Fri 05 Apr 2013 The Guardian Nigeria

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Friday, April 5, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,517

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Govt raises panel to consider Boko Haram’s amnesty From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Mohammed Abubakar and Nkechi Onyedika (Abuja) FTER months of apparently weighing the option of granting amnesty to members of Boko Haram, the Federal Government has set up a special committee to further consider the possibility of the offer.

The members of the com-

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• ACF seeks U.S. support, CAN opposes pardon mittee are drawn from security agencies. They have two weeks to meet and review the clamour for amnesty to be granted members of the group.

Also, Arewa elders have asked the American government to join forces with the Federal Government in putting an

end to the escalating insurgency in the North.

Besides, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday criticised the proponents of amnesty for members of Boko Haram, describing them as being insensitive to the plight of their victims.

The call for amnesty has be-

come intensified since last month when the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III made it shortly before the presidential visits to Borno and Yobe states.

Though the membership of the proposed committee remained a secret last night, a top government official who

spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the panel would consider the feasibility of granting amnesty and come up with the modalities for implementing it if approved.

It is expected to work with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and in two weeks, another meeting will be convened to discuss the report of the committee.

The source, who said nobody was authorised to speak after the security council meeting, stressed that President Goodluck Jonathan after his visits to Borno and Yobe states, never said government would not grant amnesty at all but “it will not do so to people who have refused to come forward.”

The source further noted that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Nigeria needs to renegotiate oil deals, says ECA chief

By Bola Olajuwon, just back from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire IGERIA needs to renegotiN ate all its oil contracts and get out of a system where the contributions of oil industries to the countries are taxes and royalties. It has to get more than that.

These were the words of the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. Carlos Lopez, during an inter-

MORE ON PAGES 4 & 5 view with The Guardian at the just-concluded conference on “Industrialisation for Emerging Africa” in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Lopez asserted that it was high time that Nigeria, the citizens and host communities obtained maximum benefits from petroleum resources in the country.

Emphasising the essence of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

GTBank earns N103b profit in 2012 Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah (left); Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu; House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Aliko Mohammed; Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader, Bola Tinubu; former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili; and Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, during a symposium to mark Oshiomhole’s 60th birthday in Benin City… yesterday.

- Page 56

Labour threatens to protest against pensions fraud April 10 From Collins Olayinka, Abuja IQUED by alleged government’s unwillingness to prosecute public officials who have been indicted for the mismanagement of pensions funds, the labour movement has scheduled a nationwide protest.

The Acting President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Promise Adewusi, who

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revealed this in Abuja yesterday, said the action, slated for April 10, was informed by government’s inertia on bringing those that have been indicted for the mismanagement of pensions funds.

Adewusi, who lauded the efforts of both the Senate and House of Representatives, lamented that the huge scams unearthed by the legislators,

and laudable steps taken have not been complemented by the Federal Government, which has done little to stop the rot in the management of pensions funds in the country.

He, therefore, submitted that as labour bodies that are responsible and responsive to the plight of its affiliates such as the National Union of Pen-

Tutu wins $1.7 million prize - Page 9

sioners (NUP), both the NLC and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, could no longer sit by and watch those who invested their youth in the service of their nation die prematurely as a result of inconsistencies in the payment of their pensions allowances.

According to the Acting President, workers in Lagos and Abuja are therefore expected

to stay away from work on April 10 and instead meet at designated areas for the protest march. He added that the protest would be organised simultaneously across all the states of the federation.

However, the planned protest march may not go on if, “before then, government considers it worthwhile to address the gross criminalities

N250b Lekki Port takes off Sept. 2016 - Page 15

and inequities in the pensions funds administration in the country, particularly as they affect our members.”

He went further to list the non-payment of outstanding arrears to scores of pensioners, non-enrolment of thousands of pensioners on the federal pensions payroll, nonpayment of death benefits to the deserving next of kin, as contentious issues that must be addressed by government urgently.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

2 NEWS

Labour threatens to protest against pensions fraud CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 He added: “Other issues include the non-implementation of payments to pensioners to reflect the 53.4 per cent salary review and payment of pension in line with relevant increases in the minimum wage to N18,000, withholding of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) statutory check-off dues for over a year, and the slow pace at which pensions payment is being processed by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.”

The NLC also asked for the accelerated payment of pension to deserving pensioners; re-visitation of the inconclusive verification of 2010/2011 by the defunct Pension Reform Task Force (PRTT) for the purpose of paying all outstanding pension arrears; payment to pensioners appropriate pension to reflect the 53.4 per cent salary increase and payment of the N18,000 minimum

The planned protest march may not go on if, “before then, government considers it worthwhile to address the gross criminalities and inequities in the pensions funds administration in the country, particularly as they affect our members. wage in line with the provision of Section 173 93) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and the full implementation of the report of the Senate Joint Report on pension scam.

Also speaking on the perceived endorsement granted to the sacked PRTT headed

by Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, the National President of NUP, Ali Abatcha, said the union never supported the work of the sacked task force saying the decision of the union was informed by the outcry of its members against ill-treatment by the task force.

‘Nigeria needs to renegotiate oil deals’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 such a new focus, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva said the Federal Government should list conditions for the new contracts.

He said: “Government can say, if you want to explore oil here, for instance, by the year 2015 or 2020, 100 per cent of engineers have to be Nigerians; this percentage has to be of Nigerian holdings; this

much would be taken from taxes to put in sovereign funds; this much would be required for you to continue the exploration project; building of refineries and infrastructural projects.

“And more importantly, no industry must destroy the environment. You know what that means in the Niger Delta region. Nigeria has to stop this complete disaster with the way the oil industries have contributed to wastages, gas

flaring and pollution of the environment where so many people live. All this has to stop.”

However, he noted that Nigeria was at a turning point and the Federal Government must take advantage of the favourable macro-economic indicators, including the abundant Nigerians in the Diaspora, in the way it handled old investments and new ones.

“People that want to invest in

Nigeria are queuing. Before, it was like Nigeria trying to find investors and now, Nigeria is regulating those to come in for investment,” he said.

According to him, “Nigeria has the most talented professionals in the Diaspora than any other African country can be proud of. If you go into London, all the private equities and engineering arrangements being done for Africa are led by Nigerians.

Economic Counsellor, United States (U.S.) Embassy, Douglas Climan (left) and Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Emeka Ezeh, during the former’s courtesy visit to BPP office in Abuja… yesterday.

PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

Govt raises panel to consider Boko Haram’s amnesty CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the amnesty proposition was a complex one just like the insurgency itself, but government wanted to demonstrate that as a listening leadership, it had heard all the clamour for amnesty for Boko Haram sect members.

The raising of the committee was preceded by a high-level security meeting earlier in the day chaired by the President with all the service chiefs as well as the inspector-general of police in attendance to discuss the increasing activities of Boko Haram members.

The meeting with the security chiefs came barely 24 hours after the President met with the northern leadership in the Villa where they restated the need for amnesty for Boko Haram members as the main pre-requisite for attaining lasting peace in the region.

The President was reported to have told the northern leaders that while the possibility of amnesty had not been ruled out, it had to follow due process.

In a brief interview with State House correspondents, the Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, said the meeting focused on the insecurity and what could be done to check it.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, saw security chiefs avoiding the reporters, pushing the responsibility of who should talk to the press to one another.

Yesterday’s meeting came hours after President Jonathan met the Northern Elders Forum on Wednesday night at the First Lady’s conference room in the Presiden-

tial Villa.

The elders were led to the meeting by elder statesman, Maitama Sule.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Prof. Ango Abdullahi said the meeting was a followup to an earlier one on the invitation of the President.

Abdullahi declared that the elders restated the need for the Federal Government to grant members of the group amnesty.

“Yes, we discussed the security situation. We also insisted that amnesty should be one of the things to factor into the solution to the problem. Already, the President said a meeting would hold on Thursday (yesterday) on the matter.

“The area of contention includes the security challenges in the country. That is the greatest challenge the country is facing,” he said.

Also speaking with reporters at the end of the meeting, the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said that the government was still consulting on the issue.

According to him, the conditions and modalities for the amnesty must be worked out before it is granted.

The conditions, according to him, include knowing whom to deal with. The meeting, he said, had been rescheduled to continue at a later date.

The Federal Government has always insisted that all conditions for amnesty must be met by the Boko Haram sect members.

Present at the meeting included Paulen Tallen, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Kali Gazali,

Safiya Mohammed, Solomon Dualung, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu and Shehu Malami.

Others were John Wash Pam, Lawal Kaita, Bello Kirfi, Paul Unongo, AVM Al-amin Daggash, Sani Zango Daura, N.A. Sheriff and Yahaya Kwande.

Also at the closed-door meeting were Saleh Hassan, Muslim Maigari, Bashir Yusuf, Gen. Paul Tarfa, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Prof. Idris Mohammed, Captain Paul Tahal and Captain Bashir Sodangi.

President Jonathan was joined at the meeting by his deputy, Namadi Sambo and some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from the North.

The elders under the umbrella of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said in Kaduna yesterday that they were not sympathetic to Boko Haram, but that they believed that the plea for amnesty for the group would have been a means of bringing them out for dialogue in the interest of the country.

They also said that the earlier stance of the forum on the abolition of the onshore/offshore dichotomy should be revisited and that the government should abolish the idea as it has encouraged lopsidedness in revenue allocation and created serious imbalance in development across the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Mr. Anthony Sani, told the Acting American Ambassador to Nigeria, Jeffery Hawkins, who led a delegation of American government functionaries to the ACF Secretariat in Kaduna,

that the notion being held in many quarters that northern leaders were supporting the insurgency group was misplaced.

Sani explained that the Arewa elders’ call for dialogue was because of their belief that violence has never solved any problem anywhere in the world, adding that after applying force on the group without success, it was imperative for the government to look for another way of bringing them under control.

The CAN, led by its SecretaryGeneral, Rev. Musa Asake, yesterday visited the two camps for Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the attack on two villages in Takad District of Kaura Local Council of Kaduna State.

Addressing the victims camped at Model Primary School in Fadan Attakar, Asake lamented that instead of demanding the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of such dastardly act, people, especially the northern elders, have been calling for amnesty.

He said: “Apart from outright illogicality of the proposition, the call was an outright insensitivity to the thousands of victims who had either died, been maimed or been displaced as a result of the ungodly activities of a group of dissidents. Here are innocent people driven from their homes and displaced from their loved ones for no crime. That is why I consider the northern elders calling for amnesty for Boko Haram members as insensitive.”

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

3

News Jonathan gets panel report on Adamawa PDP

Caleb varsity holds maiden lecture April 9

From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja

ALEB University will hold its maiden inaugural lecture C on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at its

FFORTS by the Peoples DemE ocratic Party, (PDP) REPORT to resolve the crisis facing it in Adamawa State got closer to being resolved on Thursday when the ad-hoc committee set up to look into the crisis submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Led by the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, the committee, it was learnt has recommended harmonization of both factional executive Committees in the Adamawa PDP to create a soft landing for the leaders of both factions of the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and governor Murtala Nyako.

The President had last December inaugurated the panel to make recommendations on how the crisis could be resolved.

The report of the committee was submitted during a meeting at the PDP Presidential Campaign office in Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, which Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao (left); Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Minister of was witnessed by other mem- State for Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide; representative of Niger State Governor, Prof. Muhammed Kuta Yaya and Chairman of the occasion, Olugbo of bers of the panel.

Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan at the Alafin book launch titled Chieftancy Law in Nigeria, Principles and Practice in Ibadan …yesterday.

PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Ex-militants protest alleged neglect at N’Assembly From Terhemba Daka, Abuja N the full glare of the police, IDefence the Nigeria Security Civil Corp (NCDC) and the State Security Service (SSS), hundreds of aggrieved ex-militants under the aegis of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters yesterday besieged the main gate leading to the National Assembly in Abuja to protest their non-inclusion in the on-going amnesty programme.

Apparently unaware that the Federal lawmakers are currently on Easter break, the placard-carrying ex-militants led by General Para Ekiyes, chanted war songs and threatened to resume hostilities if the Federal Government fails to accede to their demands.

Specifically, Ekiyes, also known as General Gun Boat said the group wants the Federal Government to include them in the 3rd Phase of the amnesty programme currently going on in the region.

Lamenting their ordeal and what he called cavalier activities of members of the Task Force since the commencement of the phased programme under the supervision of Kingsley Kuku, Ekiyes said the group disarmed in

2011, and had since been waiting to no avail.

“The Task Force on 3rd phase amnesty has commenced work in Delta State since February 3, 2013 but none of us has been invited,” he explained, adding that the officials have refused to invite the group to participate and partake in the amnesty programme.

He stated that the 3rd phase of the programme had made

provisions to accommodate only 3,642 of the about 5,600 ex militants belonging to the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters, yet none of them had been invited.

“If the Federal Government fails to accede to our demand I and my men will go back to the creeks. The Nigerian government knows what the Niger Delta youths can do.

“The government knew what was happening before we dis-

armed, and since we disarmed they know what has been going on in the Niger Delta region.

“Even the number of crude oil per day is very stable, the menace of sea piracy has ceased and there is stability in the area. But if the government feels that we should continue, then we will go back!” he threatened.

About 60 members of the Itsekiri National Youth Council, (INYC), recently stormed

the National Assembly to give strength to an earlier petition to the federal legislators over the exclusion of former Itsekiri militants from the amnesty Programme.

Their complaints was that over 2, 000 Itsekiri youths voluntarily surrendered their arms to the Federal Government on June 25, 2009 which was within the 60- day deadline, but were not invited to the programme.

Ahead 2015 target date, FCTA moves to meet MDGs

By Joseph Onyekwere S Nigeria joins other counA tries worldwide towards actualizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is poised meet thethe target before its 2015 target date.

The United Nations (UN) and their partners worldwide will today observe the 1000 day mark to the 2015 target date for the MDGs. This marks a further 1000 day to accelerate action on issues such as hunger, access to education, improved sanitation, maternal health and gender equality.

To show its commitment

towards the achievement of the set goals, the FCTA reviewed its scorecard and expressed its determination to meet the target. Its decision is contained in a statement it issued yesterday.

According to the statement , the agency in 2008 conducted a MDG baseline survey to ascertain the level of infrastructure especially in the rural area for planning and intervention purposes.

“The survey revealed that over 70percent of FCT residents earn below fifty thousand naira per annum and they are mostly farmers at subsistence level”, the agency said, adding that to address some of the issues identified in the survey, the FCT

MDGs Office came up with a strategy known as the Community Empowerment Agricultural Initiative whereby FCT MDGs partnered with co-operative groups to open up 234 community farms of about 2,340 hectares in the six Area Councils and now over 24,000 rural farmers have been empowered and engaged in profitable farming enterprise.

“15 John Deere tractors and 75 motor cycles for extension workers were procured and distributed along with 31 trucks of fertilizer to the 234 communities participating in Community Empowerment Agricultural Initiative. Seeds, pesticides, wheelbarrows,

weighing scales and sprayers were also distributed free of charge to participating communities.

“This initiative has increased crop production from 86 tonnes in 2009 to 640 tonnes in 2012 which has resulted in an increased income for the participating farmers. The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is also taking care of Goal 1 of the MDGs. Its a scheme whereby cash is transferred to poor households as monthly grants for a period of one year on the condition that they invest in human capital development by sending their children to school and also access healthcare facilities

Govt plans new land registration system From Joke Falaju, Abuja O ensure efficiency, the T Presidency yesterday announced that it would soon introduce new land titling and registration module in the country to make land registration simpler and more participatory.

The Chairman Presidential Committee on Land Reform, Prof. Peter Adeniyi disclosed at Abuja during a courtesy call on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi

Adesina.

He said that the planned land-titling module would enable farmers use their land as collateral to secure loans from banks.

He disclosed that the committee in partnership with the World Bank and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has introduced a Systematic Land title registration, which involves biometric collection of data of land so as to know actual owners of lands in the country.

He lamented that despite the fact that Nigeria started land registration since 1963, less than three per cent of land in the country were registered and mapped, 79 per cent of it were not titled, adding that most of this lands were in the rural areas.

Adeniyi lamented that out of 183 countries, Nigeria ranks 180 on the issue of registration of lands, noting that, though there were laws backing land registration, but their is no regulatory agencies to enforce the law.

He pointed out that lack of proper land titling in the country had discouraged many investors, and has made land dispute to be on the increase.

He said with the archaic land titling and registration in the country there was no way agricultural production could expand, as most farmers do not have titled land for them to be able to secure loans from banks.

He said with the new system of land registration, Nigerians in the urban areas

campus on kilometre 15, Ikorodu-Itoikin-Ijebu-Ode road, Imota, Lagos.

According to the Acting Registrar, Mrs. Folake R. Okor, the topic of the lecture is Communicating an Implosion: Signs and Wander, Popular Culture and the Crumbling of Empire will be delivered by Prof. Nosa OwensIbie. The host and chairman of the event is the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju.

100 local firms set for Nigeria-Canada investment confab From Mathias Okwe ( Assistant Business Editor, Abuja) HERE is so much determination by the Government and people of Canada about investment in Nigeria because every where I go in Canada, Canadians tell me they see great opportunities in Nigeria. And I think this determination is a match between what Nigeria needs and the expertise that Canada can offer.”

In these words, Canada’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Chris Cooter, yesterday spoke of his country’s aggressive foreign direct investment (FDI) drive in Nigeria. He also advised local entrepreneurs to take advantage of the forthcoming Nigeria-Canada Investment Conference in Toronto for partnerships with their counterparts there who are already willing to come to this country to invest.

Cooter spoke yesterday at a press briefing in Abuja where his counterpart, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Chief Ojo Maduekwe also spoke the on preparations for the May 2-4, 2013 conference.

Maduekwe said Vice President Namadi Sambo is to lead the Nigerian delegation consisting of both the public and private sector functionaries The Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee and former Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDCC) boss, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, had earlier declared than no fewer than 100 public and private Nigerian companies would attend.

“T

NEMA lauds media over disaster management From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos HE National Emergency T Management Agency (NEMA) North Central Zone

would pay N65,000 to get Certificate of Occupancy, while those in the rural areas would pay N5,000.

Adeniyi, however, appealed to the minister to support the committee, and also encourage farmers to get their land, adding that the minister could also assist by subsidising the funds.

In his remarks, the minister mentioned that Nigeria was not fully utilising its arable land, adding that land registration had been politicised.

has commended journalists for their objectivity in coverage of disasters in the country.

The Acting Zonal Coordinator of NEMA in the Zone, Mr. Mohammed Abdulsalam stated this yesterday at a one-day workshop on the Role of the Media in Disaster Management at the Rockfield Hotel in Jos. Abdulsalam said the involvement of stakeholders by the agency especially the media has a lot to do in bringing disaster management activities to all and sundry in the country.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

4 | NEWSINTERVIEW

Why African countries must accelerate The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. Carlos Lopez, was not a novice on development issues, especially in Africa, when he was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the eighth head of the commission at the level of UN Under Secretary-General in September 2012. He had previously served as Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva and Director of the UN System Staff College in Turin at the level of Assistant Secretary-General from March 2007 to August 2012. The specialist in development and strategic planning, who has authored or edited 22 books and taught at universities and academic institutions in Lisbon, Coimbra, Zurich, Uppsala, Mexico, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro spoke with The Guardian’s BOLA OLAJUWON, on the sideline of the justconcluded conference on ‘Industrialisation for Emerging Africa’ in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. Lopez traces African experience with industrialisation, why African countries must industrialise as well as accelerate industrialisation. He claims that Nigeria is at a turning point, but added that the nation needs to renegotiate all its oil contracts. Excerpts: AN you please premise the theme of C this conference, ‘Industrialisation for Emerging Africa,’ on the prevailing economic realities on the continent?

We have to industrialise for three reasons and these are very important. First is our demographic curve, which is going to create a situation where we are going to double our population. Beyond the population, we are going to witness incredible urbanisation. We cannot take Lopez care of the number of the young people from our population and the number of jobs that are required if we do not indus- reasons, I will like to say, it is one option trialise. You cannot create the jobs among many options that will address the through agriculture, because we still situations I just mentioned. have very much communal or subsis- But since the period of independence, tence agriculture and where we have sur- many African countries have tried industripassed that stage, productivities are very alisation, especially in Nigeria, where many low when compared to any other region industrial premises in some parts of the in the world; we are the lowest. This is country are now being taken over by not going to generate enough jobs to churches. What do you think are responsicater for all the demands. And for that ble for the failure of the various industrialireason alone, we have to industrialise. sation programmes?

We all have our frustrations with what has The second reason is that if we really want to become middle-income coun- been the experience with industrialisation tries, we have to aspire and have that in Africa. In the 60s and 70s, the industrial ambition. There is not a single middle- output in Africa was growing consistently income country that has not industri- in the first 10 or 15 years of independence. alised significantly. We should not just Most of these investments were done by the focus all the strategies of Africa on pover- state and instead of the state being a smart ty reduction. I have nothing against investor, that was not the case. The state poverty reduction, but it is not going to didn’t realise that in most of the industries, transform us into the type of countries we want to be. And so, we have to show the same type of ambition as anybody else and that cannot come about without industrialisation. The third reason is because we have so many natural resources and everybody agrees with that. Our commodities are in high demand and in order for us to do justice with ourselves; we need to transform these commodities into something more than just raw. We can no longer be exporting them raw. We have to add value to these resources and this will come with industrialisation. For these three

it cannot expect result to follow immediately. This is not agricultural circle where you plant and in 10 years, you want your yields. This is much more sophisticated and broader timeframes are needed.

In the process of industrialising, the oil shock came. The first one in 1972 and all the borrowing that African countries were having easily – they went to the market and got all the money they wanted because they knew that the market economic indicators were good and also an appetite for investing in Africa skyrocketed with the oil shock because we didn’t look into the fine print of the contracts. And in the fine print most of the time, there was no cap on the interest rate and so heavy interest rate went up and so did our debts. And then, we had the first strangle on our industries. In addition to that, these industries were left just like

jobs for the boys and we didn’t actually make them profitable and in many cases, the state became vicious in the way it was using these industries as populace clique, rather than using them to propel the country in terms of innovation, knowledge and in value addition chains. And then came structural adjustments and countries in Africa were subjected to it and as a result, they lost all independence to be able to continue policies that would promote industrialisation. It was like our comparative advantages were considered not to be in that area. We all went through adjustments and adjustments of recessive nature and on top of it, we have poverty reduction strategy and not wealth creation strategy. If you do not do a b and c, you would not have your debts reduced – either through the mechanism for High

Nigeria has the most talented professionals in the Diaspora than any other countries in Africa can be proud of. That is enough testimony that there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian genius, but something is wrong with the governance. Nigerians are some of the most creative and the most entrepreneurial that you can find in the world; I am not even saying in Africa. So, what is wrong and why is that happening? Well, a series of conditions are not favourable for this to happen, but I believe strongly that Nigeria is at a turning-point and things will happen soon.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

NEWSINTERVIEW 5

industrialisation, by ECA chief Nigeria needs to renegotiate all its oil contracts. Nigeria needs to get out of a system where the contributions of oil industries to Nigeria are taxes and royalties.

It has to get more than that.

Nigeria has to renegotiate with all its investors in the area of value chains. If you want to explore oil here, for instance by the year 2015 or 2020, 100 per cent of engineers have to be Nigerians

Lopez

Indebted Countries or like the case of Nigeria, going through secondary market and buying the commercial debts like Minister for Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala did very well.

So, what happens now? We are in different stages. We are in a stage of favourable condition and unfavourable conditions.

The favourable condition is that we are growing and our macro-economic situations that were declining in 1960s and 70s are back in the normal environment. One very important change that is better for us is that now, there is the level of education in Africa that Asia had when they took off. If they took off with such characteristics – a good macro-economic environment, level of education similar to us and demography that we are experiencing now, things are in our favour. But people are saying that is not enough; we still need what worked for others, which is clever leadership, not just leadership about what you do with your planning, your frameworks and so what. We need the drive. And that is why people are saying Africa has a lot of good conditions. And now, what about leadership? Is it going to rise to the challenge? My answer is: What do we do to rise to the challenge? Well, with evidencebased policy works, recommendations and analyses. We have to confront people with the fact that we have a little time to lose because everything is in our favour and we have to take advantage of the favourable conditions. We have to do it in about a decade and after a decade, you have lost already all opportunities.

On the issue of taking advantage of opportunities, there was a time that in Nigeria all our refineries were working at optimum levels vis-à-vis exportation of our crude oil.

But now the refineries are no longer working and we export our crude oil and import refined products. What do you think is wrong with us?

Nigeria has the most talented professionals in the Diaspora than any other countries in Africa can be proud of. That is enough testimony that there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian genius, but something is wrong with the governance. Nige-

Every country is reshaping its mind from just accommodating and depending on aid to a country that leaves aid behind. Like the Minister of South Africa said yesterday, the money you receive may sound free or without strings attached to it, but in fact, it is distractive; it is not part of your strategy, it distracts you from something else. It takes your attention away from what you should be doing. And I think this is the problem of a lot of countries in Africa. We have to keep them on track or back on track. So that they can care about their destinies rather than taking the little offering they get at the end of the day. rians are some of the most creative and the most entrepreneurial that you can find in the world; I am not even saying in Africa. So, what is wrong and why is that happening? Well, a series of conditions are not favourable for this to happen, but I believe strongly that Nigeria is at a turning-point and things will happen soon. I will give you some examples. There is a degree of confidence of the economic actors in Nigeria that you haven’t seen for a very long time. People that want to invest in Nigeria are queuing. Before, it was like Nigeria trying to find investors and now, Nigeria is regulating those to come in for investment. If you go into the City of London, all the private equities and engineering arrangements being done for Africa are led by Nigerians. These are some of the indications that you are at the turning point. When Nigeria will finish with the new calculation of its Gross Domestic Products (GDP) based on year base; closer to reality - and I think it is going to be 2007 as the year base - you are going to discover that Nigeria is much bigger economically than anybody suspected and if it is not close to South Africa, it would not be too far. This is going to be something that will have credible impacts on investors mind. This is a technical issue that would change the minds of investors and the way Nigerians

look at themselves.

But people are complaining about the dearth of adequate infrastructure to attract investments…

First of all, let me correct the impression that there is no infrastructural development in Nigeria. You know that there has been a lot. You just build the road all the way to Algiers. The part that belongs to Nigeria has been completed and the part that belongs to Algeria has equally been completed. What is remaining is about 166 kilometres in Niger. But Nigeria and Algeria have decided to fund it. This is not a small undertaking. We are talking about making one road run from Algiers to Lagos, which will completely change the landscape of trade, integration etc. This investment is being done along the desert where most of the activities are non-existent right now. This is one dramatic example that Nigeria is also doing infrastructural development. If you go to Lagos, you will see that the airport is being refurbished and if you also walk around Lagos, you will see the changes that are dramatic over the last five years. Thanks to a brilliant governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Nigeria is certainly at the beginning of the turning point I mentioned earlier. But I agree with the fact that you represent youths of the continent; you are impatient because all these are not enough and

we have to accelerate. It is true that a certain number of policies are being implemented but we need an acceleration of all of these. Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is in exactly the same frame in trying to convey the impatience of someone that knows better that these types of things have to work for the betterment of the country and that we should not believe that it is the narrative and interest or excitement of those outside the continent that would make our lives better or should read what The Economist is saying about Africa, the KMPG or PriceWaterHouse or all these consulting firms. They are looking into opportunities. I would say it is not their problems; it is our problems and we have to make that difference. It is for Africa to take control of their own lives.

How then can African countries make the difference in the area of industrialisation or as emerging industrialised nations?

Not long ago, I think a few years back, you would go from one country to another and you, ‘ask what is your status’ and they would say ‘a Least Developed Country.’

Surprisingly too, they would fight to keep that status because they would think, ‘Oh, this would bring me more aid.’ And those who are not Least Developed Countries would say, “I would like to be a Least Developed Country too.’ This was incredible. And now if you go to country after country, what you hear is, ‘I will like to be a Middle Income Country by year 2020, 2030 and so and so. Every country is reshaping its mind from just accommodating and depending on aid to a country that leaves aid behind. Like the Minister of South Africa said yesterday, the money you receive may sound free or without strings attached to it, but in fact, it is distractive; it is not part of your strategy, it distracts you from something else. It takes your attention away from what you should be doing. And I think this is the problem of a lot of countries in Africa. We have to keep them on track or back on track. So that they can care about their destinies rather than taking the little offering they get at the end of the day.

Back to Nigeria again. How do you think we can make our crude as a springboard for the envisaged industrialisation?

Nigeria needs to renegotiate all its oil contracts. Nigeria needs to get out of a system where the contributions of oil industries to Nigeria are taxes and royalties. It has to get more than that. Nigeria has to renegotiate with all its investors in the area of value chains. If you want to explore oil here, for instance by the year 2015 or 2020, 100 per cent of engineers have to be Nigerians; this percentage has to be of Nigerian holdings; this much would be taken from taxes to put in sovereign funds; this much would be required for you to continue the exploration project; building of refineries and infrastructural projects. And more importantly, no industry must destroy the environment. You know what that means in the Niger Delta Region. Nigeria has to stop this complete disaster with the way the oil industries have contributed to wastages, gas flaring and pollution of the environment where so many people live. All this has to stop.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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Anambra APGA sacks chairman, others

NPA moves to secure installations, orders three patrol vessels

By Moses Ebosele O forestall any form of attack, security has been beefed up around all installations belonging to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in the country.

NPA also disclosed yesterday in Lagos that in line with its collaboration with the Navy, it has placed order for three vessels in France and South Africa as part of strategies to enhance its security.

According to the NPA, one of the vessels identified as Dorina is being built in France while the two others named Agade and Ovie are being expected from South Africa.

Speaking at an interactive session with journalists yesterday, General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, Iheanacho Ebubeogu, explained that the initiative is aimed at “responding to transport trend”.

He assured all stakeholders of protection, adding that the security measures are being put in place in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy.

Ebubeogu, who spoke on sundry issues relating to the maritime sector, said concession was adopted because of its relevance to the emerging trend of the “globalisation phenomenon and its apparent features”.

He explained that the concession process led to the emergence of 25 private terminal operators and one Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) initiative.

Ebubeogu said: “The idea of restructuring the ports, which is also in tandem with the economic policy of the Nigerian government, is to grow an economy that is robust, public/private sector-driven, locally and globally competitive and efficient.

“The port reform programme was, therefore, designed to make the ports competitive, innovative and capable of attracting private sector investments.

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Co-adjustor, Bishop Diocese of Lagos West, Rt. Rev. James Odedeji (left); Deputy Governor Lagos State, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; outgoing Bishop Diocese of Lagos West, Dr Peter Awelewa Adebiyi; his wife Caroline and Archbishop of Lagos Province, Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde during the second session of the 5th Synod at the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Cathedral Church GRA, Ikeja , Lagos …yesterday

Minister intervenes in Manitoba, workers face-off • Assures no one would be sacked From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja ESPITE the issuance of a schedule of delegated authority that enables it take over the running of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on behalf of the Federal Government; Manitoba Hydro International is still battling to take over TCN offices, The Guardian has learnt.

In an interview with The Guardian last week, new Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Don Priestman has called attention to ‘minor certain issues’ that were still pending. He declined to give details of the issues.

But The Guardian confirmed yesterday that the firm was chased out of the PHCN building and prevented from taking over by electricity workers.

Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, who got wind of the development yesterday, summoned a meeting

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between the new management of TCN and labour unions where explanations were made on Manitoba’s mission in Nigeria.

Nebo explained that the role of Manitoba Hydro International in the running of the nation’s transmission network and said it is that of delegated authority given to a management outfit with international clout, for a stipulated period of three to five years.

He stressed that the clarification had become necessary in order to erase the impression being created especially among workers PHCN and labour unions that Manitoba has already taken position as Concessionaires of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Nebo enjoined the Manitoba management to respect the rights of Nigerian workers as entrenched in the law

of the land, while in turn, the workers should work with Manitoba, so as to take the power sector to the next level, with the required international bias, which the company is known for.

Stressing that TCN is still 100 per cent wholly owned by the government, he stressed that there won’t be sacking of workers.

His words: “There is not going to be lay-off. Management is done through agreement. Let there be no one fear. Manitoba Hydro International is under the Board of TCN, which is turn under the Power Ministry.

Don Priestsman urged labour to join hands with his colleagues in the company, as competent hands and determination are what would help all actors solve the challenges faced in the sector.

His words: “We need to cooperate. We have to work, so as to make productive reform for the power sector work.”

He spoke of the determination of the new management to contribute its bit in the quest of building a viable company that everyone would be proud of, hence no need for any apprehension from labour. “We are not here for any ulterior motive,” Priestsman assured.

Representative of the workers, Joe Ajaero, promised the commitment of labour to making privatisation work.

He added, however, that labour would not sit on the fence and watch its members being short charged.

He accused past governments of failing to address genuine concerns of labour, noting: “A situation where-in a worker who has worked for 30 years, is now transferred to a new company, and you are now saying he would be paid by the new company must be compensated before the process is completed. He must be adequately compensated, otherwise it is unacceptable to labour.”

At Oshiomhole’s birthday, leaders urged to deepen democracy From Alemma Aliu Ozioruva, Benin T a gathering of who is who in Nigeria to mark the birthday of Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday in Benin City, Edo State, governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers, businessmen and ordinary Nigerians stressed the need for political office holders to work consciously to deepen democracy in the country.

With the topic: “Deepening Democracy and Enhancing Public Welfare”, the speakers insisted that Nigeria is a great country but that more needed to be done in the area of curbing corruption, tackling insecurity and unemployment and fixing the manufacturing sector, among others.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Inter-Party Relations, Senator Ben Obi, expressed his pleasure on the contribution of Governor Oshiomhole to nation-building.

Chairman of the occasion, which was attended by 12 governors, Alhaji Aliko Muhammed, who is also the chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said

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From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka S the crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) deepens, the Anambra State Executive Council of the party has sacked Mike Kwentoh, Ifeanyi Udokwu and Mr. William Obiorah as chairman, deputy chairman and assistant secretary for what was described as unfortunate action of the trio.

At the end of the state branch’s meeting held in Awka yesterday, APGA announced the election, in acting capacities and pending the state congress, of Obi Mbonu, Mr. Sunday Onuorah and Mr. Angus Ochiogu as acting chairman, deputy chairman and state secretary respectively.

A statement signed by the ExOfficio, Mr. Angus Ochiogu, the Public Relations Officer, Sunday Onuorah and State Woman Leader Mrs. Edith Nwokedi, among others, said the party “viewed the actions of the sacked officers as total insult and disregard to the followership.”

contrary to insinuations, the North believes strongly in one Nigeria and that nobody wants the country to divide.

This position, he said, was further confirmed with presence of persons from across the country at the birthday celebration.

He described Oshiomhole as a unifying factor, saying: “Those of us who knew him are not surprised at where he is today. If you look at the people here, it shows that Nigeria is going to be an indivisible country. All these people came to honour him because of his leadership. We in ACF are committed to one country despite what anybody says. We believe in one Nigeria, we have been moving round; we went to the East and met with Ohanaeze; we went to the West and met with the Yoruba Unity Forum; we are meeting with leaders from South-South, we are committed to the unity of the country.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; Chairman of Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi; his PDP counterpart, Godswill Akpkabio of Akwa Ibom; their colleague from Northern Governors’ Fo-

rum, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State were also at the event.

Other governors included: Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Kassim Shetima (Borno), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Abdulaziz Abubakar (Zamfara), Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Bola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State.

The roll call also included businessman, Aliko Dangote; National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu; National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande; former governors of Ogun and Ekiti states, Segun Osoba and Niyi Adebayo; Senator Chris Ngige, Chief Tom Ikimi and Prince Ehenden Erediauwa.

In his comment, Tambuwal said Nigerians must begin to talk about the political parties and the process leading to the emergence of their candidates for election.

“There is need for political parties to be built not only on any ideology but critical ideology for nation-building, not individual ideas”, he said,

adding: “For democracy to deepen, our umpire must continue to be independent”.

Aliyu said Nigerians must go back to the family system where parents give birth to the number of children they can cater for. This, he said, would reduce corruption and greed.

He said the people of Edo State demonstrated the people’s power “when my party, PDP, came to Edo State to crush the opposition (our brother); the people said no, we will continue to hold our own that God has given us.

Adamant Adams became a conquering Adams. Our challenge in this country is that we must wake up to build our democracy. With Edo, we must learn the mantra of oneman-one vote, one-womenone-vote, one qualified youth, one vote. That is one way we will deepen democracy in Nigeria.”

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Hassan Kukah, said though Nigeria has done away with dictatorship, the components of dictatorship are still present in the system.

He lamented that from Tafawa Balewa to Goodluck Jonathan, “all the presidents

have been presidents by chance.

“We cannot run a country where if you are not from the ruling party, you cannot be commissioner or minister, we must allow space for debate.”

Tinubu said: “We have come to celebrate the tireless guardian of public trust, a great and shining example to all Nigerians. He can be trusted to work for the poor and under-privileged. He is a distant runner who has invested his time and energy to deepen our democracy.”

The former Lagos State governor advocated the adoption of biometric system in the registration and validation of voters before elections. “Biometric system is different from electronic voting; there should be a review of the electoral law for biometric verification. The challenge of our country is to have selfless leaders”, he said.

On her part, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, lamented the state of the manufacturing sector, which she said, is only functional by 15 per cent. She said there was need to review “the structure of inequality and lack of accountability in the political and business class.”

Gombe builds N35.9m centre for journalists From Emmanuel Ande, Gombe OVERNOR Ibrahim Dankwambo has asked the contractor handling the construction of the N35.9 million Gombe NUJ Press Centre, AGS Power Ventures Nigeria Limited, to complete the contract within the stipulated time in the agreement.

Signing on behalf of the governor, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Rev. Habu Dawaki, said the project, which is expected to be completed in 15 weeks, would have modern facilities that would enhance the working conditions of journalists in the state.

According to the commissioner, the Press Centre, said to be the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1996, would have two conference halls, a restaurant, some chalets and offices, among other facilities.

He commended the governor for graciously approving and facilitating the commencement of the project, which past administrations could not undertake.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AGS Power Ventures Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Namanu Komanda, who signed for the company, promised to adhere strictly to contractual specification and deliver the project on time.

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Forget 2015, Ajimobi tells Akinjide

By Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan HE rumour over the second term ambition of Governor Abiola Ajimobi may have been laid to rest as the governor yesterday told the minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory to wait for her time.

Ajimobi, who spoke at a book launch in honour of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi commended the minister for her style of politics but told her to forget about her gubernatorial ambition for now.

His words: “If it is by four years that I am older than you, then you will become the governor of Oyo State after my four-year tenure. But if it is by eight years, then you will become the governor after my eight years in office.”

Ajimobi, who spoke against the background of the speculated governorship ambition of Akinjide in 2015, will be 64 in December, while the minister who represented President Goodluck Jonathan at the event will turn 54 in August this year.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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Obi, Wada meet over border hostilities, urge calm From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja

OVERNORS Idris Ichalla G Wada of Kogi State and his Anambra State counter-

Osun State Head of Service, Sunday Owoeye (left); National Secretary, Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council, Omokhuale Marcus and General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporatism, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees, Philips Agbonkonkon, during the meeting of national presidents and general secretaries of eight Labour unions with Owoeye in Osogbo…yesterday

NCC warns against illegal registration of SIM cards From Anietie Akpan, Calabar HE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned telecommunications service providers in the country to desist from encouraging illegal registration of SIM cards.

The Head of Enforcement Unit of NCC, Mr. Efosa Idehen, who issued the warning on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State, after an unscheduled visit to two telecommunications service providers (Etisalat and Airtel), said two persons involved in such illegal transactions were arrested in the two service providers’ office.

