Wednesday September 27

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Politics Ooni won’t condemn IPOB Page 12

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WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

ISSN: 2545-5869 VOL.2 No. 40. N200

More Rochas demolitions From COLLINS UGHALAA, Owerri

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ear has gripped property owners in parts of Owerri, the Imo State capital as the state governor Rochas Okorocha ordered more demolition of structures in the State capital to make way for

•Plaza, Orji, World Bank to go

his urban renewal plan.

There were indications at press time Tuesday night that the Imo governor has not soft-pedalled on

his determination to demolish markets, plazas and other buildings in the state in furtherance of his urban renewal programme.

On Moday this week, the governor reportedly ordered, through the Owerri Mayoral Affairs office, the immediate demolition of a popular plaza located at Wetheral Road, by Dan Anyiam Stadium

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Dangote, South PPC on takeover deal Page 19 Watch out

•From left: Atiku Abubakar of Kebbi, Simon Dalong of Plateau, Aminu Bello Masari of Kastina, Host Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Kashim shettima of Borno and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state during the visit of Northern States Governors Forum Delegation to Abia State......

Python Dance down, Oct 1 tension up From TONY AILEMEN (Abuja), BONIFACE OKORO (Umuahia), CHUKS EZE (Enugu), NATH OMAME (PH); IBE NWCHUKWU (Onitsha) and CHRIS EZE (Yenagoa)

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week after the Nigerian Army rolled tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) into the South East part of the country in an operation codenamed Python Dance II (a.k.a Operation Show Force), there are indications that the operation has considerably wound down.

The Oracle Today correspondents in Aba and Umuahia, the main theatres of the controversial operation, report that life has largely returned to normal in the two cities with soldiers pulling back to their original operational bases as against the initial forays into city centres, moves that heightened tension in the zone and reportedly resulted in violence, deaths and destruction of property.

The Oracle Today learnt that

•Northern governors’ visit douses tension

•IPOB not ‘organisation’ but ‘indigenous people’-CG-IPOB

•Instances do not warrant action-Ozekhome

•‘Abians should thank operations commander’s ‘benevolence’

•IPOB not a terrorist organization- Imeobi

while the curfew imposed last Tuesday in Aba by the Abia State government to stem violence in the commercial city is still in force, the commencement time has been

shifted from 6pm to 6am to now 10pm to 6am the following day.

Also, in a fence-mending effort, a delegation of six Northern State governors led by Kashim Shetima

of Borno State visited Abia on Tuesday to preach peace and understanding.

Besides Shetima, others on the Northern State governors’ dele-

gation were Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Simon Dalong of Plateau State, Atiku Abubakar of

•I promise to serve the people, at all times – Obaze

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

NEWS

Python Dance down, Oct 1 tension up Continued from Page 1 Kebbi and Aminu Bello Masari of Kastina State.

However, while the tension generated by the Python Dance (Egwu Eke) II is gradually dying down, that of the quit notice given to Ndigbo living in the North by the Coalition of Arewa Youths appears to be building up as the October 1 deadline draws near.

Early June this year, June 6 to be precise, some Northern Nigerian Youth groups under the aegis of Arewa Youth Coalition issued a three-month quit notice to the Igbo, to vacate all parts of Northern Nigeria on or before October 1, 2017 or stay and face death and destruction of their property.

As that date draws near and with no sign of any special security arrangement to nip the execution of that quit notice in the bud, many fear for the worst come October 1.

Such fears were heightened recently when the violence sparked by army operation in Aba almost led to a total breakdown of law and order in Jos, the Plateau State capital, in what was reported as ‘aborted reprisal attack on the Igbo”.

Besides, apart from his saying that Nigerians are free to live anywhere they choose, a rather oblique reference to the quit notice in his recent national broadcast on return

from a 103 medical vacation in London, in which he hinted of plans to deploy soldiers to deal with “unacceptable secessionist tendencies in the East”, President Muhammadu has never really assured the Igbo in the North that “October 1 will never come.”

Going by the non-reprimand of the Northern Youths and the lack of publicly stated measures to secure the lives and property of Ndigbo at the expiration of the 3-month quit notice on October, many have expressed worries that there may be two sets of laws in the country.

In a telephone chat with The Oracle Today, legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome sniggered: “We must surely have and operate two sets of laws for two sets of people in Nigeria. A government should be seen to be fair to all component parts of Nigeria.”

Controversy rages over declaration of IPOB a terrorist organization Chief Ozekhome’s comment came against the backdrop of Defence Headquarters’ declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization, a declaration that has generated a lot of controversy in the country.

According to Ozekhome: “I do not believe that the instances cited by the Defence Headquarters justify its declaration of IPOB a terrorist

organization.

“The last time I checked, I can’t remember any of such organizations operating in the country being declared terrorist organizations. The herdsmen who go on rampage daily, maiming, raping and killing. Those responsible for the Agatu massacre, Shiites massacre, Southern Kaduna pogrom, indiscriminate killings, brazen quit notice givers across Nigeria among others, have never been arrested or prosecuted, let alone being proscribed and stigmatized as terrorist organizations.

“We must surely have and operate two sets of laws for two sets of peoples in Nigeria. Nigeria, we hail thee! A government should be seen to be fair to all component parts of the country.”

Earlier the Customary Government of IPOB (CG-IPOB) had issued a statement denying that IPOB is a terrorist organisation.

In a release issued by Ndubuisi Anaenugwu, Director-Directorate of Information, the CG-IPOB declared: “The entity known as INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA is defined as the remnants of the Biafrans and their descendants who were not consumed in the (Nigerian Civil) war.

“The acronym, IPOB, was created

by Dr Dozie Ikedife in 2013. Indigenous People of Biafra are a nation.

They are a nation but not yet a na-

tion-state, seeking to exercise their right to self-determination by due process of law.

“We have always maintained that we are Biafrans by indigenous identity but Nigerians by citizenship just as the people of Scotland are Scottish by indigenous identity but British citizens and now seeking for independence from Britain.

“The acronym IPOB should be treated with every respect it deserves and efforts should be made by all stakeholders for the interest of peace to go back to round table.

“CG-IPOB sees the current drama as a conspiracy by those in political power against the masses .

“Those in power know that there are legal and political windows to resolve the Biafra issue but would continue to pretend that the forced marriage called Nigeria is indivisible.

“This is rather most unfortunate especially in a period when even the Arewa Youths have written UN to organise referendum for the Biafra people and when YOLICOM is asking for Oduduwa Republic.

“Our current demand for self-determination through the due process of both local and international laws started from 2012-seven years ago!

“CG-IPOB wishes to inform all Biafrans who believe in the due process of law to remain calm and go about their normal businesses as in-

ery 8 days.

It is yet unclear where the government would relocate the market to.

But the government said the demolition of the market is in line with its urban renewal programme.

However, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Innocent Opara, Oshimiri 1, in a meeting with the traders asked them to vacate

the market as ordered by the State government.

He commended the governor for his efforts to remodel the market.

He also informed the traders that he had been formally informed by the State government of the plan to demolish the market, giving the impression that the market would not be relocated but remodelled.

Some of the traders who spoke with The Oracle Today said they

were shocked that the government is demolishing several markets at the same, wondering that the governor wants to kill the economy of the people.

“What does the governor want from us? How can he demolish all the markets at the same? He is demolishing houses, and now no market is safe from his hammer anymore. Does he want us dead?” lamented one of the traders.

...Rochas demolitions Continued from Pg 1

Junction, Owerri, leading to the traders in the plaza scampering to save to their wares.

Some of the traders who spoke with The Oracle Today said they saw the demolition order on the wall of the plaza on Monday morning when they reported for the day’s business, stressing that they were shocked that the state government did not give them any notice.

Not done with the demolition order, the government ordered the workers to clean up the premises before vacating the place.

Also, fear has gripped the people of Orji Community and the traders in Nkwo Orji Market as the state government has notified the traders to vacate the market within seven days.

The seven days notice elapses this week.

Nkwo-Orji is the daily Market of the people of Orji, but it also holds its major commercial activities ev-

To be serialised in The Oracle Today soon

Read about the great Rangers story from next edition

digenous people of Biafra still living in Nigeria.”

Last Saturday, the Imeobi, the highest decision-making body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, rose from a meeting in Enugu with a declaration that IPOB is not a terrorist organisation.

In a 9-point communique signed by the President-General of Ohanaeze and Secretary-General, Uche Okwukwu, the Imeobi declared that “IPOB is not a terrorist organization (as) there are processes under extant national and international laws, especially the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011, as Amended in 2015 to determine whether a group is or not a terrorist organization.”

Reacting to the declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist organization by the Nigerian military, a legal practitioner, and Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Bayelsa State, Osom Macbere said it is desperation by the government to cow the movement, IPOB. He argued that even the United Nations protocols recognize the rights of indigenous societies in every country to self-determination, stressing that even the Biafran State predatet what is today known as Nigeria.

“The Biafran State and the entire composition of the South predated what you call Nigeria. There was no country existing as Nigeria. Nigeria is a mere cadastral draft; Nigeria is just like a survey map drawn by a surveyor. That was what Taubman Goldie and others did in the colonial times.

“There was actually no country called Nigeria if you go back to history. They were just in search of a name and Flora Shaw, then wife of Lord Lugard said this is Niger Area, let’s call it Nigeria. That is the meaning of Nigeria, Niger Area. Nigeria does not have any name Reacting to the declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist organization by the Nigerian military, a legal practitioner, and Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Bayelsa State, Osom Macbere said it is desperation by the government to cow the movement, IPOB. He argued that even the United Nations protocols recognize the rights of indigenous societies in every country to self determination, stressing that even the Biafran State predatet what is today known as Nigeria.

“The Biafran State and the entire composition of the South predated what you call Nigeria. There was no country existing as Nigeria. Nigeria is a mere cadastral draft; Nigeria is just like a survey map drawn by a surveyor. That was what Taubman Goldie and others did in the colonial times.

“There was actually no country called Nigeria if you go back to history. They were just in search of a name and Flora Shaw, then wife of Lord Lugard said this is Niger Area, let’s call it Nigeria. That is the meaning of Nigeria, Niger Area. Nigeria does not have any name that was at any point in time accepted by all and sundry that composed it”, he argued. that was at any point in time accepted by all and sundry that composed it,” he argued.

For his part, a legal luminary based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ben Okoko has stated that the military has no legal powers to declared the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization.

He also declared unlawful, the

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION Why we set up Igbo schools in US, South Africa –Umealo

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OORDINATOR of Pillar Igbo Schools, Mr Chima Umealo, says the institutions were set up to promote Igbo language and cultural values in the United States and South Africa.

Umealo, who is also President of Abia Union, South Africa, in Johannesburg on Friday that children in the schools were responding well to the study of Igbo language and culture.

He said that the Igbo Diaspora Cultural Heritage Festival held in Maryland, United

States, was aimed at promoting the language and culture of Igbo people.

“The schools were set up to ensure that the language and culture of the Igbo do not become extinct. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) had predicted that Igbo language was among those that will become extinct in the next 50 years.

“One way of preventing this was to set up the schools for our children in the Diaspora and to continue

to promote the language and culture,” he said.

Umealo said that many of the children who had not visited Nigeria had impressed guests at the festival with plays and songs rendered in Igbo language.

“They also cooked native food and entertained the audience with assorted delicacies,” he said.

According to him, the school in America has a population of 200 children while the one in South Africa has more than 20.

“The response of the Igbo

Nigeria to host African Tourism Ministers in 2018 From VICTRO NZE, Lagos

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IGERIA will host the 61st meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Commission for Africa (UNWTO CAF) conference in Abuja from June 4 to June 6 next year.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed announced this, last Tuesday in Chengdu, China, at the 60th meeting of the Conference of African Ministers of Tourism, also reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria towards successful hosting of the conference and realisation of its objectives.

The African Ministers of Tourism held the meeting on the sideline of the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly, holding in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of Southwest China.

Mohammed who led Nigeria delegation to the UNWTO General Assembly expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the support given to Nigeria in winning the bidding to host UNWTO CAF. “I wish to assure you that

the ministry, with full support of the Presidency and members of the National Assembly are committed towards ensuring successful hosting of the 61st meeting of the UNWTO CAF. Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, has been designated by the Nigerian Tourism Master Plan as a Conference Capital.

The choice of the city is part of government’s efforts at promoting Abuja as a conference destination within the sub-region,’’ he said.

The minister said that the meeting which will attract wide range of delegates from around the world will provide unique opportunity for global visibility for Nigeria as a key player in tourism development.

He said it would also afford Nigeria the opportunity to showcase its rich cultural assets.

Mohammed assured that the meeting would follow the traditional pattern of an inclusive, participatory and active dialogue that encouraged conversation and en-

Umahi vows to probe Elechi

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ov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has vowed to probe the eight years (2007-2015) tenure of his predecessor and former boss, Chief Martin Elechi. Umahi, who served as the deputy governor during Elechi’s second tenure as governor, said this in Abakaliki while interacting with newsmen in Abakaliki, adding that he would publish the details of the probe on the pages of newspapers.

According to Umahi, who is the Chairman of the SouthEast Governors’ Forum, he had shielded his former boss enough from the enormous monumental financial fraud he committed during his administration. “I am aware of the petition filed against me by the opposition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and I will invite the anti-graft agency to investigation every detail of it. “I will also submit the financial details of the state from 2015 till date to the EFCC for proper auditing as the commission had investigated our usage of the Paris

Club refund three times and found us free of any wrong doing,” he said.

The governor noted that he was paying Elechi his pension out of human Feeling, because he did not deserve to be paid having failed to pay others.

“Elechi was not paid for just one month and he started crying everywhere and the same person failed to pay pensioners their pensions all through his administration. “We are currently paying pensions and severance allowances backdated to 2009 as Elechi did not pay the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnia Onu, his severance allowance as a former governor,” he said. He explained that a law was made during Elechi’s administration to pay Onu and others, but Elechi vehemently refused to implement the law.

“I remember meeting the state’s Attorney General who was the House of Assembly Speaker at that time inside Elechi’s office and the issue of Onu’s payment was being discussed.”

able delegates to have more time and space for networking and discussion.

He commended Mr Taleb Rifai, the outgoing Secretary General of the UNWTO for his stewardship, characterised by innovative ideas, strategic thinking and efforts to increase the credibility and visibility of the organisation.

He also congratulated Dr Walter Mzembi, the out-going Chairman of CAF and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism on the successful completion of his term.

“We are optimistic that we community in South Africa to the setting up of the schools would get support to actualise the vision of the schools. has been positive.

The necessary foundation and structures have already been laid,” Umealo said.

S/East: Saraki faults Army, Governors on IPOB From SAMSON AKINTARO, Lagos

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HE Senate President, Senateor Bukola Saraki, has condemned recent declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group as ‘terrorist organisation’ by the Nigerian Army, saying it did not follow due process. In the same vein, the Senate President berated the South East Governors for proscribing the group’s activities.

Saraki in a statement he signed said the declaration by the Army was unconstitutional and cannot take effect. “Our laws make clear provisions for taking such actions and without the due process being followed, such declaration cannot have effect. I am sure the President will do the needful by initiating the right process.

This will go a long way in demonstrating to the world at large that we are a country that operates by laid down process under every circumstance. So, those who have been hammering on this point should main-

tain their cool” he said.

While appealing for calm and restraint in the South East, the Senate President said a peaceful co-existence of Nigerians would create the atmosphere for a joint solution to the current problem t rather than worsening the crisis. “Our brothers and sisters in the South-east, in particular, should continue to maintain peace and tranquility and go about their lawful business.

This crisis will not benefit anybody but would only expose innocent people to unwarranted danger. At this point, Nigerians outside the South-east who have worked to ensure that the crisis does not spread to other parts of the country deserve our commendation.

I therefore call for continued efforts to sustain peace, unity and stability in all our communities so as to ensure that all residents, no matter their religion, tribe and creed remain protected and safe under the law” Saraki stated.

The Senate President also warned commentators and

purveyors of information on all media platforms to be conscious of the need to maintain the unity of the country.

“Therefore, they must refrain from circulating information that has the potential for aggravating the crisis. We should all realize, as individuals and as a collective that Nigeria is all we have and it is in our individual and collective interests that we do not stoke the fire of crisis and fan the ember of discord through the message we are spreading. We must all protect and strengthen our country rather than contributing to her collapse and disintegration”.

Saraki, however, commended the military for their efforts in restoring peace to different parts of the country and sustaining the unity of the country. He advised that in the face of provocation, the military should allow themselves to be guided by their training which emphasizes respect for human rights, even in war. “Also, giving the nature of this particular situation, the military has every reason to be hesitant in the use of force”. “Also, it is my view that we should not overstretch the military. We need to protect our military against dissipation of their fighting strength. And this means we need to strengthen the police and equip them with the capacity to deal with civil crisis.

That is why we, in the aNational Assembly, are already reviewing the Police Act and also looking at the possibility of enabling other para-military agencies to help in curbing civil unrest and maintenance of law and order”.

The Senate President said the National Assembly would embark on a fact-finding investigation aimed at determining what actually happened during the period of the military exercise in the South-east.

“We want to be able to sift the facts from the fiction and determine who did what. It is quite clear that all the facts are not yet known. We assure Nigerians that there will be no cover up. We intend to lay the facts bare”.

“On a long term, we want to remind Nigerians that the reason for embarking on constitution review by the National Assembly was to enable us look into issues that are agitating the minds of Nigerians and creating tension among us. We have promised that the exercise would be continuous. We intend to keep that promise by further taking decisions that would strengthen and improve on our structures. The Eighth National Assembly, on resumption, will play its constitutional role by addressing all those issues that are agitating the minds of our people and over which they feel so strong. I appeal to all our people to always direct their grievances to the right channels” he said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

FG targets $80bn private investments in infrastructure

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HE Federal Government has said it is expecting over 80 billion dollars as direct private investment in infrastructure between 2014 and 2018. Mr Aliboh Lawrence, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, said this in Abuja at the Public-Private Dialogue on Infrastructure Financing in Nigeria. The dialogue was organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Summit Group (NIPPPSG). Lawrence, represented

by Mr Nurudeen Lawal, Director, Infrastructure, said the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP), envisaged an increase in participation of the private sector.

“Government is also expected to leverage on up to 25 billion dollars through infrastructure Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) during the same period. “Achieving these investment targets will require properly designed and well managed private sector engagement.’’

The Chairman, NIPPPSG, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, said the group recognised the need to engage the private sector in infrastructure delivery in Nigeria.

Mahmoud, who was represented

by Mr Bello Abdullahi, said the dialogue was organised to identify efficient ways for the public and private sectors to work together to deliver infrastructure to Nigerians.

It would also identify and address the political, legal and institutional barriers to creating bankable infrastructure projects and channel private sector finance and expertise towards successful development.

He added that other things the dialogue would do was the delivery of PPP projects in transparent and accountable manners. Mr Chidi Izuwah, Acting Chairman, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) said Nigeria’s power generation target should be 180,000 megawatts to really meet the electricity needs of the population.

Izuwah, who was one of the panelists at the dialogue, said energy

should be generated based on the population, adding that the recommendation for power generation was one megawatt to 1000 people.

“If we are about 180 million in Nigeria, then power generation should be 180,000 megawatts.’’ He said the biggest challenge Nigeria faced with infrastructure was commitment from both the public and private sectors.

He said for Nigeria to have infrastructure development, its reforms and legislation must be geared towards it, adding that it could also look at what other countries have and copy it. Izuwah said for projects to be bankable, the government would have to de-risk them so that private investors could come in to own them.

“Do we have a stable regulatory environment; do we have exchange rate stability and a stable economy?’’ he asked. He said infrastructure was very critical to the economy and that all sectors of the economy must play active roles to move the nation forward. He, however, assured that the ICRC would do all that was legal to ensure that Nigerians got the infrastructure it needed.

The Managing Director, The Infrastructure Bank (TIB), Mr Adekunle Oyinloye, said bankability of PPP projects depended also on policies available on the projects. He said many policies and agencies of government that handled PPP projects were not coordinated, thereby giving room for investors to back out at the slightest frustration. He said the policies and agencies should be streamlined to give the nation a focus on what was being done per time and how investors could go about their investments. Other participants at the dialogue said investors were concerned about political climate and messages, adding that the political class should be mindful of what they said as their sentiments could push investors away.

They also said political will was very essential to ensure that projects were implemented in an orderly and timely fashion.

•President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian delegates on arrival at New York for the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Lagos opens Nigeria’s first DNA Forensic Lab

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HE Lagos State Government has completed the construction of the first ever high-powered DNA Forensic Laboratory in Nigeria, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem has disclosed.

The State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode had last year approved the construction of the DNA forensic lab as part of the criminal justice sector reforms designed to solve crime through technology and fulfil an unmet need for DNA profiling which is a unique forensic technique that is now being used all over the world.

Speaking at a press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja to announce activities lined up by the State Government to commemorate the 2017 United Nations International Day of Peace, Kazeem said skeletal work had already commenced in the lab

known as the Lagos State DNA Forensics Centre (LSDFC), and that it would be formerly commissioned in coming weeks.

Kazeem, who was represented at the briefing by the State’s Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Funlola Odunlami said the lab, among other initiatives of the State Government, was part of efforts geared toward enhancing peace in the State. “The DNA forensic centre just opened this month. We are yet to commission it but it has been opened and it is a DNA crime forensic lab and at the same time, it is going to deal with other DNA matters like paternity issue. What we are doing now is skeletal work which we started this month,” Kazeem said.

He recalled that since 2007, the State Government through the Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC), an agency under the Ministry of

that the Nigeria’s mineral resource endowments would be optimally exploited for the benefit of Nigeria through collaborative governance of the mining sector by governments and communities at all levels.

In his goodwill message, the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri, said that good network of roads had played a role in accessing and evacuation of

minerals from mining sites. Shehuri said that the ministry had resolved to increase power supply from 6,000 megawatts to 20,000 megawatts by 2020. “We are assiduously working towards getting the right energy mix for Nigeria. “We are going into solar, wind, nuclear, waste to energy-powered plants, in addition to the existing hydropower, gas and fossil fuel driven plants,’’ the minster said. Gov. Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi said the mining sector had suffered rejection for some years because of discovery of crude oil.

Bagudu said that for over 20 years, the Federal Government had invested no less than 10 billion dollars yearly in the development of petroleum resources. “It is only now that I heard the minister of mining is talking about figures to be generated close 200 to 300 million dollars. “I think, once we review the performance of mining sector, the closest to us is Ghana, where in 2016; it produced 90 tonnes of gold, which is about seven billion dollars. “The seven billion dollars is 50 per cent of our earning from oil and yet we know of many states including Kebbi that have been producing gold. The governor called for

Mining, agric sectors push Nigeria out of recession –Fayemi

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he Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has identified agriculture and mining as the critical sectors that pushed Nigeria out of recession.

Fayemi made the observation at the Ministerial Session of the three-day maiden edition of National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development in Abuja.

He said that the efforts of the current administration had started yielding the desired results. “I can tell you we (Federal Executive Council) met on Wednesday and we reviewed the figures that pushed the country out of recession. “It is clear to us from those figures that agriculture and mining are the drivers of our progress out of recession,’’ he said.

Fayemi said he remained focus on working with stakeholders to deliver on all the provisions in the Sector’s Growth Roadmap. He said that the efforts of the administration in collaboration with stakeholders had started yielding desired results. “For example, one highlight of the roadmap is to achieve through stakeholders’ engagement an increasing amount of mining contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “Also, to

increase the delivery of shared prosperity to all stakeholders of the mining Value Chain (Exploration, Mining, Beneficiation and Trade). “Already, we have achieved a 300 per cent increase in revenue (royalties and fees) between 2015 and 2016.

“As at July, the sector had already surpassed the entire revenue of N2 billion generated for the whole 2016,’’ the minister said. Fayemi promised

Kano seeks economic partnership with Lagos

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ano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with Lagos state to develop a synergy on economy for the development of the two states.

Ganduje gave the assurance when a team of economic experts from Lagos led by the state Commissioner for Economic planning and Budget, Mr Akinyemi Ashade paid him a courtesy visit in Kano.

He said the partnership would be of great economic benefit to the two states in view of the fact that they (the states) share so many things in common in terms of population, economic viability and other

opportunities. He stressed the need for the two states to develop their economic blueprint for the development of the states in view of the heir population.

“When Kano is in peace, Lagos is in peace, Nigeria will be at peace. We have a lot to share for the development of our people,” he said. Earlier, Ashade said the committee was in the state to discuss with its Kano counterpart on areas of common economic interest for development of the two states.

“We need to show direction to other states because Kano and Lagos states have the highest population in the country.”

Justice, commenced collaborations with the United Nations Information Office to mark the International Day of Peace as an annual event to propagate the ethos of peaceful coexistence among residents in the State, thereby educating and sensitizing the public on the need for peaceful co-existence and respect for human dignity to engender socio-economic growth.

“The Lagos State Government recognizes the fact that the State is the commercial nerve centre of the sub-Saharan Africa where all races converge for various purposes such as business, hospitality, tourism among others, and has put in place mechanisms that will foster development and promote economic activities in the State by instituting agencies that will attend to matters relating to Land Grabbers, Special Task Force, donation of police vehicles for security, introduction of DNA Forensic laboratory to archive blood samples of criminals, among others.

“All these actions are geared toward enhancing peace in Lagos State,” Kazeem said. Speaking on activities to mark the 2017 edition of the day tagged “Together For Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity For All,” Kazeem said on September 18, there would be a Walk for Peace/ Legal Clinic on Ikorodu Road precisely from Funsho Williams Avenue through Ojuelegba to Yaba, while on September 19, a second Walk for Peace/Legal Clinic will hold at Jubilee Under-bridge in Ajah through Ibeju Lekki Expressway and back to the bridge.

On the same day, Kazeem said the CMC will hold a Legal Clinic at both venues where free legal services and mediation services will be rendered to residents of the State, while on September 21, the 18th Stakeholders’ Conference and Book Launch will hold at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa to mark the day. Every year, September 21 is observed as the International Day of Peace as declared by the General Assembly of United Nations as a day devoted to strengthening ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

NEWS Attack on NUJ secretariat: Agbazuere threatens court action From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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human rights and constitutional lawyer, Dr. ACB Agbazuere has threatened to drag the Nigerian army to court for invading the secretariat of the Abia State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and attacking journalists.

Agbazuere, who is the Pillar of Abia NUJ, said if he is not satisfied with the way the military handled the invasion, attack and assault on journalists, he would approach the court for redress.

It would be recalled that men of the Operation Python Dance II while on Show of Force along major streets in Umuahia on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, invaded the NUJ Press Centre on Aba Road, attacked journalists and destroyed their working tools.

While on a sympathy visit to Abia NUJ, Agbazuere said it was disturbing that journalists who are in the vanguard of democracy in the country would be attacked by soldiers.

“I equally unequivocally condemn the unwarranted invasion and attack on the secretariat of the Abia State Council of the NUJ and the consequent beating of a National Officer of NUJ, smashing of their iPad and phones.

What an impunity!

“As the Pillar of Abia NUJ, I join men of good conscience to urge the military hierarchy

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to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are fished out and punished immediately.

“I shall proceed to court against the federal government of Nigeria and the Nigerian Army if the culprits are not brought to book soonest.

We are in a democracy and the Press cannot be gagged.

My people cannot also be under siege,” he said.

He also used the opportunity to urge the federal government to call off its on-going Operation Python Dance 2 in the South East and called for dialogue between the authorities and leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state said the lives of Abia citizens were being endangered and the peace of the state threatened by operation.

“The situation that would warrant the deployment of soldiers, as provided in Section 217 of the Nigerian Constitution did not arise. Even if the federal government felt that Nnamdi Kanu has violated his bail conditions, they cannot send soldiers after him,” he said.

Chairman of Abia NUJ, Comrade John Emejor, in his response, described the attack by the soldiers as unwarranted and a desecration of the NUJ secretariat.

Emejor thanked Agbazuere for the visit.

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6

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

NEWS

Anambra monarch offers scholarship to pupils, students From RAY UDEAGBALA, Awka

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ot fewer than 50 students and pupils from public secondary and primary schools in Ihiala community, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, have been offered scholarship to proceed to the next level of their academic pursuit through the Scholarship Scheme for Underprivileged Children of Ihiala Town established by the Traditional Ruler of the community, Dr Richardson Okechukwu (Oluoha XVI).

Some of the beneficiaries included recently graduated Nursery three pupils entering primary one class, primary six pupils crossing over to class one of junior secondary school (JSS 1), those in JSS 2 resuming for JSS3, JSS 3 students going into class one of Senior Secondary School (SS1) and SS 2 students entering the SS 3 class in the just started 2017/2018 academic session.

Speaking at the occasion held at

palace of the monarch, the sponsor, Regent Dr Richardson Okechukwu promised to keep providing for the beneficiaries’ academic needs such as tuition fees, levies for common entrance examination, JSCE, SSCE, UTME, Post-UTME, and others as long as they sustain or exceed their current academic performance.

The regent also promised to be visiting them in person or through representatives as a way of encouraging them to do well, adding that he would work out modalities to refurbish public schools in the community that are in bad shape or lack adequate facilities for effective teaching and learning.

On how the pupils and students were chosen, an external assessor from Ibadan, Folakemi Alade, explained that her team visited all the public primary and secondary schools in Ihiala community during which they interviewed the best performing pupils and students without disclosing their intention in or-

der to ascertain their challenges.

“We tried our best to accommodate only the indigenous pupils and students of Ihiala town but at the end two people from other communities and states but reside and school in the community were equally selected. The beneficiaries are from educationally disadvantaged families and about dropping out of school due to lack of parents, sick parents, lack of resources and sponsors to further their studies after graduating from their current classes. These people have excellent academic results despite their various challenges. We also discovered that some school buildings need renovation or expansion and other facilities,” Alade emphasised.

In their separate contributions, Chief Aloy Egwuatu, former Anambra State Commissioner of Science and Technology, and Ogbuehi Dan Ilione, while commending the Oluoha for introducing the scholarship which was first of its kind in Ihiala, stressed the needs for

future traditional rulers of the community to sustain the policy for creation of employment and massive development.

Speaking also, a scholar and indigene of the community, Ichie Dr Emma Okechukwu (Ichie Ezedinobi of Ihiala), described the kind gesture as best and urged parents to avoid endangering the lives of their children through street hawking and other means of child abuse.

Sir Emeka Okolie, who spoke for the teachers and parents, noted that the scholarship would go a long way in eradicating illiteracy and poverty, curtailing crimes, and entrenching peace and progress in Ihiala.

The Parish Priest, Immaculate Heart Church, Okoha Ihiala, Rev. Fr. Francis Oralu, while commending the regent for the initiative, called on other wealthy indigenes of the community to invest on people’s life through other useful ventures.

While praying for long life and prosperity for the monarch, some of the beneficiaries, Miss Patience Egbunife of Abbot Girls Secondary School, Ihiala and Mr Moses Obodoeze of Umunnamehi Community Primary School, vowed to compliment the effort through studiousness and living a worthy life.

Earlier, the Transition Committee Chairman, Ihiala Local Government Area, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Odemegwu, who described the sponsor as “a young dynamic, intelligent and well placed man,” assured that his administration would continue to support him to move Ihiala to greater heights.

High point of the occasion was presentation of school bags, books and stipends to the pupils and students for to assist them in purchasing school uniforms and other necessary items, as well as book presentations to public schools.

IPOB agitation endangers 11 million Igbo – Ikpeazu From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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gitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) if left unchecked would have jeopardized the lives and property of over 11.6 million persons of Igbo extraction resident in Northern Nigeria.

According to Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the opportunity given to the South East governors to speak to the agitators on the need to live in peace saved the day, saying Nigeria would have experienced the worst holocaust in human history.

“We are very grateful to God Almighty for intervening in what would have been, perhaps, the greatest bloodbath known in the history of mankind,” Ikpeazu said while on a visit to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Umuahia Sunday, which was attacked by soldiers of Operation Python Dance II penultimate Tuesday.

He regretted that the security situation in Abia came at a time his administration was making progress in projecting madein-Abia goods globally.

“For the past two years, we have been battling to bring positive attention to Abia State, to Aba, canvassing and selling to the entire world the ingenuity, hard

work and industry of our young ones.

“It was at this moment when the campaign for made-in-Aba goods has gained crescendo, when we were approaching our Canaan land, when the world started looking our way, when the federal government has promised to give us 24-hour power supply that the devil chose to strike,” he said.

“I really do not want to bother myself with who caused what but I am concerned at the gravity of what would have happened if we consider that there are 11.6 million Igbos living in Northern Nigeria.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the restraint and confidence he reposed in the governors of the South East, giving us another opportunity to speak to our people, especially on the need for us to continue to live in peace,” he said.

He commiserated with the NUJ over the attack by the soldiers and commended them for exhibiting maturity.

The governor also commended the military for their humility in owning up to the mistake.

Responding, Abia NUJ chairman, Comrade John Emejor, said the attack came to him as a surprise and hailed the governor for identifying with the union.

FGM campaign intensifies in Cross River From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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non-governmental organization Safe Haven Development Initiative is stepping up its campaign and advocacy against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in select communities in Cross River State.

The aim, according to the group, is to intensify advocacy against the practice, which does not seem to be abating in the State.

FGM is any cutting, burning, pressing or sewing of any part of the female genitals. The practice, which is usually for cultural or non-medical reasons are of four types, including partial or total removal of the clitoris (clitoridectomy), removal of the inner, smaller lips of the vagina (excision), infibulations which is the cutting off and sewing of the smaller and larger lips of the vagina and other harmful practices on the female genitalia that may include cutting, sewing, pressing, bleeding, burning, and many other harmful practices.

Speaking during a workshop on FGM in Calabar, the project convener Margaret Ona said the seminar became imperative in view of the prevalence of the menace in the state.

She disclosed that the practice is prev-

alent in the State because it has been ingrained in the culture and traditions of certain societies in the state.

Also speaking, Dr. Anton Ndep, a resource person and lecturer at the University of Calabar described the practice as vicious, noting that the society has to move on from such practices.

Dr. Ndep who is a victim stated that the memory of that incident is still fresh in her memory, disclosing that she also lost her younger sister to the practice.

In addition to this, a number of women have had pregnancy complications due to this act.

She debunked the notion that the practice is meant to mitigate the prevalence of sexual immorality among the women folk, stating that “sex does not begin from the organs but in the brain.”

On her part, a representative of Development Options (DO) disclosed that the act of FGM is illegal as the government had since 2015 passed a law proscribing FGM in the country. The law which is Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 prescribes a two year imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 for any person who attempts, incites, aids, abets or counsels the act of FGM or other forms of sexual exploitation of minors in the country.

• Anambra State Commissioner of health, Dr. Josephat Akabuike (4th left) representing Gov Willie Obiano and the Clergies at the Lauching of 50 million naira secretariat by the Catholic Laity COuncil, Dunukofia Region at St. Anthony’s Parish Dunukofia

Anambra 2017: Group decries neglect of non-indigenes

By THEO RAYS

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non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Assembly of Concerned Non-Indigenes Residing in Anambra State, has decried the non-inclusion of non- indigenes in the main stream of affairs in Anambra State.

The group alleged that its members are often denied the opportunity to assume leadership positions in the markets, churches and in government quarters in Anambra State.

The NGO, in a well attended press conference in Onitsha, said it is wrong for those who were born and bred in the State and who do their businesses and pay their taxes to the State government to be denied opportunities to occupy leadership positions even in markets where they do business, pointing out that they are no longer comfortable with their being side-lined and neglected.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Ibuchim Ezekwelu, flanked by other members traced the neglect of non-indigenes to past adminis-

trations, alleging that past governments ensured that non- indigene didn’t have opportunities to serve as market leaders, and ward councillors not to talk of appointing a nonindigene into the State government as SAs or Commissioner.

“Traders should be allowed to choose their leaders, members of every church organizations should be left alone to elect anyone of their members they wish to lead them, Keke and OKada operators, commercial bus drivers, artisans and other professional associations should be allowed to elect anyone of their members they choose to lead then without government interference,” Ezekwelu said.

“Our contractors and consultants must be treated equally with their Anambra State counterparts; enough of the punitive transfers of our members who are civil servants in the state; let scholarship awards be given to our kids meritoriously and we demand that some of our members who are due to be made principals of their various schools

should be accorded such rights and privileges,” Ezekwelu added.

“Those who have been denied promotions should be promoted, those who wish to contest for any post, be it councilorship, chairmen of councils, market associations, House of Assembly or National elections should be allowed and encouraged to do so. And if they win, they should not be denied or rigged out,” Ezekwelu declared.

“Since the end of the Civil War or even before the Civil War, non-indigenes have contributed in no measure to the development of Anambra State. There is, therefore, no reason they should not be allowed to share equal opportunities in the markets, in the church and in government,” the group stressed.

