NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,547
MONDAY, 18 JULY, 2016
www.tribuneonlineng.com
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The Nigerian economy:
Current issues and strategic options By Adeola Adenikinju THE Nigerian economy in the last few years has been going through some turbulence. A country that recorded an average GDP growth of 6.5 per cent, one of the highest in the world less than a decade ago, is now projected to grow at about 2.3 per cent in 2016. The implication is that per capita income growth may actually be negative with significant consequence on poverty, socio-economic welfare and employment. Not only GDP, other economic indicators have been on the southward trend with overall economic outlook generally negative. It was just one year ago that Nigerians were filled with hope and positive sentiments about the future with the inauguration of a new regime with promise of change. It is true that the current government cannot be blamed entirely for all the present socio-economic crises, some were
inherited like the effects of nauseating stories we are regularly regaled with about the massive looting of the economy under the past regime. Over the years, we had built an economic system that thrived on grafts and corruption. Some of the problems were exogenous, like the depressed world oil prices. However, blaming the past is not the solution and, increasingly, fewer people are buying the excuses of laying the blame for the present economic paralysis on the failures of the past regime. A government is elected to solve problems and improve the lives of its people. No excuse is good enough to justify non-performance. President Barack Obama, when he was elected in 2008, met the US economy on arguably its worst state since the Great Depression. Similarly, Prime Minister David Cameron of the UK inherited an economy that was almost prostrate. continues I pg17
How Lagos traditional ruler was kidnapped, shot wife recounts ordeal —P6
How security appointments were made —Presidency —P34
•Coup no longer acceptable —Buhari
—P4
Why NSA office paid me —Okupe •Accuses EFCC of leaking medical records—P32
Detention: Dasuki files N15bn suit against FG
•Demands release, public apology —P32
Chairman, African Union (AU) and President of Chad, Idriss Deby (right), with the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, holding their African passports, shortly after it was launched at the 27th AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sunday.
Many feared dead in Ogun, Ibadan road accidents —Pp 7 & 34
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
4 news
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Coup no longer acceptable —Buhari Leon Usigbe - Abuja
P
RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, vehemently condemned the abortive coup attempt in Turkey by a group of rebel army officers and men,
which resulted in the reported death of more than 200 people. Reacting to the tragic events in Ankara, Istanbul and other centres, through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba
Shehu, in Abuja, he said he was “deeply saddened by reports of a violent attempt to dismantle constitutional authority and disrupt the democratically elected government of Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.” He added: “The removal
of a democratic government by force is no longer acceptable. Violence can never solve any problem, but only complicates them and sets back the progress of democratic societies.” The president also noted that Erdogan was one of
Nigeria’s close international partners and sincere supporters in its current war against terrorism, adding that all should resist the “destabilisation of democratic countries through coups d’état in the 21st century.” According to the president, “democracy provides peaceful options of changing governments through the ballot box. The ballot box doesn’t require violence to remove any government perceived to have lost its popularity and public sup-
port. Despite its limitations, democracy is still better and more durable than a violent change of government.” The president praised the courage and immediate response of ordinary citizens, who in face of guns and tanks, defied the rebel soldiers and forced them to abandon their mad quest for power. Buhari called on the president of Turkey to pursue reconciliation and offered Nigeria’s support to the government and people of Turkey in their hour of trial.
Major-General drags army, Defence minister, CDS, COS to court over retirement Sunday Ejike - Abuja
From left, one of Mr Biodun Shobanjo’s sons, Tunde Shobanjo; Elder (Mrs) Inyang Anya; Professor Pat Utomi; Olufemi Shobanjo and the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the 2015 Annual Zik Prize Awards, during which Mr Shobanjo bagged the Zik Award for Professional Leadership, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently.
ONE of the Army Generals said to have been retired by the Army Council on June 9, 2016, Major-General Nwokoro Ijioma, has dragged the Nigerian Army, Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff to the National Industrial Court over his purported
Advertising titan, Biodun Shobanjo, bags 2015 Zik Leadership Award CHAIRMAN of Troyka Group and founding Chief Executive Officer, Insight Communications, Mr Biodun Shobanjo, has bagged the 2015 Zik Prize for Professional Leadership at an award ceremony organised by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC). Set up in 1994, the Zik Leadership Award is in honour of Nigeria’s first civilian president, Nnamdi Azikiwe and honours those in positions of authority who had distinguished themselves as exemplary leaders in Africa. Received by his sons, Tunde and Olufemi Shobanjo, the award is in recognition of his outstanding achievements and immense contributions to the development and growth of the Marketing Communications Industry and indeed, the Nigerian economy. Delivering the welcome address, chairman on the occasion, Major-General Ike Nwachukwu (retd), described the late Azikiwe as a selfless leader, who gave everything for the development of Nigeria and the African continent. He enjoined all present to draw inspiration from the country’s founding fathers in order to reposition Nigeria for greater heights. Born over 70 years ago, Mr Shobanjo is one of Nigeria’s finest marketing com-
munications practitioners, who has made phenomenal contributions to the Marketing Communications Industry in Nigeria over the last four decades. He is reputed to be one of those who changed the face of advertising in Nigeria. Mr Shobanjo’s advertising career started at the then American-owned Grant Advertising, which he joined as an Account Executive Trainee in November 1971. He rose rapidly to become its Deputy Managing Director in 1976, a position he occupied until December 1979 when he left to co-found
Insight Communications in January 1980. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the company for 25 years, a position from which he stood down at the end of December 2004. Today, he is the chairman of Troyka Holdings, Nigeria’s largest and most innovative Integrated Marketing Communications group in sub-Sahara Africa, with businesses in marketing communications, resource management and asset protection. Some of these companies include Insight Communications, All Seasons Media and Media Perspec-
tives (both Media Independents); Optimum Exposures (Nigeria’s leading out-ofhome ad company); The Quadrant Company ( PR Consultancy), Hot Sauce (Digital Marketing);Black Onyx Properties (Real Estate), and Halogen Security (Asset Protection and Resource Management). Mr Shobanjo holds the Certificate of the British Institute of Public Relations, London, as well as the Certificate of the British Institute of Marketing. He is a Chartered Member of the British Institute of Public Relations (CMIPR);
Chartered Member of the British Institute of Marketing (CM Inst. M); Member, International Advertising Association; Fellow, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); Fellow, Commonwealth Journalists Association, and past President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Over the years, Mr Shobanjo has won numerous awards for integrity and professional excellence, as an outstanding entrepreneur, a notable corporate leader, role model and an inspiring Nigerian.
compulsory retirement from the Nigerian Army. In an originating summons filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome on his behalf, MajorGeneral Ijioma wants the court to declare his purported compulsory retirement from the services of the Nigerian Army, vide letter dated 9th June, 2016, entitled, “Compulsory retirement NA Officer Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma (N/8304)” pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 09.02c(4) of the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers of the Armed Forces (HTACOS) 2012 Revised, did not follow due process and is consequently illegal, invalid, wrongful, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever”. He prayed the court for an order setting aside the letter of compulsory retirement issued by the army council, purportedly retiring him from the services with effect from June 9, 2016 and an order directing his immediate reinstatement to his rank and payment of all entitlements and perquisites of office due to him.
Call for Ekiti APC chairman’s arrest: Fayose jittery — APC Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described Governor Ayodele Fayose’s call on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to arrest the party’s chairman, Olajide Awe, as a deliberate plot to distract the attention of Ekiti people from various criminal allegations against the governor. A statement by the publicity secretary of Ekiti APC, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, on Sunday, said “the party would have kept quiet over the governor’s
call, but decided to react for the purpose of the innocent public who had become victims of Fayose’s ‘unconscionable mischief’ to get away with his many misdeeds.” Olatunbosun claimed that “several of APC members listed for arrest were victims of trumped-up charges to take them out of circulation,” saying “of interest was Awe, who was not in his town on the day that violence that led to the death one man erupted.” Olatunbosun said in the statement: “This is the same way Sola Adenijo, Olanbiwonnu Metilo, Niyi
Adedipe and several others were implicated over Omolafe Aderiye’s murder and they are still in jail over offences they knew nothing about just because Fayose had the support of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to brutalise the opposition in Ekiti State. “The personal assistant to the late Omolafe, Gbolahan Okeowo, had since approached the court, swearing to an affidavit that he was forced by Fayose’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ajayi Owoseni and media aide, Lere Olayinka, to implicate
the innocent men in the murder of his boss,” Olatunbosun explained. He berated the governor for “the hasty manner he urged the police to arrest APC members.” He said “all the cases he listed in his letter to the IGP are already in court, while some of the accused had been granted bail.” He also alleged that the governor was “up to a mischief to cover his tracks,” saying “it is evidently clear that Fayose is trying to cover something, but we are assuring him that no matter how much he tries, the long arms of the law
will catch up with him and his team. “Fayose is looking for cheap distraction now that APC is asking for prosecution of his partners in crime, particularly the criminals in his government.” Last Thursday, the Ekiti State government said it had written to the IGP and demanded that the APC chairman, Chief Jide Awe be arrested and brought to book for a murder in which he was allegedly involved, while also calling for the prosecution of 13 other members of the party it alleged were wanted for murder.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
RETURNS ON SOURCES OF FUND SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 15-07-2016 S/NO.
SOURCE 1 CORONATION MERCHANT BANK
DATE OF FUND PURCHASED
EXCHANGE RATE
AMOUNT PURCHASED ($)
11-Jul-16
282.50
1,000,000.00
2 CBN
12-Jul-16
282.00
10,000,000.00
3 CITIBANK
13-Jul-16
283.75
4 UNUTILIZED REPURCHASE
14-Jul-16
283.17
2,000,000.00 162,753.60
5 ORDINARY DOMICILLIARY PURCHASED
14-Jul-16
282.00
40,000.00
6 SHELL NIGERIA
14-Jul-16
283.42
15,000,000.00
7 EXPORT PROCEEDS
15-Jul-16
282.00
373,500.00 28,576,253.60
TOTAL
RETURNS ON UTILIZATION OF FUND SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY, 08-07-2016 S/NO.
CUSTOMER/FXPD/NON-FXPD
ITEM OF IMPORT
DATE OF FUND PURCHASED
EXCHANGE RATE
AMOUNT SOLD ($)
136 ADEGUNWA ISMAIL
PTA
12-Jul-16
284.25
66,400.00
137 ADELANA ABIOLA OLUWAYEMISI
PTA
12-Jul-16
2 PEUGEOT AUTOMOBILE NIGERIA LTD
15 UNITS OF SKD-11(DKD) 508 ALLURE FOR PEUGEOT VEHICLES
12-Jul-16
282.50
328,310.82
3 TECHNOLOGY EDGE & ENGR. CON
ACCOMODATION
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,581.95
138 ADELORE ADERONKE MODUPE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,000.00
4 STERLING BANK PLC
ACL ANALYTICSCLIENT SUBSCRIPTION
14-Jul-16
139 ADENIKE ADEBUSOLA ADENUGA
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
5 NYCIL LIMITED
ACRYLIC ACID
140 ADEWOLE ADEKUNLE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000.00
141 ARIYIBI OLALEKAN OLUSOLA
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
142 ASHWIN S DAYALANI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
143 JEGEDE FAITH OLUWADARASIMI
PTA
12-Jul-16
144 JEGEDE TEMILOLA OLUWAFUNMIKE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,500.00
145 LATA ASHWIN DAYALANI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
1 NYCIL LIMITED
TRIETHYLENE TETRAMINE
13-Jul-16
283.50
14,594.71
12-Jul-16
282.50
36,160.00
6 BENEGINES BUSINESS ENT. LTD
AGRICULTURAL GRINDING MILLS
12-Jul-16
282.50
626.30
7 GODY JONAS ENT LTD
AGRICULTURAL GRINDING MILLS
12-Jul-16
282.50
818.68
8 D2H SERVICES LTD
AGRICULTURAL GRINDING MILLS
12-Jul-16
282.50
148,488.00
9 D2H SERVICES LTD
AGRICULTURAL GRINDING MILLS COMPLET WITH PRIME MOVERS
12-Jul-16
282.50
339.48
10 BENEGINES BUSINESS ENT. LTD
282.50
785.12
282.50 282.50
282.50
4,000.00 2,000.00
4,000.00 1,500.00
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND SPARES
12-Jul-16
11 QUALITEC INDUSTRIES LTD
ALUMINUM PLAIN COILS
13-Jul-16
284.25
96,000.00
12 MEGA PLASTICS INDUSTRY LTD
ARTIFICIAL RESINS
13-Jul-16
284.25
108,469.78
13 SACVIN NIGERIA LTD
ASSORTED COLOURS OF MASTER-BATCHES
12-Jul-16
282.50
42,360.00
148 OGUNRINDE DAVID OLUSEYI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
14 BINANI PRINTING PRESS LIMITED
AUTOMATIC EXERCISE BOOK MAKING MODEL
12-Jul-16
282.50
200,000.00
149 OLADIPUPO ABIODUN
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
15 BINANI PRINTING PRESS LIMITED
AUTOMATIC EXERCISE BOOK MAKING MODEL
13-Jul-16
284.25
100,000.00
150 OLUBOBOLA BOLAJI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000.00
146 MUDATHIR LAWAL 147 OGUNBIYI ALEXANDER AKINWUNMI
PTA PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,500.00
282.50
2,500.00
2,000.00
16 CELPLAS INDUSTRIES NIG. LTD
BALL POINT
282.50
20,190.00
151 OYETAYO OYERIIIKE
PTA
12-Jul-16
17 CONOIL PLC
BASEOIL
12-Jul-16
282.50
28,061.37
152 ROJUGBOKAN FOLASHADE OLUBUNMI / ROJUGBOKAN ADEBAYO OLORUNWA
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,500.00
18 JRHZINONE CO LTD
BLENDER FAN PARTS
12-Jul-16
282.50
30,136.32
153 SOLA AINA ORIOLA
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
19 POLY PRODUCTS NIGERIA LTD
BOTTLE MOULDS AND SPARE PARTS
13-Jul-16
284.25
71,700.00
154 TIJANI BABATUNDE ADEMOLA / TIJANI TAIRAT BOLANLE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
155 TIJANI FEYISIKE TITILAYO / TIJANI TAIRAT BOLANLE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
156 TIJANI TAIRAT BOLANLE
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
157 ABIODUN ADEROJU
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
158 ABIOYE OLUWAFEMI
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
159 ADERONKE ADEOLA
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
160 ADETUNJI ADERIBIGBE
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
161 AMUSAN MUBARAK AYOMIDE
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
1,000.00
162 AMUSAN MULIKAT ADEFUNKE
PTA
13-Jul-16
163 BABATOPE ABIOLA OLUBUNMI
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
164 BABATOPE MOSES OLUMUYIWA AYODELE
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
165 BABATOPE OLUWASEYI
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
12-Jul-16
282.50
64,080.00
21 MANCHESTER INDUSTRIES LTD
CABLE MAKING MACHINE COMPLETE
12-Jul-16
282.50
100,000.00
22 AARTI ROLLING MILLS LTD
CAPITAL MACHINERY -VARIOUS COMPONENTS
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,966.76 60,085.24
20 NYCIL LIMITED
BUTYL ACRYLATE
12-Jul-16
23 AARTI ROLLING MILLS LTD
CAPITAL MACHINERY -VARIOUS COMPONENTS
12-Jul-16
282.50
24 POLYFIRM SERVICES NIG. LTD
COMPLETE HYDRAULIC LIFT
12-Jul-16
282.50
239.75
25 MARTIN-ISOJE SARAH CHIMENEM
COST FOR DONOR EGG BANK
14-Jul-16
283.50
9,800.00
26 AYENI FOLAJUWON BAYODE
COURSE FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,195.00
27 OKOH NDUBUISI
COURSE FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,195.00
28 KRISHAN NIGERIA LIMITED
CYL BLOCK LISTER
12-Jul-16
29 KRISHAN NIGERIA LIMITED
CYL HEAD COMP
12-Jul-16
282.50
30 T.G ARLA DIARY PRODUCTS LIMITED
DANO COOL COW FILLED MILK POWDER
12-Jul-16
282.50
133,830.76
31 T.G ARLA DIARY PRODUCTS LIMITED
DANO COOL COW FILLED MILK POWDER
13-Jul-16
282.50
284.25
133,830.86
46,609.40 35,000.00
284.25
4,000.00
1,000.00
2,000.00
4,000.00
32 QPLAS LTD
DIVIDEND FOR YEAR 2014
13-Jul-16
284.25
63,736.59
166 LAWAL OLUYEMISI AWENI
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
33 SOMOTEX NIG LTD
ELECTRIC INVERTER/STATIC CONVERTER
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,906.43
167 MARYAM AFOLAKE ABUDU
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
34 SOMOTEX NIG LTD
ELECTRIC INVERTER/STATIC CONVERTER
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,419.06
168 OWOLABI ABIOLA ADEBAYO
PTA
13-Jul-16
EMEL BRAND COMPLETE ORDINARY STEEL DOOR
12-Jul-16
282.50
40,833.20
169 WILKEY BAMBO
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
2,000.00
36 NEW HEALTHWAY CO LTD
ESSENTIAL RAW MATERIAL FOR MFG IND:QUININE
13-Jul-16
284.25
71,360.00
37 DANIUM ENERGY SERVICES LTD
GASOIL
12-Jul-16
282.50
12,426.12
170 WILKEY OLUKEMI
PTA
13-Jul-16
284.25
4,000.00
171 DOKAI IFEOMA ANASTESIA
PTA
15-Jul-16
290.00
172 DOKAI IFEOMA CHUKWUDI
PTA
15-Jul-16
290.00
2,500.00
173 NEPAL OIL & GAS
PMS
14-Jul-16
283.92
7,500,000.00
174 MAINLAND OIL & GAS
PMS
14-Jul-16
283.92
35 EMEL ENT. LTD
38 DANIUM ENERGY SERVICES LTD
GASOIL
12-Jul-16
282.50
22,669.20
39 CONOIL PLC
GASOLINE
12-Jul-16
282.50
111,117.12
40 AFRO BALA NIG LTD
GRANITE TILES
282.50
11,517.00
12-Jul-16 12-Jul-16
282.50
42 RELIANCE UNIVERSAL CONCEPT LTD
HARRY BRAND INSECTIDE SPRAYERS
12-Jul-16
282.50
25,512.00
43 HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA ABUJA
HOME COUNTRY REMITTANCE
12-Jul-16
282.50
50,000.00
44 ZANOTTI FOOD PRESERVATIONS LTD
INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURAL DRYER
12-Jul-16
45 RITE FOODS LTD
INDUSTRIAL BAKERY MACHINERIES
12-Jul-16
46 RITE FOODS LTD
INDUSTRIAL BAKERY MACHINERIES
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,128.86
47 PLENCO INDUSTRIES LTD
INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY-MOULDING MACHINE
12-Jul-16
282.50
200,000.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
41 KRISTORIA AGRO CENTER LTD
HAND SPRAYER
48 BEAUMONT AROMATICS NIG LTD
INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT S
282.50 282.50
707.56
282.50
86,275.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
100,450.00
13-Jul-16
284.25
132,032.00
53 CORONATION MERCHANT BANK
INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS INTERBANK SALES
12-Jul-16 12-Jul-16
282.50 282.50
1,838.26 1,000,000.00
54 CITIBANK
INTERBANK SALES
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000,000.00
55 DIAMOND BANK
INTERBANK SALES
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000,000.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000,000.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
56 GUARANTY TRUST BANK 57 BOND GLOBAL ENERGY PROJECTS LTD
INTERBANK SALES JET A1
8,653.00
58 PRICERITE PRODUCTS LTD
KENWOOD BRAND APPLIANCES
13-Jul-16
284.25
59 PRICERITE PRODUCTS LTD
KENWOOD BRAND APPLIANCES
13-Jul-16
284.25
22,629.28
60 MAYFAIR AGRO-ALLIED NIGERIA LTD
LINEAR LOW DENSITY
12-Jul-16
282.50
35,392.50
61 Q-OIL AND GAS SERVICES
LIVING ALLOWANCE/RENT
21,013.20
12-Jul-16
282.50
62 ODUNEWU JADESOLA SAKIRAT
LIVING EXPENSES
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,770.00
63 OGBUNUDE EBUKA PETER
LIVING EXPENSES
12-Jul-16
282.50
11,600.89
64 ODUNEWU JADESOLA SAKIRAT
LIVING EXPENSES MACHINERY FOR STORAGE AND RE-PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT (STATIC CONVERTER) MACHINERY FOR STORAGE AND RE-PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT (STATIC CONVERTER)
14-Jul-16
66 BENEGINES BUSINESS ENT. LTD 67 SEVEN UP BOTTLING COMPANY PLC
MACHINERY SPARE PARTS
65 GODY JONAS ENT LTD
68 SEVEN UP BOTTLING COMPANY PLC 69 MELVYN NICKSON NIGERIA LTD
MACHINERY SPARE PARTS MASTER REHEOBUILD 561
282.50
5,000.00
3,550.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
104.00
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,243.26
12-Jul-16
282.50
54,794.50
12-Jul-16
282.50
74,628.32
282.50
14,297.50
12-Jul-16
70 TEMPO PULP AND PACKAGING LTD
MASTERBATCH FOR BOPP FILM PRODUCTION
12-Jul-16
282.50
71 TEMPO PULP AND PACKAGING LTD
MASTERBATCH FOR BOPP FILM PRODUCTION
12-Jul-16
282.50
72 ADEWUMI TAIWO OYEWALE
MEDICAL
12-Jul-16
282.50
8,000.00
73 HANA PACKAGING LTD
METALLOCENE EXEED GRADE 1018KB
13-Jul-16
284.25
70,370.00
428.74 871.01
74 TUYIL PHARM IND. LTD
MULTIVITAMIN AND MINERALS CAPSULES WITH ALOEVERA
12-Jul-16
282.50
60.00
75 LOKEL PHARM CO. LTD
PARADREX
12-Jul-16
282.50
97,301.00
76 HAMMOUD AND SONS LTD
PAVER FINISHER
12-Jul-16
282.50
459.00
77 BHOJRAJ INDUSTRIES PLC
PET FILM
12-Jul-16
282.50
102,672.00
78 GREAT TIMEC PHARMA NIGERIA LTD
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS AND MEDICINES
13-Jul-16
284.25
116,576.40
79 KRISHAT PHARMA IND LTD
PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS
12-Jul-16
282.50
43,125.00
80 STEFANOV STEFAN ZAHOV
PHR
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,435.22
81 KUMAR SANJAY
PHR
12-Jul-16
282.50
82 SAMANTHA MANABENDRA
PHR
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,500.00
83 HASAN AMJAD
PHR
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
3,500.00
84 SREEJITH NAMBIAR
PHR
12-Jul-16
85 LAKSHMANAN ADAIKKAPPAN
PHR
12-Jul-16
282.50
86 INTER-SWASTIK NIG LTD
PLASTIC RAW MATERIAL
12-Jul-16
282.50
349.10
POLYPROPYLENE (PP RAFFIA GRADE HLR102)
13-Jul-16
284.25
132,660.00
88 CELPLAS INDUSTRIES NIG. LTD
POLYPROPYLENE COMPOUND GRADE
12-Jul-16
282.50
19,425.00
89 SANKIL NIGERIA LTD
POWER INVERTERS
12-Jul-16
282.50
98,300.00
87 MDV INDUSTRIES LTD
90 INTER-SWASTIK NIG LTD
282.50
4,000.00 5,000.00
PP COPOLYMER
12-Jul-16
282.50
347.85
91 INTER-SWASTIK NIG LTD
PP COPOLYMER
12-Jul-16
282.50
79,541.40
92 STARTREND INDUSTRIES LTD
PRIME ELECTROLYTIC TINPLATE(INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL)
12-Jul-16
282.50
69,420.00
12-Jul-16
93 MELVYN NICKSON NIGERIA LTD
PRIMER (MAXDAN -25)
94 KACHIFO LIMITED
PRINTED BOOKS
95 KACHIFO LIMITED
PRINTED BOOKS-VARIOUS TITLES
12-Jul-16
282.50
565.00
96 MONTANA INDUSTRIES
PVC GRADE 1230P AND /OR SE950 AND F622
15-Jul-16
285.00
373,500.00
97 PANAR LTD
PVC RESIN
13-Jul-16
284.25
114,480.00
12-Jul-16
282.50 282.50
13,085.00 293.69
98 RITE FOODS LTD
RAW MATERIAL
12-Jul-16
282.50
75,584.48
99 SANKIL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD
RAW MATERIAL
13-Jul-16
284.25
263,650.00
RAW MATERIALS FOR TEXILE
12-Jul-16
282.50
46,418.89
101 ABDULSALAM MISBAHU GAMBO RABI
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
102 MUSA-AGBOENI ATIEMORIA GODWILL
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
103 OMOTALADE OMOLOLA
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,187.44
104 OYEBOLU TITILAYO ALARAPE
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,492.20
105 IGBINOBA SIMISOLA FADEKE
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
3,838.21
106 ABODERIN OLUJIMI
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,300.00
107 MUHAMMAD NDA
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
108 ANYACHEBELU CHINWE GEORGY
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
6,200.00
109 ABOYEJI RASAQ
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
7,000.00
100 UNIGROW IND LTD
110 FADAIRO LASUKANMI FATAI 111 ADENIRAN MICHAEL TOSIN ADEDIRAN
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50 282.50
282.50
1,700.00 3,072.71
6,103.24
7,568.00
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
8,000.00
112 EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE LTD
SCHOOL FEES
12-Jul-16
282.50
11,029.87
113 ODUTOLA ABIODUN
SCHOOL FEES
14-Jul-16
283.50
17,044.20
114 TAJUDEEN KAZEEM OLABIYI
SCHOOL FEES
13-Jul-16
115 PALMORA NIGERIA LTD
SHAVING STICK WITH RAZOR
12-Jul-16
282.50
28,347.52
116 OVINOMAS INTEGRATED SOLUTION
SOLAR MODULE
12-Jul-16
282.50
83,110.00
117 QPLAS LTD
STABILIZER FOR PVC
12-Jul-16
282.50
378.00
118 HENRY WEST INTERNATIONAL LTD
SUNSHOW BRAND AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION WATER PUMP
12-Jul-16
282.50
40,000.00
119 STERLING BANK PLC
SWIFT RECURRING CONNECTIVITY
14-Jul-16
283.50
2,543.00
120 SIEGWERK WEST AFRICA
UNIBASE ORANGE/BLACK/WARM RED
12-Jul-16
282.50
23,140.00
121 SIEGWERK WEST AFRICA
283.75
282.50
1,121.10
UNIBASE ORANGE/BLACK/WARM RED
12-Jul-16
122 SIEGWERK WEST AFRICA
UNIBASE WHITE
12-Jul-16
123 CONOIL PLC
UNLEADED GASOLINE
12-Jul-16
282.50
34,024.01
124 BULK STRATEGIC RESERVE LTD
UNLEADED GASOLINE
12-Jul-16
282.50
71,207.80
125 OTTUN MUSADEEQ KAYODE
UPKEEP ALLOWANCE
12-Jul-16
126 WINSALA BOLANLE HALIMAT
UPKEEP ALLOWANCE
12-Jul-16
127 FUELS AND BITUMEN MARKETING CO LTD
UPKEEP ALLOWANCE
12-Jul-16
282.50
7,000.00
128 AROWOROWON OLALEKAN AZEEZ
UPKEEP ALLOWANCE
12-Jul-16
282.50
9,055.45
129 RITE FOODS LTD
VIBROFLOORS INDUSTRIALS FLOORING SYSTEM
12-Jul-16
282.50
1,085.97
130 JEMIMAH NIG. LTD
WATER PUMPS AND ACCESSORIES
12-Jul-16
282.50
101,635.86
131 OLAYIDE SANUSI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
132 ABISOLA HAMZAT
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
2,000.00
133 ABOYEJI LAWAL RASAQ
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
134 ABOYEJI MUSILIMAT AKINSHOLA
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
135 ADEBAYO ADEKANMI
PTA
12-Jul-16
282.50
4,000.00
282.50
282.50 282.50
7,500,000.00 27,505,069.02
587.00
12-Jul-16
INDUSTRIAL MOULDS INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL
52 SUNCHEM INDUSTRIES LTD
2,500.00
740.93
50 STARSONIC NIGERIA LTD
INDUSTRIAL MIXER
2,000.00
1,219.49
51 BHOJRAJ INDUSTRIES PLC
49 MIGHTYKENS INTL LTD
TOTAL
284.25
26,430.00 24,700.00
1,328.10 5,000.00
2,000.00
For further enquiries, please contact Sterling Bank Plc. Tel.: 014484481-5 or 014489470-94 E-mail: customercare@sterlingbankng.com www.sterlingbankng.com
6
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
Lagos How Lagos traditional ruler was kidnapped, shot wife recounts ordeal By Olalekan Olabule and Opeyemi Owoaseye
T
HE wife of Oniba of Ibaland, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, Olori Nafisat and his daughter, Ramota have narrated how the 73-year-old Oba, was abducted on Saturday night. The monarch had reportedly just returned from
a social engagement on Saturday night, when the gunmen, numbering over 15 stormed the palace and abducted him. One of the gunmen was said to be dressed in Nigerian Army uniform and another one in Navy uniform with most of them putting on masks. Olori Nafisat, who was
shot in the leg said “The monarch and I were both in his room when we heard the noise. We left in order to caution the children, but unfortunately we met the gunmen who were already at the entrance of the living room. “They were shouting, ‘Where is the king?’’ Immediately they saw both of us
they asked me if the person behind me is the monarch and he answered. Immediately, they left the children to abduct him. When I realised that they came for him, I tried preventing them, but one of the gunmen hit me on the neck and I fell down. Before I could regain consciousness, they had whisked him away
from the living room. They also went away with about five of our mobile phones. “The younger wife went after the two abductors at the entrance, begging them to spare her husband. It was in the process she was shot, the palace security guard who was also preventing the kidnappers from taking the monarch away was shot
Main gate of the new Alade Market.