Idehen said four machines used for the illegal registration were also tracked down as one of the culprits was picked up at Etisalat office while the second was arrested at Airtel office in Calabar.

He recalled that the Federal Government had, in 2011, issued a directive to service providers to ensure the registration of all SIM cards so as to make it easy to track down criminals.

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Uduaghan canvasses more funds for local councils From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

BRACED Commission urges member-states to eschew politics From Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh Uyo HE Director General of BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, has urged states in the SouthSouth region not to allow politics to divert their attention from why the commission was set up, which was to alleviate poverty in the region.

Making the opening remarks during at a four-day retreat of the commission holding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Keshi reminded the states that the region has abundant wealth, which must be exploited for the benefit of the people through the creation of gainful employment.

“For us to be successful, we need to realise the benefits of regionalism and regional approaches to development, planning and coordination of services come from the effectiveness of and efficiency of pooling resources and from utilising available

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avoid the proliferation of similar projects littering over the states with attendant consequences”, he added.

He admitted that the process of cooperation and integration among states in the South-South could be long and tedious but cautioned states not to allow politics to divert them from their common economic interest “In this region, we all need to do less of politics and focus more on our economic development, in alleviating the mass poverty of our people in the midst of wealth, in creating employment and prosperity for our people,” he said.

Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, represented Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; Bayelsa State Secretary to State Government, Prof. Allison Oguru represented Governor Seriake Dickson while Cross River State Secretary to State Government, Mike Aniah, represented Governor Liyel Imoke.

ACN flays arrest of Ekiti branch’s chairman over death of PDP member From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado-Ekiti HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has protested against the decision to arrest and whisk to Abuja the Chairman of its Ekiti State branch, Jide Awe, following the death of an indigene of his hometown, Erijiyan-Ekiti, “in an intra-PDP crisis”, describing it as a gross abuse of federal might and a blatant misuse of power.

In a statement issued in Benin City yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, ACN said the alleged harassment and intimidation of Awe is part of a grand plan by the PDP to muzzle ACN in Ekiti and trigger a breakdown of law and order in the state, “which the instigators hope will culminate in a state of emergency, as boasted by an erstwhile governor who said no governor after him would finish his term.”

ELTA State Governor T D Emmanuel Uduaghan has called for an upward review of the federal revenue allocation to the local councils to enable them adequately meet the developmental needs of the people at the grassroots.

According to a statement, Uduaghan, who made the call when the national body of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba, said if more funds were allocated to local councils, it would enable them to not only pay primary school teachers’ salaries, but also to execute infrastructural projects in their areas.

He decried the enormous burden the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries is having on the finances of the local councils and called for the allocation of more funds from the federal purse to enable them meet up with their socio-economic responsibilities.

structures and capacities within the region”, he said.

BRACED is the acronym for states in the South-South region such as Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.

The director general said the theme for the retreat, which is on “Regional cooperation, integration and strategic planning” is significant, adding that the process of development would not be complete without the SouthSouth states coming together.

According to Keshi, to achieve this task, a focused and committed leadership both now and in the future with the determination to drive the process to its logical conclusion would be required.

“Part of the realism is for the states to appreciate that some state projects could be realised through the involvement of other states. In this way, we would deliberately

part, Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday waded into the ongoing border hostilities between the two states and called for calm.

To ensure lasting peace in the area, the governors said a police post has been established within the border to enforce law and order in the communities.

The governors, who met for more than two hours behind closed- doors at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro District in Abuja yesterday, refuted media reports that about 57 persons were killed in the recent hostilities between Odeke in Ibaji Local Council Area in Kogi State and Aguleri in Anambra State.

The two communities were said to have resumed fresh hostilities over claims to a parcel of land where oil is believed to have been found. Several lives were reportedly lost and about 400 houses burnt.

But the two governors, in a joint statement, said after considering the remote and immediate causes of the dispute, the number of houses said to have been burnt down was false “and completely exaggerated” as only five houses were affected.

According to the statement, neither Kogi nor Anambra State reported any loss of life, ”contrary to media reports to the effect that 57 lives were lost. Only

four motorcycles were destroyed during the fracas.”

The governors sued for peace in Odeke and EnuguOtu Aguleri communities and appealed to them to ensure good neighbourliness as the issues in contention were being given due attention by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) on the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obi and Wada said they would ensure peaceful and equitable resolution of the dispute that would be of immense benefit to the people of the two states and further good neighbourliness.

They appealed to those fanning embers of disaffection between the “two brotherly states with long affinity” to desist from such as what the country needs now is peace, which would attract development.

Obi, in particular, denied media reports that Orient Petroleum has vacated the town as a result of the conflict, explaining that the company left as a result of the recent flooding which took place. “After the flooding, they had some other technical issues to contend with before going back into production,” Obi said.

Wada, while responding to question on compensation for the victims of the conflict, said the two governments were making assessment of the affected victims to enable them see how they could come to their aid.

Opposition party wants CP redeployed “What the PDP cannot get through the ballot box is what it wants to achieve through brigandage and abuse of federal might. But this will not succeed, as the peaceful people of Ekiti will resist any attempt to turn their state into a theatre of war. ‘’The truth is that the PDP has a history of violence in Ekiti State as in other places.

Factions and rivalry within the party have been responsible for incessant skirmishes during rallies, party primaries or meetings. This has happened in Ilawe, Oye, Ikere and Efon where many of their members sustained injuries during such internecine clashes. The Erijiyan shooting fits into this pattern and it happened because a faction of the PDP tried to prevent another (PDP) faction from taking

part in the defection ceremony,’’ ACN said.

According to the party, Awe is being selectively persecuted by the PDP, through the Minister of Police Affairs, Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd), “who has decided to abuse his office just to get the ACN chairman arrested and taken to Abuja, after he (Awe) had been interrogated and released by the police in Ekiti.” ‘’It is shocking, to say the least, that the minister, who is also an interested party, a gubernatorial aspirant and a factional leader of the PDP in

the state, did not see anything wrong in the fact that no member of his party, the PDP, in the state has been interrogated by the police over the Erijiyan crisis.

“He did not see the glaring unfairness in the fact that even ahead of the crisis which was triggered by the planned defection of some ACN members in the town to the PDP - the leader of the defectors, also an indigene of Erijiyan, had boasted that the day of the event would be bloody.”

The ACN, therefore, called for the immediate release of Awe, who has been detained over the incident since Tuesday.

’It is shocking, to say the least, that the minister, who is also an interested party, a gubernatorial aspirant and a factional leader of the PDP in the state, did not see anything wrong in the fact that no member of his party, the PDP, in the state has been interrogated by the police over the Erijiyan crisis

But the PDP in the state yesterday called for redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, for allegedly aiding and abetting lawlessness in the state.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by the Director General, Information and Media Communications, Gboyega Aribisogan, the PDP said people’s confidence in Wakama had waned and that it was imperative that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, should commence overhaul of the policing system in Ekiti.

While the PDP called on the IGP to probe the murder of Jeje and the attack on the family members of Segun Adewumi, the leader of the ACN members who wanted to defect to the PDP, it raised the alarm that the ruling ACN was still planning to foment more trouble in the state.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

WorldReport U.S. boosts missile defence as more criticisms trail North Korea’s nuclear strike warning S North Korea yesterday pushed more global alarm buttons by announcing it had authorised plans for possible nuclear strikes on United States (U.S.) targets, the latter has scrambled to reinforce its Pacific missile defences.

On that note, the U.S. Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel, said Pyongyang’s increasingly bellicose threats combined with its military capabilities represented a “real and clear danger” to the United States and its allies – South Korea and Japan.

While few of the North’s threats have been matched with action, South Korea said yesterday Pyongyang appeared to have moved a medium-range missile to its east coast.

“It could be aimed at test-firing or military drills,” South Korean Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin told lawmakers.

A provocative missile testfired into the sea over Japan is one scenario that analysts have said the North could opt for as a relatively low-risk way of exiting the crisis with a face-saving show of force.

But Russia has strongly condemned North Korea’s actions in the intensifying standoff with South Korea and the U.S., saying Pyongyang was showing a “categorically unacceptable” contempt of UN resolutions.

The European Union (EU) also called on Pyongyang to stop stoking tensions and reengage with the international

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community.

“For Russia, Pyongyang’s neglect of UN resolutions (on nuclear non-proliferation) is categorically unacceptable,” foreign ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, told reporters.

Lukashevich’s comments were Russia’s sharpest criticism of Pyongyang in the current crisis. Until now, Moscow had urged restraint from all parties and warned that the general situation risked escalating out of control.

Lukashevich said North Korea’s actions “complicate, if not practically rule out the chances of resuming” the suspended six party talks, including world and Asian powers, to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang has threatened missile and nuclear strikes against the United States and its ally South Korea in response to UN sanctions and joint military drills.

Lukashevich appeared to also take Pyongyang to task over its increasingly bellicose rhetoric.

“Our main thesis is to as soon as possible stop these dangerous manoeuvres and rhetoric and create conditions for restoring as soon as possible the six-party talks process.”

“We remain convinced that all these measures and warlike statements are absolutely categorically unacceptable,” Lukashevich said, describing the situation as “extremely

A handout image provided by the United States (U.S.) Navy shows Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX 1) transits the waters of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A Pentagon official said the U.S. has deployed a sophisticated sea-based radar to the ocean east of Japan to track any North Korean ballistic missile launches.

PHOTO: AFP

tense”.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said it would send groundbased THAAD missile-interceptor batteries to protect bases on Guam, a U.S. territory some 3,380 kilometres (2,100 miles) southeast of North Korea and home to 6,000 American military personnel.

“They have nuclear capacity now, they have missile delivery capacity now,” Hagel said Wednesday. “We take those threats seriously.”

Shortly afterwards, the North Korean military said it had received final approval for military action against the

United States, possibly involving nuclear weapons.

“The moment of explosion is approaching fast,” the Korean People’s Army general staff said, responding to what it called the provocative U.S. use of nuclear-capable B-52 and B2 stealth bombers in war games with South Korea.

The U.S. aggression would be “smashed by... cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means,” it said in a statement.

The new nuclear threats drew fresh concern led by UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who said on a visit to Monaco that he

was “deeply concerned and troubled” over the escalating rhetoric.

“At this time, I think all the parties concerned in the Korean peninsula, in particular the Chinese government, can play a very important role to calm down the situation,” said Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister.

Yun Duk-Min, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, said the latest nuclear threat was similar to one issued a month ago, but with the added weight of “approval” – presumably by North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un.

Desmond Tutu wins $1.7 million Templeton Prize OUTH Africa’s antiSTutu, apartheid icon, Desmond was yesterday awarded the $1.7-million Templeton Prize for his lifelong work to promote “love and forgiveness”.

The 81-year-old Nobel peace laureate and former archbishop of Cape Town, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a vocal opponent of South Africa’s white-minority apartheid regime, will be presented with the award at a

ceremony in London on May 21.

The Templeton Prize, one of the world’s largest yearly awards, is given each year to a living person who has made “an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension”.

Last year’s winner was the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, who gave the money to charity.

Meanwhile, Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted Tutu as

thanking “all the wonderful people who accepted me as their leader at home” for the prize, which is administered by the U.S.-based Templeton Foundation.

“When you are in a crowd and you stand out from the crowd, it’s usually because you are being carried on the shoulders of others,” he said.

The Templeton Foundation commended Tutu’s “deep faith and commitment to prayer and worship”.

The prize was set up in 1972 by the late investor and philanthropist, John Templeton.

Its first winner, in 1973, was Mother Teresa.

Tutu spoke out vigorously against apartheid during the years when Nelson Mandela was in prison. He won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his work, which he said has always been motivated by religion.

When Mandela became president, he chose Tutu to chair

South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated crimes committed by all sides during apartheid.

Tutu has since given advice to communities elsewhere seeking reconciliation in the wake of conflict, including Northern Ireland and the Solomon Islands.

Tutu’s New York-based foundation said the prize was “extra-special” because it recognised his spirituality.

‘Iran to insist on enrichment right at nuclear talks’ RAN’S chief nuclear negotiaIthattor, Saeed Jalili, has disclosed Tehran will insist that its right to enrich uranium is recognised in talks this week with world powers on its disputed nuclear drive.

“We think that they can open up tomorrow’s (Friday’s) talks with one phrase — and that is to accept Iran’s right, particularly its right to enrich,” Jalili said in a speech at an Almaty university ahead of the negotiations in the Kazakh city.

“We hope that in Almaty, they do not repeat the bitter experience they have gone through in the 34 years of our revolution and that they make the right conclusion this spring,” he said referring to the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the shah.

Jalili also appeared to downplay the chances of a one-onone meeting with chief U.S. negotiator, Wendy Sherman – talks Washington has been

Malian conflict makes W’Sahara’s peace urgent, Hollande tells Moroccan lawmakers RENCH President Francois Fparliament Hollande told the Moroccan yesterday that a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, where a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force has been deployed for two decades, is more important than ever as a result of the Islamist revolt raging in northern Mali.

“The economic potential is enormous. But I am also aware of the obstacles, and the question of the Western Sahara, which has been waiting to be resolved for more than 30 years,” Hollande told the parliament.

“The current standoff is detrimental to everyone, to the separated families, to the refugees, to the tensions between the Maghreb countries. And the crisis in the Sahel makes its more urgent to put an end to this situation,” he said.

However, the United Nations (UN) has expressed concern over reprisal attacks against ethnic Tuaregs and Arabs in Mali, where a French-led intervention recently routed Islamist rebels.

Again, Hillary Clinton draws attention to 2016 American polls ESPITE giving no concrete D clue that she wants to run for United States (U.S.) presi-

dential election in 2016, a rising flood of public appearances by former Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton, including the emergence of a supporters’ website, and now a book outlining her views on the world are linking her to the plum job.

Book publishers, Simon & Schuster, announced yesterday that a book Clinton would appear in the summer of 2014, which is midway through President Barack Obama’s final term and conveniently timed ahead of the next election campaign.

No title was announced, nor were details revealed of how

much the former president Bill Clinton’s wife is being paid. But the scope of the time, Agence France Presse (AFP) asserted yesterday, speaks volumes about Hillary Clinton’s stature since stepping down as secretary of state.

“This will be the ultimate book for people who are interested in world affairs and America’s place in the world today,” said Jonathan Karp, publisher of Simon & Schuster Publishing Group, and who is set to edit the work himself.

Topics covered will include the killing of Osama bin Laden, the U.S. pullouts from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Arab Spring revolts, and the

Book publishers, Simon & Schuster, announced yesterday that a book Clinton would appear in the summer of 2014, which is midway through President Barack Obama’s final term and conveniently timed ahead of the next election campaign. rise of China. Broad issues including the role of women and girls, climate change, and human rights will also be addressed.

“And she will share her views as to what it takes for the United States to secure and sustain prosperity and global leadership,” the publisher said.

Clinton has stayed coy about her plans in 2016, but she is seen as a clear frontrunner this time, having lost

the Democratic nomination in 2008 to Obama, who went on to become America’s first black president.

Polls show that Clinton, who would be 69 in 2016, has strong support among Democrats urging her to try to become the first woman elected to the White House.

Her term as chief U.S. diplomat was widely held to have been a success, but ended on a sour note with the debacle of Islamist militants storming

the American consulate in Benghazi and killing the ambassador.

Possibly more damaging to any presidential plans, her final days in office were marred by health problems culminating in her hospitalisation for a blood clot in the head.

After leaving office in February, Clinton initially kept a low profile, talking of a need for rest. On February 1, she even told NPR radio that she’d “been out of politics as secretary of state. I don’t see myself getting back into politics.”

But speculation about making a bid for history in 2016 took no time off – and in general Clinton has done little to calm supporters’ excitement.

Immediately on becoming a private citizen again this February, she launched a website, HillaryClintonOffice.c om, which to this day features nothing but a large picture of the politician and a link for making contact.

The site is the Internet equivalent of a blank slate. But another site launched this month by supporters makes no bones about what office Clinton should be occupying.

“America is Ready for Hillary and we need your help to ensure that when she is ready to take up this challenge, we are on the ground ready to help h e r , ” www.readyforhillary. com pronounces. Viewers are invited to send donations.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

10

Politics Obi begs Okorie for forgiveness

Umeh

Obi

Okorie

From Leo Sobechi, Abakaliki

• As penitent APGA seeks to re-enact solidarity with UPP

HEN all indicators point to the possibility of final fall, some bright light has appeared in the horizon for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Bringing credibility to his avowal to reconcile estranged elements back to the party fold, the interim Acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Maxi Okwu, on Tuesday, took his colleagues to the Enugu home of the founding chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie.

It was an emotional visit that served a dual purpose of reuniting the foundational members as well as taking stock of where the rain started beating them as a political party.

At the end of nearly four hours of speechmaking and anecdotes, the general impression among the faithful was the convergence of opinion on who was actually “the black leg” that led the party down the road of perfidy and interminable bickering.

Hence, there are indications that the reconciliatory meeting could pave the way for a possible ‘accord’ for the APGA and the United Progressives Party (UPP), which Okorie recently floated.

Indeed, Okorie hinted at such an agreement, when he said: “If you check the DNA of APGA and that of UPP, it points to the same parents...

If ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party) and CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) can talk of coming together to rescue certain vision and mission, why can’t APGA and UPP work out a relationship?”

That was for the future. But while explaining his mission, Okwu informed Okorie that he had the consent of the Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, “to pay this visit on you and beg for the forgiveness of others.”

He disclosed that immediately the mantle to lead the APGA fell on him, he adopted three ‘R’s — rapprochement, reintegration and reconciliation.

He noted that no rapprochement could succeed in the APGA without seeking forgiveness from the founding national chairman.

“From Igboezue, Igbo National Assembly down to the Friday conclave all of which led to the formation of the APGA, it was your vision that gave birth to APGA,” Okwu told Okorie.

“If you are a practicing Christian, you must practice what you believe by forgiving those that offend you. That is why we have come to formally apologise to you.

“When the coup happened in the APGA, I went to the CNPP, (Conference of Nigerian Political Parties) while Okey Nwosu went to the ADC (African Democratic Party); these were offshoots of the APGA.” Before making his response, Okorie declared, “let me first of all assimilate this good tidings.”

W

He went down memory lane, recalling how his decision to fight for the rights of the Igbo changed even his course of study at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria.

He said: “I thank God, who has made today possible. My brother, Maxi, has given his own perspective to the historical background of the journey up to this point. There is nothing he said that was not true. But there are a lot more he did not say because he would not say what he did not know.”

The UPP national chairman said the vision to have a platform that could be sympathetic to the political aspiration of Nd’Igbo began in 1990.

“My struggle for Igbo rights crusade began way back in 1976. I was exposed to Igbo Forum.

My uncle, Mr. A. U. Agwu, who was permanent secretary in Eastern Nigeria’s rural development in the First Republic, under the late Michael Okpara, took me to the meeting of Igbo Forum that began that year at Akanu Ibiam’s house.

“I was the only person allowed to do errands in exclusive meetings of the group here in Enugu.”

He said although he went to the university to study management, to improve on his father’s business, the exposure he got from attending the Igbo Forum meetings “changed my world view.”

“So, the challenge to crusade for Igbo became an obsession; I have been doing that consistently. If you have known me 37 years — some here were not born — or known me a year ago — everybody here was born then — you must know me for one thing: crusading for Igbo rights.”

Okorie said that having come a long way, “it is impossible for anybody to think that anything would make me sell out on Igbo cause.”

“But it was part of the propaganda carried against me,” he said. “I have lived to be the one person that had the highest and the most funded propaganda machine hoisted against to run me down with the kind of money that can develop an entire local council and make it an Eldorado.

“But I have survived it. What I am saying is that what I am seeing today is what could be ascribed to only God Almighty.”

Okorie noted that 25 attempts were made to make peace so that the APGA might remain but that all were rebuffed, stating that though “in all, we attended, in all they did not attend.”

“In all of them, none was designed to be in my living room but those who knew when APGA was founded, you will discover that it is the same set of seats that are here today,” he said.

“Nothing has changed the same frame of

seats; we have only changed the blinds because they were tearing down, but some paupers are now living in mansions.”

Okorie declared that he had no regrets for what transpired in the APGA. “I have no regrets because God has endowed me with tremendous associates, wonderful disciples, who have decided that they would manage their poverty with dignity,” he said.

He disclosed that during the period of interregnum, his thoughts never left the APGA “I did not leave that sign (APGA insignia) there (pointing) because you were coming; it has been there. The reason is that I cannot take my mind away from APGA. “I did not leave that photograph there with Ikemba (the late Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu) young and myself much younger; I have a pile of photographs with all the dignitaries you can think of in Nigeria. But I left that one there because that was when the journey began more or less in 1995.”

Pointing to another photograph, Okorie said he decided to leave the frame in his living room “because it was the first time I brought 11 Yoruba politicians to Igboland.”

“They were to meet here, but I said no, we have a leader who lives at No. 4, Ezillo Street (Ojukwu’s former residence).

“Many of them said they wouldn’t go there that Yoruba people at home would ask them why they went to Ikemba’s house. I told them if you could not go there, then I would take you back to the airport and you return.”

Betraying his emotions, the APGA founding chairman noted: “For our leader, I have stepped on toes; for our leader, I made sure that the Ikemba myth was upheld. But some people diminished him while he was alive.

“But here we are; I am alive to see my own vindication. If I am speaking emotional, it is because it is not easy to witness your own vindication.”

Okorie commended Maxi Okwu for the initiative, saying, “my brother, Maxi, was there in the beginning of APGA and when the lot fell on him to rebuild this party, he was guided by the spirit to do the right thing.”

He wished that a large number of APGA faithful were there to witness history. “This is significant in many ways,” he said. “If you check the DNA of APGA, and that of UPP, it points to the same parents.

“This visit is significant because those who did not want APGA to survive turned around and said the dramatis personae of this whole saga are incapable of reconciliation. Today, we are debunking that we are incapable of reconciliation.”

On the political future of Nd’Igbo, Okorie reiterated his belief that a Nigeria president of

Okwu

Igbo extraction was in the offing for 2015, stressing the visit of Okwu and other APGA leaders opened the door for great possibilities.

He said: “Then, let it be told to Nigerians that Igbo people are not going to move away from Nigeria; we are going to stay and take our rightful position in Nigeria.

“Come 2015 — I am not making a political statement; I have not said anything that God did not bless with fruition. In 2015, Igbo man will enter Aso Rock as president. And this is a signal to that possibility.

“I will not keep you waiting for too long, but let me say that today has opened the door for other possibilities.”

Okorie expressed optimism that, “we shall build blocks and erect mansions based on the foundation laid today.”

He stated how in 2002, a young man in London gave him two tiger skins, with a demand that one should be given to the Ikemba and the other kept by him (Okorie).

“Anybody coming here will know that this had been here since 2002, what has happened here today?”

He pointed to UPP’s banner shouting, ‘The Tiger’ and rationalised that, “God is ahead of us.”

He added: “If ANPP and CPC can talk of coming together to rescue certain vision and mission, why can’t APGA and UPP work out a relationship?

“Let it be said to the whole world that the third leg of the Nigerian tripod has been restored today.”

While indicating that he has forgiven every thing done to him in the spirit of Easter, Okorie said he had a piece of advice for Chief Victor Umeh (estranged national chairman of the APGA).

He noted that Umeh has boxed himself into a corner, and thus become a political orphan.

“He caused it himself; God has given him the will power to box himself out of that corner,” he said.

“I task him to repent, to mend his ways, to embrace the path of rectitude, to pick up courage and do what is being done today and return to the fold so that God can forgive him his sins because they are many.”

Okorie said he had learnt that “blackmail, malice and sadism are devilish,” and they could only lead to destruction and hell fire.

“To those who are sponsoring him (Umeh), it is a bad investment,” he said. “Investing in that character will yield no return; it would yield pain and anguish.

“The bygone has become bygone; I look forward to continuing with the salvation guaranteed all of us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that tomorrow shall be better.”

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

POLITICS 11

The Clash of Civilisation: Revisited Text of an address by Professor of International Relations and Diplomacy and former External Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, at the Metropolitan Club lunch on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, in Lagos.

HERE was a massive intellectual uproar in 1990s when Professor Samuel P. T Huntington, a Harvard University Professor, in a lecture at The American Enterprise Institute, first propounded a theory that the post-Cold War conflicts were going to be characterised by a clash of civilisations where people’s cultural and religious identities would be the primary source of conflicts.

The lecture was in 1992. In 1993, he expanded the lecture in an article in Foreign Affairs Titled, The Clash Of Civilisations? as if he was no longer sure of the applicability of the concept. Finally in 1996, he further gave the concept a book-length treatment when he published a book titled: The Clash Of Civilisation And The Remaking Of World Order.

Two preliminary points should be made at this point. The first is that academics don’t just wake up to start propounding theories out of idleness. Usually, it is in response to a stimulus, whether external or internal. In this particular case, Huntington was reacting to the end of the Cold War, a war marked by ideological conflicts between capitalism and communism.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Russian nationalism and other nationalism in Eastern Europe, scholars were divided into two camps. There were those like Francis Fukuyama, who saw this as the end of conflicts and others like Huntington, who thought conflicts would simply find other sources. It was in an attempt to find an intellectual basis to explain future conflicts that Huntington came up with the concept.

As mentioned earlier, there were other scholars, who were also involved in seeking to provide an explanation for what to expect.

Francis Fukuyama’s concept was embodied in his book titled, The End Of History And The Last Man. His point of view was that with the decisive defeat of communism by Western capitalism, the whole world was bound to embrace the tenets of Western capitalism and we would all sleep facing the same direction.

In a 20-minute lecture, I cannot do justice to an analysis of Fukuyama’s thesis. That would have to be for another day and another audience.

Huntington would not be the first person or scholar to use the phraseology. In 1990, Bernard Lewis had applied the phrase in his article titled, The Roots Of Moslem Rage. Even as far back as 1926, Basil Mathews had written a book titled, Young Islam On Trek: A Study In The Clash Of Civilisations.

Therefore, as you can see, the phrase has an ancient pedigree. But that does not mean that it was and still is an accurate rendition of world history, then and now.

I decided to share my views about the concept with you because I am fascinated by his classification of the world along civilisational lines and also because I believe it is a useful tool in understanding present-day conflicts in the world and in Nigeria.

What is a civilization? A people with their belief system! It is that simple. Even though Huntington defines a civilisation as a cultural identity, I want to avoid the narrow connotation of the use of the term, culture, by preferring the elastic meaning implied in a belief system.

As its ancient pedigree implies, there has always been a clash or clashes of civilisations from when Homo erectus transmitted into Homo sapiens. As I argued in a previous lecture, the first case of genocide resulted in homo sapiens wiping out homo erectus even though we know so little about the belief systems of both, whether they were compatible, the same or antagonistic.

If you read the Bible as a historical document, you cannot but come to the conclusion that the wars between ancient Israel and the Philistines, Amorites, Assyrians, etc., were as a result of clashes of civilisations. The wars between the British and the Benin Kingdom, between the British and the Fulani Emirates, between the Oyo and Fulani Empires were all manifestations of clashes of civilisations.

This is not to imply that all wars are civilisa-

Akinyemi

tional wars. Civil wars, by definition, cannot and are not civilisational. This also does not mean that every war between two different civilisations deserves to be categorised as a clash of civilisation. The wars of Alexander the Great did not seek to impose Greek value system on conquered territories, neither did Genghis Khan seek to impose Mongolian value system on the territories he conquered.

What then is a war of civilisations? It is a war driven by the desire to impose a different system of cultural and religious values on others who hold on to a different system.

Therefore, as a concept, it is sound.

According to Huntingdon, there are five major civilisations: 1. Western civilisation comprising the United States, Canada, Western and Central Europe, Australia and Oceania.

2. The Orthodox civilisation of the former Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Romania.

3. The Eastern civilisation made up of Buddhist, Chinese, Hindu and Japonic civilisations.

4. The Muslim civilisation of the Greater Middle East extending to Northern West Africa, Albania, Bangladesh, Brunei, Comoros, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Maldives.

5. The civilisation of sub-Saharan Africa located in Southern Africa, Middle Africa (excluding Chad), East Africa (excluding Ethiopia, Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius and Tanzania), Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Then, there are other groupings, which are contentious: 1. Latin America, which includes Central America, South America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. They regard themselves as part of the Western civilisation although there are slight variations in social and political structures from Europe.

2. The Anglo-Caribbean is regarded as an emerging quasi-civilisation.

3. Ethiopia and Haiti are regarded as cellular civilisations in the sense that they are lone countries.

4. Israel is another cellular civilisation even though embedded in Western civilisation because of the attachment of the diaspora

It is this frightening possibility of a world crisis that cannot be subjected to the usual diplomatic processes of carrot and stick that underlay the intellectual criticism of Huntington’s work.

A more problematic issue is to what extent can we ascribe to the whole belief system of the fundamentalist fringes? Does Al-Qaeda reflect the Muslim faith? Do the Christian fundamentalist sects reflect the Christian faith? Or have these fundamentalist sects occupied the available space that the mainstream has become captives of the fringes?

Jews.

There is another group of countries regarded as “cleft” because large portions of the population identify with different civilisations. Examples are India (Hindu-Muslim), Ukraine (Eastern-rite Catholic-dominate Western section versus Orthodox-dominated east), Benin, Chad, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Togo (Islam/sub-Saharan Africa), Guyana and Suriname (Hindu and sub-Saharan Africa), China (cleft between Sinic, Buddhist, and the West in the case of Hong Kong and Macau), etc.

These are Huntington’s classifications, which I endorse by and large because, like any attempt to make order out of chaos, there are bound to be rough edges and imprecise classifications.

I should add that I regard the Roman Catholic Church as a special species of civilisation. It is only Roman Catholic countries like Ireland, like countries in Eastern Europe and in Latin America where the Church has clashed with governments, and where it is the governments, which have been battered and bruised that will easily understand why I classify the Roman Catholic Church as a civilisation.

But much more important is the fact that mutations and fluctuations are the hall-

mark of human history. Right now, Huntington has identified five major civilisations. But Arnold Toynbee, that master historian of the world, who wrote history in broad strokes as master painters like Dale, Van Gogh or Gaugin paint on broad canvasses, in his, A Study of History, identified 21 major civilisations at that time.

In the 12-volume magnum opus, which he started in 1934 and finished in 1961, the British historian traces the development and decay of all of the major world civilisations in the historical record. Toynbee applies his model to each of these civilisations, detailing the stages through which they all pass: genesis, growth, time of troubles, universal state, and disintegration.

The major civilisations, as Toynbee sees them, are: Egyptian, Andean, Sinic, Minoan, Sumerian, Mayan, Indic, Hittite, Hellenic, Western, Orthodox Christian (Russia), Far Eastern, Orthodox Christian (main body), Persian, Arabic, Hindu, Mexican, Yucatec, and Babylonic. There are four ‘abortive civilisations’ (Abortive Far Western Christian, Abortive Far Eastern Christian, Abortive Scandinavian, Abortive Syriac) and five ‘arrested civilizations’ (Polynesian, Eskimo, Nomadic, Ottoman, Spartan).

You will immediately notice that Toynbee’s work is deficient in his total ignorance of, and hence non-inclusion of African civilisations. In any case, his work shows that civilisations are not frozen in concrete but are in a state of flux. Some will die out, more vibrant ones will absorb some and some will absorb others.

On reflection, one obvious fact jumps out and that is that there is nothing actually new about the events crystallised under the rubric Clash of Civilisation. Those were precisely the clash called the Crusades at that time. That also confirms another Arnold Toynbee eternal truth that human history is marked by a cyclical pattern. What goes round comes round.

Does that imply that there is an inevitability of conflicts or wars because of the existence of different civilisations? The answer has to be in the negative. For different civilisations to breed conflict, at least one of the civilisations must be driven by a global mission to achieve superiority over others, to deny others the legitimacy of existence and must possess a belief system that is not subject to change or mutation.

There are two ways to change a course of action. It is either through superior force or through superior argument. Neither works against suicide bombing.

Boko Haram did not introduce the Clash of Civilisation into the Nigerian politics. This was done by the Dan Fodio incursion into Nigeria and the attendant Jihad. Nigerian politics since then has been coloured by this Clash of Civilisation.

This clash cannot be resolved by Western type elections. It can only be resolved by a Grand Consensus Worked Out By The Political, Economic, Religious, Cultural, And Intellectual Elite On The Platform Of A National Conference.

It is this frightening possibility of a world crisis that cannot be subjected to the usual diplomatic processes of carrot and stick that underlay the intellectual criticism of Huntington’s work.

A more problematic issue is to what extent can we ascribe to the whole belief system of the fundamentalist fringes? Does Al-Qaeda reflect the Muslim faith? Do the Christian fundamentalist sects reflect the Christian faith? Or have these fundamentalist sects occupied the available space that the mainstream has become captives of the fringes?

The answers have public policy implications. We should not be complacent or panic.

Somehow, the world manages to survive it all.

(As an aside, in 2011, Mr. Jim O’Neili, an outgoing Chairman of Goldman Sachs, coined the term BRIC as the new global economic power. It was later amended to read BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

There was a lot of wailing and gnashing of the teeth all over Nigeria as to the omission of Nigeria from the list. We were all determined to get into that group or go burst in the process.

Now, we are told that we did not need to go through that flagellation. Mr. Michael Andrew, the global chairman of KPMG International, says there is a new economic kid on the block that is making waves called MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey).

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

12

TheMetroSection NDLEA uncovers large quantity of illicit drugs inside industrial filter • Arrests freight forwarder

By Odita Sunday

ARCOTIC agents of the National N Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a customs clearing and forwarding agent over his plan to export 72.320kg of methamphetamine worth about 1.8billion naira in the international market.

The seizure, which is the single highest recorded since January, was made at the cargo section of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

A total of 36 parcels of methamphetamine hidden inside the filters were meant for export to Mozambique in a South African airline flight.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport Mr. Hamza Umar, who led a team of agents that made the breakthrough, said that the mode of concealment was faultless and smart.

“If not for the training we have and the commitment of our officers, it would have been difficult to detect the drugs because the mode of concealment is faultless. You need to go the extra mile to detect the drugs,” Hamza stated.

The suspect, Mr. Tony Mordi said that he was given only N228, 000 naira by his client to send the consignment to Mozambique.

According to him: “I am a licensed customs clearing and forwarding agent. One of my customers called me from Mozambique requesting that I should handle the shipment of his consignment. I was given only N228, 000 naira for the shipment. I want my wife to understand and help in taking good care of our kids”.

The Chairman of the Agency, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, who described the seizure as the single largest since Jan-

7, 2013 at Pacific Comprehensive College, Fakoya Street, off Shasha Road, Dopemu- Agege, Lagos at 10 am.

Meanwhile, Chief Tunde Adefarati was recently returned as the President.

Church marks anniversary CTIVITIES to mark the 11th A anniversary of Testimony Chapel International hold from Monday, April 8 to Friday, April 12 at 6.00p.m. daily. It will end on Sunday, April 14, with a thanksgiving service at 51, Iwaya Road, Yaba- Lagos, at 9.00a.m.

Hosts are Bukola David and Mercy Chinyere Olanrewaju.

Church programme PPLY Praise Ministry Int’l A presents “Prayer for Your Husbands at Osogbo, an inter-

The concealed drugs

uary 2013 said that the Agency would prosecute any agent caught clearing narcotics.

“This is the single largest seizure of methamphetamine since the year began. We have in the past arrested licensed clearing agents in connection with narcotics. This is a huge seizure

considering the monetary value and it is also a threat to security. The Agency is working hard to incapacitate drug syndicates and will not hesitate to prosecute any agent found wanting in the discharge of their professional duties,” Giade said.

In the past two years, the agency has

uncovered five clandestine laboratories in Nigeria, where methamphetamine is produced. The factories have been closed down and most members of the cartel are being prosecuted.

The suspect, who hails from Delta State, is married with four children and will soon be charged to court.

on Christians to take charge and while taking charge they should educate, counsel and mentor their brothers and sisters in Christ and to be their brother’s keeper. He enjoined Christians to do what is expected of them as children of God as they wait for the coming of the Lord.

“As you wait for the coming of Jesus Christ your actions and deliberations matter so much in the sight of God and all men, good actions will always attract others to Christ. Pray also for your neighbours and let us continue to be our brother’s keeper. Whatever is the situation that may come your way, pray to God Almighty and He will continue to answer our prayers,” he said.

Declaring the presidential address open, Bishop of Lagos Province and Lagos Mainland, Rt. Rev. Adebayo Akinde, thanked God for the grace given to Bishop of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi and Mama Lagos all these 14 years of being the Bishop of Lagos West, and

wished them successful retirement.

“We will continue to thank God for His enablement, the accomplishment, which attended your ways.

Simply innumerable God will bless you even the more as you go into retirement. Be assured of our prayers, your retirement will be much better than when you were reigning in Jesus, Amen. We note the theme of this valedictory synod “Occupy Till I Come” is most appropriate for what is happening. It tells us clearly that there is a day of reckoning, a day of accountability, the world in which we live in as Christians cannot and is not a permanent place of abode.

Christian wisdom demands that we note the depravity of our lives and do everything possible to please God, who has called us to serve Him,” he said.

In his presidential charge, Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi called on both the Senate and House of Representatives not to go ahead with the proposed legislation on allocation of land to Fulani cattle rearers, saying that the effect would be serious on Nigerians.

Rotary organizes Literacy Seminar to improve reading culture among youths

T

complete an ultra-modern vicarage within the church premises, at 48/50, Irehe Road, Ikorodu at 10.00a.m. Chief Ebenezer Okunowo will be chief launcher.

KOKO Development Group A (ADG) holds its first quarterly meeting on Sunday, April

Fashola urges Lagosians not to engage foreigners as maiguards

By Isaac Taiwo HE Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria under the leadership of the District Governor, Kamoru Omotosho, recently organized its Literacy Seminar for selected schools in Lagos.

The event was aimed at improving reading skills among students and to divert them other unprofitable ventures instead of reading to improve themselves.

Omotosho said the event was organized by Rotary Book Project Committee to promote the old values of reading culture to augment the present practice among students with a view to bringing the best out of them.

“This is the best time and op-

FRICAN Bethel Church, IkoA rodu, Lagos will on Sunday, April 7, raise N25 million to

ADG meets Sunday

By Chris Irekamba O combat the threat of Boko Haram and its presence in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has urged Lagosians not to engage foreigners as their maiguards or security personnel.

Making this known in Lagos yesterday, at the ongoing second session of the fifth Synod of the Diocese of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said Lagos State government would do everything possible to protect lives and property in the state.

Pleading that the government cannot be everywhere, Fashola called on Lagosians to be security conscious and report any strange movements within their neighbourhood to the police and security agents.

He noted that the theme of the Synod was apt, “especially as we consider the security situation in the country”. He said that the theme placed a demand

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Briefs Church to raise N25m

portunity to promote reading culture among the children.

Many of them, these days, engaging in unprofitable programmes on the television and Internet at the expense of their studies.

“The essence of this programme is to discourage them from watching films as they do not contribute anything to their lives. When they read, they become creative and can even be writers tomorrow,” he said.

The Chairman, Books Project Committee, District 9110, Kayode Aderinokun described his committee as a segment of Rotary empowered to look at various ways and channels of engaging the youths in scholarship, education, upliftment,

moral upbringing using the tool of books.

“In her contribution, Dr. Abosede Olubiyi from America, described illiteracy as a great phenomenon, which

must be discouraged among the youths, through inculcating in them the habit of reading.

“We have to encourage children to read one book at a

One of the participating students and the panel: Tunde Onahoya (left), Aderinoleun, Abosede Olubiyi, Omotosho; Susan Omotosho and Dele Balogun PHOTO: ISAAC TAIWO

time and it does not have to be school-related, especially during their holidays and leisure, instead of watching movies and unprofitable programmes on television.

“Our own contribution is to ensure we ship books that would help these youths from America to Nigeria,” she said.