Ezekwelu said the NGO would use the Nov 18, 2017 governorship election to showcase its numerical strength, adding that any of the candidates of the political parties who picks a non-indigenes as running mate is sure of victory at the poll.

7

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

News

AMCON, Police intercept dredger, arrest in Delta community From EMMANUEL OGOIGBE, Warri

T

he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and officers of the Nigeria Police Force “B” Division and the Marine Police in conjunction with Local Vigilante Group of Nigeria recently intercepted a dredger and arrested over seven suspects for alleged illegal diversion along Ifiekporo Community River in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Also arrested was a 30-year old man, Reuben Oshodi from Arugbo Community in Ondo State.

It was gathered that AMCON earlier seized and took inventory of the dredger from one Chief Oki, Chief Executive

Officer of Wokson Construction Company over alleged debt running into billions of naira.

Instead of coming out to pay his bills, Chief Oki allegedly sent his workers to illegally tow the dredger from Ugbuwangue Waterside on the night of Sunday, September 10, to an unknown destination.

One of the suspects who is the Master Dredger, Timothy Nwachukwu, 45, in a chat with newsmen stated that it was his boss who sent him stressing that na worker I be for here o.

Nwachukwu who hails from Ikeduru community in Imo State and others are cooling off at the “B” Division Police Station in Warri.

The Managing Partner, Mr. Onaiwu-Thomas Eghobamien led the police to the community for the interception and arrests on behalf of the Receiver Manager, Chief Robert Ohuba & Co Legal Practitioners in Edo State.

Eghobamien expressed happiness that the dredger was recovered from the suspects insisting that the prime suspect must be arrested with the necessary actions taken against him.

The dredger has been relocated to a jetty at Enerhen Community in Uvwie Local Government Area.

Contacted, Delta State Acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka did not pick his calls or reply text messages put across to him.

•Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa during the luncheon and award ceremony of University of Ibadan, Alumni Association of Nigeria.

Delta gets new Electoral Act as Okowa signs DSIEC, 2 other bills into law From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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S the October exit date for chairmen and councillors of different local government councils in Delta State draws near, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has signed into law the Delta State Independent National Electoral Commission (DSIEC) Bill.‎ The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, accompanied by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Friday Osanebi, Clerk of the House, Mrs. Lyna Ochulor and other principal officers of the legislature had presented the bill with two other bills, the Local Government Amendment Bill (2017) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill (2016) to the Governor for assent at Government House, Asaba.

Governor Okowa, at the occasion which was witnessed by some members of the state executive council, observed that “the signing into law of the DSIEC Bill 2017 is very important at this point in time,” adding that “the law will strengthen the activities of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission and I believe that with this action, members of the Commission will be appointed to take office for the smooth conduct of the local government elections.”

The governor who lauded the vibrancy and cooperation of the Delta State legis-

lators in making laws that will ensure good governance, respect for rule of law and progressive society, stated that his administration would continue to support local councils to offset their salary arrears.

Throwing more light on the situation with the local government councils, the governor disclosed that some of the local government councils are heavily indebted to their staff as a result of having a lot of teachers and employees.

He, however, noted that there are some local government councils in the state that are not owing salary arrears.

“We will continue to support the local government councils for them to pay salaries; allocation to local government councils is very low which has made some of them to find it difficult to pay salaries,” he said.

The Governor stressed that the essence of biometrics system introduced in the local government councils is to ensure that those who are fraudulently receiving salaries are fished out and removed from the payroll to enable the councils have more money to pay their staff salaries.

Vietnam accuses party leader of corruption

He leader of Vietnam’s third TAsia-Pacific largest city and site of the 2017 Economic Cooperation

(APEC) conference has been hit with corruption allegations, state media reported on Tuesday.

Nguyen Anh, boss of the ruling Communist Party in Da Nang and de-facto mayor, “holds the main responsibility” for numerous violations by the Central Inspection Commission.

The allegations include Anh accepting two houses and two cars as gifts from private companies, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Anh, who is also on the party’s elite

Central Committee, may also have misrepresented his education credentials according to the VN Express news site report.

While he claimed to have earned an MBA from the California Southern University in 2006, the university was not yet accredited.

The inspection commission has recommended disciplinary measures against Anh as well as Huynh Duc Tho, the city’s chairman.

Their punishments have not yet been announced, although the precedent in Vietnam is for leaders to step down once accused of corruption by the state.

C’River to end expropriation of some agro-produce From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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HE Cross River State government has put machinery in motion to end the expropriation of its agro products, particularly cocoa and rice, by other states in the first quarter of next year.

This will be made possible by the on-going cocoa processing plant in Ikom, and the rice factory project in Ogoja, which are going on simultaneously and will be completed in the first quarter of next year.

Mr. Chris Agara, Chairman and CEO of AA Universal Agro Industries, the company partnering with the government to actualize these projects, stated that the projects would add value to cocoa and rice production in the state thereby ensuring that these products are no longer taken out of the state for processing.

He stated that before now, raw cocoa from Cross River was transported to Ondo State where it was mixed with Ondo cocoa and exported as Ondo cocoa. And this, despite the fact that it has been proven several times that cocoa from Ikom is the best cocoa in the country while Nigerian cocoa generally organic and, therefore, among the most sought-after cocoa in the world.

“Our priority is to set up a cocoa processing facility in Ikom so that we can create our own identity and also export our cocoa. There was no value chain. And even in the international market, the buyer determines the price of cocoa but you will be amazed that the price of cocoa remains stable. Cocoa powder may be $6000 per ton but the farmer will sell it for less than $2, 000 or sometimes they may say that there is a glut in cocoa production but there has never been a glut in chocolate production,” Agara said.

“There is quite a lot we are going to be doing with this, like we are going a establish a farmers micro finance bank, which will be used to fund the farmers, train them and give them the right species of seeds because we want to be known for the production of organic cocoa which uses less chemicals.”

Police kill suspected ritualists From EMMANUEL OGOIGBE, Warri

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HE police in Sapele, Delta State has confirmed the deaths of a three-man gang of ritual killers’ named as “Ghana Buggers” after the suspected men were linked to the death of a commercial motorcyclist (Okada-rider) whose private organ was removed and his body dumped in an undisclosed area along Sapele-Warri Road.

The Okada rider was said to have met his untimely death when two members of the gang asked him to take them to Amukpe area of Sapele and overpowered him on the way, killed him and dumped his body in the bush after dismembering it.

The other member, a native doctor, implicated by one of the suspects is presently in police custody and undergoing interrogation while the surviving member, Emmanuel Ogbotor is receiving treatment from bullet wounds at the Central Hospital Sapele.

When newsmen visited the crowded hospital, there was heavy security around the premises, with a large crowd trying to catch a glimpse of the survivor.

Police sources said the suspects were arrested by soldiers of the 19 Battalion on a tip-off by men of the vigilante group where one of them died in the process of exchanging fire with security men and the others were overpowered and brought to the Police Station.

Only recently, two suspected members of a kidnap gang were identified and gunned down in Sapele, two weeks after the release of the wife of a Seplat Petroleum Company executive who was in the kidnapper’s den after 42 days of detention in the riverine creeks.

While a new wave of ritual killings is on the increase in Sapele, Oghara, Jesse and its environs, several persons have been allegedly killed by ritualists in the area, a situation that compelled the Monarch of the Jesse Kingdom and women to invoke a curse on the evil perpetrators of such crimes.

9

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

Biafra: Why I cannot 2019: We need governorship condemn IPOB, candidate that will win

by Ooni of Ife election in Imo PDP Pg 12

– Hon Mayor Eze

Pg 14

Why Ohaneze Ndigbo is holding Igbo Day in Port Harcourt, by Secretary-General There is some disquiet in Rivers State over insistence by the Pan-Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, to hold the 2017 Igbo Day, termed “Igbo Prayer Day”, in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. This is despite protestations from Ogbakor Ikwerre and youth groups in the state who say “the plan will heighten the already tense political atmosphere in the state.”

•Dr-Sekibo-Exchange-view-wit

H

OWEVER, insisting that the event must hold as planned, Secretary-General of Ohaneze Chief Uche Okwukwu explained that the 2017 Igbo Day must hold in Port Harcourt on Friday, September 29, “because all relevant authorities have been notified and the date has been approved.”

Okwukwu, a lawyer who is an indigene of Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State, declared: “Our choice of Port Harcourt has not contravened any law, so the event must hold. We cannot be intimidated by anybody anywhere in the world. We have passed that stage. We have passed through the most difficult period in our history.”

He added: “For the avoidance of doubt, nobody can stop the Igbo Day in Port Harcourt.

The event will hold as scheduled. Ndigbo are not one of those groups that can be intimated. Let them come and arrest Ndigbo for holding a prayer session.

“At 12 noon on Friday, September 29, all Igbo anywhere they are in the world are expected to lift up their eyes to the Heavens and pray for the safety and protection of Ndigbo, the preservation of Igboland and the welfare of all human beings under the sun. We are holding a prayer session and not a convention. The programme is being organised by the Igbo Delegate Assembly under the auspices of Ohaneze Ndigbo.

“Let them come and arrest us for holding a prayer session. Even in Boko Haran States of Yobe and Adamawa, people still hold prayer sessions. There must be prayers during crisis for God to intervene. Those who are advocating the cancellation of the Igbo Day Prayer Session in Port Harcourt, on Friday, September 29, are not insincere.”

Furthermore, Chief Okwukwu said: “The 2017 Igbo Day will not tamper with the cultural heritage of the Ikwerre’s or other ethnic groups in the state. We have notified all relevant security agencies in the state. And we

are confident there will be no security infraction of any kind.”

But, objecting to Ohanaeze’s plan, Ogbakor Ikwerre said the Igbo Prayer Day should not be held in Port Harcourt on the grounds that it would further heighten tension in the state. President-General of Ogbakor Ikwerre, Worldwide, Prof. Simeon Achinewhu told security chiefs at a meeting at the Naval War College, Obima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, that holding the 2017 Igbo Day prayer session in Port Harcourt, posses a security threat to the state.

“This is not the right time to hold an Igbo Day that will be attended by Igbos from other states in Port Harcourt for now. Just last Tuesday, supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), clashed with Hausa traders at Oyigbo. Lives were lost and goods, wares and property running into millions of Naira were destroyed in the ensuing fracas.”

Prof. Achinewhu stressed: “We have been living peacefully with the Igbos in Rivers State. Rivers people have been doing business with Igbo people for years. Crosscultural marriages are commonplace among our people and the Igbos. But on the holding of the 2017 Igbo Day in Port Harcourt, we are saying that the planned event possess a huge security threat to Rivers State considering the tense security situation because of the agitation of IPOB.” In the same vein, a coalition of Ikwerre youths under the aegis of Ikwerre Youth Forum, have joined the call by the Ogbakor Ikwerre group on relevant authorities that the 2017 igbo Day should not be allowed to hold in Rivers State. The President of the forum, Fortune Amadi stated that “the violent clash between members and supporters of IPOB and Hausa traders at Oyigbo, on Tuesday, September 12, is fresh in the minds of the people of Rivers State.”

•Prof. Achinewhu

He emphasized: “While we concur that Chief Uche Okwukwu has his right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, he should be reminded that the state will not grant him that right because such an assembly possesses a security threat to peace in the state. Port Harcourt is a no-go area for the Igbo Day, on Friday, September 29.”

The youth wing of the Rivers State Elders Council has also called on the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, not to approve the venue of Port Harcourt for the 2017 Igbo Day. The group in a petition to the IGP, jointly signed by the President Miller Sampson and the Secretary-General, Lawrence ibiayemi, said: “The choice of Port Harcourt against other cities is offensive and the date of September for the event is wrong timing following on-going developments in the South East region. The organization also called on the management of the University of Port Harcourt not to allow Ohaneze use of its facili-

ties for the 2017 Igbo Day event.”

Meantime, the management of the University of Port Harcourt has formally stated that it will not grant approval for the Ohaneze Ndigbo to use its facilities for the 2017 Igbo Day celebration. Deputy Registrar, Information, William Wodi, in a statement, issued in Port Harcourt stated that the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization did not apply for permission to use its facilities for its prayer session before making a public statement to that effect.

“Ohaneze Ndigbo did not apply to the management of the University of Port Harcourt for permission to use its facilities for its 2017 Igbo Day event. Whatever was said in the public by the group claiming it will use the university’s facility for the event was a mere intension and does not constitute a formal authorization by the university authority for Ohaneze Ndigbo to use the university’s facilities for the said event.”

10

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Bold ‘n’ Blunt

Six geo-political arrangement ploy to land-lock Igbo – Prof Obasi Igwe

S

ome people kicked when President Buhari shifted the job determining whether to restructure the country or not to the National Assembly (NASS) and National Council of State (NSA), what about you?

I would say that it is normal for some people to be afraid of any change because those who benefit from existing conditions would invariably oppose change while those that mean better for the country would advocate for change. Restructuring in Nigeria is inevitable, and the reason is because under the present structure, Nigerians are being impoverished; Nigerians are divided.

According to President Buhari himself, there is so much corruption that it can even pull down the country. So, it is obvious that restructuring has to occur. And the restructuring that we are advocating for is simply the reordering of the units of political administration with all the attendant changes in distribution of incomes; legislative and all other lists, whether exclusive, concurrent or residual. So, all these will come into restructuring. But there is another issue that concerns the Igbo.

Is it about marginalisation?

It is rather about those endorsing Igbo ethnic cleansing. Those who say they are Igbo leaders and taking Ndigbo for a ride.

There is suspicion now that they have been paid to endorse the ethnic cleansing in Southern Igboland, by Yakubu Gowon and Diete-Spiff alliance, and others which make the Igbo leaders to start restricting the concept of Igbo to the South East; meaning that it is only the Igbo in the south east that do not have a tender access to the sea.

What is wrong with that?

Everything is wrong with it when it is unlawfully and cruelly imposed on the people. The Igbo who have been spreading this falsehood are number one enemies of Ndigbo; they would never be forgiven except they change their ways. The Igbo are contiguous to the coast and to the sea. The Igbo brought other tribes in the east into coastal history. The Igbo, for over 600 years opened and used Bonny, opened and used Igwe Ocha – now called Port Harcourt; and since 1869, they opened and used Opobo.

It is true that centres of gravity have been changing; but during the slave trade, which was imposed on the Igbo, the centre of gravity was Bonny. So the Igbo concentrated on Bonny through Igwe Ocha (Port Harcourt). But when the slave trade ended and oil trade started, the centre of gravity shifted to Opobo. Then, with the end of oil trade, rise of independence and export of coal, the centre of gravity shifted back to Igwe Ocha. So, Igbo coastal history has been very clear and known to everybody.

The Igbo were able, in the process of that coastal history, to rescue Ogoni and resettle them in the place they are today.

How do you mean that Igbo recued the Ogoni?

O yes, it is in the Ogoni history. The Igbo were the people that manned the Ijaw war canoes, their canoe houses and so on; which means that about 90 per cent or more of the present Ijaw nation, from the central ijaw land, particularly Bayelsa, are of Igbo stock. That also implies that it was the Igbo that played the central role in bringing the eastern tribes into coastal history. So, no one can now come and say it is these same Igbo that would be removed from coastal region because there was an ethnic cleansing. The Igbo have to get that attitude right; I mean the central Igbos. They have been blaming the Ikwere, the Bonny, Opobo, Etchie, Ndoni; the Ahoada and so on, for betraying the central Igbo during the civil war. That is not true. These Mba Mmiri

•Says restructuring is above NASS, NCS In this interview with CHUKS EZE, university don, Professor Obasi Igwe advises President Muhammadu Buhari to be more cautious in handling present challenges in the country, especially as regards selfdetermination agitation, hate speeches and restructuring, and encouraged him to also desist from “addressing hate speech with hate speech.” Excerpts:

•Prof Obasi Igwe people were being bombarded by British and Soviet tanks, Soviet jets, Arab pilots, European weapons and all that; and as they were being bombarded, the only way they could survive physically, was to tell Britain that they were no more Igbo. Remember that somebody that is dead has no name to answer. Therefore, it was an attempt to survive that made some of them denounce being Igbo. Those who did not denounce being Igbo were killed. And as Nigerian soldiers were killing the Mba Mmiri people, one commander in the Nigerian army threatened with boast that they would kill every moving object. When that was happening, some of the Mba Mmiri people ran to the central Igboland, now called five eastern states. But some senseless Biafra soldiers shot some of them in the process.

Why would Biafra soldiers shoot at fellow Igbo?

They were suspected of sabotage, and in the process, they were shot some of them like they were also shooting some inland Igbos. So, the task before the Igbo leadership now is to go and reconcile with the southern Igbo – the Mba mmiri people, and explain to them that after all, the victimisations were spread all over. During that time, Biafra soldiers were suspecting people from Wawa, from Ijeko Ebe, from Ogbo, Mba Mmiri and everybody. So, let no one appropriate the injustice to himself;

let us understand each other and make peace. What I am saying is that it is not the Mba Mmiri people that hate the central Igbo. After all, why should you associate with somebody who does not know what he is doing? So, it is all of us that have to go to our brothers, try to thrash these things out and maintain the integrity of Igbo homeland, contiguous to the sea as it is. The English imperial masters noted that the Igbo are contiguous to the sea; so, we do not accept ethnic cleansing, codenamed Abandoned Property. We have stated this severally. So those Igbos who are equating south east with Igbo and Igbo with south east are complete disappointment and they should be ashamed of themselves. They go to Lagos and tell the Yoruba that Lagos is no man’s land. Lagos is Yoruba and not a no man’s land. Those I am talking about have defecated on Igboland like birds that would defecate inside their nests and run away.

They are a shame and complete disappointment. Lagos is Yorubaland and Ndigbo are there as grateful migrants in Yorubaland.

They should change their ways, come home and reconcile Ndigbo. What we are advocating is restructuring. Restructuring is the way out or Nigeria’s problems. It is not attempting to land-lock Ndigbo and using the minority of Igbo in Mbammiri as pawns in the chess game of other minorities.

Some APC stalwarts have severally alleged that most of those agitating for restructur-

ing do not really know what they want; is that the case with you?

It is a lie; do not mind them. Those calling for restructuring understand very clearly what they want. The Afenifere want a Yoruba homeland – six states plus Yoruba sections of Kwara, Kogi and other states. The Ijaw people want a united Ijaw homeland, possibly up to River Mahin and Santa Barbra. These are the conscientious Ijaw people who do not want to be involved in land-locking Ndigbo via the ethnic cleansing fraud.

The Ogoni people want self-determination.

The Anang, Efik, central Ibibio and Ogoja want their own homeland, just as the Igbo want their homeland, contiguous to the sea.

What is the meaning of not understanding what they want? We want units of political administration to be this way in the south – every southern ethnic group must retain her original independent and contiguous access to the sea. The Ogoni desires to be joined by the Andoni to form a unit. This restructuring can be in two parts: If we want to restructure to redistribute power among the elites, we can then do it on the basis of creation of local governments among the Igbos. But we have transcended that. We are now talking about not only units of political administration, but also the national question. That nationalities – people who share the same language and culture, should be organised as a single community; translate, not only exist in nature, into constitutional process

11

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Bold ‘n’ Blunt

•Prof Obasi Igwe and say: okay, Igbo, you remain one nation, contiguous to the sea; Yoruba, you remain one nation, contiguous to the sea; Ogoni and Ndoni, one nation; Ijaw, one nation; Efik, Anaang and Ibibio that share the same language, together with Ogoja, one nation.

Then when we have achieved that in the south, there would be an option for mergers. Do you understand? So, Benin, Itsekiri, Urhobo would have an option to join the Igbo, Yoruba or to come together on their own, or each one to stand on its own, as the case may be. Restructuring in Southern Nigeria is clear and definite. There is no doubt about that and the APC Chairman, (Chief) Oyegun knows that.

What is your rating of the President’s performance in the last two years?

In terms of war against corruption, I would score the President 20 per cent because he is recovering some looted funds. But there some pertinent questions I want to pose to the President in the area of corruption. Has he been able to stop corruption as he had promised, or at least reduce it to barest minimum? Has he been able to stop corruption in the civil service or economic sector? What about the issue of political corruption, especially inside his government? What about financial corruption? It still abound. We all heard about the grasscutting saga, which is taking ages for government to deal with conclusively. What about the issue of economic corruption and sabotage? The President has left the former eastern region behind, by way of official neglect; that is economic sabotage. He has allowed the criminal-minded Fulani herdsmen to have a field day in criminality. When we are talking about herdsmen killings, they are talking about cattle rustling – things that have nothing to do with herdsmen killings. They are talking of herdsmen farmers clash when it is herdsmen that are killing farmers in their homes and farms. That is political corruption. What about the issue of militarising the eastern region, unleashing army and mobile police men on their roads, with the attendant extortions the people are being subject to, impoverishing them on

daily basis? That is security corruption; and you know that security and economy are intertwined. So, that is why I scored Buhari 20 per cent on war against corruption.

And you said that restructuring can also take care of that?

Absolutely! That is why I said that the armed forces and entire security system would be reorganised so that nobody can use them to pursue ethnic or religious goals again. For instance, why should unarmed IPOB and MASSON demonstrators be killed en masse and buried in mass graves, while Boko Haram terrorists are being forgiven and rehabilitated, just as Fulani herdsmen are being sent weapons through the air, only for the army to rush to scenes of their operations when they must have finished their dastardly acts and gone away? The allegation has been that the reason the army even surface at all after the attack of the herdsmen is for them to prevent possible retaliation from their victims. These are the issues in Nigeria. The Shiites demonstrators were initially shot at, but now, to protect northern interest, they are not more being killed. But even at that, we still insist that El Zakzaki should be released, so that the Shiites in Nigeria would enjoy religious freedom. We cannot be enslaved to the murderous system – the Wahhabi system imported into the country from Saudi Arabia. No, Nigeria should be a modern state. That is what we are saying.

Why are you against the six geopolitical zone arrangement, as is being advocated by some of your kinsmen?

I have already stated that those pushing for such arrangement, on what they call south east region, are enemies of Igboland and they should be ashamed of themselves.

This south east zone is the same East Central State (ECS), that was carved out by Gowon to separate the Igbo from the sea, and then to ethnically cleanse the southern Igbo or central Igbo and then pronounce the Igbo landlocked. The Igbo have been against this ethnic cleansing alias abandoned property and land-locking up to the

Oputa Panel in 1999. Why should a group of Igbo go and endorse this ethnic cleansing by evolving what they call south east geopolitical zone? Why should we, of all the zones in the country Igbo be the ones without access to the sea? I maintain that those people are enemies of Igboland and they should hide their heads in shame.

Who are these enemies of Igbo that you have been referring to?

They know themselves, there is no point mentioning names here. Conscientious Igbo are not in support of six geopolitical zones. What we support is to let each state, even though improperly created; even though not favourable to everybody, be the basic unit of a restructured Nigeria. It is not a question of devolution of powers; it is rather that states must possess their powers, own and control their resources and have everything inside those states so that, as they move in that direction, there would be a referendum on mergers. Let those who wish to merge, merge with those they want to merge with and create a region with those they want to create with. It is not for anybody from anywhere to go and decide that these people should be a region and those people should not. That should be a question of referendum or plebiscite of where people wish to belong. The reason for that is that there are Igbo in the SouthSouth, for instance. Would such people like to be a minority in the South-South region or would they like to associate with other Igbo and form a single Igbo homeland, contiguous down to the sea? Inside the SouthSouth, there are the Effik and Anang, there are also the Ibibio, Ijaw, Ogoni, Ogoja and others. So, the South-South is an awkward arrangement and you cannot carve out some Igbo to minoritize them under some other people and call that a zone. We are saying, let the present states be the basic units of restructuring; let powers and resources be taken back by these states then let there be a referendum or plebiscite on who wants to join who. You would be surprised that some middle belt groups would like to join the Igbo or join whoever they want. The discussion about the south east being left with only five states against other zones is meaningless. And another tragedy of the advocates of the so-called south east, is an attempt to equate south east with Igbo and Igbo with south east. In fact, we are suspecting that those are agents of security services being paid to solidify the ethnic cleansing fraud against Ndigbo. But the thing is that it is not too late for anyone to change position, after all, the Fulani/ Hausa northerners changed their position from Araba in August 1966 to independence. They are still changing their position and have now come back to restructuring in the way they think is good for them. The Ijaw people were originally from single Ijaw homeland, but now they have changed that to South-South. The Ogoni people were for Ogoni self-determination; why should the Ogoni leave their self-determination to now answer South-South? Why can’t the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by the able Nnia Nwodo, also press for changing from South East to Igboland? Before now, the only true Igbo that we had in Onanaeze Ndigbo, was Amb. Ralf Uwechue. The others sold out to other Nigerians. It was when Nwodo came on that he began to realise that he is President General (PG) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and not the PG of South East. We all want to unite under Nwodo because he knows his onions.

So, we are not after South East. We should reconcile ourselves and the time to do that is now. Why would you have Anioma people go along with Urobo and some Ijaw, Itshekiri and Isoko? The Urhobo, Isoko, Itsekiri and Ijaw are good brothers and sisters from our own angle, provided that they also know that, together with the Benin whom they have a lot of relationship with. But some of them are not inclined towards the Igbo.

During the war, they were the people that showed federal troops how to annihilate the Igbo. We tried to unite with the Ogoni, we showed them a place to stay, treated them well; we boosted the Ijaw population and all that came to not; all that they saw

was that Igbo was exploiting them. When they had no resources to exploit, the Igbo were the ones sending food, palm oil and everything to them, brought them into Atlantic history and all they later saw was exploitation. When Adaka Boro was being mistreated in the Nigeria Police, it was Igbo that brought him to Nsukka and made him king, but all he saw was exploitation.

The truth is that when they had nothing, it was the Igbo that provided the food, the agriculture, the technology that built them to nationhood. Instead of being grateful, they refused to remember all that the Igbo had done for them and see the humiliation of the Igbo as their triumph. But like I had pointed out earlier, it is not all of them that are not inclined to the Igbo. We point out some of these things so that their younger generation would be exposed to the truth.

For the purpose of clarity; who are the Igbo and where are they located in Nigeria?

Good! That is the question I have been expecting from you. The Igbo have long been established… go to page 51 of the Willink Commission and you would see the description of the Igbo there, that the Igbo are contiguous to the sea, down to Bonny and Opobo. You can see that may Igbo do not even know themselves? That is why I pity those doing this South East thing. The Igbo are people who speak Igbo language in various dialects, from Igbakiri, in Edo State, down to Agbor, Kwale and other parts of Anioma, Asaba and so on. The Igbo are the Bonny, the Ikwere, Opobo, Echie, Ahoada, Ndoni and so on; the Ijekebe and Mbammiri as a whole; the Ogbo, Wawa, Owerri and so on. These are the Igbo. We are known by one language; we are known by a democratic tradition; we honour women. We are known for traditions such as the age grade system, new yam festival, and so on. But above all, we speak the same language. It was the Bonny, Opobo, Ikwere, Echie and so on that gave us the Igbo Bible, called Bible Nso. They saw western civilization before others. It was Nzeogwu, from Anioma and Azikiwe, from Anioma to Onitsha that gave us freedom and an attempt at renewing Nigeria. It is we, the central Igbo that are just after money and more money.

And these other Igbo that are fed up with us; they are frustrated about us. We cannot remain in Asokoro, Lekki Island and so on and be talking of South East; who are we fooling?

What about the Igalala; are they not Igbo originally?

No, there are Igbo in other places, like the Igala. We know our history, that the Igala, together with most parts of Anambra and Nsukka, are all the same Igbo. But we are not imposing that on the Igala people. It is for them to choose whether to be governed by the caliphate; it is up to them to be slaves to anybody. And if they want to come and re-join their brothers and sisters in a democratic setting, it is up to them. But it is improper for any Igbo to unilaterally bring the Igala nation, the Ijaw, Tiv, Ibibio and so on into a Biafra. We want them to join us inside Nigeria, in an expanded eastern region. That is our goal; or if Nigeria does not want us, then we settle in a Biafra. What is wrong with that? Inside that Biafra, all ethnic nationalities would be in charge of their resources and be providing support to the central government. The Igbo are not interested in exploiting or oppressing anybody. I do not know why some people take delight in oppressing the Igbo. We are not also interested in anybody’s oil. Why should I be interested in Ijaw oil, Ogoni oil and all that; for what reason? I depend on my hard work; let them depend on their oil, even though we continue to condemn the devastation that has been inflicted on Ogoni, Ijaw and the rest by the Nigerian government. So, let nobody preach south east south-south to us again or the issue of south east having lower number of states than the rest of the zones. There would be no federal allocation in a restructured Nigeria. There would be no issue of state creation or creation of local government arrears. Every unit would determine what they want and how they want it.

12

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

T

HE Ooni of Ife, His Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who attended the New Yam Festival organised in Owerri by the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers on Saturday, September 16, 2017, shocked Governor Okorocha when he said he would not condemn the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) but would rather ask that they be made to channel their energy positively, adding that he is passionate about the unity of the nation.

The first class Yoruba traditional ruler made this comment as the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said no reasonable Igbo man would support the agitation for the state of Biafra, noting that the leader of IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, “should be treated as a single individual because reasonable Igbo people have condemned IPOB in all ramifications”.

The Ooni said: “The unity of our nation is something I am passionate about and something that I don’t joke with. I had so much pressure for the last four days not to come to this part of the country, but I said to myself in the interest of the unity of this country, I will come to Imo State and I will sleep over and over in Imo State. When I arrived, I saw raw-culture, I saw brotherhood; I am feeling our togetherness. It is about time for us to know that we are all cut out from the same cloth. It is one big happy family.”

He Continued: “Nigeria is a very unique nation, different cultures, traditions and heritages, yet our diversity is our greatest strength. We shouldn’t write it off like that; we should look beyond our different backgrounds. We should look at how to connect the dotted lines. What is common amongst all of us in this country is what we should look for; that should be our focal point as a nation and not things that divide us.”

The highly respected traditional ruler added: “I have watched quietly as we have been entertained with the omenimo dance by young talented dancers, because of the sensitivity of this country. They said that there is another dance in Igbo land called Python Dance (but) I will not accept python dance. I will rather continue to enjoy the omenimo dance. Let us look at things that will bring us together rather than things that will further divide us.

We must desist from hate speeches (because) they don’t do us any good. We shouldn’t look at our weaknesses, but we should look at how things will be better for us.

“I have a different perspective towards the IPOB group. I will not condemn them, rather let us discuss with them, let us put positive energy in them. They can use their energy for positive things in this country and for the betterment of the entire Igbo land. It is very important for us to draw them closer, for us to actually preach to them that war does not actually help, war does not pay anybody.”

The Governor who spoke on the IPOB issue on Saturday at the New Yam Festival stressed that everyone that loves Ndigbo has condemned the activities of IPOB. He said: “I can see that the unity of Nigeria is today dramatized in the land of Imo State.

I say so because growing up as a child, I never knew where I came from because I found myself somewhere in Plateau State as a little boy and the only language I could speak was the Hausa language and I had no choice because that was where I was brought up.

“So, I grew up being born an Igbo man, but was reared in the North and was made financially buoyant in the South-West.

“So, I have declared myself that in no way should I be found as a tribalized Nigerian.

“I will remain detribalized as long as Igbos gave me parentage and childhood, as long as North reared and nurtured me and for as long as South-West empowered me. My community and my identity is Nigeria.”

The Governor further said: “I want to say that coincidentally all the traditional rulers that have indicated interest in coming for this Iriji festival, for fear of rumours ravaging the whole country, some of them could not make it. It got me worried, and I became a bit disturbed.

“The question that ravages my mind is that for how long shall we continue with these unwarranted hostilities and speculations and hate speeches which we have gotten from the past generation and we are doing nothing about it in this present generation and intending to transfer it to subsequent

•Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi

Biafra: Why I cannot condemn IPOB, by Ooni of Ife

In Owerri, the Imo State capital, recently for a new yam festival, the Ooni of Ife, His Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi spoke on sundry national issues. COLLINS UGHALAA, in Owerri, reports.

They said that there is another dance in Igbo land called Python Dance (but) I will not accept python dance. I will rather continue to enjoy the omenimo dance.

Let us look at things that will bring us together rather than things that will further divide us. We must desist from hate speeches (because) they don’t do us any good. generations. That has become my worry and I think this generation of ours owe it to the rest of Nigerians to make this large nation better and united”.

He added: “Some of you must have heard of the issues relating to the operation Python Dance and IPOB in Abia and Ebonyi States. That situation there for whatever it is, is a worrisome situation because, while we are talking about the economy of this nation, on how to get out of recession and make Nigeria better, we are busy talking about IPOB, Boko-Haram.

“Everyone has condemned IPOB in all ramifications and I say that whatever that young man is doing does not have the support of

”

any of us. He should be picked up and treated as a single individual. No reasonable Igbo man is asking for secession. No reasonable Igbo man will support the division of this country. I want to remind all Nigerians that Igbos are the people that fought the last war and if there was anyone so badly affected by that war is the Igbos. After the war, the 1st group of people to run to different ethnic groups and all other tribes for purpose of economic development was the Igbos.

“The Igbos today in their thousands are in Kano, the Igbos today in their thousands are in Lagos, in Plateau and in all nooks and crannies of this country. And wherever you find them, they behave as if they are the owners

of the land, even in most cases, they have Ezes in the communities where they find themselves, showing that they believe in the unity of this country.

“The Igbos business men have more real estates and more properties and assets outside Igbo land than in Igbo land. So, I want to dissociate Igbos from this very thing that Igbos want to go for secession. A man that wants to go for secession cannot build mansions in Lagos, Kano, Plateau and the rest of the States.

“I think we should single out this act of this young man from the rest of Nigerians. My worry again stands strongly on the fact that today, the issue of IPOB is being politicized.

Today, most of them that never worked with the Buhari-led government is using this as an opportunity to fight the Federal Government. Call those people to order. It’s not farfetched who these people are. Some of them are busy visiting Kanu’s house and encouraging him. Those people should make a rethink, because they are not doing this nation any good.

“Today, we can see the Ooni and Eze Imo sitting side by side. For our sons and daughters it gives them a sense of unity wherever they are. I want to appeal to all of you to please remain together because we are one and only one nation. An injury to one is an injury to all. Iriji festival should kick-start the language of unity, to tell the world that Nigeria is one. Let’s talk more on what will unite us and talk less of Boko-Haram, IPOB,” he stated.

13

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

F

ROM Saturday, September 23 to Friday September 29, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will be busy with a series of events to mark this year’s Igbo Day. And to make the one- week event a success, President General of Ohanaeze Chief Nnia Nwodo inaugurated a planning committee headed by Dr Gregory Ibe, founder and pro-chancellor Gregory University, Uturu Abia State and also the convener of World Igbo Summit Group.

Announcing the programme of the oneweek event, Ibe said that the Apex Igbo body has decided to use the 2017 Igbo Day principally as a prayer session, to enable Ndigbo make supplications to the Almighty for protection and guidance, especially at a time of crippling marginalization, pro-Biafra agitations and other challenges facing Ndigbo in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. Ibe urged the Igbo not to lose faith in God even amidst their tribulations in Nigeria.

“Against the backdrop of the current challenges of Ndigbo and as a way of seeking divine solutions to these problems, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has decided to use the annual Igbo Day celebration for 2017 to mobilise Igbo across the globe to pray and seek the face of God for Nigeria and Ndigbo in particular,” Chief said in a chat with The Oracle Today.

However, while moving with prayer is step in the right direction, the impact of the prayer depends on those contracted to do it. Let it be said and heard by those it may concern that Igbo need prayers for wisdom to play politics in Nigeria: wisdom for capacity building, unanimity of purpose and, very importantly, wisdom to get the best out of Nnamdi Kanu and his group.

There is evidence of lack of political wisdom among Ndigbo. For instance, in 2007, former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu formed a political party known as People’s Progressives Alliance (PPA) and won two States, Abia and Imo respectively but where is PPA today? PPA is nowhere because that fortune of 2007 was completely mismanaged. Ikedi Ohakim and Theodore Orji who were elected governors of Imo and Abia States under PPA dumped the party for PDP. Poor politicking is part of the problems of Ndigbo.

In addition to prayer, what next would the people do? According to the planning committee, there is going to be a symposium at the University of Port Harcourt on Thursday, September 28, and then the grand finale in Port Harcourt on the 29 where some people will talk. Many are hoping that the outcome of the grand finale would serve as the guide for actions in addition to prayers.

Besides, Ndigbo should start planning for 2019. Not minding the uncertainty surrounding the state of Nigeria at the moment with the issue of agitation for Biafra by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), quit notice issued to the Igbo in the north by a Coalition of Arewa Youth and the ceaseless call for restructuring of the country by major stakeholders like Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and others, the political game expected to herald the 2019 general election in the country has begun in earnest.