Aerial view of the old Alade Market expected to be demolished today. PHOTOS: SYLVESTER OKORUWA
Traders moving thier goods out of the old market on Sunday.
Quit notice issued Alade Market traders expires today Sylvester Okoruwa AS the quit notice given to traders at Alade Market by Ikeja Local Government Council expires today, Lagos Metro investigation revealed that the market may be demolished today. Traders were seen on Sunday moving out their goods in hurry to meet the deadline, to avoid destruction of their goods alongside their shops. Most of the traders that spoke with Lagos Metro said that the suit against the relocation had been pending in court for a while. It was gathered that most of the traders who could not afford the shops in the new Alade Market due to the relative high cost are currently at a cross-road. The sole administrator, Ikeja Local Government Council, Abiodun Taiwo recently told journalists
that the decision for the relocation of the market was to give room for the development of the old market into a shopping mall.
A statement released by the council, said that the decision of the parties to relocate the 25-year-old market ended after 20
years of conflict. The statement added that the new Alade Market contains 504 lock-up shops and 200 units of open
stalls. The new Alade Market is about 150 metres away from the old Alade Market along Awolowo Road, Ikeja.
and died on the spot.” According to the daughter, the security man was shot for daring to stop the gunmen from taking away the monarch. A resident of Victory Estate, also in Iba, Olatunbosun, told Lagos Metro that the monarch was the fourth person to be abducted in the last one week. There is however, a growing fear at the palace of the monarch following reported threats from the abductors that they were still coming to abduct more people. Meanwhile, a combined team of military men, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Marine Police is patrolling the waterways around Iba, Itokin and Igando in search of the monarch. The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, while speaking on the arrest said “the kidnappers are militants and it was because pipeline vandalism had been curtailed that they resulted into kidnapping.” She added that, “We have been arresting kidnappers and this will not be different. The command is working with the Ogun police command to ensure that the issue of kidnapping is nipped in the bud in both states.”
Court says no case against robbery suspect, alias No Case Opeyemi Owoaseye AN Ebute Metta Magistrate has dismissed a robbery case brought by the police against one 37-year-old man, Akeem Aganran aka, “No Case” for wrongful prosecution. The Magistrate, Mrs OpeAgbe criticised the police for wrongful charge of the defendant. The police had arraigned the suspect on three-count of unlawful possession of firearms. The police said he was arrested with one AK 47 rifle without licence in the Mushin area of Lagos State, an offence punishable under
section 409 of the criminal law of Lagos State and section 27 of the firearms Act Cap F28 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, (as amended). The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor, Inspector Kehinde demands that the duplicate of the case file should be referred for DPP’s advice, stating that, “There is a sister case pending in the court. His friends were arrested sometimes in December last year and they pointed at him saying that all their weapons were kept in his custody.” The magistrate then called the Investigating Police Of-
ficer (IPO) from State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti to shed more light on the case. The IPO said, “No weapon was found with him only that his friends who were arrested last year December mentioned his name and they said that their weapons were kept with him.” The magistrate said that there was no correlation between the charge and the IPO’s statement and therefore asked the IPO to restate the fact of the case the second time. The IPO said the same thing. The Magistrate said, “since the charge read that he did
unlawfully have in his possession and under his control the following prohibited firearms: one AK 47 rifle and one pump action rifle without licence issued to
you from the appropriate authority while the statement of the IPO indicates that no weapon was found with him, the defendant is thereby discharged.”
Siblings remanded in prison for possessing Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin
TWO brothers, Ihesiaba Ifeanyi 28, and Ihesiaba Hope, 33, were on Monday remanded in prison for having in their possession counterfeit currency. The Ihesiabas were charged before an Ebutte Metta Magistrate court by the men of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), on five-count charge bordering on unlawful pos-
session of counterfeit currency, and issuing of counterfeit currency. The police prosecutor, Inspector Goddy Osuyi, had informed the court that the two brothers were arrested on May 25, 2016, at about 7:00 p.m. at Magodo gate Isheri, with 78 pieces of Nigeria’s N1000 notes. Osuyi also informed the court that one of the two brothers, Ifeanyi, offered a fake N1000 note to one Fa-
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
metro
Nigerian Tribune
Edited By Lanre Adewole 0811 695 4647
Badagry kidnap:
Controversy trails number of kidnapped children •They are 39 –Ex-Commissioner •Only 3 cases reported –Police Bola Badmus and Olalekan Olabulo
Flooded Opebi-Allen road after a downpour on Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA
My gang planned to rob all houses on two streets in one night —Suspect Olalekan Olabulo
A member of a trans-border armed robbery gang, Abdullai Olanrewaju has been arrested by the police in Lagos State, while efforts are on to arrest other members of his gang. In his confessional statement, he disclosed that his eight-man gang had planned to rob all the houses on Abeje and Onibeju streets, the night they were arrested by the police. Abdullai however insisted that he agreed to be part of the robbery, after members of the gang promised to buy a bus for him to use for commercial purpose. The suspect was over the weekend arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), during an operation at Abeje and Onibeju Streets, off Capitol road in Agege Local Government area of the state. The operatives, who were led to the scene of the robbery by Inspector Anthony Inege, noted that one of the victims, who managed to escape through the window, alerted them that armed men were operating in their building. The suspect confessed to RRS investigators that,
fake currency
vour Umelo, knowing fully well that the currency was counterfeit. The two brothers however pleaded not guilty to the charges. Upon their plea of the two brothers, the prosecutor, Osuyi, urged the court to remand them in court pending when they will be properly arraigned at the Federal High Court. The matter was adjourned till August 11.
“when I arrived Lagos, I started driving a commercial bus plying Agege to Oshodi. I joined the robbery gang when the bus suddenly developed faults and the owner had to sell the vehicle. I met the gang members at a beer parlour in Akerele Wahabi area of Agege. I told them I was a bus driver and they promised to buy a new bus for me. “We went for robbery at midnight and met at Markaz Road. We operated from one building to the other. Although, I didn’t follow them inside but I was placed on standby outside. My job was to keep all the looted items including money.” The suspect confessed that they went to the operation with four pump action guns and Jack knives in case any security operatives intercept
them. “We had planned our confirmed the arrest of the movements for that night suspect to Lagos Metro. and had intention to rob all the houses on the two streets, but luck ran out on us as we robbed only five buildings before the arrival of RRS operatives,” he narrated The image maker in charge of the state p o l i c e command, Dolapo B a d m o s Olanrewaju with items recovered from him.
9 die in separate accidents in Ogun Olayinka Olukoya NINE people lost their lives in different road accidents that occurred along Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressways, last Saturday and on Sunday. Lagos Metro gathered that an autocrash claimed the lives of seven passengers at Fidiwo area of the highway while two women equally died in an accident at Wasinmi area of Ogun State. It was gathered that the Wasinmi accident occurred, when the driver of a Nissan Saloon car with registration number plate LAGOS SZ 171 AAA lost control of the vehicle, while an oncoming IVECO truck marked OGUN SRA 546 XA trying
to manoeuvre hit the median and fell on the car. The granite-laden truck spilled its content on the car and on the highway. A rescue team which include the state commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi and a former local government chairman, Abeeb Ajayi, rendered assistants to save the lives of the victims. The survivors were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the mortuary of Ifo General Hospital. The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, said the Lagos/Abeokuta accident occurred at about
12:00 noon, and added that casualties of the incident were four males, a child and two females. Adetunji said the accident involved a Mazda 18-seater passenger bus and a truck, explaining that the accident happened at a spot where there was a diversion of traffic to a single lane, due to construction work ongoing on the road. The FRSC boss said the accident could have been prevented for the wrongful overtaking on the part of the driver of a Mazda bus as SKJ 958 SP, saying their corpses have been deposited at FOS mortuary, Ipara, while the injured were receiving treatment at Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
CONTROVERSIES have continued to trail the alleged disappearance of 39 kids in Badagry area of Lagos State as the police in the state insisted that only three cases were reported. A former commissioner for Rural Development in the state, Cornelius Ojelabi, had last Tuesday cried out that his kidnapped four-year-old grandson, Michael, who was said to have been kidnapped in front of his school by an unidentified woman on January 20, 2016, had not been found since the incident occurred. Ojelabi, who served as commissioner during the second term of former Governor Babatunde Fashola, lamented over rising insecurity in Ojo and Badagry areas of the state, when he came out to ask a question, during the second Quarterly Town Hall meeting of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, which took place recently. Ojelabi said he was shocked on his visit to the police station in Ojo where complaints of the kidnapped
three children was lodged to discover that about 35 other people besieged the station to complain that their children were also kidnapped. He said a similar incident of kidnap occurred in the same area last Monday, urging Governor Ambode to urgently intervene in the matter before more children fall victim. Responding, Governor Ambode said he had not been briefed, but that the government would investigate the matter and ensure that kidnapping was stamped out of the state. Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, assured that the police would get to the root of the matter and ensure that kidnapping becomes a thing of the past in Lagos. The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos described the report of 39 missing children as a fallacy. She stated that one of the three reported cases had been investigated by the police and charged to court while investigations were still on for the other two cases.
Staff dies in hotel room Opeyemi Owoaseye ONE Ifunaya Eke, an hotel staff was last Tuesday, allegedly found dead in a room where she slept, at an hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos State. The Lagos State Police Command has begun investigations into her sudden death. Lagos Metro gathered that the hotel management had reported the case at the Ikotun Police station as detectives visited the scene of the death. When the police visited, there was no trace of violence found on her body. A police source said that since there was no clue to her death, it was only an autopsy that would determine the true cause of her death.
He said, “It is very true that the management of the hotel called us to the scene of the incident. They explained that the woman had been a staff in the hotel for a while and that she usually stayed in her room anytime she is on night duty and that when they noticed that she did not come out the next morning, they went inside to check on her and they discovered she was dead.” When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, said that policemen from the Ikotun division examined and photographed the scene. She added that the corpse had been taken to the General Hospital, Isolo, morgue for autopsy.
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news
Poverty alleviation: Dangote donates food items to IDPs in Abuja AS part of its philanthropic gesture, the Dangote Foundation has delivered food items to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable and the indigent in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The food items, worth millions of Naira, was last Thursday, presented to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Musa Bello. Receiving the items, the Minister said he was impressed by the gesture, and promised to ensure that the beneficiaries get the products. The acting Secretary of Social Development, Bolanle Irene Elegbede, who represented the Minister, commended the President of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Foundation for supporting the poor people in Abuja. The items delivered in Abuja included Dangote Sugar, Dangote Salt, Dangote Spaghetti, rice, Danvita and wheat meal. This donation followed the contribution by the Foundation of a staggering N2 billion to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, last month. Speaking at the ceremony marking the distribution of the food items in Abuja, chairman of the Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, who was represented by Dr Azeez Oseni, Director of Health and Nutrition, said the Foundation was committed to alleviating poverty in Nigeria. He said Dangote Foundation is “committed to alleviating poverty and suffering of underprivileged, by supporting social and economic change through investments and interventions that improve the lives of the less fortunate� This, according to him, will make a positive difference in the growth of the nation. The focus of Dangote Foundation, according to the chairman, would be on Health and Nutrition, Education, Economic Development and the provision of relief materials during disaster. While the Foundation is determined to reduce the number of lives lost to malnutrition and disease, through access to quality nutrition and healthcare with a particular emphasis on children, it is also aggressively working towards the reduction of out-of-school children, while supporting talented underpriviledged young people to achieving their potentials as well as educating girls and women on health related issues. He said the Foundation’s cardinal objectives included health and nutrition, education, economic empowerment and disaster relief.
Monday, 18 July, 2016
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businessnews
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Capital budget utilisation enters historic fall Sanya Adejokun -Abuja
W
ITH Nigerian economy effectively entering recession, the Federal Government appears frantic in searching for ways of reflating the economy, creating jobs and arresting the current wave of retrenchments by the private sector. For the seventh quarter since the beginning of 2015, capital spending by the Federal Government has plunged considerably from an all-time high of N1.004 trillion in 2013 to N387.39 billion last year. The administration had projected the injection of N350 billion for capital and welfare programmes as first quarter release to reverse the negative growth trend but two months after the budget was signed, only about half of the money has so far been released with senior government officials warning that the N6.04 trillion is now unrealistic. According to the consolidated 2015 Federal Government Budget Implementation Report released by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, both provisional allocation and implementation levels of capital appropriation dropped from N1.004 trillion in releases and actual implementation of N968.93 billion in 2013 to a paltry N387.39 billion releases. Even with this, Nigerian Tribune learnt that actual cash backed releases or actual implementation in the 2015 fiscal plan out of the N557 billion provision for the year was considerably lesser. In the 2012 for instance, N1.017 trillion of the N1.339 trillion projected for capital spending was released to MDAs out of which N739.3 billion (or 72.66 per cent) was actually cash-backed while N686.3 billion (or 92.83 per cent) of the cashbacked sum was utilized by the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Also in 2014, available records show that N501.79 billion of the N1.119 trillion projected for development projects for the year was released to MDAs. Even then, N501.72 billion (or 99.99 per cent) of the amount released in principle was actually cashbacked while N490.92 billion (or 97.85 per cent) of the cash-backed sum was utilized as at the end of December 2014. Unfortunately, by mid2014 crude prices plunged thus seriously affecting
government revenues. Fiscal authority sources told our correspondent that as a last ditch effort, Government have contracted the African Capacity Building Foundation to assist Nigeria in arresting the negative economic trend. Head of the foundation, Professor Emmanuel
Nnadozie Prof. Nnadozie who is already in Nigeria will this morning, commence his task by delivering a goodwill message at a matriculation and investiture ceremony at the National Institute for Legislative Studies. Nnadozie will hold several brainstorming sessions with key agencies on
quick win solution to the obvious quagmire that has seen naira plunging to an all-time-low of N292 to the US$ by last Friday. Nigeria has also plunged to number four on the list of African countries attracting foreign investment from number one in 2014. On Tuesday Nnadozie
will meet with top officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance and lay down ACBF plans for further capacity building assistance to Nigeria Nigeria contributed five million dollars (USD 5 million) to the 2017-2021 strategic plan of the Foundation, the highest by an African country.
Hicham Makkaoui President, Union Trans Oil Refinery Limited (left) and Olufemi Amos, Vice President of the company, during the agreement signing ceremony between Lagos Communities and the company, at the weekend.
US investor, Lagos communities sign joint ownership refinery agreement IN a move that may yet nip in the bud the perennial restiveness in oil communities, USA investor, Trans oil energy incorporation and a cluster of communities in the Lagos West Senatorial zone at the weekend sign a joint ownership agreement that will give birth to a 100,000bpd petroleum refinery in the next twelve months. The new company, Union Trans Oil Refinery Limited, will be sited in the over 700 acres of choice land provided by the communities. While the investor will pay for the land, they will also part with a sizable chunk of equity shares to give the communities a sense of belonging. Speaking during the short but impressive signing ceremony, the promoter and president of the refinery, Hicham Makkaoui, said this move would end the perennial restiveness in oil regions. ’’The communities know that they stand to receive dividends yearly which we believe will be ploughed into community developments, so the sense of belonging has been provided’’ Makkaoui said the fact that the communities’ representatives are also on board of the company was an assurance that their views are taken into cognizance during decision making processes and employment.
According to him, the company had received the approval of the United States Export Import Bank for $500m equipment guaranty to commence operations on the oil refinery, while Sterling Finance Canada had also structured $2 billion for the project. He added that the company had also secured the interest of foreign technical partners for the projects such as S&B Infrastructure, a US based American Engineering firm in Houston Texas adding that the
company had also secured a refinery licence from the federal government. While applauding the efforts of the federal government in deregulating the oil industry, Makkaoui pointed out that since the issue of funding, location of the company, operational licence and appointment of technical partners had been resolved, “we can boldly say full operation will begin in 2018.” Makkaoui explained that the establishment of the refinery was in response
to President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent shuttle diplomacy to USA and the government’s deregulation of the oil sector, which he said made investment in the sector attractive. “It is actually in response to the deregulation of the oil sector which has just become encouraging for investors. It is expected that this oil and gas refinery when completed would increase production of refined products locally and create employment for Nigerians,” he said.
Glo new drama series, Professor Johnbull, debuts tomorrow THE much talked-about new TV comedy drama series, Professor Johnbull, sponsored by the grandmasters of data, Globacom, will hit TV screens across the country tomorrow, July 19, 2016. The rib-cracking, yet highly thought-provoking drama series, features popular actors including, Kanayo O. Kanayo who plays the lead character Professor Johnbull, Mercy Johnson-Okogie, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Ime Bishop Okon, Queen Nwokoye, Junior Pope, Funky Mallam, Bimbo Akintola, Bidemi Kosoko, Chiwetalu Agu, O.C. Ukeje, Bovi, Mama G, Helen Paul and many others. It will air from 8.30pm
to 9pm on Tuesdays and Fridays on Nta network, Nta International and Startimes. The opening montage summarizes each character featuring in the sitcom in one word as Professor Johnbull who relishes expressing himself grandiloquently, flips through the pages of one of the piles of books on his coffee table. He describes the characters in the social satire in highfalutin words such as sedulous, gratuitous and philanderer while he simply sees himself as erudite. The story line and progression of events in the debut episode will keep viewers glued to their TV screens. In the episode, Glo am-
bassador and wave-making superstar, D’banj’s sudden emergence at a local restaurant where they sell the best amala in Enugu, sparks off a frenzy. D’banj fans rush to catch a glimpse of the super star. Olaniyi, the restauranteur, initially thinks he is daydreaming on seeing D’Banj at his restaurant. Professor Johnbull encounters the Dbanj at Olaniyi’s restaurant and an altercation soon ensued between the erudite scholar and the music icon. The conversation ends amicably and an impressed Professor Johnbull invites Dbanj and his friends to his home for the traditional Igbo hospitality.