Another speaker, Dr. Kunle Labinjo said not enough was being done to encourage reading culture in education as in the olden days.

“The Lagos State Government is trying but we still need to try more. In the past, we could go to the library to borrow books to read and return. Such practice is no more these days, and we need to revive it,” he said.

denominational service, holding today and tomorrow between 5pm to 7pm and 7am to 9am at the Joint Heir Hall, opposite Capital Market Hotel, Dada Estate, Osogbo, Osun State.

Hosts are Pastor and Pastor (Mrs.) Segun Olatunde.

GTB holds enlightenment programme on autism UARANTY Trust Bank (GTB)

G

is planning to raise awareness on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Speaking at the a press briefing to herald the Guaranty Trust Bank’s 2013 Orange Ribbon Initiative in Lagos, General Manager and Head of Communications /External Affairs GTB, Lola Odedina said “the initiative seeks to further raise awareness and ensure that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children are not stigmatized, but given the required support from parents, teachers, friends, government and the society.

Leader of the 19-man team of ASD specialists and practitioners, Dr. Anna Lamikanra added that they had identified the key role of gatekeepers: parents, schools; organisations and religious leaders, in improving the lot of autistic children in the country.

“We need to abreast the gatekeepers with the right information about autism. There are many helpless parents out there that still don’t know what to do with their autistic child. They carry the anguish on them and the kids also die because of inadequate care.

Often they turn to religious leaders and schools, which is why they need to know the right information,” Lamikanra said.

The highlight of Orange Ribbon Initiative will be the yearly Autism Awareness Seminar holding on April 8 and April 9 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

METRO

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

13

Photonews

Assistant Editor, Seyi Ogunmoyela (left); Media Executive, Remi Ajibade; Editor-in-Chief, Yemi Olowolabi; Senior Media Executive, Ayo Adegbehingbe and Production Executive, Laolu Akinbobola at the fourth anniversary thanksgiving luncheon of Red Carpet TV in Lagos.

Matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief (Mrs.) H. I. D. Awolowo (left) with the wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun when the latter paid a condolence visit to the matriarch over the death of her son, Chief Oluwole Awolowo in Ikenne

Two policemen killed in bank robbery in Lagos

By Odita Sunday OBBERS numbering about 12, in the early hours of yesterday, stormed the Iju Ishaga branch of a new generation bank, killing two policemen during a shoot-out said to have lasted for about 15 minutes.

The Guardian gathered that the armed gang also carted away an un-estimated amount of money during the raid, which happened few poles away from the Iju Police station.

The bandits were said to have stormed the bank at about 3.00am in two operational vehicles. While some of them reportedly remained outside to ward-off intruders and police patrol team, others scaled through the fence and tied the night guards.

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Director-General, National Gallery of Arts, Abdullhi Muku and Ambassador of Italy, Roberto Calamine during the Muku’s courtesy visit to the Italian Embassy in Abuja..

They were said to have thereafter, fired some shots at the Automated teller Machines (ATM) and carted away monies loaded in them.

The gunshots, alerted some policemen on patrol around the area, who allegedly raced to the scene. But on sighting the policemen, the gang members stationed outside reportedly opened fire, thereby leading to a gun duel at the end of which two of the policemen were feared dead.

One of the slain policemen’s identity was given simply as Inspector Nafiu.

Two Amoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and combined teams of conventional and Mobile Policemen reportedly drafted from Area ‘G’ command, Ogba, later arrived the scene. But by then, the robbers

had fled in their operational vehicles, leaving the dead policemen in the pool of their blood.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) told The Guardian that it was a foiled robbery operation but admitted that one of the policemen lost his life.

According to her, “The robbers attacked Diamond Bank, Iju. Although they did not succeed in carting away cash but we killed one of the robbers.

One of our policemen lost his life. We are on the matter and I can assure you that we would get the hoodlums.”

A management staff of the bank’s headquarters also confirmed the incident but said the robbers were unable to break into the vault.

Police arraign four LASU students over cultism

By Bertram Nwannekanma OUR students of Lagos State University, Ojo campus, were yesterday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ebute-Metta,, Yaba, Lagos by detectives from the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti for allegedly belonging to outlawed secret societies The four students were Olaleye Jaiyeola Habib, 20, Olawuyi Olalekan Temitayo, 23, Olaosebikan Ibrahim, 22, and Akiniyi Adedapo, 26.

Three of the accused were fourth year students of the Department of Economics, while one is a second year student of Mass Communications.

They were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and belonging to unlawful societies.

They were alleged to have, in March 2013, at the Ojo campus

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Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, (middle) with a cross-section of mothers during the commissioning of solar power motorized borehole at Ikorodu Local Government Children Centre in Ikorodu, Lagos as part of her constituency project …on Wednesday PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

of the institution, conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit, by belonging to unlawful societies.

The detectives also alleged that while “Habib, Temitayo and Adedapo belong to the Buccaneer con fraternity, Ibrahim belongs to the Eiye con fraternity.”

The alleged offences, according to the Prosecutor, Frank Inah, an Inspector of Police, are punishable under Sections 409 and 42 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state of Nigeria, 2011.

All the four accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But in their separate bail applications, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Lanre Folahan, R. O. Olubambi, Emmanuel Adebayo and Lekan Adebanjo urged the court to grant their clients bail in the most liberal terms.

The counsel informed the

court that the accused had been in the SCID’s detention for three weeks for interrogation.

The prosecutor, Inah did not oppose the bail application.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. A. O. Komolafe, granted them bail in the sum of N200,000, with two sureties each.

Komolafe also ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the accused, while the other must be a Grade Level 14 officer either in the Lagos State or a federal ministry, who must show evidence of a three- year tax payment to Lagos State government.

The tax clearance, residential addresses and means of livelihood of the sureties must be verified by the court’s prosecutor.

“Further hearing of the matter has been adjourned till 24 April

Man, 24, docked for allegedly stealing transformer components

By Joseph Onyekwere OR allegedly stealing components of a community transformer, the Police on yesterday charged a 24-year-old man before an Ojo Senior Magistrate‘s Court.

The accused, Peter Chinosom, is said to reside at No. 2, Odeyemi Street, Elemijaiye, Ajangbadi, Lagos.

He is standing trial on a twocount charge of conspiracy and stealing.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Godwin Eze, who is the prosecutor, told the court that the accused committed the alleged offence on March 11, at about 11.00p.m.

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PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN

A traveller relaxing in a rickety vehicle on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

Winners of NB’s Golden Pen Award to emerge today HE fifth edition of the T Golden Pen Award, organised by Nigerian Breweries (NB) holds today at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos at 5.00p.m.

The grand prize winner will get N500,000, a 64GB Apple ipad and a plaque, in addition to the moniker of 2013 Golden Pen Journalist of the Year. The first runner-up will win N250,

000, an Apple iPad and a plaque, while the second runner-up will get N200, 000.

The individual that emerges The Photo journalist Of the Year will win N250, 000; second and third placed winners will pocket N200, 000 and N150, 000 respectively. The top three winners in this category will each receive an Apple iPad and a plaque.

According to the Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, Edem Vindah, “The Golden Pen Award was instituted to recognise and reward objective reportage of the numerous activities of the company.”

Members of the judging panel are: Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, Mrs Nkechi Ali Balogun and Mr. Gbenga Adefaye.

He said Chinosom and one other who is presently at large, had conspired to dismantle several parts of the transformer stationed to serve the Elemijaiye community of Ajangbadi.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant was watching for his accomplice, who embarked on dismantling parts of the transformer.

He said upon sighting some members of the community vigilance group, his accomplice, who appeared to be more vigilant, jumped out and bolted with some of the dismantled accessories, while the defendant was taken unawares.

Eze said that the monetary value of the stolen components is yet to be ascertained.

He said that the offence of conspiracy contravenes the provisions of Section 409 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2011, while stealing contravenes Section 285 of the same code, and upon conviction, attracts a penalty of three years imprisonment.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mr. Taslimi Shomade granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case to April 18 for mention.

TheGuardian

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it. Uthman dan Fodio 1754-1816

Editorial The second Niger bridge HE disclosure, the other day, by the Minister of Works, Mike Onolemomen, that work on the second Niger Bridge would commence soon is heartening, coming roughly seven years after a previous minister of works announced government’s approval of the bridge. A second Niger bridge at Onitsha is long overdue. But the minister’s promise would be meaningless except work actually commences on the bridge as planned. The information to commence work should not be another gimmick to merely attract public attention for the present administration. Nigerians are tired of unfulfilled promises. What is needed now is concrete action to make the bridge a reality.

In 2006, the former Minister of Works, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, under the Obasanjo administration, announced the approval by the Federal Government to construct the second Niger bridge at Onitsha. But nothing concrete has been done to realise the project, other than foot-dragging and unnecessary politicking over the matter. This shows lack of seriousness on the part of government.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Onolemomen spoke to stakeholders at the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and said, “the time has come for action on the bridge”. According to him, the project, designed to cover Asaba, Ozubulu and Oghara areas, will be completed before the expiration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2015.

That date appears ambitious but not impossible to achieve. There is perhaps need for a more realistic time frame to make allowances for exigencies. What is important is to do a credible job within a reasonable period, and to ensure a reduction of pressure on the existing bridge to extend its lifespan. Besides, the necessity to decongest the city of Onitsha cannot be overstressed. As a matter of fact, the idea of a second Niger bridge at Onitsha has been on the drawing board for years, having been first mooted under President Shehu Shagari administration (1979-1983) during the Second Republic; but it never got off the ground.

Even now, the political and administrative will to bring the proposed project to fruition is still doubtful. Certainly, it will take more than the current minister’s promise to assure Nigerians that the construction of the new bridge is indeed taking off. The minister must follow up with tangible effort and avoid further delay. And once the construction begins, it should not be abandoned midway.

Besides, the minister’s disclosure should not be a ploy to score cheap political goals.

Remarkably, the construction giant, Julius Berger won the contract to build the bridge. The company has a pedigree of competence. Nigerians would not accept an abandonment of the project under any guise. Therefore, the company should muster the technical and financial muscle to complete the work on schedule.

In building the bridge, international best practices and quality standards should be followed. There should be clear specifications on what to expect on such a major bye-pass link bridge. The need to drastically reduce the perennial traffic bottleneck at Onitsha should be given utmost consideration. Uninterrupted movement of vehicles should be the main feature. There is also need to make provision for a future East-West rail line on the bridge. Where there is a development plan, such a rail line would be earmarked. There is prospect for a future East-West rail line passing through the Niger at Onitsha.

Really, government’s decision to build the bridge should not be extraordinary news. The building and maintenance of infrastructure ought to be part of governance, as it is in other climes. The situation should not be different in this country. Government should carry out its statutory duties on roads, bridges and other infrastructure. These amenities should not be abandoned to rot away to the point of virtual collapse before intervention.

Public outcry over the decrepit condition of the existing Niger bridge ought to have attracted government’s attention before now. The new bridge is therefore coming as a welcome relief. There is no doubt that, if well executed, the bridge will ease transportation problems at Onitsha and enhance commercial activities between the Eastern and Western states.

T

LETTERS

Miss Coker and pilgrims commission IR: The Nigerian Christian S(NCPC) Pilgrims Commission hardly engages in media altercation with anybody, most especially pilgrims. Regrettably, Miss Efunsola Coker caused the publication of her displeasure at the services provided by NCPC when she travelled on pilgrimage last year (specifically, 10th November, 2012).

It is just unfortunate that Miss Coker’s expectations were not met out of many Nigerians that participated in the year 2012 pilgrimage exercise. When she came back she informed the Commission about her disappointment and explanations were offered and since then it was assumed that everything was over.

It is very true that she paid N406,150.00 for the total package and from this, N232,000.00 was paid for return flight tickets, leaving a balance of N174,150.00. She was accommodated for 11 days, 10 nights, fed three times a day (with buffet meals), transported in luxurious coaches to holy sites for the 11 days. Payments were made at some holy sites before pilgrims are allowed to enter, all from the N174,150.00, not to talk of visa fee and administrative charges. At N174,150.00 divided by 11 days, on daily basis, it amounts to N15,856.00 and it is from this that Miss Coker was expected to be kept in a five-star hotel, fed and transported to the holy sites.

NCPC does not keep pilgrims

in five-star hotels. Any attempt to do that will jerk up the price and make pilgrimage very unattractive to many Nigerians that would have loved to participate. That is why the Commission settled for three-star hotels. It is imperative to state that Christian pilgrimage is a spiritual journey of a lifetime and should not be taken for tourism or leisure.

For the avoidance of doubts, on yearly basis, before we commence operation, the Commission embarks on previsit exercise to the state of Israel to inspect places to be visited by the pilgrims and the hotels where pilgrims will be kept and in this process hotels that fall below our standard were usually rejected. So if one or two hotels out of over 25 fell below the expected standard of a particular pilgrim is not enough to create the impression that activities of NCPC are a scam.

In the year 2012 pilgrimage

exercise, about 13,500 pilgrims participated, these include deputy governors, deputy inspector-general of police, members of the national and states’ assemblies, traditional rulers and many other prominent Nigerians, we never had this kind of complaints from them. Rather they appreciated our efforts. So, Miss Coker’s allegation of cheating is still a surprise to the Commission.

No doubt, we are open and amenable to constructive criticisms and positive advice but we take exception to namecalling and outright condemnation of our activities for whatever reasons it was intended to achieve. If Miss Coker is so convinced that she was cheated by NCPC, going round media houses may not be the best option to seek redress.

• Olajide Oshundun, Special Assistant (Media) to Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.

IPI mourns Awolowo Jnr IR: The International Press Snetwork Institute (IPI) — the global of editors, media executives and leading journalists — mourns the passing away of Mr. Oluwole Awolowo, publisher of the Nigerian Tribune newspapers. The late Awolowo was not only publisher of one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers; he was a venerated member of the IPI family in Nigeria.

IPI commiserates with the Awolowo family and the media over the loss of the distinguished media chief. We implore the Tribune Group to keep aloft the exemplary ideals, especially press freedom that the late publisher vigorously promoted.

• Kabiru Yusuf (Chairman) and Raheem Adedoyin (Secretary) IPI Nigerian National Committee.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

15

Business AutoWheels P43

BusinessTravel P46

New hi-tech vehicles on parade at Lagos auto fair

Autonomous NCAA for safer skies

World Bank offers fresh $120m facility for urban water supply in Nigeria HE World Bank is to proT vide additional $120 million credit facility to Nigeria to boost water supply in urban cities, the Coordinator of the project, Benson Ajisegiri, has said.

The new facility will now raise the country’s debt stock for the project to $320 million.

Ajisegeri, who is the Coordinator of the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

He said that the first phase of the project was being implemented in Kaduna, Ogun and Enugu, states while the second phase was ongoing in Cross River and Lagos states.

The first phase of the project according to him, would end in September 2013, while the second phase would extend to May 31, 2016.

“We started with the first phase in Ogun, Kaduna and Enugu states which started with $120 million; later on, additional financing of $80 million was added so, for the first phase, it became $200 million.

“Shortly after that, in 2005, we went with the second phase and it had Lagos and Cross River States.

“Recently, from the current borrowing plan of Nigeria, there is additional financing of $120 million being added to the $200 million to make the 2nd phase to be $320 million.

“It is an extension and that extension will take us to 2016 because of the additional financing.''

Ajisegiri said the objective

of the project was to improve access to potable water in the 14 towns.

He said the project would also help to improve the commercial and financial operation of the state water agencies to, enable them to recover cost in water delivery.

According to him, the funds will be used to rehabilitate surface schemes in selected towns.

“We are using the funds to rehabilite surface water schemes that will supply water to the urban centre; in Ogun State, we have six towns, where the project covers.

“It covers Abeokuta, Ojere, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, Apoje and Ijebu Igbo; in Kaduna State, we have about six towns - Kaduna, Zaria, Zonkwa, Kanfacha , Koi or so and in Enugu, two towns, Enugu metropolis and Nsukka.

“In Cross River, we have started with four towns and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (right); Director-General BRACED Commission, Joe Keshi; and Prof. Ejeviome Otobo, during the BRACED Commission retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, yesterday.

N250b Lekki port takes off Sept. 2016

By Ade Ogidan, Business Editor

HE proposed Lekki port,to be located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone,may become operational in the third quarter of 2016,going by the work schedule of its promoters.

Already,the Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise-promoters of the project-had contracted top consultants around the giobe to execute the scheme.

This update was made known by the Managing Director of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise, Haresh Aswani,yesterday,dur-

T

Louis Berger Group leads project’s consortium ing the visit of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to ascertain the level of work at the site.

Aswani explained that the Lekki port, conceptualised as a multi-product industrial and logistics hub,would spread across 90 hectares of land and built at an estimated cost of $1.55 billion(N250 billion).

According to him, the deepsea port, to be located 65 kilometres East of Lagos

Mainland ,would become the gateway to West African region and one of the most efficient and modern maritime facilities that would cater for containerised, liquid and dry bulk cargo par international standards.

“In addition to bridging the capacity deficit, Lekki port will have significant positive macroeconomic impact,estimated at S361 billion over the entire concession period. It is

expected to contribute more than S200 billion to the government revenue,while also creating close to 163,000 new jobs in the economy.

“Furthermore, Lekki port would spur the economic development around the Lekki sub-region and on a wider perspective, the whole of Lagos State through rapid industrialization”, he added.

He disclosed that his organisation has engaged the servic-

es of leading global consultants like The Louis Berger Group Inc., Delta Marine Consultants, Berger ABAM and TBA Netherlands and the container terminal has been sub-concessioned to International Container Terminal Services, Inc, Philippines, a leader in the container terminal operations with a footprint across the globe.

“The EPC construction contract has been issued on a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

16 BUSINESS

Producers to raise Nigeria’s cocoa production volume to 500,000 tonnes HE nation’s cocoa producT tion volume may soon be raised to 500,000 tonnes going by plans by the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) to shore-up the volume from the current 250,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes under the second phase of the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda.

The National President of the association, Sayina Riman said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, yesterday.

Riman said that the cocoa sector would be able to produce 500,000 tonnes of cocoa due to the new hybrid cocoa varieties recently released by Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

He disclosed that the new

varieties would start fruiting after two years and that it would have optimum yield after three years.

Also under the agenda, Riman said that the association would establish a credible and reliable database of the activities of all cocoa stakeholders across the value chain. ``Cocoa Association of Nigeria is working hard to establish a credible and reliable database of all cocoa activities of all cocoa stakeholders across the value chain. ``We are already working on capturing data from the grassroots; that is one of the major aspects we are working on right now that is going to be a transforming one for the agricultural sector. ``Why we have not put all

our matters on the net is because we are coming with a model that is scientifically proven. That will definitely be what will be sustainable in the industry. ``We are going to capture from producers; producers who I call the farmers, the middlemen within the trade sector, to the merchants who are the bigger traders. ``We are going to warehouses and collateral agents; we are going to exporters; we are going to researchers; we will go to importers of Nigerian cocoa and most importantly, we are going into processing. ``All of that will be captured and at the click of a button, you can always access whoever is a true stakeholder across the value chain in every cocoa

economy in this country.’’

Riman also said that with the agenda, the Nigerian cocoa sector would revive its position as the largest cocoa producing country, as it was in the recent past.

He said that the country had lost its place to Cote d’Ivoire in global cocoa production and now occupies the fourth position.

He said that the agenda would encourage foreign investors to invest in the cocoa sector.

Riman expressed regret that Nigerians were not making effective use of the cocoa plant and that the situation was affecting its position in the global market.

He said that for value to be added to cocoa production, the country had to utilise its

FIRS initiates new tax regime for informal sector From Mathias Okwe, Abuja (Assistant Business Editor) ARRING any change of B mind, artisans in the country, including shoe cobblers, mechanics, welders, hair dressers and allied operators will from next year, come under the tax net of the Joint Tax Board (JTB)- the umbrella body of all taxing authorities in the country. The aim is part of initiative to boost the nation’s non -oil revenue generation.

Under the plan, the artisans are to be registered and issued with Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) and those with yearly incomes between N6000 and below are to be assessed using a 'Presumptive Tax Regime ‘ assessment strategy for the purpose of taxing them.

The strategy is in line with the new Personal Income Tax

(PITA) (Amendment Act 2011) which is yet to come into implementation because the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is yet to assent to the Regulations as prescribed by Section 30(1) of the PITA (Amendment Act 2011) because the Regulation is still receiving stakeholders' input being coordinated under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Glory Iwuji of the Standards and Compliance Directorate of the Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS) Headquarters Abuja.

Yesterday, the Team held a sensitization workshop in Abuja to seek inputs from stakeholders to enable it produce and present a workable regulation to the. Minister for her assent to empower the Regulation which objective is to administer taxes on per-

sons under Presumptive Tax Regime on such terms and conditions where for all practical purposes, the income of such people cannot be ascertained because records are not kept in such a manner as would enable proper assessment of their income as obtained in a standard tax assessment.

Addressing the workshop, the Acting Chairman of the FIRS, Alhaji Kabir M. Mashi explained that the strategy was introduced because of the enormous revenue potentials in the informal sector where the targeted categories of taxpayers belong.

Mashi said: " As we may be aware, taxation of the informal sector and particularly persons and businesses that are not properly structured or are unable to keep proper and detailed records of their business transactions is topical

and challenging issue not only in Nigeria but also in most developing countries around the world. Almost every country in the world has at one time or the other been faced with the challenge of how to bring such businesses not the tax net and ensure that their businesses comply with their tax obligations.

"Different countries have therefore fashioned out different strategies to effectively tax individuals in this category.

Some countries I. Dealing with this issue have leveraged on the experiences of others, while others decided to fashion out their specific strategy.

But for us in FIRS, we have decided to adopt a hybrid in developing a workable presumptive tax regime. We have looked at the experiences of others and we have tried to tailor this to our own local circumstances. “

potential before other countries could appreciate it, adding that the association would work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

He said that the association would work closely with the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and that of Trade and Investment to boost cocoa production volume and export trade. ``There will be value addition; we are also coming with the aspect that there will be local consumption. ``We consume less than two per cent of what we produce which is quite appalling.

Cocoa has over 250 health

properties and we hardly consume our own product. ``So we are left to the buyers to dictate to us the price. ``For us to be able to add value to what we do, it is also to consume what we produce, knowing that it has inherent health benefits. ``We are pushing that with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Trade and Investment to help us facilitate that. ``On our own very aspect of developing the trade across the value chain, we are in the process of collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to make sure that we raise our production volume from

Deep seaport takes off 2016 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 turnkey basis to China Harbour Engineering Company, which mobilised their men and machinery in August 2012 and is already in the last lap of pre-construction investigations and site preparation activities.

“Lekki Port has been conceptualised on the basis of a significant gap in projected demand and capacity, needed to be met in conveying goods to and from Nigeria.

“The demand is attractively high and the available capacity will not be sufficient to meet this demand. The economic viability of Lekki Port is founded on this unmet demand,”he added.

According to some industry experts,the Lekki port, once operational, is expected to

play a significant role in easing out the congestion at existing Nigerian Ports.

The strategic location, optimal layout and modern facilities provide the proposed port,a distinct competitive edge over any other port facility in the West African region.

“With Lagos State Government and Nigerian Ports Authority as shareholders in this project , their interest in the success of Lekki port and their confidence in the Public-Private Partnership model to bridge the gaps in the infrastructure domain, which is pivotal to overall growth of Nigerian economy,will ensure the overall success of the scheme,Vaswani added.

World Bank offers fresh $120m facility for urban water supply in Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 two additional towns are being added; in Calabar 24/7, we have Calabar, Ikom, Obudu and Ogoja, they are now adding Itigidi and Obubra.’’

He, however, said that Lagos didn’t get additional finance for its projects while Cross River got additional financing to the tune of 100 million dollars coming.

NAN reports that the

Federal Government has established a Project Implementation Unit in accordance with the Credit Development Agreement between the Federal government and the World Bank, to coordinate the project and monitor its implementation.

The project is expected to scale up to cover all the states of the federation and the FCT as funds are made available.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

19

Weekend Yet another bailout funds for ailing local airlines

Arts & Culture P. 26

Autowheels P.43

Business Travels P.46

Duke...

Lagos auto fair to showcase new hi-tech vehicles

Imperative of autonomous NCAA for safer skies

How not to reclaim National Theatre’s masterplan

20 WEEKEND

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5 , 2013

Questions, as Central Bank arranges The Federal Government is believed to have decided to provide another round of bailout funds for the ailing local airlines. However, questions are being asked over the previous loans granted to the same beneficiaries that have remained unpaid, reports WOLE SHADARE

Murtala Muhammed Airport

ANy questions are being raised over wisM dom in the intention of the federal government to extend another bail out fund to the ailing local airlines, when a similar gesture extended to them three years ago has not yet been redeemed.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had, three years ago, granted some N300 billion to the airlines, which have not yet been repaid. yet, the Federal Government has now approved the proposals by three aircraft makers, to supply Nigerian carriers with new airplanes.

The three firms involved under the new arrangement include: Boeing, reputed to be the biggest aircraft maker based in Seattle, Washington, United States (U.S), Embraer, the Brazillian firm and ATR based in France.

The firms were said to have made proposals and presentations to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministries of Aviation, Finance and the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON). AMCON is believed to have taken over four big Nigerian airlines, as a result of their huge indebtedness of over N120 billion.

From all indications, the presence of the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi at the meeting, held in Abuja last week, showed he may have finally succumbed to pressure to assist the airlines. At the meeting were Sanusi, representatives of Aero, Arik, Chanchangi, Overland, IRS, Medview Airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and representatives of AMCON. The Federal Government, through the CBN, is working on how to assist the carriers acquire brand new aircraft at a single digit interest rate, a departure from the past where the airlines were forced to pay back 30 per cent interest on loans from banks. This

time around, the airlines, which qualify for assistance, would be expected to pay only seven per cent interest on loans secured.

The Guardian learnt that the terms of the acquisition of the new airplanes would cover 15 years, at seven per cent interest rate, as against a short-term facility at a two-digit interest rate.

Apart from Medview, the books of virtually all Nigerian airlines are in red, a situation that has made them economically unhealthy. The situation has equally stunted their growth and expansion.

However, nobody knows how exactly the acquisition of the airplanes would be financed.

Would it be by cash or through operating leasing? Would it also be through bank loans/finance leases, export credit guaranteed loans or by tax leases or manufacturer support?

For operating leasing, commercial aircraft are often leased through a Commercial Aircraft Sales and Leasing (CASL) company, the largest two of which are the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS).

Operating leases are generally short-term (less than 10 years in duration), making them attractive when aircraft are needed for a startup venture, or for the tentative expansion of an established carrier. The short duration of

an operating lease also protects against aircraft obsolescence, an important consideration in many countries, due to changing noise and environmental laws.

In some countries, where airlines may be deemed less creditworthy (e.g. Nigeria and many African nations), operating leases may be the only way for an airline to acquire aircraft.

Another form of aircraft financing is known as “capital leasing”. It is a longer-term arrangement, in which the operator comes closer to effectively “owning” the aircraft. It involves a more complicated transaction in which a lessor, often a special purpose company (SPC) or partnership, purchases the aircraft through a combination of debt and equity financing, and then leases it to the operator. The operator may have the option to purchase the aircraft at the expiration of the lease, or may automatically receive the aircraft at the expiration of the lease.

Direct Lending In another way, an airline may simply take a secured or unsecured loan to buy a commercial aircraft. In such large transactions, a syndicate of banks may collectively provide a loan to the borrower.

The apex bank had late last year, barred loans to 113 firms, including the country’s two major airlines, which have failed to repay debts after a 2009 financial crisis that nearly brought down the banking system. The ban covers firms whose bad debts were absorbed by state-backed AMCON, as part of efforts to draw a line under a credit crisis that nearly sank nine lenders. The companies have yet to make good on those loans, according to a source close to the CBN.

This is most likely the option the Federal Government has taken to assist Nigeria’s ailing airlines. Because the cost of a commercial aircraft may be hundreds of millions of dollars, most direct lending for aircraft purchases is accompanied by a security interest in the aircraft, so that the aircraft may be repossessed in event of nonpayment.

It is generally very difficult for borrowers to obtain affordable private unsecured financing of an aircraft purchase, unless the borrower is deemed particularly creditworthy (e.g. an established carrier with high equity and a steady cash flow).

The apex bank had late last year, barred loans to 113 firms, including the country’s two major airlines, which have failed to repay debts after a 2009 financial crisis that nearly brought down the banking system. The ban covers firms whose bad debts were absorbed by state-backed AMCON, as part of efforts to draw a line under a credit crisis that nearly sank nine lenders. The companies have yet to make good on those loans, according to a source close to the CBN. Nigeria’s Central Bank injected $4 billion in 2009 to support nine lenders it judged to be so weakly capitalized they posed a threat to the whole economy. Since then, a number of banks have been restructured, and AMCON absorbed their toxic assets.

A CBN memo had stated: “As part of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s efforts at strengthening financial stability, it has become necessary to stop debtors who failed to repay their loans to banks and had those loans transferred to AMCON from further enjoying credit facilities ... until they fully repay.

“Banks are prohibited from approving or disbursing any new credit facilities to all persons and organizations on this list,” adding

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5 , 2013

WEEKEND 21

fresh soft loans for local airlines

Stella-Oduah

that any breach would be punished by a fine “equal to the value loan and possibly additional penalties.”

The document affirmed that they owed N192.4 billion ($1.22 billion) and N120 billion respectively. The list also included one of Nigeria’s biggest national air carriers, with N85 billion in debts.

Not a few are worried over the new bail out for airlines. They hinged their skepticism on how the government intends to recover its funds or how the airplane makers would be able to deliver the airplanes without down payment either by the carriers or the government.

One thing is certain: the CBN is acting as a guarantor for the deal to sail through, the reason the CBN boss is reportedly working to ensure that this fresh intervention does not go down the drain like the former one that may have ended up as ‘bad debts’.

Government had, three years ago approved over N300 billion to help the airlines out of the wood. The cash was made available following complaints by airlines; the global economic recession was having adverse effects on their operations as they were being bogged down by debts.

Besides, there were high interest rates, low

Ibru

Sanusi

Ndulue

How will they pay back and why does government intervene in private companies that consistently have poor financial management or whose financial revenues are not regulated? How do you consistently give a lifeline to a private business that is indebted and with no firm systems to control income and spending? working capital, absence of medium/long term funding, high custom duties, VAT and other taxes. A breakdown of the chart indicated that the Air Nigeria Developmental Limited got the highest share of N35.5b as term loan. Aero Contractors followed with N14b and another N6b as working capital. Air Nigeria did not collect a working capital.

The funds were distributed through various banks and disbursed at a generous rate of between two and seven per cent, as against the 18 to 20 per cent market rate. There was also a moratorium of six months, with extended repayment term of between 10 to 15 years.

On the working capital, some of the airlines were granted a working capital of between N500m and N1bn, which represents 20 per cent of the previous year’s turnover of each airline.

So, where is the money?

A top official of an airline, who pleaded anonymity, agreed that the fund was mismanaged by some of the airlines. “Yes, management might be a problem with some airlines,” the source said. “We cannot rule that out. However, the structure of that fund itself was a problem. It was designed to free banks from the shackles of bad credit that they had extended to the airlines. These are airlines that were owing earlier. So, the fund was not to put fresh capital into the airlines as some people thought”.

He continued: “Now, a lot of the debt those airlines were owing was also as a result of poor loan management by the banks. Some of the banks charged incredibly high interest rates.

Loans that were granted were bad from day one. These were loans that you knew could not be repaid easily. However, if you’re a man that is drowning, even if they give you a sword, you’ll grab it to make sure that you survive.”

He disclosed: “Airlines did all that sorts of things to ensure that they survived, while the banks were piling up interests, working against regulation and all that. Even when the banking rule says if an airline has not paid over a given period of time, freeze the facility, but don’t accumulate interest, but they (banks) were busy accumulating interest upon interest.

“So, it became unsustainable because these monies were not coming and the airlines could not even pay the principal. And now, you’re compounding principal on interest and the debt continued to grow in leaps and

bounds. So, the intervention fund was a loan that freed the airlines from fake money and the real money at the same time but the airlines still had the burden.”

The source further stated that the loan did not really save the airlines but just helped to reduce the tightening of the noose around their necks. According to him, the problem can only be solved if airlines are given money to create real assets, rather than working with the assets that they had to pay monies that really did not exist.

“So, I’ll not call that part of the problems of the airlines, rather, I would say it’s a policy that was not properly formulated”, the source added.

The managing Director of IRS Airline, Mr. Yemi Dada told The Guardian recently that for the airlines to be in business and expand the aviation sector, one of the key issues would be funding, which he said government was already trying to tackle.

According to the airline chief, “It’s a primary constraint. If airlines are able to get funds with the proper lenor, it’ll really help. I mean, real long term funds, like 15-20 year loans with low interest rates and not the short terms we got from banks before now.

That will reduce our pressure on repayment.

That will reduce our cost of funding and it’ll also reduce the amount of money you have to apportion to each ticket to repay it within the period”.

He continued: “That will enable us get better airplanes, which will save costs when you’re using fuel. So, you’ll not be using as much fuel as you would require, if you were using older airplanes. If you reduce some of the taxes and charges, it’ll help. The airline is the only means of transportation in Nigeria that contributes to Value Added Tax (VAT).

And that VAT is the collection from the passengers that is supposed to go back to the government. If you remove that, the passengers will not pay that as part of the cost of their tickets. We still have what we call the five percent ticket sales charge, which goes to government agencies like the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the Nigerian College Aviation Technology (NCAT). At the same time, we have the Bilateral Air Services Agreement”.

Irked by what he termed another wastage of public funds by the government, former

Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) stated that there were many areas government could channel its resources and not to bail out private airlines with public fund.

He said intervention fund granted to airlines in the past had been misused and diverted by some of the airlines. “Suddenly we are coming up with another intervention fund less than three years after the N300 billion for airlines was mismanaged,” he complained. “It is very curious. According to the Bank of Industry, CBN, the money was not meant for the airlines to re-fleet their airlines.

The money, according to them, was meant to pay their debts. It is a recycle of public money for people who have godfathers and in spite of that money they have collected to pay debt, a lot of them still owe service providers.

“I personally wrote to the Governor of the CBN and I can show you a copy of that letter; that was two years ago when they were mooting the idea of giving them, I asked them to find out what these people are going to do with that money and ensure they do not use it to pay debts, but to specifically re-fleet their airline”.

Reminded that the money, this time, would not be given to the operators directly, but to aircraft manufacturers and lessors for them to supply the operators with modern aircraft fleet, Ojikutu insisted that it does not make sense for the government to use public funds to buy aircraft for private airline operators. To him, this would not stop the corruption associated with government’s financial intervention.

He queried: “how will they pay back and why does government intervene in private companies that consistently have poor financial management or whose financial revenues are not regulated? How do you consistently give a lifeline to a private business that is indebted and with no firm systems to control income and spending?”

He described the whole set up as a deception, alleging that the intervention was for operators who have sponsors among elected and appointed government officials and political stalwarts in major banks, most of whom, he further alleged, are conduit pipes for such funds.

He declared: “I can bet, the money will go the way the other did when the life of this administration expires.” Ojikutu also asserted that without effective and efficient financial regulations for monitoring the airlines, in accordance with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Act, the CBN’s or similar efforts for airlines would be a return to the perpetuation of corruption in the aviation sector.

Besides, he was of the opinion that apart from the bad balance sheet balances, those who have huge debts hanging around their necks may have no intention to pay back.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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ExecutiveBrief In association with TRIPPLEA ASSOCIATES LIMITED

EDITION 261

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT INFOTECH4DEXECUTIVES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXECUTIVE FINANCE ngr. Femi Akintunde is the MD/CEO of Alpha Mead Facilities and Management Services Limited, a leading facility management company in Nigeria. The company grew to become a leader in the industry within the first five years of operation, and is currently the only facility management company in Nigeria with ISO 9001:2008 certification and accredited

by UKAS (UK Accreditation Service) and ANAB (American ANSIASQ National Accreditation Board). Recently, Alpha Mead Facilities Limited was recognised as a Nigeria Fast Growth 50 Company, at an award ceremony organised by AllWorld Network, an organization that identifies and ranks the fastest growing private companies of the world. The 50 recognised companies recorded an average growth of over a 100% per annum and jointly employ over 6,500 staff. Femi’s career has benefitted from wide industry exposure and international best practices in manufacturing, oil and gas, banking, real estate and infrastructure services where he has served in various functions and capacities up to executive management level. His scope of expertise includes; Industrial Plants Maintenance and Productivity Mgt, Facilities & Infrastructure Mgt., Engineering & Project Management, Human Resources, Oil & Gas Process Engineering. Femi is a well rounded and highly respected industry professional with strong entrepreneurial drive and passion for excellence. In this interview, Femi spoke on a wide range of issues.

E

What informed the setting-up of Alpha Mead?

The current state of most corporate and private real estate assets in Nigeria leaves much to be desired in terms of service and operating conditions. Consequently, many organizations are seeking professional facility management services to help them reduce operating cost, increase operational efficiency and improve bottom-line performance. The promoters of Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services identified this need very early, and driven by a passion to provide facility management solutions, decided to pursue it vigorously by forming an alliance with a world-class facility management organization to deliver value added services as well as raise standards in Nigeria to a new height.

What influenced your choice of business and why did you take up the challenge and responsibility as CEO? Facilities management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines such as health, safety, security and environment, property management, business continuity planning, electrical, mechanical, emergency response and people management. My career gave me a well-rounded exposure into these areas. In addition, I was fortunate to work in organizations with best practice cultures and also move across departments, which is very unique. For instance, in Nestle I worked in the factory as an industrial engi-

Femi Akintunde

Providing Innovative Solutions in Facility Management neer and rose through the ranks to the position of Head, Corporate Technical Planning. I moved from there in 1993 to the SPDC where I spent 12 years in senior and management positions in human resources, major oil & gas projects, engineering, services, facilities and assets management. Thereafter, I was Deputy General Manager, Corporate Services for the UBA Group and was responsible for delivering corporate services to the entire network in Nigeria and overseas including banking, insurance, asset management and global markets. Therefore, my venture into facilities management is a function of my onthe-job exposure and experience.

What have been your major challenges since establishment and how have you coped?

There are several challenges facing Facility Management practice in Nigeria today, primary among which is limited industry knowledge and experience among clients and contractors. A lot of people do not know how facility management should be run or how to structure an FM contract. The second major challenge is the dearth in skills. When you provide service to people, the person paying wants to believe that you have the capacity and capability to deliver on the agreed quality. That capability is based on the resources you have as well as the resources you can get from outside. Regrettably, getting skilled technicians is a major challenge today. Another major challenge is in the quality of materials available in the market. There is a lot of adulteration of even critical products like spare parts and diesel and if you are not trained, you may be unable to differentiate them from the original. There are also challenges regarding appreciation of the value we render. This is particularly a major issue in Nigeria. People hardly appreciate when you prevent problems from happening; they would rather pay someone to fight a fire and don't understand why they should pay someone to prevent it from occurring in the first place. We work from a model of preventive maintenance and it is disheartening to find that many people are reluctant to pay the right rates for that level of expertise.

What are the other challenges facing the facility management industry?

The other problems have to do with quackery. There are so many people claiming to do facility management and they create problems of skill and expertise. When they get contracts, mostly due to insider influence, they are unable to deliver and so when another facility management company shows up it is viewed with suspicion. It can be very difficult to work in such an atmosphere.

Second, quacks usually thrive on price wars. As a professional, your pricing is based on the quality of service you want to deliver.