The 2019 election is apparently the only available means for the aggrieved to fight for their rights in the country. President Buhari’s administration is not ready to yield to the call for restructuring. The Northern region and their Southwest counterparts have started planning for 2019 and Ndigbo should follow suit and not lag behind. Ndigbo should not fold their hands and wait for manna to fall from heaven instead they should start planning on how to unleash their power and might in 2019.

In fact, considering the present poor condition of Ndigbo in Nigeria, the upcoming dispensation of 2019 is more important to the Igbo than it is to any other region in the country. Mike Okongwu, a prolific writer who died recently, said before he passed on that Ndigbo are in a socio-political whirlpool without a road map for solution. The late Okongwu observed with tears that Ndigbo are currently suffering worst political setback and even humiliation in Nigeria since the country’s independence in 1960 lamenting that no concrete effort is being made to address the ugly situation.

According to him, the glaring marginalization of Ndigbo by the President Muhammadu

•Nwodo

•Ibeh

Igbo Day 2017: That Ndigbo may meet to reflect on these times…

As Ndigbo meet in Port Harcourt this Saturday, THEO RAYS writes that this year’s Igbo Day celebration is a time for Ndigbo to soberly reflect on the existential challenges they face in Nigeria.

Buhari-led administration which nobody cares to address would inspire Ndigbo to go to the warfront of the election with their power and might and fight for a fair share of the national cake in 2019, starting with massive mobilization of the people across the country into a particular political party ahead of time.

No-holds-barred, no pretense or reservation, Ndigbo have to unleash their power and might in full stretch in the general election to make sure that their interest is protected at Aso Rock. The zoning of the office of presidency to the north by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a strong indication that Igbo presidency will remain elusive in 2019, but notwithstanding, Igbo can go for Vice President to reduce the gap of marginalization.

The Igbo power and might According to Chief Chekwas Okorie, the founder and national chairman of United Progressives Party (UPP), Ndigbo have all it takes, including the numerical strength, to dare other geopolitical zones and give them a good fight in an election contest for presidency. According to Chekwas, Ndigbo on a good note is not the minority tribe in Nigeria considering the fact that they are the second largest people after the indigenes in every State in Nigeria outside the five Igbo States.

The importance of the numerical strength of the Igbo at home in the five States and in major cities across the country like Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, Jalingo, Yola and Jos to mention but a few cannot be overemphasized in an election.

Certainly, the numerical strength of Igbo would make meaningful impact when channelled into one basket in a contest like the presidential election.

The mammoth crowd that IPOB commands at any one point in time is only a tip of the iceberg with regard to the numerical strength of Ndigbo. If the Igbo could raise a crowd like IPOB and unleash it on presidential election no region would take them for granted.

Following the poor participation of voters in Igbo land in the 2015 general election, Ndigbo must have learnt from their mistakes and must start preparation for 2019 ahead of time. This is one.

Secondly, Ndigbo have people who are well-to-do everywhere around the world in terms of financing election contest. There are more millionaires in Igbo land than in any other region in Nigeria. Thirdly, the Igbo have people of high level of intellectual capacity, international exposure and global connection required to lead Nigeria. In the field of political soccer, the Igbo can unleash unbeatable first eleven made up of people who are tested and trusted in various fields of human endeavour.

The likes of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Chief Nnia Nwodo, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former governor of Anambra State Mr Peter Obi, the founder and pro chancellor of Gregory University at Uturu in Abia State, Chief Gregory Ibe, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and the President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) Professor Uzodimma to mention but a few possess unbeatable qualities that Nigerians are yearning for.

From the numerical strength, wealthy people scattered everywhere around the world down to unbeatable first eleven made up of people of sound credentials and proven track records, who have been tested and can be trusted in human resources and economic

management in their various fields of endeavours the Igbo have enough power and might to defeat opponents on the political battle field.

A well deserved President or Vice President One of the factors that inspired renewed agitation for restoration of Biafra is the failure of the power brokers and kingmakers to accept the Igbo man into the mainstream of Nigeria leadership most especially under the present administration of President Buhari. It is not acceptable to the Igbo youth that despite all the contributions of Ndigbo to the development and progress of Nigeria, Igbo man is not among the security chiefs in this country.

No Igbo man is considered good enough to serve as Group Managing Director or Director General or Comptroller General of government organs like the Customs, Prisons, the Immigration, Nigeria Ports Authority, NIMASA and many others. Most disturbing is that the Igbo have credible hands to occupy any of these positions and excel in it.

Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, a medical doctor based in the United States blamed the current economic recession in Nigeria on the absence of Igbo people in the mainstream of the nation’s economy. Anakwenze is of the opinion that Ndigbo have experts who have what it takes to revive the economy of Nigeria, adding that it may serve the country better if Buhari should open the door for Ndigbo to work with him.

Ndigbo would not only revive the economy, they can also fix every other challenge facing the country like insecurity, corruption, power failure, unemployment, bad roads and poor electioneering process among others. Anakwenze contends that they have all it takes to do well, even better than their counterparts from other parts of the country.

14

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

‘Some electoral wards are marginalised in Enugu State’ When Tom Chukwuemeka Ugwu aspired to run Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State through the local council election billed for this November, his plan was to run a local government system using international best practices. Although he lost to Hon. Frank Ugwu in the PDP primary for the chairmanship flag bearer, the UK-based lawyer and Chairman of Enugu State Professionals in Ireland and the Chairman of Nsukka Welfare Association in Ireland and UK, says he still has a grand vision for the development of Udenu Local Government Area. He spoke with THEO RAYS in this interview in which he also assesses the performance of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in Enugu Coming from UK to politick at home even at the level of aspiring to be the Chairman of Udenu is quite interesting.

How are you bridging the wide gap?

Well, gap is not a barrier because the world today is a global village. I am always at home and for the fact that I have something to offer for the development and progress of the people of my community and my local government, I consider it as something worthwhile to make it as a sacrifice to visit home often and acquaint myself with what is going on in my place. So, there is no gap in as much as I can afford to pay for a flight ticket to visit home and spend quality time with the people whom I have deep passion to serve.

You aspired to Chair Udenu, so what are those things you planned to do differently for the development and progress of the people borrowing from your experience in UK? First of all, let me say that I came out to address the issue of neglect and marginalisation in the political system in Enugu State. I discovered that some electoral wards that have good voting strength are suffering from government neglect and marginalisation in the State and my own ward, which is Orba Ward 1 in Udenu is a victim of that neglect and marginalisation, so I want to do something about it. I did my checks and I discovered that my ward like so many other wards has not held any meaningful position at the Local Government and State levels while the sister Ward being Orba Ward 2 has always scooped off everything that comes to Orba, so I aspired to chair Udenu from my Ward to make a bold statement on the marginalisation of my Ward but it didn’t work out. However, I am not relenting. I wish to use this opportunity to

draw the attention of the governor who is a brother and a friend to look into my Ward and see how he can attend to us.

Even if it is not me, let there be somebody from our Ward in the system at local government or State level. Let the governor do the same thing in some other wards that have similar problems and attend to them. That is all I want to bring to the attention of the governor.

On my plans for Udenu proper, in terms of infrastructural development and otherwise, I have a well-written manifesto for the job. I have good plans for security, how to improve on commercial status of Udenu with a special focus on Obollo Afor and Orba, being the commercial nerve centres of the council.

Also, there is a plan to improve on water system, electricity supply, up-grade the road networks in the rural areas, work on job creation for the youth and women and improve on agriculture in Udenu, and so on.

As you couldn’t make it, what effort do you intend to make to ensure that the Chairman buys into your plans for the interest of the governed in Udenu?

The Chairman is my brother and a good friend too. I have handed my manifesto over to him. It is left for him to marry it with what he has and go on to do what he plans to do in the council.

Critics are of the opinion and observation that the primary election of PDP for the local government election in Enugu State wasn’t completely free and fair.

What do you have to say about this?

Well, local government election is a State affair and I believe that government knows what the people want and those serving in government are in a better position to give people what they

He promised to conduct local government election and he is about doing that.

He promised to deliver dividends of democracy to the people in the area of infrastructure and he is doing just that in all the senatorial districts in the State.

There is adequate security in Enugu State; workers are paid promptly.

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feel are good for the them. It is left for those who were chosen as Chairmen of the councils and Ward councillors to justify the trust reposed in them by providing the people with good governance in line with what the governor is doing in the State.

Some of you in diaspora are very close to Governor Ugwuanyi and I am sure that you have made effort to sell your experiences to him. So, looking at his performance so far could you say that he has borrowed one or two things from you guys?

Yes, he is listening to us and we are very impressed with what he is doing in our State. He has visited Ireland to scout for foreign investors. So, we are with him and our joy is that he is fulfilling his campaign promise to the electorate and Enugu is moving forward. I could remember what he promised to do in Nsukka during his campaigns. During the campaigns, he said that he was going to take Nsukka to the next level and I am sure you as a journalist know very well that he has just done that. He promised to conduct local government election and he is about doing that. He promised to deliver dividends of democracy to the people in the area of infrastructure and he is doing just that in all the senatorial districts in the State. There is adequate security in Enugu State; workers are paid promptly. In fact, people are even wondering how the governor manages to do all these things. People are wondering how he is able to achieve great feats at this time when Nigeria is suffering dwindling economic fortunes. So, we in the Diaspora are with him and he also is with us.

Let’s get your identity clearly I am Tom Chukwuemeka Ugwu, a native of Orba in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State and a practicing lawyer based in the United Kingdom. I am the Chairman of Enugu State Professionals in Ireland and the Chairman of Nsukka Welfare Association in Ireland and UK. I am a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Orba Ward 1.

I aspired for the Chairmanship of Udenu in the 2017 Local Government election in Enugu State but the party settled for the incumbent council Chairman, Hon. Frank Ugwu.

15

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

INTERVIEW Assess the state of the country at the moment This is an obvious thing. Everybody can see it. If you go through social media you’ll see that everyone is complaining. But complaints don’t solve any problems. So I believe we should sit back and look at this country with an open mind and see where we have gone wrong and make amends or seek appropriate means to make our country great again. Nigeria used to be highly respected in the past. Remember that Nelson Mandela once said that if Nigeria is not fixed, Africa is doomed. But may that not be our portion through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Where do you think Nigeria missed the point?

It is a long story. A lot of people believe that things went wrong from the beginning. That is the amalgamation and how it happened. We hear the north never wanted to be part of Nigeria because they felt the south was more developed than the north and that if they came along with Nigeria they might be enslaved. We heard that the deal the north had with the British was that unless they ruled the country, they would not be part of Nigeria. I don’t know if this is true.

If it is true, we need to examine these things.

If that was what happened, then that was fraudulent. Because we hear that the population of the north was inflated. Democracy is a game of numbers. So if they could show that they were more in number, they would be able to rule this country. And that is part of the problem.

Generally speaking, unless we get these things right, I don’t know where Nigeria is headed.

During the last census the federal officials were counting people and officials of the Lagos State Government were also following them. But they (Lagos State officials) said they were only counting houses or homes and not people. But how would you count houses without counting people? So when the result came out, I think the federal census people said the population of Lagos State was 11 million. But Lagos state kicked and said that as the federal officials were counting people, they also were counting people and that what they had in their database was 19 million. So if this is true, where is the difference of the eight million between 11 and 19?

That is a big question and some have suggested that what happened in Lagos also happened in all the southern states. This needs to be verified. And apart from that, when you look at geography, it is only in Nigeria where you have this lopsided distribution where people in the desert are more than people in the savannah. It is never like that. So these things have to be verified because for Nigeria to move forward, we have to tell ourselves the truth. If we are not ready to face the truth, maybe it’s better for everybody to go their separate ways.

Is it legally appropriate for a state government to conduct its own census to know how many people are in the state?

Lagos didn’t conduct its own census. It just took advantage of what the federal government was doing by following the federal officials. That’s why they said they were counting houses and not people. If they had said they were counting people, maybe the federal officials would not have allowed them to follow them. It was a clever devise to get to the correct population of Lagos State, because in the past, these allegations had always been there that the south was always under-counted.

So in the area of law, I think census is a federal business. Census seems to be on the exclusive list, that is, the exclusive preserve of the federal government. I’m not sure, but it appears so because we’ve not heard of any state counting its people on its own.

Do you believe that corruption is increasing in Nigeria under President Buhari, as the Emir of Kano was recently reported to have said?

We have to be careful with social media because of the fake news they sometimes carry. But anyone who reads what the Emir of Kano was reported to have said on social media will tend to agree that it is true.

We have unitary not federal government –Barr. Nwazu Barrister Eugene Nwazu is a lawyer and former Managing Director of Mandilas.

In this interview with IRETO TEMOFEH, he talks about leadership being the bane of Nigeria’s problems and asserts that Nigeria needs to go back to a truly federal structure if it is to survive. To reduce the high level of unemployment in the country, the legal and management expert advises the federal government to reform the nation’s educational system to ensure that both technically and academically inclined students maximize their potential, for true national development, among others.

But part of the problem with Nigeria is that we’re afraid to speak the truth to ourselves.

Maybe when we learn the habit of speaking the truth, then we will move forward. Because it is the way that we make our bed that we must lie on it.

What do you think President Muhammadu Buhari has done well, and where can he improve upon?

One of the things about Buhari before he came to power was that a lot of people had the impression that he was an incorruptible person because of what happened during his past military regime with Idiagbon. At that time there was a great semblance of discipline. Everybody loved what he did then.

But some of the things he has done now, Emir Sanusi has listed some of them. For example he has disregarded federal character.

It is more like a thing of family and friends. I think we should look at the list of what the Emir said.

Buhari might have meant well. But we might say one thing and our actions will not reflect what we say. Look at herdsmen killing people because the federal government, instead of condemning them, seems to be defending them. What kind of country is this?

What can the government do to reduce the suffering of Nigerians which seems to be in-

•Alagoa Morris

creasing?

As I said before, sincerity of purpose is crucial. If you look at the history of governance, there is supposed to be a contract between the government and the governed. A social contract. People surrender their sovereignty to a government who is supposed to look after them. And any government that is not doing that is in breach of its social contract and it loses its moral value to lead the people. These are the issues. Are the people happy with what is happening? Are the people being protected? Are they being catered for?

We are talking of corruption. A lot of people think that what the government is saying about corruption doesn’t seem to be justified because the government doesn’t seem to be taking care of them. If the government was doing the right thing, all these things won’t be happening.

Is it true that the APC has failed or is it that Nigerians don’t see the efforts of the party and government?

Well, a pointer to what is happening is, for example, look at Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. See all the effort he put in to ensure that the APC won. But now that APC has won, where is Bola Tinubu today? A lot of people had told him that as soon as Buhari comes to power, he would be sidelined. Is Bola Tinubu happy with APC. Are Nigerians happy with what is going on?

What can the south do to unite?

Not just the south, the whole country, because I wouldn’t like to be sectional. Most of Nigeria’s problems today are due to the relegation of true federalism to the background.

When we had a true federal structure, things were not this bad. Each region developed according to its pace and things were a lot more tolerable.

The Oduduwa people (Yorubas) have woken up now and have started talking about restructuring. People have been talking about restructuring which essentially means we should go back to a true federal setup.

Because when this is done, merit will come into place and all this federal character thing might not become a major issue. People will develop at their own pace and every state will want to do well and this way, the country will be the better for it.

What kind of restructuring do you think will be good for Nigeria so that nobody will feel like a second class citizen?

Well, this is why I said that we should go back to a true federal structure. I believe that it is part of the solution to the problem. Before the military came in, each region had its

Cont’d on Page 16

16

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

INTERVIEW We have unitary not federal government –Barr. Nwazu Cont’d from Page 15 own constitution. We had a federal constitution and we had regional constitutions and everything was beautiful. You had matters on the exclusive legislative list belonging to the federal government and most of the matters belonged to the states. The states were taking care of a lot of the issues. But today, issues that were being taken care of by the states belong to the federal government.

So we are truly not a federation. We do not truly have a federal government but a unitary government. So if we can go back to a true federal structure, I believe it will go a long way in solving a lot of the problems in this country.

Are you in support of a second term for Buhari in 2019?

Is he strong enough to come back? If he feels he is strong enough to come back, and if he can persuade Nigerians that he is, and they vote for him, fine and good. But if you ask me personally, he doesn’t look strong enough to be able to contest in 2019. But let’s see how he finishes in 2019. Who knows, miracles may happen. But the point is, must it always be a Fulani man to rule this country? At 74 hasn’t he tried? Don’t tell me now about President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who is about 90 years old, because Nigeria is not Zimbabwe. The youths should be brought in.

We have gotten to a stage where we need to de-emphasize the older people. Let them operate from the background and serve as advisers to the youths so that they can guide them. Let the youths come up.

If anyone wants to rule this country, there should be enough checks and balances because no one is perfect.

If you give any human being a free reign to do what they like, of course, there will be abuses.

Where we should lay emphasis upon is a structure that will be so constructed that whenever people want to go overboard, they will be brought back to the right track.

What is your take on the recently reported statement credited to the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Al Hassan, that she will not support President Buhari for a second term in 2019?

The truth is, if she is in Buhari’s government, she shouldn’t be seen to be saying something negative about him. If she doesn’t like her boss, she should quit. There is the principle of collective responsibility. So since she is part of the team, she shouldn’t be saying that. I wouldn’t support that. Anyway, we hear she has denied the allegation.

But was there any agreement between her and the president that she would not be free to express her views because he made her a minister? Where do you draw the line between loyalty to the president and freedom of expression?

The fact is this, President Buhari appointed her as a minister to help him to rule well. If she finds anything personally about him that she doesn’t like, she should go to him privately and tell him, instead of coming to the public domain. I don’t believe it’s right, because what she did could be seen as disloyalty. Loyalty is loyalty. If you’re in the same camp with somebody and you don’t want to belong, you should resign. I think there should be some element of decency in these things.

What is your take on the recent news that Nigeria has now come out of recession?

Recession or no recession, there have been allegations and counter allegations as to what led to it. There is no doubt that the fall in the price of oil as well as over-reliance on oil led to it. However, the important thing

we have to do is to rearrange our priorities, study our environment, study the economy and look for ways to become more productive.

But if we do not have square pegs in square holes, where do we go from here? We need people who are articulate and knowledgeable to come on the scene and help. But that is one thing. We have a lot of brains in this country. Are the people in power listening to such people? That is another thing.

Sanusi (Emir of Kano) is one of the good brains we have in this country. He has said a lot of things. But each time he opens his mouth, he will be attacked. Is this how we are going to make progress? So you see, there isn’t much accountability. When you come out to run for office and people elect you to rule them, you should listen to them.

You should listen to them and carry them along. We wouldn’t be having problems if we had merit in this country. The issue is lack of merit. Instead of meritocracy, it is who you know and whose face you like, then you put them in positions of authority even when they are not competent. May God save us.

Do you subscribe to a one-party system for the South-East and South-South which will enable them to team up and form a stronger bond towards bettering their lot in Nigeria?

It is not the best thing for there to be a one-party system. When you say one party, it means that everyone will belong to one party. There should be some healthy competition. When people find themselves in such a position where there is no opposition, they might begin to misbehave, unless there is internal democracy. But even then, it is always good to have a minimum of two parties, so that when one is floundering, the other one is getting ready to take over. Unity is a very deep thing, and at the same time, simple.

Unity can come about when people are genuine in their intentions and in their thoughts for the country and love what they are doing for the good of all. Otherwise, when these things are tainted with personal and ulterior motives, it does not work!

And one of the strategies opponents of unity use in this country is divide and rule system. When they find that people are trying to come together, they throw some spanner into the works to disrupt their intentions. And if people don’t read these signs very well, they fall; they are caught in that web and unity becomes a difficult thing. We need political education. We need to face reality, and we also need honesty of purpose.

People should be true in their intentions. It shouldn’t just be a bread and butter thing.

Like I said before, politics is a social contract.

Are we following those principles? Do we recognize them. A lot of people are in politics but they don’t even know what social contract is. So, like I said, political education is very important in these things.

How best can we change the mindset of Nigerians so that we can make the country better?

It has to come from the leadership. If the leadership is not sincere, how can these things permeate through the people. Of course, if you want to look at it on individual basis, it has to go back to the family. But who will direct the family to get these things right.

When Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana, he had the interest of the people at heart and he set up a lot of institutions to groom the people to get things right. If you look at the educational institutions in Ghana, they have had this 6-3-3-4 system which means six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, three years in senior secondary school and four years in the university. At the secondary level, which is what I want to point out, what Nkrumah did was that for the first three years, all the students would take the same courses. And

•Barr. Nwazu

Buhari might have meant well. But we might say one thing and our actions will not reflect what we say.

Look at herdsmen killing people because the federal government, instead of condemning them, seems to be defending them. What kind of country is this?

”

for the senior secondary school level, they now identify students who are academically inclined and those who are technically inclined; and they separate them.

It was not a question of choice. If you were an academically inclined person, you would go to grammar school at senior secondary level. But if you were a technically inclined person, you would go to technical school at the senior secondary school level. But unfortunately in Nigeria, where are the technical schools to place these technical people? We don’t have enough. But in Ghana, all these things were arranged and there was that sincerity of purpose like I said, foresight.

If you look at an average Ghanaian mason, he is not only educated, he is well-skilled in

whatever he does. And in most cases they beat us here in Nigeria. In the past here in Nigeria, we used to import a lot of Ghanaian lecturers/teachers and they were very good; better than our own Nigerian lecturers/ teachers in most cases because of the quality of education they had, made possible by the government of Kwame Nkrumah. I think we should do all these things, think through all these things and love our people from the heart and see how we can help everybody to be happy in one united Nigeria.

If we mean business, it means we have to start planning; planning to have more technical schools and even more grammar schools.

So that at the end of the day, people will just go into these schools, whether technical or academic, seamlessly. It is not a question of I want to be this or that. It is what you have the flair for that you go into. And in Ghana they don’t argue over that; everybody knows. And they show you, this is your flair, so you go there.

It will help to reduce the level of unemployment. I mean, with all the structures Nigeria has, God has blessed us so much. There is no reason why anybody should be a beggar in this country. But it is just the issue of leadership. Leadership is the bane of our problems.

May God help us.

Do you think Nigeria is in need of something like the Arab Spring right now?

You’re talking of social media. Well, if that is what will bring change to Nigeria, by all means let it blossom. There are a lot of groups through the social media who are trying to mobilize people to get it right in this country. If that is what we need, by all means let it blossom because we need to move forward. We are being dragged back by design or default. And this has to stop. Nothing is beyond God. I know that everybody is prayerful in this country. But the only problem is that we are religious but not godly enough. But we cannot accuse people wrongly. As we said before, this country would seem to have been founded on fraudulent and deceptive considerations. Can it endure? If it is true, let’s go back to the drawing board and do what is right for this country in the interest of all of us.

The Oracle Today

17

Wednesday September 27, 2017

BU$IN£SS •Energy •Finance

•Stock

•Insurance

•Aviation

•e-Platform

Airports’ concession: FG navigates

•Tourism

Energy

Oando’s gamble with audacious investments

…Labour says no

By VICTOR NZE

F

EDERAL Government’s announcement, last Monday, of concluded plans to formally concession the Murtala Muhammed International (MMIA), Ikeja and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, may have added to the growing mix of unmet expectations in the aviation of the country.

The controversial concession plans has dogged the tenure of Hadi Sirika since his appointment two years as Minister of State for Aviation, when the arrangement was first announced to stakeholders, as well as the plethora of meetings which followed aimed at wooing the various parties.

Originally listed for concessions were the country’s high revenue yielding airports in Port Harcourt, Kano, Lagos and Abuja, which committees including; a Project Steering Committee, and a Project Delivery Committee, have already been inaugurated with a directive to commence implementation of the process.

However, despite the outcome of previous meetings and negotiations yet unresolved, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Monday, moved ahead to announce that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the concession of both the MMIA and NAIA airports to ‘improve their efficiency and service delivery.’

Making the disclosure in Abuja at the fifth Presidential Quarterly Business Forum, Vice President Osinbajo, explained that the move is aimed at improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“We are working hard to make the airports more passenger friendly, but then we have several issues. Infrastructure is in a terrible state and

P20 e-Platform

NITDA confronts MDAs over N42.5bn IT projects

CBN EXCHANGE RATES SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 Currency

Buying(NGN) Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

US DOLLAR

304.95

305.45

305.95

POUNDS STERLING

406.7728

407.4398 408.1067

EURO 362.5856 363.1801 363.7746 SWISS FRANC

315.1938

315.7106

316.2274

YEN 2.7533 2.7578 2.7623 0.5579 CFA 0.5379 0.5479 WAUA 433.5948 434.3058 435.0167 YUAN/RENMINBI 46.4854

46.5621 46.6387

RIYAL 81.3135 81.4468 81.5801 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 23.1373

23.1753

23.2132

DANISH KRONA

48.8017

48.8816

48.7218

Aviation

•Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

we know that public sector has a poor record on maintenance of facilities.

“Partnership with the private sector is not only a policy, it is the most sensible thing to do and our approach is to engage, work collaboratively to take criticisms and suggestions seriously and to respond,” Osinbajo said.

The Nigeria aviation ‘Summary Report for Q1/Q2, 2016’ by the National Bureau of Statistics confirms both airports as the viable and busiest in passenger traffic.

In terms of domestic traffic, the MMIA (Domestic) remained the busiest domestic airport in the first half of 2016, with 886,869 passengers travelling through in the first quarter, and 903,605 travelling through in the second.

This represented 35.8 per cent and 37.5 per cent of passenger traffic respectively.

SDR 434.2183 434.9303 435.6422

P28

However, in both quarters this represents a slight decline in the share relative to 2015, when MMA domestic accounted for 37.0 per cent and 37.9 per cent in the first and second quarters.

Contrastingly, NAIA (Domestic), which is the second largest in terms of passenger traffic, increased its share of passenger travel relative to the first half of 2015, although the share declined slightly relative to the second half. In the first quarter of 2016, 821,101 passengers travelled through Abuja Domestic Airport, and 857,915 travelled through in the second.

This represents 33.2 per cent and 35.6 per cent of domestic passengers respectively, compared to 31.5 per cent and 31.9 per cent in the first and second quarters of 2015.

In absolute terms, the NAIA (Domestic) recorded the largest year on year increases in passenger numbers in the first

and second quarters of 2016, of 56,732 and 70,848 passengers respectively.

For international passenger traffic, MMIA continued to account for the largest share of international passengers dominating in the first half of 2016, as in previous periods, accounting for 72.1 per cent of international passengers in the first, and 68.6 per cent in the second.

The share in the first quarter was higher than at any point in 2015, although, and represents an increase of 1.3per cent points relative to the first quarter of 2015. However, in the second quarter of 2016 the share was slightly lower than the 69.1% recorded in the same quarter of 2015.

On its part, the NAIA was the second busiest international airport in the first half of 2016, as in previous periods.

Disregard ULC threat to ground flights –NLC, TUC P27

Insurance NMA reiterates call for implementation of NHA P30

Cont’d on Page 18

Stock Market Highlights As At SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

Summary

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP S/N

35,005.57 3,367.00 160,139,405.00 2,955,934,234.18 12,067,986,059,661.63

Coy (By Volume) Volume

FIDELITYBK FBNH ACCESS ZENITHBANK AFRIPRUD

Value

24,595,461 32,001,584.98 14,272,675 79,505,908.47 13,648,814 132,873,081.83 12,638,481 280,370,033.42 11,571,241 36,695,817.35

5 Top Gainers Symbols INTBREW GUINNESS FLOURMILL TRANSCOHOT ACCESS

Last Close 37.53 95.4 27 6.87 9.7

Current Change 38.95 1.42 96.65 1.25 27.4 0.4 7.21 0.34 9.9 0.2

Top Losers Company Last Close Current Change DANGCEM 213.99 205.8 -8.19 TOTAL 232.1 225 -7.1 NB 180.55 175 -5.55 PZ 25.99 25 -0.99 FO 48.8 47.9 -0.9

The Oracle Today

18

Wednesday September 27, 2017

BUSINESS

First Bank to disburse N15bn to private schools

By VICTOR NZE

F

challenges posed by the provision of additional demanding collaterals.

The Operational Vehicle Loan is targeted at registered businesses which allow the entrepreneur to acquire brand new vehicles for the day to day operation of the business. Organisations can take advantage of this facility to purchase school buses in the case of school proprietors and even upscale their staff welfare schemes

through provision of staff buses.

Personal Loan against Salary (PLAS) offers customers in paid employment access to cash to meet immediate financial needs such as payment of school fees, medical treatment, holiday expenses, and others.

PLAS has a flexible repayment plan spread up to 48 months for customers’ convenience. There is no equity contribution or collateral requirement. The Sal-

ary Overdraft Account (SODA) is also available to customers who want short tenured overdraft to meet immediate financial needs.

SODA can be dispensed as a oneoff overdraft for 30 days with up to 40% net salary and a revolving overdraft for 180 days with 25 per cent of applicant’s average previous 3 months net salary. Only a salary account will qualify you to access PLAS and SODA if you work with any of FirstBank’s ap-

IRST Bank has developed an array of products and solutions targeted at enabling schools acquire attractive educational facilities to support their business whilst empowering parents and guardians to seamlessly send their wards back to school as it has set aside N15bn for private schools in Nigeria.

FirstBank’s educational products and solutions include the FirstEdu Loan, Operational Vehicle Loan, Term Loans for constructing new sites and extension of existing sites, Personal Loan against Salary (PLAS) and Salary Overdraft (SODA) which enhances Parents/Guardians’ capacity to pay their wards’ school fees.

The FirstEdu loan is targeted at private Nursery, Secondary and A-Levels schools. The product offers opportunity for private schools to access flexible funding to meet urgent cash flow needs, replace old furniture and equipment, as well as refurbish dilapidated buildings and classroom blocks.

With this product, school owners/proprietors can stay ahead of competition in providing educational services and support to the target population by maintaining acceptable standard infrastructure at all times. This product allows the customer access up to N10 million with no tangible collateral required apart from the domiciliation of school • Abdullahi Shaiban, Clerk representing the Speaker of West African Students Union Parliament presenting “Icon account with the Bank. This re- of Societal Development Award” to Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs NCC, during WASU’s visit to NCC’s Headduces the cost of borrowing to quarters in Abuja. the customer and eliminates the

Airports’ concession: FG navigates Cont’d from Page 17

I

n the first quarter, 220,592 international passengers travelled through the airport, and 268,638 travelled through in the second, representing shares of 20.5 per cent and 24.0 per cent respectively. The increase in the share in the second quarter was a result of an increase in passenger numbers of 21.8 per cent, or 48,046 passengers; this increase is larger than the overall increase in international passenger numbers of 47,612 indicating that on average, passenger numbers decreased across other international airports. This follows a slight quarterly decrease in passengers to travel through Abuja International in the first quarter, of 1.2 per cent.

However, since the announcement, dissenting voices have continued to react as stakeholders reiterate their opposition to the planned move to concession the country’s viable airports by the Federal Government.

Comrade Ahmed Danjuma, Chairman Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in an interview said concession was not the way out of the present challenges facing the agency.

Ahmed said misplacement of priority and politicians’ intervention in the running of the system by flooding the agencies especially FAAN with workers employed without consulting the management of the organisations

The union leader explained that most of the airports were built for political reasons without considering the economic benefits to the nation adding that most of these airports depended largely on the viable air-

ports to survive.

According to Ahmed, airports in other countries survive because they are maintained with the revenue generated by the same airport saying that reverse remained the case in Ni

Stanbic IBTC presents N50bn agric loan S TANBIC IBTC has presented a N50 billion cheque for agricultural financing loan scheme to the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

NIRSAL Managing Director, Mr Aliyu Abdulhameed, said on Friday in Abuja at the presentation of the cheque that the scheme would commence with N10 billion for the 2017, 2018 dry and wet season farming.

According to him, the programme will be expanded gradually as milestones are achieved.

“The partnership with the bank for the 2017, 2018 dry and wet season will cover NIRSAL supported projects in livestock, crops, mechanisation and poultry.

NIRSAL was launched in 2011 and incorporated in 2013 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a dynamic 500 million dollars public private initiative to define, measure, price and share agribusiness related credit risk.

Abdulhameed said that the phase of the scheme is projected to create

over 92,000 direct jobs, impact over 200,000 lives and boost incomes of rural farmers.

“The scheme will also complement government’s efforts to drive inclusive economic growth through agriculture.

“It will also lead to the cultivation of additional 11,195 hectares of arable land, increase the National food output by 50,580 tonnes in yields and provide N3.87 billion value addition,’’ he said.

He said the partnership was aimed at ensuring that commercial agriculture is enhanced and made a mainstream occupation.

Abdulhameed said that NIRSAL’s intervention must be understood within the context of the broad economic policies of the present administration.

He added that NIRSAL as a policy tool of the CBN with the mandate on agriculture, 12 banks had signed up with it for the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Managing Director, Stanbic IBTC,

Dr Ademola Shogunle, said the commitment of the bank is to build synergies and assist in realising the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for a new Nigerian economy that is driven by agriculture.

He said that the bank believes in the potential of the agricultural sector to drive the nation’s economy and would always give the necessary assistance to the sector.

Shogunle said that the collaboration is the beginning of several more partnerships aimed at increasing commercial lending to agriculture, which would in turn create more jobs, diversify the economy and create security.

Under the terms of partnership the bank would give loans to bankable agriculture project, while NIRSAL on the strength of its 300 million dollars risk sharing facility will provide credit guarantees.

The guarantees will range from 50 to 70 per cent depending on the aspect of the agricultural value chain that the loan is given.

proved list of employers.

FirstBank’s educational facilities are offered without collaterals. So as the new school term resumes, the Bank has the right products just for you and is poised to constantly provide the platform to support the life styles of its teeming customers.

Customers and stakeholders are enjoined to visit any FirstBank branch for further information about its school solutions.

Fidelity Bank celebrates one year of export programme

By VICTOR NZE

F

IDELITY Bank is set to celebrate the first anniversary of its highly regarded Export Management Programme (EMP).

Launched in 2016, the EMP is a sector focused capacity building programme run by Fidelity Bank in partnership with the Pan-Atlantic University and the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC), to deliver impactful, world-class export management education to aspiring and existing players in the non-oil export sector of the Nigerian economy.

The programme which prepares participants for effective play in the international non-oil export markets in particular and the larger export markets in general, has continued to raise the bar of capacity building in exports in Nigeria. Its unique curriculum is structured to take participants through courses bordering strategically on product development for export; developing linkages with customers in importing countries; understanding the various export processes, accompanying documentation and other requirements in Nigeria and key importing countries; export products storage; quality assurance, branding and packaging, sourcing and supply chain management, logistics and shipping, export finance, business ethics, etc.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, who gave valuable insights into the rationale behind establishing the EMP, stated that the financial institution remains highly committed to aiding the diversification of Nigeria’s monolithic economy particularly through import substitution and export promotion.

“We finance a lot of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. A number of these MSMEs have strong export potentials.

It was therefore a natural fit for us to partner with the Lagos Business School (LBS) and the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC) to make this happen given in particular, recent developments in the global oil markets and the impact they have had on the Nigerian economy” he said.

In addition, Okonkwo emphasized the need to boost non-oil exports and build sustainable non-oil exports capability which he affirmed is now at the heart of the country’s diversification strategy. He explained: “Exporting not only improves foreign exchange (FX) earnings, but countries most successful in exports have stronger links to wealth creation, employment generation and sustainable poverty reduction”

The Oracle Today

19

Wednesday September 27, 2017

BUSINESS

Dangote approaches South PPC about takeover deal

By JEROME USHAKANG

D

ANGOTE Cement Plc, has confirmed that it has planned to acquire the entire share capital of PPC LimitedSouth Africa’s leading cement firm.

Already, the Board of Directors of Dangote Cement in a notification statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), revealed that it had communicated its interest to acquire the entire share capital of PPC to the board of directors of the South Africa’s firm.

However, the Dangote Cement explained that the acquisition talks are still at the preliminary stage and the transaction remains a potential transaction.

“Further details according to the statement will be published subsequently, as appropriate,” Dangote Cement stated.

The company has embarked on expansion of its operations to other African countries. The Chairman of the Dangote Cement, Alhaji Aliko Dangote last May told shareholders that the

Pan-African diversification programme provided the essential foreign currency and streams of cash to operate the company despite the challenges that characterised 2016.

According to him, the Nigerian economy fell into recession in 2016, inflation peaked at 18.6 per

cent, while resurgence in attacks on oil and gas pipelines in Southleft Ibese and Obajana factories short of fuel.

However, he noted that the results of strategic decisions taken years ago enabled Dangote Cement to strengthen its business and consolidate its position in a year when many others in Nige-

Inflation drops to 16.01% in August

N

ATIONAL Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has further dropped to 16.01 per cent in August from 16.05 per cent in July.