Nigerian Tribune
Naira depreciates against dollar at all forex market segments Chima Nwokoji-lagos
IN the just concluded week, the naira depreciated against the U.S. greenback at all foreign exchange market segments amid reports of pressure in foreign exchange supply, mainly at the interbank market segment. As a result, the local currency spot rate depreciated by 2.99 per cent to N292.25 from N284 to the dollar which it closed at on Thursday; even as it closed at Thursday’s rate of N316.944 to the Euro and N380.44 British Pounds. The Naira also depreciated at the Bureau De Change and the parallel market segments by 2.90 and 3.13 per cent to N355/ USD and N363/USD respectively as demand at the interbank market spilled over to the alternative market segments. At the same unofficial market segment, the local currency fell to its lowest level since the start of the new foreign exchange regime, trading at N392 to Euro and N465 to the Pound Sterling, a Lagos based Bureau De Change operator revealed. Though in some areas in Lagos, street traders said weakening of the Naira at the parallel market was mixed but finally settled at N357.00/ US$1.00 by midweek before closing at N365.00/US$1.00 on Friday. Currency analysts at Cowry Asset Management Limited said there might be increased pressure on the local currency at the Central Bank of Nigeria prepares to settle currency futures contract. Others agreed that the spike would continue this week unless the CBN took action to address the supply gap at the interbank market “We anticipate increased upward pressure on the foreign exchange (forex) rate as the apex bank prepares to settle its obligations on its 1 month (July2016) tenor futures contract entered on Monday,27 June 2016 at the rate of N279/USD,” the dealers said in a note to investors. The naira fell consistently at the interbank market last week. It depreciated at the interbank market to N282.5, N283.25, and N283.75 against the dollar between Monday and Thursday. Foreign exchange dealers told Nigerian Tribune last week that a huge volume of demand was moving from the interbank market to the parallel market due to the forex supply gap at the interbank market.
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editorial
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
The murdered Abuja evangelist
N yet another sad event that underscored the little premium placed on human life in Nigeria, Eunice Mojisola Olawale, a 42-year-old Ekiti State indigene and Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor was, on Saturday, July 9 this year, hacked to death by suspected Muslim fanatics in Kubwa, Abuja, while on an early-morning evangelism. The killers, who had reportedly warned her to stop her evangelism in the past, symbolically left her megaphone and mobile phone untouched. The evangelist had celebrated her 16 years of marriage on July 1 and was preparing to celebrate her 42nd birthday on July 24, but fate dealt her a cruel blow near her home at Gbazango, a backwater area of the Federal Capital City (FCT). Husband of the deceased, Olawale Elisha, on identifying the body of his wife and mother of seven children at the Kubwa police station, retained no strength to drive back home. Commendably, he later called for restraint on the part of all those aggrieved by the incident, dousing the ethnic and religious storm gradually festering since the incident. However, even though the family of the deceased and the RCCG have shown restraint in their utterances, it must be recognised that the commission of a crime has absolutely nothing to do with how relatives of the victim(s) feel. As we noted in our previous editorials, the kind of fate suffered by Mojisola Olawale has the tendency to provoke ethnic or religious conflagration, and is becoming too recurrent in the North. Government certainly must not take the restraint of the families affected so far for granted because, at a point, the elastic resistance of people is bound to collapse if such killings go on unabated. Surely, no Nigerian wishes to go back to the era of loading dead people in trucks. As outrage grew across the country over the dastardly incident, the National Assembly rose to the occasion, calling on the security agencies to act fast. The Senate, while asking governments at all levels to provide more security facilities such as close circuit television all over the country, was particularly pained that “as she was being attacked and was shouting for help, no one came to her rescue.” The House of Representatives, on its part, urged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration to demolish all shanties across the nation’s capital, where miscreants were said to be hiding. Sadly, however, while the two arms of the National
Assembly condemned the dastardly act, the Presidency, custodian of the state apparatus of legitimate force, appeared ensconced in lethargy, inadvertently delegating the job of assuring the populace that justice will be done to the Nigeria Police which moved in swiftly and arrested suspects, only to later release four of them for want of evidence. Yet if the recent terrorist attacks in Europe are any indication, swift action from the executive in dousing tensions following acts of barbarism is the least that law-abiding citizens can expect from their government. Although the Wife of Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, condoled with the family of the deceased, her visit was that of a private citizen who also happened to be a member of the deceased’s church. Given the huge cost of violent censorship and suppression across global history, the nation definitely cannot afford to overlook the potentiality of untamed violence in radicalising impressionable youths. If, by its lethargy in apprehending religious fanatics, government conveys to the youths the idea that taking the law into their own hands in enforcing religious ideas is a legitimate enterprise, then it can be safely assumed that the Nigerian society is actively preparing for itself a future ensconced in misery. The state must never give the impression that it is tacitly complicit in murder, even of those whom it does not approve. Conversely, it owes the citizenry a duty to ensure that those who make life in modern society nasty, short and brutish come to no less a fate than they consciously engineered for others. Those minded to plunge society into war through spiritual arrogance informed by theological ignorance must be made to realise that they would have had no human society in which to grow up in the first place if the kind of order they are striving to impose on society had been applied in the years gone by. This is why hate preaching, the source of the pretended liturgical supremacy that informed the murder of the Abuja evangelist, needs to be tackled vigorously using extant laws. By so doing, the Federal Government would have succeeded in passing the message that brute force is no substitute for gentle persuasion in a democratic society. Sections 33, 38, 39 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which make it unlawful for any Nigerian to commit murder must be enforced to the letter.
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14 LETTERS TO THE
Monday, 18 July, 2016
editor
Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.
CBN, stop these loans
I
T is so unfortunate that many state governors just seek for loans without considering the impact of such on the citizens and future generations. I am forced to react because it has been reported that the Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, had got the approval of the House of Assembly to borrow another N9billion from a bank, thus taking the total loan borrowings in the last one year since the governor assumed the leadership of the state to N81billion. While it can be said that most of the governors channel the request for loans through the House of Assembly, we should not forget that these legislators are just puppets in the hand of their state executives. I think it is high time the Central Bank of Ni-
geria (CBN) stepped into the request for loans by state governors. Such requests must be approved by the apex bank, as well as the Federal Ministry of Finance before they can be taken. Most of our governors heap unnecessary loan burden on their states due to their inability to drive a robust internally generated revenue (IGR) scheme. Most states today can easily generate more than they earn from the Federal Government if the governors are creative enough. They have no reason to be asking for loans all over the place. I, therefore, want the CBN to start penalising banks that give out loans to state governments without properly informing it. Governors should spare their citizens future pain due to their reckless re-
quest for loans; if they cannot manage the little they are generating as IGR, coupled with what they are earning from the Federation Account, then
it will be better if they resign their appointments, as there is no compulsion in public service. Governors should be able to generate ideas
to increase their revenue base, and it mustn’t be through tax all the time. Nothing stops states from running profitable agricultural enterprises,
among other businesses. •Tuope Henry, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ikorodu attacks: Navy, come to our rescue I want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Nigerian Navy to start regular patrols on the Ikorodu waters so that the ongoing attacks on innocent residents in the town can be curbed. For some time now, residents of this area have not been finding it easy due to the activities of criminals who come to the community through the waters. So far, the police checkpoints in the area have not deterred the criminals from perpetrating their evil acts because while the police are stationed at the entrance of the commu-
nity, the criminals come through the rear with speedboats. It is not as if the police do not know this, but I think they are ill-equipped to curb the activities of these criminals. It has even reached a situation where the criminals kidnap well-to-do people, asking for ransom from their family members. The criminals also rape, while physically injuring people who have no money to give them. As it is now, the areas bordering the waterside have been deserted. Residents have fled for dear
lives. Even the Ogun State deputy governor who came to the area to ascertain what was happening was attacked in broad daylight. I am, therefore, appealing to President Buhari to order the Nigerian Navy to start patrolling the waterways in Ikorodu, Lagos
State. Until we have wellequipped naval personnel on the waterways, many residents, including myself, will not return to their houses. •Ishola Olaitan, Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Banonhawking:KudostoLASG LET me commend the Lagos State government for banning street hawking in the state. It will go a long way in reducing crime, as well as sanitising the environment. Having read different contrasting opinions on the ban, I feel it is important to note that those who perpetrate crime during hold-ups disguise as hawkers. The activities of these hawkers also constitute a nuisance to the environment, as waste papers and plastic bags are dumped on the highways. Apart from these, the
hawkers are at the risk of being knocked down by vehicles in the course of their business. While it is understandable that the hawkers have been affected economically as a result of the ban, it is for their own good at the end of the day. Therefore, commentators on this issue should look at the positive sides to the ban, and not the effects. The government has not stopped trading altogether, but has only banned hawking on the highways. •Daniel Adeogun, Ojodu, Lagos State.
Lessons from UK’s change of leadership THE manner in which the former British prime minister, Mr David Cameron, left office, and the new leader, Mrs Theresa May, assumed the leadership of the Conservative Party, and the prime ministerial position should serve as a lesson to us in Nigeria. For every new government in Nigeria, we budget billions of naira for celebrations, as if the new political leaders are going into office for a party. Governance is a serious business and we need to change our mentality in the country. Also in France, whenever a new president is elected, on the day of the swearingin, he drives to the presidential palace, where he is
met by the outgoing president. They exchange pleasantries, address the media and the outgoing president moves into a waiting car to be driven away, while the new president enters the Champs Ellysees. He then quickly settles down to the serious business of governance. Nigeria needs to change the way its political office holders celebrate when they win elections. These celebrations show that our politicians are only after the good things of life that their positions offer, and not the challenges. •Nelson Ekwale, Benin, Edo State.
15
opinion
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Lasisi Olagunju
N
Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)
OVEMBER 16 last year, I reported their hostile conversation. They are still fighting, yelling at each other. Online, they use what they call cyberrodents. Offline, nothing really has changed except that there are no longer any official statements from the party of the wailers. There is no one to issue them again at the federal level. The spokespersons are in jail. They have to remain in jail because they cannot continue talking with so much traced into their greedy belly. At the state level, Ayodele Fayose who thought he had the guts to criticise everything also has his hands full now. You cannot have your mouth full and still think you have cheeks to abuse the men of the moment. It is not wise. They will choke and shame you. See, where is Metuh? Fani-Kayode nko? The official wailers are in disarray. They have been hit by the spirit of disunity. For them, it is one day one fight. The last I heard about them were series of meetings in Abuja on how to calm their Fuji House of commotion. They are still looking for an effective tranquilizer. The other party still believes it is doing well even when it has allowed Umaru Dikko’s prophecy to come to pass in its own time. If you were not here in the second republic, you won’t know about the Umaru Dikko curse. He was the most powerful minister in Shehu Shagari’s government. At that time, a strange strain of hunger hit the land and the noise was shrill that people were suffering and dying. Umaru Dikko told the wailers of that era that they lied and in vain all their strategems against his ancestors’ empire. Nigerians were not hungry, he bellowed, and called our attention to the fact that people weren’t yet rummaging refuse dumps for breakfast. Now, how many did you count yesterday on your way to church (or to whereever), picking their meal from dunghills? How many today? The hailers have the dubious reputation of turning Dikko into a prophet. And, interestingly, they still hold the hungry by the throat, asking that he join the chorus of the-king-does-no-wrong, the president is a super performer. Last year, the war was intense. They rarely agreed on any issue. But now, the wailers appear wiser. They tag along, grumbling like a thoroughly flogged brat. But the conversation continues: WW: Last year, I warned you. I told you you can’t fool all the people all the time. See now. You are unravelling, Nigerians are getting to know the real you. HH: Hahahahaaa! Wailing Wailers! You are still around? You no get shame at all. Imagine you are still talking with all the billions traced to your bedrooms, to your wives’ closets, to your concubines’ bedchambers. You still get mouth? You are truly lost forever... WW: You said the same thing last year. Nigerians now know who is lost between us. One year plus two months, still groping in the dark. Or are you now Israelites who spent
Still on the Wailing Wailers and the Hailing Hailers
40 years in the wilderness? A whole 14 months searching for menstruation! and we are still counting. You still blame Jonathan and the PDP. HH: Yes o. You said so last year, using exactly same words. Apart from being what you are, are you also a broken record? We won’t stop blaming your man and his clueless team for their atrocities while here...They ate the yam and the yam seeds...They bled Nigeria to a coma and that is what this Sheriff in town is addressing. He will take his time to revive the dry bones of Nigeria...And, no amount of tears will stop him from recovering every kobo stolen by the lost tribe of PDP. They won’t come again... WW: I heard that from you last year. And, really, you have kept that promise. At least your detention centres are full now with your enemies. Recovery of every kobo? And your ministry of Information cheekily told us last Friday that you were searching for documents of Army procurements covering 2007 to 2010. HH: Who stole the documents? WW: We should ask you. Where are the documents? At least you found all the others with which your enemies were implicated. Who were the people in charge in the Army during that period of the missing documents? HH: You mean 2007 to 2010? WW: He is asking me again, wayo man. And, please stop scratching your head as if lice have finally finished your grey matter. HH: I think you should ask Google. WW: So, Google is your adviser now? Isokay o. But you didn’t contact Google before you found the 2011- 2015 documents with which you indicted Ihejirika and Minimah and others. HH: I hope you are not suggesting those guys are innocent?
WW: Oh. Are they guilty? Guilty as charged. I thought your president ordered further probe of their tenures! HH: Our president. WW: Yes. Sorry. Our mathematical president who belongs to everybody and to nobody. He has completed the rout of all of you now. Ailing hailer! Last year, you remember what I said about his appointments? HH: I remember. You complained about the NSA, Army, Airforce, Immigrations, Customs bosses. WW: Yes. And now Police IG, and NNPC, Ports Authority boards...Anyway, he is showing us how to do it when it is our time. HH: Yes o. Wait for your time. WW: He has the right to belong to anyone he trusts. HH: Now you’re talking! I thought you would condemn him as usual. WW: Eemi? I’m an establishment person, you know. HH: I’m happy you’re beginning to support the CHANJI agenda. WW: I have always been for change only that I hate your hypocrisy. HH: Don’t spoil your case. We have records of your subversive activities. WW: Records? Bros, the records I have are Ayinla Omowura’s records. And they are still playing. I will soon start playing Fela. I will start with ITT, International thief, thief then move to ‘You be Thief, I no be thief...’ HH: The one you used to play on grandpa’s Grundig? Wait, we’re coming. WW: Ok bro. When you come, you will join me to dance to my records. Haruna Ishola is here too. HH: Haruna Ishola. I love his music, his proverbs. I have a number for you; a favourite for Wailers like you, if you will listen. WW: Why not? I’m listening. HH: Oku aja kii gbo (Dead dogs don’t bark) Oku agbo kii kan ( Dead rams don’t lock horns) Irawe to subu lodo o s’egbe...( Leaves that fall into a stream are lost forever) WW: Incantations? Who is dead? Who is lost? HH: Whatever you call it. It is the special number for the enemy of Nigeria. WW: So, who really is the enemy? That song is for you and you will dance to the tune in three years time when we start your own probe. Sule Lamido promised you that last week... HH: Hahahahaaa. Lamido! Hear yourself. You’re right! We’ll dance when Magu completes the task of getting all you kwarupt people out of circulation. WW: Magun? Thunderbolt? HH: Yes. Thunderbolt. Be careful!! WW: Ok sir. I will be careful. Folks!!!!
Why can’t we live in peace? By Jude Obuseh ON a global scale, a monster is on the loose. This monster called “conflict” is running uncensored across the length and breadth of our world, permeating every aspect of our lives, leaving devastating legacies in its wake in the form of broken relationships, increased animosities, abuse of human rights, disease migration, hatred, pain and sundry other consequences of the destructive disruptions of normal human activities, which has become man’s unending affliction… a gorgon that threatens to halt human evolution. Man’s tendency to seek redress for perceived wrongs through means that are everything but humane is mindbending. Individuals, groups and nations who had been living cordially for some time can, in moments of madness, become the worst of enemies seeking the most horrible means to decapitate and denigrate one another and inflict the most terrible of pains on themselves in the process. The question is, “is man incapable of coexisting peacefully with his fellow man”? Why do we fight one another? Is the hatred of our fellow men embedded in our genes? What attempts have we made at peace and how effective have they been? Is peace an elusive utopia? Is there hope for peace in the world? In attempting to find lasting solutions to this seemingly unending, malignant affliction of man, several actions, counter-actions, perspectives and paradigms have been put forward by the academia, statesmen, heads of reli-
gions, citizen diplomats, activists and even the casual observer, through research, legislations, sermons and agitations with varying degrees of successes and failures. Organisations like the League of Nations, United Nations (UN) and sundry other global, regional and sub-regional organisations were conceived by men of the most altruistic intentions. But the inability of these bodies to fully put checks on the tendency of men to constantly hurt one another stems largely from a misplacement of priorities; a failure to locate the true cause of human conflicts. So why can’t we live in peace? The true answer to that question is that man has failed to put checks on conflicts because he has refused to accept the basic reason and cause for war — nor will he accept the cure for this basic cause. The Bible says: “From whence comes wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: Ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; yet ye have not… (James 4:1,2KJV). Locked inside the innermost recesses of the human heart is a selfish, self-centered nature, the source of what God calls sin. Sin basically means a self-centered approach to live, devoid of the guidance of God. This selfish nature with which we were born is a major reason why we can’t co-exist peacefully with ourselves, family, neighbour, or, on a wider scale, with other nations. A man once asked, “What is wrong with the world?” And answered himself candidly,” I am wrong with the world.”
God’s altruistic intention towards man was for him to have constant fellowship with him. This companionship was so crucial that man without it was like a rudderless ship sailing against a roaring tempest. God pointed out the rules of His relationship with man, with emphasis on the consequences of disobedience to the terms of this sacred union. But man blew it all when he fell from the grace of plenty to the grass of depravity. He became lost, a ship without a compass, destined to capsize. Thus, man has become his own enemy; selfseeking and estranged from his life source. No matter the amount of fame, material wealth or power he acquires, his appetite remains insatiable. This is because he can no longer fill the void once occupied by his maker with anything from the world of matter. In frustration, he fights with himself, his family, his neighbour, his friends, and other nations. What a pity! So what is the way out? Peace in all its ramifications is achievable. It is not a utopia. But it can only rear its head when men begin to change their hearts. The resultant redemption of our soul gives us a new heart; an obedient heart that is filled with love for our God, neighbour, family friends, and for other nations. This cannot be achieved by any system of government, education, psychology, or outer environmental changes. I believe there is hope for peace. It simply begins with us. •Obuseh lives in Benin.
16
politics&policy
By Eric Teniola
C
ERTAINLY, Nigeria’s problems did not start with the adoption of the presidential system of government. And neither has the presidential system of government solved our problems. In retrospect, it has created more problems for us, leaving only the executive, legislators and their aides to operate the system. If you look at the presidential system that we have operated since 1979 closely, you will discover a lot of deficiencies, leading us to conclude that the disadvantages of the system far outweigh the advantages. The system allows the people to vote every four years and that is the only role they can ply. From there, the executives, legislators and their aides take over and they become major actors leaving the people as mere spectators in the conduct of their affairs. We are being reminded every day thatthis is democracy. Occasionally, we make our voices known through the media but that is where it ends. And that is why, in desperation, words like restructuring and regionalism are now taking the front seat in our agitation for a better nation. In other countries of the world, plebiscite and referendum are commonly practiced to invite the people to decide on major issues affecting their destiny but not in Nigeria. Everything is just forced on us and in most times, as docile as we are, we have no choice. A constitution is simply the body of rules in accordance with which the powers of government are distributed and exercised. A sort of commandment under which a government operates. Let us go back on the origin of the adoption of the presidential system of government. On assuming power, the first thing Major General Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi (1924-1966) did on January 17 1966 was to suspend the 1963 constitution under decree No 1. From that time till 1975 we had no constitution under General DanYumaYakubu Gowon (82).We were ruled by decrees. On October 1 1975, there was a ray of hope on the issue when General Murtala Mohammed (1938-1976), announced in a broadcast that he would hand over power in 1979. And true to his words, he set up a 50 man constitution drafting committee under the leadership of Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, CS (1920-2005). A member of the committee, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, GCFR (1909-1987) opted not to serve in the committee, insisting that having written and participated in the making of past Nigeria constitutions, there was no more to add. On October 18 1975, General Murtala Mohammed inaugurated the committee at the Institute of International Affairs in Lagos. He said on that day that ‘the supreme military council has carefully discussed and agreed on an executive presidential system of government’. On October 6 1977, General Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR inaugurated the Constituent Assembly and re-echoed the stand of General Murtala Muhammed on the adoption of the presidential system of government, insisting that members of that assembly were not to change on what the Supreme Military Council has decided on the presidential system. He declared: “May I emphasise that the purpose of your being here is to discuss the draft constitution already by the constitution drafting committee and to come out with your recommendations. These will then be taken to the Supreme Military Council. Thereafter, a decree on the subject of Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be considered and promulgated to usher in the new Constitution.” On January 10 1978, the Constituent Assembly then went to the committee stage to deliberate properly on the presidential system presided over by Justice Egbert UdoUdoma (1917-1998) , then a serving judge of the Supreme Court from Ikot-Abasi in the present day Akwa Ibom state. Dr. Ibrahim Tahir representing Bauchi/Alkaleri, who later became the Talban Bauchi, raised a motion objecting to the presidential system and pleading that we should revert back to the parliamentary system. He said: “I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper as follows: That this House resolves to amend Chapter VI, Title and Section 109, Sub-section (1)-(3) as proposed and to accept the consequential Amendment to the relevant sections of the same Chapter; and further resolves that the Constitution of Nigeria shall reflect a Parliamentary form of government with such other modifications as the House may decide”. Dr Tahir said the presidential system was too expensive to operate and that the contradictions within that system will cripple the act of governance. His only supporter on that day was Alhaji Umaru Dikko (1936-2014) from Kaduna/ Birnin Gwari constituency. Dr Tahir (1938-2009) was an in-law to the present Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari. In opposing Dr. Tahir, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN
Monday, 18 July, 2016
The huge cost of Nigeria’s presidential system
President Muhammadu Buhari
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki
(84) from Lagelu/Oluyole/Akinyele Constituency, said Dr Tahir was wrong. Chief Akinjide declared: “With the greatest respect, there is nothing new in the arguments of the hon. Member for Bauchi/Alkaleri(Dr. Tahir) I had the privilege of exchanging correspondence with him in a foreign journal in respect of whether Nigeria should go Presidential or Prime Ministerial. At the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), he was roundly defeated, and although I would not be a judge in my own cause, on the balance of probability in the correspondence in the foreign journal, he was also defeated. The issue before this House is quite simple. Should this country go Prime Ministerial or Presidential? It is as simple as that. We should not take umbrage in the British history, in the Russian history, or in the American history. The test we have to apply is quite simple. It is a subjective test. It is not an objective test, and that subject test is this. Having regard to our history for the past 17 or 20 years, what form of government is best for this country? “All the arguments advanced by the Hon. Member for Bauchi/Alkaleri (Dr. Tahir) against the presidential system could also be advanced against prime ministerial System and we must consider that there is no form of government in this world that is fool-proof. There is no form of government in which a dictator cannot emerge. All we
can do is to try our best and rely on the best judgment of this country. On the balance of probability, my submission is that a prime ministerial system of government for this country is a recipe for chaos. At the chief executive level, you will have what is called bifurcation of authority. “You will have the Head of Government, and you will have the Head of State. The Parliamentary type of government does not augur well for stability. The Prime Minister can fall on a vote of no confidence, whereas a president has four years’ term of office.” It was at this stage that Professor Ben Nwabueze (85) and Mr. Paul Wataregh Unongo (80) requested that the issue should be put to vote and when the question was put to vote by Justice Udo Udoma, Dr Tahir’s amendment was overwhelmingly rejected. The Constituent Assembly adjourned sine die on June 5, 1978, without finishing its work and that assembly was never reconvened. However, on September 21 1978, General Obasanjo came out with Decree No 25 promulgating the 1979 constitution. The decree states that: “Whereas the Constituent Assembly established by the Constituent Assembly Decree 1977 and as empowered by that Decree has deliberated upon the draft Constitution drawn up by the Constitution Drafting Committee and presented the result of it deliberations to the Supreme Military Council and the Supreme Council has approved the same subject to such changes as it has deemed necessary in the public interest and for purposes of fostering the promotion of the welfare of the people of Nigeria and whereas it is necessary for the Constitution to be vested with the force of law. This Decree may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Enactment) Decree 1978”. In short that was how the Presidential System of Government came to be in Nigeria. In the light of present events, it is being suggested that we should go back to the parliamentary system of government which gave full powers to the regions. I don’t know how possible it is but I think the parliamentary system of government is more democratic, more representative and less costly than the presidential system of government. Teniola, a former director at the presidency, stays in Lagos.