Unfortunately, during tenders, you often find that you are being compared with people who are not offering up to the same level of service and are touting cheaper prices. Naïve evaluators sometimes are not able to compare like for like so they award the job to the cheaper company then call you back a few months later to come fix the pain inflicted by the poor service of the quacks. Of course you cannot overlook the general problem of corruption in the Nigerian environment. It affects our industry a great deal because even before a job is tendered, sometimes, you hear people saying that they have already won the job because they know the man in charge. If you are a company with strong corporate governance culture, you are unable to do some of the things those people do to get the jobs so you are automatically short changed by the competition.

From experience, we know that, often, it is not the decision makers that do these things but the people working for them. They feed the decision makers with wrong information, wrong evaluation results and wrong basis of assessment, so they end up selecting the wrong company and get unsatisfactorily service. The reasons are not far-fetched: because the quacks have been desperate in their pricing and also have an interest who must be settled, they cut back on quality to be able to meet the demands of their promoters.

What are the unique factors that

stand your company out?

AM Facilities boasts of a robust portfolio built on our reputation in managing high profile facility management consultancy and delivery projects. The company currently manages office and residential properties for various clients across different sectors of the economy such as The Nigerian Stock Exhange, Shell, Total E&P, Primrose Properties, Ultimate Apartments and many more. Our differentiating factor is in the value we add. Within the first three months of taking over any new site, we have a record of saving our clients a minimum of 15-25 per cent of their existing maintenance and operating costs through various cost reduction and process improvement measures that we introduce. Given our strong focus on a preventive maintenance program, we have been able to minimise frequent breakdown of plant and equipment and guaranteed higher reliability of the systems. Consequently, as a company, we ensure that our staff is exposed to the highest level of training both locally and abroad. We also encourage them to pursue relevant professional programmes that enhance their career interests.

Our company is also an active member of several professional associations such as the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI). At the industry level, we have the AM Facilities Training Centre which offers a rich array of courses and caters to practitioners both from the client side and service providers. In commemoration of the World FM Day last year, we organized the first facility management roundtable in Nigeria which brought together stakeholders from across Nigeria and internationally to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the Nigerian industry and chart the way forward. Participation was drawn from government, industry professionals, developers, financiers and resident associations. Also, in the last quarter of 2012, Alpha Mead was appointed to bench mark facilities management practice in Nigeria and the entire Africa region by FM Benchmarking, the global body responsible for tracking the performance of facilities management organisations and establishing universal standards for the industry.

What are your projections of FM professionals and government in 2013 and beyond?

Essentially, facilities management encompasses a large body of stakeholders such government, private developers, building owners, financiers, building consultants, facility managers and professional organisations. It is important that we realize we all have a stake and must work together to ensure the continuous improvement of the facilities management industry in Nigeria.

Government needs to create an enabling environment through the provision of adequate infrastructure, legislative backing and effective regulatory framework to enforce standards.

Professionalism and good business ethics must be promoted and upheld by building industry professionals, while institutional knowledge and support provided by professional institutions such as IFMA will drive qualitative research and the development of local industry benchmark data. Building owners and developers, for their part, should actively patronize and reward professionalism as this will provide the support and encouragement needed to grow the industry.

What has client response been like?

Most customers tell us that they have experienced the most comfort and satisfaction with us in all their dealings with facility management companies. In fact, we have consistently maintained an almost 100 per cent retention rate of all the sites we have worked on since inception. This is largely because we are driven by our very simple motto, “We Care.” At AM Facilities, we understand the peculiarity of the facility management challenges facing companies operating in the Nigerian terrain particularly as it relates to aligning available resources with global standards, and have positioned ourselves to work successfully with our clients to optimize their staff and asset performance against these odds. Moreso, our business is built on a strong platform of 3Ps that define our mission - People, Process and Place. People are at the centre of all we do; whether as our customers, investors, vendors, employees or the communities where we live and work. We pride ourselves in a competent and very capable workforce with strong customer orientation and a passion for excellence in service delivery. The next is our Processes. We have a strong track record for sustained delivery on good results. This automatically derives from the welldefined processes and standards that guide all our work. Place includes everywhere our customers live, work or play. This is the ultimate result that we deliver. We guarantee that whatever the state of the facility you give to us, we will make it into a haven for you taking into cognizance your comfort, safety and security. Our relationship with our technical partners is also a key resource that grants us access to global standards, systems, specialist resources and support to effectively manage major FM challenges. These three pillars are the fulcrum on which our organization is built and based on our experience and testimonials from our clients, we are optimistic that the future is very bright for us.

In fact, our winning the Nigeria Fast Growth 50 Awards is evidence that our clients and other key stakeholders are noticing and appreciate the difference we bring. It also provides strong motivation for us to remain focused on our goal to be the leading facility management company not only in Nigeria, but in the whole of Africa.

For Advertisement and Enquiries 08025070837 08156388800, E-mail:editor.executivebrief@trippleagroup.com

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Executive Management

6 Danger Signs you may be headed to Micro-Management

By Jeff Hardesty o you monitor and manage tasks or do you identify and train to essential competencies? Do you want to know the big difference between due diligence and a core competency? Here’s a classic example: Collecting 50 business cards per day is an act of data procurement, while training to a 60% conversation to appointment ratio is focusing on an essential component to ensure your sales team’s success. Don’t focus on accountability to tasks but enlighten to identification. It’s much more important to teach your people the “business” of the business they’re in. If you currently have your sales team accountable to tasks, then you’re merely “managing” tasks. In order to become more effective - you should be training on measurement of competencies, so your people can ‘run their own business.’

D

You measure details not directly related to performance and results. A telecommunications sales manager proudly told me he requires his sales reps to document ‘100 dials per day.’ I

was shocked when I heard this.

I asked him if he was in the ‘dialing’ business or the ‘communication’ business. Think about it for a minute. What does the measurement of ‘dials’ have to do with performance or results? Can you ever improve your dialing skills? It’s insane to waste time and energy measuring that type of stuff, when there are so many other “valuable” things to measure.

The focusing of measurement not related to “performance and results” takes you away from the real deal…essential competencies.

said: “You develop the best game plan you can, build systems and processes to help support it, train everyone how to work within it, and then let the players go out and unleash their natural abilities. You let them play the game between the lines.” Makes sense doesn’t it? Most sales reps will be accountable to results if you identify the important competencies required for success.

Your job is to supply targeted training with appropriate structures for learning and application, and measure degrees of improvement.

In the X2 system ‘Show Time’ begins with the actual conversation, a measurable competency that we can attach to systems and training for critical improvement. By measuring these competencies you’ll spend less time documenting insignificant information and more time analyzing meaningful business metrics.

You require detailed forecasting beyond your normal sales cycle. It’s hard to imagine a management strategy more toxic than this one. Because only two things can result and both are disastrous. Let’s say your average sales cycle is 27 days and you require your team to supply a 30, 60 and 90 day forecast. First of all, the forecasts you get won’t be very accurate to the actual results.

Second, it will probably be resented and considered ‘busy work.’ Here’s a much better idea: Set up your forecast to the

You attempt to manage your subordinate’s ‘time’. During the playoffs, a winning college coach was interviewed about his coaching philosophy. He

Infotech4dExecutives

By Stuart Crawford n this day and age of computers, most people have some kind of knowledge of how this equipment works. Many workers or owners of small businesses even like to believe that they are technically savvy. Yes, they do possess the skills to setup a small network at home or get their computer working on the Internet, most of the time they just fiddle with it until it works, however small businesses cannot afford to rely on an employee with an interest in computers to setup their corporate network. What I have found in these non-professional networks are several flaws. Security of business data is non-existent or done incorrectly or the wrong solution is purchased. Data is shared in many locations making it hard to administer or find the correct data. Finally, system updates are not happening at all. Small Business owners have also purchased equipment from the local computer shop and have invested in the wrong software (XP Home vs.

XP Pro) and have been focus to occur extra costs by purchasing an upgrade version of the software in order to attach to their domain. So you have made the wise decision to outsource your IT— what do you need to look for in a computer service company?

Professionalism – This can be determined in the first meeting you have with your support company. Does the company portray a professional image or do they look like they just came in from a night out at the local club? Did they answer your initial contact quickly and with knowledgeable questions about your needs? What I have found works really well is to schedule your initial email or requests on a Saturday or Sunday. If someone gets back to you quickly then you may have found a winner.

Testimonials – Make sure the support companies can back up their services with testimonials from their client base.

Testimonials bring creditability to the work they can perform for you. In a testimonial, look for words like profession-

I

time within your control - in this case a 30-day rotating calendar.

Define a business rule for forecasting accounts on a weekly basis.

Ask empowering questions: “Has it passed the defined gateways to be included on your opportunity list?”

“Have you helped the sales rep ‘scrub it’ to make sure it’s realistic and not pie-in-the-sky?”

“Have the proper strategies and tactics been implemented per account to effect a higher closing ratio?” Bring your forecast accountability back within your normal sales cycle for more focus and better results.

tionary defines behavior as ‘an act’. You can tell people how to act or show people how to act. I suggest you do this with transferable systems and powerful routines that are in line with the competencies that will improve their results. (You decide).

My advice…Back off!

If they have a sales drill that works, let them work it.

Define your management style and processes in line with performance benchmarks and results.

Is your management style the same for self-starters as it is for

mediocre performers?

Think about it… Your ultimate goal is to Do you see yourself as a people empower ALL your sales people to be selfmanager or a behavior coach? sustained performers, Attempting to manage people right? Some people delivers rather poor results. (It need more help really does!). People usually than others - but resent being ‘managed’. They top producers feel controlled and naturally usually only become defensive…especially sales people who are self-starters need to be and consistent producers. That’s held to general why experts say to manage to points of ‘required behaviors.’ I have always believed in taking it one accountastep further. Here’s an example bility. of what I mean. Webster’s dic-

Success Strategies

What Should you Look for when Selecting an IT Service Provider? al, caring, team, skilled and also Depth in numbers – There are a number of great technical peothose catch phrases like “worked the weekend”, “went ple out there working solo, but the extra mile”, “ensured that the business owner should not we were up and running”. All of rely on one person. It is the old “hit by a bus” syndrome—what these phrases show that the happens if this one person cancompany you are about to not accommodate your urgent choose is committed to their IT needs? Look for a company client base.

Service Guarantee – Look for a that has depth in numbers. A service guarantee, if the support company that has a deep technical team offers their staff traincompany cannot guarantee ing and time off to recharge their service, why would you their batteries. Solo guys seem choose them? As a business to never have time for proper owner you should never buy self improvement and usually the excuse, “it is a computer after all and we cannot control burn out because they are always on the run. what happens.” If the correct Proactive Support – This is a solution is in place, yes, the must for any technical support computer network and technologies can be controlled and company to survive. There are many services and solutions service can be guaranteed.

Hourly Billing vs. Monthly Rate that make this possible, one – The current trend in the mar- example is Level Platforms of ketplace will eventually lead to Ottawa, they offer monitoring tools to alert your service a managed monthly fee over provider whenever a hiccup the traditional billing by the occurs at a client site. hour. You may see your IT Certifications – Look for a firm spending increase with a that has invested the time to monthly managed plan, but you will be better off overall by become certified and achieve going this route over the tradi- partnerships with the major tional billable hour because reg- hardware and software compaular visits from your IT support nies. These certifications show firm can predict your needs in that they are committed to their advance and save costly down- own company growth and to time. With a monthly plan, you ensuring that their clients should look at receiving a mini- received the best, most up-tomal of a weekly onsite visit, total date solutions. Companies such as Microsoft Canada, SonicWALL coverage during business and others can also make rechours, ensure all services are covered (you will need to con- ommendations to you on which consulting companies are form to some hardware standards) and ensure that there are strong with their technologies, and they can refer you to a numno hidden surprises. ber of their partners.

By Jack Deal ou get what you pay for is the consumer’s mantra.

Common sense knows that if it costs less it is more likely of inferior quality.

Unfortunately quality is relative and subjective and even unwieldy. For that reason and common sense the value the customer puts on quality is where the quality line should be drawn. Still it is not rocket science here; a rather straightforward case of supply and demand. If the consumer cannot tell the difference in an improvement, why do it? No need to guess.

Often it is a simple matter of asking. Think for a minute...when was the last time you asked? Do you only ask when there is a complaint?

Y

On some level every business must deal with quality. Every business strategy determines just where the quality line goes — high, low or inbetween. Where this line is placed often determines the difference between success and failure. The key dynamic is profitability; place the quality line at the wrong level and profitability goes down. Customers may leave a business for poor quality but they can also go to a competitor for the same quality but better price. In one sense this is the easiest quality question

The Quality Line or If Your Customer Doesn’t Perceive It, Does It Matter? to answer: just ask your customers. Just ask what your customers want and what do they need. Wants and needs change constantly so you must keep asking the question...even put it in your operating business plan. Sometimes wants and needs are the same...but often they are not. As part of your ongoing dialogue it is important to know just how much your customer is willing to pay for quality. If your customer wants it but cannot afford it, you must figure this into your strategy.

The next step is to determine just where your current quality line is. Regardless of whether you have a conscious plan or an ‘unconscious’ plan, you do have a quality line. Those businesses that have a clear idea of where that line should be can then try to bridge the gap. Simply by taking a hard look at where you are and where you should be creates awareness and focus.

One good exercise is to determine just where your competitor’s put their quality line.

What results are they getting and how is their quality line perceived? Are they providing you with an opportunity to

Action is the foundational key to all success. Pablo Picasso

take some of their market share? By looking into your industry’s quality issues you can see that improved quality almost always involves increased costs. Before adding costs make sure the increase in perceived benefit will be apparent. Since all costs go to your bottom line, make sure you are getting a good return on that investment; always remembering that in a competitive environment there is little margin to be had.

One cost control plan is simply looking for all the ways to reduce costs. Another is to look at doing things that enhance quality at little or no cost.

Employee input is important to monitor; especially with those employees that have direct customer contact. Do you have ways to reward employees who contribute to quality improvement? Do you have low cost ways of rewarding good performance? The astute owner or astute employee is always on the ‘prowl’ for new quality improvement ideas. This includes looking for ways to apply quality concepts from different vertical as well as horizontal markets.

But since the rate of change often seems to be accelerating, what may be working today may not work very well tomorrow. So today’s ownership and management must keep a sharp focus on shifting trends.

The competitive nature of business changes so rapidly there is no rest for the quality weary. By constantly working the balance between quality and costs the modern manager can improve the bottom line and become more competitive. There seems to be no end to the drive for improvement and cost reductions.

Where quality lies in the matrix is one of the biggest business decisions ownership and management make about the company’s bottom line.

Theatre In search of sustainable virtues

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Tourism Nigeria’s culture house in South Africa underway P. 27 Visual Arts Fakeye... A master carver lives on P. 28 Literature Insight into financial freedom

Duke...

How not to reclaim National Theatre’s master-

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ARTS

Theatre

Speaking virtues in The Wizard of Law

By Omiko Awa IME was, when the evil men did lived after T them, as evils in this modern-day live with the perpetuators. This is surely one of the mysteries of life. In fact, mother nature by its divine being has given man the privilege to decide what he wants, the way he chooses to lead his life and, even, how he wants others to treat or relate with him. Like the law of motion that says action and reaction are opposite and proportional, life by its transcendence is an arbiter that gives us back what we put into it.

Part of this complexities of life was recently unfolded in Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard Of Law presented by Davidhouse Multimedia Limited at The Unity Centre, GRA, Ikeja for its Live Theatre On Sunday project.

The play centres on Ramoni Alao, a flourishing old lawyer, who suddenly experiences a downturn in his business and finances. Not wanting the situation to take the better side of him, especially in his matrimonial relations, he promises to buy his wife nine metres of lace to impress her during a festive period.

Without a penny in his pocket or knowing

where to get the money for the cloth, Ramoni runs into Rafiu, the son of his late friend, who by coincidence is a clothier.

Pretending he is not interested in the cloth, he hesitantly accepts buying it, when Rafiu persuaded him, especially as the seller assures him that he is selling to him at a lower price.

With the cloth in his possession, Ramoni lies that he forgets his purse at home and that Rafiu should come to his home for the money.

Seeing Ramoni to be a prosperous lawyer, Rafiu catches on the relationship that had existed between the counsel and his late father to make extra profit, by inflating the price of the cloth. Happy that he has made a good deal, the clothier accepts to go to the lawyer house for his money.

At the set time Rafiu goes to Ramoni’s house as agreed by the two — buyer and sell — but meets the wife, Sikira, wailing that the husband for the past six months has been a vegetable and remains at home. She suggests that someone may have used her husband’s name to get the cloth from Rafiu. Even when Rafiu sees Ramoni, the lawyer still pretends to deranged, making the clothier to forgo the

money.

While the lies are beginning to unfold, Akpan, Rafiu’s goat-keeper comes to Ramoni to defend him in court for sixty thousand Naira. Ignorant that Akpan is Rafiu’s employee, Ramoni, jumps at the offer as a lifeline out of his debt and to good life again. He makes ready for the case and defends his client. He wins, especially, when the defendant, Rafiu, is confused as to how, Ramoni who defrauded him of his money by claiming to be mentally challenged could stand for his employer, who stole his goat. For this, Rafiu could not clearly state his case; a situation that makes the trail judge to strike out the case because the defendant is assumed mentally unbalanced.

Falling back to Akpan to pay him for his legal services, Akpan defaults; claiming that since he was made to behave like a goat during the court session to make him win the case that he has no money to pay, as the case was won by him and not through the legal wizardry of Ramoni. Dumbfounded Ramoni took to his fate, as he is receiving what he had sown.

With multiple themes, which centres on integrity and truthfulness, the core message, ad-

dresses everyone in the society to be mindful of his or her actions — good or evil — as whatever one does, irrespective of the person it is done to, the place or time, would surely come back to the doer.

Produced by Adenugba Oluwanishola and directed by Deleke Gbolade, the plots were adequate with the actors flawlessly interpreting their roles.

However, there were some hiccups to note, for the stage, maybe for the size or the urgency at putting up the play has no exist point and behind the curtain facilities, which made the actors to enter and exit from it from all the openings, thereby making the audience to turn their heads left-right, right-left in response to their movements. It would have been better if a behind the curtain space is created to curtail this movement. Also, the actors wore just one costume through out the play, even when the play is unfolding events that necessitated for a change of costumes to bring out the message; the costumes still remain the same. This makes the play flat, and lacks the colour such change would have added to project the different scenes.

Aside from all these, the play was hilarious, the actor acted naturally, which downplayed

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

ARTS

Tourism

‘Nigeria, after Brazil, China, to site culture house in S.A.’ Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke and officials of the Ministry being led on inspection of the premises by Head of Chancery, Nigerian High Commission, Mr. Jonathan Eze. UOYED by the successful opening and operations B of Nigerian Cultural Centres in Brazil ( 2008) and China (2012), the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, will, before the end of 2013, open another Nigerian Culture and Information Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. This was disclosed by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke after an inspection tour of the former Nigerian Chancery in Johannesburg where the property to be used for that purpose is situated.

Accompanied by the Ministry’s Director of Culture, Goerge Uffot, Deputy Director (Bilateral) Mrs.Dayo Keshi and officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa led by Head of Chancery, Mr. Jonathan Eze, the Minister took a thorough look at the property and the environs and concluded that the premises would serve the purpose of promoting Nigerian culture while also providing general information about the country. The Minister pointed out that the Centre, which is the first to be opened by Nigeria in Africa, would be used to strengthen cultural relations not only with the Government and people of South Africa but also with other countries in the southern part of the continent.

Explaining why Nigeria has decided to site her first Culture House in Africa in Johannesburg, the Minister said, ‘’ We recall the very elaborate and robust relations between Nigeria and South Africa, especially in the years of struggle against apartheid as well as the leadership role the two countries are playing in the advancement of the cause of Africa globally. This choice is also in recognition of the role Nigeria played and continues to play in the history of Southern African countries’’.

The decision was also influenced by the fact that there are many Nigerians living legitimately in South Africa and contributing to the socio-economic development of South Africa as well as the maintenance of bilateral relations. Having a Nigerian Culture and Information Centre around them will enhance their activities and also complement the operations of the Nigerian High Commission. The Minister disclosed that Nigeria was working with South African establishment to facilitate the opening of a South African Tourism Outpost in Nigeria stressing that the Nigerian Culture House in Johannesburg will partly serve a similar purpose.

On the specific functions of the Centre, Duke said

‘’As with similar centres operating in Brazil and China, this centre will be a mini melting-pot of some of the elements of our history and heritage as well as a platform for socio-cultural engagements not only for Nigerians but also for nationals of other countries who, through the centre, will have a deeper insight into what makes the biggest and most populous nation in Africa what it is. There will be a regular showcasing of Nigerian artifacts by our various parastatals and agencies and other interest groups from home. We intend to have a Permanent Photo Exhibition that will speak to and reflect the various aspects of Nigerian culture”’.

The Centre will also have a store where arts and craft from Nigeria will be available for purchase.

These will include fashion accessories in realization of the fact that Nigeria is a leading light in music and fashion. Also envisaged within the operations are specialized exhibitions and a function area where Government officials, especially State Governors, can interface with their citizens.

Duke also believes that the Centre in South Africa will be a major stride in the advancement and definition of cultural diplomacy, African brotherhood, greater bilateral understanding, economic growth and winning the hearts of South Africans and nationals of other countries in the region in the interest of Nigeria. According to the Minister, ‘’Nigeria is playing a frontline role in the maintenance of peace and stability in Africa and other parts of the world as Nigerians also continue to make significant contributions to knowledge wherever they are found. In order to sustain all of these, the establishment of Nigerian Cultural Centres as a major platform of diplomacy in strategic parts of the world is expedient.’’

For some South Africa based Nigerians among whom are journalists, businessmen and students who engaged the Minister on various issues during the brief visit, a Nigerian Culture and Information Centre in Johannesburg will be a rallying –point that is long awaited and will make them have a constant feel of their culture and the governance process. The Minister assured them that the Jonathan administration is committed to the cause of Nigerians wherever they are based around the world and will protect their interests at all times. * Dr. Oladokun is Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation

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VisualArts

By Tajudeen Sowole RADUAlly, Nigeria’s modern and conG temporary art space is weaning itself from the shackles of inadequate documentation, so suggests the recent increase in the number of books being published in the country, with addition of art patron, Prince yemisi Shyllon’s new book that revisits the work of late carver, lamidi Olonade Fakeye.

Recently presented at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, lagos Island, the book, titled Conversations With Lamidi Fakeye, is authored by Shyllon and Dr. Ohioma Pogoson.

Sponsored by Omooba yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Foundation (OyASAF) and published

by Revilo Company limited, the book was formally presented by His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Executive Governor of lagos State, It was also a double celebration of Nigerian art for Shyllon who used the occasion of the book launch to donate 18 sculptures by artists Adeola Balogun, Patrick Agose and Jagun, to Freedom Park.

In coffee table format, the new book is arguably a posthumous homecoming for Fakeye who has been written about in the U.S. In fact, a documentary film was also made on him in the U.S. Fakeye (1928-2009) was regarded as ‘Africa’s leading carver, and had over 60 years career, which included being a resource person at universities in the west’.

While stressing the importance of the coming of the book at this crucial period of Nigeria’s challenges, chairman of the launch and former Interim Government Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, during his address noted that the book “is coming out at a time we are all reflecting on our past”.

Also through his representative and Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relationship, Mr. Disun Holloway, Fashola stressed the commitment of his administration in encouraging art, culture and tourism. He noted that aside the infrastructural changes of the state, of which the Freedom Park is one, lagos State had supported art auctions and organised the lagos Black Heritage Festivals (lBHF) to promote tourism. He urged people to stop seeing Nigerian art, particularly traditional works of artist like Fakeye, as “devilish or fetish”.

For the patron and founder of OyASAF, Conversations With Lamidi Fakeye is a promise fulfilled. Shyllon disclosed earlier that publishing the book was the last of his three promises made to Fakeye, adding, “I promised lamidi Fakeye when he was alive that I will promote him in lagos by exhibiting his work, be the largest collector of his work and publish a book on him. I have fulfilled all the three promises”.

Oliver Enwonwu of Revilo noted the importance of Nigerians documenting their art, saying, “We are proud to be associated with the book because it’s time to say our own story in our own way”.

And supporting tradition, of which the artist’s work stands for, were royal fathers present at the launch: the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Achebe, representatives of the Oba of lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, the Orangun of Ila, Wahab Kayode Oyedotun and Onido of Ido Oshun, Aderemi Adedapo.

In the review, presented in a near poetic rendition, the reviewer and author of Jailed for Life: A Reporter’s Prison Notes, Mr. Kunle Ajibade described the book as “an indispensable key to the mind and personality” of Fakeye, an “incredible carver”. Ajibade opened the review with a part of the book that explains how Fakeye started living the deep meaning of his middle name early as a young boy.

About 10 year-old Fakeye had an encounter with Banji, one of his father’s wives, who was an Ibadan-based carver. Fakeye, the reviewer noted, was apprehensive of meeting Banji who was looking for him “desperately”. So, the young Fakeye took refuge in his work, carving. Ajibade noted that the artist, at 80, recalled that moment of his life: ‘When she came to where I was and saw me carving she said, ‘Aha-ah, Olonadee, won pe o loruko, o si je oruko naa de le’, meaning: (Olonade, you are exactly what your name says you are). Then I knew she was not going to beat me; she was simply impressed with what she had seen.

This prompted her to call people to come and see what I had done. This was the first

Speaking, Chairman of the book launch, Chief Ernest Shonekan; the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Achebe; Onido of Ido Oshun, Oba Aderemi Adedapo (left); Hon Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relationship, Mr Disun Holloway and the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun…recently in Lagos.

Conversations with Fakeye…

Keeping master carver’s legacy alive time anyone showed any appreciation for what I had carved’.

Ajibade, therefore, drew commonality between Fakeye’s encouter at 10 and the artist’s middle name, Olonade – here is a great artist.

Essentially, the book, according to the reviewer, is the artist’s indirect way of selfposthumous communication with lovers of his art.

A book on Fakeye that does not touch on his sojourn in the U.S. would be an incomplete documentation. Ajibade also mentioned aspects of the book, which touched on the making of a documentary film on him, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver, by Elizabeth Morton and Joe Reese.

From the film as referenced in the book, Ajibade underscored a quote of Fakeye: ‘I am a bridge between the past and the present’.

Explaining what the artist meant by ‘past’ and ‘present’, Ajibade noted that Fakeye “deals extensively with his own creative process; offers insights into the historical, cultural, philosophical and metaphysical context of his carvings; and describes the differences and similarities between his works and the works of other carvers.” He argued that the Fakeye in the book “is more agile and concentrated than the Fakeye in the documentary Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver.

For co-author Pogoson, it was a worthy experience staying with Fakeye for three days during the making of the book. Staking out his credibility, Pogoson, a Research Fellow (Visual Arts) at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, argued that “having a copy of the book is like owning a piece of Fakeye’s art”.

On the value of creating a work, which is mostly taken for granted that every art piece is intellectual property, the brother of the patron, Prof. Folarin Shyllon, a UNESCO consultant, who gave a brief lecture during the book launch, said cultural property differed from the former. While noting that both intellectual and cultural properties were “creation of the minds”, he recalled that UNESCO’s conventions of 1972 changed the content to cultural heritage laws, which he explained, protected the work. Intellectual property laws, he argued, only protects the right of the author. He traces the strength of cultural property laws to the positions of UNESCO after the World War II when Adolph Hitler seized a vast number of objects.

Perhaps the definition of cultural property laws that says any work so classified “belongs to the world” makes some of Nigeria’s con-

Sculptor, Adeola Balogun explaining his work to guests and the donor, Prince Yemisi Shyllon during the unveiling if 18 sculptural works donated to Freedom Park, Lagos.

Perhaps the definition of cultural property laws that says any work so classified “belongs to the world” makes some of Nigeria’s contentious cultural objects in foreign museums a subject of elusive repatriation tentious cultural objects in foreign museums a subject of elusive repatriation. And more worrisome is Folarin’s disclosure that Nigeria is even losing its invaluable works of contemporary contents to the West under the laws.

He lamented that “the manuscripts of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and late Chinua Achebe are currently in Harvard University, U.S., and not in the country of the authors”. lamidi Fakeye is of the fifth generation of a dynasty of carvers originally known as Olawonyin, but changed to Fakeye, a title given to the patriarch by the king of Ila Orangun during the period. A year before his death, Fakeye had a solo exhibition titled Timber’s Titan, at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, lagos in June, 2008.

One of the leading art galleries in lagos, Quintessence, is distributing Conversations With Lamidi Fakeye.

Prince Yemisi Shyllon during the book launch

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

ARTS 29

Exploring richness of beads in African aesthetics

One of Rukeme Noserime’s works.

EADS as an important part of African creativity and adornB ment could be harnessed as a strong material to give the continent an edge in visual aesthetics. So stated Rukeme Noserime, artist and former Dean, School of Art Design & Printing Technology, in the 2nd Inaugural Lecture of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

Titled African Aesthetics: The Romance with Body Adornment, the lecture highlighted the socio-cultural implications of African body adornment as an aesthetic object, with special reference to beads, where he stated, “African Art came to European notice c.1905, when artists began to recognise the aesthetic value of African sculpture. Such artists as Vlaminck, Derain, Picasso and Modigliani were influenced by African art forms. Interest in the arts of Africa has flourished and many modern artists have rediscovered the enduring qualities of African art. In the latter part of the 20th Century, Africa art has come to be appreciated for its intrinsic aesthetic value as well as continuing to be a source of inspiration for the work of western artists.

“There is no doubt that African art history has played significant role in shaping the culture and history of the world. The origin of African Art History lies long before recorded history, preserved in the obscurity of time. Rock Art is centuries’ old, while shell beads fashioned for a necklace have been recovered in a cave in the furthest reach of the southern peninsula of south Africa that are 75,000 years old.

“Although the earliest sculpture forms found came from Nigeria and dated around 500 BC (Nok Art). Leo Frobenius (b. 1873) made an assertion with the discovery of the Ife sculpted heads in brass, that the works would have been created by the first Civilization of the Atlantis. (Adepegba, 1990). He never believed such works could have been sculpted by the indigenous Africans. The naturalism and finesse seen in the works to him could not have been done by these Africans, because the works were comparable to the naturalism of the Romans.

“However with the discovery of the Nok Terracotta (with all its strong naturalism) in Northern Nigeria, his assertion was soon refuted. This was the beginning of the attention of the West to the skills of Africans in artistic production.

“It should be noted here also that the earlier contact of the West with African art was highly derogative. These works of art were regarded as Primitive Art, Tribal Art, Native Art, Fetish Art, black art or Idols. The works to them were of complete deviation to the “Victorian Status” at that time. All artistic or naturalistic were viewed as “Primitive”, (Produced by primitive cultures at their lowest point of development).

“But with the contact of the ‘Avant garde’ artists in 1901 with African art works, this view was however discarded, because the artistic productions this time were heavily influenced by the Africa Art. Describing a culture as primitive ever since then is considered by many to be offensive, especially in academic setting. (Ojo, 1986) “Artists were avid collectors of African art objects - Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso had studios filled with African Statuettes and textiles – and also carefully studied these works, mimicked them and even openly copied their forms. European artists had more than just stylistic affinity for African art; these artists, on the cusp of abstraction, found African abstraction to be the perfect aid to their pursuit of new modes of representation. (Dallas Museum, 2013).

“Price (1989) reflects on ….the plight of objects from around the world that – in some ways like the African who were captured and transported to unknown lands during the slave trade – have been discovered, seized, commoditized, stripped of their social ties, redefined in new settings, and conceptualized to fit into the economic, cultural and ideological needs of people with different societies.

“The Western world never understood the basic concepts in African art, hence this misconception. African Art has honesty of purpose. To fully comprehend African Art, we must understand

Rukeme Noserime.

45,000 years ago) and perforated shells from northern Africa that are 80,000 years old. In addition to ancient beads, prehistoric paintings of humans wearing elaborate beadwork adornments have been discovered on cave walls in Southern Africa and the Sahara Desert. “Among the earliest items used for domestic and religious purposes and body adornment, beads are some of the first material signs of symbolic thought, an indicator of modern human behavior. Although we have no way of knowing the full meaning of these ancient beads, we may conjecture that they were not only a means of adorning the human form but also an expression of social identity or religious practices. The splendor of kingdoms, with their rival invasions brought along with them their cultures and beads to Africa, most especially in the 15th Century through the Portuguese and European trade pacts and routes.

“Beads have been used as body adornments since before 30,000 its cultural context. African Art is frequently an object through BC in different styles, materials and origin. Beads were found in which a spiritual world was manifested and it influenced the settlements and places like Cote-d’Voire, Mauritania, Guinea (Colives of the people.

“African Art has authority and power and is used to transmit cul- conut Discs), Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Antural values and maintain social control and it is principally sym- cient Nile and Fouille in Mali and Egypt (Faience). Morfia Beads were the earliest of the Islamic Fustat, (Fused Rods Beads) about bolic rather than representational. (Lynn. LB, 2011) 1100 years old.

In this lecture, African art refers to traditional (classic or indige“Spindle Whorls from Mali and Guinea Conakry were used orignous) art produced by African for Africans within the framework inally as weight for traditional cotton spinning, which were in of “tribal” (ethnic) aesthetics, intellectual, moral and social valuse before 1000 BC. ues and institutions.

“Bead makers were known to produce beads from various ma“These African Art works were referred to as being primitive, which implies the judgment of one culture by the standard of an- terial and bead workers are the indigenous artists or artisans who create jewelry, garments, and regalia using beads. It is genother using Western variety as the central point of reference or erally assumed that African beadwork in regions south of the Saethno centrism. hara has its origins in the comparatively recent past when the “African Body Adornment: The Romance With Beads: Any accessory colonization of Africa opened up the Dark Continent to traders or ornament worn (or attached to the body) to enhance the apfrom Portugal, Netherlands and England. pearance, group identity, beauty, status of the wearer is referred “Further south in what is now Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern to as adornment. It is a universal phenomenon. Howbeit in province of South Africa, the trade in beads is supposed to have Africa, there are socio-cultural implications, though not in all had an even more recent origin. Henry Francis Fynn, who came cases. to Port Natal (Durban) as a trader in 1824, was possibly the first African adornment is usually very colourful and will also attract Englishman to have offered glass beads as standard merchan(stimulate) attention. African body adornment can be permadise to the North Nguni, best known of which was known to nent or temporary. Sometimes it is used for spiritual empowerZulu, whose colourful beadwork is unique because of its singument. lar eloquence in the way messages dealing with male-female re“African Beads: Origin, Location And Types Hennessey (2002), in her extensive publication observed that the lationships were traditionally woven into its design.

“Glass beads appear to have been by products of the discovery most extensive evidence of early bead production and use has been found in Africa. The oldest beads that have been discovered of glass known to have occurred in Egypt during the rule of the Pharaoh’s as well as amongst the Chaldeans and Sumerians on the continent are drilled ostrich egg-shells from southern some Africa that have been dated to the Middle Stone Age (280,000 to

In U.S., Okediji goes green with Art for Earth’s Sake ESTERDAY, U.S.-based Moyo Y Okediji, a professor of African and African Diaspora Art, opened his solo art exhibition of sustainable art, produced from environmentally friendly art materials. Opening at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Austin, Texas it’s the artist’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. Okediji makes works from natural soil and recycled products that are ecologically friendly.

This aesthetics of converting trash to treasure emphasizes the role of art as a means of healing injuries inflicted on the planet. He stressed that the psychological function of creativity as comforting, a stress reliever, and an encounter with visual stimulation.

The curator of the show, Letitia Hopkins, will introduce the work on display. Olatoun Alaake Okediji, the daughter of the artist, wrote the introduction in the exhibition catalogue.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Events Middle Eastern Night

In partnership with Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

TheGuardian

The Lasso of Truth

Cocktails

Date(s): 05/04/2013 Location: Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Promoter: Eko Hotel & Suites There are varieties to satisfy everyones tastes. Mezzas are the magic of the menu, with hot and cold options including kebbeh, okra stew, stuffed wine leaves, humus, kochari and couscous with chicken stew among other traditional specialties. With smooth music by the poolside and a cool breeze from the Atlantic Ocean, this is a night definitely not to be missed!

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Date(s): 07/04/2013 Location: Oriental Hotels, Ozumba Mbadiwe Rd, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Promoter: Flytime Promotions One of Nigerias most talented female artistes, Omawumi Megbele is staging a concert for her new album titled The Lasso of Truth. Having supported lots of other Nigerian artistes, Omawumi is now ready to take the center stage and deliver one of the most incredible album concerts of the year.

More info: www.afritickets.com

Date(s): 09/04/2013 Location: La Mango, 2 Adekunle Fajuyi Way, off Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos Promoter: MBA Networking Cocktails, an event for young Nigerian business professionals to network with each other and ask questions about different business schools is scheduled to hold on the Tuesday 9th of April 2013. The event will be focusing on schools in Europe, North America and across Asia Pacific.

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ESQ Oil and Gas Summit

African Themed Night

at Eko Hotel

Society for Technical Analysts Nigeria 2nd Annual Conference 2013

Date(s): 09/04/2013 Location: Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Promoter: ESQ With the signing of the ancillary agreements between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the GENCOs/DISCOs, a solid and meaningful journey has begun to address the crucial power sector challenges in Nigeria More info: www.afritickets.com

Date(s): 12/04/2013 Location: Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Promoter: Eko Hotel & Suites Grab your passport and dont miss the Safari trip of wild African flavours and beyond. Come enjoy the best of African meals. Food from the South, East and West which have been carefully prepared by our Executive Chefs. Various live stations including our delightful desert corner with traditional flavours.

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Date(s): 13/04/2013 Location: Westown Hotel, Opebi Link Road, Ikeja, Lagos.

Promoter: Society for Technical Analysts Nigeria The Society for Technical Analysts, Nigeria a developing member of International Federation of Technical Analysts will be holding another National Conference this year after the success of the First Conference held last year.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

36 ARTS

Revue

By Hassan Momoh

At last, artists’ fears about the fate of the nation’s foremost culture edifice, the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, are gradually becoming real, with the culture minister bent on selling part of the landmass to his associates for businesses that are quite un-artistic or even cultural in nature last year, some of the artists who occupy LtheATE the space designated as the Artiste Village at former head office of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) located at the annex of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, raised concerns over alleged plans by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Chief Edem Duke to ‘sell off’ portions of the developed and undeveloped land mass at the theatre to some ‘’of his business associates and private interests. His intention was for them to build hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and casino’’. At the time, none took the artists seriously. Observers dismissed their fears as one of those by artists who just want to misread the minister’s intentions.

The Minister had come on one of his frequent working visits to the National Theatre in November 2012 and was conducted round the vast landmass by the General Manager, Mallam Kabir Yusuf Yar’Adua. The tour had included a visit to the artists’ village, an annexe of the theatre assigned to the NCAC by the defunct Ministry of Information, Youth, Sports and Social Development for use as NCAC’s head office shortly after the parastatal was created in the 70’s. The GM reportedly told Duke that the land on which the office sits and the land on which other government agencies like News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and National Gallery of Arts (NGA) belong to the National Theatre and that it was allocated in error to these agencies by previous administrations.

Yar’Adua reportedly argued that had government followed the original master plan of the cultural edifice, there would be no space to allocate to these agencies as the surrounding landmass was originally planned to accommodate a ‘five star hotel, shopping mall’ and other facilities that would complement the National Theatre.

On returning to Abuja, Duke immediately set machinery in motion to develop the landmass.

Duke reportedly directed the setting up of a committee with him as chairman to supervise the process leading to the eventual development of the designated areas. The committee, which comprised of officials of the ministry and the GM, reportedly met over a few weeks in Lagos from where a proposal for the development of the landmass was prepared and sent to President Goodluck Jonathan for his approval.