The NBS made this known in its “CPI August 2017 Report’’ released on Friday in Abuja.

The CPI which measured inflation, increased by 16.01 per cent (year-on-year) in August 2017.

According to the bureau, this is 0.04 per cent points lower than the rate recorded in July (16.05) per cent.

It said that the index made it the seventh consecutive decline in the rate of headline year- on- year inflation since January 2017.

On a month-on-month basis, the report noted that the headline index increased by 0.97 per cent in August 2017, 0.24 per cent points lowered from the rate of 1.21 per cent recorded in June.

The report indicated that food price inflation increased by 20.25 per cent (year-on-year) in July, down marginally by 0.03 per cent points, from the rate recorded in July (20.28 per cent).

It said that the rise in the index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, meat, fish, oils and fats, milk, cheese and eggs, coffee, tea and cocoa.

The report further said that the food sub-index increased by 1.14 per cent in July, down by 0.38 per cent points from 1.52 per cent recorded in July, on a month-on-month basis.

The bureau said that the “All Items less Farm Produce’’ or core sub-index, which excluded the prices of volatile agricultural produce, eased by 0.10 per cent during the month of August to 12.30 per cent points, from 12.20 per cent, recorded in July.

On a month-on-month basis, it said that the core sub-index increased by 0.93 per cent in August, 0.07 per cent points lower from 1.00 per cent recorded in July.

•From left Director, Regional Sales, 9mobile, Victor Nwaobia; Mgbarogwu-Oji 1 of Amoji Nenwe, Enugu, HRH Igwe John Ifeanetu; Director, Brands & Experience, 9mobile, Elvis Ogiemwanye and Head, Regional Sales, 9mobile, Okechukwu Nwaeze, at the 9mobile Customer Forum held in Enugu.

ria and across the rest of Africa have struggled against economic downturn.

“Our Pan-African diversification has provided cash streams from countries such as Senegal, Cameroon and Zambia, which have provided us with essential foreign currency as foreign exchange controls made it difficult for us to obtain dollars for operations. Furthermore, we were able to borrow money in these countries’ local currencies, thus reducing our exposure to foreign currency shortages in Nigeria. In addition, we began to generate foreign currency sales from exports of cement from Nigeria to Ghana,” Dangote said.

Having delivered improved fullyear results for 2016, Dangote Cement Plc recorded another improved performance for half year of 2017, sending positive signals to investors to expect another bounteous harvest at the end of the year.

Dangote Cement posted a revenue of N412.7 billion for half year ended June 30,2017, up by 41.2 per cent from N292.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2016. Production cost of sales rose from N139.2 billion to N177 billion, while administrative expenses grew marginally from N19 billion to N20.9 billion.

It ended the first six months of the year, with profit before tax (PBT) of N155.5 billion, showing an increase of 24 per cent from N124.8 billion in 2016. Profit after tax (PAT) grew faster by 39 per cent to N144 billion, from N103 billion in the corresponding period of 2016.Dangote cement Plc is the most capitalised company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Multichoice to launch pay-per-view in Nigeria

By VICTOR NZE

M

ULTICHOICE Nigeria will be launching a pay-perview (PPV) option in the country, just as it emphasized that the PPV concept is a cable or satellite television system in which consumers pay an additional fee to watch a particular programme.

Head of Public Relations of the company, Caroline Oghuma, at a press briefing in Lagos, said it is a concept allowed in pay TV operation, but it is different from pay-as-you-go which has been misconstrued to mean pay-perview. Oghuma stated that payas-you-go, as believed by some customers, is not obtainable in the pay TV business.”

“Pay TV operation is not like the telecom version where you pay for the amount of airtime you want to use,” said Oghuma.

Oghuma highlighted that the concept is only obtainable when there is a super programme showing exclusively to customers who want to watch said programme.

“In the case of Multichoice customers, those on the premium bouquet will watch it. She added that when such programme is beamed, a dedicated channel pops up and disappears after the programme is aired,” the com-

pany said.

Oghuma noted that everywhere in the world they pay to view special programmes or events, even

in the United States, adding: “Paying for PPV in Europe and the UK is equivalent to paying for two months subscription in Nige-

ria. We know Africans love boxing that is why we are bringing the best thing that is happening in the world to Africa.”

Nigeria reclaims Ajaokuta Steel, Itakpe –Fayemi

By JEROME USHAKANG with agency report

A

FTER a protracted legal dispute, Nigeria has finally recovered ownership of Ajaokuta Steel Company, ASC, and National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited, NIOMCO, Itakpe.

This disclosure was made by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr.Kayode Fayemi last Thursday in Abuja at the maiden meeting of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development.

He said Nigeria and Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, GINL, have signed a ‘Modified Concession Agreement’ resolving their protracted dispute on the two companies located in Kogi State.

According to him, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo executed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government.”With this development, both NIOMCO and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited have now reverted to the Federal Government Nigeria, and we can now proceed to engage a new core investor with the financial and technical capacity to

run the steel complex.

“The operation of ASC will provide the needed inputs to support the infrastructure requirements of the country and lead to import substitution, and save the country about $3.3 billion annually spent on the importation of steel products,” Mr. Fayemi said.

The Ajaokuta Steel Company is Nigeria’s biggest steel plant. It was planned as an integrated steel complex to provide raw materials input and output to other industries such as the Katsina, Osogbo and Aladja, steel rolling mills.

Contractual encumbrances had left the steel company uncompleted and non-functional for decades, menwhile, negotiations for amicable resolution of the ownership crisis of the foremost steel company has dragged on since 2008, leaving the country’s steel and industrial sectors largely paralysed.

A National Bureau of Statistics report on Nigeria’s Foreign trade released in the first week of this month showed that the total value of solid minerals trade in the second quarter of 2017 stood at N194.6 billion repre-

senting 3.42 per cent of total trade.

“With respect to imports, solid minerals imports valued at N191.5 billion were imported representing 11.52 percent of total imports in second quarter of 2017.

“Solid mineral imports increased by 1,527.44 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2017 but was 1,947.52 per cent higher than the solid mineral imports in the second quarter of 2016” the report indicated.

It also showed that Solid Minerals exports in second quarter of 2017 valued at N3.06 billion represented 0.1 per cent of total exports in the second quarter of 2017.

“Solid minerals exports value in the second quarter, decreased by 27.58 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2017 but was 122.01 per cent higher than the Solid Minerals exports in second quarter of 2016” the report revealed.

Mr. Fayemi further said “the ministry is similarly working in concert with industry stakeholders to expand the domestic processing of our other ores, which will lead to the creation of jobs and reduce the pressure on Naira.

20

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

ENERGY

Oando’s gamble with audacious investments Stories by SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

N

igeria’s biggest integrated energy group, Oando Plc, is luckily steering into the profit highway after struggling with financial challenges associated with huge capital investments and low oil price cycle.

The company says it has emerged from the worst of its financial turbulence associated with headwinds in the global oil market, challenges in the local operating environment and cost runs in upstream industry operations.

In a summary of its recently released financial results, Oando stated that its recovery strategies that entailed cash recovery from low return downstream and midstream businesses and fund injection into the high reward upstream portfolios are delivering quick wins that will rapidly rewrite the balance sheet after years of downturn.

Besides balance sheet, the company boasts that it leads other indigenous companies in value creation and generation of variegated economic benefits saves money for government, creates employment for young Nigerians, and powers social and economic activities in the country.

It would be recalled that the company has staggered since 2014 when

it took a visible position in the upstream petroleum industry with a major farm in agreements and outright asset acquisitions in a number of producing oil fields. Since then, the company has concentrated on the high risk, long gestation and dollar targeted upstream operations.

Before now, Oando, formerly Unipetrol, had since its rebranding, sustained steady growth and expansion by diversifying across business opportunities in the petroleum industry chain. Over a period of time, it became the first Nigerian business brand to be listed in Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and Toronto Stock Exchange. The successful listing in three equity market platforms conferred complex shareholding status on the company, expanding its liabilities beyond Nigeria, and strengthening its corporate governance.

From fuel marketing, lubricant blending, terminating facilities, storage depots, gas pipelines and marketing, power generation, jetty development, trading operations, oilfield services to crude oil production, there were huge concerns among stakeholders that the company was expanding into a staggering size.

The rapid growth, expansion and

diversification carried cost liabilities that took a few years to fix.

The company’s business fact box available to The Oracle Today showed that Oando had launched cost recovery strategy after its daring mop up of the joint venture assets of departing ConocoPhillips, a feat that positioned it as the first indigenous oil firm to farm into traditional JV partnership with multinational players.

However, the $1.5 billion deal which made Oando equal partners with Eni’s Agip in the NNPC/NAOC/Oando joint venture came with daunting challenges that saw the desperate indigenous firm pooling equity and debt funds to finance the purchase in 2014 when global oil prices hovered above $110 per barrel ($110/bbl).

Projections were that receivables accruing from the new asset portfolios would offset the cost of the acquisition in the short term, and drive expansion of the company’s tentacles across the full industry business loop.

But market projections did not envisage that strong prices leveraged commercialization of unconventional resources, especially US shale oil and Canadian tar sands.

Production boom from various unconventional sources eliminated the US market, altered market demand

Chairman of Pipelines Professionals’ Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Engr. Geoff Onuoha (right), welcoming the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru (left), to the maiden edition of the Nigerian International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS) which held in Abuja today.

Nigeria defers 700 kbd on pipeline vandalism N

igeria deferred production of an average of 700,000 of crude oil per day in 2016 due to pipeline sabotage, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is now to deploy law enforcement agencies to safeguard such critical national asset.

Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the NNPC would continue to monitor its pipelines, saying vandalism accounted for Nigeria’s production fall from 2.2 million barrels per day (mbd) to as low as 1.3 million in the period.

Dr. Baru gave the two figures at two separate events in Abuja.

In his keynote address at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Interna-

tional Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS 2017), he said NNPC recorded 27 breaches on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), and 17 on 300,000bpd Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP). He said TFP has already suffered 15 breaches this year.

He charged members of the Pipeline Professionals’ Association of Nigeria (PLAN) to conduct a systematic diagnosis of the pipelines system in Nigeria and proffer solutions to the pipeline vandalism and attendant revenue loss and environmental degradation.

He listed some of the measures deployed by NNPC to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism to include: Horizontal Directional Drilling

(HDD) technology to bury pipelines deeper to prevent easy accessibility; technology-based pipeline surveillance mechanism with capability to detect, alert and deny access; and aerial monitoring and marine patrols by the Military Joint Tax Force (JTF).

Dr. Baru further said government was also working out a political solution to sabotage while the law enforcement agencies had been empowered to deal with those involved in oil theft.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr.

SimbiWabote, said Nigeria now has two world class pipe mills in full operation.

and led to supply glut in the export market. Ill conceived moves by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to attrite unconventional players with price war boomeranged as oil prices plunged from $110 in 2014 to as low as $37/bbl at the end of 2015.

“Fall in crude prices forced us to record significant reductions in the fair value of our asset portfolio leading to the recognition of about N76.9 billion of impairment charges in our exploration and production business.

We prudently booked an additional N16.9 billion write down on under-lift receivables and Production Sharing Contract receivables in our exploration and production business “Our energy services business realized impairments of N37.1 billion, as the new oil price environment brought about reduced drilling activity and in turn reduced day rates accruable to our rig assets,” the company reported.

The impact of low oil prices on Nigeria’s economy also threw additional constriction.

“Devaluation of the Naira generated significant foreign exchange losses in our downstream business where we import in dollars and recover our costs in Naira and led to a N7.3 billion in foreign exchange losses,” the company stated, adding that “the delay of payments of subsidies from the Federal Government led to a realization of N7.3Bn in foreign exchange losses.”

The listed adversities led to the company announcing a loss of N183.9 billion, the largest in the history of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The financial turbulence forced the company to deliberately shrink its large portfolios by altering its business model to “focus on cost optimisation, increasing operational efficiency and downscaling capital expenditure.”

Consequently, the company adopted stringent cost cutting measures in a strategy to redirect application of resources towards high profit portfolios. This means that dollar denominated earnings now dominate the company’s investment priorities.

“This re-evaluation of our business resulted in the development and execution of strategic initiatives, which would return our business to profitability in the short-term in 2016, with Growth through our dollar earning upstream portfolio, Deleverage through recapitalization or asset divestments, and Profitability hinged on refocused dollar oil export trading business,” the company explained.

It added: “We restructured our existing debt through a N94.6bn loan facility with a 5-year Nibor + 200bps loan led by Access Bank in a syndicate with 8 other banks: Diamond, Eco, FCMB, Fidelity, Stanbic IBTC, UBA, Union and Zenith.

Part of the recovery measures adopted by Oando also entailed sale of some of its low profile business units including Oando Energy Services (OES), East Horizon Gas Company (EHGC) and a few power generating plants.

Other measures include divestment of 60 percent of downstream operations to Helios and Vitol for US$210 million and 75 percent sale of our Gas & Power business to Helios for $115 million.

Oando points out that “both divestments have been with strong partners and will facilitate the rapid expansion of both businesses with Oando still playing an integral role in

their future.”

The company said it has completed its 5-point strategic roadmap to return its business to profitability, and has drastically reduced the company’s debt position from N473 billion in 2014 to N218 billion at the close of second quarter or half year (H1) 2017.

In posting an outlook for the future, Oando pointed at stable and resilient foundation for profitability stating that it has already posted profit of N1.7 billion for first quarter and N4.6 billion for the second quarter of 2017.

The document has it that growth would be supported by Oando’s “vibrant and exponentially growing trading business” in which company declared over 7Mb of crude oil export, and 600,000 MT of refined petroleum products import in the first half of 2017. The export and import figures, according to the company, represent 20% and 96% increase respectively.

In the upstream, Oando stated that it has increased production 10 fold from 5,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) to about 51,000 boepd. It also declared growth in proven and probable (2P) reserves from 18.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) to 430 mmboe following the acquisition investments.

In the midstream, said its Gas & Power business partnership with Helios would enhance rapid expansion and bring competitive advantage on a level field with international oil companies. Similar partnership with Vitol and Helios in the marketing business would also leverage collective strength for advancement, Oando stated.

In amplifying its contributions to the economy of the nation, Oando stated that one in five cars on Nigerian roads drives on fuel from Oando, adding that its Apapa jetty saves the economy $120million in demurrage annually.

The document also claims that Oando Trading supplies 7% of Nigeria’s domestic fuel requirement.

The company also pointed at its contribution in the quality of Nigerian auto care through the training of 5,000 auto technicians and mechanics over a period of five years.

In the midstream, Oando boasted of pioneering power solutions, development of gas infrastructure, and firing commerce and industry.

In the upstream, the company stated that it is turning the country’s natural resources into wealth by becoming the first indigenous company to totally purchase assets of an international oil company (IOC), and first Nigerian company with three transborder listings: Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

“Oando is an indigenous company built by Nigerians, employing Nigerians for Nigerians. We have achieved all of the above feats via the support of local and international banks, investors and shareholders alike that see and buy into our vision. As a proudly Nigerian company our core staff base consists of a 98% indigenous workforce. We directly and indirectly employ over 2,000 Nigerians,” the company declares on its local content profile.

Rebound of the company posts powerful signals and writes good notes on policy drives groom and grow indigenous companies that would take responsibilities in powering Nigeria’s social, commercial, and industrial development.

21

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

ENERGY Stories by SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

A

frica’s biggest gas liquefaction and export company, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has entered a tripartite agreement with federal government and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to deliver the N120.6 billion Bonny-Bodo road project in the Niger Delta.

Federal Government efforts to build the road had been hampered for decades, largely by funding and contractor issues, causing NLNG to intervene and help residents of Bonny Island, who daily brave the vagaries of the sea to travel to the mainland.

With the agreement signed in Abuja by Minsiter of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Tony Attah; and Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch, the parties committed to deliver the road project in record time.

Under the agreement which was signed at the conference room of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, Federal government and NLNG would form equal funding partners to the history making road development while Julius Berger Plc is to deploy world class standards in delivering the project in record time.

According to Mr. Attah, out of a long term infrastructure development budget mapped out by the company, N60.3 billion will be spent on the 34 kilometre road to “boost safe travels and socio-eco-

NLNG drives N120.6 bn Bonny-Bodo Road project ...Signs funding deal with FG nomic activities in the region and help address the twin challenges of poverty and unemployment as well as improve the lives of people of the region, especially those from Bonny, Ogoni, Okrika, Eleme, Andoni, and other communities in the Niger Delta.”

He said the Niger Delta region, especially Bonny, hosts most of Nigeria’s resources and petroleum industry assets, adding that it was long overdue to open up the region to development.

He also said that the vision of the company to stand tall in the list of outstanding global players aligns with its commitment to partner government on credible programmes that would trigger rapid economic and social development of the country.

He made it clear that mass poverty and worsening unemployment are locked in a vicious cycle that must be broken through sus-

tainable investments in creation of means of production. This, he said, has become urgent to address prevailing challenges that threaten both the industry and the country.

He said NLNG’s financial contributions to Nigeria and the Niger Delta have been significant, explaining that the company has generated $90 billion in revenues, paid $5.7 billion in taxes as well as committed more than $200 million to corporate social responsibility projects in the Niger Delta especially in the areas of capacity building and infrastructure development.

“The company also pays or remits N6 billion annually to the Rivers State Government and over N140 million annually to the Bonny Local Government Council under various heads of taxes/levies.

“NLNG continues to contribute significantly to the Niger Delta through its unique approach to corporate social responsibility in areas

of human capital, Infrastructure development and enterprises. The company also recently spent $12 million on building/refurbishing and equipping engineering laboratories at six universities selected from Nigeria’s geo political zones. All the projects have been successfully completed and commissioned.

“Hundreds of young Nigerians, especially from the Niger Delta benefit from NLNG post-primary, undergraduate and overseas post graduate scholarships.Also significantly residents on Bonny Island have access to uninterrupted electricity supply, pipe borne water and accessible roads courtesy of NLNG and its partners on the Island.

“Bonny also houses NLNG’s Vocational Centre accredited by UK City and Guilds Institute, and provides technical and entrepreneurial skills training for hundreds of community beneficiaries. In addition, NLNG initiated a $1 Billion Vendor

Nigeria to miss deadline on sulphurous fuels

N

igeria stands eminent among West African countries that will draw the anger of health campaigners pushing for cleaner air when it fails to implement rules banning import of sulphur-heavy fuels for the second time by December.

The Oracle Today gathered that Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast and Benin promised in late 2016 to ban the use of air polluting sulphur packed fuel.

Such fuel has long been illegal in Western nations and is increasingly outlawed in the developing world. But deadlines for bans in the four West African states keep being pushed back.

Ghana is the only regional state that has delivered on a pledge and codified rules preventing the import or transport of high sulphur gasoline or diesel.

“The clean fuels lobby ... declared victory a bit too soon,” said Energy Aspects analyst James McCullagh.

“This is ultimately a complicated and sensitive decision about politics, the gasoline pump price cap, subsidies and investment in public health.”

Nigeria, the region’s biggest fuel consumer, missed a July 1 deadline and instead launched a task force to examine the issue.

A Nigerian Environment Ministry official told agency sources that the task force aimed to advise the government on a new standard by late September, with new rules possible

by Dec. 1.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which has joined health campaigners pressing for change, said smaller nations Togo and Benin were waiting for Nigeria to act, while Ivory Coast had not progressed at all.

The five nations had promised cleaner fuel rules under pressure from campaign group Public Eye, which criticized them and international trade houses for allowing cars,

•Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru (left), exchanging pleasantries with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Simbi Wabote, at the Nigerian International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS) which held in Abuja today.

trucks and households to burn fuels banned in much of the rest of the world.

Ghana followed up by slashing sulphur content to 50 ppm for imported gasoline and diesel, from 1,000 ppm and 3,000 ppm.

Nigeria’s standards organisation, which writes import rules, proposed caps of 50 ppm for diesel and 150 ppm for gasoline, and NNPC included prices for them in contracts to swap oil for products – at a cost of at least $25 a tonne more.

But Nigeria did not codify the standards in law, or issue new specifications to importers.

“As it stands, the status quo re-

mains,” one Nigerian fuels importer said, adding “nothing at all” had come from government.

Campaigners are struggling to keep the issue on the public agenda.

David Ugolor, a Nigeria-based campaigner who worked with Public Eye, said the cause lacked “someone with a strong political position” to implement the rules. He said the group was looking for ways to put pressure on suppliers.

NNPC contracts showed 150 ppm gasoline would cost anywhere from $20-$30 per tonne more than fuel with higher sulphur, while lower sulphur diesel would add just $10-$15 a tonne, McCullagh said. Because Ni-

gerian gasoline prices are capped, the government would have to raise prices for consumers or shoulder the extra cost.

Given the higher cost of cleaner gasoline, campaigners said Nigeria might only introduce stricter rules for diesel.

“Gasoline is the most consumed product, so that wouldn’t necessarily solve the pollution problem,” said David Bleasdale, executive director of consultancy CITAC, saying Nigerian gasoline consumption was about 323,055 barrels per day (bpd) in 2016 compared with 71,657 bpd of distillates, such as diesel.

Finance Scheme in 2013, which affords local businesses access to low cost finance to encourage local content development and enable growth.

“Through a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Bonny Kingdom for the economic development of the Kingdom, NLNG is committing N3 Billion per annum over a 25 year period to be managed by and on behalf of the community,” he narrated.

Spokesman, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke stated that NLNG’s involvement in the road project was the largest single CSR initiative ever undertaken by a private company in Nigeria.

In praising the company as the only single business entity to take audacious steps in catalyzing such ambitious deep pocket project in such a difficult terrain, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, declared: “NLNG has stepped up as a unique example of the constructive role the private sector can play in national development. This project represents a defining moment in Government’s determination to strengthen and improve the quality of life in the Niger Delta which holds so much of the country’s resources.”

He pointed out that the road would link a major resource producing community to the rest of Nigeria for the first time.

He described the role of NLNG as a commendable intervention that aligns with economic recovery and growth plan of the government.

He said government would collaborate with players in the industry to clean up, build up and reposition the Niger Delta with the aim to strengthen the economy by spending money in areas that would create ripple economic effect in the value chain.

He pledged government’s commitment to meet it 50 percent obligation to the project, adding that Julius Berger was chosen as the contractor to underscore the commitment to best construction standards.

Managing Director of Julius Berger Plc, Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch, commended NLNG for providing the momentum that has bounced the project off the ground, adding that the construction giant was proud to be associated with such a noble project that would change the lives of the people.

He however pointed out that the contractual agreement on the road would be studied and tidied up to provide the virgin template for such road projects in the country.

He declared the commitment of Julius Berger to deliver the project in time and without compromise on quality, saying such principles of rapid delivery of high quality jobs form the reputation of the company in the past 50 years in Nigeria.

The Oracle Today reports that NLNG is the first successful incorporated joint venture (IJV) between government and its traditional partners in oil and gas exploration and production.

The company is owned by four shareholders, including the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC which holds 49 percent financial interest; Shell Gas BV, SGBV which holds 25.6 percent operating interest; Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France with 15 percent stake; and Eni International (N.A,) N. V. S.àr.L which retains the remaining 10.4 percent stake.

22

The Oracle Today Wednesday Setember 27, 2017

ISSN: 2545-5869

EDITORIAL Until the philosophy which holds one race superior And another Inferior Is finally And permanently Discredited And abandoned Everywhere is war Me say war.

That until there are no longer First class and second class citizens of any nation Until the colour of a man’s skin Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes Me say war.

That until the basic human rights Are equally guaranteed to all, Without regard to race Dis a war.

- War by Bob Marley

B

OB Marley’s adaptation of one of the most powerful speeches ever made on the floor of the United Nations, still rings loud, 54 years after the speech. War, the song, was adapted essentially from the speech of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I Lij Tafari Makonnen of Ethiopia (just Haile Selassie, to most of us) to the United Nations in New York on 6 October 1963. It was about apartheid, discrimination, classification of citizenship, oppression, exclusion of some people from humanity because of their origins, it was about tensions that are implicated in war.

THE song was not about Nigeria when Bob Marley rendered it. His Imperial Majesty’s speech was about colonialism and apartheid, evils that

VOX POPULI SACRUM

www.oraclenews.ng

Plastering a festering sore Nigeria fought against across Africa with imitable courage. Today, unfortunately, War, could have been composed with Nigerians in mind. It is totally unfortunate, but it is the truth.

A country that once condemned discrimination in all its known forms, a country that crafted its Constitution, and condemned discrimination in all its ramifications, now applauds, justifies, encourages, and identifies with the oppression of its people under guises that promote principles that negate democracy and civil rule.

SECTION 17 (3) of the 1999 Constitution abhors discrimination and pointedly expects that Nigeria would direct its policies towards equity, fairness, and justness.

“The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that(a) all citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment”.

IS that the Nigeria we have? Is government making any efforts to cater for the interests of Nigerians, particularly for the people of the South East? Are the policies of government not directed to hold down opportunities that could accrue to the people, especially within the geographical area called the South East?

MORE provisions are available in the Constitution.

Section 34. (1), “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly - (a) no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment.” Are the punishments that are being meted to suspected members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), legal, constitutional, or not contrary to the dictates of this section?

Or the laws different where the people of the South East are involved?

OTHER areas where the Constitution deals expressively with discrimination are in Section 42. (1), “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:(a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or (b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.”

INTREPID violations of the Constitu-

tion in the quoted areas have been ingrained into the minds of other Nigerians as the role people of the South East. From the higher examination marks that are set for children of the South East for admission to federal schools to shutting down manufacturing opportunities in the South East, through inoperative seaports, harassments from Customs and other security personnel, the South East is perpetually under siege.

BUT Section 42. (2) “No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth”, the Constitution stated. Is that not what is happening to the people of the South East? How have governments done anything about established discriminations against the South East, except to deny them or deride the agitators?

NIGERIANS, many of them, are busy trying to convince themselves that the challenge Nigeria faces is Nnamdi Kanu and his kinsmen, who cannot stand the idea of Muhammadu Buhari being President of Nigeria. If Kanu would be quiet, or silenced, Nigeria would continue as the land of prosperity of their dreams.

DID we notice how several sections of Nigeria have appropriated the agitations for regional governments? Is there no sense in the agitations that most parts of Nigeria are adopting to press their cases for a better country?

OPERATION Python Dance II is another of those discriminatory practices against the South East. There was peace until the arrival of the invading army that thought it was on an invasion. The war against the South East, whatever called, is an act of discrimination.

ACTS of discrimination against South East, the denials, the obfuscations, the disinformation, are like plastering a festering sore – it will require care to heal.

Our Vision TO BE among the top five newspapers in Nigeria and, in due course, the Numero Uno; to be a newspaper of records that effectively caters to the information needs of all segments and sections of the Nigerian society as well as all social classes and cultures. Essentially, we want to be a responsible corporate citizen, a commercially viable, properly organised media business, which meets its obligations to society, government and the workforce.

Mission WE INTEND to contribute to the development of an inclusive Nigerian society, with a view to getting rid of the dark sides of our national life (slothfulness, greed, corruption, nepotism, totalitarianism, etc); to continually engender and sustain national debates that would ultimately lead to the enthronement of healthy national values--hard-work, justice, equity and fairplay, transparency, good governance, resulting, in themselves, the egalitarian Nigerian society of our dream. We will give voice to the voiceless and at all times, strive to be balanced, objective, honest, truthful and fair to all sides; so that through The Oracle Today, our people, the Nigerian people can see a bright light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. And we shall do all this in absolute trust in God who blesses good intentions.

23

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

OPINION

Kenyan Supreme Court ruling and democratic consolidation in Africa (2)

By PAUL EJIME

I

t remains to be seen how the Commission handles this potentially explosive and unhelpful situation. But, beyond political blame-game, the other big lesson for Africa from the Kenyan experience is the need for due diligence in the introduction of technology in the electoral process. There is no doubt that ICT brings efficiency to electoral process, but it should be deployed with maximum caution and only after effective sensitisation/training, pre-testing and experiencesharing to maximize its benefits to avoid unintended consequences.

Similarly, the Kenyan example also exposes the limitations of election observers. Without doubt, election observation is an integral part of Africa’s political evolution from the era of military dictatorships and flawed governance system to contemporary period of multiparty democracy.

For instance, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has used election observation as one of its Electoral Assistance initiatives over the past decade, to promote electoral integ-

rity, conflict prevention and democratic governance in the region, with the result that all 15 member States of the regional economic bloc are operating democracy today.

Even so, as in all human endeavours, there is room for improvement to this mechanism, including in the area of funding, which is currently provided mainly by external partners. The high cost of election is a subject for another discussion, but some critics have already jumped to the wrong conclusion, blaming international observers for not going deep enough as the Supreme Court justices in their assessment of Kenya’s last electoral process.

Mr Odinga, a former Kenyan Prime Minister, four-time presidential candidate and who, incidentally headed the African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission to the Kingdom of Lesotho in February 2015, has even dismissed the work of international observers as “cosmetic,” but without saying what efforts he had made toward improving the mechanism.

Without holding brief for election observers, whether local or international,

this criticism is rather harsh. It is based largely on the non-appreciation of the context within which election observers operate, and the limited scope of their mandate, given that elections are, fundamentally, a sovereign national responsibility. Observers only add value to the process.

Secondly, unlike election monitors, observers’ mandate is to observe, document and report their findings with the purpose of improving on-going or future electoral processes. For instance, it is unlikely that Kenya’s IEBC would allow observers a free access to their database or the operations of their sensitive ICT system, which the Supreme Court examined in detail before reaching its verdict.

More importantly, election is not an event, but a dynamic process, covering pre-, during and post-election periods, and each phase is critical to the success or failure of the process.

Perhaps, in their preliminary reports, different organisations such as the EU, Commonwealth, AU, and America’s National Democratic Institute (NDI) among others, that deployed more than 400 international observers to Kenya ought to

have taken Odinga’s hacking allegation more seriously and highlighted its implications on the outcome of the electoral process, instead of giving a thumbs-up to the vote.

On the whole, Kenya’s experience has clearly shown that the organisation of periodic elections as a critical aspect of the democratic process is still a learning curve for all stakeholders – governments and their agencies, politicians, EMBs, non-State actors including civil society, the media, election observers, development partners, and even the electorate.

Another lesson is that the deployment of technology in electoral process is still work in progress. There is also the need to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, sensitisation of all stakeholders on the role of election observation, and a critical review of the mandate of election observers to address all key aspects of the electoral process, including the use of ICT. •Paul Ejime is an International Media & Communications Specialist

Anambra 2017: As APC prepares to kiss poll goodbye...

By EHICHIOYA EZOMON

U

nless respect for due process, equity and fair play guides its arbitration, what’s about to happen to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November governorship election in Anambra State is what history teaches those that do not learn from history: A bitter lesson!

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja is treading a similar path that caused the APC the July 8 Osun West senatorial bye-election that was almost in its bag for keeps.

A flashback to that election indicates that the screening and appeals committees for the primaries had disqualified Senator Mudashiru Hussain, a former commissioner in the cabinet of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, for allegedly failing to resign his appointment 30 days before seeking to represent the APC at the election.

However, the screening committee cleared Chief Ademola Adeleke, a brother to the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, whose sudden death in March created the void for the bye-election.

Recall that during this period, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was asphyxiating due to each of its two factions’ desire to choose an acceptable candidate that the party members would back for the district balloting.

Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting in Abuja on June 12, the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC reversed the Hussain disqualification, thus incurring widespread disapproval from the party members in the senatorial district, and across the state.

With the APC effectively bungling its own affairs just weeks to the actual polling, Chief Adeleke sought refuge in the PDP, which received him with pomp and ceremony, knowing that the prevailing sentiments in Osun after the demise of Senator Adeleke would swing the votes in its favour. And it did: the PDP prevailed, thanks to the lifeline thrown to it by the

APC. Back to the Anambra State gubernatorial contest in November. History is about to be repeated, as the APC conducted what was pronounced as the freest and fairest primaries by any political party in the annals of the state.

Party primaries, being the major determinants of who fly the flags at an election, are always contentious due to intrigues that attend canvassing for the delegates, the voting and its aftermath.

Perhaps, the Anambra APC primaries on August 26/27 in Awka, the capital city, were no less wired, from whatever angle you may look at it: grassroots popularity, use of money, manipulation of delegates’ list, intimidation of delegates and preference by the party heavyweights.

However, owing pricipally to the seeming transparency displayed by both the APC Screening and Primaries Committees, the election of the candidate, Dr. Tony Nwoye, received instant acclaim from the committees, contestants, delegates and party members.

Of the 4,333 votes cast by the expected 5,000 plus delegates for the 11 aspirants for the ticket, Nwoye, a member of the House of Representatives, scored 2,146, to defeat his closest rival, Senator Andy Uba, who got 931 votes, according to the Chief Returning Officer and Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima.

Poll over, the Chairman of the Anambra APC Election Planning and Strategy Committee and a former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo; Governor Shettima; the party leaders in Anambra; and APC’s chieftain and former governor of Abia State, Dr. Uzor Orji Kalu, hailed the conduct of the primaries.

But as things stand today, the November election maybe far from Dr. Nwoye’s mind, as he fights to extricate himself from a web of scheming aimed at denying him the ticket he overwhelmingly won.

The arrows are coming from the camp of Senator Uba, who has filed a petition

before the APC appeals committee, alleging that Dr. Nwoye imported students, “who acted as thugs, damaged vehicles at the venue of the primaries and drove away delegates and voted in the place of the authentic delegates.”

The question to ask: Was there any protest(s) in this regard lodged by Senator Uba and/or any other aspirant(s) before, during and immediately after the primaries?

Yet, several so-called civil society organisations, previously heard or unheard of, including a Concerned Anambra APC Youths, are parroting the Uba petition, and praying the appeals panel to replace Nwoye with Uba, who they credited with having the “experience, maturity and political sagacity on his side,” which they said Nwoye lacks, to defeat the incumbent Governor Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Will any unbiased watcher classify Mr. Nwoye, a medical doctor, and a member of the National Assembly, who had won the usually fiercely contested presidency of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as not sufficiently grounded in the political nuances of Anambra to vie for the governorship again, as does Uba? The schism in the Anambra APC is like a replay of the 2013 governorship election that brought the APGA to power. Then, Dr. Nwoye and Senator Uba, both of the PDP, couldn’t harmonise for a single primary contest.

Instead, they held two factional primaries, and the party headquarters in Abuja, on account of a court ruling, belatedly endorsed Nwoye a few days to the election, which the PDP lost, placing second to the APGA. Interestingly, Nwoye, who appeared last week before the appeals committee to rebut the allegations, said that despite his entreaties, Senator Uba had refused to recognise him as the duly nominated candidate for the election.

The reason for that is now obvious,

against Chief Nwobodo’s timely reminder “for all the aspirants to keep to their promise to support the winner of the primaries.”

Will the NWC of the APC, as it did in the Osun West bye-election, reject the candidate with the wider appeal among the party faithful, and who won the primaries with a margin of 1,215 votes, and hand over the party ticket to an aspirant that came a distant second?

From the experiences of the PDP primaries of the 2013 election, and those of the APC in August, in which Dr. Nwoye consecutively prevailed over Senator Uba, who will the party credit with having the grassroots supports to run on its behalf?

That decision is for the NWC to make, either for good or for ill!

•Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

THE GROUP

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Ikeddy Isiguzo Editor Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Deputy Editor/Head, Lagos Bureau Sopuruchi Onwuka Abuja Bureau Chief Tony Ailemen Head, Graphics & Designs Nnamdi Alex Chukwu Advert Manager Andrew Udeh Circulation Manager Felix Oti

24

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

YOU are the PDP candidate in the forthcoming elections. How does it feel?

I am elated. I feel challenge but I am also set to hit the ground running. There is much work to be done campaigning, and so short a time. Nevertheless, I remain enthusiastic.

What informed your voluntarily retirement from the United Nations to join the Anambra State Government?

The highest point in my career as a public servant is the opportunity to serve my people. In the United Nations, I was fulfilled that I had a platform through which I served the entire world, but happier that at home I had the opportunity of giving a little back to where I started. Directly, I do not belong to the United States where I lived. I do not belong to over 65 countries I had travelled to trying to mediate in various crises. Despite my exposure, am at ease when I am in my home town among the people. So I belong to Anambra State, in the midst of my people and I derive the greatest pleasure by being among them and contributing whatever I can to their well-being and happiness. If you are true to self, a special joy goes with being among your people.

Was being among your people the sole reason you left the UN system?

During the Christmas season of 2010 and early part of 2011, the then Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi approached me to come back home and help in the re-positioning of the State as a frontline

State in Nigeria. Initially, I was sceptical about the invitation; given the character of the generality of politicians in our country. Although I had kept abreast with his governance trajectory especially as it related to MDGs from afar, when he persisted with phone calls, I did further research about his public perception index.

