weakened USM Alger in the final of Africa’s most prestigious club competition. Following their 2-1 away victory in Bologhine in the first leg, the ‘Ravens’ enjoyed a 2-0 win in

front of their home crowd in the return clash Sunday afternoon, courtesy of second-half goals from Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire internationals Mbwana Samatta and Roger Assale. Mazembe were by far the better of the two sides in the first 30 minutes of the game, dominating

Djokovic beats Murray to third straight Paris Masters

Djokovic

Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray 6-2, 6-4 to win the Paris Masters for the third straight year and a record fourth time, dominating the secondseeded Briton from the outset in a one-sided final that saw Murray on the back foot throughout. The top-ranked Serb was largely untroubled clinching his 10th title of the season — four ahead of Roger Federer and six more than Murray.

It was the 58th title of his glittering career and 26th in Masters events, two more than Federer and one behind leader Rafael Nadal. Djokovic also extended his winning streak to 22 matches, and will be odds-on favourite to make it 11 titles for 2015 by winning the season-ending ATP finals for the fourth straight time when that tournament starts in London on Nov. 15.

possession against a wellorganized Algerian outfit who were trying to catch the locals out on the counterattack. However, the Congolese failed to convert their many opportunities, lacking efficiency in front of goal. USMA played with a bit more enthusiasm towards the break under the guidance of Zineddine Ferhat, but made too many technical mistakes in the final third of the pitch to threaten Robert Kidiaba. The second period began a more balanced affair between the two clubs, but we had to wait until the 62nd minute to witness the first clear-cut chance of the game when Adama Traore failed to break the deadlock with only Mansouri to

beat. But it was just a matter of time for Patrice Carteron’s men, with Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta putting his side ahead from the penalty spot on 74 minutes, following a contact between Farouk Chafai and Roger Assale inside the box. Substitute Rachid Nadji came very close to equalizing ten minutes later, but it was the locals who ultimately added to USMA’s misery through Roger Assale in added time, after another great move from Samatta. The DR Congo giants could start celebrating seconds from the final whistle, as Zineddine Ferhat was walking out after receiving his marching orders in a tense environment.

SIDELINES

no 16,366

MONDAY, 9 november, 2015

E Nigerians keep on living in interesting times. No matter how hard things are with us we keep on making admirable attempts to pluck up our hearts to pluck off something and something from them – I mean from the hard things of our hard times. Indeed, our plucky hearts in the face of difficulties always stand us in good stead. This spirit which moves us to labour with joy in the face of more than a handful of chaos and danger must be one of the prime reasons we have been recognised as the happiest people on planet earth. Whether the evidence for this recognition and label is very visible or not, we must admit that our nature and characteristic as Nigerians invent for us the spirit of a people no hardship can consign to the frontiers of helpless agony. Of course, when those who label us as voiced above insist on their label, they tend, it seems, to play down the spirit of contradiction that our laws and customs as disparate Nigerians invent for us. Thus, the hope gambolling from our difficulties in our peculiar, special experience as Nigerians of different nationalities fused together by the Brits to further (for us) our unique national humanity cannot but give us the prime pleasure for many generations. In other words, as Nigerians who are members of mankind, our quest for the beautiful, progress, the delightful, the nice, the healthy, the good, the straight can only be achieved if we teach ourselves, or, we are taught by our political leaders to believe and accept that it is only through our exhibition of joy in the face of our hard Nigerian lot that we can become crags-people struggling splendidly upward. Our humanity, at least as Nigerians, must be tied to this sound political doctrine. In fact, our political leaders over the years have, in different guises, tended to make us accept this political doctrine without qualms. We must carry it in us as a deeply-held belief. But President Muhammadu Buhari in the five months or so of his presidency is ramming this into us – unlike any of our past leaders – not just as an article of faith but

n150

In the country called Turkey, the large bird we all know as turkey is called hindi. In India it is known as Peru. In Arabic it is called Greek Chicken while in Greece it is called French Chicken. In France it is called Indian chicken. Thank God turkey is a delicacy and not something negative, otherwise giving it a name would have seemed like blackmail.