UT prior to the submission of the report, the B artists, some of them the best in the various areas of the arts - dancing, painting, sculpting, singing, acting and so on - had alleged that the minister’s frequent visit and tour around the landmass was not unconencted with his plans to ‘’covet the land’, especially the undeveloped spaces in the guise of developing the land in line with the original masterplan of the cultural edifice. In fact, they alleged that they got information that Duke and the Yar’Adua National Theatre GM had concluded plans to ‘chase them’ and other agencies occupying spaces around the underdeveloped land away so that those spaces could be sold to private interests that are fronting for both men, with the intention to build hotels, casinos and shopping malls.

The artistes also alleged that they were aware that a popular owner of an entertainment group with interests in broadcasting and cinema development was working with the minister to acquire the land stretching from the spot where the snacks and drinks shed at the National Theatre called Abe Igi presently sits to the artiste village end of the National Theatre annex. The aim, as the artistes further allege, is to ‘build facilities that will be beneficial to the minister and GM even when out of office’’.

According to one of the artistes who spoke on the condition of anonymity, a top director in

National Theatre landmass: Going… going… gone? the Ministry of Culture and Tourism had informed the occupants of the artiste village before hand of what the minister was contemplating and so when they learnt that Duke was on tour of the facilities, the 11th tour he had undertaken since he assumed office as minister over a year ago, he said they knew he was on the mercantilist mission.

The artist noted, ‘’We got the intelligence report then and raised our fears using all available platforms including facebook but people didn’t believe us. In fact, the minister denied he had such intention when he was confronted but it is clear from developments since then that Duke’s intentions are real. The minister has asked us to vacate the artiste village and we have just two weeks to do so’’.

The veteran artiste also revealed that all the occupants of the artiste village and the agencies with offices around the National Theatre complex have been formally directed to relocate. The directive came via a letter signed by the minister himself and adressed to the Executive Director of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) who approved the use of the space for the artistes when the NCAC formally moved its head office to Abuja. The space comprising office blocks, a gallery and a 100-seat auditorium was later christened Artiste Village, easily the first and only community of small to medium scale Creative Enterprises across art forms and media in West Africa.

HE Guardian further confirmed that the minisTartiste ter has indeed asked all those occupying the village and all the agencies with offices around the complex to vacate their space irrespective of whether they have structures in them or not. The Artistes Village is a space that is known to generate more creative material than any other arts space in Nigeria. It is the only space where actors, dancers, musicians, painters, sculptors and other visual artists, writers, producers, directors, production managers, editors and others all do art-related business in the same location.

In a letter signed by the minister dated March 18 and addressed to all parties concerned including the leadership of the government institutions with facilities that were built with huge budgetary allocations, Duke conveyed President Jonathan’s approval for the development of the landmass in line with the original master plan of the National Theatre.

Duke’s letter read: “The President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR has approved the development of the National Theatre land in accordance with the original master plan with infrastructures which include but not limited to a five star hotel, shopping mall, multi-level car park, land and water restaurant and offices.

“Consequently, a transaction advisor was engaged to among others, give transactional advisory services for the application of public private partnership option for the delivery of the necessary services on the land.

“Please recall that the inevitability of relocating your offices was discussed at the meeting we had with you on this development in March 2013 in Lagos.

“To this effect, you are hereby advised to relocate your offices within 2 weeks to an alternative location as suggested at the meeting so as to pave way for the development that is to be situated where your office is currently located’’.

Duke, however, assured in the letter that relocation order was for a moment as the structures that would eventually provide accommodation for the displaced agencies of government, not for the artiste in the artiste village, have been factored into the development plan, adding, ‘’Note that the relocation is temporary as the structures that will eventually provide accommodation for your operations are being envisaged under the new arrangement’’.

Presently, the artiste says they are at a loss what next step to take, noting, “Ours is a creative hub that services the local, national and international markets. I thought it is the responsibility of

Duke government to create the enabling environment for creativity to thrive. Asking us to vacate the space without an alternative space is a crime to the arts. It is like killing the arts”.

But the artistes are not the only ones at a loss as to what steps to take next with the sudden relocation order. The leadership of the government institutions with facilities that were built with huge facilities say they are as confused as the artistes themselves as they lack budgetary provisions to carry out the minister’s directive.

A senior staff of one of the agencies lamented that it amounted to ‘autocracy’ for the minister to suddenly wake up and direct institutions that have a right to the spaces they currently occupy to relocate in two weeks,

adding, “This is what you have when you have a man who sees arts first as commerce appointed minister. We received the letter with rude shock. No consultation, absolutely nothing. Consultation has been between the GM of the theatre and the kangaroo committee they set up to appoint firms that will buy up the land. It is really sad that President Jonathan will append his signature to this scam. This whole thing did not follow due process and I am surprised that the President has allowed this to happen. It is really sad”.

None of the Chief Executives of the agencies affected by the relocation order would volunteer comments on the directive. “It’s a not a CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

ARTS 37

Tiamiyu wins 2013 Vision of Child painting competition

By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku PRIMARY five student has emerged A winner of Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) Vision of the Child 2013

Footprints of David dance in commemoration of WTD

...A theatre master plan lacking due process CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 press matter. It is a directive from our minister for us to relocate and relocate we must”, one of them lamented. The director would not even comment on the implication of the relocation order or whether he was consulted prior to the relocation order. Most of the Chief Executives claimed that they were only brought into the picture after the decision had been taken to relocate them.

On said, “No comment please. I need time to think of how I can move my staff and offices. It doesn’t matter now whether we were consulted or not. The fact is that there is a directive and I am in service to carry out directives, especially from a superior”.

Affected structures in Duke’s plan UT the directive comes with huge implication on funds for the affect government agencies. For instance, the National Troupe would have to find a space to accommodate its artistes, who are accommodated in the hostel assigned to them at the National Theatre. The artistes have been using the hostel since 1991. It was part of the asset ceded to the National Troupe for use as artiste hostel after the National Troupe and National Theatre were formally established by decree number 47 of 1991. “We have not been told where to relocate to but like the Scout motor says, ‘we are prepared’ but the Minister must make sure that the place is befitting and we must be provided our relocation allowances”, an artiste of the troupe said.

Similarly, the relocation order means that the Aina Onabolu Gallery of Arts built by the National Gallery of Arts (NGA) for the promotion of visual arts will give away for a shopping mall. The Aina Onabolu gallery is the only gallery owned by the NGA and much funds were committed to set up the structure that has a studio and an auditorium.

A visual artist remarked, “It is sad how wasteful and retrogressive some of our government officials can be. How can you pull down a house of culture for a shopping mall or hotel? The gallery is the only structure gov-

B

ernment has provided for the promotion of the visual arts.

Why destroy it now in the name of building a hotel or casino. It is really sad. I use to have high hopes for the minister, but not again. I should have known better. Whoever runs a hotel as private business will have this kind of mentality”.

Also, the relocation order means that the building housing National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Training School will be demolished. Already, staff of the NICO said they have been told to prepare for a possible relocation to the disputed former Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi.

“You mean government will pull down this gigantic building they built with tax payers’ money?” a staff of NICO asked incredulously, when The Guardian sought his comment on the implication of the relocation order.

Also, the relocation order also means that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the News Agency of Nigeria and the Craft shop belonging to the NCAC will have to give away. “That is what it means”, remarked a staff of the National Theatre who claimed that he had been in service for 28 years, and added, “I think this is a just a ploy to covet the landmass. The minister and his team who sat down to decide how to go about this without involving the Bureau for Public Enterprises or the Bureau for Public Procurement should have asked some of us who know the story of the National Theatre to educate them before forcing people out of the place.

“Yes, it is true that there was a plan to build a hotel and other complementary facilities but there are specific locations in the master plan where these facilities were planned to be cited and those locations have nothing to do with those offices he has ordered to be relocated. It is just going to be a waste of resources because people are going to be paid, new structures are going to be hurriedly rented while all these structures like the gallery, NAN, NICO and APCON that were built with tax payers’ monies will be destroyed just because one man wants to make the theatre a world class centre.

“And I ask him, what effort has he put in place to make sure that the theatre runs as expected in the first place? Why is he so much in a hurry to develop the landmass and not in a hurry to give the sector a Cultural Policy or launch the Endowment Funds for the Arts?

What has he done to promote tourism in the country? How well has he supervised his ministry, which is the least performing ministry in the country? I think it is just misplaced priority. The minister should face other issues bedeviling the sector and leave the business of leasing land to agencies of government responsible for it”.

However, the minister and his aides did not react to some of these allegations made. Duke also did not comment on how they arrived at the choice of a ‘transaction adviser’ for the development project even when the rule of procurement requires that such an expert be selected through a competitive process that includes calling for expression of interest in at least two national dailies. The minister would also not talk about where he expects the affected parastatals and the artistes who occupy the artiste village to relocate to.

One of his aides simply said that the affected Chief Executives have been properly briefed on the alternative spaces, noting, “The minister met with them and they discussed at length. So, they know what to do”. The relocation order expires on today. The transaction adviser is supposed to take charge and begin to assign spaces to successful developers by Monday April 8, according to a schedule that has reportedly received the blessings of Mr. President. The minister has in the mean time solicited the understanding and cooperation of all those concerned in the effort to make the theatre a pride for all, adding, “I want to assure you that the effort of government in providing the infrastructural facilities to complement the National Theatre as it is with other theatres in other parts of the world will be a thing of pride when completed”.

painting competition.

The competition, exclusively sponsored

by Diamond Bank plc, saw Master Precious Tiamiyu of Legacy Preparatory School, Shasha, Lagos, cart away the grand prize of N250,000 at a colourful and glamourous dinner held at Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was attended by dignitaries, family members and respective school representatives.

Also, the first to the fifth runners-up were all awarded cash prize awards.

Painting on an unusual but a highly topical theme, “The Thousand and One Faces of Corruption in Nigeria”, which was solely conceived, written and kept in the vaults of Diamond Bank since July 25, 2012 by Festival Consultant, Prof. Wole Soyinka and only revealed to the public in January 2013, the festival talent scouts visited nearly 400 schools and informal centres in Lagos State.

189 children, aged between 8-12years old, were selected and screened out of which 32 students were finally selected for the competition. It was from these 32 participants that young Tiamiyu emerged the overall best and was unveiled amidst pomp and funfair.

Speaking on the criteria, which were considered in the selection of the best paintings, Mr. Tola Onabotola, one of the judges made up of professionals and international artists, said, “the best paintings were picked considering the way the participants handled the technical properties of the subject matter and the aesthetic qualities of the paintings.”

He said that it wasn’t an easy task selecting the best from all the paintings because the 32 paintings were all masterpieces.

According to him, “All their works were all good and masterpieces but we were able to arrive at our judgment by selecting the best 10 which all the judges agreed on. We now were able to reduce the 10 to six after putting a lot of things into consideration. Thereafter we began to score them. Each of us scored the six individually and we found the average mark. The maximum point was six for every child and the minimum was one.

He said, “It was through this way that we got the best who scored 17 points and the next person following him scored 15 points. What really baffled me was the way they tackled the task which shows that they are current with what is happening in the country and I pray they tell their parents and elders that corruption is really bad because they were able to tackle all aspects of corruption in Nigeria”.

Festival Consultant, Soyinka, who congratulated the judges for their efforts in selecting the best paintings and also the winners, however, disagreed with the judges’ statement that the children’s paintings are all masterpieces stating,

“There are no masterpieces among these paintings.”

According to him, “We don’t want these children to have exaggerated opinions of their skills at this stage. What we are doing in this heritage festival is a monitoring project and this project is useless if the children are already producing masterpieces. We must therefore not deceive them by saying that they are producing masterpieces”.

In a chat with The Guardian, the excited winner of the competition who said he would like to become a professional artist in the future, thanked the organisers for the opportunity provided him to showcase his talent and also the sponsors for the prize; Tiamiyu stated that the money he won would go a long way in taking care of his family and academic needs.

“I will use the money to take care of my home, my school fees and my common entrance examination to Junior Secondary School.”

One of the guests and a veteran artist, Tunji Oyelana expressed joy at the work being done by the organisation in catching talents at a young age and making them know the effects of societal ills.

Oyelana stated, “I am happy that somebody is already thinking of starting up people when they are very young, pure and innocent and not when they have already learnt the evils of the society, and put them on the pedestal and on their way to good, honest life that is devoid of corruption. I think it is what we should thank God for in this country”.

Another guest and actor in the popular TV soap opera, Tinsel, Victor Oladokun thanked organisers and the sponsors of the event for their effort in encouraging young ones and the entertainment industry. According to him, “This will really wake up children. What they are doing here is really credible and I think a lot of young people, parents and schools will wake up to things like this and know that there is really genuine genius in our young ones.

“Like the Prof. said, there is really no masterpiece in what we have but we can encourage them; we can help them to grow and I’m sure that one day, they will mention a Nigerian artist as the biggest masterpiece maker in the world like we mention Picasso, Michel Angelo and so on.”

The best six paintings were that of Precious Tiamiyu of Legacy Preparatory School, Shasha, Alli Bakare of Onitolo Community High School, Surulere, Samuel Yomi Faseun of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Anthony Village, Somtochukwu Okoli of Badagry Junior Grammar School, Bolaji Olaniran of Onitolo Community High School, Surulere and Oluchukwu Nwaokorie of Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls School, Yaba and were each given price money of N250,000, N200,000, N180,000, N150,000, N120,000 and N100,000 respectively by Diamond Bank and the 32 participants also opened a free children account in the bank.

Lagos Black Heritage Festival Ambassador, Chief Mrs. Erelu Dosunmu (far left); Festival Consultant, Prof. Wole Soyinka; winner, Vision of the Child painting contest 2013, Master Precious Tiamiyu; a Brazilian representative and ushers during the gala night award… in Lagos

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Showblast

...The buzz in town

“

I am of the opinion that whatever we are doing here on earth as our career is just for us to benefit while we are still living, but God has given us talents that we can use to affect other people and it is everlasting, eternal talent and that is the one we need to pay more attention to

“

Beedee…

Redefining music lyrics for positive change

By Florence Utor ID last year the new sensation, Beedee stormed Nigeria’s M music arena as a promising gospel artiste, who was ready to take the genre to another level. Last Saturday, she made good her word by launching her first album into the market. Titled Celebration, the album has 10 songs – ‘Seyito’, ‘Imela’, ‘Parley Damilare Atobajaye, ‘If you believe’, ‘Never doubt’, ‘I will follow’ and a remix of Atobajaye.

Friends, family and collogues both in the entertainment and corporate arena, as well church members turned out in their numbers to show support for the multi-talented mother of two.

She proved to be a bundle of talent as she mounted the stage and performed Seyito and later Naija, along side Bishop, a guest artist.

Her husband, Mr. Gospel Akuetiemhe, aircraft maintenance engineer, singer, song-writer, worship leader and recording and performing artiste, gave insight into how Beedee started and how she is able to manage all the responsibilities.

She said, “First of all, my husband whom I met while doing National Service, supports my dream 100 percent. I also work for a company that supports people who have passion for other things so they can have time for those things. But passion for my dreams also drives me, as I can decide to deprive myself of sleep at my spare time and go to the studio and record.

Her foray into singing came gradually, largely through selfdiscovery of her innate abilities in the 1980s. She started by leading praise and worship in her local fellowship, Shekinah Fellowship where she got saved in Sokoto State and joined the choir. She recalls, “It was a very crude beginning as I was young and inexperienced musically but it formed the very solid foundation on which my song-writing skills are founded.

“As a kid, I loved singing, In fact, the whole family loved singing and acting. We sang and acted in schools, churches and even entertained guests at various family parties with songs we wrote together. This was just all fun then; I did not considering it as a career but as I grew older, I began to appreciate that gift more and more.

“I joined the Campus Christian fellowship and enrolled in

the fellowship choir - Calvary Youth Singers at Federal University of Technology, Akure, where I studied Mechanical Engineering, I started exploring my talent and was involved in the production of the first album and co-writing many of the songs. I was also a member of the four-girl band Praise Generation, declaring God’s praise in Akure and its environs. From then on, it was second nature. I was involved in gospel music at various local assemblies such as RCCG Pentecost Parish, Abakaliki, as a Youth Corper, The Fountain of Life Church, Lagos as a single lady and Royalty Christian Centre Lagos after I got married both as a member and music director.”

Engineer-turned singer went into gospel music professionally in 2009 when she started recording her first album, with a desire to take her music to the next level and spread God’s knowledge to the nations through good lyrics delivered in urbane and contemporary style. In addition to leading worship and praise, her songs carry a message of hope, faith and love, as well as virtues that seem to be declining in a constantly changing world. Her songs are an expression of the liberty and freedom available in Christ Jesus, which is the good news and what gospel music is all about.

She continued, “My inspiration is to affect my generation. I believe I’m not just here to be ‘me’ and leave the scene just being me. I feel I have the deposit inside of me that can affect someone; my neighbour next door and I have made myself available to God as a vessel because anyone who makes himself available gets to be useful so I have done just that. This in spite of my tight schedule and career such that I can reach the youth and important dignitaries.

“I am of the opinion that whatever we are doing here on earth as our career is just for us to benefit while we are still living, but God has given us talents that we can use to affect other people and it is everlasting, eternal talent and that is the one we need to pay more attention to. I always encourage young people to develop the talents that they have inside of them. The youth nowadays are moved by good entertainment generally and fashion, which I’m also passionate about.

I also design and one day you can never tell, I just might launch a label so that we can take nudity out of our environment and TV screens, as well as bad music lyrics that don’t make sense - that is my passion and I’m prepared to do that”.

She explained that the song Seyito, which incidentally is her

favourite, is upbeat, groovy and urbane, adding, “It simply means there is nothing we have that we have not received from God and that encourages us to offer praise as we identify those little benefits we sometimes overlook in life. Imela is a strong worship song that tells of the goodness of God in all situations. Partey, as the title depicts, is a party banger. For those who know we need to count the blessings and name them one by one thanking God for the gift of life itself and more. Naija is a song dedicated to all the good people of our great nation Nigeria. It admonishes all to contribute their quota to making this country greater. All four songs were produced by the award winning Samklef at Flow Studio; he produced all four tracks”.

Already, Beedee has shot six videos - four in Nigeria and directed by the young and talented Kaptain Kred and two in the United Kingdom directed by Dapo U.K. The videos of her songs have proved most wrong the notion that Nigerian gospel artistes do not pay attention to quality and aesthetics.

She argued, “Most times when you watch gospel music videos, you may just see the artist standing at a spot, with one background and sing a whole song; that is boring. One thing is certain; good quality pictures will arrest anybody’s attention even before they hear the lyrics. God has given us the spirit of excellence and we must function in that dimension.”

Her inspiration comes from biblical truths that have affected her life experiences. She uses the medium of music and poetry to share such experiences for edification and encouragement in the manner of Jesus the Christ, who is the standard for all Christians.

Hers exemplifies the proverbial ‘bring up a child in the way of the Lord so that he does not depart from it’, as Beedee said, “I virtually grew up in church. My mother, Mrs. Veronica Akinmusire, always took us to church anytime she was going.

So, I was in church at least three times a week. My life has been greatly influenced by that, and the teachings of my late mentor and Pastor, Bimbo Odukoya of the Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos influenced me also”.

Beedee sees herself becoming a voice of influence to younger generation, inspiring them to pursue their God-given talent and visions, with her mission to top music charts in Nigeria and all around the world.

THe GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

ARTS 39

Excited crowd at the event

Sound, beats of Calabar Jazz Festival

By Daniel Anazia T was indeed fun in the three-day musical treat and mixture of African and european music traditions for lovers of smooth jazz, funky R’n’B, and sweet soul music as the maiden Calabar International Jazz Festival climaxed last Sunday on high notes.

The Jazz Festival, which brought together guests from the ancient city and other parts of the country began on Friday, March 29 with command performances from Jonathan Butler, Jimmy Dludlu, Darey and Bez at the Cultural Centre.

For jazz music fans, it was sheer delight to meet with long admired Jazz artiste, Butler, who didn’t disappoint with his performances of hit song ‘If you’re ready (Come go with me)’.

Though the event started very late but South Africa’s Jimmy Dludlu and Nigeria’s Darey Art Alade performances made up for the very late start of the show. They kept guests glued to their seats even into the hours of the morning, and all present were left yearning for more from the masters as they screamed out their requests for more.

Others that rock the city were top-rate performer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, D’Angelo, eric Benet, a four-time Grammy nominee and Soul Train Music Award winner.

Nigerian acts such as, Bez, Asa and Port Harcourt protégé, Burna Boy, lived to their billing as they wowed the audience with their highoctane performances. There were also solo performances from Pamela Braide, ekeng and Isaac.

I

By Florence Utor He name ‘Akpos’ has become synonymous with jokes, so T much so that people visualise the character to mean something unserious. An animated movie, portrayed in a serious manner with a serious message, Lion of Judah hits TV screens soon. It was originally shot in english but reproduced into Pigin english to reach a wider Nigerian audience.

The simple, hilarious, action and adventure story is seen through the eyes of a zany cast of stable animals, take an eye-opening adventure with a lovable pig named Horace, a faint-hearted horse, Monty, a finicky rat, Slink, a rambling rooster, Drake, a motherly cow, esmay, a downtrodden donkey, Jack, and a heroic lamb, Judah.

The hilarious comedy is embedded with the message of easter, with the subtlety that Judah is des-

Jimmy Dludlu, well known for his barrier breaking music during the height of the apartheid regime in his native country, South Africa. This propelled him to become first black artiste to feature on mainstream South African radio.

Also rocking and locking the Canaan City with his stunning repertoire of timeless classics is the worship leader of repute, Jonathan Butler, who saw the concert as his second homecoming. He was one of the star performers at the Calabar Festival 2012. For Asa, whose music draws its powerful character from the inspiration lent by legends such as Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Sunny Adé, ebenezer Obey and Lagbaja; she held the audience bound with her sonorous voice and eponymous hits including Bibanke, Eye Adaba, and the monster hit, Jailer as well as hits from her latest work.

Organised by Destination Cross River, one of Nigeria’s tourist brand and organisers of the Calabar Carnival — Africa’s biggest carnival. The jazz festival according to the organisers is the first of the new series of events designed to introduce a new dimension into the Calabar Festival experience this year.

The festival was staged in the in the capital city as part of effort by the government to explore more avenues of entertainment and boosting the eco-tourism of Cross River state.

According to Destination Cross River, the event was also, designed to provide the ideal easter weekend getaway, and realistically establish it as a permanent fixture on Nigeria’s social calendar.

It enabled first-timers to Calabar have a

unique and breathtakingly different experience of the city, not just the fun of the People’s Paradise, but also of the time-honoured serenity of the city — picturesque and historically significant as Nigeria’s first capital.

The all-new holiday experience featured, funfilled daytime activities and tours for families, fabulous VIP after-parties, with an intimate reception hosted by the state governor, Seantor Liyel Imoke. Also, it availed guests an opportunity to sample some of the local delicacies, which has made Calabar the acclaimed best kitchen in the Nigeria.

Speaking at a pre-concert briefing in Lagos on behalf of broadcast partners, MTV Base, EbonyLife TV, Classic FM 97.3, Beat FM 99.9, Naija FM 102.7 and Smooth FM 98.1, MTV Base Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, Alex Okosi, had high expectation that the line-up of star performers at the Jazz Festival would boost musical offering of MTV Base.

For the Special Adviser, Governor’s Office, Mr. Nzan Ogbe, the decision to make the Calabar International Jazz Festival a stand-alone event is a direct result of the success of the jazz concerts held during the annual Calabar Christmas Carnival.

Side attractions to the event included art exhibition of works from over twenty artists as well entertainment by a Steel band and colourfully costumed dancers. Guests present at the event includeD the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief edem Duke, Sen. Florence Ita Giwa and TV personality, Mo Abudu, among others.

Lion of Judah set to hit TV screens tined to become a sacrificial lamb, but his new friends from Bethlehem — a horse, cow, rat, rooster, donkey and pig - follow him to Jerusalem, where they also encounter Jesus in

the days, leading up to the crucifixion. Along the way, they realise that Judah’s sacrifice is meant to set people free and they must find Jesus to help them.

Written by Brent Dawes and produced by Animated Family Films, South Africa, the franchise is brought to Nigeria by Horace Raynos, the originator of family soap opera, Tinsel.

Asked if Nigerian viewers would appreciate the innovation, Raynos said Mnet called him up that they were having problems putting a show together, and asked if he could help out, adding, “That was basically the beginning of Tinsel five years ago. When the first few episodes were out, everybody thought it was a crazy idea because it was different from what

they were used to seeing, and they were asking me if Nigerians were going to like it, but I felt we should do something different to distinguish us from the rest.”

He continued: “I’m pioneering something new in Nigeria. I have done this for over 26 years and I have a fairly good idea about what will work. Sometimes it is an advantage to be different and sometimes it is not, but this is the beginning of many other such projects that will be different, that will begin to give a wider space to Nigeria. Nollywood has created that already but I think we need to move to the next level.”

The movie will be launched on April 9; the voiceover characters are Ngozi Nwosu, Zack Orji, Ada Ameh and others.

Mike Anyasodo set for big return

By Daniel Anazia eARS after winning the music reality show, MTN Project Fame, Mike Anyazodo appears set to make a big come-back to take his rightful place in the music industry. The talented singer few years ago released the hot single, Fine Fine Lady.

The singer has concluded plans with music video director and cinematographer, Clarence Peters for a video shoot of his new project titled Sexy Bihanna, which was produced by DJ Coublon.

Asked why he has been off the scene, Mike admitted that he made some career errors. “Music business is not a child’s play and in fact, I am not ashamed to say that I have been to hell. I made mistakes that I’m sorry about today and I have got my groove back to hit the top spot in the music scene. At the moment, I have confidence that with the right songs, I will take back my rightful place. Nigerians should pray for me because my desire is to give them good music,” he said.

In recent time, rumour mill had it that Mike was being signed to Humphrey Okeke (aka Hman) August Pee entertainment. However, Mike debunked the tale, stating, “I do not know where they got this gist from. The only truth in that rumour is that Hman and I have been hanging out a lot lately, however, that does not mean he has signed me on to his label.”

Asked what label he is signed unto, he said, “Uncoordinated information can be very damaging in this business. All I can assure you of is that, once I am ready to unveil the label I am working with, you will be the first to know. All that is important now is my new single, Sexy Bihanna and I can proudly tell Nigerians that Mike is ready to show what he is made up of.”

Y

Anyasodo

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Ebenezer Obey begins mobilization for COSON Week

By Daniel Anazia NE of Nigeria’s greatest musicians of all time and gospel preacher, Evangelist (Dr) Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi MFR, has begun full mobilization for the success of the events of the much talked about COSON Week which holds from May 19 to 25 in Lagos.

The Chief Commander, as he is known by his millions of fans, and widely respected within the Christian community, is mobilizing some of the most renowned ministers of the gospel in the country to join musicians at the maiden edition of COSON Week, tagged COSON in the Church, which aims at presenting to the nation and the world a truly unforgettable experience.

According to COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, COSON in the Church is the superlative National Day of prayer and invocation to the Almighty God with the most captivating gospel singers across Nigeria.

The plush event which is expected to have stars of all colours, business icons and political leaders will hold on Sunday, May 19 at 1.00 pm with red carpet and razzmatazz to be beamed live to the world from the auditorium of Household of God Church, Ikeja, Lagos.

Gospel music generalissimos, Panam Percy Paul and Sammie Okposo have been asked to assemble the nightingales and coordinate the music for the big occasion which is part of the launch of the COSON Music Foundation.

Chief Okoroji in various meetings held with Evangelist Obey in his capacity as Chairman, COSON Advisory Council, has expressed satisfaction on the preparation for the show.

As a week-long package, attention will

O

on Monday, Monday, May 20, shift to the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, where the COSON Lecture will be holding with Professor Helge Ronning of the University of Oslo as guest speaker.

On Tuesday, May 21, artistes also known as the stars of COSON will be on the streets of Lagos in what has been termed community service and to also meet their fans. And on Wednesday, May 22, all roads will lead to the MUSON Centre for the green ball and the official launch of the COSON Music Foundation.

Thursday, May 23, the Multipurpose Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere will come alive as it hosts as the final of COSON All Stars Table Tennis Blowout. The winner will go home with the glittering COSON trophy and the one million naira cash prize.

Friday, May 24, has been set aside for all Muslim members of COSON across the nation will be at the Mosque to offer supplication to the Almighty Allah. The week will climax with an award night tagged the COSON Song Awards at the Eko Hotel & Suites Victoria Island, Lagos on May 25.

Okoroji, known for the masterful organisation of superlative events said, “the only way to describe the entertainment, fashion and beauty that will be on display at the COSON Song Awards is wow! Do not forget that our mission is to make Lagos the undisputed capital of entertainment, fashion and beauty in Africa with huge rewards in investment, tourism, jobs and the social wellbeing of the people.”

Broadcaster extraordinaire, Prince Bisi Olatilo of the BOS International fame endorsing the COSON Music Foundation, said that the idea is ‘magnificent’. He called on all Nigerians to rise up and fully support the foundation, which he said would take Nigerian music to a new level. Obey and Okoro

Evergreen tunes A grand Nollywood road show to France from Nigerian Idol that are geared towards providing a new access to the arts for local audiences.

IGERIA, courtesy of the Nigerian Film Founded by the trio of Serge Noukoue, Corporation (NFC), has consistently Nadira Shakur and one of Nigeria’s noregistered its presence in France table dance export Qudus Onikeku, the through its participation at the annual Nollywood Week Paris according to Cannes International Film Festival. So Onikeku is conceived to showcase the best while filmmakers and visitors that the of Nollywood films to the French audiannual Cannes Film Festival attracts are ence. aware that Nigeria has a vibrant motion “The commercial potential for Nollywood picture industry dubbed Nollywood, in France is huge. The diversity of the what has not been fully exploited is French population especially in Paris making the offerings of the industry ac- where large West African communities recessible to the French public. The NFC side makes it an ideal terrain for Nollymerely mounts a pavilion at the festival wood. Our aim is to create an event that where it provides information on the generates interest in Nigeria cinema in Nigerian Film Industry. There has been order to establish future distribution opno year it attended the festival with the portunities’’ Onikeku, the project Artistic intention to showcase Nigeria’s best Director explained at a special unveiling filmic offerings. cocktail hosted last week by the French But there is an effort dubbed NollyConsulate in Lagos and attended by some wood Week Paris, a private sector initia- Nollywood practitioners, Journalist and tive developed by France based YK film enthusiast.

Projects and aimed at creating a stimuSimilarly, the projects Executive Director lating platform for networking and dia- and co-founder Serge Noukoue explained logue between the Nigerian film that the project was also conceived to professionals and their French counter- draw attention and bring recognition to parts.

Nollywood, an industry he described as Headquartered in Paris, YK Projects are the “industry with the most influential reputed as creators of artistic projects storytellers in Africa’’. Noukoue stated

By Shaibu Husseini

By Daniel Anazia T was a memorable evening Icontestants last Sunday for both the and the superstars that graced the stage as Nigeria’s top musicians of the 80s and 90s, Adewale Ayuba, Stella Monye and Mike Okri paired with the young bloods of the industry at the ongoing music reality show, Nigerian Idol. While the judges, Femi Kuti, Yinka Davies and Jeffrey Daniel grooved to the enthusiastic performances, it was a fun night for the audience.

Though Safeeyat has struggled with performance issues, but she looked set to put all that behind her as she performed her duet with Fuji legend, Adewale Ayuba, performing the Bonsuwe song We are Happy People. The collaboration had the judges dancing in their seats and the

audience up on their feet and singing along.

Debbie Rise, held members of the audience spellbound as she sang with the illustrious Stella Monye, remixing Stella’s monster hit Oko Mi Ye. Awe-struck Debbie Rise was visibly flabbergasted after her performance, and the duet certainly created a party atmosphere in Dream Studio.

Guest judge, Mike Okri paired with Moses for the classic hit, Time na Money. The stupendous performance had the audience chanting Moses, Moses and Jeffrey Daniel at the end of the performance said, “The most electrifying performance of the night!”

With just two more shows to go, there seems to be no clear winner yet. The big question is, who will Nigerians choose as the next Idol?

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Parade of Stars at Encomium Black and White Gig

By Daniel Anazia HIS year’s edition of Encomium T Black and White Ball will feature comedian Julius Agwu as host,

Debbie Rise, Moses and Safeeyat

while Africa’s leading DJ, Jimmy Jatt will deliver the best of Nigerian music.

Also, singer Ego (of Lagbaja fame) will entertain guests, with rich live music.

“It’s simply the biggest, most exciting party of the year. We have earned the tag ‘high octane’, and we have built a reputation of promoting high fashion and unique style,” Kunle Bakare, Publisher, Encomium Magazine said. Adding, “We at Encomium can’t wait to pamper you and ensure that you have the time of your life on April 14 at the Black and White Ball.”

Ruby Gardens, along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos is billed to host Agwu the event.

that there is no better time to shift gears away from the public perception of Nollywood films, that is “from its perception of low-quality films’’ than in a year that the industry was marking 21 years of sustained movie production. So for four days commencing May 30, 7 top Nigerian films including Tunde Kelani’s Maami, Mahmood Ali-Balogun’s Tango With Me and Kunle Afolayan’s Phone Swap, that have been selected by the organizers will show at the prestigious L’Arlequin Theatre in Paris. Obi Emelonye’s Last Flight to Abuja, Akin Omotosho’s Man on Ground and Keke Bongos Ikwue and Jeta Amata’s Inale are the other movies on the showcase that is projected to attract over 2000 attendees.

Onikeku explained that the Nollywood Week Paris team consulted widely to be able to arrive at their choice of the seven films. He said: ‘’we received a number of entries but after sounding out some industry critics, practitioners and film buffs on films they think would best represent Nigeria in the period between 2011 and 2012 that we were considering, the names of these seven films came up repeatedly. So we settled for these seven for the first edition and take on others by the next edition’’.

But it will not only be films shows at L’Arlequin theatre. The projects Director of Administration Hajarat Alli disclosed that in addition to the daily screening of the seven films, there will be a panel discussion with Nollywood experts and industry leaders and a couple of scheduled professional encounters.

“We have invited international distributors across Europe to the showcase and we are optimistic that filmmakers whose films are on showcase and filmmakers attending the showcase will be able to effectively network and strike deals that will take Nollywood films further across national borders’’ Alli said.

Some filmmakers who have their works on the bill say they look forward to a rewarding showcase in France. Producer of Inale, one of the movies on the showcase, Keke Bongos Ikwue expressed optimism that the project would open up Nollywood to Europe. She said: “We have done well to push our movies all around Africa. Now is the time to begin to look for a market in Europe and other parts of the world and I see this as a platform through which we can achieve that for Nollywood.’’

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

ARTS 41

Literature Insights for true financial freedom Review

By Armsfree Ajanaku HE personal examples Usiere Uko deploys T to drive home the salient points of the discourse in his book Practical Steps to Financial Freedom and Independence are indeed riveting.

They propel the story in the direction that etches the writer’s thematic preoccupation in the heart of the reader, such that other details the author seeks to espouse derive their life and relevance from the very apt illustrations he makes from the real world. Uko undoubtedly understands the power of real life examples and how capable of swaying people. It is natural for readers to react to the writer’s prodding by taking actions similar to those taken by the characters encountered in the true life stories the author brings to the fore. It is pertinent to note that these examples serve another specific purpose: they immediately bring the reader in close touch with some of the debilitating realities faced by people who basically live their lives in the pursuit of the goals, wishes, whims and aspirations set by others.

To start off this engaging excursion into the heart of the issues revolving around why many choose to remain in what may be deemed as the never ending “rat race” the author grabs the reader’s attention with profound personal narratives, all pointing to the need for the individual to liberate himself, take control of his destiny and ultimately, live his dreams and a fulfilled life. First Uko takes the reader through one of those often disconcerting experiences that employees face, when the very visions of their lives clash directly with the business goals of their employers.

The writer tells the moving and life changing story of how after he was transferred to London by his employers, there comes a sudden disruption that literarily put him in a situation that was akin to being between the devil and the deep blue sea. Like a bolt from the blues, information reached the author that his projected four year stay at the company’s instance in London had been cut short. With wife on the verge of having the young family’s first baby, the family’s bread winner was suddenly summoned to return to Lagos. Refusal to obey the summon would mean an immediate loss of the job, his only source of livelihood. It was in this sort of existential quagmire that Uko made the decision that he would never again live a life that puts the wel-

fare of himself and his family in the hands of a fickle and unpredictable vagaries of paid employment.

There and then, the besieged and psychologically traumatised husband and father resolved to take action. Where others would have allowed the magnitude of the challenge overwhelm them, the writer provides a scintillating narrative of how he realised that the only way to end such disruptions in one’s life was to rise to the realm of financial freedom and independence.

Deploying a style that is both persuasive and instructive, Practical Steps To Financial Freedom And Independence, seeks not to sound theoretical and professorial, styles that would have made it difficult to sustain the reader’s interest, and ability to take action on the words of wisdom that are found in the pages of the book. Where it seems the usual thing for other treatises on the subject of financial freedom and independence, to sound arcane and complex, in many other interventions of this nature, Uko takes his time to break things down. Beyond the personal stories, which are compelling, the writer provides the reader with several clear action points, which could be used by a willing reader to bring about revolutionary

changes in his financial life. The author makes it clear right from the cover page that his intervention is meant to spur people into taking action that would result in far reaching changes in their circumstances, such that they could eventually determine the actual direction of their lives. A look at the crisp cover of this 179 page book would present the beholder with an image of how ecstatic and pleasurable it is to be free from the chains of acute financial dependence.

The image of three human figures with their hands thrown into the air in a somewhat joyful shout of pure ecstasy, precipitated by the reality of being free indeed, would no doubt grab attention and motivate the reader to go on in order to see what exactly it is the author has in store. On the other hand, while many may view freedom in whatever sense to be a distant and abstract concept, Uko, circumscribes the concept of freedom that forms the theme of this work in the financial context. To him, real freedom from financial dependence comes when the individual gets to that point when he is so firmly in control of his life, that he can define his own vision in life and pursue them without having to look over his shoulder or entertain fears about any form of financial vulnerability.

So in the eyes of the author, financial freedom revolves around exiting the “rat race” in which the real dreams of a man are held in abeyance, while survival or fear about not being able to survive financially, inform an individual’s actions and dispositions. In this terrain defined by mere survival, Uko conveys the message to the reader with total clarity, that his real dreams, would most likely, not come to fruition.

Uko attempts to engrave it in the reader’s mind that for one to live his dream, and engage life on what might seem like his own terms, financial freedom is key. The preface, written by renowned personal finance expert and motivational speaker, Ayo Arowolo makes for compelling reading due to yet again, the personal touch of the story, and the fact that it warns that taking the bold and audacious steps that would lead to financial freedom must be a well thought out, and meticulously executed process.

Celebrating Kole Omotoso at 70 HE novelist, playwright, and T biographer of Nigeria, South Africa-based Prof. Bankole Omotoso, will be 70 years old on April 21, 2013. According to one of the organisers and poet, Odia Ofeimun, “The event offers us an opportunity to draw attention to and appreciate his many-sided commitment to the literary arts as well as celebrate those with whom his path has crossed”. The celebrations will take off with a Special Reading, Kole Omotoso In Person at Jazzhole, on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on April 17, 2013 at 4.30 pm. The Kole Omotoso Exhibition — Akure to Jo’burg - will be on display from 12noon from April 19 - 21, 2013. A reception called ‘An Evening for Uncle Very Very’s Nephew’ will be held at the Cultural Centre, Akure on the exhibition’s opening date, April 19, 2013.

Also, a Special Birthday Lecture called, ‘Radicals, Literature and Nigeria: Just Before 1914’, will be delivered by Prof. G.G. Darah of Delta State University,

Abraka, and will be chaired by Prof. Akinwumi Isola, at the Cultural Centre, Akure, on April 20, 2013. Time is 4.30pm. It will be immediately followed by Kole Omotoso’s South African play, Yes and ‘Know’ to the Freedom Chatter.