The parliamentary system of government is more democratic, more representative and less costly than the presidential system.
17
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
Group Business Editor Sulaimon Olanrewaju | 08055001708 | lanresulaimon@yahoo.com | @lanresulaimon
leadership & management
entrepreneuership
markets
Nigerian economy
Current issues and strategic options Continues from front page
However, instead of holding the present a hostage of the past, both leaders faced their countries’ economic problems with credible and vigorous economic reform programmes that have succeeded in turning their economies around. We all expect the same from the present Nigerian administration. The buck cannot be passed to anyone else. It is true that many countries in the world are currently going through a tough patch. However, many of these countries have also put in place economically sound and cohesive policies to tackle the economic challenges. We cannot conveniently say this about Nigeria. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to see a body of coherent fiscal and monetary policies that has been put in place to address the myriads of economic challenges confronting the country. The nation’s economic chal-
lenges are quite formidable: poverty is almost at an all time high, unemployment rate is high and rising, industrial production at best is stagnant, infrastructure are in terrible state across the country; a plethora of bad roads, poor electricity supply and telecommunication efficiency has fallen as drop rates have increased due to the impact of energy on the operations of the telecommunication sector. The banking sector is in a tight fix, in spite of claims to the contrary, inflation is in the double digit and there are fears that it may increase, the parallel market premium remains high in spite of the belated and incomplete reforms of the foreign exchange market. The capital market faces its own challenges, insecurity of life and property is rife; the various sectors of the economy are challenged and are in various state of survival mode. The government has admitted that the 2016 budget will not be
fully implemented due to sharp decline in revenue. Many states of the federation are technically insolvent, owing their workers several months’ salaries. Consequently, economic activities have collapsed in many states as the multiplier effects of non-payment of workers’ sala-
The Federal Government is also borrowing to finance its budget, mainly recurrent expenditure, thereby crowding out private sector borrowing.
ries spread through the labyrinth of the economies of the affected states. The Federal Government is also borrowing to finance its budget, mainly recurrent expenditure, thereby crowding out private sector borrowing. Net foreign capital inflows have slowed down, including remittances that few years ago were a major source of foreign capital inflow into Nigeria. All of these are compounded by inherited economic and political governance problems. Nigeria retains low ranking on competitiveness index, the doing business index, economic freedom index, governance index, and major other global ranking indices. Nigeria is now classified as a failing state. However, the government may be gradually losing its sympathy within and outside the country. While most people still applaud the government for its anti-corruption stance, and the attempts to bring those who have betrayed
analysis the public trust to justice, a lot of people are also concerned about the slow pace of reforms, and weak demonstrable resolve in tackling the economy’s myriad challenges. The recent smooth transition in Britain after the Brexit vote is a major lesson of how a government should work. As Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down and Theresa May was appointed the new Prime Minister, one cannot but be amazed at the pace and efficiency of the political transition, as well as the independence and strength of various institutions of government. The new Prime Minister announced key ministerial appointments within 24 hours. In our case, it took about six months. In addition, ministerial appointments in the UK were based on credibility, records of performance and expectations of positive contributions to governance. The national interest was prioritized above friendships, personal connections, ethnic and religious considerations. The new Prime Minister also clearly and boldly articulated the direction her government would be taking. The public perception is that of a government that is competent and dynamic. This is the same thing we wish for Nigeria. In the past one year, Nigerians have been left to wonder on what is the dominant economic paradigm guiding public policies. Instead, economic agents have experienced inconsistent policy pronouncements, reversals and conflicting policies. Strategic options Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the Nigerian economic growth rate may shrink further and that inflation remains a potential problem. While we do not need the IMF to tell us the state of our economy, as we are already living through the very tough economic environment and see the despondency and hopelessness on the faces of average Nigerians, yet as a globally respected institution, the warning is a clear wake-up call on the government to set its priority right. We are going to suggest a few options to address some of the macroeconomic and sectoral challenges facing the Nigerian economy. Inflation has to be addressed urgently and frontally. However, it is important to properly understand the underlying driver of the current high rate of inflation. It is majorly caused by supply factors – high costs of production driven by high costs of foreign exchange, high costs of production, high costs of transportation and marketing, high costs of credit and multiple taxation, among others. Continues on pg18
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Monday, 18 July, 2016 Continued from pg17
Now that government funds are no longer with the deposit banks, increase in monetary policy rate will increase interest rates and further worsen adverse selection problem and prospects of loan defaults by banks. The IMF representative was quite right when he said that addressing the energy problem is important to resolving the Nigerian economic problem. The energy problem here includes power and the oil and gas challenges that the country is currently confronted with. Public power supply has been epileptic. The volatility of electricity supply is very high, giving rise to uncertainty of supply and high marginal costs of power outages when they occur. The ongoing attacks on gas pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers have added to the power supply crisis. Businesses operating in Nigeria, whatever the scale of their operations often have to spend huge capital to invest in private power supply. With the controlled deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector the prices of diesel and gasoline have gone up thereby increasing production costs significantly. However, the power sector needs a different policy approach. Over reliance on gas is putting our energy security in jeopardy. The country needs a robust mix of energy sources for electricity production. Moving in this direction is not just the responsibility of the government alone, but by tweaking policies to provide appropriate incentives to the private sector and entrepreneurs, greater number of Nigerians can be made to participate in electricity supply, in a public private partnership framework. We do not have to rely on gas or large hydro and other mega size projects alone, small and micro scale projects also can be encouraged that will ensure rapid diffusion of power solutions to greater number of people. We can use our rivers, sun, wind, and other primary energy sources to increase electricity supply. We can learn from what happens in other countries. This approach requires close collaboration with other stakeholders in the tertiary institutions, research institutes and the business sector. Nigeria is so much endowed with natural sources of energy and we can as well benefit from recent advances in science, technology and innovation to solve power problems. The privatization of PHCN assets in 2013 must be reviewed with a view to ensuring that the problems confronting the sectors are discussed with all stakeholders and resolved once and for all. Power generation must be turned into an attractive business. Agriculture holds a very important key to our economic development. A lot of right noises are being made, but the fundamental problems are not being addressed aggressively, and in our view, in an orderly prioritized manner. Long term problems such as the huge influence of climate in production, poor and inadequate storage facilities to allow for smoothening of production process, low yield input due partly to weak linkage between research and agricultural practices, outdated agricultural implements that are still largely crude, rudimentary and unattractive to the younger generation, lack of credit, high risk ratio of the sector, poor state of infrastructure between the production and market centres, among others. Again, there must be a systemic and systematic approach to address these issues through the entire value chain. Appropriate tweaking of policies to de-risk the sec-
Nigerian economy:
Current issues and strategic options tor, provide incentives to all the players, open up the rural areas through good road and railway networks to link up the production centres in the rural areas and the consumption centres in the urban areas, support irrigation to delink the effects of climate on agriculture, encourage privately managed storage facilities and provide marketing support to reduce income volatility, reintroduce a well coordinated modern and efficient extension services and more importantly, application of science, technology and innovation (STI) to the sector through proper coordination among the government, academic and the private sector will transform the agricultural sector, reduce food insecurity, food import bills and productively engage our teeming unemployed youths. The manufacturing side is also another important supply side issue that we need to address to make the Nigerian economy rebound and become a fledging 21st century economy. The manufacturing sector has significant backward and forward linkages with the rest of the economy. A robust and competitive manufacturing sector will enhance productivity, increase value addition, generate more government revenue through taxation, help diversify exports and reduce import dependency of the economy. The employment coefficient of the manufacturing sector is very high, yet Nigeria has one
The employment coefficient of the manufacturing sector is very high, yet Nigeria has one of the lowest manufacturing-GDP ratios in the world.
of the lowest manufacturing-GDP ratios in the world. We will not develop a competitive manufacturing sector except we develop a robust set of integrated, reinforcing economic and non-economic policies that create the right incentives for existing and potential entrants to the sector. We must look at the entire components of competitiveness index and the Doing Business Index and put in place policies to address those areas where our deficiencies are so obvious. Our trade and exchange rate policies, income policies, monetary and fiscal policies must be seen to be coherent, transparent and intelligible to key economic agents – domestic and foreign. The body language of the President, the pedigree and caliber of his appointees must be in sync and the quality of government policies must align with one of the orthodox bodies of modern economic development policies. Economic laws, as simple as they look, are powerful forces that any economy or government no matter how well intentioned ignores at its own perils. It is obvious that we must diversify the Nigerian economy. It should not however be the often refrain of diversification away from the petroleum sector. With our huge energy endowments, an efficient and effective diversification must involve both vertical and horizontal diversification. The weak integration of the petroleum sector with the rest of the economy should be addressed. A situation where petroleum accounts for over 95 per cent of export earnings, over 70 per cent of government revenue and less than 16 per cent of the GDP shows the weakness of our economic structure. There are over 6,000 products that can be obtained from petroleum, whereas we focus on less than 10 products. Again the role of STI in wealth maximization from petroleum resources cannot be overemphasized. The fact is that the government must demonstrate to Nigerians that they are on
Nigerian Tribune
top of the current economic challenges. There is need to reduce economic uncertainties. Every modern developed economy tries to avoid economic governance uncertainties by pre-announcing or providing criteria under which intervention or policy changes will take place so that economic agents are not ambushed and to ensure that investment risks can be minimized. The Nigerian government needs a coherent policy document in the mould of the NEEDS document in which economic objectives, strategies and policies are clearly defined. There is urgent need to address the technical insolvency of many of the states by formulating a clear support and exit strategies to bail out the states, reduce the very high unemployment and poverty rates, bridge the gap between the two sets of ruling exchange rates, bring down inflation and interest rates, address the security of public and private petroleum assets, especially in the Niger Delta, address the concerns of those who feel marginalized under the present system of governance and build an inclusive economy. Outlook The short to medium term outlook of the economy is not very bright. The downsides include the continuous operations of militants in the Niger Delta that continue to attack petroleum infrastructure, depriving the economy of badly needed revenue and foreign exchange to finance its budget and to defend the naira respectively. The oversupply of oil in the global market will continue to render the oil market soft as price will continue to operate within the $45 $55 band. Although this is higher than the $38 on which the 2016 budget is predicated, the decline in crude oil production has amplified the effects of oil price shocks on the Nigerian economy. Suddenly in Africa, Nigeria is now the second largest crude oil producer behind Angola. The more these attacks continue, the greater the risks and uncertainties that oil producers face in operating in the Niger Delta region and the lower government earns under the present oil fiscal regime. There also seems to be no clearly visible powerful voice in the government that is coordinating government response to the tepid economic situation. There is a perception that the government reacts rather than lead the process of economic transformation. Whatever it is, after the long battle with the budget, the expectation is that the government machinery will be working at top speed to deliver on the budget promises. Little seems to be happening and the slow pace to tackle the serious economic problem continues. The weakness of the power sector remains a major source of concern. Efforts by the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to get a hike in their tariffs have so far failed due to resistance from consumer groups, the National Assembly and the recent judicial pronouncement. Most of the DISCOs are weak and are struggling to stay afloat. Again, we expect a more dynamic and proactive leadership to provide a way out of the brittle state of the power sector. Finally, and perhaps most important in our view, the nation is in urgent need of economic leadership by the APC government. Professor Adenikinju is Director, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan.
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How companies build customer loyalty
The 60-second
business coach PAGE 24
By Sulaimon Olanrewaju
B
USINESSES exist to satisfy customers. Without ensuring customer satisfaction, achieving long-term corporate objective is a mirage. So, the customer is the oxygen that keeps any organization going. But some companies carry on as if the customer is not critical to their existence; they operate as though it is the customers that depend on them and not vice versa. A number of companies, especially those regarded as market leaders, run on the wrong premise that they can do without the customer but that is a fallacy that soon hits them where it hurts the most when the tide changes.
PAGE 24
Leaders’
forum PAGE 24
The story of NITEL Before the advent of GSM in Nigeria, NITEL, the government agency saddled with the provision of telecommunication services in the country, was a lord unto itself and a pain to everybody else. Being a monopoly, the organization rode roughshod over its customers. It had zero respect for those who used its services and had little consideration for their feelings. Customers were treated as a burden; complaints by them were swept under the carpet. To get any service from the organization would involve either acquaintance with the company’s top shots or a willingness by the service seeker to grease the palms of NITEL staff members. To get a small problem fixed, customers would be subjected to a range of traumatic experiences and would often have to sacrifice a whole day. NITEL was a perfect example of how not to treat customers. Continued on pg20
Quote LEADERSHIP
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them. — Albert Einstein
Yewande Zaccheus, CEO, Eventful Ltd
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
How companies retain customers Continued from pg19
The reality of the importance of the customer dawned on the organization when the government liberalized the sector and paved the way for other service providers to operate therein. After the GSM licence auctions for operators, the government gave NITEL a free licence and was asked to compete with others in the provision of mobile telephone services. However, the company was worsted by competition and its services spurned by customers because it brought the same lack luster and lackadaisical attitude with which it had operated as a monopoly into a competitive environment. For over 10 years, the company was in limbo because of its disrespect to customers. The government recently sold it to private owners. Failure of NITEL NITEL failed in its bid to play in a competitive environment because it had failed over the years to build customer loyalty. In reality, customers have no attachment to any product; their loyalty is a function of how well the product satisfies their needs. So, it was difficult for NITEL to profit from the thirst of the populace for telephone services after the sector was liberalized because it had etched a bad impression of itself and its services on the psyche of telephone users in the country. But had the company treated its old customers excellently, it would have been the preference of telephone users when migration to mobile telephony became inevitable. Building customer loyalty The key to sustainable success for any company is customer loyalty. Customer loyalty, which is borne
Dr Omobola Johnson, Lead Partner, TLcom out of consistent need satisfaction, results in customer retention. Marketing experts are agreed that it is more difficult for a company to win a new customer than to retain an old one. According to a report by Harvard Business School, increasing customer retention rate by five per cent increases profit from 25 per cent to 95 per cent. So, what wise company executives do is to guard against losing the current stock of customers while working hard to win new ones. A satisfied customer will tell another one, while a dissatisfied customer will tell 10. So, it is not in the interest of an organization to leave any customer dissatisfied. These are some steps in building customer loyalty.
tomer is king but the question is how many companies give their customers royal treatment? Would anyone treat the Oba of Lagos, Emir of Kano, Obi of Onitsha or
Customers will always gravitate to places where they are not just treated as mere statistical figures or with pedestrian respect but rather as the essence of the business.
Treat customers as royalty It has often been said that cus-
THE 60-SECOND business coach WHEN we aggregate everyone’s independent views, the truth emerges! That’s the proven and repeatable result a university professor recently illustrated through an exercise based on the “wisdom of crowds”. The key takeaway is how infrequently (if at all) executives draw upon the knowledge, opinions and expertise of a broad group of people to make better decisions. Just this past March I witnessed the results of a similar experiment, when toward the end of a 90-day Leadership Development assignment I convinced an executive team to include their middle management within their quarterly strategic planning meeting. The critical factors that I’m about
Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holding
Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and MD, Viacom International Media Networks Africa
the Queen of England as a mere statistical figure? The answer is no. A visit by any of these personages to a company would be celebrated even if the monarch does not make any purchase. But customers are not treated like that by organizations. While many extend courtesies to them, customers are seen as nothing but part of a population. That is not the way to treat customers, neither is it the way to build customer loyalty. A customer must be made to feel important by the service provider. Every company should ensure that the purchase experience is unique to every customer. Although how this is done may be different from one organization to the other, the fact is that to build a sustainable business, giving each customer a unique experience must be taken seriously. This could be achieved by asking employees to
spend more time with customers to ask questions or give suggestions that could help the customer to make an excellent purchase decision. This is important because what bring back the customer to the company are these little extra efforts. People go to where they are celebrated, not where they are tolerated. Customers will always gravitate to places where they are not just treated as mere statistical figures or with pedestrian respect but rather as the essence of the business. This is what Feargal Quinn, author of Crowning the Customer, calls ‘The Boomerang Principle’. According to him, giving personal touch to a customer makes his return a fait accompli. But when customers are treated as part of a pack or as market segments, bringing them back would be Herculean.
BOOK Turn your product into a brand A brand is superior to a product because it offers more than a product. A brand does two things. First, it meets a need. This is the brand promise; the value which the manufacturer promises; the value for which the consumer parts with his money. The other thing is that it massages the ego of a consumer or pander to his vanity. This is also about giving something extra to the customer. This is not a brand promise; it is what customers themselves associate a product with. Consequently, it is not every product that is a brand. While all cars perform the same basic functions, a Ferrari is seen as a statement of wealth; top-class Range Rover and Toyota cars are symbols of taste while high-range Honda cars are perceived as symbol of exquisiteness. These automobiles do not just deliver mobility; they add other things to this basic automobile function. So, everyone that pays for any of these cars expects more than mobility though this is not part of the promise of the manufacturer. None of these cars got to this point accidentally; the manufacturers, without verbalizing these, have built these other values into the vehicles such that they have become a given. Turning a product into a brand does not always have to do with high cost. Coca-Cola recently ran a campaign in Nigeria where it asked its customers to share a Coke with a name. What this accomplished was that everyone that wanted to pick a bottle of Coca-Cola looked for his or her name. With that the Coca-Cola bottle was not sought just to quench a thirst; it was also desired as a social statement. What the company sought to achieve with that was retaining its customers. The thought that would come to the consumer’s mind was “why pick an-
Critical success factors for effective leadership
to share work in complement with each other. On their own, they are only single contributing forces. 1. Time Management You can’t “manage time” for time will pass no matter what you do. What you can do is manage energy and activity. You can either choose to utilize the limited time you have in the most effective manner through energy and activity management, or you can allow time to pass-by while you stare at yet another to-do list that hasn’t been completed. 2. Effective Communications The secret to effective communication is 80 per cent listening and 20 per cent talking. Continuing on from
that 80/20 rule, if 80 per cent of our talking time is focused on posing questions around logic and expected results, I guarantee you will become the most effective communicator you know.
propriate or create / document a process, and finally (5)let them know they can decide this without you next time. When your team is running “the business”, you are free to actually improve the business!
3. Delegation The secret behind effective delegation isn’t “telling some what to do” it’s explaining the logic (thought process and philosophy) behind what needs to be done and why. The next time you have an issue you feel can be delegated, do the following; (1) gather everybody around, (2)answer the question / solve the issue and explain the philosophy, (3)make sure everyone understands the thought process, (4)ask one person to write / update a manual if ap-
4. Motivation When employees find meaning in their lives and work, this is when they are their most motivated. In order to help employee motivation, a leader must “inspire” his team. People want to be led, not managed. Instead, leaders must manage their actions and lead by example. Follow the steps above & make sure you have time for your people, be purposeful & effective in your communications, delegate & empower your team by allowing them to
understand the logic of how decisions are suppose to be made. Bottom line, the role of leadership is to add value to other people and the true measure of leadership is influence, thus a great leader must have the ability to change the attitude or behavior of others. 5. Goal settings and periodic reviews People only stay motivated when they understand why they do what they do, how what they do contributes to the success of the company they work for, and they can measure progress toward that end. This is what “Employees finding meaning in their work” is all about. Be transparent and set SMARTER goals, followed by frequent &
appropriate pulse-checks that will allow for the agile adjustments necessary to deliver your expected results. 6. Recruitment and interviewing You won’t be able to do any of the above if you haven’t built the right team to support you! The most effective recruitment & on-boarding process starts with TopGrading, a proven process based on bullet proof reference checks & expected results scorecards. 7. Customer centric This is your final horizon! You’ve mastered all of the above so that you can more effectively speak with, think about, and act on behalf of your customers.
other fizzle drink when there is one with my name on it?” But in reality what has a name on a bottle got to do with the satisfaction the bottle content delivers? On the surface, there seems to be no correlation. But this seemingly insignificant gesture by the company went a long way in tilting consumers to picking its products. Little things matter, always. Take customers’ feedback seriously Products are meant for customers. Therefore, their views about the products should not be trifled with irrespective of how the organization feels about them. One fact that appears lost to many company executives is that feedbacks provide the opportunity to keep customers, if properly handled. A customer with a negative feedback will feel gratified seeing that the company takes his feedback seriously and acts on it. He is encouraged to continue his patronage of the organization. If, on the contrary, a company fails to act on the feedback supplied by a customer, the aggrieved customer may decide to try another company. So, paying serious attention to customers’ feedback helps a company to retain its customers. As a way of giving feedbacks the seriousness they deserve, a forward-looking company sees to it that every feedback is documented. This makes it easy for it to make reverence to the feedback and treat it appropriately. The claim made by the customer in the feedback should be investigated. If the complaints are found to be true, the company should without delay correct them and get back to the customer on the matter to intimate him with the steps taken to address the issue. Some organizations do not take kindly to customers’ complaints because they overrate their products. But that is a route that leads to destruction. It should be understood that the product was fashioned to satisfy the needs of the customers. If the customer should raise any complaint about its efficacy, ignoring it is akin to telling the customer to take a dive into the nearest lagoon. And he will take the advice only that he won’t jump into the lagoon but rather drop your product into the lagoon and take his patronage to your competitor. Develop a strong customer service culture Your customer service personnel are the face of the company. So, your customer experience is determined by competence (or lack of it) as well as social skill (or lack of it) of your customer service staff. Thus, it is crucial that your customer service staff possess the skills required to leave every
customer happy at the end of the encounter. Perhaps the primary skill for this category of staff is the possession of a thick skin. A customer service staff should be able to take patronization by the customer. He should be able to take the customer’s excesses without getting angry or irritated. Since the customer is always right, a customer service personnel should recognize that he has no business pointing it to the customer that he is wrong. His primary responsibility is to make sure that no customer leaves with a wrong impression of the company. Then the customer service personnel must be knowledgeable about the operations of the organization as this would go a long way in making the customer happy. The essence of a customer service department is to be able to solve customers’ problems. So, staffing the unit with those who can answer customers’ questions and solve their technical problems will build a strong customer service culture. Customer service staff should also be able to communicate excellently. They should possess the ability to be unambiguous in their communication to avoid their messages being misconstrued and therefore creating more problems instead of solving them. Research If businesses exist to satisfy customers, then they must consistently conduct researches to find out what the customers’ needs are. Great companies don’t operate on assumptions concerning customers’ needs, their production activities are based on research-backed findings. But a number of companies do not take research seriously; they base their productions on what they think the market needs. By relying on research, a company gets to know what the trend is; it finds out before it becomes obvious to all what is likely going to happen in future in the industry where it operates. This prepares it to meet the needs of its customers. Meeting customers’ need ahead of competitors guarantees that the customers have no need to look elsewhere for what they want. Pricing Except a company which is a premium player, appropriate pricing also helps in building customer loyalty. Every customer wants the value derived from his money to stretch for as long as possible. Therefore, to guard against forfeiting customers’ loyalty on the altar of wrong pricing, it is best to price competitively. While under-pricing may connote the unintended impression of the item or service being of inferior quality, over-pricing has the propensity of driving customers away to competitors.