People that I spoke with were unanimous in asserting that he was genuine and totally committed to good governance.

The feedback suggested that he was one of the best Governors striving honestly to transform the State for the better. Satisfied with that, we continued to discuss.

He wanted me to join him immediately, especially after reading some special commendation about me from the UN Office.

In essence, both of us, without knowing it, were conducting background checks on the other. I cannot go into details, but after several meetings, I accepted his invitation to serve. It took me over one year to disengage from the services of the United Nations as I had been scheduled for some critical assignments to many troubled parts of the world for dialogue and mediation. I am proud that I was part of Peter Obi administration.

With the benefit of hindsight, do you regret leaving UN for “local politics”?

I believe I have provided some answers to this question. Properly understood, public service is the crown of one’s career as it offers one the opportunity to serve humanity. As a Christian, once you serve humanity following the precepts of the Gospel, you are thereby serving God. The problem with some of us in Nigeria is that we hardly distinguish between serving self and serving the people. Be assured that the best part of my public life has been the time I spent serving the people of Anambra State. This is not necessarily in terms of remuneration, but with regard to contributing to the welfare of my own people.

In the

I promise to people, at al

Oseloka H. Obaze is the PDP candidate in the forthcoming Anam policy issues pertinent to Anambra. A Nigerian from Ochuche U the United States and Europe, and worked in the Ministry of Fo 2012 and served as the Secretary to the Government of Anambra the services of the Anambra State Government “on principle”. policy, and management outfit in Awka…

United Nations, I was comfortable and travelling across the world; but here in Anambra, one spends time cutting through the bush to some remote communities, wading through mud to access flooded communities, visiting erosion-devastated areas, and so on. In doing all this one increasingly appreciates that service is mostly about those that really need it. Any action in that context adds value. Our people suffering in the villages are those that need quality service and that was what motivated me to seek the governorship of Anambra State.

By contesting, are you implying that the man at the helm is not doing well?

Everybody has his or her God-given abilities. I believe the man is doing according to his ability, which does not necessarily translate into happiness for the people. Of course, there are many things he is doing which I will do differently, but again, it is a matter of priority and taste. Let me once more underline the point of departure and difference. I have been blessed and privileged to travel around the world and thus disposed to appreciating what

good governance is all about. Good governance and service delivery is not about grandiose projects; it’s about small things that work seamlessly. The bottom line is efficiency, efficiency, be it in waste management, education, healthcare delivery or urban planning. We will strive for utmost efficiency in the most cost-effective ways. Contextually, I am very confident of my abilities; and my thrust is to tell the people what I will do for them and expect them to make informed decisions.

What would you do differently?

I have the privilege of working with the then Governor, Mr. Peter Obi who laid a solid foundation for the sustained growth and development of Anambra State. I was happy to be part of that administration because justice and equity guided the conception and location of projects even as accountability and transparency were respected. He really endeavoured to institute a new order in the State. If I become the Governor, no matter how challenging the economic situation is, I will build on the savings Obi made for the State. Not to save is suicidal – for individuals, families, groups, organisations, State and countries alike. Interestingly, as he made the savings, he did not compromise on the development of Anambra State, through cutting the excessive cost of governance.

I shall continue in this direction and also ensure that Government appointments are based on need and not on patronage or nepotism.

One of the things I s I was happy was ad mainstreaming of Development Goals in of his programm the State. Thus, it undertake success projects and program simultane

25

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

POLITICS

o serve the ll times – Obaze

mbra governorship election. In this interview, he delves into an array of governance and public Umuodu in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Obaze was educated in Nigeria, oreign Affairs before joining the United Nations system in New York. He returned to Nigeria in a State under Mr. Peter Obi. He also worked for Governor Willie Obiano before separating from In addition to writing on public policy matters, he runs Selonnes Consult Ltd., a governance, It must be stressed continually that good governance is about the deliverables to the people; basic needs and all, and allowing the people to use their God-given talent to flourish. Our people should not work for government; government must work for our people. Needless to say, there must be a secure environment and promises made must be redeemed.

We must continue to draw lessons from history.

When Obi assumed office as Governor in 2006, he started by completing 13 road projects inherited from his predecessor, Dr. Chris Ngige. On roads, I will do the same from where the incumbent stopped; though many of them are abandoned.

Under my administration, the people of Anambra State will be informed of our various revenue sources, amounts and their utilisation.

As an insider, I am aware that the Obi administration cleared its inherited arrears of salaries and did not default in paying public servants as and when due. Regular payment of workers’ salaries helps oil the wheels of governance. Taking care of public servants goes beyond giving them some rice at festivities and celebrating the gesture as if we have discovered a hidden truth. Under the current administration, how many civil servants are aware that Government has since stopped paying its share of their contributory pension scheme, which has put their future at great peril. The unpaid pension contribution is being used to settle the high and low supporters of the government. What

suggested, which dopted, was the the Millennium nto the framework me of action for was possible to sfully undertake mme in all sectors eously.

is the value in giving a N15 million car to an individual who already had 10 cars, while the investment of 500 public servants due for retirement are not being meant. It is a scandalous governance narrative.

In the area of health services, I am saddened that the erstwhile excellent partnership established by the Obi administration with the Church has been truncated.

The last allocation given to faith-based and mission health facilities in the State was even less than what the Obi administration used to grant to one hospital. Politics is politics but governance is about the people. I am aware that the funds in the MDG, now SDG, Account -- through which the then Governor Peter Obi assisted missionrun health and educational institutions – have been diverted to the so-called “Security Vote”. This, among other reasons, is why I decided to pursue the service option of contesting the governorship to do things rights for the people of Anambra State. You will recall that in the latter part of 2016 I publicly proclaimed that Anambra had been highjacked. In my administration, government-owned health facilities will be given due attention, especially in equipment and health consumables. We must restore the health foundation laid by Peter Obi, and restore the health of our people.

How do we explain the State’s regression from debt-free status in Obi’s tenure to huge indebtedness to banks and contractors?

Every Anambra indigene must query the rationale for the claim by the current administration that it attracted over US$7.5 billion in investments. Why this deluge of lies and deceit? Though I have been out of government, I remain a member of the attentive public. Of this much I am aware.

Trading Economics of Nigeria reported not long ago that the actual foreign direct investment, FDI that flowed into Nigeria in 2014 and 2015 were US$4.69 billion and US$3.06billion respectively. The projected figure for 2016 is US$3.12 billion, based on figures available from the first two quarters of 2016. So, if we accept that the Anambra State Government attracted an estimated $7.5 billion in DFI in three years, it presupposes that more than half of the FDI that entered into Nigeria during the past three year are domiciled in Anambra.

The inevitable question becomes: What of the other four viable States? As regards producing 230 metric tonnes of rice per annum, what this equates to is 20 ship loads of rice at 250,000 bags per ship, and 4.7 million bags overall. Where is such a huge production being warehoused?

Those who are good in mathematics will have to figure that one out.

As I see it, it is ether the policy makers in the present government are being economical with the truth or its media hands are being clever by half. Most recently the achievement highlight was the export of Ugu vegetable leaves worth over US$5 million. Whatever excitement there was of the news, on deeper reflection and analysis, I realised the claim was skewered. The hard-headed question Ndi Anambra must ask, is the same I asked myself: What did it take to grow, harvest, package, preserve and export Ugu of such an amount of US Dollars? In even the largest farm in the State, what could be the portion of land allocated to the cultivation of Ugu – a highly perishable plant? The value chain for such huge export of a highly perishable commodity does not exist. So what does a Government hope to gain by lying to the people? You cannot build a society on a foundation of lies, propaganda and deceit, because they have very short life spans. But what is most worrisome is that if something is not done soon enough to check this trend, those creating this confusion would have disappeared before the enormity of their havoc is realised.

If you are elected Governor, what will be your major priorities?

I was part of the team that designed the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy, ANIDS. Though I was not in Government when it took off, I contributed a paper – for free -- to the then Governor Peter Obi on what I think should be done so that our people will benefit from his administration. One of the things I suggested, which I was happy was adopted, was the mainstreaming of the Millennium Development Goals into the framework of his programme of action for the State.

Thus, it was possible to undertake successfully undertake projects and programme in all sectors simultaneously.

Besides developing all sectors, I shall concentrate in ensuring that we have potable water supply in the cities of Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and Aguata in the first place.

I added Aguata because we know the challenges they go through getting potable water. Water is one of the little things that matter in the lives of people. For instance, rather than wastefully commit N15 billion to the three fly-overs that ended up causing more traffic congestions, I would invest the sum in the provision of potable water to Awka and Onitsha. The impact of that investment on the lives of the people will far exceed that of the flyovers, which

have merely boosted the egos of those in the corridors of power.

If you say you are developing Awka, you have to start from little basic things of life such as water, electricity and health services. If you are sincere about developing Awka, the state capital, why did you evacuate over 50% of the electricity supply meant for the city to other places -- when you could have supported the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, to secure alternatives that will not affect supply to Awka?

Again, before Peter Obi left office, plans had been concluded to build an Awka, Greenwood Project at Agu-Awka. If the N15 billion frittered away on unplanned flyovers was committed to the project, it would have had better, more enduring effects.

If the N15 billion was alternatively used to complete the dual carriageway to Umunya, where Obi stopped, you are aware it will have more positive impact on the people of the State and re-imbursement by the Federal Government is guaranteed. Alas, this government constructed flyovers without even the permission of the Federal Government - a willful waste of resources.

You mean you would not continue with what the present Governor is doing?

I have not said so. Purposeful and adaptive leadership and governance, is about weighing options and determining what is most beneficial to the people. Certainly, good public-interest projects and programmes will be evaluated positively and further enhanced; others will be tweaked and mainstreamed with a view to yielding higher public interest dividend and return on investment.

Since we must adopt global best practices, I will also review projects and programmes commenced by the Obi administration, which may have been abandoned. In the end we shall settle for what is best for the people of Anambra State. It is common knowledge that Mr. Peter Obi attracted some industries and gave others required support to start seamlessly.

These included SABMiller, Krisoral, Innoson, among others. Before he left government in March 2014, Distell, another world giant, and Niemeth pharmaceuticals had concluded arrangements to set up their facilities in the State. We shall revisit these investor programmes and ask pertinent questions why some became moribund and others sold to investors who did not follow through on their contractual obligations. Ultimately, our goal remains to attract foreign and domestic investors who like the industries Obi supported, stand ready to offer employment, directly and indirectly, to our people.

What is your message to Ndi Anambra?

We are at the cusp of a new dawn in Anambra. I encourage Ndi Anambra to study scrupulously the bona fides and antecedents of those presenting themselves for election and make informed choices.

Let the choices be predicated on known values; more so, the record of incumbent administration and tangible realities on ground, if any. Furthermore, interpersonal relations, justice, equity and an appreciation of how the dynamics of good governance must serve as critical variables for any evaluation.

With all modesty, I understand fully what international development partners are looking for. Focus, transparency and results-based programmes remain imperative. As an interlocutor, agencies, funds and programmes in the United Nations common system, seeing me as one of their own, would be better disposed to offering Anambra State the assistance it requires.

As a consultant, I have proffered options to federal and state governments. If I can do that for them, you can imagine what I can do for my own State. With my international connections, nobody is better placed than I to attract other international agencies to the State. I did it under Mr. Peter Obi and I will do it again – if I am offered the chance to serve.

26

The Oracle Today September 27, 2017

Travel & Hospitality Senate, new UNWTO chief to support Nigeria tourism Stories by VICTOR NZE

N

EWLY-ELECTED SecretaryGeneral of the organisation, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili, from Georgia has promised to support the development of tourism in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

Pololikashvili who noted that Africa had a great future and potentials and he would work towards securing and attracting investments in tourism to the continent, said that he looked forward to attending 61st meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa in Abuja from June 4 to June 6 2018.

This is also as the Senate, Friday, said the election of Nigeria as Vice President of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was a wake-up call to all arms, organs and levels of government to develop the tourism and creative sector.

Nigeria was elected by acclamation to represent Africa, alongside Cape Verde, at the 22nd General Assembly of the UNWTO, in Chengdu, China, last Wednesday. China was elected President of the Assembly.

Nigeria’s election followed the country’s unopposed nomination by the UNWTO Commission on Africa (CAF), which met a day earlier.

Nigeria will be represented at the General Assembly by the Minister of Culture and Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

“From the discussions we have heard, your minister, Mr Lai Mohammed has very interesting ideas and agenda for tourism and I believe we will collaborate. The next CAF Summit is holding in Nigeria and it is my pleasure to be there,’’ Pololikashvili said.

Pololikashvili spoke on the sidelines of the UNWTO General Assembly in China, during which also Nigeria presided over the 3rd Plenary of the 22nd General Assembly, Friday.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

• From left Igwe Romanus Iloh, The Chairman of Interfact Breweries, Igwe Alfred Achebe and Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano at the Intafact Hero Foundation Award Ceremony.

Photo: Modestus Igudobi

represented the country in his capacity as the Vice President, Africa of the United Nations body.

The maiden assignment by Mohammed as UNWTO vice president witnessed the presentation and adoption of four documents on programmes and works of the organisation for 2016-2017.

The first presentation delivered to the General Assembly by the out-going UNWTO Secretary General, Dr Taleb Rifai was on “Implementation of the General Programme of Work for 2016-2017’’.

Rifai also presented “Report on the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017’’ and “UNWTO Convention on the Protection of Tourists and on the Right and Obligations of Tourism Service Providers’’.

The last presentation on; “The International Sustainable Tourism on Eliminating Poverty, STEP Foundation was presented by

Mrs Dho YoungShin from South Korea’’.

The four documents were adopted by the General Assembly by affirmation after their respective presentations and the Vice President’s open requests to delegates.

Nigeria emerged Vice-President (Africa) by affirmation of more than 1300 delegates attending the General Assembly from 130 countries.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mathew Urhoghide, the Senate delegate to the 22nd General Assembly of UNWTO in Chengdu, China, has welcomed the election of Nigeria to the UNWTO General Assembly, noting that the development was also a ‘burden’ on the lawmakers.

“The election of the minister is a welcome development because when you have an international body recognising you as a

er sponsored by World Tourism Alliance were treated to a special fun filled evening and Gala Dinner with delicious spicy Sichuan food.

According to Li Jinzao, WTA is ‘a comprehensive, non-governmental and non- profitable international tourism organization.’

“The creation of the WTA shall be attributed to the international tourism community which have made concerted endeavor, to the UNWTO and its Secretary General Mr. Rifai who have devoted special attention, to the ministers, leaders from transnational tourism corporations and industry elites who have provided full support and to the Chinese government and its leadership which have delivered strong commitment.

“Facing the complexity of international politics and economy, riding the magnificent tide of global tourism development, WTA broke through all the barri-

ers and came into being to meet the high expectations from countries and tourism communities in the world. Its emergence follows the trend and echoes the call of the times. Upholding “Better Tourism, Better World” it is committed to promoting tourism for peace, development and poverty alleviation based on mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual support and win-win outcomes.

“It will go hand in hand with the UNWTO and stand complementary to each other, serving as double engines to drive tourism exchanges and cooperation at the non-governmental and intergovernmental levels. This is just like the song sung by these lovely children: The same feeling concludes to our same yearning, and the same glee gives us the same song,” read the message by the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, at the launch.

New global body launched

A

new global tourism body has been launched. The World Tourism Alliance (WTA) was launched at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in China, last Wednesday.

The World Tourism Alliance is a new initiative launched by China with top name brand leadership organizations as founding members and executives including outgone UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, the UNWTO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA).

The founder is Li Jinzao, who is also Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration.

At the formal launch of the organization, UNWTO Delegates attending the Gala Dinner for the UNWTO General Assembly at the New Chengdu Convention Cent-

country and giving you such an exalted position, it only means that you are in proper reckoning in the world.

“UNWTO is an organ of the UN in charge of developing and sustaining tourism across the globe and it is one of the organs that the UN has respect for with countries in excess of 137 as members.

“Nigeria, being nominated and accepted as Vice President, has placed the burden on us, we too must come on board to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the matter of tourism development and sustenance,’’ The senator said that although the country had started placing emphasis on tourism development, more needed to be done by the Federal Government, states and local governments as well as the executive and legislature.

“The present minister is showing deep interest and by the virtue of this election as Vice President of UNWTO, it means that he has no option than for Nigeria

to live up to the expectation of the international community,’’ Urhoghide said.

Continuing, the senator said he was more convinced that “tourism is one huge area that can earn a lot of revenue for the country.

“There are countries we have seen here that are completely dependent on tourism like the Caribbean Island and even China which has placed a lot of premium on it. This Sichuan Province of Southwest China where we are today, although has a population of 91 million people, what it got from tourism is in excess of 70 billion dollars.

“According to the 2016 statistics that was presented, tourism contributed well over 10.6 per cent of the world GDP in excess of over 760 trillion dollars. The sector generated employment in excess of 640 billion jobs across the world while tourism export’s global contribution was 40 per cent.

According to Urhoghide, within West Africa, tourism contributed 14 per cent to the economy of the Gambia, whereas Nigeria was still grappling with about 1.3 per cent.

“What this means is that we have to go back and address the issue of tourism by utilising our rich and huge potentials,’’ he said.

He said from the sessions of the Assembly, it was obvious that the perceived problems militating against the development of tourism in the country were not peculiar.

“Talking of infrastructure deficit, security, even the developed countries have come out to say that they have the same problems yet they are advancing tourism,’’ he said.

The lawmaker said the conference had also underscored the need for the country to urgently review its visa policy to ensure tourists do not go through hardship to obtain visa.

He, therefore, pledged the cooperation and support of the Senate in the hosting of the 61st meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa in Abuja from June 4 to June 6 next year.

NIS to check illegal migrants from Niger

T

he Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Niger says security has been tightened at the Babana border post in Burgu Local Government Area, against influx of illegal migrants.

Comptroller of NIS in the state, Mrs. Tamuno Oyedeji, who made the disclosure in in Minna, Friday, said that the command had deployed wellarmed security personnel to block all illegal routes of migrants to the state especially from Benin Republic.

The comptroller said that the measure was aimed at preventing illegal migrants coming to the country without proper documents.

She explained that officers

at the border post had been adequately briefed on the new strategies to be adopted in preventing influx of illegal migrants.

“We have equipped and stationed well-armed personnel in strategic areas to prevent illegal migrants coming into our midst. Our field officers have been receiving tremendous support from border residents, especially stakeholders and traditional rulers in promoting security situations at the border areas,” she said.

Oyedeji also lauded the efforts of community leaders at Babana border post for volunteering intelligence information about movement of illegal migrants.

27

The Oracle Today September 27, 2017

AVIATION

Disregard ULC threat to ground flights –NLC, TUC Stories by VICTOR NZE

T

WO labour unions in the aviation sector, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) have notified the Federal Government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of plans to ground the nation’s from September 18, unless their demands are met.

This is just as the mainstream Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked the federal government as well aviation workers to disregard the ULC threat.

The unions which are also affiliates of the United Labour Congress (ULC) gave the warning, Thursday, at a joint press statement stating that they will embark on a strike action starting from 6am on Monday being September 18, 2017.

In the letter addressed to the Director General NCAA, Capt.

Murtah Usman, the unions lamented that government workers at all levels are owed months and years of salaries, pensions and various allowances stating that such situation will not continue in that manner.

The unions in the document jointly signed by the Secretary General of NAAPE, Comrade Ocheme Aba and Secretary General of ANAP, Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu decried withholding of the registration of ULC

as a labour federation despite fulfilling all conditions stipulated by the law.

While complaining that the government has been neglecting the review of minimum wage, the aviation unions added: “The factories in Nigeria and most other workplace have been manufacturing depots for fatalities and various unimaginable incapabilities. Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has since abandoned their inspectorate and surveillance duties in this respect thereby abandoning Nigerian workers to their fate.

“As a result of the strike action, no flight will operate through Nigeria. We therefore advise all airport users to take note and make alternative travel arrangements. Foreign airlines are equally advised to avoid flying into Nigeria until the matter is resolved to avoid unpleasant consequences”.

“We truly regret the difficulties this action will cause airport users, but this circumstance is foisted by the federal Government and the remedy lies solely in their hands”, the union noted.

However, reacting to the threat by the ULC members, Friday, the mainstream Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) urged the Federal Government and workers to disregard strike threats by the unregistered United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC).

President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wab-

Establish storage airports, Onyema urges FG Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, has urged the Federal Government to establish aircraft storage airports in Northern Nigeria.

Onyema said the establishment of such facilities would generate more revenue for the country and create employment opportunities for the people in the region.

Onyema suggested these at the presentation of certificates to 45 participants of a five-day training on non-violence in Lagos, which organized by the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) and had participants from the Oodua People Congress (OPC), Arewa Youths Congress (AYC) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Onyema , chairman of FEHN, said that storage airport had been in existence in Arizona, the United States.

Storage airports are where new aircraft meant for sale are stored and displayed by their manufacturers for prospective buyers to inspect.

“Establishing storage airports in Northern Nigeria will bring a lot of revenue to the country and create jobs for the people. Airlines from all over the world and aircraft manufacturers with brand new aircraft that have not been purchased will display their products in the country’s storage airports.

“This will generate revenue for the country from those coming to

make inquiries about the new aircraft and from the manufacturers.

“So, there are lots of untapped opportunities all over Nigeria. I want the airports established in Northern Nigeria because its climate is conducive for storage airports,’’ Onyema, said.

According to him, creation of employment opportunities for Nigerians will help to curb the ongoing agitations across the country.

“I appeal to every wealthy Nigerian to invest in the country. If all of us invest in Nigeria, it will be a better place for us all. The problem is that some people take their investments to other countries thereby creating jobs for the people there.

“If we take several people out of the streets in Nigeria; it will put a stop to the series of agitations. So we need to start creating jobs for our people to keep them busy and this should not be left for the government alone,” he said.

Onyema also expressed his delight with the outcome of the training organised by FEHN. He said that it would help to midwife the “New Nigeria Project” that would focus on nationalism, egalitarianism and justice.

Also speaking, Ms Maria Davydenko, the Economic and Political Officer, US Consulate, Lagos, advised the participants to use the knowledge gained from the programme to bring positive changes to Nigeria.

•Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, cutting the tape to declare open the recently-concluded 13th Edition of the Akwaaba African Travel Market, which held at the Eko Hotels, Lagos.

ba, gave the advice at a news conference jointly addressed in Abuja by the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The unregistered congress issued another seven-day strike notice that will expire on September 15 with a threat to shut down oil, power and aviation sectors.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, recently said that Federal Government had not recognised the ULC as a federation of trade unions.

Wabba said the ministry of labour and workers should disregard the strike threats by the illegal association and that the supervising ministry should act fast in enforcing the laws governing trade unionism in the country.

He said the main promoters of the so-called new federation are individuals from NUEE and

NUPENG both of which were affiliates of the NLC. He said that by the extant laws, as passed some years ago, those individuals could not form a parallel federation.

According to him, the section on Registration of Trade Unions in Part 1, Section 2, is very clear that un-registered trade unions and federation(s) are prohibited from functioning.

“Under this section, a federation of trade unions shall not come into existence until it is registered. So, we feel constrained to make the following comments on the unfolding situation. In spite of the listing of their 12 points demand, we have no doubt that those behind the ultimatum were only hoping to blackmail the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to register their association as a central labour organisation.

“We have no doubt that the

officials of the Ministry of Labour would deal with the situation. This is because the laws of the country governing labour relations are very clear on the procedure guiding registration of trade unions and trade union centres, “he said.

President of TUC, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, said that the promoters of ULC were trying to take advantage of the current security situation in the country, adding that Nigerians needed to know that the ULC was not a legitimate organisation duly recognised by the laws of the land.

“These are individuals who find it difficult to accept the will of the Nigerian workers as very clearly demonstrated during the NLC elections in 2015,” he said.

According to Kaigama, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has acted within the confines of the law by not registering the association.

Arik Air files N20bn suit against FG, Ethiopian Airlines

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rik Air Limited has filled a N20 billion suit against the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines over recent claims in the media that they were negotiating the takeover of the airline.

The suit was instituted by the airline at the Federal High Court, Lagos against Ethiopian Airlines, the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Attorney General of the Federation.

A copy of the suit was filed on September 6 by Arik Air’s counsel, Mr Babajide Koku (SAN), Mr Chukwuemeka Nwigwe and Mrs Ezinne Emedom.

In its statement of claim supported by a 20-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Mr Chris Ndulue, a Director with Arik Air, the plaintiff asked the court to restrain the first and second defendants from further negotiations on its takeover.

The plaintiff noted that the Asset Management Company of Nigeria

(AMCON) had taken over the airline on Feb. 8 which was challenged by its management via two suits already pending before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

According to the plaintiff, the suits numbers are FHC/L/CS/827/17 and FHC/L/CS/826/17, adding that the negotiations by the defendants will render the outcome of the suits nugatory.

“The plaintiff avers that the agreement of the second defendant with the first defendant will be wide ranging and intricately affect every aspect of the plaintiff herein, including but not limited to the day to day running technical as well as financial management which will affect the plaintiff as being the largest domestic and regional airline in Nigeria.

“The plaintiff further avers that the action taken by the first and second defendants will have a negative effect on the country’s image

as the plaintiff being the largest airline will be pawned over to another country for management,” it said.

The plaintiff also averred that the negotiations had caused undue hardship and irreparable damage to the Arik Air brand and ongoing investment discussions as well as unbearable distress to the airline’s shareholders and directors.

It, therefore, asked the court to declare the negotiations null and void because the Ministry of Transportation had no power to transfer the management of the airline to Ethiopian Airlines while the suits over the takeover are pending.

The plaintiff also asked the court for an order directing the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the investigation of Ethiopian Airlines by the appropriate authorities for inducing and interfering in the administration of justice in the pending suits.

28

The Oracle Today September 27, 2017

e-Platform NITDA confronts MDAs over N42.5bn IT projects •Insists on clearance before implementation Stories by SAMSON AKINTARO

J

UST about three months to the end of the year, there seems to be no clear direction yet on the implementation of Information Technology (IT) projects by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government even with over N42.5 billion already earmarked for the various projects in the 2017 appropriation bill. This came as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued fresh warnings, reminding the MDAs of seeking the mandatory clearance from the agency before embarking on any project.

According to NITDA, the clearance became necessary as it has observed that government’s investments in IT over the years were not commensurate with the value derived from such investments and had also failed to evolve a digitally-enabled public service that will advance the citizens’ yearnings of digital economy made it necessary for strategic repositioning of IT procurement in the public sector. The agency also reminded the MDAs Section 6 of the NITDA Act, 2007 as well as Service-wide Circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation which makes the Agency the clearing house for all IT procurement in the public sector.

The Director General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Pantami said NITDA’s assessment of the 2017 Appropriation Bill revealed that MDAs proposed to spend approximately Forty-Two Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, One Hundred and Ninety-One Naira (42,560,945,191.00) on IT projects.

“This represents 2.1% of the to-

tal capital budget of Two Trillion, Forty-Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira (N2,048,989,578,222.00). It is therefore imperative to ensure that maximum value is derived from such huge investment of public funds, especially at a time when the need for accountable, transparent, efficient and effective public spending is high on the current administration’s agenda” he said.

He explained that the objectives of the clearance exercise are to ensure “transparency in IT procurement by MDAs and other government establishments; alignment of IT projects/investments with MDAs and other government establishments’ mandates and functions as well as government IT shared vision and policy; integration of IT systems and services to save costs, promote shared services, interoperability and improve efficiency; and that there is indigenous capacity for after-sales-service to sustain the project beyond the initial deployment.” The NITDA DG said it would also ensure that the project promotes indigenous content and that preference is given to indigenous companies where capacity or the product or service exists; that the technology being implemented is up-to-date; that the technology and services being procured are suitable for the country from the point of view of security and the environment, among others.

Other objectives, as listed by the DG, include the realization of IT as a major driver and enabler of policies and national development plans; learning, knowledge and experience sharing on IT projects among MDAs; and the availability of accu-

•Dr. Isa Pantami, DG NITDA rate statistics on Federal Government’s IT assets and Investments to help the government make informed IT decisions.

“We are therefore calling on MDAs and other government establishments to ensure that their IT projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act are put forward for clearance before implementation. It should be noted that a breach of the provision of the NITDA Act and any other directive pursuant to the Act is an offence under Section 17

and punishable under Section 18 of the Act” Pantami said.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), an Agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications, was created in April 2001 to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy and coordinate general IT development and regulation in the country. Specifically, Section 6(a & c) of the Act mandates NITDA to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, co-

CTO elects Huawei as executive committee member

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lobal vendor, Huawei Technologies has been elected to represent industry members on the executive committee of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO). The election took place on the mar-

•Shola Taylor, Sec-Gen. CTO

gins of the CTO’s annual forum held recently in Maputo, Mozambique.

Shola Taylor, secretary-general of the CTO said that “the CTO wants to further engage and work with private sector companies in addressing how the

ICT sector can be further developed in a speedy and structured manner. “The public and private sectors must work together so as to ensure that new and evolving technologies can be quickly deployed in member countries. Huawei Technologies is a leading ICT innovator in the world. It ranks 83rd on the Fortune 500 list of companies. It operates in over 170 countries in the world including within all Commonwealth countries. I am very confident that the company will play a very strong role in supporting the future development of the CTO,” Mr Taylor explained.

Reacting to the election, David Harmon, vice-president for global public affairs at Huawei Technologies said: “Huawei is delighted to have been elected today on to the eight-person committee. The CTO brings together leading representatives from governments, regulators

and private sector companies to discuss how best to build digital economies across the Commonwealth and beyond.

“The CTO develops innovative strategies to address the challenges that governments and regulators face in enhancing the use of ICT and address key economic and social problems. Huawei looks forward to playing an active and positive part in both pursuing and implementing the objectives and policy goals of the CTO,” Mr Harmon concluded.

Huawei joined the CTO as ICT Sector Member earlier this year but had taken part in the organisation’s activities for a few years. Members of the organisation’s executive committee are elected for a period of one year. They oversee the work of the organisation between its council meetings held annually.

ordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria.

Apple iPhone X to retail at $1000

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merican devices maker, Apple has unveiled its anticipated iPhone X ultra-premium smartphone at a retail price of $1000, which is equivalent to N350, 000 using the exchange rate of N350/$1.

The high price however, has got many phone users wondering how many iPhone loyalists would be able to afford it.

The iPhone X features are a 5.8inch ‘super retina’ display, which covers almost the entire front face of the device and which Apple somewhat snottily describes as ‘the first OLED panel that rises to the standards of iPhone.’ There’s a new SoC – the sixcore A11 Bionic chip that Apple claims is 70 per cent faster than the previous one and there’s ‘3D facial recognition’ which is supposed to be better than the current alternatives. “For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “The iPhone X is the realisation of that vision. With the introduction of iPhone ten years ago, we revolutionised the mobile phone with Multi-Touch. iPhone X marks a new era for iPhone — one in which the device disappears into the experience.” “iPhone X is the future of the smartphone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s head of marketing. “It is packed with incredible new technologies, like the innovative TrueDepth camera system, beautiful Super Retina display and super-fast A11 Bionic Chip with neural engine.

29

The Oracle Today September 27, 2017

e-Platform

NCC seeks Academic solution to telecoms challenges Stories by SAMSON AKINTARO

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ETERMINED to get the right antidotes to all challenges confronting the telecommunications sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed its readiness to work with the academic community in Nigeria on local academic researches that address the local challenge. To that end, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta recently inaugurated members of the 2017 inter-agency committee for the evaluation of research proposals from the academia.

The scope of research topics to be assessed by the Committee embrace core telecommunications issues to oil pipeline protection and tracking. The EVC, while speaking at the inauguration, stated that the goal of the Commission is to be able to use this intervention to address industry problems as well as some other societal issues that need urgent attention.

Prof. Danbatta said that finding local solutions to the challenges that affect the telecommunications industry is a pre-eminent priority of the Commission and the focus on the academia is expected to be mutually beneficial.

“To the academic community it is very valuable as it adds value to research output. The society also stands to benefit from the seminal ouput of the integration that evolve through NCC’s decision to

K

•L-R: Prof. Losmas I. Ani, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta Executive Vice Chairman, NCC; Abigail Sholanke, Director Research and Development Department, NCC; Prof. Muhammed Muzu Ahmadu Bello University; Usman Malah, Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC during the inauguration of interagency committee for the 2017 research proposals at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja.

deliberately utilize the capacity resident in the academia to positively impact businesses, leading to the development of new products and services for the entire telecom industry” he said.

The inaugural ceremony was part of the resolutions at the recently concluded Stakeholders Forum for the Academia where

61 Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities were in attendance.

In response to the Commission’s call for research proposals from the Academia, the Commission already received 96 submissions.

This is almost 100 percent increase on the 2016 record. The 18-Man Committee is headed by Prof. Muazu Muhammad Bashir

of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

Others include Prof. Babatunde Adegboye, Federal University of Technology, Minna; Prof. Cosmas Ani, University of Nigeria Nsukka; Mr. Val Amadi, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria; and Mrs. Iyabode Solanke, Director of Research and Development, NCC.

9mobile strengthens bond with subscribers at Enugu forum

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onsumer-centric Telecommunications Company, 9mobile, has raised the bar of positive customer experience as the telco hosted its esteemed customers in Enugu and its environs at the quarterly interactive feedback session, 9mobile Customer Forum. The 9mobile Customer Forum is an interactive feedback session aimed at engaging customers to deepen relationships. The session provides a platform for valuable engagement with customers through constructive feedback on their experiences from using various services and products on the 9mobile network.

Speaking at the event, Director Brands & Experience, 9mobile, Elvis Ogiemwanye, restated that the key objective of the initiative was to receive constructive feedback from the customers, and that feedback received at previous sessions have enabled the company to come up with enhanced features and benefits on a number of 9mobile products and services.

“This is the third edition of the Customer Forum this year and I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone for coming. We are here for you to tell us what you want, and we will listen to you. We have enhanced some of our offerings and products such as ‘You and Me’ based on your suggestions. Before now, ‘You and Me’ used to be for just two people but at one of the

Samsung moves into connected car market

forums, customers appealed to us that, as Africans, the family unit goes beyond the husband and the wife or the fiancé and fiancée. They wanted us to upgrade ‘You and Me’ to accommodate their children and those they regarded as family.

Because 9mobile is here for you, today ‘You and Me’ has five members of a family enjoying the offering”, he disclosed.

Ogiemwanye added that, “CliqLite is another example of how customers tell 9mobile how they want to be served. CliqLite used to be dependent on owning a CliqLite tablet but it has now been developed into a portal, and the service can be accessed on any mobile device. 9mobile treasures its

customer’s suggestions and ideas which is why we take 9mobile Customer Forum to our customers no matter where they are.”

The Enugu State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, commended 9mobile for empowering its customers to make input into the process of its product development through the Customer Forum initiative. He also commended the company for the quality of its products and services.

“9mobile’s services have been wonderful and I don’t regret being on the network. I love the speed of 9mobile data and you won’t believe that in my house everybody is using 9mobile without recommendation from me. My son and

daughter bought a phone and when I got their numbers I discovered they were on the 9mobile network. I also hope this kind of interactive session will continue so that customers can from time to time provide feedback that will lead to improved services”, he stated.

In further demonstration of the company’s commitment to innovation and customer-friendliness, the 9mobile team also visited and distributed free Insecticide Treated Nets to residents of Umuaji Mgbagbu-Owa community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The people, who were overjoyed by the gesture, said 9mobile was the first company to visit them.

BETA introduces new SME solutions

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ETA, an Information Technology Solutions company has introduced a new program that enables SMEes, for a fixed monthly subscription payment; acquire a POS and Accounting Solution as a Service (POSACTSaaS).

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Will Anyaegbunam, announced this in a statement released recently.

He noted that with the current economic realities and its consequential cash and credit

squeeze, most SMEs may be hard pressed to afford, on a one-off payment, the capital cost for the acquisition of POS and Accounting Solutions. “This is despite the fact that they are aware of the immense benefits a POS and Accounting solution will bring to the profitability of their businesses. Indeed, these challenging times require as a necessity, not an option, the use of a POS and or Accounting solution to effectively and efficiently manage businesses for

survival and growth” he said.

According to him, with this new program, SMEs would not t have to worry about having the total amount required for the acquisition and maintenance of the POSACTs infrastructure.

“Neither will they need to worry about Internet issues and bandwidth charges as this is an on-premise solution. All they expect and will get is 100 per cent uptime and availability on the POSACTS solution that is specific to their own industry,

OREAN tech giant, Samsung, has announced plans to establish itself as a leader in the connected car market, starting with the setting up a of $300 million investment fund to drive development of related products and technologies.