It is directed by Felix Okolo and produced by Hornbill House.

Akure to Jo’burg will be donated to a cultural establishment in Ondo State after the celebrations, in order to motivate a permanent means of attracting literary enthusiasts to the city that has featured so much in the celebrant’s many novels and short stories.

Omotoso was the founding General Secretary and a former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

“Quintessentially, there is a need to view Kole Omotoso’s achievements as a creative writer also in the context of his role as a pioneering activist in literary journalism. His literary editorship of Afriscope in the seventies, his ‘Writer’s Diary’ in West Africa

Omotoso magazine, his travelogues in National Concord, and his ‘Uncle Very Very’ series in the now defunct Daily Sketch, bear witness to his durable performances. Kole Omotoso’s especial creativity in these areas

remain benchmark performances to which must now be added his continuing conversations with Nigeria - in the columns he has maintained on the pages of The News magazine and Vanguard newspaper.

Arowolo tells of how he had to leave a paid employment to start up a business on behalf of a concern, but soon found himself in a very difficult situation that led him to quit at some point, after four years of toiling. The intervention in the preface, no doubt, serves as the balancing act for the book. While the Uko spurs the reader on to make a break away from a life of hopeless financial dependence, in which people are perpetually limited to the dictates of their salaries and wages, Arowolo admonishes that taking the plunge, should be done after careful and meticulous consideration. In essence the author recognises that inasmuch as it is desirable to become one’s own boss and as a result, live one’s life to the fullest, it is also important to tread carefully, so that some irreparable damage is not done in the haste to make a break.

There is no doubt about the fact that the thinking and postulations of Robert Kiyosaki have gone a long way in shaping the thoughts of the writer. Although the imprints of Rich Dad, Poor Dad could be gleaned in Uko’s messaging, the author does a great job of positioning his themes within the Nigerian, nay African space. He makes his writing compellingly Nigerian, yet relevant within a global context. In fact, there are more reasons for Nigerians to begin to heed the admonitions of the author because the country’s social structures task a man financially than it is in the Western world for instance. In the absence of a real and functional credit system, and the apparent reluctance to evolve a social security system of any sort, the working man or woman in Nigeria, is known to be faced with huge financial burdens.

Uko’s work, and his prodding that Nigerians should push doggedly for financial independence, is very socially relevant in the Nigerian context. It is because it serves as a toolkit to circumvent the many deficiencies of the Nigerian environment in order to live a life of abundance and fulfillment.

Fundamentally however, the writer does not merely pontificate about the road to travel, as many works are wont to do. Uko provides certain nuggets, principles and directions on what exactly to do to be on the road to financial freedom. Specifically, he warns against the “rat race” mentality of earning wages to fund liabilities. Instead of spending a life time doing a job that might not be so interesting to the employee in order to fund luxuries such as posh and exotic cars, the writer advocates a strong financial mentality that puts the creation of assets at the heart of everyone’s financial architecture.

This well known idea, is time tested and has worked remarkably well for those with the acumen to do what it takes to actualise it. But beyond assets creation, Uko harps on other important principles. In chapters 15 and 16, of the book, he calls on the reader to insure their assets and practice asset allocation. This whole concept of tending one’s assets in ways that would ensure they are not adversely affected but certain occurrences is crucial. For example, the author makes it clear that exposing one’s assets to possible loss is “known as investing naked or taking a naked position.

“If fire or natural disaster levels your property, you have taken a direct hit. If your property was fully insured, your insurers will restore you to where you were financially before the disaster hit. This is called indemnity.” Pp. 151-152.

The author goes on with the admonition that all investments should be well protected, which he describes as taking a covered position when investing. He stresses that there must be workable entry and exit strategies whenever an investment comes to mind.

However, having work hard and toiled to build assets, Uko paints the picture that there are many who get stuck with the notion that they would live forever. This group of people, in his reckoning, are reluctant to plan their estates in preparation for their demise, a situation which brews problems by the time the fellow passes on to the great beyond. To ensure that an estate a man has toiled to build up does not become the subject of shameful controversy in the event of the passage of the owner, the writer calls on those who own assets and estates to plan well before they exit the world.

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The GUArDiAn, Friday, April 5, 2013

ArTS

Arthouse Beyond bounds for exhibition

hinyere Ofodile-Okanume’s solo exhibition titled Beyond Bounds that C opened ton the 23rd March continues till April 5th, at the national museum Onikan, Lagos.

Nigeria Photography Expo & Conference 2013

he on-going nigeria Photography expo & Conference continues till May T 2nd. The expo is for professionals, students, educators and enthusiasts who want to learn more about photography. Guests will be able to explore hundreds of exhibits, attend a variety of imaging seminars, and network.

Time is 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily at Be Spoke event Centre, Liberty hall, Lekki epe express way by Germaine/Toyota bus stop.

Association of nigerian Authors eulogise to Achebe

OLLOwinG the sudden exit of Chinua Achebe, doyen of African literaFfounders ture, founding editor of the African writers Series and one of the of the Association of nigerian Authors, the national executive Council of the Association of nigerian Authors is organizing a cross-country tribute by all its chapters of the federation in honour of her departed grand trustee. each chapter is hereby directed by the national eXCO to organize sessions of tribute to Chinua Achebe between the 1st and 15th of April, 2013 where writers who have encountered the novelist in academic, communal, literary or other contexts would render or submit tributes to the memory of the departed icon of African literature in english.

Future Awards symposium

he Central working Committee of The Future Awards has announced T the speakers for the 2nd edition of The nigeria Symposium for young & emerging Leaders. The event holds from April 5 - 7 at the ikogosi warm Springs resort, ekiti hosted by the State Government.

The theme for this year’s edition is Project 2015: The Character of Our Involvement.

The committee spokeman, says, the theme is crucial as young people define the nature of their engagement as we countdown to the 2015 General elections,” said ‘yemi Adamolekun, who is executive Director of EnoughisEnough nigeria, partners for the event. “2015 is barely 2 years away, and politicians, civil society organisations, the media and citizens need to identify their active roles within the process. we are glad to partner with The Future Project.

The Future national enterprise Conference hits Benin he Benin edition of The Future national enterprise Conference has been announced to hold on Friday, April 12 at the Main Auditorium of the University of Benin.

Themed ‘Our generation needs to get to work’, the conferences kicked off on 26 January this year at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos to an audience of over 1500 young people. Speakers/Mentors included nestle executive Director iquo Ukoh, Microsoft Manager Ugochukwu nwosu, media entrepreneur and presenter Mo Abudu, actors Stephanie Okereke and rita Dominic amongst others.

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Visual Artists exhibits for Obi of Onistha, Achebe

n honour of the Obi of Onitsha hrh, nnemeka Achebe, a group of artists ipaintings from nigeria and across west Africa will show Orakwue an exhibition of and scupltures from tomorrow ending April 13 at Alexis Gallery, off Adeola 0deku, Victoria island, Lagos.

––Compiled by Florence Utor

Footprints of David dance in commemoration of WTD

Accolades as Ekpe launches two poetry books n spite of the turbulent times in inigerians the country, the creativity of continue to wax strong

ndii ehiri, said The Soul of a Poet portrays the author as a man of many parts, a voracious reader, and from and young people in particular con- all indications, a richly gifted persontinue to make the country proud. ality who handles with dexterity a Only recently, Godwin ekpe, a geolo- wide range of subject matter in his gist launched two books of poetry in poetry. he further described the coleket, Akwa ibom State. lection The Mirror of Self as ‘the poetekpe, who has exhibited profound narrator’s reminiscences and the literary abilities, presented his two outpouring of his experiences in a maiden books of poetry, The Mirror of fast-changing but unjust society’.

Self and The Soul of a Poet to the pubOn his part, Dr. Joseph Ushie, head lic. The event, which held at of Department, english and Literary Utimanik Suites in the oil-rich city of Studies Department, University of eket, attracted the cream of the acaUyo and chairman, Akwa ibom chapdemia as well as eminent citizens of ter of the Association of nigerian the state.

Authors (AnA) said The Soul of a One of the dignitaries, Comrade Poet is very captivating, adding, “i John Ukam, an academic was thrilled by the author’s depth of and Director, Total human rights thought, use of words and rhyme research Action Group, described scheme”. he read two poems from ekpe’s poetic venture as ‘extra-ordiThe Soul of a Poet namely ‘The Garden nary writing’. of Love’ and ‘June Babies’. he in his review, writer and academic, enjoined all lovers of art to dig deep

into his works so as to appreciate his beautiful thoughts and beautiful emotions.

Other dignitaries at the launch included hon. enobong Asubop, former Commissioner at AKiSSieC, Dr. ini Adiakpan, rtd Superintendent of Police, Chief etim Anwana and representative of chief launcher and Chairman/MD of etto Oil and Gas Ltd, Chief Bassey etto, former Speaker, Akwa ibom State house of Assembly, rt hon. Bassey essien, Commissioner, independent national electoral Commission (ineC), rivers State (Chairman of the occasion), hon. Aniedi ikoiwak, former Public Affairs Manager, Mobil Producing nigeria Unltd (co-launcher), Chief (engr) Bassey itama and the poet’s parents Mrs. And Mrs. ekpe among several others.

The author gave a vote of thanks by performing one of his poems.

Grand Oak partners NANTAP on Theatre Day rAnD Oak Limited showered gift items worth thousands of G naira on members of national Association of nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (nAnTAP) at the celebration of the world Theatre Day 2013. in attendance at the event held at the national Arts Theatre Lagos, were theatre practitioners, who were presented with the company’s products and other branded gift items.

Speaking at the event, Manager, Promotions of Grand Oak Limited, Mrs Catherine Akeju said the decision to join nAnTAP in celebrating the world Theatre Day was not unconnected with the importance the brand attaches to tradition and culture. in her words: “Our brand is a conveyor of everlasting blessing; hence our involvement in celebrating with the theatre practitioners is an added value to the brand. Seaman’s Schnapps as the number one original prayer drink in the country has long stood for culture and tradition.

“This is a platform to associate and bond with key target audience, it is about associating with the life-styles of the consumers, and for Seaman’s Schnapps we want to celebrate with our consumers”. in her address, the Chairman of nAnTAP, Lagos State Chapter, Ms. Faith eboigbe, expressed gratitude to Grand Oak Limited for its support towards the successful hosting of this year’s world Theatre Day. She stated that: “As nAnTAP joined the rest of the world to celebrate world Theatre Day, there is need to appreciate our sponsor Grand Oak Limited for recognising the importance of culture and tradition as part of our business.

‘As practitioners, we recognise the contribution of culture to the development of nations and the association has continuously joined the international theatre body to mark the celebration of world theatre day.”

Author’s mother, Mrs. Rose Ekpe (left); his father, Chief Asuquo Ekpe; author, Godwin Ekpe; and Mrs. Atim Edet Bassey at the book launch in Eket, Akwa Ibom State

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

43

AutoWheels

BMW 3 Series

Lamborghini

Lagos auto fair to showcase new hi-tech vehicles organisers assure on security

By Taiwo Hassan

RGANISERS of this year’s O eighth edition of the Lagos Motor Fair have assured participants and exhibitors of adequate security during the fair period.

According to the organisers, the need to improve adequate security at the venue was basically to ensure foreign companies that are billed to showcase their latest automobiles are well protected due to the security challenges in the country.

Chairman of the organising committee for the auto fair, Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, who stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, said that safety issue was one of the main drivers of the fair.

According to him, the event would be a landmark and a benchmark for auto show business in the entire West African sub-region, assuring visitors, exhibitors and the general public that are coming for the event of adequate security, business and fun.

“The fair will be a landmark and a benchmark in auto show business in the entire West African sub-region.

“Almost all the major vehicle manufacturers and dealers in Nigeria are participating at the fair. Notable

banks and insurance companies, major oil companies, manufacturers and dealers in auto-accessories have indicated interest and are participating too,” Agwu added.

On parade, according to him, are notable companies from the Asian continent dominated by the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean auto firms. Such products from Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Kia, Nissan among others will be on display.

The European and American continents will equally be there with products from Ford, Mack, Mercedes, Chevrolet, Volvo, BMW, Skoda, and among others.

While on home fronts, PAN Nigeria and National Trucks Manufacturers Limited (NTM), will also showcase the latest in their ranges of products.

These products range from personal choice exotic cars, SUV’s, CUV’s, jeeps, light and heavy-duty haulage trucks, and buses of various capacities for corporate and mass transit businesses.

“Strategically as we did last year, we are laying more emphasis on the spare parts sector in this edition. This is

MC Laren

as a result of our guided intention to enhance the development of cottage industries in the spare parts sub-sector of the automotive business sector of the economy with the atten-

dant multiplier effects on the economy of the nation.

Our target is to attract many reputable original equipment manufacturers of spare parts from across the globe to participate in this

edition as well as in subsequent ones. Over 70 confirmed original equipment manufacturers from all over the world are already preparing to be at the show,” Agwu said.

The auto event holds between May 10 and 16, while the specialised auto part Nigeria Expo holds from May 13 to 16.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

44 AUTO WHEELS

Hyundai reveals dramatic HND-9 concept in Seoul

Safety Tips How to handle car electrical appliances HE complexity of modT ern vehicles makes some projects a no-go for new-

YUNDAI has unveiled a H new model brand car called HND-9 Venace at its hometown Seoul auto show.

The company said the dramatic two-door coupe portends the metal fashions Hyundai will use on its future models.

The HND-9 seems closer to a modern update of the Hyundai Genesis coupe.

About the size of a Ford Mustang, the rear-wheeldrive sports car has a 3.3liter turbo V-6 under its hood producing 365 hp.

The lack of side mirrors, scissor-style doors and a

steering wheel that resembles a Buck Rodgers prop all look like masks for the car’s production intent.

Hyundai and its twin Kia have been the world’s fastest-growing automakers of the past few years, but the easy paths to success have all been explored.

For Hyundai to keep growing, it has to go where it hasn’t been before — into luxury cars, larger SUVs and sports coupes, and into cars that offer more panache than its current lineup. The HND-9 looks ready for the assignment.

Audi records 16.3 per cent increase in sales

By Taiwo Hassan UDI AG has announced a sale of 111,750 automobiles worldwide in January.

This shows an increase of 16.3 per cent compared to last year.

According to the company, the successful midsize model lines A4 and Q5 made a substantial contribution to this growth, adding that deliveries rose in China at 38.5 per cent.

In the USA (+7.5 per cent) and Europe (+8.6 per cent), too, January deliveries topped the figures from the prior-year month.

“Although, the general economic situation in certain European countries remains challenging, we’ve managed to achieve a very successful start to the year in all regions of the world,”

A

said Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. And: “Our popular SUV models and the new A3 family will help to continue our pattern of growth in 2013.”

In January 2013, around 37,678 customers in China opted for a model with the four rings – a 38.5 per cent increase on a year ago.

Last year, the Chinese New Year celebrations fell in January, resulting in fewer sales days due to the holidays; but this year, the New Year celebrations was held in February.

In Audi’s largest sales market, the locally produced A4 L (+30.0 per cent), Q5 (+55.1 per cent) and A6 L models proved particularly popular last month.

Around 13,657 customers

received their keys to the long-wheelbase luxury-class sedan (+52.9 per cent).

Worldwide, the sales figures for the Audi midsize model lines A4, A5 and Q5 posted strong growth (around 50,800 units, an increase of 24.6 per cent).

Together with the A1 Sportback, just introduced about a year ago, and the Q3, this ensured that Audi also managed to sustain growth in markets experiencing economic difficulties, notching up an 8.6 per cent increase throughout Europe.

In Germany, sales of the popular SUV Q5 rose by 70.1 per cent to 1,553 units, while the A4 family increased by nearly 2,100 units.

Overall, Audi posted an increase of 11.8 per cent in its domestic market, equiva-

lent to 14,611 automobiles sold.

In the United Kingdom, too, Audi sold 9,878 units on the back of significant growth of 15.3 per cent – also due to increased demand for the midsize models.

For example, deliveries of the A5 Sportback increased by 48.1 per cent and those of the Q5 by 54.4 per cent.

Audi also performed well in January in those markets where the general economic situation was already proving challenging over the past few months.

Demand for the models with the four rings in Spain rose by 8.6 per cent to 2,754 units and in Italy by 3.9 per cent to 3,767 units.

In France, the company managed to maintain delivery totals on a par with the prior-year figure (4,011 units,

+/-0 per cent).

In Eastern Europe, the markets continued to perform well, with Russia driving growth.

Audi managed to increase sales here by 19.8 per cent, selling 1,725 units in total.

Also in the United States, the Ingolstadt-based carmaker’s sales figures for last month exceeded January 2012 deliveries – making it the most successful start to the year in Audi’s US history: Audi increased its sales by 7.5 per cent to 10,056 units.

The midsize models also proved successful here, with U.S. sales increasing by around 13.6 per cent year-onyear overall.

Mexico (sales up 48.6 per cent) and Brazil (sales up 25.0 per cent) posted other significant growth rates in the America sales region in January.

Ford delivers spare parts to Coscharis Motors

By Taiwo Hassan OWARDS ensuring reguT lar spare parts availability in the sub-Sahara Africa, especially Nigeria, Ford Motor Company has announced the shipping of vehicles spare parts to Coscharis Motors and other African countries from the company’s Parts Distribution Centre for Africa and the Middle East.

Ford’s new Parts Distribution Centre is a onestop shop for Sub-Sahara Africa dealers, stocking parts from all of Ford production locations around the globe.

Ford Motor Company intends to improve spare parts availability by expanding service of its Middle East Parts Distribution Centre to dealers in Sub-Sahara Africa, to ensure accessibility of spare parts to customers in the region.

Ford said its objective for the facility was to help expedite the delivery of parts to dealers throughout Sub-Sahara Africa and improve customer satisfaction in this important region where sales of Ford vehicles are on the rise.

The Parts Distribution Centre is capable of stock-

ing up to 50,000 types of parts or six million total pieces from all of Ford’s production locations around the globe.

Order to delivery time from the Parts Distribution Centre to dealers in SubSahara Africa will improve substantially with parts orders now arriving at dealerships within14 days.

With more spare parts readily available, the Parts Distribution Centre will improve lead time for special order parts as well, reducing vehicles downtime for customers and fleets.

According to the Ford

Customer Service Division Regional Manager, John Earp, Ford is “committed to providing customers throughout Sub-Sahara Africa with exceptional customer service and an improved ownership experience, adding that by providing a one-stop resource for parts for Ford clients, the company is demonstrating its commitment to customers’ service in subSaharan Africa.”

The facility has begun servicing 25 sub-Saharan Africa countries and with the subSahara Africa launch, Ford’s facility now services more than 35 countries through-

out Africa and the Middle East.

Reacting to this development, the Group Managing Director, Coscharis Motors, Josiah Samuel, noted that the development was a welcome relief to all its Ford customers and commended Ford Motor Company for such strategic intent and programme.

He said the programme would further support the company’s several other initiatives to improve customer satisfaction level.

He however, urged other manufacturers to emulate this gesture towards ensuring service excellence.

bies, veteran Portsmouth, R.I., mechanic Paul Roderick says.

Don’t try to replace fuel or water pumps (because of their inaccessibility) or the shoes in drum brakes (because of their mechanical intricacy) unless you really know what you’re doing, and “forget about electrical problems, unless the problem is a blown fuse.”

Changing disc brake pads Changing worn-out disc brake pads is a straightforward job. The best way to tell if they need replacing is a visual inspection.

Some pads have a groove that serves as a wear indicator; if not, look through the caliper to see if the pad looks thin.

Otherwise, some cars have a warning light to let you know if the pads are nearly worn down to the rivets, while others have brakes with a strip of metal that starts to squeal against the rotor when the pads are worn way down.

When it’s time to change the pads, make sure you have jack stands, basic hand tools, and a C-clamp (to push the caliper piston into its cylinder) on hand.

If badly worn pads have severely scored the rotor, this would also be the logical time to replace that; it slips off the hubs once the caliper and its bracket are removed.

Replacing the alternator In most cars, a warning light will tell you when the alternator is dying. If not, you’ll know soon enough when your car stalls (from running off a depleted battery) or won’t turn over when you try to start it.

Novice mechanics can replace dead or dying alternators as long as the alternators are accessible from the top of the engine. (If they’re down around the bottom of the block, they can be impossible to see and you have to work by feel to get them out and replace them; that takes experience.)

To do the job, you’ll need wrenches, including a socket wrench. Some cars might also require a special tool to take the tension off the belt.

And be sure to do things in the proper order.

Unbolting the alternator before detensioning the belt could cause both of them to bind up so that you won’t be able to budge either of them.

Replacing Oxygen Sensor A common problem that trips the check engine light on your dashboard is a faulty oxygen sensor.

This is one of the many times you’ll need an OBD II scan tool, at least if your car is a 1996 or newer model year. If the scan tool points to an O2 sensor, be aware that vehicles can have as many as four O2 sensors in the exhaust system—one or two before the catalytic convertor and one or two after.

They look like spark plugs, and your diagnostic tool might be able to tell you which one needs replacing.

(If not, you’ll need someone with a higher-tech scanner to identify it.)

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

AUTOWHEELS 45

GM commences Buick revival at New York auto show

Buick car

By Taiwo Hassan, with agency reports ENERAL Motors Corporation (GM) has commenced plans to make another attempt at revamping its Buick model to get it appeal to buyers with freshened up versions of the Regal midsize sports sedan and the LaCrosse large luxury car.

Specifically, GM plans to unveil the brand this week ahead of the New York auto show.

According to the company, youth has been the theme of several of Buick marketing campaigns during the last three decades, with famous pitchmen from Tiger Woods to Shaquille O’Neal appearing on its adverts.

It said sales have even risen recently after a dramatic and lengthy decline. But even with that recent success, odds are against GM making Buick a go-to option for large numbers of drivers below the age of 50.

Buick, once coveted for its understated elegance, used to be a dominant brand.

In 1984, GM sold 942,000 Buicks in the United States, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank.

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But many Buick buyers died, and younger people opted for SUVs and cooler European cars.

Sales tumbled, bottoming out at just over 102,000 in 2009. GM only kept the brand alive because it became a huge seller in China.

The company doesn’t expect Buick sales to approach 900,000 per year again.

But the company’s executives said they could still make a lot of money selling the higher-priced luxury vehicles with lower sales numbers.

“GM is giving the LaCrosse a more sculpted, modern look.

It gets updated LED daytime running lamps and taillights and a larger front grille. On the inside, it gets new, more supportive seats and a modernised center stack with fewer buttons than the current car. The interior will have more of a luxury feeling to differentiate it from the sportier Regal,” one of the executives said.

The LaCrosse goes on sale late this summer and the Regal comes out in the fall.

Prices and gas mileage weren’t released. The current

Regal starts at $29,015, while the LaCrosse starts at $31,660.

Buick sales rose the past three years, and reached 180,000 in 2012.

The catalysts were the new Verano, a compact based on the Chevrolet Cruze, and the Enclave, a big crossover SUV, that got a facelift last year.

Also, Buick’s new Encore small SUV is just starting to hit showrooms.

The new products have helped to change Buick’s demographics.

In 2006, Buick buyers on average had celebrated 66 birthdays. Last year that fell to 57, according to the company.

The Verano helped there as well because small cars tend to draw younger buyers.

But Buick buyers are still older, and the automaker would like to catch more people in their 40s.

The average car buyer in the U.S. is 52, according to the TrueCar.com auto-pricing site.

Even with the new cars, Buick hasn’t kept up with the industry. Last year, sales grew only 1.6 per cent even though total U.S. auto sales rose 13

percent.

Spokesman of the company, Nick Richards blamed the slow growth on a cut in lowprofit sales to fleet buyers such as rental car companies as GM tries to boost the brand’s resale values.

He said retail sales to individual buyers rose about six per cent.

Still, Buick’s five models combined were outsold last year by single models from other automakers.

Hyundai, for instance, sold 202,000 Elantra compacts last year, beating Buick by itself.

Members of the Obama administration’s autos task force asked about getting rid of Buick in 2009, during GM’s government-funded trip through bankruptcy court.

But Buick survived because of a strong following as a luxury brand in China.

Chinese drivers bought more than 700,000 Buicks

last year, up eight per cent from 2011.

In the U.S., Buick likely won’t approach those numbers because the stodgy image clings to the brand.

“The vehicles themselves are very suited for young driving habits. Good fuel economy, performance, nice looking,” said Rebecca Lindland, owner of Rebel Three Consulting of Greenwich, Conn.

Hello Motor debuts on Nigerian television stations

By Taiwo Hassan N indigenous firm, Flammy Productions has concluded arrangements to introduce television automobile enlightenment programme, titled: “Hello Motor” to the Nigerian viewers.

According to a press statement from the company, Hello Motor is an online and 30 minutes entertaining, informative and educative programme that deals with the day-to-day need of

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motion, road and technology that is expected to be broadcast to Nigerians on some selected TV stations.

The statement reads: “This programme offers our viewers unique opportunities of having information on latest cars, different models, their durability, fuel consumption, cost of maintenance and their cutting edge advantage. As part of measures to ensure safety on our roads, a segment titled Hello LASDRI in conjunction with Lagos Driver’s Institute will

assist drivers with useful information on driving skill and positive attitude. This segment will also educate road users of adequate knowledge of road signs.”

The contents of the programme are: dealers’ crib, interview/dealers’ shop, wonder ride congrat! motor and My car.

Others are: signs &wins, help my ride, hello garage, My road storm The auto show programme has Femi Oloyede as the producer.

New Grand Santa Fe to debut at Swiss auto fair T this year’s Salon A International de l’Auto, Geneva, Switzerland, Hyundai will give a European premiere to New Grand Santa Fe – its long wheelbase premium E-segment SUV, which it plans to manufacture this month at the company’s number four plant in Ulsan, Korea.

Hyundai has brought New Grand Santa Fe to Europe to meet the demand for the long wheelbase version of the popular model, which will contribute to the company capturing a larger share of the E-segment SUV market in Europe.

New Grand Santa Fe was first seen at the 2012 New

York International Show and the European variant benefits from several significant adaptations to the United States specification, such as adaptive front lighting, lane departure warning and smart parking assist systems.

Furthermore, the ride and handling characteristics have been tweaked specifically for European buyers who demand a more damped, responsive driving experience.

New Grand Santa Fe features Hyundai’s wellreceived ‘Storm Edge’ form language – first introduced on New Generation Santa

Fe. The new styling is based on Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’.

‘Storm Edge’ captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm.

New Grand Santa Fe was developed alongside its standard counterpart from the earliest stages, enabling designers to fashion a coherent form that bears a strong family resemblance.

Despite this, there are clear differences between the two. At the front of New Grand Santa Fe, a re-shaped front grille sits above restyled fog lamps and a more pronounced bumper.

In profile, the rear doors are noticeably longer to accommodate the third row of seats.

A new, longer roof panel accentuates the car’s loadcarrying capabilities. As a result, the rear quarter glass now follows the contours of the C-pillars more closely.

The overall height, width and length of New Grand Santa Fe have been extended (+10, +5 and +225 mm respectively) due to the enlarged wheelbase (+100 mm), while still retaining New Generation Santa Fe’s dynamic yet sophisticated style.

Further differentiation is

provided by striking new 18and 19-inch alloy wheels, while re-styled LED lamp clusters frame the swaged beltline.

At the rear, separate exhaust pipes, rather than the twin unit on the regular model, finish the aesthetic upgrades.

Thanks to its increased wheelbase, the new Hyundai New Grand Santa Fe offers more second and third row roominess compared to the standard model, allowing up to seven occupants to travel in greater comfort.

Head and legroom is improved for both second-

and third-row passengers.

Second-row occupants receive 10 mm more headroom and 50 mm increased legroom, while the third row offers head and legroom increases of 33 and 35 mm respectively.

Cargo capacity, when the third-row seats are folded flat, has increased to a bestin-class 634 litres.

A 3-litre under-floor luggage box, located between the wheel arches, offers additional storage to the spacious 631-litre cargo trunk capacity – in total a 49-litre increase over New Generation Santa Fe.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

46

BusinessTravel Imperative of autonomous NCAA for safer skies

By Wole Shadare VENTS in the past few weeks have been E pointing to the fact that aviation industry in the country been threading on rough edges.

The seeming overbearing influence or interference by the Ministry of Aviation and the National Assembly in the function of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) portends grave danger for the sector.

Aside policy formulation, the ministry or minister should normally have no business in aviation regulatory functions.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the bedrock or backbone of any country’s aviation industry. The tampering of the Act that sets up the agency does not allow it to function properly; especially in Nigeria is giving cause for concern and its beginning to raise the adrenalin of not only travellers but stakeholders.

No wonder the agency or its chief executive anywhere in the world is regarded as the ‘police man’ of aviation industry.

The pronouncement recently of Dana Air by the Minister of Aviation, Stella OduahOgiewonyi has raised concern over the over bearing influence of the Aviation Ministry on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on issues concerning civil aviation regulation and stakeholders warned of the consequences of the actions of the Ministry.

The industry is sitting on the edge now, not that there are no capable hands to steer the ship in NCAA, it remains to be seen whether Captain Fola Akinkuotu, the Director- General in waiting (He is awaiting National Assembly clearance) has all it takes to assert himself for the general interest of the industry.

Will he be overwhelmed easily with pressure from his bosses at the Ministry or from some desperate airlines or interests? Will he rise to the occasion to write his name in gold just like his predecessor; Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren did while he held sway at NCAA? Will he quickly rush to some of his benefactors for ‘advice’ before he takes crucial decisions in the area of aviation safety and security? Will he be fair to all in the discharge of his duties to ensure that the primary aim of his appointment was to bring his wealth of experience to bear on a sector that needs further improvement?

Nigerians are watching to see the difference and dynamism he brings to the industry, as Nigerians would rely on his over 40 years experience both as a pilot and engineer to improve the lot of aviation safety regulations. Captain Akinkuotu can do it only if he has the courage to withstand immense pressure that comes from within and outside.

There are insinuations already that new entrants to the airline business including HAK Air must be made to undergo 50-hour mandatory demonstration flight, have good structures in place before they are awarded Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

Aviation pressure group, Aviation Round Table (ART) just yesterday said from all indica-

Front view of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal Two, Lagos tions, “NCAA is not an autonomous body it is meant to be; from the stance and act of parliament, the functions of the authority gradually being eroded, considering recent actions of the Ministry of Aviation, particularly on issuance/renewal of AOC, airworthiness of aircraft”.

President, ART, Captain Dele Ore explained that the Minister’s functions are spelt out in the Civil Aviation Act, likewise the functions of the regulatory authority.

Ore stated that very disturbing were creation of Directorates outside the provision of the Act and attempted amendment of the civil aviation Act 2006.

Chief among the things the country stands to lose is the hard fought United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) category one aviation status.

But a source close to the Ministry of Aviation told The Guardian on phone that there is no where the regulatory body has absolute autonomy, adding that Oduah-Ogiewonyi is acting in the best interest of all.

An airline operator who pleaded anonymity said, “How does a minister who does not know any thing about aviation determine violation of safety rule? Why then do you have NCAA in place if they cannot be allowed to do their job?

My fear for the industry is that the new helmsman of NCAA is going to be intimidated and will rubber stamp and see it as normal, the

huge interference in his job. This is a difficult time for this sector. The NCAA is the backbone of this industry and any little mistake can lead to disaster. So, the minister must be very careful”, he warned.

The source urged the minister to take a cue from the FAA, which does not take instructions from the Secretary of Transport in its oversight functions, just as he admitted that the sector is drifting.

A US based Nigerian aviation analyst, Mr. Deba Uwadiae said the minister has a right to take certain decisions for the interest of safety but regretted that in the case of Dana, he described it as an overkill.

Not a few believe the height of the Minister’s overbearing influence was the grounding of Dana Air over an imaginary reason three weeks ago without recourse to the NCAA; action experts roundly condemned.

His words, “A passenger probably made a report to her which is normal. But to ground an entire airline operations based on that was overshooting the limit of authority. Next time, only the affected aircraft should be grounded which was the decision they reached at the meeting with the airline and other agencies”.

A top official of NCAA who craved anonymity said events in the aviation industry and by extension, the NCAA, shows that the said autonomy of the aviation regulatory agency seem subsumed by the Ministry.

He recalled that the FAA grounded Boeing Dreamliner over battery issues without seeking permission from the US Secretary of Transport before the decision was taken, stressing that the action of the ministry, ‘is a huge ridicule to aviation safety oversight in Nigeria”.

However, some industry observers were of the view that tampering with the autonomy of NCAA will be sending a wrong signal to the international community, especially the ICAO, the Federal FAA which listed the autonomy of the civil aviation regulatory agency as one of the hurdles Nigeria must scale through which eventually led to the granting the country a category one safety status in 2011.

Former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) lamented, noting, “What is happening now is taking us back to pre 2006 when most operators were self regulated and oversight by the Ministry, before the civil aviation Act and before the attainment of FAA/ICAO category one”.

According to him, “Imagine that ICAO will plan to visit Nigeria between June and August to ascertain the sustainability of NCAA oversight functions over the operators in the midst of a confused environment where the Ministry, not known to by law any more from regulatory and oversight functions have again taken over these responsibilities. We are edging gradually towards the cliff. God help us”.

FAAN and the crises in aviation sector

By Kayode Adewunmi or quite some time now, I have maintained a sturdy silence over the various crises in the critical aviation sector, some deliberately created and sustained by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). I did so thinking that we would have some deserved respite that could engender the much-needed growth in the sector, but I was mistaken.

Never in the history of the sector have there been unnecessary crises as are being witnessed currently. The first bandwagon effect of this is to create a scary scenario for intending private investors, who have come to regard the aviation sector in Nigeria as the home of crises and confusion.

What the Virgin Group Chairman, Sir. Arthur Branson said about Nigeria is apt in this case. He came, saw, but could not conquer the forces of evil amassed against his billion naira investment here.

If FAAN is not quarreling with Maevis,

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Pan-Ocean Express, it is abusing AIC or crucifying Bi-Courtney. In all of this, the sector and the country in general are the losers.

One is tempted to ask: How come virtually all the agreements and deals FAAN deliberately entered into are enmeshed in crises? Does this not tell the kind of staffing FAAN has? Are these crises not an implication that many FAAN staff members were also collaborators in whatever deal the agency is contesting? Are there no better ways of conflict resolution than this Jankara style of fighting in the media to create the impression that every private investor in the aviation sector is a rogue? Sure the whole world is watching FAAN and its present style of hostility to those who have staked their billions of hard-earned money in the sector.

The current imbroglio between FAAN and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) over the alleged revocation or non-revocation of the hotel

and conference centre lease at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) has really attracted my attention. This is coming while the crisis over the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), illegally remodeled by the Minister of Aviation, Stella OduahOgiewonyi, despite a court order, is yet to abate.

While FAAN says it has revoked the lease agreement of the hotel and the conference centre, Bi-Courtney says it has a court order (and actually showed it), which it obtained stopping the agency from taking such an action.

Without any iota of doubt, FAAN has got this notoriety for calling the bluff of the courts. So, when it, as usual, spoke of not being aware of any court order, all of us had no option than to dismiss such a claim.

FAAN said so several times in the case of Meavis, AIC and has said so several times since the crisis between the agency and Bi-Courtney started.

One funny thing about the agency is

that it reportedly has a penchant for interpreting court orders to suit its own purpose. Even where no such order exists, it creates one as it did last Sunday, when it told the world that Bi-Courtney had lost an application seeking to restrain FAAN from taking over its projects at MMA2.

Even up till now, we observers in the sector are still waiting for details of the case, which FAAN has shamefully refused to allow us know.

Why would a government agency engage in blatant lies while fighting some private investors? Why would it be so arrogant, lawless and rudderless as to deliberately do things to stifle a sector as important as aviation?

In other climes, the government and its agencies have programmes to encourage the private sector lift the economy, but the reverse is the case here. Instead of creating a conducive atmosphere for private investors to provide thousands of jobs for the army of jobless Nigerians, many gov-

ernment agencies are driving them away, thereby rendering those who are working jobless, simply because they hate to see the face of the investor, or they have a personal axe to grind with him or her.

Assuming there are areas of disagreements with all the agreements FAAN inked with private investors, one would have thought that such could be discussed at a roundtable without creating unnecessary storm, thereby allowing the people to help the sector grow.

And if a court has actually made a pronouncement, no sane society would tell the courts to go to hell. What FAAN is doing is akin to the Hobbesian theory of “Social Contract” where Thomas Hobbes described man as fundamentally vicious so he could expect to live in a state of continual war of “every man against every man”, making life to be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.

Adewunmi, aviation analyst, lives in Lagos

BUSINESS TRAVERL 47

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Reducing stress of air travel through hotel facilities

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi IR passengers encounter a lot of challenges when travelling. If they do not have misplaced luggage, lost passports, insufficient money, it could be missed flights, delayed flights, sick children, inclement weather and so on.

Consequently, any of these factors could be enough to turn any eagerly awaited travel plans into a terrible experience. Indeed, the resulting stress and mental anguish can make one dread traveling by air for any reason in the future.

However, most hotels built around the world and those close to the airports are to provide comfort and relaxation for travellers, after the stress of their journey, especially those on long haul flights.

They globally provide modern technology facilities in order to serve their customers better in hospitality and comfort such as comput-

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ers, high-speed Internet, printers, fax machines, comfortable beds, chairs and tables, good lighting and telephone connectors, which are all top priorities for any traveller.

Some of these travellers are out to do business and they need a place that is conducive for work. So a hotel that cannot offer a wellequipped, 24-hour business lounge with all these facilities and the necessary tools and equipment is simply not prepared to provide travellers’ comfort.

For tourists and business travellers, they have separate needs, so a hotel that got to keep on course by tourists may not be ideal for a businessman. However, picking a suitable hotel for a business trip can be quite difficult.

A good hotel should have all facilities readily available, if the hotel is for business travellers. However, it is extremely important for a hotel to have a good, well-informed and helpful caretaker at

Expert wants obese passengers to pay extra fares

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi NORWEGIAN economist, A Bharat Bhatta, has suggested that airlines should charge obese passengers more, arguing that “pay as you weigh” pricing would bring health, financial and environmental dividends.

He said that airlines should follow other transport sectors and charge by space and weight. According to him, “to the degree that passengers lose weight and therefore reduce fares, the savings that result are net benefits to the passengers”.

Bhatta explained that, “as a plane of a given make and model can accommodate more lightweight passengers, it may also reward airlines” and reduce the use of environmentally costly fuel.

He however put together three models for what he called “pay as you weigh airline pricing.” The first would charge passengers according to how much they and their baggage weighed. It would set a rate for kg per passenger so that someone weighing 59 kg (130 pounds) would pay half the fare of a 118 kg (260 pound) person.

A second model would use a fixed base rate, with an extra charge for heavier passengers to cover the extra costs. Under this option, every passenger would have a different fare.

Bhatta’s preferred option was the third, where the same fare would be charged if a passenger was of average weight. A discount or extra charge would be used if the passenger was above or below a certain limit. That would lead to three kinds of fares - high, average and low, he said.

Airlines have grappled for years with how to deal with larger passengers as waistlines have steadily expanded. Such carriers as Air France and Southwest Airlines allow overweight passengers to buy extra seats and get a refund on them.

Southwest spokesman, Chris Mainz, said: “We have our own policies in place and don’t anticipate changing those.”

United Air Lines has also required passengers who cannot fit comfortably into a single seat to buy another one. A spokeswoman said the carrier would not discuss “future pricing. “About two-thirds of U.S. adults are obese or overweight.

hand.

For short-term stays are temporary and usefulness of the most important things for business traveller. Hotels give these travellers a quick and efficient check-in, a comfortable no-nonsense room with a good shower and quick laundry service.