Leadership and Self Deception:
Getting out of the box By The Arbinger Institute THE book Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box was written by The Arbinger Institute. The work was derived from the ideas of C. Terry Warner, a U.S. philosopher. The Arbinger Institute is a management training and consulting firm that works with businesses and individuals to help them improve their businesses and lives. The 168 page book is easy to read; it is written in a simple prose like a novel. The main character in the book is Tom, a recently-hired mid to upper level manager at the fictional company Zagrum. Throughout the book Tom mainly interacts with two other characters – Bud, his boss who is the executive vice president of the company, and Kate, Zagrum’s president. Both Bud and Kate take time out of their busy schedules to train Tom about “the box”, which is self-deception. The gist of the book is that much conflict between people is based on self-betrayal and self-deception. It comes from viewing other people as objects, as “things” that either help or hinder our own progress. The self-deception is that we are more important than other people and that they only exist to help us (or at least not stop us) self-actualize. However, we deceive ourselves when we think that if we want to have improved relationships with others – especially if they are strained – then it is others who need to change and not ourselves. Self-betrayal occurs when we are not true to that part of ourselves that is other-centered; this results in self-centeredness. Maybe at work you had a thought that you should do something but then didn’t do it. When it created a problem you were able to rationalize your behavior and blame someone else (“I would have done X had Susan done her job” or “I was just too busy with other things to get X done.”). Basically, self-betrayal results from not being true to what you [hopefully] know is the right thing to do. When we
don’t do what we know is right, the normal human response is to rationalize and justify our action or inaction in order to protect our egos, per se. This leads to us shifting the blame from ourselves onto others. We start to view others as hindering our progress; when this occurs they stop being people and start being objects (in other words, people are viewed as either starting blocks or stumbling blocks – they help or hinder us). It is relatively straightforward to see how this can lead to interpersonal problems – at home or at work. The problem is that we do not know that we are betraying and deceiving ourselves, so we continue to ascribe most of our problems to others. The author further points out that even if we recognize our self-betrayal and self-deception, we never will completely be free of these behaviors; however, we will be able to reduce these negative behaviors and improve our relationships with others. Overall, this book provides an important and novel way to approach interpersonal behavior. The overarching message is that we should not worry about changing others; we should instead recognize that the problem lies within ourselves and go from there. One very creative application of this philosophy is how this is being applied in businesses to increase productivity, human relations, public relations, and even the profitability of the company.
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leadership&management
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
TOPE POPOOLA is a Human Capital developement Consultant and Pastor. Please feel free to send questions, feedback comments on this column to
topheritage@yahoo.com or visit http//turbochargedforsuccess.blogspot.com
Enhancing your leadership relevance - 2
TECHNOLOGY has turned the world into a global village. With the push of a button, one can access information about and from any part of the world. Today’s leader and the organization he leads are faced with challenges of bridging cultural, geographical and functional boundaries. The implication of this is that the leader that wants to remain relevant must master the art of virtual leadership that enables him to use these boundaries to advantage instead of being a victim of them. The demands of operation in today’s world entail a lot of mobility. Today, many businesses operate entirely online and simply make the use of a virtual address. Several executives use Virtual Assistants that can help to do, for a fraction of the cost, what a full-time assistant would do. The buzz words in today’s business world include B2B, innovation, outsourcing, disruption among others. Each of these concepts forces the leader to think differently. As it is, the 8am to 4pm working window is fast becoming a cage since it does not necessarily guarantee productivity. The Apple Corporation is headquartered in the USA but its products are manufactured in a factory in faraway China! Many corporate organizations and leaders use virtual internet-based telephone numbers that link calls to their private numbers in a way that ensures that they stay in touch wherever they are in the world. It is therefore possible to be on a beach somewhere in Antigua and control the organization’s operations in Australia! That is the power of virtual leadership! Taking advantage of technology, a leader should be willing to develop the skills that enable him to give direction to the people he leads irrespective of where he finds himself on the globe. In a recent survey by the Centre For Creative Leadership, 90% of respondents agreed that the skills required for virtual leadership are totally different from the face-to-face leadership style. The central skill for effective virtual leadership is communication. The age of the micro-manager is fast coming to an end. Leaders who plan to be around for the long haul must be creating platforms for their followers to perform rather than being a sometimes nauseating crutch of support. Today’s employees don’t like to work around a
leader with a Messiah Complex breathing down their necks in the delusion of indispensability. Have you noticed that even though we are in the Information Age, the attention span of most people has shrunk significantly? Terrible paradox you would say. However, it should not be surprising. With information about even the most insignificant minutiae bombarding our sensibilities from different platforms faster than we can process or comprehend them, the average person’s subconscious seems to have developed a coping mechanism that routinely refuses to retain too much or pay too much attention to everything he hears. Afterall, it is common knowledge that what is held as canon today might become tomorrow’s myth. According to Gloria Mark, the average worker today is interrupted every ELEVEN MINUTES! Such interruptions range from a boss or a colleague who needs attention, a mail that presents as urgent, to a telephone call that does not necessarily have to do with the job at hand! And when an employee is thus interrupted, it takes an average of about twenty five to thirty minutes to return to the original task! Welcome to the Age of Interruption. A recent research survey indicates that executives experience interruptions every thirty to forty minutes on the average, sometimes by the most insignificant things. The logic of this is that long stretches of uninterrupted work is becoming rare. Nobody spends eight hours at a stretch working anymore! A leader must learn to use this to advantage by developing the skill of scaling work in such a way that helps to prioritize assignments and set time-frames of accomplishment instead of shrinking everything into the 8 to 4 work window. Interruptions can only be minimized, not eliminated. There are several software in the cyber market that can help minimize interruptions. Phones can now be set to go directly to voicemail in a way that you can hear the message and decide if it is a call you want to answer or return. You can set your calls to divert to another number which is not with you while working and you can return such calls later at your convenience. With an auto-responder, you can set up your email not reply mails with a customized message until you are in a position
How to grow in leadership
EVERY so often, we choose to lead and sometimes we are hard-pressed into leadership. Whatever your state of affairs, your leadership skills will determine how successful you are going to become in leadership in the days to come. Booming leaders usually lead by example. If you are not indicative of the virtues or techniques you are proposing as a leader, those following your leadership will fail, leaving you to wonder why. This is non-negotiable. Please, understand that the best way to teach others in leadership is to first become what you are trying to teach. Reading through many biographies of leaders who existed in the past, I have been able to learn and understand that successful and thriving leaders are simply made in every generation, through practice. I have been practicing—for close to twenty-five years in active leadership—all the leadership principles I am going to teach you today. Here we go! To start with, leaders are lifelong learners. Flourishing leaders understand that when they lose interest in learning, they would lose their edge on earth. Good leaders know that they must continue to find opportunities to learn. They crave every chance to do so. Over the years, it has been my culture to encourage anyone seeking leadership success to read at least an hour every day. That hour a day will make you a recognized leader within five years. So, commit to learning for the rest of your life and embrace opportunities to do so. Also, leaders are good at listening .They comprehend the difference between reflexively hearing and actively listening to what people are telling them. They also have the wisdom to know who is worth listening to and who is not. Some people just like to hear themselves talk, but they never actually say anything of any import. A concierge may have a very worthwhile story to tell that teaches wisdom on human behaviour, while a millionaire may be stuck in his own ego, enjoying the sound of his own voice, but never really share anything worth your time to hear.
Furthermore, leaders develop discipline. Discipline is the foundation stone of an effective leader’s life. Not just in business, but in everything he or she does. Good leaders develop discipline by curbing the impulse for instant gratification. Learning to say “no” when you might say “yes” is the road to becoming more disciplined. For example, you might say, “no, I will not eat that cake; I will wait and have a piece on Wednesday,” or “no, I will not sleep an extra hour.” In other words, just because you can does not mean you should. Curbing your desires makes you stronger in every aspect of your life. That is why leaders discipline themselves to do necessary tasks even when they do not feel like doing them. Also, leaders do take time to be quiet. Successful leaders are usually very busy, with very little extra time in their schedules. But the most successful ones take 20 to 40 minutes every day to be absolutely silent. They remove all distractions and noise to sit within the calm of quiet surroundings. In this silence, they are able to hear themselves think and feel. This helps develop their intuition, which guides them in making decisions. In addition, leaders are compassionate. Effective leaders know that kindness trumps bad behaviour; they care about others’ feelings. They know that softly spoken words are more easily heard and understood, while yelling at peak volume typically just makes for a battle of wills. You shall need to become compassionate, if you truly want to flourish as a leader. Moreover, leaders understand when to delegate. Nothing stands in the way of accomplishing their goals, and certainly not excuses. Successful leaders are people of action, but they also understand when to be patient and when they cannot do everything themselves. So a good leader knows the value of delegating tasks to others; no one can do everything all the time, after all. That makes delegation vital to great leadership. That said, a gifted leader will first ensure that those to whom they delegate can actually get the job done well. In this way, they also foster success in the people they lead.
to personally reply them. No matter how much you hate to e interrupted, live with it. You only have to adapt and adjust! The solo-achiever is fast becoming a dinosaur. If you have this feeling that you can do it all by yourself, you will soon burn out! Paradoxically, today’s businesses are becoming leaner while at the same time endeavoring to grow bottom-line. You could almost call it shrinking into greatness. How have the organizations that have succeeded in this approach done it? It only happens when leaders learn to concentrate on what they do best and let others handle what they are deficient in. Monopolies are out. Collaboration is in! To succeed in today’s climate, a leader must not only learn the skills of collaboration, he must use it to great advantage. Collaboration is to be encouraged at both intra and inter-organizational levels. Take a publishing company for example. Publishing involves several processes from manuscript generation, editing, proof-reading, cover design, print-ready proofs, lithography, colour separation before actual printing, which further entails binding, stitching, guillotine among others. Today’s publisher does not need to own this entire chain. Most of these services can be outsourced and monitored for quality. I run a publishing outfit but I have no intention of owning a printing press. I have a crop of talented service providers at each stage of the processes that, for a fee would give me the kind of quality I desire for a fraction of what I would have paid full-time employees for each of those processes. I can therefore keep costs down because my overhead commitments are leaner. Leaders must teach everyone in the organization that it takes teamwork to make the dream work! No man is an island. All of us will always be better and more effective than any one of us! To remain relevant in today’s operating environment, leaders must therefore cultivate the culture, the mindset and the skills required for collaboration. Beyond this, he must deliberately reward teamwork and be willing to share credit with other members of the team while encouraging his subordinates to do the same…continued Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!
Next, leaders manage time very well. Successful leaders know that time is the only commodity they cannot get more of; no matter how successful they become. So they treat it with great respect. Good leaders manage their time by planning their days with precision. The question is: are you a good time manager or bad time manager? Leaders focus on the positive. A successful leader keeps his eye on the end result. He or she maintains a positive outlook, regardless of current circumstances. Good leaders see problems as opportunities to find a solution. And they never blame others for what they have failed to accomplish. Booming leaders understand that they are in command of their own thinking. Also, leaders value failure. Failure? Yes, failure. The average leader will fail many times before he or she succeeds. They are undaunted by failures and view them as golden opportunities to get closer to their goal. And they know that failure is not an end, but a chance to learn to do it better next time. Please understand that it is not every time you fail that the devil is responsible, it might be an opportunity for you to subsequently do better. Lastly, leaders want to share what they have learned. Successful leaders are generous with sincere praise to others. Those following in your footsteps or learning from you need to hear directly from you when they are getting it right. So make your praise specific to what someone has accomplished. If praise is given too often or too generally, it can lose its meaning. And if it is not given enough, people can become discouraged. Whether you are a manager overseeing employees or you are mentoring students, help them embrace new challenges. When you set the example they will follow willingly. Remember, too, that everyone learns at a different pace. Some get new techniques and ideas with ease, while others may initially struggle to understand or incorporate them. A great leader is able to work well with both types of learners. See you where flourishing leaders are found!
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Monday, 18 July 2016
Emzor boss on succession planning:
‘Run your company transparently’ Thirty-three (33) years ago, Dr Stella Okoli, founded Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, where she serves as the Chief Executive Officer. The company has since grown footprints in Liberia and Sierra Leone. As a consistent advocate for young people’s engagement in the Nigerian manufacturing industry, the Vice Chairman of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, discusses her passion for young entrepreneurs; business survival and succession plans, among others, with RUTH OLUROUNBI.
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OU have been canvassing for young people’s entrance into Nigeria’s manufacturing industry for a while now. You just said now that the industry needs more young people to operate in it. From your perspective as entrepreneur who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, how do you think these young people can be motivated into coming on board? Thank you very much. As you know, there are millions of young Nigerians looking for employment and unemployment in Nigeria is a time bomb waiting to explode. The most important thing here is that all our young ones don’t all don’t have to have jobs; they can be directed to starting businesses from their skills. Now, you will see that I mentioned skills. And this is an area that I strongly believe that we can help our young people, we can teach them the skills they need in the manufacturing sector. There are a lot of stories going around that many of our graduates are not employable maybe because they were not taught what they needed to be taught in schools, I don’t know. But
if we can provide capacity development programme for these young people, this can go a long way. When we employ people, we are looking for knowledge workers because they’re very important. They are the ones we believe can move the companies forward. You need your staff to ask you questions all the time, you need somebody curious because they learn and as they learn, they improve and as they improve, everybody is happier – they’re are happy that they’ve come on board, they understand they’re valued, their opinion counts and all. We are not doing well in this regard in the industry and that is very sad. If you go to owode, you will see the industry that has come up there. The pure water industry has given birth to another industry in owode, the water treatment plant, which has started growing and we can harness them, use that model, bring some young people, and teach them how these things. If you go to Ladipo market, you will be amazed at how cars are fixed there. If those boys can be helped in that direction, they can do well and even improve the economy of the country. Continues on p24
Nigerian Tribune
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Monday, 18 July 2016
Nigerian Tribune
Ruth Olurounbi
0811 695 4637 (sms only) e:ruth.olurounbi@tribune.com.ng t:@Olurounbi
How to build media relationships IN 2007, Bloomberg News posted an article by Aileen Pincus, titled How to Build Relationships with the Media. The article offered some tips on how business owners can become sources for stories that may help build their brands. Basically, what the international news agency was driving at was that “talking to reporters makes good business sense.” As a journalist, who has had the pleasure of practising for almost 10 years, I can remphasise what virtually all business executives in the world already knew, promoting your business is a very smart idea. The glitch though is that many business executives, especially most of Nigeria’s young entrepreneurs, rarely know, let alone understand, the value of the news media. Thanks to the advent of the new media, many business owners are either personally or, through the use of professionals, tailoring the shape of their business communications. We are seeing news media become more and more seamless, and fluid. Citizen journalism is growing in leaps and bounds, and the social media platforms are becoming increasingly useful tool for news dissemination, as well as sources for to the disseminated news items. It is incontestable that the social media is a powerful free communication tool. However, there is still is a communication tool that is often much more powerful – the news media – and the people behind the scenes who produce the news, the journalists. Journalists or reporters depend on one or more critical elements to create and produce news contents and one of those critical elements is the source. This is where you as business owner can position yourself to leverage on the power of the media. There is no gainsaying the fact that journalists have the power to make and break brands, this, therefore, makes it vital for you as a business owner to develop “strong, effective and targeted relationships” with the media
Continued from p23
practitioners, in the words of Dana Gloger, Senior Account Manager at Portland, who advises clients on best practise in managing the press and broadcast media. Like I said earlier, journalists need sources in order to do their jobs and you, the entrepreneur, can use this to your advantage by being an expert source for them. Here’s one thing to have at the back of your mind though: business and news journalists are not looking to promote your business for you, rather, they are looking to gain in-depth or if you will, fuller understanding of a topic they may be writing on, or they may be looking to get a different point of view to a story they are writing or producing. It is, therefore, important that you know this to refrain from barraging them promotional contents. You may be wondering: “what is in this for me?” To put it simply, “increased visibility and credibility, along with providing a platform for your
ideas,” as Pincus put it. By being an expert source to news or business reporters, you gain access to the journalists’ or media houses’ readers, viewers, and listeners. “When you’re quoted as a leading authority about an idea, trend, product, or service, your knowledge is on display. That speaks far more powerfully about your reputation in your field than any paid promotional pitch. Being quoted in the media also opens up new avenues of reaching your target audiences and allows you to communicate with them in a different way. “Successful interaction with the news media requires an understanding of what each of you has to gain: You gain a profile-enhancing forum while they gain a quotable expert to help tell a story,” Pincus wrote in her article and I must say that this is works for any business owner who engages with the media. Next week, we will discuss ways to build relationships with the media.
We used to import stainless steel chairs but we now found out that some people are making it in Ojuade market here in Lagos and they are better than the imported ones. So, there are so many things we can do to help our young people. Everybody doesn’t have to employed, they can start their own business and become employers of labour. And there are many ways they can be helped – single digits loan, low interest rates, and special window for the manufacturers – because it is really at the heart of the government to help manufacturers but being at the heart is one thing and doing it is another thing. So need it to be done. And also, you can’t really progress without exporting your goods; therefore, all the regulatory bodies/agencies must meet and work together. There should be no boundaries; they should work together for common good. The job of the regulatory agency is to make sure that the industry is competitive to international standard, so that at the end of the day we can have movements of different types of manufacturing products from Nigeria to the different parts of the world. We’ve discussed several challenges facing the manufacturing industry – from lack of access to forex, to policies and several issues crippling the industry. Moving forward, what do you expect from the stakeholders in making sure that the industry not only survive, but it is also made attractive to the young people? You know that the industry is very difficult in the third world country because industries are not sometimes understood because it is the job of the government to make sure that the industries survive. They plant industries in different countries and they make sure that they survive. Some of them do clusters. These are planned effort. So if there are manufacturers, they should be helped and there are so many ways to help manufacturers – by ensuring they get forex, by ensuring that they get loan in single digits, and
Why you should hire people you disagree with AT insurance firm Marsh & McLennan, you’ll find a lot of conservative ideas--it’s an insurance firm after all. But you’ll also hear something that’s really quite radical. The company’s CEO Daniel S. Glaser recommends hiring people he doesn’t get along with. In the latest Corner Office featured in the New York Times, Glaser tells Adam Bryant that at his company, he seeks out unconventional new employees. Specifically, he looks for people who are “kind of impatient” and have a sense of “urgency
about them, even a little edginess.” The best way businesses can avoid becoming complacent or arrogant after a long successful run, is by establishing a culture that values speaking up, he says. By challenging convention and questioning culture, he adds that you’ll always find a smarter way of doing something. Maybe it’s because Glaser grew up in a household where conventional wisdom was looked down. He explains, “They would make us think for ourselves... Even today, when everybody thinks a di-
rection is right, I just feel myself pulling in another direction a little bit.” Or perhaps it’s because he is a firm believer in that “sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” He’s not afraid of differing viewpoints, and that, he says, has helped the company stay fresh. He also admitted that over time he has developed more perspective on how to deal with difficult employees. While before he was quick to dismiss an unproductive hire, now he has a “basic belief that almost everyone wants to contribute and do well.”
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Monday, 18 July 2016
‘To succeed, invest in young people’ by ensuring that the government patronises them. Because right now, we are cash strapped in our industry and that is because we gave the government goods three years ago, when the government had no single antiretroviral drugs and there was an appeal for us to please help produce antiretroviral drugs. Now, as patriotic people, we forfeited our Christmas holiday and flew in the materials for the drugs, produced them and met the government’s deadline for December. Till today, the government owes the pharmaceutical industries billions of naira for three years! We have written letters, met with the government, etc, yet no results. In a situation like this, people are closing shops and it is not easy. People are scaling down, there’s the day you have material, you open, the day you don’t have material, you close. How do you deal with your staff? How do you motivate them? What do you tell them? How do you plan? So it is affecting manufacturing very badly and that is why we are saying there should be a policy that understands what manufacturing is all about and do everything to ensure that Nigeria industries survive, because they’re the employers of labour. I’d like to ask, the economy being volatile as it is, what are your recommended survival strategies for business?
Obviously, the first will be cost cutting, streamlining the product lines and engaging with the government at all levels to ensure that companies, their owners and manufacturers are assisted in providing the enabling environment for businesses. Also, I want to plead that everybody should come on board because coordination of all the ministries, agencies and stakeholders is paramount for the understanding that the challenges are very high and we must work together. You mentioned patriotism as one of the fundamentals to your continued business success. Is this a recommendation for young people especially coming into business? Absolutely! Patriotism is the backbone of any industry around world. Go to America and ask them, they will tell you they are Americans first. Patriotism is something that should be learnt here in Nigeria. What is patriotism? We have to teach it so that people can understand it, because people will soon disown their countries and say one thing or the other. By God’s grace, throughout my life, I will always be patriotic to Nigeria. For our people, this is very important, love your country please. As a manufacturer and entrepreneur in Nigeria, you will notice that so many businesses,
especially those in form of sole proprietorship have very serious succession challenges. Looking at your own structure, it seems you have been able to take care of that. How have you been able to do this? (Laughs). Thank you very much. We are very passionate about what we do and what we teach people is passion. We like people to sing on their way to work, we challenge them to be happy and sing on the way to work even though the environment is challenging for business. We also emphasise dignity of labour and then we invest in young people. Also, flexibility is one of our practises on daily basis. For example, when we need to get things done and we are brainstorming, you will be surprised that the best answers come from the young people. We also ensure quality assurance, so we are very resilient with our renewed effort to perform. Performance management has become so very important. We also tell our workers to not give up, just keep at it, and keep trying. I learnt from my father that hard work does not kill. And I say this severally, the only one that kills is laziness, or is it not true? Succession planning everywhere is very difficult because you may have an idea and you know these young people are wonderful with great ideas, they may not toe the same line as you so you have to bear that in mind. And when you’re running a company, you make sure that everybody is on board, is carried along and you’re transparent in what you’re doing, you teach people everything that you do, at least you try. If you run the company in a transparent manner, you find out that there are people that will always believe in the company’s vision and will buy into it. It is important that people believe in what your company stands for and your practice is such that encourages succession to keep the company going. Your practice should be such that encourages trust in your workers, that whether you are there or not, your people know what to do.
GEC2017: Silicon Valley investors expected in S/Africa By Ruth Olurounbi SILICON Valley investors are expected to visit Johannesburg, South Africa, for the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in March 2017. Some of the investors, who are partnering with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will participate in an 11-day itinerary in Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, to engage with African entrepreneurs and innovators and explore partnerships and investment opportunities. The trip is expected to culminate with the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), which is the first time to be hosted in Africa. The event will be hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Kauffman Foundation, SEA Africa, the City of Johannesburg, National Department of Small Business Development, Gauteng Provincial Government, Absa – a member of Barclays, Transnet, Hollard, Microsoft and Telkom. It will be recalled that the USAID had, at the recently concluded Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held at the Silicon Valley, USA, announced a $38 million
commitment towards global entrepreneurship, which will help mobilise the power of global entrepreneurs and innovators. The agency revealed that it will also be partnering with 500 Startups, a leading Silicon Valley global venture capital fund and accelerator, to host a first ever Geeks on a Plane (GOAP) trip to Africa next year. Kizito Okechukwu, Executive Head of SEA Africa, reacting to the development, urged African entrepreneurs to take positive advantage and leverage from the partnerships, as well as the upcoming congress.