Samsung has also established a new autonomous division at subsidiary Harman International. In an announcement on the opening day of the Internationale AutomobilAusstellung (International Motor Show) in Frankfurt am Main, the company said the Samsung Automotive Innovation Fund would focus on developments including smart sensors, machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing, connectivity solutions, automotive-grade safety systems, security and privacy.

The fund’s first strategic investment will be in TTTech, a provider of automatic driver assistance systems (ADAS) networking and safety control equipment. The Austria-headquartered company announced Samsung will invest €75 million ($89.2 million) and jointly develop a modular hardware platform using TTTech’s MotionWise software. TTTech board member Georg Kopetz said: “Samsung brings a breadth and a depth of technologies as well as an ecosystem of partners to accelerate development for level two to level five autonomous platforms.” The company offers Samsung access to Volkswagen Group as a potential customer, having assisted in the development of a vehicle control system featured in the latest Audi A8.

In addition to setting up the investment fund, Samsung subsidiary Harman is forming the Autonomous/ADAS Strategic Business Unit, which will report to Harman’s Connected Car division and work closely with the smart machines team at Samsung’s Strategy and Innovation Centre to develop technologies covering vehicle safety.

Samsung agreed an $8 billion acquisition of Harman in November 2016, which was completed earlier this year. At the time, the latter’s audio and connected car equipment was installed in 30 million vehicles.

Young Sohn, president and CSO of Samsung Electronics and chairman of Harman’s board, said the new business unit and investment fund highlights Samsung’s “commitment to the values of open innovation and collaboration”.

for a subscription as low as N10, 000 per month. They then only have to concentrate on running their business with a much higher degree of success guaranteed”.

Anyaegbunam added that with the program covering IT Software and hardware, with secondary power back-up option, available for virtually all industry sectors, there would be no more credible hurdles for SMEs not accessing IT POSACTS solution for the maximization of their growth and profitability potentials.

The Oracle Today

30

Wednesday September 27, 2017

INSURANCE & PENSION

NMA reiterates call for implementation of NHA

FG to provide insurance for ranch operators

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•A cross section of participants in the last edition of Export Management Programme 4 (EMP4) organised by Fidelity Bank Plc at Lagos Business School.

Stories by VICTOR NZE

N

IGERIA Medical Association (NMA) has reiterated its call for full implementation of the National Health Act by the Federal Government to.

Publicity Secretary, NMA, Federal Capital Territory branch, Dr Patrick Ezie, who made the call in a statement in Abuja , Friday, said the move had become imperative to ensure that ‘’healthcare is made available and affordable to the most vulnerable population of our society’’.

He described the Act as a beautiful piece of legislation that strengthened the framework for healthcare provision, but said that non-implementation of it remained a big setback.

According to Ezie, the Act also provides one per cent of the nation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to the Basic Healthcare Provision fund.

‘’The National Health Act is to ensure that the most vulnerable are taken care of.

“This Act provides for free emergency services, free maternal care and treatment for underfives and the elderly in the society as well as a robust strengthening of healthcare institutions. This will greatly complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) if we find the political will to implement it,’’ he said. ‘’NHIS and Health Management Organisations (HMOS) can be encouraged by developing health polices with specific mandate to cater for the unique conditions of the vast majority of Nigerians. ’If such a scheme is successful, majority of unemployed Nigerians will have access to healthcare and this will bring us a step closer to Universal Basic Health Coverage.’’

On how to reinvigorate NHIS, Ezie called for increased effort

on the part of government ‘’to ensure that we are moving in the direction of achieving universal basic health coverage’’.

He said that the health scheme was a vision that all responsible governments had for their citizens, adding that the Nigerian nation could not be left out in such essential service.

The NMA scribe also stressed the need for huge investment in the health sector, warning that ‘’if we fail today to invest in our health system, we will all suffer the consequences tomorrow’’.

He called for increased spending in the sector and strict and efficient utilisation of resources allocated to the sector through open contracting standards as part of good governance.

According to him, adopting such method will ensure efficiency in the sector and enable government and people to de-

deavours, including business undertaking.

“This has manifested in poor patronage of insurance products by the public and the unwillingness to choose insurance as a course of study by the youths,’’ he said.

The expert said the institute’s plan to establish insurance depart-

ment in institutions of higher learning that lacked it would improve the quality of manpower in the insurance sector.

He said having departments in the universities, polytechnics and the course taught at secondary schools would attract more youths

rive greater value for the money spent on health.

Ezie added that Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) should be encouraged in the health sector, and made as transparent and efficient as possible. ‘’This will ensure that the areas the public sector cannot delve into as a result of lean resources, they can be augmented by the private sector.’’

He further called for the establishment of a National Social Security System that would mandate all citizens to enrol for healthcare in institutions, with special tax levied on the working class.

According to Ezie, such system will also enable the unemployed and the most vulnerable members of the society to benefit from the most basic level of care in the country.

Expert lauds CIIN’s boost insurance education

A

n insurance expert, Mr Mufutau Oyegunle, has commended the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) for its effort to boost insurance education in the country’s institutions of higher learning.

Oyegunle gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, while reacting to the institute’s plan to help in the establishment of an Insurance Department in Babcock University in Ogun.

Oyegunle, who is the Managing Director of LAKEG Insurance Consult Ltd, said that the President of CIIN, Mrs. Funmi Babington-Ashaye, made the promise when the council members of the university visited the institute’s secretariat in Lagos on Sept.7.

“The university council members was led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, Prof.

Sunday Owolabi, and the visit was to fine-tune the plans on the creation of the department.’’ Oyegunle said.

He said many Nigerian youths lacked knowledge about insurance and its importance in all human en-

to the industry.

“It would also combat misconceptions disrupting the growth of the industry in the country.’’

Oyegunle urged stakeholders in the industry to support CIIN in the propagation of insurance education for industrial growth and economic advancement.

Hurricane-damaged firms in insurance fight

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usiness owners who are trying to get back on track after hurricanes Harvey and Irma now face a different sort of challenge – trying to recoup lost income from their insurers.

Exclusions in the fine print of policies along with waiting periods and disagreements over how to measure a company’s lost income make business interruption claims among the trickiest in an industry renowned for complexity.

“I think the whole thing is a rip-off,” said Thomas Arnold, an optometrist in Sugar Land, Texas.

He said his business, Today’s Vision, was shuttered for almost five days after Hurricane Harvey struck because nearby flooding kept employees and patients from getting there.

Arnold says he pays 1,083 dollars per month for coverage.

But after he filed a claim, he said the U.S. unit of Zurich Insurance Group AG, rejected it because his business was not physically damaged.

Zurich does not comment about specific claims, the company said in a statement.

It added that business interruption coverage generally requires “direct physical damage” to a property for a payout.

It was Arnold’s second disappointing experience with business interruption coverage.

He said another insurer denied his claim in 2008 after a nine-day power outage from Hurricane Ike. Devastating storms are hitting the United States with increasing fre-

quency.

Risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide predicts losses to all properties from the flooding in Texas alone will be 65 billion dollars to 75 billion dollars regardless of whether they are insured.

The income lost by shuttered firms makes up a significant chunk of overall losses from a natural disaster and can hobble the pace of a community’s economic and social recovery.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, for example, caused about 25 billion dollars in insured commercial losses of which six billion dollars to nine billion dollars has been attributed to business interruption, according to AIR’s website.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) does not offer a business interruption component.

ederal Government says it will henceforth provide insurance and agro-rangers for ranch operators to curb cases of cattle rustling and farmers/herdsmen clashes across the country.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this at a 3-day National Conference on the Transformation of the Livestock Industry in Abuja on Tuesday.

Osinbajo, represented by Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that the 3,000 agro-rangers had been adequately trained to protect animals and the livestock from rustlers.

He expressed regret over the increasing number of cattle lost to rustling across the country.

The vice president said the rangers would be posted to ranches at no cost to the beneficiaries.

“On our part, for those who want to go into ranching, here is the good news; we have heard how many of you have lost money, 300 cows in one night to rustling.

“We have now put together a new security group called the agro-rangers. These rangers are being trained by the ministry of interior, they are heavily armed.

Three thousand of them are being trained.

“If you start a ranch or you have a big agricultural project, approach us, we will post them to you at no cost to protect your investment.

“We do not want you to go into ranching only to hear one night that all your cattle were taken.

We intend to give you insurance cover because we consider this industry serious.

“We need prosperity in that sector because we know that if it thrives, a great deal of good will be done to our country,’’ Osinbajo said.

On his part, Ogbeh said that agriculture was not only a government affair but also a private sector business.

He said the country had no fewer than 19 million cows, noting that the number was less when compared to other countries.

The minister, who noted that the livestock sector had been neglected over the years, said that growing grasses was a way of managing the sector.

“At the end of this conference, we will take the recommendations and seriously begin to implement them.

“We are talking with the World Bank and African Development Bank to see how they can help us. There is no way ranches will survive without grasses.

“We want this fight between farmers and herdsmen to stop and it must stop,’’ Ogbeh said.

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, said the state was in the process of setting up ranches to develop the livestock sector.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Mr Benson Abounu, regretted that modern and scientific methods were not been adopted in livestock production, hence the dwindling of the sector.

31

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

INSURANCE & PENSION

‘Linkage introduces ‘SMEComprehensive’

By KINGSLEY CHRISTOPHER

U

NDERWRITING firm, Linkage Assurance Plc says it’s committed to helping small and medium enterprises survive business challenges and grow into the future.

The company through one of its newest products ‘SMEComprehensive Insurance Plan’ provides financial protection to small and medium sized businesses against an array of insurable risks in order to ensure their business continuity.

“Linkage Assurance PLC’s SME comprehensive Insurance allows business owners to run their companies without having to worry about unexpected events that can slow them down or bring them to a complete halt”, the Company said in a statement.

“Whether it is water damage from leaking pipes, money lost in transit theft, or a fire at a warehouse, these are liabilities that cannot always be anticipated. Linkage Assurance PLC provides you the confidence you need to keep moving with the knowledge that your assets are covered from loss and other legal liabilities. The Plan is available with 5 different optional sections and flexible enough to cater for the insurance needs of SMEs across diverse sectors of the market.”

According to the Managing Director/CEO of the Company, Dr Pius Apere, Linkage Assurance understands that Nige-

rian SME businesses operate in a tough, rough and often fast changing harsh economic environment.

“SME businesses are still held to the same standards of corporate governance, employee welfare and liability as the larger companies and they often have to manage their risks with fewer resources and less time to spare on distresses other than those relating to day to day business.”

Dr Apere said SMEs therefore require an affordable, well packaged insurance policy which will protect their assets, liabilities and employees from the risks associated with operating a business.

Linkage Assurance PLCSME Comprehensive plan covers a wide spectrum of SME customers from a small single office premises for self-employed business owners to a multi-dimensional retail companies with a material damage/business interruption exposure spread across multiple locations.

The cover is for hotels, hospitals, water bottlers, publishers/ printers, drycleaners, haulage, furniture, logistics and cottage manufacturers, etc.

Features of the plan the Company listed includes damage to buildings as a result of fire; theft of contents, with the following options to cover; occupier’s liability; personal accident for employees; professional indemnity and motor (including own goods)

Omosede Imohe, Senior Manager, Agric Value Chain-Finance and Investment Service, Nigeria – Incentive Base Risk Sharing System for Agric Lending (right); Kudazi Gumunyu, Head Agric Finance, FCMB (middle) and Victoria Madador, Head, Agricbusiness, BoI Investment Trust Fund Ltd, during GAIN-PLAN Nigeria Cold Chain summit 2017 in Lagos last week.

75% Lump Sum Withdrawal of pension money unacceptable – Premium

A

llowing retirees to withdraw 75 per cent of their pension contributions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is wrong, Chief Marketing Officer, Premium Pension Limited, Kabir Tijani, has said.

Tijani made this known at a briefing on the proposed bill on lump sum payment of up to 75 per cent to retirees against the 50 per cent being paid now before the National Assembly.

Tijani said if the bill was allowed to sail through, a major objective

How tech, risk research improve solutions, bridge protection gap: Swiss Re

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he rise of advanced technology can assist with the development of insurance and reinsurance solutions that meet the changing demands of clients in all parts of the world, ultimately helping to bridge the global protection gap, according to an announcement by reinsurance giant Swiss Re, at the annual reinsurance meeting in Monte-Carlo.

The global reinsurer says it sees growing demand for new reinsurance solutions that enable customers to better manage their portfolios and grow into new markets and business lines, a trend that is being ushered and accelerated by technological advancements.

“Insurers are rethinking their business models to tap into new opportunities and better service the end-consumer. The reinsurance industry can help them with ready-to-use services and solutions that address growth and profitability,” said Swiss Re’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Christian Mumenthaler.

While variant in terms of both frequency and severity, annual

global insured losses from natural catastrophe and weather events remains just a portion of the overall economic loss, which places substantial financial strain on economies in both developed and emerging markets.

According to analysis and estimates by the Swiss Re Institute, in 2016 alone, protection gaps (disparity between economic and insured loss post-event) around the world attributable to weather events and natural catastrophe events totalled $180 billion.

“Innovative solutions help the industry make progress towards closing the ever-growing global protection gap. As we have seen again in the aftermath of recent floods in the US following Hurricane Harvey, as well as devastating flooding in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, the protection gap is very real and needs to be tackled with solutions that make insurance both more widely and more easily available,” continued Mumenthaler.

The protection gap is viewed across the risk transfer space as both a great challenge and opportunity, and Swiss Re feels that harnessing the power of

technology and in-depth risk research can help to close the gap.

At the same time, technological advances can help companies enter new markets and new business lines, believes Swiss Re, ultimately increasing insurance penetration while supporting the profitability and diversification requirements of insurers and reinsurers.

of the CPS would be defeated.

He noted that a lot of people could not manage money. For him, allowing such individuals to pullout huge amount implies that they might squander it and later become liabilities to others, adding that the scheme had been designed to avoid such scenarios. ‘’This is why it is arranged that when you retire, you take a lump sum payment to adjust your life and the rest is spread as monthly pension.

“We have seen what is happening in the Senate where a distinguished senator proposed that the percentage of the lump sum withdrawal should be increased to 75 per cent.

“Our response to that is we are not going to support it as a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) because we know that one of the objectives of having the scheme is to ensure that when people retire after they might have exhausted their adulthood in service. They should retire home and have something to live on until they pass on.

“Under the new scheme, a retiree has the option to take lump sum. It is something that is provided under the law as an entitle-

PTAD begins verification of civil service pensioners in Lagos

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he Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), has begun the verification of eligible civil service pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) in Lagos State. The exercise which started on September 18 is expected to end on September 29.

This is contained in a statement

by PTAD Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, Emma Okondo. It recalled PTAD conducted similar verification of pensioners in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states in August. PTAD said the Lagos verification was a continuation of similar exercises in four

zones of the country involving 64,825 pensioners. According to the statement, 21,295 pensioners are expected to be verified in five centres in Lagos.

The centres, according to PTAD include, Alausa, Yaba, Ketu, Amuwo Odofin and Agege. PTAD said the process of verification of the pensioners would consist of four distinct steps of biodata, capturing and provision of other relevant documents. The statement further explained that the entire process was to suitably place the pensioners in the payroll and database for payment of their monthly pension.

ment for the retiree. The law says you can take between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the balance of your RSA as lump sum payment and the rest will then be spread as programmed withdrawal or annuity plan.

“However, an employer is free to provide an additional benefit to its employees at retirement,’’ Tijani said.

STI 22nd AGM To Decide on N7.5bn capital rejig Thursday, September 21, 2017, has been set as the date to hold the 22nd Annual General Meeting of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, having been granted approvals for its 2016 Annual Report and Accounts by the various Regulatory Authorities. The Meeting will take place at The Grand Banquet Hall, Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Under the Ordinary Business, the Meeting will consider the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, as well as the Reports of the Directors and the Audit Committee.

The agenda, according to a statement from the company, also include re-election of Directors who are still eligible and at the same time authorize the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors while the Shareholders will elect their representatives that will serve on the Audit Committee.

The Special Business will focus on increasing the authorized share capital of the company from N5.5billion to N7.5billion by the creation of 4,000,000,000 (four billion) ordinary shares of 50 kobo each ranking pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of the company.

The meeting will also authorize the Directors to raise additional equity capital for the company up to the maximum limit of the authorized share capital, whether by way of Special Placement, Public Offer or Rights Issue or a combination of any one of them, either locally or internationally.

32

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Love and Living

...With Ireto Temofeh

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LOVE NEWS

Son of Armenian billionaire in a fairytale wedding

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• If you want to be our next ORACLE MODEL, e-mail or forward your photos/data to ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714.

ODD NEWS

Can’t Be Tamed! Miley Cyrus poses completely NUDE for David LaChapelle’s book

S

he appeared to tone her wild image down after her raunchy flesh-flashing Bangerz era in 2013.

But daring Miley Cyrus was back to her old ways as she posed completely naked on the cover of acclaimed photographer David LaChapelle’s forthcoming book Lost + Found..

Leaving nothing to the imagination, the singer, 24, is photographed in a jail cell in the newly-released image from LaChapelle’s coffee table photo collection.

A previously-released alternate cover of the book wowed fans as Cyrus appeared as a butterfly with only a flesh-colored crystal-adorned bodysuit covered her modesty.

Together, the images appear to tell a transformative tale of a desolate prison inmate flourishing into a larger-than-life glamorous figure.

Lost + Found will feature unseen images from the controversial photographer’s career which has spanned over 30 years.

Other subjects photographed in the book include Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, David Bowie and Kendall Jenner.

Miley has toned down her once-raunchy image for the promotional cycle of her latest album Younger Now. Instead of the raunchy antics that surrounded her 2013 release Bang-

rom the canopy made up of hundreds of flowers to the four-tier cake draped in fresh blooms, no expense was spared when the son of an Armenian billionaire tied the knot with his glamorous fiancee over the weekend.

Karen Karapetyan and his bride, social media star Lilit, exchanged vows at the Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow before celebrating their union with 200 guests at the Safisa banquet hall, one of the city’s most prestigious venues.

Guests walked beneath a ceiling draped in hundreds of crimson flowers before posing in front of a photo wall featuring large ‘K’ and ‘L’ initials in honour of the bride and groom.

A crew of videographers was also on hand to capture every moment of the celebrations.

Karen is believed to be the youngest son of real estate mogul Samvel Karapetyan, 52, whose estimated $4.6billion (£2..9billion) fortune places him in 32nd place on Forbes list of Russian billionaires.

Samvel, who lives in Moscow, but originally hails from Armenia, owns real estate firm Tashir Group which possesses 33 shopping enters, four office complexes, and eight hotels across Russia..

Meanwhile Social media star Lilit entertains more than 11,000 Instagram followers with photographs of her jet-set lifestyle.

It is not known when the couple met but they were photographed together at the equally lavish wedding of Karen’s older brother Sargis in June last year.

Samvel Karapetyan splashed out $2million (£1.3million) when his eldest son married Georgian bride Salome Kintsurashvili at the same Moscow venue last year.

So it is perhaps of little surprised that nothing was too much when it came to

his youngest child’s wedding, either.

Notable guests including members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner-circle. His press secretary Dmitry Peskov, 49, attended with his wife, Russian Olympic medal-winning ice dancer Tatiana Navka.

His family friend, Russian socialite Ksenia Sobchak, compared part of the evening.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, 63, who succeeded Karen’s uncle, also called Karen, in the post, was also invited.

The bride and groom were greeted by dancers and well-wishers in the courtyard outside the church as they made their way arm-in-arm down the aisle.

Once inside the church, high-profile guests watched as the bride and groom walked arm-in-arm down the aisle lined in artificial candles and lavish bouquets.

A magnificent heart-shaped floral archway formed the centrepiece of the church.

Afterwards the couple were captured gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes as they arrived at the ballroom to start the evening of festivities.

Guests walked into the venue beneath a canopy of thousands of flowers before making their way up a staircase lined with flowers.

Inside they were given the opportunity to pose for photos against a flower wall made up of dozens of crimson blooms. Large ‘K’ and ‘L’ initials completed the backdrop.

Stars including Italian musician Eros Ramazzotti, Russian singer Alla Pugacheva and singer Vera Brezhneva were among those invited to entertain the guests as they partied the night away.

DAILY MAIL

Romantic Joke erz, which included twerking on Robin Thicke at the MTV VMA’s, Miley has taken a simplistic approach to her look this time around.

Decked out in plain T-shirts and denim cut-off shorts, the singer has tried to put the focus back on her music, including hit single Malibu, about her fiance Liam Hemsworth.

‘I’m over this now. I want to figure out what I want to do next. Hopefully I can take some time — chill

with the dogs, hand with the pigs a little bit more, take some time off.

But just keep writing,’ she told BBC’s Radio 1 of the record, which she says she wrote mostly last year.

Younger Now hits stores on September 29, the same day her fellow former Disney star Demi Lovato drops her record Tell Me You Love Me. Her godmother Dolly Parton will also have a release that day, a children’s album titled I Believe In You.

The Child’s Question

A child asked his father, “How were people born?” So his father said, “Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became adults and made babies, and so on.”

The child then went to his mother, asked her the same question and she told him, “We were monkeys then we evolved to become like we are now.” The child ran back to his father and said, “You lied to me!” His father replied, “No, your mom was talking about her side of the family.”

34

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

True Confession

‘I snatched my mum’s boyfriend’

• I still get wet in my dreams, • And I can’t forget the way you seduce me

M

y name is Roseline. But my love for one man is about to ruin my relationship with my mother. If my mother disowns me tomorrow, it would be because I fell in love.

Yes, I did something that really hurt my mother. But is it really my fault? How could I have known that destiny would make me fall in love with my mother’s boyfriend?

His name is Patrick and I lusted for him from the moment I set my eyes on him. And I was willing to do anything to bring us together. When Patrick looked into my eyes, I felt weak in the knees and wet between my legs. My thoughts of Patrick were like roses in a field… delectable and soft.

Dreams of him were like hibiscus in a garden… bright and beautiful. And although I knew very well that he was my mother’s boyfriend, I woke up every morning thinking of how I would lie in Patrick’s arms.

I made up my mind to seduce him because I knew that my mother was too old for him.

The age gap was wide and my mum was just like a sugar mummy to him.

As a young lady, I felt that I and Patrick belonged together. So I wrote him a love letter and when he came to the house to see my mother, I carefully slipped the letter into his hand and told him to read it when he gets home.

Patrick read my letter and called me. And we agreed to start seeing each other secretly behind my mother’s back. He said he was dating my mother because of money, and that he had always had feelings for me.

Patrick was younger than my mother. So I didn’t feel guilty about loving him. After all, why should mum be going out with a younger man, especially one young enough to be her son? I thought.

Patrick first made love to me in a hotel where he paid for short time. It had to be in a hotel because he couldn’t take me to his house for fear that one of his busy-body neighbours might see us together and report to my mother.

The sun was setting and the horizon looked so beautiful like a skyline from dreamland.

And his kisses seemed to drown me against the orange glow of the romantic sunset.

They were so sweet I just held on to him and let him undress me. And when he touched me between my thighs, I longed for him to take all of me.

Within six months of our underground romance, Patrick swore that I was his true love and asked me to marry him.

That was when I really thought about the implication of what I had done. I was secretly dating my mum’s boyfriend, but how could I marry him?

Patrick said we should relocate to Ghana and live happily ever after away from my mother. Before I ran away from home, I wrote my mum a letter begging her to forgive me for snatching her boyfriend.

I left the letter on the dining table where I knew she’d easily see it when she returned from work. I feel so bad about hurting my mum so much.

“He said he was dating my mother because of money, and that he had always had feelings for me. Patrick was younger than my mother. So I didn’t feel guilty about loving him. After all, why should mum be going out with a younger man, Forgiveness is the best medicine.

I left a Ghanaian contact phone number with one of my uncles in Nigeria and he especially one young enough to be her son? I thought.” called three weeks after I’d run to Ghana to say that my mum has forgiven me for what I did.

He said my mum said I should come back to Nigeria because no matter what happens, she remains my mother and can never hold

anything against me.

My uncle said that my mum said that even if I want to marry Patrick, the wedding should hold in Nigeria and she will support me as my mother, because every mother’s prayer is to

live to witness her daughter’s marriage.

I cried over the phone when my uncle delivered the message from my mother. I’ve told Patrick that I can’t marry a man without my mother’s consent and presence. It’s ei-

ther we go back to Nigeria and marry or he should forget about me.

Patrick says he’ll think about it, and I’ve given him two weeks to make up his mind or I’ll leave him and go back to my mother.

35

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Relationships and Love Advice

‘My lesbian aunt wants me in her bed’

Love Search Women seeking relationship/ marriage Victoria, 30, from Akwa-Ibom, in Lagos, tall, big, single mother, wants a tall, responsible, working or business man for marriage.08153598363.

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Dear Love Doctor, I need your help. My aunt is a lesbian and she wants to sleep with me. She is my mother’s younger sister and she is very rich because she is married to a politician. My mother sent me from the village to stay with her in Abuja so that she can sponsor my education up to university level. I’ve been living with her for six months now and I observe the way different women come into the house to visit her. If her husband is around, the women will stay in the living room and be chatting with my aunt. But after her husband leaves the house, my aunt will take her female visitor inside her room and lock the door. Now she tells me to cooperate with her if I want to become a university graduate in future. She says that if I don’t cooperate with her I will end up as a failure in life because she won’t use her money to train me. Sometimes in the night when her husband is asleep, she would come inside my room and tell me to touch her breasts and private part. I’ve been having a lesbian affair with her since last month because I don’t want her to send me back to the village. But now I’m fed up. My parents are very poor in the village. Please what should I do?

From Yvonne.

Love Doctor’s Advice: Dear Yvonne,

I’m aware some men are married to lesbians. A lesbian that also sleeps with a man or member of the opposite sex is called a bisexual. Therefore, your aunt is a bisexual.

She is evil. Stop doing it with her. However, she is not God and does not hold the key to your destiny. You don’t have to go through such horror of sexual harassment from a woman like you and a member of your own family for that matter, in order to be a graduate or succeed in life. I suggest you return to your parents and tell them to seek help elsewhere, that is, away from your aunt. You can also choose to learn a trade in the interim, for example, fashion designing or hairdressing so that you can work now and save money to go to school later Do you have advice on this problem? Please share your thoughts. Call 07031028714 or 08131161840. Email: ireto007@yahoo.com Note: If you have fertility problems like childlessness, inability to conceive or get pregnant, miscarriages, fibroid, low sperm count, STDs, or need a male child or female? Call 07031028714, 08131161840. Love Doctor can help you succeed in your marriage/relationship.

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36

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

It happened to me:

‘My Boyfriend broke up with me because I had an abortion’

I

was hosting a going-away party for my friend who was moving to Australia. The house was littered with PBRs and old stories of our college years. Friends I haven’t seen in years showed up, including this one guy I had a crush on and never told him.

We were chatting in my back patio and in I drunkenly, stupidly smiled at him. “I think you want me to kiss you.” I giggled.

“I do.”That was our first kiss. On February 28th, I finally got to kiss Roger.

At the time I didn’t have high hopes for us. I was planning on a one night stand and maybe another casual hook-up in the future.

Roger was different. He knew how to be nonthreatening to me. He just wanted to be there.

Three weeks later he said it was OK if he wasn’t my boyfriend but I was his girlfriend to him. He was perfect for me.

We were together for five months. That’s definitely not that long to be with someone, but for me it was a big deal. Relationships have never been my thing. I’ve had always had extreme commitment issues.

So when I found someone who was laid back and just waited for me to open up to him I was elated. Everything seemed perfect. We never fought. We smiled and laughed and everything was perfect.

At 2 months he told me he loved me. And I loved him too. Oh man, I loved him more than anything.

After 3 months of dating, he met my parents.

They talked about grandkids so much it must have freaked him out because then he sat me down to tell me he didn’t want kids in the near future. This was a big issue for him and he just wanted to be truthful.

For me, all I knew was that I wanted him.

Before being with him I was convinced I would just get knocked up by some random one night stand and I would go live my Gilmore Girls life as a single mom, but I never needed a child to be complete me. I knew if I had to choose between him and a child I would choose him.

I told him that I would do anything to keep him and if he didn’t want to have children right now, then that was OK. We wouldn’t have children.

“After the abortion, something changed. He held me harder. I realized he was crying. I asked him to tell me what was wrong. He wouldn’t tell me. I begged.

Nothing. He did this for two days. I asked him if we did the right thing and he said we did. He said it was the right thing to do. It was what was best for us.”

Before Roger, it was two years since I had a steady sex partner so I decided to get off the pill and rely on condoms. When I realized Roger was going to stick around I decided to start on the pill. We had a conversation about it. I said we needed a plan B in case my hormones weren’t regulated enough.

I asked him what he would want to do if I did get pregnant. He told me he believed in the woman’s right to choose. Like I said. He was perfect. We had plans to go to Hawaii.

Five weeks after that conversation, I found out I was pregnant.

I was scared. I was ashamed. I felt stupid and ill-prepared. I was freaking out. I called him. He was perfect. Everything I needed to hear, he said. He said he just wanted to be there with me. I felt so lucky that this was the man I was going through life with.

That weekend we celebrated my birthday — more in love than ever. He gave me a beautiful diamond necklace. Wrote me a beautiful card saying how he was excited to spend so many more years with me.

I asked him how he felt about the pregnancy.

He said again that he just wanted to make sure I was OK. Then he said that he doesn’t feel the same about kids any more. He would want to try to have kids in three years. I was ecstatic when he told me this. This made the abortion

so much easier for me. Knowing that we would have another chance, that one day I would have a child from the love of my life.

Two days after my birthday, I was bleeding.

I went to the ER and I had a threatened miscarriage. My mom had over five miscarriages. I have always known that being pregnant would be a struggle for me. He was worried for me, but I knew I was fine. “I guess the baby doesn’t want to be here either.”

The day of the abortion he hugged me. Said he loved me. Held me. I never felt so protected and safe.

After the abortion, something changed. He held me harder. I realized he was crying. I asked him to tell me what was wrong. He wouldn’t tell me. I begged. Nothing. He did this for two days. I asked him if we did the right thing and he said we did. He said it was the right thing to do. It was what was best for us.

The Monday after the abortion he called me to tell me he didn’t think he could be my boyfriend any more. He didn’t want to be with someone who aborted his baby.

He never once told me he was against abortions or that he was against someone aborting his children. But back when we discussed having kids and I said I would do anything to make him happy. Even if that meant aborting our child. He thought to himself

how he would break up with me if I ever did abort his child. But he didn’t think to tell me this. Ever.

He thought I was careless for getting pregnant and using abortion as an option.

He’s 31. You would think he would understand the general consequences of having sex. He definitely should have never have cum inside me if he felt that way.

I told him I started birth control a week after we started sleeping together, but I hadn’t had the pill for over two years. If he felt that strongly about abortion and not having kids I would have scheduled an IUD as soon as possible.

He didn’t care.. He has already moved on from this. I asked him why.

“You would have kept the baby,” he replied.

I was so appalled. Of course I would have kept the baby. I wanted to have kids. I told him he had no right to keep that from me. He set us up to fail. He didn’t care. He said that he would always love me as a friend, but he was over this and had nothing nice to say anymore.

Four days from that break up, I would board a plane by myself to Hawaii.

Courtesy: go.co

37

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Love & Living

Cheating is fun, but…

B EING faithful isn’t exactly interesting neither is it fashionable. It is in fact boring and drab; more like a straight road with no turns. Cheating is the opposite, full of activity, adventure; it lets you get expressive without restraint. Sounds interesting, right!

I had a rather odd experience some years ago. Things were going quite smoothly in the relationship until the scent of another lady became unmistakable. Despite his denials, I just knew I couldn’t possibly be wrong. Men should know this, a smart lady who is into you can always tell when her place is in contention; we just know.

But strangely, hard as I tried, I couldn’t just pick her out. They were very arty and managed to keep it low.

I knew that he was only cheating just because he could. It was only a game, fun, proof of manliness. She wasn’t more than a sex toy so he kept her identity secret, he wasn’t proud of it. But he was really enjoying it, I could tell.

Much as I tried to make him stop, he just couldn’t. I hated unhealthy competitions so I had to recheck my relationship goals. I found that I was getting what I didn’t need. I wanted to believe in something and someone and safely so too. Having to perpetually worry about finding out who he might be sleeping with per time was completely

out of it. I began to see those early signs as red lights worth my attention. It made no sense letting someone tamper with my self-esteem just because some girl was being extremely generous. It’s not even as if we had discussed the issue in this regard. So, I left him.

Some months later, I got a call from Janet, his cousin’s friend. She needed me to visit her to discuss something important. I remembered her, very quiet and unassuming personality. She was plain and innocent looking, ever smiling and respectful, everything good. I decided to go.

When I got there, a pregnant Janet welcomed me. Shocked and benumbed, I sat down waiting to hear what she had to say. Then she went on her knees and in tears begged for my forgiveness. She then confessed! They were seriously making out all the while that she pretended to be just a friend. He was always worried about me finding out but she reassured that she would never tell.

They only stopped when I left. By then she was already pregnant, with his child?

No! Janet was pregnant for someone else.

Apparently, my ex wasn’t the only beneficiary of Janet’s bonanza. He was in luck though since she didn’t pin the pregnancy on him, at least she still had a bit of a conscience. And then she asked that I

Ify ARONU ifyaronu@gmail.com forgive him too and take him back. Truly, he was still asking for another chance at that time but I couldn’t give it. I knew that cheating is not easily overcome, that’s why it is not easily forgiven. Forgiving an unfaithful partner today usually means that you are willing to forgive him each other time. You might think that unfaithful partners want their partners to be faithful but that is hardly the case.

Most cheating partners prefer it when their partner are also discretely playing games; that way it’s even and no one bothers to stalk the other. A friend recently corroborated that saying that relationships work when partners are like-minded and not when one is good and the other bad. Hmmm…

I have always held that being able to see the red flag earlier on can make a

world of difference. If you notice that your partner cheats, it is only fair to clear the air just to be sure. If you find that it’s true, you have two options, walk or stay. If you do stay, make sure you are ready to always forgive each other time. In that case, you might want to invest in a robe of forgiveness.

Good luck!

Cheating seems really interesting but the fun dies out fast. However, partners who cheat only come to terms with the stark emptiness it brings after a long time of addiction. Many are never able to get off that windy road and a crash is inevitable.

•Please send your comments, commendations, and condemnations to ifyaronu@gmail.com

Too much education unhealthy too

A

FEW days ago, many schools resumed and parents have been running helter skelter in a bid to ensure their wards and children resume school with everything they need for the academic session. It can be a challenging time.

But I ask? Was there ever a vacation? If you are wondering why I am asking, I am also wondering.

Is there something I am missing?

Is there something that I do not know?

Was there ever a time out from academic work for these children?

When was the time? What is the purpose of the holidays if children would not rest? Were the holidays given so that they could move from one type of schooling to the other?

I don’t understand what is happening? Maybe, the experts in this area would provide some enlightening answers. What are school activities during holidays suppose to do for the children? If there is schooling during holiday why is it then holiday?

Do these parents truly care about their wards or are they just being selfish? Are they merely searching for where to keep the children while they continue with their individual pursuits?

I may be young and unmarried as many would remind me, but that does not mean I am oblivious of what is happening in my immediate environment. And the entire summer school brouhaha was one that caught my attention. Ok, they call it summer school to justify what they are doing? Where is the summer?

What is the use of formal educa-

M

e& ore

Maureen Alikor maureenalikor@gmail.com

I am not anti-education, but I am against the manner in which parents have shoved their responsibilities into the hands of teachers, thereby forgetting there is a huge gap they are ignorantly creating in the hearts of their children.

”

tion if children no longer receive the informal form of education, which we once knew to be the first stage of education? When do parents educate their children, at home?

Lately, I see and hear that school children leave their homes or get picked up by their school shuttle buses as early as 6:30am, only to return at 4pm after, of course, some of them must have stayed back for after school lessons. I am worried sick for these children and for the generation of parents we are par-

enting.

I am not anti-education, but I am against the manner in which parents have shoved their responsibilities into the hands of teachers, thereby forgetting there is a huge gap they are ignorantly creating in the hearts of their children. These children would at a point become parents!

Some parents would want to excuse themselves with the fact that they have to work and fend for the family, but then what would it prof-

it us if we accrue all the wealth and end up with broken children roaming our streets? Would we not be creating more problems than the ones we think we are solving?

I believe something should be done about this and parents should know they have a major role in the training of their children and not schools. Whatever would be done would be the product of the conviction of individual parents on their role in the lives of their children.

Many of us know most of the challenges – parents work, parents have to fend for the family, parents need some time for themselves, parents may not even know what to teach their children if they are together, there are more. The most important response to these would be what individual parents see as their roles in the lives of their children.