On the other hand, what a hotel needs to provide for a business traveller who stayed for more than a week could be different from staying for just two days. In this case, a good hotel is not only an adequate business lounge, but recreational

facilities as well.

For long-stay travellers, comfort is likely to be important and that is where leisure facilities are, on a health club, swimming pools and health resort treatments are important points, because they want their travels to be an enjoyable one.

Therefore, after a long day at work, these guests are looking forward to some time out to relax and a hotel should be able to offer a balance between work and leisure.

Aside these, the great hotels

tourism category.

“In a country with as limitless a potential for tourism development as Nigeria is, going online and reaching out to the world’s travelling community is just the right step to take, and we’re only too happy to be a positive voice on a global platform and help with improving the perception that the world has of

country to provide air passengers all the comfort any hotel can offer in the world.

The sophisticated, stylishly designed and hospitality hotels around the airports in the country are comfortable and relaxation places for air travellers with their cutting edge facilities. Their vintage position, does not take long drive from the airports, which make them prime outfit for international tourists, corporate world, organisations and families seeking to have the best treat of Nigeria traditional hospitality.

Nahco sets up IATA-certified learning, development centre

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi HE Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, (nahco aviance) has upgraded and transformed its training facility to a world class International Air Transport Association (IATA) certified learning and development centre.

In a statement by the Head, Corporate Communication, Sanya Onayoade, he said that the newly designed L&D cen-

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tre has state-of-the-arts facilities such as: a syndicate room, main training room, e-learning, e-library, e-centre VIP lounge and a functional website in conformity with statutory requirements.

The centre, according to him, will help in facilitating online recruitment tests/examinations, competencies tests/ assessment.

He added that the centre has come to offer the industry the

much desired training support especially in ground handling competencies, through its 34 –day intensive training program in Ramp and Cargo operations as well as Passenger services.

“It will also offer industry standard compliance or mandatory trainings such as Aviation Security Personnel Training, Searching and Screening Techniques, Cargo Screening, Access control,

Documentation and Passenger Handling Training, among others”, Onayoade said He also noted that the centre would ensure that commercially accredited IATA courses are offered here in Nigeria and are acceptable worldwide.

This will further boost the nation’s economy as funds spent on such trainings abroad will be reduce, pointed he

ries we share on waka-about online.”

He explained that in the past few years, state governments in Nigeria have started to take the subject of tourism seriously. They are consistently looking inwards to evaluate their various tangible and intangible tourist assets with a view to supplementing their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR).

According to Awofeso, it is

high time that this happened in a country blessed with an amazing variety of physical, historical and cultural gems.

“In the long run, our plan is to make waka-about online the first port of call for tourists planning a visit to Nigeria,” says Awofeso. “We also aim to make the site a watering hole for Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who need to constantly connect with their heritage.”

The swimming pool of Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Promoting Nigeria’s tourism through waka-about ed choices about where to stay AKA-ABOUT after two years Managing Editor and winner of Nigeria,” Awofeso added.

He said waka-about online when they arrive.

W of publishing Nigerian the CNN/Multichoice African Arts, Culture and travel-relat- Journalists Awards in the will regularly feature stories “Over the years, as our writers ed stories in print, Waka-about has launched its online version (www.wakaabout.net).

“Waka-about’s primary objective since its launch in 2011 has always been to show readers and tourists alike the various tourist assets in Nigeria and the fascinating aspects of Nigerian life,” says Pelu Awofeso, the publication’s

of the world, a London-based hotel sales and marketing alliance, has removed all booking and credit card fees from its website. Customers are now able to book online without facing any additional charges associated with their reservation.

The company said that it was confident that the change would help to increase the number of reservations made on its website.

Also, a number of hotels are around the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and other airports in the

on indigenous Nigerian festivals, recommended tourist attractions, travel-book reviews and interviews with tourists who have visited Nigeria and have positive stories to share, among other segments, adding that there would also be a dedicated link to a hotels directory to help intending visitors make guid-

and photographers have travelled around Nigeria on assignments, they come across lots of foreign tourists who obviously have enjoyed their time in Nigeria,” says Awofeso.

“More often than not, the tourists are excited beyond words. These are the stories the world needs to read about.

And those are some of the sto-

Qatar Airways to operate from Hamad international airport

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi ATAR Airways has announced its plans to relocate to the Hamad International Airport in Doha.

According to the airline, the $15.5 billion airport would soon to be declared open and would witness Qatar Airways entire operation move at the end of the year.

Speaking to the top customers of the airline at a din-

Q

ner in Lagos, recently, the Sales Manager, Nigeria, Ijeoma Nduneri, said the new airport will offer a new dimension to air travel.

She however expressed her appreciation to the customers for staying faithful to Qatar Airways and remaining focused.

According to her: “Qatar Airways is committed to offering and delivering excellent

services on the ground and in the air. Five star service must come from the heart, must be consistent, real and classy, and this is our promise to our customers”.

Meanwhile, the opening of the new $15.5 billion Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar has been delayed for sometimes now.

According to a report, the new airport, originally sched-

uled to open last year, was set to open on April 1st, 2013, but remains closed after failing a last minute safety inspection.

The Chairman, General Authority for Civil Aviation, Qatar, Abdulaziz Al Noaimi, explained that the airport’s opening had been delayed for not meeting the new safety standards set by the department of civil defense.

He explained that, “the NDIA

Steering Committee commends the efforts of the ministry of interior represented by the department of civil defense for their commitment to raising standards of safety and security in Qatar.

“The Hamad International Airport project has been completed by a number of international contractors who have supervised the system readiness of the airport and have

already issued international certificates in the domain of safety and security”, he added.

Operated by the Qatar Airways, the airport will be able to accommodate 28 million passengers yearly, increasing to 50 million after 2015.

It stated that construction on the project started eight years ago in 2005, and the opening has experienced a series of delays so far.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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FridayWorship

By Afis A. Oladosu In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful “And they are happy with the life of this world, but the life of this world is small comfort compared to the next world”(Qur’an 13:26) “A man came to the Prophet (saws) and said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah! Guide me to such an action, that when I do it, Allah will love me and the people will love me. The Prophet said: be detached from this world and then Allah will love you and do not be attracted to what people have and then the people will love you.’’

E came to the mechanic workH shop accompanied by his driver. They came in the latest car in town. It was one of the new brands from Toyota. One of those cars that reminds you of where you are, where you desire to be and where you may never get to be. As soon as the driver brought the car to a halt, he called on the vulcaniser “These tyres need your attention”, he shouted.

Meanwhile the owner of the car sat where Nigerians refer to as “the owner’s corner.” He stared straight into the horizon. He was motionless. But as soon as the tyres were fixed, the driver whispered something into his ears and, without hesitation, the old man dipped his hand into his wallet, brought out some naira notes and handed them over to the driver who in-turn passed it on to the artisan.

Before the latter could utter any word, the driver of the car had zoomed off. Alas! It was payday for the vulcaniser! He had been given 10 times more than what he ought

“Surely, the religion with Allah is ISLAM,complete submission”... Qur’an 3:19

Where lies the pleasure of this world? to have received. This is because money was no more the problem of the rich man. His main problem was how to obtain what money cannot buy: Divine providence.

All around town, dear brethren, we encounter images of the rich and the extremely wealthy. We encounter compatriots who are probably richer and wealthier than their states and countries. But each time I encounter anyone of them, the question that comes to my mind is this: exactly what extrapleasures does life afford the wealthy that some of us down here cannot enjoy? Do you remember the wealthy man on your street? I mean that man with a big mansion.

That man whose mansion reminds you of the paradise built by the people of Prophet Shuayb?

Yes. He prides himself as the owner of the biggest mansion in town: a state-of-the-art architectural masterpiece featuring 50 rooms, a swimming pool, a promenade and a garden. Brethren, aside from the pleasure or is it the illusion that he suffers each time he contemplates what he possesses, what other pleasure does a man enjoy in having a mansion in this world? How many rooms can he occupy at a time? Sorry, how many beds can he put together at night in order to

rest his body?

But I guess to have the best beds at night does not actually matter in life. In other words, human experience has shown that the luxurious nature of the bed does not guarantee quality sleep. Thus while the wealthy is busy turning on his side, left and right, in search of sleep at night, the poor man in my village is already deep in sleep snoring away to Eldorado. While the wealthy is woken up suddenly from sleep by the awful dreams he has just had, the poor guy who sleeps on a mat would not wake up until sunrise the following day.

Brethren, let me ask again: where lies the pleasure of life? Perhaps the answer lies in having the means to procure the very best to eat and drink. Perhaps the answer lies in having the most beautiful woman as consort. This is true. Is it not? But the man I met in the university clinic the other day would probably have a different opinion. He came to the clinic to present the result of a test he carried out to his physician.

Here was a man who had the means to buy everything he desires. He could afford to satiate his greed and fancies no matter the cost. But after having looked at the result of the test, the medic told him: “sir if you actually want to live longer, you

would have to avoid all these “goody-goodies” of life. You would have to avoid red meat, egg, wine and all beverages.” And as if the latter are not bad news enough for the rich man, he was equally told he needed to cut down on the pleasures of the loin. He needed to avoid the opposite sex if he wanted to avoid heart attack.

Brethren, I ask again: where lies the pleasure of life? I checked our heritage for possible insight into this important question. I travelled back to the glorious era of the great Umayyad ruler, Harun al-Rashid. AlRashid was a ruler who, unlike dealers of today, valued the companion of intellectuals and men of wisdom.

He once sat on his throne and suddenly felt the need to take water. He thereafter requested a cup of water.

But just before he put the cup in his mouth, one of the scholars in the palace pleaded with him to wait a minute.

He then asked the Caliph: “What would happen if you were told you would only be able to drink this water if you offer half of your kingdom as ransom.” Al-Rashid looked the scholar in the eyes and said: “Yea! I would not mind that at all. I would be willing to stake half of my kingdom in order to take this water”. Some moments thereafter,

the scholar requested for the attention of al-Rashid again: “Dear Caliph, what would happen if you were told that that water would not be allowed to pass out of your body unless you ransom yourself with the other half of your kingdom?” The Caliph then paused some moments and then said: “Yea! I wouldn’t think twice to ransom myself with the other half of my kingdom if that would guarantee my health”. The scholar then said: “Dear Caliph, what pleasure then lies in a world which does not worth more than half a cup of water?”

The moral in this sermon today is this: most things people yearn for in this world are in fact worthless when compared with what we hope for in the next world and that this world is really like a piece of ice left out in the sun - it is destined to melt and vanish.

Brethren, one of the companions of al-Rasul once said: “If three most enjoyable things were not there, I could not bear to live in this world, even for a day: (1) the joy of spending a hot summer noon in thirst (while fasting); (2) the bliss of lying prostrate before the Almighty in the later part of the night; and (3) the pleasure of sitting in company with the pious beings, whose conversation is interspersed with wise sayings, that are picked like fruits of one’s choice from a fruit-garden.”

Listening further to our forebears, the following caught my attention: “when a man dies, the angels say: ‘What has he sent forward?’ and the people say, “What has he left behind?”‘ (guardianfridayworship@gmail.com)

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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Opinion Defining morality in Nigeria

By Leonard Shilgba AST week, General Yakubu Gowon, the coLtaryordinator of Nigeria Prays and former miliHead of State of Nigeria, visited our university and made some moral claims. On the unfortunate Nigerian civil war, the general said, “Nigeria’s integrity was threatened by the action of some rebels. I had no choice than to use the constitutional powers conferred on me as the Head of State and my oath of office to always defend the integrity and unity of the country at all times.” I was not yet born when Gowon chose to exercise his “constitutional powers.” But I should ask, who gave General Gowon those constitutional powers? I would like him to educate me. Only three questions were permitted for Gowon at his visit and talk.

Was it moral for the military to forcefully take over from an elected government, and then for Gowon’s military goons from Northern Nigeria to stage a revenge coup and say, “We are back”? Our students and youths need to sift the bran from the flour and appreciate their country’s history and unlearn her fooleries, hypocrisies and self-destructive proclivities. This is the same journey of discovery that I have been engaged in for the past years.

Who are the rebels that Gowon referred to, and what rebellious acts were they found guilty of by General Gowon? Who was the general that unilaterally went back on the Aburi agreement in Ghana? Was General Gowon morally right to violate the terms of that agreement, which he had signed? With whom were those “rebels” fighting before the general chose to “defend the integrity and unity of the country”? General Gowon claimed, “I was only trying to bring back my sisters and brothers that were misled by the rebels. I took that action in the best interest of my country Nigeria, guided by the constitution of the country.”

May I ask which “constitution” Gowon referred to, and what powers that “constitution” had conferred on a military invader like General Gowon There is a biblical account of how the nation of Israel under King David suffered mysterious and severe economic and social crises for more than two years. The cause was eventually revealed. King Saul, David’s predecessor had killed the Gibeonites (with whom Israel under Joshua had made a covenant of peace) decades ago. It was after seven sons of Saul were delivered to the Gibeonites, as they had requested as a condition for penance, and hanged that God brought relief to the land of Israel and removed his wrath. When did it become a crime for a people to peacefully seek self-recognition

and self-determination under any arrangement of their choosing? I am scandalized that Gowon did not show any remorse for the historical fact that he had supervised an organized immolation of human beings between 1967 and 1970 on the altar of self-acquired authority!

Gowon should be put on judicial trial for his crimes against humanity. But Nigerians have lost the sense of and knowledge of true morality. Recently, the Council of State in Nigeria approved the pardon of some Nigerian ex-convicts. One of those was a former governor who less than 10 years ago was convicted for stealing public funds. Before that, he had jumped bail in the UK and sneaked into Nigeria disguised as a woman. When he got back to his state at that time, a huge crowd received him as some sort of hero. I wondered then and wrote that something was definitely wrong with the moral compass of Nigerians.

Alamieyesiegha was convicted, released, and allowed to walk about freely in Nigeria. He lost no legally acquired property. Yet, General Gowon, in defending the recent pardon granted Mr. Alamieyesiegha, said to the young and old, Nigerians and foreigners last week on the campus of the American University of Nigeria that the Council of State (to which he belongs) “took the decision based on the grounds that he (Alamieyesiegha) had finished serving the punishment for the offence he had committed and that he promised not to commit such an offence again.” It is very obvious that such reasoning is being played again and again on our television stations and in our newspapers. Many Nigerians have lost it! Gowon’s claim that Alamieyesiegha had “finished serving his punishment” brings up some questions. What punishment? What are we doing to our children; what moral lessons are we teaching them? It is my firm belief, as I have learned in the Bible, that all things are lawful, but all things are not helpful or edifying. A great nation goes beyond the compass measure of legality and seeks a substantial measure on the scale of morality.

Human life is being devalued in Nigeria, and amnesia has set in among the people. Haven’t we forgotten about the grotesque murders in Okija forest that were exposed in 2004? Some leaders in Nigeria, including Ohanaeze leaders, who made it an ethnic issue, defended such murders at that time. What has become of those who were arrested in connection with that? The national conscience has been so calloused that we hardly balk at reports of murders of even dozens of people, not to talk

of “just” a single individual. The Attorney-General of the nation could treat with a cavalier attitude the murder of a Nigerian taken seriously by the victim’s governor because we have become morally lost in the wilderness of wild living. It is not in the character of Nigerian leaders to respond with decisive resolve to hunt down murderers of the people.

Our children or students could be burnt alive by a mob (for instance, University of Port Harcourt students were likewise killed last year) and you hear no whimper from the president. The heart of Nigeria is inhuman. Civilization of a nation is measured by how it treats the weak and victims of societal brutality.

Lavish spending of monies that do not belong to Nigerian leaders is not news in this country. But is this right? Well, Nigerians would agree it is immoral until they are made some financial offer from the same illegal funds. We encourage our leaders to steal. We put pressure on them to learn bad ways and become self-indulgent. Let me ask you a question. If I decide to run for a public office and you are qualified to vote for me, would you not expect me to sell some of my properties and even steal or take loans to fund my campaign (which, in Nigeria, includes cash gifts to traditional leaders, customized politicians, youth leaders, and the common people) before you would cast a vote for me? If that is the case, after my “victory” would it be morally right for the same Nigerians that took money and gifts from me in exchange for votes, to expect “good governance” from me? Let us reason together. Nigerians who expect, demand, and collect gifts from candidates for public office have lost any moral right to good governance. They have sold their birth right for a plate of broth. If Nigerians truly desire good governance and are deserving of it, they must invest in it. We cannot expect a soldier to go to war at his charges. It is the responsibility of the people to help raise campaign funds for a political candidate. If they fail to do that; if they “extort” money from candidates for their votes; if they watch idly and make no contributions, then they have no right to expect good governance. Good governance is not a gift, it is a return on investment.

Good people are always blessed with good leaders; and there are good leaders that may be burdened with bad people. There is a problem with Nigerians. We have monetized our values. Almost every relationship in Nigeria is money-denominated. Many Church leaders and Islamic clergies have higher regard for members that are heavy donors. Nigerian

women expect wads of money from their boyfriends and fiancés, not minding the source. Traditional leaders have lost their voice for justice because obscene gifts corrupt wise words. State houses have become pilgrimage sites for thousands of Nigerians who hardly allow public officials to concentrate on the task of governance. Relatives expect of public officials more than their legitimate incomes can support. Children can hardly go on errands without expecting monetary compensation.

When shall we start arresting people and confiscating from them properties they have acquired far beyond their proper income?

However, presidents and governors who steal cannot do this. We have destroyed our nation.

But how do we start the re-building process?

We must encourage reading. We must build and equip public libraries across Nigeria. Reading competitions should be encouraged, and we must improve the mind of our people through strategic reading. Nations of readers are great. When you travel with Nigerians they chatter about inanities; when you do same with Japanese, their faces are buried in books.

A country where authors hardly live on writing alone because the people would rather buy the latest fashions than books, is a dying society.

We must study to be renewed. Knowledge is strength. Nigerians are gradually becoming anti-intellectual. We make mockery about “too much grammar”. We underestimate the power of information. We prefer brawn to brains. True intellectuals don’t worship money because they have more than money. The love of money is the root of all evil; and that is why Nigeria is dying in the cesspool of all kinds of evil. Nigerians have made money their god.

The two dominant great religions in Nigeria – Christianity and Islam –require reading. The first revelation to Prophet Mohammed, we were taught in college, was Iqra, meaning, “Read”. In Christianity, we are taught that faith comes through study; the new birth comes through study; and mind-renewal and enlightenment come through study. Most importantly, we are taught that we shall be saved if we keep in memory those things that we have learned. It is ironic, therefore, that Nigerians would be so religious and yet religiously ignorant. The vulgarities that come out of our lips during discourses give us away as unlearned people. And immorality flourishes in the soil of ignorance. For we can’t see far enough; we steal what we don’t even need, and then destroy ourselves in our quest for perpetual self-preservation.

• Shilgba is an Associate Professor of Mathematics with the American University of Nigeria.

NEDEP vs SME Development

By Olatunde Akande HAVE read some reactions to the Ministry of Trade and Investment’s recent initiative, the National Enterprise DeIvelopment Programme (NEDEP) refers. While some readers understand the initiative and call for proper implementation, some others think it is just one of the many government initiatives that may not make any meaningful impact.

I must confess that while I agree with a recent newspaper editorial that there can’t be any sustainable job creation initiative without any corresponding investment in infrastructure such as power, transport and social services, I completely disagree with the paper that NEDEP is yet another tokenist policy. I sincerely believe that NEDEP has the potential of creating a national enterprise sector, which can be more productive, dynamic and globally competitive and invariably create long-term sustainable jobs.

However, beyond all the rhetoric of job creation, there is no doubt that the underlying objective of NEDEP and its policy initiative is to further remove constraints for the development of our national enterprises and to sustain the competitiveness for rapid economic development. The Honourable Minister and his team must definitely strive to prove pessimists wrong by putting the necessary structures in place for proper implementation.

Going forward, I will advise the Honourable Minister to consider some of the issues below in the successful imple-

mentation of the scheme: • The Federal Executive Council must as a matter of urgency approve the national policy on Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME). I have always been an advocate for a national MSME policy as a starting point for any sustainable policy intervention. (See interviews in Business Day Newspaper October 22, 2012 and Vanguard Newspaper November 12, 2012,).

The policy will certainly give all stakeholders a bigger picture of government’s complete direction and plan for MSMEs and how NEDEP fits into the scheme of things.

• Of key concern is the Honourable Minister’s observation in his analysis of the SMEDAN/NBS survey, that only 4-6 per cent of the funding for the 17.28 million MSMEs in the country come from organised lenders. This is a very important observation and should not be glossed over. What this implies is that even with the success of the Bank of Industry (BoI) only six per cent of the country’s MSMEs have been able to access funds from organized lenders. With commercial banks apathy towards MSMEs due to issues of moral hazard and information asymmetry, it is not unlikely that a lot of these funding requests might have been routed through the BOI. The funding demand and expectations from BOI are just too high and in my honest opinion BOI alone cannot solve the funding gap for MSMEs in the country.

• The Honourable Minister might want to consider the possibility of the establishment of a new funding agency for MSMEs in the country. The agency could be established in the mould of the Small Enterprise Finance Agency of South

Africa. (SEFA), with its funding operations inter twined with the activities of SMEDAN to ensure that the success of NEDEP are sustainable even after the end of the administration.

While the new agency can provide financing to maybe a limit of N150 million ($1 million), the BoI can continue with its big ticket transactions.

• The Honourable Minister intones that the scheme intends to take 25 per cent of the MSMEs that have scalable products, businesses and support them. The question that begs at this point is what will happen to the bottom 75 per cent of the pyramid. Will there be no assistance for them? I believe that every MSME should have the opportunity to benefit from the scheme, whether in top 25 per cent or not.

• Entrepreneurship training, using NUC to develop enterprise societies/clubs in universities is a great idea. However, as a quick win, the Honourable Minister might also consider a TV/radio programme under NEDEP to disseminate these trainings. The BoI has a weekly TV programme where it regularly showcases its projects and achievements. The Ministry of Trade and Investment too. NEDEP might want to consider this medium also.

• It is laudable that all the key agencies under the Ministry are coming together to drive NEDEP. The scheme should also consider roles for private sector BDS providers i.e. The EDC of the Lagos Business School and other affordable providers.

It is also not clear at this stage how the MSMEs will pay for these services will it be at commercial or subsidised rates?

• Akande is Partner, Carson Capital Limited.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Opinion Essential Oshiomhole @ 60

By Issa Aremu ESTERDAY 4th of April 2013, two-term globally acclaimed former President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Y Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole marked his 60th birthday anniversary. At its maiden Merit Award edition recently in Lagos, the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN), among others honoured the Comrade Governor for being a pride of modern trade unionism. It was instructive that Labour writers singled out a second-term governor for a Pride of Modern Unionism merit award. Indeed the significant part of the citation on the Comrade Governor was devoted to his almost four decades-long trade union carrier (1971-2007). Undoubtedly the essential and perhaps most critical attributes of Adams Oshimhole is trade unionism. LAWAN certainly got it right; Life and times of Comrade Adams show that his main strenuous preoccupations have been with the improvement in the working and living conditions of the working men and women. Not surprising that Adams the unionist, advocate, negotiator, the striker and mass organiser any day captures public imagination rather than Oshiomhole, twice democractically elected governor, (the latest in which he won in all the 18 local governments, being the land-mark 18/18), the statesman, the humorist, peace-maker, pace-setter, the dancer, friend, father and grandfather.

A decade well before Comrade Adams started his working carrier in Arewa Textile Mill in Kaduna in 1971, Nelson Mandela (precisely in 1961) had said `Struggle is my life’. Looking at the well documented activities of the Labour leader in the last four decades one can conveniently conclude that `Struggle is his (Adams’) life’.

As his assistant as well as deputy for years and eventual successor as the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile and Garment Workers’ Union of Nigeria (NUTGWN), I bear witness that thousands of national and local collective agreements on wages, allowances, gratuities, hours of work, etc bear the bold signature imprint of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the textile industry. The union years of Adams were in a developmentist industrialising Nigeria.

In the 70s and 80s, in Kaduna town alone, there were over 10 large integrated textile mills that employed on the average 2,500 workers. United Textile Nigeria alone employed about 5,000 workers. The latter group that extended as Funtua and Guzau in Katsina and Zamfara State respectively had combined 10,000 workforce. Indeed nationally there were as many as 200 textile mills with as many as 150,000 workers. Textile industry was the largest employer of labour followed by government. The labour market challenge was not

unemployment but ensuring the work was decent in terms of pay, hours of work and security of work. This was where Comrade Adams and his colleagues audaciously made a difference. They courageously and selflessly checked the authoritarian labour regimes of mainly Asian employers from China and India. Instead, textile union under the stewardship of Adams and scores of oganisers that included late Muhammed Bello, Alhaji L.A Shittu, Alhaji Umoru Muhammed, late Emmanuel Amadi, Andrew Asagbohi enthroned what the Swedish political economists, Professors Bjorn Beckman and Gunilla Andrae called Union Power in Nigerian textile industry (1999) (the only sector to be so studied).

This all-time record achievement in textile union eminently qualified Adams, deputy president of NLC to become the 4th President of NLC where his impact was even more globally felt in areas of improved minimum wage, serial resistance against persistent fuel price increases and bold engagement with private sector employers against casualisation of labour force.

A look at the issues that preoccupied Adams and his comrades within the trade union movement show that what labour unions do are as all-inclusive as they are diverse; wage increase, decent jobs (anti-casualisation), petroleum pricing and deregulation, privatisation, education (ASUU/government conflicts), democracy (electoral bill, probity among politicians), anti-corruption, nationalism (Bakassi) national unity, organisational building and capacity building. Significantly all the forms of struggle employed by Adams were knowledge-driven. Indeed it was the quality of knowledge that Adams brought into the struggle that marked him out among other NLC leaders after Hassan Sunmonu and Ali Chiroma, being the first and second presidents of NLC respectively.

Interestingly, Comrade Adams the unionist was not as politically partisan. Indeed compared to unionists like Frank Kokori of NUPENG and Pascal Bafyau late former president of NLC,(the most partisan unionist) Comrade Adams was political party-shy even when he ideologically insisted that unionists cannot be apolitical. He held the strong view that trade unions needed not be partisan for them to make independent case for the workers. Today it is a great paradox that Comrade Adams remains the most successful politically exposed trade unionists, winning two elections, including landmark judgement that validated his first victory.

The spontaneity, passion and mass enthusiasm that trailed Adams’ political datelines from his dramatic declaration of gubernatorial interest in Edo on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in 2007 to court verdict electoral victory in 2008

as well as electoral triumph in 2012 has commendably rekindled the nostalgia of the wonderful political tradition of popular leaders like Zik and Zikists at and Aminu Kano, Abubakar Rimi, Balarabe of NEPU/PRP as well as Awo and Awoists at political rallies. Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) did a friendly fire, raised a fraternal objection to Oshiomhole’s governorship aspiration on the account that his panNigerian credentials eminently qualified him for the presidency.

As Edo State governor, even his political opponents bear witness to his unprecedented transformation in primary healthcare facilities and the building of new hospitals across the three senatorial districts and the 18 local governments.

Unprecedented mileage has been recorded in improvement in education infrastructure – mass renovation of public schools, provision of learning aids and instruction materials, adequate deployment of teachers, model schools.

He has also improved on job creation first through public works in which thousands of youths were employed and secondly through industrial development as witnessed by the recent monumental investment of over $2 billion by Alhaji Aliko Dangote in the fertilizer plant at Agenebode.

Adams has shown that comrades could be effective state actors just as well as they are effective non-state actors.

His greatest strength is even on the soft issue; the comrade governor has demonstrated that being in public office does not necessarily change one’s loud advocacy for good governance. Adams has been as much loud in demanding for accountability and transparency in governance just as when he was a labour leader. As regular interventionist in national discourse, he is never on the fence. He had at several times interrogated the assumptions of neo-liberalism, insisting that contrary to the received wisdom, government has business in business and that governance cannot and should not be left to market forces. Some of his interventions made a difference such as his decisive mediation in ASUU/Federal Government protracted industrial crisis of 2010, even when the entire Governors’ Forum proved inept!

Some interventions are understandably controversial such as his moderated position on fuel subsidy issue in 2011. In all, his voice was loudly counted! The Essential Oshiomhole is commitment to what you believe in. A participant of Course 9 in 1988, he is a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Happy birthday the comrade governor.

• Aremu is Secretary General of Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI).

Asiwaju and challenge of postmodernism (2)

By Olumuyiwa Jimoh Continued from yesterday A Awolowo emerged to define colonial and post-colonial Yoruba politics and philosophy – giving it its present character and essence upon a foundation that is undeniably rooted in the fine attributes and desires of the people of the region.

At his passing, his immediate apostles such as Pa Abraham Adesanya and Bola Ige inherited the mantle with which they sought to consolidate the work of the late sage by redefining it and making it more congruent with the demands of the period. Despite all the perceived weaknesses of their construct, they were able to keep the people together and focused ideologically at their departure.

However, since their passing, poachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing have invaded the region and scattered the flock, threatening the very foundation upon which Pa Awolowo’s vision and legacy for the Yoruba race was built – robust, aggressive and unrepentant pursuit of egalitarianism for all, no matter who is standing in opposition.

Fortunately, this slide into the abyss has been confronted, queried and interrogated by the newest forces generated at the very belly of Yoruba idealism and ethos and catalysed by the exigencies of time, propelled by a vision that is patriotic and nationalistic but orchestrated and led by a master visioner, leader and patriot – Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Asiwaju and the Jagaban.

Asiwaju has emerged as a true giant in the na-

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tion’s political ferment; a colossus that has bestridden the socio-political landscape; mastering it and turning the turf into a vibrant contest driven by progressive ideas reducing the hegemonic dominance of the party at the centre that has continued the ruination of Nigeria and equalising the contest for political power in Nigeria.

Tinubu remained the last man standing to survive the brutal and fraudulent displacement of the AD controlled states in the southwest by the PDP rigging machinery under former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He evolved a master strategy through depth understanding of the rule of law and the power of judiciary in the service of popular democratic liberation, which finally rescue south-west people from the clutches of PDP. The liberation of south-west using the platform of Lagos State as a model state is fast transforming into unparalleled dividend of democracy for the people of the region and Nigeria as a whole. The blueprint of the socio-economic integration will definitely place the region as a bastion of industrialisation in Nigeria and Africa by extension.

His rising through the singular resistance of the forces of retrogression as represented by the PDP and their regional garrison commanders and collaborators, that produced aberrant regimes, which besmirched the political history of the people reversing the gains that the region had hitherto made under the AD, signposted a halt to that slide into the cesspit of backwardness. Without creating a remnant and bastion of hope in Lagos State,

which became a beacon that has been used to shine the light of revival and renascence in the rest of the south-west, the region would have ended up amongst the vast empires, regions and vassals of deprived, misgoverned and impoverished citizens under the discredited and rotten umbrella called the PDP. He has provided the platform needed for the resurgence of the south-west, building solidarity, hope and cohesion once again amongst the people; giving it an internal capacity that has been untrammelled in our recent history.

He is a game changer and at 61, remains a catalyst for political action based on the exigent needs, desires and expectations of the majority of the Nigerian people. His recent bold outreach and foray beyond the confines of the south-west is an expression of a master strategic thinker who is driven by the undiluted desire to change the politics of Nigeria for the better. It is a further expression of his political philosophy that is anchored on the time tested belief that no man can develop a people except the people themselves as he espoused during the recent launch of his book That Nigeria can only be developed by Nigerians.

It is this principle that has consumed him and endued him with great passion for the masses of this country who are undergoing untold suffering and squalor in the midst of glaring abundance of resources and unbridled profligacy amongst public officials. His abiding faith in project Nigeria has become unquestionable with an unflinching support for every progressive framework that is designed for the emancipation of the masses. He has remained

amongst the few leaders with the belief that Nigeria is worth dying for and is ever willing to remain on the side of truth and the masses at all times no matter the degree of personal sacrifices that such stance demands of him.

His quest for power therefore and his dynamics in the contestation for public office are all rooted in his desire to use them to creatively mobilise local and national resources for the benefit of the majority and transform the nation into one of the leading nations of the globe. His quest and desires are therefore not selfish but centred on service to Nigerians and Nigeria; our future and the fulfilment of our destiny as a glorious nation.

As he turns 61, we join Nigerians from all walks of life, especially the youth that he has provided a robust political space to express themselves, to celebrate this great icon and son of Nigeria.

Our God will surely give him more wisdom and understanding to continue doing more for the people of this country and expanding the democratic space to give the greater majority the platform for deeper participation in the nation’s socio-economy. It is our strong belief that when great patriots are recognised and celebrated, they will be encouraged to do more while others will be inspired to be like him.

May the Jagaban live long to see Nigeria become the nation of his dreams – a land standing amongst the best in the whole world, delivering increasing wellbeing to its people and impacting the rest of the globe positively.

• Concluded.

• Jimoh is a member of Lagos State House of Assembly representing Apapa Constituency 2.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

53

GlobalStocks U.S. stocks fluctuate on jobless claims, stimulus efforts .S. stocks fluctuated between gains and lossU es as investors weighed central banks’ pledges on stimulus efforts against a rise in American jobless claims.

McDonald’s Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. added more than 1.4 percent to pace advances in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Best Buy Co. rose 13 percent, the most in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, after Samsung Electronics Co. announced it would staff mini-stores at the retailer’s U.S. locations. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) fell 0.4 percent after Bank of America Corp. downgraded the shares for the first time since 2008.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2 percent to 1,556.20 at 2:12 p.m. in New York. The benchmark index fell 0.1 percent and rallied as much as 0.6 percent earlier in the day.

The Dow gained 30.72 points, or 0.2 percent, to 14,581.07. Trading among S&P 500 shares was in line with the 30-day average at this time of day.

“Expectations were high for the Bank of Japan and they managed to exceed expectations,” Janelle Nelson, a Minneapolisbased portfolio analyst with RBC Wealth Management’s portfolio advisory group, said in a phone interview.

Her firm manages about $315 billion in client assets.

“The big issue for investors will be what the U.S. employment report shows tomorrow.”

Equities climbed today after the Bank of Japan strengthened a stimulus program that will see the central bank buy 7 trillion yen ($73 billion) of bonds a month. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signaled the bank will keep monetary policy loose for an extended period and that further easing is possible if economic conditions deteriorate. ECB officials meeting in Frankfurt left interest rates on hold.

The bull market in equities entered its fifth year

Traders on the floor of the London Stock Exchange, recently.

last month, with the S&P 500 more than doubling from its bottom in 2009, as corporate earnings topped estimates and the Federal Reserve carried out an unprecedented three rounds of bond purchases to spur the economy. The S&P 500 and Dow closed at all-time highs on April 2.

Jobless claims rose by 28,000 to 385,000 in the week ended March 30, the highest since Nov. 24, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 47 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a drop to 353,000. Before adjusting for seasonal variations, claims fell by almost 1,600.

The S&P 500 (SPX) slid 1.1 percent yesterday, the most in more than a month, as a report from ADP Research Institute showed companies boosted employment by 158,000 workers in March, below economists’ forecasts calling for a 200,000 gain.

The jobs data come before tomorrow’s non-farm payrolls report from the Labor Department, which may show employers hired a net 195,000 workers for the month, according to the median forecast of 87 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

Investors will begin to focus on first-quarter earnings reports beginning next week, with Alcoa Inc. sched-

uled on April 8 to be the first company in the Dow to report results.

Profits among S&P 500 companies are forecast to decline 1.9 percent for the period, for the first retreat since 2009, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. In January, analysts forecast earnings growth of 1.2 percent. Profit expanded by 8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, which measures the cost of using options as insurance against losses, increased 1.9 percent to 14.48 today after jumping 11 percent yesterday. The gauge, known as the VIX (VIX), is down 20

percent for the year.

Phone, utility and rawmaterial companies rose the most among 10 groups in the S&P 500, increasing at least 0.6 percent.

Technology and energy shares slipped more than 0.4 percent. McDonald’s added 1.4 percent to $100.59. Hewlett-Packard added 1.5 percent to $22.24.

AT&T Inc. jumped 1.5 percent to $37.84.

Best Buy climbed 13 percent, the most in the S&P 500, to $24.44. South Koreabased electronics maker Samsung said it will open 500 Samsung Experience Shops inside Best Buy locations starting April 8. The companies plan to add smaller Samsung spaces by

June at about 1,000 other Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations, Samsung said.

Brinker International Inc. added 1.7 percent to $38.33 after Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its rating on the full-service restaurant company to the equivalent of a buy from a hold rating. Equity analyst Bryan Elliott’s 12-month target price is $42 a share.

Microsoft fell 0.4 percent to $28.45 after Bank of America lowered its recommendation for the world’s largest software maker to neutral from buy, citing a lack of momentum from the introduction of Windows 8 six months ago.

since November, the Labor Department said.

European shares fell sharply as traders, unhappy by the lack of fresh economic stimulus measures from the European Central Bank, took profit on recent sectoral outperformers.

The ECB kept its interest rates on hold and did not unveil any new initiative, such as special credit schemes for small enterprises, which some traders had been hoping for after recent weak economic data.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 extended losses after ECB President Mario Draghi spoke in the afternoon, to end 1.1 percent lower at 1,180.65.

MSCI's world equity index .MIWD00000PUS slipped

0.44 percent to 356.10.

U.S. Treasury debt prices rose, pushing yields to near 3-1/2-month lows, after the jobless claims data suggested that the government's monthly employment report due out on Friday could show the labor market lost some steam in March, an outcome that would favor safe-haven U.S. debt.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 15/32 in price to yield 1.7625 percent.

Crude oil futures dropped as the increase in U.S. claims for unemployment benefits heightened concerns about economic growth in the world's top oil consumer.

Brent futures for May delivery fell $1.36 to $105.75 a barrel.

Yen drops on Bank of Japan’s easing HE yen sank yesterday T after the Bank of Japan unveiled a bold plan to pump money into the economy, pushing the dollar higher, while U.S. stocks were little changed as investor reassurances over central bank policies were offset by soft economic data.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits hit a four-month high last week, the Labor Department reported, a potential sign the U.S. labor market recovery lost steam in March.

The BoJ surprised markets when it unleashed the world's most intense burst of monetary stimulus, planning to nearly double the monetary base to 270 trillion yen ($2.9 trillion) by the end of 2014, in a

shock therapy to end two decades of stagnation.

The dollar and euro soared more than 3 percent against the yen in their biggest one-day moves since 2008 after the BoJ took the action to fight deflation.

"The Japanese news was significant to show that there is going to continue to be, on a global basis, easy money, which supports stocks," said Rick Meckler, president of hedge fund LibertyView Capital Management LLC in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The dollar rose as high as 96.41 yen, approaching a 31/2-year peak of 96.71 set on March 12. It was last trading at 96.16 yen, up 3.35 percent on the day and on track for its best day since October 2008.

The euro soared 3.62 percent to 123.84 yen, the biggest one-day move since November 2008.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was down 0.76 point, or 0.01 percent, at 14,549.59. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 0.02 point, or 0.00 percent, at 1,553.67. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 7.37 points, or 0.23 percent, at 3,211.24.

Investors are skittish after several weak readings on the economy this week," said Jack DeGan, chief investment officer of Harbor Advisory.

"There is a fear of this being the start of a 'spring swoon'," DeGan said.

"I don't think that is the case, but until we get a couple of real inputs that the economy is improving, the

rally is likely to stall considering how far we've come this year."

On Wednesday, data on private-sector hiring disappointed, spurring concerns about Friday's government payrolls report, which is expected to show that 200,000 jobs were added in March.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York, said the rise in jobless claims indicated the sequester was taking a toll on the labor market.