in&out with Tony Afejuku

08055213059

Ministers without ministries also as the real basis of our getting out of all our problems – political, economic, social, educational, moral, name it. To begin with in earnest, he is going to run his presidency with cabinet ministers who are not going to be cabinet ministers. To put it softly, not all his designated ministers will be ministers of the presidency. The reason is simple. The country is broke – according to the specious gospel of Mr. President. There is not enough money to run and oil thirty-six (or thirtyseven) ministries. In any case, the constitution does not spell it out in verbatim terms that there must be thirty-six (or thirty-seven) ministers and ministries. What the constitution prescribes in clear, precise terms is that there should be ministers of the above number to sit with the president when he presides over the meetings of the federal executive council. The president insists on his position as part of his own truthful political/ presidential doctrine which we must - not should – accept. No, I must tell Mr. President. I strongly disagree with you. You are our Public Mail Bag, and I must tell you the truth. Your specious offering is not in consonance with the spirit of the constitution. Which states does the president wish to short-change? A minister without a ministry is not a minister. A minister without a ministry is a ministerless minister. And a minister-less minister is simply ministry-less/office-less. Or, to say it softly and sweetly, a minister without a min-

Nigerians are groaning. A reduction of ministries will not, in any way, lead to the gradual amelioration of their hard human lot istry is simply a redundant ministerialist of our president’s presidency earning salaries and allowances he/she should not earn. Yet the country is broke. We didn’t vote PMB to do this to us. No state in the federation is going to be happy that a “minister” representing it in the presidency is ministry-less. This is the truth. Give each state a measure of its pride by apportioning it a minister with a ministry. Give each state some measure of joy and gladness with your just action in this direction. Nigerians are groaning. A reduction of ministries will not, in any way, lead to the gradual amelioration of their hard human lot. This is the truth. Your political/presidential doctrine, PMB, must be the one that must compel them, rightly, justly, to struggle joyfully from their low level, their low,

Falconets pick World Cup ticket Nigeria’s U-20 girls, Falconets fought hard and earned a ticket to the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday after beating South Africa 1-0 in Johannesburg. The fixture was delicately poised after the Basetsana got a penalty in added time that they scored in the first leg in Nigeria, reducing the Falconets win to 2-1. However, Falconets Coach, Peter Dedevbo’s gameplan worked as he sent out an attacking side at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa – venue of the Super Falcons’ triumph in the African Women Championship in 2004. Nigeria dominated the early exchanges and it was no surprise when striker Chinwendu Ihezuo (top scorer at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan) scored from a pull –out by defender Mary

Ologbosere in the 16th minute to increase the Falconets’ aggregate advantage. South Africa continued to fight but the Falconets held on till the end, and will be one of Africa’s two flagbearers at next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

At the end, Coach Dedevbo said: “Our ability on the African continent has never been in doubt. We had a gameplan and stuck to it till the end. “Our objective now should be to start preparing towards winning the World Cup next year.”

Enyimba wins record seventh Glo league title Enyimba won their seventh Globacom Premier League title after playing a goalless draw with Warri Wolves in a feisty contest decided in Aba on Sunday. The Peoples Elephant created the better of the opening exchanges but failed to put away any of the early chances at the Enyimba International Stadium. Both sides defended stoically when they

had to as the much-hyped Nigeria Globacom Premier League contest ended 0-0. Daniel Etor was sent off for an off-theball foul on Gbolahan Salami in the second half but Enyimba failed to get fazed by the numerical disadvantage to claim the point they needed to send their fans into wild jubilation.

craggy level, upward to the place of their picture of hope and real hope. Give Nigerians their real height of joy with your just, true, genuine sentiments and thoughts to uplift them – sentiments and thoughts that they must share with you. Nigerians have suffered for too long. This is the truth. Please don’t add to their trauma and ANGST. We are suffering. This is the truth. For how long are we to be patient? A cock that will crow well we know it long before it grows into a crowing cock. This is the truth. Give us what we voted for without more ado and without much ado. One day is a long time in politics. That’s what creative practical political practitioners say. Your presidency is long enough to give Nigerians positive magic and charm. And the Chibok Girls and Boko Haram? Remember your promise and give us among thirty-six or thirty-seven ministries - Ministry of Chibok Girls and Ministry of Boko Haram Affairs. And of course, as well, give us Ministry of Minorities. Give us, on the whole, ministries to stop millions of shocking deaths by unexpected/sudden violence and by agonies of prolonged exploitation, kidnapping and horribly dastardly schemes and scams. Or yours is not the messianic presidency? If the answer is a capital no, then we wait for what must be that must be. Last line: Watch out for “Prophetic offerings for President Buhari.”

RESULTS

Globacom Premier League Giwa FC 1 3SC

Kano Pillars

1 Akwa Utd

Dolphins

2 Heartland

FC Taraba

2 Abia Warriors

Lobi Stars

2 Rangers

Sharks

1 Kwara Utd

IfeanyiUbah

0 Nasarawa Utd

El-Kanemi

1 Wikki

Bayelsa Utd 1 Sunshine English Premier League Aston Villa 0 Man City

Arsenal

1 Tottenham

Liverpool

1 Crystal Palace

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. 9/11/2015.