“It will also ensure continuous collaboration amongst African and other global entrepreneurs and assist to sustain the African Union’s 2063 Agenda. “Africans breaking away from the syndrome of always coming up with new ideas but no significant achievement and set in motion high levels of productivity, growth, entrepreneurship and transformation. We are really looking forward to collaborating with all partners in ensuring that the GEC 2017 is an impactful one,” he said.
Nigerian Tribune
JAN, Union Bank to train 50 girls on entrepreneurship Akin Adewakun -Lagos JUNIOR Achievement Nigeria (JAN) has announced its partnership with one of the nation’s old generation financial institutions, Union Bank, to empower 50 girls from different public and private secondary schools, across the nation’s six geo-political zones. This is part of the fifth edition of its Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement and Development(LEAD) Camp, which flagged off in Lagos, at the weekend. The mission of the initiative, according to the organisation, is to inspire the nation’s youth feminine gender to become high-achieving women leaders, by focusing on a key social development goal that emphasizes gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. Speaking on the initiative, the Director of In-School Programs for JAN, Adaeze Oputa, explained that participants would be taken through series of activities that would be administered by HOD Consulting Inc, with leading women from both the private and public sectors of the nation’s economy, serving as mentors. She added that participants must have participated in JAN’s flagship Company Program, designed for different facets of setting up and running a business. “As indicated, the LEAD Camp will consist of activities in leadership, empowerment, achievement and development for majority of participants, coming from different parts of the country’s public and private secondary schools, who, ordinarily would not have had this kind of opportunity in their lives,” she stated. While expressing her gratitude to Union Bank and other partners for their support for the initiative, Oputa expressed the belief that the initiative would go a long way in enhancing the confidence of the nation’s female children and put them on the path of financial independence. Expressing her delight at the program, HOD Consulting Inc & Founding Executive Director of JAN, Simi Nwogugu, explained that the LEAD Camp was introduced to further secure the leadership skills of the girl-child. “‘I developed LEAD Camp in 2001 because, after two years of running JAN, I noticed that some of the girls, who were shy or timid at the beginning of the Company Program, were more confident by the end and needed just a little more encouragement to secure their newfound leadership skills. Now 15 years later, I am proud to support LEAD Camp again with some of our best leadership development workshops at HOD Consulting,” she stated. Explaining the rationale behind his bank’s decision to pitch his tent with the program, the Managing Director, Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, said since developing and grooming young talent remains a key focus for the bank, the LEAD programme therefore provides the bank that opportunity to nurture and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset in those 50 girls that would participate at this edition of the program.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
Skye Bank stocks dip by 43%, nears threshold SEQUEL to the announcement of management shift of Skye Bank Plc by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the bank’s stock has plunged deeply by 43 per cent. On Friday, Skye Bank stocks slid for a seventh day, declining 1.6 per cent to 60 kobo, heading closer to the 50 kobo limit that no Nigerian equity can trade below. On July 4, CBN had announced that it replaced Skye’s Chief Executive
Officer, Chairman and 10 other Directors, saying the steps were necessary after the lender breached requirements on liquidity and non-performing loans. In a quick move to allay fears, the central bank releadesd another statement on July 6, announcing Skye Bank and the rest of the industry. Despite these, investors have continued to dump almost all banking shares
on concerns of contagion, as predicted by an analyst who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune. “The negative news at present is that of Skye bank. Not only banking stock would be negatively affected by the Skye bank news as others would follow suite. It definitely will impact on the market because it’s a bandwagon effect. When it affects banking stocks others are affected as well. Investors
will withdraw to an extent,” Rotimi Fakayejo had said. The new leadership of the bank, recetly visited the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at the beginning of their tenure, paying a courtesy call to seek cooperation and fair trade at such turbulent time in the bank’s history. The bank has continued to urge shareholders to keep calm, promising that deposits with the bank remain
Nigerian Tribune
safe. Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr Tokunbo Abiru had said the management team and the board would work to achieve value enhancement for shareholders, customers and other stakeholders by bringing the cost-income ratio to acceptable levels, improve the risk assets quality and work towards increasing the liquidity and capital adequacy of the bank.
Pharma-Deco turnover drops 55% in 1H2016
From left: Dapo Adekoje, 1st Vice President, Chartered Institute of Stockbroker (CIS); Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operation and Technology, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Oluwaseyi Abe, President, CIS, and Emeka Madubuike, Chairman, Association of Stockbroking House of Nigeria (ASHON) at the Closing Gong Ceremony at the exchange.
Equities market declines at 0.17%, lost N17bn WoW
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HE Nigerian equities market opened the week on a bearish note as persistent sell-offs in large-cap stocks drove the broader index 14bps lower. On Tuesday, there was a change in sentiment as equities rebounded 0.2 per cent on account of price appreciation in bellwethers. However, the benchmark trended southwards on Wednesday and Thursday by 0.4 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively. The All Share Index rose 0.4 per cent on Friday as investors sort for bargains. Consequently, the stock market declined 0.2 per cent W-o-W to close at 28,805.45
points. YTD return settled at 0.6 per cent, while market capitalisation declined N17 billion to N9.9 trillion. Activity level during the week also improved as average volume and value traded rose 21.7 per cent and 49.6 per cent to 229.9 million units and N2.7 billion respectively. Performance across sectors was mixed for the week. The Industrial Goods index led sector gainers, up 1.5 per cent W-o-W. The Consumer Goods index followed, appreciating 0.9 per cent on account of gains in Nigerian Breweries Plc (+3.1 per cent) and Nestlé Nigeria Plc (+0.2 per cent).
On the contrary, the Oil & Gas and Banking indices declined 1.3 per cent and 0.2. Per cent respectively against the backdrop of losses in Oando Plc, Mobil Plc, Ecobank Transnational Inncorporated Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc at 14.5, 4.4, 5.4, 0.8 per cents decline respectively. Likewise, the Insurance index declined 1.8 per cent for the week. Sentiments improved this week albeit soft as market breadth settled well with 21 stocks advanced while 37 declined. Honeywell Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc led the best performers for the week with 14.8 per cent, followed by Zenith Bank Plc at six per cent,
while Livestock Feed Mills Plc gained five per cent. On the other hand, Skye Bannk Plc continued it’s descent as it led the declining stocks with 31.0 per cent. NPF Microfinance Bank Plc lost 0.9 per cent while Transnational Express Plc declined by one per cent. Analyst at Afrinvest however believe that this week performance would be shaped by further influx of H1:2016 corporate earnings. So far, few companies had released their H1:2016 financial result, with Access Bank Plc notifying the Exchange on the late filling of its financial statement.
PHARMA-DEKO Plc, a reputable pharmaceutical and consumer manufacturing company, has declared huge decline of 54.63 per cent in its turnover for the half year ended June 30, 2016. The company’s in the half year unaudited result sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange reported turnover of N379.417 million in 2016 as against N836.347 million of half year 2015, represented a dropped of N456.928 million. Although, the company in the report stated that non availability of key products during the half year 2016 affected the revenue declared. Moreover, it also described the delay in completion of overhauling of the equipment and the factory extension as part of the factors affected the massive dropped in its turnover. Pharma-Deco’s was able to reduce the cost of sales during the period under review by N177.855 million, translating to 46 per cent as the cost stood at N208.542 million from N386.397 million of 2015. Distribution, admin and other expenses down by N20.311 million from N330.146 million of 2015 to end 2016 half year at N309.835 million. However, it recorded negative figure of N138.033 million as loss for the period as against N140.946 million profit for the same period of 2015.
Nigerian Tribune Monday, 18 July, 2016 27 Skye Bank wins best consumer finance, remittance product awards
As Ecobank Group grabs award for Financial Inclusion SKYE Bank Plc. has won the awards of the ‘best consumer finance product and best remittance product in West Africa in this year’s Asian Banker ‘Retail ser-
vices West African award’ which took place in Lagos at the weekend. This is just as Ecobank Group has also won the award for Financial Inclu-
sion at the 10th edition of the African Banker Awards. The Award for Financial Inclusion is awarded to banks that have succeeded in delivering financial products
and services to wider parts of society, particularly to the most disadvantaged and low income segments, ultimately contributing to financial inclusion, devel-
with Chima Nwokoji m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com
opment and growth. The awards ceremony took place at the Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka, Zambia, on the sidelines of the 2016 African Development Bank Annual Meetings. According to the Asian Banker, organizer of the ‘Retail services West African award’, Skye Bank’s personal finance loans and its money transfer service within West Africa known as Flit Cash were adjudged as the best in their respective categories in the West African sub region. Specifically, the award organisers said the bank’s
personal finance loans have simplified lending to salary earners who can walk in to any branch of the bank and obtain a loan against their salaries within a few hours. It also said the Skye Flit cash service has boosted commerce in the West African sub region and senders/recipients do not have a need for a bank account to enjoy the service. The West African ‘Retail financial services awards’ programme covers over 160 retail financial institutions from 30 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Banks demand proof of steady income as firm observes 29% increase in loan requests
From left: Roosevelt Ogbonna, Executive Director, Commercial Banking Division, Access Bank Plc; Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head, Sustainability, Access Bank Plc; Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc and Dr Frank Mentrup, Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, at the 2016 Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Awards in Germany on Thursday, where Access Bank won the ‘Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement’ Award.
FGN Bonds 2015: Banks top other borrowers in total allotment
Rates to moderate as inflows exceed outflows Stories By Chima Nwokoji -Lagos
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ATEST figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) have shown that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) got more allotment at 27.54 per cent of the total FGN Bonds allotted in the year, 2015. Analysis of Federal Government (FGN) Bonds allotments by investor-type depicts that the banks were followed by Fund Managers & Non-Bank Financial Institutions at 22.31 per cent, while government agencies at 22.19 per cent ranked third in the total FGN Bonds allotment. This is just as dealers expect the Nigeria Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) to moderate as inflows via maturing treasury bills and expected FAAC disbursements, exceed the outflows. Central Bank of Nigeria will auction treasury bills worth N127.96 billion, viz: 91-day bills worth
N36.78 billion; 182-day bills worth N39.17 billion; and 364-day bills worth N52 billion on Wednesday, 20 July. Also, treasury bills worth N259.47 billion will mature on Thursday, 21 July, viz:91daybillsworth N36.78 billion; 182 day bills worth N39.17 billion; 364-day bills worth N52 billion; and 174 day bills worth N131.52 billion. Analysts expect the auction to be oversubscribed as investors with unsuccessful bids at Wednesday’s DMO primary market auction redirect their attention to the T-bills auction considering the high stop rates at the previous auction. The just released 2015 Annual Report of the DMO indicated that Pension Funds got 21.88 percent of the total bonds allotted, Foreign Investors 3 per cent, Insurance sector 1.92 per cent, Discount Houses 0.57 per cent, Retail/ Other Institutional Investors 0.32 per cent and
Individuals 0.27 per cent. The report further showed that the size of the Nigerian domestic bond market, in terms of face value, stood at N6,515.62 billion as at the end of December, 2015, compared to N5,683.46 billion in the corresponding period of 2014, representing an increase of N832.16 billion borrowings from domestic bond market or 14.64 per cent growth in in one year.
Further, breakdown showed that the proportionate share of Federal FGN Bonds increased to 89.14 per cent in 2015 compared to 84.32 per cent in 2014. The State Government Bonds decreased to N457.38 billion in 2015, from N638.90 billion in 2014, resulting in a decrease in their relative share from 11.24 per cent in 2014 to 7.00 per cent in 2015.
AFTER the decision by the Central Bank Nigeria to allow Naira exchange rate to be market-driven, perceived by many as indirect depreciation, People are currently looking for money in order to finance their daily activities. This has led to a significant increase in Personal Loan requests since June 22nd 2016. Nigeria’s leading comparison site for Loans TopCheck.com.ng, said it has noticed that demand for Cash Loans has increased by 29 per cent to a staggering 30,000 search requests in the two weeks after the devaluation of the Naira, showing that the weaker Naira has hit the Nigerian population hard. People experience an increase in costs while salaries stay the same and unemployment rate increases, the company stated over the weekend. “During the two months before the devaluation, when black market rates spiked, we already experienced an increase in Loan search volumes by roughly 10per cent, but since the devaluation the situation changed dramatically. We now see an increase in demand for Loans by an astonishing 29per cent daily,” says Christian Wiesner, co-Founder of TopCheck.com.ng. “Our clients tell us that
they cannot afford the way of living they used to have as prices of imported goods have exploded, even more than the change in exchange rate,” he revealed. Floating exchange rate regime was adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on June 22nd 2016 after the exchange rate had been fixed to the US Dollar for many years. “People are currently looking for money in order to finance their daily activities. On TopCheck.com.ng we see a lot of demand for Loans for paying rent, starting own businesses or paying medical bills. Unfortunately, our partners, which are banks as well as microfinance institutions, demand proof of a steady income in order to get a loan, so many Loan requests cannot be fulfilled. “We expect a further increase in Loan search requests on TopCheck over the next couple of months, because foreign investment in the country is just starting now. The devaluation was the first necessary step to create trust for foreign direct investment that creates new jobs and opportunities,” he said. Due to the crash in global oil prices, the demand for Naira dropped significantly putting the currency under a lot of pressure.
AMCON’s involvement in 230 firms not for running businesses ASSET Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has said that its involvement in receivership of about 50 businesses and more than 180 businesses under enforcement does not mean that it is running businesses as perceived by some people. A statement from the Corporate Communications Department of the Corporation over the weekend, which restated that AM-
CON’s intervention in the country actually prevented the collapse of so many businesses, maintained that AMCON is going about its mandate for which it was created by the federal government in 2010 to manage the huge Non Performing Loans (NPLs) in the banking sector. In furtherance of the Corporation’s responsibility of acquiring Eligible Bank Assets (EBAs) and putting
them to economic use in a profitable manner, AMCON, the statement added It maintained by way explanation that there are some perceived misconceptions in public domain insinuating that AMCON has taken over some businesses for the purpose of running them. The Corporation therefore eiterated that its primary assignments as mandated by the Act establishing it
empowers AMCON in recovery, restructuring and resolution of debts and that it has not in any way abdicated that assignment to ‘run businesses.’ “AMCON has never and will not run any business. But as facilitators, we encourage competent professionals to manage businesses. So it is important we correct this wrong perception in some quarters,” the statement added.
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Candel flags off Cleanfarm Project campaign ONE of the nation’s agrochemical companies, Candel Limited, has announced the launch of Candel Cleanfarm Campaign, aimed at enhancing the welfare of the nation’s farmers and keeping the environment clean and safe. Describing the launch as the first of its kind in the country, the company’s chief executive, Mr Emmanuel Kattie, believes
the project will go a long way in ridding farms of herbicide bottles and remnants of agro-chemicals, constituting grave health danger to the environment. The Cleanfarm Project, he explained, encourages farmers to return empty bottles of used Candel products and get financial rewards. The company’s chief executive also announced the introduction of Candel Be
a Millionaire Promo as a way of creating excitement and fun for farmers and trade partners across the country. According to him, the consumer promotion, derived from Candel Cleanfarm Project, is designed to enhance farmers’ productivity, efficiency and output. “We are the first company to launch this in Nigeria. It is a project designed to rid
farms of herbicide bottles and remnants of agrochemicals, that pose significant health hazards to the ecosystem. “The Candel Cleanfarm Project encourages farmers to return empty bottles of used Candel products such as DElsate, Tackle, Phyto-General, OrizoPlus and ParaQ, and get financially rewarded at the same time,” he said.
with Akin Adewakun
m:08054683584 e:akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk
We help brand owners find their compass in brand building —CEO, Marketing Edge
In this interview with Brands & Marketing, the Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of Marketing Edge, Mr John Ajayi, explains the motives behind the publication’s annual marketing and awards event, noting that the time has come for stakeholders in the industry to support the business of brand building.
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OUR publication, the Marketing Edge, recently organised a summit with a thematic thrust woven around technology and marketing practice. What exactly informed the theme? We decided to go with the theme: ‘Positioning Brands in a Digital Age: Challenges In the Developing Market,’ for this year’s marketing summit for some key reasons. First, our concern is how to encourage brand owners find their compass in brand-building, especially in the digital age. The world is becoming digitalised. We are moving up to new level of interactions, with the consumers using the social media. The conventional media has given way to a new social order through the revolution of the new media. In those days, 10 newspapers would reach a population that would look important to the average brand owners, but today a single social media platform would reach more than 200 per cent audience that 15 newspapers can reach. In other words, the consumer is now at an advantage to access messages almost at regular intervals. It therefore calls for real action on the part of brand owners to see the significance of digital age to optimise the visibility of their brands and also boost profitability for the business. Therefore, brand owners cannot afford to be lethargic; they can no longer depend on the old ways of interacting with the consumers. In fact, the new thinking about the consumer is that there has been a paradigm shift in the communication of marketing business. This paradigm shift now comes in form of interaction. The digital age has thrown up a lot of dynamics which brand owners need to be aware of so that it can help them in a number of ways to achieve profitability both in the short and the long term. How would you describe the indus-
try’s response to the summit since it began few years ago? It has been wonderful so far. What we do at the end of every summit is to ensure that a communique is issued. This then serves as a reference point to brand owners and other relevant stakeholders. And when they see it, it guides them in their projection and planning. We are happy because the industry has shown acceptance of our initiative. It is more or less a CSR initiative, but overall, the acceptance has been shown through active and robust participation by players in the industry. Of course, we are aware that both the micro and macro-economic situation in the country is very challenging, but we cannot shy away from thought leadership project. As a leader in the industry, we are looked upon to provide the right compass by initiating exciting conversation that will take the industry to the desired height and next level. How would assess the nation’s marketing communications industry, especially this year? I will say without any equivocation that it is not yet uhuru. The industry, like every other sector of the nation’s economy is facing a very challenging moment. It is a challenging moment for the manufacturers, the brand owners, as well as service providers, such as the creative agencies and all other players in the entire gamut of integrated marketing communications. A situation where the downturn in the economic system, which had been brought about by the crash in the price of crude oil, has adversely affected the fortunes of the country, you would expect the industry to share in the pain because most of their businesses come through the manufacturing sector. There is this question of creativity as a major tool for brand building. As
Ajayi a brand analyst, how do we establish the nexus between the two? Creativity is at the heart of brand building; it is the bed rock of brand building. Creativity is the crucible of marketing and marketing is the crucible of creativity. Both marketing and creativity go hand in hand. A creative product will definitely make a successful marketing outing, and by extension support brand building. Creativity helps a long way to determine the lacuna that exists in a particular market category. Some relatively new agencies are gradually standing up to the older and more established ones in recent times, fuelling the fears that some of these older agencies may go into extinction. How founded are these fears and how does an established agency, desirous of surviving such challenge, weather the storm? The trend in the Nigerian advertising, regarding old and new agencies, is like the fall of empires. Great empires sometimes get to their peak and later eclipsed. Of course, there may arise newer cities, and fiefdoms that will become kingdoms. That is exactly what we are witnessing in the nation’s advertising business today. We are witnessing a situation where older practitioners or agencies have been unable to regenerate or reinvent themselves, and it is a common
knowledge that those who refuse to reinvent will definitely go into abyss or eclipse. Remember the younger ones are determined to make a statement.
Chivita 100% wins Most Outstanding Juice Brand Award THE Chi brand recently had its equity boosted as one of the offerings in its stables, the Chivita 100 per cent was awarded the Most Outstanding Juice Brand Award in Nigeria, at the Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence Awards, held in Lagos. The event, witnessed by industry leaders in the nation’s integrated marketing communications industry, saw Chivita 100% fruit juice adjudge the most outstanding juice brand in the country due to its consistency in the market. The brand also received accolades for the creativity and natural value it brings to its teeming consumers across the country. Responding on behalf of Chi Limited, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, expressed delight that the organisers of the event, Marketing Edge, had created such platform to recognise outstanding brands, adding that the recognition would further spur the brand in its bid at giving value to consumers in that market segment.
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2014/2015 campaigns, change in government major growth factors in 2014 media spend —Report Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos
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CTIVITIES on the nation’s political stage, during the last general elections and the successful change in government at the centre, have been identified as some of the factors, responsible for the total ad spend of N97.9 billion, a 4.8 billion growth, recorded in 2015, over the N93.1 billion documented as
2014 total media spend. In a report, produced annually by mediaReach OMD, a specialist media company that provides media planning, buying, control and inventory management services, the telecommunications sector retained its lead position as the highest advertiser in Nigeria in 2015 with a combined total expenditure of N16.7 billion. According to the report, the N16.7 billion figure represents 17
per cent of the total advertising spend in Nigeria of N97.9 billion in the same year. It also identified Personal Paid (N12.2 billion), Corporate Communications (N6.3 billion), Banking & Finance (N5.8 billion), Lager Beer (N4.6 billion), Public Service (N3.8 billion), Soft Drinks (N2.8 billion), Cable TV (N2.5 billion), Milk & Diary (N2.2 billion) and Broadcast (N2.2 billion) as part of other top advertising
product categories that contributed to the total ad spend. Others are: Noodles (N2.1 billion), Cocoa Beverages (2.0 billion), Skin Cleansing (N1.8 billion), Nutritional Drinks (1.8 billion), Dental care (N1.6 billion), Seasonings (N1.5 billion), Online mall/Education imparting knowledge & Skill/Malt (N1.4 billion), NSD Powder (N1.3 billion and others (N22.4 billion). According to Mediafacts, “The top 10 advertisers in Communication and Telecommunications sector in 2015 include: Sundry Ad (other Inform. Service) – N13.5 billion, MTN - N4.7 billion, Airtel - N4.1 billion, Etisalat - N3.7 billion and Globacom N3.7 billion.” Others are: Nigerian Breweries – N3.7 billion, the State Government – N3.1 billion, Sundry Ad-
vertisers (Services) – N3 billion, Reckit Benkiser Nigeria – N2.7 billion and Procter & Gamble – N2.1 billion. The report stated that while the top 20 advertisers contributed 64 per cent of total spend, the top four telecom players contributed 17 per cent of the total spend in 2015. Mediafacts also put the advertising expenditure in the first and second quarters of 2015 at N23 billion each, while it was N29.8 billion and N22.1 billion in the third and fourth quarters of the year. The report, however, indicated that advertising expenditure in the first and second quarters of 2015 stood at N23 billion each, while it was N29.8 billion and N22.1 billion in the third and fourth quarters of the year.
Former OYSAA boss tasks businesses on branding, innovation
From left: Account Director, Insight Communications, Jones Bassey; Head Marketing, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc, Norden Thurston and Brand Manager, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc, Segun Ogunleye, displaying the Outdoor Advertisers Association of Nigeria’s (OAAN’s) Overall Grandprix Award, won by Pepsi Long Throat Campaign at OAAN’s Poster Award, held recently in Lagos.
FORMER Director General of Oyo State Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA), Dr Yinka Adepoju, has charged businesses in the country on the need to leverage on branding in further enhancing the fortunes of their brands in their respective market segments. Delivering a lecture, titled: ‘The Future of Brand Industry in Nigeria,’ shortly before being conferred with the Outstanding Personality
Etisalat sets up anti-malaria clubs in schools AS part of its commitment to the fight the scourge of malaria in the country, one of the nation’s telecommunications companies, Etisalat, has announced plans to set up Fight Malaria Clubs across Secondary schools in Nigeria. The Fight Malaria Clubs initiative will be established in Etisalat adopted schools across the country and is designed to educate secondary students on what it will take to eliminate the prevalence of malaria in Nigeria. Furthermore, the establishment of these clubs will help to meet the strategic priorities and approaches that will facilitate the dissemination of advocacy tools and information for empowerment against malaria. These approaches will include regular activities which will be organised for the students such as training sessions, conferences talks by experts, internal and external competitions which will be used to disseminate information to the students. Speaking on this initiative, Director, Regulatory and Corporate
Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Ikenna Ikeme, explained that the company would begin with two of its adopted schools; Akande Dahunsi Memorial Junior and Senior Secondary School and they would serve as a pilot for the project. “We have also identified an implementing partner to drive this project and plan to roll out subsequently to our other adopted schools soon,” he stated. According to him, Etisalat decided to set up these clubs in order to establish fundamental change in attitudes, and under-
standing of the harmful effects of malaria which result in the high rate of deaths in Nigeria. The purpose of the Fight Malaria school clubs is to help create change in behaviour in households, through informing and educating school children on how to control malaria, he concluded. With the establishment of the clubs, Etisalat will work with the schools to train the students, helping them acquire skills in using technology and other means to fight malaria, for personal and community impact. They will also learn how to im-
plement malaria prevention programs in their various homes, surroundings and community at large. Vital to this will be the mobilisation of their peers and other community members to take action that will help to prevent and control malaria; and by leveraging technology (social media and blogging) they can also promote malaria prevention messages. Etisalat Nigerias Corporate & Social Responsibility interventions are built on a tripod of Health, Education and Environmental sustainability.