"The economy is slowing, the job market is slowing, and the Fed is not changing its policy," Cardillo said.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 28,000 to a seasonally adjusted 385,000 last week, the highest level

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

54

ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL (ATBUTH), BAUCHI. The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi is inviting interested companies and contractors for the pre-qualification and Financial bid in respect of the under listed capital projects:

INVITATION FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION AND FINANCIAL BID WORKS LOT NO. LOT- I LOT- II LOT- III

PROJECT TITLE EXPANSION OF CASUALTY (TRAUMA CENTER) PHASE III COMPLETION OF EYE COMPLEX (PHASE III)

LOT- IV LOT- V LOT- VI LOT VII

CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD NETWORK (PHASE III) COMPLETION OF PAEDIATRICS CLINIC EXPANSION OF AMENITY COMPLEX EXPANSION OF MEDICINE CLINIC (MOPD) EXPANSION OF ADMIN BLOCK (PHASE III)

SUPPLY LOT NO. LOT- VIII

PROJECT TITLE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF 1000 KVA

PRE-QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Evidence of registration with the corporate affairs commission (CAC) • Tax clearance certificate for the last three (3) years • Evidence of Value Added Tax registration and remittance for three (3) years • Evidence of registration and payment of pension and social security contributions • Audited account for the past three years • Company profile with CV of Directors • Details of equipment and plants • Bank reference letter • Evidence of execution of similar contracts including letter or certificate of successful completion to be attached • Evidence of registration with Industrial Training Fund (ITF)

COLLECTION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS

Tender documents are available for collection from Monday 8thApril, 2013 at the procurement planning office ATBUTH, Bauchi, upon payment of N 35,000.00 Tender fees.

NOTE PLEASE: This application for tender shall not be construed to be a commitment on the part of ATBUTH, Bauchi, nor shall it entitle any person to make any claims and or seek indemnity from the committee by virtue of such person having responded to this advert.

ATBUTH shall not enter into any correspondence with unsuccessful applicants.

SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS

Pre-qualification and financial bid documents should be submitted in sealed wax separate envelopes marked 2013 PRE-QUALIFICATION and 2013 FINANCIAL BID with lot number at upper right hand side of the tender document which must be dropped into the tender box situated at the Administrative block on or before 22nd April, 2013, addressed to: The Secretary, Tender Committee, ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE Closing date for submission is Monday 22nd April, 2013 by 12:00 noon Opening of Tender Documents is by 2:00 pm same date.

Venue: Board Room of ATBUTH, Bauchi Prospective bidders or their representatives are to be present at the opening.

Signed: Management

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 04/04/2013 PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS

55

56 CAPITAL MARKET

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 04/04/2013

LOSERS

PRICE GAINERS

GTBank posts N221.9bn gross earnings, N87.3bn profit in 2012

By Helen Oji UARANTY Trust Bank Plc has achieved a profit after (PAT) tax of N87.3 billion in its 2012 operations for the group, against N51.7 billion in 2011.

Its profit before tax (PBT) also increased to N103 billion, higher than N66.08 billion posted in 2011.

According to the bank, the percentage increase in PAT is 69 per cent while PBT grew by 66 per cent.

With gross earnings of N221.9 billion , the bank closed the 2012 financial year with an On-Balance Sheet size of N1.73 trillion, in contrast to N1.608 trillion in 2011 while total assets and contingents stood at N2.26 trillion , up from N2.14 trillion achieved in the previous year.

“Deposit liabilities of the Group grew by 12per cent to N1.15 trillion in 2012, reflecting a decent growth of N120 billion from the N1.03 trillion closing position in the corresponding period of 2011. This growth in customer deposits fuelled the

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increase in the loan book as Net loans and Advances closed at N783.9 billion, translating to a growth of 11per cent over the N707.05 billion in the comparative period of 2011. Shareholders’ funds increased from N230.4 billion in 2011 to N283.4 billion in 2012”.

In terms of asset, the bank also posted an improved performance, as Non Performing Loans (NPL) ratio stood at 3.4per cent com-

pared to 3.5per cent in 2011, while Cost-to-Income ratio stood at 42.7per cent from 52.9per cent in 2011. On the backdrop of this strong operating performance, Return on equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) closed at 33.9per cent and 5.2per cent from the 23.2per cent and 3.7per cent recorded in 2011, respectively.

“The bank’s stance as an upstanding social citizen and commitment to full disclo-

sure was further evidenced by its 2012 tax liabilities, which came to over N16.3 billion. The total dividend payment for the financial year is projected at N45.62 billion which translate to N1.55 per ordinary share of 0.50 kobo each.”

Commenting on the results, Segun Agbaje, Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, attributed the Bank’s success to its adherence to a defined growth

plan, cultural values and high corporate governance standards.

He said these factors, coupled with a resourceful board, an in-depth understanding of the market and the passion of GTBank employees have enabled the Bank grow market share and continue to avail its stakeholders with value adding services.

He added that the bank operates from over 200 branches within the country

and has banking subsidiaries in Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.

Financial analysts at the Nigerian bourse, added that the performance and an indepth analysis of the results, recently approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria, confirmed the bank as the first and only Nigerian bank to cross the N100 billion Profit Before Tax milestone at both Bank and Group levels.

Sterling Bank doubles profit, dividends …grows profit by 108 per cent

By Bukky Olajide TERLING Bank rode on the back of increased market share and robust credit risk management to double its profit from core operations, a feat that trickled down to equal the increase in cash payout to shareholders.

Audited report and accounts of the bank for the year ended December 31, 2012 showed a well-rounded per-

S

formance with significant growth in income, profitability and assets.

The audited report, prepared in line with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and approved by all financial services regulatory agencies, was presented to the investing public at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday.

Key extracts of the report showed that the bank consol-

idated its growth and seamlessly harnessed the synergies from its recent acquisition with both outward and underlying performance indicators indicating marked improvements.

While gross earnings grew by 51 per cent, profit from core operations (excluding the effect of one-off disposal of subsidiaries in 2011) increased by 108 per cent; while the proportion of nonperforming loans to total loans portfolio improved

considerably to 3.8 per cent as against 4.8 per cent in the previous year. Net interest margin improved from 5.0 per cent to 5.2 per cent underlying increasing profitability of the bank’s core banking operations in spite of the tough operating environment.

Gross earnings stood at N68.9 billion in 2012 as against N45.7 billion in 2011. The topline was driven substantially by improving core banking operations and larger market

share as net interest income rose by 43 per cent from N16.7 billion to N23.9 billion.

Non-interest income also increased to N15.3 billion as against N13.4 billion in the previous year. Net operating income after impairment loss rose by 51 per cent to N39.5 billion as against N26.1 billion. Adjusted for income from discontinued operations, profit before tax grew by 108 per cent to N7.5 billion in 2012 as against N3.6 billion in 2011.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Sports Yobo advocates respect for older players

Yobo missing again, as Keshi picks 30 for busy June

UPER Eagles’ Captain, Sbetter Joseph Yobo has called for communication between the Nigeria coaching staff and established national team players.

Yobo is the latest player to have been involved in a public spat with Coach Stephen Keshi after reacting angrily to being omitted from the squad that drew 1-1 against Kenya in a World Cup qualifier at home recently.

It follows criticism of Keshi from West Brom striker, Peter Odemwingie, and Emmanuel Emenike, who also felt they had been treated badly.

Fenerbahce defender, Yobo believes much of the ill feeling could be eradicated through greater courtesy.

The 32-year-old, who is Nigeria’s most capped player on 95 appearances, said he felt “disrespected” by Keshi after the coach failed to inform him he would not be called up for last month’s game.

“I have been with the national team for more than 10 years, I don’t expect to play every game if I can’t give my all,” Yobo told BBC Sport.

• FIFA reschedules Group F World Cup qualifiers Eagles Captain, Joseph Sin UPER Yobo is once again missing Coach Stephen Keshi’s list of players for Nigeria’s matches in May and June fueling speculations that the Fenerbahce star may have played his last game for the country under the South Africa 2013 Nations Cup winning coach.

Yobo complained loudly when he was omitted from Nigeria’s Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kenya last month, but Keshi said the Everton former star still had a place in his team.

However, Emmanuel Emenike, who has not played for Nigeria since the Nations Cup semi-final game against Mali owing to injury, is among the 30 players invited for the matches.

Also returning to the team is 2010 World Cup star, Kalu Uche, who has not played for the country since Keshi became coach in 2011.

Nigeria has a high-profile friendly against CONCACAF champions, Mexico, in Houston, Texas, USA on the last day of May, before two World Cup qualifying matches in Nairobi and Windhoek that come before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

The Eagles play Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in Brazil but will play two more games if they advance to the knockout stage, before returning to Africa for a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifying fixture against Cote d’Ivoire.

Also in the 30-man squad are Stand-in Captain, Vincent Enyeama, Mikel Obi, Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboabona, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses, as well as, new boys,

John Ogu, Michael Babatunde and Anthony Ujah.

In the team are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and 11 strikers.

The delegation of 12 homebased players and technical/backroom staff will depart Abuja for the training camp in Nuremberg, Germany on May 15, while the overseas-based stars are expected to join the team in Germany as their various Leagues come to an end.

Players in Russia, Ukraine and Norway may only join the team for the matches against Kenya and Namibia, and for the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament.

The squad goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria), Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC, Nigeria).

Defenders: Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland), Elderson Echiejile (FC Braga, Portugal), Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria), Ebenezer Odunlami (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria), Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria), Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria).

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England), Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy), Fegor Ogude (Valerenga FC, Norway), John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal), Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria), Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves, Nigeria), Emeka Ezeh (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria).

Yaya Toure signs new Man City deal ANCHESTER City midM fielder, Yaya Toure has signed a new four-year con-

From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja S part of the total overhauling of the African Youths Championship, (AYC) bronze winning U20 team, the Nigeria Football may draft the duo of South Africa 2013 AFCON revelations, Kenneth Omeruo and Ogenyi Onazi to the national U20 team for the FIFA U20 world cup, which is billed for Turkey in June.

Following the inability of the flying eagles to defend the AYC in Algeria, the NFF promised to inject new players into the team to ensure that it takes the best to the U20 world in Turkey.

NFF executive board member and head of delegation to the just concluded AYC in Algeria, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh told journalists yesterday in Abuja that he has recommended that since it is obvious that every country will want to present its best within the age limit, the duo of Ado Den Haag’s Kenneth Omeruo and Lazio of Italy’s Ogenyi Onazi be drafted to the U20 team since their ages fall within the U20 limit.

Fresh, who is also the chairman of Niger State Football Association, insisted that Coach John Sam Obuh and technical

A

crew must be allowed to continue with their job and take the team to Turkey for the world cup, adding that Obuh is still the rightful person to transform the team.

He noted that Obuh and his technical crew assembled the group of individual players, stressing that their major problem was lack of blending and selfishness, blaming the attackers of playing like a team with each trying to score for himself.

“To start with, I am highly delighted with the performance of the team, we know

in training and are in high spirit. Hopefully, they will exhibit all they have learnt on the court when the competition begins.”

Stephen noted that the players know the task ahead of them and would do everything possible to book a ticket to the World championship, saying that all the players were free of injury.

Coach of the male team, Fidelis Obi said he was able to

put the team in the right shape despite the little time they had to train together.

He said they would not underrate any team despite that most of the teams at the event were attending competition for the first time except for Congo Democratic Republic. He also expressed optimism over the players’ ability to book a ticket, noting that the players were ready for the challenge.

Super Eagles’ Coach, Stephen Keshi.

NFF to mediate in Keshi, Yobo row IGERIA Football N Federation (NFF) President, Aminu Maigari, yesterday ordered the federation’s Technical and Development Committee to mediate in the on-going war of words between Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen

NFF to draft Omeruo, Onazi to U20 • Obuh remains the best for World Cup team

and major competition (FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013) ahead of us. I have ordered the Chairman of Technical Committee and his members to immediately intervene and restore sanity,” Maigari said.

Nigeria, champions of Africa, has a jumbo schedule of possibly 10 matches in six weeks between the end of May and mid-July.

The Super Eagles take on CONCACAF champions, Mexico (rated 15th in the world) in a prestigious international friendly in Texas, U.S.A on May 31, travel to Kenya and Namibia for 2014 World Cup qualifiers within a fortnight after, take part at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where they could play five matches if they progress beyond group stage, before a 2014 African Nations Championship twolegged fixture against Cote d’Ivoire.

tract to keep him at the club until 2017. Toure, who turns 30 in May, pledged his future to the Premier League side with the new long-term deal, which was confirmed yesterday.

“This is where I want to be,” Toure told the club’s official website.

“When I first arrived at City, every time I went to sleep I would dream about us winning something. Now it is about us being the best team in whatever competition we take part in,” he added.

Toure joined City from Barcelona in July 2010 on a five-year deal, which saw him link up with his older brother Kolo, who joined the club from Arsenal the previous year.

The midfielder, who has won the UEFA Champions League, two La Liga titles, a Premier League trophy, the FA Cup and Copa Del Rey during his career, revealed his decision to stay at City rests on his desire to claim more silverware.

“I want to continue winning titles and trophies and continue to make history,” Toure said. “I have enjoyed all of my time here and can’t wait for the next chapter. This is an incredible club to be part of with fans that support a team to the end, whatever the circumstances.

Nigerians wanted us to return with the trophy as defending champions, but it was never so, the players did their best. I would want the NFF technical committee to work with the coaches to fortify the teams attack.

“We have good attackers in the team but I see them as been very selfish. The attackers never played like a team because everybody wanted to score for himself. I want coach Obuh to inject new players into the team and make the camp to be more competitive for him to pick the best for the world cup.”

Keshi and Captain Joseph Yobo.

An unhealthy exchange of words between the two principal characters in the Nigeria squad has dominated the media in the past few days, as Yobo expressed unhappiness with the coach over his exclusion from last month’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Calabar.

“This is a highly untoward development and the NFF and entire Nigeria football family are disturbed. Less than two months ago, we lifted the Africa Cup of Nations in a blaze of glory, and this was made possible by hardwork and team-work in an atmosphere of peace, unity and tranquility.

“The recent exchange of words between Coach Keshi and Captain Yobo is worrisome, at a time that we have so many important matches

IHF World Challenge Trophy

Nigeria teams upbeat, depart for Djibouti

By Adeyinka Adedipe HE Nigerian male team T will depart the country today for Djibouti for World Trophy Challenge qualifiers promising to book a ticket to World event in Sweden later this year.

The female male left the country yesterday night, as Nigeria makes a double assault on the rest of the continent. The event begins

tomorrow and ends next Friday.

According the website of the Confederation of African Handball other countries participating in the female category are Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique and Madagascar while the male category also has Senegal, Chad, Djibouti, Uganda, Mozambique and

Madagascar.

Coach of the country’s female team, Adebayo Stephen told The Guardian yesterday that his team was prepared to do the country proud in Djibouti. Though his team had limited time to prepare, he was sure that they would improve as the competition progresses.

He said that his players were in high spirit and ready to do the country proud.

“The players responded well

58

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

SchoolSports School House leads at God First sports competition T was a joyful moment full IHouse of excitement as the School (Green) emerged the

champion of the 10th Bi-ennial Inter-House Sports Competition of God First Schools, Ketu, Lagos, held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Sports Centre last week.

At the end of the competition, which featured events as 25m tiny tots, 75m, 100m, 200m, Hurdles, Sack, Slippers, 4 x 100m and Cycling races, among others, Green House won nine gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals to beat its closest rival, Shonuga House (Purple), which garnered nine gold, nine silver and three bronze medals.

Otunba Fasanya House (Yellow), which could not defend the title at the competition, came third with nine gold, five silver and nine bronze medals. Adebanjo House (Blue) came fourth with six gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals.

The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. A.F. Ogunye, in his welcome address, said sports

in human development could hardly be over-emphasised. He, therefore, implored the parents to always allow their children to participate in sports competitions.

The Proprietor of the school, Pastor S.A. Adebanjo, said the purpose of the school in organising the competition is to give the pupils the opportunity to showcase their talents in sports, while entertaining their parents and other guests who had come to cheer them up to victory. He also said that the importance of the event could not be over-emphasised.

He, therefore, expressed huge satisfaction in the conduct of the athletes during the competition.

The Head (Academics) of the school, Mrs. H. M. Adeniyi, said sports development was very important in the school’s curriculum to ensure that every child that passed through the school is well-grounded in sporting activities.

Diamond shines at Royal School meet ITH 17 gold, 16 silver and W five bronze medals, Diamond House (blue) were crowned the overall winner at the fourth inter-house sports competition of Royal Group of Schools.

The one-day championship was held at the University of Lagos Sports Complex with the students thrilling their parents with exceptional skills on track.

There was nothing that could have stopped Diamond House from clinching the coveted trophy as they domi-

Christ Central marks 31st inter-house fiesta HE 31st inter-house sports competition of Christ Central Primary School holds April 9 at the school premises in Ajenifuja Street, Ilupeju in Lagos.

Green House will be defending its title against Yellow, Blue and Pink, while the students will compete for series of events.

T

nated most of the events from the beginning to the end to ensure a wide margin in their gold medals haul.

It was not only in the gold medal category that Diamond dominated, they swept the silver medals as well.

Sapphire managed to occupy the second place with eight gold, 13 silver and nine bronze medals, while Emerald (green) fought hard to topple Sapphire but their efforts could only fetched them the third place after amassing seven gold, three silver and 12 bronze medals.

With one gold separating the second, third and fourth place teams, Topaz (yellow) were fourth with six gold, five silver and 11 bronze medals.

For their colourful display during the march past, Sapphire lifted the trophy in the event.

To add glamour to the event, parents exercised themselves in the sprint events, with Mr. Adedoyin Bolanle and Mrs. Mary Omolade winning the races.

Students compete at Skylink sports meet in Ikorodu last week.

Boys’ 100 metre final at Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship held at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Sapphire House lifts trophy at Role Model competition

By Tony Nwanne was an exciting moment IofTforRole the students and pupils Model School when Sapphire House emerged the overall winner of the yearly school inter-house sport competition.

The event, which was held at the Rehabilitation and Vocational Centre, IsheriOlowura, had in attendance one of Nigerian goal keepers, Peter Rufai, who serves as a role model, came to cheer up and encourage the children.

The winning house, Sapphire, outshone other houses to claim the first position. From the beginning of the competition, Sapphire house were at their best in all the games, displaying high level of dexterities and prowess.

The house outshone Topaz House, who emerged second position, went away with the silver medal, while Emerald and Ruby house came out third and fourth position medals respectively.

Prosperity House wins at Skylink inter-house tourney HEIR name dictated their T performance as Prosperity House emerged champion at the maiden biennial interhouse sports competition of Skylink School, Ikorodu.

The event held at Fun Factory field in Ikorodu witnessed large turnout of parents and guardians, who came to cheer their wards to victory at the one-day sports

fiesta.

The tournament also afforded the pupils to display their sporting talents to the admiration of their parents. The march past was excellent as various houses mesmerised with their colourful display.

On the track, the athletes competed in events like lime race, sack race, filling the jar race and cart wheel race, while fleet-footed students also dazzled the crowd.

With all the razzmatazz and competition, it was the Prosperity House to lifted the coveted trophy ahead of teams like Peace, Royalty and Love.

Also Peace was initially trailing Prosperity but their efforts could not match up with the champion, as they had to settle for second place.

Royalty finished third while Love came fourth.

For the school Chairman, Chief J. J. Obasa, the school would continue to mould a total child by combining effectively sports and academics.

Meanwhile, the students and pupils, were actively on ground to participate in different sporting events such as 100 meters, for senior and junior boys and girls categories, long and high jump, relay race, among others.

Apparently, awards were given to best the athlete that performed excellently during the competition. Fortune Okorho, emerged the best athletes winning gold in virtually all the competition.

Speaking at the event, the Principal of School, Simbo Banjo, commended the efforts of the children for put-

ting their efforts in participating in the school sports competition, adding that the essence of the competition is to celebrate children and making them see the need and the importance of sports generally.

According to her, “the game is usually meant for children to celebrate through different sports activities, at the same time making them see the need to participate in sports. Sport in general, is very important in their lives, as it helps them to be alert, smart and pragmatic,” she said.

Athlete tries to beat the tape at the event

PHOTO FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

59

Golf Weekly How Nigeria’s Willy missed Moanda Open crown in Gabon Stories by Eno-Abasi Sunday

N opening day gaffe on A the 18 th hole denied Nigeria’s Gift Willy a taste of victory in far away Gabon, where he, his compatriot, Oche Andrew Odoh and some African nationals bided for honours at the 18th Moanda Open Golf Championship in the central African nation.

Willy’s error was good for defending champion, Ghana’s Vincent Torgah, who after overtaking the Nigerian, steadied his game and obtained victory with a robust fivestroke lead to pocket the top prize of $10, 000 at stake. He carded a total of 282, six under par to push Willy to the second spot.

“I am on top of my game and I am very happy to have defended the trophy,” the Tema Golf Clubbased pro, who is also ranked second on the Nigerian Professional Golfers Associations (PGAN) Order of Merit said after the win.

Willy was leading the pack with 3 under par up to the last hole, before he went into Out of Bounds (OB) to eventually finish the first round with a score of 72, level par. He never caught up with Torgah again as he played 74, 69 and 72 in subsequent rounds.

“After what looked like a beautiful opening round, I just went off. I made three over on the par five; and that almost killed my plan for the event.

“He deserves the win

Willy

because I had my chances but I blow them away,” Willy, who finished second ahead of Ghana’s duo

of Emos Korblah and Barni Kojo submitted. They both shot 289; three over par.

Korblah, Nigeria’s best-

Adeyemo thanks team, sponsors for successful tenure UT gone Captain of Ikeja Golf Club, Lagos, O Olatunji Adeyemo, has ascribed the successes recorded during his stewardship to the staunch support he received from his management committee and hordes of sponsors that swamped the club to offer support.

Adeyemo is reputed to have strengthened ties between the club and corporate Nigeria, a development, which led to the attraction of more corporate sponsors to the club.

While speaking at a gala night/prize giving ceremony of the 2013 Captain’s Day Tournament, Adeyemo expressed appreciation to God and those, who contributed to his tenure’s success adding that he was honoured and proud of his contributions to improving the fortunes of the club.

“I am grateful to God for the modest success of this blissful tenure of service that essentially focused on revamping the physical infrastructure of the club

and the course, a feat made possible by the dedicated, dexterous and result-driven team of people that served with me and for which I remain grateful.

“I am honoured and proud of my contributions while serving this great club and the opportunity to join other indefatigable, great minds in their respective responsibilities on the management committee and statutory subcommittees, to chart a course of continuous, unrelenting progress for our prestigious club,” he added.

However, at the end of activities marking the weeklong Captain’s Day Tournament, former club champion, Chris Obije emerged the winner of the competition. The 5-hanicapper netted a score of 65 to win by three shots.

In the second position was Adebiyi Fetuga who signed for a net score of 68, beating the third placed Rasaki Muritala by 1-shot while Muyideen

Olaitan who also carded a score of 69 lost the third place on count back.

In the Ladies Category, Jing Hua Lim led the pack after carding a net score of 73 while Alaba Adetunji ducked in the second position signing for 76 net.

Former lady captain of Ikoyi Club (golf section) Angela Adegboyega came third while Funke Majekodunmi completed the top four in the ladies category.

Tour professional, Chidi Tobias finished tops in the professionals’ event after shooting 73, defeating his closest rival, Tunde Raimi by 2-shots. Femi Johnson’s 79 placed him in the third position.

Other winners in the weeklong competition were Chima Nwakwo, who won in the Veteran’s Category, while David Ogunseye won the longest drive Day 1 and Taiwo Adewole got longest drive Day 2. Akinbo Akomolafe finished the tourney as winner of men’s guest.

ranked player was featuring in the championship for the first time.

“You cannot plan to win an event and still make the type of mistake I made on the 18th on the first day,” he further lamented.

The other member of the two-man Nigerian team, Odoh, finished in fifth place ahead of Cameroun’s Ebela Desire.

Meanwhile for the first time in two seasons, Korblah has gone win-less

in three events and if he fails to win this weekend at the Senator David Mark 65 th birthday Tournament, at the Otukpo Golf and Country Club, Otukpo, he will be supplanted at the zenith of the Order of Merit.

Among those that could replace him, if they finish in prominent positions are Torgah, Willy or winner of the ULO Open ProAm, James Bulus of the Nigeria Defence Academy

(NDA) Golf Club, Kaduna.

Torgah said he would be honoured to succeed compatriot Korblah this weekend if he plays well. His words, “I will be glad to be number one. It will be an achievement but I will have to fight fatigue from the travels I have done lately. My game is very sharp and I am swinging well, I will just need to adapt a game plan to the situation on ground,” he said.

Oboh confirms class, wins girls’ event at African Junior Championship LEVEN-YEAR-OLD E Georgia Oboh began her search for world-ranking points on a good note winning the girl’s event of the 2 nd African Junior Championships, which ended yesterday at the IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

Bookmakers had predicted a good outing for the student of Lekki British International School, based on her. She did not disappoint as she posted a classy performance to emerge the overall winner in the girls (U-18) category winning with a whooping 93 shots.

She opened her Day One with a 92 gross score and led the tournament on a very challenging first day.

However, on Day Two, she shot 81 gross. She did this by shooting level par on the difficult back 9 at IBB. On the third and final day, she shot 76 gross to close proceedings.

Being a world-ranking event sanctioned by golf’s world governing body, the Royal and Ancient Club (R&A), Scotland, points allocated to the kid golfers, would be made known in a couple of days.

However, Oboh’s feat has qualified her for the European Championships, which holds in Scotland from May 26 to 29, as well as, the three World Championships slated to hold in the United States between July and August this year.

The tourney was organised by Kids Golf International (KGI) in concert with the Ladies Section of the host IBB Club.

Last year, Oboh was named as one of KGI Ambassadors, whose role, among others, is to be golf ambassadors for the organisation in particular and the country at large.

This is the second time KGI, an indigenous outfit dedicated to developing the game of golf in Nigeria and West Africa through tournaments and training programmes for children aged 5-18 years old, is staging the African Junior Championship. The first last year, had no world ranking points on offer.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

Partizan Belgrade former boss is confused, says Taribo Eagles’ former SWestUPER World Cup star, Taribo has dismissed a former club president as confused after he exposed the defender as an agecheat.

Partizan Belgrade’s former President, Zarko Zecevic, has alleged that Taribo lied about his age, claiming to be 28 when he was actually 40.

“He joined us saying he was 28. We only later found out he was 40, but he was still playing well so I don’t regret having him on the team,” said the former club boss.

But the flamboyant cen-

tral defender has been quick to dismiss this allegation.

“I think he is out of his mind. If I were 40 in 2002/2003 (season) as he claimed, how old would I be now? He is not a serious man,” Taribo told a local website.

“After I left the club, I still played for seven or so more years at the top level. I don’t know how that is possible if I was indeed 40 then as he claimed.

“I am just going to ignore him because his allegation is standing logic on its head.”

But the Croatian media

have also alleged that Taribo lied about his age when he tried to join Rijeka club.

The star defender said he was 32 then, but club doctors suggested he could have been about 44 after an examination revealed his knees showed he was much older than he claimed.

The former Enugu Rangers star, who featured at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, quit the game in 2008 after he starred in the French Ligue 1, English Premier League and Serie A with both AC Milan and Inter Milan.

Botswana 2013 WCL Division One Play-Off

Nigeria intensifies preparation, as Adegbola, other captains meet the press HE Nigerian team to the T Botswana 2013 World Cricket League (WCL) Division Seven Championship continued its preparation for the competition yesterday ahead of its opening game against Fiji at the Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) number one pitch in Gaborone.

The team arrived in Gaborone on Wednesday morning, and began its final preparation for the championship yesterday. It will have its final training session today before the opener against Fiji tomor-

row.

After this morning’s training session, Nigeria’s captain, Adekunle Adegbola will join other team leaders in a press conference organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the Gaborone Conference Centre, Gaborone.

The conference gives the captains to talk about their teams’ preparations and expectations of the Division Seven championship, which will see the first and second placed teams moving to the

Division Six. Te other captains include the host’s Karabo Modise, Fiji’s Josefa Rika, Asif Khan of Germany, Ghana’s Peter Ananya, and Vanuatu’s Andrew Mansale.

The tournament will be played in Gaborone and Lobatse from tomorrow, with the final to be played at BCA No. 1 in Gaborone on April 13.

The occasion would also present journalists covering the championship the opportunity to collect their accreditation ahead tomorrow’s flag-off.

Nigeria and Japan battling for honours in the 2011 WCL Division Seven Championship. The 2013 edition of the competition begins tomorrow in Gaborone, Botswana.

12 schools for NUGA Zone F preliminaries

By Olalekan Okusan WELVE public and private universities will compete in the preliminaries of the 2013 Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) Zone F, to be hosted by the University of Lagos next week.

According to NUGA Zone F Co-coordinator, Cecilia Arinye, hundreds of athletes from these institu-

T

tions would converge for the competition, which serves as qualifiers for the NUGA Games in June this year.

“We are expecting hundreds of athletes but this can only be determined by the support each school is getting from its management. For us at UNILAG, we are fully ready to host the teams as all the facilities are in place and we are ready to

host the tournament. The school management is fully supporting us in the staging of the tournament while the athletes we are expected to use are also in top form for the event,” she said.

Arinye, who is UNILAG’s director of Sports, added that the school would present 175 athletes that will compete in the 12 out of the 13 events to be competed for at the five-day tournament.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

UEFA Champions League

Galatasaray needs a miracle, says Mourinho EAL Madrid Coach, Jose R Mourinho believes that Galatasaray will need “a miracle” if it is to overturn Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Istanbul next week.

Even though goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim

Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain have put Los Blancos within touching distance of the Champions League semifinals, Mourinho is taking nothing for granted ahead of his side’s trip to the Turk Telekom Arena.

“They need a miracle, but

there are miracles in football,” Mourinho said during his post-game press conference. “The history of football is full of miracles, so why not? Why can’t they dream of a miracle?

“I have enough experience to understand that we have a very good result, but that it is not over. I will try everything in my power to convince my players of that, and that we have go there seriously.

“Of course, if we score one goal, they have to score five.

But I think we have to go there with the same mentality.

I prefer to wait for the next match to do analysis on the tie, but if you look at the first leg, anything can happen

next time out.”

Even though Madrid has seemingly secured its place in the last four, the Spaniards have no idea, who they could end up facing in the semis — and that is just the way Mourinho likes it.

“I like not knowing the whole draw until the final,” the two-time Champions League winner explained. “ As professional players, I think the supporters also like this so they can see the draw for every round. So, for that reason, I think it’s better to wait for the qualified sides and then do another draw.”

Madrid hosts Levante on Saturday before traveling to Turkey for the second-leg showdown with Galatasaray three days later.

Dortmund should be proud, claims Subotic EVEN Subotic feels N Borussia Dortmund has every reason to be satisfied

Mourinho

with its scoreless draw away against Malaga in Wednesday’s Champions League encounter.

The German champions missed a number of chances to claim victory in the first leg of the quarterfinal tie, but the Serb is focusing on the positives as he sets his sights on a last-four spot.

“Coming under so much pressure, at this stage of the competition, in an away game, plus playing as we have done for the last couple years – that is something to be proud of,” Subotic told the official UEFA website.

“We are a young team. For most of us it is our first time

getting this far. But we want more. We want a goal and it is in our hands because all we have to do is win the home game.

“Malaga did not make it easy for us at all. They are a good team. Just look at the first half, they put in a huge effort, they defended well - this is a good side, which plays quality football.

“I am sure that if we put in at least the same effort again in the second leg then we will create sufficient chances to score a goal.

“Obviously, we are very happy to have reached this far and equally happy about the performance Wednesday.”

The second leg at the Westfalenstadion takes place on April 9.

Liverpool, Tottenham battle for Nigerian starlet IVERPOOL will fight it out LNigerian with Tottenham for starlet, Moses Daddy-Ajala.

The Premier League pair have been tracking the winger, 17, who is compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.

He is tipped to become the next Nigerian wide man to make his mark in Europe and follow in the footsteps of Chelsea’s Victor Moses.

Daddy-Ajala is owned by

the same Nigerian academy that produced former Reds’ target, Ahmed Musa, who is now at CSKA Moscow.

He was set to join one of Nigeria’s top-flight clubs, but those plans have been shelved due to the growing interest from England.

Daddy-Ajala has yet to play for Nigeria but is expected to qualify for a work permit under the special talent rule.

I was not good enough against Madrid, Sneijder admits ALATASARAY playmakball between the lines G er, Wesley Sneijder has when I am available for admitted that he did not one or two seconds, but contribute enough in the first leg of his side’s 3-0 Champions League quarter-final loss against Real Madrid.

The Netherlands international featured from the start of the first leg at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but he was taken off at halftime after failing to make an impact in the opening 45 minutes.

“Of course I am disappointed. I wanted to finish this game, especially here at the Santiago Bernabeu where I played in the past. I was unable to do that and that’s disappointing,” Sneijder told NOS. “I am in good physical condition and I’m feeling good. I did have a few minor physical problems, though, because I had to do a lot of running. But that’s not an excuse, because it’s clear that I should have offered more.

“Normally, I receive the

not this time. When that doesn’t happen, you’re pretty much invisible. It might have looked pretty bad, but it wasn’t that poor.”

Galatasaray will be looking to bounce back from the loss to Madrid on Saturday when it hosts, Mersin Idman Yurdu three days prior to hosting the return leg against Los Blancos, with a place in the Champions League semifinals on the line.

Sneijder

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, April 5, 2013

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TheGuardian

Friday, April 5, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Sakaba Ishaku NITED States of America has been able to achieve stability over the years by U addressing economy. U.S. is a more heterogeneous society than Nigeria. As they were fighting to advance their economy they were indirectly arresting all other societal problems. Poverty is a threat to national security; the crisis of Nigeria as precipitated by aggressive poverty had blindfolded and bedeviled numerous political leaders no matter how intelligent and determined they are.

Nigeria has over relied on a monocultural economy in which the people at the grassroots are deprived of direct earning of dollars through productivity. National wealth trickles down from federal allocation, which can never be fairly distributed hence only a few individuals are involved in the generation and distribution of the so-called national wealth.

You need enforcement leaders against all odds to achieve set targets. Laudable programmes cannot see the light of the day when there is an aggressive, apprehensive poverty ravaging the face of leadership.

Wealth generated by a handful of individuals cannot certainly satisfy the nation.

The grassroots must be involved in wealth generation through their individual efforts in their various careers and it is only when such is done that the nation will be saturated with wealth. Over 70 per cent of Nigerian population are agrarians.

If corruption is indeed the problem of underdevelopment of the Nigerian economy, then setting up anti-graft agencies such as EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau implies just dealing with the symptom instead of tackling the root cause of the disease. Political will is of strategic importance. However, credible research must be carried out to identify the root cause of corruption. Is it insecurity, poverty, skewed political system, illiteracy, culture, religion, greed or avarice?

Way forward It is an incontestable fact that Nigeria is blessed with vast untapped arable land in the North and some parts of the South.

Mineral deposits also litter the nooks and crannies of the country and sufficient manpower to harvest these resources are handy.

What is then really wrong? Most people prefer to invest in politics rather than entrepreneurship; even the investment lords are now divesting and moving into politics. I would like to believe that because of the advancement in the instrument of violence, there can never be a total war again on this planet except if belligerent nations want to set the globe ablaze. Modern wars today are mainly economic wars, which are fought in factories.

Whereas the rest of the world are living in the 21st century, our farmers in Nigeria are living in stone age and you can never use instruments of stone age civilisation to win a 21st century war.

Establishment of Ministry of Non Oil Export There should be a Ministry of Non-oil Export, which will coordinate the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Investment Promotion Council and other allied parastatals. It shall be the responsibility of this ministry to identify special export crops and other resources such as sesame seed, rice, tomato, sorghum, soya beans, cashew nuts, yam, cocoa, cotton and more as well as solid mineral deposits such as gold, Iron ore, copper tantalum etc around Nigeria.

Budget should be passed to support about 2000 farmers identified around Nigeria to be taken to China, South Korea, USA, Japan and Germany for training on modern approaches to farming for at least a year.

They will come back to serve as models to other farmers in this country.

The second stage should be the invitation to Chinese and South Korean engineers to Ajaokuta to work alongside with Nigerian engineers in developing African affordable technology for farm application. It will be necessary that such implement is compatible with our culture. The equipment is to serve the farmers in various areas from diary products, to crops and even mining.

Whereas the rest of the world are living in the 21st century, our farmers in Nigeria are living in stone age and you can never use instruments of stone age civilisation to win a 21st century war

Please send reactions and feedback for YOUTH SPEAK to:

editorial@risenetworks.org and 07067976667- SMS ONLY

Education and technology as antidote to poverty, underdevelopment in Nigeria

If our farmers continue to apply the out dated approach of using hoe and cutlass, we shall never get anywhere.

For us to cut the importation of cement, rice, and fish for example, we must develop the domestic technology for their massive production and processing. Also, identified South African and other Chinese companies with decades of experience in mining can partner with Nigerian government to extract and process gold, diamond and other mineral resources which have been neglected

Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Bassey Ewa

It shall be the responsibility of the Non-Oil Export Ministry to source market around the globe for both raw materials and finished goods coming from the farms, as the average Nigerian farmer does not know how and where to sell his products.

Provisions should be made in the budget for the Ministry to buy off products from the farmers to be sold abroad and such will go on until the farmers themselves understand the dynamics of the market.

If the Russians and the Chinese have been able to successfully work with Nigerian scientist to launch SAT 1 and II into space, I believe we can do more in the area of agrobased and agro-allied industrialisation.

You don’t need all the degrees of this world to be able to fabricate a machine to be used on the farms as the average Nigerian farmer cannot afford a combine harvester produced by Caterpillar or Fiat, but should be able to afford a small wheel barrow size harvester to be produced in Ajaokuta which will propel the nation into greatness. Hyundai of South Korea for example can partner with Nigerians to produce

these portable affordable machines as South Korea has had some familiarity with our experiences having gone through our stages of development herself.

If our farmers continue to apply the out dated approach of using hoe and cutlass, we shall never get anywhere. For us to cut the importation of cement, rice, and fish for example, we must develop the domestic technology for their massive production and processing. Also, identified South African and other Chinese companies with decades of experience in mining can partner with Nigerian government to extract and process gold, diamond and other mineral resources which have been neglected.

Resources that accrue to the Federal Government through removal of oil subsidy can be channelled towards that. For a genuine transformation to be seen to be achieved, it is only when that small-scale factory owner in the village and that huge mechanised farmer in the community own the largest estate in that village or community as against the local government Chairman or Senator. It is then the genera-

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tions of youths coming up will repudiate politics as a means of primitive wealth accumulation; it is then they will embrace entrepreneurship.

In the area of education, we should give kudos to the President for initiating six additional universities around Nigeria. Energy and resources will need to be channelled towards education to produce middle-level technologically skilled manpower because it is to such the nation will belong in the near future — as masters of the nation.

Ideally we ought not look unto a professor to fabricate a simple implement. The middle-level personnel certificates will be acquired in the factories such as Peugeot automobiles and Ajaokuta Steel Complex and not in schools as they will be exposed to more practical work than mere academic exercise. This practical education will then become a culture and way of life of the people.

All efforts will be a mirage if we allow the monster of aggressive poverty to dictate our actions because it has forced a lot of government policies to crash. We have over the years had DFRRI and its variants such as NEEDS, NAPEP etc, and none has achieved its set objectives. Education is power so also is iron.

The so-called oriental tiger economies of Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea…. were able to achieve their proverbial feats because if they set a target, it must be achieved against all odds.

Conclusion It is important to mention in conclusion that when there is an infraction of the law by an individual and the culprit is allowed to scot-free, national development is what is impaired, indeed impeded. For the nation to move forward the laws of the state must be strictly enforced with leadership leading with good example that would be emulated by the citizenry.

• Sakaba Ishaku wrote from Owerri, Imo State