The after school lessons and classes and other systems that draw the children away from the training of their parents should be looked into and balanced properly. We may never fully appreciate the consequences of children spending fewer hours in the homes, and more importantly not spending those hours with their parents.

Our country and the world are broken enough, let’s not keep breaking them and then keep blaming the cracks for making themselves visible.

Please send comments to maureenalikor@gmail.com

38

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

The Law and You

With Barr. Ken Akpom 08162016410

1999 Constitution: Citizen’s right to fair hearing III T he true test of fair hearing is the impression of a reasonable man who was present at the trial, whether from his observation justice had been done in the matter. However, the reasonable man should be a person who keeps his mind and reasoning within the bounds of reason and not necessarily, extreme.

In the wise, if in his view the principles of fair hearing were not violated, then the proceedings will not a vitiated. It becomes fundamental that justice should not only be done but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.

The principle of fair hearing entrenched in the Nigerian Constitution as a fundamental right is often illustrated by the twin pillar of justice: Nemo Judex in Causa Sua and Audi Alteram Partem. Fair hearing is synonymous but not coterminous with natural justice. Hearing of parties to a dispute need not be oral as it could be made in a written format.

Fair hearing is not only a common law right, but also a constitutional right under the Nigerian Law, equally guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the European Convention of People’s Right and the United Nations Convention on People’s Rights.

The important consideration been that fair and equal opportunity be according to the parties. It envisages that a party who fails to avail himself of an unimpeded opportunity of being heard cannot turn around to complain of lack of a fair hearing as the law assist the vigilant and not those that sleep, expressed in the Latin maxim; subveniunt leges, subveniunt jura, succvrrit lex.

Over the years some principles or features have been developed as vitiating the fundamental right of fair hearing to wit: notice of hearing in which parties will have to present their case before a decision is made, right to know the case of the opposing party, the right to be given an opportunity to present a defence, and that the procedure must ensure fair hearing. Also, there must be real and effective access to a court, there must be a hearing before an independent and impartial court or tribunal established by law.

There is equally the rule against bias, trial within a reasonable time, trial by a court or tribunal, bodies or persons to whom it applies and that trial is in public. It connotes that every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the court. The person shall be entitled to defend himself in person or by a legal practitioner of his own choice.

In addition, the record of the proceedings must be kept and the accused entitled to a copy of the judgment within seven days of the conclusion of the matter, no retrospective legislation, the vexed issued of double jeopardy that under no circumstance should a person who has been pardoned of a criminal offence or had been previously tried by a court of competent jurisdiction on the same facts or ingredients be tried for the offence again. Likewise, during the trial an accused person shall not be compelled to give evidence at the trial against him.

On the other hand, ex parte injunctions or applications sound antithetical to the notion of the concept of fair hearing as it breaches the maxim Audi Alteram Partem, an essential element of fair hearing. It connotes a form of order made by the court upon the application of one party to an action without giving notice to the other party, the other party been absent.

The ex parte injunction is valid until the next motion day by which time notice could have been served on the other party.

The party will then have a chance of opposing the plaintiff’s application for injunction. The phrase ex parte means in itself that the court had not had the opportunity of hearing the other side.

In Nigeria ex parte injunctions seems to put individual interest above collection national interest and has been prone to abuses culminating in perverting the cause of justice. Understandably therefore, a proper use of ex parte injunctions is essential

for the administration and the attainment of justice, described in legal circles as an extraordinary procedure but sadly, experience has shown that an improper use or abuse of the process can defeat the course of justice which the process was designed to serve. Ex parte injunctions though constitutional and within the inherent jurisdiction of the courts as an exception to the Nemo Judex rule should be granted only where if it is not granted is results in irreparable or serious damage.

Irreparable damages meaning damage that if it occurs, return to the status quo becomes impossible and the suffering party cannot be compensated by an award of damages. Ex parte injunctions are not only constitutional but indispensable and unavoidable in the course of procedural steps to achieve justice.

So there is the need for balance to achieve substantial justice.

The right to a fair hearing is implicit within the concepts of rule of law and fundamental human rights. Right to fair hearing is the taproot of every trial; without it a trial become unless in law. The principle of fair hearing was first introduced into Nigeria in the constitution by virtue of the 1960 Independent Constitution. Section 21 state that in the determination of his civil rights and obligations a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such a manner to secure its independence and impartiality. Section 22 of the 1963 Republican Constitution of Nigeria contained the same provision in par material with that of the 1960 constitution.

To solidify this position, the 1979 constitution contains a similar but expanded provision. Section 33(1) stated that in the determination of his civil rights and obligations including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality. Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 protects the rights to a fair hearing as it has a similar provision with the hitherto 1979 constitution.

The section provides for a fair hearing for any person before any competent court or tribunal in civil matters and each party to a dispute must be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality. The provision does not only enjoin the court and tribunal to allow each party to state his own case in court or

“In Nigeria ex parte injunctions seems to put individual interest above collection national interest and has been prone to abuses culminating in perverting the cause of justice. Understandably therefore, a proper use of ex parte injunctions is essential for the administration and the attainment of justice”

before a tribunal but to give each party notice of the date of hearing and place of hearing.

Under criminal proceedings, section 36(4)4 confers upon an accuse person the right to a fair hearing, whilst subsection (5) to (12) lays down the steps which must be followed. Curiously subsection (4) after stating that fair hearing must be in public and within a reasonable time, curtailed the right of fair hearing by providing that the court or tribunal may exclude from the proceedings persons other than the accused or his legal counsel in the interest of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, the welfare of persons under the age of eighteen years and the protection of the lives of the parties.

It equally preserved the existing right of the Government to withhold the disclosure of classified documents or other evidence on the ground that they are privileged.

As already pointed out, the right to fair hearing is not only protected by the common law or the constitution, it is also protected by other statutory provision for example. The Criminal Procedure Act is a statute which governs brining of the accused to trial in Southern Nigeria.

An accused person is presumed innocent until proved otherwise and to ensure a fair trial of the accused both the constitutional provision and the statutory provisions are evoked.

I shall be looking at those provisions at the Criminal Procedure Act which assist fair hearing, of course the Evidence Act shall be referred to where applicable.

SUMMON AND ARREST An accused person could be brought before the court by way of arrest with or without or in the case of a private prosecutor, by way of summons.

A summon is usually issued by a magistrate after being informed of the complaint and at his discretion on being satisfied that there is reasonable cause for an action. This is served on the accused to answer the charge contained in the summons within at least 48 hours and at a time and please stated.

A disobedience of this summons would entitle a police officer to arrest the accused without warrant. It is important to point out here what would lead to an unfair trial as where the accused did not receive the summons or it was not adequately brought to his notice.

By virtue of section 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act (C.P.A) such accused person must be informed clearly the cause of his arrest while section 9 of the same Act provides that he be given all facilities for obtaining bail and a counsel.

However where the arrest was done by a private person, he must within a reasonable time be handed over to the nearest police station or police officer who must then make enquiries into the cases. By virtue of section 19 of the Act, the accused must be discharged if no evidence is found to show that he actually committed any offence.

The statutory provisions in section 5 and 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act compliment the constitutional provisions in section 36(6) of the 1999 constitution. At this juncture, the position at present should be examined. The question of bringing the accused to trial within a reasonable time has arisen acutely in recent times as many accused languish in police custody for even periods longer than they would have been if convicted .

To be continued next edition

• Do you have questions or seek legal clarification on issues concerning your marriage, probate, property, etc? Call or send a text message to Barr. Ken: 08162016410, 08075763840. Email: kenakpom@yahoo.com

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Entertainment With Douglas Omoyooma

Fatherhood a fulfilling experience –Chigozie Atuanya

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nambra State-born-popular actor and star of Royal palace, Chigozie Atuanya, having conquered the field of acting is charting new inroads as a movie producer. The multiple award winning actor has shot flicks like Chetanna and Captain Mark in this chat with Oracle Today, the actor speaks on fatherhood and why celebrities’ marriages crash among other issues.

A while ago you veered into movie production with the production of Chetanna, what is the world of a movie producer cum actor like?

Hmmm… it could be hectic but in my movies I always have a co-producer. I also make sure I work with my colleagues who are seasoned actors and actresses. The truth I must confess is that it is all about team work so I cant sit here and take all the glory for all I have achieved today. My movies are a product of synergy between my team and I and you won’t you won’t see me shout on set or overreacting when issues come up.

What project are you working on currently?

Wow! My hands are full at the moment. I am undergoing training session for a new action flick which I am about to shoot. It is going to be something Nollywood hasn’t seen before.

You have already made a name for yourself as an accomplished actor.What made you delve into movie production?

I guess I am seeking new frontiers to conquer. I don’t think it is unusual or actors to marry the two professions seamlessly. For me I would say it is the best way I can express myself because I have always had great stories I want to tell. Again, there is the issue of Igbo language which is in danger of extinction. That was what made me produce Chetanna which is an Igbo language based flick.

You are married and now a proud father, how does that make you feel?

I was born into a family of five boys and a girl. So, I was used to having boys around me. Now I have a girl as my first daughter. It wasn’t easy for my parents to raise five boys. My wife travelled to USA to deliver our bundle of joy. We live in Lagos. I feel so happy and fulfilled to be a proud father.

What do you think should be done to make celebrities’ marriages last?

Let me be sincere to you. Any marriage that would be, would be. Any one that would not be would not be. If my wife wants our marriage to be, it would be. If she doesn’t want it to, then it would not be. If you want to keep your home, you have to stop listening to rumours. Let the wives learn to encourage their husbands instead of nagging all the time.

What do you have to tell Igbo people and Nigerians as a whole?

Nigeria should live as one, in peace and unity.

I know we are going through hard times but it is only a matter of time. Let us all learn to support each other.

As for the Igbos, please love one another and unite as one. We will all get to the Promised Land.

Peace and progress is all we should be praying for.

• Chigozie Atuanya

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

I have lots of projects that I’m working on. It is not by my power but by God’s grace. We can’t boast of anything expect God permits. I strongly believe 2017 would be a great year for me.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Entertainment

O’JEZ plans mega concert for Independence Day

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un seekers are in for a swell time as celebrity hangout, O’Jez Restaurant, located at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, is putting together a fun filled weekend.

According to a statement from the platform, from September 29 through Monday, October 2, the platform will treat Lagosians to a four-day music, comedy and dance festival as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Independence Day anniversary.

Speaking, boss of O’Jez, Engineer Joseph Odobeatu said: “It will be the longest and most unforgettable weekend Nigerians will ever witness in a long time to come. The Independence groove will begin on Friday with a show featuring a long list of comedians like Elenu, MC Shakara with host, Elder O alongside ATM and MC Phrymzo.

“Several dance groups will be on parade with D.J Multy jamming into the wee hours of Saturday,” Odobeatu said adding that the next day will witness a different set of artistes and a magician with host MC Phrymzo backed by Elder O. “The Sunday’s show will be the climax as Nollywood stars including

Charles Inojie, Ejike Asiegbu, Zack Orji and Victor Osuagwu among others will be on ground to get close up and personal with guests who have never had the opportunity of seeing them off screen. I have decided to keep more details of the Sunday and Monday shows under wraps. All you need to do is come to O’jez and have fun.”

Odobeatu, a sports enthusiast and owner of O’jez Table Tennis Academy is however calling on potential sponsors to key into the event and reach out to their clients.

“We are in talks with a telecommunication firm and an alcoholic beverages company has shown interest but nothing concrete yet so we are

Winners emerge in Xandas Take the Mic

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inners have emerged at the maiden edition of Xandas Take the Mic, a talent hunt show which was held in Awka, Anambra State on Saturday, September nine, at Xandas Lounge.

The star prize was won by MC Kingjoe from Nnewi, and he went home with a cash reward and a three year management contract, courtesy, Icon Group Nigeria (IGN).

Other winners were MC Egusi from Abia State who was first runners-up and MC Stainless from Warri, Delta State who was second runners-up.

Speaking, the producer of the throwing it open for all to come on event, Lawrence Lurrenzo Onuzuboard and sponsor this four-day like, a Lagos based movie producer musical carnival. I assure prospec- and CEO IGN said: “The winner of tive sponsors that they won’t regret being part of this event. And before I forget, the Sunday event is a family affair. Families are encouraged to grace the event as there would be dance contest for the kids and couples’ game show for the parents ast weekend, all roads let to Eko with lots of valuable prizes to be Hotel & Suites for the 2017 edicarted home. tion of Most beautiful Girl in Ni“Last year, we gave out plasma geria.

And indeed it was an exciting TV sets, microwaves and cartons of O’jez Wines despite not having a night as Miss Kebbi, Ihueze Ugochi Mitchell won MBGN crown for 2017. sponsor. So heavens will not fall if Speaking after she was announced we get sponsors and give out a car winner, a tearful Miss Kebbi thanked to the winner of the couples’ game,” the organisers for the opportunity.

Odobeatu concluded.

She said:Speaking after she was crowned, the new Queen said: “I am overwhelmed and happy for this op-

the star prize will sign a three years management contract with IGN which involves promoting the talent and getting him to perform in big shows in and outside of Nigeria.

“After many years of promoting talents in Lagos through my films and other projects, this is time to give something back to my people,” the indigene of Achalla in Awka North Local Government, Anambra State said, adding that the event was powered by IGN, his comedy talent hunt show inspired by desire to discover and develop talents from the eastern part of the country.

Judges included Brown Ifeanyi Igboegwu and Victor Emeghara both Nollywood practitioners.

I am happy I won MBGN – Ihueze Mitchel, Miss Kebbi

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COSON sues Ope Banwo for N500m

portunity. I want to thank the organisers for this opportunity. I also want to thank my family and friends for the support and love they showered on me during the pageant. I love you all.”

The beauty clinched the award after a keen contest with 36 other girls. Ihueze will represent Nigeria at Miss World which holds later in the US.

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awyers pf Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) have filed a N500m libel suit against Mr. Banwo at the High Court, Ikeja, Lagos State. Suit No Temp/30970/2017 was filed on behalf of COSON by Mr. Justin Ige of Creative Legal and it is supported by a 47 paragraph Statement of Claim.

In the suit, COSON’s lawyers are alleging that that Banwo without being invited or being a member of COSON had invaded COSON premises on Friday, April 28, at the former premises of COSON located at 25, Omodara Street, Opebi, Lagos, and without permission he had used a smartphone and done a live stream of images of the staff of COSON at work and the premise which he posted on the Internet and made false statements against Okoroji and COSON. In the suit, COSON is alleging that Banwo’s objective was to engineer a revolt against Okoroji and COSON by the members of COSON, stakeholders in the music industry and the government of the Federal Republic

• Ihueze Mitchel, Miss Kebbi • Chief Tony Okoroji of Nigeria.

Consequently, COSON is praying the court to grant it General and Aggravated damages in the sum of N500m for injuries to the credit, character and reputation of the Claimants as a result of the incidence.

My affair with Toyin Aihmaku –Yomi Fabiyi

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ollywood hunk, Yomi Fabiyi They have also asked the court to has sensationally denied ever order Mr. Ope Banwo to publish full dating actress, Tiyin Aihmakun. page unreserved apology on Face- In a controversial post on social book, Vanguard, the Guardian, the media, Fabiyi who has been ruSun and the Punch Newspapers as a moured to be dating the controversial actress described their relationresult of the incident. ship as just platonic.

He said: “I am under common sense obligation to refute current perceptions which seems like a dating of sort has ignited between Toyin Aimakhu-Abraham and myself. We How about your saddest moment?

“I have no saddest moments,” she replied with a smile.

Does she have any regrets; is there ip hop singer, Davido is back in anything she would want to do difthe news as his latest singles, ferently? “Oh yes. A lot of water has If and Fall have gannared over passed under the bridge but I thank 60 million views on YouTube and the God I am here today.” act is so excited he had to celebrate Despite her age, Salawa Abeni still the feet on social media recently and performs with strength and vigour also appreciate his fans. far beneath years. What is the secret He had posted the following mesto her youth and energy: “Almighty sage: “IF video now has over 41 milGod,” the singer says breaking into lion views in seven months and Fall a confident smile of a woman who video now has over 22 million views knows her onions. in 3 months. Thank you guys, I’m grateful.”

I’ve no regrets in life –Salawa Abeni

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• Salawa Abeni

aka Queen, Salawa Abeni has opened up on her happiest moments as an entertainer. In a chat with Oracle Today, the singer who won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the maiden edition of CityPeople Music Awards 2017 which was held recently in Lagos said that she had no regrets in life and was grateful to CityPeole Magazine for the award.

“I Have no regrets in life but many happy moments. They include the day I had my first born, the day I released my first LP and the day I won my first award as African Best Vocalist of the Year.”

are not. Without much ado, I want to state that we have not cross that line yet.

“Our individual public display of affection via our social media pages are commensurate to what we share in private but please note, it is nothing beyond friendship love.”

The pair got close after Toyin broke up with Seun Elegbede who was accused of stealing phones worth millions of naira at Computer Village, Lagos, last year.

Davido gets 100 million views

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• Davido

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

News

PMB addresses global conflicts, silent on Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the United Nations in New York, minutes ago, but failed to mention a word about the spiraling conflicts in Nigeria. He spoke about conflicts at various points in the world, but not a word about his country, even as demonstrators were outside the building chanting anti-Buhari songs over the increased military presence in South east Nigeria.

The full text of the President’s speech: n behalf of my country, Nigeria, I congratulate you Mr. President on your election and Mr. Gutteres on his first General Assembly outing as our Secretary-General. I assure you both of my country’s solidarity and cooperation. You will indeed need the cooperation of all member States as we are meeting during extra-ordinarily troubled and dangerous times. Let me also thank former Secretary-General Mr. Ban ki Moon for his service to the United Nations and wish him peaceful retirement.

Mr. President, 2.The previous year has witnessed many far-reaching developments.

Some of the most significant events include the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Paris Climate Change Agreement and, of grave concern, the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Mr. President, 3.I must also commend the UN’s role in helping to settle thousands of innocent civilians caught in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In particular, we must collectively thank the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany under the commendable leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Governments of Italy, Greece and Turkey for assisting hundreds of thousands of refugees.

4.In an exemplary show of solidarity, the international community came together within my own region to assist the countries and communities in the Sahel and the Lake Chad regions to contain the threats posed by Al Qaida and Boko Haram.

5.We thank the Security Council for visiting the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to assess the security situation and humanitarian needs, and for pledging assistance to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Indeed, in Nigeria we are providing relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in internally displaced camps and those afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.

6.In the last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance, democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa.

7.Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken. Our regional organisation ECOWAS came together to uphold democratic principles in The Gambia – as we had done previously in Cote D’Ivoire.

8.Through our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern day slavery, human trafficking and cybercrime.

Mr. President,

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•President Buhari

9.These cooperative efforts should be sustained. We must collectively devise strategies and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are insufficient resources and response capacity is weak.

10.This will require strong UN cooperation with regional organisations, such as the African Union, in conflict prevention and management. The UN should continue to take primary leadership of the maintenance of international peace and security by providing, in a predictable and sustainable manner, adequate funding and other enablers to regional initiatives and peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council.

Mr. President, 11.New conflicts should not make us lose focus on ongoing unresolved old conflicts. For example, several UN Security Council Resolutions from 1967 on the Middle East crisis remain unimplemented. Meanwhile, the suffering of the Palestinian people and the blockade of Gaza continue.

12.Additionally, we are now confronted by the desperate human rights and humanitarian situations in Yemen and most tragically in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The Myanmar crisis is very reminiscent of what happened in Bosnia in 1995 and in Rwanda in 1994.

13.The international community cannot remain silent and not condemn the horrendous suffering caused by what, from all indications is a state-backed programme of brutal depopulation of the Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of ethnicity and religion. We fully endorse the call by the Secretary-General on the Government of Myanmar to order a halt to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and ensure the safe return of the displaced Rohingya to their homes in safety and dignity.

14.In all these crises, the primary victims are the people, the most vulnerable being women and children.

That is why the theme of this session: Focusing on People: Striving

for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet” is most apposite.

15.While the international community grapples to resolve these conflicts, we must be mindful and focus on the widening inequalities within societies, and the gap between the rich and the poor nations.

These inequalities and gaps are part of the underlining root causes of competition for resources, frustration and anger leading to spiralling instability.

The most pressing threat to international peace and security today is the accelerated nuclear weapons development programme by North Korea. Since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, we have never come so close to the threat of nuclear war as we have now.

All necessary pressure and diplomatic efforts must be brought to bear on North Korea to accept peaceful resolution of the crisis. As Hiroshima and Nagasaki painfully remind us, if we fail, the catastrophic and devastating human loss and environmental degradation cannot be imagined.

Mr. President, 18.Nigeria proposes a strong UN delegation to urgently engage the North Korean Leader. The delegation, led by the Security Council, should include members from all the regions.

19.The crisis in the Korean peninsula underscores the urgency for all member states, guided by the spirit of enthroning a safer and more peaceful world, to ratify without delay the Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which will be open for signature here tomorrow. Mr. President, I end my remarks by reiterating Nigeria’s abiding commitment to the foundational principles and goals of the United Nations. Since our admission as a member state in 1960, we have always participated in all efforts to bring about global peace, security and development.

Nigeria will continue to support the UN in all its efforts, including the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I thank you.

Why I compelled political office holders to swear an oath – Liyel Imoke

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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ORMER governor of Cross River State Senator Liyel Imoke has justified his decision to compel public officers who served under his administration to swear an oath renouncing cultism.

He explained that his decision was informed by the rising rate of cultism-induced impunity in the State at the time and his desire to crack down on the menace.

The former governor disclosed this during a Peace and Security Summit organized by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and the Foundation for Peace and Security Education (FOPSE) in collaboration with the Cross River Partnership for Peace & Security (CRPPS).

The Summit, which drew renowned stakeholders from the Central Senatorial District of the State, was organized to seek solutions to the myriad of conflicts, cult wars and sundry communal conflicts, which have engulfed the district in recent time.

Giving more insight into this initiative, Mr. Imoke said: “When I was governor, I was very concerned about young people joining cults and about politicians using these young people or cultists who went in and committed all kinds of crimes and offences in the name of politics, sometimes in the name of support

for a political party or a politician.

“That was how cultism grew in Cross River State. I insisted that people take an oath before they joined my government. And it was a pre-condition to being sworn in. If you did not take that oath, you will not be sworn in.

“And a lot of people asked me, Oga, how can you be asking people to take oath against cultism. They said there are some of them that are taking oath and are known cultists. I said yes, they are known cultists but as they are coming into government, they need to take this oath. And if there is nothing else, there is one thing I achieved, make you hold the bible. As you are holding the bible and taking that oath, in your conscience it will be troubling you.

“You will be amazed at how effective it was. It was no longer fashionable to be a cult member. In fact, what I used to say to members of my political class, if cultism was a good thing, and you had to be in a cult, why don’t you put it in your CV so that when you are applying for a job you put it. So you can understand how totally irrelevant belonging to a cult is”, he said.

He enjoined the participants at the summit to draw from the experiences in his administration in managing conflicts and affirmed that clash between communities never resolves any problem.

Buratai denies declaring IPOB terrorist organisation From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

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HIEF of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Tukur Brutai has denied that the Nigerian Army declared the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization.

Burutai, who spoke in a chat with journalists in Nkkwagu Military Cantonment, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, said what the military did was a mere pronouncement on the separatist group intended to achieve a purpose.

He said the military acted within the ambit of the law in the face-off between them and IPOB in Abia state.

His words: “You have to get it very clear. First of all, what the Defence Headquarters did was to make pronouncement. It wasn’t a declaration per se. But this has given room for the right step to be taken. I think the government is doing the right thing.

“It is not that we are overstepping our bounds. We are still within the limits. And I ensure you that what the military said was to set the ball rolling and to bring the awareness to the public that this is what this organization is all about. I’m happy that the government has done the right thing right now.

Earlier in a courtesy call to Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, Buratai assured the Army will abide by the rule of law and rules of engagement in carrying out the ongoing operation in the South-Eastern states.

He said the military exercise was aimed at improving the security situation in the zone, which he noted is very strategic to the security of the country.

According to him, the exercise

will help to bring about the much needed peace and security and also be used to train the Military in basic internal security.

“They army have taken into cognizance the security of the people in deployment of its personnel for the operation.

He said the army in carrying out the operation will liaise with other security agencies in the region.

“The army is very sensitive to the cultural norms of the people and will abide by all the rules of engagement and code of conduct that have been laid down which is quite in tandem with the Constitution”.

The Army Chief further revealed that some of the activities of the exercise will include Patrols, indoor battle exercises, Civil-Millitary cooperation activities like medical outreach, sanitation, donation of books to schools etc.

He therefore appealed for understanding as it was just an exercise to help improve security and well being of the people of the zone.

Governor David Umahi, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe promised that the people of the state would cooperate with the army throughout the duration of the exercise.

He noted that the first edition of the operation last year was peaceful and successful and urged the military to carry out the exercise with high sense of discipline that the Nigerian Military is known for.

He urged the Military to pay more attention to the state’s boundary dispute with Cross River while carrying out the exercise which he said had been decimated by boundary clashes.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Turkey begins trial of 30 newspaper staff for links to coup attempt

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hirty journalists and newspaper executives from a Turkish newspaper which was shut down in 2016 went on trial on Monday, facing life sentences over charges that they had links to a failed coup attempt.

The former employees of Zaman Newspaper are charged with “membership of an armed terror organisation” and “attempting to overthrow” the government, parlia-

ment and the constitutional order through their links to cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Zaman was affiliated with Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric and former ally of President Tayyip Erdogan.

Gulen is blamed by Ankara for instigating the failed July 2016 coup, but denies any involvement.

Zaman was first seized by the Turkish government in March 2016, months before the coup attempt,

Trump to press other nations to do more at UN General Assembly

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.S. President Donald Trump will urge other nations at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to take on a greater role even as he stresses the importance of national sovereignty as part of his “America First” vision.

Trump’s first remarks to the body will be closely watched by the international community eager for insight in the face of threats from North Korea, Islamic State, challenges in Myanmar and Venezuela.

North Korea’s missile tests and bellicose rhetoric have overshadowed the gathering as Trump coordinates with allies, Japan and South Korea, while pressuring China and Russia to do more.

Trump will speak in “extremely tough terms about the North Korean menace and the threat it poses to our security and to all the nations in that room,” a senior administration

official said.

More broadly, Trump is focused on promoting peace, prosperity and national sovereignty and accountability during the gathering of world leaders.

“He will urge all states to come together to address grave dangers that threaten us all,” National Security Adviser, HR McMaster said. “If nations meet these challenges, immense opportunity lies before us.”

The “deeply philosophical’’ remarks will outline the U.S.’ role in the world as Trump builds on speeches in Saudi Arabia and Poland this year, in which he called for other nations to do more to confront terrorism and to defend Western civilisation, the senior U.S. official said.

Trump will appeal to each country to use their own nation’s best interest as a basis for international cooperation, the official said.

and then closed down by a government decree.

Twenty-two of the suspects have been in pre-trial detention for months, including 73-year-old columnist Sahin Alpay.

“If it had ever crossed my mind that the Gulenist movement would take a role in a coup attempt, I would never have written a column in the Zaman newspaper,” Dogan news agency quoted Alpay as saying.

The indictment calls for three consecutive life sentences for the Zaman staff on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, the Turkish parliament and the Turkish government.

It said that the newspaper had ex-

ceeded the limits of press freedom and freedom of expression.

“I accept that this is an armed terrorist organisation, but I was never a member of it,” columnist Ali Bulac told the court in Silivri, the site of a large prison about 60 km (40 miles) west of the city.

“He had not paid close attention to the Gulenist movement’s activities, he said.

“I missed the hole in the ground when I was watching the stars.

“Bu, who did see it?,” Bulac said, adding the group’s operations were perceived to be legal during the time he worked for Zaman.

Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced in July that more than

50,000 people had been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings since the coup attempt.

The scale of the crackdown has drawn criticism from Turkey’s Western allies and led German Chancellor Angela Merkel to call for Ankara’s EU accession talks to be called off.

Turkey says the sweeping response to the coup reflects the deep security challenges the country has faced.

Rights groups say more than 160 journalists are detained in Turkey, making it the world’s biggest jailer of journalists.

The hearing will continue this week.

China says North Korea nuclear issue must be resolved peacefully

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orth Korean nuclear issue must be resolved peacefully, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, told his Russian counterpart during a meeting at the UN, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The U.S. and South Korea, and separately Russia together with China, started military drills on Wednesday in a show of force against North Korea, which repeatedly defied the UN to conduct nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

Wang said in a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday that China would strictly implement UN Security Council sanctions and stressed that “parties directly involved” must also take action and responsibility.

“The current deepening vicious cycle must be broken. Resuming peace talks is an equally important step in implementing Security Council resolutions,” Wang said, according to a statement on the foreign ministry website.

Russia has supported China’s “sus-

pension-for-suspension” proposal, where the U.S. and South Korea would agree to halt joint military drills while North Korea halted missile and nuclear tests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about keeping pressure on North Korea using economic sanctions imposed through the UN, the White House said on Monday.

Trump and Xi spoke on the phone days after Trump and his aides publicly discussed potential military action against North Korea.

Trump said on Friday he was “more confident than ever that our options in addressing this threat are both effective and overwhelming”.

Pyongyang carried out the latest in a rapid series of missile launches by firing another mid-range ballistic missile over Japan on Friday, soon after its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3, in defiance of UN sanctions and other international pressure.

Macron heads to UN with terrorism, climate on agenda

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rench President Emmanuel Macron will give his first address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, with terrorism and climate change as his top priorities.

Elysee officials were tight-lipped about the likely contents of Macron’s speech ahead of his travel.

But his agenda included a securityfocused meeting on Monday evening with fellow heads of state from the Sahel region of West Africa, where French troops are supporting local forces against militants.

Macron and British Prime Minister

Theresa May, as well as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni would host a meeting on preventing terrorist use of the internet.

The French president, who took office in May, would also open a summit on a French-backed proposal for global pact on environment, aimed at creating binding international code of environmental law.

French officials say Macron will also discuss the Syrian conflict with leaders of the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, Russia and the U.S.

• Pro Biafran demonstrators today at the British Parliament, Westminster London.

ECOWAS, ECONEC long-term observers for Liberia’s Oct. 10 polls

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ome 21 regional Long-Term Election Observers (LTOs) have arrived in Monrovia for deployment by the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) for Liberia’s October 10 presidential and legislative elections.

The team made up of political and election experts, specialists in conflict management, constitutional, legal, gender issues and the media, will be deployed across Liberia’s 15 Counties to observe critical phases of pre-, during and post-election processes of the first polls to be entirely managed by Liberian authorities without the support of the UN Peace keeping Mission, UNMIL, which had been in the country for the past 14 years.

As part of their pre-deployment orientation, the observers on 18th September, received a briefing from the head of the Liberian Bar Association, and were also taken through the key aspects of the ECOWAS election observation methodology.

The pre-deployment orientation being handled by the ECOWAS Commission technical team and repre-

sentatives of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), will also cover the pre-election context, the legal framework, international benchmarks and principles of electoral assessment, and introduction to the use of smart tablets for information/data collection and reporting.

Other elements are the roles and responsibilities of LTOs and the Code of conduct for ECOWAS observers and Guidelines for field work.

In his remarks, Mr. Francis Oke, Head of ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and the ECONEC Permanent Secretary, enjoined the observers to take their tasks very seriously, noting that the Liberian elections are coming on the heels of teachable lessons from the recent presidential vote in Kenya, where the Supreme Court had to annul the polls because of “illegalities and irregularities.”

In their areas of deployment, the LTOs will engage with various stakeholders, including officials of government, the ruling and opposition political parties, the National Election Commission (NEC) Liberia, the judici-

ary and legislature, civil society, and the media, among others.

It is also the responsibility of the Long-term Election Observation Mission (LTEOM) to prepare the ground for regional Short-term observers, who will be arriving on the eve of the polls.

ECOWAS introduced the LTEOMs in 2014, with the support of development partners, particularly the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, (GIZ), to complement the short-term observation mechanism as part of efforts to improve the election observation initiative as a tool for conflict prevention, promoting credible elections and democratic consolidation in the region.

Liberia has a population of 4.5 million, and the NEC registered some 2.1 million voters and 20 political parties for the October polls. Seventeen of the political parties and three independent candidates are contesting for the presidency and vice presidency, while more than 960 candidates are vying for the 70 parliamentary seats at stake.

The Oracle Today

43

Wednesday September 27, 2017

SPORTS Zambia must fall in Uyo – Balogun Storie by MADUABUCHI KALU

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UPER Eagles’ and FSV Mainz 05 defender, Leon Balogun, has dismissed Chipolopolo of Zambia’s mind game in the forthcoming crucial World Cup Qualifying match against the Super Eagles saying they are free to say whatever they want to say but that the bottom line is that they are going to bit the dust in Uyo come October 7, 2017.

Balogun stated this following the Chipolopolo boast that they have all it takes to defeat the three time African champions in Uyo next month. But the Nigerian will not take that from the Zambians who were beaten by the Eagles in their first game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier in Ndola, Zambia way back last November.

The Zambians based their plans to scuttle Eagles’ World Cup dream of participating at next year’s World Cup in Russia on their victories over former African champions, Algeria who they beat home and away. They said they want to replicate their Algerian exploit on Eagles.

It is recalled that the Chipolopolo defeated the Desert Foxes of Algeria 2-0 in Algiers to keep their World Cup hope alive but Balogun, who made the consecutive CAF Best XI in the double header against African champions, Cameroon is saying it is a pipe dream which will evaporate on October 7th in Uyo. The Zambians have been boasting since defeating Algeria at home even as they reveal plan to set up training camps in England and Ghana for crucial World Cup Qualifying game against the Ea-

gles.

In the words of the Eagles’ defense marshal: “I know that every team do lose matches. It is also possible that we also lose games. There is no team in the world that does not lose matches,” Balogun began.

“But I also do know that the World Cup is the biggest football stage where every player dreams to partake in.

“All I want to say is that I am happy with the unity in the squad. We have a young, energetic and vibrant team who are committed and hungry for success.

“Every member of the team is committed to the cause of qualifying for the Mundial. We are working very hard to achieve that and I don’t think that Zambia can stop us,” Balogun said.

“I also know that the commitment and hard work of every member of the team who is involved in the project of qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup have seen the team not losing any game so far and we are not ready to do otherwise than to continue our quest in search of the World Cup ticket and I can’t see Zambia standing on our way.

“That does not in any way mean that we are underestimating their ability but I know that they can’t stop us.

“Having come thus far, I don’t see Zambia scuttling our World Cup Dream because I am convinced that they must fall in Uyo. “It is true that we defeated them in Ndola in the first leg, but we are not taking that as the criteria for the game in Uyo. “Of course the game in Uyo is a different ball game and we must approach it differently with the sole aim of getting the maximum points.

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“They are free to say what they like but all I know is that we want to wrap up the qualifier with the game against them in Uyo. What does that mean? You may ask. It

means that we must defeat them to earn the maximum points and seal our World Cup place in Russia next year,” Balogun explained.

I don’t choose games for Nigeria – Moses

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uper Eagles and Chelsea player, Victor Moses a.k.a “Vic Moo” has denied the allegation making the rounds that he selects the games he plays for the country.

According to the Edo Stat-born Eagles’ experienced player, there is no iota of truth in the allegation that he selects games he plays for the country, saying that what happens is that if he is injured, he informs the technical crew that he is injured since he wouldn’t want to aggravates the injury and not that he chooses the games he plays for the Nigeria.

“It is not true that I select games I play for the national team. Far from it,” Moses began.

“As a matter of fact, I would like to use this opportunity to put the records straight. I have never selected the games I play for Nigeria. This wrong perception has been on for some time now. But like I said it is a wrong perception because that is not the truth.

“Yes, I may not have played certain matches for Eagles; that does not

• Moses jubilating in any way mean that I select the matches that I play for my country.

“The truth is that if I am injured, I opt out by informing the authorities.

I opt out because I like good health. I opt out in order not to aggravate already bad situation which my taking

No grudge over my sack – Chukwu

part would cause.

“Of course once I am fit and I am called upon to be a part of the team, I always turn up. I don’t only turn up; I make sure that I give my best for my country and the team as can be seen in the two games that I just played

for the Eagles.

“I believe that it does not pay to come and represent your country when you know very well that you can’t give your best for your country.

“As far as I am concerned doing so will not be in the best interest of the team and the country rather it will be better to give others chance to contribute their quota when you cannot perform to your own satisfaction due to injury,” Moses explained It is recalled that Victor Moses, Leon Balogun and Wilfred Ndidi made CAF Best XI of CAF Team of the first game played on September 1st due to their exploits during the Uyo encounter.