Euro Global unveils Power Bitters Lite EURO Global Foods and Distilleries Limited has announced the introduction of its ready to drink variant of the popular Power Bitters herbal drink, Power Bitters Lite drink, into the market to cater to the needs of the growing demography of Nigerian consumers who prefer reduced alcohol content in their bitters. The company’s Managing Di-
rector, Mr Manish Uniyal, explained that the new offering, made from natural herbs, spices and fruit extracts, blended with 6% alcohol content, is perfect for those health conscious consumers, who still ready to indulge themselves. The company’s Marketing Director, Mr Felix Aighobahi, explained that the decision to come
up with Power Bitters Lite, was informed by feedback received from the company’s dealers and distributors on consumers’ request for a lighter variant of Power Bitters. “We decided to act on such feedback leading to the birth of Power Bitters Lite which we are quite certain will impact the market positively,” he stated.
of The Decade Award by the organisers of the event, the former First Vice President of the Outdoor Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (OAAN) stated that the trying economic times facing the country, had made it imperative for local and multinational brands plying their trades in the country to deepen their differentiating traits for them to effectively win the confidence of today’s consumers. “In a trying and challenging economy such as ours, there will always be that increasing need for brands to differentiate themselves from the pack and highlight those unique selling points that give them the competitive edge and advantage over others,” he argued. He expressed delight that some brands, especially in the outdoor sector, had started availing themselves of the opportunities presented by this all-important marketing tool, to advance the course of their businesses. Explaining the rationale behind the event, in an exclusive chat with Brands & Marketing, the convener, Mr Adesanya Abidemi, stated that the aim was to celebrate the professional prowess of some brands and the uncommon dynamism of the nation’s integrated marketing communications practitioners. “It is meant to celebrate those leaders of leaders, who have moved from one conquest to another with awe and apprehension,” he stated. Some other awardees at the event include: former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Pepsi Cola, StarTimes, Insight Communications, Brooks and Blake among others.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016 32 news Detention: Dasuki files N15bn suit against FG
•Demands release, public apology Snday Ejike-Abuja
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ETAINED former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd) has dragged the Federal Government before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, challenging his detention in the custody of the Department of the State Se-
curity (DSS) since December, 2015 without trial. In the fresh suit, Dasuki wants the court to order his immediate release from the custody of the Federal Government security agents. In the suit No:, FCT/HC/ ABJ/CV/2005/2016, filed on his behalf by his counsel, Messrs Joseph Daudu and Ahmed Raji, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria
(SAN), Dasuki claimed that his fundamental right to freedom of liberty and dignity to life had been grossly violated by the Federal Government with his detention. The former NSA, in the suit, asks the court for an order compelling the Federal Government to pay him N15 billion as general damages and compensa-
tion for his alleged illegal detention and incarceration in violation of his rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. He also prayed the court to compel the defendants in the suit to jointly and severally tender a public apology to him to be published in two national dailies for the violation of his rights. Defendants in the suit are the DSS, NSA, Attorney
Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo (right), with the Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dr Mukhisa Kituyi and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya, Mrs Amina Mohammed, at the opening ceremony of UNCTAD in Nairobi, Kenya, at the weekend.
General of the Federation (AGF) and the Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Besides, Dasuki sought court declaration that he was entitled to his rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of movement, private and family life and to acquire and own properties as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. He also wants the court to declare that his arrest and continuous detention since December 29, 2015 in the custody of the DSS and NSA, by officers of the Federal Government without allowing him access to his medical personnel, members of his family and without charging him to court within the time prescribed by law is wrongful, unlawful, un-constitutional and a violation of his right granted by the country’s constitution. In a 43-paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summon, the applicant claimed to be a retired army officer, decent with no criminal record, lawfully resident in Nigeria and had served the country in various capacities. He averred that on July 16, 2015, the agents of the
Why NSA office paid me —Okupe •Accuses EFCC of leaking medical records Leon Uigbe-Abuja
FORMER Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, on Sunday, explained how he got various sums of money from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), now the subject of investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Following media reports that he was involved in N162 million and N85 million fraud, he sought to clear the air in a statement made available to the media in Abuja, on Sunday, denying being linked to any unwholesome benefits from the NSA office. He revealed that in his interactions so far with the anti-graft agency, he had only been requested to make clarifications in three areas. The statement said these included: “why I received N50 million from the office of the National Security Adviser at the outset of my appointment, and what I used the money for. “Why I was paid N10 million monthly by the Office of the National Security Adviser. “Why I received another sum of N50 million from the NSA in October 2014.” In his explanation of the
collection, Okupe averred: “The initial N50 million was approved by the President to be paid to me from his security vote. N10 million was to furnish my rented living apartment and another N10 million for my office. “The balance of N30 million was approved as takeoff grant for my office. “The N10 million I received from the Office of the National Security Adviser monthly was to run my office, pay salaries of staff, including overheads, pay expenses for our numerous press conferences, pay for publications in newspapers, magazines - local and foreign, television programmes, bulletins, and media consultants who assist and facilitate our work. “I had about 23 staff, 11 were graduates out of which five were Masters degrees holders. Details were submitted to the EFCC. “The second N50 million was approved again by Mr President when I reported to him that the monthly allowance has been cut from N10 million to N5 million and that I was no longer in a position to keep running a one-hour NTA network programme called INSIGHT, which was aired 9-10a.m every Friday and
some other days of the week. “We paid NTA about N1.2 million monthly for airtime. Two presenters were paid N600,000 monthly. We paid for tapes and editing per programme. “Besides, we also pay honorarium for guests either directly or in form of hotel bills for those outside Abuja, or transportation. “This cost averagely N500,000 weekly or about N2 million monthly. All in all, we spent about N4 million monthly on the programme. “Mr President promised to help with the expenses. About a few months later when we had incurred some debts, the NSA sent me a sum of N50 milion which was to cover the cost of the programme for 12 months(12×N4m= N48m).” Expressing disgust about his media trial, he wondered why payment made to his private company for handling a state government contract had been linked to his function as a presidential aide. According to him, “The fact, however, is that my company, Romix Soilfix, was one of the over 20 construction companies which were duly awarded contracts for rural roads some five years ago by the Niger
State government. “Due to lack of funds, contractors were paid irregularly thus making the job to drag on for long. The job is still ongoing. The relationship of this to my service as Senior Special assistant to President is still not clear.” The former presidential aide lambasted the EFCC for leaking to the media his health status which he had revealed to the commission’s operative in confidence, in order for it to understand his special needs. Okupe stated: “I confided in the officers of the commission about my health situation for them to understand why, where and how I sleep was important to my overall well-being. “Without clearance or authorisation by me, this information was revealed to the media. “I woke up to hear it on radio broadcast nationwide and was published in many newspapers. This is a sad development and a definite breach of the confidence I reposed in the commission as an institution of government. “I was born with sinus bradycadia, a non disease based slowness of the heart. It precluded me from vigorous exercise from childhood, but I have by God’s
Grace been able to live a normal and active life. “With age, the slowness grew worse and life threatening. I sought medical help and went through a procedure at the Arrhythmia Cardiac Research Centre in Atlanta, where this defect was corrected. It's just a year ago and I am still under satellite monitor from the USA. “This is what I revealed to the EFCC and they made it a public issue. “I have been in public service in more than 20 years. Because of my pedigree, I have by deliberate policy avoided anything that will bring shame to me and my family. “In spite of my high level involvement in politics and government, I have never done directly or indirectly any Federal Government contracts. In the whole of this world, I have only two houses. One in Lagos and another in my home town. I have no house elsewhere including Abuja. “It is a pity that the situation in the country is so bad that everybody believes that there are no men with honour in politics or government. It is not true. I have submitted all my personal and company accounts to the EFCC. I have nothing to hide.”
Federal Government unlawfully invaded his houses in Abuja and Sokoto and that during the invasion, his properties, mainly cars and monies, were unlawfully carted away. In the affidavit deposed to by one of his sons, Abubakar Dasuki, the applicant claimed that in protest against the unlawful invasion and detention, he instituted a court action at a federal high court for the enforcement of his right. Upon receipt of the court process, the affidavit claimed that the Federal Government quickly charged him to court in charge No: FHC/ABJ/ CR/319/15 in September 2015 and that he was granted bail by the court. Dasuki averred that upon his bail, he applied for court permission to travel abroad for medical attention and that the court granted him approval on November 3, 2015 but the following day, security operatives, in brazen defiance of the court permission, laid siege on his house and disallowed the trip. He claimed that in spite of his life threatening ailment and persuasion, his house was kept under siege during which he was not allowed to move out or receive any member of his family and visitors. Dasuki said on December 1 2015, DSS operatives arrested him and that the following day, he was moved to EFCC custody from where he was arraigned in an Abuja high court in the charge FCT/HC/ CR/43/2015 on December 13 where he was also admitted to bail. The applicant claimed that he was on December 15, 2015 arraigned in the third court in a charge marked, FCT/HC/ CR/42/2016 where he was also granted bail. Upon his release on bail at Kuje prison on December 29, 2015, Dasuki averred that he was re-arrested by the operatives of the DSS and had since being kept in solitary conferment, thereby impairing his ability to provide for his family. The affidavit indicated that the concern and apprehension of his family became compounded when president Muhammadu Buhari in his maiden Presidential media chat of December 30, 2015 said that Dasuki will not be released because of the weight of charges against him and that he may likely jump bail. Meanwhile, hearing in the matter has been slated before Justice Peter Kekemekun after the yearly vacation of the FCT high court.
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How security appointments were made —Presidency By Wale Akinselure
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HE Presidency has said security appointments by the administration were determined by hierarchy and efficiency and not basically the principle
of federal character. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, made this statement on a Channels TV programme on Sunday night, while reacting to questions that recent security appoint-
ments of the administration favoured the northern region over others. Emphasising the importance of hierarchy, Adesina argued that it would be unfair and unjust to bypass people in giving them appointments just to satisfy
the federal character principle of the country’s constitution. “You know that in security, there is hierarchy. When it is the turn of a person to hold a certain office, you can’t bypass that person because the person
Many feared dead in Ibadan road accident By Tunde Ogunesan ABOUT 12 passengers were roasted to death on Sunday afternoon, around Academy area, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, when a Toyota Hiace travelling to Lagos somersaulted, following a chase by an alleged team of task force of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State chapter. An eyewitness informed the Nigerian Tribune that two ladies, one of them identified simply as Kemi, however, survived the incident. Secretary of the state NURTW, Akin James, however, exonerated members of the union, saying “NURTW task force don’t operate on Sundays. It can’t be NURTW task force as claimed. They should investigate the matter well.” Nigerian Tribune was reliably informed that the bus, alleged to be coming from Iwo-road axis of the LagosIbadan Expressway, was being chased by the task force operators possibly from Oremeji area. The bus, however, reportedly lost control and somersaulted before an explosion shortly after leaving the Academy Bridge, around Yanaty Flour Mills bus stop. Eyewitness informed the Nigerian Tribune that caught fire immediately after the accident while the alleged NURTW task force disappeared at the same time. According to him, “two ladies came out after breaking the rear glass and the
12 others in the burnt were burnt to death, as onlookers watched but could not help. “The driver of the bus chasing the accident bus drove away immediately after seeing that the bus had somersaulted. They just continued driving and didn’t look back. I am sure they know that they have killed over 12 people just because the man did not patronise them at the motor park. This is sad. Government must do something about this,” he said. He added that the girls exhibited a rare courage to break the back glass of the
bus, an act which surprised everybody and even provided a platform to know the cause of the accident. One of the survivors, Kemi, gave a brief recount of the incident, before she was led to a nearby hospital by good Samaritans. “We boarded the bus at Oremeji Agugu area. Thereafter, we discovered that the driver was being pursued by the task force of the NURTW, who, we were told, were not happy with him for contravening the laws of the union that he was not supposed to pick passengers by
the roadside. He was supposed to register at any of the designated garages and parks for loading. “So, after we boarded, they pursued him endlessly and when we discovered that, we were appealing to him to stop but he refused. We were about 14 in the vehicle, including the driver,” she said. Remains of the charred bodies of the victims were said to have been deposited at a mortuary. As of the time of filing this report, the police were yet to make any statement on the incident.
FG to integrate varsities, other tertiary institutions in UTME conduct As JAMB sends list of 'qualified' candidates to institutions for screening Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Federal Government is to integrate tertiary institutions in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as part of initiative to improve on the quality of the test administration. This was just as JAMB has announced that it had sent the list of qualified candidates for screening in the 2016 admission exercise to all tertiary institution in the country, based on individual institution’s capacity. The registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB, Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in
Abuja, however, said the list was not in anyway admission list. The institutions according to him, were expected to conduct their screening and come up with a list of successful admitted candidates for approval by JAMB, based on the criteria of merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states, set by the Federal Government. Ojerinde, also noted that if the list was not sufficient for the need of any institution, such institution could source from the omnibus printout earlier sent to them by the board. He stressed that the public and all tertiary institutions should note that admission would only be approved by the board after appropriate
screening of the candidates by the institutions. “The list which is made up of candidates, who met the national cut-off point within the set criteria, are sent to the institutions. “Again, for the purposes of clarity, all institutions that may need more can source from their omnibus printout as stated above. The candid intention of the board is to ensure that available spaces are adequately utilised,” he said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune has gathered that the Federal Government is making plans to fully involve the universities, colleges of education and polytechnics, in the subsequent conduct of UTME in the country. A source close to the Min-
Nigerian students facing discrimination abroad —NUC boss Clement Idoko - Abuja
THE Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, has lamented discriminations meted out to some Nigerian students studying in some foreign countries, confirming that the commission is now being inundated with requests from students abroad to transfer home to Nigerian universities. He disclosed that the request to transfer home was further heightened by the scarcity of the Foreign Exchange. Okojie, who spoke during an interactive session with newsmen at the weekend, in Abuja, cited an instance of a Nigerian stu-
is from a certain region to go for another person. “By that, one has been unfair and unjust to that person and to the system because the security system, often times, operates on hierarchy and efficiency. “It is not all appointments that must be subject to federal character. Ministers, for instance, which the constitution states that each state must produce in line with federal character, has been satisfied,” he said. On threat to national security evidenced in several reported killings in the country, he assured that the nation’s security was tight enough to calm any purported state of insecurity. He decried the attendant effect of continued attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers and other militants groups on the nation’s revenue and implementation
dent abroad that was killed when he was thrown from a seventh floor. He said some parents and students had also come to the realisation that some universities abroad which their children were attending were substandard in some cases offering unapproved programmes that their certificates would not be tenable in Nigeria. He said: “It is not only the cost of school fees alone, but also the quality of the programmes. Some of these courses are not approved. And some of them know that the institutions they are attending are not approved. “Yes, our children are coming back. Some of the private universities they attend are not even ap-
proved, some of them in Ghana. Lots of parents have been spending money on school fees. Parents have been coming to me to ask for transfer for their children from all over the world. “And Nigerian students are falling victim of discrimination; there was a case where a Nigerian student who was thrown from the seventh floor. Even the laws are not friendly in some countries like South Africa and India. The attraction of working outside the country by our lecturers has reduced,” he said. The NUC boss, urged tertiary institutions in the country to look inward in order to generate income, saying old students and
other stakeholders could also donate to the institutions. “If we are waiting every year for government to fund universities, we can’t get anywhere. There is the need to look inward. This would help in our research work. We want to appeal to our people to help our institutions, in United Kingdom and other developed nations, people donate to their alma mater,” he said. Speaking on the rejection of law degree graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) by the Nigerian Law School, Okojie explained that the Commission has stopped fresh admissions into the programme until the issues involved were resolved.
ister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said the thinking of the minister was to ensure that universities and other tertiary institutions were involved from setting of the questions to monitoring of the conduct of the examination. This, according to the source, would make the outcome of the test acceptable to the institutions, following the cancellation of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME), by the Federal Government and the criticism that trailed the decision.
CHANGE OF NAME
I formerly Miss Adesina Toluwanimi Abisola now MRS ELEGBEDE TOLUWANIMI ABISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Fabunmi Motunrayo Rebecca now FAKEYE MOTUNRAYO REBECCA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME
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of the 2016 budget, calling for a stop. Adesina warned that continued attacks would affect revenue to states in the South-South region such that they may become unable to pay salaries. “When the budget was passed, there was the pledge to implement it as much as possible, but then the unforeseen variables came in. “At that time, the Avengers were not yet bombing installations in the South South region of the country. We were exporting about 2.3 million barrels of oil per day. Then it dropped to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. “So there is attendant revenue loss and this will affect the budget. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation said last week that there was already a 40 per cent loss in terms of revenue. The circumstances are making implementation of the budget difficult because the revenue projections are not being met as a result of what is happening in the Niger Delta and in other parts of the country.” “The answer to ending the attacks can best be answered by the Avengers and other militants’ groups. But commonsense dictates that for the sake of the country, these attacks should stop because if the attacks continue, revenue will dwindle. “Even states in that region that are very rich will no longer be able to pay salaries. It will affect relations of those sabotaging those installations,” he said.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Usman Aminat Bolatiko now USMAN AMINAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME
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I, Mrs Sanusi Mary Abidemi am the same person bearing Mrs Sanusi Moriliat Abidemi. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS SANUSI MORILIAT ABIDEMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Zenith Bank Plc., Access Bank Plc., and general public take note.
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I formerly Miss Osikomaiya Iyabode Asake now MISS OSILAJA OLUWAPELUMI OLUWATOYOSI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, Oluyemi Philip Similoluwa am the same person bearing Oluyemi Philip Tunmise. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OLUYEMI PHILIP SIMILOLUWA TUNMISE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
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CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Adeniji Abiodun Olushola am the same person as Adeniji Shola Abiodun. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADENIJI ABIODUN OLUSHOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.
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CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Onaonibode Ishaq Oyessola now OLAKULEHIN ISHAQ OMOTOLANI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Friday Okpoto Elom now FRIDAY OKPOTO JOSEPH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Abdul Sekinat Kehinde now MRS SALAU SEKINAT KEHINDE. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc and general public take note.
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I formerly Miss Oguntimilehin Temitope Abigail now MRS FATOKI TEMITOPE ABIGAIL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I formerly Miss Arowosafe Oluwakemi Florence now MRS OLATUNJI OLUWAKEMI FLORENCE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I formerly Miss Okpan Rachel Akhigbe now MRS OKPAN RACHEL AWOPETU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Temitope Olufunmi Tijani now MRS TEMITOPE OLUFUNMI OLAOYE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Aderinwale Olusola Mercy now MRS OYEWOLE OLUSOLA MERCY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I formerly Akinkunmi Folorunsho Olanrewaju now ADEBAYO OLANREWAJU JAMES. Also my correct date of birth is 28th October 1974. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
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I, Busari Iyabo am the same person as Olumo Iyabo Comfort. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLUMO IYABO COMFORT. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
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I formerly Miss Olabimpe Mayokun Olayode now MRS OLABIMPE MAYOKUN AKINBOGUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I formerly Oduwole Adesola Abolanle now IBRAHIM ABOLANLE ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid. FCMB Plc and general public take note.
I, Abdullahi Olanrewaju K. am the same person as Abdullahi Ismaheel Abiodun. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ABDULLAHI OLANREWAJU K. All documents bearing these names remain valid. GTBank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.
I, Salam Oluwafemi Owolabi. am the same peron bearing Salam Oluwafemi Jamiu. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as SALAM OLUWAFEMI OWOLABI. My correct date of birth is 2/8/1985 and not 2/8/1990. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
I, Nwanosike Valantine Ozuruonye Okadaigbo. My name was erroneously written as Ozuvuonye Valantine Nwanosike instead of Nwanosike Valantine Ozuruonye Okadaigbo now wish to be known and addressed as NWANOSIKE VALANTIINE OZURUONYE OKADAIGBO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Agbogun Omobowale Muqtaru. My name was erroneously written as Agbolahan Omobowale Muqtaru instead of Agbogun Omobowale Muqtaru. Now wish to be known and addressed as AGBOGUN OMOBOWALE MUQTARU. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Emem Bassey Udo now MRS. EMEM LUCKYIMOH INYANG. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Oyedokun David Oyekunle am the same person bearing Oyewumi Oyekunle Tajudeen. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OYEDOKUN DAVID OYEKUNLE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
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I formerly Miss Adetoye Aderonke Anike now MRS OLADOKUN ADERONKE ANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, wish to affirm that Albert Durojaiye and Albert Richard Durojaiye belong to one person. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as ALBERT RICHARD DUROJAIYE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, CBN and general public take note.
I, Adenle Rhoda Adebunmi am the same person as Adenle Bunmi. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ADENLE RHODA ADEBUNMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Ibukun Omobolanle Esther now MRS OLADELE OMOBOLANLE ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Odedoyin Alaba now ODEDOYIN ALABA SEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Akadiri Olajumoke Oluwatoyin now MRS RASHEED OLAJUMOKE OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Oduneye Yetide Feyikemi now MISS ODUNEYE FEYIKEMI EDITH. All former documents remain valid. Olabisi Onabanjo University and general public take note.
I formerly Miss Bamigbade Olubisi Christianah now MRS OLUWALE OLUBISI CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I formerly Miss Ikusika Justinah Olamojiba now MRS AKINTUNDE JUSTINAH OLAMOJIBA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Ishaq Rukayat Ojibara now MRS IBRAHIM RUKAYAT OJIBARA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Yakubu John Ohiame now YAKUBU JOHN HARUNA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Olapade Iyabo Morenikeji now OLAPADE IYABODE AYEBAMERU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
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CORRECTION OF NAME
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
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I formerly Muhammed Abiodun Ahmad now MUHAMMED ABIODUN AMODU. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Rukayat Simiyu now RUKAYAT MORUFU. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016
Edo guber: Give us level-playing field, PDP tells Buhari Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja
T
HE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure a level-playing field in the September 10 Edo State gubernatorial election. In a statement issued by its interim national spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye,
in Abuja, on Sunday, it said the people of the state must be allowed to vote for the candidate of their choice while their vote must be allowed to count. Noting that the stage was set for the electorate to decide which of the candidates or political parties was more “prepared to deliver democracy dividends to the people of Edo State,” the statement dismissed Saturday’s inauguration of the All Progres-
sive Congress (APC) gubernatorial campaign in the state, saying that the ruling party has been known to deceive the public. According to the PDP, the APC’s campaign inauguration was “a charade and full of old empty promises that has become the trademark of the APC at the federal level and in all the states controlled by the party.” The party added: “Nigerians now know better and
the people of Edo State have also tasted the difference between the government of the PDP and that of the APC and will decide on Saturday, September 10, 2016 who will govern them. “We have seen it before and we are seeing it again with the usual empty promises of the APC. They will promise everything to deceive the people and will go 360 degrees denouncing all their promises once they
grab power.” The PDP said it was on a rescue-mission in Edo State “to redeem the people from the ‘go-and-die’ government of the APC that has no regard for the ordinary people except to impose heavy taxes without tangible projects in the state.” The opposition party, therefore, called on the people of the state to protect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and be sure they exercise their franchise. It called on electorate to vote massively for the party’s candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, “in order to rescue the state from the grip of deceitful government, and to provide the desired dividends of democracy.”
Oshiomhole trying to annihilate Esan nation —Anenih Banji Aluko - Benin City
The celebrant, Mrs Alolade Ganiyu of the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles (third right), cutting her 50th birthday cake, while her husband, Mr Akeem Ganiyu (third left); Baale Ekotedo, Dr Taye Ayorinde (second left); Pastor Adeola Adefolaju (second right); Mrs Alaba Igbaroola (right) and another guest assisted, at IPMAN building, Odo-Ona, on Sunday. PHOTO: OYEBANJI PETER.
Ambode heads APC campaign council for Edo polls LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has been appointed chairman of the national campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the gubernatorial election holding in Edo State on September 10. Inaugurating the campaign council in Benin City, last weekend, National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the party would win the election with ease based on the good records of the incumbent governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Chief Oyegun who said the election is “important, crucial and will be a very great signpost” for the party, noted that Edo State had been cornered into a private property by a few individuals in the past before the APC government dismantled their structures. He said: “I want to thank you in spite of the relatively short notice. You have all turned up in such large numbers. I am sure that comes from recognition that the election we are preparing for is important, crucial and will be a very great signpost. It is an election which we should,
and I am sure will win relatively easily. I say that because this is a state that for decades has been, so to speak, been privatised until the advent of the current administration. “It is an election where even the blind can say yes, he is aware of the development that has taken place. It is an election that even the dumb and the deaf will say yes, they are aware of the great strides that have taken place in Edo State especially in the wake of
the 10 immediate preceding years to the current administration.” The APC national chairman declared, “So, your job is to ensure that Edo State is safely in the party. Once that is done, then, we will venture out to bring home our brothers in the South-East and in the South-South to join this great crusade to salvage our nation, to establish a new way of doing things, to establish new ethics, to let our people know that there
is a difference between right and wrong.” Responding on behalf of members of the national campaign council, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, said, “I want to thank the party for giving us this responsibility to manage the campaign that will lead to the election of our brother, Godwin Obaseki, as the next governor of Edo State by God’s grace.”
We have achieved 100% reconciliation —APC Banji Aluko - Benin City
FOLLOWING a primaries that threatened the unity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, the party declared that it has achieved 100 per cent reconciliation of all aggrieved aspirants and persons. Twelve aspirants contested the governorship ticket of the party that was won by Godwin Obaseki, while two of the aspirants, Kenneth Imasuangbon and Chris Ogiemwonyi, rejected the results of the
primaries. The duo, however, appeared to have backtracked on their earlier position and now set to team up with Obaseki to ensure that APC wins the September 10 governorship election. After the party’s primaries appeal panel submitted its report and the party adopted Obaseki as its candidate, Imasuagbon, who spoke on phone, said the party’s decision was supreme. Ogiemwonyi had also declared support for Obaseki, urging his supporters to
ensure victory for the APC at the polls. Giving his report on the party’s reconciliation, Edo state chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua, described the efforts as the edge the APC has over other political parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ojezua said all the aspirants have queued behind Obaseki to ensure victory at the polls. He said that members of the opposition PDP had been defecting to the APC after the APC’s primaries.
A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, has called on the people of his Edo Central senatorial district (Esan) to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The national leader of the PDP vowed that Esan people would resist their continued domination by Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the September 10 governorship election in the state. Anenih, who spoke at the kick-off of Edo Central zonal gubernatorial campaign, held at Okpujie Primary School, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, recalled how Governor Oshiomhole at the start of his administration more than seven years ago refused to pay the counterpart funding of N300 million needed to complete the Ugbalo Waterworks after he had made the Federal Government commit the sum of N1.2 billion to the project. He said “Oshiomhole, up till today, has refused to provide the money. That is why the water scheme has not been completed. He does not want us (Esans) to have water. Esan race is being extinguished by Oshiomhole but we will not allow it; we will resist it.” He said his presence at the PDP zonal campaign was an indication of the path Esan people were prepared to follow in the September 10 election.
Nigerian Tribune
SERAP sues FG over looters’ list Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos
A rights group, the SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has sued the Federal Government over failure to release the names of suspected looters and the circumstances under which stolen public funds were recovered.” SERAP filed the suit after the Federal Government ‘refused’ to make public names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the exact amount recovered from each of them. Joined as defendants in the suit number FHC/ CS/964/2016 are Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. SERAP argued that by a letter with reference No MJ/FOI/GEN/014/1/54 and dated 21 June 2016, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, confirmed that the FOI request by SERAP was brought to the attention of the defendants for handling. However, since the receipt of the FOI request and the confirmation by Malami that the request was brought to the attention of the defendants for handling, and up till the filing of the suit, the defendants have failed, refused and/or neglected to provide SERAP with the details of the information requested.
CAS engages 83 junior men into Air Force Isaac Shobayo - Jos
THE Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has directed the command to absorb 83 students of Air Force Military School Jos, Plateau State, into the Air Force. Chief of Air Staff stated this at the 31st passing out parade for the junior airmen at the Air Force Military School. Represented by the Chief of Administration, Nigeria Air Force headquarters, AVM Augustine Jekennu, he said it would amount to waste of human and material resources to send the junior airmen to the larger society as civilians. He urged them to be passionate and strive hard towards the achievement of their personal goals and aspirations, stressing that the Nigeria Air Force headquarters would continue to improve on the school’s infrastructure and facilities in order to make teaching and learning conducive.
south-westnews I'm still in the dark over my purported sack —Ex-Ogun commissioner 38
Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta
T
he erstwhile Commissioner IV in the Ogun State Civil Service Commission, Mr Oluwole Olubena, has said that he was still in the dark over his sack by the state government, last week.
Monday, 18 July, 2016
Olubena, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Sunday, in Abeokuta, said he was never issued a query or invited to face any disciplinary committee before
his sack on the ground of misconduct. Nigerian Tribune recalls that government in a terse statement announced that Olubena had been relieved of his appointment.
The embattled Olubena denied any "misconduct" on his part in the cause of discharging his duty in the service. He also raised the alarm that his life was being
Ajimobi to renew caretaker chairmen’s tenure for 3 months By Wale Akinselure
In a twist to an earlier “no tenure extension” promise by the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the tenure of caretaker chairmen for the 33 local governments in the state is set to be renewed for another three months. Ajimobi had, last week, forwarded a letter of renewal to the state House of Assembly, asking their approval of the continued use of caretaker chairmen for the running of the local governments, following the expiration of the tenure of the chairmen on July 7, 2016. The request was said to prevent a void in local government administration till the promised conduct of local government election by September. The House of Assembly, especially the House’s Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, would, this week, attend to Ajimobi’s request. The development was straddled between the state governor’s constitution of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) for the conduct of local government elections by September and his vow not to extend the tenure of the caretaker chairmen. Ajimobi, at the inauguration of the caretaker chairmen on March 7, 2016 had said, “There would be no extension for Local Government Chairmen. After four months, we will go for elections unfailingly. We should run government as an effective organisation and our product is quality service. We must establish a strong foundation for our repositioning agenda. Anyone who fails will be kicked out. I will not allow anyone to fail this administration.” While swearing in the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on June 17, 2016 with a 90 days mandate to conduct elections in September, Ajimobi said, “The conduct of council polls has left the realm of conjecture for reality.
The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi (right), laying the foundation stone of Iwo East LCDA Secretariat, donated by Chief Abiola Ogundokun, at Olomowewe, Oke Odo, Iwo, Osun State, on Saturday. With him is Chief Ogundokun PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.
threatened by some people believed to be agents of government and that he had since reported the move to the police for necessary action. Olubena said, "To clear all doubt, I conceived it a duty to put the entire public in the know that before the publication of the news of my sack for ‘misconduct’, I have never received any query or invitation to appear before any panel of enquiry to present my case as provided by the rules of Natural Justice. "I still remain in the dark as to what I have done in my official capacity that resulted into allegation of misconduct." Reacting to the allegation of threat to life, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, denied Olubela's allegation and described his position as uncharitable. Adeoluwa, in a telephone conversation restated that government had the power to hire and fire. "The law is clear. We have the power to hire and fire. This government has shown clearly we are peaceful; it is uncharitable to say this government is after one’s life. "I am surprised that anybody in the state would claim that there is threat to his life. "He has right to go to court. He should not drag the state to the old days where there was no security of lives," the SSG added.
Makarfi writes INEC, OGSIEC on Ogun PDP exco Olayinka OlukoyaAbeokuta
The Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has written a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), to recognise the Sikirullahi Ogundeleled executive. Makarfi, in two different letters dated July 14, 2016, addressed to the INEC Secretary in Abuja and the OGSIEC chairman, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, in respect of the local government elections billed for October 8, directed the electoral bodies to recognise Ogundele as the chairman of PDP in the state, saying the authenticity of the Ogundele-led was supported by the order of the state High Court by Justice Mobolaji Ojo. The party, in the state, as a matter of fact, has three different chairmen because of the lingering crisis rocking
it, bothering on leadership tussle. While the Senator representing Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu backed the Chief Bayo Dayo exco, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable
Dimeji Bankole is in support of Chief Wale Egunleti’s executive and a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu is backing Ogundele’s exco. The letters signed by the
party’s National Secretary, Mr Ben Obi, said the party’s position was based on suit No: AB/170/206 between Mr Taofeeq Apesin and nine others vs PDP, INEC and two others to back the party’s position.
Ondo 2016: APC aspirants to pay N5.5m for forms ...As party releases timetable for primaries from Kolawole Daniel and Hakeem Gbadamosi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday released the time-table and schedule of activities for the conduct of the party’s 2016 governorship primaries in Ondo State. The party’s National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, who made the announcement in a statement, noted that the announcement was in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guide-
lines and party guidelines. He also said that governorship nomination forms would be sold at N5million while intending aspirants were expected to pay N500,000 to pick expression of interest form, while forms were free for female aspirants. According to the timetable and schedule of activities, sale of forms would commence at the party’s national secretariat from Tuesday, July 19 to Friday, August 5. He equally added that last day for submission
of completed forms was Monday, August 8 at the APC national secretariat, while screening of aspirants would be conducted in Abuja from Tuesday, August 9 to Friday, August 12. The primaries, according to him, would hold on August 27. The election appeal would hold from August 29 to September 1. Meanwhile, no fewer than 50 aspirants have shown interest in picking the party's ticket for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
I remaim Oyo NURTW Chairman —Tokyo • Says he is not a member of RTEAN BY NURUDEEN ALIMI
Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, a.k.a. Tokyo, has again stressed that he remains the authentic chairman of the state NURTW by virtue of the court judgments in his favour. Akinsola, stated this while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune at his Akobo, Ibadan residence in reaction to rumour making the rounds that he was the mastermind of the recent clash between the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Ibadan. He noted that: “Based on the two Federal High court judgments and that of the Court of Appeal in my favour, It is a known fact that I am the authentic chairman of the NURTW in Oyo State and the only thing I could do now is to appeal to the governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to allow the judgment to stand by instructing the commissioner of police to effect the said judgment.” Akinsola further said that he was not behind the NURTW/RTEAN crisis, adding that it was the handiwork of some group of people who believed in causing trouble and using it to smear the image of targeted individuals. “I cannot cause trouble. Those who were behind the crisis when I was in office are in various prisons as I speak. As a matter of fact, the RTEAN in question is not affiliated to either Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) or Trade Union Congress (TUC). So, I see no reason for their being recognised in the first instance.
Maria Adeyemi dies at 72 The death has been announced of Madam Maria Adeyemi of the Olawumi Family in Oyan, Odo Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, at the age of 72. She died on March 29, 2016 in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. There will be a wake keep at her residence at Oke Odo, Oyan on July 22 at 4p.m. while a funeral service would hold on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church (MFM), Oke Oyan. Reception of guests would take place at Oyan Town hall opposite the Post Office. She is survived by children and grand children, among who is Adeyemi Isaac of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.
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Monday, 18 July, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060
FIFA Ranking: Nigerian
players’ UK working permit under threat BY NIYI ALEBIOSU
N
IGERIAN stars will be barred from securing a work permit to play in England should the Super Eagles now slip outside the top 70 teams in the FIFA Rankings. The latest FIFA ratings have the Eagles at 70th in the world and according to experts, Nigeria players will be hardest hit should the team fall outside this ranking as one of the rules states work permit will only be considered for nonEuropean players whose countries are within the top 70 in the world. “If they (Nigeria) slip one more place, its players can’t play in England,” according to African football expert, Tunde Adelakun.
“Work permit laws for non-European players say the player’s country has to be in top 70 in the world.” An immediate casualty of this could be Nigeria U20 skipper Kelechi Nwakali, who is set to soon sign a professional contract with Arsenal. Nigeria international Umar Aminu of Turkish club Osmanlispor has also been linked with Premier League side Hull City, while Belgium-based Wilfred Ndidi has been mentioned to join Watford. Nigeria stars in England include Odion Ighalo, Isaac Success (Watford), Ahmed Musa (Leicester City), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City) and Mikel Obi, Victor Moses (Chelsea).
By Niyi Alebiosu
Demba Ba suffers career-ending injury
Infantino’s visit, good omen for Nigerian football —SWAN President THE President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mr Honour Sirawoo has described the expected visit of Gianni Infantino less than six months after his emergence as FIFA President to Nigeria as a good omen and one that would open new vista for Nigeria in world football. According to the SWAN President, the visit underscores the regard Nigeria enjoys in the politics of international football as a result of the untiring efforts of the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation, stressing that it will also serve as a veritable platform for stakeholders to share ideas on the advancement of Nigeria’s potentials in the game. “It is no mean feat to have the FIFA President visiting Nigeria, with other world football officials. I congratulate the NFF on this. It is a great job which must be fully utilised towards the upliftment of football standard in Nigeria, especially now that the country’s rating is dwin-
“I urge all stakeholders as well as Nigerians to support the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF’s quest to move football forward in the country. “Of course, the visit of the FIFA president will enhance the interest of Corporate Nigeria in football development more than what it is in recent times which in turn will promote wealth creation in line with our agenda,” he declared Sirawoo gave assurances of the association’s full support for the NFF in repositioning Nigeria’s football for maximum benefits as applicable in most countries of the world. He said it was in line with this that zonal VicePresidents of North Central, South West and South South have been directed to ensure full involvement of members in activities related to the FIFA President’s visit and the burial of former national football coaches. “The remains of the late former Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi
Super Eagles players celebrate during one of their outings for Nigeria
will be buried next week, while the 40th day fidau prayer for late former Super Eagles coach, Amodu Shaibu holds on July 20, 2016 “I have therefore directed our zonal vice-presidents to coordinate the activities of members in host state chapters such as Lagos, FCT, Delta and Edo.”
Former Premier League striker Demba Ba suffered a potentially career-ending broken leg while playing in the Chinese Super League. The Senegal forward, 31, collapsed during a challenge with another player, with his left leg giving way beneath the knee as he fell down. The incident happened while playing for Shanghai Shenhua in the derby against Shanghai SIPG on Sunday.
"It could end his professional career," said Shenhua coach Gregorio Manzano. Former West Ham, New-
Giwa to raise N20bn for NFF Chris Giwa has said his board will raise 20 billion Naira for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by making football in the country a lot more attractive to sponsors. The football chief, who has
Pele visits Nigeria August 11 By Nurudeen Alimi FOREMOST Brazilian football legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimentor, popularly addressed as “Pele’’ will on Thursday, August 11 storm Nigeria to attend a two-day programme on youth development and empowerment. The facilitators of the visit, Winihin Jemide Series (WJS) and Youth Experience Days Africa (YEDA), made this known while addressing newsmen on Friday in Lagos. The football icon, is renowned for many achievements, including scoring
1,281 goals in his professional career. Pele, has also been named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and FIFA respectively. His scheduled visit will be his second to the country, the first in 1967 was occasioned by a two-day cease fire during the Nigerian civil war. His visit allowed the warring sides to watch Pele and Santos play an exhibition match in Lagos. Pele would be in the country from August 11 to August 12 for the pro-
castle and Chelsea frontman Ba joined the Chinese side from Turkish club Besiktas for about £12m last July.
gramme, tagged “WJS/ YEDA Legend Edition’’. The organisers said that programmes line-up for the events were street football tournament that would feature 44 youths selected from the street and sports clinics. Also, there will be a gala night with Pele and other Africa football legends where Pele memorabili would also be auctioned, the organisers said. The facilitators stated that proceeds from the auction would be donated to an eligible local youth football academy.
laid claims as the duly elected NFF president, maintained that the 20 billion target is realistic if the various commercial properties are maximised. “Every product and brand in our football will be maximized towards the business possible propensity to meet the N20 billion income that Nigeria football is valued to be worth if possibly harnessed,” said the owner of Giwa FC. “The biggest beneficiaries will be the leagues. The future of our football rest on your shoulders. Communities are the center of football business. That is what we shall aspire to as an Eldorado. “It is our ambition to have leagues namely Premier, Women, Nationwide, National League One, youth leagues futsal and beach soccer leagues all profitably functioning well with high financial returns.
SIDELINES
NO 16,547
MONDAY, 18 JULY, 2016
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ANY of us who are familiar with literature or who follow books with pleasure as ants suck sugar or honey endlessly and patiently, cannot but always remember the intellectual honesty of George Orwell, pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair (1903-50), British journalist, novelist and essayist, who wrote 1984, the novel about Orwell’s terrifying prophecy for mankind. This 1949 novel which many of its readers will forever remember, among other concerns, for its “basic language of newspeak in which ‘thought crime is death,’” will always bear in our minds the ideas of a ruthless and pity-less political system such as ours. But this writing is not about George Orwell’s 1984. The 1984 here is the nineteen eightyfour of the European Nations’ Football Competition which France hosted that year - I mean France that hosted the just concluded version of the 1984 competition which it won. Would 1984 repeat itself for France? Let me quote the last paragraph of my Monday, 4 July, 2016 column: “The European competition is still on. More surprises will come; more frustrations will come; more heart-aches will come. We wait for how the losers will take their losses, and hope to turn them into victories in future. Will France rise to the occasion as host? Or will they follow England and Spain to gnash their teeth?” When I wrote these words at the time I did I knew that France would not repeat the 1984 feat of the famed Blues. Don’t ask me how I knew. What you must know and learn from my keen insight into the nature of things is that I don’t dismiss, that I don’t ever dismiss whispers and whisperings of my inner self anytime I put my ears near their mouths – usually in my moments of ardent contemplation. When England and Spain failed when they should not have or ought not to have failed at the time they did in the early part of the competition I saw clearly and neatly further surprises that would come and which actually came – for other teams. For example, the 3 – 1 Wales defeat of fabulous Belgium and Portugal’s progression to the final and eventual first place finish were miraculous surprises.
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Renowned Nollywood actress and porn star, Judith Opara Mazagwu, a.k.a Afrocandy, told the media at the weekend that she would not allow her children to follow her footsteps. However, since she got her present position through similar route, how is she going to enforce same on her children?
in&out with Tony Afejuku
08055213059
Return of 1984 that was not 1984 Or the great battle between Germany and Italy that eventually led to the tug-of-war, or better put, tug-of-luck penalty shootout that Germany eventually won - if you don’t label this as surprise from the orbit of football miracle then, surely, you don’t know what you thought you knew. And what of the defeat of Germany by France in the second semi-final? Call it by any name that catches your fancy, but the real name of Germany’s loss or of France’s victory is surprise and nothing else. But that surprise of a victory over Germany did not ultimately give France the crown when it mattered most. Portugal, the most unlikely team to beat France at home, Portugal that had not beaten France in a football match of any kind or colour since 1975 beat France, very surprisingly and very surprisingly, in the final. And France fell and failed on home-soil that gave them victory in 1984 when they won the crown for the very first time before they did so again in the year two thousand (2000). What went wrong? What went against France? The law of football justice favoured Portugal. DimitriPayet’s unnecessary surprising adventure of a well planned bad tackle within 20 minutes of the game against Cristiano Ronaldo did not go down well with the god of retributive justice. Things were out of joint thereafter for the Blues. Tried as hard as they did 1984 was not going to be and it never was. Moreover, France that
In the end, their football parapsychologists failed them as their 1984 parapsychologists did not already had scored 13 goals prior to the final match against Portugal, needed just a goal more to equal the fourteen goals scored by Michel Platini and company in 1984. In fact, the Blues saw 1984 but they could not get there. They could not get to their 1984 football moon when they beat Spain by two goals to nothing to clinch the European Nations’ Cup for the first time. They beheld 1984 that was not nineteen eighty-four. They could not rise to the occasion on home-soil. They followed other unexpected losers to gnash their teeth. As I write this I remember vividly the first semi-final match between France and Portugal in 1984 in the European Nations’ Football Competition which
France hosted. I watched that match live on television from my base in Scotland where I was at that time. Jean-Francois Domergue scored first for France before Rui Manuel TrindadeJordao equalized for Portugal. Portugal scored their second goal again through handsome ‘Slim Fit’ Jordao, the black pearl, in the seventyfourth minute. France equalised through Domergue. The match went on to extra time with the prospect of a penalty shootout when Platini scored the winning goal for France from nowhere in the ninetyeight minute. What a match! Would France re-enact that display against Portugal again on Sunday, 11th July, 2016 as this year’s final dragged on to another extra time as we saw in 1984? Would Antoine Griezzmann equalize for France after Eder’s extra time goal for Portugal? Clearly this time Griezzmann could not become France’s Domergue and Platini put together. In the end, their football parapsychologists failed them as their 1984 parapsychologists did not. Someday I will tell the 1984 story of France’s football parapsychologists here. For now, let’s celebrate the unfailing law of retribution. Congratulations,Portugal! Congratulations, Cristiano Ronaldo, our next World Football Player of the Year! In two thousand and four you hosted this same competition without winning it. Now you have won it away against your nemesis France. Congratulations!!!
Eagles Coach: NFF to interview Yusuf, Le Guen, Saintfiet today NPFL RESULTS THE NFF technical committee will interview the three shortlisted coaches for the vacant Super Eagles post today. The coaches are Salisu Yusuf, Paul Le Guen and Tom Saintfiet. Chairman of the technical committee Chris Green said: “We have concluded arrangements for the interview process to take place at the NFF secretariat on Monday and thereafter, we will forward the name of the successful candidate to the NFF board, who will deliberate on it and thereafter make their decision public.” Green made it clear the committee will
only settle for the candidate they see as most qualified and capable of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia. Saintfiet coached the national teams of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Yemen, Malawi and Togo, and also worked with the Qatar U17 side, Young Africans FC of Tanzania and Free State Stars FC in South Africa. Yusuf was capped by Nigeria at U20 level, won FA Cup titles with El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri as a player and coached top clubs Kano Pillars, ElKanemi Warriors and Enyimba.
He assisted Super Eagles coaches Sunday Oliseh, Samson Siasia and Stephen Keshi (of blessed memory), and was caretaker coach for two friendlies that the Eagles won against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe at the end of May. Le Guen, 52, played for Brest, Nantes and Paris Saint Germain and won 17 caps for France, before coaching Rennes, Lyon, PSG (in France) and Glasgow Rangers (in Scotland). He qualified the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and also coached Oman.
Enyimba 2 Pillars
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Tornadoes 1 Wikki
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Rivers Utd 2 3SC
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FC Ubah
1 El-Kanemi 0
MFM FC
2 Heartland 0
Lobi
1 Plateau Utd 0
Abia W.
1 Wolves
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. 18/7/2016.
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