As if that was not enough, the duo of Moses and Balogun equally made the CAF Team of the return leg fixture of the World Cup double header in Yaoundé.

It was only Nigeria that had three of her players in the September 1st CAF Best XI and at the same time during the reversed fixtures of September 4th had two of her players in the CAF

he immediate past General Manager of Enugu Rangers and former captain and coach of the Coal City based football club, Christian Chukwu, has declared that he does not bear any grudge against his sack saying it is aimed at repositioning the pride of the Igbo nation.

According to the man who led Nigeria to her first continental trophy in 1980, it is normal for the government to take whatever action they deem necessary for the good of thße club.

Speaking further, Chukwu a former coach of Kenya national team, the Harambee Stars, explained that his happiness stems from the fact that his management was able to save the traditional club from relegation.

He maintained that whether he is recalled or not in the new management does not matter to him, but that the bottom line and very important thing is that despite all odds, Enugu Rangers are still in the top flight of Nigerian Football.

“Yes it is true that we have been booted out of office by the government. There is nothing wrong in what the Enugu State Government has done. It is normal,” Chukwu began.

“You see, I bear no grudge for our sack. It is a normal thing. At the end of every football season, there is always the need to appraise the performance of any serious minded club. It is a routine thing. So, there is no cause for alarm.

“My happiness is despite all the challenges that we encountered, Rangers didn’t go on relegation. That is my greatest happiness and that is the bottom line.

“We are used to this type of scenario.

This is not the first time that management of Rangers will sacked and possibly it is not going to be the last.

“What happens is that whenever Rangers are in trouble they look for us and after ensuring that they are saved we be asked to go. So, for us we are used to this,” Chukwu declared.

For those who see him as being the problem of Rangers, Chukwu said this is the opportunity they have to step in and turn around the fortunes of the club to prove that he is the problem.

The Oracle Today Sports can authoritatively report that many are not happy that Chukwu has continued to remain relevant in the affairs of Rangers decades after hanging his boots unlike his former teammates are not heard of.

Some believe that his presence in Rangers has blocked them in making their own contributions but none of them can prove that Chukwu has in any way blocked their contributions to the club.

While Chukwu has been able to not only play major roles in his former club, he has equally played different roles in other clubs and the national team while his former teammates decided to live quite lives. Then one wonders where he erred for wanting to give back to the game that brought him fame and confortable life.

The Oracle Today

44

Wednesday September 27, 2017

SPORTS

Rohr seeks Ikeme’s inclusion in World Cup party Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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UPER Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has expressed the optimism to have recuperating Eagles’ and Wolverhamption Wanderers’ goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme in the national team squad that will represent the country in next year’s FIFA World Cup that will be played host to

by Vladimir Putin’s country of Russia.

According to the Franco-German football tactician, his optimism to have his No1 safest hands in the World Cup party in Russia stems from the fact that the Nigerian who was diagnosed of acute Leukaemia earlier in the year is responding positively to treatment.

Rohr is of the opinion that if things go according to expectation, Ikeme could fully recover before the commencement of the Mundial next year in Russia.

“It is the prayer of every manager to have his best players for any major championship and being Eagles’ manager, my expectation and prayer is not different from other managers across the globe,” Rohr began.

“So, in line with that it is our hope and prayer that Carl Ikeme recovers quickly from his ill-health to enable him make the squad for the World Cup in Russia.

“I am encouraged with report from England that he is responding positively to treatment which hopefully means that he could recover before the Mundial next year in Russia.

“It will gladden my heart to have him back in the squad because he is a very important member of the team,” Rohr explained.

Meanwhile, the former Burkina Faso manager has started plotting the down fall of Chipolopolo of Zambia who are due in the country for the second leg of the World Cup Qualifier for the sole ticket of Group B of the African Zone of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.

It is recalled that Zambia have been boasting that their target is to come to Uyo, the venue of the October 7th all important World Cup Qualifying clash to pick the maximum points saying having shocked fellow former African champions, Algeria in Algiers, nothing stops them from replicating the same feat in Uyo. Already, the Zambians have made public their plans on the World Cup Qualifying game against the Super Eagles saying they are going to spend a couple of days in London and Ghana to prepare for the match against the Group B leaders, Nigeria.

It is noted that the Super Eagles opened their World Cup Qualifying account with 1-2 victory against the Chipolopolo in Ndola last November in a game that many never believed Eagles could win. Only time will tell who will carry the day but head or tail, the Uyo encounter is not going to be an easy one.

Prince Oduah lauds dissolution of Rangers Management .Advocates employment of psychologist for team

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rince Isidoreh Oduah, the Chairman of Red Carpet Advertising and former member of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has commended the dissolution of the management of Enugu Rangers by the Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi over the poor performance of the team at the just concluded 2016/17 Nigeria Professional Football (NPFL) season.

According Prince, who was a part of the glorious days of the Coal City club, the news of the dissolution of the management of the club led by former captain and coach of the club, Christian Chukwu, was a cheering news because the poor performance of the club last season did not in any way reflect what the club represent which is the indomitable spirit of the Igbo Nation.

Prince Oduah, therefore, called on Ugwuanyi to ensure that the new management board of the club will have people who have experience and understand what the club

represent, which is the indomitable spirit of an Igbo man.

The two time former member of the old Anambra State Sports Council explained that it is important that Rangers recruit players who understand what it means to play for the club saying Ndi Igbo will no longer tolerate a situation where Enugu Rangers will be playing and people will be hiding their faces in shame due to poor performance of the team.

“I received the news of the dissolution of the management of the Enugu Rangers led by former able captain, Christian Chukwu with relieve and excitement,” Prince Oduah began.

“I want to commend the Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for taking that bold step to salvage Rangers by dissolving the management team of the club.

“I know Ugwuanyi as first class sports administrator having served with him in the management board of Enugu Rangers as members of the old Anambra State Sports Council.

“Having dissolved the management team of Rangers, I would like to urge him to ensure that the people he will appoint into the new management of the club are people who are experienced and who know what Rangers stand for. I mean people who have been a part of the history of the club and know how the club were run in the past in order to restored Rangers’ past glory.

“Apart from recruiting experienced management team who are committed to the cause of the club, Governor Ugwuanyi should ensure that the new players to be recruited for the club are exceptional players who understand what it means to play Rangers. If they scout round Igbo land they will certainly fish out good quality players who will be capable of restoring the pride of the club and the Igbo nation beginning from next season.

“I am not suråprised that Governor Ugwuanyi acknowledged the fact that Rangers are the property of the Igbo nation and does not belong only to Enugu State. As a matter of fact, in the past those that made Rangers a formidable force mostly came from Abia, Imo etc. that is the truth,” Prince Oduah said.

Speaking further, Prince Odua said: “Please, one thing I would equally want Governor Ifeanyi to do is to ensure that Rangers have an experienced psychologist who will let them know what it means to don the Rangers jersey.

“A psychologist should be the first appointment that should be made for Rangers because the club need a sound psychologist to get them to understand the philosophy behind it. “I believe that with new management team, Rangers will bounce to reckoning in the Nigerian Football League and Ndi Igbo will be happy with Rangers once again,” Oduah enthused.

Ohanian talks of fatherhood

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LEXIS Ohanian shared his realization about fatherhood weeks after Serena Williams gave birth to their daughter.

On Sunday, the Reddit co-founder took to Instagram to express his thoughts about fatherhood following the arrival of his daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian. According to the new father, “Dad life is the greatest.”

Ohanian also compared fatherhood to entrepreneurship and how he has a legacy through his daughter. “Entrepreneurship is all-consuming, it’s sleepless, we call our startups our ‘babies,’ we are ridiculously proud of them, and we pour all of ourselves into them -- but she is already all that and more, she is my legacy,” he said.

Williams and Ohanian welcomed their baby girl at a Palm Beach, Florida hospital earlier this month. Venus Williams confirmed her sister’s delivery.

“I’m super excited. Words can’t describe,” she said.

Williams and Ohanian, who are both first-time parents, previously expressed their excitement over taking on parenting and child-rearing. In fact, Ohanian has received numerous parenting tips online and even shared his favorite one.

“My favorite (tip) is to sleep with a blanket for like a month before the due date so you get your dad scent all over it, and then wrap the baby in it once it shows up, so they’re not just immediately bonding with mom, but also getting a bit of dad,” he said when he appeared on “Today.”

Additionally, the no. 1 female tennis player in the world took to Reddit in August to ask moms about pregnancy and delivery tips. Williams wanted to know when to prepare the bag she would be bringing to the hospital and what she should pack. “When did you pack your hospital bag?” Williams asked. “[One] month before? 6 weeks?

8 weeks? I’m totally stalling. But I have a lot of time still.... I think...Anything you didn’t expect to need that I’ll really appreciate having in there? “ A number of moms responded to Williams’ inquiry, but most of them pack their hospital bags differently.

Some prepared it two months in advance, while others only packed on the same day that they were heading to the hospital.

What can you say about Ohanian’s realization about fatherhood being the most rewarding job? Drop a comment below.

The Oracle Today

45

Wednesday September 27 2017

SPORTS

Tunisia dethrone Nigeria as 2017 Afro-Basket champions

Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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OSTS Tunisia on Saturday despite initial setback, dethroned AfroBasketball defending champions, D’Tigers of Nigeria to emerge the new African AfroBasket champions.

The North Africans with their home fans on their side ensured that the Ike Diogu captained

Nigerian side did not retain the title they won in 2015. Though D’Tigers led in the first quarter, but the Tunisians fought back to win in the remaining quarters to bring the total score to 77-65 in their favour. Nigeria had earlier decision Cameroon and Senegal to make it to the final.

Meanwhile, before the commencement of the championship

in Tunisia, the defending champions Nigeria had vowed to defend the trophy they won for the first time in 2015 to ensure that both the men and women 2017 AfroBasketball trophies are domiciled in the country as the D’Tigress had earlier won the women edition in Mali.

The Mali victory by the Nigerian women made it the third

time that Nigerian women have won the AfroBasket Championship having won it twice before the Mali championship.

There is no doubt that D’Tigers did their best to retain the trophy as they promised but their last game against the Tunisians was not good enough to see them retain the title.

The team performed well no

Delta emerges champions of 2017 National Youth Games

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ELTA State Saturday continued its dominance of the country’s sports as the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa governed state emerged overall champions of the 3rd edition of the National Youth Games once again.

It is recalled that the state entered into the championship as the defending champions having emerged champions last year at the conclusion of the Games that saw most of the states participating.

Delta won a total of 60 medals to place first on the medals table. The breakdown of Delta State medal haul is as follows: 21gold, 16silver and 23bronze medals.

Meanwhile, Oracle Today Sports can authoritatively report that Lagos State has consistently ignored participation in the National Youth Games as long as it is being hosted in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the refusal of Lagos State to participate in the National Youth Games as long as is being hosted by Kwara State is political.

Our investigation revealed that the strained relationship between the two strong men of

Lagos and Kwara State politics is responsible for the Lagos lack of interest by Lagos because has never been Lagos problem since the state can execute any project it wants without any financial assistance from Abuja.

It is no longer secret that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki are not politically friendly.

In the words of one Lagos

sports official who does not his name in print: “Why are you surprised that Lagos has not participated in the National Youth Games? You should not be surprised,” he said.

“Are you saying that you are not aware that our governor’s political godfather, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and the strongman of Kwara Politic and the President of the Senate of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria are not politically friendly?

“Even if the former Lagos governor did not ask the state government not to participate in the Games, they will use their discretion to avoid the Games since it has continue to take place in Ilorin in order not to offend Asiwaju,” our source explained.

Ubah has never paid Rohr – Pinnick

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he President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has denied the rumour making the rounds that FC Ifeanyi Ubah, proprietor and Oil and Gas mogul, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has been the one back rolling the salaries of the national team Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr.

The NFF boss maintained Ifeanyi Ubah has never paid Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr and he will want the oil mogul to give a breakdown of his financial assistance to the football house. Pinnick “It has been speculated that Ifeanyi Ubah paid Rohr before the NFF finally secured a corporate sponsor to foot the sala-

ries of the coach in April.

Ifeanyi Ubah, who is also chairman of Anambra FA and owner of NPFL outfit, FC Ifeanyiubah, it was also said he assisted the NFF financially during the visit of FIFA president, Gianni Infantino to Nigeria. However, Pinnick, through his media adviser, Callistus Ebare, made several clarifications.

“My principal wants to make it very clear that at no time did Ifeanyi Ubah pay the salary of Gernot Rohr,” Ebare said on behalf of the NFF president.

“Also, as regards any assistance for the visit of Infantino, it will be important for anyone to give specific

breakdown of this assistance.”

Speculations are rife that “a hugely disappointed” Ifeanyi Ubah is now up in arms with Pinnick and as a result, will bankroll the return of Aminu Maigari as NFF president next year.

• Ifeanyi Uba

doubt and the team’s captain; Ike Diogu was the highest scorer of the tournament and two members of the team made the 2017 AfroBasket Team of the tournament.

The team have nothing to be ashamed of. They represented the country well having returned with silver. That is not a bad result in any standard all that they need is encouragement.

It is recalled that D’Tigers had only two weeks to prepare for the championship while their counterparts that participated with them at the tournament spent nothing less than six weeks in camp preparing for the tournament.

It is also noted that most the players that won the tournament in 2015 refused to be a part of the team because of the fact that they were demanding that their allowances be paid upfront to forestall what happened in the past.

Except for the Team Captain, Ike Diogu, all the rest members of the 2017 Nigeria AfroBasketball team, D’Tigers were new players in the team. With this scenario, the team should be given thumps up for their gallantry at the 2017 AfroBasket tournament in Tunisia.

Finally, with happened before the tournament where old players of the team were asking for upfront payment of their allowances, the new board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBF) led by Mr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, should ensure that such a thing does not repeat itself going forward. Congrats to D’Tigers, silver is not a bad result after all.

Meanwhile, the captain of the side, Ike Diogu did not follow his teammate back to the country as he departed from Tunisia back to his United States base due to urgent family matters.

Nigeria humble Tanzania in Benin City

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igeria’s Under-20 Women team, the Super Falconets on Saturday in Benin City Edo State took Step closer to making it to the 2018 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup which France will be playing host to with a convincing 3-0 win against their visitors Tanzania in their qualifying first leg, first fixture.

The first goal of the game came from the boot of Tule, who scored in the 22nd minutes to break the deadlock from a freekick to excitement of the cheering supporters at a packed Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium while Ajibade grabbed her second half goals in the 52nd and 57th minutes.

Nigeria, however, could have scored more but missed a series of chances.

Tanzania will host the second leg on September 30 in Dar es Salaam to round off the first round fixtures of the African qualifiers.

46

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

Crime

Woman abducts girl 7 for 19 months A Stories by XAVIER NDAH

20-year old woman Ajoke Owolabi has been arrested by police detectives Ogun State Command for abducting a 7- year- old girl Racheal Olorunshola for 19 months.

The states poålice spokesman, Assistaånt Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abimbola Oyeyemi, told The Oracle that the little girl was abducted 19 months ago while returning from school and the parents has been looking for her since then to no avail.

However, after all avenues of seeing her was closed the girl was said to have escaped from the woman’s home and was reunited with the parents through a good Samaritan who took her home early August this year.

It was gathered that luck however ran against the abductor on the 29th of August when the little girl was playing in front of her parents’ house at Igbore as the suspect was passing by.

The little girl was said to have raised the alarm, pointing at the woman as the person who ab-

ducted her and the suspect was promptly arrested, but denied ever knowing the girl.

It was gathered that the girl quickly mentioned her name as aunty Ajoke and when she was searched, her name was seen conspicuously written on her body. It was then she confessed to the commission of the crime.

“She revealed further that, the little girl was taken to Oshodi in Lagos where she was kept for 19 months. She further disclosed that she came to attend a party in Abeokuta and kept the girl in a room from where she escaped. She passed through the girl’s parent’s house unknown to her that the girl was there on that fateful day when she was arrested” Oyeyemi explained.

Meanwhile, Oyeyemi revealed that, the Commissioner of Police, CP, Ahmed Iliyasu has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Anti-Kidnapping/Cultist Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Lagos Task force security officer docked for stealing ‘okada’

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•The abducted girl and Owolabi

Housekeeper defrauds company of N2m

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he operatives of Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 30- year- old housekeeper for defrauding a company of N2 million and attempting to collect another N500 million after hacking into the company’s e-mail address.

The suspect, Ahuja Sylvester, was on Friday picked up by the operatives in 911 Hotel, Warri, Delta State.

The suspect had sometime in April, 2017, hacked into the e-mail of a Lagos based company, pos-

ing as the Managing Director and instructing the firm’s accountant to disburse a sum of N2 million into the Access Bank account of the suspect.

The suspect, using the same approach in June 2017, again requested the payment of N500 million into a Zenith Bank account. The company detected this and quickly alerted the police.

The RRS Decoy team in their investigations discovered that the initial N2 million was withdrawn with a debit card belonging to Ahuja Sylvester.

Ahuja, in his statement to the police, denied hacking into the account of any company stressing that his friend who he named Emmanuel was the culprit.

He stated that he met Emmanuel, a National Youth Service Corp, at his work place in April 2017.

According to him, “Emmanuel, a Youth Service Corp member serving in Warri told me around April, 2017, that he was stranded and that somebody was going to send money to him.

He requested that I allow him use my ATM card because he couldn’t locate his own. I released it to him with my PIN. He told me that I should alert him whenever I received credit alert on my phone and I did…. I expected these transactions to have been completed after two days. After almost a week, I saw him and I requested for my ATM, he told me he was still using it… after that, I asked him again

and he told me that he had misplaced it. That was how he didn’t return the debit card again.

He explained further, “My salary came and I approached the bank.

That was when I was told my account was having issues. This was the moment I got to know my Account was used for fraudulent transactions and since then, I have not been able to trace Emmanuel.

I was informed when I started haunting him that he was out of Warri.”

Confirming the arrest, the Lagos State Police (PRO), ASP. Olarinde Famous-Cole, stated that investigations was on going and that the suspect has been transferred to SCID, Panti, for further investigations.

Man 40 arrested for defiling 7 year-old girl

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• Sylvester

40- year- old man, Ezekiel Adegbenga has been arrested by policemen attached to the Ogun State Command for having unlawful carnal knowledge of a -7- year old girl.

The suspect was arrested at No.4 Olufunmi Ajayi street Iyana Ilogbo Ota following a complaint from the mother of the victim who reported at Sango Police Station that the suspect who is their neighbour lured the victim into his room under the pretense of sending her on errand and had carnal knowledge of her while the Parents are away at work.

Upon her complaint, the DPO SP Akinsola Ogunwale detailed detectives to the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested. He has since owned up to the commission of the offence after being confronted by the victim.

The Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Iliyasu has directed that the suspect be transferred to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution of the suspect.

•Adegbenga

31-year-old man Felix Olajide a para-military officer of the MAN O’ War attached to the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences, has been nabbed for allegedly stealing ceased motorbike in their custody.

It was gathered that the agency’s Enforcement Unit had embarked on a clamp-down on motorcyclists plying restricted routes around Berger in Lagos state on August 15, 2017, during which a total of 95 motorbikes were impounded In a press statement by the Agency’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Adebayo Taofiq, quoted the Agency’s acting Chairman, DSP Alaba Wilson, as saying “It was after we got to our office and re-counted those impounded motorcycles that we discovered one was missing and, after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that one Olajide Felix, a paramilitary officer (Man ‘O’ War) attached to the Agency, stole the missing motorcycle” DSP Alaba noted that, the Lagos State Government has been paying huge allowances as at when due to every member of the Agency’s paramilitary, as an incentive, to discourage them from indulging in criminal acts.

“Aside from that, the Agency had just concluded a 3-day training workshop tagged “Work Ethics and Attitudinal Change For Law Enforcement and Field Officers for all paramilitary officers in July 2017 as approved by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode”, Alaba stated.

Olajide, who had been with the Agency since 2009, however, made a confessional statement admitting the crime, adding that he had been using the stolen bike personally since then.

“I stole a motorcycle (Boxer Bajaj) with registration No. AYE 441 QC out of the 95 motorcycles impounded during an enforcement operations at Berger and I have been using it for commercial purposes before I was arrested with it” Olajide, who hails from Oro in Kwara State, said it was the devil that pushed him into committing the crime, saying that he had never engaged in any form of criminal activities since he was born, while pleading for leniency.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court at Oshodi, has granted the accused bail with 2 sureties, after pleading guilty to the one - count charge of “conduct in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by stealing an impounded ‘Boxer ( Bajaj ) motorcycle and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 168 (1)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015” Magistrate Lateef Owolabi, while adjourning the case declared that that the two sureties in a like sum of N30,000 each must be blood relations of the accused person, and present proofs of evidence of three years tax clearance each to the Government.

47

The Oracle Today Wednesday September 27, 2017

News Continued from Pg 2 recent invasion of the palace of the traditional ruler of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Eze Israel Kanu, father of the leader of the Kanu.

He declared the launching of Operation Python Dance II (Egwu Eke II) and its concentration only in the South East geo-political zone as a sign of aggression and as such uncalled for in a non-war situation.

Speaking to newsmen in Onitsha yesterday, Okoko noted that the invasion and declaration of IPOB as terrorists group were unlawful because Kanu is already facing prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction and besides, the same court of competent jurisdiction had quashed charges of terrorism brought against Kanu by the Department of State Services, DSS. He wondered why the military went to Kanu’s home to attack and probably arrest him when the court had fixed a date in October for him to appear in court to continue the proceedings against him.

He contended that he was not aware of any of any official order from any court to re-arrest Kanu since he was granted bail by an Abuja court presided over by Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, adding that even if the military claimed that Kanu had violated his bail conditions, they should have waited for him to appear in court for them to apply for his re-arrest.

Besides, he wondered why the military took it upon themselves to effect the arrest Kanu, even if there is a court order because according to him, Kanu is not a military personnel as to warrant using the military to arrest or re-arrest him assuming if there is any order of the court to do so as the appropriate personnel that can arrest him if need arises are the police or the DSS”.

“Therefore, their action is provocative because it is not the job of the military to arrest a civilian. After all, it wasn’t the military that arrested and arraigned him in court in the first instance. They could only come in if the police went to arrest Kanu and they were over-powered, then the police can invite the military to come for re-enforcement.”

According to Paul Njoku, a human rights activist based in Umuahia, the Army doesn’t have the constitutional power to declare IPOB a terrorist group.

He said the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended in 2015 provides that before a group would be branded a terror group it must have ingredients or possessive attributes such as possession of firearms, bombs, kidnapping, etc, which

Python Dance down, Oct 1 tension up IPOB does not possess.

He also noted that Section 2 of the Act provides steps that should be taken before pronouncing a group as a terror organization.

He held that only the courts have the powers to pronounce a group a terrorist organization, that is why the Senate President has said the army has no such powers to declare IPOB a terror group.

Njoku recalled that on March 2, this year, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a ruling, held that IPOB was not a terrorist organization and that charge was struck off.

He maintained that the army unconstitutionally declared IPOB a terror group just for it to continue with what he called the federal government’s “agression against Ndigbo” as characterized by the violence brought upon the region in the name of Operation Python Dance 2 in Abia.

“IPOB has no guns and has been civil in its agitations,” he said, adding that Article 1, Section 2 of the African Union Charter recognizes the right to agitate for political freedom by any individual or group of people,” he said.

Tonye Graham, a Port Harcourt-based lawyer stressed out that before any group is declared a terrorist organisation, certain conditions must be met.

“I don’t think under the anti-terrorism law, the army headquarters is the appropriate organ to declare a body a terrorist organisation.”

“Before a body is declared a terrorist organisation, there are stages to follow under the Act. There should be a court order to that effect and then it’ll be gazetted and published. Until all these steps are duly followed, it may not hold water in law.’

“I believe for the purposes of integration and understanding, we should be a bit more circumspect in how we categorise individuals or some societies” He emphasized: “I think dialogue will go a long way to assist us in resolving some of these lingering problems. But that is not to say that excesses should be condoned.”

“We should use the instrumentality of dialogue to resolve whatever is agitating any set of persons in the interest of all of us.”

Another lawyer, Sampson Amadi, argued that the military needs to prove it’s claims beyond reasonable doubt in such a way that IPOB would find it difficult to shake off

the tag of terrorism.

He said: “That depends on the veracity of the claim. If IPOB truly engaged in those actions you listed, nobody can fault the classification.

Every act of insurrection against the state can be so classified.”

Abiye Tamuno reasoned that the toga of terrorism may be unnecessary. He suggested that a better path for the government would be to prosecute individual offenders rather than ‘demonising’ the entire group.

“I have some difficulty in classifying them as a terrorist organisation because you could also call this a political struggle, although it’s not supposed to be an armed struggle.

There is a tinge of criminal offence associated with it, though.”

“But I don’t think the classification can lead to a solution for the problem. I think the matter is one that is best solved through dialogue than through this type of classification. I think the classification will only escalate the tension in the country.”

Speaking with The Oracle Today in Abuja, Etukwu Ona, a legal practitioner described the federal government’s action against IPOB as “ legitimate, given the threat to peace instigated by the IPOB group.”

He also advised the people of Abia, “specifically Umuahia, where IPOB had its headquarters to be grateful to the Brigade Commander of the 82 Battalion brigade, Enugu for his benevolence” He added: “Go and check out what happened to the WACO group in Texas, in 1993, under a democratically elected government in the United States of America, under former President Bill Clinton.

“The entire place was whipped out and over 250 people were annihilated by the American military, because they burnt the American flag, raised a rag tag security outfit that confronted the military, while threatening peace.”

He described the activities of the IPOB group as “ a direct affront to the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” adding that “government acted within its sphere of responsibilities by deploying the Soldiers to deal with the situation.”

But Barrister Chinedu Anyanwu, disagreed with the purported claims that IPOB has been proscribed, adding that the government must follow due process if it wants IPOB proscribed.

According to him “it will be wrong to claim that the federal government has banned IPOB. Although,

the Defence headquarters issued a statement, I am happy that the Chief of Army Staff, General Burutai, has walked back by explaining what the Army did.

“It was only the South East Governors that said they have proscribed IPOB. But the Senate President has also explained that some steps must be taken before this can be effected, which is why the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Shehu Malami, has taken steps to start the formal processes which the relevant legal institutions will determine on their merit.

He noted that the use of military was a wrong move.

“As you will notice, prior to the deployment of soldiers to the South East, there wasn’t this tension as you can see now. People were going about their lawful activities and it was the action of the military that acted as a catalyst for the kind of situation we are seeing now, which was why they asked the military to withdraw.”

He noted that the spirit of agitation cannot be weakened by the use of force as has been publicly enunciated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Another legal practitioner in Onitsha, Anambra State and former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chuba Oranusi yesterday categorically stated that the Defence Headquarters, DHQ lacks the legal powers to brand the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorism organization based on the fact that they resisted an attack on themselves by the military troupes.

He also stated that the proscription of IPOB by the South East Governors was only a measure to douse the tension and to make the military retreat because the proscription has no legal backing since it did not go through the State House of Assembly.

Speaking to newsmen in his office in reaction to the recent invasion of the home of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the military, Oranusi contended that the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organization is quite unconstitutional and ultra-vires.

He, however, cautioned IPOB members and Kanu to tread cautiously to avoid playing into the hands of his enemies, adding that the police commissioners who are saying that they will arrest IPOB members equally lack the legal backings to do so.

According to him, “the military were deployed to Kanu’s home

without legal authority. They turned the civil society they were supposed to protect into a shooting range and thereafter tried to justify their action by declaring IPOB a terrorist group.”

IPOB global protests GROUPS in Europe and the United States have been protesting against the escalated military presence in the South East called Operation Python Dance II. Since Sunday, there have been several protests in Westminster (the British Parliament), Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s Office) and Nigerian House (the Nigeria High Commission), to draw attention to the devastations of the military exercise that appears more like an invasion of the South East, particularly Abia State, where a military attack on the Afara Ukwu, Umuahia home of Nnamdi Kanu on 10 September, caused major disruptions of life, among them a curfew in the commercial city of Aba. More protests are planned in more countries. One would be in Vienna, Austria at the Embassies of Britain, and Nigeria.

Buhari silent on Nigeria At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on Tuesday night, President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the world, in a speech that made a global tour of conflict areas - past and present - with stops in Iran, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Italy, Greece and Turkey, The Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Palestine, Gaza, Yemen the Rakhine State of Myanmar, supporting the Secretary-General “on the Government of Myanmar to order a halt to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and ensure the safe return of the displaced Rohingya to their homes in safety and dignity”.

Some Nigerians were protesting outside the building when he made his speech that had room for the refugee situation in Europe, but addressed the challenges of North East Nigeria as “conflicts in the Chad Basin”.

He missed a chance of beckoning to the world to assist in the humanitarian disaster that Internal Displaced Persons, IDPs, faced in camps that the Nigerian authorities were barely able to run.

Humanitarian organisations have in the past few months drawn attention to the dire situation of the camps. The speech mentioned no challenges before Nigeria, mostly to counter, it seemed, the chanting of the pro-Biafran groups that were protesting the military occupation of the South East.

The final duty of the President before departing Abuja for New York on Sunday night was to sign an Executive Order proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which is agitating for a referendum to actualise Biafra. The military has been in a hunt of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and members of the group.

Last week the military declared IPOB a terrorist group, a pronouncement that was condemned by many, basing their stand on the fact that the military no powers to do so.

The South East Governors Forum on Friday night, after a meeting with the military proscribed al activities of IPOB in the South East. The next day, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it was against the proscription of IPOB, or it being called a terrorist group.

President Buhari’s speech at the United Nations, the signing of the Executive Order to empower the Attorney General of the Federation to legally tag IPOB a terrorist group under the Terrorism (Prevention Act •From Left: General manager, Corporate Communications at Skyway Aviation Handling Company Mr. Basil Agboarumi, Nigerian Jùjú Musician Sir Shina Peters, Personal of 2011, are drawbacks to the peace Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari On Photography, Sunday Aghaeze being presented with a plague as the Media Friendly Photojournalist Of The Year Award moves that have ebbed the tension 2017. Others are the publisher of Persecond News Online, Mr. Femi Soneye, author Potent For Sponsorship and Lead Coordinator for Exxonmobil Nigeria Project Care, Mr from the military invasion.

Ernest Omo-Ojo and MD/CEO Trade Format Ltd, Mr. Jude Osafiele held at the 11th Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award in Lagos...recently.

WEDNESDAY September 27, 2017

The

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racle Today

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ISSN: 2545-5869

GUEST COLUMIST By ARTHUR AGWUNCHA NWANKWO

T

HE recent onslaught by the Nigerian military on Nnamdi Kanu’s country home in Abia State under the curious code name “Operation Python Dance” has once again demonstrated the naivety, ineptitude and insensitivity of the current Buhari administration in dealing with the incandescent ethnic nationalism that has ripped Nigeria apart in the past couple of years. Why this government or any other group in this country or outside would think that solution to the present impasse in Nigeria could be resolved through the barrel of the gun beats my imagination. I have always maintained that Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB) are not a threat to Nigeria. Rather IPoB and its leaders represent the manifestation of a beleaguered people desperate for freedom. What Nnamdi Kanu has succeeded in doing is to gnaw at the conscience of the world to call attention to the plight of his people and the need to give the Igbo a better deal in Nigeria. And here I must say that Kanu is not alone in this feeling and factual knowledge of the truth that Ndigbo have become an endangered species in Nigeria.

The precarious situation of the Igbo in Nigeria has been worsened in an age of clash of civilizations when the forces of radical Islam are on collision course with western civilization. As I have always pointed out, Boko Haram is a philosophy anchored on the rejection by Islam of anything western especially its religion and education. Apart from this warped religious-inspired hatred of western civilization, Islam is anti-democratic and does not support the republicanism and gregariousness for which unencumbered societies like the Igbo are known. Unlike western liberal democracy, Islam does not admit of question on its foundational principles; it regards Christians and Jews as “people of the Book” that must be destroyed at all level. The religion advocates the plundering of the riches of the “infidels”, slashing their throats and binding them as slaves and also compelling them to pay the “zakat”.

This, in summary, has been what the Igbo have had to contend with in Nigeria. We have been subjected to genocidal pogrom in Nigeria where we lost over 3 million Igbo lives and property worth over 10 trillion naira. We have seen our people slaughtered like cows; we have seen a premeditated attempt to Islamize our political space- what with the menace of Fulani herdsmen and the sustained pressure to enact the bill on Grazing Reserves in Nigeria; we have seen the systemic and systematic despoliation of our natural resources; ravaging of our lands and impoverishing of our people. We have seen a determined attempt by the northern establishment to whittle down the demographic strength of the Igbo with criminal manipulations of census figures. We have seen the internal colonization of Nigeria by a ravenous cabal of the northern military who superintended this country for about 30 years and in the process liquidated the country. We are witnesses to the imposition of a northern-military authored constitution with all its imperfections and consequences and impact on our political and economic processes. We have seen all these and more.

It is on account of the foregoing that for over 20 years I have urged the Nigerian leadership to subject itself to censorship; to initiate an unfettered restructuring of the

When the python danced on barbwire fence

•Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo

Why this government or any other group in this country or outside would think that the solution to the present impasse in Nigeria could be resolved through the barrel of the gun beats my imagination. I have always maintained that Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB) are not a threat to Nigeria.

”

country and return to the 1963 Republican constitution, which provided for an acceptable pattern of engagement among the various groups. Though attempts have been made in the past to proceed with this process of restructuring, the most prominent being the 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) in Abuja, the present government has consigned the reports of that Conference to the trash can of history.

As elders, people like me believed and

prayed that in our lifetime, we would see the Nigeria of our dream. We believed and prayed that the stiff-necked demagogues at Abuja would one day hearken to our cries and do the needful. We had hoped that one day our children would not wake up one morning to ask us why we allowed such high levels of injustice to befall our people.

Unfortunately, as we prayed and pleaded for justice to be done, our oppressors saw in our attitude the trappings of a defeated peo-

ple, who must be pressured to their knees and into submission forever. Even as we groaned in pain, the morning we all dreaded has come like a thief upon us.

Are the agitations of IPoB and Ndigbo not based on hard facts? Can any person in this country or elsewhere stand up to say that the Igbo are not justified in their quest for a better deal in Nigeria? You may have your differences with the methodology and approach of IPoB and Kanu, but you certainly cannot dispute the truth that IPoB has become the conscience of the Igbo nation Our children have come of age and they are now asking questions. They have now grown to experience the same tragedies and nuances that they heard as history.

In their very presence, they have seen the massacre of their kith and kin in the north at the slightest provocation. In their presence, they have seen the marginalization and alienation of their people from power points in Nigeria. In their presence, they have seen their tribe treated as second-class citizens in a country their forebears fought and died for its freedom from colonial rule. In their presence, they have seen the tragedy of existence in a country defined by ethnic bigots and half-baked men and women masquerading as leaders.

And our children are saying “enough is enough!” That is the simple explanation of the emergence and existence of IPoB. That is the contradiction that threw Nnamdi Kanu up. And nobody should discountenance the centripetal and centrifugal intensity of these contradictions. Kanu and IPoB, therefore, have decided to adopt a totally new approach to presenting the fate of Ndigbo to the world. This new approach, which is a novelty in the Nigerian context, has thrown the forces of reaction into panic. Even when this approach abhors violence, the Nigerian authorities are uncomfortable and their only response is to eliminate Kanu.

And here I want to ask us to remove our caps of “political correctness” and put on our analytical caps. Are the agitations of IPoB and Ndigbo not based on hard facts?

Can any person in this country or elsewhere stand up to say that the Igbo are not justified in their quest for a better deal in Nigeria? You may have your differences with the methodology and approach of IPoB and Kanu, but you certainly cannot dispute the truth that IPoB has become the conscience of the Igbo nation. This is an organization that has permeated every fabric of Igbo society and beyond with its message of freedom. This is an organization that boasts over 3million persons each time it has any form of rally.

IPoB has such reach and is unarmed. This is an organization that instructed Ndigbo to sit at home last May 30 and this directive was obeyed to the letter, not just in Igbo land but also outside Igbo land. And the Buhari government thinks it can shut out such organization by ordering the military invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s home? This is the height of leadership ineptitude. The world is watching and may I remind the Nigerian authorities that 2017 is not 1966. The circumstances are different and so will be the outcome of the present events.

•Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo is Chancellor of the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)

The Oracle Today is published by The Oracle Newspapers Limited. Head Office: 116 Awka Road, Onitsha. Lagos Office: 25 Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA Ikeja. Abuja Office: 1st Floor, Plateau House, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT. ISSN: 2545-5869 Email: oracletoday2016@yahoo.com, Twitter: @oraclenews.ng Facebook: oraclenews.ng@facebook.com Website: www.oraclenews.ng Advert hot lines: 09078310060, 09061836916. Editor: FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU.